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Local law enforcement officers arrested a man for DUI Saturday afternoon, who was parked behind an elementary school in a car that had been reported as stolen, according to arrest citations. Kentucky State Police Trooper Donnie Jones arrested David Allen Randle, 34, of Louisville, and charged him with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance, no operator’s license, failure to produce auto insurance card, no auto insurance, possession of drug paraphernalia, no registration receipt, no registration plates and improper display of registration plates. Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Prewitt also charged Randle and Hannah E. Volter, 30, of Keavy, with receiving stolen property under $10,000 in...

A tractor-trailer fire Thursday night closed down Interstate 75 at Exit 25 in north Corbin. West Knox, Corbin, Keavy and Lily firefighters responded to the scene where the flatbed truck loaded with plastic containers was burning. “It was pretty much fully involved,” said West Knox Fire Chief Darryl Baker. “They were stacked together, so it didn’t allow us to get in between them to get it out,” Baker said of the plastic containers. Baker said firefighters were paged to the scene at 8:30 p.m. “The driver said he heard something pop behind the cab,” Baker said when asked about the cause of the fire. “He pulled over and once he got out, he could...

(OpEd By Dr. Ryan Quarles, who serves as Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner.) Across the nation and around the world, the number of coronavirus cases is on the rise. This alarming trend has raised concerns that the economic lockdown from the spring could return. Leaders in Frankfort can and should be creative in using available resources and developing guidelines to prevent further damage to Kentucky’s economy this winter while also encouraging Kentuckians to follow CDC guidelines. When the pandemic first began, I worked in Frankfort to make sure that agriculture remained open for business. As the providers of our food and fiber, our hard-working farmers needed to continue working to make sure Kentucky,...

The arrival of autumn brings beautiful fall colors, holiday excitement and for hunters, deer hunting in Kentucky. About 300,000 Kentuckians hunt deer each year. The state’s deer herd also draws thousands of hunters from other states throughout the different seasons, contributing heartily to the commonwealth’s tourism industry. Deer hunting greatly benefits Kentucky’s economy - resulting in over $550 million in total economic benefit each year. Deer hunters annually spend more than $350 million in the Bluegrass state, sustaining more than 13,000 jobs and returning nearly $90 million in local, state and federal tax revenues. Modern gun deer season produces the majority of Kentucky’s annual deer harvest. This year, the firearms deer season...

(OpEd By Dr. James Finck, who is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha. He is Chair of the Oklahoma Civil War Symposium. Follow Historically Speaking at www.Historicallyspeaking.blog.) With the election this week, I want to address an issue I have heard from both sides but which has been much more prominent with Joe Biden. Biden claims that if elected he can unite Americans whereas Trump is dividing us. What Biden and all politicians do not understand is that they can only unite their side. As much as Democrats hate Trump, Republicans disliked Obama and very much dislike Biden. Justified or...

(OpEd By U.S. Senator Rand Paul) After President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, I said I believed Judge Barrett would make an excellent justice that would serve our country and Constitution well. Since then, I’ve continued to be truly impressed by Judge Barrett, and after meeting with her this past week, I am proud to reaffirm my position and give her my full support. During our meeting, I enjoyed hearing from her directly about her judicial philosophy — a careful, impartial, and grounded approach to the law that is exactly what we need on...

A regional brand now identifies the 41 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky as an enticing tourist destination: The Kentucky Wildlands. The Kentucky Wildlands is a regional tourism marketing initiative that showcases the region’s majestic beauty and rich heritage with the goal of driving economic development. Components of the initiative will include a media campaign, hospitality education, itinerary development and entrepreneur training. The initiative was launched by Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, Inc. Known as PRIDE, the nonprofit organization has spearheaded environmental education and cleanup across the region since 1997, with the ultimate goal of uncovering the scenic area’s tourism potential. The Kentucky Wildlands initiative is funded by grants from the Appalachian Regional...

A defense attorney recently asked a judge for access to a defendant’s psychological evaluation, but the evaluation he is wanting isn’t for his client. Thomas Earl Reynolds III, 31, of Apopka, Florida, is accused of shooting at police during a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle in 2017 that went from Williamsburg to Corbin and then back to Williamsburg before it finally ended. In January 2018, a Whitley County Grand Jury indicted Reynolds on charges of criminal attempt to commit murder, two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, receiving stolen property over $10,000, receiving stolen property-handgun, first-degree fleeing or evading police, operating a motor...

(Story By Jeff Ledington, The Mountain Advocate) Lt. Col Amy McGrath is a Kentucky native and veteran of three combat tours. She says she wants to go to Washington “for Kentucky, not big interests.” McGrath has pulled in record fundraising halls and touted that she’s received donations from every county in the state. “I’m a Kentuckian, I was raised here and left home at the age of 18 to join the military,” McGrath said of her Kentucky roots. After a two decade career, she and her husband, a Navy veteran and a Republican, moved their family back to the bluegrass. “I’m running because we need better leaders in Kentucky,” she stated....

(Story By Jeff Ledington, The Mountain Advocate) A retired Lieutenant Colonel, teacher, and farmer is aiming to unseat Kentucky’s senior senator. He says “What’s happening in Washington is really on one man, and that’s Mitch McConnell.” Lt. Col. Mike Broihier served over 20 years in the Marine Corps in both war and peace time. He retired after serving as lead war planner in Korea and went on to become an adjunct faculty member at the University of California. He has served as a substitute teacher in Lincoln County schools and worked in newspapers for five years. 10 years ago, Broihier and his wife, also a combat veteran, started what is now...