I personally cannot remember a worse back-to-back gut punch situation in our local community than what we saw recently with the downtown Williamsburg fire that was followed just days later by one of the worst winter storms in years. There has been plenty to be miserable about recently between those two events alone, which is why I want to focus on a few positives this week.
First, after missing some days of school and competition due to the snow, ice, and extreme cold, it is good to see our student-athletes back out on the court again. We had several days in a row there where things felt anything but normal, but getting back inside the gym and watching basketball games helps one to feel like things are going to be okay.
The 2025-26 regular season is already nearing its end. That is really hard to believe, but there is only a couple of weeks left before we enter into postseason play. As always, the News Journal will be providing readers with some special preview coverage, focusing primarily on the 50th District tournament that is slated to take place at Corbin High School later this month. We hope that you’ll check it out.
Of course, area district tournaments will determine who makes it to this year’s 13th Region tournament at the Corbin Arena. The region tournament is always a great event, and I am sure this year will be no different. Best of luck to all of the teams in our coverage area as they compete for a chance to qualify for a trip to the Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena!
Also on the horizon is a newly redesigned website for the News Journal. We’ve mentioned this a time or two before, but trust me when I say that we’re close to launching. We’ve been working out some kinks, and the hope is that an official launch date can be set in the very near future.
The new site should be a breath of fresh air for News Journal staff and subscribers alike, as it will provide a much more functional experience, as well as a fresh design that is more pleasing to the eyes. Stay tuned!
When looking at the calendar, we are about a month away from “springing forward.” Shortly after that, spring will officially arrive. I can’t wait. I’m not a big fan of winter, and at this point I am really missing the sun and the warmth. Heck, I even miss mowing the grass. You know it’s getting bad when you find yourself longing for yard work…
This spring will look and feel quite different for me, as I must now announce that I have accepted a job offer that will take me away from newspaper work and into the world of academia.
Readers will still see my name in the paper some in the immediate future, but you will also soon begin seeing the name of Jennifer K. Perkins again, as she will be re-joining the News Journal staff after a years-long stint in the world of broadcast journalism.
Jennifer is as bright as they come, and she is very driven to succeed. She won multiple Kentucky Press Association awards for her work here at the paper between late-2020 and mid-2022. Since her departure, she has worn many hats at WYMT in Hazard, including being the News Director and hiring manager for the station for the past three years.
Jennifer is from right here in the local area, and she has expressed great excitement both about coming home and returning to print journalism, which she is very passionate about. I am glad that she is able to come back on board and help move things forward as I begin a new chapter in my professional and personal life.
As always, myself and the staff of the News Journal thank you very much for reading our publication. We hope that you will continue to do so as we see what else 2026 has to offer. With the primary election coming up, the remainder of the ongoing legislative session in Frankfort, and various other happenings in-and-around the Corbin-Williamsburg area, there will surely be plenty to talk about.
