People

Miss NIBROC Makayla Mack returned to Williamsburg Independent School Monday afternoon to speak to girls grades 3-6 about the importance of growing into strong, successful women. Specifically, she spoke about the need for more women in the S.T.E.M. fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). Mack is a 2017 graduate of WHS, where she participated in track & field, cross country, cheerleading, choir and academic team. She is currently enrolled at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, and is studying for a career in physical therapy. She will compete in the Miss Kentucky Pageant next June. "I just really want to encourage them that, no matter what anyone tells them they should be,...

On Friday, December 7th, members of the community, along with the William Whitley Chapter of the NSDAR, the Charles A. Gatliff Chapter NSSAR, Veterans Groups, WCHS JROTC and the Whitley County Historical Society met at the Veterans Memorial in front of the Whitley County Courthouse to commemorate the 77th Anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during World War II. During this attack, approximately 2,400 American servicemen were killed and more than 1,400 were injured. The commemoration of this tragic event promotes historic preservation, patriotism and education. Continued observance of such events will promote the idea of freedom...

As Christmas rapidly approaches, the local US Marine Corps Toys For Tots Campaign, requests the public’s help. Their campaign provides “A Little Christmas” for the low-income children of Whitley, Knox and Laurel Counties. In 2017, the campaign’s first year in the area, Toys For Tots provided toys, books and stocking stuffers for over 1,600 children. Now, in 2018 they already have over 2,200 children registered and expect several hundred more by the close of registration and are in need of additional toys or monetary donations. Toys for Tots asks local citizens to drop off new unwrapped toys in any of the 100 plus collection boxes scattered in the Tri-County area in...

Program provided Christmas for 240 children in 23rd year Laurel County Sheriff John Root reports that he along with 30 Laurel Sheriff’s supervisors, deputies, bailiffs, court security officers and even the sheriff’s office K-9 “Edge” all had the privilege to help with Laurel County’s “Shop with a Cop” program on Saturday morning December 8, 2018 at 7 a.m. at Walmart in London. This year’s event reached a record 240 Laurel County children and is an annual event funded solely by donations from area businesses, groups, individuals and fund raisers. This event originated as the Cumberland Valley Fraternal Order of Police Lodge # 28. Presently the program is the Cumberland Valley Fraternal...

Characterized as the “ultimate encourager” and public servant, Corbin’s Don Ashley was eulogized Saturday afternoon at a filled-to-capacity First Baptist Church sanctuary in Corbin. Ashley died December 4 after a long battle with bone cancer. He was 61-years-old. Ashley was one of the founding members of Bank of Corbin (now called Hometown Bank) and a member of the Corbin Varsity Club. He was a big supporter of youth sports in the area, and served as a magistrate on the Whitley County Fiscal Court in the 1980s. “He’s done it all,” said Williamsburg Independent Schools Superintendent Amon Couch, a close personal friend of Ashley’s. “He loved people. He loved making people’s lives better. Anytime...

Members of the Whitley Area Retired Teachers Association (WARTA) conducted their annual drive to provide school supplies to area students. With the help of a matching grant from AARP and the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association (KRTA), the Association donates paper, pencils, crayons, and other items to the Family Resource centers in Corbin, Whitley County, and Williamsburg School Districts. During their most recent drive in late October and early November, WARTA members collected/donated approximately $550 worth of supplies which will be shared among four schools: Boston Elementary, Pleasant View Elementary, Williamsburg Independent, and Corbin Independent. “Last year we were able to give supplies to Whitley North, Whitley East, Whitley Central, and Oak Grove...

Whitley County High School students Samuel “Blake” McCullah, Connor Wilson, and Morgan Mckiddy were honored by EWDC Deputy Secretary Josh Benton for their participation in the Dataseam IT Support Specialist Apprenticeship Program. The Dataseam IT Support Specialist Apprenticeship Program was created to help high school student gain hands-on work experience, earn professional certifications, and graduate with a better career focus. In the paid apprenticeship students will work along side experienced professionals to maintain, configure, install, repair and trouble shoot computer, network and software at the school. This paid apprentice program is the first of its kind registered by the federal government and Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet for high school...

Most people try to escape or hide from dangerous or sometimes deadly situations. Not so with the nation’s first responders. The first responders are the ones who run toward danger and trouble, many times placing their lives on the line to defend, protect, and/or rescue victims of violence and disaster. Often this is done with little or no recognition for the sacrifices they make on a daily basis. As a way of saying “Thank you,” members of the Whitley County Cattlemen’s Association provided a free lunch of rib-eye steak sandwiches, cheese burgers, chips, baked beans, coleslaw, dessert, and a drink for all the first responders in Whitley County. Approximately 85 meals were...

Laurel County Sheriff John Root reports that Laurel Sheriff's Detective Kyle Gray has successfully completed a two week training course conducted by Kentucky State Police and will begin teaching D.A.R.E. at an elementary school in Laurel County. The D.A.R.E. program in Laurel County is coordinated by the London-Laurel County D.A.R.E. board. D.A.R.E. is taught at all elementary schools in Laurel County, and is a 10-week course with a graduation occurring at the end of the instruction. D.A.R.E. stands for “Drug-Abuse-Resistance-Education.” D.A.R.E. Officers go through a specialized two-week training where they are taught (and practice) public speaking, classroom management techniques, lesson planning, team building, and much more. The officers spend many hours working...

Center Target Firearms and Indoor Range, located in London, sponsored a two week Pistol Competition, to raise funds for the South Central Kentucky Toys for Tots Campaign. On Saturday the targets were counted and scored and The JC Paul Detachment, 1448, Marine Corps League accepted a check for $545.00. The JC Paul Detachment also presented Award Medallions to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place shooters in men and women divisions. Toys for Tots of South Central Kentucky serves the families of Whitley, Knox and Laurel Counties, in providing “A Little Christmas” for children of low income families. Soul’s Harbor Church of London, also joined with the JC Paul Detachment, Marine Corps League and...