The Whitley County Fair returned last week after a one-year absence with a new fair board and some new events. Considering that this was pretty much a rebuilding year for the fair, I thought it went really well. Friday night’s mud bog probably drew hundreds of people for some...

Suicide. The recent deaths of famous chef Anthony Bourdain and famed fashion designer Kate Spade certainly has people talking about issue. Netflix recently came out with season two of its hit series “13 Reasons Why,” which revolves around the death of a teenage girl, her reasons...

Last week marked an interesting milestone for me professionally speaking. I have now been working as a professional journalist for 25 consecutive years. It has been a wild and crazy ride. To say the least, it has not been an ordinary life. I have met and interviewed every...

After a historical marker dedication, an ice cream social, a tour of historic homes, a parade and concerts among other events, Williamsburg’s month long bicentennial celebration is over. Whitley County was founded in January 1818, and Williamsburg was selected as the county seat...

Dear Gov. Matt Bevin, let me tell you a little something about my dad, who is a retired teacher. You’d like him if you knew him. My mother was a stay-at-home mom. My dad, Mike White, was definitely the breadwinner in our household. He was a high school social studies teacher,...

Back when I was in high school in the 1980s, lots of students had rifles and shotguns in their trucks. I’m sure there were a few pistols in glove boxes too. Several of the guys and maybe a few of the girls at Lynn Camp carried pocket knives. One day I remember my biology teacher...

You just can’t fit all the news from a year into a top 10 list, like the one running on our front page in this week’s edition of the News Journal. Mark White is Editor of The News Journal. Sure, we get the big news events in there, but that doesn’t mean there still weren’t quite...

VFW Post 3167 wants to be annexed into the Williamsburg city limits. The Williamsburg City Council is likely to vote on the matter in early 2018, but before they sign off on that request they need to ask some tough questions and insist on satisfactory answers. You need to login...

When I became a professional journalist nearly 25 years ago, there were a lot of things that I expected to cover. Some of it was somewhat exciting, such as car wrecks and fires. Other things not so much so, such as beauty pageants and government meetings. Over the years, I have...

Misconceptions can be a difficult thing to overcome. Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles recently addressed the topic while speaking at the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Office. “A few months ago, the Washington Post’s front page story revealed the results of a...

Retired Whitley Circuit Judge Jerry Winchester was an old-fashioned country lawyer and judge, who knew that sometimes the best tools for addressing a situation were with humor and common sense. Back when circuit court was still in the old courthouse, there was a homicide trial...

Mark White is Editor of The News Journal. Jake Mountjoy was an absolute hoot. Over the years I have gone to many Williamsburg Kiwanis Club meetings, and I always tried to sit at the same table as Jake when he was there for one simple reason. You need to login to view the rest of...

Mark White is Editor of The News Journal. In 2014, the Green Bay Packers started off the season losing two out of their first three games. The fans were starting to panic. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers famously had a simple answer for the panicking fans, “R-E-L-A-X. We’re going to be...

Whitley County is planning a party in 2018. It’s going to be a big, year-long party as the county celebrates the 200th anniversary of its founding. Williamsburg is also planning a big bicentennial celebration that will center around a month-long celebration in April 2018, which...

If you are going to drink alcohol and get behind the wheel then please consider the following for a moment before you do. In 2001, Lester Cook had been drinking when he got behind the wheel of his 1984 Corvette, sped off and lost control of his car running over a pregnant woman,...

Whitley County lost a couple of very good men last week with the death of former Whitley County Judge-Executive Leroy Gilbert and assistant Whitley County Attorney Gary Brittain. I met both men early during my journalism career. My second job out of college was working at a...

Mark White is Editor of The News Journal. With 2016 squarely in our rearview mirror, I thought now might be a good time to reflect on some things that may be taking place in 2017 and what kind of an impact they could have locally. You need to login to view the rest of the...

As a kid, I can remember my mom dragging me to the Corbin Kmart when it first opened in October 1978. At the time, it was kind of a big deal. Wal-Mart didn’t exist in these parts at the time. The Corbin Kmart was huge or at least it seemed that way to a seven-year-old,...

Ever wonder why newspapers, television stations, magazines and other forums run end of the year reviews and top 10 lists around New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day each year? There are actually a few different reasons. One BIG reason is that the week between Christmas...

Why are you running for office? “Boy, that’s a good question. I’ll have to think about that one,” is a response that I have gotten back on multiple occasions over the years interviewing candidates. At that point, I am usually thinking, “I really hope...