It’s important not only to avoid impropriety, but also to avoid the appearance of it. These were the words that a couple of wise-old judges, the late Jerry Winchester and the late Paul Braden, used to tell me when they were asked to recuse themselves as the judge in a case. You...

Over the last 12 years that Kay Schwartz has served as Whitley County Clerk, if you went into her office to pay your car taxes or any number of other things, you were just as likely to get waited on by Kay as you were one of her deputy clerks most days. I know. I speak from...

Some people have criticized Gov. Matt Bevin for asking for a recanvass following his nearly 5,200-vote loss to Andy Beshear in last week’s election, but I think this is entirely appropriate given that the race was decided by less than 1 percent of the vote. Had Beshear lost by...

Something about former Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble, who died Saturday, that many people probably do not realize is that he used to be a journalist. When he was a student working on his undergraduate degree, Allen was the News Editor of the Eastern Progress, which is the...

Recently, I got up at 5 a.m. on a Wednesday so I could catch a flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. I got there about 7 p.m. our time the next day. Mark White is Editor of The News Journal. When it comes to air travel, it seems like nothing is ever easy, and this was one of “those”...

Nobody goes to the grocery store expecting to be given free food. No one goes to the doctor for an infection, and isn’t expecting to be charged. Nobody runs their air-conditioner and charges their cell phone without expecting to get an electric bill. No one goes to the movie...

When I think about Ted Forcht, I can’t help but smile. The guy was just funny and made you laugh. If you spent any time at all around him, then you probably had a smile on your face before you left Ted’s company. Given the health problems he had during his life, which included...

You just can’t fit all the news from a year into a top 12 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...

The Christmas spirit seems to be plentiful this year in Williamsburg. Let’s look at a few examples. Williamsburg Main Street Manager Nannie Hays informed me after the parade Saturday night that judges were going back to look at homes and businesses again in an attempt to break a...

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...