Corbin sets trick-or-treating hours

Local youngsters wanting to dress up as ghosts, goblins, superheroes and princesses in order to trick or treat in Corbin next month now know when they can do so.

During a special called meeting Monday afternoon, the Corbin City Commission set trick-or-treating hours for Monday, Oct. 31, in the city limits.

Trick-or-treating for downtown businesses will take place from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m., and in residential areas from 6 – 8 p.m. on Halloween.

Also, during Monday’s meeting, the commission authorized Corbin Police Chief Rusty Hedrick to advertise for the hiring of two new police officers.

Hedrick noted that three Corbin Police officers have applied for jobs at other departments, and the city has already exhausted the previous application pool of candidates, which only saw eight people apply.

When asked by Corbin City Commissioner Trent Knuckles why so many officers were leaving and why it was so hard to get new officers, Hedrick replied that “They are applying elsewhere for more money.”

Mayor Suzie Razmus added that the climate in much of the rest of the country concerning law enforcement isn’t helping matters either.

Hedrick added that if people are going to get into law enforcement, then they want more money given all of the circumstances.

The commission authorized advertising for two additional police officer openings. The pool of applicants will be good for one year.

In addition, during Monday’s meeting the commission agreed to increase the pay of Corbin police dispatchers Jennifer Brennenstuhl and Russ Humphress.

Hedrick noted that the commission previously voted to increase dispatcher pay up to $14 an hour. He noted that this is the amount Brennenstuhl, who is the head dispatcher, is already making, and that Humphress was already making more than that because he has been with the department for several years.

The city commission agreed to increase each of their pay by $1 per hour, which will put Brennenstuhl making $15 per hour and Humphress making $17.51 per hour.

In other business, the commission voted to renew a line of credit at Hometown Bank for a new fire truck that the city purchased last year, but still hasn’t arrived yet.

City Manager Marlon Sams noted that the truck is currently being built and is expected to arrive either in late October or the first of November.