Black bear spotted in Corbin area

Several local residents have sighted a black bear in and around the city limits of Corbin in the last two days, and the information has resulted in a measure of caution at one local school near where the bear was sighted.

Dispatcher at the Corbin 911 emergency dispatch center say they’ve received two reported sighting of the bear. According to David Alsip, Chief of Communications, the first came in on Wednesday at about 3:30 p.m.

"A lady called and said there was a bear roaming around the Shell station near Exit 25," Alsip said. "I think the Department of Fish and Wildlife is out looking for the bear, but I’m not sure."

The 911 center got another call today about the bear being sighted near Lynn Camp High School.

Lt. Col. Rick McClure, a JROTC and French Instructor at Corbin High School, said his neighbor spotted a bear crossing his property on Seventh Street Wednesday evening.

"Apparently, it was walking across my yard," McClure said. "I would have liked to have seen him, but unfortunately I didn’t."

McClure said a similar incident happened at his home about eight years ago when a bear was spotted in the area.

McClure was alerted to the bear by his neighbor, Sally Hicks. A woman, who had been driving down W. 7th in front of Hick’s home, spotted the bear crossing the road. The woman notified Hicks that there was a bear in the vicinity and Hicks then told other neighbors to be on the look out. "The woman told me the bear was as tall as the hood of her car when it was on all fours and walked across the street up into the woods," Hicks said.

Officials and students at Corbin Elementary School were on high alert during recess times today since the bear was spotted in the vicinity of the school.

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