Warda Eastin West

Warda Eastin West, born on May 10, 1929 passed away on Sunday, June 30, 2024.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William Columbus Eastin and Lenna Collins Eastin; husband, Harold West; her sisters, Dorothy “Dot” Eastin West, Phyllis Eastin Clendaniel and Margie Ann Eastin as a toddler.
She is survived by sons, Don West and wife Charlotte, Gregory Ward West, and Stanley Reid West; daughters, Regina West Willhite, Janis West Traveny and husband Ed; grandchildren, Merry Kate, Maggie West, Angela Robin, Karen Renea, Ramsey, Chase, and Mathew; and numerous great-grandchildren.
Miss Warda was a strong Christian woman who loved her Dear Lord and Precious Jesus Christ. She attended First Baptist Church as a child and as a young woman. She later joined The Seventh Day Adventist Church where she was baptized as a member.
Warda worked for 12 years as a Chief Deputy of the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department where she was in charge of tax collection and finances. She took great pride in the fact she was audited three times and her work was always perfect to the penny.
Warda was dedicated to her family. She was a devoted mother to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was born with a green thumb and was known for her beautiful red rose bushes and her gorgeous pink petunias. Warda had a love for nature which she passed on to her children. Her one special place was “The Eastin Family Farm”, known as “Sheep Creek”. She loved to go there and went every time possible. Warda and her family spent many special moments there celebrating holidays and birthdays.
Warda West will long be remembered for her strong will, high-spirited nature and her deep love for her family.
Funeral service was Wednesday, July 3, at Croley Funeral Home, Williamsburg, KY. with Rev. Gerald Mullins and Rev. James Hodge officiating.
Her burial followed in the Davis Addition of the Highland Park Cemetery.
Pallbearers were members of the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department Court Security Officers.
Croley Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Mildred Morgan Paul

Mildred Morgan Paul, 94, formerly of Corbin passed away Tuesday, July 2, 2024 in Lutz, FL after a long battle with Alzheimers.
She was a daughter of Joseph Asher and Mona Wills Morgan of Woodbine.
Mildred was preceded in death by her husband, of 58 years, Arvill Paul; her daughter, Phyllis Paul Schlemmer; her siblings, Marie Hutchison (Noel), Ralph Morgan, Bob Morgan (Rita), Shirley Shelton (Bill), two infant brothers, Arnold and Charles Morgan; great-granddaughter Emily Rose Farley; and five nephews.
She is survived by her daughter, Karen Paul Shanks; her grandchildren, Stephanie Shanks Hindersman and husband Brad, Heather Shanks Carvallo and husband Eddie all of Florida; Andrea Branigan of Alabama, and Michael Paul of Corbin; great-grandchildren, Sidney Hindersman McKay and husband Billy, Abbie Hindersman, Samantha Carvallo and Andrew Carvallo; and one great-great-granddaughter, Baker Morgan McKay all of Florida. Also surviving are her sister, Donna Morgan Davis of Corbin; and her son-in-law, Mike Schlemmer of Corbin; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Mildred graduated from Woodbine High School in 1947. She was a member of Poplar Grove Baptist Church and the Busy Hands Ladies Group. She was a long-time hairdresser and owned several salons through the years. She enjoyed traveling, sewing, quilting and collecting.
Visitation will be at Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home on Tuesday, July 9 from 10 AM to 11:30 AM with funeral to follow at 11:30 AM with Rev. Bobby Joe Eaton officiating.
Burial will follow in McFarland Cemetery at Cedar Gap.
Pallbearers will be Brad Hindersman, Eddie Carvallo, Billy McKay, Michael Paul, Jim Morgan, Wendell Shelton, Marty Davis and Jim Thomas.
Donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, Kaden Tower, 6100 Dutchmans Lane, Ste 401, Louisville, KY 40205-3284.
Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

On Point Barbering Academy ribbon cutting

The Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce was on hand Monday afternoon for a ribbon cutting at the new On Point Barbering Academy, which is located in South Park Center in Corbin.

1818 Law Firm ribbon cutting

The Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce lent a hand and a big pair of scissors last Thursday afternoon as attorney Ryan Lawson cut the ribbon at the new 1818 Law Firm, which is located at 217 Main Street in Williamsburg.

US25E lane reductions in Laurel County begin Monday (July 8)

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet advises motorists that US25E in Laurel County, between traffic signal No. 2, located at the northbound I-75 off-ramp, and extending to traffic signal No. 5, located at Lowe’s, will be reduced to two-way, single-lane traffic on the northbound side of the roadway starting Monday (July 8) at 8 a.m. and will remain in this traffic configuration until Wednesday (Aug. 28).

The need for the traffic change is to allow for construction of concrete pavement and for widening of US25E in the southbound lanes. This is part of the US25E congestion reduction project.

The speed limit in this corridor has been reduced to 35 mph. Due to traffic volumes, and reduced lane capacities, expect long delays during this time-period.

Motorists are advised to use caution during this period and be aware of signage, road crews and other drivers. The work is dependent on weather conditions.

The date, time, and duration of work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur. Motorists can access travel and traffic conditions at http://goky.ky.gov or contribute their own reports at www.waze.com or via the Waze mobile application. You can also get traffic information for District 11 counties at www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict11 or by following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KYTCDistrict11.

London crash kills Corbin woman

The funeral service is scheduled for Saturday afternoon for a Corbin woman killed during a three-vehicle June 30 collision in London.

Phyllis Darlene Hale

The accident happened about 2 p.m. on KY-192 near Community Trust Bank, and involved a Ford pickup truck, a Nissan minivan and a GMC Acadia.

Preliminary investigation by the London Laurel Reconstruction Team revealed that the Ford pickup was traveling west on KY-192 when it struck the rear of the Nissan minivan. This caused the minivan to veer into the eastbound lane where it collided head-on with the GMC Acadia, according to a London Police Department release.

As a result of the head-on collision, the operator of the minivan, Phyllis Darlene Hale, 56, sustained severe injuries and later died at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. Gary Hale, 56, of Corbin, who was a passenger in the minivan, also sustained severe injuries.

The operator of the Ford pickup truck, Timothy Wells, 60, of London, did not sustain any injuries.

The operator of the GMC Acadia, Dylan Baker 27, along with passenger Halee Hubbard, 18, both of London, sustained injuries that were non-life-threatening. In addition, five juvenile passengers in the GMC Acadia received injuries as a result of the collision.

The London Laurel Reconstruction Team comprised of Lt. Ryan Jackson, Officer Hobie Daugherty and Laurel County Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Mink is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision.

Visitation for Phyllis Darlene Hale will begin at 6 p.m. Friday at Bowling Funeral Home in London.

Her funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Bowling Funeral Home Chapel with Jerry Laudermilk, Mike Dixon and Mark Huff officiating. Burial will follow in the A.R. Dyche Memorial Park in London.

Pallbearers will be Sandy White, Timmy Hale, Scott Carroll, Tyler Huff, Mark Huff, Jeremiah Saylor, Daniel Sears and Robbie Gabbard. Honorary pallbearers will be Arnold White, Hunter Carroll, William ‘Bill’ White, Larry Hale, Steven Hale, Dylan Hale and Kenneth Moore.

Hon will be guest speaker at Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday (July 9)

Brandi Hon, workforce recovery program manager for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, will be the guest speaker during the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s monthly membership luncheon Tuesday (July 9).

The luncheon will be held at The Corbin Center, which is located at 222 Corbin Center Drive.

The luncheon is slated to take place from 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The cost to attend the luncheon is $15 per person.

You can register for the event by going to http://www.southernkychamber.com/events/details/july-2024-membership-luncheon-424.

You can also register by calling (606) 528-6390, or by e-mailing whitney@sky-eda.com.

Grace Health is sponsoring the luncheon.

The luncheon will be catered by La Donna’s Catering.

Let’s classify all sports and have separate private and public school championships

We are currently in the middle of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s yearly mandated dead period for athletic activities across the state. It is a time to regroup, reflect and prepare for what lies ahead as another high school sports year is about to get underway. (more…)

Laurel Co. Grand Jury indicts shooting suspect

A London man, who allegedly shot another man at an apartment complex earlier this year, has been indicted by a Laurel County grand jury.

Williamsburg Housing Authority gets clean audit in review of last fiscal year

The Williamsburg Housing Authority received a clean bill of health in their yearly audit, with auditors noting that no adverse findings were made.

An audit report for the housing authority’s 2022-2023 fiscal year was presented to the Williamsburg Housing Board during their regular quarterly meeting last Thursday by Joel Lane, certified public accountant and managing partner of Lane & Company, which is based out of Mount Sterling. According to Lane, the housing authority received a “clean audit.”

“In our opinion, the financial statements referred to are presented fairly in all material respects,” said Lane.

There were no notes or recommendations made as part of the audit. However, Lane did state that the housing authority was deemed a “low risk auditee” due to having two consecutive years with no adverse findings. 

“Everything is in good order,” said Lane.

The housing authority’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 each year.

In other housing board business:

– A new dwelling lease for housing authority tenants was briefly discussed by the board. Though no specifics were mentioned in detail, there are expected to be changes and additions made to the existing lease. 

Among the additions that were mentioned are what is known as “house rules.” According to Mary Thornton, director of Williamsburg Housing Authority, such rules are mandated by the government to be in place at all housing authority locations, though Williamsburg has never had any.

No vote was made during Thursday’s meeting, though the board is expected to review a final draft of the new lease during their next meeting in August.

– A fire that damaged several housing units at the Brush Arbor complex in March still has those apartments out of commission. The housing authority had solicited for bids to have the units repaired, but no bids were received, according to Thornton. 

For that reason, Thornton said the window for bids to be turned in was being extended by 30 days.