Christmas in a Small Town program to be held Thursday at W’Burg Ind.

If you love the traditional music that accompanies the Christmas season, then Williamsburg Independent School has just the thing for you this week.

The school is ushering in this year’s seasonal events with what has become a local Christmas classic, celebrating its 25th year of Christmas in a Small Town this Thursday.

The program has been held since the late ‘90s, when it was started by Nannie Hays and Donna Colegrove, who were the school’s band and choir directors at the time. Jonathan Wyatt, who now serves as choir director at the school, said that the annual program is returning to its roots this year with a dinner accompanying the show.

Tickets to enjoy the dinner had to be ordered in advance and the window to purchase those has already passed, though Wyatt noted that those who just wanted to take in the program can do so free of charge.

According to Wyatt, the program is a special event for several reasons.

“It reminds us of simpler times, without all of the hustle and bustle of this time of year,” said Wyatt. “It reminds us of the joys of just simply being with those we love and how that even a total stranger can become a friend during this time of year.”

Christmas in a Small Town highlights the talents of the school’s band and choir programs, who will be performing a variety of timeless Christmastime tunes, including “Christmas in a Small Town,” which Wyatt noted has basically been adopted as the City of Williamsburg’s own Christmas anthem. 

The program is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside the school gymnasium at Williamsburg Independent School. Those without reservations are permitted to sit in the upper portion of the gym.

CHS Theatre presents ‘The Workshop’ this Friday and Saturday

Have you ever wondered what life is REALLY like inside Santa’s workshop leading up to the big night of Christmas Eve? Well, if you would like to see firsthand the craziness that goes on behind the scenes at the North Pole then you should definitely make plans to see the Corbin Redhound Theatre’s latest presentation, The Workshop, this Friday and Saturday at Corbin High School. (more…)

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Electronic Edition For 12-6-2023

Pearl Harbor Commemoration planned Thursday (Dec. 7) in W’burg

The local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution will host a Pearl Harbor Commemoration on Thursday (Dec. 7) starting at 11:30 a.m. at the old Whitley County Courthouse in Williamsburg.

Members of the William Whitley Chapter of the NSDAR (above), met with the NSSAR and community to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 2016.

Retired University of the Cumberlands history and political science professor Dr. Bruce Hicks will be the keynote speaker.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, a wreath will be placed in front of the veterans’ monument in front of the old Whitley County Courthouse.

The purpose of the ceremony is to remember and honor the men and women, who suffered and died from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

About 8 a.m., the naval fleet and airfield at Pearl Harbor were attacked by 350 Japanese planes from six Japanese aircraft carriers in an attempt to destroy America’s Pacific fleet and airpower.

The attack killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including sailors, soldiers and civilians. An additional 1,178 people were wounded.

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Editor’s note: The News Journal publishes only the final disposition of district court criminal cases except for those which are waived to a grand jury or dismissed without condition.

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Remember Woodbine Fire Chief Rick Fore by supporting volunteer fire departments

For the last 30 plus years, it seems like nearly every time I went to cover a wreck or a fire in northern Whitley County, Woodbine Fire Chief Rick Fore was there directing firefighters about how to extricate someone trapped in a mangled vehicle or telling firefighters where to go to help extinguish a burning building.

Mark White is Editor of The News Journal.

Whether it was day or night, it didn’t really matter. Rick was a pretty much a constant. Seldom did I ever go cover a call that Woodbine was responding to where Rick wasn’t there.

This is especially significant when you consider that, like all of our volunteer firefighters, he didn’t get paid a penny to do it. Our volunteer firefighters are something that, by and large, the general public takes for granted.

Volunteers, like Rick did for so many years, take time off away from work and family to go help others in their time of need. They images of mangled vehicles and burned bodies get seared into their brains, but they seldom complain.

Rick was involved in firefighting for pretty much his whole adult life. He first became a firefighter in 1972, which to offer some perspective, is the year after I was born.

I have been talking to and interviewing Rick for pretty much my entire journalism career as he became Woodbine Fire Chief in 1994, which is the year after I started.

I couldn’t tell you how many times I interviewed Rick at the scene of a fire or at a car crash or when he was helping with a ground search for a missing person, and he always helped me with anything that he could.

Many times I called him up to interview him the morning after he was up most of the night battling a blaze, and he was still always helpful although sometimes still half asleep on some of the occasions.

Besides serving as a firefighter, Rick also served as a special deputy for the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department from 2001-2008 serving as a fire investigator. In addition, he was a member of the Whitley County 911 Board of Directors.

Whitley County lost a dedicated public servant last week with the passing of Rick on Friday. My condolences go out to his family, friends and his fire department family.

There will only ever be one Rick Fore, but there will be other firefighters at Woodbine Volunteer Fire Department and other chiefs at Woodbine Volunteer Fire Department, which is something that I know Rick would want.

He would want the work to continue. He would want his fellow firefighters to continue helping people on some of their worst days. He would want current and future firefighters to surpass the job that he did.

Rick will be buried on the day that this column will appear in the printed edition of the News Journal.

For those, who would like to honor Rick, I would propose stopping and giving the next time you see firefighters out at roadblock trying to raise money so they can continue working for free to help you during some of your worst times.

Better yet, reach out to your local fire volunteer fire department and make a donation without them having to ask for it, or find out how you yourself can volunteer.

For complete obituary information, see page *** in this week’s edition of the News Journal.

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