Joyce Mildred Angel

Joyce Mildred Angel, of Corbin, Kentucky, born May 19, 1945, in Harlan, KY, departed this life on November 2, 2023, at the Baptist Health in Corbin, Kentucky.
She was a symbol of love and care to everyone around her. She lived a fulfilling life as a wife, mother, grandmother, and sister. She was a proud member of the Frankfort Baptist Church, where she shared her faith and love with her community.
Joyce was united in holy matrimony with John Angel on February 3, 1962. Their union was blessed with a loving daughter, Sherry (Brian) Lawson. Joyce was a doting grandmother to Tyler and Trey Lawson, who brought immense joy to her life. She is also survived by her siblings, Wanda (Dr. Lewis) Cornelius, Alana (Gerry) Parks, Mac (Wanda) Begley, Michael (Linda) Begley, Roger (Kathy) Begley, JB Begley, Gary (Robin) Begley, and Rick (Rosemary) Begley; and her sisters and brothers-in-law Donna (Randall) Douglas, Kenneth Webb, and Raymond (Sheila) Webb. Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, Andy Begley and Ruth (Cloud) Begley, and her sister Andrea Gail Deering.
A service to celebrate Joyce’s life will be held on Sunday, November 5, at 3:00 pm at the Croley Funeral Home, located at 103 South 2nd Street, Williamsburg, Kentucky.
A burial service will follow at 4:30 pm at Jellico Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends during a visitation on Sunday, November 5, at 1:00 pm at Croley Funeral Home.
As we remember Joyce, we encourage you to share your memories and upload photos to her memorial page, celebrating her life and the love she shared with all of us. She will be dearly missed and forever remembered.
Croley Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

J.D. Pridmore

In early morning hours of October 16, 2023, J.D. Pridemore, 81, passed peacefully from this life to the next after a four year battle with lung cancer.
During his years in Michigan, he professed Christ, was baptized, and joined the Congregational Church. Discussions with him in his last years help validate that he was sincere in that profession and therefore, we have comfort that he is spending eternity with the Lord.
J.D., the eldest of three siblings, was born July 18, 1942 in Knox County (Kingtown), KY to George Elmer and Daisy Prichard Pridemore, who both preceded him in death.
J.D. worked at manual labor jobs during his life. As a teenager, he worked odd jobs for neighbors and family and then, began to work at Vial Lumber Company in Barbourville, KY., until getting married to Florene Sizemore in 1964 and moving to Michigan in 1965 where they raised their two children, Dan and Jen before divorcing in 1985. While he was in Michigan, he worked at New Haven Foundry until 1985 at which time he returned to Kentucky. He then worked a brief time with cousins, Jesse and Frank Perkins, in coal mining. After which he began to work with his brother-in-law, Paul, at Interstate Coal Company in London, KY. When that company facility closed, he was able to continue working with Paul at Central Automotive in Corbin, KY until 2003. At which time, he was forced to retire due to disability from a heart attack/surgery.
Following his retirement, he and his nephew, Jeff, began raising cattle and cutting/baling hay. This also brought him great enjoyment. One of the things that he missed was farm life.
From the time J.D. was a child, his heart’s desire was to be outdoors in nature as much as possible. He spent that time hunting, fishing, digging gin seng, and riding through the woods in his side by side. He also loved watching old westerns and cooking new recipes. He also enjoyed gardening.
He is survived by his children, Dan (Kendra) Pridemore of Howell, MI, and Jen (Joe) Lieto of Canton, MI; his grandchildren, Jacob Pridemore, Kelsey (Andrew) Rising, Katelyn Polich, and Mitchell Polich. He is also survived by his siblings, Shelby (Gloria) Pridemore of Amarillo, TX, Alma (Paul) Powers of Corbin, KY, nieces and nephews, Jeff (Jamie) Powers of Corbin, KY, David Pridemore of TX, Kim Pridemore Lee of TX, great nieces and nephews, Maggie Powers of Corbin, KY, Jonathan Lee of TX and Jack Pridemore of TX.
He was a down home country boy from the hills of Kentucky. He faced his life with resolve and determination to overcome life’s challenges. He will be dearly missed by all those who knew and loved him.
Services were held on Saturday, October 21 at Croley Funeral Home, with Rev. Doyle Lester and Rev. Ryan Bailey officiating.
He was be laid to rest at the Old Calvin Prichard Cemetery at Mackey Bend in Knox County, KY.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in J.D.’s memory to one of the following, Old Calvin Prichard Cemetery Fund, Highland Park Baptist Church, VNA Hospice of London, KY, your local hospice program, or a local charity supporting cancer patients and survivors.
Croley Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Joe Darrell Kidwell

Joe Darrell Kidwell, age 64, Jellico, Tennessee, passed away on Sunday evening, October 29, 2023, at the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset, Kentucky.
He was born on January 14, 1959, in LaFollette, TN, to the late Odes Kidwell and Mary (Bennett) Kidwell.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Audrey Kidwell; and one brother, Virgil Kidwell.
He is survived by his son, Darrell Kidwell, of Stinking Creek; granddaughter, Sybil Kidwell Moore, of Stinking Creek; great-grandson, Riley Moore; sisters, Nola (Kidwell) Harris, of Spafford, Texas, and Nona (Kidwell) Freeman, of Redmond, Oregon; niece, Leisha Harris; long-time friend, Rebecca McCullah, of Jellico; numerous friends, neighbors, and other relatives to mourn his passing.
The funeral was Friday, November 3, at the Cox & Son Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Hansford Hatmaker officiating.
Interment followed in the Locust Stump Cemetery located in the Big-Four Community of Stinking Creek.
Cox & Son Funeral Home of Jellico in charge of arrangements.

Alice (Fredericks) Webb

Alice (Fredericks) Webb, age 84, of Jellico, Tennessee passed away Saturday, October 28, 2023 at Baptist Health-Louisville Hospice.
She was born November 11, 1938 in Whitley County, Kentucky.
Alice was preceded in death by her husband, James Robert Webb; father, William Henry Fredericks; mother, Damaris (Siler) Fredericks; brothers, Delbert, Ed, Emmitt, Jack “Ned”, and Carl Fredericks; and sisters, Dorothy Baker, and Annie Kramer.
She is survived by son, Timothy Webb and wife Tammy and their children, Caroline Webb, and Timothy Reese Webb; daughter, Scarlet Henderson and husband Keith and their son, Graham Henderson; and a host of nieces, nephews, friends and family to mourn her passing.
The family wishes to express their appreciation to the staff of Belmont Village, Palliative Care at Baptist Health Louisville, and Hosparus for their exceptional care and support.
Funeral service was Wednesday, November 1, at the Highway Church of God with Rev. Timothy Reese Webb and Rev. Chris Wilson officiating.
Burial was Thursday, November 2, in the Douglas Cemetery in the Wooldridge community.
Harp Funeral Home of Jellico in charge of arrangements.

Corbin man indicted for theft at Laurel County school

A Corbin man was indicted recently by a Laurel County grand jury for allegedly carrying a gun onto school property during a theft at a Laurel County school.

Cross country runners cross the finish line at state

Coverage area cross country runners capped off a successful 2023 season at this past weekend’s Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. (more…)

I think it would work better if we decided to fall forward, spring back

If I had it my way, we would move our clocks forward one hour in the fall and back one hour in the spring. Presently it is opposite of this and Sunday we will move our time pieces back one hour.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

I think my suggestion is better and here’s why: Soon it will be getting dark just after 5 p.m. For our mental health we need more light, especially in the gray days of winter. On the other hand, during the summer, we now need more darkness because of the blistering heat during the daylight hours.

To back up my suggestion here is a recent bit of information I read in the New York Times:

“Globally, average temperatures broke a string of monthly records this summer, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

June was the warmest June; July was the warmest July and August was the warmest August. September was also, by a record margin, the warmest September.

As humans continue adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, record-breaking heat will become even more common, as will extreme weather events like droughts, wildfires and floods.

This summer alone, floods ravaged Vermont and upstate New York; the seawater in South Florida was so hot it felt like a Jacuzzi; choking smoke from vast Canadian wildfires enveloped the skies over the Northeast and Midwest.”

The newspaper also reported that many outdoor workers were choosing to work at night because of the heat.

I did take under consideration those who get up early in the winter. It is usually dark no matter which time difference we go by. Some may prefer the light in the A.M. versus the P.M. but there is no argument that we would benefit more in the summer by escaping some of the heat by moving the clocks back.

The one benefit we will get this Sunday is an extra hour’s worth of sleep. Enjoy!

• Last week I saw the movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” It is a good movie. But the reason I’m writing about it is because of a short scene at the end of the movie that took me back to my radio days while in college.

Many years ago, before television, we listened to radio shows. Most were live shows, and they drew a big audience, not only over the air waves, but also in the theaters where they were performed.

The cast would stand around a microphone and talk out the scenes. There would be sound effects and an orchestra would play to make it all sound real.

Although we didn’t have a live orchestra, we used music from records to enhance the mood. But it was the sound effects that I found humorous. We had the same situation that is shown in the movie.

If you ever listened or saw the movie with Garrison Keillor on Public Radio’s “Prairie Home Companion” you’ll know how they used the sound effects. Yes, I did that over 60 years ago. We had coconuts for horses galloping, a small door to open and shut, silverware to drop and several other things. The sounds made it real and let your imagination run wild!

2017 triple homicide suspect to undergo psychiatric evaluation more than four years after initial arrest

The case against one of the three Indianapolis men charged in connection with a 2017 Whitley County homicide is now in a holding pattern as he waits to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Knox County Grand Jury indicts seven for engaging in organized crime

The Knox County Grand Jury recently indicted a trio of Williamsburg residents, two London men, a Barbourville man and an East Bernstadt woman in connection with an organized crime and theft case that happened in Corbin over the summer.

Colonels silence Wolves, advance in KHSAA state volleyball tourney

On Monday, the 13th Region champion Whitley County Lady Colonels picked up their 35th win of the 2023 season, defeating Wolfe County 3-1 (27-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-20) in the first round of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Volleyball Championship Tournament. (more…)