Barry Wayne Dotson

Barry Wayne Dotson, age 51, of Williamsburg, KY formerly of Jellico, TN went to be with his Lord on October 23, 2023, at St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington, KY.
Barry is preceded in death by his parents, Rosa Lee Cummins Dotson and Ronnie Dotson.
He is survived by his loving wife of 29 years Crystal Gayle Dotson; his son, Dalton Wayne Dotson and wife Cheyenne of Williamsburg, KY; daughter, Emma Elizabeth Dotson of Williamsburg, KY; grandson, Eli Maverick Dotson of Williamsburg, KY; in-laws, Joe and Gayle Wilder of Williamsburg, KY; and a host of other relatives and friends who will always remember him.
Barry was a dedicated long-standing member of Watson’s Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Williamsburg, KY.
Funeral service was Friday, October 27, at the Llewellyn Funeral Home Chapel in Jellico, TN with Rev. Don Weaver and Rev. Scott Dunn officiating.
Interment followed in the Douglas Cemetery in Wooldidge, TN.
The Llewellyn Funeral Home of Jellico in charge of arrangements.

It’s time for irresponsible owners of pets to pay up

I’ve known about a particular stray cat situation for some time. But this weekend I heard more about it from people in a neighborhood on Whitley Avenue in Corbin.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

It is where my 89-year-old sister lives. She has been tormented by cat droppings in her yard along with cats ruining her porch furniture with urine, plus attacking birds around her bird feeder.

In talking with Animal Control I believe you can find this situation repeated in various locations throughout the area. But Animal Control has their hands tied trying to control the nuisance. They could catch them, but they have nowhere to put them since the animal shelter doesn’t take them for lack of room. It is a huge problem and Animal Control does the best it can under the restraints that it operates in.

Here is what I discovered in that neighborhood. For one, I saw 11 cats wandering about from yard to yard and one looked pregnant. I had to stop my vehicle because of a cat lying in the road and wouldn’t move. But the worst I witnessed was at one residence.

The family had moved to Corbin not long ago. The lady said in the town she moved from they never had a dog or cat problem. After moving here they did a tremendous amount of yard work and now the back yard is a beautiful scenic area. However, the people can’t enjoy it from their screened in back porch because of the cat droppings which produces an awful smell. Like my sister, they have tried cat deterrents but they are expensive and never seem to work.

Residents in this location are pulling their hair out trying to deal with the situation. The cat owners will do nothing to help control their felines. So, what to do?

I can’t get in touch with the animal shelter because nobody answers the telephone, but I understand that they are understaffed, have too small a budget and facilities, so they can’t help. But there is something that could be done that would bring the joy of living in the outdoors back to these people and many others like them.

It is time to get tough with the irresponsible pet owners who let their pets roam free around neighborhoods. It is time to pass ordinances and laws that contain hefty fines to the owners if they let their animals roam. And of course, enforce the ordinances.

This is a major problem, one that should get the attention of all elected officials. My neighbors know my wife and I like to sit outside in the evenings. So far only a little cat hair on the cushions. But our problem is nothing compared to other neighborhoods where dozens of cats roam freely. It is time for action.

WCHS junior Cameron Surgener nominated for Congress of Future Medical Leaders

Whitley County High School junior Cameron Surgener has been selected as a Delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, which will be held June 26-28, 2024, just outside Boston on the University of Massachusetts Lowell campus.

The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields. The purpose of this event is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country interested in these careers, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal.

Surgener’s nomination was signed by Dr. Mario Capecchi, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the Science Director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, to represent Kentucky based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.

During the three-day Congress, Surgener will join students from across the country and hear Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science recipients discuss leading medical research; be given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school; witness stories told by patients who are living medical miracles; be inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learn about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.

“This is a crucial time in America when we need more doctors and medical scientists who are even better prepared for a future that is changing exponentially. Focused, bright and determined students like Cameron Surgener are our future and she deserves all the mentoring and guidance we can give her,” according to a release.

This past summer, Whitley County High School had two delegates selected to attend the 2023 Congress of Future Medical Leaders, freshmen HayLee Baird and D’Shawn Henderson.

Corbin police detective completes criminalistics academy

Corbin Police Detective Basil Robbie Hodge was among 21 officers, who graduated recently from the 2023 Kentucky Criminalistics Academy (KCA) – Crime Scene Technician Course Class 7.

“Detective Hodge is the first officer from Corbin Police Department to complete this course. His training will be vital for solving cases within Corbin City and surrounding communities,” the Corbin Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.

KCA is made up of two, five-week, 200-hour courses that DOCJT instructors developed for full-time and newly appointed CSIs and patrol officers, who serve as CSIs for their agencies. In addition to sworn officers, the KCA is open to civilian CSIs who work for law enforcement agencies.

“The completion of the crime-scene investigation academy shows that you have the dedication to make our citizens safer,” said Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) Commissioner Nicolai Jilek. “Take what you’ve learned and return to your agencies knowing that you will make a difference in people’s lives. I wish you nothing but continued success in your careers.”

The entire KCA certification includes training in digital photography, advanced latent print development, evidence collection and documentation, latent fingerprint recognition and identification, shooting scene reconstruction, bloodstain pattern recognition and documentation, post blast investigation, forensic mapping, computer crimes investigations, and forensic anthropological recovery course (University of Tennessee).

DOCJT is a state agency located on Eastern Kentucky University’s campus. The agency is the first in the nation to be accredited under the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies’ public safety training program designation. DOCJT also earned re-accreditation through the International Association for Continuing Education and Training in 2018.

Trick or treat hours set in Whitley, Knox, Laurel counties

Local ghosts and goblins will have plenty of opportunity to trick or treat on Halloween night, but before then there are a number of Halloween activities planned throughout Whitley County and the surrounding areas.

Williamsburg activities

A drive-in Halloween movie is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28, in the Kentucky Splash waterpark parking lot.

Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison said that the movie, ‘Haunted Mansion,’ would be show starting at 7:30 p.m. although he is unsure whether it will be the 2023 version or the older Eddie Murphy version.

The Williamsburg Independent School Jacket Choir, Middle School Band and High School Jazz Band will kick off trick or treating on Halloween as they present a Halloween concert starting at 5 p.m. at The Green Space on Main.

Trick or treating will follow and take place from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Halloween in both Williamsburg and Whitley County.

Corbin

Trick or treating with downtown Corbin merchants will take place from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. on Halloween.

Trick or treating in Corbin residential areas will take place from 6 – 8 p.m. on Halloween.

London, Laurel County

Boo on Main will take place on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 4 – 6 p.m. in downtown London.

“Thousands of little ghosts and goblins will flock to downtown London for this annual trick or treat style event featuring over 50 treat stops along Main Street,” the City of London wrote on its Facebook page.

Laurel County and London trick or treating will take place from 6 – 8 p.m. on Halloween.

Jellico

The City of Jellico will have its Halloween Movie in the Park on Friday, Oct. 27, at dusk in Veteran’s Park. The movie will be a special showing of ‘Hocus Pocus.’

“Lots of fun to be had. Face painting and treats will be available for purchase,” Discover Jellico wrote on its Facebook page.

Jellico trick or treating hours will be from 5 – 8 p.m. on Halloween.

Knox County, Barbourville

Knox County and Barbourville trick or treating will take place from 5:30 – 7 p.m. on Halloween.

Whitley Co. Schools to expand online options for supporting various programs

Are you a Whitley County alumnus and want to make a donation to the Whitley County High School (WCHS) Future Farmers of America (FFA), or maybe the WCHS JROTC program, or perhaps the Oak Grove Elementary School Academic Team, but you don’t have a convenient way of doing so?

Above and Beyond: L-R, Whitley County Schools Superintendent John Siler, WCHS teacher Johnna Robinson and WCHS Principal Julie Osborne.

Soon, you will be able to do so online.

During its recent regular monthly meeting, the Whitley County Board of Education approved an agreement with Online School Management Systems Inc., which will allow people to make online payments to the district or online donations to their favorite school groups.

Superintendent John Siler added that this isn’t completely new and last year the district started accepting credit card payments at the WCHS greenhouse.

Also, during Thursday’s meeting, the board accepted the 2024 Kentucky Education Technology System (KETS) first offer of assistance, which totaled $41,619, and transferred funds to match the offer.

Siler noted that each district typically gets three offers per school year. The funding can be used in a number of technology related areas.

In addition, the board presented the October Above and Beyond Award to WCHS’s Johnna Robinson. Robinson has begun a career tract program at the high school for students interested in becoming teachers after they graduate high school through the Grow Your Own program.

Students can receive six dual credit hours at the University of the Cumberlands towards their teaching degree through some of Robinson’s classes.

Robinson was nominated by WCHS Principal Julie Osborne.

In other business, the board accepted the 2023-2024 Open Outdoors for Kids Grant that is program between the National Park Foundation, the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park and Whitley East Elementary School.

Harold Richard “Dick” Mandell

Harold Richard “Dick” Mandell, died Wednesday October 18 in Milwaukie, Oregon at the age of 82, of multiple medical conditions.
He was survived by a loving and supportive, family including his wife, Shelley Goldbloom; son, Joshua Mandell; daughter-in-law, Iris Yao; niece, Rachel Sepulveda; grandsons, Levi and Dylan Bloch; stepdaughters, Deborah Goldbloom, Ingrid Goldbloom Bloch and William Bloch, Stefanie Goldbloom, Schellinger and Rory Schellinger, as well as many friends and pets.
Richard was a renaissance person. He had a master’s degree in fine arts, and his resume ranged from artist, teacher, computer programmer, social worker, community organizer, grant writer, and old time musician. He loved playing banjos, fixing clocks, other appliances, cooking complicated international cuisine, finding yard sale treasures, travel, and cruising.
Over the years he fostered over 90 stray animals- dogs and cats, even hosting a groundhog in his bathtub.
Richard was a passionate and caring man who donated his time, energy, and creativity to causes such as animal welfare, promoting old time music in the community and bringing it to schools for youth.
He initiated Porch Fest in Milwaukie, Oregon, where he also jammed with friends. Richard was also a long term voluntary and donor to Support Centers International, Berea, KY.
Brooklyn born, Richard spent many years living in North Carolina, Texas, and Kentucky, before making the trek to Portland, Oregon with his wife Shelley, their cats and dog. He loved the Pacific Northwest and would say he felt like each day was a vacation.
Richard’s warmth, his stories and his kind and generous nature will be missed.
Instead of flowers, a tax deductible donation in Richard’s name as founder to the Fur Ever Friends, Inc., P.O. Box 2235 Corbin, KY 40702 for low cost spay & neutering services would be appreciated.

Whitley County BOE get building project updates

After 31 years, Whitley North Elementary School is getting some new tile flooring in classrooms to replace some tile that is original to the building, and the school will also be getting some new carpeting in the entryways. Best of all, the $400,000 project won’t cost the Whitley County School District one dime out of its general fund.

During its recent regular monthly meeting, the Whitley County Board of Education approved a contract with Engineered Floors to purchase the new flooring for the school. Construction will occur in the summer of 2024.

In addition to the tile surface, which will be in the hallways and classrooms, the district will also install carpet tiles at entrances, which comes in 2’x2’ sections that can easily be replaced if they become stained or worn. The carpet tiles serve as areas where students can wipe off their feet as they enter the building.

Whitley County Superintendent John Siler noted that the vinyl composite tile in the building is original to the building. It requires custodial staff to chemically strip the wax from the floors each year and then put down three to four coats of wax.

“Once we remove the old surface that we currently have, and put this in this summer, this is no wax, which means no stripper has to be purchased in the future and no wax applied. There will be much less maintenance to it,” Siler said.

“At Whitley North, we just finished the HVAC system with all new geothermal, and all new LED lighting. We have done a lot of painting of windows. It is looking really nice.”

Siler noted that replacing the flooring at Whitley North was one of the top items listed in the district facilities plan, which was finished a few months ago.

The district facilities plan is a document that all school districts are required to complete every four years. The plan identifies and organizes each district’s building or facility needs, and ranks those in order or priority.

After the board approved construction related documents for the project, it heard from Ross Sinclair Associates Advisors Vice-President Dr. Bob Tarvin regarding financing for the project.

Local government and school constructions projects are typically paid for by the sale of municipal revenue bonds, which are the equivalent of a home mortgage loan for private individuals.

By selling revenue bonds, government entities usually pay 2-3 percent less interest on their building projects than private entities do.

The project will cost about $400,000, but the district won’t be out any general fund revenue.

Every two years, school districts get financial offers from the School Facilities Construction Commission to pay a certain amount to cover the repayment of the revenue bonds over the course of the life of those bonds.

Tarvin noted that the School Facilities Construction Commission funds will pay for the entirety of this project, which means that the district won’t be out anything.

“It won’t be an outlay of taxes from your local taxpayer,” Tarvin added. “The bonds are all sold in your name, but they (the School Facilities Construction Commission) pay the debt on it.”

Even after using these funds, Whitley County will still have about $780,000 available in School Facilities Construction Commission funds for future projects.

During the meeting, the school board convened a meeting Whitley County School District Finance Corporation, which approved a resolution authorizing the bond sale.

The finance corporation is made up of members of the school board, and is the technical entity responsible for the debt.

Also, during the meeting, the board discussed the status of the Whitley County Middle School track project, which includes resurfacing of the track in addition to other improvements and renovations.

Suzanne Irwin, project architect with Ross Tarrant Architects, told the board that track surfacing began on Oct. 18 and is scheduled to be completed on Oct. 28.

“When that is done, they will do grading and final seeding of any disturbed areas around the track. The striping should occur the week of Oct. 30,” said Irwin, who noted that there were some weather delays.

“This is the only track that is a post-tension concrete track in the state of Kentucky. We are very excited about that for you. It is going to be a very long-standing and sustainable event space for you,” she added.

In addition, the board approved final construction documents to close out several building projects, including: the Whitley North Elementary HVAC upgrades, the Oak Grove Elementary School Cafeteria Expansion, and the Whitley County High School Career and Technical Education Building and the WCHS physical education addition.

Siler noted that after the middle school track and Whitley North flooring projects are completed, the district doesn’t have any other major facilities projects lined up.

Briar Creek Park vandalism suspects indicted by information

A trio of Whitley County residents, who vandalized Briar Creek Park in late August, have been indicted by information in Whitley Circuit Court.

Kayaking for Kids race helps local school children

Photo by TIMOTHY WYATT

This year’s Kayaking for Kids event raised $22,000, which was a new personal record. The proceeds were given out last week, with each school’s family resource center in the county receiving $2,500 each. Pleasant View Elementary was presented with their check last Thursday. Pictured (left to right): Principal Randy Love, Whitley County Tourism Vice-Chair Deborah Moses, FRC Coordinator Shirley Lawson and Whitley County Judge/Executive Pat White.