Lillian Suzanne (Marlow) Chambers Lynch

Lillian Suzanne (Marlow) Chambers Lynch, age 50, of Williamsburg, Kentucky passed away on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at her home.
She was born September 27, 1973, in Corbin, Kentucky.
Suzanne is preceded in death by her husband, Ron Chambers; stepson, Nathan Chambers; paternal grandparents, Joe Lewis and Imogene Ellen (Osborne) Marlow; maternal grandparents, Earl Albert and Helen Louise (Fuson) Douglas.
She is survived by her husband, Harold Dewayne Lynch; children, Preston Craig Payne (Kristen) of Jacksboro, TN, Daniel Ryan Payne and companion Christina Voyles of Jellico, TN, Deana Grace Chambers and companion Alex Montgomery of Lafollette, TN; parents, SM and Lillian (Douglas) Marlow; stepdaughter, Christy Chambers Hill; ex-daughter-in-law, Brittany Shelton of Lafollette, TN; grandchildren, Porter Chambers, Amelia, Bellamy Montgomery, Naomi, Madilyn, Evelyn Payne, Memphis, Macon, and Mylo Payne; brothers, Sammy Marlow (Brenda) of Aberdeen, MD, Clay Marlow and companion Cassaundra of Williamsburg, KY, and Ethan Marlow (Katie) of Barbourville, KY; sisters, Samantha Veach (Brian) of Corbin, KY, Georgette Marlow and companion Johnny Parrott of Williamsburg, KY; and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles to mourn her passing.
The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, at the Harp Funeral Home Chapel
Funeral will follow at 8 p.m. with Rev. Mike Douglas officiating.
Harp Funeral Home of Jellico in charge of arrangements.

 

Tammy Charlene Huddleston

Tammy Charlene Huddleston, age 59, of Duff, Tennessee passed away on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at the LaFollette Medical Center. She was born September 18, 1964, in Goshen, Indiana.
Tammy was a member of the White Oak Church of God. She enjoyed drinking Pepsi, eating Smarties, Reese Cups and all the Orange Sherbet she could get. She loved spending her time with her grandkids, they were her world, and she loved her kids with all her heart. She loved riding four wheelers, playing Rummy, and enjoyed her dogs while watching the Andy Griffith Show.
Tammy is preceded in death by her father, Lewis Paul Huddleston; mother, Mary Opal (Mozingo) Huddleston; and brother, Wade Huddleston.
She is survived by her sons, Anthony Rutherford and wife Ashley, Conner Rutherford and Tiffany Plemons; daughter, Allie Powers and husband Jackson; grandchildren, Jessica Day, LaRanda Rutherford, Brandon Rutherford, Neveah Rutherford, Abby Rutherford, Addison Rutherford, and Maverick Powers; father of her children, Gary Rutherford; sisters, Sarina Rose and her children: Shelby Coker, Keith Bolton; Shonna Lamberson and her children: Tommy Lamberson, and Caitlyn Lamberson; special cousins, Jerome and Suzanne Crabtree, Jacob Crabtree, and Taylor Cobb; uncle, Billy Huddleston; special friends, Joy Hutson, and Carolyn Siler; and a host of friends and family to mourn her passing.
The family will receive friends from 6-8 pm on Tuesday, June 4, at the White Oak Church of God. The funeral will follow at 8 pm with Rev. Warren Marlowe officiating.
Burial will be at 11 am on Wednesday, June 5, in the Oddfellow Cemetery.
Harp Funeral Home of Jellico in charge of arrangements.

 

Lois June Long

Lois June Long, born to Theodore and Hazel Weaver Davis in 1941 in Oswego, TN. Later moved to Jellico, TN.
She is preceded in death by her parents and husband of 56 years in 2019.
Lois is survived by brother-in-law, Danny Douglas (Sharon), sisters-in-law, Sandra Sumner, and Kathy Ivey; and a great gang of cousins; and special friend, Gloria; and some really special neighbors, (you know who you are).
Lois is retired from Marsh McLennan Insurance Agency; she was a member of Fellowship Church Middlebrook.
The family will have an hour of remembrance from 11:00 am until 12:00 noon on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at the Llewellyn Funeral Home Chapel in Jellico, TN.
Graveside service and interment will follow at the Douglas Cemetery at Wooldridge, TN conducted by David Wallace.
The Llewellyn Funeral Home of Jellico in charge of arrangments.

 

Taking a long, hard look at the issue of housing insecurity

There are certain topics of conversation that come up frequently here in the offices of the News Journal. Among those is the seemingly worsening issue of homelessness and housing insecurity in our local communities. (more…)

 

Recent Corbin High School grad headed to Yale College

Zachary Clifton, who has affectionately dubbed himself as “the 2023 version of Anthony Michael Hall’s nerd character in ‘The Breakfast Club’ — the one who procured a fake ID so he could vote,” is a youth leader and recent graduate of Corbin High School.

Through his academic and professional achievement, Clifton was selected as a 2024 Coca-Cola Scholar and admitted as a student of Ethics, Politics, and Economics (EP&E) to Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut.

Clifton serves the Kentucky Student Voice Team (KSVT) as a senior advisor and board member — formerly, as the legislative policy coordinator. Clifton’s leadership with KSVT led to presentations with international audiences, including attorneys from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and students from Harvard Law School.

Clifton is a graduate of The School of The New York Times, where he studied opinion writing. Following his graduation from The School, Clifton returned as a program counselor and guest speaker.

With respect to his media engagements, Clifton has contributed his opinion to the largest news organizations in Kentucky, including the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader. On a national and international scale, Clifton has contributed to The New York Times, New York Magazine, National Civic Review, USA Today, NBC News’ Today Show, and The74.

His published work has received critical acclaim from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards. Academically, Clifton graduated in the top 1 percent of his graduating class at Corbin High School — landing in the top 1 percent nationally, as well, with an ACT Score in the 99th percentile.

Clifton will continue studying the economic and political systems underlying our social fabric at Yale College this fall, prior to working towards pursuing a J.D.-M.B.A. dual degree program.

 

Tidalwave Road signs record deal, releases new EP

Williamsburg bluegrass band Tidalwave Road has been signed to Pinecastle Records, and the group has announced that its first radio single with the label will be “Time And Money.” The single is part of its EP, “The Bonfire Session,” which released on Wednesday, May 15.

“We all grew up listening to bluegrass music played on the porches of every house in every holler throughout Whitley County, Kentucky. Our love for the music runs deep and has been passed down through the generations,” the band wrote in a release.

“It is surreal for us to go from entering, and then winning, a band competition to recording music with Steve Wilson, hiring an agent and now signing with Pinecastle Records. We feel like we grew a whole new family and we commit to them and to our fans to continue to bring the same fire and passion to everything we have always done and then-some. We are so grateful for this opportunity!”

Tidalwave Road first formed in 2010. Its lineup since 2018 consists of members Ben Parker (banjo), Carlie Parker (mandolin), Daniel Parker (bass) and Robert Sulfridge (guitar), who all hail from Williamsburg.

The band gained national notoriety after winning the 2023 SamJam Festival Band Competition. As a result, they won three days at Pinecastle’s Bonfire Recording Studio, which is located in South Carolina.

During that time, they were able to fully complete an entire EP, which inspired the title. Almost immediately they caught the attention of Pinecastle Records with their unique sound.

“Time And Money” is a tune that was written by Ben Parker. The song explores the dynamics of a relationship where two people have different priorities. The lyrics are cleverly crafted, giving us a glimpse into the contrasting perspectives and struggles within the relationship.

The vocals and instrumentation are top-notch, adding an extra layer of power and emotion to the song. It’s one of those tracks that hooks you right from the start and keeps you captivated until the very end.

“We’re excited to welcome Tidalwave Road to the Pinecastle family,” said Pinecastle Records CEO Ethan Burkhardt. “They initially caught our attention when they were in our studio after winning the band competition at SamJam last year. They have a unique sound and we’re excited to introduce them to everyone in the national scene.”

The group is currently in the studio working on their debut project, set for release via Pinecastle Records. Just like the EP, the entire collection will be produced by industry veteran Steve Wilson(of Wilson Banjo Co.). They look to capture the magic from the previous session by bringing their one-of-a-kind sounds, which are heavily inspired by their Williamsburg roots. The group was recently named by Kentucky Country Music as one of their 2024 Kentucky Music Acts To Watch.

 

Corbin baseball defeats Whitley County in 13th Region tournament finals

As many expected it would, this year’s 13th Region baseball tournament once again came down to 50th District rivals Corbin and Whitley County. Last year, it was the Colonels who defeated the Redhounds in the regional finals before going on to win a program-first KHSAA state championship. This time around, Corbin was able to return the favor by punching their tickets to the 2024 state championship tournament in Lexington. (more…)

 

Conner Stanfill

Conner Stanfill, age 6, of Corbin, Kentucky departed this life on May 27, 2024 at the UK Childrens Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky.
Conner was born on November 29, 2017 at Corbin, Kentucky to Dustin Stanfill and Natasha Haley. He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Doris McKiddy; grandfather, Stanley Stanfill, Sr.; and great-grandmother, Shirley Haley.
Conner is survived by his mother, Natasha Haley; father, Dustin Stanfill; brother, Dustin Stanfill; grandparents, Doreen Spencer, Eddie Haley, Patricia Stanfill, and Arbie Stanfill; aunts, Denise Stanfill (Darrin), Aisha Haley (Chad), Amber Stanfill (Kristopher), and Tiffany Mouser; uncle, Josh Haley; and a host of other family and friends to mourn his passing.
Visitation will be 4:00 PM until the funeral hour on Saturday, June 1, at the Croley Funeral Home Chapel.
Funeral service will be at 6:00 PM on Saturday, June 1, at the Croley Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will be private.
Croley Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

 

Corbin’s new tourism director bringing a lot of prior experience into the job

Congratulations to new Corbin Tourism Director Nancy Conley, who was hired during a Corbin Tourism and Convention Commission special meeting last Wednesday.

About 15 years ago, Conley started at the bottom working as the receptionist for Berea tourism, and has worked her way up there to managing a department with 11 people.

She has big shoes to fill replacing Maggy Monhollen, who left Corbin Tourism in March to become general manager at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, but I suspect she will be up to the challenge.

Conley’s first day will be June 10, and officials are planning to organize a reception to introduce her to the community at a later date.

We wish her well.

Now a few other random topics before I conclude this column:

• The County Wide Band recently signed its first record deal with Clearwater Records. “We want to thank CEO/Owner Robert Gomes and Manager Joe Saladino for making this happen and believing in us! We would also like to thank everyone who has supported us along this journey,” the band wrote on its Facebook page.

• The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) held its annual “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive” on May 11. Letter carriers at the Corbin Post Office collected an estimated 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food items. This year the food was donated to First Baptist Church’s White Flag Ministry.

“The food drive is always an encouraging event seeing our neighbors love each other. We love our community and our town,” said 20-year letter carrier Mark Lester.

• If you have some gently used items that you would like to sell, or you are looking to buy some gently used items, then you might want to head to Corbin and/or Williamsburg Saturday morning (June 1).

Corbin will present its Depot Street Market on Depot Street between Fourth Street and Gordon Hill from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Vendor spots are free and available on a first come, first served basis.

For more information call (606) 528-8860.

Williamsburg will also hold a community yard sale Saturday at the Williamsburg Tourism and Convention Center from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

If you are a seller, then the bad news is that there is a $5 charge per table. The good news is that the tables are located inside and there is air-conditioning.

Call (606) 549-0530 to reserve your table(s).

• If fishing is more your thing, then you might want to head down to Laurel Lake on Saturday (June 1) and Sunday (June 2). There will be no permit required to use Bee Rock Boat Ramp, Clear Creek Boat Ramp, or boat ramps outside of development campgrounds at Cave Run Lake or Laurel Lake.

In addition, there will be free kids fishing derbies on Saturday (June 1) in Laurel and McCreary counties.

The London-Laurel Optimist Club will host a kids fishing derby from 8:30 a.m. – noon for ages 5-15. Onsite registration will be from 7:30 a.m.. Contact Becky Parsley at (606) 312-9973 for more information.

There will also be a kids fishing derby at Barren Fork Horse Campground Pond in McCreary County, which will take place from 8 – 11 a.m. The event is for ages 5-15. Registration will take place on site starting at 7 a.m. Contact the Sterns Ranger District at (606) 376-5323 for more information.

Numerous sponsors have provided prizes and trophies for each fishing derby. Participants must be in the specified age range to be awarded prizes.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. At some locations, bait will be provided as supplies last and a limited number of fishing poles may be available to borrow. To ensure that all children have an opportunity to fish, parents or guardians should bring a fishing pole for each child.

These events coincide with Kentucky’s “Free Fishing Weekend” when residents and nonresidents of any age can fish public waters without a fishing license or trout permit. State creel limits and other regulations still apply. Public fishing will not be permitted at Daniel Boone National Forest kids fishing derby locations from the day that fish are stocked until the end of the event.

 

Milestone: Celebrating 60 years of marriage with the love of my life

I have been fully blessed to reach a milestone in my life. This Saturday, June 1, my wife Judy and I will celebrate our 60th Wedding Anniversary.

Having her to say “yes” to my proposal 60 years ago was among the best things that have happened in my life.

My how the years have flown by so fast. It seems like it was so recent that I saw a beautiful young girl for the first time and instantly I wanted to learn who she was.

I was working at radio station WCTT and seated in the control room overlooking a studio. In came a group of students from Corbin High School to the studio, for what reason I do not know. But my eye caught one girl in particular.

My nephew, David Witt, was with the group and as soon as I could reach him I inquired as to who she was. He told me it was Judy Holman, the daughter of Pauline and S.T. “Bitsy” Holman.

Everybody in town knew Bitsy because of his football playing days. He was a Hall of Fame star running back on the 1939 Corbin State Championship football team. Also, he was one of Corbin’s assistant coaches and he was the manager of Dawahares clothing store in downtown Corbin.

Here I was, a college graduate trying to build up the courage to ask a high school senior for a date. It was Bitsy that made me nervous because he had that tough man ex-football player look that I didn’t want to deal with. But really he was gentle and everybody loved Bitsy.

With the encouragement of my nephew, who was also a senior in high school and one who I ran around with, I built up the courage and Judy and I started dating.

As soon as she graduated we got married.

The Rev. Elmore Ryle of the First Christian Church performed the ceremony. One of my best friends, Phil Gregory, was my best man and his wife, and my first cousin, JoAnne, was the attendant for Judy.

We are the parents of three daughters with four grandchildren.

Our first daughter, Angela Thompson, lives in Lexington with grandson Blake. Ashley Estep, the next one, lives in Connecticut and Amber Estep lives in Corbin with her three children, Adelyn, Polly and Atticus Adams.

For our big occasion we had planned a trip to celebrate, but in early March I suffered a bad fall while attending the 13th Region basketball tournament and our plans had to be cancelled. I’m still seeing a doctor about the effects of the fall .

While raising three children, Judy went on to get her degree in Nursing, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Lincoln Memorial University and becoming a registered nurse.

Two of our daughters graduated from UK and one from EKU.

Like her mother, Angela, we call her Angie, also became a registered nurse.

Other than moving away from Corbin for two years to help Amber and her three children, we have lived in Corbin for 58 years.

I had chances to leave, but I am thankful that I made the right decision to stay here and for the last 37 years have been the publisher of this newspaper. But I am most thankful that Judy said “YES!”