Electronic Edition For 1-24-2024

20 applicants in the running to be new Corbin City Manager

The search to find Corbin’s next city manager is well underway.

Testimony heard in case of Corbin man arrested on child porn charges

A Corbin man arrested earlier this month on 262 counts of possessing child pornography allegedly told police that he was a “hero” and that he was “trying to help” the hundreds of children who were depicted in the sexually explicit content found on his laptop.

Sheriff reveals that accused killer confessed to shooting Ohler after dispute over ammunition

The man accused of fatally shooting Charles Ohler earlier this month willingly turned over the murder weapon and confessed to police about how the incident occurred, which, according to testimony provided during a preliminary hearing Tuesday, was due to a disagreement over a box of ammunition.

Williamsburg Yellow Jackets hoping to capitalize on their close proximity to 2024 All ‘A’ venue

When it was announced last year that the All “A” Classic state tournaments would be played in Corbin for the very first time, participating schools in the tri-county area began contemplating what it would be like to play in the event here at home, instead of having to travel to Richmond. This week, one area team, the Williamsburg Yellow Jackets, will have the opportunity to find out. (more…)

Legal Notices for 1-24-2024

INVITATION TO BID

Corbin Board of Education Banking Services, Pizza, Blacktop Bid & Installation & Surplus Buses Available for Purchase

The Corbin Board of Education will receive separate sealed bids for banking services, pizza, blacktop and installation as needed at district locations, and two surplus buses available for purchase.  Please contact Charity Roberson or Rhonda Moore at the Corbin Board of Education at 606-528-1303 to obtain the bid specifications or bid form.  Bid specifications are available at Corbin Board of Education, 108 Roy Kidd Avenue, Corbin, Kentucky 40701 during regular office hours from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Questions related to the banking services bid and blacktop & installation bid should be directed to Rhonda Moore at Rhonda.moore@corbin.kyschools.us.  Questions related to pizza bids should be directed to Janie Keith at Janie.keith@corbin.kyschools.us.  Questions related to the buses should be directed to Josh VanNorstran at josh.vannorstran@corbin.kyschools.us.  Bid deadline is 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 31, 2024.  Bids will be opened at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 31, 2024.  Bids received after the scheduled closing time will be returned unopened to the bidder.  The Corbin Board of Education reserves the right to reject any or all bids or proposals, and to waive informalities.

NOTICE:

Sai Mahi Inc hereby declares its intention(s) to apply for a NQ Retail Malt Beverage Package license and transitional license no later than January 19, 2024. The licensed premises will be located at 105 18th St., Corbin, Kentucky 40701 doing business as One Stop. The sole owner and president is Nileshbhai Patel, 610 Weymuth Pl, Louisville, KY 40245. Any person, association, corporation, or body politic may protest the granting of the license(s) by writing the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 500 Mero St 2NE33, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, within thirty (30) days of the date of legal publication.

PUBLIC NOTICE:

Pursuant to 405 KAR 8:010, Section 16(5), the following is a summary of permitting decisions made by the Department for Natural Resources, Division of Mine Permits with respect to applications to conduct surface coal mining and reclamation operations in Whitley County. ALDEN RESOURCES LLC, 9185193 MI, 12/20/2023.

WHITLEY COUNTY FISCAL COURT

ORDINANCE NO. 2024-01

RENEWING ORDINANCE NO. 2008-03

PERTAINING TO THE LOCAL AGREEMENT AMONG THE CITY OF CORBIN, KENTUCKY, CITY OF WILLIAMSBURG, KENTUCKY AND WHITLEY COUNTY, KENTUCKY

WHEREAS, the County of Whitley, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, has determined the desire to renew the Local Agreement for a period of four years among the City of Corbin, Kentucky, City of Williamsburg, Kentucky and Whitley County, Kentucky;

WHEREAS, this agreement is entered into by and among the Whitley County Fiscal Court (hereinafter referred to as “Whitley County”), the City of Corbin, Kentucky, (hereinafter referred to as “Corbin”) and the City of Williamsburg, Kentucky, (hereinafter referred to as “Williamsburg”) pursuant to the Kentucky Interlocal Cooperation Act, KRS 65 .210, et seq.

RECITALS

Pursuant to KRS 68.197 and KRS 67.750 to 67.795, Whitley County imposed an occupational license tax by way of Ordinance No. 2005-08, duly enacted on June 29, 2005. Whitley County’s Ordinance imposes an occupational license tax of one percent (1%) on all persons and business entities conducting business, occupations and professions within Whitley County.

Pursuant to KRS 67.750 to 67.790, Corbin enacted an occupational license tax by way of Ordinance No. 13-2005, duly enacted on August 11, 2005. Corbin’s Ordinance imposes an occupational license tax of one percent (1%) on all persons and business entities conducting business, occupations and professions in Corbin.

Williamsburg has the authority under KRS 67.750 to 67.790 to impose an occupational license tax by Ordinance, whereby, Williamsburg would collect an occupational license tax of up to one percent (1%) on all persons and business entities conducting business, occupations and professions in Williamsburg.

Where cities in counties of more than 30,000, like Whitley County, impose an occupational license tax, KRS 68.197(7) provides that the payment of the city occupational license tax may be credited against any occupational license tax imposed by the county.

Notwithstanding the provisions of KRS 68.197(7), the parties intend by this Agreement to:

(A) Eliminate dual occupational license tax burdens for the persons and business entities subject to their occupational license taxes; and

(B) To provide a system for disbursement of the occupational license tax revenue among Whitley County, Corbin and Williamsburg in a manner that is fair, equitable and consistent with the Kentucky Revised Statutes.

It is in the best interest of Corbin, Williamsburg and Whitley County to apportion revenues generated from occupational license taxes in order to promote stable economic development, to avoid competition for economic development and to share in the joint promotion of future economic growth.

The parties acknowledge their capacity to enter into and form an agreement pursuant to the provisions of KRS 65.210 through KRS 65.300 and the parties acknowledge their intent and desire to enter into this interlocal agreement.

IN CONSIDERATION OF THE MUTUAL PROMISES HEREINAFTER MADE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED, BY AND BETWEEN THE PARTIES AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1

APPORTIONMENT

1.1 From July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028, Whitley County shall have the sole right and duty to collect the occupational license tax from all taxpayers in Whitley County pursuant to Whitley County Ordinance No. 2005-08.

1.2 Established on October 1, 2005, and through the termination of this Agreement, all occupational license taxes paid and collected from taxpayers in Whitley County shall be deposited into an escrow account. Whitley County, Corbin and Williamsburg agree to continue utilizing an escrow agent and to execute all such agreements as shall be required to satisfy the escrow agent that periodic payments may be made by the agent directly to Corbin and Williamsburg for their separate portions of the collected occupational license taxes. Whitley County, Corbin and Williamsburg will each pay one third (1/3) of the cost of an annual audit of the account to be conducted by a mutually agreed upon independent auditor.

1.3 Out of the escrow account, Whitley County shall recoup its actual expenses incurred in the administration and collection of the occupational license taxes in Whitley County. In no event, however, shall this amount exceed five percent (5%) of the gross amount of occupational license taxes collected in any one year. Whitley County’s actual expenses shall be recouped as follows:

(1) Whitley County shall estimate its annual costs for the administration and collection of the occupational license tax;

(2) Whitley County shall divide its estimated annual costs into four equal amounts to arrive at the estimated quarterly costs;

(3) The estimated quarterly costs shall then be divided by three to determine the estimated quarterly costs to be assessed for each party to this Agreement; and

(4) Corbin’s share of the estimated quarterly costs and Williamsburg’s share of the estimated quarterly costs shall be subtracted from their respective quarterly payments as called for in sections 1.4 through 1.5 of this Agreement. At the end of each year, Whitley County shall reconcile the estimated costs for administration and collections of the occupational license tax with the actual costs incurred and make the appropriate adjustment in the next quarterly payment to Corbin and Williamsburg. Whitley County shall also maintain an accounting of its actual expenses for the administration and collection of the occupational license tax and provide that accounting to Corbin and Williamsburg on an annual basis.

1.4 Out of the escrow account for the periods of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028, Whitley County shall pay to Corbin 75% of all occupational license taxes collected for those periods from taxpayers in Corbin. Payments shall be made on a quarterly basis within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter.

1.5 Out of the escrow account and for the periods of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028, Whitley County shall pay to Williamsburg 75% of all occupational license taxes collected for those periods from taxpayers in Williamsburg. Payments shall be made on a quarterly basis within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter.

SECTION II

ADMINISTRATION

2.1 Whitley County shall maintain a list of the names and addresses of all occupational license taxpayers in Corbin and a list of the names and addresses of all occupational license taxpayers in Williamsburg and provide copies of such lists to Corbin and Williamsburg with each quarterly payment required by 1.4 through 1.5 of this Agreement. Corbin and Williamsburg shall each report to Whitley County the names and address of any occupational taxpayer who is not on Whitley County’s list and the list shall be updated to accurately reflect the occupational license taxpayers in each city.

2.2 The terms of this Agreement shall remain effective notwithstanding the future application of or amendments to KRS 68.197.

2.3 This Agreement will be administered by the County Judge/Executive of Whitley County, the Mayor of Corbin and the Mayor of Williamsburg or their respective designees who shall have authority to enact rules and regulations to implement and carry out this Agreement.

SECTION III

TERM

3.1 This Agreement shall be in effect for a term of four (4) years beginning July 1, 2024, and ending on June 30, 2028.

3.2 This Agreement shall be valid and binding only when all of the following acts have occurred:

(A) Execution by the Mayors of Corbin and Williamsburg as authorized by their respective City Commissions and/or Councils, pursuant to duly enacted municipal ordinances;

(B) Execution by the Whitley County Judge/Executive as authorized by the Whitley County Fiscal Court pursuant to a duly enacted County Ordinance No. 2024-01.

(C) Filing of attested copies with the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the County Clerk of Whitley County as required by KRS 65.290.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands pursuant to the law of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and duly enacted City and County Ordinances, copies of which are attached hereto, authorizing execution of this Agreement.

First Reading: Introduced for the first reading on Motion made by Harrison and seconded by Jarboe and passed by majority of vote of the Whitley Fiscal Court in duly assembled session on this 16th day of January, 2024.

PAT WHITE, JR., WHITLEY COUNTY JUDGE/EXECUTIVE

ATTEST: CAROLYN WILLIS, WHITLEY COUNTY COURT CLERK

Tuesday Night Highlights: Jan. 23, 2024

50th District teams were on full display in Tuesday night high school hoops action. (more…)

Some facts concerning syphilis may surprise you

At the Health Department, we monitor several health conditions. People rarely want to think about some health conditions like sexually transmitted infections, but it is important that there is a level of awareness so that disaster can be avoided.

Unfortunately, Whitley County has more than its fair share of sexually transmitted infections. Today I want to talk about one that is of particular concern to adults and pregnant mothers – syphilis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seen a tenfold increase in syphilis in newborns in the U.S. over the last 10 years. Kentucky’s increase has followed that pattern. Whitley County has the seventh highest rate of syphilis in Kentucky, increasing 42 percent between 2020 and 2021.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria. A person gets syphilis through direct contact during sexual intercourse of any kind, or from a mother to an unborn baby.

Before the discovery of penicillin, a lot of famous people reportedly had syphilis and some even died from it, including Casanova, Van Gogh, Beethoven, Ivan the Terrible, Henry VIII, and Al Capone. Now syphilis is curable with antibiotics, but you don’t develop immunity. You can get syphilis again. In fact, at the health department, we are seeing an increase in the number of people who have had it more than once.

Syphilis is an important concern for pregnancy because syphilis can be devastating for babies. When babies get syphilis from their mothers, it is called congenital syphilis. Congenital syphilis can cause blindness, deafness, seizures and death. Nearly all the newborn cases of congenital syphilis in 2022 could have been prevented with timely testing and treatment. Almost half of moms with syphilis who passed it to their newborns did not have prenatal care.

In adults, there are four stages of syphilis. During primary stage you get a sore or sores. Sores are usually painless, so sometimes you might not notice them. They last three to six weeks and then go away. Even though the sore is gone, you still have syphilis if you do not get treated.

During secondary stage, you might get a rash or more sores. The rash rarely itches. You might not even notice it. You might have other symptoms like a fever, swollen glands, or symptoms that feel like a cold or flu. These symptoms will also go away. You still have syphilis if you do not get treated.

Without treatment, syphilis will become latent. This means it hangs out in your body without you noticing. Sometimes syphilis is latent for years. You still have syphilis if you do not get treated.

Not everyone with syphilis will develop the last stage–tertiary. However, if you do, it is bad. It could happen anywhere between 10 and 30 years later, but all along syphilis is damaging your brain, your eyes, and your hearing. Syphilis can kill you.

Syphilis is treatable. Usually, a shot of penicillin will cure you. Right now, there is a shortage of the kind of penicillin used, so unless you are pregnant, you will probably get doxycycline pills. How many pills depends on what stage your disease is at.

You can prevent syphilis too. It passes through sexual contact. It does not spread like the flu. You cannot get it from toilet seats or clothing or forks. Use a condom the right way every time you have sexual contact with someone to reduce your chances of getting syphilis. A condom can prevent contact with a sore in that area. Sores can happen in places not covered by a condom and you can still get syphilis, so it is important to talk honestly with your partner. Get tested and get treated.

Anyone who is sexually active can get a sexually transmitted infection like syphilis. However, some people are at a higher risk. Get tested regularly if you are sexually active and you are gay or bisexual, have HIV, take PrEP, or have a partner that has tested positive for syphilis. All pregnant people should get tested during their first prenatal visit. Sometimes you need to get tested again at 28 weeks and at delivery.

Health care providers test for syphilis by taking a blood sample and sending it to a lab. Because the results are not immediate, it is important for you to follow up on your test results. Make sure wherever you are tested has a good phone number to reach you. If you don’t hear from them in two weeks, reach out and ask for your results. You can get tested and treated at the Health Department even if you do not have insurance.

Don’t be like Al Capone. He never got treated for his syphilis and it killed him. Getting tested and completing treatment early is the key to preventing bad outcomes later. For more information about syphilis, visit https://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/default.htm.

Joseph Scott “Scotty” Osborne

Joseph Scott “Scotty” Osborne, age 40, of Orangeburg, South Carolina, formerly of Jellico, Tennessee, passed away early Saturday morning, January 13, 2024, at his residence.
He was born on May 8, 1983, to the late Michael Osborne and Cathy (Walker) Blankenship in Corbin, Kentucky.
In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his older brother, Joshua M. Osborne; aunt, Vicki (Walker) Partin; paternal grandparents, Dave and Clara Osborne, and maternal grandparents, Charles Russell Walker and Nora E. “Mickey” (Bryant) Walker.
He is survived by his son, Cameron Osborne, of Columbia, SC; mother and step-father, Cathy and Gary Blankenship, of Orangeburg, SC; brother, Gary Blankenship, Jr., of Leesville, SC; two sisters, Jody Bunch, of Williamsburg, KY, and Tara Baird, of Eagan, TN; sister-in-law, Vanessa (Cowans) Osborne of La Follette, TN; seven nephews and nieces, Tyler Smith, of Corbin, KY, Kaitlyn Osborne, Bethany Osborne, Logan Osborne, and Kylee Osborne, all of La Follette, and Benjamin Bunch, and Waylon Bunch, of Williamsburg, KY; two great-nephews, Brentley Smith, of Corbin, KY, and Andy, of La Follette; several aunts and uncles and a host of friends, neighbors and other relatives to mourn his passing.
The funeral was Saturday, January 20, at the Cox & Son Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Charlie Walker officiating.
Interment followed in the Douglas Cemetery.
Charles “Bim” Walker, Jerry Walker, Michael McGhee, Kevin McGhee, Brian Potter, Austin Partin, Brody Partin, and Jerry Walker, Jr. served as pallbearers.
Cox & Son Funeral Home of Jellico in charge of arrangements.

Billy Wayne Adkins, Jr.

Billy Wayne Adkins, Jr., age 50, of Clairfield, Tennessee, passed away on Thursday, January 18, 2024, at his home.
He was born on November 16, 1973, in La Follette, TN, to Billy Adkins and Barbara (Gibson) Adkins, who survive.
He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Joseph Daniel Adkins; paternal grandparents, Fred Adkins and Amy Adkins, and maternal grandparents, Everett Gibson and Agnes Gibson.
Billy was a graduate of the Campbell County Comprehensive High School – Class of 1992.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by his daughter, Leah Adkins, of La Follette, TN; son, Wesley Adkins, of Jacksboro, TN; grandson, Brayden Moore, of La Follette; seven uncles, Donald Adkins, Lloyd Adkins, Jerry Adkins, Billy Gibson, Ben Gibson, Jimmy Gibson, and George Gibson, all of La Follette; and five aunts, Helen Freeman, Gail Paul, Judy Walden, Regina Boshears, and husband, Jeff, all of La Follette, TN, and Teresa Manis, and husband, Rick, of Knoxville, TN; his ex-wife and the mother of his children, Brenda Adkins, of La Follette, and a host of friends, neighbors and other relatives to mourn his passing.
The funeral was Monday, January 22, at the Cox & Son Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Michael Adkins officiating.
Graveside service and interment will immediately follow the funeral service in the Rock Creek Freewill Baptist Church Cemetery.
Cox & Son Funeral Home of Jellico in charge of arrangements.