What can I say except, “They are the best!” I’m talking about the staff of the News Journal. Once again, this newspaper has won the General Excellence Award in the annual Kentucky Press Association’s contest for large weekly newspapers presented at its banquet last Friday night...

The News Journal is one of 6,000 newspapers remaining in the U.S. Since 2005, the U.S. has lost nearly 2,900 newspapers. What does this say about the News Journal? It says that you have been good to us and we are good for this community. Our newspaper increased in circulation...

Here’s hoping you had a good Christmas. I had a total surprise from my daughter, Ashley, who lives in Connecticut. My wife Judy and Ashley wanted to surprise me, and they did. Friday afternoon I wanted to get out of the house. It was such a beautiful day. We were going to deliver...

Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Christmas brings Joy and Happiness, but the older you get it is more Joy than Happiness. Here’s why; Happiness can be caused by luck, good fortune, or other personal pleasures. For example, about 80 years ago as a four year old who was then...

Coach Billy Hicks, who passed away this week at age 71, led the Corbin Redhounds to the mountain top. It had been 39 years since a Redhound team had made it to the state tournament, but Hicks broke the losing spell in 1991 when Corbin beat Bell County winning the 13th Regional...

A few years ago as our staff got together for our Christmas party, in my mind I was thinking it would be the last time I would enjoy the occasion with them. As one gets older these kind of thoughts run through your mind. Fortunately I’m still here at this newspaper at age 84...

Almost everybody reading this newspaper has plenty to be thankful for. Most of us have plenty to eat, a house to live in, clothes to wear and many other things that people in other parts of the world do not have. I am thankful we have freedom of the press and freedom of religion...

It never gets old. The anxiety of an upcoming sports game that has a lot on the line. In this case it is the Corbin-Boyle Co. football game coming up this Friday. Both schools have excellent teams and the winner of this game will move on toward a 4A run for a state championship....

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. I think my suggestion is better and here’s why: Soon it will be getting dark just...

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. It is where my 89-year-old sister lives. She has been tormented by cat droppings in her yard along with cats ruining...

I was wrong and I’m glad of it. Back in May I wrote that most of us living today would never witness a settlement between Corbin and London on the annexation of the property along Interstate 75, adjacent to Exit 29. Surprise! Last week the London City Council dropped its attempt...

It is National Newspaper Week. Yes, this one belongs to us. Please read the column to my left written by Dean Ridings. It is excellent and it explains the value of newspapers. I am a veteran newspaper person. I’ve been told that I started at the age of four so I’ve been at it for...

In 70 years of watching high school football and viewing it from every corner of the state, plus attending several state championship games, I have never been in an atmosphere like the one Friday night for the game between Corbin and Frederick Douglass. It was electric! And the...

As we get ready to celebrate a new Redhound Complex and the 100-year history of Corbin football our spirits are saddened by the death of former Redhound great and collegiate Hall of Fame Coach Roy Kidd. I was just a young boy, but I remember Roy Kidd playing football and...

On Friday (Sept. 15), Corbin High School will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of football which will coincide with a nine million dollar plus upgrade of new facilities and a new field in a game against Frederick-Douglass of Lexington. This is a big occasion and lots of...

A few years ago many of us were elated when it was announced that Corbin would be getting a facility for horse racing. It was going to be quarter horse racing, but that was okay because with it was coming a grandstand, restaurant and possibly a hotel. A little Keeneland facility...

Splendid! The most impressive thing I’ve seen lately is how quickly every sign, booth, stage, everything, was gone Sunday morning at church time after the Nibroc Festival was over in Corbin. Hats off to all those responsible for the cleanup. Those corporate signs were everywhere,...

Last Saturday evening just after 9 p.m. I drove past the Root Beer Stand and it was dark and there were no cars there. As I proceeded down Main Street in Corbin there was hardly any sign of life. There were people out in restaurants and at the theater, but the lack of seeing...

I think the “rash” started on me at a very early age. At the age of ten I started watching my heroes like Roy Kidd, Jerry Bird, C.D. Vermillion, Frank Selvy, and the many others play ball for the Corbin Redhounds. It was my late friend Bill Crook who gave it the name “Redhound...

The excellent treatment I received when I had minor surgery recently at Baptist Health in Corbin prompted me to write about it in my column. I appreciate how nice everybody was that assisted in getting me prepared for the surgery and the doctor who performed it. I complimented...