His life was the stuff movies are made of. You’ve probably seen such a movie where the Kentucky farm boy was the sixth of eight kids destined to make it big in something someday. He knew he wanted more than pitching bales of hay on his farm and for nearby neighbors in Greenup...

After several days of residents in the Highland Park area of Williamsburg being without water last week, I saw one headline describe the restoration of service as a “Christmas miracle.” It was anything but.

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...

The mission of the Whitely County Health Department is to promote optimal health for all who live, work, learn and play in Whitley County. One way we make progress on that is by assessing our community’s needs, strengths and challenges. When we conducted our Whitley County...

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...

If we could harness the spirit of giving year round that exists at Christmas time, then there is no telling what we could accomplish. I’m not just talking about the spirit of giving from those, who donate to a worthy cause and those that volunteer to help make it happen. I’m also...

This past summer, I spent a great deal of time combing through the old Whitley Republican archives in search of coverage dedicated to one of this county’s most famous sons – Eugene Siler, Sr. There was no shortage of material to look at.

For the last 30 plus years, it seems like nearly every time I went to cover a wreck or a fire in northern Whitley County, Woodbine Fire Chief Rick Fore was there directing firefighters about how to extricate someone trapped in a mangled vehicle or telling firefighters where to go...

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...

It doesn’t seem possible, but here we are at the beginning of another high school basketball season. For complete details on what to expect when it comes to our coverage area teams this winter, check out this week’s season preview special section. With my column this week, I...

If you were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday morning and you thought that you caught a glimpse of someone familiar participating in the parade, then you may have been correct. Former Williamsburg High School Band Director Zach Shannon was one of the about 400...

While seemingly everyone else from Corbin was either watching or listening to the Corbin vs. Boyle County football game on Friday night, which had a disappointing outcome, my wonderful wife, Cecelia, and I did something a little different. We checked out the Millstone Community...

Anyone who saw or heard last Friday’s regional final contest between the Corbin Redhounds and Boyle County Rebels was treated to a game for the ages.

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...

November provides many opportunities to have gratitude for the wonderful things in our lives. It provides lots of opportunities to overindulge in things like pie, for which I am eternally grateful. November is also Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes is a disease that happens when...

When it came to voter turnout last week, Whitley County voters could have done better. According to the Whitley County Clerk’s Office, which oversees elections in Whitley County, about 30.5 percent of registered voters went to the polls to cast their ballots for governor and...

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....

It’s a time of year when many of us reflect on what has transpired over the past months. I for one have developed a philosophy when it comes to writing, and it is really quite simple. I want to write about what I think readers will enjoy. This column marks the twenty-first year....

Before I get started, let me first congratulate the Whitley County Lady Colonels volleyball team on an outstanding two-year run in 2022 and 2023. A combined 60 wins, back-to-back 50th District championship titles, back-to-back 13th Region championship titles and back-to-back...