Miner Killed at Dotiki

Nathan ‘Nate’ Phillips, 36, of White Plains was killed in a mining accident at Alliance Resource Partners LLC’s (ARLP) Webster County Coal, Dotiki Mine last Tuesday, January 19, at approximately 4:00 p.m.

According to the initial incident report by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Phillips was operating a continuous miner when he became pinned between the machine and the coal rib.

Board looks to help teams with travel cost

by Matt Hughes

Parents and coaches of Webster County student athletes may soon be getting some relief on their fund raising efforts, thanks to a measure that was discussed at Monday night’s school board meeting.

For the first time in years, the board is looking at covering at least part of the expense of bussing athletic teams to their various competitions.

“Many years ago the board did not give an allocation for transportation,” said Webster County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rachel Yarbrough. who presented the new transportation plan to the board. “(Athletic Director) Matt Bell has worked diligently to answer a request from Tim (McCormick) and the board to do so.”

McCormick has been an outspoken proponent of such a measure for some time, but this is the first time a proposal has been brought before the board.

Students making a difference

Local middle schoolers learn about themselves through volunteer projects

by Morgan McKinley

When Christmas rolls around, and the name Charles Dickens comes to mind, all of us think of that most famous of books, A Christmas Carol.

And while that much-loved story indeed teaches us a valuable lesson about ourselves and how we approach the world around us, some Webster County students learned from a simple Dickens statement before the holidays.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of others.”

The sentence is actually a line of dialogue by the character John Rokesmith in one of the Victorian author’s lesser known works, Our Mutual Friend.

Webster County Schools Closed, Monday declared 'Link2Learn" Day

"This will be our first Link 2 Learn Day," said district spokesperson Carolyn Sholar. "Students with internet service please log into your teachers webpage or schools webpage and follow the Link 2 Learn tab for your assignments."

Link 2 Learn is a program offered by the state to allow schools to continue education when classrooms are closed due to bad weather. This means the district will not have to makeup Monday at the end of the school year.

Snow Update

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews are making progress in their attack on snow accumulated from a line of intense snow squalls that rolled across the region overnight. 

WCHS Locked temporarily locked down

According to Webster County School District Officials, at approximatelty 7:30 am on Friday, January 8, 2016m  WCHS administration was notified that a student had made a threat to harm himself with a gun due to a breakup with a girlfriend overnight.  The administration proceeded to go into a campus lockdown until the whereabouts of the student could be determined.

"The student was located at his home and local law enforcement is investigating the situation," said superintedent Dr. Rachel Yarbrough.  "As soon as the whereabouts of the student was verified to school administration, the lockdown on the campus was lifted.  At no time was there a threat to the safety of other students and at no time this morning was this student on the campus.  We appreciate the quick response of our law enforcement officials and the high school administration for their prompt attention to this situation."