The Times Journal

09/08/2025

POSSIBLE COMPROMISE
ON FEE POOLING ISSUE

Following some heated discussion, the Russell County Fiscal Court and the Russell County Sheriff may have reached a compromise regarding fee pooling and possible hazardous duty pay for deputies.
See this week's Times Journal for details.

09/08/2025

Ruby Wheeler Lawhorn, 93, Russell Springs By Editor | September 8, 2025 | 0 Ruby Wheeler Lawhorn, of Russell Springs, passed away on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at Russell County Hospital. She was 93 years, 10 months, and 2 days of age. Ruby was born in Casey County, on November 4, 1931, a daughter...

09/05/2025

PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULED
FOR PROPOSED SOLAR PARK

A Public Meeting has been scheduled regarding a proposed "solar and battery energy project in Russell County."
The meeting, set for later this month, will provide information on a 450-acre project in the northern part of the county.
See next week's Times Journal for details.

09/05/2025

🔥🍖 Calling All Grill Masters & Foodies! 🍖🔥

Think you’ve got the best BBQ around? Here’s your chance to prove it! Join us for our BBQ Cookoff on Friday, October 3rd at the Lake Cumberland Tourist Commission.

👉 Food trucks AND personal entries are welcome – whether you’re a seasoned pitmaster, a backyard BBQ champ, or serving up plates from your truck, we want YOU to join the fun!

🍴 Competitors are welcome to serve to the public from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM – so bring your appetites and enjoy some of the best BBQ around!

💵 Entry fee: $50.00 per team/truck – all money raised will be given back to the winners!

🏆 Prizes will be awarded for 1st and 2nd place – so bring your best flavors, smoke, and sauce to claim the title!

👉 Judging starts at 12:00 noon on site

📅 Date: October 3rd
📍 Location: Lake Cumberland Tourist Commission
⏰ Serving: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
⏰ Judging: 12:00 noon

📌 How to Register:
We are accepting entries now through September 26th! Contact Crystal Popplewell, 270-566-1672 or [email protected] to reserve your spot and arrange your $50 entry fee. Spaces are limited, so sign up soon!

Tag your BBQ crew and let’s make this a smokin’ good time! 🔥

09/05/2025

Please make plans to join us at the Russell County Public Library at 5 PM on September 8th to learn more about how to prepare yourself and your home for a natural disaster.

To RSVP, please call 270-866-4477.

09/05/2025

Ewell Hill, 84, Russell Springs By Editor | September 5, 2025 | 0 Ewell Hill, 84, of Russell Springs, passed away Thursday, September 4th, at Russell County Hospital. Ewell was born in Jamestown, KY on October 9, 1940, a son of the late Adell Mae (Lawless) Hill and Thomas Hill, Sr. He was a retired....

09/05/2025

There is a SLIGHT RISK of severe weather today across a large part of Kentucky.

● Scattered strong to severe storms could develop THIS EVENING INTO OVERNIGHT as the cold front approaches.

● MAIN THREAT IS DAMAGING WIND OF 58 MPH OR GREATER. Isolated large hail and spin up tornado can’t be ruled out.

● 15% chance of damaging wind - 5% chance of large hail

FORECAST NOTE: For those scared of the tornado threat, allow me to say this, tornadoes, in reality, are rare and small compared to the size of your county. Think about how many tornado watches we've had over the years and NO tornadoes happened at our place.

Just use common sense and have a plan. That's all I know to tell you.

Keep in mind, unless there is a major concern with warnings, we probably won't go live. If we do go live, it would only be brief enough to get the details out...just the facts.

09/04/2025

📚✏️ Homework Help is Back at RCPL!
Free, one-on-one support for students in Grades K–12 is now available.

🗓 Appointments: Monday–Thursday, 3–6 PM
📧 Contact Kristina at [email protected]
to schedule your session.

09/04/2025

FRIDAY'S SLIGHT RISK: Earlier, the Storm Prediction Center placed a large part of Kentucky in a SLIGHT RISK of severe weather. Severe storms and a slight risk of a tornado is possible.

After May 16th, I hear the storm anxiety...I know people are still scared and hurting. After that tornado night, I greatly changed how we do things at the Storm Alert Center.

We no longer go live every severe storm...only major storms on big weather events. Yes, we will still post the warning, but when we say storm warning, storm warning, large hail, damaging wind over and over and nothing happens, that's a problem!!

We resolved that not for us, but for the people we serve. Instilling fear is not acceptable and in every sort of the way, we are guilty. Now, we will post about it, and people can respond according to their plan....if they don't have a plan, it isn't our fault.

09/04/2025

09/04/2025

Pulaski County Correspondent Abbie Jasper and I have been working in the Storm Alert Center on tomorrow's weather outlook and she came up with the perfect plain and simple description of what is forecast without hype and fear. I approved it:

Friday September 5th:
There is a SLIGHT RISK severe weather threat present across Ky. While the SPC does highlight a very low tornado 2% risk across much of the state, damaging winds and cloud to ground lighting are the main risks. This is not expected to be a significant severe weather event. - Abbie Jasper: Pulaski Correspondent

PLEASE CONTINUE READING:

Here is what that 2% actually means: Not a big chance of tornadoes but the possibility is there based on ingredients. If you see a 5%, this becomes more concerning and there is a much higher likelihood tornadoes will develop.

Whether it's a 2% or 5% tornado risk, the low numbers do not mean that small of a chance of a tornado, it means, at any one location within the shaded area, a 2% or 5% possibility exists for a tornado to occur within 25 miles of a given point.

Don't let tomorrow's 2% take away your guard, but there's absolutely no reason to be frantic and scared even though the environment supports a 2% risk. There are usually some spin up tornadoes reported.