The Middlesboro News welcomes news reporter Joe P. Asher to the staff.

Asher, 51, may be new to the Middlesboro News, but he is in familiar territory, having worked as a news reporter for many years in nearby Harlan, Kentucky, for the Harlan Enterprise. He left the Enterprise in November of 2018.

Asher grew up in Harlan and is a graduate of Harlan High School. Following high school he attended Eastern Kentucky University, where he obtained a B.A. in Broadcasting.

Before accepting a position as news reporter at the Harlan Daily Enterprise in 2012, Asher worked as a paralegal in Nashville, Tennessee, and as News Director for WTRP, a small talk radio station in Troup County, Georgia.  As a member of the Harlan Enterprise staff, Asher extensively covered police news, criminal and civil court, county and city government as well as any breaking news events that happened to occur.

“News is certainly not a job that sticks to any sort of permanent schedule,” Asher said.  “You have to be prepared for things to come up all of a sudden.”

Having spent the last year living in Lexington, Kentucky, Asher is glad to be back home.

“I’m very happy to be back in southeast Kentucky,” Asher said.  “I’m ready to get to work, and am looking forward to getting to know the folks in Middlesboro.”

Asher has additionally worked in customer service and as a musician. When not at work, he enjoys spending time playing guitar, traveling, reading and fishing.