Tagged: Owensboro

Owensboro's International Bar-B-Q Festival is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors to the Daviess County area this weekend. 

The Owensboro City Commission is scheduled to vote on an ordinance that would ban the use of skateboards in the city’s downtown. The Messenger-Inquirer reports the commission is meeting tonight at 5pm at City Hall. The ordinance is expected to pass based on previous discussions by commissioners.

Daviess County Fiscal Court’s next proposed budget has no plans for borrowing money or tax increases. The $74.1 million spending blueprint unveiled this week also calls for county employees to receive 1.5% raises.The Messenger-Inquirer reports Daviess County Judge-Executive Al Mattingly says he wants county employees to receive a 2% raise.

The Chief Judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals is hoping more people will gain a better understanding of how that court works. Chief Judge Jeff Taylor of Owensboro says the Court of Appeals reviews the correctness of decisions made by trial courts, and conducts sessions around the state to give citizens the opportunity to see how the cases work.

Money to repaint Owensboro’s Glover H. Cary bridge is still included in the state’s two-year road plan. The $3.5 billion  plan passed the Senate Transportation Committee this week and is expected to clear the full Senate by Friday.

Daviess County's Judge-Executive says he's pleased with federal lawmakers' responses so far to the idea of creating a new interstate highway across western Kentucky and southern Indiana. Al Mattingly and other political and business leaders from the region this week went to Washington DC to lobby lawmakers for funding for the proposed I-67, a four-lane interstate running from Washington, Indiana through Owensboro and continuing to Bowling Green, where it would connect with I-65.

Louisville-area advocates for victims of sexual abuse are criticizing a Jefferson County group for honoring Owensboro Bishop William Medley. The Courier-Journal reports Medley was one of seven recipients of the annual “Salute to Catholic Alumni Dinner”, which raises money to help poor students pay tuition at Catholic schools.

The two-year transportation budget passed by the Kentucky House Friday includes money to repaint the Glover H. Cary Bridge that connects Owensboro to southern Indiana. Daviess County Representative Tommy Thompson confirmed to WKU Public Radio this morning that the roads plan that passed the House contains $8.5 million for the bridge paint job, which is half the amount needed for the project.

Owensboro leaders announced Friday a project that will invest 44 million dollars in the city's downtown area. A key portion of that investment will be a new convention class Holiday Inn hotel, to be located on the west side of the newly planned convention center. In addition,  Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP has come to a preliminary agreement with the Riverfront Jam, LLC developers to relocate the Owensboro office to a downtown location.

James Barnett of the Daniel Pitino Shelter in Owensboro says his agency is seeing more "first-time" homeless than ever. Barnett says the difficult economy has forced people who had never sought assistance in the past to ask for help.

A decision could be near concerning the final design revisions to the downtown convention center planned for Owensboro. The Messenger-Inquirer reports two panels that will ultimately approve plans for the new center are meeting Tuesday at Owensboro’s City Hall.

Governor Beshear's budget proposal does not include money for a new downtown bluegrass music center in Owensboro. The Messenger-Inquirer reports that the city and Daviess County did not receive funding for any capital projects in the Governor's two-year plan. Owensboro Mayor Ron Payne recently traveled to Frankfort to plead his case for $18 million to convert a downtown state office building into a new international bluegrass music center. Payne told the paper he wasn't giving up on getting funding for the project, but he admitted city and county leaders would need to "go back to the drawing board" concerning the museum project.

Owensboro, Ky – The Riverpark Performing Arts Center in Owensboro is officially retiring its 19 year building debt. Riverpark has raised $1.1 million, holding up its end of a bargain with the city of Owensboro and Daviess County. Kevin Willis reports.

Owensboro, Ky – In Owensboro, a small Roman Catholic school is embarking on a strategic growth plan designed to boost enrollment. Brescia University is a liberal arts school that prides itself on graduating students who have a holistic view of education, and who are interested in serving their communities. We visited the school's downtown Owensboro campus to learn about Brescia's approach to education, and how it plans to grow in the near future.

Bowling Green, KY – A public meeting will be held in Mayfield to get public input on a new study regarding a proposed Western Kentucky corridor for Interstate 69. Officials in
Kentucky are hoping that portions of existing roadways can be included in the corridor, to help manage costs. Public Information Officer Keith Todd of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says public comments will be accepted on the proposal until the end of November. Dan Modlin spoke with Todd.

Owensboro, Ky – Wendell Hampton Ford surely stands as one of Kentucky's most consequential politicians of the 20th century. The Owensboro native represented Kentucky for 24 years in the US Senate after serving as Governor. Kevin Willis recently visited Senator Ford at his office at the Owensboro Museum of Science and History, which houses the Wendell Ford Government Center. Ford discussed a life in politics, as well as his thoughts on the current state of political affairs.