The Owensboro Magazine 2009

COMMUNITY AT A GLANCE Owensboro is the industrial and cultural hub of western Kentucky. Located along the southern banks of the Ohio River, Owensboro is the third largest city in terms of population in the Acting as the May Queen, Elizabeth Rascoe, 14, of Owensboro, steadies the Maypole during the first of several re-enactments of the dance performed by volunteer dancers at a May Day celebration in Yellow Creek Park. Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is also centrally located to many of the largest metropolitan areas in the Midwest and south. Owensboro is located 32 miles southeast of Evansville, Indiana; 134 miles north of Nashville, Tenn.; 109 miles southwest of Louisville, Ky.; 209 miles southeast of St. Louis, Mo.; and 209 miles southwest of Cincinnati, Ohio. Owensboro enjoys a diverse economic base. Of the 44,222 people who work in Daviess County, less than 25 percent work for the county’s 10 largest employers. History Media Transportation Anthropologists suggest western Kentucky — including the Owensboro area — may have been home to Native American cultures for as long as 12,000 years. More recently, the region served as home and hunting ground for the Shawnee and other tribes, who lived here until territorial disputes forced them north of the Ohio River in 1758. The first known settlers of European descent came to Owensboro in the late 1790s. Local legend has it that in 1798 or 1799, a trapper named William Smeathers built a cabin along the river, near the present location of the Executive Inn. Over time, a community grew up around the cabin, first called Yellow Banks, then Rossborough, and finally Owensboro, in honor of Colonel Abraham Owen. Daviess County — Kentucky’s 58th — formed in 1815 and was named in honor of Colonel Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, although the spelling was later modified. Daily morning newspaper service for in-depth local news and regional and national news is provided by Owensboro’s Messenger-Inquirer. The Owensboro market is served by five broadcasting networks located in Evansville, Ind., including WEHT-Channel 25 (ABC), WFIE-Channel 14 (NBC), WTVW-Channel 7 (Fox), WAZE-Channel 19 (The CW) and WEVV-Channel 44 (CBS). OCTV is a community cable television station run by Owensboro Community and Technical College and airs a variety of community events. More than 20 radio stations serve the greater Owensboro area offering local news headlines and a variety of News/Talk, Country, Top 40, Oldies, Light and Rock formats. Agriculture Climate Between moderately cold winters and warm, humid summers, the greater Owensboro area experiences a wide temperature fluctuation. The average annual temperature is 57.3 degrees, with extremes of 107 degrees in 1936 and 1944 and a low of minus 21 degrees in 1951. In the winter, the average temperature is 39.6 degrees, and in the summer 76.9 degrees is the estimated average. Temperatures are generally highest in July and August and lowest in January. The average annual rainfall for Daviess County is 44.27 inches. Daviess County ranks first among Kentucky counties in total soybean production and third in total corn production. More than 84 percent of the land in Daviess County is devoted to agriculture. Business and Industry Local air charter service is available at the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport. The airport has two concrete runways measuring 5,000 and 8,000 feet. The longer runway has a full-instrument landing system that provides all-weather capabilities. Owensboro is served by an excellent highway system. The Audubon and William H. Natcher Parkways are designated as Interstate spurs and provide connections to Interstate highways in the south and west. U.S. Highways 60, 231 and 431 provide direct access in all directions, including a direct connection to Interstate 64 via the William H. Natcher Bridge. Work is proceeding to widen U.S. 231 in southern Indiana to a four-lane divided highway. Four of the several dozen common carrier trucking companies serving Owensboro maintain local terminals. CSX Transportation provides the city with mainline rail services. The Owensboro Riverport Authority is an international port and is designated as a Foreign Trade Zone.The Riverport provides barge, rail and storage facilities. The city of Owensboro operates a city-wide bus service, and private taxi, rental car and luxury limousine services also are available. The Owensboro area serves as the industrial hub of Western Kentucky, with major industries including aluminum, steel, distilling, mining, automotive manufacturing and natural gas transmission. Locally produced commodities include automotive components, meat products, smokeless tobacco, office furniture, spaghetti sauce, small electric motors, bourbon whiskey, chemicals, large steel vessels, grain processing, refined oil, paper, plastic extension and casement windows. OWENSBORO 2009 Cost of Living Residents of Greater Owensboro enjoy some of the lowest cost of living anywhere. In particular, the cost of utilities (electricity, water and sewer) are some of the lowest in the nation. The American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association (ACCRA) produces the ACCRA Cost of Living Index to provide a measure of living cost comparisons among urban areas. The index measures 70

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Owensboro Magazine 2009

The Owensboro 2009 From our Chair Contents Buffalo Trace Brings History to Owensboro Environmental Education Blooms in the Garden Owensboro Arts and Cultural Events Making the Grade Building Opportunity In the Swim Economic Development through Placemaking Sister Cities brings International Benefits Embracing Innovation to spur Economic Development Creating a Pool of Skilled Workers Expanding Transportation Options One-Stop Business Licensing Robot Doctor Building a Locally-Based Food Economy Welcome to the Neighborhood Luxury Living on the River Moving In Trendy Excursions Evolves with the Times The Crème Brews Comfort Downtown Growing with the Community Family Business Boasts Longevity, Good Barbecue Entrepreneurial Spirit Comes Home Capturing the Broadway Market Ministering to Church Leaders Community at-a-Glance By the Numbers Dining & Catering Guide Advertiser Index

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