Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, KY) articles from March 2001

Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, KY) archives from March 2001

Beaver Dam, Ky., Relatives Make Firefighting a Family Affair.
March 31, 2001... Byline: David Blackburn Mar. 31--BEAVER DAM, Ky.--If the members of the Beaver Dam Volunteer Fire Department seem like one big family, they very nearly are. Joining 30-year veteran Mike Nance on the department's lime-green trucks...

Kentucky Judge Anticipates No Wrongdoing in Jail Construction Inquiry.
March 31, 2001... Byline: Matthew Francis Mar. 31--Daviess County Judge-Executive Reid Haire said Friday he doesn't expect an investigation into alleged misconduct by Jailer Harold Taylor during the construction of the new jail to turn up any wrongdoing....

Owensboro, Ky.-Area Student Is Youngest Member of Touring Musicians.
March 31, 2001... Byline: Mark Cooper Mar. 31--His talents at playing the saxophone, piano and cello will come in handy in his future career as a brain surgeon, 12-year-old Kevin Olusola said. "I'll be able to play music to my patients," said...

Power Company Disputes Claims Made by Indiana Councilman.
March 31, 2001... Byline: Mike Baggett Mar. 31--A Tell City, Ind., city council member still believes the Kenneth Coleman Generating Plant in Hancock County near Lewisport is responsible for air pollution in the area. Company officials dispute the...

California Company Buys Hawesville, Ky., Steel Smelter.
March 31, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence Mar. 31--Century Aluminum Co. of Monterey, Calif., will be welcomed to Hancock County on Monday with a pre-dawn steelworkers parade. Mike Moorman, a member of United Steelworkers of America Local 9423's...

Reviews of new bluegrass music releases.
March 30, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence CARL JACKSON, "Songs of the South," Sugar Hill. 16 cuts. After all these years, you'd think record labels would have re-released everything in their vaults on CD. But you'd be wrong. Sugar Hill has...

Owensboro, Ky., Leaders Have High Hopes for Minority Chamber of Commerce.
March 29, 2001... Byline: James Mayse Mar. 29--Businessmen and civic leaders interested in participating in a minority chamber of commerce hope to raise the profile of Owensboro's minority business community. Eventually, the group hopes to both promote...

Greenville, Ky.-Based Food Distribution Firm to Close after 75 Years.
March 28, 2001... Byline: David Blackburn Mar. 27--GREENVILLE, Ky.--SuperValu Distribution Center officers announced Tuesday that the wholesale grocery business will close early this summer, ending a 75-year role as an anchor in the community in general...

Owensboro, Ky.-Area Hotels Expect Summer of High Occupancy.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence Mar. 26--Hotels in Owensboro will likely be hanging out the "no vacancy" sign the weekend of July 13-15. Tandy Bradford, women's basketball coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College, is expecting 100 basketball teams...

Owensboro, Ky.-Area Motels Expect Busy Summer.
March 27, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence Mar. 26--Hotels in Owensboro will likely be hanging out the "no vacancy" sign the weekend of July 13-15. Tandy Bradford, women's basketball coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College, is expecting 100 basketball teams...

Northern Kentucky Counties to Hold Forum to Discuss Parks Needs.
March 27, 2001... Byline: Joy Campbell Mar. 25--"This is the time to think about the future -- what's right and what we need to continue and what we want for the future," Leon Younger said. Younger is talking about the opportunity for Owensboro and...

Kentucky Agricultural Council Helps Cooperative with Grant.
March 26, 2001... Byline: James Mayse Mar. 17--The vegetable producers of the West Kentucky Growers Cooperative will be able to expand their operation this season with the help of a $605,000 grant from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Council. ...

Potential Cancer Treatment Could Mean Jobs for Owensboro, Ky., Biology Plant.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence Mar. 17--Scientists at the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center and the National Institute of Health may be on the verge of a major breakthrough in the treatment of cancer. If their experiments with adult stem...

Chinese Residents Make Mark on Owensboro, Ky., Business Scene.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Mike Baggett Mar. 19--Laura Li's life is like that of many young people in the Owensboro area. She enjoys surfing the Internet on her new computer, likes shopping at Wal-Mart and enjoys karaoke with her husband, Raymond, and...

Future of Cherished Owensboro, Ky., Detention Center in Danger.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Steve Vied Mar. 18--The Daviess County Detention Center on St. Elizabeth Street is one of the oldest buildings in Owensboro and has historic and architectural significance, but it is in danger of being wiped off the downtown...

Bluegrass is alive and well on the country music charts.
March 23, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence When Dan Hays, executive director of the International Bluegrass Music Association, looks at the country music charts these days, he sees something different. Bluegrass artists. Lots of them. "There are...

Teens spending more - learning more about financial responsibility.
March 21, 2001... Byline: Mike Baggett Teens are working more hours and spending more money, but are they learning the importance of financial responsibility? Area high schools are doing their part by offering personal finance classes and student...

Bluegrass music notes.
March 16, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence There hasn't been much new material in bluegrass album bins lately. But that's about to change. The International Bluegrass Music Association says 23 record labels plan to release 109 albums during 2001. Most...

Kentucky Board Tests Gas Pumps around State.
March 15, 2001... Byline: Steve Vied Mar. 15--Considering the price of gasoline these days, getting what you pay for is important. One of Dale Phelps' jobs is to make sure that happens. Phelps and a crew of state inspectors were in Owensboro Monday...

Owensboro, Ky., Utility Considers Increasing Dividend Payout.
March 15, 2001... Byline: Steve Vied Mar. 15--Owensboro Municipal Utilities can afford to increase its cash dividend to the city of Owensboro by $250,000 without increasing electric rates or putting any sort of financial squeeze on itself, OMU General...

Unemployment Rates Rise to Follow Pattern in 116 Kentucky Counties.
March 13, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence Mar. 13--The end of Christmas shopping and the closing of local tobacco markets sent unemployment rates climbing in Daviess and 116 other Kentucky counties in January. But that doesn't mean the local economy is...

Tuition Rates Will Rise at All Owensboro, Ky., Colleges.
March 13, 2001... Byline: Mark Cooper Mar. 13--Going to college in Owensboro will be more expensive next fall, according to tuition rates set by boards at Western Kentucky University, Kentucky Wesleyan College and Brescia University. Tuition rates at...

Swiss Firm Joins California Company's Bid for Hawesville, Ky., Aluminum Plant.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence Mar. 7--Century Aluminum Co. of Monterey, Calif., has picked up a Swiss partner in its bid to buy the NSA aluminum smelter in Hawesville. Southwire Co. announced last August that it was selling the smelter to...

Panel Puts Plan to Merge Two Owensboro, Ky.-Area Chambers of Commerce on Hold.
March 12, 2001... Byline: David Blackburn Mar. 7--A committee studying the possible merger of the Greenville and Central City chambers of commerce has tabled the idea, at least for now. At the same time, the six-member panel is planning more joint...

Construction Continues on Owensboro, Ky., Medical Buildings.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Lydia Carrico Mar. 7--Owensboro residents' choices in where they go for health care will expand soon upon completion of several medical facilities, now well under way. Most are expected to open by summer. The Malcolm Bryant...

Owensboro, Ky., to Build New Park, Fire Station.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Joy Campbell Mar. 10--City officials took action Friday that paves the way for development of a city park and fire station in the southeast. The commission came out of a 4 p.m. closed session on property sale and acquisition at...

Evansville, Ind., Hotel Closing Means Major Convention for Owensboro Ky.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence Mar. 3--Last month's closing of Evansville's 471-room Executive Hotel is already being felt in Owensboro. The Indiana Coal Mining Institute has voted to bring its May 17-18 convention -- and more than 1,200...

Evansville, Ind., Officials Are Still Wrestling Hotel Problems.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence Mar. 6--Evansville officials continued to wrestle Monday with the future of the 471-room Executive Hotel, which was closed Feb. 19 by the weight of more than $6 million in debts. "There is a lot of anxiety,"...

Companies Eye Former Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Plant in Owensboro, Ky.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence Mar. 9--The last batch of ice cream -- Decorating Vanilla -- has been made at Baskin-Robbins' Owensboro plant, as it prepares to close next week after 25 years. Several prospective buyers have already toured...

Report Underlines Differing Opinions on Use of Daviess County, Ky., Land.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Steve Vied Mar. 3--It has been more than a month since residents of Daviess County with varying backgrounds came together during a pair of forums to talk about the issue of land use. Now a report on those forums has been written....

Daviess County, Ky., Farmers Look to Create Housing for Migrant Workers.
March 12, 2001... Byline: James Mayse Mar. 10--Daviess County farmers, who know they need migrant farmer workers to help bring in their tobacco and produce crops, are searching for ways to create more housing for workers. Friday morning, farmers,...

New Philpot, Utica, Ky., Post Offices on Hold Due to Rising Costs.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence Mar. 10--Postal customers in Philpot and Utica may have a long wait for the new post offices they had been expecting this year. The U.S. Postal Service announced this week that it is freezing construction on...

Construction on New Owensboro, Ky., Medical Facilities Continues.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Lydia Carrico Mar. 8--Owensboro residents' choices in where they go for health care will expand soon upon completion of several medical facilities, now well under way. Most are expected to open by summer. The Malcolm Bryant...

Spring brings bluegrass festivals.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence With spring just days away, it's time to dig out the lawn chairs and start looking for bluegrass festivals. Here are a few worth considering: _Bean Blossom Spring Fest, Wabash, Ind., March 24-25. ...

After school programs paying dividends.
March 4, 2001... Byline: Mark Cooper OWENSBORO, Ky._When the last bell rings at Foust Elementary School, 10-year-old Heavenle Carbon doesn't rush out the doors with her classmates. Instead, she and dozens of other children stay behind for a little...

Reviews of new bluegrass music releases.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Keith Lawrence VARIOUS ARTISTS, "The Art of Traditional Fiddle," Rounder Heritage. 33 cuts The biggest surprise of the year has to be the success of Mercury's "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack album. The CD,...