Messenger-Inquirer from Owensboro, Kentucky • A1

Messenger-InquIrer Vol. 137, No. 8 OWENSBORO SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012 www.messenger-inquirer.com $1.75 RETURN TO FORM Recovering from injury, Jones scores 20 as UK BUSINESS: Custom Cabinets sells Cabinotch Owensboro Mayor Ron Payne likes to say that is on the and he often follows it by saying that no other city in Kentucky has as much going on as Owensboro. Last week, in his annual of the address, Payne made that case again, with details supporting the claim. He seized on the fact that 58 public and private projects are currently under way in the community with a total value of $759 million, all of which he said contribute to a strong local economy.

Larry Boswell doubt it. lived here all my life, and been a long time Boswell said. Boswell is business manager of the 386-member Owensboro Local 1701 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union. These days, according to Bowell, full employment time for the local, with more than 200 members working on the new Owensboro Medical Health System hospital between Pleasant Valley Road and Daniels Lane off U.S. 60 East.

The hospital and a long list of other projects outlined by Payne keep the other electricians working steadily, with journeymen earning the top rate of $29.02 a hour, plus benefits, Boswell said. been very beneficial to Boswell said. our members are working. definitely a boost compared to the two years prior (to 2010). We started seeing the increase toward the end of 2010.

2012 is projected to be great. really looking good for any electrical contractor, union or Some of the projects on list are close to completion, such as the Kentucky National Guard Readiness Center, the new state office building and the downtown river wall project. But others, including the downtown convention center and Hampton Inn Suites hotel, are set to begin this spring. Boswell said spin-off projects related to the hospital and downtown projects hold potential for more construction jobs. looks like several years of he said.

For his fourth of the speech Thursday at the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Rooster Booster breakfast, Payne delivered a glowing report on the health, shining a light on the size of the surplus in the general fund and moderate-to-low tax rates compared to 13 other first- and second-class cities. He spent the bulk of his time presenting the list of ongoing, just finished or soon-to-start projects and the lower-than-average unemployment rate. While the national unemployment rate is SEE A2 BUILDING BLOCKS BY STEVE VIED MESSENGER-INQUIRER SUNDAY SERIES Gary Emord-Netzley, Messenger-Inquirer 691-7318 Salsman Brothers Inc. employees, Jewell Galloway of Madisonville, left, and C.J. Brummett of Dawson Springs, cover a section of concrete wall on the second of two bridges on Ken- tucky 144 on Thursday afternoon.

The bridge work is part of the first phase of the U.S. 60 Bypass Extension project under way east of Owensboro. The Bypass Extension is one of 58 public and private projects currently under way in the community with a total value of $759 million. Projects boosting employment, economic growth The total economic impact, according to Mayor Ron Payne, will be $1.3 billion. INDEX Goodfellows drive tops Printed with soy ink F1-6 Dear Home 2012 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airpor had another record-breaking year in 2011.

And officials there are hoping to set yet another record for pas- sengers in 2012. In 2010, the airport boarded slightly more than 16,000 passen- gers, primarily on Allegiant Air flights to Orlando, Fla. Last year, boardings continued to climb to 16,849. And Ray Assmar, board chair- man, says, should bounce close to 20,000 this The 2011 numbers might have been closer to 20,000, but Alle- giant suspended flights to Orlando for most of August and September, which are typically slow months for travel to Florida. The airline did the same thing in 2009.

The 2010 numbers were the most passengers the airport had seen in a single year since com- mercial ser vice began here in 1951 with Eastern Airlines. SEE A2 Airport boardings keep breaking records BY KEITH LAWRENCE MESSENGER-INQUIRER MANCHESTER, N.H. Mitt Romney brushed aside criti- cism Saturday night in the open- ing round of a weekend debate doubleheader that left his Repub- lican presidential campaign chal- lengers squabbling among them- selves and unable to knock the front-runner off stride. Three days before the first in- the-nation New Hampshire pri- mar Romney largely ignored his fellow Republicans and turned instead on President Barack SEE A2 Romney brushes off debate barbs in New Hampshire BY STEVE PEOPLES ASSOCIATED PRESS A1 Vol. 145, No.

345 Owensboro, Ky. DECEMBER 11, 2019 Details, Page A6 42 26 High Low INSIDE facebook.com/ MessengerInquirer CONTACT US CIRCULATION: 270-926-0123 (800) 633-2008 ADVERTISING: 270-926-0123, CLASSIFIEDS: 270-926-0123 NEWS TIPS: 270-691-7306, SPORTS: 270-691-7314 REPORT AN ERROR: 270-691-7292 B4 Classi D4-6 B5 D4 Dear B4 B4 B2 C6 RULE the POOL Catholic swimmers win combined team title in city-county meet C1 INSIDE edition of the Messenger-Inquirer includes a Business section instead of the Community section normally a part of the Wednesday edition. Community will be in expanded edition of the Messenger-Inquirer, which will also include three additional feature sections. News Editor: 270-691-7317 Business WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2019Messenger-Inquirer WA I Democrats and the White House announced a deal on a modified North American trade pact, handing President Donald Trump a major Capitol Hill win Tuesday on the same day that impeachment charg- es were announced against him. Both sides hailed the deal as a win for American workers.

They said the revamped U.S.- Mexico-Canada Agreement was a significant improvement over the original Nor th American Free Trade Agreement, with Democrats crowing about winning stronger provisions on enforcing the agree- ment while Republicans said it will help keep the economy humming along. Democrats, White House forge new North American trade deal BY ANDREW TAYLOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A trade group representing Christmas tree growers made headlines this month by noting that tree production is down in 2019. The proximate cause of the slump, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, trac- es back to the Great Recession, when farmers cut back on plantings amid sluggish sales. But the industry as a whole is facing a much bigger challenge. According to the Census of Agriculture, Christmas tree production fell nearly from 2017 to 2002, the earliest year for which data is available.

National surveys point to the reason: Each year, fewer Americans are putting up trees during the holidays. And those who do are increas- ingly choosing artificial ones. Aging baby boomers are driving much of this Boomers have outgrown real Christmas trees BY CHRISTOPHER INGRAHAM THE WASHINGTON POST hen Brian Benoit opened Shaka Tattoo, 727 W. Parrish in October, he wanted homelike wanted a warm, welcoming he said. like to make sure my clients are greeted when they walk in.

I offer them The waiting room has a couch and chair. a Christmas tree in the corner. The paintings on the walls were donated by local artists. And Benoit has a room in the shop where local artists can come to work at no charge. He works in what used to be the office when this was a office.

like the he said. can do tattoos here and still greet people when they come For those who want more privacy, there are private rooms in the back. On this day, Benoit is working on a tattoo on Ashley upper arm. is like therapy for she said as he worked. very half of my clients are Benoit said.

say around An internet search finds several sites that suggests that numbers are part of a national trend. The sites agree that men have more tattoos than women. But in recent years, more women than men have been getting tattoos. Shaka Tattoo takes its name from the Shaka hand gesture, where the hand is held in a loose fist with the thumb and pinky finger extended. means cool, good Benoit said.

The sign originated with Hawaiian surfers. Since he was born in Honolulu, Benoit wanted a name that expressed his Hawaiian roots, he said. His family moved from Hawaii to Riverside, California, and then on to Owensboro more than 20 years ago. moved here because crime was so bad in Benoit said. brother worked at Texas Gas Before starting his own business, Benoit served in the U.S.

Army with the 101st Airborne, was an underwater welder and worked in other tattoo parlors. give a discount to all he said. Benoit said he got his first tattoo when he was 18. older sister did he said. members of my family are artists.

been drawing since I was 5 or Benoit said, give people a lot of He said, seen people covered from head to toe with tattoos. But I recommend face tattoos or other tattoos you cover up unless going to stay in the tattoo industry. I get my knuckle tattoos until I decided to stay in the Ipsos, a data collection agency, reported this fall that of Americans have at least one tattoo up from in 2012. It said those who have tattoos have an average of four each. Benoit said he does a lot of memorial tattoos.

copying a signature from a greeting card as a tattoo, things like he said. keep negative vibes After two months in business, Benoit said. starting to get a lot of clients and we do walk-ins daily. A lot of shops do He said, are at least nine tattoo shops in town. met quite a few of the other artists.

trying to build a community of tattoo artists. It should be about brotherhood, not competition. In big cities, tattoo shops are next to each Shaka hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301, Shaka Tattoo offers BY KEITH LAWRENCE MESSENGER-INQUIRER Associated Press Andrew Harnik House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of accompanied by House Congress mem- bers, speaks at a news conference Tuesday to discuss the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade agreement on Capitol Hill in Washington. of clients are women Photos by Alan Warren, Messenger-Inquirer Brian Benoit works on a palm tree tattoo on the upper arm of Ashley Williams of Evansville on Tuesday afternoon at Shaka Tattoo at 727 West Parrish Ave. Brian Benoit in his tattoo parlor, Shaka Tattoo, at 727 West Parrish Ave. SEE D2 SEE D2 MI D1 Correction Tony Ringham, with Parks and Recreation Department, was misidenti ed in a photo caption on Page A1 Sunday. When Towne Square Mall Realty Holding LLC bought Towne Square Mall for $5.15 million this week, it put the 41-year-old shopping center in local hands for the first time since 1987.

On March 1, 1978, the mall saw an estimated 5,000 people lining up on opening day to see what was then western Ken- largest mall. It was a desti- nation. And Ed Ray, chief operating of ficer for Gulf- stream, thinks it can be again. a which is part of the ownership group, will manage the mall. Ray said, love to see a mix of medical, senior activities, athletics, retail and restaurants.

But nothing is off the A residential component, as some malls have added in recent years, is on our he said. Ray said he expect any major announcement about plans until sometime next year. looking at ever y- he said. want to SEE A2 Ray says mall can again be desti ation BY KEITH LAWRENCE MESSENGER-INQUIRER Property sold Monday for Ed Ray After eight straight air shows, the city announced Tuesday that it will take a one- year break from the annual riv- erfront event. Tim Ross, public events director, said programming is re-evaluated ever year with significant input by the Owensboro City Commission members.

talking with the City i i decided they wanted to tr something dif- ferent in Ross said. Commissioners Pam Smith-Wright, Larr Conder, Jef Sanford and Larr Maglinger were all in agreement about postponing the air show in favor of looking at other options. Possibil i ies being dis- cussed for 2020 are bringing back hydro- plane racing to the Ohio River, celebrating the relighting of the Glover H. Cary Bridge and adding Saturday night downtown events throughout the sum- mertime. Maglinger said he was the one who proposed the hydro- plane idea as another way to attract a large crowd similar to the one drawn by the air show, which took place in September over three days this year.

ith a larger number of entries and shorter times between races, Maglinger said powerboat racing has improved since leaving Owens- riverfront in 1979. river is just fantastic for boat racing; we used to do it, and dif ferent Maglinger said. 40-some boats now, and with the old ones, you only had SEE A2 City to take break from air show BY DON WILKINS MESSENGER-INQUIRER Hydroplanes discussed as replacement during one-year hiatus Tim Ross FRANKFORT Delivering on a cam- paign promise to teachers who helped elect him, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear used his first day in of fice Tues ay to overhaul the state school board. In his inaugural address outside the state Capitol, the new Democratic gov- ernor proclaimed his support for public education and expanding health care cov- erage.

He also pledged to protect pub- lic pensions, emphasizing the issues that helped him oust Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. But the crowd that braved the bitter cold gave im a rousing ovatio whe Beshear announced that he had wield- ed his executive authority on day one to disband and then re-create the Kentucky Board of Education. Beshear, who had expressed concerns about the previous nity for charter schools, said he appointed new embers committed to public ducation. me rs were not chosen based on any rtis liation, but based on their commitmen to make our hools better, to put our children Beshear said.

handpicked replacements SEE A2 DAY ONE BUSY FOR BESHEAR BY BRUCE SCHREINER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS New governor rganizes at board of education Associated Press Timothy D. Easley Kentucky Chief Justice John Minton right, congratulates Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear after giving him the oath of ce on the steps of the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort. succeed when we focus, right her in Kentucky, on making life better for our people instead of allowing national divisions to distract us from the work at Gov. Andy Beshe WASHINGTON House Dem- ocrats announced two articles of impeachment against President Don- ald Trump on Tuesday, declaring he the with his actions toward Ukraine as they pushed toward historic proceedings that are certain to help ne his presidency and shape the 2020 election. The specific charges aimed at removing the 45th president of the U.S.: Abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, anked by the chairmen of impeachment inqui- ry committees at the U.S. Capit said they were upholding their sol- emn oath to defend the Constitution. Trump responded angrily on Twitter: Voting is expected in a matter of days by the Judiciary Committee, which begins deliberations Wednes- day, and by Christmas in the full House. The charg if approved, would then be sent to the Senate, SEE A2 Democrats unveil impeachment charges BY LISA MASCARO AND MARY CLARE JALONICK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Associated Press Andrew Harnik Rep. Adam Schi chairman of the House Intelli- gence Committee, right, speaks wi from left, Rep.

Jerrold Nadler, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. x- ine Waters, second from right, Tues ay on Capitol Hill in Washington. INSIDE Takeaways from the impeachment charges are on Page A2. MI A1.