Census Bureau says Owensboro losing population
In the races for mayor and city commissioner this year, here’s something that needs to be discussed.
After years of slow population growth, Owensboro has apparently started losing people.
A recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau says that our population has dropped 0.2% since 2020 — from 60,234 to 60,140.
• Green River Distilling picked up two medals at the Ascot Awards — American Spirits Council of Tasters — recently.
Its Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon picked up a platinum award.
And its Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey took a gold award.
• National Barbecue Day was May 16.
And the website Holiday Calendar created a report on “The Most Favorite Food To Grill in the U.S.”
It says that in Kentucky, chicken tops the list.
It’s followed by corn, steak, ribs and potatoes in that order.
• German American Bank ranks 19th of 200 banks on the Forbes America’s Best Banks list this year.
And it picked up a No. 15 ranking in the Raymond James Community Bankers Cup awards.
• On Jan. 24, 2023, the Burger King restaurant at 1738 Triplett St. was destroyed in an early morning fire that began in the ceiling of the kitchen.
The lot was empty for more than a year,
But in February, work began on a new 3,305-square-foot Burger King on that site at a cost of $1.4 million.
It reopened this week.
• The calendar may still say it’s May.
But the city issued permits this week for four fireworks stands.
• Target says it’s dropping the prices on 5,000 common items including milk, meat, bread, soda, fresh fruit and vegetables, snacks, yogurt, peanut butter, coffee, diapers, paper towels, pet food and more.
The company said it has already lowered prices of about 1,500 items and will continue to do so throughout the summer.
• Back in 2015, The Federal Reserve said that “full employment” would be reached when unemployment fell to between 5.2% and 5%.
But we’ve seen rates below that in recent years
A new state report says that in April Daviess County had a 4.3% rate, down from 5.1% in March, but up from 3.9% a year ago.
Hancock was at 4.6% in April, compared with 5.4% in March and 4.4% a year earlier.
In McLean, the rate was 5.1% in April, 5.8% in March and 3.8% in April 2023.
Muhlenberg had a rate of 6.5% in April, 7.4% in March and 5.3% a year earlier.
And Ohio saw a rate of 6.1% last month, 7% the month before and 5.3% in April 2023.
Unemployment rates rose in 118 counties of Kentucky’s 120 counties between April 2023 and April 2024, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics.
Keith Lawrence, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com
