Howdy, if it is one city or county in Kentucky, it is another about adding something to their river banks for barge use creation. In Hancock county in Kentucky, there is to be a Coal Gasification plan to be built along the Ohio River....I don't even know what all that means.....but, there is about a One Billion dollar bond the Hancock county has secured and has a receiver called ICON Construction to get about $950 million. It is expected to deal with different barge brought materials and do something with it. I'll telling you that our Ohio River region is hotter than a potato from the Oven. Area after area is thinking how to do things as this area is opening up to move product from one area to another by barge.
The City of Evansville is trying to secure Federal dollars, after spending $50,000 to do a study on how companies and shippers can benefit from the existence of a port in Evansville. Our city is looking into "container-on-barge" for shipping goods along the river. The Henderson County Riverport Authority states it took them a very long time to find their niche in the market and some Evansville folks want to find a niche for river barge traffic. Henderson County Port Authority is learly stating it is like building two regional airports in the same area. Maritime in Mt.Vernon, In, is not using their full capability either. Henderson has 185 acres of unused land to still have if needed to develop any other needs.
This is just my opinion. Hope they keep the land. With continued announcements the past several months of different companies in Indiana and Kentucky adding to the river banks, I believe this can be a hot market for barge traffic again......like back in the early 1900's.....probably not, but another hot market as the larger ports are over loaded. When Tell City, Indiana, gets up and rolling---WATCH out!! this area will be a hot bed for jobs and barges. Heck, we may have to have a Barge Races Festival with banjo music, BBQ, and some cool refreshment.
Our monthly Evansville Business Journal Magazine, May 2008, is full of area articles on what folks are doing along the river for new projects. It is published by our newspaper, Evansville Courier and Press and is $2.95. It is a good read. Hey, three years ago a lot of our folks couldn't spell the word 'R-I-V-E-R'. I'm not joking. The Ohio River region stood up in southern Indiana and western Kentucky and showed Evansville, Indiana that the Ohio River can and should be used as it was a major part of our American History in the late 1800's and the early 1900's. The first study for Evansville, Indiana is out later this year with another study for a port and then THREE years before Evansville folks will do anything. Yep, a world leader in progress....well, not in this point. We are in other things.
So, there are those of us that will keep plowing the little boy minds....it is only about 4 or 5 men that just don't get it.....and the rest of us keep plowing that the Ohio River is a great asset. It is an asset that many cities would love to have. But, in reality, Katrina, is what loosened up things for this part of the country in river traffic. Hate to state that, but it is true. Things shifted up and our area is cashing in on it. It is our heritage to be fair, it waned, and now, it is creeping back. I keep at it for river boats here and a yacht....but, to be fair, I have to purchase the boats to get most of that here. In our area, it is show me and then I may get it. May. For river boats, it is the public that loves them, it is the 4 or 5 guys that just don't get it. And, most of them are along the river, that is the kicker. I'll keep in there......the public loves river boats. Mary
