The Western Kentucky Botanical Garden will host its first beer garden from 5 to 8 p.m. on Oct.23.
Those attending need to be 21 or older.
Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non-members.
The Garden is partnering with Brew Bridge Owensboro and Owensboro Racing & Gaming for the event.
Laurna Strehl, the Garden’s executive director, said, “Guests will enjoy a unique after-hours experience, complete with horse and carriage rides, live music, a cash bar, a food truck and a caricature artist.”
She said music will be provided by The Lowland Ramblers, “a dynamic group blending bluegrass traditions with modern sounds. Their music is described as raw, relatable, and deeply rooted in Kentucky’s rich musical heritage.”
Strehl said, “The caricature artist is Owensboro artist Petra Mulligan. She is a multi-talented artist and is lending her skills to us for the night. Petra now lives in Owensboro, following a series of jobs in the arts industry, including painting animatronics for theme parks, providing special effects and fabrication for independent horror films, and album art and poster design for numerous musicians.”
She said Mulligan participated in the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce’s initiative to paint signal boxes along Second Street downtown.
Strehl said, “The Brew Bridge will offer Blinkers Lager, the American Light Lager they make for Owensboro Racing and Gaming, their own Oktoberfest Lager, PB&J sour and our Yellow Banks IPA. In addition, fast-track signups for Owensboro Racing & Gaming will be available during the evening.”
She said food will be from Owensboro Gaming Catering and Primal Craft Dogz, “known for their 100% all-beef, quarter-pound gourmet hot dogs with a variety of creative toppings.”
The city of Owensboro and a variety of local organizations will launch an initiative next week to encourage people to walk more and to gather and socialize while walking.
The Walk Owensboro program is a partnership between the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, Owensboro Health, the Green River District Health Department, the Greater Owensboro Leadership Institute, RiverValley Behavioral Health and the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce.
“We know that walking is the best exercise out there, and we have wonderful trails in our park system,” said Kerry Bodenheimer, recreation superintendent for the Parks and Recreation Department.
Walking, Bodenheimer said, “is very easy for everybody to engage in.”
According to the American Heart Association, walking for exercise can lower the risk of conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. The organization says walking also benefits the brain and helps with sleep and mood.
Bodenheimer said Walk Owensboro is based on a similar initiative in Philadelphia. Walkers will be encouraged to form groups that will be listed on the city’s website so new members can join.
She said the groups will provide strength in numbers for walkers who otherwise would be reluctant to walk alone, while also building connections with other people.
“It’s a great way to build the social side as well as the physical side,” Bodenheimer said.
“If I just moved to town, or I’m an older individual and don’t feel comfortable walking alone, I can walk with a group,” she said.
Later, Bodenheimer added, “I think everybody learned during the COVID lockdown how important social interactions are.”
The groups will kick off the initiative on Tuesday with a 4 p.m. event at Moreland Park. The event will give people a chance to learn more about Walk Owensboro and begin registering walking groups to be listed on the city’s website. The event will also include food, giveaways, children’s activities, a session on stretching for walking, a scavenger hunt and a walk around the Moreland Park trail.
The city plans similar events each fall and spring to encourage people to walk and join walking groups. In the winter, groups can continue walking at various indoor locations such as the Dugan Best Recreation Center, the Owensboro Family YMCA, the Owensboro Health Healthpark and some churches, Bodenheimer said.
“We have amazing walking paths in all of our parks,” she said, adding that walking is an activity for adults, children and retirees.
Retirement & Financial Strategies was founded by Jerry Goetz as a local family business to provide top-level financial services and advice to clients for multiple generations.
Goetz, CFP®, CFS®, CRPC®, has more than 25 years of experience as a financial advisor and established the business, located at 3402 Frederica Street, in 2018
Jerry’s daughter Emma Goetz, CFP®, and son Evan Goetz, CFP®, work together as a financial advisor team for their clients.
“This allows us to offer what we believe is the highest level of service by combining all of our education and skills,” Goetz said.
As company president, Goetz consults with the advisor team every day.
“This team concept results in every one of our clients having the benefit of three certified financial planner® professionals working on their behalf,” he said.
The firm’s client service employees are also from the Owensboro area.
“Being from this community, we like to give back by being a part of local organizations and supporting our local charities,” Goetz said.
Retirement & Financial Strategies offers investment advice, investment management, retirement planning, and comprehensive financial planning. Goetz said the team begins by sitting down with clients to discuss their situation, values, and goals. They provide advice and investment management on a fee basis, as fiduciaries, rather than on commission — always striving to put clients’ interests ahead of their own.
“If we can help our clients manage their finances and investments in a way that allows them the time, resources, and energy to focus on living a happier, more fulfilling life, we have done our job,” he said.
Learn more at www.retirementandfinancial.com or on Facebook. Retirement & Financial Strategies can be reached at 270-215-2600.
Investment advice offered through Private Advisor Group, a registered investment advisor.
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The Chamber Member of the Week program is a Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce membership benefit. Founded in 1913, the Chamber has worked to provide valuable benefits and services to member businesses and individuals for over a century.
Today, with nearly 1,000 members, the Chamber is a guiding force in community and business development initiatives and serves as the center of business advocacy for the Greater Owensboro region.
To learn more about becoming the Chamber Member of the Week or inquire about Chamber membership, contact Kitty Jones, director of membership, at 270-926-1860 or kjones@owensboro.com.
The H.L. Neblett Community Center has opened a playground for infants and toddlers. Leaders say the playground is designed as a safe and engaging outdoor space designed specifically for the community’s youngest learners and families.
With features such as age-appropriate play structures, soft-surface flooring, and shaded areas, the playground was designed to support early childhood development while ensuring safety and accessibility.
“This new playground is more than just a play space,” said Carltez Hampton, Interim Executive Director of the H.L. Neblett Community Center. “It represents our commitment to providing a nurturing environment where children can thrive from the very beginning of their educational journey. We know that early childhood experiences lay the foundation for lifelong learning, and this playground helps us strengthen that foundation.”
The playground was made possible through the support of IMPACT100. The Public Life Foundation also provided sensory items.
The H.L. Neblett Community Center has been serving Owensboro and surrounding communities for nearly nine decades, offering programs that support children, youth, and families through education, enrichment, and community engagement.
To celebrate the new playground, the Neblett Center hosted a ribbon-cutting earlier this month in coordination with the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce and IMPACT100.
Here’s more evidence of how the City of Owensboro and the Commonwealth of Kentucky are supporting the formation of the Capital Bluegrass and Traditional Music Program at the Owensboro Community and Technical College.
On Friday, the bluegrass program received a $20,000 donation from the Bluegrass Capital Initiative to build a new recording studio for the bluegrass students. This Bluegrass Capital initiative is the effort on the behalf of Owensboro to be recognized as the capital of bluegrass music. They base this effort on the fact that the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum is already located in the city, on top of the Kentucky Guitar Works and luthiery school, located a short distance apart.
The Kentucky legislature authorized $500,000 last year to fund the initiative, from whence this new $20k donation was drawn. The new recording studio is set to be housed in the OCTC Humanities Building to offer professional level recording experiences to students in the bluegrass program.
This generous donation won’t be enough to complete a full studio, and Scott Napier, director of the Capital Bluegrass and Traditional Music Program at the college, says that they are soliciting further contributions for their studio fund, and/or the donation of any studio gear they might be able to use.
Napier says that they have a team of notable bluegrass audio experts helping them with the design of the new studio.
“I’m proud to have award-winning audio engineers on our Capital Bluegrass Studio Advisory Committee, Steve Chandler, Stephen Mougin, and Adam Engelhardt.”
The new funds were presented to the bluegrass program Friday at the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce’s Rooster Booster breakfast. Napier and OCTC President Scott Williams were on hand to accept the check, presented by Steve Johnson with the Bluegrass Music Capital initiative.
A band led by Napier and comprised of Capital Bluegrass program students performed at the breakfast. Wade Papineau was on guitar, Sam Sanford on banjo, Lindsey Wilson on mandolin, and Alex Abend on bass.
More information on the Capital Bluegrass and Traditional Music Program in Owensboro can be found online. Napier asks that anyone interested in contributing to the studio fund would please contact him for more details. His contact info can be found on the program web site.
S-Squared Automotive may be one of Owensboro’s newest auto shops, but owner Steven Staack has been under the hood for more than a decade. After years as a master technician for a Hyundai dealership, Staack decided to trade corporate life for his own venture — a full-service repair and performance shop located at 4006 Vincent Station Drive.
“We’re starting off as a general repair shop, but I’m not really turning away anything right now,” Staack said. “We’ve got two brand-new lifts, tire and AC machines that can handle even the newest systems — a lot of shops don’t have that equipment yet.”
The business opened on July 14 and already offers nearly everything from oil changes and brake jobs to tire replacements and diagnostics.
Staack grew up in Rockport, Indiana, and said his passion for cars began in a high-school automotive class. He later earned an associate degree in automotive and high-performance technology from the University of Northwestern Ohio, a program known for its hands-on training.
That education and dealership experience helped him develop a reputation for tackling complex electrical and diagnostic issues — a skill set that’s guiding the shop’s niche.
“I’m leaning into the import world because Owensboro hasn’t really had a good shop for those,” Staack said. “People have been driving to Louisville, Evansville, or Nashville for work on Mercedes, Audis, or Porsches. With my background and tools, I can handle that stuff right here.”
While he’s confident servicing traditional vehicles, Staack said he’s also certified to work on hybrids and has experience with electric vehicles. Though full EV repairs aren’t yet a major part of his business, he sees that technology as an area of future growth.
S-Squared is currently a three-person operation — Staack, his wife Megan, and technician Michael — but the couple plans to expand gradually. Megan previously worked as a dog groomer for 14 years and now manages the shop’s front desk, scheduling, and parts ordering.
“We wanted to start slow so everyone could get their footing,” Staack said. “One thing that sets us apart is our digital vehicle inspection system. We send customers photos of any issues we find, so nothing’s hidden. They can make an informed decision about what to fix.”
Community connection is another focus. The Staacks sponsor their son’s Owensboro United soccer team and plan to offer a 10-percent discount for hospital employees, police officers, firefighters, and other emergency personnel. The shop also intends to provide a pickup-and-drop-off service for workers at nearby Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.
“We’re literally within walking distance of the hospital,” Staack said. “They can drop off their keys before a shift, and we’ll have their car ready when they’re done.”
S-Squared Automotive offers online appointment booking through ssquaredautomotive.com and maintains active Facebook and Instagram pages for updates and promotions.
The Chamber Member of the Week program is a Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce membership benefit. Founded in 1913, the Chamber has worked to provide valuable benefits and services to member businesses and individuals for over a century.
Today, with nearly 1,000 members, the Chamber is a guiding force in community and business development initiatives and serves as the center of business advocacy for the Greater Owensboro region.
To learn more about becoming the Chamber Member of the Week or inquire about Chamber membership, contact Kitty Jones, director of membership, at 270-926-1860 or kjones@owensboro.com.
After more than five decades in education and community service, Lydie Boone is stepping away from her role at the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, making way for new Executive Assistant Katie Blan.
Boone began teaching in 1973 and spent 28 years as an elementary teacher in Hancock County before retiring in 2001. She later joined Owensboro Public Schools as a classified staff member, working as a library aide and attendance clerk until 2017. That year, Boone accepted a part-time position with the Chamber, where she became a familiar face to members and visitors.
“I like to be in the know, and I like being around people,” Boone said. “There is always something exciting happening at the Chamber, and I love what they have done for the community.”
Boone said she was inspired to apply for the position after running into Chamber President and CEO Candance Castlen Brake at a football game. She said Brake and the Chamber team gave her a sense of purpose in retirement.
“I have so many new friends — the people at the Chamber and the people who are members,” Boone said. “Candance has been a great leader. She inspires people with new ideas all the time.”
As she looks ahead, Boone said it’s simply time to slow down. She plans to spend more time with her husband, granddaughter, and extended family while also traveling back to her hometown of Pittsburgh.
Stepping into her role is Blan, a Lewisport native who has spent the past month training alongside Boone.
“It’s an honor,” Blan said. “I can really feel Lydie’s presence and how she has influenced not only our organization but the community. She has been the best mentor I could ever ask for.”
Blan is a graduate of Hancock County High School and the University of Kentucky, where she earned degrees in Environmental Sustainability and Geography. She is pursuing a Master of Public Administration at Eastern Kentucky University.
She said her passion for community development drew her to the Chamber, noting that Brake’s leadership made a lasting impression when they first met during a previous internship.
“I am honored to be given the opportunity to serve the Chamber membership,” Blan said. “Being born and raised in Lewisport, I’ve grown up coming to Owensboro and have made incredible connections. As someone who is passionate about community development and sustainability, I am thrilled to join a team centered around similar values.”
Brake said Blan’s arrival comes at the right time as Boone begins her retirement.
“Our team is so excited to welcome Katie to the Chamber staff,” Brake said. “She brings a breadth of experience in administrative support and community development, and she has the work ethic and innovative spirit that our work requires.”
The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce celebrated National Manufacturing Month on Thursday during its October Rooster Booster breakfast, spotlighting the industry’s local impact and hosting Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Secretary Jeff Noel as keynote speaker.
The event, sponsored by Owensboro Community and Technical College, was held at the Owensboro Convention Center. A special “Made in Owensboro: The Heart of Manufacturing” showcase highlighted local manufacturers before and after the breakfast program.
“Greater Owensboro’s commercial and economic history has been linked to manufacturing from the beginning. Our regional manufacturers produce goods for customers and consumers nationally and globally,” said Candance Castlen Brake, president and CEO of the Chamber. “The men and women of our community make goods that impact our world. That is reason to celebrate.”
Brake also credited OCTC for preparing the next generation of workers.
“Owensboro Community and Technical College is at the table with our premier employers making sure that the existing and future workforce continue to have the skills to grow business right here,” she said.
Noel, who has led the Cabinet since 2022, shared personal connections to Owensboro and praised the community’s hospitality, customer service, and vision. He recalled summers spent working in the region and friendships that helped shape his early career.
“You don’t find these kinds of opportunities, these kinds of people, these kinds of just friendly folks that want you to enjoy your stay in the community that they love,” Noel said.
He told attendees that manufacturing workers and small business owners are “the true heroes in the community,” noting their role in creating jobs and building stronger neighborhoods.
“It’s time we as a country — and as a community — spend more time talking about the heroes in our communities,” Noel said. “That’s different here in Owensboro. You sense it, you feel it. That’s why you’re growing. That’s why you’re on a roll.”
Noel also urged Kentucky to remain competitive in the automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors, including electric vehicle and battery production. He said maintaining that position is crucial to the state’s economic future.
“Winning is an attitude,” Noel said. “As long as you win with integrity, you’re making life better for all Kentuckians in the home, and not just a few.”
He pointed to recent state investments, workforce development initiatives, and Owensboro’s strong site development as proof that Kentucky is poised to continue its growth.
“The proof of success in this community is in this room today,” Noel said. “What you do matters, how you do it is amazing, and the results speak for themselves.”
Owensboro Community & Technical College’s Capital Bluegrass and Traditional Music Program received a major boost Thursday with a $20,000 contribution to help build a state-of-the-art recording studio on campus.
The funds were presented during a check ceremony at the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce’s Rooster Booster breakfast, marking another step in the broader Bluegrass Music Capital initiative backed by state leaders and private donors.
OCTC President Scott Williams said the studio will give students hands-on experience while further cementing Owensboro’s role in the future of bluegrass.
“Because of these individuals and many others in our community, we will soon provide our students and the next generation of bluegrass music industry professionals with a state-of-the-art rehearsal studio where they can learn, grow, and hone their craft,” Williams said.
Williams credited local funders Mike Simpson and Matt Hayden, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, and Kentucky’s legislative delegation for championing the initiative through House Bill 1 in the 2024 General Assembly. He noted that House Caucus Chair Rep. Suzanne Miles led the charge to secure the $500,000 state allocation for the Bluegrass Music Capital initiative, with support from Sen. Gary Boswell, Rep. D.J. Johnson, and Rep. Scott Lewis.
Steve Johnson, who helps lead the Bluegrass Music Capital initiative, said the funding represents one of several projects designed to build the infrastructure needed to support Owensboro’s reputation as the “bluegrass capital of the world.”
“It obviously doesn’t cover the cost of the entire project, but it does demonstrate support from the Bluegrass Music Initiative to what they’re doing at OCTC,” Johnson said. “If we’re going to say we’re the bluegrass music capital of the world, you better be able to back that up.”
The $20,000 allocation is part of the larger $500,000 commitment supporting projects from public art to new music programs.
Scott Napier, director of the Capital Bluegrass and Traditional Music Program, said the new studio will be housed in OCTC’s Humanities Building. It will provide students with professional-level recording experiences while doubling as a community resource.
“Students can come through our program and leave with a free album, because they record for free during their classwork and get credit for it,” Napier said. “It creates that professional experience for the students while they’re here, with something tangible they can use.”
Napier said the program has already grown to include two student bands that regularly perform at community events. He hopes the new studio will be completed as early as next summer.
“Owensboro is the perfect place for this program,” Napier said. “The International Bluegrass Music Association started right here, and we have the Hall of Fame, ROMP Festival, and so many national acts that come through. I can’t think of a better town in America to have a program like this.”
Local artists and students are invited to submit ideas for Phase II of Amped Up Artistry, a public art initiative to turn traffic signal boxes into canvases that celebrate the community’s identity. Submissions are due on October 24.
The project, first launched in 2024, currently features five artist-designed boxes along 2nd Street. The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals (CYP) began Phase II this summer, with five more boxes slated for installation. Artists of all ages, including school students, are encouraged to submit designs that highlight the culture, history, and character of Greater Owensboro.
“Amped Up Artistry celebrates who we are as a community by using art to tell Owensboro’s story,” said Ashtin Warren, Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce Director of Talent Programs. “We are especially excited to welcome student submissions for Phase II. The talent and creativity of our youth is an important part of the future of our community.”
Submissions may be emailed to cyp@owensboro.com or hand-delivered to the Chamber office at 200 East 3rd Street. Full artist guidelines, including dimensions, are available in the Artist Criteria and Commitment Form.
Phase I designs included themes from bourbon to the Blue Bridge, from Bluegrass music to Kentucky’s natural beauty. CYP Vice-Chair Stephanie Bertram said the project reflects how small contributions can make a lasting impact.
“Amped Up Artistry gives everyone a chance to leave their mark and celebrate what makes Owensboro special to them,” she said.
The project is supported by the City of Owensboro, Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, Owensboro Municipal Utilities, and community sponsors. Sponsorship opportunities remain open for those wishing to support the initiative.
