Volume 2, Issue 2
Owensboro’s only locally owned daily news.
Daviess County, Kentucky
SECOND QUARTER 2026
Free Publication
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Owensboro Food Truck of the Year competition returns July 9-11
Descendants of First Lieutenant George Calhoon, a Revolutionary War veteran, gather near his gravesite in Daviess County to honor his service and legacy. | Photo by Jamie Plain
Owensboro’s Revolutionary War roots live on through four local veterans By JOHN KIRKPATRICK Their names still surface in pension files, old newspapers, county histories, and family records. And as the nation prepares to mark 250 years since the Declaration of Independence in 2026, their lives raise a timely question: Who among their descendants may still be here, carrying pieces of those stories forward? For Jean Owen, that connection is personal. “He’s my fifth great-grandfather,” Owen said of George Calhoon. According to his pension application filed in Daviess County in
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As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, four men buried in and around Owensboro offer a direct link to the nation’s founding and to the earliest days of this community. George Calhoon, William Smeathers, Benjamin Field, and Thomas Moseley all served during the Revolutionary War, according to pension records, local histories, and family research. Long before Owensboro became a city, all four men helped shape life on the Kentucky frontier. Their graves remain in local soil.
1832, Calhoon was born Feb. 1, 1754, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and entered service in 1776 as a third lieutenant in the Pennsylvania militia. He said he joined what was known as the “flying camp,” a mobile defensive force, serving under Capt. John McHatton. In his sworn statement, Calhoon described marching to Fort Lee in New Jersey and Fort Washington in New York during the early stages of the war. He told the court he witnessed the fall of Fort Washington from across Continued on page 4
After a year off, the Owensboro Food Truck of the Year competition is rolling back into town. Voting returns July 9-11 and coincides with the 30th anniversary season of Friday After 5, giving the community a chance to sample and support multiple local trucks in one place. The event, hosted by Owensboro Times, first launched in 2023, when J’s Good Grub claimed the inaugural title. Sunny Daze Cruisin’ Café won in 2024, and the contest paused in 2025 as OT merged with Tanner Publishing into Black Box Media. Now, the competition returns with renewed focus on highlighting Owensboro’s growing and diverse food truck scene. From burgers and chicken tenders to barbecue, Italian, Filipino, and Mediterranean cuisine, food trucks continue to expand their presence across the city. Regular stops include dedicated locations such as Street Eats and Treats on Parrish Avenue and The Lot on Fourth Street, along with rotating appearances at gas stations, schools, factories, and community events. Leading up to and during voting, Owensboro Times’ Forks Up coverage will spotlight featured trucks, musttry menu items, and where to find them. (You can follow the Forks Up Facebook page for all the tasty details.) Food Truck of the year voting will take place exclusively on owensborotimes.com, with the community deciding which truck earns the 2026 title. Support your favorite, cast your vote, and help crown this year’s winner. So, what’s for dinner?
Get a closer look at the candidates running in the 2026 Election. See page 17
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