Volume 1, Issue 4
Owensboro’s only locally owned daily news.
Daviess County, Kentucky
FOURTH QUARTER 2025
Free Publication
Get daily news, sports, and features online. Visit OwensboroTimes.com, download our app, follow our social media, and subscribe to our email newsletter.
The L cal List
See the full map and list on pages 26 & 27 Radar, a homeless individual who said he's resided in the wooded area known as Tent City for 8 years, stands in front of his shelter. | Photo by Ryan Richardson.
‘Open the book.’ Tent City community asks to be seen as people, not judged By JOHN KIRKPATRICK
Yet in interviews, they repeated the same plea: Don’t judge the book by its cover. Open the book and read. A narrow footpath cuts through scrub trees to the clearing they call Tent City. A shallow creek marks a boundary that residents said they use to determine where tents can go. Cleared paths run between campsites. Evidence of resourcefulness is everywhere — salvaged pallets for
*****ECRWSS EDDM Residential Customer Local
“I just wish people would give us a chance,” Radar said, tugging at the corner of his tent. At Tent City along the Ohio River, individuals who are homeless said the public sees their tents but not their stories — ones of personal loss, stalled recovery, and the daily work of survival. They know how Owensboro talks about them. They’ve heard the rumors about addiction, crime, and outsiders.
platforms, tarps stitched into vestibules, makeshift racks for drying clothes after a rain. On a bright fall afternoon, one person tightened the guy lines on a sagging shelter. Two men cast fishing lines into the river. A woman knelt with thread and stones, turning bits of river rock into handmade jewelry. A few people slept. Others talked in the open, dogs curled at their feet. The scenes were ordi-
nary and human — and that was the point, they said. They know the public debate about homelessness is loud and constant, with strong opinions about root causes and quick fixes. They also know that life there is more complicated than a slogan. Many said they do not want to be here. Many also said they have not found a Continued on page 16
Holiday Open Houses There’s nothing quite like stepping into a local shop decked out for the season. Warm lights in the windows, fresh greenery on the shelves, and a familiar face behind the counter. In this edition of "The Local List," our guide highlights some of the holiday open houses across our community, where small businesses are opening their doors with extended hours, seasonal specials, and festive experiences you won’t find online. Use the map to plan your stops, support local makers and merchants, and make a tradition of shopping where holiday spirit still comes with a handshake and a smile.
PRESRT STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID GREENFIELD, IN PERMIT NO.220