By Vice-President/General Manager Debbie Bush
I don't know about you, but for me, it's a pleasure to talk about "good news" these days. And, today, I have two things to talk about!
Berry Plastics has announced it will invest about $150 million in the next seven years and create more than 360 new production jobs right here in Evansville. In addition, Berry will house about 250 corporate jobs at the new headquarters.
Evansville has an 8.8% unemployment rate, about a percentage lower than the state of Indiana (9.9%). No doubt, this announcement will help even more.
On the same day, in Owensboro, city and county leaders broke ground on the community's riverfront project. It's the first step in the revamping of the downtown area.
Just like Evansville, Owensboro is working hard to revitalize its downtown and make it a destination for residents and visitors.
This $36 million project will stabilize the riverwall and will be funded by the federal government and will not involve tax dollars. About 60 construction jobs will be created.
After listening to the mayors of Evansville and Owensboro, it's not hard to think about a positive future. I know we're all hoping the stimulus packages will work and we'll start hearing more and more of these positive announcements.
To respond to this editorial, send an e-mail or call 812-253-0107. You can send a letter to me at: Debbie Bush, WFIE-TV, and P.O. Box 1414, Evansville, IN 47701.
