The coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed 28 lives in Daviess County, has forced the cancelation of another major event.
The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce said Thursday, "Due to the rising COVID-19 case numbers in our community and commonwealth, Red, White and Blue will not be held in person on Thursday, Oct. 29. Stay tuned for more information as we retool this resource."
The event was to have featured speakers running for state and local offices presenting their case to voters on the courthouse lawn.
Candance Castlen Brake, chamber president, said, "We are still working on options."
Thursday's announcement said, "Reminding our community of the importance of voting is a key component of our advocacy efforts and we are committed to continuing to provide resources for our local voters."
The Green River District Health Department reported 20 new cases of COVID-19 in the county on Thursday.
That brings the total since March to 1,820.
Of that, 1,612 have recovered.
Brake had said earlier that all candidates who will appear on ballots in Daviess County have been invited to speak.
That included candidates for the Owensboro City Commission, mayor, district judge, the Kentucky House of Representative seats in Districts 11, 12 and 13; the 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and a U.S. Senate seat.
Last month she said that chairs on the lawn would be placed six feet apart and people would be required to wear masks.
But with the rising number of new cases in the region, even that wasn't enough.
Red, White and Blue has a long history.
It began in 1958, when the late Thomas “Red” Saltsman started a free picnic behind his restaurant in Sorgho -- Red’s Place: The Fish House of the South-- as a way of thanking his customers.
Soon, politicians began dropping by to work the crowd and the numbers grew.
By the late 1980s, virtually everyone running for local or state office made an appearance.
But Saltsman died in December 2006 at age 78.
For a while, it looked like the picnic would die with him.
But in August 2006, the chamber, the local Democratic and Republican parties and O’Bryan’s Bar & Grill in West Louisville hosted the newly renamed “Red, White & Blue Picnic” with a free barbecued chicken dinner and political speaking at O’Bryan’s in West Louisville.
It moved to Reid’s Orchard near Thruston in 2010.
But the event wasn’t attracting the crowds the chamber wanted, so in 2014, it moved to the courthouse lawn.
It was to be sponsored by Big Rivers Electric Corp. this year.
October 23, 2020 at 05:45PM
https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/local/live-red-white-and-blue-canceled/article_7393ce10-1527-11eb-b937-370d94951792.html
Live Red, White and Blue canceled | Local News - messenger-inquirer
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