I'm Barbara Rogers with Don Wilkins, executive editor of the Owensboro Messenger Enquirer.

And Don, like so many communities across the Commonwealth.

The data center discussion is happening there in Owensboro, Davis County.

Tell us more about that.

So, back in early May, one of our reporters, was at a it was a budget meeting with the city, and the mayor just throws out about this data center is the first mention of a data center.

And, of course, you know that.

Call our reporters attention.

And when we started asking questions about it, you know, the mayor said that they were the city was just exploring it.

And and when we put that story out there, there was tons of backlash from the community.

And then, of course, the city started to kind of, you know, backtrack a little bit.

And there was some differences between what our city manager was saying and the mayor was saying.

And then to come to find out, oh, you our our public utility here has its land option to accompany, part of its portfolio, which that didn't come out until after after we pushed out, 1 or 2 stories about this.

So there is some transparency issues going on because nobody volunteered that information until it came out a later as well.

Of course, they say that that's not a data center that that land is option for.

It's more for a power plant as well.

What is that power plant going to power?

Nobody wants to answer that question.

Or they'll say, I don't know what that is.

It's about 100 acres you're talking about there.

And then also there's some private adjoining land that's actually owned by, State Senator Gary Boswell.

And so he's actually signed a non-disclosure agreement, with that land.

So there's a lot of still unanswered questions about that, that nobody seems to want to to, to talk about.

And they've all sort of, run for the hills, I guess, whenever, because they had large crowds showing up at their city, board meetings and, and there's a lot of, you know, public concern here now about just mention of a data center.

So still a lot of questions that sounds like there.

Are you all anticipating any upcoming meetings with your city council with further discussion on the project?

The Davis County Fiscal core, they actually passed a moratorium against data centers.

Now, that's not to say the city couldn't come back and override that.

They could.

But that is a kind of a block there that where the city would have to come in and put it in their own ordinance and say, we're going to allow this.

If a company got serious.

You know who knows?

But the mayor has gone on record to say now that while he's in office, there will be no data centers here in Davis County, or at least within the city limits.

Let's get into local politics there, because we're still just a few weeks out from the May primary.

But what's interesting is you say the Democratic Party is fielding some candidates and some of your local races.

There were in the past the Republicans have run unopposed.

Yeah.

In the past.

Election cycles are Republican candidates.

All the incumbents have gone unopposed.

But this time around, the judge executive race, in particular, Charlie Carson, the incumbent Republican incumbent, will be facing Rob Cagle, the Democrat.

He's a local retired farmer here.

Rod is well-known in the community as a farmer, a long time tobacco farmer.

The Republican primary was pretty contentious, between the two Republican candidates.

But the Democrats, for a while have not killed any candidates.

But this year they have.

We also have Democratic candidates in the state Senate race.

Vicky Quisenberry, the Democratic challenger who has challenged Gary Boswell, the Republican, in in the, the House, we have challenger, Rhonda Lynn Randolph, the Democrat.

She was the president of the local NAACP chapter for a long time.

And then she's facing DJ Johnson, the Republican incumbent.

And then you have Lori Campbell, who's challenging Suzanne Mouse, who has been the state representative here in the seventh district since 2014.

And, I can't remember the last time she's been challenged.

So those are the three really biggest races.

You know that we have our four, four biggest races that we have that are actually being challenged, you know, here in Davis County.

Anyway.

So we will see how that all shakes out in November, about five months to go.

Really?

Used to be a Democratic stronghold, but in recent years it has gone over to the Republicans.

And so they have the numbers right now, but it's pretty still neck and neck.

But there was a time there would never you would never have thought that that that would have ever happened.

But but here in recent years that that has changed as far as voter registry here in Davis County.

And let's talk about affordable housing.

We know this is another issue in a lot of our communities.

People have a hard time finding an affordable place to live.

And there's a big project that's breaking ground there in Owensboro, Davis County, to help get some stable housing for some families.

Groups called the Greater Hillsboro Housing Collaborative, you have the city involvement to help our hospital system.

A lot of other local agencies collaborating together on this, because we have a lot of community and affordable housing issue.

And Jeremy Stephens, who's with out of an area, he was the former director of habitat here.

And so he is very familiar with affordable housing.

And so Otterbein area is another partner in this.

And he's part of that discussion as well.

And so the habitat for humanity is part of the building of this.

And so that's going to be saving money in building these houses a lot cheaper than what you would otherwise.

And the hospital, Jonesboro Health has donated $835,000 and land essentially for this project.

They're going to be building them kind of over time, but they'll go up, you know, pretty fast, you know, because they get a lot of volunteers.

Habitat does.

And of course, the homeowners themselves pitch in.

And then let's talk bluegrass music.

The Rum Music Festival is coming up here toward the end of June, and we know you all are the heart of bluegrass there in Owensboro and Western Kentucky.

Are you anticipating some really big crowds for this festival?

Yeah, I mean, you're talking usually upwards of 20,000 people or more.

You know, this is June 24th, through the 27th.

And, you know, you'll start seeing, people from other states start, pouring in here Tuesday or Wednesday of that week.

The main festival is still starts on on Thursday and runs through Saturday.

You got some heavy hitters here on the lineup.

You've got Marty Stuart, Ricky Skaggs, Dan Minsky band.

Another band called.

I'm with her as a as a headliner.

The punch Brothers.

So a lot of heavy hitters.

The Smithsonian gave grants as part of the 250th anniversary of America.

And so that has allowed Rob to bring in even more bands.

So, you know, that's going to be a great time in Owensboro here the last weekend of June.

It's great to see you, Don Wilkins, executive editor of the Owensboro Messenger Enquirer.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you, Laura.

And that, Rob Festival is going to be fantastic.