WEHT/WTVW union again rallies on the Henderson riverfront
Employees of WEHT/WTVW ABC 25 Saturday held a rally at the Henderson riverfront for the third time since in the past few months to show support for the recognition of their union and for union employees they say were unfairly laid off and fired.
Brody Shaffer, one of seven at the station who’ve been laid off or fired, told the Hendersonian that officials at Nexstar Media Group, or Irving, Texas, the local broadcaster’s parent company, haven’t made any concessions but are aware of the union’s desires and “We know they’re feeling pressure.”
WEHT/WTVW ABC 25 employees held a vote last September when a large majority voted to unionize. Shaffer said the National Labor Relations Board certified the election in January. He added that Nexstar still has not recognized the union.
At Saturday’s rally, members of other unions joined the crowd of about 40 people. Also at the rally was Tri-County Council of Labor President Kevin Walton who told the crowd that unions are important because “We lift people up.”
He said recent policy in the nation and state aims “to beat down the working man.” He also said the NLRB has been weakened by recent policy.
Shaffer said the WEHT/WTVW employees a part of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians, the Broadcasting and Cable Television Workers Sector of the Communications Workers of America, or the NABET-CWA, will join in the Labor Day Association’s 139th annual parade in Boonville, Ind., on Sept. 1.
Henderson native, restaurateur Reitz names new favorite dive bar
Once, he gave Metzger’s Tavern an unlikely splash of brief national fame.
Now, Henderson native Brooks Reitz has done something similar for a tavern on the other side of the river.
Reitz years ago gained acclaim himself, first as a mixologist and restaurant manager, then as founder of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. and now as creator of four restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina, that have been honored repeatedly by Bon Appetit magazine.
In 2011, Reitz offered up Metzger’s Tavern for a list of 10 “Great Dive Bars Across America” in the HuffingtonPost.com, citing it as one of those places that “feel loved, worn, weathered and not at all fabricated.”
Now, he has suggested The Darmstadt Inn across the river for a list of “The Best 50 Dive Bars in America” for the online men’s shop huckberry.com.
“My favorite dive bar is The Darmstadt on the outskirts of Evansville, near where I was born and raised,” Reitz told Huckberry. “It’s a very old-school, simple, straightforward place—one of many German-leaning taverns in the region. It sports thin, wood-paneled walls lined with taxidermy and ice-cold beer served in frozen mugs.
“The food is Midwest tavern fare, hearty and calorie-rich like their fried chicken. It’s a place that is delightfully trend-free, and it seems as though little has changed in the last 50 or 60 years. Just the way I like my dive bars, trapped in time.”
HPD investigates animal cruelty complaint
Henderson Police Department officers were dispatched to HPD officers were dispatched to the area of U.S. 60 and Pebble Creek Drive for an animal cruelty complaint on the morning of August 6 after a 911 caller said they’d seen someone throw kittens from a van.
According to an HPD release, officers recovered two deceased kittens at the scene.
The suspect was not located.
Police say they are investigating this as an animal cruelty case.
Potential witnesses would have been around U.S. 60 and Pebble Creek to Barret Boulevard between 9:25am and 9:35am.
The caller said the van was a gray or silver Honda Odyssey in decent condition. The van was last seen traveling west on U.S. 60 headed towards Barret Boulevard, said the release.
In addition to eyewitnesses, HPD is seeking video from that area that would show westbound traffic during the listed time frame.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact HPD.
Airline Road bridge opened Wednesday evening
The Airline Road overpass bridge at U.S. 41 opened Wednesday evening after crews had worked on it since late April.
As part of the I-69 Ohio River Crossing work, crews replaced the superstructure, which includes the beams and bridge deck, while also upgrading the barrier and guardrail.
It was a goal to finish the work before the start of school on Thursday.
KY 351/2nd Street
Crews have also prioritized progress at KY 351/Second Street for the start of the school year. Construction barrels are coming down, and KY 351 is expected to be open to two lanes of traffic during the morning and afternoon hours to facilitate school drop off and dismissal, according to a release from I-69 ORX.
Single lane restrictions will continue at KY 351/Second Street during non-peak hours through late October to complete work on the Henderson gateway signage and other punch list items at the reconfigured interchange, said the release.
