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Tag: Ohio River

  • Augusta Showcases Bourbon Craft and Small-Town History 

    A view of downtown Augusta, Kentucky, population 1,101, according to the latest United States Census data.
    Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

    AUGUSTA, KY. — The town of Augusta is a riverside enclave along the Ohio River known for its scenic charm, deep bourbon ties, and Hollywood legacy.

    The Benchmark Coffee is a newer downtown café. From there, Augusta Tourism Director Janet Hunt led a walking tour of the town’s historic core and waterfront, which once played a significant role in river trade and settlement in Bracken County. Augusta, with a population of just over 1,000, was founded in 1786 and incorporated in 1850.  

    “You might argue with your buddy one day, but by the next, you’re friends again. If anything happened in your family, the town came together,” Hunt said, describing Augusta’s welcoming spirit.

    Mid-morning, the group headed to Augusta Distillery for the “River Proof Barrel Experience.” Founded in 2018, Augusta Distillery evolved from independent bottling into full-scale distilling, and today emphasizes small-batch bourbon and an immersive guest experience. Under the guidance of Tracie Inskeep, visitors sampled from three barrels, “popping the bung,” pouring with a thief, and hand-labeling a bottle to take home. The distillery touts its position on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and highlights the Ohio River’s influence in shaping Kentucky’s bourbon industry. 

    USS Nightmare (above) is a massive steamboat turned haunted attraction docked on the Ohio River.
    Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

    Over lunch at TableTop Traditions, guests fueled up before the afternoon visit to the Rosemary Clooney House. Clooney, the beloved singer and actress, as well as aunt to actor George Clooney, lived at 106 East Riverside Drive in Augusta for more than 20 years, making the home a treasured museum of her life and career. The museum’s collections include memorabilia from White Christmas and other performances and personal artifacts that reflect Clooney’s long ties to the region. After Clooney’s death in 2002, the home was purchased by Augusta native Heather French Henry and her husband, former Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, and was opened as a museum in 2005.

    Augusta also offered a look toward its future. Nicole and Kenny Gahn, weekend residents of the town, purchased a vintage 1917 Ford dealership building with intentions to convert it into a classic car museum. Nicole Gahn explained the move came from a wish to deepen their roots in Augusta. “We’ve had a weekend place here for 14 years, and when this building became available, we thought, why not bring the cars here and open a little museum?” Gahn said.

    A look inside the Augusta Motor Museum. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

    Later in the afternoon, the tour continued north to Newport.  The evening ended across the river in Covington with dinner at Pompilio’s, a local Italian restaurant established in 1933 and best known as a filming location for Rain Man (1988). Afterward, attendees braved the USS Nightmare, a massive steamboat turned haunted attraction docked on the Ohio River, where winding corridors and ghostly theatrics lived up to its ominous name.

    With three days complete, the Kentucky media tour had already traced a broad arc of the state’s identity: exotic animals and bourbon fireside tales in Lawrenceburg, haunted opera houses and small-batch whiskey in Cynthiana, and now Augusta’s blend of river heritage, Hollywood nostalgia, and ghostly thrills along the riverbed. From small towns to storied distilleries, Kentucky revealed itself as a place where its love of horror,  history, and imagination meet.

    Noah Washington

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  • US judge slams chemical company for dumping dangerous substances into drinking water source for millions of Americans: ‘This case is simple’

    In a huge win for public health and the environment, a U.S. District Judge has ordered Chemours Chemical Company to immediately suspend the discharge of dangerous “forever chemicals” into the Ohio River from its facility near Parkersburg, West Virginia.

    The Ohio River supplies drinking water to approximately five million Americans, making this ruling a critical protection for communities. Judge Joseph R. Goodwin issued the order and the opinion, ruling that the discharge was far exceeding legal limits.

    “This case is simple and all too familiar,” Judge Goodwin said in his opinion. “Those pollutants endanger the environment, aquatic life and human health. Today, that unlawful, unpermitted discharge stops.”

    According to West Virginia Watch, Chemours “strongly disagree[d]” with the ruling and plans to appeal, citing how long it would take for the company to become compliant.

    “[Chemours’] permit is not a suggestion…its permit protects public health and environmental life while balancing the needs of manufacturing,” Judge Goodwin continued. “I cannot weigh the scales of that balance to inflict further harm on the communities that rely on clean water for life and livelihood.

    These “forever chemicals,” otherwise known as PFAS, pose serious threats to human health and ecosystems. They are extremely persistent and resist breaking down, accumulating in the environment, wildlife, and human bodies. Health risks associated with PFAS exposure are well documented: they include various cancers, immune system suppression, liver and kidney damage, reproductive issues, developmental delays in children, and more.

    “This is a victory for public health and the Ohio River,” said Autumn Crowe, deputy director of West Virginia Rivers Coalition. “The court recognized what communities have known for years: Chemours has been polluting our water and ignoring its legal obligations.”

    This court ruling brings a much-needed sense of relief amid an often overwhelming run of pessimistic headlines about climate and environmental health. It demonstrates that legal environmental protections work, especially when people band together to hold polluters accountable and defend our drinking water and ecosystems.

    This decision sets an encouraging precedent for stricter enforcement of our environmental protections. “The Clean Water Act protects the public, and I will enforce it,” Judge Goodwin wrote.

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