Good morning, Owensboro.

Glenn Family Services has released the 2025 Tree of Memories featuring over 2,000 names of lost loved ones, with the full list available online and via a printed brochure at Glenn Funeral Home (900 Old Hartford Road) for the next week.

Families can also share a digital ornament that displays a loved one’s name on social media.

1885 Cocktail Bar begins its soft opening today at 2601 West Parrish Avenue, serving a small menu for friends and family and planning a public debut on Jan.

1 where reservations are encouraged. The lounge offers handcrafted drinks and local ingredients and is open Thursday through Monday from 3-11 p.m.

Champion Ford released its annual Christmas commercial on Christmas Day that features real community members in a heartfelt story about family and home.

The ad, produced with Tanner+West, continues a tradition capturing the dealership’s core values for the season.

Owensboro businesses are urged to review finances, update payroll, assess credit, secure systems, and set clear goals before next year, Comerica advises in a checklist (covering five key steps).

These measures will help ease the transition and prepare operations for January.

Owensboro Racing & Gaming plans to expand in '26 after a landmark 2025, according to senior director Ronda Vanata (marketing operations).

The company will launch new services and boost fan engagement locally.

Joseph Survant, an Owensboro native and former Kentucky poet laureate from 2002-04, built a lasting teaching career at WKU and enriched local literature before retiring in 2007.

He will soon publish his new collection (Stone: New and Selected Poems from Asia) through Accents Press.

The Western Kentucky Botanical Garden is drawing more visitors from nearby towns, tourists, and convention groups in 2025, according to executive director Laurna Strehl.

The garden’s growing appeal shows it is quickly becoming a popular local spot.

Stacker’s Zillow-based list shows 13 Owensboro metro cities with rising home prices — Owensboro increased by 3.1% to $201,409 while Philpot tops the list at $257,919, with the report comparing one- and five-year trends.