Some stuff in the news

I've been under the weather the past few days. Someone gave me the worst cold I've had in years.But there's a blog to write, so let's check out a few Ohio River-related news items.

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Louisville seems to have a problem with its bridges. The Sherman-Minton Bridge is closed until March while some cracks are repaired, and now the Kennedy Bridge also has problems with cracks and such, according to The Courier-Journal. reports that one joint in the roadway even causes flat tires and  bent rims.

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Meanwhile, the 106-year-old Market Street Bridge in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle has re-opened after it was repaired and repainted. And it has a set of lights that's supposed to look pretty good at night. It's another reason I need to get up there someday when money and time are on my side. Lately, it's been more time than money.,

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A lot of folks in the river towing industry don't want media attention. Perhaps they think they don't need it. After all, they don't sell their services to the general public, so way attract attention? It used to be that I could get comments from them when needed, but that slowly changed over the years.

Or it could bed that a lot of media reporters can't get some things right, which much frustrate some folks in th industry. At least I know the difference between a tugboat and a towboat, or between a lock and a dam. And I don't confuse the terms barge, tow and towboat.

But maybe the industry has to make its case known if it wants to see the locks and dams on navigable waterways kept in good repair.

Here, they were interviewed by NPR for a piece on the need for upgrades to the navigation infrastructure.

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Next week -- Dec. 15 -- is the 44th anniversary of the Silver Bridge collapse, and a book is in the works about the event.

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Will the towns along the lower river ever dry out?