By Henry S. Ackerman
The Associated Press
MAYSVILLE - This historic river town received a $2 million addition Thursday as the Ledger Independent newspaper dedicated a new production and editorial office just footsteps from where flatboats disembarked Kentucky's settlers.
"You build a newspaper each and every day," said publisher Bob Hendrickson of the 9,000-circulation daily newspaper distributed in five counties in Kentucky and Ohio.
Maysville Mayor David Cartmell, a former distributor of the newspaper in his youth, told a crowd of 150 members of the community and an 80-person Mason County High School choir: "I love this business, its people and its traditions."
The Ledger Independent's two-story building is at the Kentucky end of the bridge linking Maysville with Aberdeen, Ohio.
It's positioned next to a flood wall and is only blocks from the building where the paper thrived for decades in the historic quarter of the town.
"It was the city's incentive package that made this possible," said Michael Phelps, vice president of Lee Enterprises Inc., owner of the Ledger Independent and 43 other dailies in 19 states.
Phelps said the city provided a total of $500,000 in incentives.
That met with Lee's desire to keep the newspaper downtown rather than moving to a nearby industrial zone.
ELECTION 2004
Minor parties, major ambition
Edwards attacks Bush's record on economy, Iraq
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KENTUCKY HEADLINES
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Kentucky obituaries
EDUCATION
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NEIGHBORS
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ENQUIRER COLUMNS
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Gordon Brisker, musician and master teacher
BIG WEEKEND
City embraces jam-packed Fusion
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Wanna party? Sports, music, Oktoberfest await
• Best places to eat
• What's new downtown, on riverfront
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• Downtown event map (PDF)
• More Big Weekend coverage
