Owensboro has officially named its fleet of snowplows, with names that celebrate the city’s unique landmarks, businesses, and community spirit. The naming competition, hosted by Owensboro Times in partnership with the City of Owensboro, prioritized creativity rooted in local pride, aiming to steer clear of names used by other cities or those that felt artificial. This contest also highlighted the hard work of the City’s Public Works Department.
John Kirkpatrick, Assistant Editor at Owensboro Times, shared the inspiration behind the contest.
“We really appreciate the hard work the road crews have to put in, especially when we get the type of weather we had a couple of weeks ago with all the snow and ice,” he said. “We thought about the snow plow naming competition just as a way to bring a little fun to the community while also giving thanks to the street dept.
A judging panel, composed of representatives from Owensboro Times, the City of Owensboro, and Public Works, reviewed hundreds of submissions. Kirkpatrick explained that while many entries were humorous, the panel focused on choosing names that were uniquely Owensboro-themed, avoiding names used in other cities or generated by artificial intelligence.
“With Owensboro Times being dedicated to local news, and with the City of Owensboro as our partner, we wanted to choose names that were uniquely Owensboro-themed — ones that reflect our local landmarks, beloved businesses, and iconic names from our community,” he said.
City Manager Nate Pagan echoed the sentiment, expressing his support for the contest.
“I thought it’d be a fun and effective way to engage the community and bring some attention to the good work done by our Public Works Department, which unfortunately often doesn’t get the recognition that it deserves,” he said “I thought that the naming contest was a timely way to acknowledge their their efforts.”
Owensboro Times claimed the honor of naming one plow “Snowensboro Times,” but the community contributed five additional winners:
- Old Slickory
- Brr-goo
- The Big Drifter
- Winter Whip
- Edward Blizzard Hands (This name is technically used by another city, but it’s Johnny Depp-themed and you wanted it, so we let it slide.)
The winning names will soon be displayed on decals placed on the snowplows.
As the snowplows hit the streets this winter, residents can take pride in knowing they contributed a touch of humor and local pride to the vehicles working to keep Owensboro safe and accessible.
“Imagine driving past a snowplow clearing your street and proudly declaring, ‘I named that!’” Kirkpatrick said.
The City of Owensboro and Owensboro Times thank everyone who participated and look forward to seeing these cleverly named plows in action during future winter storms.
