RiverValley Behavioral Health is proud to be your employer of choice, offering a welcoming environment where you can grow and make a meaningful impact on the health and wellness of our communities.
RiverValley is a state-designated Community Mental Health Center, serving Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, Ohio, McLean, Union and Webster counties in Kentucky since 1967. We offer a full range of mental health services and supports, in addition to substance use treatment, and specialized care for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
We provide a supportive, friendly environment with opportunities for growth, along with competitive compensation, great benefits, paid vacation, and more.
We offer:
l Tuition Reimbursement
l In-House CEU Trainings
l Benefits (Medical, Vision, etc.)
l State Sponsored Pension
l Paid Vacation, Sick Days, Holidays
l On-site Employee Fitness Center
l Employment Referral Bonuses
l Professional Development
What Sets Us Apart
At RiverValley, we offer flexible scheduling and a family-friendly, inclusive environment.
We prioritize professional growth and lifelong learning, offering tuition reimbursement and continuing education opportunities. We value your input, welcoming innovation and new ideas.
The Road to Henderson, Kentucky
Henderson, Kentucky, basks in a rich personality all its own. Since the 18th century, the seat of Henderson County has made its mark as a destination for quality food, music, and the Great Outdoors. Just last year, the city earned accolades as one of Southern Living magazine’s “Top 20 Friendliest Towns in the South.”
Get a taste of locally sourced food and some of Kentucky’s best barbecue while savoring a variety of flavors from Southern fare to Mexican and Asian cuisine. Partake in regional staples like bourbon and whiskey, and don’t miss locally brewed craft beer and coffee.
Be entertained by the many renowned annual music events –– the long-running W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival is one of the largest free music festivals in the nation –– celebrating rock, bluegrass, blues, jazz, and country. Regional musicians take center stage each June along picturesque Main Street during Henderson’s annual PorchFest.
Marvel at Western Kentucky’s rugged nature by hiking or birdwatching at John James Audubon State Park and learn more about its namesake naturalist. Stroll along the Ohio Riverfront and visit one of five parks along its shores, plus many more throughout the city. Find charm in Downtown Henderson’s locally owned small businesses and along its historic streets and neighborhoods.
Whatever your tastes, there’s an opportunity to find something new in Henderson.
NORTH MAIN STREET NEAR DOWNTOWN
HOMER’S BARBECUE
Going For Growth
County is enjoying an economic development boom
BY CHUCK STINNETT
The past five years have seen extraordinary success in Henderson’s economic development. Since 2021, the local economic development agency reports the creation of 842 jobs, $612 million in capital investments, and personal visits to 187 existing industries to assess their needs and growth prospects. Much success can be tied to the recruitment of the 360-employee, $500-million Pratt Paper recycling and corrugated box complex on the south side of the city, which Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in 2021 called “the largest jobs announcement, we believe, in Western Kentucky in 25 years.”
In June, Tyson Foods also announced plans to expand and modernize its 30-year-old facility in Robards, Kentucky with a nearly $23.5 million investment aimed at supporting retention of more than 1,100 jobs.
A key to Henderson County’s future could be the Sandy Lee Watkins Industrial Site in the 4 Star Industrial Park off Interstate 69 near Robards. The tract, across the road from a large Columbia Sportswear distribution center, “has been there for 25 years” without buildout, Henderson Economic Development Executive Director Missy Vanderpool says. “When we have site visits (from consultants or prospective industries), we ask, ‘What do you see? What’s wrong?’”
That’s critical to understand, she explains, because in early stages, economic development “is about site elimination, not selection.” The tract’s natural rolling terrain would have taken eight months to grade, which repeatedly caused the site to be eliminated from consideration. Now, with the help of a state infrastructure fund, a $1.4-million, 1-million-square-foot building pad — expandable up to 1.4 million square feet — has been engineered and graded there and is the largest Build Ready-certified site in the state. An adjacent 150,000-squarefoot pad sits onsite.
The Watkins Industrial Site is designated as a Bronze Certified CSX Select Site and sits within a 30-minute drive of a workforce of 329,000 people. It enjoys trucking proximity to the Henderson County Riverport — which could be crucial for a company requiring steel shipments — and has immediate access to five megawatts of electrical capacity, which would be sufficient for a distribution center or to power construction of a manufacturing plant while power supplier Kenergy constructs a substation to provide additional power.
HED promotes the Sandy Lee Watkins Industrial Site for logistics (sitting within a day’s drive to two-thirds of the U.S. population as well as having rail service), metalworking companies (with access to aluminum from nearby Century Aluminum, Hydro Aluminum, and Audubon Metals), and automotive suppliers. “It’s the best thing we have going for us,” Vanderpool says.
PRATT PAPER
HENDERSON COUNTY RIVERPORT FACILITIES
AUDUBON METALS
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Outdoor Oasis
Parks and wildlife areas offer freedom to relax and explore
BY DONNA B. STINNETT
If you’re looking for a place to melt away life’s stresses, Henderson has plenty of possibilities filed under “nature.”
JOHN JAMES AUDUBON STATE PARK
How about some soothing birdsong? Audubon State Park has a 6-mile trail system, and its 1,300 acres is flush with bird life, especially in migration season when you might see something unusual. An easy hike is the accessible Island Loop Trail at Audubon Wetlands over a slough. You can get a look at a bald eagle’s nest and a heron rookery. The longest is the 1.6-mile Back Country Trail along Wilderness Lake. The park’s nature center helps you learn about birds (and other critters) in the forest. It also hosts Ohio Valley Birding Festival events in late spring.
MUNICIPAL PARKS
There’s no better place for a sunset than the west-facing riverfront at any time of the year. Henderson has five parks along the Ohio River – Atkinson, Audubon Mill, Hays, Red Banks, and Sunset – creating a 2.5-mile uninterrupted stretch of the great outdoors available to everyone. There’s a paved walking path stretching the length. Along the way are playgrounds, places for picnicking, and an open field for flying a kite or simply stretching out on the grass to read a book. For a more rustic walk, the trailhead for the 3.1-mile Canoe Creek Nature Trail is in Newman Park Freedom Park, adjacent to Henderson Farmers Market at the Henderson County Fairgrounds, offers a playground and a walking trail that loops the grounds. Sandy Lee Watkins Park, in eastern Henderson County, includes a playground, picnic shelters, a paved 3-mile walking trail encompassing a trio of repurposed truss highway bridges, and four fishing lakes (one with a boat ramp and kayak/canoe launch).
SLOUGHS WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA/ GREEN RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Sloughs Wildlife Management Area is a mecca for hunters, birdwatchers, canoeists, and kayakers. Its 10,000 acres include wetlands, woodlands, ridges, open fields, and observation platforms. For the intrepid kayaker or canoeist, Jenny Hole Slough is beautiful in mid-summer when pink, yellow and white lily pads make a blanket of blooms amid the cypress trees.
Located near the confluence of the Green and Ohio rivers, Green River National Wildlife Refuge was launched in 2019 as the second NWR in Kentucky. The long-term conservation project supports migrating waterfowl, songbirds, fish, and other wildlife. Acreage is gradually being added.
DID YOU KNOW?
Canine friends need green spaces, too, and a new fenced-in dog spot in Red Banks Park provides off-leash romping. It has a “memorial wall” where pet owners can leave a tribute to a departed furry friend.
The Audubon Sculpture Walking Tour in Downtown features 16 cast-bronze sculptures by artist Raymond Graf that are based on paintings by naturalist and ornithologist John James Audubon. A fun activity on the tour: Find the sculptor’s extra touch of a tiny “hidden creature.”
AUDUBON STATE PARK
AUDUBON SCULPTURE WALKING TOUR CENTRAL PARK FOUNTAIN
Shop Local
Find a treasure hunt among Downtown stores
BY EVANSVILLE LIVING STAFF
Whether you’re hunting for one-of-a-kind gifts, browsing for home decor, or adding new flair to your wardrobe, Downtown Henderson retailers deliver a shopping experience that is distinctively local and delightfully walkable.
Start your adventure with a specialty espresso blend at Roast Coffee Bar, then wander over to First Street, where boutiques and specialty shops dot the landscape. J’Petals is a favorite for floral arrangements and gifts, offering everything from seasonal blooms to handcrafted candles and accessories. For fashion-forward finds, stop in at The Olive Leaf, where contemporary women’s clothing meets small-town hospitality. Nearby, leaf through the upscale consignment treasures among the racks of women’s apparel at Just Plus/Just Chic. For items that are stylish and comfortable — including some that scream Kentucky or Henderson County — check out LandyLane Boutique’s selection of women’s wear, housewares, seasonal clothes, and fun buys for kids.
One of Downtown’s newer shops, Hattie James Bridal takes a personal, fun approach to styling brides: Dresses are crafted, not produced, and decor is light-hearted, not heavy. Wilkerson Shoes, a specialty store in the heart of Henderson, offers styles and sizes for the whole family. Falcon Creek Boutique specializes in children’s items and offers a lengthy list of name brands, plus a selection of apparel and gifts for all ages.
Beachbum Farms – “one of Henderson’s favorite downtown shops,” according to the city’s Tourism Commission – has creative, rustic decor, boutique clothing and accessories, gifts, and much more. True to its name, Radiant Sun Boutique wants you to feel exactly that way while wearing its trendy, affordable apparel; owners say they strive to promote body positivity through fashion. Elite Downtown brings a unique look and eclectic feel to Henderson, offering women’s apparel, accessories, and graphic tees in brands that aren’t otherwise found locally.
Simple, affordable, and memorable – those are the three goals of Olive + Mae Boutique, which stocks apparel for the entire family, plus accessories, school spirit wear and even dip mixes, snacks, and gourmet sauces and spices. Whims & Wishes is a home base for paint parties and in-studio classes, as well as holiday season items, handwritten signs, and customizable home decor. Thirsty? Walk up the block to Antler Specialty Goods for custom drinks — including seasonal lattes with syrups made in-house from real ingredients — as well as quick, fresh lunch specials.
OLIVE LEAF
HATTIE JAMES
Art lovers should visit Gallery 101 inside the Tourism Commission’s welcome center, where regional creatives display and sell their work, from vibrant paintings to handmade pottery. It’s a great place to view rotating exhibitions and discover a meaningful souvenir with Kentucky roots.
WHIMS & WISHES
J’PETALS
To Your Health
Medical and wellness resources keep area residents in the hands of expert practitioners
BY DONNA B. STINNETT
When you see an ambulance moving on the highway with sirens blaring, or when a friend calls with fears about a health diagnosis, rest assured that Henderson is equipped to provide care.
Opened in 1946 and known as Community Methodist Hospital until being acquired by Deaconess Health System in 2020, Deaconess Henderson Hospital offers 151 staffed beds for short-term acute care located on North Elm Street beside Atkinson Park. The hospital’s May 2025 profile in the American Hospital Directory reported that it had 4,952 annual admissions and 19,609 total patient days. (In the health care industry, a “patient day” measures time during which the services are being used by a patient.) Clinical services include emergency room, cardiac rehab, sleep studies, electroencephalography, chemotherapy, joint replacement, hemodialysis, obstetrics, radiology, mammography, physical therapy, intensive care units, robotic surgery, and wound care.
Deaconess Henderson was ranked No. 2 among 61 acute care hospitals in Kentucky on the 2024-25 Lown Institute Hospitals Index for its social responsibility, value of care, clinical outcomes, pay equity, and costs efficiency. It also received “A” grades in health equity, patient outcomes and inclusivity. The hospital provides leadership for Healthy Henderson coalition, whose members represent organizations with a stake in community health. The coalition meets the first Monday of the month to work on three priority health needs identified in a Community Health Needs Assessment: mental health, substance abuse, and obesity/diabetes.
A Daviess County-based health system extended its network into Henderson County in early 2018. The Owensboro Health Henderson Healthplex outpatient facility offers walkin laboratory services, an urgent care center and expertise in primary care, family medicine, sports medicine, orthopedics, podiatry, cardiology, diabetes education, nutrition counseling, behavioral health, mammography/radiology/imaging, obstetrics and gynecology, occupational medicine, and bone loss and osteoporosis.
The overall Owensboro Health system has more than 350 health care providers in 30 locations across Daviess, Henderson, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Ohio, McLean, Grayson, and Logan counties in Western Kentucky and Spencer County in Southwestern Indiana. On average each year, the system has 19,000
inpatient admissions, delivers 2,000 babies, provides the region’s only Level III neonatal intensive care unit, performs 33,000 surgical procedures (including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries), and manages 90,000 emergency room visits and 1.25 million outpatient visits, according to the Owensboro Health website.
Indiana-based Ascension Medical Group also operates a primary care facility at 151 Garden Mile Road.
Another major provider is RiverValley Behavioral Services, which has offered mental and behavioral health services to Henderson and six surrounding counties since 1967. In addition to substance use and mental health treatment, RiverValley specializes in care for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities to adults, children, and adolescents, as well as support for their families and caretakers.
Henderson County Health Center at 472 Klutey Park Plaza serves the local office of the Owensboro, Kentucky-based Green River District Health Department and oversees epidemiology and preparedness programs in the community. The health department also handles tobacco prevention programs, diabetes prevention and control, nutrition health education, breastfeeding education, outreach to at-risk teens, restaurant inspections, and more.
In June, RiverValley Behavioral Health, Owensboro Health, and the Green River District Health Department announced the formation of the Green River Regional Mental Health Collaborative. In monthly meetings, the group will assess community needs, spot service gaps, and align efforts to ensure mental health resources are accessible.
DEACONESS HEALTH SYSTEM
OWENSBORO HEALTH HENDERSON HEALTHPLEX
A Savory Tradition
Barbecuing’s roots in Henderson go back to the 19th century
BY CHUCK STINNETT
Barbecuing is an old tradition in Henderson. At least as far back as the 1850s, notices for barbecue events were being advertised in newspapers here. Today, four restaurants carry on the legacy of barbecuing sumptuous pork, ribs, chicken, beef brisket, and more.
Founded 65 years ago, Thomason’s Barbecue (originally Willett’s) at 701 Atkinson St. is the granddaddy of Henderson ’cue joints, and it has earned national fame, from being featured years ago on Jane and Michael Stern’s Road Food website to being named the No. 2 barbecue spot in Kentucky by Southern Living in 2024.
Its sweet, meaty barbecue beans are a local favorite; Thomason’s sells 37,000 pounds of beans per year. Kevin Gibson in 2023 took over ownership of Thomason’s from his father, Frank, who ran it for three decades.
While Kevin describes Thomason’s as “a hole in the wall,” he has national aspirations. In late May, he announced plans to convert a garage on the property into a USDAapproved kitchen, ramp up production of Thomason’s beloved barbecue beans, and distribute them nationally, both via its website and in stores.
And while he continues to produce the restaurant’s original barbecue dip, he has expanded its offering of sauces, adding a sweet variety and a bourbon barbecue option. Now, he’s working to co-brand a barbecue sauce with Silk Velvet, an old Henderson bourbon brand resurrected this year by the Hargis family, with plans to sell it online, in stores, and packaged with Silk Velvet bourbon itself.
Meanwhile, Taylor’s Grill on Wheels got its start with a barbecue trailer in 2017, moving in 2020 into a storefront at 130 N. Water St. that Carl Taylor, who has been barbecuing for 35 years, and his wife, Maai, run. Among its many favorites is a barbecue-topped loaded baked potato that tips the scales at three pounds.
Josh Bennett taught himself to barbecue when he bought a smoker about five years ago. At first, he’d just smoke a Boston butt or loaves of bologna at home on Sundays to share or sell. That proved so popular that in early 2021, he opened ChefWhat BBQ & More at 422 Seventh St. Bennett says his smoked mac-n-cheese with pulled pork is a customer favorite.
Henderson restaurateur Casey Todd opened Homer’s Barbecue at 128 Second St. in late 2021 as a tribute to his
EAT WELL
The Henderson Tourist Commission helps market the city’s barbecue spots through the West Kentucky BBQ Belt’s website, and it’s producing results: Executive Director Abby Dixon says that since launching in May 2024, the website has been visited 320,000 times. Read more about Henderson’s barbecue joints on the Belt at wkybbq.com.
to age 82.
THOMASON’S BARBECUE
TAYLOR’S GRILL ON WHEELS
HOMER’S BARBECUE
CHEFWHAT BBQ & MORE
great-grandfather, Homer Ward, who cooked barbecue commercially up
It always has special items on the menu and is the only barbecue place in town with a bar.
Mark Your Calendar
Attending these signature events should be part of your to-do list
BY DONNA B. STINNETT
Picking out a favorite event from Henderson’s annual events calendar can be difficult because there are so many to choose from, but something for everyone. Here are some standouts.
SONGS OF SUMMER
With at least one music festival in every month May-August (and most of them free), it’s easy to see why the Henderson Tourist Commission markets them together as the “Rootin’ Tootin’ Songs of Summer.”
The downbeat happens in mid-May with SummerFest, an evening of rock music on an outdoor stage with an Ohio River backdrop. It’s on the doorstep of nine Downtown restaurants and includes a beer garden.
The first Saturday evening of June, front porches on South Main become mini-stages for PorchFest musicians. Music fans can stake out a favorite front lawn to set up their chairs or wander up and down the street to visit all. Food trucks are parked nearby for when listening to tunes works up a hunger.
PorchFest quickly is followed in June by the long-running W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival, whose main stage in Audubon Mill Park on the Ohio River offers four days of artists performing various blues sub-genres. Restaurants and watering holes host their own live music for lunch breaks and happy hours. A popular Zydeco Night Food Tent serves food reminiscent of the bayou and helps fund the free festival.
In July, songwriters take the spotlight at the four-night Sandy Lee Watkins Songwriters Festival. Song authors from Nashville, Tennessee, perform in the round, playing their songs — often hits by big-name artists — and tell stories about them. This festival requires a ticket.
In August, the two-day Bluegrass in the Park Folklife Festival features bands playing both traditional and progressive bluegrass music in Audubon Mill Park.
LIONS CLUB FESTIVALS
To bust folks out of winter, in April the Breakfast Lions Club hosts Tri-Fest, a street festival with food booths, entertainment, fireworks, a 5K race, and more over three days.
Each October, the City Lions host the Arts & Crafts Festival at John James Audubon State Park with more than 100 vendors selling fall decor and holiday gifts.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Alice P. Taylor Christmas Candlelight Service, a community-wide ecumenical program of sacred music that rotates between Downtown churches, marks its centennial in 2025.
For Memorial Day, an army of volunteers installs more than 6,000 white crosses in Central Park (all of them decorated with floral tributes) to honor the community’s deceased veterans. Festivals celebrating diversity include Juneteenth and Pride in the summer and the colorful Día de los Muertos in the fall.
Are you a baseball fan? In June and July, the Henderson Flash play at Park Field in Atkinson Park against other teams in the Ohio Valley collegiate wooden bat league.
The Garden Club hosts a popular Candlelight Home Tour in the holiday season.
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WE’RE
At Field & Main Bank, we believe in strengthening bonds with the leaders shaping our community’s future and investing in the place that made us who we are.
We extend civic and economic resources where they’re needed most. Our passion for community drives every decision we make – from supporting local organizations to championing initiatives that build healthy, vibrant, and collaborative neighborhoods.
Community isn’t just our business; it’s our heart. Through volunteer and sponsorship partnerships with W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival, Boys & Girls Club of Henderson, Elevate, and other impactful organizations, we are reinforcing our mission to strengthen relationships, support local businesses, and give back to the community that has so generously given to us. Here, community comes first. That’s MODERN CRAFT BANKING. Visit FIELDANDMAIN.COM to learn more about our community-first banking experience. (888)
