Monday, Kurtz Auction & Realty Co. sold the 1,005.5-acre John "Diddle" and Wanda Meserve Lanham estate at auction.

It included 19 tracts northeast of Knottsville and one nearby tract in southern Hancock County.

When the bidding stopped, the property had sold for $6.89 million or $6,856 per acre.

The auction drew about 300 people with 175 registered to bid.

The bidders came from Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.

* The Owensboro Convention Center has won another honor.

It recently picked up one of ConventionSouth's annual Reader's Choice Awards.

Jeff Esposito, general manager, said, "This recognition reflects our team's dedication to providing outstanding service and a top-quality experience for all our clients and guests. Being recognized by meeting professionals and peers in the industry is a testament to our commitment to making the Owensboro Convention Center a premier destination for events."

* Speaking of awards, Holiday World's Happy Halloween Weekends has been recognized by USA TODAY's 10 Best list as the sixth best Halloween event in the country.

* Texas Roadhouse reported an 8.5% increase in same-store sales at company-owned restaurants in the third quarter with more than 5% growth.

* TGI Fridays' left Owensboro in 2020 as soon as the pandemic hit.

It's still closing restaurants today.

CNN reported that the chain closed 49 restaurants in the past week.

There were 164 restaurants open this week compared with 213 that were open last week.

Abrupt closures have been reported in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Florida, Missouri and California.

* American consumers have more faith in the economy now

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index rose to 108.7 in October, up from 99.2 in September.

It was the biggest monthly increase since March 2021 and the highest level of confidence since January.