Would the concrete supports on the bridge, withstand the impact of a barge filled with liquid asphalt? The barge came in broadside and smacked into two of the bridge supports with a crunching impact.
We did our best to describe what you saw and we watched from the studio as the barge lurched upward and water sprayed around the bridge supports.
The bridge stayed solid. The river current pinned the barge against the concrete supports. That night, the current would finally turn the barge on it's side, and some of the cargo would leak into the river. But a major disaster was avoided.
And the runaway barge was another great example of the importance of local news. The cable news networks can give you relentless covereage of what is happening around the world. But they won't give you live coverage of an incident on the Louisville waterfront.
Everyday is a fascinating challenge to present the news quickly and accurately. And sometimes, we get lucky, and it happens right before our eyes. On those occasions, like last week at six o'clock, we all watch together.