County Commissioners discuss Lorena Sternwheeler

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Muskingum County Commissioners spent time discussing a popular tourist stop in Zanesville.

Kelly Ashby, Vice President of the Zanesville-Muskingum Chamber of Commerce stopped by County Commissioners to give an update on the Lorena Sternwheeler. Ashby said the primary reason for the visit was to let the county know how things have been this season with the Lorena.

“We were here today to just, everybody get on the same page about where we are, how many rides we’ve had, what the future looks like for the Lorena for the rest of the season,” said Ashby.

She said they also came to ask for additional funding to keep the Lorena running this season. She said they had additional costs this year due to the requirement of a five-year inspection and problems with the engine overheating. Ashby said despite the issues, the Lorena continues to be a big tourist stop for Zanesville.

“We have thousands of passengers that ride the Lorena each and every year and they come from Indiana, West Virginia, Utah, and then lots of places within Ohio as well,” said Ashby.

She said the five-year inspection went very well and despite the boat being down for repairs right now, the Lorena is expected to run for another 25 years.