Visitors to the Vicksburg Riverfront might’ve noticed a new addition to the Levee Street landscape in the last week: a freestanding Kooler Ice machine.

Owned by local developers Daryl Hollingsworth and Amber Morton, the machine has a capacity of 100 bags of ice, sold in 10-pound bags for $2 each. It also dispenses filtered water for 35 cents for 1 gallon, or $1.75 for 5 gallons.

“There are so many boats up and down the river, and we thought it made sense to put it there,” Hollingsworth said. “Eventually, we want to put a bait shop down there and call it Cricket’s.”

Kim Hopkins, Executive Director for the Vicksburg Main Street program, praised the addition of the ice machine and said it will benefit more than just fishermen passing through.

“It’s a brilliant idea. And it looks very nice,” Hopkins said. “I think they did a great job and I think everyone around town will really enjoy it.”

Hollingsworth added that, while he and Morton opted to test the waters with a smaller 100-bag unit, there is a future possibility that they will upgrade to a larger machine, if there is enough demand.