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PRESENTS
THE SUNDAY EDITION
COVINGTON, KY * 22 JANUARY 2011
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"FOLLOW" The River City News on Twitter by clicking here.
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THE RACE IS ON...
Two Covington City Commissioners seek a promotion in November. Sherry Carran and Steve Casper have declared their candidacies to be the next Mayor of Covington. So far they are the only ones in the race publicly. The decision by Casper and Carran to run opens up two seats on the City Commission which may prompt more candidates to jump in that race. Carran and Casper both spoke to The River City News. For that story, click the link.
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FIREFIGHTERS UNION RESPONDS TO REMARKS BY MAYORAL CANDIDATES
Both mayoral candidates stated that union negotiations remain at the top of the immediate priority list. Chris Black, President of Covington's firefighters union, Local 38 countered their claims in an interview with The River City News. Commissioner Carran said that the negotiations have brought down morale among staff and the unions. Black disagreed. "I think a lot of the morale problems with city employees is opposite of what she said," Black said. "They don't want to with us. They choose to violate our working agreements. They have not at all tried to extend the olive branch to us, it's been the opposite. We've been in negotiations since November 2010. We gave up all kinds of concessions. There's only so much we can give."
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The crux of the negotiations has been on the cost of health care and what union employees are being asked to contribute to those costs. "We offered two options to get to health care numbers and they turned it down both times," Black said. "If you look at the commissioners, most of them are well-to-do and they don't understand that we got guys that make 35-thousand a year and they want them to pay 700 dollars a month in health care premiums when they can't afford to pay their house payments."
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Typically, unions will endorse and campaign for candidates in Covington races following an interview. It is likely that neither Carran nor Casper can expect that. "No one on City Commission can say they've been a friend of labor unions," Black said. "They voted to violate our working agreement, the same one they agreed upon and signed."
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There is optimism that new Mayor Chuck Scheper will help ease the difficulty that has plagued the negotiations. "I'm going to give the new mayor the benefit of the doubt," Black said. "We're going to sit down with the mayor and discuss some of our issues. I'm not going to put complete blame on the mayor and commissioners because a lot of it has to do with the city manager not relaying information between the two parties, but that has yet to be addressed."
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Black concedes that the economy has been tough. "We are very willing to work with the City but it's tough times for everyone, not just for cities, it's tough for individuals too," Black said.
"I want to get this done just as much as they do. I know I'm not going to get a raise and I'm going to have to give up something to get the contract settled. And not just me but the body of Local 38. They understand that."
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Meanwhile, Local 38 has brought three charges of unfair labor practices against the City before the state labor board._________________________________________________________
THE WEEK THAT WAS...
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ANONYMOUS VIDEOS AIM TO HIGHLIGHT SPENDING BY COVINGTON SCHOOLS
Three videos have been created by an anonymous Covington resident arguing that citizens are paying too much for a failing school district. While the videos offer little in the form of solutions and focus primarily on low test scores and the amount of money spent per child, they have created lengthy discussions at online forums.
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MUG-SHOT ROUND-UP
Who got put away in Kenton Circuit Court last week?
FT. WRIGHT MAYOR MOVES BUSINESS TO COVINGTON
Joe Nienaber's Granite World outgrew its space in Burlington and is now proud to call Covington home. Check out the story and photos at the link.
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CHURCH STREET AS A ONE-WAY DISCUSSED AT HOLY CROSS
The pros and cons of Church Street as a one-way street were addressed at a public forum as the 90-day trial run nears an end.
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FORMERLY VACANT BUILDING NOW 3 BEAUTIFUL APARTMENTS
An awesome renovation project has taken another building off the list of blighted properties. Click the link for photos of this outstanding project.
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NEW SIGNAGE FOR DEVOU TRAILS
The folks working on the Devou Park Trails are very passionate about the project and Covington is better for their efforts. Check out the new signs that they erected over the weekend:
Here's what the organizers have to say:
Thanks to the Devou Bonanza Fund raiser, Rogue Racing 513 and Arts Rental Equipment in Newport, the Lewisburg Trail and the Backcountry trails received some much needed signage. The hope is the signage will help keep the trials super rockn' for decades and millenniums. It was an epic, epic day in the woods. Thanks to all that helped. Pizza was outstanding!!
There are more at the Devou Park Trails Facebook page.
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CONDO AT THE ASCENT HITS THE AUCTION BLOCK
Now's your chance! Look at this video:
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THE WEEK AHEAD:
SCHEPER ADDRESSES BUSINESS COUNCIL
Mayor Chuck Scheper will speak to the Covington Business Council on Tuesday. After a couple months of getting acquainted to his new role as CEO of the Covington, this will be a chance for the City to learn where he hopes to take us.
Covington Business Council
NOTE: I got ahead of myself on the calendar. The State of the City address is not Tuesday. Apologies for the error.
NOTE: I got ahead of myself on the calendar. The State of the City address is not Tuesday. Apologies for the error.
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COVINGTON SCHOOLS TO HONOR MENTORS
The Covington Mentor Program, something often stressed as vital to the success of local students by Superintendent Lynda Jackson, will recognize one hundred mentors at a ceremony on Thursday. The district says there are still at least 75 students on a waiting list to be matched with a mentor. Interested? Call Renee Fisk at 859.392.3188.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HOLY CROSS BOYS' BASKETBALL TEAM!
What a great year for the Latonia school's athletics programs. On Saturday night, the Indians downed NewCath to claim the 9th Region All 'A' Championship and will now head to the state tournament.
ENJOY YOUR SUNDAY! THE RIVER CITY NEWS WILL BE BACK ON THE JOB BRIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY MORNING BRINGING YOU THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF COVINGTON THAT YOU WON'T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE. THANKS FOR READING!
"If you look at the commissioners, most of them are well-to-do and they don't understand that we got guys that make 35-thousand a year and they want them to pay 700 dollars a month in health care premiums when they can't afford to pay their house payments."
ReplyDeleteREALLY!? As I understand it, the only rhyme or reason that 700 dollars a month in health care premiums has any relevance at all to the negotiations is the FACT that y'all refuse to downsize and give up your Cadillac...
STATE OF THE CITY: Mayor Chuck Scheper will deliver his State of the City address at Tuesday's commission meeting and will also speak to the Covington Business Council on Tuesday.
WOW! What a Jam-packed day Tuesday January 24th will be! Just wondering, since there will undoubtedly be a full House at City Hall, if they could leave the Lights On a bit Longer and follow the Mayor's Address with a STATE OF THE UNION Watch Party!?
COVINGTON SCHOOLS TO HONOR MENTORS: The Covington Mentor Program, something often stressed as vital to the success of local students by Superintendent Lynda Jackson, will recognize one hundred mentors at a ceremony on Thursday.
MENTORS are vital here in The COV because they Step Up and Stand In for the Parents who never learned to Value & Embrace Education! And that, My Friends, is what that hotly contested Pike Street Property is all about -once they figure out the origin & get rid of the terrible odor that's preventing further progress! Mentoring, Educating & Supporting the Community & Parents in Support of our CIPS Students!
THIRD ANONYMOUS VIDEO CRITICAL OF COVINGTON
SCHOOLS APPEARS: Agreed, Mr. Monks! I still can't figure out what her Main Malfunction is; She's obviously the Mother of a CIPS student past or present, I'm betting she considers her & her kids to be in that top 1% -I mean 10%, LOL! Comes across to me like the Anti Marriage Equality folks who say they are protecting the Sanctity of theirs. She's really more interested in making sure that her very Special, Privileged, Deserving & Entitled Children don't get drug down by the rifraff...