NEWS ROUND-UP -- FRIDAY MORNING 11 MAY

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THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

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by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter 

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MAYOR, CENTER CITY ACTION PLAN POPULAR WITH COMMISSION CANDIDATES

An interview with the seven (of eight) candidates vying for a seat on the Covington City Commission present at Thursday evening's candidates forum is at the link below. Each has thrown his or her support behind the mayor and offer varying endorsements of the newly unveiled Center City Action Plan that aims to revitalize Downtown Covington. For another exclusive report from The River City News, click the link. 

Mayor, Action Plan Popular With Commission Candidates 

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MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT: 

Bill Wells talks with Sherry Carran

Ray Kingsbury and Shawn Masters

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MORE LAYOFFS EXPECTED AT COVINGTON CITY HALL

More layoffs are likely before the end of the fiscal year (June 30) at Covington City Hall and would affect non-union employees. Meanwhile, there is a proposal on the table for a modest across-the-board pay raises for non-union employees. Details on this developing story -- at the link.

More Layoffs Likely in Covington Before End of Fiscal Year 

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BRENT SPENCE WOULD BE BUILT FASTER WITH TOLLS, SAYS OHIO GOVERNOR

The Republican Governor of Ohio spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer editorial board: 

Even if funding was available, the timetable for building isn’t fast enough, Kasich said. He said agreeing to charge tolls could allow construction to start in 2014.
“I understand people don’t like it,” Kasich said of tolls, adding that most politicians would wait until their second terms in office to even suggest it. Kasich is serving his first term. 

Cincinnati Enquirer/Jason Williams   
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PRESERVED BUILDINGS ALONG MLK BLVD READY FOR SALE
The structures were saved and moved during the widening of 12th Street, now known as Martin Luther King, Jr Boulevard: 

The four buildings will offer opportunities for dedicated rehabbers. The state is so committed to their historic restoration and continual maintenance, “all the properties will have historic-preservation covenants that will be attached,” said Mark McCoy, Frankfort-based right-of-way agent in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Division of Right of Way and Utilities.
“We’re tentatively shooting for within the next month to be able to offer three of the four properties” for sale, McCoy said. “The Hellmann Lumber building will be offered at a later date.” 

Cincinnati Enquirer/Mike Rutledge   
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COVINGTON ISSUES FLYERS OUTLINING DOWNTOWN INCENTIVES PACKAGE
Check this out: 

Those are some pretty amazing incentives, so if you have ever wanted to start a business or know anyone who does, the time to call is now. There are plenty of spaces available. 

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SEN. RAND PAUL ENDORSES THOMAS MASSIE IN NKY CONGRESSIONAL RACE

Kentucky's junior senator is making his choice known in the Fourth Congressional GOP primary: Lewis County Judge-Executive Thomas Massie: 

The campaign is working on the details on when Paul will make the formal announcement, said Phil Moffett, the former Republican gubernatorial candidate who is serving as Massie’s campaign chairman. 

That announcement could come today and would follow Congressman Geoff Davis and former Senator Jim Bunning who endorsed state representative Alecia Webb-Edgington in the primary.
cn|2/Don Weber 
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SEE ALSO: Sen. Paul has shot a video announcement according to the Associated Press 
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MEANWHILE...
A Texas-based Super PAC founded by a 21-year old college student with hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money has created a TV ad blitz in favor of Massie. The student is a Libertarian and a supporter of Ron Paul for President and his new effort to swing an election in Northern Kentucky is not sitting well with other candidates:

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More details and a video response from Boone County Judge-Executive Gary Moore at the link. 

cn|2/Ryan Alessi 

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SEE ALSO: Moore touts Boone growth in run for Congress Cincinnati Enquirer 

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QUICKIES

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Bluegrass Boardwalk (formerly Kentucky Kingdom) to open a year from now Business First 

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Kentucky pet owners are weary of dog treats after one family's dog dies WKYT 

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Derby win is not all it's cracked up to be Mercury News 

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UK leads nation in men's basketball attendance for seventh straight year Coach Cal 

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Maker's Mark bottle tribute to UK on sale today, see a pic at the link Kentucky Sports Radio  

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NKU NAMES NEW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH

Dawn Plitzuweit will take over NKU's storied women's basketball program, replacing Nancy Winstel who won two Division II national titles. Plitzuweit comes to NKU after serving as associate head coach at the University of Michigan and winning a national title as head coach at Division II Grand Valley State. She will lead the Norse in its first season as a Division I program. 

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NEW COFFEEHOUSE OPENS IN LATONIA

Welcome to Boddhi's Coffeehouse and Electric Art Retail is now open on Southern Avenue: 

Located in a 100-plus-year-old historic building at 6 E. Southern Ave. in Ritte’s corner, Boddhi’s showcases local art, crafts, sculptures, candles, jewelry, stickers and the like. The shop doesn’t charge fees and takes art from anyone from high school students to professional photographers. 

Cincinnati Enquirer/Shauna Steigerwald 
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According to the shop's Facebook page, it's having trouble staying open: 

Friends, Boddhi's is having a lot of trouble keeping it's doors open. We need to hear from you. What are we doing wrong? What can we do differently? Lets have some FB feedback.

Go support them. They open today at 3:00PM. 
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OHIO KY LOTTERY SHOOTING COMMERCIAL IN MAINSTRASSE FRIDAY MORNING
Sorry! The original post said this was an Ohio Lottery commercial. It was a Kentucky Lottery commercial.
Check out these photos from a TV commercial shoot for the Ohio Kentucky Lottery on Main Street in front of Otto's (thanks to Pati Gilliece at Chez Nora, where the actors are hanging out, for the heads-up!): 

     HAPPY FRIDAY, COVINGTON!

CAMERAS ATOP LIGHTS AT MLK & MADISON TO DETECT CARS

by Michael Monks 

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FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter 

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THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

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Next time you drive through the beautifully reconstructed new intersection at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Madison Avenue, you will notice cameras atop the traffic lights that were installed today. Don't worry, though. The cameras are not there as an added tool to enforce traffic laws (but still, don't speed or run the lights! Covington PD will get you!). Instead, the cameras serve as detectors of cars waiting at the lights. Usually a driver will find a wide white stripe indicating where a car should stop at a traffic light and within that stripe is a small detector. Instead of placing those detectors inside the new brick pavers at the intersection near the Cathedral, the cameras will serve the purpose. Check them out:

PROPOSED WALGREEN'S OFF DESIGN REVIEW AGENDA

by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter 

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THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

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The River City News has learned that the City of Covington met with officials from Walgreen's Thursday afternoon and that the national drugstore chain is postponing its appearance before the Urban Design Review Board until March 19. As was first reported here plans have emerged for a new Walgreen's to be built on the Martin Luther King Boulevard site where currently the old Victorian rectory mansion sits. The property is owned by the Diocese of Covington on whose behalf these plans were submitted to the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission which recommended against them. Originally the current plans, which would require multiple design and zoning waivers, were to be brought before the Urban Design Review Board on Monday. A subsequent hearing would then have to occur before the Board of Adjustments to address the necessary zoning waivers. Check out the links below for the back story and photos that were first shared here at The River City News. 

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The RC News: Historic Building Could Be Razed, Replaced by Walgreen's 

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The RC News: Architect's Renderings of Proposed Walgreen's

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THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

HISTORIC BUILDING MAY BE RAZED & REPLACED BY WALGREEN'S

by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter 

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THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

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An old Victorian mansion on Covington's Martin Luther King Boulevard faces the prospect of being razed. Plans for a new Walgreen's have emerged and the chain drugstore would assume the place of the former home and its acre lot. The property is owned by the Diocese of Covington whose landmark St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption sits directly across the street on Madison Avenue. Cincinnati-based Clarion Associates, a real estate consulting firm, submitted plans on behalf of the Diocese to the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission for the proposed Walgreen's. The NKAPC staff recommendation is to oppose the design concept.

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Plans for the Walgreen's were first presented in April 2011 when Clarion met with representatives from the City of Covington and NKAPC for a pre-application meeting. They call for demolition of the historic home, construction of a 14,500 square foot Walgreen's, a parking lot for 45 cars, two curb cuts (for cars to enter parking area) with one on Madison and another on Wood Street, a drive-thru facility on the south side of the building, and a main entrance on the north side. Additionally, the plans call for a six-foot tall sign on Madison Avenue and an eleven-foot tall sign on MLK. 

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The proposed Walgreen's would require approval from the Covington Board of Adjustments to allow for packaged liquor sales, a variance allowing for fifty percent of the side-street frontage to be used for off-street parking, a variance to reduce the minimum building height from two stories to one, to allow the building to placed more than ten feet from the side property line, reduce the number of customer entrances from three to one, to allow for more than ten percent of the parking to be on the side of the building, and to reduce the five foot required setback from the curb on Madison to zero feet. 

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The Covington Urban Design Review Board would have to approve the proposed the drive-thru's location on the side of the building which would be visible from adjacent right-of-ways, access to the drive-thru from a connector street, and allowing off-street parking on a street corner. NKAPC concluded that the plans do not meet the minimum requirements of Covington zoning ordinances for the area including the prohibited use intermittent lighting (the plans call for a 23 square foot LED-powered readerboard). 

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The zoning changes design waivers requested on behalf of the Diocese will come before the Urban Design Review Board Monday afternoon at 4:00PM and is open to the public to listen or to comment. As the newly expanded MLK Blvd awaits redevelopment, an early project like this proposed Walgreen's could set a precedent for what follows on this vital road through Covington. A Walgreen's is already in operation one block north of this proposed location and much of the proposed design is similar in nature to that one.

BONUS COVERAGE OF MAYOR SCHEPER'S SPEECH

by Michael Monks 
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BONUS COVERAGE OF MAYOR SCHEPER'S BUSINESS COUNCIL SPEECH

If you missed The River City News coverage of Thursday afternoon's incredibly important address by Covington Mayor Chuck Scheper, click the link below.

Brutal Facts: Scheper Reports Again 

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MORE FROM THE SPEECH:

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On former Mayor Denny Bowman and becoming the new mayor:

"I think when Bowman resigned it's ironic in a way because he's the one who asked me to lead the (Scheper Report) commission in the first place. I am appreciative of what Denny did to lead the City. After he resigned each of the commissioners approached me asking if I would take on this role for the balance of his term. I said no four times but they were persistent. They caught me in a weak moment and I said, let me think about it. I put together a position paper and said here are the challenges we're facing and potential solutions that we have to move forward. It started with a social contract. We had an open conversation that politics is turning into something that all of us see on a national scope and we wish that people would work together and find a way to get it done. We are going to get it done with respect, we are going to listen to each other and have a positive discourse. I was confident that would not be a problem.

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A personal perception of the health care situation:

"My wife had an MRI on her knee a couple weeks ago and the cost of an MRI differs across networks. It went from $500 to $5,000. If you have no skin in the game you won't go to a facility based on cost, you'll go to the one closest to you. We can achieve a lot of this by increasing education and finding ways we can all work together without reducing the quality of care for our employees."

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Hints of merging services with other governments:

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Scheper pointed to a map of Covington when he said the following. "It's tough to provide public safety across this geography. We're spending 37% more for public safety than other cities our size. That's a pretty significant challenge. $7 million a year. I think when we talk about Covington we have to start broadening our discussion to include the region. It's time for us to see forward and think from a regional issue. I'm not going to be able to accomplish whatever that may imply (in a short term). ...I'm on record in the Scheper Report talking about regionalizing fire. We need to think more broadly, that we are part of a county, we are part of a region."

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On Covington's public employees:

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The mayor has reached out to all city employees through a conversational meeting that he has dubbed, "Coffee with Chuck". "Invitations are open to all employees to sit down and talk. We've done two so far and we have another next week. ... We have a lot of capable and talented employees. They want to be part of a winning team. It's a matter of getting us all working together, rowing in the same direction and face the challenges head-on, and I think we can accomplish great things this year and we can be a great city."

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On the 'wasteland' just south of MLK/12th Street:

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One question from the audience referred to the area to the south of the new MLK Boulevard a 'wasteland' and asked what the plans may be for that immediate area. "I have a line in my speech, 'the bad news is we have empty storefronts, the good news is we have empty storefronts'. I think energy from MLK Boulevard will create growth to the south. The one-stop shop was looking that way. I think we have other assets that the city is looking at to think about how we can monetize those assets. The PUMA (Center City Action Plan) study focuses on 12th Street to the north, but there are opportunities for what you call the wasteland."

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On being an ambassador for Covington:

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"Fifty percent of people say, congratulations. Fifty percent offer condolences. But everybody says, 'what can I do to help?' We have to capture that. We have tremendous talent. We are perhaps the most under-marketed city or entity in this region. We have an opportunity to tell our story. I implore all of you to become ambassadors for the City. Tell them why you live and work in Covington and be proud about it. There's so much we can accomplish. I think we're confronting the brutal facts, we have a plan, we have a strategy, we have a unified commission, we're all joined at the hip ready to make tough decisions."

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On Covington's public schools & mentoring:

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"I think our schools are very important for the future of this city. (Superintendent Lynda Jackson) asked me to find four hundred mentors. My wife, Julie Geisen Scheper, has been advocate for Covington Partners (in Prevention) for a number of years and was a mentor and I saw the impact that it had on the mentee and also on Julie. They have a line, 'mentor one child, change two lives'. I'm doing it one hour a week. It's bringing joy to my life. I'm putting a personal plea to all of you to think about mentoring. It's a small investment of your time. If we have four hundred mentors, that's four hundred hours a week. That could fundamentally change the lives of those kids and possibly of our schools. Upping the graduation rates will help change the fate of the city."

FT. WRIGHT MAYOR MOVES BURLINGTON BUSINESS TO COVINGTON

by Michael Monks 
NEW ADDRESS: Email Michael

Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook

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Granite World owner and Ft. Wright Mayor Joe Nienaber (L)
talks with Dave & Tracy Jones

The long-awaited widening of MLK Boulevard/12th Street played an important role in the landing of Covington's newest business. Granite World had been operating in Burlington but outgrew its space and when owner Joe Nienaber, also the mayor of Ft. Wright, went looking for a new building, Northern Kentucky's largest city was the perfect fit.  "The revitalization of 12th Street was a huge influence in the decision to locate in Covington, and in particular to that area of Covington," Nienaber said earlier in a release. "It is a beautiful corridor and allows convenient access to the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area." 

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At Friday night's well-attended open house in Granite World's new space at 14th & Russell Streets, Covington City Manager Larry Klein, who was previously an administrator in Ft. Wright while Nienaber was on the council, told The River City News, "They could have moved anywhere and they chose Covington." Klein is optimistic that once the MLK Boulevard project is fully complete, more businesses will see the same promise that Nienaber did. "The 12th Street Corridor was designed with a vision of increased visitors, residents and businesses to Covington, and Granite World has the potential to bring all three into our community," Klein said.

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The new showroom is 8,000 square feet and offers customers the chance to shop for granite indoors in a climate controlled space. Another open house will be held Saturday night from 7:00 - 11:00PM.

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MORE PHOTOS BELOW -- JUST CLICK THE LINK!

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COMMISSION DISCUSSES BUSINESS RETENTION, ROAD REGULATIONS

by Michael Monks 
NEW ADDRESS: Email Michael

Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook

@theRCnews on Twitter  

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Covington dealt with disappointing headlines concerning the loss of two high profile companies and their lucrative payroll taxes that will no longer fill the City's coffers. In recent weeks, however, it appears that the job losses reached a plateau and now the focus turns to job retention and creation. The Mayor and each Commissioner is charged with maintaining a contact list containing their own share of the top one hundred businesses in town (in terms of payroll taxes collected) and each has committed to communicating and addressing their concerns. "So far things have been better this year," said Commissioner Sherry Carran. "They were laying off last year but are starting to hire back."

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"Most of these businesses for the most part are very happy," said Commissioner Shawn Masters, citing a small business that started in Covington and is now spending $2 million to develop a vacant building while looking to hire four to six new workers to increase its staff of roughly forty. Mayor Chuck Scheper said that larger businesses in town have pointed to the City's payroll tax, the region's highest, as an issue but Carran said that she has found that most businesses agree that the City's amenities and benefits outweigh that issue. She argued that Covington's walkability and proximity to Cincinnati are often heralded as reasons to stay and grow in Covington.

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"We're reaching out and talking to our customers, reaching out and figuring out how we can grow their businesses here," said Commissioner Steve Frank. "We don't want to go to our neighbors to fill our vacancies, we want to be above that game," said Commissioner Steve Casper, suggesting that it may be worth exploring the possibility of luring larger businesses from Chicago or New York City where taxes are high. Mayor Scheper said it would also be worth revising and adding to the business list to include smaller businesses with longevity in Covington.

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NEW ROAD REGULATIONS RESISTED BY HOMEBUILDERS ASSOCIATION

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Part of City Engineer Tom Logan's presentation
showing proposed new regulations for road
construction

In a thorough presentation by City Engineer Tom Logan, Kenton County's new subdivision regulations were laid out. The Kenton County Planning Commission has attempted to revise its design regulations examples. They are still hand written, unprofessional, and hard to read, Logan said. "The goal is to be more professional, colorful and crisp," Logan said. However, the Homebuilders Association has slowed the approval process by charging that new regulations that would create better, stronger, more long-lasting roads would cost them too much money. Instead, the HBA wants to build roads as cheaply as possible. 

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The sticking point is a couple new layers between the surface and the clay below that would allow for better drainage of water and slower decay of the roads. Ultimately, Logan said, the new regulations would save taxpayers money because the roads would last longer. The Kenton County Mayors Group approved the plans in November. City Manager Larry Klein said that Alexandria adopted the same rules for road construction ten years ago and that the development of new homes has not slowed in the years following despite the Homebuilders' claims as to what would happen here.

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"Several cities were seeing new streets fail prematurely," Klein said. "The City has to use tax dollars to repair them. The Mayors Group wanted to make streets last longer and make taxpayer dollars last longer." According to Commissioner Carran, several other Kenton Count cities have passed resolutions in support of the new regulations and she suggested that Covington should do the same.

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CITY HONORED FOR RENAMING 12TH STREET AS MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD

At Monday's MLK March and celebration at The Carnegie, the City of Covington received special recognition for its renaming of 12th Street to Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. "We have a beautiful new thoroughfare and gateway to the City," Mayor Scheper said, accepting a plaque.

Mayor Chuck Scheper

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MAYOR SCHEPER'S FATHER PASSES AWAY

Mayor Scheper also shared the sad news that his father passed away Tuesday morning. His father was a Covington native who attended St. Ben's and had his first job at Stewart Iron Works. Scheper lost his mother-in-law last week and his own mother in October. Keep Mayor & Mrs. Scheper and their family in your thoughts during this sad time.

NEWS ROUND-UP -- MONDAY MORNING 16 JAN

by Michael Monks 
NEW ADDRESS: Email Michael

Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook

@theRCnews on Twitter  

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REMEMBERING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR

The spirit of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. will be celebrated in Covington during the City's annual march. Join the occasion as Covingtonians pay homage by marching from the old Jillian's site along MLK Boulevard (12th Street) to The Carnegie. It starts at 5:00PM. Following the march at 6:00PM, a ceremony will take place inside the Carnegie's theater.

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NEW YORK TIMES: HOW FARES THE DREAM?

To say the obvious: to look at a photo of President Obama with his cabinet is to see a degree of racial openness — and openness to women, too — that would have seemed almost inconceivable in 1963. When we observe Martin Luther King’s Birthday, we have something very real to celebrate: the civil rights movement was one of America’s finest hours, and it made us a nation truer to its own ideals.
Yet if King could see America now, I believe that he would be disappointed, and feel that his work was nowhere near done. He dreamed of a nation in which his children “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” But what we actually became is a nation that judges people not by the color of their skin — or at least not as much as in the past — but by the size of their paychecks. And in America, more than in most other wealthy nations, the size of your paycheck is strongly correlated with the size of your father’s paycheck.
Goodbye Jim Crow, hello class system.

NY Times/Paul Krugman  
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INEQUALITY IN 2012: HOW FAR FROM THE DREAM ARE WE?

We will only realize Dr. King’s vision when every American has the chance to find a well-paying job, get health care when they get sick, and receive a quality education. The numbers below show much work remains.
46.2 million: The number of Americans in poverty in 2010.76.7 million: Number of people in families who were living below $44,000 for a family of four (two times the federal poverty line).27.4: Percentage of African Americans in poverty.26.6: Percentage of Hispanics in poverty.9.9: Percentage of non-Hispanic whites in poverty.45.3: Percentage of young adults facing poverty, when they are considered independently of their parents.5.9 million: Number of young adults living with their parents. Those who aren’t saw a 9 percent decrease in their income.39.1: Percentage of African American children less than 18 years old in poverty.12.4: Percentage of white children less than 18 years old in poverty.
To start fixing this problem, it’s important that we grow the country’s number of low-skill jobs, so that those in poverty can begin to find a way out. We also need to maintain a solid safety net for those who can’t work, such as the elderly and the disabled.

Center for American Progress  
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HERALD-LEADER: MLK'S SPIRIT LIVES ON IN 'OCCUPY' PROTESTS

But I suspect that King would be most interested in spending some time at the corner of Main Street and Esplanade, where local participants in the Occupy Wall Street protest have kept a steady vigil for 107 days, as of Friday, and counting.
Hill, this year's guest speaker, thinks so, too. That is because the Occupy protesters in Lexington and cities across America echo many of the concerns about economic justice that King expressed, especially during the final year before an assassin's bullet silenced him in 1968.
"We've always needed to talk about the have-nots and the have-gots," Hill said in a telephone interview last week. "The Occupy movement kind of revives that conversation."
Marc Lamont Hill, who is best known to many TV viewers as a liberal foil to Fox talk-show host Bill O'Reilly, plans to discuss some of those issues during his Lexington speech.
"We live in a really, really dangerous moment, for a variety of reasons — politically, socially, culturally," Hill said. "There has never been a moment where we more needed to draw on the insights of Dr. King's legacy, not only to bring the nation together but to move the nation forward."

Herald-Leader/Tom Eblen 

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3 STATES CELEBRATE MLK WITH ROBERT E LEE

Care to guess where they are? Time's up:

Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi all celebrate Lee/King Day as one state holiday. On the surface, the Confederate general doesn't seem like the type of candidate to be immortalized in a holiday, especially one shared by a civil rights hero. "One man led an oppressed people towards a greater equality and paved the way for Civil Rights, the other led men to their deaths in order to preserve an institution that would enslave people based on their skin color," wrote Lance Pickering on the Facebook wall for Louisiana-based KSLA.
Another comment by Russell Chism read, "…General Lee commanded the South to put a stop to the abolition of slavery plain and simple." While this might be the reaction of some people unaware that King/Lee Day even existed, they might also be unaware that the two men have much in common.

Raycom News Network via FOX 19  
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FREEDOM CENTER IS FREE TODAY

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center hopes to break its one-day attendance mark – 6,000 on Jan. 17, 2011 – Monday when it offers free admission for the eighth consecutive year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. PNC Bank is underwriting the free admission for the second year in a row. 

Cincinnati Enquirer/Mark Crunutte
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AT LEAST 2 KENTUCKIANS ABOARD CRASHED ITALIAN CRUISE SHIP

This morning, news has surfaced that the cruise ship that crashed in the Mediterranean may have done so because the captain was showing off. Worse still, rescue teams believe more people could still be inside, trapped among the wreckage. Two Kentuckians were aboard:

Sarah Moore told the Daily News of Bowling Green that her daughter, Lauren Moore, had just started a 10-day Mediterranean cruise Friday night when ship ran aground. Her daughter was flying home Sunday, she said. Another Kentuckian, Joe Ryan, also survived and was trying to get home, according to his father, Larry Ryan.

Associated Press via Herald-Leader  
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SCATHING EDITORIAL ON KENTUCKY REDISTRICTING
The Ledger-Independent in Maysville is less than thrilled with the General Assembly's return to Frankfort:

But every once in a while the hacks in Frankfort are so blatant in their tactics, so dismissive of the rights of Kentucky citizens and so arrogant in their approach, that we must speak out. The plan for the redistricting of seats in the Kentucky House of Representatives that was approved on Friday calls for Lewis County to be divided into three separate districts represented by three (Democrat) lawmakers.
The fact that Lewis County voters have registered overwhelmingly on the GOP team since the days of Bull Run and Gettysburg be damned.

Ledger-Independent  
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SEE ALSO: Lawmakers duke it out Courier-Journal/Joseph Gerth 
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COVINGTON TO HOLD MEETING ABOUT CHURCH STREET
The City wants public feedback on the 90-day trial of changing Church Street to a one-way between 36th Street and Southern Avenue. The meeting is Wednesday, January 18, at 6:00PM inside the cafeteria at Holy Cross High School.
(press release)
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'MAJOR' NKY ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW AT NKU
From the press release:

After nearly a year of planning, a team of regional economic development experts is set to announce the most innovative business development project our region has embarked upon in recent years.

Hmmm. Sounds major. The River City News will be there.

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3 MURDERED IN CINCINNATI IN 24 HOURS

A tragic and violent weekend across the river where a 65-year old shop owner, a 19-year old man, and a 21-year old woman were murdered.

Cincinnati Enquirer 

UPDATE: Arrests made in 2 of 3 murder cases Cincinnati Enquirer 

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IS KENTUCKY CLOSER TO LANDING AN NBA TEAM?

Some guy in Louisville is still holding on to that dream:

He said a promising deal with a group of wealthy Chinese businessmen fell through last spring, because of the league’s stalemate with players over a new collective-bargaining agreement. A new labor deal was reached late last fall, and a belated NBA season began around Christmas. Now, Miller said in an interview Thursday, his recruitment effort is focusing on finding an investor in another city who is willing to put up an expected $400 million or more to either move an existing team to Louisville or to get the league to authorize an expansion team for Louisville.

Courier-Journal/Sheldon Shafer  
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Remember the Kentucky Colonels? 

From Wikipedia:

Kentucky was one of the league's most talented teams, and had one of its best fan bases, but during the ABA's talks of merging with the NBA, the Colonels were not a favorite to change leagues. As a result, John Y. Brown, Jr. was forced to fold the Colonels.
(snip)
The Colonels won 448 games in the ABA, more than any other team or franchise. The Colonels' overall regular season record was 448-296; their .602 winning percentage is better than that of any ABA franchise except for the Minnesota Muskies who only played one season. (If the Utah Stars' statistics are counted on their own, excluding their seasons as the Anaheim Amigos and the Los Angeles Stars, that team's winning percentage, .608, is slightly better than the Colonels'.)
The Colonels' playoff record was 55-46 (.545). Only the Indiana Pacers won more ABA playoff games (69).

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NKU WOMEN GO FOR WIN NUMBER 800 TONIGHT
Both the men and women take on Bellarmine in Louisville tonight. On the men's side, Bellarmine is the defending national champions while the Norse are coming off their first loss of the season. The women have a milestone to reach:

NKU can earn its 800th all-time victory by defeating Bellarmine on Monday. The Norse are 799-303 all-time in women's basketball.

The men's team won its 700th all-time game earlier this season.
NKU Norse 
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UK CHEERLEADERS WIN 19TH NATIONAL TITLE
That's right: The Wildcats are not just elite in basketball.
Herald-Leader 
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COVINGTON: THE SUNDAY EDITION
Did you get a chance to read The River City News Sunday Edition yesterday?
The Kids Are Not All Right - Three devastating stories about local youth this week; It's being called the most innovative business development project in the region and we'll find out this week; Plus, an incredible ending to a small college basketball game in KY that you have to see to believe! Those stories and more, plus Covington's week-in-review, at the link!
The Sunday Edition 
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LOLZ
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A couple times, The Onion has listed Covington, KY as the dateline for its satirical news stories. Here's they are:
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NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN GEAR UP FOR 'OPENING OF THE GERBIL'S TOMB'

COVINGTON, KY–In what promises to be the biggest neighborhood event since July's golf-ball dismantling, Andy Mefford, 9, announced plans Monday to exhume Marshall, his sister's deceased pet gerbil.
(snip)
Marshall, who died June 24 of complications from an eye infection, was laid to rest the following day beneath the large oak tree in the Meffords' backyard. The gerbil was entombed in a styrofoam hamburger container, along with a daisy and a poem written by its devoted owner, 7-year-old Kimberly Mefford. Mefford's decision to exhume the rodent, made partly in response to a recent Learning Channel Secrets Of The Pyramids documentary, has sparked excitement among children throughout the Reardon Street area.

LOL. Read the whole thing here.
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SECOND HOUR IN FABRIC STORE NEARLY KILLS 8-YEAR OLD
LOL:

COVINGTON, KY–Local 8-year-old William Haney is listed in stable condition following Sunday's near-fatal two-hour excursion to Martha's Fabric Outlet on Route 23 near Cincinnati. Dragged to the store by his mother, 36-year-old Carolyn Haney, who was reportedly obsessed with finding the perfect fabric for new bathroom curtains, Haney wandered the aisles for more than an hour in search of anything of remote interest.

The Onion