EMOTIONS FILL CITY HALL AS FIRE CHIEF, FIREFIGHTERS RETIRE

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Chief Chuck Norris

The same way that the Cincinnati Reds were devastated by the loss of star first baseman Joey Votto to a knee injury this season, the Covington Fire Department is experiencing a similar situation with the retirement of Chief Chuck Norris. "Like Votto, Norris will be missed but he knows his teammates will step up," said Assistant Chief Brian Bamberger. But, "to say he will be missed is an understatement." Norris was one of six members of the department to have his retirement accepted by the City Commission Tuesday night. 

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"He left an indelible mark of excellence at each stop (of his fire career)," Bamberger said, applauding what he recognized as the chief's dedication and passion about fire service, the Covington Fire Department, his firefighter family, and the citizens. Bamberger also cited Norris's email signature that included the quotation, "Set the example, don't be the example". Highlighting the outgoing chief's intelligence, creativity, analytical skills, and work ethic, calling him a mentor and leader, Bamberger added, "(Norris) worked tirelessly to make the Covington Fire Department a better and safer place to work."

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Bamberger paused, fighting back tears as expressed that the chief exhibited these traits "from the moment he pinned on the lieutenant's single bugle to this morning when he pinned on the fire chief's five bugles."

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"I'm just one person," Norris said, also weighed down by the emotion of the moment. Every man, woman, brothers and sisters to me, they're the ones that make it happen. They're the ones sacrificing. A leader is only as strong as his team." He said that his decision to end his time as chief had nothing to do with any regrets, the City's finances, or the recent consultants report on how to reorganize the departments within City Hall, Norris said simply that it was just time to hang up his boots after more than thirty years in the field. "I've made so many friendships," he said. "It's been an honor and privilege to serve with each and every one of you."
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Norris congratulates acting Chief
Dan Mathew

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"You've been a solid rock for the City," said City Commissioner Sherry Carran as the vote to accept Norris's retirement began. City Commissioner Steve Casper, also overcome by tears, cast a symbolic vote against the retirement. Mayor Chuck Scheper also expressed his regret. "We didn't always agree on everything but I knew we could talk about anything," Scheper said. "I'm sorry for the City. We're losing a good employee."

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EMS director Dan Mathew was unanimously appointed acting chief until a permanent hire can be made later in the year. "It's overwhelming as you can imagine," Mathew said. "Tonight, it's not about me, it's about these gentlemen who stand before us as we honor their service."
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Retirement offered time to reflect on City/Firefighters battle

Assistant Chief Alan Terry, who joined the fire department in 1986, spoke for several minutes upon his retirement announcement. "I worked under six chiefs and all did an excellent job but I got the greatest amount of pleasure in my job working with Chief Norris," Terry said. He continued, "A lot of things have gone on in the last few years and while there are a lot of disagreements, it's been good for the fire department because we've taken a good look at ourselves." Terry cited what he described as an increased focus on customer service, more safety classes, and an increase in fire inspections.
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Alan Terry (L) is congratulated

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In another emotional moment, Terry paused to collect himself as he recounted some of the tragedies he has encountered in his role as a fireman. "People don't see at three in the morning when a young lieutenant has to put two toddlers and their grandmother in body bags. When a sixteen-year old boy hangs himself with an electrical cord. How do you close your eyes at night after that?"

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"That is why we fight so hard for our pay, our benefits, and our pensions. I can still see the faces of those toddlers, the four-year old boy who drowned in a pool. I'll see them for the rest of my life." Terry described the fire department as "the tip of the spear" in community protection. "When your smoke detector goes off, when your baby stops breathing, when your husband has a heart attack," the fire department gets the call. "It can't be the commission against the union or the union against the commission. We're all in this together. ...I love this city so much." Terry ended his speech with a hint at political aspirations. "Maybe someday I'll be sitting up there," he said, gesturing to the city commissioners. 

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Also retiring Tuesday night were Battalion Chief Bill Shelton who joined the department in 1986, Lieutenant Chuck Spenlau who joined in 1990 ("Everything that Alan said, that's why I gotta go. I can't keep up, so I'm outta here."), Engineer Todd Ryder who joined in 1990, and EMT/Paramedic Marty Finan who joined in 1992.

The crowd applauds Chief Norris

Assistant Chief Brian Bamberger

MAYOR, CITY MANAGER REACT TO FIRE CHIEF'S RETIREMENT

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Chief Chuck Norris of the Covington Fire Department will retire at the end of July (Click the link for an exclusive interview with Norris: Chief Chuck Norris Talks of His Retirement from Covington FD) and today Mayor Chuck Scheper and City Manager Larry Klein react to the news. From a press release:

Fire Chief Chuck Norris has announced he is going to retire effective July 31, 2012. Norris, 51, has served as Covington's Fire Chief since August 1, 2011. He began his fire career with the Covington Fire Department August 20, 1984.

Over the years, he served as a firefighter, Engineer, Lieutenant, Captain, Fire Inspector, Assistant Fire Chief, and finally, as Fire Chief. He was also named interim Public Works Director in 2008. And, he was Acting Fire Chief in 2005, and 2010-11.

"I have enjoyed my time with the City of Covington," said Norris. "I have enjoyed the relationships I have been able to develop with my fellow firefighters, the community, fire, law enforcement and elected officials over the years."

"The City of Covington and our Fire Department are greatly indebted to Chief Norris for his 28 years of outstanding and unparalleled service to the community," said City Manager Larry Klein.

"He will be greatly missed, and leaves an indelible mark of excellence in public service to this community as his legacy."

Norris said he has no immediate plans, and he will be exploring his professional options.

"I am sorry to see him leave," said Mayor Chuck Scheper. "I enjoyed working with him in my brief tenure here. Chief Norris has been a dedicated firefighter for our City. We are losing a good man."

"I want to thank my family, friends and colleagues for their support over these many years," said Norris. "I want to say our Covington firefighters are second to none."

"I have had a good working relationship with Mayor Scheper, the commissioners, and City Manager Larry Klein," he said. "I want to thank them for their support."

Chuck Norris

CHUCK NORRIS TALKS ABOUT HIS RETIREMENT FROM COVINGTON FIRE DEPT

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Chuck Norris was just sixteen years old when he was part of the many firefighters called to the scene of the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Southgate in 1977. At the time, Norris was learning the ropes of being a fireman with the department in Taylor Mill and shortly after the devastating fire, the third most deadly nightclub fire in American history, that he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. "I was sixteen years old (at the time of the legendary tragedy) and that's a lot and after time I kind of blocked that out for a while," Norris said. "I don't know how to explain it. It was life changing."

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"Most people search for quite a long time before they figure out what they want to do," he continued. In 1984, Norris joined the Covington Fire Department and knew from day one that someday he wanted to be Chief. Though he spent time as acting chief in 2005 and again in 2010 (as well as a stint in 2008 as interim public works director), it was August 1, 2011 that that dream was fully realized as Norris was appointed to lead Covington's department permanently. After one year in his dream job, however, Norris has decided to retire, effective July 31.

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"While it's only been a year, it's been quite some time as a department director and working for the City and it's been a fantastic experience," Norris said. "There are hard-working people in every part of the City as well as all the people connected through the neighborhoods, the community groups. It's been fantastic."

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Norris's time as leader of the fire department has run concurrently with tightening budgets at City Hall and cuts that have angered firefighters and their union leading to several heated exchanges online and in City Commission Chambers. In addition to guiding the department through the leaner times, the retiring chief has had to deal with his personal relationship with the employees he oversees, members of the same union that he was part of before becoming a manager. "Whenever you are put in that position, especially during negotiations, it causes some friction," he said. "It's a delicate situation to be in as department head but we've worked well together. The majority of the department understands it's part of the position of being fire chief in the City. There are times where you get put in a situation where it's uncomfortable, but that's all part of being a department head."
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Recently it was the chief himself who had a somewhat heated exchange at City Hall. During the presentation of Covington's then-proposed budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year, the fire department was asked to cut $500,000. Norris became upset that potential higher revenue from ambulance fees were to be redirected to the City's general fund instead of the department, a maneuver he hoped would offset some of the half million he needed to cut. "That was one of the ways we saw as a department to overcome the half million, that was part of our plan and by that being moved to the revenue column, that was taken away from our plan," Norris said. The potential increase in ambulance fees has since been reduced from $441,000 that day to about $147,000, "which I think is much higher than we'll be able to obtain even with some of the changes but we're not done with discussions yet, whether that counts toward the half million dollars."

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Norris was able to save up to $127,000 recently. The department was given approval from the City Commission to spend that much on new computer equipment for its vehicles but instead was awarded a grant to cover that cost. Norris hopes those savings will be applied to the department's half million in cuts.

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Meanwhile, the overall reorganization at City Hall as recommended by Management Partners, the Cincinnati-based consulting firm that reviewed each of the City's departments, played no role in Norris's decision, he said. "It's just time and July is the best month," Norris said. July is a common time for public workers to retire and there will likely be others from the department joining the chief on their way out. Norris also said that some of the department's savings plan includes not filling vacant position.

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His retirement is expected to be accepted by the City Commission at next Tuesday's meeting.

NEWS ROUND-UP -- WEDNESDAY MORNING 18 JULY

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by Michael Monks 

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COVINGTON FIRE CHIEF CHUCK NORRIS TO RETIRE AT END OF JULY

The River City News has been informed by multiple sources that Covington Fire Chief Chuck Norris will retire at the end of July, a move that will likely be voted upon at next Tuesday meeting of the City Commission. More details to come.

Norris was named chief on a permanent basis last July.

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TAKE A TOUR OF COVINGTON'S MUTUAL INSURANCE BUILDING

Want a take a look inside one of Covington's most prominent buildings? It's mostly vacant now but the Mutual Building once housed a bank, a Jewelry store, two diners, and of course, the Mutual Insurance Company. What will it house in its next phase of life? Click the link for photos and some historical tidbits.

More photos: Take a Look Inside Covington's Mutual Building 

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DON'T MISS TUESDAY EVENING'S NEWS

The City schedules public input sessions to discuss plans for reorganization at City Hall and possible budget cuts; "Lively learning" at Holmes Middle School applauded by state; Governor creates Kentucky's health exchange as part of federal health care reform; Plus, adorable video of the new baby cheetah at the Cincinnati Zoo (why it had to be raised by hand, and not by its mother). Those stories and more at the link!

The RC News: Tuesday Evening Round-Up 

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PLANNING FOR AN AGING POPULATION IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY

The Northern Kentucky Forum hosts a discussion tonight about the region's readiness to deal with an aging population:

Is our community ready for the Baby Boomers as they leave behind their youth and become senior citizens? The Northern Kentucky Forum will examine that question at our next public dialogue, Planning for an Aging Population, on Wednesday, July 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Edgewood Senior Center, 550 Freedom Park Drive, Edgewood, Ky. The Forum is free and we invite to come and bring a friend, young or old, to join the conversation on the important questions associated with this topic: Is our medical system ready? Our nursing homes? Our public infrastructure? Our support systems? We also invite you take our poll in (take it now, before the event) at www.nkyforum.org. It will just take five minutes or less. Ask your neighbors, family and co-workers to take it as well.

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More details: Click Here 

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TRAFFIC ALERT: TAYLOR MILL ROAD

From the City of Taylor Mill:

Please be advised that Old Taylor Mill Road will be closed from Millstream Road to the vicinity of Sandmann Drive to all thru traffic in order to allow for the Taylor Mill Road Reconstruction Project to move forward beginning at 9:30 am on this FRIDAY, JULY 20th. Traffic entering and departing from the Taylor Creek Subdivision will be diverted thru a set of temporary roads that have been constructed with ingress and egress beginning at the intersection of Sandmann Drive and Old Taylor Mill Road. Please be on the look out for changes in traffic patterns that will be noted by a variety of signs posted throughout the community indicating routes of Detour. These closures will be in effective until on or about October 31, 2012.  For more information please sign up to receive our electronic newsletter at www.taylormillky.gov or contact the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet at 859.341.2700. Thank you.

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KENTUCKY DEBATES TAX OVERHAUL -- AGAIN
The Pew Center paints a pessimistic picture for the Commonwealth as it attempts to reform its tax system:

Most of the focus in Kentucky for the last decade has been on one major problem: The state’s tax revenue hasn’t been keeping up with growth in the economy. Many observers expect the trend to continue in the years ahead, leaving the state with a structural deficit that will make it impossible to afford the services it has offered in the past. 

Kentucky’s situation is noteworthy not because it is unusual, but instead because it is typical. Like many states, Kentucky’s tax code is poorly positioned to keep up with today’s economic and demographic trends, such as the shift to more consumer spending on services instead of tangible goods. 

Even when lawmakers agree on the basic contours of the problem, they rarely act. Recommendations of tax reform commissions in Vermont and South Carolina leading into the 2011 legislative sessions, for example — much the like the commission in Kentucky — haven't resulted in changes. 

In Kentucky and elsewhere, the biggest obstacle is politics. Since 2000, the Kentucky Senate has been controlled by Republicans, while the House of Representatives has been controlled by Democrats. No one has come up with a proposal yet that could win approval in both houses. Finding such a proposal is the most difficult job the new commission faces.

Full story: Pew Center  

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KY CHAMBER PUSHES FOR "RIGHT TO WORK", EXPANDED GAMBLING
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce released a 36-page "Ready for Jobs" report that takes aim at tax reform and labor unions, urging change in the structure of some business taxes, approving caps on medical malpractice lawsuits, increasing the health care contributions paid by state workers, and approving an anti-union "right to work" law. Also:

The report goes on to say that more widespread employment is the answer.
“Along with a paycheck that will increase income and improve living conditions, a good job includes insurance coverage that can improve health. a good job also reduces reliance on state programs such as Medicaid, which is growing almost three times faster than the overall state budget,” it concludes.
And the report says “quality education is the key to a good job and a stronger future for individual Kentuckians and the state as a whole.”
The “Ready for Jobs?” report notes that K-12 education funding has increased 33 percent over the last 14 years and public colleges and universities have increased by 6.7 percent — far less than the rate of increase of the state’s general fund overall (nearly 50 percent) and the corrections department (65.5 percent), Medicaid he alth coverage for the poor and disabled (123 percent) and public employee health insurance (202 percent).

Read this: cn|2/Ryan Alessi 
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KENTUCKY PRIVATE SECTOR WORKING GROUP: GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS
From a news release:

Embracing the "Getting Business Back in Business" concept, Kentucky's Private Sector Working Group (PSWG) concluded a two-day workshop recently held in Somerset, July 9-10. 

Led by Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM), the meeting drew dozens of representatives from private sector organizations and associations from across the state and local communities. The meeting was held at The Center for Rural Development and Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Preparedness -Technology, Analysis and Coordination Center (P-TAC). The discussion at the meeting centered on mutual aid, resource management, recovery, emerging technologies and the concept of the Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center (VBEOC). (VBEOC is a virtual system concept integrating the private sector into response efforts during an emergency.) 

KYEM Director John Heltzel told the workshop attendees, "Government recognizes the crucial role the private sector plays in emergency response and recovery. Kentucky Emergency Management continues to build from lessons learned from past disasters, and shared exercises, and have utilized our private sector partners many times, as recent as the March 2, tornado outbreak."

He concluded by saying, "Having you as partners with the State is invaluable, having the PSWG sitting in the Commonwealth Emergency Operations Center during a disaster makes for a much faster and better coordinated effort!"
Kentucky's PSWG has been recognized as a model project and has been invited to present at a variety of conferences across the country to include; the National Emergency Management Association National Conference in Austin, TX where the model was identified as a national best-practice, National BEOC Conference in Bentonville, AK, Kentucky Hospital Association Leadership Meeting, Kentucky Association of Energy Coops Meeting, Southern Agriculture and Animal Disaster Response Alliance Conference in Atlanta, GA, National Private Sector Summit in Daytona, FL, and FEMA's Region 4 Strategic National Stockpile Summit. 

Mike Dossett, KYEM Private Sector Program Coordinator, said, "In order to strengthen disaster and emergency response and recovery capabilities, KYEM highly encourages all communities to engage and embrace their private sector partners. It is a proven fact when a disaster occurs, the sooner the private sector is up and operating the sooner a community returns to normal. Thus our motto: 'Getting Business Back in Business!' "

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QUICKIES
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Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire stirs sobering memories for comic Cincinnati Enquirer 
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Churchill Downs applies for Nevada poker license Herald-Leader 
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KY environmentalists' report targets power plants Herald-Leader 
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Popular Democrat and former state auditor Crit Luallen says she will not challenge Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2014 WFPL 
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National pundits Bill Kristol and Paul Begala talk Presidential politics at Kentucky Chamber event WFPL 
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TLC orders Pete Rose reality series Cincinnati Enquirer 
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HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY TO BARD'S BURGERS
The popular Latonia burger joint turns four years old and starting today, they've added deep fried pickles and Oreo milkshakes to its already decadent and guilt-ridden menu which also features this behemoth:

Find Bard's Burgers at 3620 Decoursey Avenue in Latonia.

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MORE PARENTS OPTING TO HAVE THEIR KIDS "SCHOOL-HOMED"

LOL:

According to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Education, an increasing number of American parents are choosing to have their children raised at school rather than at home. 

Deputy Education Secretary Anthony W. Miller said that many parents who school-home find U.S. households to be frightening, overwhelming environments for their children, and feel that they are just not conducive to producing well-rounded members of society. 

Thousands of mothers and fathers polled in the study also believe that those running American homes cannot be trusted to keep their kids safe. 

"Every year more parents are finding that their homes are not equipped to instill the right values in their children," Miller said. "When it comes to important life skills such as proper nutrition, safe sex, and even basic socialization, a growing number of mothers and fathers think it's better to rely on educators to guide and nurture their kids."

Have a laugh and read the rest: The Onion 

PHOTOS: PEASELBURG PARADE

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The annual Independence Day Parade in Covington's Peaselburg neighborhood was a well-attended blast, even though the sun was working overtime to heat up the place. Check out photos from the event: 

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Lots more photos below, just click the link!

QUESTIONS AND UNCERTAINTY AT CITY HALL AS BUDGET VOTE LOOMS

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The speech that established him as Covington's new leader in January will have an encore presentation in two weeks, Mayor Chuck Scheper announced at Tuesday night's City Commission meeting. Returning to the Madison Event Center and the same stage he delivered his first and only State of the City address and introduced his ambitious 10-point plan to change the course Covington was on, Scheper will update the citizens on the progress he has made and the steps to be taken to accomplish the rest. The June 26 speech will replace the scheduled city commission meeting. Two days later the commission will vote on the 2012-2013 budget, the topic that dominated its business Tuesday night. 

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In an unusual move, Scheper left his seat at the dais and took to the podium at City Hall's commission chambers to present part of the goals of next year's budget, one that demands large cuts from each department including a million dollars from police and fire. "We're running out of runway," Scheper said, pointing to slide after slide on the projector screen that demonstrated how the City had balanced budgets for years by ignoring infrastructure needs and other issues. There are now thirty million dollars in needed infrastructure, the mayor said. 

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He compared Covington's spending and budgeting habits to those of surrounding cities like Louisville, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati (Covington's payroll tax is higher, it pays more per capita for public safety, and spends far less on other important needs) before returning to his now familiar mantra that C+V=G: courage plus vision equals growth and then to his traditional seat at the dais. 

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What followed was a display of uncertainty about how the cuts to the budget would occur, uncertainty that even reached the usually quiet department heads.
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"The numbers started at a million, they've been as low as five-hundred thousand, they've been six-fifty, eight hundred, and I don't know where we're going to find that money," said a visibly frustrated Fire Chief Chuck Norris. "My hole now is nine-hundred forty-one thousand. I didn't know where I was going to get five hundred, I don't know where I'm going to get nine hundred!" 

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Norris took issue with part of the proposed budget presented by finance director Bob Due that indicated the City would seek more cash by ensuring that it is collecting all that it can from its ambulance runs, an amount that could bring in more than four hundred forty thousand dollars more than it did last year. Norris, in meetings with his staff, anticipated using the same tool to offset his own looming five hundred thousand dollar cuts and instead saw it as being added to his burden. 

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"Here in the last two hours, it doubled," Norris said. "Please don't dig my hole any deeper. It doubled tonight."
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But maybe not. There was confusion over which coffer benefits from the anticipated increase in ambulance run funds. There were a lot of numbers rolling out all at once. The fire department is being asked to cut $500,000 from its budget, but the proposed city budget indicates that $796,000 less will be designated for the fire department as compared to last year, and there is this potential increase in funds coming in from ambulance runs.
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A similar case is true for the police department which is being asked to cut $500,000 but will see $860,000 less than it did last year. City Manager Larry Klein explained that some of those cost reductions are from the decrease in the expense of health benefits charged to the city following new agreements with the unions representing police officers and firefighters. 

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But Norris was not the lone department head in fear over the proposed cuts, whatever they may be and whatever they may add up to. Keith Bales, director of code enforcement, predicted the end of his department which this year had a budget of more than $3.1 million and next year will have $2.7 million, a reduction of more than $350,000. "Two million of that three million is a solid waste contract," Bales said. "$350,000 is a death sentence. The department will be no more." 

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More on the budget, including slides from the presentation that describe it in detail, below -- just click the link. 

CITY EMPLOYEE PULLED FROM BACKHOE THAT FLIPPED IN DEVOU PARK

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An employee from the City of Covington's Department of Public Improvements was inside a backhoe when it flipped over while on the back of a truck in Devou Park Monday afternoon just after 3:00PM. The backhoe was driven up the ramp on the back of a transport truck that apparently rolled from a parking lot near the Behringer-Crawford Museum and then flipped in a field of grass. Covington Fire Chief Chuck Norris did not know the nature of the work being done at the time of the accident but said the city worker was not trapped but rather urged to remain in place after the backhoe flipped so as to prevent any injuries. That worker was taken to University Hospital in Cincinnati to be evaluated at the trauma center but is not believed to have suffered life threatening injuries. Rescue crews from the Covington Fire & Police Departments responded to the scene and after the worker was rescued two tow trucks were there to pull the backhoe and the truck from the grass. The employee's name was not immediately available.

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PHOTOS: 

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MORE PHOTOS BELOW, JUST CLICK THE LINK!

MASSIVE SEARCH IN CITY HEIGHTS FOR MISSING BOY

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UPDATE: Covington Police Assistant Chief Spike Jones says the boy may have been picked up by a family member without the mother knowing. Those details are developing right now and this story will be updated when more is known.

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ORIGINAL POST: 

William Cunningham

A one-year old boy missing in City Heights was reported to Covington Police around 6:00PM Friday prompting a massive response from multiple jurisdictions including Covington Police & Fire, SWAT, Newport Police, Northern Kentucky Technical Rescue, and Kenton County Emergency Management. Two search crews took turns navigating the hilly, wooded area that surrounds the housing project in hopes of locating 1-year old William Cunningham who disappeared after playing with other children at a City Heights playground. 

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As nightfall began to descend on the search, efforts were to be scaled back though a police presence will remain until the child is located. Covington Fire Chief Chuck Norris, who led the search crew with Assistant Covington Police Chief Spike Jones, said the woods around City Heights are dangerous and pose a hazard to the rescue crews. "It's very dangerous to search these woods at night, there are drop-offs and several trails lead to bad places," Norris said. Crews were leaving caution tape around areas in the woods that were already searched and two separate K-9 units were also dispatched to find the boy. 

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Jones said that the boy was last seen wearing blue jean shorts and a brown, striped plaid shirt. At least one person was taken from the scene in a police cruiser for further questioning, though likely not for any criminal reason. "We're not optimistic that there will be criminal charges but if they were the last to see the boy, we want to know what they know," Jones said. 

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THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED.

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MORE PHOTOS FROM THE SCENE: 

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