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by Michael Monks
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(NOTE: Some troubling formatting errors have reemerged Thursday night, so apologies for some clunkiness in the way some of this post is laid out. It is being looked at now.)
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COVINGTON'S RENOVATED HOMES TO OPEN FOR TOUR
From a City of Covington news release:
The City of Covington along with its partners, the Center for Great Neighborhoods, Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky, Huff Realty, Sibcy Cline, Coldwell Banker West Shell and Century 21, proudly invite you to tour 5 of its newly renovated and constructed homes in the 900 block of Banklick Street and Berry Street in Covington. An Open House tour will be hosted by the Realtor Partners on Thursday, July 26 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM. These 5 homes are near completion and are ready for purchase.
As part of a grant from the Kentucky Department for Local Government for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), the City of Covington was able to take 14 home sites, restore them, and offer them for sale to qualifying buyers. Three of the sites are new construction while the remaining 11 are full restorations. To date, one home has been sold and two more are under contract.
The NSP program offers potential homebuyers financial incentives that include paid closing costs, sizable grants, and half of the down payment. Buyers must meet income guidelines to qualify for the program. Information on the program can be found at www.makecovingtonhome.com or by calling the City of Covington Community Development Department at 859-292-2147.
Please join us for this Open House event to experience these exciting new homes and discover the quality construction, convenient location and positive impact this project has given the City of Covington. Refreshments will be provided.
Homes on the tour include 304 Berry ($145,000), 908 Banklick ($122,000/Pending), 912 Banklick ($174,000), 914 Banklick ($174,000), 916 Banklick ($175,000), and 902 Banklick ($210,000/Under Contract).
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The River City News produced this video for the realtors to help promote the NSP homes for sale. Check out the great deals!
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NOW FOR THE NEWS...
|HOMELESS MAN ARRESTED FOR STABBING OTHER HOMELESS MAN
A fight between homeless men led to the stabbing early Thursday morning at Covington Landing. Police have arrested Nicholas Howard, 33, and charged him with first degree assault and tampering with evidence. The stabbing victim, David Abrams 49, is recovering at University Hospital in Cincinnati and is expected to survive.
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| Nicholas Howard |
Another tragedy involves a homeless man...
The body found in Banklick Creek has been identified:
On Thursday, Fort Wright police say they'd learned the man was Paul Sloan. He was homeless and police say they believe he died of natural causes.Full story: WKRC
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MAYOR, CITY MANAGER REACT TO FIRE CHIEF'S RETIREMENT
"I am sorry to see him leave," said Mayor Chuck Scheper. City leaders react to the announced retirement of Covington's Fire Chief. Details at the link.
Full story: The River City News
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In case you missed, only The River City News spoke with Chief Chuck Norris about his impending retirement. For that story, click the link below.
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SEE ALSO: New Facebook group created to support keeping the Covington Fire Department and EMS in tact Facebook
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DON'T MISS THURSDAY MORNING'S NEWS
The fire chief isn't the only high-ranking official in town to announce his planned retirement this week; Kroger may soon charge you more if you use a credit card; A KY teen is badly beaten in possible anti-gay attack; Plus, Groundbreaking on a micro-brewery in Newport today. Go on and click it.
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REPOST: PHOTOS OF STORM DAMAGE IN COVINGTON NEIGHBORHOODS
Wind & lightning wreak tree havoc in Covington damaging homes, cars, and Linden Grove Cemetery. Tons of pics at the link. Click the link below. 
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SEE ALSO: A Kentucky weather siren is repaired after it was zapped by lightning WKYT
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QUICKIES
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Insurance agent wanted in Kenton Co, accused of stealing $500,000 WKRC
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Woman pulled from Ohio River alive six hours after jumping from bridge Cincinnati Enquirer
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Mountaintop removal coal is mostly exported WFPL
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Mitt Romney will send representative to Kentucky's Fancy Farm WFPL
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Suspect arrested after overdosing on bath salts and falling through hospital ceiling without pants on WKYT
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POLITICS
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CHARGE OF ANARCHY EMERGES IN NKY CONGRESSIONAL RACE
Dramatic developments in the race for Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District seat. First, the Kentucky-based executive director of a Texas-based Super PAC that bolstered Republican nominiee Thomas Massie past his GOP rivals, faced a DUI charge this week:
Preston Bates, 23, the executive director of Liberty for All, refused to give a corrections officer any personal information other than his name and then said that he was an “anarchist” when he was arrested last July near the University of Louisville. According to the arrest report, Bates pulled up to a residence on Bellamy Place at 3 a.m. July 3, 2011, but when he couldn’t get into the residence, Bates backed his car into an iron fence.| Meanwhile, the founder of the Super PAC says he stands by Bates:
“Preston made a mistake and has taken full responsibility for his actions. I believe now, as I did when I hired him, that Preston is dedicated to our organization’s efforts to advance the economic and personal freedoms that have made our country the greatest nation on earth,” Ramsey said in the statement. “One might say, after all, that the greatest benefit of a society built on freedom is the ability to learn from the things we wish we’d done differently.”
Full story: cn|2
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Massie's Democratic rival, Williamstown attorney Bill Adkins has jumped on the issue:
“I call upon Tom Massie to disavow the Ron Paul/Texas Liberty for All SuperPAC Tell them to leave Kentucky and stay out of this race for Congress,” says Bill Adkins. The Texas SuperPAC is currently operating out of a storefront in Bellevue, Kentucky. “Liberty for All and its leaders are far out of touch with the values of Kentuckians in the 4th District. Their executive director is a confirmed anarchist. Anarchists do not believe in any authority, anarchists have no respect for government and anarchists often use violent means to achieve their goals. Their positions are un-American.”
Full statement: Bill Adkins
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SEE ALSO: Because Thomas Massie quit his job as Lewis County Judge-Executive after less than two years in order to focus on his race for Congress, Governor Beshear appointed a new J-E today press release
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KY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HOLDS STEADY AT 8.2%
From a state news release:
Kentucky’s seasonally adjusted preliminary unemployment rate in June 2012 held at 8.2 percent for the second straight month, according to the Office of Employment and Training (OET), an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.
The preliminary June 2012 jobless rate was 1.4 percentage points below the 9.6 percent rate recorded for the state in June 2011. The U.S. seasonally adjusted jobless rate also remained at 8.2 percent from May 2012 to June 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count people working. In June 2012, Kentucky’s civilian labor force was 2,068,524, an increase of 2,622 individuals compared to the previous month. “We continue to be on a growth path,” said economist Manoj Shanker of the OET. “We have added more than 4,000 jobs for two months in a row. Job growth continues to outstrip the number of people entering the job market, helping to keep down the unemployment rate.”
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MAYORS: ECONOMY IS GROWING BUT WE WANT MORE INFRASTRUCTURE
According to the Washington Post article, the economies of the nation's cities are on the rebound but the state and federal governments must start paying more attention to infrastructure in order for the fragile growth to continue:
The report, prepared by HIS Global Insight, forecasts that 300 of the country’s 363 metropolitan areas will experience real economic growth by the end of the year. The total gross metropolitan product grew by 1.7 percent last year and expanded in 267 metropolitan areas; this year, the report predicts, the average growth of all 363 areas will be just below 1.8 percent. (snip) But mayors attending the conference’s summer meeting in Philadelphia pleaded with federal and state governments, as well as both presidential candidates, to increase the amount of funding for infrastructure — including roads, bridges, water and sewer systems and other transportation investments. Public spending on infrastructure in the United States has fallen to 2.4 percent of the gross domestic product, the group said, something that needs to be increased in order for growth to continue.Full story: Washington Post
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WHERE STATE TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS GO:
From the Atlantic Cities:
Transportation funding is complex. Literally trillions of dollars are constantly at work or on the boards for one thing or another. The type of spending ranges from building overpasses to laying light rail tracks to painting those white-line bicycle riders on the asphalt in bike lanes. And so much more. Trying to define exactly where every transportation dollar in the U.S. goes is probably more effort than it's worth. Understanding generally where that money goes, however, is both doable and informative. A new report has tracked the spending priorities of each state, as laid out in their state transportation improvement programs (STIP).Full analysis: The Atlantic Cities
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SEE ALSO: The percentage of Americans who thinkt he country is headed in the right direction is now the highest that it has been in two years Politico
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KY SPENT $1.29 BILLION ON BUSINESS INCENTIVES FROM 2001-10
The state spent more than $1.2 billion on economic development incentives with no real measure for their effectiveness:
The 577 companies that took incentives reported creating 55,173 jobs in the state from 2001 to 2010, more than two-thirds of them in the manufacturing sector. The gross cost per job was $23,385, according to the report by Anderson Economic Group of Chicago. (snip) Testifying Thursday, senior consultant Caroline Sallee said her firm's findings had gaps. It's impossible to know how many jobs would have been created anyway if the state hadn't offered incentives, she said. And it's hard to say, when considering the total cost of incentives, what the state simultaneously gained from those jobs through taxes it collected from workers and the money they spent in their communities, she said.The full story indicates that Kentucky still lags its neighbors in business development but there are some bright spots. Click it. Herald-Leader/John Cheves
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TASK FORCE TO REVIEW STATE'S ALCOHOL LAWS
Covington's state representative, Arnold Simpson was in the news recently for his push to allow liquor sales while polls are open on election day, and now the Governor has ordered a review of Kentucky's alcohol laws:
“Many groups, including licensees, state regulators, law enforcement and private citizens have called for statutory reform of our alcoholic beverage laws. They agree that Kentucky’s current laws do not adequately account for a 21st-century economy and standard of law,” Beshear said in a statement. “A task force that includes members from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and professions is best suited to identify the problems, debate policy and make recommendations for improvements.” Beshear noted that Kentucky has more than 13,000 licenses issued to manufacturers, distributors and retailers for alcoholic beverages. There are more than 70 different license types to regulate those operations, he said, adding that these businesses not only generate millions of dollars for the Kentucky economy every year but also attract tourists.Herald-Leader
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MORE QUICKIES
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NKY Health Dept says there were 11 new cases of whooping cough reported this week, and calls it an outbreak Twitter
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NKAPC looks for new land management software Building Cincinnati
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Editorial: Cincinnati, don't apologize! Cincinnati Enquirer
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For 3CDC the work is never done in Downtown Cincinnati Business Courier
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TRAFFIC ALERT:
From the City of Taylor Mill:
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet contacted us today and indicated that the Old Taylor Mill Road and Taylor Creek Subdivision Closures originally planned for 9:30 am on Friday morning will now not occur until 10:00 am on Saturday morning. Please note all road closures are anticipated to last through October 31, 2012.
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DAD DENIES DAUGHTER'S MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION TRIP TO DISNEY
A 4-year old Kentucky girl who has completed leukemia treatments will not get to go to Disney World because her father thinks other kids should:
The Sentinel-Tribune in Bowling Green reports McKenna May of Haskins completed treatment for leukemia but couldn't go to Disney because both parents had to agree. William May of Toledo says he thinks trips should go to sick children in more dire circumstances than his daughter. A Make-A-Wish official says the girl's treatment struggles qualified her for a wish.
Full story: WKYT
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THE POINT/ARC IN COVINGTON OPENS SCREEN PRINTING BUSINESS
The new business will help fund the agency:
The Point/Arc of Northern Kentucky serves area residents who are developmentally disabled. Brian Harper, of Covington, along with John Foppe of Alexandria, have known each other for years through the Special Olympics. They decided to ask The Point/Arc of Northern Kentucky to join in on this business venture.
Full story: Cincinnati Enquirer/Libby Cunningham
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SPORTS
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UK Football coach Joker Phillips talks about being on the hot seat Herald-Leader
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Zippy Chippy, the "losingest" race horse, makes friends in retirement Herald-Leader
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MOTHER OF GOD CHURCH AUCTIONING OFF ITEMS
From the Mother of God:
Check out the Everything But The House website. There are several items from Mother of God Church up for auction. A large number of those items can be found under the category "religious" at the following link. Bidding ends Sunday, July 22nd, 2012 at 4:00PM ET.So what are some of the items up for grabs? Take a look:
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| $60-65 |
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| Currently $18-20 |
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| Right now: $10-12 |
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Check out all the items at the link below:
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NEW STUDY FINDS AMERICANS NEED 6 HOURS OF SLEEP AT WORK
LOL:
"Millions of people are staying up way too late at work," said endocrinologist Hannah Presnall, adding that in order for the body to function properly, workers should arrive at their job, check and send e-mails for two to three hours, and be asleep by 11:30 a.m. at the latest.Full story: The Onion (Satire)
