NEWS ROUND-UP -- WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON 28 MAR

by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter 

|   

THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

|

BILL BUTLER HOSTS FUNDRAISER FOR GARY MOORE

The leader of Corporex hosted a fundraiser for Republican Boone County Judge-Executive Gary Moore and his campaign for Congress. From Page One Kentucky in a post titled Is the donor class waking up in 4th District race?: 

Hosts included two county-wide elected officials: Rothenberger from Shelby County and Pendrey from Campbell. The Griffin Family, which gave about $70,000 to the Republican Party of Kentucky last year appears to be solidly on board. The Cain Family contains both prominent Republicans and Democrats. Julie Hopkins is general counsel at Ashland Inc. Bill Toebben, Bob Elliston (Turfway), John Yeager (real estate). 

See the invitation at the link as well as a mention of a former Covington City Commissioner that appears to be helping a difference candidate in the race. 
Page One Kentucky  
|
SEE ALSO: Rep. Geoff Davis was vague about whether he would endorse a candidate in the 4th District primary, but did offer support to candidates in two other races: the Presidential primary and the 23rd district state senate primary cn|2 
|
SEE ALSO: Davis led the NKY Chamber on a tour in DC today. See the pic here. 
|
COVINGTON COMPANY AWARDED $51 MILLION CONTRACT FOR ROAD WORK
The expected delays on local interstates mean big bucks for a Covington business according to a state press release: 

“Revive the Drive – NKY,” a wide-ranging initiative to make badly needed bridge and highway repairs and improvements across Northern Kentucky, is entering a critical new phase with pavement rehabilitation projects on Interstates 275 and 471 in Campbell County. Both will have a great impact on traffic.

I-471 will undergo total pavement replacement in a 5.7-mile corridor used by more than 100,000 vehicles a day. Work crews will be removing the original concrete pavement of I-471, which was constructed in the latter 1970s, and replacing it with asphalt.

Eaton Asphalt Paving Co. Inc. and Subsidiary, located in Covington, Ky., was awarded the contract on a low bid of $51 million. 

From the Enquirer: 

“If you’re going to drive (Interstate) 471 or 275 this summer, think about taking an alternate route: that’s the best advice that I can give anyone, because of the congestion that’s going to occur,” said Bob Hill, highway safety coordinator for Kentucky Transportation District 6 in Fort Mitchell. 

Cincinnati Enquirer/Amanda Van Benschoten  
|
FRANKFORT HEADLINES
|

|

Gov. Beshear calls on lawmakers to pass budget WKYT 

|

Speaker Stumbo says budget talks have stalled WFPL

|

Budget negotiators make little progress Courier-Journal 

|

Lawmakers wrangle over debt in state budget Bluegrass Politics 

|

As a former teacher, Sen. Jack Westwood has fought for career training bill cn|2 

|

Senate makes more changes to roads bill WFPL 

|

Senate panel may vote on death penalty task force WTVQ 

|

Senate proposes changes to unemployment insurance loan repayment plan WFPL 

|

Attorney General Jack Conway announces $2.75 million settlement with drug company press release 

|

Taiwan donates $30,000 to Kentucky tornado relief effort press release

_____________________________________________________________

|   

THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

|

'FOR VETERANS ONLY' NEEDS YOU HELP

South Covington's Ron Lawson is seeking help from the public in preserving and continuing For Veterans Only, a long-running program that he produced and that eventually found itself broadcast around the country to more than a million viewers per week:  

In 2012, the Department of Defense Vietnam 50th Commemoration will also have complete access to the FOR VETERANS ONLY ARCHIVES AND LIBRARY. We need you to help us spread the work about this great project. And we need your monetary support....any amount will help assure the project completion and success.
Our projected budget to archive the materials is just over $40,000 for digitizing the videotapes and making DVD copies for the complete collection. But our immediate need is around $700 as we have to purchase proper storage containers and move the entire collection to start the process of duplication and documenting the videotape for the archival library. 

For more information on Lawson's efforts, click here.
| 
FRANKFORT ACKNOWLEDGES NEW GROCERY IN LUDLOW
From a press release: 

Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson joined local and state leaders for the presentation of a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) used to help purchase needed equipment for the new grocery store.
“This project is about more than opening a new grocery for the Ludlow community,” Gov. Beshear said. “It is about creating a quality downtown environment that enhances the community’s character, generates more jobs and attracts new business to the area.”
The city of Ludlow did not have its own grocery store, which forced residents to travel to the surrounding towns of Fort Mitchell, Covington or Fort Thomas to do their grocery shopping.
The Riverside Market will not only provide the Ludlow community with local access to grocery products, but it also will create up to 30 new jobs in the area. The new supermarket also will provide a fuel center for area citizens. 

|
*************************************
|
in case you missed it...
|
THIS MORNING'S NEWS
A school board meeting tonight could attract larger than usual crowd; A UK fan offers his wife in exchange for tickets to Saturday's game; Plus, the springtime photos series continues with a trip to Licking Riverside. Click it. 

The RC News: Wednesday Morning Round-Up 

|

************************************* |
HOW NKU BECAME AN 'ENGAGEMENT CAMPUS'
Outgoing President Dr. James Votruba literally wrote the book on it: 

NKU has carefully and systematically constructed a commitment to public engagement into the university’s mission, strategic plan and promotion/tenure guidelines. A newly released report, “Public Engagement: The Community is Our Classroom,” profiles that commitment and includes 101 examples of public engagement at NKU. 

Kentucky Forward  
|
WHERE IN COVINGTON AM I?
Are you playing the new game at The River City News Facebook page? Several times a week, fans at the Facebook page will see a photo and will guess where in Covington the photo came from. If you are not yet a fan on Facebook, click here and join in! Here are a few of the examples... 

...the answers are at the Facebook page. 

|

QUICKIES...

|

New photos of the work going on at CVG's Concourse A Click Here 

|

Mega Millions jackpot grows to $500 million! NKY Spot 

|

Louisville's Seelbach wins hotel of the year Business First 

|

        FINAL FOUR LATEST

|

With the most highly anticipated sporting event in Kentucky history on the horizon, leave it to a US Senator to put everyone to sleep while talking about it: 

|

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

|

McConnell has nothing on the more raucous US House where Reps. Yarmuth and Chandler waved some flags on some steps Bluegrass Politics 

|

Random roadside merchandise salesman pops up in Crescent Springs Cincinnati Enquirer 

|

Coach Cal wants to win a title for the players and for the fans Coach Cal 

|

Interesting... Why you should feel sorry for UK fans: 

This should be a moment of elation for Kentucky fans. Their team plays a ruthlessly beautiful brand of basketball. Their starting lineup is better than the New Jersey Nets. And yet there is something lurking underneath: A sense that winning is, in its own odd way, making UK's fans miserable. Their expectations of triumph—be it recruiting battles or tournament games—has hardened into a coarse entitlement. It's gotten to the point where even a championship will feel like anticlimax. 

Wall Street Journal  
|
Another recruiting coup for UK? CBS 
|
Former UK coach Billy Clyde Gillispie says the UK staff would be run out of town if the Wildcats fall to Louisville Wildcat World 
|
Louisville boasts the highest ratings for the NCAA Tournament Business First
_______________________________________________________________
|
HIP HOP 101 AT THE CARNEGIE
From the Carnegie: 

Students in the Scripps Howard ArtStop workshop, "Hip Hop 101 with Pones, Inc." rehearse their dance performance. Scripps Howard ArtStop workshops are open to children ages 7-15 and offer a wide variety of after school arts programs. 

|

Help Northern Kentucky land a social media convention. Click Here 

|

33 IS THE HAPPIEST AGE YOU WILL EVER KNOW

So says a new survey: 

A British website, Friends Reunited, says that 70% of people over 40 picked that age as their happiest.

Were you happiest at 33?
New York Daily News

FORMER COVINGTON COMMISSIONER REPRIMANDED AT KY SUPREME COURT

by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter 

|   

THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

|

Steve Megerle

Former Covington City Commissioner Steve Megerle was before the Kentucky Supreme Court Thursday for his issues with the Kentucky Bar Association. The state's highest court ruled that a public reprimand and the payment court costs were an appropriate penalty for Megerle for mishandling a client's automobile injury case and also for his involvement in the 2008 campaign flyer against then-candidate Shawn Masters that would eventually result in Megerle's resignation from the commission. 

|
The Kentucky Bar Association charged that Megerle took no action for over a year in the automobile injury case other than mailing letters in May 2007 to his client's insurance company and another to the insurance company of the other driver involved. From the ruling: 

Elizabeth Martinez was injured in an automobile accident in June 2006. In October 2006, Martinez retained Megerle to represent her in connection with the accident. Megerle sent two letters in February and March 2007, one to Martinez's insurance company and one to the other driver's insurance company, to notify the adjusters that he was representing Martinez. Megerle requested copies of Martinez's medical and billing records in May 2007. And, in November 2007, Megerle received a $5,000 settlement offer from the other driver's insurance company. Megerle conveyed that offer to Martinez but without providing specifics. Megerle took no further action regarding Martinez's personal injury claim.While Megerle represented her, Martinez had not yet met any of the no-fault thresholds required by Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) 304.39-060 before a tort suit arising from an automobile accident can be filed. But Megerle did not explain to Martinez the threshold requirements of KRS 304.39-060 or why he had not filed suit. Martinez believed Megerle had filed a personal-injury suit on her behalf. And when she discovered that no suit was filed, Martinez discharged Megerle; and he released her file to her in April 2008. 

Charges against Megerle for that case were as follows:

1) SCR 3130-1.3, by taking no action on Martinez's case for over a year, other than mailing letters in the spring of 2007 and conveying a settlement offer to her in November 2007;2) SCR 3.130-1.4(a), by not keeping Martinez reasonably informed about the status of her case and by not informing her of the requirements of KRS 304.39-060; and3) SCR 3.130-1.4(b), by not sufficiently explaining the no-fault statute requirements to Martinez to permit her to make informed decisions concerning his representation of her.

Megerle's role in a campaign flyer against Masters in 2008 that included the current City Commissioner's social security number and had strong homophobic undertones (Masters is openly gay) was also part of Thursday's proceedings:

In the fall of 2008, Megerle, a Covington City Commissioner, assisted with the election campaign of Craig Johnson, a candidate for a vacant seat on the Commission. Megerle contributed $100 cash toward the creation and distribution of an anonymous campaign pamphlet advocating the defeat of Shawn Masters, Johnson's opponent in the election. The pamphlet did not disclose who was paying for the pamphlet. Megerle and another individual distributed these pamphlets in certain Covington neighborhoods.In April 2009, in the case of Commonwealth v. Steven J. Megerle, Kenton District Court, Case No. 09-M-02076, Megerle pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Fail to Identify Campaign Contributors and Advertisers and entered an Alford2plea to Conspiracy to Violate Campaign Finance Restrictions, both Class A misdemeanors. Megerle received a sentence of twelve months' imprisonment, conditionally discharged for one year; was required to pay a $500 fine; and was placed on non-reporting probation for one year. 

The Commission issued a one-count Charge, alleging Megerle violated SCR 3.130-8.3(b) by committing the campaign law misdemeanors to which he pleaded guilty. 

The final judgment: 

So we agree that a public reprimand and imposition of all costs associated with these proceedings is the appropriate penalty. For the foregoing reasons, the Court ORDERS:1) Steven Joseph Megerle, KBA Member No. 90675, is guilty of all charges alleged in KBA Consolidated File No. 17289;2) Megerle's Motion for Public Reprimand is granted; and he is hereby issued a public reprimand for violation of SCR 3.130-1.3, 3.130-1.4(a), 3.130-1.4(b), and 3.130-8.3(b); and3) Under SCR 3.450, Megerle is ordered to pay all costs associated with this disciplinary proceeding, in the amount of $79.75, for which execution may issue from this Court upon finality of this Opinion and Order.
All sitting. All concur.

Megerle, 31, still practices law in Covington from an office on Washington Street.