THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
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by Michael Monks
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PUBLIC WEIGHS IN ON PROPOSED CUTS TO PUBLIC SAFETY
What cuts are to come to the police and fire departments? What is the City Commission's position on de-annexing South Covington? Should the G in C+V=G stand for greatness? A full recap of last night's meeting on proposed cuts to public safety -- at the link.Full story: The River City News
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SEE ALSO: The next public discussion about proposed cuts at City Hall is set for Thursday, August 9 at 6:00PM inside the Commission Chambers. The topics will be code enforcement and community/economic development.
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COUNTIES STRUGGLE WITH 911 FEES AS LANDLINES DWINDLE
One of the reasons Covington wanted to "get out of the dispatch business" is because the revenue coming in from 911 fees on landline phones was shrinking:
During the past decade, the number of telephone landlines – a primary funding source for 911 dispatch service in Kentucky – have shrunk from 2.2 million to 1.8 million. Those numbers continue to drop, as telephone landlines are dropped in favor of cell phones, which provide a lesser amount of funding for dispatch centers.The report goes on to suggest that the $6 fee proposed to be charged to utility bills which was defeated at the Kenton County Fiscal Court last week, will likely be reconsidered.
“I haven’t seen any pre-filed bills addressing 911 funding yet, but it’s an issue that comes up in the (state) legislature every year,” said Shellie Hampton, director of governmental relations for the Kentucky Association of Counties. “We’re watching any county that has an innovative way to collect that money because land line fees on phones (a primary funding source for dispatch centers) are decreasing every month.”
Full story: Cincinnati Enquirer/Cindy Schroeder
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US REP. GEOFF DAVIS RESIGNS FROM CONGRESS
Geoff Davis (R-Hebron), first elected to Congress in 2004, submitted his resignation Tuesday evening and released the following statement:
“I thank the people of Kentucky’s Fourth District for the honor of serving as their Congressman over the last eight years.
“When I was a Cadet at West Point, I internalized the words of the U.S. Military Academy’s motto, ‘Duty, Honor, Country.’ Next, I learned that success was based on honoring God, Family, and Work, in that order. In December 2011, I decided that in order to honor those values, I needed to retire from Congressional service so I could more effectively serve my family as a husband and father.
“Those priorities continue to guide my decisions. Recently, a family health issue has developed that will demand significantly more of my time to assist. As a result, I cannot continue to effectively fulfill my obligations to both my office and my family. Family must and will come first.
“Therefore, I am resigning from the U.S. House of Representatives effective at close of business on July 31, 2012.
“I have served with great men and women in the Congress in both parties, and leave knowing that the House is filled with people who love this country and are working to make our future better. I am grateful to have been blessed by being a part of this great institution.”
Congressman Davis submitted his resignation today to Governor Steve Beshear and Speaker of the House John Boehner.|
Senator Mitch McConnell had this to say:
“Congressman Geoff Davis has been an outstanding representative for the people of Kentucky’s Fourth District and has served his constituents with distinction since 2005. He has accomplished much and has worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Kentucky during his tenure. I wish him and his family well as he embarks on his new endeavor.”|
More coverage via cn|2:
Kevin Sell, the 4th congressional district Republican Party chairman and a close friend of Davis, said he wasn’t aware of the family health issue to which Davis’ statement referred.Full story: cn|2
Sell said Davis mentioned the possibility of leaving during a conversation in June. At the time, Davis had said he was eager to return to Northern Kentucky to spend more time with his wife, Pat, his children and grandchildren and wasn’t looking forward to going through the motions in Congress over the next six months, Sell said.
“When you look at the fact that they start to push them out in the fall and there’s usually just procedural votes and they’re not replacing staff, he had just decided that it was time to go,” Sell said.
Sell said he didn’t try to talk Davis out of resigning early but he did provide some counterpoints, such as continuing the representation of 4th district constituents. However, Davis’ staff will remain in place through the end of the year, so constituents will have congressional contacts.
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Former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson explained via Twitter the process to replace Davis:
KY Gov sets date for special election. Both parties nominate via to party rules. No primary. Election must be at least 5 weeks in future.|
I predict Kentucky Gov will call special election for November election date due to cost of special election and proximity to November.
More coverage of Davis's departure: Politico
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MAINSTRASSE SEXUAL ASSAULT SUSPECT WAHEED RAHMAN IN COURT TODAY
The man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 17-year old girl in Mainstrasse is expected to be in court Wednesday afternoon. Last Tuesday, Police arrested Waheed Abdul Rahman, 22, and charged him with first degree sex abuse and kidnapping a minor. At the time of the arrest, Covington Police Chief Spike Jones told The River City News, "The suspect was known to the victim but not well known, more like an acquaintance than anything, and the victim was en route to somewhere and just happened to run into this person."
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MOTHER OF TEEN MISSING FROM COVINGTON WEIGHS IN AT RCN
The comment section of the post regarding the search for Paige Johnson in Knox County last week has deteriorated into personal accusations. Johnson's mother posted the following:
I am Paige's mother. I was just wondering if you knew that Jacob Bumpass spent time in a jail in Pineville, Ky, before he knew my daughter. Pineville is very close to the area they are searching. During his incarceration, he was allowed to roam the grounds and fish. Monday through Friday he was able to leave the facility to do work release on local farms and forestry work. His mother wrote all about it on her CNN blog. It seems to be a huge coincidence that he knew the area and now they are searching there. He would have thought it would be a good place to take her for nobody would look there. This is what I truly believe. I spoke with Jacob shortly after Paige went missing and he wouldn't even look me in the eye. He also seemed nervous and he rushed me off. Does that sound like someone that was supposed to be a friend to Paige? His cell phone proves that he lied since he was never in Covington. This is why I can't look past Jacob.To read the full comment thread, click the link below and scroll to the bottom.
Search for Teen Missing from Covington Resumes in Knox Co
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QUICKIES
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NKY foreclosures on the rise WLWT
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Anti-gay, anti-abortion billboard removed by owner in Lexington KY Equality Federation
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Sanitation workers in Lexington vote to form union Herald-Leader
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Gov. Beshear statement on court ruling against EPA regulation of water and coal companies press release
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Fans of The Who redeem tickets to Cincinnati concert 33 years later WLWT
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KY Commissioner of Education: Student engagement is key to success KY Forward
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DON'T MISS TUESDAY EVENING'S NEWS
When a Covington woman's email is hacked, a TV news reporter responds to the hacker; Covington businesses named among the best in NKY; Plus, 10 ways to research the history of your house. Those stories and more at the link!
The RC News: Tuesday Evening Round-Up
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KENTON CO LIBRARY BRANCH IN COVINGTON COMING ALONG NICELY
Check out the progress at the Covington library expansion:
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TODAY MARKS BEGINNING OF BREASTFEEDING WEEK IN KENTUCKY, WORLD
From a news release:
In honor of World Breastfeeding Week Aug. 1-7, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) is working to emphasize the importance of providing support for breastfeeding families. This message extends to fathers, family members, friends, employers and other key individuals who can play a role in the effort to build a supportive network for breastfeeding mothers.
“We encourage mothers to breastfeed to ensure that infants are getting the nutrition they need to grow and thrive,” said Health and Family Services Cabinet Secretary Audrey Tayse Haynes. “Even the most committed mothers can struggle to successfully breastfeed when they don’t have the kind of support system they need at home, at the workplace and in the community. If we want to send the message that breastfeeding is important and improve our breastfeeding rates, we need to support mothers who choose to breastfeed.”
Medical and professional organizations worldwide emphasize breastfeeding and the importance of support for new mothers. Similarly, public health has participated in programs, such as the Business Case for Breastfeeding, that have assisted businesses with the implementation of breastfeeding-friendly policies.
“Families and friends can play a role by offering encouragement and assistance at home,” said Fran Hawkins, director of the Kentucky Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. “Even with that support at home, continuing breastfeeding after returning to work is a tremendous challenge.”
Four steps are encouraged to make work environments more conducive to breastfeeding: support from managers and coworkers; , flexible time to express milk (around 10 to 15 minutes three times per day); , education for employees about how to combine breastfeeding and work; , and a designated space to breastfeed or express milk in privacy.
Public health officials stress that continuing breastfeeding after returning to work is often necessary to meet the recommendations for optimal infant nutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and other medical organizations recommend that babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, and continue to be breastfed, along with other food sources, for at least a year.
The World Breastfeeding Week 2012 slogan “The Road to Lifelong Health Begins with Breastfeeding” focuses on the lifelong health benefits that breastfeeding provides to both mothers and babies.
The health and nutritional status of mothers and infants are directly linked, making appropriate infant feeding a critical first step in preventing these and a variety of other medical conditions.Welcome to August! Have a great day!
Families, health professionals, governments, employers and communities must support breastfeeding mothers for the mother to have a successful breastfeeding experience.
“When breastfeeding mothers have little support, they are more likely to stop breastfeeding before they reach their goals,” said Marlene Goodlett, breastfeeding promotion coordinator for Kentucky public health.
The Kentucky Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program provides support and information for prenatal and breastfeeding mothers to help ensure good health for Kentucky’s babies. The program operates through local health departments and provides one-on-one counseling, information and round-the-clock guidance for mothers new to breastfeeding.
“The peer counseling service is a wonderful program for breastfeeding mothers,” said Goodlett. “We’ve had a great deal of success helping mothers learn to breastfeed and remain committed to their breastfeeding goals.”
Kentucky law protects women who wish to breastfeed their babies in public. This law permits a mother to breastfeed her baby or express breast milk in any public or private location. This law also requires that breastfeeding not be considered an act of public indecency or indecent exposure.
