NEWS ROUND-UP -- WEDNESDAY MORNING 29 AUGUST

THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

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FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter  

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by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

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SCHOOLS HOST FOCUS GROUP ON DRUG TESTING STUDENTS WEDNESDAY

If you wish to weigh in on the current debate at Covington Independent Public Schools, consider attending this focus group about the possibility of drug-testing the district's students:

Many schools have random student drug testing programs in place. These programs randomly test students who participate in extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs, as well as students who drive to school. Court decisions have upheld the test of these categories of students. The purpose of the program is to serve as a detterent. The Covington Board of Education is currently exploring the possibility of implementing a program for students in grades 6-12. The district also is hosting a focus group meeting from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, August 29, to hear from students, parents and the community regarding a student drug testing program. The meeting will be in the Holmes High School Cafe'. We value your opinion. Please take a few moments to answer the following questions. Thank you for your participation.

There is an online survey to take at the link: Click Here 
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GOVERNOR REORGANIZES TECH, CAREER SCHOOLS
Governor Steve Beshear signed an executive order Tuesday that would move technical and career education under the same umbrella at the middle and high school level:

Currently, local high schools can operate career and technical programs using local and state funds. Those programs report to the Kentucky Department of Education. The state also has 53 technical centers for 123 school districts that are paid for with state funds. That career and technical program reports to the Department for Workforce Investment. The executive order moves both systems to the Kentucky Department of Education.

Full story: Herald-Leader/Beth Musgrave
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IF SCHOOLS KILL CREATIVITY, CAN TOYS BRING IT BACK TO LIFE?
Computers save the day:

In an education world obsessed with curriculum standards and high-stakes testing, students are funneled onto particular tracks, rather than being allowed to choose their own adventures and explore their passions (a phenomenon that education expert Sir Ken Robinson says is killing creativity) But if the contemporary education model discourages kids' curiosity and creativity, a new generation of companies are finding ways to emulate Lego and encourage those traits through play.

Full story: GOOD 
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JOHN G. CARLISLE SCHOOL PTA HOSTS GRILL-OUT
From Covington Independent Public Schools:

Nearly 100 parents, students, staff and community members attended John G. Carlisle's Cubs Council PTA kickoff on Tuesday. Organizers were thrilled with the turnout. But its not too late to become a member of the PTA. Cubs Council meetings will be held the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m., usually in the school cafeteria.

The officers include President, Sande Shepherd; Secretary/Treasurer, Kerry McHugh; Vice President/Organization and Communications, Kerry Holleran; Vice President/Membership,Francisco Pabon; Vice President/Activities, Shana Lack; Vice President/Fundraising, Christi Blair.

More photos: Facebook 
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DON'T MISS TUESDAY EVENING'S NEWS!
Lawsuit hopes to force election for vacant Covington School Board seat; Workers inside an historic Kentucky building discover the remnants of an old sex club; Plus, it's time for another installment of "What is Covington Selling on Craigslist?"

Full story: The RC News: Tuesday Evening Round-Up |
QUICKIES
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Democratic state senate candidate Jim Noll says he has been endorsed by former Congressman Ken Lucas Facebook 
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State Police: Human remains belong to woman who was scalped WBKO 
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KY Court weights $24 million gas royalty verdict CBS 
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Speaking of gas... how much did you pay this morning?

$3.95 at Liberty Tobacco & Beer on Fifth Street

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KY Appeals Court to decide immigration case AP 
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Man flies from England to KY to meet underage girl WKYT 
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Cincinnati threatens Duke Energy over streetcar costs Cincinnati Enquirer 
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Former Republican US Senator from Kentucky disappointed with GOP's shift to the right cn|2 
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Sons tell KY delegation about growing up Romney cn|2 
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Lexington city council poised to ban aerial fireworks Herald-Leader 
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A BUSY NIGHT IN DOWNTOWN COVINGTON
Rapper Machine Gun Kelly drew a big crowd to the Madison Theater in Covington...

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PROGRESS CONTINUES ON COVINGTON LIBRARY EXPANSION

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DONNA SALYERS FABULOUS FURS FALL FASHION PREVIEW TONIGHT

A fashion show tonight in Downtown Covington...

More details: Click Here 

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GLBT MAGAZINE FEATURES MAINSTRASSE VILLAGE'S PAWRADE

Check out this great photo from the publishers of CNKY Scene:

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LEADING THE WAY ON A 21ST CENTURY WATERFRONT

Something to learn from for Covington?

"Most of all, there’s a growing awareness that the great waterfronts are the ones where there’s a lot of activity in the water itself," says Stan Eckstut, EE&K's senior principal. He points to Baltimore and Sydney, where revitalization schemes didn’t end at land but extended into the water and its uses, making for busier ports with more services and more amenities.

Waterfronts attached to urban cities have evolved too far from their historic character, Eckstut says. As a result of new ideas about zoning as well as trends specific to the maritime industry, such as containerization, some urban waterfronts have fallen into disuse. But not all waterfronts need to be harbors to be successful. And certainly not all waterfronts need to be parks.

Full story with lots of great photos: The Atlantic Cities 

NEWS ROUND-UP -- THURSDAY EVENING 21 JUNE

THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

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FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter  

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by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

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COVINGTON MUST CATCH UP TO NEWPORT AND CINCINNATI IN GREEN SPACE

"We're the last of the three and there's no reason it can't happen here, too," said Covington City Manager Larry Klein during the Covington Business Council's monthly luncheon which focused on green space and branding Thursday afternoon. What are some possibilities for Covington to consider? Click the link for the full story.

The Greening and Branding of Covington 

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Meanwhile... on the Cincinnati side of the river...

The new Smale Riverfront Park is already exceeding expectations: 

Reports from various media outlets and first-hand accounts highlight the immediate popularity of the park. One problem, according to Prather, has been that visitors want to play in the dramatic water curtain along Mehring Way which was not designed for interaction. 

Via UrbanCincy 

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HOW COMMUNITY COLLEGES CAN SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The expansion of Gateway College's urban campus in Downtown Covington is one of the city's top priorities, though its fate relies heavily on financing from Frankfort which seems to be pretty well dried up at the moment. Why is it so important? City leaders believe the school (and the thousands of students that would be in attendance) would be a serious catalyst in revitalizing the urban core. This article from The Atlantic Cities, which focuses on Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio, agrees: 

Murka introduced me to Sinclair's President, Steven Johnson. Johnson, a farmer's son, has degrees in marketing and a PhD in education administration. He's seen a lot of things in his life, lived a lot of places, and worked a lot of jobs. Like Murka, he doesn't have much faith in private unions, especially unions like the UAW that, he said, put the needs of its membership ahead of the needs of the community. Nor, he made clear, did he have much patience for people who insisted that college be purely "academic."

"We're not Sarah Lawrence, not Wellesley," he says. "We're trying to help people get enough education to make something of themselves, people who are financially limited, academically limited, logistically limited."

Johnson explained that the UAV training program is part of his plan not only to prepare students for 21st-century jobs, but to promote a new educational model. "For most of us, college is one of the few things you do only once - you go when you're 18, stay until you're 22, and never go back," he said. "That model doesn't work for everyone. Sinclair is a place you can come back to for the rest of your life -- to refresh, retrain. You've heard of 'just-in-time' manufacturing? This is 'just in time' education."

Full story: The Atlantic Cities/Ellen Ruppel Shell 
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NEWPORT BREAKS GROUND ON NEW LUXURY APARTMENT BUILDING
Via WKRC:

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QUICKIES

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Feds did not properly seize $250,000 in Bill Erpenbeck's money Herald-Leader 

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Erpenbeck's money up for grabs Cincinnati Enquirer 

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Jobless rate falls in 107 Kentucky counties press release 

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But this won't help: 500 miners to lose their jobs WKYT 

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Governor Beshear reacts via press release:

“We are extremely disappointed and disheartened by the announcement from Arch Coal today, as we know the announcement of significant layoffs in Kentucky is devastating news for hundreds of Kentucky families.

I have authorized the mobilization of our Education and Workforce Development Cabinet’s Rapid Response Teams to assist these employees in the transition from their jobs to beginning a search for new work, starting new workforce training or enrolling in classes to prepare them for the next stage of their careers. These teams will also ensure the families are aware of assistance available from state and federal services during this difficult time. We will adapt the roles and services of these teams as needed to make certain that our affected families are equipped to handle this challenge.
As unfortunate as this news is, it cannot be said that it was wholly unexpected. Demand for coal is at a 20-year low, thanks to a rapidly shifting energy market and high inventory. Unpredictable federal regulation processes have also hindered legal mining efforts, and we will continue to fight the unfair regulatory changes that effectively delay or halt our mining projects.” 

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Secretary of State Allison Lundergan Grimes's grandmother (made famous in Grimes's campaign ad) passed away at 92 press release Full coverage: cn|2
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Cincinnati/NKY home sales up, inventory down in May Business Courier
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After being hacked twice, Louisville traffic sign to be moved Courier-Journal 
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134,000 KY FAMILIES TO SPLIT $15.3 MILLION IN HEALTH CARE REBATES
This is thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare: 

The average rebate for a family will be $114.
As part of the controversial 2010 health insurance overhaul pushed by President Barack Obama, insurance companies must spend 80 percent of all premiums they collect to pay claims or improve health outcomes. The remaining 20 percent can be spent on administrative costs, such as salaries and advertising. 

Herald-Leader/Beth Musgrave
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KENTUCKY COUPLE'S HOME BURGLARIZE WHILE AWAY AT SON'S FUNERAL
Parents whose son was murdered had their home burglarized while attending his funeral: 

The thieves took jewelry, guns, tools, electronics, and money. Police say they believe the thieves were fully aware the family would not be home. 

Clarkson, Kentucky is rough. 
WBKO
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THIS WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT KENTUCKY
Isn't this a sweet piece of art?

The really wonderful group "Kentucky for Kentucky" is giving one away, but you have to "Like" their Facebook page. Click here 

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CENTER CITY ACTION PLAN: PART TWO OF THREE

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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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This post will focus on the second aspect of the Covington Center City Action Plan: Creating and inviting public realm. 

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PART ONE OF THE CENTER CITY ACTION PLAN AT THE LINK BELOW:

Suggestions include parking meters for Mainstrasse, zoning changes, and a database of vacant, available spaces for new businesses. Click it. 

Center City Action Plan Part One 

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CREATING AN INVITING PUBLIC REALM

An appealing and inviting public realm is a fundamental part of a strategy to strengthen neighborhoods and business districts alike, writes PUMA in its newly crafted Center City Action Plan. This part of the plan is loaded with recommendations on how to capitalize on Covington's natural geography, including a recommended trail system throughout the city, wayfinding signage, public art, and the development of more and better greenspace and access to the river. 

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Suggested strategies included in the plan: 

• Plan for and develop a trail network throughout Center City to accommodate walkers and bikers. Incorporate the Ohio and Licking River bridges into any pedestrian/bike trail plan; take advantage of flat terrain in the area. 
• Consider commissioning a bike master plan for the City that can provide strategies to support bike mobility and amenities throughout Center City. 
• Create a wayfinding framework with a common design theme that  reinforces the unique attributes. Two hierarchical levels of signage are recommended to help reinforce a sense of place as well as direct automobile, bike and pedestrian traffic through the center city areas.

Those "hierarchical levels of signage" include primary/gateway signage which would guide drivers to specific focus areas like Mainstrasse, Roebling Point, and Gateway College. Also, secondary/district signage would be designed with bikers and pedestrians in mind. From the plan: 

It is recommended to have not only the common design theme of the signage family but should also incorporate some distinctive characteristics or logos/marks specific to the focus areas in which they are located. Examples of such distinctive characteristics are the Goebel Park Clock Tower, the lively/kinetic/action signage within Mainstrasse or the Basilica within the Cultural Campus area. In order to highlight and provide a stronger sense of orientation, consideration should be given to employing the use of pedestrian scaled signing elements that can be easily modified as tenanting evolves within the focus areas. Future consideration should also be given to include the identity of the residential districts, such as “Licking Riverside” or “Eastside” on signage within the Center City core.  

Recommended locations for such signage include 5th Street, Madison Avenue looking south from Convention Center, along with improved directional signage in Mainstrasse, Roebling Point, RiverCenter, Gateway College, the Library, MLK Blvd, 4th Street, 11th Street, and the area around the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge. 
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ANTICIPATING CHANGES BROUGHT ON BY BRENT SPENCE BRIDGE PLANS
From the plan: 

Although plans have not yet been finalized for the alignment of the roadways with the new Brent Spence bridge and potential of 12th Street/Martin Luther King Blvd being one of the primary main interchanges for Covington – it is recommended that an alternate route or loop road connecting 12th Street with 5th Street and the Pike Street area be enhanced as “boulevard streets” to create a sense of place as well as creation of potential investment opportunities along these enhanced corridors and the gateway area as a whole. 

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DEVELOP OPEN SPACE AND RIVER ACCESS
The plan suggests identifying and prioritizing open space opportunity sites throughout the Center City that will enhance an existing amenity; determining if the IRS site can be integrated into Center City by allowing better access and movement through the site; providing better access to both river though ensuring that new development near the rivers preserves physical and visual access, that the new river trails relate to the Center City so that access is logical and intuitive, and identifying green space opportunities near the rivers.
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CELEBRATE RAILROADS AND BRIDGES

During PUMA's most recent visit to Covington, the firm's leader Brad Segal urged the city to spruce up its historical industrial infrastructure with creative lighting displays or artwork. In the new plan those points are re-emphasized: 

View the elevated rail that bisects Center City as a unifying, identifying and historical feature, as opposed to a barrier that divides the community. Creating an identity for Covington that is visible from Cincinnati and the highways will elevate Covington’s presence and help brand it as a unique, creative and inviting place.  

PUMA suggests lighting treatment to "reinforce the kinetic energy of the rail and unique ground lighting to illuminate the industrial character of the raised rail as public art. 

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ENCOURAGE HISTORIC PRESERVATION

PUMA, in the plan, notes that Covington's character is largely drawn from its historic urban design with mostly two to three story buildings built to the curb with generous pedestrian access. The plan offers zoning strategies to enhance this character through ensuring that zoning is appropriate ine ach district, making sure that there are appropriate transitions from business districts to neighborhoods, adjusting design guidelines so as to preserve historic character while ensuring guidelines are not so rigorous as to inhibit reinvestment, and providing design and financial assistance for businesses that are undertaking exterior finishes.   

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Part 3 of this report will focus on "Strong Neighborhoods" and PUMA's recommendations for the city to build upon that theme. 

CENTER CITY ACTION PLAN: PART ONE OF THREE

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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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The so-called "plan of plans" to lead Covington's urban core back down a path of revitalization has arrived at City Hall and The River City News has scored a copy just before its expected online release to the public. The Covington Center City Action Plan (CCCAP) was financed by a 2010 grant awarded to the city in 2010 by the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (42 cities nationwide were awarded the Community Challenge Planning Grant). The city selected Denver-based Progressive Urban Management Associates to lead the plan's development and over the past eight months PUMA has delved into the challenges Covington faces and how best to ignite a lightning bolt of development activity in the urban core. 

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The plan focuses on three key initiatives: a strong economy, an inviting public realm, and strong neighborhoods. In this first of three reports, the focus will be on the first part, a strong economy. The other two elements will be detailed in follow-up reports Thursday. 

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COVINGTON HAS A STRONG BASE FROM WHICH TO GROW

Throughout the planning process it was clear that Covington is not a blank canvas; in fact, the PUMA team built its plan around three strong areas in the city that could serve as a catalyst for development around them and elsewhere: Mainstrasse, the riverfront, and several blocks along the Madison Avenue corridor (which includes parts of Scott Boulevard and the Gateway College Urban Campus for the purposes of the report). PUMA notes that the NKY Convention Center sees 300,000 annual visitors, 400,000 people visit Mainstrasse each year, and the Covington branch of the Kenton County Library welcomes 390,000 people annually.  

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While the CCCAP focuses first on those three areas there are two other potential areas of development in the near future. PUMA envisions a cultural campus around the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and Covington Latin School where Madison Avenue meets Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in a newly redesigned intersection. To the west on MLK Boulevard is another area where the new Saint Elizabeth Hospital has opened and where the former Jillian's site in the old Bavarian Brewery building sits vacant. The redesigned Brent Spence Bridge plans could make MLK Boulevard one of the prime gateways into the city.

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ATTRACTING JOBS

The plan calls on the city to build upon the center city's niche of innovation and incubation through providing incentives, business support and technical assistance to new 

and existing businesses. Those steps could include permit and regulatory help, market information, maintaining an inventory of available commercial space, business planning, and merchandising. Incentives could include providing working capital for innovative and creative business concepts, low/no interest loans and grants, funding for tenant finish, working with landlords to develop contract or lease relief for businesses that generate a certain kind or number of jobs and provide a desirable service or product, and Providing incentives for light manufacturing, creative pursuits and residential uses on upper floors of currently underutilized buildings in Center City. 

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PUMA suggests that there be a physical location in which all of this information is readily available.

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MARKETING COVINGTON

The CCCAP suggests marketing Center City as a center of innovation to University students throughout the region including Gateway Community and Technical College, University of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky University and to strive to attract and keep young talent in Covington by promoting its quality of life, amenities and affordable real estate.  The plan recommends that the city work with hotels to ensure that literature and brochure in lobbies and rooms let visitors know that they are not just in Greater Cincinnati, but specifically in Covington. The plan suggests the creation of a map identifying all that is offered within the center city. 

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THIS STORY CONTINUES BELOW, JUST CLICK THE LINK!

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ONE PROPOSED RIVERFRONT PROJECT RESCINDED

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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One of the three proposals received by the City of Covington after requesting plans to redevelop the city's riverfront has been rescinded. The Boca Group is taking back its so-called "Sail Project" and reworking its second proposal, "The Kentucky Queen" to incorporate elements of the Sail. “Boca has indicated they will be giving us a revised proposal for The Kentucky Queen Project as soon as they can,” Community Development Director Jackson Kinney said.

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Though Covington's riverfront is arguably one of the most prime pieces of real estate in the region, the city only received three proposals for redevelopment: two from Boca and one from Corporex and restaurateur Jeff Ruby which offered two phases of construction, the first emphasizing the reopening of Ruby's Waterfront restaurant.

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The following is part of a press release issued by City Hall:

THREE PROPOSALS FOR COVINGTON'S RIVERFRONT

by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter 

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Covington's request for proposals to develop the riverfront have been met with three responses from two companies including a joint proposal from Corporex and Jeff Ruby that aims to reopen the Waterfront at Covington Landing. Another two proposals come from the Bocal Hotel Group, LLC.

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Corporex & Jeff Ruby Unite to Reopen Waterfront

Their proposal includes two phases with the first focused on the Waterfront and then a second phase that would only begin when funding becomes available and would place a floating boardwalk and marina & wharf at the riverfront. Under this proposal, the Waterfront could be open as early as this summer at a new location just west of Covington Landing. Previously, the Waterfront operated on the river at the end of Bakewell before nature washed it away. Once funding is secured for what Corporex calls Phase II, Covington would have a new marina, a wharf, and a floating boardwalk. The proposal also includes a second floating restaurant east of the Waterfront's new location. 

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The Sail Project

Price: $49.5 millionIn one proposal from Boca Hotel Group, called "The Sail Project", Covington would have a new 28-story mixed-use building that features a hotel with 128 rooms, 136 luxury apartments, and two restaurants (one on the rooftop and another at ground level) situated at the Overlook, west of the Landing. Construction would start in early 2013 and be complete by the end of 2014.

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The Kentucky Queen Hotel, Conference Center & Dinner Playhouse

Price: $37.75 million 

Boca's second, less expensive proposal calls for an historically-themed hotel, conference center and entertainment district that would draw inspiration from the area's riverboat heritage. Boca suggests a parking garage for its development that would take place west of Madison Place and a 600-seat dinner playhouse across RiverCenter Boulevard where the IRS currently sits. (The IRS is looking for a new home within Covington and its prime real estate has long been a target for redevelopment by the City.) The plans include a New Orleans-themed restaurant/music venue that would face the river. This project would have the same construction timeline as Boca's other proposal, the Sail Project. 

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Thoughts?

NEWS ROUND-UP -- TUESDAY MORNING 27 DEC

by Michael Monks 
NEW ADDRESS: Email Michael

Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook

@theRCnews on Twitter    

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AN OPEN LETTER TO JEFF RUBY

Dear Jeffrey,

On behalf of the People of Covington, it is my duty to inform you that our City does not have $2 million to give you. 

You say:

“I’ve negotiated in good faith with the city of Covington,” Ruby said. “It has gotten nowhere.”

I say: see above.  Covington did not open your doors during high water in which other businesses closed. Covington also did not send the debris down the river to knock your tribute to the '80s from her mooring and into the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge with customers on board you stupid, stupid ----. 


If the City were to give you $2 million, what would we get out of it? A steak named for us? A share in Bootsy's - oh sorry, that one closed too. Was that Covington's fault, also?


In closing, well... yeah, you're closed. So be gone, before someone drops debris on you too.


Best,
Michael


Cincinnati Enquirer/Scott Wartman 
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COVINGTON ATTORNEY WEIGHS CONGRESSIONAL RACE
And wait for it... he's a Democrat! Holy moly! Where's my faintin' couch? Bob Sanders, who was recently honored for lifetime achievement by the Kenton County Democratic Club, is asking for feedback via Facebook on whether a true progressive like him could win in the KY's 4th District. His entry in the race would almost certainly guarantee a competitive campaign. Do it.

Bob Sanders (L) has his law practice in Old Seminary
Square. (Pictured with Kenton Dem Club Pres. Steve
Hoffman)

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SEE ALSO: Republican State Representative Alecia Webb-Edgington, who has already announced her run to replace the retiring Geoff Davis, launched a campaign website: http://aleciaforcongress.com/

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SEE ALSO: The NKY Tea Party has a new 'leader'. 

Cincinnati Enquirer/Mark Hansel|
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in case you missed...
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COVINGTON RIVERFRONT CITED IN GREAT HONOR FOR CINCINNATI
Lonely Planet, the world's largest travel publisher, listed Cincinnati at #3 on its annual top 10 of must-see destinations in America (for 2012). Covington's LIcking Riverside and Roebling Bridge played a role in that designation. Click the link for more.
The RC News: Covington Riverfront Factors in Cincinnati's Destination Designation
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MONDAY MORNING ROUND-UP
CVG is evacuated this morning causing delays across the board; The best state for an animal abuser to live is Kentucky, says new study; Young, budding photographers continue their work in Covington. For those stories and more, click the link!

The RC News: News Round-Up -- Monday Morning 

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DID YOU DO ANY SHOPPING ON...CHRISTMAS DAY?

Apparently. Online shopping on the actual day of Christmas was up over 16% from last year. 

Business First 

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WEALTH GAP WORST SINCE ANCIENT ROME

American exceptionalism!

In the United States, the top 1 percent controls roughly 40 percent of the nation’s wealth. According to the study, which examined Roman ledgers, previous estimates, imperial edicts, and Biblical passages, Rome’s top 1 percent controlled less than half that at the height of its economic power, as Tim De Chant notes at Per Square Mile:Their target was the state of the economy when the empire was at its population zenith, around 150 C.E. Schiedel and Friesen estimate that the top 1 percent of Roman society controlled 16 percent of the wealth, less than half of what America’s top 1 percent control.

Think Progress  
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SEE ALSO: Gap between rich and poor growing Politico 
SEE ALSO: Lawmakers' wealth continues to grow Washington Post 
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OCCUPY NKY TO MARCH AGAINST MCCONNELL AND DEMOCRATS
The group's Facebook page says that it wants both parties to know that it will not be ignored, so it's marching out in the suburbs past the offices of Sen. McConnell and the Kenton County Democrats (which is strange for two reasons: 1) the Kenton Dems made up half of the group's attempt at a rally in Mainstrasse, so Occupy NKY will not win any favors from them anytime soon; and 2) As was noted on The River City News Facebook page, the Kenton Dems don't have an office). To read more and to view the event, click the link.
The RC News: Occupy NKY to March at McConnell & Democrats 
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BANKS BOOST LENDING
Slowly but surely, things are turning around...

USA Today reports that bank lending has risen by annual rates as high as 8.2 percent since July.

Business First 

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YOU MUST WEAR WHITE TO ENTER

Sounds like Madison Avenue could get soapy... The Madison Theater is hosting its Winter Whiteout Foam Party on Friday, January 13:

Please join us for this one of a kind experience as we combine the worlds of blacklight parties with foam parties and some of the best multi-genre music around. Please bring a coat for coat check if you plan on raging in the foam! Be prepared for a night you will never forget

Only eight bucks? And I get a shower? Nice...

Madison Theater 

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STILL IN GIVING SPIRIT?

From the NKY Emergency Shelter:

Going to the Grocery Store? If you can, pick up an item or two on our needs list: Coffee, Plastic Spoons, Sugar, Paper Towels and Cereal. Your donation can be dropped off anytime after 5pm at 634 Scott Street, Covington. If you've never been here before, we'll give you a tour! Thank you.

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WELCOME TO THE WORLD DAVID MONKS, JUNIOR

Just a personal note to welcome my nephew, David. He was born close to midnight last night... and I can't wait to go see him like right now. Later taters!