360 Fireworks Party

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

NEWS ROUND-UP -- WEDNESDAY MORNING

by Michael Monks
Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook
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COVINGTON GETS NEW MAYOR, BUT WHO KNEW?
Of course you know, because you read The River City News and we had comprehensive coverage with photographs right here: Good Luck, Chuck

But the corporate media in Cincinnati continue to fail Covington and the rest of Northern Kentucky. Covington swears in new Mayor Chuck Scheper and only 2 stations send crews? Here's a look at their coverage:

"LOCAL" 12 - Cincinnati's most-watched TV station did not send a news team to City Hall for the swearing-in of the mayor of Northern Kentucky's largest city. So much for local... Oh wait! What's that? Local 12 was in Covington yesterday? Hmmm... More on that below.

WCPO 9 - They sent a camera and a guy who didn't ask any questions. I don't see the video on their website, but there is an article that says Scheper is from somewhere called "East Covington".

WLWT 5 - Camera guy was there asking simple questions, clearly without any idea of what's been going in the city. Not his fault, of course, he was ordered just to come back to the station with b-roll and a soundbite that an intern can select and that a clueless producer can just throw in the newscast. However, I don't see the video on their website either.

FOX 19 - Was not present at City Hall for the Tuesday ceremony, but did manage to rewrite the City's press release and put it on their website Monday.

KYPOST.COM - This is the most offensive media operation in the region today. The audacity to use the name of the Kentucky Post, the only publication that truly gave a damn about NKY before being shut down a few years ago, is disgraceful. "Life in the 859" they say at kypost.com. Who else says that? No one. If you click here for their story of our new mayor, you'll find it's the same one that is posted at wcpo.com. The same one without background or context or comments from more than one person.

ENQUIRER - Thank goodness the Cincinnati Enquirer assigns a couple of reporters specifically to the area. Here's coverage from Mike Rutledge: Covington Mayor Sworn In

I'm not going to hammer larger media outlets too often (mainly because it's too easy, but also because small media like this have their shortcomings too) but this has to be noted: Covington is the capital of NKY and we just named a new mayor, a local business leader with serious cred on both sides of the river. And this is all the coverage we're due? Disgraceful.

I often point out that were Covington not next to Cincinnati, it would still have a daily paper and possibly 2 or more TV affiliates. Bowling Green does. But we're next to Cincinnati and their media don't pay enough attention about what happens over here. Think about this: Bromley, Ludlow, Covington, Newport, Bellevue, Dayton and Ft. Thomas have a combined population of nearly 100,000. That makes the River Cities as a whole a formidable population center. One that deserves proper media attention all day, every day.

Just know that we're working toward that here.
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COVINGTON APARTMENT COMMUNITY ON ALERT
It turns out that Local 12 could make it over to Covington, just not for our special New Mayor Day. Local 12 loves to lead their newscast with crime stories and they found their top crime story right here in Covington last night. Watch as Reporter Paula Toti breathlessly saves a city from a creepy handyman.
"Local" 12
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'LURID, GRUESOME AND ABHORRENT DETAILS OF LIFE AT 1010 GREENUP'
Are you following the trial of Samantha Mayse, the woman accused of luring a man for sex, only to kill him with a friend? Awful awful awful.
Cincinnati Enquirer/Jim Hannah

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

GOOD LUCK, CHUCK: COVINGTON'S NEW MAYOR IS NAMED

by Michael Monks
Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook
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Charles R. "Chuck" Scheper is sworn in as
Covington's Mayor
"So much for retirement," Covington businessman Chuck Scheper said from the podium at City Hall just moments after he was approved as the city's new mayor. "I want to thank (former Mayor) Denny Bowman," Scheper continued, explaining that Bowman asked him thirteen years ago to lead an analysis on how to reform Covington's government and make it more efficient. That request led to 1999's "Scheper Report", a thoroughly researched document that Scheper said offered over $5 million in savings following the efforts of twenty people spending over a thousand hours to arrive at ninety recommendations.

NEWS ROUND-UP -- TUESDAY LUNCH EDITION

by Michael Monks
Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook
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IN SPITE OF $28 MILLION PROFIT IN THIRD QUARTER, OMNICARE WILL STILL MOVE INTO GOVERNMENT-SUBSIDIZED OFFICE SPACE
Just weeks removed from the announcement that it would move from government-subsidized office space in Covington to government-subsidized office space in Cincinnati, Omnicare announced today a profit of $28 million in the third quarter. The Fortune 500 company that will be bailing on the RiverCenter tower, its home office since the late 1990s when Kentucky lured it here from Cincinnati with the promise of generous tax breaks, held a live webcast today to announce the windfall profit and to project 2011 total revenue at $6.1 billion. That's billion, with a B. And then, the whole room laughed at all of us.
Click here for webcast replay: Omnicare
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GOOD LUCK, CHUCK
Today at 4:00PM, Covington's city commissioners will vote to name businessman Chuck Scheper as mayor to replace Denny Bowman. Following the vote, the commissioners and the new mayor will answer questions at a press conference. The River City News will be the only Covington blog there to bring you the story firsthand.
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ZOMBIE STORY #1
The Centers For Disease Control want you to be prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse.
We continue to reach and engage a wide variety of audiences on all hazards preparedness via Zombie Preparedness; and as our own director, Dr. Ali Khan, notes, "If you are generally well equipped to deal with a zombie apocalypse you will be prepared for a hurricane, pandemic, earthquake, or terrorist attack." So please log on, get a kit, make a plan, and be prepared!
CDC Zombies
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ZOMBIE STORY #2
zOMG! Zombies are already here! They're protesting at Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse Downtown! Thank goodness Jeff Ruby's Waterfront washed away, otherwise the zombies may be descending on Covington, ruining our New Mayor Day.
PETA
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FINALLY, A PARK DEDICATED TO 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY'
Did you know that song was written in Louisville? Louisville did. Now there will be a part devoted to it. Does that mean it's time for Covington to create a park in honor of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" writer Haven Gillespie?
STORY: Courier-Journal
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CHRISTIAN LAETTNER NOT UNFORGETTABLE IN NEW WIN OVER KENTUCKY
The former Duke and NBA star infamous in the Bluegrass for a last second game-winning shot in the 1992 East Regionals of the NCAAs against Kentucky, took on UK again. And won.
Herald-Leader

A VERY SPECIAL NEW MAYOR ROUND-UP

by Michael Monks
Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook
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SCHEPER TO BE NAMED MAYOR, COVINGTON'S 5TH SINCE 2000

Chuck Scheper


Charles R. Scheper will be named Mayor of Covington by city commissioners today at 4:00PM. The 59-year old former CEO, COO and current Board Chairman will replace Denny Bowman, who resigned for the second time in eleven years at the end of September. Scheper, 59, lives in Licking Riverside. The River City News will be the only Covington blog at City Hall with live updates of the press conference through Facebook & Twitter and a comprehensive original report to follow right here on the website.
 
 
 
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In the meantime, watch our next mayor in this video from February:
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Last night on the Facebook page, we discussed whether the addition of another wealthy resident to the commission was representative of the city, which is statistically among the poorest in the state and region. You can read the accompanying report here: How Much Good Could a Good Chuck chuck?
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DID YOU KNOW...?
Covington has had five mayors since the year 2000. Denny Bowman (resigned), Jim Eggemeier, Butch Callery, Denny Bowman (resigned), and now Chuck Scheper. Maybe we just love that new-mayor smell?
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'AT LEAST WE'RE NOT THAT COVINGTON'
And now a new feature where we look at what's happening in other American hamlets that also have the great fortune of being called Covington.
 
 DATELINE: COVINGTON, GEORGIA
Bobby Sigman
 
Take a look at Bobby Sigman. He's running for mayor in Covington, Georgia. I know what you're thinking. "But Michael, that picture looks like a mugshot." To that I say, good eye, lad! Good eye, indeed. It is a mugshot. The 70-year old Sigman was arrested after police say they found him stealing the campaign yard signs of his opponent, Ronnie Johnson. Police performed a sting operation after being tipped that Johnson's signs were disappearing: 
The 70-year-old Sigman said the video showing him picking up a pile of signs “were signs I found on the right-of-way, and I planned to return them” to Johnston. “I did not steal any of his signs,” Sigman said.
(snip)
He said earlier this week that he was quitting the race, telling Channel 2 Action news he was “tired of seeing my supporters raked over the coals for nothing.”
Now Sigman says he's staying in the race.
Read the whole hot mess at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

 DATELINE: COVINGTON, LOUISIANA

Richard Palmisano
 The police chief of our namesake in Cajun Country is on paid administrative leave because he can't seem to get along with the mayor. Richard Palmisano refused to reisgn when Mike Cooper was elected and expressed an interest in starting with a "clean slate" in the police department. As you can imagine, they've been the best of friends ever since. So much so, that the mayor was able to figure out a way to suspend the chief by initiating an internal investigation:
The attorney general determined that the city's charter, which gives the mayor the right to appoint his own department heads, is trumped by state civil service laws, which require that termination be in "good faith" and "for cause." The opinion added that firing Palmisano could violate the due process protections provided by the state and U.S. constitutions.
Cooper on Friday said he couldn't elaborate on the suspension, adding: "I'm following the rules of the civil service board."
Have your second helping of hot mess by reading the rest at the New Orleans Times-Picayune

DATELINE: COVINGTON, MICHIGAN

Not really any crazy news coming out of this tiny town on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. However, it is worth noting that not only does our city share its name with this one, the Michigan Covington was actually named for our Covington! It's true, according to the fine folks at Wikipedia:
Covington was first settled by French-Canadians around 1885, and was named for the postmaster's home town of Covington, Kentucky. The community was a stop along the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway.
I know, right? Oh, and one more thing. The photo you see here is listed on Covington, Michigan's Wikipedia entry as "Downtown Covington". Downtown Covington. See? It could be worse.

Monday, October 24, 2011

HOW MUCH GOOD COULD A GOOD CHUCK CHUCK

by Michael Monks
Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook
@theRCnews on Twitter
(CORRECTION 11:15PM - Commissioner Steve Casper was elected as a resident of Licking Riverside but no longer lives there. He now lives in Seminary Square.)
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We are less than twenty-four hours from having a new mayor in Covington and business leader Chuck Scheper will get the nod at a 4:00PM special legislative meeting of the city commission. Here's what Covington's leadership would look like made up of Scheper and the four current commissioners.
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THE ALLIANCE
After a long series of 4 - 1 votes on the commission (with ex-Mayor Bowman always cast as the 1), it will be interesting to see how long the unity lasts. Without Dick Nixon to kick around anymore, will it be 5 - 0 or will the lines be drawn in a more partisan manner. Here's an interesting thought: most of Scheper's campaign contributions have been to Republicans and we know that Commissioners Steve Casper & Steve Frank are Republicans (and recipients of contributions from Scheper). This makes a majority Republican commission in Kenton County's only true Democratic stronghold with Commissioners Sherry Carran and Shawn Masters as the minority Democrats. True, the commission is technically nonpartisan but this would still be an historic lineup of officeholders in Covington.
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THE 1% BECOMES 40%
That's right. Members of the wealthy 1% of Americans would make up 40% of Covington's City Commission. Steve Frank is a declared millionaire and Scheper, who was Chief Operating Officer at Great American Financial Resources and is now Chairman Bexion Pharmaceuticals, isn't hurting either. Two out of five members on the commission would rank among the wealthiest percentage of Americans, in a city in which more than a quarter of children live below the poverty line, where nearly every public school student is on free or reduced lunch and in which nearly 20% of the entire population live below the poverty line. As for the other three members of the commission, they are not one-percenters, but they are at the very least upper middle-class if not higher than that.
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Also, this commission would not have one member that lives south of 12th Street/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Three of them would have their roots in Licking Riverside or the neighboring Ascent (CORRECTION 11:15PM - Commissioner Steve Casper was elected as a resident of Licking Riverside but now lives in Seminary Square).
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There are no racial minorities on this commission, or any commission since Pam Mullins in the late 1990s, even though African-Americans make up ten percent of the population. At ten percent, with the number of people that have served on the commission since 2000, mathematically there would be an African-American at some point. Sherry Carran is the sole female even though women outnumber men in the city. In the last campaign, including the primary, Carran was the only female in the race and there were no racial minorities.
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CAN A COMMISSION THAT IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF COVINGTON, EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT COVINGTON?
That's the most important part of any discussion concerning City Hall and its elected leaders. It would appear that the new commission with Chuck Scheper at the helm moves even further away from being a body truly representative of the city as a whole. Geographically and economically, these folks are far apart from the average Covingtonian.
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REGARDLESS, THERE IS MUCH WORK TO BE DONE
But this is the team we have now until the next election (Scheper indicates to the commissioners that he will not seek to be elected to the office in 2012) and they have giant tasks ahead of them. I look forward to meeting Mr. Scheper tomorrow and hope that he, along with the commissioners, can help move this city forward. The River City News will be at City Hall tomorrow and as always will have comprehensive coverage of this new government and along with you, will watch every move it makes.

NEWS ROUND-UP -- MONDAY LUNCH EDITION

by Michael Monks
Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook
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DATE SET FOR MARCH AGAINST VIOLENCE IN COVINGTON
Mark your calendars for Monday, November 21 to gather as a community and march against the recent spike in violent crime in our city. Organizers want to gather at 6:00PM at the Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center at Scott Boulevard & Robbins Street. The march will then visit various locations of recent violent crimes and ultimately end at The Hub in Helentown at 15th & Garrard. For background on the formation of this event, see this link: Violent Crime Increase Prompts Rally & March
For the Facebook event: Click Here
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NO ANNOUNCEMENT YET FOR DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS ORDINANCE
Twenty-three days have passed since Commissioners Masters & Frank announced that the City of Covington would move to introduce domestic partner benefits for city employees. From The River City News Facebook page just moments after the announcement:

BREAKING: Covington City Commission to pass domestic partner benefits for health insurance coverage, announced Commissioners Frank & Masters at today's Covington Night Out.
Not a peep on the issue since. I'm sure the attention being paid to finding a new mayor has stalled many plans. I bring this up simply because the Cincinnati Enquirer asked Cincinnati City Council candidates for their position on domestic partner benefits. There are varied responses and you can read them here: Cincinnati Enquirer
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ABOUT THAT NEW MAYOR
A press conference is called for Tuesday at 4:00PM. This may be the big announcement that the four commissioners have selected their choice for mayor. A vote would likely follow on Tuesday, November 1 during the commission meeting. The River City News will continue to follow and bring you the latest as it happens.
UPDATE (11:30AM): There will be a special meeting Tuesday prior to press conference in which mayor will be selected and then a press conference will follow.
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COVINGTON BAKERY WINS TOP HONORS DESPITE BEING CLOSED
AJ Creations, the gluten-free bakery that was operating on Pike Street, took top honors at the Cincinnati Chocolate Festival. In fact, the bakery that officially closed October 1 (according to its Facebook page) won two awards: "Best of Show" and "Best Chocolate Truffle". On September 1, Amber Jones wrote of her bakery, "After a firm evaluation of AJ Creations and more importantly, of my family, we have decided to close the business temporarily. We are currently looking at closing down completely for 2 years. During that time I will be working on a cookbook as well as a gluten free cooking/ baking blog. I will send this information once it is established." In any case, we congratulate AJ Creations for their success at Sunday's event.



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IN CASE YOU MISSED...
This morning's news round-up includes details on a piece of property for sale at a bargain price -- on eBay! Plus, a racist doll pops up at the Mainstrasse Antiques sale. Click the link.
Monday Morning News Round-Up
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'HIGH HOPES FOR HOUSING IN COVINGTON'
The Cincinnati Enquirer's Mike Rutledge profiles the development that will replace the Jacob Price Housing Project.
Cincinnati Enquirer
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NEIGHBORHOODS ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH
'Better Neighborhoods Rival Medicine In Obesity Battle', reads the headline from Wired.
If you’ve begun to pack on the pounds, your doctor may recommend that you get up and move around. But a new study suggests that it’s not just your body you should be moving. Researchers have found that relocating people out of poor neighborhoods can be as effective as drugs in reducing their chances of becoming overweight and developing diabetes.
Read the whole thing here: Wired.com
Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan
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DON'T MISS THE LT. GOVERNOR DEBATE TONIGHT
This should be a nice opening act for the main event. God bless KET.
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ROB SANDERS & COMPANY DON PINK TIES
'Pink Tie Monday' at the Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney's Office. Click link for photo.
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SPEND HALLOWEEN AT THE HAUNTED BOBBY MACKEY'S?
The Northern Kentucky Paranormal Society is giving you the chance. Yikes... terrifying.
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SPEAKING OF MACKES AND HALLOWEEN
The Kenton County Library put a picture out today that shows a 'Haunted House' in Covington from the late 1970s. It features local news anchor Trica Macke's husband, Chris (an attorney) and others. Recognize anyone? Click the link.
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BUT WHAT'S SCARIER THAN THAT?
Christian Laettner is IN KENTUCKY TONIGHT. Remember him? The Duke basketball star that dashed hopes and broke hearts that still haven't healed even though it's been nearly 20 years since this:
Ouch. Still hurts. Laettner will be at Rupp Arena no less in the role of a villain. Why? Click the link.

NEWS ROUND-UP -- MONDAY MORNING 24 OCT

by Michael Monks
Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook
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MAYOR SEARCH: PRESS CONFERENCE TUESDAY
UPDATE (11:30AM): There will be a special meeting Tuesday prior to press conference in which mayor will be selected and then a press conference will follow.
ORIGINAL POST: The city commissioners will hold a press conference Tuesday afternoon at 4:00PM, likely to announce their choice for mayor. There is no commission meeting scheduled for that evening, so the earliest the chosen candidate could be approved is the following Tuesday, November 1, still within the maximum thirty days the commission had to replace former Mayor Bowman. The River City News will have it covered for you. If you want background info on the search and the candidates, check out The Sunday Edition (link below).
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YOUR TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK
Did you catch up on the busy week in Covington? It may be Monday, but The River City News Sunday Edition is still available for you to read!
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RACIST DOLL FOR SALE AT MAINSTRASSE ANTIQUE EVENT?
It was just lying there on a blanket with a bunch of noncontroversial items. Is it racist? Signs point to yes. One thing is for certain, the "golliwog" doll isn't an antique, so what was it doing on the 6th Street Promenade in Mainstrasse during the antique sale? Click the link for the full story, context and background.
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OWN A PIECE OF COVINGTON FOR SALE ON EBAY
You can buy a lot of junk on eBay, but now you can own your very own piece of Covington thanks to the online auction site. That beautiful 6-unit apartment building you see in the photo is for sale at the bargain basement price of $5,500. The property is on East 8th Street between Scott Boulevard and Greenup Street. A few of my favorite notes on this property include, "PayPal option available", "Buyer is responsibile for all current and delinquent taxes and any and all liens, assessments, and other encumbrances", and "total closing cost is $199". Though my favorite note is that "local pick-up available". What if I prefer delivery? PVA records indicate that the property was bought at auction and is owned by a company called Tax Ease Lien Investments in Dallas, TX. The building has been a vacant eyesore here in Covington for a long time and was even featured in 2002 as one of Cincinnati CityBeat's "blight of the week":
How could a defunct court reporting company still own a building? On the surface, that seems to be the case with this white, boarded-up three-story structure just off Scott Street in Covington. But the records at the Kenton County Property Valuation Administration are misleading. They say the Les Whitling Reporting Service Inc. owns it, but that business hasn't operated in Northern Kentucky in 20 years, according to Whitling's wife, who moved with him to Russell, Pa. more than 20 years ago. Around that time they sold the building to C.J. Vieth and the CJV Reporting Company of West Fourth Street in Newport. Vieth is now negotiating the final details of a sale that would relocate his office to the building. Vieth says he doesn't know if the building will be used for housing as well, but he seemed sure the building will not remain vacant.  "It's not going to be a blight on the community," he says. "It's going to be renovated and redeveloped."
So much for that. Here's the eBay listing: 6-Unit-Apartment-Building-Covington-KY
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MAINSTRASSE GOES TO THE DOGS!
What an awesome event -- hundreds of dogs in costume turn out for the tenth annual Paw-rade. For the complete rundown on the winners including photos, click the link.
TREY GRAYSON GOES ALL HARVARD ON US
Trey Grayson is one of the brightest political minds weighing in on Bluegrass issues today. He left his post as the Commonwealth's Secretary of State to become Director of the Harvard Institute of Politics (after losing badly to Rand Paul in the GOP US Senate primary). He seems to be liking New England. This is his latest tweet:
Great day so far. Watched Harvard beat Princeton in FB w/Nancy & girls. Then Head of the Charles. Now a capella concert w/ Pitches & Dins.
Boy, is he fitting in up there or what? Follow Trey Grayson on Twitter here: @KYTrey.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

ONE OF THESE DOLLS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHERS

by Michael Monks
Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook
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While walking through the 4th Sunday Mainstrasse Antiques sales on the 6th Street Promenade, I noticed a dealer selling dolls. They were all lying on a blanket on the ground. One stuck out for obvious reasons. See if you can pick it out:
I mean, really? This just gets thrown on the blanket with the rest of the dolls as if no one will notice? What the hell is this doll anyway? Is it the same doll that required an apology from Queen Elizabeth II when she learned that a gift shop at one of her estates was selling it? Why, yes it is:

MAINSTRASSE DOG PAW-RADE WINNERS & PHOTOS

by Michael Monks
Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook
The tenth annual Mainstrasse Dog Pawrade drew hundreds of puppies and big dogs to the Village and almost of all of them were in the Halloween spirit. Mainstrasse seals its reputation as a walkable, dog-friendly neighborhood with this well-attended, cheery event. This year's theme was "Famour artists and artwork". Take a look at the photos below, starting with the winners in three categories:
 
1st Place, Theme: "Izzy" as Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup
2nd Place, Theme: "Crash" as Vincent Van Gogh
1st Place, Store Bought: "Molly", "Sam", "Gus", & "Lily"
as Little Bo Peep

2nd Place, Store Bought: "Peanut" as Caterpillar
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1st Place, Original: "Sadie" as Pupweiser

2nd Place, Original: "Teddy" as Biker Dog

THE SUNDAY EDITION

SUNDAY EDITION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Join us Sunday, October 23rd Noon - 5PM at the Cintas Center for a community-wide festival for all chocolate lovers. Enjoy chocolate tastings from over 30 vendors, celebrity chef demonstrations, many children’s activities, contests, raffles baskets & more!


                        PRESENTS 
Sunday Edition
   SUNDAY 23 OCTOBER 2011 * COVINGTON, KENTUCKY



MASTERS:
NEW MAYOR
TO BE NAMED
THIS WEEK

Ex-Mayor Denny Bowman's final act as Covington's top
elected figure was to attend a Cincinnati speech by
President Obama whom Bowman greeted
at the airport.

CITY HALL - Nearly three weeks since accepting the resignation of Mayor Denny Bowman, the Covington City Commission is expected to name a replacement by the middle of this week, reports Commissioner Shawn Masters. The River City News has confirmed at least five candidates that have been contacted, interviewed or submitted for the position: Former Commissioner Jerry Stricker, Businessmen Chuck Scheper and Jim Kudera, former city ombudsman John Jasper and another prominent businessman that declined to be interviewed. By law, the commission has thirty days to appoint a new mayor (Bowman's resignation was officially accepted October 4), otherwise Governor Steve Beshear makes the choice. If one of the commissioner is elevated to the seat, the commission will then have to appoint a new commissioner as well.
MORE STORIES ON THE MAYOR SEARCH:
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MAINSTRASSE GOES TO THE DOGS TODAY
The tenth annual Mainstrasse Village Dog Pawrade kicks off at noon today in Goebel Park (4th & Philadelphia Streets) with a parade at 2:30PM. Dogs from all over the region will show up for a Halloween costume party of their own. The theme is "famous artists and artwork". Registration fee is $5.00 and proceeds benefit U-Can and Rescue Angels, Inc. Lucy, the Mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky is the Grand Marshall of the Paw-rade. This year, the MainStrasse Village Dog Costume Paw-rade is partnering with Full Spectrum 2011. During October, the City of Covington celebrates the month long Full Spectrum Arts Festival to emphasize the celebration of artists and crafters. Paw-rade is open to dogs only. No other animals are allowed on the grounds. All dogs must be kept on a leash and proof of current rabies vaccination is required.

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'SAD' ENTRY TO MAINSTRASSE
       TO BE REBORN
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The new parking lot will be more than a place for the cars driven by Mainstrasse's thousands of weekly visitors.
"This creates a gateway to Mainstrasse, which prior to this (the entrance) has been sad to say the least," said Mayor Pro Tem Sherry Carran.
FULL STORY: 'Sad' Entry to Mainstrasse to Become Gateway to Neighborhood
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THE WEEK IN REVIEW:
The Top Original Stories
                 from The River City News
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NATIONAL POP ACTS PERFORM IN COVINGTON, BUT THANK... CINCINNATI?
Rising stars like Hot Chelle Rae (whose song "Tonight, Tonight" was a recent number-one hit) and others performed at Covington's Madison Theater for Q102's Bosom Ball to raise money for breast cancer awareness. But when the show was over, the acts sent out messages on their social networking sites that they had a great time in Cincinnati. Read the full story here: No Love for Covington from Pop Stars in "Cincinnati"
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MAN MOSTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR YANKING OMNICARE FROM COVINGTON FACES ETHICS COMPLAINT
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JobsOhio leader and California resident Mark Kvamme is being criticized by state legislators in Ohio for possible conflicts of interest. Read the entire shadiness here: Omnicare Move's Architect Subject of Ethics Complaint

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INCREASE IN MURDER, VIOLENT CRIME LEADS ACTIVISTS TO PLAN RALLY & 
       MARCH IN COVINGTON
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Six murders have been committed in Covington this year, twice the number of last year and just two fewer than the entire previous three years combined. In addition, violent crime and burglaries/thefts are up too. Neighbors in Helentown and Eastside have had enough and announced this week that they are planning a march from The Carnegie to Helentown's Hub to raise awareness.
FULL STORY: Violent Crime Increase Prompts Rally
SEE ALSO: Covington Teen Beaten; Calls For & Against Daytime Curfew
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TEEN'S SUICIDE LEADS TO CALL FOR ACTION FROM
              CITY COMMISSIONERS
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Sam Denham was just 13-years old when he shot and killed himself in his families home nine days ago. The Woodland Middle School student was remembered first by a prayer rally at his house then at a candlelight vigil at Saint Patrick's Church and then by the Covington City Commission which called for the state to pass anti-bullying legislation. Denham's family claims the teen suffered at the hands of bullies at school and online.
SEE: Candelight Vigil Remembers Teen Bullied at School, Online
SEE: Commissioners Want Resolution Following Suicide of Covington Teen
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CITY HALL IS CRUMBLING (NO, SERIOUSLY)
For all the details on why the city's engineer thinks a huge piece of the building could fall at any moment (plus notes on firefighter promotions and good news about the RiverCenter garage) click here: City Hall is Falling Down & Other Notes From Tuesday
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      BLACKOUT IN COVINGTON:
THE RIVER CITY NEWS & YOU COVERED 
         IT LIKE NO OTHER
Tuesday night was a strange one with City Hall emptying into the darkness of Covington's streets following the city commission meeting. The Central Business District and Pike Street Corridor were without power and by the time The River City News started to report the situation, nearly 11,000 Duke energy customers were without power, almost entirely in Covington. Our Facebook, Twitter, email and this blog became the only source for up-to-the-minute updates on this unique situation that was almost entirely ignored by the mainstream media. Thank you to everyone who offered tips and updates from their streets and neighborhoods and helped keep the city informed. It was the best experience yet in operating The River City News. This is Covington's home for breaking news. Thank you!
FULL STORY WITH THE BREAKING UPDATES AS THEY HAPPENED: Power Outage Affects Downtown, Pike Street
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ROSEDALE BECOMES COVINGTON'S
18TH NEIGHBORHOOD WITH ASSOCIATION
FULL STORY: Click Here
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BEST STORY OF THE WEEK...
HOLMES STUDENT TO BE INCLUDED
IN BOOK ABOUT LETTERS
TO PRESIDENT OBAMA
You probably remember the story of a then-10-year old Na'Dreye Lattimore who wrote a letter to President Obama part of which he read aloud during a nationally televised speech to the Urban League. Now, a new and critically-acclaimed book highlights ten letters written to the President and one of them is Lattimore's. For the full story: Click Here
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