NEWS ROUND-UP -- TUESDAY EVENING 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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87% OF KENTUCKIANS WANT TO VOTE ON EXPANDED GAMBLING

That does not mean that that many support it, but they do want their say. The poll was commissioned by a conservative, anti-gambling organization called The Family Foundation EDIT: The poll was not conducted by The Family Foundation, but rather by a firm with alleged ties to the horse industry. The Family Foundation opposes the expansion of gambling and released a statement challenging the results of the poll, which anyone with half a brain other than me could gather by reading the article below. So sorry for the error. Anyway, here:

The poll released Tuesday asked how people would vote on potential ballot language to "allow regulated casino gaming at eight existing horse racetracks and one additional location subject to voter approval in the city or county where it would be located. The money would be used for the benefit of education, health care, public safety, local governments and the horse-racing industry."According to the results, 64 percent would vote for such an amendment, and 32 percent would vote against it. The pollsters said that the low figure of 4 percent who are undecided "suggests that Kentuckians are pretty much decided on this issue, and there is little likelihood of major movement."

 Many more details at the link.
Herald-Leader/Janet Patton & Jack Brammer 
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Governor Beshear released this statement today:

“Once again, a new poll shows Kentuckians demand an opportunity to vote on expanded gaming. The call for a direct vote by the people of this state has only gotten stronger over the last few years, and we should not make our citizens wait a moment longer to have their voices heard. For far too long, millions of hard-earned Kentucky dollars have flowed across our rivers to surrounding states – helping to build schools and roads, and hire teachers and police officers in Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia. That’s Kentucky money, and it belongs here where it can directly help our people. We’re working very hard to prepare for the upcoming legislative session, and one of my top priorities will be a constitutional amendment to take the gaming question directly to our people. It’s time for Kentuckians to decide the state’s future on expanded gaming.”

SEE ALSO: More on this story from Blood Horse.
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COVINGTON'S MARRYING MAN IS A MAGISTRATE AGAIN 
Steve Hoffman officiates weddings at his chapel in Downtown Covington and has done so for many years. He's also President of the Kenton County Democratic Club. Now he can add the title of "Magistrate" to his resume (again). Hoffman says on his Facebook page:

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to pass along I was Appointed by Commonwealth of Kentucky Gov. Steven L Beshear to be Commissioned as Kenton County Magistrate in District 1. I will be sworn in, with the Old Oath of Office, on Thursday December 29th at 11:30 in the Kenton County Judge Executive Steve Arlinghaus's Chambers; you are all invited if you would like to come. We will be going to Molly Malone's for 1/2 price Pizza day afterwards if anybody wants to join my Dad and I! I am very glad to receive this appointment. My duties will be as Justice of the Peace, which will be continuing what I have been doing in the Wedding Industry since 1989. After serving as Magistrate for Kenton County for 15 years in another district I am happy to be back in the fold on an Official Capacity once again.

A very nice article on Hoffman by Scott Wartman at the link.
Cincinnati Enquirer  
SEE ALSO: More on this at The Lane Report.
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WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN LUDLOW TODAY?
Remember when the biggest crime over there was people pooping directly into the river from the Yacht Club? Not so anymore. An alleged crime ring that stretched from end-to-end of the River Cities was broken up:

The Kenton County SWAT team raided a home here at about 3 p.m. Tuesday as part of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into a counterfeit currency ring.
Shannon Stephany, 33, of Ludlow will be charged with possession of forged instruments, said Ludlow Police Chief Wayne Turner. Stephany is also facing drug charges after marijuana was found in the home, Turner said.

Cincinnati Enquirer/Jim Hannah  
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FIRST GAMBLING, NEXT DOPE. KENTUCKY IS AWESOME
Or at least, could be. A state senator from Christian County plans to introduce a bill in the next session of the General Assembly that would legalize industrial hemp:

The Christian County Democrat says if Kentucky were to legalize the growth of industrial hemp, it would create over 17,000 jobs and add up to $500 million dollars to the state budget. “85% of the industrial hemp raised in Canada is exported to the U.S. and a lot of it is exported into Kentucky,” Pendleton said. “It’ll be good for our agricultural community. It’ll be good for our economy and bringing more revenue to the Commonwealth.”

17,000 jobs. $500 million for the state. Of course, those figures need to be backed up, but it sure sounds good. Why is this even up for a debate? Legalize all hemp and marijuana and watch the money pile up. Kentucky needs to get out of its own way.
WFPL
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RICK PITINO TO RETIRE IN 2017

There was a time that this man could have been Governor of Kentucky had he wanted it. Then he went to a Louisville restaurant and ordered a Karen Sypher. In spite of his off-the-court table-top dalliances, Pitino resurrected both of our state's great college basketball programs and for that he is to be remembered forever. Though, I hope like Hell that he and the Cards get their asses kicked on New Year's Eve. GO CATS!
USA Today


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in case you missed...
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ONLY 2 NKY LOCATIONS MAKE BUSINESS COURIER'S TOP 25 LANDMARK LIST
And both of them touch Cincinnati? I demand a recount. Click the link for the details. 
1 Covington, 1 Newport Landmarks Make Top 25 List 
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TUESDAY AFTERNOON
Funeral is set for the teen shot and killed on Greenup Street last week; Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders announces reelection bid as his father weighs a race of his own; Will Rand Paul be President in 2020?; Plus, have you noticed Covington birds singing differently? There may be a reason for that. Those stories and more at the link!

News Round-Up -- Tuesday Afternoon 

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|SANTA VISITED THE WELCOME HOUSE
It seems as though this Pike Street organization has had a lot of success partnering with area schools and businesses. Lots of great news has come from The Welcome House all year. Including:

St. Henry brought Santa to Welcome House last week, along with their adopt-a-family donations. They wowed us with their generosity - with their help, several local families had a very merry Christmas this year. Thank you, St. Henry!

Be sure to "Like" The Welcome House on Facebook by clicking here.

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HEY COVINGTON, WE CAN BUILD A BEAUTIFUL CITY

A great song from "Godspell", which is back on Broadway. This video started making the rounds a couple weeks ago. Watch it, love it, and believe it.

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PS: The hot kid from Weeds can sing? Wow.

1 COVINGTON & 1 NEWPORT LANDMARK MAKE BIZ COURIER'S TOP 25

by Michael Monks 
NEW ADDRESS: Email Michael

Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook

@theRCnews on Twitter 

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When the Cincinnati Business Courier listed 100 landmarks in Greater Cincinnati upon which readers could vote into a final top 25, Covington scored five and a half entries (the half was the Cincinnati/NKY international airport which is in Hebron but is abbreviated CVG for Covington). Overall, the Northern Kentucky three-county area was awarded twelve spots. To view the original article click here: Covington Places Make Top 100.

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Today the Business Courier released its top 25 in alphabetical order (the actual rankings will be revealed at a gala ceremony next month) and only two NKY locations made the cut: the Roebling Bridge in Covington and the Purple People Bridge in Newport. Out of twelve great options, the voters only selected two NKY landmarks, and those landmarks both touch Cincinnati. I smell voter fraud. And scandal!

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Can't argue with many of the top 25 though, as they are all landmarks (although, the Serpentine Wall and Sawyer Point each take up a spot when they are pretty much the same thing, aren't they?). But come on, no Basilica? No Ascent? No Devou Park overlook? Sounds like we need to get a group of Covingtonians together to crash the gala next month. Who's in?

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To see the article and slideshow from the Business Courier, click here.

NEWS ROUND-UP -- TUESDAY AFTERNOON 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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FUNERAL SET FOR TEEN MURDERED ON GREENUP STREET; NO NEW ARRESTS YET

Brett Thornberry

Brett Thornberry, 18, will be laid to rest tomorrow afternoon. He was shot and killed at 1010 Greenup Street last Tuesday evening. One arrest has been made. Covington Police confirmed that a 15-year old boy is in custody but The River City News learned today that while interviews of potential suspects and witnesses continue, no new arrests have been made. The 15-year old in custody also faces a complicity to robbery to charge, implying that at least one other suspect faces arrest. Thornberry's visitation is set for tomorrow morning from 8:30AM to 11:20AM at Conley Brothers Funeral Home in Latonia. His funeral will follow at noon at St. Benedict Church and he will be buried at Mother of God Cemetery in Fort Wright. The family is asking for help in covering funeral expenses:

Memorial Suggestions can be made to the Brett Thornberry Memorial Fund c/o any Bank of Kentucky branch location.

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SEE ALSO: Thornberry online obituary: Click Here 

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COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY ROB SANDERS TO SEEK REELECTION

The Republican announced via Twitter:

KYprosecutor Rob Sanders 

Just picked up my filing papers to run for re-election! Exciting! Time flies when you're having fun!

1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply

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Sanders's announcement follows the news that his father Bob Sanders, a staunch Democrat, is considering a bid for Congress to replace the retiring Geoff Davis (R-Hebron).

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WEBB-EDGINGTON RESIGNS AS 4TH DISTRICT GOP CHAIR

Hunkerin' down for the GOP primary in her bid to replace Davis in Congress:

Webb-Edgington, a state representative from Fort Wright, said in a statement Tuesday that she believes it would be better for someone not running for higher office to lead northern Kentucky's GOP.

Herald-Leader  
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PRESIDENT RAND PAUL?
One analyst believes that our Junior Senator's pappy is raising the possibility of a Presidential bid for his son:

Here’s the twist: a semi-successful Paul 2012 run means that there is now a whole network of party activists who love the Paul brand and know the ropes. They’re ready to go if Kentucky Senator Rand Paul – Ron’s son – wants to run. He’s also a fairly pure libertarian in many ways and could easily pick up that wing of the party. If the social conservatives burn out in 2012 and 2016, by running against Democrats during the peak of the business cycle, then the GOP may be ready to let Rand Paul run in 2020 and he might win. The real legacy of Paul’s 2012 primary run may be laying the groundwork for Rand Paul presidency.

Org Theory  
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MEANWHILE...
Some remarks the younger Paul made earlier this year have him in contention for an annual award from prolific blogger Andrew Sullivan. In a category named for Michelle Malkin that honors extremist rhetoric from the right wing (don't worry, he has one for the left wing, too), Rand Paul is nominated (and currently leads the reader voting) for this nugget:

"With regard to the idea of whether you have a right to health care, you have realize what that implies. It’s not an abstraction. I’m a physician. That means you have a right to come to my house and conscript me. It means you believe in slavery. It means that you’re going to enslave not only me, but the janitor at my hospital, the person who cleans my office, the assistants who work in my office, the nurses. ... You have a right to beat down my door with the police, escort me away and force me to take care of you? That’s ultimately what the right to free health care would be," - Senator Rand Paul.

Vote Here  
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SEE ALSO: Someone has devoted a new Twitter feed to the allegedly racist newsletters supported by Ron Paul and they are tweeting them virtually line-by-line. Click Here
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REP. YARMUTH ON MSNBC'S 'DAILY RUNDOWN'
The Louisville Democrat discusses a Congressional compromise over payroll tax cut extension in the coming two months:

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INTERNET GAMBLING OUTLETS MAY BE COMING TO THE STATES
A Justice Department ruling Friday may open that window:

"The DOJ has finally confirmed what we believed in Illinois to be true all along — that intrastate gambling is an issue that is within the sole discretion of a state to regulate, as it deems appropriate," said Melissa Riahei, general counsel of the online gaming firm U.S. Digital Gaming. "This is wonderful Christmas gift to state governments nationwide. States can now comfortably move toward the implementation of Internet gaming programs that can generate much-needed revenue to fund essential government services."

Wonder how Governor Beshear feels about it, since he wants expanded gaming in the Commonwealth.
The Hill
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3 DIE ON KENTUCKY ROADS OVER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
How many times do people need to be told to buckle up?

All of the fatalities involved motor vehicles and two of the victims were not wearing seat belts. Single-fatality crashes occurred in Hardin, Hart and Warren counties.

Also:

Through Dec. 26, 2011, preliminary statistics* indicate that 709 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways during 2011. This is 45 less fatalities than reported for the same time period in 2010.

Kentucky State Police  
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in case you missed...
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NEW DATA SHOW STRUGGLES AT HOLMES
ACT scores are well below the state average while those qualifying for free or reduced lunch is nearly double the state average.
The RC News: More Data Show Struggle at Holmes 
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TUESDAY MORNING NEWS ROUND-UP
Does Jeff Ruby think we're all stupid?; Finally, a Covingtonian considers the race to replace Geoff Davis in Congress; America's wealth gap: worse than Ancient Rome; and a special, soapy party requires white attire on Madison Avenue. Those stories and more at the link!

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

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LOCAL DOG NEEDS A NEW HOME

Interested?

Details: Perry was found on West Robbins & Russell St on Dec 23. He needs a home! Call Kenton County Animal shelter at 859.356.7400 and use reference #M11899.

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MAYBE THE DOG ABOVE WILL ROCK OUT LIKE THIS ONE?

Awesome video:

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NOTICE COVINGTON BIRDS SINGING DIFFERENTLY LATELY?

If so, they're just looking for love in an urban environment:

A big part of being a bird is singing, often to attract other birds. Sometimes it's hard to do that amid all the noise in a city. For birds, it's like living in a bar, scientist Peter Marra says. "Those sounds compete with low-frequency sounds," Marra says, and that makes it hard for birds that sing at a lower pitch to hook up.
But there's no stopping love, and Marra has found that those birds are changing their tune.

Run and tweet that, homeboy!
NPR

MORE DATA SHOW STRUGGLES AT HOLMES

by Michael Monks 
NEW ADDRESS: Email Michael

Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook

@theRCnews on Twitter    

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When a new report issued last week by the Kentucky Department of Education showed that Covington's Holmes High School ranks last in the region in college-bound graduates, the news was more disheartening because it came in the form of a release that boasted of Kentucky's record number of college-bound students. The fact that Holmes scored as poorly as it did is evidenced by supporting data released by the Department. The school is below the state average in every academic category and above it in each example of poverty. Looking at the details, Holmes and its similarly-situated neighbor, Newport High School, have similar results, while Scott High School in Taylor Mill (which serves South Covington and parts of Latonia) fares better (though with disappointing numbers as well).

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Take a look at the data from the Class of 2010 (the most recent available):

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AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL GPA ON 4.0 SCALE

Statewide: 2.84

Holmes: 2.45

Newport: 2.37

Scott: 2.73

Note: Kenton County (which includes Scott, Dixie Heights, and Simon Kenton had a cumulative average of 2.85)

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PERCENT QUALIFYING FOR FREE/REDUCED LUNCH

Statewide: 42.6%

Holmes: 77.4%

Newport: 72.4%

Scott: 29.7%

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AVERAGE COMPOSITE ACT SCORE ON 36 POINT SCALE

Statewide: 18.6

Holmes: 16.7

Newport: 17.8

Scott: 19.4

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ACT SCORE BY SUBJECT MATTER

English

Statewide 17.7

Holmes 16.1

Newport 17.2

Scott 18.5

Mathematics

Statewide 18.5

Holmes 16.2

Newport 18.0

Scott 19.3

Reading

Statewide 18.7

Holmes 17.0

Newport 17.3

Scott 19.8

Science

Statewide 18.8

Holmes 17.2

Newport 18.3

Scott 19.3

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COLLEGE-BOUND RATE

Statewide: 61.4%

Holmes: 47.9%

Newport: 58.1%

Scott: 64%

(The overall percentage for the three Kenton County Schools is 66.2%)

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Holmes had 56 2010 graduates head for college, of which 62.5% enrolled at a 4-year public university (26 of whom enrolled at NKU) while 26.8% enrolled at a 2-year school (15 of whom enrolled at Gateway).

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Read the full reports (PDFs) at the respective links:

Holmes Click Here

Newport Click Here 

Scott Click Here

Or to search the entire state database Click Here

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!

OCCUPY NKY TO MARCH AT MCCONNELL & DEMOCRATS

by Michael Monks 
NEW ADDRESS: Email Michael

Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook

@theRCnews on Twitter    

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Occupy Northern Kentucky intends to send its message to US Senator Mitch McConnell and the Kenton County Democratic Party through a March early next month. From the group's Facebook page:

We will be marching down Dixie Highway starting in Ft. Mitchell and going into Ft. Wright. March objectives include the displaying of signs and banners where they will be seen by hundreds if not thousands from the I-75 overpass, and stops at the offices of the Kenton County Democratic Party, and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.. Come out, invite as many people as you can and let's show the people of Northern Kentucky and politicians of both major parties we cannot be ignored!

Occupy Northern Kentucky attempted a rally two months ago in Mainstrasse (SEE ALSO: Occupy NKY: Discussion About the Future).
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To view the event on Facebook, click here.  

Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell (R-Kentucky)

COVINGTON LOCATIONS FACTOR IN CINCINNATI'S "DESTINATION" DESIGNATION

by Michael Monks 
NEW ADDRESS: Email Michael

Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook

@theRCnews on Twitter    

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The world's largest travel publisher ranks Cincinnati as number 3 on its newly released list of the top 10 travel destinations in the US for 2012. Covington's riverfront was cited by Lonely Planet in the list as contributing to the distinction bestowed upon our larger neighbor across the river:

Life centers around the river – much which can be seen by foot: river walkways are best on the Kentucky side, reached via a couple bridges including John Roebling’s Suspension Bridge (a prequel to his famous Brooklyn Bridge).

The list features Chicago, the Virgin Islands, and other more likely destinations. This is a great honor for Cincinnati:

The US: it’s a big place, and there’s a lot of ground for travelers to cover. So what’s buzzing for travelers in the coming year? It’s an annual tradition at Lonely Planet to try to answer that question, so the editors in our US office put their travel-noggins together to carve out a list of what’s new, interesting, and in some cases likely to be overlooked by travelers both domestic and international.

Read the whole article, including more on what landed Cincinnati on the list, and the other top destinations included.
Lonely Planet 

NEWS ROUND-UP -- MONDAY MORNING 26 DEC

by Michael Monks 
NEW ADDRESS: Email Michael

Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook

@theRCnews on Twitter   

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FIRE ALARM EVACUATES CVG

Everything is OK, but:

According to an airport spokesperson, those evacuated will have to go back through airport security. Flights that were scheduled to take off around the time of the evacuation were delayed.

Sounds like a fun travel day.
FOX 19 

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KENTUCKY RANKS #1 FOR ANIMAL ABUSERS

So says the Animal Legal Defense Fund:

The states ranked at the bottom of the list have animal protection laws that the ALDF says are lacking. These states all have "severely restricted or absent felony penalties for the worst types of animal abuse, inadequate standards of basic care for an animal, and lack of restrictions on the ownership of animals for those convicted of cruelty to animals," according to a press release.

In ranking Kentucky the worst in the nation, the ALDF provided this info:

• - Felony provision available only for cruelty against select animals 
• - No felony provisions for extreme neglect or abandonment 
• - Inadequate definitions/standards of basic care
• - Principal protections apply only to select types of animals 
• - No mental health evaluations or counseling for offenders
• - No cost mitigation & recovery provisions for impounded animals (e.g. cost-of-care bonds, other reimbursement of costs, liens, restitution provisions)
• - No forfeiture of abused animals
• - No restrictions on future ownership or possession of animals following a conviction
• - Veterinarians are prohibited from reporting suspected cruelty or fighting
• - No provisions for select non-animal-related agencies/professionals to report
• suspected animal abuse 
• - Inadequate humane agent provisions and no duty on peace officers to enforce animal protection laws
• - No separate crime for the sexual assault of an animal
• - No statutory authority to allow protective orders to include animals

Recap from Huffington Post here.
Full report from ALDF here.
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KENTUCKY: GO SMOKE FREE, SAYS OP-ED 
Other than leading the nation as the best place for animal abusers, Kentucky also leads (or very nearly leads) in smoking and smoking-related deaths. The CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky took to the pages of the Courier-Journal to urge Kentuckians (and Kentucky) to kick the habit:

If someone had told me, when I first began my career in health, that one day 34 percent of Kentuckians would live in a smoke-free community, I would not have believed it. But, today it’s true that more than 30 communities have laws or regulations protecting workers in restaurants, bars and other work sites from secondhand smoke. This is a good thing for residents, workers and visitors in these communities. And now there is a broad-based endeavor to protect the health of all Kentuckians through a statewide policy.

Courier-Journal  
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COVINGTON'S LEGAL AID TURNS AWAY THOUSANDS
More important poverty-related organizations feel the brunt of the economy:

Legal aid groups across the nation will begin turning away more people like Hall after Congress cut the budget for Legal Services Corporation (LSC) by $56 million, or 14.8 percent. The LSC is the primary source of funding for most of the 136 independent nonprofit legal aid societies throughout the nation. The Covington-based Legal Aid of the Bluegrass already turns away 7,063 people annually who are eligible for its services. In Cincinnati, the legal aid service only has enough lawyers to take about 6,000 new cases a year out of 30,000 requests.

But don't touch the "job creators"!
Cincinnati Enquirer/Jim Hannah  
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HOLY CROSS LANDS A FEW ON THE KY ALL-STATE TEAM
You have to dig a little, but you can see more honors rolling in for the Indians. Also, lots of other NKY names on the list.
Courier-Journal 
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NEW PHOTOS FROM 'ART BY COVINGTON'S FUTURE'
Hope you're following these local students. They're busy. And talented:

Behringer-Crawford Museum invited the youth to take pictures of their Santa Claus visits, and the Eastside Neighborhood Association invited them to set up their photo booth in front of the Christmas Tree at their Christmas Party at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center. Chris and Brennon also took event photographs for the BLOCK Citizens Celebration.

Check out more at the link! 

Art By Covington's Future 

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DONATION DRIVE FOR COVINGTON SCHOOLS

Hope you're still in the giving spirit because Covington is a city that always has a high number of its population living in need, especially children. If you're out returning an ugly sweater, pick up some school supplies:

The city-wide school supply (pencils, pens, paper, folders, art supplies, tissues, hand sanitizer) donation drive for Covington Independent Public Schools can be helped at donation bins at Covington Police headquarters, Fire Station #1, City Hall (1st & 4th floor), and Dept. of Public Improvements. Call Michelle Robinson Wilson directly at 292-2241 if you have any questions or would like to arrange a time to drop off donations. 

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SO...ABOUT THAT HOTEL ON THE PURPLE PEOPLE BRIDGE...

The Enquirer's Laura Baverman follows up more than a year after the proposal surfaced to mixed reactions. A hotel on the Purple People Bridge?

More than a year later, little of that work has been completed. “Unfortunately, the thing has been moving pretty slow,” said Wally Pagan, Newport Southbank’s CEO.
What is done is a budget and balance sheet for the project, showing Newport officials that future real estate and sales taxes and the income taxes associated with 1,000 construction and 500 permanent jobs would help it generate new income. Pagan declined to share the amount of tax Newport could expect from the project.

Cincinnati Enquirer/Laura Baverman  

Image via

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TRESSELL: COACH OF YEAR FOR COMMITTING LESS HORRIFIC VIOLATIONS

LOL.

Video @ The Onion