NEWS ROUND-UP -- WEDNESDAY MORNING 21 DEC

by Michael Monks 
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MALE VICTIM FOUND SHOT TO DEATH ON GREENUP STREET

UPDATE: The victim has been identified as 18-year old Brett Thornberry. Updated information with new photos at the link. Call Police at 859.292.2222 if you have any information that may lead investigators to the killer(s).
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Original Post:
First, Police received a call about shots fired on the Eastside, and then arrived to find a male dead. Neighbors told The River City News that the victim was likely a 17-year old male, but that is unconfirmed by investigators who had the 1000 block of Greenup shut down. The Cincinnati Enquirer made the connection that 1010 Greenup where the shooting occurred, is the same address in which Shawn Davis was brutally murdered in 2009. Kenton Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders later confirmed that connection via Twitter.

For more and for photos from the crime scene, click the link.

The RC News: Male Shot and Killed on Greenup Street 

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CITY COMMISSION RECAP

Police Chief Lee Russo's employment is now on an at-will basis following a 3-2 vote by the Covington City Commission Tuesday night. Plus, the City received more than $150,000 in grant money from the Duke Energy Foundation. For the most comprehensive report from inside City Hall (and for photos, too!), click the link.

The RC News: Covington Commission Recap 

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CITY & COUNTY EMPLOYEES SHOULD STARVE TO DEATH UPON RETIREMENT

That's the conclusion of an anti-tax organization that slithered into Covington to grandstand against public employees and their pensions. 

The group is lobbying for an end to guaranteed lifetime pensions for government employees. Instead, Tobin said all new public workers should be enrolled in private savings plans, like a 401(k), and they should work until later in life, as private sector employees do.
(snip)
Covington City Solicitor Frank Warnock said he provided the group a list of city positions and the salaries for those jobs. He said the city didn’t put names to its more than 300 positions. Warnock said to create such a list would be time-consuming and not necessarily required under state open records law. He called the group’s press conference “manufactured drama.”

The group is based in Chicago and held their press conference at the Covington Courtyard by Marriott. I hope the smell from the adjacent White Castle forced them back to the Windy City, stat.
Cincinnati Enquirer/Jim Hannah 
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NOTE: This isn't the first time City Solicitor Frank Warnock has used the phrase, "manufactured drama", but incidentally, the last time he used it was against public employees. To the Firefighters' union, Local 38, during a court proceeding:

"This is not about public safety, this is manufactured drama," barked Covington City Solicitor Frank Warnock. 

Can't say the guy's not fair. If that is to be Warnock's signature phrase, I have to say, I like it and may have to borrow it.
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FORMER REP. KEN LUCAS'S SON MAY RUN FOR DAVIS'S SEAT
But as a Republican! Lance Lucas's father represented Northern Kentucky in Congress as a Democrat from 1998 - 2004, but was part of the "Blue Dog" coalition of Dems that are pretty much Republicans because they're afraid of seeming gay or something. Ryan Alessi reports:

“Public service has always been something in our family,” Lucas said. “And I think people are looking for something very different.” As the co-owner of the firm Lucas & Dietz, Lucas said he brings business experience as well as a military background having served as an Air Force pilot in the first Gulf War. That’s a background similar to Davis, an Army Ranger and consultant before he won the 4th District in 2004 upon Ken Lucas’ retirement.

Alessi also has video of Fort Thomas state senator Katie Stine who is also looking into the race. He talks to Erlanger state representative Adam Koenig too. Click the link.
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TEA PARTY BACKLASH ALREADY BEGINS AGAINST GARY MOORE
The Republican Boone County Judge-Executive (who fought off a Tea Party challenge in the GOP primary for his job last year) will have to fight Tea Partiers again. Phyllis Sparks has penned a guest editorial at the blog of potential candidate Marcus Carey:

Last night during the Boone County Fiscal Court meeting, our commissioners and Judge Executive Gary Moore voted to buy 81 acres along Gun Powder Creek with no road frontage, to preserve for future walking trails.
(snip)
So the next time you are stuck in traffic because you can't get across the I71-75 bridge, thank the Boone County Fiscal Court and other local governments who accept these grants.

Bluegrass Bulletin
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CHRISTMAS COMES FOR KIDS AT JOHN G. CARLISLE
This is a great story of the Covington community to help those in need. John G. Carlisle is the poorest school in the region, and possibly the state. This year, their annual corporate donor that provides Christmas gifts for the children had to back out over financial concerns. The Covington Rotary Club, attorney Bob Sanders, and the Covington Fire Department stepped up to fill the $3,000 void and now the kids will have a happy holiday.

Image via

More photos at the link.

Covington Independent Schools @ Facebook 

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THE TOP 10 STORIES FROM COVINGTON IN 2011

The list is available for you to read and to remember the year that was in Covington. What a crazy year. Click the link and weigh in.

The RC News: Top 10 Stories in Covington in 2011 

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SUSPECT IN ANIMAL CRUELTY CASE FOUND DEAD

The man who owned the Henry County land from which hundreds of various animals were taken, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound:

Kentucky State Police say 71-year-old Kenneth Smith was found by a relative dead in his car with an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound. The car was in Smith's driveway on Allyson Lane in Campbellsburg. This comes just three days after he bonded out of jail.
(snip)
On Friday Kenneth Smith and his wife Terri were taken into custody after more than 200 animals were removed from their home. Investigators found dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, even a hybrid wolf, all living in filthy conditions.

FOX 19  
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MORE CUTS POSSIBLE IN KENTUCKY'S BUDGET
Next year's budget may be the toughest ever to craft and more state agencies will see cuts, warns chief budget officer:

The state tapped more than $3 billion in federal stimulus dollars to help plug holes as state revenues plummeted during the recession, but that money is now gone. Lawmakers also have used one-time fixes — such as delaying state paychecks by a day to push them into another fiscal year and delaying debt payments — to save money and not cut key areas such as education. But the state can no longer use those one-time tricks, Lassiter warned.

Herald-Leader  
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GROUP WANTS HISTORIC HOME DELISTED FROM REGISTER
This morning at 10:00 in Louisville, a group called the East End Bridge Conspiracy will organize a challenge to the historic designation granted to a large estate that has raised the price of a sought-after bridge project:

The Drumanard property, if you recall, is pivotal to getting the East End bridge built, or not built, depending on which side you’re on. The 82-year-old estate at 6401 Wolf Pen Branch Rd., which sits on 50 acres, is making Kentucky’s most expensive infrastructure project even more expensive. Because the magnificent home is, well, a national treasure with trees Frederick Law Olmsted himself apparently planted by hand.

From the press release:

New information has been discovered in the form of historic documents that seriously questions the validity of the National Register status of the 55 acre Drumanard estate. The Drumanard estate is located at the eastern terminus of I-265 (Gene Snyder Freeway), and due to its National Register designation, the extension of I-265 across the Ohio River is proposed to be underground in tunnels, which will cost $261 million dollars. If this property is not on the National Register, then this proposed Interstate can be located above ground, thereby saving over $100 million dollars in taxpayer money.

To read the full article and the full press release, click the link.
Insider Louisville
SEE ALSO: Great backstory here titled "The $260 Million Home" from Leo Weekly 
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SALVATION ARMY NOT COLLECTING AS MUCH COIN AS THEY NEED
Donations are way down:

Last year, more than $348,000 was raised. In this year that number only amounts to more than $278,000. "Unfortunately we only have six days to go, and we need to raise about $170,000," adds Ashcraft.

WKYT  
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WANT TO SEE JESUS CHRIST RIDE A DINOSAUR AT NO CHARGE?
Free admission on Christmas Eve at the Creation Museum!
Creation Museum 
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CHEZ NORA CUSTOMER APPRECIATION EVENT TONIGHT
Complimentary appetizers and Bonhomie from 4:00PM - 10:00PM at the restaurant (6th & Main Streets).

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STUDY LINKS MALE SMILING TO OVERWEIGHT MEN SCORING TOUCHDOWNS

LOL:

"But without fail, if that man happens to recover a turnover and begins to run with the ball, the size of the observer's smile grows exponentially, especially if the plump athlete attempts to jump over anything. By the time the obese player scores, literally every adult male we studied was grinning to the limits of his ability."

The Onion