NEWS ROUND-UP -- MONDAY LUNCH 6 FEB

by Michael Monks 
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COVINGTON BUSINESS BUYS ITS MADISON AVENUE BUILDING

More great news as another Covington business makes an important investment in the City: Madison Design Group has bought 515 Madison Avenue for $440,000.

Madison Design Group started with just two employees in 1998: co-founders Julie Courtney and Jackie Roberto. Now the firm employs 13 people. Its clients include the Procter & Gamble Co. , Cintas Corp. , Mercy Health and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Business Courier/Lucy May 

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REP. GEOFF DAVIS SEEKS TO CLOSE 'STRIP CLUB LOOPHOLE'

Our Congressman takes aim at using welfare money at strip joints & liquor stores:

Despite this overall progress, there are still areas where TANF can and should be strengthened. Recently, concern has been raised about TANF benefits being withdrawn and used at strip clubs, liquor stores, and casinos. This is an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars and an outright abuse of taxpayer trust.
(snip)
H.R. 3567 would close this so-called “strip club loophole.” Within two years of enactment, States would be required to block welfare benefit card transactions in casinos, liquor stores, and strip clubs. In plain language, welfare benefits could no longer be accessed at any of these facilities. 

Geoff Davis 
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BOTH KY SENATORS HAVE PACS, BUT ONLY ONE IS RAISING BIG MONEY
Good news for Mitch McConnell:

McConnell’s PAC—called the Bluegrass Committee—is in full campaign mode heading into this year’s elections. The PAC raised over $300,000 at the end of last year. It then promptly spent it all, giving most of the money to four Republican candidates for the Senate. The GOP needs to capture four Senate seats to gain the majority in that chamber.

WFPL/Kenny Colston  
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Bad news for Rand Paul:

After more than a year in office, U.S. Senator Rand Paul is having trouble turning his political action committee into a fundraising powerhouse. The PAC, named RANDPAC, has less than $100,000 in the bank.

WFPL/Kenny Colston
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HOURS AFTER SUPERBOWL LOSS, OCHOCINCO APPEARS IN CINCINNATI COURT
That was fast:

The former Bengals wide receiver appeared before Judge Russell Mock for driving with a suspended license and a window tinting violation from July of 2011. The case had been continued several times. 

FOX 19  
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CINCINNAY MAY SOON BE POWERED BY 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY
The city is working on a power aggregation deal that could be available to consumers as early as summer 2012:

Such a move would make Cincinnati the largest city in the United States to have its energy supply come from 100 percent renewable sources, and it might be accomplished without any significant cost difference for ratepayers. The way it would work, city officials tell UrbanCincy, is by requiring power providers to include quotes for both the cheapest electricity available and 100 percent renewable electricity. 

Very cool.
UrbanCincy/Randy A. Simes  
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ARE YOUR KIDS GETTING READY TO TAKE THE ACT?
The Kentucky Higher Education Assistant Authority offers seven tips here. 
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SEE ALSO: The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is offering CEO training for principals. WFPL 
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THOMAS MORE COLLEGE OFFERS 3-YEAR DEGREE PROGRAM
The new college experience:

TMC3 is an innovative program that allows qualified students to save both time and money by completing a traditional four-year bachelor’s degree in just three years.
The three-year degree is completed during the course of eight semesters. Annual tuition and fees for the three-year program are $15,000. 

Lexington Family  
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DEAR KROGER, PLEASE REDO COVINGTON NEXT PLEASE
Maysville's Kroger got a spiffy new look:

During the remodel, the store at 381 Market Square, which remained open during the renovation process, added nearly 40,000 square feet. 

Meanwhile, the grocery giant's Madison Avenue location remains a complete disgrace.
Cincinnati Enquirer/Shauna Steigerwald  
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in case you missed...
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THIS MORNING'S NEWS
The Presidential campaign comes to Cincinnati tomorrow; Covington students sell artwork to help the poor; Photos of the lucky dogs & cats adopted at the Kenton Co shelter; Plus, new uses for old churches. Those stories and more at the link! Click it. 
The River City News 
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IN MARKETING, COVINGTON SHOULD FOCUS ON UNIQUENESS
As our City launches its new marketing campaign, one expert argues that the focus should be on what makes a city unique. His reasoning is at the link. What unique qualities do you think Covington should highlight? (Also, check out the city's website and how the C+V=G mantra is taking hold. - Link inside.) 

The River City News 

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DID YOU SEE THE BIG BOY STATUE IN THAT SUPERBOWL COMMERCIAL?

It was a happy accident for Frisch's:

Frisch's Restaurants Inc. was aware in advance that a Big Boy statue would be featured in a Chevy Truck Super Bowl commercial, but it did not broker the product-placement deal that exposed its burger-toting mascot to more than 100 million NFL viewers. 

Business Courier/Dan Monk 
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POLAR BEAR PLUNGE RAISES MONEY FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS

But you really just want to see the photos, right?

More at NKY Spot 

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GROCERY STORES RIPPING OFF THE GIRL SCOUTS

Free market, I suppose. But come on, generic Girl Scout Cookies? 

While Kroger didn’t have any store-brand version of the Scouts’ cookies (Kroger is also the only chain store where I’ve seen Scouts selling cookies near the entrance), in Meijer’s cookie aisle, I spotted those familiar rectangular-shaped boxes. Meijer’s “Fudge Treasures” series features some familiar cookie types — there’s Mint (for fans of Thin Mints), Peanut Butter (eerily close to the Scouts’ Tagalongs) and Caramel Coconut, seemingly taking direct inspiration from the gooey Samoas cookies. Why only three brands? Perhaps it’s because, according to the Girl Scouts, Thin Mints, Tagalongs and Samoas are the organization’s biggest sellers.

CityBeat/Mike Breen