THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
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by Michael Monks
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CATALYTIC FUND MEETS GOAL OF $10 MILLION FOR RIVER CITY INVESTMENTS
Covington and its sister river cities stand to benefit greatly from the $10 million in the coffers of the Catalytic Development Fund of Northern Kentucky. Jeanne Schroer, who oversees the Fund (and who will be helped by Covington Mayor Chuck Scheper), believes the $10 million can be used to leverage as much as $100 million in new developments in Covington, Ludlow, Newport, Bellevue, and Dayton. When contacted by email Thursday, Schroer said she would be available for an interview today. More details to come.
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REVITALIZING DOWNTOWN COVINGTON
The so-called "plan of plans" to breathe new life into Downtown Covington and its surrounding urban neighborhoods has arrived full of recommendations on how our city can best capitalize on its strengths and improve upon its weaknesses. The River City News obtained an advance copy of the plan and the details are shared in three separate parts below. This is an important step for a city that "has been planned to death", so check it out and weigh in:
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PART ONE: BUILDING A STRONG ECONOMY
How best to draw in new entrepreneurs and to retain existing businesses? Those issues are explored in part one where other suggestions include parking meters for Mainstrasse, zoning changes, and a database of vacant, available spaces for new businesses. Click it.
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PART TWO: CREATING AN INVITING PUBLIC REALM
The second part of the plan to revitalize Downtown Covington focuses on creating open and green spaces for the community with recommendations that include a trail system through the town and dramatic lighting displays on historic industrial infrastructure. Details at the link. |
PART THREE: STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS
How would you feel about a 90-day code enforcement blitz? At the link, details from the Center City Action Plan's goals for "an inviting public realm", including the role of social service agencies and which neighborhood Covington should prioritize for residential development. Click it. |
NEW(ER) UMBRELLA GROUP SUGGESTED TO LEAD PLAN
If you missed Wednesday's exclusive report on how many aspects of the plan will be implemented, click the link below. A reconstituted Urban Partnership would be the lead organization. See where all the other Downtown-oriented civic organizations fit in and just how much the staff of the UP would be expected to make, at the link.
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EIGHT START-UP COMPANIES AWARDED UPTECH SUPPORT
In another positive sign of new growth on its way to Northern Kentucky, UpTech, the start-up business incubator named the first eight recipients of its support which includes a $100,000 investment, riverfront office space in Newport, professional support services, and applied research assistance at Northern Kentucky University. The winners:
7 Moose Games, a software developer offering 3D simulation products geared towards the health, oil and gas, mining, academic, manufacturing and public safety industries. The company specializes in the “gamification” of business and training software.
CitiLogics, a developer of real-time data fusion software that helps water utilities lower energy costs, reduce water leakage, improve service reliability and enhance the quality of tap water.
Crowdspark, an on-demand content platform that allows users to create online contests.
InstrumentLife, an Internet-based business application with a social media interface that connects musical instruments with owners, retailers, repair shops and schools.
MakeupHaulic, a website dedicated to aggregating beauty-related vlogs into a searchable interface.
OneMorePallet, a website that provides small shippers the ability to purchase excess capacity from Less-Than-a-Truckload carriers at a significant discount.
Student Designed, an online tool that allows businesses and universities to connect through a marketplace where businesses outsource projects for university professors to review and assign to their students as class assignments.
Text and the City, a mobile marketing company that combines text messaging, a conventional website and mobile website to connect users on a hyper-local basis.
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KENTUCKY, OHIO GOVERNORS BREAK GROUND ON NEW BRIDGE
In a sign that it is in fact possible to build a new bridge between Kentucky and Ohio, Governors Steve Beshear and John Kasich broke ground on an $81 million bridge that will span the Ohio River and connect Ironton, Ohio to Russell, Kentucky.
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MEANWHILE...
LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS MOBILIZE A STRATEGY TO BUILD
A NEW BRENT SPENCE BRIDGE
At a joint board meeting of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, business leaders will announce necessary steps the region will take to fund and build a new bridge to augment the Brent Spence Bridge. Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson will speak alongside the business leaders, including Brent Cooper, owner of Covington-based C-Forward. The event is Monday at noon at the new Christian Moerlein Lager House at the Banks in Cincinnati.
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SEE ALSO: NKY Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Steve Stevens is named "Chamber Executive of the Year" in Kentucky Cincinnati Enquirer ---------------------------------------------------------------
TRAFFIC TROUBLE THIS WEEKEND...
If you travel east on I-275, be advised that the exit ramp to I-471 north will be closed starting tonight at 8:00PM until Monday, May 14. From a press release:
Traffic will be detoured to continue on I-275 EB to Exit 72, (Kellogg Ave.) and back onto I-275 WB to I-471 NB. MOTORISTS SHOULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND USE ALTERNATE ROUTES such as : I-75 NB, KY 9, I-471 SB to US 27 N, I-275 EB to Kellogg Ave. to I-275 WB. Traffic heading on I-75/I-71 to North of Cincinnati should use I-275 WB to bypass the city. Throughout the duration of this project, traffic may be reduced to a single lane during night time periods between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM .
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QUICKIES
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Gov. Beshear to enact key part of the Affordable Care Act if it is upheld by the US Supreme Court WFPL
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How scary is Kentucky's pension system? cn|2
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Fort Thomas woman sentenced in fraud scheme Cincinnati Enquirer
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Unemployment claims decline Business First
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Kentucky lags in lowering teen birth rate Courier-Journal
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EDITORIAL: States pick own death penalty poison Chicago Tribune
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Senator Rand Paul moves to end the TSA The Hill
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US Airways adds direct flight from CVG to DC Cincinnati Enquirer
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Work halted on chemical weapon destruction at Lexington airport Herald-Leader
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Kentucky Educational Television (KET) says its ratings increase is due to younger people and men WFPL
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Kentucky city stops paying for indigent funerals Herald-Leader
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Governor promotes outdoor activities for kids press release
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Students injured in dry ice experiment WKYT
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COVINGTON BUSINESS COUNCIL DIRECTOR MAKES PITCH FOR COVINGTON
On a "career happiness" blog, Pat Frew, executive director of the Covington Business Council makes a pitch for Covington:
There has never been a better time to locate a business in Covington. We are hungry to attract appropriate retailers and other prospective enterprises. There are large numbers of available storefronts at very affordable rates. The City has a number of incentive programs available to startups and established businesses. Many of these spaces are ready to be leased immediately. The overall vibrancy of the urban core is being enhanced by the expanding urban campus on Scott Street by Gateway Community and Technical College and the expansion of the adjacent Kenton County Library branch. I think increased interest and excitement has been evidenced at our monthly Covington Business Council luncheons which have been averaging about 125 attendees per month (double from two years ago). Entrepreneurs of all types are being courted through a partnership between the City, Duke Energy and life science accelerator bioLOGIC. And I believe the business improvement district services we are planning to provide (continuance of cleanup work described earlier, beautification downtown such as benches, planters and banners and economic development support liaision efforts between business owners and the City) will create and sustain growth.
Read the whole thing at the link (Frew probably had a good chuckle at the headline):
The Bauke Group
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KENTUCKY'S SPIRIT SHINES THROUGH IN TORNADO RELIEF EFFORT
Rick Robinson for NKY Magazine:
It’s not that the government didn’t assist. It did. But no one in Northern Kentucky took it for granted that the government would be there. We took it on ourselves. As horrible as the tornadoes were, the community’s response to them defined who we are. Northern Kentuckians supported each other in a way that only neighbors can — with dignity, empathy and a whole lot of elbow grease.
NKY Magazine
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CHECK OUT SOME PHOTOS OF FIRST GRADERS FROM COVINGTON SCHOOLS RAISING MONEY FOR THE SHRINERS Click Here
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HOLMES MARCHING BAND IN THE KY DERBY PEGASUS PARADE
This photo was sent to The River City News by band director Jared Murray:
Looking good, Bulldogs!
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SPORTS
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The Kentucky Oaks will be raced today -- and you can expect a fast paced one Courier-Journal |
Horse from NKY running in tomorrow's Derby WKRC |
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WAIT, WHAT? NO UK/IU GAME NEXT YEAR?
Looks like we're all going to have to redirect more of our collective hatred towards Vanderbilt. For the first time since 1969, there will be no Kentucky-Indiana match-up in men's college basketball.
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Indiana, which has played UK every year since the 1969-70 season, ended the series because the programs could not agree on where to play future games. UK wanted neutral sites. IU wanted to play in Bloomington and Lexington in alternating years.
CoachCal.com:
“We were willing to play them both in the state of Indiana and they said no to that,” Calipari said. “That means they don’t want to play us.”
UK officials weren’t aware Indiana was terminating the series until shortly before a news conference to announce a contract extension for women’s basketball coach Matthew Mitchell. The sudden “change of heart” was disappointing for Barnhart, who was under the impression that a deal could be struck.
Mark Story :
When it comes to who killed the Indiana-Kentucky border war, I'm not interested in the blame game. UK and IU have merit in their positions.
By playing on campus, Indiana makes the valid point that each school's students get to be part of the game. Most who were there say they have never seen a more charged atmosphere than in Assembly Hall when UK visited on Dec. 10.
Yet Kentucky has a viable claim in saying that, by playing at neutral sites, especially if one of the venues is massive Lucas Oil Field in Indy, lots of fans of both schools who cannot get season tickets would have a chance to see a big game.
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SEE ALSO: Anthony Davis is a finalist for US men's basketball national team Herald-Leader
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UK's women's coach is now the highest paid in the SEC Herald-Leader
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THIS WEEKEND IN COVINGTON
LATONIA CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL:
Come to the Latonia Children's Festival on Saturday, May 5th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. The free festival, for young children and their families, is designed to promote summer activities, to provide safety and wellness information and to bring together families in the Latonia area. The festival will take place ½ blocks from Ritte's Corner at 38th and Church Street.
For more information, click here.
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FIRST FRIDAY GALLERY HOP:
Its the First week of the Month and that means its First Friday this weekend! Come out to Covington from 6pm to 9pm for our Gallery Hop. its going to be a hoppin happenin time.
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PAUL'S ART SHOW AT NOAH'S ART SALON IN MAINSTRASSE
It's tonight from 6 - 10 at 613 Main Street.
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COVINGTON FARMERS MARKET RETURNS SATURDAY
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LUDLOW COMEDIAN ON JIMMY FALLON SHOW LAST NIGHT
Suggestive language warning:
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/05/03/2174384/indiana-says-it-will-not-play.html#storylink=rss#storyli
