NEWS ROUND-UP -- THURSDAY 30 AUGUST

THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

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FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter  

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by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

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SCHOOL BOARD TO MEET FOR FIRST TIME SINCE ELECTION TROUBLES

The Covington School Board has moved its regularly scheduled meeting to Latonia Elementary Thursday at 7:00PM instead of its usual location at the Board of Education on Seventh Street. The message came from Covington Independent Public Schools Wednesday afternoon:

"Due to unforeseen emergency circumstances and special needs accommodation requests, the August 30, 7:00PM Covington Board of Education meeting has been moved to Latonia Elementary School, located at 3901 Huntington, Covington, Kentucky 41015"

This will be the first meeting of the Covington School Board since the election filing deadline passed and the legal battle over the seat vacated by Denise Varney blew up. The River City News will have this meeting covered for you.
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COVINGTON PHILANTHROPIST WRITES MORE ON STATE OF SCHOOLS
From Oakley Farris:

If I may borrow your attention one more time and direct it to the plight of our school children. I would like to share some observations on the recent good news that Harvard University has had for us concerning the state of education in Kentucky. It seems that Harvard has taken test results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress Test (NAEP) and has concluded that Kentucky has shown some impressive progress on the test since 1992. In fact Harvard concluded that Kentucky exceeded the national overall score in reading proficiency. Now I am only interested in what is best for the school kids, so I am encouraged by that news, perhaps our situation is not as grim as the recent ACT and IOWA test scores would seem to indicate. Because my concern is first for the students I like to look just a little closer to ensure that the results are genuine and not being distorted to fit an agenda.
My friends, I wish I could tell you that I was confident in the Harvard study’s conclusions. However I am in possession of an analysis of the Harvard study which was conducted by the Bluegrass Institute. The Bluegrass Institute study brings to light serious flaws in the Harvard study. Now I am not one to get in the middle of a fight between academics over whose study proves what to whom, that is not my concern. My concern is that the data may have been cherry picked in a way that leaves the most vulnerable students in Kentucky, students just like ours here in Covington, open to being overlooked.

Read more from Mr. Farris: Click Here 
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SCHOOL DISTRICT HOSTS DRUG-TESTING FOCUS GROUP
Covington Schools welcomed parents and other concerned citizens Wednesday evening to Holmes High School where the issue of drug-testing students involved in sports and extracurricular activites was explored. There are just two days left to participated in an online survey:

Friday will be the last day to take a survey on possible random drug testing for students in grades 6-12 who are involved in extra curricular activities. The Covington Board of Education is seeking the input of students, parents and community on whether the district should provide random drug testing for students. Wednesday night, 20 parents and community members participated in focus groups at Holmes High School to voice their opinions on random drug testing. The district is collecting information that will be reported to the Board of Education which will make a final decision on random drug testing.

To take the survey, click here.
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POLICE CHIEF TO ADDRESS CRIME ISSUES IN MAINSTRASSE

Residents of Mainstrasse Village are encouraged to attend a meeting Thursday at 6:00PM inside Zola on Main Street. Covington Police Chief Spike Jones will be on hand to discuss recent crime issues in the neighborhood.

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PEASELBURG RESIDENTS CONCERNS ABOUT HOUSING AUTHORITY PROJECT

A message on Facebook indicates that residents of Covington's Peaselburg neighborhood are concerned about plans by the Housing Authority of Covington, under the guise of its Neighborhood Investment Partners group, to turn potentially eleven properties on Emery Drive into public housing. The meeting is scheduled for 5:00PM at the Housing Authority of Covington office at 2300 Madison Avenue.

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DON'T MISS WEDNESDAY EVENING'S NEWS!

What's up with this sinkhole on Russell Street?; A meeting is set for next week to determine future food truck events in Covington; Plus, a man charged with kidnapping says he can't get along with his Covington-based attorney.

Full story: The RC News: Wednesday Evening Round-Up 

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QUICKIES

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Coverage of Sen. Mitch McConnell's speech at Republican National Convention The Hill 

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Coverage of Sen. Rand Paul's speech at Republican National Convention Wall Street Journal 

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NKY tax preparer admits to falsifying tax returns Herald-Leader 

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Embattled Campbell Boys Lodge loses license to operate Cincinnati Enquirer 

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Former UK basketball player Michael Porter due in court on sex charges WKYT 

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State employees to get free flu shots WKYT 

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KY Arts Council offers workshop for teachers press release 

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KENTUCKIANS SUE DISTILLERIES OVER BLACK GUNK

You read that right. Kentuckians are suing the makers of whiskey:

In 2007, researchers published a scientific study about Baudoinia, a newly identified type of fungus. Naturally occurring, Baudoinia germinates on ethanol, the colorless alcohol that can evaporate during fermentation, making the area around whiskey-aging warehouses a prime breeding ground.
News of this whiskey fungus soon rippled across spirit-producing communities from Cognac to Canada — a mystery solved, and an opportunity found.
In June, home and business owners in and around Louisville, part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, filed class-action lawsuits in federal and circuit courts against five major distilleries, charging property damage and negligence. In September, with the help of lawyers in Britain, the plaintiffs’ Louisville lawyer, William F. McMurry, plans to bring a similar suit in Scotland, where the fungus is so rampant that it almost seems like part of the architecture.

Full story: The New York Times 
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CITY COMMISSIONER NAMES WINNERS OF HIS $2,000 PRIZES
Covington City Commissioner Steve Frank has revealed the winners of his contest in which he asked citizens to come up with ways to save the City or make the City some money. From the Commissioner:

Here are your winners of the best idea to Save Covington Money and i know 1 if not both are from our Fire Department.Mike Clendenen and Matt Chastain both win $2,000 for their idea of getting more revenue for our EMS runs. Thank you! The city has made some progress in this area, but we will double and triple up our efforts. Recently Mayor Scheper and I have deepened our relations with Mayor Gray in Lexington and Mayor Fisher in Louisville to help form a Bluegrass Triangle to represent urban interests better in Frankfort. Because the overuse of Ambulance EMS services and high amount of Medicaid Ems runs occur in urban environments, I am certain that they are suffering from low reimbursement rates that do not cover costs. We will ask our fellow urban centers to help lobby Frankfort for higher rates. We will also compare third party billing agencies to see if someone is more effective in getting higher pay outs from insured patients than our present methods. The third thing we can do is unilaterally raise rates on those who can pay for services and charge higher for rescues and the like. All in all we received over 50reasonable suggestions. I'll take the next few days and go over all of them and chart what we are doing to implement them or if already worked on, where we are in the process. Thank you all for participating. The whole community of Covington is the real winner in this!

FIREFIGHTERS TO COLLECT CASH THIS WEEKEND FOR MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY
From the Covington Fire Department:

This weekend the Covington Firefighters will be stationed throughout the city collecting for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. 100% of the money collected will go to support research and those affected by muscular diseases. Please take a moment and watch this emotional video of Shaun Probert, a Shaker Heights Fireman, Local 516, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. He is the new MDA spokesperson, replacing Kelly Crush, an IAFF Firefighter from Wichita Falls, TX Local 432 who died in March from ALS. Help us help our "Brother" who is now "on the other side of the boot" in helping the children who suffer from Muscular Dystrophy.

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MAINSTRASSE LOOKING FOR CHALK ARTISTS
The chalk art contest will be back on Main Street for this year's Oktoberfest which is a little over a week away. Click the image for details on how to enter...

NEWS ROUND-UP -- FRIDAY 24 AUGUST

THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

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FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter  

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by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

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COVINGTON PHILANTHROPIST OAKLEY FARRIS WEIGHS IN ON SCHOOLS

Oakley Farris, whose contributions to the people of Covington are well documented by several city monuments, posted this message to The River City News Facebook page:

To whom it may concern,I would like to share some more information regarding our education system. We are all now aware that Covington faces difficult challenges when it comes to education. The statistics on poverty and performance speak for themselves on this challenge. Recently we have had some good news as the ACT scores show a small increase in our average composite score to 15.7. Also Harvard University has had some wonderful things to say about the improvements that Kentucky has seen in Public education over the last ten years. I will save the Harvard report for a later date. For now I would like to share my perspective on the good ACT news, because as I have learned in this life, good news can sometimes come with a sales pitch.Our performance on the ACT determines how bright our student’s future is. We have been told that the scores can be poor indicators of student performance because some students are simply not motivated to attend college. But I feel that we should not so easily dismiss those students, for they deserve a chance to succeed on a level playing field. We must not consign them to permanent second class status as a way of explaining a poor showing on the ACT. We cannot allow a good sales pitch for poor performance to confuse the issue.Now our recent improvement to 15.7 is encouraging, but we cannot forget the students behind it. Around three hundred students appear to have entered Holmes High School as freshmen, but only 181 took the test in grade 11 last year. So, already 120 students have fallen out of the system somehow. Those 181 who took the test scored an average of 15.6 last year. However 20 more students dropped out of the class between taking that test and graduation. The 161 who graduated bear the stigma of that 15.6 score even if their individual scores were higher. Do we really want to accept that among those 161 students, who stuck with the system for 12 years, that there were enough who were so uninterested in college that they intentionally did poorly on the test? Or will we admit that there is a possibility they were doing the best they could? We know that 45% of their classmates dropped out in some form since entering high school; presumably they were the least motivated and lowest performing. The 55% who are left must represent the most motivated and best students in Covington. Yet those few students who are left…..just 161 out of a district population of 4000 are still scoring poorly on the ACT….the test which most determines whether they have a future in higher education. Can this really be the result of low motivation?So the question before us is a difficult one. Do we accept, as we are told, that these low scores are the result of low motivation? To do so would mean that we are admitting that we are failing some portion of our students every year. That we have spent 13 years and about $180,000 on each of them without managing to instill in them the most basic of human desires the desire to succeed. Or will we make it our goal to find in each of them the person who wants to succeed who wants the tools they need to go forward in life as a well-rounded individual. And that begs the question, how can it be that they give us 13 years to educate them and in return we give them the lowest average ACT scores in the state as a graduation gift?
Sincerely,Oakley Farris

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DON'T MISS THURSDAY EVENING'S NEWS!
There is yet another update involving the vacant seat on the Covington School Board as the member who originally resigned now wants her seat back; A conviction in the murder of a Covington teenager; Jeff Ruby talks about being kicked out of an Illinois courtroom; An abandoned home in Latonia is causing problems; Plus, has your dog made you mad? Shame him on the internet! Shame him!
Full story: The River City News 
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LOCAL AUTHOR RICK ROBINSON DISCUSSES POLITICAL GAFFES
Rick Robinson, the independent author whose latest book is Writ of Mandamus(which you should buy immediately!) penned a new column this week that touches on the recent "legitimate rape" comment made by a US Senate candidate in Missoure. Robinson compares Rep. Todd Akin (R)'s gaffe to some of the bigger gaffes in history:

But Akin is not the only person to open his political pie-hole and insert his foot. His gaffe, however, does rank as one of the biggest career-ending utterances in modern American political history. Before last Sunday, what were the top 10? 

10.) Edwin Muskie’s snowflake tears: An emotional outburst on a cold and snowy morning ended the presidential bid of Edwin Muskie. The Maine senator was the Democratic front-runner when a New Hampshire newspaper ran two scurrilous editorials, one accusing Muskie’s wife of hard drinking and off-color humor. Muskie held an impromptu press conference on the steps in front of the newspaper’s offices, offering an emotional rebuttal to the attacks. The press said he cried. Muskie’s aides said it was melted snowflakes. Whatever it was, Muskie was done and Sen. George McGovern won the right to face President Richard Nixon in 1972. 

9.) McGovern: “I am 1,000% for Tom Eagleton”: Speaking of George McGovern and the 1972 presidential campaign, when a story broke that his running mate, Sen. Tom Eagleton, had been hospitalized for depression and treated with electro-shock therapy, McGovern said he stood “1,000% for Tom Eagleton.” Eagleton was dumped from the ticket after 18 days and replaced by Sargent Shriver. It was all downhill from there. 

8.) McCain/Palin: It’s hard to imagine that a gaffe-free campaign could have stopped the Obama juggernaut, but the 2008 GOP ticket still had plenty to offer. McCain made the mistake of saying in the middle of the financial collapse that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” And Palin looked like a moose-in-the-headlights in her initial television interviews. Her responses regarding the “Bush Doctrine” and reading anything other than the Wasilla Gazette gave way to “Saturday Night Live” skits that, fairly or unfairly, forged her image in the eyes of many voters.

See the rest of the top 10: The Daily Caller 
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SEE ALSO: Robinson had a terrific radio interview on WGN 
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TRUCKIN' BOZO DALE SOMMERS HAS PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 68

Pat Barry, the local TV and radio personality, reported on Facebook that Bruce Dale Sommers, better known to radio listeners as The Truckin' Bozo, passed away this morning. He was 68. You can share your condolences in a Facebook group and learn how to give to charity in his name at the Truckin' Bozo website.

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QUICKIES
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A Kentucky man who has launched a write-in campaign for President wants to see President Obama removed from the ballot here because he claims Obama is not an American WFPL 
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The geography of homes whose mortgages are underwater The Atlantic Cities 
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Gov. Beshear announces expansion, rebranding of state innovation network (there is an office in Covington) press release 
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NKY Community Action Commission rekindles micro-enterprise development Soapbox Cincinnati 
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NKU announces its Six at Six lecture series NKU 
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CHILDREN, INC ANNOUNCES MERGER WITH UNITED WAY AGENCY
From Rick Hulefeld, founder and executive director of Children, Inc:

There are exciting things happening at Children, Inc. The board of Visions Community Services, a United Way agency located in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati, has voted to become part of Children, Inc. This merger will take effect on January 1st of 2013. It is important to know that in this merger, no one will lose their job and the program of Visions will continue as it has for the foreseeable future. We are excited about this opportunity because the unique strengths of Visions will allow Children, Inc. to explore some new and expanded services for the children and families we currently serve.

This is a union of two respected and collaborative agencies that have the best interests of young children at their core. Our partnership will allow for a broader, deeper impact across our community. The outstanding services that Visions has provided for the past 22 years complement the work of Children, Inc. Together we will provide comprehensive high-quality services for children and families in Greater Cincinnati.

Both agencies share a common history serving inner city children and families as well as teen moms. We are excited to welcome the Visions staff, teachers and administration into the Children, Inc. family and will keep you informed over the coming months as both agencies continue along this path.

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LOUISVILLE GOVERNMENT WEBSITE WINS TOP HONORS
The official website of the City of Louisville won first place at the Center for Digital Government's annual Best of the Web competition:

The Best of the Web awards recognize outstanding government portals and websites based on innovation, functionality and efficiency. Louisville’s website took the top prize for its focus on making city services and government widely available online.
In its 15th year, the Best of the Web awards recognize outstanding government portals and websites based on their innovations, functionality and efficiencies. Louisville has been entered in the awards since 2006. This is the city’s highest finish to date. The website finished 3rd in 2009.

Full story: Louisville.com 
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So what makes Louisville's website so great? See for yourself by clicking here.
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Covington, on the other hand, is in dire need of a new city website. Have you ever played on the Internet Way Back Machine? Click the link below and there will be some calendar dates that you can click on to see how little Covington's website has changed in the past EIGHT years. Plus, it's fun to look at what any website used to look like in the late nineties. Click Here 
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A new website is supposed to be on the way for Covington. There have been hints that a new city website will be forthcoming as part of a new marketing and rebranding effort. Let's hope!
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ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
The Holmes Bulldogs welcome the Scott Eagles to campus tonight at 7:00. It's the first game of the season for Holmes while Scott is coming off an easy win over Lewis County. 
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Holy Cross travels to Cooper for an 8:00PM game.
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What are te top 10 NKY high school football games to see this year? NKY Fan 
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15 WELL-KNOWN COMPANIES THAT USED TO SELL SOMETHING ELSE
Famous brands weren't always known for what they're known for now:

1. AvonDavid H. McConnell started Avon in 1886 without really meaning to. McConnell sold books door-to-door, but to lure in female customers he offered little gifts of perfume. Before long, the perfume McConnell was giving away had become more popular than the books he was selling, so he shifted focus and founded the California Perfume Company, which later became Avon.(snip)
15. Abercrombie & FitchWhen David Abercrombie founded the clothing store in 1892 in New York City, he wasn’t dreaming of clothing high school and college students everywhere. The store was originally a sporting goods shop and outfitter; Abercrombie even outfitted Charles Lindbergh for his famous flight across the Atlantic. The version Abercrombie & Fitch you see in your local mall started to come about after Limited Brands bought the company in 1988.

Read more: Mental Floss  

NEWS ROUND-UP -- WEDNESDAY MORNING 16 MAY

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THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE

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by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter 

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WHO'S GIVING TO THE CANDIDATES FOR COVINGTON MAYOR?

New financial disclosure information is available from City Commissioners Steve Casper and Sherry Carran who are running against each other for mayor. 

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Steve Casper

Casper reports $5,500 raised and more than $5,100 spent. Some noteworthy contributors to Casper include Corporex chairman Bill Butler and his wife who each gave $1,000, philanthropist Oakley Farris who gave $500, and fellow City Commissioner Steve Frank who gave $1,000. 

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Sherry Carran

Carran reports $4,900 raised and $1,900 spent (on top of the $5,000+ previously raised and spent in the prior report, all of which came from the candidate). A notable contribution of $500 comes from former Covington City Commissioner John "JT" Spence who currently serves on the Housing Authority of Covington board of commissioners alongside Carran's opponent, Steve Casper.

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ONE PERSONAL STABBED TO DEATH IN COVINGTON THIS MORNING

A man was found dead inside an apartment building at 8th & Madison just after 1:00AM:

The officer was in his cruiser on routine patrol about 1:10 a.m. when a woman ran out of the apartment building and flagged him down. “She said her friend was stabbed,” (Officer Dave) Pennington said.

Cincinnati Enquirer/Jennifer Edwards Baker  

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RE-POST: SELLING COVINGTON: WE'RE ALL AMBASSADORS NOW

Are we on the verge of an entrepreneurial renaissance in Covington? The City's ambitious incentives program is explained in new signage adorning many windows of vacant buildings. But if C plus V is really to equal G, it will take all of our help. Lots of photos and a brief editorial at the link. 

Selling Covington: We're All Ambassadors Now  

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TUESDAY'S HEADLINES

In case you missed... A new bakery/restaurant has opened on Pike Street; Mainstrasse's newly spruced up parking lot is looking fabulous; And why would anyone steal 300lbs of elm tree bark? Those stories and more at the link. 

The RC News: Tuesday Evening Round-Up 

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NEW POLITICAL THRILLER FEATURES COVINGTON LOCATIONS

Local author Rick Robinson's newest political thriller Writ of Mandamus continues his tradition of featuring local locations, including Chez Nora and the Kenton County Courthouse. The book was just named the best suspense/thriller of 2012 by the Next Generation Book Awards. Here's a brief description: 

In Writ of Mandamus, his character, Congressman Richard Thompson’s reelection campaign is sent into a tailspin when his opponent files a lawsuit asking the Court to order that Thompson live up to his campaign promises and vote against a pending federal spending bill. Thompson’s efforts to dodge the issue thrust him into the middle of a nefarious business deal where arms dealers are using the Keeneland horse sales to illegally run F-14 Tomcat parts to the government of Iran.

In a fast-paced story that travels from the storied horse farms of Kentucky to the green fields of Ireland, Thompson is forced to realize that more is at stake than simply a campaign. In the end, an unlikely hero steps forward to make his future path clear. 

Read more about the book at Kentucky Forward 
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Robinson signed copies of Writ of Mandamus last night at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Crestview Hills and The River City News was there:
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Rick Robinson (R) with Jim Gilliece, owner of Chez Nora

State Rep. Adam Koenig

Robinson hugs Kenton Co. Clerk Gabe Summe

Covington City Commission candidate Chuck
Eilerman (R) waits in line behind the Salyers and Summe

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QUICKIES
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Downtown Cincinnati sees rise in residents Cincinnati Enquirer 
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Columnist: NKY GOP Congressional primary is Tea Party vs Establishment Courier-Journal 
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Which candidates have perfect voting records? cn|2 
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Kentucky Speedway is hopeful that parking and traffic woes from last year have been fixed Courier-Journal 
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Lexington councilman claims that that city's financial future is bleak due to police and fire retirement funds Herald-Leader 
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Route 8 closed for two weeks closer to Maysville Ledger-Independent 
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KENTUCKY PREPARES TO CELEBRATE JEFFERSON DAVIS'S BIRTHDAY
Kentucky has been pretty messed up since the Civil War, don't you think? Here we were squarely situated directly between the north and the south with fighters on both sides and the Presidents of the Union and the Confederacy having been born here. In any case, the Commonwealth will honor the traitor Jefferson Davis:

Jefferson Davis State Historic Site is a memorial to the Kentuckian born on this site on June 3, 1808. Jefferson Davis is known for serving as president of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. He also was a U.S. Military Academy graduate, U.S. congressman and secretary of war. Jefferson Davis State Historic Site is located just off Highway 68/80 in Fairview. This year marks the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. The Jefferson Davis State Historic Site will mark this event with the 204th Birthday Commemoration of Jefferson Davis, first and only president of the Confederate States of America, on June 1-3. The park will have two battle re-enactments, food, re-enactors representing Civil War figures, a pageant, a Civil War flag display and a program on the generals of the Civil War.
All events are free, except for monument/museum tours. The cost for the tours is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and military personnel and $3 for children 12 and under. For more information, call 270-889-6100, or visit www.parks.ky.gov. 

Yee haw, y'all!

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HOLMES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PICK THEIR COLLEGES

From Covington Independent Public Schools: 

Holmes High School hosted its annual Academic Signing Day Tuesday in the Holmes Field House. Representatives from colleges such as Western Kentucky University, Eastern Kentucky, University of Kentucky, Northern Kentucky University, Gateway and Cincinnati Statei were on hand to recognize the students who will be attending their institutions in the fall. The college representatives greeted the students with college attire such as hats, pens, backpacks and t-shirts. Thus far, 65 seniors have been accepted and committed to go to college. STudents have also been accepted to Union College, University of Louisville, Some students have received full and/or partial academic scholarships. Students will go as far away as Florida and some will stay close to home, selecting Northern Kentucky University, Cincinnati State and Gateway. Congratulations students!

See more photos of the signing day by clicking here.

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HOOPS FOR HOPE: HOLMES MIDDLE SCHOOL VS FIDELITY INVESTMENTS

From Covington Independent Public Schools: 

Students and staff on the Holmes Middle School basketball team came out strong against the team from Fidelity Investments and took a 7-0 lead, but eventually ran out of gas and lost Friday in the first-of-its-kind “Hoops for Hope’’ basketball game.

But everyone was a winner. Fidelity surprised the middle school students with school supplies which were donated by its employees during a month-long drive at the Fidelity campus in Covington. The game and school supplies are examples of Fidelity’s generosity. Fidelity has partnered with Holmes Middle School on several projects and will continue.

The game was fun for everyone. About 750 students from the middle school cheered on the Bulldogs as they played in the Holmes Field House. The Bulldogs were coached by Darla Payne. Students saw the competiveness of former basketball greats and Celeste Hill Brockett and Travese Turner. David Kaiser kept the game close, making three points. But the winning streak of team Fidelity continues. Thanks Fidelity!

See more photos from the event by clicking here. 

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COVINGTON BUSINESS COUNCIL GOLF OUTING THURSDAY

From the CBC: 

The CBC's Annual Golf Scramble is just around the corner! Join us for this exciting event on May 17th at Twin Oaks Golf and Plantation Club by filling out a registration form and returning to admin@cbcky.com. We are still registering foursomes, individual players, and sponsors of all levels (from $100 to $2500). All proceeds will benefit the Urban Partnership of Covington and their Clean & Safe Pilot Program. See you there!

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GALLATIN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER MAY HAVE TO CHANGE ITS NO-KILL POLICY
The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce sent out this message: 

Please adopt a pet from Gallatin Co Animal Shelter! They are over capacity & may be forced to reconsider their "no kill" policy.   

Contact information:
Gallatin County Animal Shelter
4550 Hwy 455 (Johnson Rd)
Sparta, KY 41086
1 859.643.3647
Open 7 days a week, 9a - 5p 
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COVINGTON FARMERS MARKET GETS HIP TO THE QR CODE
The Farmers Market continues its efforts to draw more people to its new location near the Kenton County Building. Check out the new QR code with you will be seeing around town: 

 More news throughout the day. Join the conversation at Facebook by clicking here.

CITYBEAT'S BEST OF CINCINNATI IS CLUELESS ABOUT COVINGTON

by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

FACEBOOK: The River City News

@theRCnews on Twitter 

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CityBeat's annual Best of Cincinnati voting is about to come to a close Sunday but for many Covington-related places and faces the ballot is riddled with inaccuracies or out-of-date information. It is almost as though CityBeat's staff has not set foot in our city since 2007. The survey, which you can take by clicking here, is viewed by many establishments as an honor. Customers will see references to being named among CityBeat's Best Of... on the walls of many places around town, even in Covington. Unsurprisingly a lot of Covington's bars and restaurants find themselves nominated again and are deserving of more praise. Some other categories, however, are quite strange.

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Former Mayor Butch Callery

In the category Northern Kentuckian, former Covington Mayor Butch Callery is nominated. Now, we all love Butch for the decades of service he gave to our city but he lost reelection four years ago and has since moved to Villa Hills. Is CityBeat aware that they are two mayors behind in Covington? Callery is up against some worthy candidates like Donna Salyers and Bill Seitz of the Carnegie, but also Eric Deters who recently called for an armed revolution against the President of the United States. And George Clooney? Are they serious? 
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But it gets worse. In the High School Coach category, CityBeat nominates David Henley as coach of the Holmes basketball team. Henley did an awesome job at Holmes, even winning a state championship. But he left the school two years ago! He is not even in Northern Kentucky anymore! 
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And here's a funny one. Covington's signature piece of modern architecture, The Ascent, is nominated for Best Apartment Community. Seriously. Other nominees include Gettysburg Square in Fort Thomas and 4th & Plum Apartments in Downtown Cincinnati. The Ascent is home to condos for which one would pay a minimum of a half million dollars. Best Apartment Community?

Ascent... apartment community?

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CityBeat does get more than a few things right such as the many bars and restaurants up for honor. Rick Robinson is nominated for Local Author, Covington Latin is nominated for Best Private School, Gateway College, Klingenberg's Hardware, Mother's tattoo parlor, Leapin' Lizard, Cymbal House, and Devou Park all scored rightful nominations. But so did Blue Bar which has been closed for at least seven months. Oh, and in the Best NKY Neighborhood category, CityBeat nominates Mainstrasse and Covington while leaving out Oakley & Eva Farris from the Best Philanthropist category. 
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Perhaps the most glaring error in CityBeat's survey is in the category Best Place to Take a Visitor: Mount Adams, Newport-on-the-Levee, Fountain Square. Many wonderful places, but CityBeat did not list one Covington location in this category. That is probably because no one from the CityBeat offices has visited Covington (aside from the Madison Theater, which scored a nomination, too, and is a frequent topic in CityBeat's music covergae). They really seem to have no clue about what is happening here. So let's clear it up for them: Not only is Covington the best place to take a visitor, it may also be the best place to take a CityBeat employee searching for the Best of Cincinnati. It would make the Best of... survey a lot easier for them. They could just open their eyes and look around and know that they have already found it.

NEWS ROUND-UP -- SATURDAY 11 FEB

by Michael Monks 

Email Michael

Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook

@theRCnews on Twitter 

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COVINGTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS LIFELONG LEARNING SURVEY

CIPS has teamed with the Center for Great Neighborhoods to guage community interest in adult learning opportunities:

Covington Independent Public Schools is in the beginning stages of offering Lifelong Learning Courses for adults! The Center for Great Neighborhoods is working with them to gather input from parents and community members on course offerings, as well as individuals who maybe interested in serving on an Advisory Council for Lifelong learning. In this pilot stage, activities would be planned for schools with a current 21st Century Community Learning Center Coordinator (9th District, John G., and Holmes) in the general timeframe from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. 

To take the survey, click the link.
Lifelong Learning Survey  
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SEE ALSO: Cinderella KIDS to be performed at Holmes:

Holmes High School will present Cinderella KIDS in the Jack Moreland Auditorium, 2500 Madison Ave., Covington. Performances are 7 p.m., Wednesday, February 15 through Friday, February 17. “KIDS” in the title indicates that the Disney musical will be performed by children in elementary through ninth grades.
The 30 minute show is part of a service learning project. Holmes High School students are guiding and mentoring the elementary and Holmes Middle School student performers.
The show is under the direction of lead theatre coach Rex Sholar with Senior Kaitlyn Herindon heading up production and Senior Elijah Jump directing. Both students have performed several principal roles in Holmes’ theatrical productions.At least 48 students are involved in the production. Entry is free and open to the community.

Image via

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FUNDRAISER FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER & ACTION MINISTRIES
Join Sutton Rankin Law to raise funds and supplies for two important local charities:

Please join: Sutton Rankin Law & Rudler, PSC
Date: Wednesday, February 15th
Time: 4:00-6:30pm
Location: 130 Dudley Road, Edgewood, KY
RSVP: Friday, February 10th
Reply to lblair@rudler.com or call 859-331-1717 

Sutton Rankin Law 

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SEE ALSO: The director of the Emergency Shelter wrote a recent blog post titled: Sick and Suffering in Our Shelter

Currently we have a few individuals who should be in a personal care home or even a nursing home facility. Only in their late 40's, these two men frequently need assistance with ADL's (activities of daily living). Both come into our shelter at least every other day needing assistance with cleaning up after they have had a bowel movement or urinated on themselves. One guest functions at the level of a 6 year old and we have to remind/coax him to shower and to take off his gloves once he's in the shelter. The other guest is experiencing liver failure and seems unaware of his surroundings as the liver failure is causing his brain to not function at it's full capacity. He doesn't remember to take the medication that has been given to him. This particular guest, prior to coming to our shelter was found under a bridge, semi unconscious and suffering from hypothermia. He was hospitalized four days but discharged to our shelter!

Read the whole thing at the link.
Emergency Shelter blog

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HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THIS WEEK'S MUGSHOT ROUND-UP?

See who was put away in Kenton County Circuit Court this week and what the charges are at the link below.

The River City News 

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REDISTRICTING DECISION CHANGES LANDSCAPE OF STATE RACES

Since a judge ruled that legislative candidates will run in their old districts, a lot of state representatives have decided to withdraw from state senate races to run again for their current seats. Very bizarre shakeup that you can read about at the link.

cn|2/Ryan Alessi 

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NEWS FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL JACK CONWAY

He is one busy guy. Check out all the statewide crime-fighting going on at the link.

Jack Conway 

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JUVENILE OFFENDER LAW FACES REVIEW

The Commonwealth will study how to handle more effectively the young people that commit crimes in this state:

Kentucky lawmakers are considering an in-depth review of state juvenile law, with a key goal being to end the practice of jailing youths for minor, noncriminal offenses such as truancy. 

Courier-Journal/Deborah Yetter  
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UK STUDY: KENTUCKY SHOULD BROADEN TAX BASE
The report by the University of Kentucky suggests that the Commonwealth should broaden the tax base for a more stable system:

The authors say the current structure lacks "buoyancy," a description of how well state revenue keeps pace with the economy. During the past 40 years, there's been a gradual decline in that rate.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/02/06/2058349/uk-report-kentucky-should-broaden.html#storylink=rss?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#storylink=cpy

Herald-Leader/Linda B. Blackford 
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SEE ALSO: Small businesses say "tax big businesses":

Small-business owners see corporate tax loopholes and accounting gimmicks used to shift U.S. profits offshore to avoid taxes as serious problems, according to an independent nationwide opinion poll released Monday. 

Business First  
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CHURCHILL DOWNS ACQUIRES POKER COMPANY
The most famous name in horse racing is bracing for more liberal laws regarding online gambling.
Business First/John R. Karman III 
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NOMINATE SOMEONE TO THE KENTUCKY HUMAN RIGHTS HALL OF FAME
Know anyone worthy? Nominate them!

Nominees for the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame must have shown exemplary leadership and achievements in civil rights in Kentucky. Nominators are asked to submit the name, address, phone number, biography, picture and three letters of recommendation of the nominee. The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights will also need the name, address and phone number of the nominator. Newspaper, magazine and other articles that describe the nominee and his or her work are also accepted.

The hall of fame includes President Abraham Lincoln... so nominate with discretion!
Press Release 
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CELEBRATE PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY TOMORROW
Head down to his birthplace in Hodgenville:

"During the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commemoration, Kentucky worked diligently to reclaim its Lincoln heritage. On President Lincoln's 203rd birthday, the Kentucky Historical Society encourages people once again to explore the lifelong connections between Abraham Lincoln and his native Kentucky home," said KHS Executive Director Kent Whitworth.

The KHS HistoryMobile will be parked at the Abraham Lincoln BirthplaceNational Historical Park near Hodgenville, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. this Sunday, Feb. 12. Its current exhibit, "Kentucky's Abraham Lincoln," explores Lincoln's frontier childhood, his career from log house to the White House and his struggles to end slavery and lead the nation through the Civil War. Lincoln was born on Sunday, Feb. 12, 1809. 

Press Release  
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STUDY: ADULTS ARE MOSTLY KIND ON SOCIAL MEDIA
I guess the Pew Research Center did not calculate a couple Covington-related Facebook pages in its findings: 

Eighty-five percent of adults that use social networking sites said people are mostly kind on them, while 5 percent said users are mostly unkind. Another 5 percent said their answer depends on the situation. More than two-thirds had an experience that made them feel good about themselves.

The Hill/Gauthem Nagash  
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A SATURDAY WITH OAKLEY FARRIS
While posting a video from the Center for Great Neighborhoods yesterday, I came across this fun video starring Covington's most generous philanthropist. It was posted to YouTube a couple weeks ago:

Have a great Saturday, Covington!

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in case you missed...
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FRIDAY AFTERNOON'S NEWS
COVINGTON: Students at Latonia Elementary fight graffiti artists; A conservative blogger offers a standing ovation to Covington State Rep. Arnold Simpson; Posters of UK star Anthony Davis cause the university a major headache; Plus, why Kentucky native Chuck Woolery opposes civil rights. Click it.

The River City News 

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