by Michael Monks
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The months-long battle between Covington's elected and appointed leadership and the city's fire department landed in a Kenton County courtroom this morning. Judge Gregory Bartlett rejected firefighter union Local 38's attempt to impose a restraining order on the city to halt the reduction of staffing per shift from 30 to 27 on the grounds that that responsibility belongs in the legislative process and not the courts. In a proceeding that saw a former Covington fire chief cross-examine the current one, many of the familiar arguments from both sides resurfaced.
"This is not about public safety, this is manufactured drama," barked Covington City Solicitor Frank Warnock. "This is about money and power. Local 38 has to take care of their own but we have to look at the whole city. As much as Local 38 doesn't want to talk about it, the city is in financial trouble."
360 Fireworks Party
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
CITY FIREFIGHTERS BLAST REDUCTIONS, COMMISSIONER BLASTS FIREFIGHTERS
by Michael Monks
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Covington firefighter union Local 38 says the public's safety is jeopardized by the shuttering of Pumper One at Scott & Robbins, which the firefighters say is the city's busiest. In addition to the alleged challenge of keeping public safety at a maximum, Local 38 claims that the move is in violation of the minimum manning agreement signed on by the union and the city in November 2010. Local 38 President Chris Black said in a release that the agreement was set at a level so low that "the union never thought it would be violated."
"We run most of our fire trucks with three, but sometimes as few as two firefighters, a number dangerously low to begin with," Black said. "And now the city wants to take us below even that." As part of a contingency plan to balance a projected $4 million budget deficit, Covington commissioners voted to reduce firefighter staffs from thirty per shift to twenty-seven. That move went into effect this morning at 8AM along with the closure of Pumper One.
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Covington firefighter union Local 38 says the public's safety is jeopardized by the shuttering of Pumper One at Scott & Robbins, which the firefighters say is the city's busiest. In addition to the alleged challenge of keeping public safety at a maximum, Local 38 claims that the move is in violation of the minimum manning agreement signed on by the union and the city in November 2010. Local 38 President Chris Black said in a release that the agreement was set at a level so low that "the union never thought it would be violated."
"We run most of our fire trucks with three, but sometimes as few as two firefighters, a number dangerously low to begin with," Black said. "And now the city wants to take us below even that." As part of a contingency plan to balance a projected $4 million budget deficit, Covington commissioners voted to reduce firefighter staffs from thirty per shift to twenty-seven. That move went into effect this morning at 8AM along with the closure of Pumper One.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
OMNICARE? WHAT OMNICARE? COVINGTON MOVES ON
by Michael Monks
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The confetti is still falling at Atrium One in Downtown Cincinnati where Omnicare CEO John Figueroa and a sparkling, unlikely duo of Ohio Governor John Kasich and Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory announced their job redistribution plan of taking more than three hundred positions from the edge of the Ohio River in Covington and placing them on the other edge in the Queen City. Though the distance is essentially the equivalent of an Olympic-size swimming pool, the financial ramifications for Covington are closer to the equivalent of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies.
But don't cry for The Gateway to the South. "Covington's been around for two-hundred years, through civil war, martial law, and floods," said City Manager Larry Klein. "We'll get through this. Hang with us." The rosy, unphased optimism was evident up and down the commission chairs at Tuesday night's meeting, even with one of those chairs noticeably vacant. Mayor Denny Bowman, effective September 30, resigned his seat as the elected leader of Covington for the second time in eleven years and was absent.
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The confetti is still falling at Atrium One in Downtown Cincinnati where Omnicare CEO John Figueroa and a sparkling, unlikely duo of Ohio Governor John Kasich and Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory announced their job redistribution plan of taking more than three hundred positions from the edge of the Ohio River in Covington and placing them on the other edge in the Queen City. Though the distance is essentially the equivalent of an Olympic-size swimming pool, the financial ramifications for Covington are closer to the equivalent of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies.
But don't cry for The Gateway to the South. "Covington's been around for two-hundred years, through civil war, martial law, and floods," said City Manager Larry Klein. "We'll get through this. Hang with us." The rosy, unphased optimism was evident up and down the commission chairs at Tuesday night's meeting, even with one of those chairs noticeably vacant. Mayor Denny Bowman, effective September 30, resigned his seat as the elected leader of Covington for the second time in eleven years and was absent.
2 ARRESTED IN TUESDAY MORNING HOMICIDE
by Michael Monks
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At around 8AM Tuesday morning, Covington Police responded to 1330 Scott Boulevard to find Shain T. Pierce, 54, dead. Lt. Col. Spike Jones tells The River City News that Pierce died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Police swiftly arrested two men in connection with Pierce's death. Leslie J. Haun, 47, faces one count of murder while Robert J. Haun, 20, faces a murder charge and a count of tampering with physical evidence. Both suspects and the victim are from Covington.
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 |
| Robert J. Haun, 20 |
Police swiftly arrested two men in connection with Pierce's death. Leslie J. Haun, 47, faces one count of murder while Robert J. Haun, 20, faces a murder charge and a count of tampering with physical evidence. Both suspects and the victim are from Covington.
 |
| Leslie J. Haun, 47 |
Covington Police continue to gather evidence in the case and are actively interviewing witnesses. If you have any information that may be helpful, call Covington PD at 859.292.2222.
Monday, September 19, 2011
THE NEW REGIONALISM: CINCINNATI POACHES HUNDREDS OF JOBS FROM COVINGTON
by Michael Monks
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UPDATE: 5:45PM I just spoke with Covington City Manager Larry Klein. "There's no doubt that this (Omnicare's departure) will have repurcussions on the budget," Klein said. "With the pending loss of Nielsen, we'll have to revisit our budget again. We've yet to be successful on labor contracts. Once again there's only one place to look and it's personnel costs." Klein remains optimistic about Covington in spite of Omnicare leaving. "I think there's a lot of good things we all see over the horizon. They're not going to be next week or next year. When you look at the Gateway project, convention center expansion, IRS beginning to make some movement, it all bodes well," Klein said. "There's light at the end of the tunnel, it's just a rather long tunnel."
ORIGINAL POST:
The long rumored move of Omnicare from Covington's riverfront to that of Cincinnati is now the reality. A press conference Monday afternoon sealed that deal as Ohio Governor John Kasich, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and Omnicare CEO John Figueroa shook the hands of one another and smiled for cameras and reporters on a high floor of Atrium One, Omnicare's new home, that offers a view of Covington, the city on the other side of the river, and on the other side of this "good news".
"This was an easy decision because it does involve a national headquarters and a great number of people," Kasich said. "It represents a company that has a great growth potential." The pharmaceutical giant was looking for new digs to accomodate a planned move to bring all of its area employees under one roof. Though Omnicare was courted by Covington and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear with a hefty incentive package to stay, Kasich's offer was higher and more aggressive.
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UPDATE: 5:45PM I just spoke with Covington City Manager Larry Klein. "There's no doubt that this (Omnicare's departure) will have repurcussions on the budget," Klein said. "With the pending loss of Nielsen, we'll have to revisit our budget again. We've yet to be successful on labor contracts. Once again there's only one place to look and it's personnel costs." Klein remains optimistic about Covington in spite of Omnicare leaving. "I think there's a lot of good things we all see over the horizon. They're not going to be next week or next year. When you look at the Gateway project, convention center expansion, IRS beginning to make some movement, it all bodes well," Klein said. "There's light at the end of the tunnel, it's just a rather long tunnel."
ORIGINAL POST:
The long rumored move of Omnicare from Covington's riverfront to that of Cincinnati is now the reality. A press conference Monday afternoon sealed that deal as Ohio Governor John Kasich, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and Omnicare CEO John Figueroa shook the hands of one another and smiled for cameras and reporters on a high floor of Atrium One, Omnicare's new home, that offers a view of Covington, the city on the other side of the river, and on the other side of this "good news".
"This was an easy decision because it does involve a national headquarters and a great number of people," Kasich said. "It represents a company that has a great growth potential." The pharmaceutical giant was looking for new digs to accomodate a planned move to bring all of its area employees under one roof. Though Omnicare was courted by Covington and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear with a hefty incentive package to stay, Kasich's offer was higher and more aggressive.
Friday, September 9, 2011
SOURCE: MAYOR DENNY BOWMAN TO STEP DOWN AT END OF MONTH
by Michael Monks
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Rumors have been circulating for several weeks that Covington Mayor Denny Bowman was planning to leave the office he returned to following the 2008 election. From city staff and public workers to the rest of the elected commissioners, there have been different stories and possible reasons circulating. Recent city commission meetings have found Bowman on the losing side of several 4 - 1 votes, with Bowman recently expressing his disappointment in not only the way city government operates, but also the actual city-manager form of government under which Covington is ruled.
The River City News has learned from a source close to the situation that Bowman plans to leave office at
the end of September, but the exact reason or reasons for the departure remain(s) unclear. Bowman declined an in-person interview request following Tuesday night's meeting and has not responded to multiple phone calls and emails requesting a conversation. There were rumors that he may leave at the end of the year, or at the end of October, but the September date may be more believable as most of the commissioners told the River City News (though none has verified information that the Mayor will step down) that Bowman has been distant lately.
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Rumors have been circulating for several weeks that Covington Mayor Denny Bowman was planning to leave the office he returned to following the 2008 election. From city staff and public workers to the rest of the elected commissioners, there have been different stories and possible reasons circulating. Recent city commission meetings have found Bowman on the losing side of several 4 - 1 votes, with Bowman recently expressing his disappointment in not only the way city government operates, but also the actual city-manager form of government under which Covington is ruled.
The River City News has learned from a source close to the situation that Bowman plans to leave office at
the end of September, but the exact reason or reasons for the departure remain(s) unclear. Bowman declined an in-person interview request following Tuesday night's meeting and has not responded to multiple phone calls and emails requesting a conversation. There were rumors that he may leave at the end of the year, or at the end of October, but the September date may be more believable as most of the commissioners told the River City News (though none has verified information that the Mayor will step down) that Bowman has been distant lately.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
10,500 POUNDS OF LITTER PICKED "UP" FROM COVINGTON STREETS
by Michael Monks
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In an announcement today at the Avenue Lounge, the Urban Partnership says more than ten thousand pounds of trash were removed from Covington's streets in August. The group claims that that number is double the total amount collected between April, when the program began, to July. In addition to the trash removal, UP claims to have removed weeds from 202 block faces in August, four times the amount of the previous month. They saw a big increase in graffiti removal as well, washing away 343 incidents of "tagging" compared to 235 last month.
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In an announcement today at the Avenue Lounge, the Urban Partnership says more than ten thousand pounds of trash were removed from Covington's streets in August. The group claims that that number is double the total amount collected between April, when the program began, to July. In addition to the trash removal, UP claims to have removed weeds from 202 block faces in August, four times the amount of the previous month. They saw a big increase in graffiti removal as well, washing away 343 incidents of "tagging" compared to 235 last month.
ARREST: Man in Custody Following Fatal Hit-Skip
by Michael Monks
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UPDATE 2:37PM: Covington Police have identified the victim of the hit-and-run as 85-year old Marion Acree of Russell, KY. Though the suspected driver that allegedly caused this fatal crash has been arrested, police are still seeking 33-year old Gutavo Aguilar to whom the vehicle was registered. Covington Police are not releasing exact details of the crash, calling them "investgative matter at this time". We will continue to update.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
An arrest is made in Wednesday afternoon's hit and run case at the intersection of Russell Street and MLK Boulevard. Ramino Tomas-Reynoso, 27, was taken into custody Wednesday, after police concluded, with the help of witnesses that he was driving the car that crashed into another vehicle after one of the cars ran a red light.
That vehicle is registered to 33-year old Gustavo Aguilar who is wanted in Campbell County for a hit-and-run, but was apparently not driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. Tomas-Reynoso is charged with leaving the scene of an accident, driving without a license and failure to produce proof of insurance.
He is in the Kenton County Jail.
The victims in the crash, including the one that was killed, have yet to be identified by Covington Police.
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UPDATE 2:37PM: Covington Police have identified the victim of the hit-and-run as 85-year old Marion Acree of Russell, KY. Though the suspected driver that allegedly caused this fatal crash has been arrested, police are still seeking 33-year old Gutavo Aguilar to whom the vehicle was registered. Covington Police are not releasing exact details of the crash, calling them "investgative matter at this time". We will continue to update.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
An arrest is made in Wednesday afternoon's hit and run case at the intersection of Russell Street and MLK Boulevard. Ramino Tomas-Reynoso, 27, was taken into custody Wednesday, after police concluded, with the help of witnesses that he was driving the car that crashed into another vehicle after one of the cars ran a red light.
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| Ramino Tomas-Reynoso, 27 SOURCE: Kenton Co. Jail |
That vehicle is registered to 33-year old Gustavo Aguilar who is wanted in Campbell County for a hit-and-run, but was apparently not driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. Tomas-Reynoso is charged with leaving the scene of an accident, driving without a license and failure to produce proof of insurance.
He is in the Kenton County Jail.
The victims in the crash, including the one that was killed, have yet to be identified by Covington Police.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
16 PROMOTIONS FOR COV FD, 1 NEW COP, AND 1 CO-OP GOES FULL-TIME
by Michael Monks
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Mayor Denny Bowman's family continues serving the City of Covington as Tuesday night his nephew Joseph Bowman was among sixteen members of the fire department promoted. "Twenty years from now when he retires, he's gonna run for mayor," Bowman joked.
Here's a list of the fire department personnel approved unanimously by the city commission to their new positions:
Brian Bamberger, 19 years of service to Cov. FD, to Assistant Chief
Ronald Stolz, 22 years, to Battalion Chief
Wayne Keller, 15 years, to Captain
Scott McVey, 18 years, to Captain
Tara Lytle, 10 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
Mike Lee, 7 years, to Lieutenant
Marty Disibio, 18 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
Chuck Spenlau, 21 years, to Lieutenant
Chris Alsip, 7 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
Dave Geiger, 12 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
Josh Campbell, 6 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
John Hofstetter, 10 years, to Lieutenant
Chris Vogelpohl, 7 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
Craig Vogelpohl, 6 years, to Engineer
Douglas Veselsky, 6 years, to Engineer/Paramedic
Joseph Bowman, 6 years, to Engineer
The commission also accepted the resignation of police officer Joshua Johnson who served a little more than a year after arriving from Ashland, KY. Approved unanimously to fill an officer position with the department was Douglas Ullrich, a 2003 Elder High School and Xavier University graduate who previously served in law enforcement in Valdez, Alaska. Lt. Col. Spike Jones joked that Ullrich said in the interview that if the City were faced with grizzly or polar bears, that Ullrich is the go-to guy.
Andrew Juengling found himself as the subject of three items on the commission's agenda: 1) accepting his resignation as co-op in Community Development, 2) approving his new role as full-time zoning specialist in the same department, and 3) appointing him to an unexpired term on the parking violation hearing board.
More News At The Homepage - Click Here
Email Michael
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Mayor Denny Bowman's family continues serving the City of Covington as Tuesday night his nephew Joseph Bowman was among sixteen members of the fire department promoted. "Twenty years from now when he retires, he's gonna run for mayor," Bowman joked.
Here's a list of the fire department personnel approved unanimously by the city commission to their new positions:
Brian Bamberger, 19 years of service to Cov. FD, to Assistant Chief
Ronald Stolz, 22 years, to Battalion Chief
Wayne Keller, 15 years, to Captain
Scott McVey, 18 years, to Captain
Tara Lytle, 10 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
Mike Lee, 7 years, to Lieutenant
Marty Disibio, 18 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
Chuck Spenlau, 21 years, to Lieutenant
Chris Alsip, 7 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
Dave Geiger, 12 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
Josh Campbell, 6 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
John Hofstetter, 10 years, to Lieutenant
Chris Vogelpohl, 7 years, to Lieutenant/Paramedic
Craig Vogelpohl, 6 years, to Engineer
Douglas Veselsky, 6 years, to Engineer/Paramedic
Joseph Bowman, 6 years, to Engineer
The commission also accepted the resignation of police officer Joshua Johnson who served a little more than a year after arriving from Ashland, KY. Approved unanimously to fill an officer position with the department was Douglas Ullrich, a 2003 Elder High School and Xavier University graduate who previously served in law enforcement in Valdez, Alaska. Lt. Col. Spike Jones joked that Ullrich said in the interview that if the City were faced with grizzly or polar bears, that Ullrich is the go-to guy.
Andrew Juengling found himself as the subject of three items on the commission's agenda: 1) accepting his resignation as co-op in Community Development, 2) approving his new role as full-time zoning specialist in the same department, and 3) appointing him to an unexpired term on the parking violation hearing board.
More News At The Homepage - Click Here
Sunday, September 4, 2011
MURDER SUSPECT ARRESTED
by Michael Monks
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Less than twenty-four hours after a man's body was found near the floodwall in RiverCenter, a suspect has been arrested and charged with murder. Dexter Stallings, 47, was apprehended in an apartment on West 6th Street following the execution of a search warrant by Covington Police.
The victim has not been identified, pending notification of family. Covington Police are also awaiting details from the medical examiner before releasing details on how the man was killed.
Stallings is being held in the Kenton County Detention Center in South Covington.
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Less than twenty-four hours after a man's body was found near the floodwall in RiverCenter, a suspect has been arrested and charged with murder. Dexter Stallings, 47, was apprehended in an apartment on West 6th Street following the execution of a search warrant by Covington Police.
 |
| Dexter Stallings, 47, is charged with murder |
Stallings is being held in the Kenton County Detention Center in South Covington.
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