Carl Beebe described Hinton as “upset” and “agitated” after reviewing body camera footage of a CPD officer shooting and killing his son, Ryan Hinton. Beebe said people present at CIS at the time were “concerned enough about his emotional state that they did not want him driving.” He said Hinton’s family left CIS around 10:30 with Hinton, leaving his car behind.
The newest information announced by Pillich fills the twohour gap between Hinton leaving CIS and returning to get his car before the crash. Pillich said, around 10:30 a.m., Hinton’s family drove him to Findlay Market to try and get him to eat something, but he declined. Then, Pillich said Hinton and his family went to a family member’s home where Hinton took a 30-minute nap. By 12:40 p.m., Pillich said his family drove Hinton back to CIS to pick up his car.
Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Rodney Hinton Jr. in Deputy Murder Case
Hinton’s lawyer stressed his client’s mindset at the time of the crash during a bond hearing, setting the stage for a possible defense strategy in court.
BY MADELINE FENING
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Rodney Hinton Jr. for his role in the death of retired Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Henderson.
Investigators say Henderson was struck by a driver on May 2 while directing traffic along Martin Luther King Drive and Burnet Woods Drive; he was working a special detail for UC’s graduation ceremony. Henderson, 57, was rushed to nearby UC Medical Center in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead. Soon after, Cincinnati Police identified the driver of the vehicle as Rodney Hinton Jr., 38, father of Ryan Hinton, the 18-year-old who was shot and killed by a Cincinnati Police officer on May 1.
The charges
On May 8 – as mourners gathered for Henderson’s public visitation –Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich held a press conference to announce the five charges against Hinton, two of which carry the possibility of the death penalty:
Aggravated murder (capital death penalty) - two counts
Murder (special felony)
Felonious assault - two counts
Pillich said her office plans to pursue the death penalty for Hinton.
“The facts of this case meet the law that’s written in Ohio, that does include the death penalty,” Pillich said. “That’s why we’re seeking it. Apparently, the grand jury agrees.”
When asked about the two separate double counts, Pillich referred to provisions in the Ohio Revised Code on offenses carried out against law enforcement officers.
“Both provisions for this type of aggravated murder are directed for instances when the victim is a law enforcement officer and the defendant either knew [or should have known the victim] is a law enforcement officer,” Pillich said. “In one provision of the revised code, the death is happening while the victim is performing his duties. The second provision of Ohio Revised Code that we think these facts fit is that the murder happens because the defendant was looking to kill a police officer.”
During the press conference, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey declined to comment on the possibility of the death penalty for Hinton.
“My opinion of the case is a professional one, and my opinion is we as law enforcement officers will continue to do our job,” McGuffey said. “I do not deliver opinions as far as guilt or innocence. That is not my job.”
McGuffey mentioned that deputies were given time to meet with Henderson’s family ahead of his visitation on May 8. Henderson was buried the next day with full honors.
“I understand that tempers are high,” McGuffey said. “I’m asking you to please, please let justice play out in all cases. The criminal justice system is designed in such a way that we all have to participate and we all have to wait, and that’s law enforcement as well. That’s exactly what we will do. We will follow those dictates, and I’m asking the public to understand that it is a very trying time for all of us.”
New timeline details
The latest press conference also included new details about Hinton’s activity in the hours leading up to the fatal crash, which started at CPD’s Criminal Investigation Section (CIS) on Linn Street.
During Hinton’s bond hearing, witness testimony from CPD Detective
He was followed by family when he left the CIS parking lot, according to Pillich, but returned about 10 minutes later, driving through the CIS parking lot and leaving again for the last time.
Investigators say evidence shows Hinton drove onto Martin Luther King Drive, where Henderson was in uniform wearing a fluorescent vest, directing traffic for UC’s graduation ceremonies. Pillich said Hinton waited for traffic to clear before crossing multiple lanes, intentionally “targeting the deputy” with his vehicle and drove at him at a high rate of speed. Investigators say Henderson was launched several feet into the air.
Henderson was rushed to UC Medical Center, where he died that same day.
“There were no indications at any point that he tried to brake, stop or otherwise avoid Deputy Henderson,” Detective Bebe testified during the bond hearing.
“The mindset”
Hinton’s attorney, Clyde Bennett, pleaded “not guilty” for his client during the bond hearing. Bennett indicated he will be filing for a mental competency hearing for Hinton in the near future; Pillich said on May 8 that her office has received no evidence about mental health issues.
“This was a very sad day for our community,” Pillich said. “It’s a very, very tragic situation. A law enforcement officer, simply directing traffic, was purposely targeted and killed because he was doing his job and because he was a law enforcement officer. It was the defendant’s specific purpose to kill a law enforcement
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Rodney Hinton Jr., who is accused of intentionally driving into and killing retired Hamilton County Deputy Larry Henderson.
PHOTO: PROVIDED
Transgender Youth Care Remains Banned as Ohio Supreme Court Grants AG Yost’s Latest Request
BY MADELINE FENING
Transgender youth in Ohio are still barred from accessing gender-affirming care in the state, and their future access remains to be decided.
On April 29, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld House Bill 68, which is a ban on gender-affirming medical care for trans and non-binary youth. This Republican-backed ban includes hormone blockers, hormone replacement therapy and some counseling services. The bill also bans trans athletes from participating in middle, high school or college sports teams that align with their gender identity.
The ban was first put on pause in March by the 10th District Court of Appeals, which found the prohibition on puberty blockers and hormone therapy is unconstitutional. The court ordered the Franklin County trial court to enter a permanent injunction blocking it, but the state quickly filed a motion asking the appellate court to stay the injunction while the case moves its way to the Ohio Supreme Court for a full review. The appellate court denied the state’s motion, so the state filed a similar motion with the Ohio Supreme Court.
The justices approved Yost’s motion to stay the law, making it unclear if and when transgender youth in Ohio will be allowed to access genderaffirming care within state lines.
“It is a terrible shame that the Supreme Court of Ohio is permitting the state to evade compliance with the Ohio Constitution,” said Freda Levenson, Legal Director at the ACLU of Ohio. “Our clients have suffered tangible and irreparable harm during the eight months that HB 68 has been in place, including being denied essential health care in their home state. The Court of Appeals was correct that HB 68 violates at least two separate provisions of the Ohio Constitution.”
Dwayne Steward, Executive Director at Equality Ohio, said Ohioans can still voice their opposition to HB 68, even though it’s been approved by the governor.
“HB 68 is cruel and extreme, and our response must be unrelenting,” Steward said. “Know your legislators. Call them. Email them. Show up. Make it clear that marginalized Ohioans are not pawns in a political game—transgender Ohioans deserve medical care, like all Ohioans. The legal battle isn’t over yet, so please stay engaged with our social media
PHOTO: KATIE RAINBOW, PEXELS
channels, the ACLU of Ohio and other organizations across the state working to build lived and legal equity.”
Understanding gender-affirming care
Gender-affirming care for kids is widely considered to be safe, effective and lifesaving by every major medical association in the country and all over the world, including the American Board of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the National Association of Social Workers, the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association, the Pediatric Endocrine Society and dozens more.
In May 2024, CityBeat sat down with a doctor who specializes in medical gender-affirming care, including youth. Dr. Laura Mintz is an internal medicine-pediatrics physician in the PRIDE Network and Center for Health Equity, Engagement, Education, and Research (CHEEER) at the MetroHealth System in Cleveland.
“As people go through the process of gender-affirming care and coming into alignment, you see people just blossom and grow and become themselves,” Mintz told CityBeat. “It is the most beautiful thing.”
Mintz said, like all healthcare, gender-affirming medical care is tailored to the needs of the patient, but all patients will start with parental conversation, psychological evaluation, extensive therapy, understanding
of risks and benefits and social transition. Then, depending on the patient’s age, the conversation may continue with puberty blockers.
“The way that we have hormones at puberty is that it’s a cycle, where it’s a feedback loop, where the brain is signaling the organs, either the testicles or the ovaries, to spit out hormones,” Mintz said. “What [puberty] blockers do is they interrupt that cycle and suppress the activity in the brain. It just kind of shuts the whole thing down. So instead of adding any hormones in, essentially, this just puts a pause on those early puberty cycles where the estrogen and progesterone or the testosterone start being produced at the rates that produce puberty.”
Mintz told CityBeat that patients won’t start hormone therapy until around age 16, which is a general guideline from the Endocrine Society, but every patient is different.
Support from family and loved ones is crucial during this stage of gender-affirming medical care, according to Mintz.
“It is a whole family system plan to, again, make sure that the child feels good in their body, good in themselves, you know, here in the world as they understand themselves,” Mintz said.
The ACLU said it plans to keep up its fight for trans youth in Ohio as the case proceeds.
“We will continue to fight this extreme ban as the case goes ahead before the Supreme Court of Ohio,” Levenson said.
Dwayne Steward, Executive Director at Equality Ohio, said Ohioans can still voice their opposition to HB 68, even though it's been approved by the governor.
ADVICE COLUMN
Bad Advice
This month in the Bad Advice column, Collin is providing unsolicited suggestions on how to make FC Cincinnati games even better.
BY COLLIN PRECIADO
It’s been over six years since FC Cincinnati’s inaugural kickoff in Major League Soccer, but a home match still remains one of the hottest tickets in town. Every game at TQL Stadium continues to be packed with loud, enthusiastic fans, even with ticket prices averaging higher than Reds games.
But a high-capacity crowd doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a ton of improvement. Eventually, the honeymoon phase will finally come to an end, and when it does, fans might start noticing some of the shortcomings of their experience, making them second-guess whether seeing a match in person is even worth the price of admission.
Luckily for the team, I have compiled a list of 10 ways they can get ahead of some of these issues that are plaguing both the stadium experience and the game itself, and to make the games even more enjoyable to attend.
Put a Lucius Q under my seat. From Seven Hills Grill to Queen City Eats, TQL Stadium boasts an embarrassment of riches when it comes to food options, but I usually only have enough time to stand in line for one of them. If I get hungry later, I’m unlikely to leave my seat and miss any chance of seeing a goal. Now if there was a Lucius Q or a Rhine Roost located directly underneath my chair, I
could hand over my credit card and grab my Pendleton Porker without ever having to look away from the game. I don’t know how logistically this could work, I just know it would be very successful.
Make the goals five times bigger. Even though they’re doing pretty well in the standings, FC Cincinnati is having a hard time scoring goals right now. Even when they are scoring “a lot” of goals, it’s still only, like, two. Since the team is unlikely to sign a goal-scoring phenom like a Messi or a second famous MLS player people have heard of, the only way to fix this issue is by making the goal like five times bigger. Making the goal bigger will give players less opportunity to miss the net like they sometimes do even when they’re basically standing inside of it. The opposition’s goal will remain the same size, allowing for optimal homefield advantage. I don’t know if Major League Soccer will necessarily allow this, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Let the fans take the penalty kicks. Penalty kicks are one of the least exciting aspects of soccer. There’s hardly any suspense as to whether or not the ball is going into the net. Maybe 1 out of 1,000 attempts the goalie will stop it or the kicker will hit the crossbar, but overwhelmingly it’s a guaranteed goal.
leave my seat without missing any of the action. The more times I am free to leave my seat, the more opportunities I have for a little snacky-poo or drinky-drink. When the game is split into halves, the best I can do is a pretzel and a couple of Moerlein lagers that I will be forced to nurse over a period of 45-plus minutes each.
Get rid of stoppage time. I am not the first person to make this observation, but not knowing how much time is left in a game and just letting the referee vibe it out is insane. The argument is that if you stop the clock every time a player gets knocked down, the game would go on for several days, but we’ve already proven in line item number four that turning soccer into a full-contact sport would eliminate this issue.
Get rid of offsides. Soccer is seemingly designed to make goals as impossible as possible. A game that ends in a zero-zero tie is not all that rare, and it’s not fun at all to witness in person. And when someone does finally score, it feels like, more often than not, the referees take the goal away and say it was offsides. My proposal is that TQL Stadium turns off offsides and just lets players cherry-pick all day. If you combine this element with my fullcontact and way-bigger-goals proposal, the game will immediately become that much more exciting.
These odds change dramatically if you let a random fan from the stands take the shot. Whether it’s little 8-year-old Jamborgya Chambo or Dochartaigh (I’m not great at names) the service dog, letting the fans have a direct role in the game will only heighten the suspense and excitement.
Make soccer a full-contact sport. The aspect of soccer that the casual fan hates the most is the flopping. Who hasn’t seen a video of a soccer player writhing in pain on the ground like they were just stabbed in the eye, just for the replay to show no one even touched them? Manipulating your way into advantages is a large part of any sport, but Americans’ distaste for people pretending they are hurt is too large of a hurdle to overcome. In fact, even if you broke your leg, we would prefer it if you just kept it to yourself. The best way to eliminate faking an injury in soccer is to just make it a full-contact sport. If a player gets their legs taken out from underneath them, that’s too bad, the game will no longer stop for them. Maybe think about passing next time.
Split the game into four quarters. Look, if you’re not willing to put the food vendors under my seat, the least you can do is split the game into four quarters. This provides me with more opportunities to
Make the goalies wear bags on their heads. This may admittedly be a personal peeve, but I really don’t enjoy watching goalies have a giant temper tantrum every time they have to grab the soccer ball. Any time a goalie blocks a shot from going in the net, they angrily scream at their own players for making them have to do their job. To spare us from their embarrassing fits of rage, all goalies should have to wear a bag on their head, or even a mask. Instead of looking scary and lame while screaming at some poor 16-year-old defender, goalies would instead look scary and cool. They could be like hockey masks with intricate and fan-pleasing designs, but instead of protecting their faces they’re protecting us from seeing a grown man indulge in behavior that’s barely acceptable for a toddler.
Enforce quiet times. FC Cincinnati games are LOUD, but should they be loud the whole time? Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone was quiet for a little bit? Like, why does there have to be a guy banging on a drum the entire game? Does that guy like soccer or does he like drums? I think we know the answer.
Put a Lucius Q in my house. I will admit that this probably won’t make FC Cincinnati games better, but it will improve my life, even if it does shorten it.
Fans cheering on FC Cincinnati during a Leagues Cup match
PHOTO: JUSTIN SHELDON
Carry On, You Cincinnati Son
Curt Kiser’s band Carriers is primed to break beyond the Queen City
BY JASON GARGANO
Curt Kiser must create music. He doesn’t have a choice. It’s a compulsion that dates back to a childhood in Lebanon, Ohio, and extends through an adulthood in Cincinnati that started as soon as he graduated high school — first as a guitarist in the scrappy indie pop band Enlou, followed by a stint in likeminded sonic merrymakers Pomegranates and, finally, through his current outfit, Carriers, in which he is the only permanent member.
“I’ve been playing music live in front of people for 20 years now,” Kiser says during a recent extended phone conversation with CityBeat. “I’m 35 now. I was 15 when I first started playing out. That was more in the Dayton and Springboro area. By the time I was 17, we were playing in Cincinnati. I would
play a varsity basketball game, and then after the game, me and my buddy (and Enlou bandmate), Ben Rush, we would say ‘bye’ to everybody in the locker room and run to Cincinnati to go play a show.”
A lot has happened since Kiser was a 6-foot-5-inch center for Ridgeville Christian. He’s written hundreds of (mostly unreleased) songs while also toiling away in myriad part- and fulltime jobs — from slinging pizzas at LaRosa’s to cashiering at Whole Foods to waiting tables at the late, great Overthe-Rhine restaurant Pleasantry — to support his musical obsession.
The most important current development is the freshly minted release of his second full-length outing as Carriers, Every Time I Feel Afraid, a collection
of songs informed by experiences both recent and far-flung. Kiser wrote and recorded — with the help of various contributing musicians — the album’s nine tracks over the last few years, often starting the process by singing lyrics into his phone before eventually adding his mood-altering guitar textures and full-band accompaniment.
Opener “In My Head” immediately sets a melancholic tone that persists throughout the album’s 41-minute running time, with Kiser’s typically eventempered yet affecting voice delivering the following admission: “It gets in my head, the worry/I’m misled, I’ve misread.” Aided by atmospheric synths, pulsing bass and rhythmic nuance, the song closes with questions one can imagine Kiser has asked of himself for
years: “Have a choice to make/Will I take it? Will I make it?/Have a choice to make/It’s up to me now.”
Up next is the aptly titled “Motion,” a jaunty gem featuring the drumming of The National’s Bryan Devendorf, whose signature propulsion graces a handful of the album’s tracks, and the persistent bass of The War on Drugs’ Dave Hartley, who also appears on multiple songs. (It doesn’t take long to realize the influence that the duo’s bands have had on Carriers’ sonic predilections.)
The introspection continues with “Sometimes,” which floats by via acoustic and slide guitars as Kiser sings about a life that has not yet ended up where he wants it to go. The dreamy “Blurry Eyes” layers horns into the pensive proceedings — an ace move
EGAN PARKS
life that I chose by pursuing music. The starving artist thing is still very real 20 years later.”
As ever, for him, it’s about collaborating with like-minded people and creating a lasting community.
“The hardest thing with the music industry is finding people you trust and a team that really believes in what you do,” Kiser says. “Brassland and Alec Bemis believe in me so much. He has written on his own Substack and emails talking about how this is one of the best releases Brassland has ever put out. I just have really incredible support with this record. I’m stoked to see what happens. I’m a little nervous, but then I’m like, ‘I don’t care. I have tons more songs and a bunch more albums to come soon.’”
Devendorf remains a steadfast backer.
“He’s been toiling away in obscurity, and now that he has a little attention, this is a good opportunity for him,” he says. “I hope it works out. But if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. He’s a lifer. He’s going to do this no matter what. He writes songs. He’s so good, and if you’re talented, you’ll always be something if you just show up and do something cool. Somebody is going to hear it. It might not be 8 million streams on the first day, but every little bit counts. I’m happy about anything that happens to him.”
Kiser’s goal going forward is rather simple — to be able to make music and tour without the need to have a socalled “day job.” But he’s also realistic about his place in our chaotic present day.
“I feel weird putting this music out right now with 1) the state of our own country, 2) these natural disasters everywhere and 3) just like the horrific treatment of humanity happening all around the world,” Kiser says. “It’s weird to be like, ‘Hey, everybody, listen to my songs!’ At the same time, a lot of people have already reached out to me and said how much it means to them. I think music can be really healing in general.”
Making music is the only life Kiser knows, and he’s not stopping anytime soon.
“These songs are my hope, my prayers and my seeking clarity in a really confusing, heartbreaking world that also has really beautiful things and beautiful people and beautiful moments and experiences. It’s all part of it.”
You can stream and purchase Carriers’ new album, Every Time I Feel Afraid, on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music or wherever you get your music.
EGAN PARKS
ARTS & CULTURE
A Joyful and Defiant Cincy Fringe
The Cincinnati Fringe Festival returns later this month for its 22nd year.
BY JULIE CARPENTER
The Cincinnati Fringe Festival returns for its 22nd year May 30 to June 14 with new venues and a new performance category. Fringe HQ at the Know Theatre will host performances, as will Coffee Emporium, First Lutheran Church, Gabriel’s Corner and the Miami University Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine.
New to the festival this year is the Conceptual Fringe category with four productions, including an audience-ofone virtual reality contemporary dance film. “We have had applicants saying they want to play with immersive or experiential theater,” said Katie Hartman, Cincinnati Fringe Festival producer, in an interview with CityBeat. “This is an opportunity for us to branch out. We’re excited to serve as a platform for art that creates a one-of-a-kind, unique experience for audiences.” Returning artist Amica Hunter’s Conceptual Fringe production is “a captive artist with a captive audience,” said Hartman. “Their durational performance in the staircase window [at the Know] offers people on the sidewalk the choice of will you ignore, observe or participate with this performer?” The production includes a performance before the on-site work begins and a final show sharing the piece as it has evolved.
“We pride ourselves in curating an incredible variety; you laugh ‘til you cry, then see something where you’re so moved you have an extremely cathartic experience,” said Hartman. “To see a puppet show in a sanctuary with an organ and vaulted ceilings, or a place that is normally a coffee shop, they’re out of the ordinary experiences.”
Cincy Fringe jurors reviewed 120 submissions this year, choosing half
of the 26-production primary lineup from local producers and half by creators from elsewhere, including three international artists: two from Toronto, Canada, and one from Adelaide, Australia. Returning artists include local creators Ben & Justin Present, who previously produced The Gay Spelling Bee and Waiting for Laura. “This year they’re presenting 1 Gay Wedding and Absolutely No Funerals,” said Hartman.
“Two grooms who wake up the morning of their wedding and discover their best friend is dead. With the help of the wedding party, they endeavor to make sure the day is all about them, the perfect groomzillas.”
There are dozens of fringe festivals each year in North America (the oldest and largest on the continent is Edmonton, Canada, and the oldest and biggest in the United States is in Orlando, Florida) and some producers travel their performances to multiple festivals.
“I’m excited that we have circuit heavyhitters,” said Hartman. “One is coming
sKribble sKratch Productions tells the story of two Black children who, after getting in trouble in class and missing recess, invent new Black mythologies. The Green Moon/La Luna Verde by Gabriel Martinez Rubio/Dos-Corazones Productions features shadow puppetry, modern dance and poetry inspired by the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. Fringe Development features three productions by “local artists trying to level up,” said Hartman. “We provide rehearsal space through the duration of the festival and feedback. They can pull artists and audiences into rehearsal to hone playwrighting or technical skills before a one-night-only performance. We have a reputation of being very artist-supportive. This is an incredible launch pad, as well as a producing boot camp for independent artists. Our audiences love weird art and reward people who make bold choices and take big risks.” Cincy Fringe provides visiting performers with housing, and all performers with insurance, venue tech, lighting and ticketing; expenses that are otherwise challenging for independent artists. Producers also receive half of box office revenue.
Cincy Fringe staff are supplemented by Know employees and volunteers. “We could not do what we do without volunteers,” said Hartman. “They serve as ushers. Some point people in the right direction for our venues. We even have a housekeeping shift. We’re really trying to bolster our volunteer corps for the festival and throughout the year to make the Know even more accessible and friendly.” Volunteers receive free tickets to shows.
from Orlando, A Cabaret of Legends of Black female vocal legends from Ella [Fitzgerald] to Beyonce. Tymisha Harris is a triple threat who’s been working the circuit for many years. Artists from Orlando have extremely high showmanship and production values. I’m really excited for our audiences to experience her work.”
Ingrid Garner from Los Angeles returns to Cincinnati, offering a sequel to her 2024 performance. “Her grandmother survived World War II in Berlin as an American teenager and wrote a memoir,” said Hartman. “Ingrid created a solo show adapting her grandmother’s story. Last year, she presented Eleanor’s Story: An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany. This year, in Life After War, Eleanor goes from a war-torn country with so little, returning to the abundance of the U.S.”
Kids Fringe includes two performances at 2 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday during the festival. FORGING LEGENDS: The Tall Tale Chronicles from
“What’s great about Cincinnati, because we’re a small festival and a long durational festival – two weeks, three weekends – we’re extremely accessible,” said Hartman. “There are dozens of productions, plus free late nights. If you’re a theater maximalist, or minimalist, we’re a great opportunity to see something you’ve never seen before and won’t see anywhere else.” Tickets for Cincy Fringe can be purchased for individual performances, a five-ticket Flex Pass or, for the ambitious, an AllAccess pass that includes one ticket for each show (42 productions).
“Cincinnati Fringe Festival is very special,” said Hartman. “It’s a place for adventurous artists and audiences with an incredible feeling of community and connectedness. It’s not just a distraction from what’s happening in our country right now, it’s also creativity and joy as a form of resistance and survival, being in a room together and having common experiences.”
For additional information about the 2025 Cincinnati Fringe Festival schedule, passes, tickets and volunteer opportunities, visit cincyfringe.com.
Tymisha Harris will perform A Cabaret of Legends at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE CINCINNATI FRINGE FESTIVAL
Arts & Culture Briefs
The latest arts & culture stories in Greater Cincinnati KATHERINE BARRIER
Cincinnati Museum’s Dinosaur Skeleton is Helping Researchers Solve a 75-Million-Year-Old Puzzle
Cincinnati Museum Center’s (CMC) rare dinosaur skeleton is helping scientists figure out a 75-million-year-old mystery.
In its Dinosaur Hall in in the Museum of Natural History & Science, CMC houses a 30-foot fossil of a tyrannosaur Daspletosaurus, a dinosaur related to the more wellknown Tyrannosaurus that lived during the Cretaceous Period. The Daspletosaurus was bipedal, around 30 feet long and weighed up to three tons. Though smaller than the Tyrannosaurus, the Daspletosaurus was still a fierce predator, its name meaning “frightful lizard,” as it chased prey on two strong hind legs.
It’s also a fairly rare fossil, and only 10 museums around the world, including CMC, have one on display. While this Daspletosaurus specimen once stalked the plains of what’s now Montana millions of years ago, it’s now helping researchers piece together a puzzle involving its evolution and the makeup of its family tree.
Glenn Storrs, Ph.D., is a curator of
vertebrate paleontology at CMC and was part of the research team that published the peer-reviewed paper on the Daspletosaurus in the journal Acta Paleontologica.
“Daspletosaurus is an impressive specimen and an absolute showstopper for anyone visiting Cincinnati Museum Center, even before they enter the building,” Storrs said in a press release. “This new research proves these dinosaurs aren’t just cool to see in the gallery, they are vital to ongoing scientific research.”
Using analysis of CMC’s Daspletosaurus skull bones, the paper challenged the dinosaur’s family tree and the existence of three distinct species — torosus, horneri and wilsoni — within the Daspletosaurus genus. Analysis suggests instead that Daspletosaurus wilsoni may not be distinct from Daspletosaurus torosus. This means Daspletosaurus horneri may have instead evolved directly from Daspletosaurus torosus, possibly making the family tree more of a straight line than branched, says the museum.
Organizers Announce Details for Cincinnati’s Premier Art Show, Summerfair
Cincinnati’s premier art show, Summerfair, is returning for its 58th year Friday, May 30-Sunday, June 1, remaining in the same area of the former Coney Island amusement park this year.
Consistently ranking in the top 25 U.S. fine art and design shows, Summerfair supports artists and small arts organizations through scholarships, awards and exhibitions. The weekend will feature work from more than 340 juried artists, as well as regional performers and unique, gourmet food and drinks for sale.
Organizers say the artists represent 12 categories: photography, painting, drawing/ printmaking, wood, metal, sculpture, glass, ceramics, fibers, leather, jewelry and 2D/3D mixed media.
“What started as a small art fair’s salute to the opening of Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park has grown into one of the oldest continuous art fairs in the country, drawing more than 20,000 art enthusiasts to see and purchase the works of artists from across the United States,” organizers said in a press release.
Considered as one of the top five best Midwest art fairs by ArtFairCalendar.com, Summerfair has given more than $2 million to the regional arts community in its nearly six-decade history.
There is also a lineup of live music on Saturday and Sunday of the fair, which includes:
Saturday, May 31:
• 12 p.m. Aprina Johnson (acoustic soul)
• 1 p.m. Boutique (pop and jazz standards)
“Detailed analysis of the age and anatomy of our specimen casts doubt on the validity of one of the three known species and provides new insight into their potential relationships,” said Dr. Storrs.
“Popular interest in Tyrannosaurus rex is at an all-time high and recent discoveries of new tyrannosaur species have sparked a resurgence of interest in the evolutionary history of tyrannosaurine dinosaurs.
Daspletosaurus is a close cousin, if not direct ancestor, of T. rex, but is a much rarer fossil. That makes each new Daspletosaurus discovery significant.”
Paleontologists will continue to study the dinosaur’s history and evolution, with each new fossil further helping them piece together the puzzle.
The paper, “Cranial anatomy and stratigraphy of a new specimen of the tyrannosaurine dinosaur
Daspletosaurus from the Judith River Formation of Central Montana, USA,” is available to read online at Acta Paleontologica Polonica.
• 2 p.m. The 3 Micks (classic rock with a touch of country and blues)
• 3 p.m. Chris Collier & The Full Band (singer/songwriter folk)
• 4 p.m. Silver Strings (acoustic ‘50s,’60s, and ‘70s)
• 5 p.m. The Cheryl & Shorty Show (R & B with New Orleans-style fun)
• 6 p.m. Jam Grass Duo (bluegrass) Sunday, June 1:
• 11 a.m. Eric Wurzelbacher & Brandon Coleman (jazz)
• 12 p.m. The Faux Frenchmen (Hot Club jazz and swing)
• 1 p.m. The Amador Sisters (sunny music of the Islands)
Hours for Summerfair are noon to 7 p.m. Friday, May 30; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 31; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 1. Tickets can be purchased as single-day or multi-day; one-day tickets are $10, while multi-day are $15. Children 12 and under get in for free.
You can buy Summerfair tickets and learn more at summerfair.org.
Cincinnati Museum Center’s tyrannosaur Daspletosaurus
PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER
Birds Cincinnati Zoo Helped Re-establish in Wild Lay First Eggs in New Home
In a major conservation victory, birds from an extinct-in-the-wild species that the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden helped re-establish have laid their first eggs in their new home on a remote Pacific island.
In August, nine Sihek, or Guam kingfisher, chicks arrived at their new home at The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC’s) Palmyra Atoll Preserve, about 1,000 miles south of Honolulu. Three of those chicks — all females, named Tutuhan, Sindålu and Fuetsa — were bred at the Cincinnati Zoo as part of the Sihek Recovery Program. Those birds, including some from the Cincinnati Zoo, are now laying eggs, making them the first wild eggs for the species in nearly 40 years.
“This work on Palmyra is something I couldn’t have imagined witnessing in my lifetime, let alone being a part of,” Cincinnati Zoo Senior Aviculturist Aimee Owen said in a press release. “We’re so excited that they’ve all come as far as they have and that Tutuhan — Cincinnati’s first egg, first chick produced and the first chick of the entire project — is now one of the first to produce eggs on the island. Her being “the first of firsts” of this ground-breaking conservation work is a milestone that simply fills us with pride, even beyond playing our role in the first place.”
The Sihek flourished on the North Pacific Island of Guam until the ‘40s when the invasive brown tree snake was accidentally introduced and decimated wild bird populations. In the ‘80s, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Guam Department of Agriculture coordinated emergency rescue efforts and saved 28 Sihek from the wild.
The Sihek Recovery Program, which is made up of leading conservation experts from around the world, has been working for years to re-establish the species in the wild, and 2024 is the first year that facilities housing the rare birds have produced enough healthy chicks to be released. The Cincinnati Zoo received its first Sihek adult in 1982 and has since produced more than 30 chicks. Because of this success, it was invited to be a part of the historical translocation effort that started in 2023.
Now, these eggs show how the birds are flourishing on the Palmyra Atoll, which was chosen to be the first new home of the birds since it’s largely free from predators. The zoo says all the birds — four females and five males — have learned to forage and hunt, formed pairs, established territories, built nests and laid eggs.
“The short-term goal is to establish a fully self-sustaining Sihek population on Palmyra Atoll,” said Owen. “The ultimate goal is to reestablish a Sihek population on Guam.”
As the mated pairs are less than a year old and it’s their first time incubating and caring for eggs, the zoo says it will likely take a few rounds of egg-laying for the birds to hone their parenting skills and hatch chicks. However, the milestone shows the Siheks’ resilience and the power of conservation in pulling species back from the brink of extinction.
There are currently plans to release even more young Siheks at Palmyra Atoll this summer. You can stay updated on the birds’ progress on the Sihek Recovery Project’s Instagram.
Siheks Sindålu and Fuetsa were bred at the Cincinnati Zoo
PHOTO: MARTIN KASTNER/TNC-ZSL
FOOD & DRINK
Welcome to Wawa
They say you “Gottahava Wawa” and I’m glad Cincinnati’s no exception
REVIEW BY NADYA ELLERHORST
In May 2024, I returned to Cincinnati following my undergraduate days at the University of Delaware. As I sorted through Mid-Atlantic tchotchkes packed away in my storage bins – shells from Delaware beaches, brochures from the DuPont estates, magnets from Philadelphia museums – I found a coupon for a free Wawa hoagie set to expire in a few months. I promptly chucked it, reasoning I’d have no need for it now that I was back in the Midwest.
While it would have been worth nothing at this point, I wish I hadn’t been so quick to toss it. In April of this year, Ohio got its first Wawa. Needless to say, I was ecstatic.
Wawa – a gas station/convenience store with a cult following on par with Sheetz and Buc-ee’s – got its start as a dairy purveyor in 1902 in Delaware County, Pennsylvania (“Delco,” to the locals). Yours truly got her first taste as a humble undergraduate, and my appetite for its coffees, sandwiches and bountiful breakfast menu has never been fully satisfied. I’ve been in Wawa’s before sunrise and after sunset. I’ve turned to them for sudden milkshake cravings and “healthier” food when my options were limited (do not sleep on their salads).
When Wawa opened its first Ohio location in Liberty Township, not only did it mean I could revamp my Wawa
Rewards account and start getting those targeted YouTube ads once more – I could finally get those tastes I’ve long been craving.
I realize I might very well be speaking to an audience who has believed that the only reasonable sustenance one could get from a gas station was a healthy scoop of rainbow sherbet. And I should note here that the Liberty Township Wawa unironically stands right across the street from a UDF.
So, perhaps you don’t think the scent of gasoline can whet the appetite. It’s possible you just don’t like eating in your car. Maybe you decry the whole chain convenience store cult phenomenon in general.
All is fair, but hear me out – the Wawa’s I knew in Delaware, Pennsylvania and D.C. were all reliable locations for delicious, consistent and fresh food at all hours (they cater, for goodness sake). I’m happy to report that the Ohio Wawa turned out to be no exception. Walking in on an early evening, I was greeted by many familiar sights – selfserve kiosks for food orders, a coffee station, a standalone section for freshly baked goods. At Wawa, you have the option of pre-made grab-and-go fare or made-to-order items, from boxed wraps from the fridge to breakfast quesadillas handed to you by staff working the food counter.
Honey Hot Bacon, Egg White Omelet & Cheese Snack & Go Wrap
I’m not usually the type to eat breakfast outside of morning hours, but I saw “hot honey,” and the rest is history. It being a member of the “$2, $4, $6 Menu” didn’t hurt either. The hot honey sauce was a great touch to the overarchingly savory flavors, but it could have done with a little more seasoning. However, for just a couple bucks, it was hot, fresh and surprisingly ample with protein.
Dill Pickle Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich
It’s a pickle party at Wawa this season – at the time of writing, they’ve got a whole menu section devoted to dill (their pizzas have not been spared). Myself unabashedly partial to pickles, I could not leave the premises without trying this sandwich. While loaded with crispy pickles, I could have done with more of the ranch Wawa is so fervently hyping – in short, it just wasn’t pickly enough for me. Niche toppings aside, however, the sandwich itself exceeded my expectations in terms of size and taste. The generous cut of chicken and fresh bun were probably the highlight of my inaugural Ohio Wawa run.
Toasted Coconut Pineapple Pie Milkshake
Maybe it was for the sake of research, or maybe I’m just a glutton for nostalgia, but I spent a good 10 minutes tapping away at my kiosk to get a true sampling of this Wawa’s offerings (while the Wawa menus I’ve encountered over time have varied, they never fail to be extremely jam-packed with options). It also didn’t help that Wawa thrives on customization – tap on any given menu item, and you’re prompted to pick all your preferred spreads, spices, toppings and more. Here’s what I sampled, paired with a chocolate chip cookie and a Wawa brand bottled lemonade, all for which I paid just about $40:
Cheesesteak
Wawa enjoys great renown for their hoagies (just you wait for Hoagiefest 2025, Cincinnati). Succumbing to a real East Coast craving, I opted for a cheesesteak. Jam-packed with meat and runny cheese sauce – as any respectable cheesesteak ought to be – it was a surprisingly solid sandwich. As I’ve mentioned, Wawa has never done me wrong in the freshness category, but I was unexpectedly impressed by how good the bread was.
Fries
Well-seasoned and served in adorable Wawa-branded packaging, these were a great little side dish.
I’m not usually one for sweets – especially 16 oz of them – but I couldn’t resist this menu item. I’m glad I was weak. The rich, creamy milkshake hit a perfect coconut-to-pineapple flavor ratio, with crunchy pie pieces swirled in. With humid, muggy weather doubtlessly around the corner, I appreciated this paradisiacal taste of what summer’s supposed to be.
Iced Cold Foam Latte
Let it be known that I will support independently-owned coffee shops ‘til the day I kick the bucket. But, when roadtripping or in a particular rush, it’s hard to beat a Wawa coffee. And this creamy coffee was a dream. Despite it being on the sweeter side – i.e., not something you want to pair with a dill pickle menu item with – I couldn’t stop sipping throughout my meal. I’m not ashamed.
Ham Egg White Omelet
Consuming a Wawa quesadilla in the car – even a stationary one – is no easy feat. They, for lack of a better verb, ooze, and just so happen to be massive. I wish I could say this quesadilla was worth the ordeal, but it was a little underwhelming flavor-wise for all the pivoting I had to do to avoid staining my upholstery. However, I’ll concede that the aforementioned protein generosity rang true here as well.
Wawa, 7198 Cincinnati Dayton Road, Liberty Township. More info: wawa.com.
The new Wawa in Liberty Township PHOTO: NADYA ELLERHORST
MUSIC Music Beats
The latest music stories in Greater Cincinnati
BY BROOKE BURKHARDT
Cincinnati Band Lung to Release New Album ‘The Swankeeper’
Cincinnati’s ethereal grunge band Lung will release their fifth studio album, The Swankeeper, on May 30.
Composed of classically operatrained singer and cello player Kate Wakefield and former Foxy Shazam bassist Daisy Caplan on drums, Lung has garnered praise for their “loud, dissonant, innovative and fearless” sound by publications like Fair Shakes and Just Dessert. Since forming in 2016, Lung has continued to create an atmospheric blend of heavy-hitting drums and intense cello, cementing themselves as distorted musical machines.
Wakefield states that the opening track of the album, “Everlasting Nothingness,” is a wild ride from start to finish. In a press release, the singer/cellist says, “It is a roller coaster of a track, and is a fitting beginning to our record. It almost invites you to spin out.”
“The roller coaster of reality and what it is to be “sane” on a tiny planet spinning through an endless horrifying and beautiful Universe,”
Wakefield continues.
The concept of The Swankeeper was born from a song off the album called “Clown Car,” about which Wakefield states, “The Swankeeper came from a character that grew out of our song ‘Clown Car.’ She made it onto a later track as well. In my mind she is almost like a missing tarot card, and you aren’t quite sure whether she’s a god or a villain, whether she’s bringing truth or fiction. She’s probably all of it.”
The first single from the album, “The Mattress,” was released on April 22 and is to be followed by singles “Lucky You” on May 14 and “Clown Car” on May 22. Each song is accompanied by a strange and mystical music video crafted by the band’s visual artist Rachelle Caplan in response to the abstract lyrics and deeper meaning within each track.
“The lyrics about the Swankeeper sort of came out almost in a possessed way,” Wakefield says. “Those are some of my favorite lyric moments, when lyrics write themselves. The Swankeeper in my
mind is this mystical unknowable force, possibly a liar, graceful and ominous, inviting you to ‘Follow the Failed Leader.’”
Their first solo album since 2022’s Let It Be Gone, the band says The Swankeeper was “a longer songwriting process than previous albums.” The album draws from nearly four years’ worth of songs in order to craft an oddball sound. Experimenting with distorted drum machines, samples, found sounds and vocal effects among others, the band credits sound engineer John Hoffman’s creativity as a large part of their creative process.
“We just went there with this one,” Wakefield says. “We let ourselves be weird — be out there. We let the songs drop any self-consciousness, and just strut out and be freaks…I hope this album makes people feel more alive, and seen in their aloneness, in the strange quiet feelings of being human.”
For more information on Lung and to pre-order The Swankeeper, visit lungtheband.com.
Inhailer Radio has announced the lineup and details for their annual Indie 500, a weeklong celebration of independent musicians with guest DJs, beginning Monday, May 19.
Inspired by Cincinnati’s own 97X Modern Rock 500, the official countdown — from No. 500 all the way to No. 1 — of the best indie songs according to Inhailer Radio will air Memorial Day weekend. Over the course of three days, from May 24-26, Inhailer will broadcast the countdown from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special guests include current and former Inhailer radio DJs, Cincinnati 97X and WNKU alumni and several special surprise hosts — including members of Cincinnati band The National.
Unique to this year’s celebration is the inclusion of “Qualifying Laps,” which provide listeners with a “highenergy preview of the artists and anthems in contention” for the race to the final countdown. This special segment will air daily from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. May 19-23.
“We wanted to go even bigger this year,” Inhailer Music Director Nils Illokken said in a press release. “The Indie 500 isn’t about ranking the greatest songs of all time — that’s an impossible task. It’s about celebrating the music we love, the songs that have helped shape Inhailer Radio. There’s just too much great music in our daily rotation for 500 songs to ever feel like enough, and we didn’t want to be locked into the same list year after year. With the addition of Qualifying Laps, we get to showcase even more of our favorites and build real momentum heading into the big show over Memorial Day Weekend.”
Additionally, Inhailer is launching a limited-edition Indie 500 2025 commemorative t-shirt, which is available for pre-order on their website.
Listeners are able to stream the event for free on inhailer.com, on the Inhailer Radio iOS and Android apps or on the Cincinnati station WGUC 90.9 HD 3.
For updates, announcements and exclusive content, follow along on Inhailer’s TikTok, Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Lung
PHOTO: RACHELLE CAPLAN
SOUND ADVICE
BILLY IDOL WITH JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS
May 21 • Riverbend Music Center
Billy Idol turns 70 years old this November. That just doesn’t seem right. The man born William Michael Albert Broad looks as fit as ever, his bleach-blonde spiky hair and signature sneer still a calling card for a guy who didn’t think he’d survive his days as a snot-nosed rocker in 1970s Britain, let alone his hard-partying, post-MTV breakout in the 1980s. (It should come as no surprise that an upcoming documentary on his life and career is titled Billy Idol Should Be Dead, which is set for release later this year.)
Idol has had his ups and downs over the years, which is to be expected for someone who’s been in the public eye for nearly a half century — first as the frontman of London-based punk outfit Generation X, followed by a long solo career after moving to New York City in 1981. And he’s not done yet — he’s currently touring behind his ninth studio effort, the recently released Dream Into It, his first set of new material in 11 years. The album’s nine songs are more personal than one might expect, rolling out like a diary of Idol’s various exploits and experiences, including relationships that suffered due to his frequently wild lifestyle.
“It’s a shame that sometimes, by
doing what you’ve got to do, you hurt the people you love,” Idol said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “But, if you don’t do it, you’re going to let them down because they won’t know the real you.”
As expected, the set list for the current tour leans heavily on his most recognizable hits (“White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell,” “Eyes Without a Face,” “Cradle of Love,” “Dancing with Myself” and his inexplicably durable cover of “Mony Mony”) but also includes a smattering of new tunes, including “Still Dancing,” which traces Idol’s unexpectedly durable career trajectory.
Billy Idol, with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, plays Riverbend Music Center on May 21 at 7:30 p.m. More info: riverbend.org. (Jason Gargano)
MIDWEST FRIENDS FEST 2025
May 30 and 31 • Southgate House Revival
With a dazzling 42-act lineup, the Midwest Friends Fest is back and bigger than ever.
The annual music festival — which features genre-defying artists from the Cincinnati area, across the Midwest and beyond — will return to Newport’s Southgate House Revival on May 30 and 31.
This year’s slew of must-see local acts includes shoegaze supergroup Mall Witch and introspective garage rockers Tooth Lures a Fang. Saturday will also feature a special performance from the 22-2s, a band consisting entirely of Southgate House Revival employees, whose song “Southgate House Song (Try)” was inspired by the historic venue. Meanwhile, locals like Alex Kasznel & the Board of Directors, Lay Low and Pickle Bucket will
each put their unique spin on the beloved pop-punk genre.
Festivalgoers can also catch rare sets from out-of-towners like Connecticutbased Cinema Stare, whose 2023 debut album The Things I Don’t Need bursts with infectious hooks and headbang-inducing guitar rhythms. The band previously performed in Cincinnati last June, but they have promised fans “even sillier shenanigans” this time around.
Kat and the Hurricane — an all-queer and trans trio from Wisconsin — are also traveling south for the two-day festival. Blending synth rock with indie-pop, they specialize in upbeat, impassioned melodies and deeply cathartic lyrics. Similarly, featured bands blucone and Hussy Fit have developed their own original musical styles and operate outside of traditional genre constraints. The former’s listeners dub their sound “jazzy-futuristic indiepop” and the latter describe themselves as a “bubblegrunge-synthpunk riotband.”
Several artists signed to SofaBurn Records, a Dayton, Kentucky-based record label and 2025 festival partner, are also featured on this year’s lineup, including Americana/roots band Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters and Philadelphia natives The Tisburys, who take inspiration from bands like Frightened Rabbit and The Hold Steady.
Additional community partners Start Today Harm Reduction, Triiibe Foundation, Abortion Fund of Ohio, Burrito Booking Boys, Say It Louder Fest, Red Wine & Blue, SofaBurn Inc. and PFLAG Cincinnati will be on-site to engage with audience members.
Fans of high-energy performances, music discovery and community-building will feel right at home at Midwest Friends Fest, where everyone (even newcomers and visitors) are considered friends. Single-day and two-day passes are available now.
Midwest Friends Fest takes place May 30 and 31 at the Southgate House Revival. More info: southgatehouse.com. (Claire Dunham)
Mall Witch, one of the performers at Midwest Friends Fest
PHOTO CHUCK LOFTICE
Billy Idol
PHOTO: DAVID RACCUGLIA
GOING WITH THE GRAIN
BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM
Across
1. Rather small
5. Stage name
10. “Pshaw”
14. Falafel holder
15. Networking company
16. Encourage
17. Say out loud
18. Blubbers
19. Predominant
20. Benedick’s depressed girlfriend in “Much Ado About Nothing?”
23. Barbecue holder?
24. Troop enthusiasm
28. Final figures to think about before going to an electric car?
32. Silvery fish
34. With plenty to spare
35. Abyssinian, e.g.
36. Where you might catch some butterflies
37. What z’s stand for
38. Sprinkler attachment
39. Atom that acquired a net electric charge
40. Disturbed state of consciousness
41. Gets rid of bunnies
42. News bulletin about an upper-arm muscle?
45. Numb
46. Yossarian’s tent-mate in “Catch-22”
47. Activity many runners do before a marathon, or another name for this puzzle
54. Music for the people
57. Submarine device
58. State with a beehive on its flag
59. Uninspiring
60. Not later than
61. Shower covering
62. Grain added to three of the four theme answers in this puzzle
63. Sex, so to speak
64. American Beauty
Down
1. Hard-to-swallow tablet
2. DVR brand
3. Meal made in a pot
4. “Toy” for a 35-Across
5. Line of dialogue?
6. Turkish bread?
7. “Really, now?”
8. Dell rival
9. “A snap!”
10. Arm bones
11. Chapter in Ancient Civ
12. Blockbuster special effects
13. Dweller in a Mojo Dojo Casa House
21. DEA job
22. Apple detritus
25. Approach boldly
26. Minimal
27. ___ Park, Colorado
28. Brezhnev of the U.S.S.R.
29. Turf war sides
30. Love of Lyon
31. Shopaholic’s moment
32. Hocks a loogie
33. “The Substance” star Demi
37. Soccer player who frequently scores when coming off the bench
