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Nominate a Sportsman of the Year candidate The fourth-annual Community Press Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year online contest is kicking off Monday, April 2. Readers can nominate any junior or senior starting athlete who demonstrates the highest qualities on the field of play, in the classroom and in the community throughout the 2011-2012 school year. They can do so by clicking on the 2012 Sportsman of the Year logo on cincinnati.com/preps, finding their community newspaper and following the prompts. The nomination period ends Monday, April 16. All the nominations will be considered for male/female ballots that represent specific community newspapers. To vote, readers can get online at the same cincinnati.com/preps location, log into cincinnati.com through their Facebook accounts and vote for the winners from Monday, April 30, to Friday, May 18. Readers can vote every day during that period but will be limited on the number they can vote each day. Last year, more than 270,000 votes were tallied by online readers. Winners will receive a certificate and full stories on them in their Community Press newspaper June 20-21. Questions? Email mlaughman@communitypress.com with the subject line: 2012 Sportsman of the Year.
COUNTY RECORDER Your Community Recorder newspaper serving all of Campbell County THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012
BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS
Southern Campbell roads need fixes Conditions blamed for high crash rates By Chris Mayhew cmayhew@nky.com
NEWPORT — Fiscal Court was
shown a map revealing poor driving safety conditions on secondary roads in the south end of the county during a presentation of regional transportation issues at the March 21 meeting in Newport. Robert Koehler, deputy executive director of the Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments, presented a draft of the group’s 2040 plan for area transportation needs and goals. OKI has scheduled a series of public open houses for people to review and comment on the regional plans at the end of April. As part of the overview of existing conditions, Koehler projected a map of Campbell County that showed a majority of the secondary roads in southern county have high rates of accidents compared to traffic volume. It’s not surprising to see the accident rates for the southern part of the county are on the high end because of the conditions of the roads in the area, he said. “There are a lot of needs in the southern part of the county,” Koehler said. “Crash rates are high.” Many roads in the southern
end of the county are sloped improperly in places, and people know that, he said. Road quality in the southern end of the county has been a long-standing issue, but one of many transportation needs in the entire region, he said. The top project and priority in the draft 2040 plan is the Brent Spence Bridge that carries I-75 and I-71 across the Ohio River, Koehler said. The bridge was designed to carry 80,000 vehicles a day, and now carries 160,000 vehicles each day, he said. “The economic lifeblood of this region is the Brent Spence Bridge,” Koehler said. OKI using a scoring process for road priorities that includes road conditions, but also factors in whether a project brings in jobs, Koehler said. That doesn’t mean the roads in the southern part of Campbell County need be forgotten, but local leaders need to work with state officials to find ways to make improvements, he said. There are typically more improvements needed than OKI can raise funds to cover in each regional transportation plan, Koehler said. Campbell County Administrator Robert Horine said the county is already working with the state on some basic roadway safety issues. The county has been identifying sharp curves on roads in the
south end of the county and working with the state to put up “curve ahead” signs to warn drivers this year, Horine said. Commissioner Ken Rechtin said he was amazed at the collective condition of secondary roads in southern Campbell County. “It was almost like all of the rural roads had higher accident rates,” Rechtin said. Rechtin said during the meeting he wanted the county to look into the possibility of employing a state program where representatives for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet come and evaluate county and state roads. “They will look at speeds, they will look at signage, and they will look at the radius of the bends and the berms and where the edges or sides of the road are,” he said. The county has the power to request the state evaluation, Rechtin said. Pendleton County has done so in the past, and evaluators will look at accidents specifically, he said. If the work has already been done by OKI to identify areas that are especially accident prone the state and county need to work to find ways to install guard rails and make other improvements that are cost effective, Rechtin said. “Of course a decrease in accidents always helps all of us,” Rechtin said.
SPRING PUTS ON FULL COURT PRESS
Celebrating 30 years of learning For 30 years, Trent Montessori School has been sharing love, learning and laughter with hundreds of children and their families in and around Newport. Trent Montessori, founded by Jan Haas, opened in September 1981 in an old Victorian house on Overton Street. Life, B1
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Vol. 34 No. 8 © 2012 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED For the Postmaster
Published weekly every Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Newport, KY 41071 USPS 450130 Postmaster: Send address change to The Campbell County Recorder 654 Highland Suite 27, Fort Thomas, KY 41075 Annual subscription: Weekly Recorder In-County $18.02; All other in-state $23.32; Out-of-state $27.56; Kentucky sales tax included
Cold Spring residents John Hater and his 13-year-old daughter Teresa Hater practice their defense and hoop shots on a basketball court in the parking lot at Friendship Park in Cold Spring with the onset of unseasonably warm weather Tuesday, March 20. CHRIS MAYHEW/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER
Series helps plan vows Extension hosts wedding planning events By Chris Mayhew cmayhew@nky.com
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS —
The Campbell County Extension Service in Highland Heights and wedding professionals will host “Happily Ever After” a free three-part Monday evening series in April in May about planning one of life’s biggest events. At least 12 local wedding professionals are scheduled to attend talking about areas ranging from cakes, photography, catering, music and finding a venue. The series is open to anyone, but reservations are required and space is limited to a maximum of about 75 people, said Lisa Anglin, an assistant extension agent for Family and Consumer Science. “We welcome brides, parents anyone interested in weddings,” Anglin said. Sessions will be on three consecutive Mondays from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Each date will cover a different topic. » April 23: ‘You’re Engaged? Getting Started.” » April 30: “The Big Day…The Wedding.” » May 7: “Reception Perfection.” The series will feature multiple local businesses including a representatives of Little Moments in Bellevue about the different types of wedding invitations available, and Belle Bridal Boutique of Bellevue – the only shop in the area specializing in plus size bridal gowns, Anglin said. “We’ll also have information about looking before you leap and basic information for brides,” she said. Many times it’s such an education when brides and families are meeting with a wedding professional for the first time. The series is a chance to help people strengthen the dialogue they have with a wedding professional starting with the first meeting, Anglin said. “It’s strictly for people to get to know local vendors and be prepared to go and speak with them; and know what to bring and what ask,” she said. For information or to make a reservation to attend “Happily Ever After” call the Campbell County Extension Service office, 3500 Alexandria Pike, Highland Heights, at 859572-2600.