LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 1, Issue 38 - August 18, 2023

VOLUME 1,ISSUE38—

Painful Decisions:

How hard is it for patients to find doctors they can trust?

NKU bonuses, raises: ‘Optics of this are terrible’ p8

NKwhy: What makes something historic? p10

18,2023

Streetscapes ventures to West Eighth in Covington p16

Painful decisions: How hard is it for patients to find doctors they can trust?

PRESIDENT & CEO Lacy Starling

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Mark Collier

MANAGING EDITOR Meghan Goth

PRINT EDITOR Kaitlin Gebby

SPORTS EDITOR Evan Dennison

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BY MEGHAN GOTH | LINK nky MANAGING EDITOR

Wendy Fillhardt went to see Dr. Pragya Gupta at Advanced Pain Treatment Center in Edgewood for back pain in 2021.

“I was told that he was a good doctor,” she said. “I was encouraged to go there. So I finally gave in and went.”

She said she’s not a fan of going to the doctor or being on medication, but eventually she just couldn’t take the pain. She was at a dead end.

“I was working full time when I went there,” she said. “And it just went downhill from the moment I went. Now I’m fully disabled.”

Fillhardt is one of several people who reached out to LINK nky to tell their stories of Gupta, the clinic and his office manager, Donnie Jay Thomas (also known as Donald J. Thomas and DJ Thomas), after seeing a story published in June. Gupta said in court filings he considered Thomas a medical assistant because he had personally trained him.

Thomas still works at the clinic, according to a registration document with the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure dated May 22, 2023. He is listed as a “clerical staff.” That document lists ownership of the clinic as having been transferred from Gupta to Dr. Zeeshan Tayeb.

That June LINK story outlined the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure’s June 2023 agreement with Gupta that the doctor’s license to practice medicine was restricted indefinitely in Kentucky and that he could not practice medicine in Kentucky unless otherwise stated by the board. This was based on a consultant’s opinion that Gupta allowed Thomas to perform medical procedures without proper certification. Those procedures included administering anesthesia, according to Fillhardt’s complaint, and placing IVs, according to interviews LINK nky has conducted.

Fillhardt is the one who filed the complaint that led to the board’s decision.

“I went there to get better,” she said. “And I’m not. I’m worse.”

Gupta’s attorney said in court filings that Fillhardt signed consent forms acknowledging there are no guaranteed results for the procedures she underwent. But Fillhardt – and others who spoke to LINK nky – described a clinic overrun with patients, a doctor who did not like to be questioned, and an office manager who performed certain medical procedures without the legal ability to do so.

The law – or, more specifically, what the law does not say – is at the heart of this story.

Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders confirmed that he launched an investigation into the clinic after seeing the LINK nky story and reviewing the board’s investigation.

“The board had never contacted me about Dr. Gupta, and frankly I didn’t realize he existed until I read about it on your website,” Sanders said.

ries these former patients and employees shared with LINK highlight a medical system that can be difficult to navigate – along with laws and regulations that change from state to state, making patients’ ability to understand the full scope of their provider’s history a challenge.

Sanders expressed frustration with the communication between the medical board and local law enforcement. He said his office was not contacted after the board’s decision about Gupta’s license in Kentucky came down.

The patient and families we spoke to said they found out about Gupta the way many people find a health care provider –through word of mouth.

But only after seeing what happened inside the clinic did they – and two former employees – realize they had more questions than answers.

Cover illustration by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

While Sanders didn’t elaborate on specifics because it is an active investigation, he did say there are multiple complainants and that what he received from the medical board “is not everything that has been alleged against the doctor.”

At a state and even a national level, the sto-

What are the laws and regulations surrounding pain clinics in Kentucky? How easy is it to find out whether the people treating patients at these clinics are licensed to do so or operating within the law? What recourse do patients have when they feel they have been wronged?

Wendy Fillhardt speaks to LINK nky about her lawsuit, with stacks of associated paperwork piled in front of her. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky

A screenshot of Dr. Pragya Gupta’s headshot that was posted on the Advanced Pain Treatment Center website in June 2023, shortly after his license had been stripped in Kentucky. The website has since been taken down.

Each state in the U.S. has a board that oversees doctors’ licenses and, when necessary, discipline. In Kentucky, that board is called the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure.

The structure and composition of a medical board varies from state to state, according to Jacqueline Landess’ report “State Medical Boards, Licensure, and Discipline in the United States”, published in the National Library of Medicine.

“Today,” Landess writes, “state medical boards are usually responsible for a variety of functions, with the main function being the detection and discipline of unprofessional and unethical conduct by physicians and other medical professionals.”

The board oversees licensure and not criminal conduct, so if Gupta were to be criminally charged, that would have to be done through the courts.

That has not happened, but Judd Uhl, who is representing Gupta, Thomas and Advanced Pain Treatment Center in the case Fillhardt brought against them, said he isn’t sure what the criminal charges would be.

He also said he could not allow Gupta to sit down for an interview because of the ongoing litigation.

“The law is not clear about what is considered a medical assistant,” Uhl said. That, coupled with the fact that he said Fillhardt wasn’t injured, means Gupta didn’t do anything wrong criminally as it relates to this case specifically, he said.

Each state also has a website where the public can look up the status of a doctor’s medical license. There is something called a National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), which allows certain state agencies to query its database to determine whether providers have faced disciplinary action in other states. But, Landess writes in her report, that database is not available to the public.

“The NPDB was created, in part, to prevent physicians from traveling across state lines to practice when their license has been suspended or revoked in another state,” Landess said in her report. “However, states are inconsistent when deciding how to respond to claims or even disciplinary actions arising in other states.”

If a patient wants to know whether his doc-

tor has been disciplined in another state, he must check the licensure verification for that physician in each state separately. A simple Google search most likely will not produce information about a physician’s disciplinary record, unless a news story has been written that would come up in a search.

ProPublica did compile a list of links to recent board actions in each state, which can be found at projects.propublica.org/graphics/investigating-doctors.

LINK nky has verified that Gupta is licensed to practice medicine in California, Ohio and Connecticut. While Gupta’s license has been restricted in Kentucky and he agreed not to practice medicine in Kentucky, it is still technically active.

So, while the consultant who worked with the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure ahead of its June agreement with Gupta determined that Thomas practicing medicine under Gupta’s supervision posed “an immediate threat to the safety and health of citizens of Kentucky” – and that the board and Gupta agreed that he “shall not perform any act which would constitute the practice of medicine … in the Commonwealth of Kentucky” – Gupta is free to practice medicine in any other state where he is licensed, other than in Kentucky.

As for Thomas, the board that oversees Gupta does not have jurisdiction over any discipline because, according to Donald A. Balasa, CEO and house legal counsel for the American Association of Medical Assistants, licensure for medical assistants does not exist under Kentucky law.

“At no time was Ms. Fillhardt’s safety as a patient ever in jeopardy under the care of Dr. Gupta or below the standard of care, either by Dr. Gupta or by his staff,” said Thomas’ attorney, Steve Megerle.

He continued to say that anything Thomas did was at the direction of Gupta.

In his response to the medical board’s decision, Gupta admitted that Thomas is not licensed to perform medical procedures. But, he said, “Donnie J. Thomas is a trained medical assistant. I have trained him since 2002.” But Gupta did not admit guilt in the agreement with the board.

However, Balasa told LINK, the Kentucky Medical Practice Act states that only licensed physicians are permitted legally to practice medicine.

“There are exceptions,” he said. “Mr. Thom-

as does not fall into any of those exceptions. Therefore, given the facts of this case, it is likely that Mr. Thomas was practicing medicine without a license.”

Thomas served time in federal prison after he pled guilty to embezzling money from a Cincinnati pain clinic in 2012. Other than that, he has not been found to be in violation of the law related to his work in medical facilities.

While Thomas could be charged for practicing medicine without a license, Balasa said, the state medical board has no jurisdiction over medical assistants.

“That would likely require an indictment and an action in court,” Balasa wrote in an email to LINK nky. “I don’t believe it could be addressed within the disciplinary authority of the KY Medical Board because, once again, the Medical Board has no direct supervision over Mr. Thomas as it did with Dr. Gupta.”

‘He was dressing up like he was playing doctor’

The patients and family members LINK nky spoke to for this story said that because their care was being overseen by a medical doctor, they assumed anyone performing medical procedures on them or their loved ones was licensed or legally trained to do so.

Uhl contends in a May response to Fillhardt’s complaint that because Gupta oversaw everything Thomas did, that means Thomas was legally trained. But the consultant who worked with the medical board in its investigation into Fillhardt’s complaint disagreed.

Lauren worked at Gupta’s office for three weeks in 2021 before realizing she wanted

A selfie Lauren took of herself while working at Advanced Pain Treatment Center. Photo provided

no part of the clinic’s operations. She had only completed one semester of nursing school before being hired at the clinic on the spot during her interview.

LINK agreed to use only Lauren’s first name because she said she felt manipulated into performing tasks she was unqualified to do at Advanced Pain Treatment Center and doesn’t want it to affect her future employment.

“(Thomas is) back there just suited in his little bonnet and surgical mask and scrubs,” Lauren said. “My thing about working in a medical facility is, you can go buy a pair of scrubs at Walmart, you can buy a scrub cap at Walmart. Anybody can dress up like they’re gonna play doctor. And that’s what I feel like this guy was doing every day. He was dressing up like he was playing doctor.”

Lauren told LINK she observed things at the clinic right away that she knew were not OK.

“I witnessed DJ putting anesthetics in someone,” she said. “Usually I was kept out of the room because I’m guessing they didn’t want me to see things happening that shouldn’t have been happening.”

Fillhardt said in her complaint that, on multiple occasions, Thomas was the one who administered anesthesia to her at the clinic.

“He would ask Dr. Gupta how much to administer and then measure out and give the doses by IV,” the complaint says.

In a response to Fillhardt’s complaint, Uhl, Gupta’s attorney, wrote that the medical board had never issued an opinion that precluded a medical assistant from “participating in a procedure involving moderate sedation/analgesia.” Analgesia is a medication that relieves pain.

The response does not specifically say whether the law addresses the administration of IVs or anesthesia or that Thomas did or did not place or administer medication through an IV. That, Balasa said, is the key.

Even in accredited medical assisting programs, Balasa told LINK nky, IV theory and technique are not taught.

As of the date of publication of this story, neither Gupta nor Thomas has been criminally charged. But charges may be coming soon, depending on the results of Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders’ investigation into the clinic.

“You don’t do this to people,” Fillhardt said. “What does DJ have that is making people overlook that he harmed somebody? That he is not being held accountable for his actions? Not only for what he did to me, but to how many other people?”

Joanetta Wilson, whose mother, Joan, saw Gupta in 2019 for pain after contracting shingles, said she felt equally as helpless.

Medical records the Wilson family shared with LINK show that, during a routine epidural at the clinic, Joan Wilson experienced a pneumothorax, which is a collapsed lung that can be caused by injury to the lung.

Health care providers use lumbar epidural steroid injections as a pain relief option for certain causes of chronic back pain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. During the procedure, doctors inject an anti-inflammatory medication into the epidural space around the spinal nerves.

The needle, intended to help relieve Joan Wilson’s pain, instead punctured her lung. The situation was exacerbated because she had the chronic lung condition COPD.

While Gupta’s attorney, Uhl, said that Gupta oversaw all procedures Thomas was

involved with, Joanetta Wilson said that when her mother was wheeled out of the procedure room at the clinic after the procedure, struggling to breathe, she was accompanied by a man and two women who were not Gupta. She said they came toward her from the left, and Gupta came from the other direction.

“Attorneys talked to my dad and said, ‘Well, if she had died, you’d have a case,’ ” she said of her mother, Joan Wilson. “That’s what they told him. Or another one told him, ‘For $100,000, I can take the case. Not saying you’re going to win.’ I mean, it wasn’t that my dad wanted money. My dad just wanted Dr. Gupta to pay. He doesn’t want him to hurt anyone else.”

While Joan Wilson’s family said she was an active person before the procedure – driving, going to gamble with her friends – afterward, she was never the same.

“She ended up bedridden,” Joanetta Wilson said.

Joan Wilson died in October 2020 after having gone downhill in the time since her procedure at Advanced Pain Treatment Centers, her family said.

While her death was not directly attributed to the epidural that punctured her lung, Charlie Wilson, Joan Wilson’s husband of 57 years, said he will always wonder.

“I like to think – and maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am – that this doctor had a whole lot to do with her leaving,” Charlie Wilson said. “He stuck a needle in her lung. I’m not saying he killed her, but I’m saying he had a whole lot to do with it.”

Because he doesn’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring legal action against Gupta – and was told by several attorneys he might not get that money back even if he did – he said speaking publicly

about his story was the least he could do.

“If there’s something I can do to keep him from hurting someone else, I’d like to be able to do it,” Charlie Wilson said. “If this little conversation we’re having will help someone else, God love ’em.”

Former employee Lauren said she had the same reasoning for speaking to LINK about what she saw in the office.

And the things that made her uneasy didn’t stop with Thomas.

“Once, I couldn’t get an IV in,” she said. “And I have a rule: I try twice, and after that I ask for assistance.”

So she asked Gupta for help.

“He came in, didn’t wash his hands, didn’t clean the area with antiseptic, didn’t put gloves on,” Lauren said. “He just put the needle in the patient’s arm.”

Another time, Lauren said she saw Gupta drop sterile gloves on the floor. Instead of throwing them away and getting new ones, he picked them up and put them on.

When she asked if he wanted clean gloves, she said he told her, “I don’t need you to tell

Joanetta Wilson speaks about her mother, Joan Wilson. Photo by Ray Pfeffer | WCPO

Continued from page 5 me how to do my job.”

She started documenting what she saw in text messages to her boyfriend and mother. She also took photos of sheets stained with iodine and blood.

“They had me inject local anesthetics yesterday unsupervised which is very much not OK,” she said in one text message to her boyfriend. “And when I said something about it I was again told to do what is asked

of me and I shouldn’t question the doctor because he knows what he’s doing.”

More laws, safeguards in place

Laws surrounding pain clinics have changed drastically in the United States in the last 20 years, and Kentucky is no exception.

A 2012 law established standards for pain clinics, defining them as a facility where a majority of patients receive treatment for pain.

It requires that all pain management facilities register with the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, and physicians who prescribe controlled drugs to patients are required to complete special training in pain management.

That registration is required annually, and if a new or different physician obtains ownership of the facility, they must file an amended registration with the board.

Why do people go to pain clinics?

Most people who go to pain clinics, St. Elizabeth Public Relations Manager Guy Karrick said, are seeking relief from their chronic pain, along with improvement in their functionality and quality of life.

But why don’t patients go to their general practitioner for such care?

“It is likely different in every situation,” Karrick said. “Many general practitioners are not comfortable with high doses of pain medication that may be necessary to adequately treat the patient’s pain. With recent litigation against physicians prescribing pain medications, others may be concerned about their license.”

Most patients start by going to their primary care practitioner, he said, but, like many diagnoses, if initial treatments are not helping, additional expertise may be required. That expertise could include other therapies and interventions, along with knowledge of medications that can be utilized.

St. Elizabeth is not affiliated with Advanced Pain Treatment Center, and Gupta is not listed on its website as having privileges at the hospital system.

Anyone wishing to find out if a doctor has privileges at St. Elizabeth can search that physician’s name at stelizabeth.com/find-a-doctor.

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2023

The registration update for Advanced Pain Treatment Centers filed on May 22, 2023, to change the owner from Gupta to Tayeb occurred 10 days before Gupta’s medical license was officially stripped in the state of Kentucky.

Kentucky also passed a law in 2017 that limits the number of prescription painkillers that health providers can prescribe.

Another safeguard is the KASPER system.

“Created in 1999, KASPER is used to track all prescriptions for a controlled substance for an individual patient,” according to Kentucky Comeback, a coalition the Kentucky Chamber created to transform the state’s approach to addiction and criminal justice. “The system allows for real-time tracking, and 2012 legislation requires health care providers to obtain a KASPER report on a patient to determine whether a patient already has a prescription from another provider before writing a prescription for certain controlled drugs.”

But the current Kentucky laws – or, more specifically, the ones that don’t exist – are exactly the point, Gupta’s attorney Uhl said in his May response to the complaint Fillhardt filed.

“In the event that this Board would like to directly control the activities of medical assistants in Kentucky,” Uhl wrote, “proposing statutory legislation on this subject or issuing a prospective administrative regulation on this topic … are more appropriate vehicles than retrospective punishment of Dr. Gupta when there has been no violation of Kentucky law or breach of the applicable standard of care.”

But Jennifer Jasper-Lucas, who worked at Gupta’s clinic in 2012, spoke to LINK about several state laws she believes were broken when she worked at the clinic.

She spoke about the KASPER system and how what she called its incorrect usage in the clinic was one of the red flags she noticed right away. Sometimes Gupta filled the reports out for patients, and sometimes he didn’t, she said.

She also noticed that, even though Gupta originally told her he primarily did procedures to relieve pain, the office dealt with a lot of prescriptions.

“I just started noticing that, on clinic days, we had a lot of patients in the waiting room,” Jasper-Lucas said. “And they didn’t seem to mind waiting. Because they wanted their meds.”

Beyond that, behavior that should be flagged, Jasper-Lucas said, is if a patient calls and asks if a prescription can be called in without actually seeing the doctor, which allows them to avoid a urine test.

“So there were those patients who wouldn’t come in, and Dr. Gupta would go ahead and give them a prescription,” Jasper-Lucas said. “And when I mentioned that to him, I basically was told, ‘I’m the doctor, I know what I’m doing.’ And I’m like, ‘It’s not your choice. It’s the law.’”

The red flags, Jasper-Lucas said, were increasing in number.

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Charlie Wilson speaks about his wife of 57 years, Joan Wilson. Photo by Dwayne Slavey | WCPO

Jennifer Jasper-Lucas. Photo provided | Jennifer Jasper-Lucas

“We had family members of patients who would call and say, ‘I think my spouse is addicted,’ ” Jasper-Lucas said. “I would always document all of that and have a conversation with Dr. Gupta about those things. But as far as I know, none of those ever resulted in him firing a patient.”

And then one day, in the fall of 2012, Gupta called her into his office.

“I was called into his office, and he told me that he couldn’t afford me anymore,” Jasper-Lucas said.

At this time, Jasper-Lucas’ husband was dying, and she said she suspected the reason Gupta couldn’t afford her anymore as an employee was due to the mounting medical bills.

Gupta told Jasper-Lucas he was having financial problems, she said, and he couldn’t afford to keep her on staff.

Jasper-Lucas said she ended up reporting Gupta to three separate agencies: the Board of Medical Licensure, the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission and Medicare.

She filed a complaint to the employment commission because, she said, she was routinely required to stay until 7 p.m. while Gupta finished seeing patients because she was on salary. The hourly employees were allowed to leave at 5, she said.

As for Medicare, Jasper-Lucas said at the time, the agency was enticing doctors to use electronic reporting systems by offering them financial incentive.

Gupta was taking the incentive, she said, but he was not properly filling out the forms.

And the Board of Medical Licensure? She submitted that complaint because of all the

other things she said she observed.

Because of how long ago she filed the complaints, she does not still have them, and LINK nky was not able to independently verify their submission.

Jasper-Lucas said she was never contacted about the complaints.

As for Lauren, she’s almost done with nursing school.

Fillhardt, whose lawsuit is still making its way through the Kenton County Circuit Court, found out in June that Gupta, Thomas and Advanced Pain Treatment Center filed a motion to dismiss her claim of fraud.

Fillhardt’s initial attorney withdrew from the case, and a July court appearance was continued to give her time to find a new attorney. Medical malpractice attorney David Gray will represent her going forward and plans to accompany her to her next court appearance on Aug. 21.

As for Charlie Wilson, there are reminders of his Joanie throughout his house.

One of them is a Christmas tree, still displayed and decorated in June.

“Let me tell you about that,” he said. “I put that up several years ago and she said, ‘Charlie, when are you going to take that damn tree down?’ And I said, ‘Joanie, I said we’ll take that tree down together. I said you get your lazy butt up out of that bed and you come and help me. And we’ll both take it down together.’ ”

Charlie Wilson cleared his throat.

“That tree will be there until after I’m gone. Because I will never take it down.”

How do you find a doctor you can trust?

St. Elizabeth Public Relations Manager Guy Karrick told LINK nky that patients should speak with their primary care providers, read online reviews and talk to others they trust for recommendations.

“A patient should feel comfortable with their provider and should be able to ask questions about treatment plans and alternatives,” Karrick said.

St. Elizabeth, he said, completes a background check as part of the hiring process, which includes an investigation of any actions against the providers in Kentucky or any other state where they have held a license.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in a 2022 article, compiled a list of things to consider when choosing a doctor.

It advises narrowing down a list of top choices and then learning more about them:

• Is the doctor taking new pa-

tients?

• Who will see me if the doctor isn’t available?

• Does the doctor have experience treating my medical conditions?

• How long will it take to get an appointment?

• Is there a doctor or nurse who speaks my preferred language?

Then, the department recommends, think about your experience after your first visit:

• Did the doctor and office staff make you feel comfortable?

• Did the doctor spend enough time with you?

• Did the doctor give you a chance to ask questions?

• Did the doctor listen carefully to you?

• Did the doctor know important information about your medical history?

If the answer to any of those questions after your first visit is “no,” the department advises that you keep looking.

NKU staff cry foul over $222k in bonuses, raises to presidential cabinet: ‘The optics of this are terrible’

BY MARK PAYNE | LINK nky POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT REPORTER

Just months after announcing a more than $24 million budget deficit, Northern Kentucky University offered $222,500 in raises and bonuses to the university’s presidential cabinet, which is mainly composed of the university’s vice presidents.

The raises and bonuses were offered in January under retention agreements three months after the university abruptly parted ways with its president, Ashish Vaidya, and announced it had a more than $24 million budget deficit — a number that’s since been reduced to $9.6 million, with further plans to reduce it another $5 million by 2025.

The bonuses and raises were discussed at a July 2023 meeting for the university’s staff congress, according to meeting minutes. The university has governing bodies representing the different populations, including the staff congress, faculty senate, Student Government Association, and the Board of Regents, with the latter being the arbiter of decision-making at the university.

University staff said this is bad optics, according to the meeting minutes, especially as the university looks to continue to reduce its deficit. They also said that it’s financially rewarding the same executives who knew of the budget issues.

Rich Boehne, the chair of the Board of Regents, which approved the raises and bonuses, said that the university can both work to reduce the deficit and provide financial incentives to retain staff to move

the university through troubled waters at the same time.

The bonuses will be distributed over the course of 18-24 months from the signed contract dates in January and February. The raises were immediate. They were based on seniority and performance, and Boehne said they were made on an individual basis.

Here is who is scheduled to receive a raise and/or bonus and how much, as well as their hiring date:

• Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Grant Garber: $20,000 bonus after 18 months. Hired in June 2022. Salary: $216,000

• Vice President of Administration and Finance/CFO Jeremy Alltop: $25,000 raise and a $25,000 bonus after 24

months. Hired in June 2022. Salary including raise: $275,000

• Provost and Executive Vice President Matt Cecil: $10,000 raise and $25,000 bonus after 18 months. Hired in February of 2021. Salary including raise: $288,100

• Vice President of University Advancement Eric Gentry: $37,500 raise and a $60,000 bonus after 18 months (Gentry also sits on the LINK nky managing board). Hired August 2013. Salary including raise: $309,317

• Executive Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Board of Regents Tammy Knochelmann: $5,000 raise and a $15,000 bonus after 24 months. Hired in 2008. Salary including raise: $88,430

Northern Kentucky University’s presiden-

tial cabinet members declined to comment on this story.

In the July staff congress meeting, meeting minutes detail a discussion among the staff with information on the faculty senate Facebook page regarding the January bonuses for the presidential cabinet.

“The BOR (Board of Regents) gave some retention monies to the Cabinet members because what they did not want to happen when they named the interim President was for everyone else to leave the ship, if you will, and leave just one person trying to do all the things with everything that we have going on,” the minutes read. “They were really jut [sic] trying to be mindful and thoughtful to ensure that interim President (Bonita) Brown had a team of folks that were going to work with her to allow us to hand off the torch, if you will, to the next President. So that was the reason behind those retention monies for some of those executive members.”

Then, Staff Regent Cori Henderson fielded questions from NKU’s staff about the bonuses.

“Cori stated that it was just more coming of a consensus that we wanted to ensure that we were retaining folks on the Executive Committee and making sure that we had people helping us through what we’re going through in terms of our financial distress,” the meeting minutes read.

Staff congress member Chris Witt took issue with the optics of giving raises and bonuses at this time, according to the minutes.

Northern Kentucky University’s campus. Photo provided | Northern Kentucky University

“Chris Witt commented that the optics of this are terrible,” the minutes read. “They want to reduce the budget by $5 million, but here we are shoveling money to people who were aware of the issue that happened. And it happened on their watch. And it seemed to him (Witt) we are rewarding them for staying to help us through it, even though they were probably more than likely aware of what was going on.”

‘Two things can be true at the same time’

Boehne said that two things can be true simultaneously — that the university can try to reduce the deficit while also giving out raises to its executive staff.

“One of those is working through a budget issue and doing pretty well at it,” Boehne said. “And the other is that we need to secure some of those folks through the transition, especially cabinet members.”

But, faculty senate President John Farrar said if it’s about retention of university leadership, he doesn’t know how raises make sense.

“Raises contribute to the current budget deficit, while the bonuses will be paid in a future budget year, presumably when the budget is better,” Farrar said. “Plus, the bonuses are only paid if the employee stays at NKU.”

The university announced in June that it had cut its original budget deficit from $24 million to $9.6 million, with plans to further reduce the deficit by at least another $5 million by fiscal year 2025.

But, in attempting to address budget issues, Alltop said that the university had used a considerable amount of reserves — the reserves sit at roughly $81 million, which equates to 105-110 days of unrestricted cash, though this is a simplistic number as cash fluctuates — but can’t sustain that level.

“It is not advisable from the CFO that we can continue operating losses at this level as proposed in the budget,” Alltop said.

At the meeting, the Board of Regents Vice Chair Nathan Smith said the university should work to cut more than $5 million from the deficit.

“I don’t think $5 million is enough,” Smith said, though he acknowledged that this is the current state of higher education nationwide.

After the university announced its budget deficit late last year, it parted ways with Vaidya — something the university claims isn’t due to the deficit, though the faculty

senate has said the two are related.

The university still faces a $9.6 million deficit that it continues to dig itself out of, and the new budget will help them do that, though the faculty senate recently criticized the board for its role in the deficit.

Does this spending suggest a pattern?

When asked how the university plans to further reduce its budget by $5 million, and whether the bonuses seem similar to how NKU got itself into a budget deficit in the first place, Boehne said he doesn’t know that they’re exactly the same.

He said it was hard to predict during the pandemic what spending would look like on the other side.

“That’s the big difference in revenue there,” Boehne said, elaborating it’s hard to speculate on the following year.

This is an abridged version of this story. To read the full version online, scan this QR code.

Northern Kentucky University’s campus. Photo provided | Northern Kentucky University

NKWhy: What makes something historic?

BY MAGGY MCDONEL | LINK nky DIGITAL EDITOR AND HALEY PARNELL | LINK nky CAMPBELL COUNTY REPORTER

History is woven into the fabric of Northern Kentucky’s culture, with historic neighborhoods, homes and businesses dotted throughout the region.

From landmarks like the Roebling Bridge to neighborhoods like the East Row in Newport and the Licking Riverside District in Covington, there’s plenty of history to find in NKY. There is also lots of infrastructure working to keep that history alive.

So we wondered: What makes something historic?

“Anything over the age of 50 years can be considered historic,” said Covington’s Historic Preservation Officer Kaitlin Bryan.

Bryan said the state conducts a “cultural resource inventory” every 10 years to verify that the historical buildings still have “historic fabrics.” The verification process includes ensuring details like original trim and ornamental molding, known as cornice, remain intact.

Covington has seven historic preservation overlay zones, Bryan said, which are historic districts voted on by the Kenton County Planning and Zoning Commission.

These zones are “designated areas to preserve because of their unique architectural style, scale, and details or because of being a part of a square, park, or area of cultural, historical, or architectural importance to the city,” per the city of Covington’s website. National Historic Landmarks, including the Daniel C. Beard home and the Roebling Bridge, can also be spotted throughout the region. These landmarks are designated by the U.S. secretary of the interior due to their “exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States,” according to the Kentucky Heritage Council.

That designation makes the landmarks eligible for state and federal tax credit projects, Bryan said.

Roadblocks

Newport’s Buena Vista neighborhood has recently been attempting to get local historic designations but has run into some difficulties. Though the neighborhood is already a National Historic District, it needs

local designation for complete protection.

“The designation of a local historic district helps stabilize and improve property values, foster civic pride and encourage development that remains sensitive to the area’s history and needs,” Newport’s Historic Preservation Officer Scott Clark said at a Newport commission meeting earlier this year.

According to Clark, the local designation allows the city to guide homeowners in preservation efforts, prevent “inappropriate” exterior changes and halt unnecessary demolitions that may threaten the neighborhood’s structural integrity.

Though city officials said they are on board with the idea, Newport City Manager Tom Fromme said in a June Newport commission meeting that the city had encountered some technical issues that must be addressed before anything can move forward.

“We found out that we need to add additional steps, and so it’s not as simple as just saying we’re going to take these regulations, and we’re going to take it in front of HP (historic preservation) for approval,” Fromme said.

The project was supposed to be presented in front of the Newport Historic Preservation Commission on May 24, but that meeting couldn’t take place with the lack of guidelines for the district that the city needs to set.

Fromme said at the May 22 meeting that the city had signed a contract with the company Compass to work on guidelines for the new district and fix existing procedures that the city “never had the resources to deal with” previously. He said it must create new regulations instead of copying existing ones from the East Row Historic District.

“That’s an established district (East Row) that’s much older and has been operating for many, many, many years, and it would not be the right move to take those regs and try to just superimpose those over on the west end,” Fromme said.

Once the city gets the regulations in effect, Fromme said, it also must create an overlay through planning and zoning. He said the question of how people would know

they are buying a home in a historic district came up in a conversation during the process, which is where the overlay comes in.

“We need to have an overlay on zoning to show that this is located in a historic district, so there are extra rules (beyond) regular zoning,” Fromme said. “It also gives us a legal ability to impose those rules to enforce them.”

Fromme said the city’s goal is to have the new regulations and zoning done by the end of the year. In the meantime, he said he had issued a moratorium on demolitions in the west end.

Community support

“It creates a sense of community and stewardship. You know, people are making a choice to live in those neighborhoods, knowing that they have to follow these rules to keep up … the aesthetics that we’ve been trying to protect and preserve for over 100 years,” said Bryan.

Bryan said keeping up these historic aesthetics can be difficult and expensive. Mul-

tiple programs are in place to help historic property owners, occupants and potential buyers.

Finding contractors with the skills to work on historic buildings can be difficult, and Bryan said multiple local programs focus on solving this issue.

One such program is through the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky. Last year, the group, which aims to teach a new generation of construction workers the skills required to restore historic buildings, leased the former Colonial Inn motel in Covington, a historic building the city bought in 2016.

The space acts as a laboratory serving as a hands-on classroom where students can learn how to restore historic buildings.

“We’re trying to build the workforce in Northern Kentucky to get those qualified contractors into the workforce,” said Bryan. “It’s kind of a dying art. A lot of the guys that do it are really old, and it’s a generational business that they’ve been in. So we’ve definitely seen a decline in craftsmanship.”

The East Row historic district in Newport. Photo provided | East Row Historic Foundation on Facebook

First-term Covington Commissioner Nicaise resigns; city has month to replace him

Covington Board of Commissioners member Nolan Nicaise, who was serving his first term on the elected body, resigned from his position effective 6 p.m. Aug. 8.

Mayor Joe Meyer made the announcement to a packed room of city residents at the start of the legislative meeting.

suggested that the city would likely fill the position before the 30-day mark on Sept. 7.

Nicaise’s replacement will serve out the remainder of his term, which will end Dec. 31, 2024. The Kentucky Constitution does not permit a special election or other ballot measure for selecting a new commissioner.

“I want to thank Commissioner Nicaise for his service to our city,” Covington Commission member Ron Washington said.

the best

OneNKY Alliance names Bellevue Councilman Salzman as new project manager

will work directly with OneNKY CEO Karen Finan on projects that aim to advance regional education, health and unity, according to a release.

“I am deeply honored to join the OneNKY Alliance as the project director,” Salzman said in the press release. “Having been a part of the Northern Kentucky community for many years, I am well aware of the NKY Metro’s potential and its unique strengths. I am eager to collaborate with the dedicated team and community to build upon these strengths and drive meaningful, positive change in the areas of unity, health, and education.”

tions.”

Founded in 2017, OneNKY Alliance has served as a springboard for regional organizations and initiatives such as Educate NKY and Breathe Easy NKY.

Fort Wright honors longtime service of Jacober by proclaims Aug. 2 in his memory

Nicaise was not present at the meeting and did not respond to a request for comment after meeting business had concluded.

The city will now need to fill his vacant seat. Per the Kentucky Constitution, the board of commissioners has 30 days to appoint a replacement or the job of appointing a new member will fall to the governor. Discussion among the commission members

Covington-based nonprofit OneNKY Alliance announced Aug. 8 that it had hired a new project manager with experience in politics and education.

Ryan Salzman, now in his fifth term as a Bellevue councilman,

Previously, Salzman was an associate professor of political science at Northern Kentucky University. In that role, he worked on the Future Leaders Internship Program, campus democracy initiatives and civics-focused instruction.

“We are energized and thrilled to welcome Ryan Salzman to our team,” Finan said. “His experience and passion for improving the lives of those in our community complement our existing efforts and outcomes. We look forward to his many contribu-

Longtime Fort Wright resident and civil servant Thomas Henry Jacober died June 18, and the city recognized his dedication by proclaiming Aug. 2, 2023, to be Thomas Continues on page 12

Nolan Nicaise. Photo provided | City of Covington

Ryan Salzman. Photo provided | OneNKY Alliance

The family of Thomas Henry Jacober attended the Fort Wright City Council meeting on Aug. 2. The day was named in his honor. Photo by Kathleen Bryant | LINK nky

Highl and H eights, KY

The City of Highland Heights

Smoke-Free Air Ordinance takes effect on September 18, 2023

Henry Jacober Day at a recent City Council meeting.

Jacober worked at Procter & Gamble before he was drafted into the Army in 1954. While he was in the field, Procter & Gamble sent him care packages every few months. This inspired him to do the same for soldiers and veterans like him when he returned home as part of his work with St. Agnes Church.

“Tom was a leader, and if it weren’t for his leadership, that part of the city probably wouldn’t be Fort Wright today,” said former Mayor Thomas Litzler.

Around 20 Jacober family members were present for the proclamation and accepted a plaque commemorating the day.

Police release details about woman who was shot, driven to gas station

The Kenton County Police Department issued an update to a shooting early on Aug. 5 in Crescent Springs, where an officer was flagged down at the Sunoco on Buttermilk Pike.

NOTICE

Please take notice that Duke Energy Kentucky, Inc. will apply to the Kentucky Public Service Commission for approval to revise its Demand Side Management (DSM) rate for gas service and electric service for residential and commercial customers. Duke Energy Kentucky’s current monthly DSM rate for residential gas customers is ($0.004784) per hundred cubic feet and for non-residential gas customers is $0.000000 per hundred cubic feet. Duke Energy Kentucky’s current monthly DSM rate for residential electric customers is $0.003497 per kilowatt-hour and for non-residential customers is $0.001987 per kilowatt-hour for distribution service and $0.000388 per kilowatt-hour for transmission service.

Duke Energy Kentucky seeks approval to revise these rates as follows: Duke Energy Kentucky’s monthly DSM rate for residential gas customers would increase to ($0.003536) per hundred cubic feet and for non-residential gas customers would remain at $0.000000 per hundred cubic feet. Duke Energy Kentucky’s monthly DSM rate for residential electric customers would increase to $0.003988 per kilowatt-hour and for non-residential customers would remain at $0.001987 per kilowatt-hour for distribution service and would remain at $0.000388 per kilowatt-hour for transmission service.

The rate contained in this notice is the rate proposed by Duke Energy Kentucky. However, the Public Service Commission may order a rate to be charged that differs from this proposed rate. Such action may result in a rate for consumers other than the rate in this notice. The foregoing rates reflect a proposed increase in electric revenues of approximately $0.72 million or 0.16% over current total electric revenues and an increase in gas revenues of approximately $0.08 million or 0.06% over current total gas revenues.

A typical residential gas customer using 70 ccf in a month will see an increase of $0.09 or 0.1%. A typical residential electric customer using 1000 kWh in a month will see an increase of $0.54 or 0.5%. A typical non-residential electric customer using 40 kilowatts and 14,000 kWh will see no change. A non-residential customer served at transmission voltage using 10,000 kilowatts and 4,000,000 kWh will see no change. Non-residential gas customers will see no change in their bills from this application.

Any corporation, association, body politic or person may by motion within thirty (30) days after publication or mailing of notice of the proposed rate changes, submit a written request to intervene to the Public Service Commission, 211 Sower Boulevard, P.O. Box 615, Frankfort, Kentucky 40602, and shall set forth the grounds for the request including the status and interest of the party. The intervention may be granted beyond the thirty (30) day period for good cause shown. Written comments regarding the proposed rate may be submitted to the Public Service Commission by mail or through the Public Service Commission’s website. A copy of this application filed with the Public Service Commission is available for public inspection at Duke Energy Kentucky’s office at 1262 Cox Road, Erlanger, Kentucky 41018 and on its website at http://www.duke-energy.com. This filing and any other related documents can be found on the Public Service Commission’s website at http://psc.ky.gov.

Initially, officers didn’t know where the shooting occurred or who shot the victim, who was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with serious injuries.

Investigators with the Kenton County Police Department determined that Skylar Onishea of Independence was driving on Interstate 75 southbound from Covington when Brayden Smith, who was in the backseat of the car, allegedly shot her.

“The vehicle stopped on the interstate, and Smith fled the scene,” according to a Kenton County Police press release. “Another passenger drove the victim to the Sunoco.”

Smith, 20, was later located and taken into custody at the Kenton County Detention Center, according to police. He was charged with first-degree assault and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

Covington’s Ripple Wine Bar opens location across river in O’Bryonville

Covington’s Ripple Wine Bar has officially opened a location across the river.

The new spot is at 2000 Madison Road in

Cincinnati’s O’Bryonville neighborhood.

Ripple is described on its website as “half bar and half dining room.” The menu changes seasonally, and right now it is serving everything from charcuterie boards to filet mignon with chimichurri to flatbreads, loaded salads and, of course, lots of wine.

According to a Facebook post from Ripple, the two locations have the “same vibe … same hours of operation … AND the same food menu!”

Find the full menu and more at ripplewinebar.com.

NKY Young Professionals group announces Jimmy Beatrice as new chair

Northern Kentucky Young Professionals announced Jimmy Beatrice, benefits adviser with Business Benefits Insurance Solutions, as its 2023-24 chair.

As part of the NKY Chamber’s effort to focus on talent attraction and retention, the group strives to create opportunities for young professionals in the region, according to a recent press release.

This includes connecting with peers, enhancing professional development opportunities and making an impact through diversity and inclusion initiatives as a key talent strategy to help local young professionals grow and compete nationally.

Ripple Wine Bar offers a variety of wine and food options. Photo provided | Ripple Wine Bar on Facebook

Northern Kentucky Young Professionals’ new chair, Jimmy Beatrice, right. Photo provided | NKY Young Professionals.

Ky. governor: Political backlash will hurt search for education chief

temperatures. But that has become an intermittent relief at best. Peroni says Europeans tend to tolerate the heat and shun air conditioning. But that is starting to change as rising global temperatures make air conditioning more of a necessity than a luxury in Europe.

Burnout, low pay, politics drive out Pa. teachers, particularly those of color

Louisville Metro Police Officer Nickolas Wilt was shot in the head during the deadly April 10 shooting at Old National Bank. He underwent multiple surgeries and intensive therapy in the months since.

Wilt will continue his therapy through outpatient care at the rehabilitation center. Louisville’s mayor and police chief joined Wilt’s family and health care workers who gathered to celebrate Wilt’s discharge, coming more than three-and-a-half months since the shooting.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Gov. Andy Beshear says Kentucky’s search for a top-tier education chief will be more challenging after the political backlash experienced by the departing education commissioner.

Commissioner Jason Glass came under mounting Republican criticism over transgender policies in schools. Glass said July 31 he will step down Sept. 29 to take a job at Western Michigan University.

The Kentucky Board of Education plans to meet this month to determine the next steps and a timeline for moving forward with an interim commissioner. Beshear said on Aug. 2 that the circumstances of Glass’ departure make the search for a successor more difficult. The commissioner oversees the state’s K-12 school system.

Sweltering Europeans give air conditioning skeptical embrace during heat wave

MILAN (AP) — Floriana Peroni’s vintage clothing store had to close for a week during Europe’s heat wave last month. A truck of rented generators blocked her door as they fed power to the central Roman neighborhood hit by a blackout as temperatures surged.

The main culprit was air conditioning. Peroni does not have AC either in her home or in her shop. She is like many Romans. The Italian capital once could count on a Mediterranean breeze to bring down nighttime

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Teachers are leaving jobs in growing numbers, Pennsylvania reports show. The turnover in some cases is highest among teachers of color. A major culprit is stress – from pandemic-era burnout, low pay and the intrusion of politics into classrooms.

But the burdens can be heavier in schools serving high-poverty communities that also have higher numbers of teachers of color. Nationally, about 80% of American public school teachers are white, even though white students no longer represent a majority in public schools.

Officer shot at Louisville bank discharged from rehab after 3-plus months

Andrew Tate off house arrest while awaiting human trafficking, rape trial

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A police officer who was critically wounded while responding to a mass shooting at a Louisville bank has been discharged from a rehabilitation center.

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Andrew Tate, the divisive internet influencer who is charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, has won his appeal to be released from house arrest.

His spokesperson said he will instead be put under judicial control measures. The exact restrictions that Tate will face were not immediately made public. The decision at the Bucharest Court of Appeal comes after prosecutors formally indicted the 36-year-old Tate in June, along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women in the same case.

All four were arrested in late December near Bucharest and have denied the allegations against them.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the state’s search for a top-tier education chief is challenging.

Photo by Timothy D. Easley | Associated Press

Nickolas Wilt, a Louisville police officer, leaves a medical rehabilitation center on July 28. Photo by Bruce Schreiner | Associated Press

Andrew Tate gives a thumbs-up upon exiting the Court of Appeal in Bucharest, Romania, on July 6, 2023. Photo by Andreea Alexandru | Associated Press

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Waste Tire Collection Event, 8 a.m.-4 p.m, KYTC Maintenance Building Lot, 3929 Madison Pike, Covington. Accepted: foam-filled, calcium-filled, off-road construction tires, rubber tracks, any tire with a bead greater than 1 3/4 inches. Not accepted: forklift tires. Call Melissa Grandstaff at 859-3921919 with any questions.

Campbell County Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-noon, 709 Monmouth St., Newport

Boone County Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 1961 Patrick Drive, Burlington

Campbell County Board of Education meeting, 6 p.m., Alexandria Educational Center, 51 Orchard Lane, Alexandria

Edgewood City Council meeting, 6:30 p.m, Edgewood City Building, 385 Dudley Road, Edgewood

Fort Thomas City Council meeting, 7 p.m., Fort Thomas City Building, 130 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas

Boone County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:30 p.m., Boone County Administration Building, 2950 Washington St., Burington

Kenton County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:30 p.m., Kenton County Fiscal Court in Covington Courthouse, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington Florence City Council business meeting, 6 p.m., Florence City Building, 8100 Ewing Blvd., Florence

Covington Commission legislative meeting, 6 p.m., Covington City Hall, 20 W. Pike St., Covington

Hike the Trails, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Boone County Environmental and Nature Center, 9101 Camp Ernst Road, Union

Walton-Verona Board of Education meeting, Walton-Verona Independent Schools Central Office, 16 School Road, Walton

Boone County Business Association meeting, 6 p.m., Florence Lions Club, 29 Lacresta Drive, Florence

Ludlow City Council meeting, 7 p.m., Ludlow Municipal Center, 808 Elm St, Ludlow

For more events, scan the QR code or visit: https://linknky.com/events/

Multifamily Covington house boasts plenty of historic, period charm

Address: 1502-1508 Greenup St., Covington

Price: $850,000

Bedrooms: Six

Bathrooms: Four

Square feet: 3,602

School district: Covington Independent Public

County: Kenton

Special features: History and character are found throughout this multifamily historic home in Covington, as well as modern conveniences and amenities. Historic details including original pocket doors, stained-glass windows, high ceilings and stunning woodwork are special to the time period in which this 1904 home was built. The structure sits on a double lot and includes three distinct units as well as a detached three-car garage. The private yard includes a koi pond, covered patio and plenty of space for entertaining.

WHO YOU’RE WITH MATTERS

Beautifully maintained historic charm is found throughout this multifamily home in Covington. Photo provided | Marie Cook with Huff Realty

The backyard of this Covington home makes good use of its double lot with a koi pond and plenty of private space for outdoor entertaining and gardening. Photo provided | Marie Cook with Huff Realty

This Covington home includes three kitchens. Natural light fills the space, which includes amenities like commercial stainless-steel appliances and plenty of counter space. Photo provided | Marie Cook with Huff Realty

Streetscapes strolls West Eighth Covington for kitties, comfort food, chips and salsa

PHOTOS AND STORY BY MARIA HEHMAN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

Streetscapes is on a mission to hit every corner in the Northern Kentucky area. In a year, we’ve welcomed new businesses, tried a variety of cuisines and traveled to nearly every county in NKY. Even still, there are plenty of places to find or rediscover. Streetscapes has previously covered West Sixth and Seventh streets, so this week we head to West Eighth in Covington for Southern comfort food and comfort kitties.

Purrfect Day Café

To enter the cat lounge, there is a $15 visitation fee, and guests are allotted 50 minutes to play with and pet as many cats as they wish. The café section is open to anyone. It offers a great way to observe the experience for those who may be fearful of feline friends. The café offers a wide range of beverages, from coffee to cocktails, all themed around the Roebling Bridge.

Libby’s Southern Comfort

Libby’s has become one of the go-to places in the area for quality Southern food. It has garnered notoriety from all across the country and captured the attention of local celebrities, including Bengals players.

For food to be this widely discussed, you might think there has to be something more to it beyond the restaurant fare. But Libby’s is just that good.

Starting off strong, it offers traditional Southern appetizers – such as fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese fritters and shrimp and grits – for those craving classic comfort foods. Libby’s also has a signature appetizer that blends a Southern classic with a Cincinnati staple – goetta hush puppies, and, yes, they’re as savory and mouthwatering as they sound.

Libby’s offers both inside seating as well as outdoor dining on its ample enclosed patio.

Zapata Cantina

Often overshadowed by the other options in the area, Zapata Cantina sits on the corner of Madison and West Eighth. With as many options as this area of Covington offers, it’s easy to visit familiar favorites, but Zapata Cantina deserves to be in the restaurant rotation.

Its food is traditional Mexican cuisine. The tacos are smaller than most Americanized versions but come three to an order to ensure guests leave with a full belly. The chipsand-salsa trio offers a fresh start to patrons’ dining experience, but for those who want a savory start, queso fundido with chihuahua and Oaxaca cheese is creamy with a sharper taste than traditional white queso.

Calling all cat and coffee lovers (these two tend to go hand in hand): Purrfect Day Café is the place to visit and offers a variety of experiences.

Its café serves coffee and cocktails and has an ample lounge area for those who may be a bit more skittish when it comes to cats. Guests who want to pet as many cats as possible can book tickets to the cat lounge to fully embrace the cat experience.

The options for experiences here are endless, ranging from a quiet coffee shop experience to a full-on crazy cat lady dream. The experience is fully customizable to each guest’s choosing. The best part: Each cat is eligible for adoption, so if one truly tugs at a patrons’ heartstrings, they can opt to adopt and bring that cat home with them.

Entrée options include everything from chicken, oysters, salmon, turkey and pork –each served with traditional Southern sides such as green beans and coleslaw.

One of the most unique dishes is marisco Jalisco – stuffed bell peppers with mahi-mahi, shrimp, poblano crema and mozzarella. It’s a healthy option that still gives that Mexican flavor guests crave. For refreshments, it’s almost the law to order a margarita (Hey, I don’t make the rules, I just follow them) to pair with tacos. Zapata Cantina does have nine other cocktail options, as well as a few beer and wine choices; but nothing will be quite as refreshing as a traditional frozen margarita to wash all the spice down.

The atmosphere here is lively and colorful. Bourbon barrels decorate the space in the most innovative ways, hanging from the ceiling with greenery. The entrance has barrels that are almost like windows that hold various bottles and liquors. As the summer gets hotter, it’s the perfect excuse to sit inside and admire the décor. The restaurant does offer outside seating, as well as a walkup window to order food to go.

Have a street, city or business you want to see covered next? Email Maria Hehman at mchehman@gmail.com and it could be featured on the next installment of LINK Streetscapes.

What to Know If You Go:

Purrfect Day Café

Location: 25 W. Eighth St., Covington

Hours: Monday, closed; Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Website: purrfectdaycafecovington. com

Phone: 859-491-7877

Libby’s Southern Comfort

Location: 35 W. Eighth St., Covington

Hours: Monday, closed; Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Website: libbyssoutherncomfort.com

Phone: 859-261-3106

Zapata Cantina

Location: 801 Madison Ave., Covington

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, closed.

Website: zapata-cantina.com

Phone: 859-814-8020

At Purrfect Day Café, guests can cozy up with a coffee or cat.

The exterior of Libby’s Southern Comfort, adorned with large garage windows.

Zapata Cantina sits on the corner of Madison and West Eighth.

What’s in a name at Notre Dame? As it turns out, plenty

It’s a crazy coincidence. An absolute oddity. A 44-year-old oddity, at that. It’s something probably noticed only by oddballs.

Here is a list of head volleyball coaches at Notre Dame Academy who have guided the Pandas to the state championship match: Joan Shadley, Joan Mazzaro, Bob Wood, Jen Woolf, Kim Gunning, Buck McCoart, Molly McDermott, Andrea Lanham, Leslie Litmer and Jenna Leistner.

So, just for review, that’s Joan, Joan, Wood, Woolf, Kim, McCoart, McDermott, Lanham, Litmer, Leistner.

Sometimes there is nothing more poetic than fate, because that is a highly alliterative and therefore highly improbable list of Panda volleyball coaches in almost the same order they showed up at Notre Dame.

“I would’ve never figured that out,” Litmer said. “That’s very interesting.”

Shadley led Notre Dame to the first Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) state volleyball championship in 1979, which is when our story begins. Notre Dame has won 10 state championships, second-most in Kentucky history.

Litmer and Leistner helped lead the Pandas to the 10th volleyball title last year. It was their first season as co-head coaches at Notre Dame. But that’s not where the story ends. As it turns out, there is a lot of in-between stuff, starting with Litmer and Leistner and their names, and the names of the girls around them.

Even as Notre Dame students, Litmer and Leistner appreciated word play and use of alliteration. There was just something fun about the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning or end of closely connected words and names.

Good thing the poetic forces of fate decided to intervene on behalf of the two current coaches. Litmer and Leistner not only fit neatly into that line of alliteratively named volleyball coaches, but they also fit into Pandas volleyball history. Litmer is the former Leslie Schellhaas. She played libero for Notre Dame from 2006-09. Leistner is the former Jenna Schreiver. She played setter for the Pandas from 2005-08.

So, that’s Schellhaas and Schreiver when

BY MARC HARDIN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

they were playing together, and Litmer and Leistner now that they are coaching together. Whodathunkit?

But that’s not all. More alliteration abounds at Notre Dame.

Here are the 12 players on roster: Hannah Dannenberg, Audrey Dyas, Ella Goetz, Julia Grace, Grace Portwood, Lacey Hostetler, Lizzy Larkins, Lauren Ott, Ava Erpenbeck, Ava Tilden, Teagan Kondik and Riley McCloskey.

Last year on varsity and JV, the Pandas had a Sara, a Sarah, a Lacey, a Lauren, a Lizzy, a Kamden and a Karly. They added a Natalie, a Nolan, a Jada, a Jacobs and a Jackson. They also amassed a Mast, a McFadden and a McCloskey, not to mention a Riley and a Reese. Additionally, an Abby, two Audreys, three Avas, two Graces and two Hostetlers.

So, what in the world is going on at Notre Dame? How can it be that all these names fit to a T?

Leistner, who recently gave birth to her second child, has no explanation for the name game the Pandas seem to be playing. Although she did name her children Kash and Kason.

“Kind of funny how that worked out,” said Leistner, who handles the Notre Dame offense. “I just think it’s great to see lists of all our players.”

Litmer said they are alliterative lists that fit.

“A fun way to put a spin on our team, and there’s been a lot of funny moments with them,” said Litmer, who oversees the Pandas’ defense. “I feel like it’s very fitting. Our team has a sense of humor. The girls can be a goofy group.”

Goofy, and good.

“We have a lot of varsity experience,” Litmer said. “That will help us be more successful.”

Notre Dame’s huge junior class, including returning kill leader Tilden and assists leader Ott, replace six seniors. Seven of the 12 Pandas are juniors. There’s also McCloskey, who was second in kills. Goetz was second in blocks. Julia Grace was second in digs.

It’s rare when freshmen start at Notre

Dame. But there are four Pandas who did, including Tilden, McCloskey and sophomore Dyas, who led the team in blocks. Larkins, another sophomore, was second in assists.

“With blocking, Dyas and Goetz slow down the other team and slow the ball down so we can get in our offense,” Leistner said. “Having been a setter, I’m harder on setters than other positions. Lauren and Lizzy having that experience, they know what to expect from me.”

What Litmer and Leistner are doing obviously works. The Pandas won state on their first try as co-head coaches.

“That would be exciting to win again,” Litmer said. “But there are a lot of steps to it.

We want to maintain our position as a top school in the region and overall Northern Kentucky area, beat rival St. Henry, beat the Louisville teams and beat the Ohio teams.”

And it’s their hope every player makes a name for herself at Notre Dame.

Co-coaches Leslie Litmer (standing, middle) and Jenna Leistner (in yellow) address the Notre Dame volleyball team during a timeout at last year’s 9th Region tournament. File photo | LINK nky

Owners Lisa and Kris Knochelmann