LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 2, Issue 40 - August 30, 2024
Adult training program builds skills, careers
By Haley Parnell
In the early 2000s, Tammy Liles was laid off six times in six years from her graphic design job. As a single parent, Liles said she had to figure out how to earn a stable paycheck.
At the time, Liles had visited the Brighton Center for help with paying her gas and electric bills and received some food from the organization’s food pantry. While there, she said someone told her about the Center for Employment Training, also known as CET, offered through Brighton Center.
“I have always been interested in health care, but I didn’t have the money to go to med school and things and didn’t quite think that I could cut it – like I wasn’t smart enough for it,” Liles said. “But then I came to this program.”
The program Liles found was the medical assisting training offered at CET. That was in October 2011. Today, with almost 12 years of medical experience under her belt, Liles is a full-time instructor at the CET medical assisting program, giving back to the place
that helped her find a career.
The program is designed for adults who may not have access to traditional postsecondary degrees or certificates or don’t have the time. In addition to medical assisting, the center offers training in health technology administration and human resources/payroll specialists.
Last year, 140 individuals enrolled in CET. Individuals who completed training saw an average wage increase of $20,120, 92% of trainees secured employment and 88% maintained their jobs for 12 months.
“This program is designed to be the training that people need to enter specific jobs that are high quality and have a family-sustaining wage, and to have that happen in a pretty short timeframe, so about six to nine months,” said Lauren Allhands, Brighton Center’s workforce development director.
The program’s goal is employment. Individuals cannot graduate from the program until they have obtained a job. CET also aims to help families achieve self-sufficiency
Continues on page 3
How does Kentucky track student immunizations?
By Rebecca Hanchett
ABoone County High School parent’s concerns with a state immunization registry have uncovered a need for more awareness about how the registry is used and who has access to it.
Melinda McGriffin told LINK nky she became concerned about the registry when she tried several times to sign her child up for school, which started Aug. 15, via the district’s online registration system and couldn’t complete the process.
She initially thought registration had been denied because she refused to check a box on the online form allowing the district to share her child’s vaccination records with the Kentucky Immunization Registry. The KYIR is a state database of adult and child immunization records that has been over-
seen by the Kentucky Department of Public Health since 2015.
According to the district, the box that parents check related to immunizations does not prevent parents from being able to register students.
Although she eventually got her child registered without granting the registry access, McGriffin still has concerns about the database. Those concerns revolve around who has access to child immunization information in Kentucky and how the state may track that data.
“I do not blanket condone giving any of my child’s health information,” McGriffin said, calling the registry “dangerous.”
“I understand and agree that immunizations benefit both the child and our
Continues on page 4
Tammy Liles, right, helps medical assisting trainee Christie Johnson at the Center for Employment Training. Liles is a CET graduate. Photo by Haley Parnell | LINK nky
Kentucky students are required to receive vaccines against several common, contagious diseases. The state maintains a voluntary registry of those immunization records. Photo by CDC | Unsplash
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Continued from page 1 and get into careers that offer a pathway for advancement and decent wages.
CET accepts walk-ins, and Allhands said that people often find them by word of mouth.
Getting back to health care
Christie Johnson heard about CET from medical assistants at her doctor’s office that were trained through the program. Now, she’s enrolled in the medical assisting program.
Johnson owned her own business for 27 years, restoring homes after major disasters such as fires, floods or tornados.
“I’m getting up there in the years, and I didn’t want to be in the houses, you know, when it’s 95 degrees outside, and you’re in a house trying to determine what contents you can save, and it’s like 110 or 115 [in the house],” Johnson said. “In the wintertime, if the roofs are missing or part of a roof, you’re going to have snow and ice, and I’m just too old.”
Roughly 31 years ago, Johnson was enrolled at Northern Kentucky University to be a registered nurse. She said she dropped out to be a stay-at-home mom. Johnson said she loves helping people and is a people person, so the idea of returning to the medical field appealed to her.
Through the CET program, people can do externships that allow trainees to gain work experience and insight into specific career fields. Johnson will started her externship Aug. 15 with St. Elizabeth Healthcare. Allhands said that, once a student does an externship, that is most likely the company for which they will work.
Johnson said she couldn’t afford to go to a community college or university because of the student loan debt that comes with it. Though the CET program is not free, it costs $9,185 per person; students can attend debt-free through assistance that can include Pell Grants and private funding.
Johnson was able to secure a Pell Grant, which, according to studentaid.gov, is usually awarded only to undergraduate students with exceptional financial needs and
without a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree.
“Maybe from your family, you’re the first person that’s wanted to go on to college or had the option even to go on to college; it can feel really unattainable,” Allhands said. “The ability for folks to not have that barrier, at least that massive financial barrier right from the get-go, is, I think, one of those equalizing opportunities when we think about what it ultimately takes to get a high-quality job in the future.”
More than job skills
The programs at CET are 60% hands-on learning. In addition to specific skills related to their program, trainees also practice skills to be well-rounded employees. That includes having to clock in and clock out when they come and go from CET, dressing the part and being expected to communicate with their instructors if they are sick or can’t attend training.
The program also has a full-time career coach that supports every trainee with everything related to gaining employment, from writing their resumes to interviewing skills.
Trainees in the program are being employed regionally, which in turn helps local companies.
“We know Northern Kentucky is not in isolation from the rest of the state and the country, and we are very much headed into a period of time where our baby boomer generation either enters retirement or approaches retirement, [and] we are really facing significant labor shortages,” Allhands said. “The benefit to employers is really tremendous in that they have a very local source of a talent pipeline.”
Each skill division has a technical advisory committee comprising employers from that sector. The committee helps design the curriculum and reports on workplace trends, helping each program train the most employable person for the organization.
Brighton Center has 48 different programs within its agency. Because of that, someone in the CET program that needs assistance elsewhere can find it.
Autumn Gibson is enrolled in CET’s human resources/payroll specialist program. The wraparound services that Brighton Center provides are one of the reasons she said she enrolled in the program in June.
“I have five babies, and coming to CET helps you with other benefits, like child care, things like that,” she said. “So, it’s a chance to really get more education and still be able to be home with my kids and not take too much time away from them.”
Although Gibson said the program has been challenging, particularly learning Microsoft Excel, she said anyone in the building will help her if needed. She’s receiving tutoring sessions on Excel.
Gibson said the instructors at CET are also flexible and understanding.
“Most of us do have kids at home,” she said. “As long as we have good communication, they understand if one of our kids is sick or we have a job interview or anything like that. They really work with us and make sure we don’t fall behind on what it is we need to be doing here for the days that we have to be absent.”
After spending much of her career in diabetes and endocrinology and then in oncology and hematology, Liles returned to CET as an instructor.
“I loved it,” Liles said. “I loved taking care of the patient. I loved being able to make them smile, especially in oncology. I felt like they needed me to help them forget about their problems for a little bit while they were there.”
Though she loved working in the field, Liles said she saw some things that made her want to turn to teaching. She said some people didn’t seem adequately trained, gossiped about patients and didn’t clean the equipment properly.
“I knew that something inside of me, I felt like I needed to come back and give back and give my experience, expertise to the trainees of what really goes on out there,” Liles said. “I’ve always felt like this was home.”
The center is at 601 Washington Ave., Suite 140, in Newport.
Trainees get hands-on learning at the Center for Employment Training.
CET’s human resources/payroll specialist training space is set up like an office.
Photos by Haley Parnell | LINK nky
community. I also remember that people (during the pandemic in some states, including California) could not go to public places without proof of receiving a vaccination. It is a slippery slope leading to constitutional rights being violated and new prejudices being developed.” she told LINK.
What is the KYIR?
The immunization registry is a function of the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services. It gives the public free access to their own immunization records via an online portal. Individuals can search only for their own or their minor child’s immunization records on the site, according to the cabinet.
Schools and health providers can apply for access to the registry and may even be permitted to enter immunization data, both under strict confidentiality rules and agreements.
The registry is not comprehensive because state regulation does not require health care providers to submit immunization records to it. Nor does the registry have access to patients’ health records beyond their submitted vaccinations.
Student immunizations required
To register a child as a student, the state requires that child to have received several immunizations against common dangerous diseases. Exemptions can be granted if a parent or guardian provides a written, sworn statement objecting to the vaccinations on religious grounds, or if a child’s medical condition would make receiving an immunization dangerous.
Unless exempt from vaccination, “a child may be enrolled (in school) but their registration status will be incomplete until the immunizations are completed,” Boone County Schools community relations coordinator Barbara Brady told LINK in an email. “State law allows two weeks after the start of school to complete immunizations and to show proof that they’ve been done. Every student must then have an immunization certificate to enroll and attend school.”
Schools and health providers have to enroll in the registry and comply with privacy rules if they want to use it.
Schools receive a child’s immunization certificate from a parent or guardian, or schools actively enrolled in the state reg-
istry may gain access to the certificate through the registry – if those specific immunization records are in the system.
Strict limits on access
Schools cannot do whatever they want with that information. Every school staff member with registry access must sign a confidentiality form that spells out their responsibilities and risk of penalties under HIPAA – the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
The same is true of health providers: All providers, including general practice, urgent care, health departments, free clinics, pharmacies, hospitals and school health services must choose to enroll in the registry and comply with the same HIPAA requirements as enrolled school staff, according to the state. There is no automatic enrollment.
McGriffin said she’s not opposed to a school having her child’s immunization record. She reiterated her opposition to schools’ being able to provide student information to KYIR.
“I stand firm in my belief that the release authorization clause [to give registry ac-
cess via online registration] should not be on the form at all. It is an overreach of power that they were never granted and should never have,” she said.
Brady told LINK the registry is meant to simplify the transfer of immunization records, making registration easier for the parents – while clarifying that opt-out is allowed.
She reminded parents that any trouble they may be having getting their child registered for school online is a glitch in the application process and not intentional.
“We do not deny registrations,” she told LINK. “Online registration is a new process this year for everyone so it does require patience. There are written and video instructions on our website. And every parent has received video instructions through their student’s Infinite Campus. Parents know they can contact the board of education if they need further assistance.”
Required vaccinations
Elementary-age children must receive immunizations by age 5 against:
• Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR).
• Varicella (chicken pox).
• Hepatitis.
• Polio.
• Preschool-age children also are required to get the pneumococcal and Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccines.
Middle school, students are required to have the same vaccines as elementary school children plus:
• Tdap – a tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) booster.
• Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) before entering middle school.
High school students also must get a new dose of MenACWY if the first dose was received before age 16.
Neither Covid-19 nor annual flu shots are required for school enrollment in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Immunization Registry’s records are not comprehensive because health care providers are not required to submit child vaccination records to it. Provided | Adobe iStock
Elsmere, county approve aid for Niagara Bottling
By Nathan Granger
Alarge industrial development in Elsmere that could host a California-based beverage company received financial aid this week from Elsmere and Kenton County.
If the development comes to fruition, the building – at the C5 Airport East Logistics Center on Buffington Road in Elsmere –will house a Niagara Bottling plant. Niagara is based east of Los Angeles in Diamond Bar, California. It produces private label bottled water at more than 40 bottling plants across North America.
The Elsmere building is the fifth in the complex developed by CORE5 Industrial Partners. Two of the buildings are occupied, respectively, by e-commerce company Fun.com and hand sanitizer manufacturer Diversey. Two other buildings are slated for occupancy by a Chik-Fil-A distribution center.
Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhof confirmed with LINK nky that the Niagara facility would be a bottling plant.
The incentives come in two forms: The first,
affirmed Aug. 13, is an industrial revenue bond package of up to $75 million from Elsmere. That ordinance states the bonds will finance the construction and equipping of the building, which is leased to Flytrap and Fevers, an LLC affiliate of Niagara Bottling. Elsmere entered into a development agreement with CORE5 Industrial Partners in December 2021.
Then, Kenton County Fiscal Court also on Aug. 13 approved using $669,000 from the county’s $13 million site development fund, which was secured by Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-Ryland Heights) in 2023. The allocation will finance power line installation at the site. Niagara Bottling is not mentioned in the fiscal court resolution documents or in the release that followed, but the address of the facility is the same as the C5 Logistics Center.
Niagara Bottling also received incentives from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority in June. The authority’s June meeting minutes show that the authority approved $1.1 million in tax incentives from the Kentucky Business Investment Program and $200,000 in sales tax refunds for construction materials through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act.
Statements from local officials suggest that they hope the development will bring jobs to the area.
“We’ve worked to ensure our site development dollars are being deployed in a fiscally responsible way, with the projects we back meeting our economic development goals and producing a high return on investment for our community,” Judge-Executive Kris Knochelmann said in the county’s release. “This project meets both those criteria since recruiting more manufacturing jobs to Kenton County is a priority. The jobs from this project will bring pay good wages and offer long-term stability for our residents.”
Lenhof told attendees at the Aug. 17 Kenton County mayors group meeting that there would be 178 new jobs at the Chik-Fil-A facility. The warehouse laborers would have salaries of about $40,000, he said, and management would have salaries of about $140,000. The Niagara facility is estimated to bring about 60 jobs with salaries of about $75,000.
Niagara has received more than $16.8 million in subsidies from various states since 2007, according to data from Good Jobs
First, which tracks corporate tax breaks.
Niagara and the bottling industry generally have come under fire due to the environmental effects of their operations. For instance, in 2021, New York resident Eladia Duchimaza sued the company, alleging that much of the plastic in the company’s bottles was not, in fact, recyclable. Niagara won that case.
The company has also been criticized for drawing water from public sources. Most recently, in June, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources allowed Niagara to pump 365 million gallons per year from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer for a proposed facility in the city of Elko New Market, Minnesota, in spite of residents’ complaints about the pumping’s possible effects on the local water supply.
Much of the language in the public records LINK has examined suggests the deal may not be finalized. LINK has contacted Niagara Bottling and others for comment.
Mildred Nguyen contributed to this story.
Building 2 at the C5 logistics center in Elsmere. Niagara Bottling may build a plant in the center’s Building 5. Provided | CORE5
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NOTICE OF THE BOONE COUNTY MASTER COMMISSIONER’S SALE DIVISION III BOONE CIRCUIT COURT CASE NO.: 24-CI-00610
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR OPTION ONE MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2007-CP1, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-CP1 VERSUS}
RICHARD J. MEADOWS, ET AL
By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered JULY 24, 2024 the above case, I shall proceed to offer for sale at the Justice Center Building in Burlington, Kentucky, to the highest bidder, at public auction on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2024 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:
• Planning & Development Services of Kenton County
• The Baker Firm PLLC
• The Hidden Chapter Bookstore LLC
THE HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK VERSUS}
LESLEY DAWN MOON, ET AL
By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered AUGUST 7, 2024 the above case, I shall proceed to offer for sale at the Justice Center Building in Burlington, Kentucky, to the highest bidder, at public auction on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2024 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:
AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT: $293,174.55 GROUP NO.: 1995 NOTICE OF THE BOONE COUNTY MASTER COMMISSIONER’S SALE DIVISION I BOONE CIRCUIT COURT CASE NO.: 24-CI-00799
AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT: $227,500.00 GROUP NO.: 3337
Northern Kentucky offers a captivating blend of natural and urban beauty. From the hills of Devou Park to the glimmering lakefront view at A.J. Jolly Park, it’s easy to see why so many choose to call this area home. Photos by Hailey Roden.
The view from the lookout at Cincinnati’s Mount Echo Park features Dayton, Bellevue and Covington nestled in the foothills of Northern Kentucky.
One of the region’s most picturesque spots can be found along Covington’s Riverside Drive near George Rogers Clark Park. Benches along the sidewalk offer views of the Cincinnati skyline and the Roebling Bridge.
Braxton Brewing Co. is a popular part of Covington’s downtown. Its rooftop offers a 360 degree view of the city, in this case looking northwest.
The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, carrying I-471 to Bellevue and Newport, steals the scene from the Eden Park overlook in Cincinnati’s Mount Adams neighborhood.
Riverboats like the Belle of Cincinnati have cruised the Ohio River for two centuries, bringing freight and passengers to the growing region. The Belle’s home is the BB Riverboats dock in Newport.
Campbell County’s A.J. Jolly Park features over 1,000 acres of natural beauty, with trails and a large lake.
kenton county briefs
Covington residents respond to KKK flyers: ‘This is our town’
Ella Blackwell, a resident of Covington’s Eastside neighborhood, was visiting a friend when she first noticed the leaflet placed on top of her car. The flyer bore the image of a hooded Klansman, pointing at the reader.
“You can sleep sound tonight,” the flyer’s text read. “The Klan is awake!”
Blackwell looked around. There were leaflets on other cars on the street. So she took to social media to inform others and learned that a similar Klan flyers had been distributed on a nearby street about two weeks before.
“I want everybody in Covington to know what’s going on because this is our town,” Blackwell told members of the Eastside+ neighborhood association on Aug. 14. “I’ve been here all my life, and I couldn’t sleep that night.”
Members of the neighborhood association met to discuss what to do in the face of the Klan literature distribution in July, to talk about ways to inform the community and to build support. Neighborhood residents, police officers, candidates for public office and other community leaders all attended the meeting.
The flyers bore the name of the Trinity White Knights branch of the Ku Klux Klan. They included a phone number with a 606 area code and asked readers to report “crime and drug dealers.” Blackwell actually called the number on the flyer, and it went to someone in Maysville.
Last year saw the distribution of Nazi stickers in Covington’s Mainstrasse village. July’s flyer distribution also occurred around the same time an Erlanger resident, Catrena Bowman, reported that someone had deposited a paper scrap covered in racist epithets and Nazi symbols in her yard.
Covington Community Liaison Officer Rachel White discussed the city’s investigation into the case at the Aug. 14 meeting. The Trinity White Knights splinter group has been around for about 10 to 15 years, White said, and they sporadically distribute flyers throughout different communities every few years before disappearing again. White said the last major distribution took place around 2015. Identical flyers have appeared in Ohio and West Virginia.
White said they use the flyers as a recruiting tactic, and there are often long periods between distributions. Although the group has occasionally held protests and demonstrations, there didn’t seem to be a threat of violence in this case.
“My assumption is they don’t get a lot of traction with this, which they haven’t for the last 25 years,” White said. “It’ll die off, they’ll leave it alone for a while, and then they’ll try again in a few years when somebody else decides to try to take it up and do it again.”
There were questions from attendees about what the police could do and what options people had in the event of a hate crime. White said such flyer distributions were protected by the First Amendment, but, if someone damaged property or engaged in targeted menacing, then the police could intervene.
John Fisher, a representative of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, spoke about hate crime laws in Kentucky and what people could do. To begin with, he said, don’t ever engage with someone distributing racist literature or anyone who’s clearly a member of a racist organization. Often, he said, they will deliberately push people’s buttons to generate an emotional response.
“Don’t do anything that could land you in
jail with these people,” Fisher said. “So, be aware of them and be strong, but don’t give them any bullets to shoot you with when you do something wrong or fly off the handle with them.”
In cases where their actions were protected by the First Amendment, it was better to bring the issue to as many people’s attention as possible. One way to do this, Fisher said, was to go to a city commission and city council meeting where one could describe the problem in detail on the record to local leaders.
Jerome Bowles, president of the Northern Kentucky branch of the NAACP, also attended the meeting. He had similar advice, saying that it was important to find support among neighbors, local leaders, business people and the media to send a message that such behavior was not acceptable.
In cases of violence, property damage or harassment, like if someone burns a cross in a front yard, Fisher talked about resources besides local police that people could use to seek redress. Hate crimes and terrorist threats, like burning a cross, usually fall under federal jurisdiction.
Emergency shelter ‘not willing’ to participate in suggested audit
The Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky has declined to undergo a management audit, first suggested by Covington city officials in February, according to discussions at the Aug. 13 city commission meeting.
“I did receive confirmation yesterday that they [the shelter] aren’t willing to partic-
ipate in any sort of management audit or review,” City Manager Ken Smith said.
The Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky, on 13th Street in Covington’s Westside neighborhood, is one of the region’s most well-known homelessness service providers. It offers 68 beds for emergency overnight stays between November and March, and many in the community still refer to the organization as “the cold shelter,” even though it offers services year-round. Other services the shelter offers include an on-site medical clinic and a work program for men during the summer.
Representatives from the shelter did not attend the Aug. 13 meeting.
Complaints from neighbors and former shelter employees date back to last year. Mayor Joe Meyer suggested an audit following public testimonials and argued that expenses for EMS runs to the shelter were greater than for other service providers in the city and, thus, the audit was necessary to ensure the shelter wasn’t relying on public services as a means of sidestepping their own shortcomings.
The commissioners did not discuss the issue in depth at the meeting. Smith said that city staff would offer new recommendations on how to proceed at a later date.
Ludlow man hits it big with scratch-off win
Albert Turner of Ludlow is $175,000 richer after winning the top prize on a Cash Blast scratch-off.
Turner plays the Kentucky Lottery some-
more at
The Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky covered in snow. Provided | Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky
Albert Turner of Ludlow won $175,000 on a scratch-off. Provided | Kentucky Lottery
what regularly and, after winning $50 on a scratch-off earlier this month, decided to spend $10 of it on another game.
“I don’t always scratch them off, I just scan them,” Turner said in a release from the Kentucky Lottery. “I scanned [the ticket], and it said ‘See Clerk Corp.’”
Turner thought there was a problem with the ticket, but then he scratched it off to see that it was a $175,000 winner. He had revealed wins on all 21 spots, totaling the game’s top prize.
“I couldn’t catch my breath,” he said. “I ran home and signed the back of it.”
Once home, Turner’s wife asked him why he was so pale. “I hit it big. I hit big,” he said.
Later that day, the Kenton County player said he posted on social media that it was the best day of his life and that he had won the lottery. “People asked how much, and I said ‘$1,000,’” Turner said.
After taxes, Turner walked away with a check for $123,000. The couple said the win couldn’t come at a better time and that they plan to take a vacation and pay off bills with their winnings.
Riverside Marketplace in Ludlow, where the winning ticket was sold, will receive $1,750.
Kenton County clerk seeks help to prevent voting map confusion
Gabe Summe, the Kenton County clerk and chair of the Board of Elections, has asked Kenton County leaders to help her in quelling confusion that might arise from the way county voting precincts are divided and made public.
The problem, Summe told the Kenton County Mayors Group on Aug. 17, arises from the numerous homes in the county that are bisected by the county’s city boundaries. For example, she said, about 20 homes in the county are split between Villa Hills and Crescent Springs.
The county property valuation administrator’s office determines where such homes are taxed based on where the occupants sleep. If the bedroom in the home is on one side, that’s where the owners are taxed. The board of elections has typically followed suit because, as Summe said, “no taxation without representation,” although she admitted there was no law that mandated this.
Predictably, this can cause confusion. The information on property deeds may not match how they’re divided for voting and taxes. Further, it can be difficult to keep everything organized for state officials. In fact, Summe said that this year the county is sending its own mapping data to the state, rather than the other way around.
“Some of those people were completely in one city over another, not cut in half like our [maps], and so we coded them to vote somewhere else, and they walked in with their tax bills and said, ‘We want to vote for this, because this is where we pay taxes,’” Summe said as an example from the past.
“Our lines don’t match their lines, and my fear is that just makes it so confusing for the citizens,” Summe said.
Summe asked the mayors to consider possible solutions, although it is unlikely to be resolved before this year’s general election. She suggested annexing split properties completely into one city or another, but Independence Mayor Chris Reinersman pointed out that it was “virtually impossible to do nonconsensual annexation, so we would have to have each of those property owners ask us.”
Annexation occurs when a city absorbs property outside of its boundaries. Reinersman’s comment referred to 2023’s Senate Bill 141, which curtailed the ability of
cities to annex land along their borders. As it stands, property owners must ask to be annexed into a city in order for it to occur, and this would be need to be taken into account before annexation could be considered as a general solution to the board of elections problem.
Confusion about mapping can also lead to issues of voter privacy, Summe said, because it could create precincts with only a single voter, effectively making that person’s vote public.
Final ballots for the November general election will be available to the public in mid-September.
Erlanger tax rates may change after $49 million PVA error found
Erlanger City Council discussed on Aug. 20 how it can make tax adjustments after discovering a $49 million error in a personal property tax assessment.
While on a call with the Property Value Administration last week, the city found out its 2023 personal property assessment was inaccurate because an unnamed business misclassified $49 million in inventory as in a warehouse instead of in transit.
According to Mayor Jessica Fette, the Property Value Administration, known as the PVA, found out in May this year. However, the city wasn’t informed until city officials called to inquire about the drastic difference in their personal property assessment.
“Inventory in transit is not subject to the city tax rate, so unfortunately, this was communicated via a phone conversation with myself and the PVA,” Fette said. “That $49 million has been removed from our 2023 tax rolls and will not be in further tax rolls, so what that means is that the tax rate that we set last year was artificially lower than it should’ve been.”
Last year, the city set a tax rate of 0.198%, which decreased from the year prior’s tax rate of 0.296%. Fette said the city is taking the loss, not resetting the comp and tax
rate, and getting additional revenue from businesses. The city is also facing an issue with the 2024 Personal Property Assessment’s certified rolls missing businesses, some of which are larger contributors.
When councilmember Jennifer Jasper-Lucas questioned Fette about the cost of the error, Fette said that the $49 million error would cost the city $97,000. The company affected by the error would get the $97,000 they are owed back from the city. When pressed about the issue and why they were finding the error, the PVA offered an apology and a promise to do better, Fette said.
“In reality, if we wouldn’t have had that $49 million added into our assessed value last year, the compensating rate would’ve been 0.243,” Fette said. “So it would’ve been a decrease from the previous year’s rate, not [as] substantial but accurate.”
Councilmember Rebecca Reckers asked if the city administration had asked questions about the drastic increase last year; Fette said they assumed it was because real estate value went up in Erlanger even though the error was in assessing inventory and finished goods. Fette said that, moving forward, things were going to change, and the council needed to move swiftly on a new tax rate.
Jasper-Lucas said she was finding it hard to try and work toward a solution when she felt she couldn’t trust the data provided.
“It’s 2024. We’ve got to do better. I’m not saying that to anyone here, I’m saying that to the people who provide us this data,” she said. “It’s got to be a more automated system that we can trust the data [from]. I’m very disappointed.”
Reckers was not for increasing the taxes to balance out last year’s large decrease caused by the county’s error, while Councilman Tyson Hermes suggested raising taxes to the recommended tax rate of .247 to align with the original budget passed in June which was based on the faulty PVA information. In doing this the council would meet the revenue expected when they passed the budget. Councilwoman Vicki Kyle also suggested meeting in the middle of the two suggested rates.
Kenton County Government Center. Hailey Roden
LINK nky
Villa Hills home offers more than 4 acres
Address: 835 Rosewood Drive, Villa Hills
Price: $2,800,000
Bedrooms: Five
Bathrooms: Four (plus two half-baths)
Square footage: 8,500
School district: Kenton County
County: Kenton
Special features: This 1975 home in Country Squire Estates sits on 4.25 acres of land. It features a three-car garage with an attached workshop, a grand foyer with marble tile entrance and mahogany door frame plus a first-floor owner’s suite with two walk-in closets and walk-in shower. The lower level has a finished rec room and bar.
Obituaries
SCAN TO LEARN HOW TO ADD YOUR LOVED ONES
William Randall Goodhew
William Randall Goodhew of Morning View, KY left this mortal world on August 11, 2024 at St. ElizabethHospice in Edgewood. He was born on December 13th, 1946 in Covington, KY. He was the first born of William L. Goodhew & Mary Elaine Calloway Goodhew.
Randy was known for his love of music, Karate, woodworking, photography, fishing, hunting and writing. Hefound joy in creating and exploring the beauty of the world around him. His professional life spanned 50 yearsas a consultant in the areas of medical research, programming, IT and laboratory management. He authored three books and many scientific papers. His teaching assignment in Kenya, Africa was a highlight of his life.
A proud Army Veteran, William honored his country with his service, embodying the values of honor and duty throughout his life. His training and service as a medic and laboratory assistant served him well at the army hospital in Munich, Germany where he served his fellow soldiers of the Vietnam War.
In his personal life, Randy valued his family. At an early age, he assisted his parents in the operation of their restaurant Clyde’s Steak House in Bromley, KY interspersed with education at Dixie High School, Thomas More and Xavier Universities. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Jo-Ann Kloeker Goodhew, who stood byhis side through the highs and lows of life. His children, Heather Renee Moore, Bill Goodhew (Alison McGarr), Mary Ellen Goodhew, and Re-
becca Goodhew (Mike Williams), were the joys of his life. His grandchildren, Brady and Ava Goodhew, brought him immeasurable happiness and laughter.
He is survived by living siblings, Greg Goodhew(Susan), adoring sister Beverly Goodhew Shaw, and many nieces and nephews. His sister Debbie and brother Doug preceded him in death.
His compassionate Buddhist philosophy guided his adult life and gave him strength to face his illness andfoster a peaceful passing.
In this time of sorrow, we will remember William Randall Goodhew with respect and gratitude for the light hebrought into the lives of those around him. May his essence find peace in the cosmos knowing he was lovedand will always be remembered. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to:
Journey: The Ed Colina Foundation P.O. Box 199 Burlington, KY 41005 Edcolinafoundation.org
An exterior view of this Villa Hills home. Photos provided | Susan Huff with Huff Realty
A view of this home’s back patio and yard.
A look into this home’s entryway.
August September
NKY Chamber Leadership Alumni Summer Series, 11:30 a.m.1:30 p.m., Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, 300 Buttermilk Pike Suite 330, Fort Mitchell. Presentation on “Rise Above: Navigating Burnout and Cultivating Resilience” featuring Laura Canter and Dr. Leighann Rechtin with the Talent Magnet Institute. Workshop provides tools, insights and support for individuals and teams. Information: 859-5788800 or business.nkychamber.com/events.
Crosstown Comedy Festival: Daniel Van Kirk, 7-8:30 p.m., Commonwealth Sanctuary, 522 Fifth Ave., Dayton. It’s the final round with host Daniel Van Kirk. Admission $15. Information: programming@ commonwealthsanctuary.com or commonwealthsanctuary.com.
Disney Drag Brunch, noon-2:30 p.m., 16 Lots Southern Outpost, 1 Levee Way, #2118, Newport. It’s the one-year anniversary of drag brunches, celebrated with Disney-themed queens. Age 18 and up. Admission $20; food and drink additional. Information: 859-3602130, info@16lots.com or 16lotssouth.com/newport-16-lots-southernoutpost-events.
Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Devou Park Bandshell, 1 Bandshell Blvd., Covington. Final program of the KSO’s 30th free summer parks series puts the biggest names in orchestral pops – Leroy Anderson, Richard Hayman and Henry Mancini – center stage in “Pops Inc.” Information: 859-431-6216 or kyso.org. – Add to Sunday:
Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Tower Park Amphitheater, Cochran Ave., Fort Thomas. Repeat of Saturday’s “Pops Inc.” program. Information: 859-431-6216 or kyso. org.
Verona Farmers’ and Artisan Market, 11 a.m.3 p.m., Verona Vineyards, 13815 Walton-Verona Road, Verona. Shop from 30 local farmers and artisans for fresh food, baked goods, fudge, jams, honey, coffee, candles, soap woodworking and Verona Vineyards wine. This month’s theme is Oktoberfest; traditional German costumes welcome. Information: veronafarmersandartisanmarket@gmail.com.
Space to Grow
Boone County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Boone County Administration Building, first floor, 2950 Washington St., Burlington. Information: 859-334-3571 or boonecountyky.org.
Erlanger City Council meeting, 7-8:30 p.m., Erlanger Municipal Building, 505 Commonwealth Ave., Erlanger. Information: erlangerky.gov/calendar.
Seed Saving 101, 6-7:30 p.m., Boone County Extension Enrichment Center, 1824 Patrick Drive, Burlington. Learn the essentials about saving and storing your own seeds for future years. Free. Information: 859-586-6101, boone.ext@uky.edu or ukyboone.pacecommunity.net.
For more events, scan the QR code or visit: https://linknky.com/events/
Ritchie Avenue can feed you morning to night
By Maria Hehman
In this Streetscapes, we head to Ritchie Avenue in Crescent Springs, where we snack on doughnuts, enjoy some hibachi and end with pizza and beer.
Moonrise Doughnuts
Moonrise originally rose to local fame for its late-night doughnut delights in Latonia in Covington. After immense success and demand across the area for more doughnuts, Moonrise opened a location in Crescent Springs on Ritchie Avenue. It operates on more traditional doughnut hours (although, let’s be honest – all hours are doughnut hours).
For early birds wanting to start their day with a sweet treat, Moonrise offers eight core flavors and always offers a hot doughnut flavor that rotates, along with fritters and other baked goods. In addition to these choices, there’s a variety of specialty doughnuts that change daily and often reflect the season – like caramel popcorn, apple bomb filled doughnuts. On Tuesdays, Moonrise features gluten-free options to ensure those with special dietary needs can still get their doughnut fix.
Guests who want a few extra hours of sleep
can call and preorder their dozen a day in advance.
Miyako Sushi & Steakhouse
Miyako offers a variety of dining options, from fun and festive, interactive hibachi to date-night intimate. Guests who choose the hibachi experience can fully customize their meals and watch as it’s made directly at their table. The chefs are fun and interactive, lighting onion towers on fire and shooting sake into thirsty guests’ mouths.
Those who’d prefer a flame-free dinner can eat in the dining room. This atmosphere is more relaxing, great for conversing with a date night or for guests with kids. Dining room guests can order hibachi, sushi, and noodle dishes of pad thai, udon or ramen.
The extensive menu covers all things sushi. With three pages of sushi choices, it’s nearly impossible to order just one roll. Patrons at the hibachi tables also can order sushi rolls to pair with their hibachi dinners. For the full hibachi experience, make reservations to ensure seating, as this fills up faster than the traditional dining room.
Beverage options include beer, wine, and cocktails with Asian and American options.
A recent addition to Ritchie Avenue, Antonio’s Pizza Pub replaced local pizza joint Poseidon’s Pizza. Like its predecessor, Antonio’s is a family-owned and operated business, offering a sports bar atmosphere that’s still family friendly. Its casual ambiance features plenty of TVs to catch the latest game.
Its best sellers are specialty pizzas, truly creative combinations that go well beyond the standard pepperoni and cheese. In the mood for breakfast for dinner? There’s a pizza for that, featuring a sausage gravy base and topped with cheese, egg, bacon and goetta. Can’t decide between pizza or pasta? Two pizzas marry the flavors so customers get the best of both worlds. The chicken parmesan and pesto alfredo serve old world Italian flavors in convenient slices.
In addition to pizza, Antonio’s serves classic Italian-inspired dishes, stromboli and hoagies, along with traditional pub food, garlic knots, salad and wings. For drinks, there’s a full bar lineup with ample tap beer options.
Hibachi table at Miyako Steakhouse and Sushi, where guests get fully interactive and customized meals. Photo by Maria Hehman | LINK nky contributor
Antonio’s Pizza Pub
Some of the delicious selections at Moonrise Doughnuts. Photo by Maria Hehman | LINK nky contributor
Miyako Steakhouse and Sushi bar. Photo by Maria Hehman | LINK nky contributor
In addition to pizza, Antonio's is known for its garlic knots. Provided | Antonio's Pizza Pub Facebook page
Quest for region crown fuels Simon Kenton volleyball
By Marc Hardin
Seniors Tori Chasteen and Keira Hans are smiling and giggling as they talk about Simon Kenton volleyball. They are in practice uniforms near the high school gymnasium as their teammates work out inside.
One of the topics of discussion is the Pioneers’ 32-match winning streak against 32nd District competition, one of the more unheralded streaks in Northern Kentucky. It dates to Oct. 17, 2017, when Walton-Verona beat them at Simon Kenton in the district tournament final.
“Wow. That’s a while ago,” Chasteen said. “I was 10 years old and playing volleyball at Sports Of All Sorts.”
Hans wasn’t playing volleyball. It was still in her future. She was a 10-year-old soccer player the last time Simon Kenton lost to a district opponent.
“I was playing at Independence Soccer Club,” Hans said. “I started playing more volleyball after that.”
When they realized how little they were the
last time a district team was able to take down Simon Kenton, it was a laugh out loud moment for the volleyball teammates.
“It shows how good we’ve been for a long time,” Chasteen said. “It’s a great program. The girls are very into it. We all love celebrating each other.”
Something the Pioneers haven’t been able to celebrate is a regional championship. Ever. The last time the Pioneers advanced to the state tournament was in 1999, when they were competing in the 9th Region and advanced to the state semifinals. They went as 9th Region runners-up back when the state tournament accepted two teams from each region instead of today’s standard one.
Chasteen and Hans know where they were
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Duke Energy Kentucky seeks approval to revise these rates as follows: Duke Energy Kentucky’s monthly DSM rate for residential gas customers would remain at ($0.010030) per hundred cubic feet and for nonresidential 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 $0.001505 per kilowatt-hour and for non-residential customers would increase to $0.003685 per kilowatt-hour for distribution service and would increase to $0.000545 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 $0.65 million or 0.15% over current total electric revenues and no change in current total gas revenues.
A typical residential gas customer using 70 ccf in a month will see no change. A typical residential electric customer using 1000 kWh in a month will see an increase of $0.16 or 0.1%. A typical non-residential electric customer using 40 kilowatts and 14,000 kWh will see an increase of $2.78 or 0.2%. A non-residential customer served at transmission voltage using 10,000 kilowatts and 4,000,000 kWh will see an increase of $134.97 or 0.04%. 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
then, too: deep in the imaginations of their parents. “That was a really long time ago,” Hans said.
Despite all those district wins and six consecutive years as champions of the 32nd District tournament, the Pioneers remain vexed by their three 8th Region rivals in Oldham County who have formed a blockade that’s prevented the Pioneers from further advancement.
“North Oldham, South Oldham and Oldham County – they are a trifecta of a nemesis,” said coach Amy Marx, who needs 25 wins to reach 200 in her Pioneers career. “We’ve been eliminated in the regional by one of them the last six years.”
Chasteen and Hans say this is no laughing matter. Working to win a regional title is serious business at Simon Kenton, but capturing the crown has been an elusive endeavor.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t,” said Hans, daughter of Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball coach Jeff Hans. “It’s one of our goals.”
Chasteen and Hans are part of a group of seven seniors that also includes Madeline Johnson, Gracie Meyer, Sarah Meyer, Aleayah Russ and CeCe Scalf.
“We have five returning varsity starters, four seniors and one junior,” said Marx, 44-4 in district play. “They bring high-level playing experience to our team.”
Jenna Kitchens and Maria Mullins are the juniors. There are two sophomores, Taylor Jones and Jayden Turner. They all worked together to defeat South Oldham in the Aug. 19 season opener. The Pioneers play North Oldham Sept. 3. They play Oldham County Sept. 9.
The Pioneers downed South Oldham twice during the regular season last year and finished 30-8. They fell to North Oldham during the regular season but avenged the loss with a win in the 8th Region tournament semifinals. They beat Oldham County twice during the season but lost in the region final.
The Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association is projecting a similar scenario this season in its 2024 preseason poll, with North Oldham ranked No. 1 followed by No. 2 Oldham County, No. 3 Simon Kenton, No. 4 Woodford County and No. 5 South Oldham. North Oldham is No. 19 in the KVCA statewide poll. Even though they set a program record for wins last year, the Pioneers were unranked statewide after finishing No. 19 in last season’s final poll.
Part of that is perception. The pecking order has been pretty clear in the 8th Region. Simon Kenton lost five seniors and has an entirely new rotation at setter and several inexperienced players. But team chemistry isn’t an issue. Chasteen, a libero and threeyear varsity player, and Hans, a feared hitter and four-year varsity member, ensure that. They are on the KVCA 2024 statewide preseason watch list along with junior hitter Jenna Kitchens.
Kitchens and Hans ranked 1-2 in kills in the quick-tempo offense last season. Chasteen, a key in the hybrid middle-middle defense, led the team in digs. Hans and Chasteen were co-leaders in service aces. Marx tells them to accentuate the positive.
“We’ve made it to the regional final three of the past four years in a very competitive region,” said Marx, a two-time KVCA 8th Region coach of the year. “We look forward to making a run to advance to the state tournament.”
Senior libero Tori Chasteen keys the defense for the Simon Kenton volleyball team.
The Simon Kenton volleyball team. Veteran coach Amy Marx is far right in the back row. Photos provided | Simon Kenton volleyball
Simon Kenton High School volleyball standouts Jenna Kitchens (28) and Keira Hans (2).
Newport’s Kinney to leave Wildcats, join Overtime Elite
Highly touted 2026 guard Taylen Kinney of Newport will reportedly not be with the Wildcats this season, electing to go the prep school route and join Overtime Elite, Kinney announced Aug. 19 through his Instagram account.
Kinney was the driving force in Newport’s back-to-back 9th Region titles, averaging 17.5 points and 4.0 rebounds for the Wildcats in the 2023-24 season. He holds over 30 college offers, and his stock continued to take off this summer as he added offers from Kansas, Florida State, California, Arkansas, Michigan, Arizona State, LSU, Oregon, Villanova, Missouri and Auburn.
He is ranked No. 1 in the 2026 class in the state of Kentucky and No. 28 nationally by ESPN.
Overtime Elite, known as OTE, is an eightteam league based in Atlanta that focuses on skill development while preparing players for a career at the next level. According to its Wikipedia page, OTE launched the Overtime Elite league in 2021 for American and international basketball players age 16-20.
Athletes participate in an academic program featuring a 4-to-1 student-teacher ratio and a curriculum offering traditional high school subjects alongside life skill-related subjects in financial literacy, social media and other media training, and mental health and wellness.
Players receive a minimum salary of $100,000 annually, a signing bonus and shares in Overtime’s larger business. Players also can choose a scholarship option and maintain college eligibility.
CovCath, Ryle top season’s first poll of soccer coaches
The Northern Kentucky High School Boys Soccer Coaches Association has weighed in with its first poll of the season.
After the regular season’s first week, Covington Catholic tops the poll with backto-back champion Ryle behind them in second. The poll will be taken every two weeks through the season, voted on by the
coaches in Northern Kentucky and in the association.
The Colonels opened their week with 1-1-1 record, defeating Conner 1-0, tying South Oldham 1-1 and losing to Trinity 2-1. They went on to defeat Campbell County on Aug. 19, 7-0, to improve to 2-1-1. They’ll face No. 2 Ryle on Sept. 10.
The Raiders opened the season with a 2-0 defeat over Dixie Heights and followed it up with a 5-0 loss at the hands of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Ryle and CovCath have combined for the last four 9th Region titles, the Raiders with three, the Colonels with one.
Highlands is the last team outside of those two to win a 9th Region championship, coming in 2019. The Bluebirds enter the poll ranked No. 3. They opened with a 1-0 victory over Beechwood.
Rounding out the top 10 were Dixie Heights, Conner, Bishop Brossart, Campbell County, Newport Central Catholic, Simon Kenton and Cooper. Others receiving votes were Beechwood, St. Henry, Boone County and Holy Cross.
Roberts steps down from baseball post at Simon Kenton
After 12 seasons and three trips to the state tournament, Simon Kenton baseball coach Troy Roberts has decided to step down as
head coach of the Pioneers.
Roberts informed the school of his decision Aug. 14 after guiding the team to 274 victories, with 11 district championships and three region championships. He went out with a bang, leading the Pioneers to the state tournament this season and finishing 27-14.
Roberts spent 29 seasons coaching baseball, the last 13 at Simon Kenton (one of those, 2020, was wiped out due to COVID), 11 at Scott and five at Ryle as an assistant.
Prior to Roberts’ arrival, the program had never won a region title in over 70 years. In the next 12, Roberts won three. He got them to the pinnacle, two trips to the state championship game in 2014 and ’17.
Other impressive numbers and accomplishments during Roberts’ stead include 10 seasons of 20 wins or more and a district champ in all but one season. He was inducted into the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2020 and was named Coach of the Year in Kentucky in 2014.
NKY teams, individuals teed up to qualify for state golf tournament
The KHSAA golf season is roughly at its halfway point. With schools back in session, there’s a good sense of how the AllState team and individual points will shake out.
The top 15 teams in the state in the standings will be invited to play in the Kentucky Golf Coaches Association All-State Championships on Sept. 14-15 at University Club
of Kentucky. The next 21 individuals not on those teams in the standings are also invited for a team and individual championship tournament. Qualifying is based on All-State points accumulated during the regular season.
Standings (as of Aug. 13):
In the boys standings as a team, St. Henry sits in a tie for third with 670 points, Ryle is seventh with 630 points and Highlands is tied for ninth with 600 points.
In the girls standings as a team, Ryle is sixth with 515 points while Notre Dame is in a tie for 15th with 375 points.
In the boys individual standings, six Northern Kentucky golfers sit in the top 20. They are paced by Ryle’s Paxton McKelvey who is in third with 610 points. Campbell County’s Talen Beane is in ninth with 520 points with Highlands’ Nate Surrey right behind him in a tie for 10th with 505 points. Surrey’s teammate Hank Shick is in 15th with 490 points with the St. Henry pair of Will Carter and Ben Carter in 17th and 19th, respectively, with 475 and 450 points.
In the girls individual standings, Ryle’s Anika Okuda leads area golfers in fifth with 485 points. Cooper’s Reagan Ramage is in 13th with 380 points. Others lingering near the top 21 are Notre Dame’s Didi Jiradamkerng and Bishop Brossart’s Emma Laker in a tie for 28th with 220 points.
ACCOUNTANT NEEDED IN FLORENCE, KY.
Must be fluent in written/spoken Spanish.
Please send resume to: Aaron Gilbert Healthwarehouse.com Inc. 7107 Industrial Road Florence, KY 41042.
Covington Catholic’s Tanner Robertson heads a ball during a match with South Oldham last week. Provided | Marc Figgins
Simon Kenton head coach Troy Roberts addresses the team during the 8th Region tournament. Provided | Marc Figgins
Newport’s Tay Kinney is taking his talents to the prep scene with Overtime Elite in Atlanta. Provided | Charles Bolton
St. Henry’s boys golf team is currently qualified for the KGCA All-State tournament. Provided
