NAn offer you can’t refuse: Enjoy that fish fry
ewport may have its gangster tours, but Erlanger has its own wise guy. Diners at annual Lenten fish fries all around town know him as The Codfather. Mary, Queen of Heaven Church is his hangout, and he comes to check on his “operation” throughout Lent to make sure everything is running smoothly.
The Codfather is the alter ego of restaurateur John Geisen, owner of Izzy’s, a legendary Cincinnati deli-style eatery. He came to work with the original owners in 1982, became president of the company in 1989 and later bought out investors to become the company’s owner.
Geisen grew up in Lakeside Park, just south of Fort Mitchell, on a street named for his grandfather, who had a farm in the area. He also grew up in the Catholic church where fish fries during Lent are a time-honored tradition.
Northern Kentucky takes its fish fries seriously. With close to 50 parishes in the
Diocese of Covington, during the season there seems to be a fish fry in almost every town. In fact, Geisen shared the story of Lou Groen, a Crestview Hills native who is credited with introducing the fish filet sandwich to McDonald’s in an effort to make up for the loss of business during the Lent season.
A fish fry reborn
Geisen joined Erlanger’s Mary, Queen of Heaven congregation in 1984. He was active in the church, serving on committees and as parish council president. He became good friends with the pastor.
The church had hosted fish fries for several years, but in the early ’90s the people who put them on decided it was too much and quit doing them, Geisen said. The fish fries had been a resource, bringing in funds to help support the church school. The pastor asked Geisen if he would help restart the tradition. At first, he said, he deferred, saying he knew nothing about fish fries. But the pastor convinced him that with his food experience and business knowledge, he would be a great help.
“So long story short, a few of the parishioners joined me, and we decided to put something together,” he said. “I saw some of the products they were using for the past fish fries, and I thought, ‘Boy, you know what? We could do something better than this.’ I saw they were using some type of Viking fish and cheap bread — cheap this and cheap that, and I thought, ‘Let’s just take it up a notch. … We’ll put something together.’”
He tapped into his industry knowledge and connections. He found sources for good-quality cod. He turned to Klosterman’s bakery, which provided baked goods for Izzy’s, to create tasty breading and to Frisch’s for its popular tartar sauce.
“Well, lo and behold, we did it. Fish fries were pretty big back in the Cincinnati market at that time. And we got a lot of recognition for ours. And sure enough, we hit competition from different fish fries in the area, but for several years, we would win best fish fry,” he said.
After scathing audit, Beshear says juvenile detention centers need ‘a lot of improvement’
By Rebecca Hanchett
Three weeks after Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was re-elected in 2023, big changes were rolled out at the Campbell Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Newport. Starting Nov. 29, state officials announced, only males would be housed at the Newport facility, at least until further notice.
It was the third major change announced for the Campbell County center in 11 months. In June, state officials announced that girls housed at the former female-only facility would be moved to the state’s regional juvenile detention center in Ashland. The Newport facility had only been an
all-female center for six months when the change was announced.
Low staffing levels “due to the competitive local labor market” were cited as the reason for the move to Ashland in a June 16 memo from the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. But the series of rapid overhauls over the past year at the Campbell County facility are glaring in the light of a 2023 independent audit indicating ongoing problems — including understaffing, use of force and questionable use of isolation — at the state’s eight juvenile detention centers, including the one in Newport.
At the time the 231-page audit was conducted by consulting firm CGL Manage-
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Continued from page 1
The making of The Codfather
As the popularity of the Mary, Queen of Heaven fish fry grew, Geisen said people from other parishes in Greater Cincinnati area would call him and ask what the church was doing and how they were doing it.
“So I said I’ll come out and tell you what we do. Here’s what we do: We use a great fish, cod. We use great bread; we use a good tartar sauce. And, we’ve got a friendly group of people serving it at a reasonable price,” he said.
He’d sit down with church leadership or committees and go through his process step by step. One day, a meeting with one of those church committees sparked an idea.
“And after going to several parishes, I remember walking into some place over in Cincinnati. And one of the people saw me come in and said, ‘Oh, here comes The Codfather.’ It had a nice ring to it. We got a big joke out of it,” he said. “But as I started thinking about it, I thought, ‘You know what, I might be able to capitalize on this Codfather thing.’ So I went to the Theatre House, and I bought a gangster suit. And my son had this great big fish pillow.
“We put some pictures of The Codfather out to the press. It went bonkers. It just went viral. … All the media wanted to come out and get pictures. And then we had the Cod Mob, who were little kids and went to the school there. They dressed up like the gangsters, too, with sunglasses. We did photo ops and interviews on TV. And you know, it went from doing maybe a couple thousand to $3,000 an event to $25,000 a night.”
A major undertaking
As with other churches in the area, Mary,
Queen of Heaven hosts fish fries each Friday during Lent.
“We serve a couple thousand people a night. It’s probably one of the biggest fish fries in the whole United States,” said Geisen. “It’s a small parish, but we get big results.”
The big questions were: How does a small church serve that many people? For one thing, where do you put everyone?
“We were serving people in our cafeteria, but we outgrew that. So we’ve converted the school auditorium or gymnasium into a great big cafeteria,” Geisen said. “We have condiments setups. We have the food being prepared in a trailer where we have 15 or 20 fryers, and then we bring the food into heat tables in a makeshift kitchen that we set up and we barricade off. We probably seat 300 to 400 people in that auditorium.”
The drive-thru service is a big operation in itself, Geisen said. They set up a phone center in the school library for online orders. Operators take orders and transfer them to a kitchen in the basement. A group there assembles the food for the drive thru. Another group of volunteers works the dining operation.
Just how big is the operation?
“Chick-fil-A is probably one of the busiest concepts out there, and we probably do double what they do in a day in just four hours,” Geisen said.
How do they do it? It’s taken years of experience and a combination of skills from a variety of areas, Geisen said. He noted that people with expertise in IT figured out how to get orders, develop a numbering and naming system and transfer the orders from the library to the kitchen and assembly crew. The assemblers have experience reading and putting together the
orders quickly; others bring out the food to the drive-thru line, which is sometimes 40 cars long.
A labor of love
The fish fries are an important source of funding for the church’s K-8 grade school. In fact, two big events — the fish fry and the Summer Festival — raise funds to help keep the tuition affordable, Geisen said.
He said he is proud of the dedication and efforts of all the volunteers and church staff putting on the fish fries.
“There’s 140 volunteers that help put this thing on,” he said. “It takes a lot of planning and a lot of sacrifice and a lot of work for all these people who most work full-time jobs. To spend five or six hours on a Friday night, serving the people, is an act of love. They do it for the parish; they do it for the educational benefit of the children. And, they do it for their faith. It’s neat to see that come together. … It’s pretty awesome.”
The Mary, Queen of Heaven fish fries are held each Friday during Lent from 4 to 8 p.m. The first was on Feb. 16, and the last is on March 22. They offer three ways to get your fish dinner. Come inside and eat in the dining area, line up at the drive-thru to order, or order online and do curbside pickup. The church is located 1150 Donaldson Highway in Erlanger. (The school is next door at 1130 Donaldson).
Meanwhile, Izzy’s has five locations in Greater Cincinnati area, including one at 7651 Mall Road in Florence. The Codfather fish sandwich is now on Izzy’s menu yearround.
Where to find a fish fry near you in NKY
By Maggy McDonelWith the start of the Lenten season upon us, fish frys have begun in Northern Kentucky. Each county has a plethora of places to participate in your weekly fish feast. Read on to find a fry near you.
In our list below, unless otherwise noted, the fish fries run Fridays through March 22. If you don’t see your favorite fish fry on our list, feel free to submit it to our event calendar at linknky.com.
BOONE COUNTY
Burlington
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish
4 p.m.
5876 Veterans Way, Burlington 859-689-5010
Florence
Center Table Catering (Brighton Recovery Center)
4 to 6:30 p.m.
375 Weaver Road, Florence 859-292-5492
St. Paul Parish
4 to 7:30 p.m.
7301 Dixie Hwy, Florence 859-371-8051
(Dine in or drive thru. Drive thru runs through 7:30 p.m.)
Union
St. Timothy Parish
5 to 7:30 p.m.
10272 US 42, Union 859-384-1100
(Dine in or drive thru. Drive thru 4:30 to 7 p.m., credit card only.)
Walton
St. Joseph Academy
4:30 to 8 p.m.
48 Needmore St., Walton 859-485-6444
(Dine in or drive thru.)
CAMPBELL COUNTY
Alexandria
St. Mary of the Assumption
4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
8246 E. Main St., Alexandria 859-635-4188
(Runs Fridays, Feb. 16 to March 8. Dine in, drive thru or carryout.)
Camp Springs
St. Joseph Parish
4 to 7:30 p.m.
6833 Four Mile Road, Camp Springs 859-635-2491
(Dine in or carryout order online.)
Cold Spring
Newport Elks Lodge 273
4 to 7:30 p.m.
3704 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring 859-441-1273
Dayton
St. Bernard Church
5 to 7 p.m.
401 Berry St., Dayton 859-261-8506 (Dine in or carryout)
Fort Thomas
St. Catherine of Siena
4:30 to 7 p.m.
1803 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas 859-441-1352 (Dine in or carryout)
St. Thomas School
4 to 8 p.m.
428 Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas (Dine in school cafeteria or carryout)
Wilder
Wilder Fire Department
4 to 7 p.m., 522 Licking Pike, Wilder 859-431-5884 (Dine in or carryout)
KENTON COUNTY
Covington
Covington Firefighters Fish Fry
5 to 8 p.m.
IAFF Local 38 Union Hall 2232 Howell St., Covington 859-431-8777
Holy Cross High School
5 to 8 p.m.,
3617 Church St., Covington 859-431-1335
(Dine in school cafeteria or carryout)
St. Augustine Parish
Doors open at 4 p.m.
413 W. 19th St., Covington 859-431-3943
(Dine in or carryout)
St. Benedict Church
4:45 to 7 p.m.
338 E. 17 St., Covington 859-431-5607
(Dine in or carryout)
Erlanger
Mary Queen of Heaven Parish
4 to 8 p.m.
1150 Donaldson Hwy, Erlanger 859-371-810.
(Drive-thru lanes, online ordering with curbside pickup. Dine-in available)
St. Barbara Church
4:30 to 8 p.m.
4042 Turkeyfoot Road, Erlanger 859-371-3100
(Dine in and drive thru closes 7:30 p.m.)
Independence
St. Cecilia Catholic Church
5 to 8 p.m.
5313 Madison Pike, Independence 859-363-4311
Bradford Masonic Lodge
4 to 8 p.m.
5403 Madison Pike, Independence (Runs through March 29)
Taylor Mill
St. Patrick Church
4:30 to 7:30 p.m., 3285 Mills Road, Taylor Mill 859-356-5151
(Dine in or carryout. Carryout ends at 7:15 p.m.)
Jacqueline Coleman talks government, education with Holmes students
By Nathan Granger
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman came to Holmes High School in Covington on Feb. 14 to speak to government classes about the political process and issues on the students’ minds.
Coleman was one of several civic leaders invited to speak to the students. Stacy Recker, the government teacher who hosted this event, said Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer (R-Alexandria) and Rep. Stephanie Dietz (R-Edgewood) had already visited the school to speak with students.
Aides from U.S. Sen. McConnell’s (R-Kentucky), Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Kentucky), and Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Kentucky District 4) offices, as well as visits from the members of the district’s board of education, Covington Mayor Joe Meyer and Vice Mayor Ron Washington were on the docket for the coming weeks.
“I think that all of them have done a great job,” Recker said of the officials who had come so far, “because they came in, and they talked about the branch of government and why it’s important and the job that they do, and they left the politics out of it.”
Coleman spent her talk discussing her background — she worked as a teacher and
then an assistant principal before running for office — the executive branch’s plans for education and budgets relating to education. She discussed Gov. Andy Beshear’s education plan, which aimed to raise teacher salaries and establish universal pre-K programs, among other measures. She also discussed her efforts to use federal funding to build out mental health services for Kentucky students.
“You are not numbers on a spreadsheet to me because I’ve had kids in class, and I understand what that means,” Coleman said to the students.
Recker asked questions about budgetary procedures, the branches of government, and the peculiarities of Kentucky’s political mechanics, such as the part-time legislature. She also asked about Coleman’s experience as a woman working in high levels of government.
Coleman used the example of the state emergency management office’s actions following the 2021 tornado in Western Kentucky to illustrate how different levels of government worked together.
“In the governor’s office we do not have the budget for emergency management that provides enough money to actually deal with that crisis,” Coleman said. “Emergency Management is an office in the executive
branch. So, what we have to do is talk to the legislature about allocating the funding… Then, we mobilize our emergency management people at the state level. But then they have to go into these communities and work with the county judge/executives, the mayors, the local emergency management people. So, there’s the local government piece of it. … It all flows together.”
After Recker had finished her line of questioning, the students had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss things on their minds.
One student asked about the condition of the Holmes High School building itself and the construction to repair it, the noise of which she argued was corrosive to learning. She was also critical of the district’s cell phone policy, which prohibits cell phone use, and the dress code.
“All politics are local,” Coleman said.
She encouraged the students to get involved in their communities and stay up to date with what was going on. She also encouraged them to consider running for office when they could.
“You don’t have to become lieutenant governor to make a difference,” Coleman said.
“You can run for City Commission. You can run for school board and, buddy, you can
make a lot of big decisions that affect this community and make a real difference.”
She said that if ever they were bothered by something going on in the community, they should ask themselves, “How can I get involved in this to make a difference? Because your voice matters.”
Another student asked about the district’s response to recent gun violence. Specifically, she wondered why schools had stayed open in the face of the mass shooting threats that occurred throughout the region shortly after the death of Amani Smith, a Covington student who was killed in late January. Following the circulation of the threats, the district released a statement on their social media pages, stating that the threats didn’t seem credible.
“Well, first of all, I’m sorry that that happened,” Coleman said, adding that she thought younger generations were broadly more emotionally intelligent than older generations.
“But also let me just say that I think this is the reason that we need to continue fighting for mental health professionals in every school district and every school building,” Coleman said.
Continued from page 1
ment Group in 2023, 24.1% of correctional officer positions at the Newport facility were vacant, the report found. There were only 22 officers working at the facility, although the facility had funding for 29 officers, per the audit. Changes had just been made in June in response to understaffing, according to the June 16 memo.
When asked about staffing and other issues at the state’s juvenile detention centers during his weekly Team Kentucky update on Feb. 8, Beshear focused mostly on the positives. He said staff numbers have gradually improved, thanks to over $267 million budgeted for juvenile justice programs in the current state budget and $25 million in additional funds appropriated by lawmakers last year.
“It took a little bit longer in Northern Kentucky than others, but we’re getting more people and more applicants,” the governor said.
But problems persist. The audit also cited concerns with use of force and isolation of juveniles — sometimes confined for days, according testimony from the state Department of Public Advocacy last fall.
Isolation — either room confinement or other forms of separation — happened 65 times in the first five months of 2023 at the Campbell County facility alone, according to the audit. Statewide, the audit cited 1,579 total isolation incidents — or an average of 197 per month — reported at juvenile detention centers from January through October 2023 (the only months for which isolation data was reported in the audit).
Most isolations reported in the audit occurred at the Adair Regional Detention Center in southern Kentucky, where riots and assaults were reported in 2022. Those events precipitated a new policy ordered by Beshear in December 2022 that turned the Campbell County facility (albeit briefly) into a female-only detention center and ordered separate housing for males
charged with serious offenses.
Regarding use of force, pepper spray — recommended for use only as a “last resort” per national best practices, the audit says — was deployed four times at the NKY facility between April and June last year, based on audit data. Pepper spray was then used four more times at the NKY facility in a two-month period between September and October 2023, per the report.
Only 65 incidents of use of pepper spray were reported statewide by the audit, although the data only included incidents from five of the eight juvenile detention centers and only for nine months, from March through November 2023. Once again, most incidents were reported in Adair County, with 41 reported pepper spray incidents, compared with eight in Campbell County, 12 in Warren County and two each in Fayette and Jefferson counties. Stun guns are also allowed to be used at the detention centers, according to the audit, though the report didn’t cite any data for
NORTHERN KENTUCKY –THE #1 REGION BUSINESSES CALL HOME.
the Campbell County facility.
Regular use of isolation and “use of force” tactics, including use of pepper spray and tasers, go against national “best practices,” according to the audit.
Last October, the state Department of Public Advocacy (DPA) raised red flags about isolation at the state’s juvenile detention centers in testimony before the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee. Lauren Bieger Hunter, an attorney with the DPA, said juveniles have been left in isolation far beyond the maximum allowed period of 24 hours at the regional facility in Adair County.
“Isolation is going on for days,” Bieger Hunter told the committee members. “Even when they aren’t calling it isolation, it is isolation because they are in cells that they are not allowed out of.”
To improve operations at the state’s juvenile detention centers, the Kentucky House put $329 million for juvenile justice in the budget proposal it passed Feb. 1. Part of that is $15.6 million for “alternative programming and support” at the centers. The House proposal is pending in the Senate.
House Speaker David Osborne (R-Prospect) seemed skeptical, however, that a lack of funding plays into problems at the centers, according to a statement released by his office when the audit went public.
“This independent report simply confirms what we have heard about the living conditions, mismanagement and lack of appropriate protocols from both concerned staff and the heartbroken families of children housed in these facilities and served by the department,” Osborne said. “Clearly, money is not the issue, as the audit itself points out that the Legislature has provided more funds than the administration asked for. This Legislature has also made significant reforms through statutory changes.
“It is time for the department, the cabinet, and the governor to stop making excuses and fix the problems within juvenile justice,” Osborne said.
As the state’s enforcement branch, it is the responsibility of the Department of Juvenile Justice to implement state laws governing juvenile corrections in Kentucky.
The department’s website describes its mission this way: “The DJJ is responsible for prevention programs for at-risk youth, court intake, pretrial detention, residential placement and treatment services, probation, community aftercare and reintegration, as well as the confinement of youth awaiting adult placement or court.”
As governor and the state’s chief enforcer, it is Beshear’s responsibility to put people in charge of the department who will make sure those processes go smoothly. The department has an interim commissioner right now: Larry Chandler was appointed to that post after the November departure of beleaguered former commissioner Vicki Reed, hired as commissioner by Beshear in 2021.
It was the latest of “several leadership changes in the past several years” at the department, according to the Associated Press.
Beshear downplayed the audit to reporters on Feb. 8, calling it “the first audit I’ve ever seen where it was never provided to the organization to provide a response.” He said
some of the findings were “entirely and fully wrong,” including a claim that the department has no use-of-force policy.
The use-of-force policy, Beshear told reporters, was implemented by emergency regulation last year.
“I think an audit can be constructive, but only if it’s run under auditing practices and is fair and receives information and feedback from the subject of the audit, and is not a political tool,” the governor told reporters.
Beshear also said isolation at the state’s juvenile detention centers takes different forms, from confinement to a room to being separated from the general population. “They can be out in the facility, walking around outside. But that has to be used sometimes based on the number of violent incidents, or we continue to have serious gang issues that sometimes, for people’s personal safety, require them to be separated,” he said.
Access to pepper spray by juvenile corrections officers has Beshear’s support, too.
He said on Feb. 8 that there’s been a 40% decrease in violent incidents at the centers since he signed off on use of the spray last year.
“I believe that equipping our officers with pepper spray was absolutely necessary,” Beshear said. “Most often when it’s used, it’s used to break up fights.”
State Auditor Allison Ball, whose office formally released the audit results on Jan. 31, commented on the audit findings in a Jan. 31 press release, saying the audit shows a “lack of leadership from the Beshear Administration.” Ball said the result is “disorganization across facilities and, as a result, the unacceptably poor treatment of Kentucky youth.”
Juvenile detention centers are using “cruel isolation policies and high levels of extreme use of force” without clear policies in place based on the findings, said Ball, the former Kentucky state treasurer elected to her first term as state auditor last November.
“As a previous Assistant Floyd County Attorney who prosecuted juvenile delin-
quency cases, I am alarmed by the findings of this report, but I am hopeful this will provide clear direction for the numerous improvements needed within our juvenile justice system and open the door for accountability and action within DJJ,” Ball said.
Beshear did not address Ball’s comments with reporters on Feb. 8. As for improvements, however, he agreed there is room for more.
“We’ve got a lot of improvement we need to continue to make,” the governor said. Improved documentation of use-of-force incidents and isolation use is one change he wants to see implemented, he said.
“Certainly one thing we’ve got to do better in the Department of Juvenile Justice is better documentation,” he said. “Better documentation of different incidents, better documentation of things that happen. We need to have a more accurate, clearer picture to be able to learn from, and that documentation is key.”
KungBrew Cafe: Bringing tea, coffee back to Mainstrasse
By Kenton HornbeckHana Chu always dreamed of owning a cafe.
“It was always my dream to open a cafe someday,” she told LINK nky. “I didn’t know it’d be quite so soon. I kind of thought of it as some sort of retirement plan.”
As a tea enthusiast, Chu envisioned a space where she could bring a community together through her favorite drink. Unfortunately, she had no storefront available to make her dream a reality. That changed when Bean Haus Coffee shuttered in June 2023.
Located at 640 Main St. in Covington’s Mainstrasse Village district, the historic storefront provided Chu with an opportunity to not only open her treasured tea cafe but also provide the neighborhood with a coffee shop — something it has lacked since Bean Haus closed.
“I really wanted this to be a coffee and tea shop,” she said. “That’s for the community.”
Hana is married to restaurateur Johnny Chu of KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia — a Taiwanese-style eatery along Madison Avenue in Covington. It just so happened that the real estate agent for the cafe building was also a regular customer of KungFood, she said. He recommended that she and her husband check out the space. After a walkthrough, the Chus decided to purchase the building, which they bought for $390,000, according to Kenton County property records.
“We wanted to provide something for the community — something that’s not Starbucks, that’s not a big chain cafe that you see everywhere,” Johnny Chu said.
Constructed in 1909, the 2,520-square-foot red brick building is two-and-a-half stories tall. Before Bean Haus opened in 2019, the building was home to Groove Coffee House & World Headquarters.
The new cafe, called KungBrew, will feature a menu that consists of espresso-based coffee drinks, specialty teas sourced from various local vendors and bubble tea.
“We’ll have specialty teas that we’re getting from different vendors pretty much across the world — from Japan, from Taiwan, from China, and then some local companies, as well,” Hana Chu said.
Initially, she wanted the cafe to only offer tea. However, after speaking with residents in the Mainstrasse community, she ultimately decided to expand the menu to include coffee. KungBrew is collaborating with Urbana Cafe in Cincinnati to use its coffee beans.
Inside the building, the walls are adorned with murals painted by Covington artist Adam Lusso. The interior decor features traditional classic pieces from Hana’s tea collection, including teakettles and teacups from the 1950s, as well as sculptures
The cafe’s furniture will be antiques purchased from sellers around the region.
On the second floor, the seating layout includes Japanese-style low-floor tables with cushions.
“I think people are excited to see what kind of quirkiness we are doing here at this location,” Johnny Chu said. “We have a quirkiness to it. We have a lot of things that you really don’t see at many cafes, especially cafes in Kentucky. We’re trying to do something that no one’s doing.”
Hana Chu said the response from the Mainstrasse community has been overwhelmingly positive, with residents reaching out to her personally to share their excitement. “I have spoken with so many community
members in Mainstrasse who are so excited to finally have a tea shop, and good tea within walking distance of them,” she said. “I’m so excited to serve them.”
As far as an opening date, Hana said it would be “five to eight” weeks. Currently, the Chus are fixing the building’s plumbing, finishing the interior and training new staff members. She hopes to open in midto late March, but that is contingent on how quickly the renovations are finished.
“There are already so many good coffee shops (in Covington), but we kind of want to add to that,” she said.
NKU names new CFO, VP of finance
Northern Kentucky University has named Chris Calvert as the university’s new chief financial officer and vice president for administration and finance.
Calvert was CFO at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College since 2017. According to a news release from NKU announcing the appointment, Calvert led a financial turnaround at Cincinnati State, from a deficit position to a record surplus and cash flow.
“Amidst these financially challenging times, I am dedicated to upholding NKU’s mission, contributing to sustained success and balancing the budget by fiscal year 2025,” Calvert said.
Prior to Cincinnati State, Calvert spent several years in positions in public accounting and corporate finance. Additionally, he served eight years in the United States Air Force and Air National Guard.
Calvert holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Miami University and a law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Kenton County Treasurer Roy Cox announces retirement
Kenton County Treasurer Roy Cox announced his retirement at the fiscal court meeting on Feb. 13.
Having held the position since 2012, Cox’s retirement will take effect on July 1.
As treasurer, Cox is responsible for overseeing the county’s budget and providing council to the fiscal court.
“He was instrumental in the recent rebalancing of the County’s finances to reduce Kenton County’s dependence on property taxes,” the county said in a release announcing Cox’s retirement. “That change has helped the County to lower property-tax rates to their lowest level since 2001 and eliminate the Net Profits Tax.”
Throughout his tenure, Cox has assisted Kenton County in obtaining the lowest property tax rates in the county since 2001. Cox has overseen a council of 13 people, and provided financial counseling to the Fiscal Court.
“From day one, Roy has brought stability and leadership to our team. I can say with absolute confidence Kenton County is in the best financial shape it’s been in for decades, and Roy’s talent and thoughtfulness in all he does is a large part of that success,” Kenton County Judge Executive Kris Knochelmann said. “We’re grateful for his service.”
The county’s commissioners echoed Knochelmann’s comments.
“Roy Cox is one of finest people I have had the pleasure with which to work,” Commissioner Beth Sewell said.
Commissioner Jon Draud said Cox has done a great job for the citizens of Kenton County.
“God bless you and good luck in your retire-
ment,” Draud said.
Before he joined Kenton County’s team, Cox spent more than 30 years in the private sector, serving as director of finance for InterStar North America and manager of accounting for Millennium Petrochemicals.
“I would like to thank the members of the Fiscal Court for giving me this opportunity, for the trust they have in me and the support they’ve given,” Cox said. “They have always treated me with kindness and respect. I would also like to thank my staff for the incredible job they do, as well as our other County departments for helping make this one of the best jobs I have ever had.”
Park Hills welcomes new full-time police officer
Independence native Chelsea Little is Park Hills’ newest police officer.
Little graduated from Simon Kenton High School in 2020. She played basketball into her college career at West Virginia University Institute of Technology, where she majored in biology and minored in criminal justice.
City council voted to approve Little’s hiring at the city’s Feb. 12 meeting, where she told them she had always wanted to be a police officer.
Little will now begin her field training, complete course work and await word from the police academy that she can begin their program.
Police Chief Cody Stanley said he expects that she will be fully trained and operating on her own by January of 2025 at the latest. “I did the interview with her, and she’s got a good head on her shoulders,” Stanley said. “Everybody I’ve talked to speaks highly of her and her background was fantastic.”
Walton approves reappointments to city boards
Walton City Council approved the reappointment of members to its Planning and Development Services Council and the Union/Walton Joint Enforcement Board at its meeting Feb. 13.
Council approved 3-2 the reappointment of Mayor Gabe Brown and councilwoman Sherry Gaskill to the Planning and Services Council for one-year terms. The two served on the board previously.
Adam Croweak was unanimously approved to be reappointed as a member of the Union/Walton Joint Code Enforcement Board for a three-year term, expiring Feb. 13, 2027. Croweak joins Brent Caldwell and Jordan Simmons in serving the board.
The code enforcement board was established in 2017 to ensure that individuals and organizations under its jurisdiction follow city code. The board hears cases of potential code violations, makes determinations and issues citations and fines in the case of a violation.
Examples of potential code violations include tall grass or weeds, junk vehicles, issues with property maintenance and illegal dumping.
TANK seeks feedback on proposed app-based curb-to-curb ride service
ering information, and no formal decisions have been made.
City council committed to appointing the committee and meeting as a community to discuss the issue after several citizens requested it in response to an incident of homophobic vandalism in October 2023.
The committee includes Mayor Dave Hatter, city administrator Jill Cain Bailey, city attorney Timothy Theissen, police Chief Ed Butler, and council members Bernie Wessels and Scott Wall.
Although his name is not mentioned in the release, the description of the incident matches the one that led to the death of 14-year-old Amani Smith, who was killed while walking to a family member’s home in the Latonia section of Covington.
All three suspects are currently being held in juvenile detention. Another juvenile, aged 17, was arrested Jan. 24 in connection to the killing.
ashes fly, and people are coming out in the morning and their cars are covered in ash and so on.”
Moriconi and Independence fire Chief Scott Breeze confirmed with LINK nky that there had been several recent complaints by residents about open burns. “Construction burning is the big impetus,” Breeze said.
The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky is seeking input on its new “microtransit” program, which would allow residents to order curb-to-curb minibus rides through a mobile app or call center.
To help build the program, TANK is soliciting feedback from residents on establishing transit zones in the region. A map showing the preliminary zones is displayed below. Zones are subject to change.
Learn more and fill out the survey at https:// bit.ly/491DdLz.
Fort Wright weighs fairness ordinance after anti-gay vandalism
Fort Wright’s committee to investigate the adoption of a fairness ordinance for the city met Feb. 6. The committee is still gath-
Community member Jason Worms asked for an update on this committee at the Feb. 7 council meeting. “I continue to check in on this committee because it is a concern of mine and my neighbors,” Worms said. “Council said they would investigate this issue, and I want to be sure that they’re holding to their word.”
Hatter said that, so far, they have looked into fairness ordinances in other Northern Kentucky cities. Elsmere, Cold Spring, Dayton, Fort Mitchell, and Fort Thomas have adopted forms of this ordinance.
Three juveniles charged in connection to killing in Jan. of Latonia teen
Three juveniles, whose names have not been released, were arrested Feb. 7 at different locations in Newport and Covington, according to Covington police. All have been charged with complicity to murder in connection with a Jan. 23 Latonia homicide.
Proposed ordinance would restrict commercial burns within city of Independence
Independence City Council completed the first reading earlier this month of an ordinance that would regulate open burning and recreational fires in the city.
Statements from council members, city staff and the fire chief indicate that the ordinance primarily controls open burns started by commercial construction companies rather than individual residents. “The goal of this is not to regulate your backyard fire pit,” said city administrator Chris Moriconi.
Moriconi and Mayor Chris Reinersman said the ordinance was prompted be resident complaints. Moriconi added at the meeting that the police didn’t have an established means of controlling the burns without an ordinance.
“It’s generally when they’re clearing land for development,” Reinersman said. “They start burning, and it burns and burns and
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LEGAL NOTICE
The City of Florence, Kentucky will receive bids Thursday, March 7, 2024, at 10:00 am. for the Renovations at the Tanner’s Maintenance Facility at 7850 Tanners Ln, Florence, KY 41042. This Notice was published by posting in full on the City of Florence, Kentucky Internet Website, www.florence-ky.gov. The address where the full posting may be directly viewed is https://florence-ky. gov/publication-of-bid-solicitations-enacted-ordinances/. The public has the right to inspect and obtain a copy of any document associated with the posting by contacting the City Clerk of the City of Florence, Kentucky, 8100 Ewing Boulevard, Florence, KY, 41042, Telephone no. 859-647-8177.
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The specific developments about which people had complained were the Tullamore Estates off Stephens Road, a development near Taylor Mill Road near Pembroke Village, and a small development near the Meadow Glen subdivision.
The ordinance establishes the following restrictions on open burns (list is not exhaustive):
• Burns could be performed only during certain times of the year and certain times of the day.
• It would be illegal to burn tires, cars, appliances, garbage and other manmade scrap and debris.
• Burns can encompass only two contiguous acres of land at a time.
• The people performing the burns must be at least 18.
• Burners must have a device on hand to communicate with the fire department and emergency services.
• Burners must have a large piece of earth-moving equipment laden with dirt to extinguish the fire if necessary.
• Burners must have a proper insurance and proof of insurance.
• Burn piles can have a maximum diameter of 30 feet and a maximum height of 15 feet.
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NKY medical examiner’s office renovation: 18-24 months, funding needed
By Rebecca Hanchett
State justice cabinet officials say it could take 18 to 24 months for another Northern Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office to open in NKY if funding for the project is included in the next state budget.
Based on recent estimates from project designers, Justice and Public Safety Cabinet budget director Rebecca Norton told the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee on Feb. 14 that work on the office is expected to take up to two years to complete. Northern Kentucky University owns the office property that will be renovated and leased to the state.
The office location is the former Highland Heights city building on Harriet Avenue, now owned by NKU, WCPO reported in December.
Once complete, the office space – estimated at 10,000 square feet – is expected to house both the NKY medical examiner’s office and the Kentucky State Police Northern Regional crime lab, now located in Cold Spring.
“I think the estimate we received from the design group was somewhere between 18 and 24 months for renovations so that’s what we would hope for if everything goes smoothly with the construction,” Norton said.
Around $17.3 million in bond funds are requested for the renovation in the next state
budget, cabinet secretary Keith Jackson told the committee in his testimony Feb 14. NKU will contribute $3.7 million of its own funds for the project, he said.
Gov. Andy Beshear made the state’s funding request for the project last year.
“Think about a crime lab and we’ve been attempting to do that for several years now,” Beshear told WCPO in December. “There’s been challenges in the locations about where and so this will be a continued discussion with the legislature. It should help us with overall capacity statewide and in Northern Kentucky.
The NKY medical examiner’s office has been closed since 2017, primarily due to staffing issues. Salaries for pathologists and autopsy techs were increased in the current state budget to help recruit and retain staff at state medical examiner offices in Kentucky. That budget also includes $3.9 million – with $1.8 million in one-time funds for necessary equipment – to reestablish the NKY medical examiner’s office and procure a lease space for the office.
With salaries improved and lease space designated, Jackson said his cabinet is focused on bringing the office back on line. Approximately 500 autopsies now performed in Louisville or Frankfort will be able to stay in the region when the office reopens, he said.
“For grieving families, regional offices that are able to operate at capacity reduce the need to transport deceased loved ones over
100 miles to either the Louisville or Frankfort offices for examination and back home to their families for their funeral and burial,” Jackson told the committee. “Law enforcement and other investigators will also save associated expenses and resources. It is essential that the office of the state medical examiner is able to serve an area that will provide year-round accessibility.”
The NKY medical examiner’s office and the KSP NKY crime lab will have separate operations in a shared space. The crime lab specializes in forensic biology, firearms analysis, toxicology, breath alcohol testing, processing of sexual assault kits and polygraphs to assist law enforcement throughout the region. However, lab director Jeanna Oxenham said the facility needs more space.
“We currently are limited on space and it’s very appealing to look at relocating with the medical examiner’s office to afford us more space for our laboratory,” she told the committee on Wednesday.
Last March, Boone County coroner Missy Rittinger told the Boone County Fiscal Court she expected the NKY medical examiner’s office to open within a couple of years. Like Jackson, Rittinger predicted services for families and local communities will improve once that happens.
“We will no longer have to send any of our autopsies to Louisville which is very expensive and very hard on the families,” Rittinger said last year.
news from other places
Ky. attorney general files suit alleging Kroger pharmacies helped fuel opioid addiction crisis
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed a lawsuit on Feb. 12 against one of the nation’s largest grocery chains, claiming its pharmacies helped fuel the state’s deadly opioid addiction crisis.
The lawsuit against the Kroger Co. says that its more than 100 Kentucky pharmacies were responsible for over 11% of all opioid pills dispensed in the state between 2006 and 2019. That amounted to hundreds of millions of doses inundating Kentucky communities without reasonable safeguards, the suit said.
“For more than a decade, Kroger flooded Kentucky with an almost unthinkable number of opioid pills that directly led to addiction, pain and death,” Coleman said in a statement.
The lawsuit was filed in Bullitt County Circuit Court in Shepherdsville, 20 miles south of Louisville. Among other things, the suit is seeking civil penalties of $2,000 against the grocery chain for each alleged willful violation of the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act.
Kroger officials did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
The lawsuit claims that Kroger failed to implement any effective monitoring program to stop suspicious opioid orders. As a distributor and dispenser, Kroger had access to real-time data revealing unusual prescribing patterns, Coleman’s office said. Despite such “red flags,” Kroger did not
report a single suspicious prescription in Kentucky between 2007 and 2014, the AG’s office said.
Judge blocks enforcement of Ohio law limiting kids’ use of social media, pending suit
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge on Feb. 12 extended a block on enforcement of an Ohio law that would require children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps, as a legal challenge proceeds.
U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley’s decision to grant a preliminary injunction prevents the law from taking effect while a lawsuit filed earlier this month by NetChoice winds its way through court. NetChoice is a trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies. The group is fighting the law as overly broad, vague and an unconstitutional impediment to free speech.
The law, originally was set to take effect Jan. 15 and is similar to ones enacted in other states, including California and Arkansas, where NetChoice has won lawsuits.
In his decision, Marbley said NetChoice is likely to prevail on its First Amendment speech freedom arguments.
“There is no indication that the State disfavors the sort of content designed to appeal to children — cartoons and the like,” he wrote. “‘Websites that children might access’ is not a topic or subject matter. Indeed, even though covered platforms contain some subject matter likely to appeal to children, most also contain subject matter ‘as diverse as human thought.’”
Two fired energy executives indicted
in
investigation into $60M bribery scheme in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two fired FirstEnergy Corp. executives were indicted Feb. 12 in the long-running investigation into a $60 million bribery scheme in Ohio that has already resulted in a 20-year prison sentence for former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder .
Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and former FirstEnergy Services Corp. Senior Vice President Michael Dowling were
The game was televised by CBS, Nickelodeon and Univision and streamed on Paramount+ as well as the NFL’s digital platforms. Some of the increase can be attributed to a change in the way viewers are counted, with out-of-home viewers from all 50 states included for the first time.
Nielsen also said a record 202.4 million watched at least part of the game across all networks, a 10% jump over last year’s figure of 183.6 million.
Super Bowl LVIII was only the second of the 58 Super Bowls to go to overtime.
charged in relation to their alleged roles in the massive corruption case, Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced.
“Their actions over a period of years have undermined confidence in state governments, the rule of law, and very nearly made them even richer men than they already are,” Yost said of Jones and Dowling, who are facing criminal charges for the first time since the scandal began. “There can be no justice without holding the check writers and the masterminds accountable.”
Jones and Dowling were fired in October 2020 for violating company policies and code of conduct, and — given their numerous mentions in earlier indictments and court proceedings — the lack of indictments had been notable as a five-year statute of limitations nears.
Both pushed back forcefully on Feb. 12, denying any wrongdoing and accusing Yost of false assertions.
Super Bowl thriller was most-watched program ever, averaging 123.4 million viewers
The longest Super Bowl game will also go down as the most-watched program in television history.
According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, the Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers averaged 123.4 million viewers across television and streaming platforms. That shattered last year’s mark of 115.1 million for Kansas City’s last-play victory over the Philadelphia Eagles and is a 7% increase.
Bob Edwards, admired longtime ‘trusted voice,’ host of NPR’s ‘Morning Edition’ dies at age 76
NEW YORK (AP) — Bob Edwards, who anchored National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” for just under 25 years and was the baritone voice who told many Americans what had happened while they slept, has died.
Edwards, who died on Feb. 10, was 76 years old. NPR had no further details at time of publication.
He became co-host of “All Things Considered” with Susan Stamberg in 1974 shortly after joining NPR and was the founding anchor of “Morning Edition” in 1979. He left NPR after being replaced on the show in 2004 — a programming move that led to protests by thousands of listeners — and he joined SiriusXM satellite radio.
Edwards wrote a memoir, “A Voice in the Box: My Life in Radio,” and a historical book about the medium, “Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism.”
John Lansing, NPR’s CEO, said Edwards’ former colleagues and listeners will remember him with gratitude.
“Bob Edwards understood the intimate and directly personal connection with audiences that distinguishes audio journalism from other mediums, and for decades he was a trusted voice in the lives of millions of public radio listeners,” Lansing said.
February
City of Florence Presidents Day Display, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Government Center lobby, 8100 Ewing Blvd., Florence. Call 859-647-5425 with questions. Free.
City of Florence Book & Literacy Festival, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (youth programs), Government Center community rooms-lower level, 8100 Ewing Blvd., Florence. Story time, activities, book swap, puppet show and innovation lab. Registration and questions, florence-ky. gov or 859-647-5425.
Books and Bottles Night Out, 6-8 p.m., Nature Park Event Center, 7200 Nature Park Drive, Florence. Registration and questions, florence-ky. gov or 859-647-5425.
St. Benedict’s Holy Name Society Fish Fry, 4:30-7p.m., Holy Family school cafeteria, 338 E. 16th St., Covington.
City of Florence Book & Literacy Festival, 10 a.m.-noon (youth programs) and noon-2 p.m. (family and adult programs), Government Center community rooms-lower level, 8100 Ewing Blvd., Florence. Story time, activities, book swap, puppet show, innovation lab, panel discussion, workshops and more. Registration and questions, florence-ky.gov or 859-647-5425.
Mainstrasse Village Food & Culture Tour, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Cedar, 701 Main St., Covington. Visit riversidefoodtours. com/tours/mainstrasse-village for more information. Prices range from $6-$65.
Bellevue Winter Carnival, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Washington and Fairfield avenues, free kids games and prizes, circus performers, free popcorn with police, unique winter vendors and Bellevue restaurant chili cook-off.
Crescent Springs City Council meeting, 6-7 p.m., City Building 739 Buttermilk Pike, Crescent Springs
Newport City Commission meeting, 7-8 p.m., City Building 998 Monmouth Street, Newport
Cold Spring City Council meeting, 7:30-8:30 p.m., City Building 5694 E. Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring
Fort Thomas 157th Birthday, noon, City Building, 130 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas. Free.
Boone County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:306:30 p.m., Fiscal Court, 2950 Washington St., Burlington
Kenton County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:306:30 p.m., Fiscal Court, Covington Courthouse, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington
Florence City Council business meeting, 6-7 p.m., City Building 8100 Ewing Boulevard, Florence
Covington Commission legislative meeting, 6-7 p.m., City Hall 20 West Pike Street, Covington
Crittenden City Council meeting, 7-8 p.m., City Building 117 S. Main St., Crittenden
SINGO Thursday, 7 p.m., Barleycorn’s Brewhouse, 402 Licking Pike, Wilder. Bingo with a beat. Family-friendly. Free to play.
Looking forward to another year of
For more events, scan the QR code or visit: https://linknky.com/events/
$1.3M condo in Covington’s Ascent building boasts great views
Address: 1 Roebling Way, Unit 1806, Covington
Price: $1,250,000
Bedrooms: Two
Bathrooms: Two (plus one half-bath)
Square feet: 2,559
School district: Covington Independent
County: Kenton
Special features: This two-bedroom, twoand-a-half-bathroom condo on the 18th floor of Covington’s Ascent building features floor-to-ceiling windows, spacious rooms, hardwood flooring and a custom ceiling mural. The unit also has two deeded parking spaces, private storage and a wine locker. Building residents get access to a range of building amenities, including concierge service, a pool, gym, entertaining spaces and a massage room.
Streetscapes checks out Clay Drive in Walton for tasty bites, drinks
By Maria HehmanFor this Streetscapes, we take a trip back out to Boone County, where we explore some eateries featuring Italian classics, as well as Lao and Thai traditions. And we finish with a coffee and pastry. Join us this week as we venture to Clay Drive in Walton.
Enlightenment Coffee
Enlightenment Coffee serves guests the local favorite, and Newport-originated, Carabello Coffee in a quaint and quiet space. For beverages, it offers traditionals from cappuccinos, lattes, Americanos and authentic Italian macchiatos (much smaller and richer than what’s available from large chains). This is a coffee connoisseur’s dream.
For those who don’t drink coffee, it offers tea, frappes, hot chocolate and smoothies. The menu also rotates with the season, offering fun and festive drink options, including a sweetheart latte — dark chocolate and raspberry with espresso and milk combined for a sweet treat pick-me-up.
Nothing pairs better with coffee than pastries, and Enlightenment has plenty to keep guests full. Scones, muffins and cinnamon rolls are available for those with a sweet tooth, while those wanting something savory should opt for the breakfast burritos.
This is a great space to spend an afternoon, whether it’s quietly working while sipping on a bourbon caramel frappe or spending some time catching up over a cappuccino or two. Enlightenment is also a great place to grab little gifts — from coffee beans to key chains, it has a little of everything.
Marckesano’s Pizza
There are few things as nostalgic as pizza on a Friday night. Kids love devouring their favorite meal, while parents love the ease of no cooking and no dishes. It’s a win for everyone. And it’s even better when ordering from a local favorite like Marckesano’s.
Marckesano’s family-owned restaurant serves pizza, pasta, salad, wings and hoagies. Its pizzas remain the most popular dishes, for good reason. The pizza is arguably the cheesiest in all of Walton, one of the many reasons customers return time after time.
The specialty pizzas include the obvious choices of supreme, veggie and meat lovers. However, there are also some irregularly delicious options that guests will be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Among those are a cheeseburger pizza, with all the goodness from a burger and pizza all in one, and The Big Kahuna pizza, with pineapple, ham, feta cheese and bacon.
Other notables on the menu include fried calamari, a cod hoagie and an antipasto wrap — perfect for those not in a pizza mood. (Let’s face it, though, pizza is always a good idea.) For dessert, there are cannolis in two sizes, along with cheesecake.
Marckesanos has been a staple of Walton for over 20 years. It offers both indoor dining as well as carryout.
Sabaidee Lao and Thai Cuisine
Thai Cuisine has grown in popularity in the area. Hungry guests have ample options to sample their favorite Thai dishes, but very few places in the area offer Lao dishes. Sabaidee offers both, giving guests even more options to sample new foods and cultures.
“Sabaidee” in Lao is a traditional greeting. What better way to welcome new patrons than to have it literally in your name?
Although it’s tempting to order familiar favorites of crab rangoon, chicken pad thai and egg rolls (you can still do that here if you so choose), Sabadiee offers so many options that ordering off the norm is more than worth it.
Great options include fried tofu for vegetarians and the Sai Oua for meat eaters, an herb-filled grilled pork sausage with Lao spicy sauce. These are great starters to test the Lao cuisine waters. From there, guests have entree options including wings, pho, noodles, rice, curries, stir-frys and plenty more.
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:
Enlightenment Coffee
Location: 11069 Clay Drive, Walton
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.; Wednesday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Website: enlightenment.coffee
Phone: 859-493-4009
Marckesano’s Pizza
Location: 11065 Clay Drive, Walton
Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Website: marckesanospizzamenu.com
Phone: 859-493-5567
Sabaidee Lao and Thai Cuisine
Location: 11051 Clay Drive, Walton
Hours: Sunday, closed; Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Website: clover.com/online-ordering/ sabaidee-lao-and-thai-walton
Phone: 859-493-4037
CSmiles all around for close-knit senior-laden Cooper girls basketball team
ooper High School girls basketball coach Justin Holthaus has a lot going on between the ears.
The former longtime Cooper boys assistant takes a cerebral approach to coaching while leaning heavily on preparation. When he looks at his team, he sees a selfless group of student-athletes with uncommon attention to detail who are working hard and having fun. He smiles a lot when he talks about them.
As Holthaus speaks, a sense of gratitude emerges. He invokes heartfelt terms such as “happy, together, focused and energized.” He speaks glowingly about assistant coaches Buddy Pittman, Stacie Kissel, Brett Perry and Jeff Ware. Cooper’s fourth-year head coach knows what he’s talking about. He’s seen it with his own eyeballs.
So, yes. That was an ear-to-ear smile spreading across the coach’s face two days before Valentine’s Day. His players just finished up practice and, unsurprisingly, the coach is talking about how much heart they have.
“They’re a great group of girls who care about each other,” Holthaus said. “We hang our hat on defense, and it shows. It’s a senior-led group with five seniors. They’ve
pretty much seen it all, and they’ve had a lot of success.”
Cooper is the two-time defending 33rd District and 9th Region champion. The Jaguars won 22 of their first 26 games this season while going unbeaten against district and regional competition. By the second week of February, they had risen to No. 2 in the statewide media poll, behind only threetime defending state champion Louisville Sacred Heart, which handed Cooper two of its four losses by an average margin of 8.5 points.
That’s the small difference between Cooper and the unquestioned best team in Kentucky.
Beginning in December, the Jaguars went 42 days without a loss while embarking on a 15-game winning streak. Seven of those victories came against teams ranked in the Top 20 of the statewide media poll. Ten wins were on the road. By Valentine’s Day, the Jaguars had not lost to a district or regional opponent in 744 days.
The last time the Jaguars lost to a team from the 9th Region was Feb. 1, 2022. Ryle handed them a district loss that day. Since then, it’s been all Cooper. Entering the Feb. 23 regular season finale, Cooper had won 26 consecutive games against 9th Region
opponents and 12 straight against the 33rd District.
No wonder the coach is smiling.
“Our girls play with passion and determination,” Holthaus said with, you guessed it, a smile. “We ask them to value the ball, share the ball and play hard on defense, and that’s what they do.”
The group bringing all that joy is led by seniors Logan Luebbers-Palmer (16.9, 4.9 rpg), Liz Freihofer (11.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg), Bella Deere (8.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and Maleah Alexander, the defensive stopper. They’re all captains and committed to college programs. Luebbers-Palmer (Evansville), Freihofer (Eastern Kentucky) and Alexander (Liberty) are heading to NCAA Division I programs. Deere (Gannon) is heading to Division II.
There’s also junior Zene Thompson, sophomore Addyson Brissey and freshmen Haylee Noel (8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Alivia Scott. Noel was installed as the new point guard in December, freeing Freihofer of full-time ball-handling duties.
“We did that right around Christmas time,” said Holthaus, who led Cooper to the 2022 Sweet 16 state tournament semifinals in just his second season. “I think it’s really made a difference with our team.”
After the change, Freihofer scored at least 16 points in three of the next seven games. Luebbers-Palmer averaged 23 points in three games wrapped around New Year’s Day. That followed a four-game pre-Christmas stretch when Luebbers-Palmer averaged just 12 points per game.
When Luebbers-Palmer found her groove, the Jaguars were all smiles.
“Logan takes pride in everything she does, and she’s really tough,” Holthaus said. “She set a screen against Frederick Douglass and got knocked in the chin and eventually had to get seven stitches to close it up. She still wanted to go back out there.”
The coach and his players are smiling and
giggling as they talk about each other. But few things make the seniors smile more than talking about the good old days when several of them played on the same team as second-graders. And therein lies a big key with this close-knit squad.
“A lot of us have been playing together since we were 7,” said Alexander. “We grew up together. I think our chemistry is one of our biggest strengths.”
So much so that these are now the good new days for the girls at Cooper, where the ties that bind will remain forever strong.
“We’re friends. We’ll always be,” Luebbers-Palmer said. “We all play together very well because we’re friends.”
KHSAA Sweet 16 draws for basketball matchups set; tournaments in March
The pingpong balls have spoken.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association held the draws for the boys and girls basketball Sweet 16 on Feb. 12 at KHSAA headquarters in Lexington.
The girls state tournament will be held March 13-16, while the boys tournament takes place March 20-23. Both tournaments will be played at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
As far as the draws and local interest, in the boys tournament, the 9th Region drew the 10th Region for the first round. The top teams considered as 9th Region contenders include Newport, Cooper, Covington Catholic and Lloyd Memorial. The winner would be looking at a potential matchup against either George Rogers Clark or Campbell County, the two likely favorites to win the 10th Region.
The 8th Region drew the 11th Region. The 8th has Walton-Verona and Simon Kenton in it, the two teams considered dark horses to win the region tournament. Their top contenders are North Oldham, Woodford County, Oldham County and Spencer County. The 11th Region might just be the best in the state, featuring the top two ranked teams in the state in Great Crossing and Lexington Catholic, to go with Bryan Station, Frederick Douglass and Henry Clay.
In the girls bracket, the 9th Region drew the 12th Region. Cooper is looking to threepeat in the region, with Holy Cross, Ryle and Notre Dame as its top contenders. The 12th Region favorite is Danville Christian Academy, with West Jessamine, Southwestern, Pulaski County and Boyle County in the mix.
The 8th Region will meet the 6th Region in the first round, as Simon Kenton looks to repeat in the 8th. Top challengers will be Anderson County, Grant County and South Oldham. The 6th Region favorites are Butler, Whitefield Academy, Mercy, Bullitt East and Pleasure Ridge Park.
Ryle boys wrestling team takes home another state title, defeats Walton-Verona
The Ryle High School boys wrestling team took home its fourth consecutive Region 5 wrestling title on Feb. 10 at Boone County High School, with a 246-197.5 win over Walton-Verona.
Five Raiders won their weight classes — Luke Cornwell at 106 pounds, Landon Evans at 120, Rider Trumble at 150, Caleb Duke at 175 and Travis Steiber at 190.
Cornwell defeated Simon Kenton’s Nathan Reusch, 13-4, in the final. Evans beat Simon Kenton’s Braydan Blevins, 5-0, Trumble shut out Campbell County’s Bryce Dennemann, 10-0, and Steiber pinned Highlands’ Zach Russ in 41 seconds.
Walton-Verona had two region winners — TJ Meyer at 138, and Luke Hyden at 215.
Meyer won his fourth regional title, defeating Campbell County’s Christopher Ferraro, 12-4. He was state runnerup at 120 last year (a 3-2 loss to Union County’s Jayden Raney) — a result he’s been pondering for a year. Hyden pinned Campbell County’s Brayden Allender in 1:50.
Conner placed third with 193 points. Three Cougars won regional gold — Clayton Badida at 113, Cordion Abernathy at 132 and Bryce Sizemore at 285.
Badida edged Walton-Verona’s Brennen East, 4-2, for his first regional championship.
Simon Kenton was fourth with 193 points, and Covington Catholic placed fifth with 114 points.
Other individual region winners included: Simon Kenton’s Jonah McCloskey at 126, Campbell County’s Deacon Heisler at 144 and Ben Turner of Cooper at 165.
Highlands senior Rilen Pinkston was Northern Kentucky’s only undefeated wrestler so far to date. He improved to 41-0 by pinning Ryle’s Callen Schmidt in 1:20.
Pinkston was undefeated (37-0) in the region last year and reached the state semifinals. He needed just 4:04 to pin Campbell County’s Kingston Dailey (1:00), Conner’s Nathan Seth (1:44) and Schmidt (1:20).
Thomas More continues to sign area’s
football standouts to Saints team
The Thomas More University football team continues to sign area football standouts, adding to an impressive local haul.
Added to the fold for the Saints are Conner’s Adam Duncan and Elian Ruzindana, Cooper’s Jack Lonaker, Beechwood’s Xavier Campbell, Simon Kenton’s Jake Puthoff and Newport Central Catholic’s Kolton Smith.
Some others locally are expected to sign to the Saints program soon.
Event, banner recognize William Grant HS champion basketball team from 1964
The Tom Ellis Memorial Foundation and the Covington Independent Public Schools honored the 1964 William Grant High School 9th Region boys basketball cham-
pionship team during William Grant Night on Feb. 12 at Holmes High School.
Holmes hosted Villa Madonna at the David Evans Fieldhouse. The event marked the 60th anniversary for the former 9th Region champs.
The event was put together for all past team members, alumni and family of the Grant community to gather and honor this team. Unfortunately, four of the 10 players and the coach of the 1964 team are deceased, but family members were in attendance.
Before the game there was a display, including trophies and other awards from the Lincoln Scholar House (where Grant High School was originally located), set up in the middle building for the alumni to see. A reception followed that included dinner with a few people speaking, including former player David Hunter, who shared his memories of the championship season and the team’s journey to get there.
During halftime, a new banner was displayed and Alvin Garrison, the superintendent of Covington Independent Public Schools, had a gift for each of the former players, as well.
William Grant High School was founded in 1866 in Covington to educate African American children; in 1876, the school was established as an African American public high school. African American students from local areas were able to attend Grant and receive a high school education. In 1965, the students from Grant were integrated into Holmes High School as Grant was closed.
In 1957, William Grant High School was the first African American High School in Kentucky to win a district championship, specifically the 34th District championship. Afterward, Grant went on to win four 9th Region Championships in 1958, ’59, ’61 and ’64. Furthermore, two Grant Warrior alumni, Tom Thacker and George Stone, went on to continue their basketball careers professionally.
Each week, LINK nky is publishing a profile of one of our local legislators so that Northern Kentuckians can get to know the people representing them at the state level.
Rep. Kim Banta (R-Fort Mitchell) is a professional educator. She has spent decades learning how students behave and express themselves. It’s insight that has come in handy in her work as chairperson of the House Budget Review Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education and Workforce Development in the General Assembly.
Still, Banta has been at occasional odds with members of her own party when it comes to some education-related bills.
Take 2023 Senate Bill 150, now in effect, that bans gender-affirming care for minors and changes rules on gender identity and sexual education in public schools. Banta was one of only a handful of Republicans in the state House who voted against it.
When it came back before the House on March 29, 2023, for an override of Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of the bill, she voted against it again.
The longtime public educator and former assistant superintendent of Kenton County Schools told LINK nky she doesn’t feel a student’s gender identity should factor into their school experience. Looking back at her years in public education, Banta said it “never dawned on me” to treat someone
Meet state Rep. Kim Banta
differently based on their sense of identity.
“I’m talking about (choices like), ‘I choose to wear a skirt and wear makeup, but I present as a boy.’ It never even dawned on me to exclude them,” she said. “It’s that kind of thing that has been shocking to me.”
Banta said she plans to reach out to Kentuckians this legislative session by working to increase mental health access for those who need and want it. Mental health care is a focus that enabled her to pass a firefighters’ mental health bill (House Bill 44) back in 2021. That bill opened up mental health care for firefighters with PTSD or post-traumatic stress injury and promotes crisis intervention training for the first responders.
Changing Kentucky’s mental health landscape in 2024 and beyond, she said, will require input from providers who work in the field.
“We need to see what they think we need in order to get this out there for everybody who needs it, in an affordable capacity,” Banta said. “If you’re not mentally healthy, there’s no way to proceed as a productive member of society.”
Then there’s Banta’s plan to file a bill in the 2024 session that she calls “kind of interesting” — a feminine hygiene protection bill that would remove the state sales tax on feminine hygiene products. Kentucky is one of 21 states that applies sales tax to menstrual products, according to Period Law. By its estimates, state tax revenue from the so-called “tampon tax” totals ap-
proximately $80.1 million nationally each year.
“I always tell the men, ‘Feminine protection is not a gun.’ For you guys, that’s not what this is,” said the mother of three. “But it’s a necessity, and it would be nice to give a little break to women.”
Rep. Kim Banta (R-Fort Mitchell) represents the 63rd House District, which includes parts of northern Boone and Kenton counties. She chairs the House Budget Review Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education and Workforce Development. Banta is also a member of the House Families and Children
Committee; House Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations Committee; and both the House Judiciary and House Appropriations and Revenue committees. Additionally, Banta is a member of both the statutory Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee and the 2024-2026 Budget Preparation and Submission Committee. She also serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Appropriations and Revenue, Judiciary, Family and Children, and the Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations committee, as well as the Budget Review Subcommittee on Education, which she co-chairs. Banta is also a member of several caucuses.
