KENTON
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 10 — FEBRUARY 2, 2024
THE VOICE OF NKY
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Creating a buzz: Local bee enthusiasts looking toward spring By Bill Furbee
hard to ignore.
hile it’s been a relatively calm and peaceful winter in Northern Kentucky above ground, big things have been taking shape beneath the soil.
“I’m ‘nature’s helper,’ extending my kindness to Mother Nature, because she’s been so kind to me,” he said.
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“Many insects, just like some animals, have burrowed (underground) to keep warm,” said Campbell County Horticulture Agent Sarah Imbus. Most bees and wasps, for example, hibernate below the surface — as do June beetles. Other insects, at a younger point in their lifecycle — or, perhaps at the beginning of a single-season lifecycle — might be developing as larvae, like the mason bee. For many in Northern Kentucky, no creature is more anticipated than the bee. Bee’s knees Ryland Heights resident Pete Monture is colloquially known as “Pete the Bee Man,” and his enthusiasm for all things bee is
Monture oversees about 100 hives a year and recalls growing up in Verona, when every neighboring family would have its own beehive. “There were 10-15 beehives, just on the south end of Walton,” he said. On the first Tuesday of every month, Monture joins other bee enthusiasts for Northern Kentucky Beekeepers Association meetings, held at the Boone County Extension Enrichment Center in Burlington. While some attendees at the monthly meeting don’t own any bees themselves, said the group’s president, Betsy Rossi, they attend “to learn how to get started beekeeping, or just because they’re considering starting.” Joe Knott, a relative newbie at beekeepContinues on page 3
Rachel Brandenburg is one of many bee enthusiasts in Northern Kentucky. Photo provided | Rachel Brandenburg
F3: The fellowship-driven fitness program for men in Northern Kentucky By Evan Dennison
I
t can be intimidating trying to start a workout routine at a local gym — let alone finding a workout buddy or two.
People have their earbuds in and are focused on improving their own bodies and health. There are alternatives, like working out at home or finding a sport that may test your level of fitness in a group environment. And, let’s be honest, working out comes from self-motivation, but how much easier is it if you have others to help push you to meet your goals?
The bonds built at F3 are what separate it from other fitness programs. Photo provided | F3
that started on a whim in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2011. It has grown nationally, and now the program has made its way to Northern Kentucky. Called F3, it relies on three principles to make the fitness program work — fitness, fellowship and faith. The first part is pretty self-explanatory, with workouts often lasting 45 minutes to an hour that are certain to test you. Fellowship is vital in the program; the bonds built and connections made are key factors in making the program take off like it has. As far as the faith part, it’s not necessarily religious-based, but more so believing in something outside of yourself. F3 is free of charge, and workouts are all
That’s the goal of one program for men
Continues on page 5
The Fourth Street Bridge: What do the numbers say? p6 Massey kicks off campaign in face of GOP censure p8 Meet Edgewood attorney and state Rep. Stephanie Dietz p18