KENTON
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 7 — JANUARY 12, 2024
THE VOICE OF NKY
linknky.com
What NKY’s legislators are focused on in 2024: Budget, public safety, school choice top the list By Rebecca Hanchett
T
he Kentucky legislative process is political. That’s true both inside Republican and Democratic caucuses and in how the parties interact with each other. Bills can live or die by the clout of the lawmaker (or lawmakers) behind them. Then there is the state budget, which is the only legislation that the Kentucky General Assembly is constitutionally required — political squabbles or not — to pass in session every two years. The state budget is so important that annual legislative sessions in even-numbered years are dubbed “budget sessions” to emphasize just how big a deal the budget is. Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) told LINK nky in October that passing a two-year state budget is absolutely “the biggest issue” awaiting lawmakers during the 2024 legislative session that began Jan. 2. Continues on page 3 From left: Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) and House Appropriations and Revenue Chair Rep. Jason Petrie (R-Elkton) on opening day of the 2023 General Assembly. Photo provided | Legislative Research Commission
Artist brings passion for storytelling to his work By Robin Gee
I
f you’ve purchased holiday stamps recently, you may be holding a little piece of art from Fort Thomas native and resident Gregory Manchess. The award-winning illustrator’s work can be found on book covers, in magazines, on advertisements, gracing the walls of museums and even on the big screen. His paintings of festive snow globes are featured on the U.S. Postal Service’s 2023 holiday stamps.
Award-winning illustrator Gregory Manchess is a native and resident of Fort Thomas. Photo provided | Greg Manchess
Manchess paints in oil, usually on canvas or linen, and his painterly style is sought by publishers, advertisers, corporations and private collectors across the U.S. and Europe. Currently, he is working on a series of illustrations of classic novels for two U.K. publishers. Continues on page 7
Got questions about Ky. legislative process? We have answers p9 Streetscapes Wrapped series ends as it should — with dessert! p15 Newport’s Kinney headed to basketball legend status p16
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State budget
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Not only is the state budget a big issue, it concerns a massive amount of funding. All funds (including state and federal) appropriated in the current budget total approximately $113.8 billion, according to the state budget director’s office. About one-quarter of that funding is state general fund revenue, the majority of which is appropriated for public education and Medicaid. In 2022, Kentucky general fund appropriations totaled $29.2 billion, according to official budget reports. Funding appropriated in the next budget could be less, on par, or more than is budgeted now. It depends on how the process unfolds now that Gov. Andy Beshear has unveiled his more than $130 billion state budget plan, which he announced in a televised address Dec. 18. That proposal is now in Kentucky state lawmakers’ court. After a bill is filed, legislative committees will be able to hold budget hearings on the proposal. Eventually a budget bill will make its way from committee to a final vote, with significant negotiation (and intervening votes) in the process.
By April 15 — the last day the General Assembly can constitutionally meet in even-numbered years — a final budget should make it to Beshear to be signed into law. But no one is expecting a full rubber stamp from the governor. “We had over 80 of our bills and resolutions vetoed by him that we’ve overridden,” Thayer said back in October. “Having to deal with that over the last four years has been frustrating. But it’s just a stump we have to plow around.”
The Kentucky public education landscape could look a bit different in future years, however, if lawmakers agree to seek voter approval to use public funds for public charter schools and non-public schools, as some anticipate. Votes on tax reform, criminal justice and public safety, workforce development, and certificate of need reform could also be in the works. Legislation in any, or all, of those areas would likely impact NKY. School choice
Even if Beshear does decide to veto part of the budget bill (as he did in 2022), at least some appropriations are likely to become law with the support of the Republican supermajority held by both the Senate and House. So what can Northern Kentucky expect in terms of appropriations in 2024? A top priority is education. According to Thayer, “Education is always going to be a focus.” Right now, 36.9% of the state’s general fund budget goes to elementary and secondary education, according to 2022 data from the state budget office. Another 9.7 percent, according to the office, was appropriated for public colleges and universities.
If the Kentucky General Assembly takes up the issue of school choice in 2024, it isn’t expected to go it alone. Members of the NKY legislative caucus have told LINK a potential first step may be a proposed constitutional amendment after a 2022 state Supreme Court ruling that struck down a 2021 school choice law. A proposed amendment would essentially put the question of public funding for schools outside the governance of a local school district before voters in November. Lawmakers would still have to approve the funding. Rep. Marianne Proctor (R-Union) Continues on page 4
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The Kentucky General Assembly meets in a joint session in 2019. File photo by Bryan Woolston | Associated Press
JANUARY 12, 2024 3
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear delivers his State of the Commonwealth speech from the floor of the Kentucky House of Representatives on Jan. 4, 2023. File photo by Timothy D. Easley | Associated Press Continued from page 3
told LINK that the initial question, however, should be up to the voters. “The Supreme Court ruling does make (the issue) go before the people, but I think that’s where it belongs,” said Proctor. “It belongs with the people.” Kentucky has 171 public school districts, including 120 county school districts and 51 independent school districts (11 in NKY). All receive public funds. But recent state laws have attempted to allow public funds for education outside of the traditional public school system, or common schools. Public charter schools (run by boards of directors, not school boards) were legalized in Kentucky in 2017 but have yet to be funded, despite a 2022 law that mandated a publicly funded charter school pilot program in the state. That law, 2022 HB 9, was ruled unconstitutional by a Franklin Circuit Court judge on Dec. 11.
tax credits for donors who fund private school tuition. Approval of a proposed school choice amendment by voters in 2024 could potentially clear a path for public funding of public charters and non-public schools by the Kentucky General Assembly as early as 2025. Criminal justice and public safety One slice of the state general fund budget that has remained largely static over the past decade is criminal justice. State lawmakers appropriated roughly 11.7% of the budget for criminal justice (corrections and juvenile justice, for example) in 2022. That was an increase of less than 1 percent of criminal justice appropriations in both 2014 and 2016 (10.9%). But what is not static is how the funding is appropriated. That can change from budget to budget, depending on the legislative agenda.
The 2021 law (HB 563) ruled unconstitutional in 7047065_100_sehada_print_ad_womens_ob_10.375x3.389V1.pdf 2022 would have allowed public
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A major crime package unveiled by a group of Republican lawmakers in September gives a glimpse into potential uses for some of that funding in the two years ahead. Should it become law, the legislation (not yet officially introduced) is expected to beef up penalties for a swath of crimes in a single legislative package.
$500 in damages (down from $1,000); create a “Three Strikes Law” for violent felony offenders; and make carjacking a Class C felony, punishable by five to 10 years in prison. Also proposed? Language that would allow the death penalty for someone convicted of intentionally killing an on-duty law enforcement officer.
Getting fentanyl off the streets is expected to be a central part of the bill.
And there could be other public safety proposals in the works. Beshear has proposed new raises for state troopers and enhanced stipends for law enforcement — a carryover from his 2023 re-election win over Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Those provisions are found in the governor’s budget proposal. Approval of that spending, however, would need to come from the General Assembly, which may have its own funding ideas in mind.
According to the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, the highly potent synthetic opioid fentanyl was a factor in over 70 percent of Kentucky’s 2,250 overdose deaths in 2021. Part of the proposed crime package would target illicit fentanyl by allowing prosecutors to seek a life sentence without parole — and possibly the death penalty — for intentionally selling fentanyl or related drugs that cause overdose death. Provisions targeting gang crime are also tucked into the package. They would potentially change the threshold for felony vandalism of public or private property to
Workforce development The fentanyl epidemic targeted in the proposed crime package goes beyond public health. A Kentucky Chamber report released in May indicates that drug abuse is
also a barrier to workforce development. Substance use disorder is “a key reason why Kentucky has one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the nation,” according to a May 8 Chamber press release. Some employers in NKY are feeling the pressure from substance use disorder. That point was driven home by the NKY Chamber when it listed workforce support for persons with a history of substance abuse or justice system involvement as one of its legislative priorities for 2024. Key state lawmakers seem to be receptive to the idea. Kentucky Senate President Roberts Stivers (R-Manchester) told the NKY Chamber at its “Where We Stand” legislative preview event in December that lawmakers are likely to address substance use disorder in the context of workforce development during the 2024 session. A hint of what that legislation could look like can potentially be drawn from key policy recommendations from the Kentucky Chamber release in May 2023. Among the recommendations: • Increase public funding for prevention, treatment and recovery. • Optimize and expand Kentucky’s treatment and recovery infrastructure. • Screen more effectively for and treat substance use disorder among justice-involved Kentuckians. • “Stop the flow of fentanyl into Kentucky and the United States,” in the Chamber’s words. Employee child care access is another factor in workforce development, both in NKY and statewide, that is expected to make an appearance during the 2024 session. Legislation that could make it easier for child care facilities to navigate local zoning laws is one possibility, state lawmakers told the NKY Chamber at its preview event. Continued access to a $15 million grant pilot program for employer-assisted child care created by 2022 HB 499 is also on lawmakers’ minds. Certificate of need Less certain this session is if state lawmakers will make changes to a 1970s-era certificate of need law that requires state approval for new or expanded health care services. Eighteen types of health care ser-
vices, from hospitals to home health agencies, are governed by the statute now. But there is broad disagreement on whether the requirement is necessary. Those who want to keep Kentucky’s certificate of need law say it controls health care costs and protects access to services for those who are underinsured or served by Medicaid or Medicare. Those who want to reform, or even repeal, Kentucky’s certificate of need law believe it stifles competition. Caught up in the debate is St. Elizabeth Healthcare, a dominant NKY health care provider that has sometimes been labeled a monopoly by those favoring certificate of need reform. Proctor and Steve Rawlings (R-Burlington) filed legislation in the 2023 session (HB 312) to exempt Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties from the state’s certificate of need law. That proposal stalled in the House. Proctor has indicated that she will file another bill targeting certificate of need in 2024, although the details are not final. Other legislation targeted at Kentucky’s certificate of need law also stalled in 2023 in both the Senate and the House. Legislative leaders responded by establishing a Certificate of Need Task Force, which they directed to study the issue in full and report findings to the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission ahead of the 2024 legislative session. On Dec. 14, the task force issued a one-sentence recommendation for possible further study of the issue, rather than recommending substantive changes.
Kentucky Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) directs the flow of business on March 16, 2023. File photo by Timothy D. Easley | Associated Press
Tax reform State general fund revenue relies largely on taxes and fees, including (for now) a state individual income tax. A fiscal update released by the state budget office in December showed 4.5% growth in individual income tax receipts for fiscal year 2024 through October. But Kentucky has a plan in place to eventually phase out the revenue source. Lawmakers have so far reduced the tax from a top rate of 6% in 2017 to 4.5% today, including a cut from 5% to 4.5% in 2023 and another half-percent drop (to 4%) set for Continues on page 6
Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee Chair Chris McDaniel (R-Ryland Heights) questions committee witnesses during the 2023 General Assembly. Photo provided | Legislative Research Commission
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Rep. Marianne Proctor (R-Union) comments on legislation during the 2023 legislative session. Photo provided | Legislative Research Commission Continued from page 5
Jan. 1 under a 2022 law. But there won’t be any reduction in 2025 under the law. That’s because Kentucky has only met one of two revenue conditions per the law that would trigger another rate cut. Had both conditions been met, the rate would have been allowed to fall to 3.5% in 2025 with legislative approval. It is possible that state lawmakers could pass a bill in 2024 that would expedite a reduction in the tax, but right now that appears unlikely. A Sept. 8 article by the Associated Press quoted Senate Appropriations and Revenue Chair Chris McDaniel (R-Ryland Heights) as saying that the 2022 law “appropriately weighed the importance of lowering taxes with the need for critical government functions such as education, corrections and more.” The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce — which has called cutting the individual income tax its “top legislative priority” –
appears to agree. In September, Kentucky Chamber President Ashli Watts said the organization “applauds legislators for their commitment to carefully phasing out the income tax, and we will continue working with them to achieve this important goal for our state.” Another tax reform issue to watch is the potential repeal of the state inheritance tax, which is on the Kentucky Chamber’s wish list. The tax was considered a “small but important source of General Fund Revenue generating $51 million” in 2015, according to the independent Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. The state Chamber countered that in its 2024 legislative agenda document, saying the tax “can be disruptive to business structures and encourage some Kentuckians or their beneficiaries to leave the state.” That could signal some potential action on the issue in 2024. As far as new taxes, McDaniel told the NKY Chamber at the December “Where We
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Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne (R-Prospect) stands at his desk on the House floor on Feb. 19, 2020. File photo by Bryan Woolston | Associated Press
Stand” event that he doesn’t see much if any “broadening of the base” in 2024, specifically as it relates to taxes on services. After several previous rounds of adding the 6% state sales tax to untaxed services, the Senate budget chairman told the NKY Chamber that there appears to be little appetite for a new hike in 2024. Road Plan and other priorities Road construction is another budget priority during the 2024 session. As part of that, there may be continued focus on the $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, which is included in NKY’s share of the current state Road Plan. The $3.4 billion 2022-2024 state Road Plan provided approximately $760 million for construction of a companion bridge to the existing Brent Spence Bridge, including $250 million in state matching funds, $360 million in federal grant funds ($180 million per fiscal year), and $150 million in federal-
ly backed transportation bonds. The majority of that will carry over to the new budget cycle, according to information provided to LINK by the Legislative Research Commission. But there is always the possibility that additional funding will be needed for corridor improvements. Per the commission, additional funds would be drawn from the regular federal fund allotment, with required matching funds. There is no indication of how much, if any, new state funding may be appropriated in 2024. But it’s one to track. Major transportation projects such as the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor and potential changes to the state’s K-12 education system give NKY lawmakers a unique voice on these and other issues in 2024. Specific priorities of the NKY caucus will become more clear in coming weeks. Where the bills go from there will be interesting to watch.
Continued from page 1
He has created other stamps for the postal service, but you can also find his work in National Geographic, Atlantic Monthly and The Smithsonian. He’s painted portraits of several well-known individuals, including Martin Luther King Jr., every member of the Beatles, Tupac Shakur and Sally Ride. His work can be seen throughout the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Library and in the Coen brothers film “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” His advertising work includes illustrations for Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and Patrón Tequila. When National Geographic wanted a series of paintings to tell the story of the discovery of a real pirate ship for a traveling exhibition, it asked Manchess to document the adventure. Telling stories Storytelling is at the heart of Manchess’ work — that, and a passion for telling those stories through illustration. Whether it’s an advertisement, an article, a museum exhibit or a book, all have a tale to tell, which explains why Manchess has been able to work in so many different fields. “I love books, and I love publishing. All that is wonderful to work with,” he said. “For advertising jobs, I would try to bring more of
a fine art feel to it. They would come to me for the painterly approach if they had an idea that fit that way. … That would lead to some of the editorial work … and then the editorial work would lead back to the advertising work. So it was back-and-forth like that.” Manchess’ career path also feels like a classic story. Things did not go smoothly at first. He faced obstacles and struggled along the way to his success. Early hurdles Right out of high school, Manchess wanted to follow his dream of becoming a fine artist, to do traditional study of drawing and painting, he said. He applied to art schools with his portfolio but was rejected by his top choices. At the time, many forms of more traditional work were considered to be outdated, and most schools were looking for artists whose vision was more conceptual. Popular throughout the 1960s and ’70s, conceptual art emphasized the ideas or concepts behind the artist’s work and de-emphasized the more traditional technical aspects. Manchess was accepted by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, but at first it would only take him on probation. “They really did not encourage learning the figure. They didn’t encourage reproducing anything of reality. It was all conceptual-based. So I had struggled with that,” he said. “But I did it anyway. Because, you know, artists are contrary like that. And I took a lot of grief for it for four years of school. But I just followed my heart and my passion and kept after it. And then I discovered that illustration was where they were doing all that. … I found my home that way.” Ups and downs
Artist Gregory Manchess created this portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. Photo provided | Gregory Manchess
After art school, Manchess found a position at a studio in Waterloo, Iowa. While he learned a lot at that job, he said, the location was less than ideal for a young person interested in building a career in freelance illustration. He moved to Galena, Illinois, just three hours outside of Chicago, and would go into the city in search of work, especially in the advertising industry. Things went well for several years. He
Gregory Manchess’ works are highly sought-after. This one is called “Uplift.” Photo provided | Gregory Manchess
found an agent in Chicago and had lots of work, he said. Still, something wasn’t quite right. “I wasn’t doing what I really loved, which was oil painting,” he said. “So I started to do samples for myself, for my portfolio.” He headed to New York and landed an agent in the city, but things did not go smoothly. Again, he said, he faced rejections. He was told that oil painting was “old style.” Yet, he continued to paint and send his work out. He entered the Society of Illustrators annual show, the top venue for illustration in the country, and was accepted the first year. Yet after that, he said, there was what felt like a 10-year dry spell.
“That pretty much changed my entire illustration career,” he said “Now calls were coming in. People were interested in my painterly approach. And I just kept going with that. I started winning medals from the Society and other places.” The work then became a steady flow. He reflected on that, sounding a bit amazed at how it all turned out. “I developed a painterly style that I had been told in the beginning years was dead and was not going to work,” he said. “And I didn’t care, because I loved it. And I kept after it. And so now I’m known as the painterly guy. And that’s what I’ve built my career on.”
Finding success Tastes change, and things are never constant in the art world. Finally, interest from a New York agent and a feature on him and his work in Communication Arts magazine broke things wide open.
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A dying art: Enzweiler Institute offers heritage trade courses
Students stand on the porch of the Covington Academy of Heritage Trades working lab at the old Colonial Inn building. Photo provided | Covington Academy of Heritage Trades
By Nathan Granger
P
rospective students interested in heritage trade crafts came out to the Latonia branch of the Enzweiler Building Institute last month to learn about the school’s upcoming historic preservation courses. “There’s always a career in it,” said Peter Grady, a business owner and historic preservation specialist who teaches the historic building systems course. “It’s a burgeoning thing in America. Let’s face it, though, in America, we tear things down.” Heritage trades refer to skilled trades relating to the preservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings, which often don’t conform to contemporary building methods, materials and techniques. Many of the people who came out to learn about the coursework already own old, historic houses and were curious to learn how to successfully restore their properties. “I love being able to work on old houses because ... if it’s economically feasible, and you can save, you know, you can’t beat an
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old house,” said Austin Vinson, an Enzweiler graduate in the mason trades who’s currently working on achieving his journeyman status. “You really can’t. It’s just so beautiful.” The coursework is offered through the Covington Academy of Heritage Trades. Prospective students attend an introductory period — which lasts either a full week or a weekend, depending on their schedules — where they get a brief overview of the coursework. Then, to achieve full certification, students complete multiple semesters’ worth of courses: two eight-week courses, one four-week course and one single-week course, each in different aspects of historic rehabilitation. Introductory periods cost $250 each, and regular coursework costs $500 a week or $3,600 for a full eight-week course. Financial aid is available for those who qualify. Most of the work will occur at the old Colonial Inn building on Madison Avenue, which was built in the 1870s and which the city purchased in 2016.
A shot of the interior of 1515 Madison Ave. Photo provided | The City of Covington
Currently, Enzweiler is leasing the building from the city for $1 a year. Kaitlin Bryan, the city of Covington’s historic preservation specialist, who led the session, said the school hoped to have the building completely restored in seven years, at which point the city will deed the building to the school, which will sell it and reinvest the profits back into the institute. Much of the work, Grady said, will be low-tech, using conventional hand tools. Students will learn how to assess various aspects of the building, including the woodwork, masonry, foundations and roofing. Students will also learn about materials sourcing and historical building systems. The skills the students develop working in the old inn can then be used to restore their own houses. “You will learn a lot of the components of the house, how to restore it with what materials, what method, what processes, how to kind of assess what’s going on,” Grady said. Bryan said that heritage trades are in high
demand. “We did a feasibility study in 2021, and they went around and they talked to a bunch of local contractors,” Bryan said. “All of those employers said, ‘We needed like five people yesterday,’ so it seems like it is very feasible to get a job.” Several attendees said they were interested in taking classes after the info session. When asked if he planned to enroll, Vinson said, “Absolutely.” “I think everybody should take a trade,” Vinson said. “I believe the biggest problem today is you have too many necessities where people need houses built. ... It’s worth a million bucks, in my opinion.” Get class schedules and application instructions at the Covington Academy of Heritage Trades website, heritagetradesacademy.com.
NKwhy: How does the Kentucky legislative process work?
Getting a bill from the House and Senate to the governor’s desk is all part of the legislative process. Photo provided | Legislative Research Commission, Public Information
By Rebecca Hanchett
K
entucky state lawmakers returned to the capital city of Frankfort on Jan. 2 to begin a legislative session that will culminate in a new state budget and new policies for the next two years and beyond. Some bills will pass easily; some may take months to move. Then again, some bills won’t pass at all. It all comes down to which issues lawmakers believe are critical to their region and the commonwealth. Kentucky Senate and Kentucky House leadership will direct the flow of bills and resolutions, giving top billing to legislation that best matches state and party priorities.
The top priority for Kentucky lawmakers — passing a biennial state spending plan that topped $29 billion in general funds this budget cycle — plays into which bills will pass, or not, as legislators negotiate for their districts. But getting a budget passed will not be easy. Budget sessions are notoriously difficult in Kentucky, where the majority of state dollars (at least 60 percent) are traditionally split between public education and Medicaid. Add in an ideological split between the Kentucky General Assembly and the governor’s office, and the challenge grows. The two branches — legislative and executive — are expected to have strikingly different spending and revenue plans for the 2024 “budget” session.
This may seem pretty convoluted for the average citizen who just wants to know how a bill becomes law. To make things clearer, LINK nky has answers to some common questions about the legislative process in Kentucky. How many bills can be filed in each legislative session? There’s no limit to the number of bills that can be filed in a legislative session. Members of the Kentucky Senate or House can file as many bills as they like, but only a fraction (typically no more than 20 percent) become law each year. Bills filed in a special, or “extraordinary,” session are limited to subjects specified
by the governor. Kentucky voters last fall rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed the General Assembly to call itself into special session for up to 12 days each calendar year. The proposed amendment fell short by 92,085 votes, according to certified 2022 general election results from the Kentucky secretary of state. Can anyone file a bill? Only a member of the Kentucky General Assembly can introduce legislation for passage in the commonwealth. But anyone can ask a Kentucky lawmaker to introduce a bill or resolution. It is very common for state lawmakers to introduce legislation Continues on page 10
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drafted by state government agencies and even private citizens, depending on the issue. Professional organizations, interest groups and model laws in other jurisdictions are all sources of bills that have become Kentucky law. Once a Kentucky state lawmaker decides to file legislation, the bill or resolution must be formatted by legislative staff and signed by the member who will introduce it. That legislator becomes the bill’s sponsor, navigating the legislation through sometimes murky political waters until the session ends. What happens if a bill dies? Can it be introduced again in the same session? Bills and resolutions are assigned a unique number when they are introduced each legislative session (House Bill 1 or Senate Bill 2, for example). If a bill is voted down, that vote can only be reconsidered if the bill is still in possession of the chamber that cast that vote. If a bill has passed one house and been defeated in the other with no reconsideration of the vote, the bill dies. Other bills, or amendments to bills, may be used to move legislation that has stalled. Otherwise it may be another year (or more) before that legislation has another chance to become law. How long does it take a bill to pass the Senate and House? That depends on House and Senate rules (procedure) and how they are handled. A vote to “suspend the rules” or other parliamentary maneuvers may be able to push
legislation through one or both houses within a few days. It can also take several weeks or months. A 200- to 300-page state budget bill, for example, goes through months of review and amendment before lawmakers even begin to agree on a spending plan. Even much less contentious bills can take weeks to navigate both chambers. Backing from the party in power can speed the process along, but even that isn’t a surefire indicator of a bill’s success. Bills filed by members of the majority party have been shipped to a committee and died there on more than one occasion. Legislation that appeals to a critical need or a party’s core ideology is more likely to make it through both chambers and onto the governor’s desk. How many votes does it take to pass a bill? The Kentucky Constitution states, “No bill shall become law unless, on its final passage, it receives the votes of at least two-fifths of the members elected to each House, and a majority of the members voting.” That means at least 16 senators and at least 40 state representatives must vote in favor of a bill before it can go to the governor. The vote threshold is higher for appropriations and revenue bills. Spending bills and bills that add to the state debt require what is called a “constitutional majority” of each chamber (or 51 votes in the House and 20 votes in the Senate) to pass in a budget session like this one.
A supermajority, or three-fifths of members elected to each chamber (23 senators and 60 state representatives), is required to pass spending and revenue bills in odd-numbered annual sessions. What about constitutional amendments?
Those days exclude Sundays, but Saturdays and every other day are fair game. Sometimes lawmakers decide to let a veto go unchallenged. Other vetoes are called up by the Senate and House for possible override, or reversal.
Kentucky constitutional amendments can be referred to the ballot by state lawmakers or addressed through a constitutional convention. Historically, most start as bills. A striking difference between a proposed constitutional amendment and most bills is how proposed amendments are enacted. First, there’s the number of votes required for the Kentucky General Assembly to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. The answer is a three-fifths majority of each chamber, or 23 votes in the Senate and 60 votes in the House.
Both chambers have a longstanding tradition of setting aside one or two days after each veto period to override vetoes opposed by their majorities. That was the case during the 2023 annual session, when lawmakers voted to override a veto to Senate Bill 150. The controversial law, now in effect, creates new standards for sex education and gender identification in public schools while banning gender-affirming health care for minors.
Then there’s where proposed constitutional amendments go when they leave the Legislature. Unlike most bills passed by the General Assembly, proposed amendments to the state constitution are not sent to the governor to be signed into law. They are sent to the Kentucky secretary of state to be placed on the general election ballot for voter approval. If approved, the General Assembly may then pass new laws under the authority granted to it by the amendment.
Courts have a big say in what happens in the Legislature. As the third branch of government, state and federal courts – or the judicial branch – interpret law and may even declare laws unconstitutional.
Who can veto a bill passed in Kentucky? Only the governor can veto a bill or resolution. A veto is the power of a governor to strike any legislation (except a proposed constitutional amendment) within 10 legislative days after he or she receives it.
What role do the courts play, if any?
Pivotal changes to Kentucky law have resulted from state and/or federal court rulings throughout history. Landmark rulings led to both the legalization of same-sex marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015) and statewide public education reform in Kentucky (Rose v. The Council for Better Education Inc., 1989). Legal challenges to Kentucky reproductive freedom laws are among those cases pending in the courts today.
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• AJ’s Towing & Recovery • Boone County Clerk • Campbell County Clerk’s Office • Campbell County Fire District #1 • Campbell County Fiscal Court • Campbell County Planning & Zoning • City of Alexandria • City of Bellevue • City of Cold Spring • City of Covington • City of Cresent Springs • City of Crestview Hills • City of Dayton • City of Edgewood • City of Elsmere • City of Erlanger • City of Florence • City of Fort Thomas • City of Fort Wright • City of Independence • City of Lakeside Park • City of Ludlow • City of Newport
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kenton county briefs NKY Chamber accepting applications in 9 categories for Business Impact Awards
For more information, contact David Gilligan with the sanitation district at 859-5786775 or dgilligan@sd1.org.
Do you own or run a business, or know of a business, that leads and innovates in its industry?
Ex-Kenton Co. coroner appeals conviction, seeks new trial on ‘overwhelming’ evidence
The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for its 2024 Business Impact Awards. The awards honor businesses — small and large, new and long-standing — that are positively impacting the Northern Kentucky community through innovation, creativity, strong business practices and leadership. The Business Impact Awards will be held on May 2 at Drees Pavilion and will recognize businesses in nine categories: small, medium and large businesses; for-profit and nonprofit community champions; cool place to work; heritage award; startup; and innovation. Qualifications for each award and the applications (accepted through Feb. 23.) can be found at nkychamber.com. Finalists will be announced in March, with winners revealed during the awards celebration on May 2.
Former Kenton County Coroner David Suetholz and his family arrive at the U.S. Courthouse in Covington on Dec. 28. Photo by Paul Weeden | WCPO
Former Kenton County Coroner David Suetholz has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to reverse his convictions and grant him a new trial. Suetholz was convicted in 2022 of 12 counts, including illegally dispensing opioids. In June, he was sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison.
For questions regarding the application process, please contact Vice President of Membership-Sponsorship Sales Lynn Abeln at 859-578-6390 or labeln@nkychamber.com.
“The government failed to present sufficient evidence that he knowingly and intentionally violated the law,” according to the brief filed by Suetholz’s attorneys in October. “The district court erred when it denied Dr. Suetholz’s motions for judgment of acquittal.”
Erlanger intersection of Forest, Fitzgerald avenues will be closed for 60 days
Suetholz, 75, is no longer a practicing physician.
The intersection of Forest and Fitzgerald avenues in Erlanger was closed beginning on Jan. 2 for 60 days. This closure will allow Sanitation District 1 and associated subcontractors to perform replacement work on the storm sewer system and overflow catch basins. The city recommends that travelers who frequent the area find alternative routes to their destinations.
On February 17, 2023, the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure revoked his medical license. According to the brief, U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning “prejudiced” the jury against Suetholz by allowing jury members to hear evidence that should have been ruled inadmissible. That evidence included details on the deaths of two of Suetholz’s patients who died from drug overdoses, even though he
didn’t prescribe the drugs that killed them, according to the brief. Suetholz’s appeal also claims that Bunning gave the jury improper instructions. “Therefore, this Court should reverse his conviction, as no reasonable jury could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Dr. Suetholz knowingly or intentionally violated the law,” according to Suetholz’s brief. On Dec. 28, prosecutors filed their response to Suetholz’s appeal. According to their filing, Bunning’s rulings didn’t prevent Suetholz from receiving a fair trial based on evidence. “Suetholz’s arguments against the jury’s verdict ignore the overwhelming evidence of his guilt,” according to the prosecution’s response. The prosecution argued that “Suetholz’s dangerous prescribing” of high-dose opioids in combination with other prescription medicines put patients at greater risk.
When it finally does snow, who clears roads? Here’s a look at how it breaks down While we didn’t get a white Christmas, winter weather is still going to be coming to Northern Kentucky soon. Before the real winter weather begins, we wanted to ask, how do snow and ice removal and mitigation work? The State of Kentucky Department of Transportation handles all interstates and state roads. Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties are responsible for roads within their respective borders that are not state or city roads. And cities address all roads in their jurisdictions, officials said. In Boone County, streets are ranked on a priority list, with one being the most urgent and three being the least urgent, according to the county’s Public Works Department.
ed to safely move the snow. The primary material used to treat the roads is salt, though in rare situations a sand-salt mix is deployed. There are three levels of snow emergencies in Kenton County: Level I Conditions: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and/or drifting snow. Roadways may be icy. Advisory: Cautious driving is advised. Level II Conditions: Roadways are hazardous, with blowing and drifting snow. Roadways may be icy. Advisory: Only motorists whose travel is necessary should be on the roadways. Residents are urged to contact their employers to see if they should report to work. Level III Conditions: All roadways are restricted to emergency personnel; travel for work, provisions, medical supplies or medical treatment; and private snow removal operations. Advisory: Essential travel only is advised. Violators are subject to prosecution. Residents are urged to contact their employers concerning work schedules. For more information regarding snow/ice removal, contact the following: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 6: 859-341-2700 Boone County Public Works Department: 859-334-3600 Campbell County Road Department: 859-635-9100 Kenton County Public Works Department: 859-392-1920 Direct snow/ice removal inquiries in cities to the specific municipality, officials said.
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news from other places Ohio Gov. DeWine vetoes ban on gender-affirming care for minors; GOP legislators may override veto
The decision by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to veto a measure that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors, as well as transgender athletes’ participation in girls’ and women’s sports, drew praise and criticism from around the U.S. Photo by Carolyn Kaster | Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a measure on Dec. 29 that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors, casting the action out of step with many in his own party as thoughtful, limited and “pro-life.” He simultaneously announced plans to move to administratively ban transgender surgeries until a person is 18, and to position the state to better regulate and track gender-affirming treatments in both children and adults. DeWine said he hoped the hybrid approach could win the support of legislative Republicans — who immediately signaled they’re considering a veto override — and serve as a national model to states, as gender-affirming care restrictions enacted across the country in recent years face lawsuits.
pute between the two, according to arrest reports. When deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the home on Christmas Day, Zachary Jones told them the girl had fled. But his mother disputed that, and deputies began searching to check on her safety, the reports said. She was found “inside a bedroom in a cut-out door in the floor covered by a rug,” the report said. Deputies later determined that she had been reported missing from Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Dec. 6. The girl told deputies that Jones picked her up after making contact a few weeks earlier and that he originally told her he was 19. When they met and she questioned why he looked older, he told her he was 25, but she found out after getting to his home and meeting his family that he was 34, the reports said. She said he threatened her and told her to tell people she was 18. She told officers that he had a gun and had threatened to kill her several times and that on the day they were found, they had used drugs and he had choked and assaulted her, the arrest reports said. Jones was charged with third-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment, assault, strangulation, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful transaction with a minor.
Trapped in his truck after crash, man survives 6 days with only water until fishermen find him
“Ultimately, these tough, tough decisions should not be made by the government. They should not be made by the state of Ohio,” DeWine said. “They should be made by the people who love these kids the most, and that’s the parents.” The vetoed bill would have prohibited Ohio minors from receiving gender reassignment surgery, but also from taking puberty blockers or undergoing other hormone therapies. It would have allowed those already undergoing treatments to continue, however.
Missing North Carolina girl, 16, found under trap door in floor at home of Kentucky man, 34 STANFORD, Ky. (AP) — Police in Kentucky found a missing 16-year-old North Carolina girl under a trap door in the bedroom of a 34-year-old man after the man’s mother called authorities to report a domestic dis12 JANUARY 12, 2024
South Bend Memorial Hospital released a statement on Reum’s behalf thanking people for their support and well wishes, “including the good Samaritans who found him, the first responders and his caregivers.” “No matter how tough things get, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, sometimes in the least expected way,” Reum said in the statement.
Judge: Ky. county clerk must pay $260K in case where she refused marriage license to gay couple LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Former county clerk Kim Davis, who refused to issue marriage licenses in Kentucky to same-sex couples, must pay a total of $260,104 in fees and expenses to attorneys who represented one couple, according to a federal judge’s ruling. That’s in addition to $100,000 in damages a jury said the former Rowan County clerk should pay the couple who sued. Attorneys for Davis had argued that the fees and costs sought by the attorneys were excessive, but U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning disagreed and said Davis must pay since the men prevailed in their lawsuit, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. Attorneys for Davis were expected to appeal the ruling.
The vetoed bill also would have banned transgender athletes’ participation in girls’ and women’s sports. DeWine said he listened to people on both sides of the legislation who all “sincerely and truly believe their position best protects children,” ultimately deciding he could not support legislation that bans health care that so many patients, families and doctors told him is saving lives.
Matthew R. Reum, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was freed from the wreckage by first responders, then airlifted to a hospital in South Bend.
Davis drew international attention when she was briefly jailed in 2015 over her refusal, which she based on her belief that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Matthew R. Reum was trapped in his crashed pickup truck beneath a highway bridge for six days until he was spotted by two men searching for fishing spots. Photo provided | Indiana State Police via Associated Press
PORTAGE, Ind. (AP) — A 27-year-old man survived for six days on only rainwater while pinned tightly inside his crashed pickup truck beneath a highway bridge in northwest Indiana, police said. His ordeal ended when two men scouting for fishing spots on Dec. 26 noticed the badly damaged vehicle, its white airbag deployed, and reached inside. “They touched the body, and the person turned their head and started talking to them. So, that got a little rise out of them,” Sgt. Glen Fifield of the Indiana State Police told news outlets. The truck went off Interstate 94 ahead of a bridge over Salt Creek, missing the guardrail and likely rolling several times before landing on the other side of the creek, hidden out of sight from the road above, Fifield said.
Davis was released only after her staff issued the licenses on her behalf but removed her name from the form. Kentucky’s state Legislature later enacted a law removing the names of all county clerks from state marriage licenses.
Research letter: Women in U.S. stocking up on abortion pills in face of ‘looming threat’ to rights
harder to get. Medication abortion accounts for more than half of all abortions in the U.S., and typically involves two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. A research letter published on Jan. 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine looked at requests for these pills from people who weren’t pregnant and sought them through Aid Access, a European online telemedicine service that prescribes them for future and immediate use. Aid Access received about 48,400 requests from across the U.S. for so-called “advance provision” from September 2021 through April 2023. Requests were highest right after news leaked in May 2022 that the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade — but before the formal announcement that June, researchers found. Nationally, the average number of daily requests shot up nearly tenfold, from about 25 in the eight months before the leak to 247 after the leak. In states where an abortion ban was inevitable, the average weekly request rate rose nearly ninefold. “People are looking at looming threats to reproductive health access, looming threats to their reproductive rights, and potentially thinking to themselves: How can I prepare for this? Or how can I get around this or get out ahead of this?” said Dr. Abigail Aiken, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin and one of the letter’s authors. Researchers found inequities in who is getting pills in advance. Compared with people requesting pills to manage current abortions, a greater proportion were at least 30 years old, white, had no children and lived in urban areas and regions with less poverty.
With help of 2 private firms, U.S. has its sights on moon landing more than 5 decades after Apollo CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Two private companies are hustling to get the U.S. back in the moon-landing game, more than five decades after the Apollo program ended. It’s part of a NASA-supported effort to kick-start commercial moon deliveries, as the space agency focuses on getting astronauts back there. “They’re scouts going to the moon ahead of us," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
Thousands of women stocked up on abortion pills in case they should need them, in the face of “looming threats” to their reproductive rights, according to a research letter published in a leading medical journal. File photo by Charlie Neibergall | Associated Press
Thousands of women stocked up on abortion pills just in case they needed them, new research shows, with demand peaking in the past couple years at times when it looked like the medications might become
Pittsburgh's Astrobotic Technology is up first with a planned liftoff of a lander on Jan. 8 aboard a new rocket, United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan. Houston's Intuitive Machines aims to launch a lander in mid-February, hopping a flight with SpaceX. Then there's Japan, which will attempt to land in mid-January. The Japanese Space Agency’s lander with two toy-size rovers had a big head start, sharing a September launch with an X-ray telescope that stayed behind in orbit around Earth.
calendar
January
Friday
Saturday 12
Comedy @ Commonwealth presents: Atheer Yacoub, 7-10 p.m., Commonwealth Sanctuary, 522 Fifth Ave., Dayton, Kentucky. $15. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Sunday 13
Monday 14
NKY Chapter of Kentucky Public Retirees meeting, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Golden Corral, 4770 Houston Road, Florence. All retirees from state, local and county governments who receive a pension from KERS or CERS are eligible to join and attend meetings, along with spouses. Support staff from Kentucky state universities and Kentucky Independent School Systems, as well as state police are also eligible.
Tuesday 15
Campbell County Board of Education meeting, 6-7 p.m., Alexandria Educational Center, 51 Orchard Lane, Alexandria Edgewood City Council meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m., City Building, 385 Dudley Road, Edgewood Fort Thomas City Council meeting, 7-8 p.m., City Building, 130 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas
Wednesday 16
Florence City Council caucus meetings, 6-7 p.m., City Building, 8100 Ewing Blvd., Florence Covington Commission caucus meeting, 6-7 p.m., City Hall, 20 W. Pike St., Covington Highland Heights City Council meeting, 7-8 p.m., City Building, 176 Johns Hill Road, Highland Heights
Thursday 17
Campbell County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:30 p.m., Administration Building, 1098 Monmouth St., Newport
18 Alexandria City Council meeting, 7-8 p.m., City Building, 8236 W. Main St., Alexandria
Campbell County Fiscal Court, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Administration Building, 1098 Monmouth St., Newport Fort Wright caucus meeting, 6-7 p.m., City Building, 409 Kyles Lane, Fort Wright Villa Hills City Council meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m., City Building, 719 Rogers Road, Villa Hills Southgate City Council meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m., City Building, 122 Electric Ave., Southgate Boone County Planning Commission meeting, 7-8 p.m., Fiscal Court, 2950 Washington St., Burlington
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real estate
1920s Tudor in Lakeside Park boasts lots of charm Address: 2582 Dixie Highway, Lakeside Park Price: $699,000 Bedrooms: Four Bathrooms: Four (plus one half-bath) Square feet: 3,496 School district: Kenton County County: Kenton Special features: This Lakeside Park Tudor home offers 1920s charm with modern upgrades. It’s very spacious, with four bedrooms, five bathrooms and almost 3,500 square feet of living space. The first floor has been updated with new flooring, granite countertops, new cabinets and modern appliances. Historic details throughout the home include two Rookwood tile fireplaces. This house offers several bonus spaces, including a sunroom, enclosed porch and attached apartment/mother-daughter suite.
This Lakeside Park home features historic details and modern upgrades. Photo provided | Jason Asch and Teresa Gillum with Keller Williams Realty Services
This 1920s Tudor has modern hardwood floors throughout the first floor. Photo provided | Jason Asch and Teresa Gillum with Keller Williams Realty Services
An enclosed porch looks out onto the front yard of this Lakeside Park property. Photo provided | Jason Asch and Teresa Gillum with Keller Williams Realty Services
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City
864 Carrieview Drive Lakeside Park 917 Keeneland Green Drive Union 2127 Penny Lane Hebron 7799 W Timber Creek Drive Alexandria 3129 Elmwood Road Erlanger 1199 Fieldsedge Drive Hebron 305 Rurel Court Burlington 1577 Jolee Drive Hebron 1733 Greatwood Drive Florence 10389 Flintrock Bluff Independence 361 Flintrock Bluff Independence 2260 Ky Highway 562 Warsaw 6388 Briargate Drive Burlington Lot 1 Bellavista Drive Cold Spring 863 Virginiabradford Court Elsmere 4 Bell Street Florence 3505 Concord Drive Erlanger 144 Elmsmead Court Crestview Hills 1704 Jefferson Avenue Covington 1248 Waterworks Road Newport
Recent NKY Home Sale Data
Price
Sale Date
Address
City
Price
Sale Date
$785,693 $492,000 $398,796 $389,900 $379,000 $370,000 $350,000 $365,000 $330,000 $311,700 $299,900 $295,000 $265,000 $250,000 $230,000 $225,000 $219,500 $182,000 $180,000 $159,900
12/21/23 12/29/23 12/21/23 12/28/23 12/29/23 12/29/23 12/21/23 12/29/23 12/26/23 12/30/23 12/21/23 12/22/23 12/29/23 12/27/23 12/21/23 12/28/23 12/29/23 12/28/23 12/21/23 12/21/23
10347 Petersburg Court 6222 Whitebark Court 1358 Meadowrun Lane 434 Shannon Drive 3023 Village Drive 3062 Brookwood Drive 928 6th Avenue 425 6th Avenue 185 Grant Park Drive 117 Highland Avenue 108 Pleasant Ridge Avenue 7 Burdsall Avenue 2713 Claiborne Court 549 Centre View Boulevard 144 Elmsmead Court 2127 Penny Lane 2106 Canyon Court 1577 Jolee Drive 2378 Bella Ridge 171A 2393 Lucca Way
Independence Independence Independence Edgewood Edgewood Edgewood Dayton Dayton Dayton Fort Mitchell Fort Mitchell Fort Mitchell Crestview Hills Crestview Hills Crestview Hills Hebron Hebron Hebron Covington Covington
$303,500 $375,000 $411,951 $270,000 $346,313 $250,000 $166,000 $110,000 $415,000 $340,000 $335,000 $275,000 $350,000 $250,000 $182,000 $398,796 $312,000 $365,000 $332,420 $440,656
12/4/23 12/5/23 12/29/23 12/8/23 12/20/23 12/29/23 12/11/23 12/11/23 12/28/23 12/11/23 12/11/23 12/12/23 12/12/23 12/12/23 12/28/23 12/21/23 12/22/23 12/29/23 12/22/23 12/22/23
features
LINK Streetscapes wraps up final installment of Streetscapes Wrapped in best possible way — with dessert By Maria Hehman In the two years that this Streetscapes series has been around, we’ve covered hundreds of local businesses. To commemorate the top discoveries we found in 2023, we continue to highlight some of our favorite finds in this series — coffee shops, restaurants, bars and bakeries just to name a few. Every year, the Spotify music streaming service gives users a personalized breakdown of their top listening, aptly called Spotify Wrapped. Retailers and businesses all over the world have adopted this idea, so here at LINK we are doing our own version, Streetscapes Wrapped. We break down the top places discovered from this series in 2023 — not necessarily new businesses, just new to this series and possibly to some readers. This week, we sample treats and sweets from bakeries and ice cream parlors, and even some sneakily healthy shakes. For this final round of Streetscapes Wrapped, we end the way all meals should — with dessert. Beaverlick Trading Post On the outskirts of NKY, this hidden gem has some massive milkshakes that are more than worth the road trip. Beaverlick Trading Post is a convenience store that doubles as a fast-casual eatery serving breakfast, burgers and pizza. It also has necessary snacks and supplies for those heading to Big Bone State Park; Beaverlick is mere minutes from the state park, making it the ideal place to stop pre- or posthike. Beaverlick came onto Streetscapes’ radar because of its famous Monster Milkshakes. They’re exactly as they sound — massive milkshakes with toppings so big they could be their own dessert. There are six flavors — Peanut Butter Palooza, Scandalous Smores, Strawberry Splurge, Death by Chocolate, Gummi Goliath and Outrageous Oreo. Each is piled high with cookies, cakes and ice cream bars — yes, ice cream as a topping for ice cream. When they said monster milkshakes, they meant it. These shakes are a great post-
hike treat and, due to their generous size, are best shared. Creating something this ornate takes time; guests can shop the convenience store and explore the front and side patios while waiting. The soft serve ice cream is also lactose-free; those wanting a smaller treat are best suited with the traditional soft serve. Bailey Jaynes Cafe and Bakery For baked goods, cookies, pies, custom cakes, coffee and Kentucky hospitality, Bailey Jaynes is a little slice of pie. The exterior is very reminiscent of the style of Joanna Gaines, the well-known interior decorator and HGTV show host. But the inside has more antique touches that blend modern style with vintage. The café and bakery was started by a mother-daughter duo, and one cannot help but think the decor represents a blending of tastes and generations. As for the food, Bailey Jaynes is most famous for its donuts and robust pastry offerings. From old-fashioned donuts to custard- and cream-filled options, narrowing it down to one or, hey, even a dozen seems an impossible feat. These sweet treats make a great gift for a host or last-minute employee appreciation gift. For other special occasions, there are also custom cakes. These must be ordered in advance; however, those in a time crunch can shop the premade cake display. To balance out the desserts, for beverages there is coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Empower Nutrition After the holidays, many of us crave the sweets we consumed over the past couple of weeks but want healthier options. Empower Nutrition in Cold Spring is the perfect solution. Those looking to reset and start the new year on a healthy note have ample options at Empower. There are three main beverage options — wellness shots, herbal teas and protein shakes. The wellness shots and herbal teas primarily have fruity flavors, while the protein shakes are dessert-inspired. These shakes are great for post-workout or as a meal replacement on a busy day. They
are packed with protein, without missing out on flavor. With over 30 choices, from Peanut Butter S’mores to Cake Batter to Thin Mint, these low-sugar protein shakes will conquer any cravings. Hello Honey With its original location across the river, Hello Honey ice cream was warmly welcomed in Fort Thomas, even with a winter debut. (Because every season should be ice cream season). Hello Honey creates its ice cream without artificial flavors or colors. Its menu changes with the season and always includes non-dairy ice cream options, along with its traditional ice cream. The creative flavors at the moment include Cookies and Biscoff, Banana Honeycomb and Maple Pancake. Guests can order ice cream by the scoop or buy a pint to take home with them. For toppings, there are traditional sprinkles, chocolate and whipped cream, but guests looking for an epic addition to their ice cream can add a giant toasted marshmallow — a topping so big, it almost looks like another ice cream scoop. Hello Honey’s small-batch ice cream is just the beginning of its offerings. It has other desserts, including cakes that are also made in-house. They resemble more of a cake roll than a traditional cake, swirled with icing so that every bite is beautifully balanced with icing and cake. Golden Gelato Golden Gelato is perfectly placed in the heart of Covington. There is no better way to end a night out than with dessert. With plenty of bars and restaurants nearby, the location is an easy addition to end an evening the right way. Gelato’s thick and rich texture makes for an indulgent treat. Many of its flavors are locally sourced, and the gelato is churned in-house daily. Flavors rotate weekly to ensure the highest-quality ingredients, but there are several that are mainstays on the menu. Golden Gelato offers both traditional and vegan gelato flavors and, in true Italian fashion, has affogatos — an espresso shot
poured over gelato. Biscoff Cookie and Vegan Dark Chocolate are menu mainstays. On the menu now, there is Cranberry Cheesecake, Pineapple Sorbet and Tiramisu. No matter the flavor, guests are treated to bold flavors and a taste of Italy in Covington. The small shop has two sections – an entrance, where guests order, and a side sitting room. In the warmer months, it also has outside seating. Guests can also order to-go pints to enjoy at home. The shop’s interior is simple, rustic and adorned in greenery and touches of exposed brick.
What to Know If You Go: Beaverlick Trading Post Location: 2009 Beaver Road, Union Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Website: beaverlickpost.com Phone: 859-493-4155
Bailey Jaynes Cafe and Bakery Location: 5 N. Main St., Walton Hours: Monday and Tuesday, closed; Wednesday-Friday, 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Website: baileyjaynes.com Phone: 859-493-4002
Empower Nutrition Location: 28 Martha Layne Collins Blvd., Cold Spring Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sunday, closed Phone: 859-360-2641
Hello Honey Location: 118 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas Hours: Monday, closed; Tuesday-Friday, 4-9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1-9 p.m. Website: hellohoneyicecream.com Phone: 513-399-7986
Golden Gelato Location: 130 W. Pike St., Covington Hours: Monday, closed; Tuesday-Thursday, noon-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, noon-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon-9 p.m. Website: goldengelatocov.com Phone: 859-360-3709
JANUARY 12, 2024 15
Hotly recruited Newport sophomore Tay Kinney already one of Kentucky’s best high school basketball players By Marc Hardin
I
t’s the second day of the new year, and coach Rod Snapp stands near the Newport High School gymnasium alongside point guard Tay Kinney. The Wildcats just wrapped up a 90-minute practice, and Snapp is listening to Kinney talk about the basketball team. The Wildcats haven’t made any New Year’s resolutions, but Kinney is resolute. The most important thing to him when it comes to Newport basketball is winning games. The comment puts a smile on the coach’s face. “He’s 15, but he’s ahead of his years,” Snapp said. “It helps that he’s got good bloodlines. All kinds of people have played basketball in his family. His dad played at Lloyd. His mom went to Highlands, and her dad played.”
Considering the skinny on Kinney, there could have been an entirely different answer. Kinney entered the season tabbed the local coach’s association’s top player in Northern Kentucky. Everybody else on the list of Top 10 players is older than Kinney. In the class of 2026, Kinney is the No. 3 college prospect in Kentucky, according to Prephoops. com. With 22 college offers in hand, including those from Louisville, Cincinnati, Xavier, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Illinois and Texas A&M, Kinney has established himself as an elite national prospect and one of the most hotly recruited basketball players in Northern Kentucky history. He received his first offer as a freshman. He announced his latest offer, from the Tennessee Volunteers, on Christmas Eve.
every day. My teammates look for me. My confidence is high.” And so is his scoring average, up about eight points over last season and holding steady at around 22 per game. He’s among 9th Region and Kentucky leaders. Kinney averaged 13.9 points last season. On Dec. 30, he had one of the best single-game performances in the history of Newport, the oldest high school still operating in Kentucky. Kinney scored a career-high 49 points on 11-for-14 shooting from the field, 7-for-11 from 3-point range and 6-for-8 on free throws in 26 minutes against a defending Indiana state champion in a tournament final in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Snapp said Kinney’s virtual bucket-a-minute performance was a thing of beauty. But he could have scored more.
There will be more. Direct in conversation while carrying a 3.62 grade-point average in school, Kinney is easy to understand. But on the basketball court, he is beyond comprehension. For a player so remarkably skilled, he’s only going to get better. When asked what he likes most about the season to date, Kinney said, “Winning. And being with my teammates and being real close.”
But Kinney isn’t necessarily interested in talking a whole lot about himself after practice. When prodded, he talks a bit about work ethic, but he quickly segues to comments about others. When asked why he’s playing so much better this season, he said. “I’m in the gym
in uniform, he could score another 2,000 points and have a shot at 3,000. Fewer than 40 players have scored that many points in Kentucky history. That’s how good Kinney is. Among his areas of improvement are shooting and defense. He’s shooting around 45% from 3-point range. He ranks among state leaders in free throw shooting, hovering around 85%. He’s shooting around 50% from the field. And he’s got some of the sickest moves in Kentucky. Though he stands 6-1 and weighs a little less than 170 pounds, Kinney is threatening to be Newport’s second-leading rebounder. He’s averaging about 5.0 rebounds per game. “The kid is very special,” Snapp said. “He’s got big-time goals, and we want to help him realize them.”
“We took him out with 3 minutes left, thinking he had 50,” Snapp said. “I don’t like showing up anybody. But had I known he had 49, I would’ve put him back in. I’ve looked it up. I’ve asked, and I don’t think anybody at Newport has scored 50 in a game.” With 966 career points on New Year’s Day, Kinney was on pace to quickly join Newport’s 1,000-point club, as a sophomore. He’s on pace to smash Newport’s career scoring record of 1,965 points. But Kinney wants to talk about the team. “My teammates are good at finding the hot hand,” he said. “They keep us going.” If he keeps it up, Kinney will likely go down in Newport history as one of its greatest basketball players. But Kinney would prefer to talk about current Wildcats, like fellow youngster Griffin Starks, a 6-8 freshman post player. “It’s a good flow when he’s in there,” Kinney said. “When he gets an offensive rebound, he’s looking for us.”
Newport’s Tay Kinney (right) has an arsenal of incredible moves. He’s shown here winding his way past a Conner defender in a game last season. Photo provided | Bob Jackson
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If Kinney averages 23 points per game the rest of his Newport career, which is entirely possible, and plays in as many as 90 more games for a Wildcats squad expected to be a regional and state contender with Kinney
Tay Kinney’s reputation is soaring. The Newport standout had 22 college offers by Jan. 1. Photo provided | Dale Dawn
sports NKY Sports Hall of Fame to induct 8 new members during ceremony on Jan. 17
The Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame will induct eight new members on Jan. 17. Photo provided | NKY Sports Hall of Fame
Tom Ferguson (Dayton), Megan Desola (Conner), Angela Tullis Hummeldorf (Newport Central Catholic), Mike Bramlage (Boone County), Jesse Herbst (Dayton), Hallie Hundermer Booth (Bellevue), Steve Crittendon (Bellevue) and Amy Michelle Carpenter (Conner) will become the newest members of the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame at 1 p.m. on Jan. 17 at the Gardens of Park Hills. Ferguson played football for the Greendevils from 1963-64; in both years, he was selected to the NKAC All-Star team and the Courier-Journal All-State Class A team. He attended Georgetown College following high school but left early for a tour of Vietnam. Desola ran track and cross-country all four years at Conner. She won the regional 100-meter and 200-meter dashes during her junior and senior year, winning All-Region in those seasons and getting dubbed “the fastest girl in NKY.” Tullis Hummeldorf was part of three state championship softball teams with the Thoroughbreds. After the 2000 season, she was named Kentucky Softball Player of the Year. She also played volleyball and earned several All-Tourney teams and MVP awards, and she officiates volleyball at several levels, including NCAA, AAU and NAIA. Bramlage was a three-year starter in football and basketball for the Rebels. On the gridiron, he helped lead Boone County to a state runner-up finish in 1992 and the state semifinals in 1993. In ’93, he led NKY
with 10 interceptions and was named to the Coaches Association All-Stars and the NKY Top 24, as well as being named a That’s My Boy finalist in 1994. He then went on to Thomas More, where he earned several All-American honors. Herbst played and lettered four years at Dayton, earning All-Conference and NKY All-Star honors in 1989. He also ran track for six years and was named NKAC Runner of the Year in 1989 and ’90. He attended Campbellsville and was a member of the Mid-South Conference champions in 1992. After college, he came back home and was an assistant coach for the football team for 18 years. He’s also coached at Simon Kenton, where he was the defensive coordinator for the state runner-up Pioneers in 2008. Herbst is currently the head football coach for Dayton. Hundermer Booth was a standout swimmer at Bellevue, where she was named All-Conference seven times, All-Region five times and All-State five times. She was offered a full-ride scholarship to Florida State University and qualified for the 1988 Olympic trials. She still holds the record for the 25-meter butterfly in the national YMCA league. She was the swim coach at Dixie Heights and was named 9th Region Coach of the Year in 1998-99. In tennis, she was named All-Region three times and accepted a scholarship to play tennis at Northern Kentucky University. She started “First Serve,” dedicated to bringing tennis to underprivileged kids, and has been teaching life skills by using sports and mentoring for the last eight years. Hundermer Booth was elected to the Bellevue High School Hall of Fame in 2007. Crittendon was a three-year starter in both football and basketball for Bellevue. He earned All-Conference honors and Honorable Mention All-State in both sports. He was the starting quarterback for the Tigers’ two state runner-up teams, was named to the first East/West All-Star game and earned MVP honors in the game. He was a 1,000-point scorer for the Tigers basketball team. After high school, Crittendon attended Defiance College and was a four-year starter at strong safety. He was an All-American nomination in 1985 and led the conference in interceptions. After
graduating from Defiance, he worked at the White House for the Secret Service. He currently works as a subcontractor for MLB as an authenticator.
After 10 seasons, Wiggins not returning as head coach for Bishop Brossart football
Carpenter ran track and cross-country for five seasons at Conner from 1984-88. She was a regional champ in the 4x100 and 4x200 relay in 1987 and ’88. She qualified for the Junior Olympics twice in the 4x800 and long jump. After high school, she attended Marshall University, where she was part of the team that set the school record in the 4x800 relay and was later named All-Conference.
Newport Central Catholic accepting applications for girls soccer coach
Bishop Brossart announced on Jan. 3 that Paul Wiggins Jr. will no longer be the head coach of the football program. Photo provided | Patty Goering
Newport Central Catholic High School will be looking for a new girls head soccer coach next season.
Bishop Brossart High School announced on Jan. 3 that Paul Wiggins Jr. will not be returning as the head football coach.
The school posted the opening on Jan. 2 and asked anyone interested to send a résumé and references to Athletic Director Jeff Schulkens at jschulkens@ncchs.com, or call 859-292-0001, ext. 511 with any questions.
Wiggins coached the Mustangs for the past 10 seasons and, after starting with just 21 players during the 2014 season, built the program up with three district championships in his tenure, including the program’s first in 2016. He finishes with a 67-43 record in the 10 years.
Schulkens noted that it was a “mutual parting of ways” with former coach Raymond Joshua. Joshua was the coach the previous two seasons, guiding the team to a 10-32-2 record during that span. The Thoroughbreds are coming off a 3-20-1 season, finishing as 36th District runner-up and making the 9th Region tournament quarterfinals. They’ll graduate 10 players from the 2023 team. The high school is hopeful to start breaking ground on an on-campus multipurpose athletic complex this year. The facility would provide a home field for boys and girls soccer, track and football teams and a practice facility for baseball and softball teams. The process is in the works, and the school has enough pledges to meet funding needs. It will break ground once 50% of the funds needed for the complex are in hand.
After winning just one game in Wiggins’ inaugural season in 2014, the Mustangs finished with a winning record seven of nine seasons after that, including back-to-back district titles in 2021 and ’22. They followed those up with a 5-6 record in 2023, runner-up in the Class 1A, 4th District. It was a fairly young team last season, with just seven seniors on the roster. Prior to his head coaching position at Brossart, Wiggins was the head coach of the school’s middle school program. After every season, a year-end meeting is held, and school officials told Wiggins of their intentions. The Mustangs had 44 players on the roster last season, according to the KHSAA roster, and will begin their second season in 2024 in the Class 1A, 4th District with Ludlow, Holy Cross and Trimble County.
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Meet House Minority Whip Rachel Roberts By Rebecca Hanchett
the final year of her term.
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.
During this session, Roberts told LINK, she wants to pass legislation to improve mental health care statewide. A priority of hers is to require that insurers cover an annual mental health checkup at 100% of the cost, just as they do for annual physicals. It’s part of a mental health parity proposal that Roberts said she is pulling from her work as vice chair of the health care committee of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators.
R
ep. Rachel Roberts was first elected to her Kentucky District 67 House seat in 2020 to fill the unexpired term of former Rep. Dennis Keene. Days after she took office in March, COVID-19 changed life as she and everyone else knew it. “The world shut down,” Roberts told LINK nky. The Kentucky General Assembly continued to meet in session that winter, but it was far from business as usual. Leadership held down the floor while many members sent their votes to the chamber from their legislative offices to reduce exposure to the virus. Votes that typically take less than a minute or two to tally trickled in gradually. Everyone, including new members like Roberts, had to adapt. It didn’t take long for her to get acclimated. The small-business owner from Newport went on to win the seat a second time that fall, followed by a second full term in 2022. Then, last December, Roberts became one of only six women ever elected to a leadership position in the chamber when Democrats elected her House minority whip. Now she’s looking toward the future. Roberts announced on Dec. 20 that the 2024 legislative session will be her last representing the district. She decided against running for re-election after initially filing as a candidate in next year’s primary. But she doesn’t intend to be a lame duck during
The legislation, she said, has three primary goals: Erase the stigma of mental health care, build patient-provider relationships and improve general access to mental health care. “The idea here would be that, No. 1, we would normalize mental health care. No. 2 is to make sure that people have a trusted provider, so when they perhaps get to a moment of need in their lifetime, they’re not relying on a stranger. They know who to call for assistance,” she told LINK. “And No. 3, and perhaps most importantly, it’s a way to entice providers to come to the state and have a built-in client base to begin their practice.” Roberts elaborated: “We have a real shortage of mental health care providers in the state. So my hope is that this would be a way to help not only entice people to come but, for the people we train, to get them to stay in Kentucky.” Roberts also wants to pass a bill this session that requires health insurers to create a special enrollment period for pregnant individuals. A similar bill made it out of the House Banking and Insurance Committee in 2023 but stalled after it was reassigned to the House Budget Committee in late
House Minority Whip Rachel Roberts (D-Newport) speaks on Senate Bill 150, legislation on gender services and education. Photo provided | Legislative Research Commission, Public Information
March. That bill (House Bill 286) was a bipartisan measure introduced by lead sponsors Rep. Sarah Stalker (D-Louisville) and Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser (R-Taylor Mill). Roberts said she expects to see “bipartisan interest for a positive outcome” on maternal health issues again this year.
she said.
“We tend to have a lot of bills that operate in the same sphere, because we are hearing the same needs from our constituents since our districts are intertwined. I am always happy to work with anyone who has a shared interest in the health care of our communities,” she told LINK.
Rep. Rachel Roberts (D-Newport) represents northwestern Campbell County in Kentucky’s 67th House District. She is a member of both the House Committee on Committees and Rules Committee, as well as the House Small Business and Information Technology Committee, Banking and Insurance Committee, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee, and Transportation Committee. Additionally, she is a member of the statutory Legislative Research Commission, along with the interim joint committees on Tourism, Small Business, and Information Technology, Banking and Insurance, and Transportation. Roberts also serves as a member of several legislative caucuses.
Any issue that affects her district has Roberts’ attention. And that includes talk of changing the certificate of need process, or CON. “My biggest concern around CON, should something change, is making sure whatever playing field we choose is equitable,”
Roberts told LINK she intends to do her best for the district: “I was taught that when you have the capacity to do more for your community, it’s not only your duty, but it’s a duty you undertake with great joy.”
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