KENTON
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 8 — JANUARY 19, 2024
THE VOICE OF NKY
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Why are there so many uncontested races in NKY? By Noah Jones
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ave Meyer spent the last five months recruiting candidates for Kentucky’s state and senate races. The vice president of the Kenton Democrats said the result was not exactly what he was looking for. “I called about 100 people to ask if they were interested (in running for office); about 90% to 95% said they were flattered and honored,” Meyer said. The next day, he said, they called him back and told him they wanted to stay involved, but not this year. Civic participation in this primary election in the political elections was “good, but not great,” he told LINK nky. As of the Jan. 5 filing deadline to run for office in Kentucky, 40% of House and state candidates are running unopposed. In Northern Kentucky as a whole, there are several local uncontested primary races: Uncontested race in Boone County: • County Circuit Court Clerk: David Continues on page 3
A voter casts her ballot at the Hebron firehouse on Election Day in November 2023. Photo by Joe Simon | LINK nky contributor
‘Where are they supposed to go?’ By Nathan Granger
er man,” though he’s not actually ordained.
ean Raney, Jess Sissom and Joe McGee sat in the McDonald’s on Winston Avenue in Latonia in October. Sissom said he likes this McDonald’s in particular because it’s one of the few places in town where they don’t get harassed.
He spends many of his mornings outside distributing supplies to Covington’s homeless population: blankets, food, tents and other basic supplies. Often, he said, he pays for these materials out of his own pocket.
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“Everything’s more complicated when you’re homeless,” McGee said. Sissom and Raney are both unhoused. McGee is not unhoused. He’s a retired nurse and attorney. Driven by a deep sense of what he describes as a Christian mission to help others, he spends many of his days with the region’s homeless population, helping out as he can. An abandoned homeless encampment in Covington. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
He said people refer to him as “this preach-
People who lack any kind of permanent housing — people like Raney and Sissom — are hunkering down for the winter. They are but two of a population of people who exist in the hidden-away places parallel to the rest of society. Raney and Sissom share an encampment hidden away in Covington. A makeshift firepit sits in the center, with two tents and a plastic table nearby. Exact numbers are difficult to pin down, but there are data sources that shed some light on the size of the homeless populaContinues on page 6
Here’s who is running for office in NKY p4 Who clears the roads when it snows? p9 Meet your legislator: Damon Thayer p19
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PRESIDENT & CEO Lacy Starling CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Mark Collier MANAGING EDITOR Meghan Goth SPORTS EDITOR Evan Dennison The LINK nky Kenton Reader is a weekly newspaper. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending, permit number 32 in Covington, Kentucky. The LINK nky Kenton Reader office of publications and the Periodical Pending Postage Paid at 700 Scott St., Covington, KY 41011. For mailing address or change-of-address orders: POSTMASTER: send address changes to The LINK nky Kenton Reader: 31 Innovation Alley, Covington, KY 41011 859-878-1669 | www.LINKnky.com
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Martin of Florence (Republican)
“It consumes a lot of time,” Meyer said. “It offers very little pay, and there is often a lot of scrutiny that accompanies it.”
Uncontested races in Campbell County: • Circuit Clerk 19th District: Taunya Nolan Jack, California, Kentucky (Republican) • Newport Mayor: Thomas L. Guidugli (Nonpartisan) • Highland Heights City Council: R. Alex Bramel (Nonpartisan)
Meyer added that the formal requirement for state Legislature is three to four hours a week, but he and the Democratic Party ask for about 20 hours in order for someone to be a good candidate. The pay is about $22,000 annually.
Uncontested races in Kenton County: • Commonwealth’s Attorney 16th district: Rob Sanders, Fort Mitchell (Republican) • Circuit Court Clerk: John C. Middleton, Independence (Republican) • Covington Mayor: Ron Washington (Nonpartisan) Campbell County Clerk Jim Luersen said there was no concern over these uncontested races, because certain barriers tend to leave some primary races uncontested regularly. To run for circuit clerk, for example, a candidate must have passed an exam taken by Nov. 17. For a commonwealth attorney, one must have a law degree. “For a lot of people, it’s a sign of confidence from the other side,” Kenton County Clerk Gabrielle Summe said of the uncontested races in her county. “That, or they couldn’t find someone to run.” Meyer said the hang-up for multiple political offices is the need for a lot of time, plus minimal pay.
“If you are a mid-30-year-old trying to get your career on track and raise a family, there’s just a lot of conflict there to run for city commission or any of these local offices, given the headaches that are involved,” he said. The current mayor of Covington, Meyer’s father, Joe Meyer, is leaving the office at the end of his term. Current Commissioner Ron Washington is the only candidate who filed to replace him. “I think the mayor pulls in the big dollars at $30,000, $35,000 a year and works about 60 hours a week,” Meyer said. “The reality is Joe Meyer is doing this for the cause, not for the money. Same thing with Ron. That’s part of the problem when you are talking about why people don’t want to do this. No one is ever in it for the money, but there is a trade-off when the opportunity cost is real.” Meyer also said one thing he and his Republican opponents look at is the electability of a candidate.
how likely it is to win and how motivated your side or someone on your side might be,” Meyer said. “So if they are going up against a popular or prominent opponent who is tough to beat, it’s harder to win that and harder to find someone to try and win that than if there is a weak candidate who is offensive to your party.” Former Republican Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson said he thinks the amount of uncontested races is an issue. “We need good people to run,” Grayson said. “It is a sacrifice to do it, but it’s rewarding. We need good people to run and hold people accountable. It keeps people on their toes when they have someone running against them in the primary or the general elections.” Grayson said that when he had a challenger in 2007, he had to prove he was up to the task of being re-elected and that he would do a good job. “I admire everyone that runs. If you don’t run, you can’t win,” he said. “There are always improvements that can be made.” He also said voter turnout rises when there is a tightly contested race. “That‘s when you get more turnout — when it’s competitive,” Grayson said. “When there are uncontested races, people ask, ‘Why would I go out and vote?’”
“Anyone who is running for office or recruiting for candidates is going to calculate
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A sign tells voters where to go at the Kenton County Library on Election Day in November 2023. Photo by Joe Simon | LINK nky contributor
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From NKY state legislative, local and congressional candidates, here’s who is running for office By Rebecca Hanchett
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ight competitive state legislative primary races are coming to Northern Kentucky on May 21, as candidates for the region’s 10 state House district seats and three of five Senate seats head for the 2024 ballot. A total of 32 state legislative candidates and three District 4 congressional candidates — including incumbent Thomas Massie (RKY) — met the Jan. 5 filing deadline to run in the state’s 2024 primary, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office. U.S. presidential candidates and several local races will also be on the ballot. Kentucky House primary races NKY state House incumbents who face primary opposition are House District 60 Rep. Marianne Proctor (R-Union), House District 64 Rep. Kimberly Moser (R-Taylor Mill), House District 69 Rep. Steven Doan (R-Erlanger) and House District 61 Rep. Savannah Maddox (R-Dry Ridge). Both Maddox and Proctor picked up primary challengers close to the 4 p.m. filing deadline on Jan. 5. Maddox — whose district covers Grant, Gallatin and parts of both Kenton and Boone counties — is challenged by Republican Jarrod Lykins of Walton. No Democratic challenger has filed for the House District 61 seat. Proctor, who already potentially faces a general election challenge from Democrat Deborah Ison Flowers of Union, picked up challenges from Christopher Pavese of Union and Republican Darren Nichols close to the deadline (research by LINK nky on the challengers revealed no verifiable information on deadline). Moser will run for a fourth term in her central Kenton County district in May against Independence real estate agent Karen Campbell. Doan — a freshman elected in 2022 — faces a primary challenge from attorney Diane Brown of Erlanger.
The Kentucky Statehouse in Frankfort. File photo | LINK nky
64 and District 69 will also face challengers in the general election. Democrat Heather Crabbe, an Independence attorney with Russell-Ireland Law Group in Covington, is running unopposed for Moser’s seat in the primary. In District 69, Democrat Wilanne Stangel of Erlanger is running unopposed on the primary ballot. Stangel is a library media specialist with the Boone County library system. Also facing a primary challenge is former state House member Ed Massey. The Hebron Republican is running against Liberty Republican TJ Roberts of Burlington for Massey’s former north/northwestern Boone County House District 66 seat now held by Rep. Steve Rawlings (R-Burlington). Rawlings is running this year for the Boone County Senate (District 11) seat held by Sen. John Schickel (R-Union), who has announced that he won’t seek re-election. Whoever wins the Republican primary for House District 66 will face Democratic challenger Peggy Houston-Nienaber of Union. Nienaber (whose Facebook profile describes her as a “Kentucky teacher”) is running unopposed in May.
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The winner of the primary in both District
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Two Republican state House incumbents
are running unopposed in the primary: Rep. Kim Banta (R-Fort Mitchell) whose House District 63 covers part of north Boone and Kenton counties; and Rep. Mark Hart (R-Falmouth), who represents House District 78, which covers all of Pendleton County and parts of Boone, Campbell and Kenton. Other Kentucky House races in NKY in 2024 General election matchups between NKY Republicans and non-incumbent Democrats fill up the rest of the state House ballot for the region: House District 65 Incumbent Republican Rep. Stephanie Dietz (R-Edgewood) will run to retain her House District 65 seat against Democrat Aaron Currin of Fort Wright. Dietz is a family law attorney and a freshman state lawmaker representing the north/central Kenton County district. Currin is an attorney based in Covington, per his LinkedIn page. House District 67 Running for the House District 67 (north/
western Campbell County) seat being vacated in January 2025 by House Minority Whip Rachel Roberts of Newport are Democrat Matthew Lehman of Newport and Republicans Tony Hatton of Bellevue, Jerry C. Gearding of Wilder and Brian K. Ormes of Sulfate. Lehman is a health care and biotech executive who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie for the District 4 congressional seat in 2022. Hatton is a U.S. Army vet who owns VSP Management Co., a consultant and security company in NKY and Cincinnati. The Republicans will face off in May. Roberts beat Gearding for the same seat in 2022, and Gearding subsequently filed a defamation suit against the state Democratic Party and Roberts based on the campaign. LINK nky has covered the candidate extensively over the past two years. House District 68 Incumbent Rep. Mike Clines (R-Alexandria) of House District 68 will face Fort Thomas Democrat Brandon Long for that district seat. Distinct 68 covers the eastern half of Campbell County. Clines is a professional educator who spent 27 years with the Diocese of Covington Catholic Schools. Long
— a teacher and self-described “survivor of conversion therapy” who wants to ban the practice specifically as it relates to minors — said in a release that he’s “supporting effective governance in partnership with the Governor (Andy Beshear).” Kentucky Senate races in NKY Two of three NKY state Senate races this year involve primary challenges. On Friday, Rawlings received a last-minute challenge from Republican Duane Froelicher of Florence in the race for Senate District 11, which covers most of Boone County. Rawlings, elected to the House in 2022 as a Liberty Republican, is an attorney who ran in 2022 as a constitutional conservative. Froelicher, a financial planner and former Florence City Council member, ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Florence in 2022 against former Florence Vice Mayor Julie Metzger Aubuchon.
will face a Democratic challenger — Kiana Fields, a University of Louisville research coordinator — in the fall. The other challenge will happen in November in a race for the Senate District 23 seat now held by Senate Appropriations and Revenue Chair Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-Ryland Heights). McDaniel faces a general election challenge from Democrat and local artist, business owner and author Jennifer Sierra of Covington. A press release from her campaign describes Sierra as “a longtime advocate for women’s healthcare and survivors of domestic violence.” NKY’s other two state Senate seats — District 20, held by Sen. Gex Williams (R-Verona) and District 24, held by Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer (R-Alexandria) — are not up for election until 2026. Local races to watch
A soon-to-be-open Senate District 17 seat now held by Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) will involve two Republican primary challengers and a Democrat. Facing off in the primary for the district (which covers all of Scott and Grant counties and part of Kenton and Fayette counties) are Republicans Matt Nunn of Sadieville and Julia Jaddock of Georgetown. Nunn is the owner of Slainte Public House in Georgetown. Jaddock is a second-grade teacher and business consultant, according to her LinkedIn profile. The winner
The following is a list of candidates who have filed with their county clerk to run in local government elections in NKY: Boone County Boone County Circuit Court Clerk: David Martin of Florence (Republican) City Council races (nonpartisan races): Jonathan William Trimble, Florence, City Council
Mel Carroll, Florence, City Council David Osborne, Florence, City Council Patricia Wingo, Florence, City Council Angela Cable, Florence, City Council Lesley Chambers, Florence, City Council School Board: Carolyn Hankins Wolfe, Hebron, School Board District 1 (nonpartisan seat) Campbell County Commonwealth’s Attorney 17th District: Michael C. Zimmerman, Newport (Republican) Circuit Court Clerk 19th District: Taunya Nolan Jack, California, Kentucky (Republican) Newport Mayor: Thomas L. Guidugli of Newport (nonpartisan) Newport Board of Commissioners (nonpartisan): Mike Radwanski Ken Rechtin Julie Smith-Morrow Aaron W. Sutherland Vince Proffitt Highland Heights City Council (nonpartisan): R. Alex Bramel Bellevue City Council (nonpartisan): Mike Almoslechner Stephen R. Guidugli Shauna Kruse John L. Ondeck Kara Harp Phillip Lanz Dayton City Council (nonpartisan): Tarris “Troy” Horton Joseph “Joe” Neary Beth Nyman Fort Thomas City Council (nonpartisan): Eric Strange Andy Ellison Ben Pendery Lauren McIntosh Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney 16th District Rob Sanders, Fort Mitchell (Republican)
The Union fire station was the site of voting on Election Day in November 2023. Photo by Joe Simon
Inside of the Kentucky Statehouse in Frankfort. File photo | LINK nky
Circuit Court Clerk: John C. Middleton, Independence (Republican) Covington Mayor (nonpartisan) Ron Washington Covington Commission (nonpartisan): Morgan L. Davenport BIll Wells Tim Downing Devin Kroner Bradie Bowen Aaron Wolpert James Toebbe Shannon C. Smith Tim Acri Cari McMurty Garriga Erlanger City Council (nonpartisan): Diana Niceley Tyson Hermes Victoria Kyle Rebecca Reckers Jennifer Jasper-Lucas Michele Fields Thomas Cahill Gary Meyer Renee Skidmore Don Skidmore Frank A. Wichmann Christopher Farmer Nicholas Eads Renee Wilson Aaron Arlinghaus Bromley City Council (nonpartisan): Dianne Wartman Tim Wartman
JANUARY 19, 2024 5
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tion in Kentucky. Almost 4,200 people in Kentucky received various sheltering services in 2022, according to the Kentucky Homeless Management Information System, a 6.6% increase from the 3,941 who received shelter in 2021. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), on the other hand, indicates there were 3,984 homeless people in various sheltering programs throughout the state of Kentucky in fiscal year 2022, based on point-in-time measures, which log the number of people staying in shelters during the last 10 days of January. That increased the following year to 4,766, indicating an upward trend, even if the numbers aren’t anywhere near the 2007 peak of about 8,000. Point-in-time measures are the go-to metric for tracking homelessness figures, but they don’t provide a complete picture, as they only collect data for 10 days out of the year. Furthermore, there’s no centralized way of tracking figures for people who, for whatever reason, didn’t access available shelters. Analysis of HUD’s data by the National Alliance to End Homelessness suggested that an average of 17,000 new people entered homelessness per week in 2022 throughout the country, a 30% increase from 2020. The homeless, Raney and Sissom said, are vulnerable to all sorts of threats, not just the weather. As such, Sissom said he car-
ries a large knife on his belt for self-defense. “When you’re out here sleeping on the ground, you’re susceptible to everything, whether it’s man or beast,” Sissom said. “So you have to have something to kind of defend yourself with.” “Everybody on the street gets robbed,” McGee said. “These are universal: Everybody gets robbed. Everybody gets harassed. Everybody gets attacked sooner or later.” “Since I’ve been out here, I have been harassed by citizen and law enforcement officer alike,” Sissom said. Said Kim Raney: “I’ve actually had friends that have gotten so cold they had to get their toes cut off, or they froze to death.” Kim Raney met with LINK nky at the Covington Frisch’s on Fifth Street in December. She was homeless for three years, she said, and an alcoholic for longer, although she’d been sober for about a year-and-a-half when she spoke with LINK nky. McGee and others insisted that no one chose to become homeless. Kim Raney, who is related to but not in contact with Dean Raney, confounded that assertion — but not because she liked living outside. She left her home to flee an abusive relationship.
homeless,” Kim Raney said. “It’s better than getting beat on every day. I think anybody would pick that choice.” She stayed at the ION Center, a women’s shelter in Covington, for about a year before getting approved for housing choice vouchers. She then got a job at Walgreens before getting approved for disability benefits. Two months after she got her first disability payout, she’d moved into her own apartment. She was still drinking when she moved in but said she was prompted to quit through studying the Bible. These days, she helps out McGee doing outreach and charity work. Dean Raney and Sissom both became homeless gradually, they said, after breaking up with romantic partners. “After couch surfing from here and there and sleeping in my car, my car broke down, and I ended up on foot,” Sissom said. “And that’s where I’ve been ever since. And it wasn’t because I’m a law breaker, and it wasn’t because I’m a drug addict. It’s just a chain of events that can lead anybody to being homeless.” Based on his own observations, McGee said that certain populations tend to be more vulnerable to homelessness than others, and they can become homeless for any number of reasons.
“I was homeless because I chose to be “There are a lot of elderly,” McGee said. “There’s a lot of disabled. There’s some mental illness, but there’s also a second cadre, I would call it, of 20- to 30-year-olds out there, as well, that have other problems. “Some of them, it’s drugs and alcohol. Some of them, it’s mental illness. Some of them, it’s bad circumstances and bad economics. All kinds of reasons.” Although mental illness and substance abuse are often cited as driving forces of homelessness at the level of individuals, there are, as McGee said, broader economic forces that frame the problem, as well. A recent study from the Northern Kentucky Area Development District investigated housing trends throughout the region and found that demand for small one- to two-bedroom houses, as well as low-cost rental properties, consistently outpaced the available supply in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties.
Dean Raney (left) and Jess Sissom at their encampment. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
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In spite of the pressures on pricing and
the housing market, the overall number of housing units has been trending upward over the past 10 years or so in Kenton County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2022, the county’s estimated total number of housing units was about 73,000, about 6,500 of which were vacant. Later in October, at a different encampment elsewhere in the city, Candy Kaiser and Kenneth Scott shared coffee and food that McGee had brought them from Frisch’s, the same one where LINK nky would meet Kim Raney in December. Scott and Kaiser spoke of many of the same dangers Sissom spoke about at McDonald’s, including harassment as well as threats from stray dogs and wild animals. “Zombies,” or heavy drug users, they put it, are another issue. Scott and Kaiser tend to give them a wide berth just to be safe. “You can’t let them within 10 feet of you,” Scott said. Kaiser and Scott are both in recovery, and Kaiser attributes much of her sobriety to her relationship with Scott. When LINK nky interviewed them both in October, Kaiser had obtained shelter at the Welcome House, but Scott still lived outside. Although there are service agencies that provide housing to women and children, as well as single people generally, few offer services for unmarried couples. Kaiser said she’d been approved for permanent housing but hadn’t been placed yet. She and Scott were both critical of housing voucher programs, as they often entailed long wait times, and there was no guarantee that a landlord would accept them. Covington Neighborhood Services has historically managed the housing voucher, known more commonly as Section 8, program for all of Kenton County, although the city recently began the process of merging the housing voucher program with the Housing Authority of Covington. Neighborhood Services issued 1,144 vouchers in 2023 as of Nov. 30. There are 333 landlords who participated in the voucher program, and there are 1,771 applicants on the waiting list as of the same date. “That’s one of the major problems is, even once you get vouchers, they last how long, a few months?” Scott said. Vouchers last for 120 days, and applicants
A data table showing the number of people who were homeless from 2007 to 2023, based on point-in-time measures. Table provided | Housing and Urban Development
have to reapply if they’re unable to find housing before their vouchers expire, putting applicants back at square one if they’re unable to furnish the income to afford market-rate housing.
in urban centers, particularly in Covington and Florence. Many providers specialize in working with particular groups, such as victims of domestic violence or people struggling with substance abuse.
Injuries, age and physical disability limiting people’s ability to find jobs were recurring issues among the people that LINK nky interviewed for this story. Dean Raney and Sissom, for instance, both had mobility issues due to age and nerve damage arising from diabetic complications, respectively.
Sometimes, they’re constrained in what services they can provide due to facility size, monetary limitations, local laws or location. Fairhaven Rescue Mission on Madison Avenue in Covington, for example, cannot work with sex offenders due to its proximity to a school. Florence Christian Church, on the other hand, will work with sex offenders, but it does not provide overnight services.
Despite their own problems, most of the men who spoke with LINK nky agreed on one thing: Life outside was much harder for women. “Travel in pairs if you’re female,” Kaiser said. Kaiser said that she had been sexually assaulted in the past but not since she had been in Covington. McGee said that rape and other forms of sexual assault were almost inevitable among women without housing. What’s more, Kaiser said that she encountered abused women regularly. Scott said that often, women will pair up with a man for protection, but abusers would sometimes exploit this tendency as another way of seizing on the women’s vulnerability. “You’ll know it because (the women) won’t look at you,” Scott said, “It’s just eyes down, don’t look.” Food, on the other hand, was comparatively easy to come by, at least near the rivers. “If you’re in downtown Covington, there are places to feed every day,” McGee said, referencing the various kitchens and service providers in the region. “There’s no reason to go hungry,” Scott said. “If you want to go eat, they got places in Newport. The people that rotate around here all gain weight.” Homeless service providers tend to cluster
Yet, even with the presence of service agencies in urban centers, as well as the relative accessibility of food and government housing aid programs like the river city HOME consortium, the brute mathematics of the housing market and the focus of economic public policy don’t operate with the region’s most vulnerable in mind. ‘Where are they supposed to go?’ No matter a person’s opinion on homelessness, most people LINK spoke to agree that something needs to change.
and this is what he said to me: He said, ‘You’re here in my city,’” Sissom said. “‘You’re going to do what I tell you to do. You’re going to obey everything I tell you to do, because if I have to come back here again, I don’t think I have to tell you what’s gonna happen.’ I was scared to death. I thought he was going to kill me right there.” Dean Raney said it seemed like anytime he found a safe place to stay, he would be displaced. “They don’t understand being homeless,” Dean Raney said, talking about city staff and police officers. LINK nky was not able to corroborate Sissom’s account, but an encounter Scott had with the police in March was verifiable. Based on statements from Scott, McGee and what could be gleaned from the police report, on March 9, 2023, a group of teenagers threatened Scott with a pistol. He called the police. Police communications, the details of which are sparse, indicated that the police talked with several other witnesses before meeting Scott. One witness indicat-
ed that the person with a gun fled over the floodwall. Upon encountering Scott, the officers trained their rifles on him and instructed him to sit down, evidently believing he was the person with the gun. Scott recorded the encounter and posted it on his YouTube page. The video shows Scott approaching an officer, who orders him to sit down. After some expletive-laden exchange, the police and Scott were able to resolve the confusion, and no arrests or violence occurred. The city issued a statement on the incident, writing that responses to calls involving firearms, especially in large, wooded areas, warranted officers approaching the scene with guns drawn. Moreover, the statement reads, Scott approached the officers with a machete. It’s not clear from the video if Scott was brandishing such a weapon, and there’s no mention of a machete in the police report. Scott did voluntarily show LINK nky that he had a machete in October, however. Continues on page 8
“Right now, the best way to help the homeless is to open more shelters,” said Kim Raney. Even if Kim Raney doesn’t share Scott and Sissom’s politics, like many of the unhoused people who spoke with LINK nky, she was critical of the police and much of the public response to homelessness. Sissom recounted a time he said a policeman accosted him when he was sleeping in a parking lot. The officer had noticed the knife sitting on top of his sleeping bag; he said the officer told him to stand up and raise his hands. Then, the officer told him to get on the ground, which prompted Sissom to ask what he had done. Then, he said, the officer drew his gun. “So he came over, and he handcuffed me
Estimated housing units in Kenton County. Data provided | The U.S. Census Bureau via the American Community Survey. Chart by Nathan Granger. Note: Data for 2020 was not available.
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Finally, the statement reads, “The man they encountered is someone with whom police and other City officials have had numerous encounters over the years, including a dozen arrests for everything from assault to non-support to criminal trespass to a fugitive warrant from another state.” Kenton County Court records confirm prior records of trespassing, often as a result of camping, and nonpayment of child support as well as other charges, such as obstructing an emergency vehicle. “They throw all these people off the floodwall and stuff,” Kim Raney said. “Where are they supposed to go?” Where are they supposed to go? This question loomed large in the background of every conversation, as homeless people would often stake out temporary encampments in public places, a practice that has prompted responses some characterize as overly punitive. Scott viewed his March encounter with the police, as well as other encounters he’s had with the police, as evidence of this tendency. Homelessness advocates often refer to methods like encampment sweeps, panhandling bans and the installation of architecture to discourage sleeping on benches and other public places as the criminalization of homelessness. Covington has an anti-camping ordinance, which prohibits setting up tents and encampments in public parks and on the riverbanks between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. It
doesn’t ban sleeping in public places outright, but the presence of sleeping bags and other camping materials can put someone in violation. The city defended its camping ordinance to LINK nky in a written statement, where it argued the ordinance was necessary to preserve the communal character of public property: “Parks, playgrounds, picnic shelters, and green spaces are owned and paid for by taxpayers for recreational use by residents of and visitors to Covington. Individual people and groups cannot simply come in and seize ownership of those public parks by building structures, taking up roots, establishing communities, partying, burning fires, housing pets, and claiming all the rights of private land ownership, thus taking those recreational areas from taxpayers for their personal and exclusive use.” The statement also noted that the issue of homelessness was “rife with complexity and nuance, and any response is a balancing act that must take into account the larger issues at play.” If found camping on public property in Covington, a person is usually given written notice to vacate before penalties escalate. Arrests and trespassing charges can follow if the person doesn’t leave. In more extreme cases, encampments can be displaced or destroyed. Scott and Kaiser, for instance, both said they witnessed the city’s Public Works Department bulldozing a nearby encampment, but LINK nky was not able to corroborate this account.
The March incident presents another question, in addition to Kim Raney’s question of where homeless people should go: Are the police justified in using these sorts of measures to deal with homelessness? LINK nky was informed that the spot where Scott had been camping was, in fact, private property and the city had threatened the property owner with a fine if he failed to remove Scott from his property. Scott recorded a conversation with the property owner, where the owner showed the warning letter from the city. LINK nky could not reach the property owner for comment, but McGee confirmed Scott was no longer on the spot where LINK nky in-
Here are some ways you can help people experiencing homelessness in the Northern Kentucky region:
Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky
What: Low-barrier shelter for men and, during cold months, women Location: 436 W. 13th St., Covington Phone: 859-291-4555 Website: emergencyshelternky.org • The shelter welcomes volunteers to cook meals and/or serve guests. Visit the website to sign up. • To volunteer doing things like laundry, greeting guests, organizing donations and more, go to emergencyshelternky.org/helpout/volunteer/ and fill out the form at the bottom of the page; you can also email Britt Schroeder at britt.schroeder@esnky.net. • Visit the website or call to make a monetary donation to the shelter. • If you’d like to donate items, go to this website to find a list of items the shelter needs the most and how to drop them off: emergencyshelternky.org/help-out/wishlist/ • For any other questions about how to volunteer or donate, email info@esnky.net
What: Shelter for single women over 18 with and without children Location: 205 W. Pike St., Covington Phone: 859-431-8717
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“Just because you’re homeless doesn’t mean you’re a bad person,” Kim Raney said. She admitted that even she had a checkered past. “I’ve seen so much bad stuff happen, stuff I couldn’t even repeat that could probably get me in a lot of trouble,” Kim Raney said. “But I’ve also met a lot of good people when I was homeless.” “A lot of them are good people,” she said. “They’re just out in the streets, and they’re in bad situations.”
How to Help
Welcome House of Northern Kentucky
From left to right: Candy Kaiser, Kenneth Scott and Joe McGee. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
terviewed him in October and that he was attempting to get him connected to services at the Welcome House.
Website: welcomehouseky.org How to help: • Donate a meal or give a monetary donation here: welcomehouseky. org/donate/ • To donate your time at Welcome House doing things like sorting donations or preparing shelter activities, go to welcomehouseky. org/about-us/volunteer-application-form/ • For more information about how to get involved at the Welcome House, go to welcomehouseky. org/get-involved
Fair Haven Rescue Mission
What: Shelter for men 18 or older who are experiencing homelessness. Must have a picture ID and pass a Breathalyzer test for admission. Location: 260 Pike St., Covington Phone: 859-491-1027 Website: fairhavenmission.org How to help: • To make a monetary donation, go to fairhavenmission.org/#donate
Homeward Bound Shelter
What: Shelter for homeless and runaway youth run by Brighton Center Location: 13-15 E. 20th St., Covington Phone: 859-581-1111 Website: brightoncenter.org How to help: • To learn how to volunteer with the Brighton Center, including donating or volunteering in person, go to brightoncenter.com/ get_involved/volunteer
NKwhy: Who clears the roads when it snows? By Maggy McDonel
• Give plows plenty of room to work — at least 200 feet. • Reduce driving speeds. • Increase space between cars to allow safe stopping on wet, frozen or snow-covered roads. • Avoid passing snowplows. • Do not shovel, plow or blow snow onto public roads.
T
he unpredictability of snow is what can make preparing for storms difficult, local experts told LINK nky.
“We understand winter weather can change on a moment’s notice,” said Jake Ryle, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) public information officer. The ability to pivot quickly and have strong communication are the two biggest factors in dealing with winter weather, Ryle said. In KYTC District 6, which encompasses Northern Kentucky, the crews are stocked with “26,128 tons of salt, 97,200 gallons of brine and 78,272 gallons of calcium chloride,” said Ryle. There are also 113 District 6 crew members ready to go during a storm. Working with the National Weather Service, Ryle said, the KYTC crews start prepping for winter weather “several days out.” When the storm gets closer and the forecast is more set in stone, officials will begin to decide when and where crews are needed.
A truck plows snow. Photo provided | Torbjørn Helgesen via Unsplash
in their jurisdiction. However, all three have the same goal: Make sure the roads are safe during a storm. “Working together with local municipalities during a winter weather event is key to ensuring safer roads for motorists,” said Ryle.
This is particularly true with the presence of dump trucks equipped with snowplows and salt-application equipment. Rural roads also often have steep grades that “present traction challenges and require additional time to safety treat and plow to assure the safety of equipment operators and the traveling public is never compromised,” said Logan.
How are roads prioritized? In Boone County, Public Works Director Thomas Logan said teams meet in October and early November to “review safety, equipment, snow routes and communication procedures.” Logan said weather forecasts are also important to the county’s plan of action for treating and clearing roads. Ahead of expected storms, crews are dispatched to pretreat certain areas of Boone County, including “known trouble areas and steep hills.” The forecast is also used to plan for the specific pretreatment mixture “based on the forecasted temperatures, precipitation levels and timing of snow or sleet or rain.” Who is responsible for what roads? While there are always exceptions to many rules, KYTC is responsible for state-owned roads, counties are responsible for county-owned roads, and local municipalities are responsible for clearing the roads with-
During snowfall, everyone is anxious to know when the roads around them are going to be cleared. Roads are prioritized by multiple factors, which differ per organization. KYTC uses a four-tier system to prioritize treating and clearing roads, with the determining factors including “traffic volume and connectivity to critical services like hospitals,” said Ryle. NKY offers its own set of challenges due to its multitude of bridges and hills. Ryle said District 6 “assigns three crews to treat the Cut in the Hill on I-71/75.” Boone County has its own difficulties, as many of the county’s roads are in rural areas, which creates certain safety concerns, Logan said. “Many rural roads are narrow and often have limited shoulder space to safely allow opposing traffic to pass,” said Logan.
In Boone County, plowing begins when “snow accumulation exceeds 1 inch,” according to the Boone County Public Works Department. “Typically, it takes anywhere from six to eight hours per inch of snow to treat 1,000 miles of roadway,”according to the department. Boone County is responsible for 448 centerline miles — or 1,000 total miles — of county roads, and the Public Works Department said it takes roughly 12 to 16 hours to plow those 1,000 miles. During winter weather events, the county said plows are initially deployed to primary routes; once those are deemed passable, “secondary and tertiary routes will be addressed.” The best way for residents to help crews, according to Boone County officials, is to just stay off the roads as much as possible. The county also offered a few other tips to help crews complete their job: • Park cars in driveways.
How do you stay safe on the roads? While the recommendation is to stay off the roads, that’s not always possible. So, if you do have to drive, KYTC offers tips on how to stay as safe as you can: • Travel only when necessary during major snow events. • Stock vehicles with ice scrapers, jumper cables, blankets, a flashlight, a cellphone charger, non-perishable snacks and a first aid kit in case you get stranded on the road. • Winterize your vehicle. Check your car battery, tire pressure and brakes. Ensure your heater, defroster, headlights and windshield wipers are working properly. • When snow or ice are on roadways, drive slowly no matter what type of vehicle you drive. It takes more time and distance to stop your vehicle in poor weather, so brake early and slowly. • Pay attention to weather advisories, and allow more time to travel for routine commutes. • Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shaded areas. These are all candidates for developing black ice – a thin coating of hard-to-see clear ice that can form on the pavement surface. • Maintain a safe distance from snowplows and other heavy highway equipment, and do not pass snowplows on the shoulder. • Know before you go. Download the free WAZE app or visit ky.gov to check traffic conditions before you travel. The map also offers access to select traffic cameras on interstates and parkways. • Buckle up! Phone down! Eliminate distractions while driving.
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kenton county briefs Thomas More will host prestigious summer program for budding entrepreneurs The Kentucky Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) is returning to Northern Kentucky in 2024 — this time in a new location. Thomas More University in Crestview Hills is joining the Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs annual Summer Startup program for the first time in the program’s 10year history. Northern Kentucky University previously hosted the summer program from 2019 to 2023. Thomas More is just one of two universities hosting the program for the first time — the other being the University of Kentucky. GSE’s mission is to empower high school students interested in an entrepreneurial career during a three-week, on-campus residency program. “GSE couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with these two fantastic universities for our Summer Startup program,” said Anne Jewell, president of the Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs, in a new release. Throughout the program, students are coached on the necessary skills for an entrepreneurial career, including how to build a product or prototype and develop a business plan. Students with complemen-
tary skill sets are matched in teams of five.
augural class on Jan. 4.
The program’s finale is a pitch competition in which participants take the stage to present their prototypes and business plans to a panel of judges and a live audience. The event is slated to be live-streamed.
“We are immensely proud of our graduates and the synergies formed through our partnership with Life Learning Center,” said Brian Miller, executive vice president of the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky and president of the Enzweiler Building Institute, in a press release.
Enzweiler, Life Learning’s construction trades program graduates its inaugural class
The program lasts 13 weeks and provides both practical education in the construction trades as well as general life skills. The program started with help from the Kenton County Fiscal Court and was funded through federal COVID emergency dollars in an effort to build out the construction sector’s skilled workforce.
Fort Mitchell Police finally fully staffed after hiring former Elsmere police chief The Life Skills Training and Trade Certificate Program, a partnership of the Enzweiler Building Institute and the Life Learning Center, graduated its inaugural class. Class members include, from left to right, beginning with the back row: Nathaniel Estenfelder, Samuel Maust, Walker Floyd, Willis Jones, Quinn Wall, Jaylen Bridges, Timothy Tucker and Gaige Noble. Photo provided | Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky
The Life Skills Training and Trade Certificate Program, offered through a partnership with Enzweiler Building Institute and the Life Learning Center, graduated its in-
The addition of Maier to the Fort Mitchell Police Department rounds out the force and creates a fully staffed police department. This is rare, as many Northern Kentucky police departments are facing ongoing staffing issues. “We’re happy to have him,” Fort Mitchell Police Chief Robert Nader said. “He brings a wealth of experience.”
Nominate Kenton County residents by Feb. 16 as Pioneer Award candidates Each year, the Kenton County Pioneer Award recognizes residents of Kenton County who have a record of outstanding service to the community and exemplify the highest standards of personal integrity.
The Fort Mitchell Police Department is fully staffed after swearing in new officer Joseph Maier earlier this month. Maier spent over 23 years as an officer for the Florence Police Department. There, he rose to the rank of lieutenant and retired from the department in 2019. In 2020, Maier was hired as the police chief for the city of Elsmere. He served in that position until the fall of 2023.
Nominations are due Feb. 16 for the 2024 Pioneer Award. Pictured, from left, are Kenton County Commissioner Joe Nienaber; Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann; Commissioner Beth Sewell; Life Learning Center President and former Pioneer Award winner Alecia Webb-Edgington; Life Learning Center Director of Development Laura Berkemeier; and Commissioner Jon Draud. Photo provided | Kenton County
Kentucky now allows for Public Notices to be published digitally on LINK nky’s website. You can find public notices for the following organizations on our site at https://linkreader.column.us/search
LEGAL NOTICE Organizations interested in receiving Campbell County Payroll Tax Funds to service the citizens of Campbell County in the areas of Mental Health, Intellectual Disabilities, or Aging Services must download, complete, and email the FY2025 MH/ID/AG Tax Fund Application, which is available on the Opportunities and Bids page at www.campbellcountyky.gov. Applications are due no later than 4:00 PM on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
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10 JANUARY 19, 2024
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• City of Silver Grove • City of Southgate • City of Union • City of Villa Hills • City Of Walton • City of Wilder • City of Woodlawn • Covington Public Independent Schools • Cresent Springs Board of Adjustment • Family Dollar Store • Fort Mitchell Board of Adjustment • Fort Thomas Independent Schools • Highland Heights Planning & Zoning • Keating, Muething & Klekamp PLL • Kenton County Fiscal Court • Kenton County Joint Board of Adjustment • Northern Kentucky Port Authority • Northern Kentucky Water District • Planning & Development Services of Kenton County • The Baker Firm PLLC • The Hidden Chapter Bookstore LLC
Pioneer Award nominations are due by Friday, Feb. 16. A committee composed of community leaders will review the nominations, identify deserving individuals, and submit their names to the Kenton County Fiscal Court. Honorees will be announced on March 19. Once approved, honorees will be recognized at a Kenton County Fiscal Court meeting. Since 2018, there have been 25 Pioneer Award honorees.
action agenda to improve competitiveness and further diversify the region’s economy. Abernathy will present initial findings at the forum, and a full report will be released in the spring.
Independence promotes 3 police officers to rank of sergeant at Council meeting
Nominations can be made at kentoncounty.org. Current elected officials are not eligible for recognition.
BE NKY Growth Partnership annual forum Jan. 25 to focus on regional competitiveness BE NKY Growth Partnership — a Northern Kentucky economic development company — is hosting its second annual forum this month. This year’s forum will focus on Northern Kentucky’s enhancement of economic competitiveness and development of regional strategies for the future. Economic Leadership Founder and Managing Partner Ted Abernathy is slated to give the event’s keynote address. The forum is scheduled for 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, at Hotel Covington. “I’m so proud of all the hard work our team put in over the last year,” said BE NKY CEO Lee Crume. “Despite significant economic pressures, our team succeeded in securing thousands of new, well-paying jobs for our community. We are excited to bring industry leaders Ted Abernathy and Kat Saunders from Economic Leadership to Northern Kentucky to present an analysis of how Northern Kentucky stacks up competitively to other regions in the U.S.” Abernathy will discuss Economic Leadership’s competitive analysis of the Northern Kentucky region, incorporating the results of interviews with the region’s significant employers in the advanced manufacturing, life sciences, IT and supply chain management sectors. Additionally, he will share best practices from leading communities throughout the U.S. that could be appropriate for use in Northern Kentucky, as well as a strategic
From left: Josh Salyers, Matthew Fassler and George Kreutzjans were promoted to the rank of sergeant. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
Three members of the Independence Police Department — Josh Salyers, Matthew Fassler and George Kreutzjans — were promoted to the rank of sergeant at the Independence City Council meeting on Jan. 8. “As we have these recognitions, we talk about our police department, talk about the great work they do and everything else,” said Independence Mayor Chris Reinersman. “That’s no exaggeration; that isn’t hyperbole.” Kreutzjans will be the department’s first detective sergeant. Fassler is an Army reservist and a veteran of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. Salyers is a 10-year veteran of the department and was the city’s first canine officer.
Agave & Rye launches first online-only ‘ghost kitchen,’ called Lick My Chicken Calling all foodies: There’s a new ghost kitchen in town. Agave & Rye, a tequila and bourbon hall that first launched in Covington, is launching its first ghost kitchen, Lick My Chicken. Lick My Chicken is perfect for those who love comfort food. The kitchen’s menu features combos with everything from chicken sandwiches and tenders to wings and a burrito, which can be dipped in five different sauces. Lick My Chicken also has yummy sides, such as mac and cheese, waffle fries and funnel cake fries.
Those that want to get all the fixins can even devour loaded waffle fries, which come with agave cheese dip, sweet and spicy bacon, chopped chicken tenders, pico de gallo and trashy BBQ sauce, with a side of ranch. Agave & Rye is the latest in the Tri-State to get in on the growing food trend. Ghost kitchens refer to micro-cloud or virtual kitchens, meaning they don’t offer dinein services and only fulfill orders online. Ghost kitchens grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the demand for restaurant deliveries skyrocketed. “Launching a ghost kitchen in our restaurants is an epic idea that we’ve long wanted to attempt,” said Yavonne Sarber, founder of Epic Brands and Agave & Rye restaurants. “It just makes sense.” “We have amazing items on our menus in other Epic Brands menus across the country, and utilizing our chefs’ talents and downtime/off time during normal restaurant hours is not only smart business but allows our chefs to really flex their creative muscles and bring the community something that’s not only unique, but over-thetop delicious,” Sarber said. Lick My Chicken is exclusively available through DoorDash, and it can be ordered from any Agave & Rye location in the TriState. According to the DoorDash app, Lick My Chicken is available for order seven days a week.
Holmes Middle School security guard honored for saving student’s life The Covington City Commission honored Marcus Behanan, a security guard at Holmes Middle School who saved student Brayden Smith from choking last month, with a public commemoration at its Jan. 9 meeting. The commission officially declared Dec. 7 as “Markie Behanan Day.” Commission member Ron Washington introduced Behanan and told the story of his actions. “On Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, Braden Smith, a 13-year-old Holmes Middle School student, entered his high school cafeteria for lunch period like any other school day,” Washington said, “but this day would prove
to be different.” Shortly after beginning his meal, Smith began choking on a piece of chicken. He approached Behanan, who’s trained in the Heimlich maneuver and CPR, for help. Behanan quickly understood what was wrong and applied the Heimlich maneuver, dislodging the food and saving Smith from choking. “I want to say thank you,” Behanan said upon accepting the honor. “Thanks to the Board of Education members. Thanks faculty and staff at Holmes Middle School. I was glad to be there present when he was choking on the chicken, and I’m happy to save his life and what I’ve learned by doing the Heimlich. Appreciate you.”
Covington enacts new police training reimbursement laws at commission meeting Covington commissioners confronted new requirements for funding police training and hiring costs at their meeting on Jan. 9. They enacted an ordinance that brings the city in line with Senate Bill 101, which passed into state law last year. SB 101 and the new ordinance require cities in Kentucky to reimburse each other for costs associated with the hiring and training of new police academy graduates if the recruit decides to switch jobs from one department to another within the commonwealth. The ordinance extends the amount of time from three to five years and only applies to recruits hired after June 29, 2023. The ordinance passed with a 4-to-1 vote in favor, with Mayor Joe Meyer casting the only dissenting vote. “The reality of the situation that we’re facing in law enforcement is it’s extremely competitive,” said commission member Ron Washington, who formerly worked as a police officer, just before the city clerk called the role vote. Washington and other regional leaders have repeatedly spoken in the past about the need to increase the number of local police trainees in the face of inefficient training requirements from the state, dwindling academy enrollment rates, an underfunded legacy pension system and salary competition from across the river.
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news from other places Beshear launches federal PAC to support election of Democrats in swing states, GOP strongholds
print for Democrats looking to replicate those results in local, state and federal campaigns across the country. “We are looking for good candidates that … push back against and reject anger politics and that are ultimately focused on the everyday challenges that our families face — like good jobs, expansion of health care, strong public education, good infrastructure,” he said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has established a political action committee with the goal of offering a blueprint for Democrats seeking election in Republican strongholds. File photo by Timothy D. Easley | Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who defeated Donald Trump-backed rivals twice in Republican-leaning Kentucky, announced the formation of a federal political action committee on Jan. 8 to support candidates across the country as he seeks to broaden his influence beyond the Bluegrass State. Beshear launched a PAC called In This Together with a focus on helping elect more Democrats in swing states and Republican strongholds. The move comes barely two months after Beshear secured a second term with a convincing victory over GOP challenger and then-state Attorney General Daniel Cameron in one of the nation’s most closely watched elections of 2023.
Mark Riddle, a Democratic strategist with strong Kentucky ties, said Beshear’s re-election propelled him into the upper tier of potential presidential candidates in 2028. Forming the PAC will help him further elevate his national profile. The governor has committed to serving out his second four-year term, which ends in late 2027.
Courier-Journal newspaper sues Louisville over failure to provide police records cited in Justice probe LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Courier-Journal newspaper has sued Kentucky’s biggest city to get access to police records cited in a federal investigation. It reported on Jan. 8 that it filed a lawsuit against Louisville Metro Government after the city’s police department failed to respond to a request for search warrant applications cited in a Justice Department report. The Kentucky Open Records Act gives agencies five business days to respond to such requests, but the newspaper reports it submitted a request four months ago. The
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Beshear said his re-election offered a blue-
Brent Spence Bridge (BSB) Corridor Project Public Hearings The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) invite you to attend a Public Hearing for the BSB Corridor Project. Interested persons may choose from five hearing options: In-Person, Tuesday, February 20, 2024 Radisson Hotel, 668 West 5th Street, Covington, Kentucky – Daytime Option – 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (formal presentation at 1:00 p.m.) – Evening Option – 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (formal presentation at 5:30 p.m.) In-Person, Wednesday, February 21, 2024 Longworth Hall Event Ctr., 700 W. Pete Rose Way, Lobby C, Cincinnati, Ohio – Daytime Option – 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (formal presentation at 1:00 p.m.) – Evening Option – 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (formal presentation at 5:30 p.m.) Virtual, Thursday, February 22, 2024 | www.PublicInput.com/bsbc – 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (formal presentation/verbal comment period only) The same information will be presented at each hearing. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the purpose of the hearings is to provide an opportunity for review and comment on the project’s Supplemental Environmental Assessment and for citizens to provide feedback through written or recorded verbal comments. Public verbal comments will be accepted immediately following the formal presentation at each hearing. Individuals desiring to offer verbal comments at the inperson hearings must pre-register at the hearing. Comments will be limited to 2 minutes. To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability or to request language interpretation or translation services to participate in a hearing, please contact Keith Smith at 1-800-831-2142 or Keith.Smith@dot.ohio.gov within 1 business day before the hearing.
city’s only response was a Sept. 6 message from the city’s top records official saying she was checking with the police department and did not know when the records would be available. “LMPD’s refusal to comply with this request should be seen for what it is: a deliberate and willful attempt to shield its officers from unwanted public scrutiny by simply ignoring requests that would cast the Department in an unflattering light. But these warrant applications are the public’s records, and the public is entitled to see them,” attorneys representing The Courier-Journal wrote in the lawsuit. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said he has directed the city’s police department and records compliance “to take immediate steps to provide timely responses to these requests.” The U.S. Justice Department announced last year that its investigation found Louisville police had engaged in a pattern of violating constitutional rights and discrimination against the Black community. Among the findings: Police cherry-picked judges to review warrant applications instead of following the court’s rotating schedule, meaning just a few approved the majority of warrants. The investigation was prompted by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.
Federal judge temporarily halts enforcement of Ohio law limiting social media use for kids under 16 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge issued an order on Jan. 9 temporarily halting enforcement of pending Ohio law that would require children to get parental consent to use social media apps. U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley’s temporary restraining order came in a lawsuit brought Jan. 5 by NetChoice, a trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies. The litigation argues that the law unconstitutionally impedes free speech and is overbroad and vague. While calling the intent to protect children “a laudable aim,” Marbley said it is unlikely that Ohio will be able to show that the law is “narrowly tailored to any ends that it identifies.”
12 JANUARY 19, 2024
Besides requiring social media companies to obtain a parent’s permission for children under 16 to sign up for social media and gaming apps, it also mandates that the companies provide parents with their privacy guidelines, so that families can know what content will be censored or moderated on their child’s profile. The Social Media Parental Notification Act was part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill that Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law in July. The administration pushed the measure as a way to protect children’s mental health. NetChoice filed suit against GOP Attorney General Dave Yost in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The group has won lawsuits against similar restrictions in California and Arkansas.
$750K bail set for ex-gang leader accused of orchestrating killing of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada judge set bail at $750,000 on Jan. 9 for a former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with orchestrating the fatal drive-by shooting of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur in 1996, saying he can serve house arrest with electronic monitoring ahead of trial on a murder charge. Court-appointed attorneys for Duane “Keffe D” Davis told The Associated Press after the judge’s decision that they believe Davis can post that amount. They had asked for bail of not more than $100,000 and noted for the judge that the demands of preparing a defense based on two decades of evidence may require a postponement of the current June trial date. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told reporters that he expects Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny will hold a “source hearing” to determine whether money posted for bail is legally obtained. The judge did not set a new trial date but called for a status check Feb. 20.
DiGiacomo called Davis “a very, very high danger to the community.”
Comments received by March 8, 2024 will be considered in the final NEPA decision. Comments provided by any one of the methods listed above will receive equal weight in the project record.
The BSB Corridor Project will improve 7.8 total miles of I-71 and I-75 from south of Dixie Highway (US-25) in Kentucky to north of the Western Hills Viaduct in Ohio
The law is similar to those enacted in other states. It was set to take effect Jan. 15.
Prosecutors Binu Palal and Marc DiGiacomo argued that Davis has never left gang life, that his 15 years of admissions about his role in Shakur’s killing show he is guilty of murder, and that a jailhouse phone call in October suggested he poses a threat to witnesses.
Comments will be accepted via the following methods: • Verbal comments at one of the hearings listed above • Written comment forms at the in-person hearings • Email: Keith.Smith@dot.ohio.gov • Phone: 1-800-831-2142 • Mail: ODOT District 8, Attn: Keith Smith, 505 South State Route 741, Lebanon, OH 45036-9518 • Website: www.PublicInput.com/bsbc
Copies of the Supplemental Environmental Assessment, which documents the purpose and need for the project and anticipated impacts, are available for public viewing at the following locations: www.PublicInput.com/bsbc • Kenton County Public Library Covington Branch, 502 Scott Street, Covington, KY • Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library West End Branch, 805 Ezzard Charles Drive, Cincinnati, OH
“Foreclosing minors under sixteen from accessing all content on websites that the Act purports to cover, absent affirmative parental consent, is a breathtakingly blunt instrument for reducing social media’s harm to children,” he wrote.
This combination of 2017-2022 photos shows the logos of Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat on mobile devices. A trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies sued Ohio on Jan. 5 over a pending law that requires children to get parental consent to use social media apps. File photo | Associated Press
Davis maintains he was given immunity from prosecution in 2008 by an FBI and Los Angeles police task force investigating the killings of Shakur in Las Vegas and rival rapper Christopher Wallace, known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, six months later in Los Angeles.
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January
Friday
Saturday 19
Comedy @ Commonwealth presents: Monica Nevi, 7-8:30 p.m., Commonwealth Sanctuary, 522 Fifth Ave., Dayton, Kentucky. $15. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Sunday 20
Monday 21
Comedy @ Commonwealth presents: Monica Nevi, 7-8:30 p.m., Commonwealth Sanctuary, 522 Fifth Ave., Dayton, Kentucky. $15. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Tuesday 22
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 St., Newport Cold Spring City Council meeting, 7:30-8:30 p.m., City Building, 5694 E. Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring
Wednesday 23
Thursday 24
Eggs ‘N Issues: State of Northern Kentucky, 7:30-9 a.m., Receptions Erlanger, 1379 Donaldson Road, Erlanger. Scheduled speakers: Judge-Executives Kris Knochelmann (Kenton County), Gary Moore (Boone County) and Steve Pendery (Campbell County). Presented by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Visit NKYchamber.com/ Eggs.
25 Boone County Business Association meeting, 6-7 p.m., Florence Lions Club, 29 LaCresta Drive, Florence Ludlow City Council meeting, 7-8 p.m., Municipal Center, 808 Elm St., Ludlow Comedy @ Commonwealth presents: The Roast of Bob Belcher, 7-9 p.m., Commonwealth Sanctuary, 522 Fifth Ave., Dayton, Kentucky. $10. Doors open at 6 p.m. Featuring comedians Dan Brady, Cece Laird, Cavin Eggleston, Phil Pointer, Lena Beamish, Matthew Zane and Jake Doran.
Boone County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Fiscal Court, 2950 Washington St., Burlington Kenton County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:306:30 p.m., Covington Courthouse, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington Florence City Council business meeting, 6-7 p.m., City Building, 8100 Ewing Blvd., Florence
For more events, scan the QR code or visit: https://linknky.com/events/
Covington Commission legislative meeting, 6-7 p.m., City Hall, 20 W. Pike St., Covington
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JANUARY 19, 2024 13
real estate
Turn-of-the-century Covington home boasts modern upgrades Address: 2117 Maryland Ave., Covington Price: $400,000 Bedrooms: Three Bathrooms: Two (plus one half-bath) Square feet: 2,363 School district: Covington Independent County: Kenton Special features: This turn-of-the-century Covington home offers historic style with modern upgrades. With three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms, this property is perfect for someone looking for some nice space in the city. Located in the Wallace Woods neighborhood, this home isn’t too far from all the bars, restaurants and shops of downtown Covington. Original woodwork and stained-glass windows show off this home’s historic charm, but updated bathrooms and kitchen offer the comforts of modern life. One extra comfort that you won’t typically find in the area that this property offers is a detached garage and fenced-in yard.
The front entryway of this home shows off some of its turn-of-the-century charm. Photo provided | Timothy Dirr with RE/MAX Preferred Group
This property in Covington’s Wallace Woods neighborhood includes a detached garage and fenced-in yard, uncommon for the area. Photo provided | Timothy Dirr with RE/MAX Preferred Group
This property includes a fenced-in yard and detached garage. Photo provided | Timothy Dirr with RE/MAX Preferred Group
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14 JANUARY 19, 2024
City
13665 Poole Road Verona 0 Chambers Road Walton 10973 Dairybarn Lane Alexandria 6657 Gordon Boulevard Union 3243 Petersburg Road Burlington 1370 Cairns Court Independence 20 Orphanage Road Fort Mitchell 886 Flint Ridge Cold Spring 9577 Echo Hills Alexandria 502 Brookstone Lane Cold Spring 414 Thomas Street Covington 42 Meadow Wood Drive Florence 412 Keeneland Drive Fort Thomas 1336 Maryland Avenue Covington 17 E 31st Street Covington 13 Meadow Lane Florence 5062 Four Mile Road Silver Grove 115 Highlander Court Warsaw 325 Old Corinth Owenton Rd Corinth 4374 KY-10 Germantown
Recent NKY Home Sale Data
Price
Sale Date
Address
City
Price
Sale Date
$550,000 $515,000 $432,043 $400,000 $370,000 $300,000 $283,000 $272,000 $255,000 $236,000 $225,000 $220,000 $205,000 $203,000 $193,000 $180,000 $175,000 $150,000 $143,000 $142,500
1/5/24 1/5/24 1/3/24 1/9/24 1/5/24 1/9/24 1/5/24 1/5/24 1/3/24 1/5/24 1/4/24 1/4/24 1/5/24 1/4/24 1/8/24 1/3/24 1/4/24 1/5/24 1/10/24 1/9/24
0 Alexandria Pike Cold Spring $715,000 16 Founders Court Cold Spring $405,000 127 Creekstone Court Cold Spring $200,000 216 Misty Cove Way Cold Spring $300,000 1815 Garrard Street Covington $242,500 323 E 2nd Street 407 Covington $210,000 1406 -1408 Banklick Street Covington $230,000 1327 Garrard Street Covington $155,000 1324 Highway Avenue Covington $135,000 1901 Scott Boulevard Covington $180,000 414 Thomas Street Covington $225,000 1336 Maryland Avenue Covington $203,000 313 E 18th Street Covington $120,000 14 Edna Lane Fort Wright $290,000 1238 Upland Avenue Fort Wright $370,000 280 Deepwoods Drive Highland Heights $190,000 14 Timberview Court Highland Heights $265,000 530 Scenic Drive Park Hills $110,000 715 Saint Joseph Lane Park Hills $250,000 202 S Watchtower Drive 301 Wilder $185,000
12/13/23 12/15/23 12/18/23 12/27/23 12/15/23 12/15/23 12/15/23 12/15/23 12/18/23 12/29/23 1/4/24 1/4/24 1/5/24 12/14/23 12/21/23 12/19/23 12/29/23 12/15/23 12/22/23 12/15/23
features
LINK Streetscapes enjoys plenty of tasty meals, three different cuisines along Haines Drive in Florence By Maria Hehman This Streetscapes checks out a small street packed with plenty of eats in Florence. Tacos, sushi and pizza all await on William Haines Drive off of US 42. Join us for this Streetscapes as we conquer three different cuisines and cultures. La Tora Loca We’re starting off with one of the largest offerings in both variety and size itself. La Torta Loca is most famous for its namesake — gigantic tortas. Tortas offer all the flavors and ingredients one looks for in a Mexican dish, but in a sandwich. The namesake Torta Loca features chicken, steak, carnitas, bacon, melted cheese, grilled onion and jalapeno, a meaty feat that even the hungriest have a hard time finishing. The other favorite options are the Tropicana — with grilled chicken, chipotle sauce, pineapple and Mexican cheeses — or the Tradicional, with guest’s choice of meat, lettuce, cheese, avocado, jalapeno, onions and tomatoes. Those not ready to indulge in a torta can have any torta turned into a salad, and there are also tacos and quesadillas. La Torta Loca specializes in both Mexican and Venezuelan cuisines, and its empanadas and arepas are small dishes that let you sample these flavors. Arepas are made
from ground maize dough stuffed with a variety of fillings, whereas empanadas are deep-fried savory pastries. These handheld dishes are on the smaller side, so they’re great for sampling or sharing. For refreshments, there is soda and beer, both American and Mexican options. The stars of the drinks are the cocktails — massive drinks dressed to impress. With garnishes and glasses that make them picture-worthy, a margarita is a must-order here. The space is vibrant and colorful, with plenty of seating, and always has a fun atmosphere.
Due to their interior space being small, La Hiro is reservation-only for indoor dining. However, it does offer carryout for all its menu offerings. The dessert selection varies, and guests can view the current cake selection in person at the display case. Strawberry shortcake and green tea cake are frequent offerings. All of the cakes are light and spongy, often with cream in the middle. They’re a light, sweet treat to end a savory meal without overindulging. Poseidon’s Pizza Company
Sushi seems to go with just about anything, and La Hiro proves that you can have your sushi and cake and eat it, too. This seems like an odd pair, but after the bold flavors one gets from a Japanese restaurant, cake seems to be the perfect balance at the end of the meal.
This local pizza joint has two locations in NKY, one in Crescent Springs and the one we’re visiting in Florence. Poseidon’s Pizza was founded in 2019 and has served NKY unique and tasty pizzas ever since. The pizzas are anything but ordinary, from a breakfast pizza with sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, bacon and, of course, cheese, to the Pickle Nick, with a ranch dressing for sauce, meatballs, mozzarella cheese, pickles and finished with a hot sauce drizzle.
La Hiro serves authentic Japanese cuisine with choices of edamame, gyoza and squid salad for appetizers. For entrees, guests can’t go wrong with classics like ramen noodles or curry rice. Sushi varies from traditional choices of California or cucumber rolls to a buffalo shrimp roll.
Two of the pizzas pay homage to the military service of the owner’s brother, a Marine Corps veteran — the Hamdaddy Hawaiian and the IGY6, a meat-lovers pizza. A portion of sales from the IGY6 is donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, a foundation that supports veterans.
La Hiro Sushi and Sweets
Outside of pizza, most of the offerings are bread-based: Garlic knots, calzones and hoagies are among the options. For dessert, the apple pie hoagie will curb any sweettooth cravings. This is an ideal place for dining with kids, and it has create-yourown pizzas so picky eaters of all ages can fully customize to their exact likings. 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.
The cubana at La Torta Loca. Photo provided | La Torta Loca Facebook page
What to Know If You Go: La Torta Loca Location: 8645 Haines Drive, A, Florence Hours: Sunday, noon-8 p.m.; MondayThursday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Website: latortalocaflorence.com Phone: 859-777-7459
La Hiro Sushi and Sweets Location: 8645 Haines Drive, Florence Hours: Monday-Friday, 5-8:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1-8:30 p.m. Website: sushiandsweets.com Phone: 859-657-6600
Poseidon’s Pizza Location: 8640 Haines Drive, Florence Hours: Sunday, closed; MondayThursday, 4-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Website: poseidonspizzacompany.com Phone: 859-869-0056
La Torta Loca features a colorful exterior and side patio. Photo by Maria Hehman | LINK nky contributor
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JANUARY 19, 2024 15
Ryle High School basketball coach celebrates career win milestone with a little help from her husband
Ryle head girls basketball coach Katie Haitz is presented a game ball for achieving her 200th career win Haitz directs her team in a huddle during its Jan. 5 contest with Dixie Heights. Photo provided | Charles with the program during the Raiders contest with Dixie Heights on Jan. 5. Photo provided | Charles Bolton Bolton
By Marc Hardin
A
s December was about to enter its final week, girls basketball coach Katie Haitz had an inkling she was approaching career win No. 200 at Ryle High School. But Haitz didn’t know exactly how close she was to 200, and she didn’t have time to find out. The Raiders had just wrapped up a three-day stay at a holiday tournament in Lexington. Christmas was coming up. The Raiders were scheduled to play three games Dec. 27-29. After that were New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day activities with family and friends. There simply was no time for Haitz to look into a personal milestone. “I had no idea I was as close as I was,” Haitz said. “I looked into it a few times, then I lost track of it.” All the while, her husband, Josh Haitz, was keeping track. He’s a Ryle assistant coach. “Apparently, he knew how close I was the whole time,” the head coach said. “But he didn’t tell me.” What her husband was doing was telling other people, including current and former Ryle players, how close the coach was getting to win No. 200, while otherwise keeping things a secret.
16 JANUARY 19, 2024
The head coach reached the milestone Dec. 27 at home when the Raiders upended Boyd County, 69-66, in overtime. That’s when Haitz’s husband told her the news. Hugs and handshakes were shared. What Haitz’s husband didn’t tell her was that a much bigger commemoration of the occasion was in the works.
“I didn’t even realize I’d done it until my husband told me when we beat Boyd,” coach Haitz said. “I was for sure surprised when we played Dixie Heights.” Haitz pondered her husband’s incredible thoughtfulness, which involved considerable behind-the-scenes machinations. “He’s done a very nice job,” she said.
“We had a big celebration Jan. 5 when we played Dixie Heights,” coach Haitz said. “We had our Veterans Day game that day, when Ryle players and coaches come back.” Unbeknownst to coach Haitz, husband Haitz figured out a way to maximize the impact of the coach’s milestone. He acted oblivious in the run-up to the big win. All the while, he was coordinating the biggest celebration possible by syncing it with the return of many of the head coach’s former players for Ryle’s Veterans Day, a salute to military service. “He told us what he was doing after practice one day,” Ryle senior Quinn Eubank said. “We all thought it was so sweet.” When the Dixie Heights game rolled around, Josh Haitz rolled out the big celebration, replete with commemorative game ball, current and former players, former assistants, family members and various other friends of the Ryle basketball family.
The same can be said of coach Haitz, who in her eight-plus years has molded the Raiders into a perennial regional and state contender while empowering young female athletes. Haitz has been so successful in her first and only job as head coach that she has earned several coach of the year honors, including Kentucky coach of the year in 2019 when Ryle won the KHSAA Sweet 16 state championship. She has coached the Raiders to three 9th Region titles and five 33rd District crowns. Haitz scored more than 1,000 career points and won a regional title as a Boone County senior in 2004 when she was known as Katie Madden and playing in the post for legendary coach Nell Fookes. After being named NAIA Division II All-America at Taylor University, the former Rebel returned to Boone County and assisted Fookes for five years. Haitz took the job at Ryle in 2015. It could have been a different story. As it
turns out, Ryle owes a lot of its success to a back injury. Coach Haitz’s original plan was to become an occupational therapist for children. However, an injured back suffered at Taylor during her junior season scuttled plans. Haitz subsequently went into teaching and contacted Fookes about coaching. “I’ve had a lot of fortunate experiences with a lot of great coaches, including Nell Fookes, Cheryl Darpel and Tina Krause, my coach at Taylor,” Haitz said. “I never realized how much work Nell did to prepare us for an opponent until I became a head coach.” Haitz, a biology teacher at Ryle, has been recognized with various other awards and honors, including enshrinement in the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors’ Hall of Fame in 2021. After this season, she will have sent nearly 20 Ryle basketball players to the college ranks, including Eubank (Belmont University) and fellow seniors Sarah Baker (Youngstown State), Gracie Carrigan (Transylvania) and Rose Miller (Kentucky Christian). “That’s a great success,” Haitz said. “But my biggest thing is that my players are prepared to go anywhere, whether that be college, trade school, the work force, the military. Whatever it may be, we want our girls to be a success in life.”
sports Highlands alum Guidugli calls Notre Dame offense in victorious bowl game
Gino Guidugli orchestrated Notre Dame’s offense to 40 points and 468 total yards in the Irish’s bowl game against Oregon State. Photo provided | Notre Dame
With its offensive coordinator departing for a head coaching position, Notre Dame turned to Gino Guidugli to call the offense in its bowl game with Oregon State on Dec. 29. Gerad Parker accepted the head coaching position at Troy, leading Irish head coach Marcus Freeman to turn to Highlands grad Guidugli as his option. Guidugli had prior play calling and coordinating experience at the University of Cincinnati and was the quarterbacks coach for the Irish this season after joining the program in March after six seasons with the Bearcats. Notre Dame was down its starting quarterback, both offensive tackles, running back and four wide receivers from the regular season in the game. It didn’t matter much, as the offense racked up 40 points and 468 total yards in a 40-8 victory. If the bowl game was an audition for the offensive coordinator spot, Guidugli passed with flying colors. It will be interesting to see how things play out in South Bend in the offseason.
Walton-Verona girls, boys, Holy Cross girls basketball claim regional All ‘A’ titles The Holy Cross girls basketball team and Walton-Verona boys and girls basketball teams won their respective All “A” Classic regional titles and will represent their re-
gions at the state tournament in Corbin starting on Jan. 24.
of the nation’s most knowledgeable high school analysts, prep scouts, media and basketball coaches — will soon narrow down the list of nominees to the final 48 players named to the Games’ final rosters. The top 24 girls and 24 boys will be revealed on Tuesday, Jan. 24 on NBA Today between 3-4 p.m. on ESPN and announced across ESPN’s various social and digital platforms.
Holy Cross breezed through the 9th Region competition, winning three games by a combined 105 points as they look to defend their All “A” state title. Miyah Wimzie was named tournament MVP, while Julia Hunt and Aumani Nelso were named to the All-Tournament team.
The McDonald’s All American Games have benefitted Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and its network of local chapters since their inception. RMHC helps bring communities together to support children and families throughout their health care journey by providing comfort, care and vital resources when they’re needed most.
Walton-Verona’s girls got the title back for the first time since 2021 after seeing Owen County win it the last two seasons. The Bearcats took down Trimble County, Eminence and Gallatin County on their way to the title. Braylin Terrell was the tournament MVP, while Ava Kendall, Avery Geiman, Elin Logue and Campbell Christy were named to the All-Tournament team. Walton-Verona’s boys won their sixth All “A” regional title since 2017, taking down Trimble County, Eminence and Gallatin County with pretty comfortable margins. Julian Dixon was named tournament MVP, while fellow Bearcats Aaron Gutman, Landon Bach, Max Montgomery and Zach Smith made the All-Tournament team.
Holy Cross won the girls 9th Region All “A” title and will head to Corbin on Jan. 24 to defend its All “A” state title. Evan Dennison | LINK nky
Ryle girls basketball stars Eubank, Baker nominated to McDonald’s All-American game Ryle’s Quinn Eubank and Sarah Baker have made a pretty prestigious list, nominated for the McDonald’s All-American game that takes place in April in Houston. Eubank and Baker were among six girls in Kentucky nominated for the game that selects 48 players, boys and girls, to play in the game. The two were among 724 players nominated nationwide.
The other four nominated in Kentucky were Sacred Heart’s Reagan Bender and Angelina Pelayo and Boyd County’s Audrey Biggs and Jasmine Jordan. Sarah Baker (left) was one of two Ryle girls basketball players nominated for the McDonald’s All-American game. Photo provided | Charles Bolton
Eubank is off to a sizzling start in her senior season with the Raiders. She leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 17.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She’s hitting 47% from the field, 38% from the 3-point line and knocking down 78% of her free throw attempts. Eubank has signed with Belmont University to continue her athletic and academic career. Baker recently scored her 1,000th career point in a Dec. 14 contest against Mount Notre Dame (Ohio). She’s averaging 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds for the Raiders this season while shooting 46% from the field and 78% from the 3-point line. Baker has signed to continue her athletic and academic career with Youngstown State University. Players were nominated by a high school coach, athletic director, principal or member of the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee based upon a certain criteria. The McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee — composed of some
Lyon County’s Travis Perry and Wesley Christian’s Patrick Pettengill were the Kentucky boys nominees. Last season, Ryle’s Abby Holtman and Austin Johnson were among the nominees for the 2023 game.
Holy Cross senior Hunt, already Miss Kentucky Volleyball, is Gatorade Player of the Year Months after being named Miss Kentucky Volleyball by the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association, Holy Cross senior Julia Hunt was named the Gatorade Kentucky Volleyball Player of the Year. Hunt, committed to the University of Washington, helped lead Holy Cross to a 23-11 record while recording 658 kills, 114 blocks, 286 digs and 83 aces in the 2023 season. She led the state in kills heading into the postseason and was 22nd in blocks. She is rated as Kentucky’s top high school volleyball player, according to prepdig.com. Hunt finished her high school volleyball career with over 2,000 kills and 500 blocks.
JANUARY 19, 2024 17
frankfort
Meet Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer By Rebecca Hanchett 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.
T
his year is Sen. Damon Thayer’s 12th as Senate majority floor leader in the Kentucky General Assembly.
It’s a position that gives the longtime senator a voice that few other lawmakers have. And that’s a literal statement. After all, it is Thayer who stands at a desk mic directing the daily flow of business on the Senate floor during each legislative session. He announces when bills and resolutions will be heard (the “orders of the day”) and when the day is done (adjournment). When he’s not on the floor, he’s working behind the scenes to help set the policy agenda for his caucus. Thayer, who announced in December that he will not run for re-election in 2024, told LINK nky in October that he sometimes finds it challenging to juggle the expectations of the Republican-led Senate majority he helped to build. But it’s a challenge he said he loves. “It’s something I’ve worked toward for a long time,” Thayer said. “I worked to help make these supermajorities.”
A supermajority is where one party holds membership of at least three-fifths of a legislative chamber. In the state Senate, Republicans hold 31 of the chamber’s 38 seats. Republicans also hold all but 20 seats in the 100-seat state House. “I’ve been working on campaigns here since 1995 and remember when we were in the minority in both chambers and had as few as 34 members in the House. Now that we have supermajorities that I don’t believe are going to go away, or even shrink, any time in the near future, the challenge is always living up to our campaign promises,” said Thayer. “It’s not just about winning. I do love winning, but it’s also about governing and passing policies that are aligned with what the majority of our constituents who elect us expect us to deliver.” What can constituents expect from their elected leaders during the 2024 session? The big issue this session is what will make it into Kentucky’s $113 billion-plus biennial (two-year) state budget and the state’s twoyear state road plan, Thayer said. Budget requests have been rolling in from different people and places for months. It will take most of the session to decide what will stay in the spending plan, and what will go. “Of course, Kenton County’s own Chris McDaniel leads the way on that for us,” Thayer said, referring to Sen. Chris McDaniel
(R-Ryland Heights), who chairs the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee. “And that’s good news for Northern Kentucky.” Another issue that may be addressed during the upcoming session is what Thayer calls “dissatisfaction with the KDE” or the Kentucky Department of Education. State lawmakers have raised questions about the agency’s role in recent years. Clashes between former Kentucky Education Commissioner Jason Glass and state lawmakers over the 2023 General Assembly’s ban on gender-affirming treatment for minors and other language in Senate Bill 150 ultimately led to Glass’s resignation. The legislation, vetoed by Gov. Andy Beshear, became law by veto override and has been subsequently challenged in federal court. The law is now in effect. What else does Thayer see as potential issues of debate this session? There could be a proposed constitutional amendment on school choice in response to a 2022 Kentucky Supreme Court ruling that struck down a 2021 state choice law. There may also be reform to the state’s certificate of need law, but it’s too soon to tell. Of course, positioning Northern Kentucky for economic growth is a priority, he said — not just for NKY but for the entire state. “Northern Kentucky is one of the key eco-
nomic drivers for Kentucky’s overall economic conditions,” said Thayer. “With manufacturing, aviation, logistics, as well as a lot of the professional careers that are in NKY — entertainment, tourism, gaming — all of these are major Damon Thayer. Photo profactors in driving vided | Legislative Research job retention and Commission job creation. We want to make sure that continues.” Sen. Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) represents District 17, which includes Grant, Scott and part of Kenton and Fayette counties. He is a member of both the Legislative Research Commission and the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee. When in session, he serves on the Senate Committee on Committees; Licensing and Occupations Committee; Rules Committee; Agriculture Committee; and State and Local Government Committee. Between sessions, Thayer serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Agriculture; Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations Committee; Local Government Committee; and State Government Committee. He is a member of several caucuses, including the Northern Kentucky Caucus.
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