LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 3, Edition 32 - July 4, 2025

KENTON

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 32 — JULY 4, 2025

THE VOICE OF NKY

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Celia Jo’s serves barbecue with a purpose

By Kenton Hornbeck

E

ric Batke always wanted his career to have a positive impact on people.

Batke edited video in his previous line of work – something he sincerely enjoyed but ultimately grew tired of.

“I honestly just wanted to have a simpler world impact,” he told LINK nky. “Making videos for people was cool, but I feel like I wasn’t really satisfied with the impact that it was making on the world.”

His search for fulfillment led him to another industry altogether: food service. Batke, along with his wife, Savannah, founded Celia Jo’s BBQ in 2023. The business is named after his niece.

Batke’s involvement with barbecue dates to 2019. It started as a hobby but grew into something Eric felt comfortable transforming into a full-time small business.

“Barbecue is the thing that I’ve just been doing the longest, and the thing that I’m the most familiar with,” he said. “I have about six years experience.”

Like him, Savannah Batke had a similar experience with her career. Before Celia Jo’s, she worked for three years at a marketing firm before deciding to take a year off.

“It was definitely a big risk, especially in the food business,” she said. “We’re not unaware of all of the statistics of how successful food businesses are. I guess we’re pretty adventurous in the sense that we’re OK to take that risk, and I want to see what happens with it.”

Celia Jo’s menu features a variety of smoked meats cooked in Eric Batke’s offset smoker.

Customers have a wide selection of choices, from USDA Prime brisket, pulled pork, pork belly and spare ribs to vegan jackfruit.

Celia Jo’s offers a variety of sides, including macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, esquites (Mexican street corn), and smoked pecan Caesar salad. For dessert, they have banana and dirt pudding.

Celia Jo’s operates out of the Incubator Kitchen Collective in Newport, a nonprofit, shared‑use commercial kitchen and food business incubator. Batke said Incubator Kitchen has provided them with cheap rent, kitchen access and low overhead costs.

Continues on page 3

Celia Jo's barbecue operates out of the Incubator Kitchen Collective in Newport. Provided | Celia Jo's Facebook page

Kentucky AG: Union violated law allowing access to public records

By Nathan Granger

T

he Kentucky Attorney General’s Office has issued an opinion stating Union “violated the Open Records Act,” which guarantees public access to most government records, in spite of the city’s insistence to the contrary.

Specifically, the AG’s office contends the city failed to: • Respond to a request within five business days as required by law.

• Adequately provide reasoning for redactions in the records requests.

• Perform an adequate search for records.

Former Union Commissioner Brian Garner speaks at the commission’s Feb. 3 meeting. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

The opinion was issued May 28 as a result of a complaint made by former City Commissioner Brian Garner. Garner was ousted from his seat on the commission earlier

this year following a legal battle that ensued after the Boone County Clerk’s office distributed the wrong ballots to two polling sites during the November election.

Records shared with LINK nky by both Garner and Mayor Larry Solomon indicate that Garner had made eight open records requests to the city between Feb. 4 and April 23.

The city and Jeff Otis, the special attorney it hired to deal with the issue, later responded to the ruling with a letter claiming, essentially, that the attorney general didn’t have all of the facts surrounding Garner’s requests.

The AG then sent a form response letter reaffirming its decision, citing the part of Kentucky law that mandates the attorney Continues on page 4

State lawmakers hear about NKY’s tourism ecosystem p8 How to use AI to really, truly be on PTO p9 Here’s who made the 50 sports icons list this week p10

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Continued from page 1

“We’re completely self-sustained right now,” he said. “We have no investors, we have no loans – right now it’s just us slowly building things up from the ground, and that’s only even possible because of the incubator.”

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Though it lacks a brick-and-mortar location or food truck, Celia Jo’s is a popular presence at events across Greater Cincinnati. The Batkes’ restaurant operates as a pop-up, appearing at various stores, bars and festivals, such as Covington’s Maifest and Oktoberfest.

The two hope to differentiate themselves from the competition by their branding, which they describe as family-friendly and colorful. Eric Batke noted that many barbecue restaurants use faded Americana and grungy western-style branding. The couple places a strong emphasis on using Instagram to promote this distinction.

“We knew it was important to have a really solid brand, one that really was a good reflection of who we are, and really something that was a little bit different than what you would see in small food businesses, and especially barbecue businesses,” Savannah Batke said. “We wanted that to be more of a not-so-macho masculine brand, but something a little bit more family oriented or just more approachable to everyone.”

Eric Batke said he finds great satisfaction in watching people’s first reaction when they try a dish he created. From his perspective, that initial response is one of the most rewarding parts of cooking and selling barbecue. “There’s immediate impact and immediate happiness that comes from eating a good meal,” he said.

Eric and Savannah Batke. Provided | Celia Jo's website, Samuel Greenhill

The duo’s ultimate goal is to open a brickand-mortar restaurant with an expansive outdoor space. “We would love that to have a big open space, something with some outdoor dining or even, like some grass,” Savannah Batke said.

In addition, the duo expressed interest in offering catering services for corporate events, wedding receptions and other large gatherings.

No part of this publication may be used without permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions.

If, however, an error comes to your attention, please let us know and accept our sincere apologies in advance.

Some of the selections at Celia Joe’s. Provided | Celia Joe’s Instagram

JULY 4, 2025 3

Continued from page 1

general not reconsider its decision outside of court. Solomon later told LINK nky that “we knew that they’re not going to change their decision,” but the letter was a way “to put a statement on for the record,” providing a deeper picture of the situation.

Both Solomon and Garner stated they were not interested in taking the matter to court.

Garner made the specific request that led to the complaint at the end of March for records of communications and meeting notes related to the appointments of replacement commissioners.

Garner, along with Eric Dulaney, were snubbed for appointment to the commission in February, even though both won seats in November, according to the election results before the court case.

“When we talk about ‘the city’ violating the law, we’re really talking about Mayor Larry Solomon and the commissioners he appointed after the election was thrown out,” Garner said in an email statement. Later in his statement, Garner said, “This wasn’t some bureaucratic oversight – these were deliberate choices to withhold information from the public.”

viding part of Garner’s requested records but stating that “there are no phone logs” but that he could “reach out to [the] mayor and commissioners to request phone logs.”

The city grants elected commissioners a stipend to purchase phones in their roles as officials rather than giving them phones outright. Commissioners aren’t required to spend the money on phones, so they instead use their personal phones to communicate with each other, the public and city staff.

Garner submitted an amended request on March 26, expanding the time frame for some of the records. The city responded the following day with some of the phone records, but Garner argues the records provided were incomplete. Garner sent an email to Wilhoite on March 28 inquiring about the purported incompleteness of the records.

Although Garner admits that the “omissions are likely accidental,” in a subsequent April email, he notes several discrepancies in the phone logs, namely that logs showing calls between Commissioners Doug Bine, George Eldridge, John Mefford and the mayor didn’t line up.

Documents from Garner, the city and the attorney general’s office help to sketch a timeline leading up to the decision.

On April 2, Garner received an email from Otis, who had been contracted by the city specifically to handle Garner’s records requests and any legal actions that might follow. His approved rate is $150 an hour, according to city records.

Garner made his request to City Clerk Tammy Wilhoite on March 19, requesting various forms of communications from the city and commissioners, including phone logs. Wilhoite responded on March 25, pro-

Otis does not work as Union’s city solicitor – that role is held by Greg Voss – but he is active in municipal law in the region.

He represented Elsmere when that city’s council attempted to remove former Coun-

Timeline of events

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John Mefford, from left, Doug Bine and George Eldridge are the Union City Commission’s appointed members. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

cilwoman Serena Owen from office. He was accused of offering Dr. Ed Conner, who appeared as a custody expert in a case involving former attorney Ben Dusing, $5,000 to change a custodial evaluation involving Dusing. Dusing later denied he ever asked anyone to bribe Conner.

produce the records faster.

Legal obligations ‘met’

Bine contended the incompleteness of this record’s response was due to error, he said, “nothing nefarious.”

“Mrs. Wilhoite will not be responding to the issues and/or questions that you reference in this specific email request,” Otis wrote in his email. “Mrs. Wilhoite has met her legal obligation to you and owes you no further duty in this matter.”

Otis went on to write that any further questions related to the records requests should be directed to him rather than city staff.

“It is not appropriate for you to engage the city clerk with what your opinion of the law is or is not,” Otis wrote. “It is inappropriate for you to push your interpretation of the law upon her to get whatever it is that you want. Ultimately, it is not up to Mrs. Wilhoite to determine if your interpretation of the law is either correct or incorrect.”

Otis concluded his email by stating that the city’s response to Garner’s request was in accordance with the law and, thus, complete. “You will not receive any additional records pursuant to the March 19, 2025 request,” Otis wrote.

Garner emailed Otis back, pointing out the purported discrepancies in the logs. Later that day, Wilhoite emailed two phone logs she’d since received from Bine. Garner argues that this demonstrated the city inadequately searched for the appropriate records, but Bine argued to LINK that this was more due to timing. According to Bine, his carrier’s phone logs and statements had not been generated in time for the initial request, but he sent them over as soon as he had them.

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Garner continued to email city staff members and Otis for the remainder of April. On April 15, Otis sent an email that reflected Bine’s reasoning: “I was under the belief that Ms. Wilhoite supplemented this Open Records Response with additional call logs as they became available.” Garner reaffirmed his position that the city’s response to his request was incomplete in an email to Otis on April 18.

Garner appealed to the Attorney General’s Office at the end of April, and the office tendered its opinion on May 28.

‘No “there” there’

“There’s no ‘there’ there,” Bine said. “There’s not anything nefarious going on. There’s no shadow government going on behind the scenes.”

Bine admitted that the redactions he made to his phone logs may have contained errors; part of the AG’s opinion is that the city failed to provide adequate reasoning for its redactions.

Behind all of these conversations is the prospect of political back-channeling, the risk that commissioners and the mayor as a group could be communicating about (and deciding on) city business outside of a public meeting.

While it’s permissible for commissioners simply to talk one-on-one outside of a meeting, three or more commissioners (i.e., a majority) talking about city business outside of a public meeting is illegal.

This rule is designed to head off corruption among elected officials. One such scandal gripped Cincinnati in 2019 when five of its council members conducted public business over text message outside of public meetings.

While Bine admitted he contacted Commissioner John Mefford, “Commissioner Mefford and I have been friends for 12 years, 13 years,” Bine stated, saying that they meet frequently in a friendly capacity to chat and socialize without discussing city business. They were friends prior to holding office, Bine said.

Bine believed the situation was more fallout from the results of the dissolution of the city government earlier this year, a view Solomon shared, calling the accusation of serial communication “not true.”

“If one of the commissioners calls me and asks my point of view, I tell them,” Solomon said. “But I’m not getting consensus. That’s a cheap shot.”

Solomon later affirmed this.

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“What I was told was that his billing came at a different time than ours,” Solomon said, “and so he only had part of it. As he got the billing, he provided it to Tammy, and she provided it to Mr. Garner.”

In any case, the attorney general’s office eventually docked the city for failing to

Solomon maintained that the city had a made a good-faith effort to furnish all of the communications Garner requested.

Starting July 1, Solomon said, the city will begin issuing separate cellphones to its elected officials to avoid problems like this in the future.

NKU’s Inkubator guides students from side hustles to startups

By Kenton Hornbeck

N

orthern Kentucky University entrepreneurship student John Wharton is using his background in lawn care and support from NKU’s Inkubator accelerator program to build a technology startup.

As a teenager growing up in Boone County, Wharton would mow his neighbors’ lawns on the side, leading him to start his own lawn care business. He took the time to observe the intricacies of the industry, including labor expenses and the quoting process. This laid the groundwork for founding a company, Core Precision Lawns.

Despite his enjoyment of lawn care, Wharton believed he had a business idea with greater potential. Through encouragement from a judging panel at the 2024 Kentucky Collegiate Pitch Competition, Wharton decided his lawn care knowledge could be the basis for a new technology company.

Wharton and his team are designing an app that uses satellite imagery to allow lawn care companies to generate quotes more quickly. Providers can enter an address to view satellite images, calculate square footage and create a quote without needing to visit the property. This way, lawn care companies can reduce the time and effort spent on manual measurements, essentially digitizing the quoting process.

However, running and expanding a startup presented unfamiliar challenges for Wharton. Zac Strobl, director of Northern Kentucky University’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, suggested that Wharton apply to the school’s Inkubator program. This two-week business accelerator helps students and alumni transform an idea into a viable business.

Strobl said the structured, 12-week summer program is designed to flesh out a business idea, using university resources and intellectual capital to craft a sustainable business model.

“Our goal is to help them scale, meaning growth,” Strobl said. “It just means, how can we help them be innovative and do things

An NKU student gives a pitch during the 2023 Inkubator program. Provided | Blue North, NKU

differently than what everyone else is doing? Actually, like building a sustainable business model.”

Focus on mentorship, business plan Inkubator’s curriculum focuses on startup methodology and business-model development, while providing mentorship from experienced professionals. Participants attend workshops, build cross-disciplinary teams and pitch their startups to investors during a Demo Day. The program is nationally recognized for its commitment to supporting young entrepreneurs. In February, NKU announced that Inkubator received the National Model University Accelerator/Incubator Program Award from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, marking it as one of the top programs in the country.

Wharton, who is now in the program, told LINK nky that Inkubator has provided him critical access to mentorship throughout the time-consuming process of starting a business.

“One of the biggest draws to this program as a whole for me was the mentorship as-

pect of it,” Wharton said. “I mean, I have some good contacts that I can reach out to, but I just don’t want to bother them, because I know what they’re doing and how busy they are and their lives, and this was a good segue for me to naturally meet people through this program that are also business owners and entrepreneurs that have started multiple businesses.”

Often, young entrepreneurs are saddled with juggling critical responsibilities to ensure their businesses’ survival. The process can be challenging and isolating. Wharton highlighted how Inkubator provided him with mentors that not only grasp the demands of running a startup but also offer valuable operational insights.

“For me, the big aspect of this program is the mentorship, getting to talk with these people, learn from them, and also walk them through the challenges that I’m experiencing,” he said. “Saying, ‘Hey, this is happening right now. Here’s what I’ve done.

Can you kind of help guide me or give me some advice?’”

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“That’s really important to me,” he said, “because oftentimes in starting businesses, like I said, it’s a lonely journey, and especially if you don’t have a co-founder.”

NKU’s Inkubator 2025 cohort started May 12 and finishes with Demo Day and final presentations on Aug. 1.

For Strobl, Inkubator has clear benefits. By integrating young founders into Northern Kentucky’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, they can take advantage of existing resources while simultaneously establishing a framework for their future contributions to the program.

“The whole purpose is to introduce them to the entrepreneurship community,” he said. “Also, our whole community is there to support the entrepreneurs.”

Inkubator graduate Gary Darna, managing partner at Micromerch in Cincinnati, said

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one of his favorite aspects of the program is that participants hear from past cohort members who have benefited from the program. “You’re helping people prevent some of the same silly mistakes that maybe you made in your entrepreneurial career,” Darna said.

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kenton county briefs State unveils design for replacement bridge over Licking River

A rendering of the new, arched Fourth Street Bridge. Provided | KYTC

The Fourth Street Bridge connecting Covington and Newport will be closed in January and demolished in the spring to make way for a new bridge, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

The cabinet has announced the replacement will be an arched bridge that will span the Licking River. Three steel arches will reach 58 feet above the roadway. The bridge itself will span 446 feet across the Licking River – nearly 200 feet longer than the existing bridge, KYTC said. Below the bridge deck, concrete piers will support the structure while framing the river itself.

The design also includes two, 12-foot, shared-use paths for use by bicyclists and pedestrians. They’ll be separated from four lanes of vehicle traffic. State officials said the intersection of Garrard and Fourth Street in Covington will be reconfigured.

The design was chosen from among four proposals revealed by the Transportation Cabinet in 2023.

“We’re excited to share the final bridge type selection,” said Jim Gray, Transportation Cabinet secretary, in a release about the project’s details. “The arch concept features a signature aesthetic design that considers the surrounding environment, including the nearby historic neighborhoods of Newport and Covington. Drivers and pedestrians can look forward to separate shared-use paths and four lanes that will accommodate traffic in this growing, vibrant region for decades to come.”

According to KYTC, a traffic study done on the bridge in 2016 led to the design’s incorporation of more traffic lanes than the current span.

“That study found that, while three lanes would suffice for the existing traffic at that time, any additional development in Newport or Covington would require four lanes to accommodate the additional traffic,” reads an FAQ on cabinet’s website. “Since that time, work has started to develop the previous IRS site in Covington and there has been significant development of the Ovation site in Newport.”

The bridge closure is currently estimated to begin in January, with demolition scheduled for spring 2026. Construction is expected to take around 2 1/2 years, with the

new bridge opening in the summer of 2028.

Construction could begin as early as this summer, KYTC said.

The design-build team will use the approved arch design to work on a final configuration for approaches to the bridge.

KYTC said it’s during this process and the design refinements where things like traffic calming measures will be identified and incorporated.

Myatt previously ran as a write-in candidate for council. Along with Eric Bunzow, he was one of the more vocal critics of Owen for her absenteeism at council meetings.

When the bridge closes, pedestrian and cyclist access will also be lost until the new bridge opens. KYTC will operate a free shuttle route to help pedestrians and cyclists travel between Newport and Covington.

“I’m just excited to get started, hit the ground running. Just want to be present, be active,” Myatt said. “The city’s progressing in a great way, moving forward. I just want to be a part of that, part of the continuing growth of Elsmere.”

“This service will focus on providing a connection to basic and essential needs for these commuters – like day care, employment and groceries,” a KYTC webpage about the project says. “The shuttle service will provide accommodations for wheelchairs and bicycles.”

More information on that shuttle will be released this fall.

The Fourth Street Bridge, built in the 1930s, is considered by the state to be functionally obsolete. The Transportation Cabinet has planned for nine years to redesign the bridge.

In May 2024, the weight limit for the bridge was reduced to 12 tons from its already-reduced limit of 17 tons. The additional restriction meant school buses are prohibited from crossing, along with fire trucks, loaded garbage trucks, loaded tractor trailers and TANK buses. Traffic was also reduced to one lane in each direction.

Those weight restrictions will be lifted on the new bridge.

Elsmere swears in council member to fill Owen’s former seat

Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhof swore in Andrew Myatt to the city council at the June 18 special meeting. Photo by Mildred Nguyen

Elsmere City Council swore in Andrew Myatt as its newest council member at a special meeting June 18.

The council voted 3-1 in favor of Myatt after conducting interviews in executive session. Other candidates for the position included Stephanie Treanor, Gary Treadway and Rusty C. Smith III. Councilmember Maria Vogt voted for Treanor. Councilmember Gloria Grubbs, as leader of the council, abstained.

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Mayor Marty Lenhof swore in Myatt after the meeting was adjourned.

Bunzow questioned the council’s conducting the candidate interviews in closed session. “Why can’t they interview in front of everyone?” he said prior to the vote.

He nevertheless congratulated Myatt at the end of the meeting.

Share your voice: Tell Covington how to spend grant money

Development projects in Covington benefit from federal grants. Photo by Silvia Brazzoduro | Unsplash

Covington wants residents to tell it how to spend grants it received from the federal government.

The city is seeking feedback on how to allocate money from two federal programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development: the Community Development Block Grant program and the HOME program.

Commissioners heard feedback at their June 24 meeting. Suggestions also can be made by contacting Jeremy Wallace, the city’s federal grants manager, at jwallace@ covingtonky.gov or 859-292-2147.

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the Elsmere council’s announcement advertising the vacancy, which opened when former member Serena Owen resigned June 4.

The meeting was held one week following

The block grant represents the larger allocation – $1.4 million, according to the city. It can be used to fund home repairs, street infrastructure, park improvements, literacy programs, economic development initiatives and other programs that benefit the city as a whole.

HOME grants are more narrowly focused on housing. HOME dollars go toward an intercity consortium that offers housing down payment assistance in the form of forgivable loans for residents of Covington, Bellevue, Dayton, Erlanger, Florence, Independence, Ludlow and Newport. The federal government has allocated $672,734 for that program.

kenton county briefs Buy Fabled Brew ale, help fund construction of Erlanger adventure park

we crafted A Walk in the Woods to pair perfectly with your own adventure.”

Businesses that wish to sell the beer should contact Fabled Brew Works directly. Additionally, residents who wish to donate directly to the park’s construction can do so through horizonfunds.org.

Three from NKY join Leadership Kentucky board of directors

change from NKU. Whitaker-Hurtt serves as the vice president of community relations for Ohio and Kentucky for Duke Energy, a position from which she will retire at the end of June.

She’s served as the board chair for the Northern Kentucky Chamber and has aided in the development of several workforce development initiatives in the region.

Covington incentives go to boost SparkHaus, seven other businesses

Fabled Brew Works will donate part of the sales of a special ale toward the construction of Eons Adventure Park. Provided | City of Erlanger

People can now help raise money for Erlanger’s 1,000-acre Eons Adventure Park by buying beer.

A portion of sales of Fable Brew Works’ new Kolsch-style ale, dubbed A Walk in the Woods, will be donated to the park’s construction. The ale is available on draft and in cans at Fabled Brew Works’ main tap room on Kenton Lands Road. It’s also available for distribution to local bars and restaurants throughout Kenton County.

“Eons Adventure Park is a bold, once-in-ageneration initiative with the potential to shape our region’s quality of life and workforce development for eons to come,” said Erlanger Mayor Jessica Fette in a social media announcement. “To truly realize that potential, it will take a strong public-private partnership – and I’m incredibly grateful that Fabled Brew Works is stepping up.”

“This beer is a way of giving back to the community that has supported us from Day 1. We’re thrilled to partner with the city of Erlanger on this project,” said Kent Wessels, co-owner of Fabled Brew Works.

“Every epic journey deserves a toast, and

From left: Trey Grayson, Bob Heil and Rhonda Whittaker-Hunt. LINK nky file photo (Grayson), Provided | Leadership Kentucky (Heil and Whittaker-Hunt)

Leadership Kentucky, a nonprofit educational organization, welcomed three new members from Northern Kentucky to its board of directors last week.

The new members are Trey Grayson, Robert Heil and Rhonda Whitaker-Hurtt, who are from Florence, Fort Thomas and Crescent Springs, respectively.

Grayson is an attorney. He served as Kentucky secretary of state from 2004 to 2011.

He also has served as CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and director of the Harvard Institute of Politics.

Heil is executive director of strategic relationships and community engagement at KLH Engineers in Fort Thomas. He is a founding member of the OneNKY Alliance, and he serves on the BE NKY Growth Partnership’s board, as well as on several other local boards. He has a master’s degree in executive leadership and organizational

A rendering of the SparkHaus sign. Provided | SparkHaus

Covington is poised to boost seven businesses and the SparkHaus business incubator as part of the latest round of grants through its small business incentive program.

The incentives are designed to help projects that will bolster the entrepreneurial landscape in Covington. The programs have helped 162 projects since 2017, according to the city’s economic development department.

The incentives are split into three categories: rent subsidies, facade grants to help building repair and refurbishment, and sign grants to help restore historic signage in the city.

“This city is more cooperative and supportive [to entrepreneurs] than almost any city that I’ve worked with across Kentucky or Ohio or Indiana and even in Tennessee,” said Commissioner Shannon Smith, herself an entrepreneur.

All eight incentives were expected to be approved at the June 24 commission meeting.

The following businesses are slated to receive $6,000 rent subsidies: • Feel Something, a vintage retail store on Decoursey Avenue.

• Rivertown Vintage, a vintage retailer on Pike Street.

• Pilates on Pike, an exercise studio on Pike Street.

• Breathe Wellness Studio, a wellness studio on Pike Street.

The following properties are slated to receive $6,000 facade grants: • 701 Madison Ave., formerly the site of Rich’s Proper, for painting and various building improvements, including an update of the building’s sign to read “Noche.”

• 210 Pike St., owned by Sparklezilla, for cleaning, tuckpointing and repainting.

• 326-328 W. Pike St., vacant buildings owned by Mugsy Development, for window and transom repair along with general storefront repair.

• 341-343 W. Pike St., more vacant properties owned by Mugsy Development, mostly for window and storefront repair.

The following property will receive a $7,500 historic sign restoration grant: • 727 Madison Ave., formerly Sims Furniture and now owned by the Northern Kentucky Port Authority. It’s the future site of the entrepreneurial incubator SparkHaus. The old Sim’s sign will be updated to reflect the SparkHaus brand.

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State lawmakers briefed on NKY entrepreneurism, tourism

By Kenton Hornbeck

D

ozens of Kentucky lawmakers focused on entrepreneurship and tourism June 18 at a special committee meeting in Covington, at which local economic leaders updated the legislators on the resources these sectors require to continue growing.

Dave Knox, executive director of Blue North, Northern Kentucky’s primary entrepreneurial support organization and advocacy group, briefed Interim Joint Committee members on the state of the regional and statewide ecosystems.

“How do we give an unfair advantage to those entrepreneurs with crazy dreams, to change industries, drive growth and to call Kentucky home?” Knox asked.

Knox emphasized that sustained investment in several key areas is crucial for the growth of the state’s entrepreneurial sector, including ecosystem infrastructure, regional entrepreneurial hubs, workforce development and attracting venture capital.

Knox briefed the committee on the status of Northern Kentucky’s flagship entrepreneurial hub, SparkHaus, which is under construction in Covington. Slated to open in late summer, SparkHaus aims to bring Northern Kentucky-based startups, investment firms and entrepreneurial support organizations in one centrally located office hub.

The hub will be inside the former Simms Furniture building at 727 Madison Ave. Knox advocated for more funding for statewide entrepreneurial hubs. In fiscal year 2025, Kentucky allocated $3 million to six regional innovation hubs. Blue North received $424,800. In comparison, neighboring states like Tennessee poured more money into their statewide entrepreneurial ecosystem. As a result, Knox said, Kentucky is playing from behind.

“We are lagging in our support of entrepreneurship,” he said.

Covington Mayor Ron Washington and Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann before the special committee meeting. Provided | Meg Erpenbeck via Kenton County

need for more venture capital investment in Kentucky startups. He said neighboring states, like Indiana, are investing more in venture capital growth, creating a more favorable environment for startups and founders to secure funding on a local level.

“Venture capital has grown by three times over the last decade, but our amount of attraction of that venture capital is at the exact same level that it was in 2014,” he said.

Some suggestions Knox made included courting venture capital investments from beyond the state’s borders. He cited Michigan’s Renaissance Venture Capital initiative as a potential model. The fund invests in venture capital firms across the United States, provided that those firms engage with and invest in Michigan startups.

“How can Kentucky follow those models and get those same responses?” he asked.

Another suggestion was that the state broaden the scope of businesses that can receive venture capital investments, rather than primarily focusing on technology companies.

Another area Knox highlighted was the

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“We have to support these broad industries and not just limit ourselves to thinking about tech and venture capital,” said Knox.

“It’s the only way to do it.”

Following Knox, Julie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of meetNKY, NKY’s regional tourism bureau, and B.B. Riverboats co-owner Terri Bernstein updated the committee on one of Northern Kentucky’s most anticipated coming events, America’s River Roots Festival.

The festival is a dual celebration of the United States’ semiquincentennial and Greater Cincinnati’s cultural heritage. The event will be held Oct. 8 through 12 along the Ohio River in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Organizers hope it boosts tourism to the region.

“It takes advantage of what we think is one of our top assets here, not just in Northern Kentucky, but from Ashland to Paducah, the Ohio River,” she said.

The spiritual predecessor to America’s River Roots is Tall Stacks, the music, arts and heritage festival held intermittently from 1988 to 2009. Tall Stacks celebrated Cin-

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cinnati’s riverboat heritage, heavily incorporating the boats into the event and its marketing.

“America’s River Roots, at its core, is a new riff on an old event that we used to host in this region,” she said.

State Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, who represents Kentucky’s 24th District, which comprises Bracken, Campbell, Pendleton and part of Kenton counties, said state investment in Northern Kentucky is boosting economic growth in the region. Funke Frommeyer serves as the vice chair of the Senate’s Economic Development, Tourism & Labor Committee.

“We’re continuing to see some very interesting, meaningful growth, and as we saw with Blue North, we’re going to continue to lean into that entrepreneurial spirit,” she said.

community voices

How to go from overwhelmed to out of office?

By Dawn Winterhalter Parks This Community Voices column on AI was written by Dawn Winterhalter Parks, director of Northern Kentucky University’s BizAccessHub.

E

ver grown tomatoes?

They ripen slowly, then all at once.

One day, you’re checking every plant for a sign of red. The next, you’ve got 40 pounds of fruit and no idea what to do with all of it. Your counters are full. Every bowl is overflowing. You’re googling salsa recipes and wondering how long tomatoes last on the windowsill.

That’s what running a business looks like: quiet times followed by everything demanding your attention at once. Emails.

Deadlines. Payroll. Customer issues. Marketing.

What kind of vacation do you want?

Let’s be honest: Most business owners don’t dream of a luxury yacht getaway. They dream of being unreachable for 48 hours without the sky falling.

Are you the “check email twice a day” kind of vacationer? Or do you dream of disappearing completely for a week – with no dings, pings or Slack notifications?

Wherever you land, let’s make space for some version of unplugged. Not the fantasy version. Just a better, more sustainable one.

Because we don’t get to peace of mind overnight. But we can move toward it.

Vacaworking: A woman checks her phone while sitting on the beach. Provided | Patti Black via Unsplash

specific stressor? That’s the system you need to build or fix first.

feeling overwhelmed, let ChatGPT act more like a coach. Try this:

Look – I’m not a therapist. Some of us keep ourselves busy because we’re afraid of what happens when we stop. That’s a different kind of vacation prep.

“ChatGPT, I want to take a break soon, but I’m feeling anxious about it. Can you ask me some questions to help me figure out what’s actually worrying me and what I can do about it?”

For most business owners, though, it’s not about trauma or laziness. It’s about logistics. And which things we can use AI and automation to fix.

Let it guide you.

One final shift: Stop thinking of delegation as just “handing things off.” Instead, create rules: “If a client cancels, offer these 3 options.”

“If we don’t post by Thursday, use a post from this folder.”

“If no new leads come in this week, send this nurture email sequence.”

This is how you create space. Not by doing less, but by deciding less.

Helpful tools The real reward

Use AI to fix the fixable You don’t need to be techy. You just need to be curious.

What’s stopping you? (Be honest.)

Pick one worry – just one. Then sit down with your digital assistant. (Mine is ChatGPT, and, yes, I call her Shirley.)

If you’re already thinking “I can’t take a break right now,” stop and figure out why.

Is it client communication? Sales drying up? A fear that things will fall apart without you?

Type this: “Shirley, I’m trying to take a vacation in three weeks. What can I automate or prep so that I’m not constantly checking in?

I can’t pick one problem – help me figure it out.”

Great. Now you’ve got your first clue. That

If you’re still spinning your wheels and

No need for 100 new tools. Just try one or two: • ChatGPT: Brainstorm, prep emails, create plans.

• Otter.ai or Fathom: Let it take notes on calls for you.

• Mailchimp or GoHighLevel: Keep follow-ups going while you’re away.

• Canva: Batch your content so it’s scheduled before you leave.

The tools are here. They’re not perfect, but they’re better than burning out.

Don’t just delegate tasks – delegate decisions.

A few hours or days “off.” Whatever your version looks like, you can build it. One tomato at a time.

Have an idea?

If you have an idea for a Community Voices column, email Meghan Goth at mgoth@linknky.com. Read more COmmunity Voiced columns at linknky.com/category/culture/community-voices.

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50 sports icons in Northern Kentucky: Days 18-24

e’re presenting our “50 sports icons in Northern Kentucky” one every day online over 50 days. For our print editions, we’re spotlighting groups of icons each week through mid-July.

This week’s installment, the third, covers Days 18 through 24.

Sports editor Evan Dennison spoke and conferred with several local NKY sports history buffs to get their opinions and their lists of who should be “locks” for the 50 sports icons. We compiled those lists to come up with our own 50 (maybe cheated a little by putting families in as one).

You may disagree with who should or shouldn’t be in the top 50, but these 50 stood out to us. We hope you enjoy reliving the stories of these great achievers.

abroad, finishing in the top 10 of the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 1993, 1994 and 1996.

He earned his PGA Tour card in 1998 and quickly made an impression, winning Rookie of the Year honors. His PGA Tour career includes four victories and strong major performances – fifth at the Masters, sixth at the PGA Championship, seventh at the U.S. Open and 20th at the British Open.

One of just five left-handers to win on the Korn Ferry Tour, Flesch has proven himself across multiple levels of professional golf.

Now 54, he competes on the PGA Tour Champions, where he’s added to his win total with titles at the 2022 PURE Insurance Championship, the 2022 Mitsubishi Electric Classic, and the 2023 Ascension Charity Classic. His combined total of professional victories stands at 11. Between his competitive years, he also served as a golf analyst for Fox Sports and the Golf Channel.

Day 18: Steve Flesch In 2007, Flesch was inducted into the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame, a fitting honor for a career that continues to elevate the profile of Northern Kentucky golf.

Trials. A year earlier, she had earned MVP honors at the 1975 Girls’ Sweet 16 after posting 67 points and 50 rebounds, despite her team’s narrow quarterfinal loss.

Murphy went on to dominate at Morehead State University from 1976-1980, finishing her career as the program’s all-time leader in points (2,059) and rebounds (1,442), and setting 13 school records. A two-time OVC Player of the Year and the conference’s first-ever Female Athlete of the Year, she was also a two-time Kodak regional All-American and led the Eagles to a tournament title in 1978-79. She remains the only player in program history to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists in the same season.

After graduating magna cum laude, Murphy played professionally for the WPBL’s St. Louis Streak before transitioning to coaching. Her college coaching résumé includes Kentucky, Florida, Memphis, Cincinnati, Morehead State and Asbury University, where she started the women’s program.

She also coached at the high school and AAU levels and now works in higher education and youth basketball development.

Day 19: Donna Murphy Murphy’s No. 44 jersey was retired by Morehead State in 1999, and she’s enshrined in 11 halls of fame. Today, her legacy lives on through the Donna Murphy Award, given to Kentucky’s top senior student-athlete.

Day 20: Randy Marsh Steve Flesch, a Covington Catholic and University of Kentucky alum, stands as Northern Kentucky’s most accomplished professional golfer. The Union resident has earned over $18.3 million in his career, making the cut 297 times in 464 PGA events, according to Spotrac. A left-hander who initially played right-handed before returning to his natural side, Flesch turned pro in 1990 and spent several early years

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Donna Murphy’s basketball journey has been both trailblazing and transformative.

A Newport native, Murphy became the state’s first-ever Miss Basketball in 1976 after averaging 35 points and 20 rebounds per game for Newport High School. That same year, she was one of just two high school players invited to the U.S. Olympic

Randy Marsh, a Covington native and Holmes High School graduate, is the only Major League Baseball umpire to hail from Northern Kentucky. The son of longtime Kenton County Knothole Supervisor Bob Marsh, Randy’s baseball journey began early. As a teenager, he started umpiring local youth games and quickly developed a passion for officiating. He entered the minor leagues in 1968, working his way through the ranks for 13 seasons before earning his MLB debut in 1981 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

Marsh’s career spanned nearly three decades, during which he umpired over 3,700 regular season games. He NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING was selected to work five World Series – 1990, 1997, The Public Service Commission of Kentucky issued an order 1999, 2003 and 2006 – and on June 26, 2025, scheduling public comment meetings to be served as crew chief in the held on July 7, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, at final three, becoming just the Bluegrass Community and Technical College, 164 the 10th umpire to do so.

Opportunity Way, Lexington, KY 40511 and on July 14, 2025, His résumé also includes at 6:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight time, at Jefferson Community working four All-Star & Technical College: Southwest Campus Auditorium, 1000 Games, nine League ChamCommunity College Dr, Louisville, KY 40272 for the purpose pionship Series and five of hearing public comments regarding Kentucky Utilities Division Series. His strike Company and Louisville Gas and Electric Company Case No. zone was considered small 2025-00045, which is the Application for Certificates of Public but consistent, a standard Convenience and Necessity and Site Compatibility that earned him steady reCertificates.

spect across the league.

In 1998, Marsh was promoted to crew chief and held the position until his retirement in 2009. He later moved to MLB’s front office, where he served as director of umpiring through 2019, helping to shape training and evaluation systems for the next generation of officials.

A University of Kentucky graduate and U.S. Army Reserve veteran, Marsh’s contributions extend beyond the field. He has been inducted into the Kentucky, Florida and Northern Kentucky Sports Halls of Fames.

Day 21: Mike Yeagle Yeagle is one of the most successful coaches in Northern Kentucky history. He’s on a short list with Dale Mueller, Bob Schneider, Homer Rice, Owen Hauck and Lynn Ray. Yeagle graduated from Beechwood in 1979, where he was a three-sport standout. He started coaching at Beechwood in 1991. In a career that ran 14 seasons through 2005 (he took one year off for health issues), Yeagle compiled a record of 183-27, good for an .871 winning percentage – basically winning nine out of 10 games any given season. In the ’90s, the Tigers were the most successful team of the decade as they rattled off 38 wins in a row – an NKY record that still stands – and won 126 games with seven state titles.

Yeagle won eight state championships with the Tigers, four coming consecutively from 1991-94, making him the first Kentucky high school football coach to win four consecutive championships. Two of those teams went undefeated. Beechwood repeated under Yeagle in 1996-97.

He added two more state titles in ’99 and 2004. He resigned just before the 2002 season because of his health, but he returned to the team in 2003. He coached at Lloyd Memorial for a short time, but again was forced to step away due to health reasons.

Yeagle’s many honors include induction into the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame and the Beechwood Hall of Fame. He’s also a Buddy LaRosa High School Hall of Fame inductee. Yeagle won several Northern Kentucky

All-Big Ten in 2019.

Through his first four seasons with the Lions, Barnes has started in 26 of 51 games played and recorded 194 tackles (114 solo), 12 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, four sacks, four pass defenses and a forced fumble.

He recently agreed to resign with the Lions on a three-year, $24 million dollar deal.

Athletic Conference coach of the year awards and was state coach of the year.

Day 22: Derrick Barnes A second contract in the NFL means you’ve made it. Holy Cross grad Derrick Barnes certainly has. Barnes graduated from Holy Cross in 2017, played four years at Purdue and was then a 2021 fourth-round draft pick for the Detroit Lions.

Barnes lettered for two seasons for the Indians, his numbers off the charts as he collected 255 tackles in those two seasons to go with five fumble recoveries, four interceptions and four defensive touchdowns.

The two-way player also ran for 2,383 yards in those two seasons with 34 rushing touchdowns. He caught 19 passes for 233 yards and a receiving touchdown, and he led the team in scoring both seasons as the Indians made the Class 2A state semifinals in 2016.

His efforts earned him first team All-State and the Class 2A, 6th District player of the Year in 2016. He also played basketball and ran track for the Indians.

In his four years at Purdue, Barnes appeared in 41 games and made 30 starts, recording 226 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception. He was named Second Team AllBig Ten in 2020 and Honorable Mention

Day 23: Dale Mueller Dale Mueller is second in KHSAA history with 11 state football championships. He graduated from Highlands in 1973 and was a two-sport athlete and team captain for the baseball and football teams, and he was named All-State in his senior year for both sports.

Mueller went to Cornell University, playing baseball for the Big Red for three seasons.

After earning a degree from Xavier in secondary education, he began his coaching career at Newport and Western Hills as an assistant.

He landed at Withrow in Cincinnati and suburban Sycamore before becoming the Highlands head coach in 1994 where, as they say, the rest is history.…

In 20 seasons under Mueller, Highlands went 250-36 with 11 state titles and 14 state championship game appearances. The first state championship for the Bluebirds under Mueller came in 1996 over Hopkinsville. The Bluebirds ended up winning four state championships in five years after a loss to Covington Catholic in the 1997 playoffs now known as the Mud Bowl. Jared Lorenzen quarterbacked the undefeated 1998 team, and Gino Guidugli led the 1999 and 2000 squads that lost just once each year.

The Bluebirds pulled off a state record six consecutive state championships starting in 2007. They finished the season ranked nationally eight times and as high as third in 2009 in the USA Today Prep Poll.

Mueller finished his career with a record of 309-67.

During his tenure, Mueller was recognized locally, statewide and nationally for his coaching success. He won numerous coaching awards, including the Louisville Courier Journal Kentucky Coach of the Year, Cincinnati Bengals Coach of the Year, Marvin Lewis Coach of the Year, the Paul Brown Excellence in Coaching Award, Russell Athletic National Coach of the Year and the National Federation of High Schools National Coach of the Year.

Day 24: Dave Faust Faust was an educator and coach for 43 years.

From 1977-81, Faust was one of the on-court leaders of the men’s basketball team at Thomas More. He served as the point guard for head coach Jim Connor and was a team captain as a junior and senior. He played in

The Sports LINK

103 career games and scored 1,285 career points, an average of 12.5 points per game.

At the time of his induction into the Thomas More Hall of Fame, he ranked in the top 10 for career assists with 344.

After graduating from Newport Central Catholic and attending what was then Thomas More College, Faust got his start in coaching with the Saints as an assistant under Connor. He then went on to Newport to coach the Wildcats before heading back to his alma mater NewCath to coach baseball and be a basketball assistant. He then landed at St. Henry and has been there ever since. In August, St. Henry named their gym after longtime coaches Faust and volleyball coach Maureen Kaiser.

The coaching accolades rattle off like a grocery list. On top of the all-time leader in wins in the 9th Region, he led the Crusaders to three All “A” state championships and eight 9th Region All “A” titles. In 2003, he guided St. Henry to the Sweet 16 after winning the 9th Region title. Faust has won numerous Coach of the Year honors at both the state and local levels. Faust is a member of the Newport Central Catholic Hall of Fame, Thomas More Hall of Fame, Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame.

Stay tuned for more on July 18!

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sports After 7 seasons, NDA cuts Murphy as basketball coach

is mandated by the KHSAA. It runs through July 9. A coaching search will begin after that.

The Pandas are coming off a 22-8 season with a 35th District championship and 9th Region runner-up finish.

Notre Dame Academy girls’ basketball coach Kes Murphy has been let go after seven seasons with the team. Provided | Charles Bolton

Notre Dame Academy has decided to part ways with girls’ basketball coach Kes Murphy.

Murphy, who guided the Pandas for seven seasons, was informed of the decision June 20.

He started with the program in the 201819 season and led the Pandas to six district championships and three 9th Region championship games, the most recent one a loss to Cooper in the 2024-25 region championship game. In his tenure, the Pandas went 151-58 with five 20-win seasons.

Before coaching at Notre Dame, Murphy led the Holy Cross girls program for seven seasons and led them to a state championship in 2015.

Notre Dame Academy started its dead period June 20, a few days earlier than what

They graduated five seniors, but, with their depth, they will be considered one of the top teams in the region, especially with the expected returns of Emma Holtzapfel and Amelia Stallard, two of the top three scorers from last season. Joslyn LaBordeaux-Humphrey, Addie Lawrie, Sarah Young, Riley Eberhard and Erin McGraw all return off significant playing time from last season.

Conner hires Rash to guide football team

Former Beechwood coach Noel Rash has been named the next Conner football coach. Provided | Brandon Wheeler

Beechwood won 200 games and eight state championships under Rash. He joined the staff in 2000 under Mike Yeagle before being promoted to head coach in 2006. Rash played in high school at Lloyd Memorial, graduating in 1985, and then played at then-Thomas More College.

Prior to his time at Beechwood, Rash was an assistant coach at Lloyd (1985-87), Simon Kenton (1993-94) and Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (1996-99). He coached defensive backs at Holmes during the 2023 season.

Team of the Season: Holy Cross softball won 9th Region title

It’s been a rough week and a half for the Conner community with the sudden death of longtime football coach Dave Trosper.

June 19 offered some good news, though, as the school announced a highly acclaimed replacement.

With the spring high school sports season at its end, the LINK nky Team of the Season, sponsored by Ortho Cincy Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, is the Holy Cross softball team.

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The Indians were one of eight teams during the spring season that won LINK nky Team of the Week and came away as the TOS after earning more than half of the total votes with 25,671. We received over 48,000 votes!

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and winter Team of the Season (Highlands Swim and Dive) for Team of the Year. Voting started June 23.

It was a storybook season for the Holy Cross softball team, winning its first fast-pitch softball regional title. The team knocked off three district champions in the regional tournament in doing so, the last against three-time defending champ Highlands in the championship game.

The Indians finished the year with an 18-13 record and claimed the 9th Region All “A” softball title as well. They went 14-4 against 9th Region opponents and 5-2 against 35th District foes, finishing runner-up in the district.

Their season concluded in the first round of the Clark’s Pump-n-Shop KHSAA state tournament against Harrison County.

According to the stats listed on the KHSAA website, as a team Holy Cross hit .300 at the plate this season and were headlined by primary pitcher Evie Thomas, who went 16-11 on the year with a 2.84 ERA. Thomas struck out 221 batters on the season and led the team in batting average at .410 and RBI with 25.

Other standouts at the plate include Madison Urlage, who led the team in hits with 36 and was second in RBI with 19. Paige Lachmann, Zoey Baker and Urlage all hit over .300 and collected at least 28 hits.

Jordyn Reiselman and Zakyah Ryan also collected at least 20 hits. Reiselman and Suzette Klaiss were third on the team with 17 RBI.

Holy Cross softball won LINK nky Team of the Season for spring sports. File photo | Charles Bolton

WORLD-FAMOUS

12 JULY 4, 2025

Rash had retired in 2023 as Beechwood’s coach after 17 seasons. He and Trosper were close friends.

Rash was Beechwood’s head baseball coach from 1998-2001, and in ’99 was selected as the Northern Kentucky Baseball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year.

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Conner announced that it has hired Noel Rash to be the next head coach of the program, replacing Trosper, who had been the coach the last 18 seasons. Trosper died unexpectedly on June 7.

The Indians will be awarded a commemorative plaque and a student-athlete of the school’s choice will be awarded a $500 scholarship, both thanks to OrthoCincy.

The Indians will be presented the plaque and scholarship at a later date.

Holy Cross is now in the running with the fall Team of the Season (Bellevue football)

The unlikely hero of the region tournament was Kayla Fledderman, whose grand slam in the seventh inning turned a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead which would be the final score to clinch the title.

Not only did Holy Cross set a precedent for its program, but it gave small schools in Northern Kentucky hope that a region title can be won by a smaller school and not just the Highlands, Ryles, Notre Dames, Dixie Heights or Boone Counties of the region.

Congratulations to our other nominees as well: Campbell County softball, Ludlow softball, Bellevue baseball, Villa Madonna baseball, Ryle baseball, Ryle boys volleyball and Boone County boys’ track and field.

This puts an end to our Team of The Week and Team of the Season campaign for the 2024-25 school year. Thanks again for your time in voting!

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE Bullock Pen Lake water withdrawal proposal The Bullock Pen Water District proposes to increase the amount of water it withdraws from Bullock Pen Lake from approximately ½ million gallons per day to 1.5 million gallons per day. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, which owns the lake, is hosting a public meeting to present information about the proposal and potential impacts.

The meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. July 15 at the Grant County Public Library, 201 Barnes Road, Williamstown.

Fort Thomas passes budget, talks planning, pensions tucky to cover costs and fines related to pension “spiking.”

By Robin Gee

F

ort Thomas City Council passed its 2026 fiscal year budget at its June 16 meeting, along with the budget amendment for fiscal year 2025 and pay classification adjustments for the coming year.

Pension spiking occurs when a person nearing retirement works a large amount of overtime to increase his or her salary in the last few years before retiring. This can boost retirement income that’s based on an employee’s highest earning years.

Total revenues are projected to come to $20.7 million, while operating expenses are expected to be $20.1 million. Capital expenditures (such as for city and road improvement projects) will be $8.1, bringing total expenditures to $28.2 million.

In his summary, Mayor Eric Haas said the budget is healthy and includes several ongoing projects. He noted that operating expenses will increase by 12% over the past year. The increase, he said, is due mostly to health insurance costs, wage increases and the addition of three full-time staff positions – two greenspace workers and one facilities custodian.

Looking at future budgets The increase led to a discussion about future budgets and concerns.

“The city has elected to spend or allocate over $10 million of our reserve funds in the past three years,” said Haas. “This was specifically for two large community projects, the Tower Park program and the completion of the Midway streetscape.”

The city has held a sizable reserve balance in recent years to cover those projects, the

In 2017, the state passed a new rule limiting the amount of salary increase allowed in the last years before retirement. For those retiring in 2021 and beyond, the amount of salary increase is capped at 10%. The state did include several exceptions, such as raises due to promotions or emergency staffing needs.

Fort Thomas council member Andy Ellison urges council members to pay close attention to budget planning for the future. At left is City Clerk Melissa Beckett. Photo by Robin Gee | LINK nky contributor

mayor said. The city has not raised its property tax rate in recent years, but he said that, with rising operating costs and potential plans for future projects, staff and council should discuss whether to consider a tax increase this year or in the future.

“It’s critical to discuss our financial plan moving forward to ensure the city is able to support and enhance operations in the future, along with continuing to improve the city by supporting the services and enjoyment of our citizens,” he said.

Council member Andy Ellison said, “If you look at where we are in the trajectory, the increases in expenses and the increases in revenue, I think we’re financially sound.

But I just want us to make sure that our tra-

jectory is laid out to where we have a program for capital budget projects 20 years from now.”

City Administrator Matt Kremer said city staff plans to bring the issue to council’s finance committee for a full discussion.

“We’re going to discuss with the finance committee, lay out what we’re wanting to do in the next 20 or 30 years,” said Kremer.

“I’ve been working on a 10- to 20-year vehicle. I’ve got a good 10-year plan, but we really need to push out.”

Investigating pension ‘spiking’ Before the budget vote, council members discussed a request from the state of Ken-

Fort Thomas had received a letter from the state noting some staff had increased their salaries beyond the allowed 10%. Between the costs to the system and fines associated with it, the state said the city owes $277,000.

The city has been trying to negotiate with the state to have that amount reduced.

Kremer shared the information with council on June 3. This sparked a discussion and concern over when and how the situation was allowed to occur.

While Kremer said he was looking deeper into the issue, council member Adam Blau said he wanted a full official investigation.

He moved to have Kremer investigate and report back to council within 60 days. The motion passed.

CASE NUMBER 24-CI-00283 DIVISION 1 MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR AMERICAN MORTGAGE SERVICE COMPANY VS. ASHLEY LAUREN KRAMER, ET AL.

BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 4/29/2025 BY THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURT, IN THE ABOVE CAUSE I SHALL PROCEED TO OFFER FOR SALE AT THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, 330 YORK STREET, NEWPORT, KENTUCKY 41071, OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR. To the highest or best bidder at public auction on 7/8/2025 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit:

COMMISSIONER’S SALE CAMPBELL COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

10602 Christa Court, Unit 1, Alexandria, Kentucky 41001 Group No: 70239/A13

PIDN: 999-99-22-885.14

THE COMPLETE LEGAL DESCRIPTION IS MORE PARTICULARLY SET OUT IN THE JUDGMENT AND ORDER OF SALE ENTERED IN THIS CASE. Subject to conditions, covenants, restrictions, right of ways and easements in existence, including but not limited to those in prior instruments of record; legal highways, and zoning ordinances.

SAID PROPERTY SHALL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO REAL ESTATE TAXES DUE AND OWING FOR THE YEAR OF SALE AND THEREAFTER PRIOR YEARS UNPAID TAXES SHALL BE PAID FROM THE PROCEEDS IF THE PURCHASER IS NOT THE PLAINTIFF. IF THE PURCHASER IS THE PLAINTIFF, PRIOR YEARS’ UNPAID TAXES SHALL BE PAID BY THE PLAINTIFF, IN FULL OR PRO RATA, PROVIDED THE SALE PURCHASE PRICE EXCEEDS THE COURT COSTS. THIS PROPERTY IS BEING SOLD TO PRODUCE THE SUMS OF MONEY SO ORDERED TO BE MADE IN THE JUDGMENT AND ORDER OF SALE ENTERED IN THE WITHIN CASE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO COURT COSTS, AD VALOREM TAXES, IN THE SUM OF $4,271.16; AND OTHER LIENS, INTEREST, ATTORNEY FEES AND/OR OTHER SUMS AND JUDGMENTS THAT MAY BE AWARDED BY THE COURT. THE SALE SHALL BE MADE TO THE HIGHEST AND BEST BIDDER(S). ANY PURCHASER OTHER THAN PLAINTIFF WHO DOES NOT PAY CASH IN FULL SHALL PAY 10% CASH AND SHALL BE REQUIRED TO EXECUTE A BOND AT THE TIME OF SALE, WITH SURETY ACCEPTABLE TO THE MASTER COMMISSIONER AND PRE-APPROVED BY THE MASTER COMMISSIONER AT LEAST BY NOON, TWO (2) BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE SALE DATE, TO SECURE THE UNPAID BALANCE OF THE PURCHASE PRICE, AND SAID BOND SHALL BEAR INTEREST AT THE RATE OF 12% PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE OF SALE UNTIL PAID, AND SHALL HAVE THE SAME FORCE AND EFFECT AS A JUDGMENT AND SHALL REMAIN AND BE A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY UNTIL PAID THE BOND SURETY MUST BE PRESENT AT THE SALE AND EXECUTE SALE BOND AND THE AFFIDAVIT OF SURETY THE PURCHASER(S) SHALL HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF PAYING ALL THE BALANCE OF THE PURCHASE PRICE PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE THIRTY (30) DAY PERIOD. THE DEPOSIT SHALL BE WAIVED IF PLAINTIFF IS THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER. THE MASTER COMMISSIONER SHALL SELL THE REAL ESTATE BY PUBLIC SALE ON A DAY AND TIME TO BE FIXED BY HIM, OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR OF THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, 330 YORK STREET, NEWPORT, KENTUCKY. BIDDERS MUST BE PREPARED TO COMPLY WITH THESE TERMS. THE COSTS OF THE SALE SHALL BE PAID WITHIN FOURTEEN (14) DAYS OF THE SALE. JOSEPH F. GRIMME, MASTER COMMISSIONER 859-291-9075

JULY 4, 2025 13

real estate

Charming lakefront Cape Cod on 2 acres Address: 4026 N. Lake Drive, Morning View Price: $315,000 Bedrooms: Three Bathrooms: One Square footage: 1,662 School district: Kenton County County: Kenton Special features: Enjoy peace and privacy in this home with lake views. Set on two acres, this cozy cottage features a firstfloor bedroom and bath, space for a home office, a sunroom and two additional upstairs bedrooms. The property also features a two-car detached garage and a versatile party barn – perfect for hobbies or entertaining.

An exterior view of this Morning View home. Photos provided | Cindy Shetterly with The Cindy Shetterly Team

A look at this home’s front entryway.

This home sits on two acres of land.

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

-PUBLIC NOTICEBerkshire Heirloom Lane Farm Llc 7560 Heirloom Ln Florence KY 41042 No trespassing, No Hunting, No fishing, No Entry: No Entry at any point including the end of Kroth Ln, the end of Preservation way, Heirloom Ln driveway or any surrounding subdivision or property which borders.

Violators will be subject to legal action.

Management— Berkshire Heirloom Lane Farm 7560 Heirloom Ln Florence KY 41042 Ph:859-371-5653

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO GO TO OUR DIGITAL PUBLIC NOTICE PAGE

14 JULY 4, 2025

• AJ’s Towing & Recovery • Boone County Clerk • Campbell County Clerk’s Office • Campbell County District Court • Campbell County Fire District #1 • Campbell County Fiscal Court • Campbell County Planning & Zoning • Campbell County Public Library • Campbell County Sheriffs Office • 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 Mitchell • City of Fort Thomas • City of Fort Wright • City of Highland Heights • City of Independence • City of Lakeside Park • City of Ludlow • City of Newport

• City of Ryland Heights • 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 • Joseph F Grimme, Campbell County Master Commissioner • Keating, Muething & Klekamp PLL • Kenton County Fiscal Court • Kenton County Joint Board of Adjustment • Larry Dillon, Boone County Master Commissioner • Northern Kentucky Port Authority • Northern Kentucky Water District • Planning & Development Services of Kenton County • The Baker Firm PLLC • The Hidden Chapter Bookstore LLC

SUDOKU

Edited

by Margie E. Burke The Weekly Crossword

Difficulty: Easy

ACROSS

9

3

4

5

6

3 4 1 1 6 5 6 7 9 5 4

25 Answer to Previous 16 Place for Sudoku:

4 3 8 6 1

Edited by Margie E. Burke

Copyright 2025 by The Puzzle Syndicate

HOW TO SOLVE:

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Answer to Previous Sudoku:

2 7 8 4 6 9 3 1 5 5 9 3 2 7 1 4 8 6 4 6 1 5 8 3 9 2 7 7 8 2 9 3 5 1 6 4 9 1 6 8 2 4 5 7 3 3 4 5 7 1 6 8 9 2 1 3 7 6 5 8 2 4 9 8 2 9 3 4 7 6 5 1 6 5 4 1 9 2 7 3 8

32 Reykjavík language 36 Workout focus 37 UV stopper 38 "Junk begets junk" acronym 39 Bible division 41 Fable writer 42 Aid to motorists 44 Be nosy 45 Sailor's direction 48 Parting word 50 Drapery fold 51 Word on many Christmas cards 55 "Objection!" response 57 Beginning 58 Emerald ___ 59 Mr. Peanut prop 60 Apprehensive 61 Cousin of a herring 62 Rams' ma'ams 63 Roaring Twenties auto

DOWN 1 Army outpost 2 Winglike

9

10

11

12

13

33

34

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54

16 19 22

21 23

24 27

26

2 7 17 8 portraits 4 6 9 3 130 5 Former fillies 5 9 18 3 Lowest 2 7 female 1 4 836 6 4 6 1 voice 5 8 3 9 239 7 20 Putting before 7 8 22 2 Ease 9 3 5 1 6 4 9 1 23 6 Amazon 8 2 4 5 745 346 assistant 3 4 24 5 Floor 7 1specialists 6 8 950 2 7 One 6 5 8 2 455 9 1 3 25 of TV's Ewings 8 2 9 3 4 7 6 558 1 27 Mica or quartz 2 7 3 8 6 5 30 4 Urgent 1 9 notice

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9/25 - 5/25/25

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15 Ron Howard 4 role

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HOW TO SOLVE: 1 Social class 14

by Margie E. Burke

28

31

29

32 37

38 41

40 42

43 48

47

61

44

51

49

52

56

57

59

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63

Copyright 2025 by The Puzzle Syndicate

3 Some roller coaster riders 4 Exam for some immigrants 5 Least difficult 6 Like welladjusted dogs 7 Privy to 8 Croonin' Crosby 9 Workout segment 10 "Survivor" event 11 Berry of "Die Another Day" 12 Marrying locale 13 Sneaky tactics 19 Indian yogurt dip 21 VII tripled 24 "The Tell-___ Heart" (Poe poem) 25 Agreement 26 Skin softener 28 Desktop graphics 29 Many-legged insects

31 Withdrew 33 Hands out 34 Composer Stravinsky 35 "Roger that" 37 Yemen's neighbor 40 Blood line 41 Fictional mouse 43 "___ whiz!"

45 Orbital point

46 Watery snow 47 Electrical pioneer 49 French movie houses 51 Nibble away 52 Painter Magritte 53 "Chicago" actor 54 River of Hades 56 Bar stock

Answers to Previous Crossword: R I T A R A F T H A D E S A S I A O M E G A O M E N T H E O R I S T S L O C A L M O S C O N E C O M M U N E A B S T R A C T O R S M I L E S I N C E A D S D I U R E T I C H O N I N G R A D A R V I V A A I D E D R I S C O L L S L A V E R Y E S R U L E S E M E R Y C L O S E S H A V E P E R U S E R A V E N G E S G E R A L D I N E O M E N S I R O N E R I E L I E G E O T T E R C A N T S O D S

JULY 4, 2025 15

2025 COMMUNITY

CONVERSATION SERIES: OCTOBER 9 – Education DECEMBER 4 – Workforce Events will be held at the Erlanger Branch of the Kenton County Public Library from 6-7:30 p.m. Events will also be live-streamed on LINK nky’s Facebook page.

Our December Community Conversation event will be held at a different location: The new SparkHaus Entrepreneurial Hub at 727 Madison Avenue in Covington.

What a better place to talk about workforce? We’ll see you there!

Scan the QR code to register

Like what you see and want to subscribe? Scan the QR code above 16 JULY 4, 2025