LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 1, Issue 33 - July 14, 2023

NKY makes space for Brent Spence overhaul, but not everyone is happy

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NKY makes space for Brent Spence overhaul, but not everyone is happy

BY NATHAN GRANGER | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

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.

on the cover

Photo illustration of the new Brent Spence Corridor footprint overlaid on top of the current highway. Image by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

On Nov. 11, 2020, a semitruck heading northbound on the bottom deck of the Brent Spence Bridge jackknifed across the road at about 2:45 a.m. Another truck not far behind carrying industrial potassium hydroxide and diesel fuel collided with it and ignited an hourslong blaze, leading to the evacuation of both decks of the bridge.

Emergency crews managed to extinguish the fires without injury. Over a month and $3.5 million later, the bridge was completely repaired and back in operation.

“You take Main Street, right through Mainstrasse here, and it was just wall-to-wall traffic and semitrucks,” said Covington resident John Saxton.

The bridge fire and the subsequent repair efforts captured a lot of attention, but the added pressure on local communities due to the bridge’s closure didn’t generate the same kind of headlines.

If you go down to Main Street today, you’ll likely see delivery trucks parked on the street, bringing in food and other supplies for the businesses in the area. Most of the delivery trucks are smaller than tractor-

trailers, but their presence crowds the roadways and sidewalks just the same.

“The city’s experience with the closure of that bridge showed the impact of diversion in a very real way,” said Covington Mayor Joe Meyer in an interview with LINK nky.

“It moved from the theoretical to being on the ground as thousands and thousands of cars a day got off the street, got off to the interstate and drove all over our city, creating a devastating impact on the quality of residential life and even the quality of commercial life.”

Bil Spencer, the president of the Residents of Mainstrasse Association, said the neighborhood would be unable to handle another influx of truck traffic. He pointed to sites in the borough recently damaged by trucks passing through.

Mainstrasse wasn’t the only area affected.

“Virtually every section of the city was impacted,” Meyer added, naming historical neighborhoods like Mutter Gottes, Seminary Square, Lewisburg and Licking Riverside.

“We had a famous incident where a semi-

trailer following its GPS device went all the way down Greenup Street to the Ohio River,” Meyer said. “And then in his turnaround part he drove across the plaza there, knocked over a fire hydrant, knocked down a pole; a pole fell on a car. Just devastating.”

Residents are concerned that the start of the construction of the Brent Spence companion bridge will bring similar problems downtown. Predicted to begin at the end of the year, the project is estimated to take seven years to complete. Issues arising from the construction, such as traffic diversions as well as other issues like pollution, noise and residential displacement, have people on both sides of the river worried about the future.

The Brent Spence Bridge overhaul project will encompass “corridor” and “companion” components. The corridor work will improve more than 8 miles of the heavily traveled Interstates 71/75 expanse, while the companion project will create a supplemental bridge to allow for separation of local and through traffic.

The original bridge went into operation in 1963, and ideas for the new companion

The Brent Spence Bridge overhaul will impact several NKY areas, including the parks around Mainstrasse. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

Continued from page 3 bridge and corridor project date back to the mid-2000s. A joint project between the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Ohio Department of Transportation, the corridor has gone through multiple stages of development, redevelopment, public input and environmental study in the years since its inception.

Late last year, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine announced an injection of $1.6 billion in federal funds into the project, a move commemorated in January when President Joe Biden, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; former Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio visited Covington to publicly endorse the project.

As LINK nky’s Business Reporter Kenton Hornbeck reported, the president’s visit cemented the inevitability of not only the construction of the new corridor but also its importance to the regional and national economy. The total price tag for the corridor is $3.6 billion, split between the two states, according to the project’s website.

Its initial design was settled on in 2012 after the first round of public input and an environmental study were completed.

After a series of revisions, the project has pitched two possible designs for the replacement bridge – a cable bridge design and an arch bridge design. Categorized as a progressive design-build project, the plans for the corridor are open-ended, allowing the designs to be augmented and changed based on public comment and environmental assessment as the construction proceeds.

The necessity of an overhaul of the Brent Spence Bridge has been widely touted regionally and nationally. The span is one of the most heavily traveled corridors in the country, with significant economic impact. It was designed to carry 60,000 vehicles a day but now handles twice that number, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Although the companion bridge and its accompanying infrastructure have gone through numerous changes, many resi-

dents still have concerns they feel haven’t been addressed.

Not by a long shot.

Some are concerned with how the seven-year (or longer, depending on how smoothly everything goes) construction of the corridor will affect people’s lives. What’s more, some are skeptical if the project as a whole is even necessary.

“It’s a gamble,” said Covington City Commissioner Nolan Nicaise. “Is it worth it?”

Nicaise is one of the project’s most strident critics.

“I am openly against the expansion of I-71/I-75, the Brent Spence corridor expansion project,” he said, “and I have many reasons for that.”

Nicaise has a background in environmental science and has consulted with cities throughout the country on environmental and zoning policy. As such, he’s particularly worried about the short- and long-term impacts the project could have on the environment and public health.

“As we know, pollution from vehicles is caused by the combustion of fossil fuels, but it’s also caused by the erosion of brake pads,” Nicaise said. “It’s also caused by the erosion of tires themselves, all creating particulates that are damaging to people in the vicinity, and also people further away as the wind blows.”

He’s also said he’s concerned about the cost of the project and questions whether the investment will pay off in the long run. He wonders if the money would be better spent elsewhere.

“Do we really want to be investing that money in a new highway, or do we want to be investing that money in something that is really a pride for this region?” Nic-

aise asks. “So I think, how could we otherwise invest $3.6 billion? Could we create the most robust school system in America? Could we create a park that rivals Central Park? Could we create a transit system that is sustainable and equitable and people really enjoy taking and feel safe on?”

The funding for the bridge is a combination of federal and state money, most of which is earmarked specifically for infrastructure and similar measures. Although much of the funding for the project couldn’t be swapped outright for the projects Nicaise mentions, critics say it illustrates what they characterize as the lopsided priorities of federal and state projects.

Others share Nicaise’s concerns, even if they aren’t outright against the project.

Following the president’s visit in January, the Devou Good Foundation, a Northern Kentucky nonprofit dedicated to community infrastructure improvement, among other things, wrote an open letter to the Federal Highway Administration, titled “Concerns over Brent Spence Corridor Project’s Compliance with Civil Rights and Environmental Regulations,” which affirmed many of Nicaise’s concerns; the commissioner is one of the letter’s signatories.

The letter, penned by Dr. Ryan Crane, a Cincinnati-based physician who consulted with activists and professionals around the country, draws attention to both environmental and civil rights concerns by citing court cases and public statements from political leaders.

In addition to the pollution concerns that Nicaise mentioned, the letter talks about how federal highway projects have displaced and even destroyed majority Black and Latino communities throughout the 20th century.

Devou Good isn’t the only group worried

The approved design of the replacement bridge’s traffic lanes from 2012. Diagram provided | Kentucky Transportation Cabinet & Ohio Department of Transportation

about displacement.

One such group is the Bridge Forward Coalition, a Cincinnati nonprofit that, while not opposed to the project, is advocating for its own vision of the corridor. The group contends its version of the build would avoid many of the problems the region has experienced with the highway expansions of yesteryear. At a coalition event at the Cincinnati Museum Center in June, a panel of experts, several local leaders and members of the public discussed the gutting of Cincinnati’s West End neighborhood in the 1950s and 60s.

The construction of I-75 and the subsequent urban renewal campaign eventually led to the displacement of about 27,000 people, almost all of whom were Black, according to the late Cincinnati historian John W. Harshaw Sr., who wrote a book on the neighborhood’s history. To this day, the neighborhood’s population levels have not returned to the levels they were before the construction, and the highway has left the

area carved up into smaller land parcels.

“We have an opportunity to work with our local form of government, with the federal government to do the right thing,” said West End resident and director of special initiatives for the Greater Cincinnati Foundation Robert Killins Jr., adding that the community ought to focus “not on the cost but on the value” of the project.

In other words, how can government leaders go about the project in such a way to benefit the local community, rather than narrowly focusing on controlling construction costs?

On the Kentucky side, Covington’s Lewisburg neighborhood went through a similar ordeal, although on a smaller scale.

Meyer furnished a map a 1936 Holmes High School drafting class created , which shows the geography of the city prior to the interstate’s incursion. He pointed to the areas in historical Lewisburg where the interstate

FIND YOUR SIPPING POINT

now runs.

“It’s all gone,” he said.

The transportation cabinet has been making efforts to reduce both the number of properties the construction will affect as well as the bridge’s overall footprint.

“We heard comments from the city of Covington, from various website comments through feedback that we’re getting from the public,” said Stacee Hans, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s project manager for the corridor project. “Are there opportunities to reduce the footprint? They wanted us to go back and take another look and see if there’s that opportunity, which, fortunately, we were able to.”

In February, Hans and Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray made a presentation to the Kentucky House Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation, where they announced that they had successfully reduced the number of residential reloca-

tions from over 40 to just 4. In an interview with LINK nky, Hans also talked about how the addition of retaining walls and other alternative construction methods allowed the cabinet to reduce the width of the bridge from 172 feet to 107 feet.

Still, that doesn’t mean residents aren’t feeling the pressure.

John Saxton, the Covington resident who witnessed the traffic on Main Street after the bridge fire, lives near Goebel Park, which runs right along where the construction is slated to take place. He won’t have to move, but it’s hard for him not to think that his property won’t be affected.

“Compared to where the highway is now, in relation to my property and where the new roadways are going to be in relation to my property, the distance is being cut by about 60% to 70%,” Saxton said.

He’s thought about selling his property but said he is hesitant to do it before final plans

Continues on page 6

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Computerized renderings of two designs for the replacement bridge, one using cables, the other using arches. Renderings provided | Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Ohio Department of Transportation

have been released.

What’s more, even though the number of residential properties being affected has gone down, other structures, including several schools, will abut the new corridor.

With all of this in mind, the question becomes, what are communities to do in the face of these realities?

Nicaise and the Devou Good Foundation have suggested tolls and other congestion mitigation measures, similar to those tried in Louisville, Washington, D.C., and parts of California, as a way of offsetting expense and managing traffic, rather than relying on a new bridge.

These proposals have proven unpopular among the rest of Covington’s leadership, however, for fear of reliving the traffic overflows that followed the fire. What’s more, both leaders and residents worried that tolls could lead to drivers taking detours across the Clay Wade Bailey and Roebling bridges, which could put more stress on local infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Fort Mitchell and Fort Wright have already expressed support for cabinet design plans of new overpasses that will run through their cities. Overall, much of the region seems to have accepted the reality of the project, in spite of any trepidations rumbling in the background.

“There’s going to be some disruption for our communities, especially the Mainstrasse Village area,” said Covington Commissioner Ron Washington. “It’s a trade-off of some heartache right away for, hopefully, a good for the overall community.”

Meyer readily admits to the likelihood of short-term difficulties, as well.

“It’s going to be very difficult,” Meyer said,

but he said the project is so far along at this point that completely eliminating it would be unrealistic.

A better way to think about it, he said, would be to ask how the city can best mitigate the disruptions.

“How do we lessen the frustration and anxiety and displacement that’s going to be accomplished?” Meyer asked.

Last year Meyer and other city officials managed to secure some concessions in negotiations with the state. These included the aforementioned reduction of the companion bridge width, which Meyer argued would mitigate any further damage to Lewisburg. The negotiations also yielded the elimination of tolls, a measure Meyer contended would prevent the kinds of stresses to local infrastructure that occurred after the bridge fire.

Finally, the city succeeded in acquiring a new storm sewer system for the Willow Run watershed, the largest watershed in the region, which currently relies on an outdated combined sewer overflow and storm water system that’s prone to flooding. The new storm water system would run north from 16th Street to the Ohio River and is designed to mitigate flooding problems along Highland Avenue and Euclid Avenue in the Peaselburg neighborhood. The state and federal governments will bankroll the sewer improvements.

“This fight is not over.” Meyer said. “This is a lot of ongoing work to make sure that as decisions are made, ... “they’re” as favorable for our people as possible.”

Construction on the new corridor is slated to begin in November. To view current design plans, timelines and studies or to leave a comment on the project, visit https:// brentspencebridgecorridor.com/.

to the team!

A revised diagram of the traffic design for the replacement bridge as of 2022. Diagram provided | Kentucky Transportation Cabinet & Ohio Department of Transportation

Map showing the structures that will be impacted by the corridor construction, highlighted in red. Note: maps are not exhaustive. Maps provided | Kentucky Transportation Cabinet & Ohio Department of Transportation

Business owners face uncertain future due to skill-games ban

BY MARK PAYNE | LINK nky GOVERNMENT & POLITICS REPORTER

Business owner Kama Reed is still determining how much longer she’ll own her business after a ban on skill games passed the Kentucky Legislature in the spring.

The law took effect on July 1.

The manufacturer of the games, Pace-OMatic, sued the state over the ban, but the case is stuck in the court system with the next hearing in August.

While the lawsuit plays out, businesses with skill games have been forced to shutter the machines until there’s final word.

Reed, who owns BJ Novelty in Covington with her husband, Jeff, faces an unlikely future after the ban of the games — often seen in gas stations and bars.

“This is a family company,” Reed said. “It was started in 1955 by my father-in-law, so we’re pretty much looking at a sale.”

BJ Novelty, which sits inside the old Johnny's Toys on Howard Litzler in Latonia, services the games and keeps track of them through a software program.

Most businesses say they earn around $2,500 to $5,000 monthly, according to Rep. Steve Doan, R-Erlanger, who introduced legislation in 2022 to regulate the games instead of banning them.

For Reed, though, that adds up for her company, as it has games in around 80 businesses in Boone, Campbell and Kenton

Counties.

“It has a great economic impact on my business and also on employment,” Reed said.

They hired four to six extra people to help, and now she thinks they might have to let them go.

What are skill games?

Skill games are gambling games that resemble slot machines and are often seen in bars and gas stations hidden to the side or

They’re often called “gray machines” because users don’t usually know if they’re legal or not, and opponents of the machines often label them as illegal gambling.

But, for those in support of them, they help provide some modest income for businesses.

Guy Cummins, the owner of Smokin’ This and That BBQ, said he usually makes enough off the machines to pay the electric bill.

“It’s usually right around 1,500 bucks, maybe something like that, about pays our electric bill,” Cummins said. “Now we’re a small restaurant, so we don’t have the revenue off of it that other places do.”

At Cummins’ restaurant, which is in Florence off Mount Zion Road, the machines now are turned toward the wall, have their operating components removed so they don’t work, and have signs that show they’re out of order.

“It’s not like there’s a line of people to play

Continues on page 8

Two skill games are turned around inside Smokin' This and That BBQ in Florence after a law took effect in July 1 banning the machines. The ban is being tested in court, and the machines can stay in place — though they're not working — while the lawsuit plays out. Photo by Mark Payne | LINK nky

them,” Cummins said. “It’s here and there. You know, kids don’t play it. We don’t allow it, and you got to be 21 to play ’em.”

Cummins said the extra funding helps him and other small-business owners. After the uncertainty they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, where restaurants closed down to stop the spread of the virus, it might deliver the final death blow.

“I can’t even have two little machines in here to make a little money to pay my electric bill,” Cummins said.

Pace-O-Matic disabled the games at least a week early so it could double-check to make sure no games were operable.

How the legislation played out in the Kentucky Statehouse

In March, the Kentucky Legislature finalized the passage of House Bill 594 — the law banned “gray machines” — often referred to by supporters of the machines as “skill games” — throughout the state.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Killian Timoney, R-Nicholasville, said it would clarify what types of gaming devices are legal under Kentucky law. Currently, according to Timoney, Kentucky allows three types of gaming — lottery, charitable gaming and pari-mutuel gaming.

“Kentucky has always done an excellent job of regulating gaming, and we want to continue that effort now by outlawing illegal gaming machines,” Timoney said on the House floor earlier this year.

The bill took an unusual path, however. Initially brought for a vote on the House

floor on March 3, the bill was tabled after some Republicans questioned if this was the best path.

Doan, who introduced a bill this session that sought to regulate and tax gray machines in House Bill 525, requested to table the bill.

“Today, we’re presented with a binary choice — a choice between Wild West unregulated gaming or an outright ban,” Doan said at the time. “Let me tell you, neither choice is right for Kentucky.”

Doan then presented a third choice — the regulation and taxation of the machines. In addition to Doan’s House Bill 525, another bill had been filed to accomplish the same goal, but they didn’t move in the 2023 session.

The following week, though, the House caucused for nearly two hours before returning to the floor and passing the bill with little discussion.

Further, opponents of the bill say it would allow the horse racing industry to monopolize the gambling industry in Kentucky.

“For one of the elephants in the room — yes, the racetracks have seen and contributed to the language,” Timoney said. “They don’t like all of it but are not opposing the bill. No, it is not a Churchill Downs bill.”

In the Senate, two NKY Senators — Chris McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, and Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, — voted against the bill. Sens. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, and John Schickel, R-Union, voted in favor of the bill.

Frommeyer said she voted “no” because

it felt like skill games should be regulated and allowed to stay in place instead of being banned.

“I just felt like it wasn’t the right approach for our small businesses,” Frommeyer said at the time.

The battle over the bill also saw the state’s largest-ever lobbying effort. In the first four months of the year, lobbying interests spent $11.4 million, surpassing spending for the same period in 2022 with $11.1 million.

It’s important to note, though, that the Legislative session lasted only 30 days in 2023, whereas, in 2022, the legislature held a 60day budget session.

As of May, the top spender when it came to lobbying was KY Merchants and Amusement Coalition, Inc., which is an organization that consists of bars, restaurants and retailers that argue it rely on the games. They spent $483,324.

Kentuckians Against Illegal Gambling, which opposed the machines, spent $348,763.

Kentucky-based Pace-O-Matic was the fifth-biggest spender at $110,150.

While lobbyists spend record amounts, it could have political costs for Doan, who stood up to House leadership over the bill. Doan was removed from a committee assignment at the end of the session — in what some lawmakers see as punishment for speaking up.

“I had one member of leadership call and confirmed that I was removed from my committees because I stood up and I tabled

that legislation,” Doan said. “It just goes to show you that, you know, you can fight the corporate interest on a campaign trail, and nobody has a problem with that.”

Doan further said there are consequences when you fight corporate interests in Frankfort and actually push back and do what’s best for the people of the state, though he said he’s undeterred by those consequences.

“They can’t take away my vote,” Doan said. “They can’t take away my ability to represent the 45,000 people in my district, and I’m gonna keep doing that, and whether they reinstate me or not, that’s up to them, but I’m gonna keep working hard.”

Real-life consequences

Reed recently turned 69 and said retirement has been running through her mind. She spent the last two winters in Frankfort lobbying against the ban on the machines.

Her husband grew up in Northern Kentucky, and she’s been here since 1976 — they met as students at Eastern Kentucky University.

“Been quite a while and love Kentucky,” she said, before saying she’s never been involved in politics, but “wow, this was an education.”

Two days after talking to LINK nky, Reed reported that she had sold her business and almost all of their employees would be joining Pioneer Vending Services.

“I will continue to advocate for small businesses, pubs, restaurants, bowling alleys, etc., to participate and enjoy skill games,” Reed said.

Covington approves new short-term rental regulations

BY NATHAN GRANGER | LINK nky KENTON COUNTY REPORTER

The Covington Board of Commissioners approved a new ordinance regulating the operation of shortterm rentals at a special meeting June 28.

The vote follows a long period of regulatory deliberation and public comment that began at the end of last year when the board declared an emergency moratorium on new licenses for short-term rentals, often referred to as Airbnbs after the web service where such rentals are advertised, in the city.

Although the vote officially ends the moratorium, it does not finalize regulations of short-term rentals; The city will now need to revise its zoning plan to accommodate the new ordinance, a process that will require approval from the county and could take months, a city press release stated.

“I really appreciate and I applaud the number of our constituents that have reached out to us and engaged with us to try and help guide this process,” said Commissioner Tim Downing.

The board completed a first reading of the ordinance the night before. The ordinance itself was a revision of a draft ordinance first crafted after an initial round of public comments, which included a public hearing in April.

“We had 47 people comment at the public hearings, and the city received 256 written comments” during the public input period, said Mayor Joe Meyer.

Covington began regulating short-term rentals in 2021 when city staff noticed their increased popularity, especially in neighborhoods closer to the riverfront. Visitors often come to Covington to use it as a place to stay for big events across the river in Cincinnati, like football games and conventions.

The city commission increased penalties for unregulated properties in March while the moratorium was still in effect, frus-

trating many local investors and property owners, who felt the new regulations unduly stifled their business interests. Shortterm rental investors made their issues known in numerous statements to the commission at both public hearings and regular commission meetings.

Covington isn’t alone in regulating shortterm rentals. Several other cities in the region have deployed varying degrees of regulation on similar properties, and Lexington recently instituted its own regulations.

Although short-term rentals can be an economic boon for property owners and even municipalities as a whole, there are questions about how they affect city zoning practices, housing cost and access, and neighborhood safety.

At the public hearing earlier in June, some property owners expressed displeasure at several of the new regulations in the draft, particularly caps on the number of shortterm licenses that the city could issue in historic neighborhoods and the citywide total cap of 150 non-host-occupied units.

Despite these grievances, very little changed between the public hearing and Wednesday’s vote. All major proposals from the first draft were kept in the final version of the ordinance.

Wednesday’s vote codified the following measures, among others:

• Each rental unit must have its own corresponding rental license.

• The number of non-host-occupied units, where the property owner doesn’t live on-site in Covington, would be capped at 150. There would be no cap on host-occupied units.

• Historic neighborhoods would have caps on the number of non-host-occupied short-term rental properties.

• No person, business or organization may have more than four short-term rental licenses.

• Short-term rental licenses would be non-transferable and renewable ev-

ery year from the date they’re issued.

• The licensing application fees would increase from $30 to $500 per unit for license applications received after Nov. 1. Applications received before Nov. 1 would be charged the original $30 fee. Annual renewal fees would be $250.

• Established license holders would be grandfathered into the new regulations and would be eligible for renewals.

• Anyone who applied for a license but didn’t obtain it due to the moratorium would have to reapply.

• No structure could have more than two short-term rental licenses.

• Special events, such as weddings and banquets, would not be permitted at short-term rental properties.

• Enforcement of short-term rental regulations would fall the city’s code enforcement board, which would use a three-strike rule when enforcing violations.

• A rental license appeals board would be established to hear appeals related to short-term licenses and code violations.

• Each property would have to have a dedicated local agent, who could quickly respond to any issues that arise during a renter’s stay.

The Covington Board of Commissioners and city attorney at the special meeting on June 28. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

Former Kenton coroner gets one-year sentence in opioid-dispensing case

Suetholz guilty on 12 counts involving three patients.

Two of those patients — with long addiction histories and failed drug tests — died from drug overdoses, according to federal prosecutors.

Suetholz, 74, defended his treatment decisions and said he will appeal the verdict and sentence.

“I care about my patients and everyone in the community that was here knows that,” Suetholz said. “I did not make any mistakes.”

Minnesota tool manufacturer expanding into NKY at Buttermilk Crossing

Tool manufacturer and retailer Northern Tool + Equipment is opening its first Northern Kentucky location in Crescent Springs’ Buttermilk Crossing shopping center.

“The countdown is on – we’re a week away from opening our newest store in Crescent Springs, Kentucky! Mark your calendars for July 8th,” the company posted to its official Facebook page.

name to Northern Tool + Equipment as it expanded. It’s headquartered in Burnsville, Minnesota — the city it was founded in. Its Crescent Springs store will be the company’s first in Kentucky.

Kentucky League of Cities awards safety grant to Fort Mitchell

Former Kenton County Coroner David Suetholz was sentenced on June 28 to one year and a day in federal prison for illegally dispensing opioids and other drugs through his private practice.

Last year, a federal jury in Covington found

Suetholz “ignored” patients’ failed drug tests, didn’t do adequate screening for addiction history, and still prescribed medicine that put vulnerable patients at greater risk, according to a sentencing memorandum written by Maryam Adeloya, a prosecutor with the Fraud Section of the United States Department of Justice Criminal Division in Washington.

Northern is opening in a nearly 24,800-square-foot space that Staples previously occupied.

The store carries popular tool brands like Milwaukee, Bosch, DeWalt and Husqvarna. Additionally, Northern manufactures and sells its own in-house tool brand, North Star.

Founded as Northern Hydraulics in 1981 by Don Kutola, the company changed its

NOTICE TO BOONE COUNTY TAXPAYERS

The Kentucky League of Cities, a regional nonprofit and insurance provider that advocates for the financial interest of cities in the commonwealth, has awarded the city of Fort Mitchell in Kenton County one of its Work Compensation Safety Grants, according to a recent press release.

The grant is issued to member cities to help improve their safety infrastructure and reduce their insurance liability. The league has awarded more than “$6.3 million in liability and safety grants since 1999,” according to the release.

The Kentucky League of Cities awarded $2,886 to Fort Mitchell this year.

I, Justin Crigler, Boone County Clerk, pursuant to KRS 424.130, announce that the 2022 Delinquent Real Property Tax Bills (Certificates of Delinquency) will be published in the Link NKY on Friday, July 21, 2023. The list of Certificates of Delinquency is also available for public inspection during the hours of 8:30am – 4:30pm at the Boone County Clerk’s office located at 2950 East Washington Street Burlington, KY 41005. This list may also be inspected on the Boone County Clerk’s website at www.boone.countyclerk.us. The tax sale will be held on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, beginning at 7:30 am. All interested participants must register with the Boone County Clerk’s office starting Tuesday, August 8, 2023, and ending by the close of business on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Please go to www.boone.countyclerk.us if you need additional information about the tax sale registration process and/or the required registration fees. Taxpayers can continue to pay their delinquent tax bills to the Boone County Clerk’s office any time prior to the tax sale. Please contact the County Clerk’s office prior to making payment as amounts listed in this ad are subject to change. Please Note: All payments MUST BE cash, certified funds, or credit cards after July 15, 2023. All payments must be received by the Boone County Clerk’s office prior to the tax sale date listed above. Payments received for bills that were sold during the tax sale, will be returned. Some delinquencies – although they have been advertised – will be excluded from the tax sale in accordance with the provisions of KRS 134.504(10)(b).

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Boone County Clerk’s office at 859-334-3624.

Former Kenton County Coroner David Suetholz and his family arrive at the U.S. Courthouse in Covington on June 28. Photo by Paul Weeden | WCPO

“These funds were a tremendous benefit to our city. We purchased work zone safety equipment to provide a safer environment for our employees and our citizens, as well as some additional equipment and safety training for city workers,” Fort Mitchell Mayor and Kentucky League of Cities Executive Board member Jude Hehman said in the release. “We appreciate KLC providing these grants to their members and serving as a partner to making our community safer for everyone.”

Street sweeping returns to Covington through Aug. 31

City street sweeping services returned to Covington on July 10, according to a recent announcement from the city.

“The ‘summer cleaning’ will run until Aug. 31, with each street ‘swept’ over a two-day period (one side of the street done each day). On-street parking on the affected side of the street is restricted on its assigned day, and cars that aren’t moved risk getting a ticket,” the announcement said.

Residents can plan ahead by visiting the city’s online schedule and entering their address to see when their streets are slated for sweeping. Signs will also be posted on the roads the business day before sweeping will occur.

Sweeping is scheduled to take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day, although Covington’s public works director said that it is often completed before lunchtime.

If you have questions, contact the Public Works Department at 859-292-2292.

Covington Skyline Chili to reopen; NKY restaurant group takes over ownership

About three months after announcing its closure, the Covington Skyline Chili at the corner of Third and Philadelphia streets will remain open as One Holland Group takes over ownership, the company announced on Facebook.

“And to add to the celebration …Skyline franchisee Gary Holland of the One Holland Group is taking ownership of the store to keep 3rd & Philly open,” read the post.

One Holland is a Taylor Mill-based restaurant group that owns and manages various Skyline Chili, LaRosa’s, First Watch, Dunkin’ Donuts and Roy Rogers franchises across the region.

In April, Skyline announced the location would be temporarily closing. At the time, Skyline VP of Marketing and Brand Engagement Sarah Sicking told WCPO the company was actively searching for a new location, one preferably with a drive-thru.

The building on the property features no drive-thru window, something many of the neighboring fast food restaurants have, including McDonalds, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, White Castle and rival Gold Star.

Built in 1970, the 32,000-square-foot building houses both Skyline and Riverfront Pizza & Sports Bar. The property was purchased by Westside Development Inc. in July 1971, according to Kenton County Property Valuation Administrator records.

Initially, the Skyline location captured lunchtime traffic from employees of the neighboring IRS Processing Center. The center employed approximately 4,000 people. It was demolished in 2022.

The announcement coincided with a ceremony for Wilma Mounce-Popp, an employee at the location who celebrated her 50year work anniversary. She began working at the location as a teenager in 1973.

“She has dedicated her career to serving people. In fact, many of our guests came to view her as a part of their family,” Skyline CEO Dick Williams said in a press release. “Her hard work, dedication and commit ment are great examples of customer care in any industry, especially in food service.”

Covington Mayor Joe Meyer issued a procla mation naming June 29 as “Ms. Wilma Day.” The proclamation stated that MouncePopp is “known for taking care of her cus tomers” and became “an integral part of the Skyline family and the fabric of Covington.”

news from other places

Elon Musk imposes daily limits on reading posts on Twitter

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk has limited the number of tweets that Twitter users can view each day. He described the restrictions as an attempt to prevent unauthorized scraping of potentially valuable data from the social media platform. The site is now requiring people to log on to view tweets and profiles. That’s a change in its longtime practice to allow everyone to peruse the chatter. The restrictions could result in users being locked out of Twitter for the day after scrolling through several hundred tweets. After the change, thousands of users complained of not being able to access the site. Musk said after facing backlash that he would raise the thresholds on how many tweets accounts can read per day.

1,500 Disneyland collectibles go up for auction

some of it with the public.

Magee is known in the collectible industry as “the toy scout” and has amassed a huge collection of toys and Disney items. He says he watched “The Wonderful World of Disney” on TV every week as a kid but had never been to the park and never thought about collecting until he was at a toy show where he met a man selling Disneyland artifacts and got hooked.

The items for sale are as small as a trading card and as large as a 1917 Model T moving van from Disneyland’s original Main Street that Magee said Walt Disney created himself.

Mike Van Eaton is the co-owner of Van Eaton Galleries, which is running the auction. He said among the most sought-after items are those from the Haunted Mansion attraction, including original stretch paintings from the elevator in the iconic ride, and a “doom buggy” — the vehicle guests ride on.

There are items for every price point, with some starting as low as $50 — but most go way up from there.

Federal judges in Kentucky and Tennessee block portions of transgender youth care bans

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Federal judges in Kentucky and Tennessee temporarily blocked portions of bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth Wednesday, June 28, handing down the rulings shortly before the statutes were set to go into effect.

state officials responsible for enforcing the provisions banning the use of puberty blockers and hormones. The plaintiffs contend the ban would violate their constitutional rights and interfere with parental rights to seek established medical treatment for their children.

The ruling blocked the “most egregious parts of Kentucky’s anti-trans law,” said Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign, a Kentucky-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

Hartman added that transgender children and their families were “living in fear” of the approaching date for the restrictions.

Kentucky’s Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron called Hale’s decision “misguided,” saying it “tramples the right” of state lawmakers to make public policy. The state’s legal chief promised that his office will continue doing “everything in our power” to defend the measure. The provisions dealing with puberty blockers and hormone therapy were supposed to go into effect June 29.

In Tennessee, U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson, a Trump administration appointee, stressed that his ruling lined up with federal decisions blocking similar bans across the country but added that courts must “tread carefully” when preventing a law from being enforced.

“If Tennessee wishes to regulate access to certain medical procedures, it must do so in a manner that does not infringe on the rights conferred by the United States Constitution, which is of course supreme to all other laws of the land,” Richardson wrote.

BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Fans who agree Disneyland is indeed the happiest place on Earth will soon be able to take home more than a souvenir.

A passionate collector has brought Disney magic to a sprawling 30,000-square-foot building in Burbank, California, where fans can hear birds chirping in the Enchanted Tiki Room section or giggle at the animated ghosts from the Haunted Mansion ride as they preview more than 1,500 items up for auction later this month.

Joel Magee has been building his collection of more than 6,000 items — including costumes, rare posters and life-size vehicles from rides like Dumbo and Peter Pan — for 30 years, and he’s finally ready to share

The ruling is similar to roadblocks that federal courts have thrown up against Republican-dominant states in their pursuit to prevent young people from receiving transgender health care.

In both Kentucky and Tennessee, the judges blocked portions of the laws that would have banned transgender youth from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy. In the Tennessee case, the judge stopped short of also blocking the ban on gender-affirming surgeries for youth.

Meanwhile, the Kentucky case didn’t address surgeries, but U.S. District Judge David Hale, an Obama administration appointee, did side with seven transgender minors and their parents, who sued the

The law, scheduled to have gone into effect on July 1, would have banned Tennessee health care providers from providing hormone treatments or surgeries for transgender youth where the purpose is to allow the child to express a gender identity “inconsistent with the immutable characteristics of the reproductive system that define the minor as male or female.”

The law included a nine-month phase out period by March 31, 2024, for medical treatments and said no new treatments could be started. Health care providers who violated the law risked facing a $25,000 penalty and other disciplinary actions.

In this Jan. 22, 2015, file photo, visitors walk toward the Sleeping Beauty Castle in the background at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif.

Photo by Jae C. Hong | Associated Press

Explore local farms and food at the Backroads Farm Tour

Sun Valley Bluegrass Festival July 15 in AJ Jolly Park

DESERVE the best

Check out bluegrass acts from throughout the region from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday, July 15, in AJ Jolly Park (1501 Racetrack Road, Alexandria). Acts include Carter Bridge, Harmless Varmints, Licking River Ramblers, Empty Bottle String Band, Tweed Donahoe, Marty Dun and the Danny Davis Band. Food and beer will be for sale (no food brought in). Bring blankets or chairs, or make a weekend and rent a campsite. $5 for adults; kids free. For more, see Sun Valley Bluegrass on Facebook.

races. For more, see Southgate Fire Department on Facebook. Who knows, you may get to touch a truck!

Kenton County Public Library book sale July 16 to 22

Stock your summer reading stash at the Friends of Kenton County Public Library used book sale, taking place from Sunday, July 16, to Saturday, July 22. The event will be held at the Erlanger Branch located at 401 Kenton Lands in Erlanger. The sale includes nearly-new and used books, music and movies with prices from 50 cents to $5.

Erlanger branch runs through July 31. For more info on these events and more, go to kentonlibrary.org.

Touch-a-Truck in Boone County July 22

Fun for kids and the whole family, get up close and personal with trucks and equipment vehicles from local companies at a free Touch-a-Truck event in Burlington on July 22. The fun takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in England Idlewild Park at 5550 Idlewild Road in Burlington.

The Campbell County Backroads Farm Tour, on Saturday, July 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. promises an inside look at the sources of our food. A self-guided driving tour takes visitors through a wide variety of agriculture across the county. Explore vineyards, cattle and sheep operations and vegetable farms. Bring a cooler and some money to pick up the freshest produce, wine, crafts and other farm products for sale along the way. For more, go to facebook.com/cccdky.

Party with first responders at Southgate FD block party

Enjoy classic summer fun and meet the firefighters who protect property and life in our community. The Southgate Fire Department hosts a Block Party on Saturday, July 15, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Enjoy food, prize drawings, fun and games, as well as music by the Webster-Devoto Band. Check out the racetrack for the “world famous” turtle

The sale hours are Sunday, 1 to 4:30 p.m.; Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Kenton County libraries programs and services.

While you’re there, check out the “Continent to Commonwealth” art exhibit featuring visual art by Asian American and Pacific Islander Kentuckians. The exhibit at the

Bring a picnic and make a day of it at the 290-acre park. The park offers three fishing ponds regularly stocked with bluegill and catfish, three shelters, a 24-hole disc golf course, baseball and softball fields, soccer fields, hiking trails and even a bike park and 6 miles of unpaved mountain bike trails. For more information about the park, call 859-334-2283.

Explore the bounty of the land at the Campbell County Backroads Farm Tour. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

A charming Fort Mitchell home that feels like a cozy retreat

Address: 15 Princeton Ave., Fort Mitchell

Price: $789,900

Bedrooms: Five

Bathrooms: Three (plus one half-bath)

Square feet: 2,875

School district: Beechwood Independent

County: Kenton

Special features: This charming Fort Mitchell property is filled with coziness and character, boasting hardwood floors, a working fireplace, built-ins and details like arched doorways, and vintage tile work that reflects the 1940s period in which the home was constructed. Relax on the covered front porch and enjoy the natural beauty and community on this tree-lined street.

Recent

WHO YOU’RE WITH MATTERS

Curbside view of Fort Mitchell home built in 1940 shows mature trees and a long stone walkway leading to the front entrance of the home on Princeton Avenue. Photo provided | Susan Huff with Huff Realty

The home’s living room situated to the side of the foyer entry and main staircase includes a fully functional fireplace. Photo provided | Susan Huff with Huff Realty

Period details like arched doorways, hardwood floors, vintage tilework and built-ins add charm throughout this Fort Mitchell home. Photo provided | Susan Huff with Huff Realty

LINK Streetscapes: Dixie Highway and Kenton Lands Road

Powered by Merk and Gile, Injury Attorneys

PHOTOS AND STORY BY MARIA HEHMAN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

This Streetscapes takes a look at three new businesses in the Florence and Erlanger areas. From a feminine bakery to a folklore favorite brewery, come with us to Dixie Highway.

shakers to create a balanced blend of coffee and milk.

Other than its ready-made treats, they also create custom made cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes and cookies perfect for any celebration.

Tacos Joven

Right next door to Amiel Arte sits Tacos Joven, a casual Mexican eatery. The portions are huge, and the prices small, the best combination guests could ever ask for. Located in the same small strip as Amiel Arte, Tacos Joven has a large sign above its entrance signaling guests of their restaurant. Its parking lot is small and shares with a few other local businesses, but once inside the space feels large as well as a spacious side patio. Nothing pairs better with a margarita than a little sunshine. (Well, maybe its chips and queso, but we’ll let readers be the judge of that.)

Like their neighbor, this is a true hidden gem that never disappoints.

Fabled Brew Works

Off the beaten path of the typical bar scene, yet only a mile off of Dixie Highway, sits Fabled Brew Works. Only weeks after opening, Fabled Brew Works has gotten a lot of notoriety, from locals eager for a new brewery concept and from fiction enthusiasts across the country. Fabled Brew Works steps guests into an alternate universe where good beer and goblins coexist.

Its environment is as unique as its beers and pays a nod to the fantastical worlds already imagined and those yet to be told. What may feel like the inside of a shire to one guest reminds another of his favorite lightning-bolt wizard and his red-headed friend and his famous flying car.

see covered next? Email Maria Hehman at mchehman@gmail.com and it could be featured on the next installment of LINK Streetscapes.

What to Know If You Go:

For guests looking for feminine décor, a quaint atmosphere and the richest vanilla latte in NKY, Amiel Arte Bakery in Florence has all that, and more. Amiel Arte is easy to miss, but those who visit know that it is more than worth every visit. In a small strip, Amiel is best spotted by their neighbor. From Dixie Highway, the signs on Amiel Arte’s windows aren’t visible, so those who venture are in the right spot when they see Tacos Joven.

Once inside, guests will almost immediately comment on the décor. With a large neon sign that reads “love never fails” backed by pink pampas, pink and gold décor accent the space. The décor alone creates an inviting space to do work or catch up. Add into that the service and delicious treats and drinks, it’s one of the best hidden gems in NKY.

This family-owned and -operated Mexican-style bakery serves authentic Mexican sweets: tres leches cake, conchas (a fluffy sweet bread), and flan along with a drink menu strong enough to stand on its own. Their lattes are made in cocktail

Since Tacos are in the name, it feels wrong to order anything else. However, there are Mexican staple dishes for all palates and bellies. Antojitos, quesadillas, burritos and fajitas are all tempting options for those opting out of tacos.

This may be the best brewery for families to visit, as kids will have just as much fun here as adults. Along the back wall of draft brews is an open tree trunk that matches the logo.

Other than brewing beer, it also serves mead, an alcohol derived from honey. Its beers and meads all have names that pay homage to many famous fantasy characters. With over 25 drinks on tap, there are options for everyone.

For patrons who want to step outside of the adventure-themed tap room, there is also an outdoor patio where guests can bring their furry friends.

Fabled Brew Works often hosts local food trucks in its large parking lot. As this is off the path of any mainstay bar scene, it’s an inviting place that offers a unique experience and warrants spending a couple of hours escaping to an alternate universe.

Have a street, city or business you want to

Amiel Arte Bakery

Location: 7103 Dixie Highway, Florence

Hours: Monday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Tuesday, closed; Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Phone: 859-534-0540

Tacos Joven

Location: 7101 Dixie Highway, Florence

Hours: Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Phone: 859-534-1666

Fabled Brew Works

Location: 331 Kenton Lands Road, Erlanger

Hours: Monday, closed; Tuesday and Wednesday, 4-9 p.m.; Thursday, noon-10 p.m.; Friday, noon-11 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Phone: 859-727-2337

Amiel Arte Bakery

Amiel Arte Bakery cake case and coffee bar.

Tacos Joven exterior.

Fabled Brew Works outside patio.

Fore! Incoming Covington Catholic senior Gastright doing it right

BY MARC HARDIN | LINK NKY CONTRIBUTOR

When it comes to posing for celebratory photographs, Mitchell Gastright doesn’t mind standing next to other Covington Catholic High School people who are a lot taller than he is. With a 6-foot5 golf coach and a slew of tall teammates, Gastright really hasn’t had a choice in the matter.

“I’m 5-9,” Gastright said. “That’s just the way it is right now.”

What matters to Gastright is not the length of his frame but the strength of his game.

“I felt like I could be playing better, so my dad has got me in the gym,” he said. “It feels like I’m getting stronger.”

As a result, he’s definitely getting longer off the tee. Gastright, 17, is capable of driving a golf ball up to 300 yards, a number that’s nearly twice his weight of 155 pounds.

“I’ve always hit the ball as far as anyone,” Gastright said. “I feel like my mechanics

really help me out. Getting stronger is just going to make me better.”

Pound for pound, Colonels coach Alex Ammerman said Gastright just might be one of the best high school golfers in Kentucky. The rising senior has ascended to the No. 1 spot on a deep and talented Colonels squad after a solid showing in his first three years.

Gastright underscored his ascent by winning last month’s 21st Lexington City Junior Championship at Kearney Hill Golf Links with a two-day score of 3-under-par 141. He shot 70 the first round for a two-shot lead and kept a stranglehold on the competition with a second-round score of 71.

“I think I had nine birdies in the tournament,” Gastright said. “When I make birdies, that tells me I’m doing things right.”

Coach Ammerman, himself a former CovCath golfer, admires the way Gastright attacks the course, a playing trait that produces birdies in bunches.

“As he’s gotten stronger, he’s gotten better,” the coach said. “A lot of what makes Mitchell a good golfer is he’s a good athlete. And he’s really consistent, so he’s got a high floor.”

That consistency was on display in Lexington, where Gastright carded nine-hole splits of 34, 37, 35 and 35.

“He’s having a good summer,” Ammerman said. “We know he’s going to have a good senior year.”

Gastright set the bar pretty high his first three years.

“Mitchell has played varsity golf at Covington Catholic since he was a freshman, which is very rare,” coach Ammerman said. “He’s got a great attitude. The harder I am with him, the better he responds.”

Gastright has a career-low score of 74 in high school tournament play. He has shot 75 in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Region 7 Tournament in back-toback seasons. He had an individual finish of third place at last year’s regional, helping the Colonels to a runner-up team finish. He tied for 53rd at state. He was seventh regionally as a sophomore. An eight-time tournament medalist, he has qualified for state each of the last two seasons. He made a hole-in-one during a CovCath practice round on a 183-yard, par-3 at Ryland Lakes Country Club as a sophomore.

While perfection on the links is elusive, with one year left on the CovCath golf team, Gastright just wants to get it right one more time. To that end, he has greatly improved his short game and added 20 yards on his drives over the last year.

“I think we can win the region,” Gastright said. “So I want to play as well as I can.”

His coach has no doubts.

“Mitchell is an extremely hard worker,” Ammerman said. “The future is very bright for him.”

Ditto, for the team.

“We have a lot of good golfers, so our lineup will be extremely fluid,” Ammerman said. “Essentially, 2-7 will all be getting somewhat equal playing time.”

That group includes seniors Luke Pieper, Vince DiTommaso, Eli Wagner, Avery Stanley and incoming juniors Ben Unkraut and Nathan Arkenau.

Their mighty mite is Gastright. He and his coach have the pictures to prove it.

“I’m usually the shorter guy in the picture,” Gastright said. “It’s OK. It just shows I can play with bigger guys.”

He could have been playing with baseball guys. He comes from a baseball-playing family. Looking back on things, Ammerman said Gastright picked the right sport.

“His mom showed me a picture of him when he was a freshman. He was only 5-foot-1, so he’s actually grown a lot,” Ammerman said. “He may not be the tallest kid, but not every golfer can be as tall as me.”

And that is pretty much the long and short of it when it comes to CovCath golf. The Colonels’ season starts July 20 at the Taylor County Tournament at Campbellsville Country Club.

Mitchell Gastright won the 21st Lexington City Junior Championship at Kearney Hills Golf Links with a 36-hole score of three-under par. Photo provided | Kentucky PGA

St. Henry’s Schlueter wins Gatorade Player of the Year

playing their soccer season during the spring sports session.

She joins Covington Catholic’s Will Sheets as the Northern Kentucky area student-athletes to win Gatorade Player of the Year in their respective sport. Sheets won the award in cross-country in January after winning the KHSAA Class AAA individual state cross -country title in November with a personal best time of 15:28.2.

Sheets became the first sophomore to win the award in Kentucky in 22 years. He recently won the 3,200 meters at the Class AAA state track and field meet in Lexington on June 3 in a time of 9:16.81, and helped the Colonels 4×800 relay team also win a state title.

gion and some 10th Region schools.

Martin was a finalist with Scott Allison of Carlisle and Grant Weaver of Louisville. Allison was named the Outstanding Official of the Year.

Each year, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association honors the top officials for the 10 sports in which it licenses officials. Finalists in each sport are selected through a combination of not only on-field performance but local association activity and leadership, training efforts and the mentoring of newer officials

nal college season. The Hebron native scored 1,394 points in his college career. He had pre-draft workouts with the Warriors and New York Knicks before going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft on June 22.

St. Henry District High School’s Amanda Schlueter has been named the Kentucky girls soccer Gatorade Player of the Year.

Schlueter led the Crusaders in goals, collecting 35 of them in her only high school soccer season, playing on elite travel teams the rest of her career. She also recorded seven assists, scoring in all 17 games played during the 2022 season as she helped the Crusaders to the 9th Region tournament semifinals.

The award recognizes athletic excellence and high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. She volunteered locally at a food bank and has donated her time as a youth soccer and basketball coach.

Schlueter graduated with a 4.22 GPA and signed a national letter of intent to continue her career at Ohio State University. The late announcement is due to some states

Burlington resident Donchez Martin was one of three finalists for the KHSAA Outstanding Official of the Year in baseball for the 2023 season.

Martin is a member of the Northern Kentucky Baseball Umpires Association, which primarily consists of umpires in the 9th Re-

One official in each sport is named Outstanding Official of the Year for their sport in appreciation of their dedication and service to schools and student-athletes across the state. Winners are selected following consultation with local assigning secretaries, veteran officials’ observers, coaches throughout the state and additional staff review.

Each finalist will receive a commemorative watch and certificate courtesy of the Officials Division Trust Fund, with the Official of the Year receiving an additional recognition award.

Kunkel to join Golden State’s Summer League team

Former Cooper High School standout Adam Kunkel will get his NBA chance.

Kunkel recently agreed to join the Golden State Warriors for the NBA Summer League. He played the last three seasons at Xavier University after starting his college career with Belmont during the 2018-19 season. Kunkel averaged 10.9 points and shot 42% from the 3-point line in his fi-

Golden State started Summer League play on July 3 in the California Classic Summer League in Sacramento with two games before playing in Las Vegas starting on July 7. The majority of Summer League games are on television via ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and NBATV.

At Cooper, Kunkel helped lead the Jaguars to the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen state championship game in his junior season, finishing runner-up to Bowling Green. Kunkel was the second-leading scorer on the team that season behind Sean McNeil. Kunkel led the Jaguars in scoring his senior season with 20.0 points per game, finishing 9th Region runner-up to Covington Catholic.

If Kunkel impresses over the summer, the Warriors roster situation is currently a tricky one that’s hard to project. They recently traded away Jordan Poole, and Draymond Green rejected his player option for the upcoming season. In the Poole trade, they acquired Chris Paul, who was traded away from the Suns earlier. The Warriors have plenty of roster spots open, with only eight players under contract for the upcoming season. The NBA free agency period begins July 1.

Presented by:

As a reminder, our honor is available to any athletics team from any sport at any level –from high school and collegiate to youth to recreational and beyond. Readers can scan the QR code to head to linknky.com to vote for the next Team of the Week.

Martin recognized as a KHSAA outstanding official

Cooper grad Adam Kunkel has agreed to play for the Golden State Warriors Summer League team. Photo provided | Xavier Athletics

St. Henry’s Amanda Schlueter won the Kentucky girls soccer Gatorade Player of the Year. Schlueter is headed to Ohio State University to continue her career in the fall. Photo provided

Burlington resident Donchez Martin was one of three finalists for the KHSAA Outstanding Official of the Year in baseball. Photo provided

Prominent NKY philanthropist Mary ‘Sue’ Butler dies

BY STAFF REPORTS

Kevin Butler (Whitney) and Christa Butler (Anthony Papadopoulos), and loving Nana of Frida Summe, Johannes Summe, Logan Butler, and Connor Butler.

Editor’s note: The following is the obituary for Mary “Sue” Butler.

Mary “Sue” Butler, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away at home surrounded by family on July 3, 2023. Sue was the beloved wife of 55 years to William “Bill” P. Butler, devoted mother of

Sue was the third of six children, born to Edward and Alice Lutz (nee Kroger) on Nov. 20, 1944, in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. She remained a proud, lifelong resident of Northern Kentucky. She was the cherished sister of the late Ed Lutz (Mary Lee), Carol Thiel (the late Greg), Beverly Potter (the late Fred), Joan Alley (John), and Mark Lutz (Anita). She was the dear sister-in-law of Kay Dusing (the late Charles), Robey Klare (the late John), the late Barbara Brown (the late Marty), Mike Butler (Denise), Mary Alice Butler, and Marty Butler (Sandra). Sue was preceded in death by her in-laws, Robert and Martha Butler.

With her husband, Sue established the Butler Foundation to give back to the Northern Kentucky community by providing pathways to success for those in need, primarily through supporting education and the Life Learning Center. Sue was a founding

board member of Northern Kentucky Harvest and served on the boards of The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. She also volunteered for the St. Elizabeth Medical Center Foundation, helping raise funds needed to build a long-awaited, in-patient Hospice Center in Northern Kentucky.

She was a member of both Mother of God Church in Covington and Holy Spirit Parish in Newport. Sue was a candidate on Women’s Cursillo Weekend No. 1 in the Diocese of Covington. She and her husband developed the local Post-Cursillo program, and in the late 1960s and 1970s, they worked to grow the Cursillo movement through their service in the Leaders’ School and Secretariat. Sue cherished her family and friends above everything. She prioritized relationships and spending time with people she loves, especially her four grandchildren. When not spending cherished time with her grandchildren, Sue’s favorite hobby was needlepoint. She took great joy in lovingly stitching countless, personalized creations

for all of her loved ones.

More than anything, Sue loved making memories with her family and friends whether playing card games, cheering on her favorite sports team, or soaking up the beauty of the Colorado sky. She will be dearly missed.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at noon on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at Mother of God Church in Covington, with visitation immediately preceding from 9 a.m. to noon. The Mass will be live-streamed at: mother-ofgod.org/churchcast .

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Butler Foundation, 100 E. RiverCenter Blvd., Suite 1100, Covington or the UC Health Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, c/o UC Foundation, PO Box 19970, Cincinnati, OH 45219.

To share a story or to leave a condolence to Sue’s family, please visit: linnemannfuneralhomes.com

Mary “Sue” Butler

Owners Lisa and Kris Knochelmann