LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 1, Issue 30 - June 16, 2023

VOLUME 1,ISSUE30—JUNE16,2023

Meet the new crop of creative

NKY farmers

How two survivors found life after cancer p6

Biscuits, bourbon, beer and more in Florence p15

Here’s how to celebrate Juneteenth in NKY p19

We are grateful to all LINK’s Partners - those organizations in the community who believe strongly in what we are doing, and have thrown their full support behind us. These NKY institutions are helping bring a voice back to our community.

PRESIDENT & CEO Lacy Starling

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Mark Collier

MANAGING EDITOR Meghan Goth

PRINT EDITOR Kaitlin Gebby

SPORTS EDITOR Evan Dennison

The LINK nky Kenton Reader is a weekly newspaper. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending, permit number 32 in Covington, Kentucky. The LINK nky Kenton Reader office of publications and the Periodical Pending Postage Paid at 700 Scott St., Covington, KY 41011.

For mailing address or change-of-address orders: POSTMASTER: send address changes to The LINK nky Kenton Reader: 31 Innovation Alley, Covington, KY 41011 859-878-1669 | www.LINKnky.com

HAVE A TIP? News@LINKnky.com

WANT TO ADVERTISE? Marketing@LINKnky.com

WANT TO SUBSCRIBE?

Send a check for $31.80 ($25 trial rate plus 6% Kentucky sales tax) to our principle office or scan this QR code below

Meet the new crop of creative NKY farmers

BY HALEY PARNELL | LINK nky REPORTER

Not all farms are raising cattle and planting vegetables; many are making money in nontraditional ways, such as selling bundles of lavender and bars of goat’s milk soap.

While Northern Kentucky still boasts plenty of farms – Campbell County, for example, has 577 of them across 46,000 acres – the vast majority are modestly sized by farming standards. Farms out West can span thousands of acres, for example, while 90% of Campbell’s span fewer than 180.

Boone and Kenton counties are home to 721 and 506 farms across 78,754 and 36,731 acres, respectively, according to the Census of Agriculture

But the area’s farm owners don’t need thousands, or even hundreds, of acres to operate profitably. And, while most still practice traditional farming – just under half of farm sales in Campbell come from crops and just under half from livestock – places such as The Lavender Field and Strole Ridge Farm are finding creative ways to make money off the land.

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

As the weather warms, owners of The Lavender Field in California, Kentucky, sell tickets for a “U-pick” lavender season. The fields on their farm were a product of a mother’s love for lavender.

In the house where Kelly Schauff grew up, her mom, Cindy Cappel, always had lavender plants on both sides of the front porch. Today, the mother-daughter duo harvest flowers from 500 lavender plants at their farm in southern Campbell County.

They don’t have a farming background and just opened their U-pick lavender season to the public in 2020. Caring for the fields each season is a fun activity for them to do together, Schauff said.

She started the fields as a Mother’s Day gift in 2018.

“I’ve always liked lavender,” Cappel said. “I said a row of it would be nice just to pick from, and you never know when you’re going to need it. But she ordered 50 plants for

Mother’s Day for me.”

Needless to say, that was more than she was expecting. When the women first planted the lavender, it was for the beauty of it, not to start a business.

“It’s like a happy accident that it can be enjoyed by so many other people, too,” Schauff said.

The plan was to have people come to cut their own bundles of lavender for $10, but Schauff said once people got out to the farm, they were asking what else was offered. Now the woman also sell lavender products such as soap, honey and bath bombs.

Campbell County Conservation District Manager Patti Dischar said agritourism, like the U-pick lavender season, preserves farms and helps local businesses and entrepreneurs grow by bringing knowledge and education to those around the area.

“It (agritourism) encourages conversation amongst our citizens about what we are doing here in the county that is promoting the sustainability of the farms (and) also bringing awareness about the vitality of that economic progress,” Dischar said. “It helps everyone to know there are landown-

ers that are working hard to provide these services and these products and keeping it local.”

The Campbell County Conservation District works with residents, landowners and schools to educate people on protecting the county’s natural resources, such as water and soil.

Dischar said the district provides education through events such as the Backroads Farm Tour; a farm exposition; the Farm to Fork dining experience; and Christmas farm shop hop, which all promote agritourism in the region.

The Lavender Field is a participant in this year’s Backroads Farm Tour, which exposes landowners to the best management practices and gives others a chance to see the importance of preserving the county’s farmland. Through self-guided driving tours, they can explore regional agricultural operations, including vineyards, equestrian centers, beef cattle operations and horticultural sites. Eleven other local farms are participating in this year’s farm tour, including other nontraditional farm operations like Mason Greenhouse.

“He’s not an agricultural business, but he

A handmade goat’s milk soap bundle made by Strole Ridge Farm in Grant’s Lick, Ky.

Lavender is in blossom at The Lavender Fields in California, Kentucky. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

is a local landowner that decided to build his own greenhouse to protect it from the animals eating all of his produce,” Dischar said. “He does not call (it) a farm, but … a side-yard greenhouse. And he takes this greenhouse and protects it from any predators throughout the summer while growing his produce, and then in the wintertime, he winterizes it.”

Another conservation district event, Farm to Fork, brings attention to local farms and promotes sustainability. Dischar said that, in addition to opening the event to the community, the district also invites stakeholders to the dining experience, which serves locally grown food and is designed to provide guests with a better understanding of and appreciation for the assets the Campbell County farming community brings to the table.

“We talk to them about local agriculture businesses, how to get local quality food, how to promote the sustainability of our agriculture businesses through the produce, through the foods, especially coming

off of COVID-19,” Dischar said. “It (is) a great opportunity to talk about sustainability here in Campbell County.”

Sunderland Berry in Alexandria, a farm that grows and sells berries, participated in the most recent Farm to Fork event. Dischar said the farm harvests a 1-acre plot with an interesting technique.

“They had to come up with a unique way of not going horizontal but vertical, so they grow their berries vertically. It’s a really neat agriculture business,” she said.

Another nontraditional operation, Strole Ridge Farm in Grant’s Lick, also was launched with no plan to sell a product, similar to The Lavender Field. Owner-operators Christi and Kevin Strole never expected to own goats, let alone make goat’s milk soap by hand.

Strole Ridge Farm sits on about 6.5 acres. The Stroles said they knew they would have horses on their property, but they also ended up with goats and many other farm ani-

mals, including chickens and a donkey.

Christi said the story of how they ended up making goat’s milk soap has a sad beginning.

“We had a mom who had some babies, and we ended up actually losing a couple of the babies sort of traumatically,” she said. “So, the mom had a lot of extra milk, and she was kind of engorged, so we had to milk her to make her more comfortable. And then, one day, Kevin just decided that he was going to try to make some goat milk soap.”

Kevin, who does all the soap-making on the farm, started by whipping up a few batches in February 2021 that netted 72 bars of soap. The couple sold out of them within 24 hours.

They started by milking one doe from February through October 2021. They now have 16 goats and just finished their third round of breeding.

“We had to buy another deep freezer for all

Kevin said he did a lot of research online, watched YouTube videos and read books to teach himself how to make the soap. He then used a trial-and-error approach and made different batches until finding his preferred recipe. The soap consists of olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, rice bran oil, sweet almond oil and additives of kaolin clay and colloidal oatmeal.

Strole Ridge Farm offers soaps in 20 scents, all with design variations, as well as holiday and seasonal variations. Kevin also recently started making a goat’s milk shave bar set.

“Goat’s milk definitely helps with moisturizing,” Christi said. “We’ve actually had people tell us that it helps with their eczema.”

Kevin estimates they’ve sold nearly 2,000 bars of soap.

Strole Ridge Farm in Grant’s Lick has 16 goats and just finished its third round of breeding. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

A variety of handmade goat’s milk soap options made by Strole Ridge Farm, which sits on 6.5 acres. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

Unscented handmade goat’s milk soap made by Strole Ridge Farm in Grant’s Lick. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor of the milk and just made a bunch of soap and started selling it, and then we kind of just kept acquiring more goats because it was fun,” Christi said.

The Stroles also sell some of their surplus baby goats (does must have babies to make milk).

“Obviously, to have milk, you have to have babies,” Christi said. “So, we end up with a couple of extra babies, and we do usually sell those.”

Both The Lavender Field and Strole Ridge Farm sell their products in the BrownDog Marketplace in Cold Spring. While the owners don’t rely on the products from their farms to live, they get to spend time with family and work on a hobby while doing something they love.

For the Stroles, losing the baby goats in the beginning of their venture was hard, and they set out two light-up goats at Christmastime in remembrance of them. But outside of that experience, it has been an overall great time so far.

“It’s been really fun,” Christi said. “I have loved it. I like seeing (Kevin’s) creativity, because this is something that I honestly didn’t expect either one of us would get into. I don’t know what this means, but I didn’t feel like we were ‘goat milk soap people.’ ”

Dischar told LINK nky that preserving the county’s farmlands is essential.

“Without them, we do not have local food sources, we do not have local economic viability, we do not have the local education and the awareness of preserving the soil and the water,” she said. “We do not have any local products. It affects the ecosystem, and if we don’t protect that, then we’re not going to be able to be sustainable.”

Agritourism destinations to hit up around Northern Kentucky:

Campbell: Neltner’s Farm

Location: 6922 4 Mile Road, Melbourne

From April through September, the farm is available for weddings and event rentals.

After the wedding season, the farm kicks off its Fall Fest. The event features horsedrawn wagon rides, a model train display, corn maze, pick-your-own pumpkin patch, petting zoo, pony rides, homemade food and ice cream, farm shop, seasonal apples and barrel train.

More information: Neltnersfarm.com

Seven Wells Winery

Location: 1223 Siry Road, California

The tasting room is open Friday through Sunday year-round. Guests are asked to call ahead first and can bring their own food. Wine tastings and cheese trays are available anytime. Seven Wells also offers beer. The winery hosts dinners and live music as scheduled.

Hours: Friday, 5-9 p.m.; Saturday, noon-8 p.m.; Sunday, noon-6 p.m.

More information: Sevenwellswinery.com.

Kenton: Luxberry Farm

Location: 11024 Decoursey Pike, Covington

The 67-acre Luxberry Farm operates as an event center. Between the grounds, barn and lodge, guests can schedule camping and glamping trips, photo shoots, cooking classes, hiking, family getaways and more.

More information: Luxberryfarm.com.

FIND YOUR SIPPING POINT

Ed-Mar Dairy

Location: 1034 Walton Nicholson Road, Walton

Plan a group tour or field trip to meet farmer Eddie Gibson and the 55 cows on the farm. See the farm robot at work, bottle-feed a calf and learn how the farmers care for the herd. Email edmardairy@gmail.com or call 859-620-1860 to schedule a visit.

The Becky Ann Barn, the newest addition to the farm, is available for weddings, parties, reunions, corporate events and more.

More information: Ed-mardairy.com.

Boone:

Benton Farm

Location: 11946 Old Lexington Pike, Walton

The farm hosts school field trips, preschool/toddler programs, summer camp, goat yoga, birthday parties, private events and weddings.

More information: Bentonfarm.com or by calling 859-485-7000.

Kinman Farm Market LLC

Location: 4175 Burlington Pike, Burlington

Kinman Farm Market is family-owned and -operated. Its farm store sells flowers in the spring, vegetables in the summer, pumpkins in the fall and Christmas trees in the winter. It is open from mid-April through Christmas, seven days a week.

Hours: Monday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

More information: Kinmanfarmmarket. com

IMAGINE THIS…

an experience centered around five Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® Distilleries. Local bourbon-centric bars, all with a culture of their own, and all named to The Bourbon Review’s list of The Best Bourbon Bars in America. Finally, mix in amazing restaurants cultivating the freshest tastes in bourbon culinary delights and you’re on the The B Line®

Christi and Kevin Strole with their daughter Lainey on their farm in Grant’s Lick.

Lavender is in blossom at The Lavender Field in California, Kentucky.

The battle isn’t over at ‘cured.’

How two survivors found life after cancer

BY GARIN PIRNIA | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

At 77 years old, and with two breast cancer diagnoses 26 years apart, Sally Bruce doesn’t have time to die.

In fact, she doesn’t have time for cancer, either. She has to take care of her precious 15-year-old calico cat, and she has many baseball games to attend. She has a lot more life to experience.

“It doesn’t have to be a death sentence, although when I got my first diagnosis, my first words were, ‘I just paid cash for a car,’ ” Bruce said. “I did spend about a week in my room feeling sorry for myself. And then I got over it because I said, ‘All right, let’s just get on with life. Life is too important, and it’s too short. Why be miserable? It doesn’t do you any good. It makes you sick. I don’t want to be sick. I don’t have time. I haven’t read all the books in the library yet.”

Those who supposedly beat cancer are seen as triumphant, but they don’t get through it alone. It requires years of finding support from friends and family, sharing their story with others and attending cancer support groups where they can share their experiences with others who know what it’s like. Once the disease ends, the support can continue indefinitely.

As Bruce said, a cancer diagnosis isn’t always a death sentence. According to the National Cancer Institute, 18.1 million cancer survivors exist in the U.S. Sixty-nine percent of cancer survivors have lived cancer-free for at least five years, and 67 percent of survivors are over 65 years old. Twenty-two percent of cancer survivors had breast cancer.

All of this bodes well for Bruce, of Villa Hills, and Cathy Ketterer, 70, of Cold Spring.

In 1996, doctors diagnosed Bruce with estrogen-negative Stage 1 breast cancer during a routine mammogram; she didn’t have a family history of cancer. She had a lumpectomy, six rounds of chemotherapy three weeks apart and 28 days of radiation. A couple of years ago, Bruce’s husband of 52 years passed away.

“He was my greatest support,” she said. “We don’t have any immediate family living in the area. We’ve been in Northern Kentucky for 40 years, and my closest family is in Mississippi or heaven, whichever’s closer.”

In November 2022, doctors discovered that Bruce had another form of breast cancer –in the same breast. In December, she had another lumpectomy. But unlike with her first bout of cancer, this time doctors prescribed her a five-year drug, and she didn’t need any further treatment.

She said she feels well enough to pursue her goal of visiting all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. So far, she’s visited 23 and plans to visit three more this year.

“I do not have a bucket list, and the reason I don’t have a bucket list is because on day 999, I don’’t want to have to rush out to do one more thing,” she said. “I don’t have this list of things that I need to check off.”

She’s also planning a cruise on the Mississippi River, from St. Louis to Minneapolis. When she steps off the boat, it’ll mean that in her lifetime she will have traveled from New Orleans to Minneapolis on the Mississippi – yet another accomplishment.

“I am grateful every morning to wake up on the right side of the dirt,” she said. “I’ll go to bed at night and thank God for the day, whether it was a good day or crappy day, because I got to live it.”

Speaking of baseball, that’s how breast cancer survivor Cathy Ketterer met Bruce. In 2018, while Ketterer was in her first round of chemo, she attended the Reds’ A Night Of Their Own at Great American Ball

Sally Bruce of Villa Hills has survived two bouts of cancer. Working on visiting every Major League Baseball stadium keeps her busy and happy, among many other hobbies. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

Park, sponsored by St. Elizabeth, where Bruce volunteers.

“I get this call from St. Elizabeth: ‘You have an opportunity to go in a limo. We’re going to take you to the Reds stadium,’ ” Ketterer said. “That was my first meeting with Sally. I was the last one to arrive, but I don’t think she was going to let that limo go until I showed up. She’s pretty attentive, like a mother hen. There was no game that night, but we got to go down on the field, touch the grass. We went in the dugout. We could peek into the locker room. We had coneys and Graeter’s. It was a fun night.”

As with Bruce, Ketterer also didn’t have a family history of cancer. She was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer after a routine mammogram, though she

hadn’t had a screening in a year-and-ahalf. (The American Cancer Society encourages women ages 40-44 to get mammograms every year, and for women ages 45-54 it suggests they definitely have one every year. Women 55 and older should get a screening annually or every two years.)

“They said, ‘We see something on the imaging, and we’d like for you to do an ultrasound,’ ” Ketterer said. “I went for the ultrasound, and they said, ‘We think you have breast cancer.’ They wanted to do a biopsy. The biopsy was rather intense. My tumor was near a blood vessel. So when they’re in there taking out their samples, it must have nicked that blood vessel. No one told me, but when they were done, I lifted my head off the pillow and there was a ring of blood. That was scary.”

She had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation.

“When I first read the words, they seemed to jump off: invasive lobular cancer,” she said. “I started shaking. You kind of shock yourself. I thought, ‘I’ll give cancer a year of my life.’ I don’t know why I picked a year, and then I was going to be done. It’s like, ‘That’s all they’re going to get.’ You never know what’s going to happen next.”

She’s been on the drug Letrozole for the past five years, and in a month she’ll be a five-year survivor. In December, she’ll stop taking the drug.

“I think people don’t like taking it, probably because it’s a reminder,” she said. “But personally, I haven’t had a lot of side effects

from that little pill.”

Both women say they have gotten through their illnesses through support groups and volunteer work. Since 2006, Bruce has volunteered at St. Elizabeth. Currently, she works at St. Elizabeth Edgewood. She’s also volunteered at American Cancer Society and Cancer Support Community.

“I’ve been retired for over 10 years now, so I want to, No. 1, keep busy, but No. 2, to let cancer patients know this is a journey they don’t have to go on alone, that there’s always somebody out there who can help them,” she said.

Ketterer attends a cancer support group at St. Elizabeth, and it’s helped her to be surrounded by knowledgeable people.

Continues on page 8

Sally Bruce of Villa Hills, who has survived two bouts of breast cancer, said volunteering with other survivors helps her cope. She loves helping women with their fittings for wigs, which renews their sense of confidence and self. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

Cathy Ketterer, who lives in Cold Spring, said staying busy and talking with other cancer survivors helps her maintain her positive attitude. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

“There’s a girl, Vicky,” Ketterer said. “I thought of her yesterday. She said, ‘Just do what your doctors tell you, and you’ll be fine.’ That’s a good attitude. You don’t always like all the procedures and the blood work, but if you do what they say, your chances are pretty good.”

She doesn’t have a lot of family, but her kids and grandkids are “the light of our life, and they keep us going,” she said.

Support group members have become her second family and have become vital to her survival.

“They know exactly what it feels like to worry and to be scared,” she said. “It doesn’t really go away just because your blood work is fine and your last mammogram was fine. I don’t think anybody really understands that unless you’ve gone through it.”

Because of chemo, Ketterer lost her hair, which she said was a traumatic and surreal experience. At first, clumps of hair came out, then she lost her entire crown.

“My friend told me, ‘It might be time to shave your head,’ ” she said. “I had my son do it. I don’t know why I chose him, but it would be good if he was here. And so he came over like a trooper, and we buzzed it all off, and it was kind of crazy.”

On the other side, Bruce understands the stress of hair loss and the joy of making a woman look beautiful with new hair.

“One of the greatest things about volunteering is that complimentary wig that we do, and turning the frown upside down,” she said. “Putting a wig on a woman, who then gets her hair back, is very, very rewarding.”

Through volunteering, Bruce shows newcomers they can have a life after cancer. Plus, it makes her feel good to give them sage advice.

“I tell the patients, ‘I have walked a mile in your shoes, and I know how tight they are,

but I know if you keep walking forward, the light at the end of the tunnel is not the oncoming train,’ ” she said. “When it’s pouring down rain, that’s liquid sunshine.”

While Bruce takes a positive outlook, Ketterer tries to stay optimistic, but she said she sometimes struggles with doubt.

“I think all in all, I was pretty lucky,” she said. “But there’s a little voice in the back of your head that thinks, ‘Will it come back?’ It’s your new normal. I’m so grateful they caught it early.”

Ketterer doesn’t quite feel the clock ticking, but the disease has given her a new lease on life, in more subtle ways.

“I treasure my friendships and my interactions with people,” she said. “We go out and play cards. I try to make it the most fun. If I have somebody over for dinner, I try to make it a little more meaningful. I’m a firm believer it’s the little things that you do in life. You can say hi to somebody, but you can say hi and make eye contact and really connect. I think it’s made me more aware of the little things in life that are important.”

She’s accepted her new normal and, as her oncologist said, the fact that she will never be the same. But that voice in her head? She doesn’t let it rule her life.

“My blood work’s been good, and my mammograms have been good,” she said. “I’m crossing my fingers I’m going to be OK.”

Despite losing her husband as well as her struggles with cancer 27 years apart, Bruce maintains her bottled-sunshine outlook toward living. Because what else is there to do?

“We all have an expiration date,” she said. “We can’t live forever. I used to laugh and say I was too ornery to die. Negativity is contagious and can pull down everybody around you, but positivity is also contagious, and I would rather spread that. It’s helpful to other people to let them know there is life after cancer. Cancer doesn’t have to define you. I won’t let it. I’ve had two breast cancers and two melanomas, and I’m still here.”

Cancer Resources

Pink Ribbon Girls pinkribbongood.org/

The American Cancer Society cancer.org/

Cancer Support CommunityGreater CincinnatiNorthern Kentucky 513-791-4060 mycancersupportcommunity.org/

I Have Wings Breast Cancer Foundation

859-743-3044 ihavewings.org/

St. Elizabeth Cancer Care stelizabeth.com/medical-services/ cancer-care

St. Elizabeth Cancer Care Breast Cancer Support Group

It meets on the first Monday of each month from 6:30-8 p.m. at St. Elizabeth Women’s Health Center, 600 Medical Village Drive, Edgewood, 859-301-2273.

Cathy Ketterer of Cold Spring said having breast cancer has given her a new lease on life, making everyday moments feel more special. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

Independence to enter into local program to help residents become homeowners

Independence City Council members unanimously voted at a meeting on June 5 to allow the mayor to begin the process of entering the city into the Northern Kentucky HOME Consortium, a local program that uses federal grant money to aid Northern Kentucky residents with purchasing a home.

Independence will be the newest addition to the consortium, joining Bellevue, Cov-

BY NATHAN GRANGER | LINK nky REPORTER

ington, Dayton, Erlanger, Florence, Ludlow and Newport.

The decision came following a presentation from Covington Mayor Joe Meyer, who laid out the basics of the program and fielded questions from the council members.

“Erlanger has joined this year. Florence has joined this year,” Meyer said. “It’s a great program. This gives you the chance to help

your people be homeowners in Independence.”

The HOME Consortium offers forgivable loans of up to $10,000 to help qualifying candidates cover down payments and other closing costs associated with purchasing a house or similar property – costs that are often difficult to save for.

It also injects money into organizations to help them invest in community improvement and affordable housing.

Specifically, Meyer identified three in the region: Entryway Inc., The Center for Great Neighborhoods and Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky.

To be eligible for a HOME loan, buyers must meet the following criteria, in addition to being a resident of one of the consortium cities:

• Their gross annual household income must be at or below 80% of the area’s median income as set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which is $53,000 for a single person or $76,400 for a four-person household.

• They must attend a homebuyer education course taught by a HUD-certified instructor.

• The properties they wish to purchase must have one or two units, either owner-occupied or vacant.

• The properties’ sale prices cannot exceed $195,000.

• The properties must meet minimum local housing standards.

Once accepted, homebuyers’ interest rates on the down payment loan are 0%, and they have no monthly required repayments. For every year the owners stay in the property, $1,000 of the loan is forgiven, with full forgiveness occurring after 10 years.

Buyers are still on the hook for financing the remainder of the home purchase through a conventional lender.

The median house price in Independence is $212,479, according to the Environmental Systems Research Institute, a geographical information software platform used by Realtors.

After Meyer gave an overview of the program, several council members asked questions.

“What is the benefit of Independence coming on board with this?” asked Chris Vogelpohl.

“It helps your community,” Meyer replied. Covington is responsible for managing the program for all of the cities in the agreement, so Independence would not need to dedicate staff time or money to the program.

Covington Mayor Joe Meyer speaks at the Independence City Council meeting. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

Covington selling Pride T-shirts to help fund trades scholarships

and even more excited that the proceeds will be used to fund scholarships for Covington residents to attend the Enzweiler Trades School in Latonia,” said Covington Economic Development Director Tom West in a recent press release from the city.

Go to covingtonky.gov to purchase a shirt.

Did working from home contribute to Covington’s general fund shortfall?

The city of Covington has attributed its recent budget shortfall to rising work-fromhome policies.

nearly 5,500 people at its office in Covington.

“We fall off the pace due to the implications of (the) remote work situation with our largest employers,” Webb said. “As remote work has become normalized, these employers are now withholding and remitting portions of the occupational license tax to the jurisdictions where their employees are physically working.”

This is not the first time the general fund has experienced a deficit. Expenditures have exceeded revenues for the two preceding quarters of the fiscal year.

The fund was also in deficit at the end of the last fiscal year and the end of the 2017 fiscal year, according to annual comprehensive financial reports from the city.

The City of Covington is now selling T-shirts celebrating Pride Month to help fund scholarships to the Enzweiler Building Institute, a secondary construction trades school that recently opened a branch in Latonia.

“We had no idea the city’s shirts for Pride would be such a fashion statement, but we are so pleased that folks want their own

Covington Finance Director Steve Webb disclosed during a presentation at a city commission meeting on May 23 that the general fund’s expenditures had exceeded its revenue for the third quarter of the 2023 fiscal year, which ends on June 30.

The city’s finance department attributed the budget shortfall to declining payroll tax revenues following the rise of work-fromhome policies at the city’s large employers. Specifically, it cited Fidelity, which employs

This shortfall did not occur in other sections of the city’s budget, most of which were funds used for special projects and programs. Much of the money for those other funds comes from grants and other monetary sources unrelated to local tax collection.

Payroll tax has historically made up a large chunk of Covington’s revenue and has accounted for 45% of the general fund’s revenue for the 2023 fiscal year thus far.

For the 2022 fiscal year ending on June 30, 2022, payroll taxes and similar licensing fees accounted for about two-thirds of the fund’s revenue.

The largest expense for the general fund since 2017 has been public safety costs, including salaries and benefits for firefighters and police, which have consistently taken up about 60% of the general fund’s expenditures.

Webb did not mention work-from-home policies in his presentation to the board in February.

The comprehensive report for the 2022 fiscal year suggested that payroll tax collections were up.

“Revenue from the payroll tax was far ahead of schedule as of October,” said the finance department in an email. “In fact, it was running on a pace to finish the fiscal year some $2.5 million ahead of projections.”

Let’s talk steaks. Steaks that are tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Perfectly aged, hand-trimmed, one-of-a-kind steaks that are GUARANTEED to be perfect, every single time. These aren’t just steaks. These are Omaha Steaks.

All-Time Grilling Faves

4 Butcher’s Cut Top Sirloins (5 oz.)

4 Air-Chilled Chicken Breasts (5 oz.)

4 Boneless

The Pride T-shirt that the city of Covington is selling. Photo provided | City of Covington

By the end of the calendar year, the email went on to say, growth had tapered off. By January, city officials noticed that payroll tax receipts had “dropped below the budgeted pace.”

Like many businesses, Fidelity changed its labor policies at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to allow employees to work from home.

In spring 2020, management sent all but essential workers home to abide by shelter-in-place orders. Sources from within Fidelity indicate that the company had about 3,000 Covington employees at that time.

Workers were allowed to return to the office voluntarily in 2022. Today, employees operate on a hybrid work arrangement, with five required in-office days per month. Otherwise, employees are free to work from home, an arrangement many still take advantage of, several employees said.

A spokesperson from Fidelity confirmed that the company changed its tax withholding policy late last year to collect taxes from the locality where employees are scheduled to work.

Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road to host inaugural Girl Scout 500

Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road is bringing girls together from Eastern, Northern, and Southeast Kentucky for The Girl Scout 500, the first valve car race, and STEM Fest.

The event will be held on Saturday, June 17, at the future site of Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road Leadership Campus in Erlanger.

Valve car kits have been distributed to teams of middle school and high school girls, who have been working since January to modify their own to create the fastest car. A valve car is a hollow vehicle housing with a valve cover from a car engine powered by gravity.

This girl-led program, with limited adult guidance, allows each girl the opportunity for creative thinking and experimenting with engineering principles.

The bracket-style tournament will include multiple track races in 15-minute increments. Following the race, participants will be given supplies to decorate the track and commemorate the first Girl Scout 500.

Throughout the day, participants can engage in STEM-focused activities, such as building binary bracelets, LEGO robotics, snap circuits and robotic boats.

For more information or to register, visit mygs.girlscouts.org.

Library on wheels coming to Latonia Terrace

The Kenton County Public Library and the Housing Authority of Covington will host the library on wheels at the Latonia Terrace community room.

Check out the library on wheels from 3-4 p.m. on June 26, July 10, July 24 and Aug. 7.

The events are free and open to the public.

U.S. inspector general releases report on grant funding for Ion Center for Violence Prevention

U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz recently released a report on grant funding to Kentucky-based nonprofit the Ion Center for Violence Prevention in Covington, which provides services related to domestic violence.

“The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that the Ion Center used Victims of Crime Act funds appropriately to provide services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. However, we also found that … (The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet) approved the Ion Center to use some of the funds for prevention education services, which was unallowable under guidance available at the time of the grant. Accordingly, the OIG identified $263,250 in questioned costs related to prevention education services. We also found that the Ion Center lacked formal guidance to help meet reporting requirements,” according to the Office of the Inspector General.

The report indicates that the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet had reimbursed the Ion Center nearly $1.2 million as of Oct. 31.

The inspector general made four recommendations to improve the center’s use of grant funding. The Ion Center and the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet agreed with two of the recommendations, disagreed with one and did not respond to the other.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Kentucky officials say they won’t start paying out $21 million in economic incentives for a proposed electric vehicle battery facility until the company further explains why the Department of Energy abruptly rejected a $200 million loan for the project after some congressional Republicans argued the firm has improper ties to China.

Texas-based Microvast was one of 20 companies to win preliminary grants totaling $2.8 billion to boost the domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles. The company is building battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee and was in talks with the Energy Department for a $200 million grant funded through the 2021 infrastructure law.

Yang Wu, Microvast’s founder and CEO, said the company was surprised by the Energy Department’s decision against awarding the loan, which would fuel plans for a Kentucky facility focused on a new technology for batteries called polyaramid separator. The department did not offer a reason for cutting off talks.

It’s unclear if the company will still try to build the project in Kentucky. A company spokesperson did not respond to emails asking if plans for a facility in the state were moving forward. A slideshow for an investors presentation days after news of the federal denial broke late last month did not mention Kentucky or the loan. The com-

pany has also sought to fight back against claims of inappropriate Chinese influence.

In March, Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration announced the project, which was expected to include a $504 million investment from the company and create 562 full-time jobs at a new Hopkinsville facility, which was expected to be finished by March 2025.

Now, Kentucky officials say they need more information from the company about the federal decision before they would move forward with the incentives deal they preliminarily approved. When initially considering the company’s plans for Hopkinsville, officials weighed “the presence of Microvast’s current operations in the U.S., the presence of U.S.-based leadership and the presence of federal funding” and other factors, said Brandon Mattingly, spokesperson for the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

Officials are continuing an “open communication” with Microvast, Mattingly added.

After the decision, Microvast released a rebuttal about the claims of ties to China, including a note that Wu “is an American citizen.”

“Microvast is based in Texas, its shares are traded on Nasdaq, and the operations for our global business are centralized in the U.S.,” Wu said in a written statement after the loan decision. “Neither the Chinese government nor the Chinese Communist Party has any ownership in the Company, nor do they control or influence Company operations in any way.”

Mother of Breonna Taylor joins effort to defeat Cameron’s gubernatorial hopes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Breonna Taylor’s mother endorsed a grassroots campaign on June 5 aimed at defeating Republican Daniel Cameron’s bid for Kentucky governor, reviving anger over a criminal investigation he led that yielded no charges against any officers for the fatal shooting of the Black woman during a police raid.

Tamika Palmer plunged into the political fray on what would have been her daughter’s 30th birthday. Breonna Taylor’s death in 2020 spurred nationwide racial justice protests alongside the outrage over the killing of George Floyd.

Palmer and other activists announced a campaign to bolster voter registration and turnout against Cameron’s bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in November.

Taylor’s family and scores of protesters have long blamed Cameron for a lack of criminal charges against the officers for Taylor’s death on March 13, 2020. Police opened fire into Taylor’s Louisville apartment after her boyfriend fired a shot at them from a hallway, wounding one of the officers. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, has said he thought he was firing at an intruder.

Kentucky’s first Black attorney general, Cameron was thrust into the national spotlight when his office investigated the shooting and actions of officers that day.

Cameron has defended the investigation, saying he “followed the law without fear or favor.” Palmer and other activists said Monday that Cameron’s handling of the case shows he’s unqualified to be governor.

“He decided that we didn’t matter,” Palmer told reporters in a downtown Louisville park that was the epicenter of 2020 protests in Louisville. “He decided that Breonna didn’t deserve justice.”

Activists said they plan to open offices in Louisville and another in Lexington –Kentucky’s two largest cities – to canvass neighborhoods and operate phone banks in a mobilization against Cameron.

In 2020, three jurors on the 12-member grand jury came forward to say Cameron’s team limited their scope and misled them about what charges they could consider against the officers.

Ky. halts $21M in incentives for facility, wants clarity on claims of undue China influence

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., speaks during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing on May 5 about planned production plants by Microvast. After the Energy Department rejected a $200 million loan for a facility in Kentucky, state officials paused $21 million in planned incentives while it awaits further explanation of alleged improper ties to China by Microvast. Photo provided | AP

Tamika Palmer, mother of Breonna Taylor, speaks at a news conference in Louisville on June 5, which would have been her daughter’s 30th birthday. She endorsed a grassroots campaign to defeat Attorney General Daniel Cameron, whom protesters blame for a lack of criminal charges for the police officers who shot Taylor, in the race for governor. Photo provided | AP

Covington Rotary launches Bottle Caps to Benches project

The Covington Rotary Club is partnering with Cub Scout Pack 367 to collect bottle caps and other small plastics to be recycled into benches and made available to the community. The goal of the Bottle Caps to Benches project is to collect 250 pounds of plastic to be turned into benches by Indiana-based recycler/manufacturer Green Tree Plastics.

Common caps include water and soda bottle caps, milk carton lids, medicine bottle caps, peanut butter lids and laundry detergent tops. Other plastic items accepted include lids for ice cream and butter containers, deodorant caps, milk jug caps, lids from condiments, ointment tube caps and more.

Caps can be dropped off at a Covington Rotary meeting. For large donations, contact Shane Noem at shanenoem@gmail.com to coordinate a drop-off. The Northern Kentucky Sierra Club chapter also will accept donations at its monthly meetings and deliver theme to Covington Rotary. For meeting info, visit covingtonkyrotary. com.

Free admission at Behringer-Crawford for military families

For more information on the museum, visit bcmuseum.org. For more information on Blue Star Museums, visit arts.gov/initiatives/blue-star-museums.

Florence, Heritage Bank announce summer concert series

The city of Florence and Heritage Bank are presenting a summer concert series. First in the series is music by brother-sister duo TYPO and country cover band East of Austin from 6-10 p.m. Friday, June 16. Other concerts follow, including one by London Street on Friday, Aug. 11, and a Labor Day car show and concert featuring the Florence Community Band and The Grateful Dads on Saturday, Sept. 2. Bands perform in the lower-level lot at Florence Mall, 2028 Mall Road.

Newport Central Catholic celebrates honor roll students

Newport Central Catholic is celebrating its second-semester academic honor roll students. First-honors students attained a 3.84 weighted grade point average with no grade below 90%. They are (drum roll, please):

Freshmen: Alex Alarcon, Ben Colwell, McKenna Desmond, Jack Gearding, Greta Hansbauer, Preston Koeninger, Alannah Kues, John Luhn, Isabella Middendorf, Paytin Reckers, Ben Sperbeck

Sophomores: Kaleb Cole, Louie Collopy, Addison Dufeck, Caroline Eaglin, Vivian Fassler, Chase Fields, Charlie Ford, Joseph Gilbert, Jonathan Green, Eva Greene, Sam Greene, Mary Kennedy, Christopher Meyer, Katie Meyer, Avery Moeves, JT Mumper, Elena Potts, Kate Schirmer, Sophie Schoulties, Madison Wolf

Public Notices

The City of Dayton, Kentucky, has adopted Ordinance 2023#8, amending Section 38.08(C)(1) of the Dayton Code of Ordinances related to appeals of Code Enforcement citations. The ordinance may be viewed in full at www.daytonky.com and at the Dayton City Building, 514 Sixth Avenue, Dayton, KY, or by calling 859-491-1600.

The City of Dayton, Kentucky, has adopted Ordinance 2023#3, an ordinance amending chapter 110 of the City of Dayton, Kentucky, Code of Ordinances, including the schedule occupational license fees businesses owe to the City on total gross receipts. The ordinance may be viewed in full at www.daytonky.com and at the Dayton City Building, 514 Sixth Avenue, Dayton, KY, or by calling 859-491-1600.

The City of Dayton, Kentucky, has adopted Ordinance 2023#5, prohibiting the operation of recycling operations and storage of recycling materials in residentially and commercially zoned areas of the City of Dayton. The ordinance may be viewed in full at www.daytonky.com and at the Dayton City Building, 514 Sixth Avenue, Dayton, KY, or by calling 859-491-1600.

The City of Dayton, Kentucky, has adopted Ordinance 2023#7, adopting the City of Dayton, Kentucky’s annual budget for the fiscal year running from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, and estimating revenues and resources and appropriat ing funds for the City to the full extent authorized by KRS 82.082 and interpre-

tative case law. The ordinance may be viewed in full at www.daytonky.com and at the Dayton City Building, 514 Sixth Avenue, Dayton, KY, or by calling 859-491-1600.

The City of Dayton, Kentucky, has adopted Ordinance 2023#4, adding a new section 37.02 and amending section 37.04 of the Dayton Code of Ordinances related to the payment, collection, and enforcement of the City’s ad valorem property taxes. The ordinance may be viewed in full at www. daytonky.com and at the Dayton City Building, 514 Sixth Avenue, Dayton, KY, or by calling 859-491-1600.

The City of Dayton, Kentucky, has adopted Ordinance 2023#6, adding a new section 72.15, titled “Vehicles Carrying Recycling Materials,” to the Dayton Code of Ordinances. The ordinance may be viewed in full at www.daytonky.com and at the Dayton City Building, 514 Sixth Avenue, Dayton, KY, or by calling 859-491-1600.

The City of Dayton, Kentucky, has adopted Ordinance 2023#9, amending the City of Dayton, Kentucky’s annual budget for the fiscal year running from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, and estimating revenues and resources and appropriat ing funds for the City of the full extent authorized by KRS 82.082 and interpretative case law. The ordinance may be viewed in full at www.daytonky.com and at the Dayton City Building, 514 Sixth Avenue, Dayton, KY, or by calling 859-491-1600.

Behringer-Crawford Museum in Devou Park, at 1600 Montague Road in Covington, is now a Blue Star Museum, meaning it participates in a program by the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families. Under the Blue Star Museums initiative, U.S. military personnel and their families receive free admission to Behringer-Crawford this summer through Labor Day.

Juniors: Emma Beck, Kara Bleser, Brady Diedenhofer, Rachel Glaser, Griffin Hatfield, Tyler Kevill, Gweneth Kramer, Sam Krebs, Katlyn Schmitt, Morgan Wagner, Christian Woods

Seniors: Kayla Ahlbrand, Amelia Brun, Mia Buemi, James Doepker, Karly Enginger, Kailey Gearding, Camryn Kohrs, Emma Krebs, Leah Meyer, Allison Meyers, Kiley Murphy, Garrett Schoulties, Alyssa Smith

Behringer-Crawford Museum in Devou Park is now a Blue Star Museum, offering free admission to U.S. military families. Photo provided | Behringer-Crawford Museum

Beautifully restored home in the heart of Covington

Address: 241 W. Eighth St., Covington

Price: $550,000

Bedrooms: Four

Bathrooms: Three (plus one half-bath)

Square feet: 2,294

School district: Covington Independent

County: Kenton

Special features: Nestled halfway between Mainstrasse Village and the Madison Avenue Commercial District, this home is within walking distance to some of the area’s best restaurants, sporting events and more. The home was originally built in 1909 and was recently renovated, preserving the original hardwood floors, historic woodwork and five fireplaces. The eat-in kitchen features stainless-steel appliances and granite countertops. Relax on the spacious front porch of this tree-lined street or in the fenced-in backyard with two large raised beds, perfect for a summer vegetable garden.

NKY Home Sale Data

This beautifully restored Covington home, built in 1909, sits halfway between historic Mainstrasse Village and the Madison Avenue Commercial District, within walking distance to some of the area’s best dining and entertainment. Photo provided | Lee Bledsoe with Pivot Realty Group

The property features original hardwood floors and historic woodwork throughout. Photo provided | Lee Bledsoe with Pivot Realty Group

The third-floor primary bedroom suite features recessed lighting, exposed brick and original historic hardwood details.

Photo provided | Lee Bledsoe with Pivot Realty Group

LINK Streetscapes – Biscuits, Bourbon and more in Florence

Powered by Merk and Gile, Injury Attorneys

PHOTOS AND STORY BY MARIA HEHMAN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

Hungry? Thirsty? Come with Streetscapes to Houston and Bankers in Florence to enjoy a trio of delicious hangout options offering biscuits, bourbon, tacos, beer and the beloved, summer-perfect drink ranch water.

Maple Street Biscuit Co.

flavor, and everyone will leave with full bellies.

Guests order at the front when they enter, and their food is brought out to them as it’s ready. Maple Street Biscuit Co. has a large interior as well as a smaller outdoor patio. Orange juice and mimosas are always flowing, along with other refreshing beverage options. For guests who need a caffeine kick in the morning, a coffee menu features interesting flavors, including a signature maple vanilla latte that is a sweet start to the day.

859 Taproom and Grill

Right off of Houston, on Bankers Street, hides the largest beer wall in Northern Kentucky. 859 Taproom and Grill is one of the best places in the area for beer, bourbon and bar food.

as Bud and Miller for those who insist on the classics, but when there are that many other options, why not branch out and try something new?

The patio is open year-round but best enjoyed in the warmer months. Nothing beats an afternoon beer in the summer. With 17 TVs, there’s endless entertainment regardless of where guests sit.

859 Taproom recently added Saturday and Sunday brunch to its already lengthy offerings. It truly has something for every occasion.

Luna’s Bar and Grill

long before influencers made it famous. Ranch water is made of Topo Chico sparkling water, blanco tequila and fresh lime juice. A light, refreshing drink, it’s obvious why it has become the summer beverage. Those who aren’t tequila drinkers, fear not: Luna’s also serves beer and wine.

While the bar-and-grill has an ample burger menu, the tacos steal the show and just feel like the right pairing with tequila. But who am I to tell you what to order?

Have a street, city or business you want to see covered next? Email Maria Hehman at mchehman@gmail.com and it could be featured on the next installment of LINK Streetscapes.

What to Know If You Go:

Breakfast and brunch lovers need look no further: Maple Street Biscuit Co., one of the newer restaurants in Florence, has Southern brunch down to a science. This mostly Southern-based chain opened its doors on Houston Road only a few months ago and has guests eagerly planning their next visit.

As its name makes clear, Maple Street Biscuit Co. serves biscuits in every way guests could imagine. From classics like biscuits and gravy to biscuit breakfast sandwiches, guests will have no shortage of options of the buttery, flaky bread. About half of the menu is composed of biscuit creations, but for patrons looking for a bit more variety, there are waffles, omelets and breakfast potatoes. Every item on the small menu packs immense

This family-owned and -operated establishment creates a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere for all ages. Its menu is primarily composed of traditional American foods as well as a smaller taco menu. The biggest category, both in variety and size, is the Wagyu burger menu. With a dozen choices, guests will have a hard time sticking to just one. Although the taco menu has half the options, they are consistent customer favorites. Shrimp and fish tacos are even battered in the eatery’s 859 Lager and pair perfectly with the house brew.

Having the largest beer wall in all of NKY is an impressive feat for a beer-centric area. The place highlights local breweries, such as Alexandria Brewing Co. and Braxton Brewery, as well as offering patrons beers they might never have sampled before. There are still staples such

Right next door to 859 sits Luna’s Bar and Grill. Although Luna’s and 859 offer similar items, like tacos and burgers, their taste and specialties are vastly different. Luna’s primary drink offerings are derived from tequila. It has an entire cocktail menu dedicated to tequila drinks, from a classic margarita to Meximosa, its version of a mimosa. Guests have 13 options to choose from.

Ranch water has quickly become the drink of choice this summer, thanks to social media, but Luna’s was serving it

Maple Street Biscuit Co.

Location: 6785 Houston Road, Florence

Hours: Monday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

Website: locations.maplestreetbiscuits.com/en-us/ky/florence/florence/

Phone: 859-869-9700

859 Taproom and Grill

Location: 8720 Bankers St., Florence

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, noon-9 p.m.; Monday, closed Website: the859taproom.com

Phone: 859-534-2802

Luna’s Bar and Grill

Location: 8660 Bankers St., Florence

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Website: lunasbarandgrillky.com

Phone: 859-817-0104

A selection of coffees, syrups and T-shirts is for sale at Maple Street Biscuit Co.

Luna’s Bar and Grill features burgers, tacos and a variety of tequila-based drinks.

On the mend, Beechwood’s Berger ready to ascend

BY MARC HARDIN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, will always be a day Mitchell Berger looks back on with a range of emotions as wide as the running lanes he burst through for the Beechwood High School football team.

Playing at home against Lloyd Memorial High School, Berger propelled the Tigers to a halftime lead with yet another do-it-all performance. It was early in the third quarter and Beechwood was leading 14-7 thanks

to Berger, who already had nearly 200 total yards. He rambled for 156 yards on 20 carries with both Tiger touchdowns, a 9-yard run and a 36-yarder.

Berger added two receptions for 39 yards, converted both extra-point kicks, kicked off and played linebacker for the Tigers, who won, 34-7. But the play he’ll remember most is the one that ended his year prematurely after eight games.

Berger was running near the sideline. He was hit and landed awkwardly. There was pain in his left knee. Eventually there were all the emotions that come with learning surgery is required to fix an injury. Those emotions welled up within him and lasted for weeks.

When you’re 18 years old and considered one of the best prep football players in the state, the last thing you want to hear is you’re out for the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a meniscus tear.

It was an unfathomable outcome. Berger was a leading contender for Kentucky’s Mr. Football. With 1,119 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns, Berger was on a 15-game senior season pace for 2,098 rushing yards and 39 TDs. With a state-leading 162 points, he was on pace for 303.

The Tigers finished 14-1 and won the Class 2A state championship for the third straight year. Berger was on the sidelines for the final seven games. Even so, he was named first-team, all-area at running back and linebacker by the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association and the local Class 2A-3A-4A player of the year.

“They were heartbroken for me,” Berger said of his coaches. “It was really tough on everyone, especially my parents.”

Berger’s mother is a Beechwood booster. His father, Brandon Berger, is a Beechwood assistant football coach.

“I felt so terrible for Mitchell. That was as somber of a football stadium as I have ever been in,” he said. “It was easy to see how much Mitchell meant to his teammates, coaches and the community, with many tears shed by all. Our family was distraught, but the community rallied around all of us to help us get through this tough time.”

Add in that Mitchell Berger is also considered one of the best prep baseball players in Kentucky, heading to Eastern Kentucky University to play baseball, and his ordeal becomes a multi-part story that impacts several teams.

“Probably never felt more gut-wrenched in my life when I found out about the injury,” Beechwood baseball coach Kevin Gray said. “To me it was, why him? He’s a hard-working player. A great kid. I think he would have won Mr. Football. He was considered to be one of the top baseball players in the state. It was very, very, very terrible.”

Mitchell Berger and Gray shared a meal after Berger’s surgery.

“We were going to do what’s best for him,” Gray said. “I told him he was going to be there for us all season, help with the pitchers, and we weren’t going to push it. We hugged and we cried.”

The baseball team’s season ended with a

3-0 state tournament first-round loss to Apollo High School. Gray imagined alternatives with a healthy Berger, who was 7-0 as a junior with a 2.45 ERA. He hit .400 with six home runs.

“Our philosophy in the state tournament is you can’t win game two without winning game one,” Gray said. “Mitchell would have been our best option on the mound, and he would have been hitting. We had a moment after the game with Apollo. We both wondered what might have been.”

As the days go by, there’s more certainty for Mitchell Berger, who senses optimism creeping in. After such a plummeting low, he’s ready to return to soaring highs. The timeline for recovery is nine to 12 months.

“I’m so proud of Mitchell for the way he attacked his rehab,” his father said. “He is going to the gym six days a week and meal-prepping to make sure his body is where he wants it to be. Hopefully, he will be cleared in late July and be ready to go for fall ball at EKU.”

EKU coaches called soon after the injury to state their confidence.

“I’m just sticking to the path right now,” Mitchell Berger said. “I’m really grateful for the Beechwood community during this whole thing. I want to give a big shout-out to coach Kevin Gray and coach Noel Rash for helping me through it and doing what’s best for me.”

Beechwood's Mitchell Berger was a top candidate for Kentucky’s Mr. Football prior to his injury. Photo provided | Mitchell Berger

Beechwood football and baseball standout Mitchell Berger and baseball coach Kevin Gray shared a moment after the Tigers’ 3-0 loss to Apollo High School in the first round of the KHSAA state baseball tournament. Photo provided | Mitchell Berger

Covington Catholic captures team state tennis title, doubles title

Walton-Veronas boys, Beechwood girls win state track-and-field titles

The Walton-Verona High School boys took a tightly contested KHSAA Class A state track-and-field meet, scoring 64 points for the first state championship in school history. They edged out Louisville Collegiate School by eight points with seven high schools within 24 points of the top spot, including Bishop Brossart in third (53.5), St. Henry in fourth (48) and Beechwood in seventh (40).

The Bearcats opened the day taking second in the 4×800 relay in 8:23.26. Eighth-grader Wyatt Shearer, juniors Logan Pronk and Seth Cockrell and senior Carson Milner ran legs in that race.

Milner scored Walton-Verona’s other three points, taking sixth in the 1,600 in 4:33.17.

The Beechwood girls scored 100 points in the Class A KHSAA state track-and-field meet on their way to the second title in program history.

and Counts finished third by just .41 seconds behind Brauch. Kocan took third in the 100 in 12.53 seconds and the 200 in 22.99 seconds. Counts added two points. taking seventh in 26.92 in the 200. Beechwood’s other four points came in the field events. Tigers senior Sarah Sizemore took fifth in the high jump going up 4-feet-10 inches.

Defending state champion Bishop Brossart High School took second with 68 points and St. Henry District High School finished tied for ninth with 28.

After winning its 21st straight regional tennis title and finishing state runner-up three times, Covington Catholic High School finally broke through on the state level.

The Colonels won the KHSAA team title at the state tournament at Top Seed in Nicholasville on June 1, while Kalei Christiansen and Alex Yeager won the first boys doubles title in program history.

Christiansen and Yeager won the state championship with an improbable comeback. After dropping the first set to Greenwood High School’s Dylan Dethridge and Gary Zheng 6-2 and falling in a 5-1 hole in the second set and a game away from defeat, the duo rallied to take the second set 7-5 and win the third set tiebreak 10-7.

Helping the team’s cause was Brady Hussey, who made it to a second straight state semifinal. Hussey battled through an ankle injury and didn’t really get onto the court until the latter part of the season. Playing for his third straight day, Hussey admitted the ankle wasn’t up to his liking and dropped the semifinal match to Whitefield Academy’s Landon Ecarma, 6-1, 6-2.

The Bearcats scored most of their points in the relays with 26. Junior Jackson Smith won two sprinting events, capturing the 100-meter dash in 11.07 seconds and the 200 in 22.18.

Senior Grady Shay won the 110 hurdles in 15.32 seconds and captured fourth in the 300 hurdles in 42.2 seconds.

Shay and Smith also helped the Bearcats win the 4×200 relay in 1:31.49. Freshman Hunter League and eighth-grader Tyson Smith had the other two legs. The same four helped Walton-Verona to a runner-up finish in the 4×100 relay in 43.76 seconds.

A number of the runners that helped the Beechwood girls win their first state championship in cross-country in the fall helped the Tigers take the top spot on Thursday.

The Beechwood girls dominated in the relays, distance and sprinting, combining for 96 points in those events. Beechwood placed first or second in all four relay events.

The Tigers put the punctuation mark on the meet winning the 4×400 meter relay in 4:11.10. Juniors Maddy Brauch and Maryah Counts, freshman Lily Parke and junior Catie Hazzard ran the legs. Beechwood also won the 4×200 relay in 1:45.81. Brauch and Counts ran legs in that one along with sophomore Lana Holt and junior Katie Kocan.

The Tigers had two girls place in a number of distance and sprinting events. Parke and Charli Gerrein took runner-up and fifth in 5:18.28 and 5:27.14, respectively, in the 1,600. Parke also finished third in the 800 in 2:22.17. Beechwood captured 14 points in the 3,200. Freshman Nora Wilke finished second in 12:02.11. Sophomore Isabel Ginter followed her, taking third in 12:04.57. The Tigers took the second and third spots in the 400. Brauch took second in 1:00.31

Golfer Carl returns to Notre Dame as AD

Former Notre Dame Academy Pandas golf coach Janet Carl is heading back to Notre Dame Academy as the new athletic director. Carl returns after a 22-year absence. She guided Panda golfers from 1999-2001 before eventually becoming the women’s golf coach at the University of Cincinnati, where she coached for 19 years.

Carl succeeds Myanna Webster, who announced her resignation in February.

In her new role as athletic director, her primary focus will be to provide leadership and guidance to coaches, fostering a culture of excellence, sportsmanship and holistic development among student-athletes.

Carl, who ran the junior golf program for the Cincinnati Recreation Commission from 1993-96, gives private lessons at Stephens Golf in Burlington. She is an LPGA class A member specializing in instruction.

Covington Catholic High School captured its first KHSAA state team tennis title in program history.

Photo provided | Covington Catholic High School

Walton-Verona High School won its first boys track-and-field team KHSAA state championship in program history. Photo by G. Michael Graham | LINK nky contributor

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.

Dame

track-and-field team

Photo provided | Notre Dame Academy

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, marks the date of June 19, 1865, the day a group of enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free.

Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it wasn’t until two years later that the news had finally circulated all the way around the country.

Today, communities around the country celebrate this federal holiday with food, family and joy.

Here are some celebrations to participate in around Northern Kentucky.

Boone County

Florence

Where: Florence First Annual Juneteenth Event – Stringtown Park, 7340 Burlington Pike

When: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday, June 19

What: Hosted by For Family By Family and the city of Florence, the event features a proclamation, memorial and education event at 10 a.m. at the site of the first African American church in Florence at 21 Girard St. (First Baptist Church). The theme is “Discover Your Roots,” and festivities follow in Stringtown Park with a DJ, food, community agency and vendor booths, face painting and arts activities.

Here’s where you can celebrate Juneteenth in Northern Kentucky

BY ROBIN GEE | LINK nky REPORTER

Campbell County

Newport

Where: Northern Kentucky Juneteenth Celebration – Newport History Museum at Southgate Street School, 215 E. Southgate St.

When: 5-10 p.m., Friday, June 16

What: Hosted by the Newport History Museum, located inside the former Southgate Street School, this event includes displays, exhibits, a tour of the museum as well as community organizations, food and business booths. For more information, see “Newport History Museum at the Southgate Street School” on Facebook or contact sclark@newportky.gov.

Kenton County

Covington

Where: Juneteenth Parade – Starts at Lincoln Grant Scholar House, 824 Greenup St.

When: 10-11 a.m. Saturday, June 17, followed by celebration throughout the day until 11 p.m.

What: Marchers will gather near Randolph Park at Robbins and Prospect streets and follow a route to Covington Plaza. The event is sponsored by the Northern Kentucky Juneteenth Committee. Activities throughout the day include an awards ceremony as well as food vendors, entertainment, presentations and booths from communi-

ty organizations and area businesses. For more information, contact Phyllis Tyler at 859-652-4978 or Dee Roetting at 859-7601081.

Where: Northern Kentucky CAC Juneteenth Celebration – Lincoln Grant Scholar House, 824 Greenup St. (near Randolph Park)

When: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, June 17

What: Free event with food, community group tables and merchandise vendors, performances including African dance and a panel discussion. Hosted by the Northern Kentucky Community Action Coalition, partnering with St. Elizabeth Healthcare. See “3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration” on Facebook or contact Tracy.stokes@stelizabeth.com for more information.

Where: Northern Kentucky Juneteenth Committee Outdoor Juneteenth Celebration – Covington Landing, 10 E. Rivercenter Blvd.

tist Church, 1007 Garvey Ave.

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, June 18

What: Hosted by First Baptist Church, the event starts with a parade beginning at the corner of Dixie Highway and Garvey Avenue and proceeding down Garvey to the church. Attendees are invited to join in an outside, communitywide church service at 11 a.m. followed by food, music and celebration.

NKY's Premier Dining Destination