LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 2, Issue 28 - June 7, 2024

There’s nothing trivial about connections Last Call builds

By Killian Baarlaer

On a recent Tuesday night at Longnecks Sports Grill in Wilder, patrons filtered into the dimly lit dining room. They ordered food and drinks as the clock neared 8 p.m. – the start time for a game of trivia.

Spenser Smith, who has hosted trivia for three years, set up in the back corner at a table outfitted with a laptop and sound equipment. He picked up his microphone and grabbed the crowd’s attention to explain the game rules.

Many of the players already knew the rules, though. They come every Tuesday.

Players joined the game on their mobile devices and decided on a team name. Smith reviewed the team names with wry amusement as they appeared on his screen.

“I don’t even want to go over these yet if I don’t have to say them,” he told the crowd. “You annoy me every week,” Smith continued, referring to the sophomoric team names on his laptop screen.

If you’re going to a bar, restaurant or cafe in Northern Kentucky for a trivia night, chances are it’s hosted by Last Call Trivia, just like this one. The Northern Kentucky company has a firm grip on trivia nights locally, and its presence has spread to other cities around the country, including Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Portland.

Last Call Trivia started locally in 2007. CEO and co-owner Adam Johnston started the business alongside creative director and co-owner Drew Turner.

The idea was sparked by happenstance. The duo knew they wanted to start a business together, but their sights were set on opening a bar. They were hanging out and playing trivia at a bar in Charleston, South Carolina, when the idea struck them.

“We just looked at each other and were like, we can do this. And we can do it better than what’s out there,” Johnston said.

Opening a bar was suddenly moved to the back seat, and a trivia-game business became the new plan.

Continues on page 3

Failing kidney can’t stop Ludlow student-athlete

By Nathan Granger

You wouldn’t know it when Ludlow High School sophomore Kaylee Partin steps up to home plate, but she’s been through a lot.

“My favorite thing to do is softball,” Kaylee told LINK nky.

Kaylee, who will turn 16 in two months, has end-stage renal failure arising from an overabundance of immunoglobulin A, or IgA, in her kidneys. IgA is a protein the body releases to fight disease, but too much of it can inflame the kidneys, making it harder for them to perform their job of filtering waste from the blood.

In May 2020, Kaylee got mononucleosis, strep and the flu, all in quick succession. Continues on page 5

Spenser Smith asks the crowd at Longnecks Sports Grill in Wilder a question. He’s been hosting trivia for three years. Photo by Killian Baarlaer | LINK nky contributor

Kaylee Partin steps up to the plate. Photo provided | Kelly Partin

PRESIDENT & CEO Lacy Starling

MANAGING EDITOR Meghan Goth

SPORTS EDITOR Evan Dennison

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

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

HAVE A TIP? News@LINKnky.com

WANT TO ADVERTISE? Marketing@LINKnky.com

WANT TO SUBSCRIBE?

Send a check for $31.80 ($30 non-auto-renewing rate plus 6% Kentucky sales tax) to LINK nky

31 Innovation Alley, Ground Floor Covington, KY 41011 or scan this QR code below

Love what we're doing? Want to support public-interest journalism in Northern Kentucky? Make a tax-deductible donation to support our work. Scan the QR code below, or mail a check payable to the Northern Kentucky Community Journalism Fund to 50 East Rivercenter Blvd. Suite 431, Covington, KY 41011.

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.

Continued from page 1

Brand built on curiosity

They began developing a business model and a game format. Not long after, they held a preview show in a bid to get clients. They found two clients at their first preview show, and shortly after, they inked a deal with an Applebee’s regional marketing manager, boosting their portfolio from zero to more than 10 locations.

At the start of the journey, Johnston was sweeping floors in a movie theater to make ends meet while the duo tried to make Last Call Trivia take off. Their strategy early on was to travel to metropolitan areas around the country to find interested venues and set them up with the hosts and trivia questions they needed to hold games. Johnston said this approach helped them form operating hubs, but juggling the taxing work of travel, sales, marketing and staffing as a two-man team proved difficult.

Those initial footprints still exist, said Johnston, but now the focus is on offering an optimal product that enhances revenue for businesses and keeps customers returning. They’re currently doing that with an online game interface that allows participating teams to read question on-screen and remotely submit their answers to the host. This concept was born out of the social-distancing requirements of the COVID pandemic.

The game itself is designed to be challenging, but not impossible, said Johnston. Questions from different categories and skill levels help equalize the playing field and encourage teams to work together to winnow their answer from a pool of collective knowledge.

“We purposely have fewer questions spread out over that two hours, so it gives people a chance to really talk and socialize,” said Brianna LeCompte, director of business development. “It’s kind of more focused on the actual conversations that the questions drive and encouraging people to kind of socialize and talk and get together rather than just a straight up quiz of, ‘How smart are you?’”

Trivia may seem, well, trivial, but Johnston

said the trivial part of the game is whether you answer questions right or wrong; the rest of the experience – a consistent reason to go out with friends, conversations sparked by scattershot questions and the impact on business – is not so trivial, he said.

“Our core belief is that curiosity not only connects us to the things that ignite our passions, but also the people that matter to us most in our lives,” he said. “So we’re building a brand on curiosity.”

A catalyst for business

“One of the things that we tell clients is that, give us one night of the week, right, and you’ll never have to worry about it again,” said Johnston.

Johnston explained that the company uses data-driven insights to communicate the value that hosting trivia nights can have for a business. When working with a prospective customer, Last Call Trivia assesses the profile of the venue so they can see how other businesses that have a similar location, crowd demographic or offerings have fared working with the company.

They also provide venue-specific game trends to clients so they can see how many people are playing weekly. This allows them to compare how the presence of trivia in the venue correlates with sales, said Johnston.

“We’re playing the long game together. Not chasing something, not chasing a trend, but slowly building a show and getting people who are invested in coming back every week,” said Johnston.

Samantha Matthews, general manager at Wooden Cask Brewing Co. in Newport, said the brewery has been hosting trivia at their taprooms with Last Call Trivia for about seven years. In that span, she says they’ve built a base of regulars that they can count on returning nearly every week.

Matthews, who doubles as the event coordinator, said the trivia games are not only good for bringing customers in, but keeping people there for longer periods, which she says other events they host don’t

match. “Once they’re in the door, it’s about the experience,” she said.

That experience, she said, is rounded out with quality beer, service and a friendly trivia host.

Side-hustling hosts

Adam Stone has been hosting games with Last Call Trivia for 10 years. He learned of the opportunity to host games from an online ad and took on the role to make some extra cash.

Stone is a gig worker who pulls from several baskets to make a living. He’s a musician, a freelance voice actor and, of course, a trivia host. He said his twice weekly shows are the closest thing to consistent structure that he has in his professional life.

As a musician, Stone had experience as an entertainer before ever hosting a game of trivia, which he thought would transfer well to game hosting. Last Call Trivia games are also designed to interweave songs between questions to allow people time to talk through an answer. Being a venue’s de facto DJ while hosting made him gravitate to the gig and is something he said he still cherishes about it.

Stone said hosting trivia has opened doors that he had never considered before. Early in his hosting days, he would often draw comments that he had a radio-ready voice. He realized after gaining several years of on-mic experience from hosting that he could monetize his voice in other ways. He’s done voiceover work for about five years now, he said, recording media like audio books and corporate training modules.

“After some years, I started thinking maybe I should look into that. I am also a musician. I work with live audio stuff all the time. I have my foot kind of in the door and some of that stuff already. So I kind of decided to give that a go,” Stone said about getting into voice over work.

Stone’s story bears similarities with Smith’s, the host from Longnecks. Smith works at Music Hall in Cincinnati full-time. Hosting trivia is what he calls his “fun gig.”

Adam Stone hosting trivia at Taft’s Brewpourium in Cincinnati. He’s hosted trivia with Last Call Trivia for a decade. Photo by Killian Baarlaer | LINK nky contributor

Continued from page 3

Smith said he earned a degree in acting from Northern Kentucky University. About three years ago, during the humdrum of COVID, he was looking for an outlet that would satisfy an urge to entertain, he said. He also found the opportunity to host Last Call Trivia through an online ad.

“I had not been on stage for two years at that point. I was just looking for something, anything, that would give me any kind of excitement,” said Smith.

He recently reached his third-year anniversary of hosting trivia. “It just filled that void for me of just having some kind of interaction with an audience,” said Smith. “Now, three years down the road, I would not want to stop doing this, because I love it a lot.”

A bond like no other

“The hosts connecting with the people at the venue is what brings them back. You kind of become another member of the family, another member of the friend group. You’re excited to see that person who’s going to be there hosting every Tuesday night,” said Johnston.

On that recent evening at Longnecks, the interpersonal connections formed between Smith and the audience were apparent. When asked how many of the teams present that night attend weekly, Smith responded eight.

Sitting in the room, it was clear that people felt comfortable with him and understood his humor. One team decided to prank Smith. Reading each team’s answer to a bonus question, Smith stopped and hesitated to read one team’s name. “Is this you? What’s your team name?” he asked while pointing his gaze at a team across the dining room.

“I don’t even know how to say this. Nope, I’m not saying it,” said Smith. The team in question laughed smugly. “They always love to either create the longest and/or worst name that I can’t pronounce, because they think it’s hilarious,” he said, as if justifying his refusal to read the team name.

Rituals popped up throughout the game like clockwork. When the question category was sports, everyone shouted “sports!”

When every team failed to get an answer right, the host proclaimed an “anti-social” that everyone cheered their drinks to. People cheered their drinks again when everyone got a question correct, which the host declared a “social.”

Building a microcommunity with the people who play trivia is what Stone and Smith said drives them to continue hosting. Simultaneously, forming those loyal communities is what Johnston touts as the value Last Call Trivia can offer.

The relationships built through trivia have even gone to some extremes. Stone said he’s officiated multiple weddings for trivia players whom he met while hosting.

“You build these relationships that I never could have foreseen. I’ve officiated more than one wedding from trivia players that were like, ‘Will you marry us?’ It’s gotten a little out of hand in some cases. A good out of hand,” Stone joked.

Smith and Stone mentioned the friendly flak they get from regulars when they miss their weekly games. Stone said he’s embraced the role as the face of the game for the people who attend every week. The face-to-face game delivery and the comfort of a familiar atmosphere is what he thinks keeps people coming.

“People come in because they want to hear a real person on the other side of the microphone and not just tap a button and look at a computer screen like you could do on your phone or your house on the couch,” said Stone.

The moratorium on face-to-face interactions caused by COVID took missing trivia games to a new level. Stone told a story about how customers at Northside Tavern in Cincinnati reached out to him when games were canceled to see if he could host games virtually. After getting permission from Last Call to use their questions, Stone started hosting games over Zoom.

“That kind of highlighted how important it is to people. Not just to go answer general knowledge trivia, right, that’s not really what it’s about. It’s about getting together with your people and having a good time and having laughs and getting through the week,” said Stone.

“Is it possible to make my knee feel be er without surgery?”

KY

-

“Of course. We’ll find the option that best fits your needs.”

Dr. Kevin Bonfield Sports Medicine

Jason, Ft. Thomas,

Last Call Trivia CEO Adam Johnston said the company works with businesses to advertise trivia nights with the goal of drawing a steady crowd every week. Photos by Killian Baarlaer | LINK nky contributor

Wooden Cask Brewery in Newport had hosted trivia with Last Call Trivia for about seven years.

Continued from page 1

Her immune system responded in kind, flooding her body with disease-killing proteins. It initially manifested as a nasty rash called Henoch-Schönlein purpura, or HSP, which causes the blood vessels to swell and sometimes bleed. In May 2023, almost exactly three years from when she first contracted the infections, the IgA surplus culminated in a diagnosis of Berger disease, or IgA nephropathy, which, in turn, led to the kidney failure she’s dealing with today.

She now undergoes dialysis three times a week.

“When she was not on dialysis, we didn’t realize how sick she was,” said Kaylee’s mother, Kelly Partin. “She slept a lot, even as she still played some softball. That’s like the only thing she did, but she would sleep a lot.”

Things got better almost immediately after starting dialysis.

“She was like a new person after like the second treatment,” Kelly Partin said.

“I am how I am now,” Kaylee adds, smiling.

Although the dialysis keeps her going, a more long-term solution would be a kidney transplant.

Like most everyone in need of a transplant, she’ll have to get one either from a deceased donor or a compatible living volunteer. About 90,000 people in the United States are on the waiting list to receive a kidney from a deceased donor, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, the organization responsible for maintaining the list.

Kelly Partin said that kidneys from living donors tend to last longer. Moreover, someone who connects with a willing living donor often doesn’t need to wait as long for a kidney as someone waiting for a deceased donor. To that end, her mom added Kaylee’s name to the National Kidney Reg-

istry, which helps patients get connected with living donors.

There were 207 kidney transplants in Kentucky in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

None of this, however, has kept Kaylee from showing up to practice. “She participates just like any other player on the team,” said Ludlow softball coach Meredith Hartfiel.

Hartfiel and Kaylee’s teammates were positive about her performance and attitude on the field.

“She goes to treatments and will come to practice right after and some of the games,” Hartfiel said. “So, she’s pretty positive.”

Kaylee’s also a member of Mount St. Joseph University’s Team Impact program with the university’s women’s basketball team. Team Impact is a national program that connects high school students that have disabilities or other challenges with college

athletic teams across the country for mentoring opportunities.

There are two things she’s looking forward to when she gets a new kidney: Dr. Pepper and taking a shower, both of which she can’t have due to the nature of the dialysis treatment. Longer-term, she’d like to study nursing and eventually work in the transplantation department at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

On top of all that, Kaylee said, she’ll be playing soccer this summer.

Kaylee “hype[s] our whole team up with [her] positive attitude and glowing energy,” said teammate Miley Lay.

Kaylee will be a junior at Ludlow next year. Learn more about her story as well as information on how you or someone you know could become a living donor for her at her National Kidney Registry page, at nkr.org/GXU286.

Kelly and Kaylee Partin (pictured center at the table) with the Mount St. Joseph’s University women’s basketball team.

Kaylee Partin in Ludlow Panthers softball gear. Photos provided | Kelly Partin

By Nathan Granger

CCovington Police pitch strategic plan, possibility of police social worker

ovington Police Chief Brian Valenti discussed the department’s strategic plan for the next four years with city commissioners at their May 28 meeting. Among the possibilities was adding a social worker to the force.

Police strategic plans are adopted every four to five years, Valenti said. They are not official legislation or city action, but rather coincide with the department’s accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, an independent credentialing authority founded in the 1970s. The last Covington strategic plan was adopted in 2017.

Covington’s Police Department is staffed with 111 officers out of 114 positions, in addition to 26 civilian support staff positions. Although the force holds jurisdiction over all of Kenton County and Newport, the latter enabled through an interlocal agreement, most of its time naturally is spent in Covington.

The strategic plan lays out several key goals for the department. Those are to:

• Separate and expand the Community Liaison Unit, which is currently administered through the department’s patrol unit. Community liaisons are officers whose job is to interact with the community in public settings.

• Create a community liaison sergeant position

• Add more license plate-reading camera systems to key access points to the city.

• Train all investigators in sexual assault investigations by 2028.

• Re-establish a street corner unit, an undercover unit that will likely be spun out from police assigned to the Housing Authority of Covington.

• Improve recruiting efforts to overcome staffing struggles the region’s police forces have faced.

• Add lateral, moving target equipment to the department’s firing range.

• Repair or replace aging equipment, including to:

Replace the firing range’s climate control system, which is so old that replacement parts are unavailable.

Resurface the employee parking lot.

Repair damaged fencing around

the employee parking lot.

Replace the faulty gate to the employee parking lot, which currently leaves cars parked there unsecured.

Resurface the evidence parking lot.

Repair the gate to the evidence parking lot.

Although violence does occur, the threat of out-of-control criminal violence is not something that has characterized police work in Covington. Violent crime has been trending down in Covington since 2019, according to FBI crime statistics.

Covington Police Capt. Joshua Bornhorn commented on this at a community forum in Latonia in February.

“It’s not like in the movies where people drive around, and they just like start shooting the place up,” Bornhorn said in February. “There’s not bands of criminals running around looking to murder people.”

Overall, the text of the strategic plan as well as Valenti’s statements indicated the department “aspires to be a model community-oriented police agency.” The police hope

to forge relationships with both residents and other institutions in Covington. In his presentation to commissioners, Valenti emphasized what he referred to as intelligence-based policing, which entailed using both technology and information volunteered from residents in the community. “So what we’re trying to do is when we look at different points of data, try to put our manpower in places that [gives] us the biggest bang for our buck, per se,” Valenti said.

As an illustration, he pointed to the city’s crime mapping technology, which shows where reported crime has occurred in the city.

Discussion between Valenti and commissioners after his presentation focused on the possibility of hiring a police social worker. Valenti said it would aid in helping people who have repeatedly been in contact with the police get help at other institutions and agencies in the region, whether for mental health, addiction or other services not readily available with the police. The social worker would not accompany officers on calls but would, instead, follow up after the fact.

Police departments in Erlanger, Alexandria and Fort Thomas already have dedicated police social workers.

Mayor Joe Meyer had questions about how much these proposals could cost, especially as it related to the possibility of more technology purchases.

The police department draws its operating budget from the tax-funded city general fund, which is still in the throes of a deficit despite recent improvements in the city’s overall financial position. The department represents the second largest part of city expenses, behind the fire department. Its budget was about $18.4 million in the last complete fiscal year, 2023, which ended June 30. Its budget is about $20 million this fiscal year.

Commissioners must approve the city’s new budget before July 1.

Fostering family engagement key to student success

By Rebecca Hanchett

School districts in the river cities –and most everywhere else – frequently talk about something called family engagement.

It’s more than running for school board or attending school-based decision making-council meetings and sporting events. The Kentucky Department of Education calls it “families and school staff work[ing] together to support and improve the learning development and health of students.”

That could be parents showing up for parent-teacher conferences, talking or texting with a teacher to ensure a child is making progress, or parents and schools working together to ensure a student has the resources – such as books, computers or games – they need to learn.

At its best, family engagement helps students perform better – i.e., earn better grades – and increases graduation rates, based on national data. It also saves taxpayer money.

“Schools would need to increase spending by more than $1,000 per student to gain the same results as effective family engagement,” according to a policy brief from the National Parent–Teacher Association.

However, being involved in a child’s education can be challenging – particularly in school districts like those in the river cities that face measurable socioeconomic barriers to parental engagement. Those include homelessness and a lack of affordable housing, according to data from education group EducateNKY.

Without reliable housing, families often have to move, and children must frequently change schools. That moving around, called transience, can have an impact on family engagement and student performance, according to the data.

Family engagement “is a proven vehicle to transform the educational experience and academic outcomes, especially in communities with larger proportions of students with economically disadvantaged backgrounds,” according to EducateNKY’s website.

The group is looking at how family engagement – one of five priority areas eyed by the

organization to improve NKY education outcomes – can be developed as part of the group’s strategic plan, set to be released later this year. The organization’s consultant, Cheye Calvo of C Squared Strategies in California, is helping to develop the plan.

Calvo spoke to LINK nky last week about strengths and challenges the river cities face with family engagement.

“All the schools in the river cities care about family engagement and want to see greater family participation,” Calvo said. “They all have approaches they are working to improve on to get [families] more involved. I think the challenge is, it’s one more thing loaded on to teachers to do. So they’re trying to build up their capacity to do it better.”

Struggling most with homelessness and transience in the river cities, according to the most recent data, are Covington, Dayton, Newport and Southgate independent school districts. Those districts had student transient rates of at least 12% and homelessness rates of at least 10% for the 2022-23 school year, per EducateNKY data. Districts with the highest rates were Covington, Newport and Southgate.

Of those three, Covington and Newport had at least one school with an overall “lowest performance” rating (including issues with student academic performance) that year on the Kentucky School Report Card, a state accountability measure.

Dayton did better with overall student performance that school year according to its report card. While it’s difficult to identify

exactly why, district changes to family engagement in Dayton that year are notable.

In early 2022, Dayton schools superintendent Jay Brewer announced his district would step up family engagement for the coming school year. Changes included shifting three instructional days to “positive parenting partnership days,” during which staff met with parents and families three times a year to reflect on how the year went.

The goal: “Improve communication and trust through conversations and listening,” Brewer told state officials and school leaders in a Kentucky Department of Education “EdCamp” session on family engagement in 2022.

Brewer, a member of EducateNKY’s advisory council along with other river cities district superintendents, said engaging parents in those conversations is the school’s responsibility.

“We often see that schools have this factory model,” Brewer said. “Kids come in, kids go out – there’s not this whole partnership wrapped around the child. That’s what we’re after. At Dayton Independent, we are making the building of parent partnerships a top priority.”

So how do districts like these get parents more engaged in their child’s education to improve student outcomes? Addressing housing instability is one way, Brewer told LINK. “An area of focus is to support students and families that lack the stability and means to remain in one home, one

community and one school.”

The district engages parents through home visits and school meetings to learn about students’ strengths and needs. Additionally, Brewer said the district coordinates assistance, guidance and support for students and families who are homeless, living in a multifamily household or in a shelter.

“At the core of our efforts to partner with families is building trust,” Brewer told LINK. “Successful partnerships with families present themselves as improved student attendance and academic performance.”

Not all barriers to family engagement in school are as critical as housing instability. Across the board statewide, including in NKY, the top obstacle is a busy family schedule. The Prichard Committee, a Kentucky education advocacy organization, says a majority – 72% – of Kentucky families polled on overall family engagement in a recent study identified a busy schedule as more of a challenge than any other issue.

Only some of that busyness is work-related.

“Some attribute it to athletics, extracurricular activities their kids are involved in,” Laura Beard told state officials during a state-led session this year. She’s director of the Prichard Committee Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership. “If it’s a two-parent household, both parents (may) work, so any time after work is considered valuable time and people are collectively needing to do less.

“Everyone feels a little taxed right now. I don’t know where to attribute all that to, but we know families have overloaded schedules,” Beard concluded.

Whatever the obstacles, Calvo said the data shows that, the earlier parents get involved in their child’s education, the more potential there is for success. So engagement is key. Getting that engagement is the challenge.

“It’s how do we build that muscle?” Calvo said.

Students in a classroom. Photo provided | CDC via Unsplash

kenton county briefs

Heritage trades academy in Covington earns 2nd honor in 2 weeks

12 lb. crates of Kroger sweet Georgia peaches for $19.99.

Kroger’s peach trucks will be stationed at six different Northern Kentucky locations through June, July and August. They are:

Boone County

• Florence (7685 Mall Road): June 23, 3-7 p.m.; Aug. 15, noon-6 p.m.

• Hebron (3105 North Bend Road): July 1, 2-6 p.m.; July 18, noon-6 p.m.

• Union (9001 U.S. 42): June 16, 3-7 p.m.; July 11, noon-6 p.m.

• Walton (635 Chestnut Drive): July 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; July 25, noon-6 p.m.

Campbell County

• Newport (130 Pavilion Parkway): June 1, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Aug. 8, noon-6 p.m.

Kenton County

• Independence (1700 Declaration Drive): July 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The courthouse suffered structural damage from water. That damage was addressed during the project’s first phase in 2018. More recently, the building’s parking lot and sidewalks were redesigned to provide easier access and improved safety for residents.

Due to construction, the front entrance to the historic courthouse will be temporarily closed. However, residents still have access to offices in the building through the back entrance.

The improvements are expected to wrap up in October. The work is being completed by Schrudde and Zimmerman and is projected to cost $642,000.

With the ongoing renovations, the fiscal court will move its monthly meetings scheduled for Independence to the Kenton County Government Center, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington.

Yocum graduated from Kenton County Success Academy in 2011. He has one child and has lived in the Northern Kentucky area all his life.

Covington’s Flying Axes to shut down after six years in business

The Covington Academy of Heritage Trades was honored for contributing to historic trades craft for the second time in two weeks, this time by the Kentucky Heritage Council. This follows a similar honor issued by the Cincinnati Preservation Association on May 22.

“We are so honored to see this program flourish and receive recognition locally and at the state level,” said Kaitlin Bryan, Covington’s regulatory services manager and historic preservation specialist. “It’s giving us the validation that we are on the right track toward building a sustainable program.”

The Covington Academy of Heritage Trades teaches tradespeople how to work on historic buildings, which often require specialized knowledge of historical building techniques and systems often not readily available with conventional trades education.

Sweet Georgia peaches

hitting Northern Kentucky Kroger stores this summer

Fresh-off-the-truck handpicked peaches are returning to Northern Kentucky this summer. Customers can pick up their own

Final round of upgrades to

wrap up in

October on Kenton County Courthouse

Construction crews have kicked off work on the final phase of improvements to the Historic Kenton County Courthouse, 5272 Madison Pike in Independence.

This phase, the fourth, is centered on modernizing the structure’s entrance, including adding a women’s restroom, rebuilding the men’s restroom, updating the lobby and replacing aged windows. Additionally, improvements will also be made to the offices of both the Kenton County sheriff and property valuation administrator.

Northern Kentucky marine veteran critically injured in plane crash

A local marine veteran from Northern Kentucky has been hospitalized after a plane crash May 28 in North Carolina, according to a release from a family representative.

The representative said Sean Yocum was “critically injured” in the crash, including sustaining a broken back, facial fractures and other internal injuries. Yocum will have to have multiple surgeries and possibly months of rehabilitation, the release said.

The crash happened shortly after takeoff in Cumberland County near Gray’s Creek Airport, the representative said.

The ax-throwing bar, located at 110 W. Sixth St. below Second Story, announced its closure after six years in business on its Instagram page.

“Sometimes the bullseye just doesn’t stick,” read the post. “Thanks for all the great throws and unforgettable memories over the last 6 years!”

The bar opened in 2018 on the ground level of the historic Covington firehouse building, which was constructed in the 1890s. It’s owned by Dave Durand, co-owner of Second Story.

NKY Trail Fund launched to connect trails across region

Multiple nonprofits in the Tri-State have launched a new donation fund to help bring more trails to Northern Kentucky.

The NKY Trail Fund was established with Horizon Community Funds in partnership with the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance and Tri-State Trails.

“A lot of people want to see these trails, but it’s just getting the plans together,” said

Flying Axes in Covington closed June 3.

Historic Kenton County Courthouse in Independence is nearing the final phase of renovations. Photo provided | Kenton County

Posing with the Kentucky Heritage Council’s award in Frankfort, from left, are Brian Miller, president of the Covington Academy of Heritage Trades and executive vice president of the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky; Diane McConnell, director of workforce development with the Enzweiler Building Institute; Kaitlin Bryan, Covington’s regulatory services manager and historic preservation specialist; Covington Mayor Joe Meyer, and Covington City Commissioner Steve Hayden. Photo provided | City of Covington

Sean Yocum, the local marine veteran injured in the plane crash. Photo provided | Jacob Swartz for WCPO

Flying Axes. Photo by Kenton Hornbeck | LINK nky

Jason Reser, trail development director of the off-road alliance. Reser said Northern Kentucky’s trail network has been growing, but many trails remain insular. The funds could help connect them better.

“One of the best things for me is to be able to ride out of my garage on my bike and ride over and hit the trail,” he said. “It’s not possible for everyone.”

Similar projects have used similar strategies. Donors have helped support The Crown project in Cincinnati, a 34-mile multiuse trail that aims to connect Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods.

“Oftentimes, one of the most challenging aspects of building trails is raising the required local match funds needed to access federal and state grants for construction,” said Wade Johnston, executive director of Tri-State Trails, in an announcement about the fund. “Establishing the Trail Fund at Horizon Community Funds will create a new tool in the toolbox for local governments to leverage the generosity of donors in Northern Kentucky to overcome that barrier and build more trails.”

Nancy Grayson, president and CEO of Horizon Community Funds, said the fund amplifies the giving. “It allows donors individually to feel like they’re part of something bigger than just what’s happening in their own backyards.”

Main Street Ventures announces funding

to three NKY startups

Three Northern Kentucky startups have been awarded equity-free funding from Main Street Ventures to expand their businesses.

Main Street Ventures is an entrepreneurial support nonprofit that provides capital and coaching to Greater Cincinnati entrepreneurs. The organization provides two types of grants: Launch funding and Leap funding – each designed for businesses in different developmental stages.

The three companies selected for funding all received Leap funding. The three are:

• Inflow, an AI-powered design platform that streamlines the design process for fast-moving businesses.

• Mimi’s Macros, a Union-based healthy meal prep company.

• Taste on Elm, a Ludlow-based cafe, wine shop and specialty food market.

Launch funding provides businesses not yet generating revenue with $5,000 to $10,000 of equity-free funding at the prototype or product stage. This funding is intended to increase a company’s odds of reaching the market-entry stage and beyond.

Leap funding provides revenue-generating businesses with $10,000 to $30,000 of equity-free funding to expand and increase their overall sustainability.

Half the funding comes from the Northern Kentucky Entrepreneurship Fund, a financial vehicle launched by Blue North,

the region’s primary entrepreneurial advocacy and resource nonprofit, to increase funding opportunities and visibility for startups and small businesses in Northern Kentucky.

“Last year we invested more than $1 million in funding to support more than 60 entrepreneurs,” said Sean Parker, Main Street Ventures executive director, in a news release. “We are excited to announce the first round of grant recipients in our 25th anniversary year of supporting local entrepreneurs and startups.”

Summer reading can earn prizes from Kenton library

The Kenton County Public Library is gearing up for its summer reading programs, which aim to help local students maintain their reading skills. This year’s theme is Adventure Begins, and each branch hosted kick-off events last week.

“The Summer Reading program is our largest annual reading initiative,” said Dave Schroeder, the Kenton County Public Library executive director, in a release. “It isn’t just for kids. Reading for pleasure increases your vocabulary, improves focus and provides mental stimulation. It can

also take you on an adventure!”

Participants of all ages can track their progress using a paper log or the library’s app, making them eligible for prizes.

Information on each branch’s event is below. You can also learn more about the program at kentonlibrary.org/src.

New location lets Fort Wright run on Dunkin

The Fort Wright Dunkin’ at 1826 Dixie Highway held its grand opening May 28.

The building formerly housed SubStation II, which closed in April 2023. SubStation II’s owners couldn’t find a new location after the their building was sold to OneHolland Group.

The location is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Fort Wright Dunkin. Photo provided | One Holland

Flyer provided | Kenton County Public Library

Main Street Ventures. Photo provided | Main Street Ventures Facebook page

For this week’s summer photo gallery, multimedia intern Hailey Roden went to some of the area’s most well-known parks.

A duck and her ducklings go for a swim at Alexandria Community Park. Photos by Hailey Roden | LINK nky

Considered a hidden gem, nestled behind Campbell County sits Newport Dog Park.

Views of the pavilion and back area of the Devou Event Center are spectacular.

Rows and rows of colorful kayaks line the dock at A.J. Jolly Park.

A walk along the riverfront will provide beautiful views.

With several shelters, courts, playgrounds and even an event center, visitors will never be bored at President’s Park in Edgewood.

Found on Riverboat Row in Newport, General James Taylor Park showcases views of the Ohio River and Cincinnati skyline.

Although it is currently under construction, Devou Park has one of the best views of Cincinnati NKY has to offer.

A.J. Jolly Park has over 1,000 acres of land and recreation to explore in the heart of Alexandria.

Alexandria Community Park is part of the Fishing in the Neighborhoods program, or FINS. The park’s lake is stocked with catchable-size catfish up to four times a year.

PUBLIC NOTICE

A public hearing will be held by the Elsmere City Council on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at 6:30 PM for the purpose of obtaining written or oral comments from residents regarding the use of the 2024-2025 Kentucky Municipal Road Aid funds applicable to Elsmere. The hearing will take place at 3921 Dixie Highway, Elsmere, KY 41018. All interested persons are urged to attend the public hearing and/or submit written comments on the use of Municipal Road Aid Funds. Any person (especially senior citizens and handicapped persons) who cannot submit written comments or attend the public meeting, but wishes to submit comments, should contact the Elsmere City Building at (859) 342-7911 so that the arrangements can be made.

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

Kentucky now allows for Public Notices to be published digitally on LINK nky’s website. You can find public notices for the following organizations on our site at https://linkreader.column.us/search

• AJ’s Towing & Recovery

• Boone County Clerk

• Campbell County Clerk’s Office

• Campbell County Fire District #1

• Campbell County Fiscal Court

• Campbell County Planning & Zoning

• Campbell County Public Library

• City of Alexandria

• City of Bellevue

• City of Cold Spring

• City of Covington

• City of Cresent Springs

• City of Crestview Hills

• City of Dayton

• City of Edgewood

• City of Elsmere

• City of Erlanger

• City of Florence

• City of Fort Thomas

• City of Fort Wright

• City of Independence

• City of Lakeside Park

• City of Ludlow

• City of Newport

• City of Silver Grove

• City of Southgate

• City of Union

• City of Villa Hills

• City Of Walton

• City of Wilder

• City of Woodlawn

• Covington Public Independent Schools

• Cresent Springs Board of Adjustment

• Family Dollar Store

• Fort Mitchell Board of Adjustment

• Fort Thomas Independent Schools

• Highland Heights Planning & Zoning

• Keating, Muething & Klekamp PLL

• Kenton County Fiscal Court

• Kenton County Joint Board of Adjustment

• Larry Dillon Boone County Master Commissioner

• Northern Kentucky Port Authority

• Northern Kentucky Water District

• Planning & Development Services of Kenton County

• The Baker Firm PLLC

• The Hidden Chapter Bookstore LLC

ADDRESS: 4719 SETTERS ROAD UNION, KY 41091 PVA PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 030.00-00-018.01 AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT: $171,663.32 GROUP NO.: 2061

NKY Chapter, Kentucky Public Retirees meeting, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Golden Corral, 4770 Houston Road, Florence. Group meets second Monday of month. Government retirees who receive a pension from KES or CERS, and retired support staff from state universities, support staff from independent school systems and state police are eligible to join and attend meetings. Help secure retirement benefits, learn about issues that affect your retirement, show support for public retirees across the state and participate in group activities and events.

Second Saturday Concert & Rockin’ on the River Market, 5-10 p.m., Bellevue Beach Park, 643-665 Frank Benke Way, Bellevue. The Polka Warriors perform, and vendors will line the sidewalk. Free. Enjoy free grilled food from Duke Energy; drinks and treats from West Sixth Brewing, Pretzel Place and Cookiefection avail able to purchase. Infor mation: 859-431-8888 or melissa.morandi@ bellevueky.org.

Made It Series, 8:30-10 a.m., DBL Law, 109 E. Fourth St., Covington. Free networking event is partnership of DBL, Covington Business Council and Blue North. Vera Hall, St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s chief operating officer, and Dr. Michael Gieske, director of lung cancer screening at St. Elizabeth, will speak. Information and registration: dbllaw. com/made-it-seriesjune-13-2024.

Northern Kentucky Music Legends, 6-10 p.m., Tower Park, 900 S. Fort Thomas Ave. Fort Thomas. Features 2024 Northern Kentucky Music Legends Hall of Fame inductees. Information: facebook.com/ events/225680269119 2106 or 859-781-1700.

Boone County Board of Education meeting, 7-8 p.m., Ralph Rush Professional Development

Custom-built home in Crescent Springs

Address: 810 Pointe Drive, Crescent Springs

Price: $1,200,000

Bedrooms: Four

Bathrooms: Four (plus one half-bath)

Square footage: 4,550

School district: Kenton County

County: Kenton

Special features: This custom-built four-bedroom home features a heated inground pool, a covered patio and a built-in fire pit. The great room has high ceilings with beams, and there’s an open kitchen and first-floor owner’s suite. The home also includes a first-floor laundry, a threecar garage, and a lower level featuring a bedroom, a full bath, a theater room and a walkout to the lower-level patio.

An exterior view of this Crescent Springs home. Photos provided | Susan Huff with Huff Realty

By Maria Hehman

Summer days are always better with a refreshing drink in hand. This week, we visit some spots along Burlington Pike that offer the perfect midday pick-me-up for all ages. Whether you’re headed to the pool, picking up kids or need a few hours in the AC to relax, these businesses cover all your drink needs. Coffee, soda, shakes and more await on this Streetscapes.

Healthy Hangout

Healthy Hangout is part of the blossoming trend of businesses that specialize in meal replacement protein shakes and energy teas. Its ambiance is similar to a coffee shop, with aesthetic decor and cozy seating, but its selection of products couldn’t be more different.

Healthy Hangout’s energy teas are all fruity and much stronger in flavor than most traditional teas. They still have caffeine for a little perk without compromising on flavor. The meal replacement shakes feature flavors from your favorite sweet treats: smores, birthday cake, strawberry cheesecake, to name a few. They taste as good as a milkshake, but they’re packed with protein. Boba tea was recently added to its menu for even more refreshing options.

Drinks for days on Burlington Pike

Besides drinks Healthy Hangout also has a small menu of acai bowls, protein waffles, pancakes and crepes. It’s a great spot for post-workout fuel.

Velocity Bike and Bean

My personal favorite summer beverage is iced coffee. I will drink iced coffee in any weather, on any day at any time, but it seems best on a hot summer afternoon. Velocity Bike and Bean, a hybrid coffee shop and bike shop is an escape oasis. Velocity recently announced an expansion, with its primary focus on the coffee side of the business.

Velocity covers the gamut of coffees, espresso and drip options. First-timers should opt for the Honey Bee, Velocity’s signature drink. It’s a latte with honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Seasonal drinks, fun in both flavor and name, rotate each month. May’s theme featured drinks inspired by the Kentucky Derby, including a Midnight Bourbon latte featuring a house-made chocolate bourbon sauce.

There’s also a mouthwatering selection of baked goods to pair with the delicious coffee. It’s a great place to retreat from the sun for a few hours or grab before a road trip.

Drinkology NKY

The newest addition to Burlington, Drinkology NKY was inspired by soda shops in Utah that have taken social media by storm. Drinkology features “dirty soda” – soft drinks blended with syrups and even with coffee creamer. These are a “don’t knock it till you try it” kind of beverage.

Drinkology has created speciality drinks, making it easy for customers to order tried-and-true flavors. The Shirley Temple is a classic Sprite with grenadine and maraschino cherries, bound to please all palates. Those wanting to venture into the soda and coffee creamer trend have plenty of choice, too. Lime in the Coconut – Coke, coconut cream and fresh lime – or strawberries and cream featuring Dr Pepper, strawberry syrup and vanilla cream are perfect summer beverages.

Guests also can customize their creations. Drinkology has both Pepsi and Coke products (no battle of the sodas here), tea and lemonade, and more than a dozen flavored syrup options. Those include sugar free choices, purees, fresh fruit and creams to customize drinks to one’s own liking.

In addition to its drinks, Drinkology has a small selection of snacks and sweets. Stop by and relax or grab a drink on the go through their drive-through.

What to Know If You Go

Healthy Hangout

Location: 7220 Burlington PIke, Suite F1, Florence

Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Phone: 859-817-0144

Velocity Bike and Bean

Location: 7560 Burlington Pike, Florence Hours: Sunday-Monday, closed; Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Phone: 859-371-8356

Drinkology NKY

Location: 7220 Burlington Pike, Suite A, Florence

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Website: drinkologydrinks.com/order Phone: 859-282-0258

A selection of Healthy Hangout's energizing teas. Photo provided | Healthy Hangout Instagram

Velocity Bike and Bean's Mark Ball makes a coffee drink. Photo provided | Velocity Bike and Bean Instagram

WIth drinks offered in many sizes, guests at Drinkology can decide how big their craving is.

Photo by Hailey Roden | LINK nky

The exterior of Drinkology. Photo by Hailey Roden | LINK nky

2nd-generation Stowers a nice fit for NKU women’s basketball

By Marc Hardin

Brenden Stowers’ listed height is 6-feet-2. That’s why he was a guard on the Simon Kenton High School basketball team and later at Northern Kentucky University. The former Pioneers girls basketball coach is figuratively taller than that, says his father, a legendary Norse basketball player.

“He stands the test of time,” said Jeff Stowers, also a coach at Simon Kenton. “Everybody’s always liked him. He’s a very good people person. He’s not hard. Everybody’s at ease around him. He’s a kid at heart who acts like an adult. He can relate to grownups and little kids and everybody in between.”

When a father is an iconic figure with basketball-playing sons, scrutiny becomes a part of life for the sons.

Is Brenden going to be as good as his father? Teammates, coaches and fans wanted to know. Jeff Stowers was a smart and physical player with a flair for the dramatic during NKU’s infancy. He was the Norse’s second great player following Richard Derkson and is among NKU’s all-time leading scorers. Jeff Stowers is 6-foot-3. It’s a lot to live up to.

Is Brenden going to be able to coach as well as his father? Athletic directors and coaches wanted to know. Jeff Stowers won more than 400 basketball games at Simon Kenton, 527 overall, and plenty of championship hardware.

Is Brenden good enough to play in the pros? Coaches wanted to know. Jeff Stowers didn’t go pro. Brenden, a Division II all-American at NKU and a Great Lakes Valley Conference co-player of the year, made the attempt. He played for a short while then took the coaching path.

Is Brenden going to make it back to the NCAA Division I level as coach? He had a brief stint at Xavier University, where he was video coordinator for two years. Local scrutinizers wanted to know.

Now they know. Brenden Stowers is back at NKU as a women’s assistant coach. He was previously a men’s assistant when NKU was still in Division II.

It’s not easy being a lifelong subject of scrutiny. Even so, Brenden Stowers never saw it as a rude guest. He welcomes it like he welcomes people in his life. Besides, dealing with scrutiny isn’t so difficult when you’ve already passed muster with your demanding parents.

Is Brenden going to have good manners, treat people with respect and be nice? That’s all his mom wants to know. Eventually, there was no question. Mary made sure he acted with dignity. She is an expert on how to keep the Stowers kids in line while having a big heart. Her goal is having loving, caring, highly self-actualized children.

Mission accomplished.

“All of us kids are a coach and help other kids,” said Brenden, who taught special education at Simon Kenton. “This is something I learned from my parents. Everybody thinks everybody is a good person in their circle. But you should be a good person to everybody in your circle and outside your circle. It’s not that hard. It should come naturally.”

Authenticity means a lot to Brenden Stowers, who’ll turn 44 during the basketball season. He likes to keep it real while treating others really well. It’s something people have picked up on, even new NKU women’s basketball coach Jeff Hans. He knows the Stowers. Jeff Stowers sent nine Simon Kenton basketball players to Hans when Hans coached at Thomas More University.

Hans’ chore at NKU is taking women’s basketball to a new level and also changing the culture. NKU players need to feel comfortable so the program can grow with its players, Hans said.

“We look forward to creating a positive culture through integrity, trust and gratitude that will lead to success,” said Hans. “Brenden will be instrumental in our player development.”

At Thomas More, Hans put together a winning percentage of .889. He was unbeaten when it came to being professional. By every measure, Hans is a gentleman coach. He thrives with similarly comported people, and he wins over others by sheer force of personality.

Like Hans, his first three hires, Stowers, Gabby Johnson and Molly Bateman, have sterling reputations as coaches and people.

“Everybody knows Gabby’s great. Molly is really sweet. And they can coach,” Brenden Stowers said. “Everybody’s on the same page. We want to get it right.”

If right makes might, NKU may have something on its hands with Hans and company. It could be a championship women’s squad in the future with the right group of talented players.

“That’s the goal, win the Horizon League and go to the national tournament,” Brenden Stowers said. “Right now, we’re off to a good start. In our coaches meetings, it’s been like we’ve known each other for years. It just feels natural as we discuss things. We all want the best for the girls.”

Jeff Stowers, left, and Brenden Stowers have been region-winning Simon Kenton girls basketball coaches. Brenden is doing something his father never did. He’s coaching Division I basketball at NKU. Photo provided | NKU athletics

New NKU women’s basketball coach Jeff Hans made three nice hires to his staff, all with solid coaching credentials. From left, Molly Bateman, Gabby Johnson and Jeff Stowers.

Jeff Stowers, front, and Brenden Stowers were Simon Kenton basketball coaches after becoming the only NKU men’s basketball father-son duo in the Norse 1,000-point club. Photo provided | Marc Figgins

Ruthsatz resigns posts at Covington Catholic, to focus on business

Scott Ruthsatz has spent the past 13 seasons not only coaching three of his kids, but trying to raise a family of nine in the process.

On May 28, Ruthsatz decided it’s time to focus on his own. He resigned as Covington Catholic’s head basketball coach.

What many didn’t know outside of his circle was that he’s also running two successful businesses, one he bought from his father in 2002, Polar Pure, and a commercial real estate business in Northern Kentucky.

Ruthsatz also taught economics at the high

school, something he also will no longer be doing.

The school released a statement May 28 announcing that Ruthsatz is leaving coaching and teaching to concentrate on the family business.

Ruthsatz has been at post in Park Hills the past 13 seasons, accumulating a 363-79 record (82%), winning two state titles, making it to four Final Fours, winning six region titles and 10 district titles. The state titles came in 2014 and 2018. His son Aiden was on the ’14 state title team, and son Nick was on the ’18 team.

He departs as the all-time wins leader of the program.

Another son, Nolan, is a rising senior. The Colonels went 26-6 last season, winning the 35th District before losing to Cooper in the 9th Region semifinals. They graduate four seniors, two of them starters in Caden Miller and Brady Hussey along with key reserve Noah Johnson. They boast a talented sophomore crop with a trio of Cash Harney, Athens McGillis and Donovan Bradshaw that played significant minutes last season.

Prior to Ruthsatz’s arrival at CovCath, his

NOTICE OF PROPOSED ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINE CONSTRUSTION PROJECT

Duke Energy Kentucky, Inc. (Duke Energy Kentucky or Company) proposes to construct a new 138kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Boone County, Kentucky (Hebron to Oakbrook Transmission Line Project). The Hebron to Oakbrook Transmission Line Project involves an approximate two-mile construction of a new 138-kV transmission line and rebuild of a 1.5-mile portion of an existing 69 kV transmission line to 138-kV capacity. The proposed 138-kV transmission line runs east-southeast from the Hebron substation through an industrial complex crossing Interstate 275 to the west of Route 237. After crossing I-275 it runs east to connect to the existing transmission line along Route 237 across the street from the Burger King and Domino’s Pizza. The rebuild portion of the transmission line runs south from Limaburg Substation along Limaburg Road in Hebron, Kentucky, to Burlington Pike in Burlington, Kentucky.

The proposed transmission line generally will require a 100-foot-wide right-of-way. Duke Energy Kentucky may also be required to alter the proposed centerline of the Hebron to Oakbrook Transmission Line Project and adjacent rights-of-way to address landowner preference or conditions discovered during survey and construction that affect constructability and access.

Duke Energy Kentucky plans to file an application with the Public Service Commission of Kentucky on or before July 19, 2024 seeking a certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing the Hebron to Oakbrook Transmission Line Project. The application and the Commission proceeding have been assigned Case No. 202400158.

Any interested person, including any person over whose property the proposed transmission line will cross, may request a local public hearing in the county in which the transmission line is proposed to be constructed. The request must be in writing and should be delivered to the Executive Director, Public Service Commission, 211 Sower Boulevard, P.O. Box 615, Frankfort, Kentucky 40602. The request for local public hearing must be delivered to the Executive Director no later than thirty days after the date the application is filed. The request for local public hearing must comply with the requirements of 807 KAR 5:120, Section 3.

A person may seek to intervene as a party in the Commission proceeding to review Duke Energy Kentucky’s application by filing a timely written request for intervention in accordance with the requirements of 807 KAR 5:001, Section 4(11) and 807 KAR 5:120, Section 3(3).

The application and other filings in connection with Duke Energy Kentucky’s application may be accessed at http://psc.ky.gov under Case No. 2024-00158 once filed. Project updates and further information may also be found on the Company’s website: www.duke-energy.com/Hebron

A map of the proposed route for the electrical transmission line is shown below.

family lived in Sandusky, Ohio, and then headed to St. Anthony’s in New Jersey, with Ruthsatz joining the staff of legendary coach Bob Hurley. Ruthsatz stated they’ll remain in the area and have no interest in leaving. He said he has no interest in getting back into coaching anytime soon and is at peace with his decision.

Current varsity assistant coach Matt Stevens will serve as the interim head coach and will continue to manage basketball operations.

Newport taps veteran from Brossart as new football head coach

Paul Wiggins is the new head football coach at Newport, replacing Ryan Hahn, who resigned after two seasons. Wiggins is also an eight-year teacher at Newport.

It’s Wiggins’ second stint as a head coach. He put together a 67-43 record and enjoyed seven winning seasons in 10 years at Bishop Brossart. He and the school parted ways in January after a 5-6 Mustangs finish. Wiggins’ previous Brossart teams finished 9-3 in 2022 and 12-1 in 2021. Wiggins guided the Mustangs to a perfect 10-0 regular season in 2021 and led them to the regional final.

The former Class A District 5 coach of the year orchestrated one of the greatest local turnarounds for Brossart. The Mustangs finished 9-2 one season after going 1-8 in 2014. He left the Mustangs after winning three district championships including their first in 2016.

Lloyd’s Walker picks SC after offers from 34 schools

There’s not much E.J. Walker can’t do on the basketball court. The same could be said off the court.

Whether he’s pulling down rebounds and starting a fast break or accumulating a 4.0 GPA in the classroom, whoever Walker committed to May 24 for his academic and basketball career after Lloyd Memorial High School was getting the complete package.

Walker narrowed his list of over 30 offers down to four this week, ultimately making his decision to commit verbally to the University of South Carolina. He announced his decision in Scheben Gym at the high school.

Walker is ranked No. 2 in Kentucky for the class of 2025, 131st nationally, according to On3’s recruiting rankings, and one of the highest ranked recruits to ever come out of Northern Kentucky. He finished with 34 offers in total, starting in eighth grade when Youngstown State was the first to do so.

Not only did Walker blossom with his height, but his game evolved with his growth spurts. His 6-foot-8, 230 pound frame creates a mismatch anytime he’s on the floor with his ability to knock down the outside jumper, handle the ball like a guard and rebound with relative ease. That’s why South Carolina, coming on late and winning out over three Big 10 schools in his final four (Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin) made the most sense for him.

Walker finished his junior season with 16.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He scored his 1,000th career point in January. On top of his high GPA, he was taking some history and math classes at Northern Kentucky University. He has 1,322 points in his high school career, 267 away from program record holder Ryan Wilson, a 2000 graduate with 1,588 career points.

Walker does it in an efficient manner, too. He shot 58% from the field, 38% from three and 70% from the free throw line this past season.

New Walton-Verona AD brings experience as coach in district

Ryan Borkowski has replaced Kyle Bennett as Walton-Verona High School athletic director. Borkowski was named to the position last week. Bennett, a Walton-Verona graduate, recently resigned after 30 years at the school. He served 13 years as boys basketball coach and the past 16 as athletic director.

Borkowski comes to the position with experience on the Walton-Verona coaching staff. He was most successful as boys basketball assistant under head coach Grant Brannen, now the principal at St. Henry. With Borkowski, Walton-Verona won the 2019 8th Region championship and a Sweet 16 state tournament game.

Borkowski also coached boys golf and most recently boys and girls tennis at Walton-Verona. Additionally, he was the school’s intramural sports coordinator. He’s also been involved with youth sports, primarily basketball through coaching, camps and officiating.

Borkowski, a 2006 Boone County graduate, has been a teacher for 13 years. The last 10 have been at Walton-Verona. He taught business the past three years after being a special education teacher. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2010. Borkowski furthered his education at Georgetown College and Campbellsville University, from which he earned master’s degrees. His wife also teaches in the Walton-Verona school district, and the family lives with their two children in Verona.

Covington Catholic Head Coach Scott Ruthsatz, middle, resigned as head coach on May 28. File

photo | Charles Bolton

E.J. Walker gets ready to make his college commitment on May 24 at Lloyd Memorial High School. Evan Dennison | LINK nky

Walton Verona’s Ryan Borkowski moves from coaching and the classroom to the athletic director’s office. Photo provided | Walton-Verona High School

Paul Wiggins is the new head football coach at Newport, succeeding Ryan Hahn, who resigned after two seasons. Photo provided | Patty Goering

SD1 to cut stormwater fees, freeze capacity fees

LINK nky staff report

The judges-executive of Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties have voted to reduce Sanitation District 1’s stormwater management fees and freeze its capacity connection fees, according to a recent announcement from the agency. The vote came at SD1’s recent budget approval meeting.

All stormwater customers will see a 5% reduction in the stormwater management fee, per the announcement. Monthly stormwater bills will drop from $4.31 to $4.10 per equivalent residential unit, while quarterly nonresidential bills will drop from $12.93 to $12.30 per equivalent residential unit.

Capacity connection fees are usually charged when newly constructed sewer systems are connected to public infrastructure.

“SD1 continues to balance environmental leadership with fiscal responsibility,” said Adam Chaney, SD1’s executive director, in the announcement. “Our stormwater management program addresses critical

stormwater infrastructure needs across our region to combat flooding and erosion and improve water quality. At the same time, we continue to enhance efficiencies and improve technologies that enable us to provide these services while reducing our storm water fee again this year.”

The sanitary sewer fee rate structure remains unchanged. That system was created five years ago, the announcement said, to align sanitary sewer rates with the cost of providing service and declining water consumption

The base sanitary sewer rate will increase from $30 to $34 per month in fiscal year 2025, and the variable rate will decrease from $4.18 per hundred cubic feet to $3.63 per hundred cubic feet, per the announcement. The environmental surcharge, which helps fund SD1’s Clean H2O40 sewer overflow mitigation program, will remain $8 per month.

As a result, customers’ overall bills may increase or decrease depending on location and water use. The changes will take effect July 1.

William ‘Bill’ Abner Rudicill

William “Bill” Abner Rudicill, 84, of Burlington, passed away peacefully on May 23 at St. Elizabeth Edgewood Hospital.

Mr. Rudicill was born in Burlington in 1939. As a boy, he was introduced to many things that would become lifelong interests.

Mr. Rudicill enjoyed working with his brother on trucks and equipment. This developed into a hobby of restoring and displaying equipment. Later, he traveled the country to find forgotten equipment and fix it up. He is known all over the world for his equipment collections.

Mr. Rudicill was an active member of the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion and Bluegrass ATHS Kentucky Chapter. He was also a past president of the Historic Construction Equipment Association and Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club.

In his early years, Mr. Rudicill lived at his grandfather’s orchard. He learned to appreciate the land, the trees, farming, family, fresh food and community. He also developed an excellent work ethic. With his wife, Mary Sue, he started Belleview Sand and Gravel, a family business that they operated for 36 years.

Mr. Rudicill never shied away from hard work. He was willing to work side by side with his employees. As a business owner, he was recognized for his commitment to land reclamation. He felt a deep responsibility to keep his community beautiful.

Mr. Rudicill enjoyed having all of his family close by and always had a good story to tell. He loved his grandchildren and supported them in their endeavors. He was generous to his community with his time and resources, including his church, Belleview Baptist.

Mr. Rudicill is survived by daughters Susan (Bill) Shuffett, Sandra (Danny) Cupps and Paula (BJ) Vaske; a brother, Jim (Carol) Rudicill; grandchildren Katie (Jamie) Noonan, Myra (Rives) Rash, Christina (Josh) Powell, Cassidy (Jeremiah) Armstrong, Jeremiah Cups (Anna Doll), Blair Cupps, Luke (Macee) Vaske, Levi (Tris) Vaske, Pollyanna Vaske, Gianna Vaske, Silas Vaske, and Isaac Vaske; and great-grandchildren Grace, Will, Harper, T.R.,Tyrus, Thaddeus, Mason, Caroline and Hudson. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Kathryn Rudicill; his wife, Mary Sue Rudicill (nee Rogers); and his daughter, Deborah Jo Rudicill.

He will be interred at Belleview Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to Belleview Baptist Church. To share a story or leave condolences, visit linnemannfuneralhomes.com.

Stormwater pipes. Photo provided | SD1

William “Bill” Abner Rudicill. Photo provided | Linnemann Funeral Home