DESERVE the best

Construction on the building began in 2021. In a press release from the organization, Welcome House stated that the new facility will centralize services that were previously spread out between the organization’s eight different locations.

While the chief said he is happy with the up-to-date police cruisers and other equipment such as body cameras provided by the city, the Amsterdam Road police station leaves something to be desired.

Currently operating in 400 square feet on the second floor of the city building (roughly the size of a two-car garage), Stanley said he was promised adequate facilities over a decade ago.

The facility passes security protocol, but it lacks some fundamental amenities that would assure their passing state accreditation requirements within the next year, Stanley said.

Stanley isn’t too worried about passing, but said they may get dinged for lingering unresolved problems, like a lack of secure storage for evidence.

Right now, evidence sits in boxes or in locked metal cabinets in the chief’s currently multi-use office. While he’s sure the room is secure, it’s not the safest place to keep valuable documents, he said.

Another issue is privacy. Park Hills police resort to using the Kenton County facilities for some interviews, which can be inconvenient and is not a professional look for Park Hills, Stanley said.

At a Park Hills business meeting in March, Mayor Kathy Zembrodt discussed ways to meet the department’s needs. One possibility would be to renovate the current Amsterdam Road space. But after consulting with a few contractors, purchasing a new space seems more viable, Stanley said.

Amsterdam road would need significant upgrades such as asbestos mitigation, wall reconfiguration, and the installation of a single elevator. An elevator alone can cost $100,000. All in all, Zembrodt said she was quoted a rough estimate of upwards of $700,000 for a remodel.

Putting the police force on Dixie Highway in a new space is another alternative. The purchase of a building, according to Zembrodt’s research, could cost around $300,000 for a 1,250 square-foot space, with another $38,400 to customize it to the police’s needs. This could all be paid for in cash from the city’s general fund.

Council members are carrying discussions forward to finetune the financial details and possibilities to fulfill the upgrades.

Independence to host free shredding day

The city of Independence will hold a free community shredding event on April 29 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Independence

Senior Center, located at 2001 Jackwoods Parkway.

Members of the community may bring their confidential papers and documents to the facility for free shredding during the event. Accepted materials include any kind of paper as well as thin plastic like the kind used in credit cards and identification cards. Staples are also acceptable.

Spiral metal notebook binding, binders with metal rings and other metal materials will not be accepted. Shredding services will be provided by Document Destruction, which is based in Cincinnati.

For information, visit the city of Independence’s Facebook page.

Kenton County launches electronic business tax filing system

Kenton County has officially opened its electronic business tax filing system, the Filing Wizard, allowing county businesses to file and pay their yearly tax returns online.

“Our goal was to make it easier to do business in Kenton County,” said Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann in a press release from the county. “With multiple cities and multiple tax rates, we needed something that helped businesses of all sizes. The Filing Wizard is the first step towards modern and intuitive annual filing.”

Businesses operating in Kenton County must pay taxes to the county for public services. These rates vary from place to place.

A press release from the county stated that it hoped the system would make filing from all the different municipalities in the county easier than filing manually. The system can pull information from a business’s federal tax return to speed up the filing process.

The county also has electronic services for applying for new and renewed business licenses and for filing payroll tax.

For more information, call Kenton County Business Services at (859) 392-1440 or send them an email at business.services@ kentoncounty.org.

Main Street Ventures awards grants to seven NKY businesses

Nineteen businesses from the Greater Cincinnati area have been awarded over $365,000 in equity-free funding by Main Street Ventures during its first quarter grant cycle, including seven from Northern Kentucky.

The grant money is important for small businesses and startups looking to scale their operations. Cork N Crust, a pizzeria and wine bar in Bellevue, is planning to use the money to renovate the second floor of their Fairfield Avenue store. Their ultimate goal is to hire more staff, increase seating capacity, and become more of a destination restaurant.

“We are deeply honored to be a 2023 recipient of the Main Street Ventures grant,” said Deborah Rudisell, owner of Cork N Crust. “This funding will not only allow us to renovate space for additional customer seating but will have a major impact on our business, staff, and our community. We are truly grateful for this opportunity.”

Main Street Ventures is an entrepreneurial support non-profit that provides capital and coaching to entrepreneurs in the Greater Cincinnati area. They provide two types of grants: Launch Funding and Leap Funding.

Launch Funding provides pre-revenue businesses at the prototype or product stage with $5,000 to $10,000 of equity-free funding to increase the 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 scale their business and increase their sustainability.

“I think the coolest thing about it is bringing more awareness,” Main Street Ventures Director of Community Engagement Abby Ober told LINK nky. “It’s more money going into companies which is the most important thing.

Launch Funding was awarded to Todd, an estate planning tool. Leap Funding was awarded to Better Blend Nutrition, Cooler Keg, Cork N Crust, Parts & Labor, Empanada’s Box and Golden Gelato Company.

Norfolk Southern supports some new regulations after Ohio disaster

CINCINNATI (AP) — Authorities say Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon was armed with a legal weapon but did not fire the gun or do anything illegal when a teenage boy was shot near the player’s home in Cincinnati earlier this month.

They released the information on Thursday, March 16 while announcing that Mixon’s sister and her boyfriend have been indicted in the March 6 shooting. Authorities say Shalonda Mixon was apprehended on the afternoon of March 16, while Lamonte Brewer remains at large.

funding at risk. The findings were released Wednesday, March 22. The auditor’s report contains 20 findings identified as “significant issues.” Harmon’s office referred its findings to federal and state prosecutors. Kentucky lawmakers last year ordered the examination to drill down into the finances at the historically Black university. The examination primarily focused on KSU’s financial and internal policies between mid2018 and mid-2021.

EPA tells states not to block waste from Ohio derailment

WASHINGTON (AP) — Norfolk Southern’s CEO is offering support for some parts of a bipartisan Senate bill to put tougher safety regulations on railroads. A fiery hazardous materials train derailed last month on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. CEO Alan Shaw is under pressure from senators and federal safety regulators to step up his commitment to safety regulations as he appears before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday, March 22. Shaw said in prepared remarks that Norfolk Southern will “support legislative efforts to enhance the safety of the freight rail industry, but he did not address several key provisions of the Railway Safety Act of 2023.

NFL player armed in shooting but fired no shots: prosecutor

It’s not known if either one has retained an attorney. Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers says the shooting happened as several juveniles were playing dart wars, where teams shoot at each other with foam dart guns. Authorities say Brewer fired several shots.

Appeals court upholds federal conviction of pardoned man

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — An appeals court has upheld the conviction of a man pardoned by Kentucky’s former governor on state charges for a 2014 drug robbery killing but was later convicted for the same slaying in federal court.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that a U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals panel released its ruling on March 16, deciding against Patrick Baker’s appeal on every point. Federal prosecutors brought charges against Patrick Baker after he was released from prison when former Gov. Matt Bevin pardoned him on his way out of office in 2019. Baker’s family had political connections to Bevin, including hosting a fundraiser for the one-term governor.

Report shows systemic problems at Kentucky State University

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The state auditor’s office says an examination of Kentucky State University’s finances revealed a “chaotic accounting environment.” Auditor Mike Harmon’s office says it led to undocumented credit card transactions, extravagant bonuses, and a lack of controls that put millions in federal grant

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ordering states to stop blocking contaminated waste from a fiery train derailment in Ohio from being sent to hazardous waste storage sites around the nation.

A handful of political leaders and states have sought to block shipments from East Palestine. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt last week said he had stopped waste from the derailment from coming into his state.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said on Friday, March 17 there was no reason for states to block shipments of waste. The EPA has ordered railroad Norfolk Southern to cover the costs of cleaning up from the Feb. 3 derailment.

Battery parts producer plans $1.5B project in Terre Haute

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Officials have announced Oregon-based battery parts producer Entek plans to invest $1.5 billion in a new manufacturing campus in Terre Haute and create 642 jobs by the end of 2027.

The company says the investment will support the growing electric vehicle industry in Indiana. Entek, based in Lebanon, Oregon, makes battery separators for lithium-ion battery manufacturers. Plans for the project include four buildings totaling 1.4 million square feet in the Vigo County Industrial Park.

Entek CEO Larry Keith said Tuesday, March 21 that available land and the community were key in the decision to locate in Terre Haute.

Boone Garden Club creates accessories for Jeff Ruby race

The Boone County Garden Club recently spent their Saturday making floral arrangements for the winners of the Jeff Ruby Steaks Race at Turfway Park. The club used its skilled members to create the floral blanket that is draped over the winning horse and large floral arrangements for the winners of the annual event.

Civil War veterans to have headstones dedicated

and 1871, respectively. Both of the men’s headstones have become illegible, according to a representative from the organization.

Books are coming home to Roost

Growing up in foster care, Billie Kegley, owner of The Roost Latonia, found solace in books.

“I always knew the public library was my ticket to a better life,” Kegley said. “This is why this partnership between The Roost and the Kenton County Public Library is so important to me.”

The library bookshelf was scheduled to be unveiled at The Roost Latonia on Saturday, March 25. Several Latonia businesses joined the dedication.

The Sons of Union Veterans Of The Civil War will dedicate two headstones at the Linden Grove Cemetery in Covington on April 1. The dedication will start at 2 p.m. and is open to the public.

The veterans being honored are Clarkson Keller and Andrew J. Roby, who died in 1862

Kegley has made it her mission to give back to her community. She feels there is no better way to do this than by giving them access to books. The Roost, a coffee and gift shop in the heart of Latonia, will house a collection of library books that the community can borrow. A library card will not be needed to borrow items.