LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 1, Issue 26 - May 19, 2023

Struggling young adults find hope, help at Opportunity House

May 1968: To be free in 1968 means to participate p6

Controversy in Erlanger over who can use parks p9

Streetscapes samples tasty bites on Hebron’s North Bend Road p16

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.

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Struggling young adults find hope, help at Opportunity House

BY MILDRED NGUYEN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

No part of this publication may be used without permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please let us know and accept our sincere apologies in advance.

Opportunity House resident Logan Fulmer is taking courses at Northern Kentucky University, working three days a week and participating in extracurricular activities at NKU. He is considering a career in IT.

Photo by Emory Davis | Special to LINK nky

In middle school, Logan Fulmer won a theater award for best costume design for his portrayal of a rich boy. The irony was that the Newport native was the opposite of rich.

Hailing from a lower-income family, Fulmer left his mother’s house after graduating from high school and was looking for a place to live. That was when he met with Kim Mullins-Ward, who was the property manager of Opportunity House, a residence hall and support center for struggling young adults.

Fulmer is part of the population called “opportunity youth,” a term coined by the Brighton Center, a Northern Kentucky-based organization that seeks to help individuals and families in need reach

self-sufficiency through support services. They are young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not connected to a school or the formal workforce. They might have graduated from high school or tried out a semester at a local community college, but they generally are not engaged in postsecondary education, professional training or a career path. Northern Kentucky has around 7,000 opportunity youth, according to Brighton Center Vice President Ellen Bates.

They might have a lower-income background like Fulmer, or they might have aged out of foster care and lack a support system. Kate Kassis, youth services director for Brighton Center, said all of the young adults the center works with have come from foster families or traumatic

domestic situations. Their personal experiences vary. Some were displaced, staying with friends or living in cars, doing what it takes to survive; others were placed in the juvenile justice system. But they face a common challenge in a lack of adequate support networks as they enter adulthood.

As such, they struggle with access to food, job security, transportation, education and housing. Housing is a particularly thorny issue and the greatest barrier to their ability to pursue an educational or vocational path.

“When you come from crisis and survival mode, you’re just worrying about the next day, making sure you’ve got a place to live,” Kassis said.

Developed by Brighton Center in partnership with Northern Kentucky University and the city of Highland Heights, the Opportunity House opened last August adjacent to NKU’s Callahan Hall. It provides housing, resources and a supportive environment for young adults ages 18 to 24.

Photo by Emory Davis | Special to LINK nky

These young adults do not have the rental history and credit history that are needed to obtain stable housing, which can be further complicated by unemployment, a lack of steady income or a criminal record. They are, however, only one of the groups impacted by the affordable housing crisis that has gripped the region.

In data compiled by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the commonwealth of Kentucky is contending with a shortage of 89,375 affordable rental homes for extremely low-income earners. In Northern Kentucky, some apartments are renting for $1,600 to $1,800 and higher

per month, as evidenced by price listings on sites like Apartments.com and Zillow. Following a surge of real estate investment and economic development, low-income housing is being primed for upscaling and renovation to attract higher-income residents, an issue LINK nky explored last year in coverage of the region’s affordable housing challenges.

Residents at City Heights, owned and maintained by the Housing Authority of Covington, were informed that the public housing community would be closed in 2020. The infrastructure had become too outdated and dangerous, according to the housing authority, and the cost of renova-

tion to bring it up to standards was too high to be tenable for the city. The organization has been distributing Tenant Protection Vouchers, which are issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to help residents relocate to other eligible housing in Kenton County or any location within the United States. The relocation effort is scheduled to be completed this year.

Across the Licking River, tenants of the Victoria Square apartment community in Newport were evicted from their affordable housing units following last summer’s sale of the property to Cincinnati-based development firm Sunset Property Solutions. As of early April this year, about 18 families were still living in Victoria Square with no clear option of where to go, Bates said.

“I remember talking with one resident who’s lived there for over 30 years, and all of a sudden, as a senior she finds herself having to find a new place to live,” Bates said. “And there’s a good chunk of residents that were living in that community that were seniors.”

On the other end of the demographic spectrum, the struggle to find affordable housing affects young adults in a profound way: The time spent searching for and worrying about housing leaves them little time to think about the future. That is where the Brighton Center and Opportunity House come in.

Developed in partnership with Northern Kentucky University and the city of Highland Heights and opened last August, Opportunity House provides housing, accommodation, resources and a supportive environment for young adults ages 18 to 24 who have transitioned out of foster care.

Located at 3530 Alexandria Pike next to NKU’s Callahan Hall, the building houses 16 one-bedroom units with individual kitchenettes and bathrooms. All units have been occupied since the August opening. A common area features a group room, classroom, full kitchen, small meeting rooms and patio.

Some residents are NKU students, while others hope to attend NKU or other local institutions like Gateway Community College. But they all benefit from having the NKU All-Card, which allows them to ride the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) bus free of charge and pick up groceries and personal items from FUEL NKU, the university’s food pantry.

A financial wellness team visits Opportunity House every week to work with residents on budgeting and managing expenses, skills that might not have been passed down from their legal guardians. The Brighton Center also partners with NKU’s Career Services and Kentucky Career Center – a collaboration of 16 workforce groups – to connect residents to employment opportunities. The goal is to prepare them for economic, career and overall life success despite the hurdles in their past.

Another pillar of the project is establishing and expanding social networks. Lauren Copeland, development director at Brighton Center, said community volunteers visit regularly to foster connections. They may mentor Opportunity House residents in STEM initiatives, build bikes, cook a meal or simply hang out. Having these networks is crucial to the young adults’ social development, Copeland said.

Logan Fulmer is appreciative of the resources he has found at Opportunity

Like other residents of the Opportunity House, Logan Fulmer has faced struggles as an adult that are rooted in the instability and income worries of his childhood and youth. The residence hall and support program has provided Logan with … opportunity. Photo by Emory Davis | Special to LINK nky

House, from fulfilling physical needs like food to having case managers offer him guidance. One reason he was accepted into the house, he said, was his active engagement during his high school years, including acting in six or seven plays and participating in a national competition of user experience (UX) design. When Mullins-Ward approached him about Opportunity House, he jumped at the chance to stay there.

He is now taking general education courses at NKU and considering furthering his studies in UX design. Outside of the classroom, he works from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. three days a week at Blair Tech, a local company authorized by Microsoft to refurbish and resell used computer equipment. He is part of the Valorant team for NKU Esports and writes music in his free time. Fulmer is considering a career in the IT field and hopes to be able to make money doing what he enjoys.

It’s a great sign when struggling young adults like Fulmer start thinking about their goals and future, Kassis said, because it means their lives have stabilized enough for them to do so.

“Even getting them to think about goals and the ability that they have to seek a postsecondary education – because a lot of their family history hasn’t had that, they don’t have role models to show that – that’s the first step,” she said.

Juggling schoolwork with work and daily life can be a challenge for any young adult. For Opportunity House residents, having housing stability – instead of having to move to a new apartment in the middle of the year or experiencing bouts of homelessness – allows them to fully engage in

their academics, Bates said. The Brighton Center team is looking forward to seeing them complete their academic years or work toward a degree, she said.

“Our programming has allowed people to feel safe and stable, and they can start believing in themselves,” said Copeland.

“They can really start thinking about, ‘What is the next step for me?’ And to be able to do so in an environment that’s supported by other youth and young adults, and other adults that are working in this program, I think, is pretty remarkable.”

Fulmer said communicating their needs may be the hardest thing for young adults from low-income backgrounds.

“People don’t ask for help,” he said. “I’ve never been one to ask for help. A lot of people at Opportunity House are suffering because they don’t ask for help. Coming (from a) lower income, you don’t really ask for help as much as you should.”

Young adults shoulder a lot of stress and expectations, particularly struggling young adults who are of college age but not in college or of working age but not gainfully employed, Bates said. Ultimately, there is only so much guidance and connection Brighton Center can offer, Kassis said. It is up to the individual to take the initiative to learn self-sufficiency skills, follow through on appointments and reach out about services.

To ask for help, in other words.

“While we want to guide them and provide them with education, we don’t want to completely handle them, because we want them to be successful when they’re done here,” Kassis said.

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Addressing their mental health needs is critical, she said, because many of the Opportunity House residents have been affected by negative family interactions, leading them to feel unsuccessful or wrangle with self-doubt.

While the Brighton Center does not have a counselor on site, the staff connects the residents to as many resources as it can, knowing that motivation might suffer when individuals are placed on monthslong waitlists. The COVID-19 global pandemic – with its lockdowns, long periods of isolation and layoffs – compounded access challenges, Kassis said.

As for how Opportunity House residents are regarded by those outside the program, Fulmer hopes people are kind, understanding and keep an open mind. Things that seem like a given to many people –

such as being able to drive a car, and how much easier that makes dating – may create big hurdles for people like Fulmer, for whom affording a car was never feasible.

“People get cars at 16. It’s like this social norm that people (are able to) get around – and I’m stuck,” he said. “People look at me like I’m a child because I can’t drive. It’s crazy to me, because I didn’t have the opportunity.”

At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about for Fulmer and the other young adults learning and growing through their experience at the residence hall and support center – being given an opportunity through the Opportunity House.

To learn about ways to assist opportunity youth, call the Brighton Center at 859-4918303 or visit www.brightoncenter.com.

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The Opportunity House provides housing and services for young adults – dubbed “opportunity youth” by Brighton Center staff – who are struggling and are not connected to a school or formal work environment. Photo by Emory Davis | Special to LINK nky

May 1968: To be free in 1968 means to participate

BY RICK ROBINSON | SPECIAL TO LINK nky

Rick Robinson is a local author who is writing a book based on life in Northern Kentucky in 1968 and what we can learn now. LINK will publish excerpts from the book regularly in the LINK Reader, as well as on linknky.com

In May 1968, Kentucky’s governor, Louie B. Nunn, was the commencement speaker for 312 students graduating from Boone County High School. Nunn’s comments were pointed. He labeled those causing disruption in the streets as “noisy minorities challenging society” and called upon the graduates to: “Stand up and be counted. Grow up to be constructive … build, do not tear down. The strong in spirit and character are those who build. The weak in spirit and character are those who destroy.”

Nunn’s words were more telling than he may have anticipated. While at the high school, Nunn received word of race riots taking place in Louisville. According to a reporter listening to Nunn as he took the call, the governor said, “Okay, get ’em what they need … move in armed and do what is necessary to put it down – and right away.”

Baby boomers in high school in 1968 faced a set of circumstances their parents never expected, and today the children of those boomers cannot comprehend. Margo Grubbs and Gary Pranger were in high school then.

Attorney Grubbs was a sophomore at Boone County High School. With her father an undertaker and the family living above

his funeral home, she was used to hearing about and dealing with death. But 1968 was something different.

“We’d watch Walter Cronkite every night for the body count,” she said. “And we trusted the adults to do the right thing. Then two boys we all knew were killed. Our eyes were suddenly opened to the world around us. Enlightenment came as we buried our boys.”

And as many around the country were calling for civil rights for African Americans, Grubbs vividly remembers there was also a struggle for women’s rights in its infancy.

Grubbs, a talented athlete, had limited opportunity to play.

“We had to find a teacher to fight for us to just get us practice time in the gym, and our seasons were only a couple of games,” she said.

High school became even more complicated in her senior year when she became pregnant, and her family had to fight for her to remain in school. Grubbs was allowed to participate in commencement only after other students threatened to boycott the event over her exclusion.

Additionally, Grubbs, who came out about her sexuality in 1973, finds today’s LGBTQ movement interesting. She recalls that the only time alternative lifestyles were addressed in 1968 was when people used a pejorative insult to discuss someone’s nonstraight sexuality.

In 1968, Pranger and his family were living on Pike Street in Covington, and he was a freshman at Covington Latin High School. His anguish about the times remains clear in his mind today.

“I had just finished my first year of high school and was well on my way to adulthood just at the time that everything seemed to be going to heck in a hand cart,” he recalled. “And it all troubled me greatly.”

Pranger recalls that by day he was working hard at school to be successful, but when he went home and watched the news, he felt the entire system was falling apart.

“I felt like the world was coming to an end and I had yet to have the opportunity to participate,” he said. “I was too young to know how to process all of it, but I knew it didn’t bode well for the future.”

There was a laundry list of items eating at his soul.

Grubbs and Pranger remain passionate about the memories of the year that challenged (and perhaps changed) their youthful innocence. Despite their reservations at the time, the events of 1968 are a foundation for who they became in their separate lives.

Master Sgt. Coy Miller leads drills for the Carrollton National Guard unit. The 108-member unit from Carrollton was called up to duty in Vietnam in May 1968. Photo provided | Kenton County Public Library

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In Vietnam, as a result of phase two of the Tet Offensive, May 1968 was the bloodiest on record. This second wave, aimed at Saigon and other urban centers, has come to be known as the May Offensive. Articles in the Kentucky Post and Times-Star from the month of May certainly reflect the carnage. Many young men from Northern Kentucky were wounded or killed.

Danny Boone, an 18-year-old paratrooper from Ludlow with the 101st Airborne Division, was killed while stationed at an air base at Bien Hoa, just north of Saigon. The December before, he had written a letter to the editor of The Kentucky Post and TimesStar saying he wasn’t gung-ho and didn’t want to be a hero.

“Actually, I’m like everyone here – pretty scared,” he wrote. “I believe that everyone should have a chance in life. It could mean giving my own life, but at least it would be worth it. At least I’d have died for a reason.” He concluded his letter by stating, “Perhaps if people understood each other and cared for one another, this world might be a better place to live in.”

Boone was not the only Northern Kentuckian to lose his life during the May Offensive. A family in Boone County learned their son, Arthur “Teddy” Kramer Jr., had been killed in action. Marine Cpl. David A. Jones of Dayton was killed by shrapnel near Quang Tri. Spc. 4th Class Fred Bauerle was killed. All had brothers also serving in combat.

Of Teddy Kramer, The Kentucky Post and Times-Star said his family could “envision him in the uniform of his country, forever youthful and free from anguish, a martyr and a hero who was called to the service and answered the call with the very last beat of his heart.”

A Marine from Covington, Pvt. 1st Class Phillip Wayne Salter, described in horrific detail how he had been wounded as his unit was attempting to hold a village on the Cua Viet River about 15 miles east of Khe Sanh.

“The NVA had a bunch of grunts pinned under fire and we took a 105 mm mounted gun in to help them. We were told there was an NVA company in there, but it turns out there was a whole regiment. We started through a rice paddy, and they opened up on us. A bullet hit our radio and started a fire. We had to get out. I was the last one out. As I jumped, a bullet hit my right leg, knocked me over and I rolled off the tractor. About the time I hit the ground, I got hit twice – in the back and in the hip. I tried to roll around back and was hit in the shoulder. I scrambled through a rice paddy trying to get to cover – some bushes about 75 feet away. About halfway out another one got me in the left arm. It seemed like every time I moved, I got shot. So, I stopped and just lay there pretending to be dead.”

Salter said the two hours he spent waiting to be rescued seemed like a week. Remarkably, he spoke of the incident in a very matter-of-fact manner. “It was just one of those things. Some of my buddies got it worse.”

During May, a 108-member National Guard Unit from Carrollton (nicknamed the “Old Ironsides Battalion”) that included Carroll County Judge/Executive John Tilley was called up to active duty. On a rainy day, the unit headed to Fort Hood in Texas. No one asked for a hardship deferral, but all worried about their families and the future.

The state representative was quoted as saying, “Outsiders can’t understand what this has done to our community. It would

be like your area losing its largest industry and all the families moving out with it.”

Stories of other soldiers going to and returning from Vietnam also filled the newspaper. In May, Congressman Gene Snyder reached out to Marine brass to see if Gary Malapelli (the brother of Northern Kentucky’s first war victim) could serve somewhere other than Vietnam. Because of his brother’s death, Malapelli could have avoided the draft, per service guidelines. Instead, he enlisted and eventually got orders for Vietnam.

“I believe in our country,” said Malapelli’s mother, “but as a family, I feel we have given one son and should not be asked to give another.”

Campbell County High School graduate Sgt. Hobart Strange learned he had been awarded a Bronze Star for his service. Strange said he did not want to brag about the award.

“I just did the best I could and tried to stay alive,” he said. “Over there, you get shot at so much and so often that if a day goes by without being shot at, it seems funny.”

Marine Pvt. 1st Class Jerry Gilbert of Fort Mitchell was hit in the hip by a round that first went through his wallet. In a letter to his mother, the 18-year-old said, “I’ll have

to get a new wallet when I get home. And it better be bullet-proof.”

Mike Mulberry, also from Fort Mitchell, came home from Vietnam but did not want to talk much to a reporter about the fighting, noting instead that he felt much older than 20.

In a news story that garnered editorial

Continues on page 8

Pfc. Michael E. McDowell, who was part of the Carrollton unit. Photo provided | Kenton County Public Library

comment, Marine Cpl. Randall Browning of Warsaw was awarded the Navy Cross for actions that saved an entire battalion during a fierce battle near Quang Tri Province. He had been wounded in the battle but returned to “maneuver his vehicle through intense hostile fire and began delivering highly effective machine gun and recoilless rifle fire against the enemy’s successive human wave assaults.”

Browning’s actions were commended on the editorial page of The Kentucky Post and Times-Star: “His furious and highly ef-

fective mobile fire against the Reds at Con Thien in 1967 demand the highest praise and admiration from all Americans.”

In other stories dominating the national conversation and news coverage in May 1968, local ministers planned the so-called “Poor People’s March” in the weeks following the death of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The march was to start in Cincinnati and cross the bridge into Covington, where King’s brother A.D. King was scheduled to speak. Residents were asked to assist in providing lodging for the marchers.

The Rev. Edgar Mack of Barnes Temple AME in Elsmere said of the event, “We want to make this the largest outpouring of goodwill and brotherhood ever held in Northern Kentucky.”

On the day of the march, participants were advised not to cross the river. Still, a rally was held at the Ninth Street United Methodist Church to hear the Rev. Jesse Jackson speak. The meeting was heralded as the largest civil rights event ever held in the area.

Despite the death of King and the supportive marches, news of racial harmony in Northern Kentucky was not forthcoming. The Kentucky State Human Rights Commission held a hearing involving an incident involving an African American sailor home on leave who was denied entrance to the Lamplight Patio in Bromley. The owners of the bar claimed the

restaurant was a private club.

Kentucky also conducted primary elections in May. With no real local races pushing voters to the polls, turnout in Northern Kentucky was low.

“This was the pattern statewide as a disturbing psychology dampened what little interest had been evident” wrote Kentucky Post and Times-Star reporter John Murphy regarding the 22% statewide turnout.

Statewide winners Kathrine Peden, a Democrat, and Republican Marlow Cook won Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties in their respective primaries for U.S. Senate. Neither candidate spent over $50,000. Democrat Gus Sheehan won the primary to face Republican Gene Snyder for the 4th District Congressional seat in the fall.

Far more interesting than the primaries was the political news from Frankfort that Rep. Ken Harper, a Republican, was vacating his seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives to join the Nunn administration as the assistant commissioner of Child Welfare. Harper recalls Nunn’s commitment to children’s issues as being key to Nunn’s term in office. Harper had been the first Republican to hold his legislative seat since 1920, and vacating the position in the middle of his third term left potential candidates salivating for their party’s nod in a special election.

Over and over, the research for this book revealed that many of the issues being dealt with today were already important issues as early as the late 1960s. Three of them in May of 1968 are worth noting.

For one, the use of firearms by police officers was being scrutinized. The Kentucky

Post and Times-Star called upon local law enforcement agencies to better define when police officers could use firearms. The gun policy at the time gave police authority to shoot people they believe may have committed a felony. The newspaper called for change. “Let’s have a set of clearcut rules stating precisely when a policeman is justified in drawing, in leveling and in firing. Playing it by ear is not compatible with the civilized man’s concept of the value of a human life.”

Also, in what can only be described as “past being prologue” for what is today referred to as critical race theory, another editorial in The Kentucky Post and Times-Star warned the teaching of black history in schools “is particularly susceptible to distortion.” The editorial stated: “Any honest, self-respecting historian recording the progress of the American Negro in this decade will have to take into account the recent report by the House Un-American Activities Committee, which states that Communist-oriented black nationalists are fomenting riots as a prelude to open guerrilla warfare against the United States.”

Finally, in May 1968, student rioters filled the streets of Paris, protesting … well … a bunch of things ranging from the war in Vietnam to allowing male and female students to spend the night in each other’s dorm rooms. Regardless of the reason for the uprising, protesters were able to shut down Paris for weeks. The protests moved to the countryside and threatened the stability of the French government and economy. As this book was being written decades later, fires were burning in the streets of Paris over a government decision to raise the retirement age by a year. If the math is correct, some people likely participated in both riots.

Lt. Walter B. Wood of the Carrollton unit. Photo provided | Kenton County Public Library

Organized sports in Erlanger parks continue to frame revisions to city parks ordinance

BY NATHAN GRANGER | LINK NKY REPORTER

The question of organized sports in Erlanger parks continued to frame discussions of the city’s master parks plan in a meeting last week, where task force members decided to create a universal permitting process for reserving park time for sports practices.

This was the second meeting the task force had undertaken to revise the city’s parks ordinance amid a controversy about the Blessed Sacrament cross country team’s use of Flagship Park to practice.

The revisions presented in the meeting attempted to institute a universal permitting process for reserving the city parks for sports practice generally, but old arguments about the specifics of Blessed Sacrament subsumed much of the broader discussion, and no final decisions on the parks ordinance were made during the meeting.

In the summer of 2022, a city employee informed Blessed Sacrament’s coaching staff that city ordinance prohibited their practices inside the park, even though the team had been using it without incident for about five years.

The previous month’s meeting took place at the public works building, but the task force moved the May meeting to the council chambers to make it more accessible. Members of both sides of the Flagship conflict attended the meeting to observe and comment.

Council member Tyson Hermes presented proposed revisions to the city ordinance, most notably, a new definition for a sports team, which would determine if Blessed Sacrament could use Flagship to practice.

“The athletic team definition was changed to a group of persons recognized as a team by any league,” Hermes said. “That’s a fair definition.”

The proposed revisions also stipulated that “no athletic team shall practice or compete on any field or any Erlanger park without receiving a permit by the city of Erlanger, and no athletic team shall receive a permit in any Erlanger park that does not have the required field or facilities for this specific sport.”

In other words, if a team wanted to practice in the parks, it needed to get a permit from the city, and the park it wanted to use needed to have established facilities for that particular sport.

Hermes gave a presentation at the council caucus meeting on March 21, where he made the case that Blessed Sacrament could practice in Flagship under city ordinance because it didn’t use the park to compete. He contended that Blessed Sacrament was more of an exercise group than a team, meaning it could freely use the park.

Hermes position hadn’t changed, but many

at the meeting didn’t find his reasoning convincing.

Even the team’s coach, Joe Niedlander, pointed out that even though Blessed Sacrament wasn’t part of a league, it did compete against other teams in the region.

After some discussion, both interim city administrator Peter Glenn and city attorney Jack Gatlin asserted that establishing a more standardized permitting process would be the best way to come to an equitable solution.

“We have a process, a permitting process and people that are employed here to manage that process, and we understand the concerns of both sides of the situation,” Glenn said.

“I don’t believe that any ordinance or law can be passed perfectly,” Gatlin said. “Like, there’s always the judgment, no different than the police make judgments every day… So, I think the permit process allows city staff to make the judgment as to whether this group or team should be able to use this park. And I think each each park probably has its own parameters.”

No final decision related to the ordinance was made at the meeting.

The next Erlanger Parks Task Force meeting will occur on June 6 at 5:30 p.m.

Members of the Erlanger Parks Task force before the meeting on May 2. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

Bellevue High grads talk pride, pandemic – and pizza

BY GARIN PIRNIA | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

From sixth to 12th grade, Steven Meyers has attended Bellevue High School, a small school with an enrollment of less than 400 students and a graduating class of 43. Earlier in his school career he struggled with poor grades, and a few educators didn’t believe in him.

“I had a bunch of teachers tell me I wouldn't be able to make it and I wouldn't survive out in the real world,” he said. “As soon as I hit freshman year, I'm like, I could do this. Now, I want to look back at those teachers who told me I couldn't do it and tell them, ‘I proved you wrong.’ ”

In sixth and eighth grade he got Fs, but now he will be graduating with As and Bs. He admits he used to be lackadaisical with his studies, but a football coach named Bones Egan gave him the push he needed.

“He pulled me aside one day and was like, ‘I feel like you could do better,’ ” Meyers said.

“ ‘I want you to do better, and I believe in you.’ And that's what really got me to liking school.”

His business teacher, Christie McDonald –who had Steven his freshman and sophomore years and, as it turns out, is a distant relative – has become a good friend.

“A lot of times kids might hear five positives and one negative, and unfortunately, it's the negative that’s going to sit with them longer,” McDonald said. “You have to keep building the positives up to overcome that negative, and that’s probably what’s happened with Steven.”

Instead of looking only at academics, she said she targets the whole person.

“My goal with my students is what can I do with you from the time you walk in the building as a freshman to the time you walk out as a senior so that you’re prepared for the real world and a real job,” she said. “Ste-

ven might have been the student who, if he couldn’t finish the quadratic formula, he was okay with that. But everything we did in my class mattered in his life, so I think that’s what established our connection.”

This spring, Meyers will wrap up his track and field season; he has excelled at shot put, javelin and discus. At April’s Grant County Dorning Friday Night Lights Invitational, he placed first in javelin, second in discus and fifth in shot put.

“Throwing for track is probably one of my favorite things that I’ve ever done in high school,” he said.

Emma Laurenti, who also attends Bellevue High School, knows Meyers through the track team. She competes in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash and also does long-jumping.

“Steven’s very nice (and so is) his family,” she said. “I noticed he’s killing it at track.”

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Steven Meyers. Photo provided | Steven Meyers.

Laurenti is a foreign exchange student from Milan, Italy. In August, she arrived in Bellevue as part of the International Student Exchange program. Her host mother, Beth Williams, is the regional adviser for the Hoosier Hills region.

“I always wanted to study abroad, and I got this opportunity last year to apply for it,” Laurenti said. “I didn’t really get to choose the state. You choose the continent. I chose the USA.”

At first, the language barrier frustrated her. “I wasn't used to talking English all day long,” she said. The students asked her questions like: “Do you have cars in Italy?”

Though Laurenti’s Italian high school career lasts five years, not four, she will graduate from Bellevue and return to Italy to finish her final year. She said school in the U.S. has been quite different from school in her hometown. She has more fun at Bellevue and learns in more creative ways. The grading system is different, too – in Italy it’s based on numbers one through 10, with 10 being equivalent to an A. In both countries, she gets As.

“We do scavenger hunts about learning,” she said, “so I enjoy this fun approach to studying, while back home it’s more like you listen to the teacher having a lesson about something. You take notes about it, and that’s it.”

In the past school year, not only has she run track, but she’s also played on Bellevue’s basketball, volleyball, soccer and tennis teams. In Italy, she focused on volleyball, but her school there doesn’t offer team sports.

“If you want to play at a competitive level, you have to sign up for a club,” she said. “You don't really get to play and try new sports. Here, I really enjoyed experiencing new sports and meeting new people and having fun with them.”

Her 18th birthday falls on graduation day, May 26, and she plans on celebrating with her host family.

“I'm really looking forward to graduation,” she said. “I don't really know what to expect. I know that it’s a big deal here.”

2023 Gateway to Greatness Awards Luncheon

Honoring St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Ms. Jeanne Schroer

media sponsor

Tuesday, May 30, 2023 11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Drees Pavilion

2023 Gateway to Greatness Awards Luncheon

On May 30, she’ll head back to Italy and finish out the remaining school year. She’s unsure where she’ll go to college or what she’ll study, but she’s interested in sports reporting.

Honoring St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Ms. Jeanne Schroer

Sponsorship Levels

Both Laurenti and Meyers are fearful about their futures, because, well, adulting is hard.

“I'll be a little bit scared, but I feel like I can get through it and toughen up,” Meyers said. “I feel like I would struggle a little bit. I'm probably going to live with my parents for a while longer until I get used to my job and making some money and being able to take care of myself.”

Scan to secure your sponsorship

For tickets, visit

Tuesday, May 30, 2023 11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Drees Pavilion 790 Park Lane, Covington, KY 41011

All event proceeds support scholarships and Gateway student support programs such as the campus food pantry and the student emergency fund. 2023 event honorees are St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Ms. Jeanne Schroer

$12,000 Platinum

Laurenti, meanwhile, expressed reluctance.

• Establishment of a named scholarship

•Two corporate tables with preferential seating (16 seats)

$10,000 Gold

•One corporate table with preferential seating (8 seats)

• Distribution of company literature on all attendees’ seats

•Recognition of sponsorship on all literature

•Recognition on Gateway’s website

•Media exposure (LINK Media)

•Logo in event advertisements

“I don't really want to grow up,” she said. “I know that turning 18, you’re going to get more responsibilities. I don’t know how I will handle that. I feel bad (that) I’m growing up and I won't be a teenager forever.”

•Distribution of company literature on all attendees’ seats

Silver

$5,000

•Recognition of sponsorship on all literature

•Recognition on Gateway’s website

•Media exposure (LINK Media)

•Logo in event advertisements

$2,500

Emma Laurenti at a track meet. Photo provided | Emma Laurenti

Dewey’s Pizza opens second Northern Kentucky location in Covington

“Crews will close the left lanes of northbound and southbound traffic on KY 17 north of Old Madison Pike,” according to a release. Crews will construct a rightin/right-out/left-in driveway for a proposed church site at 3701 Madison Pike. Crews also will be constructing a 345-foot northbound right turn lane and a 345-foot southbound left turn lane on KY 17, and a 200-foot northbound left turn lane on KY 17.”

Work will take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. Travelers moving through this area should plan accordingly.

co-parenting, disciplinary practices, budgeting and commitment, among others.

Virtual classes will occur from 1- 3 p.m. every Saturday beginning May 20. In-person classes will take place on Wednesdays from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Creek Event Center in Butler beginning May 24.

Learn more about the program and eligibility at their website: https://nkcac.org/ services/family-services/fatherhood/

Dewey’s Pizza has opened its second Northern Kentucky location in the Duveneck Square Apartments building at 43 W. Seventh St. in Covington. Parlor on Seventh formerly occupied the space.

The new location features Dewey’s full menu of pizzas, salads, calzones and beers. Additionally, the pizzeria will be testing Dewey’s new signature cocktails for customers looking for options other than beer or wine.

“We are excited to serve Covington,” said Dewey’s Pizza President Chuck Lipp. “It’s been a pleasure to work alongside Braxton Brewing Co. to service their taproom, and now we have the honor of opening our full-service dining room right next door. The team is beyond thrilled to accomplish this milestone, opening our second Northern Kentucky location, and join the community.”

Their hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from 4 to 10 p.m. on Sunday.

In late March, Dewey’s opened a satellite kitchen inside of Braxton Brewery’s Covington taproom.

Daily lane closures scheduled on Madison Pike in Fort Mitchell through June

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced lane closures in Fort Mitchell along KY 17, also known as Madison Pike, around the 17-mile point for the construction of a church driveway and new turn lanes.

The work began on May 8 and will continue until early June.

New principal Jenkins to start in role in July at Ninth District Elementary

Rachel Jenkins, an 18-year veteran of the Covington Independent School District, will move into a new role as the principal of Ninth District Elementary School beginning on July 1, according to a press release from the district.

Jenkins will assume the role of principal from Kieli Ferguson.

“I am dedicated to the families and students of Covington,” Jenkins said in the press release. “I am excited about the future and what is in store for the students of Ninth District. After 17 years in the classroom, I feel like this is a good next step in my career. I believe in the students at Ninth District, and I know they can achieve at high levels.”

Jenkins was originally hired as an elementary school teacher at Glenn O. Swing Elementary, where she worked for her first 17 years with the district. Last year, she worked as an instructional coach at Ninth District.

Covington group to hold fatherhood classes this month

The Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission, based in Covington, will begin holding fatherhood classes both virtually and in-person this month.

The classes take place over the course of 12 weeks and focus on skills related to responsible parenting. Class topics include

Local economic development groups honored with awards for excellence

Site Selection magazine recently honored local economic development groups REDI Cincinnati and BE NKY with its annual Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development.

The award is given out “annually to the 20 top local and regional economic development organizations in the U.S.,” according to a press release from the magazine. “The ranking focuses on success in job creation and capital investment projects within the organizations’ respective regions.”

Both organizations aim to attract and retain businesses and jobs to the region through the use of data and other expertise.

“BE NKY Growth Partnership is honored to be recognized for the significant growth we bring to the Cincinnati region,” said BE NKY President and CEO Lee Crume in the press release. “With our partner REDI Cincinnati, we are continuing to accelerate and diversify the economy of the Cincinnati region. The supply chain management sector added the most jobs, primarily in the office market, in Northern Kentucky in 2022.”

Rachel Jenkins. Photo provided | Rachel Jenkins

A Dewey’s employee spreads ingredients on a pizza. Photo provided | Dewey’s

BE NKY and REDI Cincinnati earned the Mac Conway Award from Site Selection magazine. Image provided | Site Selection magazine

Fort Wright hears from legislators about 2023 session

The Kentucky state legislative session ended in March.

A legislator representing Fort Wright in Frankfort shared his thoughts on the session at a May council meeting.

Kentucky State Sen. Christian ‘Chris’ McDaniel has been representing Kentucky’s 23rd legislative district, which includes Fort Wright, since 2013. On May 3, McDaniel spoke at a Fort Wright City Council meeting.

After greeting the council and the citizens in attendance, McDaniel started by highlighting the bills that he indicated would be the most impactful and relevant to council members and the city.

The senator called HB 1 the “biggest issue of the session.” This bill set in motion a gradual decrease of income tax in Kentucky.

“You’ll recall that last year, we passed a change to the commonwealth’s tax code that set in place a series of triggers to re-

duce the income tax,” McDaniel explained.

The trigger he is referring to was the reduction of individual income tax in the state from 5% in 2022 to 4.5%, starting in January of 2023. The next decrease will be to 4% in January 2024.

McDaniel said he is proud of what the Legislature was able to accomplish with this bill.

“We’re very happy to be able to do that,” McDaniel said. “To get to a fiscal spot where we can begin to return to the citizens, that’s a good thing.”

McDaniel also commented on SB 47, the bill which legalizes medical marijuana.

“I frankly didn’t think it was going to pass this time around,” McDaniel said.

The senator went on to explain some of the finer points of SB 47.

“It will go into effect on Jan. 1 of 2025 and doesn’t allow for any kind of smoking,” McDaniel said. “There are six categories of medical conditions that allow for it.”

He also made clear that employers in the state are not required to recognize the legitimacy of cannabis as a medical treatment.

“Basically, if you’re an employer, you have no obligation to allow for this on the job or off the job,” he said.

Mayor Dave Hatter said he was pleased to hear this, as the belief that marijuana should be completely legalized is part of his personal political philosophy.

The juvenile justice system was another hot topic during this session and McDaniel told council how HB 3 and SB 162 addressed those concerns.

“The commonwealth’s juvenile justice system, really in the last three years, has turned into an absolute mess,” McDaniel lamented.

He is supported by Gov. Andy Beshear’s assertion that “our juvenile detention centers have seen violent outbursts. This has threatened the safety of staff and residents and resulted in substantial property damage to some of our centers.”

McDaniel detailed some of the changes that HB 3/SB 162 made to Kentucky’s juvenile justice system.

The state has made the decision to open up a female-only juvenile detention center in Campbell County, to raise the pay of Department of Juvenile Justice workers; and to return to a regional model for centers. This includes reopening a center in Louisville.

“The kids that were coming from Louisville, frankly just simply had much different circumstances than a lot of the other kids that ended up in juvenile detention elsewhere around the state,” McDaniel said. “So, we reopened that center there.”

McDaniel also explained the mechanisms behind HB 551, the bill which legalized sports betting, and his own feelings on it.

“The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will be the regulatory authority,” he said. “I initially had some heartburn with the fact that it’s all running through the tracks. But ultimately, it became apparent that they are the only folks really set up to handle gaming.”

news from other places

Shock, investigations, reflection follow spate of deaths before Derby

ing Commission and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to investigate each death.

An examination of factors including necropsies, pre-existing health conditions, training sessions and inspection of track surfaces will take several weeks.

Lying ahead for many trainers and ownership is whether to run horses in the Preakness on May 20 in Baltimore.

Lawsuit: Ky. ban on care for trans youth unconstitutional

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – A raging thunderstorm that washed out activities at Churchill Downs the morning after the Kentucky Derby symbolized the dark clouds hanging over the Triple Crown after a troubling string of horse deaths.

Seven horses have died following injuries at the track since April 27, including Derby entrant Wild on Ice. Freezing Point and Chloe’s Dream were euthanized after injuries before the May 6 Kentucky Derby that was ultimately won by Mage. Four horses sustained catastrophic leg injuries, two succumbed suddenly from causes to be determined and another sustained a neck injury after flipping in the paddock.

This spate of incidents comes four years after more than 30 horses died at Santa Anita racetrack in California. Those deaths shook up the industry and resulted in safety reforms such as the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), which established a similarly lettered organization that set uniform safety and doping rules for thoroughbreds. A set of regulations is set to take effect May 22.

The question for now is how the stunning occurrence of fatal injuries at the cathedral of horse racing affects the sport during its height of visibility with the Preakness and Belmont Stakes following over the next month. And, how horse racing responds.

Churchill Downs said in a statement that it is working with the Kentucky Horse Rac-

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Several families challenged Kentucky’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youths, claiming the prohibition interferes with parental rights to seek established medical treatment for their children.

They are asking that a judge block a portion of a sweeping measure passed this year by the state’s GOP-dominated Legislature. The federal lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Seven Kentucky families with transgender children are listed as plaintiffs.

“Under the Constitution, trans youth in Kentucky have the right to medically necessary care,” Corey Shapiro, legal director for the ACLU of Kentucky, said in a statement. “We are filing litigation today to protect against this imminent threat to their well-being and make certain they can thrive by continuing to receive medical care.”

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s office said it was reviewing the lawsuit and determining next steps in defending the law.

The new lawsuit challenges sections of the Kentucky law that would ban puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender youths. It didn’t take aim at other sections dealing with school bathroom policies, guidance for teachers regarding student pronouns and rules on teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed the measure, saying it allows “too much government interference in personal healthcare issues.” Republican lawmakers overrode the veto.

‘Soldier against democracy’ gets record-setting 14 years for Capitol attack

a “jaw-dropping” 38 prior convictions since 1991, “several of which involved assaulting or threatening officers or other authority figures,” prosecutor Jocelyn Bond wrote in a court filing.

Ohio lands more tech investments as Google announces data centers

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Google plans to build two more data centers in Ohio to help power its artificial intelligence technology and other tools.

With one data center already up and running near Columbus, the two new locations will bring Google’s total investment in Ohio to more than $2 billion, officials said on May 3.

WASHINGTON (AP) – A Kentucky man with a long criminal record was sentenced to a record-setting 14 years in prison for attacking police officers with pepper spray and a chair as he stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with his wife.

Peter Schwartz’s prison sentence is the longest so far among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of 24 years and 6 months for Schwartz, a welder.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced him to 14 years and two months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mehta said Schwartz, who was convicted in December on assault charges and other felony offenses, was a “soldier against democracy” who participated in “the kind of mayhem, chaos that had never been seen in the country’s history.”

“You are not a political prisoner,” the judge told him. “You’re not somebody who is standing up against injustice or fighting against an autocratic regime.”

Schwartz was on probation when he joined the Jan. 6 riot. His criminal record includes

Ohio is seeing a wave of big investments by the technology industry. Intel is building a $20 billion chip factory just east of Columbus, and Honda and LG Energy Solution of South Korea are building a $3.5 billion battery plant between Columbus and Cincinnati that the automaker envisions as its North American electric vehicle hub.

The area around Columbus also is home to data centers operated by Facebook and Amazon.

The two new Google data centers will be built in Columbus and Lancaster.

“Ohio is a growing technology hub and data center market, and we welcome these two new Google projects in Columbus and Lancaster to complement the one already in New Albany,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement.

Mark Isakowitz, Google’s head of government affairs in the U.S. and Canada, would not say how many jobs would be created, adding that data centers typically employ about 50 people at opening and those numbers increase as they expand.

Javier Castellano, atop Mage, in the winner’s circle after taking the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 6 in Louisville.

Photo by Jeff Roberson | AP

In this image from a Washington Metropolitan Police Department officer’s body-worn video camera, Peter Schwartz (circled in red) uses pepper spray against officers on Jan. 6, 2021, in the attacks on the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Schwartz was sentenced on May 5 to 14 years in prison, the longest sentence yet for any participant. Photo by Justice Department via AP

Walk to Devou Park from this renovated 1940s Tudor revival

Address: 1038 Lawton Road, Park Hills

Price: $789,000

Bedrooms: Five

Bathrooms: Three (plus one half-bath)

Square feet: 3,751

School district: Kenton County School District

County: Kenton

Special features: This completely renovated five-bedroom, two-and-ahalf-bathroom home just two blocks from Devou Park in Park Hills retains many original 1940s features. Those authentic touches – including random-pegged hardwood floors and a stacked-stone gas fireplace in the living room – are complemented by a modern gourmet kitchen and updated bathrooms throughout. The kitchen includes a large walkin pantry, Wolf gas range and rare wenge wood countertops – made from an African hardwood prized for its attractive, durable finish that resists moisture. Spa-like features in the bathroom include a radiating towel warmer and glass tile. Other features include crown molding in the dining room and a French-door walkout to the deck. Entertain or relax indoors or outdoors thanks to the covered front porch; wooded, fenced-in backyard; and finished lower level.

Recent NKY Home Sale Data

WHO YOU’RE WITH MATTERS

This 1940s Tudor-style home in Park Hills features many original features along with modern upgrades. Photo provided | Patty Coslett with Huff Realty

The gourmet kitchen has stainless steel appliances, high ceilings and an open floor plan. Photo provided | Patty Coslett with Huff Realty

The finished lower level of this Park Hills home includes plenty of flex space and natural light. Photo provided | Patty Coslett with Huff Realty

LINK Streetscapes: North Bend Road in Hebron Powered by Merk and Gile, Injury Attorneys, 513-481-5678

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARIA HEHMAN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

As much fun as the river cities can be, many of us are pulled to other Northern Kentucky areas like Hebron. Whether it’s a fun outing or an appointment, visiting an unfamiliar area – even one close to home – can be overwhelming. People often visit familiar favorite chains when visiting parts unknown, so to break up the monotony, these locally owned and operated businesses have you covered for every meal. For this Streetscapes, we head to North Bend Road in Hebron.

Paradise Donuts

Some days, we can all use a little extra pep in our step, and what’s better than a donut and coffee to jumpstart the day? Paradise Donuts has everything guests can dream of when it comes to donuts. Classic glazed, sugary iced and decadent cake donuts create the perfect variety to make up a dozen to bring in for co-workers.

For those looking for an extra sweet treat, Paradise also creates gourmet donuts, fruit-filled ones for summer treats or long johns topped with bacon.

The eatery also has a new coffee menu that includes frappes, espresso-based drinks, drip coffee and iced coffee. Drinks can be

Public Notices

11980 Liberty Cara 14' x 54' Mobile Home, VIN 16170, Donald Young, 7 Helen Drive, Alexandria, KY 41001; 1991

Clayton Winford 14' x 70' Mobile Home, VIN CIM051739T, Edgar T. Rowland, Sr. and Joanne Row- land, 13 Helen Drive, Alexandria, KY 41001 and 210 Evergreen

Drive Southgate Kentucky, 41071; 1995

INDI Sultan 16'x72' Mobile Home, VIN ALI6721959296, Ste phen Manning, 27 Helen Drive, Alexandria, KY 41001; will be sold to the highest bidder on Thursday, June 1, 2023, at Noon, at 732 Scott Street, Covington, KY 41011 for rent, reasonable storage charge, clean-up costs and utilities. Seller, The Cardinal Corporation reserves the right to bid.

customized with various milks and flavorings, including unusal ones like cinnamon bun. For a donut shop, the coffee bar is impressive in both offerings and quality. Its signature drink, Paradise Latte, combines white chocolate and raspberry for a balanced, semi-sweet drink that pairs perfectly with any donut.

For those who don’t drink coffee, or who just want something less sweet, Paradise also has smoothies and refreshers.

Paradise Donuts is open until sell-out, so be sure to stop in early.

Hebron Grille

Family-owned, Southern home-cooking restaurants rarely disappoint. Hebron Grille is no exception.

The restaurant serves a variety of classic bar dishes with unique twists. Instead of

fried pickles, for example, it serves fried pickle fries. For those looking for even more unique offerings, gator bites and gumbo are great starters.

The ample menu covers the gambit with burger, sandwich and taco categories, each with plenty of Southern-inspired dishes. However, the true star of the menu is the Southern Specialties section. Hot honey chicken, Grandma’s meatloaf and Southern-fried catfish will have guests thinking their own grandma is in the kitchen cooking. Each comes with traditional Southern sides, from mashed potatoes to green beans to peanut slaw.

Guests may not have room for dessert, but for those that need a sweet treat after a meal, Hebron Grille’s crisps and bread pudding will be the best ending to the Southern dining experience.

Outside of the dining room options, the restaurant has a vast bar menu and plenty of TVs so diners can keep up with every game.

Strong’s Brick Oven Pizza

The first Strong’s location opened in Newport, and since then every neighborhood in NKY has wanted a slice.

Strong’s now has four locations in NKY, with the Hebron location being its newest. What sets the place’s pizza apart from any other pizza joint is its old-school Italian approach. Each pizza’s base includes homemade sauce and sliced mozzarella, finished in an Italian brick oven.

Classic Margherita and pizza alla vodka –with vodka cream sauce, mozzarella, seasoned mushrooms, spinach and prosciutto – will give guests a true taste of Italy. For guests wanting something spicy, the hot and spicy – with buffalo sauce, mozzarella, jalapenos, bacon and Grippos BBQ chips –is anything but ordinary.

Each pizza comes out of the brick oven

cooked to perfection, with a slight char to create the perfect crunch.

Along with pizza, Strong’s serves other Italian classics like bruschetta, antipasto and walking cannolis. Not-so-Italian sides like wings, fries and salad are great additions when dining with a large group. Strong’s has a full-service bar, so guests can order wine for a truly Tuscan experience.

Have a street, city or business you want to see featured 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:

Paradise Donuts

Location: 2091 North Bend Road, Suite 120

Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 6 a.m.-noon or sell-out; Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m.-noon or sell-out; Monday and Tuesday, closed Website: https://donutshophebron.com

Phone: 859-484-8283

Hebron Grille

Location: 1960 North Bend Road

Hours: Sunday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Website: https://www.hebrongrilleky. com/

Phone: 859-586-0473

Strong’s Brick Oven Pizza

Location: 1990 North Bend Road

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Monday, closed Website: https://www.strongsbrick ovenpizza.com

Phone: 859-586-6836

Diners flock to Hebron Grille for Southern home-cooking favorites with a twist.

Photo by Maria Hehman | LINK nky contributor

Donut lovers flock to Paradise for classics like glazed and fun flavors like bacon-topped long johns. Photo by Maria Hehman | LINK nky contributor

Covington honors early childhood advocate, educator Hulefeld

tucky Symphony Orchestra (KSO) will include three raffles this year.

In the Pappy Van Winkle raffle, one winner can score a six-bottle set of Pappy Van Winkle, including 10-, 12-, 15-, 20- and 23-year bourbons, as well as a 13-year rye. A second raffle features a prize of a single bottle of Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition bourbon, while the third raffle features 20 rare bourbons that will go to 20 winners.

Winners’ names will be drawn live on the KSO Facebook page from 9-9:30 p.m. May 20. For tickets and more details, visit kyso. org/event/raffle-2023. You do not have to be present to win. Proceeds help fund free park concerts and education programs around Northern Kentucky. The raffle is sponsored by The Party Source.

The students will also assist in the planning and execution of the KHSAA HYPE Student Leadership conference to be held Sept. 7-8 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington.

NKY Chamber announces 2023 National Civics Bee winners

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce held the 2023 National Civics Bee at Northern Kentucky University on April 29.

Top honors went to: Oliver Victor, Campbell County Middle School, first place; Rashad Agayev, Edythe J. Hayes Middle School in Lexington, second place; and Leigh-Nichole Crabbe, Twenhofel Middle School inIndependence, third place.

Newport Central Catholic sophomore Wolf selected for leadership program

Newport Central Catholic High School sophomore Madison Wolf will represent her school in the 2023-24 Regional Youth Leadership Program. She will join other students in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region in an eight-monthlong program sponsored by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Covington city leaders declared May 11 “Rick Hulefeld Day,” in honor of the longtime educator and advocate for early childhood education.

Hulefeld recently announced his retirement from a career spanning 43 years. Most recently, he worked for Learning Grove, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and families. He began his career as executive director of Cathedral Child Care in 1979 and later founded Children, Inc., which merged with Learning Grove in 2017.

Support KSO – and maybe score a bottle of rare bourbon

The annual rare bourbon raffle by the Ken-

KHSAA names student advisory board for 2023-24

Five Northern Kentucky student-athletes are among 16 from across the state chosen to serve on the Kentucky High School Athletics Association (KHSAA) Student Advisory Group for 2023-24. They will represent KHSAA at the National Federation of State High School Associations at the National Student Leadership Summit in July in Indianapolis.

Northern Kentucky student advisory group members are Tyson Hergott and Danica Gorlewski from Beechwood High School in Fort Mitchell, Ryan Clines from Bishop Brossart High School in Alexandria, Thomas Rudd from Bracken County High School and Reagan Anderson from Pendleton County High School.

The quiz-style competition was organized with the Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement.

Students will explore complex issues and challenges while visiting civic organizations and interacting with regional business and government leaders. The program provides students opportunities for intellectual, creative, social and personal growth.

Rick Hulefeld, center, with wife, Mary, was honored by Covington leaders for his 43-year career in education and advocacy. Participating were, from left, Commissioner Ron Washington, Mayor Joe Meyer, and Commissioners Nolan Nicaise and Tim Downing. (Commissioner Shannon Smith participated virtually.)

The 2023 National Civics Bee featured, from left: emcee Brent Cooper, president and CEO, Northern Kentucky Chamber; judge Jack Westwood, former Kentucky state senator; third-place winner Leigh-Nichole Crabbe; second-place winner Rashad Agayev; first-place winner Oliver Victor; judge and state Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer; and judge Dave Schroeder, executive director of the Kenton County Public Library.

Sophomore Madison Wolf will represent Newport Central Catholic in the Regional Youth Leadership Program.

Highlands grad Rom called up to majors with the Orioles

KHSAA state baseball/ softball pairings set

The KHSAA baseball and softball state tournament pairings are set.

The state tournaments will get underway on June 1. The baseball tournament will take place on campus at the University of Kentucky at Kentucky Proud Park while the softball tournament will be played at UK’s John Cropp Stadium.

First-round action takes place June 1-2, quarterfinals on June 3. Semifinals will be played on June 9 with championship games set for June 10.

Phase one of three began on May 4 as demolition is underway on the old bleachers that were condemned prior to last season and deemed unsafe. The Wildcats had to play all of 2022’s games on the road or at a neutral site and hold practices at Holmes High School. The plan is to have the project complete in the fall, and the school is hopeful for completion by the team’s first home game on September 22.

The new bleachers will seat 1,500.

Supply chain and delivery will be key in keeping with the current timeline.

tions and significant new construction at the school, including construction of an on-campus multi-purpose athletic complex providing a home field for the boys and girls soccer and track teams and the football team, as well as a practice facility for the baseball and softball teams. Fundraising efforts are expected to last through 2023.

NKY student-athletes named to 2023-24 KHSAA Student Advisory Group

Highlands grad Drew Rom is headed to the Big Show.

Rom was called up by the Baltimore Orioles on May 9 from Triple-A Norfolk, paving way for him to make his MLB debut once he makes his first appearance. Rom, a left-handed starting pitcher, was 4-1 with a 2.87 earned run average in six starts with Norfolk this season, striking out 32 in 31.1 innings pitched.

Rom graduated from Highlands in 2018 and was drafted by the Orioles in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. In five seasons of minor league action, Rom posted a 29-10 record with a 3.37 ERA in 75 starts and 86 total appearances.

He’s a top 20 prospect in the Orioles farm system and was a part of three straight 9th Region championship teams at Highlands from 2016-18. He was a 2018 Mr. Baseball honoree and 9th Region tournament MVP.

For Northern Kentucky interest in the baseball draw, the 9th Region drew the 3rd Region in the first round on June 1. The 8th Region will face the 1st Region on June 1 while the 10th Region will face off against the 15th region on June 2.

In softball, the 9th Region winner will take on the 15th Region, with the 8th Region facing the 7th Region and the 10th Region squaring off with the 5th Region.

Construction underway at Newport’s football stadium

Phase two will also include construction of locker rooms, restrooms, a concession stand and new field lighting.

The district also plans to seek private donations through a fundraising effort. Details of the fundraising have not been announced. Dennis Maines, Director of Facilities and Transportation for the Newport Independent Schools, said the initial demolition phase will cost about $3 million.

The stadium was dedicated on September 22, 1939 after being built as part of the Depression-era Work Projects Administration (WPA). It has been home to the Wildcats football program ever since. But an annual inspection in March 2022 failed and the team was no longer allowed to use the facility. In October, the Newport Board of Education voted unanimously to replace the bleachers.

Four Northern Kentucky student-athletes have been named to the 2023-24 KHSAA Student Advisory Group.

Beechwood’s Tyson Hergott and Danica Gorlewski, Bishop Brossart’s Ryan Clines and Scott’s Madeline Spencer will be a part of a 16-member panel that will represent the KHSAA at the NFHS National Student Leadership Summit on July 29-31 in Indianapolis.

Hergott is a member of the back-to-backto-back state champion Tigers football team, playing tight end and defensive end. Gorlewski is on the archery team at Beechwood.

Clines is on the track and field team at Bishop Brossart. Spencer is on the Eagles basketball team.

Newport Independent Schools has begun one of three construction phases for its high school football field.

Newport Central Catholic also played its home games there and rented the field from Newport. In November 2022, New Cath launched the $13 million “Looking Up” capital campaign, which will fund renova-

The group attending the NSLS will split into groups and work through topical discussions on relevant and contemporary issues. The free program is designed to help students hone their leadership abilities and teach them how to effectively influence and lead their peers in a positive manner.

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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.

WEEK, NORTHERN KENTUCKY SELECTS Villa Madonna’s Boys and Girls Track & Field Teams

Photo provided | Villa Madonna Vikings Facebook page

Highlands grad Drew Rom was called up from Triple-A Norfolk to the Baltimore Orioles on May 9. If he makes an appearance, it would be his major league debut. Photo provided

The new bleachers at Newport’s football field will seat 1,500. Photo provided | Newport Independent Schools

A peek at what’s in the next issue:

Fewer teens are working. What does this mean for them –and for NKY?

How this organization is fighting pandemic slide in schools

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