By Haley Parnell
Hope, support for survivors of suicide
eanna Parobeck and Karen Ruf both lost a son to suicide. Now they volunteer with the Northern Kentucky Survivors of Suicide group to help others.
The group is an open door to those who have lost someone they know and care about to suicide. Ruf said they meet people where they are with what they’re willing to share. She said the group has members who have lost friends, co-workers, parents, siblings and children.
“I think it’s very important with the stigma around it, where people hide from it; they whisper the words, ‘He died by suicide,’” Ruf said. “Addiction is treated in that same manner. There’s no shame around it. It deserves a full breath: ‘He died by suicide.’”
Parobeck said she first attended a meeting after her son died in 2008. There was a brochure about the group in information from the funeral home. Parobeck said she participated in a meeting about six to eight
Continues on page 3
Celebrating cryptids from Frogman to Octoman
By Nathan Granger
You’ve heard of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Jersey Devil. Maybe you’ve heard of the Cincinnati Octoman, the Loveland Frogman or the Pope Lick Monster. They’re all coming to the third annual Covington Cryptid Block Party.
The party is set for noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 12 on Pike Street in Covington, between Madison Avenue and Washington Street. The event is free and open to the public. There will be music, giveaways, dancing and other activities.
“I know there’s a lot of other cryptid-related festivals around,” said block party co-founder and organizer Melissa Silberstang, “and some of those have panel
discussions and paranormal researchers. Ours is meant to be a party.”
A cryptid is an animal or creature that people claim to have spotted or documented but is otherwise unsubstantiated by conventional science. Bigfoot is the classic example.
Kentucky and Ohio are alleged to be home to several cryptids. The first is the Cincinnati Octoman. According to a series of articles in the former Cincinnati Post, police dispatchers began receiving reports in late January 1959 of an octopus-like creature leaping onto bridges and lurking in the river. Reports came in from Clermont County to the Licking River Bridge. To make matters more suspect, all of the street lights on Kellogg Avenue in Cincinnati from Lunken
Continues on page 4
Those who have lost friends, co-workers, parents, siblings and children to suicide find support through groups like Northern Kentucky Survivors of Suicide. Provided | Interact For Health
A partygoer wears a handmade Octoman mask. Provided | Covington Cryptid Block Party
COMMUNITY CONVERSATION:
ON AMENDMENT 2
Join LINK nky and EducateNKY for an insightful and engaging community conversation on Amendment 2, a crucial constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot this fall. This amendment proposes significant changes to how school funding can be used in Kentucky, and its implications will affect students, educators, and communities across the state.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 • 5:30-7:30PM
KENTON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY ERLANGER BRANCH 401 KENTON LANDS ROAD ERLANGER, KY 41018
WHAT TO EXPECT:
In-depth analysis of Amendment 2 and its potential impact on education in Kentucky.
Thoughtful discussion on the pros and cons of the amendment.
An opportunity for community members to ask questions.
Networking with local educators, policymakers, and concerned citizens.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Gain diverse perspectives from our esteemed panel of experts.
MODERATOR: Evan Millward
CONFIRMED PANELISTS: (additional panelists to be announced)
Tom Shelton, Chair, Protect Our Schools KY Executive Committee
Jim Waters, President, Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions
PRESIDENT & CEO Lacy Starling
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Meghan Goth
SPORTS EDITOR Evan Dennison
LINK nky Kenton Reader is published weekly by LINK Media LLC, 31 Innovation Alley, Covington, KY 41011.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Covington, KY.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LINK nky Kenton Reader, 31 Innovation Alley, Covington, KY 41011. ISSN 3064-7460
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 weeks after his death.
Ruf lost her son in 2016, and a neighbor who previously attended the group told her about it; she attended roughly two weeks later.
Parobeck said attending the Survivor of Suicide meetings gave her hope.
“When I lost my son, I found that this group helped me almost more than anything else,” she said. “I read every book on suicide that I could. I did try a grief counselor a couple of times. I did not use medication, which I think can help some people without a doubt, but I think just being in this group and sharing with other people and knowing that they survived it, and you can survive it, too, gives you hope.
“I think that’s what our loved ones lost. They lost hope.”
The meetings typically involve attendees seated in a circle, with each sharing about the loss of their loved one – their age, their name, the circumstances and what they’ve been struggling with. Ruf said everyone gets to talk uninterrupted, and then it opens up to free conversation.
Parobeck said roughly half of the group said their loved one’s suicide was a total surprise – including Parobeck and Ruf’s sons’ deaths.
Before attending meetings, Ruf said she always thought suicide had red flags, prior attempts and cries for help.
“That first meeting I went to, I just heard people say, ‘We were really surprised by this.’ ‘They really hid this,’” Ruf said. “It’s not uncommon for there not to be a lot of red flags that you would think would be there. I think just suicide education – I’ll never know why. I’ll never know certain answers, but it helped me understand that I’m not going to have them and to make peace with that.”
Rates rise in U.S.
According to data from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, from 2011 to 2021, the total age-adjusted suicide death rate in the U.S. increased from 12.3 to 14.1 per 100,000 people. During that time, the rate increased from 20 to 22.8 per 100,000 for males. Among females, the rate increased from 5.2 in 2011 to 5.7 in 2021.
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s data shows that, between 2015 and 2020, suicide rates increased across several age groups, including 15 to 24, 25 to 34 and 35 to 44.
Parobeck agreed with Ruf that there is a stigma around suicide, leaving some people afraid to talk about it. As a physician, Parobeck said she sees it at her job.
“Back before we had electronic records, when we would fill out people’s medical history, their family history, if they put an arrow, but didn’t list a reason why, I learned to say, ‘Did they die by suicide?’” she said. “Because people were so ashamed and
didn’t want to say that. I think that’s the most important thing that families struggle with, is that they feel that stigma.”
Ruf said she thinks about the question, “If you could go back in time, where would you go?” Ruf said one would think it would be the day her son died so she could intervene, and she said it would be – but also when her kids were younger. Ruf said she wishes she had had mental health checkins with her kids.
“I talked about everything else,” she said. “I talked about their body changes, when they started driving, safe driving, respecting girls when dating, drugs, drinking – you name it, I talked to them about it. It never occurred to me to talk about mental health.”
Parobeck and Ruf are scheduled to speak at Newport High School in January to share their stories.
“For my son, he was an athlete, had great friends, nothing had ever went wrong in his life,” Ruf said. “Anything he worked for, he had he got. So, I think my intention is to kind of go in and describe this person and go, ‘Do you think this person would have taken their life?’”
Parobeck said she feels it’s very important for people, when they’ve lost someone to
suicide, to reach out because suffering by yourself is so difficult. She said she encourages anyone to contact them if they’ve lost someone.
Where to find help
The Northern Kentucky Survivors of Suicide meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every month at 15 S Fort Thomas Ave. in Fort Thomas. All are welcome, and no registration is required. Anyone who wishes to contact the group can write to nky.survivorsofsuicide@gmail. com.
For someone that can’t afford therapy, Ruf recommends asking if his or her employer offers an employee assistance plan. For example, Ruf’s employer offers five free visits to see a therapist per year.
Other resources Ruf recommends include:
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Offers support and information for both people struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide, as well as survivors. Go online to afsp.org.
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness: Dedicated to building better lives for those affected by mental illness. nami.org.
Data and charts provided | Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Continued from page 1
Airport to Coney Island simultaneously went out around the time the first reports came in.
Next is the Pope Lick Monster, a goat man who supposedly lives under a trestle bridge traversing Pope Lick Creek in Louisville. Several people have actually died searching for the monster, often in train-related accidents.
Bearilla, a bear-like creature, was allegedly first sighted in Nicholas County in 1972. Plaguing cattle farms not only in Kentucky but also in Wisconsin, Michigan and even Canada, Bearilla is supposedly the only cryptid that kills for pleasure.
The Loveland Frogman, which is thought to be a 4-foot-tall humanoid frog or toad, is said to prowl around Loveland, Ohio, on its hind legs. The first alleged sighting was in 1955. Then, in 1972, a Loveland police officer reported seeing something that matched the frogman’s description, according to legend.
In 2016, after sightings were reported on several Cincinnati TV stations, a second officer called one of the stations with an updated report of the 1972 sighting. Apparently, he had shot a creature two weeks after the 1972 sighting. It turned out to be a large iguana with a missing tail.
Although some of the stories around cryptids can be frightening, the block party is meant to be family friendly. Local artists, vendors and community organizations will be on hand to showcase their works and services. Fabled Brew Works, Wendigo Tea Co. and Red Bird Deli will provide food and drinks. Laughing Bees Honey will also provide special treats. InBocca Performance, a local theater troupe, will perform as cryptids in full costumes.
The most notable activities for the kids are mask making workshops and craft activities. Art Equals, a local art nonprofit, will provide a hands-on activity during which people can make their own cryptid out of various materials.
Additionally, Kit Threet, former art teacher at Holmes Middle School and founder of Art Markit, will lead workshops for kids to make their own cryptid masks out of papi-
er-mache. It’s a tradition she started while she was still a teacher, she said.
“We would do a lesson on how to build a mask from the ground up, and then I had those students come to the Covington Cryptid Block Party to show off their masks and their cryptids,” Threet said. “It was just a great way to get them involved and feel like they have a specific place within this community thing that happens every year, and they absolutely loved it.”
Threet and Art Markit hosted two workshops on making masks the two Fridays preceding the block party. For $15, participants got the materials needed to make a mask. Art Markit will be on hand at the event, as well, to help people finish their masks, sell art kits and provide instructions on how to make masks at home.
“Once you learn how to make a mask out of papier-mache, the possibilities are endless,” Threet said.
Learn more about the Covington Cryptid Block Party, including a full list of vendors and mask-making instructions, at cryptidcov.blog.
The Pope Lick Creek trestle bridge in Louisville, where the Pope Lick Monster supposedly lives. Provided | Wikimedia Commons
The Indescribable Octo-man! Provided | Covington Cryptid Block Party
Who’s to blame? Bank, law firm trade suits in $1M fraud
By Nathan Granger
If someone forged your signature and used your information to wire money from your bank account without your knowledge, is the bank responsible for not catching it? Should it refund your money? What if you borrowed money from that same bank to cover losses?
Questions like these are the subject of a lawsuit between Covington law firm the Lawrence Firm and Heritage Bank, which has offices across the region but whose main operations center is in Burlington.
In a complaint filed Aug. 9 with Kenton County Circuit Court, the Lawrence Firm laid out its case.
The firm had two accounts with Heritage. The first was an Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Account, or IOLTA, which is an interest-earning account into which lawyers deposit clients’ money to prevent it from co-mingling with the firm’s own money and creating a conflict of interest. Payouts to clients as the result of a suit are often made from IOLTAs.
The other account was the firm’s general operating account.
The firm’s complaint alleges that, in early August 2023, someone using the name Jeffrey Levin (it’s unknown if this is the person’s true name) masqueraded as a new employee with the firm, hacked into the firm’s email accounts and sent an email from the account of attorney Jennifer Lawrence, daughter of the firm’s founder and one of the firm’s primary shareholders. The email, which went to an unnamed firm employee, requested full access to the firm’s bank accounts, claiming that Lawrence had delegated full admin privileges to him, including the ability to perform wire transfers.
The firm employee then sent Levin an online account access form, which Levin filled out, signed with his own signature and a forged version of Lawrence’s signature, the suit alleges.
Even though Levin turned the form in to Heritage, the complaint reads, “the section of the form for the bank customer to identify which accounts were to be granted online access was left completely blank,” and “despite the fact that no [Lawrence Firm] employee had ever been granted authority
Heritage Bank’s main office in Burlington. Provided | Google Maps
to transmit online wire transfers, that same day, another Heritage employee advised Levin that he was being granted online wire transfer authority.”
Additionally, Levin failed to turn in the proper permission form, which would have granted him the authority to make wire transfers per an agreement with the bank. In short, the suit alleges that Levin lied about who he was; failed to follow the proper protocols to gain wire transfer access; yet was granted wire transfer authority anyway.
“At least three different Heritage employees were involved in the process of granting Levin unrestricted access to [the Lawrence Firm’s] bank accounts,” the complaint alleges.
Levin then initiated four different wire transfers from the firm’s IOLTA, collectively totaling just over $1 million, to three different LLCs aross the country.
Lawrence told LINK nky the firm was able to act quickly enough and succeeded in preventing the loss of any client money. They did this by borrowing money from Heritage Bank. They covered additional losses by borrowing money from other institutions.
The suit identifies this kind of fraud as business email compromise fraud, which the FBI defines as “a sophisticated scam targeting both businesses and individuals performing transfers of funds. The scam is frequently carried out when a subject compromises legitimate business email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques to conduct unauthorized transfers of funds.”
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center received 21,489 complaints and reported
“Is it possible to treat the whole me, and not just my cancer?”
- Sue, Ft. Thomas, KY
“Of course The most important part of your cancer treatment is YOU.”
adjusted losses of over $2.9 billion resulting from business email compromise fraud in 2023, according to the agency’s 2023 Internet Crime Report.
The firm alleges the bank failed in its due diligence in allowing the transfers to occur. “We just expected so much more,” Lawrence said, “and there were numerous breaches of their internal protocols.”
Lawrence said authentication protocols the bank had followed for years were not adhered to in this case.
“It’s just very disappointing because we just look to Heritage Bank to protect our clients’ funds and the funds overall,” Lawrence said. “This really could have been absolutely prevented.”
Even though about $400,000 of the money has since been recovered, court documents attest, “the actions of Heritage in first granting Levin full and unrestricted access to bank accounts, and second, in processing four obviously fraudulent wire transfers, demonstrates the inadequacy of Heritage’s security procedures and its failure to implement even basic steps to counter [business email compromise] fraud.”
The firm reported the crime to both Covington police and the FBI. Lawrence said the time stamp on the fraudulent documents Levin turned into the bank bore a WAT, or West Africa Time zone, stamp.
Levin has not been caught.
The complaint concludes by demanding a jury trial at which the firm could seek full refunds of the payment orders from the bank plus interest.
The bank issued a counterclaim Sept. 3, in
which it denied many of the firm’s allegations against it, including the claims that the bank failed to follow proper security protocols.
In court documents, the bank says “any damages suffered by plaintiff were caused by persons not within the authority, control and/or agency of the bank.” Moreover, the bank alleges, the firm was the party that assumed any risk of loss and that they had failed to insulate themselves from damages.
Finally, the counterclaim points to the money the firm borrowed to cover its losses, citing the firm’s promissory note, security agreement and some subsequent changes to terms of the loan. The loan’s maturity date was July 24, which passed without a payment from the firm.
In other words, the bank said, “as of Aug. 27, the amount of not less than $518,937.98” is still owed, and the firm, thus, is in default. The July 24 date when the payment was due occurred before the firm submitted its Aug. 9 complaint to the court.
The bank asks the court to dismiss the firm’s complaint, enforce the loan repayment (plus extra interest and fees for the default) and force the firm to pay for the bank’s legal fees. On the same date, Sept. 3, the bank also filed a motion to directly pursue repayment from Lawrence and the other shareholders of the firm, who listed themselves as guarantors on the lending documents.
The court granted the bank’s motion Sept. 12.
The firm responded Sept. 23 demanding that the counterclaim be dismissed.
Lawrence maintains the bank is responsible for following through with Levin’s requests.
“This was their responsibility,” Lawrence said. “We couldn’t wire money. The bank did it.”
Heritage Bank and its attorneys declined to comment on the pending litigation.
The lawsuit now moves to the discovery phase. The parties will submit information and evidence to the court that would be used in a possible trial. Lawrence said the litigation will likely continue.
Dr. Lauren Castellini Oncology
By Nathan Granger
TWith supply short, NKY home prices jump
he end of August set a record for median house sale prices in Northern Kentucky, according to the Northern Kentucky Association of Realtors.
“The median sold price for residential properties increased by 9% year-overyear, to $305,000 from $279,321 in August 2023,” reads a Sept. 19 release from the association. “To put things in perspective, the milestone of a median sold price above $200,000 occurred just four years ago in June 2020, at the start of the COVID housing market.”
Jessica Hurley, the association’s current president, gave an even deeper perspective, pulling the association’s data back even further. “Our average sales price back in 2019 was $160,500,” Hurley said.
The association’s analysis tracks only sales made through professional realtors, so it’s only a single data source. NKU professor Janet Harrah, senior director of the Center for Economic Analysis and Development in the Haile College of Business, recently performed an analysis from a variety of sources, including the association’s numbers, and her conclusions are more conservative, putting the median selling price of a home in Northern Kentucky at $291,720. A household needs to make at least $69,920 to afford a home at that price.
The realtors association’s data for the largest population centers in Northern Kentucky show the average sale price in 2023 was $286,539. Exact figures vary by place.
A cursory internet search for single family, detached homes in that price range tends to yield three- to four-bedroom units around 1,500 square feet in size. A three-bedroom, 1,611 square foot house in Fort Wright, for instance, goes for $270,00 as of Sept. 27, while a three-bedroom, 1,540 square foot house in Newport goes for $295,000.
Whatever the perspective, the average sale price of a home has increased by at least $100,000 in the last five years.
The realtors association characterized these conditions as a “seller’s market.” If you’re a first-time home buyer, however, this state of affairs is incredibly negative.
Independence Mayor Chris Reinersman, who works professionally as a real estate appraiser, affirmed the trends and spoke about how they’re particularly acute for young professionals just entering the market.
“Typical housing appreciation varied from neighborhood to neighborhood [in the past], but 3% a year was a pretty solid number,” Reinersman said. “We’ve been seeing double digit appreciation annually, and it’s crazy and it’s scary. I don’t know what a newly married couple or young professional or young person out there for the
first time, what they’re going to do.”
These prices are all downwind from a housing shortage that has played out across the U.S. Low supply drives up prices and increases competition among buyers. Reinersman pointed out that homes now spend comparatively little time on the market before being bought compared to the past.
“You could expect a house to be on the market for 60 to 90 days pre-COVID,” Reinersman said.
The association’s most recent measure puts the average number of days on the market at 22.
Housing inventories are measured by the number of homes on the market divided by the number of homes sold in a given month. So, Hurley gave as an example, if 30 homes were for sale in a given month but only 10 were sold, that would mean there
would be regarded as a three-month supply in that market. Four to five months of housing supply is considered a normal or balanced market, Hurley said.
“We have not seen four to five months [supply] since 2016,” Hurley said, adding that, as of January, the supply was less than two months.
Although it’s a seller’s market, Hurley said, some older home owners may not want to enter the market for fear of losing their equity or being locked into newer – i.e., higher – interest rates. But freeing up homes is one way to ease the supply pressure, and she recommended anyone looking to downsize or sell to talk to a professional.
“I think that might be helpful to open up opportunities that they don’t realize that they have for them to either downsize or get into the market,” Hurley said.
Learn more at NKYChamber.com/EncounterNKY
Year over year real estate statistics from August 2023 to August 2024. Provided | Northern Kentucky Association of Realtors
A two bedroom, two bathroom Drees townhome in Alexandria had a list price of $325,000 as of Sept. 27. Provided | Zillow
Settlement money key to fighting opioid addiction, rebuilding communities
As Kentucky’s treasurer, a member of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, and a former state and federal prosecutor, I am deeply committed to the fight against opioid addiction. This epidemic has shattered Kentucky families and prompted a tragic death toll. From 2022 through 2023, 4,119 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses, while at nearly the same time a 2021 study from the Centers for Disease Control reported drug rehabilitation and medical care for Kentucky’s addicted cost taxpayers $24.5 billion in Medicaid expenses.
Despite these deaths and the damages both physical and monetary, Kentucky is making significant strides to address this crisis. However, much more remains to be done – especially in holding accountable the pharmaceutical manufacturers that played a critical role in perpetuating this tragedy. But the manufacturers are not alone.
McKinsey & Co. – the global consulting firm that advised Purdue Pharma and others how they could “turbocharge” their sales by minimizing the addictive effects of opioids – reached a settlement in 2022 with state and local governments across the country, agreeing to pay $207 million to cities and counties and another $23 million to school districts impacted by this crisis.
These funds are crucial in our efforts to undo the devastation Kentucky has suffered. Opioid abuse has hollowed out urban and rural communities alike and left local governments unable to respond to increased jail costs and even greater expenses in supporting police, courts and prosecutors. These costs, the CDC found, added $348 million in unplanned expenditures, all of it borne by Kentucky taxpayers. Used in our schools, these dollars will better educate our children about the lethal risks posed by such powerful analgesics even when prescribed.
Along with my fellow commissioners, I am determined to direct these settlement funds effectively and transparently, ensuring they reach those who need them the most – our children, our schools and our local agencies. I am equally determined that Kentucky remain at the forefront of this fight, using every tool at our disposal to safeguard our communities, support those who still struggle with addiction, and
assure taxpayers that the pharmaceutical industry and its consultants make full restitution for our losses.
Just as important, we must also demand that government agencies scrutinize their relationships with firms like McKinsey and take those actions, including barring them from state contracts, until the struggling communities they helped to destroy are rebuilt.
In advancing these objectives, Kentucky will make the difference that just ends demand, remaining steadfast in serving the many whose injuries are still healing and reassuring those who have borne the heaviest costs in lives and futures lost that our work to make them whole is fully underway.
Mark Metcalf, Kentucky Treasurer Member, Kentucky Opioid
Abatement Advisory Commission
Why voting ‘No’ on Amendment 2 is a vote for the future
At its core, public education is about opportunity. It’s about ensuring that every child – regardless of background – have access to a quality education. It’s the great equalizer, the foundation of the American dream.
This principle is under attack by Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 2, which seeks to divert public funds toward private, nonpublic schools. Let me be clear: A vote “yes” on Amendment 2 is not a vote for education reform or for increasing opportunities. It’s a vote to widen gaps, benefit the wealthy and further burden our teachers.
Amendment 2 would fundamentally change how we support education in this state. Instead of pooling our resources to strengthen public schools, where the majority of Kentucky’s children learn, it redirects taxpayer dollars to private and charter schools – institutions that are not held to the same level of accountability or regulation as public schools. And that’s where the problem begins.
Lack of accountability
Unlike public schools, which are governed by elected boards of education and held to rigorous standards set by the state, private schools operate with far less oversight.
Public schools are required to meet strict guidelines on everything from curriculum to teacher certification to student safety. Private schools? Not so much. They can set their own curricula, establish their own admission policies and often fail to provide the transparency the public deserves when taxpayer dollars are involved.
When we send public money to private institutions, we’re essentially writing a blank check without the same guarantees of quality, oversight or accountability. Private schools are not answerable to voters, nor are they required to adhere to the same rigorous standards we expect from public schools. This is not how we build a fair and just education system.
On the other hand, public schools are held accountable by elected school boards – by the people. They are subject to high standards and regular audits to ensure they are meeting the needs of all students, not just a select few. When public schools fall short, we as a community have a say in how to improve them. With private schools, we simply don’t have that power.
Widening the gaps
By allowing state funds to flow into nonpublic education, Amendment 2 would only deepen the divide between the haves and the have-nots. The wealthy already have access to private education, and this amendment would further subsidize their ability to send their children to exclusive institutions. Meanwhile, public schools –where the majority of low- and middle-income families send their children – would suffer from even more underfunding.
This is a redistribution of public funds that benefits those who need it the least. It’s an erosion of the promise that a quality education should be available to all children, not just those whose parents can afford private school tuition. And let’s not kid ourselves: As more public money goes to private schools, the public schools will be left scrambling to do more with even less.
The real beneficiaries
Let’s not be fooled into thinking this amendment is about expanding choice or opportunities for all students. The real beneficiaries of Amendment 2 are those who are already in a position to take advantage of private education – families with the means to send their children to schools that often select their students based on entrance exams, religious affiliation or
• Townhomes and condominiums with private attached garages
• Lawn mowing and snow removal
• Convenient Florence location near shopping, dining, and entertainment
• Easy access to downtown Cincinnati, Newport, and airport
• From the low $200s
other exclusionary practices.
By contrast, public schools welcome everyone. They are the bedrock of our communities, serving students of all abilities, backgrounds and incomes. Diverting funds from public education not only undermines the work being done in these schools but also hurts the most vulnerable students who rely on them the most.
A blow to teachers
Let’s talk about teachers. They are the backbone of public education, often working under difficult conditions with limited resources. A “yes” vote on Amendment 2 would make their jobs even harder. Teachers in public schools are already stretched thin, and further budget cuts would mean larger class sizes, fewer resources and more responsibilities. When we siphon off funding to private schools, we’re asking teachers to work miracles with even fewer tools.
Moreover, private schools are not required to employ certified teachers, nor do they adhere to the same labor protections that public school teachers rely on. This means that state funds could go to schools that do not maintain the high professional standards we expect for our educators.
The path forward
It is imperative that decisions benefit the long-term future over short-term gains. Amendment 2 may seem like a quick fix, a way to “improve” education by offering more choices, but the reality is that it will erode the public education system and leave the most vulnerable students behind.
A “no” vote on Amendment 2 is a vote for Kentucky’s future.
Antoine Smith-Rouse, Associate Vice President of Workforce Solutions Gateway Community & Technical College
kenton county briefs
Dusing given 3-year suspension from law over 2021 online video
Attorney Ben Dusing posted a threatening Facebook video in 2021. Provided | WCPO file
The Kentucky Supreme Court has suspended Northern Kentucky attorney Ben Dusing from practicing law for three years.
Dusing previously represented former Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Pastor and lost a campaign for Kenton County Family Court Judge in 2022. He has been temporarily suspended in both Ohio and Kentucky since then.
The Kentucky Bar Association recommended that the court enact a three-year suspension in 2023, but the suspension began Sept. 26.
The suspension stems from actions Dusing took in family court proceedings between 2019 and 2021 over the custody of his children, according to court documents. The bar association alleges that Dusing committed ethical infractions that would disqualify him from practicing law in the commonwealth.
“On Nov. 2, 2021, Dusing posted a video to Facebook that he acknowledges was ‘crass,’ ‘offensive,’ ‘imprudent,’ and ‘undoubtedly a mistake of judgment,’” the Sept. 26 ruling reads.
In the video, Dusing allegedly threatened violence against court staff member Alice Keys and his former wife’s attorney, Stephanie Dietz, whom Dusing believed had been receiving undue preferential treatment from the court.
The video is no longer available online, but in it Dusing is seated at a desk wearing sunglasses and directly addresses Keys and Dietz. Court documents include a transcript. Dusing spewed profanity and aspersions onto the family court, which he described as “corrupt,” and tells the women to “give me a f*****g reason to f*****g blow your a***s up.”
This comment was preceded by a baiting invitation to “please sue my a**.”
Dusing has been back and forth from Ukraine since his temporary suspension.
“While commendable, although not particularly relevant, Dusing points out to us that he has engaged in some humanitarian work with the citizens of the Ukraine,” the decision reads.
How do you feel about NKY housing? Take this survey
Community leaders are seeking feedback from residents to understand better how Northern Kentucky’s housing stock aligns with residents’ work and lifestyle and what their income allows them to afford across the region.
Leaders are expanding their efforts to gather feedback from residents after the Northern Kentucky Housing Study revealed the need for what they call “income-aligned housing.” This year, leaders have gathered feedback through data walks and listening sessions hosted by Brighton Center and Brighton Properties in partnership with the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and the Northern Kentucky Area Development District.
Now, a survey has been launched for Northern Kentucky residents who cannot attend data walks but still want to provide feedback on the region’s current housing landscape, how it has affected their families and how they hope policymakers will address housing issues going forward.
Residents can provide feedback online through bit.ly/NKYHousingSurvey.
According to the study, the common-
wealth’s eight northernmost counties need to create a combined 6,650 additional housing units beyond currently planned developments to support continued economic growth over the next five years.
Erlanger police find no sign of giant snake after multiple reports
The Erlanger Police Department has stated that “no credible sightings” of a purported large snake in the area of Riggs Avenue and Division Street in Erlanger have been confirmed following citizen reports in late September.
The police described the situation in a statement delivered Sept. 27 on social media. After the reports, the police consulted with a reptile expert who examined tracks in a grassy section of land in the area. The expert, who was not named, said the tracks could “potentially have been created by a large snake.”
The police set up game cameras in the area, but no photos of such a snake have been captured so far. The police said they were actively monitoring the situation and recommended residents generally be on the lookout for such an animal, keep pets leashed, secure any places or materials on their property where the animal might be able to hide and inform their friends, family, and neighbors of the situation.
Anyone who spots such a snake should report it to Erlanger police at 859-727-7599.
Women-owned businesses get new help, resources
from Covington accelerator
Covington-based Aviatra Accelerators, an entrepreneurial nonprofit that supports women-owned startups and small businesses, launched a new accelerator adjacent to the organization’s current offices.
Aviatra has been based at 114 W. Pike St. since 2016. The new accelerator will expand into a neighboring space at 112 W. Pike St. The incubator will provide Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky entrepreneurs with the resources, mentorship and community they need to advance their businesses.
The Aviatra Incubator will offer:
• Below market-rate dedicated office space for six women-owned businesses.
• Co-working space for women business owners.
• Rentable pop-up retail space for women entrepreneurs to showcase their products.
Versatile event space for any company or individual holding meetings, classes, retreats, or other professional gatherings
• Membership in Aviatra’s paid community.
“Our goal is to foster an ecosystem of mutual support and level the playing field for women-owned businesses,” Aviatra CEO Jill Morenz said in a news release. “Many early-stage female entrepreneurs don’t have easy access to the resources they need to start and accelerate their businesses, such as affordable office space, funding opportunities and experienced mentors. The incubator aims to reduce those barriers and address some of the specific challenges women face in entrepreneurship.”
For more information, go to aviatraaccelerators.org/incubator.
Workforce development hits new high with help of community colleges
A report published by the Kentucky Community & Technical College System found that the Bluegrass State had a record year in workforce development.
Workforce Solutions, Kentucky’s primary provider of workforce education, provides customized training to more than 1,700 companies annually. Through a program known as TRAINS, Workforce Solutions trains businesses’ new hires to be more productive faster while helping current workers through opportunities to improve or expand their skills.
During the last fiscal year, KCTCS partnered with Kentucky companies on 339 TRAINS
An exterior view of Aviatra Accelerators. Photo by Maggy McDonel | LINK nky
An overview of the Northern Kentucky Housing Study. Provided | NKYADD
projects, up from 248 last year – a 37% increase. This resulted in $10.87 million in gross revenue generated for the colleges, compared to $8.6 million last year. According to the report, new clients increased 15%, and repeat clients grew 51%.
“As we move forward in the 2024-25 academic year, we will continue growing these relationships and establishing collaborative solutions to solve the workforce challenges of our generation,” KCTCS President Ryan Quarles said in a release.
Gateway Community & Technical College, Northern Kentucky’s KCTCS branch, invested $227,515 in TRAINS projects.
Pilot projects show food service robots may not threaten jobs
Food service workers and economists have long worried about the impact technology would have on restaurant jobs, but recent pilot programs in several fast-casual restaurants have shown it may not have the negative impact they feared.
Food service already has adopted several new technologies, from touch screens for ordering to AI-powered ordering and food prep machines. More recently, it’s become more likely that a robot is playing a part in your food preparation or delivery.
Many are like the “collaborative” robots just rolled out in some Chipotle restaurants in California.
The company is testing the Autocado, which splits and prepares avocados to be turned into guacamole by a kitchen crew member, and the Augmented Makeline, which builds bowls and salads autonomously underneath the food line while employees construct burritos, tacos and quesadillas on top. Chipotle said 65% of its mobile orders are for salads or bowls, and the Augmented Makeline’s aim is improving efficiency and digital order accuracy.
The company said it invested in robotics company Vebu and worked with them on the design for the Autocado, and it invested in food service platform Hyphen, which made the Augmented Makeline for Chipotle.
“Optimizing our use of these systems and incorporating crew and customer feedback are the next steps in the stage-gate process before determining their broader pilot plans,” Curt Garner, Chipotle’s chief customer and technology officer, said in a statement.
The company said the introduction of these robots will not eliminate any jobs. Crew members instead are supposed to have a “cobotic relationship” with them. The aim is that crew members will be able to spend more time on either food prep tasks or on providing hospitality to customers.
Ben Zipperer, a low-wage labor market economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said the early fears around automation and robots threatening jobs in the food service industry are not being realized. Automation has shown to make workers more productive and effective, he said.
Robots have also been shown to make businesses more efficient and profitable, Zipperer siad, which creates an “offsetting demand factor.” That increased demand and profitability can actually help keep the cost of food for customers more affordable, he added.
When one action is freed up by a robot, the restaurant has more freedom to place workers on other high-demand tasks.
“Either those workers are still going to help produce guacamole, because people want to buy more of it,” Zipperer said of the Chipotle announcement, “or there’s other things that that business is trying to produce but can’t allocate the labor towards, even though they have demand for it.”
Zipperer pointed toward automated food purchasing with the use of touchscreen kiosks, which has been widely adopted in fast food service. In these cases, workers get shifted away from cash registers and
toward more back-of-house jobs like food prep or janitorial work.
McDonald’s shows an example of this. The fast food restaurant was one of the earliest adopters of touchscreen kiosks, with thousands of stores using the technology to collect orders by 2015, and screens becoming nearly ubiquitous by 2020.
Last week, the company said the kiosks actually produce extra work for staff, as customers tend to purchase more food than they would at a cash register. The machines have built-in upselling features that cashiers don’t always have time to push with customers, and the introduction of mobile ordering and delivery has created jobs that front-of-house staff are relegated to.
Many fast food CEOs have threatened that raising minimum wages across the U.S. would equate in job loss to autonomous machines and kiosks. And while some franchise owners may take that route, it’s not a trend across the whole country. Jobs at quick-service and fast casual restaurants were up about 150,000 jobs, or 3% above their pre-pandemic levels in August.
As technology takes more of a role in food service production, businesses that want to succeed will find the balance of cost-saving efficiencies and valued work by their employees, Zipperer said.
“As long as there is demand for what that business is producing, that will allow workers to not feel a lot of the negative effects of technology,” he said.
Chipotle is experimenting with a work station that uses automation to assemble salads and bowls underneath the counter while a human worker assembles more complex dishes such as burritos. Provided | Chipotle
1929 craftsman-style home near Devou Park
Address: 1010 Lawton Road, Park Hills
Price: $434,900
Bedrooms: Three
Bathrooms: Two (plus one half-bath)
School district: Kenton County
County: Kenton
Special features: This 1929 craftsman-style Tudor home has a large backyard with a split rail fence, patio and firepit. The living room features a Rookwood gas fireplace, and the open floor plan includes a dining room and office area. The kitchen has been updated with quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances. The home is adjacent to Devou Park and minutes from shopping and schools.
•
•
•
•
•
•
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
An exterior view of this Park Hills home. Photos provided | Patricia Coslett with Huff Realty
This home’s kitchen has been updated.
Haunted Fairgrounds, 6-11 p.m., Kenton County Fairgrounds, 2836 Harris Pike, Independence. Admission ($15) includes live music, activities, craft vendors, and food and beverage trucks. Continues Oct. 12, 18, 19. Information: facebook.com/profile. php?id=10008534668 2049.
Covington Cryptid Block Party, noon6 p.m., Pike Street between Madison an Washington, Covington. Celebration for cryptid fans includes face painting, dancing cryptids and vendors of cryptid-related merchandise. Come in your cryptid costume or gear. Information: m.silberstang@gmail. com or cryptidcov.blog. (See story, Page 1.)
ArtAmplified: LIGHT Community Day, 2-4 p.m., Hotel Covington, 638 Madison Ave., Covington. ArtWorks fundraiser dedicated to enhancing expression and connection through art and partnership. Includes Red Door Project art auction. Information: 513-333-0388, info@ artworkscincinnati.org or artworkscincinnati. org/event/artamplified-light-community-day.
Annual Scholarship Fundraiser, 6-10 p.m., BB Riverboats, 101 Riverboat Row, Newport. Dinner, dancing, live music, scholarship awards and auctions to benefit Black Nurses Association of Greater Cincinnati. Admission: $100. Information: bnagc.org/bnagc-gala-1.
Classifieds
Día de los Muertos, 2-4 p.m., Behringer-Crawford Museum, 1600 Montague Road, Covington. Immerse yourself in rich traditions of the Day of the Dead, celebrated across Latin America. Includes interactive crafts and engaging, family-friendly activities. Free. Information: 859-491-4003, info@ bcmuseum.org or www. bcmuseum.org.
Kenton County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:30 p.m., Kenton County Government Center, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington. Information: kentoncounty. org/calendar.aspx.
Erlanger City Council caucus meeting, 7-8 p.m., Erlanger City Building, 505 Commonwealth Ave., Erlanger. Information: mark. collier@cityoferlanger. com.
Trunk or Treat, 6-8 p.m., Kenton County Detention Center, 3000 Decker Crane Lane, Covington. Children of all ages are invited to the fourth annual event at the detention center. Local organizations and agencies will give out candy to trick-ortreaters in the parking lot, and Holey Donuts will be available for purchase. Information: kentoncounty.org/calendar.aspx.
Florence Business Council, noon-1 p.m., Turfway Park Racing and Gaming, 7500 Turfway Road, Florence. Hear an update on elements of the Boone County Comprehensive Plan. Information: 859-5786399 or business.nkychamber.com/events.
For more events, scan the QR code or visit: https://linknky.com/events/
Job Opportunity: Public Works Laborer
The City of Crescent Springs, Kentucky, is seeking a full-time Public Works Laborer. This role offers a starting pay of $20.00 per hour and a chance to contribute to the maintenance and beautification of our city.
Submit a completed application by October 31, 2024. Resumes are optional. The position will remain open until filled. Visit our website at crescent-springs.ky.us for more information.
Submit applications to: City of Crescent Springs Attn: Tonya Miller, Director 739 Buttermilk Pike Crescent Springs, KY 41017
The City of Crescent Springs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a drug-free workplace.
By Maria Hehman
TGrub for game day or grab and go in Wilder
his Streetscapes, we turn left and right from the Licking Pike exit off I-275. We’ll start with a brewpub, then double back for a new Indian restaurant and end with a local favorite. Join us as we check out three restaurants in Wilder.
Barleycorn’s Brewhouse
Barleycorn’s has long been a Northern Kentucky staple, with locations in the three major counties. It’s known for wings and countless on-tap beer choices. Its newest venture, Barleycorn’s Brewhouse, takes the same great food and atmosphere from its other restaurants and amplifies them by adding in its own house-brewed beers.
Ten brews rotate seasonally. For the fall season, there’s an Oktoberfest, brewed with Vienna and Munich malts to create a balanced blend of flavors. For guests enjoying the spacious patio on warm days, their Schneider’s 85th Anniversary Ale is a great sweet treat to beat the heat. Inspired by the 85th anniversary of Schneider’s Sweets Shops in Bellevue, Barleycorn’s Brewhouse created a beverage that resembles Schnei-
der’s most popular treat, a cherry ice ball – vanilla ice cream topped with a cherry slushie.
Besides beer, Barleycorn’s Brewhouse is also a full service bar with featured cocktails.
For food, the brewhouse has a similar menu to the other Barleycorn’s restaurants. Fans of the Doc style wings, Black N Bleu Burger or their Saratoga chips can munch on their beloved dishes. There also are menu items unique to the brewhouse, like flatbreads. Choose from balsamic Caprese or brewhouse BBQ chicken for sharing over a brew or two.
Barleycorn’s also serves a weekend buffet brunch with an array of options and breakfast booze, including a Mimosa flight. After all, what’s brunch without a mimosa?
Maharaja Indian Restaurant
For all cuisine Indian, Maharaja Indian restaurant has residents of Wilder covered. This addition to the area is the spot to grab and go for a cozy Friday night in. Its menu features traditional Indian favorites like chicken tandoori and saag paneer plus some creative combinations.
Guests who love the creamy flavor of chick-
en tikka masala should try the tikka masala waffle fries, a creative twist on a beloved dish. Nearly every dish is just under $20; naan breads are another $5 – and, let’s be honest, no Indian meal is complete without naan. Choose among traditional, onion, garlic, chicken, aloo (potato) and paneer (cheese) to enhance an already delectable meal.
Don’t forget about drinks. For a refreshing treat, mango lassi – chilled, blended mangos with rose water and fresh yogurt – is the way to go. For something warm and cozy, Maharaja’s special tea or special coffee are brewed with cardamom and milk. They’re comfort in a cup.
You can dine in or carry out. There’s simple but spacious seating inside for guests wanting a quick lunch or relaxed dinner.
Longnecks Sports Grill
For guests wanting a bar atmosphere with restaurant quality food, Longnecks Sports Grill is the answer. The local chain – there are two locations besides Wilder – offers guests a laid-back establishment with great tasting food and plenty of options. Visit on a Bengals Sundey or during a Kentucky basketball game for “the next best thing to being at the game in person.”
For fuel there are wings and burgers for those wanting classic bar grub. Those visiting in a larger group may want to opt for pizzas and calzones. Extra hungry fans can have pot roast, country fried steak, or fish and chips. It’s a rarity to find a sports bar that serves homestyle food, let alone one where those meals are standouts.
Longnecks has seemingly endless libation options. Whether it’s beer, bourbon or Red Bull guests need to power through the game, Longnecks has it.
The spacious outdoor patio is a great escape for a midweek pick-me-up or to celebrate the start of the weekend. Converse with friends over a beer bucket or make new ones cursing at the Bengals. Either way, Longnecks has a spot waiting.
What to Know If You Go
Barleycorn’s Brewhouse
Location: 402 Licking Pike, Wilder
Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.- 11 a.m.
Website: barleycornsbrewhouse.com
Phone: 859-291-2739
Maharaja Indian Restaurant
Location: 1007 Town Drive, Wilder
Hours: Monday, closed; Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Website: maharajaindianrestaurantky. com Phone: 859-279-3663
Longnecks Sport Grill
Location: 1009 Town Drive, Wilder
Hours: Monday, 11-12 a.m.; Tuesday-Saturday, 11-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m.midnight.
Website: longneckssportsgrill.com Phone: 859-291-5664
Barleycorn’s Brewhouse sign from Licking Pike. Photos by Maria Hehman | LINK nky contributor
The outdoor patio at Longnecks is the ideal spot to soak up the final days of summer.
Maharaja Indian Restaurant is the newest restaurant in Wilder.
Elizabeth Kinney
Elizabeth “Libby” Kinney, 79 of Wilder KY passed away on October 3, 2024. She was the daughter of Josephand Elizabeth (Sauerbach) Meyer. Libby was a member of St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church. Shewas preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Brenda Mardis. She enjoyed playing cards and going tobingo. Libby is survived by her husband of 62 years, Ollie “Doug” Kinney. Son, Doug (Sharon) Kinney. Daughters, Denise (Jeff) Afterkirk and Carla (Rick) Newman. Brother, James (Carolyn) Meyer. Sisters, Joann(Jim) Miskanin, Linda (Art) Guy and Deborah (Darwin) Davis. Along with 15 Grandchildren and 32 GreatGrandchildren. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at Cooper Funeral Home from 5pm-8pm. Service will take place on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 10am. Burial will take place immediately followingin Alexandria Cemetery. Cooper Funeral Home is serving the family.
By Marc Hardin
TUnion family travels 15 hours to see son for 4 seconds
hings are looking up for the Murray family from Union.
The lead pilot of the pregame flyover for the Sept. 28 nationally televised Alabama-Georgia college football game was former Ryle football player Vince Murray.
The showdown of nationally ranked Southeastern Conference powers was held at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Alabama won the game, defeating Georgia, 41-34.
The Murrays won the day.
Vince Murray’s parents were in Tuscaloosa to see the flyover, taking a long road trip that began in Union.
“We drove 15 hours round trip to see four seconds,” said Annie Murray, the proud mother of the 35-year-old pilot. “We didn’t see the game. We went for the flyover. And it was totally worth it.”
Vince Murray competed in football, basketball and baseball at Ryle. He continued his college football career at Navy. At the Tuscaloosa event, he flew as a member of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing out of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina. Murray and the Fighter Attack Squadron 542 performed a highly orchestrated flyover at the conclusion of the national anthem that preceded the big game.
“He told us to be there at 7:41 p.m. and 14 seconds, and he nailed it,” said Mrs. Murray. “He said he’s to finish the flyover on the last note of the national anthem, and that’s what he did. The front point of his jet was coming over the stadium on the last note. We were looking up at him just flying by.” It gave them chills.
“It was very fun to see him flying in a jet over such a big game,” Mrs. Murray said. “He was tasked to lead the squadron of four jets. It was amazing.”
Mrs. Murray said it was a special moment that represents the accumulation of a tremendous amount of sacrifice.
“We loved it,” she said. “We really did.”
John Murray said his son was piloting an F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, better known as simply the F-35. The F-35 is the Department of Defense’s most expensive weapon system program. The planes are flown by the Air Force, Marines and Navy. The F-35 jet travels at a maximum speed of about 1,200 mph.
“There were four jets. Vince was in the lead jet, and the other three are part of a different squadron,” Mr. Murray said. “All of them are in the same wing.”
Mr. Murray said his son doesn’t fly just for show. “He received a medal in Iraq in 2018. But he would have to tell you more about that, if he can,” the elder Murray said.
“Unfortunately, Vince is not allowed to comment without going through a lot of bureaucratic stuff,” said Mrs. Murray. “That’s kind of the way the military works.”
The 2nd MAW is the Marine Corps’ major East Coast aviation unit. The wing’s mission is to support the fleet marine force with air operations. This includes offensive air support, anti-air warfare and assault support. Marine pilots undergo the most extensive pilot training of all military branches, including preflight, primary flight and advanced flight training.
Murray is one of more than 60 former Ryle players who went on to play college football. A two-way standout for the Raiders, he played fullback in the power-I for head coach Bryson Warner. He also played linebacker. He received college offers to play linebacker at East Carolina, Eastern Kentucky and Wofford. A member of the 2007 graduation class, Murray is a 2014 inductee into the Ryle athletics hall of fame.
Murray, a 6-foot-1, 217-pound fullback at Navy, started two seasons. He finished with 1,353 yards on 5.4 per carry and nine touchdowns. Murray rushed for 971 yards as a junior. He totaled 589 yards rushing during a four-game stretch vs. SMU, Wake Forest,
Temple and Notre Dame.
“We certainly are proud of him,” said Ryle athletic director Mike Woolf, who coached Murray in high school. “And he comes from a great family.”
In December 2010, Murray was one of 24 Navy seniors receiving service assignments. Graduates of the Naval Academy serve a minimum of five years in the Navy or Marine Corps. Pilots serve eight years upon earning their wings. In 2019, Murray was a captain and pilot training officer with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115. It flies out of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina. He received recognition by his command for exemplary performance and leadership.
“His ardent, avuncular training style makes him approachable as he maintains razor-sharp tactical acumen.” Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 executive officer Maj. Seth Byrum said of Murray. “His contributions to the squadron and the Marine Corps have far exceeded expectations.”
Murray is even more than that.
“He’s our favorite USMC pilot,” Mrs. Murray said. “We love him. We are so proud of him serving our country.”
Ryle Hall of Fame athlete Vince Murray is now a U.S. Marine Corps pilot. Provided | Murray family
St. Henry advances to state golf finals; 4 NKY individuals in
The St. Henry boys golf team and four Northern Kentucky individuals have punched their ticket to Bowling Green for the final rounds of the KHSAA state golf tournament.
The first round of the tournament took place Sep. 30 at Shelbyville Country Club for Regions 5-8.
The Crusaders finished 19-over as a team, good for a 307 and a third-place spot. The top three teams out of the eight-team field advanced along with the next best 15 individuals of the 80-man field.
Ben Carter paced the Crusaders once again, fresh off a Region 7 title. He shot even par 72, good for a tie for sixth. Ben’s brother Will shot 3-over, Parker Isaacs was 5-over and Will Hammond at 11-over to round out the Crusaders’ scoring that counted. Jake Montgomery was the No. 5 man at 15-over.
St. Henry advanced to play in Bowling Green Oct. 8-9 for the second and third round. Ryle finished fourth at 27-over, putting an end to its season as a team. The Raiders got one individual to Bowling Green, a surprising one as seventh grader Hayden Li qualified with a 4-over-par 76.
Bishop Brosart finished tied for sixth at 42over; Highlands finished eighth at 45-over.
The Bluebirds’ Nate Surrey survived a fiveman playoff for the final three individual qualifying spots to advance to Bowling
Green. Surrey finished 5-over on the day.
Campbell County’s Talen Beane also qualified. He was involved in the five-for-three playoff, also finishing at 5-over-par and advancing out of the playoff.
Covington Catholic’s Joseph Mangine was the third man out of the five to qualify from the five-man playoff, also finishing with a 77.
Conner QB Hatfield is the real McCoy, leads region in TDs
Conner quarterback Wyatt Hatfield already has an area-leading 14 rushing touchdowns on the season, ranking first in Class 5A, and has 94 total points. Hatfield scored 13 touchdowns and totaled 80 points all of last season in 11 games, so his production there is way up.
The senior scored four rushing touchdowns while piling up 238 yards on the ground in a win Sept. 20 over Simon Kenton. He scored four TDs and rambled for 168 yards in a victory over Newport Central Catholic the week prior and surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards.
Hatfield had three rushing TDs and 56 yards rushing the week before that in a win vs. Lafayette. He has 11 rushing TDs in his last four games, moving him up the state leaderboard. Hatfield scored Conner’s lone TD while being held to 24 yards rushing in a loss to Ryle. He had two rushing TDs and 90 yards rushing in the season-opening win over Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Through the first six games, Hatfield has accounted for 43% of Conner’s scoring (221 points). The 5-1 Cougars rank among state leaders in scoring margin, outscoring the opposition by 21.2 points per game. Hatfield averages 15.7 points. He ranks 10th in Class 5A and fifth locally with 606 rushing yards. He’s averaging 101 yards per game and needs 656 yards to reach 2,000 in his career. He has passed for a career total of 1,035 yards.
Software glitch gave Colonels extra yards, but rushing record holds
Numbers churned out by the suddenly prolific Covington Catholic football Colonels got so crazy Sep. 20 against Beechwood that their software apparently couldn’t handle the surge.
A rare glitch in the otherwise stellar statistical updates provided by CovCath had some folks looking for the record books. The first CovCath-generated game summary on the night of the game listed a rushing total of 561 yards in the 49-28 win over Beechwood.
The rushing total was subsequently revised to 462 in a second update provided the day after. CovCath’s rushing total changed again to 490 when the KHSAA updates rolled around.
According to CovCath record-keeping, the single-game rushing record is 514 yards against Highlands in 2016. It’s safe for now, but CovCath is averaging 282 rushing yards per game, ranking fifth in Class 4A.
CovCath is one of the few teams that releases statistical summaries immediately after
a football game, and the school has been doing it for years, gaining a well-earned reputation for accuracy.
CovCath said Saturday it’s still trying to solve bugs in its software. The stat crew reviewed the Beechwood game by hand, play by play, to verify the data.
Thursday night lights? Officials shortage spurs football games to move
Nearly 50 football games have been moved to Thursday statewide this season.
Holmes-Covington Catholic and Lloyd Memorial-Newport joined the list on Sep. 26, and Cooper-Conner followed on Oct. 3.
The Northern Kentucky Officials Association has fewer officials than the total number of weekly games scheduled at all playing levels. While the NKOA addresses the shortage, schools have been asked to play more games on Thursday as an alternative to a reduction in gameday crew sizes.
The situation is not unique to Kentucky. The Ohio High School Athletic Association reports a 20% decrease in the number of available officials.
Bellevue Tigers maul former coach in win over Gamble Montessori
After being postponed until after the weekend, Bellevue competed in its first game in three weeks against Gamble Montessori on Sep. 30, shutting out the Gators for a 46-0 victory. It marks the third win for the Tigers (3-1) this season.
Gamble Montessori competes in Ohio Division 5. It’s the second game in the series. Gamble Montessori won last year, 57-8, at Bellevue. The 0-6 Gators are led by former Bellevue head coach Dave Brausch, who is in his first season at Gamble.
Brausch coached Bellevue one season in 2022 and finished 0-9. A coaching veteran of more than 40 years, he enjoyed previous success at Lebanon in Ohio where he led the football team to a 1998 Division II state championship.
The St. Henry boys golf team qualified for the final rounds of the state tournament on Sept. 30 at Shelbyville Country Club. Provided | St. Henry Athletics.
Covington Catholic’s Dylan Gaiser has 654 rushing yards on the season. Provided | Charles Bolton
Conner quarterback Wyatt Hatfield, in white, eludes Newport Central Catholic defenders. rovided | Charles Bolton
Sponsored by
The Walton-Verona girls soccer team is the LINK nky Team of the Week for Sept. 15-21.
