KENTON
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 48 — OCTOBER 27, 2023
THE VOICE OF NKY
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How an off-year election could affect Kentucky’s race for governor By Nathan Granger and Meghan Goth
Y
ou’ve probably heard there’s a gubernatorial election coming up.
But wait. It’s 2023. Why are we voting for governor in an off-year? Kentucky is one of only three states that hold off-year gubernatorial elections. Along with Louisiana and Mississippi, the state’s highest office will be decided during a year when voters won’t already be coming to the polls to cast their ballots for president or congressional races. Which can mean much lower turnout, according to local voting data and former Northern Kentucky University political science professor Ryan Salzman. In the 2019 election, for example, voter turnout was just under 40% in Campbell County, according to data from the state board of elections. But for the presidential race in 2020? Turnout was over 60%. The same holds true at the national level: About 60% of the voting-eligible population casts ballots during presidential elec-
Attorney General Daniel Cameron, left, and Gov. Andy Beshear. Photos by Timothy D. Easley | Associated Press
Continues on page 4
New look, even more great reporting
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ou’ve probably noticed that this week’s issue looks a little different from our previous LINK Readers. The truth is, we never wanted to be a 10-inch-square publication. When we launched the LINK Reader in 2022, we intended to print a paper that looks like the one you are holding in your hands. COVID-19-related paper shortages had a different idea, though.
The May 5, 2023, issue of the LINK Reader shows the previous newspaper format. File photo | LINK nky
Less than a week before our first print edition went to press, our printer told us that it could not source enough paper for the larger-size newspaper we wanted. So, being
LINK, we pivoted, redesigning our entire paper to be smaller and more square. We changed how our covers were designed and made sure the content we had would fit into the new space.
How much power does governor of Kentucky actually have p6
Two years later, the paper supply chain has finally settled down, and we’re able to bring you a larger, more newspaper-y newspaper. We’ve also chosen to upgrade the paper stock of the Reader, which makes our photos and text sharper, crisper and more vibrant.
Here's what to expect to see on your ballot on Nov. 7 p18
We hope you are as excited as we are about this evolution of our print product. All our weekly papers, from today forward, will be this new size, which allows us to tell even more stories about the community we love: Northern Kentucky.
Your guide to navigating the holidays Starts on p20
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INK nky opened its doors two years ago with a clear mission: Give a voice to our community and tell the stories that matter.
Since Oct. 27, 2021, we’ve: • Written more than 8,500 stories. • Printed and delivered more than 1.6 million newspapers. • Recorded nearly 400 podcast episodes. • Sent almost 500 email newsletters. • Covered nearly 1,500 high school and college sporting events. • Reported on every contested local election. And we’ve done it all because we believe Northern Kentucky’s stories need to be told.
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Continued from page 1
tions, according to Fair Vote, a nonprofit that advocates for electoral reform. That drops to 40% for midterm elections. In a regular election year, people canvassing for a presidential or congressional candidate could also be given materials for a state race. “You’re able to take advantage of these electoral machines that are going,” Salzman said. “When you have an election in an odd year, there are only these few offices that are up, and that means that these campaigns have to do it all by themselves.” On the other hand, having only a few campaigns running means they won’t get lost in the noise and dominance of federal and state legislative elections. This, too, can be a double-edged sword. Because there are fewer races, people pay less attention. “You can’t piggyback, basically, on other races that are going on, on other get-outthe-vote campaigns that are happening lo-
cally and nationally,” Salzman said. “When you have mayors and judge/execs and state senators and the president all running, there’s a general wave and general momentum.”
secretary of state if the election was held in an even election year, because then you would appear twice on the ballot.”
vote.ky.gov or contact their county clerk’s office to find out if they are eligible to vote absentee. Here’s a rundown of when and where you can cast your ballot in Kentucky:
On Nov. 7, other races Kentickians will be casting votes for are lieutenant governor (as part of the gubernatorial ticket), attorney general, secretary of state, agriculture commissioner, auditor and treasurer.
In 1872, the U.S. Congress moved to standardize elections for the House of Representatives. Over time, most states followed suit as a time- and cost-saving measure, Northwestern University Ph.D. history student Gideon Cohn-Postar told NPR in a story about off-year elections.
Why does Kentucky hold off-year elections?
But a few held out. Kentucky was one of those states.
One key reason is that Kentucky laws prohibit a candidate from appearing more than once on a ballot. Running in an offyear allows someone already in office to run for a different office without risk.
And while Frank Mathias, author of “Gubernatorial Politics in Kentucky,” told NPR that the change to odd-year elections in Kentucky was to “end the confusion of gubernatorial and presidential races at the same time,” it has had a clear impact on the numbers.
“It enables candidates who would be up normally for re-election to run for these races without giving up their seat,” Salzman said. “If you are a state representative and you have to run every two years, it would be impossible for you to run for governor or
Turnout for the primaries in 2019 averaged 12% in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, according to state election data; for the presidential election primary, turnout averaged 26.5%. In both Boone and Kenton counties, voter turnout in the 2019 general election was about 40%. In 2020? It was just short of 60%. What to know before you cast your ballot During the pandemic, states got creative about providing options and workarounds for voters. For the most part, elections have returned to pre-pandemic voting options, but some changes have become permanent. “What has changed due to the pandemic is early voting,” Salzman said. “We had instituted multiple weeks for early voting during the 2020 election, but then the Legislature adopted standing early-voting days in the aftermath of the pandemic. It’s three days – Thursday, Friday and Saturday – prior to the election.”
Voters cast their ballots at the Union firehouse in May. Photo by Abigail Shoyat | LINK nky contributor
4 OCTOBER 27, 2023
“No-excuse absentee” status has gone away, but a person can request an excused absentee ballot for a number of reasons, including being disabled, in the military, living overseas, a college student living on campus and many more situations. While the time to request an absentee ballot for the primary has passed, voters can visit go-
Absentee Voting Any resident from any county who wishes to vote using an absentee ballot can request a ballot by visiting govote.ky.gov and clicking on the first option on the menu. The website also has information about polling locations, registration status and sample ballots. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot was Oct. 24 at 11:59 p.m. Absentee ballots must be received by local boards of election by 6 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted. Northern Kentucky residents who wish to vote by mail should follow the instructions given to them in the ballot packets they receive in the mail upon making a ballot request. Residents can also drop their absentee ballots into marked drop boxes at the locations below if they would rather not mail their ballots. Boone County absentee ballot drop boxes: • Boone County Clerk’s Office, 2950 Washington St., Burlington • Florence Government Center, 8100 Ewing Blvd., Florence Campbell County absentee ballot drop box: • Campbell County Clerk’s Office, 8330 W. Main St., Alexandria Kenton County absentee ballot drop boxes: • Kenton County Government Center, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington • Historic Kenton County Courthouse, 5272 Madison Pike, Independence Excused Early Voting Excused in-person voting refers to casting an absentee ballot in person, rather than submitting it via mail or dropping it in a drop box. In order to cast an in-person absentee ballot, a person must meet the normal requirements for casting a mail-in ballot, such as living outside of one’s county of permanent residence or being actively deployed in military service.
Northern Kentucky residents can cast absentee ballots in person at the following locations. Boone County excused in-person voting: • Boone County Clerk’s Office Registration Department, 2950 Washington St., Burlington, from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1 during normal business hours, which are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Campbell County excused in-person voting: • Campbell County Administration Building, 1098 Monmouth St., Newport, from Oct. 25-Nov. 1 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Kenton County excused in-person voting: • Kenton County Government Center, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington, on Oct. 25, 26, 27, 30, 31 and Nov. 1 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Normal Early Voting Not eligible for an absentee ballot? That’s OK; residents can still vote early in their county of residence at one of the locations below. Residents can vote at any of the locations in their county. Boone County early voting: • Boone County Enrichment Center, lower level, 1824 Patrick Drive, Burlington • Thursday, Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Friday, Nov. 3 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Saturday, Nov. 4 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Campbell County residents can vote early at the following locations from Nov. 2-4 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.: • Campbell County Administration Building, 1098 Monmouth St., Newport • Cold Spring Branch of First Baptist Church, 4410 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring • Southern Campbell County Fire Department, 1050 Race Track Road, Alexandria Kenton County residents can vote early at the following locations from Nov. 2-4 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.: • Kenton County Library Covington Branch, 502 Scott St., Covington • Lakeside Christian Church, 195 Buttermilk Pike, Lakeside Park • Kenton County Government Center, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington • Calvary Baptist Church, 3711 Tibbatts St., Covington • Independence Senior Center, 2001 Jackwoods Parkway, Independence
process, said Shane Noem, chairman of the Kenton County Republican Party. “Poorer counties will purchase more prosperous counties’ old equipment to save money,” he said. “All the machines used in Kentucky are safe, secure and are not connected to the Internet.” Beyond equipment and location, administration of the election is another critical factor. That’s where poll workers, also known as precinct election officers, come in. Qualified registered voters, these workers are hired, trained and paid by each county. They must be at least 18 and cannot be candidates or relatives of a candidate on the ballot in that precinct. Poll workers are in high demand. Elections run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on election day, and poll workers are required to be on-site all day. To learn more about becoming a poll worker, visit your county’s website or go to elect.ky.gov and click on the Voters tab. Kentucky law also provides for “poll challengers” to be present at the polls. “It allows for political parties or candidates to go into the polls and watch and challenge something if they see something off,” Noem said. “In my opinion, it’s kind of redundant with poll workers, because poll workers are also designated by political parties to go work in the polls. If they see something, they have even more authority.” Challengers, on the other hand, are very limited, he said. “You can’t touch a book, you can’t talk to anybody. You can observe and then file a report with the county clerk. Really, what those positions are used for is getting estimates on how many people have voted.” Who can vote? In Kentucky, most citizens over the age of 18 can vote. Those who turn 18 by the general election may vote in the primary. A photo ID is required. Laws have changed to restore the right to vote to people who have been incarcerated for certain crimes. In the past, the only option to regain the right was to petition the governor.
A ballot box at the Kenton County Courthouse. Photo by Robin Gee | LINK nky
tuckians who do not have the right to vote because they have a felony in their background, that is not grassroots power, that’s suppressing grassroots power.” To learn more, visit civilrightsrestoration@ ky.gov. A call to your county clerk’s office can tell you if your rights have been restored. Getting to the polls and more information Kentuckians for the Commonwealth provides rides to the polls on Election Day. To set up a ride or to volunteer to drive people to the polls, visit kftc.org/rides to sign up.
For more information on the upcoming primary and general elections, visit govoteky.com. See also the League of Women Voters website at Vote411.org or the KFTC Voter Guide at kentuckyelection.org. To find out where to vote, check the website of your county clerk’s office. You will need your precinct number, which the office can help you find. For additional questions, call the Kentucky State Board of Elections at 502-573-7100. Robin Gee contributed to this report
“It was a person-by-person project,” said Jason Worms, a volunteer with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC), a statewide organization devoted to promoting voting and democracy.
How we vote
“In 2019, Gov. (Andy) Beshear signed an executive order that automatically restored voting rights for people who had certain criminal records,” he said. “If they had finished their sentences, they automatically had their rights restored. They did not have to petition the government.”
The question of which voting machines and paper ballots are used falls to the county boards of elections, with approval by the state.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, 175,000 people who have served their time for felony convictions are eligible to vote.
Counties are in charge of their own election equipment, and they are required by law to use a public bidding, request-for-proposal
“One of KFTC’s biggest pillars is grassroots power,” said Worms. “From KFTC’s perspective, when you have thousands of KenOCTOBER 27, 2023 5
How does the role of governor affect me in NKY? By Mark Payne
across the statewide constitutional offices, undercut some of the reasons why governors could dominate the state.”
I
n the spring of 2023, Gov. Andy Besher vetoed the controversial Senate bill 150 – which, among other things, bans gender-affirming care for those under 18 and dictates how schools and teachers can address sex education and gender identity.
Voss thinks that if a Republican wins the office in November, the power that has shifted toward the Legislature and other constitutional seats – attorney general, agriculture commissioner, secretary of state, state auditor, treasurer – could be transferred back toward the governor’s office.
Just a few days later, the Legislature overrode his vetoes. And so the law went into effect in March, with many Northern Kentucky school leaders having discussions about how it will impact the way they interact with students. “I really feel like if you keep the focus on what’s best for the kid, regardless of what the policy is, you’re going to do what’s right by them,” Ludlow Superintendent Mike Borchers said. With Republicans holding supermajorities in both the Senate and the House, the Legislature yields some control over the governor, according to University of Kentucky political science professor Stephen Voss. However, he said that Kentucky governors have historically held more power than their peers in other states. “The most important source of gubernatorial strength has been the short legislative sessions required by Kentucky’s constitution, combined with the governor’s monopoly over when the state can hold special sessions and what legislation those sessions could consider,” he said. However, during Beshear’s tenure – with supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature – Republicans have dictated more of the legislative agenda than usual in the state. During the 2022 legislative session, they upstaged the governor by releasing their budget ahead of Beshear – a first in Kentucky history. “Kentucky governors do have one major limitation on their power, which is that veto overrides only require majority support in the legislative chambers,” Voss said. “Now that the governor represents a different party from the Legislature, veto overrides suddenly have become a major feature in Kentucky politics, eroding gubernatorial
6 OCTOBER 27, 2023
The Kentucky governor’s mansion. Photo provided | governorsmansion.ky.gov
power compared to when the governor was the highest-ranking member of the party controlling the legislative branch.” That is why, despite Beshear’s veto of SB 150, the law went into effect in the spring and schools across Northern Kentucky are now making sure they adhere to the new mandates with kids back in school. Another SB 150 policy deals with allowing parents to challenge the presence of controversial books in schools. “I’ve had several parents, staff members, concerned members of the community reach out about these particular policies,” Covington Independent School Board President Tom Haggard told LINK nky. “It’s just general concerns that we continue to target a particularly vulnerable community, and policies like this just continue to exacerbate differences between students, which we really don’t need to do.”
amendment – they were left on the sidelines until the Legislature could reconvene. “For most of the year, Kentucky governors could exploit their discretion, especially their emergency powers, to set policy without needing to consult with elected representatives,” Voss said. “Kentucky’s part-time legislators typically lack both the resources and the time necessary to rival the executive branch’s policy knowledge and influence. “Kentucky’s legislative branch periodically tries to gain some policy leverage over the governor, for example, by funding a relatively professional Legislative Research Commission and by organizing interim committees so that they will be ready to hit the ground running when legislative sessions officially start.”
During the last two legislative sessions, Republicans have exerted control, overriding the governor’s veto on major legislation – with SB 150 as one example, along with an omnibus abortion bill.
But for the first time, in 2022, Republicans saw statewide party registration flip over Democrats. Typically, the latter party has held power in Kentucky, though Kentucky Democrats have been more conservative than elsewhere in the country. Kentucky Democrats have traditionally been anti-abortion, for example.
Beshear, on the other hand, exercised his power during the pandemic when he issued executive orders to close businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With legislators unable to call themselves back into session – something they attempted to change via a failed 2022 constitutional
“The governor’s lopsided power mostly relied on the same party, generally the Democratic Party, dominating the statewide elected offices and the General Assembly,” Voss said. “Kentucky’s recent shift toward divided government, not just between the executive and legislative branch but also
“Republican legislators have used their supermajority to pass legislation that shifts the balance of power in their direction, but so far they have used their new strength modestly, overruling Gov. Beshear on specific policies but only eroding the power of the governor’s office modestly,” Voss said. “Should a Republican take the governor’s mansion, I would expect that we will see the pendulum shift back toward strong governors, although probably not to what Kentucky used to have in the late 20th century.” Another issue likely to affect Northern Kentucky when it comes to the governor’s race is charter schools. In 2022, the Legislature passed a charter school funding mechanism bill that also determined that two areas in the state would get pilot charter schools – Northern Kentucky and Louisivlle. During the 2023 general election, local and outside groups have attacked Beshear over school choice and charter schools. Beshear vetoed the charter school funding bill in 2022 and said charter schools create “potential haves versus have-nots.” But, the Legislature overrode Beshear’s veto, and the project in NKY moved forward until Northern Kentucky University declined to be the authorizer, leaving the project in limbo. Beshear’s opponent, Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, has said that he supports school choice and boosting public education – two ideas that Democrats say can’t coexist, he argues.
O
NKY is ground zero for ‘school choice’ in governor race
utside Student Union Room 107A at Northern Kentucky University last December, public educators from around the region spoke animatedly in groups after the university's board of regents declined to vote on whether it would become an authorizer for the region's impending charter school. Authorizers are the institutions that can approve, deny and oversee charter schools. House Bill 9 from the 2022 legislative session named Northern Kentucky and Louisville to be part of the state’s charter school pilot program — the bill also provided a funding mechanism for charter schools in the state. The Dayton Independent School District and the Council for Better Education filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the funding bill, as they argue it would take public, taxable dollars and spend them on private schools. The scene after the meeting contrasted with the absolute silence moments before when Board Chair Rich Boehne requested a motion to vote on the resolution to become the authorizer. After he repeated the call three times for a motion and no regent came forward, the board declined to conduct a vote. Just days after NKU's decision, the state Supreme Court ruled a tax credit scholarship program was unconstitutional because it would have sent taxable funding to private schools, the court argued. Those were two major blows for school choice advocates in the region and state. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said at the time that allowing charter schools would create "potential haves versus have-nots." That starkly contrasts with what his opponent, GOP nominee Attorney General Daniel Cameron, has said about public schools and school choice. When asked his thoughts on charter schools, Cameron's campaign pointed to the "Cameron Catch-Up Plan," which he said will make historic investments in public education and support school choice. Cameron has argued in several stump speeches in the region that both improvements in public education and school choice can exist.
"We can deliver historic investments in public education while also expanding opportunity and choice for our kids," Cameron said. He also used those words at a campaign stop in Boone County in early June, saying he wants to "expand opportunity and choice for our students." At another stop in Kenton County in May, at a meeting of the Covington Optimist Club at PeeWee's in Crescent Springs, he told the audience that Democrats give the idea that there can't be school choice and improvements to public education at the same time – something he said is possible. "I think we need to provide the most opportunities for parents and kids to make decisions about their educational opportunities," Cameron said before pointing to Florida, where he said Gov. Ron DeSantis – also a GOP presidential candidate – has raised teacher salaries and expanded school choice. Northern Kentucky will also see big money spent locally and statewide over school choice and charter schools. Both topics will be dominating issues in this year's governor's race and in Northern Kentucky for the foreseeable future. Speaking at the NKU Board of Regents meeting last December, Greg Fischer of Fischer Homes (Fischer is also the chair of LINK nky's managing board) said that he, along with a group of community leaders, had raised an initial $2 million for the Northern Kentucky Education Task Force – now Educate NKY, a program part of OneNKY Alliance, which also started LINK nky – and hoped to raise $20 million. Fischer urged NKU's board of regents to accept the role as authorizer and told the regents that the newly formed group would leverage the group's $2 million in funding to help NKU through the process if it accepted the role as charter school authorizer. "We can ensure our region is in a position to optimize its options, including public, charter, private and alternative options," Fischer said. "Those opportunities include leveraging federal, state and local funding, organizational support and expertise." How else does NKY play in the governor's race? The night before Fancy Farm – Kentucky's
annual political picnic – Democrats gathered at the Marshall County Mike Miller Bean Dinner, with Beshear headlining the list of speakers who are running for the state's other constitutional seats. As the highest-ranking official in the state's Democratic party, Beshear touted the state's economic record and his navigation of the state through a pandemic and two natural disasters.
sibility for the project. Bu, during the passage of the bill, members of the Legislature were meeting with Beshear's administration, chiefly Rocky Adkins, Beshear's senior adviser and former legislator known to cross the aisle to get things done. Publicly, the project has appeared to be very bipartisan.
"But even with the historic level of adversity in such a short period of time, I'm here tonight with a message of hope, because I've never been as optimistic and excited about what's to come in Kentucky," Beshear said.
In February 2022, Beshear stood on a stage at the Covington Convention Center with Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and said he wanted to break ground on the project in 2023 – an election year.
Further, he said the Republican party is working to sow division.
Eleven months later, in January 2023, Beshear, along with President Joe Biden, DeWine, Sen. Mitch McConnell, former Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, stood along the banks of the Ohio in front of the ailing Brent Spence Bridge as Biden announced $1.6 billion in federal infrastructure money for the new bridge.
"We see the fostering of anger," Beshear said, before using a common trope among politicians that "this is the most important election of our lifetime" and pointing to the 2019 election, when he defeated Republican incumbent Bevin and assumed office just before the COVID-19 pandemic. "We thought that race was about right vs. wrong," Beshear said. "Turns out it was about life vs. death." He also used both of his weekend speeches to highlight what's going to be one of the most important Northern Kentucky talking points in the race – the overhaul of the Brent Spence Bridge without relying on tolls. "We're getting the biggest projects done in our history," Beshear said. "We're four-laning Mountain Parkway, building the Brent Spence Bridge without tolls and moving I-69 forward all at the same time." For Beshear and Northern Kentucky, a signature part of Beshear's re-election campaign in the region is promoting the Brent Spence Bridge without tolls. But for Republicans, it's another example of Beshear taking credit for something he had little to do with, according to Cameron. "The project was funded through a piece of federal legislation that Andy Beshear had nothing to do with," Cameron said. Cameron is referring to the federal infrastructure bill that Congress passed. The Kentucky Legislature provided roughly $250 million in matching funds, along with Ohio, to further stimulate the funding pos-
Just a few hours later, in the Kentucky House chambers in Frankfort, Beshear again touted the bridge's funding during his State of the Commonwealth address. In late July, Beshear stood at the overlook in Devou Park and announced the design partners for the project. When asked whether breaking ground on the project in 2023 is important to his re-election, he turned to DeWine and quipped, "There's an election this year?" The audience laughed, but Beshear said he thought it was important to get the project completed and not let politics get in the way. But, he said, "I certainly hope it doesn't hurt.” Cameron, too, said he realizes the importance of the project. "I'll continue to support the Brent Spence Bridge and work with members of our federal delegation and the General Assembly to fund infrastructure investments that make Kentucky a more attractive place to work and live," Cameron said.
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What does the secretary of state do in Kentucky? By Mark Payne
D
espite saying publicly that there are widespread election fraud issues involving a recount in Campbell County in 2022, two Northern Kentucky political candidates provided testimony that said there wasn’t. That contradiction led Campbell County Judge Daniel Zalla to point to it in a ruling certifying election results in the Senate District 24 Republican primary last year. The testimony from former Secretary of State candidate Stephen Knippper and former Senate District 24 candidate Jessica Neal was in response to a recount effort from Neal, a former candidate in the Senate District 24 Republican primary and a member of the Campbell County Republican Party’s election integrity committee, who has pushed conspiracy theories about elections in Kentucky and their potential for fraud. Neal’s efforts mirrored a few other recount cases statewide, and the team in charge of litigating against those false claims was made up of attorneys from the state board of elections, which is chaired by Kentucky’s secretary of state. As the chief election officer in the commonwealth, the secretary of state is responsible for fighting back against those claims.
8 OCTOBER 27, 2023
“Most notably, the secretary of state is the chief election official. All statewide (and) judicial (candidates) or candidates who represent more than one county must file with the office in order to run,” said Michon Lindstrom, who currently serves as communications director in the secretary of state’s office. “In addition, the secretary of state serves as chair of the State Board of Elections.” Since 2020, when former President Donald Trump falsely claimed that the election was stolen from him, claims about the integrity of the U.S. election system have taken the spotlight, and now secretaries of state are charged with fighting against a rash of misinformation. “The secretary of state and (his or her) employees spend a lot of their time correcting or dispelling misinformation,” Lindstrom said. “The disinformation about the election process that has gained prominence since 2020 has elevated the position of SOS to become more notable. It is important that the public know the SOS and other election officials are the only source of trusted election information.” The secretary of state is also tasked with being an actual secretary. They are responsible for keeping a register of all official acts of Kentucky’s governor – it’s called the executive journal. “The executive journal contains pardons,
A voter casts their ballots on Election Day. Photo by Abigail Shoyat | LINK nky contributor
restorations of civil rights, requisitions and extraditions, appointments, proclamations and reorganizations,” Lindstrom said. The role also includes acting as the filing agent for legislation passed into law by the Kentucky Legislature and signed by the governor. The Legislature can also pass
legislation into law if it has enough numbers to override a governor’s veto or the governor doesn’t sign a bill, and it automatically becomes law. Lastly, all businesses in the commonwealth must register and renew their registration with the secretary of state’s office.
Who are the candidates for secretary of state?
Secretary of State Michael Adams. Photo provided | Michael Adams
I
n the summer of 2022, former Republican Senate candidate Jessica Neal challenged the election results that showed her finishing second in the Republican primary. “It was a pretty close race, and I firmly believe in making sure we have secure elections,” Neal, of Campbell County, said of her reasoning for a recount. But current Secretary of State Michael Adams, also a Republican, called Neal’s efforts “frivolous.” “If Ms. Neal had evidence of impropriety, she could provide it to the court, law enforcement and election officials, but she has failed to do so,” Adams said at the time. “She should not bring a frivolous lawsuit to challenge an election whose outcome she admits will not change.” Neal lost her battle in court after a judge dismissed her claims and said that what Neal said under oath was drastically different from the false claims she spread about issues with Kentucky’s election system. Hers wasn’t the only battle in Kentucky last year, even when candidates lost by wide margins. Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer (R-Alexandria) beat Neal 4,094 to 3,787, but a similar case in Oldham County saw a candidate lose 68% to 32%. The challenges to election results in Kentucky mirrored those around the country, as far-right Republicans continue to cast doubt on America’s election systems. It’s a common refrain among former supporters of former President Donald Trump after he claimed that he lost the 2020 presidential election due to impropriety. As Kentucky’s chief election official, the Secretary of State is tasked with batting back these claims, and it’s something that
Buddy Wheatley. Photo provided | Wheatley campaign
Adams has focused on in his first term and said it’s something he’ll do in his second term. “Because of my strong record on election integrity – passing and implementing Photo ID to Vote, cleaning up the voter rolls, transitioning the state to paper ballots that can be audited, and more – I’m a proven conservative uniquely positioned to push back on false claims of voter fraud from the far right,” Adams said. “As the first Secretary of State in Kentucky history to expand voter access, I’m also uniquely positioned to knock down false claims of voter suppression from the far left, whether it’s Lebron James, Hillary Clinton, or Buddy Wheatley.” Buddy Wheatley, a Democrat from Covington, is Adams’s opponent. The former House representative from Covington, who previously served as a Covington fire chief and later a litigator, lost his re-election bid in 2022 to Rep. Stephanie Dietz (R-Edgewood). Wheatley, too, said he would combat disinformation if elected to the position. “There has been no proof of interference in Kentucky’s elections,” Wheatley said. “I know that trust in our democracy is important to its survival, and I will always stand up to anyone who sows disbelief. I’ll also work to upgrade outdated election hardware to further protect Kentucky’s elections.” Adams’s reference to the “far left” also includes Wheatley after the Kenton County Democrats voted to remove its representative to the county board of elections.
“These individuals are being put on trial for not being partisan enough, and I think it’s inappropriate,” Adams said at the time. “I thought it was inappropriate when we got that request from another county party of the other party last year.” Adams further said that Wheatley was behind the move – something Democrats and Wheatley said was false. Wheatley further claimed that Adams wasn’t standing up to election deniers in his own party and even represented them in his private law practice. “Michael Adams claims to disagree with election deniers, but he continues to actively represent election deniers in his law practice at Chalmers & Adams, profiting off of their rhetoric. I will stand up to anyone who lies about our elections, and I will work on behalf of all, and only, Kentuckians when I am in office, and not for one party or another.” But Adams said he always puts voters first and will take on whomever to ensure that Kentuckians know the truth about the state’s election process. “I called out the far left when they targeted us in 2020 with their ‘All Eyes on Kentucky’ misinformation campaign, and I do the same with cranks that promote falsehoods about our ballot scanners being connected to the internet,” Adams said. “Although I paid a price for that by drawing a primary challenge, my overwhelming renomination in May’s primary, in which I won 64% of the vote and carried 116 of 120 counties, shows that the vast majority of Republicans back my approach.”
The measure went to the state board, where Adams, who serves as the board chair, argued that the move was partisan and wouldn’t stand for it. OCTOBER 27, 2023 9
What does an attorney general do, and how does the position impact me? By Kenton Hornbeck
well as how their decisions can directly affect the lives of Northern Kentuckians.
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his election season, the commonwealth of Kentucky’s chief law officer position is up for grabs.
What are the duties of attorney general? The Kentucky Supreme Court established that the attorney general’s primary obligation is to the people of Kentucky, not any one branch of government. As the Bluegrass State’s chief legal officer, the attorney general has responsibility for a wide range of legal matters.
Current Attorney General Daniel Cameron is the Kentucky Republican Party’s nominee for governor. He will face Democrat incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear in the November election. Cameron chose not to seek re-election for attorney general, instead shifting his focus toward his gubernatorial campaign. Cameron was first named acting attorney general in 2019 after then-Attorney General Beshear announced his campaign for governor that year. He was then elected as attorney general in 2020, defeating Democrat Greg Stumbo.
“The attorney general essentially has two roles: They are the chief law officer of the state of Kentucky, and also the chief law enforcement officer of Kentucky,” said Amye Bensenhaver – a retired Kentucky assistant attorney general who worked in the office’s open records department for 25 years. Throughout her career, she authored numerous open-records and open-meeting decisions.
This election cycle, the attorney general’s race is a faceoff between Democrat Rep. Pamela Steveson and Republican attorney Russell Coleman. The Democrat and Republican primaries were both canceled due to a lack of challengers.
That means the attorney general serves as the chief law officer for all of Kentucky’s public departments, commissions, agencies and political subdivisions. Additionally, the attorney general serves as the primary legal adviser of all state officers, departments, commissions and agencies.
There are a variety of pressing issues on the ballot this November, including those related to open records, consumer protection and the LGBTQ community. When casting your ballot, LINK nky wants readers to be aware of the position’s responsibilities, as
When requested, the attorney general must write legal opinions to advise state government officials and agencies regard-
ing the law. While these written opinions do not have the force of law, public officials are expected to follow them. Formal opinions are reviewed and represent the official position of the Attorney General’s Office. “In the past, (there have been) thousands of opinions over time that were advisory, but that were frequently treated, and the courts have treated them too, with great respect because they do reflect the considered judgment of experts,” Bensenhaver said. Besides legal advice and representation, the attorney general is the state’s chief prosecutor. The attorney general is responsible for prosecuting cases related to crimes like Medicaid fraud, public corruption and corporate environmental violations. The attorney general also represents Kentucky in civil litigation, which includes defending the state in lawsuits and suing parties on behalf of the state. According to Bensenhaver, an often-unheralded responsibility of the attorney general is protecting consumers from fraudulent and deceptive business practices.
also something that resonates,” Bensenhaver said. Recent electoral history of the office Over the years, the position of Kentucky attorney general has been increasingly seen as a launching pad for politicians with gubernatorial aspirations, according to Bensenhaver. “It’s a political office, and it tends to be a stepping stone,” Bensenhaver said. “Typically, they’re not satisfied. They are seeking a higher office.” There has been a former attorney general run for governor in each election since 2015 regardless of party affiliation. Democrat Jack Conway started the trend in 2015 when he announced his candidacy for governor after fully serving two terms in the office. Ultimately, he was defeated by Republican Matt Bevin. Incumbent Beshear was then elected as attorney general in 2015. He served one full term. In 2019, he announced his campaign for governor. He defeated Bevin. Now, Cameron is the latest attorney general to throw his hat in the ring for governor.
“Consumer protection day-to-day is an extremely important part of that office. It’s
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Meet the candidates running for Kentucky attorney general By Kenton Hornbeck
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his November’s attorney general race pits state Rep. Pamela Stevenson (D-Louisville) against former U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman (R).
Current Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced his candidacy for governor earlier this year, leaving the office up for grabs. Attorney generals can only serve two consecutive terms of four years. Both Stevenson and Coleman are newcomers to constitutional office elections. This race is each candidate’s first time vying for a statewide executive office. Pamela Stevenson (D) Before entering politics, Stevenson served as a U.S. Air Force judge advocate general for 27 years. She obtained both her bachelor’s and juris doctor degrees from Indiana University, Bloomington. She founded the Stevenson Law Center in 2015 – a firm that focused on legal representation pro bono for senior citizens and veterans. Additionally, she also taught at the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law as an adjunct professor. Stevenson first decided to run for elected office in 2020, replacing Rep. Charles Booker, who campaigned for U.S. Senate. She handily won her primary election by approximately seven percentage points, then ran unopposed in the general election. Stevenson first launched her campaign for attorney general last November. She is the first African-American woman to be nominated for the office. In her own words, Stevenson described herself as an attorney general that would fight for all Kentuckians. “Kentuckians deserve an attorney general that fights for them, stands for them and does all the things that will make them thrive. If this is truly to be a cover of government for the people, by the people, to serve the people, then the office of attorney general must be the people’s attorney,” Stevenson said. Stevenson outlined the core issues of her campaign as securing abortion rights, addressing the opioid crisis, increasing access to drug treatment and mental health services, and cracking down on drug dealers, gun runners and human traffickers. In a phone interview with LINK nky, she described Russell Coleman’s political outlook as similar to that of Sen. Mitch McConnell. “They’re cut from the same cloth,” Stevenson said. Stevenson criticized Coleman’s stance on abortion, saying that the Republican was against abortion in all circumstances, including rape or incest. “The government has no business being in a doctor’s room with a patient as they decide how they’re going to take care of their body,” Stevenson said. “Some of the issues, because they are leveraging these cultural wars, that do not feed children, that do not bring any economic prosperity.”
Pamela Stevenson. Photo provided | Stevenson campaign
In July, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported that Stevenson is not licensed to practice law in Kentucky but is in Indiana. This has opened her candidacy up to attacks from her opponent and Republicans around the state. Stevenson’s campaign told LINK nky that she is currently on track to be licensed in Kentucky, and pointed to the fact that she already passed the Kentucky Bar Association ethics test with a score of 98 out of 150. The threshold to pass is an 80.
Russell Coleman. Photo provided | Coleman campaign
there,” Coleman said. “When I served as U.S. attorney for the Western District, I brought every local, state and federal law enforcement agency together to take criminals off the streets and put them behind bars where they belong. That’s exactly what I’ll do again as attorney feneral.”
“My opponent has never practiced law in the commonwealth of Kentucky and has no meaningful relationships with law enforcement,” he said. “Kentucky families would suffer the consequences by putting an inexperienced radical liberal in this office.”
Coleman has criticized Stevenson for her lack of experience practicing law in Kentucky.
Coleman also is critical of President Joe Biden. During his Fancy Farm speech, Coleman said the modern Democratic Party has abandoned conservative values.
Russell Coleman (R) Coleman has a legal career that spans across the public and private sectors. After earning his bachelor’s and juris doctor degrees from the University of Kentucky, Coleman joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he investigated national security, white collar and violent crimes. In 2008, Coleman discovered he had a rare medical disorder that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He promptly resigned from the FBI to focus on his health. After undergoing rehabilitation, he worked as legal counsel for McConnell in Washington, D.C. He then returned to the private sector, working at Louisville firm Frost Brown Todd from 2015 to 2017. Later in 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Coleman to be U.S. attorney for Kentucky’s Western District – a region that includes Louisville, Bowling Green, Paducah and Owensboro. While in the role, he focused on tackling violent crime and the opioid epidemic. As a candidate, Coleman’s website characterizes him as an experienced “pro-life, pro-family conservative Republican.” In an email interview with LINK nky, Coleman said “catching violent criminals and drug pushers” would be among his top priorities. “My position is simple: I generally believe that violent criminals belong in jail, and I’ve spent much of my career putting them OCTOBER 27, 2023 11
What is an auditor of public accounts? By Haley Parnell
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urrent Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts Mike Harmon, a Republican from Boyle County, is term-limited after serving two consecutive terms. Two candidates – current Kentucky Treasurer Allison Ball, a Republican, and Democrat Kim Reeder – are vying for office. The auditor is responsible for conducting financial and performance audits of state agencies, local governments and special
districts – essentially any public or private entities that receive state funds, including school districts and prisons. Additionally, the auditor investigates allegations of fraud, waste and abuse of public resources and provides recommendations for improving government operations and accountability. The auditor is elected to a four-year term and can only serve two consecutive terms. “So, the auditor’s role, there are certain things that you have to do, and there are certain things that you can champion,” Harmon said. According to Harmon, the state auditor ensures that the government operates efficiently, effectively and ethically to the best of its abilities. Because municipalities are audited yearly, Harmon said, they are constantly working with folks in Northern Kentucky.
The state auditor is responsible for conducting financial and performance audits of state agencies, local governments and special districts. Photo provided | Micheile Henderson via Unsplash
Other responsibilities include auditing each of the pension systems once every five years and sitting on the pension oversight board to offer input on how pensions are run (the auditor is not a voting member.) The auditor (or a proxy) also chairs the State Committee for School District Audits. Harmon said the state auditor also lobbies for improvements to the auditor’s office to help save funds for the state’s counties. He said the current complaint the office receives most come from counties and con-
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cerns the cost of the audits. One thing Harmon said he helped lobby for while in office was an agreed-upon procedure for sheriffs or county clerks that have a clean financial statement from the previous year. They can apply and be approved for automatic data processing, similar to what Ohio does, which saves the municipality money versus a full financial statement audit. “I think we’ve worked with or consulted on 12 to 13 pieces of legislation since I’ve been here,” Harmon said. Harmon said that, should the office have a finding during an audit, it typically is due to a lack of segregation of duties, especially in smaller municipalities. “It’s not our role to get people; it’s our role to follow the data and report it,” Harmon said. “I like to think of it as more guardrails to help people from running off the road. Because if, you know, somebody’s looking over your shoulder, if you know somebody’s checking on you, the temptation hopefully drops.” Harmon said that the state auditor must remain impartial regarding political affiliation in the day-to-day role. He said workers in the auditor’s office must also be mindful of any situation they would need to recuse themselves from.
QUALITY IS ALWAYS INCLUDED
“As an auditor, you’re very careful that when you walk through the door, you try to take your partisan hat off, put on your independent, nonpartisan hat, and go to work,” Harmon said. When he ran for the Republican nomination for governor, which he ultimately lost to Attorney General Daniel Cameron, he recused himself from audits or any business attached to the governor’s office. Another way the state auditor’s office keeps biases out of its work is by keeping everyone from auditing the county they’re from. An office also up for election this November is the state treasurer, which might seem like a similar role to the auditor. So, how do they differ? The treasurer’s office manages the state’s finances, including collecting and depositing state revenues, investing state funds and paying state bills. It is also responsible for issuing bonds and other securities on behalf of the state. “I think the important thing for the auditor – we live in such a politicized, such a sadly divided time in our nation and, to a certain degree, the state, and it’s important in the role of the auditor to just follow the data,” Harmon said. “Not to target anyone, not to give anyone a pass, but to follow the data.”
Meet the candidates for auditor of public accounts
B
ecause the role of auditor of public accounts is a term-limited one, Mike Harmon will be leaving office, and Kentuckians will see two new faces running for the position in November. Though one of those faces may not look new to some residents: Current Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball was nominated as the Republican candidate in May to face off against tax attorney and Democrat Kim Reeder. Meet the candidates Before serving as Kentucky’s treasurer, Ball practiced bankruptcy law for two years and was a prosecutor for four years. “This experience gives me the ethical, financial, legal and investigative tools to successfully serve as state auditor,” Ball said. “While I served as your state treasurer, I protected pension dollars from political Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) investments and ensured dollars were invested to get the best returns. Additionally, I have stopped millions of dollars of fraud attempts at the Kentucky Treasury.” One of her proudest accomplishments as state treasurer, Ball said, was championing a bill mandating that Kentucky high school students take financial education classes in order to graduate. “My track record displays my commitment to the auditor’s duty to protect taxpayer dollars and good government,” Ball said. “I am experienced with fiscal and legal matters, which makes me ready to serve Kentuckians on Day 1.” Reeder has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Yale University, a master of public policy from Duke University and a law degree from the University of North Carolina Law School, which she said demonstrates her “intellect and ability to excel in rigorous programs of study.” Over roughly 20 years, she built a tax practice in large law and accounting firms, including promotion to partner by age 37 and being named one of the Top 10 tax lawyers in the country by an industry publication in 2011.
Reeder said that, during her career, she has provided opinions on financial statements, advised on the tax and economic impact of multimillion-dollar transactions, and argued tax cases before the Iowa Supreme Court and California 1st District Court of Appeal. She also works as a communication, government and math teacher and speech/debate coach. Reeder told LINK nky that the most pressing need facing the auditor’s office is for it to be led by an experienced professional who will not be swayed by partisan issues. “The auditor is tasked with serving as a disinterested party who conducts independent audits within Kentucky state and local government,” Reeder said. “As such, the auditor’s most important charge is shining a bright light on how taxpayer dollars are spent. Put differently, the auditor must rigorously but impartially pursue government accountability and transparency and eliminate waste and abuse.” Ball said the pension system is the most pressing issue for the auditor of public accounts. The auditor is responsible for auditing each pension system once every five years and sitting on the pension oversight board to offer input on how pensions are run. “Kentucky continues to have one of the worst-funded pension systems in the nation,” Ball said. “Having a poorly funded pension system means not only that our state employees’ future retirements are in jeopardy, but it also threatens the financial future of our state as a whole. We have seen in recent years that this unfunded liability has even caused the state’s credit rating to be downgraded.” As treasurer, Ball said, she fought to protect state pension dollars from being invested in ESG funds that place political objectives above solid returns. She said she also championed the passage of HB 236 this year, which makes it clear that Kentucky law does not allow pension dollars to be invested for objectives other than good financial returns. In addition, she supported the passage of SB 205 in 2022, which directs the state treasurer to create a list of companies that
Allison Ball, left, and Kim Reeder are running for auditor of public accounts. Photos provided | Ball and Reeder campaigns
are boycotting fossil fuels. The law then directs state governmental entities to begin divestment from these companies. “This work has been imperative to ensure that our already strapped pension plans are not utilized to fund political agendas while losing money,” Ball said. “It has been especially important at a time when Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance funds are being strongly outperformed by fossil fuels.” An initiative Ball said she wants to focus on should she be elected auditor is to find “creative ways” to save the commonwealth money and make it more efficient. In particular, she said, she wants to focus on lowering the cost of audits on local government by consolidating services and developing public-private partnerships. Should Reeder be elected, she said, one policy she would prioritize is an audit of state funding allocations to local school districts (i.e., SEEK funding, which allocates state-provided funds to local school districts) to determine whether they comply with existing law. “Special attention would be given to issues of adequacy and equity in the funding, transportation funding and special education funding,” Reeder said. “This audit would benefit local school districts because it would shine a light on any state noncom-
pliance and quantify the specific impact on school districts and students.” She also said she would like to initiate a focus on performance audits, which evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of government programs, assess various risks and benchmark state operations. “These audits benefit Kentuckians because they help us understand whether government spending and processes are creating the results we expect,” Reeder said. Examples of past performance audits include examining whether DUI education and treatment were changing the behavior of offenders, analyzing the procedures for tracking noncompliance with Kentucky’s sex offender registry, and looking into school districts’ implementation of adult literacy grants. Reeder said that, because the scope of what can be examined in performance audits is broad, she would seek public input (both in written form and through public meetings) on issues that should be discussed. She said she would also seek input from various stakeholders on whether the audit fees and expenses the auditor charges to local government entities are reasonable and fair.
OCTOBER 27, 2023 13
What does the agriculture commissioner do in Kentucky?
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The Kentucky agriculture commissioner is responsible for the overall operation of the state’s Department of Agriculture. Photo by Douglas Clark | LINK nky
By Douglas Clark
S
ierra Enlow and Jonathan Shell are vying for the Kentucky agriculture commissioner seat, and voters will decide the victor in November.
But what effect does the office have on Northern Kentuckians? “We like to say we impact every Kentuckian at least once a day, and sometimes, three times a day – meaning their meals,” Kentucky Department of Agriculture Chief of Staff Keith Rogers said. The Department of Agriculture consists of the following offices: • Office of the Commissioner • Office for Administrative Services • Office of Agricultural Marketing • Office of Agricultural Policy • Office of Communications • Office for Consumer and Environmental Protection • Office of Legal Services • Office of State Veterinarian “Kentucky is one of 13 states that elects its commissioner of agriculture,” Rogers said. “Most of those states that elect their commissioners are in the southeast. In Kentucky, the commissioner of agriculture is an elected constitutional officer.” The Department of Agriculture is a diverse operation covering more areas than most
14 OCTOBER 27, 2023
people would think when they hear the agency’s name – with the commissioner being the head of the organization, Rogers said. “If you filled up your vehicle at the gas station – a KDA (Kentucky Department of Agriculture) employee was there to inspect that pump at some point in the past 12 months. And if you go to the county fair and ride the amusement ride – you’re going to be impacted by a KDA employee that inspected that ride for safety,” Rogers said. Additionally, grocery store product scanners are inspected at least once per year via the Department of Agriculture, Rogers said, as are scales, such as those that weigh bags at airports. Stockyard regulatory initiatives, agriculture grant and loan programming, food commodities school lunch programs are all under the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s purview via the commissioner, Rogers said.
Meet the candidates for Kentucky agriculture commissioner By Douglas Clark Sierra Enlow
She said it also calls for looking at places such as Trimble County and other rural Kentucky counties that don’t have access to grocery stores.
sation in a way that it has not been talked about before.
Strengthening emergency response functions amid natural disasters is also essential to the office, Enlow said.
Republican candidate for Kentucky agriculture commissioner Jonathan Shell is a fifth-generation farmer who said he has firsthand knowledge of challenges the agriculture industry faces.
“Natural disasters are becoming more frequent, and every time we have a natural disaster, we have to deploy state veterinarians to make sure that our livestock is safe and secure and make sure that people’s pets are taken care of,” Enlow said. “That’s a function a lot of people don’t think about in that specific circumstance, but it’s increasingly vital to the state of Kentucky.” Sierra Enlow is the Democratic candidate seeking the Kentucky agriculture commissioner seat. Photo provided | Sierra Enlow
Democratic candidate for Kentucky agriculture commissioner Sierra Enlow said she has had an eye on the post since she was a teen. “This has always been an office that I’ve wanted to run for, ever since I was in high school,” said Enlow, who grew up on a multigenerational family farm in LaRue County. “(I was) in FFA (Future Farmers of America), 4-H. I served as FFA president in my local chapter, and I set it (agriculture commissioner) as a goal as a young high school student.” The office has power to help Kentuckians statewide, Enlow said. “Not just our rural Kentucky residents, but our urban Kentucky residents, as well,” Enlow said. “I also think we have not necessarily applied business experience to the work the commissioner of agriculture has done in the way that we should and moving forward. Now that I’ve had some experience away from the farm and on the farm, working with different agriculture groups, I really wanted to bring that expertise to the office.” The focus, Enlow said, is ensuring Kentucky agriculture products get from the farm to the corporate supply chain. “That’s really where Kentucky farmers need help,” Enlow said. “It really allows us to spend some time on how we can continue to grow the economy in Kentucky. When we think about economic development projects and we’re looking at attracting food manufacturers, we have to have those supply chains in place to make sure that we’re providing the best financial background and economic ecosystem for farms.” This is where the commissioner of agriculture has the largest capacity to do good work and impact the state, Enlow said. “Food access and working to improve food access across the state is a very important role that your commissioner of agriculture should be actively involved in,” Enlow said. It is more than addressing food access in places commonly thought of as food deserts, such as west Louisville, Enlow said.
Key issues related to the agriculture commissioner seat differ with different parts of the state, Enlow said, adding that it requires flexibility and viewing matters from different lenses. “In a lot of ways, we’ve told Kentucky farmers to raise one crop or another over the years and haven’t said, ‘Hey, let’s make sure that there’s a market, a wholesaler, a processor or retail outlet before we tell you to grow it,’” Enlow said. “We just can’t keep selling fairy tales to Kentucky farmers, because a lot of farmers have invested a lot of money and have not had productive outcomes.” Northern Kentucky is poised to be a particularly successful industry for controlled-environment agriculture, Enlow said. “You’re starting to see it with some different facilities already in the Northern Kentucky area, but also because it’s a prime economic development industrial area,” Enlow said, adding that raising crops with controlled inputs is a game-changer. “It’s even more expedited, because we wrote the medical marijuana legislation to be all raised in controlled-ag facilities.” Northern Kentucky will be an area that is a big topic of conversation over the next decade within the Kentucky agriculture realm, Enlow said. “Fruits and vegetables is one (area) that is talked about first and something that needs to be part of the conversation. We have a lot of natural resources, particularly in the water space, allowing us to be attractive to companies looking at options that are not on the West Coast,” Enlow said. The local base is essential to Kentucky’s agricultural success, Enlow said.
Jonathan Shell
“From livestock to flowers to pumpkins, I’ve been in the field with all sorts of commodities,” Shell, a former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, said in an email response to LINK nky questions. “I will combine real-world experience with my background in public service. I’ve worked hard to build relationships in the agribusiness community across the state, which will serve the department well.” The state’s signature industries, horses and bourbon, are agriculture-based, Shell said. “Our culture, our communities and many generations of Kentucky families have ties to agriculture,” Shell said. “This is who we are, and I am so proud to be part of that legacy. I want to preserve and grow agriculture for future generations and safeguard a way of life under attack from Washington and other people who simply look down on us.” The Kentucky agriculture commissioner should serve as a supporter and defender of the state’s farmers and rural communities, Shell said. “I have a lifetime of relationships and experience in this industry, and I can work with the Legislature to get big things done for our producers,” Shell said. “I’ll also fight every day against the radical overreach coming out of Washington. I want to help folks get ahead and will use the office to do that.”
Northern Kentucky farmers feel like they cannot win in the Biden economy, Shell said. “They need an experienced, common-sense conservative to promote agriculture and stop the radical overreaches from Washington,” Shell said. “I’m the only candidate in this race who has the relationships in Northern Kentucky and across the commonwealth to protect our rural communities.” Strong relationships with state agricultural associations, universities and decision-makers will aid in bolstering the state’s agricultural profile, Shell said, adding that he is the sole candidate capable of working productively with state lawmakers to advance Kentucky agriculture. “It will take a team effort to grow our agriculture economy, especially in the middle of Joe Biden’s record inflation,” Shell said. “I consider myself in the same mold as the two previous commissioners, (James) Comer and (Ryan) Quarles – a team player who can work the system and take advantage of opportunities.”
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A key issue the office needs to address is excessive federal regulation, Shell said. “We’re all anxious about what (President) Joe Biden and his out-of-touch federal bureaucrats are doing to our economy,” Shell said. “They’re waging a war on farmers, just like they did to our coal miners. And all Kentuckians are going to feel the effects.”
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“I’m talking about us making sure we can get Kentucky corn and Kentucky rye straight from the farm and put it into a distillery operation,” Enlow said. “We need connectivity on a very sustainable scale to provide solid incomes for our farmers and other rural Kentucky residents.” Enlow said she envisions providing Kentucky farmers with new opportunities from an agriculture market perspective and then solidifying the local food conver-
The Waters of the United States regulation would have empowered the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate every ditch, pond and puddle on a farmer’s property – making it impossible to grow crops and raise livestock, Shell said.
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Jonathan Shell is the Republican candidate seeking the Kentucky agriculture commissioner seat. Photo provided | Jonathan Shell
OCTOBER 27, 2023 15
How does Kentucky’s treasurer impact me here in NKY? By Nathan Granger
ural gas in the nation.”
wo issues stand out when it comes to the treasurer and how the position affects people’s lives: economic development and state pensions. Both Michael Bowman and Mark Metcalf, the Democratic and Republican candidates, respectively, discuss these issues in their campaign. Yet, just what to do about these issues diverges between the two candidates.
By Metcalf’s account, these resources, which have defined the economic production of whole regions of the state in the past, have been pushed out of investment by banks that have chosen to prioritize alternative forms of energy and new forms of management.
T
Economic Development As it relates to economic and workforce development, the treasurer’s role on state boards and duty as the chair of the State Investment Commission position that person as one of the most influential office-holders when it comes to determining how tax dollars are invested. For Bowman’s part, he’s all in for investments in greener technology and infrastructure investment. As such, he complimented the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project, which occurred under Gov. Andy Beshear’s tenure. “In terms of job creation, job growth, we’re looking at the electric vehicle battery plants that are being built just north of Bowling Green and outside of Elizabethtown,” Bowman said. “We see on those projects alone, what is amounting to north of $5 billion of investment that will lead to thousands of jobs,” he said. Those sorts of jobs will not only secure gainful employment for established Kentuckians, he said, but will also serve as an incentive to attract other workers and businesses from out of state. Bowman said that a unified executive branch under Beshear would ensure tax investments in these sorts of energy and infrastructure projects. Metcalf, meanwhile, has emphasized not new but established forms of energy and fuel, namely fossil fuels, for securing jobs for Kentucky. “We have the third-largest store of coal in the nation,” Metcalf said in an April interview with Kentucky Educational Television (KET). “We have petroleum reserves, and we have the second-largest amount of nat-
16 OCTOBER 27, 2023
“We’re not exploiting these, because we’re being held back by the investment banks that have decided that the winners here are going to be the green technologies, not the lowest-cost, most-efficient means by which people can fuel their cars and their homes,” Metcalf said in the same interview. Specifically, Metcalf lays blame on Environmental, Social and Governance, or ESG, mandates at large investment banks. ESG is a management framework that prompts businesses to consider the environmental and social impacts of their work. On his website, Metcalf states that his time in office would “advocate that Kentucky halt all taxpayer investments in any funds that oppose the use of fossil fuels” and “... oppose the granting or maintenance of business licenses permitting pro-ESG entities from doing business in Kentucky.” State Pensions Kentucky’s state-employee pension system is a recurring topic of conversation at every level of government and all across the political spectrum. There are several flavors of pensions for government employees, varying by profession. These include pensions for teachers, police and fire as well as administrative employees. State pensions in Kentucky are classified as defined benefit plans, meaning that the employer is responsible for ensuring pensioners receive a predetermined benefit amount based on their contributions and length of employment when they retire. This amount the state must set aside is determined through actuarial scientists, who run complex statistical analyses to determine how an investment will grow or shrink over time. This is in contrast to defined contribution plans, where employees are responsible for managing their own return on investments – 401Ks and IRA accounts are examples of defined contribution plans. Government pensions remain one of the
Economic development is one direct way the state treasurer impacts Northern Kentucky. Photo by Eric Willoughby | LINK nky contributor
main incentives for entering government work, because they guarantee a handsome payout upon retirement, even if government salaries can rarely compete with those of the private sector. Where things get tricky is the fact that Kentucky’s pensions have been woefully underfunded for years and have gone through multiple rounds of reforms. As a result, local governments are often responsible for large payments into the state’s pension plan – payments so large they can eat up huge chunks of a personnel budget. This has reverberating effects not only electorally but also in terms of recruiting public servants such as police officers, firefighters and teachers. Steve Webb, Covington’s finance director who’s also worked in Indiana’s pension office, expressed the problem this way: “The state pension plan is incredibly important to the municipal governments of Kentucky. We need the plan to be solvent, as it is an important piece of our compensation plan, but the rate can also cause fiscal pressures that can affect our talent acquisition and retention, Webb said. “This is particularly important in Northern Kentucky, as we are in a TriState area competing with Ohio and Indiana municipalities for talent. It’s an incredibly difficult balance to strike.”
Meanwhile, Bowman elaborated on his perspective. “I think it’s … having a state government that takes its promise seriously, that fully funds the actuarially required payments for the contributions to these plans every year, ensuring that we’re not falling behind,” he said when asked about what he would do about the pension system. He points to the treasurer’s role on the Teachers’ Retirement System board as an example. The treasurer would “be able to ask the questions about where we’re investing this money to make the maximum return on those investments to ensure that the funds stay solvent,” Bowman said. “(And to ensure) that we’re not creating legislation or policy that puts the fund itself at risk by starving the pot.” Metcalf shared an additional perspective. “What I want to make certain is that … people have jobs and (I) want to make certain that taxpayers get their value from this office,” Metcalf said. “(I want to make certain people) get their money back and that we shrink the debt in the pension funds so that it is safe for our pension-holders.”
Meet the candidates for Kentucky state treasurer By Nathan Granger
I
t’s tempting to say that the Kentucky state treasurer is in charge of the state’s money. In the strictest sense, this is true, but it leaves out some important details and nuances. The treasurer is a member of the state executive branch, meaning that their job is to carry out the law, specifically as it relates to the commonwealth’s budget and financial security. This is an important point that’s easy to forget: The treasurer does not set the state’s budget. That’s the General Assembly’s job. The treasurer’s job is to enact the budgetary priorities of the Legislature. To perform their duties, treasurers sit on several boards related to the state’s finances. These include boards for the state retirement systems, the state lottery, and the state’s investment portfolio and balance sheet, among others. The treasurer also heads up Kentucky’s unclaimed property logs, which helps taxpayers claim any outstanding life insurance policies, uncashed payroll checks and other property that banks turn over to the state after the funds remain unclaimed for more than three years. Finally, the treasurer manages all revenue the state receives and is responsible for overseeing employee tax withholding for all levels of government for residents of Kentucky.
In spite of the current conservative majority in the Kentucky General Assembly, Democrats have historically dominated the office of the treasurer. Allison Ball, who is now pursuing a candidacy for the role of state auditor, was the first Republican treasurer to win the position since 1944. A treasurer’s term is four years long, and the position has a two-term limit. Meet the candidates “First and foremost, the job of the treasurer is to be the accountability officer for our tax dollars,” said Democratic candidate Michael Bowman. “So I would be responsible for when they come in, accounting for them when we expend them and making sure that they go where they’re supposed to go.” Bowman has a handful of things he’d like to accomplish if elected. Firstly, he’d like to see more transparency from the government – both the executive branch and the Legislature – when it comes to the money. Specifically, he cites House Bill 312 from the 2021 legislative session, which granted the Legislative Research Commission, a legislative fact-finding body within the General Assembly, final say in disclosing public records requests about pending legislation, including budgetary documents. Prior to this law’s passage, people could appeal to the courts if their initial records requests were denied.
Michael Bowman. Photo provided | Bowman campaign
Mark Metcalf. Photo provided | Metcalf campaign
Bowman views this as a way the Legislature “exempts (itself) from scrutiny of their work.”
LINK nky reached out to Metcalf’s campaign several times, but it did not respond to our interview inquiries. Still, Metcalf has made public statements on Kentucky public television and other media outlets that give insight into his stances on the issues.
To that end, he would like to make the treasurer’s online record center, which began under the current treasurer’s tenure, more accessible and intuitive. Mark Metcalf, the Republican candidate, has different priorities. When asked on a KET interview in April what he thought of the opportunity to run for the treasurer’s office, he said, “I see it as an opportunity to speak out for taxpayers to restore to Kentucky fiscal discipline.”
“Kentucky has a welfare bill in its biennial budget of $2.9 (billion), almost $3 billion,” Metcalf said in the same interview. Broadly speaking, Metcalf emphasizes the need for greater cost and debt control. To do that, Metcalf recommends greater investment in education. “We know that training costs a lot less than welfare,” Metcalf told KET. “We know that education costs a lot less than incarceration. Let’s give them the education they need, and let’s start working down our welfare bill immediately.” In fact, the need to invest in education is one thing both candidates agree on. Bowman spoke of securing greater investment in the state’s community and technical colleges and the need for greater financial literacy at the primary and secondary levels. That’s where the similarities end, though. Notably, Metcalf is in favor of vouchers for charter schools. He also differs greatly in his attitude about where the state ought to focus its economic development efforts, which you can read about in our treasurer’s race follow-up.
Michael Bowman at a campaign event. Photo provided | Bowman campaign
Mark Metcalf with Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Photo provided | Metcalf campaign
OCTOBER 27, 2023 17
Boone County sample ballot
Campbell County sample ballot
PURSUANT TO KRS 424.290, “MATTERS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED,” THE FOLLOWING RACES WILL APPEAR ON THE VOTING MACHINES AND PAPER BALLOTS IN THE PRECINCTS LISTED IN BOONE COUNTY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 7, 2023.
PURSUANT TO KRS 424.290, “MATTERS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED,” THE FOLLOWING RACES WILL APPEAR ON THE VOTING MACHINES AND PAPER BALLOTS IN THE PRECINCTS LISTED IN CAMPBELL COUNTY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 7, 2023.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS A, B, C, D, & E; Part of JOHNS HILL
ALL PRECINCTS
ALL PRECINCTS
NEWPORT A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, & J; Part of FT. THOMAS J, NEWPORT H&K
ALL PRECINCTS
ALL PRECINCTS
SOUTHGATE B AND Part of SOUTHGATE A
Kenton County sample ballot GENERAL ELECTION HELD FOR KENTON COUNTY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER , 202
PUBLICATION BALLOT
38568$17 72 .56 0$77(56 5(48,5(' 72 %( 38%/,6+(' 7+( )2//2:,1* 5$&(6 :,// $33($5 21 7+( 927,1* 0$&+,1(6 $1' 3$3(5 %$//276 ,1 7+( 35(&,1&76 /,67(' ,1 .(1721 &2817< )25 7+( *(1(5$/ (/(&7,21 129(0%(5
Straight Party (Vote for one)
Auditor of Public Accounts (Vote for one)
Republican Party
Allison BALL
Democratic Party
Ballot printing made possible through a donation by
Governor and Lieutenant Governor (Vote for one) Daniel CAMERON Robert M. "Robby" MILLS Republican Party
Write-in
Andy BESHEAR Jacqueline COLEMAN
Mark H. METCALF Democratic Party
Write-in
$OO 3UHFLQFWV State Treasurer (Vote for one)
Michael BOWMAN
Republican Party
$OO 3UHFLQFWV
Secretary of State (Vote for one)
Commissioner of Agriculture (Vote for one)
Republican Party Democratic Party
Jonathan SHELL
Write-in
$OO 3UHFLQFWV Attorney General (Vote for one)
Russell COLEMAN Pamela STEVENSON
Republican Party Democratic Party
Republican Party
Sierra J. ENLOW
Democratic Party
$OO 3UHFLQFWV
NONPARTISAN SCHOOL CANDIDATES
MEMBER BOARD of EDUCATION 5th Educational District (Unexpired Term) (Vote for one) Erin K. McCONNELL
Write-in
Write-in
$OO 3UHFLQFWV
MEMBER BOARD of EDUCATION Erlanger/Elsmere ISD (Unexpired Term) (Vote for one) Teresa Loman HUNTER
Write-in
part of ('* % ('* % (/6 & (/6 & (5/ & part of (5/ & (5/ & NONPARTISAN CITY BALLOT
CITY COUNCIL City of Ludlow (Unexpired Term) (Vote for one)
Democratic Party
Write-in
Charles "Buddy" WHEATLEY Write-in
Democratic Party
$OO 3UHFLQFWV
Michael ADAMS
18 OCTOBER 27, 2023
Republican Party
Kimberley "Kim" REEDER
NONPARTISAN SCHOOL CANDIDATES
%50 A &63 & &63 & &5+ & part of (5/ & , 9+ & 9+ & 9+ & ;
David ZIEGLER Araminta "Ari" KNIGHT
Write-in
/8' $ NONPARTISAN SCHOOL CANDIDATES
MEMBER BOARD of EDUCATION Ludlow ISD (Unexpired Term) (Vote for one) Shelly RIDDLE
Write-in
/8' $
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OCTOBER 27, 2023 19
A look back: Holiday shopping in NKY through the years
Holiday shoppers at Coppin’s in Covington on Dec. 15, 1977. Photo provided | Kenton County Public Library
Shoppers take a break at the Florence Mall on Dec. 24, 1982. Photo provided | Kenton County Public Library
Kim Gaiser and her son, Jason, do some Christmas shopping at McAlpins on Nov. 30, 1981. Photo provided | Kenton County Public Library
20 OCTOBER 27, 2023
Charlotte Lewis and Karen Hearne leave the Florence Mall after doing some Christmas shopping on Dec. 13, 1992. Photo provided | Kenton County Public Library
Our Northern Kentucky holiday gift guide By Robin Gee
I
t’s the season, so they say, and for many of us that means the search begins for the best and most meaningful gifts. Here are our suggestions for gifts for young and old – for the easy-to-please, the hard-to-buy-for and that person who seems to have everything. We scoured Northern Kentucky in search of local, unique, unusual, simple, serene and exciting gifts. Some have wide appeal, such as cozy socks or a sweet picture book, while others are aimed at very specific interests and hobbies. This year, we’ve included a number
of experiences as well as physical gifts. Whether it’s honing your golf game, hitting a target with an axe, decorating ceramics or blending your own whiskey, these gifts are for the doers in the crowd.
Price: $19/pair (Baby socks are two pair and a spare, so five socks for $19) Location: 620 Sixth Ave., Dayton Website: barbscozycottage.com Phone: 859-581-4972
Wherever possible, we stuck to small and local businesses and high-quality gifts that won’t break the bank. Now, make a list and check it twice. Happy holidays!
For the young and young-at-heart reader
For the avid golfer Always in Play Baby, it’s cold outside! No matter. Gift your favorite golfer a round inside this winter. Gift certificates are available in any amount. Rent time with a golf simulator for nine or 18 holes. You rent the bay, so it doesn’t matter how many golfers you have, but it takes about one hour per person to complete 18 holes. Price: Rates are $20/hour for non-peak times and $30/hour during peak times (Monday-Friday, 5 p.m.-close; Saturday and Sunday, noon-close). Location: 90 Alexandria Pike, Suite 15, Fort Thomas Website: alwaysinplay.com Phone: 859-251-6980
For comfort-seekers Barb’s Cozy Cottage Keep the whole family’s toesies warm this season with a fun pair of socks. These three-season socks come from Solmate, a certified B Corp U.S. company. Sizes for newborn/3 months to XL Adult.
Blue Marble Books Give the gift of reading with a picture book featuring the adorable and adventurous Pigeon. This is Caldecott Honoree Mo Willems’ ninth book featuring the lovable little birdie, and this time Pigeon is determined to drive a sleigh. Price: $18.99 Location: 1356 S. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas Website: bluemarblebooks.com Phone: 859-781-0602
For the java junkie Carabello Coffee Nothing like a good cuppa joe from this neighborhood favorite. With a gift subscription, you can keep them caffeinated (or half-caff’d) for three, six or 12 months, and let the roasters choose or create their own. Carabello also offers gift baskets and single bags of its locally roasted, fair-trade and farm-direct brews. Price: $65.95 for three months for the Coffee of the Month program (1 bag per month). Customizable options are also available. Location: 107 E. Ninth St., Newport Website: carabellocoffee.com Phone: 859-415-1587
For the vintage lover Faded Finds This shop specializes in a unique mixing of old and new. Bookmarks made from vintage silverware spoons are etched with snappy sayings and a pretty hand-blown bead. Location: 654 Highland Ave., Fort Thomas Website: facebook.com/heidisfadedfinds Phone: 859-609-0920
For those in a pickle Five Seasons Family Sports Club Pickleball continues to be the fastest-growing sport in the nation. For those who haven’t gotten their paddle on yet, a gift of beginner lessons could get them out there. “Pickle in 5” is a basics class that runs Monday nights at 6 p. m. It’s free for members, but nonmembers pay by the month. For those with experience under their belts, the club also provides a “Drill & Play” class, also on Monday nights. Continues on page 22
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
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Sponsors of LINK nky’s 2nd Birthday Celebration on October 26th. All proceeds from this event benefit the NKY Community Journalism Fund. OCTOBER 27, 2023 21
Continued from page 21
Price: Lessons are $79/month for nonmembers; free for members (single club memberships are $89) Location: 345 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills Website: fiveseasonssportsclub.com/locations/crestview-hills Phone: 859-341-3687
For the confident Flying Axes Axe-throwing is no longer just for lumberjacks. It’s a full-fledged sport with leagues and everything. Gift an hour or two of this adventurous sport to your friends who have (and will try) anything. Remind them not to wear open-toed shoes, and it’ll all be fun! Price: $19/hour per person (Discount: If you buy two-plus hours, it’s $17/hour) Location: 100 W. Sixth St., Covington Website: flyingaxes.com/covington Phone: 859-261-0526
For the thrill-seeker Full Throttle Adrenaline Park High-energy family or friends? Give the gift of a pure adrenaline rush. Paintball, virtual reality, karting, axes and even a “rage room” is on offer at this home for those with a need for speed and excitement. Price: Varies. A two-hour Adrenaline Pass is $45 for nonpeak (Tuesday-Thursday) or $50 for peak hours (Friday-Monday). Gift certificates come in all amounts. Location: 24 Spiral Drive, Florence Website: gofullthrottle.com Phone: 859-371-5278
For the seeker of knowledge
For the merry
Hierophany & Hedge Awaken the magic within with a beautiful tarot deck from this unique purveyor of “bespoke arcana.” Choose from a wide range from mass-market decks, independently produced decks and limited editions. Price: $20 to $80 Location: 19 W. Pike St., Covington Website: hierophanyandhedge.com Phone: 859-261-2710
The Lavender Trail Help someone decorate for a Kentucky Christmas or celebrate the winter season with themed covers for their pillows. Designs come in a variety of sizes. Price: $25 Location: 1 Highland Ave., Suite B, Fort Thomas OR Newport on the Levee, 1 Levee Way, Newport Website: shopthelavendertrail.com Phone: 859-415-0015
For the sports collector
For the artsy crafter
Hit Seekers Sports Cards Do you have a sports card enthusiast in your midst? The world of sports cards is constantly changing. A gift card allows them to choose from starter packs and the most popular sets or maybe find that one special card to complete a collection. Call or stop by to request gift certificates. Price: Varies widely. $20 to $100 and up. Location: 2501 Dixie Highway, Suite 2, Fort Mitchell Website: hitseekerscardbreaks.com Phone: 859-331-1063
Morning Star Pottery Painting Handcraft a personalized gift with a ceramic you decorate yourself – or give a gift certificate to a creative friend to choose from more than 300 ceramic pieces to paint. Group paint parties are also available. Price: $10-20 per piece Location: 8131 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria Website: morningstarpottery.com Phone: 859-908-0037
treats for the holidays. This historic shop, in family hands since 1939, follows the founder’s original recipes. Opera creams – chocolate-covered with centers of cream, milk and sugar – are the specialty. A box could quickly become a holiday tradition. Price: $13.90/half-pound box; $25.95/1-pound box Location: 420 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue Website: schneiderscandies.com Phone: 859-431-3545
For the bourbon explorer Second Sight Distillery Gift a distillery tour. Purchase tickets for a behind-the-scenes look at this unique distillery operation, finished off with a tasting, of course. The founders, an engineer and industrial designer, met in Las Vegas when they were working on sets for Cirque du Soleil and Viva Elvis. Then they came here and built their own still. Expect a few circus stories with this tour! Price: Start at $14/person Location: 301 Elm St., Ludlow Website: secondsightspirits.com Phone: 859-488-7866
For the musically inclined
For the natural dog Pet Wants Fido deserves a gift, as well. These smallbatch dog treats made, with human-grade beef, are perfect for pet lovers and pamperers. Nutrient-rich and tasty. Price: $10/3.5-ounce bag; $20/8-ounce bag Location: 1118 S. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas Website: petwantsftthomas.com Phone: 859-307-8400
For the feline-friendly Purrfect Day Cafe Cat lovers will lose their minds at this cafe. A gift certificate can give them 50 minutes of cat contact, where they can sit and pet the kitties while sipping coffee or an adult beverage. It’s a great place to find a feline companion to adopt, but they can just hang out for a bit and cuddle with the cats. Price: $15 for 50 minutes with the cats Location: 25 W. Eighth St., Covington Website: purrfectdaycafecovington.com Phone: 859-491-7877
Stoney’s Etc. (aka Stoney’s Village Toys) Young and old can experience the joy of making music. This shop has changed its name to better reflect its widening variety of offerings, from toys and puzzles to unique items to a collection of ukuleles and these magnificent Amahi steel-tongue drums. They don’t need experience or special knowledge to start playing! Price: $145 for 10-inch drum; $159 for 12inch drum Location: 323 W. Sixth St., Covington Website: stoneystoys.com Phone: 859-655-9571
For the gourmand vomFASS A customized gift basket is perfect for those who like to cook and those who like to eat. Fill it with a variety of specialty infused oils, award-winning fruit vinegars, cheese, spirits, liqueurs, crostini and more. This shop is known as a candy store for grownups. Price: $10 and up Location: 2870 Town Center Blvd., Crestview Hills Website: vomfassusa.com Phone: 859-331-1896
For the trailblazer Reser Bicycle Outfitters Northern Kentucky is becoming more and more bike-friendly all the time. The heart of the biking community centers around this shop. Keep your bike-riding friends and family safe with this moderately priced Kali Chakra Solo helmet. It comes in sizes small/medium and large/XL. Price: $40 Location: 648 Monmouth St., Newport Website: reserbicycle.com Phone: 859-261-6187
For the sweet tooth Schneider’s Sweet Shop They can get back to the gym in January, but for now let them indulge in some sweet 22 OCTOBER 27, 2023
For the whiskey explorer Wenzel Whiskey The ultimate bourbon experience has got to be blending your very own. Gift a friend the opportunity to be a master blender, and they can go home with a bottle or a case of their custom blend. Book a date and time online for one person or more. Price: Starts at $35/person for 1.5 hours Location: 15 Tobacco Alley, Covington Website: wenzelwhiskey.com Email: Griffin@wenzelwhiskey.com
Cocktail, cookie recipes to get you in the holiday spirit By Garin Pirnia
T
he holidays can be a time of tradition or even breaking tradition. This year, wow guests with a few gourmet recipes from Northern Kentucky chefs and a mixologist. Evan Courtney, who’s head chef at Fort Thomas restaurant and wine shop Grassroots and Vine, offers a recipe for brown butter white chip cranberry cookies. “I’ve always loved brown butter cookies,” he told LINK. “Barb Thomas, the owner of Grassroots and Vine, does not like dried cranberries. So I will always try to sneak them into things for her to try. We had a cookie competition for Christmas, and she was a judge. I made these cookies to see if I would get first place. Unfortunately, I did not place.”
Add the flour, oats, salt and baking soda, and mix until everything is incorporated. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl. Next, add the dried cranberries and the chocolate chips. Scoop out cookie dough 2 tbsp at a time on a sheet pan. Cook for 11 to 14 minutes, then cool.
Arils of Thyme
Brown Butter White Chip Cranberry Cookies 1 packed cup of dark brown sugar 1 cup of white sugar 1 cup of butter 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour 1 cup of oats 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips 1/2 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp baking soda Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut butter into chunks and add them to a saucepan on medium heat. Stir for 2 to 4 minutes until you see the solids in the butter start to turn brown. Turn off the heat and stir for 2 minutes more, making sure that the solids do not burn. In a mixing bowl, add both sugars and the brown butter and mix to a creamy consistency.
In a shaker tin, add 1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice, 1/4 oz. simple syrup, 2 oz. of the butternut squash Pisco. (She uses BarSol Pisco.) Add ice to your tin and give a hard-standard shake. Double-strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass (a 5-oz. glass). Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel and two sage leaves pinned to the glass to resemble a flower.
Calabaza Cutie
“I love these cookies for holiday gatherings because they’re so simple and easily scaled up to feed a crowd,” she said. “They’ll make your house smell heavenly, and they freeze extremely well, so you can have homemade cookies whenever you want.”
St. Clair takes roasted butternut squash to a whole new level and infuses it with Pisco, a type of Peruvian liqueur. The inspiration for the three-ingredient cocktail came from Shuga’s in Colorado Springs.
The cookies aren’t on the menu – that might change – but he makes them at home. “My mom loves them, so I have to make them every year now,” he said. “They’re great for after a Thanksgiving meal or Christmas morning, and Santa loves them, too.”
In a shaker tin, add 1 charred sprig of thyme,1 oz. aquafaba, 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 oz. pomegranate juice, 1 oz. ginger simple syrup, 2 oz. gin (Sipsmith gin is my favorite) and 2 dashes rhubarb bitters. Reverse dry-shake – therefore, add ice into your tin. Hard-shake for 30 seconds. Strain back into one of your tins, discarding the ice for the liquid to now be reshaken without ice. “Mime” shake, or “dry” shake until the ice dissolves. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a powdered sugar-dusted piece of thyme.
Arils of Thyme.
The holidays don’t entail just stuffing faces with sweets and carbs – though, there’s a lot of that. They’re also a time for celebration. Kelsey St. Clair, a mixologist at Knowledge Bar and Social Room in Covington, whipped up a couple of cocktails (and one mocktail) to make the party season brighter. “I eat dishes, and I think of cocktails,” St. Clair said about some of her food-based creations. “I really wanted to make a nonalcoholic ginger-pomegranate sour,” she said. “And then I started putting vodka and gin in it. I like it with vodka or the gin. I love thyme.” Note: This could be made without the gin for a mocktail experience.
“The drink was insane,” she said. “It was called the Sassquash, and it tasted like butternut squash. A couple of years ago, I asked, ‘What do you do?’ And they said they cubed up raw butternut squash and infused it for a whole month, which is a long time. I was like, one day I am going to make something that’s like it. It’s light. It doesn’t have a weird mouth feel, which is nice. It’s the best thing ever.” Infusion: Cube up a 3-pound butternut squash, season with nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, maple syrup and fresh sage leaves. Toss together really well and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Let squash cool. In a large, sealable container, add the roasted squash and top with 1000ml of BarSol Pisco. Let it sit for 24 hours in a refrigerator. Strain the infusion. Use cheese cloth if necessary. 1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice 1/4 oz. simple syrup 2 oz. roasted butternut squash-infused BarSol Pisco
1 charred thyme sprig 1 oz. aquafaba [Note: Aquafaba is chickpea juice and is used as an egg-white substitute] 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice 1/2 oz. pomegranate juice 1 oz. ginger simple syrup 2 oz. gin 2 dashes rhubarb bitters Note: Simple syrup is made by simmering one cup of water with one cup of sugar.
Calabaza Cutie.
Maddy Bernard is the former executive chef and pastry chef at Coppin’s. For the holidays, she likes to make oatmeal cookies with special combinations.
Oatmeal Cookies 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cardamom 3 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking) 2 cups fillings (*see note) In a stand mixer, cream together butter and both sugars with a paddle attachment until creamed, about five minutes. Scrape the bowl and add eggs one at a time, scraping between each addition and mixing until just uniform. Separately, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and spices and add to butter mixture all at once. Stir in on low speed until mostly combined, then add oats and fillings by hand. Portion into ~2oz. balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving room for them to spread significantly. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy around the edges but still soft in the center. *Her favorite combinations include: • chocolate chips, toasted pecans and the zest of half an orange • dried tart cherries, toasted almonds and a drop of almond extract • golden raisins, walnuts and double the cardamom • butterscotch chips
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Best places for winter shopping Story and photos by Maria Hehman
S
treetscapes has explored many eateries, shops and small businesses this year, so for this supersized segment of Streetscapes, we’re exploring the single best street in each major county to shop this winter. We’ll visit one street each in Kenton, Boone and Campbell. Join us for this elongated installment of Streetscapes as we shop till we drop.
Kenton County – Madison Avenue Kenton County is home to the largest population in the NKY area, largely because of Covington. It’s only fitting that we start with one of the busiest streets in all of Covington, with businesses packed next to one another – Madison Avenue. Madison Avenue is home to Hotel Covington and The Madison, both event centers popular for weddings and fundraisers. With those two bringing in ample traffic during the winter, there are plenty of places within walking distance to shop and eat. Speaking of weddings, Madison Avenue is home to several shops that can help create a dream-worthy wedding. Motch Jewelers is the place to start. With everything from engagement rings to gifts for the bridal party, this family-owned business has an ample selection from vintage to modern jewelry. For alterations, accessories and any final touches, Karla Louise Bridal is a one-stop shop for any additional wedding-day necessities. No wedding is complete without a little glamor. The House of Beauty is the best spot to book bridal-party nails. The interior exudes elegance and will help relax even the most stressed-out bride. The shop can also be booked for wedding-day makeup and hair.
Grainwell in Covington.
For those shopping for everyday apparel,
Hometown Vintage has denim for days and countless graphic tees to pair with them. Denim is a staple in nearly every person’s wardrobe, but denim is having a moment in fashion, almost on par with the ’90s. Denim dresses, jackets and skirts are among the current trends, but nothing is more iconic than classic jeans. Hometown Vintage has a huge selection of jeans, with Levi’s as its staple brand. Outside of shopping, guests can also sell or trade items that fit with Hometown Vintage’s collection. For the boho fashionista, Coda Co has one-ofa-kind pieces in clothing and home décor. Its clothing selection ranges from athletic to dressy, all rooted in an effortless look. The home décor selection focuses on natural, earthy elements, including live plants. When it comes to home décor and repair, Madison Avenue has plenty of businesses to assist shoppers in creating a space they’ll love with ease. Klingenberg’s Hardware and Paint has everything from nitty-gritty nails to braces and brackets. Anything guests need in the way of home repair and remodeling can be found with the help of Klingenberg’s. This is a perfect spot to shop for a friend who just bought a house and is looking to make it their own. For customized pieces to elevate any home, Grainwell crafts items that make the perfect gift. Its items are created utilizing wood or metal to make one-of-a-kind pieces, from home décor to kitchen essentials. Plaques, coasters, cutting boards and wall art are just some of the handmade gifts it crafts. It has an entire
Soul Unique Consignment Boutique in Florence.
collection dedicated to states and cities, which makes for easy shopping for every person on your list. For a more personalized gift, it takes custom orders, whether wedding decorations, household items or ornaments, they have a gift for even the person who already has everything.
Boone – US 42 Boone County hosts plenty of shopping Continues on page 26
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• AJ’s Towing & Recovery • Boone County Clerk • Campbell County Clerk’s Office • Campbell County Fiscal Court • Campbell County Planning & Zoning • City of Alexandria • City of Bellevue • City of Cold Spring • City of Covington • City of Cresent Springs • City of Crestview Hills • City of Dayton • City of Edgewood • City of Elsmere • City of Erlanger • City of Fort Thomas • City of Fort Wright • City of Independence • City of Lakeside Park • City of Ludlow • City of Newport • City of Silver Grove
• City of Southgate • City of Union • City of Villa Hills • City Of Walton • City of Wilder • City of Woodlawn • Covington Public Independent Schools • Cresent Springs Board of Adjustment • Family Dollar Store • Fort Mitchell Board of Adjustment • Fort Thomas Independent Schools • Highland Heights Planning & Zoning • Keating, Muething & Klekamp PLL • Kenton County Fiscal Court • Kenton County Joint Board of Adjustment • Northern Kentucky Port Authority • Northern Kentucky Water District • Planning & Development Services of Kenton County • The Baker Firm PLLC • The Hidden Chapter Bookstore LLC
OCTOBER 27, 2023 25
Continued from page 25
spaces and is home to the largest mall in NKY, Florence Mall. For big-name brands, we’d head to Mall Road. Although many Northern Kentuckians will undoubtedly make a trip there this holiday shopping season, we’re going one exit past Mall Road onto US 42 to explore some smaller local businesses. For the beauty gurus and fashion-forward shoppers on your list, we’ll start with Soul Unique Boutique. Soul Unique Boutique is the place to shop for secondhand clothes, shoes and accessories. Sizes range from XS-XXXL, and the clothes range from everyday to designer options. This is also a good place to visit for those looking to make a little extra cash this holiday season by selling hardly worn clothes. Those looking to sell need an appointment and can book online, while those looking to shop can visit during open hours. Elle Skin and Beauty Co. is the spot to shop all things aesthetics. This med spa offers a variety of treatments, from micro-needling and facials to more advanced cosmetic procedures, including laser hair removal and IV treatments. Guests can book services or buy gift cards online. For horse lovers, Secondlook Saddlery offers all the essentials. Secondlook specializes in second-hand equipment, tack and saddles. For the novice rider or trained equestrian, it has options for all budgets and experience levels. Secondlook also doubles as a consignment shop, so those who have gently used horse equipment can sell their items to be reused by other horse fanatics. The Black Goose is for coffee lovers and old souls.A vintage shop selling unique and quirky home décor and gifts, it also doubles as a coffee shop. Guests can order drinks while perusing the best gifts. Outside of home essentials, it also sells coffee, tea and treats, many from local businesses such as Golden Gelato in Covington and Deeper Roots Coffee in Cincinnati. With this many
choices, it’s easy to be overwhelmed, so guests can also purchase gift cards to ensure the people receiving their gift get exactly what they want. Kids can be some of the hardest people to shop for. Finding something they’ll both love and use other than technology seems nearly impossible. Union Music Academy is designed to inspire future musicians. It offers a range of classes for students starting as young as newborns all the way up to adults. It offers both individual and group classes for voice, piano and guitar. For the kid that got a guitar last holiday season and has yet to use it or the adult looking for a new hobby, Union Music Academy classes make the perfect gift. Comics 2 Games has everything, truly everything, one would need for comic lovers, gamer gurus and anime fanatics. Its largest selections focus on comics, everything from the comics themselves to action figures, toys, statues and décor. It also sells games from trading cards, dice and board games. And it has a variety of arcade games, including a huge room of pinball machines that can be played while visiting. Those with a sweet tooth will have their cravings satisfied with a gift from Memorie Makers Café and Cupcakery. Memorie Makers creates custom cakes and cupcakes for everything from at-home parties to weddings. The place also doubles as an event space that can be rented and a café for hungry patrons to drop in. This is a great option to gift teachers, co-workers and those who are impossible to shop for. With gluten-free and dairy-free dessert options, as well, shoppers will find a sweet for every person on their list. It also sells coffee, kitchen essentials and goods from local businesses.
Campbell – Fairfield Avenue Campbell County has many hubs for food, drinks and shopping, but none seems to match up to Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue. Fairfield is a perfect spot for a full day of shopping, with plenty of places to refuel and recharge before hitting up another unique shop. Splendid Things has just about everything you need for the mom, grandma or quirky aunt in your life. It carries a variety of women’s jewelry, accessories, home décor and tons of knick-knacks. Items range from practical to comical, and the inventory changes regularly to ensure there’s always something new for shoppers. Another option for women’s accessories is Le Sorelle. It carries a wider selection of clothing, along with accessories and essentials. It also has a section for babies and children, so even the littles ones on your list are taken care of. Coda Co’s original location is another spot for women’s clothing, catering more to millennials and Gen Z generations than the other two. Its sister store, Sage and Scout, focuses on baby clothes, necessities and décor for the perfect boho nursery.
Klingenberg’s Hardware and Paint in Covington.
26 OCTOBER 27, 2023
For the history buffs, Twice as Nice Antiques and More will have guests lost in time with the variety of antiques. This
shop is just as fun for the gift-giver as the gift-receiver. Outside of the typical dinnerware and beer signs, there’s furniture, décor and NASA and Army memorabilia. The longer you look, the more hidden treasures you find. For jewelry, The Bellevue Beadery was creating trendy beaded bracelets long before Taylor Swift and her fans. Bellevue Beadery specializes in hand-made beaded bracelets and necklaces. Along with beaded jewelry, it has earrings ready for every special occasion – Bengal tigers for football season, wreaths for Christmas, flowers for spring. It always has a cute seasonal selection of its latest accessories. For fine jewelry, Cleves and Lonnemann Jewelers will help customers find the perfect piece, whether it’s an engagement ring, anniversary present or holiday gift. It also repairs watches and jewelry. If there’s a family heirloom lying around unused, this jewelry store can fix it and create a piece that’s both sentimental and wearable. Shopping during the holidays can be stressful, taking away from the joy of gift-giving. These small local businesses can help alleviate the pressure of shopping with their unique and curated selections. Hometown Vintage in Covington
What to Know If You Go: Kenton Motch Jewelers: 613 Madison Ave., Covington 859-431-1745 Karla Louise Bridal: 10 W. Pike St., Covington 859-287-4272 The House of Beauty: 611 Madison Ave., Covington 859-916-5003
Union Music Academy: 8667 US 42, #300, Union 859-643-8743 Comics 2 Games: 8470 US 42, Florence 859-647-7568 Memorie Makers Café and Cupcakery: 8470 US 42, Unit G, Florence 859-496-1470
Campbell
Hometown Vintage: 2 W. Pike St., Covington
Splendid Things: 312 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue 859-261-8777
Coda Co: 617 Madison Ave., Covington 859-488-7798
Le Sorelle: 341 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue 859-291-2345
Klingenberg’s Hardware and Paint: 3916 Winston Ave., Covington 859-491-3002
Coda Co.: 400 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue 859-488-7798
Grainwell: 33 W. Pike St., Covington 859-261-6600
Boone Soul Unique Consignment Boutique: 8537 US 42, Florence 859-999-7685 Elle Skin and Beauty: 8747 US 42 Suite B, Florence 859-999-8888 Secondlook Saddlery: 9960 Old Union Road, Union 859-379-8119 The Black Goose: 10829 US 42, Union 859-534-1643
Sage and Scout: 402 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue 859-488-7798 Twice as Nice Antiques and More: 318 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue 859-801-4324 The Bellevue Beadery: 417 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue 859-292-0800 Cleves and Lonnemann Jewelers: 319 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue 859-261-3636
OCTOBER 27, 2023 27
Host gifts: To gift or not to gift – what is the etiquette? By Robin Gee
Schmid’s No. 1 tip: Don’t bring anything that requires the host to do something with it.
E
mily Post, the grande dame of 20th century etiquette, did not say a lot about host gifts except that it is customary to give a small gift to thank someone for inviting you into their home. The tradition is not quite as common today, but most people do still bring a little something, especially to holiday parties and events. Some hosts specifically ask guests not to bring anything, and that should be respected, but what if it’s not mentioned? Should you bring something? The general answer is, yes, if you want. In this day and age, no one should expect it. “It is appropriate to bring a gift for your host when you are invited into someone’s home for the holidays. Whether that is for an open house or some type of dinner party or event, it is appropriate to bring a small gift to show your appreciation for them opening up their home to you,” said Dina Schmid, etiquette consultant and founder of Queen City Etiquette. General guidelines Schmid outlined some general guidelines. First, be careful of what you select. If you know the person well, you will know if they have any allergies to certain foods, things like that. Otherwise, it’s best to avoid those or ask in advance.
“It should be something that does not create any work or obligation for them,” she said. “An example of that would be if you bring something that needs to be put in the refrigerator. They would need to clear out space. … Bringing flowers that need to immediately be put in a vase with water could be a problem. So, bringing flowers already in a vase would be a better gift.” Schmid agreed with experts who emphasized that a gift for the host is not the same as bringing an item as a contribution to the event. If you bring a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates, don’t expect them to be opened up and added to the evening’s meal. You are bringing a gift for the host to enjoy at another time. Here are a few more etiquette tips for giving host gifts: • Be discreet. Find a private moment to give your host the gift. The goal is to thank the host, not to make others feel uncomfortable because they may not have brought something. • Don’t expect the gift to be unwrapped or used right away. Sometimes your host may want to open it and share, but it’s nice to let them know subtly that it’s not expected, and it’s for them to enjoy later. • Avoid food gifts that need to be
served at the party. Again, unless asked to bring something to share, a gift basket of packaged items would be better than something that needs to be served right away. • Giving a Christmas ornament can be tricky. If you know your host’s holiday color scheme or theme, or if it’s generic enough to be used in any decor, that will work. Just be careful. What to gift “One of the things that I like to promote is shopping local. … And this time of year, certain school support organizations will have packs of greeting cards,” Schmid said. Also on her list were small crocheted items or embroidered hand towels picked up at craft markets, or specialty packaged foods, such as flavored olive oils. Holiday-themed kitchen items or bathroom hand towels also work well. Other experts suggested holiday-themed coasters, serving platters, candy dishes, candles, cheese boards or tea towels. Guest soaps, potted plants and coffee table books also make many lists. A note about plants, however: Some are poisonous to pets. If your host has a pet, check online to make sure the plant is safe.
28 OCTOBER 27, 2023
Another tip: If you have been invited by a family, you might consider a board game or puzzle for the entire family to enjoy later. What to do if you receive a host gift Since a host gift is a thank you gift, you do not want to send a formal thank you note. Just say thank you or, if you want to acknowledge the gift further, a simple email or text the next day is fine. People like to know you received and appreciated it. Don’t open the gift if others will see you. It’s okay if you are alone with the giver, and they seem to want you to open it, but you don’t want others to feel awkward if they didn’t bring one. Feel free to set the gift aside to be opened after guests have left. Final tip: Relax. Holiday time can be stressful. Don’t add to it with worry over gifting. If you want to thank your host with a little gift, and they haven’t said not to, go ahead. Just keep in mind your relationship to your host, and what they might like. It’s just a nice way to say thanks.
One expert reminded guests that host gifts differ a bit from what you might give that person for their birthday. By definition, a
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host gift tends to be something the person would use in entertaining, such as a serving dish or coasters.
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real estate
Find charm, space galore in $1.8M historic Fort Wright home Address: 1870 Dixie Highway, Fort Wright Price: $1.8 million Bedrooms: Six Bathrooms: Six (plus one half-bath) Square feet: 4,798 School district: Kenton County County: Kenton Special features: Built in 1906, this charming classic Fort Wright home features plenty of original details. With six bedrooms and six bathrooms plus a half-bath and nearly 5,000 square feet of space on a 2.74acre lot, this spacious home offers plenty of room. There is even more living space above a three-car garage in the back. Enjoy the quiet street and manicured lawn on the front porch or large back deck.
This historic Fort Wright home has six bedrooms and loads of space. Photo provided | Susan Huff with Huff Realty
A view of the front entryway and formal dining room. Photo provided | Susan Huff with Huff Realty
Whitney Jolly, REALTOR® 859-380-5811 WJolly@huff.com JollyHomeTeam.com
Deron Schell, REALTOR® 859-640-5149 DSchell@huff.com DeronSchell.com
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The home’s large back deck looks out over a manicured lawn. Photo provided | Susan Huff with Huff Realty
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32 OCTOBER 27, 2023