KENTON
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 44 — OCTOBER 4, 2024
THE VOICE OF NKY
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Advocates: Substance use recovery ‘can start today’ By Haley Parnell
C
hristine Gyftakis changed her career path to be an addiction counselor after losing her son to a fentanyl overdose.
“To me, it’s really about making sure that people realize that they’re a person,” Gyftakis said. “They’re not defined by this; this is a disease of the brain and mental. And to educate people, because a lot of people just don’t know or they’re afraid.” September is National Recovery Month. It kicks off after Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31. The month gives recovery centers a platform to bring awareness to substance use disorders and the stigma surrounding them to help get resources to folks that need them. BrightView Health, an outpatient treatment facility, took a trip to Frankfort this month to advocate for recovery centers. They heard from people who were in active recovery, shared resources with other providers and heard from lawmakers. Continues on page 3
The BrightView Health team traveled to Frankfort in September for National Recovery Month. Provided | BrightView Health
Taylor Mill commissioner honored for water rescue By Dillon Cain
D
uring the Taylor Mill City Commission meeting in late September, Commissioner Edward Kuehne watched as a line of his fellow Boone County Water Rescue Team members filed quietly in the back with smiles on their faces. When he questioned them about their unexpected presence, one member answered that they were “simply here to see how the government works.” Kuehne’s suspicions about the meeting’s nature proved warranted after Mayor Dan Bell took the microphone to call him and the other rescue team members to the front of the room. “There was an event a
weekend before Labor Day in which there was a tragic incident where a gentleman tried to swim across the Ohio River,” Mayor Bell began.
ployed into the water, immediately flipping the swimmer upright with his head above the water and transferring him onto the Covington Fire Zodiac Boat 1, “All of these people where he immediately starthere and the other ed CPR.”
He was speaking about the attempted rescue and 40+ members [of the recovery of a man who The man was then taken by rescue team] would emergency services but died attempted to swim across the river on Aug. 25. Bell have done the same despite life-saving meathen went on to honor the sures. thing I did.” rescue team for its efforts -Ed Kuehne to try save the victim, and “I, the commission and the in particular, the actions of Kuehne, who at staff of the city of Taylor Mill wish to exage 77 jumped into the water himself to re- press our gratitude and acknowledge feltrieve the victim. low Commissioner Ed Kuehne for his skills in community service as part of the Boone Bell began reading an official proclamation County Water Rescue,” said Bell before givdescribing Kuehne’s actions. “At 6:16 p.m., ing Kuehne an plaque to a roomful of apthe rescue swimmer Ed Kuehne was deContinues on page 9
Triple Crown set to expand after winning zoning change p5 These small, comfortable places earn big followings p12 Newport football’s surprising stellar start p14
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