LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 1, Issue 44 - September 29, 2023

PRESIDENT & CEO Lacy Starling

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Mark Collier

MANAGING EDITOR Meghan Goth

SPORTS EDITOR Evan Dennison

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Count us in: Northern Kentucky’s unyielding quest to carve out a unique regional identity

BY SHANNON PAUL | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR AND KENTON HORNBECK | LINK nky REPORTER

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

Blue circle: A photo of the plan for the region’s future that came out of the Economic Development Task Force in 1981. Photo provided. Yellow circle: A photo of the Quest: A Vision for Northern Kentucky booklet from 1995. Photo provided. Red circle: A photo of a Kentucky Post article from 2005 about Vision Quest 2015.

Northern Kentucky wants an identity of its own.

But how does a region forge a distinct identity and vision when it is considered part of a major metropolitan area of a city in an adjacent state?

Northern Kentucky is a place that has three counties and 36 cities without a single point, boundary or label on a map with its namesake. Is it fair to regard the river cities and surrounding counties as suburbs of Cincinnati?

Or are we something more? For economic development company BE NKY’s Lee Crume, that answer is “yes.” But, the CEO said, one of the hardest things about Northern Kentucky is figuring out what that identity is.

“When you start thinking about brand and identity, what’s the iconic image of the community?” Crume asked. “Is it the Florence Y’alls water tower? Is it the Roebling Bridge? Is it the horse farms?”

For meetNKY CEO Julie Kirkpatrick, the path for Northern Kentucky to establish itself as something more is to create an identity distinct from Cincinnati and the Bourbon Trail while still being an integral part of each.

Identifying NKY’s identity: Where are we?

“Northern Kentucky is the economic engine for Kentucky,” Kirkpatrick said. “And that is a true statement.”

Kirkpatrick may be one of our region’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders in her role at meetNKY, Northern Kentucky’s tourism

and convention services bureau. Her role is to represent and market the region as both a standalone travel destination and a must-visit destination within Greater Cincinnati, the state of Kentucky and the Bourbon Trail.

“To say we’re the southern side of Cincinnati doesn’t say a lot about who we are as a place,” Kirkpatrick said. “The fact that you can’t point to us on a map is the reason our organization has been so consistent over the last two years working with national media to tell our travel story and why you should check it out as part of the Cincinnati region.”

That consistent message promoting Northern Kentucky destinations has led to some major wins for Kirkpatrick and her team, including a New York Times story with a

Continues on page 4

The OneNKY Alliance board at the OneNKY Center groundbreaking in August. Photo provided | Tom Uhlman

Continued from page 3 focus on the bourbon industry in Northern Kentucky and a Condé Nast list that included Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati as a must-visit place for 2023. Kirkpatrick said those articles likely would have just highlighted Cincinnati without meetNKY’s efforts to outline specific attractions south of the river.

“Visitors to the region become potential talent to invite to move here,” Kirkpatrick said. “Our vision is to live in a place that turns out the best-educated students who are in love with where they live and will want to stay here, make a difference and become advocates for why other people should move here.”

MeetNKY will be one of the local growth organizations to take up residence at the region’s new OneNKY Center. The groundbreaking for the new facility took place in late August, kicking off construction of a building at the foot of the Roebling Bridge, a historic landmark that directly connects

the Covington riverfront with downtown Cincinnati.

“I think it’s so exciting that we will all be in the same building together as I work closely with these organizations,” Kirkpatrick said. “We will be able to run into each other in the hallway, share ideas and then keep going.”

Other organizations slated to occupy the building include OneNKY Alliance, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, BE NKY Growth Partnership, The Catalytic Fund of Northern Kentucky, Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky and the Northern Kentucky Bar Association.

In addition, the Covington Life Science Partnership and Covington Life Science Lab will occupy about 15,000 square feet of the 45,000-square-foot building, said Karen Finan, president and CEO of OneNKY Alliance.

Northern Kentucky has a legacy of local

leaders coming together to foster a regional consciousness through deliberate cooperation that may have had a history of differing interests and values, Finan told LINK nky. The benefits of coming together as a region are often aimed at fostering political clout one might typically expect with the kind of economic clout Northern Kentucky has in abundance.

How did we get here?

Finan and OneNKY Alliance are currently leading efforts to call on business and civic leaders to define the strategic vision for the future of the region. Those efforts can be traced back to the work of an organization called Forward Quest, led by Corporex Chairman Bill Butler and Mike Hammonds, Forward Quest’s former executive director. That organization came out of a 1981 task force to look at Northern Kentucky’s future.

With help from dozens of volunteers, the organization published the “Quest: A Vision for Northern Kentucky” plan in 1996, a 40-page document that sought to identify inefficiencies across the 36 municipalities and three counties that compose Northern Kentucky to address issues associated with siloed local governments. The work Forward Quest conducted helped form the basis of other future-oriented strategic planning under the names of Vision 2015, later Skyward, and now OneNKY Alliance.

Forward Quest and Vision 2015’s early work sought to highlight inefficiencies that result from too many small municipalities throughout the region, duplication of roles and departments, as well as the cost to administer services to small pieces of an overall population that was predicted to grow rapidly. But adding another layer of regional government hardly seems to be a solution to the issue of too many local governments.

“We hear people complain about too many governments in our counties, but then the responses are often workarounds that create new governments atop the existing governments and make it more complex and difficult,” Covington Mayor Joe Meyer said. “One of the big problems that we have here is that we have no government in Northern Kentucky that’s responsible for the big picture.”

Meyer said NKY’s city governments have very broad general responsibilities within their jurisdictions.

“Counties and state-run special districts generally have a more limited focus, so who do you go to for issues related to affordable housing for the region, for example,” he said. “The reality is that no such regional institution exists.”

Further, Meyer said he sees a tendency for leaders in the region outside of Covington to assume the city of Covington can solve social issues such as affordable housing for the entire region.

“We have been doing way more than our share for a long time,” Meyer said. “The simple fact is that Covington can’t do all that for this entire region, and the reality is there are more people in need of social services in Kenton County outside of Covington than inside Covington, and more people in need in Boone County than Covington. Yes, we are welcoming here, but the region collectively is not meeting the needs of the people by pushing all these services into Covington.”

Meyer said he believes that for regionalism to work for Northern Kentucky, it should have institutional responsibility for the big picture and include a way to resolve inevitable conflicts.

This chart from consulting firm Lightcast shows the imbalance of people entering the workforce at the same time soon-to-be retirees will be aging out of it. Chart provided | Lightcast

“I’m very much for regionalism, and I believe Northern Kentucky would be so much better off if they developed a true vision of regionalism that was institutional, not personality- or interest-driven,” Meyer said. “It has to be responsible for the entire region, have regional funding sources and a conflict resolution mechanism built in.”

The regionalism conversation goes back decades, as evidenced in a 2005 series in the Kentucky Post that talks about Vision 2015 and the region’s vision for itself.

“What’s the right number of cities?” then-Forward Quest Executive Director Hammonds asked in one of the stories. “Do we need 37, or could we function better with 10 cities? I think we’d be better off in the neighborhood of seven to 10.”

There is also a history of conflicting values between residents in Covington and some of the more urban neighborhoods along the river from the rest of the region, even with all of Covington’s recent economic growth.

“We are not comfortable with the idea of regional entities imposing their vision on Covington, but we’re perfectly willing to cooperate with regional motion so long as our vision and values and interests are respected,” Meyer said. “We very much believe that our uniqueness, our history and social attitudes are what make us unique, and those attributes aren’t shared with much of the rest of Northern Kentucky.”

Meyer said Covington’s commitment to historic preservation, social justice and a value of diversity make it an appealing

place for citizens and visitors alike. It’s a vision that’s not always shared with neighbors in the region, he said.

Fernando Figueroa, Gateway Community and Technical College president and CEO, told LINK nky he believes a regional ethos and identity can be adopted while maintaining local pride in one’s city or neighborhood. Gateway, which has campuses in Florence, Erlanger and Covington, serves a student population that lives throughout Northern Kentucky.

“If you think about a city like New York, you can have your different boroughs and different zones in terms of governance. But I think what’s missing is whether our cities can see themselves as all fitting under one overall set of values that gets them really thinking and talking with one another

rather than being in competition,” Figueroa said. “Historically, looking at the story of Northern Kentucky and where it’s been, there has been this interesting dynamic or balance between being very focused on local neighborhoods and ZIP codes, cities and the history of those cities with this idea of regionalism and that we are stronger when we pull together.”

Other cities, Figueroa said, that have pulled together on regional strategies have done so in response to tragedy, such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Figueroa’s hometown, or Hurricane Hugo in Charleston, South Carolina. But he said Northern Kentucky’s narrative does not have to follow suit; NKY’s collective desire to forge an identity and define who it is as a region makes it unique.

A photo of the plans that came out of a task force about the region’s future in 1981. Photo provided RiverCenter as it looks today. Photo by Eric Willoughby | LINK nky contributor

“Northern Kentucky no longer wants to be taken for granted or live in the shadow of Cincinnati or Kentucky,” Figueroa said. “We have two of the largest world hubs (with Amazon and DHL) through CVG with two of the largest companies on the planet. We are international.”

In 2006, the now-shuttered Kentucky Post published a special section to cover the work Vision 2015 outlined for stakeholders. The special section included the revitalization of the urban core and education as ini-

tiatives to improve Northern Kentucky for residents and businesses alike. This came only a few months after Delta announced that CVG would no longer serve as a hub for the airline, taking away jobs from the region and reducing the number of flights to and from the airport by more than 20%. Kirkpatrick remembers this time well.

“It was a bitter wince when CVG was dehubbed from Delta,” Kirkpatrick said. “A lot of people might have said, ‘OK, well we’re just going to be a good Midwest airport,’ but that’s not the Northern Kentucky ethos. CVG leadership came back and said, ‘We’re going to be the No. 1 airport in the threestate area.’”

That kind of determination and unfettered optimism is what Kirkpatrick thinks makes Northern Kentucky unique, and what led CVG leadership to secure an agreement with British Airways, providing direct flights between CVG and London’s Heathrow airport. Flights between the two airports began in June 2023 and led to another win for Kirkpatrick and her team: an international spotlight on Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati as a travel destination in The London Times.

According to the airport’s website, CVG is now the only airport in Kentucky, Ohio or Indiana to offer direct flights to the United Kingdom, and passenger traffic has fully rebounded from its Delta hub heyday.

Kirkpatrick cited the cooperation between CVG leaders and other leaders throughout the region during the arduous decision process with British Airways. Some critics considered the effort a waste of time, she said, but they were wrong.

We have come so far as a region, Kirkpatrick said, since leaders started envisioning our future with Forward Quest back at the

What does that say about our vibe in Northern Kentucky? Kirkpatrick said it best:

“Just when you think you can count us out is when you better count us in.”

What’s next?

Northern Kentucky-centric nonprofits and regional development organizations are bringing the community into their conversations about the next iteration of the region’s comprehensive development plans.

Economic development agency BE NKY held an investors summit for Northern Kentucky officials, industry leaders and elected representatives on Sept. 6 to talk about how the region can remain economically competitive with other similarly sized areas in the country.

Leaders are considering a multitude of strategies, including courting more technology-focused companies, increasing quality-of-life investments in sectors such as recreation and public transportation, and constructing more workforce housing. With a bevy of individuals and organizations that have a stake in the region’s future, all options and voices should be considered, Crume said.

“Is BE NKY committed to leading the effort to drafting a comprehensive regional development plan?” Crume asked. “I would say we’re committed to being a leader, and I say that because we have a lot of strong partners and this is not the kind of thing that one entity is going to own.”

Crume said BE NKY is focused specifically on the economic development portion of the plan, because other organizations have more expertise dealing with issues outside of that purview.

Teacher for Board of Education Superintendent of

DBA Covington Independent Public Schools, in Covington KY to teach high school math.

Requires bachelor’s degree & Kentucky Teaching Certificate for Teaching Math for Grades 9-12. Resumes to Tony Magner at tony.magner@covington.kyschools.us

An image of a story in the Kentucky Life section of the Kentucky Post from March 30, 2005. Photo provided | Kentucky Post

An aerial photo of the groundbreaking celebration for the OneNKY Center in August. Photo provided | Tom Uhlman end of the 20th century.

Schools

The region’s comprehensive strategies have evolved over time.

Moving away from an economic development strategy that revolves around business attraction, or “elephant hunting,” is key, said Ernst & Young Economic Development Advisor Amy Holloway at the Sept. 6 meeting.

“Go out in the biggest investment you can, and then that’s a win,” was the area’s previous strategy, Holloway said.

And while that strategy has proved successful in the past – most notably in the logistics sector – the increased development has also led to issues.

Northern Kentucky is now dealing with a housing shortage, facing a demographic drought among the primary working-age population, and figuring out how to handle a talent shortage in construction and trade labor jobs, Crume said. Each of these issues presents a unique set of challenges for regional leaders.

“We’re not doing the same mission we did 40 years ago, 30 years ago, 20 years ago or even 10 years ago,” Crume said.

Going forward, recruiting companies will still be part of the plan – it just won’t be the primary focus. Regional leaders can afford to be more selective, not only because of past economic progress but also scarcity of resources.

“I think today we’re moving into this era of scarce resources, with the workforce being at the top of that list,” Crume said.

By 2034, older adults will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history, according to a demographic drought report that consulting firm Lightcast conduct-

ed between 2011 and 2021. Consequently, many regions in the country saw their working-age population decrease during that 10-year period. The country’s over65 population grew by 16.1 million during that time, while the under-25 population shrank by 2 million.

Because of this, Crume said, Northern Kentucky leaders must be intentional about educational curriculum and the types of jobs brought into the area.

“In our world, really good available sites and lands and buildings are also a scarce resource,” Crume said.

Rather than focusing on people going out and getting any job, he said, the focus should be on helping the community go out and get jobs that are going to best fuel the community. What jobs will pay good wages, be good investments and align with the vision of what the community wants to be?

Another thing BE NKY and other local agencies should address, Crume said, is the decreasing supply of developable land. After decades of building on empty farmland, the supply is starting to run short, and strategies such as urban adaptive reuse have been floated as a solution.

Regardless of the challenges, the conversations behind the scenes – and in public – are commencing. Right now, Crume said, leaders, growth organizations and residents alike should all be part of creating a plan that leads to a desirable, sustainable community that works for everyone.

“What are the things that we’re going to execute on?” Crume asked. “What are the things that we’re going to measure against to be successful?”

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Members of the Kenton County Fiscal Court at the OneNKY Center groundbreaking in August. Photo provided | Mark Bowen

Gov. Andy Beshear, left, and state Sen. Chris McDaniel at the OneNKY Center groundbreaking in August. Photo provided | Mark Bowen

Independence welcomes new police chief Brian Ferayorni

BY NATHAN GRANGER | LINK nky REPORTER

The city of Independence approved and swore in new Police Chief Brian Ferayorni at a special meeting on Sept. 18.

Mayor Chris Reinersman characterized the event as a “very good day in the city of Independence.”

The meeting was packed with community members, police officers and staff, as well as members of the media, all eager to witness the ceremony. People crowded into the city building’s council chambers and gathered outside. Every space in the parking lot was occupied.

Ferayorni succeeds former Police Chief Tony Lucas, who retired at the end of June. The candidate pool consisted of three captains from the police department.

The process for vetting Lucas’ replacement was exceptionally thorough, complete with a round of interviewing from a community

panel, anonymous surveys of the police department and a round of cognitive testing from a psychologist, according to the city.

The community panel had representatives from various sectors of regional life. It consisted of Reinersman, City Administrator Chris Moriconi, City Council member Chris Vogelpohl, City Attorney Jack Gatlin, Erlanger Mayor Jessica Fette, local businessman Gary Holland and Melissa Moon, Ph.D., a professor of criminal justice at Northern Kentucky University.

For the final part of the vetting process, each captain was given interim command of the department for three weeks. This allowed the mayor, council and other city leaders to observe the candidates in action, not only in terms of how they handled the duties of the department but also in terms of how they could handle the expectations of being a city leader.

“It was a multifaceted process that last-

ed over two-and-a-half to three months,” Reinersman said, adding that each candidate performed well during the evaluation process. “Any one of them would have been a great police chief here in Independence.”

Melissa Ferayorni, Brian’s wife, accompanied him and adorned the signs of his new rank upon his uniform.

At the end of the meeting, Ferayorni made a brief statement to the people in the chambers.

“I will do my best to do the best job I can do for all of you,” Ferayorni said. “Like I told my wife and my two boys, I do this for them,

but I also do it for all of you guys. We’re all one big family here, and I really do want to do the best job that I can do for everybody here.”

Melissa Ferayorni adorns her husband, new Independence Police Chief Brian Ferayorni, with his rank on his uniform. Photo by Nathan Granger

NKwhy: Where can I find places to celebrate fall?

BY MAGGY MCDONEL | LINK nky DIGITAL EDITOR

Fall is finally here, and it’s time to embrace the season by visiting pumpkin patches and farms across the region.

From picking pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns to taking hayrides to sipping on some boozy cider and more, there is plenty to do at NKY farms this time of year.

While some spots are set to open soon and others have already started their fall events, we wanted to let our readers know when and where they can find autumnal activities in the area.

Neltner’s Farm – Melbourne

Head over to Neltner’s Farm in Melbourne from Sept. 30 through Oct. 31 for its annual Fall Fest. During the week, attendees can enjoy pumpkin-picking, corn mazes, a farm stand with fresh produce, plus a petting zoo and other kid-friendly activities. Stop by on the weekend for additional offerings, including horse-drawn carriage rides, food from Four Mile Pig, homemade ice cream, locally sourced wine, live music and more.

Admission is free during the week and $7 on the weekend for everyone 3 and up. The farm accepts cash and credit cards, and pumpkins are sold by the pound. Neltner’s Farm is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Find the live music lineup and more at neltnersfarm.com.

Kinman Farm Market – Burlington

Kinman Farm in Burlington is open seven days a week, mid-April through Christmas. This family-owned farm offers a variety of locally grown produce, flowers and more. Its fall farm market opened on Sept. 23 and runs through Oct. 29. Families can enjoy hayrides, corn mazes, petting zoos and other fall activities. The farm is also hosting a fall craft and vendor fair from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 28.

The festival is open Fridays, 4-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission is $10 during the weekend

festivities for those 3 and older. Find more information at facebook.com/KinmanFarmMarket.

Sugar Ridge Farm – Walton

Sugar Ridge Farm in Walton started offering tons of family-friendly fall fun on Sept. 23. Running Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 31, this farm fest includes access to the pumpkin patch, petting zoo, playgrounds, hayrides and more. For an additional cost, the farm offers trolley rides, entrance to a bounce house, plus a corn cannon.

The fall fest is open Saturday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tickets are $10 for anyone over the age of 3. The farm is cash-only. Find more information, live music lineup and special events at facebook.com/SugarRidgeFamilyFarm.

Find plenty of pumpkins at the McGlasson Farms farm stand in Hebron. The farm’s pick-your-own pumpkins and apples activities have already started for the season. According to the harvest calendar, visitors can also pick up locally grown tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, peppers, squash, eggplant, kale, apples, sweet potatoes and, of course, pumpkins. Cider and caramel apples are also available at the farm shop.

The farm is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free, and pickyour-own rates vary by item and weight. McGlasson accepts payments in cash or through Venmo. Find more information at bit.ly/3t8VdU4.

A pup enjoys Kinman Farm Market in Burlington. Photo provided | Kinman Farm Market

McGlasson Farms – Hebron

kenton county news briefs

Police investigate another Roebling Bridge bomb threat

The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge reopened after being shut down early on Sept. 19 because of yet another bomb threat, Covington police said.

Law enforcement received the threat late the night of Sept. 18. Investigators said they closed the bridge from around midnight to 2 a.m. for the investigation the next morning.

It was the fourth time in a week the bridge was shut down due to police activity.

Around 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18, the bridge was closed after a passerby reported a sus-

picious bag they spotted in the roadway portion of the bridge. Investigators determined the bag just contained bedding, and the bridge was reopened to both vehicle and foot traffic.

Investigators first responded to the bridge on Sept. 13 after receiving a 911 call from a man threatening to shoot police and put pipe bombs on the bridge. That threat was deemed not credible.

The bridge was shut down again Sept. 17 due to another bomb threat as Bengals fans tailgated nearby.

The FBI is now working to determine who is responsible for the fake threats.

Ludlow mayor to commit to city’s share of grant for Riverfront Commons

Ludlow City Council approved a resolution that will let the mayor submit a letter of commitment for the city’s share of the Riverfront Commons RAISE planning grant

during its meeting on Sept. 14.

The Riverfront Commons project is a 20mile paved multiuse path connecting Ludlow to Melbourne along the Northern Kentucky riverfront. Once complete, Riverfront Commons could feature access to dozens of business districts, trailheads, public greenspaces and overlooks along all seven riverfronts.

In early 2023, Southbank Partners and the city of Bellevue were awarded a $3.7 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for Riverfront Commons that will be used to fund design and engineering for the remaining portions of the path.

“Ludlow is far behind some of the other cities as far as the work on this,” Ludlow Mayor Chris Wright said. “It does have an impact on the draw of folks into our community. It does have an impact on recreational opportunities for folks. It does have an impact on transportation into town.”

Wright previously emphasized his com-

mitment to the project in his first quarterly newsletter of 2023.

Covington expects to begin improving Austinburg Park soon

Improvements to the facilities and equipment at Austinburg Park in Covington should begin soon, Covington Parks and Recreation Manager Ben Oldiges told LINK nky.

“We feel like we’re really hitting all of our community needs,” Oldiges said at a September Covington Board of Commissioners meeting. “And we’re really highlighting all of the insights that the community communicated to us during our community engagement process.”

The park, which opened to the public in the 1970s, features a playground, basketball courts, a pavilion shelter and an FC Cincinnati mini-pitch, one of several small soccer fields throughout the Greater Cincinnati region designed to teach children about the game of soccer.

The Roebling Bridge was closed four times in a week because of bomb threats and reported suspicious activity. Photo by Taylor Nimmo | WCPO

The FC Cincinnati Foundation installed the mini-pitch last year, and it “is actually one of our park system’s most used assets and amenities that we have right now,” Oldiges said.

The parks department began considering improvements to the park in 2021, but the rapid economic changes over the past two years and accompanying changes to the city’s budget subsumed the original cost estimates for the improvements, delaying the projects.

Following some reassessment, however, Oldiges estimated the proposed changes would cost between $260,000 and $305,000, depending on the results of the project’s contract bids.

The proposed improvements include expanded parking — which would require the removal of one of the basketball courts — an additional playground, improvements to the mini-pitch, a replacement shelter pavilion, new sidewalks and a dog park. Oldiges said that the department had already identified private donors willing to finance the construction of the dog park, so it likely wouldn’t cost the city any money. “We really wanted to focus in on two things: inclusion and infrastructure for the park,”

Oldiges said.

Independence man who lived for days with dead girlfriend sentenced to life in prison

An Independence man was sentenced on Sept. 18 to life in prison after he pleaded guilty in August to killing his girlfriend in late 2022.

Tommy Joe Powell, 55, killed 32-year-old Amberly Harris several days before police discovered her body during a welfare check, according to the Kenton County Prosecutor’s Office. She died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Powell took out a life insurance policy on Harris shortly before her murder, prosecutors told Judge Patricia Summe.

While Powell’s attorney asked for leniency for his client because of Powell’s military service and his apology to Harris’ family, prosecutors argued that he was not remorseful because of prior instances of domestic violence before the murder.

“Powell shot Amberly in the head with a shotgun at close range, killing her in a scene so gruesome it looked like some-

thing out of a horror movie,” said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Taylor Roof.

Roof said the life sentence was the closest thing to justice for Harris’ family.

“Let this be a warning to perpetrators of domestic violence, everywhere,” Roof said. “If you kill your victim, you’ll go to prison forever, just like Tommy Joe Powell.”

Fort Mitchell recognized as ‘city government of the year’

The Kentucky League of Cities named Fort Mitchell the city government of the year, according to a press release the agency sent out on Sept. 15.

“Among the city’s community improvements is a $150 million development at the site of the former Drawbridge Inn,” communications and marketing director Michele Hill said in the release. “It will include a continuing care retirement community, medical offices, retail locations, restaurants, and a hotel. The project will revitalize a blighted area and bring new jobs.”

An independent panel of judges selected the city out of several nominations, according to the press release. Fort Mitchell

was chosen, in part, because of a prioritization of growth and community service over the last year, in addition to investing in neighborhood improvements, attracting new business and seeking federal grants, Hill wrote in the release.

“I am deeply humbled and honored by this recognition,” Fort Mitchell Mayor Jude Hehman said. “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire community, from our City Council and staff to our residents and local businesses. Together, we achieve great strides in making our city a better place to live, work, and thrive.”

• Boone County Clerk

• Campbell County Fiscal Court

• City of Alexandria

• City of Bellevue

• City of Covington

• City of Cresent Springs

• City of Dayton

• City of Edgewood

• City of Elsmere

• City of Fort Thomas

• City of Fort Wright

• City of Independence

• City of Lakeside Park

• City of Newport

• City of Silver Grove

• City of Southgate

• City of Union

• City of Villa Hills

• City Of Walton

• City of Wilder

• Cresent Springs Board of Adjustment

• Family Dollar Store

• Fort Mitchell Board of Adjustment

• Fort Thomas Independent Schools

• Highland Heights Planning & Zoning

• Lutha James Robinson Trust

• Keating, Muething & Klekamp PLL

• 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

Fort Mitchell was recognized as “city government of the year” by the Kentucky League of Cities. Photo LINK nky archives

news from other places

Report: Female special ops soldiers face frequent ‘overtly sexist’ comments

Sept. 11 has fostered national solidarity among Libyans, long governed by opposing powers. Collective grief has morphed into cries for unity in a country blighted by 12 years of conflict and division.

The tragedy has also ramped up pressure on the country’s leading politicians, viewed by some as the architects of the catastrophe. The oil-rich country has been divided between rival administrations since 2014, with an internationally recognized government in Tripoli and a rival authority in the east, where the worst of the floods hit.

noise levels and charging demands. Still, developers say the planes are nearing the day when they will provide a wide-scale alternative to shuttle individual people or small groups from rooftops and parking garages to their destinations, while avoiding the congested thoroughfares below.

Joby’s first scaled manufacturing facility at Dayton International Airport is, importantly, near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratories.

Star reported.

The commission also alleges in its complaint that Rokita, a Republican who is anti-abortion, violated confidentiality requirements by making statements about an investigation into Bernard prior to filing a complaint with the state’s Medical Licensing Board.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Female soldiers face rampant sexism, harassment and other gender-related challenges in male-dominated Army special operations units, according to a recent report, which comes eight years after the Pentagon opened up all combat jobs to women.

U.S. Army Special Operations Command, in a lengthy study, reported a wide range of “overtly sexist” comments from male soldiers, including a broad aversion to females serving in commando units. The comments, it said, are not outliers but represent a common sentiment that women don’t belong on special operations teams.

The exhaustive report surveyed more than 5,000 people assigned to Army special operations forces units, including 837 female troops, 3,238 male troops and the rest defense civilians.

For a divided Libya, disastrous floods have become a rallying cry for unity

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — The disastrous flooding that killed more than 11,000 people on

Distribution of aid into the hard-hit city of Derna has been highly disorganized, with minimal amounts of supplies reaching flood-affected areas in the days following the disaster. Across the country, the disaster has also exposed the shortcomings of Libya’s fractured political system.

Manufacturer chooses Ohio site for cutting-edge electric planes

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The same Ohio river valley where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight will soon be manufacturing cutting-edge electric planes that take off and land vertically, under an agreement announced on Sept. 18 between the state and Joby Aviation Inc.

“When you’re talking about air taxis, that’s the future,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “It’s a signal to people that Ohio is looking to the future.”

Electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft are entering the mainstream, though questions remain about

Complaint: Ind. AG violated rules by talking about controversial abortion case

Rokita, in his response filed with the state Supreme Court, denied the confidentiality charge, arguing “no confidentiality should be required” because Bernard had first discussed the 10-year-old’s story publicly.

Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist, gave the girl a medication-induced abortion in June 2022 and received widespread attention after she gave an interview to the Indianapolis Star about the child.

Tens of thousands march, kick off Climate Week in New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Tens of thousands of people in New York City have kicked off a week of demonstrations seeking to end the use of coal, oil and natural gas blamed for climate change.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A complaint filed on Sept. 18 alleges that Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita violated professional conduct rules in statements he made about a doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim last year.

The Indiana Supreme Court’s disciplinary commission references an interview Rokita gave in July 2022 about Dr. Caitlin Bernard on a Fox News show, The Indianapolis

The so-called March to End Fossil Fuels beginning on Sept. 17 featured such politicians as U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and actors Ethan Hawke, Edward Norton and Kevin Bacon. It was the opening salvo to New York’s Climate Week, where world leaders in business, politics and the arts are gathering ahead of a new special United Nations summit Wednesday.

Protesters said they were targeting their efforts at many of the leaders of nations that cause the most heat-trapping carbon pollution.

Aversion to women serving in Army special operations units is not an outlier, according to an exhaustive new study. File photo by Mark Humphrey | Associated Press

The Indiana Supreme Court’s disciplinary commission alleges that Attorney General Todd Rokita violated professional conduct rules in statements about a doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim. File photo by Darron Cummings | Associated Press

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” through Oct. 8, NKU Griffin Hall Digitorium, 1 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights. $20.

Boone County Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 1961 Patrick Drive, Burlington

“Doublewide, Texas,” 8-10 p.m., Village Players Theater, 8 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas. $20.

Campbell County Farmers Market – Newport, 9 a.m.-noon, 709 Monmouth St., Newport

Kenton County Farm Tour 2023, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., free self-guided tour of farms and activities. See kentoncountyfarmtour. com for details.

Union Commission meeting, 6-7 p.m., Union City Building, 1843 Bristow Drive, Union

Edgewood City Council meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Edgewood City Building, 385 Dudley Road, Edgewood

Wilder City Council meeting, 7-8 p.m., Wilder City Building, 520 Licking Pike, Wilder

Florence City Council caucus meeting, 6-7 p.m., Florence City Building, 8100 Ewing Boulevard, Florence

Covington Commission caucus meeting, 6-7 p.m., Covington City Hall, 20 W. Pike St., Covington

Dayton City Council meeting, 7-8 p.m., Dayton Community and Meeting Center, 625 Second Ave., Dayton

Highland Heights City Council meeting, 7-8 p.m., Highland Heights City Building, 176 Johns Hill Road, Highland Heights

Campbell County Fiscal Court, 9-10 a.m., Alexandria Courthouse, 8352 E. Main St., Alexandria

Laugh and Learn, 10-11 a.m., Boone County Extension Office, 6028 Camp Ernst Road, Burlington. Free family time for ages 3-5, with activities and snack.

Registration required: 859-586-6101 or boone. ca.uky.edu.

Campbell County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Alexandria Courthouse, 8352 E. Main St., Alexandria

Southgate City Council meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Southgate City Building, 122 Electric Ave., Southgate

Walton-Verona Board of Education meeting, 6-7 p.m., Walton-Verona Independent SchoolsCentral Office, 16 School Road, Walton

Alexandria City Council, 7-8 p.m., Alexandria City Building, 8236 W. Main St., Alexandria

Covington home has lots of extras, plus it sits on nearly 3 acres

Address: 692 Clover Drive, Covington

Price: $560,000

Bedrooms: Four

Bathrooms: Three (plus one half-bath)

Square feet: 2,740

School district: Covington independent

County: Kenton

Special features: Three acres of land in Covington? This house has it. Plus, four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and plenty of extras such as a gas fireplace and two living rooms. The finished basement offers a full bathroom and laundry room, as well as room for a large family room. With all the land, there is also a lot of outdoor living space, including two decks and a patio with a firepit.

This Covington home features two living rooms and a finished basement. Photo provided | Keller Williams Realty

There are two decks included with this Covington property: Photo provided | Keller Williams Realty

The home has a gas fireplace and lots of extras. Photo provided | Keller Williams Realty

Streetscapes cruises Dixie Highway for tasty tacos, burgers, African cuisine

PHOTOS AND STORY BY MARIA HEHMAN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

This Streetscapes explores some unique eats along Dixie Highway. Join us as we visit Erlanger and Florence for African cuisine, all-American burgers and Tex-Mex tacos.

dishes they’ll devour.

Hanilul Kitchen shares the same building as Afrik Market. Guests who love the food at Hanilul Kitchen and want to try to recreate the flavors at home can buy produce from Afrik Market to try their hand at East African Somali dishes.

Mad Mike’s Burgers and Fries

Sometimes the only thing that can cure the “hangries” is a burger. Mad Mike’s has plenty of options to help even the most famished customers.

Mad Mike’s is a local chain with three locations, two in NKY and one in Cincinnati. It’s best known for its massive gourmet burgers loaded with toppings and unique flavors. “American Outlaw” is the choice for those who want a classic cheeseburger. It’s topped with traditional fixings as well as signature Mad sauce.

With possibly the most unique restaurant cuisine this series has explored, Hanilul Kitchen offers an array of items nearly no other restaurant in NKY has. Hanilul Kitchen serves authentic East African Somali dishes.

The staff does an excellent job of describing the dishes, so guests don’t have to wonder or be fearful they’ll order something they don’t love. Those who venture out of their comfort cuisine to try these decadent dishes will indulge in entrees with goat, tilapia, chicken or beef served with a choice of rice or pasta. The Somali sambusa is a pastry filled with beef, onions, garlic, cilantro and coriander. Similar to samosas, they’re fried and make for a great starter to any meal.

For guests with a sweet tooth, Hanilul Kitchen has crepes and cappuccinos to close out a delicious meal. Locally owned and operated, this restaurant is tucked along Dixie Highway and can be easy to miss. Once guests visit, they’ll be blown away by the décor inside and the unique

“Pride of Zeus” is the perfect option for those who want a taste of Greece, with gyro meat, feta, tzatziki, lettuce and onion. The “mafioso” is a great fit for those who want traditional Italian flavors, with peppero-

ni, salami, grilled onion, banana peppers, pepper jack cheese and marinara sauce, all served on a beef burger. The “Goliath” is exactly as it sounds – a massive feat only the hungriest can conquer, featuring a halfpound beef burger with bacon, cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, all sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches.

I Want Tacos

This is actually the name of a food truck on Dixie Highway, not just my own personal feelings. However, anyone who has ever had one of their tacos knows the accuracy of this name.

The I Want Tacos truck is located along Dixie Highway, where the owners can be found serving tacos, quesadillas, elote and tamales. The birria tacos are among the best sellers; they’re shredded beef tacos with cheese, onions, cilantro and cucumbers, served with savory mouthwatering birria broth. For refreshments, I Want Tacos offers two authentic Mexican drink options. Horchata is a sweet beverage made with rice and cinnamon, while tepache is a refreshing fruity drink.

I Want Tacos can also be rented for private

events and travels throughout the area, but it is best known for its home on Dixie Highway.

Have a street, city or business you want to see covered next? Email Maria Hehman at mchehman@gmail.com and it could be featured on the next installment of LINK Streetscapes.

What to Know If You Go:

Hanilul Kitchen

Location: 4210 Dixie Highway, Erlanger

Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Phone: 859-342-0062

Mad Mike’s Burgers and Fries

Location: 6420 Dixie Highway, Florence

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.;

Sunday, closed

Phone: 859-444-4112

Website: madmikesburger.com

I Want Tacos

Location: 4112 Dixie Highway, Florence

Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Phone: 859-750-4841

Website: orderiwanttacos.com

Hanilul Kitchen

The bright orange I Want Tacos truck, ready to serve guests its famous Mexican cuisine.

Hanilul Kitchen shares a location with Afrik Market in a small space along Dixie Highway.

Mad Mike’s Burgers and Fries sign as seen along Dixie Highway.

Covington Catholic soccer team appears to be on schedule after a rugged slate

BY MARC HARDIN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

The win-loss record isn’t gaudy. Statistics aren’t exactly eye-popping. With no new records in the books and milestones in short supply, there hasn’t been much in terms of recent news for the Covington Catholic High School soccer team.

Colonels coach Jeremy Robertson, a man with a sense of humor, was asked about the most compelling storyline regarding his squad, and his response was: “Did you come up with anything yet?”

While Robertson is clever, he takes CovCath’s record quite seriously. The Colonels were a break-even team as late as Sept. 5, with a 5-5-3 mark.

Yet there is a feeling the Colonels are marching inexorably toward another 35th District championship and a sixth straight appearance in the 9th Region tournament final. The hope at CovCath is that the beefed-up schedule, while taking some of

the luster off the overall record, is baking in some benefits down the road.

“I’ve always done a tough schedule,” Robertson said. “It challenges you. It gives the team some character. It tells you how hard you have to work. It gives you a lot of different looks at playing styles and formations, so in really important games, you can react in a timely manner.”

A difficult schedule can also saddle a team with a record that belies its true caliber, which is what’s happening at CovCath. But co-captain Cole Hubert would have it no other way.

“A tough schedule teaches us how to play against difficult teams,” said Hubert, one of 11 seniors. “And it teaches us how to play together.”

The Colonels are getting better by the week. Though improvements weren’t necessarily being reflected in the record, they were on

the field.

“Everybody’s team is good these days. On top of that, we’re playing a pretty tough schedule again this year,” Robertson said. “Lately, we’ve been talking about winning individual battles that help team results.”

A look at the schedule reveals the gauntlet the Colonels set up for themselves. The slate features a host of state powers.

In Kentucky, they have played out-of-town powerhouses Louisville Trinity, Louisville St. Xavier, DeSales and Lexington Catholic. In Ohio, the Colonels have faced stalwarts Centerville, Dayton Carroll and Cincinnati McNicholas.

Locally, they have taken on Highlands, Ryle, Dixie Heights, Newport Central Catholic, Cooper, Conner and Simon Kenton, all ranked in the Top 10 of the Northern Kentucky High School Boys Soccer Coaches Association preseason poll.

CovCath fell to Trinity, St. Xavier and Ryle by 1-0 scores. The low point was a 9-0 loss to Centerville. Though there were few positives to pull from that, it was the only time the Colonels were beaten by more than one goal through the first 16 games.

Then in late August, some positive trends emerged. The Colonels went three weeks and lost once. Also, they suffered just one loss in the first seven games against regional competition, underscoring their continued success locally and perhaps giving a preview of upcoming regional tournament success.

The tide began to turn with a 6-0 win over Cincinnati Country Day, with two goals from Aiden Leach and a pair of assists from Hubert. Auggie Eilerman posted the shutout in a 0-0 tie against Cooper. Chris Wessels scored in a 1-1 tie against Highlands. Leach, Jack Fleck and Andrew Roland scored in a 3-2 win over DeSales. Wessels scored along with Roland in a 2-1 win over Dixie Heights.

Fleck, one of 13 juniors, led the Colonels with eight goals through the first six weeks. Leach had seven goals. Wessels and Roland had five each. Hubert had three.

Senior co-captain Jacob Pieper attributed finer play of late to improved communication.

“I think that it’s allowing us to connect better,” Pieper said. “We’re moving the ball around a lot more, too, and making better passes.”

The Colonels also make the extra pass, when necessary, though scoring opportunities have been limited. Leach led the Colonels with four assists after the first six weeks. Hubert had three assists. Roland had two. Owen Robertson and Tanner Robertson, the coach’s sons, had one goal and one assist each.

“Our goal, obviously, is to win a state championship,” Pieper said. “If everybody gives 100 percent, we can win it.”

The last and only CovCath state crown came in 2015. Parts of the squad remain. Robertson’s entire staff played on that team.

With regard to milestones this season, one belongs to coach Robertson. He earned career win No. 250 with the Sept. 14 victory at Dixie Heights. He’s won 168 games in 12 seasons at CovCath. The other milestones could belong to the team. The Colonels are pursuing their 36th championship in the 35th District. If they win their first regional title in two years, it will be their 20th regional crown.

The Colonels of Covington Catholic are seeking their second state championship in nine years. File photo | LINK nky

Colin Weiler, Jacob Brown and Hudson Schreiber key the defense.

Covington Catholic High School soccer coach Jeremy Robertson has 11 seniors, 13 juniors and two sons on his team. Photo provided | Covington Catholic

St. Henry girls volleyball claims 7th All ‘A’ state title

abeth Tabeling, Madi Demler and Lizzie Casey joined Lentz on the all-tournament team.

Bishop Brossart came the closest to even sniffing winning a set, putting up 21 points in the second game during pool play. But none of the other five teams scored more than 17 points on St. Henry.

St. Henry improved to 21-7 on the season with the title and sits seventh in the latest Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association statewide poll.

State football championship dates set for early December

firing a 315 to Harrison County’s runner-up finish with a 323. The Bluebirds’ Hank Shick was the individual medalist with a threeover-par 74, defeating Newport Central Catholic’s Caleb Eaglin and Harrison County’s David Korona in a playoff. Oliver Golden finished with a 76, Nathan Kirst an 81, Ryan Toole an 84 and Alex Race carding an 89 to round out the Bluebirds scoring.

It was a pretty dominant performance for the St. Henry volleyball team at the All “A” state tournament Sept.15-16 in Richmond on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University.

The Crusaders won their seventh All “A” title in program history, doing so with a breeze.

St. Henry didn’t drop a set in six contests, and head coach Maureen Kaiser only needed to call one timeout. They averaged a margin of victory by 14 points each set.

St. Henry beat Presentation, 2-0 (25-17, 2512) in the championship game, the fourth time the two have met in the title tilt since 2012, St. Henry winning three of the four meetings. The only loss St. Henry has ever had in the All “A” tournament was in 2016 in the championship. They are 47-1 all-time at the All “A” state tournament in eight trips.

Macy Lentz earned the tournament’s most valuable player honor. Anna Guard, Eliz-

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) state football championship dates are set for Kroger Field in Lexington.

Class A through 6A will take place the first weekend in December, starting on Friday, Dec. 1.

Games to be played on Friday will be Class A at noon, Class 2A at 4 p.m. and Class 4A at 8 p.m. Games to be played on Saturday will be 3A at noon, 6A at 4 p.m. and 5A at 8 p.m.

The high school football playoffs begin Nov. 3.

Highlands, Ryle boys, Cooper girls claim regional golf titles

The Highlands Bluebirds boys golf team and Cooper girls golf team won their fourth straight regional golf titles on Sept. 18 and 19, while the Ryle boys got the regional title back after winning it in 2021.

The Bluebirds won the 8th Region tournament at AJ Jolly Golf Course by eight strokes,

The Jaguars had a familiar top three for the last four years in their four-peat. Reagan Ramage won the region tournament for the fourth straight year, while Kendall Brissey and Eva Maley were at the top of the leaderboard, as well. Cooper won by a convincing 53 strokes over second-place Ryle at the 7th Region tournament at the Willows at Kenton County Golf Course. Ramage fired an even-par 71 to win medalist, Brissey tied for second with Ryle’s Anika Okuda with a 75, Maley fourth with a 76. The three have finished in the top four individually the last four years. Rounding out the Cooper scoring were Ava Finke with a 91 and Sydney Koenig with a 94.

The Raiders quartet of Tanner Lorms, Paxton McKelvey, Jake Roscoe and Palmer McKelvey edged CovCath by five shots in the 7th Region Tournament at Boone Links Golf Course, 311-316. Paxton McKelvey led the Raiders with a 73, followed by Roscoe and Lorms with 76 each. Palmer McKelvey carded an 83 with the fifth golfer Andrew Roach with an 85. Covington Catholic’s Mitchell Gastright was the individual medalist with an even-par 72.

Ryle cross-country runner Bartlett sets school record

It was quite the week for Ryle cross-country runner Tiger Bartlett.

After accepting a scholarship offer from

the University of Cincinnati on Sept. 15, Bartlett set a school record the next day at the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational cross-country meet in Louisville. Bartlett ran the course in 14:56.60 and placed fifth, the second-fastest runner from the state of Kentucky in the large meet.

Bartlett looks to build off a third-place finish from last season’s Class 3A state meet, where he was also the Class 3A, Region 4 champion and took home top honors in the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Division II meet.

The state championships this season are Oct. 28 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Georgetown.

St. Henry won its seventh All “A” state volleyball tournament championship on Sept. 16 at Eastern Kentucky University. Photo provided | David Tabeling

Ryle’s Tiger Bartlett committed to the University of Cincinnati on Sept. 15 and broke the school cross-country meet record the following day.

Photo provided | Ryle cross-country

Presented by:

As a reminder, our honor is available to any athletics team from any sport at any level – from high school and collegiate to youth to recreational and beyond. Readers can scan the QR code to head to linknky.com to vote for the next Team of the Week.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY SELECTS Scott football team

Photo provided | Scott football

Brereton Chandler Jones, born in 1939, was one of six children born to Bartow and Nedra Jones. Raised in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, on the family dairy farm, he loved horses and sports throughout his childhood. His athletic ability ultimately secured a football scholarship to the University of Virginia, where he was elected president of the School of Commerce and served as a member of the school’s renowned Honor Committee.

After graduation, he returned to Point Pleasant and began dual careers in politics and business. Following the political leanings of his parents, Brereton was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates as a Republican at the age of 25, the youngest person ever to serve in that capacity. He would be elected minority leader a mere two years later.

After winning two terms, Brereton left West Virginia politics to focus on his fledgling construction business. While that business thrived, his dream was to raise thoroughbred horses— and he knew Kentucky was the center of the thoroughbred universe.

During a visit to Keeneland, he met Elizabeth (Libby) Lloyd. They were married and, by 1972, had moved to Kentucky. As he often said during his campaigns, “I came to Kentucky by choice, not by chance.”

Citizen: Once here, the young couple leased land from Libby’s family and began converting a cattle and grain farm into a thoroughbred operation. Brereton shared Libby’s love of Kentucky and immersed himself in civic activities focusing on improving public education and increasing access to health care, two priorities he would champion for the rest of his life.

Brereton was a staunch supporter of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and served on the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees. He also served on the UK Chandler Medical Center Board and as fundraising chair for the UK Markey Cancer Foundation. Brereton and Libby’s Twist and Bid fundraiser was a memorable night that raised more than $3 million to help build the Markey Cancer Center. During their 52-year marriage,

Brereton C. Jones

they demonstrated the truth in one of Brereton’s favorite sayings: Working together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. Another of his favorite causes, which ultimately drew him back into politics, was his work with the Kentucky Health Care Access Foundation, a nationally acclaimed program that enlisted many doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other practitioners to provide free health care for thousands of Kentuckians living below the poverty level but still not qualifying for many government health programs.

Governor: As Kentucky became Brereton’s home, he registered as a Democrat. Motivated to help others and propel his causes of education and health care, Brereton turned again to politics. He is best known by most Kentuckians for his service as our governor and lieutenant governor. Brereton pledged to fight for progressive reforms and programs during his campaigns, which he won by record margins. Traveling to all of Kentucky’s 120 counties, he met with thousands of Kentuckians, drank thousands of cups of coffee, and listened. He developed friendships that he treasured with people from all walks of life, bearing testimony to his charisma and genuine caring, which remain to this day one of the enduring legacies of his life.

At the time of his election, only Kentucky and Virginia denied a sitting governor the chance to run for re-election. In 1992, Brereton urged the General Assembly to put the matter before the voters and excluded himself to reduce opposition from politicians who wanted to run in the next race. He put the people of Kentucky ahead of his own political interests, and the voters passed the constitutional amendment to allow gubernatorial succession.

Before he took office as governor, countless Kentuckians had lost faith in state government because of allegations of corruption and self-dealing. Brereton signed the most sweeping ethics reform regulations in Kentucky history during the first minute after taking the oath of office. He subsequently called for legislation that would expand these changes, and the General Assembly passed laws to make the executive and legislative branches of government more transparent and accountable to the people.

Under Brereton’s leadership, our state was at the forefront of progressive actions and reforms that benefited people in every part of the commonwealth. We invested more in public education, economic development, parks and the environment and honored our past by building the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. All this occurred even though he inherited a $400 million budget deficit on Day 1 of his administration. Through fiscal restraint and cost-cutting, Kentucky enjoyed a $300 million budget surplus when Brereton Jones left office, which was the largest in Kentucky history. The people recognized his bold leadership, and he held a 61% approval rating when he completed his service as governor.

Farmer: Thousands of Kentuckians also knew Brereton as a thoroughbred horse breeder. Brereton built Airdrie Stud from that initial leased land by purchasing nearby tracts as the farm became more profitable. Ultimately, Airdrie became an internationally renowned farm covering 2,000 acres of prime Woodford County land. Horses bred at Airdrie raced in the Kentucky Derby and won three Kentucky Oaks as well as 24 Grade 1 stakes. He often said, “The farm is my past, present and future.”

Family: Brereton had one rule regarding campaigning: Never on Sunday. That’s because Sunday was Family Day, a time to rest, worship and be with family. Through his years in public life, he cherished the time to be with Libby, and his beloved children, Bret and Lucy; politics just had to wait. In his later years, Family Day evolved into a constant presence at his grandsons’ sport-

ing events, where he took tremendous pleasure in cheering for B, Jack, and Thomas, ending each game with a big hug from “Pop.” His ear-to-ear smile when meeting his newborn granddaughter, Wende, will always be remembered.

Brereton was a compassionate man who approached life with humility, a positive attitude, a sense of humor and an unparalleled work ethic. He leaves a lasting legacy in his family, politics, business, and in the countless friendships he built through his lifetime of service.

Brereton Jones. Photo provided | Brian Tietz via Associated Press