LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 3, Edition 17 - March 21, 2025
As performance falls, Newport schools face intervention
By Haley Parnell
Despite a five-year improvement goal set in 2020, Newport’s education task force says too little has changed in the district.
“Every year that we don’t improve our academics is another year that we let our children down, another year that they’re not college ready, another year that they’re not career ready,” said Bobbie Stubbeman, a former education task force member and a current Newport Board of Education member.
The task force, established in 2019, has released its 2024 report highlighting ongoing academic struggles in Newport Independent Schools. The report reveals that the district ranks among the lowest-performing in the region, with low kindergarten readiness, poor test scores and declining postsecondary preparedness. This as spending has increased significantly, particularly on administrative costs.
While the task force originally suggested a possible district merger if improvements were not made, members now believe collaboration with neighboring districts and
Continues on page 3
Green Building now home to COhatch Covington
By Kenton Hornbeck
When Covington Mayor Ron Washington was a kid, 407 W. Sixth St. was the home of the John R. Green Co.
“It is really interesting to see this site,” he said. “You know, this used to be … filled with books and everything imaginable.”
Today the building hosts the newest location of COhatch, a company that offers flexible office space and community-oriented venues for startup founders freelancers, and remote workers. COhatch operates several locations across the United States, including cities like Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland in Ohio; Indianapolis; Tampa and St. Petersburg in Florida, and Pittsburgh, among others.
On March 7, Washington attended a ribbon cutting ceremony at the coworking company’s Covington branch, one of six COhatch facilities in Greater Cincinnati.
“I just want to welcome you to our grand opening of our first Kentucky location, right in the heart of the Mainstrasse Village,” said Deanna Lucas, corporate and small business sales leader at COhatch. “We’re so excited to welcome you guys in. There was a lot of work that went into this and restoring this beautiful building.”
COhatch Covington includes 37 private offices, five meeting rooms and three event spaces. It covers 12,691 square feet across three floors and is within walking distance of Goebel Park and various bars and restaurants.
Newport Independent Schools district office building. Provided | WCPO
COhatch Covington is in the renovated John R. Green Building. Photo by Kenton Hornbeck | LINK nky
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Continued from page 1 targeted interventions, such as expanded pre-K programs and better support for mobile students, may be more effective solutions.
The task force was formed to support the Newport Independent School District in improving performance. Since then, it has created three reports (in 2020, 2022 and 2024) centered on the district’s academic achievement, finances and school working conditions.
The 2020 education task force report suggested a five-year timeframe for making significant changes within the district, which would be 2025. “We are now four years later, and the significant improvement has not happened,” the 2024 report states.
State of the schools
According to the 2024 report, compared to the districts that are geographically adjacent to Newport (Covington Independent, Bellevue Independent and Dayton Independent), the district has either the lowest overall rating or is tied for the lowest overall rating across elementary, middle and high schools.
The Kentucky Department of Education uses a color system to rate a school’s performance. Five colors range from red (worst) to blue (best). Newport currently has two schools categorized as red and one as orange. According to the 2024 task force report, that’s worse than last year, when the high school, now red, was orange. Within the schools, the middle school saw some improvements in reading and math, but not enough to move the overall score out of the red.
The data from the reports show that students in Newport Schools have not learned to read or do math on par with their peers across the state. According to the task force, as students make their way through school, they are less able to learn at a high level in all subject areas.
Newport education task force member Steve McCafferty said the kindergarten through grade 12 experience should be a continuum. In preschool, he said, child care is a larger component than academic achievement. Children learn to sit in chairs and be quiet, share materials with other kids and take directions from an adult that is not a family member.
As students progress through subsequent grades, McCafferty said, there should be less focus on child care and more on academic achievement.
Children should learn to read from kindergarten through third grade. McCafferty said that, by the time children leave third grade, they should no longer be learning to read, but reading to learn. As students work their way to grade 12, the child care element should be getting smaller and smaller.
“In Newport, the child care element stays really strong, K through 12, but the academic achievement part is never realized,” McCafferty said. “If you leave third grade and you can’t read – and most of the kids in Newport leave third grade, and only 12%15% can read proficiently. The rest of them go on to fourth grade, and guess what? They haven’t learned to read proficiently yet, so they’re still learning to read when the focus has moved on to reading to learn.”
Not ready for kindergarten
Data from the task force’s 2024 report shows “a very large proportion of students are well below grade level,” according to the task force’s 2024 report. “On a positive note, this internal testing at Newport Independent School District shows some progress in math and reading at the elementary and middle school levels.”
The 2024 report states that a contributing factor to those low test scores is children’s preparedness as they enter kindergarten.
The report states, “Newport Independent School District has one of the lowest kindergarten readiness scores in the region with the biggest deficits in the two areas of academic/cognitive (basic readiness like the alphabet, numbers and shape knowledge) and physical development (fine and gross motor skills).”
Data in the 2024 report showed that Newport’s low kindergarten readiness scores are impacting the proficiency of early learners.
Cheye Calvo, president and CEO of EducateNKY, said 90% of brain development occurs before a child is 5. He said communities and society as a whole need to think about how to invest in younger children and young families with young children to help get more kids ready for kindergarten.
EducateNKY is a local nonprofit “dedicated to ensuring that the Northern Kentucky education landscape is one of the best at meeting the needs of families and learners,” according to its mission statement.
“Efforts that are very place-based, that are family-centered, to engage families in the learning process earlier are going to reap real rewards,” Calvo said.
Kindergarten is a universal entitlement that kicks in at age 5. Schools become more involved at age 4, and some services are available at age 3.
“More brain development is happening at age 1,” Calvo said. “So, when we think about
what is the best return on investment for public dollars, the earlier you can engage families and children in that process, the greater the long-term dividends.”
One of the recommendations the education task force gave in its 2024 report was for the district to work on a comprehensive kindergarten readiness program. The report states, “While it is not a school-only issue, it would be in the best interest for Newport Independent School District to lead the charge by reaching externally to collaborate on solutions to develop access to all-day pre-K in the city.”
“Developing a way to get more pre-K children into strong programs would enable Newport Independent School District to get off to a stronger start as each new class enters the system,” the 2024 report states.
Helping boost readiness
Lynn Schaber, another task force member, said a goal is for the district to allocate money to a free pre-K program. “If there was free pre-K for every kid in Newport, it would just get us off to such a strong start, but there’s not enough money for that,” she said.
Newport Superintendent Tony Watts said the district tries to reach out to parents to provide them with literature on the importance of working with their kids before they get to school. He said they also try to enroll as many kids as possible in preschool. Not everyone can automatically enroll a child, though: Generally, only 4-year-old children from families with incomes at or below 160% of the federal poverty level are eligible for state-funded preschool, as well as any 3- or 4-year-old child with a diagnosed disability, regardless of income level.
Read Ready Covington is an example of a program working for a neighboring school district to help with kindergarten readiness. It is an initiative to increase child literacy rates among city families and teach the love of reading and learning at an early age.
Bellevue Independent Overall Performance Rating
Covington Independent Overall Performance Rating
Continued from page 3
“I do think there are models locally that you can turn to, and Covington in the last couple years has seen a meaningful rise in its kindergarten readiness rates,” Calvo said. “I think I would give Read Ready Covington credit for that.”
Calvo said there are opportunities in the river cities and in Newport for the community, the city, the school district and nonprofit partners to come together to focus efforts on young children. He said that more collaboration across levels of government and engaging families in the learning process will not only result in more kids showing up to kindergarten ready but also in neighborhoods being stronger and more vibrant.
A parent’s
perspective
Bobbie Stubbeman isn’t just a school board member; she is also a parent who sends her kids through Newport Schools. Two of her children have graduated, and two are currently enrolled.
Her two daughters, who graduated, have both gone to college; one even graduated high school early as a sophomore.
One of her daughters was involved in programs through the gifted and talented program at Newport that allowed her to go to Florida for three weeks for a transportation engineering program and take a neuroscience course during the summer. Her two grads also took advantage of DUAL credit opportunities (a program that allows students to earn college credit while still in high school) offered through Gateway Community & Technical College.
Still, Stubbeman said she recognizes that not all students receive the same kind of opportunities for various reasons, such as a lack of support or not being aware of the opportunities. “My goal [as a school board member] is to make sure that plans are in place to invest in them and let them know that, hey, we have these opportunities available,” she said.
Stubbeman said that, when her kids started their college credits, she had to teach them
some of the fundamentals they should have learned at Newport schools.
“That’s something I think should be part of their education, preparing them for college,” she said. “Making sure they can answer college-level questions. Making sure they can relate to other students and do discussion boards. Making sure they can write an essay. These are all things that should be taught in high school, and my daughters did not get that. Luckily for them, I know those things, so I could help them.”
The collaboration consideration
Watts, the superintendent, said he was not familiar with the specific programming Stubbeman’s daughter was in through the gifted and talented program, but he said Newport has the Young Scholars Program, which helps kids who excel in attending college.
Newport partners with Northern Kentucky University for that program, now in its third year. Through the program, Newport High School juniors can earn an associate degree by graduation. The hope is that students will then enroll at NKU full-time to finish a bachelor’s degree.
Stubbeman’s daughter, who graduated early from Newport Schools, entered the aerospace engineering program at the University of Cincinnati. Stubbeman said more science classes, such as physics, offered through Newport could have prepared her daughter better.
“They just don’t have the variety of courses to help these kids when they do get to college,” she said. “Even if they are smart, like my daughter, they struggle when they get there, and they have these new courses that are totally foreign because they have no foundation.”
Stubbeman said neighboring districts could collaborate to offer these opportunities. For example, if Newport doesn’t have enough interested students for classes in subjects like physics, the district could partner with a school district that does.
Calvo said that, not only are there tremendous opportunities for school districts to collaborate to elevate rigor, but in a teacher shortage, two of the most needed teaching areas are math and science. He said it’s difficult to hire general math and science teachers, let alone ones for more advanced level classes.
“It seems to me that there would be opportunity for school districts to work together to identify teachers that could serve more than one district, especially in things like science or chemistry or biology or calculus,” Calvo said.
“We do partner with other districts when we see need, and we can fit it in,” Watts said. “We’ve been doing that for a while.” He said the schools’ schedules must align for it to work.
Some Newport students go to Covington for programs like Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. The free program for high school students teaches leadership and citizenship skills.
He said students from other districts come to Newport for carpentry, business or math classes.
One measure of high-level rigor for any school district, Calvo said, is advanced placement class participation, also known as AP classes. He said there are very few AP classes in any of the river cities, though they do use dual credit. While Calvo said dual credit is a valid approach, schools should offer both types of courses.
“You’re not going to get to AP calculus unless you are in eighth grade algebra,” Calvo said. “The question is, do school districts have the teachers and the science and text fields that they need. If they do, should they be competing for single teachers in one district? Or is there a way to actually hire teachers collectively in a way that can make sure that every kid in every district has access to that rigorous material.”
Watts said the district stopped offering AP classes because they weren’t getting enough kids in them. Further, when they did get them, they weren’t passing the AP exams.
“We felt it’s better for the kids to go to the Young Scholars Program,” he said. “With the Young Scholar’s Program, you go there for two years; you can leave with an associate degree. You already got 30 hours of college, and then that’ll cut down on your cost.”
College readiness
The task force reports also highlight the 16-year history of Newport Schools’ ACT scores.
The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions. The composite score and each test score (English, mathematics, reading, science) range from 1 (lowest) to 36 (highest). Newport’s 16-year average is 16.8, which is 2.1 points lower than that state’s average and 0.9 points lower than the average in Northern Kentucky.
According to the task force’s 2024 report, Newport’s average ACT score increased in the 2022-23 school year to 15.6 versus the previous year’s 15.0. However, both scores are below the previous four years, when the district scored above 16. The national average is north of 19, which is considered the score necessary to apply to college.
“At the end of the day, the academic performance is very poor,” said Schaber. “The ACT scores for the high schools are very bad. So they’re, on average, around 16. You’re not going to get in [college] anywhere with the 16. Of course, that’s an average. They have some kids that are higher.”
Newport Schools also ranked in the orange for its graduation rate and in the red for its postsecondary readiness for the 2022-23 school year, downgraded from yellow in both categories the previous year.
“The thing that’s accepted in Newport that is unacceptable is they’re going to take care of the kids,” said McCafferty, of the education task force. “They’re going to feed them and make them comfortable. They’re going to go and graduate from high school. They’re going to give them a piece of paper and hope that they’re OK, but they want employment that they can turn to purpose.”
Transient student population
Aside from kindergarten readiness affecting students through their educational careers, the task force report points to another aspect of Newport’s low academics: mobile students (students who transfer in and out) within the district.
The report shows that the academic results of continuously enrolled students outpace those of mobile students. The task force’s recommendations to the district include developing additional programs for newly attending students to close the gap with mobile students quickly as they enter the school system.
Schaber said that, like starting a new job and going through an onboarding process, Newport Schools should have a system to get mobile students acclimated to the district when they come in.
“They should have something that augments these kids, understands where they are, what they need,” she said. “So, they should really be an augment program for those kids, but I couldn’t get any traction on that.”
said the district uses iReady for its
Watts
Newport Teachers Association President Esther Fatsy speaks at the Feb. 26 school board meeting. Photo by Haley Parnell | LINK nky
diagnostic assessments. When new students enroll, he said they try to give them the assessment to see where they are at the time of enrollment. Once they know the students’ level, they can be placed in the proper services if they need help or interventions or are achieving at a higher level.
“That’s what we consider onboarding, see where they are now, and then, based on how they score, we provide those intervention services or challenging lessons if they are achieving,” Watts said. “The goal is meeting them where they are as they come in and then provide the necessary services for those students once they get here.”
According to the 2024 report, it has been hypothesized that the movement of students in and out of school districts in Northern Kentucky makes it difficult for schools to teach as effectively as they do with continuously enrolled students.
Calvo said for all schools, but especially those with high rates of transient students, schools must develop an onboarding process or a thoughtful process for engaging families in relationships up front, taking the time to get to know the families, making sure a student is settled, and getting a clear sense of where that student is.
He said that, while it requires a lot of the school and is not easy to do, making that investment of time at the beginning will pay meaningful long-term dividends. Calvo said the constant flow of students in a classroom doesn’t affect just the kids who come in. It affects the whole classroom.
“It doesn’t take away the difficulty that this presents, but, if you don’t have a strategy to manage it, the problems are going to be that much greater,” he said.
‘Part of the culture’
Like Schaber, Stubbeman also said that the district seemed to dismiss the education task force’s ideas regarding pre-K programs and programs for mobile students.
“When we recommended that they expand preschool and programs for mobile students, they were like, ‘We’re already doing that,’” she said. “They just kind of dismissed the suggestion because they said they were already working on that. We haven’t seen the outcome of that yet.”
McCafferty told LINK nky that he has learned over the years in dealing with Newport schools that it’s “part of the culture to blame the kids for the low achievement.”
“Newport has a plan to have jobs rather than do jobs,” McCafferty said.
Watts said the district does not dismiss ideas.
“I may not come out and say, ‘Yes, I like what you suggested, and we’re going to do it,’ but we look at every report that they’ve ever written,” he said. “Some of the things we’ve already implemented or are doing when they suggest it. Some of them, we may see that we feel that this might work, then some of it, we may say this is not going to work for us.”
‘You’re spending too much’
Aside from academics, the task force also discussed Newport Schools spending. The 2020 and 2022 reports detail the district’s finances, while the 2024 report offers a summary.
“If we look at their spending now, I looked it up on the most recent Kentucky State Report Card, and their spending is more than $30,000 per student, and that’s up 48% since our first report,” Schaber said. “So I guess I don’t really feel listened to when we said at the very beginning, ‘You’re spending too much.’”
Schaber said she’s OK with the district spending money, but the problem is that a lot of Newport’s money is going to its central office for administration salaries.
“If you’re spending money on curriculum and kids and tutoring and pre-kindergarten – all that stuff – that’s great, but they’re spending significantly more – at one point, it was more than $2 million – on their central office,” Schaber said. “So that’s been a theme throughout. As a matter of fact, right now, they’re the second-highest spending district in the state.”
The $2 million Schaber refers to is highlighted in the 2022 report. The report states, “Newport, with 1,322 (1,327 as of the 2024 report) students, spends more on central office salaries than most schools, even the much larger Fort Thomas. Covington, with 3,550 students, is the exception.”
The report compares the central office staff in Newport (28) to that in Fort Thomas, but it points out that Fort Thomas serves more than double the number of students. The report states that Newport’s student population has dropped “substantially” over the decade, but the number of central office staff has remained the same.
“We could have the most expensive school in the state, but I would expect us to have some of the best performance from an academic standpoint,” Schaber said.
Watts said the number of central office staff has not remained the same since he has been with the district. He said they have made some cuts to the district office.
In his cabinet, Watts said he has nine people. There are two in the curriculum department (which he said was down from four), one technology person, one in special education, one in food services, one director of pupil personnel, one finance officer, one faculties director and Watts’ secretary.
He said some directors have secretaries in their offices to help them with their jobs. Maintenance workers are also considered district office employees.
“We have made some cuts, and this year we’re looking at cutting some more,” Watts said. “People retire, and, if we can move some duties around, we’re looking at that. We’re always looking at ways we can cut.”
Staff cuts proposed
The school’s budget deficit was not part of the education task force report but was a topic of conversation last fall and again in the winter. In October, the district voted to transfer $1 million from its investment fund to balance a projected budget deficit of $937,930 before sending it for review to the Kentucky Department of Education.
The school board met during a work session on Oct. 16 to discuss the final budget before sending it for approval. The conversation was carried over from the board’s discussion at an Oct. 2 work session, when decreasing the projected deficit of $1.96 million was discussed.
That left the district with a $425,000 contingency in its beginning balance for the following school year if it did not incur additional revenues or expenses.
In a Jan. 22 regular meeting, Jennifer Hoover, the district’s former finance director, said the schools face a $3.9 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year.
That deficit has led to tentative staffing allocations recommended by Watts at a Feb. 26 board meeting. His recommendation, approved by the school board in a 4-1 vote, included cutting 21 positions across the three Newport schools. Newport Primary School would see four cuts, Newport Inter-
Chief Administrative Officer, Armoureye
mediate School eight, and Newport High School nine.
Union: No confidence
During the Feb. 26 meeting, the Newport Teachers Association called for a “no confidence” vote in Watts.
The call shows dissatisfaction with the superintendent’s leadership and performance but has no official bearing on an administrator’s job. No board member discussed taking such a vote during the meeting.
Regarding the call for a vote of no confidence by the union, Watts said, “I’m doing the best I can. I support the teachers. Everything we do, we try to show them that.”
Teachers Association President Esther Fatsy, who has been with the district since 2005, said she was representing every teacher and staff member in the district at the meeting.
“I urge you to leave no stone unturned,” Fatsy said. “Investigate everything. We have a gifted coordinator without kids being serviced at all when cuts are made to the building levels, and no one is willing to answer the question of what is being cut at the central office. Keep in mind they’re not the ones working with students. This is not the way it should work in public schools; this is not the way we get test scores up. We need to keep teachers and support staff.”
The task force’s report recommended revising the superintendent evaluation measures to use a scorecard to gauge performance. It said the process needs to be more data-driven and objective.
Schaber said the current reviews are “softball” and need to get more specific and concrete on performance measurements. “If you were in a business organization, if you were a CEO, consistently for six, seven years at the bottom of the performance ladder, there would be some changes, and we haven’t seen that,” she said.
Stubbeman said she thinks the school board was receptive to a more objective superintendent evaluation.
“Some board members were receptive to that and wanted to take it back to the full board for discussion, and I do think that they did become more objective this time around,” she said.
Continues on page 6
KETAN PEMA
BRIAN RUSCHMAN President, C-Forward
GABY BATSHOUN President Global Business Solutions
PANEL MODERATOR
KIRBY
Changing the culture
The third focus of the task force’s reports was culture.
Kentucky conducts a survey called the Impact Kentucky Working Conditions Survey. It examines various aspects of culture and the working environment for teachers.
“Newport lags behind peers and the state average on some really key important things, like school climate, school leadership, student behavior and the leader-teacher relationship,” Schaber said. “So those are four pretty important things.”
The 2024 report shows that, nationally, Newport is in the 30th percentile in terms of school climate compared to other urban, low-income schools. That is up from the 10th percentile two years ago but still in the bottom third among national peers.
“They’ve improved to the 30th percentile, but it’s the 30th percentile,” Schaber said. “I don’t know how you sit there and say, ‘Oh, no, our culture is fine.’”
The 2024 report states that the impact of a poor working climate can be seen in the teacher turnover rate, which hit 32% in the 2022-23 school year. According to the report, that number is “well above the state average” and the third highest in the region. On the positive side, the average number of years of teaching experience has slowly been increasing. The report states it can “act as a strong asset in the necessary turnaround of the district.”
The task force notes that Newport created a contract with a company called NWEA on school culture. NWEA works with educators across schools, systems and states to foster student growth and learning solutions. While the task force said the contract was a step in the right direction, it recommended the district use NWEA more heavily to “enable faster and bigger improvements in the work environment.”
Schaber said that, while the education task force wanted the district to bring in an external culture expert, it brought NWEA, a large company, in on a $1 million contract. She said that, in task force members’ minds, the district would reach out to a school like the University of Cincinnati, which could have done it for around $35,000.
“Then that went nowhere and ended up firing the company,” Schaber said. “At least they brought in someone, and, you know,
had an eye to it, but it didn’t go anywhere.”
Watts said NWEA changed leadership, and things fell through the cracks.
“We tried, and it didn’t work out the way we had expected,” Watts said. “So, we had to part ways. But we tried; we kept them for a couple of years, and they provided some surveys for us, gave surveys out to see where we were, and worked with our principals and leaders to try to develop strategies to get the schools moving in the right direction.”
The NWEA contract came from ESSER funds (federal grants provided to local school districts to address the learning loss and other educational needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic), not the general fund.
Since that contract, the district hasn’t rehired a culture expert, but Watts said they have been working with consultants to work with teachers. “Right now, we’re focusing on reading, so helping us develop some reading strategies and working with our staff, teachers and leaders on ways to teach those strategies and to again, hopefully, see some increases in our reading scores,” he said.
The 2024 report acknowledges that the culture has improved, but it said the improvement is “insufficient.” The task force said optimism, level of trust and overall working environment must be improved. Further, the task force said this change is essential to improving overall academic results.
“Kids absorb the world the adult projects them with,” Calvo said. “When a teacher is crushing it, they’re on it. The kids are going to thrive. If the teacher is stressed out, doesn’t know what they’re doing, isn’t very
organized or disciplined, and is off task, the kids are going to sense that.
“I think school culture is, it’s hard to overstate its value,” he said. “It’s directly related to the leadership in a school. The leadership in a school flows down to the teachers, to the families, to the students, in so many ways.”
Teacher pay rising
Watts said that, since he came to the district in 2020, it has focused on upping teachers’ salaries. He said that, when he came in, Newport’s average teacher salary was $55,788, and it was ranked 14th in the state. In 2024, the average teacher salary was $63,330, and Newport ranked 13th in the state.
“Now, the problem with us is that we’ve always been ranked high as far as average, but our starting teacher pay wasn’t always as good as it is now,” Watts said.
In 2020, Newport was ranked 33rd in the state for starting teacher pay of $49,238. Today, it is ranked 16th in the state for starting teacher pay of $58,100.
“We’ve done a lot to try to balance those numbers out to do our best to take care of teachers, and we’ve spent a lot of money on that every year,” Watts said.
Partnerships, not merger
As part of the 2024 report’s summary, the task force said, “The education task force believes that incremental or continuous improvement cannot produce the sweeping change needed to raise the culture and performance of Newport Schools.”
In 2020, the education task force stated
that if results were not realized by 2025, “we would recommend a more significant change, including the possible merger with Campbell County School System.”
Now that it is 2025, task force members say that is not necessarily the best route for Newport Independent students.
Stubbeman said she thinks Newport students would get left behind if the districts merged.
“I think the needs of our students will be lost, and I think they would suffer with more barriers to education,” she said.
While Stubbeman does not favor a merger, she is for partnering with neighboring school districts like Bellevue, Dayton and Covington to see what works and what doesn’t for their districts.
Schaber also said she was not a proponent of a district merger. She said that, if Newport students had to consolidate in Campbell County’s buildings, they would always be on buses. Schaber also said people like having a neighborhood school.
“I think that it would be very difficult culturally as well,” she said. “I mean, the county demographics are completely different.”
McCafferty said it would take three votes from the five-person school board to shut the school district down. While McCafferty doesn’t think a merger will happen, he said it could. He pointed to Silver Grove as an example. After 108 years, the Silver Grove School Board voted 4-1 to consolidate with the Campbell County School District in February 2019.
“We put things in place, and we’re showing some gains in some areas,” Watts said. “I’m not happy with where we are overall, but we are happy with some of the gains we’re making. So, I won’t say we’re not making any increases, but we’re making increases in certain areas, and we’ve got to do a better job.”
Schaber and Newport Commissioner Ken Rechtin are building an updated education task force team with a revised mandate of identifying new and different approaches to change the effectiveness of education in Newport. Schaber said all ideas will be considered with the top approaches being shared broadly.
Those interested in joining the education task force should write via email to newporteducationtaskforce@gmail.com.
“This is a crazy time to be here – very exciting,” Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President Brent Cooper said. “You’re within a half a block or a block of so many different options for entertainment and food.”
COhatch Covington also features several different amenities for users, including 24/7 building access, private phone booths, kitchens, printers and copiers, and highspeed Wi-Fi.
One of the first businesses to operate out of COhatch Covington is N.E.T.’s Effect Co., a Black-owned consulting firm that provides
event planning and accounting services to clients in Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky.
On March 4, the Covington City Commission earmarked a $3,300 rent subsidy for N.E.T.’s Effect as part of the city’s Small Business Incentive Program. The rent subsidy will reimburse the firm’s rent payments for up to half of its monthly rent
“Five years ago, when COVID hit, I decided that, you know, the world needs more from me,” founder Jacquie Jordan said. “Businesses need more for me, and so, five years ago, I founded N.E.T.’s Effect Co. Here we are.”
Ride the Cov builds community through cycling
By Maggy McDonel
Every other week, members of Ride the Cov meet in front of the “Goose Girl” fountain in Covington to spread the love of cycling.
“We’re a group of local people who are all really passionate about cycling and making Covington a more walkable, bikeable and safe place to live,” said Nate Weyand-Geise, Ride the Cov’s president.
rental organization in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
For safety and to try to keep the group together, Boyer said, they use a technique called corking: When crossing a road, a few riders will block traffic so the rest can get through.
The group, which Weyand-Geise said has around 200 members, has been rolling since 2017.
However, Ride the Cov member Marty Boyer said he first started his “Love the Cov” ride in 2016. He was inspired after participating in a similar group ride in Cincinnati’s Northside neighborhood. He lived in Covington at the time and said, “I thought, ‘Why don’t we have something like this in Covington?’”
Boyer said he started the ride with around 20 to 30 participants, but he was having a hard time spreading the word. Then Ride the Cov came about, and they joined forces. “I always say, let’s just get butts in bicycle seats.”
Boyer referred to the ride as a “no drop ride,” which he said means “if you’re with us and you want to continue, we’ll make sure you’re with us the entire ride.” The group implements what they call “sweepers,” who stay in the back in case someone has a mechanical problem or other issue. They also encourage riders to wear helmets.
Each ride is themed, and Weyand-Geise said they seek to explore and celebrate different parts of the river cities on safe cycling paths. They often check out unique architecture and views.
On Feb. 8, the group took a ride to Ludlow along the Riverfront Commons trail and, to get out of the rain, stopped at Taste On Elm for a little wine and cheese.
This is the first year the group organized a winter ride. To take advantage of the most sunlight in the cold months, the group meets at the statue in George Steinford Park at 2 p.m. on Saturdays. During the spring, summer and fall, the group meets Wednesdays at 6 p.m. The rides are typically between seven and 12 miles and take around an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes.
“We try to keep them approachable for most people who are comfortable riding a bike,” said Boyer. “So even if you have a single gear or more simple bike, we would make it approachable for everyone to ride and feel safe in a group.”
Boyer said they even see people join with bikes from Red Bike, the public bicycle
After heavy rains led the Ohio River to flood in mid-February, Weyand-Geise decided to organize what Ride the Cov labeled its first Trash Panda Ride, where the group’s riders cleared garbage and debris from the Riverfront Commons.
“It only felt natural that, after such a crazy flood, we would go and help clean up the riverfront a little bit, do our part as people who use the trail every day,” said Weyand-Geise.
The members used the tools they had at their disposal. Weyand-Geise said they had a cargo bike that allowed them to haul barrels, tires and other heavy things to a nearby city dumpster.
“Our whole mission is to make Covington a better place to live, and it only felt natural that clearing up trash is part of that,” said Weyand-Geise.
The Ride the Cov group cycling. Provided | Ride the Cov on Facebook
Jacquie Jordan cuts the ribbon to N.E.T.’s Effect Co.’s space in COhatch Covington. Photo by Kenton Hornbeck | LINK nky
Elsmere council votes to remove absent member
Elsmere City Council voted unanimously March 11 to remove Serena Owen from her council seat.
Councilmember Gloria Grubbs made the motion to begin Owen’s removal because of unlawful neglect of council duties, citing concerns from other council members and Elsmere residents. She insisted the decision is her own and has no bearing on the mayor or the city attorney.
“This issue is very difficult to go forward with, but at this point it’s going to be necessary,” Grubbs said.
City Attorney Greg Voss will next issue a 30-day notice to Owen and allow her time to schedule a public hearing if she so chooses. The matter will be included on the agenda for April’s caucus meeting.
The council previously discussed removing Owen at its March 4 caucus meeting. The issue was first brought to the council by Eric Bunzow, an Elsmere resident who works for the Kenton County Board of Elections.
Bunzow has been clashing with Owen over her waiving council pay and her absence at council meetings. Owen has attributed her inability to attend meetings in person to safety concerns because Bunzow carries an unloaded gun into the council chamber.
“Using me as an excuse has been very childish when I stand here with an empty gun, yet she has come to my place of employment multiple times and there was no
issue,” Bunzow said.
Owen requested permission to attend council meetings virtually through the last months of 2024 on grounds of ADA accommodation. The council voted against the request at its Jan. 7 caucus meeting. Owen has not been present at any Elsmere meetings since she was elected to the council for 2025-26.
The city has offered various safety measures to Owen, including protective plexiglass around her seat in the council chamber, and a bulletproof vest and police escort between her car and the chamber.
At the March 4 caucus, Mayor Marty Lenhof informed the council that the protective glass option would cost $17,000 and virtual meeting attendance would also cost a lot of money.
All council members were in favor of removing Owen during their caucus discussion.
“We’re here for the will of the people, and apparently the people have spoken,” said Councilmember Justin Wade.
“The people say, ‘Hey, your job is here. You get paid to do a job. You don’t show, you don’t go to work, you don’t have a job,’” said Councilmember Joanne Barnett-Smith. “I vote no.”
Removal of an elected member requires a unanimous vote from the council. Grubbs maintained that they should follow procedures and acknowledge Owen’s right to due process.
Covington police, fire captain honored for suspect’s rescue
The Covington City Commission honored two Covington police officers, Specialists Josh Denny and Chris Haubner, and Fire Capt. Kyle Simpson for bravery for rescuing a home invasion suspect who fled police before getting stuck in the metal beams of the Brent Spence Bridge in early January.
Assistant Police Chief of Operations Justin Wietholter introduced the three men and
gave a summary of the incident at the commission’s March 11 meeting.
The man in question was Joshua Baker, who had been traveling north on I-75 on Jan. 27 when police received a report of his car. According to police records, Baker had robbed a house with a rifle a few days prior. Upon finding the car, police attempted to stop him, but he fled. The police pursued him onto the Brent Spence, where Baker lost control and left his vehicle. After unsuccessfully attempting to steal someone else’s car, Wietholter said, “he made the decision to jump from the west side of the bridge and landed on metal beams, stopping him from falling into the river below.”
Over the next four hours or so, several agencies from multiple cities used boats, drones and thermal cameras to find Baker. Finally, officers found Baker on the underside of the bridge.
Simpson, Denny and Haubner all volunteered to retrieve Baker, who had now been clinging to the bridge beams high above the river in the bitter cold for nearly four hours. To make matters more dangerous, the men had been informed that Baker was likely still armed.
“They navigated the darkness for approximately 45 minutes before locating the suspect clinging to the metal framework,” Wietholter said. “Due to the suspect’s prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures, he was not able to move himself from the position he was in. This required Officers Haubner and Denny to work together with Capt. Simpson to secure the suspect and lift him to the catwalk.”
Baker was transported to the hospital and eventually charged with fleeing police, carjacking and nearly 20 counts of wanton endangerment, among other charges. He had four outstanding warrants at the time of his arrest. He was arraigned on some charges in early February and indicted on the remaining charges March 6.
“Their efforts brought an offender to account, protecting the citizens of Covington from further harm and ultimately saving the suspect when he placed himself in a very dangerous situation that required his own rescue,” Wietholter said.
Denny declined to comment, but Haubner said, “I appreciate all the support from all the local agencies, the fire department and Cincinnati and just our support from our department.”
Simpson admitted that the experience was “a little nerve wracking, but it’s something we trained for. It’s nice to be able to put your training to use and help somebody out.”
Covington asks: What should new government look like?
Covington and its committee on government transition are seeking public input on how to structure the new city council.
The council is slated to take office in 2027 following a November vote from Covington residents to convert the government from its current city manager form to a mayor-council form. The devil is in the details, though, and there’s still a lot that needs to be determined before the transition can take place.
Mayor Ron Washington, from left, Spc. Chris Haubner, Spc. Josh Denny, Fire Capt. Kyle Simpson and City Commissioner Shannon Smith at the March 11 Covington commission meeting. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
Covington wants input into the structure of its new government. Hailey Roden | LINK nky
Elsmere City Council discussed removing Serena Owen from duties at its March 4 caucus meeting. Photo by Mildred Nguyen.
The committee and city commission will need to resolve key questions before they can pass ordinances establishing the new government structure.
First, they need to determine the number of council seats. Kentucky law allows for anywhere between six and 12 council seats. The other two major population centers in Kenton County, Independence and Erlanger, have six and nine council members, respectively.
Additionally, the commission will need to determine whether council seats will represent the city at-large, specific districts or wards, or a hybrid of the two. Finally, there’s the question of whether council elections should be partisan.
A member elected at-large represent the city as a whole. The current commissioners are elected at-large.
Alternatively, the city could be divided into districts or wards, each with an elected council member to represent those specific residents. How the city would be divided would have to be established by ordinance. Many county governments, such as Kenton County Fiscal Court, use a system similar to this, where each commissioner represents a specific portion of the county.
Finally, the city could establish a hybrid system in which some council seats represent the city at large while others represent specific districts.
Covington residents can fill out a brief online survey about the issues raised in this report at tinyurl.com/8k46nh6j.
Group wants to convert I-71/75 through cities into ‘urban boulevard’
A local group wants to replace I-71/75 through Northern Kentucky’s neighborhoods with what they are calling an “urban boulevard.”
The urban boulevard would consist of space for multiple forms of transit, according to People Over Pavement, a Devou Good Foundation program.
The reimagined boulevard, which the group is calling Willow Run Boulevard, would replace I-71/75 with multiple forms of transportation, according to a flyer left at homes in Covington this week. The moniker is inspired by the former Willow Run Creek, which once ran through Kenney Shields and Goebel Parks.
“This vision will be shaped by the community as we continue to collect feedback through door-knocking and advocacy,” the flyer reads.
The change would, according to the group, “free up space for higher purposes like creating affordable housing, grocery stories, and local small businesses.”
Beechwood superintendent announces he’ll retire at end of school year
Although Stacy still has two years left on his contract, “I believe there is great value in stepping away at a time when our district is thriving, leaving on a high note, with gratitude for all we have accomplished to-
gether,” Stacy wrote in an open letter on March 7.
“The past 10 years have been the most rewarding of my career,” the letter continued. “I am incredibly proud of the remarkable progress we have made as a district, achievements that would not have been possible without the dedication of our students, educators, staff, Board of Education and the unwavering support of this exceptional community.”
As reported by LINK nky’s content sharing partner WCPO, the Beechwood Board of Education in May 2024 decided in a split vote to extend Stacy’s contract for three years. Many who attended the meeting were upset about the timing of the extension because the November election would lead to a change in the board’s members. Others also noted the significant pay disparity between Stacy and the district’s teachers.
Kentucky Department of Education statistics show Stacy made $250,000 this academic year – the sixth-highest-paid superintendent in the state and the highest of any superintendent with an average daily student attendance under 10,000. The average classroom teacher’s salary at Beechwood sits at $60,867, around a quarter of Stacy’s salary. That number is lower than the average salaries for teachers in nearby districts in Fort Thomas, Boone County, Ludlow, Newport and Campbell County.
Stacy’s letter goes on to list the district’s accomplishments, such as its high academic rankings and recent facilities expansion.
“I look forward to watching Beechwood’s continued success from the sidelines, cheering you on every step of the way,” the letter concludes.
Cicadas are coming! Brood XIV expected to emerge in late April
Do you hear that noise? The cicadas are coming!
Starting as early as the last week of April, Brood XIV cicadas will begin emerging in
the Tri-State. This brood will likely peak in mid-May, emerging in more than a dozen states including Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
Gene Kritsky, professor emeritus of biology at Mount St. Joseph University, said the largest number of cicadas in this area will emerge near the I-71 corridor starting in the Kenwood and Madeira areas and heading east around Clermont and Brown counties.
Kritsky has researched periodical cicadas for 50 years. He created an app, Cicada Safari, to monitor cicadas and create maps showing where each brood emerges.
He said the brood we’ll see this year re-emerges every 17 years. The brood was first reported in 1634 with its last emergence in 2008.
According to the University of Connecticut’s research collections on periodical cicadas, Brood XIV is the second largest cicada brood after Brood XIX, and it is bigger than the Brood X cicadas the region saw in 2021, so expect plenty of noise this year.
While they may be loud, scientists note that cicadas are not dangerous to their environment and cannot bite or sting. The Environmental Protection Agency said cicadas are also not dangerous to your pets. At a maximum, the EPA says your dog or cat could get an upset stomach if they eat too many cicadas.
If you’re wondering why cicadas are so loud, blame the men. Only the males “sing” to attract females.
Brood XIV of 17-year cicadas is expected to emerge in April in a dozen states, including Kentucky and Ohio. Photo by Sagar Vasnani on Unsplash
Mike Stacy, center, stands with Beechwood graduates. Provided | Mike Stacy
A rendering of what Willow Run Boulevard could look like. Provided | People over Pavement
Beechwood Superintendent Mike Stacy has announced his retirement, effective at the end of this academic year.
By Nathan Granger
BCovington mayor shares housing strategy
usinesses in Latonia got an early peek last week at Mayor Ron Washington’s and the city’s plan to tackle affordable housing in Covington.
Although housing has been a recurring topic over the past couple years, this was the first time since Washington took office that concrete interventions direct from the city have been publicly pitched.
“We have something that’s happening in our city, that’s happening all over the United States, and it’s not having enough housing stock for our population,” Washington told the Latonia Business Association March 10.
In his presentation to the association –after briefly discussing the city’s overall appeal, various economic developments in the city, such as the Central Riverfront Development, and the city’s financial situation – Washington focused on the peculiarities of Covington related to housing.
He referred to an often-cited 2023 study from the Northern Kentucky Area Development District that pointed to a shortage of smaller, one- to two-bedroom homes and apartments in the region and how many working professionals and civil servants (e.g., teachers, nurses, police, firefighters, etc.) often get priced out of the region.
The area development district’s study estimated that Kentucky’s eight northernmost counties needed “to build 6,650 housing
units to support economic development in the next five years, which equates to 1,330 units per year.”
Broken down by income level, the study showed that the largest need is for what it called “workforce housing,” which refers to households whose wages ranged from $15 to $25 with monthly housing costs between $500 and $1,500. The region needs about 3,000 more housing units to provide for people within that income range.
“It’s people working; it’s people contributing to society,” Washington said. “We’re talking about school teachers. We’re talking about people that we see in our restaurants. We’re talking about service people. That’s the market that we’re going after.”
One thing that sets Covington apart from other cities in the region is that it has a lot of abandoned and infill housing. There are several reasons for this, but abandoned properties inevitably end up being more ex-
DIVISION III
CASE NO.: 24-CI-01654
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION VERSUS}
DAVID N. WELTE, JR., AS EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF PEGGY A. WELTE, ET AL
By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered FEBRUARY 27, 2025 the above case, I shall proceed to offer for sale at the Justice Center Building in Burlington, Kentucky, to the highest bidder, at public auction on THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:
pensive for everyone, including taxpayers, because they don’t generate tax revenue, and they cost money to maintain through labor from the public works department, which has to do basic landscaping and structural work to keep squatters out.
Washington showed slides of abandoned properties from around the city and the costs they incurred.
Increasing the city’s housing stock would go a long way toward attracting productive people to the city, Washington said. That would have downstream effects on Covington’s general health.
Washington also spoke about the need to extend the city’s economic development farther south, specifically south of 12th Street.
“As good as [the Central Riverfront] is going, we need to make it go for the rest of the city,” Washington said. “We need to grow our population, and we need to provide within reason places for people to live in our community.”
Washington said the city’s overall strategy would be to expand the city’s portfolio of affordable housing, protect neighborhoods’ unique character, revitalize streets with high numbers of vacant lots and abandoned properties, and reduce the cost of maintaining abandoned properties.
To accomplish this, the city plans to carry out the following actions:
• Create a housing advisory committee
composed of local residents, builders, nonprofits and experts.
• Create a housing development board, responsible for advising and making recommendations to the city commission.
• Conduct a comprehensive inventory of available lots, including analyses on topology and other traits key for infrastructure construction.
• Identify benefits and risks for each available lot.
Steve Hayden, a member of the Covington Economic Development Authority, asked if banks engage in a practice of refraining from foreclosing on an abandoned property to avoid paying maintenance costs.
One Latonia Business Association member, Pat O’Donnell, also asked if banks still had mortgages out on abandoned properties, thus preventing the city from taking more action.
“I imagine the majority of those have mortgages on them,” O’Donnell said. “Is that the problem that you’re running into?”
“We probably need to come up with a way to pay for going after those homes legally,” Washington replied.
Sometimes, Washington said, a property owner will die before a property can be turned over to an heir. Thus, when a family member tries to get financing to fix it up, the bank won’t lend, even if the house is paid for, because that person isn’t on the paperwork.
COMMISSIONER’S SALE
BOONE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
DIVISION I
CASE NO.: 22-CI-01203
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., SBM WELLS FARGO HOME MORTGAGE, INC., FKA NORWEST MORTGAGE, INC. VERSUS}
SAMUEL T. CARR, JR., ET AL
By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered FEBRUARY 18, 2025 the above case, I shall proceed to offer for sale at the Justice Center Building in Burlington, Kentucky, to the highest bidder, at public auction on THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:
ADDRESS: 2308 SAWMILL CT. UNIT 207 BURLINGTON, KY 41005
The complete legal description is particularly set out in the Judgment and Order of Sale entered in this case.
DIVISION III
CASE NO.: 24-CI-00600
FIFTH THIRD BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION VERSUS}
UKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, BENEFICIARIES OF KELLER J. RANKIN, ET AL
By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered FEBRUARY 14, 2025 the above case, I shall proceed to offer for sale at the Justice Center Building in Burlington, Kentucky, to the highest bidder, at public auction on THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:
TERMS OF SALE: The property shall be sold as a whole. The purchaser may pay all or part of the purchase price in cash, and may pay the balance of the purchase price on a credit of 30 days after date of sale; said credit shall be granted only upon the execution by the purchaser of bond, with surety thereon, and said surety shall be a lending institution authorized and doing business in Kentucky, or a reputable fidelity or surety company, authorized and doing business in Kentucky, and only if said surety be acceptable to the Commissioner of the Boone Circuit Court; and an authorized officer of the surety must be present at the sale or must have given the Commissioner adequate assurance of its intent to be surety prior to or at the sale; and said Bond shall be, and shall remain, a lien on the property sold as additional security for the payment of the full purchase price, and shall have the full force and effect of a Judgment; and said Bond shall bear interest at the rate provided by the Judgment up to Twelve (12%) Percent per annum until paid. The purchaser shall be required to pay the sum of 10% of the bid amount in cash or certified check on the purchase at the time of sale.
The successful bidder at the sale shall, at bidder’s own expense, carry fire and extended insurance coverage on any improvements from the date of sale until the purchase price is fully paid, with a loss payable clause to the Commissioner of the Boone Circuit Court. Failure of the purchaser to effect such insurance shall not affect the validity of the sale or the purchaser’s
FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THESE SALES AND OTHER UPCOMING SALES CAN BE FOUND AT
WEBSITE FOR ANSWERS TO ANY QUESTIONS.
Covington Mayor Ron Washington at the March 10 meeting of the Latonia Business Association.
Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
By Maria Hehman
TVisit Erlanger’s hot spots on Dixie Highway
his week we explore some familiar favorites along with a new hot spot along Dixie Highway in Erlanger. Join us for sushi, pizza and street tacos.
Sake Bomb Sushi
Sake Bomb Sushi is nestled in a small strip along a bustling Dixie Highway. Its colorful exterior sticks out and is easily spotted among the rows of gas stations and chains. Inside is just as vibrant and welcoming.
Sake Bomb’s menu is primarily sushi and Korean cuisine. It carries some creative sushi rolls that are hard to find just anywhere. The caterpillar roll (BBQ eel, cucumber and avocado) or the Cincinnati roll (mango, cream cheese, avocado, smoked salmon and tempura flakes) are great, flavor-packed options. With almost 50 options, it’s hard to order anything outside of the specialty rolls. There are ample delicious options, though, like ramen, chicken katsu, yaki soba noodles and kalbi short ribs.
Refreshments include the restaurant’s namesake, sake, as well as soju – a Ko-
rean rice liquor similar to vodka in taste. The dessert menu features bingsu Korean shaved snow ice in mango, strawberry, oreo and Korean red bean flavors.
La Hacienda Supermarket
The newest addition to the Erlanger area, La Hacienda, has made a splashing debut. This supermarket and taqueria is a one stop shop for Mexican food favorites.
Guests order at the counter and can sit in the designated dining space, from which they also can order a range of alcohol from Mexican beers to margaritas.
Street tacos are among La Hacienda’s most popular items. Choose from eight different meats – chicken for tried and true taco or venture out with lengua or cabeza. La Hacienda also offers burritos, quesadillas and fajitas every day. Menu items come served with fries, a pleasant surprise. Want chips? Order them, too.
La Hacienda also features a special weekend menu that allows guests to experience authentic Mexican dishes they can’t find elsewhere. Seven mares, a hearty seafood stew with shrimp, octopus, crab, catfish,
mussels and clams in a savory broth, will be sure to warm up guests on the final days of winter. Or opt for the barbacoa de borrego – slow roasted lamb barbacoa served with consomme and warm tortillas.
Those inspired by the meals and enterprising enough to try replicating them at home can shop La Hacienda’s supermarket for the same flavorful items along with a plethora of traditional Mexican food items.
Garzelli’s Pub and Pizza
For a laid-back atmosphere complete with beer, pizza and sandwiches, look no further than Garzelli’s Pub and Pizza. It’s an ideal weeknight spot for families, where even the pickiest eaters will find something they love. (What kid doesn’t love a pepperoni pizza or a chicken bacon ranch?)
Weekends and game days are best suited for adults. With 18 beers on tap and 46 TVs, the place is a must visit for March Madness.
To pair with the ample beer selection, the food menu is even more impressive. Start with wings, jalapeno poppers or cheese curds before delving into the main offerings. Garzelli’s is best known for pizza and grinders that each come in a variety of flavors. Those opting for pizza can never go wrong with the Garzelli’s Grande, packed with pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, mushrooms, green peppers, onions and black olives and topped with mozzarella and provolone cheeses.
For something more unusual, try the roasted garlic chicken pizza, with a creamy garlic sauce base and topped with grilled chicken, tomatoes, red onions and mushrooms. There are over a dozen grinders available, from a classic Italian combo to a ribeye steak to very veggie. No one leaves hungry. As if that weren’t enough, Garzelli’s also offers salads, lasagna and calzones.
The restaurant’s interior is classic hometown pub ambiance complete with neon beer signs and plenty of TVs. It also boasts a large patio with live music on warmer days.
Sushi from Sake Bomb Sushi. Photos by Maria Hehman
La Hacienda Supermarket offers hard-to-find authentic Mexican products.
Japchae is one of the Korean menu items available at Sake Bomb.
9th Region softball preseason poll, top 10 players released
Highlands is the three-time defending 9th Region champ, and, if the preseason is any indicator, the coaches have picked them to do it again.
The Bluebirds were ranked atop the Kentucky Prep Softball poll voted on by coaches in the 9th Region.
With Highlands at the top, 9th Region runner-up Notre Dame is right behind in second. Cooper is ranked third, Dixie Heights fourth and Conner fifth. Rounding out the top 10 in order are Holy Cross, Ryle, Lloyd Memorial, Boone County and Dayton.
A three-way tie led the top 10 players picks. The Highlands pair of Kaitlyn Dixon and Payton Brown tied with Notre Dame’s Abby Turnpaugh.
Rounding out the top five were Conner’s Averie Lightner, fourth, and Dixie Heights’ Sydney Schumacher. From there, in order, were Holy Cross’ Evie Thomas, Notre Dame’s Ava Auberger, Boone County’s Dani Wright, and Cooper’s Grace Cline and Lloyd Memorial’s Itzel Hernandez tied for ninth.
Other players receiving votes from multiple coaches were Conner’s Breanna Meredith and Ryle’s Laci DeLauder.
In the 10th Region, Campbell County was picked third behind Harrison County and Montgomery County. Scott was ranked eighth and Bishop Brossart 10th. Campbell County’s Hope Hamilton (No. 4) and Bish-
op Brossart’s Rachel Shewmaker (t-No. 8) were picked as top 10 players. Scott’s Emerson Morman and Campbell County’s Josie Feebeck were the others players receiving votes from multiple coaches.
In the 8th Region, Simon Kenton was picked fifth, Lady Pioneers Larkin Mitchell 10th in the top 10 players.
The Kentucky Prep Softball Facebook page has all the rankings and top 10 players for each region on their page.
Covington Catholic wins back-to-back indoor track and field titles
For the second straight year, Covington Catholic is champions of indoor track and field.
The Colonels mowed through the competition March 4 at the KHSAA Class AA state track and field indoor meet with 90 points, beating the 31-team field by 43 points. Taylor County finished second with 47 points.
It’s the second year the KHSAA has sanctioned indoor track and field as a winter sport. The meet was hosted at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center in Louisville.
Like outdoor track and field, the state is divided into three classes: A, AA and AAA. The Class 1A meet was March 5, the Class AAA meet on March 6.
Distance was the name of the game for the Colonels, as Will Sheets and the 4×400 and 4×800 relay teams claimed state titles in their respective events.
Sheets won the 3,200 meters in a time of 9:33.25. His teammate Joe Mayer finished second with a time of 9:35.16.
The 4×400 team of Jack Fleck, Sam Stout, Sheets and Jackson Schmid won in 3:31.86. The 4×800 team of Joel Barczak, Jack Salyers, Luke McLane and Sheets won in a time of 8:14.56, 17 seconds below their seed time. Sheets was runner-up in the 1,600 in 4:11.39 and Mayer was second in the 800 in 1:57.51 while Rhett Blettner was second in the 400 in 51.79.
Those six events netted the Colonels 62 points.
Others to get on the podium for the Colonels were Paul Klosinski in the pole vault (second place, 14-00), Jack Fleck in the 200 (third, 23.32), Schmid in the 400 (third place, 51.79), the 4×200 relay team of Will Danneman, Blettner, Charlie Ink and Fleck (fourth place, 1:34.86), Jackson Germann in the 1,600 (seventh place, 4:40.80), Matthew Woolf in the shot put (eighth place, 40-6.25).
Lloyd Memorial’s boys finished 13th with 19 points. Josiah Lockridge was runner-up in the 55-meter dash in 6.60 and in the 200 in 23.14. The Juggernauts 4×200 team of A.J. Curry, L.J. Herron, Aden Miller and Cameron Towbridge finished sixth in 3:41.01.
Trumble, Moore, Anderson win state wrestling titles
You could describe Ryle’s Rider Trumble and Walton-Verona’s Emma Moore and Sophie Anderson with the same eight-letter word: champion.
Trumble won the 157-pound boys state wrestling title March 1 at Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. On Feb. 27, Moore won the girls 100-pound gold medal, and Anderson won at 132.
Trumble compiled a 188-28 record over five seasons, including this year’s 55-2. Saturday was his last chance at a championship – he was third at 130 as a sophomore in 2023 and runner-up at 120 as a freshman.
It only took Trumble 1 minute, 28 seconds to pin North Oldham’s Zane McCoy in the first round. He needed 3:56 to subdue Paducah Tilghman’s Jayden Morris in the second round, 1:36 against Caleb Barnes of Johnson Central, and after a 7-2 decision over Boyle County’s Micah Thompson in the semifinals, he won the title by subduing Union County’s Jake Dowdy in 2:53.
Trumble plans to continue wrestling at the
University of the Cumberlands.
Anderson and Moore won their second consecutive state titles. (Girls wrestling became a sanctioned Kentucky High School Athletic Association sport last year.) Because Moore opened the 2024 final round, she became the first Kentucky girls champion.
Anderson (37-4) finished her high school career at 68-4; she was 31-0 last year. She plans to wrestle collegiately at Campbellsville University.
It didn’t take Anderson very long to win her first three matches: she pinned Ashland’s Ryleigh Mahan in 37 seconds, Louisville Valley’s Natalie Saint Louis in 1:18, and Louisville Moore’s Diva Hall in 1:49. She won the title with a 15-3 majority decision over Ohio County’s Talyn Clark.
Coach Moore said Emma has been wrestling for only two years. It’s been a stellar career so far – she’s 69-8, including this season’s 40-6.
Moore scored three pins in her four wins Feb. 27 – she needed just 1:58 to defeat Ohio County’s Lily Autry in the first round, 2:00 to subdue Boyle County’s Teagan Hundley in the quarterfinals and 1:39 to take care of Caldwell County’s Sophie Parrish in the semifinals. She won the title with a 7-0 decision over Taylor County’s Naiya De Los Santos.
Four Northern Kentuckians were runners-up – Simon Kenton’s Jonah McCloskey at 132, Ryle’s Landon Evans at 138, Walton-Verona’s Luke Hyden at 215, and Highlands’ Emma Hood at 152.
Union County won the boys team trophy over Johnson Central, 305.5-192.5. Ryle placed fifth with 143 points, Simon Kenton was 15th with 55, and Highlands was 18th with 52.5.
Lexington Lafayette won the girls team title over Taylor County, 131-118. Walton-Verona was ninth with 56.
Other boys to place on the podium were Ryle’s Bryant Brinkman (third place, 106 pounds), Conner’s Keaton Dicken (fifth place, 106), Ryle’s Aiden Brinkman (seventh place, 113), Conner’s Clayton Badida (fifth place, 120), Scott’s Michael Smith (fourth place, 126), Simon Kenton’s Braydan Blevins (fifth place, 126), Ryle’s Luke Cornwell (seventh place, 126), Highlands’ Travis Votel (fourth place, 132), Highlands’ Kayson White (fifth place, 132), Walton-Verona’s T.J. Meyer (third place, 144), Dixie Heights’ Xavier Montanez (fourth place, 144), Campbell County’s Deacon Heisler (eighth place, 144), Covington Catholic’s Aiden Maher (eighth place, 157), Covington Catholic’s Keegan Bishop (fifth place, 165) and Ryle’s Keigan Riesenbeck (sixth place, 175).
Other girls to place on the podium were Ryle’s Peyton Brinkman (fourth place, 100 pounds), Conner’s Rose Thomas (seventh place, 126) and Simon Kenton’s Devon Banks (fifth place, 152).
Covington Catholic won a second straight Class 2A indoor track and field title. Provided | KHSAA
Emma Moore, left, and Sophie Anderson won their second straight state wrestling championships. Provided | Jason Moore
Highlands’ Kaitlyn Dixon was picked as one of the top players in the 9th Region. Provided | Charles Bolton
CASE NUMBER 24-CI-00207 DIVISION 2
DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE, ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF THE J.P. MORGAN MORTGAGE ACQUISITION TRUST 2007-CH4 ASSET BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-CH4 VS.
DAVID M. REED, ET AL.
BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 8/9/2024 BY THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURT, IN THE ABOVE CAUSE I SHALL PROCEED TO OFFER FOR SALE AT THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, 330 YORK STREET, NEWPORT, KENTUCKY 41071, OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR.
To the highest or best bidder at public auction on 4/8/2025 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit: 42 Tremont Avenue, Fort Thomas, Kentucky 41075
Group No: 41515/A1
PIDN: 999-99-13-841.00
CASE NUMBER 23-CI-00860 DIVISION 1 BLUEGRASS LIEN SOLUTIONS, LLC VS. LESLIE A. SMART, ET AL. BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 2/10/2025 BY THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURT, IN THE ABOVE CAUSE I SHALL PROCEED TO OFFER FOR SALE AT THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, 330 YORK STREET, NEWPORT, KENTUCKY 41071, OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR.
To the highest or best bidder at public auction on 4/8/2025 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit: 3058 Ten Mile Road, Melbourne, Kentucky 41059
Group No: 70325/B1
PIDN: 999-99-27-327.08
COMMISSIONER’S SALE
CAMPBELL COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
CASE NUMBER 24-CI-00631 DIVISION 2
WESBANCO BANK, INC. VS.
LILLIE M. AKERS, ET AL.
BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 2/18/2025 BY THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURT, IN THE ABOVE CAUSE I SHALL PROCEED TO OFFER FOR SALE AT THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, 330 YORK STREET, NEWPORT, KENTUCKY 41071, OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR.
To the highest or best bidder at public auction on 4/8/2025 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit: 19 West Crescent Avenue, Woodlawn, Kentucky 41071
Group No: 41604/A2
PIDN: 999-99-12-147.00
CASE NUMBER 21-CI-00577
DIVISION 2
HIGHLAND MEADOWS CONDOMINIUM OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. VS.
APRIL S. HOSKINS, ET AL.
BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 8/15/2022 BY THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURT, IN THE ABOVE CAUSE I SHALL PROCEED TO OFFER FOR SALE AT THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, 330 YORK STREET, NEWPORT, KENTUCKY 41071, OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR.
To the highest or best bidder at public auction on 4/8/2025 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit:
25 Highland Meadows Circle, Unit 5, Highland Heights, Kentucky 41076
Group No: 30766/Q2
PIDN: 999-99-22-230.00
THE COMPLETE LEGAL DESCRIPTION IS MORE PARTICULARLY SET OUT IN THE JUDGMENT AND ORDER OF SALE ENTERED IN THIS CASE.
CASE NUMBER 24-CI-00837
DIVISION 1
CITY OF FORT THOMAS, KENTUCKY VS.
ALLEN THEOBALD, ET AL.
BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 2/24/2025 BY THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURT, IN THE ABOVE CAUSE I SHALL PROCEED TO OFFER FOR SALE AT THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, 330 YORK STREET, NEWPORT, KENTUCKY 41071, OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR.
To the highest or best bidder at public auction on 4/8/2025 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit: 51 Forest Avenue, Fort Thomas, Kentucky 41075
Group No: 30435/A1
PIDN: 999-99-16-878.00
CASE NUMBER 25-CI-00011 DIVISION 2
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION VS.
DARRELL THARP, ET AL.
BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 2/28/2025 BY THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURT, IN THE ABOVE CAUSE I SHALL PROCEED TO OFFER FOR SALE AT THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, 330 YORK STREET, NEWPORT, KENTUCKY 41071, OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR.
To the highest or best bidder at public auction on 4/8/2025 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit: 9 North Rosewood Court, Alexandria, Kentucky 41001
Group No: 70304/W3
PIDN: 999-99-23-845.45
Subject to conditions, covenants, restrictions, right of ways and easements in existence, including but not limited to those in prior instruments of record; legal highways, and zoning ordinances.
SAID PROPERTY SHALL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO REAL ESTATE TAXES DUE AND OWING FOR THE YEAR OF SALE AND THEREAFTER PRIOR YEARS UNPAID TAXES SHALL BE PAID FROM THE PROCEEDS IF THE PURCHASER IS NOT THE PLAINTIFF. IF THE PURCHASER IS THE PLAINTIFF, PRIOR YEARS’ UNPAID TAXES SHALL BE PAID BY THE PLAINTIFF, IN FULL OR PRO RATA, PROVIDED THE SALE PURCHASE PRICE EXCEEDS THE COURT COSTS. THIS PROPERTY IS BEING SOLD TO PRODUCE THE SUMS OF MONEY SO ORDERED TO BE MADE IN THE JUDGMENT AND ORDER OF SALE
AND OTHER LIENS, INTEREST, ATTORNEY
BIDDERS
JOSEPH F. GRIMME, MASTER COMMISSIONER 859-291-9075
Address: 34 Beechwood Road, Fort Mitchell
Price: $449,500
Bedrooms: Four
Bathrooms: Two (plus one half bath)
Square footage: 1,900
School district: Beechwood Independant
County: Kenton
Special features: This four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath fixer-upper in Fort Mitchell is ready to be restored. It features hardwood floors, original woodwork, a sunroom, solid doors, a walkout basement and a two-car garage. The home sits on a 0.38acre lot with mature trees and a stamped concrete walkway. The property is within walking distance of Beechwood schools.
Fort Mitchell fixer-upper
Kentucky now allows for Public Notices to be published digitally on LINK nky’s website. You can find public notices for the following organizations on our site at https://linkreader.column.us/search
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Newport Historic Preservation Commission will hold a public hearing at a regular meeting on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. in the Newport Municipal Complex, 998 Monmouth Street, Newport, Kentucky.
The hearing will be held for interested parties to hear and present evidence relative to the following agenda items:
HP24500007
Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness to remove deteriorated wood siding and replace with fiber cement (Hardie) siding at 905 Washington Ave., Newport, KY 41071.
Requested by: Wow Property Management LLC
HP 2500105
Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for alterations including changes to doors and the use of substitute materials at 1002 York Street, Newport, KY 41071.
Requested by: Rarjot Kaur
HP2500176
Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for new construction at 229 W 9th St., Newport, KY 41071.
Requested by: Bellevue Land LLC
HP2500178
Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a mural at 601 Overton St., Newport, KY 41071.
Requested by: ArtsWave and Overton Station LLC
Inquiries regarding this public hearing should be addressed to: Jennifer Williams City of Newport
998 Monmouth Street Newport, Kentucky 41071
859-655-6348
• AJ’s Towing & Recovery
• Boone County Clerk
• Campbell County Clerk’s Office
• Campbell County District Court
• Campbell County Fire District #1
• Campbell County Fiscal Court
• Campbell County Planning & Zoning
• Campbell County Public Library
• Campbell County Sheriffs Office
• 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 Florence
• City of Fort Mitchell
• City of Fort Thomas
• City of Fort Wright
• City of Highland Heights
• City of Independence
• City of Lakeside Park
• City of Ludlow
• City of Newport
• City of Ryland Heights
• 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
• Joseph F Grimme, Campbell County Master Commissioner
• Keating, Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Kenton County Fiscal Court
• Kenton County Joint Board of Adjustment
• Larry Dillon, Boone County Master Commissioner
• Northern Kentucky Port Authority
• Northern Kentucky Water District
• Planning & Development Services of Kenton County
• The Baker Firm PLLC
• The Hidden Chapter Bookstore LLC
An exterior view of this Fort Mitchell property. Photos provided | Scarlett Sackmann with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
