By Nathan Granger
WInvestigation: Covington Schools response to harassment reports inadequate
hen three of her students came into her classroom with a strange request one day in December 2022, Lisa Snider-Gross said she realized there was a problem.
“They asked me that, if they have to be removed from the room for disciplinary reasons in the future, that I contact the assistant principal, who was female, instead of Mr. Bohannon,” said Snider-Gross, who was a teacher at Covington Independent Public Schools in 2022 and 2023. “When I asked them why, that’s when all three of them started sharing with me incidents in which he had touched them and made them uncomfortable.”
Snider-Gross worked at the Transformational Learning Center, an alternative school in the district often referred to as the TLC. It serves students in grades 3 through 12 that have recurring behavioral problems.
Upon hearing the students’ request, Snid-
er-Gross reported their statements to the TLC’s counselor. Thus began a nearly twoyear-long series of events that culminated in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which found Covington Independent had violated several policies related to Title IX, federal legislation aimed at preventing sex-based discrimination in programs that receive federal funding. Specifically, the report found:
• The district failed “to respond to reports of sexual harassment in a manner consistent with the Title IX regulations, including by failing to promptly discuss available supportive measures and provide information about how to file a formal written complaint.”
• The district failed “to complete a Title IX investigation.”
• The district failed “to comply with the procedural requirements of Title IX” by inadequately displaying grievance procedures across the district.
The man Snider-Gross mentioned is William “Sean” Bohannon, the TLC’s former principal. Bohannon retired from the dis-
Continues on page 3
Honus Wagner autographed book ‘find of a lifetime’
By Robin Gee
Highlands High School grad Chris Kidney runs a business reselling clothes and vintage items online. His business was doing OK, but he experienced a significant slump this winter – one that made him consider getting out of the business.
He decided to give it one last shot, he said. He had recently moved from Newport to Morehead and decided to try some estate sales and visit some thrift stores in his new town.
He also had been expanding his business, looking at new areas for thrifting. At an estate sale, he bought a few books and did well enough with them that he wanted to be sure to check out books wherever he
went. One day, he and a friend went to a nearby Goodwill – a routine trip that became anything but.
“I go there about four times a week, and I would go multiple times a day because they would always be putting out new items. And so on that particular day, it was the fourth time going there that day, and I thought, ‘I forgot, I didn’t check any of the books,’” he said.
While his friend looked through the shirts, Kidney went to peruse the books.
The find
“I look for signatures. I look for first editions, and I’ve been very successful finding books there,” he said.
Continues on page 7
WINNER’S PARTY
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The Covington Independent Public Schools central administration building on East Seventh Street in Covington. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
Shortstop Honus Wagner started with the Louisville Colonels in 1897 and moved to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1899. He played until 1917 and later became a coach for the team. Wikimedia | Public Domain
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trict on Nov. 30, 2023.
The Office for Civil Rights, shortened to OCR in agency correspondence, identified four students who made complaints about the former principal. The OCR’s investigation does make a determination whether the four students’ allegations are true or not. Rather, it offers an assessment on how well Covington Independent conformed to federal regulations in the actions it took to respond to the allegations of sexual harassment.
The OCR’s investigation culminated in Superintendent Alvin Garrison signing a voluntary resolution agreement with the OCR on Sept. 9, essentially agreeing to institute a set of policy changes to ensure compliance with Title IX requirements. Those include doing a systemic review of the district’s sexual harassment complaints, provide new training related to sexual harassment and perform a climate survey for high school students at the Transformational Learning Center, among other measures.
LINK nky investigated this story through interviews with teachers, students and parents. We also closely examined hundreds of pages of documents related to the case obtained through public records requests and other sources.
The story serves as a window into how a school district – one struggling in the face of poor academic performance, declining student enrollment and politically charged discourse around public education – reacted when some of its most vulnerable students reported they felt threatened.
LINK nky reached out to Bohannon’s legal team several times, but each time it declined to comment. The district, on the other hand, sent the following email response when LINK nky posed a series of questions to district administrators:
“Public employees and students have privacy rights under various State and Federal laws,” the statement reads. “Therefore, consistent with these laws, it is the policy of this District not to comment on specific matters involving personnel and/or students, or student safety.”
The statement concludes by saying that the district follows all relevant policies and laws around student safety, including Title IX mandates, “as well as statutory reporting and cooperation with investigations undertaken by community partner agencies such as the Covington Police and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Child Protective Branch.”
The district declined to make additional comments on the matter and did not permit LINK nky to interview staff members.
What we know
Bohannon interviewed and hired Snider-Gross in August 2022. During the interview, Snider-Gross said Bohannon informed her that he had ambitions of becoming a superintendent.
The OCR’s investigation lays out the events leading up to Snider-Gross making a complaint to the federal office.
The OCR cites a handwritten account of a conversation between Snider-Gross’ teaching assistant Charisse Welch (who did
not agree to be interviewed for this story), which describes a conversation between Welch and a student after the student was referred to Bohannon.
Welch had sent one student in particular to Bohannon’s office for behavioral problems the day before the trio of students informed Snider-Gross of their discomfort. (LINK nky refrains from naming child victims of alleged harassment, so students will be referred to as they appear in the OCR’s investigation: Students 1, 2, 3 and 4.)
On the day in question, Bohannon brought Student 1 into the office, where he asked the student to identify different emotions on a spinning wheel, game-show style. Student 1 said Bohannon touched her shoulders, called her beautiful and generally made her feel uncomfortable. As a result, Student 1 asked Welch to send her to the assistant principal, Paula Capano, instead of Bohannon in the future were she referred again to the principal’s office. Capano moved into the principal position at the center in July.
“[Student 1] stated that he was rubbing on her arm and telling her how pretty she was. Which made her feel uncomfortable,” the note reads. The note indicates that Bohannon had a mirror in his office.
“He was telling her to look in the mirror but would not look up,” the note continues. “She kept staring straight ahead. She just wanted to get out of his office.”
The note goes on to state that Bohannon did not mention the behavior that resulted in Student 1’s being sent to his office. The teaching assistant’s note concludes by saying, “I apologize[d] to [Student 1] and stated that she should feel safe with all staff. And that I would call Ms. Dusing [the counselor] or Ms. Capano next time.”
Statements from LINK nky’s interview with Snider-Gross match the description of events in the note.
“He never talked to her about the incident, never talked to her about anything related to behavior modification, according to what she shared with me,” Snider-Gross said.
According to both the OCR report and a LINK nky interview with Student 1 and her mother, Bohannon would call the student out of the class “almost every day,” as the OCR report put it. When the student spoke with LINK nky, she said it was not always clear why she was called down.
The OCR report and other documents indicate that the incident in Bohannon’s office occurred on Dec. 7, 2022, a day that Snider-Gross was absent from school. Students 1, 2 and 3 informed Snider-Gross of the events the following day, Dec. 8. A separate handwritten account from Snider-Gross dated Dec. 13, 2022, which bears her name, states that other students had shared similar sentiments of discomfort around Bohannon.
Student 3 said that “her sister had been here (at TLC) last year, and that she also felt uncomfortable because Mr. Bohannon would put his arm around her neck, and one time his arm fell and hit her on the butt,” according to Snider-Gross’ note. An excerpt of the note also appears in the OCR report.
“I felt it was necessary to report this to
somebody in administration because, to my way of thinking and to the training that we had been through and not knowing anything about his past, I thought, well, maybe he’s just wholly unaware of his approach to people,” Snider-Gross told LINK nky. “So, somebody in administration needed to have a conversation with him to let him know that there are some young ladies that find his behavior disturbing to make him aware of it. That was what was in my mind. So, I talked to our school counselor, Kate Dusing.”
Snider-Gross had intended to tell Capano about the incidents, too, but she couldn’t find the opportunity to do so through the course of the school day. Still, she wanted to make sure the students got some help.
“I spoke to [Dusing] to let her know because I thought probably some of the girls might need some counseling,” Snider-Gross said.
Classroom confrontation
The day went on. The bell rang. The students went home.
Then Bohannon confronted Snider-Gross and her teaching assistant in their classroom.
The OCR’s investigation indicates that Dusing had informed Capano about what the students said before Snider-Gross could. Capano then told Bohannon, but she did not reveal it was Snider-Gross who made the complaint because “she did not know,” according to the OCR report. As a result, Bohannon called Dusing, who, according to the OCR summary, said Bohannon “pressured her to reveal which teacher made the report to her and that she eventually provided the Complainant’s [Snider-Gross’] name. Immediately thereafter, the Principal went to [Snider-Gross’] classroom and confronted her in front of the Paraprofessional.”
Upon entering the room, Bohannon chastised Snider-Gross for relaying her concerns to others, rather than to him directly.
“He started yelling at me and he basically said, ‘We got a problem here,’” Snider-Gross told LINK nky. “‘These little girls,’ and he didn’t call them girls, he called them ‘heifers.’”
The “heifers,” Bohannon allegedly said, would make up any excuse to get out of trouble, including making up stories about being touched. Bohannon continued to deride the students, Snider-Gross said, to the point that her assistant became uncomfortable and asked him to stop. Bohannon concluded by saying that any future issues should be brought to him directly, Snider-Gross said. The OCR report quotes Snider-Gross’ written account of the encounter:
“When these little heffas get in trouble, they always make something up to get out of it! I don’t mess with no heffas! The next time one of these heffas wants to accuse me of something, you will bring them to me so they can accuse me to my face! This little heffa has no idea what’s coming to her. I’ve called her mom in for a meeting, and she is going to be so surprised! I’m gonna get her, and she won’t even see it coming!” Bohannon reportedly said during this exchange.
Snider-Gross described the situation in her interview with LINK nky.
“‘This little heifer,’ and he never named her, ‘doesn’t know what’s coming to her,’” Snider-Gross said, quoting Bohannon. “‘I’ve already called her mom. Her mom’s gonna come in here for a meeting, and she’s not going to know what hit her.’ So, basically, he was threatening retaliation against this young lady for reporting his behavior.”
Transcripts from the investigation quote interviews with Bohannon, in which he acknowledges that he confronted Snider-Gross and her assistant in an effort to express that they were entertaining “nonsense, and we just got to be professional in how we handle things, and that’s what I made clear to both of them.… [T]hey were gossiping, and they were just basically listening to what the girl’s [sic] wanting to say.”
He also admits to referring to the student as a “heifer.”
“You asked somebody, did I say ‘heifer’ cause I, I said I’m going to let this heifer know,” Bohannon said, according to the OCR report. “I wasn’t calling her out of turn. I said I’m going to let this heifer know that this is how we deal with business and this is how we’re going to deal with this head on.”
He added that he didn’t mean the word as an insult but rather “just a female.”
Bohannon, according to the OCR report, provided an interview to an external lawyer hired by the district, in which he explained his actions.
“The Principal told District counsel that the
only way he touches students is with a fist bump, high five, or slap on the shoulder or back,” the report reads. “In addition, with regard to telling students that they are beautiful, he explained that he tries to explain to students that they have to act the way they look, and that if they come into school looking cute, but then use profanity and have negative behavior, he has the student look in the mirror and explain to them that their behavior does not match their appearance. The Assistant Principal told District counsel that the Principal would frequently tell female students that they looked beautiful or that they looked nice, and that prior to COVID-19, there were a couple of complaints from female students that he made them uncomfortable.”
The investigation also states that at least some of the students regarded Bohannon with suspicion, and that fellow staff were aware of how he often referred to female students.
“The [teaching assistant] told District counsel that she was a lunch-room monitor and had overheard Student 1 and other students talking about the Principal and refer to him as a ‘pervert,’” the report says. “All District staff interviewed by District counsel also confirmed that the Principal frequently referred to female students as ‘heffas.’”
Meeting with principal
Student 1, her parents and Bohannon met on Dec. 9, 2022, to discuss the student’s behavioral problems. The meeting had been scheduled before the student made her complaint on Dec. 8. According to the OCR report, Bohannon immediately disclosed he was under investigation.
“I just want y’all to know that I’m being investigated for inappropriate conduct with some of the girls here, and I want you to know its [sic] false,” the Office for Civil Rights reports Bohannon said.
The report states that Student 1’s father then asked her directly if any impropriety had occurred; Student 1 “looked down and shook her head no,” the report reads.
The same day, Student 1’s mother went to the district’s central office on East Seventh Street because she didn’t feel safe having her daughter at the school. The OCR report states the mother spoke with Cuncray Collins, an administrative assistant “who assured her that nothing happened and [the student] was fine to continue at the center,” the investigation reads.
PEMA Chief Administrative Officer, Armoureye
The OCR report describes another incident in which Student 1 said she was made to feel uncomfortable, this one on Dec. 14, 2022.
“Student 1 reported to the Complainant that the Principal made her uncomfortable again by approaching her and Student 3 during class, walking in between them, putting his arms around their shoulders, massaging their shoulders, and stating ‘I just want to see what you’re working on,’” the OCR report reads.
An email from Collins describes another meeting between Collins, the student and her mother, during which the student demonstrated the alleged act.
“I asked the mother if Principal touched her daughter’s breast because during the demonstration the hand was near the breast,” Collins’ email reads. “The mother stated ‘no.’ The daughter was present during the entire conversation.”
The mother said that Student 1 had told her at first that Bohannon had not touched her breast, a statement the mother believed. Yet, a few days later, the mother told LINK nky, Student 1’s emotional state began to decline before she finally broke down and changed her position. When LINK nky interviewed Student 1, she said Bohannon had touched her breast, and the OCR report states the mother “told [the Office for Civil Rights] that [the student] told her the Principal’s hand grazed the side of her breast during the interaction.”
After some discussion with administrative staff, the student was allowed to do online work from home, but an email from Capano dated Jan. 9, 2023, indicates that Student 1’s work was deteriorating, and she was at risk of facing truancy.
Student 1’s mother said the student has since begun mental health treatment. The mother eventually sought out legal representation, but no lawsuit was filed.
Collins reported the new incident to the district’s human resources director, Ken Kippenbrock, who, in turn, made a report to the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services.
Suspended for policy violations
Snider-Gross filed a grievance with the district on Dec. 13, 2022, which included the handwritten account of the events leading to Bohannon’s confronting her after school as well as an account of the encounter it-
KETAN
GABY
The disciplinary letter tendered to William “Sean” Bohannon on Jan. 3, 2023. Document obtained via an open records request with Covington Independent Public Schools
self. The notes attributed to her assistant are included in the grievance. The grievance focuses on Snider-Gross’ interactions with Bohannon on Dec. 8, 2022; the second incident from Dec. 14, 2022, had not yet occurred.
Bohannon was suspended with pay between Dec. 16 and Dec. 20, 2022. Then, on Jan. 3, 2023, Superintendent Alvin Garrison tendered disciplinary action against Bohannon, concluding that Bohannon violated district policy 03.27, which prohibits “immorality, misconduct, or conduct unbecoming of a school employee,” among other prohibitions.
The letter tells Bohannon that insisting reports of misconduct come directly to him impedes teachers’ “legal duty to report allegations of misconduct to others, including authorities, even if you or they believe the allegation to be without merit. They should, in fact, not take the student to you if the allegation is against you.”
It also confirms Bohannon’s use of the word “heifer” or “heffa,” further stating that “you have been advised that this is unprofessional in the past by Principal Duffy and you continue to do this.”
Finally, the letter states that Bohannon’s confrontation of Snider-Gross was “perceived as aggressive and intimidating.”
Garrison then revoked the pay Bohannon received during his initial suspension, ordered him to take mandatory reporting and “respect in the workplace” training, assigned a corrective action plan, ordered him not to retaliate against other teachers and staff members, and instructed him to “refrain from touching students and adults.”
Garrison’s note does not mention the students’ complaints directly, but it states complaints made to Covington Police and Cabinet of Health and Family Services were “separate from this grievance.”
A letter dated Jan. 4, 2023, from Kippenbrock to Snider-Gross describes the investigative process the district undertook upon hearing the allegations against Bohannon.
“In my capacity as Executive Director of Human Resources and Operations I have reviewed the investigative report from witnesses, including you and Mr. Bohannon, and our investigation is now complete,” the letter reads. “The information has been shared with Superintendent Garrison.
Based upon the investigation it does appear that unprofessional behavior and violations of the District’s policies governing reporting of incidents took place, and that there was conduct unbecoming a school employee in violation of board policy 03.27.
“Although privacy considerations limit our ability to share confidential information with you about other employees, I can tell you that the appropriate action has been taken to ensure that such conduct does not repeat itself.”
Bohannon’s personnel file shows that he completed three training courses, including ones on sexual harassment policies and retaliation liability, in the middle of January 2023.
Complaint ‘unsubstantiated’
Sometime in the spring of 2023 – the OCR report doesn’t give an exact month – another student, Student 4, made a complaint about Bohannon.
“The HR Director [Kippenbrock] told OCR that another female student, who is also Student 1’s cousin (Student 4) made a complaint regarding the Principal in spring 2023,” the OCR report reads. “According to the HR Director, Student 4’s mother was aware of Student 1’s accusations about the Principal and reported to the HR Director that Student 4 was receiving the same treatment from the Principal and that she did not want Student 4 at the [Transformational Learning Center] anymore. As a result, the District permitted Student 4 to transition to virtual school. The HR Director told OCR that he called the Cabinet and the police, and the Cabinet accepted the report and added it to Student 1’s report. According to the HR Director, the police called back a couple of days later saying that they were not initiating a criminal case against the Principal.”
Snider-Gross made a complaint about 2022 incidents to the Office for Civil Rights on May 23, 2023, which sparked the investigation. She resigned from the district on July 7, 2023.
Kippenbrock received a phone call from the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services on Jan. 31, 2024, according to the OCR report, “in which he was told that the Cabinet found that [Student 1’s] complaint was unsubstantiated, and it was closing its investigation.” The OCR’s investigation continued separately.
A cabinet spokesperson described to LINK
nky the process by which investigations are carried out.
“The central intake system consists of nine regional service units who are dedicated to processing statewide reports of abuse or neglect both via phone and online,” the email reads. “Calls are first routed to the closest region based on the caller’s area code. When online referrals are submitted and the worker completes the intake, an email will automatically be sent to the reporting source. Central intake workers have two hours to process the report and submit for supervisory review and approval. The supervisor then has four hours to further review and make a final determination on [sic]. The report goes into an electronic documentation system in the instance of future reports being made on the same child/family. All investigations require in person contact.”
How Title IX cases work
As noted, the OCR report in this case found violations of Title IX. Title IX was passed with the aim of preventing sex-based discrimination in programs that receive federal funding. Federal regulations implementing Title IX define sexual harassment this way: “unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the recipient’s education program or activity.”
Title IX also mandates that responses to sexual harassment must not be “deliberately indifferent.” Institutions must also provide adequate supportive measures to complainants and enact disciplinary sanctions.
Because Title IX deals with discrimination in schools, complaints are often fielded through the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Most cases between the Office for Civil Rights and districts resolve informally, similar to settling out of court, said Scott Lewis, a managing partner of the Association of Title IX Administrators, a professional association of Title IX specialists.
Title IX discrimination complaints based on sex are common, he said, although he was not aware of and did not comment on Covington’s case. They can run the gamut from harassment complaints to complaints about access to sporting facilities.
“It’s very common for that to come in the door,” Lewis said. “It’s not an uncommon
complaint, and it could be everything from somebody touched somebody inappropriately all the way to the other side of the coin, where it’s [a] boys’ program is treated better than [a] girl program.”
Following a complaint, the Office for Civil Rights will begin the process of investigating. The OCR has latitude in how it carries out its investigations, Scott said. Once complete, the OCR delivers its findings to the district, informing it either nothing wrong was found – at which point the complaint is dismissed – or, as in this case, informing the district its procedures were inadequate. At that point, the district can either sign a voluntary resolution agreement, wherein it doesn’t admit fault but agrees to make changes in the future, or fight the finding and potentially risk being forced to sign a nonvoluntary resolution agreement.
As of Jan. 14, there were 581 open investigations of sexual harassment in elementary and secondary schools nationwide, 13 of them in Kentucky, according to Department of Education numbers. The numbers had not been updated past Jan. 14 at the time of this story’s publication.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 20 aimed at dismantling the Department of Education. Given that the department was established by Congress in 1979, the order by itself isn’t enough to end the department. Still, if the department is eventually abolished, Lewis said, Title IX itself and its enforcement provisions would still be on the books. As such,
William “Sean” Bohannon is the former principal of Transformational Learning Center. Provided | Covington Independent Public Schools Continues on page 6
the responsibility for investigating complaints may be folded into another agency, such the Department of Justice, although he admitted that federal staffing cuts anywhere could lead to a long backlog.
As it relates to this case, the Office for Civil Rights’ report concluded the following: Covington Schools’ Title IX policies failed to meet the standards of prompt and equitable resolution of complaints of sex discrimination, as established by federal law.
“Specifically,” the report reads, “the policies fail to address, among other requirements of the regulation: an objective evaluation of all relevant evidence – including both inculpatory and exculpatory evidence.”
In other words, the report concluded the district did not have an adequate method in place for figuring out the truth (or lack thereof) behind harassment allegations.
The OCR also concluded the district failed to adequately display information about the district’s Title IX coordinator, Ken Ellis, who also serves as the athletic director, and attendant Title IX policies.
Most notably, however, the investigation concluded the district failed to provide supportive measures for the students who made the allegations and failed to follow through properly on its own internal investigations.
OCR: Obligation not met
Although documents from Kippenbrock and Garrison show the district did carry out an internal investigation, Snider-Gross is skeptical about how thorough it was, believing it did not adequately interview students and parents.
“Nothing was ever done on behalf of the students, nothing,” Snider-Gross said. “He [Bohannon] was back. That was shocking.”
Besides the meetings with Collins, Student 1’s mother said, no one from the district ever interviewed her or her daughter to get their side of things.
The OCR report had this to say about the district’s processes:
“Although the Athletics Director was designated as the Title IX Coordinator during the 2022-2023 school year,” the office writes, “there is no indication that, in response to either the Complaint [by Snider-Gross] or Student 1, 2, 3, or 4’s reports of sexual ha-
rassment, he met the regulatory obligation to promptly contact the Complainant or Student 1, 2, 3, or 4 about the availability of supportive measures or to explain the process for filing a formal complaint.”
The timing of events as laid out in the OCR report may have played a role in the district’s response. Kippenbrock made his report to the Cabinet of Health and Family Services while Bohannon was still working at the district, but the cabinet had not concluded its investigation until after Bohannon had retired, at which point the district did not take up its own internal investigation or provide a report to the families, something OCR concluded they should have done.
Ellis may even have been discouraged from exercising his role as Title IX coordinator, according to the OCR report. Kippenbrock, as well, seemed to be under the impression that the district’s hands were tied while the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services and police went about their own investigations.
“The Title IX Coordinator confirmed that he has been ‘forcefully informed’ that the police and Cabinet have first rights and that he has to wait until given the green light by the police and Cabinet to proceed with an internal investigation,” the OCR report states.
Later, the report states, “The HR Director [Kippenbrock] decided that the allegations did not need to be referred to the Title IX Coordinator once the Cabinet completed its investigation because the Principal retired by then. As such, the Title IX Coordinator was never involved in the [sic] any of the reports regarding the Principal, and never met with the Complainant or Students 1, 2 or 3 to discuss the formal complaint process or the availability of supportive measures.”
After Garrison signed the voluntary resolution agreement on Sept. 9, the district agreed to do several things. These measures included new training about sexual harassment for both staff and students (the materials for which the district must submit to the Office for Civil Rights), requiring the district to review and revise its Title IX sexual harassment grievance policies, and meeting with Snider-Gross and the students who alleged conduct against Bohannon and instructing them how to file a grievance under Title IX. If the families do so, the district must then conduct its own internal investigation.
Additionally, the district must review all of the case files for Title IX sexual harassment complaints in the district for a year after Garrison signed the resolution agreement so that the OCR and the district can “identify systemic issues and any delays in the process.” The district must also develop a student climate survey for grades 9 through 12 at the Transformational Learning Center to see their attitudes about the environment there. Finally, the district must generally shore up and make more prominent the procedures for filing a Title IX grievance.
As of Feb. 6, five complaints of Title IX sexual harassment in the district have been investigated and closed since Garrison signed the voluntary resolution agreement. All of them involved a student making a complaint against another student, according to the district attorney’s response to LINK nky’s open records request. Additional information on the complaints was not available for review because they involved minors.
Past and future
It concerned Snider-Gross that the students who complained about Bohannon were part of the school’s alternative program, which she feared might undercut the students’ credibility.
“I know there was a lot of fear with these kids coming forward for that very reason because [they might think], ‘Are they going to believe me?’” Snider-Gross said. “‘I’ve got behavior problems; are they going to believe me?’”
For Snider-Gross, her experience raised questions as to whether more people –students and adults alike – were affected by Bohannon’s behavior.
“It just makes my heart bleed for all of the kids out there who have no advocates, who have nobody that stood up for them, and they’ve just been left victimized,” Snider-Gross said. “It’s heartbreaking. It was bad enough that it happened on my watch.”
A graduate of Holmes High School, Bohannon started working at the district in the early ’90s and served in various positions, according to his personnel record, which LINK nky obtained through an open records request. He was eventually hired in 1993 as a full-time, eighth grade math teacher. He also worked as a football and track coach through the late ’90s and early 2000s. He worked as a middle-school math teacher and principal of Holmes Middle School from 2004 to 2015. He was hired as the principal of the TLC earlier in 2022.
Bohannon was reprimanded in 2009 for failing to follow proper teacher evaluation protocols. The only evidence of any other disciplinary reprimand in the file is an August 2011 letter from Personnel Director Eric Neff, which states that “after meeting with Covington Police it has been determined you exhibited conduct unbecoming of a school employee.”
The letter did not provide further details about the “conduct,” and the Covington Police Department did not have any records on file associated with the conduct. Yet the conduct prompted former Superintendent Lynda Jackson to suspend Bohannon with pay pending an investigation. Documents showing the results of that investigation, if they still exist, were not provided in Bohannon’s personnel record. The OCR report notes, as well, that the district was unable to furnish more information about this incident.
Bohannon left his position as the middle school principal in the middle of the 201516 school year. In a letter dated Oct. 26, 2015, Bohannon requested a transfer to a less demanding position.
At the end of that academic year, current Superintendent Garrison recommended Bohannon be transferred to the assistant principal position at the Transformational Learning Center. The transfer occurred in July 2016.
Finally, on May 23, 2022, Bohannon applied to become head principal of the Transformational Learning Center. He assumed the role two months later, in July 2022. Bohannon tendered a letter to the district on Oct. 13, 2023, informing it that he planned to retire as of Dec. 1, 2023. His final day with the district was Nov. 30, 2023.
‘I don’t trust it’
The whole experience has left Student 1’s mother with a profound distrust of the district as an institution.
“I don’t trust it, at all,” the mother said. “Literally, this situation has opened my eyes about the cover-ups that go on, and I feel like that they only care about themselves. They only look out for each other. They’re not in it for the well-being of the kids, or anything like that.”
When asked how she felt about everything that happened, the daughter said that she tried not to think about it.
In 2001, then-Superintendent Jack Moreland assigned Bohannon as director of discipline and attendance at Holmes Junior High. In a 2002 letter to district Personnel Director Ken Ellis – later the Title IX coordinator – Bohannon expressed interest in an assistant principal position at the Holmes campus, and shortly thereafter he was transferred to the position of director of alternative programs at Holmes. In 2004, he assumed the role of assistant principal at the Holmes campus. In 2009, he became principal of Holmes Middle School.
Bohannon’s personnel record suggests many of his early years at the district were unremarkable. In fact, former Holmes Principal Raymond Finke commended Bohannon’s work as the director of discipline in a 2001 letter.
If you or anyone you know has information about Bohannon’s time at the district or the district’s handling of this situation or allegations of harassment or misconduct generally, contact LINK nky at news@linknky. com or 859-878-1669. Anonymous tips are welcome.
This story was made possible by a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism and legal help from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
Read the full OCR report and other documents that informed LINK’s reporting in this story’s digital version at https://bit.ly/covschools-title-ix.
That’s when he found it. A baseball fan, he pulled a dusty old book about the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates off the shelf. Inside, it was signed by none other than Honus Wagner, also known as the Flying Dutchman. The shortstop, who played for the Pirates from 1899 to 1917, was among the first group of players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Some of his very rare sports cards have sold in recent years for $6 million to $7 million dollars.
“I grabbed my friend and made him walk back to the books with me. I said, ‘What are the odds this is gonna be something crazy?’ It’s almost like something out of a movie,” Kidney said. “So, I opened up the book, and I see the signature. The very next thing I did was I looked at the copyright page so I could age the book. And the fact that it was 1948, which was seven years prior to Honus Wagner’s death, got me really excited.”
He bought the book, “The Pittsburgh Pirates” by Frederick G. Lieb, for $1.59 and took it around to eight baseball card shops. At each one, he was advised to get it authenticated – and at each one he was also offered cash for the book on the spot. He said that’s when he knew he had what he thought it had.
A baseball family
To back up a bit, it was lucky for Kidney, whose family has been involved in baseball in a number of ways, to find the book. Many people would not have had any idea what they had. Some would call it serendipity; others, perhaps something more.
“My grandpa’s name was James Kidney. He
passed in 2022, and he was my absolute best friend,” Kidney said. “He had a law office at 40 E. 10th St. in Newport. Whenever I was with him, he would always have some crazy sports story from when he did work for Marge Schott, the former owner of the Reds.”
His grandfather had worked on issues for some of the other players and was always fond of talking about the Reds and baseball, sharing stories with his grandson and anyone who would listen. Kidney’s uncle served as a bat boy for the Reds from 1985 to 1989, and so baseball was a common topic in the family.
Kidney’s grandfather even kept a baseball card on his desk as a conversation starter – a reproduction Honus Wagner card. Another family member, Steve Coletti, is an antique dealer, and he broke the news to James Kidney that his Wagner card was not authentic.
His grandfather didn’t care, Kidney said, because it served its purpose of getting the baseball conversation started. One day, however, his grandfather showed it to the wrong person, who believed the card to be valuable. That night thieves broke into the law office, stole the card and were caught trying to sell it on Ebay.
“I believe there’s some divine intervention here,” said Kidney. “Maybe my grandfather was looking out for me. I go to Goodwill and I find a book, and I find an authentic Honus Wagner signature. This could be me grasping for straws, trying to find any order in the world, but it is just so cool that, with my connection with my grandfather, who I talked about sports with daily for 23 years
of my life, I find this once-in-a-lifetime book. This doesn’t happen every day.” Humbling experience
Kidney was offered in the tens of thousands for the Honus Wagner autographed book, he said. He ended up working with a company his wife’s family recommended, and he could not reveal much of the deal. He could say that the company agreed to absorb the risk of paying for authentication. The signature has since been authenticated.
Since sharing his finding online, Kidney has been approached by sports media, national news outlets and radio stations in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
Kidney said it’s been a humbling experience. He wanted to take his moment in the limelight to thank his family, especially his wife, Ashley, and their daughter, Paisley, for supporting him in his unconventional business.
He also wanted to credit his mentor and friend from high school.
“I really want to attribute all of my success to my mentor and best friend Brad Hanneken of bradsVTG,” Kidney said. “He really taught me how to look for older items, how to check for fakes. I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for him, being so gracious and teaching me. I really owe him a debt of gratitude.”
He also credited his Highlands history teacher Michael Hils and Newport’s City Manager John Hayden for talking sports with him and encouraging him to pursue his dreams.
Chris Kidney, left, displays his wares with friend and fellow Highlands grad Brad Hanneken. Photos provided | Chris Kidney
Chris Kidney’s cousin Robbie, bat boy for the reds, left of Pete Rose.
Independence to receive first award from county’s $5M development fund
Kenton County Fiscal Court has named Independence the first recipient of money from its newly formed Community Development Fund.
The Community Development Fund provides financial support to Kenton County cities for redevelopment projects that have the potential to impact local businesses and create jobs. County guidelines dictate that eligible projects should be focused on property development – such as acquisition, renovation or site preparation – or right-of-way improvements.
The fund is seeded with $5 million allocated by the Kentucky General Assembly. Proposals for fund money must be submitted by a city’s mayor in consultation with its legislative body. The city is required to prove it can match 10% of any funding awarded.
Projects that do not fall under the county’s eligibility criteria will be vetted by the Planning and Development Services of Kenton County’s Community Development Department for potential adjustments.
Independence will receive $900,000 from the fund, and it will contribute $100,000 of its own money. Independence has 36 months to use the money; any unused funds will be returned to the county.
Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources
Kenton CountyRE49657
Deadline: 04/10/2025
Bachelor's Degree required
https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/576190
The University of Kentucky is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from minorities and women.
Independence Mayor Chris Reinersmann touted the funds as a way for the city to revitalize its older commercial districts. Independence has experienced a boom in population, increasing from 14,982 residents at the turn of the century to 28,676 in 2020, according to U.S. Census data.
“We’ve got a couple of areas in town we really want to focus on redevelopment,” Reinersmann told the fiscal court during a March 11 meeting at which the grant was approved. As of now, no specific projects have been reported.
During the meeting, the fiscal court inked a partnership with the Catalytic Fund – a private sector not-for-profit organization that provides nontraditional financing and property development advisory services in Northern Kentucky.
Kenton County Administrator Joe Shriver said the county wanted to establish guidelines to distribute the funds properly.
“The natural next step was to ask Jeanne [Catalytic Fund CEO Jeanne Schroer] if she would be willing to help us and maybe even partner with us to really try and maximize the impact of these dollars,” he said.
As part of the partnership agreement, the organization will develop selection criteria for project proposals, create a uniform application process, develop quarterly status reports and work alongside the county on proposal evaluations and monetary allocation. As part of the partnership agreement, the organization will develop selection criteria for project proposals, create a uniform application process, develop quarterly status reports and work alongside the county on proposal evaluations and monetary allocation.
The Catalytic Fund has been involved with over 100 redevelopment projects throughout Northern Kentucky, with a focus on revitalizing properties in Northern Kentucky’s river cities, including Ludlow, Covington, Dayton, Bellevue and Newport. Since its 2013 inception, the fund has invested over $450 million in the region, leading to the preservation of 91 historic buildings and the creation of 1,061 residential units.
Some of the fund’s most notable projects include Hotel Covington, the Kent Lofts in Bellevue, Skypoint in Newport and the Life Learning Center in Covington.
Beechwood student headed to D.C. after Poetry Out Loud win
Javontae Cranmo, a senior at Beechwood High School, has won the Kentucky Poetry Out Loud championship, which is put on by the Kentucky Arts Council. Cranmo will
now advance to the national championships in Washington, D.C., from May 5 to 7.
To compete, students must recite and perform two poems in two rounds from an approved anthology. Finalists then move on to a third round of recitations.
For his final round, Cranmo performed “I Am the People, the Mob” by Carl Sandburg. This is Cranmo’s first year participating in the competition.
“This event celebrates poetry and growth – both personal and academic,” said Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman in a Kentucky Arts Council release. “By preparing for this competition, students have developed skills that will serve them far beyond today’s event. Whether they’re engaging with colleagues, delivering a pitch or advocating for a cause, the skills honed through Poetry Out Loud position these students for success.”
“We are so happy to see interest in poetry and recitation from high school students in the commonwealth,” said Chris Cathers, executive director of the Kentucky Arts Council in the same release. “Each year, we are impressed with the high caliber performance from across the state, and this year’s talent was phenomenal.”
Cranmo plans to attend the University of Tampa in the fall after graduating, where he will double major in English and philosophy with the hope of eventually going to law school.
Covington police to seek state grant to replace sidearms
Covington’s city commission on March 25 gave the police department permission to seek $100,000 in grant funding to pay for new firearms after learning that the department’s model of pistol is no longer in production.
The grant, which the department will apply for through the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, would cover 100 Glock pistols.
“We are in a very strange position with our firearm in that SIG Sauer is no longer producing the firearm that we currently carry,” Chief Brian Valenti told commissioners. “So we’re basically being forced to change platforms.”
Valenti told LINK nky that the department currently uses the SIG Sauer Legion P226 as its service sidearm. To ensure uniformity across the department and avoid supply problems, the chief recommended updating the force to more readily available pistols from Glock.
A complete firearm package, which includes the gun, a holster and other accessories, costs about $1,100. Valenti said the grant could be used only to purchase the pistols. The previous pistols would be sold.
The grant has no matching requirement, so the city would not need to contribute any money toward the purchase.
NKY Chamber announces Business Impact Award category finalists
Dozens of Northern Kentucky businesses have been tapped by the regional chamber of commerce for outstanding service to the community.
Every year, the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce honors local business leaders and companies that positively impact Northern Kentucky. The winners will be announced during an awards event May 1 at 790 Park Lane in Covington.
“The Business Impact Awards give us an opportunity to honor the businesses that are driving growth and innovation in Northern Kentucky,” said NKY Chamber CEO Brent Cooper in a release. “Their contributions strengthen our region’s economy, enhance competitiveness and support a successful business community. This year’s finalists have showcased outstanding achievements through creative strategies, exceptional customer service, and a strong commitment to their employees. It’s inspiring to celebrate their hard work and dedication to making a lasting impact.”
The 2025 Business Impact Awards finalists are:
Small, Medium and Large Business Award: Recognizes businesses that are industry leaders in their respective markets and represent Northern Kentucky to the broader region by providing outstanding goods or services.
Small business:
• Dollhouse Beauty Salon.
• Gross Insurance Agency.
• Gute Medical LLC.
• The Turning Pointe Dance Studio.
• Untangled Escapes Travel.
Medium business:
• C-Forward Inc.
• Emerge IT.
• Fortress Safety.
• Prolocity.
• Sweets & Meats BBQ.
Large business:
• Barnes Dennig.
• Clark Schaefer Hackett.
• Donnellon McCarthy Enterprises.
• Notre Dame Academy.
• Verst Logistics.
Kenton County OK’d awarding $900,000 to Independence from its new Community Development Fund. Provided | Kenton County
A Covington police cruiser. Provided | Covington Police Department on Facebook
A previous Northern Kentucky Chamber Business Impact Awards ceremony. Provided | Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Javontae Cranmo will compete in national Poetry Out Loud championships. Provided | Beechwood Independent Public Schools
Community Champions Award: Recognizes a business or organization that not only engages and gives back to the community, but values a strong, diverse and inclusive workforce as part of the culture and values of the organization.
For-profit company:
• Chick-fil-A Houston Road.
• Jolly Plumbing Drains Heating & Air.
• New Riff Distilling.
• TENTE Casters Inc.
• Thrive Empowerment Center.
Nonprofit Company:
• 1N5.
• Adopt A Class.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters Greater Cincinnati.
• The Carnegie.
• Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky.
Cool Place to Work Award: Recognizes a business that is a fun place to work and demonstrates innovative initiatives to discover, expand, maintain and retain its workforce while fostering a culture where employees value their jobs and enjoy going to work.
• Baynum Solutions.
• Connico.
• Gravity Diagnostics.
• Perfetti Van Melle USA.
• Rudler, PSC.
Heritage Award: Recognizes a business that has shown consistent stability and has been an economic contributor to the community. (Must have been in business longer than 25 years.)
• Atkins and Pearce.
• ATech Training.
• Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center.
• CTI Clinical Trials.
• R.A Jones.
Start-Up Award: Recognizes a business
that has been in operation for at least one year but less than five. This business has shown proven growth and demonstrates sustainability.
• Builder Backed.
• Current HR.
• Elite Nannies on Demand.
• NKUs BizAccessHub.
• ReFlex: Recruiting Flexibility.
Innovation Award: Recognizes a business that has inspired and delivered new thinking in the marketplace.
• Ancra Cargo. Atlas Air Worldwide.
• The Business Hospital.
• Gilman Partners.
• MPI Consulting.
Environmental Stewardship Award: Recognizes exceptional achievements in energy efficiency, resource conservation or innovative business practices that promote environmental sustainability.
• BlairTech.
• Melink Solar.
• Safran Landing Systems Kentucky.
• Sanitation District No. 1.
• Toyota Boshoku America Inc.
Embattled council member files criminal complaint against Elsmere constituent
Public records reveal that removed Elsmere Councilmember Serena Owen filed a criminal complaint against a constituent in January alleging online harassment.
While the county attorney declined to prosecute the Elsmere resident, Eric Bunzow, he said the ordeal has had an impact on him.
“There was never any threat of violence. There was never a threat against anybody or anyone in any of the posts, because I’m
not that type of person,” Bunzow said.
He denied all allegations in the criminal complaint, which contains miscellaneous copies of online posts Owen claims are harassing posts, a copy of a Kentucky Attorney General’s office complaint, an Elsmere city email thread and an open records request copy Bunzow made.
LINK nky’s media partner, WCPO, sought comment from Owen several times on March 20 but has not heard back.
In one Facebook post, Bunzow wrote about Owen’s attendance in August.
“The fact that (Owen) wants to sit and call me a liar is the reason why I’m even saying anything and I hope that you decide not to vote for her in November,” he wrote on Aug. 31. “If I missed 11 of 16 days of work, my boss would fire me.”
Most of the Facebook posts found in the complaint revolve around Owen’s lack of attendance at city council meetings.
A previous analysis of public records, confirmed by the city of Elsmere, showed Owen missed 16 of 23 (69.6%) public meetings in 2024. The last meeting she attended was in June. Owen has missed every council meeting so far this year.
“(I) was literally asking questions and making statements that were actually truthful,” Bunzow said. “The biggest complaint that I have is that she’s not at the meetings.”
In the complaint, Owen claims she received at least one online death threat in a note jotted at the bottom of one page: “*RIP – life threat concern.”
In her complaint to Elsmere police, Owen tried to make a case for charging Bunzow.
“(Owen) advised in the summer months of 2024 Bunzow began harassing her online. Victim Owen advised Bunzow was lying and spreading misinformation about her,” the complaint read.
In an email found in the complaint, Owen wrote under a section titled police report, “(Bunzow) began unwarrantedly attacking me on my peaceful Facebook posts, stating lies about me receiving pay while absent.”
“Because she has physical checks that the city has given her,” Bunzow said.
WCPO reviewed copies of city pay stubs made out to Owen between May and August 2024. The records show Owen’s earnings and deductions, but, in the complaint, Owen insists she wasn’t paid by the city for her role and that those copies are “fake checks.”
In a Jan. 16 letter, Kenton County’s chief prosecutor declined to press charges against Bunzow.
“The public must enjoy the right to petition their government for a redress of grievances. Ms. Owen must understand that she is the government by virtue of her office of Councilmember,” he wrote. “While this right is not without limits, our laws have always supported the right of the public to confront those that represent them in a reasonable manner, on matters of public concern.”
In March, Elsmere City Council unanimously voted to begin the process to remove Owen after she was absent at the majority of council meetings last year.
Under state law, Owen is afforded a public hearing over the matter and has 30 days to request one. She also has the opportunity to appeal the motion in Kenton County Circuit Court.
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Mom’s conviction upheld in Ludlow toddler’s death
By Nathan Granger
The Kentucky Supreme Court upheld a murder conviction against Ludlow resident Lauren Baker, whose 2-year-old, Jaxon Vogt, overdosed and died after he located Baker’s fentanyl stash while Baker slept on March 18, 2021.
A jury found Baker guilty of murder in April 2023. She was later sentenced to 33 years in jail, but she appealed the ruling the following July, according to court documents. The Supreme Court released its opinion March 20. The case arguably sets a precedent by effectively ruling that a jury can reasonably charge someone with murder for exposing a child to fentanyl.
Baker had struggled with addiction for much of her adult life, according to court documents. Five days before the fateful day, Baker traveled to Cincinnati to buy fentanyl from a dealer with money she got from a $1,200 COVID stimulus check. On March 18, 2021, Vogt and Baker took a nap in the downstairs bedroom of the house she shared with Edwin Suda, who had left earlier in the day to work. Baker had dosed herself with fentanyl earlier in the day but didn’t immediately fall asleep.
Around 3:30 p.m., Baker woke up to find Vogt “sprawled across her lap, unresponsive,” according to court documents. “Baker noticed that her purse, her fentanyl and other paraphernalia were strewn across her bed.” Apparently, the documents go on to state, the child had found her fentanyl, which she usually stored “inside a plastic bag, placed inside a cigarette, then placed inside a pouch, which was ultimately placed inside a purse that zipped shut. Baker would then tie the purse around the headboard of her bed and place it between the wall and the bed.” Vogt had gotten into the purse and eaten some of the fentanyl while Baker was asleep.
Suda had since returned home. He called 911 and administered Narcan to Vogt while Baker began performing CPR. Vogt was later transported to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Toxicology reports on Vogt showed his “fentanyl concentration was 21.4 nanograms per milliliter. A fentanyl concentration 3 nanograms per milliliter becomes deadly in an adult who has not built up a tolerance to fentanyl,” according to court documents. The lab also reported that his body had not metabolized any of the fentanyl, meaning he likely died shortly after ingesting it.
Much of Baker’s appeal focused on whether or not it was reasonable for a jury of her peers to find “her guilty of wanton murder because the evidence presented by the Commonwealth did not support the finding that her wanton actions manifested an extreme indifference to human life,” the court’s opinion text states. “Baker claims that the evidence only sustained a finding of wantonness, which alone is not enough to support a wanton murder conviction.”
Baker argued that trial prosecutors made an error when they “told the jury in [closing arguments] to disregard the help Baker administered to Jaxon, her love for Jaxon and her guilt over his death when coming to its
decision.” Baker argued that the trial court had made other procedural and evidentiary errors, too, such that they, when taken together, tainted the integrity of the trial.
While the Supreme Court admitted that the trial court did make errors in some of its decisions, they ruled that such errors were “harmless.”
The court opinion shows that the jury was instructed on a lesser charge of second-degree manslaughter, meaning that they could have chosen not to convict her of murder. In spite of this, the jury, “given the evidence, chose to impose the wanton murder conviction.”
In an email to LINK nky, Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders explained that, although the high court’s decision doesn’t necessarily mean the court agreed that someone was guilty of murder simply for exposing a child to fentanyl, it did mean that a jury could reasonably find someone guilty of murder for doing so.
Sanders added that he was not aware of any previous case in Kentucky in which someone had been charged with murder for exposing a child to drugs, fentanyl or otherwise.
“I’m very proud of this office for setting new precedents, especially when it comes to protecting the children of Kenton County,” Sanders said.
“I hope the trailblazing work we’re doing here in Kenton County to protect kids inspires prosecutors across Kentucky and beyond to get more aggressive in the prosecution of parents who kill their children by failing to protect children from the parents’ dangerous behaviors,” Sanders’ email concludes.
LINK nky did not receive a response by publication deadline to its request for comment from Baker’s appellant attorney.
The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled a Ludlow mother could be convicted of murder in the fentanyl overdose death of her 2-year-old son. Provided | Associated Press
By Maggy McDonel
TWhat’s a creamy whip, and where can I get one?
o the uninitiated, a creamy whip may seem like soft serve ice cream in a cone, and, well,… that’s technically what it is.
Creamy whips are more than a frozen treat, though. They’re summer, tradition and community with a walk-up window.
For those not familiar with the term, creamy whip is just the Greater Cincinnati way of saying soft-serve ice cream. The start of creamy whip season, when local creameries open their doors, signals the symbolic end of winter in the region.
For the owners of the Silver Grove Dari-Bar, it means getting to open their family business for the year. “The start of spring, everybody in the community says you know spring is on the way when we open,” said co-owner Jennifer Hutchinson.
Hutchinson, her sister Theresa Baker and her sister-in-law Jamie Ollberding manage the family business that their parents bought in 1996.
The sisters said that the start of the season is busy but fun. “We get to see all the old customers and all of our old kids again,” said Hutchinson. Baker said it’s great to see all the employees they’ve missed over the winter on a daily basis. “We get to see all of our employees that we really grow to love. And it’s just a fun place to work.”
The Dari-Bar, which opened for the year on March 15, typically opens on the second weekend in March, and it is a big event for the community.
The walk-up window off the side of the road in Silver Grove has a 1950s diner style to it, and the owners say that the nostalgia is part of the draw. “I think a lot of people enjoy the vibe of just the old-timey place,” said Baker, “and our kids all count money by hand and give change. It’s just a different kind of environment.”
Besides creamy whips, the Dari-Bar serves a full menu of burgers, fries, chili dogs and other savory delights, as well as other dairy-filled desserts like shakes, malts and floats.
Baker said her go-to order is a steak hoagie and maybe a hot fudge sundae for a treat.
ice cream blended with Oreos and marshmallows.
Over in Burlington, Dreamys Ice Cream is open for the season and now has a new location. Dreamy Whip’s owners, husband and wife duo Samantha and David Draper, said they started the business with the intent of bringing more creamy whips to NKY. Dreamys was founded in 2019 as a food truck.
Samantha is from Cincinnati’s West Side, where David Draper said, “there’s creamy whips on every corner. However, down here in Northern Kentucky, there’s just not a big presence.”
In the fall of 2019, David Draper said they began renovating their brick-and-mortar location in Burlington, where the couple lives. Despite some COVID-19 roadblocks, the couple officially opened the location on Mother’s Day weekend in 2020, and they’ve been going strong ever since. Dreamys Ice Cream has grown from one mobile truck to three and two brick-and-mortar locations.
David Draper attributes much of their success and ability to survive the COVID lockdown to the help of the North American Ice Cream Association, which provided tips, tricks and support for and from small ice cream businesses.
“When people walk through our door, they’re coming in to get a treat, coming in to get a smile on their face, and that’s what we want to provide to them – that experience – and it’s just an enjoyable one,” said David.
In January, the business, originally known as Dreamy Whip, rebranded to Dreamys Ice Cream. On March 1, a second location in Union opened.
Read on to learn more about some of the best creamy whip spots in Northern Kentucky.
Cold cones and more
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of NKY creamy whips. If you have recommendations for our list, email news@linknky.com.
• Silver Grove Dari-Bar: A local favorite, the Silver Grove Dari-Bar serves everything from burgers and fries to milkshakes to (of course) creamy whips that can be dipped in all types of toppings. It opened March 15 and will stay open until the end of summer.
5178 Mary Ingles Highway, Silver Grove.
• Dreamys Ice Cream: Founded as a mobile ice cream truck, Dreamys Ice Cream now operates two brick-and-mortar locations and several trucks. There are rotating flavors of soft serve as well as floats and coffee drinks.
3020 Washington St., Burlington, and 2009 Beaver Road, Union.
• Piper’s Cafe and Ice Cream Bar: This Covington spot has a massive menu with an array of ice creams, floats, coffee drinks and more. It opened for the season March 3 and serves some unusual ice cream flavors that range from jellybean to crème de menthe to black walnut, plus there are tons of toppings like sour patch bites and chocolate rocks.
Open noon to 10 p.m. every day; 520 W. Sixth St., Covington.
• Ameristop Bellevue: At this popular spot, you can get craft beers, lottery tickets, creamy whips and more. Ameristop Bellevue operates two soft serve machines yearround, each offering two flavors that can be served on their own or swirled.
545 Lafayette Ave., Bellevue.
• Sharky’s Arctic Sweets & Eats: A popular Alexandria spot, Sharky’s Arctic Sweets & Eats is open year-round. In addition to ice cream, Sharky’s offers coffee, baked goods, burgers, fries and more. Kids are also welcome to play on Sharky’s playground after they eat their treats.
9924 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria.
• Whippy-Dip: This family-owned and operated restaurant and ice cream shop in Crittenden is open year-round. It offers subs, burgers, fries and, of course, ice cream.
140 S Main St., Crittenden.
Hutchinson said her favorite is a burger along with a blitz made with chocolate
A creamy whip at Dreamys Ice Cream’s Burlington location. Provided | Dreamys Ice Cream on Facebook
Derrick Barnes made his decision pretty easily.
Instead of testing the NFL free agent market, Barnes stayed loyal to the team that drafted him, recently agreeing to a threeyear, $24 million deal with the Detroit Lions.
A 2021 fourth round draft pick out of Purdue, the 2017 Holy Cross grad has decided to stay in Detroit after spending his first four seasons with the Lions.
The terms of Barnes’ deal include a $6.32 million signing bonus and $16 million guaranteed.
“I just feel like there’s unfinished business here,” Barnes told the media after signing his contract on March 10. “We didn’t make it as far as we wanted to last year, but we have years to come of great football. My teammates, the coaches, the culture we’ve built here … I feel like everything is put together, and you can’t find that at other places.”
Barnes missed the majority of the 2024 season after being injured in Week 3 against Arizona. That required surgery and forced him to miss the rest of the year. He posted a career-high 81 tackles in 2023, five tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, a sack and a forced fumble. During the 2023 season, Barnes’ game-sealing interception in the divisional round helped the Lions get to their first NFC Championship game since 1991. He’s a versatile piece of the Lions defense as linebacker and will enter the 2025 season with a clean bill of health.
Through his first four seasons with the Lions, Barnes has started in 26 of 51 games played and recorded 194 tackles (114 solo),
12 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, 4.0 sacks, four pass defenses and a forced fumble.
In his four years at Purdue, Barnes appeared in 41 games and made 30 starts, recording 226 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception. He was named Second Team AllBig Ten in 2020 and Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in 2019.
At Holy Cross, Barnes was a key piece of the 2016 Class 2A state semifinalist team with 126 tackles and forced four fumbles with three interceptions. He also played running back, tallying 1,567 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was a Second Team AllState selection by the Associated Press and Class 2A, 6th District Player of the Year voted on by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association.
Holy Cross grad named All-American Honorable Mention
Hanover College senior and Holy Cross grad Grace Bezold has been named a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division III All-American Honorable Mention.
Bezold, in her senior season, averaged 23.3 points per game, putting her eighth nationally in the D-III ranks. She also posted career highs of 9.3 rebounds per game, points in a season (606), double-doubles (11) and field goals made (237).
The accolade makes Bezold one of the top 50 student-athletes in Division III women’s basketball. On top of the All-American status, Bezold was named Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and earned First Team HCAC honors.
She also became the first Hanover women’s basketball student-athlete to be selected to
compete in the WBCA All-Star Game and just the second to be named a Jostens Trophy finalist.
In her career at Hanover, she scored 1,631 points, grabbed 677 rebounds and dished out 103 assists. She also blocked 65 shots and recorded 102 steals. She was a career 46% shooter from the field and hit 73% of her free throw attempts.
Bezold is a 2021 grad of Holy Cross, where she scored 1,107 points and pulled down 351 rebounds in her Indians career.
Ryle boys, Simon Kenton girls claim region archery titles
Ryle’s boys and Simon Kenton’s girls were victors March 22 at the Region 6 Archery tournament at Simon Kenton.
The Raiders finished with a score of 1,941, edging out runner-up Cooper with a score of 1,933, Boone County in third with a 1,926 and Scott in fourth with a 1,925.
Simon Kenton’s girls won with a 1,953, Ryle coming in second with a 1,927. Cooper was third with a 1,916 and Scott fourth at 1,915.
Individually in the boys, Highlands’ Marshall Anstaett was the individual region champion with a 288, defeating Boone County’s Logan Hammer with a 287. Rounding out the top five were Cooper’s Kayston Stone
(285) and Braydon Nevels (284) in third and fourth, Nevels earning the tiebreaker over Simon Kenton’s Grayson Runion (284) with 20 tens compared to Runion’s 17 tens.
Ryle had six archers in the top 20 to help it win the team title. The team was led by Ethan Pauciulo in sixth with a 283. Lincoln Cyboron was 13th with a 278, Kennan Caudill 15th with a 277, then the trio of Trenton Dietz, Jack Albertson and Aaron Eckler 18th through 20th with a 277, 277 and 276, respectively.
Individually in the girls, Simon Kenton’s Anna Beth McCarty took home the crown with a 286. Scott’s Lexus Goff was the runner-up with a 285. Ryle’s Prisha Shah (284) was third, Simon Kenton’s Nyla McIntosh (284) fourth, Shah earning the tiebreaker with 16 tens to McIntosh’s 15 tens. A threeway tie for fifth was led by Scott’s Addison Alloway with a 283 and 18 tens. Notre Dame’s Ava Bortlein and Ryle’s Abigail Jewell also had 283, both with 16 tens.
Outside of McCarty and McIntosh, Simon Kenton had six archers placed in the top 18. Madalyn Behrens was 10th with a 281, Kilee Spegal (280) in 12th, Cora Beth Mehltretter (277) 16th and Theresa Henegar (275) 18th.
It was the sixth straight region title for the Ryle boys while Simon Kenton took the title back from Scott, who they finished runner-up to last year.
The top two teams advance to the KHSAA state tournament, set for April 17 in Lexington.
KHSBCA releases watch list
The Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association has released its watch lists for the 2025 season. The list, published March 17, highlights players in all 16 regions of the state.
NKY players recognized from Regions 8-10 are: Bronson Corpus (Walton-Verona), Jacob Piper and Tyler Ruete (Simon Kenton), Chase Flaherty, Keagan Hutton and Tyler Fryman (Beechwood), Dylan McIntyre, Josh Caudill and Oli Morris (Ryle), Logan Webster, J.J. Bagby, Brady Bushman and Cooper Kelly (Conner), Tyler Shumacher and Zach Franzen (Campbell County), Josh Ruwe (Calvary Christian) and Keegan Gulley (Bishop Brossart).
Ryle’s boys archery team won the Region 6 title at Simon Kenton over the weekend. Provided | Ryle archery
Holy Cross grad Derrick Barnes recently agreed to stay with the Detroit Lions on a three-year contract. Duane Burleson | Associated Press
Hanover
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
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
Renovated turn-of-the-century Covington home
Address: 509 Pershing Ave., Covington
Price: $289,900
Bedrooms: Two
Bathrooms: One
Square footage: 1,024
School district: Covington Independent
County: Kenton
Special features: This renovated two-bedroom home, built in 1900, is in downtown Covington. Features include an open living area, an updated kitchen and bath as well as a built-in Murphy bed in the primary suite. The home offers smart built-ins, a new roof plus a fenced-in backyard, and a parking pad.
CITY OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY NOTICE OF ALTERNATIVE INTERNET POSTING PURSUANT TO KRS 424.145 INVITATION TO BID (ITB250302)
The City of Covington, KY is issuing an Invitation To Bid for Electric And Tobacco Alley Improvements Phase II.
Bid documents may be obtained through the City of Covington’s website procurement portal at https://covingtonky.bonfirehub.com beginning March 27, 2025 or by contacting Peter Hager, Procurement Officer, at 20 West Pike St., Covington, KY 41011 or at 859-292-2178 between the hours of 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, Mon – Fri.
• 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
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• City of Fort Mitchell
• City of Fort Thomas
• City of Fort Wright
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• City of Newport
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• 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
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 SCAN
• 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 Covington property. Photos provided | Rebecca Weber with Comey & Shepherd
A view of this home’s open concept kitchen, dining and living space.
This home’s bedroom features a built-in Murphy bed.
WINNER’S PARTY
THURSDAY, MAY 8 TH | 5:30 | FULL THROTTLE ADRENALINE PARK
Your ticket includes:
4 Axe Throwing - Show off your skills! 4 Go-Karting – Experience high-speed thrills!
4 Virtual Reality – Immerse yourself in next-level entertainment! 4 Delicious Food – Fuel up for the fun!
4 One Drink Ticket – Cheers to the winners! ALL ARE WELCOME!!
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