LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 3, Issue 38 - August 22, 2025
Cities, counties prepare for possible disasters
By Nathan Granger
Northern Kentucky’s cities and counties are joining jurisdictions across the commonwealth to formalize mutual aid agreements that would allow them to share resources better in the event of disasters and emergencies.
Edgewood, for instance, signed the statewide agreement Aug. 4. “Independence passed a resolution later that week joining the agreement, and Park Hills passed a municipal order Aug. 11 recognizing the agreement. Kenton County Fiscal Court approved a similar resolution Aug. 12, and Ludlow voted on its version Aug. 14.
“I think that a lot of the natural disasters that have happened within the state for the last three or four years – there have been a lot of communities that have helped Eastern Kentucky and helped other areas, and I think this is just a way to more formalize that arrangement,” said Independence City Attorney Jack Gatlin at that city’s council meeting. Gatlin also serves as city attorney for Erlanger and Taylor Mill.
Continues on page 3
Dayton, Bellevue football say goodbye to grass
By Ray Schaefer
Dayton’s old football home, O.W. Davis Field, was often dangerous for running backs.
Bellevue’s Gilligan Stadium was often impossible to drain after a hard rain.
Both venues have undergone major changes. Dayton christens its new on-campus digs against Pendleton County on Aug. 29, and Bellevue is scheduled to debut its new turf next month against St. Henry.
The two schools share more than new playing surfaces – they were the last two Northern Kentucky high schools to play on grass fields. There’s Class A championship history, too: Bellevue won in 1977 and 1979 and was runner-up in 1976, 1980, 1981 and 1990, while Dayton took home the trophy in 1966.
Dayton’s new stadium includes a new track and will eventually have an indoor training facility, too. Bellevue’s field will cost about $8.4 million and will also have a new track.
Greendevils head coach Jesse Herbst said Dayton’s and Bellevue’s projects are part of an overall refurbishing of the region’s athletic facilities. Newport dedicated a new field last year, Highlands opened a new soccer and track complex at Tower Park, and Newport Central Catholic moved into its new football stadium. Lloyd Memorial, Bishop Brossart, Holmes, Ludlow and Walton-Verona have all recently refurbished, as well.
Davis: ‘It was rough’
Dayton’s new stadium is part of the district’s nearly $14 million Project One Campus development. Former Dayton Superin-
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Park Hills incident sparks debate over alert system p5
50 more sports icons that almost made cut p10 Mammoth festival set for 2nd year in Newport p8
Northern Kentucky jurisdictions are signing on to a statewide agreement to ease rendering aid after disasters like flooding in Eastern Kentucky. Provided | WLEX
Dayton High School’s football team captains, from left, Robin Scott, Elias Lopez, Mykah Foster and Malachi Kennedy. Photo by Ray Schaefer | LINK nky contributor
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Steve Hensley, director of Kenton County’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, affirmed the agreement had come about due to the large number of disasters in recent years and the requests for federal help in their wake. “It’s another tool to enhance our preparedness level for large-scale events,” he said.
Mutual aid among cities refers to sharing personnel and resources in the event of disasters and in more everyday work, such as policing and firefighting. Such aid is common practice in Northern Kentucky: The police departments of Newport and Covington, for instance, frequently share personnel for policing operations.
Additionally, police, fire and other EMS departments around Kentucky will often voluntarily send contingents of personnel and equipment to help each other in the event of a natural disaster. For example, Independence sent officers to Eastern Kentucky to help during floods there over the past few years.
More recently, a 22-person team from several local departments, including Covington Fire Department, Campbell County Fire/Rescue, Fort Mitchell Fire Department and Hebron Fire Protection District, was deployed earlier this summer to help relief efforts after tornadoes ripped through Pulaski and Laurel counties.
Buying ‘peace of mind’
Kentucky’s Office of Emergency Management and several counties signed the statewide agreement July 30 in Frankfort. Officially called the Statewide Emergency Management Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement, various institutions have been working on the agreement since 2020, according to the Kentucky League of Cities.
“We’ve all seen how devastating disasters can be – now cities have a clear framework to get the help they need when every minute counts,” said J.D. Chaney, the league’s executive director and CEO, in a July 31 news release after the signing.
Hensley said similar agreements had been in place in the past, but, given the large number of disasters in recent years, the agreement was resurrected.
In addition to formalizing procedures around planning, equipment and supplies, the agreement also aims to help local agencies curb costs. Usually, a jurisdiction requesting help from another agency is responsible for covering the costs of the helping agency. Under the new agreement, a recipient agency is able to request reimbursement from FEMA for services provided.
“They buy you peace of mind,” Hopkins County Judge-Executive Jack Whitfield told Kentucky Emergency Management after the agreement’s initial signing. “I know that, if we needed to, I can send every road crew I have to Pulaski County without bankrupting my own county to do it.”
The agreement will likely come before other jurisdictions in Northern Kentucky in the coming weeks.
Members of the Hebron Fire Protection District helped provide tornado relief in 2025. Provided | Hebron Fire Protection District
tendent Jay Brewer said there’s also a new playground at Lincoln Elementary School, a field house and fitness center next to the stadium, new bleachers and basketball floor, and upgrades to the front of the high school.
Brewer remembers what was there before work started: “old apartments, old trailers, an old industrial plant,” he said. “It was rough.”
According to current Superintendent Rick Wolf, O.W. Davis Field was built in 1934 at the end of Vine Street, about half a mile from the high school. It was part of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration program and named after Davis, a former Dayton football coach, teacher, principal and superintendent.
Wolf said an early incarnation of the Cincinnati Bengals, part of the short-lived second American Football League decades before the current NFL franchise was founded, played a game at the field in 1936.
Davis Field was a cozy, cramped site; a fence clipped off a corner of the end zone nearest the entrance, and a corrugated steel fence surrounded the field – which Brewer said made the place “kind of look like a junkyard.” (A chain link fence later replaced the steel structure.)
By the last game at Davis Field, a 44-8 loss to NewCath on Oct. 18, 2024, the grass field had numerous hidden divots that led to many sprained ankles.
“It was lots of potholes, not very safe,” Dayton sophomore Malachi Kennedy said. “Lots of times I rolled my ankle, and I actually had a foot injury because of it. I think (the grass) slowed a lot of our players down because it wasn’t always freshly cut.”
Kennedy stepped on the new turf a few weeks ago. He said it was “very relieving, knowing that I could play safely.”
The school district still owns Davis Field. Herbst, a 1990 Dayton graduate, realizes maintenance and liability insurance costs are expensive, but he hopes it won’t be sold.
“The idea of my mind is, it’s another grass field, somewhere else to go,” Herbst said. “We have youth leagues … we have middle school football. I would like to develop it into something useful for the community.”
Gilligan: ‘Hard as a rock’
Gilligan Stadium, originally known as Bellevue Civic Stadium, was built in 1936.
It’s not quite a half-mile south of the high school’s Center Street location. Like Davis Field, Gilligan was a WPA project.
Bellevue head coach Chad Montgomery said problems developed.
“There was no irrigation system,” Montgomery said. “The sprinkler system was messed up, there was no running water down there, so you couldn’t water it. It was hard as a rock; grass didn’t grow very well on it.”
Motz Group, of Cincinnati, is installing
the new artificial turf. Montgomery said it would take two weeks to lay out.
Bellevue’s season begins tonight with road games at Trimble County, Nicholas County and Pendleton County. Montgomery is confident the field will be ready for the Tigers to host St. Henry on Sept. 12, and he said the Tigers would be quicker on artificial turf.
“You don’t have to worry about tearing it up,” Montgomery said. “But you definitely play faster on it. The kids all like it.”
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When it’s finished, Bellevue’s renovated stadium will also have a new track. Provided | Bellevue Independent Schools
By Nathan Granger
CPark Hills incident sparks call for better alerts
itywide communications, both in general and for emergency situations, were on the minds of Park Hills residents and officials this week.
The conversation, during city council’s Aug. 11 meeting, followed an Aug. 2 incident on Exter Drive. That morning a man, Trevor Lancaster, shot a rifle during a dispute inside a house, according to a police news release and report.
Lancaster, according to the release, eventually surrendered willingly and was charged with wanton endangerment. Court records show that he had also pleaded guilty to a harassment charge (which itself was amended from an initial charge of assault) in Campbell County late last year. A hearing for the Aug. 2 incident was scheduled for Aug. 12.
A resident, who did not want to be named after speaking with LINK, said during the meeting that a warning had gone out to landlines after the incident. The resident inquired how people without landlines were supposed to be informed if something similar happened in the future.
The resident’s comment prompted a deeper discussion between the elected officials
and Police Chief Cody Stanley. “I’ve only heard really great things about how the police responded, like across the board,” said Councilmember Sarah Froelich, “but I do think that the communication issue, it sounds like it’s a larger issue than just our city.”
Stanley said that there are citywide and even countywide alert systems in place, but “it’s up to each individual resident,” he said, to sign up.
Stanley said Kenton County’s CodeRED system provides emergency alerts of various kinds – weather, crime, fire, flooding and others – for participants via text, email, phone calls and social media. Boone County uses the same system, while Campbell County uses a system called Smart911.
There was also discussion about the city’s Reach Alert system, a mass communication system residents can sign up for. The signup link posted on the city’s website yields a “not found” page error, but the service is available through app.reachalert. com/join-network/park-hills.
Mayor Kathy Zembrodt noted that Reach Alert notifications could not be targeted to specific streets or areas of the city; they can send only citywide alerts.
“This particular incident was only for the
neighbors abutting the property around in that little area,” said Zembrodt. “[Kenton County] Emergency Management takes care of that, and they would have done it to those particular people. Our Reach Alert goes to everybody in the city who signed up, and they wouldn’t have to shelter in place because they don’t live on Exter.”
Stanley said the police department used to maintain a list of resident emails so it could send them email communications, but people (whom he expressly declined to name in the meeting) were “demanding access to that list for other purposes. We had a discussion and decided that it was best to destroy the list and get rid of it.”
Stanley said he would have more details about the Exter incident at next month’s meeting. He also said the department planned efforts to get more people to sign up for the CodeRED system. “We’re going to do sort of a publicity blitz, try to get out the word on how to sign up for it,” he said.
Park Hills City Council discussed alert systems for residents at its Aug. 11 meeting. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky
The Park Hills City Building and firehouse. File photo | LINK nky
kenton county briefs
Covington
OK land sale
to support affordable senior housing units
Covington has OK’d the sale of city-owned land at 609 Patton St. for the eventual construction of roughly 60 units of affordable housing for seniors.
Although the move, approved Aug. 12 by Covington commissioners, does not guarantee the eventual construction of such a complex, but signifies the first steps in getting a project off the ground.
Kenton County property records indicate the property, now vacant, consists of several parcels that at one point served as a mobile home park. Before that, according to city staff, it was a dumping ground.
The land is in the Austinburg neighborhood, and the units would be available to seniors with incomes between 30% and 80% of the median area income.
The agreement, which passed as part of the consent agenda, will allow the purchase of the property for $1, according to city documents, by a joint legal entity consisting of three organizations:
• Neighborhood Investment Partners, or NIP, an independent nonprofit affiliated with the city and the Housing Authority of Covington. Its directors are appointed by the mayor.
• Kingsley & Co., a Cincinnati-based, minority-owned developer.
• Beacon, an affordable housing developer out of Louisville.
Additionally, the agreement would allow NIP to apply for low-income housing tax credits to help bankroll construction of the complex. Applications and compliance for such credits are onerous, but organizations like NIP have specialists on staff familiar with the process. If the credits are awarded, construction could begin next summer.
Mayor Ron Washington laid out the income levels the complex would target. For single people, Washington said, “your income would be between $17,000 and $47,000 a year, or $8.48 an hour to $22.62 an hour. If it’s a two-person income residence, your income would need to be $21,450 to $57,200 [a year], or $10.31 an hour to $27.50 an hour. And if you’re a three-person residence or family, $25,650 to $68,400.”
County OKs increase to Walmart parking lot changes in Fort Wright
The Kenton County Planning Commission approved another parking lot expansion request this week for the Walmart Supercenter on Valleyplaza Parkway in Fort Wright.
The move follows an approval in June for an expansion of about 4,973 square feet to the building’s southeast corner. That expansion primarily aims to create an area where customers who have placed online orders can wait to pick them up.
The new request expands that area to 8,146 square feet, which, according to county documents, is “more in line with the most recent company standards.” This would require additional changes to the park-
NOTICE
Please take notice that, no sooner than August 15, Duke Energy Kentucky, Inc. will apply to the Kentucky Public Service Commission for approval to revise its Demand Side Management (DSM) rate, KYPSC No. 2, Sheet No. 78 for electric service for residential and commercial customers, proposed to become effective on and after September 15, 2025. Duke Energy Kentucky’s current monthly DSM rate for residential electric customers is $0.002418 per kilowatt-hour and for non-residential customers is $0.003409 per kilowatt-hour for distribution service and $0.000674 per kilowatt-hour for transmission service.
Duke Energy Kentucky seeks approval to revise these rates as follows: Duke Energy Kentucky’s monthly DSM rate for residential electric customers would decrease to $0.001641 per kilowatt-hour and for non-residential customers would decrease to $0.003000 per kilowatt-hour for distribution service and would remain at $0.000674 per kilowatt-hour for transmission service.
The rate contained in this notice is the rate proposed by Duke Energy Kentucky. However, the Public Service Commission may order a rate to be charged that differs from this proposed rate. Such action may result in a rate for consumers other than the rate in this notice. The foregoing rates reflect a proposed decrease in electric revenues of approximately $2.10 million or (0.44%) over current total electric revenues.
A typical residential electric customer using 1000 kWh in a month will see a decrease of $0.82 or (0.5%). A typical non-residential electric customer using 40 kilowatts and 14,000 kWh will see a decrease of $6.21 or (0.3%). Non-residential customers served at transmission voltage will see no change.
Any corporation, association, body politic or person may by motion within thirty (30) days after publication or mailing of notice of the proposed rate changes, submit a written request to intervene to the Public Service Commission, 211 Sower Boulevard, P.O. Box 615, Frankfort, Kentucky 40602, and shall set forth the grounds for the request including the status and interest of the party. The intervention may be granted beyond the thirty (30) day period for good cause shown. If the Commission does not receive a written request for intervention within thirty (30) days of the initial publication of the notice, the Commission may take final action on the tariff filing. Written comments regarding the proposed rate may be submitted to the Public Service Commission by mail or through the Public Service Commission’s website. A copy of this application filed with the Public Service Commission is available for public inspection at Duke Energy Kentucky’s office at 1262 Cox Road, Erlanger, Kentucky 41018 and on its website at http://www.duke-energy.com. This filing and any other related documents can be found on the Public Service Commission’s website at http://psc.ky.gov
ing area. Although this would increase the number of pickup and delivery spaces, the new plan would actually reduce the total number of parking spaces at the store as spelled out in June – which itself called for a reduction to the store’s current 831 parking spaces.
The latest changes would reduce the overall number of parking spaces to 774, mostly to make room for additional pickup spaces, which will total 45 compared to the current 24. Two EV charging stations would also be installed for charging delivery vans. Attendant signage and road striping are also included in the plan, as well as demolition and replacement of a drive aisle along the side of the store.
The commission’s Park Hills’ representative, Paul Ryan, asked Patrick Denbow, senior county planner, why the company had requested an expansion only two months after the initial approval. Denbow didn’t know and deferred to Jared Hutchinson, a representative for Carlson Consulting, the Tennessee-based engineering firm in charge of carrying out the work. Hutchinson said he didn’t know either.
“We were just kind of reached out to and said, ‘Hey, we want it this size,’” Hutchinson said, “so, that’s really kind of all I know at this time, but it’s been a frequent occurrence for them to do that.”
In spite of this, the commissioners didn’t seem to have a problem with the request.
“It’s still a relatively small proportion of the building there in the increase,” said Commission Chair Brian Dunham. “They still have plenty of excess parking. It’s going to better serve the customer and the people in the neighborhood. It’s totally appropriate for that type of use there. So, I have zero issues with it.”
The approval passed unanimously.
Fort Mitchell amends parking rules to keep cars from driveways
Fort Mitchell City Council voted to prohibit parking within 2 feet of a public or private driveway after police and city officials noticed an increasing problem with blocked driveways.
“We changed up the ordinance to allow the police to issue citations for this offense,” Mayor Jude Hehman said. “If someone is trapped in their driveway, we can do something about it now.”
The citation for violating the ordinance
is a standard parking ticket, which can be between $20 and $100. The ordinance already is in effect.
Many Kenton County cities also have ordinances that regulate parking around driveways. Park Hills, Taylor Mill, Independence and Fort Wright prohibit parking “in front of a public or private driveway.”
Fort Thomas and Covington, like Fort Mitchell, require 2 feet of space between a parked car and any driveway. Erlanger prohibits parking closer than 8 feet to a public or private driveway.
Covington to direct federal grant money to two area nonprofits
Covington commissioners on Aug. 12 approved the allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds to two nonprofit organizations serving Northern Kentucky. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass and the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission will receive $157,917 and $537,186, respectively.
ARPA funds were one-time funds disbursed to cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Covington determined how the funds were distributed, the funds can be used to provide services in eight cities in the Northern Kentucky HOME Consortium, which aims to provide resources and funding for people with housing needs. The cities in the consortium are Covington, Florence, Independence, Erlanger, Ludlow, Bellevue, Newport and Dayton.
The city had sought requests for funding proposals in March. John Hammons, who manages federal grant programs for the city, stated at the commission caucus meeting on Aug. 5 that the city had received more requests than it had a budget for. The Community Action Commission’s final award was, in fact, less than its request.
“Following an extensive consultation process with local service providers and a thorough means-and-gaps analysis, we identified key priorities that went into an allocation plan that was approved by HUD,” said Hammons last week. “Those are affordable rental housing, supportive services and homelessness prevention and shelter diversion.”
Legal Aid of the Bluegrass provides legal consultations and other services to people who usually can’t afford conventional legal services. These include outreach and services to people at risk of becoming homeless and to domestic violence victims. The Northern Kentucky Community Action
The Walmart Supercenter on Valleyplaza Parkway in Fort Wright. Provided | Walmart
Parking less than 2 feet from a driveway now can be cited in Fort Mitchell. Photo by Canva
The Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission and Legal Aid of the Bluegrass are to receive money through Covington. Provided
Land at 609 Patton St. was identified as an ideal location for affordable housing. Provided | Google Maps
Commission provides various services, including financial help. The agency plans to spend its allocation on creating a universal screening tool to help identify clients who may be at risk of becoming homeless.
Covington postpones vote to create downtown outdoor drinking area
The Covington Board of Commissioners postponed a vote on Aug. 12 on an ordinance that would have established a common consumption area, where people could drink alcohol outside, in the Covington Business District.
Mayor Ron Washington told LINK after the meeting that the postponement was to allow the commission more time to consider details of the ordinance. The commission will consider the vote again at its next leg-
islative meeting on Aug. 26.
The idea was proposed by Commissioner Tim Acri in April. Common consumption areas, or CCAs (also known as designated open refreshment areas, or DORAs), refer to public areas where open container laws are exempt under certain conditions. Usually, containers in such areas have to be made of special materials and can’t exceed certain size limits. Beverages also can’t be taken out of the area.
The ordinance would have established an area where alcohol could be consumed along Madison Avenue and between Fourth and Ninth streets.
James Schafer, co-owner of Hierophany and Hedge, a specialty shop on Pike Street, spoke against the ordinance during the Aug. 12 meeting. Another business owner had also signed up to speak but yielded her time.
“We think that this is a solution in want of a problem,” Schafer said. Schafer named concerns like litter, partying, costs incurred due to potential vandalism and the damage such behavior might cause to the reputation of the city as a whole. He pointed to the example of the recent Arcade Music Fest, which he argued was overshadowed by a break-in at the Bottle Shop by Ripple Wine Bar on Aug. 9.
“The Arcade Music Festival this past week-
DIVISION III
CASE NO.: 25-CI-00838
FIFTH THIRD BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION VERSUS}
STEVEN L. MORRIS, ET AL
By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered JULY 23, 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, AUGUST 28, 2025 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:
AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT: $249,465.01 FIFTH THIRD BANK, $96,212.30 TOC, LLC
GROUP NO.: 3727
end; it was a success,” Schafer said. “People came down. They had a good time. The story which has got traction on social media isn’t related to any of that. It’s related to the break in at Ripple. It’s been shared hundreds of times. It’s been seen by tens of thousands of people. We’ve gotten phone calls from Nashville being like, ‘Hey, can I still bring my family up to your magic shop. Is it going to be safe?’”
The commissioners engaged in no discussion on the matter during the course of the meeting, but at least one commissioner, Acri, stuck around to chat with the business owners after the meeting adjourned.
Covington has revised its permitting rules for roof replacements to streamline the process for applicants and city staff.
MASTER COMMISSIONER’S SALE
BOONE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
DIVISION III
CASE NO.: 24-CI-02124
CADENCE BANK VERSUS}
JOHNSON TRAINING, LLC, ET AL
By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered AUGUST 11, 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, SEPTEMBER 11, 2025 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:
Starting immediately, no zoning permit is needed for routine repairs or replacements of existing roof coverings, provided no structural changes are made.
The change results from a review by the city’s regulatory staff and legal department, which concluded that standard roof replacements are covered by Exemption 12 of Section 07.21.09. Since these repairs do not impact the structure’s height, size or lateral bulk, they no longer need zoning review.
The following exceptions remain: Roof replacements within Historic Preservation Overlay districts (HP and TS) still require a certificate of appropriateness.
Projects involving structural changes –such as adding dormers, altering roof pitch, extending rooflines or building crickets – must obtain both building and zoning permits.
• Solar panel installations require a certificate of appropriateness in historic districts and a building permit regardless of structural changes.
For questions or assistance determining if a project qualifies under the new exemption, contact Kaitlin Bryan, the city’s regulatory services manager and historic preservation specialist, at kaitlin.bryan@ covingtonky.gov or 859-292-2171.
All
WEBSITE FOR ANSWERS TO ANY QUESTIONS.
DIVISION I
CASE NO.: 24-CI-01698
STOCKTON MORTGAGE CORPORATION VERSUS}
MATTHEW DENNY, ET AL
By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered JANUARY 21, 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, SEPTEMBER 11, 2025 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:
Beer being poured at West Sixth Covington Haus. Provided | West Sixth Covington Haus on Facebook
A Covington home undergoing renovations. Provided | City of Covington
Mammoth returns to Newport with music, art, fun
By Maggy McDonel
Oct. 5 will be a mammoth day in Newport.
That’s when the Mammoth Music and Arts Festival will transform Sixth Street between Monmouth and Saratoga streets. This is the second year for the festival, and organizers are excited to continue last year’s momentum.
The inaugural year was unfortunately marred by bad weather, including a hurricane that came through town, canceling events all weekend, including the Kroger Wellness festival. However, David Dalton, co-organizer of the festival and principal at the Think Shop, said the weather cleared up just in time for Mammoth.
“Despite battling all the elements and everything working against us in year one of a festival production, it worked out quite well and was very well received by the community,” said Dalton. “We heard nothing but great things from the artists and musicians.”
The festival will feature five music stages, including two inside Southgate House Revival on Sixth Street. Dalton said, “As far as music goes, there’s all genres of music. Really, everything from rap and hip hop to country to bluegrass to jazz to blues, punk rock – literally everything.”
The first year, Dalton said, they had around
20 artists set up to sell their wares in the fine arts area; this year, he said, they are hoping to have at least double that. The gallery will showcase a “diverse range of fine art, including paintings, pottery, textiles, poster art and more,” per the festival’s website.
An appreciation for art is one of the rea-
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co-organizers, Morrella Raleigh, owner of Southgate House Revival, Jim Guthrie, principal at Hub + Weber, and Greg Tulley, started the festival.
Dalton said that, in the 1990s, there was an arts and music festival in Newport that he and his co-founders felt the region was sorely missing. “So, just being fans of music and the arts, we all agreed that we needed to resurrect this festival and really showcase Newport and Northern Kentucky as this arts and entertainment district,” he said.
The festival’s mission, Dalton said, is to “highlight the area as the premier music, arts and entertainment destination of Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati because Newport has always been an entertainment and music destination.”
One piece of the region’s history the organizers wanted to highlight is its link to punk rock, which Dalton said was “heavily connected to Newport.” He specifically cited the Jockey Club, a former music venue now home to Wooden Cask Brewing, that he said was “well known across the county for the punk rock scene.”
The festival is paying homage to this history with a dedicated punk stage.
This year, Mammoth is doing a few different things. One of its initiatives is the Mammoth Music Series, which features a lineup of local acoustic artists to generate buzz for its return. From 5 to 7 p.m. every Saturday through September, New Riff Distilling’s Aquifer tasting room will host live music from acts including Tracy Walker, the Whiskey Shambles Duo, Sundae Drive and Adam Flaig.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Aquifer at New Riff to expand on Mammoth’s goal to shine a light on the immense local musical talent we have in this area,” Raleigh said in a release.
This year, to extend the fun, Dalton said they are encouraging bars, restaurants and other businesses along Sixth Street to host music and offer drink specials on Fridays.
Mammoth Gives Back is also starting this year, through which organizers will give a portion of the money raised from the festival to arts and music programs at local schools. This year’s beneficiary is Newport Independent Schools.
The festival is set for noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 5. Find more information at mammothnewport.com.
The 2025 Mammoth Music and Arts Festival map. Provided | Mammoth Music and Arts Festival
The 2024 Mammoth Music and Arts Festival. Photo by Scott Preston | Mammoth Music and Arts Festival
sons Dalton said he and his three fellow
Giving back strengthens our shared future
This Community Voices column is written by Marcus O’Malley, who shares ways you can get involved and give back to your community. Email him at marcus@caringexcellenceathome.com.
As Northern Kentucky gears up for another school year, there’s a familiar energy in the air – fresh notebooks, sharpened pencils and new routines. But beyond the back-toschool checklists lies a deeper opportunity for impact: giving back through education.
Whether it’s mentoring a student, volunteering in a classroom or supporting local youth programs, community involvement in education strengthens more than just schools – it strengthens the future of our region.
When we invest in students, we’re not only supporting their personal growth, we’re shaping the next generation of leaders. Today’s learners are tomorrow’s workforce, customers, business owners and decision-makers. For those of us who run businesses in Northern Kentucky, supporting education is more than a good deed – it’s a wise investment in our shared future.
It might be as simple as reading with a child once a week or helping welcome students on the first day of school. It might look like donating school supplies, serving on a school board or sponsoring a local scholarship. These actions may seem small, but together they build momentum – and that
momentum changes lives and elevates our collective community.
For business owners, this isn’t just about charity; it’s about cultivating a strong, skilled and inspired future generation. By helping students develop confidence, creativity and curiosity, we’re helping shape the kinds of employees, collaborators and leaders we hope to work with tomorrow.
Thankfully, in Northern Kentucky, there are countless ways to plug in. Local organizations offer mentoring, tutoring and service-learning opportunities that con-
nect community members with students and schools. Whether you have one hour a month or a bigger vision for change, there’s a place for you to get involved.
As the school year begins, let’s challenge ourselves to look beyond the classroom doors and ask: How can I help a student succeed? How can I contribute to the kind of future I want to see?
If you have an idea for a Community Voices column, email Meghan Goth at mgoth@ linknky.com.
Where to start
There are many educational organizations in Northern Kentucky with which you can invest your time. Here are some places to start:
• Educate NKY: educatenky.org.
• One to One Reading Program (Northern Kentucky Education Council): nkyec.org/one-to-one.
• Brighton Center volunteer programs: brightoncenter.com.
• NKU Service Learning: nku.edu.
• Crayons to Computers (school supplies donation hub): crayons2computers.org.
• NAMI Northern Kentucky (mental health education & support): naminky.org.
Here are details of some specific opportunities to step up:
William David Strategier, 75, enjoyed good things in life
W
illiam David “Dave” Strategier, of Covington, died peacefully Aug. 9. He was 75.
Born Jan. 2, 1950, in Covington, Mr. Strategier grew up in Fort Wright, where he developed a lifelong love for sports, storytelling and a good laugh.
A graduate of Northern Kentucky University, Mr. Strategier earned a bachelor’s degree in business before beginning a successful career in banking. He was well known for his easy charm, quick wit and knack for connecting with people from all walks of life.
Mr. Strategier’s passions were as colorful as his personality. Whether he was handicapping the ponies at the track, chasing birdies on the golf course, cheering on Kentucky basketball or savoring a fine bourbon, he lived with enthusiasm and an appreciation for the good things in life. He also liked to live simply, as evidenced by his faithfully consistent weekly grocery list – purchased by his daughter each week –which never strayed far from his triedand-true favorites.
Friends and family will fondly remember Mr. Strategier’s daily weather updates and his tradition of reading, and then recapping, the local newspapers, making sure everyone was informed about the region’s happenings (and maybe a few extra details).
• One to One Reading Program. Volunteer coaches work one-on-one with first grade through third grade students to help improve reading and math skills. Weekly sessions during the school day, including free training and materials, yield academic gains in over 30 area elementary schools.
• Ignite Institute (igniteinstitute. org). Kentucky’s first STEAM-focused public high school offers dual-credit college courses and career-pathway curriculum in fields like biomedical science, engineering, education. Students engage in project-based learning and industry mentorship to prepare for workforce opportunities.
Mr. Strategier is survived by his daughter, Lindsey (Mark Collier); two brothers, Kenny (Dixie) and Giles (Gina); two grandsons, Benny and Landon; former wife, Karen; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Marcia (Witte) Strategier, and by his beloved son, Brent “Bo” Strategier.
In accordance with his wishes, Mr. Strategier donated his body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and no immediate services will be held. A celebration of his life will be planned at a later date, where friends and family will be encouraged to share a memory, a laugh or a toast in his honor.
Mr. Strategier’s warm heart, clever humor and unshakable love for family will be deeply missed, but his stories, sayings and spirit will live on every time those he knew hear the crack of a golf club, the roar of Rupp Arena or the rustle of a fresh newspaper.
There are many volunteer opportunities to boost education across NKY. Consider giving back this school year. Provided | Joel Muniz via Unsplash
Still icons, but just missed our top 50 list
You’ve seen the list of 50 Northern Kentucky sports icons we published from June through July.
We know: We didn’t include some folks you thought should be there. The panel of five I used to get a consensus on the 50 gave me great options, and I took their recommendations and my own list to generate the final roster. I’m confident in the panel’s NKY sports knowledge and feel really good about the list.
There were other names nearly as worthy, though, and I feel it’s good to recognize them as well.
In no particular order, then, here are the next 50 names that are very much local icons for their sports accomplishments.
– Evan Dennison, sports editor
Ed Zeigler, Newport Central Catholic
A three-sport star at NewCath, Zeigler stood out in football. He still holds some NewCath records and scored 130 points his senior year when combining rushing and passing touchdowns and kicking. He earned First Team All-State honors and was an All-American. He went on to play at Notre Dame, where he ran for 682 yards and scored seven career touchdowns. He went to law school and became a distinguished law professor.
Bill Westerman, Holy Cross/Notre Dame
Westerman helped shape many lives as a coach. He started the Independence Soccer Club and coached at Holy Cross and Notre Dame. Westerman is in the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.
Celeste Hill Brockett, Holmes
Starred for the Bulldogs as a basketball player, scoring 2,565 career points. She then embarked on a remarkable college career at Old Dominion, where she was Colonial Athletic Association player of the year three times from 1990-94. Brockett was the first women’s player to lead ODU in scoring and rebounding all four years. Brockett finished her career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,112 points. The record stood for 13 years.
Played overseas in Israel and Greece before returning to the U.S. as a coach. She coached at Old Dominion and then at Holmes as head coach in 2004. She currently coaches the Beechwood girls basketball program.
Derek Smith, Highlands
Smith won two state championships with Highlands in football.
In 1999, Smith was runner-up for both the Kentucky Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball awards. He was a first-team all-state selection in both sports – three seasons in basketball, two in football. He won the Paul Hornung Award and Gatorade Player of the Year for football. In basketball, Smith was the 1999 Region 9 Player of the Year and finished with 2,229 career points. He was an All-SEC tight end at UK and ended up playing one year with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Scott Ruthsatz, Covington Catholic
The all-time wins leader at Covington Catholic in basketball. Ruthsatz coached the Colonels for 13 seasons with a remarkable 363-79 record. He’s the lone coach in NKY to win two boys state basketball titles and made it to four Final Fours, winning six region titles and 10 district titles. The state titles came in 2014 and 2018.
Doug Schloemer, Holmes
The first Mr. Basketball winner from NKY in 1978. Was an All-State player three times and led Holmes to the state championship game in 1978, finishing runner-up to Shelby County. Finished his career with 2,617 varsity points, putting him No. 1 at the time on the 9th Region’s all-time scoring list. Went on to play at Cincinnati.
Ross Neltner, Highlands
The 2003 Mr. Basketball winner was one of just two ever to win the award from NKY. Was a first team All-State member his senior year. Went on to play at LSU and later transferred to Vanderbilt. Scored 703 points in his college career.
Jeff Hans, basketball
Winning follows Jeff Hans. Prior to his college career as a head coach, he led the St. Henry and Lexington Catholic girls to a 8934 record with two district titles and two regional runner-up finishes.
After St. Henry, Hans went on to coach the Thomas More women, with whom he posted a remarkable 339-42 record and won three national championships. On top of the national titles at two different levels, he won eight conference regular season
championships, eight conference tournament titles, 11 national tournament berths and two NAIA National Runner-Up performances.
Hans is about to begin his second season as head coach of the NKU women’s program.
Maddie Scherr, Ryle
Just one of six from NKY to win Miss Kentucky Basketball. Led Ryle to a state title in 2019 and graduated as the program’s alltime scoring, rebounding and assist leader.
She has played college basketball at Oregon and Kentucky and is currently with TCU, heading into her senior season after having to redshirt last year due to an injury. In her college career, she’s scored 859 points, pulled down 427 rebounds and dished out 352 assists.
Gino Guidugli, Highlands
Led Highlands in 1999 and 2000 to state championships in football. He also helped lead the Bluebirds to the Sweet 16 in basketball in 2000 thanks to his buzzer-beating shot in the region championship against Holmes.
Guidugli still ranks in the KHSAA record books as one of the top QBs in state history. He went on to have a standout career in college at Cincinnati, setting all-time program records in passing yards (11,453), attempts (1,556), completions (880) and touchdown passes (78). He also held single-season marks for passing yards (3,543), attempts (472) and completions (258) when he graduated.
Lynn Ray, football
Lynn Ray ignited Covington Catholic football, eventually leading the team to five state titles and 234 wins from 1975-2004.
As a player, Ray was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and baseball at Boone County. He earned 1962 All-State Honorable Mention at running back and was voted the school’s overall Most Valuable Athlete for all sports in 1962 and ’63. He earned a football scholarship and played football at Eastern Kentucky, graduating in 1968.
He was also an assistant at Lloyd Memorial prior to coaching at Covington Catholic.
Bruce Kozerski, Holy Cross
Kozerski helped start up football at Holy Cross and was head coach of the Indians
for 20 seasons. He guided the Holy Cross program to its pinnacle in 2011, when the Indians won the Class 2A state championship.
He played in 172 NFL games for the Cincinnati Bengals, starting in 138 of them over a 12-year span. He was dubbed “Mr. Versatile.”
John Turner, Newport
After a successful high school basketball career at Newport, John Turner went on to play at Louisville and was later drafted in 1961 with the 18th pick in the second round by the NBA’s Chicago Packers (today’s Washington Wizards).
Turner is eighth all-time in program history at Louisville for both career scoring average (16.9 points per game) and career rebounding average (10.6 per game).
Newport commemorates Turner with the annual John Turner Classic, an early season basketball invitational with games played all day at Newport.
David Henley, Holmes
Henley is in a select group of boys basketball coaches in Kentucky history with 500 career victories (511-290 record) and a state championship (2009 at Holmes). He coached high school basketball for 36 seasons. He had a five-year run with Holmes in which they won the 9th Region four times capped off with a state championship in 2009.
Brandent Englemon, Holmes
Englemon was a football and basketball standout at Holmes. He graduated with program records in passing yards (4,039) and rushing yards (1,845). He was also an All-Tournament team member in basketball. He went on to play at Michigan, collecting 157 tackles at safety. His senior season was by far his best, finishing with 86 tackles and three interceptions. That season, he was named to the honorable mention list for All-Big Ten conference.
Englemon died at the young age of 36 in 2021.
Doug Pelfrey, football
The Scott High grad played for the Bengals for seven seasons from 1993-99. His NFL career kicking stats were 153-of-198 field
goals made (77.3%) and 660 career points.
Played collegiately at Kentucky, he was a first team All-SEC member in 1991 and second team in 1992. He was inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
Becky Tenkman Mirick, Notre Dame Academy
The MVP of the 1994 state champion Pandas volleyball team. The three-year starter and All-State selection was named NKY Player of the Year. She played at the University of Cincinnati where she was Conference USA Freshman of the Year and in 1997 became only the third Bearcat to have 1,000 kills as a junior. She graduated as the all-time leader in kills, aces, digs, block attempts and kill attempts.
George Stone, William Grant
Stone played hoops at William Grant in Covington and went on to play at Marshall, where he scored 1,723 points in three seasons and was an All-MAC selection in 1967. He was later inducted into the Marshall athletics Hall of Fame. Stone was drafted in 1968 by the American Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Stars. He helped lead the Stars to the finals in 1970, scoring 23.6 points per game in the playoffs. Stone won an ABA title a year later with the Stars after the team’s move to Utah.
Mark Pike, Dixie Heights
Played football at Dixie Heights, Georgia Tech and had a 12-year career with the Buffalo Bills. In his career with the Bills, Pike registered 255 tackles, the second most in NFL history for any special teams player. Played in four Super Bowls.
Pike died in 2021 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma complicated by COVID-19 pneumonia.
Mike Mitchell, Covington Catholic/ Highlands
Mitchell played three years at Covington Catholic before transferring to Highlands for his senior year of football and helped lead the Bluebirds to a state title in 2004. It didn’t come without controversy, as the Bluebirds originally had to forfeit the 12 wins that Mitchell participated in, making the school the only team ever to go 2-13 and be state champions. The district appealed in 2010, and the wins were later reinstated. Mitchell went on to play at Ohio University, recording 213 tackles and seven intercep-
tions in his college career.
He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 2009 and had a 10-year career in the NFL. He finished with 514 tackles, 7.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles, 42 pass deflections and 11 interceptions.
Jim Volpenhein, golf
The CovCath alum has won seven Tony Blom Metropolitan Golf Championships, Kentucky Tournament of Champions back-to-back years, qualified for the U.S. Amateur eight times and has two U.S. Open Sectional titles. Was named Player of the Year three times by the Greater Cincinnati Golf Association.
Troy McKinley, Simon Kenton
When Simon Kenton needed a community to rally, Troy McKinley and Simon Kenton’s basketball team came through. A gas explosion on Oct. 9, 1980, in the basement boiler room killed a student in the art room next door and hurt several others. The Pioneers had no gym and had to practice anywhere they could find gym time. They eventually made their way to Rupp Arena and the Sweet 16, winning it all in 1981, the first Northern Kentucky school to claim a boys state basketball title.
McKinley was the tournament MVP and went on to play 78 games at the University of Kentucky, scoring 190 career points for the Wildcats.
Larry Miller, Simon Kenton
Led the Pioneers basketball team to the 1981 state title, the first team to do so from Northern Kentucky.
Larry Schreiber, football
Played his football at Dixie Heights before heading to Tennessee Tech in college. In 1969 he was the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year. Went on to have a sixyear career in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. Had 1,749 rushing yards, 982 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in his career.
Marty Moore, football
After his playing days at Highlands, he went to the University of Kentucky, where he was a first team All-SEC selection in 1993. He was second team All-SEC in 1992 and was inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Moore was the first “Mr. Irrelevant” – the last pick in the NFL draft – to play in a Super Bowl, in 2001 with the New England Patriots, beating St. Louis. Moore played eight seasons in the NFL, seven with the Patriots and one with the Cleveland Browns. His career in the NFL saw him make 173 tackles, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Stan Arnzen, Newport
Longtime basketball coach at Newport. Incorporated African-American players as Kentucky integrated. Coached for 22 years at Newport and never had a losing season. Was in the Cincinnati Reds organization, but a broken leg derailed his baseball career.
Bob Barton, baseball
A standout in baseball and basketball, Barton chose baseball, which turned out to be a pretty good choice. Had a 10-year career in the major leagues with the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. Was the backup to Johnny Bench in 1973. Had an offer to play basketball for Kentucky under Adolph Rupp.
Brian O’Conner, Covington Latin/Thomas More
After a standout career at Thomas More in which he graduated as the program’s alltime leading scorer, O’Conner was drafted by the New York Knicks. His daughter Lauren was a standout volleyball player, playing at Scott and then the University of Kentucky. Both are Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame members.
Katie Schwegmann, Bishop Brossart
The 2001 Miss Kentucky Basketball winner. Went on to play at Miami (Ohio), but injuries derailed her playing career. Schwegmann’s basketball accolades include being a twotime Street and Smith Magazine All-American, a three-time AP All-State selection and the USA Today Player of the Year, the NKAC Player of the Year, KBC 10th Region Player of the Year, the Louisville Courier Journal Player of the Year, the Gatorade Player of the Year, the Pepsi Cola Player of the Year and a threetime selection as All “A” state tournament MVP.
Erica Hallman, Holmes
The 2002 Miss Kentucky Basketball winner. Went on to play at Kansas and was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention her junior and senior years. Once recorded a 27-assist game at Holmes and graduated as the program’s all time scoring and assists leader.
Patrick Towles, Highlands
The 2011 Mr. Kentucky Football award winner was the No. 1 football recruit in the state for the 2012 class. The Bluebirds won three consecutive state championships and compiled a 41-1 record with him running the offense. His career passing totals
were 7,431 yards and 73 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,718 yards and 38 TDs.
He then played three years at Kentucky and one at Boston College, collecting 6,829 passing yards and 36 touchdowns in 41 career games.
Towles is the grandson of Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and former U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning.
Tanner Morgan, Ryle
Including his stats carried over from his first two years at Hazard, Morgan leads Northern Kentucky for passing yards with 10,303 in his high school career. After Ryle, he went to Minnesota, where in 2019 he set the program record in yards for a season with 3,253. He threw for 9,236 yards and 63 touchdowns as a Golden Gopher.
Dave Schuh, Bishop Brossart
Schuh has led the cross country and track and field programs at Bishop Brossart for over 40 years and led them to multiple state titles.
Jim Brock, William Grant
Brock led William Grant to a district title in the 1950s, significant because it was the first African-American school to win one in Kentucky. He later led them to four KHSAA state tournament appearances and won 185 games in his tenure. Brock became a member of the KHSAA Hall of Fame, and the basketball court at Covington’s Randolph Park is named after him.
Layton Rouse, Ludlow
Rouse played basketball at Ludlow and later went on to play at Kentucky under Adolph Rupp. He was the first basketball player at Kentucky to have his jersey retired. He played at UK from 1938-40, was a team captain and an All-Southeastern Conference player during his final season. He was inducted into the UK Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Jeff Stowers, Simon Kenton
Stowers has transformed the Simon Kenton girls basketball program into one of the top programs in the state. He’d posted a 453-185 record upon his arrival in 2002 and has 553 career wins when counting his 100 victories at Seven Hills in Cincinnati. The Continues on page 12
453 wins in KHSAA girls basketball is top 30 all-time. He’s on a short list of Northern Kentucky girls basketball coaches with 400 high school wins or more, ranking fourth all-time in the area.
He’s led Simon Kenton to six 8th Region titles. They’ve won at least 20 games 15 times and 18 winning seasons.
Dan Tieman, basketball
A CovCath grad who was a teacher, player and coach in his career. As a player, Tieman graduated from Covington Catholic in 1958 before going on to play at Villa Madonna College (now Thomas More University). He was the team MVP in 1960 and ’61. He recorded 1,454 points and 319 assists in his college career. Tieman went on to play with the Cincinnati Royals for the 1962-63 season under Charlie Wolf.
As a coach, he won 314 games leading Covington Catholic, also serving as a teacher and administrator. He was later inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame.
Walt Wherry, softball
An ASA Slow Pitch Softball Hall of Famer. Was named All-American four times and won three World Championships.
Mike Murphy, Holmes
Murphy was a four-sport star at Holmes, lettering in football, basketball, baseball and track. He won a state title in the pole vault. Murphy was a high school football coach for many years, including at Highlands, Newport and Boone County.
Through his career, Murphy won state championships and was named Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Coach of the Year several times. In addition to the Covington Athletic Hall of Fame, Murphy
was inducted into the Northern Kentucky Athletics Directors Hall of Fame and the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.
Hal Wiggins, softball
Another from NKY to make the ASA Softball Hall of Fame. Wiggins played for 31 years, playing in 15 ASA World Championships, winning four national championships, including the first with Newport’s Shields Contractors in 1955. Wiggins was named an ASA All-American three times. He was inducted into the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.
Ralph Landrum, St. Henry
After playing basketball and golf at St. Henry, Landrum went on to play golf at Kentucky. Turned pro in golf in 1979 and, on a magical week at the 1983 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, shot up the leaderboard and was as high as third. He’d end up eighth in the tournament, earning himself a top 10 in a major. He’d play on the PGA Tour from 1983-85, oh so close to a victory in 1984 at the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, finishing tied for second. Landrum is now the president/ head golf professional at the World of Golf in Florence.
Jackie Bearden-Mistler, Dixie Heights
The 3,000-point scorer at Dixie Heights earned All-State honors in 1980, making the KHSAA Sweet 16 All-Tournament team. Was also a standout volleyball and softball player.
Reynolds Flynn, Holmes
A former basketball coach at Covington Holmes. He amassed a 569-247 career coaching record and coached teams to five Sweet 16 State Tournament appearances. He also served as a softball official.
Klein made Bellevue center stage for tennis and was a pioneer for Kentucky high school tennis. He was the tennis coach at Bellevue for 32 years, including hosting the first seven Kentucky High School state tennis tournaments. Klein guided the Tigers to three state singles champions, five doubles titles and 28 regional singles and doubles titles. His teams went 419-98 under his guidance. After coaching at Bellevue, Klein started the tennis program at NKU, where he coached for 14 years.
Frank Busch, swimming
Busch, an Edgewood native, began his coaching career at age 16. Led the Northern Kentucky Piranhas from 1974-78, assisted the Cincinnati Marlins from 1979-80, whose 1980 team put six in the Olympics and broke three world records. Busch was the swim coach at the University of Arizona for 22 years, transforming the Wildcats to one of the nation’s most powerful programs. He guided swimmers to 49 NCAA individual titles, 31 relay titles and two NCAA team titles.
Jimmy Boothe, basketball
The Dayton grad was pivotal in helping lead Xavier to the NIT in the late 1950s. Standing at just 5-foot-7, Boothe scored over 1,000 points with the Musketeers with a 13.3 point per game average in his college career. He then became a teacher, coach and superintendent.
Raymond “Whitey” Brown, softball
Five-time ASA World Champion in softball and later inducted into the ASA Hall of
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Fame. He was the 10th slow-pitch softball player inducted into the ASA Hall of Fame.
Bill Cappel, Covington
The sports complex in Covington was named after him. He was also a world champion in softball, playing for Nick Carr’s Boosters. Cappel was a pioneer in giving females the chance to play softball. He also played a big part in starting up the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.
Drew McDonald, Newport Central Catholic/NKU
Bob Davis, football
The Newport Central Catholic grad left NKU as the basketball program’s all-time leading scorer. Led the Thoroughbreds to three straight All “A” state titles and was also a standout in golf, winning the All “A” state title his senior year.
A 1934 Dayton grad and three-time All-SEC football player at Kentucky. Ran for 2,083 yards and scored 180 points as a Wildcat. Went on to play professional football for the Cleveland Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and Boston Yanks. Made the inaugural class for the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame.
Also worthy of mention
Ron Beagle (Taylor Mill), John Burt (Highlands), Jim Burt (Highlands), Robbie Clarkson (Conner), James Claypool (Beechwood), Tom Creamer (Beechwood), John Crigler (Hebron), Tom Cundy (Bellevue), Bob Daugherty (Bellevue), Jim Daugherty (Bellevue), Ron Dawn (Newport Central Catholic), John DeMoisey (Walton), Jean DeMoisey (Walton) , Bob DeMoss (Dayton), Clay Eifert (Holy Cross), Mike Fessler (Covington Catholic), Leo Foster (Holmes), Brandon Hatton (Dixie Heights), Lexi Held (Cooper), Cameron Hergott (Beechwood), Al Howe (Newport), Charles Johnson (Lloyd Memorial), Nate Jones (NKU), Ed Kennedy (Ludlow), Bob Miller (Bellevue), Joan Mitchell (NKAC), Rice Mountjoy (Dixie Heights/ Boone County), Ralph Mussman (Newport), Thurman Owens (Holmes), Don Rardin (softball), Myron Reinhardt (Alexandria), Aric Russell (Newport/Campbell County), Fredda Simpson (Villa Madonna), Phelan Spence (fencing), Howard Stacey (Dixie Heights), Larry Staverman (NewCath/Villa Madonna), Jack Thobe (Ludlow), Roger Tieman (Covington Catholic), Bill Topmiller (Covington Catholic), Pat Uebel (Bellevue), Dick Vories (Newport), Paul Walther (Covington), Marques Warrick (NKU), Jim Weyer (NewCath/Villa Madonna), Charley Wolf (Covington), Donna Wolfe (Covington), John Wimzie (Holmes), Bob White (football), Jason Yeager (Dixie Heights), VanLaningham family (Boone County/Cooper).
Roger Klein, Bellevue
Soccer coaches pick preseason top 10, players
to watch
The Northern Kentucky High School Boys Soccer Coaches Association has weighed in with its top 10 in the region and players to watch for the 2025 season that began on Aug. 11.
The top 10 teams, according to the coaches, are Covington Catholic at No. 1 with Ryle, Conner, Dixie Heights, Highlands, Cooper, Bishop Brossart, St. Henry, Campbell County and Simon Kenton following the Colonels respectively. Others teams receiving votes were Beechwood, Newport Central Catholic, Holy Cross and Boone County.
For players to watch, the coaches selected Marcos Berrios and Miles Mullen (Simon Kenton), Donovan Lameier and Trevor Bolte (Dixie Heights), Mason Ginn and Kellen Faulkner (Conner), Carson Morgan and Maddox Pemberton (Cooper), Cooper Neace and Danny Harding (Ryle), Blake Minor and Carlos Marquez (Campbell County), Luke D’Alessandro and Sam Chirumbolo (Bishop Brossart), Andrew Verst and Andrew Green (Newport Central Catholic), Jay Meyers and Ivan Potapenko (Villa Madonna), Nick Wilson and Lucas McVicker (Highlands), Logan Thoss and Brady Aubuchon (St. Henry), Salem Mayala (Boone County)
4 NKY teams named in volleyball coaches’ preseason poll
The Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association released its preseason poll on Aug. 6 with four Northern Kentucky teams showing up on it.
The poll, conducted by the KVCA with 25 coaches from across the state participating, unanimously ranked back-to-back champion Assumption at No. 1 with all 25 first-place votes. Notre Dame Academy came in at No. 6 in the poll, Ryle was No. 7, St. Henry was No. 10 and Beechwood made it in at No. 25.
Notre Dame has new leaders, staying with the co-head coach route and naming Madison Salkowski and Hannah Colvin to replace Leslie Litmer and Jenna Leistner.
Salkowski and Colvin are Panda alums, Salkowski recently serving as a varsity assistant and Colvin leading the junior varsity team. The Pandas lost seven seniors, three of them headed to play Division I volleyball, including 9th Region Player of the Year Julia Grace and Ava Tilden, who are headed to play at Xavier, and Riley McCloskey, attending the University of Memphis. Even with the turnover, the Pandas will still be stout with Audrey Dyas, Lizzy Larkins, Grace Portwood, Teagan Kondik and Katie Zwick back in the rotation.
Ryle really turned some heads across the state last season as it started off 11-0, including a win over state champ Assumption at the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament. It was the first win for a public school over Assumption this century. Ryle finished 24-9 and took St. Henry to five sets in the 9th Region tournament semifinals. The Raiders graduated three seniors, Karsyn Griffin continuing her career at University of North Alabama and Lucy Trapp playing down the road at Thomas More. Morgan Heater, Layna Wilkinson, Ariana Furuta, Rachel King and Francesca Hansel return with the most playing time and production from last season. Heater, King and Wilkinson recorded over 100 kills last season while Furuta had 470 digs and Hansel had 321.
St. Henry will also be in the mix for a 9th Region title as it returns all but two of the rotational players. Elizabeth Casey and Corrine Blackburn graduated, but Kenadi Sieg, Madi Demler, Caroline Tabeling, Emily Helmers, Madelyn Keipert, Violet Main and Gianna Butler make for a deep core returning from a 33-6 season and a 9th Region runner-up finish.
Beechwood’s upside is through the roof. The Tigers return everyone from last season’s 25-9 campaign, six of those losses coming from Notre Dame, St. Henry and Assumption. The other three losses were to outof-state opponents. If they can figure out a way to get past district rival NDA and small school competitor St. Henry, they’ll certainly have a shot for an All “A”, district and regional title. Players to watch include Isabel O’Brien, Rachel Lewandowski, Isabel Baaker and Kendale Lair along the front line, each registering over 130 kills last season. Skylr Estep tallied 715 assists last season.
State semifinalist Scott was not ranked despite returning back-to-back 10th Region Player of the Year Milyn Minor and four starters. Scott won 31 games last season and won the 10th Region, and the program reached new heights under Andrea Sullivan with a state semifinal appearance.
The KVCA also released the top five teams for each region. Notre Dame is tops in the 9th with Ryle and St. Henry tied for second. Beechwood comes in at fourth with Highlands in fifth.
Scott leads the 10th Region with Bishop Brossart second, George Rogers Clark third, Montgomery County fourth and Campbell County fifth.
Simon Kenton is fourth in the 8th Region top five, North Oldham, Collins and Oldham County landing in front of them, respectively.
The KHSAA volleyball regular season began Aug. 18.
NOTICE
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Current Rate:
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The Company will provide a bill credit for each kWh Customer produces to the Company’s grid using the rate below.
Excess Generation Avoided Cost Credit per kWh (Residential): $0.062924
Excess Generation Avoided Cost Credit per kWh (Non-Residential): $0.063255
Proposed Rate:
EXCESS GENERATION AVOIDED COST CREDIT RATE
The Company will provide a bill credit for each kWh Customer produces to the Company’s grid using the rate below. Excess
The foregoing rates reflect a proposed increase in the Net Metering II credit for exported energy resulting in an increased credit to participants. Net Metering II participants do not represent a separate rate class. All Net Metering II participants are currently residential customers and have participated for less than a year. The average usage and monthly bill impact for each customer class to which the proposed rates will apply are not applicable. The percentage increase in the credit per kWh, representing a reduction in the net metering participant’s bill is as follows:
The rates contained in this notice are the rates proposed by Duke Energy Kentucky; however, the Public Service Commission may order rates to be charged that differ from the proposed rates contained in this notice. Such action may result in rates for consumers other than the rates in this notice.
Any corporation, association, body politic or person may, by written request within thirty (30) days after publication of this notice of the proposed rate changes, request leave to intervene; intervention may be granted beyond the thirty (30) day period for good cause shown. Such motion shall be submitted to the Kentucky Public Service Commission, P. O. Box 615, 211 Sower Boulevard, Frankfort, Kentucky 40602-0615, and shall set forth the grounds for the request including the status and interest of the party. If the Commission does not receive a written request for intervention within thirty (30) days of the initial publication the Commission may take final action on the application.
Intervenors may obtain copies of the application and other filings made by the Company by requesting same through email at DEKInquiries@duke-energy.com or by telephone at (513) 287-4366. A copy of the application and other filings made by the Company is available for public inspection through the Commission’s website at http://psc.ky.gov, at the Commission’s office at 211 Sower Boulevard, Frankfort, Kentucky, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am. To 4:30 p.m., and at the following Company offices: 1262 Cox Road, Erlanger, Kentucky 41018. Written comments regarding the application may be submitted to the Public Service Commission through its website, or by mail at the following Commission address.
For further information contact:
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION DUKE ENERGY KENTUCKY COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY 1262 COX ROAD P. O. BOX 615 ERLANGER, KENTUCKY 41018 211 SOWER BOULEVARD (513) 287-4366 FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY 40602-0615 (502) 564-3940
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
The Public Service Commission of Kentucky issued an order of July 31, 2025, scheduling a public comment meeting to be held on September 8, 2025, at 5 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, at Jefferson Community & Technical College: Hovarth Auditorium, 1000 Community College Dr., Louisville, KY 40272 for the purpose of hearing public comments on Kentucky Utilities Company and Louisville Gas and Electric Company applications for adjustment of its electric and gas rates and approval of certain regulatory and accounting treatments in Case Nos. 2025-00113 and 2025-00114.
Notre Dame’s Audrey Dyas, 12, and the Pandas are ranked No. 6 in the KVCA preseason poll. Provided | Will Jones
Bishop Brossart was picked in the preseason top 10 by Northern Kentucky boys soccer coaches. Provided | Charles Bolton
Renovated Tudor has original character, modern updates
Address: 51 Pleasant Ridge Ave., Fort Mitchell
Price: $545,000
Bedrooms: Three
Bathrooms: One (plus one half bath)
Square footage: 2,015
School district: Beechwood Independent
County: Kenton
Special features: This updated Tudor features an original Rookwood fireplace, hardwood floors, 9-foot ceilings, stained woodwork, arched doorways, crown molding and a wrought iron staircase. The remodeled kitchen includes granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances, connecting to formal and casual living areas. Recent upgrades include the roof, water heater and gas stove. Outdoor spaces include a patio, newer deck, screened porch and fenced yard. The first-floor family room offers potential as a fourth bedroom.
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PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice of Upcoming Sale: 9/01/2025
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2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (Blue)
J2R853 (KY)
Listed Owner - Ward, Walter L II
Listed Lienholder - Stellantis Fnc Svc
Sold By: AJ’s Towing and Recovery LLC 2043B Alexandria Pike Highland Heights, KY 41076 (859) 907-6755
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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
• 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
The exterior of this Fort Mitchell home. Photos provided | Mandy Nance with Paragon Realty Partners
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at this home’s entryway and living room.
home’s back deck
patio.
6/30/25 - 7/6/25
Edited by Margie E. Burke
HOW TO SOLVE:
Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
Answer to Previous Sudoku:
Edited by Margie E. Burke
The Weekly Crossword
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Soak in a tub
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One way to read
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Scan the QR code to register – Education – Workforce
Events will be held at the Erlanger Branch of the Kenton County Public Library from 6-7:30 p.m. Events will also be live-streamed on LINK nky’s Facebook page.
Our December Community Conversation event will be held at a different location: The new SparkHaus Entrepreneurial Hub at 727 Madison Avenue in Covington. What a better place to talk about workforce? We’ll see you there!
