LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 3, Issue 39 - August 29, 2025

KENTON

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 39 — AUGUST 29, 2025

THE VOICE OF NKY

linknky.com

Major upgrades at last for Newport’s Gen. Taylor Park

By Haley Parnell

N

ewport is moving forward with $7.5 million in improvements to Gen. James Taylor Park.

“I don’t think that it’s unreasonable to say that, between now and two years from now, we’re going to have a completely transformed riverfront, and we’ve been talking about Festival Park for the past 20 plus years,” said Newport City Manager John Hayden. “So the idea that we’re going to get that done, and then what’s going to be a world-class park over at James Taylor as well, is really going to transform the banks here in Newport.”

The work on the park, on Newport’s Riverboat Row where the Licking River meets the Ohio, has been a long time coming and follows numerous Newport Park Board meetings to help refine the plans.

Newport partnered with Corporex on the project in 2006 so that the company could act as the master contractor. Now, with $7.5 million from the state’s legislative budget to fund it, the project was the subject of a Continues on page 3

An overview of Newport highlighting the Gen. James Taylor Park improvement project. Provided | Corporex

Diocese leaders weigh Catholic teaching on immigration

By Nathan Granger

W

hat do Catholic social teachings say about immigration, especially in the face of increased federal emphasis on immigration enforcement?

That was the subject of a special meeting Aug. 18 at the Diocese of Covington Curia.

Hosted by the sisters of the Inter-Community Justice and Peace Committee, which comprises members of the Sisters of Notre Dame, Benedictine Sisters and Sisters of Divine Providence, the meeting was the second in a series of meetings for local congregants on immigration.

Attendees at the Aug. 18 meeting discussed immigration. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

This meeting focused on what Catholic social teachings had to say about the is-

sue and gave advice on how local Catholics could get involved.

Bishop John Iffert led an opening prayer, which expressed the central quandary the speakers at the meeting hoped to address, namely that Catholic teaching emphasizes the dignity of human beings, regardless of their origins, while also granting nations the right to protect their borders.

“We live in a time where we are caught between high values,” Iffert prayed. “We recognize that God calls us to hospitality, to respect human dignity, to love our neighbor and to welcome even the foreigner as our neighbor. And we gather in the bosom of the church that recognizes that nations have a right to control their borders, and

State, county, city: Owner key to road maintenance p8 Meet LINK’s new writers on food in NKY p9 Where are local prep alums playing in college? p12

Continues on page 4

Want to get NKY news every day?

Subscribe to our email newsletters

SCAN ME!

HAPPY fourth WE’RE TURNING FOUR, LET’S CELEBRATE!

save the date

Thursday, October 23rd, 2025 | 6-9 p.m.

Join LINK staff, supporters and readers for a fun evening as we raise a glass to celebrate our fourth birthday.

WENZEL DISTILLERY

412 MADISON AVE. | COVINGTON, KY 41001

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR MORE INFO

TICKETS $40 PER PERSON

4th Birthday Party https://qr.codes/TWdXVJ

INCLUDES 2 DRINK TICKETS AND HEAVY HORS D’OEUVRES

TAKE HOME A PIECE OF THE CELEBRATION!

YOU CAN PURCHASE LINK NKY’S SPECIAL 4-YEAR BOURBON BLEND, CREATED AT WENZEL WHISKEY

LINK Partners and have thrown their full support behind us. These NKY institutions are helping bring a voice back to our community.

We are grateful to all LINK’s Partners - those organizations in the community who believe strongly in what we are doing,

2 AUGUST 29, 2025

Member FDIC

PRESIDENT & CEO Lacy Starling EXECUTIVE EDITOR Meghan Goth SPORTS EDITOR Evan Dennison LINK nky Kenton Reader is published weekly by LINK Media LLC, 31 Innovation Alley, Covington, KY 41011.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Covington, KY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LINK nky Kenton Reader, 31 Innovation Alley, Covington, KY 41011.

ISSN 3064-7460 859-878-1669 | www.LINKnky.com

HAVE A TIP? News@LINKnky.com WANT TO ADVERTISE? Marketing@LINKnky.com

WANT TO SUBSCRIBE? Send a check for $58.30 ($55 non-auto-renewing rate plus 6% Kentucky sales tax) to LINK nky 31 Innovation Alley, Ground Floor Covington, KY 41011 or scan this QR code below

Love what we're doing? Want to support public-interest journalism in Northern Kentucky? Make a tax-deductible donation to support our work. Scan the QR code below, or mail a check payable to the Northern Kentucky Community Journalism Fund to 50 East Rivercenter Blvd. Suite 431, Covington, KY 41011.

No part of this publication may be used without permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions.

If, however, an error comes to your attention, please let us know and accept our sincere apologies in advance.

Newport’s Gen. James Taylor Park boasts outstanding views of the Ohio River and Cincinnati’s skyline. Photo provided | General James Taylor Park Facebook page Continued from page 1

first reading at Newport commission’s Aug. 18 meeting.

Assistant City Manager Brian Steffen said at the meeting that he wanted to put some rumors about the city’s partnership with Corporex to rest. “I want to make it clear – I’ve heard this rumor, I’m sure everybody else has on the board – this did not give the park … to Corporex,” he said. “This simply is Corporex building the park for a fee, and this contract reflects that.”

Steffen said the contract states that the city gets the final say on what is being built in the park. Corporex also has to abide by the state procurement laws (governing how state governments purchase goods and services from private businesses), and the contract does not give Corporex the right to spend the $7.5 million grant as they see fit.

The project also includes Festival Park, just northeast of Taylor Park on the Ohio River.

After the city secured the grant from the state, a parks committee started meeting every other week beginning in March. The committee consisted of residents, business owners, and representatives of Corporex, Cincinnati-based Hub+Weber Architects and the National Park Service.

Newport municipal specialist Josh Tunning helped assemble and lead that group. He said that, at the end of June, more than 100 people attended an open house held by the committee to collect additional feedback.

barge – around and over the park instead of through it.

he was confident Corporex could do the project for $7.5 million.

Steffen said that, during conversations with the cabinet about the Fourth Street Bridge project, park planners spoke about access to the south of Gen. James Taylor Park and the city’s desire to bring in an additional floodgate or some other means of access south of Fourth Street.

City budget safeguards

“The folks from KYTC at the cabinet level indicated that they were more than willing to continue that conversation with us.

While they didn’t make a firm commitment, they did commit to work with us to find options and find funding sources for that access piece,” Steffen said.

Another issue the city is looking into is the number of feral cats that call the park home. Steffen said he is working to find the most humane way to relocate the animals so they are not in the middle of a construction zone.

“It was a pleasure to be a part of each and every one of those [park board] meetings,” said Andrew Vecellio, vice president of development at Corporex. He has been working with the city on the plans for the park’s improvements.

“I think that the community really came together, and it was really a joint effort,” he said. “We’re very excited about the park.

We’re very excited to get started as quickly as possible.”

Hayden walked the commission through the checks and balances process the city would undertake through construction to ensure what was being done stayed within the budget. Multiple city officials would go over each item, he said, starting in the finance department. It will look to see if items line up with what they’ve been told and if the funds are there. Next will be the city manager’s office, where items will be reviewed by city building officials, Steffen and then Hayden.

“They [Corporex] don’t just send a paper and say, ‘We want a million dollars now,’” Hayden said. “They need to submit a form that lays out what they’ve done, the time they’ve spent, and there has to be documentation to back all that up. Before we even get to that, we’re going to have all this stuff bid out, and it has to be done by the state’s model procurement credit code.”

Hayden said the city will know what those bids entail at the beginning of the process so that, if there are problems with the bids, such as items coming in at higher cost than projected, the city could cut items or change design.

According to Mayor Tom Guidugli Jr., there is a do-not-exceed clause in the contract, meaning the project cannot cost the city more than $7.5 million.

Vecellio told the commission Aug. 18 that “I really feel the plans that we came up with today for James Taylor Park and Festival Park really represent what our community, our residents, our local business owners, want to see on our riverfront,” Tunning said. “So it really is a park not just for our community, but that was designed by our community.”

Working around new bridge One of the issues the city faces while planning for the project is the construction of a new Fourth Street Bridge across the Licking. Steffen said the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s District 6 has indicated it will no longer try to get to the bridge through the park; it will bring in much of the construction equipment and materials by

A rendering of the plans for improvements at Gen. James Taylor Park. Provided | Newport

AUGUST 29, 2025 3

Continued from page 1

sometimes we struggle to know how to balance these great values.”

The well-attended meeting featured several speakers, as well as representatives from some local nonprofits that provide services to immigrants.

Sister Kay Kramer spoke about the history of anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States and pointed out that many in the room were likely descended from immigrants. “A lot of what’s happening across the country now is demonizing and degrading human beings who are made in God’s image and likeness, just as we are,” she said.

The Curia of the Catholic Diocese of Covington met Aug. 18. Photos by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

Hannah Keegan, director of the Center for Faith, Mission and Catholic Education at Thomas More University, pulled from both modern and classical Catholic writings to describe what is expected of practicing Catholics regarding immigrants. Keegan emphasized that treatment of immigrants in the community was “not primarily a political question, but a question of justice and mercy. It’s a question of love, ultimately a question of relationship.”

Jessica Ramos, an attorney and manager of the immigration team at the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, discussed the complexities of immigration law, which she characterized as Byzantine and overly punitive. She projected a flow chart at the front of the meeting to show how complex immigration processing in the United States could be.

“I just like to use this graphic to show you that immigration law is extremely complicated,” Ramos said. “I have cases where we have been battling over whether someone is a U.S. citizen for over a decade, right?

Just to prove that someone’s a U.S. citizen.

I have other cases that it takes two decades to wind through the system.

“The law in place today is very harsh and punitive compared to centuries past,” she said, “and, honestly, if most of our ancestors tried to come today, they would be denied entry.”

Sister Kay Kramer gives a presentation Aug. 18 on immigration, pointing out that even the current pope, Chicago-born Leo XIV, is descended from immigrants to the U.S.

Organizers distributed literature summarizing Catholic social teachings with citations, along with information about local

organizations that support immigrants.

Sister Alice Gerdeman asked the attendees to reflect on the session and consider how they could contribute, whether through volunteering, donations or another way.

“We cannot all do something about everything, but if we want to be hopeful people, we have to find something we can do about some issue, because otherwise we get depressed and we lose our energies,” Gerdeman said.

People interested in learning more about the committee’s work on immigration can contact Sister Kay Kramer at kkramer@cpdkentucky.org.

Get involved Here’s how to contact organizations with programs that can help immigrants: • Be Concerned: beconcerned.org, 859-291-6789.

• Care Closet: thecarecloset.com, 859-379-5363.

• Esperanza Latino Center: esperanzanky.org, 859-261-0862.

• El Centro de la Divina Providencia: cdpkentucky.org/el-centro-de-la-divina-providencia, 859-431-3600.

• Fiesta: fiestanky.org, 859-5340672.

• Holy Spirit Outreach: holyspiritnky.org/parish-outreach.html, 859-261-0818.

• Kentucky Refugee Ministries: kyrm.org, 859-815-8010.

• Mary Rose Mission: maryrosemission.org, 859-292-0300.

• Parish Kitchen: covingtoncharities.org/parish-kitchen, 859-5817745.

• Rose Garden Mission: fdofmary. org/rose-garden-mission, 859491-7673.

• St. Vincent de Paul: svdpnky.org, 859-341-3212.

NKYChamber.com/Events

Annual Dinner Presented by JUDGE/EXECUTIVE GARY MOORE The Walter R. Dunlevy/ Frontiersman Award

CAROLINE WELTZER The Walter L. Pieschel (MVP) Award

JEANNE SCHROER Devou Cup Award

TOM BANTA Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III NKY Economic Development Award

ARTSWAVE The Northern Kentucky Unity Award

HOTEL COVINGTON ImageMaker Award

Thursday, Sept. 25 | 5:00 - 9:30 PM NKY Convention Center Join us in celebrating the 2025 honorees

Title Sponsor

Dunlevy Award Sponsor

Pieschel Award Sponsor

Unity Award Sponsor

ImageMaker Award Sponsor

Devou Cup Award Presented By

Robinson Award Presented By

SHANE NOEM AND TARA JOHNSON-NOEM The Horizon Award

Horizon Award Presented By

Presenting Sponsors

Centerpiece Sponsor

Photobooth Sponsor

4 AUGUST 29, 2025

Wine Sponsor

Spanish on the Fly expands to Boone, Campbell counties

By Kenton Hornbeck

W

hen Lori Wall opened Spanish on the Fly in 2024, she aimed to provide affordable Spanish language instruction to people in Northern Kentucky.

Fast forward a year, and Wall is expanding her business into Boone and Campbell counties, demonstrating a growing appetite for her teaching. Wall, a professional with more than 20 years of experience in language instruction, launched her first brick-and-mortar school in August 2024 at 311 Elm St. in Ludlow.

Spanish on the Fly offers three levels of instruction, focusing on beginners to those seeking conversational refinement. The program includes small-group classes, individual tutoring and themed workshops focusing on practical language skills for scenarios like travel, business and daily conversation. Besides classes, Spanish on the Fly provides corporate training programs, which have been used by such organizations as Duke Energy, Cengage and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, among others.

Melissa Ibarra, a Spanish teacher at Spanish on the Fly’s Campbell County school, said the business’s language programs are a positive influence on the community, giving people the opportunity to challenge themselves while engaging in an enriching activity.

“There’s always been a large community of Spanish speakers in our country,” she said.

“I think it just gives you awareness of other people’s struggles to learn a language.

You can come alongside and you can learn what it’s like to be on the spectrum, as far as just trying to be able to communicate.”

Since starting the business, Wall told LINK nky that the space in Ludlow has been sufficient, but it can accommodate only one class at a time. This prompted her to seek a way to expand to serve her growing client base better.

“Immediately, I felt like I needed to be in other counties, because people that come to me from Florence, they might have to leave their homes an hour in advance because they don’t know what traffic is going to look like to get here,” she said. “It just seemed like that’s the way I needed to go.”

Instruction at her Campbell County school, at 2304 Alexandria Pike inside the Southgate Conference Center, kicks off in September. She intends to open her Boone County school at 7536 U.S. 42, Suite 7, in Florence – the same site as Fiesta NKY, a nonprofit organization serving Northern Kentucky’s Hispanic community.

Wall said she is interviewing teachers for the Boone County school, although no official opening date has been announced yet.

Along with Spanish on the Fly’s expansion, the school now offers English language

The 2024 ribbon cutting for Spanish on the Fly in Ludlow. Provided | Spanish on the Fly

programs designed for fluent Spanish speakers who want to learn English as a second language. Wall said the idea originated after being approached by several businesses that wanted to improve their employees’ skills.

“They [local businesses] want to keep them

and, in order for them to progress, they’re going to need to increase their English levels,” she said.

For Wall, the growth of Spanish on the Fly reflects more than business success; it’s a way to continue bridging cultural and linguistic gaps across Northern Kentucky.

GET ALL THE HEADLINES DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX! SIGN UP FOR: The Daily LINK EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING The Sports LINK MONDAYS AT NOON The Business LINK TUESDAYS AT NOON The Weekend LINK SATURDAY MORNINGS The Arts & Events LINK THURSDAYS AT NOON SCAN TO SIGN UP SPONSOR OF THE DAILY LINK:

SPONSOR OF THE BUSINESS LINK:

SPONSOR OF THE WEEKEND & SPORTS LINK:

SPONSOR OF THE ARTS & EVENTS LINK:

AUGUST 29, 2025 5

kenton county briefs Covington to vote on bond package for new apartments

PILOTs ensure the city still makes money on the property while reducing the developer’s early investment. Developers and cities like IRBs because the developers defray their investment costs, and cities get to make money on a property or lot that might otherwise sit unused, generating no tax revenue; lower revenue from a PILOT is better than no revenue at all.

Bavarian Flats rendering. Provided | Kenton County

Covington’s commission was to vote this week on financing and tax abatement for an apartment complex slated to sit atop the new Kenton County Government Center parking garage, which is being built in conjunction with the Brent Spence Corridor project.

The complex will be named Bavarian Flats, a nod to the defunct Bavarian Brewing Co., which occupied the government center building from 1911 to 1966.

Commissioners heard a financing proposal Aug. 19 for the issuance of up to $20 million in industrial revenue bonds, as well as a payment in lieu of tax, or PILOT, agreement that will accompany the financing.

Covington Independent Public Schools will also need to sign off on the bonds.

Industrial revenue bonds are a common municipal financing measure that developers use to gain tax exemptions and cities use to fill vacant lots or rehab derelict buildings. When the city, or another taxing entity like a school or a county, agrees to issue an IRB, it serves as a kind of conduit for financing a project.

The developer will seek financing from an underwriting institution, such as a bank, as a means of injecting capital into the project. The city then takes on an ownership interest in the property, at least on paper, so the developer can use the city’s credit score as a way of obtaining private investment.

In exchange, the city grants the developer a tax incentive, the details of which vary depending on the deal. This often takes the form of a PILOT.

The debt is held by the developer, meaning the city isn’t on the hook for paying it back. Usually, when an IRB period ends, the incentives disappear, and the property reverts to the developer. If a project fails or the developer goes out of business, the property can be sold to settle the debt.

The PILOT agreement discussed Aug. 19 calls for a graduated payment schedule over 20 years. The developer would pay 30% of property taxes for the first 10 years, 50% for the subsequent five years and 80% for the last five. The construction is expected to create 212 jobs and generate about $9.5 million in payroll tax.

“We try to structure these to where it kind of ramps up back to a full 100%, rather than stay stagnant for the entire 20 years,” said John Sadosky, Covington’s assistant economic development director.

The county approved the construction of the apartments in March.

The project is a joint venture between Cincinnati-based Merus, previously Al. Neyer, and Urban Sites. The apartment building will have approximately 125 units. Construction is expected to begin once the parking garage is finished. Representatives from Merus said the project should be completed by February 2027. The city’s economic development department estimated the overall cost at just under $27.5 million.

Merus and Urban Sites have collaborated on other projects in Covington. In early 2023, the duo completed work on the Hayden, a conversion of the former Kenton County Administration Building and Detention Center at 103 E. Third St. into a 133unit apartment building.

Omaha Steaks are hand-selected for unmatched quality, naturally aged for maximum tenderness, and flash-frozen to lock in that unforgettable flavor. Just one bite and you’ll know this is the best steak you’ll ever taste.

We guarantee it.

Classic Cookout Collection SAVE 54%

Ask for your FREE burgers with offer 76946AJZ

4 Butcher’s Cut Filet Mignons (5 oz.)

4 Air-Chilled Chicken Breasts (5 oz.)

4 Omaha Steaks Burgers (4 oz.)

4 Gourmet Jumbo Franks (3 oz.)

4 Individual Scalloped Potatoes (3.8 oz.)

4 Caramel Apple Tartlets (4 oz.)

1 Omaha Steaks Seasoning (3 oz.)

8 FREE Omaha Steaks Burgers (4 oz.)

– GET 8 – BURGERS

FREE A $22 value!

12999

76946AJZ separately $279.93 $ SPECIAL PACKAGE PRICE

Savings shown over aggregated single item base price. 8 free 4 oz. burgers will be sent to each shipping address that includes SKU 76946. Limit 2 on select items at these exclusive prices.

While supplies last. Items may be substituted due to inventory limitations. Standard shipping rates will be applied and are subject to change. Minimum purchase and other restrictions may apply. Some products may not be available for sale in your area. Sales are subject to OmahaSteaks.com/terms-of-use. Expires 09/30/25. | 25M8446 | Omaha Steaks, LLC

6 AUGUST 29, 2025

Jeremy Fogel, a senior real estate analyst at Urban Sites, gave an easier comparison by apartment size, although he pointed out that each unit would vary. He projected studios would range from $1,000 to $1,200 a month, one bedrooms would hover around $1,400 a month and two bedrooms would range between $1,800 to $2,000 a month.

Sadosky said about 70% of the units would be targeted at households making 100% of the area’s median income. He said the median income “in our metropolitan area is $73,000 a year for one person or $84,000 a year for a two-person household.” The estimated median income for all households in Covington as of 2023 was just under $59,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“Just for clarity,” asked Commissioner Tim Downing, “we’re targeting the median, not the average?”

“Correct,” Sadosky said.

“The average is lower,” Downing argued, although he did not furnish any figures.

The average income across all households in Covington as of 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, was estimated at $79,569.

Erlanger proposes lower property tax rates for 11th straight year

Erlanger council at its caucus meeting on Aug. 19.

Photo by Emma Balcom | LINK nky contributor

AND

OmahaSteaks.com/OneBite2179

There was discussion among the commissioners about the project, the structure of the IRBs and, most notably, the cost of the apartment rents once on the market. Sadosky put the expected rent at about $2.20 per square foot.

Bavarian Flats is part of a plan to reinvig-

ONEYOU’LLBITE KNOW

Call 1.888.501.2461 or go to

orate the vacant property next to the new government center. Starting in 2023, Kenton County introduced plans to build a 248-space parking garage at the corner of 12th and Main streets. Much of the parking will be underground.

Erlanger will likely lower its property tax rates for an 11th year in a row, following discussions at city council’s recent caucus meeting.

The recommended assessed rates for real property will be $2.44 per $1,000 and $1.78 per $1,000 of valuation for tangible property. Real property refers to real estate, including houses, office buildings and other business facilities. Tangible property refers to movable assets that aren’t real estate.

The proposed property tax rates are down from current rates, which stand at $2.47

per $1,000 of valuation for real property and $1.98 per $1,000 of valuation for tangible property.

According to Mayor Jessica Fette, real property tax values increased 1.4% from 2024, totaling $1.89 billion. Tangible property increased 11.5%, totaling $1.87 million.

Erlanger budgeted a combined $4.73 million in property tax revenues for fiscal year 2026. According to Fette, the new rates would exceed the city’s estimated revenues by more than $277,000.

Erlanger to consider new safety guidelines for motorized scooters

Safety guidelines are being considered for motorized scooters in Erlanger. Photo by Ali Nurmemmedov | Unsplash

Erlanger’s city council discussed the operation of motorized scooters in the city at its Aug. 19 meeting.

The discussion was initiated by Councilmember Jennifer Jasper-Lucas, who earlier this month called for new safety guidelines after hearing concerns from residents and business owners. According to Jasper-Lucas, residents have observed riders not wearing helmets or operating electronics while using scooters.

Jasper-Lucas said the city has no intention of removing motorized scooters from city streets or establishing formal legislation on how they can and cannot be used, but rather to establish safety guidelines and community education on safe use.

While council did not decide on any guidelines or safety measures at its caucus meeting, council members instead passed the concerns on to Erlanger’s community engagement coordinator. While that position is not currently filled, the city began accepting applications in July.

“We feel this will be a great project for that position to take on,” said Jasper-Lucas. “The community education can include what KRS currently already says about scooters and other similar devices such as hoverboards and Segways, as well as how to safely operate these devices within the city, on streets and sidewalks.”

KRS guidance states that individuals over age 16 can operate motorized scooters, provided they follow traffic regulations.

Those include having working headlamps and rear lights at dawn, dusk and night, and parking the scooter out of the way of pedestrians and other traffic.

While there’s no current legislation regarding motorized scooters, Erlanger does have a policy on skateboards, which Jasper-Lu-

kenton county briefs cas earlier this month said may also need to be updated. The current policy states that skateboards are not allowed on streets or highways, sidewalks around business or commercial areas, and requires that skateboarders must yield to pedestrians.

8 years in making, OneNKY Center set for grand opening

The finished exterior of the OneNKY Center in downtown Covington. Photo by Kenton Hornbeck | LINK nky

The first meeting Brent Cooper attended as president of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in 2017 was about the OneNKY Center. Construction began in August 2023, and its grand opening is finally at hand.

“It’s a reminder that things don’t happen overnight,” Cooper said. “Sometimes it takes time, and sometimes it takes some hard work and some stick-to-itiveness.”

The OneNKY Center’s grand opening is set for Sept. 12. The building is nearly finished,

with the “OneNKY Center” sign already in place on the fourth floor exterior. Several tenants are moving in.

As the project nears its finish line, community leaders shared their thoughts on its potential impact during the NKY Chamber’s latest Eggs ‘N Issues breakfast panel.

Keynote speakers included OneNKY Alliance CEO Karen Finan, LifeSciKY Executive Director Christin Godale and Kenton County Judge-Executive Kris Knochelmann.

NKY Port Authority Executive Director Christine Russell moderated the panel.

The OneNKY Center is a 47,000 square foot, four-story office building at the foot of the Roebling Suspension Bridge. It will house several of Northern Kentucky’s economic growth organizations, including the NKY Chamber of Commerce, meetNKY, OneNKY Alliance, Catalytic Fund of Northern Kentucky, BE NKY Growth Partnership, Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky and Northern Kentucky Bar Association.

The property, at 209 Greenup St., is owned by the NKY Port Authority.

The center’s second floor will be exclusively dedicated to LifeSciKY, a 15,000-squarefoot life sciences laboratory and startup incubator. That floor is still under construction. Once completed, Godale said that the center will be a net benefit not just to Northern Kentucky, but to the state as

a whole. “We don’t have anything in Kentucky like this, so the opportunity isn’t just space – it’s about influence in Kentucky,” Godale said.

Russell said the idea for the OneNKY Center was planted in the 1980s when Corporex Chairman Bill Butler envisioned a “front door” for Northern Kentucky.

“He had a vision that we needed a front door to our communities, a visible symbol for regionalism and unity in Northern Kentucky, and, along with that, was a drive for enhanced collaboration efficiency and an opportunity to share resources among our growth organizations in Northern Kentucky,” she said.

Recently, regional leaders have shown interest in encouraging growth in the region’s life sciences and biotechnology sectors. This idea developed alongside the creation of the life sciences hub in Covington, which was eventually integrated with the OneNKY Center.

Through the development process, the project faced hurdles, particularly with financing. “There were so many times that we could look at this project and say, but if Kris [Knochelmann] hadn’t funded the bonds, if LifeSciKY hadn’t happened, the building would never have happened,” Finan said.

Funding for the OneNKY Center needed

collaboration among multiple individuals and organizations. To meet the $26 million price tag, project leaders needed to secure loans, grants, donations and public funds from several sources.

In 2022, the project secured a $15 million state grant from Kentucky, primarily backed by state Sen. Chris McDaniel, a Ryland Heights Republican, Gov. Andy Beshear, the city of Covington, and key life sciences companies like Covington-based Bexion Pharmaceuticals and CTI Clinical Trial Services, according to Russell. Additionally, nearly $1 million in philanthropic donations came from foundations and community donors.

One of the most critical funding sources was the Kenton County Fiscal Court, which approved a credit enhancement for approximately $8.7 million in construction bonds in May 2023, issued by the Kentucky Association of County Officials Finance Corp.

Knochelmann said that although the task was challenging, support from various community organizations helped advance the project.

“To have all these agencies, which Christine said this, but their boards had to approve and come together, No. 1, so that’s huge,” Knochelmann said. “To get everyone of these boards to a majority, and if not, I think most of them are unanimous to say, let’s do this – that’s big.”

DIVISION III COURT 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:

MASTER COMMISSIONER’S SALE BOONE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

ADDRESS: 3019 KEL COURT UNION, KY 41094 PVA PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 051.00-14-006.00 AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT: $339,578.61 GROUP NO.: 5521

The complete legal description is particularly set out in the Judgment and Order of Sale entered in this case.

THIS SALE IS SUBJECT TO THE MORTGAGE OF MERS, AS NOMINEE FOR QUICKEN LOANS, A/K/A ROCKET MORTGAGE DATED FEBRUARY 19, 2021 AND RECORDED FEBRUARY 24, 2021 IN MORTGAGE BOOK 4418, PAGES 750-771 OF THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF BOONE COUNTY, KENTUCKY. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OWED THROUGH AUGUST 28, 2025 IS $143,698.69, PLUS SUCH OTHER CHARGES ALLOWED BY THE MORTGAGE AND THE PROMISSORY NOTE IT SECURE, AND KENTUCKY LAW. TERMS OF SALE: The property shall be sold as a whole. The purchaser may pay all or part of the purchase price in cash, and may pay the balance of the purchase price on a credit of 30 days after date of sale; said credit shall be granted only upon the execution by the purchaser of bond, with surety thereon, and said surety shall be a lending institution authorized and doing business in Kentucky, or a reputable fidelity or surety company, authorized and doing business in Kentucky, and only if said surety be acceptable to the Commissioner of the Boone Circuit Court; and an authorized officer of the surety must be present at the sale or must have given the Commissioner adequate assurance of its intent to be surety prior to or at the sale; and said Bond shall be, and shall remain, a lien on the property sold as additional security for the payment of the full purchase price, and shall have the full force and effect of a Judgment; and said Bond shall bear interest at the rate provided by the Judgment up to Twelve (12%) Percent per annum until paid. The purchaser shall be required to pay the sum of 10% of the bid amount in cash or certified check on the purchase at the time of sale.

The successful bidder at the sale shall, at bidder’s own expense, carry fire and extended insurance coverage on any improvements from the date of sale until the purchase price is fully paid, with a loss payable clause to the Commissioner of the Boone Circuit Court. Failure of the purchaser to effect such insurance shall not affect the validity of the sale or the purchaser’s liability thereunder, but shall entitle, but not require, a lien holder herein, after giving notice to the Commissioner, to effect said insurance and furnish the policy or evidence thereof to the Commissioner, and the premium thereon or the proper portion thereof shall be charged to the purchaser as purchaser’s cost.

The property shall be sold subject to ad valorem taxes for the year 2025 and all subsequent years thereafter; easements, restrictions and stipulations of record; assessments for public improvements levied against the property, if any; existing zoning ordinances, statutes, laws, or regulations; and any facts which an inspection and accurate survey of the property may disclose. BIDDERS SHALL BE PREPARED TO COMPLY WITH THESE TERMS. All sales are “as is” and the Plaintiff, the Master Commissioner, and the Court shall not be deemed to have warranted title of the real estate to the purchaser.

FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THESE SALES AND OTHER UPCOMING SALES CAN BE FOUND AT www.boonecountyky.org (Link to Department/Agencies to Master Commissioner) PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS ARE ADVISED AND ENCOURAGED TO REFER TO THAT WEBSITE FOR ANSWERS TO ANY QUESTIONS.

AUGUST 29, 2025 7

Who’s responsible for filling potholes? It depends

By Nathan Granger

that we’re completely stupid.”

enton County mayors and other local officials and administrators this month considered ways to handle the fragmented ownership of the county’s roads and the problems that presents for managing road repairs.

The county maintains an interactive online map that residents can use to identify roads in the county, who owns them and whom to contact with inquiries and complaints. It’s available at bit.ly/kenton-roads.

K

County Administrator Joe Shriver discussed the county’s experience with the same issue, noting that the state cabinet has occasionally been short-staffed. The county reached an agreement with the state whereby the two agencies could share the burden.

The discussion took place at the Aug. 16 meeting of the Kenton County Mayors Group at the Ludlow Community Center.

The informal group meets monthly to discuss countywide topics and address various issues in their individual cities. There are 19 cities in Kenton County.

Ownership of roads throughout the county is split between the cities and the state.

State roads are managed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Many cities have a combination of municipal and state roads, and this can create inconsistencies in road repairs and management within the same geographic area. Moreover, differences in road ownership can sometimes lead to confusion among residents asking for repairs when local officials have to tell them it’s out of their hands.

The Aug. 16 meeting was not the first time the mayors have expressed frustration with the Transportation Cabinet. Representatives from the cabinet did not attend the meeting.

Classifieds

“I hate when [residents] call and complain

SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CLASSIFIEDS

8 AUGUST 29, 2025

“We finally said, ‘If you guys reimburse us for the supplies and our labor, we will do minor maintenance, not reconstruction,’” Shriver said. “We won’t take on the road.

We won’t do those things, but we will address problems much of the time.”

Some potholes are filled faster than others because of a road’s owner. Provided | Matt Hoffman via Unsplash

and you’re like, ‘Well, sorry, but that’s a state road,’” said Fort Wright Mayor Dave Hatter. “It sounds like you’re just trying to offset responsibility.”

The state, counties and cities can swap ownership – Boone County recently did this with Hicks Pike and Chambers Road – but whoever takes on ownership of a road takes on any expense needed to maintain it. For smaller cities, this may not be fea-

sible, so the mayors discussed ways to get around this quandary.

“I mean, the optics are really horrible,” said Park Hills Mayor Kathy Zembrodt. “If you take the view from a resident, and we’re sitting there pulling our plows up … we’re fixing potholes along one of our roads, and then there’s this glaring one right at the corner that’s on a state road – I mean, of course we’re going to get residents think

The mayors expressed interest in this arrangement, and Shriver said he’d be willing to share a copy of the county’s contract with them.

Kentucky Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, a Republican from Alexandria, discussed a similar agreement in Fort Thomas. Independence Mayor Chris Reinersman said Independence had come to a similar agreement about pothole maintenance.

No official actions were taken at the meeting.

861 S Collier Blvd Essex S 104 Marco Island, FL for Rent

2 bath fully furnished walk to the beach. Full size laundry in condo.

861 861 SS2-bedroom Collier Collier Blvd Blvd Essex Essex SS 104 104 Marco Marcocondo.

Island Island3-minute FL FL for for Rent Rent First floor covered, assigned parking. Beach towels, cart, chairs & 2 bicycles.

2-bedroom 2-bedroom 22 bath bath fully fully furnished furnishedPricing condo. condo.& 3-minute 3-minute walk walk to the the beach. beach. Full Full size size laundry laundry in in condo. condo. availability uponto request.

First First floor floor covered, covered, assigned assigned parking. parking. Beach Beach towels, towels, cart, cart, chairs chairs & & 22 bicycles. bicycles. Pricing Pricing & & availability availability upon upon request. request. angie@earlfranksflooring.com angie@earlfranksflooring.com for for more more information. information.

For more information, contact: angie@earlfranksflooring.com

food

Introducing LINK’s new food writers

By Meghan Goth

A

couple of months ago, we announced that our food writer, Maria Hehman, who had been with LINK from almost the beginning, would be parting ways with us. (We miss you, Maria!)

I didn’t think it would be two months before I announced who we had hired to replace her, but that was before I realized how many people in Northern Kentucky want to write about food.

Maria had to leave us because of her fulltime job, so we decided to hire four food writers who can each turn in one story per month to make it more manageable for people with, you know, lives. We’ve had so much fun reviewing stories, and we want to thank everyone personally who took the time to apply and share writing samples with us.

Without further ado, then, meet our new food writers!

Joe Schutzman Joe is a Newport firefighter who, in his application, told us that he’s not a chef, a restaurant insider or even actually a food writer.

“What I am is a curious soul, endlessly fascinated by the ideas of place and culture and what it means to belong to them,” he wrote

in his cover letter, and I must say, he had me.

Joe is, it turns out, a very good writer, and he also likes beer. So that’s what Joe will be focusing on every month: He will go to local breweries, tell you his favorite seasonal beers and vibe-check places where you can go to get a cold one after work.

Do you have ideas or suggestions for places Joe should try? Email him at jbschutzman@ gmail.com.

Beth McDaniel Beth is in the communications field and has been writing for years.

She used to work in food service (“Remember The Anchor in OTR?” she said in her cover letter?), admits she’s watched way too much Food Network (before it was all competition-based shows, anyway), and loves New York Times Cooking and all things farmers markets.

Beth will write about her search for the perfect … well, anything. Maybe one month she’ll be in search of the best Korean restaurant in NKY, and another week she’ll be in search of the best date night spot.

Whatever it is, you’ll find out about the food, the drinks and the atmosphere, all in Beth’s interesting and witty tone.

We think you’re gonna love her!

If you have somewhere you think has the perfect NKY anything, email Beth at

mcdaniel.elizabeth@gmail.com.

Will Johnson Will works in marketing and is on LINK’s editorial board, where he gives us feedback and ideas about our coverage in the region.

Even though he majored in communications over journalism, Will can still write. (That’s a dig at Will, not communications majors. If you majored in communications, I’m sure you can write very well!)

He also loves french fries. How do I know this? In our work on the editorial board, we see each other maybe four times a year.

And I don’t think I could count on one hand the number of times we haven’t had deep conversations about french fries.

Maybe you don’t think that’s enough of a topic for a food column. But people have OPINIONS on fries, and there are so many options to choose from in NKY. We’re certain that, even after a year of french fry reviews, there will be lots more options for Will to try.

If you think Will should try the french fries at a certain restaurant, or if his french fried opinions bother you, email Will at wjohnson@messer.com.

came to us from CityBeat, so we knew she had a proclivity for telling stories about culture, arts and food.

In another life, Maggy would have been Martha Stewart, and maybe is anyway. She brought homemade marshmallows to our holiday party (who even knew you could make marshmallows?), and she’s always telling us about baking bread or what amazing dish she is going to bring to a family gathering.

So we’re stoked to have Maggy on our roster of food writers.

Because she’s been with LINK since 2022, Maggy has lots of insider knowledge of the local restaurant scene, so she will be going around to talk to local chefs about the recipes for their favorite or most popular dishes.

You can expect a new food story from one of our writers to publish at LINKnky.com every Thursday morning. You also can get these stories delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for our Arts and Events newsletter at linknky.com/newsletter-signup.

Meghan Goth is LINK nky’s executive editor.

Go to LINKnky.com to read more columns from Meghan and LINK nky President and CEO Lacy Starling.

Maggy McDonel Maggy is our own digital editor, but she

WE OFFER

CLASSIFIEDS AND HELP WANTED ADS

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION AUGUST 29, 2025 9

Fantasy, romance readers flock to ‘smut truck’

By Maggy McDonel

Slawnyk said she wants to find places that fit her demographic – 20s to late 40s – and general vibe. Her soft opening, which was at Fabled Brew Works in Erlanger, was just the place.

L

uci Slawnyk is bringing something unique to the Northern Kentucky bookish community.

“I normally refer to it as a mobile bookstore,” Slawnyk said. “Sometimes people call it the book trailer. Some of the book girls are starting to call it the ‘smut truck.’”

“It has a cool fantasy type of vibe, so I felt like that would go over very well with my customers, and I was 100% correct,” Slawnyk said. “That was absolutely the place to have my opening night. We had probably a couple hundred people that showed up. It was amazing.”

Wanderlust Book Bazaar is a business born out of Slawnyk’s love for reading, but more specifically, her love for romance and fantasy.

She had also inadvertently gotten in with a few book clubs, some of which have shown up with all of their members at her events.

Slawnyk said she has always been an avid reader. “In my life, I have read thousands of books,” she said. “It’s always been a huge passion.”

As a fellow small business owner, Slawnyk, who lives in Union, said she wants to park her bookstore at local independent businesses to “try and drive my customers toward their businesses, to bless their businesses also.”

She fell in love with fantasy with one particular series, though.

Her son and daughter are now 20 and 17, respectively, but, back when her son was young and her daughter was a baby, the “Twilight” series came out. “I devoured all the ‘Twilight’ books in like three days,” she said. “I took basic care of my children. I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep, and that was kinda my introduction to fantasy.”

Slawnyk said she has had the idea for the mobile bookstore for a while and had even put together a business plan a year ago. A full-time medical coder, she said that time constraints from her 9-to-5 job were part

The Wanderlust Book Bazaar mobile bookstore. Photos provided | Wanderlust Book Bazaar on Facebook

of what held her back.

Her best friend, an entrepreneur who owns the Colonel’s Creamery in Florence, gave her the final push to start Wanderlust.

“She convinced me to kind of just go for it,” Slawnyk said. “She’s like, ‘I know you want to do this really bad. I don’t know what’s standing in your way other than yourself.’

And she was 100% right.”

Two days after she talked with her friends, Slawnyk bought the trailer. That was in May. By July 21, she had her first soft opening. By Aug. 3, she held her first full event.

Before she could officially launch, she had to make the trailer pretty. “I basically gutted the entire thing and painted it and added lots of bookshelves,” she said.

The trailer is filled with bookshelves (of course) that are bolted down to keep them from shifting while it’s on the road. The whole thing is wallpapered, and the ceiling is covered in faux flowers, which Slawnyk said have earned lots of compliments.

When LINK nky spoke to Slawnyk, she had just finished with her first event at Verona Vineyards Farmers & Artisan Market.

Alison Gambrel, event coordinator for the market, said she had never seen anything like Wanderlust, but she was excited to have Slawnyk after she reached out and asked for a spot.

“She really brought people in,” Gambrel told LINK. “She was new, and everybody flocked to her.”

The farmers and artisan market, held on the first Sunday of the month from May through September, has been running for three years. Gambrel said they get around 500 to 600 visitors to each market. During the Aug. 3 market, Gambrel said, “I had vendors, customers, everybody was talking about how cute her setup was and just how they loved the mobile bookstore.”

Right now, she is sticking in NKY, but, in the future, she may cross the river.

“I can barely get to all the Northern Kentucky folks that want me to come hang out in their parking lot,” she said, “so I’m not in a huge hurry to get to Ohio.”

How does Slawnyk pick the books she stocks? Similarly to how she picks what she wants to read next: It’s all based on her mood.

“A lot of the books that I carry are ones that I have read and I love and I want other people to love, too,” she said.

Others, she said, include publisher recommendations or books that are currently popular and that she knows people are interested in reading.

So far, the Wanderlust team is just Slawnyk and occasionally her family. Her husband pulls the trailer because she said she hasn’t figured out how to do that yet. Her daughter and stepson helped out a bit with some of the trailer buildout, and she is hoping to bring her daughter in on the retail side more.

Slawnyk said she is extremely happy with the response she has received so far and is really excited to see her audience grow on social media to reach everyone who wants to come out to an event.

Slawnyk said she was surprised and humbled by how supported she’s felt. “I mean, people are kind of just showing up to these events,” Slawnyk said.

“People who are not even readers, they think it’s cool, and they want to see it. It’s kind of a bit of a spectacle.”

Slawnyk said she is booked out for August and September, and “I keep adding more events. I keep saying I’m not going to, and then I keep doing it.”

10 AUGUST 29, 2025

Owner Luci Slawnyk did much of the work on the interior of Wanderlust Book Bazaar.

What’s that giant structure being built near I-275 in Fort Wright?

W

hat’s that huge structure under construction near Madison Pike, Dudley Road and I-275 in Fort Wright?

It’s a 10.5 million-gallon equalization tank, designed to collect excessive water runoff during extreme weather events.

The project is part of Sanitation District 1’s Clean H2O40 program, which aims to end capacity-related sewer overflows throughout its service area by 2040. Although tanks like this one aren’t unusual in themselves, this $30 million project will be the largest of its kind once it’s completed, according to SD1.

The tank will be coupled with a nearby pumping station. When operational, SD1 predicts the facility will prevent about 4.25 million gallons of sanitary sewer overflows in a typical year.

The bottom of the tank is largely complete, and crews have begun digging for the pump station. You can learn more about the project at SD1’s info page at sd1.org.

The in-progress storm water retention tank in Fort Wright.

Pprovided | Sanitation District 1

COMMISSIONER’S SALE CAMPBELL COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

CASE NUMBER 25-CI-00373

CASE NUMBER 23-CI-00339

CASE NUMBER 24-CI-00971

DIVISION 1

DIVISION 2

DIVISION 2

ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS, LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS INC.

FIFTH THIRD BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

CITY OF DAYTON

VS.

VS.

JILL FROMMEYER, ET AL.

BRADEY KEMPE, ET AL.

BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 11/9/2023 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.

BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 8/8/2025 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 9/16/2025 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit:

To the highest or best bidder at public auction on 9/16/2025 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit:

2445 Alexandria Pike, Southgate, Kentucky 41071

507 Seventh Avenue, Dayton, Kentucky 41074

Group No: 20084/A1

Group No: 41344/A3

PIDN: 999-99-10-750.00

PIDN: 999-99-09-343.00

VS. THERESA FERGUSON, ET AL.

BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 7/18/2025 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 9/16/2025 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit: 11499 Maple Street, California, Kentucky 41007 Group No: 60095/Z PIDN: 999-99-28-666.00

THE COMPLETE LEGAL DESCRIPTION IS MORE PARTICULARLY SET OUT IN THE JUDGMENT AND ORDER OF SALE ENTERED IN THIS CASE. Subject to conditions, covenants, restrictions, right of ways and easements in existence, including but not limited to those in prior instruments of record; legal highways, and zoning ordinances.

SAID PROPERTY SHALL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO REAL ESTATE TAXES DUE AND OWING FOR THE YEAR OF SALE AND THEREAFTER PRIOR YEARS UNPAID TAXES SHALL BE PAID FROM THE PROCEEDS IF THE PURCHASER IS NOT THE PLAINTIFF. IF THE PURCHASER IS THE PLAINTIFF, PRIOR YEARS’ UNPAID TAXES SHALL BE PAID BY THE PLAINTIFF, IN FULL OR PRO RATA, PROVIDED THE SALE PURCHASE PRICE EXCEEDS THE COURT COSTS. THIS PROPERTY IS BEING SOLD TO PRODUCE THE SUMS OF MONEY SO ORDERED TO BE MADE IN THE JUDGMENT AND ORDER OF SALE ENTERED IN THE WITHIN CASE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO COURT COSTS, AD VALOREM TAXES, IN THE SUM OF $4,271.16; AND OTHER LIENS, INTEREST, ATTORNEY FEES AND/OR OTHER SUMS AND JUDGMENTS THAT MAY BE AWARDED BY THE COURT. THE SALE SHALL BE MADE TO THE HIGHEST AND BEST BIDDER(S). ANY PURCHASER OTHER THAN PLAINTIFF WHO DOES NOT PAY CASH IN FULL SHALL PAY 10% CASH AND SHALL BE REQUIRED TO EXECUTE A BOND AT THE TIME OF SALE, WITH SURETY ACCEPTABLE TO THE MASTER COMMISSIONER AND PRE-APPROVED BY THE MASTER COMMISSIONER AT LEAST BY NOON, TWO (2) BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE SALE DATE, TO SECURE THE UNPAID BALANCE OF THE PURCHASE PRICE, AND SAID BOND SHALL BEAR INTEREST AT THE RATE OF 12% PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE OF SALE UNTIL PAID, AND SHALL HAVE THE SAME FORCE AND EFFECT AS A JUDGMENT AND SHALL REMAIN AND BE A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY UNTIL PAID THE BOND SURETY MUST BE PRESENT AT THE SALE AND EXECUTE SALE BOND AND THE AFFIDAVIT OF SURETY THE PURCHASER(S) SHALL HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF PAYING ALL THE BALANCE OF THE PURCHASE PRICE PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE THIRTY (30) DAY PERIOD. THE DEPOSIT SHALL BE WAIVED IF PLAINTIFF IS THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER. THE MASTER COMMISSIONER SHALL SELL THE REAL ESTATE BY PUBLIC SALE ON A DAY AND TIME TO BE FIXED BY HIM, OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR OF THE CAMPBELL CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE, 330 YORK STREET, NEWPORT, KENTUCKY. BIDDERS MUST BE PREPARED TO COMPLY WITH THESE TERMS. THE COSTS OF THE SALE SHALL BE PAID WITHIN FOURTEEN (14) DAYS OF THE SALE. JOSEPH F. GRIMME, MASTER COMMISSIONER 859-291-9075

AUGUST 29, 2025 11

Who’s playing Division I football from NKY?

By Evan Dennison

O

ne crop of young men has changed its fall focus from Friday night lights to Saturdays. They’ve graduated from Northern Kentucky’s dynamic prep football scene to playing for NCAA Division I teams.

Here’s a brief look at 21 NKY alums (apologies in advance if we missed someone) that are now playing D-I football on Saturdays, where they stand with their current teams and what they’ve done since they left the area.

Aba Selm

Aumad Edwards

Austin Alexander

Branch Rice

Cameron Hergott

Enan Wibberley

Isaac Brown

Willie Rodriguez

Willie Rodriguez, Kentucky The Covington Catholic grad enters his second season in Lexington and should see a lot more of the field after a promising freshman season. Rodriguez caught five passes for 94 yards and played a key role on special teams his freshman year. He’s projected to be a starter as the “F” receiver in offensive sets. Pair that with his blocking ability in the run game and making some plays on special teams, and we expect to see No. 81 called on more often this year.

Dillon Smith

Dominic Rulli

Aba Selm, Kentucky

listed as a defensive lineman.

Brody Benke, Middle Tennessee State

The Simon Kenton grad is a redshirt freshman for the Wildcats and is projected as a backup at the guard position, meaning an injury or any sort of depth-related issues will have him seeing the field a lot more often.

Nick Keller, Louisville

The Highlands grad ended up taking a redshirt his freshman season last year. He’s playing tight end for the Blue Raiders and was the specialist scout team player of the week last season during the week of Oct. 13.

The Conner grad is a redshirt junior for the Cardinals, for whom he attempted 31 kickoffs, 22 of them going for touchbacks in the 2024 season. He also made a PAT and converted a two-point conversion. He’s listed as the backup placekicker and kickoffs.

Aumad Edwards, Kentucky The Dixie Heights grad took an untraditional route to Division I football. He attended Gateway Community Technical College in Florence and Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington to work on his academics before walking on to the team this year as a wide receiver.

Austin Alexander, North Carolina The Cooper grad enters his freshman season with the Tarheels. He enrolled early to be with the team in spring practice and is projected to play weakside linebacker. He’ll play for new coach Bill Belicheck, one of the NFL’s greatest coaches of all time.

Evan Wibberley, Kentucky

Beni Mwamba, Memphis Mwamba, a Dixie Heights grad, transferred to Memphis after a freshman season with University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Mwamba had a solid freshman season: He appeared in seven games as a defensive back, recording two interceptions, 17 tackles and four passes defended. He missed the final five games of the season due to injury.

Colton Peoples, Washington State

with the Fightin’ Blue Hens and is listed as an offensive lineman.

Brach Rice, Miami’s (Ohio) The Dixie Heights grad appeared in seven games his freshman season last year with the Redhawks and made two tackles. Rice ended up taking a redshirt and is listed as a defensive lineman on the Miami (Ohio) athletics website.

J.R. Hays, Western Michigan The Ryle grad is a redshirt freshman for the Broncos. He did not appear in a game last season, according to Western Michigan’s athletics website. He has made a move from wide receiver and is listed as a running back for this season.

Dominic Rulli, Penn State

Wibberley, a Dixie Heights grad, is a redshirt junior who transferred from Western Kentucky after spending three years on the Hill. He played in 25 games as a Hilltopper, starting in 15 of them. He’s in competition for the starting center spot.

Rulli played for two seasons at Cooper in 2018 and ’19 before heading to prep school in Connecticut. He is a redshirt junior for the Nittany Lions. He appeared in all 16 games last season, mostly on special teams, and was twice named the coaching staff’s Special Teams Player of the Game.

He’s listed as an offensive lineman and should see some more playing time along the line this year.

Dillon Smith, Louisville The Ryle grad is entering his freshman year with the Cardinals. He enrolled early to be with the team for spring practice and is

The Campbell County grad is a senior who transferred from Tennessee-Martin to Washington State for his final year of eligibility. At UT Martin, he made Phil Steele’s Ohio Valley Conference All-Conference team his sophomore and junior seasons, making the fourth team and third team, respectively. He opened his college career at Notre Dame College in Ohio as a freshman.

He’s listed on the Cougars roster as a long snapper.

Mattox Kelly, Illinois State

Cameron Hergott, Eastern Kentucky

Josh Bowling, Morehead State

The Beechwood grad is a redshirt junior for the Colonels and recently made the switch from quarterback to wide receiver. He played in all 13 games in 2024, primarily as the holder on PATs and field goals. At quarterback, he tallied 12 yards passing, going 3 of 8 through the air. He also rushed for 125 yards on 12 attempts, scoring his first collegiate touchdown on Homecoming against Utah Tech.

The Simon Kenton grad is a redshirt sophomore linebacker for the Eagles. Last season he appeared in all 12 games, recording 22 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.

He also had a pass deflection and a fumble recovery.

The Beechwood grad enters his freshman season with the Redbirds as a defensive lineman.

Isaac Brown, Southeast Missouri State The Cooper grad enters his freshman season with the Redhawks and is listed as a cornerback.

Let The Pros Handle It™

2025 Summer

Home Protection Event!

End Cleaning Out Gutters!

Zero Clogged Gutters Guaranteed

LIFETIME TRANSFERABLE WARRANTY

WE CLEAN

WE REINFORCE

WE PROTECT

+

Limited time only!*

Bonus offer!*

Installation

Discount

75% OFF + $250 Promo Code: 285

CALL 888-714-3707 FOR A FREE INSPECTION!

Without LeafFilter

12 AUGUST 29, 2025

With LeafFilter

*$250 discount (no cash value) is for same-day signing only. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotion or offer. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. +See representative for full warranty details. See website for all license and registration numbers. AR 366920925, AZ ROC 344027, CA 1035795, CT HIC.0671520, DC 4.20223E+11, FL CBC056678, IA C127230, ID RCE-51604, LA 559544, MA 213292, MD MHIC111225, MI262300331, 262300330, 262300329, 262300328, 262300318, 262300173, MN IR810524, MT 2661922, ND 47304, NE 50145-24, 50145-23, NJ 13VH13285000, NM 408693, NV 86990, OR 218294, PA PA179643, RI GC-41354, TN 10981, UT 10783658-5501, VA 2705169445, VT 174.0000871, WA LEAFFLH-763PG, WI No. 537-DCFRR WV WV056

Adam Surrey, Eastern Kentucky The Highlands grad enters his freshman year with the Colonels and is listed as a wide receiver.

Dylan Stewart, Delaware The Conner grad enters his freshman year

Drew Dickerson, Morehead State The Ryle grad is a redshirt sophomore for the Eagles, appearing in one game last season. He plays along the offensive line.

Liam McCormack, Murray State McCormack, a Beechwood grad, is a redshirt freshman for the Racers. He appeared in one game last season and is listed as a wide receiver.

sports Arena football league tries NKY again: Truist home to Kentucky Barrels

Jeff Fisher, commissioner of Arena Football One, speaks during the Aug. 18 press conference announcing the Kentucky Barrels will join the league.

Evan Dennison | LINK nky

Football is coming to Northern Kentucky University, but not for the Norse.

The Kentucky Barrels, an Arena Football One team, will play their home games at Truist Arena on the NKU campus starting in April. The team was announced at a news conference Aug. 18. It will be the inaugural season for the Barrels and the second for AF1.

The team’s owner is NKU alum Corey Cunningham, owner of Prestige Worldwide, a Cincinnati-based IT company. The Barrels will be coached by Cedric Walker, who has over 20 years of arena football experience as a player and coach.

The Barrels name was picked as a tribute to Kentucky’s signature product, bourbon.

Mascot tryouts should be heavily attended.

Arena Football One was launched in September 2024, bringing in eight teams that survived the last season of the Arena Football League the same year. AF1’s 2025 season wrapped up in June with an announcement later that month that it planned to add expansion teams.

The league’s commissioner is Jeff Fisher, a longtime NFL head coach, who said the target is to have 10 to 12 teams by the April

start of the 2026 season. There’s a potential for up to 16 teams by 2027.

Walker said a Barrels roster should come together Sept. 1, and the goal is to include some local players on the roster. There’ll be local tryouts for the team and a coaching staff will be put in place.

The game varies from the traditional outdoor football seen at the prep, college and pro level. It’s 8-on-8 with no punting allowed. The field is 50 yards long and 85 feet wide, with 8-yard end zones. There’s a small window for field goals, but, if the field goal attempt is unsuccessful, there’s 30feet wide and 35-feet tall netting beside it.

If a ball hits the netting and can be returned by the defense, it’s live. The netting is also used on kickoffs and scrimmage plays: Any ball that bounces off the nets is live and can be caught or recovered by either team.

There’s also a wall for the sidelines. Instead of running out of bounds, a wall is there serving as the sideline.

The 2026 season is planned to include 12 regular season games with playoffs to follow. Games will be aired on Vice TV and streamed on EvergreenNOW. The Albany Firebirds were the 2025 champion.

This isn’t the first time Arena Football has come to NKY. The Northern Kentucky River Monsters played at what was then the Bank of Kentucky Center at NKU in 2011 in the Ultimate Indoor Football League and 2014 in the Continental Indoor Football League.

The late Highlands alum Jared Lorenzen played for the River Monsters in 2011, earning league MVP honors. The team was founded in 2010, suspended operations in 2012, returned in 2014, then folded later that year.

There was also a brief stint in 2016 as the Northern Kentucky Nightmare played in the American Indoor Football league for a season. They were a road-only team that played just five games before disbanding after the 2016 season.

Campbell County’s Beane leads All-State golf points standings

make second team All-State. The Raiders as a team are sixth in the All-State points standings, meaning they’d qualify for the KGCA All-State Tournament.

On the girls’ side, Ryle’s Anika Okuda is just outside the top 10 in standings, sitting in a tie for 11th with 495 points, just 15 points outside the top 10. Ryle’s team is 12th in the team standings and currently qualifying for the KGCA All-State Tournament.

Campbell County’s Talen Beane leads the KGCA All-State points standings. File photo | Ray Schaefer

Campbell County’s Talen Beane is on track for one of his lofty goals this season.

The Camels senior sits atop the Kentucky Golf Coaches Association All-State points standings.

The significance of this is that the top 10 players in the standings make first team All-State and the points leader is a strong candidate for Mr. Golf in Kentucky, one of Beane’s goals entering the season. Beane has placed in seven tournaments, earning 640 points and 10 points ahead of Marshall County’s Ryan Stokes in second place.

Beane opened his season with four wins in four tournaments. He won the Bulldog Invitational at Kearney Hills, OrthoCincy Invitational at A.J. Jolly, Beechwood Invitational at Hickory Sticks and the Shawn Garnett Memorial at Kenton County at the Willows course. He also owns a pair of runner-up finishes with a second place in the Flyer Classic at Juniper Hills and the Mason County Invitational at Laurel Oaks, where he lost in a playoff. This all comes on the heels of winning the Kentucky Amateur in July.

Ryle’s Paxton McKelvey sits in 33rd in the standings with 380 points. While the top 10 make first team All-State, the next 10

The weekly comic by Andrew Buchanan

The All-State formula takes a team’s top seven finishes in tournament play, the top 15 teams and 21 individuals not on those teams play in the KGCA All-State Tournament at UK Golf Club the weekend of Sept.

13-14. Regional tournaments then follow the week of Sept. 22 with the first round of the state tournament to follow the week after.

The KHSAA golf season is roughly at its halfway point as school is back in session, meaning the season will slow down quite a bit. It also means there’s a good sense of how the All-State team and individual points will shake out. Each tournament that is eligible for KGCA points helps players and teams accumulate points throughout the season.

Remember your loved one IS NOW OFFERING OBITUARIES Remember your loved one with an obituary on our website or in our print edition of The LINK Reader

Affordable All-Inclusive Price Convenient

SCAN HERE TO LEARN MORE

AUGUST 29, 2025 13

real estate

French Colonial in Lakeside Park with modern updates Address: 51 Locust Ave., Lakeside Park Price: $799,900 Bedrooms: Four Bathrooms: Three (plus one half bath) Square footage: 3,935 School district: Kenton County County: Kenton Special features: This home, built in 1950 on a nearly half-acre lot, has three finished levels. Features include refinished hardwood floors, crown molding, large rooms and Andersen windows. The kitchen offers Thomasville cabinetry, a copper farmhouse sink and updated appliances, plus a butler’s and walk-in pantry. Additional highlights include second-floor laundry, pocket and French doors, dual-zoned HVAC, water filtration and built-in speakers. Outdoor amenities include a large deck with pergola and a three-car garage.

The exterior of this Lakeside Park home. Photos provided | Jason Asch with eXp Realty

A look at this home’s dining space and kitchen.

A look at this home’s back deck and yard.

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

CITY OF FLORENCE, KENTUCKY NOTICE OF INTERNET WEBSITE PUBLICATION Notice is hereby given that the City of Florence, Kentucky, will receive bids Thursday, September 11, 2025, at 10:00 am. local time at the Florence Government Center, 8100 Ewing Boulevard, Florence, KY, 41042 for the World of Golf Bridge Renovations (rebid) Project.

This Notice was published by posting in full on the City of Florence, Kentucky Internet Website, www.florence-ky.gov. The address where the full posting may be directly viewed is https://florence-ky.gov/publication-of-bid-solicitations-enacted-ordinances/. The public has the right to inspect and obtain a copy of any document associated with the posting by contacting the City Clerk of the City of Florence, Kentucky, 8100 Ewing Boulevard, Florence, KY, 41042, Telephone no. 859-647-8177. This advertisement was paid for by the City of Florence, Kentucky, using taxpayer dollars in the amount of $________. /s/Melissa Kramer MELISSA KRAMER, CITY CLERK CITY OF FLORENCE, KENTUCKY

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO GO TO OUR DIGITAL PUBLIC NOTICE PAGE

14 AUGUST 29, 2025

• 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

SUDOKU

Edited Margie E.Crossword Burke Theby Weekly

Difficulty: Easy

1

9 2 4 6 1 8 7/25 - 7/13/25 7 9 3 8 1 5 9 4 5 1 3 2 6 7 5 7 8 Edited by Margie E. Burke

Copyright 2025 by The Puzzle Syndicate

3 8 5 9 3

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:

5 4 9 8 2 1 3 6 7 7 8 6 3 9 5 4 1 2 2 3 1 6 4 7 9 5 8 8 6 3 4 5 2 7 9 1 9 7 4 1 8 3 6 2 5 1 2 5 7 6 9 8 3 4 6 5 7 9 1 4 2 8 3 3 9 2 5 7 8 1 4 6 4 1 8 2 3 6 5 7 9

by Margie E. Burke

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ACROSS HOW TO SOLVE: 1 No longer 15 16 14 Each row must contain the working numbers 1 to 9; each column 18 19 17 must 5 Authoritative contain order the numbers 1 to 9; and 22 21 each set of 3 by 3 boxes 20 must 10 Chevron rival contain the numbers 1 to 9.

23 24 25 14 Earring holder 15 Turkish bigwig 26 27 28 29 30 Answer to Previous Sudoku: 16 Can't do without 36 34 35 5 417 9High8point 2 1 3 316 327 33 18 Imprudent 38 39 40 7 820 6Handlebars, 3 9 5et 4 371 2 43 44 42 2 3 1al. 6 4 7 9 415 8 22 Not quite right 47 46 8 623 3Kind4of 5whale 2 7 459 1 9 724 4Gradual 1 8 3 6 2 5 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 absorption 9 8 553 564 1 226 5Where 7 6 57 58 Pearl 6 5 7City9is 1 4 2 598 3 61 60 28 Pure 3 9 2 5 7 8 1 624 6 63 64 31 Ali Baba's cry 3 6type5 657 9 4 136 8Pipe2thread 66 67 37 Go a few Copyright 2025 by The Puzzle Syndicate rounds 38 Popeye and Bluto DOWN 33 Worked out 50 Gene Autry's 40 Persona ___ 1 Bad-mouths 34 European peak Texas birthplace grata 2 Supercharge 35 Danger for 52 Russian retreat 41 Just makes, with 3 More than plump Stuart Little 53 Typo "out" 4 Cessna's 39 Biblical mount 54 Batik artisans 43 Rejected company 42 Summer pest, 55 Petty quarrel 45 Wisconsin 5 Heroic poem slangily 56 Campaign event observatory 6 Nova Scotia 44 Rile up 58 Exploits 47 "Hello" or university 46 Otherwise 60 UK fliers, briefly "Goodbye" 7 British ___ 49 Divulge 48 "Little Fires 8 Deep cleft Everywhere" 9 Little bit Answers to Previous Crossword: author Ng 10 Shaman's S P O T B A T H E H I G H 51 Lent a hand doctrine A L O U D A S I A A L M A 55 Spooks 11 Word after heat, R U N S P L A G I A R I S T 57 Type of gland fire or water B L A S T S I M I T A T E D 59 Backsides 12 Mediocre grades P E N I N S U L A S 61 Land division 13 Bettor's concern F R O S T S P E R S I S T 62 On the safe side 19 Arrangement S T R A P M E N L O L O T 63 Pool problem holder S O R E S S C A N A V E R 64 Norse thunder 21 Pile up R E N E E S T R U T E V E god 25 Cook too long E S T A T E S P I N N E D 65 Texter's "I didn't 27 Final transport C H R I S T E N E D have time for it" 29 Cream additive T E S T E R P H R A S I N G T A I L I D E O L O G I E S 66 Airplane wing 30 Give temporarily R I N S E E R N E D E E R parts 31 Comply with S L E E T R Y A N E N D S 67 Canal zones?

32 Finger jab

AUGUST 29, 2025 15

2025 COMMUNITY

CONVERSATION SERIES: OCTOBER 9 – Education DECEMBER 4 – 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!

Scan the QR code to register

Like what you see and want to subscribe? Scan the QR code above 16 AUGUST 29, 2025