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LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 3, Issue 47 - October 24, 2025

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KENTON

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 47 — OCTOBER 24, 2025

THE VOICE OF NKY

linknky.com

Vice is part of our past. Can it be good for business? By David Rotenstein

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orthern Kentucky once was one of the most criminally corrupt places in the United States.

Covington and Newport were hotbeds of bootlegging, gambling and prostitution. Many public officials, if they couldn’t be bought by racketeers, were themselves criminals. The ways that Covington and Newport deal with that history are complicated. Newport in some ways leans into it, while Covington tends to ignore it. In 1950 and 1951, U.S. Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee held televised hearings – the nation’s first – on organized crime in the United States. His committee produced 19 reports, and the volume covering Kentucky includes 242 pages of witness testimony and documents. Even now, 75 years later, the investigations still resonate locally. Newport community leaders continue to struggle with the stigma of being labeled a “sin city.” A 2023 LINK Continues on page 3

Newport has several gangster-themed businesses, including Syndicate and Gangsters piano bar. Photo by David S. Rotenstein | LINK nky contributor

Little Matcha turns founders’ passion into bustling cafe By Kenton Hornbeck

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ntrepreneur Cindy Jiang’s passion is matcha. She’s turned that into a vibrant and trendy cafe that’s drawing customers from both sides of the Ohio River. “The minute I was introduced to it, I was like, I freaking love this,” she said. Her love for it dates back at least 10 years. She told LINK nky that she was introduced to the ground tea while baking green tea cake rolls with her mother’s friend during her teenage years.

Drinks made from matcha, a green tea powder, are becoming more popular. Photo by Kenton Hornbeck | LINK nky

“I started to love matcha whenever my mom’s best friend wanted to bake green tea cake rolls or matcha cake rolls, so I was in-

troduced to matcha around 14, 15 years old, and I just fell in love with it at that point,” Jiang said. “Not everybody knew what it was.” Matcha is a powdered green tea ground from shade-grown tea leaves. The tea originated from Japan but traces its roots back to China. Jiang, who is Chinese American, said a Japanese monk brought the powdered tea back to the island nation after studying in China. Over time, the Japanese refined the cultivation and preparation methods. Matcha is gaining popularity across the United States and is most prevalent in New York City and along the West Coast. Market research firm NIQ found that matcha sales in the U.S. are up 86% over the past three years.

Conversation: Family, school partnerships key to success p6 Covington moves toward creating improvement district p7 Roebling Books and Coffee strives to be community hub p10

Continues on page 5

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LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 3, Issue 47 - October 24, 2025 by LINK nky - Issuu