Issuu

KENTON

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 49 — NOVEMBER 6, 2026

THE VOICE OF NKY

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15 NKY schools flagged for poor performance. Four face state intervention By Lia Salvatierra

ore than a dozen Northern Kentucky schools have been flagged for poor performance, including four that ranked among the bottom 5% of performers in their school group last year. The designation triggers an intervention and improvement process overseen by the commonwealth. It’s the first time the region has had schools of any level perform among the bottom 5% according to report card data released last week since the 2021-22 year. Last year, Kentucky returned to evaluating schools meeting that criteria annually, rather than every three years. How are those schools identified? Federal law requires Kentucky to identify schools performing at the bottom 5% of any school level and schools that meet othContinues on page 3

Newport Primary School. Photo provided | Newport Independent Schools

Covington approves nearly $490K in additional garage design costs By Nathan Granger

Crews and equipment at the CCR Development in Covington, October 2026. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

he Covington Board of Commissioners approved a roughly $490,000 contract amendment related to designs of the parking garage at the Covington Central Riverfront on Oct. 27.

garage, as well as an entertainment staging area, a looping road through the area, a land bridge and concession and restroom areas. The Covington Board of Commissioners voted to approve an initial version of the contract with architectural firm KZF Design — which headed up the first phase of the site’s infrastructure — in January.

The approval came Oct. 27 in a 3-to-1 split vote in favor. Mayor Ron Washington and Commissioners Tim Acri and James Toebbe voted for approving the contract amendment. Commissioner Tim Downing voted against it, and Vice Mayor Shannon Smith did not attend the meeting.

Toebbe had requested the week before that the amendment be removed from the meeting’s consent agenda. This meant the commissioners would vote on the contract amendment as a separate item, but they did not discuss their votes in the open session this week.

The work is part of the second infrastructure design phase of the development, which includes designs for the parking

“The rest of the body wants to be able to move quickly,” Downing said when asked Continues on page 5

English learners make gains as NKY elementary scores slip p6 Jim Gilpin officially sworn in as Kenton County police chief p7 NKY middle school scores rise as statewide results fall p10

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District

Federal designation

Underperforming student subgroup

A M Yealey Elementary

Boone County

ATSI

Disability

Rector A. Jones Middle

Boone County

ATSI

Disability

Ockerman Elementary

Boone County

ATSI

Disability

Boone County High

Boone County

ATSI

English language learners and disability

Conner High

Boone County

ATSI

Disability

Randall K. Cooper High

Boone County

TSI

Disability

Florence Elementary

Boone County

TSI

Disability

Campbell County Middle

Campbell County

ATSI

Disability

Tichenor Middle

Erlanger-Elsmere Independent

ATSI

Disability

Continued from page 1

er criteria for poor performance. Performance during the 2025-26 school year landed 15 NKY schools under one of the following federal designations for poor performance: • Designation: “Comprehensive Support Improvement,” or CSI, identifies schools that perform among the bottom 5% of any school level under Kentucky’s accountability system. This is the most serious designation. Schools with this designation are required to complete a performance audit within 45 days of receiving their new designation.

After that, schools are required to create “turnaround plans” with actionable steps to improve achievement, including at least one “evidence-based” intervention, according to the Kentucky Department of Education. Those plans are submitted to the Kentucky Commissioner of Education for approval. CSI schools are able to apply for state funding to support their intervention plans: • “Targeted Support Improvement,” or TSI, identifies schools that have at least one demographic group, such as students with disabilities, perform for three consecutive years at the bottom 5% of any school level.

• “Additional Targeted Support Improvement,” or ATSI, identifies schools with persisting TSI status. The state evaluates whether to move schools previously identified for TSI to ATSI status every three years. TSI or and ATSI schools are required to revise their school’s general improvement plan, which is mandated for all schools by the state. Where do NKY schools stand? Four NKY schools newly received a CSI designation based on 2025-26 report card scores: Continues on page 4

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Continued from page 3

Atkins, in his first official year leading Newport Independent Schools, owned the district’s low scores and said the CSI designation will ultimately bring in other layers of support.

• Howell Elementary School in Elsmere • Holmes Middle School in Covington • Newport Primary School • Newport Intermediate School

“For us, this is going to bring in additional people from the Kentucky Department of Education to support us to help us improve. That’s the way I look at it. We have to look at this in terms of an added layer of support and resources that we’re going to receive, and to help our kids and help our schools move forward,” said Atkins.

All of those schools contain some of the region’s highest rates of low-income students. Both of Newport’s schools moved from an ATSI for continued underperformance of a specific group to the CSI designation. Though Newport Primary School students are not directly tested within the state’s accountability system — the school contains only grades K-2 and state testing begins in third grade — the school received the state designation because it feeds into Newport Intermediate, which ranked in the bottom 5%, according to Newport Superintendent Matt Atkins. Two NKY schools newly received TSI designations based on performance during the 2025-26 school year: • Simon Kenton High School in Kenton County for the low performance of students with disabilities. • Larry A. Ryle High School in Boone County for the low performance of English language learners and students with disabilities. Stephens Elementary School in Boone County dropped its TSI designation for students with disabilities last year.

In an emailed statement, Covington Superintendent Cortnei Flucas said the district also takes ownership of its CSI designation and will work toward better outcomes for students. Holmes Middle School in Covington. Photo provided | Covington Independent Public Schools

Nine NKY schools retain federal designation

dergarten readiness scores, which impact performance.

Nine other NKY schools, including seven in Boone County, retained federal designations from the 2024-25 school year.

He’s said he’s ready to face the data and work toward improvements at Howell Elementary School, newly designated for CSI based on last year’s data, and the district’s three other elementary schools which all declined in performance.

School responses to new designations District-level leaders of schools with new CSI and TSI designations told LINK nky they’re ready to improve outcomes. First-year Erlanger-Elsmere Superintendent Matt Engel said his district faces challenges like some of the region’s lowest kin-

“I’m not going to run from the back of our baseball card. I’m looking at this hopefully as an opportunity, as the incoming new superintendent, and working with staff to move this needle even further forward,” he said.

“Holmes Middle School’s CSI designation is a clear indication that our students are not yet experiencing the academic outcomes they deserve. We take that seriously, and we recognize that improving those outcomes is our responsibility as district leaders,” Flucas wrote. Kenton County Schools Chief Academic Officer Dr. Shawna Harney said the district is planning to examine the root causes of low performance for students with disabilities at Simon Kenton High School. Boone County Schools did not provide a comment on the district’s federal designations.

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Continued from page 1

about his vote after the meeting. “I think that now is a good time for us to make sure that we’re moving forward in the way that we want to be moving forward, and I don’t know that that was reflected in the services.” The area in question is on the north end of the site along Rivercenter Boulevard, according to contract documents from earlier this year. Contract documents indicate the city paused the initial design work for the garage in May to gather more input from prospective developers. The initial design contract from January carried a price tag of $565,190, and this week’s contract amendment would allow for the design budget to increase by up to $489,898. The contract amendment states the new garage design aims to accommodate buildings on top of the structure, specifically “up to two separate seven-story office buildings to be located on the west side of the expansion joint and up to two separate two-story buildings to be located between the loop road and land bridge.”

A map showing the boundaries of the Phase II project, set off in indigo lines. Map provided | The City of Covington

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As NKY elementary school scores fall, English language learners make gains By Lia Salvatierra

“A typical day for an EL student now includes more targeted instruction based on their individual needs. Some students may benefit from additional small-group instruction, while others may need less intensive support,” Moran said.

rogress toward English language proficiency was a bright spot among otherwise declining academic performance at Northern Kentucky elementary schools last year.

Ockerman Elementary saw ELL progress scores improved by 17.5 points last year. Of the school’s 777 students, 223 are EL students. Ockerman Principal Chris Ritzi credits the school’s strong EL teacher team, who have been working together for about five years.

Though NKY continues to outperform the state on math, reading, science, social studies and writing scores, new report card data shows the region’s scores backslid more last year than the rest of the commonwealth. Despite a shrinking statewide lead on academic test scores, the region’s elementary school English language learners, or ELL, saw notable gains last school year. Progress toward English language proficiency grew at both schools that improved — and schools that otherwise performed lower — according to report card data. Out of the region’s 52 elementary schools, 19 have a large enough population of ELL students to measure progress. ELL progress is measured by improvement on annual exams, with the goal of proficiency within five years. Students are assessed after their second year in English instruction.

Covington, Boone County, Kenton County make large ELL strides

“With the consistency of them being here and getting to know each of these students individually and their families on a yearly basis, just shows the dedication that they’re putting into their students,” he said.

Covington Independent Public Schools was home to three of the five schools with the biggest boosts in ELL progress last year: Ninth District Elementary, Sixth District Elementary and John G. Carslisle Elementary.

The school also was one of the first in the district to implement an English language teaching approach that helps better blend language acquisition with what students are already learning in their classes, according to the school’s EL team.

Ockerman Elementary School in Boone County and James A. Caywood Elementary in Kenton County also made big improvements.

One of Ockerman’s EL teachers also credited the students’ hard work as part of the school’s success.

Ockerman Elementary School in Boone County saw the biggest boost in English language learner progress in the region last year. Photo provided | Ockerman Elementary School via Facebook

flagged for low performance overall. Despite declines in the three other performance metrics, both schools saw a 6.4-point boost in performance scores for English language learner progress toward proficiency last year, bringing the school into fifth place of all 19 elementary schools in the region measuring EL progress.

Despite red rating, Newport Primary and Intermediate improved ELL progress

Newport’s ELL Coordinator Melissa Calderon called Newport’s program strong for multiple reasons. For one, two EL teachers, including Calderon, are bilingual themselves. That strength helps facilitate what she called the other key to success: forming relationships and engaging families.

English language learner progress at Newport Primary School and Intermediate Schools jumped up last year, despite the schools’ performing at the bottom 5% of the state overall. Both schools are now facing state-backed intervention after being

“We share food, and we talk to them in their language about the services that we offer, the academics of their students, Calderon said. “A lot of times they come here and they don’t understand how the system works, so we are that bridge for them,” she said.

Sixth District Elementary, where 45% of the school’s 440 students are English language learners, improved its EL progress scores by 12 points last year. Sixth District Principal Joe Moran said that over the past few years, the district has looked closer at individual student data to identify needs and tailor support.

“Our EL students are so hardworking and they are going through more adversity now than we’ve ever seen so we are happy to highlight their hardworking families, their hardworking students and that they are really a joy to work with because they really try so hard,” said Ockerman EL teacher Laura Toebbe.

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Jim Gilpin sworn in as Kenton County Police Chief By Henry Crawford

he Kenton County Fiscal Court chambers were packed Oct. 27 as dozens of county police officers lined the room to watch James “Jim” Gilpin be sworn in as the department’s new chief. The Fiscal Court unanimously approved Gilpin’s appointment, ratifying an executive order that sets his pay at $134,680.48 a year as an exempt employee, effective Oct. 28. Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann administered the oath of office to Gilpin in front of fellow officers and family members, who joined the newly sworn-in chief for photos afterward.

Jim Gilpin being sworn in as Kenton County police chief by Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann. Photo provided | Kenton County Fiscal Court

Jim Gilpin and Kenton County officials. Photo provided | Kenton County Fiscal Court

Gilpin has been interim chief since August, when he succeeded Michael “Spike” Jones, who became Covington’s assistant city manager. A 20-year veteran of the department, Gilpin rose to captain and retired in 2019. He returned as assistant chief in January 2024. “This is completely overwhelming,” Gilpin said. He called the job “a new chapter in my life and our life” and said, “It’s going to get bigger and better.” Knochelmann said Gilpin faced strong competition during the hiring process. He recalled that one finalist told the court during an interview that Gilpin was the better candidate. “I know future fiscal courts are going to be here to support you and the team,” Knochelmann said. Commissioner Beth Sewell said she heard from many people about how respected Gilpin is as a person, leader and officer once he was named interim chief. She said the county aims to build a “deep bench” in its departments so it can look first to internal candidates.

Jim Gilpin with friends, family and colleagues. Photo provided | Kenton County Fiscal Court

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kenton county briefs Niagara Bottling opens $141M production facility, brings 60 new jobs to NKY

The ribbon-cutting on Oct. 22, 2026. Photo provided | Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development

Niagara Bottling, a private-label and branded beverage manufacturer, is celebrating the grand opening of its new $141 million production facility in Elsmere. A ribbon-cutting event was held on Oct. 22 for the new facility. The project brings 60 new full-time jobs to the area. “Kentucky’s leading manufacturing industry and companies like Niagara Bottling are investing in our people and helping fuel our record-breaking success,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. “I want to congratulate the company’s leaders on this wonderful milestone and look forward to seeing their success here in the commonwealth.”

president of Niagara Bottling. “This investment builds on our pride in American manufacturing and our commitment to creating meaningful career opportunities. We appreciate the partnership of state and local leaders who helped make this possible, and we look forward to being a part of Elsmere for years to come.” Niagara Bottling, headquartered in Diamond Bar, California, is a family-owned and operated company that was founded in 1963, when Andrew Peykoff Sr. started bottling high-quality, low-cost water in 5-gallon glass containers for home and office delivery. The company produces a variety of beverages, including bottled water, sparkling, vitamin and flavored water, sports drinks, ready-to-drink tea and coffee and protein drinks. “Niagara Bottling is a strong member of Elsmere’s business community, and we’re proud to officially celebrate the company’s investment in our city,” said Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhof. “Niagara’s decision to establish its first Kentucky facility here brings quality jobs, significant investment and new opportunities to Elsmere. We look forward to a strong partnership for many years to come.”

Extended Covington alcohol sales for Madrid Bengals game approved

Niagara Bottling began construction of its Elsmere facility in early 2025 at the C5 Airport East Logistics Center. The 52-acre site was developed by CORE5 Industrial Partners and supported by state and local officials. The new facility includes over 436,000 square feet of advanced manufacturing space, including beverage production and distribution operations. In 2022, the general assembly and Beshear approved a $13 million site development and acquisition fund in Kenton County, $669,000 of which supported the project with the installation of power transmission lines. “At Niagara, we invest with the long-term in mind, and this new facility reflects our confidence in Northern Kentucky and its future,” said Brian Hess, executive vice

temporary ordinance as a walk-on item on that meeting’s agenda. The vote to allow the sales was unanimous, except for Vice Mayor Shannon Smith, who did not attend the meeting. The commissioners did not discuss the ordinance before they cast their votes.

“For 20 years, Haunted Library has brought creativity, imagination and more than a few good scares to our community,” said Denise Fritsch, executive director of Kenton County Public Library. “We’re excited to celebrate this Halloween tradition and the staff who bring it to life.”

City Solicitor Frank Schultz told the commissioners the week before that the ordinance came about after some local businesses had “requested the ability to invite patrons to start the festivities a bit earlier than normal.” The game’s kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Eastern time.

The event took place on Oct. 23 and 24.

“It would allow them (businesses with licenses) to sell alcohol by the drink starting at 6 a.m.,” Schultz continued. “It would automatically terminate at 9 a.m. and then the normal Sunday liquor license would take over.” Typically, Sunday alcohol permits in Covington don’t allow sales until 9 a.m., according to established ordinance. The special ordinance passed this week will dissolve after Nov. 8, meaning the extended alcohol sales hours will not continue past that date.

Kenton County’s Haunted Library marks 20th anniversary with Halloween thrills

The Covington Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 27 to allow extended alcohol sales during the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 8. The date coincides with a football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons set to take place in Madrid, Spain. The board completed a first reading of

Family-friendly Halloween scares came to the Independence branch of the Kenton County Public Library with more than 1,000 people attending this year’s iteration of the Kenton County Haunted Library. The 20th anniversary of this family-friendly event invited local families to investigate mysteries of a long-abandoned candy factory in Smoat, Vermont, in what the library had dubbed “The Confectionery Catastrophe.”

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The Next Generation Leader Awards take place on Nov. 19, 2026.

Northern Kentucky Young Professionals, or NKYP, is proud to announce the finalists for the 2026 Next Generation Leader Awards, or NGLA, which recognize young professionals ages 40 and younger for their professional accomplishments, demonstrated leadership and community impact. This year’s celebration will also honor Dawn Denham with the NKYP Legend Award, recognizing her contributions to developing and supporting leaders across NKY.

Crowds at the Kenton County Public Library’s Haunted Library attraction on Oct. 23, 2026. Image taken from video. Video provided | Kenton County Public Library Bartender pours a beer. Photo provided | Josh Olalde via Unsplash

NKY Young Professionals Names 2026 Leadership Award Finalists, Legend Honoree

“The Next Generation Leader Awards recognize some of our region’s most impactful young professionals who are making an impact in their workplaces and communities,” said Tori Roberts, area assistant vice president at Gallagher and NKYP chair. “This is an event we look forward to every year, as it allows us to shine a light on young local leaders that are helping shape and guide our region’s future.” The awards span 10 categories based on applicants’ primary job responsibilities across a range of industries. Applications were scored by a panel of 20 judges composed of industry and community leaders. The three highest-scored applicants in each category were selected as finalists,

kenton county briefs with the highest-scoring applicant to be announced during the awards program as the category winner.

• Amanda Osborne, The Christ Hospital Health Network • Jennifer Wick, The Christ Hospital Health Network

The 2026 NGLA finalists are: Advocacy & Government Affairs • Amy Martin, Northern Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy • Samuel Shelton, City of Bellevue • Sebastian Torres, City of Covington Arts, Entertainment & Hospitality • Cherish Ludlow, Embassy Suites by Hilton • Katarina Noll, Spire Hospitality • Rachael Parker, ArtsWave Education • Kara Kowalk, Fort Thomas Independent Schools • Abby Ober, Northern Kentucky University • Chris Rickels, Gateway Community & Technical College Entrepreneurship • Abbey Cummins, Everything Cincy • Samantha Kelly, Beyond Neurodiversity • Chris Korba, Topshell Plumbing Financial Services • Brittany Bischoff, Excelsior Accounting Services • Hank Heidrich, Fifth Third Securities • Justin Vanderglas, Clark Schaefer Hackett Media & Marketing • Stephanie Downing, St. Healthcare • Arian Green, NKY AI • Molly Wheeler, Prysmian

Elizabeth

Medical & Healthcare Services • Danielle Albin, St. Elizabeth Hospital

Professional Services • Jimmy Beatrice, Houchens Insurance Group • Devon Greco, BE NKY Growth Partnership • Lauren Huizenga, Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc. Public Service & Community-Based Organizations • Casey Baker-Romans, Northern Kentucky Health Department • Travis Gysegem, The Catalytic Fund • Jordan Smith, Jordan Smith Community Care Foundation Operations & Infrastructure • Kraig Eckstein, New Riff Distilling • Omar El Masri, PRIME AE Group, Inc. • Philip Galeucia, Jabil In addition to recognizing the NGLA finalists, Denham will be honored with the NKYP Legend Award, given to a community leader in the NKY/Greater Cincinnati region who has inspired leadership and career success among the next generation of leaders throughout their career. Denham’s professional career has spanned roles in communications, community engagement, and nonprofit leadership. From 2017 to 2024, Denham served as director of leadership at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. During those seven years, she helped hundreds of business leaders deepen their understanding of the region, build meaningful relationships and find ways to serve their communities. Her career also includes leadership roles with United Way, Boone County Schools and CTI Clinical Trials and Consulting. Most

recently, she served as director of marketing and engagement at Horizon Community Foundation of Northern Kentucky.

To inquire about sponsorship opportunities or to learn more about NKYP, contact Kyle Frizzell at kfrizzell@nkychamber.com.

Following a breast cancer diagnosis in 2025, Denham stepped away from her professional career to focus on her health and her family. She remains deeply connected to NKY.

Sponsors include: • Presenting Sponsor: MeetNKY • Event Sponsors: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Scooter Media, Duke Energy • Award Sponsor: Clark Schaefer Hackett • Program Partner: Corporate Document Solutions • Media Partner: Cincinnati Business Courier

“Dawn’s impact in our community, particularly when it comes to helping develop young leaders, is immeasurable,” said Kyle Frizzell, NKY Chamber director of events and NKYP. “Through her role as the NKY Chamber’s director of leadership, as well as her time working in nonprofits and education, Dawn provided countless opportunities for young professionals to develop leadership skills and grow as professionals and individuals. We are grateful for her contributions to our community, and we are honored to present her with this year’s Legend Award.” “I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent much of my career advocating for Northern Kentucky and helping others discover what makes this region such a special place,” said Denham. “Along the way, I’ve met amazing people, built lasting friendships and learned just as much from others as I hope they’ve learned from me. To be recognized for doing something I genuinely loved is truly an honor.” All finalists and honorees will be celebrated and category winners announced during the awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 5 to 7:45 p.m. at The Carnegie (1028 Scott Blvd., Covington, KY 41011). Tickets are $50, with a discounted rate of $40 for NKYP members. Admission is free for NKYP Event Pass holders.

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More information and registration are available at NKYChamber.com/events.

THE WEEKLY COMIC by Andrew Buchanan

NOVEMBER 6, 2026

NKY middle schools surge ahead as scores decline across Kentucky By Lia Salvatierra

orthern Kentucky middle schools’ performance lead over the rest of the commonwealth grew dramatically last year.

The region’s 21 middle schools saw average improvement on every report card metric released earlier this month, including gains on reading, math, science, social studies and writing assessment scores, while middle schools across the commonwealth saw average declines.

Metric

NKY 24-25

NKY 25-26

NKY change

Kentucky 24-25

Kentucky 25-26

Kentucky change

Overall score

65.4

67.2

+1.8

63.1

60.2

-2.9

Overall rating (1–5)

3.6

3.8

+0.19

3.4

3.2

-0.24

Reading/Math

65.4

67.5

+2.2

62.2

61.9

-0.3

Science/Social Studies/Writing

60.2

62.6

+2.4

58.2

57.9

-0.3

Climate & Safety

67.5

68.8

+1.3

69.2

69.8

+0.6

EL Progress

34.1

34.5

+0.3

31.5

38.6

+7.1

Share rated 4 or 5

62%

49%

37%

-12 pts

Driven by a handful of especially high performers, the gains brought by NKY middle schools yielded an average performance score of 67.2, compared to the state average of 59.7. See a graph comparing the region’s average middle school performance metrics compared to the state average to the right. Highlands Middle School advances writing, social studies, science Highlands Middle School saw the biggest boost in its combined writing, social studies and science scores in the region, improving by 12.3 points. The school ranked third in the region last year, behind Beechwood High School’s “middle grades” and Ballyshannon Middle School in Union, which saw the biggest overall boost on its report card scores of any NKY middle school. Highlands Middle School Principal Erika Volpenhein said her faculty took a focused

approach to teaching writing during the 2025-26 school year in response to lower assessment scores in 2024-25. The approach was to intentionally teach writing across every single class, from physical education to science. It meant all teachers, including those who don’t typically teach writing as part of their curriculum, received instruction on how to coach the skill. Part of Highlands’ emphasis on writing also stemmed from the state’s decision to eliminate essay writing and editing and mechanics, which functions as a grammar test, from statewide assessments next year. Schools will instead create their own ways to measure writing proficiency locally.

NOTICE

Please take notice that, in an application to be filed no later than November 2, 2026, Duke Energy Kentucky, Inc. will be seeking approval from the Kentucky Public Service Commission to revise its Demand Side Management (DSM) rate for gas service and electric service for residential and commercial customers, with changes to become effective on or after December 2, 2026. Duke Energy Kentucky’s current monthly DSM rate for residential gas customers is $0.014440 per hundred cubic feet and for non-residential gas customers is $0.000000 per hundred cubic feet. Duke Energy Kentucky’s current monthly DSM rate for residential electric customers is $0.005514 per kilowatt-hour and for non-residential customers is $0.001154 per kilowatt-hour for distribution service and $0.000053 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 gas customers would increase to $0.016297 per hundred cubic feet and for non-residential gas customers would remain at $0.000000 per hundred cubic feet. Duke Energy Kentucky’s monthly DSM rate for residential electric customers would increase to $0.008337 per kilowatt-hour and for nonresidential customers would decrease to ($0.000755) per kilowatt-hour for distribution service and would decrease to ($0.000167) 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 increase in residential electric revenues of approximately $4.6 million or 2.08% over current residential electric revenues and decrease in non-residential revenues of approximately ($4.6) million or (1.59%) over current non-residential revenues. The proposed rates reflect an increase in residential gas revenues of approximately $0.1 million or 0.07% over current total gas revenues. There is no change to non-residential gas revenues. A typical residential gas customer using 70 ccf in a month will see an increase of $0.13 or 0.1%. A typical residential electric customer using 1000 kWh in a month will see an increase of $2.78 or 2.0%. A typical non-residential electric customer using 40 kilowatts and 14,000 kWh will see a decrease of ($26.21) or (1.5%). A non-residential customer served at transmission voltage using 10,000 kilowatts and 4,000,000 kWh will see a decrease of ($1,423.68) or (0.4%). Non-residential gas customers will see no change in their bills from this application. 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. If the Commission does not receive a written request for intervention within thirty (30) days of the initial publication or mailing of the notice, the Commission may take final action on the tariff filing. The intervention may be granted beyond the thirty (30) day period for good cause shown. 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.dukeenergy.com. This filing and any other related documents can be found on the Public Service Commission’s website at http://psc.ky.gov and are available for inspection at 211 Sower Boulevard, Frankfort, Kentucky, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

10 NOVEMBER 6, 2026

Ballyshannon Middle School advances reading, math Ballyshannon Middle School in Boone County saw the biggest boost in math and reading scores last school year, improving by 12.8 points. The boost was one part of the school’s 26.4-point increase overall — the single biggest leap of any school in the region.

First, he changed the school’s schedule to ensure the gymnasium is open for recreation at lunch so students are able to exercise and get their energy out before the afternoon. He also instituted a uniform behavior system to support the majority of teachers who reported they didn’t think behavior was handled appropriately. By the end of the year 99% of teachers reported they thought behavior was handled appropriately, up from 17%, Brewer said. “It’s just about putting systems in place that support teachers and have high expectations in classrooms, and it works anywhere. So I literally did the same thing that I’d been doing at Connor for years, and just implemented them here,” Brewer said. Brewer said he also strengthened professional learning communities, where teachers collaborate, strategize and analyze data to improve instruction. At Ballyshannon, Brewer pushed educators to focus on student engagement in the classroom. Professional learning communities and student engagement were the same two focal points at Grey Middle School in Union, another Boone County middle school that realized big gains overall last year.

Tichenor Middle School in Erlanger saw the second biggest boost in math and reading scores in the region last year.

Grey Middle School Principal Patrick Ryan said administration started conducting shorter, more spontaneous classroom visits to observe instruction.

Ballyshanon’s performance boost last year happened under its new principal, James Brewer, who stepped into the role after working at Conner Middle School in Hebron. When asked about how he produced such big gains, Brewer pointed to two big structural changes.

“We wanted to see our students having content-specific, content-rich conversations. You know, we wanted to get away from the traditional sitting there for 55 minutes, listening to a teacher. We wanted the kids doing, versus teacher telling,” Grey said.

Highlands Middle School. Photo provided | Highlands Middle School Parent Teacher Student Organization via Facebook

NKY high schools make gains in math, reading and career readiness, but challenges remain

orthern Kentucky high schoolers outpaced peers across the commonwealth in improving math and reading scores and preparedness for life after graduation in the 2025-26 school year. Of any metric on Kentucky school report cards released recently, NKY high schools saw the largest leap in “postsecondary readiness” scores, which measure the number of seniors who, in addition to a diploma, demonstrate another layer of readiness to work or continue education after high school. That measurement includes things like passing college admission exams, obtaining dual credit hours or industry-recognized certifications, licensures or credentials and more. The region’s improved scores even outpaced statewide progress. NKY high schools didn’t see big improvements on most other metrics, except for a slight outpacing of statewide progress on math and reading scores. Of all metrics, the region’s high schools saw the biggest decline in English language learner progress. Postsecondary readiness a high point for NKY high schools NKY high schools’ improvement in postsecondary readiness stood out, even for schools that saw declines or remained behind in other academic areas. On average, NKY high schools improved postsecondary readiness scores by 5.9 points, the biggest improvement jump of any of the six report card metrics. Postsecondary readiness improved by 4 points across the commonwealth. Dayton High School, Ludlow High School and Dixie Heights High School in Kenton County saw the three highest postsecondary readiness scores in the region last year. Dayton, along with Bellevue High School, saw the biggest jumps in postsecondary readiness in 2025-26 from the prior year, both improving by 20.7 points. Lloyd High School in Erlanger saw the third-best improvement of 15.7 points. Lloyd Principal Mike Key said the leap demonstrates a commitment to growing postsecondary readiness over time, rather than any one change made last year. In recent years, the school has coordinated a team of senior-year teachers to continue pushing students to prepare for exploring options for life after high school, he said. Dayton Superintendent Rick Wolf said his district’s team begins working with students on postsecondary readiness as early as tenth grade. He said the school’s small size, often with graduating classes of around 60 students, also helps ensure no

Dayton High School. Photo provided | Dayton Independent Schools

student slips between the cracks. Bellevue Superintendent Misty Middleton also called her district’s size a strength and said increasing postsecondary readiness scores was one of the district’s main goals.

keeping the region’s scores ahead of the state average.

declining on average by 10.7 points compared to a statewide decline of 4.2 points.

In Kentucky, math and reading skills are measured in tenth grade during end-ofyear assessments called summative assessments.

That metric reflects only seven of the region’s 17 high schools with enough English language learners to require measuring their progress on state report cards. Newport High School joined that group during the 2025-26 year.

Ludlow Superintendent Jason Steffen lauded his district’s team and said Ludlow’s physical proximity to off-campus postsecondary options — at Gateway Community & Technical College and the Enzweiler Building Institute — also helps connect students with those opportunities.

NKY high schools had average reading and math scores of 67.7 compared to 61.5 throughout the commonwealth. On average, the region also saw those scores improve by 1 point, compared with a 0.1 point improvement statewide.

NKY high schools outpace statewide progress on reading, math

NKY high school English language-learner progress declines dramatically

On average, NKY’s high schools improved math and reading scores more than schools throughout the commonwealth,

Progress toward proficiency for English language learners at NKY high schools dropped the most dramatically last year,

English language learner progress is measured by improvement on annual exams, with the goal of proficiency within five years. Students are assessed after their second year as an English language learner. See a table of NKY high schools’ English language progress below.

School

District

2024-25 EL progress score

2025-26 EL progress score

Change

Lloyd High

ErlangerElsmere

43.6

19.0

-24.6

Holmes High

Covington

35.5

16.9

-18.6

Dixie Heights High

Kenton County

54.3

39.0

-15.3

Boone County High

Boone County

37.7

32.6

-5.1

Larry A. Ryle High

Boone County

29.8

26.6

-3.2

Conner High

Boone County

29.5

32.1

+2.6

Newport High

Newport

n/a

9.4

n/a NOVEMBER 6, 2026 11

sports Area runners dominate region cross country meets

Holy Cross (68). Rylee Fuller led the Lady ‘Stangs with three goals, Addison Sendelbach and Kylie Smith also scoring goals, Smith adding two assists.

Ryle dominated the Class 3A girls race, using 23 points to finish well ahead of Notre Dame Academy’s 60 and Cooper’s 103. On the boys’ side, Covington Catholic cruised to victory with 39 points, building a comfortable cushion over Ryle (61) and Campbell County (88). Youth highlighted the individual leaderboards, as four of the five local champions are underclassmen with a chance to repeat next season.

Covington Catholic High School is the local Class 3A cross country champion. Photo provided | Jeff Burg

District football champions crowned Ryle High School hoists the 9th Region championship trophy after their 3-0 victory over Newport Central Catholic High School. Photo provided | Charles Bolton

Class 1A individual titles went to Bishop Brossart freshman Henry Kramer and Villa Madonna eighth grader Jasmine Cozmanciuc. Kramer breezed across the finish line in 16 minutes and 25.53 seconds, while Cozmanciuc posted a winning time of 20:01.45. St. Henry junior Logan Vaniglia won the Class 2A boys crown in 16:10.17. That lifted the Crusaders to a third-place finish with 88 points.

Bishop Brossart High School won the Class 1A, Region 4 title. Photo provided

Nobody idled at Burlington’s Idlewild Park during the Oct. 24 KHSAA regional cross country meets. Instead, runners motored around the 5-kilometer course, jockeying for spots at this weekend’s state championships at Lexington’s Kentucky Horse Park. The area celebrated four team champions and five individual winners across six races, highlighting Class 1A, 2A and 3A events for both girls and boys. Beechwood captured the Class 1A Region 4 girls championship, while Bishop Brossart took the boys’ crown. Ryle secured a repeat Class 3A Region 5 girls title, and Covington Catholic claimed the big-school boys’ trophy in its return to 3A after three years in 2A. Highlands’ boys and girls finished as this year’s runners-up to repeat double-champion Lexington Catholic in the Class 2A Region 4 races. The Beechwood girls compiled 53 points in Class 1A, edging runner-up Villa Madonna with 59 and third-place Bishop Brossart with 61. Brossart won the small-school boys’ division with 28 points over runner-up Beechwood (44) and third-place

Campbell County boasted double champions in Class 3A. Senior Grant Holbrook secured the boys’ title in 15:43.32. Junior Lila Dunlevy defended her crown on the girls’ side in 19:16.38. All winners and qualifying top finishers advance to the state meet. Covington Catholic celebrated a triumphant return among the large schools. The Colonels won the program’s first Class 3A title since 2017, its fifth at that level. They won a 22nd regional crown overall.

Ryle, Highlands and Bishop Brossart region soccer champs Four Northern Kentucky region champions were crowned in boys’ and girls’ soccer from Oct. 22 to 24. Ryle’s boys won the 9th Region title with a 3-0 victory over Newport Central Catholic. Damien Lakis, Preston Scott and Parker Wilson found the back of the net in the victory while Drew Stropko earned the clean sheet in goal.

HIGHLANDS GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Simon Kenton High School celebrates after beating Ryle and winning a district title. Photo provided | Marc Figgins Highlands High School won a third straight 9th Region title with a 3-0 victory over Ryle High School at Tower Park. Photo provided | Charles Bolton

Chase McCarthy was named Tournament MVP while Scott and Cooper Neace earned All-Tournament honors. For the third straight season, Highlands’ girls soccer team is tops in the 9th Region. The Bluebirds took down Ryle on Oct. 24 at Tower Park in Fort Thomas, 3-0. They got goals from Ally Lickert, Ella Jones and Hope Darnell in the victory, Kristie Deegen adding two assists on goals from Lickert and Jones in the first half.

District play has wrapped up in football as the regular season comes to an end. Here are the district champions in the Northern Kentucky districts in their respective classes. • Class 1A, 3rd District – Newport Central Catholic • Class 1A, 4th District – Holy Cross • Class 2A, 5th District – Beechwood • Class 4A, 5th District – Highlands • Class 5A, 5th District – Cooper • Class 6A, 6th District – Simon Kenton

Even without key defender Maddy Lickert out due to an injury, the Highlands defense stood tall and earned their 11th shutout of the season, tournament MVP Bailee Class earning the clean sheet with seven saves on the day. Two other members of Highlands’ back line of defense also earned All-Tournament honors with Gabby Neufarth and Parker Moses earning their rewards. Deegen was also named to the All-Tournament team. The Bishop Brossart boys team won backto-back 10th Region titles with a 3-0 victory over Montgomery County on Oct. 24. Brossart’s boys advanced to the state tournament thanks to both familiar and lesser-known names on the stat sheets. Leading scorer Luke Neltner scored two goals and junior Cooper Ochsner had one plus an assist.

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Ben Sweeney assisted on Ochsner’s and Neltner’s second goal. You could also include senior goalkeeper Ryan Eldridge in any most valuable player talk. He stopped 13 shots to earn his seventh clean sheet.

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The Highlands High School girls cross country team won LINK nky Team of the Week. Photo provided

12 NOVEMBER 6, 2026

Neltner, Sweeney and Kingston Hungler made the regional all-tournament team. And Bishop Brossart’s girls team also won their second straight 10th Region title with a 5-0 victory over Scott.

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION

COMMISSIONER’S SALE CAMPBELL COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

CASE NUMBER 19-CI-00918

CASE NUMBER 26-CI-00287

DIVISION 1

DIVISION 2

DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE

CITY OF DAYTON

VS.

MAE MAYES AKA MAY MAYES, ET AL.

SHANE PATTERSON, ET AL.

BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 1/19/2021 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 9/14/2026 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 11/10/2026 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit:

700 Smith Hiteman Road, Alexandria, Kentucky 41001

918 Maple Avenue, Dayton, Kentucky 41074

Group No: 70123/Z

Group No: 30319/A4

PIDN: 999-99-30-652.00

PIDN: 999-99-09-095.00

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

DIVISION III

DIVISION ONE

CASE NO.: 24-CI-00393

CASE NO.: 26-CI-00014

REGIONS BANK DBA REGIONS MORTGAGE

TH MSR HOLDINGS LLC

VERSUS}

ANGEL BLAKELY, ET AL.

RANDALL LEE BYRD, ET AL.

By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 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, NOVEMBER 19, 2026 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:

By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered OCTOBER 6, 2026 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, NOVEMBER 19, 2026 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit:

ADDRESS: 928 MERRELL ROAD, HEBRON, KENTUCKY 41048 PVA PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 024.00-00-007.00 GROUP NO.: 2001 AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT: $78,440.82

DIVISION ONE CASE NO.: 25-CI-01969 U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION VERSUS} MARY KATHY BERGER, ET AL. By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered OCTOBER 6, 2026 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, NOVEMBER 19, 2026 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit: ADDRESS: 1481 CLERMONT COURT, FLORENCE, KENTUCKY 41042 PVA PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 061.00-19-008.00 AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT: $192,235.66 GROUP NO.: 3263

MASTER COMMISSIONER’S SALE BOONE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

The complete legal description is particularly set out in the Judgment and Order of Sale entered in this case. 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 2026 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.

ADDRESS: 1562 SMARTY JONES COURT, UNION, KENTUCKY 41091 PVA PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 064.26-07-110.00 AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT: $541,744.89 GROUP NO.: 5297

DIVISION ONE CASE NO.: 26-CI-01164 NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING VERSUS} JACKSON SCOTT DUNGAN, ET AL. By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 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, NOVEMBER 19, 2026 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit: ADDRESS: 7173 CASCADE DRIVE, FLORENCE, KENTUCKY 41042 PVA PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 049.09-12-009.06 AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT: $152,145.40 GROUP NO.: 1973

NOVEMBER 6, 2026

real estate

Covington with character Address: 2018 Pearl St., Covington Price: $219,900 Bedrooms: Three Bathrooms: Two Square footage: 1,201 School district: Covington Independent Public Schools County: Kenton Special features: This fully renovated brick home in Covington blends historic charm with modern updates. Features include refinished hardwood floors, exposed brick, an open floor plan and a spacious kitchen with butcher block countertops, stainless steel appliances and a gas range. A firstfloor primary bedroom, new air-conditioning unit, front deck and private backyard with a fire pit round out the property.

The updated kitchen inside of this Covington home.

The exterior of this Kenton County home. Photos by Blaire Hancock and Jim Murray | Simple Fee Realty

The property has a firepit in the backyard.

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

LEGAL NOTICE The Kenton County Fiscal Court is seeking sealed proposals for the renovation and expansion of the Kenton County Golf Course Clubhouse for Kenton County Parks and Recreation, located at 3908 Richardson Rd, Independence, KY 41051. Bid documents are available on the Kenton County website at www.kentoncountyky.gov or may be obtained through Kenton County’s eProcurement portal located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/kentoncounty. Bids must be submitted through the County’s eProcurement portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/kentoncounty/projects/319381 and received no later than 10:00 am on Tuesday, November 24, 2026. KENTON COUNTY FISCAL COURT KRIS A. KNOCHELMANN, JUDGE/EXECUTIVE KENTON COUNTY

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14 NOVEMBER 6, 2026

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SUDOKU

The Weekly Crossword Edited by Margie E. Burke

Difficulty: Easy

1 6 1

7 7 3

9 /24/26 - 8/30/26 3

6 8

6 5

2 4

1 6

9 4

HOW TO SOLVE:

4 5 7 9 9 8

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

by Margie E. Burke

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NOVEMBER 6, 2026

16 NOVEMBER 6, 2026