LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 4, Edition 10 - January 30, 2026

KENTON

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 10 — JANUARY 30, 2026

THE VOICE OF NKY

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The state of medical cannabis businesses in NKY:

What’s the holdup?

By Kenton Hornbeck

B

luegrass CannaCare Operations Manager Chad Johns hopes to open what will be Boone County’s first medical cannabis dispensary in the coming weeks, but as it currently stands, the store is trying to secure enough supply to stock its shelves.

Located at 6809 Burlington Pike in Florence, Bluegrass CannaCare and its operators, Dripwell Vapors in Fort Wright, were awarded a “golden ticket,” Johns said. Their application was among the four Northern Kentucky-area applicants to receive a medical cannabis license through the state’s competitive lottery selection system.

Despite this, Bluegrass CannaCare has not yet opened, as Johns acknowledged that prospective dispensaries are facing supply issues that have delayed many of its opening plans. More broadly, Northern Continues on page 3

Bluegrass CannaCare. Photo by Kenton Hornbeck | LINK nky

Deal makes way for renovation of historic Duro Bag site in Covington

By Nathan Granger

T

he City of Covington, Kenton County, the Northern Kentucky Catalytic Fund and the Northern Kentucky Port Authority are partnering to buy up the old Duro Bag building in Covington for the purposes of future redevelopment. The deal, which is slated to occur sometime in the next quarter, will see the different institutions spend about $4.5 million to acquire the building.

“This warehouse is 200,000 square feet,” said Covington Mayor Ron Washington. “At one time, it had hundreds and hundreds of jobs here.”

The interior of the former Duro Bag building in Covington. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

City and regional leaders announced the move Jan. 20 at the site of the facility located at the intersection of Martin Luther

King Jr. Boulevard and Madison Avenue, a roughly eight-acre site that once housed both Duro Bags and a Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad roundhouse.

Duro Bag Manufacturing, which still operates today, was actually first established in 1953 in Ludlow, where founder David Shor set up both administrative offices and a manufacturing plant. The main plant caught fire in 1964, a blaze that engulfed nearby houses and incurred about $2.1 million in damage, according to a historical analysis by the Kenton County Public Library. The administrative offices remained in Ludlow, but the company later set up a new plant in Covington. The Covington facility is long defunct, but Duro Bags still has facilities in other parts of Northern Kentucky.

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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.

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Getting marijuana ready for the public to purchase is taking longer than some were anticipating. Photo provided | George Dagerotip via Unsplash Continued from page 1

Kentuckians are awaiting the opening of the region’s first dispensary more than a year after the plant was legalized for growth and sale in January 2025.

sclerosis, chronic nausea and post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, the patient must have written permission from a medical doctor or an advanced nurse practitioner, in addition to a state identification card.

The Leadup In March 2023, Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 47 into law, authorizing the creation of a regulated medical cannabis industry in Kentucky. Set to take effect Jan. 1, 2025, the law established a framework for the sale, cultivation and processing of cannabis in the Bluegrass State.

Under the law, only patients with qualifying debilitating conditions may purchase medical cannabis. These include cancer, chronic severe pain, epilepsy, multiple

Only four types of licensed cannabis businesses are allowed under state law: dispensaries, cultivators, safety compliance facilities and producers holding both a cultivator and a processor license. Licenses were distributed through a state-run lottery system in late 2024.

In total, three applicants were awarded licenses to open dispensaries in NKY, with one in each county. A fourth applicant was selected in Carroll County, approximately a 50-minute drive southwest down Inter-

state 71 from Boone County.

The Dispensaries Bluegrass CannaCare: Florence Bluegrass CannaCare is set to open in the vacant Cricket Wireless store at 6809 Burlington Pike. The dispensary’s owners, Dripwell Vapors, operate a vapor supply and e-cigarette retail business at 3487 Valley Plaza Parkway in Fort Wright.

Johns informed LINK nky that Bluegrass CannaCare is the sole dispensary applicant actually located in NKY to secure an operating license through the lottery.

Continues on page 4

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Continued from page 3

Grass Cannabis LLC.

“Someone like myself who’s never been in the cannabis industry before, unlike some of these other guys that are MSOs—multistate operations—they knew what they were getting into,” he said. “We’re starting from scratch.”

NatureMed opened its first dispensary in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011. Since then, it has expanded into Missouri, now running three dispensaries in the state—two in the St. Louis region and one in Kansas City.

One reason for this could be the high cost of entering the licensing lottery, which, according to the Kentucky Office for Medical Cannabis, costs $5,000 for dispensaries.

The one-time fee was nonrefundable. In addition, dispensary applicants were required to demonstrate they had access to $150,000, either deposited or available through a credit line from one or more financial institutions.

If an applicant was selected in the lottery, they were then required to pay a $30,000 licensing fee.

Fees varied depending on the type of cannabis business. For instance, Tier IV cultivators—which are industrial-scale operations permitted to grow up to 50,000 square feet of canopy—were required to pay a $30,000 application fee, demonstrate access to $1 million in capital and pay a $100,000 licensing fee.

Due to the capital requirements for the licensing lottery, as well as the cash needed for the licensing fee upon winning, wealthier, established operations from states with more mature cannabis regulatory frameworks could increase their chances of being selected in the lottery by applying multiple times, as they could better afford the costs, unlike a small-time or first-time operator.

Johns said that this situation wasn’t necessarily caused by a lack of infrastructure, but rather by a lack of understanding.

“It’s just a lot of us didn’t know how the system works,” he said. “We didn’t know how to—I hate to use the cheesy term—‘play the game.’ That’s why I said we totally lucked out and hit the golden ticket.”

NatureMed: Erlanger NatureMed, a multi-state cannabis operator, is set to open four dispensaries in Kentucky, with two in the NKY area. NatureMed applied for multiple operating licenses. In NKY specifically, NatureMed was awarded the licenses under the company names Yellow Flowers LLC and Green

that dispensaries would just now be receiving the first yields of cannabis from cultivators. With limited supply, dispensaries are competing for a slice of the available yield.

“The smaller operation, cultivator-wise— those guys are kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place,” Johns said. “It’s, ‘do we grow our entire square footage and sell it one crop, and then we have to wait another four to six months to recoup anything?’ The average life growth of a cannabis plant is four to six months.”

NatureMed’s website indicates that the company intends to open a dispensary at 225 Inn Road in Carrollton, right off Interstate 71. The Carrollton application was submitted under the name Green Grass Cannabis LLC. Furthermore, the company is slated to open Kenton County’s first medical cannabis dispensary in Erlanger at 635 Donaldson Highway. The application was submitted under the name Yellow Flowers LLC. As of now, neither store is open. Neither store’s prospective operating hours are posted on its website.

When dispensaries do open in NKY, Johns warned that customers should be prepared for “sticker shock” due to limited supply and high demand.

Cannabis plants. Photo provided | Matthew Brodeur via Unsplash

C3 Industries: Wilder C3 Industries, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the largest operator with a dispensary license for NKY. The license is held under the name C3 Kentucky LLC.

In November 2025, LINK nky reported that C3 plans to open a new ‘High Profile’ dispensary featuring a drive thru for pickups.

Its hours of operation are expected to be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

The company has retail, cultivation and manufacturing divisions. On the retail side, C3 runs 31 dispensaries across Michigan, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey and Missouri under the ‘High Profile’ brand name.

Currently, C3 is in the planning phase of the project, with no construction work underway on the site.

C3 oversees approximately 275,000 square feet of cultivation and processing space, including 125,000 square feet in Michigan, 37,000 square feet in Massachusetts and 110,000 square feet in Missouri.

Initially, the original applicant, Alexandria business Nicole Tirella, received a license via the lottery system, with plans to open Campbell County’s first dispensary in the vacant Truist Bank building off U.S. Route 27 in Alexandria. However, the license was eventually obtained by C3, which changed course and decided to instead open the dispensary in Wilder on Country Drive, next to Patient Aids Home Care Equipment & Services.

Kentucky state law allows a licensee to sell their cannabis business license, provided that the buyer and the facilities comply with all legal requirements of the medical cannabis statute.

The Hurdles According to Johns, Bluegrass CannaCare and other regional dispensaries haven’t opened yet due to crop limitations. Currently, Kentucky has only four licensed cannabis cultivators in operation, which constrains the total supply available to dispensaries. Moreover, federal law requires cannabis cultivators to be located within Kentucky, limiting the amount of cannabis dispensaries can obtain to sell.

“The issue we’re facing is just the crop limitation, because right now, there has been three approved dispensaries as of the beginning of January, so it’s three different stores vying for what little crop is out there, because each of those cultivators is only allowed to grow so many square feet,” he said.

Kentucky’s first licensed cannabis cultivator, Armory Kentucky LLC in Mayfield, began growing at its facility in July 2025.

Typically, a cannabis plant takes four to six months to grow, Johns said. This means

“The initial price, the first round everywhere, is going to be higher than what people are expecting,” he said. “But it’s just because the quantity of the product is not there. It’s not a quality issue, it’s a quantity issue.”

In spite of the setbacks faced by local dispensaries, the first medical cannabis facility in NKY opened recently. Bison Processing LLC cut the ribbon to its new facility in Dayton on Jan. 16.

Bison Processing will handle Kentucky-grown cannabis and convert it into safe, lab-tested medical products like tinctures, edibles and topicals for patients registered in the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program.

“We’re the only ones that can make any processed goods, so any gummies that until another place gets licensed, any vapes, any concentrates, all of that, we’re the only people in the state that can be producing it,” Petarra said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “So, it’s really beneficial to those stores and those dispensaries who haven’t really been able to have anything else on their shelves, other than flower from the couple of other groups that are available.”

Bison Processing will initially produce gummies, with plans to expand into vapes and other vaporizer-friendly concentrates.

It is the first facility of its kind in Kentucky.

This story includes reporting from LINK nky’s Haley Parnell.

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An aerial photo of the old Duro Bag facility on Madison Ave. Photo provided | Northern Kentucky Port Authority

A postcard showing a Chesapeake & Ohio Passenger train in Covington. Postcard provided | Charles Bogart via the Kenton County Public Library

Continued from page 1

Charles Shor, David Shor’s son who formerly served as Duro Bags’ CEO before selling the company to Hilex Poly Company in 2014, talked about the importance of the site both for himself and the region.

Chesapeake & Ohio was a major railroad that had track networks throughout the Midwest, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. The roundhouse itself makes heavy use of American-style arches and is one of the last railroad roundhouses still standing in an American city.

Each of the partners involved in the acquisition will contribute a portion of the funds to make the purchase. Covington will contribute from its economic development budget, Kenton County will contribute from its site development fund and the Catalytic Fund, which specializes in re-

habbing old buildings, will front the loan to fund stabilization of the building for future use. The building is currently zoned for industrial use, and Washington said that marketing to future occupants for the site would be a “nationwide effort.”

“I often talk about the progress we’ve made, the momentum, the investment and the energy that has taken over,” Washington said. “The challenge has always been how to carry that momentum over 12th Street and MLK [Boulevard] and into the core of our city. This moment gives us that opportunity. It allows us to extend progress south.”

“This building is deeply sentimental to me—it represents what we built at Duro and, more importantly, the efforts of thousands of Duro employees, so many of whom call Northern Kentucky home,” Shor said. “I’m excited to see this legacy endure and take on new life.”

charitable initiatives, particularly technical schools in Covington and throughout the region.

Overall, the institutions involved believed the acquisition would serve as means of contributing to the economic growth and prosperity of the region. Jeanne Schroer, CEO of the Catalytic Fund, said the hope was to “ensure [the building’s] redevelopment has as much positive impact on our Northern Kentucky Community as it did… under the Shor family.”

Shor said that any money his foundation receives from the purchase will be sent to

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JANUARY 30, 2026 5

Bellevue moves to curb bamboo spread with proposed ordinance

By Case Fenner

C

iting requests from locals concerned over an explosion of bamboo, the Bellevue City Council heard the first reading of a new invasive plant species ordinance at its Jan. 14 meeting.

The law defines invasive plant species as “those specific types of vegetation and/or plants and trees as defined and set forth in the Kentucky Invasive Plant Council List, including any species of bamboo.” That list includes much-dreaded foliage like Japanese honeysuckle and kudzu, which it regards as a Schedule One severe threat to native plant populations.

The new legislation also clearly defined the city’s “Massachusetts Rule,” which allows property owners to cut back any vegetative overgrowth to their neighbor’s property line, even if doing so would kill the plant.

Any pre-existing scheduled species planted before the law comes into effect will be grandfathered in, but only under strict guidelines. These include constructing impenetrable fencing at the property line of any unaffected land, and a potential $200 fine if overgrowth does occur.

If overgrowth occurs on public property, the planter is liable to the city for the cost of the removal. Bamboo species incur a particularly harsh treatment in the first draft, not being allowed to be replanted or replaced after the grass’s injury or death.

When asked how the specific Council List came to be selected in the regulation, City Attorney Dave Fessler said, “I spent hours and hours and hours; and I stole it from Newport.”

The final reading of the law is planned for the next city council Lawn grass like pictured here is safe, but certain grasses fall on the Kentucky Invasive Plant Council List. Photo by Case Fenner | LINK nky meeting on Feb. 11. contributor

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Mayor teases new development, Covington initiatives in state of city address

By Nathan Granger

C

ovington Mayor Ron Washington teased a possible new development in the city and highlighted current city initiatives that have occurred under this tenure on Jan. 15 at his annual state of the city address.

“It was a year of momentum, of validation and, most importantly, a year that laid a strong foundation for what comes next,” Washington told the crowd at the Covington Business Council Luncheon where his speech took place.

Washington used the speech to talk about various accolades—both for the city itself and different entities within the city—and novel city projects and initiatives that occurred during his first year in office. As it related to the new development, he was slim on the details, but characterized it as an opportunity for the city and its residents.

“Soon, we’ll be sharing exciting news about an international company opening its first U.S.-based production facility right here,” Washington said.

Washington highlighted the city’s housing initiative, which aims to refurbish vacant properties throughout the city, the city’s Bridging the Gap initiative, the city’s new recreation committee and the ongoing transition from a city manager form of government to a mayor-council form of government. He also discussed overall business growth within the city.

Ron Washington at the Covington Business Council Luncheon Jan. 15, 2026. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

er Homes’ HQ to the old First District Elementary building on Scott Street and the project at the Eilerman Building on Madison Avenue.

at about an $180,000 price point and then get local buyers connected to federal down payment assistance. That project is ongoing.

“This project, which will house three levels of office space and ground-level commercial space, is the only speculative office project currently underway in the Greater Cincinnati region,” said Washington.

Another attendee asked if the city’s housing initiative was focused on homelessness. Washington admitted that no, the initiative focused mostly on working adults and the working poor, whom he also admitted could fall victim to homelessness.

Still, he said, “it is an issue in our community.”

In 2025, Covington was named as having one of the most charming downtowns in America by HGTV. Food & Wine Magazine also named Covington as one of the best small cities in America for food and drink.

Covington business Carmelo’s was also named as the No. 2 restaurant in America

by USA Today. These and other accolades featured prominently in Washington’s address.

One attendee asked Washington about rehabbing vacant properties into single family homes. Washington discussed the city’s housing initiative, which had initially hoped to sell unoccupied city-owned properties and use the money for down payment assistance for local residents, but he said that he “wasn’t happy with the results” that came in for those solicitations.

As it related to businesses, Washington pointed to the ongoing relocation of Fisch-

Still, Washington said, the city is working with a company to possibly build houses

Another attendee asked if there was “any way to remove some of the stop signs that lead you up to the 12th Street Bridge?” This is in reference both to the closure of the Fourth Street Bridge and the recent changes to traffic patterns on the Girl Scout Bridge, which now serves as the primary detour across the Licking River into Newport. Traffic backups have been observed

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there since the closure of the Fourth Street Bridge this week.

Washington replied that that was a state road, so the city’s control over what happens was limited.

“We’re working with [the Transportation Cabinet], and we’re advocating for our community,” Washington said. “Not only are you seeing the backup on the traffic, but a lot of these cars are also coming onto our side streets that our team is responsible for maintaining. KYTC is taking an approach of, let’s just see what happens…

They’re encouraging the public to pull up your GPS [and] look for alternative routes.”

Overall, the mayor’s speech was optimistic about the future.

“Covington’s best days are not behind us,” Washington said. “They are ahead of us.”

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kenton county briefs Kenton County awards $400K for middle school trade programs

Kenton County Government Center. Photo by Hailey Roden | LINK nky

A Northern Kentucky-based nonprofit that focuses on building the region’s skilled trades workforce will receive $400,000 from Kenton County.

On Jan. 13, the Kenton County Fiscal Court approved $400,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for TradesNKY. This funding will cover one-time startup costs to establish a hands-on, trades-based career exploration and skills development program at six Title I middle schools in Kenton County.

The program is designed to address lost instructional time and restore access to experiential learning opportunities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This investment allows us to meet students where they are and reintroduce hands-on learning that was disrupted during the pandemic,” TradesNKY Executive Director Lorraine O’Moore said in a news release.

More specifically, the grant will support classroom conversions, provide industry-standard equipment and supply consumable materials for one year at participating schools. The program specifically targets students who were disproportionately affected by disruptions to in-person learning.

Covington Motor Vehicle Authority director announces retirement

J. Kyle Snyder. Photo provided | The City of Covington

J. Kyle Snyder, the executive director of the Covington Motor Vehicle Parking Authority, announced on Jan. 20 that he would retire in August.

Snyder has worked four years for Covington and nearly 30 years in public

service.

“Parking is your first and last impression of a place,” Snyder said. “If you come in and your first experience is a garage that’s not clean or well lit or does not feel safe or you get towed on your first visit—anything that creates a pain point—that’s not a good look for the city.”

Snyder joined Covington in 2022. Before 8 JANUARY 30, 2026

that, he worked as a project manager at Hamilton County Planning-Community Development and as a geospatial data specialist with Planning and Development Services of Kenton County, a role he occupied for 18 years.

Snyder has headed up several large infrastructure improvement projects in the city during his tenure, most notably improvements to the River Center Parking garage.

Improvements there included elevator and plumbing upgrades, as well as concrete rehabilitation. Snyder has also been a champion of the new parking initiative in Mainstrasse, which aims to provide affordable off-street parking for bar, restaurant and entertainment staff.

Members of the Parking Authority Board and Covington city staff lauded Snyder for his years of service.

“Kyle has done an outstanding job developing Covington’s parking program in a way that truly serves the community,” Parking Authority Board Chair Naashom Marx said. “He is incredibly knowledgeable and always takes the time to educate residents and businesses with patience and grace.

His work has raised the bar for what a city parking program can be.”

Covington’s $10K food donation helps about 2,350 residents

Beards & Bellies to exit The Well in Covington

“We’re thrilled to be working with partners who are bringing new programming, depth and scale to local news,” said Kim Kleman, executive director of Report for America.

“I’m especially excited that our partnerships have the potential to expand to many more communities.”

The selection will allow LINK nky to dedicate a full-time reporter to NKY’s K-12 education system, celebrating the region’s wins and looking into how educational disparities are affecting childrens’ outcomes.

Platters of Beards & Bellies BBQ. Photo provided | Beards & Bellies on Facebook

Southern-style BBQ concept Beards & Bellies will leave The Well, located at 8 W. Seventh St. in Covington, at the end of January.

Beards & Bellies founder Mitch Arens said in a press release that the BBQ concept’s lease is set to expire Jan. 31. Instead of shutting down, Arens decided to pause operations in hopes of finding a new location.

“This isn’t the end of Beards & Bellies,” Arens said in the release. “It’s a moment to take a breath, reflect on what we’ve built and make sure the next space we land in truly feels like home for us and for the people who’ve supported us from the start.”

Beards & Bellies relocated to The Well in January 2025, after previously operating out of Wooden Cask Brewing in Newport.

Following a rigorous selection process, incoming news outlets will welcome Report for America corps members this summer, bringing the total number of Report for America corps members in newsrooms to more than 200 by July.

“The selected newsrooms are a strong cross-section of the current media landscape,” said Jason Blakeney, Report for America’s director of corps and newsroom excellence. “Each newsroom has been carefully selected, and we are confident in their ability to harness unique, local knowledge and provide community-centered news coverage.”

NKY legislators propose Senate Bill 91 to standardize property tax forms statewide

“We’re incredibly grateful for our time at The Well,” Arens said. “That space gave us the chance to grow, experiment and connect with an amazing community. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner during this chapter.”

Workers at Be Concerned. File photo | LINK nky archives

LINK nky to hire education reporter through Report for America

$10,000 donated from the City of Covington late last year has helped about 2,350 Covington residents get connected to food, according to City Manager Sharmili Reddy.

GOP State Sen. Steve Rawlings, R-Burlington, introduced a bill on Jan. 8 that aims to standardize property tax forms in Kentucky.

“About 605 Covington households were served, as well,” Reddy told the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 13. “So, all the funds were used for food purchase, not for staff or administrative costs.”

The Covington Board of Commissioners unanimously voted in November 2025 to donate $10,000 from the city’s own funds to aid local families in accessing food in the face of the erstwhile federal government shutdown and its impact on SNAP benefits.

The donation was Mayor Ron Washington’s idea, and he told the commissioners at the time he was inspired to make the donation after witnessing the number of families seeking food at local service agencies.

The $10,000 was donated specifically to the Horizon Community Fund’s NKY Food Support Fund, which shuttles money to food service agencies. Although the federal shutdown is over, the fund is still active.

Sen. Steve Rawlings, R-Burlington, speaks about Senate Bill 60 on the Senate floor. The bill seeks to bolster religious liberty. Photo provided | Legislative Research Commission

Wisconsin Watch staff photojournalist Joe Timmerman listens to Jimmy Novy, 77, speak at his home, Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in Hillsboro, Wis. Photo provided by Trisha Young | Wisconsin Watch

LINK nky has been selected as a 2026 newsroom partner for Report for America.

What does this mean?

LINK nky will receive a dedicated Report for America corps member to provide education coverage in Northern Kentucky. The newsroom will also receive tailored training and tools to promote financial sustainability in what the organization calls a challenging local news landscape.

Rawlings, along with State Sen. Gex Williams, R-Verona, are co-sponsors of Senate Bill 91, and argue that the current system allows municipalities, counties and other taxing authorities to calculate and present property taxes to taxpayers using different accounting methods, making the filing process unnecessarily difficult and confusing.

“Taxpayers have a right to understand what the government is taking from them,” Rawlings said in a release from his office.

“When tax bills are confusing or inconsistent, accountability disappears. This bill restores transparency so people can clearly see how their money is being used.”

SB 91 would direct the Kentucky Department of Revenue to create a standardized form for real property tax filings to be used statewide. The bill specifies that the form

kenton county briefs must include a clear list of key information, including taxpayer and property details, assessed and taxable values, applicable exemptions, each taxing district and its tax rate, fees, total taxes owed, payment deadlines, discounts, penalties, delinquencies and available payment options.

The form would then be made available to all taxing authorities that levy real property taxes, commonly referred to as real estate taxes. For residents, this refers to homes or other property they own. For businesses, it pertains to office buildings and facilities used for commercial activities.

In effect, SB 91 would mandate that taxing entities must adopt a uniform accounting framework and present tax information in a clear, consistent format, thereby facilitating taxpayers’ ability to easily determine their owed amounts and identify the taxing authorities to whom they pay.

Boone County Commissioner Jesse Brewer, who developed the bill in conjunction with Rawlings, expressed his support for the legislation, saying it would increase transparency for taxpayers.

“Property owners deserve to understand what they’re paying and why,” Brewer said in a news release. “Standardizing the format of property tax bills is a straightforward way to improve transparency and ensure taxpayers can clearly see how their money is being collected.”

Allowing local officials to renew KY driver’s licenses breezes through Senate

Sen. Aaron Reed, R-Shelbyville, said Senate Bill 7 could relieve inconveniences, such as long drives, to renew a driver’s license. Photo provided | LRC Public Information

The Kentucky Senate gave near unanimous approval to allowing officials such as sheriffs and county clerks to renew driver’s licenses in counties without regional offices, sending Senate Bill 7 to the House for consideration.

Sen. Aaron Reed, R-Shelbyville, the bill’s sponsor, on Jan. 16 told his fellow senators that “the burden has fallen too heavily on the people.”

“Our constituents have told us clearly that the current system for driver’s license services is not working,” he said. “Long drives, long lines, missed work, missed school— for a basic government service.”

The only senator to vote against the bill was Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, who called for doing more.

“It is not addressing the issues and I feel we should have,” she said. “We should be passing a stronger piece of legislation to start the work on.”

“We think we’ve now gotten through that press of folks, that additional volume. Wait times are way down. Satisfaction is going up,” Beshear said.

Tichenor referred to a bill she proposed in 2025 that would have established at least one permanent, full-time driver’s license regional office within each county with a population of 50,000 or more.

His administration “may even have a counter proposal,” Beshear said, adding he would support having newly required vision screenings done at a more local level.

In 2020, a law shifted driver’s licensing from circuit court clerks to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, which led to the regional office system. The move helped Kentucky comply with federal requirements to offer REAL ID driver’s licenses.

Kentucky established 34 regional offices that issue and renew driver’s licenses. Drivers would still have to go to a regional office for a new license under this legislation.

It would allow counties without a regional office to choose one local official to offer license renewal services, who would charge a $25 additional fee to offset expenses.

Counties with regional offices are “taken care of for now” and would keep all services at those offices, Reed said.

During his weekly press conference on Jan. 15, Gov. Andy Beshear pointed to several factors that drove up wait times—which the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says are now down to 11 minutes—including a 2025 law that let 15 year olds get driving permits, federal enforcement of the REAL ID deadline and required vision screenings.

“My concern about changing the system is everybody else is going to have to start from scratch now and go through possibly those six years of the learning curve,” Beshear said. “I want to make sure that we don’t just scrap a system that we’ve worked six years to build and then start a new system from scratch, because I think we’ll have the same problems and concerns.”

During a gaggle with reporters on Jan. 15, Senate President Robert Stivers said the bill is just a “starting point” and could change as it moves through the legislative process.

He said, as Reed has, that there is a need to address long drives to regional offices, long waits and insufficient staff.

“The Transportation Cabinet, who is in charge of this under Gov. Beshear, has not been real responsive to a lot of the complaints that we have been hearing and receiving,” Stivers said. “So, we’re going to take our shot at it.”

DIVISION I CASE NO.: 24-CI-00750 KENTUCKY HOUSING CORPORATION VERSUS} BETTE J. YOUNG, ET AL.

MASTER COMMISSIONER’S SALE BOONE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

By virtue of a judgment and order of sale of the Boone Circuit Court rendered OCTOBER 15, 2024 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, FEBRUARY 5, 2026 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts, the following described property to-wit: ADDRESS: 28 KATHRYN AVENUE, FLORENCE, KY 41042 PVA PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 061.13-22-021.00 AMOUNT OF JUDGMENT: $318,005.35 GROUP NO.: 1034

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.

JANUARY 30, 2026 9

NovaCare opens Crescent Springs rehab clinic, relocates from Crestview Hills

By Kenton Hornbeck

C

rescent Springs is now home to Northern Kentucky’s newest NovaCare Rehabilitation outpatient clinic, following the healthcare company’s closure of its Crestview Hills office in fall 2025.

NovaCare Rehabilitation is a nationwide network of outpatient physical therapy, sports medicine and rehabilitation clinics.

The clinics are primarily used for physical and occupational therapy, sports injury rehabilitation, post-surgical rehabilitation and work-related injury treatment.

The Crescent Springs clinic is located in a shopping center off Buttermilk Pike, next to the Good Spirits Wine & Tobacco outlet.

Representatives from the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Crescent Springs Villa Hills Fire Department joined NovaCare Crescent Springs employees to celebrate the clinic’s opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 14.

Drew Schultz, business development manager at NovaCare, told LINK nky that Crescent Springs was a prime location because of its accessibility off Interstate 75.

“I think where the location is—we’re right off Buttermilk Pike—high-profile location, a little more intimate setting in the community. It’s a great community to be part of,” he said. “I think Crescent Springs has a diverse population of aging people and

10 JANUARY 30, 2026

NovaCare Crescent Springs staff and the Crescent Springs Villa Hills Fire Department staff celebrate the opening of the new clinic. Photo by Kenton Hornbeck | LINK nky

also a younger population; it complements what we do here very well.”

The clinic offers pelvic health physical therapy, cancer rehabilitation through NovaCare’s ReVital Cancer Rehab program, vestibular rehab and orthopedic care, in addition to treating athletes and walk-in injury concerns.

“We treat a lot of athletes, a lot of folks, and one of the benefits we do is we see a lot of

folks just coming in up the street, and just say, ‘hey, I’ve got a nagging injury—what do we do?’ We’ve got a lot of seasoned experts who’ve seen a lot of surgeries,” Schultz said.

NovaCare Manager Braden Hurst explained that the clinic near Thomas More University in Crestview Hills closed because of increased patient volume, necessitating an upgrade to a larger facility. The Crestview Hills clinic closed in late September 2025, with the new Crescent Springs clinic opening in early October.

“This new location just moved from our Crestview Hills center here to Crescent Springs and we relocated to a bigger space to accommodate a growing patient population,” he said.

There are three other NovaCare clinics in NKY: Florence, Highland Heights and Hebron. As a whole, Greater Cincinnati is home to over 30 NovaCare clinics.

Inside LINK: An update on LINK + CityBeat

By Lacy Starling

as possible, and it makes a huge difference.

ix weeks ago, LINK Media acquired CityBeat. For us, and for many of our readers, that feels like a lifetime ago. I know everyone is eager to hear how things have been going with the acquisition and integration, so I wanted to provide an update and let folks know what’s coming next.

Started a print distribution audit. CityBeat is distributed in 27 places currently, and we want to make sure all those locations get enough papers, but not too many. (Paper is expensive!) We’re also adding pickup locations every week, so if you own a business and you’d like to have CityBeat delivered for your customers to pick up, email me.

In the past six weeks, we’ve:

Said farewell to Editor-in-Chief Ashley Moor-Mahoney. This one is hard. By the time we signed the papers, Ashley was already well down the path of accepting her new role with the Dayton Daily News. Ashley was truly the glue that held CityBeat together through years of change and it was hard to say goodbye, but we also understood the opportunity she had in Dayton and just tried to make the most of the month we got to work with her.

S

Stripped the junk ads off CityBeat.com. I don’t know about you, but I rage-quit more than one CityBeat story in the past year or so because the ad experience was so bad.

To fix that, we’ve pulled a bunch of junk ads off the site. We want everyone who visits CityBeat.com to have a good reading experience, and that means not fighting 15 pop-ups or watching offensive ad videos running on a loop.

Launched Best of Cincinnati. Normally, Best of Cincinnati starts before the new year, but with no sales team (more about that later) and the previous state of operations, it had not been started yet when we made the purchase. Our first order of business was to get this 30-year-old program back up and running. Nominations are open now!

Pulled all operations in-house. Under the previous ownership, design was handled in Detroit, newsletters were done in Louisville, digital ads were managed from Phoenix and printing was wherever there was a press available. All those folks were lovely,

Here’s an update on LINK Media’s acquisition of CityBeat. Graphic by Maggy McDonel | LINK nky

but it is very hard to run a cohesive organization when it is distributed that widely.

Now, everything is handled right from our offices in Covington.

Hired two more salespeople. When we acquired CityBeat, there was no sales team.

(And no revenue, something we’re still working on.) In order to bring back the robust CityBeat we all knew and loved, we need to sell a LOT more advertising. To that end, we added two salespeople to our team at LINK Media. If you’d like to advertise in CityBeat or LINK nky, reach out!

Updated design of email newsletters. Along with pulling the email newsletter control back into our local office, we’ve done a light redesign on all the emails we send, making it easier to understand which email you are receiving, and hopefully, encouraging folks to read more of the incredible content the

writers are producing every week. If you don’t get CityBeat’s newsletters, sign up now!

Reinstated pay for freelance writers. For the past six months, there had been no freelance budget for writers at CityBeat.

(See above about there being no revenue.)

We believe that freelancers are critically important to local news organizations and that people should get paid for their work, so we’ve allocated dollars for contributors again.

Upgraded the paper for the print edition.

About two years ago, we switched to brighter, whiter paper for the LINK print editions.

It makes the photos look better, and the paper easier to read. As soon as we bought CityBeat, we upgraded the bi-weekly print edition to that same paper. We want the photos our freelancers take to look as good

That list is exhausting, but by no means exhaustive. Our team has been working pretty much nonstop since Dec. 5 to stabilize CityBeat, make the reader experience better and figure out what our path forward looks like.

In the next few weeks, stay tuned for announcements about other events, new editorial staff and opportunities to share your thoughts about the future of CityBeat. In the meantime, you can always reach me at Lacy@citybeat.com.

Lacy Starling is the president and CEO of LINK Media, LLC. LINK Media publishes LINK nky and CityBeat.

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JANUARY 30, 2026 11

sports Former Cooper standout Alexander transferring from UNC to Western Michigan

Alexander signed with North Carolina (4-8) in December 2024 after he made his original verbal commitment to the Tar Heels in April 2024.

Highlands sweeps NKAC swim and dive meet

Because the conference is broken down into two divisions, not all schools compete against each other for points. For example, the Scott Eagles outscored a lot of D-1 teams because they are D-2, but their scoring was not tied to the bigger schools. The Eagles were only competing against smaller schools even though all competitors swam together.

kler was girls runner-up with 362.50.

Six NKY girls basketball teams show up in the latest ‘Elite 16’ poll

Holy Cross senior Barrett Dirst was one of four swimmers earning honors. He repeated as the Division II Male Competitor of the Meet.

Former Cooper standout Austin Alexander is transferring from North Carolina to Western Michigan. Photo provided | Charles Bolton

Former University of North Carolina linebacker Austin Alexander, once a star at Cooper High School, will sign with Western Michigan University.

The Highlands boys swimming and diving team won again at the NKAC championships at Scott High School. Photo provided | Highlands High School

Alexander played his freshman season with the Tarheels and head coach Bill Belichick, but decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month.

He considered several opportunities but ultimately chose the Broncos. Western Michigan, which won the Mid-American Conference championship, earned its third bowl win in program history Dec. 19, 2025, after a 41-6 victory over Kennesaw State at the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

Western Michigan completed its season with a 10-4 record, including 7-1 in the Mid-American Conference. The Broncos showed significant interest in Alexander this month. The program plans to announce Alexander’s signing in the upcoming days.

The nephew of three-time Pro Bowl running back and 2005 NFL MVP Shaun Alexander was part of back-to-back Kentucky Class 5A finalists at Cooper in 2023 and 2024.

The Highlands girls swimming and diving team won their portion of the NKAC meet at Scott High School. Photo provided | Highlands High School

Highlands again swept all three team titles at the Jan. 17 Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference swim and dive meet, winning the boys, girls and overall championships.

The boys posted 550 points.

The Highlands girls were even more commanding, scoring 616. In the combined standings, Highlands piled up 1,166 points.

Highlands and Simon Kenton finished 1-2 in the overall D-1 standings. Scott and St. Henry finished 1-2 in D-2.

Other honorees included Highlands’ Stella Kendon, the Division I Girls Competitor of the Meet, and teammate Chanith Abeysinghe, the D‑1 Boys Competitor of the Meet.

St. Henry’s Addison Dees earned the D‑2 Girls award.

Highlands’ roster produced some standout individual moments. But the Bluebirds won the same way they’ve won all season—with depth, balance and a long list of contributors.

Among the Highlands girls individual event winners were Kendon in the 200-yard medley, Ella Kate Reynolds in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle races, Vivian Winkler in the 50-yard freestyle and Margaret Meyers in the 100-yard backstroke. Reynolds was runner-up to Kendon in the girls power points race.

Bluebirds boys winners included Abeysinghe in the 100-yard freestyle and Max Taylor in the 100-yard butterfly. Elliot Meyers won the 500-yard freestyle.

Cooper and Haylee Noel are ranked No. 6. Photo provided | Charles Bolton

The strength of Northern Kentucky girls basketball continues to flex its muscles.

In the latest ‘Elite 16’ statewide media basketball poll, six girls teams from NKY were in the top 16. Simon Kenton came in at No. 5, Cooper at No. 6, Campbell County No. 10, Notre Dame No. 11, Holy Cross No. 15 and Bishop Brossart No. 16.

Two others showed up in the others receiving votes category with Ryle No. 19 and St. Henry No. 28, putting eight NKY girls teams in the top 30.

In the latest boys poll, Covington Catholic held firm at No. 4. They are the lone NKY boys team ranked in the top 16.

Highlands just missed at No. 17, Holy Cross is No. 24, Campbell County is No. 30 and Ryle is No. 34.

Highlands also won a handful of relay races with help from Kendon and Abeysinghe.

Friday’s 1-meter diving champions included Simon Kenton’s Isaiah Reinhart with 445.90 points in the boys event. Cooper’s Chris Nowak won the girls competition with 386.70 points. Highlands’ Addie Tin-

THE WEEKLY COMIC by Andrew Buchanan

Sponsored by

The LINK nky Team of the Week for Jan. 5-11 is the Ryle Archery team. Graphic provided

RYLE ARCHERY 12 JANUARY 30, 2026

obituary

NKY leaders launch $25M housing fund

By Staff Report Northern Kentucky regional leaders have established the Northern Kentucky Housing Fund, a revolving loan fund designed to boost housing development in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties.

The fund has a minimum capitalization target of $25 million and will serve as a permanent financial resource to expand the region’s overall housing supply. The fund will be housed within and managed

by The Catalytic Fund, a nonprofit community development financial institution based in NKY. The Greater Cincinnati Foundation will provide $1 million in initial lending capital toward a $5 million launch goal, along with a $500,000 operating grant through the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. Fund.

A 2023 Northern Kentucky Area Development District, or NKADD, housing analysis found that the region will need at least 6,650 additional housing units over the next five years. Reports from NKADD, Brighton Center and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce have also recommended establishing a regional housing fund.

The NKY Housing Fund will aim to offer below-market, flexible financing to

Charlene (Char) K. Lawson

support new housing development, including workforce housing and “missing middle” housing types. Loan repayments will be recycled into future projects.

“Housing is the backbone of our communities—without strong neighborhoods and enough housing our families can afford, our region cannot grow and prosper,” Catalytic Fund CEO Jeanne Schroer said in a news release. “Establishing the NKY Housing Fund is a natural extension of the work we are already doing across our region, and we are excited to invest in more housing in Northern Kentucky.”

In addition, the Horizon Community Foundation of Northern Kentucky will support the fund through its NKY Home for All Fund, which allows individual donors to contribute to housing initiatives, including the fund’s operations.

“Horizon Community Foundation has been working with our regional leaders for more than four years to document and understand our region’s housing needs,” Horizon Community Foundation CEO Nancy Grayson said in the release. “We are excited to launch the NKY Home For All Fund as a response to what we have learned—the success of our region lies in the people who live here and housing them is a regional priority.”

C

harlene was born Oct. 27, 1935 in Southgate, Kentucky. Char was the daughter of Charles & Mildred Benzing. She graduated from Newport High School in 1953 and married her husband Andrew “Jack” Lawson in 1954.

Jack preceded her in death on June 16, 2000.

Char possessed a remarkable gift for music, which she shared generously through her life. She played piano, organ, violin and percussion, directed choirs, sang and danced, teaching both children and adults.

Wherever she lived, she brought her musical talents to her community.

Throughout their lives, Char and Jack made homes in Kentucky, Ohio, New Mexico, California, Illinois, Florida and Michigan, and along the way they explored the world together­—visiting China, Russia and the Caribbean islands.

She was a devoted member of Hazel Crest Charlene (Char) K. Lawson United Methodist Church in Illinois and lat- ly) Lawson and Andrew Lawson; and her great-grandchildren Beatrice,ofJack, Cora er theCharlene First Presbyterian church in1935 Coldwawas born October 27, in Southgate, KY. Char was the daughter Charles & Mildred Benzing. She from Newport HS in 1953 marriedLawson. her husband Andrew “Jack” Lawson in and and Annabelle ter, Michigan andgraduated directed choirs for both.

1954. Jack preceded her in death on June 16, 2000.

Char possessed a remarkable gift for music, which she shared generously through her life. She played organ,joy violin percussion, directed teaching both cousins children and She issang, also danced, survived by many via adults.

Char’spiano, greatest wasand her family. She is choirs, Wherever she lived, she brought her musical talents to her community. her beloved Aunt Lorean Downs. survived by her sons, Brian (Tamra) Lawson Throughout their lives, Char and Jack made homes in KY, OH, NM, CA, IL, FL and MI, and along the way they explored the world - visiting China, Russia and the Caribbean islands. of Park Hills, Kentucky andtogether Craig (Tammy) She was a devoted member of Hazel Crest United Methodist Church in IL and later the First A celebration of life will be held at a later Lawson of Carmel, Indiana; her grandPresbyterian church in Coldwater, MI and directed choirs for both.

Char’s greatest joy Lawson, was her family. is survived date.by her sons, Brian (Tamra) Lawson of Park Hills, KY children Ben (Sally) GregShe (Emiand Craig (Tammy) Lawson of Carmel, IN; her grandchildren Ben (Sally) Lawson, Greg (Emily) Lawson and Andrew Lawson; and her great-grandchildren Beatrice, Jack, Cora and Annabelle Lawson. She is also survived by many cousins via her beloved Aunt Lorean Downs.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

COMMISSIONER’S SALE CAMPBELL COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

CASE NUMBER 25-CI-01015

CASE NUMBER 25-CI-00488

DIVISION 2

DIVISION 2

FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION

HEARTLAND BANK, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO VICTORY COMMUNITY BANK

VS. JOSEPH M. HUTCHINS, ET AL.

BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 1/13/2026 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 2/17/2026 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit: 148 Ridgewood Drive, Alexandria, Kentucky 41001 Group No: 70266/H2 PIDN: 999-99-25-275.92

VS. OHIO VALLEY SOLID SURFACE LLC, ET AL.

BY VIRTUE OF A JUDGMENT RENDERED 9/15/2025 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 2/17/2026 at 3:00pm, the following property, to-wit: 103 Center Street, Wilder, Kentucky 41071 Group No: 30950/A8 & A9 PIDN: 999-99-17-607.00

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

JANUARY 30, 2026 13

real estate

Three-story condo with skyline views near Devou Park Address: 728 Western Ave., Covington Price: $375,000 Bedrooms: Three Bathrooms: Two (plus one half-bath) Square footage: 2,384 School district: Covington Independent County: Kenton Special features: This three-story condo offers unobstructed views of the downtown Cincinnati skyline and Covington from private decks on every level. The home includes a two-car garage with private entry, 12-plus foot ceilings in the kitchen and great room, an open layout with a stone fireplace and abundant natural light.

Two bedrooms each feature en suite bathrooms, including an owner’s suite with a soaking tub and dual shower heads. A media room with a projector, screen and bar provides a flexible space that can serve as a third bedroom, and the property offers direct access to Devou Park trails and green space.

The exterior of this Covington condo. Photos provided | Monica Weakley with Dwell Well Group

A look at this home’s living room with skyline views.

A view of this home’s primary bedroom.

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

KRS 424.145 NOTICE OF ADVERTISEMENT Northern Kentucky Water District and Boone County Water District Invitation to Bid – 2026 Distribution Materials and Meter Shop Bid – supply of meter shop supplies, service supplies, water main pipe, and other related materials. Access to the Invitation to Bid can be found on the Northern Kentucky Water District website (https://nkywater.org/procurement) by clicking the section labeled “NKWD’s Quest CDN webpage”.

Alternatively potential bidders may contact Cassandra Zoda at czoda@nkywater.org, 859-578-5455, or by visiting 2835 Crescent Springs Rd., Erlanger, KY 41018 for delivery of the Invitation to Bid.

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

14 JANUARY 30, 2026

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SUDOKU

Edited Margie E.Crossword Burke Theby Weekly

Difficulty: Medium

1

4 9 5 8 7 1 9 4/25 - 11/30/25 6 7 1 7 8 4 8 7 4 1 6 2 5 3

Edited by Margie E. Burke

Copyright 2025 by The Puzzle Syndicate

HOW TO SOLVE:

Each row must contain the 1 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:

2 3

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

2 3

by Margie E. Burke

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ACROSS HOW TO SOLVE: 1 Highest point 15 16 14 5 row Sandler orcontain Scott the Each must 18 19 17 must numbers 1 to 9; each 9 Bodies of column contain organisms the numbers 1 to 9; and 22 21 each of 3ofbythe 3 boxes 20 must 14set Heart contain the numbers 1 23 to 9.

24 25 matter 15 Runner's 26 27 28 29 30 Answer to Previous Sudoku: distance 16 Music exec 34 35 36 3 8 5Davis 4 9 7 131 6 322 33 38 mineral 9 2176Softest 3 8 1 437 5 7 41 40 1 418 7Supporter 5 2 6 339 9 8 20 Over again 43 44 6 1223Plaza 7 Hotel 4 5girl 242 8 9 of kid-lit 48 49 50 51 7 9234Nostalgia2 6 8 5 1 3 45 46 47 54 55 8 5 2inducing 9 1 3 752 4 536 58 57 5 724 1Means 8 of 3 entry 9 656 2 4 26 Media event, 4 6 9informally 1 7 2 859 3 5 60 61 2 328 8Tiny6amount 5 4 962 7 1 63 64 31 Most expansive 34 Grand theft, e.g.

Copyright 2025 by The Puzzle Syndicate 37 Objective 38 Movie Guy? 4 Selected, as 36 Reason for a 49 Skin problem 39 Bugs Bunny from text result 50 Pop a bottle top creator Freleng 5 Shots, for short 40 Before, before 51 Range tops?

41 Handled badly 6 Anne Frank, for 41 Like most taxi 52 Munsters' pet 42 Junior's junior one fares dragon 43 Finds one's 7 "Star Trek" 44 "You don't say!" 53 NY canal bearings extras 46 Artist's 55 Inquires 45 Lab chemical 8 People in a implement 57 Number in a 48 Devour eagerly Steinbeck title 47 Teen-___ Dickens title 52 Waste 9 Justice symbol 54 Editor's concern 10 Spiced stews 56 Oscar night VIPs 11 Sunday Answers to Previous Crossword: 58 Ancient Andean speakers 59 Edmonton skater 12 They're numM A M A C U R T O N C E A F A R V E R A I C O N S 60 Pay period, for bered in NYC L A N G E R O S E W A T E R some 13 Moistureless H E A R T E N L I K E N E D 61 Furniture wood 19 Aquatic turtle L I L I A N S I L K S 62 Reveals 21 Oscar-winning I N D E L I B L E T E E 63 Two-to-one, e.g.

Rita L O O S E S A S S E S S E S 64 Puppy noises 25 Hair raiser?

H E S S E O V A 27 Female hormone L A W T H E M E S DOWN 29 Ending to avoid? S A N D B A N K S A O F A S T E N E R S 1 Someone in a 30 Like Easter eggs E N T E R S A S T I R cast 31 Caesar's eight D A R L E N E R E D U C E D 2 "Frasier" 32 Standards org.

E R O D E A V O I D A B L E surname 33 Evacuation G L E E R E N E W P O K E 3 Punish with a route, often S E E P D E N Y T R E S fine 35 Took a breather

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