LINK Kenton Reader - Volume 1, Issue 36 - August 4, 2023

The ‘invisible population’

How NKY educators support students experiencing homelessness

NKY statehouse candidate sues Democrats p7

What does it take to be a farmers market vendor? p10

Streetscapes: pizza, burgers, ice cream in Silver Grove p16

Former

The ‘invisible population’: NKY school districts discuss state of student homelessness

PRESIDENT & CEO Lacy Starling

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Mark Collier

MANAGING EDITOR Meghan Goth

PRINT EDITOR Kaitlin Gebby

SPORTS EDITOR Evan Dennison

The LINK nky Kenton Reader is a weekly newspaper. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending, permit number 32 in Covington, Kentucky. The LINK nky Kenton Reader office of publications and the Periodical Pending Postage Paid at 700 Scott St., Covington, KY 41011.

For mailing address or change-of-address orders: POSTMASTER: send address changes to The LINK nky Kenton Reader: 31 Innovation Alley, Covington, KY 41011 859-878-1669 | www.LINKnky.com

HAVE A TIP? News@LINKnky.com

WANT TO ADVERTISE? Marketing@LINKnky.com

WANT TO SUBSCRIBE?

Send a check for $31.80 ($25 trial rate plus 6% Kentucky sales tax) to our principle office or scan this QR code below

No part of this publication may be used without permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please let us know and accept our sincere apologies in advance.

Correction

In the July 28 edition of the Weekly LINK Reader, a photo of Cave City, Kentucky, was misidentified as a portion of the Old Pogue Exhibit at the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center. LINK nky regrets the error.

As a young adult, David Childs experienced homelessness. It wasn’t because of addiction or mental illness—he even grew up in what he called a stable home, so he encourages those working with children in similar situations to not just assume what homelessness looks like.

“The world knows ‘homeless’ as a guy on the corner, begging for money,” said Kristy McNally, Newport Independent Schools’ Services, Tools, and Empowerment coordinator. “This (student homelessness) is an invisible population that people do not really understand.”

Homelessness refers to children and young people lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, according to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which is the primary piece of federal legislation that provides rights and

BY HALEY PARNELL | LINK nky REPORTER

services to children and youth experiencing homelessness.

Just under 2,500 students were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2021-2022 school year across nine NKY metro school districts, according to data from the Kentucky Department of Education. Those school districts, which are part of the Northern Kentucky Homeless Education Collaborative, are: Covington Independent, Campbell County, Kenton County, Boone County, Southgate Independent, Newport Independent, Dayton Independent, Bellevue Independent, and Erlanger/ Elsmere Independent.

The Northern Kentucky Homeless Education Collaborative comprises the nine homeless liaisons in each district who meet monthly. As part of the McKinney-Vento law, each district must have a homeless liaison.

“In my case, I just didn’t have a lot of resources,” Childs said. “I didn’t have a family that comes from wealth, and so I was in situations where I didn’t have a place to stay. But fortunately, I was connected with Lighthouse Youth Services in Cincinnati, so I had a place to lay my head, but I had to be part of a homeless organization.”

Childs said it was tough to be a college student, not having anything to eat or not knowing where the next meal would come from, and said not having those available resources affected the academic process.

McNally agreed that student homelessness impacts education, which is why people like her are designated in schools to help the students and families; however, she said this isn’t an intelligence issue, it’s a situational one.

Continues on page 4

A backpack left on a street corner. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

David Childs, Ph.D. experienced homelessness when he was younger. He is now a professor at Northern Kentucky University. Photo by Abigail Shoyat | LINK nky contributor

McNally said these students have things weighing on their minds that they might not even realize, and then are expected to sit in a classroom.

“Think about it,” McNally said. “If I’m not arriving to school on time, if I’m not coming to school consistently because now we’ve moved to other places, or if I’m concerned with ‘Where are we going to be tonight?’ And now I’ve got to come into class and be like everybody else, but I have three other things that are really weighing on my brain, and now I have to truck ahead and try to learn this math problem.”

McNally said when she works with her students who get frustrated over things like math problems, she tells them to think about it in a different way.

“That problem isn’t going to do anything for you— you’re right, but the fact that you now know how to do that problem makes you walk a little taller,” McNally said. “It makes you make decisions in a better way.”

How did the region get into this situation?

Brighton Center Marketing & Communications Specialist Deana Sowders said COVID-19 exacerbated existing issues.

After the pandemic, Sowders said, a sharp increase in the cost of living and the lack of attainable housing put families into situations they never thought they would be in. She also said a daycare crisis is contributing to parents not being able to work.

“So, the parents have no income, and so

suddenly they’re months behind on their rent, and they’re being evicted,” Sowders said. “It’s just this massive cycle. I think it accelerated because of the pandemic, but I think it was always there, and it was always happening.”

She also said the lack of resources before the pandemic contributed to the state of families experiencing homelessness today.

“The combination that we’ve experienced in the last three years has become overwhelming because we didn’t have the resources in place on a massive scale that we needed to make a dent in it in such a way that would have prevented the massive situation we’re in now,” Sowders said.

McNally said the families she works with at Newport Independent School District don’t self-identify as homeless because there is a lot of fear and embarrassment around the issue.

“The majority of the students we work with are in doubled-up situations, so they don’t really classify that as homeless because they’re at their Aunt Jane’s, or my mom’s friend or whatever; so, it’s always a home of some sort,” McNally said.

Childs agreed that fear can contribute to a lack of communication between families and school districts.

“Knowledge is really important, so schools can have conversations with students and with parents to find out exactly what they need in a safe environment,” he said. “Because often people don’t want to communicate— they’re embarrassed.”

McNally said Newport has 237 students out of its 1,400-student population who are experiencing homelessness.

Most school districts, McNally said, have paperwork at the time of enrollment to identify students that are housing-insecure.

Kenton County School District Superintendent Henry Webb said its process is similar.

If a family classifies itself as homeless, McNally immediately gets involved.

“Then I introduce myself to the family,” McNally said. ”Give them resources and let them know that I’m part of this educational journey with them and their students while they’re here with us in our district. Basically, a person that is going to be right by your side to make sure that every educational need is met.”

If a student identifies as homeless after being enrolled in the school system for a while, Webb said it becomes more challenging to gather information. He said schools work with their family resource centers to make sure they identify those students.

Family resource centers establish a link between families and the services necessary to meet basic needs and remove barriers to learning. According to Kenton County Schools, the centers make referrals in health and social services, employment information and adult education classes, child care services, substance abuse, and family crisis intervention.

About 525 out of roughly 14,000 students identify as homeless in Kenton County Schools, Webb said. That number is districtwide, which reaches mostly the suburbs and rural areas, with some urban population.

“We’re a very large school district, and that number in comparison has been fairly consistent the last two-three years,” Webb said. “It was a little higher before the pandemic, which makes me believe that we’ve got some kids that may be unidentified.”

Childs said when people think of poverty, their minds go to urban areas.

“Rural poverty is a real thing, and the resources are scarce,” Childs said. “When people think poverty, they think urban. When they think of Black and brown communities, they think urban. But there’s a segment of the population and there’s diversity in rural counties, as well. That’s

David Childs, Ph.D. experienced homelessness when he was younger. He is now a professor at Northern Kentucky University. Photo by Abigail Shoyat | LINK nky contributor

where a lot of the work needs to be done.

“Those folks are often ‘invisible’, and it’s a different kind of poverty, a different kind of homelessness in rural settings. For example, there’s no public transportation, a lot of the food programs are not available that you would have in the city. Now, I don’t want to mischaracterize and say urban poverty is easier. It just looks different.”

Another thing Webb said the district does is to ensure every student has an adult advocate who knows the student and their situation.

“One of the reasons we have that as an expectation and a belief is so kids, whatever they’re experiencing, whether it’s homelessness or other issues, or successes, that the adult advocate would know that and help advocate for that child,” Webb said.

Working directly with these families is essential because it helps them feel empowered, McNally said.

“You don’t feel powerful as a parent because you’ve been knocked down over and over and over again,” McNally said. “You’re in this huge thing called the school system, which is intimidating as hell, especially if you don’t have a very high education yourself. You’re intimidated, so you have this person that’s going to walk alongside you to navigate this whole process with you and pay attention to that student.”

Another way of identifying students throughout the school year who may not have initially identified as homeless, McNally said, is to notice common trends such as arriving at school late when they may not have previously. She said she trains teachers to know what to look for, and they are required every year to be trained on McKinney-Vento.

Kenton County Schools follows the “multi-

tiered system of supports,” Webb said, which covers behavior, mental health and social/emotional strategies.

“Part of that training helps teachers identify students that are struggling socially/ emotionally, and typically, not always, but lots of times, students that are experiencing homelessness struggle socially/emotionally,” Webb said. “So, our teachers and staff are trained to identify that.”

The McKinney-Vento law helps students experiencing homelessness maintain a stable education process by requiring districts to work together to provide student transportation.

“We have to abide by the law and work together whether they are with us or went to another district and no matter what their housing situation has come to,” McNally said. “The whole point is to make sure that the educational process has been as stable as possible.”

Should a student move to live in Newport’s school district but already attended school in a different community, they do not have to enroll in Newport schools.

“We are not going to make a transfer to Newport schools because all that’s going to do is set them back three-plus months in the educational process,” McNally said. “That is a law.”

The school does what’s in the student’s best interests, McNally said. Therefore, if a student belongs to a district and moves, the two school districts will work together to transport the student. McNally said that one district would pay for transportation to school, and the other would pay to transport from school. The districts must do so for as long as the student needs.

Webb said he thinks the transportation piece is one of the strongest parts of the

McKinney-Vento Act.

“Unfortunately, sometimes, parents and families have to move during the school year, and they don’t want to tell us because they’re afraid if they tell us, that child will not be able to stay in that environment,” he said. “The last thing a child experiencing social/emotional issues, experiencing homelessness needs is to be uprooted from their school, their friends, their environment, their teachers and their counselors who know them.”

This sometimes means lengthy bus rides, Webb said. He said their longest bus ride in the county is about an hour and a half.

Districts could apply for the threeyear McKinney-Vento homeless federal grant, McNally said, which could help with transportation costs. It is also how her position is funded at Newport Schools.

Aside from transportation, schools also provide help with things like clothing and food.

“So often, whether it’s a child, young adult, they’ll have like two outfits,” Childs said. “So sometimes they might have one pair of pants and three shirts. So, they’re going to change the shirt to make it seem like they have more than one outfit. You don’t often have anywhere to put your possessions. You have to travel lightly.”

This is why Kentucky’s family resource centers advocate within schools to reduce educational barriers like clothing, food or other basic needs, McNally said.

“When I was younger, we were impoverished, and I did go to school to eat,” Childs

said. “Often, I didn’t have a meal until I got to school. I don’t want to mischaracterize my mom— we always had food on the table, but we were often hungry. And the school feeding children, that’s another resource.”

Intentional programming is essential, McNally said, as opposed to just canvassing an entire school. Rather, selecting a student for a program where they will meet people in similar situations and find success. Childs agrees.

“You wouldn’t believe what the circumstances that some of the young people in Continues on page 6

David Childs, Ph.D. Photo by James Robertson | LINK nky contributor

our schools are going through— the living conditions that they’re a part of, and for them to even be at the school sometimes is a major feat,” he said. “And so, we have to be thoughtful about what kinds of things we can provide for them— breaking the mold. It’s not one size fits all.”

Other types of help that the school system provides, Webb said, include free and reduced lunch, help with academic fees, emergency funding for brief hotel stays, gas cards for families to transport kids, and connecting families with their community partners.

One example of that is the Brighton Center. The Brighton Center gets the most referrals for housing from Newport, Covington, and Erlanger/Elsmere school districts, according to Housing & Family Well-Being Director Jenny Wiley. However, its Street Outreach program and Homeward Bound shelter work with all districts in the region.

Runaway, homeless and street youth are provided street-based services through The Youth Street Outreach program. The program helps those subjected to or at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation and trafficking. Kids and young adults ages 16-21 also receive outreach, prevention, individualized assessment, service linkages, case planning and follow-up through the program.

Brighton Center’s Homeward Bound Shelter is a 24-hour emergency shelter in Covington that provides runaway, homeless, abused, neglected and dependent youth ages 11-17 a safe environment and residential treatment services. The shelter is the only direct-access emergency shelter for youth under 18 in Northern Kentucky.

“I think people perceive a single man with mental health and addiction issues, and the actuality is there are families with chil-

dren and youth,” Wiley said. “They’re all part of the population.”

Brighton Center Street Outreach Supervisor Dawn Carson said there’s an ideology that “some kind of magic” exists to fix the problem. She said there are time constraints when people are at their most vulnerable moments that can’t be solved overnight.

“It takes a lot of work and a lot of time to build a person back up and get them back involved in the community because they’ve been shunned so much by the community that they’ve lost all trust and all faith,” Carson said.

Brighton Center provides other resources for families and individuals experiencing homelessness, such as their Stable Families and Rapid ReHousing programs.

Stable Families serves families with children in grades K-3 who are at imminent risk of homelessness to stabilize its housing situation. The goal is for parents to maintain housing while children maintain school stability.

Rapid ReHousing works with individuals experiencing homelessness to connect them with quality, affordable housing, and

wrap-around support services.

“I think something to think about, particularly with youth, people see homeless generally and think it’s due to a fault of their own or something that they didn’t do, and a lot of our youth, they turn 18, and parents are kicking them out,” Brighton Center Youth Services Director Kate Kassis said. “They don’t have the support.”

Ending student homelessness is not a reality, so McNally said they must focus on what can be done, starting with getting rid of the stigma attached to it, raising awareness of what it is, and educating people on how school systems are helping with the issue.

“I think the solution is exactly what we’re doing and continuing to raise the bar because it works,” McNally said. “That’s the solution. Doing whatever it takes to make a student’s educational journey as stable and solid as it can be.”

As far as a regional solution, Wiley said Northern Kentucky needs more affordable housing. Sowders said that within the last few years, there has been a loss of hundreds of affordable housing units, meaning housing that costs not more than 30% of a family’s or an individual’s income. More

specifically, Wiley said there has been a loss of 361 units at City Heights in Covington, 232 units at the former Victoria Square apartments in Newport, and roughly 200 units at the former River Chase apartments in Newport.

“We’ve specifically lost hundreds of units that were at 30% of people’s income, so it made it possible to live, and to pay for things, to get to a job, and put gas in a car, and buy groceries,” Sowders said. “Because if you’re hungry and you can’t get to work, you can’t have an income, and it’s just a cycle that keeps repeating.”

Now a professor at Northern Kentucky University, Childs said he always likes to give credit to Lighthouse Youth Services, which provided him with resources that helped him acquire housing and get through college.

“The key was just empathy and not treating me as if I had made all these mistakes, and I deserve to be poor,” Childs said. “It helped give me a leg up and a hand up to be able to go forward. I think that was so important for me.”

Rights of eligible children and youth under the McKinney-Vento Act:

• Right to immediate school enrollment even when records not present.

• Right to remain in the school of origin, if in the student’s best interest.

• Right to receive transportation to and from the school of origin

• Right to receive support for academic success.

Source: National Center for Homeless Education

Children sit in a classroom. Photo provided | Taylor Flowe via Unsplash

Former NKY statehouse candidate files

defamation suit against state Democratic Party

BY MARY PAYNE | LINK nky REPORTER

Aformer Republican statehouse candidate filed a defamation lawsuit against the Kentucky Democratic Party, the state party chair and his former opponent last week in Campbell County Circuit Court.

Jerry Gearding, who lost to Rep. Rachel Roberts, D-Newport in the 67th District in 2022, filed the lawsuit over campaign ma-

terials he said aren’t true and have damaged his reputation and cost him employment.

The materials were from Roberts, the Democratic Party and party Chair Colmon Elridge, according to the lawsuit.

“Starting in late July of 2022, and continuing until the election on November 8, 2022, Defendants began a course of conduct founded in false and malicious written and verbal statements regarding Gearding, designed and orchestrated to damage his reputation and cause him to lose the support of his community,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit stems from campaign materials distributed by the party during the campaign that highlighted Gearding’s alleged arrest record for domestic violence, a DUI arrest, a disorderly conduct arrest and bankruptcy that the party published on Jerryforjail. com.

Further, the lawsuit references mailers published by Roberts’ campaign, as well as an instance where

Elridge tweeted out a photo of Gearding with Robert Goforth, a former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives who pleaded guilty to domestic assault and strangulation.

“Defendant Elridge’s statement in his July 20, 2022 tweet made no distinction between Gearding, who has never been convicted of domestic abuse, and Robert Goforth, who pled guilty to fourth-degree domestic violence in July of 2022,” the lawsuit reads. “Elridge used the plural description ‘domestic abusers’ to describe both Plaintiff and Robert Goforth.”

Gearding’s lawsuit claims that the materials sent out by Roberts, Elridge and the Democratic Party intentionally set out to disparage his reputation.

In an interview with LINK nky last year regarding the claims made by the party, Gearding said that the accuser in his cases had mental health issues, though official police reports make no mention of the accuser’s mental state.

Gearding previously told LINK nky he’s innocent and had not been drinking during his arrests. He also said he believes the Campbell County court system treated him unfairly because he previously ran for Campbell County commissioner, and described his last two arrests as a coordinated effort between the county attorney’s office and the police.

“It’s disappointing because no one sup-

ports our police more than me,” Gearding said in a text message regarding whether the police gave him a field sobriety test during one of his arrests. He argues they didn’t and said he had body cam footage to show he wasn’t intoxicated. “There was clearly coordination between the county attorney’s office and the police the last two arrests so who knows.”

Further, he said in the interview that he understood he would receive these attacks when he ran for office, knowing that the information would be public.

“When I ran for office, I certainly understood that my personal life would become public domain,” Gearding said last year. “These allegations are things that I knew would be brought up, and actually, before I ran, I talked to my son about it.”

He also denied doing anything that the Kentucky Democratic Party accused him of, especially when it came to comparing him to Goforth.

“I don’t know the background on his case, but I know the background on my case, and I know I was innocent, so if they want to attack me that’s fine,” Gearding said last year. “I have pretty big skin.”

The lawsuit also describes a different series of events than what’s stated in official police reports, with Gearding arguing he was arrested based on claims made by his now ex-girlfriend.

What Matters Most?

Attending and enjoying your daughter’s dance recital, or time attending to your family’s future financial needs?

One of the pages of the lawsuit. Photo provided | Commonwealth of Kentucky Campbell Circuit Court

Gearding’s first charge happened in August 2018 when police were dispatched to a home in Wilder. According to the police report, a woman called and reported that Gearding assaulted and injured her.

Gearding was attempting to leave with his 10-year-old son, and when police removed him from the car, he “had a strong odor of alcoholic beverages, bloodshot, watery eyes, and could not follow direction,” according to the report. The report also says he refused a field sobriety test, which is something Gearding denies.

“The female caller had a swollen lip and cut on top of her head,” the police report says.

“She stated (Gearding) punched her and shoved her, knocking her head into the microwave.”

Further, the report says the son told the police that the two were fighting over a liquor bottle.

“(Gearding) was a danger to self and others,” the report says.

A month later, Gearding was again arrested when police were called to the home in Wilder. The same woman from the previous incident said Gearding was drunk and yelling at her.

“Officer had arrested Mr. Gearding for Assault 4th on 8/18/18, and Judge (Cameron) Blau made bond release conditions that included no contact with the victim and no alcohol or drug use,” the police report says.

“The County attorney was notified, and after confirming the conditions of his release with Judge Blau, Mr. Gearding was taken into custody. Mr. Gearding was extremely intoxicated at the time of his arrest.”

In December 2018, Gearding pleaded guilty to violating the conditions of his release in Campbell County. He said that was for contempt of court. This issue, he said, was because he was told he could go back home and the charges would be dropped, but the paperwork was never filed.

A month later, in January 2019, Gearding was arrested again, according to police records. The same woman called the police to the Wilder home.

“The girlfriend, who advised the male aggressor began arguing with her in the living room, knocked over dog food all over the floor, then pushed her head into the

ground,” the police report says.

Gearding went to his mother’s house and, when talking with police, said he had no idea what happened, admitted to the other police officer there had been an argument, and claimed to one officer he was just sleeping at his mother’s house, according to the report.

“He was extremely intoxicated, slurred speech, unsteady on his feet, admitted to drinking vodka,” the report says.

Gearding denied being intoxicated in all instances.

The last charge was dropped in the summer of 2020 after Gearding completed a diversion, which involved Gearding having to move out of state, according to court records.

“I had to move out of the state, and I didn’t want to pull my son out of school in the middle of the year, so I asked them if I could move to Ohio, and I was told ‘No, you need to go farther than that,’ ” Gearding said at the time. “So I had to move where my employer was at the time in South Carolina.”

However, the lawsuit lists a different series of events than what’s stated in official police records: The suit says that Gearding’s arrests stem from the girlfriend making “false and spurious allegations against Gearding. Gearding was arrested on the statements of GF and charged, in Campbell County District Court, with misdemeanor assault, fourth-degree domestic violence, and alcohol intoxication in a public place,” the lawsuit says regarding the original incident in August 2018.

The original domestic violence misdemeanor and alcohol intoxication charges from August 2018 were dismissed on Dec. 12, 2018, and the only charge that remained was a contempt of court charge for violating the terms of his release agreement, Gearding’s lawsuit says.

The lawsuit also details a different set of circumstances around the dog food incident.

“On January 11, 2019, and after being at his mother’s house for approximately four hours, Gearding returned home to find GF still in a drunken rage,” the lawsuit says. “Gearding decided, once again, to leave the premises and go back to his mother’s house. As Gearding was attempting to

leave the home with his son and their dog, GF went after Gearding’s son, attempting to remove the dog and a bag of dog food from their son’s hands, resulting in a minor tussle between the two. Gearding had no involvement in this interaction.”

In January 2020, the charge of misdemeanor assault for fourth-degree domestic violence was dismissed.

“Pursuant to an agreement reached with the prosecuting attorney, Gearding agreed to temporarily leave the state as part of a diversion program,” the lawsuit says. “Gearding agreed to do this in large part out of concern for his son’s well-being and to remove him from a disruptive environment.”

In Kentucky, if a defendant completes a diversion program, the charges will be dismissed.

Gearding returned to Kentucky in June 2020, according to his lawsuit.

The claims made in the campaign materials aren’t valid, the lawsuit says, and the party willingly distributed them despite knowing they were false claims.

“The accusations made are defamatory as they tend to lower Plaintiff in the estimation of his community, they deter third persons from associating or dealing with him, they have caused him to be shunned and avoided, they have deprived him of friendship, intercourse, and society, they have damaged his employment and business prospects, and they have injured him in his involvement in public politics,” the lawsuit says.

Gearding said in a statement that he carefully considered his decision to file a lawsuit.

“I did not come to the decision to seek legal recourse lightly,” he said. “However, to protect the integrity of our elections, and to protect future candidates who want to represent their communities, I had to take a stand.”

Roberts said she couldn’t comment on the case because it’s before the courts, “but I want to make clear that I will take whatever steps are necessary to defend myself and reputation against these bogus claims.”

The Kentucky Democratic Party declined to comment.

How Covington is working to attract developers to former IRS site, known as Central Riverfront project

BY NATHAN GRANGER | LINK nky KENTON COUNTY REPORTER

Florida-based marketing firm BusinessFlare presented strategies to the Covington Board of Commissioners in late July on how to attract developers to the Covington Central Riverfront development project.

The project will be located on the former site of the IRS data processing center along the Ohio River.

The IRS announced that it was vacating the city-owned land in 2014. The agency had employed about 4,000 people out of the site and was one of the city’s largest employers.

After the IRS’ departure, the city drafted a master development plan that calls for a mix of land uses, including commercial and residential space as well as an expansion of the Northern Kentucky Convention Center and a refurbished street grid.

In February, the city contracted with BusinessFlare to consult on identifying ideal developers for the land and methods for marketing the project throughout the nation. Covington Mayor Joe Meyer described the recent presentation as a way of keeping the city and Board of Commissioners informed about Covington’s marketing efforts, in the spirit of transparency.

The city opened requests for development proposals on four land plots at the end of May. Covington’s Director of Economic De-

velopment Tom West said that the city had already received and was analyzing proposals for the land parcels. There are currently no active requests for proposals for the other land parcels on the site.

About midway through the meeting, West introduced BusinessFlare’s founder Kevin Crowder, who gave the presentation.

“After a very long master planning process that involved more than a year of public

participation, we’re achieving an amount of momentum,” West said.

Crowder said that BusinessFlare’s philosophy for economic development tried to achieve “economic development (and) economic growth in a way that is compatible and consistent with who a place is, with your character, not looking at economic development from the perspective of growth just for growth’s sake.

“Economic development is about creating a place people want to be,” Crowder added.

Crowder went on to say that marketing should establish the site’s credibility as a sound investment. He also discussed recent market trends in development.

He argued that attracting a talented workforce is essential for ensuring the longterm economic success of the district. What’s more, the workforce talent of today has particular tastes,” he said.

“We see nationally, these trends of people, especially talent and workforce, wanting that downtown experience,” Crowder said.

Other points of Crowder’s presentation included the need for safety, the importance of creating a welcoming and pleasing atmosphere and strategies for marketing the site to developers on a national level.

Watch BusinessFlare’s full presentation at the Telecommunications Board of Northern Kentucky’s website at tbnk.org. The presentation begins around the 53-minute mark.

You can also consult the city’s master plan and other documents related to the development project at the city of Covington’s dedicated webpage.

Developers visit the former IRS site in Covington. Photo provided | City of Covington

NKwhy: What does it take to be a farmers market vendor?

BY MAGGY MCDONEL | LINK NKY DIGITAL EDITOR

Alabor of love seems to be the best way to describe what it’s like to be a part of Northern Kentucky farmers markets.

From the organizers to the farmers to makers, everyone involved is looking to do one thing: help support local businesses.

“We all operate very much as a family, and so there’s a lot of support,” said Fort Thomas Farmers Market Marketing Manager Tiffany Tomeo.

Tomeo said vendors are always supporting each other; whether it be watching their booth for a bit or helping another seller set up, they’re always there for each other.

With markets all over NKY in full swing, we decided to ask some local vendors and organizers what it’s like to be a part of the farmers market family.

KY Girl Hemp

“I just love the camaraderie of all of the

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The Public Service Commission of Kentucky issued an order on January 6, 2023, scheduling a hearing to be held on August 22 –25, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time, in the Richard Raff Hearing Room at the offices of the Public Service Commission located at 211 Sower Boulevard in Frankfort, Kentucky, for the purpose of crossexamination of witnesses in Case No. 202200402. This is an examination of the Electronic Joint Application of Kentucky Utilities Company and Louisville Gas and Electric Company for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity and Site Compatibility Certificates and Approval of a Demand Side Management Plan and Approval of Fossil Fuel-Fired Generating Unit Retirements.

This hearing will be streamed live and may be viewed on the PSC website, psc.ky.gov.

Public comments may be made at the beginning of the hearing. Those wishing to make oral public comments may do so by following the instructions listed on the PSC website, psc.ky.gov.

Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company

220 West Main Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202

vendors that we have at every market,” said Rose Seeger, owner of KY Girl Hemp.

Seeger started her hemp product business after experiencing effects from the work she does at her other company Green City Resources. There she designs and installs rooftop gardens all over the Cincinnati area.

She started to have trouble getting up on the roofs she was working on.

“I started using CBD for my arthritis and aches and pains, and it was just a gamechanger for me,” Seeger said.

Her cousins grow the hemp in Cynthiana, Kentucky, and it is then shipped off to Kentucky-based processors who turn the hemp into everything from CBD oils to gummies to infused lotions.

Seeger sells at several local markets, including Covington and Fort Thomas, plus she sets up at local events like Weed Fest in Covington last weekend.

She said she gets amazing support from other vendors and her customers.

Laughing Bees

Annie Brown’s best-selling product came about by somewhat of an accident.

Brown was part of a food entrepreneurship program with Covington-based smallbusiness accelerator The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington that ended right before Christmas.

After completing the program she decided to apply to be in the Fort Thomas Holiday Market. At the time, she was just doing honey products, but the organizers wanted her to do something different, so she offered to make caramels.

Up until then, she had never offered caramels, but she went home and spent two days perfecting a recipe, and it was an instant success.

“That’s kind of what Laughing Bees is known for now.” Brown said.

Since then, Brown said she has gone from a home baker to working out of as space at the Incubator Kitchen Collective in Newport.

“My family was very happy about that,” she said.

To create her treats, Brown sources her honey from local beekeepers like School House Bees in Covington. The day before a market or event, Brown said she takes stock of all she has and, when she needs, makes more of anything she’s short of, packages them, and gets ready for a long day of selling.

She said she’s learned a lot from her fellow vendors, especially when she first started.

“I’m still kind of new compared to some of the people there, and just, you know, the advice that they’ve been given me has been so helpful,” Brown said. “I feel like I’m more a part of the community since I’ve been vending at this farmers market. You know, just getting to know the people who come there every week and the other vendors who were there.”

Springcreek Farm

Multiple times a week, Eric Keef and his employees at Springcreek Farm pack up and make the drive from Maysville, Kentucky, up to NKY to sell fresh produce at farmers markets.

Keef is a vendor at the Fort Mitchell, Covington and Fort Thomas farmers markets. He sells whatever produce is in season and plentiful on his farm.

While his farm is 65 acres, most of it is leased out, and all of what he sells is grown on only a half-acre. He and his wife, plus two seasonal and one full-time employee, work the land and prepare all the produce for sale.

The truck is loaded the night before, then Keef said he’s up at 4 a.m. getting the last few things ready, and they are on the road by 6 a.m. on Saturdays in preparation for the 9 a.m. start at the Covington Farmers Market. After that, they head over to the Fort Mitchell market. And on Wednesday, they’re over in Fort Thomas.

Even with the twice-weekly hour-plus drives, Keef said his carbon footprint is

much lower than that of large grocers, which he said is his main reason for doing what he does.

Behind the scenes

Every week, Tiffany Tomeo with the Fort Thomas Farmers Market and five or six unpaid volunteers work together to help the market go off without a hitch.

Set-up begins around noon for the 3 p.m. start. The group members arrive at the market’s space in Tower Park and make sure everything is ready for the vendors to set up.

They’ll make sure any food trucks they’ve booked know what they’re doing, as well as setting up for special events like the recent “Christmas in July” theme, which had a Santa meet-and-greet plus Christmas-themed crafts and scavenger hunts.

Tomeo said they try to keep the same vendors year after year so that customers know what they’re going to get when they stop by.

At the end of the season, Tomeo said they evaluate their vendors and try to fill any gaps they may be missing.

“It has been really phenomenal to just watch people continue to support the farmers market,” Tomeo said. “And it just makes a huge difference for just our entire region, as we continue to support these small businesses and these farmers, (it) really just enhances everything that our region offers.”

A customer enjoys a sample of wine from Melbourne-based StoneBrook Winery during the Fort Thomas Farmers Market. Photo provided | Fort Thomas Farmers Market

Jury finds man guilty of multiple charges in connection to death of NKY teen

investigators originally searched for her body following her disappearance.

Johnson had just turned 17 when she was reported missing to the Covington Police Department on Sept. 23, 2010. Alicen Franks, Johnson’s cousin, said she last saw Johnson with Bumpass in Covington that day.

After three years of litigation outside of court, Bumpass’s trial began on July 17.

torney Rob Sanders in 2020.

Dental records helped identify Johnson, and DNA evidence allowed prosecutors to file the charges against Bumpass.

Prior to the trial’s start, Johnson’s sister, Brittany Haywood, said she’s been looking forward to laying her sister to rest regardless of the trial’s outcome.

The Young Marines National Leadership Academy takes place every year and sees members from all over the country gather to improve “leadership, mentorship and management skills while competing in physical challenges and being evaluated on their knowledge, skills and abilities,” according to a recent press release from the organization. “The 10 best candidates were selected as the prestigious Top Ten Graduates of the Advanced Leadership School.”

After deliberation that spanned two days, the jury in the Jacob Bumpass trial found him guilty of tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse in connection to the death of 17-year-old Paige Johnson of Northern Kentucky.

The trial took place 13 years after Johnson disappeared; a hiker found her remains in 2020 off of State Route 276 — just two miles from a spot in East Fork State Park where

Bumpass was never charged with Johnson’s murder. That’s because prosecutors didn’t have enough evidence to file homicide charges, in part because coroners were unable to determine a cause of death for the 17-year-old mother.

Instead, he faced two charges: one count of tampering with evidence and one count of abuse of a corpse.

“Until somebody convinces me that this was not a homicide, I will always be a little disappointed that there will not be more justice available for the Johnson family,” said Kenton County Commonwealth’s At-

Johnson’s remains have been kept in evidence since they were recovered, and Haywood said she plans to finally bury her sister once they’re released.

Beechwood sophomore named Top 10 member of Young Marines academy

Abby Smith, a sophomore from Beechwood High School in Fort Mitchell, was honored as a Top 10 member in this year’s Young Marines Leadership Academy in San Pedro, California.

The Young Marines are a national youth organization of boys and girls from ages 8 through high school graduation.

“(The leadership school) was a life-changing experience. I learned so much about the Young Marines program and leadership,” Smith said in the same release. “The most beneficial part of (the school) was learning about how to shape the Young Marines in my unit into better leaders. I love all the opportunities this school gave me, and the people I met are going to be my friends for a lifetime.”

Smith said she hopes to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and join the U.S. Navy upon graduating high school. She plans to study mechanical engineering and serve as a surface warfare officer.

Jacob Bumpass has been found guilty of tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse in connection to the death of Paige Johnson. Photo provided | Paul Weeden for WCPO

LANDING

Fort Mitchell donates unused police equipment to Williamsburg

Fort Mitchell is taking a community-minded approach to the “reduce, reuse, recycle” slogan with one of City Council’s latest decisions. In the process, it is also helping another Kentucky city police department.

This all started around when Fort Mitchell Police Chief Rob Nader was on vacation earlier this month and instructed his department to clean up the garage in his absence. While tidying, the officers found a large amount of police equipment that wasn’t in use. Some of this equipment was old and no longer compatible with the city’s current fleet of police vehicles, Nader said.

So, the Fort Mitchell Police Department thought of who they could help with this equipment surplus.

“Our own Officer (Matt) Arlinghaus was in training recently with the Assistant Chief of Police of the Williamsburg Police Department, who said they were in need of any older or spare police vehicles and or equipment,” Chief Nader wrote in an email to LINK. “Officer Arlinghaus sent a list of our older equipment that was no longer in use, including a vehicle, and that we were going to surplus, and they responded back that they were in need of such items.”

According to Surplus Property Resolution 2023-12, which council passed unanimously during the July 17, 2023, council meeting, many valuable items were included on that list. Some of the equipment the Williamsburg Police Department will receive includes multiple shotgun mounts, lights, a siren, lens covers, and even a 2012 Dodge Charger with installed police equipment.

“This equipment is going to be useful to our department,” said Williamsburg Chief of Police Jason Caddell. “Law enforcement agencies across the commonwealth operate on budgets. Sometimes these budgets allow for certain projects, but others may have to wait. This is an example of networking to accomplish budget goals.”

Apparently, exchanges like these are common among law enforcement agencies within Kentucky. More often than not, police departments try to help each other out.

“Oftentimes when an agency updates their inventory, the used equipment can be useful to other agencies,” Caddell said. “Law enforcement officers network to help each

other with budget issues as well as getting the most out of the life of the equipment.”

Fort Mitchell is proud to have taken part in this trend, Nader said.

“This was an opportunity to assist a fellow Kentucky law enforcement agency, and our Mayor and City Council happily agreed to help them out,” Nader said.

In kind, Williamsburg is thankful for the equipment that will help their continued service.

“We want to extend our gratitude to the Fort Mitchell Police Department,” Caddell said. “Chief Nader and his staff have been amazing to work with, and Fort Mitchell Police Department is a very professional department which sets the example for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

Man who struck, killed cyclist Gloria San Miguel in

2022 pleads guilty

Mark Phipps has pleaded guilty to charges related to the August 2022 death of cyclist Gloria San Miguel, according to court documents.

San Miguel was killed after she was struck while riding her bicycle on the 11th Street Bridge between Newport and Covington on Aug. 20, 2022.

Phipps, 60, pled guilty July 24 to second-degree manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence, leaving the scene of an accident and driving on a suspended license.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 5.

San Miguel, who worked at Roebling Point Books & Coffee, became the face of a movement to create infrastructure in Northern Kentucky that better supports cyclists and pedestrians.

Gloria San Miguel was killed in August 2022 after she was struck riding her bike across the 11th Street Bridge connecting Newport and Covington. Photo provided | Vision Zero Cincinnati

First Black woman named chief of Louisville’s embattled police force

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)

— Louisville interim police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel has been named the city’s new chief. She is the first Black woman to lead the embattled department in a full-time role. The city has gone through several chiefs and interim chiefs since the fatal police shooting of a Black woman, Breonna Taylor, during a raid in 2020.

Gwinn-Villaroel inherits a department that is under a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice after a yearslong investigation that alleged racial bias and a pattern of excessive force.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said that, in addition to Gwinn-Villaroel’s other qualifications, the new chief also showed leadership during a mass shooting at a downtown bank in April.

Senate GOP leader McConnell briefly leaves news conference after freezing up midsentence

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell briefly left his own press conference Wednesday after stopping his remarks midsentence and staring off into space for several seconds.

McConnell approached the podium for his weekly press conference and began speaking about the annual defense bill on the floor, which he said was proceeding with “good bipartisan cooperation.” But he then appeared to lose his train of thought, trailing off with a drawn-out “uh.”

The Kentucky senator then appeared to freeze up and stared vacantly for around 20 seconds before his colleagues in Republican leadership, who were standing behind him and could not see his face, grabbed his elbows and asked if he wanted to go back to his office.

He did not answer, but slowly walked back

to his office with an aide and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, a former orthopedic surgeon who is the No. 3 Republican in the Senate. After sitting down in his office for several minutes, McConnell later returned to the press conference and answered questions from the press.

McConnell, 81, was out of the Senate for almost six weeks earlier this year after falling and hitting his head after a dinner event at a hotel. He was hospitalized for several days, and his office later said he suffered a concussion and fractured a rib. His speech has sounded more halting in recent weeks, prompting questions among some of his colleagues about his health.

When he returned to answer questions, McConnell said he was “fine.” Asked if he is still able to do his job, he said, “Yeah.”

Bronny James, son of LeBron, stable after cardiac arrest at USC basketball practice

Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, was hospitalized in stable condition a day after going into cardiac arrest while participating in a basketball practice at the University of Southern California.

A family spokesman said USC medical staff treated the 18-year-old James on Monday at Galen Center after he went into cardiac arrest, and he was transported to a hospital. The spokesman said James was in stable condition after leaving the intensive care unit. James was one of the nation's top high school prospects and is an incoming freshman with the Trojans.

1 year old, U.S. climate law is already turbocharging clean energy technology

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Excessive heat continues to bear down on sections of the United States, a reminder of the impetus for the the Inflation Reduction Ac (IRA), the significant climate legislation that turns 1 year old on Aug. 16.

Since passage, it has boosted the U.S. transition to renewable energy, accelerated

green domestic manufacturing, and made it more affordable for consumers to make climate-friendly purchases, such as installing solar panels on their roofs.

After decades of U.S. inaction, the IRA has finally supplied the economic incentives that many long said were required to fight climate change. However, experts say that the IRA is not enough to guarantee the U.S. will reach its emissions reduction targets outlined in the Paris Agreement to prevent the most severe impacts of climate change.

Fire damages building that houses office of Kentucky

Sen. Rand Paul

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Officials say a fire has caused heavy damage to a building that houses the Bowling Green office of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul as well as a local law firm.

Bowling Green Fire Department spokeswoman Katie McKee told the Daily News that crews worked for hours to extinguish the flames, which caused a roof collapse. McKee says no injuries were reported.

The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation. Paul said in a statement that he was thankful for the quick response and that his office is working with authorities to assess damages and determine a cause and will continue to operate for constituents.

Indoor farming company backed by Martha Stewart files for bankruptcy

MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) — Officials say a Kentucky-based indoor farming company that was backed by Martha Stewart when it began shipping tomatoes in early 2021 has filed for bankruptcy.

News outlets report AppHarvest filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy following several months of financial difficulties, including the potential foreclosure of its greenhouse in Richmond and concerns about cash flow.

In addition, AppHarvest founder Jonathan Webb was replaced in July as chief executive officer and chairman of the board. AppHarvest said in a statement that it is looking to restructure while business operations continue at its four farms.

Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel is the new full-time police chief in Louisville. Photo by Timothy D. Easley | Associated Press

USC freshman Bronny James. Photo by Gregory Payan | Associate Press

Boone County Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 1961 Patrick Drive, Burlington

Cram-A-Cruiser, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Bellevue Kroger, 53 Donnermeyer Drive, Bellevue

Ohio River Paddlefest, 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Schmidt Recreation Complex, 2944 Humbert Ave., Cincinnati

Campbell County Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-noon, 709 Monmouth St., Newport

DESERVE the best

Fine Arts Weekend at Dinsmore Homestead, noon-5 p.m., 5656 Burlington Pike, Burlington

Union Commission meeting, 6 p.m., 1843 Bristow Drive, Union

Edgewood City Council meeting, 7 p.m., Wilder City Building, 520 Licking Pike, Wilder

Kenton County Board of Education, 7 p.m., Kenton County Sanitation Department, 1045 Eaton Drive, Fort Wright

Independence City Council, 7 p.m., Independence City Building, 5409 Madison Pike, Independence

For more events, scan the QR code or visit: https://linknky.com/events/

Boone County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:30 p.m., Boone County Administration Building, 2950 Washington St., Burlington

Kenton County Fiscal Court meeting, 5:30 p.m., Independence Courthouse, 5272 Madison Pike, Independence

Florence City Council business meeting, 6 p.m., 8100 Ewing Boulevard, Florence

Covington Commission legislative meeting, 6 p.m., Covington City Hall, 20 W. Pike St., Covington

Elsmere City Council, 6:30 p.m., Elsmere Community Center, 179 Dell St., Elsmere

Northern Kentucky Chamber Annual Golf

Outing & Clinic, 7:30 a.m.7 p.m., The Golf Courses of Kenton County, 3908 Richardson Road, Independence

Hike the Trails, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Boone County Environmental and Nature Center, 9101 Camp Ernst Road, Union

Bromley City Council, 6 p.m., 226 Boone St., Bromley

Crestview Hills City Council meeting, 7 p.m., Crestview Hills City Building, 50 Town Center Blvd. Crestview Hills

Ludlow City Council meeting, 7 p.m., Ludlow Municipal Center, 808 Elm St., Ludlow

Boone County Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m., Ralph Rush Professional Development Center, 99 Center St., Florence

Achieve your cottage core dreams in this Park Hills home

Address: 1014 Jackson Road, Park Hills

Price: $324,900

Bedrooms: Three

Bathrooms: Two

School district: Kenton County Schools

County: Kenton

Special features: Stone steps in the back, arched doorways and a study full of character make this home a ‘cottagecore’ fanatic’s dream. A fireplace in the main area offers a cozy retreat, as well as a study with built-in bookshelves. Trellises outside with growing vines create a whimsical aesthetic for guests. The home is just a few minutes away from Devou Park.

A view of the front of the home from the sidewalk. Photo provided | Huff Realty

A stone patio and steps add a whimsical vibe to the backyard. Photo provided | Huff Realty

A fireplace is the centerpiece of the living room. Photo provided | Huff Realty

Streetscapes tastes these classics in Silver Grove

Powered by Merk and Gile, Injury Attorneys

PHOTOS AND STORY BY MARIA HEHMAN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

One of the smallest cities in Northern Kentucky is home to some of the tastiest treats in the area.

Silver Grove may be best known for its ice cream, but the city has added other noteworthy places to its resume. This week, join us for burgers, pizza and ice cream on Mary Ingles Highway.

Silver Grove Dari-Bar

a variety of flavors guests may not see at other ice cream parlors. Blueberry, pineapple and strawberry soft serve are refreshing and sweet ways to spend a summer evening.

To balance out the sweet, Dari-Bar serves burgers, hot dogs and coneys for those wanting a more substantial meal before indulging in their ice cream. Cheese fries, chicken strips and onion rings are small snacks for those who need a little savory/ sweet mix. (French fries dipped in soft serve may seem wrong, but foodies know it’s the perfect combo.)

Dari-Bar has a walk-up window to order and plenty of benches to sit outside. It is open seasonally, so check it out before the summer ends.

Pelle’s Café

Those looking for more of a dive bar, but with a lively atmosphere, great bites and loads of local history, should look no further than Pelle’s.

This family-owned and -operated restaurant is the gathering place for locals, but anyone who ventures there is always welcomed with a smile. It may appear to serve typical bar fare, but Pelle’s has some unique items that make it enticing to travelers. It is most famous for its deepfried burgers and hoagies.

ing community and some good grub.

Pepperoncini’s Pizza

No list is complete without pizza, and Pepperoncini’s has certainly stepped up to the plate.

Pizza and wings are the main attractions at Pepperoncini’s: With seven wing flavor options and 10 specialty pizza options, it almost don’t need anything else.

But of course it offers plenty more.

It also serves burgers, pasta, salads and appetizers. Coming here and not ordering a pizza would just be wrong, so it has options for gluten-free eaters, so everyone can taste its pizzas. It has traditional pizzas like veggie, supreme and Hawaiian for those wanting classic pies. For those more adventurous, it has “The Dank,” a ranch dressing-based pizza with pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon, mushrooms, onions, pineapple and jalapeno. This is not a pizza for everyone, but it certainly is a unique one.

The atmosphere is sports bar vibes while still being family-friendly. It’s a great spot to convene after Friday night football or to watch some college basketball. Nothing pairs better with pizza than an ice cold beer, and it has a full-service bar to meet all of guests’ drink needs.

What to Know If You Go:

Silver Grove Dari-Bar

Location: 5178 Mary Ingles Highway

Hours: Monday 3-9 p.m.; TuesdaySunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Phone: 859-781-2221

Pelle’s Café

Location: 5146 Mary Ingles Highway

Hours: Monday-Sunday noon-2 a.m.

Phone: 859-572-0991

Pepperoncini’s Pizza

Location: 5106 Mary Ingles Highway

Hours: Monday closed; Tuesday-Thursday 4-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 4-9:30 p.m.; Sunday 4-9 p.m.

Phone: 859-360-6801

One of the main reasons nonlocals find themselves on Mary Ingles Highway is because of the decadent soft serve from Silver Grove Dari-Bar.

The eatery has so much more to offer outside of its sweet treats, but its most famous to ice cream fanatics near and far.

Silver Grove-Dari Bar serves ice cream in every form imaginable: sundaes, shakes and blitz, its version of blizzard. Its famous soft serve is creamy and comes in

All burgers come with house-made french fries and cost under $10. The restaurant's interior and exterior are decorated in typical sports-bar-style posters and road signs – it’s a collage of chaos that’s fun to look at. Its patio has large picnic-like tables for sunny days.

Expect a fun, cheap place with a welcom-

Pepperoncini’s Pizza is currently closed for the summer but slated to reopen in October, just in time for fall football.

Have a street, city or business you want to see covered next? Email Maria Hehman at mchehman@gmail.com and it could be featured on the next installment of LINK Streetscapes.

Classic chocolate-vanilla swirl from Silver Grove Dari-Bar.

Iconic Silver Grove Dari-Bar sign signals where guests can find their sweet treats.

With Jackson Smith in action, these are fast times at Walton-Verona High School

When it comes to the all-important quarterback position, many high school football teams possess a pocket passer who can carve up a defense through the air. Other teams run out a rush-first quarterback who can ramble for chunks of yardage at a time. Others deploy a dual-threat QB, who can both pass and run with aplomb.

And then there are the Walton-Verona Bearcats. They roll out 6-foot-3, 180-pound senior Jackson Smith, one of the scariest high school quarterback types around, a left-handed dual threat with good size and tremendous speed.

“He can throw the football, and he can definitely run it. If he gets ahead of you, you won’t catch him,” Walton-Verona coach Jeff Barth said. “He’s maybe the fastest quarterback in Kentucky.”

These are fast times at Walton-Verona High School. The Bearcats won their first Class A boys track-and-field state championship in June, thanks in large part to Smith, who captured three state titles with impressive velocity. He won the 100-meter dash in a time of 11.07 seconds, took the 200 meters in 22.18 seconds and ran a leg on the winning 800-meter relay team. At the state indoor meet, Smith won titles in the 200 meters and 60 meters, which he finished in 7.23 seconds. He has clocked a swift 4.41-second 40-yard dash.

Smith combined his rare speed and emerging passing ability during his first starting football season as a junior to make plays that made fans’ hearts race. Right when defenders felt he topped out, the lefty found another gear, often giving the Bearcats’ offense instant gratification.

“If he hits a crease, he could be gone,” Barth said. “He knows how to make plays and keep them going.”

There were the brisk 128 rushing yards in the season-opening win over Scott, for instance. There was the immediate 72yard touchdown run when he blew past everybody in a blur against Newport Central Catholic. The hasty 127 rushing yards against Boone County. The snappy 42-yard

BY MARC HARDIN | LINK NKY CONTRIBUTOR

scamper for a score against Carroll County. The four total touchdowns accounting for all the scoring in a 28-0 win over Shawnee. The zippy pair of passing TDs in the Class 2A first-round playoff win over Newport.

“I think the best thing about it is when a play isn’t there,” Smith said of his game-changing speed. “I can always tuck it and run and get some good yardage.”

Smith finished 12 yards short of joining the exclusive 1,000/1,000 club last season with 1,028 yards rushing and 988 passing. He threw 13 touchdowns, helping the Bearcats finish 9-3. He scored nine times on the ground for a hand in 22 total TDs while averaging an expeditious 7.1 yards per carry.

This year, get ready to witness more quickness, which would make Smith absolutely lethal. He’s working quicker through his progressions and letting it rip on the run while using his agility and elusiveness to remain upright.

“I think we’ll do more passing. It’s definitely much needed because we do have some really good receivers,” Smith said. “I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll pass. I’ll run. I’ll do anything.”

Not too many teams have their own action figure. The Bearcats have Action Jackson. But, of course, he’s a real live human being who just wants to win the fastest way possible — now.

“Jackson’s a great athlete. He’s difficult to defend because of his speed,” Barth said. “And a great young man, a good person. Our team will really look to him this year.”

Opposing defenses better not blink or they’ll miss the fleet-footed Smith. Walton-Verona’s greased lightning in a bottle is ready to rev things up after rapid off-season growth accelerated his learning curve.

Smith was invited in the spring to the 2023 Elite 11 Regional, a premier event in Mississippi that selected only the most outstanding underclass quarterbacks. Athletes participated in a five-hour curriculum that included testing and position-specific instruction by top coaches.

Smith also worked out at a camp at Notre Dame, where he made a game visit. He also made a game visit to the University of Kentucky. It is part of a growing list of college teams that are interested in him either as a football player or for track-and-field. Smith already has a football offer from Kentucky Wesleyan.

The future is bright for Smith. But the road is brutal in 2023. With realignment, Walton-Verona has new and formidable Class 2A, District 5 mates in defending state champion Beechwood (14-1 last season) and Bracken County (7-3). The Bearcats open with three straight road games against Bishop Brossart (9-3), NewCath (11-3) and Kentucky Country Day (9-3).

“Our goal is to be the second Walton-Ve-

rona regional champion,” Barth said. “We won the first in 2018. We went to the state semifinals that year, and we want to make it back.”

Smith wants to make it there, too, and fast.

Quarterback Jackson Smith of Walton-Verona speeds toward the end zone. Photo provided | Jackson Smith

Construction on Newport football stadium delayed

the Wildcats earn a postseason seed high enough to host a home game, there is potential for that.

While Phase 1 is underway, the program is currently practicing on the baseball field behind the high school and will play two slotted home games at Bellevue and Lloyd Memorial high schools.

The $3 million Phase 1 includes the demolition of the existing structure – which was built in 1937 – site preparation and the installation of new 1,500-seat bleachers.

The foundation – with the support of the Newport Board of Education and Newport Independent Schools administration – is seeking to raise $1 million or more for the renovation project’s $5 million second phase.

Cooper grad McNeil to play pro basketball in Lithuania

Cooper High School graduate Sean McNeil will continue his basketball career in Europe, playing for a professional team in Lithuania next season.

In total, McNeil scored 1,239 points in his Division I career.

McNeil was the leading scorer on the Jaguars 2017 state runner-up team and finished his high school career with over 1,000 points.

He’ll play for Nevezis in the Lithuanian Basketball League, the highest level of pro basketball in the country.

Home football games at Newport High School’s football stadium will most likely have to wait until 2024.

The school recently announced that the completion of Phase 1 on the renovated football stadium is being delayed and the finished product won’t be ready until at least the end of October due to the construction schedule. The Wildcats’ last home regular season game is scheduled for Oct. 13 against Bellevue.

The first week of the KHSAA Class A football playoffs is scheduled for Nov. 3, so if

Last season, the Wildcats were unable to play games on their home field after the stadium failed a building inspection.

Phase 2 of the renovation will be announced at a later date and will include construction of locker rooms, rest rooms, a concession stand and new field lighting.

The district is also seeking private donations through a fundraising effort. The Newport Education Foundation is now accepting donations to help pay for the renovation of Newport High School’s Wildcat Stadium.

After graduating from Cooper in 2017, McNeil’s path has been a well-traveled one. He originally started his college basketball career at Bellarmine University in Louisville, then went to Sinclair Community College in Ohio. After excelling at Sinclair with 29.7 points per game, the second-highest point-per-game average in the National Junior College Athletic Association, McNeil latched on at West Virginia.

He spent three years in Morgantown before transferring to Ohio State. McNeil closed out his college career in Columbus with 9.7 points per game and shot 36% from three.

Cooper High School grad Sean McNeil will begin his professional basketball career in Lithuania.

Photo provided | Edge Sports International

The new bleachers at Newport’s football stadium will seat 1,500. The expected completion date has been pushed back to the end of October. Photo provided | Newport High School

Owners Lisa and Kris Knochelmann