Quantcast
Channel: The River City News - Cincinnati
Viewing all 312 articles
Browse latest View live

Tolls for Brent Spence Project Remain an Option as Bill Advances Over Simpson's Objections

0
0

The bill that could possibly lead to tolls being used to fund the estimated $2.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project advanced through a House of Representatives Committee in Frankfort late Tuesday morning despite Covington Democrat Arnold Simpson's attempts to block the user fees.

The Appropriations and Revenue Committee heard House Bill 443, also known as the public-private partnership bill, and voted to send it to the full House and voted down Simpson's amendments. Simpson, whose amendments in 2014 to prevent tolling led Gov. Steve Beshear to veto it altogether, wanted local governments to be able to approve a public-private partnership, to require that tolls expire upon repayment of construction debt, that costs not borne by the federal government be paid for in full by Kentucky on its side and Ohio on its side, among other concerns.

The 50-year old Brent Spence Bridge currently carries twice the number of vehicles it was designed for and the current proposed project would place a new span to the west of it while refurbishing the new bridge and would also aim to improve traffic flow through approximately seven miles of highway on both sides of the bridge.

The transportation departments from both states and each state's governor have stated that there is no way to pay for the project without the use of tolls. Recently Beshear joined Ohio Governor John Kasich to call for a re-examination of the project in an effort that would lead to 50-50 cost sharing of a scaled-down project, while leaving tolls on the table.

"I feel this is a sad moment for Kentucky," Simpson said as the votes to approve the bill were cast, reiterating that Northern Kentucky's entire legislative delegation opposed tolls on the bridge project. "I think it leaves a pretty sad legacy."

Rep. Addia Wuchner and Rep. Sal Santoro, both Florence Republicans, are also on the committee with Simpson.

Rep. Leslie Combs (D-Pikeville) insisted that the bill is bigger than the Brent Spence project and said that the General Assembly would still need to pass a joint resolution next year before the bridge project could move forward. "It simply creates P3 legislation and to use that as an option to build that bridge," Combs said. The committee was not voting on the Brent Spence Bridge or tolls, she added.

Earlier in the proceedings, emphasizing a majority of the Northern Kentucky general public's opposition to tolls, Simpson said, "We're all politicians in a sense. I can't believe we would all be blind to the will of the people."

Former State Senator Joe Meyer (D-Covington), now the head of the anti-toll group Northern Kentucky United, testified before the committee and urged a no vote based on precedent set across the country where public-private transportation projects have gone bankrupt. He wanted that the Brent Spence project would be the largest P3 project undertaken by a state government. 

The bill now heads to the floor of the House for full consideration. 

Locally, Covington City Commissioner Steve Frank commented on The River City News Facebook page, "Tar and feathering toll supporters shouldn't be out of the question."

"There is a special circle in hell reserved for tollmeisters who will be forced to listen to my testimony to the House and Senate Transportation Committee from December 2013 followed by an Alleluia Chorus of "We Told You So's" (for) all eternity for the wreckage a P3 will do to Covington, Northern Kentucky, and the Commonwealth,"Frank wrote. "(O)f course the bridge won't get built but just saying."

"Arnold's efforts are much appreciated," said City Commissioner Chuck Eilerman. "He's standing up for the best interests of his constituents at some cost to himself."

-Staff report


Thousands Lose Power in Covington, Cincinnati

0
0

UPDATE: Power appeared to have been fully restored in Covington by 4:30 p.m., though thousands remained without power north of the river.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Thousands are without power in Covington and Cincinnati Wednesday afternoon.

Reports about power loss began to trickle into The River City News newsroom just before 3 p.m.

Duke Energy reports roughly 3,000 outages confined to parts of Downtown Covington and Mainstrasse Village while the Cincinnati neighborhoods of Northside and Price Hill seemed to be the hardest hit on that side of the river with nearly 10,000 without power.

Duke Energy tells The River City News that crews have been dispatched and that power is expected to be fully restored by 5 p.m.

Follow The River City News on Facebook, Twitter, or email us!

Photo: Lights out at intersection of Scott Blvd. and Sixth Street in Covington/RCN

More photos from Downtown Covington:

Slideshow Images & Captions: 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Returns to Aronoff Center

0
0

“Dance is for everybody,” late, great American choreographer Alvin Ailey famously said. “I believe that dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.”

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to the Aronoff Center for the first time since 2008 with two programs March 3 and 4. The mixed rep evenings of classic and new work both include Ailey – and American modern dance – masterwork Revelations.

Revelations debuted in its first iteration in 1960, demonstrating how Ailey practiced what he preached. Musically driven by spirituals, the dance of grief, struggle, hope, cleansing, and ultimately celebration, joy, and praise to God came from Ailey’s soul.

A tribute to his heritage and inspired by his "blood memories" of his childhood in rural Texas -- memories of people, movement, and music he heard growing up – it suggests a personal chapter in the history of the African-American experience: the hard times of I Been ’Buked to the rousing calypso beat of Wade in the Water to the triumphant finale Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.

More people have seen Revelations than any other modern dance work, more than 23 million people in 71 countries across six continents.  (Find video clips to preview “Revelations” here.

“It’s still new,” said Ailey dancer Fana Tesfargiorgis, of the classic that was first performed probably before her parents were born. “I think it will always be my favorite. It’s about roots and foundation, but it’s also about the present and future. In the final movement, the spirit overflows from the stage to the audience.”

The coming together of hearts, Tesfargiorgis said, is “wonderful.” Dancing with the Ailey company, she adds, “is living a dream.”

With Revelations danced both nights, which rep program to choose? Here are the options:

Tuesday, March 3: 

Grace (1999). Choreographer Ronald K. Brown (an area favorite with his company Evidence, who have been part of Contemporary Dance Theater’s Aronoff series) uses the music of Duke Ellington, Roy Davis Jr., Paul Johnson, and Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his signature blend of modern dance and West African idioms to create a dance journey acknowledging the grace that surrounds us.

Episodes (1989) Ulysses Dove (former Ailey Company member) created this explosive, passionate interpretation of expressing feelings and power struggles involved in human relationships, set to a percussive score by Robert Ruggieri.

Wednesday, March 4:

Polish Pieces (1995/Ailey Company Premiere 2014) Dutch choreographer van Manen suggests folk dance in his work that masterfully builds dazzling movement from simple motifs and geometric patterns.  Driven by the rhythms of Henryk Górecki’s score, the 12 dancers in this create a kaleidoscope through endlessly shifting formations that culminate with two sensual pas de deux.  

Awassa Astrige/Ostrich (1932/Ailey Company Premiere 2014) Sierra Leone-born choreographer Asadata Dafora blended his vision of a traditional African dance with Western staging in Awassa Astrige/Ostrich - a groundbreaking solo in 1932 set to Carl Riley’s score of African drumming and flute.  With arms flapping like wings, torso rippling and head held high, a warrior is transformed into the proud, powerful ostrich — the king of birds. Dafora is recognized as one of the first to present African dance on the concert stage, influencing many future artists including Pearl Primus and Katherine Dunham.  

Four Corners (2013) Choreographer Ronald K. Brown’s fifth work for the Ailey’s company is set to the music of Carl Hancock Rux and various artists, and takes 11 dancers on a spiritual journey, bringing to life the vision of four angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, 7:30 p.m. March 3-4, Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati. Tickets $75-$30 (subject to change; does not include fees.) HALF-PRICE Student/Educator tickets are available by phone or at the Ticket Office by mentioning promo code EDUCATE.  Limit (2) tickets per person with a valid student ID. Subject to availability. 513-621-2787,www.CincinnatiArts.org and at the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.

Written by Jackie Demaline, RCN Arts

Photo: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey's Revelations. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Henry Farny-Inspired Exhibit at Taft Museum Features Loaned Art from Ft. Thomas Families

0
0

Two Fort Thomas families have pieces from their private collections at Taft Museum of Art in An Eye for the West: Paintings and Sculptures from Local Collections, on view through May 17.

The intimate show in the Sinton Gallery is in conjunction with touring exhibit Wild West to Gilded Age: American Treasures from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

Wild West to Gilded Age offers an overview of the most significant themes in 19th and 20th century American art with 52 paintings and eight sculptures by American artists including Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, Winslow Homer, George Wesley Bellows and John Singer Sargent.

The inspiration for An Eye for the West as a theme of the American West were painter Henry Farny, who lived in Covington where a park is named for him and worked in Cincinnati, and Americans’ ongoing fascination with the wild and recently conquered frontier.

“I think we’re still connected to the idea of American westward expansion,” assistant curator Tamera Muente noted. “The legend of the Wild West is something that’s purely American – westerns are still being made. The imagery is still quite alive.”


And, she notes, it’s always fun to see something that’s never on public view. With works that include Farny, Frederic Remington, and Joseph Henry Sharp, Muente says the local exhibit poses the questions: ‘What attracted artists to Western subjects?’ ‘What continues to draw Americans’ eyes to the West?’

Representing Northern Kentucky are Henry Farny’s gouache “Pastures New” (1899) from a private collector. “It represents a time when the Plains Indians were still moving freely,” Muente said. “It looks back on an idyllic life.”

David and Debra Hausrath loan Joseph Henry Sharp oil “Crow Winter Camp on the Rosebud, Montana” (painted between 1899 and 1910), a graceful winter landscape of teepees,  and Rookwood Pottery glazed stoneware vase “High Hawk, Sioux” (1900) decorated by Grace Young featuring the weathered face and the war bonnet. 


Muente noted all the works are “a way to look back at the past” and acknowledged “possibly a past that never existed.”

The Taft Museum of Art is located at 316 Pike St., downtown Cincinnati. The museum is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free on Sunday. For more information, visit http://www.taftmuseum.org

Written by Jackie Demaline, RCN Arts

Images provided

Kenton Co. Resident, Holmes Grad to Be Honored for Work on Behalf of Uninsured, Elderly

0
0

Elisabeth Sebastian, Director of Professional Education and Outreach for the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Cincinnati which serves 50,000 Alzheimer's patients and their families, is the recipient of this year's Caring More Award, given annually to one social worker of the Greater Cincinnati area who exemplifies going above and beyond for patients and the community.

“It came to me as a bit of a surprise,” Sebastian said about winning the Award. “It's so bizarre to me because I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, and I keep my head down and keep chugging through. So when I get word that someone is nominating me for an award that I feel like is necessary and required, it surprises me. The caliber of social workers that I work with do the same things I do, so that's why I say it comes as a surprise.”

Sebastian's research on health insurance for at-risk populations has changed the lives of tens of thousands of Americans and their families. Her work influenced Congress's decision to keep those 26 and younger on their parents' insurance plans as part of the Affordable Care Act. Today, her voice is head throughout the halls of the Kentucky Statehouse as she speaks up for the rights of the elderly.

“My passion is to ensure that our elderly are getting the attention that they deserve,” she said. “My whole philosophy is that if we are lucky enough, one day we will be called elderly too and to work to make sure that the programs and services are there and available to us.”

The Northern Kentucky native, Morning View resident, and Holmes High School graduate has written 50 letters a year to state legislators and has educated physicians on dementia research. She has also helped individual families navigate the system, and has been a voice for the most vulnerable.

“I do political advocacy work. I work a great deal with families. I facilitate support-group services that are offered through the association,” Sebastian said.

March is National Social Work Month and on March 25 at Cooper Creek Event Center in Blue Ash, she will receive the Caring More Award at a breakfast in her honor. She will also present a $500 donation that Crossroads Hospice is making to the non-profit of their choice—the Alzheimer's Association.

“All of our services are free. We have masters-prepared social workers going out and meeting with families, creating these really specific detailed action plans to really evaluate short-term and long-term goals, giving consideration to their current circumstance,” she said. “So we're able to go to those families and have those meetings for free and you just don't get that offered anywhere else.”

She said that she feels so strongly about the healthcare of the elderly because that population is often at risk of diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia and that their needs are often overlooked.

“When you look at the perspective and the culture shift in society, we tend to let our aging population fall through the cracks. I think we have a social ignorance because I'm not quite sure that people understand what it means to age in the United States,” said Sebastian. “I'm not real sure that people understand things like entitlements from the government for the aging I just don't think, on the whole, that we can really get our arms wrapped around the needs of the aging population, so I think that's one factor.

“The other factor is the generational gap. You look at people who are 65 or older in the way they conduct their lives and it's really much different from someone who is 25 or 35. So those gaps in culture can be one of the reasons that there are gaps in services. The other thing is that it takes money to do the right thing and if we invest the money up front, we can really avoid some major consequences down the road. Unfortunately, our government and funding entities don't always think proactively; they think reactively. I think that's hurting the resources. We are a certificate-of-needs state and that has put us behind the eight-ball a number of times with services to the elderly.”

Sebastian says that while she is honored in being named to the Award, there is still a lot of work to be done and that she has no intention of slowing down.

“I also work at getting certain bills passed through legislation. The HOPE Act and the Alzheimer's Accountability Act were times where I would go down to Frankfort every year and really make aware to my representative that those bills are important to the elderly and in particular those with dementia. I made that a mission every year that I would go. Every month I would submit letters to them.”

She wants the Northern Kentucky population to be aware of the free services that the Alzheimer's Association provides to the elderly.

“I think what our community misses for whatever reason is that we serve any form of dementia at any stage,” she said. “Our programs and services to families are free. We aren't getting people diagnosed soon enough and we're not getting them diagnosed appropriately. So my message would be, if there is any concern around cognitive changes or any concern around changes as you age, the Alzheimer's Association is a resource for that. I'm just thrilled to be able to work where I work and with the caliber of people that I work with and I feel like it's a shame that the community might be missing out on that.”

Written by Bryan Burke, associate editor

Flood: National Weather Service Warns of High Water Around Cincinnati

0
0

The National Weather Service has issued a FLOOD WARNING for the areas near the Ohio River at Cincinnati. 

That warning is in effect until further notice.

At 3 a.m., the river was at 52.4 feet and minor flooding is already taking place with more in the forecast, the NWS said. Flood stage is 52 feet.

By Sunday morning, the Ohio River will rise to a crest of about 55 feet. It will begin to fall that afternoon but is expected to remain above flood stage for at least the next five days, the NWS reported.

At stages near 55 feet, backwater flooding continues to affect much of Northern Kentucky as well as southwest Ohio and southeast Indiana. Low-lying roads near the river continue to flood, and particular attention should be paid to low-lying roads in Ludlow and Bromley in Kenton County, California in Campbell County, and Anderson Township on the Ohio side.

Simultaneously, there is a FLOOD WATCH for the entire region from Friday morning into Saturday afternoon. One and a half to two inches of rain with some local higher amounts are possible. 

Meanwhile, there are some attractive days ahead in the 7-day forecast:

FRIDAY Rain. High near 54. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

FRI NIGHT Rain. Low around 49. South wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

SATURDAY Rain, mainly before 1 p.m. High near 58. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

SAT NIGHT Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Northwest wind around 7 mph.

SUNDAY Sunny, with a high near 55. North wind 3 to 7 mph.

SUN NIGHT Mostly clear, with a low around 35.

MONDAY Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.

MON NIGHT A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

TUESDAY A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

TUES NIGHT Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

WEDNESDAY Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.

WEDS NIGHT Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.

THURSDAY Partly sunny, with a high near 52.

Photo by Chuck Beatty for The River City News

Campbell Co. Artist Has New Show Opening in Cincinnati

0
0

Artist and life-long Campbell County resident Barbara Ahlbrand is showing a body of work in : Encompass : encircle : embrace : at Clifton Cultural Arts Center from March 20-April 23. 

Ahlbrand entered the annual competition for the first time last year and “Shirts” was chosen as Best in Show in Clifton’s Golden Ticket. “To be handed a solo show opportunity with this support is a dream come true,” Ahlbrand said. 

: Encompass : encircle : embrace : features 30 figurative paintings from an ongoing body of work, often created in series, almost invariably addressing energy – and finding order in the chaos of our world. 

The exhibit includes work from the last 15 years – the ‘encompass’ speaks the retrospective element of the show and “ongoing series of ideas and compositional elements,” Ahlbrand says. 

Among the subjects for her series are suits (“Shirts” is a part of it), ceiling fans, horses and what she calls “Crazy Eyes.” “They’re all male, they all have party spectacles on – I want them to ask viewers, ‘Who am I? Who do you think I am?’”

“'Encircle'.... especially applies to the horses,” Ahlbrand says. “These paintings are about power and presence using the horse as subject. The nature of the horse, its majesty and strength” juxtaposed with found objects from a pasture -- ropes, chain and wire – and incorporated into the work.

Many of the canvases are five by seven feet, because, Ahlbrand points out, “when it’s about power, it can’t be small.”

Finally, 'Embrace' speaks to “the overall beginning to end dialogue of each series.”

Her next projects, Ahlbrand asys, will take her back to basics. “I am excited about drawing, black and white, strong and bold – but SMALL!

: Encompass : encircle : embrace :, March 20-April xx. Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3711 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati. Viewing hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays, 12-7 p.m. Thursdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Opening reception: 6-8 p.m. March 20. www.cliftonculturalarts.org and 513-497-2860.

Written by Jackie Demaline, RCN Arts

Man Cited for Impersonating Officer in Covington Pulled Same Stunt in Oldham Co. & Was Ordered Away from Cincinnati Mayor

0
0

A man sitting in the Kenton County Detention Center accused of impersonating a police officer in Covington has been accused of the practice before and was even ordered to stay away from Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley.

Brent Cameron Willoughby, 23, was arrested by the Covington Police and the Kenton County Sheriff's Office and booked in the detention center at 3 a.m. Thursday. According to the citation, Willoughby commited his officer impersonating violations on February 15 in Covington's Mainstrasse Village during the annual Mardi Gras festivities where he was pulled while wearing police garb. His black SUV had red and blue police lights inside. According to the citation, Willoughby claimed to be an employee of the Cincinnati Police Department.

Willoughby was not arrested until more than a month later following a warrant issued for his arrest when a woman told investigators that she was picked up in the area of Ninth & Greer Streets, an area that police have identified as one frequently visited by prostitutes and their customers.

The woman told police that a man matching Willoughby's description told her that he was a cop and that if she followed through with her offer for sex for money but waived the fee, she would be free to go.

Willoughby was arrested in Mainstrasse at Sixth & Bakewell Streets early Thursday morning.

He faces charges of impersonating a peace officer, improper use of blue lights, improper use of red lights, using flashing lights on a non-emergency vehicle, possessing a radio device that receives police messages. He is being held on $5,000 bond and is due in court on March 25.

The River City News has learned that Willoughby has previously been arrested for impersonating a police officer in Oldham County and that a condition of his bond there was that he have no contact with Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley.

A week after the incident at Mardi Gras in Mainstrasse, on February 22, Willoughby, who lives in South Covington, was stopped on Interstate 71 in Oldham County where he was allegedly speeding in the same vehicle and traveling at speeds of over 100 miles per hour while pointing a gun at passing vehicles. According to the citation, Willoughby again identified himself as a police officer and said that he was in possession of two guns, a 9mm handgun and an AR-15 rifle. The citation indicated that the guns were unlawfully concealed.

Willoughby also had a toboggan with the word POLICE on it and had a fictitious Drug Enforcement Agency ID along with red and blue lights in the back window. His case was referred to the Oldham County Grand Jury.

When Willoughby's bond was posted for $1,000, the condition of no contact with his arresting officer or Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley was attached. The reference to Cranley was not explained documents obtained by The River City News and no further information was immediately available.

The River City News has learned that there may be additional women with whom Willoughby may have pretended to be a police officer, a position that he used for sexual favors. Because of the ongoing nature of the investigation, officials could not provide comment.

Follow The River City News on Facebook, Twitter, or email us.

Written by Michael Monks, editor & publisher of The River City News

Photo: Brent Cameron Willoughby via Kenton Co. Detention Center

 


With Focus on Water, Northern Kentucky Artists at Center of New Cincinnati Exhibit

0
0

Northern Kentucky artists Brad McCombs and Numediacy play a vital role in a major regional exhibit about a vital topic: water.

Too Shallow for Diving: the weight of water at the Aronoff Center’s Weston Art Gallery in downtown Cincinnati from March 27 to June 7 is a group exhibition of regional artists who examine the political, social, and environmental aspects of water, with a special focus on the Ohio River Basin.

Dennis Harrington, gallery director, notes while water is essential “we seemingly take (it) for granted without taking into account the long term consequences of pollution, industrialization and human demand from an ever increasing population.”

Exhibit co-curator Christopher Hoeting suggested Too Shallow… and the timing couldn’t be better. The Weston’s first exhibit in 1995 was The River. Returning to the river for the gallery’s 20th anniversary is a perfect salute. 

Too Shallow… mixes politics, humor, environmental discourse, and poetry with six individual installations. 

McCombs, who lives in Fort Thomas, is coordinator for New Media Art at Northern Kentucky University. Artist collaborative Numediacy (Jason Gray (JGray) and Caitlin Sparks) are his former students. Both their entries showcase new media.

McCombs’ Adrift creates an organic environment that he hopes will “inspires contemplation of our watershed.”

A rectangular gallery space will be made round and covered floor to ceiling in moss. In the center will be a shallow pool of water filled with floating bits of driftwood from the Licking and Ohio Rivers. And the driftwood will act as a video screen.

Visitors will hear the soft sounds of children playing in water, smell the moss and watch the best and worst of our region’s river – images of those happy children, which McCombs hopes “create this dreamlike aesthetic to connect the viewer with their memories of playing in water.”

The video will also show occasional reminders of maps of sewer overflows and release of waste directly into our rivers.   

Adrift, McCombs says, will subtly “address water quality issues…and how everyone one of us is connected literally and metaphorically with water. It is,” he notes, “the flowing water over the land and the hidden water in sewers and supply lines that literally connects us to these bodies of water.”

Adrift is a “conceptual manifestation” of McCombs’ “socially engaged” public art project The Driftwood Institute that started in early 2013.  An ongoing NKU Ecological Stewardship Institute initiative “to help the community engage, understand and transform our riverbanks and watershed.”   

SEE PREVIOUSLY: Driftwood Art project earns money to plant trees in Covington

McCombs’ mission with The Driftwood Institute is “to transform the neglected banks of Covington, into an interactive art space that embraces cultural and environmental vibrancy with an economic model to empower artists to reuse driftwood debris, engage the public about ecology, and connect the Greater Cincinnati community to our watershed.”

One of the institute projects is harvesting driftwood from ”The Point,” the large slow bend in the Ohio River and the confluence with the Licking River which has become a dumping ground.  

The driftwood is recreated as art, sculpture and furniture and sold. (The driftwood art has been available at Art on Pike.) McCombs likes the idea that people can “bring a piece of the river (home) with them and connect them to the watershed and ecology of the river.”


McCombs is an artist, a teacher and an activist -- he wants to “raise ecological and social consciousness” and move people to take action and he has urgent suggestions to improve our watershed:

“Plant a tree. Make your lawn low impact. Landscape with native plants. Create a rain garden. Conserve and reuse water. Join a local watershed group.”

The Driftwood Institute will be planting trees on April 11, exact location to be announced. Information about the tree planting will be available at the exhibition.

Q & A WITH NUMEDIACY

In Too Shallow for Diving…, Covington arts collaborative Numediacy (Jason Gray and Caitlin Sparks) investigates the Lick Run Watershed project under development along the Queen City Avenue corridor in the Fairmont neighborhood of Cincinnati to daylight part of the underground storm water tunnel system.  

The watershed is years-in-the-making and will ultimately serve to further separate storm water from sewage and help eliminate the unnecessary dumping of raw sewage into the Ohio River during heavy rain periods.

Through a multichannel video and audio installation, Numediacy explores the positive and negative impact of the multi-million dollar environmental project on the surrounding neighborhood and its residents.

Gray answered questions about their installation.

RCN: What’s going to surprise viewers about the theme of the entire exhibit?

GRAY: Viewers may be surprised how our society treated the environment in our growth and development. How great rivers and streams were made into sewers and highways. There is tremendous work to be done to save our environment and ourselves, and thus tremendous opportunities. If we can only seize upon the hearts and minds of our people.

RCN: How did you choose your subject?

GRAY: There are over 600 cities in the U.S. that were built with combined sewer overflows (CSO). The Lick Run Project is one of the first attempts to correct a more than 100 year-old design, and to separate rain water from our sewers. In order to save precious natural water from unnecessary contamination a neighborhood is being sacrificed. South Fairmount valley will be changed forever.

This American Foursquare house is in beautiful condition, inside and out. It is scheduled for 'deconstruction' this year. It's only hope is to be moved. There is dark and light sides to this project. (Provided)

RCN: What does new media bring to the conversation that 'traditional' art can’t?

GRAY: My philosophy of 'new media' is to develop a concept or message first, then decide which medium would best represent it. Installation art attempts to create an environment and four-dimensional (4-D) experience for the viewer. Through 4-D experience, a message can have a stronger impact and lasting memory.

In our time, video and internet are of the best means to mass communicate. After the Weston Gallery exhibit is finished, the digital aspects of our work (video, audio, photo) will be on our website, numediacy.com.

Traditional arts were largely freed from their documentary function more than 100 years ago (thanks to photography and then video). People go to see movies today much more than paintings. Traditional arts have become wonderfully abstract and expressive, but have also diverged from our culture at large. Many people don't 'get' modern art. We hope through our work to create a connection.

RCN: Is this issue one of our priorities?

GRAY: Water is one of our top priorities. Clean and safe water is a major component of sustainable human existence. These components also include eliminating garbage, shifting to clean energy, reforestation, maturing culture, and not having so many kids and pets. It's what we call the Responsibility Movement.

Caitlin and I are active with the Licking River Watershed Watch (LRWW), the NKY Sierra Club, KySEA, NKY Forestry, and Green Umbrella, to name a few.

We are interested in creating a South Fairmount documentary after this project, as we've now collected a lot of fascinating history of that community.

Too Shallow for Diving: the weight of water, March 27-June 2. Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery, Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati. Opening reception: 6-9 p.m. March 27 (free). Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 12-5 p.m. Sunday. Open late on Procter & Gamble Hall performance nights. 513-977-4165 and www.westonartgallery.com.

Special events:
 Gallery Talk with the Artists and Curators: 7 p.m. April 28 * Families Create! Education Workshop with artist Roscoe Wilson: “Savor the Waves,” 10 a.m.-12 p.m. May 16

Written by Jackie Demaline, RCN Arts

Renaissance Covington Manager, OTR Business Owner Co-Author Book on Walking in the City

0
0

Walking Cincinnati is a walking guide of more than 30 of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's favorite communities. Authors Danny Korman and Katie Meyer celebrated their book release with a walk from Park + Vine in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati to Roebling Point Books and Coffee in Covington.

Korman, owner of Park + Vine, and Meyer, manager of Renaissance Covington, created a work that takes readers through the region's renowned historical, architectural, and culinary sites and is described as a must for inquisitive urban adventurers.

“We had 32 people walk with us today,” said co-author Katie Meyer. “Quite an age mix, which was cool and unexpected.”

The book was published by Keen Communications, based in Covington and costs $18.95 per copy. The project took two years of research, writing and working with neighborhood groups and experts to capture the magic of living and working and walking throughout the area. There are nine Northern Kentucky walks featured in the book.

“I think the fact that the publishing company is based in Covington is one reason it was important to include this side of the river, but also a lot of the historic neighborhoods in Northern Kentucky are beautiful assets to the region and should be celebrated just the same,” Meyer, a Covington native, said.

The weather cooperated nicely on what had been a rather stormy week to facilitate the walk and dozens of people made the trek across the river where Korman and Meyer signed copies of the book and thanked supporters and friends.

“Couldn't have asked for better weather. We stopped about every block and talked about every other plaque along the way," Meyer said. “We talked about murals, historic buildings, some of the street design, the street car. It was exciting to go across the bridge and see the Reds stadium all filled up.”

The pair enjoyed putting together the book, but Meyer said her favorite part of the process was discovering even more details of the place she grew up in.

“Even if you have lived here your whole life, there is still so much that you have not seen or have not uncovered. If there is not a reason to go to a particular neighborhood, often times people get into their patterns and being sort of forced to go out and explore a new neighborhood is very cool,” Meyer said. “There is actually a lot more in the region in terms of cool neighborhoods, public spaces, art and things like that, that even I didn't know about.”

Korman said that the sales on the launch party were very strong with only a few copies remaining on the first day and that some people were purchasing them with an eye on the holidays.

“One woman bought nine copies that she is going to give as gifts,” Korman said.

The book is 270 pages long and Meyer said that there were difficult moments in the editing process to trim the book down to its size.

“When you are really into a neighborhood, you can point out everything. You could write an entire book about the Licking Riverside Neighborhood, so just getting those highlights—what is going to be the most interesting for people who don't know the neighborhood—was really hard to cut it down,” she said. “Madison Avenue was like seven pages before editing.”

Copies of Walking Cincinnati, can be purchased at Roebling Point Books and Coffee at 306 Greenup Street in Covington and Park + Vine at 1202 Main Street in Over-the-Rhine.

Written by Bryan Burke, associate editor

Photos by Claire Suer

Slideshow Images & Captions: 

Winners! Covington's Johnny Chu & Doreen Beatrice Claim Stars Dancing Title

0
0

The 2015 Cincinnati Arts Association - Dancing for the Stars title is coming to Covington.

KungFood Chu's AmerAsia owner Johnny Chu and Step-N-Out Studio's Doreen Beatrice Uptown Funked in Gangnam Style downtown Saturday night at Cincinnati Music Hall for the annual event that benefits the Overture Awards and Arts Education Programs.

Celebrity hosts, judges, and dancers were watched by well-dressed guests that enjoyed dinner the by the bite from some of the area's best places to eat.

Seven local well-knowns were paired with professional dancers from various studios in the area for the ballroom dance-style competition. Each competitor also raises money for the fundraising element of the competition.

Chu was joined in the dance event by Cincinnati Reds legend George Foster, Chef's Cafe owner Mary Bettman, DTZ's Doug Bolton, Procter & Gamble's Barbara Hauser, UC Health's Diana Maria Lara, and plastic surgeon Dr. Devinder Mangat.

Bolton claimed the fundraising crown, bringing in more than $17,000.

The combined judges and audience vote, however, gave the dance title to Chu and Beatrice, who scored a pair of 9s and a pair of 10s  for their crowd-pleasing triumph with Uptown Funk, the Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars megahit. When their music briefly shifted to Gangnam Style, the wildly successful fast-paced tune from Psy, Chu was joined on stage by new back-up dancers mimicking the moves from the song's popular video.

By the performance's end, Chu & Beatrice were rejoined for a Funk finale that sealed the deal for them.

Judges Drew Lachey, designer Joe Rigotti, Jeff Ruby's Britney Ruby Miller, and dance instructor Douglas Beal gave the Covington-based pair the highest scores of the night.

The event was hosted by Chris O'Brien and Janeen Coyle from WGRR (the station that also provided pre-show DJ Rockin' Ron Schumacher) and also featured a dance performance by Overture winner Joseph Harrington.

-Michael Monks, editor

Slideshow Images & Captions: 
Drew Lachey

Crash Closes Part of I-471

0
0

UPDATE: Highway has been fully reopened.

Original post:

A traffic accident on I-471 at Columbia Parkway at the north end of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge in Cincinnati has closed at least one lane (the left lane) and transportation officials are urging drivers to use caution in the area (1:29 p.m.).

More information from the scene will be posted as it is learned.

-Staff report

James Franco, Nick Jonas Movie to Be Shot in the Area. Here's How to Be an Extra.

0
0

Another Hollywood movie is coming to Greater Cincinnati.

On the heels of CarolMiles Ahead, and The Blunderer, comes Goat, which will shoot this spring.

Producers Christine Vachon and David Hinojosa of Killer Films are joined by Rabbit Bandini’s James Franco, Vince Jolivette, and executive producer John Wells.

"We had a great experience in Cincinnati on our films Carol and The Blunderer in 2014," Vachon said. "The (Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky) Film Commission, the rebate, locations, infrastructure and film-friendly people of Cincinnati – have brought us back again." 

Production offices will opened last week. Goat will begin filming on May 4th. The Wrap reported in January that Nick Jonas, of Jonas Brothers-fame, would star.

The film is based on the 2005 memoir of the same name by Brad Land about a teenager adbucted and robbed who then experiences further abuse in a college fraternity.

“We are maintaining sustainable work for locals. This industry has had a tremendous impact on the local economy and we are excited to continue and nurture our relationship with not only Killer Films but also, Rabbit Bandini. They are the utmost professionals and continue to create opportunities for all of us,” said Kristen Schlotman, Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Film Commission.

When The Blunderer shot in the winter, scenes were filmed in Northern Kentucky, including in front of the Marianne Theater in Bellevue. The Miles Davis biopic used a Covington parking lot to store its vintage vehicles used in the film which was shot in Cincinnati.

Be Involved:

If you’re interested in applying to be an extra – send a headshot and email to: extrasgoatthemovie@gmail.com

If you are interested in crew employment, and are qualified, send resume: goatthemovieohio@gmail.com

Follow The River City News on Facebook, Twitter, or email us!

Photo: James Franco via Wikipedia

Police Chiefs Speak on Bias, Community Relations

0
0

The police chiefs of Covington and Cincinnati, a former assistant chief of Newport, and the president of the Northern Kentucky NAACP appeared together for the Northern Kentucky Forum's discussion about police and community relations.

The forum was moderated by Ericka King-Betts, executive director of the Cincinnati Human Rights Commission. Covington Police Chief Spike Jones, retired Newport Assistant Police Chief Robert McCray, Northern Kentucky President of the NAACP Jerome Bowles and Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell made up the panel.

The event was held at the Kentucky Career Center in Covington.

The questions were mostly on topics that dealt with racial inequality, police bias, and ways for police to better interact with their communities.

During introductions, McCray said that he became the first African-American employee in the Newport Police Department when he was hired 36 years ago. He then disclosed that since he retired in 2010 there have been no African-Americans on the force, though there have been others in the past.. He also said that there has never been an African-American on the Newport Fire Department, never any in Parks and Recreation and never any on the Code Enforcement Board. At one time, he said, the public works department was roughly 50% black but that there are no African-Americans in that department currently.

“Our departments do not represent the true makeup of our community. Now I don't mean to sound negative, but I agreed to serve on this committee and speak of what I observed and what I lived through,” McCray said. “I'm not knocking my city, I'm not knocking my police department, I'm not knocking our fire department. Our government is lacking.”

The first question asked: if racial profiling was commonplace among police departments.

“The way we serve the public is different when there is a diverse workforce, because certain things just won't be allowed. Certain conduct will be checked internally because the diverse officers will not stand for some of the shenanigans that we've seen in other parts of the county,” said Chief Blackwell.

Later, a question was asked of what ways the police department can build trust in their community. Bowles talked about how important it is for police forces to police smarter rather than harder by combining resources when necessary and working as a region rather than as individual cities.

“My suggestion is to try to do these things on a regional level with partnerships with other agencies to try and develop a resource base and I think that can go a long way,” Bowles said. “Many stakeholders came together to address the heroin situation in Northern Kentucky. That meant health care, law enforcement, education, political leaders, business leaders and a lot of people of good will came together and from that, state law began to change.”

Next, the conversation shifted to training and how it works in the police departments. Bowles said that because local agencies are so strapped with smaller budgets, a lot of cultural and diversity training happens on the job rather than in a classroom.

“That's not enough. That's too late. It needs to be addressed in terms of more aggressive training toward culture competence that will create a culture shift from that perspective,” he said. “Some agencies in Northern Kentucky are ahead of others in that respect. We are a region, we have pockets of law enforcement in our area that may not speak the same language as other departments. So we may have to do some culture competence training on a regional basis.”

Chief Jones said that the Covington Police Department reached out to Northern Kentucky University to help create better training courses primarily for the department's supervision and command staff about social and emotional intelligence.

“That type of initiative has to take place and it is the future of police training,” Jones said. “It's about having a respectful conversation, an appropriate conversation and being able to disagree at the same time. Sometimes conflict is good as long as it's constructive.”

The issue of respect—or lack thereof—came up a number of times in the evening and it was clear that each member of the panel emphasized the importance of remaining respectful at all times.

“Every time you see misconduct, it starts with some type of disrespect,” Blackwell said. “And so really what we're trying to do, is improve a culture of respect of American policing where cops and people of the community have a mutual respect, if not love for one another so that we can get the job done. But when police agencies have the old model of policing, which is the big me, little you. We've got to trust our community to have input. When you talk about that type of policing, it has to be problem-oriented, evidence-based policing. It can't be random, routine patrol that we did in the 1960's.”

The question was then raised from the audience if the panel thought the racial bias within the police force has been exaggerated by the media.

“Those stories being out and you folks seeing that reality, is that a good thing?,” Chief Jones asked. “Yes it is, because there is only one truth. But it's a bad thing that it is used to sell dish-washing products; that's not the intention. Knowing the truth is a very good thing.”

“We did not always welcome the press,” McCray said. “We fought the press, we ran from the press, we opposed the press, and they can make you or break you. We later found out through Covington and through trial and error that it's better to have a relationship with the press, and be open with the press, and contact the press when there is something going on that you should think the community should be aware of.”

The next question was if it is possible for police agencies to remove bias within their officers through training. McCray said he thought not, but Blackwell disagreed.

“I think you can train out bias because a lot of people aren't aware that they have it. The implicit bias that some police officers have, if you bring that to the forefront of their attention, you make them aware that they have those biases and that acting on those biases is unacceptable.”

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misquoted McCray as saying he was the only African-American ever to work for the Newport Police Department. That is not what he said. There have been others between the time he was hired as the first and the time that he retired, though none have been hired since, he said. Also, he did not say that there were no African-Americans ever in the public works department. In fact, he said that the department was at one time 50% black, though there are currently no African-Americans employed there. The River City News regrets the error.

Story & photo by Bryan Burke, associate editor

$500,000 Grant to Benefit River Studies by Thomas More, University of Cincinnati

0
0

Duke Energy gave $500,000 to Thomas More College and the University of Cincinnati during an announcement on the Covington riverfront.

Each school will have $250,000 to devote to their respective studies of the Ohio and Licking Rivers. The programs benefiting from the funding will also support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in Northern Kentucky and southwest Ohio. The money will be released as grants over the next two years to support fish and water quality studies, student internships, and summer training programs for science teachers.

“The University of Cincinnati and Thomas More College have created inventive frameworks for programs that will positively impact our environment and the development of the future STEM workforce,” said Jim Henning, president of Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky. “Education and sustainability are the keys to success, and we believe both schools’ plans for expanding their water research programs will have positive, lasting impacts on our region.”

Water quality research and STEM outreach at Thomas More Biology Field Station

Thomas More College will use the $250,000 grant to boost its fish and water quality research programs at the Thomas More Biology Field Station in Campbell County and expand its STEM partnerships with teachers and students throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.

“The future of our nation depends on a strong and competitive science and engineering workforce,” said Thomas More College President David Armstrong. “Duke Energy’s support is vital to our continued work to engage with, educate and empower the next generation of scientists – today’s young men and women who have the ability to be tomorrow’s greatest thinkers and leaders.”

The Biology Field Station was established in 1967 and is the only station of its kind along the 981-mile river. The facility is home to the Center for Ohio River Research and Education (CORRE), which offers students of all ages, faculty and other visitors opportunities to expand their knowledge of the natural world through field courses, research projects and outreach programs that focus on the ecology of the Ohio River and surrounding watershed. 

The Duke Energy Foundation grant will allow the college to expand the field station’s aquatic biology and environmental science research by increasing the number of summer internships for undergraduate students. In addition, the CORRE will expand its collaborations with local high schools through the Thomas More STEM Initiatives (TSI). 

The outreach program comprises teacher workshops, student camps, classroom visits, field trips and more. 

As part of the TSI, high school teachers and students work alongside Thomas More faculty and undergraduates to conduct hands-on research and get a true sense of life as a STEM major and as a STEM professional. The program has successfully improved STEM education at the high school level by offering high-quality, educational experiences for both teachers and students. The program also aims to entice more high school students to become STEM majors in college – and ultimately become STEM professionals – by exposing them to interactive, scholarly experiences. 

University of Cincinnati project to monitor region’s water and create summer program for science teachers

The University of Cincinnati will use its $250,000 grant to complete the Great Miami Ground-Water Observatory (GMGWO) in the Hamilton Country (Ohio) Park District’s Miami Whitewater Forest – just northwest of Cincinnati. 

The observatory will allow researchers to more effectively monitor the water that comes from the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer System and establish an early detection system for threats to the region’s water quality. Researchers at the facility will also partner with the private sector to analyze new water-monitoring technologies that one day could be put to use around the world.

The Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer System, which runs underneath the Great Miami River, stretches from Indian Lake – about 20 miles southeast of Lima, Ohio – to the Ohio River. The aquifer is the sole source of drinking water for about 2.3 million people in Southwest Ohio, including those on the northern edge of the Greater Cincinnati region. It uses a system of sand and gravel deposits to naturally collect and filter water. 

“UC’s corporate and community partners are helping our faculty and researchers expand the reach of their important work on water quality and sustainability,” said Beverly Davenport, Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Cincinnati. “Duke Energy’s generous grant will help expose students at UC and students throughout the Cincinnati and Dayton region to expert monitoring methods as it benefits the entire Greater Cincinnati community.”

In addition to monitoring the aquifer and developing a system to detect threats, the GMGWO will use the Duke Energy grant to establish a summer environmental research
training program for teachers. Twenty area K-12 science teachers will team with UC researchers for six weeks of hands-on scientific research and instruction in air and water quality, biodiversity, waste management and other topics. The summer program aims to inspire teachers, enhance their scientific understanding, and help them develop curriculum modules and ideas to use in their classrooms. 

Stick Williams, president of The Duke Energy Foundation, is a champion of community involvement and investment, and believes that community partnerships provide the best means for driving results. 

“I’ve seen firsthand how public/private partnerships can inspire and create a difference in communities,” said Williams. “These grants to UC and Thomas More reflect Duke 
Energy’s commitment to serving, improving and protecting the health and wellbeing of our communities. They’re investments in the ongoing and future sustainability of our region.”

-Staff report

Photo: Thomas More College president David Armstrong accepts the check (RCN)


Want to Learn Craft Brewing? There's a College Class for That

Known Heroin User Steals Mom's Car with Baby Sister Inside

Cincinnati Reds Greats Bench and Foster Honored at Freedom Game

Photos: Smokestack Catches Fire During Reds Game

Overturned Vehicle Snarls Traffic Near Brent Spence

Viewing all 312 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images