Soapbox

The Northern Kentucky ezone, part of the Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corp., has been helping local companies start and grow since 2001.

The ezone has aided more than 189 companies, and it has brought in more than $74 million in investments to Northern Kentucky. We spoke to Casey Barach, vice president of entrepreneurship at ezone, to find out more about this successful program.

The Northern Kentucky ezone, part of the Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corp., has been helping local companies start and grow since 2001.

The ezone has aided more than 189 companies, and it has brought in more than $74 million in investments to Northern Kentucky. We spoke to Casey Barach, vice president of entrepreneurship at ezone, to find out more about this successful program.

Q: What kind of companies might benefit from ezone's services?
A: We serve a niche of entrepreneurial companies. Most of the companies in our portfolio are equity-backed companies. I differentiate that from debt-backed companies. If someone wants to set up a company and needs help buying equipment, we don't help with that. They need to go to a bank and get a traditional loan.

We do help equity-backed companies: the Venture Capital, Angel Networks, friends and family type financed companies. In our region, these tend to be technology-related companies. If you’re not clear on whether you belong with ezone, just give us a call. We’ll talk about it and point you in the right direction.

Read the entire Question and Answer here.

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Wednesday announced the first new carrier to its lineup since 2004, with Air Canada saying it was launching two flights daily in May to its main hub in Toronto.

Six airlines will now serve the airport, with Air Canada becoming the first new entry to the lineup since USA 3000 started service six years ago.

"Toronto is a major market for our local passengers and the addition of these flights opens new opportunities beyond Toronto to major European and Asian international destinations," airport chief executive officer John Mok said in a statement. "This initiative to add flights at CVG illustrates, once again, the strong demand for air service in our local market. We welcome Air Canada as a new airline partner at CVG and in our community."

Read the entire article here.

The exhibition opens February 5th and will be held at three venues including: Bellevue's Sigra Gallery 205 Fairfield Avenue, Covington's Artisans Enterprise Center at 25 W 7th Street and Art Machine Inc.'s new studio space located at 1032 Saratoga Street, Newport.

Jennifer Baldwin, Executive Director of Art Machine Inc., has been the organizer for the Scholastic Art Awards in the Southern Ohio/Northern Kentucky/Southeastern Indiana region for the last 16 years. The event’s opening famously attracts over 2,500 visitors and hosts works submitted by art students from all Middle Schools and High Schools in the region, where only a handful of students are then chosen to participate in the National Award ceremony held at Carnegie Hall, New York City. More than 77,000 teenagers across the nation in grades 7-12 participated last year, submitting over 100,000 works to be reviewed by creative industry professionals. Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky/Southeastern Indiana's youth claims approximately 500 of the total submissions (45 Portfolio nominees and 150 individual category entrants)

Largely due to the disparity in Arts program support between schools in Greater Cincinnati and schools in Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati being the better supported of the two, Northern Kentucky teens have historically become relatively under-represented in the Scholastic Art Awards. Arts teachers from the region are skeptical to get their students to participate because competition is fierce.  Add the fact that fewer schools in Northern Kentucky participate because "the amount of time and effort it takes to put together portfolios and individual categories, coupled with year-on-year rejections" decreases the number of Northern Kentucky young artists who could benefit from this program.

All this is about to change, thanks to Jennifer Baldwin's collaboration with City Arts and Community leaders across the river.

Three cities including Bellevue, Covington and Newport, have banded together to host a collective Tri-City Salons des Refusés. The Salon des Refusés, French for "exhibition of rejects", is generally an exhibition of works rejected by the jury of the official Paris Salon, but the term is most famously used to refer to the Salon des Refusés of 1863. During this time, Paris was a breeding ground for artists of all forms. Any artist who wanted to be recognized, at that time, was required to have exhibited in a Salon, or to have gone to school in France. Being accepted into these Salons was a matter of survival for some artists; reputations and careers could be started or broken, based solely upon acceptance into these exhibits. Many critics and the public ridiculed the refusés, which included such now-famous paintings as Édouard Manet's Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe) and James McNeill Whistler's Girl in White. Today by extension, salon des refusés refers to any exhibition of works rejected from a juried art show.

The Tri-City effort is using the idea of the Salon to boost the promotion of talent seen in Northern Kentucky and to provide an additional incentive to encourage youth and art teachers to submit to the Scholastic Art Awards. The Salon will also provide a means by which their efforts will have an increased opportunity for recognition, as well as give the local public a chance to become familiar with the Scholastic Art Awards program.

The Northern Kentucky Salons des Refusés will show one piece of unselected artwork by every Northern Kentucky area student who submits to the Scholastic Art Awards this year. "This is a great opportunity to give these kids exposure to a professional art environment and also to the public who can see just how much artistic talent Northern Kentucky is harboring." Says Natalie Bowers, Arts District Manager, City of Covington.

JANUARY 25, 2010 -- Gov. Steve Beshear today announced that nine Kentucky high-tech companies will share nearly $2.2 million in state funds as part of a Kentucky initiative to attract and support technology-based small businesses. Through the state's competitive SBIR-STTR Matching Funds program, Kentucky matches federal SBIR-STTR awards received by Kentucky companies or those willing to relocate to Kentucky. This round of state awards supplements more than $6 million in federal funding made to the firms.

The state matching funds were awarded to businesses that received grants in Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Kentucky is the first and only state to match both phases of the federal program: up to $100,000 for Phase 1 federal awards and up to $500,000 per year (for up to two years) for Phase 2 federal awards. To date, the state’s unique SBIR-STTR matching program has made a total of 80 awards to 46 Kentucky companies for a combined $17.7 million and helped bring eight new high-tech businesses to the Commonwealth to benefit from the matching funds.

"Last year at the 2009 BIO International tradeshow that I attended in Atlanta, people were standing in line outside the Kentucky Pavilion to ask about our SBIR-STTR matching funds," said Gov. Beshear. "This is just another example of how our state programs and expanding statewide research and development efforts are dramatically enhancing Kentucky’s image throughout the global science community."

The nine Kentucky companies receiving matching funds specialize in areas as diverse as human health and development, energy, nanotechnology, bioscience, materials science and advanced manufacturing.

Company descriptions:
Four Tigers, near Paris, is developing blackberry-based cosmetics, dietary supplements, food and medical products that offer the fruit’s potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. www.four-tigers.com

NaugaNeedles, of Louisville, produces nano-scale probes and electrodes for use in mechanical, electrical, and electrochemical sensing and manipulation at cellular and molecular levels. www.nauganeedles.com

SCR, of Louisville, is developing a long-term implantable counterpulsation medical device to treat heart failure patients who may be responsive to a moderate level of cardiac assistance. www.scrdevelopmentgroup.com

Topasol, of Lexington, produces nanoparticles for use in new coatings and composites for sensors, biocides, mar-resistant materials, optical devices, solar cells and colorings. www.topasol.com

Transposagen, of Lexington, uses mobile DNA technology (transposons) to develop genetically modified laboratory rats that can mimic human diseases and be used for medical research. www.transposagenbio.com

ApoImmune, of Louisville, is developing vaccines to treat cancer and prevent infectious diseases, as well as therapies to improve patient tolerance to transplanted organs and cells. www.apoimmune.com

NuForm Materials, near Georgetown, makes ceramic materials for use in automotive and aerospace composites that can help lower cost and improve performance and fuel efficiency. www.nuformmaterials.com

PGxl Laboratories, of Louisville, is studying how genetics affect the way patients react to medicines to help physicians select drugs and adjust dosages to avoid adverse drug reactions. www.pgxlab.com

3H Company, of Lexington, is focusing on clean coal technology and testing its carbon sequestration technology designed to capture and store carbon dioxide underground.

The Cabinet for Economic Development, through its Department of Commercialization and Innovation (DCI), manages the Kentucky SBIR-STTR Matching Funds program, which is administered under contract by the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC).

"The matching awards help these companies to continue and expand their research efforts, often in ways the federal awards do not," said DCI Commissioner Deborah Clayton. "For example, the state funds can be used to pay for patent fees, marketing expenses, and business plan preparation, unlike the federal SBIR-STTR funds that have more restrictions on how they can be used."

Applications for each round of the program are accepted by KSTC on a regular basis. A link to the online guidelines and application form for the Kentucky program are posted at www.ThinkKentucky.com/dci/SBIR.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is the primary state agency in Kentucky responsible for creating new jobs and new investment in the state. New business investment in Kentucky in 2008 totaled nearly $1.7 billion with the creation of more than 7,750 new jobs. Information on available development sites, workforce training, incentive programs, community profiles, small business development and other resources is available at www.ThinkKentucky.com.

JANUARY 27, 2010 -- The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development has issued two Request for Proposals (RFP) for the purpose of awarding up to $4,350,000 in competitive funding for projects that introduce and demonstrate advanced energy savings and clean energy technologies in industrial, commercial and manufacturing facilities located in Kentucky.

The purpose of the grant funding is to accelerate energy efficiency and renewable energy industrial projects for businesses locating or expanding operations in Kentucky that create or retain jobs while saving energy and reducing carbon emissions. Additionally, the funding will help achieve the goals set by Gov. Steve Beshear's Intelligent Energy Choices for Kentucky's Future: Kentucky's 7-Point Energy Strategy.

The Industrial Facility Retrofit Showcase (RFP 645 1000000233) seeks projects investing a minimum of $500,000 in the special focus areas of HVAC and steam plant upgrades, energy efficiency improvements for water treatment facilities and lighting retrofits. The Cabinet will provide up to 75 percent of the total project cost for applicants selected through this RFP. Up to $3,350,000 may be awarded.

A second RFP (645 1000000234) seeks lighting retrofit projects costing $250,000 or more. The Cabinet will fund a maximum of 50 percent of the total project cost for applicants selected through this RFP. Up to $1 million may be awarded.

The Cabinet for Economic Development will select applicants through a competitive process. Proposals will be evaluated on jobs created/retained; amount of energy saved per grant dollar invested; local community impact; private dollar match/leverage of grant funds; and other important factors. Selected applicants will be required to showcase their projects and develop case studies to highlight the benefits of the project.

RFP documents containing more detailed information on both of these funding opportunities can be found on the state’s procurement Web site at http://eprocurement.ky.gov. Proposals may be submitted to Tim Back, Cabinet for Economic Development, 500 Mero Street, 23rd Floor, Capital Plaza Tower, Frankfort, KY 40601. Proposals are due no later than Feb. 22, 2010 by 4:30 pm EST.

Awards are made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), through the U.S. Department of Energy, as part of the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence's State Energy Program and are subject to availability of funds. Information on additional State Energy Program projects is available online at http://energy.ky.gov/recovery/sep.

There's a good chance the frozen pizza purchased by any number of tri-staters this weekend was made in Boone County.

Schwan Global Supply Chain, the largest manufacturing employer in Boone County, makes more than a million pizzas each day at its plant on Empire Drive in Florence.

Most people probably identify Schwan with ice cream and the yellow trucks that deliver its products to home-delivery customers.

The company's brand names, Tony's, Freschetta and Red Baron, however, are also among the most recognizable on local grocery store shelves.

Schwan purchased the facility in 1986 and has experienced steady growth in the 20-plus years it has been located there.

Read the entire article here.

Northern Kentucky's Life's Eyes Media has signed a contract with NASA to film "Behind the Webb," a documentary video podcast series about the building of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Life's Eyes Media videographers are recording the monthly series with Space Telescope Science Institute's Web reporter, Mary Estacion. The series will explain, in layman's terms, the various contractors' roles in building the telescope, which will be a partial successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

The JWST is designed to work primarily in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which falls just below the visible spectrum and is useful for viewing objects from the early days of the universe. It is designed to find the first galaxies the formed the early universe, connecting the "Big Bang" theory to our Milky Way galaxy.

"What we're doing is filming incremental pieces of a documentary about three minutes at a time," said Kristan Getsy, president and CEO of Life’s Eyes Media. "When you put all the pieces together, you get to see the growth of the James Webb project, and that is way cool. Talk about big bang."

Read the entire article here.

The satisfaction may be paying off: New numbers from the U.S. Transportation Department also show that local passenger traffic at CVG jumped 20.6 percent in the third quarter last year compared to the same time in 2008 - the largest jump of any airport in the country.

"When you cut fares, the expectation would be that you would stimulate traffic and demand, and that is what happened," said John Mok, the airport's chief executive officer.

CVG finished fourth in overall customer satisfaction among 20 airports that serve between 10 million and 30 million passengers a year, earning a "better than most" ranking from J.D. Powers. The airport took a top rating for food and retail services, and the next-best rating for airport accessbility, check-in service, security check, terminal facilities and baggage claim services.

The 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study was based on more than 24,000 responses from passengers who took a round-trip fight last year. Overall, Kansas City International Airport was the top-ranked mid-sized airport. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County International Airport ranked first among large airports, and Indianapolis International Airport ranked highest among small airports.

Read the entire article here.

Like a lot of people in Lexington, I’ve never spent much time in Northern Kentucky. It has always been a place I see from the car windows while driving up Interstate 75 to Cincinnati.

But when Kentucky leaders talk about success in economic development, Northern Kentucky is always one of the first places they mention.

Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties have always been in the shadow of Cincinnati, a city of nearly 334,000 people across the Ohio River.

But those three counties and their riverfront towns have increasingly become important economic players in the Cincinnati metropolitan area of 2.1 million people, especially as Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Boone County has grown and attracted major corporate facilities around it.

I went to Northern Kentucky recently to meet with some of the region’s leaders in government, business and education. Over and over, they told me the same thing: They owe much of their success to good regional planning and cooperation.

"The idea is that we as counties do not compete with one another," said Boone County Judge-Executive Gary Moore, current chairman of the Tri-County Economic Development Corp.

Read the entire article here.

By summer, people who drive on new Ky. 17 will know they're in Independence when they spot the first of what officials hope will eventually be several welcoming signs at the city's main entrances.

The first monument sign will be installed at new Ky. 17 and Pelly Road at the top of the hill, which is generally considered the northern gateway to Independence.

Chris Reinersman, vice chairman of the Independence Strategic Action Committee (ISAC), showed council possible designs for the first welcoming sign on Dec. 7. Most of the designs include a picture of the Kenton County Courthouse cupola or dome, which is a key landmark in the city.

"I also chair the historic preservation subcommittee, and our big focus is downtown revitalization," Reinersman said. "That courthouse is what people identify with. In attracting businesses there, we need to accentuate that courthouse."

Read the entire article here.

The "Wright Now" tagline and the logo, which depicts a road between two hills, should go up on various signs in the city within the next three months, said City Administrator Gary Huff.

While the signs will let developers and visitors to the city know they're in Fort Wright, officials also plan to personally solicit development.

The plan's first phase, besides the creation of a marketing logo, was to assemble a folder packet that included basic information about the city, such as data garnered from the marketing study and available development space.

Huff plans to use the folders in the coming year to approach potential developers with pertinent information ready-to-hand.

"We're going to be working to promote various sites within Fort Wright to developers, especially along Dixie Highway, to let them know we're open for business," Huff said.

Read the entire article here.

Kentucky’s population grew faster than most of its neighbors during the 2000s, aided in part by a surge of people who moved from other states, according to Census Bureau estimates released Wednesday.

The state population jumped nearly 7 percent over the decade, to 4.31 million -- a greater increase than Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and West Virginia. Indiana’s population was 6.42 million.

Kentucky added 82,500 residents as more people moved into the state than moved away. The gain from international migration was 44,300.

The United States’ population was just above 307 million. The biggest gains during the decade occurred in the South and West -- roughly 13 percent in both areas. The nation grew by 9 percent.

Read the entire article here.

By Mark Hansel
mhansel@nky.com

FLORENCE - The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games may be nine months away, but Northern Kentucky is already gearing up to help host the visitors from all over the country that will attend the games.

Friday, Turfway Park hosted World Equestrian Games Day, to provide information about the games, which are being staged in the United States for the first time. The games will take place from Sept. 25 to Oct. 10, 2010 at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

Mary Wathen, director of community relations and foreign protocol for the games, said organizers hope to sell 600,000 advance tickets for the events, with an expected economic impact to the region of approximately $150 million.

"This should provide a huge boosts to the economy statewide," Wathen said. While some visitors will attend more than one event, organizers say the games should draw at least 300,000 people, including participants, to the region.

Turfway Park President Robert Elliston said the event has already begun to generate a lot of buzz in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati.

"I think everybody gets how big a deal it is for Kentucky to have the first equestrian games out of Europe held here," Elliston said. "With as many hotel rooms as we have here, and the international airport, we're going to be a great outlet for visitors."

At a display set up on the second floor at Turfway Friday, several people filled out entry forms to win prizes, which included three four-packs of tickets to the games. Some seemed more curious than interested, while others stopped to talk to the volunteers and pick-up brochures.
Elliston said the goal at this stage is to provide information to people who have an interest in horse racing but may not be familiar with equestrian disciplines.

Michele Muchmore, a self-described horse-racing fan from Fort Mitchell, has heard about the games from a friend who lives in Georgetown, Ky., but did not really know what they were all about. After talking to one of the "Volunteer Ambassadors," she was very excited.
"I want to win the tickets now," she said.

Dwayne and Jill Cain of Florence were also hoping to win tickets. Their daughter, T.C. Cain is an equestrian rider who has participated in events for four years.

"This is the Olympics for equestrian events," Dwayne Cain said. "It's a lot different from thoroughbred racing, but it all helps promote the horse industry and that's really important now."
The younger Cain had hoped to volunteer at the games, but at 14, she is too young. Volunteers must be 18 years old at the time games begin to participate.

Wathen said more than 10,000 volunteers will be needed at the games and events such as the one at Turfway are also designed to encourage participation.

"We are going to need a lot of people to help out in a variety of positions," Wathen said.
Information on becoming a volunteer is available at www.alltechfeigames.com.

The partnership with the Equestrian Games is just one example of Turfway Park's attempts to broaden its fan base. Elliston said watching horse races and betting are not enough to draw crowds anymore because there is more competition from other entertainment and gambling venues.

On Friday night, the atmosphere at Turfway Park resembled a minor league baseball game, with fans participating in inflatable horse races, a local band performing and dollar beers and hot dogs.
"We know we have to be more aggressive about getting people to come out and I think we are doing a good job," Elliston said. "Look at the crowd here tonight there are children, younger women, not the crowd you would typically think of as horse-racing fans"

Elliston said the recently announced Hullabalou Music Festival at Churchill Downs is a great example of a venue finding a new way to attract fans.

"That was a great idea," Elliston said. "We had a meeting today to see if we could come up with something similar here."

While an event like July's three-day Hullabalou is not on the horizon anytime soon, Elliston says an indoor concert during the 2010 Winter/Spring meet is possible and a summertime outdoor event in the paddock, when there is no live racing, is also being considered.

This article first appeared in nky.com.

Southbank hires top NKY planner for Imagination 2020

Northern Kentucky's preeminent planner has been hired by Southbank Partners to oversee an exciting new economic development plan for the Ohio River Southbank corridor. Marshall Slagle, whose career as a professional planner spans nearly 50 years, will work with Southbank's member cities and volunteers on crafting the Southbank Imagination 2020 Plan. The plan, which will take more than a year to draft and implement, will create an economic development road map from Ludlow to Fort Thomas and help transform the Southbank riverfront corridor. "I'm thrilled to have Marshall Slagle and all he knows working for Southbank," said Southbank President Jack Moreland. "Every development plan that has been done involving the riverfront, Marshall is familiar with and probably wrote." Imagination 2020 will bring together government, business and community leaders to develop a master economic development plan for the Southbank river cities. It will include plans to develop and upgrade business opportunities, entertainment areas, public walking and gathering places, public and private transportation, streetscapes, signage and infrastructure. "The plan will bring jobs, growth and improved infrastructure to our river cities," Moreland said. "And we are partnering with Marshall Slagle to help make that happen." Slagle, spent nearly 40 years with the Northern Kentucky Planning Commission. In 2004 he established Marshall Slagle Planning LLC, a consulting firm specializing in planning and zoning services to communities, organizations and others. Slagle said working on Northern Kentucky riverfront's long-term development strategy is a natural fit with his background as a career planner. Marshall appeared on FOX 19 after his hiring was announced. Read more here;
http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=11790570

Major boost for Manhattan Harbour
The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority has authorized issuing $198 million in tax increment financing bonds to pay for the infrastructure of $1 billion Manhattan Harbour riverfront development in Dayton. Manhattan Harbour developers say they can now move forward with the plans to build a high-tech community with 2,000 homes and 450,000 square feet of commercial space, according to The Kentucky Enquirer. "I don't think there's any question this is the most important event in Dayton in 100 years," said Dayton City Administrator Dennis Redmond. "It could be one of the most important events in Northern Kentucky." Tax increment financing bonds, also known as TIF bonds, are paid back from the increased tax revenue generated on the development site. In addition the $198 million in state TIF bonds, the city of Dayton and Campbell County Fiscal Court have agreed to $250 million in TIF bonds. That means 80 percent of the city and county tax revenue that the site will generate in payroll taxes and property taxes will pay off the bonds for up to 30 years. The bonds will pay for roads, utilities, parks and other public structures. "This is such exciting news, I feel like Dayton is living a dream," said state Rep. Dennis Keene, who represents Dayton and serves as an economic adviser to Southbank. "So many people have worked so hard on this project, and I am proud to have been the facilitator between the state and local officials. This is really going to make Dayton an entertainment and business destination."

TANK forming Southbank Shuttle strategy
The results of a recent survey by the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky are being put to use as it plans how and where the Southbank Shuttle should operate in the future. The Kentucky Enquirer reported that TANK launched the survey in September after deciding to replace its Southbank Shuttle buses with eight new trolley buses next year. The vintage-looking trolley buses are light enough that TANK will be able to route the service across the historic Roebling Suspension Bridge. The Southbank Shuttle carries about 400,000 passengers each year. Survey results showed that riders - from commuters to out-of-town visitors to event attendees - wanted a more efficient service that takes them to and from major riverfront destinations but also attracts more riders and generates economic activity. Newport City Manager Tom Fromme told the paper the trolley buses will fit in better and be easier to maneuver in the urban environment. The 30-foot, front-engine diesel trolley buses can accommodate as many as 30 passengers and cost $150,000 to $200,000 each. A standard bus costs about $350,000. TANK is using federal funding to buy the trolley buses.

Newport waits for decision on I-471/KY 8 interchange
Newport still awaits a decision on how the state will address the congested Interstate 471 interchange with Ky. 8. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet needs approval from the state and federal government on the environmental studies for the interchange before choosing a design, Nancy Wood, spokeswoman for the transportation cabinet, told The Kentucky Enquirer. Wood said there is no timetable for approval. The long wait has made some in Newport anxious. Many want the project to reduce the traffic backup onto the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. The last meeting listed on the project's Web site, www.471project.org, was May 12. "The longer the thing is delayed, the more money the road is going to cost," Mayor Jerry Peluso told the paper.

Ludlow plans for grocery store
The city of Ludlow looks to improve its business district in the new year with new sidewalks, décor and businesses and will use a grant to rehab a handful of vacant homes in the center of town. Among the additions to the city's business district could be a long-awaited grocery store on Elm Street. The owners Riverside Market in Dayton, California Marketplace in southern Campbell County and Supervalu in Covington have plans to open in 2010 a grocery store on Elm Street between Carneal and Locust streets. The owners are still in property acquisition negotiations and hope to have a deal worked out in the next few weeks, Vic Dawn, one of the grocery store's owners, told The Kentucky Enquirer. A grocery store has topped the wish list for many of the city's 4,800 residents, said Mayor Ed Schroeder. Streetscape improvements in front of the grocery store's location are slated for bid in January and will make the business district more attractive. Ludlow received a $398,000 state transportation enhancement grant this year and will put in a new sidewalk, lamp posts and benches from Carneal Street to the railroad bridge. Ludlow will also use $800,000 in federal stimulus money to rehab three to five foreclosed homes in the center of town. The city has bids on two foreclosed homes so far and hopes to have all the homes purchased by the end of January. The city will rehab the homes and sell them.

Stimulus funds may be used on Times Star Commons in Covington
Bonds made possible from the federal stimulus program could hasten development projects in Covington, such as the Times Star Commons public plaza and farmers market. The Kentucky Enquirer reported that The Kenton County Fiscal Court introduced an ordinance that would name Covington and Ludlow a "recovery zone" resulting in $6.6 million worth of bonds the federal government gave authority for Kenton County to issue. The court will vote on the designation in January. The bonds give developers incentives that local leaders hope would attract development. The federal government would subsidize 45 percent of the interest payments on $2.69 million worth of the bonds to pay for the promotion of economic development and public infrastructure. The county can issue $4 million in tax-exempt bonds that could finance projects such as office buildings, manufacturers and distribution centers. Ludlow had also expressed interest in the bonds. Recovery zones must meet federal criteria for high foreclosures and economic hardship.

Effort to light Roebling bridge goes online
It now is possible to contribute to a fund for the relighting of the Roebling Suspension Bridge via the Internet, the non-profit group that maintains the Ohio River span's lights and flags announced to The Kentucky Enquirer. Bob Armstrong, president of the Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge Committee, said credit-card contributions can be made through the Web site www.roeblingbridge.com. The state of Kentucky, which owns the bridge, is funding a $16.2 million repainting of the historic span. That repainting required the lights to be removed, and the bridge committee hopes to have new lights up around November, when new coats of blue paint are in place. The bridge group switched off the existing decorative lights December 7 and hopes to raise $453,000 for new lights and their maintenance by March.

Gateway classes could be at Two Rivers by late February
Gateway Community & Technical College could be teaching classes in the vacant Two Rivers Middle School on Scott Boulevard sometime in February, according to The Kentucky Enquirer. Gateway President Ed Hughes said that it has signed a lease with the Covington Independent Public Schools to fill most of the 80,000-square-foot building. It will move classes there that currently are taught in and around Holmes High School. This summer it could significantly increase those courses using the space in Two Rivers. Gateway still is asking for $25.3 million in state funds to build another building adjacent to the Kenton County Public Library and fulfill a decade-long dream of building an urban campus. "We are not leaving Covington," Hughes told a Covington Business Council audience in early December. "We are coming into Covington full-bore."

For more Northern Kentucky River Cities news go here.

Newport-based BB Riverboats is looking to go green by seeking a $500,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to retrofit its flagship, the Belle of Cincinnati, with three new, more efficient electric generators.

BB Riverboats managers say that if they're successful in winning the grant money they will apply for additional grants to replace the three diesel engines on the Belle of Cincinnati, as well as the generators and engines on the company's two other boats - the Mark Twain and River Queen.

Read full article here.