Northern Kentucky University, a significant community asset since 1976, recently completed the move to Division 1 membership and acceptance into the Horizon League. The move more closely aligns NKU with other regional institutions that value athletics and academics. “This allows us to recruit not just athletes, but all students to an outstanding regional university like Northern,” said Ken Bothof, Athletic…
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Mayor Whalen Gives Annual Report to Rotarians
FLORENCE – Senior housing is popping up everywhere, Mall Road is rebounding and a community plaza is almost ready to go. That’s the good news from Florence Mayor Diane Whalen. The bad news is the heroin epidemic rages on, unabated. The mayor presented her annual update on the city’s well-being at the Florence Rotary Club on Monday, Sept. 25. The…
Read MoreBunning Center Addresses Grief and Anger
FLORENCE – Place matters. That’s the assessment of Dr. James Ellis, a professional counselor, chaplain and the bereavement care coordinator at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. That’s why he began lobbying for a separate place at St. Elizabeth’s facilities in Edgewood for grief support as far back as 2009, Ellis said at a luncheon meeting of the Florence Rotary Club on August…
Read MoreFamily Promise of Northern Kentucky Celebrated First Anniversary
FLORENCE – Family Promise of Northern Kentucky celebrated the first anniversary of its reopening with a perfect record for keeping its promises. The homeless sheltering program served 12 families in its first year, which ended July 18. All 12 “graduated,” according to Executive Director Amanda Speier. “We had a 100 percent success rate,” she told members of the Florence Rotary…
Read MoreWeinberg Introduces Ronald McDonald House to Rotarians
FLORENCE – Mike Weinberg says the Ronald McDonald House is much more than an affordable place to stay for family members with critically injured youngsters at Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “We’re not just a shelter,” Weinberg said. “We provide all the things people are missing from home. “It’s important to us that the families feel comfortable and happy … that…
Read MoreRotarian’s Welcome Irish Heritage Center
FLORENCE – Maureen Kennedy and Kent Covey are “awakening the Irish” in Greater Cincinnati. They founded the Irish Heritage Center (IHC) of Greater Cincinnati eight years ago. They are transforming a late 19th century school building on the east side of the Queen City into a museum, theater, library, tea room, pub and music and arts venue. The center currently…
Read MoreSuperintendent Poe Talks Boone County Schools
FLORENCE – Service learning sounded like a superb world class education strategy to Superintendent Randy Poe until sixth-graders at Camp Ernest Middle School proposed a beehive pollination project. When Poe endorsed the project, they told him “we have to build them and place them on the roof,” he recalled. “I’m sitting there thinking … OK, this is really great. What…
Read MoreTravel Tools for the Tech Savvy Commuter
FLORENCE – Didn’t expect the highway construction delay on southbound Interstate 75 over the weekend? Should have checked the Weekly Road Report for District 6 on the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet website at http://transportation.ky.gov/district-6. Didn’t anticipate that accident that backed up Mt. Zion Road (KY 536)? Could have accessed the WAZE app you can download from the Kentucky Transportation website. That’s…
Read MoreAviatra Accelerators Visits Rotary
Florence, Ky. – What’s in a name? The change in name from Bad Girl Ventures to Aviatra Accelerators personifies a new growth strategy for the seven-year-old women’s business accelerator in Northern Kentucky. The name change signals an expanded emphasis on attracting new clients, opening new markets and “encapsulating who we are,” said Angela Ozar, the organization’s market manager. “Our mission…
Read MoreWillis Music Comes to Rotary
Florence, Ky. – Need to rent a musical instrument because your child wants to try out for the high school band? Willis Music will rent you the instrument at reasonable cost, repair it and replace it if lost. What about sheet music and lessons? Willis publishes a huge music catalog and arranges lessons at three locations in Ohio, one in…
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