FLORENCE – The city of Florence continues to see small and large investments in commercial and residential development, according to Mayor Diane Whalen. Florence has grown into the eighth largest city in Kentucky in recent years with a current population of 32,000 residents. More than 100,000 people a day come to the city to work, shop or eat. “Interest continues…
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Judge Moore Updates Rotarians
FLORENCE – Corporate growth isn’t the most important indicator of the health of Boone County to Judge-Executive Gary Moore. It’s the quality of the growth that matters to him. “We want to ensure the growth is adding to the quality of life in the community, not just putting more pressure on roads and infrastructure,” he said. Moore’s comments came in a…
Read MoreDinsmore History Visits Rotarians
FLORENCE – When people ask Barbara Bardes what period of history the Dinsmore Homestead in Burlington depicts, she says “150 years.” Visitors to the home, built in 1842, will find an accumulation of personal possessions, household goods and letters accumulated by the Dinsmore family over the century and a half the single family owned the 700-acre farm. A descendant of…
Read MoreNKU Coach Whitaker Charts Course for Women’s Division I Tournament
FLORENCE – Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball coach Camryn Whitaker believes a berth in the NCAA Division I postseason tournament is within reach in the Norse’s first year of eligibility. “We’ve set our goals high, and I have high expectations,” Whitaker said. “They’re not unrealistic goals. We’re not rebuilding. We have what it takes to get there. And every day…
Read MoreJeannine Kreinbrink Brings Civil War History to Rotarians
FLORENCE – If you happen upon a long trench or a U-shaped mound atop a hillside in Northern Kentucky, you may have stumbled upon hallowed historical ground, according to Jeannine Kreinbrink. The Union army built an eight-mile arc of defensive fortifications across Northern Kentucky in September 1862 to block Confederate troops marching toward Cincinnati. The fortification line included a series…
Read MoreDistrict Governor Key Visits Florence
FLORENCE – District Governor Keith Key urged Florence Rotarians not to lose sight of the power of humanitarian service amid the chaos occurring worldwide. “We are seeing political change sweeping the world,” he said. “We are seeing economic change sweeping the world. We have wiped out the middle class by eliminating the manufacturing industry and creating inequality. “The one thing…
Read MoreKent Whitworth Introduces ExploreKYHistory App
FLORENCE – Kent Whitworth calls it “history on a stick.” Technology geeks call it a specialized software program for a mobile device. Common folks may call it a history book, a summary of historical markers or a customized tour guide with map. It is ExploreKYHistory, a smartphone app Whitworth introduced to Florence Rotarians at a luncheon on Monday, June 27.…
Read MoreQuinlivan Explains Streetcar Project to Rotarians
FLORENCE – The Cincinnati streetcar project may have cost Laure Quinlivan her seat on city council, but she remains an unabashed champion of the light rail line. The 3.6-mile streetcar loop, scheduled to open September 9, will connect Smale Riverfront Park, The Banks, Great American Ballpark, Findlay Market and the Over-the-Rhine entertainment district. “Two-thirds of the major cultural attractions (in…
Read MoreShawn Carroll Inducted into the Florence Rotary Club Heritage Hall of Fame
FLORENCE – Shawn Carroll has been named to the Florence Rotary Club Heritage Hall of Fame. Carroll, executive director of New Perceptions in Edgewood, is a native of Boone County who is well-known for his involvement in church activities, charitable events and youth sports. “He is a man of faith, a man of integrity and a man of service,” noted…
Read MoreThe Beverly Hills Supper Club: The Untold Story Behind Kentucky’s Worst Tragedy
FLORENCE – Robert D. Webster says he did not set out to write a book on the 1977 Beverly Hills Supper Club fire when first approached, particularly a book that suggests the blaze was arson. He changed his mind after listening to stories from survivors. “I kept hearing a different story (about possible causes) than I had ever heard before,”…
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