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"The city is in a historic position right now to write its own future," said Covington city manager Larry Klein during the presentation of his recommended 2013-14 budget. "What we're saying with this budget is, let's choose a path and follow it. We may not have another opportunity like this in a generation."

Tuesday night's presentation was starkly different from the presented budgets of the previous two years that included cuts to public safety, reorganization of city departments, and the elimination of jobs. Public meetings at City Hall were often long, tense, and argumentative.

That was then. This is now.

Tuesday's presentation ended with applause.

Twice.

"I'm really excited about this budget," said finance director Bob Due. "It's a paradigm shift and a real opportunity."

EXCLUSIVE

Three teens appeared at the Friends of Peaselburg Neighborhood Association meeting on Monday night promising to help pay for the damage caused to several of the Covington neighborhood's decorative flower planters over Mother's Day weekend.

Two admitted guilt while a third also promised to help repay the cost of the damage and to help in the replacement of the planters but denied ever touching them.

The teens showed up at the meeting each with a parent and stood up to face the neighborhood association's members who expressed gratitude for the confessions and the proposed restitution in lieu of pressing felony charges against the boys.

With thousands of children in KY about to lose all child care assistance (CCAP), the Cabinet for Health & Family Services will hold a public hearing May 21, 2013, at 9am at the Health Services Auditorium, 275 East Main Street, Frankfort, KY to hear input from parents and childcare center providers regarding the new regulation. 

The Covington City Commission will meet for a legislative session on Tuesday. Here is the agenda:

Steart Iron Works Building environmental clean-up

The long dormant Steart Iron Works building on West Eighteenth Street will receive its long-awaited environmental clean-up. The city purchased the property in 2009 and in 2010 was awarded a grant from the federal government worth $250,000 to renovate the building. In 2011, the city was awarded a federal Brownfield grant worth $200,000 to clean up the site. Another $40,000 was provided for match from the previous owner to go towards clean-up of the site.

EXCLUSIVE

Plans to remove and possibly replace the Fifteenth Street Bridge may force a Covington business to move.

At a special working session of the Covington City Commission on Thursday, it was explained that the structurally deficient bridge, which has been closed to vehicular traffic for several years, would need to have a higher grade to accommodate the trains that run below. That higher grade would cut off the remaining access points to ASAP Analytical, a company that specializes in sales, service, and support of laboratory products.

General Manager Tyler Harris said that some of the plans for the Fifteenth Street Bridge would leave his building landlocked. "If we lose access to the back we have no way of people getting in or out of our property legally," he said.

The United States Department of Labor announced Wednesday a $2,774,736 national emergency grant that will assist roughly 350 workers affected by the closure of Comair at the Greater Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).

The funding will provide employment services to the affected workers in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. 

"Workers who have the skills and training employers need right now have greater success finding jobs," said acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris in a news release. "The federal grant announced today will help former Comair workers better position themselves for available jobs in growing industries." 

This grant is being awarded to the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet to provide training and support services to the affected workers. Comair was a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines.

Alvin Garrison visited every school within the Covington Independent Public Schools system on Tuesday morning.

The new superintendent, who takes over July 1, was guided by current superintendent Lynda Jackson, who is retiring.

"She's a tough act to follow. I hope I can live up to the standard she's set here in Covington," Garrison told a crowd of school, city, and community leaders at Holmes High School Tuesday afternoon during a scheduled meet and greet.

"He is very student-centered," Jackson said of her replacement. "He's going to make decisions based on what is best for students in Covington."

"It was refreshing and heartwarming that we've got a new face and the district is being turned over to someone who truly cares about children."

Each week The River City News talks with Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders about his weekly e-newsletter that highlights who was sent to prison or got probation in the previous week. At the bottom of this post you can find a link to that newsletter. Here are this week's questions and answers:

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