Tuesday, March 18 2014
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KY Votes Against Tolls for Brent Spence Bridge
The discussion amongst KY lawmakers about what to do with the aging bridge carrying I75 traffic between Ohio and Kentucky continued this week but yielded little progress. While the only consensus is that something must be done, the means to do so was pushed into further limbo as lawmakers voted to ban the use of tolls. This may come as good news to daily commuters but no one actually knows where the money will come from. Experts have long agreed that tolls are the only way to raise the more than $2 billion dollars it will take to replace the bridge.
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Pipeline in Colerain Township Springs a Leak
Authorities discovered a large leak of crude oil last night in Colerain Township, spilling into the Oak Glen Nature Preserve. The discovery comes amid resident reports of petroleum odors in the air for days. The spill is evidently originating from a pipeline that stretches from Texas to Michigan and has been operating in the area for decades. The EPA is working with the owner and operator of the pipeline to contain the spill and get things cleaned up.
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Fixes for City’s Ailing Pension Plan Move Forward
Cincinnati City Council’s budget committee unanimously approved a plan to let the city manager negotiate a 20- to 30-year agreement with city employees and retirees in U.S. District Court to help solve the city’s pension problem. The negotiations would most likely include a temporary stop to cost-of-living increases, reduced health benefits and an annual city contribution to the pension fund. Mayor John Cranley says the plan is necessary to deal with the $870 million unfunded pension.
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Hamilton County Investigates What Happened to $2 million of Missing Money
Hamilton County Township fiscal officer Jackie Terwilleger resigned Friday after an investigation discovered $2 million in mismanaged funds, falsified checks and unauthorized payments. Warren County officials question why no precaution was taken after Terwilleger’s books were called into question in 2004 after an auditor warning. A public hearing of the township’s finances is scheduled for April 5.
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Lower Price Hill Community Group Takes Innovative Approach
Lower Price Hill Community School’s Community Matters nonprofit is experimenting with a cooperative approach to revitalize their inner-city neighborhood. The nonprofit places the neighborhood’s residents at the center of major decision making by the group. The $8.2 renovation of St. Michael the Archangel Parish buildings into a community center called The Sanctuary is the group’s first project.
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