Tuesday, April 1 2014

Endangered Rhino Has Died at Cincinnati Zoo

Sad news from the Zoo this weekend. One of three extremely rare Sumatran rhinos born in 2004 has died due to a (possibly hereditary) iron-storage disease. Given the species status on the endangered list, the loss is being taken particularly hard. According to WVXU, there are approximately 100 Sumatran rhinos left so the Cincinnati Zoo has been working tirelessly to develop techniques for breeding them in captivity.
Read more …
Interact for Health Awards Funding for Exercise

The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, Interact for Health, wants you to get out and get active and they're awarding close to half a million dollars to spread the word. In a series of separate, very generous grants of up to $50,000, the organization is helping local communities install and expand their access for parks, hiking trails, community pools and more in effort to promote a healthy lifestyle for citizens across the city.
Read more …
Reds Shutout on Opening Day

Red's Opening Day was yesterday and the parade was a huge success, the game– not so much. The team faced the St. Louis Cardinals for the first game of the season and just couldn't get anything going– in fact, this was the first Opening Day shut-out in more than 60 years! Players and staff were optimistic though. This is the first game of the season so there's lot of opportunity to improve.
Read more …
Lyft is the New Uber

Ride sharing has officially descended upon Cincinnati, and now residents can count on Lyft to provide a transportation alternative to the recently launched Uber service. Like Uber users download an app, plugin in their coordinates and method of payment and a driver will pick you up and ferry you across town for a nominal fee (which is apparently less than a typical cab fare). Lyft says that drivers are rigorously screened and interviewed in-person, so you won't be comprising on safety either.
Read more …
Westside Pipeline Is Fixed, Cleanup Continues

CityBeat reports that the broken pipeline in Colerain, which had resulted in an oil spill in the middle of Glen Oak Nature Preserve, has been repaired and is back in operation. More than 20,000 gallons of oil were spilled as a result of the accident and crews will continue cleanup efforts for about another week. The organization responsible for maintenance and repairs plans to replace that section of the pipeline entirely in the near future.
Read more …

Thursday, April 3 2014

Streetcar’s Delay Costs Nearly $1 Million

For all the hoopla that Mayor John Cranley generated while trying to kill the streetcar in the name of saving the city money, all he did was end up making the project more expensive. The three-week pause in construction cost the city almost $1 million, which includes more than $637,000 in downtime for contractors. The December delay will add approximately 20 days to the project completion date of April 4, 2016. Passengers are still expected to be able to ride the streetcar in September 2016.
Read more …
Cincinnati Makes the First Cut for 2016 GOP Convention

Cincinnati is on the short-list to host the 2016 GOP Convention after making the first round of cuts. Cincinnati will have to compete against Cleveland, Las Vegas, Dallas, Denver and Kansas City for the honors of welcoming thousands of old white males to celebrate other old white males. If Cincinnati were chosen to host the convention, festivities would most likely take place at U.S. Bank Arena. The final decision should be made by the end of the summer.
Read more …
GOP Senators Seek to Freeze Ohio’s Energy Standards

In 2008 Ohio established clean energy standards that required utilities to receive a certain amount of their electricity from renewable sources. The amount of energy from renewable sources was to increase year after year. Republicans didn’t think this was a good idea and a bill sponsored by Green Township Sen. Bill Seitz is on its way to freeze the standards at current levels, which would cancel any further increases in renewable power usage.
Read more …
Smale Park Receives $12.5 Million for Upgrades and Enhancements

Smale Riverfront Park continues to rake in the cash. The park just secured a combined total of $12.5 million from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Cincinnati for improvements and upgrades to the park. The Engineers gave the money to the park to pay for erosion and flooding control along the Ohio River and the city’s money will go toward other improvements such as Heekin/PNC Grow Up Great Adventure Playground. The park still needs an additional $5 million to be completed by 2017.
Read more …
Fifth Third Has Its Day in Court

The class-action lawsuit filed by Fifth Third employees in 2008 regarding massive cuts in employee’s retirement accounts was held this week in the U.S. Supreme Court. According to the Cincinnati Business Courier, the employees claim Fifth Third executives knew their stock had become risky, but continued to invest in the company stock plan that funds the employees' retirement accounts. Fifth Third stock dropped 75 percent from July 2007 to September 2009, which cost employees tens of millions of dollars. The U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately decide whether or not employees can sue their companies over retirement plan losses.
Read more …

Tuesday, April 8 2014

GOP Looks to Prevent NCAA Athletes from Unionizing

Despite the millions being made by Ohio universities from student athletes, Republican lawmakers are determined the athletes don’t see a dime. After football players at Northwestern University were granted the right to unionize, Ohio Republicans quickly introduced legislation that would prevent any Ohio college athletes from doing anything similar. The law states that college athletes are not employees and therefore have no right to unionize against their employer.
Read more …
Diversified Democrats Seek to Oust Wenstrup

What happens when an attorney, a truck driver, an actuary and a retired forest worker enter an election? We’ll find out soon when the four Democrats who are seeking Ohio’s 2nd District seat face-off in the district’s upcoming primary election. The four are seeking to oust U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Columbia Tusculum in November’s general election for a chance to represent Cincinnati’s eastern suburbs and parts of Appalachia.
Read more …
CVG’s Abandoned Concourse C

CVG’s Concourse C is a microcosm of what has happened in recent years to the airline industry. What was once a symbol of prominence, it is now an abandoned wing of the airport. Local photo journalist Ronny Salerno’s recent feature is on the forgotten concourse that mainly catered to regional air travel.
Read more …
Cincinnati’s Upward Mobility? Not So Good

For all the talk about Cincinnati's prosperity as of late, one recently published report gives the Queen City a pretty negative review when it comes to upward mobility and other measures of financial well-being. WalletHub.com, which bills itself as the web's best personal finance resource, ranked 150 cities on eight measures designed to predict relative "wallet-wellness". Cincinnati was listed as the fourth worst city. Good times.
Read more …
Outspoken Attorney Eric Deters to Resign from KY Bar Association

Eric Deters a high-profile and often outspoken regional attorney, has decided to resign from the Kentucky Bar and quit practicing in the commonwealth, a decision that stems from the Bar's, quote, "mission to 'get' me." Deters claims to have tirelessly fought (and won) over 50 complaints against him; complaints that he maintains were baseless and without merit– save four, in which he was found guilty of making misstatements to the court. The resulting suspensions encouraged similar reciprocal suspensions in Ohio, thus preventing him from practicing law in either state for some time.
Read more …

Thursday, April 10 2014

It’s Now or Never for $59 Million in Aid for Aging School System

$59 million in state funding is at stake when Fairfield and Middletown voters go to the polls May 6 to vote to decide if the districts should upgrade their aging school buildings. If voters reject the tax increase as they did in November, the state funding will be pulled and appropriated to another school district. If the Fairfield levy were approved, annual taxes on a $100,000 home would increase by $91. The Middletown levy, if passed, would increase annual property taxes by $149 for a $100,000 home.
Read more …
Ohio Government Receives Awful Marks for Transparency

Ohio received a “D-” in its efforts to provide an open and transparent government to its citizens, according to national consumer group designed to protect American citizens from powerful interest groups. The ranking puts Ohio in the bottom five in the nation at providing its citizenry with accessible information such as “customizable search options including bid award recipients, keywords, agency and bulk download searches,” according to City Beat. Despite Ohio’s poor ranking, Cincinnati fares quite well in its efforts to be transparent and received a “B+” in a study that examined the nation’s 30 largest cities.
Read more …
GE to Build New Services Center in Cincinnati

JobsOhio has announced that multinational conglomerate GE has plans to build one of five global shared services centers in Cincinnati. The decision is expected to bring 1400 jobs to the region and is an effort by the company to standardize shared functions between its operations such as finance and IT. While they're still deciding whether to locate the new facility in Oakley or downtown at the Banks, the project should be completed by 2017.
Read more …
Central Parkway Cycle Track To Restrict Parking, Could Hurt Businesses

Now that the streetcar debate has been settled and it moving forward regardless of the naysayer arguments, business leaders investing in city's urban core now have a new gripe with city planners. This time, it involves the city's plan to install a cycle track along Central Parkway and the associated parking restrictions that come with it. Under the proposal, parking would be restricted along the route during rush hour on adjacent sides of the street based on the time of day. Opponents of the plan think alternate solutions should be considered as restricting parking could hurt business.
Read more …
Cincinnati Democrats Blame Kasich for Cuts

Cincinnati Democratic leaders including Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld are pointing their fingers at Gov. John Kasich and his across-the-board income tax cuts as a cause for the city’s decline in public services. Cincinnati has received 50 percent decrease in local government funding during the last two years. In addition to the $12 million cut form the local government fund, Gov. Kasich also repealed the estate tax that played a large part in funding local government. A report from Policy Matters, a non-profit policy research organization, found that state aid to local communities has decreased $1.1 billion since the 2011-12 fiscal year.
Read more …

Tuesday, April 15 2014

Ohio Ordered to Recognize Out-of-State Gay Marriage

Following the recent tide of similar judgments around the nation, federal judge Timothy Black has ruled that Ohio's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional and unenforceable. The highly controversial decision is simply another battle in the long-running war that will most certainly end up on the Supreme Court docket; in fact, Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine is already planning his appeal. Opponents of gay marriage are now hoping the court will issue a stay on the ruling, pending appeal.
Read more …
More Federal Funding for Brent Spence?

Federal Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx was in town this week and weighed in on our regional transportation issues. Most notably, he mentioned that there may be an opportunity to collect more federal dollars for the Brent Spence Bridge replacement effort. That project has been mired in state politics as of late, with Kentucky Legislators going so far as to ban the use of tolls on interstate highways. And while that ban was recently vetoed by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, the plans for how to finance the massive project remain quite unclear.
Read more …
Battle of the GE Office Building, Round One: Banks v. Mason

As General Electric mulls it decision on where to locate its new office building, a regional turf war is heating up to attract the corporate giant. Among the proposed destinations, Mason and the Banks development downtown are the most vocal, so far. And though its rumored that the downtown opportunity is currently viewed as the most favorable, many in Mason are vowing to make an offer that cannot be refused. The Banks also comes with its own unique set of complications as Paul Brown Stadium has a contract stipulating no building can be taller than it.
Read more …
Hanke Building Welcomes New Tenants

What was once home to a department store, a presidential re-election campaign headquarters and a host to a number of small businesses, The Hanke Building will reopen its doors soon to an international technology company when Neo moves into the architectural gem. The Over-the-Rhine building was constructed in 1876 and saved in 1995 3-days before demolition by a group dedicated to architectural preservation. It has been recently renovated and is featured on the National Register of Historic Places.
Read more …
New Addition to The Ohio River Trail Coming to California

A 2.2-mile segment of The Ohio River trail will go a long way toward completing the trail project that will ultimately stretch 23 miles from Coney Island to Sayler Park. The new segment runs from Salem Road to Sutton Road along California’s riverfront. The section of the trail should be completed by June 2017 and will feature a 12-foot wide asphalt path that will be mixed use for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Read more …

Thursday, April 17 2014

Bengals in a Key Position to Attract GE to the Banks

The Banks have a new ally in the Cincinnati Bengals as part of their pitch to attract the new General Electric building and 2,000 jobs that come with it to downtown. If Hamilton County and the Cincinnati Bengals agree on a deal that promises the Bengals significant upgrades to Paul Brown Stadium if height restrictions are waived for buildings at The Banks. Waiving the height restrictions for the planned GE building might tip the scales in favor for The Banks against Mason and Oakley who are also trying to attract GE to build in their communities.
Read more …
Amid Ongoing Construction, This New App Will Help You Avoid Downtown Traffic

Live or work downtown? Then you're probably one of many who have been recently stymied by road or construction work and the resulting traffic on basically every block from the Banks to Clifton. Luckily, the city is aware and is working to help educate commuters on what's up and where everything is taking place. Next week, they're launching a new website, roadmapcincy.com, which should shed some light on how to circumnavigate the congestion... just don't check it while you're driving.
Read more …
Cranley to Stiles: Don’t Move Forward on Central Parkway Bike Project

In response to recent concerns voiced by business leaders and a couple of council members, Mayor John Cranley has directed the Interim City Manager Scott Stiles to not award a contract for the Central Parkway Bike Trail project, which would install bike lines on either side of the thoroughfare at the expense of already limited parking during rush hour. He wants to have a discussion to ensure that everybody's concerns are met properly. This move has project enthusiasts furious, including fellow Councilman Chris Seelbach who claims the decision isn't his to make under the City Charter. Seelbach further contends that this an example of executive action by the mayor in lieu of council direction, the very thing he's been worried about.
Read more …
Same-Sex Ban to Stay in Place Pending Appeal of Monday’s Ruling

Following his controversial ruling on Monday that stated gay couples, married in other states should be recognized under Ohio state law, Federal Judge Timothy Black has allowed the current ban to remain in place, pending appeal of the case. While his overall position on the matter remains aligned with all other federal cases and recent decisions nationwide, litigation of the controversial laws are destined for the Supreme Court. As a result, the final say in this lengthy battle is a long way off... in the meantime, keep on discriminating Ohio.
Read more …
Sewer Dispute May Head to Federal Court

Hamilton County Commissioners are asking a federal judge to intervene in their dispute with the city of Cincinnati regarding hiring and procurement policies for the Metropolitan Sewer District. County Commissioners claim the policies implemented by the city are both illegal and unfair, according to WVXU. The county-owned, city-operated MSD is poised to award more than $3 billion for construction projects within the next decade.
Read more …

Tuesday, April 22 2014

County Commissioner Congratulates Herself

We hope no one ever accused Butler County Commissioner Cindy Carpenter of having low self-esteem. The incumbent commissioner recently posted a billboard in Fairfield congratulating herself and her campaign as commissioner despite her primary election being four weeks away. Carpenter insists the billboard wasn’t a mistake and is part of a larger message she has planned for her campaign. Ohio Election Commission officials are unsure if the billboard is an election violation and will follow-up with an investigation if a complaint is made.
Read more …
Central Parkway Bike Lane Compromise in Reach

The decision to add a bike lane to Central Parkway drew more than 200 people to a City Council hearing on Monday and represents two different views of what direction citizens want to take Cincinnati. Bicyclists and business owners voiced their concerns about the $600,000 bike lane project that would connect neighborhoods from Downtown to Northside. The majority of the contract will be paid for by the federal government if city leaders can sign a contract by May 1. Business owners are concerned about losing parking spaces in front of their shops. Michael Moore, the Director of Transportation and Engineering, said a modification of the original plan with additional parking spaces being created would cost the city an additional $110,000, but might assuage both the bicyclists’ and business owners’ concerns.
Read more …
Braxton Brewing Co. to Educate Their Imbibing Consumers

Another day in Cincinnati, another up-start brewery in the works. This one is coming to 7th and Pike Street in Covington and is the product of Richard Dubé, former VP of Brewing at Christian Moerlein. He and some fellow craft beer enthusiasts are placing an emphasis on education in hopes to cultivate a higher level of appreciate amongst their consumers. Look for Braxton Brewing's adult beverages to make their debut by the end of the year.
Read more …
Disgraced NKU Athletic Director Scott Eaton Pleads Guilty

Former Athletic Director for NKU, Scott Eaton has plead guilty to theft in excess of $300,000 and will spend the next decade in prison. According to the plea deal he copped last week, Eaton has admitted to using his university issued credit-card for buying personal items such as groceries and had even accepted thousands of dollars in inappropriate reimbursements from the school. His formal sentencing next month will close a case that first gained regional attention when Eaton was fired in March 2013.
Read more …
Local Industrial Vacancy Rate Improving

Slowly but surely Cincinnati’s economy is showing signs of being on the up-and-up. Recent news from a report by a local real estate firm shows the local industrial vacancy rate fell 5.8 percent in the first quarter of 2014. The vacancy rate hasn’t dropped below 6 percent in seven years, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. A lower vacancy rate means companies are hiring developers to construct new buildings.
Read more …

Thursday, April 24 2014

Central Parkway Bike Lanes Project Yields New Compromise

Cincinnati is all abuzz this week about the latest bike-lane dust-up. At issue is a plan from the former city administration to install a protected bike lane on either side of Central Parkway. Following some concerns voiced by business leaders and members of city council, Mayor Cranley decided to re-debate the issue until all misgivings were officially put to bed (again). In short, this delay has not only yielded a new compromise that will cost the city an additional $100,000 but also widened the gap between opposing council factions. If council fails to accept the compromise, the project may be dead entirely.
Read more …
Smitherman Will Not Be Ousted as Law/Public Safety Chairman

A couple weeks ago, in the wake of a report stating that there had been 22 homicides in the first quarter of 2014, Councilman Chris Smitherman made some controversial statements about violent crime within the black community. Those statements have erupted into calls for his replacement as chairman of the Law and Public Safety Committee. Last night, Mayor Cranley rejected those appeals and stood behind Smitherman and the work he's done in that position.
Read more …
Rehabilitatin of Failed Kenwood Construction Effort is Underway

Good news for Kenwood residents and traveling southbound commuters, Messer Construction Co. is on the job at Kenwood Towne Place. Finally, after more than 5 years, the rusting monstrosity that has sat idle within an glance of the one of region’s busiest thoroughfares, has a plan and a projected date of completion. The new office tower will now be known as Kenwood Collection and should be ready to accept new tenants as early as 2015.
Read more …
Cranley Not Afraid to Speak His Mind

If there’s one thing you can say about Mayor John Cranley it’s that he’s not shy of speaking his mind. In an extended interview with the website Urbanophile, Cranley talks about the city’s history, gay rights, the streetcar and compares Cincinnati to the San Francisco of the Midwest. The entire interview is transcribed on the site, but do yourself a favor and listen to the audio.
Read more …
Bengals Release 2014 Schedule

Just as the weather is starting to get nice again, the Bengals have to remind us of football season. The 2014 schedule was released yesterday with the team’s first game taking place in Baltimore against the Ravens on September 7. The Bengals are playing on Sunday Night Football against the New England Patriots on October 5. They finish their season against AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers on December 7.
Read more …

Tuesday, April 29 2014

Toyota Announces Plans to Close Erlanger Headquarters

Toyota announced yesterday its plans to close its Erlanger headquarters and move most of the jobs to Texas. The city of Erlanger reports it will lose about $1.6 million in tax revenue annually from the the 1,600 jobs lost from the region. Texas offered $40 million to Toyota in incentives to convince them to make the move from Kentucky. The automaker will keep its 8,200 jobs in Kentucky at its Georgetown auto plant.
Read more …
Dale Mallory’s Attendance Problem

State Representative Dale Mallory for Ohio's 32nd House District has a problem with getting to work. Specifically, the Enquirer reports that he has missed almost 15% of house sessions since 2011 and is listed among the top 5 worst attendance records in the state. According to Mallory, he missed at least 2 of those sessions due to dealing with sickness in his family. He attributes the rest of the problem to obligations elsewhere and spending time amongst his constituents in Cincinnati.
Read more …
Bike Share Starting this Summer

Bike lanes on Central Parkway be damned, the city’s first bike sharing program is expected to launch this summer. Mayor John Cranley and the program’s director said the program will start with 35 stations and 300 bikes in downtown, Over-the-Rhine and near the University of Cincinnati. Cranley agreed to give Cincy Bike Share $1.1 million in startup funds to get the program off the ground.
Read more …
GOP is in Town Looking For 2016 Convention Site

The effort to help Cincinnati secure a bid from the GOP as the official venue for it's 2016 National Convention continues this week with a visit from party leaders. As we speak, Republican scouts are at USBank Arena reviewing options for financing, media and lodging. After their visit to Queen City, the delegation is off to Cleveland for a similar review.
Read more …
Shepard Fairey to Fix Northside Mural

Northside hipsters were enraged Saturday morning when Shepard Fairey’s mural depicting Aung San Suu Kyi was mistakingly painted over. Victor Williams, who owns the building at the intersection of Hamilton Avenue and Blue Rock Street, said Fairey has plans to return to Cincinnati and create something new in its place instead of trying to refinish the mural.
Read more …