Tuesday, August 5 2014

Music Hall in Danger of Being Dropped from Icon Tax Ballot

Despite a 6-0 vote from City Council to put $10 million toward saving Music Hall and Union Terminal over 25 years, Hamilton County Commissioners might drop Music Hall from this fall's ballot. Commissioner Greg Hartmann said council members need to make a bigger commitment to saving the buildings before commissioners approve a quarter-cent sales tax increase for both. Commissioner Chris Monzel is in favor of booting Music Hall from the ballot as well, saying that Hamilton County only has ties to Union Terminal, home to the Museum Center.
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Bengals Sign Andy Dalton to $115 Million Deal

The Cincinnati Bengals made team history this week when they signed quaterback Andy Dalton to a 6-year, $115 million contract, the largest ever given to a player for the team. Dalton's record for the Bengals is 30-18 in the regular season, but 0-3 in the playoffs.
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Proctor & Gamble Cuts Brands, Sells Building

Cincinnati-based Proctor & Gamble has been in the news recently after announcing its plans to drop up to 100 underperforming brands. P&G also sold one of its building at 229 E. Sixth Street in downtown Cincinnati. The Sycamore Building was also home to Cintrifuse and the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority.
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Cincinnati Zoo Announces New Baby Gorilla

On Monday, the Cincinnati Zoo reported the birth of a new baby gorilla. To date, zookeepers haven't been able to determine the sex of the baby due to the mother's attentiveness, constantly holding her new little one close. Born to an eleven year old Western Lowland gorilla named 'Asha', the new addition seems healthy and should be outside to greet visitors in the near future.
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OTR to Welcome It’s First Cold-Press Juice Bar

Local health nuts are looking forward to a new, trendy option for quenching their thirst this fall, with the opening of Off the Vine, OTR's first cold-press juice bar. Following suit with other large city juicing outlets, Off the Vine will charge between $8 and $11 for their craft concoctions. Their mission goes beyond just filling thirsty throats; they plan to offer daily regimens for cleansing and local support for learning to live a healthier lifestyle.
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Thursday, August 7 2014

County Commissioners Approve Tax for Union Terminal, Neglect Music Hall

Despite bringing thousands of people downtown for Lumenocity this past weekend, Music Hall will not be on the tax levy this fall when voters go to the polls to approve a 5-year, .25 percent sales tax increase to save Cincinnati’s landmark buildings. Republican Hamilton County Commissioners decided they would rather let the historic Music Hall slowly fade away than try to renovate the building to last another 100 years. The vote on Union Terminal is expected to raise $170 million over five years to renovate the landmark.
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Cincinnati Has a New City Manager

Harry Black, the new city manager for Cincinnati will replace interim appointee Scott Stiles on September 8th. Mayor John Cranley's long awaited nominee for the post was confirmed yesterday by city council unanimously. This will be Black's first opportunity to serve as a city manager; he was previously finance director in Baltimore.
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Jeff Ruby’s Waterfront Restaurant Sleeps with the Fishes

In case you haven't heard, Jeff Ruby's iconic floater, the Waterfront is officially sinking to the depths of the Ohio River. Since yesterday, there have been tons of photos of the wreckage making their way across the social tubes with possible explanations pointing to a collision with a passing barge. The flamboyant local restaurateur plans to rebuild at Covington landing, this time on time land.
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MPMF 2014 is for Music Lovers

Late September marks the 13th installment of Midpoint Music Festival in OTR and the Central Business District. Beatniks and hipsters will abound citywide to catch any of the 150 performances distributed across the city. They also have a pretty sweet website that can you use to build a personal itinerary so you don't miss a thing.
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Local Man Arrested After Urinating on Art Modell’s Grave

One local man can’t let bygones be bygones as he urinated on the grave of former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell. The man, Paul S. Serbu of Franklin, was issued a summons Wednesday by Baltimore County, Maryland after Serbu allegedly posted a video online showing him peeing on the grave wearing a Cleveland Browns jersey.
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Tuesday, August 12 2014

Ohio to Study Impact of Brent Spence Tolls

Now that state legislators from Kentucky and Ohio agree tolls are the only feasible way to finance the Brent Spence replacement project, the next steps are underway to determine what impact tolling could have on daily commuters. Since low-income and minority workers are the most likely to be affected, the Ohio Controlling Board agreed yesterday to fund an $8MM dollar study which will yield recommendations on pricing, logistics and implications on the ensuing related traffic problems the tolls will create.
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Cincinnati Bike Share to Open in September

City leaders met this morning to unveil the first of Cincinnati’s 35 bike sharing stations. Mayor John Cranley and the leaders of Queen City Bike, the organization behind the bike-share effort, said the process of finishing the stations should move quickly and be fully operational by September. Cranley previously announced $1.1 million in upfront capital costs to help fund the $2 million plan. The final pricing structure is not finalized yet, but prices should be $75 - $85 for annual memberships and anywhere between $6 - $8 for daily passes.
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Hamilton County Administrator Has Just Inherited the Union Terminal Mess

Amid the local gnashing and lamentation over the Icon Tax that could have been, at least one person is willing to make due with the outcome that has pleased practically no one. Hamilton County Administrator Christian Sigman has interjected a welcome dose of optimism to the discussion– which is good, since he's the guy who gets to figure how to make this work.
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Judge Postpones Ohio’s Use of Capital Punishment

U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost extended a moratorium on Ohio’s executions until Jan. 15 of next year, effectively saving the lives of three Ohio inmates on death row. The decision by Frost was prompted by the debate of the effectiveness of lethal-injection drugs. The drugs have caused problems in Ohio and several other states.
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Make Your Reservations for Downtown’s Restaurant Week

More than two dozen downtown restaurants are participating in this year’s Do Downtown Cincinnati Restaurant week, which kicked off Monday and runs through Sunday. Most of the participating restaurants offer a three-course meal for $35. The restaurants typically tend to book up quick, so it’s best to make reservations well in advance.
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Thursday, August 14 2014

Local Radio Host Says Shooting Was Accidental

By now you've probably heard the reports of a man in Madeira accidentally shooting his wife on Tuesday with a deer hunting rifle. So far, the police and most of those familiar with the story are skeptical of the defense that the incident was simply an accident. It turns out that the couple had been arguing immediately before the incident and there were clothes and medications packed up in his car. Nonetheless, at his arraignment Wednesday, the subject entered a plea of not guilty.
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Horseshoe Casino Could Allow Smoking in Certain Areas

An area currently under construction at Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati that will house 150 slot machines and other gaming devices could allow smoking when construction is finished. If the Ohio Casino Control Commission approves the proposal, it would make Horseshoe the first of the three Ohio casinos to allow smoking inside. Casinos in Indiana allow smoking on the main gambling floor, and allowing smoking in designated areas should help Horseshoe remain competitive.
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Duke Energy Convention Center To Unearth a Unique Charlie Harper Mural

Duke Energy Convention Center is planning a renovation to uncover a unique mosaic created by the late, locally beloved American Modernist painter Charlie Harper. The artwork had been covered up years ago because it didn't fit the contemporary decor. Because of Harper's growing popularity of late and the fact that this piece is much different than his traditional work, the Mayor, City Council and Hamilton County Commissioners are all jumping at the opportunity to unearth the mural.
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Museum Center Leaders Weigh Ballot Initiative

Leaders of the Cincinnati Museum Center have an important decision to make whether or not to endorse the sales tax measure that will be placed on the November ballot to raise funds for the ailing Union Terminal. If the leaders accepted the ballot initiative, they said they will continue to work with Music Hall to find a way to help pay for its renovations.
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Smale Riverfront Park Developers Start Carousel Installation

If you've been following the ongoing development at Smale Riverfront Park this year, you know a lot has been taking shape. But this week marks the first installment of which eventually become part of the highly anticipated hand-crafted carousel. Carol Ann's Carousel, which will be Cincinnati-themed, is scheduled to open next spring.
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Tuesday, August 19 2014

5,000 Gallons of Oil Spills into Ohio River

Close to 5,000 gallons of oil from Duke Energy’s W.C. Beckjord Station spilled into the Ohio River near New Richmond Monday morning. The mess will take several days to clean up, according to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard closed a 15-mile section of the river near the spill until the oil can be removed. The spill is classified as a “medium-sized” spill as it falls within the range of 1,000 to 10,000 gallons.
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Tarbell Files as Write-In Candidate for County Commissioner

Aside from having his larger-than-life likeness plastered on a wall in OTR, former council member and vice mayor Jim Tarbell has always maintained a pretty visible presence in the downtown community. Most people know him and have met him and if you haven’t, you’ll probably have your chance at any of the dozens of community businesses and events he so frequently attends. For that reason, its not completely out of the realm of possibilities for him to truly shake-up local politics with his recent decision to file as a write-in candidate for Hamilton County Commissioner, opposite Republican incumbent Chris Monzel.
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Streetcar Loses $5 Million in Federal Funding

Nobody said this was going to be easy. The Cincinnati Streetcar Project received news that they are not receiving a $5 million federal grant to help pay for operating costs of the project. The loss of the funds is due to a poor rating from a regional transportation planning agency. It will cost close to $3.8 million to run the streetcar during its first full year of operation, and the project expects to post a $2 million deficit during that time period.
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Nick & Drew Lachey are opening a bar in OTR

Regional darlings, brothers Nick and Drew Lachey of boy-band and reality TV fame are opening a bar on Walnut Street in OTR and some A&E cameras will be coming along for the ride. While the bar itself should be open sometime this fall, the reality docuseries which plans to capture all the hilarious antics along the way won't premier until next year.
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Tennis Stars Love Their Applebee's

Sometimes there’s nothing better than a quesadilla burger after finishing a grueling tennis match. Or at least that’s what a number of professional tennis players are thinking, according to a story by The New York Times detailing how stars playing at the Western & Southern Open in Mason are frequenting an Applebee’s next to the hotel where players are staying. The tennis pros say that the restaurant’s late hours and comfortable atmosphere has them dining at the establishment on multiple occasions gnoshing those baby back ribs.
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Thursday, August 21 2014

Archdiocese Pour Cold Water on ALS Research

If there’s one thing the Catholic Archdiocese are good for is its ability to cause guilt among large groups of people. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati asked principals at local Catholic schools not to encourage students to raise money for the ALS Association through the ice-bucket challenge because the association uses embryonic stem cells in its research. In order to harvest embryonic stem cells, an embryo must be destroyed and many Catholics relate that to abortion, which the Church is strongly against.
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Surprise, Surpise: More Infighting Between City and County Over MSD

About 10 years ago, the federal government mandated that the Metropolitan Sewer District (aka MSD) perform billions of dollars of upgrades to the city's sewer system. The problem is that even though the city runs MSD, the county is charge of policy & spending and the two entities rarely see eye-to-eye. The latest example of this pissing match is that the county says the city isn't complying with a federal ruling from a few months ago stipulating that the county has the final say. If it sounds like a broken record, thats because it is... sigh.
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Duke Continues to Clean up Ohio River Oil Spill

Official from Duke Energy Corporation said major progress is being made to clean up its mess of 5,000 gallons of oil that spilled into the Ohio River near New Richmond Monday. The oil is being cleaned by vacuums and skimmers. The plant responsible for the spill is slated to be closed in 2015.
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Saks / Kenwood Deal is a Bust, Now What?

Remember that story a few months ago that Saks Fifth Avenue would be relocating from it's downtown location to Kenwood? Well, that deal has fallen through and the folks at Urban Cincy are now wondering what that means for the upscale retailer and whether it will relocate at all.
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OTR's Newest Food Craze: Macaroons?

The latest foodie craze is coming to OTR in the form of French-style, bite-size, almond or coconut-flavored macaroons. The new shop, the Macaron Bar, will be located next door to Park & Vine on Main Street and is expected to open its doors in November. They'll serve traditional macaroons along side Deeper Roots coffee and teas from Essencha Tea House. Yum!
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Tuesday, August 26 2014

Duke Underestimated Oil Spill in Ohio River

Whether they were hoping to avoid a larger initial backlash or if the estimates were off, Duke has upped the official total of gallons of oil spilled into the Ohio River from their W.C. Beckjord Station in New Richmond to somewhere around 9,000 gallons. The original estimate was about 5,000 gallons. The Aug. 18 spill has affected a 15-mile stretch of the Ohio River and crews are continuing to cleanup the energy company’s mess.
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Extending the Streetcar, South of the Border

As streetcar construction powers forward in OTR and the Central Business District, legislators in Northern Kentucky are starting to wonder if they need some of that sweet light-rail too. The idea for an extension of the streetcar on the south side of the river is nothing new, in fact, some similar proposals more than a decade ago were shelved in lieu of other development efforts.
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National Group Alleges Discrimination at Noah’s Ark Theme Park

A controversial Northern Kentucky theme park that's modeled after Noah's Ark is being criticized for possible discriminatory hiring practices. Last Friday, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State sent a letter to Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear alleging that job applicants for the park must profess their faith in Christianity, a policy which is tantamount to religious discrimination.
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Cincinnati to Offer Transgender Surgery Benefits

The City of Cincinnati’s health insurance program will begin to cover medically “necessary” transgender procedures beginning next year. The move will make Cincinnati the first city in Ohio to offer these benefits to employees. The move is an attempt to draw a diverse set of workers to the city. The City of Cincinnati also offers same-sex benefits to all city employees.
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Downtown’s Renaissance Hotel Opens Today

Downtown’s newest hotel, the Renaissance located at Walnut and Fourth streets, is set to open today. Before turning into a 283-room, 40-suite hotel, the building was a bank headquarters and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Check out the photos from WCPO.
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Thursday, August 28 2014

View the Fireworks This Weekend Over Some Cheese Fries

Around the tri-state, Labor day brings two things: WEBN fireworks and veritable deluge of spectators descending on the riverfront. If you've ever attempted to negotiate the crowds, you know getting a good vantage point can be hit-or-miss. CityBeat has your back though– they've put together a list of the best Bars and Restaurants from which to view the spectacle. Now whether you can actually get a table is another matter entirely.
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Tax Problems Closes Mahogany’s at the Banks Again

Embattled restaurant Mahogany’s was shuttered again this week by the state for not paying its taxes. The long-troubled restaurant owes $61,338 to the State of Ohio, according to an investigation by The Cincinnati Enquirer. In addition the the money the restaurant owes the state it also owes the City of Cincinnati about $28,000 in tax money from the $300,000 loan, which was part of the $1 million it received from the city while opening the restaurant. Mahogany’s owner, Liz Rogers, said Tuesday’s closure was a misunderstanding and hopes the have the restaurant opened again soon.
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Fly Frontier For $15 in October

Got plans in October? If not, you might consider capitalizing on super cheap air fares recently announced by Frontier airlines. The last week in October, you can get to Vegas from CVG, and four other destinations for just $15. Prices through the end of year are likewise pretty cheap, coming in below $50.
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Is McConnell Secret Recording a Big Deal? Depends On Who You Ask

The Nation released a secret audio recording of Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell speaking to a group of conservative donors, an event organized by the Koch Brothers. To no one's surprise, the spin machine immediately kicked in and the incident was broadcast as nefarious by some and completely transparent by others. In case you've been living under a rock, McConnell is knee-deep in a contentious reelection campaign against Democratic challenger upstart Alison Lundergan Grimes.
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Hyde Park’s Dancing Wasabi Closes

A $35,000 restitution order made in July against Dancing Wasabi’s owner Charlie Choi has forced the popular Hyde Park restaurant to close. The restitution order stemmed from a lawsuit filed by employees against Choi asking for unpaid minimum wages and overtime. Choi has moved on to manage the Mr. Sushi restaurant in downtown Cincinnati.
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