A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Kentucky by Heart: Celebrating Uncle Howard’s 95th birthday an invigorating ‘slice-of-life’ moment

A few Saturdays ago, Suzanne and I traveled to the Grant’s Lick area, in the southern part of Campbell County, for a surprise celebration for “Uncle Howard” Johnston’s 95th birthday. Being there and seeing old friends and family members captured pleasant memories from my youth. The party occurred at the Fairlane Baptist Church, on Highway #27, a stone’s throw from where I lived from age 6...

Our Rich History: Abraham Lincoln and his connection to Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati

By Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD Special to NKyTribune In celebration of Lincoln’s birthday, we offer this encore column that originally appeared in Our Rich History on October 19, 2015 Abraham Lincoln. Lithograph by Strobridge & Company, Cincinnati. (Courtesy of The Library of Congress) “That [damned] long armed ape,” Edwin Stanton exclaimed within ear’s reach of Abraham Lincoln. It was September...

The River: Memories stir like river mud — of Patty Boy, of Camps, of long swims, of new wonders

(The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders shares the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This story first appeared in January, 2018. Purchased The River hardback book, a collection of Capt. Don’s columns below.) By Capt. Don Sanders
 Special to NKyTribune During the summers of our youth, my brothers Dick and Bob...

NKY Sports Hall of Fame names seven new members to be inducted February 21

The Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting seven new members at the February meeting to be held Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. at the Gardens of Park Hills. Following is are the inductees: BECKY HOUSTON VOLLEYBALL-BASKETBALL-COACH Houston graduated from Holy Cross in 1989. She played several sports while at Holy Cross, including Cross Country, Softball, Basketball, and Volleyball. While she was...

The Rural Blog: New way of assessing food healthy vs. unhealthy could improve diets, but cut profits

What does ultra-processed food sound like? It sounds like the polyglycerol polyricinoleate in Hershey’s chocolate or the tripotassium phosphate in Cheerios, or more broadly, the protein isolates or emulsifiers that “aren’t normally found in a domestic kitchen,” reports Carol Ryan of The Wall Street Journal. “Growing scrutiny of the peculiar ingredients in popular snack...

First Lady Britainy Beshear encourages Kentuckians to support Saturday’s Shop & Share donation drive

First Lady Britainy Beshear this week invited Kentuckians to participate in the annual Shop & Share event this Saturday, Feb. 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at select Kroger, Food City, regional grocery and Starbucks locations. The 15th-annual one-day donation drive on the Saturday before the Super Bowl is hosted in partnership with ZeroV and provides critical supplies for the commonwealth’s 15 state-designated...

Mike Tussey: Legendary broadcaster and Hall of Famer Jim LaBarbara started in 1959, keeps going

One of the most renowned and revered broadcasters of our time is still going strong. You know him as “The Music Professor” – Jim LaBarbara. Recently, Jim and I got together and discussed his incredible career that soared to fame and created a legacy that still resonates even today. It’s quite a story. THE BEGINNING Jim was a dreamer. He saw a movie “Young Man with a Horn” when he was 10....

Kentucky by Heart: Celebrating Kentucky’s rich literary history; appreciating cold-weather friends

By Steve Flairty NKyTribune columnist Kentucky has a rich literary and historical landscape, for sure. And across the state, there are frequent events that showcase such. Here are a few that are happening soon. Hope it stirs your interest. The 2024 additions to the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame have been chosen by members of the Carnegie Center, in Lexington, and the Kentucky Arts Center, in Frankfort....

Our Rich History: The legacy of the Bernstein Family, Betty Blake; Alan named to museum’s Hall of Fame

By Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD Special to the NKyTribune A part of the occasional ORVILLE (Ohio River Valley Innovation Library and Learning Enrichment) Series Rivers in American history have offered life, form, and stability to all of us. From indigenous Americans to the millions of immigrants who settled along the Ohio and Mississippi River watersheds to the teeming cities lining their shores today, rivers...

The River: Revisiting an ill-fated Delta Queen charter that spoiled Super Bowl IV for fancy pants guests

The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders shares the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. It was first told in 2020. Order Capt. Don Sanders’ The River book below. This ‘Super Bowl’-related column was first published in Sept. 2020 By Capt. Don Sanders Special to...

KY Department of Agriculture accepting applications for 2024 Kentucky Proud Farm to Fork Dinners

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is inviting Kentucky Proud members to apply to participate in the Kentucky Proud Farm to Fork program for 2024. “Kentucky Proud is a national model for promoting local agricultural products,” said Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell. “The Farm to Fork Program helps publicize the many outstanding products produced by our farmers and agribusinesses. It’s...

Donna Brothers shares advice, wisdom, experiences and love of horses with Women’s Initiatives audience

By Judy Clabes NKyTribune editor Donna Brothers earned her celebrity as a leading female jockey, as an NBC racing reporter on horseback, and as a writer and humanitarian. On Thursday she proved her story-telling skills at the NKY Chamber Women’s Initiatives 15th annual breakfast before a full house of 800 at the Turfway event center. In a warm and meaningful speech, “Unbridled Strength: Women...

Boone County educators hit big with Match 5 win in Saturday’s $168 million Powerball drawings

We all dream of what it would be like to win the lottery, right? Oh, come on, even those of us who vow we will never play have thought about it. That dream came true for 30 educators and former educators of Jones Middle School in Boone County when they found out this past weekend that they hit the Match 5 in the Powerball for a million dollars. It was the winning ticket you may have heard about purchased...

Mike Tussey: 60 years ago ‘Coffee Grounds Show’ was talk of the town, captivating audiences every day

February, 1964 I was working the mid day shift (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) at tiny 250 watt – WIRO AM 1230 in Ironton, Ohio. I was still using my pseudonym of MIKE TODD that I created in 1961. Indeed, it was a historic afternoon when GM/Owner Ken Auble came into the control room with a huge smile. In just moments, he made a very important announcement to our listeners that we would increase our power to...

Kentucky by Heart: Lifelong Kentuckian Tony Wilhoit holds humble view of impressive life of public service

By Steve Flairty NKyTribune columnist Anthony “Tony” Wilhoit was born in Versailles 88 years ago and has mostly lived within three blocks of his current home, a large, majestic brick house built in 1870; he’s a lifer in his town, in tune with its history. Just ask him about all the friends he has made around Woodford County. He also has an impressive resume in the area of jurisprudence, a long-time...