COVINGTON — A Covington man accused of stabbing a Cincinnati man at an East Side apartment was arraigned in Kenton District Court on an assault charge Friday.

        Troy F. Brown, 34, who told authorities he lived in the 1700 block of Garrard Street in Covington, is charged with first-degree assault. He was being held Friday afternoon at the Kenton County Jail on $100,000 bail.

        Mr. Brown was found a few hours later in a closet of his girlfriend's home in the 1600 block of Holman Avenue, said Lt. Col. Jim Liles, Covington police spokesman.

        Authorities said Robert Lee Copeland, 24, of Hewitt Avenue in Cincinnati, was stabbed in the neck and back about 10:30 a.m. Thursday after fighting with an acquaintance at an apartment in the 1500 block of Greenup Street.

        Wray Copeland, a woman who lived at the apartment, drove Mr. Copeland to St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, and he later was transferred to University Hospital for treatment. He was released on Friday, a hospital spokeswoman said. Police did not know the Copelands' relation.

        Ms. Copeland told police that the stabbing occurred after the two men began arguing in the kitchen of her Greenup Street apartment. When she stepped between the two, she said that the suspect picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed Mr. Copeland in the neck several times and once in the back.
       

Labor council holds candidates night

               COVINGTON — The Northern Kentucky AFL-CIO Central Labor Council will hold a candidates night Nov. 15 for three contested offices in the 2002 election.

        Council President Wayne Whalen said candidates wishing labor's endorsement will be interviewed for:

        • Kentucky's U.S. Senate race.

        • Kenton County judge-executive.

        • Boone County third district commissioner.

        The interviews will be held at 8 p.m. at The Standard Club, 643 Laurel St., Covington. Information:559-0200.
       

Public forum on General Assembly

               ERLANGER — Members of Northern Kentucky Legislative Caucus will hold a public forum today on the upcoming session of the Kentucky General Assembly.

        The forum will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Erlanger City Building, 505 Commonwealth Ave. The public is invited to attend with comments and questions for state lawmakers.
       

Covington hangs patriotic banners

               COVINGTON — City staff began hanging patriotic banners along four of its main streets Thursday.

        Madison, Decoursey, Winston and Southern avenues soon will have 40 blue 30-inch-by-60-inch canvas street banners highlighting the U.S. flag and bearing “Covington, Ky.”

        “We decided to order these banners to show the city's patriotism as well as support for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks,” Mayor Butch Callery said.
       

Council calls special meeting

               INDEPENDENCE — City Council has called a special meeting for Thursday to discuss possible sites for a new municipal center.

        The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the Beechgrove Clubhouse, 4214 Beechgrove Dr.

        One possible location for a new municipal center is Memorial Park, a centrally located site off Ky. 17. The park includes a new fire station, playground, football field, shelter and trails.

        By early next year, a new senior center in the park is expected to open, and city officials plan to start building an amphitheater there next spring.

        Thursday, council will discuss financing options for a new municipal center, as well as possible building schemes and designs, and residents' suggestions.

Foundation awards $200,000 grants

               Six Northern Kentucky agencies have received grants totaling more than $200,000 from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

        The Greater Cincinnati Foundation's governing board recently approved more than $1 million in grants to local nonprofit groups, along with a $1 million loan to support the development of urban housing.

        Northern Kentucky projects funded include Children Inc., $70,000 for the Childhood Mental Health Program; Fairhaven Rescue Mission in Covington and the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Northern Kentucky in Newport, $30,000 each for building renovations; Northern Kentucky Leadership Foundation in Fort Mitchell, $10,000 to expand the Northern Kentucky Youth Leadership Program; Society of St. Vincent DePaul in Covington, $42,000 for facility repair; and Storehouse Ministries in Covington, $22,970 to buy a van.
       

Track investigated for West Nile virus

               LOUISVILLE — The Kentucky State Veterinarian's office was investigating an unconfirmed case of West Nile virus at Churchill Downs, track officials said Friday.

        Rusty Ford, equine programs manager at the state veterinarian's office, told the track that preliminary test results on a horse that was euthanized last month indicated the animal had suffered from West Nile virus, Churchill Downs said in a statement Friday night.

        Further tests were being conducted to confirm the diagnosis, and results should be available in a week to 10 days, the statement said.

        The horse had suffered symptoms of a severe neurological disorder.

Hearing on python feeding draws protests

               SOMERSET — Pet lovers protested outside a hearing for a Pulaski County pet-store owner accused of feeding a living kitten to a python this summer.

        Preceding a hearing Thursday, several residents gathered outside Pulaski District Court to pass out fliers condemning store owner Stephan A. Jones.

        Mr. Jones, 38, of Ferguson, was arrested on Sept. 4 after a report that he allegedly fed a kitten to a 10-foot Burmese python at his Fish 'N Friends store south of Somerset. He was charged with one misdemeanor count of second-degree cruelty to animals.
       

Health committee plans annual meeting

               CRESTVIEW HILLS — A new vision for a safer, healthier Northern Kentucky will be presented at the eighth annual meeting of the Northern Kentucky Community Health Committee on Nov. 27.

        The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Seiler Commons at Thomas More College.

        The public is invited to attend.

        Information: (859) 341-4264.

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