For 11 years, Kevin Grant has spent most his time coaching basketball at all levels: elementary school kids, high school, and summer AAU teams.

He recruited dropouts to make street teams, and took teams to three-on-three tournaments.

When the money was short and he had to get kids out of town, he crowded them into an old, beat-up Chevrolet and took off.

Any kid with a dream and a little talent found his way onto Grant's team.

Grant has been accepted as assistant basketball coach at Indiana University East in Richmond.

"This is the most exciting thing that has happened to me," Grant said. "I am ahead of my dream. My dream was to make it to the college level by age 40. I am 32."

Grant, of Forest Park has been an assistant coach at Winton Woods, Princeton and Mount Healthy high schools. While attending Central State University in Wilberforce, he came back to Cincinnati daily during basketball season to coach an elementary school basketball team.

"Coaching basketball is something I always wanted to do. This is my big chance. I know a lot of players in Greater Cincinnati which will help me recruiting IUE," Grant said.

Grant played basketball at the old Greenhills High School before Greenhills merged with Forest Park to become Winton Woods High school.

Grant is married to Barbara and they have two children.

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Are you concerned about being your dog's best friend? Or your cat's?

Here is a way to get some tips. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, free Dog & Cat Handbooks will be given away on Fountain Square, downtown.

The Animal Rights Community of Greater Cincinnati (ARC), an all-volunteer educational group, published the book.

Tia Rizopulos, a member of ARC, said a group worked for more than a year putting together the handbook.

"We printed 14,000 and we hope to distribute several hundred on Fountain Square," she said.

"We hope people will willingly take the handbook because we have gathered a wealth of information."

The handbook is for people who have a dog or cat or are thinking of adopting one.

Rizopulos said the handbook is a compilation of 75 useful articles ranging from adoption and veterinary care to behavior problems and spaying and neutering.

For more information, call 542-3808.

Allen Howard's "Some Good News" column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.