Independence waste collection cost goes up

INDEPENDENCE - City Council has approved a new waste collection fee for the next two years that's about $5 more than the current one.

The new fee of $105.84 will be assessed on residents' annual property tax bills in October.

Council also will vote June 7 on a 2004-05 "no frills'' budget, Mayor Chris Moriconi said. New expenditures include hiring a third public works person and buying a truck.

In other action Monday, council rejected a request to put a 150-foot cell-phone tower in Sterling Staggs Park.

Fort Mitchell passes salary increases

FORT MITCHELL - By a 4-3 vote, Fort Mitchell City Council approved salary increases for the council that will take office in January.

Annual council salaries will increase from $900 to $2,500. Council voted earlier to raise the mayor's salary from $2,600 a year to $5,000 a year in January 2007, when a new mayor takes office.

Council also approved the installation of stop signs at Ridge Road and Kruempelman Drive and at Lawrence Drive and Kruempelman Drive.

Signups for the city's summer recreation program will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. May 19 and 20.

Villa Hills considers new part-time position

VILLA HILLS - Council will discuss the idea of creating a position of part-time city administrator at a special meeting Thursday.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Dennis M. Stein Municipal Building, 719 Rogers Rd.

Villa Hills Police Chief Mike Brown has been serving as a part-time "senior department head'' for just more than a year, Mayor Mike Sadouskas said. He said the position was created after some residents complained in the last election that city officials were not responsive to their concerns.

Sadouskas is recommending that the position be separated from the police chief's duties for efficiency.

"Most of the other cities in Northern Kentucky do have someone who represents the mayor on a day-to-day basis,'' he said.

At Thursday's meeting, council also is expected to contract with a city engineer to replace Dave Estes, who abruptly resigned in March. Council also will review the proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 and discuss the possible remodeling of restrooms at Franzen Field.

New, antique quilts to be put on display

COVINGTON - Old and new quilts will be displayed and raffled at a May 16 quilt show at the Baker-Hunt Foundation for the Arts, 620 Greenup St.

The friends of the Baker-Hunt Foundation for the Arts will hold the quilt show from 1-4 p.m.

Students in quilting classes at Baker-Hunt made some of the quilts, and others are from the nonprofit organization's collections. A spectacular Crazy Quilt made by women of Covington's Hunt family in the 1880s will be displayed. There also will be quilting demonstrations, and raffle tickets will be sold for a colorful quilt in the Spinning Wheel pattern or a wall hanging by Friends of Baker-Hunt.

Information: Call (859) 431-0020.

Boone planners voting on subdivision tonight

BURLINGTON - Boone County Planning Commission is scheduled to vote on a proposed subdivision near Richwood at 7 tonight.

Bold Homes wants to build a 128-home subdivision at the intersection of Decker Lane and Chambers Road. The subdivision, Buffalo Trace, would use a "clustered" design on the 53-acre site with 128 homes on 44.3 acres, 9 acres of open space and one home on a 9-acre lot.

Last month, the commission's zone change committee voted to deny the request. Residents in the area have hired Covington attorney Phil Taliaferro to help them fight the zone change.

'Better Brains' wins state award

The Campbell County School District has won a statewide award for its efforts to match teaching methods with the way children's brains develop. For its 2-year-old "Building Better Brains" initiative, the district received the 2004 PEAK (Public Education Achieves in Kentucky) award from the Kentucky School Boards Association. The district's initiative, led by Brian Mercer, involves boosting student brainpower through chess, foreign-language instruction, improved nutrition and innovative reading techniques. The district also has worked with St. Luke and St. Elizabeth hospitals to provide books to the parents of newborns. For more information, contact Melissa Pryor at 859-635-2173.

Turfway bettors open their wallets

FLORENCE - A day before the "Run for the Roses," bettors at Turfway Park made a run on the wagering windows for races held at Louisville's Churchill Downs. Wagering on Churchill Downs Oaks Day races by Turfway patrons increased 59 percent from last year, rising from $171,138 in 2003 to $272,362 in 2004. Wagering on races simulcast from other tracks on Oaks Day (excluding Churchill Downs) rose from $212,720 in 2003 to $347,129 in 2004 - a 63 percent increase. Derby Day betting at Turfway on the Churchill Downs races, including the Derby, increased 6 percent - rising from $869,838 in 2003 to $923,384 in 2004.