Kentucky
BE NKY Growth Partnership releases new analysis of Northern Kentucky's Competitiveness – NKyTribune
Findings from a national consultant, with input from the region’s business leaders, indicate that Northern Kentucky is competitive but needs to address risks and challenges with new strategies to maintain this competitiveness.
BE NKY Growth Partnership on Tuesday released “Navigating Change & Charting a Course to a More Competitive Northern Kentucky,” an assessment by Economic Leadership with a five-year regional strategic action agenda.
(Click for full report
The report incorporates the results of a community strategy campaign led by BE NKY which included more than 40 interviews with NKY’s major employers in the advanced manufacturing, life sciences, information technology, and supply chain management sectors, as well as the results of surveys from business and community leaders that attended BE NKY’s 2024 Annual Forum in January. Recent reports on Northern Kentucky’s population growth and labor supply, housing needs, and workforce ecosystem were critical inputs to Economic Leadership’s report.
“BE NKY began our community strategy initiative last year to benchmark our region and gain data on how we compare to peer communities throughout the country,” said BE NKY CEO Lee Crume. “The Economic Leadership report shows Northern Kentucky is in a favorable position today. However, there are macro-level economic disruptors on the horizon and critical needs detailed in the report where our community should be focused to ensure we stay on this prosperous path into the future.”
As a unique three-county region that is the “peak” of Kentucky, part of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and a border community to Ohio, the report shares that Northern Kentucky’s competitiveness is influenced by the state’s trajectory as well as MSA-level policies and metrics. Taking these influences into consideration, the region’s leaders should address factors within our control and adopt a proactive approach to a rapidly changing economy.
Every year, Economic Leadership analyzes the competitiveness of the country’s 100 most populous metros using nearly 100 factors grouped into six indexes: talent, cost & climate, quality of place, economic momentum, future, and global. When compared to 22 peer metros (a subset of the 100), the Cincinnati MSA ranks sixth overall, but 12th, 13th, and 16th in the economic momentum, future, and talent indexes, respectively.
(Click for larger graphic)
Feedback from Northern Kentucky’s business community aligns with Economic Leadership’s findings that the following are critical needs for the region’s economic competitiveness:
• Talent retention, attraction, and skill alignment
• Coordinated planning and actions for housing and infrastructure growth
• Creation and promotion of a recognized regional brand narrative
• Diversify the economy and leverage entrepreneurship to build and retain local wealth
• Improve collaborative capacity to achieve desired results
“We engaged Economic Leadership to help us assess the region’s economic inertia and provide us with a data-informed understanding of Northern Kentucky’s critical needs,” said BE NKY Research Director David McAleese. “We know that success is not guaranteed and the next phase in our community strategy initiative is to further engage our region’s community and business leaders to be proactive and develop plans so that we can sustain our competitive position.”
To address the critical needs outlined in the report, it recommends building a strong coalition of private sector, legislative, community, and public sector partners to develop policies and solutions to address risks. Adopting a collective impact model for implementation and facilitating an annual meeting of leaders to review, update, and adjust the community strategy will help the region stay aligned and on track with its strategies and goals.
“Navigating Change & Charting a Course to a More Competitive Northern Kentucky” will be presented at BE NKY Growth Partnership’s Q2 Economic Development Briefing on April 18. The full report is available on the BE NKY website.
BE NKY Growth Partnership
13 things more likely to happen than winning the Powerball jackpot
Hoping to win the Powerball jackpot? Here are 13 things more likely to happen than becoming an instant millionaire.
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Thursday, June 25, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
02-08-24-32, Cash Ball: 09
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 6-3-0
Midday: 9-6-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 5-7-6-0
Midday: 5-2-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
03-13-14-34-45, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
On Thursday, Kentucky’s home and away SEC opponents for the 2026-27 season were revealed and on top of learning the three opponents who they will play twice, there are some very intriguing matchups. In conference play, Kentucky will face six teams who are among the top 25 in many preseason rankings.
In SEC play, Kentucky will play Tennessee, Vandy and Ole Miss all both home and away. The home matchups include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vandy. As for the road tilts, the Wildcats will face Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Vandy. Let’s take a look at some interesting developments from the schedule release.
John Calipari returns to Rupp Arena (again)
In Calipari’s first year with Arkansas, he got the best of Kentucky when he came into Rupp Arena and left with a 10-point victory, a game where you could really feel the tension all game long in the building from Kentucky fans, which translated onto the court with the players. Last season, it was Kentucky who shocked everyone when they stole one on the road against a top 20 Arkansas team after a rough up-and-down season up to that point. Now, the two will face off again as Kentucky will look to get the win in Rupp and make sure Calipari doesn’t get two in a row in the building. It’ll be another highly-anticipated showdown.
Kentucky hits the road at Texas
This is shaping up to be a major challenge for Kentucky next season and may even end up being one of the biggest games of the season. Texas is seen by many as a clear top 10 team, with some even having them within the top five and when you combine that with the fact that the game is on the road, the Wildcats will have their hands full. The Wildcats fell to the longhorns in the 2024-25 season, and it’ll be a much stiffer challenge this time.
Which game could be a trap?
We don’t have the game-by-game dates yet, so it’s hard to say with a lot of confidence, but opponent-wise, Georgia could really give Kentucky fits. In Pope’s first year, his team struggled handling the physicality of the Bulldogs and now, they’ve retained one of their best guards for another year and have added physicality through the portal. Mike White’s teams love to make opponents uncomfortable and they could do that once again down in Athens. Another sneaky team to watch is Oklahoma, who will have very good guard play. Kentucky will face both teams on the road.
Overall, it’s a pretty fair SEC schedule for a Kentucky team who has the capability of a return to being atop the conference once again. Mark Pope has such a system-fit squad and he can do some damage in the SEC.
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Fourth of July festivities to celebrate in Louisville
See the Fourth of July festivities planned in Louisville for America’s 250th birthday celebration.
Fourth of July is almost here, and Kentuckians are getting ready to light up the sky.
Before you plan your fireworks celebrations, it’s important to know what is and isn’t allowed under Kentucky law. Here’s what to know about fireworks laws and safety tips in the Bluegrass State ahead of Independence Day.
Can you set off fireworks in Kentucky?
Yes. As long as you live in a place where local ordinances don’t prohibit it, according to the Kentucky State Fire Marshal’s website.
Are fireworks legal in Louisville?
In Louisville or Jefferson County, larger display fireworks are not legal due to a local law. Some consumer products that don’t leave the ground, such as sparklers, are allowed.
If the cautionary label on the firework has the words “explosive,” “emits flaming pellets,” “flaming balls,” “firecracker,” “report” or “rocket,” it is automatically a no-go, according to the Louisville-Jefferson County Code of Ordinances.
But, smaller ones like sparklers, cylindrical or cone fountains, wheels and ground spinners are legal. Still, don’t let the size fool you − they can burn up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Learn more: Check out these 4th of July events taking place across Kentucky
How to use fireworks safely
The state fire marshal suggests following the following advice when using fireworks:
- Use fireworks outdoors.
- Obey local laws.
- Keep a bucket of water or a working water hose nearby.
- Use fireworks as intended and avoid altering them or combining them.
- Never relight “dud” fireworks. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
- Spectators should keep a safe distance from the person lighting the firework (the individual lighting it should wear safety glasses).
- Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a “designated adult operator.”
- Do not use homemade fireworks or illegal explosives.
- Report illegal explosives to the fire or police department in your community.
- Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks.
- Read and follow all instructions on the label.
Former Courier Journal reporter Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez contributed. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.
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