Kentucky
Former Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky employees seek investigation into safety concerns
COVINGTON, Ky. — Former employees of the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky are asking city officials to investigate their safety concerns.
One of these ex-employees is Deborah Zepf, who said she resigned over the summer after working for the shelter for nearly three years.
“I’m a retired nurse, 30 years. So after I retired I wanted something to keep me busy and this was a good outlet, thinking I was being helpful and helping people,” she said.
But Zapf said she didn’t receive enough training to handle the situations she encountered at the shelter, plus she had to deal with situations she doesn’t think a female staff member should be responsible for.
“Men overdosing in the bathrooms. Women on staff, we had to go in and take care of that. That was inappropriate, I think,” she said.
Zapf said she didn’t feel equipped to deal with some of the mental health emergencies she encountered, plus she and other staff had to intervene and de-escalate physical altercations.
She said when she brought her concerns to management, they weren’t addressed.
Earlier this week, she went to a Covington commission meeting to ask the city to investigate the shelter.
When asked what changes she thinks need to be made to make the shelter safer, she said “stronger laws.”
“I mean, somebody needs to get a grip on them,” Zapf said.
At the commission meeting, a commissioner asked city staff to respond to these concerns in the next week or two.
The city provided WCPO with a statement that said, “City officials have been meeting with shelter administrators on an ongoing basis to discuss issues and concerns related to its operations and the impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
As a licensed facility, some of the shelter’s operations are regulated by City ordinance, and the City will continue to enforce to the best of its ability those regulations. Other issues may be outside the City’s regulatory scheme and jurisdiction. We will continue to seek more information to formulate our response.”
WCPO also reached out to the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky. They provided a statement in response to these concerns.
“We work day in and day out to keep our promise which is printed on our front door, “We will trust, value and respect everyone that enters our doors.” Like many non-profits we operate on a shoestring budget and are mostly funded by private donations and grants. We receive less than 10% of our funding from governmental entities. However, Kenton County is our landlord and the City of Covington issues our permit annually. Therefore, we have very good working relationships with both and are proud to have been issued our permit every year since the permit process started.
Our staff are trained to work with vulnerable adults and in a shelter setting. Training includes de-escalation, CPR/ First Aid/AED, Universal Precautions, Covid guidelines, mask wearing, Emergency Responses for fire, lockdown, weather, and Naloxone. New hire orientation includes ESNKY history, mission & values, staff professional boundaries, guest code of conduct, email, technology, timeclock system, payroll system, food handler permit, data system (for those that jobs require data collection), accepting material donations volunteer management, use of equipment, keys, assignment of staff locker, and on the job training of internal procedures, community resources, etc. Additional training includes active shooter training, mental health first aid, peer support, boundaries, harm reduction, DEI, LGBTQ+ and any other additional training throughout the year.
Working with people who are in crisis is demanding and can be stressful work. We balance that in several ways. Staff have time away from our guests to meet, collaborate, and work together as a team or individually. We regularly take time to celebrate success and provide recognition. We encourage staff to leave work behind each day. The most important strategy is self-care. Not everyone is suited for this work. We have procedures and policies in place to create a safe work environment for our staff, guests, and visitors. All staff are thoroughly trained in these and are expected to adhere to them for their own safety and that of their co-workers and others present in the shelter.
As to any comments made by ex-employees, employment matters are confidential and therefore we are unable to provide any statements about these individuals or their former work with our shelter and guests. What we can tell you is that their opinions are not based in fact, are heavily biased and do not represent the great work we do at ESNKY. Our community partners, Kenton County, the local police and a host of other community stakeholders stand behind us in the work we do to help the less fortunate in our community.”
Trainer Kenny McPeek wants Right To Party with Beastie Boys at 2026 Kentucky Derby
Trainer Kenny McPeek says he would love to have the Beastie Boys at 2026 Kentucky Derby to walk with Right To Party
The post positions are set for the 2026 Kentucky Derby and the draw presented this year’s favorite another obstacle to overcome. Renegade, the horse who will enter the 152nd Run for the Roses with the best odds to win, will start from the No. 1 post along the rail, a spot no horse has won the Kentucky Derby from since Ferdinand in 1986.
The curveball only adds to the wide-open feeling entering the first Triple Crown race of 2026 at Churchill Downs, with some experts believing as many as eight of the 20 horses in the field have a legitimate shot at winning the Kentucky Derby this year. The picks and predictions have varied accordingly during the lead-up to Derby week, though Renegade remains the pre-race favorite following the post position draw.
Here’s a breakdown of the latest odds, picks and predictions ahead of the 2026 Kentucky Derby, as well as how to watch the opening Triple Crown race of the year:
When is the 2026 Kentucky Derby?
The 2026 Kentucky Derby is set to be held on Saturday, May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET and post time is scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET.
Kentucky Derby 2026 odds
Odds courtesy of kentuckyderby.com as of 2 p.m. ET on April 27
- Renegade (4-1)
- Further Ado (6-1)
- Commandment (6-1)
- Chief Wallabee (8-1)
- The Puma (10-1)
- So Happy (15-1)
- Emerging Market (20-1)
- Potente (20-1)
- Fulleffort (20-1)
- Incredibolt (20-1)
- Silent Tactic (20-1)
- Danon Bourbon (20-1)
- Wonder Dean (30-1)
- Golden Tempo (30-1)
- Pavlovian (30-1)
- Albus (30-1)
- Right to Party (30-1)
- Litmus Test (30-1)
- Six Speed (50-1)
- Intrepido (50-1)
2026 Kentucky Derby picks, predictions
Louisville Courier Journal: Commandment is No. 1 pick
The USA TODAY Network outlet’s final ranking of the horses leading into Kentucky Derby week placed Commandment in the No. 1 spot, followed by Renegade, The Puma, Further Ado and Emerging Market
KentuckyDerby.com: Commandment leads pack
Of the seven handicappers and experts listed at the Kentucky Derby’s official website, four had Commandment ranked as the No. 1 horse in this year’s field. Two experts picked Renegade as their top pick and The Puma also received one No. 1 ranking.
Horse Racing Nation: Watch out for Chief Wallabee
“(Chief Wallabee) adds blinkers for this race, which should focus him enough to put it all together. It is true that the addition of blinkers is rare and often unsuccessful in the (Kentucky) Derby, but if anyone knows what they are doing it is (trainer) Bill Mott. … (Chief Wallabee) has the perfect tracking style to get first run on the deep closers and offers a square price in a wide-open Kentucky Derby.”
Odds Shark: Further Ado is best bet
“He has a stakes win at Churchill Downs already. Plus, he crushed all his prep races – winning the Blue Grass Stakes Grade 1 race in April by 11 lengths. He also has fantastic lineage, having been sired by Gun Runner, who placed third in the 2016 (Kentucky) Derby and won the Breeders Cup Classic the following year. Further Ado is trained by Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Brad Cox and will be ridden by experienced jockey Johnny Velasquez.”
Kevin Kerstein, Churchill Downs: Further Ado
“The way that Further Ado has trained for Brad Cox … he’s just really impressed me … He just sort of has to repeat that last race (Blue Grass Stakes). There’s a lot of horses in this race that might have to improve to beat Further Ado in this start.”
Watch the Kentucky Derby on Peacock
How to watch 2026 Kentucky Derby: TV, live stream
The 2026 Kentucky Derby undercard races will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network and Peacock (Noon-2:30 p.m. ET) on Saturday, May 2.
Coverage of the 2026 Kentucky Derby will then shift to NBC and Peacock from 2:30-7:30 p.m. ET, with post time for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET.
As Mark Pope works frantically to build the 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball roster, we now have a high school reclassification candidate to monitor.
According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Pope is set to have an in-home visit with 5-star wing Ryan Hampton. Tipton also notes that Hampton is a reclass candidate, which he almost has to be for Pope to visit him at a time when nearly all of his focus is on next season’s roster.
Hampton does not currently hold a scholarship offer from the Wildcats, but that may very well come Monday.
The 6-foot-6 Texas native is the brother of former Kentucky recruit R.J. Hampton, a 5-star recruit in the class of 2019 who ended up playing in Australia before being drafted into the NBA, where he spent four years and now plays in China.
The younger Hampton, who plays at DME Academy in Florida, is ranked as high as fifth overall in the 2027 class by 247 Sports. He holds scholarship offers from Kansas, Indiana, Tennessee, SMU, Texas, Louisville, Nebraska, Texas A&M, NC State, and LSU, among others. He’s taken official visits to SMU, Nebraska, and NC State.
Kentucky Derby post positions for Renegade, Fulleffort and Further Ado
After the Kentucky Derby post position draw, expert handicapper explains which horses will have tough decisions early on in the race and why.
Sunday racing during Kentucky Derby Week returned on April 26, drawing both Derby regulars and newcomers.
Organizers dubbed the event “Sunday Funday,” marking the first time horse racing had been held at Churchill Downs Racetrack on a Sunday during Derby Week since 2010.
With gates opening at 11:30 a.m. and the first race post time at 12:45 p.m., it seemed some staffers and attendees came straight to the racetrack from church.
“Some of us have to go to church and get blessed before we come,” said a woman dressed in her Sunday finest by the Paddock Gate, with 10 minutes to go before the gates opened for the day.
“Some of us stay blessed,” another worker responded.
Billy and April Bensing were among those who took in the day’s racing from the Stakes Room & Balcony.
Speaking outside the Paddock Gate, the Shively couple — dressed in bright fluorescent orange and pink — said they typically attend 502’sDay, the Tuesday of Derby Week, each year with family and friends, largely because the crowds are thinner.
But when they heard Churchill Downs was adding a seventh day of racing to the eight-day Kentucky Derby schedule, they jumped at the chance to come for a second day without the kids.
For Chad and Leslie Cooper of Jonesville, Louisiana, another day of racing meant another outfit to put together. This year marked their second visit to Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby Week, after having such a good time last year.
“We came so far to do this, we’re going all out. It don’t matter if it’s low-key or not,” Leslie Cooper said.
She added, “Our kids are all grown and gone, so we can just enjoy ourselves.”
In contrast, Taiya Hardy was attending her first horse race. She also took the opportunity to wear a brightly colored spring dress on what started out as an overcast, chilly day that later turned abundantly sunny.
“Colorado doesn’t have clothes like these,” she said of the outfit and hat, the latter of which she purchased at Pix Shoes at 210 S. Preston St. in downtown Louisville.
Also coming to Churchill Downs for the first time were Jack and Kathy Arzooyan and their cousin, Wendy Franz. The Minnesota and Michigan residents, along with seven other family members, traveled to Kentucky this past week to search for a common ancestor.
They succeeded in finding his gravestone at Grove Hill Cemetery in Shelbyville, about 40 minutes outside Louisville.
Their flight home was scheduled for April 27, but in the meantime, the cousins decided to take advantage of everything the home of twin spires has to offer.
“This is icing on the cake,” said Kathy Arzooyan.
For Sam and Taylr Henson, bourbon was the main draw to Louisville. That Derby Week happened to coincide with their trip was an added bonus.
The couple traveled from Nashville, Tennessee, to Louisville to attend a few bourbon tastings around town. Coming to “Sunday Funday” was not on the couple’s itinerary, but a spur-of-the-moment decision.
“We were up doing some bourbon tastings, and then we were like, ‘Oh, we can get in on this.’ So we went to Macy’s yesterday and bought outfits, and we’re here,” Sam Henson said.
Both donned flowery, spring-inspired outfits that popped with color, accessorized with headwear in traditional Derby fashion — for Taylr, a white, flowery fascinator, and for Sam, a white fedora with a black band.
Although the couple did not initially plan to stop by the racetrack, they realized that their time in Louisville was a perfect opportunity to enjoy the famous “Derby experience.”
“Everybody talks about it, and you see it on TV and everything, so we just wanted to come see it firsthand,” Sam Henson said.
Anna Murphy had her own way of bringing bursts of color to Churchill Downs. As the 2026 Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby bottle artist, she will be at the track all week, painting an enlarged version of her artwork that appears on the commemorative Woodford Reserve bottle on site.
The Chicago artist has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Louisville. But despite her connection to the city, this year marks her first Derby experience.
Murphy is most looking forward to admiring the fashion on display throughout the week, she said.“That’s such a big part of the artwork on this year’s Derby bottle, as well, is the fashion and the hats,” Murphy said. “That’s my favorite part.”
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