Kentucky

Government power structure changes may be coming to Covington

Published

2 years ago

July 3, 2024

Government power structure changes may be coming to Covington

COVINGTON, Ky. — A group of business leaders is pushing for a change in the city of Covington’s power structure. It could be on the November ballot if a petition is successful.

What You Need To Know

Covington’s current form of government consists of four elected city commissioners, an elected mayor and a city manager

A group of local business and political leaders is trying to change that

Covington Forward is working to get enough signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot that would adopt the mayor-council form

Joe Meyer, Covington’s current mayor who will be leaving office by the time this would go into effect, supports the new model

Covington’s current form of government is rare among other Kentucky cities. It consists of four elected city commissioners, an elected mayor and a city manager appointed by the commission.

Richard Dickmann, owner of Covington restaurant Smoke Justis, said the current system is not conducive to business.

“One of the concerns I’ve had since I’ve been here is the amount of time it takes to get anything done,” he said. “It takes four meetings a month to run the city because everything has to be done in a public forum. If a company wanted to relocate their business, and they were looking at three different cities, it may take a longer time for the city of Covington to give them the nod.”

Dickmann is the chair of a committee of local business and political leaders, Covington Forward. It’s trying to get enough signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot that would change Covington’s government to the more common mayor-council form.

City councils can have up to 12 members. In contrast to the current form in which the mayor has equal voting power to commissioners, the mayor acts as more of the city’s CEO in the mayor-council format. That includes the power to veto and hiring city workers.

Dickmann said under this format, council members would have less on their plate than the current commissioners.

“You can be more focused on the needs of the community and not the everyday running of the government,” he said. “It’s obvious to a lot of cities that the mayor-council is a better form of government.”

Joe Meyer, Covington’s current mayor who will be leaving office by the time this would go into effect, supports the new model. Before it can go into effect, the group needs to get enough signatures on its petition. At that point, it would be up to the voters.

Covington is the only city in Kenton County with a city manager form of municipal government.

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Kentucky

Hardley Gilmore returns to Kentucky Football

Published

16 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Hardley Gilmore returns to Kentucky Football

A wide receiver from Belle Glade, Florida, Gilmore totaled 28 receptions for 313 yards and one touchdown for the Wildcats during the 2025 season. The 6-foot-1 sophomore has had a very interesting offseason as he entered the portal, flipped a commitment, and is now back in Lexington.

After the 2025 season, Gilmore committed to Louisville when he entered the transfer portal, then flipped his commitment to Baylor, and ultimately signed with the Bears. To end Gilmore’s portal saga, he’s now back in a familiar place with the Wildcats.

When the 2026 season begins, Gilmore will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Gilmore had a solid sophomore campaign with the Wildcats, appearing in all 12 games. His best game of the season came in the late-season loss against Vanderbilt. He tallied six catches for 55 yards in the game.

With Kentucky losing most of its wide receiver production from last season, this is a significant pickup, and it won’t be surprising if Gilmore is back in the starting lineup this fall.

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Kentucky

Kentucky vs. Texas A&M Injury Report: The usual suspects are out

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

As for the Aggies, the only name on the report is Mackenzie Mgbako, a one-time Kentucky target who remains out for the season after undergoing foot surgery. Texas A&M head coach Bucky McMilan said today that Mgbako will return next season, which would be a big boost for the Aggies before the offseason begins.

Kentucky vs. Texas A&M Injury Report

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Kentucky

Watch: Blast brings down Northern Kentucky bridge

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Watch: Blast brings down Northern Kentucky bridge

COVINGTON, Ky. (WKRC) – The Licking River Bridge was demolished Monday morning in a controlled blast, clearing the way for a replacement structure.

Authorities established a 1,000-foot safety perimeter, closed nearby roads and asked residents to shelter in place before the demolition. The bridge collapsed within seconds of the blast.

“Today we say goodbye to a bridge that has served Kentuckians for nearly a century and we make room for something new. A signature bridge that is safer, stronger and we make room for something new,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “This region, like the rest of the commonwealth, is evolving, it is booming, it’s economy growing every day. What we’re doing together is building our new Kentucky home.”

The Licking River Bridge is now history after crews brought it down with a controlled demolition Monday morning. (WKRC)

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Crews will begin construction on the new bridge after debris removal is complete. The replacement bridge is expected to open in the summer of 2028.

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