Kentucky
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.
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.
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
Time is of the essence if you’re Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats right now. With the transfer portal set to close in just a few days, chaos reigns as programs and players scramble to secure their next opportunities. Among the fray is Kentucky, which finds itself navigating a tumultuous landscape in search of elite talent. With many of the Top 25 players already committed, the urgency for the Wildcats to land a game-changing recruit has never been more at the forefront following this season.
One of Pope’s primary targets is Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman. The 6-foot-9 rising junior made waves during his time at Syracuse, averaging 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 47.4 percent from the field last season. His potential is undeniable; many experts predict Freeman will be a future first-round NBA draft pick, making him a coveted asset for any program.
Freeman’s recent visit to Kentucky has sparked much-needed hope. However, despite positive feedback from his trip, he left without making a commitment to join one of college basketball’s blue bloods. The competition is fierce. The question looms: Can Kentucky outmaneuver these schools and secure his commitment?
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Well, Friday morning, the Cats were able to outlast one of their deepest competitions for now in Connecticut. Freeman was set to make his way to see the Huskies, but he has since cancelled his Friday visit, per UConn Report (subscription required). Now it appears the Huskies officially have bowed out of the race. That’s one down, and just the Alabama Crimson Tide, it appears, stands in the way for Mark Pope and Kentucky.
Mark Pope faces additional pressure following the return of Rob Wright to BYU, leaving the Wildcats in a precarious position when it comes to key portal targets. They need to act swiftly to avoid being left without significant talent as the portal closes. Freeman’s skill set would not only bolster their roster but would also complement rising star Malachi Moreno, as Freeman would be the ideal fit for the power forward.
As the clock ticks down, all eyes are on Mark Pope and his ability to close this deal. The stakes are high, and for Kentucky, landing Donnie Freeman could be the key to turning chaos into triumph, but will they be able to close perhaps the deal amidst the age of transfer portal madness? Well, they are one step closer now, it appears.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky basketball closing in on a Donnie Freeman commitment?
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