At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, Highlands Heights residents received a recap of the successful Thanksgiving food drive led by the city staff and council. After the city issued a request for food donations in November, residents responded with remarkable generosity, providing nearly 1,000 pounds of food to the Pantry of Hope, a community outreach program headed up by First Baptist Church of […]
Author Archives: Braden White
Braden White is a contributor from Cincinnati, Ohio. He currently attends Northern Kentucky University and serves as the editor-in-chief for The Northerner, NKU’s independent, student-run newspaper. In his free time, you can find him in the gym, grabbing an iced latte with oat milk or performing at Kings Island, where he has worked for five years performing in various shows and parades. Braden graduated from the School for Creative and Performing Arts in 2020.
Braden covers the city of Highland Heights extensively, specifically Highland Heights City Council, and has been writing for LINK nky since January of 2023. He writes about topics such as music, politics and more.
Have a pitch for Braden? Email him at whiteb15@nku.edu.
Posted inNews
Fort Thomas tables roundabout proposal
In a meeting that stretched nearly three hours Monday night, Fort Thomas City Council addressed a proposed roundabout at Highland and Grand Avenues. Discussion surrounding the potential roundabout drew sharp criticism from both residents and council members. The idea gained traction after a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, known as KYTC, analysis suggested the design could work […]
Posted inNews
Fort Thomas considers scaling down Merchants & Music Festival
The appearance of the Merchants & Music Festival on the Fort Thomas council meeting agenda sparked strong reactions from residents concerned about its potential cancellation. During Monday night’s meeting, several residents voiced fears over the possible cancellation of the festival, a free annual event at Tower Park featuring live music, food, local vendors and family activities. […]
Posted inNews
Fort Thomas residents demand financial accountability: ‘Time to step up’
It was a packed house Monday night for Fort Thomas’ City Council meeting, where residents expressed concerns over the city’s financial management. Monday night’s meeting was the first city council meeting following the Sept. 30 special finance committee meeting, which revealed major accounting issues that totaled over $322,000. Several residents voiced their concerns Monday night, […]
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Next phase of The Commons at Highland Heights could break ground by 2026
Highland Heights saw what the next phase of The Commons at Highland Heights could look like at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. The next phase, named Phase 1A, if approved, would add a new playground, new hammock spaces, a fire pit and more. The section of the park is located just steps away from Northern Kentucky […]
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Alcohol license fee increase possible in Highland Heights
Highland Heights heard an ordinance that could increase the alcohol license fee for businesses Tuesday night. According to City Administrator Michael Giffen, raising the alcohol license fee is a standard procedure that’s reviewed every five years. “Every 5 years, cities can increase their alcoholic beverage license fees by 5% to keep pace with inflation. This […]
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Highland Heights proposes ‘seventh-lowest property tax rate’ in NKY
Highland Heights held a public hearing regarding the city’s tax rate during Tuesday’s city council meeting. During the hearing and the first reading of the proposed tax rate, City Administrator Michael Giffen recommended that the city maintain its current rate of 1.47. “This still gives us the seventh-lowest property tax rate in Northern Kentucky,” Giffen […]
Posted inCulture
Here are the 2025 Fort Thomas Independence Day Parade winners
Fort Thomas awarded trophies to its 2025 Independence Day Parade winners during Monday night’s city council meeting. This year’s parade theme was “Honoring Our History”—a tribute to the people, stories and events that have shaped the Fort Thomas community, per a press release from the city. The city also recognized Deanna and Jim Beineke as […]
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Highland Heights could see a potential occupational license fee raise
Highland Heights heard the first reading of an ordinance Tuesday night that would raise the occupational license fee, a tax on wages paid by anyone working within the city limits, from 1.0% to 1.5%. City Administrator Michael Giffen explained how the wage can assist with future city development. “The additional revenue will allow the city […]
Posted inCulture
Highland Heights’ pickleball courts, nature trail projects now underway
Highland Heights shared an update on the construction of the city’s nature trail and pickleball courts at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. According to City Administrator Michael Giffen, work on the additions to the city’s park began last week and is expected to be complete by this fall. “The intention behind the entire greenspace renovation […]