Newport has approved the enabling ordinance for all of the historic preservation activities within the city. Newport Planning and Building Director Brian Steffen said conversations began earlier in the year as the city started looking into creating Buena Vista as a local historic district. Steffen said working with Assistant Newport City Manager John Hayden and […]
Tag: Ken Rechtin
Posted inCulture
Newport proposes establishing entertainment district
As the popularity of Entertainment Development Centers rises in the region, with cities like Bellevue, Dayton, and Covington offering them, Newport is considering a district of its own. If passed, the designated area of the city would be called the Newport Entertainment District or NED within defined boundaries along Monmouth Street from the intersection of […]
Posted inPodcasts
The Sunday Story Podcast: Sin City: A look at Newport’s risqué past
This story originally appeared in the Sept. 8 edition of the Weekly LINK Reader. To see these stories first, subscribe here. This week on The Sunday Story, business reporter Kenton Hornbeck explores Newport’s history of gentleman’s clubs. You can listen to this story below or read the full story here. In 1976, if you decided […]
Posted inNews
Pretrial conference set for October in River Metals Recycling case
A pretrial conference date was set at a status hearing on Tuesday in the case of Commonwealth v. River Metals Recycling. News of an agreement between the city and River Metals Recycling, also known as RMR, was announced in a Newport news release on Aug. 11 ahead of a previously scheduled Aug. 14 bench trial. […]
Posted inNews
Newport updates its historic preservation ordinances
Newport held a first reading of an ordinance Thursday to help move forward historic preservation activities in the city. Newport Planning and Building Director Brian Steffen said there had been rumors and speculation surrounding the ordinance, with people thinking it had to do with adopting Buena Vista as a local historic district. While he said […]
Posted inCulture
Newport to amend ordinance to allow outdoor dining at restaurants, bars in residential areas
Newport is amending its outdoor dining ordinance to allow bars and restaurants in residential areas to have outdoor dining. Newport City Manager Tom Fromme said the ordinance was two years in the making and arose after an argument made by those in favor who felt the previous ordinance put establishments at a competitive disadvantage if […]
Posted inNews
Newport, River Metals Recycling working toward agreement: ‘I think this is a significant win’
Monday’s bench trial in the case of Commonwealth V. River Metals Recycling, which has been ongoing since January 2021, was canceled due to negotiations between the city and the company on investments to “improve the quality of life for residents.” News of an agreement was announced in a Newport news release on Aug. 11 ahead […]
Posted inNews
Newport considers amending ordinance to allow outdoor dining at restaurants, bars in residential areas
Newport is considering an amendment to its outdoor dining ordinance to allow bars and restaurants in residential areas to have outdoor dining. Newport City Manager Tom Fromme said what started the conversation was an argument made by those in favor who feel that it puts establishments at a competitive disadvantage if not allowed. The amendment […]
Posted inNews
Newport residents may soon get their day in court with River Metals Recycling
After more than two years, residents of Newport’s west end may soon get to speak their piece on the River Metals Recycling plant explosions that they say have been affecting them for years. Recent findings in the case Commonwealth V. River Metals Recycling, which first saw the light in Campbell County District Court Judge Cameron […]
Posted inOpinion
Op-ed: A permit to pollute
Written by Newport City Commissioner Ken Rechtin Located in Newport, Kentucky, River Metals Recycling (RMR), a subsidiary of Nucor (NUE, NYSE), annually obtains a “pollution permit”. It is issued by the State of Kentucky EPA. This “pollution permit” allows RMR to pollute our air and our Licking River (for this column, I will focus on […]