In this edition of The Kentucky Side, we talk with the authors of two new books. Greg Hand's Cincinnati Curiosities: Healing Powers of the Wamsley Madstone, Nocturnal Exploits of Old Man Dead, Mazeppa's Naked Ride & More explores some of our strange historic moments in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. For example, did you know that the fortune built by the Devou family, which ultimately lead to the creation of the namesake park in Covington, was at least partially funded by brothel bus...

Correction: In an earlier version of this podcast, I misidentified the Democrat running in House District 68. The candidate is Kelly Jones, but I said that it was Rene Heinrich. Heinrich is the Democratic candidate in the 24th Senate District against Republican Shelley Funke Frommeyer. Kelly Jones is the Democrat running in House District 68 against Republican Mike Clines. This is the second time that I have made this mistake involving Kelly Jones after previously publishing a candidates list...

In a city as old as Covington, even if you're a skeptic, your mind has probably wandered at some point to the possibility that these old buildings have some old residents. Very old residents. ...Dead residents. The Spooky Secrets Walking Tour shares documented tales about where ghostly hauntings are reported to have taken place, or continue to. The tour includes details about paranormal activity in historic homes and even at a downtown Covington intersection at a particular time of day....

There is no question that the Northern Kentucky of today looks a lot different than the one from 2007. Covington and the urban core are in the midst of a resurgence, development around the airport and its related industries continues to skyrocket, and the Northern Kentucky University athletics program is an NCAA Division I competitor. Those are just some examples of success. There are also challenges: the cost to rent or buy a home is out of reach for many people here now, some public schoo...

On this edition of The Kentucky Side with Michael Monks - LINK nky's podcast - we explore the health of the Ohio River, our misconceptions about it, and whether it's safe to swim in. Joining us to talk about the health of the river is Ohio River Foundation Executive Director Rich Cogen. To explore growing recreational opportunities on the river, we hear from Ohio River Way Chairman Brewster Rhoads. To talk about the historic use of the river, like the old beaches in Bellevue and Dayton, where...

Kenton Co. is densely populated and geographically small, but retains a significant swath of rural land. On that land, local families continue their generational dedication to farming and agriculture. That lifestyle was highlighted recently on the Kenton Co. Farm Tour. Despite being best known as the home to Covington, just over a dozen miles south of the city center, the landscape turns green, with rolling hills and trees, and farms that are home to committed families, their crops, and ani...

Northern Kentucky is in a unique geographical position when it comes to traditional cultures related to the South and the Midwest. The way we speak is an example of that as our American accent, in many cases, can represent the shift as north meets south. But do we have a southern accent in Northern Kentucky? Our manner of speaking is varied all across the region, so we tried to get some answers from experts and then we had a playful conversation with some members of the LINK nky team....

On this edition of The Kentucky Side with Michael Monks, we are joined by Covington author Krista Powers who's penned a new book called Midlife Calm: An Alternative to Midlife Crisis. Powers is the founder and president of Potere, where she coaches people on their life and professional choices and opportunities. "When you choose and shift into Midlife Calm you will experience freedom, growth, joy, clarity, and abundant possibilities," Powers writes. And then we talk about the Kentucky S...

On this week's edition of The Kentucky Side with Michael Monks: Three prominent Northern Kentucky Republican lawmakers and a county commissioner all lost to primary challengers on May 17. What led up to this historic defeat of powerful incumbents? LINK nky politics and government reporter Mark Payne and local attorney, author and commentator Rick Robinson explain the intra-party fighting among local Republicans and what last Tuesday's results mean moving forward. Plus, the local real estate m...

Early voting is underway in Kentucky as we roll towards primary Election Day on May 17. The local ballots in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties are full of contested primaries with some incumbent lawmakers and county officials facing what appear to be strong challengers on the Republican side. Why are we seeing these competitive primaries in local GOP races, and which races should we be watching closely on Tuesday as the returns come in? Former Secretary of State Trey Grayson, managing direc...