The region has found ways to go on despite the delta variant
What a difference a few weeks can make. Just as we were celebrating the light at the end of the tunnel on the pandemic, a terrible resurgence—thanks to the delta variant and the unvaccinated—sent us on a new trajectory. Uncertainty reigns, hospitals are filling up again, 119 of Kentucky’s 120 counties are now back in the red zone and we are all wondering just what “normal” is.
Life does go on and we are resilient.
Let’s consider a bright story about resilience. Some of you will remember Notre Dame’s Emily Bruneman, now Emily Klueh, a champion swimmer who won a passel of medals and was a professional marathon swimmer for many years. She met her husband, Michael, at the Olympic trials. She was the first American to win the FINA 10k Open Water World Cup Circuit.
She graduated from Notre Dame in 2005 and got her bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in social work from the University of Michigan. Now, she is a clinical athletic counselor at the University of Michigan and has her own counseling business, helping athletes around the world.
Today, she is in Tokyo, having been asked by the U.S. Olympic Committee to serve as a mental health officer for the Paralympics. She will be helping athletes deal with the mental stress of competition—something she herself has plenty of experience with.
Mental health struggles are real—for athletes certainly and for all of us as we deal with the uncertainty for ourselves and our families. Please, seek help if you need it.
Here are a few NKY news highlights:
– The Florence City Council seems to be re-thinking its decision to shut down the Florence Aquatic Center, or at least realized that involving the larger community in the discussion would be a good thing. After voting to shut down the center in June, the city is now sending a survey to every Florence taxpayer to get some feedback. The surveys are going out in the mail to individuals and businesses in Florence and should be returned by Sept. 24. The city says the center is running at a consistent deficit—some $7,200-$8,600—for the 10-12 weeks it is open and requires tax dollars for maintenance and upkeep. It is the only municipal pool in a 10-mile radius and is home to the Florence Hammerheads swim and dive team. City council has suggested turning the space into an admission-free, year-round park that would include an adventure playground, performance stage, interactive spray ground, event space and more.
– The Kentucky League of Cities has named Covington its City Government of the Year, a coveted honor recognizing its economic successes and “the resilience, creativity, perseverance and strategic thinking of the city’s leaders amid a worldwide health crisis.”
– The Ovation in Newport continues to grow its massive footprint and the city of Newport is paying attention—with $660 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds for the 25-acre mixed-used development. The PromoWest Pavilion at Ovation is offering the first of a wide range of concerts in late August and a 132-room Homewood Suites by Hilton and a big office building with plaza-level retail is underway. Next comes Phase III, which is parking, residential units, retail, entertainment, an amenity club and raising the levee wall.
– Mother of God Church in Covington will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the dedication of the “magnificent edifice”—known for its spectacular stained-glass windows, twin bell towers, amazing paintings and more—on Sept. 12.
Proof that even during a pandemic, you can find something wonderful to celebrate—and something to look forward to.
