Cincinnati is a city with a great German heritage. Or so I had been told. However, after three weeks in Cincinnati, I hadn't seen anything that struck me as particularly German, other than street names. Sure, many German immigrants settled in Cincinnati about 200 years ago, but what did they leave the city? What is so German about Cincinnati? Since I couldn't find an answer to these questions myself, I decided to do the next best thing: I asked people in Cincinnati what they thought was German about their city. This is what they told me:

From nature preserves and parkways, to regional and neighborhood parks, Cincinnati has a long and proud history of enhancing the quality of life through outdoor recreation. In keeping with this tradition, Cincinnati Parks, in partnership with ArtWorks and the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, is gathering community input on the design of a new carousel to be built at Smale Riverfront Park.

United We Write teaches various writing genres at Main Library No matter what style of writing you want to try your hand at fiction, non-fiction, humor, poetry, memoir weve got a program for that. Come hear professional authors share their expertise during United We Write at the Main Library. All programs are in the Popular Library Reading Lounge Tuesdays at 7 p.m. The Main Library is located at 800 Vine Street. Call 513-369-6900 or visit www.CincinnatiLibrary.org.

Cincinnati Union Bethel and Western & Southern appear to have resolved their 2 year litigation over the future of the Anna Louise Inn. Anna Louise Inn is a safe and affordable residence for disadvantaged women and children who are trying to establish themselves and get back on their feet. In an announcement made yesterday, Cincinnati Union Bethel said that they have entered into a purchase agreement with Western & Southern that settles the litigation and gives them a new site for the Anna Louise Inn. Neither the new site nor the conditions of the agreement were revealed.

Our German on the loose in Cincinnati, Marinela, made her first visit to the Horseshoe Casino this weekend. What did she think?"It is flashy, it is glamorous, and it is Cincinnati's latest attraction: the Horseshoe Casino.To be honest, I don't like casinos. I usually try to stay as far away from them as possible. Don't get me wrong I am a passionate player; cards, roulette, Scrabble you name it, I play it! As long as there is no money involved, I do great. But this changes as soon as I start to play for money; my luck packs its bags, takes a plane and flies far, far away.

We want to welcome a new resident to Cincinnati. Born in Romania and raised in Germany, Marinela Potor will be giving us her insights on life in Cincinnati. Her first column is shown below:"There were three things people had told me about Cincinnati: 1. They have the best milk shakes in the country 2. It is the city of the flying pigs 3. People in Cincinnati are crazy about a certain type of food called chili cheese dogs

For over a year now,, I have been driving in to work 5 days a week down Turkeyfoot Rd.past the "mansion" under construction just south of Turkeyfoot School. Well the construction is almost complete and Saturday I got to take a close up look during the Cavalcade of Homes. It did not disappoint. Builder Tim Burks and interior designer, Grace Jones did an unbelievable job. The home is huge, over 15,000 square feet, but it is a home. It is light, airy, and beautifully functional. The crystal chandeliers are beautiful. The finishes are gorgeous, right down to the crystal embellished door and drawer pulls. The pool and patio are amazing, even now when the pool house is not quite finished. There is a lake in the front of the house with what looks like a moat, giving it a truly castle-like feel. Chateau Mon Reve is truly fit for a king.

If you are wondering what is happening in the old Brooks Brother's space next to Tiffany's on Vine Street, don't despair, it is not just going to remain another empty store front. We're getting a bookstore and cafe. The Booksellers on Fountain Square will open in July and will not only carry books but will also be a creperie and coffee bar.Renovations on the space started this week.

It's Flying Pig Marathon this weekend in Cincinnati. This is the 15th annual race and whether you are a runner, a walker or a spectator, it's an exciting weekend with lots of fun for all. For a full schedule of this weekend's event visit http://bit.ly/YN82Ox.

Tomorrow, May 1. Is the first 2013 Party in the Park. It is supposed to be a warm, sunny day tomorrow so head on down to Yeatman's Cove after work and join the Party. Hours are from 5pm to 10pm. Entertainment by the Naked Karate Girls.

Comic book fans assemble! Its time for the first Comic Con event Sunday, May 5, from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. in the atrium at the Main Library. The Library is joining forces with Arcadian Comics & Games and the Friends of the Public Library to present an afternoon filled with a comic book swap, booths, a comic book exhibit, a panel discussion with writers and illustrators, the Comic Con Drawing Contest award ceremony, the opportunity to take pictures with your favorite characters (Stormtroopers, Mandalorian Mercs, X-Men characters and more), and free comic books in celebration of Free Comic Book Day. Call 513-369-6900 or visit www.cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2013/comiccon.html.

Author Heather Shumaker will be at the Blue Ash Branch Library at 7 p.m. Monday, April 29. She will talk about her book, Its OK Not To Share and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids. The Blue Ash Branch is located at 4911 Cooper Road. Call 513-369-6051 for further information.

Kenzie's CLOSET, a nonprofit organization located in OBryonville, is celebrating its eighth year and dressed close to 550 financially-disadvantaged local high school junior and senior girls this spring for the girls' proms. Kenzie's Closet held a recent fundraiser "Girls Night Out" at the Hyde Park Country Club and wanted to share some of the pictures with you.

The Cincinnati Masonic Center invites you, your family, friends and business associates to The Breakfast Lecture Series at the Cincinnati Masonic Center...Featured Speaker: Jim Neil, new Hamilton County Sheriff. Sheriff Neil, will discuss his administration's initiatives to improve efficiencies and the ways in which the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office can partner with citizens, businesses, civic groups, elected officials, and law enforcement personnel to keep our county moving in the right direction.

Remember when little girls looked like little girls and not miniature rock stars? A local designer and entrepreneur, Mary Helen Boeddeker, is bringing back that look. Mary Helen wants to bring youthfulness and joy back to childrens clothing. Mary Helen has formed a company called Mary Helen Clothing. Her main focus is designing clothing for young girls, but she has a few items for young boys and is slowly branching out into womens clothing. Mary Helen is a 2012 graduate of DAAP. While attending school she interned at Abercrombie, Carters and Justice so she learned a lot about the childrens clothing industry. Mary Helen has been sewing since she was 8 years old. She comes from a family of clothing designers. Two of her aunts are in the design business. One attended DAAP and the other is a graduate of Parsons. With their guidance and inspiration Mary Helen knew that she wanted to combine her design talents and her business acumen to form her own business.

The Reds are "going to the dogs" tonight. Bark in the Park: Over 600 dogs and their owners will be at the ballpark tonight for the *sold out* Bark in the Park, presented by Iams and Kroger. Free Reds basebowl mat to the first 5,000 pet owners. Dog tickets for tonight are sold out, but fans can purchase dog tickets for the next Bark in the Park on Sept. 23: www.reds.com/dogday.

The MYCincinnati Youth Orchestra is proud to present a concert that will benefit the Red Cross Measles & Rubella Initiative. Thanks to MYCincinnati students, more children around the world will be vaccinated against Measles and Rubella. Half the proceeds from this concert will go towards supporting the continuation and growth of MYCincinnati, which provides the opportunity for children in Price Hill to learn an instrument and play in an orchestra.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) proudly presents the final installment of the 2012-13 Studio Series with a production of Emily Manns powerful docu-drama Execution of Justice, directed by CCM Professor of Drama Michael Burnham. Execution of Justice runs April 18-20 in UCs Cohen Family Studio Theater. Admission is free, but reservations are required. This production contains mature subject matter.

On Saturday, April 13, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful is hosting a one-of-a-kind recycling event at the Whole Foods Market in Rookwood Commons. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. you'll be able to safely recycle electronic waste like computers, TVs, and cell phones for free. These materials, when not properly disposed of, leach chemicals into the ground. When recycled, plastics, metals, and raw materials are reused in the manufacturing process, and we reduce the need to mine new material. For more information, see: KeepCincinnatiBeautiful.org

Cincinnati Police are looking for a black male age 25-30, height approximately 5"8" and weight approximately 165 lbs in connection with an incident that occurred at approximately midnight at 1800 Vine Street on March 30.The victim was riding his bike in the area of Findlay and Vine Streets when he was approached by a male black brandishing a knife. The suspect fled with the victims white Huffy bike, wallet, passport and cell phone.

By Andy Furman...Football has it all over baseball. Except in Cincinnati. Maybe thats what makes our town special. Especially on Opening Day. The Reds roll out their season, Monday, April 1st against an American League opponent for the very first time the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Doesnt matter a lick. They could be playing the Bad News Bears, tickets in Cincinnati for Opening Day will always be at a premium. The tradition, the love affair between a city and its baseball team, and of course the passion of the area fans is no better than in Cincinnati.The birth place of major league baseball always puts it best foot forward on Opening Day. And its a shame one of the long lasting traditions of the game has gone by the boards. That of Cincinnati opening their season prior to every other ball club.

Saturday is supposed to be a beautiful day. So bring the kids down to the new Washington Park to joinin the fun at the Easter Egg Roll. The event is scheduled fro 10am to noon. There will be over 6,000 Easter Eggs just waiting for the kids to scoop them up. I understand the Easter Bunny will be there as well.

The 7th annual Books by the Banks: Cincinnati USA Book Festival will be held on Saturday, October 12, 2013 (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) at the Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati.Books by the Banks is one of the Tristate regions most popular literary events attracting book lovers of all ages who come together for a day of celebrating the joy and reading of books.For those authors and book illustrators interested in participating, the Books by the Banks 2013 author selection team is currently accepting submissions via their website at www.booksbythebanks.org.

The annual Findlay Market Opening Day Parade will begin at 12:00 PM so fans will have plenty of time to enjoy the parade before heading down to Great American Ball Park for the Opening Day Game against the Los Angeles Angels, which begins at 4:00 PM. In order to accommodate the staging area of the parade, the following streets in the Findlay Market area will close at 8:00 AM on Monday, April 1:

The YWCA Women's Art Gallery is pleased to present surreal photographs by Audrey Ann and fascinating paperclay sculptures by Lisa Merida-Paytes. The combination of their works in the gallery gives a sense of archeological and mystical exploration.

There is a new restaurant/bar opening at the Banks today...The Yardhouse. I was there for the pre-opening party on Friday night and if the opening was any indication, it will be a great success. Samples of their best dishes were offered Friday night and everything was yummy. There is a large patio on the southwest side of the restaurant and even though it was chilly on Friday night, they have huge heaters on the patio that kept it toasty. There are plenty of tv's for all of you basketball fans and the atmosphere is casual and friendly.

Monday, April 1 - 11AM to 7PMJoin your fellow Reds' fans at Washington Park as we celebrate Opening Day! Festivities begin at 11AM with beverage sales, live DJ Music, games and MORE.

On Sunday, March 24, 2:00 pm, author Louise Borden speaks about her latest book, His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg, at The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Main Library. The acclaimed young adult author will present about her creative journey to write about the inspiring life of Raoul Wallenberg.

If you have a smartphone, City Hall has announced a new mobile app to give you easy access to city services. For those smartphone users out there, be sure to download the new Cincinnati City Hall Mobile App for your city services on the go. See download details below!This app can be used to report everything from trash and potholes on the street to broken windows, graffiti, and crumbling vacant properties or garages.

Fifteen hundred Opening Day tickets will go on sale Saturday, March 23 at 9 am at the Great American Ball Park ticket windows only. The available tickets to the April 1 season opener vs. the L.A. Angels (4:10 pm) are limited to 1,000 View Level and 500 Standing Room Only. Ticket prices are $32 for View Level and $20 for Standing Room Only.

This Saturday, March 16 is the annual St. Patricks Day Parade (hope it warms up a little). So put on your favorite green shirt and head downtown for the festivities.The parade will stage on Culvert Street and southbound Eggleston Avenue, and will travel north on Eggleston Avenue, then west on Central Parkway, then south on Sycamore Street, then east on Fifth Street to the demarcation area on Sentinel Street. In order to allow the parade participants to stage, the following streets will close at 10:00 am:

SOTENI International, a Cincinnati-based non-profit that works in rural Kenya to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS and improve the lives of those affected by the disease, is hosting their 3rd annual A Cupcake Affair with a Kenyan Flair on Saturday, March 16, 2013 from 7:00 to 10:00 PM at the Peterloon Estate in Indian Hill located at 8605 Hopewell Road. Guests will delight in live African music and authentic Kenyan cuisine while participating in a silent auction featuring goods and services from Cincinnati to Kenya.

Obviously you can navigate the Internet or you would never have found this article. But if you know someone who could use a few tips, Connect Ohio is offering free classes at the Library.Did you know that only 66% of Ohioans subscribe to an Internet service at home? Connect Ohio, in collaboration with the Ohio Broadband Task Force, is working to change that number by bringing the benefits of Internet access and knowledge to everyone in the state.

Last weekend was Bockfest, this weekend it's the Cincinnati International Wine Festival. I think I recognize a theme here. Anyway the main event of the Wine Festival, the wine tastings, are being held this Friday and Saturday at The Duke Energy Center. More than 700 wines from over 100 wineries are available to sample, while guests enjoy live music, delicious food and a silent auction.

This weekend is Bockfest in Cincinnati. Festivities begin with a parade on Friday night. Led by a goat pulling a key of bock beer and the Sausage Queen the parade begins at Arnold's Bar and Grill and ends at Bockfest Hall where the ceremonial first keg is blessed. There will be live entertainment, great food, walking tours, a homebrew competition, a 5K and lots of bock beer.

The Cincinnati Police Department's Financial Crimes Unit is investigating a theft offense where in the unidentified suspect, who is described as being a male black in his mid to late tweenties through early thirties, between the dates of March 16th, 2012 and June 22, 2012, made numerous ATM withdrawls and merchant purchases, using a stolen credit card.

The City Manager Milton Dohoney, will be having three Public Meetings to briefly discuss the parking project that is being evaluated for the City of Cincinnati. They are scheduled as follows:* February 25, 3-5 pm, Oakley Community Center* February 28, 6-8 pm, Invest In Neighborhoods meeting, Cincinnati Fire Museum, 315 West Court Street* February 28, 6-8 pm, Corryville Community CenterOfficial public notices of these meetings will be distributed by the City Managers office.

CET is excited to announce that the station will be hosting the first ever CET Action Auction Art Show & Sale later this month. The event, which is open to the public, will be held from 6pm to 8pm Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Champion Window showroom at 12121 Champion Way in Sharonville.Artwork is on display and available for viewing during regular showroom hours through Thursday from 9am to 7pm. The show is sponsored by Champion and Montgomery Inn and will include wine, cheese and appetizers.

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is pleased to announce its first Comic Con will be held May 5 at the Main Library. However, until that illustrious day arrives, writers and illustrators can get their superhero-sci-fi-zombie-manga fix with a wide range of workshops and contests being held during March and April. Learn firsthand from published comic book experts and try your own hand at creating characters and stories.For details, visit www.cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2013/comiccon.html or call 513-369-6900.

Take a look into the vibrant, exciting, talented, and sometimes mystical life of a local legend during An Afternoon with Bobby Mackey at the Main Library March 9 at 1 p.m. in the Reading Garden Lounge.Hear Mackeys music as well as stories from his Northern Kentucky bar Bobby Mackey's Music World and what its like to own one of the most haunted destinations in America.

The Florence Freedom are asking for your help to save the life of a fellow peer in the baseball world. Chris Herrell is 39 years old and is a member of the Cincinnati Reds front office staff. He is the husband of wife Laurie for 15 years and they have three young children: eight-- year--old Chase, two--year--old Rickson and Alani, who was just adopted this past September right before Chris became sick. Chris has worked in ticket sales for the Cincinnati Reds the past 15 years and was recently diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a rare form of blood cancer. His only cure is a bone marrow transplant. Presently, no donors in the bone marrow registry match Chris. A match must be found to save his life. Without it, his wife and children will lose him to this battle.

CET will be presenting THE CINCINNATI BOYCHOIR: A TREATURE OF YOUTH AND SONG on digital channel CET Arts at 8:30pm on Sunday February 24.This special program, which was recorded at the Queen Citys historic Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine, features the renowned Cincinnati Boychoir singing a collection of classic and contemporary songs such as Let There Be Peace on Earth, Lift Evry Voice, Amazing Grace, The Sally Garden, Climbin Up the Mountain and more.

Hey hockey fans have you heard about Library Card Night at the Cyclones game1. Get a discount! Show your RED Library card at the Box Office and save on tickets to the Cincinnati Cyclones vs. Evansville Icemen game on March 9. Or, order tickets online to get a discount by entering the password READ at http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/160048EC87EC424D

Can't wait for the baseball season to start?Guarantee your seats to Opening Day and Opening Night, plus eight weekend games with the Reds Power Pack on sale Saturday, Feb. 16 at 9 a.m. only on reds.com. The 2013 Power Pack starts with two games against the Angels and also includes great weekend matchups with the Cardinals, Cubs, Brewers, Pirates, Dodgers and Mariners. Five of the games have post-game fireworks shows.

You can begin Mardi Gras Celebrations tonight at MainStrasse in Covington. There will be live music in the entertainment tent, featuring Nake Karate Girls on Friday and 4th Day Echo on Saturday. Music begins after the parades each night

Celebrate Mardi Gras this Sunday at Findlay Market. Celebrations will be held on the south side of the market house along Essen Street. Bring the whole family to this free event. There will be four bands and a traditional lowland seafood boil. The OTR Biergarten will be open, selling Christian Moerlein beers, and Market Wines will host a special winetasting.

"At approximately 6:25 today an employee, male white in his forties, of DBest Printing was robbed at gunpoint. He was loading printing boxes into the doorway at 316 West Fourth Street when he was approached by the suspect. The suspect pointed a small caliber weapon possibly a .25 caliber and stated " Give me your wallet and keys or I'll shoot you."A short struggle ensued and the victim gave up the keys and wallet. The suspect fled on foot east toward Plum Street, where the keys were found on the sidewalk.

On February 8 and 9, 2013, Cincinnati will be rocking with more than 25 blues bands. The Cincy Blues Society's Winter Blues Fest celebrates over two decades of supporting the Blues. This year's festival showcases the best local and regional Blues musicians for two nights, from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am at The Phoenix in downtown Cincinnati.

Well it looks like the City and Duke Energy have finally reached an agreement to begin moving utilities so that the Streetcar Project can move forward. Just this week, Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, asked the administration for a report on the possibility of getting the Streetcars operational for the All-Star Game in Cincinnati in 2015.Today, Mayor Mark Mallory and City Manager Milton Dohoney, Jr. announced that the City of Cincinnati and Duke Energy have reached an agreement on the Streetcar project.Under the agreement, Duke Energy will begin moving its utilities now, while a court determines responsibility for the relocation costs later. The City and Duke have also agreed to an operations plan for how Duke and the City will work in partnership once the Streetcar is operational.

Kroger announced today that they are going to be lowering prices on their private label and name brand products. That's a good thing, I guess. Somehow those lower prices never seem to be on the products I want to buy. But, and this is the killer, no more double coupons. How could you Kroger? How will we spend those wintery Sunday afternoons, if we can't clip coupons and plot how to get the most out of them?

By Andy Furman...NEW ORLEANS --- You might argue about the restaurant serving the best Cajun food here. But honestly, theres no argument about who is the leader spiritual on and off the field for the Baltimore Ravens. And with the Super Bowl just three days away Ray Lewis' name looms bigger than life as the game approaches. He's a magician. A pied piper if you will. Proof positive came just the other day at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, during Media Day. No less than 500 media members packed around his podium to find his final thoughts for the big game.Yes, final thoughts.

Wanna take a streetcar to the All Star Game when it is played in Cincinnati in 2015? If it is up to Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, you will be able to do just that. Due to various reasons the start date for the project is sometime in the spring of 2016. But, Roxanne Qualls is asking City Manager Milton Dohoney to develop a plan to have the streetcar up and running in time for the 2015 game.

By Andy Furman...NEW ORLEANS --- Lets be real here. The Super Bowl isnt about the game to kick-off Sunday at 6 pm (eastern).The game is played all week long here, inside the New Orleans Convention Center. Thats where merchants peddle their wares, and former athletes are here to serve as spokespeople and radio row with something like a 1,000 local, national and international outlets gobble up these jocks for their guests. Its a simple cycle. And it runs the entire week. The game, really, is secondary. Even Boomer Esiason, the former Bengal quarterback who is here covering the game for CBS Television, marvels at the growth of the game and the game within the game.

Even if you don't want to spend hours at the Blackjack table or if playing the slots bores you, you will still want to drop by the Horseshoe Casino when it opens in March, just to sample the food. In addition to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, and Jack Binion's Steak, famous TV chef Bobby Flay will also be opening Bobby's Burger Palace at the Casino. And it features, guess what, BURGERS. Yummy, delicious gourmet burgers. There are only 13 other BBP locations in the U.S. at this point, mostly on the East Coast, but now we will have our own.

By Andy Furman...NEW ORLEANS --- Yes, its everything its hyped to be. Im not talking about the Super Bowl Im talking about my stay here. Certainly you cant starve here and if I were a few years younger, I could probably get myself in a heap of trouble. In short, this place has it all great food, bars, parties, and did I mention bars? Seems like theres one on every corner and everyone is crowded. Could be the magic of the Super Bowl come Sunday or maybe no one works here? And that could be a good thing. I will say this smoking in the streets is fine. And, yes you can carry a drink in the street, too. Are you listening Cincinnati? Doesnt make these people bad, you know.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) proudly presents a sprawling, elegant production of American playwright William Saroyans award-winning five-act play The Time of Your Life, running Feb. 6 (preview) - 10 in UCs Patricia Corbett Theater.Set in a run-down waterfront dive bar on the docks of San Francisco (Nicks Pacific Street Saloon, Restaurant and Entertainment Palace) in October of 1939, The Time of Your Life is filled with colorful characters, love and the follies of humanity. CCM Associate Professor of Drama Diane Kvapil directs.

Frontier Airlines, a low cost airline based in Denver, will begin offering flights out of Cincinnati International airport beginning beginning May 17. Now before you get too excited, it is only two flights a day, one to and one from Denver. We have a beautiful airport. Regrettably it is only half full. Hopefully this is a start back to its glory days. If you are planning a trip to Denver after May 17, you might want to make reservations now because they are offering introductory fares as low as $99 each way if you book by February 2. You will be flying on a 168 passenger Airbus 320.

This is Andy Furman from the Super Bowl in New Orleans. NEW ORLEANS. Eat your hearts out. Its 71 degrees here today and not a cloud on the sky. Just returned from a walk on Canal Street, and most of the people, ugh, tourists are wearing shorts. In January? Go figure. The Super Bowl hasnt been in this city for 11 years. Places like Jacksonville, Dallas and Indianapolis have served as first-time hosts since then.So what does that mean? More and more locales want to host this event. And why not? Exposure. Money flushed into the economy and tourism. A city just cant buy this exposure. James Carville, a New Orleans native is co-chair of the Super Bowl Host Committee. He summed it up perfectly when he said, We have 23,000 hotel rooms within walking distance; and nobody does hospitality like we do. I agree.

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing "Camelot in Concert" at the Carnegie in Covington. I wasn't sure what the "in concert" meant, but because I love the music , I decided to take a chance. I was delightfully surprised.The orchestra was on stage, but so were the actors. Including dialogue with the songs they presented the entire play in costume. The only thing missing was the staging, but the actors were so good, you didn't even notice. Their beautiful voices made you forget about the orchestra on the stage and took you straight to Camelot.

Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig today announced that Major League Baseball is committing $1.5million to the development of the Reds MLB Urban Youth Academy, a future state-of-the-art facility that willprovide free, year-round baseball and softball instruction and educational programs to Greater Cincinnati youthfrom ages six to 18. The Reds MLB Urban Youth Academy, which will be located at Roselawn Park in Cincinnati,is also supported by Procter & Gamble, the City of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, and Redsowners and players.

By Andy Furman...NOTICE:ANDY FURMAN WILL BE AT THE SUPER BOWL IN NEW ORLEANS FOR CINCIPULSE.COM SENDING DAILY BLOG/REPORTS.AND HE MAY BE THE ONLY MEDIA MEMBER IN CINCINNATI AT THE SUPER BOWL KEEP READING. Theres so much news perhaps it should be put in a book how about a movie?What do you make of this Manti Teo deal?A make-believe girlfriend?Look, Ive watched, written and talked about sports for years, and Ive never, ever heard of anything like this.Lets face it; sports are no longer discussions of on-the-field activities. When was the last time you read, or even heard the actual play-by-play account of a game unless you were actually watching the game on TV or listening on radio?

If you are in downtown Cincinnati on a regular basis, you are sure to have seen the Hat Man, Avtar S. Gill . Mr. Gill passed away this weekend. Mr.Gills body was found at the Budget Host Hotel on Central Parkway on Saturday.Goodspeed Mr. Gill.

Monday, January 21 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and in honor of Dr. King a number of activities are taking place downtown. The Commemorative Civil Rights Walk begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Freedom Center and continues to Music Hall. The Freedom Center will offer free admission, with special programs all day, thanks to sponsor PNC. The Main Library has programs highlighting Dr. King's achievements and values throughout the afternoon as well, all free of charge. If you haven't been to the Freedom Center yet, this is a great opportunity.

Kenzie's Closet is gearing up for this year's prom season and needs your help to make a prom dream come true for Cincinnati girls who might otherwise miss the experience. I visited Kenzie's Closet last year during a "shopping day" for the girls. If you could have seen the smile on these girl's faces when they were all decked out in their prom finery, you could not help but wanting to be involved. Kenzie's Closet provides the dress, shoes, jewelry, the girls provide the smiles. If you have happy memories of your own prom, help make that feeling happen for these girls.

On February 8 and 9, 2013, Cincinnati will be rocking with more than 25 blues bands. The Cincy Blues Society's Winter Blues Fest celebrates over two decades of supporting the Blues. This year's festival showcases the best local and regional Blues musicians for two nights, from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am at The Phoenix in downtown Cincinnati. Great Local Lineup With Special Touring Acts More than 25 local and regional blues bands will perform over two nights. Headlining Friday night is award-winning guitar player Sonny Moorman. Saturday night features a Cincinnati homecoming for the Nashville-based Stacy Mitchhart Band.

Know Theatre is excited to announce When The Rain Stops Falling by Andrew Bovell, acclaimed Australian playwright and author of Speaking in Tongues (recently seen at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in 2012). Time Out Magazines Best New Play of 2010, When the Rain Stops Falling opens on February 8, 2013 and runs through March 16, 2013. Cincinnati Shakespeare Companys Producing Artistic Director Brian Isaac Phillips will direct the production, with scenic and lighting design by Andrew Hungerford, costume design by Noelle Wedig, and sound design by Doug Borntrager.

This Sunday is the Gold Star Chili Cook-off at Findlay Market. There are 30 entrants in the competition, which will be held at noon in a tent on Elder Street. First Prize: Chili Meister $100 Findlay Market Gift Certificate and one year membership to the Cincinnati Fire Museum. Second Prize: Chili Monarch $50 Findlay Market Gift Certificate. Third Prize: Master Chiliologist $50 Findlay Market Gift Certificate. The public is invited after the competition from 1:30-3:oopm to sample the chili and listen to Chuck Brisban and the Tuna Project.Sounds like fun!

The old School for Creative and Performing Arts Building (former location of Woodward High School) has been vacant since the new school opened a few years ago. In December the property was purchased at auction by Core Redevelopment for $1.3 million. Last night, Core presented its preliminary plans for the building in a public meeting held at the Main Public Library. John Watson, CEO of Core, revealed that the preliminary plans for the building are to build 170 apartment units ranging in size from 500 to 1100 square feet with rents ranging from $775 to $1600/month. The renovations would preserve many of the historic features of the building.

The 2013 Reds Caravan, presented by Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network, kicks off Thursday, Jan. 24 and is scheduled to make 15 fan stops in four states covering more than 2,800 miles over four days. The annual Caravan consists of three separate tours traveling simultaneously through Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia and provides fans with the opportunity to interact with current and former players, broadcasters and members of the Reds front office staff. At each fan stop, the group will field questions from fans and sign autographs while time allows. All Caravan fan stops open to the public are free, and at each fan stop listed below the Reds will raffle two tickets to the 2013 Opening Day game on Monday, April 1 (4:10 pm) vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Got talent Ohio? Then start practicing your scales, juggling those oranges, or practice pulling that rabbit out of the hat, because Americas Got Talent is coming to Columbus, Ohio on January 19 and 20 to hold auditions for the show.

The Cincinnati Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America today named DT Geno Atkins as the Bengals 2012 Most Valuable Player and OT Andrew Whitworth as the recipient of the organizations annual Good Guy award. The voters are the beat writers who cover the team on a daily basis. In his third season, Atkins has gained recognition as one of the NFLs elite DTs, earning his second Pro Bowl spot and his first as a starter. His 12.5 sacks led all NFL interior linemen and was a team record for a Bengals defensive tackle, topping Dan Wilkinsons 8.0 from 1996.

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is partnering with Grailville Retreat & Program Center to discover new and talented poets from Cincinnati during the second annual Poetry in the Garden Contest.Adults, ages 18 and up, are invited to enter their creative verses through February 28 using the Librarys online form. Participants can ONLY enter the contest using the online form. For complete rules, go to www.cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2013/poetry-contest.aspx.

Chris, our OurTown.com marketing director was stuck in traffic for over 50 minutes this morning due to the accident on I-75 at Sharon Rd. He spent the time answering his e-mail and watching the cars around him try every way in the world to get around the traffic jam. He took this picture while waiting.When the traffic jam was cleared, Chris wondered why his lane was still not moving. He changed lanes and drove past the front car in his lane...the woman driving had fallen asleep.

On September 28, 2012, the Smoke Shop located at 2824 Jefferson Avenue was broken into by an unknown suspect. The suspect used a rock to break the glass to the front door of the business. An undisclosed amount of U.S. currency was taken during the offense. The suspect also stole various tobacco products before fleeing the scene. On January 2, 2013, Cincinnnati Police from District 4 arrested and charged Billy Mullins m/w 29 with one count of Breaking & Entering for the September 28th offense. Billy Mullins was recently charged with three counts of breaking & entering by the Reading Police Department.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) welcomes distinguished UC alumnus Randy Edelman (CCM '69, HonDoc '04) back to Corbett Auditorium for one unforgettable evening beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 27. A prominent singer, songwriter, arranger and film scorer, Edelman will bring his film scores to life during this special event concert featuring CCMs acclaimed Philharmonia Orchestra andJazz Ensemble.As a singer/songwriter, Edelman has recorded dozens of solo albums and has toured with popular music acts like the Carpenters and Frank Zappa. His pop songs have been covered by major recording artists including Barry Manilow (Weekend in New England) and Olivia Newton-John (If Love is Real).

No plans for New Year's Eve? Why not come down to Fountain Square to ring in 2013? Hosted by Tricia Macke and Ben Swan of Fox19 along with Jay Kruz of Rewind 94.9, the 2012 New Years Eve Blast will take place on December 31, from 8:00pm to 1:00am on Fountain Square. In addition to an entertainment line-up including live music and DJs, the event features traditional favorites such as all-night free ice skating on the US Bank Ice Rink (courtesy of Strauss Troy), a giant dance party, Rozzis Famous Fireworks and a special midnight reveal and holographic holiday light show by Partech Lighting.

The football helmets worn by the Bearcats in the 2012 Belk Bowl will be made available to UC fans. The new-look helmets will go for a $1,000 special contribution to UCATS, the proceeds of which will be earmarked for an enhancement of the strength and conditioning program which will benefit all 18 sports.The Bearcats took the field in Charlotte in a red carbon fiber helmet with black C-paw and claw mark logos, UCs first time in a red helmet since the 1982 season. UC worked with Hydro Graphics Inc., an Oregon based water transfer printing facility which utilized its proprietary HydroSkin system of finishing to create the unique design.

Get out your paper and pencils, its time once again for the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Countys annual Teen Drawing Contest. The contest runs January 1-31 for teens ages 12-18. The theme is Fan Art! and teens are encouraged to re-create a scene from their favorite book. Original drawings or paintings may be submitted at any Library location.

I had the best day yesterday. It was a beautiful day in Cincinnati. All the gifts were bought, wrapped and under the tree, so I took a day to relax and enjoy the city. First stop, the Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park. As always the Christmas display is beautiful and don't forget to stop and enjoy the Nativity scene. Krohn has a $6 admission fee, but it is worth the price. Next stop downtown at the ice rink, take a look at the beautiful Macy's tree and a stroll around the downtown hotels to see the Christmas decorations and the beautifully decorated carriages. After that hop back in the car and ride past Lytle Park, Washington Park and Piatt Park to see all the holiday lights.

The answer to the gun problem in the United States is more guns, at least that's the opinion of Wayne LaPierre, Executive VP and CEO of the National Rifle Association. During Mr. LaPierre's press conference today, he advocated putting an armed guard in every school in the United States. How about snipers on the school rooftops, Mr. LaPierre, would that work for you? According to Mr. LaPierre there is no reason to limit access to guns, those guns like the one that killed the children in Connecticut are not that dangerous, that's just the media exaggerating the whole thing.

Cincinnatis premiere fundraiser returns in early 2013 when the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) presents A Moveable Feast! The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 18, and this years Feast celebrates the theme A Star is Born.A star-powered showcase of CCMs world-class performing and media arts programs and state-of-the-art facilities, the fundraiser features samplings of artistic and culinary delights throughout CCM Village. Guests can enjoy backstage tours and plan their own schedule of 20-minute samplings of student entertainment, including Jazz, Musical Theatre, Piano, Opera, Drama, Dance, Orchestra and Chamber Winds performances, along with E-Media video productions and much more. This years artistic menu also includes a performance by CCMs Steel Drum Band and entertainment by local CCM Alumni.

This New Years Eve, get your fedoras and flapper dresses ready for the 7th Annual Know Theatre CityBeat NYE Speakeasy Party! Attendees can look forward to raucous back room games, tasty appetizers, and two bars serving up classic martinis, and a champagne toast at midnight! Entry to the event is $15 in advance and $25 beginning December 24 at noon. All proceeds support Know Theatre of Cincinnatis mission of creating a playful artistic community where artists can collaborate and grow. This December 31, the party starts at 8pm and jazzes away into the New Year, or until 1am.

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is hosting a free four-part workshop series, Art Shapes Us, led by local artists and educators Cedric Michael Cox and Marcus Fletcher. The workshops will expose young students to different art mediums and processes, and inspire their creativity.Students age 10 to 16 are invited to attend this four-week series each Saturday in January (Jan. 5, 12, 19 & 26) in the Childrens Learning Center at the Main Library, 800 Vine Street, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. A reception for the artworks created during this series will be held Saturday, Feb. 16, on the first floor of the North Building.

University of Cincinnati president Dr. Santa Ono and director of athletics Whit Babcock jointly announced a proposed plan to renovate Nippert Stadium Tuesday.All of our expansion at this time will be in the form of premium seating," Babcock said. "This project will also include improving the fan experience on the concourse level. This will entail opening up some concourses and improving our point of sale, traffic flows, restrooms, concessions and making Nippert a little more fan friendly than when it was built in 1924.

Cincinnati area seniors and community members will deliver thousands of petition signatures to the Office of Senator Rob Portman urging him to protect vital programs, such as social security and Medicare, in the ongoing fiscal cliff negotiations. As the negotiations intensify as the end of the year approaches, these seniors will be delivering the petition signatures that have been gathered from concerned Ohioans over the past few weeks.

If you haven't been downtown for the holiday festivities yet, this weekend is a great opportunity. It is Santa's final rappel of the season is this Saturday. The free festivities begin at 5:45 p.m. with a performance by the Cincinnati Men's Chorus on Fountain Square, followed by Macy's Downtown Dazzle at 6:30 p.m. After Santa makes his way down the 525 Vine Building and the spectacular fireworks display, you can head inside Macy's for Story Time with Mrs. Claus and to visit with Mr. Claus himself.

A helicopter lift completing maintenance activity for US Bank will take place downtown on December 15, 2012. In order for the helicopter to safely complete its work the following streets will close* on December 15 at 8:00 AM and remain closed until approximately 1:00 PM or until the area is safe to reopen:

The Horseshoe Casino will open Monday, March 4, 2013 in downtown Cincinnati. It will be the 4th casino opened in the state.A pre-opening controlled demonstration will take place Feb. 27 before the casino control commissioners and staff. The casino is a $400 million development and will include several restaurants in addition to full-service gaming. There will also be 33,000 square feet of space fsor social, corporate and private and live entertainment events.

Invite a friend to join you for a foodie tour at Findlay Market. A 90-minute Taste the World tour is the perfect way to introduce visitors to one of your favorite Cincinnati landmarks. You'll meet your guide at Daisy Mae's and then visit the shops or stands of six specialty merchants. At each stop, you'll sample sips and bites and learn more about the market. Cost of the tour is $15 with an optional $5 add-on for wine tasting at Market Wines. Last tour Saturday, December 15 at 3:00 pm.

Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced acquisition of leadoff hitter and CF Shin-Soo Choo, IF Jason Donald and cash from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for CF Drew Stubbs and SS Didi Gregorius. "It was very difficult giving up home-grown talent, but we think Choo can fill the missing parts in our lineup both offensively and defensively," Jocketty said. "He is an exciting player, and we expect him to set the table for Phillips, Votto, Bruce, Ludwick and the rest of our run producers."

Everyone has his or her favorite holiday tradition. This weekend in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnatians have the opportunity to create new family traditions . Avoid the hustle and bustle of malls and shop local in OTR, visit Santa at Washington Park and listen to the 4th Annual Caroling in the Quarter and hear popular Christmas songs throughout OTR. Take a Spirit of Christmas Tour, watch the windows of OTR sparkle as part of OTR AGLOW, or take a fun bike ride around neighborhood decked out in bright lights. All this and much moreMore details:

By Andy Furman...Stop whining. For those asking that ridiculous question why did Butch Jones leave the University of Cincinnati to coach football at the University of Tennessee I have three million reasons. Yeah, three million. As in bucks.The green cabbage. Gelt. Dinaros. Sure, theres more to life than money but money will give Jones and his family security for life. Yeah, he said he believed and bled for the C at the University of Cincinnati. I believed that, too. But hell do the same for the Orange in Knoxville. The only difference, hell have a much different stage. How big, you ask? The Vols attract close to 105,000 fans a game on Saturdays. The University of Cincinnati might attract that number in three games.

On and between the dates of November 2nd, 2012 and November 7th, 2012 there were at least 10 fraudulent payroll checks cashed at various banking institutions, both here in the Greater Cincinnati area and Northern Kentucky. The suspects vary in age, sex and race and all the checks were made out for approximately $800.00.

The Cincinnati Bengals and the United States Marine Corps Reserves are teaming up again for the Annual Toys for Tots Collection on Sunday, December 9th before the Bengals/Dallas Cowboys game at Paul Brown Stadium. U.S. Marine Corps Reserves will be at all entrances to Paul Brown Stadium with Mobile Storage Depot Containers to collect new, unwrapped toys and cash donations. All contributions benefit the less fortunate children in our community.

The Cincinnati Police Department is attempting to identify the individual in the photos. The female subject used stolen credit cards at various banks receiving cash advances from stolen credit cards. Anyone with information is asked to call Cincinnati Police Department or Crimestoppers.

The University of Cincinnati football team has accepted a bid to play a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 27, 2012 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The game will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET and air on ESPN. "We are pleased to accept a bid to the Belk Bowl," head coach Butch Jones said. "We are excited by the prospect of a great number of Cincinnati fans being the team behind the team and helping us celebrate the holiday season in Charlotte.

Fountain SquareCorner of Fifth and Vine Streets Saturdays, November 24, December 1, 8, 15; 6:30 p.m. (choirs at 5:45 p.m.)FREE! Forget coming down the chimney, now Santa comes down the side of a building! Each Saturday Santa rappels down the 525 Vine Building office tower to the Macys rooftop to kick off a spectacular holiday fireworks display. Macys Downtown Dazzle takes place Saturdays on Fountain Square The 20-minute family-friendly program also features holiday music. (513) 421-4440

Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced the signing of free agent RHP Jonathan Broxton to a three-year contract through the 2015 season with a club option for 2016. Broxton, 28, is a 2-time All-Star (2009 & 2010). Since 2006 among Major League Baseball relievers (min 400ip) he ranks fourth in strikeouts (526), fourth in lowest homers allowed per 9 innings (0.56) and sixth in ERA (3.01).

Do you know of a park, ball field or neighborhood recreation area that is in need of a renovation? This summer, P&G and the Reds will makeover one special community in the surrounding Greater Cincinnati area. Nominate your community today! 1. Interested communities should complete the application at reds.com/community by Jan. 15, 2013. 2. Communities must be located within the surrounding Greater Cincinnati area. 3. Projects must include a minimum of one baseball and/or softball field and should also include a significant community park or asset in need of renovation. 4. Please also provide photographs, site maps and/or additional narratives to highlight relevant information regarding the project needs.

This fundraising auction featuring exclusive, luxury items at http://www.cincinnatiopera.org . All proceeds from winning bids directly benefit Cincinnati Opera. Perfectly timed for holiday shopping, the auction features over 150 items, including many luxury items such as Herms scarves, Jimmy Choo shoes, and bags by Prada and Valentino, as well as restaurant gift certificates, performance tickets, and hotel stays. A number of priceless, one-of-a-kind experiences are also up for bid, including a three-night stay at Hotel Monteverdi in the medieval village of Castiglioncello del Trinoro in Tuscany and a one-week stay at La Garde-Freinet Village House in Provence.

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL DINNER - NOVEMBER 27TH...On November 27th, the DRC will be helping with the dinner at Christ Church. The hours involved are anytime between 3:00pm and 7:00pm.People can choose the time they want to work and the chore.Earlier hours would involve preparing the meal. (3pm-5pm)Setting up the tables would be next . (around 4:30-5)Serving the meal (5:30pm-6:30pm)Clean up (usually finished by 7:30pm)

Thinking of buying an eReader or tablet for the book lover on your holiday shopping list? Now's a great time to buy! Prices are dropping and lots of new devices have hit the market. But when it comes to picking the right device, the choices can be overwhelming. Thats why the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is holding a series of eReader Petting Zoo programs at select branches.Stop by and try out an iPad, Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire and learn more about the Librarys downloadable books and music. Staff members will be available to answer your questions.

Visit the Market as a part of your after-Thanksgiving Day activities. The Market is open and you might win some great holiday gifts in our free Black Friday drawing! It's our way of thanking shoppers for supporting the merchants of Findlay Market all year long!From 9:00am 2:30pm, stop by the center tower, just across from Taste of Belgium, and enter a free contest to WIN a variety of great prizes. You do not need to be present to win.

Tis the season to be jolly! So why not make a visit to the Main Library part of your downtown holiday tradition? Whether you are 2 or 92, theres something for all ages. Bring your entire family to enjoy all the excitement surrounding Dazzle Days during the first three Saturdays in December. From 1-4 p.m., there will be lively music a

The Cincinnati Bengals and the Freestore Foodbank are teaming up again for the Annual Meijer Canned Food Drive. Canned foods and monetary donations will be collected at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday, November 25, prior to the Bengals home game against the Oakland Raiders.Gates open at 11:30 AM. Non-perishable foods and cash donations will be accepted at each entrance to Paul Brown Stadium by Freestore Foodbank volunteers. Food products will be collected in Mobile Storage Depot Pods.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Beginning Friday November 30 through Sunday December 9, you will b able to stroll through the 40+ wreaths and Christmas trees that have been decorated by local decorators, companies and friends.This is the 10th anniversary of Celebritrees, a fundraiser for Tender Mercies. Admission is free and open to the public and the hours are Mon-Sun 11am-7pm, except for December 9 when the hours are 11am-4pm. Celebritrees is being held at the Hyde Park Plaza on Paxton Rd. There is a preview party on Thursday, November 29 from 6pm-9pm and admission for the event, are $50. You can purchase tickets at http://bit.ly/ZY8BCt

The Cincinnatian Hotel and its long-time General Manager, Denise Vandersall, have parted company. The new General Manager is Martin Pittman. He has already begun his duties at the hotel. Mr. Pittman was formerly with DesiresHotels/Tecton Hospitality and Omni Hotels. Welcome to Cincinnati Mr. Pittman.

The beginning of the holiday season is almost here and Fountain Square is gearing up with a lot of great events. Tuesday November 20 is the Annual Turkey Bowl. The ice rink is turned into a bowling alley. All are welcome and eligible for prizes. You need only bring two non-perishable food items or $5 cash to be donated to the Freestore Food Bank. The Turkey Bowl will be held from 11:30am to 1:30pm.

Remember the Poky Little Puppy? Or maybe you were more of a Tootle the Train fan. Whichever Little Golden Book character was your favorite, you now have the chance to revisit your old friends.The Main Library is hosting the Golden Legacy exhibit, the most extensive public showing ever of original illustration art from American publishings best-loved and most consequential picture-book series, Little Golden Books.The exhibit runs through Feb. 21, 2013, in the Main Librarys Atrium, 800 Vine Street. Hours are: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

An antidote to contentious and often toxic political rhetoric Side-by-Side kicks off with Vice-Mayor Roxanne Qualls and State Senator Bill Seitz sharing the stage. Date/Time: Monday, November 12, 2012, 6-8 pm Location: College Theatre, College of Mt St Joseph - 5701 Delhi Rd, Cincinnati OH 45233 Cost: Free with Advance Registration - call 513-244-4220. Light Refreshments offered at 6:00pm. Program begins at 6:30pm. "Side By Side" - an antidote to contentious and often toxic national political rhetoric that polarizes society - invites local political leaders to reflect on the people and experiences that helped to form their political beliefs and positions"Beyond Civility" believes we are less likely to demonize people we know personally. That's why we're pleased to offer this opportunity to get to know our public officials on a more personal level - away from party campaign platforms and political personas.

Our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all who have served our country in both times of war and times of peace. We remember and celebrate you always but especially today on Veteran's Day.

Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jay Bruce has been named winner of the National League Louisville Silver Slugger Award for his position. In 2012, the 25-year-old was selected by National League manager Tony LaRussa for his second All-Star Game appearance, was the Reds nominee for the Hank Aaron Award and was a finalist for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. In 155 games for the Reds, Bruce hit .252 with 35 doubles, 34 HR and 99 RBI.

Well, it's over. No more political commercials. President Obama has won another term, pretty convincingly too. It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out during the coming months. Whether your candidates won or lost last night, once the glee of the winners and the doom and gloom of the losers all settles down, it will be okay. The country is strong and we will all come together in some way. If you missed what happened in some of the local races, the Cincinnati Chamber has put together a list of the winning candidates in our area. You can click here to see the list http://bit.ly/SSIn2N

I was at the Obama rally yesterday (well sort of anyway). I was in the overflow crowd and wound up going home and watching it on the Internet. The crowd was unbelievable. I saw more of the UC campus while trying to find the end of the line than I have ever seen before. The crowd was enthusiastic and they had been waiting for hours to get one of those 15,000 seats inside Fifth Third Arena. Whether you are an Obama or a Romney supporter, I am sure that you are as excited about the election tomorrow at least in part because it finally means an end to this everlasting campaign season. National reporters are in town today showing us the long lines at the early voting stations in Ohio. People are waiting for hours to get the chance to vote in this election. That can only be a good sign. Whether Democrat, Republican, people in Ohio and across the nation are passionate about this election.

If you were disappointed that the President didn't make it to Cincinnati yesterday, we get another chance. Not only will President Obama be coming to Cincinnati this Sunday, but he is bringing Stevie Wonder with him. The President and Stevie Wonder will appear Sunday at the Fifth Third Arena at the University of Cincinnati. Doors will open at 4 pm.

Meet local author Joani Lacy at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Main Library and learn about the newest and final installment to her Hollister House series, "The Witch and the Banyan Tree." The author will be signing books.The event takes place in the Reading Garden Lounge, Main Library, 800 Vine Street. For more information, call 513-369-6900.

On December 5, 2011, the Unique Convenience store located at 2726 Vine Street was robbed at gunpoint by two suspects. An undisclosed amount of property was taken from the business.On October 30, 2012, District 4 Investigators arrested Jermell Hughes and charged him with aggravated robbery of the Unique Convenience store. The arrest was made after investigators obtained a DNA hit from the Hamilton County Crime Laboratory.

I had never heard of National Gaming Day, but apparently we have one and it is November 10. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is participating in National Gaming Day Saturday, Nov. 10, with plenty of events for the whole family at select branches.Young gamers can interact with a diverse group of peers, share their expertise with others, and develop new strategies for gaming and learning. Activities include video games, board games, card games, trivia, puzzles and much more.For details, visit www.CincinnatiLibrary.org.

Cincinnati Were you one of the thousands of people to attend the Antiques Roadshow taping in Cincinnati this summer? Wondering what treasures the Queen City holds? Ready to search the TV for someone you know?Then mark your calendars!

This is a quote from Indiana Senatorial candidate Richard Mourdock. I find it unbelievable that an educated man who has been paying even the slightest attention to what goes on around him could make such a statement: "The only exception I have to have an abortion is in that case of the life of the mother," Mourdock said. "I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God and I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape that it is something God intended to happen."1) Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Is the rapist not responsible for his actions because God intended it to happen? Maybe there should be no repercussions for the rapist; after all he is only doing what God intended.

How can there possibly be any undecided voters in this years Presidential election. Have you people been living under a rock? We have two candidates who, at least from what they have been telling us for months, are polar opposites on economic and social issues. Until last nights debate, I also thought they were nearly as far apart on foreign policy. After the first 30 minutes, I thought Mitt Romney was an Obama supporter! He agreed with the President all night long. If you are a Romney supporter you must be thoroughly kerfluxed.

The Cincy Deli located at 2832 Jefferson Avenue was broken into on October 19, 2012. The suspect removed an undisclosed amount of property from the business. Please review the attached surveillance photographs of the suspect. Anyone with information about this or any other crime is asked to call Police Dispatch at 513-765-1212 or CRIMESTOPPERS at 513-352-3040.

Local comedians are presenting a benefit performance for Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at Below Zero Lounge at 1122 Walnut St. in Over-the-Rhine. The show, titled You Say Election, We Say Vagina: A Night of Legitimate Comedy, starts at 8 p.m.Motivated by the record number of attacks on womens health over the past year, supporters of Planned Parenthood recruited local comedian Alison Rampa to gather some of Cincinnatis funniest people for a response.

From the littlest ghost to the biggest ghoul, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is offering up a cauldron full of Halloween events at select branches starting Oct. 23 and running through Oct. 31. Some SPOOKtacular highlights are: Mystical Nights - Tarot Card Readings: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct 24, at the Main Library,Reading Garden Lounge. Experience the magic of Patricia Garry, local mystic, as shereads tarot cards. See what the future holds for you. For entertainment purposes only.Adults.

Photographer Tyler Shields has the pop culture world a-buzz. His photo shoot with Heather Morris from Glee was one of the biggest news stories in American entertainment television; his exhibition in London made headlines in the UK papers; and his work with Lindsay Lohan made international news. His body of work often features his muse and girlfriend, Francesca Eastwood, daughter of Hollywood veteran, Clint Eastwood. Open to the general public, Tyler Shields is the guest of honor at the opening party for Tyler Shields: Controlled Chaosexhibition Friday, October 12, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Miller Gallery in Hyde Park Square. Controlled Chaos is Miller Gallerys contribution to Fotofocus, the 2012 photography biennial.

The police are looking for Kevin Sullivan, a suspect in a fradulent check cashing scheme. Sullivan has one felony warrant for probation violation out of Warren County and has six open warrants here in Hamilton County, with the charges ranging from Theft and Passing Bad Checks to Failure to Comply with a Police Officer.

On September 25, 2012, at approximately 2350 hours a Domino's delivery person was robbed at 227 McGregor Avenue. At least two suspects were involved in the robbery. Two male black suspects punched and choked the victim. The suspects were armed with a knife during the attack. The suspects fled the scene with the victim's wallet. One of the suspects dropped his wallet leaving behind his personal information. District 4 Investigators signed aggravated robbery charges on Cortez Sloan age 19. On October 3, 2012, the Fugitive Apprehension Unit arrested Cortez Sloan in the 100 block of Malvern Place. Police are still trying to identify his accomplice.

In celebration of the Cincinnati Reds Central Division Championship, fans caught wearing red next week could receive an ice-cold surprise, compliments of Coca-Cola.Volunteers will be taking to the streets of Cincinnati and Dayton on Tuesday, October 9th with coolers full of ice-cold Coca-Cola aluminum bottles. They will be on the look-out for fans who are celebrating the Reds division championship by wearing red attire, whether to work, play or just running errands.We are thrilled to congratulate the Reds on an outstanding season and look forward to joining fans across Southeast Ohio to celebrate post-season play, said Mark Rahiya, Sr. VP of Sales for Coca-Colas Great Lakes Region. And we know nothing goes better with baseball than an ice-cold Coca-Cola!

STREETCAR SATURDAYS - GET ON BOARD!Join the city in celebrating the Cincinnati Streetcar in six business districts along the new route. Each Streetcar Stop will issue a "Transit Pass" that you can redeem for real rewards when the streetcar's real route is running. Come and show your support for the streetcar and Cincinnati's downtown businesses!October 20th - Main Street (12th and Main)November 17th - Findlay Market (Race and Elder)December 15th - Fountain Square (5th and Walnut)Follow us on Twitter for updates @Streetcar_Sat

Michelle Obama will be coming to Cincinnati next Tuesday and speaking at a public campaign event at the Duke Energy Center. Tickets are necessary free and can be picked up at the following locations this Saturday from 9-9. East Walnut Hills - 2718 Woodburn Ave. Forest Park - 1240 West Kemper Road College Hill - 5846 Hamilton Ave. Over-the-Rhine - 1130 Main Street

My aunt Edna, who lived upstairs from me when I was a little girl, used to make the best peach cobbler. Aunt Edna went to her just reward several years ago and it has been a long time since I have had any peach cobbler, but I am going to get the chance again.A new pastry shop is opening downtown next month. Everything Under the Crust will open on 4th Street between Elm and Plum in October and as the name suggests, specialize in cobblers. In addition to peach cobbler, they will also serve pies, cakes and casseroles.It sounds so good. I can hardly wait.

October is National SIDS month. Jean Robert and Annette deCavel are hosting the best fundraiser of the year on October 14 at the Midwest Culinary Institute on Central Parkway. Just come and graze the delicious offerings being presented by Cincinnati's best chefs. Participating restaurants include Jean Robert's Table, Daveeds Next, Mayberry, Taste of Belgium, The Coffee Emporium, Keegan's Fresh Seafood, Oriental Wok, Orchids at the Palm Court, Via Vite and many more.

The Public Librarys 11th annual Teen Photography Contest is running Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 and offers teens an opportunity to show their creative side. This years theme is Harmony Is and teens are encouraged to snap pictures of harmony wherever they may find it in their music, in their environment, or in their friends and family.The Library is partnering with the Art Academy of Cincinnati to provide free programs for teens as part of the contest. The Art Academys professional photography instructors will inspire ideas while guiding teens to think outside of the box when conceptualizing ideas for the contest. Basic digital editing instruction will be covered as well as time for critiques of provided examples to help teens to shoot a winning photo.

This Sunday, SEPTEMBER 30TH and again on AND OCTOBER 26TH, you have a great opportunity to learn more about our city. Experience a foodie trip around the world during a 90-minute guided tour of Cincinnati's historic Findlay Market. Your $15 ticket includes stops and tastings at six specialty merchants where you'll meet the merchants, learn their history and products, and sample sips or small bites. Optional $5 add-on completes your tour with wine tasting at Market Wines. Upcoming tour dates include Sunday, September 30 at 12:00 pm and Friday, October 26 at 2:00 pm. Visit www.cincinnatifoodtours.com for more information and online reservations

The MidPoint Music Festival continues its 11-year tradition on the region's frontline of music exploration. MidPoint's embrace of emerging artists reflects the same pioneering ethic of Cincinnati's celebrated music history and its present day music-makers.MPMF.12 is Thursday through Saturday Sept. 27-29 in downtown Cincinnati and the adjoining Over-the-Rhine district.

If Oktoberfest is not your thing and the Reds game is not your cup of tea, how about a great movie. You can see "The Hunger Games" for free at Washington Park on Saturday night. The movie starts at 8:30 and is scheduled to be over at 11. Bring a chair and a blanket. Tomorrow night promises to be chilly. For details about other activities at the new Washington Park, click http://www.washingtonpark.org

It is Oktoberfest weekend in Cincinnati and the fun starts at noon on Friday on Fountain Square with the 6th Annual Running of the Wiener dogs. Saturday hours are from 11:00am to midnight and are kicked off with the Worlds Largest Chicken Dance at 1:30 on Fountain Square. Sunday hours are from 11am to 10pm. It should be a great weekend for the event so grab your lederhosen and get on downtown to enjoy the beer, brats and cream puffs. For a complete list of events check out www.oktoberfestzinzinnati.com.

Diner en Blanc is a fancy pop up dinner for 1,100 people at a secret location. Cincinnatis first ever Diner en Blanc was on September 15th in Lytle Park. Everyone wears white and brings his or her own food, chairs, and table. Guests arrive on bus from various spots throughout the city. After tables were set at approximately 7 pm all guests participated in a Napkin Wave to signal time for dinner to begin. Throughout the evening music played as guests dined, danced and released over 1,000 white balloons.

President Obama spoke to a packed house today at the Seasongood Pavillion at Eden Park. He centered his remarks on economic policy, criticizing his opponent for his tyring to solve all problems with tax cuts. He reiterated President Clinton's remarks at the Democratic Convention that "the arithmetic doesn't work". You cannot spend more money and give tax cuts at the same time.

The President arrived at the DHL runway at CVG at about 11:30am today. He was greeted by Mayor Mallory and Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls before leaving for the Seasongood Pavillion in Eden Park where he will speak today at approximately 12:25pm. These are pictures of the President's motorcade as it made its way to Eden Park.

Join the County Administrator and Budget Director for a brief presentation discussing county responsibilities and the 2013 general fund budget with a question and answer period to follow. Learn about the competing forces that shape the county budget, and contribute your voice to the difficult choices ahead for county leaders.

This Saturday, September 15, is a great time for you to "go Underground." Saturday is the 8th annual Toyota Scion Underground Party..."Scion Exposed." Not only does it sound like a lot of fun, but it's free!. The entrance to the 1/2 mile long tunniel is at 220 Central Avenue between Third Street and West Pete Rose Way, under the Second Street Overpass. Don't worry if you don't know exactly where that is, Scion promises plenty of signs. Doors open at noon and the party ends at midnight.

If you think of Ross playing his keyboard synthesizer on Friends when you hear the words experimental music, then you need to swing by the Main Library and listen to some real musicians push the limits of genre and sound.Electric Inertia...Jonathan Hancock will play trumpet and piano simultaneously, accompanied by a cellist, while manipulating reel-to-reel projectors. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, Reading Garden Lounge

I was in the car this morning at 8:46am, the exact time at which the first plane hit the World Trade Center 11 years ago. I dont think any of us who were alive on that day will ever forget where we were at that moment. I was in my office, when a co-worker ran in and said a plane had just struck the World Trade Center. We immediately all ran into the conference room to turn on the tv and see what had happened. At first, we all thought that it was an accident, until while watching we,in disbelief, saw the second plane strike.

One of the biggest figures in Cincinnati Bengals franchise history is throwing a huge event for a good cause. In his effort to increase autism awareness, Ken Anderson will be hosting a charity event on Fountain Square during the Bengals first game of the season on Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens. Other former Bengals, including Issac Curtis, Max Montoya, Ickey Woods, Anthony Munoz, and Bob Trumpy will be there to support Anderson and the cause. All will be available for autographs for a suggested donation to IMPACT Autism.

The Cincinnati Police Department - District Two is experiencing multiple offenses of Public Indecency. The offenses are occurring in the early morning hours. The suspect is targeting female victims that are jogging alone. The suspect is described as a male-black late 20's early 30's. He is medium built and usually wears something on his head, possibly a bandana.

This is a composite sketch of the rape suspect from Delhi Township's Robbery, Kidnapping, and Sexual Assault from yesterday. We are asking if anyone recognizes the suspect, to contact Delhi Township Police at 513-922-0060 or CrimeStoppers at 513-352-3040.

There's a blue moon on August 31 and it's Final Friday with all sorts of fun stuff happening in Over the Rhine and Downtown Cincinnati.Dozens of Cincinnati area cyclists are decorating their bikes (and themselves!) with all kinds of shiny, shimmery & sparkly things. Many of these cyclists rode in BRIGHT Ride events last December and in July for the World Choir Games. This will be a short, flat, happy, smile-making ride. We're gathering at 8:30 PM by the mural on the north side of Know Theatre, just off 12th Street at Jackson. At 8:45 we're leaving to tour past Washington Park, the shops, pubs, and galleries of Main and Vine Streets. We'll conclude the ride at Night Owl Market at Central and Main Streets. Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/126987814113616/

The worlds pro beach volleyball stage shifts back across the pond from Londons Historic Horse Guard Parade to Cincinnatis Washington Park. Riding the wave of record-breaking Olympic media exposure, television ratings, and fan enthusiasm, the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is hosting the top U.S. and Olympic beach volleyball stars to compete at its 2012 AVP Cincinnati Open. The AVP Cincinnati Open, touting U.S. pro beach volleyballs highest 2012 regular season prize purse to date of $175,000, will serve as the official qualifiying event for the AVP Championships in Santa Barbara, California, will showcase the 24 mens and 24 womens pro beach teams. Beyond beach volleyball, the AVP Cincinnati Open will feature nationally renowned music acts as well as an array of regional talent after 8:00 PM Friday and Saturday.

The arrival of the 2012 Guinness Oyster Fest on Fountain Square also marks the return of another oyster-filled tradition...the annual oyster-eating challenge. The contest is FREE and open to the public, provided you love the delicious taste of raw oysters. Event registration will remain open until Wednesday, August 29, at 5PM. Oyster Fest will be held on September 1 from 5pm until 10pmIn addition to the competition, this years Guinness Oyster Fest will offer everything from raw oysters and ice-cold Guinness to authentic Irish merchandise and great live music. Washington Platform & Saloon will also be providing several other cooked dishes, including Southern Fried Oysters and Creole Oyster Gumbo, served with a side of their world-famous Cajun Dirty Rice. Prices for oyster dishes will range from $2-$6.

Downtown Cincinnati and the riverfront will be hopping again this weekend. In addition to the Reds at Great American Ballpark, tonight is the first of two nights of the 6th annual Cincinnati Brew Ha Ha beer and comedy festival.. There will be more than 100 brands of beer and 50 comedians on four stages at Sawyer Point. The entertainment is free, but you need to buy a wristband to buy beer.

C'mon down to Smale Riverfront Park on this Saturday to participate in the national Let's Move! Campaign. The City of Cincinnati will join the national Campaign with a kick-off event at the beautiful new Smale Riverfront Park on August 25 from 8:30 till noon.

Amor Towles, author of Rules of Civility, will visit the Main Library at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25. His debut novel, Rules of Civility, was published by Viking/Penguin in July 2011 and reached the bestseller lists of The New York Times, the Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times. The book, which is being translated into 15 languages, was rated by The Wall Street Journal as one of the 10 best works of fiction in 2011

Congratulations to the 328 Summer Readers who won a four-pack of tickets to a Cincinnati Reds game or two tickets to a performance by the Cincinnati Symphony or Pops orchestras. And the grand prizes - LeapFrog Tags, iPod Touches, $25 Gold Star Chili certificates, and Sony e-readers- have been awarded to 246 winners.Nearly 38,500 readers of all ages took on the challenge of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Countys 39th annual Summer Reading Program - Reading Rocks! From June 1 to July 31, the Librarys youngest Superstar Readers read more than 500,000 books while teens and adults logged over 2 million hours of reading.

Did you know that Saturday is "Date Night Movie" at Washington Park. Bring your blanket, your snacks and your "date" and c'mon down to Washington Park tomorrow night to watch "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows", starring Robert Downey Jr. I've seen it and its a great movie. The movie starts at 9pm.

The Horseshoe Casino, which will be opening on Broadway in the spring of 2013 will begin hiring next week. They will be accepting resumes for dealers and dealer supervisors through their website at www.horseshoe.com/info/cincinnati/careers from August 22 through September 16. There are about 750 positions open.

The 24th Annual Midwest Regional Black Family Reunion Celebration will be held August 17th and 18th, 2012 . This year's theme is "Bringing Families Together". The outdoor event continues to grow and is one of Cincinnati's largest family-focused events drawing over 40,000 patrons.

The Cincy Blues Fest is at Sawyer Point this Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $20 for each day and will give you access to the entertainment on the various stages. Two day pass will be sold at the gate on Friday night. It all starts at 5:00pm tonight. Head to the Riverfront for a great time. For more information and a complete entertainment schedule click www.cincybluesfest.org.

Celebrated Cincinnati Reds Mascot Mr. Redlegs and author Joel Altman will be on hand to promote his new book, Mr. Redlegs and His Great Adventure: A Journey Through Cincinnati Reds History, during a storytime at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15, in the Childrens Learning Center at the Main Library, 800 Vine Street.Free copies of the book will be given out while supplies last to kids ages 14 and under. Mr. Redlegs and Mr. Altman will be signing copies of the book. PNC also will be donating 40 copies of the book to the Public Librarys collection.

National Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkins career with the Cincinnati Reds will be honored with 11 Days of Larkin," a series of celebrations from August 16-26 that will include the retirement of his uniform number 11 on Saturday, August 25. That pre-game ceremony at Great American Ball Park will begin at 3:00 p.m., preceding that afternoon's 4:05 p.m. game vs the Cardinals. Larkins #11 will be the 10th jersey number retired by the Reds, joining Fred Hutchinsons #1, Johnny Benchs #5, Joe Morgans #8, Sparky Andersons #10, Dave Concepcions #13, Ted Kluszewskis #18, Frank Robinsons #20, Tony Perezs #24 and Jackie Robinsons #42.

Restaurant week begins in downtown Cincinnati tomorrow. Take the opportunity to treat yourself to that great downtown restaurant you have been wanting to tryl Restaurants are offering either a 3 course prix fixe meal for $35 or two meals for $35. For a complete list of participating restaurants, click www.dodowntowncincinnati.com.

We have all heard by now that Red's broadcaster, Marty Brennaman, shaved his head on Friday night and raised $50,000 for the Reds Community Fund. You may not have heard that father and son Martin and Charlie Sheen, long time Red's fans were also in town for the game. Charlie Sheen has pledged $50,000 to the Reds Community Fund, matching the amount raised by Marty.

Have you seen the new and improved Washington Park yet? Well tonight is a great opportunity. The Cincinnati Pops, the May Festival Chorus and the Cincinnati Ballet will be performing in a free concert tonight beginning at 7:00 pm. And Saturday c'mon back downtown for the 27th annual Over The Rhine Community Festival. The festival will feature games, face painting, food, fundraising raffles, childrens talent show, DJ music and other live entertainment.

You may have stopped by Fountain Square sometime this week and noticed that giant rubber duck taking center stage. That's right, it's Rubber Duck Regatta time again.Prior to the WEBN Fireworks on Sunday, September 2 the 18th Annual Rubber Duck Regatta will take place during the P&G Riverfest. That afternoon, as many as 150,000 ducks will be dropped into the Ohio River to race along the Serpentine Wall. The owner of the first duck to cross the finish line will win a 2012 Honda Civic LX Sedan and possibly $1 million,

The Bengals today signed head coach Marvin Lewis to a two-year contract extension, running through the 2014 season. Lewis has led the Bengals to the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, including 2011, and to three postseasons overall, with two AFC North Division championships.

Welsh musician Gruff Rhys has announced his second investigative concert tour of the Americas. The Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati on August 9th is the ONLY STOP IN THE REGION. Tickets on sale now.

The Downtown Dash & Block Party at St. Xavier Church began in 2007 as a block party for the entire community with the 5K run being added the following year. The event is non-profit with all proceeds benefitting downtown organizations that assist and/or educate those in need. Proceeds of the 2012 Downtown Dash will benefit the local efforts of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We will also have a SVdP Trailer onsite at the Dash before the race. Bring your gently-used items and help us give back!RACE

Kick your lunch hour up a notch at the Public Library of Hamilton County and Cincinnati.Darlene Chaffins, head instructor at the Blue Ash Tai Chi Academy, will lead an introduction to the soft martial arts, such as Tai Chi, from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug 9. Then from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, Darlene explores the hard martial arts such as karate.Both programs take place in the Popular Library Lounge of the Main Library.

Former Bengals offensive lineman Bruce Kozerski, now head football coach at Holy Cross High School in Covington, Ky., was announced today as the 2011 season winner of the Paul Brown Excellence in Coaching Award. The award, given annually by the Bengals to an outstanding high school football coach in the region, includes a $5000 donation by the Bengals to the Holy Cross athletic department.

The Cincinnati Reds offer condolences to the family and friends of Mrs. Louise Nippert, an owner of the team since 1966 who died earlier today at age 100. Reds President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Castellini said, "The Nippert family has been a proud steward of this great franchise for decades, and its influence is woven into the fabric of our long and storied history. No person loved the Cincinnati Reds more than Mrs. Nippert, and her players loved her for her devotion to the family atmosphere she fostered within the organization. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time."

The Downtown Residents Council is sponsoring STAND UP FOR THE ANNA LOUISE INN this Wednesday, July 25 from 5:30-6:30 at Lytle Park.This family-friendly gathering with speakers representing a variety of organizations, singing, candy, theatre and fun for lots. If you want to join others in their mission to save the Anna Louise Inn, this is your chance to participate.

The World Choir Games and Bunbury Music Festival may be over, but you can still enjoy good music during two programs offered by the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.The family musical group Muddy River Consort will perform at the Pleasant Ridge Branch Library, 6233 Montgomery Road, at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 30.

Single-game tickets for the Bengals 2012 season went on sale one week ago, and initial results have been strong. Based on those initial results, the Bengals Ticket Office today announced that the supply of single-game tickets for home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 21 and the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 9 has been exhausted. A limited number of tickets remain for those games through season ticket sales and Ticket Packs. Single-game tickets and Ticket Packs remain on sale for all other games.

Summer Reading concludes with a Grand Slam as the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and the Cincinnati Reds team up for Redlegs Reading Week. From July 23 to July 31, children can enter a Redlegs coloring contest, collect mascot trading cards by attending Library programs (while supplies last), and enjoy baseball storytimes crafts at various Library locations.

A small group of Romney supporters, 150 or so, gathered on Fountain Square at 1:00 today. They were passing out signs and placards and are on their way to Music Hall to greet President Obama when he arrives today to give a speech this afternoon at 2:20. The group looked a little disorganized so I'm not sure how many will make it up to Music Hall in the heat, so I've attached some pictures.

Brendan Keefe and Tanya ORourke of WCPO acted as hosts for the closing ceremony of the 2012 World Choir Games at the U.S. Bank Center on Saturday evening. The festivities were sponsored by the Horseshoe Casino.After the singing of the National Anthem, the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra played the World Choir Games Fanfare and members of the Cincinnati Boys Choir paraded into the auditorium with the various flags of all the participating countries.

The first ever Bunbury Music Festival is being held this weekend at Sawyer Point. Headliners include Janes Addiction, Weezer and Death Cab for Cutie.The Festival will feature 100 live performances on six stages throughout Sawyer Point andYeatmans Cove.For more information, click www.bunburymusicfestival.com

Fountain Square was alive with the sound of music today when another in a series of free concerts were given by 2012 Choir Games participants. At 11 A.M. a Global Village concert was presented, with five choral groups taking part. A large crowd was on hand to greet the singers and musicians from Canada, Hong Kong, Poland and the U.S. The first group was Vox Juventutis from Poland, who performed a mix of popular American songs and selections in their native language in their coral and white costumes.

Thursday night the Erlanger branch of the Kenton Co. Public Library hosted a free Friendship Concert in conjunction with the 2012 World Choir Games. A large crowd attended the event, which featured four choral groups.

Fountain Square was the place to be today at 11 am for the Global Village event. Several choirs gave free concerts and there was a huge crowd on Fountain Square to celebrate the day. I didn't get to hear the whole event, but did hear the Young Women's Chorus from Charlottesvile, Va. The girls, all from Burley Middle School, gave a great performance.

Festivities at the World Choir Games 2012 continued yesterday evening with the Celebration of Nations parade presented by Fifth Third Bank. The parade began at the Duke Energy Convention Center, which has been the base of operations for the Games, and continued down Fifth Street to Fountain Square. Check out our pictures showing several of the visiting choral groups. Numerous participating choir groups from dozens of countries participated, along with Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Bootsy Collins.

Internationally bestselling author Karin Slaughter will visit the Main Library (in the Atrium Reading Garden Lounge) on Sunday, July 15 at 2:00 p.m. With millions of copies of her books in print worldwide, this thriller/crime fiction author has wowed readers and critics alike with the gritty forensic detailing, all-too-human characters, and stark rendering of crime found in her lacerating thrillers.Widely credited with first coining the term investigoogling,

This morning was the official re-opening of the new and very much improved Washington Park. Situated in front of Music Hall, this area has been undergoing extensive rehab and the results are beautiful. I have some pictures to share with you, but you really need to take a stroll through the park yourself. Bring the kids. There is beautiful new fountain for them to splash around in.

Today is the second day of the World Choir Games in Cincinnati and you can feel the excitement in the air. The sun ducked behind the clouds this afternoon so I decided to take a walk around the city. I strolled up through the Westin Hotel and saw the pig carousel in the lobby. Then walked across Fifth Street to Fountain Square to snap other pigs. I was pleasantly surprised to see giant fans spraying cooling water all over the Square.

The World Choir Games got off to a rousing start yesterday with a parade of the participants to the U.S. Bank Center for the opening ceremonies. The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the May Festival Chorus put on a terrific show and paid tribute to the late Erich Kunzel who was instrumental in bringing the Games to Cincinnati. This promises to be a tremendous week in Cincinnati. Enjoy and try to stay cool.

Enter The Public Librarys 2012 Frame Cincinnati Photography Contest Through July 31! The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is pleased to announce its participation in FotoFocus Cincinnati, a month-long biennial celebration spotlighting independently programmed exhibitions of historical and contemporary photography and lens-based art, which will be held in October. To celebrate, we are going to showcase works from some of the regions best photographers. Through July 31, photographers can enter our Frame Cincinnati Photography Contest. The best entries will be displayed in the Atrium of the Main Library from September 5 through November 4.

Capping off Cincinnati Pride week in Cincinnati was the Pride Parade downtown on Saturday followed by a festival at Sawyer Point. What a great way to celebrate diversity in our community. Take a look at the parade pictures.

This is Pride week in Cincinnati. There have been festivities scheduled all week and they willl be capped off this weekend by the Pride Parade and festival at Sawyer Point on Saturday.

There will be several opportunities for star sightings during the 2012 World Choir Games.The largest international choral competition in the world takes place July 4-14 in Cincinnati USA, and the event will feature three Grammy Award winners, one Tony Award winner, a Grammy-nominated Dancing with the Stars champion, a Las Vegas headliner, some of the top choral music stars in the country, as well as Cincinnatis own Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, May Festival Chorus and Cincinnati Opera. When and where can you see all this star power?

The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum has an exciting weekend planned in celebration of the Reds Hall of Fame Class of 2012: Sean Casey, Dan Driessen and the late John Reilly.The official induction of Casey, Driessen, and Reilly into the Reds Hall of Fame will take place at Great American Ball Park before the 4pm Cincinnati Reds Minnesota Twins game this Saturday, June 23rd.

Part of the sprucing up of the Downtown Area for the World Choir Games to be held July 4-14 includes a revival of 2000s Big Pig Gig. Then, over 400 of the artsy fiberglass pigs found temporary homes throughout Cincinnati, Newport and Covington. This time, Artworks, a community art program, is placing 100 of the painted pigs in the Downtown Area at venues including Fountain Square, Music Hall, the Banks and the Hamilton Co. Public Library.

There are more than 200 events the public can attend during the 7th World Choir Games from July 4-14 in Cincinnati USA, including competitions, concerts, workshops, free public performances and more. The Cincinnati Organizing Committee and INTERKULTUR, the International Organizing Committee, today released details of the event schedule and a list of choirs expected to perform at the Games.Expected are 15,000 participants from 64 countries and 22 U.S. states, including 362 choirs, 61 judges, choral and INTERKULTUR officials. There will be 68 sessions of competitions, more than 60 Friendship Concerts

CET and ThinkTV have teamed up for a series call Our Ohio. They want to hear your stories about what makes your Ohio town unique. Check this out. In the course of our Our Ohio journey, series producers have visited farms and zoos, explored the history of flight and fairs, and learned the stories of people like Charles Kettering. Now were looking for your story!

Appraiser Frank Farmer Loomis to talk about antiques July 21 at Sharonville Branch LibraryWell-known antiques appraiser, writer and media personality Frank Farmer Loomis will be speaking at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at the Sharonville Branch Library, 10980 Thornview Drive.He will talk about what makes an antique an antique, with entertaining stories from his show, his career, and the last Cincinnati visit of Antiques Roadshow.

CETs local production, Ault Park: Emerald in the Crown has been nominated for a regional Emmy Award in the historical documentary category. Nominations were announced today, Tuesday, June 12, by the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Cincinnati native Drew Lachey a member of Grammy-nominated 98 Degrees and winner of the second season of ABCs Dancing with the Stars will emcee the two Champions Concerts for the 2012 World Choir Games.Lachey, who was emcee of the Countdown to the Games event on July 11, 2011, on Fountain Square, will play host to the Champions Concerts on July 8 (2-4 p.m.) at Aronoff Center for the Arts and July 14 (2-4 p.m.) at Music Hall. Tickets to all World Choir Games events are available at www.2012worldchoirgames.com or by calling 513.977.6363.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is in need of Site-based mentors for an hour a week: Be a lunch buddy to a student at St Francis Seraph or mentor at the LeBlond Boys and Girls Club from 530-630pm on Thurs. Make a difference in the life of a child who lives near downtown. For more information contact info@bigsforkids.org

Jake Kolesar, a fifteen-year-old ninth-grade student at Walnut Hills High School, was selected as the winner of a $500 award at the Cincinnati Arts Associations inaugural Overture Awards Next Pop Star competition at the Aronoff Center on Saturday, June 2. A talented guitarist and singer-songwriter, Jake played and sang one of his original songs Floating during the competition.

Thanks to our new Horseshoe Casino, Broadway and television star, Idina Menzel, will appear at the closing ceremonies of the World Choir Games in Cincinnati. Months before opening its doors, Cincinnatis newest downtown entertainment destination is proudly opening its star-studded black book to the 2012 World Choir Games (WCG) hosted in the Queen City on July 4-14, 2012.

Long time friends of the Reds will remember Reds pitcher Pedro Borbon. Pedro died today of cancer at the age of 65 at his home in Pharr, Texas. Borbon appeared in more games than any other National League pitcher from 1970 to 1978. He holds the Reds club record with 531 career appearances. He pitched in 20 playoff games during his career and had a 2.42 postseason earned run average.

The lineup of choirs scheduled for the eight Celebration Concerts during the 2012 World Choir Games includes eight former champions, including two of the most decorated choirs in World Choir Games history, an all-star collegiate choir and a Cincinnati Public Schools Honor Choir that will perform with the Cincinnati Childrens Choir.

By Andy Furman...I hardly knew Jack Twyman. Oh, in basketball circles you would see him around; you would say hello and he would, more often than not, smile back. He was that kind of guy. Unassuming. Downright normal. A regular mench. A guy you would love for a neighbor. In fact, his family was the same. Same genes I guess.

The Ohio Renaissance Festival will hold auditions on Saturday, June 23rd and Saturday, June 30th at the festival grounds. The festival is looking for men and women 16 years and older to perform as street characters, stage combatants, singers, dancers and musicians for its 23rd annual season operating Saturdays, Sundays, and Labor Day, September 1 through October 21. Experience is a plus, but not necessary, as workshops will be offered for all categories during rehearsals held Saturdays and Sundays, July 7th through August 26th.

Tomorrow, Memorial Day, is your last chance to visit the 2012 Taste of Cincinnati. It operates tomorrow from noon to 9 pm. It's a great way to celebrate the beginning of summer in Cincinnati. There's music, food, drink, rides, street performers and a place to run into people you haven't seen all winter long.

The Cincinnati Arts Association, the Music Hall resident arts organizations, and friends and family of Music Hall mourn the loss of Roger Adams, Music Halls beloved Technical Director since 1994. Roger died at his home on Monday, May 14. Born on New Years Day in 1944, the youngest of five children, Roger was the son of a stone mason, who apprenticed to learn his fathers trade. In January of 1960, he began working with Cincinnatis stagehand Union (IATSE Local 5), a decision that would lead to a life-long career in the entertainment industry. An active member of Local 5, Roger served as an officer and executive board member, and under his stewardship the Union established its health and welfare fund.

Join us on Monday, June 18th at the Heritage Club, Mason Ohio for our 20th Anniversary Golf Outing to benefit Tender Mercies. The scramble format starts at 2pm and includes a lunch prior and dinner after. Be a sponsor, bring your friends to make a foursome or come alone to network with new friends. Cost is $225 for individual golf. All proceeds benefit Tender Mercies which provides housing and related services to homeless adults with histories of mental and/or emotional disorders.

The Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati takes us back to the Fabulous 50s with Life Could Be A Dream, the musical story of a group of teenagers with big dreams of becoming a famous rock group. The plot's a bit thin in this two-act charmer, with all the action taking place in the basement of one of the teens, Denny. Along with his cute but nerdy friend, Eugene, Denny has hopes of entering a radio singing contest, with the winner receiving a record contract. The duo becomes a trio with the addition of Wally, the preachers son, and finally, a quartet when garage mechanic, Skip, gets in on the act.

This sounds like a lot of fun and a great way to participate in a downtown Cincinnati project.OTR FLAGS is an art installation of over 126 hand-painted silk flags that will adorn the renovated Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine. Residents, friends and visitors of OTR can paint their very own personal silk flag in one of two final community workshops. Each flag will be exhibited in the park during July and August for a total of eight weeks. After the exhibit, individuals can retrieve their personalized creation or donate to the Emanuel Community Center to be auctioned and help generate funds for like minded programming.

Last evening I went to see the current offering at the Aronoff Downtown. It was the 25th Anniversary Production of Les Miserables, a musical based on the novel by Victor Hugo. The story, if you aren't familiar with it, is a classic. In revolutionary era France, Jean Valjean has been just been released from 19 years of hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving nephew. He breaks his parole out of desperation, to start life anew.

The Flying Pig Marathon weekend was another great success this year. Nearly 31,000 people registered to participate in the various events. Marathon winners were Sergio Reyes of Palmdale, California, a two time Flying Pig winner, with a time of 2:22:04 and Rachel Bea of Taft, Ohio with a winning time of 2:54:38. This Friday is Flying Pig Night at Great American Ballpark. Bring your medals and parade around the park celebrating your own great finish.

Since 1909, the Anna Louise Inn has been providing affordable housing for women in transition who are making their way back into the work force. It is the only facility of its kind in Cincinnati. Rooms, while not fancy, offer these women a safe harbor till they get their lives back in order. The renovation would install bathrooms and small kitchens in the dormitory-style rooms. Sounds like nothing but good news for a worthy organization, right? Not so fast.. it seems that Western & Southern was waiting for the opportunity to transform that building into luxury condominiums. Western & Southern sought to have the City revoke its operating permits due to zoning violations. So several of the Anna Louise residents filed suit in Federal Court against Western and Southern citing harassment of its residents. Disputes over zoning ensued and renovations were put on hold.

GOOD LUCK RUNNERS! The Flying Pig Marathon takes place on Sunday, May 6. Motorists are advised to plan ahead and avoid streets along the race route. Spectators are encouraged to watch the race and cheer for the runners at various points along the route.Beginning Sunday at 1:00 AM for staging, and at 5:00 AM on the course, and continuing until approximately 3:00 PM, various city streets will be closed or have parking and traffic restrictions to allow for the Marathon. Race participants desiring near-by parking are advised to arrive early (before the streets close) to ensure there is plenty of time to park and to get to the starting line of the race. The course will be opened to traffic as the race proceeds and the runners are clear.

The Hair Depot Beauty Supply was robbed on May 2, 2012 at approximately 12:00 p.m. The store is located at 2633 Vine Street in Corryville. An unknown suspect entered the store and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk suffered minor injuries during the robbery. The suspect was seen fleeing the scene on a dark colored mountain bicycle. An undisclosed amount of U.S. currency was taken during the incident. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 20 years old, wearing a gray hooded jacket, blue jeans, and a red bandanna. The suspect dropped a Cincinnati Reds baseball hat. The hat was recovered by District 4 Investigators and submitted to the Hamilton County Crime Laboratory for DNA analysis.

The Hair Depot Beauty Supply was robbed on May 2, 2012 at approximately 12:00 p.m. The store is located at 2633 Vine Street in Corryville. An unknown suspect entered the store and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk suffered minor injuries during the robbery. The suspect was seen fleeing the scene on a dark colored mountain bicycle. An undisclosed amount of U.S. currency was taken during the incident. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 20 years old, wearing a gray hooded jacket, blue jeans, and a red bandanna. The suspect dropped a Cincinnati Reds baseball hat. The hat was recovered by District 4 Investigators and submitted to the Hamilton County Crime Laboratory for DNA analysis.

There will be a new Japanese restaurant coming to Over The Rhine this fall. Restaurateurs, Jon Zipperstein (Embers) and Cincinnatian and Sycamore High alumni Hideki Harada Zipperstein will be opening a Japanese GastroPub and sushi bar that will include a bar/lounge, a dining room and a landscaped beer garden. With the help of 3CDC, the partners have chosen the Color Building at 14th and Vine for their new enterprise and they will specialize in taking American favorites into the Japanese style.

In Seattle, fish tossing at the Pike Place Market is a top tourist draw. In Cincinnati, its another wacky contest that brings people out to Fountain Square.Teams of four people have 60 seconds to toss whole, raw fish from person to person down a 50-foot course. The team that gets the most fish all the way down the line wins four $20 gift cards and a trophy.

Regina Carswell Russo (Director of Marketing and Communications, Cincinnati Art Museum) and her dance pro Brian McNamee (Cincinnati Ballroom Company) scored a PERFECT 10 from the four judges on Saturday, April 14 at the Music Hall Ballroom, taking first place at the Cincinnati Arts Associations sixth-annual Dancing for the Stars. With an audience of 750 guests (a new attendance record), the sold-out event raised $70,000 to benefit CAAs Overture Awards the nations largest locally-run high school arts scholarship competition.

It was another beautiful day in Cincinnati yesterday, so I ventured back up to Fountain Square to see the rest of the Ecosculpt installation. Upon approaching the Square, I thought I was seeing a miniature golf course, see the windmill in one of the photos. I've attached photos of the exhibits, but I hope you will get to the Square to take a look for yourself. It is interesting to see how the artists have used the recycled materials.

This is your chance. If you are like me and others that I know, you are always complaining about how the city is spending "our" money. Well, the city of Cincinnati is giving us a chance to give our input. The City is implementing a Priority-Driven Budgeting process that relies on what you tell them are your strategic priorities.City programs and services will then be evaluated based on the contribution they make to the strategic priorities. The Cincinnati City Council will make final decisions on the priorities identified as part of the Citys budget process.

Since it is such a gorgeous day today, I decided to stroll up to Fountain Square to see what was going on. The Ecosculpt installation is in progress beginning today and I was able to snap pictures of three of the entrants. Award winners will be named on April 20. Also, Xavier students are on the Square today giving out free hugs. The official "free huggers" are wearing blue t-shirts and carrying signs that send free hugs. Running up to perfect strangers could result in getting more than you bargained for, so check for the shirts.

The best deals in town return this April with the 45th annual CET Action Auction!This years Action Auction will be broadcast from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, through Friday, April 20, and from 3 p.m. to midnight Saturday, April 21.The auction is one of CETs main annual fundraisers and involves volunteers from all segments of our community. Proceeds from the event help fund our programs for viewers at home and in classrooms as well as many of our outreach and arts initiatives, said Jack Dominic, CET station manager.

Grab this kids this weekend and come out to the VOA Park and Museum in West Chester for the WGUC Airwaves Kite Fest. This years Kite Fest features the Chicago Fire Kite Team. They have been competing for more than 20 years and have won 50 competitions and 10 American Kitefliers Association National Championships.

I don't think there is anyone in the Cincinnati area that doesn't know that today is Opening Day. There were thousands of people downtown today for the parade and to cheer the Reds on to victory. In case you couldn't make the festivities, I have snapped some pictures of the parade.

Ever heard of crowd funding? Inventors and Entrepreneurs who have developed a new product or service are looking for some financial help in launching their creative effort into a full-fledged, marketable product.Websites like www.kickstarter.com and www.indiegogo.com encourage entrepreneurs to submit their project for display and to begin to gather attention and funding. There are some interesting products on these sites. Some will turn out to be winners and others will probably never see the light of day, but you might see something you like and when that product becomes the next big thing, you can feel great about being a part of it.

I can't decide whether this guy has a lot of nerve or is just plain stupid. Andrew Hayden was released from the Hamilton County Justice Center this morning at 5 am and walked to District 1 Station, where he asked the desk officer to call him a taxicab to take him to his apartment at 2701 Hill Vista in Mt. Airy near Colerain and North Bend Roads. Upon arriving at his home, Andrew ran from the taxi driver, failing to pay the $20.22 fare.

You know that old pumping station and tower on Martin Drive in Eden Park? It could soon become a micro-brewery. Jack and Bryon Martin, owners of the Cincinnati Beer Company, have approached the city about turning the facility into a micro-brewery. The city will have to determine if the building is structurally sound and there may be some zoning issues that need to be addressed, but it might just happen.

Sprite Spark Parks Project Launched To Refresh Basketball Courts Nationwide. DeHart Park Seeking Local Support To Earn Up To $15,000 In Grant Funding. Beginning today, local residents can help a well-worn neighborhood basketball court in Cincinnati transform into a refreshed play space where teens can express all their uncontainable moves. This spring, through the Sprite Spark Parks Project, Sprite and the NRPA are giving people an opportunity to get their local courts back in the game. DeHart Park has been selected as one of 25 courts nationwide to be refreshed through the program, and local residents can show their support and raise critical funds by voting at: www.SpriteSparkParks.com.

On March 27, 2012, at about 10:45 p.m., the Taco Bell Restaurant located at the corner of Highland Ave. and E. McMillan St. was robbed at gunpoint. Three suspects entered the store and demanded money from the employees while holding them at gunpoint. Cincinnati police have asked that you view the attached photos and contact Crimestoppers with any information concerning this robbery.

C'mon down to the Main Branch of the Library this Saturday at 2pm and join authors Karen Raizor and Mike Martini for a look at Cincinnati music legends Homer & Jethro. Before they earned millions of fans, a Grammy, & an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, they were performers on WLW radio who started their recording career at King Records in 1947. Should be interesting and best of all, it's free. More information: (513) 369-6900 or http://bit.ly/GYkoZ0.

Looking for a fun family event for this weekend? How about the Lego KidsFest at the Duke Energy Convention Center.LEGO KidsFest brings all of the creative hands-on, minds-on fun of LEGO building and experiences together in one activity- and entertainment-packed family event for children of all ages and builders of all skills and interests.

You may remember an article published here a couple of weeks ago about a proposed change in terms for Cincinnati's City Council. Two proposals are on the table. The first would have all 9 council members running in a single election every 4 years and the second has the 9 members running in staggered elections every two years. Each proposal would retain 8-year term limits and 4 year terms. The city's Government Operations Committee would like to hear your feedback and will be holding a series of evening public hearings at City Hall and in several neighborhoods.

What a great day for a parade! Can you believe that we are having 70 degree weather in March. Well as someone who has shivered through many St. Patrick's Day parades, it was a relief. If you couldn't make the parade, we have some pictures that we want to share with you.

This Saturday is St. Patrick's Day and you won't want to miss Cincinnati's St. Patrick's Day Parade that begins at noon that day. The route of the parade follows so you can choose where to stand to get the best view and plan your own route into downtown. The parade will last for about 3 hours, so you may want to bring a chair.

Did you know that the City of Cincinnati has a Citizen's Service Request Website. Right now they are asking you to use it to report potholes so that they can repair them. You can also request other services at this site like recycling, traffic light issues, water problems, etc. You can access this website at http://cagismaps.hamilton-co.org/csrcincinnati/.

New Edgecliff Theatre continues the Irish flair of its recent production of "St. Nicholas" with its Annual "Luck of the Irish" Casino Night from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday March 17. Enjoy an evening of fun and excitement featuring Black Jack, Poker and Roulette. There will also be a silent auction, a blind raffle and a split-the-pot reverse raffle. Admission includes appetizers, cash bar (wine & beer) and $25 in casino chips.All proceeds benefit New Edgecliff Theatre's Operating Fund.

The Cincinnati Arts Association is pleased to announce the winners of its 2012 Overture Awards Scholarship Competition, held on Saturday, March 3, 2012 at the Aronoff Centers Jarson-Kaplan Theater. The competition annually awards $2,500 scholarships to six area students for post-secondary education, with 18 runners-up each winning $500 scholarships. Students are nominated by their schools to compete in one of six disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art or Vocal Music. The scholarship program is the largest of its kind in the United States and was developed to recognize, encourage and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final and Final.2012 Overture Awards Scholarship Winners

If you have walked through the downtown Public Library yesterday or today, you may have noticed some interesting looking sculptures made of food cans. This is Cincinnati Canstruction 2012. Canstruction is an international community service project to benefit community foodbanks. Architects, engineers, designers and contractors compete to design and build fantastic giant-sized structures made entirely out of canned foods. The sculptures are entered in a competition and at the close of the competition all of the food used in the structures is donated to the local food bank for distribution to community emergency feeding programs.

City Councilwoman, Laure Quinlivan has made two separate charter amendment proposals to City Council to extend council terms from 2 to 4 years.The first option would be to have a council election every four years and the second would allow for staggered elections so that half of council would be up for election every other year. The first option would save taxpayers around $250,000 since there would be one less election but the second, the staggered option, would allow voters to change Council every two years, as they do now.

Hollywoods greatest musical moments will live again when the Society for the Preservation of Music Hall (SPMH) presents Hooray for Hollywood with the Mighty Wurlitzer at Cincinnatis Music Hall Ballroom on Thursday, May 10 at 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM. As part of SPMHs popular annual theater organ series, the concert is being presented in cooperation with the Ohio Valley Chapter of the American Organ Society.Tickets are currently on sale at www.CincinnatiArts.ORG, (513) 621-ARTS 2787, and the Aronoff Center and Music Hall Ticket Offices. For groups of 10 or more, please call (513) 977-4157.

CHECK OUT OUR NEW "SHOPPING WITH GABBY" FEATURE PAGE. Our fashion writer, Gabby Prescott, has been shoe shopping. Take a look and see what she's found.

According to an article on the "Business Courier" website on Wednesday, Community newspapers to a pay model . You would be allowed to see a few articles for free, but the after you have reached a certain number of pages the rest of the articles would reside behind a paywall. The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times currently employ this model and I don't think it has been a rousing success of either of them, so I am a little surprised to see Gannett going in this direction.

Findlay Market celebrated Mardi Gras yesterday complete with costumes, decorations and happy faces. It looks like a lot of fun was had by all. Our intrepid photographer was on hand so we can share pictures with you. Check out the trophy for best costume.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center was the scene of a press conference today, to discuss the merger of the Freedom Center and the Cincinnati Museum Center. A large audience of press and other interested parties joined representatives from both museums.The first speaker was Reverend Damon Lynch, Jr., presiding Co-Chair of the Freedom Center, who stressed that the organizations could do more for the community as we work together. Francie Hiltz, chair of the Cincinnati Museum Center Board of Trustees agreed, saying we know that joining together will strengthen our respective organizations.Acknowledging that some mistakes had been made in the past, Kim Robinson, Freedom Center President and CEO also pointed out that the Freedom Center has brought many visitors to the area.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood was in Cincinnati today for the groundbreaking of the Streetcar project. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held at Memorial Hall today at 1:00pm. A large crowd was on hand for the ceremony.

In response to a request for proposals for a project area on the north end of Madison Avenue issued late last year, the City of Covington received 3 propsals for the riverfront project.One from Corporex Corporex Latest from The Business Journals Corporex fires back against Bank of AmericaU.S. Bank donates M to N.Ky. development effortDenver-area commercial real estate leaders honored Follow this company Realty & Investment LLC and Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, would reopen the Waterfront Restaurant in the first phase and a boardwalk and second floating restaurant in the second phase.A review team that will work with the city commission in the next 90 days to evaluate the proposed projects.

The Cincinnati Museum Center announced today that it will merge with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The Freedom Center has been plagued with a $1.5 million annual budget shortfall and the Museum Center has an $8 million debt that they hope to pay down more quickly, while interest rates are at an all time low, as a result of the merger. Even after the merger the two museums will remain separate entities with separate missions and they will both remain in their current locations, but they hope to be able to save money through the centralization of certain administrative and financial functions.

Remember when we had dreams of a Nordstrom's on the corner of Fifth and Race? Then we settled for a parking lot. A very nice parking lot, but not a big draw for a prime piece of real estate. Well, we finally have a real tenant for that space. DunHumby USA has announced today that they will build their headquarters on that corner.

CINCIPULSE IS LOOKING FOR A COMMISSIONED SALES REP TO SELL LOCAL ADS FOR THE WEBSITE. WORK ON YOUR OWN SCHEDULE FROM YOUR HOME. WE PROVIDE BUSINESS CARDS, BROCHURES, TRAINING AND SUPPORT. REPLY TO CAROL@OURTOWN.COM

Remember your high school prom? You were nervous, excited and happy. You had the perfect dress, shoes and jewelry and you wanted to make sure that this was going to be a night to remember. You can help young girls in Cincinnati to make their own prom dreams come true. Kenzies Closet is a Cincinnati organization that helps high school girls, who could not otherwise afford to go their prom, by providing them with dress, wrap, jewelry and shoes.Girls are referred by their school principal, guidance counselor or social worker and are given an appointment to come and shop at Kenzies Closet during the month of February.Each girl is assigned to a volunteer who helps them put together a prom outfit. The girls can try on as many dresses as they like and the volunteers help them choose just the right dress, matching shoes, jewelry, purse, wrap and gloves. They smiles on the faces of the girls when they see themselves all dressed up are priceless.

February is Black History Month and today, February 1 is the day in 1960 when a group of black Greensboro, North Carolina college students began a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter."Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black History Month." What you might not know is that black history had barely begun to be studied-or even documented-when the tradition originated.

ANDY FURMAN IS IN INDIANAPOLIS THIS WEEK FOR THE SUPER BOWL. CHECK OUT HIS ARTICLE BY CLICKING "FURMAN/SPORTS."

This is the 75th anniversary of the January 1937 flood in Cincinnati. Contrary to what some may believe, I was not there and did not take these pictures myself. The flood of 1937 was the highest the Ohio had ever risen since any type of records were kept. The very first recorded flood in 1773 was measured at 76', The official height of the 1937 flood is listed at 79.99 feet

An aggravated burglary occurred on January 24th 2012 at 9:15pm in the 4900 block of Cleves Warsaw Av. The suspects forced their way into the victims home when the victim opened the door to see who was at the door. The suspects pointed handguns at the victims and demanded their property. The suspects were described as two male blacks. Suspect #1 was 506, wearing a white ski mask, black clothing, armed with a handgun. Suspect #2 was 510, wearing a black ski mask, black clothing, armed with a handgun.

You have probably all been to Music Hall at some time or other. I have watched Carol Channing sing Hello Dolly there, have enjoyed POP Concerts and even had my high school graduation and junior and senior proms there. We all have great memories of this beautiful building.Did you know that Cincinnati Research & Paranormal Studies hosts guided ghost tours of the building? Sorry to say I didn't and the tour scheduled for February has already sold out. The site does say to keep checking as additional tours will be scheduled. Some details of the tours are shown below:

In celebration to the start of the 2012 season, the University of Cincinnati baseball team will host its second annual First Pitch Reception on Friday, Feb. 10, at the Riverfront Club in Great American Ball Park.The festivities are scheduled from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. and admission is free, but attendees must register by Monday, Feb. 6. The event is limited to the first 200 guests and registration will be accepted until full.

There were 3 murders in Cincinnati this weekend. Suspects have been arrested in two of the crimes, but there has been no arrest in the murder of the convenience store owner. Aside from the obvious unacceptable horror of 3 murders in one weekend in our city, I found this quote from the Cincinnati police surprising "When you look at the first one occurred on the 14th, we hadn't had a homicide in this year. It took 14 days to have one and then unfortunately we had three within two days," Sergeant Gramke said.

There are celebrations in many communities tomorrow to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The celebration in downtown Cincinnati will begin at the Underground Freedom Center. There will be a Commemorative Civil Rights March, 10:30 a.m., National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. March to Fountain Square for 11 a.m. interfaith prayer service. Continues to Music Hall for noon commemorative program.

UPDATE: THE BANK ROBBER CALLED 911 AND TURNED HIMSELF IN. HE IS NOW IN CUSTODY. A bank robbery just occurred about 30 minutes ago at Court and Main (US Bank). The suspect is a male black aged approximately 27 wearing a black winter cap, black jacket and dark pants. He was of average build 197 lbs 511 in height. Suspect was last seen going out the door of the bank and possibly entered a cab that was green and white in color.

Brrr!, Baby it's cold outside! Not a good weekend for outdoor activities this weekend, so how about exploring some of our great museums.The Cincinnati Art Museum in Eden Park is featuring Picasso Master Prints and the Taft Museum is featuring a holiday favorite...Antique Christmas at the Taft Museum. This holiday favorite returns to the Taft this year.

I thought I would share a snapshot of the Great American Ballpark scoreboard congratulating Barry Larkin on getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame. You can read Andy Furman's thoughts on Barry Larkin by clicking "Smoke Rings."

On Jan. 8, 2012, at about 7:05 p.m., the Marathon Gas Station located at 2340 Gilbert Ave. was robbed at gunpoint. A suspect described as a black male, in his twenties, about 5'06" tall, thin build, wearing all dark clothing, and brandishing a black pistol entered the store and demanded money from the cash register. The suspect held the store clerks and customers at gunpoint. He then removed cash from the register and fled on foot. The suspect was last seen running towards Florence Ave. Please review the attached photos and contact the Police if you have any information on the suspect's identity or the incident.

On 1-9-12, at approximately 9:00AM a victim was robbed at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Fifth Third Bank located at 2355 Victory Parkway. The suspect displayed a handgun and fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency. The suspect was seen fleeing the scene in what appeared to be an older black Chevy Impala. The suspect is a black male, 25-35, 6'00-6'02, thin, gray hooded sweatshirt, and blue jeans.

Did you know that Cincinnati has a visitor's center? At the Visitor Center, you can find information on bus routes, walking tours, shopping, restaurants, events and just about anything else you might want to know about Cincinnati. If they don't readily have the information, the volunteers will happily find it for you. The Visitor Center is looking for volunteers who have a few hours a week or a month to staff the visitor center. You can pretty much set your own schedule, you'll learn a lot about the area and you will get to meet some very interesting people.

Funeral services will be held tomorrow for Rev. James R. Leo. Reverend Leo was 79 years old. Born in Somers Point, New Jersey, Reverend Leo graduated from Bucknell University and the Episcopal Church's General Theological Seminary in New York City. In 1980 he became dean of the American Cathedral in Paris. Many prominent people attended services at the cathedral, but Reverend Leo's most famous communicant might have been the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson. Reverend Leo often privately gave communion to the Duchess at her home. In 1986, responding to a call from the Queen of England, Reverend Leo presided at the burial of the Duchess at Windsor Castle.

This suspect was arrested for an Aggravated Robbery which occurred in the 1200 block of Quebec Rd on January 3rd 2012 at 1:30pm. The suspect pointed a handgun at the victim and took the victims property from his pockets.Name: Charles Black

A Robbery occurred in the 1000 block of Parkson Pl on January 2nd 2012 at 5:45pm. The suspect pushed the victim to the ground and took money from her hand.Police are looking for the following suspect in conjunction with this robbery.Name: Kevin Freeman

UC Bearcats defeat Vanderbilt 31-24 at the Liberty Bowl.

If you don't have tickets for the Bengals' game against the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday, you can watch it broadcast on the JumboTron. The game starts at 4:15, but come down early. The ice skating rink on Fountain Square will be open from 2:00pm until 10:00pm.

A Breaking and Entering was reported on December 26th 2011, occurring at the Family Dollar store located at 2120 Ferguson Rd. The suspect entered the business by breaking the front door glass. The suspects were described as 510-6, 200lbs. Suspect #1 was wearing all black clothing, black hat, black mask and gloves. Suspect #2 was wearing a checked coat, black pants, light colored hat, black mask and gloves.

A robbery occurred on December 25th, 2011 at 11:40pm in the 3000 block of Brackenwoods Ln. The suspect approached the victim as he was walking down the street, punched the victim in the face and took his cell phone. The suspect was described as male black, 18-20, 511 180lbs, wearing all black clothing.

On 12-15-2011, at approximately 4:20P.M., an aggravated robbery occurred in the 100 block of Parkway Avenue in Hartwell. An unknown suspect approached an elderly female 80 years of age and robbed her with a blunt object. Polce recovered DNA evidence belonging to the suspect and sent it to the Hamilton County Crime Laboratory. The suspect in this case is described as a white male, blond hair, thin build, 5'10"- 6'00", approximately 20 years old. The suspect was last seen wearing a black coat with a white hooded jacket underneath, and blue jeans.

The Cincinnati Police are looking for the following suspects for an aggravated robbery. The incident occurred on December 20th 2011 at 5:34pm at Mages grocery located at 3316 Glenway Av. Two suspects entered the store brandished a handgun and ordered the clerk to give them money and store merchandise. Both suspects took property then fled on foot north on Elberon Av. Both suspects were described as male black 18 years of age. Suspect #1 was 52 wearing a black jacket with gold stripes down the sleeve armed with a handgun. Suspect #2 was 53 wearing all black clothes carrying a black duffle bag.

Here is a message from the Cincinnati Police Department about holiday safety:Taking a trip this Holiday Season?Travel can be stressful; it is even more exaggerated by the holidays. Everybody is in a rush trying to make it from one place to another, and it can be hard to make sure that you have all your affairs in order while you worry about making it to your destination in one piece. The holiday traveling season is the busiest time to travel with many people on the roads. It is important to keep safety your number one concern when traveling this holiday season.Here are a few holiday travel safety tips for uneventful travel this season.

At noon on Saturday, January 14, grab the family and venture down to Fountain Square to witness an epic broomball showdown between Cincinnatis favorite mascots. The match is scheduled to last about 30 minutes and promises to be filled with thrills and spills. Want to get in on the action before the game? The mascots will be available before and after the game for a meet & greet and photo opportunities! The event is free and open to the public.

On Monday an autistic young man suffered on unprovoked attack at about 3:30 in the afternoon on Government Square. The incident occurred on 12/12/2011 The suspects are: Two male blacks in their early to mid twenties. #1 Black hoodie with white stripes. Black pea coat with design on back. blue jeans, dark gym shoes with white bottoms.#2 Moustache, large earrings, mid-length black coat Suspect #2 grabbed the victim in a chokehold pulling him to ground. Suspect #1 took book bag. Book bag later recovered on the skywalk. The Ipad that was taken is still missing.

The Norwood Police Department is attempting to locate the following individual:James Andrew Clemmons, who ran from the scene of a Norwood address where his 10 month old son nearly drowned in the bath tub. The child is in Intensive Care at Childrens Hospital and Clemmons is a witness needed by Norwood Investigators. Additionally Clemmons has outstanding warrants through Hamilton County for Misuse of a Credit Card, Theft and 2 traffic charges. If located please contact Crime Stoppers.

Xavier University Associate Vice President and Athletic Director Mike Bobinski announced today that four XU mens basketball student-athletes will serve suspensions as a result of their parts in yesterdays incidents at the Crosstown Shootout. Bobinski made the announcement on behalf of Xavier and the Atlantic 10 Conference. Freshman Dezmine Wells, who had a mandatory one game suspension for being ejected from the game for fighting, has been given an additional three games by Xavier and will serve a four-game suspension. Sophomore Landen Amos has also been given a four-game suspension.Junior Mark Lyons will serve a two-game suspension. Senior Tu Holloway will serve a one-game suspension.

Cincinnati Santacon is a gathering of like-minded individuals who wish to both get into the Christmas spirit, as well as spread Christmas cheer to their fellow man. SIGN UP and follow Santa on Twitter....On the morning of the event you will be contacted via mobile phone text message through Twitter and instructed to descend upon a location while wearing your Santa Claus Suit. Throughout the day you will continue recieving text messages and Tweets guiding you through Cincinnati (on foot) from location to location. Many of these locations are bars so this is not an event for children. The group of Santa Clauses will sing songs, make merry, and generally spread good cheer through the city.

I don't know how many of you have had an opportunity to visit Pearl Harbor. Not only was I lucky enough to visit but the day I was there, a veteran of Pearl Harbor actually led the tour. Hearing his thoughts on what happened that day was a privilege. Pearl Harbor is a beautiful location. When visiting you have mixed feelings of pride and sadness. It's hard to believe that so much horror and tragedy could have taken place in this spot 70 years ago. If you have a few moments today, say a prayer of thanks for all the heroes of Pearl Harbor, and all those who have served our country.

UC is going to the Liberty Bowl. The game willl be played in Memphis on December 31.

If you missed the tree lighting on Fountain Square last Friday, don't worry about it. You have another chance to join in the Christmas festivities downtown.This Saturday kicks off the Fifth Annual Macy's Downtown Dazzle. For the next three Saturdays, join us on Fountain Square at 6:30 p.m. and watch Santa and friends rappel down the side of the 525 Vine Building office tower followed by fireworks. Arrive early and enjoy live holiday music from registered World Choir Games choirs and a visit with mascots Whirl and Twirl. Immediately following the fireworks, head into Macy's for Story time with Mrs. Claus. This is a wonderful free event where the kids can enjoy stories from Mrs. Claus, cookies and craft activities.

Cincinnati Police are currently investigating an Aggravated Robbery and Abduction incident that occured 11/14/11 near the 900 block of Burton Ave in the Avondale area. Wanted for this offense is Curtis Boston male black 19 and Oliver Miller male black 22. Both subjects frequent the Price Hill, Cumminsville and Avondale areas.

I hope you were able to make the tree lighting on Fountain Square on Friday night. From the crush of the crowd, it seemed like everyone in the Cincinnati area was there. I didn't count them, but Channel 5 estimated that over 10,000 people spilled over the Square onto Fifth Street and Vine Street. Sheree Paolello hosted the event which began at 7:00p.m. Mayor Mallory flipped the switch on the tree at about 7:20. Santa floated from the U.S.Bank Tower onto the stage at Fountain Square and we were entertained by a band from New York, "Time Flies". I think we might have done better with a local band because this one murdered some terrific Christmas songs, but the fireworks show that ended the celebration was well worth the trip downtown.

Cincinnati shoppers can avoid the rush of the malls by shopping in Over-the-Rhine for unique, local gifts in a relaxed atmosphere. OTR is holding its fourth Holidays in the Bag event this Friday, November 25th. The official Holidays in the Bag, reusable shopping bag can be purchased for $5 the day of the event at all participating merchants. All proceeds of the bag go to the Freestore Foodbank, which distributes over 19 million pounds of food annually throughout 20 counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. With the purchase of the bag, shoppers will receive discounts at 20 locations in OTR.

We'll give you a little time to sleep off that Thanksgiving Dinner on Friday, but then come on downtown on Friday evening for the kick off of the holiday season! The 65' tree on Fountain Square will be lit at 6:30 p.m.There will be live music from Timeflies and ice skating. At 7:00p.m. hosts Brian Douglas of Q102 and Sheree Paolello of Channel 5 will emcee live from P&Gs Music Stage. Santa makes a special appearance, the Mayor himself lights the tree, and a beautiful fireworks show lights up the night! For those who cannot attend, Channel 5 will feature the event in a live 30-minute broadcast starting at 7:00 p.m.

You may have wondered what all that artwork that has been on display in the Westin Hotel Lobby for the past month is all about. It is the preview for the Secret Artworks Fundraiser being held tomorrow night. A lot of interesting people will gather tomorrow night to purchase miniature artworks that have been created and signed by artists from around the country. You just won't know who the artist is until after you have purchased the art. You may be purchasing art from the next Picasso. Friday, November 18, 20115pm-9pm (curtains open at 6) MCA Event Center (former location of the CAC, in the Mercantile Building)120 E. Fourth StreetCincinnati, OH 45202

The holiday season is always a special time of year. It is also a time when busy people become careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. We can never be too careful, too prepared or too aware.Driving - Avoid driving alone or at night.- Keep all car doors locked and windows closed while in or out of your car. Set your alarm or use an anti-theft device.- If you must shop at night, park in a well-lit area.- Avoid parking next to vans, trucks with camper shells, or cars with tinted windows.- Park as close as you can to your destination and take notice of where you parked.- Never leave your car unoccupied with the motor running or with children inside.- Do not leave packages or valuables on the seat of your car. This creates a temptation for thieves. If you must leave something in the car, lock it in the trunk or put it out of sight.- Be sure to locate your keys prior to going to your car.

The Police Department has made us aware of a scam that is connected with the Golden Buckeye card. If you have experienced a phone call of this nature, please contact the Cincinnati Police Department."We've been made aware of a potential scam in which an individual called a consumer and claimed to represent the State of Ohio and the Ohio's Best Rx program. The caller falsely said the state was issuing or re-issuing Ohio's Best Rx cards and that she needed information, such as bank account number or social security number, to verify the consumer's identity. Since the Golden Buckeye program is affiliated with the Ohio's Best Rx program, the Ohio Department of Aging is notifying consumers to be on the lookout for this scam and avoid falling victim.

Tomorrow, November 11, is Veteran's Day. Please take a moment to remember and say a prayer for all of the people who have served our country in the armed services.Did you know that the celebration of Veteran's Day dates back to World War I. World War I known at the time as The Great War - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of the war to end all wars.

Sloane Boutique, named after fashionable Sloane Square in London, opens in Over-the-Rhine Saturday, November 12. Located at 1216 Vine Street, in a building redeveloped by 3CDC and Urban Sites, Sloane Boutique will offer womens clothing and accessories priced from $50 and up. The store will be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The grand opening party is Saturday, November 19 from 7pm to 10pm with music, appetizers, and cocktails.

Well Cincinnati, you have a new Democratically-controlled City Council...and the winners are:Roxanne Qualls, P.G. Sittenfeld, Wendel Young,Charlie Winburn, Cecil Thomas, Laure Quinlivan,Yvette Simpson, Christopher Smitherman Chris Seelbach. Four incumbent Republicans were ousted to make way for the newcomers, Sittenfied, Simpson, and Seelbach. Your new City Council will be sworn in on December 1.

It was close, but it looks like the plans for streetcars in Cincinnati are going to be moving forward. Issue 48, which would have stopped the city from moving forward with the streetcars when down to a 51.5% to 48.5% defeat on Tuesday. If Issue 48 had passed, the city charter would have been amended to prohibit the city from spending or appropriating any money on streetcars or passenger rail transit through 2020.

Cincinnati Music Theatre announces Auditions for its spring production of Titanic the Musical, Sunday, December 4, 2:00-6:00 pm, and Monday, December 5, 7:00-10:00 pm at Clifton United Methodist Church, 3416 Clifton Ave. (just north of the Clifton and Ludlow intersection). Callbacks are Wednesday, December 7, 2011 from 7-10 pm.

Tomorrow is forecast to be a beautiful day with temperatures in the upper 60's. So, you have no excuse for not voting. I know it's an off-year election and you may not think it is important, but voting is both a privilege and a responsibility. In the United States, we have the rare privilege of being able to determine how we want to live and how we want to be governed. There is no unimportant decision. So take today to read about the issues and the candidates on the ballot in your area and make an informed decision tomorrow when you go to the polls. We are lucky today. Information about the candidates and the issues is just a couple of keystrokes away. If you don't make your voice heard at the polls, you have no business complaining about how our government is being run.

It's time to clean out your closets and give your unused winter clothing to those who don't have closets to clean out. The Freestore/Foodbank is collecting winter cozats, hats and and will be distributing them to those less fortunate who are really in need. They will clean each item before it is distributed so you don't have to worry about that. Beginning this Friday there will be a one-week collection for these gently used items. You can drop off your donations at the Christ Church Cathedral at 318 4th Street or at the Freestore/Foodbank drive-through on Liberty Street.

The Cincinnati Police Department offers some tips for a safe Halloween: Halloween is just around the corner and many neighborhoods will see ghosts, ghouls, and goblins floating through the streets on October 31, 2010. The Cincinnati Police Department along with the National Crime Prevention Council, home of McGruff the Crime Dog, suggests that parents follow these few tips to assure that their children enjoy a safe and fun-filled evening. Remember the following tips. Clear your yard and sidewalk of any obstacles or decorations that may be hard to see in the dark, lest someone go bump in the night.

Numerous air conditioning units, on top of Delhi Businesses, have been stolen. The thefts have occurred late night after the businesses have closed.Businesses at the interesection of Cleves Warsaw and Ebenezer, and Del-Fair Shopping Center have been hit.Please, if you see any suspicious late night activity around closed businesses please contact the police department.If you have any information in regards to recent thefts of air conditioning units please submit a tip and/or call the police department.

Ever heard of the Constella Festival? No, well I'm embarrassed to admit that I had not heard of it either. This is the inaugural season in Cincinnati and it is going on now. The Constella Festival was created to showcase and celebrate the depth and breadth of musical and artistic life in Cincinnati. Constella presents unique collaborations between international artists of the highest caliber, in partnership with eight of citys finest performing arts organizations, to spotlight the rich and vibrant musical fabric of Cincinnati. As well as traditional chamber music, Constella Cincinnati brings to audiences world premieres of several ground-breaking works, interweaving music, visual art and dance into multi-sensory artistic performances, presented in both conventional as well as unusual venues and surroundings.

Celebrate Halloween on Final Friday this year. Building upon last year's Pimp that Pumpkin success and recognition, Marsh Inc. will behosting Pimp that Pumpkin at the Pendleton Arts Center this year. Pimp That Pumpkin features artfully designed pumpkins created by Marsh employees, local artists from Pendleton and people from member companies of the 8th Street Design District. Marsh is partnering with ArtsWave whose mission and vision, much like that of the 8th Street Design District, is focused on making Cincinnati a better place to live, work, play and stay.

People Working Cooperatively will hold its 24th Annual Prepare Affair event from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov.12, 2011. The Tri-State's largest single-day community event helps prepare homes in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and portions of Indiana for the long winter months ahead.

Hairspray the Musical is coming to the Aronoff Center (Jarson-Kaplan Theater) November 4-12.

This Saturday, October 22, is the fifth annual "Books by the Banks" bookfair being held at the Duke Energy Convention Center. Over 100 writers and illustrators will be on hand for you to meet. Among the authors will be Judy Collins, author of "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes", Matthew Reinhart and his latest book, "DC Super Heros", Dennis Lehane, author of "Moonlight Mile" and many more. Children and their families can also enjoy storybook characters, crafts, and other fun activities in the K12 Kids Corner.

On October 11, 2011, at about 6:30 p.m., the Family Dollar Store located at 3500 Reading Rd. was robbed at gunpoint. The individual used a pistol and demanded money from the cash register. The suspect took an undisclosed amount of money and fled east on Hutchins Ave. The suspect was described as a black male, about 6' tall, thin build, wearing a Cincinnati Reds baseball hat and a dark shirt.

Cincinnati Police are looking for a missing 15 year old who is developmentally delayed. Missing from the Mt. Auburn area is Alexa Collins, female, black, light skin, 5'02" tall and 101 pounds, with her hair in a pony tail. Alexa was last seen wearing a maroon jacket and maroon pants carrying a gray backpack. Alexa is on medication for ADHD and she may have that medication with her. She functions at the level of an 8 year old. Alexa was traveling on foot, but she may be on the bus as she has a bus card.

The "Dream Italy" bocce ball tournament scheduled for Lytle Park on Saturday was cancelled when the "Occupy Wall Street" movement came to Cincinnati. Hundreds of protesters gathered at Lytle Park before moving on to Fountain Square in alliance with the protesters who have been organizing in New York City against Wall Street greed. Frustration with the gridlock in Washington and the perceived greed of large corporations these protesters have vowed to

Friday, October 7 is the 140th birthday of the Tyler Davidson Fountain on Fountain Square. When I heard this my first question was "will there be cake?" The good news is yes! Servatti's is baking a giant cake to celebrate the day and will be passing out pieces to party attendees. So make sure you get down to Fountain Square this Friday from 5-9pm to join in the party.

The transformation of the buildings that formally housed the Maisonette, La Normandie and Barleycorn is now underway. The rebirth of these Cincinnati landmarks will bring back the vitality that was lost when these fine dining establishments closed in 2005. This mixed-use project is being undertaken by Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), Four Entertainment Group (4EG), and BOCA Restaurant Group. This multi-building project will be converted into restaurants along with a lively entertainment venue. 4EG is creating a 7,500 square foot multi-level entertainment venue complimented with a very unique design and layout. It will cater to the business crowd as well as young professionals, patrons of the arts, the after dinner crowd, and service industry workers from neighboring restaurants.

It's "Final Friday" so if you are looking for something fun and different to do tonight, why not take a stroll around the thriving Cincinnati arts district and the entertainment district on north Main Street. This is a chance to meet a lot of great people, see some very interesting art and mellow out for the weekend. See more about Final Friday at www.cincinnatiarts.com

I was strolling down Walnut Street on my way back from lunch at Potbelly at about 12:30 today and noticed a minor ruckus at the U.S. Bank at the corner of Fifth and Walnut. About 100 protesters, who had found their way into the lobby, were chanting "stop trashing our neighborhoods" and holding signs asking U.S. Bank to take responsibility for the properties on which they have foreclosed.

I was lucky enough to have a ticket to see and hear President Obama today when he gave his speech in the shadow of the Brent Spence Bridge. The President is a dynamic speaker and fired up the crowd leading a cheer of "Pass This Bill" referring to his jobs bill. The President, accompanied by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, said that passing this bill would put workers like those at Hilltop (the location of the speech) back to work repairing our country's infrastructure with projects like the rebuilding of the Brent Spence Bridge. Although Mr. Paul received "boos" at his introduction, the President said that they were in agreement on infrastructure improvements like the bridges.

On September 21, 2011 at approximately 11:A.M., the Marathon Gas station at Martin Luther King Drive and Reading Road was robbed. Two black male suspects violently assaulted a female victim and took an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency. The incident occurred in the parking lot as the store employee was walking to her vehicle. The suspects fled the scene in a gray Dodge vehicle. The female victim suffered minor injuries during the incident.

Tamara Harkevy of ArtWorks hosted the dedication of ArtWorks latest mural at a ceremony yesterday. The mural, inspired by a Duvenek painting that you can see at the Taft Museum is at 2nd and Walnut. The children shown in the photo are the kids who worked on the mural this summer. While the weather is good, why not take a stroll down to 2nd and Walnut to get a first hand look.

Cincinnati Bengals players Kevin Huber (Punter), Jonathan Fanene (DE), Jason Shirley (DL) and DeQuin Evans (LB) made a visit to St. Cecilia School in Oakley recently. As part of an arrangement set up through the players Marketing Agents, John Keuffer and Brian Redden; these young men wanted to spend some time on their off day encouraging young people.After a short introduction and a silly dance competition between two teachers; the players got down to business to offer their message to the kids. DeQuin Evans kicked off the mini-talks focusing on setting goals and keeping your eye on the prize. Jonathan Fanene focused on the importance of balancing football, family and faith. Kevin Huber offered advice on the important of dedication and persistence while Jason Shirley encouraged the kids to focus on their education.

On September 19, 2011, a taxi cab driver was robbed in the parking lot of Krogers at 1 West Corry Street in Corryville. The suspect approached the driver of the taxi cab and pointed a gun at the victim. The suspect demanded money and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Kiplinger has named Cincinnati as one of the 10 best value cities. There are many reasons why we landed in the top 10 and if you live here you already know all about them, but it's nice to hear someone else tell us how great we are. Kiplinger mentions our affordable housing, great schools, professional sports teams (well maybe) and other big city amenities. Let me share the article with you.

Don't forget the Cincinnati Beerfest this Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Fountain Square. Music, beer tastings and plenty of fun. See the official Beerfest song in the video show to the right.

With several recent crashes involving pedestrians, the Cincinnati Police Department would like to urge residents who walk, run and bike to keep their minds on their safety.When it comes to traffic safety, information can save lives and prevent the hurt and injury caused by accidents. The majority of motorist/pedestrian/cyclist accidents occur in the evening between 6 p.m. and 12 a.m., with greater incidence on weekends.1. Be Aware of Yours and Others Visibility

There has been a rash of auto thefts in Mt. Lookout in the past two weeks. More than 50 offenses have been reported. Windows are being pried open and/or broken and the suspects are taking mostly loose change, GPS, and Ipods. All citizens are asked to report any suspicious acitivity to the police immediately by calling 911.

Monday, August 29th from 11am 6pm, the Duke Energy Convention Center, Hoxworth and Tri-Health are teaming up to host the Queen City Blood Drive. The event will take place at the Duke Energy Convention Center centrally located in the downtown area. Not only will you be able to donate blood but lunch, snacks and door prizes will also be available for donors.

On August 24th, 2011 at approximately 4:05 AM, an aggravated auto robbery occurred in the 600 block of Glenwood Ave. Taken in the robbery was a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer, a "Boss" radio and a I-Pad; however the vehicle has since been recovered. The suspects are described as: A black male in his early to mid twenties, he's approximately 6'4" tall and 220 pounds. He was wearing a white doo-rag, a gray T-shirt, blue jean shorts and white gym shoes. He has a medium to dark brown complexion and light facial hair; he was armed with a unknown caliber gun.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR SGT. RON SCHAEPER BY DONATING BLOOD...The Cincinnati Police have teamed up with Hoxworth Blood Center to encourage blood donations in a show of support for Sgt. Ron Schaeper. Sgt. Schaeper was injured in a traffic accident on Aug. 16th. Blood donations will not be designated for any particular patient; the drive is intended as a means to show support for a speedy and complete recovery.

The Coca Cola Company delivered a $10,000.00 check to Cincinnati Parks today in an event held at Theodore M. Berry Friendship Park. The grant was made as part of Coke's "America is Your Park Campaign." The funds will be used to construct a Bike and Mobility Center at the new Smale Riverfront Park. Construction moved the event to Friendship Park.The new bike center will feature secure storage for 150 bikes, bike rental and repair. Notables attending the event were Congresswoman Gene Schmidt, State Representative Eric Kearney, Cincinnati Council members, Wendell Young and Laure Quinlivan, and Willie Carden, Director of Cincinnati Parks and Mark Rahiya, Sr. VP of Coca Cola Refreshments. Channel 5's Todd Dykes led members of the Greater Cincinnati Boys and Girls Club and Queen City Bikes on a ceremonial bike ride at the close of the ceremonies.

On August 15, 2011, the Cincy Deli Store located at 2832 Jefferson Avenue was robbed. Two male suspects entered the store and threatened the clerk with guns. The suspects fled the store with an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency. Surveillance cameras captured the images of both suspects.

Join the block party and celebrate Second Sunday on Main Street this Sunday, August 14th from noon to 5pm. This hip, eclectic neighborhood event is where you will want to spend your Sunday afternoon with live music, food and craft vendors, and ice cold beverages in the official Christian Moerlein biergarten located at the corner of Woodward and Main streets. Thanks to Jon Powell and Prospect Hill Neighbors for serving as the official Beer Ambassadors this month!

Starting today is the Great Inland Seafood Festival on Riverboat Row in Newport. Highlight of the festival is whole Maine lobsters for $10.95. Don't miss this great opportunity for great seafood, great entertainment. The Seafood Festival is free to the public. Click on http://www.greatinlandseafoodfest.com/ for the full entertainment schedule. 15 area restaurants are partiipating.

Lighthouse Youth Services is hosting its first Walk the Walk on Saturday, August 13th. Proceeds benefit the new youth shelter opening this fall on Highland Avenue in Clifton. Starting at 9:15am on Fountain Square and following Vine Street north for 2.5 miles to tour the new shelter, walkers will follow the route taken by many homeless youth to obtain services.

The Cincy Blues Fest is starts tonight. Check out the schedule: On August 5 and 6 , Sawyer Point is the Place to be. The Budweiser Main Stage will feature Eden Brent, Big James and the Chicago Playboys, Rick Holmstrom, Moreland & Arbuckle, Ben Prestage, and Tad Robinson, as well as Cincy Blues Challenge winners Miss Lissa & Company and Brian Keith Wallen.

Double up on your cholesterol medicine. Beginning at 5:00pm today, you can treat yourselves to all things goetta at Glier's Goetta Fest at Newport on the Levy. In addition to the tasty goetta treats, there will be live entertainment, games and fun for the whole family. For more information click http://www.goettafest.com/

You may have heard about Sweepstakes Cafes that are opening up around Ohio. Well there is one scheduled to open in Cheviot soon. Locations in strip malls, gas stations and store fronts havebeen opening mostly in the northern parts of our state. Some offer other services, some are just the Sweepstakes Cafes that offer free food and drink to players. Ohio doesn't have a sweepstakes law and Internet cafes are not specifically covered under Ohio's gambling laws.

To accommodate the rapid growth of residential and commercial activity in Over-the-Rhine, 3CDC with help from the Over-The-Rhine Chamber has created a clean and safe ambassador program to assist in the ongoing renaissance. Two different ambassador teams started working on the streets of Over-the-Rhine the week of June 13. The clean team consists of one ambassador that works Monday through Friday 6am to 2:30pm and Saturday & Sunday 8:30am to 5pm. They focus on litter patrol, graffiti removal, weed abatement, and pressure washing.

This Friday, August 5th from 5:00pm til midnight is the Downtown Dash & Block Party at St. X Church. Begun in 2007 as a block party for the entire communitythis celebration has grown over the past 4 years.. With the addition of the 5k in 2008, the event took shape and remains the biggest block party and fastest 5k in downtown Cincinnati.The Downtown Dash is a non-profit event and all proceeds benefit downtown organizations that assist and/or educate those in need. So mark your calendars for August 5th, because you dont want to miss the best party of the summer.

Downtown Cincinnati Inc. is requesting your help in taking a survey about Downtown Cincinnati. They want your perceptions on safety, cleanliness, hospitality, etc. Why not take this opportunity to make your opinions know. Click "MORE" and then click the link to take the survey.

The 2011 Macy's Music Festival features an absolutely outstanding lineup with some of today's hottest performers. Come out Friday, July 29 and Saturday July 30 to hear and see them liveor better yet, come for both nights of show-stopping rhythm & blues, jazz, hip-hop, and soul. No matter when you come, you're going to see the best of today's music!

It's Freaky Friday in Cincinnati and time for the Servpro Water Balloon Toss on Fountain Square beginning at 11:45 a.m. The toss will be the traditional distance challenge, with players in two parallel lines tossing a water balloon across a short space that grows longer as the game continues. If your balloon breaks, you're out! There will be a maximum of four heats, with the winners of each heat competing in a toss-off for the prize of four tickets to The Beach Waterpark.

August 16 & 17, 2011Aronoff Center, Fifth Third Bank Theater

3CDC, Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, EBER Development and the City of Cincinnati announce the opening of the second phase of City Home

WHO & WHAT: Satisfy your sweet tooth with Graeters on National Ice Cream DaySunday, July 17! To celebrate, Graeters will offer single-scoop ice cream cones for just $1.41 in honor of the 141 years that Graeters has been the worlds best tasting ice cream. Come join the bash as the fourth generation of the family-owned company gives thanks for 141 great years! WHEN & WHERE: Dates: Sunday, July 17Time: Regular store hours Where: All Graeters Locations

Celebrating and Supporting Cincinnati with Local T-shirts Back for the fourth year in a row, Cincy Apparel T-Shirt Market on Fountain Square is tomorrow, Friday, July 15, from 11am until 11pm produced by 3CDC. Enhance your t-shirt collection by shopping at Cincinnatis one and only, all day T-shirt Market.

In case you were wondering what all the fun and games were about on Fountain Square yesterday, it was the annual corporate Olympics. Teams of people representing various Cincinnati corporations like Sara Lee, U.S. Bank, P&G and others competed in lighthearted Olympic-style contests for the benefit of the Hamilton County Special Olympics.

The Cincinnati Police Department would like to warn residents of deceptive door-to-door magazine sales crews are in the City of Cincinnati looking to earn a quick buck this summer.Crews have been on the east side of town going door-to-door soliciting funds under the guise that proceeds would go to local charities. A check with two of these charities reveals they have no working relationship with out-of-town magazine groups.

Join the block party and celebrate Second Sunday on Main Street this Sunday, July 10th from noon to 5pm. This hip, eclectic neighborhood event is where you will want to spend your Sunday afternoon with live music, food and craft vendors, and ice cold beverages in the official Christian Moerlein biergarten located at the corner of Woodward and Main streets. Thanks to 85 Broads for serving as the official Beer Ambassadors this month!

July 7, 2011: Guys, grease up those pompadours, and ladies, pull out your best vintage dress -- the first night of the Cincy Blues Fest will feature five Rockabilly acts on the Arches Stage on Friday, August 5. Tri-state favorites Straw Boss, The Wastewheelers, the StarDevils, and Crazy Joe & the Mad River Outlaws will bring their swingin' sounds to the stage, along with Ann Arbor, Michigan guitar slinger George Bedard.

This incident occurred on July 5th, 2011 at 10:30 am at Popeyes Chicken located at 6225 Glenway Av. The suspects entered the restaurant, brandished handguns, took an undetermined amount of money and fled in a red sedan on Glenway Av. Both suspects were described as male black, 20-25, 6, 140-150lbs. Suspect #1 was wearing a black shirt, black pants, gray air force one gym shoes, with a red bandana over his face, armed with a silver handgun. Suspect #2 was wearing a black shirt, black pants, black Nike gym shoes, with a red bandana over his face, armed with a black revolver.

Dillon McCormick, a Northern Kentucky resident and student at Turkeyfoot Middle School in Edgewood, will be a contestant on JEOPARDY tonight.

This incident occurred on July 3rd, 2011 at 3:20 am in the 2600 block of Thomasville Dr. The suspect pointed a silver handgun at the victim and demanded his money. The suspect was described as male black, 20-25, 506-508, 150lbs, wearing a black baseball cap, white shirt and black shoes. The suspect fled in a white Honda.

Welcome to the more than 15,000 Cincinnati visitors who are in our city this week for th LULAC convention. LULAC is the League of United Latin American Citizens. LULAC will be hosting many events while they are in town that are open to the public, including a free Los Lobos concert tonight.We hope you have a great time while you are in our city. Thank you for coming and enjoy the week!

One of my favorite ways to celebrate the 4th of July is with the Cincinnati POPs for Red, White and Boom at Riverbend. The show, on July 4th at 8:00p.m. at Riverbend includes our terrific Cincinnati POPs orchestra led by conductor, John Morris Russell followed by Rozzi fireworks. This year your ticket includes free admission to Coney Island (pool excluded). Kids sitting on the lawn are free. Tickets start at $15, including parking and are free for veterans and active military. Come out to Riverbend and enjoy the day.

Great news busriders. Now it is going to get even easier for the Cincinnati Metro to take your money. A $3.6 million federal grant will allow Cincinnati Metro to buy and install new fare boxes. The whole project will cost $4.5 million. Sounds a little expensive you might think, but that's because you haven't heard all these new boxes will do....they talk. So, no more lonely bus rides. You can now talk to the fare box. If you don't have correct change, you will get a "change card" back. Just what you always wanted. Now you can put a $20 bill in the fare box with no worries because you will get $18 back on a "change card".

You may have heard some of the flap about Covedale asking to be recognized as a separate community. I don't know how this all came up, but I lived on the west side of Cincinnati for over 30 years and I always thought Covedale was a separate community. Now it seems that they are part of West Price Hill and the City Manager, Milton Dohoney, says they cannot be recognized separately.

I was walking back to the office from lunch at noon today and almost saw one of our citizens splattered all over 4th and Walnut Street. Now, I admit to occasionally jaywalking, maybe not so occasionally, but I do look to see if a car is coming before I venture out into the middle of the street.This young women was busy texting as a truck came perilously close to her. People on the sidewalk yelled for her to "watch out", but she was oblivious. Fortunately the truck was able to stop just a couple of feet from hitting her. She just looked up and smiled.

This is the season when scam artists drive through neighborhoods looking to find people in their yards. Once spotted, the victim is drawn into a conversation about the work that needs to be done on their home and then offered a "bargain" home repair. The National Association of Bunco Investigators (NABI) says to beware when a repairperson knocks on your door. Look for these telltale signs:

Paul McCartney and his "On The Run" Tour will be coming to Great American Ballpark on August 4. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, June 17 at Noon. or by calling 1-513-381-REDS (7337).Tickets will be available only at the Great American Ball Park Box Office, or online at Tickets.com.The show usually runs about 3 hours. If you are a McCartney, this is your chance.

Looking for something to do on this beautiful Sunday in Cincinnati? How about the Concourse D'Elegance at Ault Park in Cincinnati? If that's not your cup of tea, you might like Italianfest on the riverfront at Newport on the Levy.

The 10th anniversary of the Subway Redlegs Run is Saturday, June 11, 2011. In celebration of this milestone there has been a 10K option added. All proceeds benefit the Reds Community Fund.

Did you know that today, June 8 is officially "Best Friends Day"? Me neither. Sounds like a Hallmark moment to me.Anyway, you are supposed to get together with your best friends and "celebrate the day".

Get ready for one of the most beautiful events of the summer...The East Row Garden Walk. For 15 years, curiosity, a passion for gardening and desire for unique ideas have enticed thousands of visitors to tour the charming gardens showcased on the East Row Garden Clubs annual Garden Walk in Newport. This year, the 2011 Garden Walk is Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26, in the East Row Historic District, the second largest local historic district in Kentucky. The Walk will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.

THE CINCINNATI POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING AN AGGRAVATED ROBBERY AND FELONIOUS ASSAULT WHICH OCCURRED AT 3232 JEFFERSON AVE . THE SUSPECT IS A MALE BLACK ABOUT 5' 06" WITH A SLIM BUILD. HE APPEARS TO HAVE A MEDIUM COMPLEXION. THE SUSPECT ROBBED THE CLIFTON INTERNATIONAL MARKET ON JEFFERSON AT KNIFE POINT, THEN FLED. THE SUSPECT WAS SEEN AND THEN CONFRONTED BY A CITIZEN AS HE FLED ON FOOT FROM THE STORE. THE SUSPECT TURNED AND STABBED THE CITIZEN IN THE CHEST WITH THE KNIFE.

The Taft Museum of Art will offer free admission and stay open until 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 19 as part of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) Art Museum Day. The Taft joins more than 90 other museums across North America celebrating International Museum Day.

On Wednesday May 18, 2011 there will be a Breakfast Lecture at the Cincinnati Masonic Center 317 East Fifth Street downtown featuring Cincinnati Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls. The title of her lecture is "Redeveloping Downtown - Reshaping the Future"Complimentary Breakfast begins at 7:45am. The program is stated for completion by 9am.The Cincinnati Masonic Center can be reached at 513-421-3579 for more information

I know this is not technically about downtown, but it is a good cause and I wanted to let you know about it. Alicia Lang graduated from Lakota West High School in 2010, but has been fighting the lung disease cystic fibrosis since she was 5 years old. From the age of 14, Alicia has been going into Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center every six to eight weeks for a fourteen day treatment of lung clearance and intravenous antibiotics to help break down the mucus in her lungs. Alicia is now 19 years old and cystic fibrosis is winning the fight she needs a double-lung transplant. Alicia is listed for a double-lung transplant at Cleveland Clinic and Loyola in Chicago and when the lungs are available, needs to pay over $350,000 out of pocket.

Bring out the big hats and stylin attire, its time to party for the Kentucky Derby. Tomorrow, May 6th from 5pm to 11pm the Square will turn into a traditional pre-derby event produced by 3CDC. Listen to award-winning bluegrass music and enjoy mint julep drink specials as well as derby themed food. The Kentucky Oaks race will be aired on the Fountain Square big screen at 5:45pm. Its a great way to celebrate the fastest two minutes in sports before heading to Louisville the next day.

Police are looking for the following person in connection with 5 counts of rape. Devore DeJanette ALIAS: Devore Christopher DOB: 05/03/88 RACE: Black HEIGHT: 511 WEIGHT: 160 HAIR: Black EYES: Brown His last known addresses are: LKA ADDRESS: 1809 DeArmond Ave. North College Hill, Oh. 45239, 3339 Bowling Green Ct. Cincinnati, Oh. 45225, 6587 Glen Orchard Ave. Cincinnati, Oh. 45237The suspect frequents the downtown West End area

If you visited Wendy's on 4th Street at lunch time today, you may have noticed that things were a little discombobled. There was a fire at the location last night around midnight. Fire crews reported that a mop was placed too close to an electrical panel causing it to catch fire. Besides damage to the electrical panel there was no major damage to the restaurant and it was open by lunch time. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

On April 21, 2011, at approximately 1:42pm, at Seventh and Vine Streets, a District One Motorcycle unit was flagged down by a victim of an aggravated robbery. The victim was robbed at gun point inside Magic Nails, 10 B W. Seventh Street, with a shot being fired inside the location. Fortunately, no one was injured as a result of the shot being fired. The victim of the offense identified a vehicle used by the assailant to flee the scene. The investigating officer followed the suspect vehicle, and with covering Vortex Unit officers, initiated a traffic stop at 800 West Court Street.

Cincinnati Police Department request assistance in locating a missing child; Staleek Niko Hudson, male, black, 11 years of age. He is 4'11" tall and weighs 125lbs. He has brown eyes and brown hair. He was last seen in the Pleasant Ridge area wearing a blue t-shirt, blue jean shorts and white sneakers.He suffers from Obstuctive Defiance Disorder and does not have his medication with him.If he is seen please contact Det. L. Sellers from District 2 at 979-4400 or the Personal Crimes Unit at 352-6474

I hope you were able to make the Samba on Fountain Square this Friday. The event was the kickoff for the Krohn Conservatory show Butterflies of Brazil. Over 300 people participated in the Samba. It is unclear at this point whether we set a new Guinness Book record or not. It seems the official record is 205 participants. Photographs of the event will be examined by the Guinness Book to see if we have set the record.I have some pictures and a video in case you were not able to make it to the Square or maybe you will be able to see a picture of yourself or a friend doing the Samba.Click this link for the video http://short.vadz.com/5309

Cincinnati Police District One is investigating the Aggravated Robbery of the Hustler Store at 411 Elm St. on April 11, 2011 approx midnight. A male black subject is seen on video entering the store and committing the offense. One shot was fired during the robbery and a bullet was recovered. Any information on this suspect please call Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040 or Detective Dan Kreider at 513-352-4565.

After Governor Kasich said he would not support streetcars in Cincinnati, the Ohio Transportation Committee, which formerly supported the project, rejected it this morning in a 6-1 vote.

JOIN THE DRC VOLUNTEER TEAM FOR THE GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP on APRIL 16!Beautifying Downtown during the Great American Cleanup each April is a DRC tradition. Join us for this year's Great American Cleanup on Saturday, April 16, from 10AM-1PM. We will meet at the Path to the Taft. To volunteer or for more information, contact DRC Clean, Safe, and Green Committee Chair David Siders @ dbsiders@gmail.com

Cincinnati Police are attempting to locate the following person, who is wanted for multiple felony counts: NAME: Brandon Harrell RACE: Black D.O.B: 9/13/85 HEIGHT: 511 WEIGHT: 165 LAST KNOWN ADDRESS : 654 Strand LN. 45232 Brandon Harrell is known to frequent the O.T.R. area and Winton Terrace. He should be considered armed and dangerous. He has the number (4) tattooed between his eyes and several other tattoos on his face and neck.

3CDC is bringing back EcoSculpt for the second year in a row. It is a three-week installation of original sculptures made of recycled and/or recyclable materials. Thanks to this years presenting sponsor Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance!Twelve artists ranging from sculptors to students have been selected and invited to install their sculpture on Fountain Square April 8 beginning at 9:30am. The sculptures will be on display until April 28.The sculptures may be as large as 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide and will be made entirely of a recyclable material.

As if today's news about Graeter's reopening in Northern Kentucky wasn't sweet enough, we have even more good news for all you pastry lovers in downtown Cincinnati. Servatii's will be opening another pastry and deli shop on Fountain Square in the Fifth Third Center Tower

For all of you northern Kentuckians who have to get your Graeter's fix downtown every day, there is good news. Graeter's has just signed a lease on two northern Kentucky locations. There is no definite date set for opening yet, but the Ft. Mitchell store will open first, followed by the Grand Avenue store."The Graeter family is excited to announce that they are bringing Graeter's Ice Cream back to Northern Kentucky, Summer 2011. The company has signed leases for two of the locations operated by its former franchisee. The first location to reopen will be the retail store at 301 Buttermilk Pike in Fort Mitchell/Lakeside Park, Kentucky. This was the first Graeter's store to open in Kentucky, so it is fitting that it will be the first to reopen. The Grand Avenue store in Newport/Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, will soon follow.

Can you believe those Reds? Down 3 runs in the 9th and they come back to win, with a home run yet. I have to admit that I was a fair weather fan. I turned off the tv in the bottom of the 8th and went out to do a few errands, but i did turn the radio on in the car so I was able to hear about the winning home run. What an exciting way to start the baseball season in Cincinnati.Though we were not at the game yesterday, Janet, our intrepid photographer, and her grandaughter, Bella, did manage to get some great photos of the parade which they have shared with all of us.

The Florence Freedom have invited the Bengals Players to tryout for the Florence Freedom team this summer. Check out the letter from the Freedom to the Bengals players shown below:With an official lockout looming and a Collective Bargaining Agreement seemingly out of reach, NFL players are preparing for a summer without organized workouts and an uncertain future. The Florence Freedom Professional Baseball Team would like to help out Cincinnati Bengals players by giving them the opportunity to stay active and employed this summer. Please accept our invitation to attend our team tryout on April 23rd!

You wouldn't know it from the weather, but it's spring and spring in Cincinnati means baseball! This Thursday is opening day. For those lucky people who have the day off to attend the game, good for you. Be sure to get downtown early as crowds will be heavy and parking will be at a premium. The gates at the ballpark are opening at 11:40am. this year, so you can get inside, find your seats, watch batting practice and get a hot dog or two for lunch before watching the 2:10pm game between the Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers.For those of us who don't have tickets, we can still join in the festivities. The Findlay Market Opening Day Parade starts at 11 am. Check the maps for the parade route,

For some reason, there seems to be a rash of missing children or run-aways this week. If you know anything about any of these children, please phone the numbers shown below:CINCINNATI POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A MISSING BOY NAMED SEANQUEZ ALEXANDER MALE BLACK 12 YRS. OLD 5'4 120 LBS. LAST SEEN WEARING: GRAY HOODIE, TEAL GREEN T- SHIRT, BLUE JEANS, AND POLO BOAT SHOES WITH A PLAD PATTERN. SEANQUEZ RAN AWAY FROM 4721 READING RD. CINTI. OH. 45237. ANYONE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE SEANQUEZ IS PLEASE CALL DISTRICT FOUR AT 569-8600. THANK YOU FOR ANY ASSISTANCE.

CINCINNATI POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A MISSING BOY NAMED ROBERT COOK . HE IS A MALE BLACK 16 YRS. OLD 5'9 165 LBS. LAST SEEN WEARING: RED SHIRT, TAN PANTS, RED/ WHITE/BLACK NIKE GYM SHOES. ROBERT RAN AWAY FROM 3603 WASHINGTON AV. CINTI. OH. 45229. ANY ONE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE ROBERT MIGHT BE PLEASE CALL DISTRICT FOUR AT 569-8600. THANK YOU FOR ANY ASSISTANCE!

On March 18, 2011, just before 9:00am, a vehicle was stolen from the Shell gas station on Fourth Street in Covington Kentucky. A four year old child was inside the vehicle when it was taken. Law enforcement officials from both sides of the Ohio River coordinated a response, safely locating the child at Cincinnati Fire Department Headquarters, Fifth Street and Central Avenue. Ms. Dixon was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital due to drug dependency, and the fact she is reportedly seven months pregnant. A police hold was placed on Dixon. On March 22, 2011, at approximately 10:15am, medical staff at the hospital discovered Ms. Dixon left the facility, against medical advice.

A DRC (DOWNTOWN RESIDENT'S COUNCIL) member has offered several pairs of Reds Opening Day tickets to raise money for the DRC and the Cincinnati Symphony.Bid today on pairs of tickets in Section 134 (Field Box on the 1st Base line) and 511 (View Level in left field).

For all of us over the age of "Eminem", this looks like a good one and it only runs for two performances on April 2 at the Aronoff Theatre. So you are "in the mood" for some great music and dancing, check this out.In The Mood is coming to the Aronoff Centers Procter and Gamble Hall on Saturday, April 2 at 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM. In The Mood features a thirteen-piece big band orchestra and six singer/swing dancers including a high-energy Swing Dance couple performing the songs of the 1940s. The show is presented by not-for-profit arts presenter, Artbeat.

Saturday was a beautiful day for the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Our photographer, Janet Ach, captured some pictures of the event. We hope they will bring back memories for those of you who were there and make you feel like part of the celebration if you were not able to make it downtown.

Come rain, sleet, snow, or hopefully, sunshine, the Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade with be held this Saturday, March 12 in downtown Cincinnati. Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, so celebrate early and come on downtown this weekend. The parade kicks off at 1:00p.m.

Most of us probably couldn't make it down to Fountain Square today for the Cinciditerod, but a little rain didn't keep our intrepid photographer, Janet Ach and those fun "Cinciditeroders" from enjoying the day. We thought this pictures would give you some idea of what a great event it was for all who participated.

You can't say there is nothing to do in and around Cincinnati this weekend. There is Bockfest on Friday and Saturday, the Cinciditerod at Fountain Square on Saturday, Mardi Gras at Findlay Market on Sunday and the Home and Garden Show at the Duke Energy Convention Center all weekend. So get out there and enjoy yourself.

District One detectives are currently investigating an incident which occurred February 18, 2011, at approximately 0230 hours in the 400 block of Elm Street, downtown. A male victim was assaulted while walking to his vehicle in the company of a female friend. The victim reported being assaulted by a black / male suspect wearing a white shirt underneath a tan jacket. The victim sustained a fractured Clavicle, Tibia and knee dislocation, the result of the assault. The suspect in question was captured on near-by surveillance video. At this time, District One is asking for any information regarding the identity of the suspect in the attached photographs.

The Cincinnati Arts Association is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Overture Awards Scholarship Competition, held on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at the Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater. The competition annually awards $2,500 scholarships to six area students for post-secondary education, with 18 runners-up each winning $500 scholarships. Students are nominated by their schools to compete in one of six disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art or Vocal Music. The scholarship program is the largest of its kind in the United States and was developed to recognize, encourage and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final and Final.

On 2-24-11, District 4 and District 2 Investigators charged a male 17 years of age for two aggravated robberies. The juvenile was charged for pistol whipping a male victim in Corryville on 1-30-11. He was also charged for the aggravated robbery of a female in Hyde Park on 1-30-11, 45 minutes after the first incident. The juvenile was arrested by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department/Colerain Twp/Springdale Twp Police for robbing a female in the 2700 Block of Townterrace Drive in Colerain Township on 1-30-11, during the evening hours. An adult by the name of Markalo White 18 years of age was arrested as an accomplice in the Colerain Township incident. Markalo White was charged with aggravated robbery in that incident.

Konrad, one of our programmers, came into the office this morning and told me that the George Clooney movie was filming on Fountain Square. I grabbed my Flip camera and headed on over to the Square to see if I could get a picture to share with you. This is the third time, I have waited to catch a glimpse of George Clooney, but the first time I had to wait outside in the cold. A glimpse is about all I did get...and the video I shot is horrible, unless you're really into movie crews. George is in the video, he is the person holding a cup of coffee and wearing earmuffs, but you will have to take my word for it. It was a cold, long wait to even get this close, but believe me, ladies, it was worth it. If anyone has better pictures and wants to share them, please e-mail them to me at carol@ourtown.com Please click this link to see my video http://short.vadz.com/5270

The Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, 111 East 13th Street, today announced the recipients of the Annual Star Awards. The Annual Star Awards recognize those organizations and/or individuals that have contributed to the revitalization of our grand historic neighborhood and for their outstanding accomplishments, and dedication to the Over-the-Rhine Community. WHY STAR AWARDS? Over-the-Rhine encompasses five unique neighborhoods: Washington Park, Mohawk, Central, Pendleton and Findlay Market. Each are diverse residential and business communities that are represented by a point on a Star!

This incident occurred on 02/15/11 at 12:05 am in the 1700 block of Baltimore Av. One suspect distracted the victim as the other suspect snatched the victim?s purse. Suspect #1 was described as male black, early twenties, medium complexion, shoulder length braids, wearing a black skull cap with a red bandanna underneath, a black hooded sweatshirt, and a tan shirt with tan pants. Suspect #2 was male white, early twenties, also wearing a black skull cap with a red bandanna underneath, a black hooded sweatshirt, a tan shirt, tan pants and tan boots.

Mitch's Mission along with the University of Cincinnati football team will play host to a fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 16,2011 called Playdate With The Bearcats. The fundraiser will benefit pediatric cancer and blood disease patients at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The event, held at UC's Campus Recreation and Wellness Center from 4-7 p.m. ET, is designed as a carnival-like, family-fun event, featuring UC student-athletes from the football team and other varsity sports along with the Bearcat mascot.

KZF Design, Inc., based in Cincinnati, Ohio, announces the awarding of three significant project contracts, the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution - Graterford, Pennsylvania, State Correctional Institution - Forest County and KZF's first project for the US Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Tallgrass Prairie Visitor Center, located in Cottonwood Falls, KS. The SCI Graterford East and SCI Graterford West Prison will be one of the largest correctional projects in progress in the United States. This 4,000 bed facility, located near Philadelphia, is part of a state-wide initiative to add 9,000 beds to Pennsylvania's overcrowded state prison system. KZF is providing architecture, sustainable design, security design, electrical and mechanical engineering as well as construction administration services to this $365 million project.

Jim Koch, founder of the Samuel Adams Brewery will be in town on Friday at the Samuel Adams Brewery on Central Parkway to announce the launch of the Brewing the American Dream Program in Cincinnati. This program was started in New England in 2008 to provide much needed funding to small business owners. The program also provides one-on-one mentoring and coaching, as well as educational seminars to help small business owners make critical business decisions.

The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is proud to present the 2011 Overture Awards Scholarship Competition the largest locally run arts scholarship competition in the country. The Overture Awards annually provides a $2,500 scholarship to six area high school students for education and training expenses, with 18 finalists each winning a $500 scholarship. The Overture Awards Finals Competition and Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at the Aronoff Centers Jarson-Kaplan Theater at 1:00 PM. Winners will be announced immediately following the competition.

By Andy Furman... Credibility comes in all shapes and sizes. A TV newsman would never put a spin on a story, for fear of losing his respect and credibility. Any audience would see through that. A coach in any sport needs to reflect his or her personality. If youre a screamer, then scream. If not, relate to your personnel as you would relate to anyone else. Its that simple. I think. But what about pitchmen? You know those so-called personalities on radio who push goods, services and products. When do they push their own envelope off the road? For example, the great morning man, Jim Scott on the so-called Nations Station, for the longest time was hawking his Lincoln, as a pitchman for the local Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealers. I could have sworn I heard him plugging Buick just the other day. Does anyone have any shame? Whats next, Edsels? What can we believe?

The award-winning chili that took Findlay Market by storm has taken on a life of its own, and is making its way into the hands - and mouths - of Cincinnatians, one event/venue at a time. The chili will be served this week at Tom+Chee on Court St., and at an event benefiting the Cincy Blues Society's Blues in the Schools program. On the cold Sunday afternoon of January 23, several hundred people braved the icy chill to make their way to Findlay Market's 2011 Gold Star Chili Cook-off and warm up with the chili of 26 contestants. The chili was ultimately judged by a crack team of 'chiliologists' from Over-the-Rhine's own Engine Company No. 5, of the Cincinnati Fire Department.

If you are wondering what to do this Saturday, come on down to Fountain Square for the Cyclones Classic. This is an all-day youth pond hockey tournament, followed by a hockey skills clinic led by Cincinnati Cyclones head coach Jarrod Skalde and assistant coach Scott Fankhouser and an exhibition pond hockey game by the national-champion Cyclones. The Cyclones game will feature announcers and live camera, and Cyclones staff will turn Fountain Square into a mini-U.S. Bank Arena with Twister, fan activities and giveaways.

The Anna Louise Inn in the Lytle Park area provides low-income housing for women and collaborates with Mercy Franciscan to host homeless families with children in its Family Living Center. The Anna Louise Inn has recently secured funding for a renovation. The majority of the money is from a HUD HOME Loan. This money from the Federal Government has to be passed through City Council to Cincinnati Union Bethel. It therefore requires a vote of Council. This will be before City Council Finance Committee this coming Monday, January 24th at 1pm at City Hall. No comments are allowed at this meeting and the full council is supposed to vote on the measure on Wednesday, January 26th. That meeting starts at 2:00 at City Hall and there will be a time for comment. There is opposition to this from Western Southern who would like to buy the property and turn it into luxury condos. The city council meetings are open to the public and public opinion can influence the results of this vote.

The Bengals announced today that ticket prices will not increase for 2011. They made it sound like they were doing us a favor. Considering the 2010 season, I think it would have taken a tremendous amount of nerve and a crazy amount of optimism to raise ticket prices. If I were the Bengals I would try to put a team on the field that someone wants to see before I even think about raising ticket prices. Their announcement is shown below: "BENGALS TICKET PRICES WILL NOT INCREASE FOR 2011

Are you an expert on Downtown Cincinnati? Or maybe you are just an enthusiastic resident who loves to talk about your town. Why not sign up to be a Resident Ambassador? Volunteers are needed to staff the Fountain Square Visitors Center. Training is on the first Saturday of the month. The Cincinnati Police Department, the Cincinnati USA CVB and the Downtown Residents Council are working together to make the new Fountain Square Visitors Center a success!

A large group of marchers made the trek from the Freedom Center to Music Hall this morning to begin the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Cincinnati.

Volunteers took down the decorations in Piatt Park this weekend, so I guess the holiday season is really over. Is it really only 3 weeks since Christmas? Thanks to all the volunteers who decorated and "undecorated" the park. It was beautiful.

Looking for an inexpensive way for the whole family to celebrate New Year's Eve together? How about the Toyota New Year's Eve Blast. There will be music, free ice skating and fireworks at midnight. The event begins at 8:00 p.m on December 31 and is free and open toall. Strauss and Troy is sponsoring the free ice skating. You can purchase beer, soda and snacks. There will be music from JD Pillo. Weather is supposed to warm up, so c'mon down and have a great time.

The Reds Community Fund announced that Pioneer Park in Kenton County, Ky. is the winner of the inaugural Home Field Makeover contest. As the winner, Kenton County Parks & Recreation will receive a complete field renovation project, underwritten by the Reds Community Fund. The fields at Pioneer Park will receive infield restoration, new fencing and backstops, field grading and leveling, new infield dirt and grass. The approximate value of these renovations is $50,000. The project will include support from Reds field vendors and members of the Reds grounds crew. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 29 at 10 a.m.

The Bengals are saddened today to learn of the passing of Bill Tiger Johnson, whose 17 years as a Bengals coach included three seasons as head coach. Johnson died today at his home in Ft. Myers, Fla., after a long illness. Tiger was admired and respected by all during the length of his tenure with the Bengals, said Bengals president Mike Brown. He was a mans man in every way -- strong, firm and yet lovable at the same time. I could talk for hours about his time here, and his loss hits me in the heart.

3CDC has brought together the partnership of First Student, provider of school transportation services to Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), and the YMCA-led CincyAfterSchool Network to give more than 1,200 students an opportunity to participate in one of the citys most popular outdoor attractions ice skating at the U.S. Bank Ice Rink on Fountain Square. For many of the students in grades K through 12, participating in the School Skates Program will be their first time on the ice. During certain dates there will be skating instructors from the Northern Kentucky Skating Club to teach the students to lace up and glide on the ice! First Student is providing free round-trip transportation and FREE skating from each of the participating schools, ensuring safe and reliable bus service for the participants. The program begins today, January 6 and runs weekdays through February 18.

Happy 2011! Have you got the post-holiday blues? No more holiday parties, no gifts, just cold. At least the pain of watching the Bengals every Sunday is over for another season. We're going to try to find things for you to do in Cincinnati this winter to alleviate that winter boredom. 1) The skating rink on Fountain Square is open for another month and a half. 2) Bellevue Renaissance is holding some events, including a "Get Away From My Life Promotion" sponsored by the Weller Haus Bed and Breakfast. (See details below.) and a "Shop, Pub and Crawl" this Friday.

Thorntons Inc. is excited to announce its first-ever CofFREE Day Celebration on Friday, December 24, at all 165 Thorntons locations in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee. From 3:00 p.m. to 12 midnight (Central & Eastern Standard Times) on Christmas Eve, customers may enjoy a complimentary coffee, cappuccino, or hot chocolate.

Duke Energy Holiday Trains 65th Season www.duke-energy.com/train (513) 287-1500 Duke Energy building lobby, 139 East Fourth Street November 26December 31, 2010 (closed December 25) MondaysSaturdays 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sundays, noon - 5 p.m. Holly Jolly Downtown Trolley presented by Fifth Third Bank November 27-28, December 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 2010 Saturdays 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sundays noon - 5 p.m. Two decorated trolleys provide weekend shuttle service in the heart of downtown

The snow is beautiful, but enough already. The weatherman has been freezing us out for a week and now he has decided to dump 6 inches of snow on us. It's only December and it feels like January or February. We've got things to do. Errands to run, presents to buy. We really don't have time for all of this. It's only 10:30 and already I'm bored. How many "judge" shows can you watch in a day? Maybe I'll go bake some Chrismas cookies. Hope to see you all back downtown tomorrow. Have a warm, cozy day.

If you have lived in the Cincinnati area all of your life, like I have. You have seen the city undergo many changes. When I was a little girl, a hundred or so years ago, downtown was vibrant and exciting. There were many stores, theatres and restaurants and going "downtown" was a special occasion. To create more housing options to better serve urban dwellers, apartments are now available in addition to the successful condominium sales program in Over-the-Rhines Gateway Quarter. The Studio, One, Two and Three Bedroom units feature top quality finishes and preserved historic features such as Rookwood Tile fireplaces. A grand opening ribbon cutting for Parvis Lofts will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 2pm at 1415 Vine Street in Unit 304.

You have probably heard a lot about cuts in the city budget for next year. Well you have a couple of chances to make your feelings known. The Budget and Finance Committee will have public hearings to discuss the City Managers Recommended City of Cincinnati 2011-2012 Biennial Budget (Operating Budget, Capital Budget, and Consolidated Plan Budget/Action Plan) on the following dates: DECEMBER 13, 2010 6:00 p.m. @ Midway School - 3156 Glenmore Avenue - Cincinnati, OH 45211 DECEMBER 15, 2010 6:00 p.m. @ Clifton Cultural Arts Center - 3711 Clifton Avenue - Cincinnati, OH 45220

The Cincinnati Bengals and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves are pleased to announce the results for our 2010 Toys for Tots collection held at the Bengals/Saints game on Sunday, December 5. Bengals fans very generously contributed 1932 new toys and $21,480 in cash donations. With more than 40,000 children in the 8 county Tri-State area being supported during this Holiday Season by Toys for Tots, the Bengals toy collection is one of our largest. We are very grateful for all the contributions, said U.S. Marine Sergeant Jonathan Briick 2010 Toys for Tots Coordinator.

Today is Pearl Harbor Day...the day the Japanese bombed the Hawaiian naval base plunging the United States into World War II. Over 2400 American military personnel were killed in the attack and over 1200 were injured. For some reason Pearl Harbor Day seems to be a non-event this year...not much mention of it on the news or the search engines, not even a special logo on Google. The number of Pearl Harbor survivors is dwindling on this 69th anniversary of the attack, most of them are in their 90's, but I'm sure they will never forget that day and we shouldn't forget it either. Let's take a moment to offer a tribute to all of those who were at Pearl Harbor on that life-changing day. To them and all those who fought in World War II, we salute you.

A record 21,781 fans attended this weekends FOX Sports Ohio Redsfest at Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati. The crowds of 8,747 on Friday and todays total of 13,034 both were single-day records. More than 60 former and current Reds players and coaches participated in this weekends events.

The University of Cincinnati/College-Conservatory of Musics production of Evita (Nov. 17-21, 2010) has received six Acclaim Award nominations. This season, the Acclaims have added the Cincinnati Theater Awards (CTAs), which will invite the public to vote for favorite performers and productions by university theater programs and community theaters. The Acclaim Awards have recognized and celebrated excellence in greater Cincinnati theater since 2006. More than 30 Cincinnati-area theater experts critics, practitioners, producers and educators participate. Find 2010-2011 season Acclaim nominations, recommended productions and an explanation of voting procedures at www.CinStages.com.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I was out of town this weekend and didn't make it to the tree lighting on Fountain Square but some people who did have sent pictures that I thought Iwould share with you. If any of you have pictures you would like to share, send them to carol@ourtown.com

The Cincinnati Bengals and the Freestore/Foodbank are pleased to announce the results of the annual canned food drive which was held prior to the Buffalo Bills game on Sunday 11/21/2010. Bengal fans donated 7107 pounds of non-perishable and canned goods and $11390 in cash donations to help feed the hungry in our community.

This year many shoppers will be out early to find those big bargains on Black Friday or online for Cyber Monday, but the criminals will be out too. The Cincinnati Police Department and National Crime Prevention Council have 10 tips to help you shop safely while getting those great holiday bargains throughout the shopping season. 1. Do not buy more than you can carry. Plan ahead by taking a friend with you or ask a store employee to help you carry your packages to the car. 2. Shop online with companies you know and trust. Check a companys background if you are not familiar with it. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Alex Shebar at Yelp asked that we pass along a review of a new Cincinnati restauranT, ForkHeartKnife. Sounds yummy. You might want to give it a try. "You'll feel welcome at Fork Heart Knife the minute you set foot in the door. Even better than that; if there's a crowd waiting for a seat at brunch and you're waiting on the sidewalk in good weather, they'll have a cup of coffee for you to make your wait more pleasant. You start feeling welcome before you even get in the door. The food is wonderful and comforting. Try their strata or quiche for brunch, you'll be ready to crawl back into bed warm and content when you finish your meal.

You might wonder how our city seems to magically transform itself with holiday lights and decorations. Well, there is nothing magic about it. It is due to the hard work of volunteers like these from the Downtown Residents Council who decorated the Piatt Park recently. If you see any of them around town, thank them for helping to make the city beautiful for all of us.

Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced the signing of free agent C Ramon Hernandez to a 1-year contract through the 2011 season. "We wanted to provide our young pitching staff with some continuity. We felt all of our pitchers were comfortable pitching to Ramon," Jocketty said. "We also like his production at the plate. Our catchers were very solid last year offensively."

Our friends at Yelp, www.yelp.com have shared with us a review of The Mockbee in Clifton. The Yelp reviewer has given it 5 stars so you might want to try to get there for their next event. The Mockbee is located at 603 W McMicken Ave Cincinnati, OH 45214... A review of the Mockbee is a review of the space itself. A wide variety of events are held here and through out the last 8 years I've seen punk shows, peformance art pieces, an independent erotica film festival (don't ask), fundraisers of various sorts, tons of indie music festivals, burlesque shows, poetry readings....everything one can imagine. It's probably best known for housing the SSNOVA shows.

Cincipulse will be initiating a new feature this week highlighting downtown businesses. Our first featured business is Gilpin's Bagel and Deli on 7th Street between Walnut and Vine. They have been at this location for abour 18 months and I'm embarrassed to say this is the first time I've stopped in, but it won't be the last. . Gilpin's is a small deli that makes steamed sandwiches and steamed cheeseburgers making it unique in Cincinnati. There is a large menu and it even has a large vegetarian selection.

Well, it was fun while it lasted. The Bengals even made it exciting in the second half, but somehow I think we all suspected, from the moment of that fumble on the opening drive, that things were not going to go as we had hoped. Close is good, but it really only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades and the Bengals, unfortunately, lost 27-20 to the Steelers.

If you want to celebrate what we hope will be a Bengal's win tonight, but you don't have tickets to the game, you can join in the festivities anyway. Stop by Fountain Square on your way home from work and join in the party. There's music, celebration and you can watch the game on the Big Screen. Have fun!

Artemis Exchange is proud to announce the premiere of @ the Underground, part of Know Theatres Jackson Street Market, a new series which looks to provide independent theatre groups and artists in Cincinnati the opportunity to produce new works. @ the Underground will kick off at 7:30pm next Monday, November 15th, at Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson Street. As part of Know Theatres Jackson Street Market, @ the Underground aims to continue exploring the types of experimental theatre encouraged by the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, with a focus on productions that may be submitted to our Fringe, as well as others. Artemis Exchange co-Founder Chris Wesselman says, By providing this type of programming on a more consistent basis, its our hope that the audience base for these types of productions will continue to strengthen and grow, providing even more support for up-and-coming artists and independent groups. @

The College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Musical Theatre department kicks off its Mainstage Season with Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webbers rock opera Evita. This vivacious show runs from November 17 (preview) through November 21 in CCMs Corbett Auditorium on the University of Cincinnati campus. Winner of seven Tony Awards, Evita brings to life the dynamic, larger-than-life persona of Eva Pern, wife of former Argentine dictator, Juan Pern. Her huge political influence and widespread charity catapulted her into the hearts of the working class, but enraged the wealthy and the military of Argentina. This exuberant production creates a gripping theatrical experience and features the memorable songs High Flying, Adored and the legendary Dont Cry For Me, Argentina,

George "Sparky" Anderson died today of "complications from dementia." It was announced just yesterday that he was entering hospice care for his illness. Sparky brought a lot of excitement to Cincinnati in 1975 and 1976 leading the Reds to back-back World Series. Sparky Anderson brought a smile to a lot of Cincinnati faces and he will be missed. He died at his home in Thousand Oaks California. The Hall of Famer was 76 years old.

Well, Election Day 2010 is over and it's a tough day to be a Democrat in Ohio. Republicans will take over the state house, Mike DeWine will be our new Attorney General. Locally, Chabot, Portman and Schmidt will be representing us in Congress and Chris Monzel defeated Jim Tarbell to return Hamilton County to Republican control. Whether you are celebrating or distraught this morning, I think we can probably all agree that we are glad it's over and maybe our elected officials can get off television and get back to work doing what we pay them to do. Congratulations to all of the winners and condolences to those who fought a good race but came out on the losing end.

No matter what else you do today, be sure to get out and vote. This is your chance to have your say. You have until 7:30p.m. to vote in Ohio. If you haven't been following the election, then get on the internet today and find out what the candidates stand for and make an informed decision.

Cincinnati took part in the "Rally to Restore Sanity" by watching the Washington DC Rally on the Big Screen on Fountain Square on Saturday afternoon. You can read more about the rally below with this excerpt from the www.rallytorestoresanity.com website.

Cincinnati City Manager, Milton Dohoney, announced a hiring freeze for city employees today. This includes transfers, promotions and other internal moves. The city faces a $60 million budget shortfall next year. This hiring freeze is expected to be followed by a reduction in force in early 2011. Already approved transfers and promotions will not be affected by the hiring freeze.

On Thursday His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama spoke in front of a sold out crowd at Millet Hall on Miami Universitys Campus. The 10,000 plus crowd was in a state of excitement and curiosity awaiting the arrival of His Holiness. They were not disappointed. As he came out on stage the crowd erupted into a roar to welcome him, and then the teaching began! His Holiness was not the typical guest speaker one would imagine, but then again most speakers are not considered to be enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity. He spoke in more of a conversational way sitting on a couch instead of standing at a podium. He was very fond of joking around and being able to see the people who he was addressing. He made many jokes and at one point during the speech he took off his shoes (without stopping the story he was telling) to become more comfortable.

I'm not sure whether to be happy about this or not, but the Ice Rink opens on Fountain Square on November 24. Seems like Christmas and "brrr" winter are rushing toward us.

More Halloween fun is scheduled with the Cincinnati POPS at Music Hall this month with special performances on October 29 and 30.. There will be two nights of music and mirth, just in time for Halloween! A costumed Orchestra is joined by a creepy cast of singers and dancers for a bagful of musical tricks and treats for all ages. Wear your costume for a chance to win great prizes.

Get into the mood of the season with a HAUNTED TOUR of Over The Rhine. The Queen City is Haunted walking tour is a one hour stroll through OTR that takes you inside historic buildings where paranormal activity has recently been documented and includes stories about ghostly sightings dating back to the mid-1800s. Learn about Cincinnati's Murder College, the ghosts of Music Hall and our areas most prolific killer.'

Lots of businesses around downtown are offering REDs specials this month. Check out the list below and join in the party. EAT Below Zero Lounge Special REDTINI = Red Apple Vodka Martini made with exclusive RED vodka Blackfinn Restaurant & Saloon Drink specials during the games will be $2.50 pints, $3 bottles, and $7 pitchers of Miller and Coors Light. Cadillac Ranch Wide variety of promos for Reds events including drink and food specials for the playoff games, plus unofficial after party for playoff games with crazy drink specials. Family friendly atmosphere for all pre game events.

Reds Fever is heating up Fountain Square today. When I was there the team had not yet arrived but there was a growing crowd, wearing red and cheering for the team. I managed to snap a few pictures that I thought I would share with you in case you can't make it to the festivities.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! The Reds clinched the NL Central Division in a 3-2 victory over the Astros tonight. Jay Bruce hit the winning home run and the crowd went wild. Our photographer was on Fountain Square watching the game on the big screen when the festivities began. Check out the pictures.

Yesterday was the Annual Walk to Stop Aids. The Walk to Stop AIDS is more than just a walk each year. Its an event loaded with entertainment, festivities, prizes socializing, breakfast, lunch and refreshments. From Sawyer Point through five miles of scenic Cincinnati, Covington and Newport then back across the Purple Bridge and a return to Sawyer Point. It was a beautiful day and everyone had a great time. Check out the pictures.

Cincinnati Bengal, Chris Crocker is hosting a Happy Hour Fundraiser at Nada Restaurant to benefit Visions Community Services. Visions is a community-based organization committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by providing human services that strengthen families and promote self-sufficiency (http://www.visionscs.org/). It's Monday 9/27 from 608 at Nada Restaurant

Next Saturday is the second Annual Ta Da Celebration sponsored by the Fine Arts Fund. Last fall, people from across the region came together on Fountain Square to celebrate our city through the power of collective creativity. Cincinnatis first-ever Splash Dance became an Internet hit, getting over 50,000 views! You can participate this year and help to paint the street on September 26, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. It's an event for the whole family.

There was a ribbon cutting ceremony on Fountain Square today for the Convention and Visitors Center's Visitor's Center Visitors to Cincinnati can stop at the Center to find out what to do and see in our city. The space and equipment for the Center was donated by Fifth Third Bank, IKEA, Waltz Business Solutions and Cincinnati Bell.

This weekend is Oktoberfest in Zinzinnati. You can take a sneak peek on Friday on Fountain Square starting at noon, but the real fun begins Saturday at 11:00 a.m.

The first ever Kentucky Dragon Boat Race will be held at A.J. Jolly Park on Saturday, September 11. Join the Womens Wellness Center at St. Elizabeth Hospital and help to fight against breast cancer while having a great time. Dragon boating is the oldest continuously raced sport in the world, and the fastest growing in America. Teams of twenty individuals race by paddling in a 41 foot long canoe with a carved dragon head and tail.

Bengals OT Andrew Whitworth is inviting fans and businesses in Bengals country to join him in supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati through the Big Whit Challenge. For every offensive touchdown the Bengals score in the 2010 regular season and postseason, Whitworth and his Big Whit 77 Foundation will make a $250 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs. The clubs provide a vital community service, offer after school and summer programming to more than 12,000 deserving children each year.

The weather forecast calls for an early fall-like day on Saturday. A perfect day for the Guinness Oyster Festival beginning at noon on Saturday on Fountain Square. McCormick & Schmicks, Arnolds, and Washington Platform will offer a variety of raw and cooked oyster dishes that are sure to pique your interest and tempt your palate. Salmon, tuna, and other non-oyster dishes will be available as well. Other attractions include specialty cocktails, a create-your-own Bloody Mary bar, and merchandise from Donkey Ts and the I Love Cincinnati Shoppe.

Tonight at Joseph Beth Bookstore in Rookwood Pavillion is the kick-off to the 4th Annual Books By the Banks event to be held next month at the Duke Energy Center. Festival organizers will present the 2010 Books By the Banks poster by Will Hillenbrand and Mr. Hillenbrand will be on hand to discuss his work. Illustrators John Maggard, Ryan Ostrander, and C.F. Payne creators of prior year posters will also be at the event.

The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) will present its annual Overture Academy on two consecutive Saturdays: October 9 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts and October 16 at Glenwood Gardens (10397 Springfield Pike). The Academy helps talented artists in grades 7-12 improve their skills through interactive workshops and master classes, including such topics as improvisational acting, vocal audition techniques, jazz music for instrumentalists, and photography.

You'll want to head on down to Sawyer Point this weekend for the Fourth Annual Cincy Brew HaHa. Beer, lots of laughs and a beautiful weekend. Who could ask for more. Cincinnati has a proud brewing history and this event pays tribute to it. Brew Ha Ha is a one-of-a-kind event that brings together great comedic acts and a wide variety of beers to sample. The event takes place on Friday, August 27, from 5pm - 12 Midnight and Saturday, August 28, from 4pm - 12 Midnight. Dont miss out on this opportunity to sample the many varieties of beers - from ales to lagers and pilsners to stouts - plus food, music, and of course the constant flow of live comedians on three separate stages!

The Ohio Renaissance Festival opens its gates on September 4 for another season of 16th Century fun for the whole family! To kick-off the 21st annual season, adults (ages 13 +) can receive buy one, get one free admission tickets a savings of $19.99 on September 4, 5, and 6, sponsored by Woodchuck Hard Cider. The special BOGO discount is available at the Box Office or online at renfestival.com where patrons can buy and print their tickets or send them to a mobile device.

The "Milk The Moment Tour" is coming to Cincinnati next week...August 30-September 2. Events are being held all around town to encourage moms to set the table with milk. Events include: A contest for a family to win a trip to SanFrancisco and dinner with Tyler Florence, a football toss, milk mustache photos, free milk and health consultations The tour will stop at the following locations around Cincinnati: Monday, August 30 at Trip County Mall from 11-1p.m. Tuesday, Aaugust 21 at the Cincinnati Museum Center from 11-5 p.m. Wednesday, September 1 at Fountain Square from 11:30-1:30 p.m. Thursday, September 2 at ewport on the Levee from 11-1 p.m.

John Mellencamp is coming to Music Hall on November 1 with his "No Better Than This" Tour. Tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

Our sister site, www.vADz.com has launched a contest today for the best vADz created using its video editor. This is a great opportunity for small businesses, classified advertisers and anyone who has a product or service to sell to make a free advertising video and have a chance to win a Flip video camera. Entry is free. Just visit http://www.vadz.biz/Contest.html.

Last evening was the Downtown Dash and Block Party at St. Xavier Church. Our roving photographer, Janet Ach, was dashing around downtown snapping photos and has shared them with us. It was a beautiful night and Janet caught some beautiful people with her camera. Take a look.

Looking for a great way to wrap up the Cincinnati Blues Fest this weekend? Then come on down to Findlay Market on Sunday for the annual Blue BBQ. From 11-4, you can stroll around Findlay and enjoy music and brews in the OTR Biergarten. The music lineup is shown below: 11:00am II Juicy 12:15pm Tempted Souls 1:30pm Voodoo Puppet, 2:45pm Chuck Brisbin & the Tuna Project.

The Fine Arts Fund will celebrate the benefits of the arts on Cincinnati area communities, bringing people together to design and create a colorful street painting this fall. On Tuesday, August 10, the Fine Arts Fund will host a community meeting to gather suggestions and design ideas for the street painting party. The meeting will be held in the Lecture Hall at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, located at 1212 Jackson Street, 45202. It will last from 5:30p.m. to 7:30p.m. and is open to anyone interested in helping to design the street art.

You may have heard about this event in other cities across the country and around the world, well now "Play Me I'm Yours" is coming to Cincinnati. You will see painted pianos on Fountain Square and around Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky and you are invited to play. In Cincinnati, the exhibition is being presented by 90.9 by Cincinnati Public Radio to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 90.9 WGUC, the 40th Anniversary of 91.7 WVXU and the 60th Anniversary of 88.5 WMUB.

Jersey Productions (JP) is thrilled to present SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD by Jason Robert Brown as a staged concert to benefit both Jersey Productions and the Cincinnati Acclaim Awards. SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD will be performed Friday, August 13, 2010 at 8pm at the Aronoff Centers Jarson-Kaplan Theater. This summer will mark Jersey Productions' third year at the Aronoff Center for the Arts as a resident company.

You are all familiar with Lytle Park, well beginning today for a very short time, it will be know as "@rlytle" Park. Ryan Lytle, a 22 year odl Cincinnati native has been selected as one of 20 finalists to be the first MTV "TJ" or "Twitter Jockey." One of Ryan's tasks is to build his base of Twitter "followers." So the Park is being temporarily renamaed using Ryaan's Twitter name "arlytle" to encourage the public to rally behind him. Council Member Chris Bortz, Willy Carden from the Cincinnati Parks and Mindy Rosen of DCI attended the renaming ceremony along with Ryan this morning.

I just experienced an unexpected treat while eating lunch on Fountain Square today. The Cincinnati Young People's Theatre performed selections from this year's production of Les Miserables. When I first heard the program announced, I cynically thought, "now this should be good." If you haven't seen Les Miz, it is an ambitious production challenging for the most seasoned performers. What a delightful surprise. these kids are terrific. They have beautiful voices and they performed like true professionals in spite of the traffic noise and sirens in the background.

The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum has announced the Reds players and Hall of Famers who will be in attendance at events for the 2010 Induction Weekend, July 16-18. Reds Hall of Famers: Johnny Bench, Jack Billingham, Pedro Borbon, Tom Browning, Leo Cardenas, Eric Davis, George Foster, Cesar Geronimo, Wayne Granger, Tommy Helms, Barry Larkin (Sat./Sun. only), Jerry Lynch, Jim Maloney (Sat. only), Lee May, Joe Morgan (Fri./Sat. only), Gary Nolan, Jim OToole, Chris Sabo and Mario Soto.

After five years of planning and construction, the new baseball field at Owls Nest Park will be dedicated on Thursday, July 15 at 6 p.m. This vital inner-city baseball field at a unique city park will be used by baseball and softball teams from the Evanston, OBryonville and East Walnut Hills communities. Owls Nest Park is located at 2000 Fairfax Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45207. The dedication was rescheduled from Saturday, June 12.

The Cincinnati Equinox FunFare wasn't the only party that the organization sponsored this past weekend. If you weren't downtown on Sunday you missed a great parade. From the pictures of the crowd, it looks like a good time was had by all. If you are not familiar with Equinox, check out their website at www.equinoxcincinnati.com.

There will be lots of Independence Day Celebrating on Fountain Square this weekend. There's something for everyone. On Sunday, July 4, you can begin the evening with the PNC Summer Music Series, Smooth Sunday from 6pm to 9pm. This weeks performers are Adam Joseph, Alfred Beasley & Purple Rose, Sjuwana Byers & The Children of God and DJ Easz. Then stick around to end the night with a bang at 9pm, P&G Fourth of July Bash.

This one sounds like fun for the whole family. It is the Equinox Fun Zone being held on Fountain Square this Saturday from 11-3. Come downtown in your bathing suit. There will be a bouncy house and slide for the kids, a giant inflatable slip n slide, a giant inflatable twister game, and inflatable obstacle course, a dunking booth. Hotdogs, snow cones and bars. What more could you want on a sunny Saturday. Oh, I know, DJ Chris Mercier. AND ITS FREE!

The 9th Annual Cincinnati Paddlefest begins today through Saturday at Coney Island. Paddlefest is the largest paddling event in the US and includes the largest water safety and environmental education event for children and teens in the Midwest! There are loads of events...too many to repeat here...so check out www.ohioriverway.org. Have fun!

Pete Rose Jr., son of Major League hit king Pete Rose, has been hired by the Florence Freedom as the new hitting coach effective immediately during the 2010 season. Rose Jr. or PJ, 40, brings 21 years of professional playing experience to the Freedom dugout which includes a 1997 call-up to the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds. Were thrilled to bring in Petey to be our hitting coach, Freedom Manager Toby Rumfield said. Hes been by voluntarily before to work with our guys and theyve been really receptive. Hes going to be a great addition.

There is a great coupon on Groupon today for Sterling Cut Glass. You can buy a $50 certificate good for purchase of merchandise in the store or on the website for only $25. Click on our Groupon widget or go to www.groupon.com.

The Fire Museum of Greater Cincinnati is celebrating its 30th year with the opening of a new exhibition "30 Years of Collection." The exhibition features unique Cincinnati-related artifacts including picutres of the the 1919 Cincinnati Fire Department baseball team with Fire Chief Henry C. Bunker and former US President William Howard Taft and a pocket watch owned by Lt. Joseph R. Campbell that was crushed and melted in the 1910 Sycamore Street fire.

State Representative Dale Mallory (D-Cincinnati) today announced the State Controlling Board has approved spending $4 million to aid in the construction of the new, state-of-the-art building for the School of Creative and Performing Arts in Over the Rhine. For nearly forty years, the School of Creative and Performing Arts has been a shining star in our community that attracts students from every corner of the state and region, said Rep. Mallory. The states investment in the new building marks a continued commitment to our talented young people who have an interest and passion for the arts.

The Cincinnati Visual Fringe Festival will take place this year at the Art Academy of Cincinnati's Chidlaw Gallery. Visual components include paintings, photography, and mixed media. The exhibit (June 1-12) will be available for viewing weekdays from 6 pm- 10 pm and weekends from 12 pm-10 pm. A special visual exhibit, Body Language III: Walk in Our Shoes, will be presented at Switch (1207 Vine Street) weekdays 11am -7 pm and Saturdays 11 am-6 pm with a special performance on Saturday, June 12 at Duveneck 2. The Visual Fringe opening reception will take place June 1st from 6 pm-9 pm at the Chidlaw Gallery.

In addition to the theatrical performances of the Fringe Festival, there are also Visual Fringe and Film Fringe components. The Cincinnati Film Fringe Festival will take place this year at Media Bridges (1100 Race Street, 45202). Six films will be featured on two days this year: June 6 and 10. Having looked at all the entries, all we can say is that there are some beautifully different people out there. And with that, we celebrate the differentthe randomthe non-Hollywood films of our time. Or, as we like to call them: the Film Fringe." Chris Strobel & Sara Drabik Mahle, Co-Chairs of the Film Fringe Committee Film Fringe Line-up

Demolition Ax the Masked Superstar will appear with mask at Jake Sweeney Chevrolet, 33 West Kemper Road, Friday, May 28th from noon to 2 p.m. Demolition Ax, a former WWE Tag Team Champion, will see action Saturday evening May 29th at DAV Chapter 131, 4610 Trenton Franklin Road, Middletown, Ohio. He will also perform Sunday (May 30th) at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds, 7801 Anthony Wayne Avenue. He will have tickets to distribute to Jake Sweeney showroom customers for both events.

There will be a public meeting hosted by 3CDC and the Cincinnati Park Board detailing the final plan for Washington Park. The long-awaited renovation and expansion project is finally ready to begin. The meeting will be at: THURSDAY MAY 20, 6:30pm to 8pm Art Academy of Cincinnati, 1212 Jackson St. ALL ARE INVITED.

State representative Denise Driehaus will be hosting coffee and conversation at the Front Porch Coffee House at 5245 Glenway Avenue this Saturday from 9-10:30 a.m.

State Representative Connie Pillich today announced the state will spend $2 Million on redevelopment and research projects at General Electric and Maverick Corporation that will save 5,000 jobs and position the Cincinnati area as a leader in the high-tech aviation materials industry. GE will use funds from a Rapid Outreach grant to purchase new machinery and equipment in the companys $161 Million redevelopment plan of their Aviation Divisions worldwide campus headquarters in Evendale. Through the project, 5,000 high-paying jobs will be saved

State Representative Dale Mallory today announced that the State Controlling Board has approved spending more than $8.7 million on four projects that will support the local economy by saving and creating jobs in Cincinnati. The state will spend $7.5 million as part of the renovation project that will turn Vernon Manor Hotel into office space for the Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center. Specifically, the funds will be used to construct a 440-space public parking garage. The garage is part of a $37 million investment in the community. As a result of state support, CCHMC will retain 360 at-risk jobs.

The Urban League started off the festivities in style today with Karaoke on Fountain Square. Volunteers from the lunchtime crowd belted out MoTown tunes.b Tonight the celebration continued with a Cinco De Mayo celebration on the Square beginning at 5:00 p.m. By 5:15 a large crfowd had already gathered to sway to the salsa beat of Zumba. The dancing started out slow but as the evening moves on and those margaritas kick in, I'm sure there will be dancing on the square.

A Cincinnati-based company, vADz, Inc. is introducing the beta version of their new video editing website today. With vADz you will be able to use your own pictures, videos and music to create a video ad that can be used on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter as well as on classified ads sites. You can create your own video ad at WWW.VADZ.COM for just $19.95. Seems like a perfect answer for small businesses to promote their business for for classified advertisers to sell their products. Shown below is a video that tells you a little more about vADz. http://bit.ly/cKLSXW

The weather outside was frightful, but it didn't keep thousands of people from running in the rain on Sunday morning for the Flying Pig Marathon. I'm not sure if they were running for the finish line or merely for shelter. The rain was falling heavily at the start of the race and though it slowed from time to time, it never really let up. Nearly 20,000 people participated in the race, running either the full or half marathon. The winner in the men's division was Brian List of Milford with a winning time of 2:34:41. Women's division winner was Lexington's Cynthia Arnold with a winning time of 2:55:09. And, if you can believe it, both were still able to speak as the crossed the finish line. I would have been comatose for days.

State Representative Dale Mallory (D-Cincinnati) announced that the State Controlling Board has approved spending more than $14.5 million on two Cincinnati projects: the Hudepohl Brewery Redevelopment, slated to create 650 jobs over the course of the project, and the University of Cincinnati plan to upgrade and expand its Medical Science Building. Queensgate is at a crossroads, said Rep. Mallory. As our economy has shifted away from manufacturing, the area has seen many factories close and sit unoccupied for years, and become blights on the community. Investing in the Hudepohl Brewery is our commitment to bringing the area back.

BUILDING THE CITIZENS' BUDGET - FOUR MEETINGS PROVIDE FOR CITIZEN INPUT! Heres the challenge! + The City of Cincinnati needs to balance a 2011 budget that currently projects a $51 million deficit. How can we balance the budget while still providing the services you need? Your voice is important! + City Council wants and needs your input to make budget decisions that best reflect the values of our citizens.

State Representative Connie Pillich (D-Montgomery) will host a Town Hall meeting on jobs Thursday, April 22nd at the Lincoln Heights Village Hall. The Town Hall will feature guest speakers from local organizations that help people with their job search. Representative Pillich will give a legislative update focusing on job creation initiatives at the Statehouse. All are welcome. Rep. Pillichs district includes Arlington Heights, Blue Ash, Evendale, Forest Park, Glendale, Lockland, Lincoln Heights, Montgomery, Reading, Sharonville, Springdale, Woodlawn, Wyoming and parts of Sycamore and Springfield Townships.

Izzy's is offering a special for tax day. Tomorrow, Thursday only, you can buy two reuben sandwiches at Izzy's for only $10.40. The sandwiches normally sell for $7.95 each. So grab a friend and get on down to Izzy's. Downtown locations are at 800 Elm and 612 Main.

Chad Ochocinco isn't the only famous dancer in Cincinnati. Check out the results of the Cincinnati Art's Association's 4th annual "Dancing for the Stars" benefit held on April 10. The dancers each danced the rumba. Donna Speigel (owner of The Snooty Fox, a local chain of upscale consignment shops) and her Dance Pro Doug Reynolds, were ready to rumba on Saturday, April 10 at the Music Hall Ballroom, taking the first place prize in the Cincinnati Arts Associations fourth-annual Dancing for the Stars. With an audience of 500 in attendance (an event record), the event raised more than $40,000 to benefit CAAs Overture Awards and Academy the nations largest locally run high school arts scholarship competition.

Nothing to do on a sunny Sunday afternoon? There's plenty to do and it doesn't have to cost a lot of money either. I took a drive up to Eden Park this afternoon to see the Spring display at the Krohn Conservatory and then took a walk through the Park. The flowers are gorgeous, the fountain was on in Mirror Lake and the early sunbathers were dotting the lawns. To finish off the afternoon, we stopped at the Sweets N Eats on Delhi Pike. It was a great afternoon and I wanted to share my pictures with you.

Installation of the Ecosculpt Exhibit began on Fountain Square today. There are some very creative and colorful entries. The giant flowers made from recycled snack bags is one of my favorites. I wonder who ate all of those potato chips. Look for someone waddling across the Square. The tree is made out of aluminum soft drink cans and the snake on the bench is made from bottle caps.

If you live or work in the Wyoming area, on May 5 at noon you can relax and enjoy theatre and lunch at the Wyoming Civic Center . Actors Susan Emerson, Michael Bath, Jim Stump, Joshua Steele, and Lauren Shmalo and Blythe Walker.and Director Herb DuVal will present readings from the following 3 plays.

COLUMBUS State Representative Dale Mallory (D-Cincinnati) announced today that he has introduced legislation to allow police and firefighters to hold boxing matches for charity. The legislation follows another of Rep. Mallorys proposals, HB 356, which allows Olympic-style boxing to be eligible for local grants that are similar to those available for other sports.

Chad OchoCinco's Paso Doble was his best dance of the season on "Dancing With the Stars" last night, resulting in highest score yet, a 20. Judges complimented Chad on his improvement. We'll see tonight whether or not the viewers have advanced him to the next round.

The weatherman is predicting a beautiful weekend so you might want to get on over to Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue this Friday night from 6:00p.m. until 9:00p.m. for "Shop Bellevue's Scrambled Eggs." Eggs containing prizes and discount coupons have been "scrambled" between the merchants, so you won't have any idea what surprise you'll receive at each location. You could win a gift certificate, a free gift, a sweet treat or maybe you'll be the lucky winner who receives the "Golden Egg" filled with a $100 Bellevue shopping spree.

The Bengal's Chad Ochocinco danced first on "Dancing with the Stars" tonight. His cha cha was a little lackluster, but the judges thought he showed great potential. He scored 18 out of 30. He has a great partner in Cheryl Burke who has won the competition twice, so I'm looking for great things from Chad.

Know Theatre of Cincinnati and Below Zero Lounge are proud to announce a special fun-raising event to celebrate the coming of spring, botanical style. The event will feature beautiful floral hats created by local Cincinnati florists to show off what they can create. All of the hats will be auctioned off after the show, just in time for Easter. The event will take place on Friday, March 26 at Below Zero Lounge, during Final Friday in Over-the-Rhine. Doors will open at 8pm.

Bea Riggers, a resident of the Triple Creek Retirement Community on Pippin Rd. will be one lucky lady on Tuesday, March 23 at 10:00am when Guido Crescendo kisses her hand. 84 year old Bea has been granted a wish through Never Too Late, an organization that works similar to the Make a Wish Foundation for the elderly and terminally ill.

Faster than a speeding bullet...more powerful than a locomotive. That's what Cincinnati will become, at least as far as the Internet is concerned if we are chosen to be Google's test city for their new ultra-high speed broadband network. The new network would offer internet speeds more than 100 times faster that most Americans are used to and allow us to download things like feature-length high definition moves in 5-minutes or less. It has some business and medical benefits as well, but who cares as long as we can download Avatar in under 5 minutes...just kidding of course.

You might want to check your pantry. Two private labeled spices sold at Kroger have been recalled because of possible salmonella contamination. The Kroger Co. said today it is recalling Kroger California Seasoning Blend Garlic Powder and Kroger Special Seasoning Blend Lemon Pepper. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the Kroger products.

No matter what happens during March Madness, the Xavier University basketball team is a winner thanks to Sister Rose Ann Fleming and the school's emphasis on academics. The New York Times featured an article on the team and Sister Rose Ann on its front page this morning. "Since Sister Rose Ann Fleming became the schools academic advisor in 1985 every men's basketball player who has played as a senior has left with a diploma. This is in stark contrast to overall statistics in the NCAA where 19% of the tournament teams have graduation rates below 40%. To read the rest of the story click www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/sports/ncaabasketball/16nun.html

Didn't feel like standing in the rain to watch the St. Patrick's Day Parade today? Not to worry. Our intrepid and slightly soggy photographers, Roger and Janet Ach got some great pictures. Click "more".

Cincinnati has won another award! According to www.DailyBeast.com we are #1 of 57 cities in their ranking of Craziest Cities in the U.S. I must be crazy, because I am kind of proud of the distinction. Crazy is one of the better things that the national press has said about us in the last few years. See the Daily Beast article below:

I misspoke yesterday, Lindsay Lohan is suing for $100 million, not $50 million. Why not! I know that this doesn't actually count as hyper-local and has no Cincinnati connection, but I just couldn't resist talking about it . Have you heard that Lindsay Lohan is suing e-trade for that E-Trade baby commercial that includes the "milkaholic baby Lindsay.

Did anyone else stay up to watch the Academy Awards last night? Did you see the dress Cincinnati native, Sarah Jessica Parker was wearing. Don't think she got that one at Macy's. I have to say that the hairdo was a little weird, but it was kind of SJP.

It was a beautiful day downtown on Saturday as over 40 teams participated in the Cinciditarod. With team members tethered to their decorated shopping carts, the announcer began the countdown at Noon and at the sound of Mush all energized participants took off.

Chris Ciancanelli celebrates 40 years of dedicated service with White Castle! After spending his summers working construction with his dad and brother, Chris decided to join the White Castle team on January 31, 1970. He began his work with the company at the Cicero Avenue Castle in Oak Lawn, IL before being promoted to Regional Assistant Director of Operations and assigned to the Greater Cincinnati area in July of 2004. Since then, Ciancanelli has worked diligently to ensure that all Greater Cincinnati Area White Castle restaurants operate at quality standards. In December 2008, Chris was again promoted to Regional Director of Restaurant Operations, Greater Cincinnati.

The snow is almost completely melted and hopefully we won't see anymore until next year, but we are left with some gaping potholes. If you have lost your car in a pothole lately and want to report it, here is how you go about it. The best way to ensure that a pothole gets repaired in a timely manner in the City of Cincinnati is to call the City's customer service line and report them. The customer service Center is staffed Monday through Friday form 7:00AM 7:00PM. The number is 591-6000.

Many of us have happy memories of events held at Music Hall. My own high school graduation was held there and my junior and senior proms were held at the Topper Ballroom. The building, which was constructed in 1878 will be undergoing a restoration. As plans take shape for the restoration and renewal of Music Hall, Greater Cincinnatis historic performing arts center and community gathering space, the Music Hall Working Group (MHWG) announced today the creation of the Music Hall Revitalization Corporation (MHRC), a new organization that will assume leadership of the project.

It's another cold, gray Saturday in Cincinnati, but at least it is not actively snowing, not yet anyway. If you are looking for something to do today, how about D.J. Buter's Bridalrama Showcase at the Duke Energy Convention Center. The event runs from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. today and tomorrow. Admission is $10 at the door. Runway shows are at noon and 3:30 each day. www.bridalrama.net After you have picked out your bridal gear, head on over to the Cincinnati Auto Expo and pick out your honeymoon car.

Miller Gallery on Hyde Park Square will be celebrating 50 years in business with an opening party this Friday for a new Exhibit, 50 YEARS, 50 PAINTINGS, 50 ARTISTS. Each of the artists that Miller Gallery represents has created an original painting especially for this exhibit. Miller Gallery would like to invite all to join in their celebration on Friday from 6-8 p.m. to join in the fun and enjoy this eclectic exhibit.

Phill Wilson, Founder and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute based in Los Angeles, California will be the Keynote Speaker for the kickoff of the Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS (BCWOPHA) which begins Sunday, March 7th, 2010.

Jeremy Carns has been named Internet Sales Consultant for Jake Sweeney Chevrolet, according to General Sales Manager, Mark Dinkelaker. The 27-year-old native of Burlington, North Carolina will be responsible for answering internet leads, as well as follow-up for all new and used Chevrolet vehicles at the dealership.

I had the chance to see the show at the Carnegie last night. Mark Hardy, Jessica Hendy and Teresa DeZarn, shared their Broadway experiences and their talented voices with us for 90 minutes of Broadway melodies. These three performers not only have great voices, they are completely charming. Songs ran the gamut from very familiar songs like "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera to selections from new musicals like 2009 Tony Award winner, "Next to Normal."

I guess you have all heard about the Vanity Fair writer who came to town to see the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky and not only did that but also did a hatchet job on Cincinnati, Kentucky and their residents. Just in case you haven't been able to find the article, I have been put the link in this article. http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/02/creation-museum-201002?currentPage=2

If you are a lover of musical theatre, you won't want to miss the Cabaret at the Otto M. Budig Theatre at The Carnegie on February 18. Three Broadway performers will team up for an evening of musical theatre standards and contemporary favorites. Mark Hardy, Jessica Hendy and Teresa DeZarn will perform Cole Porter and George Gershwin as well as songs from Broadway productions such as SOUTH PACIFIC and ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. You will also get a backstage look at Broadway theatre as the 3 performers regale you with anecdotes from their audition experiences.

Former Cincinnati Vice Mayor, Peter Strauss, died on Friday. Mr. Strauss suffered from Parkinson's Disease and had battled the disease for almost 20 years. Mr. Strauss was only 67 years old. Mr. Strauss, a Democrat served on City Council from 1981 to 1993. A long-time proponent of campaign finance reform for City Council elections, Mr. Strauss led the 2001 Issue 6 campaign to set up a system of public financing for council campaigns. The issue failed by only 23 votes.

I know that it's not exactly downtown Cincinnati, but we all go out to eat, but Mesh Restaurant in West Chester is closing this Saturday. Apparently the current economic climate did not treat the high-priced restaurant very well. We hear that talks are underway with the Cunningham Restaurant Group to buy the restaurant. Cunningham Restuarant Group operates The Stonecreek Dining Company in Old Montgomery, which is great by the way and more reasonably priced than Mesh.

Looking for something unique for your honey on Valentine's Day? You might want to take a look at the Contemporary Arts Center Gift shop. They have an eclectic collection of jewelry, ties, cufflinks books

The City of Cincinnati announced the new City twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/cincinnatisnow. The Department of Public Services began tweeting relevant information in this format earlier this winter and is encouraged by the initial response. So for all you twitterers out there, follow CINCINNATISNOW to find out how we are handling snow emergencies.

This Friday is the 3rd Annual Pub Crawl of pubs on Vine and Walnut Streets betwee 6th and 7th Streets. This is the first year that the Pub Crawl will benefit the Downtown Dog Recreation Area Fund to provide our canine friends with a place to play leashless downtown. Organizers plan to fence the small dog area as soon as weather allows this year. 225 people have signed up for the PubCrawl and it is completely sold out, but you can still get in on the kick-off party from 6-7 on Friday at the Contemporary Arts Center.

Calling all coupon lovers. Have you ever heard of Groupon. Groupon is a new website that offers coupons on products and services in your particular area. You sign up for e-mail alerts for your area at www.Groupon.com. Their site says that Each day we feature something cool to do at an unbeatable price. You only get it if enough people join that day.

Did you hear the news? Cincinnati has set a new record. We have now gone 42 days without a murder in the city. I'm not making fun of this...it's wonderful news that no one has been murdered for 42 days. My only thought is that what depths have we fallen to that we celebrate "no murders for 42 days?" Hopefully this is the just the beginning of a turn around and we won't be hearing nightly stories of people being shot down in the streets. Congratulations

The skeleton of the Great American Tower at Queen City Square is officially completed today making this the tallest and greenest structure in Cincinnati. The crew will perform a "topping out"ceremony today when the last been is lifted to the top of the tower. The building's architect, Gyo Obata, designed the building to include a top inspired by Diana, Princess of Wales's tiara. That "tiara" will be installed in March. Scheduled to open early in 2011, the Queen City Square complex will feature 1 million square feet of office space and more than 20,000 square feet of retail space. The building is located at 301 East Fourth Street.

Seeing all those pictures on TV of the suffering in Haiti brings you to tears doesn't it? There must be some reason why this poor, poverty-stricken country has been hit once again with a natural disaster, but I can't imagine what it could be. Estimates of lives lost range from 50,000 to 500,000. That's mind-boggling! We all want to help, but just don't quite know what to do. Here are some suggestions for making donations that you can be sure will get through to the people of Haiti. InterAction.org has compiled a list of organizations that are responding to the situation in Haiti, including UNICEF, Catholic Relief Services, Lutheran World Relief and many others. Find more information at InterAction.org.

The 2010 Reds Winter Caravan, presented by Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network and CincinnatiUSA.com, is scheduled to make 14 fan stops in four states covering four days and more than 2,600 miles. The caravan kicks off Thursday, Jan. 28 and will include stops that will be open to the public along with Hot Stove stops at Reds on Radio network affiliates.

Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced the signing of free agent LHP Aroldis Chapman to a 6-year contract through the 2015 season. Chapman, who will turn 22 years old in February, was introduced at a press conference at Great American Ball Park. He will wear uniform number 54.

You can make reservations today for the Newport on the Levee's fourth annual WINE WALK. The walk takes place on Tuesday, February 2, from 6-10p.m. and benefits the American Heart Association. For a $25 donation you visit Levee restaurants, Brio Tuscan Grille, Brothers Bar & Grill, Jefferson Hall, Mitchell's Fish Market, Stonebrook Winery at Art on the Levell and Bar Louie and sample different types of wine. Many of the participating venues will offer free or discounted appetizers.

So the Bearcats didn't win, disappointing yes, but so what. It was a great year for college football in Cincinnati. Thanks to the whole team, Tony Pike, Mardy Gilyard and the rest of the team who gave us another year to feel great about football in Cincinnati. We welcome you back home as our heroes. We'll get em next year.

Looking for a good, reasonably priced place to eat downtown, one of our readers has a suggestion. Read her review of Mayberry below: "If you are looking for delicious food at a reasonable price, visit Mayberry, the latest addition to the 900 block of Vine Street in downtown Cincinnati. Mayberry is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. but the highlight is Dinner served on Friday and Saturday only beginning at 5:30 p.m. Mayberry has no liquor license yet, so we were encouraged to bring a bottle of wine.

Christmas cards have all been sent, the Christmas rush is through, at least for me that was the story this past weekend. The presents are all bought and wrapped so I took the weekend to relax and enjoy the season. Our movie reviewer, Gabby, and I went to the movies on Friday night and saw Did you hear about the Morgans? It was very good, btw, you can read what she thought about the movie under reviews. On Saturday, we had enough snow to put us in the Christmas mood, but not enough to impede movement around town, so my sister and I went to the Krohn Conservatory to see the annual Christmas display and the Nativity scene. It was beautiful and if you get a chance, I urge you to make the stop, maybe when you are on your way to ice skate on Fountain Square.

It's almost the weekend and Santa is coming to town again (I wonder where he is all week long). But anyway, Santa will be at Macy's Friday and Saturday. A little boy in Macy's earlier this week was asking his mom if he could stop and see Santa, but unfortunately Santa doesn't come to downtown Cincinnati except on the weekends...seems a shame. Except for the tree on Fountain Square, there seems to be a real dearth of holiday decorations downtown this year. When I was a little girl, our family used to make a big event out of coming downtown and looking at the holiday windows...no more. Macy's has a few decorations in the store and SAK's has some silver "cone shaped" things that they are passing off as holday decor, but they are "not exactly."

Lucky Strike Entertainment has been named as the operator of the boutique bowling alley that will be opened at Newport on the Levee this spring. The new facility will include 12 public bowling lanes, a full-service restaurant, patios, bar, billiards, high-definition televisions and a private party room and will be located across from Brio Tuscan Grill.

FOX Sports Ohio Redsfest presented by Kahns attracted 17,830 fans to the Duke Energy Convention Center on Dec. 4-5, including a record 8,432 fans on Friday night. The weekend kicked off Friday evening with over 60 current and former players being introduced on the CincinnatiUSA.com Redsfest Main Stage, complete with Rozzis fireworks and a welcome to fans by Reds President and CEO Bob Castellini.

You must be pretty computer savvy, after all you are getting your news from the Internet. If you spend a lot of time online, you can't help but have noticed the explosion in social media. Personally, I'm not sure how I feel about people knowing where I am and what I am doing every minute of the day, so I am not particularly comfortable with Twitter. And anyway, I can't help but wonder about people who have nothing better to do than to read about my eating a baloney sandwich for lunch or the fact that I am bored, why would anyone care. I read about an award winning prototype for a new product today that I thought I would share with you. It is called the "Twoddler" and it allows your toddler to Twitter. According to the website, Twoddler, the Twoddler is a way for the toddler, through his activity on a toy, to "keep in touch with mommy and daddy."

Many companies have a tag line; i.e., "just do it", "the breakfast of champions", "when it absolutely positively has to get there overnight". Most of these tag lines have good connotations, but I've come up against one recently that just sets my hair on fire..."That will be $149.50." No matter what the question to my local Direct TV service, the answer is "That will be $149.50." I work in a downtown office building. We have access to the Direct TV satellite dish on the roof of the building. We pay a monthly fee to Direct TV for service, and yet, for the past two weeks, my television screen is black except for the words. "searching for satellite." At least half of the tv screens in my building are getting the same message.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING CINCINNATI! I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing day with your family. Rest up, the holiday's are just starting in full swing. There are loads of things going on this weekend if you are staying in town. Check out "Round the Square." I'll be traveling myself for the holiday, so see you back here on Monday.

That Metro fare increase was passed by City Council yesterday, so get out that extra quarter, the fare goes up to $1.75 today. The good news is that they did not approve a fare increase for the Access bus services for the handicapped. Metro will have to make up that deficiency somewhere else.

Well-known and well-respected writer and columnist, Jim Knippenberg, died suddenly on Friday at his home in Covington. Mr. Knippenberg retired last year after 37 years at the Cincinnati Enquirer.

A local business wants to show its supports for the Bengals and Bearcats. For a limted time, Bengal and Bearcat Bagels will be available at Marx Hot Bagels in Kenwood. With the success and popularity of both teams, it was only a natural, said John Marx, aka The Bagel Man. Weve always been one step ahead of the curve in this town when it comes to bagels, so no no one really should be surprised.

Keep up on what's going on in your city. INVEST IN NEIGHBORHOODS is conducting a candidate forum on behalf of community councils on Wednesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m.. Those running for City Council and the Mayor's office will state their positions and answer question of neighborhood interest. The Forum will be held at the Cintas Center on the Xavier University campus. Gene Beaupre, professor of political science, will moderate. Put it on your calendar! For more information, please contact invest@investinneighborhoods.com

Can you believe it, the Bengals actually won yesterday, and they looked good doing it. Spirits should be high for the Pittsburgh Steelers game this Sunday. Tailgating on the Square starts at 11:a.m and you can watch the game on the Big Screen. The band, Eclipse will be on hand from 2:00 to 4:00 and refreshments will be available for purchase or you can bring your own.

Worn out from all that partying this Labor Day weekend. I hope you saved some energy. Summer may officially be over, but there is still a lot going on in town.

Don't forget Riverfest this weekend. It's one of Cincinnati's biggest celebrations of the year. Picnic and enjoy free entertainment all day at Sawyer Point. Cincinnati Bell/WEBN Fireworks begin at approximately 9:00. Lots of streets will be closed so public transportation is your best bet. The best news is that Monday is a holiday so if you get home late, you have a whole day to recover. Click on comments to see a list of street closures and parking information.

35 year old Kevin Skinner sang Willie Nelsons Always on My Mind Monday night in the first semi-final round of Americas Got Talent. Tonight performance won him a spot in the the finals. He and 7 (maybe 8) other performers will enter the final competition for a $1 million Las Vegas contract.

During a ceremony on Fountain Square today, Mayor Mark Mallory read a proclamation declaring September to be "Dress for Success in Cincinnati Month." Mayor Mallory told an audience on hand to celebrate the 10th anniversary of "Dress for Success in Cincinnati" that each month 3,000 women move from Public Assistance into the work force. "Dress for Success Cincinnati" helps these women take this giant step by providing clothing, counseling and support.

Thursday, August 20 at the Phoenix is the time and location of this years luncheon to celebrate the Women of Over-The Rhine. These successful women mirror the rich diversity of OTR and this luncheon recognizes their efforts to make the OTR community a better place to live and work. The 2009 honorees are: Debbie Dent, president of Willow Creative Group; Cheryl Eagleson, marketing director, Corporation for Findlay Market; Kathy Jorgensen-Finley, manager of diversity & community engagement for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Lisa Roberts-Rosser, executive director, SmartMoney Community Services; Dacia Snyder, publisher, Soapbox Cincinnati; and Sally Stewart, executive director, Crossroad Health Center. The event is sponsored by the Emanuel Community Center. Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.emanuelcenter.org by call 241-2563. Emanuel Community Center has been serving Over-The-Rhine since 1871. Thanks and congratulations to all of these women.

For all of you "Yard Sale Junkies", next weekend is the one you've been waiting for...the 22nd Annual "World's Longest Yard Sale" runs from August 6-9 and travels through 5 states along the U.S. 127 corridor. Around this area, you can visit the sale in Covington's MainStrasse Village from 8:00 to 4:00 p.m. each day. There are also booths along Dixie Highway and U.S. 42 in Kenton and Boone Counties. There will be over 100 vendors along Sixth Street in Mainstrasse. There is free parking in the Fifth Street Parking Lot in Covington.

Come on down to Jefferson Hall on Thursday night, July 30 from 5:30 to 8:30 to join in the kickoff of the Freestore/Foodbank's kick-off to their biggest fundraiser of the year, the 2009 Rubber Duck Regatta. On Thursday, more than 40 rubber ducks that have been signed by local and national celebrities and decorated by local artists will be auctioned off. Celebrity signatories include President Barack Obama, Elton John, Billy Joel, and Carson Palmer.

This Friday and Saturday, July 31 and August 1, there are going to be plenty of people downtown. It is the 2009 Macys Summer Music Festival at Paul Brown Stadium. Guest performers include Charlie Wilson, John Legend, Fantasia, Anita Baker and The Ojays.

Thanks to the many corporate sponsors who have supported activities on Fountain Square this summer and to the Fountain Square Committee, we have free entertainment to enjoy during our lunch hour each day. This past Thursday, July 23 as part of the PNC Summer Music Series, Singer/Songwriter, Carla Gover entertained us with her mountain music.

Go Cold Turkey!, No, Im not cautioning you about giving up smoking, though thats not a bad idea. Cold Turkey is a new downtown lunch and late night restaurant on the northern side of 6th Street, between Walnut and Main. Run by two young restaurateurs, Jameson Stewart and Michael Perrich, Cold Turkey not only has good food, but it is a fun dining experience.

I foresee a great night of shopping in your future...big sales, great fun! If you are looking for a more personal prediction of your future, stop by The Little Mahatma tonight, Friday, July 24 and have your Tarot Cards read by Mickey Morgan. Mickey will be on had at The Little Mahatma from 5-8p.m.

New Yorkers have finally discovered the charms of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. An article in the Sunday edition of the New York Times features an article on "36 Hours in Cincinnati. Recommended places to visit include Spring Grove Cemetary, The Playhouse in the Park, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and the bars, restaurants and shopes of Newport, Northside and Over-The Rhine." The reporter needs to pay us another visit, she has missed all the great downtown spots and all the activities on Fountain Square. For a reprint of the article by New York Times Reporter, Kassie Bracken, click "More" below: (The misspellings are theirs)

One of my favorite musicals, Oklahoma, is playing at the Jarson-Kaplan Theatre at the Aronoff this week. It features beautiful music by Rodgers and Hammerstein, "Surrey with the Fringe on Top," People Will Say We're in Love" and, of course, "Oklahoma." Oklahoma is being presented from July 17-July 25. Evening performances are at 8:00p.m., with matinees on Sunday and Thursday. Tickets are $25. You can find more information at www.cincinnatiarts.org.

If you live or work downtown, you may have noticed all the people filling our restaurants and stores this week. There are 3,000 educators and reading professionals from around the country who are here for a 3 day conference at the Duke Energy Center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will be presenting Romeo and Juliet this Friday at 7:00 p.m. in Lytle Park. Sponsored by National City Bank, the production is free and open to the public. Concessions will be available from Miss Sweet Confections.

If youve been to Kenwood Town Center anytime over the past year, you cant help but notice the construction of the new Nordstrom store at the corner of Montgomery and Kenwood Rds. The store is scheduled to open on September 25, but they are starting their hiring process this week and have 250 open positions. You can fill out an on-line application at http://careers.nordstrom.com/careers/JobList_stores.asp.

Are you just one idea away from fame and fortune? Do you have an invention or idea that could change the world, or at least your world? If the answer is yes, then you should definitely check out Cincinnati Innovates.

If you are looking for a new home and you have a couple of bucks, you might want to check out Marge Schott's former home in Indian Hill. The castle-like home, located on Blome Rd., is on the market for $3.9 million. It has been empty since Mrs. Schott's death. the home was built in 1928 and has 19 rooms sitting on 15 acres.

No more Cin Weekly. Though it is unclear exactly what the Enquirer has in mind, it appears that the staff of CinWeekly has been let go and that the weekly known as CinWeekly has published its last paper. The Enquirer says it has rebranded the paper as Metromix, a similar product with a new name and apparently a new staff.

Vice President Joe Biden will be coming to Cincinnati this Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to highlight the progress of the Recovery Act. He will be speaking at The American Can Company, a formerly abandoned factory that is being converted into 100 loft apartments and 30,000 square feet of commercial and office space.

Oceanaire, the upscale seafood restaurant on Sixth and Walnut Streets, announced that it is closing its doors. The company that owns Oceannaire has filed for Chapter 11 and will be closing five of its restaurants. This location, the only one in the Cincinnati area, is among those being closed. The restaurant opened last June.

The CYPT (Cincinnati Young Peoples Theatre) has announced its production of this years summer musical Godspell!. Based on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, Godspell presents a creative and ultimately inspiring view of Jesus, as His disciples re-enact the parables in a lively rock musical. Songs include the chart hit Day By Day."

Downtown is the place to celebrate Independence Day this year. The Reds play St. Louis at 1:10p.m. so if you're a baseball fan, you might want to take in the game. While you're downtown, don't forget to join in the celebrations on Fountain Square.

Bring the family and come on down to Yeatman's Cove at Sawyer Point on Saturday to celebrate the 4th of July Cincinnati-Style. There will be food, games and entertainment. The celebration starts at 4:00p.m. and runs until 11:00p.m. Fireworks are at 10:00p.m. Entertainment includes Twist Lock and P.Ann Emerson Price and the All Star Band.

This 4th of July weekend is going to be a busy one in Cincinnati. Among the many events scheduled to celebrate the day is theNewport Motorcycle Rally being held July 3-5 on Riverboat Row. There will be fireworks on Friday night, live music and a charity Motorcycle Ride.

I hope you had a chance to come down to Fountain Square at lunchtime on Friday for the Marilyn Monroe Look-Alike Contest. Hollywood Casino (formerly Argosy) celebrated the opening of their new casino by sponsoring the contest and awarded $1,000 in prizes to the winners. The contestants answered questions from the 3 judges and had to "strut their stuff" down the red carpet on the Square. It was a lot of fun and a great kick off for the new Hollywood Casino. In case you couldn't make the event, click "more" to see the photo gallery.

There's something for everyone downtown this weekend, including the Soap Box Derby and Mini Grand Prix go cart race. The two events will combine for THE BIG RACE WEEKEND on June 27 and June 28. The race will be held in Parking Lot 1 at the southwest corner of Third Street and Central Avenue. For more information see www.cincsbd.com/bigrace/index.html

If you love food and have wanted to try out some of Downtown Cincinnati's great restaurants, you won't want to miss "The Big To Do! this Friday from 5-8. For a the price of a $20 wristband, you can stroll to such downtown favorites as JeanRo Bistro, Jeff Ruby's, Black Finn, Via Vita, Palomino, The Oceanaire, Boi Na' Braza and more and taste a generous sampling of some of their signature dishes.

Did You know that Paddle Fest is coming to Yeatman's Cove and Coney Island this weekend, June 26-27. This is the 8th Annual Ohio River Way Paddlefest. Enjoy two days of paddling, education, entertainment, competition and fun. This is America's largest on water paddling event.

It's all about baseball this weekend in Cincy as the Reds team up with Major League Baseball to host the 2009 Civil Rights Game. Bill Cosby, Mohammed Ali and Hank Aaron will be honored at the Beacon Luncheon on Saturday that is part of the festivities and it is even rumored that President Obama may pay a visit as well.

This Saturday, June 20 is the third annual OTR 5K Run/Walk in Over the Rhine. The walk begins at the corner of 12th and Vine Streets, and travels past OTRs historic architecture. You will be able to get a first hand look at the exciting revitalization taking place in the area. ..

Planning a wedding? Then you won't want to miss the Bridal Show and Sale at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center this Sunday. "Your Bridal Show & Sale" benefitting the Susan G. Komen For the Cure will bring some of the finest wedding vendors in Greater Cincinnati together to help make your wedding dreams come true.

As we all count our pennies trying to come up with enough cash to get through another month, we are hearing a lot of discussion about ways in which Cincinnati should spend the millions of dollars in federal stimulus money it will be receiving from the Federal Government. Our mayor is in favor of streetcars, others protest that this is just a black hole.

The Travel Channel's Ghost Adventure crew returns to Bobby Mackey's Music World with more ghostly results.

UPDATED: Obama's Day to be Watched by Locals in D.C. and Downtown

Kennedy Heights resident Calvin Daniels Returns from the Inauguration of President Obama, with Pictures for All to See.

People scrambled to find a place to watch the inauguration of President Barack Obama when the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center had difficulty with its internet feed.

Residents and workers gathered at public spots Tuesday to witness the historic event of President-elect Barack Obamas inauguration.

Read the full text of President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address.

Manville Gets Probation, Fines, Community Service

Shelters Report Crowds, Efforts on Streets to Bring In Homeless

A Northern Kentucky tax lawyer thinks he has at least part of the solution to righting the countys economic meltdown: Tell the IRS to loosen up.

Enquirer employees are being furloughed for one week in a cost-cutting move across parent Gannett.

Rob Portman, a former congressman and U.S. trade representative, ended speculation about his political future by announcing today he is running for U.S. Senate.

Stages came alive during the holiday season in Greater Cincinnati, but for some venues at least, ticket sales were down, sponsorships dropped and donations dipped leaving performance arts groups scratching out shows and eyeing budgets for further cuts this season.

Three-time Candidate to be Sworn in to Council Seat on Wednesday

One of the most entertaining voices in Cincinnati was silenced forever with the passing today of columnist Catherine Penny.

City Inspections Cut Despite Health Officials Prediction that Complaints Will Rise

If you're in the news business, buckle up; 2009 looks to be a bumpy ride. Indeed, this might be a pivotal year for survival.

John Cranley is leaving City Council to focus on two major developments that are expected to break ground this year on the city's west side.

Journalism Schools Struggle to Adapt to Evolving News Platforms

Group Joins Equality Organizations for Columbus Rally

FreestoreFoodbank Says Numbers Show 'Harsh Reality' of Need in Tri-State

A shade more than 2,500 new jobs were created in the city despite a tough economic meltdown this year, according to Mayor Mark Mallory.

Civil rights leader The Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth was hospitalized in Birmingham, Alabama.

Dr. Herbert C. Smitherman Jr., an area native with familiar family ties, is being considered for the next U.S. surgeon general.

Distribution Continues Today, Christmas Eve

The local NAACP is alleging City Council members overstepped their authority by taking away sole appointment power from City Manager Milton Dohoney.

Opera Singer's Assault Trial Delayed

There is finally some good news for local job hunters. The U.S. Census Bureau needs to fill 1,000 new jobs immediately to conduct the 2010 census.

17 Full-time Employees Laid Off as Economy Slacks

A 22-year-old Xavier student was killed when she fell about 20 feet during the opening performance of a nativity play at Crossroads Community Church in Oakley.

GCF Notes Tremendous Response, Warns of Continued 'Heat or Eat Dilemma'

It's been just a tad over 30 years since country singer Bobby Mackey opened the doors to his Music World in Wilder, Ky. We investigate: Is it the gateway to Hell that some believe?

Zak Bagans, host of the Travel Channels Ghost Adventure, is returning in January to Bobby Mackey's Music World a place many believe contains a gateway to hell. This time, you can go inside with Bagans and his crew on an overnight search for evidence of spirits that are believed to haunt this popular nightclub.

Cincinnati, NKy Donors Reach Out to Less Fortunate

A Korean mother was convicted of operating an illegal massage parlor. Her business, The Trend, was among several raided in May in a federal crackdown.

Police have identified Leroy G. Hughes as the man who died after being tased by police Wednesday morning.

Opening of Kroger Signals Revitalization for Neighborhood

A Westwood father, once held on high bond for endangering, may be reunited soon with his children. It will be a bittersweet victory for the NAACP, which came to the mans aid.

Mayor Mark Mallory rejected the city manager's plan to begin charging for trash collection as a means to balance the budget.

Sen. George Voinovich got a first-hand look Tuesday at the foreclosure crisis threatening property values throughout the region. Federal help is on the way to stabilize neighborhoods.

A bleak Hamilton County budget may get bleaker still, forcing even deeper cuts than projected.

Brighton Center Client Surge Shows Hurt from Economy in the Region

GCF Grants Safety Net Dollars for Basic Services and requests the public's help.

If you're a fan of mystery -- especially somewhat strange and quirky mystery -- then it's game on in Greater Cincinnati.

Residents Welcome to Cart Away Recycled Windstorm Debris

Christopher Smitherman is ready to take on a new term as president of the local chapter of the NAACP.

Mayor Mark Mallory ended speculation that he was leaving his post to become the state's treasurer.

Police have dealt a crushing blow to the Northside Taliband, a notorious and dangerous criminal gang that caught the attention of investigators after a murder last December.

County Commissioners are asking for public input on the proposed 2009 budget, which will include severe cuts in every department.

Many more people are commuting to work by bus now than a year ago, and Metro expects the trend to continue.

Police continue their investigation today of gunfire outside Annie's Night Club early this morning that led to an officer shooting and wounding the gunman after a chase.

The Christ Hospital has pledged $1 million toward resources that promote healthy lifestyles

City Manager Milton Dohoney is leading a group from Cincinnati today to experience the Portland, Ore., Streetcar system.

FreestoreFoodbank Expects Greater Need This Year

More than 3,300 children attended the first Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Young People's Concert of the 2008-2009 season Wednesday morning.

Those who have accomplished outstanding achievements in preservation of historic architecture in Cincinnati were recently recognized by the Cincinnati Preservation Association.

Special Report on Scuba Santa: He is practicing his underwater swimming skills at the Newport Aquarium.

The once-brilliant Emery Theatre may shine again. The Emery Center Corporation wants to restore the nearly century-old hall that has been dormant for about a decade.

Kristallnacht Remembered at Plum Street Temple

Young leaders will meet at the Duke Energy Convention Center

An area family is among those collecting for Operation Christmas Child, a relief program for suffering children.

The countrys economic meltdown is forcing deep, painful cuts for Hamilton County government workers and residents.

Four people sat down on Friday at CinciPulse.com and relaxed, for a very short time, after a week of moving from stunned to saddened, numbed to hopeful, frozen to active.

The 2008 commemorative Crosstown Shootout basketballs and cups are available now at area Skyline Chili locations.

A committee dedicated to eliminating injustice and discrimination reminded Monday that its formal pledge will come Tuesday, Nov. 11.

CinciPulse.com Columnist Andy Furman comments on Pulse's new life online

Today begins a new era for Pulse. The longtime downtown news weekly is bidding adieu to its print editions and is fully embracing the future as an online information hub.This is our last print edition, said Managing Editor Terry DeMio.

If John McCain is behind in his race for president, thousands who crowded to see him and running mate Sarah Palin inside a hanger at Lunken Airport apparently didnt get the memo.

There is already a certain cache to having an address in the Gateway Quarter in Over-the-Rhine living in New York-style lofts, being at the center of an urban lifestyle in an evolving neighborhood. Soon, an address in the Quarter may have another distinction: Living ecologically sensitive.

The stuffed animals still piled outside the front door of a Camp Washington apartment are bittersweet reminders of a life dedicated to social service and a life violently taken.

Charles Williams was the 20th person in Hamilton County to cast his ballot when the doors opened for the first day of early voting. He was joined in line at 5:30 a.m. by 22 friends from his neighborhood making it something of a voting party.