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The Weed Issue: Ohio Lawmakers Have Yet to Cough Up a Cannabis Program We Can All Agree On
This story is featured in CityBeat’s April 17 print edition. Mark S.’s son calls him the Walter White of the family. “He’s completely aware that it’s not something for kids,” Mark tells CityBeat. “I’ve told him straight up, like, once you’re 18, you know this is going to be something you can try if you…
Organizers Announce Details for Cincinnati’s Premier Art Show, Summerfair
Cincinnati’s premier art show, Summerfair, is returning for its 58th year Friday, May 30-Sunday, June 1, remaining in the same area of the former Coney Island amusement park this year. Consistently ranking in the top 25 U.S. fine art and design shows, Summerfair supports artists and small arts organizations through scholarships, awards and exhibitions. The…
Cincinnati’s Weirdest Music Festival, Burritofest, is Back for its Fourth Year
Burritofest, a multi-day music festival at The Comet in Northside, is returning for its fourth year, wackier and weirder than ever. The music fest will take place Thursday-Sunday, May 8-11 and feature bands and musicians from an eclectic range of genres, including hip hop, jazz, indie pop and rock, punk, bluegrass and more. Burritofest’s fourth…
Amazon Web Services to Build $11B Indiana Data Center Campus
An Amazon subsidiary focused on web services plans to invest $11 billion into the construction of a data center campus in north-central Indiana, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Thursday. He said Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) plans are the largest capital investment announcement in the state’s history. The project is expected to create at least 1,000 new…
Ohio State Researchers Find Link Between Job Loss and Drug Deaths in Black Americans
A new study by researchers at Ohio State University connected unemployment with increases in drug deaths for Black workers, and showed job growth had “a stronger protective effect” against overdose deaths. The study, published in the most recent edition of the American Journal of Public Health, discussed how a focus on keeping Black Americans in…
Bridget Leak Named Know Theatre’s Fifth Producing Artistic Director
An eight-month process to hire a new producing artistic director for Know Theatre of Cincinnati has concluded with the announcement today that Bridget Leak will lead the edgy 27-year-old company as of May 1, 2024. She will be responsible for mapping out Know’s 2024-2025 season, which is yet to be announced. Leak has been part…
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo With a Bar Crawl at The Banks
Cinco de Mayo is bringing a Sunday full of festivity and good food and drinks to The Banks in downtown Cincinnati this weekend. To mark the holiday (a celebration of the Mexican army’s defeat of France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862), six bars at The Banks will be taking…
Middletown’s ‘Women’s Wine and Chocolate Walk’ Gives Guests a Tour of Historic Downtown
Downtown Middletown Inc. will host its 11th annual Women’s Wine and Chocolate Walk on Saturday, May 18 with a refreshed theme to draw out the pop star in us all. Like a bar crawl with something for everyone, ticket holders can taste different wines and chocolate treats while walking across Middletown’s historic downtown business district.…
The 2024 Southeastern Indiana Primary Election Guide
Indiana’s primary elections are coming up on May 7 at designated polling locations across the state. While primaries tend to have a lower interest for voters, for Indiana it could mean overturning nearly two decades of a Republican supermajority in the state. CityBeat’s readership stretches beyond state lines into Southeastern Indiana where House District 9…
Kentucky AG Gets Funding to Fight Biden Administration on Climate, Air and Water Pollution Rules
When Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman told state lawmakers in January about the budget needs of his office, Rep. Patrick Flannery, R-Olive Hill, asked if he needed more resources to address a “regulatory avalanche” regarding a “green agenda” coming from the federal government. Coleman, a Republican, said his office would welcome them, saying there was…
Ohio Gov. DeWine Said He Didn’t Know of Millions in FirstEnergy Support. Is it Plausible?
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s claim to not know about the millions an Akron utility spent supporting his 2018 campaign for governor simply isn’t credible, an Ohio political scientist said in a recent interview. A spokesperson for DeWine pushed back. FirstEnergy provided that support, then spent more than $60 million to pass and protect a $1.3…
We’re Happier Than Ever Because Billie Eilish is Bringing Her New Tour to Cincinnati
Listen up, Bad Guys: Billie Eilish is bringing her new concert tour to Cincinnati this fall. The Grammy Award-winning pop artist will bring her “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour” to Heritage Bank Arena in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, Nov. 8. The tour is in support of her highly anticipated third studio album of…
You Can Check Out Dozens of Airstream Trailers at This Unique Hocking Hills Festival This Spring
If you’re looking for a fun road trip idea, dozens of silver Airstream trailers will line the streets of Logan, Ohio, the first weekend in May for the annual Urban Air: Wake Up Downtown Festival. The festival will feature three blocks of Main Street in downtown Logan — located in Ohio’s Hocking Hills region, just…
The Lytle Park Hotel is Launching a New Wine Festival
Downtown Cincinnati’s The Lytle Park Hotel is launching a new wine festival this May. The inaugural Lytle Park Wine Festival will be crafted and hosted by the hotel on Saturday, May 18. The Lytle Park Hotel is also partnering with chef Daniel Bruce, the founder of the Boston Wine Festival, on this event. The hotel…
Cincinnati Leaders, Labor Expert React to Amazon Union-Busting Trial
Amazon went to trial in Cincinnati this week for allegations of unfair labor practices at its KCVG air hub facility in Hebron, Kentucky. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a federal agency that investigates violations of workers’ rights to unionize, alleges that Amazon’s union-busting at KCVG has been potentially illegal, saying the mega-retailer has retaliated…
12 Race-Based Scholarships Worth $46,000 Weren’t Awarded to Ohio University Journalism Students
Twelve race-based scholarships totaling $46,000 weren’t given out at Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism’s awards banquet this week, said Journalism School Director Eddith Dashiell. And that’s only a fraction of the 130 gift agreements that represent $450,000 worth of scholarship money under review by the university after comments Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost…
Ohio Dems Introduce a Bill to Protect IVF, Complement Constitutional Amendment
Democrats in the Ohio House say they are looking to boost the rights established in the reproductive rights constitutional amendment while awaiting the elimination of certain state laws that restrict reproductive health. State Rep. Dr. Anita Somani, D-Dublin, and fellow Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, D-Gahanna, are also looking to use new legislation to respond to…
Get in Touch With Nature and Art at Pyramid Hill’s Annual Art & Earth Day
You can immerse yourself in art and nature at Hamilton’s Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum this weekend in celebration of Earth Day and International Sculpture Day. The park’s Art & Earth Day on Saturday, April 27 will focus on both creativity and conservation, with numerous events and activities planned, including a panel discussion; a…
Supreme Court Justices Appear Split Over Whether to Protect Abortion Care During Emergencies
U.S. Supreme Court justices spent two hours Wednesday morning debating whether a federal law about emergency treatment encompasses abortion care even in states with strict abortion bans, with no clear indication of how they may ultimately rule. A decision could come as soon as the end of June whether Idaho’s near-total abortion ban means doctors…
Marital Rape Loophole Closed by Ohio General Assembly, Bill Moves to Governor’s Desk
After several years of attempts through multiple general assemblies, the Ohio legislature closed a loophole on Wednesday that kept spouses from being prosecuted for rape and other sex offenses. In a unanimous Wednesday floor vote, the Ohio Senate passed House Bill 161, which eliminates exemptions for married couples, who previously were protected from prosecution unless…
Queer Kentucky Reimagines Masculinity in Latest Publication
Broadway and Fellow Travelers star Noah J. Ricketts and artist Zain Curtis are the double feature of QueerKY magazine’s fifth volume. The magazine is an arm of nonprofit organization Queer Kentucky and aids in its mission to amplify and strengthen queer culture through storytelling, education and action. CityBeat spoke to Missy Spears, Queer Kentucky’s executive…
Amazon Union-Busting Trial Postponed to August
This week’s trial between Amazon and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Cincinnati stopped before any opening statements or witness testimony could be heard, and it won’t pick up again until later this summer. Lawyers for Amazon — who are responding to allegations of unfair treatment of unionizing employees at the company’s largest air…
Photographer Stu Levy Returns to Cincinnati for Artist Talk
Since growing up in Cincinnati, playing in a local groovy psych-rock band (Surdy-Greebus) in the late ’60s, attending medical school at the University of Cincinnati, then pursuing photography and eventually assisting the great landscape photographer Ansel Adams, Stu Levy’s renowned photographic work is calling him back to the Queen City. On April 28, Levy will…
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Announces Cristian Măcelaru as its New Music Director
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announced today that Cristian Măcelaru will begin a five-year term as the orchestra’s music director, beginning in the autumn of 2024. Maestro Măcelaru will serve as Music Director Designate in 2024-25. Măcelaru is currently the music director of the Orchestre National de France; artistic director of the George Enescu Festival…
Lachey Arts Musical ‘label•less – unplugged’ Coming to Ghost Baby for One Night Only
A one-night-only performance celebrating a musical that tackles tough topics through song, dance and personal stories will hit the stage at an Over-the-Rhine bar this May. The musical, label•less, is put on by Drew and Lea Lachey of Lachey Arts (yes, that Drew Lachey of 98 Degrees fame) and focuses on issues affecting our society…
Organizers Announce Expansion of BLINK Festival into Newport
BLINK Cincinnati 2024 is going to be bigger than ever before as organizers announce the expansion of the immersive light and art festival into another Northern Kentucky city. Festival organizers, local leaders and more gathered at Newport on the Levee Wednesday morning to reveal BLINK will not just span Over-the-Rhine, downtown Cincinnati and Covington, but…
The “Radical Feminist” Group Helping Push Ohio’s Trans Bathroom Ban
A “radical feminist” group called the Women’s Liberation Front that has helped shape anti-trans laws nationwide has also played a role in a proposed Ohio law that would ban transgender people in schools and on college campuses from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity and appearance, emails obtained by the Ohio Capital Journal…
8 Quotes From the Latest Hearing on Ohio’s Bill to Forcibly Out LGBTQ+ Students
This story was originally published by the Buckeye Flame and is republished here with permission. Several heated exchanges characterized the fourth hearing of “The Parents’ Bill of Rights” in the Ohio Statehouse Tuesday. Ohio House Bill (HB) 8 would force all Ohio public school teachers and school staff — including school social workers, counselors and school…
Amazon is on Trial in Cincinnati. Here’s What You Need to Know
Lawyers representing employees at an Amazon facility in Northern Kentucky believe the company is intentionally trying to drag out an unfair labor practice trial to stop its employees from unionizing. The case heard this week by a federal administrative judge involves union organizers at KCVG, Amazon’s largest air hub facility, located in Hebron, Kentucky. The…
Historic Lytle Park to Reopen This Week Following Renovations
After a lengthy closure for renovations, historic Lytle Park in downtown Cincinnati will officially reopen this week. The reopening will take place Friday, April 26 with a ceremonial turning on of the new fountain at 11 a.m. Neighbor Taft Museum of Art will also host a celebration with special perks, including free admission from Friday-Monday,…
Braxton Brewing Partners With O.K.I. Bourbon and Molly Wellmann on Expanded Cocktail Program
Covington-based brewery Braxton Brewing Co. is teaming up with local bourbon brand O.K.I. Bourbon to add some spirit to its beverage options. The collab will add a unique bourbon experience and expanded cocktail program, led by iconic Cincinnati mixologist Molly Wellmann, to all of Braxton’s taprooms. Braxton says this partnership will elevate the craft beverage…
Covington’s Madison Theater to Host Monthly Silent Discos
On the last Saturday of every month, you can don a pair of headphones, crank up a playlist of tunes of your choosing and dance the night away at Madison Theater in Covington thanks to a new Cincy Silent Disco residency. The first Cincy Silent Disco night at Madison Theater will be Saturday, April 27…
Ohio Doctors Fear Effects of Emergency Abortion Care Case Set to Go Before U.S. Supreme Court
A federal law that allows emergency departments to treat patients without regard to their ability to pay will be under U.S. Supreme Court scrutiny this week, and Ohio doctors are concerned about the case’s local impact on emergency abortion care. The nation’s highest court will hear oral arguments in Idaho v. United States, in which…
Guest Commentary: Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law Has No Business Coming to Ohio
When a professional football game isn’t going your way, you can simply turn off the TV and stop watching. Unfortunately, our tendency to treat politics like sports results in people attempting exactly that – they simply stop watching. But the targets of hateful legislation can’t switch the TV off – it’s not just a game.…
New Riff Celebrates Earth Day With Park Dedication and the 2024 Releases of Its Silver Grove Whiskeys
A Newport distillery is giving back to the community and celebrating Earth Day with the dedication of a new park and the release of some new spirits. On Monday, New Riff Distilling joined the Silver Grove Community Foundation to dedicate the new park at Green Valley Pond in Silver Grove. The distillery says funds raised…
Popular Breakfast and Brunch Spot Sleepy Bee Cafe to Close One of Its Locations
Popular breakfast and brunch restaurant Sleepy Bee Cafe announced on social media Friday that it would be shuttering its College Hill location at the end of April. “It is with sadness and many fond memories that we say goodbye to the College Hill community, who welcomed us warmly and with open arms,” the restaurant wrote.…
Guest Commentary: Child Care in Ohio Must Promote Both Equity and Quality
At Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s State of the State address earlier this month, he announced a voucher program to help low-income Ohio families pay for child care. DeWine’s current proposal is to provide vouchers for families making up to 200% of the federal poverty level, $60,000 or less for a family of four. This follows…
GOP Gubernatorial Hopefuls Talk Indiana’s Dormant Death Penalty
Indiana’s death penalty law exists in name only. What would Indiana’s GOP candidates for governor do differently? In recent years some public defenders have suggested it’s time to repeal the law, which hasn’t been used to execute someone since 2009. That’s because Indiana — along with other states — has struggled to obtain the drugs…
Inhailer Radio Celebrates Independent Music and Radio With New Indie 500 Countdown Event
Cincinnati radio station Inhailer Radio is launching a new event that will celebrate both independent radio and music. Inhailer Radio’s Indie 500 countdown will not only play tons of great indie hits, but it will also pay homage to the legacy and history of its two iconic predecessors: WOXY and WNKU, both of which Inhailer…
Indiana Rep. Jim Banks Introduces Bill to Defund NPR
At the end of a long, long few weeks for National Public Radio (NPR), Indiana Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN, 3rd District) introduced legislation Friday to defund the media organization. In an exclusive article written by right-wing news organization The Daily Caller and in a series of tweets posted on X, Banks said that Americans shouldn’t…
Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance Says Giving Russian Assets to Ukraine is a Bad Idea. Is it?
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has teed up a series of high-pressure votes on foreign aid in support of Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine. Within his caucus, aid for Ukraine has prompted so much opposition among far-right members it threatens his speakership. Alongside the aid measures, though, the speaker is advancing a new sanctions proposal that…
New Bill Furthers Ohio Laws That Ban Abortion Funding, Could Take Local Government Funds
A Republican bill recently introduced in the Ohio Legislature seeks a prohibition of state funding for abortion-related services, for which similar statutes and regulations already exist. State Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania, brought forth House Bill 475 last week. The bill would “prohibit state funds from being given to any entity that supports, promotes or provides…
Kings Island Runs First Test of New Camp Snoopy Roller Coaster Ahead of Opening Day
Spring is in the air, Cincinnati. And you know what else will soon fill the air? The sounds of roller coasters and joyful screaming after Kings Island opens its gates this weekend. Crews are working hard to get the amusement park’s grounds in tip-top shape ahead of the 2024 season’s opening day on Saturday, April…
Guest Commentary: The Petty Political Theatrics Ohio Republicans are Playing About Biden Being on the Ballot
Perhaps you’ve seen the headlines: Will President Joe Biden appear on the Ohio ballot? Biden may miss the Ohio ballot deadline! Biden could be left off the ballot in Ohio! What’s really going on here? For all the splashy headlines, it’s pretty inane. Basically, Ohio’s election law requires presidential candidates be certified in conventions at…
Ohio House Holds First Hearing for New Nitrogen Gas Death Penalty Method
House lawmakers have begun hearings on a controversial new execution method known as nitrogen hypoxia. The protocol, used in Alabama for the first time recently, subjects a prisoner to a high concentration of nitrogen which causes them to eventually suffocate. Right now, four states explicitly allow nitrogen hypoxia and four other allow for “lethal gas”…
Jason Kelce Loses Super Bowl Ring During ‘New Heights’ Live Show in Cincinnati
Jason Kelce lost his Super Bowl ring in a pile of chili during the New Heights live show in Cincinnati. No — this is not just a really strange dream you’ve had. This shit really happened. Jason and Travis Kelce, both former University of Cincinnati football players, paid a visit to their alma mater on…
Judge Temporarily Blocks Ohio’s Ban on Health Care for Transgender Youth
This story was originally published by the Buckeye Flame and republished here with permission. The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas has issued a temporary restraining order halting Ohio’s statewide ban on health care for transgender youth. The result of a lawsuit filed against the state of Ohio by nonprofit civil rights organization the American…
Cuddle Kitties for a Good Cause at Purrfect Day Cafe’s Annual Kitten Shower
You can support a good cause and cuddle some adorable kittens in the process at the annual Purrfect Day Cafe Kitten Shower. The Kitten Shower is happening Sunday, May 5 from 1-5 p.m. The cat cafe, located in Covington, will use the shower to raise much-needed funds for Greater Cincinnati animal shelters. Admission to the…
Ohio Abortion Care Advocate Makes TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World List
One of Ohio’s biggest champions for abortion care access is being honored on a global scale. Lauren Blauvelt, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, was named to TIME’s list of 100 Most Influential People in the World on April 17. Blauvelt, who lives in Columbus, was selected for her role spearheading the campaign…
Kentucky’s New Anti-Vaping Law Ignites Constitutional Challenge
Four vape shops, the Kentucky Vaping Retailers Association and the Kentucky Hemp Association have filed suit in Franklin Circuit Court seeking to strike down a new state law outlawing the sale of some of their products. Greg Troutman, a lawyer for the Kentucky Smoke Free Association, which represents vape retailers, said he’s “hoping that we can…
Gosh! ‘Napoleon Dynamite Live!’ Offers Behind-the-Scenes Experience of the Cult Film
This story is featured in CityBeat’s April 17 print edition. In June 2004, Paramount and Fox Searchlight released the Sundance darling Napoleon Dynamite in theaters. Jared Hess directed it — based on his short Peluca — and co-wrote it with his wife, Jerusha. With a low budget of $400,000, it grossed more than $46 million…
Legends Hosts a Five-Day Music Event During a Turbulent Time for the Bar and Venue
Despite being in the middle of a possible move and closure, Legends Bar & Venue continues to put on top-tier local shows. Legends, located at 3801 Harrison Ave. in Cheviot, is hosting It’s gonna be May, a five-day series of concerts between May 1-5. The shows will feature primarily local acts, catering to a particular…
Review: Hamilton’s Newest Bar, Immortal Vibes, Offers Sophisticated Cocktails and a Unique Vintage Guitar Experience
This story is featured in CityBeat’s April 17 print edition. If you’ve visited Hamilton recently, you might’ve noticed the ever-changing downtown area. It’s clear that the city has experienced a renaissance of sorts. New restaurants, attractions and bars are frequently popping up along the main drags of High and Main Street. One of Hamilton’s most…
Sound Advice: Dayton Band Guided by Voices is Coming to Madison Theater
This story is featured in CityBeat’s April 17 print edition. Robert Pollard is in a league of his own. There might be songwriters of varying degrees of effectiveness who have been nearly as prolific, but precious few have been able to transform their obsession with fragmented rock and roll songs into a body of work…
Sound Advice: Atmosphere Continues to Innovate and Elevate the Hip-Hop Genre
This story is featured in CityBeat’s April 17 print edition. It’s hard to keep up with Atmosphere. Nearly 30 years into an existence that keeps bobbing and weaving, few hip-hop collaborations have been as busy as that of rapper Sean Daley (aka Slug) and DJ/beatmaster/producer Anthony Davis (aka Ant): 12 full-length studio albums, 10 EPs…
What’s On Your Mind, Cincinnati: How to Navigate the Changes Brought About by Parenthood
This story is featured in CityBeat’s April 17 print edition. Mike Madanat, the founder of Authentic Life Counseling, will be answering your burning questions in the “What’s On Your Mind, Cincinnati?” advice column each month. As we prepare to welcome our first child into the world, my partner and I find ourselves facing a dilemma…
