Oxford Police Officer Placed on Leave After Punching Restrained Student in Viral Video
An officer with the Oxford Police Department (OPD) has been placed on administrative leave after a video of a November arrest went viral on TikTok. In the video, officer Matthew Blauvelt, who is white, can be seen repeatedly punching a Black student in the head while at least two other men attempt to hold the…
Cincinnati’s Restaurant Industry Experienced Incredible Growth in 2023 — But Not Without Some Growing Pains
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Dec. 27 print edition. Not to get all Dickensian on you, but “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times” could apply to this year’s Cincinnati restaurant community. Still emerging from the pandemic and dealing with inflation and ongoing supply issues, the industry endured an…
Wave Pool Exhibit Shares Stories of Societal Issues Through Communally Crafted Quilts
Experience stories told by Cincinnatians through the unique medium of quilting at a special Wave Pool exhibit opening in January. Wave Pool is teaming up with Cincinnati nonprofit Learning Through Art (LTA) to exhibit Story Quilts, a collection of nine communally made quilts featuring stories centered around societal issues. It will be the first time…
Study: Criminal Justice Intervention Hurts Generational Health
A recent study from Ohio based researchers laid out the generational effects that can impact children of incarcerated parents. The study, from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio also identified “foundational drivers of criminal justice involvement,” which include things unrelated to crimes, like economic limitations and discrimination. “Poor community conditions … and exposure to racism…
What Are the Statuses of Ohio’s Anti-Transgender Bills?
Ohio has a handful of anti-transgender bills that are in various spots in the legislature, which won’t reconvene until January. These bills have received much opposition from medical professionals, hospitals, clergy, parents and members of the LGBTQ+ community. House Bill 68 is the closest to becoming law, having recently passed the Ohio House and the…
Here’s Where You Can Recycle Old or Broken Holiday Lights in Greater Cincinnati
Did some of your holiday lights lose their luster as you were decking the halls this year? Instead of just tossing them in the trash, you can take your broken, dead or just-too-tangled-to-deal-with strands of holiday lights to over 40 recycling drop-off locations across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Cohen Recycling is again partnering with…
Forest Hills School Board Reverses Course on Controversial Resolution Amid Lawsuit Settlement
The Forest Hills School Board has voted to rescind a controversial resolution that prohibited teachers from creating assignments that asked students to consider societal factors such as race, socioeconomic class, religion, gender identity or sexuality. “The resolution banned curriculum, education and staff training on ‘Critical Race Theory, intersectionality, identity or anti-racism curriculum,'” according to a…
Cincinnati Pops’ ‘The Resurrection Mixtape’ to Feature Music of Tupac, Biggie and Mahler
The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is fusing several genres in a cutting-edge, “mixtape” performance at Music Hall next month. Featuring the music of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur along with Gustav Mahler’s “Resurrection” symphony, “The Resurrection Mixtape” will highlight the relationship between rap, hip-hop and classical music, as well as the lives and legacies of two…
Drink and Be Merry at The Banks’ Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl This Weekend
You can get festively drunk for a good cause this weekend at The Banks with the Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl. On Saturday, Dec. 23, holiday revelers can don their ugliest Christmas sweaters and visit seven different bars at The Banks. Participating bars include: Holy Grail (161 Joe Nuxhall Way) The Stretch (191 E. Freedom Way) Killer…
Guest Commentary: The 2024 Ohio Supreme Court Races Will Have Critical Impacts on Our Lives and Rights
The three Ohio Supreme Court races in 2024 will be among the most critical as far as direct impact on the lives, civil rights, voting rights and human rights of Ohioans. The candidates are now set, with current Republican Justice Joe Deters challenging Democratic Justice Melody Stewart, Republican Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan…
Cincinnati Father of a Transgender Teen Hopes Gov. DeWine “Trusts the Science,” Vetoes HB 68
The Zingarelli family saw the writing on the wall in Missouri and knew it would only be a matter of time until the legislature enacted a bill that would prevent doctors from providing gender-affirming care to trans youth. That was one of the reasons why the family moved back to Ohio in 2022, but now…
Somerset is Bundling Discounted Ube-To-Go Margaritas and Gift Cards in Special Gift Package
If you need a delicious, last-minute present, Over-the-Rhine bar Somerset is selling bottles of its mystical-looking Ube Margarita in a special gift package. Last December, Somerset unveiled a new winter look and menu. While it was all oh-so-enchanting and ethereal, the Ube Margarita with its disco lime garnish stole the show. The drink has become…
Las Vegas Police Seek Cincinnati’s Help Solving 1979 Murder
In a significant development following a 44-year investigation, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s (LVMPD) cold case section has identified a female homicide victim as Gwenn Marie Story, a Cincinnati native. According to a LVMPD news release, Story’s body was found on August 14, 1979 by a passerby walking through an open field, once the…
Win a Hotel Stay, Gift Cards and Bourbon in this Northern Kentucky-Centric Sweepstakes
Toast to the new year and enter to win a chance to experience all the fun, good food and very good bourbon Northern Kentucky has to offer with a special sweepstakes from meetNKY and The B-Line. meetNKY, Northern Kentucky’s official tourism and convention services bureau, and The B-Line, a group of Northern Kentucky bourbon-centric distilleries,…
Ohio Ranks in Top 5 States for ‘Conversion Therapy,’ Study Finds
A national study found Ohio ranks in the top five states for “conversion therapy,” a debunked method seeking to “convert” children who identify as LGBTQ+. Ohio joined Texas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Pennsylvania as the states “with the largest number of identified licensed and unlicensed practitioners,” according to The Trevor Project, a national organization that studies…
Ohio CEOs Made Less in 2022. They Still Got Hundreds of Times More Than the Median Worker
Worker pay was up and CEO compensation was down last year in Ohio. Even so, most of the state’s largest publicly traded companies paid their top executives at least 200 times as much as they paid their median worker, according to Policy Matters Ohio’s annual report on CEO compensation. It said the yawning pay gap…
Cincinnati Police Officers Elect New Union President
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #69 (FOP), the union representing current and retired Cincinnati Police officers, has a new president. Officer Ken Kober, 42, won the race with 478 votes, while sergeant Deon Mack, 48, received 91 votes, according to the FOP. “Tonight I had the privilege of being elected as Fraternal Order of…
Strike Ends at DHL Express as Company Reaches Tentative Agreement With Teamsters
The labor strike at DHL Express has ended, a Teamsters spokesperson confirmed to CityBeat on Dec. 19. Around 1,100 workers at the DHL Express air hub facility in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (DHL-CVG) went on strike starting Dec. 7. “Teamster members took a real stand for a better agreement and demanded that DHL, one of…
Asianati Releases its Annual Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide
Many of us may still be scrambling for the perfect presents ahead of upcoming holiday parties and get-togethers. But Asianati, a Cincinnati organization celebrating Asian food and culture, is helping all of us out with the release of its last-minute gift guide. The annual Asianati Gift Guide features a ton of products from Asian American-…
Ohio Supreme Court Rejects Six-Week Ban Appeal
A bipartisan majority of the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed an appeal related to the state’s six-week ban on abortion, due to “a change in law.” The case was an appeal on behalf of the state of Ohio, asking the court to lift a pause on the six-week abortion ban, which had been instituted by the…
Ohio Lawmakers Worry Recreational Weed Won’t be Finalized Until April
The Ohio House and Senate ended their last scheduled sessions of the year last week without passing any marijuana legislation. Both chambers met Wednesday, but no weed bills were brought to the floor, which raises the question: How close are the House and Senate to agreeing on the marijuana legislation? “That’s tough to say,” Senate…
‘The Iron Claw’ is Well-Acted and Brilliantly Filmed — and Leaves You With a Gut Punch
How many different sports movies am I summing up in this one sentence? “Against all odds, an athlete claws their way to the top.” Based on a true story or not, this narrative trope has always been a key component of the subgenre and its seemingly limitless appeal. That said, I’m not sure the basic…
The Comet to Host Lineup of Local and Regional Musicians in Inaugural Holiday Invitational
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is a strange place where time seems to be suspended. This year, Northside bar The Comet is filling part of that weird void with its first-ever Holiday Invitational. The Holiday Invitational will be held Friday, Dec. 29, starting at 6:30 p.m. Burrito Boys Booking partnered with Cincinnati punk…
MEMI Responds to Backlash Over Coney Island Closure
People are not happy after news broke that Coney Island would permanently close at the end of this year. “Please god no,” one Instagram user commented on CityBeat’s post about the news. Coney Island has been open since 1886, with Sunlite Pool added in 1925. The park announced Thursday that it has been sold to…
Social Studies Curriculum Receives Broad Support as Committee Continues Consideration
Worthington third-grader Rosie Factora-Borchers barely rose above the microphone as she stood in front of the Ohio House’s Primary and Secondary Education Committee. But the 8-year-old Filipino-American made her presence known as she urged the committee to include her family’s story in social studies curricula across the state. At the heart of Rosie’s motivation to…
DeWine is ‘Taking a Hard, Hard Look’ at Bill That Would Ban Gender-Affirming Care to Trans Youth
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Friday he is taking time to read over testimony for a bill that would prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming care to trans youth and block trans athletes from playing women’s sports. The Ohio House and Senate passed House Bill 68, sending the bill to DeWine’s desk for him to either…
Cincinnati Rescue to Hold Duck Meet-and-Greets at Kenwood Theatre
If you were planning on heading to the movies to see some animated ducks this weekend, you could also see some real ones while you’re at it. To coincide with the release of Illumination’s new animated movie, Migration, which is about a family of ducks who get lost in New York City while flying south…
Forging Connections: Officer Ken Kober Discusses His Vision for the Cincinnati Police Department’s Union
One of the year’s most consequential elections has yet to take place in Cincinnati, and only roughly 1,600 people are registered to vote. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #69 (FOP), the union representing current and retired Cincinnati Police Officers, will elect its next president on Dec. 18. Officer Ken Kober, 42, is challenging sergeant…
Just Q’in BBQ Announces Opening Day for New College Hill Restaurant
A popular barbecue joint is gearing up to open its new location in the College Hill Business District. Just Q’in BBQ says it will officially open at 5903 Hamilton Ave. on Tuesday, Jan. 2 and will hold a grand opening on Saturday, Jan. 6 from 10-11 a.m. “Just Q’in BBQ’s grand opening is a significant…
King of Funk Bootsy Collins Releases Two New Songs
Cincinnati King of Funk Bootsy Collins is gifting us all this holiday season with the release of not one, but two new songs Friday. One song, “Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame,” is the official theme song of its namesake, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, a free, interactive outdoor exhibit at The Banks…
Guest Commentary: Ohio GOP Lawmakers Bully Trans Kids for Christmas, Shedding Themselves of any Basic Human Decency
Ohio’s gerrymandered Republican supermajority decided to spend their last day of session in 2023 bullying and victimizing vulnerable children and their families. Their priorities are abominable. Did they do anything to address the hunger and food insecurity that impacts 1 in 5 Ohio children? No. Did they do anything to protect children from gun violence…
Ohio Abortion Rights Advocates Move Forward With Plans to Snuff Six-Week Ban
The ACLU, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the WilmerHale law firm filed a request to make changes to their lawsuit in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, arguing the Ohio Issue 1 amendment passed by 57% of voters should be applied and the state’s six-week abortion ban law should be removed for good.…
Cincinnati Hip-Hop Artist Jay Hill Drops New EP
Jay Hill is a well of words and sounds. The Cincinnati hip-hop artist’s Soundcloud portfolio seemingly never ends. That portfolio has now expanded with the addition of a brand new EP titled “SIENNA.” As one of four members of the local hip-hop collaboration Patterns of Chaos (POC) and member of No Cool Kids Allowed –…
We Still Don’t Know What Recreational Weed Will Look Like in Ohio
The Ohio Senate has passed a restrictive law that would change the way voters get to enjoy recreational marijuana. House Bill 86 is a far cry from the law voters passed on Nov. 7. HB 86 would reduce home grow from 12 to six plants, decrease THC levels in products and raise taxes. Smoking would…
You Can Find Authentic Texas Barbecue and Karaoke at This New Joint in Liberty Township
Giddy up! A new barbecue joint in Liberty Township is promising slow-cooked meats; cheap, strong drinks; and a good time. Cowboy Sally’s Texas Barbecue, located in the former McK’s BBQ at 7521 Gibson St., held its grand opening Wednesday. The restaurant describes its style as “a Texas saloon gone wild,” with a modern rustic interior…
Coney Island and Sunlite Pool to Permanently Close
Coney Island and Sunlite Pool are slated to close permanently following the last night of its Nights of Lights holiday event, Sunday, Dec. 31. Coney Island has been open since 1886, with Sunlite Pool added in 1925. The park announced Thursday that it has been sold to Music & Event Management Inc. (MEMI), a subsidiary…
Guest Commentary: Newspapers Are Evolving Radically. They Were 90 Years Ago, Too
I always love when I come across some overlooked resource that’s long been around, waiting to be noticed. And I had just such an experience when I moved to the Milo-Grogan neighborhood several weeks ago and wandered into the State Library of Ohio. Housed in the cavernous former Jeffrey Mining factory at 274 E. First…
Ohio Law Banning Gender-Affirming Care and Trans Athletes Heads to Gov. Mike DeWine’s Desk
A bill that would block doctors from providing gender-affirming care to trans youth and prevent trans athletes from participating in Ohio women’s sports is going to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk. The Ohio Senate passed House Bill 68 in a 24-8 vote Wednesday afternoon and the Ohio House concurred with the Senate amendments in a 61-27 vote Wednesday…
Cincinnati Musician Mol Sullivan Debuts Music Video for ‘Still Tryin”
We’re still over a month out from delighting in singer songwriter Mol Sullivan’s debut album. Until January 26, 2024 – when the indie star’s GOOSE premieres – she’s offered two singles for listeners to consider. Sullivan likens her debut album to a “long exposure photograph,” a glimpse of which listeners have captured through the album’s…
Cincinnati’s Genre-Bending Queen Abiyah Releases First Full Length Album
A staple of Cincinnati’s music scene released her first full-length album on Dec. 8. Strangers Love Me is a dreamy, 10-track record from Abiyah, a local multi-genre singer and songwriter who has glittered Cincinnati with singles, features, cassingles and EPs for the past 20-plus years. Abiyah blends genre and fashion into a signature musical and…
Cincinnati Stargazers, the Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Dec. 13-14
Stargazers, be sure to look up at the sky tonight to catch the peak of the Geminid meteor shower. With the combination of clear skies and a recent new moon, it could put on quite a show in Cincinnati. The Geminid meteor shower, which began Nov. 19 and will continue until Dec. 24, is a…
Boone County Distilling Co. to Host ‘Home for the Holidays’ Dog Adoption Event
If you’re looking to add a furry friend to your family for the holidays, Boone County Distilling Co. is hosting a special dog adoption event this weekend. On Saturday, Dec. 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., potential adopters can stop by the Independence distillery for “Home for the Holidays,” where they can meet pups…
Three Cincinnati Musicians to Speak on Over-the-Rhine Music Culture in Museum Lecture Series
A story-sharing series at the Over-the-Rhine Museum is spotlighting three local musicians tonight, but they won’t be playing music. “Three Acts in Over-the-Rhine” is a recurring arts and culture event in which local artists or subjects are invited to discuss their specialty and how it relates to the downtown neighborhood. The latest installment of “Three…
Counselors, Psychologists and School Officials Speak Out Against ‘Parent’s Bill of Rights’
Dozens, including school counselors and psychiatrists, testified Tuesday against a bill in the Ohio Senate that would force schools to notify parents on “sexuality” content, and possibly on a student’s sexuality, calling it “censorship” and potentially risky for students. “Young people are people who are entitled to their own privacy,” said Mallory Golski, of the…
Guest Commentary: The Ohio Senate Republican Bill on Legal Cannabis is a Trick
Ohio Republicans seem to think that they are still negotiating over legal cannabis. Ohioans voted overwhelmingly last month in favor of the initiated statute that legalized recreational cannabis, Issue 2. Now the state’s GOP, having failed to turn out its own base to vote down the statute, is trying to get its story straight on…
