After a couple of months off for the annual summer break, the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame will get back together and present a host of awards at its Summer Reunion on Wednesday, the 20th, at the Gardens of Park Hills from 5-9 p.m. Admission is $10.
Here are the nine NKSHOF award winners:
• Rob Butcher, for “Running around the World” with 24,901 miles completed on June 25, 2025.
• Linda Moore, the Pat Scott Achievement Award.
• John Wenderfer, the Bill Cappel Community Contributions Award.
• Jack Aynes, the Joe Brennan Leadership Award.
• Brad Fritz, the Derrick Rhoden Perseverance Award.
• Bryan Flaugher, the Tom Fricke Service Award.
• Joe Egan, the Tiny Steffen Humanitarian Award.
• Jane Meier, the James Claypool Pioneer Award.
• Dave Faust, the Lifetime Achievement in Coaching Award.
Doesn’t look like they’re fooling the birds at Lemker Field
If you’ve been down Route 8/Elm Street through Ludlow recently and driven past the wonderfully revived Lemker Field, you may have observed this scene. Yes, those geese on a lush, green stopover on the Ohio River skyway for a Lemker lunch no longer seem to be fooled by the coyote decoys (there’s one on its side in the foreground) that were placed on the field to fool them to fly on by and keep the outfield nice and clean.
With all three Lemker coyotes having taken a dive, the birds are no longer deterred even a little bit. Now I realize why I preferred playing catcher at Lemker growing up in Ludlow.
More HOF awards coming up here in the fall
Mark down the date, Thursday, Nov. 13, at Receptions, Erlanger. That’s when this year’s inductee class to the Northern Kentucky High School Athletic Directors’ Hall of Fame will be welcomed into the fold.
Special awards will be presented: to Holy Cross’ Evie Thomas for the Mel Webster Scholarship; to Bishop Brossart’s Edwin Schultz (deceased), the Tom Potter Distinguished Service Award; and to Dayton’s Jay Brewer, the Stan Steidel Award.
This year’s Hall of Fame class: Arnie Risen, Williamstown (deceased); Krissie Almeida Brandenburg, Beechwood; Amy Franks Gardner, St. Henry; Deanne Schroeder Kiefer, Bishop Brossart; Karen Turner Chitwood, Conner; Tim Grogan, Covington Catholic; Cary Page, Conner; Jodi Schmidt, Ludlow; Megan Arnzen Krieg, Highlands; Dawn Sparks Kinner, Campbell County; Brandon Hatton, Dixie Heights; Ricky Atkins, Newport; Frank Pangallo, Newport Central Catholic; Ron Russell, Dayton; Brad Cooper, Simon Kenton; Mike Gullett, Bellevue; Chris Smith, Silver Grove; Nicole Chiodi, Newport Central Catholic; Allison Long, Conner; Tasha Lovins, Ryle; and Lori Oldendick Eberle, Boone County.
Tickets are $45. Happy hour is 6 p.m. Dinner is 6:30 with opening remarks at 7:30 p.m. and the Hall of Fame program at 7:35. Don Weber will be master of ceremonies.
Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @dweber3440.