Morning Drive

The Art Academy of Cincinnati has a new president.  He is John Sullivan, who comes to Cincinnati from the Watkins College of Art, Design and Film in Nashville.  Sullivan notes that the art academy was a pioneer in moving several years ago to the city's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood from its long-time home next to the Cincinnati Art Museum in Eden Park.  He tells WNKU's Steve Hirschberg that after such a bold move, as he calls it, the academy now  has plenty of company in its new neighborhood.

In 1862, during the Civil War, Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky faced the likelihood of an invasion by Confederate troops.  But the area was able to avoid a military confrontation, thanks to volunteers who came forward to defend the city and to  help bolster its fortifications.  Among those volunteers was a group of local African-Americans that came to be known as The Black Brigade.  As part of the commemoration of Black History Month, WNKU's Steve Hirschberg talked about this historical episode with Richard Cooper, Interpretive Services Manager at Cincinnati's National Underground Railroad

The popular social networking site,  Facebook is getting ready for another big change and maybe it's already happened for you. Facebook's Timeline will be mandatory for users.

A new study compiled for the National Park Service shows Mammoth Cave National Park generates $62 million  a year for the South-Central Kentucky area. The park is located about halfway between Louisville and Nashville, near I-65. Vickie Carson is the park's Public Information Officer.  In this Postcard story,  WNKU's Steve Hirschberg asked Carson about the findings of the economic impact study.

This Saturday, the first in a series of three free arts sampler days takes place around the Cincinnati area.  Rebecca Bromels is Director of Communications for Artswave.  Bromels tells WNKU's Steve Hirschberg that all three sampler days take place on Saturdays.

dunnhumbyUSA is working on a formal agreement with the city of Cincinnati, the state of Ohio and 3CDC to keep its headquarters downtown but in a new location. WNKU's Steve Hirschberg talked with Stuart Aitken, the company's CEO.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says his department is doing everything it can to help grow Ohio's economy and to help improve the state's rural areas.  Vilsack talked with WNKU's Steve Hirschberg in the wake of President Obama's recent State of the Union Address.

Sunday night's Super Bowl,  just like every Super Bowl before it, will be played with a football made in the small town of Ada in Northwest Ohio. That's where the Wilson company has been making all of the NFL's official footballs since 1955. WNKU's Steve Hirschberg talked with company spokeswoman Molly Wallace.

Local songwriter and musician Josh Eagle of "Josh Eagle and the Harvest City" was in the WNKU studios last Friday to perform live. Afterwards WNKU's Steve Hirschberg sat down with him for an interview. Eagle was asked when he first realized he that wanted to make music his career.