Morning Drive

 This weekend, modern country music composer Rick Ferrell, a Scioto County native, will be the featured artist in the first-ever songwriters seminar at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park in Greenup, Kentucky.  The park is located across the Ohio River from Scioto County and the city of Portsmouth. Anne Stephens is a University of Kentucky Extension Agent for Fine Arts in Greenup County. WNKU's Steve Hirschberg asked Stephens what the seminar is all about.

Cincinnati Police  Chief James Craig, with the support of Mayor Mark Mallory and City Manager Milton Dohoney, says the police department will focus on five areas of change, following a two-month independent audit of the agency.  WNKU's Steve Hirschberg reports.

The Cincinnati Museum Center has given reporters a glimpse at artifacts uncovered when excavators began work on The Banks development on the city's central riverfront. The items were found in what used to be the basements of homes near the 19th century public landing. WNKU's Steve Hirschberg talked about the finds with Bob Genheimer, the Museum Center's Curator of Archeology.

Northern Kentucky University's College of Informatics will play a significant role in UpTech.  It is a newly-announced initiative designed to transform our region into a world-class, high-tech hub that will spawn informatics companies and create high-paying jobs.  WNKU's Steve Hirschberg reports.

Pink Smoke Over the Vatican is an award winning documentary about women and their struggle to be ordained Roman Catholic Priests.  The film is being shown at the Esquire Theater , Saturday January 14th. Following is a lunch and presentation by well known activist Father Roy Bourgeois.  Father Roy is an advocate of women's ordination and is featured in the film .

Today, the  state of Kentucky is releasing 996 prisoners under a mandatory re-entry program.  J. Michael Brown is  Secretary of Kentucky's Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. He tells WNKU's Steve Hirschberg the release is one of the provisions of a reform law that state legislators approved almost unanimously last spring.

There is a new DVD documentary about the life and career of local television pioneer Ruth Lyons. Her 50-50 Club was broadcast in Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Indianapolis. Lyons began on Cincinnati radio in the late 1930's and, after switching over to television, she remained a popular figure until deteriorating health forced her to retire in the mid 1960's. Mark Magistrelli and David Ashbrock co-produced the Lyons documentary.