Mold Remediation in Cincinnati, KY

Access to several Cincinnati-area roadways has been restricted after a massive fire closed the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge early Friday morning.

The bridge, colloquially known as the Big Mac Bridge, carries traffic between Cincinnati and Newport and over the Ohio River.

The bridge is currently closed in both directions due to damage from the fire. According to a release from the Ohio Department of Transportation, a slew of ramps to I-471 and nearby streets are also closed.

Ohio traffic impacts and detour

Southbound I-471 at the bridge crossing is expected to be closed until further notice.

Detour: Southbound I-471 traffic from Cincinnati is currently being diverted via I-71 and I-75 South.

The following restrictions are also in place in downtown Cincinnati:

Kentucky traffic impacts and detour

All I-471 northbound lanes are blocked at the I-275 interchange.

Detour: Motorists are advised to use I-275 eastbound or westbound to detour.

The following on/off ramps to northbound I-471 are also closed:

The goal is to reopen northbound traffic as soon as it is safe to do so, ODOT wrote in the release. A full inspection of the bridge must be completed before ODOT knows when northbound traffic can reopen.

I-471 southbound on/off ramps in Kentucky remain open.

What do we know about the fire?

At 3:20 a.m., the Cincinnati Fire Department responded to a fire on Pete Rose Way under the Ohio approach to the bridge, the release reads. Firefighters at the scene saw a large blaze at the Sawyer Point 1000 Hands Playground, which sits under the bridge. The flames reached more than 40 feet and set fires on the bridge.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

What do we know about the state of the bridge?

Bridge inspectors from ODOT and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet are on scene inspecting the structure, the release reads. Significant damage was found on at least three beams and a portion of the bridge deck on the southbound side. Less significant damage was found on the northbound side.

Inspectors will conduct a more thorough assessment of the bridge once the scene is deemed safe by Cincinnati fire.

According to the release, ODOT is working to expedite an emergency repair contract.

CINCINNATI — The country’s largest immersive art event is just days away.

What You Need To Know

It has been a crazy couple of days for the people in charge of making sure BLINK runs smoothly. The festival of art and light returns Thursday, Oct. 17, and features four days of free public art, spanning 30 city blocks from Cincinnati into northern Kentucky. There will be more than 80 light, projection and mural projects from renowned artists.

“Shutting down the city to throw a giant public art party every couple years is how we like to think about this work,” said Justin Brookhart, BLINK executive director. “You’ll see us running around, dropping a lot of equipment, building scaffolding towers. You’ll see mural artists up on lifts painting incredible artwork."

"We’re going to be running around right up until the last minute to get everything perfect for folks to come enjoy free public art in Cincinnati and northern Kentucky.”

Brookhart said guests should make sure not to miss the supernova laser bridge, which will run parallel to the Roebling Bridge, or the projection project at Music Hall in Cincinnati. That project features 12 projectors, 120 light fixtures and four different artists.

Will Jennings, Four Wall Entertainment senior project manager, said it has been in the works for several months and will be “incredible.”

“We’ve been figuring out how many projectors, what projectors to use, working with the content team to make BLINK happen,” Jennings said.

This is the fourth edition of BLINK, which takes place every other year. The team is anticipating more than two million attendees, creating a $126 million economic impact for the region.

A big focus for this year's BLINK, Brookhart said, is the connectivity and walkability.

“We’ve condensed our footprint a little bit and tried to make it more dense, having corridors where there’s a lot of activation, so if people are in that area they get to see a whole lot in a short period of time,” he said. “We do think this is a 'nowhere else' experience. There’s nowhere else in the United States where something like this happens at this grand of a scale.”

Brookhart said he recommends attendees plan out their routes throughout the six unique zones in the BLINK footprint. Check out the festival's website for more details and information.

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden scientists are working with the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves to help restore populations of an endangered clover native to Kentucky.

What You Need To Know

When people look out at a patch of grass and see a clover, some may not think twice about the role it plays in an ecosystem. But Mairead Kennedy said more people should. She's the plant lab manager and conservation horticulturist at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden's Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW).

“Even if they don’t know the species, the names, if they’re just able to see that these organisms exist and they matter, I really hope our work is able to show that,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy works with endangered native species of plants to cryopreserve them, which is a process where biological material is frozen, preserving it for a long time.

“I kind of say, it’s like 'Jurassic Park,' but for plants,” she said.

For several years, CREW has worked to help restore populations of the endangered Kentucky Clover, or "Trifolium Kentuckiense."

It was once known to occur only in two distinct populations in Franklin and Woodford counties, but in recent surveys has disappeared. Kennedy said it's likely due to other invasive species, along with human interference and development.

The two goals now are “preserving them here in a safe environment, but also hopefully getting them out back where they belong,” Kennedy said. That’s done through acclimatization, which she said is like dipping a toe into a pool first instead of diving right in.

“If we took a plant straight from a test tube and just popped it outside, whether or not it was hardy to the conditions we have in Ohio and Kentucky, it would die within a matter of minutes,” she said.

Kennedy said through tinkering with the process, CREW has helped mass produce the Kentucky Clover. The target was 1,500 plants for the state over two years, but in just seven months, she’s already got 1,300 and hundreds and thousands of seeds.

She said the process has been completely worth it.

“They have a lot of benefits of pollinators," Kennedy said. "We don’t want that to disappear. Plants to me, they’re just overlooked in a way, and I think it matters more than people can fathom.”

Once Kentucky Clovers can handle being outside a test tube, they are taken to the zoo's Bowyer Farm, where its horticulture team continues to grow them and establish them into larger pots.

NEWPORT, Ky. —

If you're headed into downtown Cincinnati or northern Kentucky Monday morning, your commute will look a bit different.

Crews are set to begin work to repair the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, also known as the Big Mac Bridge, after a fire damaged the bridge Friday, leading to the bridge's closure.

Northbound lanes have re-opened, but southbound lanes remain closed and could remain that way for several weeks.

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REMINDER: As we get back to the routine of things today, a reminder that SB lanes of I-471 are CLOSED to drivers due to Friday's fire. NB lanes are open, with one far left lane closure. Plan on bigger delays if this route is part of your typical commute. pic.twitter.com/WZQvf7znHW

— Katie Donovan WLWT (@WxLadyKatie) November 4, 2024

If you're headed that way, here's what to know about road closures and detours to help make your commute as smooth as possible.

Ohio Impacts

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Southbound traffic onto I-471 is being diverted by the Ohio Department of Transportation by way of I-71 and I-75 south.

Heavy truck (semi) drivers are also encouraged to use I-275 to I-71/75 to avoid delays. All HAZMAT operators are required to follow the I-275 outer belt.

In addition, the restrictions in downtown Cincinnati have been put in place:

Transportation officials say those who travel eastbound on Pete Rose Way, it is open to Eggleston St., but motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes through downtown to avoid congestion at the intersection.

Motorists using Riverside Drive, on the east side of the bridge approach, are encouraged to reroute to downtown by way of Columbia Parkway.

Kentucky Impacts

A single-lane closure is in effect on I-471 north, beginning at the 3.6 milemarker near Memorial Parkway and continuing across the bridge, officials say.

Motorists are encouraged to consider using I-275, east or westbound, as an alternate route.

For more information on road closures, alternate routes and the latest updates from ODOT, click here.

Week 5 is officially here, and with it comes the thick of the high school football season in Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.

Seasons were changed this week. Beechwood and Covington Catholic clashed in one of Kentucky's marquee Week 5 matchups. Could Beechwood stay undefeated and further its case for Class 2A favorite? Or would Covington Catholic continue its resurgence with an exclamation point against one of the state's best teams? Could Ryle make a statement against the reigning Class 3A state champion Christian Academy-Louisville? Would Bishop Brossart stay undefeated against probably its toughest test yet in Lloyd Memorial?

Those questions were answered tonight, and you can find all of those answers here.

Highlands 35, Raceland 0

Highlands shut down Raceland 35-0 today and scored 35 points despite gaining just 156 yards and seven first downs on offense. Quarterback Rio Litmer passed for 65 yards and a touchdown in the game.

Raceland — 0 0 0 0 — 0

Highlands — 0 14 14 7 — 35

H — Niemann 5 run (Nickelman kick)

H — Arnold 10 pass from Litmer (Nickelman kick)

H — Grimm 69 kick return (Nickelman kick)

H — Surrey 17 pass from Litmer (Nickelman kick)

H — Lorenzen 13 run (Nickelman kick)

Boone County 14, Paul Laurence Dunbar 13

Boone County scored a fourth quarter touchdown to take its first lead of the game. The Rebels wouldn't relinquish it. Boone County outgained Paul Laurence Dunbar 250-134 in what was otherwise a very even game. Jayden Jackson was the Rebels' most productive rusher, earning 66 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Quarterback Peyton Storer threw for 134 yards and a touchdown on nine completions, and Shawn Turney grabbed three catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Boone County had two sacks, six tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

Boone County — 0 7 0 7 — 14

Paul Lawrence Dunbar — 7 6 0 0 — 13

PLD — Nduwayo 5 run (Davies kick)

PLD — Bowman 30 interception return (kick blocked)

BC — Turney 61 pass from Storer (Daugherty kick)

BC — Jackson 6 run (Daugherty kick)

Records: BC 2-2, PLD 1-4.

Week 5 scores

Friday, Sept. 20

Beechwood 28, Covington Catholic 49 — FINAL

Bishop Brossart 16, Lloyd Memorial 44 — FINAL

Boone County 14, Paul Laurence Dunbar 13 — FINAL

Campbell County 29, Newport Central Catholic 28 — FINAL

Conner 42, Simon Kenton 21 — FINAL

Great Crossing 36, Cooper 62 — FINAL

Holy Cross 12, Middlesboro 14 — FINAL

Newport 32, Ludlow 30 — FINAL

Pendleton County 19, Nicholas County 70 — FINAL

Raceland 0, Highlands 35 — FINAL

Ryle 28, Christian Academy-Louisville 24 — FINAL

Sayre 55, Dayton 0 — FINAL

Walton-Verona 37, Holmes 0 — FINAL

Indiana

Friday, Sept. 20

Lawrenceburg 35, Franklin County 27 — FINAL

East Central 24, Batesville 13 — FINAL

Greensburg 3, South Dearborn 28 — FINAL

How can I stream greater Cincinnati high school football games?

To help readers avoid scams, the Enquirer put together a list of official streaming links for this week's games. You can find it here.

Where are Northern Kentucky teams ranked in the latest Kentucky high school football media poll?

Seven NKY teams are ranked in the top ten for their class in the latest Kentucky high school football media poll, with Beechwood and Cooper coming in the highest at No. 2 in their respective classes. You can view the full rankings here.

Who's playing Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana high school football in Week 5?

Week 5 features marquee matchups like Beechwood at Covington Catholic, Bishop Brossart at Lloyd Memorial and Ryle at Class 3A power Christian Academy-Louisville. You can check out the full schedule around Greater Cincinnati here.

What does The Enquirer think will happen in Week 5 matchups in NKY?

The Enquirer staff weighed in on eight Ohio matchups and two Northern Kentucky matchups this week, leveling predictions for Beechwood at Covington Catholic and Bishop Brossart at Lloyd Memorial. You can view our picks here.

What do Greater Cincinnati football coaches think about athletes playing through injuries?

Coaches Confidential is a new Cincinnati Enquirer series for the 2024-2025 fall season that allows football coaches to answer weekly questions anonymously. This week's question was: Many athletes put pressure on themselves to play through injuries with concerns that include losing minutes on the field and being seen as weak or fragile, to name two. What do you want athletes and their parents to know about your thought process on the topic?

You can check out the full story here.

Other questions asked in Coaches Confidential so far this season have included:

Who won Southwest Indiana and Northern Kentucky high school football's Week 4 games?

Week 4 featured some incredible matchups around Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.

Ryle head coach Mike Engler became his school's all-time football coaching wins leader with a thrilling 31-28 walk-off overtime victory over Highlands in a game that was at one point tied 7-7, 14-14, 21-21 and 28-28. Covington Catholic came back against Dixie Heights to push its record back to .500 after an 0-2 start. Beechwood punched up multiple classes with a 35-23 win over Simon Kenton, and Bishop Brossart remained undefeated with a 38-13 victory over Nicholas County.

You can view a full list of results from last week here. If you're interested in scores from the Ohio side of Greater Cincinnati, you can find those here.

Get statewide Kentucky and Indiana high school football scores from Scorestream

Watch KHSAA and IHSAA football games on NFHS Network

Watch Kentucky football games this season Watch Indiana football games this season

The NFHS Network is a production of the National Federation of State High School Associations and PlayOn! Sports that gives schools the ability to stream and broadcast sporting events, even without a full broadcasting staff.

The Week 5 schedule in Greater Cincinnati is loaded to kick off the season and many games are worth a watch. In Kentucky, schools such as Beechwood, Bishop Brossart, Boone County, and Grant County have listed home football broadcasts onto the broadcast schedule.

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