This is the latest episode of the Chocolate News Podcast. We bring you news that discusses issues affecting the Black community.

On today’s show, we discuss the aftermath of 2024 Presidential Election, the closure of numerous Frisch’s restaurants, and more.

This week’s episode is hosted by John Alexander Reese (Digital Editor, The Cincinnati Herald) and Andria Carter (Digital Correspondent).

The views expressed on this podcast do not necessarily express the opinions of The Cincinnati Herald.

Originally recorded on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

The post Chocolate News: 2024 Election Aftermath appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Elissa Thorner, MHS 
Patient Advocate
Care+Wear

Seven key things to know about breast cancer awareness for early detection are:

• Know Your Family History – Ask your family about any history of cancer. Find out if anyone in your family has had cancer and, if so, what types and at what age they were diagnosed. Family history plays a critical role in assessing your own risk.
• Know Your Medical Provider – Establish a good relationship with a gynecologist, family doctor or internist who is familiar with your body, individual risk factors and screening recommendations. Open communication is essential for timely and effective care.
• Know Your Body – Be familiar with how your breasts feel, especially if you’re premenopausal, as they may change throughout the month. Report any changes such as new lumps, bumps, nipple discharge or chest rashes to your health care provider.
• Know Your Gynecological History – Menarche (the start of menstruation) before age 12 or menopause after age 55 increases your risk of breast cancer. It’s important to share your reproductive history with your doctor.
• Know the Screening Recommendations – For women at average risk of breast cancer, mammograms are recommended every two years between the ages of 40 and 74. If you have dense breasts, a family history of certain cancers, or other risk factors, your doctor may recommend additional screening such as ultrasounds or MRIs.
• Know Your Genetics – If anyone in your family has been diagnosed with an inherited gene mutation (e.g., BRCA1, BRCA2 or PALB2) or with pancreatic, prostate, breast or ovarian cancer before age 50, or male breast cancer, you may be at increased risk. Discuss genetic testing and more aggressive screening options with your provider.
• Know Your Risk Factors – Several factors increase the risk of breast cancer, including:
  • Having children later in life (or not at all)
  • Not breastfeeding or breastfeeding for less than six months
  • Smoking
  • Dense breast tissue
  • Use of hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives for five years or more
  • Previous chest radiation
  • Breast biopsiesBeing overweight after menopause –
  • Alcohol consumption

It’s important to be aware of these risks and take steps to reduce them where possible.

Elissa Thorner is a breast cancer survivor and former co-director of the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Program at Johns Hopkins Medicine. She is a Care+Wear community member and health adviser.

The post It’s never too early to think about breast cancer prevention appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

Contributed

Cincinnati Pizza Week returns November 11-17 with $10 pizza deals at participating restaurants throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. For seven days, pizza lovers will have the opportunity to devour delicious pizza of all shapes, sizes, toppings, sauces, and more! With traditional favorites to eclectic twists, there’s something for everyone. Pair the pizza with a Braxton beer to earn even more points throughout the week. 

The Cincinnati Pizza Week App: Download. Eat Pizza. Win Prizes.Earn points on the app for eating pizza, and drinking Braxton beer at participating restaurants! Navigate your way through the city and reward your APPetite with our official Cincinnati Pizza Week App available in both Google Play and Apple Store : https://qrco.de/bdQpln

Two ways to win:

•  Check in at 4 or more locations during the week and be automatically entered to for a chance to win a Grand Prize of $300 in gift cards

•  Earn points for eating pizzas, drinking Braxton beer, and checking in! The person with the most points at the end of Pizza Week is named the Biggest Pizza Lover in Cincinnati, and wins a Grand Prize of $300 in gift cards

Pizza lovers have the opportunity to not only check-in on the Cincinnati Pizza Week app to earn points, they can now post their pizza (and Braxton beer) photos on social media for a chance to win prizes throughout the week. By tagging @cincypizzaweek in Instagram stories, fans will be automatically entered for a chance to win a $25 gift card throughout Cincinnati Pizza Week. A new winner will be drawn daily from the tagged stories!

Locations offering $10 pizza deals include:

Agave & Rye, Barrel House Kitchen & Bar, By Golly’s, Catch-A-Fire Pizza, Cork N Crust, Dewey’s Pizza, Fireside Pizza, Forno Osteria & Bar, Goodfellas Pizzeria, Hoppin’ Vines, Killer Queen, Little Miami Brewing Company, Mackenzie River Pizza, Grill & Pub; MadTree Brewing, Mikey’s Late Night Slice, Padrino, Poseidon’s Pizza, Ramundo’s Pizzeria, Sayler Park Pizza Co., Serena’s Pizzeria at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming, Sorrento’s Italian Joint, Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, Taco Fuerte at Braxton Barrel House, Taft’s BrewPourium, Taglio Bar & Pizzeria, The Gruff, The Works Pizza, Trophy Pizza, Twelve08, Two Cities Pizza, Voodoo Brewery, and Your Mom’s Pizzeria. Restaurants subject to change. 

The post Cincinnati Pizza Week returns this week appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

This is the latest episode of the Chocolate News Podcast. We bring you news that discusses issues affecting the Black community.

On today’s show, we discuss the results of the 2024 Presidential Election and more.

This week’s episode is hosted by John Alexander Reese (Digital Editor, The Cincinnati Herald) and Andria Carter (Digital Correspondent).

The views expressed on this podcast do not necessarily express the opinions of The Cincinnati Herald.

Originally recorded on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

The post Chocolate News: Trump defeats Harris appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

This is the latest episode of the Chocolate News Podcast. We bring you news that discusses issues affecting the Black community.

On today’s show, we discuss the results of the 2024 Presidential Election and more.

This week’s episode is hosted by John Alexander Reese (Digital Editor, The Cincinnati Herald) and Andria Carter (Digital Correspondent).

The views expressed on this podcast do not necessarily express the opinions of The Cincinnati Herald.

Originally recorded on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

The post Chocolate News: Trump Wins appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

Contributed

Cincinnati bought an existing gun range in Evendale in 1947 to train Cincinnati police officers. Lincoln Heights, next to Evendale, was officially incorporated in 1947. Lincoln Heights and nearby Woodlawn were not densely populated at the time, but both grew. By the 1960s, Lincoln Heights was a City with about 8,000 residents.

For the last three or more decades, various political leaders discussed the need to move the gun range to a more remote location. There was no progress made.

And then came Lincoln Heights Councilmember Daronce Daniels and the Heights Movement — Celeste Treece, Carlton Collins and others. They sought the help of Sen. Sherrod Brown, who reached out to Renee Mahaffey Harris, president & CEO of the Center for Closing the Health Gap, and then to Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney who had only been on Cincinnati City Council for a few months at the time.

Kearney asked Councilmember P.G. Sittenfeld to hold a hearing on Oct. 6, 2020 in his Environment Committee to share the negative impact that the gun range was having on surrounding communities, per the request of Alea Brown from Sen. Brown’s office, Daniels, and Mahaffey-Harris. The session included compelling testimony from Dr. Brian Earl, a UC audiologist, Renee Mahaffey, leaders and residents of Lincoln Heights and Woodlawn.

In attendance were members of Cincinnati City Council, mayors of Evendale, Lincoln Heights, and Woodlawn, Hamilton County Commissioners, representatives of the offices of Sen. Sherrod Brown and Sen. Rob Portman, Assistant Police Chief Teresa Theetge (who now is Cincinnati’s police chief) and others.

The result was agreement that the area around the Cincinnati Police Department’s gun range now was too densely populated and Cincinnati needed to relocate the range.

“Police Chief Eliot Isaac, county commissioners Stephanie Summerow Dumas and Denise Driehaus, several others and I visited numerous sites,” said Vice Mayor Kearney. “After looking at an indoor gun range which was not suitable, County Commissioner Driehaus called me and suggested that we consider sharing the Hamilton County Sheriff’s site.” Kearney said that both she and Chief Isaac liked the idea. Commissioner Driehaus began arranging meetings with all parties involved: Gov. Mike DeWine, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey, State Reps. Cindy Abrams and Tom Brinkman, Hamilton County Commissioners Alicia Reece and Stephanie Dumas, Colerain Township Trustees Wahlert, Unger, Rajagopal and later, Ulrich, Evendale Mayor Dick Finan, Woodlawn Mayor Brian Poole, and Lincoln Heights Mayor Ruby Kinsey-Mumphrey, former Colerain Township Police Chief Mark Denney, Lincoln Heights Councilmembers, the Heights Movement members, and others.

“We had more than three years of meetings to discuss concerns, plans, and to engage all stakeholders, including the residents of Colerain Township,” Kearney said. She added that there are 18 acres of green space around the County’s gun range so residential communities will not be able to build near the site. The new plans also provide sound barriers, new collaborative training facilities, classrooms and offices. Several community members commented that they are especially excited about the de-escalation training.

It was Colerain Township Trustee Matt Wahlert who came up with the ‘Regional Safety Complex’ name because this complex will be used by the City, County, State, and federal agencies. “A great deal of credit goes to Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long and Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluoto for pulling together the deal, the plans, and the funding,” said Kearney. She also gives a great deal of credit to former Mayor John Cranley and current Mayor Aftab Pureval. “This accomplishment would not have happened with their full support.”

The cost is about $31.2 million dollars. Because of the strong advocacy of Hamilton County Commissioner President Alicia Reece, Hamilton County paid the largest share, while the City, State, and federal governments contributed as well. Reece said that this is an issue of environmental justice and she wanted to make sure that justice was served.

The post Never say never: Cincinnati Breaks ground on ‘the gun range’ appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

Contributed

The 2024 Spirit of Construction Gala, held on Oct. 19, marked a historic evening for the tristate area’s construction industry. Jostin Construction, led by Liza and Albert Smitherman, proudly served as the first minority-owned business to chair the prestigious event. This year’s gala set records, raising $1.1 million and drawing 1,200 attendees — making it the most successful event in the gala’s history. The evening also featured the support of 20 Big Impact sponsors, including Valley Interior Systems, and Lithko Contracting. 

The funds raised will benefit the Spirit of Construction Foundation, which provides scholarships to students pursuing degrees in construction-related fields such as construction management and civil engineering. To date, the Foundation has contributed over $550,000 in scholarships to 175 students attending the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati State, and Northern Kentucky University. In addition to scholarships, the Foundation also supports education-based grants, with over $1.1 million raised in the past five years alone to fund these impactful programs. 

The success of the event was a testament to the collaborative efforts of many, including Tony Brunsman, Executive Director of the Spirit of Construction Gala, Joe Rigotti, Creative Director, and The Big Idea Group, which served as the marketing concierge, working alongside the Jostin Construction team every step of the way to bring the event’s vision to life.  

This year’s gala stood out not only for its record-breaking fundraising but also for its unique approach to celebrating the industry’s accomplishments. With 20 Big Impact sponsors contributing $25,000 each, the event highlighted the powerful role the construction industry plays in the community. A new sponsorship level — Emerging Companies — was introduced, with 8 companies participating as Emerging Leader Chef Apron Sponsors at $2,500. Their logos were displayed on all 60 aprons worn by the wait and bar staff, giving these smaller construction companies, many of which are MBE and WBE enterprises, significant visibility and a voice at the gala. The evening added a fun twist to the traditional black-tie affair, as attendees paired sneakers with formal attire — symbolizing the industry’s balance of hard work and innovation. 

Liza Smitherman, Chief People Officer of Jostin Construction, reflected on the evening: 

“It’s been an incredible journey to chair the Spirit of Construction Gala this year, and we’re already excited for what’s to come. This event celebrates everything our industry stands for — innovation, resilience, and a commitment to creating opportunities for everyone. We’re proud to be part of a legacy that continues to elevate the construction community in Greater Cincinnati.” 

Albert Smitherman, CEO of Jostin Construction, shared his reflection:

“Standing here tonight reminds me of when I received the Spirit of Construction Lifetime Achievement Award just a few years ago. I spoke about change, innovation, and inclusion as the driving forces in our industry, and tonight, we continue that journey together. The question we all need to ask ourselves is — how will each of us champion equity and belonging in our workforces and partnerships? The future of construction depends on the actions we take today.” 

As the gala ended, Liza and Albert introduced the 2025 Gala Chair, Justin Taulbee of Valley Interior Systems, Inc., before offering a heartfelt message of unity and a vision for the future to the crowd: 

“Let’s remember to take care of one another. You are all loved, you are all important, and as a great leader once said, we did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it!” 

The post Jostin Construction’s groundbreaking gala achieves milestone  appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

Contributed

Cincinnati native Carole Crawford, who is Managing Director, Americas and Global Events at CFA Institute (the largest global association of investment professionals), was selected as one of Forbes (magazine) 50 over 50 in August 1.

CFA Institute (Chartered Financial Analysts), a not-for-profit professional organization that provides investment professionals with finance education, promotes standards in ethics, education, and professional excellence in the global investment services industry. 

Crawford, the daughter of Dr. Alvin and Jean Crawford of Cincinnati, graduated from Cincinnati Country Day School and was on the tennis team, track team and was head cheer leader. She is also a graduate of Howard University, University of Michigan, and Harvard Universities. She was a member of Jack & Jill Inc. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan, completed the Certificate Investment Management Analyst Program at Wharton School Aresty Institute of Executive Education, and completed the Investment Management Workshop at Harvard Business School. 

She is Global Board Chair of 100 Women in Finance, a professional network that empowers women in finance to achieve professional success. With more than 30,000 members in 32 locations, the organization’s goal is for women to occupy 30% of senior investment roles and committee executive positions by 2040. 

Prior to this recent appointment, Crawford founded 100WFintech Global Visibility Initiative, to elevate women in fintech roles. She also founded fincap360, a global family office consulting practice focused on venture and niche investments, after a senior investment role at Morgan Stanley.

Carole established her career at Morgan Stanley before founding fincap360, a boutique global family-office consulting and CFO practice, focused on venture and niche investments.

She is actively involved in the global Fintech ecosystem. She founded the 100WFintech Global Visibility Initiative and CFA Society New York’s Fintech Thought Leadership group. In 2020, she was recognized by NYC Fintech Women as an Inspiring Fintech Female Leader. She received CFA Society New York’s Volunteer Leader of the Year award.

At 100 Women in Finance, Carole founded the 100WFintech Initiative to elevate the public profile of female fintech leaders, enable stronger connection to the fintech ecosystem and inspire the next generation of female fintech talent. As a leading global forum for fintech, 100WFintech provides all members with access to exclusive content to stay abreast of innovation and the changing landscape of the global finance industry.

Crawford said she is proud to serve as Chair of the board of directors of 100WF, “a welcoming professional community that embraces members of all backgrounds.” She added she is passionate about 100WF’s 30/40 Vision, with the goal for women to occupy 30% of senior investment roles and executive committee positions by 2040. She sees 100WF’s action-oriented network, dedicated to empowering each other and promoting a more diverse industry, as a platform for women to thrive.

The post Carole Crawford selected as one of Forbes’ 50 over 50 appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

This is the latest episode of the Chocolate News Podcast. We bring you news that discusses issues affecting the Black community.

On today’s show, we discuss the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election, the closure of multiple Frisch’s restaurants, a new BBQ restaurant on the University of Cincinnati campus, and more.

This week’s episode is hosted by John Alexander Reese (Digital Editor, The Cincinnati Herald) and Andria Carter (Digital Correspondent).

The views expressed on this podcast do not necessarily express the opinions of The Cincinnati Herald.

Originally recorded on Thursday, October 31, 2024.

The post The Final Days Before Election 2024 appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

Contributed

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, in partnership with AGAR, the Haile Foundation, Artworks, Cincy Nice and ish released a report detailing the economic impact BLINK®, illuminated by ArtsWave, had on the Cincinnati region.

In October 2022, the nowhere-else BLINK experience attracted mroe than two million attendees across the four-day event, resulting in a direct economic impact of $126 million dollars. Additionally, the event directly supported or created 1,687 jobs, and generated $1.5 million dollars in direct artist commissions, honorariums, and art fees.

At the heart of its mission, BLINK solidified the Cincinnati region as a hub of arts and culture, and the BLINK team made this possible by honoring the rich and diverse history of the city itself. Known for its collaborative spirit, BLINK paired awe-inspiring murals with projection mapping and lighting to create wholly engaging experiences.

The 2022 BLINK Economic Impact report was developed by the Cincinnati Chamber’s Center for Research & Data, and utilized a variety of data sources and outputs to generate the information detailed in the report. The Center for Research & Data is an initiative to deliver data-driven analysis regarding vital regional indicators and outcomes and helps leaders, community partners, and policymakers make informed decisions.

The post Blink generates $126 million for Cincinnati appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .