NEWPORT — The strains of Italian opera will drift across the Ohio River June 7 when Newport's 10th annual Italianfest opens at its new home on the riverfront below the Newport Aquarium.

        City officials realized that the event, which has grown from a tiny family-oriented party to a festival that filled the Newport Shopping Center, had outgrown its home at the shopping center on Monmouth Street.

        With the departure over the winter of Barleycorn's floating restaurant and bar, the city has a large expanse of riverfront property on the north side of the floodwall that will accommodate the many Italian restaurant food booths and the music stage that officials anticipate will draw some 60,000 people.

        Festival parking, which was at a premium at the shopping center and filled spaces normally used by center patrons, will be more plentiful with the riverfront venue.

        Parking will be available at the Aquarium garage, the lot at Fourth and Columbia streets, the Campbell County Courthouse lot, the riverfront lot at the former Sloppy Joe's restaurant, and Gen. James Taylor Park.

        Free shuttle service will be provided, stopping at TANK stops from the shopping center to Riverboat Row every 20 minutes.

        Italianfest opens with Italian opera night June 7, from 6-10 p.m., and includes both local and visiting performers.

        June 8, the event runs from 6-11:30 p.m. and includes the fifth annual Spaghetti Nob 5K Run and Fitness Walk to benefit New Perceptions. The run/walk starts in South Newport on the hill called Spaghetti Nob because it has been the home for over a century of many of Newport's Italian families.

        Fireworks will highlight the Italianfest Friday and Saturday, and the event concludes Sunday with a cooking contest. Saturday hours are noon-11:30 p.m. and Sunday's hours are noon-9 p.m.

Boys charged in attack during riot
Treasury rushes on tax refunds
$44.9B Ohio budget sent to Taft
City stops for 3 minutes
Olympics bid due on Friday
Show seeks diversity from local auditions
Appeals court lifts Scott stay
Coleman one step away from date with death
Teen-ager charged in bank heist
Band helps to build school
Totem tells pupils' story
Charter school to teach trades
About charter schools
Airport to upgrade safety system
Bishops back poultry workers
Congregation steps forward with fund-raiser
Credits for poor phone service now mandatory
Deaths of foals prompt survey
Demjanjuk papers look authentic
Federal funds will help buy new vans for transit agency
Grad has praise for drug court
Hearing rescheduled in sexual-abuse case
House approves annexation bill
In five days - a playground
Italianfest to feature music, food
Kids breeze through 800 books
Paducah killer won't fight move to adult prison
School prank results in order for payments, community service
Senate sends Taft revised bill overhauling state proficiency tests
State could sell ads on Web sites
Stumbo fights paternity suit
Kentucky News Briefs
Tristate A.M. Report