COVINGTON — Four weeks after a fire that burned much of a three-story historic structure, the 400 block of Madison Avenue is reopening.

        Madison Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets officially reopens at 6 a.m. today, Covington officials said Friday.

        The street was closed after the May 21 fire at the Odd Fellows Hall. Since then, cranes and other heavy machinery have been removing debris from the site, and workers have installed steel to secure the walls.

        Some parking spaces along Madison Avenue and Fifth Street will remain closed while work at the building continues.

        Workers have removed debris from the second floor of the 146-year-old Odd Fellows building, where much of the roof and third floor fell after the fire.

Festival to showcase more than 30 artists

        FORT THOMAS — The fourth annual Fine Arts Festival will be noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Community Center in Tower Park.

        Admission is $2 per person.

        More than 30 artists will take part. Artists will sell and displaypaintings, sculptures, photos, pottery, jewelry, prints and hand-painted furniture in the community center.

        There will be live music, face-painting for children and food from local restaurants.

        Call Risch Gallery at (859) 441-3838 for information.

Historic district hosts garden tour

        COVINGTON — The Licking-Riverside Historic District will present its annual Garden Tour noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

        The tour includes more than 20 gardens. Speakers will discuss gardening topics, and vendor booths and exhibits will sell garden-related items. Many gardens feature live music and table settings.

        Tickets are $10 and can be purchased the day of the event at the George Rogers Clark Park at Garrard Street and Riverside Drive in Covington. Children under 12 get in free.

        For information, call (859) 581-0165 after 6 p.m.

Homeless man found dead on riverbank

        A 53-year-old homeless man was found dead Sunday morning along the Ohio riverbank in Covington near the 600 block of West Third Street.

        Charles “Chucky” Wallace was found at 8:30 a.m. by other homeless people who live on the riverbank. Covington police are investigating.

        Mr. Wallace had been seen “drinking heavily” throughout the weekend, according to a Covington Police report.

        Mr. Wallace was an avid reader who tended to keep to himself, said Mark Teegarden, who volunteers for agencies that serve the homeless. “If you saw him, you generally saw him in the library or in the park,” he said.

        The body was taken to a local mortuary, police said.

Prof crusades against violence toward women

        LOUISVILLE — A Pakistani professor at the University of Louisville is back in her native country to crusade against laws that permit violence against women.

        Her ally? The teachings of Islam.

        Riffat Hassan, a professor of religious studies, has studied the position and rights of women according to Islamic law. She concluded that Islam doesn't support violence against women. She believes it gives women equality and rights.

        She traveled to Pakistan last week and will use those teachings in human-rights workshops she is supervising in four cities.

        “Education is the best way, perhaps the only way, to change society,” said Ms. Hassan, who moved to the United States in 1972 and is a U.S. citizen.

        The workshops are part of the International Network for the Rights of Female Victims of Violence in Pakistan, which Ms. Hassan founded in 1999.

        The network works to improve awareness of violence against girls and women in Pakistan.

        “We've saved a lot of people's lives,” she said.

Problem-solvers win international contest

        PAINTSVILLE — Johnson County students have become experts on alternative education, environmental law and virtual corporations.

        And now their expertise has garnered them international recognition as problem-solvers.

        Four Johnson Central High School students won the International Conference of the Future Problem Solving Program, which took place last week at the University of Connecticut.

        Freshmen Drew Trimble and Selena DeRossett, sophomore Shesa Sikber and junior Melissa Daniel competed against 50 teams from more than 40 states, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

        Teams and individuals representing Johnson County Middle School and Porter Elementary School also placed in the middle and junior divisions.

        Johnson Central has had the program for 15 years.

        This year, students placed second in the state out of 32 teams.

        Their local rival, Paintsville High School, won the state contest and finished 33rd in the international conference.

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