Boone County High's English learner progress score fell from 37.7 to 32.6 over the last school year. Ryle dropped from 29.8 to 26.6, while Conner rose from 29.5 to 32.1. Across Northern Kentucky, English learner progress fell an average of 10.7 points, compared with a 4.2 point statewide decline.
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The City of Florence and Florence Christian Church will hold an 11 day observance honoring veterans and raising awareness of veteran mental health. Ceremonies begin at 8 a.m. daily from Nov. 1 to 11 at the Boone County Veterans Memorial, 8100 Ewing Boulevard. Each 15 minute ceremony adds 22 dog tags to the Witness Tree, 242 in all by Veterans Day.
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The City of Florence is collecting food for Boone County Family Resource Centers from Nov. 2 to 17. Drop off donations at the Florence Government Center lobby, 8100 Ewing Boulevard, during regular business hours. Requested items include peanut butter, canned fruit, fruit cups, canned tuna and chicken, dried beans and rice, and tomato sauce. Call 859 647 8177 for details.
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DAV and RecruitMilitary will host a Military Community Job Fair Thursday, Oct. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at DAV National Headquarters, 860 Dolwick Drive, Erlanger. Service members, veterans, Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses can meet employers who are hiring for skilled roles. Parking is available on site.
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I am looking for businesses to spotlight in the Florence Pulse. Enquire about having your business in the spotlight. Email me at [email protected].

🌤️ Tuesday — 74° / 53° · Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny
🌤️ Wednesday — 75° / 52° · Mostly Sunny
☀️ Thursday — 76° / 54° · Sunny
📍 Source: weather.gov — Florence, KY 41042

I am putting together a holiday events guide for Florence and Boone County, covering craft shows, pop-ups, markets and seasonal events in October, November and December. Email [email protected] with the event name, date and time, location, and a link or contact for details. Vendors, churches, schools, businesses and organizers are welcome to send events, including ones hosted by someone else.

Tuesday, October 27
7210 Turfway Rd, Florence, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Free. Lender affiliates share practical insights on how they keep preparing their clients. Rob Trump moderates a panel.
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Tuesday, October 27
Legacy Living Florence, 8520 Gunpowder Road, Florence, 6 to 8 p.m.
Trick or treating takes place inside around the first floor. Residents provide the candy. This is an updated date from the organizer.
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Wednesday, October 28
Scheben Branch, Boone County Public Library, 8899 US 42, Florence, 6 to 7 p.m.
A Halloween themed family dance party with music and craft activities. Costumes are welcome.
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Thursday, October 29
Family Essentials Chiropractic, 8544 U.S. 42, Florence, 5 to 7 p.m.
Free. A family friendly Halloween event with treats for all ages, a bounce house and a live DJ.
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Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31
Prime Car Wash, 7600 Burlington Pike, Florence. Friday 7:30 to 10 p.m., Saturday 8 to 11 p.m.
A drive through haunted car wash with costumed characters. Tickets are $25 per car and include a Basic Wash, and each car receives a goodie bag with a free Elite Wash coupon. Tickets can be purchased in advance.
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Saturday, October 31
Unincorporated Boone County, Florence, Union and Walton, 6 to 8 p.m.
Trick or treat is not a county sponsored event. Residents giving out candy can turn on porch lights. Drivers are asked to slow down in neighborhoods and turn on headlights before sunset.
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Saturday, October 31
Dave & Buster's, 781 Heights Blvd, Florence
Two sessions: the family Boo Bash from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a pancake banquet, from $21 per person, and the Moonlight Mixer for ages 18 and older from 7 to 10 p.m., from $24.99 per person. Prices exclude taxes, gratuity and fees. Both include costume contests, themed activities and unlimited game play for a set time.
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Saturday, November 7
Florence Mall, 2028 Florence Mall Rd, Florence, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Free admission. Sports cards, memorabilia, Pokémon and trading card games, and singles and sealed product, with vendors buying, selling and trading.
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Saturday, November 7
Hilton Cincinnati Airport, Florence, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Free admission and free parking. A full ballroom of vendors with sports cards, Pokémon, trading card games and collectibles. A bar is open.
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Sunday, November 8
Florence Lions Club, 29 Lacresta Dr, Florence, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
A sports card show hosted by the Northern Kentucky Card Show community.
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Tuesday, October 27: Healing Power of Connection
Tuesday, October 27: Fall Tree and Wildflower Hike
Tuesday, October 27: Intermediate Paper Mache
Tuesday, October 27: Wildlife Critters October 2026
Wednesday, October 28: Horticulture Planning Meeting
Wednesday, October 28: Hike the Trails
Wednesday, October 28: Intermediate Paper Mache
Wednesday, October 28: Sleep Smarts: Getting Better ZZZs
Thursday, October 29: Fall Tree Planting
Thursday, October 29: Intermediate Paper Mache
Monday, November 2: Intro to Backyard Poultry
Wednesday, November 4: Hand Lettering and Calligraphy, 10 a.m.
Wednesday, November 4: Sleep Smarts: Getting Better ZZZs
Wednesday, November 4: Hand Lettering and Calligraphy, 2 p.m.
Thursday, November 5: Create A... (afternoon session)
Thursday, November 5: Create A... (evening sessions)
Thursday, November 5: Native Shrubs for the Home Landscape
Saturday, November 7: Guided Bird Hike at the Nature Center
Monday, November 9: Plan Today, Protect Tomorrow
Monday, November 9: Upcycled Piecework Sweatshirt for Adults
Tuesday, November 10: Pest Problems on Indoor Plants

Date: Every Saturday through Oct 31.
Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Location: 1961 Burlington Pike, Burlington, KY 41005
Description: About 50 member farm families sell Northern Kentucky-grown produce, flowers and other items. Vendors may also set up on other days, and the market's Facebook page posts pop-ups.
More Info: Boone County Farmers Market

Get your event listed here. Contact me at robert@florencepulse.com to get your event featured in the Florence Pulse.

BCHS Varsity Sports Schedule: Oct. 27 to 30

No BCHS varsity games are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27, through Thursday, Oct. 29.
Friday, Oct. 30: Varsity Boys Football vs. Lloyd Memorial High School, 7 p.m.

Let us know about your sport results. Send to [email protected]

Enslaved people lived in what is now Boone County by 1785, before the county existed. Bullittsburg Baptist Church recorded enslaved church members in 1794, and some of the first settlers in the area held enslaved people. The county's own history did not discuss enslavement in detail for most of its past. Local historians have only begun to tell it fully in the last decade.

Most Boone County slaveholders worked family farms rather than large plantations. Dr. Thomas Trundle is one documented example. Born around 1805 in Bourbon County, he moved to Boone County in the 1820s, practiced medicine, and acquired land near Big Bone Lick. By 1852 he owned about 1,100 acres and held 13 enslaved people, only four of them over the age of 16. Wharton Jones, another Boone County slaveholder, owned nine.

Records of slaveholders in Boone County are held today in the Boone County Public Library's history collections. Enslaved people lived in a county bordered by the river, with the free state of Ohio visible on the other side. Wednesday, we look at what that river meant to the people who tried to cross it.