The Boone County Planning Commission voted 6 to 5 to recommend against a zoning change that would allow Drees Homes to build 335 housing units on about 185 acres along the west side of US 42, between Rice Pike and Bleu Yacht Lane. County Planner Lauren Elliot said the planned development overlay would not be consistent with the county's comprehensive plan. The Boone County Fiscal Court will make the final decision in the coming weeks.
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The Northern Kentucky NAACP said the Boone County High School teacher placed on leave after a word search containing a racial slur reached students has returned to class. Branch President Jerome Bowles said district leaders called it "an unintentional situation that was done by this teacher." The district declined to confirm meeting details. A follow up meeting with Superintendent Jeff Hauswald is planned later this semester.
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Trick or treat hours in unincorporated Boone County will run from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, and Florence, Union and Walton set matching hours. The county does not sponsor the event. Residents giving out candy can turn on porch lights, and officials urge drivers to slow down in neighborhoods and turn on headlights before sunset.
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Boone County Kentucky has announced that asphalt paving is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 12, at the Camp Ernst Roundabout, weather permitting. Traffic may be reduced to one lane with flaggers directing vehicles as needed. Drivers are asked to use caution when traveling through the area and to allow extra time for possible delays.

I am looking for businesses to spotlight in the Florence Pulse. Enquire about having your business in the spotlight. Email me at [email protected].

🌤️ Monday — 82° / 65° · Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny
☀️ Tuesday — 86° / 67° · Sunny
⛈️ Wednesday — 83° / 64° · Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
📍 Source: weather.gov — Florence, KY 41042

Where is your favorite pumpkin patch?

Respond to this email with your answer.
Find out the answers next week.

Tuesday, October 13
Boone County Public Library Main Library, 1786 Burlington Pike, Burlington, 7 p.m.
Free and open to the public. Candidates Chet Hand and Tim Johnson debate, with former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson moderating. Norse Media will film and livestream the event.
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Big Bone Lick State Historic Site in Union is hosting its annual Salt Festival on October 16–18, with tickets now available for purchase online. The festival celebrates the site's natural and archaeological heritage through live demonstrations, guided tours, and educational programming at one of Kentucky's most significant Pleistocene fossil sites.
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Friday, October 16
Turfway Park, 7 p.m.
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Saturday, October 17
High Stakes Harley-Davidson, 430 Meijer Drive, Florence, 1 to 4 p.m.
Live music by Billy Brown, Minton's Ducking Good BBQ food truck, cash bar, pumpkin decorating and a costume contest. Candy hand out begins at 3 p.m.
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Saturday, October 17
Nostalgic Garage, 7968 Kentucky Dr., Suite 5, Florence, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Classic, hot rod, muscle and off-road vehicles, plus a trunk or treat for kids. Attendees are asked to bring candy and non-perishable food. The candy supports Sunrise Children's Services and the food goes to a Go Pantry donation bin.
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Saturday, October 17
Florence Elks Lodge #314, 7704 Dixie Hwy, Florence, 2 to 6 p.m.
A family friendly fundraiser open to the public, with games, prizes, food, music, raffle baskets and Split the Pot. All proceeds support the Simon Kenton Cheer team.
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Wednesday, October 21
4885 Houston Rd, Florence, 6 to 8 p.m.
Free. Children in costume collect candy from decorated trunks in the parking lot.
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Wednesday, October 21
Boone County High School commons, 7056 Burlington Pike, Florence, 6 to 8 p.m.
For children ages 4 to 12. The cost is $40 per child and includes a shirt, a bow, instruction and a spot in the performance at the Friday, October 23 football game. Proceeds help send the Boone County Cheerleaders to a national competition.
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Thursday, October 22
7210 Turfway Rd, Florence, 11 a.m. to noon
Free. The session covers new appraisal information that takes effect Nov. 1.
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Friday, October 23
Boone County Fairgrounds, 6 to 8 p.m.
Register at boonecountyky.org/parks.
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Saturday, October 24
St. Henry Athletic Complex, 35 Cavalier Blvd., Florence, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission is $5. More than 100 local craftsmen display handmade items, with free face painting, a fall display for photos and raffle tickets for themed gift baskets.
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Saturday, October 24
Boone County Fairgrounds, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Free for all ages. Visitors walk a trail lit by jack-o-lanterns, take a hayride and end the night with a sweet treat.
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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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Tuesday, October 13 — WITS: Interactive Brain Workout
Wednesday, October 14 — Hike the Trails
Wednesday, October 14 — Sleep Smarts: Getting Better ZZZs
Thursday, October 15 — Create A... (afternoon session)
Thursday, October 15 — Create A... (evening sessions)
Thursday, October 15 — Northern Kentucky Beef Field Day
Friday, October 16 — Visual Journaling Series
Monday, October 19 — Air-Dry Clay Ghosts
Tuesday, October 20 — Fall Color Walk
Tuesday, October 20 — Wildlife Critters October 2026
Tuesday, October 20 — Building Healthy Soils
Wednesday, October 21 — Hike the Trails
Wednesday, October 21 — Pokeberry Ink & Quill Pen Workshop
Wednesday, October 21 — Sleep Smarts: Getting Better ZZZs
Thursday, October 22 — Woody Plants & Landscape Symposium
Thursday, October 22 — Pokeberry Ink & Quill Pen Workshop
Thursday, October 22 — Adulting Academy
Friday, October 23 — Coffee, Tea, Caffeine, and Thee
Friday, October 23 — Air-Dry Clay Ghosts

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. 12 to 16

Monday, Oct. 12: Girls Soccer at Larry A Ryle High School, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 13: Boys Soccer at Larry A Ryle High School, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 13: Girls Volleyball vs. Ludlow High School, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 14: Girls Volleyball vs. Grant County High School, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 15: Girls Volleyball at Newport Central Catholic High School, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 16: Football at Dixie Heights High School, 7 p.m.

Florence Bowl is hosting the Judy's Crew doubles bowling tournament this October. Teams can still enter on four dates: Saturday, October 17; Sunday, October 18; Saturday, October 24; and Sunday, October 25, 2026, with 10:00 AM and 12:15 PM start times available each day. Entry fee is $60 per team.

Location: Florence Bowl, 7500 Sussex Dr., Florence, KY 41042

Sign up: https://www.florencebowl.com/judyscrew

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

Coming to Boone County in the 1780s and 1790s was not a mild inconvenience. It was a gamble.

The two main routes into northern Kentucky each carried their own risks. Families who came by flatboat down the Ohio River traveled through territory the Shawnee still actively contested. Shawnee war parties watched the river. Flatboats were slow, loaded with furniture and livestock, and offered little cover. Some boats made it. Others did not. The overland route through the Cumberland Gap on the Wilderness Road was no safer. Daniel Boone had cut that path in 1775, but cutting a path through wilderness and making it safe were two different things entirely.

What happened to John Tanner's family in 1790 was not unusual, only better documented. Tanner had established the first formal settlement in what would become Boone County, a station along the Ohio River near present-day Petersburg. The following year, his nine-year-old son John Jr. wandered away from the station to gather walnuts and was seized by Shawnee. He would not return home for twenty-four years. His brother Edward, taken at the same time, escaped in two days and made it back. The difference between those two outcomes was mostly luck. Tomorrow, we look at how families actually made the journey here.