Preservationists and neighborhood activists are upset about the Greenacres Foundation's plan to raze the historic Gamble Mansion in Westwood. As the foundation sues to obtain a demolition permit, some say the organization is busy gutting the interior to bolster its claims that it's dilapidated.  

Vine is the symbolic heart of the city, stretching like its namesake across the middle of downtown and separating East Side from West Side. So it's fitting that city planners chose Vine Street over West Clifton Avenue for the route of the streetcar system that will connect downtown to uptown.   

Known as "Wolfie" to his followers, local blogger Will Kohler operates the always provocative Back2Stonewall site. Besides keeping Queen City queers and their friends up to date on gay-related news from around the world, he also offers sharp commentary on what he sees as deficiencies in national gay leadership and more.  

SHERIFF RICHARD JONES: It plays well on Fox News and serves as a convenient outlet for some people's misplaced anger, but the Butler County sheriff's rigid, anti-immigrant attitude has just cost county taxpayers $100,000.   

President Obama and his supremely obnoxious chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, should be more honest. The $871 billion health care reform bill passed by the U.S. Senate Dec. 21 after eight long and tedious months of debate is, by all indications, almost the exact bill that both men had in mind when they began this process. It's clear that so far this isn't the president most of us signed up for.  

As Mayor Mark Mallory and the new City Council are sworn in this week, the city says goodbye to two of its trusted progressive allies, David Crowley and Greg Harris. With the return of hard right-winger Charlie Winburn, council's conservative coalition now owns a 5-4 vote margin. It's now time for them to step up and offer a more inspiring plan than their current "No."  

The American taxpayers were caught by surprise today when they learned that Ford Motor Co. earned $1 billion in the third quarter of this year. The sudden profitability of the seemingly inept automaker (the Ford Fusion? Seriously?) impressed industry analysts, who said such gains once seemed less likely than a Ford hybrid SUV or a woman sleeping with a dude who drives a Mustang and not getting herpes.  

I’ve been covering City Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz as a reporter and columnist since her first council campaign back in 2005. On a personal level, she can be funny and intelligent and prone to uttering newsworthy quotes. Like every public official I've covered, sometimes I agree with her, sometimes I don't. During this campaign season, unfortunately, Ghiz presented herself as a much harder-edged, angry and occasionally rude candidate.  

Last week I signed two settlement documents to conclude our 2008 lawsuit against Citizens for Community Values (CCV), the City of Cincinnati and dozens of other local government officials and conservative civic leaders. After a long year of fighting for our First Amendment right to publish CityBeat without government interference, I'm pleased and gratified to wrap up the legal proceedings on such a positive note.