CINCINNATI — Experts and federal officials are warning Americans to be vigilant against cyberattacks as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.

The FBI and U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency updated their warning to U.S. critical infrastructure firms Tuesday to reinforce their defenses.

“Destructive malware can present a direct threat to an organization’s daily operations, impacting the availability of critical assets and data," the advisory said. "Further disruptive cyberattacks against organizations in Ukraine are likely to occur and may unintentionally spill over to organizations in other countries."

WCPO sat down with cyber expert Richard Harknett Tuesday. Harknett is the director of the University of Cincinnati’s School of Public and International Affairs, co-director of the Ohio Cyber Range Institute, and Chair of the Center for Cyber Strategy and Cyber Policy. He’s also a former scholar-in-residence to the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency.

Q: Cyberattacks and cybercrime are nothing new. This is something companies are having to deal with on a minute-by-minute basis, probably. How is this situation different in the past two weeks with the invasion of Ukraine?

Cyberspace, as you correctly point out, is a vital asset for companies here in Cincinnati. You can’t conduct business without being on the digital platform. And they understand that it’s also an incredibly vulnerable space. At the criminal activity levels, our companies, our individuals, our citizens of Cincinnati have to deal with cyber operations against their personal information, about their business operations all the time. It’s something we call cyber persistence.

What happens during international crises, and we don’t have wars breaking out that often that involve a great power like Russia, the question becomes in this interaction between the United States and Russia, is cyber an opportunity for Russia to control the environment and advance their interests?

So the answer is possibly. … There’s a couple of possibilities of why Russia may consider using cyber means to kind of change the dynamic. And because we’re using economic sanctions, the possibility of using cyber operations against economic assets to disrupt the U.S. economy, to disrupt companies, that I think is on the table.

Q: Are there particular segments of the industry that are more sought-after targets?

The most sought-after target is the easiest target … you’re only as good as your weakest link. And lots of companies, large companies have third party contracts. So those third-party contracts could become cyber security issues. Of course, banks, you would think about disrupting the financial, but they’re probably the strongest industry we have in the U.S. with regard to cyber security. Your defense-based companies like GE Aircraft. I hope they don’t mind me saying it, but they’re the gold standard. They’re really good. Why? Because they get attacked every day from foreign adversaries who are trying to get their intellectual property.

Q: Anything else?

That’s only one category, Paula, that we have to be worried about. The second context is would Russia actually consider using their cyber operation to start to affect critical infrastructure? Duke Energy, our water treatment plants in the city — these are things that at the U.S. government level we have declared to be critical infrastructure and any significant attack, the phrase they use is an attack of significant consequence.

So, if you were able to knock out electricity, if you were able to affect water treatment ... we would, the United States would, consider that a use of force, an armed attack. So, the question becomes why would Russia, who right now is not fighting the United States in a direct war, what would create incentive for them to try to get the United States, through an attack, maybe to back down?

If the Ukrainians hold out and Putin gets frustrated, and the Russian economy starts to feel the pinch, if he’s as committed as people think he is, he’s likely to raise then the bar and not go home. And the question is for the United States, have we sent any signals that would encourage them to think that they could get away with this?

Q: Is there a DEFCON level for cyber threats and where are we at now?

That’s a great question. The Department of Homeland Security has a particular agency which is focused on cyber and critical infrastructure. And they do post warnings in coordination with the National Security Agency, the FBI, the U.S. Cyber Command … when they pick up intelligence and when they discover malware. There is a site called Virus Total and there’s been a number of times recently where the U.S. Cyber Command has found malware and instead of keeping it secret has actually published it on Virus Total so that the entire private sector is informed.

We assume in national cyber security and in business security, you’re going to get attacked. … Would it be a good thing right now for U.S. companies to talk to their employees and reemphasize good cyber hygiene — not clicking on links that you’re not sure where they came from, hovering over that link, make sure there’s not a .ru after it, that would be pretty obvious that would mean it’s coming from a Russian server. … Do you get a call that seems suspicious and is asking for personal identified information? Yeah, it would be good that we heighten our cyber security.

Q: Is there anything individual citizens should do?

So at the individual citizen level, we have to actually realize that we don’t have a neutral effect here. Every day we either contribute to national cyber security by being good at our cyber hygiene and making sure that we don’t have viruses on our computers, or we aid and abet the bad guys. … There’s more of a civic duty here and maybe in a wartime environment that would resonate with people more.

It’s not just about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting the entire space that we all benefit from.

Q: What is the psychological impact of a cyberattack on the general public?

The question becomes if you have an intentional act on something big, like critical infrastructure, would we read that and understand that differently than if a missile strike occurred?

Cyber doesn’t have that visual. We won’t see transformers destroyed if the electricity goes down. … To be honest with you we don’t have good research and good data for a good reason: we haven’t had one of these big attacks. We’ve been talking about big-scale cyberattacks for over a decade. … The United States has adversaries working every day to undermine U.S. national sources of power, but it’s done in an incremental way. They’re accumulating over time. Why? Because it doesn’t bring the U.S. military into play. It doesn’t get to that deterrent level that would say, now you’ve crossed the line and we’re going to war with you.

If you actually disrupt critical infrastructure, electric grids, water treatment — things of that nature, it should be no different than if I dropped a bomb on it or I used a piece of code. If the effect is war, then we have to make that clear to the Russians. Because deterrence only works, if you’re actually clear to the other side of what you intend to do.

I think it would be dangerous for the United States, which is the most digitally connected state at scale in the world, if we make a distinction between code and kinetic bomb. If we don’t respond in the same way then what you’re saying is it's okay if you shut us down with code, just don’t do it with a bomb.

Some answers were shortened for brevity.

CINCINNATI —

The University of Cincinnati's cornerback Coby Bryant officially received the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award on Tuesday night.

This award is given out to the nation's top defensive back.

Bryant was announced as the winner back in December at the Home Depot College Football Awards.

UC's football head coach, Luke Fickell, defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, director of athletics John Cunningham and the football chief of staff Greg Gillum were just a few among several who attended the 35th annual banquet in support of Bryant.

"This has always been a dream for me as a football player, especially as a defensive back," Bryant said. "To actually hear my name called, it was a surreal moment. I can't give enough thanks to the people that have been in my corner since day one. It's a blessing."

Bryant played in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, then flew to Oklahoma City for three days of events leading up to Tuesday night's official presentation.

Fickell introduced Bryant as a player that truly set the standard for the Cincinnati Football program.

"You heard a little bit about his character and how he has grown up," Fickell said at a pre-banquet press conference. "The greatest thing I could say is he epitomizes what we want to be as a program. Every year you have to continue to establish that. Over five years, I would say there is no other person that has set the standard for what it is we want to be and what it is we want to get done.

"He was special for us and he is going to continue to be special."

During the 2021 season, Bryant served as a captain at Cincinnati, leading the team to the greatest season in school history.

The Bearcats finished with a 13-1 record and made it to the College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl classic.

Bryant led UC with 11 pass breakups and three interceptions as Cincinnati won the American Athletic Conference for a second straight season.

His achievements don't stop there as he was named All-ACC first team for a second straight year and received several All-American accolades, including first-team honors from the Walter Camp Foundation.

Bryant is a Cleveland, Ohio, native who played at Cincinnati for five years. He won 48 games with the Bearcats and finished with 170 tackles and 35 pass breakups in his career to go along with 10 interceptions.

CINCINNATI —

The University of Cincinnati will be transitioning to online learning for the first two weeks of its spring semester due to the high transmissibility of the omicron variant in Greater Cincinnati.

University officials announced Tuesday that UC will move to remote operations beginning on Wednesday and will continue online operations until Jan. 24, when they will pivot back to full in-person activities. Students will engage in online learning when their classes begin on Jan. 10.

"I'm not surprised, but it's not the best thing in the world. I'm used to it at this point because my freshman year was completely online," said UC student Mikaela Armstrong.

UC leaders said the decision was made in order to "minimize the disruption" the omicron variant could cause, including quarantining and classroom absences. Therefore, classes and academic support services will be held online for the first two weeks of the semester.

"The goal of this in-person delay is for us to assess the impact of omicron on our populations; let the spike in transmissions run its course; implement additional measures for screening testing and vaccination; and assess the feasibility of providing faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to receive booster shots," UC officials wrote in a release Tuesday.

UC leaders said they wanted to ensure that students and staff come back to a healthy and safe environment.

"I am concerned about how much it's (COVID) spreading more. Especially in our community, we didn't see it that much especially on campus as students last year, but kinda looking forward to do that little bit of online to make sure it passes a little before we jump right back in," said UC student Aidan Guessford.

Certain in-person activities that are allowed for learning purposes during this time include clinical, lab, studio and performance activities just as students and staff practice social distancing and proper health measures.

UC said students can return to campus residence halls as scheduled but those volunteering to return must participate in required COVID-19 testing, regardless of vaccination status. Officials said they're updating guidance on COVID-19 testing requirements on its public health website in the coming days.

The university is asking that other in-person campus activities such as welcome back events either be canceled, minimized or moved to a remote format.

Schools officials are strongly encouraging students, staff and faculty members to get their COVID-19 booster shot as soon as possible.

This move comes the same day that Northern Kentucky University announced it is delaying the start of its spring semester due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

Due to the surge, NKU will delay classes for one week. All classes will start on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Ohio reported more than 37,000 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend. There were 37,626 cases reported from New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

CINCINNATI — At least one person is dead following multiple early morning New Year's Day shootings in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati police said officers responded to a call of a person shot in the 1500 block of Summit Road in Roselawn around 12:19 a.m. When officers arrived, a news release said officers found Dwight Terrell, 46, suffering from a gunshot wound. Firefighters determined Terrell was dead at the scene, the news release said.

This was the start of a violent New Year for Cincinnati.

Another shooting happened just steps away from the University of Cincinnati on East McMillan Avenue. A witness told WCPO's crews at the scene that one victim was shot several times. Right now, there is no official word on any injuries from police.

The university did issue a safety alert to students and staff early Saturday morning, but it has since been lifted.

Cincinnati police are also investigating a shooting in Pendleton that left at least one person injured. It happened on 12th Street and Sycamore. No word on that person's condition.

Information about the shootings is limited, but we are working to learn more.

This story is developing and will be updated when more information comes in.

CINCINNATI — Two former University of Cincinnati men's soccer players have announced they are transferring to Northern Kentucky University less than a month after UC discontinued its program.

Former UC freshman midfielder Ben Hegge (Moeller graduate) and former UC freshman forward Sam Robinson (Talawanda) announced on Twitter their intentions to transfer to NKU and play for the men's soccer program.

"It's awesome," Hegge told WCPO.

Both players decided to transfer from UC after Athletic Director John Cunningham announced April 14 the men's soccer program was being discontinued immediately after a comprehensive review of the department's budget.

The UC men's soccer program was started in 1973 and the team had an all-time record of 385-408-84.

Hegge said it was a hectic experience the past few weeks especially with final exams going on, too. Hegge said he reached out to NKU and really believes in the coaching staff and their commitment to the program. He also considered the University of Dayton.

In the end, NKU proved to be the best fit.

"Selfishly, it's fantastic for the Welker family who went to the majority of his home games last year at UC," Welker told WCPO. "Mason and Levi (two of Welker's sons) love watching him play."

Welker couldn't overstate how significant of a loss the UC men's program would be for college recruiting in the Cincinnati area, but he said Monday he is very glad Hegge was able to land with the Norse.

"For Moeller this just continues another pathway and pipeline for our guys to continue to play high-level Division I soccer in front of their families here locally," Welker said. "We're so pumped for Ben and so happy he was able to land at a great location that plays a great style of soccer."

The Norse (7-10-1 in 2019) picked up two significant wins over 2019 Horizon League tournament champions Wright State and 2018 Horizon League tournament champions University of Illinois at Chicago. NKU is coached by Stu Riddle, who completed his third season with the Norse in 2019.

"I hope to reach out to Coach Riddle and get a game or two at NKU's stadium to hopefully provide even more exposure for Moeller guys in the future," Welker said.

CINCINNATI — As ESPN's College GameDay kicks off, fans brought their best signs to show support for UC Bearcats.

It is all part of the GameDay experience.

Here are some of the best signs our team has seen so far:

Signs this morning ahead of @CollegeGameDay at UC’s Homecoming! So much energy for the Bearcats this morning @WCPO pic.twitter.com/QOYdtYvj1f

— Madeline Ottilie (@OttilieMadeline) November 6, 2021

It’s a nice sign, but according to the committee there are 5 better signs here. pic.twitter.com/ZKb52nR5jv

— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) November 6, 2021

And so the fun begins! @CalebNoeTV and I are right here with the line of students waiting to get into @CollegeGameDay @wcpo #cincywx pic.twitter.com/R8H06fTexZ

— Jennifer Ketchmark (@KetchmarkWCPO) November 6, 2021

College GameDay kicked off in Clifton live from The Commons at 9 a.m. ESPN opened The Pit area for fans at 6:30 a.m. This is the first time the show's ever been in Cincinnati and UC fans brought a lot of energy Saturday morning.

Fans with the best signs will win two tickets to the game. Following GameDay, UC's homecoming parade will immediately follow.

The Bearcats' catwalk starts in Campus Green around 1 p.m. and the undefeated team will face Tulsa at 3:30 p.m. at Nippert Stadium.

CINCINNATI — National television attention mixed with homecoming at the University of Cincinnati could make the upcoming weekend an ideal time to reel in donors for programs that need a boost.

ESPN's College GameDay began live broadcasts from campus Friday afternoon. UC's homecoming football game against Tulsa Saturday will also be nationally televised at 3:30 p.m.

"It's important that we're known for things besides athletics," said Josie Evans-Phillips, Associate Dean for the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services and Information Technology. "The alumni, we want them to come back and see the great work that's happened. Hopefully, they will want to give back in either ways that are donor giving or also ways to just engage with our students."

Evan Phillips' college honored four distinguished alumni for outstanding contributions to society during an afternoon ceremony.

"I'm glad to see all the changes and the uplift of the name of the university in the world," said Irving Moses, who graduated from UC in the 70s with two degrees. He returned this weekend with his wife, also a Bearcat alumna.

Moses runs his own financial planning company in Houston and is so proud of his alma mater's football team that he traveled to South Bend, Indiana, to see them beat Notre Dame. Now that he is back on campus, Moses said he is happy to give back where he can.

"Any time you're getting great press and getting the opportunity to tell your story, [it] shines a better light on everything," said Larry Johnson, Dean of the College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services and Information Technology said.

Next to money, the chance to connect students with influential mentors, internships and co-ops are high priorities. For the school, the excitement bringing crowds to campus is more than a golden opportunity.

RELATED:

CINCINNATI — The UC Bearcats football team released a statement Friday in solidarity with other sports teams and leagues protesting racial injustice.

In a statement posted to social media Friday, players said they "stand firm on the pillars of UC’s mission to enrich our university, city, state and global community."

"A melting pot of educated and engaged citizens, we cannot sit idly by as the direct plight and injustices of the Black community are routinely streamed, posted and publicized," the statement read. "Our hearts are heavy as we continue to process the most recent tragedies of Jacob Blake, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and countless others."

Players also posted support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

"As student-athletes at the university, we stand in solidarity in the fight for racial equality and social justice," the statement continued. "We will continue to use our voices as advocates for positive change. This is bigger than us. This is bigger than sports.”

CINCINNATI — UC football is making the cash register ring in sports bars and souvenir shops all over town, but what kind of economic impact is Cincinnati getting from a college football program near the top of the national rankings?

That depends on what you mean by impact.

“I’m certain that we are having an impact on our local economy,” said UC Athletic Director John Cunningham. “We’ve sold out three of the last four games. We’re sold out again this week. Certainly, when people are coming into Nippert, they’re spending money in and around Clifton.”

Marty Angiulli can attest to that. The owner of Martino’s Sports Bar on Short Vine said 2021 is shaping up to be his best year in decades, with game-day revenue reaching $20,000 – or three to five times his normal volume.

“This football season, I don’t know what you can compare it to,” he said. “Did Moses parting the Red Sea help the Jewish people? That’s the comparison. I mean, it’s that big.”

Cunningham expects UC sports programs to eclipse last year’s $81 million in total revenue, thanks to increased ticket sales and donations. But he’s yet to see any analysis of whether the Bearcats’ on-the-field success has led to increased enrollment or off-campus spending.

“Obviously, there will be a day and time that we’ll go back and look at the economic impact of this season, but that will happen down the line,” he said. “I know people from Texas and Maryland and New Jersey that come in every week for our games. So, we certainly are driving people from all over the country to our games.”

College sports programs all over the country have quantified the impact of their programs by attaching multipliers to on-campus and off-campus spending. That led the University of Maryland to conclude last September that each Terrapins game “supports an estimated $27.3 million in economic activity in the state of Maryland,” including $6.4 million in labor income and $1.8 million in state and local taxes.

But a 2007 study concluded college football had no discernable impact on employment or personal income in the 63 cities it analyzed.

“Neither the number of home games played, the winning percentage of the local team, nor winning a national championship has a discernible impact on either employment or personal income in the cities where the teams play,” wrote the study’s authors. “While successful college football teams may bring fame to their alma mater, fortune appears to be a bit more elusive.”

On the fame front, UC is more than holding its own, with national media outlets tracking both its rise and the Heisman Trophy potential of quarterback Desmond Ridder.

More than 6.6 million people saw UC’s last three games, according to the ratings tracker ShowBuzzDaily. UC’s win against Notre Dame drew its highest regular-season TV rating since 2012.

On social media, Cunningham said UC has the nation’s fastest-growing Instagram account among college sports programs. And its TikTok account is attracting attention with well-produced videos like this Sept. 20 offering that features wide receiver Tre Tucker.

@gobearcatsfb BACK IN BLACK FOR GAME TWO. #Bearcats #collegefootball #fyp #foryou ♬ SICKO MODE - Travis Scott

“It’s really fun to hear the current students talk about the buzz on TikTok for UC football,” said Roseann Hassey, assistant marketing professor at UC. “We were just talking about it in class yesterday.”

Because of TikTok’s popularity with younger audiences, Hassey thinks UC could be in for an enrollment spike.

“I’ve actually heard that from people in the community, that their children are really interested in UC when they might have been considering going to another Ohio state school,” Hassey said.

“That brand recognition is almost impossible to quantify,” Cunningham said. “We’re on ABC this week, national television. It means we’re in every bar and restaurant in the country, from Anchorage, Alaska, to New York City to Dallas, Texas, right? That’s a big thing. And it helps not only our football program, but it helps every single one of our sports.”

CINCINNATI — A protected bike lane stretching alongside the University of Cincinnati's western edge will remain in place, but its future remained uncertain this week as leaders considered residents' requests and administrators' recommendations.

The city installed the two-way bike lane — the first of its kind in the city — earlier this year on a temporary basis, to test its value for nearby residents and commuters as well as its impact on Clifton Avenue traffic. When the city's Department of Transportation and Engineering said it was time for the lanes to come down, the announcement sparked backlash on social media.

"I've seen entire families riding bicycles together," said UC professor David Freeze, who's been teaching at the university for more than 20 years. "This is something that you wouldn't have normally seen in the city of Cincinnati."

The idea emerged from the neighborhood's community council, Clifton Town Meeting, which reached out to local active transportation advocates at Tri-State Trails.

"If we don't give people that option to ride their bike or to feel safe riding their bike, people aren't going to do it," said Tri-State Trails executive director Wade Johnston.

Matt Butler, with the Northern Kentucky-based Devou Good Foundation — which helped finance the project — said speed data indicate the bike lane encouraged drivers on the mile-long straightaway to slow down.

"The data that we're collecting is showing that it's effective in slowing the speeders down, but everybody else that wants to get through is able to do so," Butler told WCPO, adding that the data his foundation has collected show the number of drivers traveling more than 5 mph above the speed limit dropped by roughly 40%.

When Butler tweeted that the lanes would be going away, that's when he said neighbors began speaking up.

Freeze agreed that the area seems safer not just for people biking, but for people walking, too.

"If we save one life, it was worth it," he said. "I hope that there are more."

In a motion filed Monday, City Council members Chris Seelbach and Liz Keating called on the administration to leave the bike lane in place while engineers study the bike lanes' benefits and drawbacks in more depth. The council will vote on that motion Wednesday.

Some Tri-State colleges are back in the classroom Monday, and there are some changes in place at these schools to keep students and staff healthy and safe.

Northern Kentucky University and the University of Cincinnati are back in session, and both schools have mask policies in place for their students.

"Unfortunately, the risk of infection with the delta variant of COVID-19 is very high in our region and we must take steps to protect our campus community," NKU officials wrote in a release. "Given the high level of community spread of the Delta variant... we have no choice but to require masks indoors on campus for all persons, vaccinated and unvaccinated."

NKU will provide reusable masks to all faculty, staff and students. Limited quantities of disposable masks may be available at the Welcome Center, Student Union and University Center Information Desks, Steely Library Distribution Desk, and Campus Recreation during normal business hours.

NKU is offering free COVID-19 vaccines at their Health, Counseling and Wellness office. Call 859-572-5650 or email hcsw@nku.edu for an appointment. Kentucky residency is not required.

UC is also requiring masks for all students, regardless of their vaccination status. Outdoor masks will also be required for people who are not fully vaccinated if they cannot also maintain social distancing.

Students who are vaccinated can send a picture of their vaccine card to UC Public Health. Students who are not vaccinated must either show proof that they have recently tested negative or receive a COVID-19 test from the university and consent to restricted campus access until their results arrive. UC will provide COVID-19 tests for students.

UC will also hold a drawing each week for students who have been fully vaccinated to win cash prizes of $2,500 or $5,000. The university plans on distributing $50,000 this semester for the drawings.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jeremiah Davenport had a career-high 27 points, Tari Eason had 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, and Cincinnati rolled past Tulane 91-71 on Friday.

Mika Adams-Woods had 16 points and seven assists for Cincinnati (9-8, 7-5 American Athletic Conference). Mason Madsen added 11 points and six rebounds.

The 91 points were a season best for Cincinnati, which also achieved a season-high 23 assists.

Jaylen Forbes scored a career-high 37 points for the Green Wave (9-11, 4-11). Sion James added 13 points.

The Bearcats improve to 2-0 against the Green Wave on the season. Cincinnati defeated Tulane 64-61 on Feb. 7.

EVENDALE, Ohio — Jillian Vittetoe will spend her final semester of nursing school on the frontlines of a historic global crisis.

There simply aren’t enough registered nurses to administer COVID-19 vaccines at the scale they’re needed, she explained Friday afternoon, so she and her University of Cincinnati classmates are rolling up sleeves and delivering shots at vaccine sites across Hamilton County.

“I don’t like COVID, I wish it had never happened, but it really has been a blessing to learn from this experience,” Vittetoe said. “Finding the silver lining and being able to learn from a global pandemic has been a really interesting experience.”

Olivia Dean, a nursing student in the same master’s program at UC, said she believes student nurses will be in even higher demand as Ohio expands its vaccine eligibility throughout 2021.

“There's a lot of people that want their vaccines,” she said.

At the time Dean spoke to WCPO, all Ohioans over 60 were eligible to get the jab; so were all pregnant women, people with certain health conditions, law enforcement officers, nursing home employees, child care workers and K-12 educators, among others.

That’s still not even half the state’s population.

It might be an overwhelming task, but Dean said she’s heartened to see so many people excited for their shot.

“People are really appreciative, and that’s a really good feeling, to see how grateful people are and how willing they are to come get this vaccine,” she said.

SURFSIDE, Fla. —

A University of Cincinnati College of Medicine alum has been identified as one of the victims of the condo collapse in Surfside, Florida.

Miami-Dade police confirmed in a tweet Friday that the body of Dr. Brad Cohen had been recovered on July 7.

Cohen was an orthopedic surgeon in North Miami and Miami Beach. He graduated from UC in 1997.

The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine reacted to the news on Twitter.

"We mourn his lost {sic} and offer our sincerest condolences to his family."

Cohen's brother, Gary, was also killed in the collapse. Gary was visiting Brad from out of town when the incident took place.

CINCINNATI — University of Cincinnati's spring 2021 graduates will be honored at two in-person commencement ceremonies inside Nippert Stadium at the end of April, UC announced Friday.

The university will host ceremonies on April 29 and April 30, and each 2021 graduate is permitted to host two guests. Each ceremony will be streamed live for family and friends who can't attend.

On April 29, degrees for the following colleges will be conferred:

• College of Allied Health Sciences
• Lindner College of Business
• College of Engineering and Applied Science
• College of Medicine
• James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy
• UC Blue Ash College
• UC Clermont College

On April 29, degrees for the following colleges will be conferred:

• College of Arts and Sciences
• College-Conservatory of Music (CCM)
• College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH)
• College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP)
• College of Nursing

Gates open at 4:30 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 6 p.m. both days. The ceremonies will be held virtually in case of bad weather.

"We recommend that families do not make non-refundable travel arrangements, as plans may change based on state guidance," read the university's announcement.

Graduates should expect to receive emails regarding tickets, parking, and other details that will be important to review in the coming weeks. Tickets will be required for entry, and ticket information is coming soon.

For more information and updates, visit UC's commencement website or email comminfo@uc.edu.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Jeremiah Davenport scored 19 points with five 3-pointers and seven rebounds, and Cincinnati held off SMU for a 74-71 win in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament on Friday.

Cincinnati (11-10) will face top-seeded Wichita State (16-4) in the semifinals on Saturday.

Keith Williams had 14 points and six assists for Cincinnati (11-10). Mike Saunders Jr. added 12 points and six rebounds, and Mika Adams-Woods had 10 points.

Kendric Davis scored a career-high 35 points for the Mustangs (11-5). Ethan Chargois grabbed 12 rebounds and Tyson Jolly had six.

Police shot a man to death in Covington on June 18 and released details about the confrontation hours later. Information about the Wednesday shooting death of a suspect wanted by U.S. Marshals took a full day to reach the public.

Kentucky State Police officers are investigating both incidents, as they do with most shootings involving police in the state of Kentucky. So why does the time between official statements vary so much?

The short answer, according to former University of Cincinnati police chief Gene Ferrara, is that police need time to verify what they’ve found before they start sharing information with the public or press.

“There's just so much about the investigation that really should be guarded in order to maintain the veracity of the investigation,” Ferrara said.

Ferrara, who spent 50 years in law enforcement, said many things complicate basic fact-finding: The number of witnesses, officers and agencies involved; the evidence at the scene; and the physical area in which a shooting occurs.

More police departments means more complication and more internal bureaucracy. The involvement of federal agencies such as the U.S. Marshals Service increases the workload even more.

“The smaller the investigation to uncover everything is, the quicker it can be done,” Ferrara said.

And if facts don’t line up right away at the scene, police need time to undertake deeper investigations, seek more interviews and gain a clear idea about what happened before they arrived.

“The more the statements of witnesses agree, then the less I have to go out to others,” according to Ferrara.

He compares the post-shooting investigation to elephant-watching. Two people looking at opposite ends of an elephant might describe completely different animals — it’s investigators’ job to take these disparate facts and figure out how they fit together.

Sometimes, seeing the whole elephant is easy. Sometimes it’s not.

Ferrara said disparities in the amount of time police take to release a statement about a shooting are not innately reason for concern.

CINCINNATI — Former University of Cincinnati men’s basketball coach John Brannen filed a lawsuit against the school, UC director of athletics John Cunningham and university president Neville Pinto.

Brannen, who coached Northern Kentucky University's men's basketball program to two Horizon League titles, was hired to coach the Bearcats in 2019.

According to court documents, Brannen’s suspension and termination were a result of a "sham" investigation and the university did so to trigger a contractual buyout clause that would have cost the school millions of dollars.

The lawsuit said Cunningham had a law firm with close ties to the university develop reasons to fire Brannen "for cause," thereby saving the university more than $5 million.

The documents said Brannen’s contract was missing language that would have paid him his potential buyout compensation in monthly installments, and that the remainder of the money he was owed under contract would have been due to him no later than 60 days following his termination.

The lawsuit accuses Cunningham of ignoring Brannen’s contractual rights and used the reprimand issued due to an Oct. 6, 2020 practice to fire him for "just cause" as outlined in his termination letter.

Brannen is seeking a name-clearing opportunity including an opportunity to cross-examine and hear testimony of Cunningham and other witnesses.

He also seeks to be awarded compensatory and punitive damages as determined at trial.

WCPO reached out to UC for comment Friday evening and will update this story.

CINCINNATI — The pandemic presented a slew of problems for many people, but University of Cincinnati student volunteers at the Hearing Speech + Deaf Center of Greater Cincinnati found a way to make it work.

Jordan Klemt is a sophomore who has known for years that she wants to be a speech pathologist. Jayse Card is a freshman who learned American Sign Language in high school and fell in love with it.

Klemt and Card are two of the 18 UC students who volunteered at the Hearing Speech + Deaf Center of Greater Cincinnati. Usually, students meet with staff members at the center and shadow them to get some hands-on experience in the field, but the pandemic stopped that.

"I knew there was going to be less opportunity to shadow and volunteer," Card said.

"It's been extraordinarily challenging," Steve Wesselkamper, director of development and marketing at the center, said. "First of all, how do we stage this kind of volunteer experience in a virtual world?"

The students started using their social media and their internet skills to meet with people over services like Zoom.

"This has made me a believer in creativity and innovation," Wesselkamper said. "I can't wait to pick it up a year from now."

The center also allowed student volunteers to come in to the center for short visits, which last between 10 and 15 minutes. Even that short time has made all the difference though.

"Finally being able to come in and actually witness things is so exciting," Klemt said. "It's really exciting to finally get back into the groove of everything... It's not the same over Zoom."

Black-owned businesses have a $1.4 billion economic impact on the Cincinnati economy every year, according to a new study released by the University of Cincinnati and the African American Chamber of Commerce. But it’s hard to say if that number is high, low or average compared to the country’s other metropolitan areas — Cincinnati is the first one to measure it.

Eric Kearney, who runs the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, wanted an exact number to guide his organization’s investing and advocacy into the future.

“There's a lot of talk about, ‘Oh, let’s help Black businesses,’” he said Friday. “‘’Oh, let’s throw some money at this, let’s do this,’ and there was no statistics, no data behind it. Now we have that data; we can use that data to make informed decisions.

“We can use that data as a benchmark. ‘So we're here, we want to grow to here.' How do we do it? How much money should we spend? What type of resources do we have to put behind it?”

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He partnered with UC’s economics center to get it done, and UC spent 10 months conducting its study based on 2019 taxes.

The study found Black-owned businesses in the Cincinnati area — which includes the city, its suburbs and parts of neighboring states — employ 8,680 people, earn a combined $540 million and generate $6.2 million in sales tax every year.

The most-represented industries include professional, scientific and technical services; construction; health care; and retail.

It’s useful information for Kearney, he said. It would be more useful if other cities did the same thing so they could compare notes in the future.

“I cannot say, ‘How are we compared to Charlotte? How are we compared to Baltimore? How are we compared to Phoenix?’ because we are the first ones in the country to do it,” he said.

This story was reported in partnership with The Herald.