Rare artifact from the Golden Age of Hollywood discovered in Covington food pantry

Before becoming the executive director of the Be Concerned food pantry in Covington, Andy Brunsman was a student at Mount St. Joseph University. In one of his film classes, he watched the 1934 film It Happened One Night starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. The movie didn't make a noticeable impression on him at the time, but the film that swept the 7th Academy Awards and took home Best Picture in 1935 would re-enter his life in an unusual way.

In September, a box containing various items was donated to Be Concerned. Among the pictures and paintings inside the box was a small statuette shaped like an Academy Award.

The relic was initially believed to be nothing more than a paperweight or old vacation souvenir. It sat on the food pantry's thrift store shelf labeled "knick knacks" and went unsold.

Brunsman said the figure wasn't getting much attention and was on its way to being recycled for scrap metal until he decided to take a closer look.