The deadline for registering to vote in Kentucky before the 2018 General Election is rapidly approaching and it’s easier than ever to do so.

Tuesday, October 9 is the last day to register to vote in the November 6 election. Kentuckians can now register to vote, and check and update their registrations online, at this website.  

Voters who will be outside Jefferson County on Election Day are among those who can vote absentee.  More information about voting absentee, both by mail and in-house, is here.

If you qualify to vote by absentee ballot, you can do that at the Jefferson County Clerk’s Election Center, which has moved to 701 West Ormsby Avenue, Suite 301, beginning September 24.   Here’s the schedule:

In-house Voting Dates

Monday – Friday 

• September 24, 2018 – November 5, 2018 from 8:30am – 4:30pm

Saturdays 

• October 20, 2018 from 9:00am – 3:00pm
• October 27, 2018 from 9:00am – 3:00pm
• November 3, 2018 from 9:00am – 3:00pm

Exercise your right to register and vote this fall!  

You are invited to attend the Fall, Fowler Forum Community Meeting! 

Councilwoman Fowler has made accessibility to her constituents a priority while in office and wants to maintain this commitment by continuing the widely successful Fowler Forum. This Forum is a public meeting that allows you an opportunity to learn more about your local government and voice your concerns.

The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD), Department of Codes and Regulations (IPL), Public Works (PW), and Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Department (PRP F.D.) will have staff on hand to answer questions and concerns as well.

WHERE: Conrad Bachmann Auditorium, Valley High School (10200 Dixie Highway)

WHEN: Thursday, October 4th, 2018; 6:00 p.m.

1) Protect yourself from identify theft! Attend BBB’s FREE document shredding and electronic recycling event on Oct. 6 from 6 am to 11 am at 12501 Shelbyville Rd, Louisville, in the Kroger parking lot. Bring up to 4 large boxes or bags of documents for shredding. Accepted items for electronic recycling include cell phones, PC towers, and laptops. Printers and computer monitors cannot be accepted.

NCCIC warns users to remain vigilant for malicious cyber activity seeking to exploit interest in Hurricane Florence. Fraudulent emails commonly appear after major natural disasters and often contain links or attachments that direct users to malicious websites. Users should exercise caution in handling any email with a subject line, attachments, or hyperlinks related to the hurricane, even if it appears to originate from a trusted source. NCCIC advises users to verify the legitimacy of any email solicitation by contacting the organization directly through a trusted contact number. Contact information for many charities is available on theBBB National Charity Report Index. User should also be wary of fraudulent social media pleas, calls, texts, donation websites, and door-to-door solicitations relating to the hurricane.

NCCIC encourages users and administrators to review the following resources for more information on phishing scams and malware campaigns:

• The Federal Trade Commission articles on Wise Giving After a Hurricane and How to Donate Wisely and Avoid Charity Scams,
• Using Caution with Email Attachments, and
• Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks.

Maintenance of public trees alongside private property Louisville is the responsibility of the abutting property owners under the Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances. A 2017 update to LMCO Chapter 102 requires a permit from the Division of Community Forestry within the Office of Sustainability/Develop Louisville before pruning, removing, or replacing these public trees. There is no charge for the permits, but the proposed activities must conform to policies established by the Division.

The removal of a Public Tree must also include a replacement. Permits are not required for routine watering, mulching or the pruning of limbs (based on Division standards) narrower than four inches in diameter and less than seven feet above the ground that are obstructing pedestrian traffic.

Additional information about the Division’s public tree standards and permitting process can be found on the Division’s webpage. You may also contact the Division of Community Forestry at 574-3927.

The speed and duration of flooding can vary significantly. Flooding can occur slowly as rain continues to fall for many days. This type of flooding, sometimes called a slow-onset flood, can take a week to develop and can last for months before floodwaters recede.

More danger is presented by rapid-onset floods that occur more quickly, typically developing within hours or days. Some rapid-onset floods known as flash floods occur very quickly with little or no warning, such as during periods of extremely heavy rain or when water volume is beyond system capacity.

In urban areas, flash floods can fill underpasses, viaducts, parking structures, low roads, and basements. This poses particular dangers for travelers.

Motorists should take the following precautions:

• Be aware of the likelihood of flooding in low lying areas and proceed slowly to allow time to react if a road is covered by water.
• If floodwater is blocking your route but you can turn around safely, turn around and go to a building on high ground.
• If your vehicle is trapped in rapidly moving water, stay in the vehicle. If water is rising inside the vehicle, seek refuge on the roof.
• Never drive around a barrier into flood waters

Adapted from the Federal Emergency Management Agency bulletin, How to Prepare for a Flood.

Do you love your veggies? New Roots would love to hear from you!

The Fresh Stop Markets (FSM) are run by leaders in a grassroots food justice movement that operates from the belief that fresh food is a basic human right. FSMs are volunteer, community-driven farm-fresh food markets that pop up bi-weekly at local churches and community centers in neighborhoods that do not have grocery stores or farmers’ markets. Shareholders (“customers”) agree to cooperate and pay ahead of time, on an income-based sliding scale, for ten varieties of seasonal, local, organic produce that can then be picked up at a given time and day, at one of the 17 different Kentucky and southern Indiana Markets. This cooperation and financial commitment ensures that farmers don’t face the same degree of risk as with traditional farmers’ markets. The sliding scale means food is affordable and everyone is included.

WIC participants pay $6, those at or below 185 percent federal poverty guidelines pay $12, others pay $25, and those who would like to invest in the community pay $40. SNAP IS ACCEPTED. Everyone gets the same food! At every Market a chef hosts a cooking demonstration, offering samples and recipes for the very same vegetables and fruits that shareholders bring home. There is a diverse, family reunion atmosphere. Food justice workshops and the Fresh Stop Training Institute (FSTI) organize Fresh Stop Market leaders to unite around the pursuit of a healthy, just food system for all.

The growing season kicks off the week of June 4th. The location and times of the New Roots Fresh Stop Markets for 2018 can be found on our website at https://newroots.org/fresh-stop-markets/ or by calling 502-509-6770, Ext. 0, or by emailing info@newroots.org. We look forward to hearing from everyone soon. Your veggies are waiting!

Sun-Valley Fresh Stop Market Sun Valley Community Center 

Date: September 27th, October 10th, and October 24th

Time: 4:30 p.m.—6:30 p.m.

I get calls every week about speeding on our D14 streets - and with good reason. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that most people who are speeding through residential areas actually live in the neighborhood! You might be eager to come home after work, but that’s no excuse if a child is hit and injured. Quite literally, speed kills: If you hit a pedestrian at 20 mph, 5% will die. If you hit a pedestrian at 30 mph, 45% will die. At 40 mph, 85% will die. 

Driver behavior is crucial to safety in residential neighborhoods.  When you’re driving, go slow enough to see and respond to every new circumstance. Look under parked cars, and you may see children’s feet from the sidewalk, though you can’t see them otherwise. If it’s dark, take another 10 mph off your speed, just in case. In short, take every precaution necessary to avoid bringing tragedy to your own neighborhood.

Please use good judgment when you are driving and remember that, in most cases, traffic behind you will be forced to slow down if you do.

Requirement went into effect in July

A new Kentucky law that took effect July 14 requires vehicles passing a bicycle to use the adjacent lane if available. If an adjacent lane is not available, then the passing vehicle should pass to the left at a distance leaving no less than three feet between the widest part of the bicycle and the widest part of the vehicle. If the bicycle is in a bicycle lane, the passing vehicle should still be at least three feet from the bicycle. 

If the road is too narrow to give three feet clearance, then the passing vehicle should use reasonable caution. The new law also allows passing vehicles to legally cross a double yellow line to pass a bicycle if there is enough sight distance to safely pass.

Thirty-four states have similar safe passing laws to use the adjacent lane or give three feet or more. Like all states, Kentucky law also requires cyclists to follow the basic rules of the road.  Like any operator of a vehicle, a bicyclist must ride with traffic, obey traffic laws and stop at stop signs and red lights. The three foot law is at KRS 189.300.

Volunteers of America have recently opened new addiction recovery locations to better serve the community. They have several programs at 1436 South Shelby Street. Freedom House is a residential program for pregnant and parenting women. Shelby Men’s Recovery Center is also located on South Shelby. This is a 90 day residential program for men, where clients are able to work while seeking treatment. They have Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) and services for men, women and families. These services are available at 2500 West Broadway and 4303 W Broadway. Transitional Housing will be available in July for homeless women with children who would like to continue their sobriety at 4303 W Broadway

If you are know someone who may be interested in VOA’s programs, please contact the intake office at 502-635-4530. They’re able to do a quick screening, verify their insurance, and set up an intake date and time.

We all know that illegal dumping--putting waste on property that is not licensed as a disposal facility--is an eyesore that is expensive to clean up, diminishes quality of life, discourages economic development and even sends plastic debris into our waterways.

That's why people caught dumping along our city's alleys, sidewalks, fields and roadsides are subject to fines and impoundment of any vehicle used in the dumping. That's where citizens can help with the problem. If you witness illegal dumping while it's happening, report it.

We've developed a new online form you can use to tell us where it happened, describe the vehicle(s) involved, preferably with license plate number(s), and even upload pictures. Of course you can always call Metro Call 311 or 574-5000. For more information about illegal dumping, including a link to the reporting form, visit our illegal dumping webpage.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 5 Office advises motorists of a lane closure next week on US 31W (Dixie Highway) at Ashby Lane in Jefferson County. Contract crews will be constructing the foundation for a bus stop as part of The New Dixie Highway Project.

The right lane of southbound Dixie Highway at Ashby Lane (mile marker 8.3) will be closed beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11. This lane closure will last approximately one week while crews build the concrete pad for a new bus rapid transit station at this intersection.

The New Dixie Highway Project is designed to improve safety and traffic efficiency along one of the city’s busiest corridors, and will include new fiber-linked traffic signals, new concrete and landscaped medians, and a bus rapid transit line from TARC.

Construction on Dixie Highway began in early January with crews mainly working in two different locations between Greenwood Road and Blanton Lane and between Heaton Road and Upper Hunters Trace. They have been installing new drainage structures, replacing curb and gutters, constructing new sidewalks and upgrading traffic signals.

The date and duration of this work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur.  More information is available through the project website (www.TheNewDixieHighway.com) and social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.