August means the start of school all over again, and school traffic can effect anyone's morning commute.

Be extra cautious of school zones, crossing guards, and kids this month.

A good tip is to leave a few minutes early during the first week of school to make sure the new traffic does not make you late.

Drive safe everyone!

A new option to report illegal dumping is the new online form

Report:

• where it happened
• describe the vehicle(s) involved
• include license plate number(s) if available
• upload pictures if available

For more information about illegal dumping, including a link to the reporting form visit our illegal dumping webpage.

For $30, get unlimited travel through Aug. 31 TARC is once again offering Louisville Area youth unlimited travel with the Summer Youth Pass, good through August 31st. Getting to jobs, learning activities and fun events around the region is easy and affordable with the Summer Youth Pass, available now for $30. “Whether your plan is to work, play, or just connect with friends this Summer, the Youth Pass is your mobility solution, providing access to the entire Louisville Area,” said Ferdinand L. Risco Jr., TARC Executive Director, “When coupled with the Metro Cultural Pass, which allows free access to many local arts and cultural destinations, the ability to explore, learn and have fun all Summer long has never been easier.” The pass (current MyTARC student card required ) can be purchased from TARC’s website or at the following locations: Union Station, 1000 West Broadway Nia Center, 2900 West Broadway Loris’s Gifts at the UofL Hospital Jewish Hospital Gift Shops Broadway Food Mart, 4132 West Broadway *All TARC buses are equipped with bicycle racks, free Wi-Fi and are ADA accessible.

Southwest Community Ministries, along with Kosair Charities, is offering an assistance program to help children in need get eye glasses! No one in the community should have live without seeing the world in crystal clear clarity, especially children.

The ministries are able to offer up to $120 per child, covering the cost of two pairs of eye glasses. This is an amazing program that can help countless families provide something that many of us take for granted.

If you have any questions or would like details of how to apply, please contact the Southwest Community Ministries at (502) 935-0310.

Are you or someone you know in need of services but don't know where to look?

LouieCONNECT.com  is a mobile optimized website that pulls together the services is our community that provide support for people experiencing a difficult time. It includes only those services that are free and provides all of the information needed to know what they offer, where they are located, when they are open, and any requirements to receive help.

Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness mosquito control program is in full force.  Our team has pretreated all MSD catch basins as well as all 305 historically known flood-prone areas.  We also continue to trap and test mosquitoes for diseases.  We will continue this throughout the summer and implement fogging when necessary. 

The 60% reduction in the amount of pesticides we purchased for mosquito control  this years budget, has limited our limited pesticide supply for areas of known mosquito borne illness, areas with high population density and low economic status. Those criteria will also determine where we conduct fogging missions.

Property owners who are experiencing a surge in mosquitoes should be encouraged to reach out to private contractors to assist with mosquito control. Of course people can also call Metro Call, 311, to make mosquito complaints which we will investigate and respond appropriately.

We have more helpful information on our website, including ways to prevent mosquito bites, how to sign up for fogging alerts, and, when necessary, we will list where we are fogging.

What to Do After a Tick Bite As you and your loved ones enjoy the warmer weather outdoors, make sure you know what to do if bitten by a tick. Tick attachment time is important. Removing ticks as soon as possible reduces the risk of infection. Use tweezers to pull steadily without twisting.

Early Signs & Symptoms of Lyme Disease Acute Lyme disease “flu-like” symptoms include fever, aches, headache, and abrupt and severe fatigue. Blood tests do not accurately diagnose Lyme disease in the first few weeks of infection. A round expanding red skin lesion, greater than 2 inches, can present after a tick bite; this rash is diagnostic for Lyme disease. The rash can be but is NOT usually a “bulls-eye” rash. The rash is NOT always present or easily recognizable which can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment.

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.

El Taco Luchador Taqueria will open its long-anticipated new location in the newly developed Colonial Gardens on Wednesday, Aug. 21. The opening originally was announced as June 1, but the date was pushed back. The development, located near Iroquois Park, has been reimagined as a high-end food court, with a pizza concept called Union 15 also slated to open this month. The renovation of the property was completed by Underhill Associates; Mayor Greg Fischer said in May the city had invested $2.4 million in the rehabilitation.

Luchador masks are the mark of El Taco Luchador | Courtesy of El Taco Luchador

“This location is exciting for a number of reasons,” said Olé partner Rick Moir in a news release.  “This is by far our best bar, and it connects to an outdoor communal beer garden that will be shared among the restaurants and breweries. It’s going to be a gathering place and a destination for food and music. It’s a real honor to be the first establishment to open in the new Colonial Gardens.”

For more information about Taco Luchador provided by Insider Louisville... Click here!

The Southwest Regional Library invites small business owners and entrepreneurs to join expert Chris Whelan of WSI Digital Win for a FREE Saturday morning seminar on digital marketing. You’ll learn how to increase your business’s online visibility, engagement and leads.

This seminar is being offered twice in August: Saturday, August 10 and Saturday, August 17. Participants need not attend both sessions.

For more information about the seminar, please call 502-933-0029 or email seth.cohen@lfpl.org.

Topics covered include: Online Presence: Web & Social; Website and Social Pages/Channels; Strategy, Setup, Management; Getting Visible: On-Page SEO; Review of Search Engine Optimization (SEO); Indexing for Keywords; Improving Visibility & Engagement Off-Page SEO; Strategic Content Marketing Plan; Publish Content via Site & Social; Ramp up Visibility with Live Streaming

The Louisville Small Business Development Center, in partnership with Louisville Forward Economic Development, the SBA, SCORE and Sullivan University, announced today the launch of Scale Up Louisville, a year-long program to help small business owners plan for and execute a growth plan.

The program begins Aug. 21 and will provide direct support to a cohort of 15 business owners through a competitive application process, with the goal of helping companies grow jobs and enhance economic development.

The initial intensive program consists of topics such as:

• Sizing up your business
• Exploring growth opportunities
• Strategic decision-making
• Using financial tools
• Strengthening products
• Sizing up the market
• Leading the Organization
• Managing growth operations
• Charting financial performance
• Making it happen

Those wishing to apply are encouraged to visit: http://scaleuplouisville.com

Free Training and Jobs links for Manufacturing and Construction

To find programs for FREE training and to connect people to jobs in construction and manufacturing, please click one of the following

The Career Calculator is being used in schools, career centers and libraries across the Louisville region.

Links to Workforce Resources

• KentuckianaWorks Homepage
• KY Career Centers  
• KY Health Career Center
• KY Manufacturing Career Center
• Code Louisville
• Mayor's SummerWorks
• KentuckianaWorks College Access Center
• Kentuckiana Builds
• Degrees Work
• Events Calendar 

Star Gazing at the Forest 

• Saturday, August 10th; 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
• Please Join LFPL and the Louisville Astronomical Society at Jefferson Memorial Forest for a family star party on August 10, 2019. The event will be from 7:30pm-10pm. An astronomical presentation is at 7:45 pm, star observation to follow.

Rain/bad weather makeup date is September 14, 2019, 7:30pm-10pm. The location will be at the JMF, Horine Reservation, Holsclaw Hill, 12304 Holsclaw Hill Rd. Fairdale, KY 40118. Parking at the Horine Reserve. Call Southwest Regional Library (502) 933-0029 for information.

Click here for a map of Horine Reserve.

Check out the Jefferson Memorial Forest website for fun events and interesting programs

All reservations will be honored for the newly rescheduled date of Sunday, August 11th. Cruise times will remain at 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. with boarding beginning 30 minutes prior to each departure.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call my office at (502) 574-1114. I apologize for any inconvenience this causes and I am keeping my hopes up for beautiful, sunny weather August 11th

Researching Your Ancestors' Military Service: 20th C. Kentucky Military Records, 1890-1960

• Saturday, August 10th; 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• LFPL hosts Walter Bowman, an archivist formerly with the KY Department for Military Affairs and now with the KY Department of Libraries and Archives. He will explore researching military service records from the 1890s through the 1960s.

http://www.lfpl.org/events/

Weaving Wednesdays August 14, 21, & 28

• Friday 10am-noon (session1) & 1pm-3pm (session2)
• Ages 6 and over
• We will be offering 2 sessions on Friday. Students are welcome to join us for one or both! 
• *Students that register for both sessions will have the option of making 2 separate projects or using both sessions to make one larger project. If students register for both session, please bring a sack lunch.
• Projects include bags, purses, three mice in a bag, cats on mats, pillows, scarves, bean bags, and more.  
• Session 1: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• Session 2: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
• The cost is $25 per session, all supplies included.

CLICK HERE for August Events Schedule 

Speed Art Museum is offering free income based memberships called "Speed For All"

Speed For All Memberships is a free income based membership program for individuals and families that the Speed Art Museum is offering to make the museum and its programs more accessible to all! Your benefits as a Speed for All Member are for two adults and all children under 18.

Benefits include the following:

• Free admission to the Museum, including major exhibitions
•  Four free Speed Cinema vouchers
• Free parking in the Speed Art Museum garage
• Invitations to Members-only Preview Parties and special events
•  Free admission to Global Speed Lecture Series
•  $2 off additional tickets to the Speed Cinema
•  10% discount in the Museum Store
• 10% discount at Wiltshire at the Speed on Wednesdays
•  Discounted admission on select Museum programs
•  Advance notice and discounts on summer camps and kids' workshops
•  

To sign up for a free membership call: 502.634.2719