A reminder from Solid Waste Management Services: there is a difference between a Recycling Bin and Recycling Cart. 

The District 10 Discount Cart Program only includes Recycling Carts in 65- or 95-gallon size. Please call 574-1110 or email us for the form. This offer is available to urban service district residents.

Households with city waste services receive one garbage cart (all black) and one 18-gallon orange recycling bin for free. If you have just moved into a residence and either of these are missing, contact Metro311 online or call 311 or 574-5000 to make a request. 

The Louisville Metro Police Department uses a Crime Mapping website to display crime on a map in Jefferson County. 

Crime Mapping Resources

• Zoom in on the map to see crime around your area, or put an address in the address bar in the top left to search
• Sign up for auto email alerts for crime around an address.
• Report a crime to LMPD anonymously.
• To view or download in a dataset, visit our Open Data Portal Crime Data.
• Reports are made available to public after process of internal review. In most cases, the review is within the same day as report taken. Due to the nature of some crimes, reports are made available to public upon the completion of a thorough investigation. Reports of that nature will be made available as soon as practical.
• The map shows National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) crimes.

From Louisville Nature Center: Kids at our Winter Day Camps earlier this month had a blast hiking the trails, dissecting owl pellets, creating their own field guides, and making plaster molds of animal tracks. They also got to see lots of local wildlife, including hawks, woodpeckers, and fairy shrimp. Some lucky campers even saw two bucks locking antlers!

Do you have a preschooler who would love to get outside and enjoy nature? Mark your calendar: Knee-High Naturalists will be back starting in March! More information coming soon.

• Valentine's Day Lantern Hike* - Friday, February 14 - 7 to 10 p.m. 
• Closed for Presidents Day - Monday, February 17
• Birding for Beginners Class* - Saturday, February 29 - 10 a.m. to noon

*Registration required. Follow the link for additional details.

Grants available to social services and arts and creative industry organizations.

Louisville Metro Government (LMG) will begin accepting External Agency Fund applications on January 17 for fiscal year 2021 (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021). These grants funded through the city’s general fund are awarded to non-governmental or "external” agencies that contribute to the city's cultural, social and economic vitality.

A summary of the application process is as follows with more details listed below:

• Application questions may be viewed for reference here. 
• All applicants are required to attend a mandatory application orientation on Friday, January 17.
• Following the mandatory orientation, the city will begin accepting applications. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 7, at 5 p.m.

All agencies wishing to apply are required to have at least one representative participate in the mandatory application orientation January 17. The orientation will provide information about deadlines, how to access the application and other general information. There will be a morning session held from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and an afternoon session held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Both sessions will take place at Metro United Way, 334 E. Broadway. It is only necessary to attend one of the two sessions, and no RSVP is required.

The External Agency Funds are awarded annually to nonprofit organizations offering programs or services in Louisville/Jefferson County that align with the Mayor's and departments' strategic goals. The competitive grants are available for Social Services programs, administered by the Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services (RCS), and for Arts and Creative Industries programs, administered by Louisville Forward.

For the Social Services funding program, qualified nonprofits committed to providing services that achieve meaningful outcomes for Louisville citizens in the following key areas are encouraged to apply:

• Decreasing homelessness;
• Increasing household financial stability;
• Increasing youth, teen, and/or young adult engagement in quality programming; and/or
• Increasing access to services and resources for a targeted population. 

For the Arts and Creative Industries funding program, qualified nonprofits committed to providing programs that achieve meaningful outcomes for Louisville citizens in the following focus areas are encouraged to apply:

• Arts experiences for everyone;
• Creative workforce; and/or
• Creative community spaces and neighborhoods.

Applications will be reviewed by two External Agency Fund panels, which include Metro Council members and community members, and those recommendations will be included in Mayor Fischer’s Recommended FY21 Metro budget.

Louisville Metro Government employs a competitive granting strategy and strives to award funding to agencies that demonstrate measurable positive impact in the community and are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Successful grantees will be required to report on their success in meeting goals, outcomes and how the taxpayer dollars are spent.

The deadline to apply is Friday, February 7, at 5 p.m.

For more information about EAF and to access the EAF applications and guidelines, click here. Please submit all questions here to .

With the 2020 U.S. Census less than 90 days away, Mayor Fischer rallied Wednesday with community partners working to help ensure a complete and proper count of all Louisville residents. The official Census 2020 date is April 1 and households will begin receiving Census information in March.

“The data from the Census is used to allocate federal resources to many programs affecting communities and families, and that means we need everyone in our state and within the city of Louisville to be a part of it,” the Mayor said. "This is our one chance in 10 years to make sure Louisville and Kentucky gets everything we’re due."

The Mayor added that the Census also determines representation in Congress and is a factor in education funding, grants, research, and business site selection decisions.

Mayor Fischer made the remarks during an address to the Municipal Complete Count Committee, which is comprised of Louisville Metro staff, community leaders, and faith organizations. The committee is co-chaired by Deputy Chief of Staff Katie Dailinger and Senior Policy Adviser Ashley Parrott, and is assisted by Census Coordinator Catalina Cordova.

The Municipal Complete Count Committee is working to raise awareness of the Census throughout the community, particularly with historically under-counted populations such as immigrants and children age 5 and younger.

“We have groups in our city that are at risk of being undercounted, and we must work together to reach out to them to make sure they are involved,” said Cordova. “Particularly within the immigrant community, there are concerns about privacy. We hear those concerns, and want our immigrant friends to know that the Census is confidential, safe, easy and important.”

How will the census be taken? For the first time, all households will be invited to complete the Census online. In mid-March, addresses will receive a mailed invitation to respond online. If there is no response to the online invitation, a paper form will be mailed with options to respond to the form or by phone.  The form has only 10 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete. See a Sample Census Questionnaire, available in English and Spanish, at https://louisvilleky.gov/census.

Census Bureau Employment Opportunities

The 2020 Census is hiring thousands of temporary workers. In Louisville, the pay is up to $21.50 per hour for part-time, temporary, work from home position plus mileage reimbursement. Apply online at: 2020census.gov/jobs. The application takes about 30 minutes and averages 30 to 60 days to hear back.

Additional 2020 Census jobs are available at the U.S. Census Bureau's National Processing Center, located across the river in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Job vacancies at this facility are posted on USAjobs.gov and include clerks, technicians, warehouse positions, office staff and supervisory staff.

Become a Census Champion

Members of the Complete Count Committee and other community partners are serving as Census Champions — trusted messengers who have the tools to educate their communities about the Census and its impact on our city.  Census Champions will share information through a grassroots, neighbor-to-neighbor approach, provide trainings and/or computer access, and other supports. Go to louisvilleky.gov/census to see an interactive Census Champion Map listing sites and services offered.

More information about the 2020 Census and the Municipal Complete Count Committee can be found at louisvilleky.gov/census, or contact Catalina Cordova or at 574-5168.

2020 Census Key Dates

March 12-20: Invitations mailed
March 16-24: Reminder letters sent
March 26-April 3: Reminder postcards
April 1: Census Day
April 8-16: Hardcopy Census mailed
April 20-27: Final postcards mailed
May 1: Non-response follow-ups begin

Upcoming Census Outreach Events

January 11: Spanish Census Solutions Workshop at Americana Community Center at 10 a.m., 4801 Southside Drive
January 16: AARP KY: 2020 Census Jobs Informational Session, 2 to 3:30 p.m. at St. Matthews Library, 3940 Grandview Ave. Registration at https://aarp.cvent.com/KYCensusJobs

The program that helps prevent low income residents of Jefferson County from being disconnected from utility services will begin on Monday, January 6.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is administered by the Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services. The LIHEAP Crisis Component will run from January 6 to March 31, or until available funds have been expended, whichever comes first.

This year’s Crisis Program will allow residents receiving a current utility bill with a past due amount and residents receiving a disconnect notice to apply for assistance.

To apply, residents must schedule an appointment utilizing the automated appointment system at 991-8391 or online at louisvilleky.cascheduler.com. The toll-free service is currently open and is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Applicants must be a resident of Jefferson County with a household income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (e.g. for a household of four, the gross monthly income cannot exceed $2,790.00). 

For details on additional eligibility requirements and required documentation, click here. 

Louisville Parks and Recreation annual golf passes are now on sale at the Joe Creason Park administration building at 1297 Trevilian Way.

A seven-day unlimited play pass is $500. A five-day pass, Monday through Friday only, is $350.

Junior, team, and golf cart discount passes are also for sale through the golf desk at Creason.

Those seeking a pass are required to fill out an application and to get a photo ID taken at the Creason golf desk. You can download the application here or fill it out in person.

The golf desk is typically open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call 574-6454.

Cat of the Week: Harley Quinn is a stunning gray Tabby with big yellow eyes - and she’s ready for a forever home! The shy, two-year-old can be fearful so she needs time to warm up to strangers and new surroundings. Harley Quinn gets along with other cats but her ideal home would be one without any children. Harley Quinn’s adoption fee is waived for an approved adopter, thanks to the Pay It Forward Program. Harley Quinn weighs approximately eight pounds. She’s already spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. You can meet Harley Quin at Animal House Adoption Center,3516 Newburg Road – now open daily from noon to 6 p.m. For more information about Harley Quinn, contact Louisville Metro Animal Services at 473-PETS.

Dog of the Week: Guardian. It’s always nice to have a guardian on your side, especially if they’re as handsome as Guardian! The approximately two-year-old German Shepherd/Labrador Retriever mix is a wiggly, friendly sweet boy that gets along with other dogs. You can adopt Guardian for free with an approved application, thanks to the Pay It Forward Program. Guardian weighs 60 pounds. His adoption includes neuter, vaccinations and a microchip! To meet Guardian, visit Animal House Adoption Center daily from noon to 6 p.m. Questions: Send an email.

Pit Bull of the Week: Makaveli. It’s always free to adopt adult Pit Bulls from LMAS! Don’t shop when you can rescue a Pit Bull like Makaveli from the shelter. Makaveli is approximately two years old and weighs 60 pounds. He’s a laid back, good-natured dog who is a great co-pilot. Makevli’s friendly with everyone he meets on field trips away from the shelter. Makaveli is also easy to leash walk and loves an adventure. At the end of a long day, he turns into a couch potato and an expert cuddler. Adopt Makaveli for free, thanks to the Pay It Forward Program! He’s also a Long-Stay Champion so his adoption includes: FREE wellness checks and vaccinations for three years, Canine License (3-year), leash, harness, collar, large crate and seven days of free daycare at PetSuites-Louisville! To adopt Makaveli, visit Animal House Adoption Center, 3516 Newburg Road, daily from noon to 6 p.m. Questions about Makaveli? Send an email or call 473-PETS.

The Kentucky Center ArtsReach, in collaboration with the Office of Mayor Greg Fischer and RiverCity DrumCorp, presents Keepers of the Dream, A Community Arts Celebration of Dr. King’s Vision on Sunday, January 19, at 5 p.m. at The Kentucky Center (Whitney Hall), 501 W. Main Street. This event is free and open to the public. The Celebration hosted by WKU student Jayla Ransom features:

• Freedom Award presentation by Mayor Greg Fischer
• Recitation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech "Another America" by Keith McGill 
• Featured visual artist Phoenixx Lee with the art of LaNia Roberts
• ArtsReach Our Voices Dance Collective from Chestnut Street Family YMCA
• River City Drum Corp
• ArtsReach Living the Vision Award presentation
• ArtsReach Violin & Percussion Studios from West End School, WESTEC & Portland Promise
• Poets Writeous Soul and Brea
• ArtsReach Playwriting & Dance Studio from Every Known Mastermind, Made New Acapella & D.E.S.T.I.N.E.D. Dance. 

For more information, please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/city-events/keepers-dream-freedom-award

Mayor Greg Fischer announced Thursday that nationally renowned civil rights and social justice activist Mattie Jones is the 2020 recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Award.

Jones, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, moved with her family to Louisville as a child, after her father took a job at the Quartermaster Depot in Jeffersonville. Jones’ public activism began not long after her graduation from Central High School in 1951. She attended Indiana University but says she quickly decided it was not safe or welcoming for black students, so she transferred to the University of Louisville, which had recently desegregated its main campus. But after being denied a work study position and being told white co-eds would not accept working alongside her, Jones left college and joined the Black Workers Coalition to fight for equality in employment.

In over six decades of activism since, Jones has organized countless demonstrations, public conversations, and boycotts focused on women’s and worker’s rights, environmental justice, peace and police/community relations. She was a founding member of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and has helped lead and staff numerous local and national justice operations during her long career.

“At the tender age of 86, Mattie Jones has outlived some of our community’s original civil rights stalwarts, and to this day, she outworks many others to remain an active advocate for justice, equality and equity,” Mayor Fischer said. “Mattie’s battles and victories over the years against racism and sexism only make her advocacy and inspiration more powerful. There is no quit in Mattie. She is most worthy of this significant recognition."

Jones, who describes herself as “just another soldier in the army for peace, justice and equality,” said she is honored by the award.

“I appreciate Mayor Fischer making me this year’s honoree, and I appreciate too, that Mayor Fischer did not forget west Louisville after Election Day. When invited, he shows, and that’s important,” Jones said, adding that she’ll be accepting the award on behalf of her family and her community.

“If it wasn’t for God, my family and my community, I would never had made it. My husband caring for the children, my mother’s support, the people who maybe didn’t march or demonstrate but would walk by and wave and say, ‘Miss Mattie, we’re praying for you,’ I needed them all,” she said. “To experience and be a part of the changes in my lifetime, I am blessed to have been a soldier, a majorette for justice!”

Jones said receiving the Freedom Award is especially poignant for her, since she is a native of Memphis and was there helping prepare for an upcoming demonstration on April 4, 1968 when Dr. King was assassinated. “It’s hard to describe how awful that was,” Jones said. “Dr. King was not the only organizer, and not the only agitator of our time, but he was a beacon for justice, and his death brought such darkness.”

Mattie Jones and her husband Turner Harris Jones, a teacher and later a tax auditor, were married in 1955 and had nine children and raised 120 foster children. Working as a cook at local hotels, she said she focused her greatest energies raising her children and fighting for justice.

In the 60’s she marched against segregation in public schools and for open housing, and credits the late Sen. Georgia Davis Powers, then a neighbor in the Parkland neighborhood, for inspiring her to get involved. “She asked me to attend a meeting, and when I got there, there was Dr. King, Rev. Abernathy and so many other inspirational people. I left there on fire,” Jones said.

In addition to helping found the National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression in 1973, she worked on a local level with the Kentucky Alliance against Racist and Political Repression, alongside the late Rev. Louis Coleman, Anne Braden and countless others.

In the 1980s, Jones traveled the South as a staff member for the Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social Justice, and in 1991 accepted a position as Coordinator of Racial and Economic Justice at the Fellowship of Reconciliation in New York. With the support of her family, Jones worked in New York, with frequent trips back to Louisville. She said one of her most treasured accomplishments in that role was organizing a Women of Color in the Workplace Conference, which hosted women from around the country and the world.

After returning from New York in the late 1990s, Jones began working full time with Rev. Coleman at the Justice Resource Center.

On the environmental justice front, Jones fought against toxic emissions in Rubbertown and for greater oversight of the companies there, through the Strategic Toxic Air Reduction program. And through the Louisville Black Chamber of Commerce, she and Coleman worked to see a high percentage of minority-owned construction companies involved in the building of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium and the YUM! Center.

In 2018, in honor of Mattie Jones’ 85th birthday, then-Councilwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton announced that two blocks of River Park Drive would be honorarily designated as Mattie Jones Way. The route intersects Louis Coleman Jr. Drive, which Jones’ bio notes reflects “a meaningful reminder of all these two influential civil rights leaders accomplished together in Louisville and far beyond.”

The Mayor’s Freedom Award, sponsored by Republic Bank and first presented in 1988, recognizes residents who have dedicated their lives to promoting justice, peace, freedom, non-violence, racial equality and civic activism. Jones will be presented an award of blown glass created by Ché Rhodes, Associate Professor, Head of Glass, University of Louisville Hite Art Institute.

Adults

Nonfiction Book Club   Tuesday, February 4, 10:30 a.m.

Fiction Book Group  Wednesday, February 5, 6:30 p.m.

Friends of the Library Meeting  Monday, January 13 & February 10, 6:30 p.m. 

Highlands-Shelby Park Library Birthday Celebration   Saturday, January 25, 11 a.m. 

The Boom Project: Voices of a Generation   Saturday, January 25, 2 p.m. 

How to Insulate Your Home or Small Business Saturday, February 8, 1 p.m. 

Children

Speed Art Detectives (Ages 7+)

• Saturday, January 11, 2 p.m.: STEAM   (ages 4-9)
• Thursday, February 13, 4 p.m.: Discover Africa

Black Girl Magic Storytime, Tuesday, February 4, 7 p.m.

STEAM Storytime: Blocks!  Saturday, February 15, 2 p.m. Ages 3-8

Teens

Homeschool Social Club   Thursdays at 3 p.m. Ages 10-18

Speed Art Detectives (Ages 7+)

• Thursday, February 13, 4 p.m.: Discover Africa

Cozy Winter Tea Party  Saturday, January 18, 1 p.m. Ages 11+

You’ve Gotta Have Heart Art Gallery  Saturday, February 8, 1 p.m. Ages 11+

The Library – at the crossroads of knowledge and know-how. Visit www.LFPL.org to learn more.

If you are interested in volunteering for one of Louisville Metro Government's Boards and Commissions, now is the time to start. By being a part of a board or commission, you will offer your time and your talents to improve the quality of life in our community.

There are approximately 100 boards and commissions with many areas of interest, including business and economic development, land planning, parks and recreation, public health and public safety.

The following boards have vacancies: 

• Metropolitan Business Development Corporation
• Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board
• Bardstown Road Overlay District
• Building Code Board of Appeals
• Cemetery Board
• Civil Service Board
• Code Enforcement Board
• Community Action Partnership
• Jefferson County Public Law Library
• Deputy Sheriff Merit Board
• Downtown Development Review Overlay Board
• Downtown Management District
• Ethics Commission
• Fire Protection Districts (Fairdale, Harrods Creek, Highview, Lake Dreamland, Lyndon, Middletown, Okolona, St. Matthews & Worthington)
• Hazard Materials Ordinance Appeals & Overseers Board
• Housing Authority Board
• Human Relations Commission Advocacy Board
• Human Relations Commission Enforcement Board
• Kentuckiana Works
• Landmarks
• Library Advisory Commission
• Louisville Arena Authority, Inc.
• Louisville Public Media
• Merit Board
• Medical Center Commission of Jefferson County
• PARC Board of Commissioners
• Police Merit Board
• Redevelopment Authority
• Science Center
• Urban Renewal Commission
• Vacant Property Review Commission
• Waterworks
• Zoo Foundation Board

To learn more about board applications, please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/mayor-greg-fischer/interested-serving-board-or-commission

JustServe.org is a free volunteer website dedicated to bringing communities together through volunteerism.

From JustServe.org: Non-profits can post the need for volunteers and those in our community can go to the website and see all the opportunities to volunteer. Because the website is self-funded, we never ask for donations to maintain the website, we never sell advertising and we never sell any information. All of us connected with JustServe.org are volunteers and there is no paid staff.

If you're renovating or remodeling, have a plan for disposing of the resulting debris. Construction and demolition debris in Louisville garbage and junk pickup collection is prohibited by ordinance, so hiring a hauling company or renting a dumpster may be in order. 

Options for disposal of construction and demolition debris include taking it to the Waste Reduction Center on Meriwether Avenue. Fees are variable depending on volume. More information and a fee schedule are available here. 

The new RecycleCoach app features notifications about garbage, recycling, bulk waste, and yard waste collection services. 

RecycleCoach will help Solid Waste Management Services communicate better by sending special messages such as bulk waste rule reminders or suspension of services for yard waste, etc.

The app also has a “what goes where” feature to allow a person to input a certain item to get information on disposal or recycling.  Download from the App Store or Google Play.

The Center for Neighborhoods' NeighborMap comes loaded with data on neighborhood resources, grocery access, flood-plain locations, tree cover and more. NeighborMap can help individuals and community organizations visualize and understand the assets available in their neighborhoods, and identify improvements they would like to see.

Students from UofL's Kent School of Social Work contributed to the project by gathering data in urban neighborhoods, and will continue the partnership with CFN to help develop strong neighborhoods. NeighborMap was created in part with funding from Louisville Metro Government.

Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) will investigate and impose fines on anyone who comes into contact with an underground natural gas line while digging without having contacted 811 to have the lines located before digging.

Contact 811 (call 8-1-1 or submit an online locate request at 811.com) before you dig and make sure that anyone doing excavation on your behalf contacts 811 two working days before they start.

For more information, please visit lge-ku.com/safety/digging.

Some offices and VA hospitals offer a "Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program" that includes treatment methods including acupuncture, tai chi, and meditation instead of opioids, and they work with the Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255, Press 1) to provide support and treatment for PTSD and depression, the leading cause of suicide for veterans.

Additional references for VA material and assistance: www.vetcenter.va.gov or 1-877-WAR-VETS or (lifestyle changes for better health) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX9fLXrF4fA 

There is also a link for sexual trauma: https://www.vetcenter.va.gov/Military_Sexual_Trauma.asp

Check out the Embrace the Journey website, designed to educate the parents of LGBTQ+ children and adolescents about how to give children the emotional support they need: https://embracethejourneylou.org/

This site is a result of collaborative work between the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences, the Kent School of Social Work, and Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. 

Eligibility criteria:

•    Must be owner occupied for at least one year.
•    Not available on rental property.
•    Must meet income guidelines (See intake staff) 
•    May receive assistance once in a five year period.
•    Louisville-Jefferson County only

Types of repairs:

• Furnace repair or replacement (October-April only)
  
• A/C unit- repair or replacement (Requires medical statement, available May-Sept. only)
• Electrical repairs/upgrades
• Water line repairs/replacement
• Sewer line repairs/replacement
• Water heater repair/replacement, gas or electric.
     gas line leaks

For further information contact Jackie Wilson-Rudy at 574-5850 or Jacqueline.Wilson-rudy@louisvilleky.gov.

If you wish to make a Metro311 request, please make a report online or use the mobile app. You'll receive a service request number that will help the District 10 office assist you.

 You can report online here, or download the free mobile 311 app from your app store. Or tweet @LouMetro311 or call 574-5000. 

You can now look to see if an issue you want to report has already been reported. And you'll get notification of your issue along the way. Visit Metro311 to learn more: https://www.louisvilleky.gov/311

Louisville Metro Government's Metro Business Portal, where you apply for permits, licensing and applications with Louisville Metro, is at  https://www.louisvilleky.gov/businessportal.

We receive complaints about signs that are illegally posted on poles and at intersections in the right-of-way, including "We Buy Houses," "Express Cash" and others. 

If you walk by these signs or live somewhere where these signs are posted and may be removed safely, help clean up our community by taking them down and throwing them away. Or better yet, consider recycling the signs - search for "recycled yard sign projects" online for ideas. 

Click here to sign up for the LENSAlert (Louisville Emergency Notification System). 

In addition to receiving notifications, individuals can create a Safety Profile for themselves and their household that can include any information they want 9-1-1 and first responders to have in the event of an emergency. When individuals make an emergency call, their Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker, allowing them to send the right responders to the right location with the right information.

Information about medical history, allergies to medication, number of residents in a home and even a picture of the family dog can all be added to a Safety Profile.