From Louisville Metro Animal Services: 

LMAS animal control officers are investigating the reported incidents in the Germantown area, where the owners believe their dogs died from poisoning, however what caused  their deaths has not been determined. LMAS has collected evidence and is awaiting lab reports. Officers have been canvassing the area talking with residents in an attempt to gain information. There have been other groups also canvasing the area and posting flyers, LMAS greatly appreciates the efforts of the Germantown Community and wants this case solved. LMAS would recommend that pet owners survey their yards for anything out of the ordinary until more information comes to light.

Anyone with information about either case should call 574-LMPD. Anyone that believes their pet is a victim of crime is encouraged to contact animal control as soon as possible at 473-PETS.

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.

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, February 10, 6:30 p.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+), 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.

The final Eastern Parkway Study public meeting will be Tuesday night, January 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Audubon Traditional Elementary School gymnasium at 1051 Hess Lane.

The Eastern Parkway Transportation Study is being funded through a $500,000 federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant awarded to Louisville in 2017 and matched with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet toll credits. The study will consider such elements as sidewalk and curb improvements, shared use pedestrian paths, bike connectivity and other complete streets alternatives aimed at accommodating the transportation modes of all users of the corridor.

Frederick Law Olmstead’s firm designed Eastern Parkway more than 100 years ago as a recreational traffic link to one of Louisville’s biggest parks. That design did not contemplate what is now up to 17,000 motorists using the road each day along with the walkers and bicyclists.

The study is aimed at updating the parkway to better accommodate all modern users while being respectful of the original parkway characteristics. Completion of the study is anticipated in the summer of 2020. It will include recommendations on design elements and associated cost estimates. 

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.

The Louisville Asset Building Coalition’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, and AARP Tax Aide programs provide trained, IRS-certified volunteers to offer free tax services at 19 sites across the city. The service is available to individuals and families who earned less than $66,000 in 2019.

VITA and AARP volunteers will also help determine if residents are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal tax credit for low- and middle-income working individuals and families. Eligibility for the EITC is based on income, the number of family members and other criteria, such as the amount of a family’s credit. Working families who earn up to $55,952 may be eligible, with average credits last year nearly $2,500.

Last year, the VITA campaign and Louisville AARP sites processed nearly 14,000 returns, adding more than $19.5 million to the local economy, including nearly $5.2 million in Earned Income Tax Credits to residents.

Appointments are recommended for VITA free tax assistance service and can be made now by calling 305-0005 or scheduling online. 

The VITA free tax preparation sites are located at:

• Americana Community Center, 4801 Southside Dr.
• Bates Community Development, 1228 Jackson St.
• Eastern Area Community Ministries, 9104 Westport Rd. 
• Louisville Urban League, 1535 W. Broadway
• Portland Promise Center, 1831 Baird St.
• Salt and Light Community Development, 3025 Gerald Dr.
• Sun Valley Community Center, 6505 Bethany Lane
• United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 State St.
• Wesley House Community Services, 5114 Preston Hwy.

For a complete list of VITA locations, including mobile sites, as well as hours of operation, visit http://labcservices.org or call Metro United Way’s 211 help referral service.  

Also visit the website for information about a free service for those interested in filing their own taxes online. Starting Jan. 27, two software packages — MyFreeTaxes and the Free File program delivered by Intuit — will be available for those who meet eligibility. 

AARP sites in Louisville will open the first week of February at the following locations:

• Buechel Park Baptist Church, 2403 Hikes Lane
• Central Government Center, 7201 Outer Loop
• St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2822 Frankfort Ave.
• Iroquois Branch Library, 601 W Woodlawn Ave.
• Jeffersontown Senior Center, 10631 Watterson Trail 
• Lyndon Baptist Church, 8025 New LaGrange Rd.
• Middletown First Baptist Church, 11711 Main St.
• Portland Branch Library, 3305 Northwestern Parkway
• Southwest Government Center, 7219 Dixie Hwy.
• Walnut Street Baptist Church, 1143 South 3rd St.

For a full AARP schedule and listing, including sites in Southern Indiana and mobile sites, click here or call 394-3443.

The program that helps prevent low income residents of Jefferson County from being disconnected from utility services is underway.

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 through 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

Lil Tee Tee arrived at the shelter in October, now he’s finally ready for a forever home! The five-year-old Tabby has been in the shelter longer than most cats because the LMAS Vet staff has been nursing him back to health. The friendly kitty has an over-active thyroid and weighs just five pounds! Lil Tee Tee needs someone who is attentive and will make sure he receives his daily medication. Lil Tee Tee’s adoption fee is waived thanks to the Pay It Forward Program. He’s already neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. Meet Lil Tee Tee at Animal House Adoption Center, 3516 Newburg Road, from noon to 6 p.m. daily. For more info about Lil Tee Tee, call 473-PETS.

Dog of the Week

Turkey is a senior shelter pet that loves curl up on your lap for affection. The seven-year-old Labrador Retriever mix is a friendly dog who was the perfect house guest when he spent the holidays with a foster family. They say Turkey was great with their younger dog. Turkey's adoption fee is waived for an approved adopter. He weighs about 45 pounds, and he’s already neutered, microchipped and up-to-date on vaccinations. You can meet Turkey at Animal House Adoption Center, which is open daily from noon to 6 p.m. Meet and greets for families with children are mandatory. Turkey can also be tested with other dogs but needs a cat-free home.  For more info about turkey, call 473-PETS or email questions.

Pit Bull of the Week

Don’t shop when you can rescue a Pit Bull from the LMAS shelter! It’s always free to adopt adult Pit Bulls like Grasshopper. The two-year-old has an easygoing, energetic personality, although he can be shy when first meeting new people. Grasshopper likes to be right by your side, so he’d be a good companion for someone who is home most of the day. His adoption fee is waived for an approved adopter, thanks to the Pay It Forward Program. Grasshopper weighs 64 pounds. He’s already neutered, microchipped and up-to-date on vaccinations. You can meet Grasshopper at the LMAS Shelter, 3528 Newburg Road, from noon to 6 p.m., Monday-Saturday. You can send questions about Grasshopper here.

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.

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.