District Six Dispatch

Contact Your State Legislators!

The Kentucky General Assembly is back in session.  Among the items on the agenda are local government revenue options.  Louisville Metro and other city and county governments across the state face dramatically rising pension costs, but the ability to raise revenue to meet them is severely limited by state law. What’s worse, some of the options the state allows for other communities, including a restaurant tax, are currently prohibited in Louisville. Rising costs without new revenue have already led to reduced Metro services, including fewer police officers, firefighters, library services and many more.  Pension costs will continue to rise in the coming years and a bipartisan group of Louisville’s leaders – and local governments across the state - have been asking Frankfort for help.  We need Louisville citizens to get involved in this effort! Please contact your state legislators and ask them to support efforts for additional local government revenue options.  Find your state senator and representative at this link, and contact them by phone or email to ask them to work with local officials to find a solution that will pay the bills without crippling cuts in Metro services

Louisville Parks 2020 Survey

For the next two weeks, the Louisville Parks Foundation is once again conducting our annual survey.  The information we gather from this survey is critical as we work to meet the needs of the community.  We try very hard to ensure it is widely disseminated, but there is no better way than through your offices.   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WFPYH7H

Mattie Jones is 2020 Freedom Award Winner

Mayor Fischer honors civil rights pioneer Mattie Jones with the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Award

LOUISVILLE, KY (January 9, 2020) – Mayor Greg Fischer today announced 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, Tenn., 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,” said Mayor Fischer. “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."

Mayor Fischer will present the Freedom Award on Sunday, Jan. 19 during the “Keepers of the Dream” community arts celebration dedicated to Dr. King, in Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center on Main Street. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 5 p.m., with lobby activities from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.

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. Last year’s winner was Diane Porter, chairwoman of the Jefferson County Board of Education. (See list of other previous winners below.) Jones will be presented an award of blown glass created by Ché Rhodes, Associate Professor, Head of Glass, University of Louisville Hite Art Institute.

The 10^th annual Keepers of the Dream Community Arts Celebration of Dr. King’s Vision is presented by Kentucky Performing Arts’ ArtsReach, in collaboration with the city and the River City Drum Corp. The Jan. 19 event, hosted by WKU student Jayla Ransom, will feature presentation of the Mayor’s Freedom Award, ArtsReach Living the Vision Awards, Keith McGill’s recitation of Dr. King’s speech, “Another America,” along with dance, music and spoken word.

The ArtsReach Living the Vision Award will be presented to educators Edna Graham, Johnetta Anderson, and those who have led Maryhurst’s programming team – Joyia Johnson, Stacie Vaughn, Demarco Harris, Jayme Thiem.

Performers include those from ArtsReach Dance, Percussion and Violin Studios at the Chestnut Street Family YMCA, Portland Promise, WESTEC and West End School. Other featured artists are Phoenixx Lee with the art of LaNia Roberts, poets Writeous Soul and Brea Brea, Every Known Mastermind, Made New Acapella, D.E.S.T.I.N.E.D. Dance, and the Percussion Ensemble and Drumline of River City Drum Corp.

In addition to the performance and awards ceremony, the lobby will be bursting with activity prior to the event, with pre-show entertainment by River City Drum Corp Pipe Drummers, a selfie station, Civil Rights button-making with Gwen Kelly, and exhibitors from local organizations.

The OLNC Wants Your Opinion

Old Louisville Feedback Survey

Take a moment and fill out a 20 question survey about our neighborhood in an effort to really pinpoint and focus on what's important. Fill it out, share it, talk about it at your next neighborhood association meeting, and let's come together in 2020 to make the most of this new decade.  The survey will be available until February 28. 

Click Here to Take the Old Louisville Feedback Survey

2020 AFRICAN AMERICAN READ-IN

It is the Sickle Cell Association and the Youth In Action Network's 4th Annual African American Read In. This yearly event features readings by local African American Authors, soul food dishes from Abbey Fisher, the first slave to publish a cookbook and FREE BOOKS for the children while the supply lasts. It is a good time for all and we look forward to seeing everyone there. 

Mayor Fischer, community leaders announce free tax preparation service for eligible Louisville residents

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (January 14, 2020) - Mayor Greg Fischer and other community leaders today announced the opening of free federal and state income tax preparation for eligible residents.

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.

"Our job as a city is to create the conditions for prosperity and to do all we can do make sure everyone is along for the ride, and one part of that is making sure that residents have access to tax preparation services,” the Mayor said. “For many working families, free help with taxes and guidance in qualifying for the EITC can be a game-changer. That’s money that could be used to start a savings account, buy a car, get braces for a child, pay books and college tuition, or start a college fund for their children."

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.

Jan. 27 is the first official day for filing tax returns. The free tax preparation sites start Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Appointments are recommended for VITA free tax assistance service and can be made now by calling (502) 305-0005 or scheduling online at https://louisvillekyvita.cascheduler.com.

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. 

The other service, AARP Tax-Aide, has a mission to serve any person who comes through the door, with special attention to those 60 and older. 

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, visit http://www.aarp-tax-aide-lou.org or call (502) 394-3443.

To help preparers accurately determine EITC eligibility and prepare returns, individuals should bring: 

• Picture ID and Social Security cards for everyone listed on the return
• Copy of 2019 tax return with all attachments and schedules
• W-2s and 1099s from your employers
• Other 1099s for interest, dividends, state tax refund or other income
• 1095-A for health insurance
• 1098 for education credit, plus a detailed financial statement from the school
• Bank account number and routing number for direct deposit as well as savings account number (if applicable)
• Childcare information, including Provider ID and actual amounts paid
• Summarized list of other income/expenses for those who itemize or are self-employed
• Additional tax information that may be required

Volunteers are vital to the VITA and AARP programs’ success. Last year, nearly 250 volunteers dedicated more than 10,000 hours to offer free tax preparation services. Volunteers come from all walks of life and include students, professionals, and adults who take care of others at home.

The work of the Louisville Asset Building Coalition and the AARP Tax Assistance Program is made possible by Metro United Way, Louisville Metro Government, the IRS, the AARP Tax-Aide Foundation and dozens of other partners.

Louisville Business First; Bellarmine Grad relocating M.C.L. Designs HQ to Old Louisville

In Case You Missed it: The Works Week

2020's First Illegal Dumping Impound The Metro Solid Waste Enforcement team has located and impounded its first vehicle of 2020 for illegal dumping. On July 20, 2019, Metro Solid Waste surveillance cameras captured a 2000 Dodge truck being used to dump tree debris in Metro Council District 1. The license plate was not visible but there were several distinguishing markings on the truck. After some time and investigation, the Enforcement team was able to locate and speak with the driver of the vehicle who admitted to the illegal dumping. On January 7, 2020, the truck was found in Metro Council District 5 and impounded for the July 20, 2019, illegal dumping. In total, the illegal dumper received a citation with fines and fees totaling $750. Also, they will have to pay approximately $250 for impound and storage fees. Did you know?.. a pickup truck load of tree debris can be disposed of legally at the Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue, for only $60.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day schedule changes There will be no garbage, junk or recycling collection on Monday, January 20 within the Urban Services District in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. Collection will resume Tuesday, January 22 and will be delayed by one day for the rest of the week. (Example: residents that have a Monday pickup will have collection on Tuesday.) Residents serviced by private companies for waste and recycling collection should check with those companies for the holiday schedule. The following facilities will also be closed Saturday, January 18: All staffed recycling centers Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue HAZ BIN, the hazardous waste drop-off facility, 7501 Grade Lane Sign up for schedule change notifications and holiday reminders on the Recycle Coach app.

Yard Waste Collection - by request only From January 20 - March 27, yard waste will be collected on your normal day BY REQUEST ONLY. Call 311 or 574-5000 to request yard waste collection. Regular yard waste collection will resume the week of March 30. (Residents with private waste haulers should contact their company about yard waste collection.)

River Road Guardrail Replaced  Public Works's Roads & Operations employees worked January 9th to replace about 100 feet of guardrail on River Road which had been damaged in an accident.  This work, near Caperton Swamp Park, was done by Crew Leader Scott Tinker (in the excavator), Senior Equipment Operator Fatima Coffey (at the top of the picture), and Equipment Operators Ross Mannel (left) and Robert Goodman (right). The guardrail keeps drivers away from the Ohio River, which is immediately adjacent to this location.

Wheelchair Accessible Last week, during the early stages of an intersection re-design project in the Clifton Neighborhood, Public Works’ Transportation Division removed the existing curb extension (bump out) on the southeast corner and extended the existing sidewalk to South Clifton Ave., added 2 new ADA-compliant wheel chair access ramps, a new curb line, reconfigured an existing yard drain inlet into a curb box inlet, and modified two other inlets. The curb extension on the opposite side will be removed during the next phase. When the project is completed later this year, the intersection will feature a four-way stop; improving visibility and safety for all who use it.

Pets of the Week

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 2-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 64lbs. He’s already neutered, microchipped and up-to-date on vaccinations. You can meet Grasshopper at the LMAS Shelter, located at 3528 Newburg Road, from 12-6pm Monday-Saturday. You can send questions about Grasshopper to animalservicesadoptions@louisvilleky.gov.

Cat of the Week: Lil Tee Tee arrived at the shelter in October, now he’s finally ready for a forever home! The 5-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 5lbs! 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, located at 3516 Newburg Road, which is open daily from 12-6pm. For more info about Lil Tee Tee, call 502-473-PETS.

Dog of the Week: Turkey is a senior shelter pet that loves curl up on your lap for affection. . The 7-year-old Labrador Retriever mix is a friendly dog that was the perfect house guest when he spent the holidays with a foster family. They say Turkey was great with their younger dog. Turkey adoption fee is waived for an approved adopter. He weighs about 45lbs, 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 for 12-6pm.  Meet & greets for families with children are mandatory. Turkey can also be tested with other dogs but needs cat-free home.  For more info about turkey, call 502-473-PETS or email questions to animalservicesadoption@louisvilleky.gov.

Amnesty for Pet Licensing

Metro Animal Services Announces Amnesty for Pet Licensing the month of January Shelter Director waives late fees for pet owners that purchase or renew a license for a cat, dog or ferret by Jan. 31 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (December 31, 2019) – Metro Animal Services is waiving penalties for Jefferson County pet owners who purchase or renew a pet license by Jan. 31st. Owners of cats, dogs and ferrets are required to purchase a one-year, renewable pet license by the Louisville Metro Animal Ordinance. “It’s the start of a New Year and everyone is preparing for tax time, but it’s also a good time to make sure your pet’s affairs are in order,” said Ozzy Gibson, LMAS Shelter Director. “Right now, we’re encouraging pet owners to purchase or renew pet licensing during the month-long grace period. It’s just $10 for a one-year license for pet that’s spayed or neutered - no fines attached.” There are several benefits of getting or renewing a pet license from MAS, but the best reason is to improve a lost pet’s chances being returned to its owners. The American Humane Association estimates more 10 million cats and dogs are lost or stolen in the U.S. every year, and one in three pets will become lost at some point in their lifetime. Sadly, 80 percent never come home. A stray pet picked up by Animal Control - in some instances, will be escorted home by an officer. “I’d prefer an officer escort your pet home instead of to the LMAS shelter. A valid Pet license can prevent overcrowding or decrease the time a pet spends in the shelter, because the owner’s contact information for a stray pet will be on file. Any time we can reunite a lost pet with its owner is a great a day for an animal control officer,” said Gibson. In 2019, MAS reunited more than 1,300 pets and their owners. A Pet License combined with a microchip are two of the most important steps pet owners can take to increase the odds of being reunited with a missing pet. Pet Licensing is also proof a pet is properly vaccinated from diseases such as Rabies, which could be deadly to humans and animals. Most groomers, pet daycares and boarding facilities require owners to show proof a pet has been vaccinated. Jefferson Country pet owners can avoid potential fines associated with the failure to purchase or renew a pet license during the amnesty period from Jan. 1-31. Fines and fees can quickly add up once a pet enters the LMAS Shelter. The boarding fee for an unlicensed pet is $30, double the cost for a licensed pet and an additional $10 per day. That doesn’t include an impoundment fee of $25 and other fees related to a pet’s stay in the shelter. Pet owners residing in Jefferson County are required to purchase a yearly pet license for each cat, dog or ferret they own and must provide proof the pet’s Rabies vaccination is current. MAS does not currently offer Rabies vaccination services to the public. Pet owners can get their pet vaccinated against Rabies at a Veterinarian’s office or the Kentucky Humane Society’s low-cost, Healthy Pets Clinic.  A one-year Pet License for an altered (spayed or neutered) pet is $10; a 3-year Altered Pet License is $27. MAS offers a discounted rate for Senior Citizens; pets must be altered to qualify, and the discount is limited to two pets per household. Complete pricing for a Pet Licensing is as follows: Licensing Info & Fees 1 YR Altered (spayed/neutered): $10.00 1 YR Altered - Senior: $5 3 YR Altered: $27.00 3 YR Altered - Senior: $13.50 1 YR Unaltered: $60.00 Purchasing or renewing pet licensing can be done four convenient ways: in person at Animal House Adoption Center, online, at a participating Veterinarian’s office or by mail. To purchase or renew a license in-person, visit Animal House, which is open daily from 12-6pm. Amnesty for Pet Licensing begins Jan. 1, however LMAS will be closed New Years Day. Late fees for pet owners who purchase or renew a license online will still receive amnesty.  Pet owners who Visit the MAS website to purchase or renew licensing online or find a participating vet at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/animal-services/services/license-your-pet. To purchase or renew by mail, visit the website to download and fill out a pet licensing application. Mail the form and a check plus 50-cents for postage payable to Louisville Metro Animal Services, to Animal House Adoption Center, 3516 Newburg Road, 40218. Pet owners with questions about the licensing process contact LMAS at animals@louisvilleky.gov. About Louisville Metro Animal Services Louisville Metro Animal Services operates the city’s only open intake shelter, which achieved No Kill Status for time and space for the third consecutive year. In October 2019, LMAS relocated to Newburg Road to create one campus for all animal-related services. LMAS offers pet adoptions, licensing, microchipping and animal control services, as well as Pay It Forward free adoptions, which is supported by donations and the sole fundraising entity for Louisville Metro Animal Services, the non-profit Friends of Metro Animal Services.

Police Reports This Week

Crime Mapping

First Division

Major Andy McClinton Andrew McClinton began his career in law enforcement on January 22, 2001 with the former Louisville Division of Police (LPD). As a patrol officer, he served in the former Sixth District (LPD) and First Division. As a detective, he served in the First Division Flex Platoon and in the Criminal Intelligence Unit. He was also a member of the Dignitary Protection Team for three (3) years. After being promoted to Sergeant in 2008, he served in the First Division, Robbery Unit, Professional Standards Unit and the Public Integrity Unit. In 2016, he was promoted to Lieutenant and worked in the Third Division and Administrative Services.  In 2017, McClinton was promoted to Major and commanded the Administrative Services Division. Major McClinton holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science from Hanover College. He is a graduate of the Academy of Police Supervision at Eastern Kentucky University and the 136th Session of the Southern Police Institute’s (SPI) Administrative Officer’s Course at the University of Louisville. Major McClinton is married with two (2) children.

Second Division

Major Ryan Bates Bates began his law enforcement career in August 1997 with the Louisville Division of Police. He served in the former Second, Fourth, and Sixth Districts. He was also a member of the Street Crimes Unit and the Gang Squad. After merger, Bates served as a patrol officer in the First Division. He was promoted to sergeant in August 2005. He served as a sergeant in the Second Division where he supervised the mid-watch platoon, FLEX Unit, and Detectives Unit. In 2012, Bates was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to the late-watch platoon in the Fourth Division. He also served in the Second Division, where he supervised the mid-watch platoon and Division Resource Officers (DROs).   After being promoted to the rank of major, Bates commanded the Fourth Division. Major Bates served on the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team for 14 years. He served on the SWAT Team as an officer, sergeant, and lieutenant. He was appointed as the Assistant Commander in 2012 and Commander in 2015. Bates has also served on two (2) task forces which were created to address violent crime in the community. Major Bates is a graduate of Xavier University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Business. He is also a graduate of the Southern Police Institute’s (SPI) Administrative Officers Course.

Fourth Division

Major Tim Burkett Major Tim Burkett began his career with the former Louisville Division of Police (LPD) in 1999 . He was a patrol officer and division detective in the former Fourth District. Additionally, he was a Sex Crimes detective and served on the Dignitary Protection Team (DPT). In 2007, Burkett was promoted to sergeant where he was a patrol sergeant and a division detective sergeant in the Eighth Division. In 2010, Burkett was promoted to lieutenant and commanded the Property Room. He also served as a Special Events lieutenant in the Special Operations Division. While in the Special Events Unit, he was responsible for planning and operating medium to large scale special events. He has been part of the command group for the PGA Championship, the Ironman Triathlon, Thunder over Louisville, the National Rifle Association (NRA) National Convention and many other events. He has been the lead on numerous events including marathons, parades, Muhammad Ali's Memorial Service and the world renowned Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. After being promoted to major, Burkett commanded the Special Operations Division Major Burkett holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a cognate in Public Administration. He was a Dean's Scholar graduate of the University of Louisville's Southern Police Institute Administrative Officers Course. He is a certified instructor with the Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training

Job Announcement

Join a Board or Commission

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.

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

Please find below a list of boards and commissions for an opportunity to serve:

BOARD 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

REMINDERS

Visit http://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroPolice/Patrol+Divisions/ to sign up to receive the LMPD’s new crime alert update for your neighborhood. Simply select your LMPD division number, and click "Subscribe to Crime Alerts by Beat" to begin receiving the update.

Visit http://mapit.louisvilleky.gov/  and type in your address to find out when your junk pick-up date is as well as street cleanings and additional information.

Visit at https://lge-ku.com/outages/report/streetlight to report a street light outage in your neighborhood. When reporting a street light outage, be sure to have the pole number, which can be found on a metal plate on the pole.

If you would like to unsubscribe to this e-newsletter (though we don't know why you ever would) please email shalanna.taylor@louisvilleky.gov with the subject "REMOVE". We won't be hurt (much).

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