Newburg Library

On the third Tuesday of each month, a Community Meeting is held to give residents an opportunity to be informed, discuss ideas and share. Be part of the change we want to see for our community. Join us at 6:00PM when we meet with LMPD, and 6:30PM to share with Councilwoman Dr. Barbara Shanklin.

Louisville Metro Police Department 6th Division Questions? Contact Us

Mattie Jones to be honored with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Award at Keepers of the Dream Celebration

Mayor Greg Fischer announced last 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

Concerned about this year's Metro Budget?  Contact Your State Legislators!

The Kentucky General Assembly is now 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. Additionally, 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.

Having issues with high grass, illegal parking, street repairs, or other Code Enforcement concerns in the community?  Contact 311!

Metro311 Service Request Information

• Submit a Service Request in the new system.
• Only service requests for the past 30 days will be accessible in the new system.  If you need information on an older request, please call Metro 311 for status.
• Anything submitted in the old reporting system (prior to June 19, 2019) will not show in the new system.  It is still being processed however. Please call Metro311 for status.
• To receive email notifications of the status of your service request you must have an account and you must have included your email address when you created your account. You can create a new account and report a new issue with Metro 311 by following this link.
• Not all issues you put a service request in for require you to login. Some issues may be submitted anonymously, such as reporting a pothole and property maintenance cases, for instance. But having an account will allow you to track the progress and status of the request.
• The outlined or highlighted area on the map indicates the area which is serviced by Louisville Metro Government.
• If you do not see a category which corresponds to your issue, please call Metro 311 at 311. 

Is your neighborhood street facing speeding problems?  Do you and your neighbors desire to have speed humps installed?  Councilwoman Shanklin and the District 2 office want to help!

Vehicles speeding through neighborhood streets is an all too common problem facing many residents of the Louisville Metro area, resulting in dangerous conditions that affect adults and children alike.  District 2 is not immune to this issue, and your Council office would like to help.  Already this year three streets in the Newburg area (Ilex, Shasta, and Kilmer) have been outfitted with brand new speed humps, entirely paid for by Councilwoman Shanklin and her District 2 office. 

Still, the Councilwoman is not finished attempting to mitigate the speeding issues often negatively affecting D-2 neighborhoods.  If you and your neighbors have noticed a high number of speeders on your street and would like to be considered for speed hump installation, please contact the District 2 Council office at (502) 574-1102 or via email at either Barbara.Shanklin@louisvilleky.gov or Caleb.Howard@louisvilleky.gov.  Assuming that your street is eligible (must be Metro owned/must be long enough to support speed humps/etc.), after speaking with a representative from our office you will be asked to collect signatures (with individual addresses) from all of your neighbors that live on the street that is requesting the installation of speed humps.  At least 70% of all of the residents currently living on the street requesting speed humps must provide their signature/address in support in order for the street to be considered by Public Works.  Upon completion of this signature page, the original document must be given to Councilwoman Shanklin or Legislative Assistant Caleb Howard personally, or sent to our office at City Hall (601 W. Jefferson St., First Floor, 40202; ATTN: Caleb Howard).  As soon as the signature document is received, LA Howard will deliver it to Public Works, and that department will survey the street to determine whether or not speed humps will be appropriate to install--assuming Public Works signs off on the request, Councilwoman Shanklin will make the final determination with regards to moving forward with the installation or not.

In addition to the speed humps already constructed, Brenda Drive, Cedrus Circle, and Oakdale Lane have recently submitted their signature paperwork and are currently being considered by Public Works.

Report Street Light Outages to LG&E

If you see a streetlight out in your neighborhood (or anywhere in Louisville), please note the address and report it to LG&E for repair. Click here to fill out the online form to report broken or malfunctioning streetlights. We always recommend adding your contact information to the request, so a technician who has questions can contact you. LG&E makes repairs during the day. Make sure you follow up if the streetlight hasn’t been repaired within seven (7) days.

LMPD reminder:  Please secure your property!

A reminder to lock your vehicle, and never leave valuables in plain sight. This includes any and all keys, key fobs and firearms. 

Police report that some drivers are making it easy for thieves by leaving their vehicle running. Please secure your property. 

LMPD suggests making a 9 p.m. routine, as seen below.

• Remove valuables from your vehicle.
• Lock your car.
• Secure your weapons.
• Close your garage.
• Lock your doors and windows. 

Remember to report any suspicious behavior to LMPD’s non-emergency line at 574-7111. To speak to a call taker, press 5.

Metro Emergency Repair Program

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.

Crisis Component of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

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

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 until 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. Appointments can be scheduled by phone by calling 502-991-8391 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 more eligibility requirements and information, please click here.

Apply for a 30% Senior Discount on Sewer Services

If you'd like to apply for a 30% Senior Citizen Discount of the amount billed for sanitary sewer service and the EPA Consent Decree Surcharge, please print, complete and return the form.  You must be able to provide documentation verifying:

• you are the legal title/leaseholder/renter of the property
• you are 65 years of age or older
• your household gross income is $35,000 or less per year.

Click HERE for the form.

Apply for the External Agency Fund Competitive Grants

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:

• Starting January 6, application questions may be viewed for reference at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/external-agency-fund
• 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 a mandatory application orientation on 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, Louisville, KY 40202. It is only necessary to attend one of the two sessions, and no RSVP is required.

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

For more information about EAF and to access the EAF applications and guidelines, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/external-agency-fund.

Please submit all questions to EAF@louisvilleky.gov.

Food Pantry open in District 2

Open every 2^nd Monday of the month -- 10am - 12pm

---------------------------------------------

• Serving households in the 40213, 40218 & 40219 Zip Codes Only
• First Come, First Served Basis
• Picture ID & proof of residency required!

Sponsored By: 

Peace Presbyterian Church

4210 East Indian Trail

Louisville, KY  40213

Upcoming Events at Newburg Library!

MAS Amnesty for Pet Licensing in January

Metro Animal Services (MAS) will waive penalties for Jefferson County pet owners who purchase or renew Pet Licensing by Friday, January 31. The Louisville Metro Animal Ordinance requires owners of cats, dogs and ferrets to purchase a one-year license for every pet.

Pet owners residing in Jefferson County are required by law 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. A one-year Pet License for an altered (spayed or neutered) pet is $10; for a three-year altered Pet License, the fee 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. Pet owners with current violations or fines unrelated to animal licensing will not be eligible for amnesty.

Pricing for a Pet Licensing is as follows:

• 1 Year Altered (spayed/neutered): $10.00
• 1 Year Altered – Senior Citizen Discount: $5
• 3 Year Altered: $27.00
• 3 YR Altered – Senior Citizen Discount: $13.50
• 1 Year 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 office or by mail. To purchase or renew Pet Licensing in-person, visit Animal House Adoption Center daily from 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Visit the MAS website to purchase or renew Pet 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. Checks should be made payable to Louisville Metro Animal Services and include an additional 50 cents for postage. Mail the pet licensing application and check to Animal House Adoption Center, 3516 Newburg Road, 40218. Pet owners with questions about the Pet licensing process can contact the LMAS business office at animals@louisvilleky.gov.

Metro Golf Passes on Sale Now!

Louisville Metro golf passes are on sale NOW. For just $500 per year, you can have unlimited play at any of the fantastic Metro owned golf courses. This is one opportunity you don't want to pass up!

You can download the application here or fill it out in person at the Joe Creason Park Golf Desk. Let's make 2020 the year for GOLF!

Know Waste: Packaging from Online Shopping

The common practice of online shopping means we have a lot of extra waste at home. From bubble wrap to cardboard to padded envelopes and air pillows, the list goes on. The best thing to do is reuse the items - refill the boxes, pack fragile items with bubble wrap or air pillows, mail something else in the envelopes, or use items for craft projects. (Or you can always donate to someone else to reuse). But if you find yourself needing to dispose of them, here's some useful information:

Cardboard Boxes

Please recycle your cardboard! Flatten the boxes to conserve space in your own recycling bin or in our recycling dumpsters around town. Don't put them out for Large Item Collection ("junk") because they won't get recycled. 

Bubble Wrap, Air Pillows

These can be recycled with plastic bags at participating retail stores. Keep them out of your home recycling containers and drop off recycling dumpsters. 

Padded Envelopes

To know what to do with these, you have to know what they're made of. Some envelopes have paper surrounding bubble wrap. These cannot be recycled since they are made of a mix of materials. Some are all plastic and can go with the bubble wrap (see above). If the padding is made of all paper, the envelope can go in your home recycling containers or drop off recycling dumpsters. 

Styrofoam

Large blocks of Styrofoam can be recycled at Foam Fabricators, 950 Progress Blvd, New Albany, IN. They must be clean and free of tape and stickers. They do not accept any other form of Styrofoam. And Styrofoam is NOT accepted in curbside recycling or drop off recycling dumpsters. 

Electronics recycling available at 636 Meriwether Avenue

"Reuse" first!  If your electronic equipment is still functioning, consider donating it to extend its life. 

The electronics recycling program is available to Louisville Metro/Jefferson County residents and businesses.  

Disposal Fees:

• Disposal of 3 or fewer items or systems (computer, monitor, keyboard, printer and external drive): No charge
• Disposal of more than 3 items or systems (by appointment only): $0.60/lb or $0.30/lb for non-profit organizations. Call the Waste Reduction Center at 574-2796 to make an appointment. Appointments available Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. CASH ONLY

Location:

Louisville Waste Reduction Center
636 Meriwether Avenue (Enter on Bland Street)

Hours:

Tuesday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
(Holidays may affect hours.)

Acceptable electronic items:

• Cell phones
• Compact Discs, CD players (CD cases NOT accepted)
• Computers
• Copiers
• Digital cameras
• Disk drives
• Electronic game systems
• Floppy disks
• Microwaves
• Monitors
• Printers
• Scanners
• Television sets 
• VCRs and VHS tapes (cases NOT accepted)

Battery Recycling:

There are many types of batteries from household to vehicle and toxic to non-toxic. Vehicle batteries should be disposed of through an automotive store. All household batteries can be recycled at our household hazardous waste drop off location, Haz Bin, at 7501 Grade Lane. Some hardware stores and battery stores will also accept batteries for recycling. (There is usually a fee for recycling alkaline household batteries at retail stores.) Alkaline batteries are non-toxic and environmentally safe for household garbage collection. 

Report a Litterer!

Get directly involved in making Louisville a more litter-free community through the Report-A-Litterer program aimed at motorists who throw fast-food wrappers, cigarette butts, soda bottles, or any type of litter out of their car window. 

Click Here to Report!

LouieConnect

Louisville non-profits have launched a new website to help connect people in need of food, shelter, and more.  Metro United Way and the Family Scholar House partnered to create LouieConnect, modeling it on a similar site created in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  When someone uses LouieConnect, the web-based app asks for basic information and then lists applicable resources nearby — from food pantries to shelters to career centers to financial literacy programs.

***Important Metro Services Phone Numbers***

• Air Pollution: (502) 574-6000
• Animal Services: (502) 363-6609 or (502) 361-1318
• Brightside: (502) 574-2613
• Community Services & Revitalization: (502) 574-4377
• Congressman John Yarmuth: (502) 582-5129
• IPL (Code Enforcement): (502) 574-3321
• Legal Aid Society: (502) 584-1254
• LMPD 6th Division: (502) 574-2187
• LMPD Anonymous Tipline: (502) 574-LMPD (5673)
• LMPD: (Non Emergency): (502) 574-7111 or (502) 574-2111
• Louisville Forward/Economic Development: (502) 574-4140
• Master Commissioner Jefferson Circuit Court (Foreclosure Sales): (502) 753-       4888
• Mayor Greg Fischer: (502) 574-2003
• Metro311: 311 or (502) 574-5000
• Metro Parks: (502) 456-8100
• Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD): (502) 540-6000
• Metro Safe: (502) 572-3460 or (502) 574-7111
• PARC: (502) 569-6222
• Planning & Design Services: (502) 574-6230
• Property Valuation Administrator (PVA): (502) 574-4016
• Public Works: (502) 574-5810
• Solid Waste Management (SWMS): (502) 574-3571
• TARC: (502) 585-1234
• Vacant & Public Property Administration: (502) 574-4016
• Your State Representative or State Senator: http://www.lrc.ky.gov