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Hello Neighbors and Friends,
The month of December brings many holidays, feasts, celebrations and family gatherings. From St. Nicholas Day to Bill of Rights Day to Kwanzaa, December is one of the busiest months of the year.
Speaking of family gatherings, we are being asked once again to do for the Christmas holiday what we were asked to do for Thanksgiving --- avoid large family gatherings. Pandemic fatigue is real, and all of us would like to see COVID-19 go away --- far, far away. But, I keep hearing that what lies ahead for the next several months is our worst case scenario in terms of overwhelmed hospitals, stressed frontline and essential workers, and the potential for increased casualties. So, for the sake of spreading cheer and not the virus, let's agree to limit our gatherings during this holiday season, and continue doing the things necessary to ward off the disease --- wear a mask, social distance, wash hands often and avoid traveling.
As you know, my favorite saying is, this, too, shall pass. I believe with all my heart that better days are ahead. This temporary set-back and inconvenient life-style change will not last forever. With a little bit of creativity and Christmas spirit, we will survive this pandemic season as we ring in the holiday season. Decorating our homes, shopping online for gifts, planning a special meal and Zooming with family and friends, are plans we can embrace to help get us over the hump of the COVID-19 slump.
Today's e-News issue is filled with lots of information that may be of interest to you. I would like to draw your attention to the Muffins with McCraney event, to be held next Saturday, December 12, 2020. I have invited some very special guests to join us. Our first guests are representatives of Hagan Properties. They will discuss plans for the Providence Point development, to be built on Herr Lane across from Ballard High School. You will be able to ask questions and learn more about the plans firsthand. Our second guest is Police Chief Yvette Gentry. What a treat it will be to hear from her! She will update us on her accomplishments since being named the chief, and bring us up to date on the best practices and other information of interest pertaining to law enforcement.
Purchase or make yourself some muffins, brew a cup of coffee and join me online from the comfort of your home for this spectacular virtual meeting. This is one you don't want to miss!
Also, I am hosting a COVID-19 testing event for District 7 residents and others in the area. The event will also take place on Saturday, December 12th. See the information below for the details, and mark your calendar to get tested --- before or immediately after our Muffins with McCraney session.
Welcome December!
When it’s time, join the Webex meeting here:
Meeting number (access code): 180 903 2974
Meeting Password: rRdwG2Rux28
OR SIMPLY CLICK HERE TO JOIN MEETING:
Tap to join from a mobile device (attendees only) +1-415-655-0001,,1809032974## US Toll Join by phone +1-415-655-0001 US Toll Global call-in numbers Join from a video system or application Dial 1809032974@louisvilleky.webex.com You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.
Join using Microsoft Lync or Microsoft Skype for Business:
Dial 1809032974.louisvilleky@lync.webex.com
Through a partnership with Pearl Medical, Galen College of Nursing and JCPS, Councilwoman McCraney is hosting a drive-thru COVID-19 testing event for District 7 residents and others in the area.
When: Saturday, December 12, 2020
Time: 9 AM - 1 PM
Where: Waggener High School Parking lot (330 S. Hubbards Lane)
Other important information:
- You will not need to leave your car.
- Tests will be given on a first come, first served basis. No appointments are necessary or accepted.
- You MUST wear a mask and bring a photo ID (i.e. a driver’s license or government issued ID).
- If you have health insurance, Medicaid or Medicare, please bring proof of insurance.
- If you are uninsured, you can still be tested. Funding provided by the CARES Act will cover the cost of the test.
- There will be two types of tests offered:
- Nasopharyngeal: a swab up the nose or at the back of the mouth
- SalivaDirect: spit into a test tube (No food or drink 15 minutes prior to testing)
Questions? Call the Office of Councilwoman Paula McCraney at 574-1107.
Kudos! That a Girl! and Way to Go! to Councilwoman McCraney, who single-handedly convinced the Planning and Design Services / Codes and Regulations of the Louisville Metro Government to change the often-overlooked white zoning posters to a poster with noticeable color.
Starting January 2021, the Planning and Design team will begin using the red and white signs. So, if you see one of these posted in your neighborhood, pause to take notice because something is potentially changing, and you don't want to miss the opportunity to attend the public hearing to learn more about the plans and voice your opinion.
According to Councilwoman McCraney, she suggested the change in color because she felt the white signs were unnoticeable and a change was in order to capture the attention of those who may not have ever noticed them. She also shared that she suggested the color pink during the brainstorming meeting about the signage. While she loves pink and knew that it would not be selected, she is very pleased with the stand out colors of white on red.
Good job! Great looking out for your constituents! You Go Girl!
In light of the fact that the public meeting zoning change posters have changed in color, we thought it would be nice to share with you information about neighborhood meetings and public meetings. Happy reading!
     
It's Official! Mayor Fischer signed into law the new Civilian Review and Accountability Board on Wednesday; and on yesterday, Metro Council President David James announced the Metro Council's nomination process for citizens who would like to be considered for a seat on the board.
“I want to encourage the people of Louisville Metro who are interested in serving on this board to send a resume to their respective Metro Council representative for consideration,” said James. “Now that the ordinance creating this board has been signed into law, it is time to move forward with finding the members who will serve in this very important function of civilian oversight."
Under the ordinance, the Metro Council will submit six nominations to the Mayor for the 11-member board. The Mayor will then select three of those nominations. Anyone wishing to be considered for a Metro Council nominated position, should submit a resume and a one (1) page or less document to their Council person stating why they should be selected to sit on the Civilian Review Board. All 26 members of the Metro Council will accept nominations.
Qualifications to serve on the Civilian Review and Accountability Board include: You must have resided in Jefferson County for a minimum of 180 days prior to nomination, cannot be active law enforcement, an elected official, an employee of Metro Government, or a relative of a current law enforcement officer. The eligibility of nominees will be verified by the Mayor's staff responsible for Metro boards and commissions, and all nominees are subject to a state criminal background check.
All submissions to council members must be received by e-mail or registered mail. If you mail your information through the postal service, it must arrive by Thursday, December 10th. All submissions will be date stamped by the Metro Council Clerk. Mail your submission, addressed to your Metro Council representative, to: Metro Council Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 601 West Jefferson Street, Louisville, KY, 40202.
Another pathway to be considered for a seat on the Civilian Review and Accountability Board is to apply / self-nominate online directly through the Louisville Metro Government Boards and Commissions. To apply / self-nominate, click here: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/mayor-greg-fischer/interested-serving-board-or-commission
To read the approved Civilian Review & Accountability Board ordinance to understand the time commitment and other details, click here: https://rb.gy/oxikzf
Best wishes!
Happy Ding-A-Ling Day!
What’s that, you say? National Ding-A-Ling Day is a day to reconnect with loved ones you have lost contact with, or just haven’t spoken to in a while.
On this day, December 12th, the tradition is to call someone you care about, but don’t often speak to.
It was started in 1972 by a man named Franky Hyle. He placed an ad in the paper offering membership in the Ding-A-Ling Club for $1. The club’s only known activity was placing phone calls to lost friends and relatives on December 12th of each year.
Since then the tradition has grown from the original 871 members to millions of people taking the day to reach out and touch someone (figuratively speaking).
Read a newspaper article from 1975 that features Franky Hyle speaking about the purpose of National Ding-A-Ling Day.
There’s no need to limit yourself to just once a year. Pick another random date on the calendar and make your own Ding-A-Ling Day. Make it a monthly habit. Or just pick up the phone when you’re thinking of someone. It will mean more to them, and to you, than you know.
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery History:
The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery aims to end slavery in the world. Contemporary forms of slavery include sexual exploitation, forced marriage, trafficking of persons and recruitment of children for armed conflict. The International Labor Organization estimates that there are currently 21 million people enslaved in the world, a business that generates around 150 billion US dollars in illegal profits every year.
The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as a day to be celebrated every December 2nd. The day marks the 1949 adoption of the UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others.
To view the Governor’s recent executive orders, click here: https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=GovernorBeshear&prId=475
Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that Kentucky has surpassed 2,000 COVID-19 deaths and the positivity rate is now higher than 10%.
He also updated Kentuckians on the distribution plan for the commonwealth’s initial COVID-19 vaccine shipments. Long-term care residents and staff, as well as health care professionals, will be inoculated first.
“Today, we passed some tough milestones both in the country and here in Kentucky. Today is the toughest day our country has ever seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we lost more people than any other day this year. We’re also at record hospitalizations across America,” said Gov. Beshear. “This ought to show us and tell us that now, more than ever, we need to do the right things to protect those around us.”
In total, Kentucky is expected to receive 38,025 COVID-19 vaccine doses in the first round of shipments from the federal government. These doses are all for the initial vaccine; booster shots will be delivered approximately three weeks later. Both Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines require an initial dose and a booster dose.
The Governor emphasized that the state’s total doses and the plan for where those will be distributed are subject to change.
“The initial allocation sites were chosen because they were large enough to handle 975 Pfizer doses; the CDC required they had to have ultra-low cold storage; they had to be completely enrolled as a COVID provider; and we wanted a good coverage area across Kentucky,” said Gov. Beshear. “We also looked at high-incident rate sites.”
The current planned allocation for 12,675 doses going to hospitals is: Lourdes Hospital (975), Pikeville Medical Center (975), University of Kentucky Hospital (1,950), Baptist Health Madisonville (975), Baptist Hospital Louisville (975), St. Elizabeth Healthcare Edgewood (975), Baptist Health Corbin (975), Baptist Health Lexington (975), Norton Hospital (1,950), Medical Center at Bowling Green (975) and University of Louisville Hospital (975).
In addition, 25,350 doses will go to CVS and Walgreens; the federal government has contracted with these companies to vaccinate long-term care residents and staff. All of the initial doses given to CVS and Walgreens will be used for this purpose.
Vaccine providers still needing to enroll should fill out the form at kycovid19.ky.gov. The website includes the draft Kentucky vaccination plan, which includes a draft outline of our planning phases and critical populations. The site also has a number of COVID-19 vaccine resources to help you and your family understand the COVID-19 vaccine as well as a CDC Vaccine Toolkit for Health care providers, labs and facilities.
Finally, the Governor today extended the state’s face coverings mandate for an additional 30 days.
Case Information As of 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, Gov. Beshear reported the following COVID-19 numbers:
- New cases today: 3,895
- New deaths today: 34
- Positivity rate: 10.07%
- Total deaths: 2,014
- Currently hospitalized: 1,810
- Currently in ICU: 415
- Currently on ventilator: 240
Top counties with the most positive cases today are: Jefferson, Fayette, Hardin, Kenton, Boone and McCracken. Each of these counties reported 100 or more new cases; Jefferson County alone reported 683.
The 113 red zone counties for this week can be found here. Community leaders, businesses, schools and families in these counties should all follow red zone reduction recommendations, as well as other orders and guidance.
In August 2016 Louisville Metro Emergency Services teamed up with Bullitt County, Oldham County, and Washington County to create a regional emergency notification system – Louisville Emergency Notification System (LENSAlert). Its enhanced capabilities include using all communications modes to send alerts – mobile phones, landlines, email, text, social media, IPAWS-OPEN. Take another step in being prepared for disasters and sign up for LENSAlert today.
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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.
Click Here for Frequently Asked Questions About Smart911
Are you looking for a public place to exchange items you've sold online? Do you share custody of a child and are looking for somewhere to exchange custody?
The Louisville Metro Police Department is providing MetroSWAP Zones outside of some Division offices.
There is 24 hour video surveillance. LMPD recommends:
- Agree to meet the person ONLY at a MetroSWAP station.
- Meet only during daylight hours.
- Tell someone you trust where you are meeting and at what time.
- Meet in the parking lot at two designate areas of each location.
- Make the interaction brief and to the point.
MetroSWAP Zones are at:
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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.
- Division 5, please call dispatch at 502-574-7111
- Division 8, please call dispatch at 502-574-2111
Fifth Division - This division covers the area including the Highlands, Clifton and Cherokee and Seneca Parks.
Eighth Division - This division covers the area including Middletown, Lyndon, Oxmoor and the Ford Truck Plant.
Interactive Crime Mapping
You can now map crime in Louisville using the interactive mapping tool.
NOTICE: All Metro Council meetings are carried live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 and U-verse Channel 99.
The meetings are also available online at the Metro Council home page at http://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council/metro-council-clerk. (Click here and click on the “Watch Meetings Online” button.)
OR access prior or current meetings here:
http://louisville.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2.
TO ACCESS MEETINGS THROUGH FACEBOOK: CLICK HERE
Agendas for these meetings can be viewed using the following link:
http://louisville.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2
Click Here to: View All Agencies
Click Here to Visit Website for Laws, State Legislators, Watch Bills, etc
Click here for more info.
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