Christopher 2X, executive director of Christopher 2X Game Changers, along with UofL surgeons Drs. Chris Jones and Keith Miller, and the Zoo’s Education Curator Kim Allgeier, will participate in a panel discussion at the J. Edgar Hoover Building for FBI leadership as part of the agency’s training program. Jody  Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI Louisville Field Office, will also participate. The event will be recorded and available to FBI offices throughout the country. 

“We are honored to be a part of the panel to discuss this unique, landmark and impressive program,” said Louisville Zoo Director Dan Maloney. “Future Healers Got Zoo Buddies program has connected kids with animals and nature to emphasize their therapeutic power. It’s been a privilege to watch the kids engage during the first few months of the program. We hope this new approach will have positive healing ripple effects as these young people become lovers of wildlife and nature, grow to feel included and comfortable in wild places, and ultimately become conservation heroes.”

In a letter inviting 2X to participate in the session, James Robert Brown, Jr., assistant director of the FBI’s Operational Technology Division and a former Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Louisville Field Office, said, “The work that Christopher 2X Game Changers is doing for the community is inspiring.”

“The impact trauma has on children is heavy, and the way your team incorporates different ways of healing is impactful. Engaging young children with nature and animal preservation is a unique way to instill empathy and other great character traits in the next generation.”

He also complimented the benefits of exposing kids affected by violence to medical 
professionals so they can “learn more about STEM careers and helping others.”

COVID-19 infections continue to increase in Jefferson County with 3,041 new cases reported last week. The previous week saw 1,771 new cases reported. The latest data has landed Louisville back in the “medium” or “yellow” COVID-19 community level category.

The CDC recommends residents in counties in the “medium” risk category to do the following:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
• Get tested if you are showing symptoms.
• Talk to your health care provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions if you are at high risk for severe illness.

The CDC is also recommending that travelers wear a well-fitting mask in public transportation areas.

Louisville Metro Council’s Budget Committee started budget hearings Monday for the proposed 2022-2023 Capital and Operating Budgets.

The Committee will review the proposal over the months of May and June. This year, more than 37 hours of hearings have been scheduled with dozens of Metro agencies. One of the two hearings specifically dedicated to public comment was Wednesday, and the other is June 2. 

Public Input:

The public will have two different ways to participate in the budget process and share their thoughts. First, an online form for written comments is available now on the Metro Council website. The written comments will close on June 3 at 5 p.m.

The Committee’s scheduled second opportunity for the public to speak about the budget in person at City Hall or virtually through WebEx is June 2 at 6 p.m. (To participate in-person or virtually, speakers must sign up using a link on the Metro Council website. The link will be active on June 1 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.)

Information and guidance for speaking at the Committee Public Hearings can be found here. 

Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services joins with Community Action Agencies across the state to begin accepting applications for the 2022 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Spring Subsidy Cooling Component. This federally-funded program is designed to help offset the cost of higher electric bills due to rising temperatures. Applications will be accepted now through June 17, or until funds are depleted.

Applicants for the Spring LIHEAP must be residents of Jefferson County with a household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (e.g. for a household of four, the gross monthly income cannot exceed $3,469.00). 

The Spring LIHEAP Subsidy component provides households a one-time benefit ranging from $50 to $200 depending on income levels and housing category. Residents can apply regardless of the status of their utility bills. The benefit amount is paid directly to the electric vendor (i.e. LG&E).

Jefferson County residents wishing to apply must schedule an appointment utilizing the automated appointment system. Appointments can be scheduled by phone by calling 991-8391 or online at louisvilleky.cascheduler.com. The toll-free service is currently open and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Read here about LIHEAP income eligibility and other instructions. 

Louisville Metro Government’s Department of Public Works is recruiting members for the recently established Complete Streets Coalition.

The coalition was created through amendments to Louisville Metro’s Complete Streets Ordinance. These amendments require the formation of a committee which will have the defined and unique function of reviewing public projects to ensure Metro roadways are designed with consideration of all users, which will make our district safer, healthier, and more economically vibrant. This coalition plans to meet monthly for one to two hours once formed. If you are interested in joining, please send your name, email address, and phone number to Nate Keltch at Nathan.keltch@louisvilleky.gov. 

As Louisville Metro Government explores enhanced transit options on the Preston Corridor, we invite input from the community to help us understand how people would use new transportation options.

Share your feedback through the Preston Corridor Plan Community Input for Enhanced Transit Survey. Learn more about the Preston Corridor planning project.

The Solid Waste Management department's yard waste collection has resumed on a weekly schedule.

Recycling collection continues every other week. Use the Recycle Coach app to stay informed!

For centuries, wildlife, including buffalo, migrated throughout Kentucky, pounding out the road we call Preston Street and Highway. Indigenous groups, explorers, and settlers relied on the compacted road as they ventured north and west. 

The St. Joseph Neighborhood Association is fundraising to create and install an original buffalo sculpture in the median. Learn more and donate today.

Above, the St. Joseph Neighborhood Association's banner along Preston Highway.

Meals on Wheels is available to qualified seniors in Jefferson County, 60 years or older, who are homebound with no one available to help prepare meals.Call 574-6325 to begin the qualification process.

The senior congregate sites for more active seniors, 60 and older, can be found by calling the same number above or by signing up at the RCS page. Sites require a one-day advanced reservation.

The Senior Nutrition Program seeks volunteers all year long to help in a variety of capacities. Part-time nutrition center supervisors are also needed to help with ordering meals and supplies, training volunteers and organizing activities for seniors. For more information, call 574-6420. 

Louisville Water is working in the Audubon Parkway area on a water Main Replacement and Rehabilitation Program. Areas affected are shown in green on the map.

LW is also working on Newburg Road between Larkmoor Lane and Produce Road.

Get updates at www.louisvillewater.com/where-were-working.

Cat of the Week: Pancake

All adoptions are free during the Bissell Pet Foundation’s Empty-the-Shelter event, which ends May 15! Pancake is a very friendly and sweet senior at approximately seven years old. He’s already neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on vaccinations. Meet all adoptable cats at LMAS from noon to 6 p.m. daily at Animal House Adoption Center, 3516 Newburg Road. View all the adoptable cats at LMAS,

Dog of the Week: Trainwreck Terry

#EmptytheShelters returns to Animal House Adoption Center with adoption fees waived through May 15! Trainwreck Terry's ticket is free and he's on track to find love. The very friendly and spunky one-year-old weighs about 40 pounds. He's already neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on vaccinations. Dog and cat testing are available by request. To meet or adopt Trainwreck Terry, visit Animal House. 

Birding by Ear, May 28, 10 a.m. to noon. Birds are musicians of the natural world. Without their diverse calls and songs, the forest would be a much quieter place. On this guided hike, Luke will focus on identifying bird species by the sounds they make and discuss behaviors associated with their call. You’ll come away from this hike with the knowledge needed to identify common bird species found in Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve. Binoculars recommended.

From the Louisville Nature Center:

Forty years ago, the Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve was dedicated. Since then, the amount of use has increased tremendously! LNC maintains this urban forest and trails, but we receive no regular funding to do so.

If you have enjoyed hiking in our forest, would you be willing to donate to help with upkeep? Funds will go toward bridge and sign repair, trail and tree maintenance, and native species planting. Whether you donate $5 or $500, every little bit helps. Thank you for your support!

The Louisville Zoo is again hosting one of the largest lantern festivals in the nation — Wild Lights—through June 5. Tickets are on sale at louisvillezoo.org/wildlights. 

Wild Lights features a variety of animal lanterns, including mammals, birds, and insects, a 98-foot-long dragon, mythical Chinese creatures and promenade walk-throughs. Guests may also enjoy interactive photos opportunities like illuminated angel wings, color changing swings, a kaleidoscope, and many more.  

The 48-night immersive cultural experience that kicks off the Zoo’s 53rd season will also include unique handcrafted goods available for purchase, nightly cultural performances on the MetaZoo stage, and Asian-fusion cuisine. The festival will be 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday nights through June 5. 

Butterflies are back!

The Zoo’s Butterflies n’ Blooms exhibit runs through Sunday, September 18. This seasonal exhibit is free with Zoo admission or membership and is open daily 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weather permitting. The exhibit is in collaboration with Idlewild Butterfly Farm.

Visitors will be able to walk amongst hundreds of native butterflies sipping nectar from colorful flowers in our 1,000-square-foot outdoor flight house. Butterfly and plant identification signs will help guests interpret what they are seeing. Inside the exhibit, guests can also learn about and witness the lifecycle of the butterfly from caterpillar to chrysalid to butterfly.

Visitors to the Zoo will see a variety of butterfly species over the course of the summer including monarchs, red admirals, painted ladies, several species of swallowtails, buckeyes, commas, question marks, orange sulphurs and red spotted purples. See a list of all butterfly species that may be in the exhibit during the season along with photos, tips on helping butterflies, why pollinators and bugs are beneficial, and lots more.

The Joe Creason parkrun is a free 5K that meets every Saturday morning at Joe Creason Park.

Come join your friends and neighbors - parkrun is family and dog friendly and you can walk, jog or run or volunteer. More information can be found at parkrun.us/joecreason. They're also on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Louisville Metro Department of Parks & Recreation, TreesLouisville is excited to announce another round of its Residential Shade Tree Rebate Program!

To participate, purchase and plant an eligible shade tree on your residential property and apply to receive $30 back on up to three trees. This program is open to residents of Jefferson County, KY on a first-come, first-serve basis until all funds have been claimed. For full eligibility requirements or to apply, visit treeslouisville.org/rebate or find a brochure at your local garden center.

The 10th annual Old Louisville Springfest will be happening this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. This rain or shine, free event will feature vendors, great food and live music in beautiful Old Louisville! 

Nearly 100 local handmade artists and vendors, non-profits, and food trucks will be on hand selling their wares and services...unique local art, upcycled goods, jewelry, pottery, clothing, handmade soaps, wood crafts, and artisanal food.

Hang in the park or enjoy legendary bourbon slushies...all while sampling some of Louisville's finest gourmet food trucks: Bamba Egg Rolls, Festival Cuisine & Spirits, Hot Buns, Mr. C’s Cheesecakes, Orleans Cajun Cuisine, Smokin’ Wheels. BBQ, Tikiz of Louisville.

Enjoy live music from regional and local artists along with a DJ in the Springfest Beer Garden! This years musical artists include: Genevva, Jack Keyes, Mom’s Mad, Coda Battousai, Ellie Ruth and Old Lou’s Ragtime Band.

The first Paristown Flea of the 2022 season is here! Enjoy an eclectic mix of vendors selling vintage, vinyl, antiques, mid-century, art deco, plants, books, repurposed and more! 

There will be food truck options and pop-up bars to fuel you as you do some outdoor picking in Historic Paristown from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

This is a free, family-friendly event with four dates in 2022: May 21, June 18, September 10, and October 15! 

Join fellow nature lovers for the 15th annual Forest Fest Saturday from noon to 7 p.m.! This will be a fun-filled day of Bluegrass music, arts & crafts vendors, family activities, and food and beverage booths.

Live performances by Nu-Blu, The Slocan Ramblers, Wolfpen Branch, The Price Sisters, and The Song Sparrows will keep you dancing all day long! 

This a free, family-friendly event! Parking is $10 per car. (cash only). 

Louisville will host its first MindFEST, an event that puts a spotlight on the importance on wellness during Mental Health Awareness Month.

The free community mind-strengthening event will be infused with music, food, entertainment, art, yoga, vendors, panel discussions and more. It will also encourage community engagement around mental health topics, connect people with resources and decrease the overall stigma of mental health.

MindFEST will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 21 at Roots 101 African American History Museum, 124 N. 1st Street.

Metro Councilmembers Kevin Triplett, Pat Mulvihill, Rick Blackwell, Mark Fox, Cindi Fowler, Nicole George, and Amy Holton-Stewart are sponsoring six free family movie nights throughout the summer at the Amphitheater beginning May 27 with Jungle Cruise. 

Other free movie nights are: 

• Respect, June 6
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife, June 13
• Grease, June 20
• Jaws, June 27

Iroquois Amphitheater live music

The 2022 season kicked off with a live concert from indie rock band, Modest Mouse. Others scheduled to perform at the Amphitheater include Ben Rector, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Martina McBride, RuPaul’s Drag Race and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Four shows – My Morning Jacket, on June 24, and Billy Strings on July 22, 23, and 24 – are already sold out. The Amphitheater’s season also features live theater performances with ACT Louisville’s production of The Sound of Music which takes the stage July 15-18. 

For a full list of performances and to purchase tickets, visit iroquoisamphitheater.com.

Short term rental enforcement continues in large part to be complaint-driven, based on public reporting of alleged violations to administrators.

An interactive map tool contains all of the registered short term rentals in Louisville having an active permit to rent their property out to paying customers on STR websites like Airbnb.

If you believe someone is using a property as a short term rental but it does not show up on this registry, or if the registry indicates a non-owner occupied property does not have a CUP, then please report the issue here (select “Zoning and Business Concerns,” “Zoning Concern,” “Short Term Rental,” complete the form and submit). Or contact our office. 

The Louisville Metro Police Department uses a Crime Mapping website to display crime on a map in Jefferson County. Zoom in to see crimes in an area, or put an address in the address bar at top left to search. You may sign up for auto email alerts for crime around an address. Reports are made available to the public after a process of internal review, often in the same day as the report taken. Due to the nature of some crimes, reports are made available to public upon the completion of a thorough investigation and will be made available as soon as practical.

Or use the crime mapping iPhone app. If you see crime occurring, please contact the Louisville Metro Police Department. Call 911 for emergencies. Call 502-574-7111 for non-emergency related help or to find a towed vehicle. Call 574-LMPD to report crime tips.

These LMPD divisions serve sections of District 10:

• Link to LMPD Fourth Division 
• Link to LMPD Fifth Division
• Link to LMPD Sixth Division

LMPD working in District 10 have asked us to share this reminder: please call the LMPD non-emergency number, instead of sending an email, if you're seeing suspicious activity in your neighborhood. Sending emails to LMPD delays response, and officers need to be dispatched for the activity. These citations continue the nuisance abatement process. The LMPD non-emergency line is 574-7111 or 574-2111.

From the Lawn Care for Cleaner Air program for the Air Pollution Control District: Take advantage of the Lawn Care for Cleaner Air program and save up to $100 on a new, air-friendly, electric-powered mower. You can get rebates on electric string trimmers, electric blowers, and reel mowers, too. Now is a great time to recycle that old, polluting equipment and save some cash on new gear that will make breathing a little easier for you and your community. Please see our website, louisvilleky.gov/lawncare, or call 574-6000 with questions.

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 their car window. 

Receive notifications about garbage, recycling, bulk waste, and yard waste collection services through the RecycleCoach app. 

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.

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: 

Louisville Metro Government's Metro Business Portal, where you apply for permits, licensing and applications with Louisville Metro, is here. 

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 line leaks

For further information contact Jackie Wilson-Rudy at 574-5850.

Interested in volunteering for one of Louisville Metro Government's Boards and Commissions? Serving on a board or commission, you will have a chance 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 board applications, please click here.