Still time for public comment on the proposed TARC route changes and additional meeting date set for April 6th

There is still time for the Public to comment on the TARC proposed changes to ten current routes, some of which are in District 22 and surrounding areas. The next meeting is at the Middletown Library, 12556 Shelbyville Road, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.  on April 6th.

TARC posted the proposed changes March 8, noting the tweaks or cuts to 10 routes "are being suggested to adjust service to where it is most needed and make sure routes are operating effectively." If the TARC Board of Directors ultimately signs off this spring, the adjustments will take effect Aug. 6.

What Louisville bus routes is TARC proposing to cut?

Under TARC's proposal, the following express routes, which all run Monday to Friday during the busier morning and evening travel periods, will get eliminated:

• Route 17X Bardstown Road Express: The route runs between downtown, Fern Creek and Glenmary Farms. It avoids the at-times-congested stretch of Bardstown Road in the Highlands area by going on the Watterson Expressway and Interstate 65.
• Route 31X Middletown Express: The route takes commuters between downtown and the Middletown area via Shelbyville Road and I-64.
• Route 40X Jeffersontown Express: The route runs between downtown and Jeffersontown, mainly via Billtown Road, Taylorsville Road and I-64.
• Route 61X Plainview Express: The route runs between downtown and several East End areas, such as Middletown, via I-64, and it stops by a number of housing developments, including the Plainview Apartments off Hurstbourne Parkway.

Public comments regarding these changes will be accepted during the public comment period (March 07 through April 4) and may be submitted by email to: PublicComment@ridetarc.org. All comments received will be considered and presented at the Board of Directors before service changes are finalized and implemented.

Buechel Bypass Bridge Closure Set for This Weekend in Jefferson County

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 30, 2023) – The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) advises motorists of the weekend closure of the bridge carrying Buechel Bypass (U.S. 31E/U.S. 150) over a set of railroad tracks in Jefferson County.

The bridge will be closed from 9 p.m. on Friday, March 31, to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, April 4, between mile point 10.4 and mile point 10.5. That’s between the cross streets of Plaza Avenue and Hikes Lane. During the bridge closure, signs in the area will direct drivers to utilize Hikes Lane, Shepherdsville Road, Buechel Bank Road, and Progress Boulevard as the posted detour.

Various closures have been in place for the bridge since a February 2021 inspection found deterioration on one of the bridge’s pier caps. The repairs were initially delayed as KYTC, and the contractor sought approval from the railroad to work on the bridge section over the tracks. Last year, crews began working under the bridge, in an area not visible to motorists crossing the span. Those repairs have now advanced to a point where the weekend closure of the entire bridge is necessary. The repairs are expected to be completed in spring 2023.

The date and duration of this work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur. Visit goky.ky.gov for the latest in traffic and travel information in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. You can also get traffic information for the District 5 counties at facebook.com/KYTCDistrict5 and twitter.com/KYTCDistrict5.

Information Fair: Tenants' Rights Workshop

Here are the basic details of the Tenant’s Rights Workshop:

On April 11, 2023, the Kentucky Field Office will hold a Tenant’s Rights Workshop open to both tenants and landlords.  We are planning on:

• opening remarks by the mayor
• 3 25-minute presentations by the Louisville legal aid society, code enforcement, and the Lexington Fair Housing Council
• After the presentations, there will be a panel where the audience can ask questions.
• 1-hour outreach section. Service providers and strategic partners from across the city will set up tables and hand out information.

A couple of key elements to this:

• April is fair housing month
• The Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act was signed on April 11 – the event will be held on the 54^th anniversary.

This event will be held at the Home of the Innocents with a morning session at 10 and an evening session starting at 5.

"Give A Day" Celebration of Service April 1st - 30th

Greater Jeffersontown Historical Society to host program on Jtown's history

Greater Jeffersontown Historical Society:  Monday, April 3, 2023. The meeting will be held at 1:00 P.M. at the Jeffersontown Branch Library, 10635 Watterson Trail.  Program:   Jeffersontown History Through the 1920s

Neighborhood Summit 2023

Party for the Planet Returns to Louisville Zoo

April 1, 2023, marks the start of the Louisville Zoo’s annual celebration, Party for the Planet: A Month-Long Celebration of the Earth powered by LG&E and KU Foundation. The celebration features recycling partners every weekend in April and special discounted admission prices on Fun Day Mondays: April 10, 17 and 24. The celebration culminates on Sunday, April 30 when we observe Earth Day with $5 off on-site admission, free parking and eco-partner displays. Also featured at the event will be winning submissions from the TrashFormation: A Trash-to-Treasure Art Contest, which has a special emphasis on pollinators this year. For more information about all Earth Month activities, visit louisvillezoo.org/earth.

Recycling weekends
April 1 – 2, 8 – 9, 15 – 16, and 22 – 23

Each weekend in April, the Zoo will host a different conservation organization to offer ways for guests to help our environment! Organizations and programs that help the air, water, land, and, of course, animals will be featured each of these weekends. Guests can enjoy special animal presentations, keeper talks, as well as tips and suggestions to help protect wildlife and wild places.

Louisville ZooPoopyDoo Compost Sales April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and May 13

The most unique and wildest blend of ZooPoopyDoo compost will be made available for sale each Saturday in April from 7:30 – 11:30 a.m. for $45 per scoop. Products will be loaded into your vehicle in the Zoo’s Bus parking lot. Only open-top truck beds and trailers will be loaded. To purchase online, visit louisvillezoo.org/zoopoopydoo.

Fun Day Mondays April 10, 17, 24

Guests can enjoy $7.25 admission, powered by LG&E and KU Foundation. Parking of $7 is not included. Twenty-five cents from every ticket sold supports species survival activities through the Zoo’s conservation work with regional, national and global partners such as Monarch Watch, Kentucky Natural Land Trust, Snow Leopard Trust, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Polar Bears International and the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program.

Trashformation Winners Announced
Saturday, April 22

The Zoo will announce the winners of its pollinator-themed Trashformation: A Trash-to-Treasure Art Contest on social media including Facebook and Twitter (@louisvillezoo) and Instagram (@LouisvilleZooOfficial) on globally recognized Earth Day, Saturday, April 22. To avoid conflicts with Louisville area festivities and activities on April 22, the Zoo will celebrate Earth Day later in the month of April.

Earth Day Observed at the Zoo
Sunday, April 30

Party for the Planet culminates with $5 off admission and free parking all day powered by LG&E and KU Foundation. Community eco-partners will be featured throughout the Zoo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Zoo will also display the winners of its Trashformation Art Contest in the pollinator garden space near the Butterflies n’ Blooms exhibit at the Zoo. Admission discount cannot be applied to any online ticket purchases and will only be applied during transactions made at the Zoo’s admission windows on April 30.

Solar Over Louisville is Here Again!

Louisville Metro Government’s Mayor’s Office of Sustainability has partnered with the Kentucky Solar Energy Society (KYSES) and the Louisville Sustainability Council (LSC) to launch the 2023 Solar Over Louisville solarize program! Solar Over Louisville makes going solar easy by connecting participants with vetted and trustworthy solar installers, providing a step-by-step walk-through of the solar installation process, and helping participants access discounted rates on solar. Going solar will help you reduce your energy bills, potentially increase your property’s value, support local solar jobs, and help Louisville meet its goal of using 100% clean energy community-wide by 2040!

On March 2nd, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg made the announcement that Solar Energy Solutions and Icon Solar Power have been selected from a competitive pool of applicants as the designated vetted solar installation partners for the 2023 Solar Over Louisville campaign! Both companies are regionally based and bring several years of experience and professionalism. By connecting Solar Over Louisville participants with the vetted installers, we are eliminating the hassle for residents to vet an installer themselves and also helping them access a great wholesale discount of 15-23%.

In 2022, Solar Over Louisville installed solar on over 90 homes. Join this growing community today! The program is open to residents, small businesses, nonprofits, places of worship, and other small non-residential properties in Louisville/Jefferson County and surrounding counties. To learn more about the program and sign up, please visit: www.100PercentLou.com/2040.

We also invite you to register for one of our upcoming Solar Over Louisville Workshops by clicking the links below. At these workshops, you can hear directly from the installers, learn more about the process, and ask questions!

Kentucky boat owners advised to renew registration beginning April 3

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet advises boat title owners that motorboat registration requests will be accommodated at all County Clerk offices starting April 3. Annual registration renewals are typically accepted beginning March 1, but additional time is necessary to allow the decal vendor to reprint and deliver tags required to complete the registration process. Current registrations do not expire until April 30, 2023.

“We want boat owners who opt to renew early aware of the temporary delay to honor their time and avoid an unnecessary trip,” said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray. “We expect to have new decals available at County Clerk offices well ahead of the April 30 registration expiration for owners to update their tags and continue enjoying the open water.”

Every motorboat registered in Kentucky must display a valid, unexpired tag. The boat’s unique registration number and boat number are printed on certificates of registration at County Clerk Offices and the tags are then peeled and placed on each side of the boat. Due to a label defect, a reprint is necessary to ensure durability once exposed to water. New shipments will be delivered to each County Clerk Office. Last year, more than 187,000 decals were issued by county clerks.

Transportation crews to soon treat state roadsides for noxious weeds

Controlling noxious weeds, invasive plants improves roadway visibility, protects infrastructure

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) crews will soon begin treating noxious and nuisance weeds throughout the state to improve driver safety and support efficient maintenance operations by limiting their presence. Property owners who are actively treating noxious weeds on private property may request highway crews to treat select nuisance weeds found on adjacent state-owned right of way.

The Cabinet targets 12 noxious weeds in accordance with KRS 176.051 and 603 KAR 3:100:

• Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)
• Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
• Common Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
• Cutleaf Teasel (Dipsacus laciniatus)
• Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)
• Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense)
• Kudzu (Pueraria montana)
• Marestail (Conyza canadensis)
• Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
• Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans)
• Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)
• Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe)

“If left untreated, some weeds can grow several feet tall and impact driver visibility,” said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray. “Actively treating the weeds on state-maintained property enhances safety, prevents damage to ditches and drains and minimizes the presence of plants that attract deer near highways.”

Noxious weeds often invade and destroy the roadside turf grass, leaving these areas vulnerable to erosion. They can also smother native plants through rapid reproduction and long-term persistence.

Kentuckians who want to request weed treatment must submit a written application to their local KYTC highway district office. To request an application, please contact the appropriate district highway office. Contact information may be found on the district webpages listed here.

Motorists are reminded to use extra caution when crews spraying for weeds are out on the roadways.

Hamlet at Beckley Creek Park Sunday, May 14 at 2:00pm

BBB March Hot Topics

1.      A consumer reported to BBB that they received an email claiming they had won a free pickle ball set from Dick’s Sporting Goods, and that they only had to pay shipping and handling. After the consumer provided their payment information, they noticed several unauthorized charges on their account. BBB warns consumers to be wary of any messages regarding sweepstakes or contests that they don’t remember entering.
2.       BBB has received several reports from consumers involving employment scams. One red flag the scams share is that a scammer pretending to be a recruiter asks the victim to download an app to conduct an interview. BBB warns job-hunting consumers to research companies first before agreeing to an interview and be wary of any unusual interview tactics. 3.       A consumer reported a check scam involving Facebook Marketplace to BBB. The victim received a cashier’s check from a buyer. The buyer later claimed they needed the money returned due to a medical emergency. The victim returned the money, and later learned the check was fraudulent. 4.       BBB has received several reports from consumers of fake recruiters using a real company’s name in an employment scam. BBB warns consumers to be suspicious of any unsolicited interview offers, research companies first, and verify with the company directly that any recruiter represents them. 5.       A consumer ordered a flower delivery for a sick relative, only for the flowers to never arrive. The company claimed they would issue a credit, but never did so, and the consumer has since been unable to get a refund or get in touch with the company. BBB warns consumers to always check a company’s profile on BBB.org before completing a transaction. 6.       BBB has seen multiple reports of scam calls claiming to represent LG&E. As a reminder, LG&E will never call and demand payment over the phone. If consumers have questions or concerns regarding their accounts, they should contact LG&E directly. Never give payment information over the phone! 7.       A consumer reported a social media account recovery scam to BBB. After the consumer’s business Instagram account was suspended, the consumer contacted a company they believed could help recover the account, only to lose money to the fraudulent company. BBB warns consumers to avoid such “companies,” who will not actually assist in recovering accounts and instead will rip off victims! 8.       Beware of BBB imposters! BBB has received reports of scammers claiming to represent BBB in order to steal personal and financial information from victims. The real BBB will never ask you for passwords or personal information over the phone. If you are unsure if you’ve been contacted by an actual BBB representative, contact your BBB office directly. Do not give out personal or financial information over the phone!   9.        March Madness® has returned, and with it, maddening phishing scams. Ignore emails or texts with links to join bracket pools from sites or groups you didn’t request to join – these could be attempts to steal your personal or financial information. 10.   BBB continues to receive reports of scammers claiming to represent Publishers Clearing House. As a reminder, Publishers Clearing House does not contact their sweepstakes winners by phone or text, and any sweepstakes that demands a fee upfront in order to claim a prize is a scam.