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When Amy and I recently sat down to look back at our October, I was truly in astonishment of how much happened within those 31 days. Just in the last week, we’ve had discovery meetings with Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana, WellSpring, Metropolitan College, Portland Museum, and Brightside’s Gallopalooza. We’ve also been meeting with Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum in preparation for the 150th Derby and how we can elevate D15 amid the momentous occasion in May. December 6th will mark 150 days until the 150th Derby!
BTW, I hope you had a chance to make it to the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular—it was truly…spectacular! Thanks to Louisville Metro Parks and Parks Alliance of Louisville for all the hard work they put into this event year after year.
Now, I wanted to put a spotlight on a couple of gentlemen you might see around D15. If you've been to a neighborhood meeting in LMPD's 4th Division, you may have met Officers Nathan Richardson and Vaun Brannock. They both serve as the Division's District Resource Officers (DROs) and have been serving in the position for about a year.
DROs serve the Division by connecting with neighborhoods and neighborhood stakeholders in order to make sure their issues are being handled and that their voices are heard. Unlike a traditional beat officer, DROs assist with stuff like abandoned cars, vacant properties, homeless encampments, and general community outreach—the non-emergency stuff that doesn't typically come through the emergency line but still might require police intervention. Because they deal so heavily in constituent services and with Louisville Metro departments, our office (and other Metro Council offices) work closely with DROs in order to make sure things are getting done around the District.
Ealier this year, both were honored when they were reunited with a woman who was shot 9 times while pregnant on her porch. Thanks to Officer Brannock and Richardson, the first responders on the scene, the woman and her unborn child incredibly survived.
Officer Brannock also recently launched the "Who in the Lou am I?" initiative in the 4th Division to help identify criminals and give the opportunity to connect anonymously with the detective handling a respective case. The initiative is inspired by his former position as a University of Kentucky police officer.
It's worth mentioning that Officer Richardson grew up in the Jacobs neighborhood--an area he still patrols today.
I'm grateful to Officers Richardson and Brannock for their dedication to the Division and District, and for always being quick with the assist when we need it.
If you haven't already met them, I hope you get the opportunity soon. They always welcome questions, so whether you want to talk to them about something you're dealing with or have an inquiry about policing, they're all ears.
The Iroquois Park Overlook will be open once again to vehicular traffic on Saturday, November 11th, and Sunday, November 12th. The gate will be open from 10 am to 4 pm. 
Please be courteous to pedestrians and bicyclists and DRIVE SLOWLY.
The Wilder Park Neighborhood Association is hosting a cleanup Veteran's Day Community Clean-up in partnership with Brightside on Saturday, November 11th at 11 am (11/11 at 11!). Meet at the Veterans Memorial on S. Second Street to pick up supplies, such as bags and gloves. They will be focused on the alleys that run between 3rd and 2nd Streets and along the railroad on Brook Street.
Brightside's final Sweep & Sip cleanup event of 2023 will take place this Saturday, Nov. 11th in Schnitzelburg. We'll be meeting at Monnik Louisville at 1 PM for instructions and supplies. Volunteers who are over 21 will get a Monnik special afterward!  Register here.
Sign-ups are now open for the Shively Christian Church Basketball League. Sign-ups are open through Saturday, November 6th and the cost is $35 per child. Games begin on January 6th. Sign up at shivelychristian.com.
Equine Trail Advocates will be hosting their 2023 Open Final Fun Show on November 12th at the Iroquois Park Arena (7000 Sanders Gate Road). The first class starts at 1:00 pm.
Classes include bareback ride-a-buck (bring a $1 bill--winner keeps all), thread the needle, endurance pursuit, lost and found race, diaper race, and an obstacle course (complete 5 obstacles in 5 minutes). There will be two divisions: Youth (15 and under) and adult (16 and over).
Registration fees for the event are $85/adult and $60/youth. You can register at the event via cash, check, or Zelle. ETA members get a $10 discount. Registration covers all classes. Enter as many as you wish. There will be multiple place prizes awarded in each division. Judges' decisions are final. ETA reserves the right to combine or cancel classes based on the number of entries.
Questions? Contact Shelley Antle at (502) 407-9752 or Tammi Thomas at (502) 468-5252.
Join for a day of equestrian excitement and camaraderie. 🏇
Who will be Schnitzelburg’s 2023 #1 Citizen? Find out at as the Schnitzelburg Area Community Council (SACC) hosts the #1 Citizen Dinner and final general neighborhood meeting on Monday, November 13th at 6 pm at the 21st Amendment Tavern (1481 S. Shelby St).
The price for admission is $18 at the door ($12 for senior citizens). Admission to this event includes a traditional German meal of schnitzels, German potato salad, and an apple dessert. If you RSVP in advance, the price is only $15 at the door. Register here.
The Cloverleaf Neighborhood Association is hosting their Annual Chili Cookoff on Saturday, November 18th from 5 pm to 7 pm at Cloverlead Baptist Church (4401 Manslick Road). register to bring a pot of chili by calling (502) 693-5367. First place gets $100!
DeSales High School will be hosting an open house for any young man interested in attending the school. The open house will be Sunday, November 19th from noon to 3 pm.
Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA South) will be hosting their annual Small Business Saturday Holiday Market on November 25, 2023 from 10 am-2 pm at Colonial Gardens (818 W Kenwood Dr) and invite all to attend to kick off their holiday shopping. Support small, local businesses and eat local food!
If you're interested in setting up a booth for the event, you can register here.
Questions? Email rachel@keeplouisvilleweird.com.
We’re looking for volunteers to help us with the Schnitzelburg/German-Paristown Tree Planting. There are multiple days available for volunteering, including staging days and the event itself on Saturday, December 2nd:
- Tuesday, November 28 from 8:30 am - 1 pm OR 1 pm - 5 pm
- Wednesday, November 29 from 8:30 am - 1 pm 1 pm - 5 pm
- Saturday, December 2 from 8 a - 1 pm
If you are interested in volunteering on Tuesday or Wednesday, please sign up here. If you are interested in volunteering on Saturday, please sign up here.
The Grotto Grannies are looking for volunteers to help with the upkeep and landscaping of Saint Joseph's historic grotto. Volunteer hours and assignments vary, although volunteering can be done on a flexible schedule! If you are interested in volunteering, please email Gail at gjlinville@gmail.com.
The Grotto Grannies are seeking a local artist to help repair/repaint the icons at the Grotto. If you happen to know of an artist, or a contact within your network that could help out, please have them reach out by sending an email to stjosaa@gmail.com with the subject line “Grotto Art.”
Do you have a free, arts-related event coming up in January, February, or March that needs support? Check out the Community Event Mini-Grants program from Fund for the Arts!
These mini-grants are designed to make supportive grant awards throughout the year to organizations and artists presenting multi-disciplinary, multigenerational, free gatherings with arts included. Be sure to get an application in by November 17 for consideration in the Winter grant cycle!
Learn more and apply: https://fundforthearts.org/.../community-event-mini-grants/
The Office for Women is pleased to announce that applications are open for the 2024 Class of Office for Women Ambassador Program.
The Office for Women Ambassadors is a six-month training program for women and gender diverse individuals who represent the diverse communities across Metro Louisville. Through the program, participants will develop and hone their leadership skills, learn about issues impacting women, and explore government and community programs available to women. The OFW Ambassadors will serve as community liaisons, sharing out information about vital community services and communicating back to government about the needs of women in their communities.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to and advocacy for improving the lives of women and/or girls and advancing gender equity.
- Applicants must be 18 or older.
- Applicants must live in one of the 26 Metro Council districts in Jefferson County (inside Jefferson County).
- Applicants must commit to attending all training sessions. The training dates for 2024 are: January 25, February 22, March 28, April 25, May 23 and July 11 and training will take place from approximately 8:30-4:30 each day. The training program is free, and food and transportation costs (bus tickets or parking) will be provided. Childcare will also be provided off site.
Applications are due by November 15th. Apply today.
Recently, customers began contacting LG&E and KU to report door-to-door "solar installers" claiming to work for LG&E and KU. The solar installers were using high-pressure sales tactics with the promise of providing "free solar panels" or "free energy" as part of signing up to do business with them. LG&E and KU took prompt action, placing an alert bar with information on the company's website, sending an email to customers, and sharing the information on TV news programs in Louisville and Lexington.
Here are the details to know, along with helpful information you can use with family and friends:
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While there are many legitimate solar installers across our service area, please know that LG&E and KU do not market or sell residential rooftop solar panels and are not affiliated with any residential solar installers.
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Just as you would do with any significant investment involving your home, we encourage you to always do your homework and secure quotes from several reputable businesses before signing any contract or agreement and making a significant financial investment.
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If someone comes to your door claiming to be from LG&E and KU, ask to see the person's company-issued employee or contractor identification card. An authentic ID card will show our company logo, the employee's name and color photograph on the front.
There are many deceptive ways scammers operate. Remember these key points about how we do business and know that LG&E and KU will never do any of the following:
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Threaten to cut off your service if you do not make an immediate payment.
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Make a live or automated call to demand payment.
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Send someone to your home to demand payment.
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Ask you for a credit card or debit card number or checking account information.
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Ask you to pay with a prepaid debit card or gift card.
Customers who suspect they've been scammed or were targeted by a scammer also can call the police and then let LG&E and KU know by filling out the form at lge-ku.com/report/scam.
Visit lge-ku.com/safety/scams for more information.
As part of continuing efforts to improve the customer experience, TARC announced this week an initiative to significantly reduce missed service over the next nine months.
While the vast majority of TARC’s scheduled bus service goes out every day, a small amount of service does not, which creates uncertainties for customers. Eliminating much of this uncertainty – which has increased since the pandemic – is a core TARC focus in the coming year. The effort builds on other recent TARC initiatives to improve on time service, like the pilot program to improve reliability on the #23 Broadway, TARC’s most popular bus line.
Over the next nine months, TARC will adjust several route schedules to “right-size” available service runs and coach operators. In addition, TARC will improve external communications procedures to better alert riders when scheduled service will not be able to be provided.
TARC customers should expect to see service improvements rolled out over the course of three waves beginning immediately with the first phase in October and November. The second phase will occur in January, and the third, and most significant, adjustments will take effect in June, 2024.
October/November improvements:
Use of TARC bus operator trainers to cover short, peak-time only shifts as part of their field training work.
January improvements:
Summer/Fall 2024 improvements:
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Larger-scale schedule adjustments to better align the TARC service schedule to the current driver pool, including further reductions of shifts and the introduction of more consistent full-day schedules.
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Completion of a comprehensive upgrade of vehicle locator and dispatch hardware to allow more reliable and timely communication to the public in real-time.
CASA of the River Region is a non-profit that trains volunteers to serve as advocates in family court for abused and neglected children. Last year, CASA served over 650 children. There are currently over 200 children who need CASA, however, the organization lacks enough volunteers.
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