April 17, 2026

• Friday Thoughts
• Shakespeare at Hounz Lane Park - Sunday, May 3
• National Drug Take Back Day - Sunday, April 19
• Office of Planning Weekly Activity Report
• 23rd Annual Ken-Ducky Derby

Friday Thoughts

Happy Friday! I hope this week has been a great one. If you're like me, this is your favorite time of year in Louisville. Aside from the weather being nearly perfect, Derby season highlights the best of our city. We are truly fortunate to showcase such a signature event. Whether we're talking Thunder Over Louisville, the Derby Festival miniMarathon & Marathon (side note - I am way behind on my training which does not bode well for next Saturday!), the Great Steamboat Race, Chow Wagon, or the horse races themselves, I believe this is the time of year our city really comes alive and showcases its best.

Derby season is also when we focus on community cleanups, paving season gets into full swing, our parks start having featured events (like Shakespeare in the Parks - more on that below), and many city services really kick into gear following the winter. One of the areas I want to discuss today is how things are going in the area of violence prevention. Earlier this week, our Public Safety Committee heard from the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) on the work they are doing in our community, specifically our Community Violence Intervention (CVI) program. As a refresher, CVI works in targeted areas with community partners like Goodwill and Volunteers of America to get outreach workers on the streets and interacting directly with individuals to intervene before violence occurs. This program follows a national best practice, and it’s worth noting that while the city overall has seen about a 20% reduction in homicides this year, these particular areas have seen more than a 60% reduction! I am glad we chose to expand this program a few months ago in the midyear budget as it has proven to work well, and we are hopeful the results continue to improve.

On a separate note, this week marked a major announcement for the city as we landed the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for gymnastics. While still a couple of years away, this event will showcase our city over several days leading up to the 2028 Olympics later that summer. This is exciting news and will again bring a positive spotlight to our community. Securing this event is a testament to our ability to host marquee events, leading to continued economic development and many new visitors to our city.

I know we still have work to do, but it is worth highlighting these successes. I am confident we are moving in the right direction and am proud of our progress. We will continue to focus on investments that improve economic development, public safety, and the quality of life for our residents. In related news, the mayor will give his annual budget address next week where we'll hear his priorities and outlook for the city which will serve as a framework for what the Metro Council funds next fiscal year. I'll have much more to report next week after his address.

In closing, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you need anything. If you plan to head downtown this weekend for any of the events, I hope the weather stays dry, traffic is manageable, and you enjoy the event!

Contact the District 17 Office

Markus Winkler
17th District Councilman
Louisville Metro Council
502.574.1117
Contact Councilman Winkler

Kip Eatherly
Legislative Aide
502.574.3462
Contact Kip

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Important Numbers

Animal Services  473-7387
Charmoli NP  574-5787
Codes & Regulations  574-2508
EACM  426-2824
Health & Wellness  574-6520
Jefferson Co. Clerk  574-5700
KY Science Center  561-6100
LG&E  589-1444
LMPD (8th Division)  574-2258
Louisville Water  583-6610
Louisville Zoo  459-2181
Mayor's Office  574-2003
Middletown Library  245-7332
MSD  540-6000
NE Regional Library  394-0379
Parks & Recreation  574-7275
Planning & Design  574-6230
Public Works  574-5810
TARC  585-1234