In this Issue
Hello Neighbors and Friends,
As 2024 comes to a close, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the honor and privilege of serving as your Metro Councilwoman. Representing our vibrant and dynamic community is a responsibility I cherish, and I remain deeply committed to working for your best interests.
This year, we’ve made great strides in improving our infrastructure through the installation of sidewalks, street repairs, and the replacement of street signage. Additionally, I’ve prioritized environmental sustainability, highlighted by the important upgrades at the Hubbards Lane Recycling Center. These initiatives are just the beginning of what we can accomplish together.
Looking ahead, I am excited to continue our partnership in 2025. You can expect more opportunities to engage with me through Muffins with McCraney meetings, community tours, and informative electronic newsletters designed to keep you connected and informed. In January, you will receive a printed newsletter in your mailbox that highlights some of our accomplishments and goals for 2025.
Thank you for allowing me to serve you. I wish each of you a happy and rewarding New Year. Together, we will make 2025 a great year for District 7!
Warm regards,
Dr. Paula McCraney
On behalf of the Louisville Metro Council, we want to wish you all a Happy Holiday Season and best wishes for 2025!
To watch our holiday video, click here!
A Conversation with Metro Councilwoman Paula McCraney
https://www.whas11.com/video/news/local/a-conversation-with-district-7-metro-councilwoman-paula-mccraney/417-55daf92a-c73e-46bb-9f93-1d0fd1e9966a
The Louisville Metro Council is currently on its holiday break until January 3rd, 2025, after which normal Metro Council business will continue. The Council will meet on Monday, January 6 to organize and elect the 2025 Metro Council President.
To watch the Council meeting and access the agenda and related attachments, click HERE.
To see all meetings on Facebook Live, go to the Metro Council Facebook page by clicking here. To watch Metro Council Meetings live on YouTube, you can visit the Louisville MetroTV channel by clicking here,
The public can also view all Council and committee meetings on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184, or on UVERSE at Channel 99. Proceedings are live-streamed from the Metro Council Clerk’s Archived Media page here.
For additional information or questions, you can reach the Metro Council Clerk’s Office at (502) 574-3902.
The Louisville Metro Board of Zoning Adjustment will hold a public hearing on a development plan for 4912 U.S. Highway 42, on Monday, January 13, 2025 at 1:00 PM.
To watch and participate online, you can view the Office of Planning's upcoming public meeting list by clicking here.
To view documents related to this proposal, click here.
For more information on zoning processes, public comment opportunities, or applications for a petition for a night hearing, you can visit the Office of Planning's website by clicking here.
To view the meeting agenda and staff report, click here.
Not all littering is on purpose. Some litter occurs when drivers and trash haulers do not secure items in their vehicles as they travel or transport trash and debris. We need everyone's help and consideration in keeping our roads clean!
On this, the Planning and Zoning Committee and Louisville Metro Council unanimously passed a Dump Truck Ordinance that I sponsored, which states the following:
- "The owner and/or operator is jointly responsible for the solid waste transported. It must be contained or covered so as to prevent it from leaking, dropping, falling, blowing, or scattering from the garbage truck."
The next time you're transporting cargo on the road, always remember to secure your load and help keep our streets clean and free of debris!
With all the festive parties and delicious dinners, the risk of food poisoning can increase. Please take precautions.
Did you know that Public Health and Wellness investigates these cases? If you suspect foodborne illness, please report it to help keep our community safe. Let's enjoy the holiday responsibly. It is important that you make every effort to provide a 48-hour food history along with a history of recent activities. Be sure to fill out the form to make a report.
FRANKFORT, KY. (Dec. 20, 2024) – Govenor Andy Beshear announced that Team Kentucky continues to lead the way in the fast-growing electric vehicle (EV) sector with a fourth round of awards to further expand the state’s EV charging network. Six developers were selected to receive up to $8.6 million to build an additional 11 federally funded fast charging EV stations.
The funding comes from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program established under the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The awards are from the third Request for Proposals and are the fourth round of awards in the state. In total, Kentucky has now approved 48 fast charging stations from 11 developers for a total of $32.9 million in federal formula funds.
This round of funding includes building charging stations in Bowling Green, Corinth, Hebron, Lexington, Louisville, Manchester, Morgantown, Oak Grove, Paducah, Sadieville and Williamsburg. Click here to see an updated list of all awarded sites.
Kentucky’s 2024 Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) last month, which included about $15 million of the $70 million total NEVI program funding anticipated to be available for Kentucky to award. The state's available funds to date for NEVI-funded stations total about $55 million. With the latest awards, $36.6 million in funding is still available.
The NEVI program funding is expected over a five-year period. Matching private funds from developers bring the total investment to nearly $87 million. Visit EVCharging.ky.gov for more information about the program.
The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness has received increasing reports of flu, COVID-19, Whooping Cough (pertussis) and RSV cases. Outbreaks of flu have been reported in congregate and educational settings. Visits to emergency departments and hospital admission for influenza are increasing across the state.
Staying healthy
There are several steps all of us can take to reduce our risk of getting a respiratory virus so we can do more of the things we enjoy.
- Make sure you and your children up to date with your vaccines, including flu vaccine
- Wash your hands often.
- Sneeze or cough into your elbow or tissues.
- Stay home if you’re sick.
- Consider wearing a mask if you are high-risk for serious illness.
New dashboard tracks flu cases in Jefferson County
LMPHW has a new Influenza (Flu) Surveillance Dashboard. This interactive tool is designed to provide preliminary weekly totals for cases, flu-related deaths, and outbreaks within Jefferson County, using data from the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System. Information is collected from hospitals, laboratories, and private provider offices. The dashboard provides numbers across several different categories:
- Gender
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Age groups (adults or children)
- Location by ZIP code
Please note that these figures are preliminary and may change over time. The dashboard will be refreshed weekly as new information becomes available.
To learn more information about flu and other respiratory illnesses, please visit their website. To schedule your flu vaccine, contact your healthcare provider, local pharmacy or visit vaccines.gov.
City officials and officials from the Louisville Free Public Library foundation recently announced a total of $3 million in new funding for multiple branch libraries.
As improvements and expansions to public libraries continue towards completion, this new wave of funding will add substantially to the $8 million in private funds already raised over the last few years, which have been utilized toward construction efforts across multiple branches that will reopen upon completion of these improvements.
Starting January 1, 2025, all Kentuckians must undergo a vision screening to renew their driver's license.
Vision screenings can be completed at no cost at any Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Driver Licensing Regional Office at the time of license renewal.
Drivers also have the option of conducting a vision exam with their vision specialist (optometrist/ophthalmologist), or a vision screening with a KYTC-credentialed medical provider in advance of their license renewal visit.
This new requirement, passed by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2021, aims to enhance highway safety by ensuring all drivers maintain good vision throughout their driving careers. Regular vision screenings help identify any impairments that could affect a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely, protecting both the driver and others on the road.
For more information, you can visit drive.ky.gov.
TARC has finalized a series of service reductions and changes proposed earlier this fall. Those changes will take effect on Sunday January 26, 2025.
The service changes will affect 11 different TARC routes. Members of the press, TARC customers, and the general public should carefully review current and upcoming TARC bulletins to determine how transit trips may be affected in different neighborhoods.
The most significant changes will affect TARC routes #22 Twenty-Second Street and #63 Crums Lane, which will be merged and rerouted into nearby routes.
In addition, the #17 Bardstown Road and #25 Oak-Westport Connection will see routing changes, frequency will be reduced on the #4 4th Street and #10 Dixie Rapid, and frequency will be increased on the #25 Oak-Westport Connection, #29 Eastern Parkway, and #40 Taylorsville Road. There will be minor schedule changes on the #6 Sixth Street, #15 Market Street, and #21 Chestnut Street.
These service changes are intended to improve reliability and to continue to address TARC’s impending fiscal cliff.
To view the full overview of service changes, you can visit the TARC website here, which includes route descriptions, scheduling adjustments, and information on TARC's plans for 2025.
The Louisville Metro Revenue Commission's tax calendar has been updated to reflect the 2025 tax season. You can head to the Tax Calendar webpage for all upcoming tax filing dates.
Additionally, in November 2024, the Commissioners of the Louisville Metro Revenue Commission (LMRC) voted to adopt changes to the Occupational License Tax Regulations as part of the LMRC’s annual review.
The Regulations explain and clarify the rules and procedures used by the LMRC in its collection of the occupational license tax on net profits and wages, which you can view on the LMRC Regulations page.
Louisville Parks and Recreation is always looking for volunteers to help out with special projects, litter clean-ups, tree plantings, coaches for youth leagues, etc.
Available opportunities can be found via the virtual volunteer portal here and by checking out our social media outlets!
The Louisville Metro Animals Services shelter is over capacity!
If you're considering adopting and welcoming a pet into your home, LMAS is committed to saving more lives by making every effort to find homes for our adoptable pets. When you adopt from LMAS, you will be rescuing a homeless pet from your community. Spay/neuter surgery, microchip and up-to-date vaccinations are always included.
If you are considering welcoming a shelter pet into your home, follow these steps:
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- Avoid poorly lit areas. If you must walk through such areas, walk purposefully and with an air of confidence.
- When walking to your vehicle, have your car keys in hand, before walking across the parking lot.
- When you enter your vehicle, immediately lock your doors.
- When driving, keep your doors locked at all times and your car windows rolled up to the point that an arm can't be stuck into your vehicle.
- When possible, don't walk alone or on dark streets, or take short cuts through deserted area.
- Avoid displaying large amounts of cash, and keep tempting targets, such as jewelry, as hidden as much as possible.
- Before you use a bank's automated teller machine, be observant. Look around the area for people loitering. If you see a suspicious person or persons, do not use that machine at that time.
- Whenever possible, park your car in a well-lit area and as close to an open business as possible.
Get ready to ring in the New Year at Main Event with a full day of fun, games, and celebrations!
Enjoy unlimited games, bottomless soft drinks, a big super fun sundae eating contest, a balloon grab, and more midday magic for New Year's Eve!
Don't miss out on tickets, which are going fast! For more information and to purchase tickets, you can visit the Main Event website here.
Join in the fun with our second "Noon Years Eve" on Tuesday December 31st, 2024!
It's the ultimate free family-friendly celebration for the little ones who can't stay up until midnight. Fun starts at 11am, as we get ready for a noon countdown with a lively dance party til 1pm in the Wild Hops Gameroom with DJ Shawn!
Tour through our new 60+ pinball and games with family friendly jams. Get ready for the noon countdown with ball drop on the big screen with party accessories, selfie station and a confetti pop at 12!
Join Zoo staff and volunteers on a guided sensory-friendly walk to see how your favorite animal ambassadors end their day.
Participants will enjoy slower winter afternoons as Zoo staff and docents point out quiet spaces on grounds, provide information on exhibit areas with high sensory input, and share the latest news about our animal ambassadors.
The Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity and offers FREE accommodations for all guests with sensory issues during regular hours. Sensory Bags are available for families to checkout free of charge the day of their visit. Learn more here.
Get your tickets by visiting the Louisville Zoo website here.
The Louisville Free Public Library and the Louisville Orchestra are again bringing “Once Upon An Orchestra” public performances to all LFPL locations through March.
Presented free, each branch will host one of six different, unique family programs that weave music and storytelling together in an interactive experience. Louisville Orchestra musicians perform original music created around familiar and beloved children’s books. The hour-long experiences include a 30-minute small ensemble performance preceded by a hands-on activity to build a musical instrument from recycled materials, so everyone can play along.
For “Once Upon An Orchestra,” composers from the LO Creators Corps have developed original musical scores to accompany a number of beloved children’s books, including Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In addition, this year’s series features two new compositions – Laura Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson.
“Once Upon An Orchestra” is funded with support from Louisville Metro Government. For more information, contact your local LFPL branch, or call the Louisville Orchestra at 587-8681.
Once Upon an Orchestra
- Saturday, January 11, 10:30 a.m., Iroquois Library, Bear Snores On
- Saturday, February 8, 2 p.m., St. Matthews Library, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- Saturday, February 15, 2 p.m., South Central Regional Library, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- Thursday, February 20, 6 p.m., Shawnee Library,, Llama Destroys the World
- Wednesday, March 19, 11 a.m., Southwest Regional Library, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
- Tuesday, March 25, 10:30 a.m., Crescent Hill Library, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- Saturday, March 29, 10:30 a.m., Jeffersontown Library, Bunny's Book Club
With the New Year just around the corner, try your hand at this crossword that you can do just in time for 2025!
Just for Fun Answers
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