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AROTR1791.9 WFPK Independent Louisville is teaming up with the WAVE 3 News Abbey Road on the River to give music fans a reason to say YEAH, YEAH, YEAH on opening day of the festival. WAVE 3 News Abbey Road on the River will present the “WFPK Kick Off Concert starring Jake Clemons from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band” on Thursday, May 25th at 8:30pm. The free, ticketless event will be held at the Big Four Station Park in Jeffersonville, IN – the new home of the world famous Beatles tribute festival. Attendees will also be able to enjoy live Beatles music on other festival stages, a Beatles merchandise marketplace, and on-site food and beverage.

Jake Clemons is best known for being the nephew of the legendary Clarence Clemons and his replacement as lead saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. He’s been touring with The Boss, playing all the big dates, since 2012. Jake has been bringing his original music to audiences since 2010, but he’s really begun making a name for himself as a solo artist with the release of his highly anticipated 11-song first album “Fear & Love,” which was released in January. He plays guitar, sax, piano, and drums, he writes music, he sings, and he loves rock ‘n roll.

Reflecting on the album and first single Jake says: “Fear & Love is a journey that forges through loss & hardship and attempts to reconcile those challenges until finding its way to the freedom of being vulnerable and honest, mostly with yourself. The first single ‘A Little Bit Sweet,’ sits just on the other side of those losses, recognizing that yes, life is bittersweet…but a little bit sweet makes it better.”

In addition to the free kick off concert on May 25th, Clemons will also perform at the festival on Sunday, May 28th. After 12 years in Louisville, the WAVE 3 News Abbey Road on the River will debut in Jeffersonville at the Big Four Station Park on Memorial Day weekend, May 25-29. 2017 marks a number of musical anniversaries including the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love and the 50th anniversary of the release of the greatest album in rock history – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The lineup of popular musicians from that 1967 summer who will perform at this year’s festival include Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, Grammy-winner Peter Asher of Peter and Gordon, American rock band The Grass Roots, The Family Stone, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders, American rock band Ambrosia and former Wings band members Laurence Juber (guitarist) and Steve Holley (drummer).

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.arotr.com.

Don’t Miss the Nation’s Largest Indoor Farm Show, Gift & Craft Craft Market, and Championship Tractor Pull Finals

LouisvilleDispatch_NFMS17_0594The 52nd annual National Farm Machinery Show at the Kentucky Expo Center is more than two days in, but visitors still have time to get in on the action.

With nearly 900 vendors in the farm show exhibit area and the Gift & Craft Market, the event is not just for those in the commercial agriculture industry.  Everyone from home gardeners to country craft lovers will find something to spark their interest, from free seminars to face-time with vendors to the excitement of truck and tractor pulling competitions.

While the NFMS itself is free to attend and open to the public, the associated Championship Tractor Pull events each night, with an afternoon matinee on Saturday, require reserved seat tickets, which start at $20.  Fans will be treated to thundering excitement as drivers compete in ten weight-based divisions as they try to drag weighted sleds down the full length of the dirt track.  If two or more drivers in a division succeed in making a “full pull,” more weight is added and they try again and the driver who pulls the sled farthest wins.

LouisvilleDispatch_NFMS17_0713The tense – and LOUD – competition isn’t just for bragging rights, either.  Competitors are vying for a piece of a quarter-million dollar purse.  Don’t forget your ear plugs!

Fans wanting to check out the powerful machines before they roar into the arena can visit the pit area in Broadbent Arena, where they can get up close and personal with the trucks and tractors and trucks and meet drivers for photos and autographs.  The pit area is open today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 to 11 a.m.

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USS Louisville Arrives in Subic Bay

USSLouisvilleThe Los Angeles-class submarine USS Louisville (SSN 724) arrived in Subic Bay for a brief port call that highlights the strong community and military connections between the Philippines and the United States, February 14, 2017.

The Louisville crew will participate in a series of community service projects and sporting events during the crew’s visit to the Philippines.

The ship will also use the stop to conduct some minor maintenance with the assistance of Filipino companies.

The Philippines is a longstanding treaty ally of the United States with a history of partnership of more than 70 years. The American and Philippine militaries have worked closely together on areas of mutual interest such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter terrorism, cyber security and maritime security.

Louisville is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Just one week from today, the 52nd National Farm Machinery Show is returning to Louisville and brining with it the 49th annual Championship Tractor Pull.

The event, hosted at the Kentucky Exposition Center at 937 Phillips Lane, runs from Wednesday, February 15, through Saturday, the 18th.  KY Expo Center parking is $8 with admission to the Farm Machinery Show free and open to the public.  Tickets for the Championship Tractor Pull are available through Ticket Master starting at $20.

The National Farm Machinery Show is the nation’s largest indoor farm show, featuring nearly 900 exhibitors, offers the most complete selection of cutting-edge agricultural products, equipment and services available in the farming industry.  In addition to seeing the industry’s newest products , visitors can attend free seminars from experts on topics including the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), data handling, weather and commodity trends, and marketing.

Tyne Morgan and Al Pell will also be performing a live-taping of “U.S. Farm Report” during the show that visitors can stop by and watch.  The show also features more than 80 vendors in the Gift & Craft Market in the South Wing Mezzanine, offering something for everyone.

Championship Tractor Pull

ChampionshipTractorPullFormer champions and a record-breaking number of women drivers will compete for a share of the $250,000 purse in 2017 at the 49th annual Championship Tractor Pull.

2016 champions including Terry Blackbourn, Steve Bunnage, and Mendi Nelson, among others are returning to try to keep their titles.  The 2017 competition will also break last year’s record for women competitors as Anna Belle Bradley, Ashley Corzine, Julia Ray, and Kentucky’s own Monica Shaw and Lisa Tatum, along with many other female pullers enter the arena.

Over 70,000 fans are expected to attend the competition, which will include several new categories such as the 6,350 Modified 4×4 Truck and 9,500 Limited Pro Stock Tractor classes.

If you like the roar of Pro Stocks, Super Stocks, Modified, and Alcohol Tractors as well as two- and four-wheel drive trucks battling it out in the dirt, don’t miss the excitement every night of the 2017 National Farm Machinery Show in Freedom Hall.

Pleasure Ridge Park firefighters responded to the structure fire call just after 4:30 PM Sunday in the 13000 block of Ashlawn Drive in southern Jefferson County’s Valley Station neighborhood.

Despite getting the blaze under control within 10 minutes of responding, two men inside the house were already dead.  Although officials believe the cause of death to likely be due to smoke inhalation, the official cause is pending from the medical examiner.

Upon arriving, firefighters found heavy flames pouring from the kitchen area of the house.  Traffic into and out of the neighborhood was blocked as the flames were extinguished and the scene was contained before being reopened later in the evening.

The two victims of the house fire are believed to have been in their 60s and 80s, respectively.

UPDATE: The names of the victims have been released. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Tilden Thompson, Jr., age 88, and his son, Michael Thompson, age 59, died from smoke inhalation.

 

Mayor joins national experts, universities, employers at Ali Center on Dec. 9

Registration is now open for Power Forward, a workforce and education summit that brings together national and local experts, schools, universities and employers to collaborate on a more productive transition between education and career – helping create a stronger pipeline of  talent for Louisville-area employers.

The event is Friday, Dec. 9, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Muhammad Ali Center. Registration is free at kentuckianaworks.org.

Power Forward is presented by KentuckianaWorks, 55,000 Degrees and Greater Louisville Inc. and funded by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation.

Mayor Greg Fischer, who has set goals for talent attraction and raising the education attainment and skills level in Louisville, will present at the start of the summit, and close with a challenge to the community.

Keynote speakers will include:

  • Peter Cappelli, the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at The Wharton School and Director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania,
  • Dr. Kate Ziemer, Vice Provost of Curriculum of Northeastern University, which has transformed from an urban commuter university into a top-50 national university partly on the strength of a comprehensive co-op program.

Additional breakout sessions and lightning and TED-style talks will feature an eclectic lineup of presenters and topics.

Light refreshments begin at 8:30 a.m., and lunch will be provided.

claras-dream-2016-696x464The University of Louisville Dance Theatre continues its beloved, holiday tradition with the 21st annual performance of “Clara’s Dream” Dec. 2-4 at the School of Music’s Comstock Hall.

“Clara’s Dream” is the familiar story of “The Nutcracker” from the time that Clara starts dreaming of snow and the land of sweets. There are cotton candy angels and toy soldiers, as well as the variations from foreign lands and, of course, the Sugar Plum Fairy appears. Her dream takes the audience along for a joyful ride through fantasy.

Directed by Cynthia Bronner and Chuck Bronson, UofL Dance Theatre is the elite level of the UofL Dance Academy. The ULDA is a pre-professional, civic level ballet company that focuses on preparing middle and high school age dancers to pursue ballet after they graduate from high school. About 50 dancers from all levels of the academy will have roles in the show.

There are four chances to catch “Clara’s Dream” this season: 7 p.m. Dec. 2, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 3 and 2 p.m. Dec. 4.

The production is appropriate for all ages. Reserved tickets are on sale and available by mail through the UofL Dance Academy website: $15 for adults and $10 for children under age 13 or adults over age 65. Group rates also are available for ten or more.

For more information and to order tickets, call 502-852-6878 or visit the UofL Dance Academy website at www.uldanceacademy.com.

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