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Saturday December 6, 2025
Local Connection
This week, the Greater Louisville Foundation Inc. received official notification that it will receive a $500,000 grant over the next three years from The Gheens Foundation to fund its talent attraction and retention efforts in Greater Louisville.
“GLI Foundation’s efforts to tackle the talent retention and attraction needs of Greater Louisville is consistent with the Gheens Foundation’s mission of creative grant-making and the civic legacy of Edwin and Mary Jo Gheens,” Barry Allen, Executive Director of The Gheens Foundation, said. “The strategies outlined in their plan will serve to grow and enhance the citizens and institutions of this community for years to come.”
The grant will be applied to the GROW! (Greater-Louisville Region Optimizing Workforce) initiative. GROW! is a three-year plan developed to retain and attract talented people of all demographics to the Greater Louisville region. GROW! is currently in the process of securing $5 million in funding. The programming and execution of GROW! will be conducted by Greater Louisville Inc., the Metro Chamber of Commerce, with the funding support of the Greater Louisville Foundation.
“This grant is an important step towards accelerating not only the GROW! Project, but also Greater Louisville onto the national stage,” Diane Medley, Chair of the Greater Louisville Foundation Inc. said.
GROW!’s central purpose is to materially increase the rate of net migration of talented people to the region and fill the employee pipeline with skilled and educated professionals resulting in a faster job-fill rate, a strong candidate pool, a higher median wage, and an increase in the overall skilled population, thereby allowing Greater Louisville to become a true ‘community of talent’.
This diverse and robust effort includes (but is not limited to) outreach to cities and universities, a regional branding strategy, brand development with a national marketing campaign, a social media movement, and a community initiative to recruit friends and family (those who could influence relocation decisions to convince targeted talent to move to the area) to act as ambassadors for attraction purposes. Additionally, GROW! includes specific initiatives around partnerships that help secure career opportunities for veterans and collaborative efforts to attract and retain international professionals.
“We have a real opportunity here to engage the entire community to promote our region,” Steve Hanson, Chair-elect of GLI, said. “It’s going to take people from all walks of life getting involved to sell our community to people thinking about moving here. The ball is already rolling. We must carry this momentum forward.”
The GROW! project will partner with local businesses and organizations on specific strategies to retain the qualified population that presently lives in Greater Louisville. This means nurturing programs that already exist, while developing creative ways to attract and retain professionals, and developing a sense of “loyalty” to and pride for the community. More information can be found at GLITalent.com.
Gov. Matt Bevin today cited the results of a study proving there has been dramatic growth in the number and reach of administrative regulations in Kentucky, many of which are unnecessary or outdated.
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University reports that the Kentucky regulatory code, published as the Kentucky Administrative Regulations Service (KARS) grew from a total of four books in 1975 to 14 books in 2015, an increase of 250 percent. In 2015, the regulatory code contained 6.6 million words and 129,575 restrictions.
“The most recent Mercatus Report shows that Kentucky continues to be one of the most highly regulated states in America,” said Gov. Bevin. “Many of these regulations are outdated, redundant or simply unnecessary. We are suffocating economic growth and production in the Commonwealth for no constructive reason. This report reaffirms why our Red Tape Reduction Initiative is so important. We encourage all Kentuckians to go to RedTapeReduction.com and tell us how we can simplify the process for doing business in Kentucky.”
According to the Mercatus study, the chemical manufacturing industry in Kentucky faces the most administrative restrictions, with nearly 4,200. Animal production and aquaculture is second, with more than 4,100; followed by ambulatory health care services, with 3,500; food manufacturing, with 3,250; and nursing and residential care facilities, with almost 2,400.
Gov. Bevin announced the Red Tape Reduction Initiative in July, with the goal of cutting through the red tape of excessive and complex regulatory burdens. By reducing the amount of bureaucracy affecting Kentucky businesses, the Commonwealth can lift unreasonable hardship off the shoulders of Kentucky’s business community.
Gov. Bevin first began the process by instructing cabinet secretaries to start a thorough review of all government regulations currently on the books, then extended the invitation to businesses and employees throughout the state. Since July, www.RedTapeReduction.com, the site where people are instructed to submit regulations, has received some 14,000 visits, and 500+ suggestions have been received and are being evaluated.
The report from Mercatus can be accessed at http://mercatus.org/publication/kentucky-regulation-2015.
For more information on the initiative or to submit a suggestion on a regulation that should be reviewed, please visit www.RedTapeReduction.com.
A community educational forum convened by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer on the possibility of expanding activities covered by Metro Louisville’s smoke-free ordinance will feature two University of Louisville researchers who study the effects of environmental factors on health.
The forum will be held at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the Department of Public Health and Wellness, 400 E. Gray St. It will address the possible addition of bans on e-cigarette and hookah use in public places. Louisville enacted its smoke-free ordinance in 2008, prohibiting smoking tobacco products in indoor public places and worksites.
Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., the Smith and Lucille Gibson Chair in Medicine and director of the American Heart Association Tobacco Research and Addiction Center (ATRAC) in the School of Medicine, and Robert Jacobs, professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences in the School of Public Health and Information Sciences, will participate in the forum.
Bhatnagar won a grant of $20 million from the NIH and FDA in 2013 to establish the ATRAC. It conducts multidisciplinary research to help inform the manufacture, distribution and marketing of tobacco products as they are regulated by the FDA. In 2014, he chaired a 10-member panel of fellow national experts that developed the American Heart Association’s first-ever policy statement on e-cigarettes, citing the paucity of research that has been conducted on the effects of e-cigarettes on health and the need for continued rigorous research.
Jacobs researches the health effects associated with indoor air and exposures to organic dust in agricultural and industrial environments, inhalation toxicology and international environmental and occupational health practices. He has published research on the health effects associated with specific components of inhaled organic dust and on the development of methods for exposure assessment of specific biological airborne contaminants in both the work and non-work environments.
Also on the panel will be Paul Kiser, Ph.D., assistant professor at Bellarmine University; Carol Riker, M.S.N., R.N., associate professor emeritus, University of Kentucky; and Monica Mundy, M.P.H., community advisor, Kentucky Center for Smoke-Free Policy.
More than 500 communities across the country, including 13 in Kentucky, already include e-cigarettes or hookah use in their smoke-free laws. Many local businesses, health care facilities and educational institutions in Louisville also include e-cigarettes or hookah in their own wellness policies.
For additional information, visit the Mayor’s website.
Millennials are a key factor turning up the heat in America’s hottest housing markets, according to a Realtor.com report on the 50 Hottest ZIP Codes in the United States – which included one Louisville neighborhood. This fueled a few dozen housing markets to rise above 32,000 others on a list topped by Watauga, Texas and Pleasant Hill, California.
The 40242 ZIP code on the east side of Louisville, bound by the Gene Snyder, the Watterson, and I-71 did not quite crack the top 10 in the nation, but it only just missed the list by coming in at the 11th spot.
“Homes for sale in this year’s hottest ZIP codes are selling almost as quickly as they hit the market,” said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for realtor.com. “While millennials are usually a significant presence in most markets, their sheer size and buying power have made them a force to be reckoned with in these hot ZIP codes and given them the power to shift supply and demand dynamics.”
Read the full report here.
Device found in motor fuel pump at Richmond retail establishment
Kentucky Department of Agriculture inspectors found this skimmer inside a fuel pump in a Richmond retail establishment.
Kentucky Department of Agriculture inspectors discovered a credit card “skimmer” during a routine inspection of a motor fuel pump at a Richmond retail establishment earlier this month.
“This device was discovered by our inspectors as part of their everyday job duties,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said. “We took on this responsibility at no additional cost to Kentucky taxpayers. This discovery saved consumers thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges that could have been made with data stolen by the use of this device.”
The skimmer – an electronic device used to capture data from consumers’ credit cards – was removed and turned over to Richmond police.
Losses due to credit card skimming are expected to exceed $3 billion globally this year, according to consumer transaction technology company NCR of Duluth, Ga.
The KDA is charged with the task of inspecting motor fuel pumps in every retail establishment in the Commonwealth once a year to ensure that the amount of fuel dispensed matches the amount shown on the pump, and checking to make sure pumps are in proper working order. As part of the inspection, they look for signs that a pump has been compromised by thieves who install skimmers to steal consumer data. The data is used to produce fake credit cards and make fraudulent charges on the victim’s account. Inspectors shut down any pump that may have been tampered with and report the incident to law enforcement authorities.
Jason Glass, assistant director of the KDA’s Division of Regulation and Inspection, said card readers on fuel pumps are especially susceptible to tampering because pumps often are located out of sight of an attendant.
Glass said retailers are taking action to prevent credit card skimming by installing proprietary locks on pumps, using security tape to seal the pumps, and logging the numbers on the tape to make sure the seal hasn’t been broken and replaced. Some pumps shut down when they are entered unlawfully, Glass said. Credit card companies are deploying technology to make credit cards harder to skim, he said.
Glass said consumers can help themselves by looking for signs that a pump has been tampered with, such as locks that appear to have been compromised, doors that may have been pried open, and security tape that is broken or doesn’t adhere to the pump.
Consumers may report suspected tampering to the retailer, law enforcement, or the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. To submit a report to the KDA, call (502) 573-0282 or email ag.web@ky.gov. Please include the retailer’s name and location, the pump number, and the fuel grade.
Eight Establishments in Louisville Named among America’s 80 Best Bourbon Bars
Bourbon industry publication, The Bourbon Review, has released its annual list of America’s 80 Best Bourbon Bars. During National Bourbon Heritage Month, The Bourbon Review will partner with Four Roses Bourbon for a nationwide “toast” to each of the 80 establishments selected.
Eight Louisville bars were selected as part of the list, including: Bourbons Bistro, Charr’d Bourbon Kitchen and Lounge, Derby Café, Doc Crows, Down One Bourbon Bar, Haymarket Whiskey Bar, Proof on Main, and Silver Dollar
Louisville has the most recognized bourbon bars than any other city in America. All eight of the establishments honored are also a part of the city’s Urban Bourbon Trail, a “pub crawl” that celebrates Louisville’s bourbon heritage and culture.
The nationwide “toast” will take place on Friday, September 30, when The Bourbon Review and Four Roses Bourbon will encourage fans to take part by tagging their favorite bourbon bar from the list using the hashtag #80Toast.
In addition to the toast, on-site visits to select winning Bourbon bars across the country by Four Roses Bourbon and The Bourbon Review are planned for September and October.
“We are proud to once again partner with The Bourbon Review to help celebrate its Top 80 list,” said Brent Elliott, master distiller, Four Roses Bourbon. “It’s an honor to recognize and toast these establishments who take their Bourbon as seriously as we do.”
To see the full list of America’s 80 Best Bourbon Bars, please visit www.gobourbon.com/best-80-bourbon-bars-2016.
The free family event, 200 Years On the Ohio: A Living Timeline Event, will take place this weekend, Saturday 17 September and Sunday 18 September.
The event will feature exhibition of clothing, tools, pastimes, weaponry and cooking from Louisville’s historic timeline.
Highlights of the educational event include a late 19th century “base ball” game on Sunday, September 18 at 1:00 PM between the Cincinnati Red stockings and the Cincinnati Buckeyes.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet Mr. Lincoln as portrayed by Dennis Boggs as well as a “fashion show” featuring the clothing from various periods throughout Louisville’s history.