The Public Safety Committee of the Louisville Metro Council will have a special discussion on the recently announced Traffic Stop Policy for Louisville Metro Police initiated by Chief Steve Conrad when it meets on Wednesday, June 5th.

“This meeting will be a follow-up to the joint meeting in April where concerns were raised by Council members over the stop in 2018 of a 17 year old in West Louisville,” says Councilwoman Jessica Green (D-1), who chairs the Committee. “This will be an opportunity for the Committee to get a better understanding of the policy and how it is being implemented out on the streets by officers.”

Councilwoman Green has invited Chief Conrad to speak about the policy to the Committee.

Also, on the agenda is Ordinance O-168-19 that seeks to make marijuana possession the lowest law enforcement priority for Louisville Metro Police Department.

The Public Safety Committee will meet at 3:30pm in Council Chambers, Historic City Hall, 601 West Jefferson Street.

The meeting will be carried live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 or on UVERSE at Channel 99.

All meetings of the Metro Council are streamed live. Go to the Metro Council Home page at www.Louisvilleky.gov/metrocouncil  and click on the Metro Council Agendas link.

Each month, Neighborhood Place partners provide numerous events and resources to benefit the entire family.  Activities in June include the10^th Annual Shawnee CommUNITY Celebration on June 15^th, Senior Farmer Market Nutrition Program sign-ups at all eight Neighborhood Place locations, hiring opportunities by FedEx, Sodexo and the U.S. Census Bureau, and much more.  To learn more about these offerings, please refer to the list below.

Now while supplies last, Senior Farmer Market Nutrition Program Sign-Ups at multiple locations
The Senior Farmer Market Nutrition Program provides income eligible seniors, 60+ years old, with $28 in checks per season to purchase fresh, unprocessed, locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey at approved farmers markets.  Apply at any of the eight Neighborhood Place locations and other locations while supplies last. Sponsored by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and Kentucky Proud.  For more details about eligibility and where to sign up, visit here.  

June 4, 6, 18, 20 and 28, Passport Health Care Community Engagement at multiple locations 
Passport Members are invited to join with representatives from Passport Health Care for one-on-one consultations to discuss plan benefits and options.   This is a great opportunity as Passport aims to raise awareness and educate the community about the Passport Health Plan mission.  Passport members will receive a $10 retail gift card for attending.

• June 4, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Rd (door #16) side of Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Call (502) 212-6677 to RSVP.
• June 6, NorthWest Neighborhood Place, 4018 W. Market St., 1 p.m.
• June 18, 1 p.m.- 3 p.m, First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Rd (door #16) side of Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Call (502) 212-6677 to RSVP.
• June 20, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m., South Jefferson Neighborhood Place, 1000 Neighborhood Place, Fairdale. Call 1-800-578-0603, ext. 8428 to RSVP. 
• June 28, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m., South Central Neighborhood Place, 4255 Hazelwood Ave. Call 1-800-578-0603, ext.  8428 to RSVP. 

June 5, FedEx Ground Employment Opportunities at First Neighborhood Place, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. 
Located at First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Road (T.J. Middle School in the W.D. Bruce Building – door #24), Call (502) 313-4700 for more information.  A FedEx human resources recruiter will talk one-on-one with individuals interested in a career as a Package Handler with FedEx Ground.   

June 6, Sodexo Hiring Opportunities at First Neighborhood Place, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 
Located at 1503 Rangeland Road (T.J. Middle School in the W.D. Bruce Building – door #24).  Call 313-4700 for more information.Sodexo, a food-service agency, will provide on-the-spot interviews for positions with Jewish Hospital, Our Lady of Peace and University of Louisville Hospital. Bring your resume and be prepared for an interview. This is one of Sodexo’s busiest hiring seasons. Stop by if you are looking for employment that can lead to a full-time or part-time position. 

June 10 and 28, Kentucky Health Career Center at two locations.
Call (502) 363-1483 for more information.  Looking for a job in healthcare?  Kentucky Health Care Center can help with career assessments, training funds, job leads and referrals.  A representative from the Kentucky Health Career Center will be on hand to discuss the multiple opportunities the Center can office. 

• June 10, South Central Neighborhood Place, 4255 Hazelwood Ave., 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• June 28, First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Road (T.J. Middle School in the W.D. Bruce Building – door #24), 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Call 313-4700 for more information.

Mondays, June 10 – July 1, Women’s Empowerment Group at Bridges of Hope Neighborhood Place, 5 – 7 p.m. 
Located at 1411 Alonquin Pkwy.  RSVP to 634-6050 to help with planning because dinner will be served at the end of each segment.  This free series focuses on educating and empowering women by building knowledge and skills in multiple areas. Presented by Bridges of Hope Neighborhood Place and Urban Strategies, Inc. the Women’s Empowerment Group was created by women to serve women to provide a safe, welcoming space that encourages participants to speak openly and candidly.  Children are welcome to accompany their parent or guardian with special kids programming provided by Play Cousins Collective while the women’s group is in session. 

June 11 and 13, A Healthy Journey for Two Educational Baby Shower at two locations
For more information, contact Mendy Mason at 502-341-5400.  A Healthy Journey for Two is an educational baby shower open to any expectant mothers.  The class will include a range of information and resources, as well as free baby items, gift cards, prizes, and snacks.  Hosted by Seven Counties and KIDSNow.  Fathers are welcome but must be registered.

• June 11, South Central Neighborhood Place, 4255 Hazelwood Ave., 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• June 13, First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Rd. 1 – 3 p.m.

June 13, The Center for Women and Families Outreach at First Neighborhood Place, 1- 4:30 p.m.  
Located at1503 Rangeland Rd (door #24) side of Thomas Jefferson Middle School.  For more information, contact Nayelyi Sanchez, Domestic Violence Advocate at (502) 581-7270. Staff with the Center for Women and Families will be on-hand to give an overview of their services which include trauma-informed advocacy and support for qualified families and individuals with supportive services; emergency shelter; sexual assault services; housing; children’s services and more.

June 15, Shawnee CommUNITY Celebration at French Plaza, 1 – 4 p.m.
Located at 232 Amy Avenue.  The 10^th Annual Shawnee CommUNITY Celebration promotes unity, friendship and collaboration between individual, families, organizations and businesses in the Shawnee Neighborhood and beyond.   A myriad of business vendors and social service agencies will provide products and services as well as family and community resource information.  Join us for live music, food, family games, onsite yard sale, health screenings, mammograms and other family-focused fun.  This is a great opportunity to connect and learn about the many supports and services available in our community.  Sponsored by the Shawnee Ministries and Community Collaborative.  For more information about this event and/or if you are interested in being a vendor, please contact Anne Peak via phone at 502.778.0001 or via email at anne.peak@shawneehealthcare.org.   

June 18 and 19, U.S. Census Bureau’s Hiring Event at First Neighborhood Place, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 
Located at 1503 Rangeland Rd. (T.J. Middle School in the W.D. Bruce Building – door #24).   Call 313-4700 for more information. A U.S. Census Bureau’s representative will be available to share information about the hundreds of entry-level office and warehouse clerks employment opportunities for the Jeffersonville location. National Processing Center (NPC) is the U.S. Census Bureau’s primary center for mail processing, survey processing, data capture, imaging/scanning and warehouse operations. NPC recently increased the starting hourly pay rate for entry level clerks to $14.54 per hour.

June 25, Coffee and Connections at the Louisville Free Public Library, Main Branch, 10 a.m.
Located at 301 York Street.  Call 574-1611 for more information.  Join us for coffee and conversation about services available for homeless and low-income residents.  This month features guest speakers Keesha Gardner, employment specialist with St. John Center, Rachel Spetz outreach worker with Family Health Center and Volunteers of America.  Sponsored by Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services, Neighborhood Place and Louisville Free Public Library.

Mayor Greg Fischer announced the launch of LouTechWorks, an initiative to boost Louisville’s efforts to rapidly expand its tech talent pipeline in collaboration with education, nonprofit and employer partners.

“To compete – and win – in the economy of the future, Louisville must greatly expand the number of technology jobs and radically scale our training platform, in partnership with employers, education partners and others,” Mayor Fischer said. “Today, we take the first step in doing that by launching LouTechWorks.”  

As part of LouTechWorks, Jefferson County Public Schools will teach students digital literacy starting as early as kindergarten, introduce an Applied Digital Skills Curriculum in middle school and provide high school students access to technology career pathways through Academies of Louisville. Six regional institutions of higher education also have committed to expand their technology education offerings and grow the number of students participating in various technology degree programs and certifications. Those higher education partners are Bellarmine University, Jefferson Community and Technical College, Indiana University Southeast, Ivy Tech Community College, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville.

Today, Louisville has about 79 percent of the technology jobs it should have for a city of its size, and the economy of the future is going to require significantly more jobs in software development, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. This initiative seeks to meet those demands.

In order to get to 100 percent, we need to quintuple the city’s projected technology job growth over the next few years. That means maximizing the local technology talent pipeline and ensuring people are getting the digital literacy and training they need to be competitive and obtain technology jobs, which pay well, are growing fast, and are less susceptible to automation.

In creating LouTechWorks, the city worked with partners from K-12 to short-term training providers to two-year and four-year higher education institutions to maximize the local talent pipeline as much as possible. By increasing the output of trained technology workers, Louisville can fill more open technology jobs and begin to create a positive feedback loop that creates additional technology jobs through increased business attraction, existing business expansion, and new start-ups. Achieving these goals will create a foundation for a more prosperous city in an increasingly technology-oriented world.

The LouTechWorks complements other recent technology announcements, including the creation of the Center for Digital Transformation at the University of Louisville and the Tech Louisville program, a KentuckianaWorks and AMPED partnership that will allow residents in the city’s lowest-income neighborhoods to enter family-supporting IT careers. Tech Louisville was made possible when Louisville won a highly competitive JP Morgan Chase grant as part of its inaugural AdvancingCities Challenge.

The LouTechWorks will also build upon the success of Code Louisville, which has now trained 1,200 Louisvillians for technology jobs, and the recently launched Bit502 apprenticeship being piloted with Appriss, El Toro, GE Appliances, QSR Automations, Texas Roadhouse, and Waystar.

These efforts are just the beginning.

“One critical piece of this puzzle is state funding, and Kentucky is moving in the wrong direction. While most states began to re-invest in themselves as the economy recovered from the Great Recession, Kentucky was one of five states to cut higher education funding last year,” the Mayor said. “Until we as a Commonwealth begin to invest in our common future, we cannot expect to achieve better outcomes. We need serious funding for technology in higher education.”

Businesses also must join in the effort by creating cooperative or internship programs at their companies to help students learn on the job, by getting involved in the Louisville Tech Alliance and by hiring graduates.

Find out more about LouTechWorks by visiting https://loutechworks.org.

Mayor Greg Fischer today announced the iconic Dirt Bowl tournament is returning for a historic 50th year with plans to commemorate the tournament’s anniversary with a series of events in addition to the tournament, which will begin the weekend of June 22 with games on the hard courts at Shawnee Park. 

“The Dirt Bowl is an enormous part of Louisville sports history,” said the Mayor. “From NBA stars to young people, this tournament brings together our community to share good times and watch great basketball. I’m thrilled to join others as we celebrate its 50th anniversary.”

It all started in the summer of 1969, when two young recreation leaders, Janis Carter and Ben Watkins, who worked in the city of Louisville’s parks department came up with a plan. They looked around at the turmoil that was occurring in the city and nationwide and believed a basketball tournament could help bring the community together.

“I never in all my wildest dreams thought the creation of the Dirt Bowl would take on a life of its own after the summer of 1969,” said Janis Carter Miller, who went on to play college basketball at Kentucky State University and became an internationally-known jazz singer. “The Dirt Bowl has now taken its rightful place in my life as a part of my legacy. The affection for and the effect it’s had on people’s lives still exist. The Dirt Bowl started during a tumultuous time of race relations, but there were no incidents. The tournament has survived even now through changes in our urban community’s struggle to be included.”

Fifty years later, the iconic Dirt Bowl basketball tournament is still bringing basketball fans, family, friends and neighbors together to Shawnee Park in west Louisville each summer. As the tournament’s reputation grew, it attracted a bevy of superstars worthy of filling out an NBA roster of its own. Artis Gilmore. Darryl Griffith. Dan Issel. Wes Unseld. Rajon Rondo. Derek Anderson. Ron King.

“The Dirt Bowl to me, it was the NBA,” said Derek Anderson, the former Doss High School star who played at Ohio State and won championships at the University of Kentucky and for the Miami Heat during a successful 12-year stint in the National Basketball Association. “It was everything to me. It was my biggest dream to play there and follow in the footsteps of the greats and legends who played out there. It also saved my life. Playing basketball year-round with the goal of playing in the Dirt Bowl, I was able to stay focused. I got an opportunity to make basketball my career, and I think I was able to win a NCAA Championship and NBA Championship because I played in the Dirt Bowl.”

Also, over the course of its run, the tournament has become the place to see and be seen. The Dirt Bowl is part basketball tournament, part block party and part family reunion. “It’s food, family, fun, and it’s basketball,” Anderson said. The tournament experienced some dormancy in the mid-2000s through 2012, when it was reintroduced with the help of Mayor Fischer and then-Councilwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton.

Fischer convened a group of community leaders to brainstorm what it’d take to bring back the Dirt Bowl. Each year since it has enjoyed even more community support.  

“It was important to keep the ideas and dreams of Janis Carter and Ben Watkins alive,” the Mayor said. “No matter where you live in this community, there’s one thing that most of us share in Louisville and that’s a love of basketball. They understood in the 1960s that was one thing that could succeed in bringing together people from all walks of life. The game’s popularity makes that true still today.”

The Dirt Bowl began in Algonquin Park but was moved in 1970 to Shawnee Park, where it has been hosted until this day. To celebrate the tournament’s origins, organizers will hold a kickoff celebration at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 16 at Algonquin Park. The event will include a slam dunk and three-point shooting contest and a game between last year’s Dirt Bowl winner, Business As Usual, and a to be determined opponent.

The Dirt Bowl games will begin on June 22, with the actual tournament beginning August 3. Championship games will take place the weekend of August 11-12, 2019. A special 50th anniversary awards dinner will take place at the Frazier History Museum on Sunday, August 25, 2019.

Schedule of Events

• Monday, June 3, 10 a.m., Mayor’s Gallery: Press conference announcing plans for the 2019 Dirt Bowl and celebration of its golden anniversary.
• Sunday, June 9, 2 p.m., Virtue, 103 S. Oak St: Event to accept team signups at Virtue Restaurant in Old Louisville.
• Sunday, June 16, 3:30 p.m., Algonquin Park: Kickoff celebration, including announcement of an historical marker (to come), as well as slam dunk and 3-point shooting contests, and a game between last year’s Dirt Bowl winner, Business as Usual, and an opponent TBD.
• Saturday/Sunday, June 22-23, Shawnee Park: Tip-off for the 2019 season games.
• Tuesday, June 25, 6 p.m., Frazier History Museum: Dirt Bowl history panel.
• June/July, Shawnee Park: Games every Saturday and Sunday except the weekend of July 27-28, when West Louisville Appreciation Day is held.
• Aug. 3-4, Shawnee Park: Dirt Bowl tournament begins.
• Aug. 10-11, Shawnee Park: Championship games and crowning of championship teams.
• Sunday, Aug. 25, 6 p.m., Frazier History Museum: 50th anniversary awards dinner.

Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, community organizations, and residents, hundreds of electric fans have been collected to provide heat relief for seniors and people with disabilities.  A “Fan Fair” giveaway and resource event is scheduled for Saturday, June 8 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Edison Center, 701 W. Ormsby Ave., Louisville, KY 40203.

Fans will be available for seniors 60 and older, as well as for individuals with documented disabilities, on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Fan Fair qualifications and guidelines are as follows:

• Person 60 years or older
• Or documentation verified by a physician of a disability
• Resident of Jefferson, Oldham, Henry, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble or Bullitt Counties
• Proof of address and age
• ​One fan per household

A Prescription Drug Toss & Resource Fair will coincide with the fan giveaway event to provide basic information from local resources. Participating vendors include AARP, JenCare, Humana, Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency (KIPDA), Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services, Passport Health, Senior Medicare Patrol and several other Metro Government divisions.

The Louisville Metro Police Department will also be educating and collecting prescription drugs to properly and safely dispose of unwanted or expired prescription drugs in the home.

Fan Fair is sponsored by KIPDA Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living and Louisville Metro Office for Aging & Disabled Citizens (OADC).  These organizations joined forces in 2016 to implement a fan drive and for the first annual Fan Fair in response to the numerous calls they received requesting heat relief.

This year’s fan collection will end June 5. Drop-off donations of new box fans can be made Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at one of the following: KIPDA, 11520 Commonwealth Drive (Lou., KY 40299) or WLKY Studio, 1918 Mellwood Ave. (Lou, KY 40206).  Monetary donations are also appreciated to purchase fans and checks can be made payable to KIPDA, Attn:  Fan Fair, mailed to the address above on Commonwealth Drive, and postmarked by June 3.

To date, more than 100 fans have been donated, and more than $5000 in monetary donations have been received to purchase additional fans.  Some of the many donors include:

• AARP Kentucky
• JenCare Senior Medical Centers
• Humana
• Lowe’s
• Passport Health Plan
• Numerous individual donors

WLKY served as the media partner providing both on-air and on-line advertising to promote the fan collection and serving as one of the donation drop-off sites.  Lowe’s provided support in allowing the purchase of additional fans at cost from the monetary donations that were collected.

“The amazing generosity we’ve received again this year is evidence of the compassion and desire to take care of one’s neighbor that exists in the Louisville community,” stated Sarah Teeters, Coordinator for OADC, part of the Office of Resilience and Community Services. “We hope to offer Fan Fair every summer as long as the need and the interest continue.”

“The increased support from the business community this year has been astonishing! It shows just how much dedication our city’s professionals have towards increasing the overall health of our community,” stated Jennifer Craig, Aging and Disability Resource Specialist for KIPDA. 

For more information about the Fan Fair event, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/resilience-and-community-services  or  www.KIPDA.org.

In an effort to minimize the impact of the closure of the Middletown Library, Mayor Greg Fischer, working with Councilman Markus Winkler, announced today that the branch will be able to remain open until June 19, with the exception of Monday, June 3.

The original closure date of June 3rd was scheduled to allow for adequate staff to shut down and clear out the Middletown branch before the opening of the new Northeast Regional Library. However, Councilman Winkler has offered to organize volunteers to help pack up books and library materials, freeing up library staff to continue providing regular library services to patrons.

“I am grateful for both the idea and the offer of volunteer help from Councilman Winkler to allow us to keep the Middletown Library open a little longer, as we prepare for the opening of the Northeast Regional Library,” said Mayor Fischer. “Our libraries are a critical resource for our community. During this budget challenge, the offers of help from volunteers, businesses, schools and nonprofit partners to step up and address gaps have demonstrated our community’s deep social muscle.”

While hours of operation may vary based on staff availability, patrons can continue to pick up items on hold during this time and regular access to library computers and wifi will continue. Updated information about hours will be provided via social media and on the Library website at www.lfpl.org.

“I really appreciate the work of the administration to make this happen,” said Councilman Winkler. “This is a testament to what happens when we work together for the good of our city, and I am grateful for this outcome.”

In addition, programs for children are being planned for alternate sites—allowing for “pop-up” storytimes and other summer activities—until the new Northeast Regional Library opens on June 24. These include:

Crosby Park:

• June 5th: Bookmobile visit & storytime, 10 a.m. – noon (storytime @ 10 a.m.)
• June 12th: Storytime, 10 a.m.
• June 19th: Storytime, 10 a.m.

Public Bookmobile Visits – to include materials for checkout and a summer reading program:

• June 8th, 1 – 3 p.m., Northeast Regional Library parking lot/park/porch
• June 10th, 6 – 8 p.m., Northeast Regional Library parking lot/park/porch
• June 17th, 6 – 8 p.m., Northeast Regional Library parking lot/park/porch

Closure of the Middletown and Fern Creek libraries, as well as reduced library hours countywide, were announced last month as part of Metro Government’s ongoing budget challenges, driven largely by the increase in the state pension bill and a lack of revenue from Metro Council.

Councilman Rick Blackwell (D-12) is praising the efforts of Solid Waste Management Services Enforcement Officers for their work in impounding the fifth vehicle of the year involved in illegal dumping.

“SWMS Officers are to be commended for their continued enforcement of the illegal dumping ordinance approved by the Metro Council,” says Blackwell. “We want to remind everyone, if you choose to dump trash wherever you want to, it will be costly, and you will be caught.”

The impounded SUV was seen on surveillance cameras being used to dump bags of household trash and a pool liner. The dumping occurred at a business in the 6600 block of Manslick Rd on May 19th of this year.

SWMS Enforcement used the footage, eyewitnesses, and evidence in the trash bags to locate the vehicle on Tioga Rd. The individual was issued a citation totaling $500, and the owner will have to pay approximately $250 for impound and storage fees.