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Saturday January 24, 2026
Local Connection
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes recognized four Kentucky high school students for winning her office’s 28th annual essay contest. She held a ceremony at Rupp Arena during the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament.
The winners in their respective grades are:
- 12th grade – Olivia Beecham (St. Henry District High School, Erlanger)
- 11th grade – James Michnya (Trinity High School, Louisville)
- 10th grade – Theodore Ehrenborg (Henry Clay High School, Lexington)
- 9th grade – William Dolan (J. Graham Brown School, Louisville)
Created in 1988, the Secretary of State’s essay contest serves to inspire students to be active and informed citizens, with particular emphasis on election-related issues. High school students are invited to write essays regarding the First Amendment and elections. Entries were judged on research and understanding of voting and the First Amendment, idea development, organization, language and correctness. The University of Kentucky Scripps Howard First Amendment Center judges the anonymous contest entries.
“James, Olivia, Theodore, and William are great representatives of the many young Kentuckians who are already engaged,” said Grimes. “Kentucky’s future will be bright with leaders like them. I am proud of each of the contest participants for taking part, and I encourage all Kentucky high school students to enter next year.”
Each winner received a $1,000 cash scholarship made possible by the Office of Secretary of State and its partners, KEA and KEA Retired, the University of Kentucky Scripps Howard First Amendment Center, the Kentucky Department of Education, and Harp Enterprises, Inc.
Winners of the slogan contest, which is open to students in grades 6 through 8, will be announced separately.
For more information about the Secretary’s annual contests, visit sos.ky.gov.
Gov. Matt Bevin and First Lady Glenna Bevin hosted a luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion on Saturday, March 11 for the finalists of the First Lady’s Derby Poster Contest.
Early this year, the First Lady’s Office offered an opportunity for high school students to design the 2017 Kentucky Derby poster to displayed in the Capitol. Typically, professionals have been chosen to create the annual poster. This year, students throughout the Commonwealth were invited to offer their own rendering of what they think Derby Day looks like. The deadline for submissions was Feb. 20.
Mrs. Bevin, along with help from the Bevin children, chose the finalists and the winner. Students submitted their artwork online anonymously. Once the finalists were selected, their names, ages and schools were revealed. The finalists were presented with a personalized plaque to honor their submitted artwork.
“Matt and I want this to inspire students to be creative and encourage them to achieve their goals,” said Mrs. Bevin. “All of the finalist are winners! They are so incredibly talented, and they made the decision very difficult for me. It was such an honor to host these students and their guests. I had a wonderful time getting to know each of them.”
Jackson Penna, a junior at Pleasure Ridge Park High School in Louisville, was named the winner. He has received other awards and recognition for his artwork. Jackson plans to join the military following graduation.
The other finalists named were Anystin Conner, a freshman at Paul Blazer High School (Ashland); Olivia Nisbet, a senior at Pleasure Ridge Park High School; Vanessa Rodriguez, a senior at Bryan Station High School (Lexington); and Kaylee Thornsberry, a senior at Morgan County High School (West Liberty).
March Madness is in full swing with the Sweet Sixteen Round starting tonight. Even if the Louisville Cardinals losing to Michigan wrecked your bracket, or maybe it was Middle Tennessee or University of Rhode Island, there is still hope.
Tonight, the men start the Sweet Sixteen round of the tournament. Even if you are a Cardinals fan, you can still cheer on the Kentucky Wildcats in hopes that the tournament win comes back to the great state of Kentucky. The Wildcats will be televised on CBS tomorrow night at 9:39 PM. The full schedule for the Sweet Sixteen is as follows:
- #3 Oregon vs #7 Michigan – tonight, CBS 7:09 PM
- #1 Gonzaga vs #4 W Virginia – tonight, TBS 7:39 PM
- #1 Kansas vs #4 Purdue – tonight, CBS 9:39 PM
- #11 Xavier vs #2 Arizona – tonight 10:09 PM
- #1 UNC vs #4 Butler – tomorrow, CBS 7:09 PM
- #3 Baylor vs #7 S Carolina – tonight, TBS 7:29 PM
- #3 UCLA vs #2 Kentucky – tomorrow, CBS 9:39 PM
- #8 Wisconsin vs #4 Florida – Tomorrow, TBS 9:59 PM
If you just cannot bring yourself to cheer on the Wildcats, then rest assured that the Louisville Lady Cardinals are still in the tournament. As usual, the women’s tournament is usually a day behind the men. The Lady Cardinals will be in the Sweet 16 this weekend in hopes to make their third appearance in the final game and it would be the first win for the Lady Cardinals (and first win by a Kentucky college) since the tournament started in 1982. The schedule for the women’s:
- #1 Notre Dame vs #5 Ohio State – tomorrow, ESPN 7:00 PM
- #3 Washington vs #2 Mississippi – tomorrow, ESPN2 7:00 PM
- #3 Texas vs #2 Stanford – tomorrow, ESPN 9:30 PM
- #1 Baylor vs #4 Louisville – tomorrow, ESPN2 9:30 PM
- #3 Maryland vs #10 Oregon – Saturday, ESPN 11:30 AM
- #1 UConn vs #4 UCLA – Saturday, ESPN 2:00 PM
- #1 S Carolina vs #12 Quinnipiac – Saturday, ESPN 4:00 PM
- #3 Florida State vs #2 Oregon State – Saturday, ESPN 6:30 PM
Twitter/@realDonaldTrump
President Donald Trump visited Louisville this evening for a rally in Freedom Hall. The arena was filled to capacity with supporters holding “Women For Trump,” “Promises Made, Promises Kept,” and “Buy American, Hire American” signs as well as the omnipresent “Make America Great Again” caps while a long line of people stood outside hoping to be let in.
Not everyone in attendance was a supporter, however, as there was a scattering of several protesters outside of the event.
During the event, President Trump hit on all of his usual talking points including terrorism, imigration, tax reform, crime and drugs, trade agreements, and the Second Amendment.
He covered the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in depth, while making multiple references to US Congressmen Andy Barr and James Comer (both from Kentucky) for their help and a reference to the efforts of US Senator Rand Paul in making sure the replacement is not just “Obamacare lite”. He pointed out that as many one third of the counties in the entire US are limited to only one health insurance provider because of the regulations that the ACA put into place, causing health insurance companies to pull out of many markets.
He went on to outline that the real issue is not just the cost of health insurance, but the cost of health care and medicines. Trump tied in tax reform with this repeal and replacement, stating that the administration cannot accomplish tax reform until they know how the new health law will be structured. The President was very optimistic with the replacement plan that is coming forth and is confident that a plan that will make everyone happy will be on his desk at the end of the day.
Near and dear to many Kentucky workers, Trump also specifically mentioned the automobile manufacturing and coal industries. He recently signed a bill that eliminated a piece of regulation that many supporters of the repeal believe was put into place to shrink the coal industry by requiring coal mines to spend millions on compliance costs. More than 600 coal mines have closed since the 2009 regulation went into effect. Since the rule has been revoked, many coal mines have slightly increased their labor force, but POTUS Trump promised that this is just the beginning.
No Trump event would be complete without Trump’s trademark jabs at the “fake news” and former political rival Hilary Clinton. The President even made light of the Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team’s second-round elimination from the 2017 NCAA basketball tournament. He did continue on to say, “They are a great team, great coach.”
The Home, Garden & Remodeling Show opened this morning at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The show features home improvement and landscaping exhibitors from all over the nation, but the majority are from right here in Kentucky. The more than 300 exhibitors will showcase their products and services, which include everything from hot tubs and roofing materials to fire places, landscaping and deck furniture.
The show also features many information sessions that will cover gardening and landscaping tips, insect control (as well as what not to control), and cooking classes. L&N Federal Credit Union will be sponsoring a tree giveaway: 4,000 saplings of several varieties will be given to show guests who stop by their booth.
The Kids Craft Area for children up to 10 years of age provides the opportunity to take home a flower that they planted themselves, and a bug house that will feature tropical insects. If you need a break from all of the information, there will also be multiple performances each day that will feature performing Frisbee dogs.
The show exhibits occupy the Kentucky Exposition Centers’s south wing halls B & C all weekend. Show hours today and Saturday are from 10 AM to 9 PM and Sunday from 10 AM until 5 PM.
Pets, excluding service animals, will not be allowed into the show area. Admission is $10 per person (16 and older) with free admission for children accompanied by an adult. Those with a military ID will be admitted free and seniors will receive a discount. Credit cards will not be accepted at the Ticket Gate. Advanced tickets are available online through Facebook with a Buy 1, Get 1 Offer or through the show page with a $2 discount along with a one year subscription to one of four magazines. Kentucky Exposition Center parking is $8 per car.
Follow Louisville Dispatch on Facebook for more details and additional photos from the 2017 Louisville Home, Garden, and Remodeling Show. Continue reading
Due to the threat of severe weather tomorrow, the scheduled state-wide tornado drill will be postponed. The storm system moving into the area tomorrow and Wednesday is expected to bring thunderstorms (up to three inches of rain is possible), large hail and strong winds. Due to the cold front moving, tornadoes are also a possibility.
The National Weather Service (NWS-KY) and the Kentucky Emergency Alert System (EAS) will be conducting the tornado drill this Friday, March 3rd at 10:07 AM EST. The test will activate the EAS system – the alerts that are heard on radio and television. You should also expect to hear the outdoor sirens during this time.
Tornado warnings mean that a tornado has already touched ground or it is expected to touch ground very soon. During a tornado, you should move to the basement or another interior room away from windows. If possible, a radio should be tuned to the local news or a weather radio station for updates. For more advice on how to prepare for a tornado or what to do during a tornado, more information can be found on the NWS website.
Photo from ey.com
Ernst & Young LLP, one of the world’s largest business-services organizations, plans to open a 125-member office for executive assistants and other shared professional functions in downtown Louisville with a $4.35 million investment, Mayor Greg Fischer and Gov. Matt Bevin announced today.
“Today is an exciting day for Louisville as we welcome a major new division from EY. This latest location of executive support functions continues to solidify Louisville’s position as a market leader in the global business services sector,” said the Mayor. “Our future is bright thanks to companies like EY that recognize Louisville as a growing and dynamic city with an educated workforce. We are thrilled to welcome this newest EY location to Louisville and look forward to more opportunities to partner with this global industry leader in the future.”
The office will house members of the firm’s expanding National Executive Assistance Team, which supports EY partners across the country, as well as creative and digital services employees. The firm hasn’t yet signed a lease but intends to locate in Louisville’s Central Business District, hiring its full complement by mid-2018. The firm operates similar centers in Dallas, Cleveland and Tucson.
“We are delighted to welcome EY’s professional service center to Kentucky and we are grateful for their investment,” said Gov. Bevin. “Kentucky is quickly becoming the destination of choice for corporate and shared-service centers, thanks to our skilled professional workforce, high quality of life and low business operating costs. We are confident that EY’s Louisville-based, executive support team will be able to effectively serve their executives across the United States.”
“We were very impressed with the level of talent in Louisville and commend efforts by the city, state and local learning institutions to grow the talent base even more aggressively and in new areas,” said Brent Summers, EY’s Americas enterprise support services leader. “That, along with Louisville’s affordability and quality of life, were important factors in our location decision. We are also excited to be locating our new center in the downtown area. There is so much new development and energy. We think it will be a great environment for our new team.”
The firm traces its roots to the early 1900s with the founding of two accounting firms; Ernst & Ernst in Cleveland, and Arthur Young & Co. in Chicago. Their 1989 merger created Ernst & Young, which then became Ernst & Young LLP.
David Calzi, managing partner of the existing Louisville office of Ernst & Young LLP, said the city will make a great home for the new support center.
“The firm has been a proud citizen of Louisville and Kentuckiana since we opened our local practice in 1923. We couldn’t be more pleased that our leadership recognized the desirable facets of our community, and decided to expand our presence here when it had so many other cities to choose from,” Calzi said.
The firm is a member firm of the global EY organization whose members provide assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services to many of the world’s largest companies. They operate in 152 countries, including 30 countries in the Americas, and employ 231,000 people globally.
“EY is just the kind of company our region is working to attract, and we’re excited to have them choose Louisville. They are making a significant investment in our community and creating quality jobs, and they have a reputation for being good corporate citizens. It is our honor to welcome this new division of EY to Greater Louisville,” Deana Epperly Karem, Greater Louisville Inc.’s VP for Regional Growth, said.
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority in February preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $1 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
For more information on EY, visit www.ey.com.
