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Monday December 15, 2025
Local Connection
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
With the change of seasons and cooler temperatures it won’t be long before winter returns to Metro Louisville. Some children will need help staying warm this year and that is why Councilman David Yates (D-25) is once again asking the community to help “Coat a Kid” this coming Monday, October 15th.
“Last year, with the generous help of the people of our community, we were able to provide some 300 new coats to JCPS Students across our city,” says Yates. “The need is still great and this year we offer a fun way to help out.”
Working with the Shirley’s Way Queen of Hearts Drawing on Monday, October 15th, Councilman Yates is asking for new coats for JCPS students in need. The Queen of Hearts Drawing is set for Khalil’s, 10966 Dixie Highway.
The Queen of Hearts Drawing is a massively successful charitable event that supports Shirley’s Way, a great local Valley Station non-profit that benefits families struggling to pay bills or pay for groceries when a family member is suffering from cancer.
The Councilman has secured the donation of a new flat screen TV that will be raffled off to members of our community that donate the following to the “Coat a Kid” Drive:
- NEW Coats
- NEW Gloves & NEW Scarves
- Minimum $25 Donation for JCPS Clothing Program
The raffle will take place between 8:00pm and 8:30pm.
“I am proud of our community’s previous generosity and I look forward to another successful event to help children in our area. I hope everyone can attend and bring along a new coat,” says Yates.
For more information about this year’s “Coat a Kid” event, contact Councilman Yates office at 574-1125.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Dare to Care is working with Metro Louisville to relocate its production kitchen operations to the site of the former Parkland Grocery, 1200 South 28th Street. At its current location, Dare to Care produces about 1,200 suppers each workday that are delivered to 34 afterschool sites in the community. The relocation would allow an expansion of this meal production and open the potential for other meal services, including additional Kids Café meals and congregate meal services for senior adults.
The site, owned by Metro Government, has now been vacant for several years but at one time was the location of the Parkland neighborhood’s closest grocery store.
“I want to make sure that everyone in the Parkland area has an opportunity to learn more about this plan,” says Councilwoman Jessica Green (D-1). “This is an opportunity to take an abandoned building and turn it into an asset to the neighborhood.”
In addition to its meal production services, Dare to Care would like to move its administrative and fundraising offices from its main distribution facility on Fern Valley Road to the Parkland Grocery. Other plans for the building include operating a Culinary Skills Job Training program in collaboration with Catholic Charities of Louisville, creating office space for the Metro Police Public Integrity Unit so that it can move from the former Parkland Library into the Parkland Grocery freeing the library for possible future reopening as a Louisville Free Public Library. Shell space for a future retail food market is also in the plan.
To discuss Dare to Care’s plans and get residents’ input, Councilwoman Green is hosting a neighborhood meeting on Thursday, October 18, at 6 pm, at the Baptist Fellowship Center, 1351 Catalpa Street. Brian Riendeau, Dare to Care Executive Director, will be at the meeting to detail the plan, listen to comments, and answer questions. Supper will be provided by Dare to Care.
“I encourage everyone to come out and ask questions about this plan and if you have some additional ideas let us know,” says Green.
Dare to Care Food Bank is a local nonprofit agency with a mission to lead the community to feed the hungry and conquer the cycle of need. In the past twelve months, Dare to Care distributed food for over 20 million meals to eight Kentucky and five Indiana counties. Dare to Care, through its Community Kitchen, serves 34 Kids Cafes in neighborhood afterschool locations and operates Backpack Buddy weekend nutrition programs in 38 Kentuckiana elementary schools. Learn more at www.daretocare.org.
Step back in time as Big Bone Lick State Historic Site returns to days long past during the 36th annual Salt Festival the weekend of Oct. 19-21.
The festival features live demonstrations of pioneer lifeways and frontier skills. Enjoy folk and bluegrass music, listen to a storyteller, view prehistoric Ice Age artifacts, and observe a blacksmith working red-hot iron.
Guests can also see how salt was extracted from the waters of Big Bone, watch a flintknapper make a stone point, and discover how bison hair was spun into yarn. Browse the crafters corner to see the many local, handcrafted items for sale, and take advantage of the good eats at the food court.
This year’s festival entertainment will feature exclusive presentations by Kentucky Humanities performers including Daniel Boone: The First Kentuckian, and Dr. Ephraim McDowell: Frontier Surgeon. Also returning to the festival field is All Nations Drum; an Intertribal Native American group showcasing traditional song and dance.
While visiting the Boone County park, be sure to drop by the park’s museum and visitor’s center to see some of the “big bones.” A shuttle van will transport event-goers to and from the festival field, museum, and campground at regular intervals. Don’t miss seeing the bison herd, the park’s living link to Kentucky’s early history.
On Friday, Oct. 19, the park will host school groups. Schools interested in bringing classes to the festival should call the park at 859-384-3522 as advance registration is required to receive the discounted school admission rate. The deadline to register is Oct. 10. Regular festival admission is $5 per person; children 5 and under are free. Admission is cash only.
For information about the park, visit http://parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/big-bone-lick/. Big Bone Lick State Historic Site is recognized as the birthplace of American vertebrate paleontology for its significant role in the development of scientific thought regarding extinction and the relationship between geology and paleontology the world over. The park is located 22 miles southwest of Covington on KY 338, off US 42/127 and I-71 & I-75. From I-75 north or south, take exit 175 to KY 338. From I-71 north or south, take exit 62 to 127N/42E to KY 338.
Jefferson County Coroner seeks next of kin for Barnaba Kai, male, black, DOB 1/1/1979, who lived at Kentucky Towers, 511 S. 5th Street, in Louisville.
He was possibly from Somalia and part of the Lost Boys, per a neighbor. Have information? Call Deputy Coroner Scott Russ at 574-0139.
Louisville Metro is looking for someone to donate the large Christmas tree that will stand in Jefferson Square Park through the holidays.
“Just like most families preparing for the holidays, we’re looking for the perfect Christmas tree,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “This is the main attraction at Light Up Louisville and it will stay up throughout the holiday season.”
The tree should be a spruce or fir, about 40 feet tall and well-shaped. The city will cut and transport the tree to its prominent spot across from Metro Hall at Sixth and Jefferson streets. Anyone interested in donating a tree should call Metro 311. The tree donor will attend the Light Up Louisville sponsor reception as a featured guest of Mayor Fischer for the Light Up celebration.
Light Up Louisville is held annually on the day after Thanksgiving. This year, the event, in its 38th year, will be held on Friday, Nov. 23.
The tree will be moved with the support of LG&E, Bob Ray Company and Louisville Parks and Recreation.
Attorney General Andy Beshear said a cyber-tip from Facebook led his office to arrest a 25-year-old Dry Ridge man for allegedly exchanging sexual images with a Kentucky minor over the Facebook Messenger app.
On Oct. 8, Tyler Lee Day was arrested by Beshear’s Department of Criminal Investigations, Cyber Crimes Unit. Day was charged with 12 counts of use of a minor under 16 in a sexual performance, Class B felonies; two counts of the prohibited use of a communications system to procure a minor for a sex offense, Class D felonies; and two counts of distribution of obscene matter to a minor, Class A misdemeanors.
The arrest stems from a cyber-tip reported by Facebook to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which was received by Beshear’s office and investigated for seven weeks.
Detectives from Beshear’s office submitted multiple subpoenas and search warrants during the investigation, which led to the discovery that Day had sent sexual images of himself, requested sexual images of children and, in some cases, received images from children.
More than 15 children from multiple states were targeted by Day.
“Make no mistake, the internet is a treacherous place for our children and nearly every online platform or app can be exploited by sexual predators,” Beshear said. “We all have a moral and legal duty to report child abuse, and once my office receives a report we work with local, state and federal partners to ensure child predators are caught quickly and that our children are safe.”
An extensive search by Beshear’s detectives led to a Dry Ridge location where Day was taken into custody. He is currently being held in the Carroll County Jail, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16 in Gallatin District Court.
The Williamstown Police and Grant County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Cyber Crimes Unit.
When it comes to identifying child predators, Beshear’s office has reached historic levels with more arrests than ever before.
The Cyber Crimes Unit is part of the Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which works to reduce the number of child predators going after Kentucky’s most vulnerable children.
With the ever-changing cyber landscape, the unit is dedicated to educating its detectives on the most current techniques and technologies to keep pace with those seeking to harm our children.
The Office of the Attorney General also makes it a priority to educate law enforcement, prosecutors, parents, children and care givers on the dangers lurking on the internet.
To help keep children safe online, the office has collaborated with Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky to offer statewide trainings.
Beshear said the trainings offer a free Internet Safety Toolkit, which he said every Kentuckian could access online to obtain information that can protect children from cyber bullying to online predators.
To report any instance of child abuse to local law enforcement or to Kentucky’s Child Abuse hotline at 877-597-2331 or 877-KYSAFE1.
For the very first time, two people were selected to receive the annual Joan Riehm Memorial Environmental Leadership Award—and both recipients are connected to Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and Fern Creek High School.
Fern Creek teacher Lauren Neimann and Fern Creek Class of 2018 graduate Jack Leppert were presented with the award on October 11 during a ceremony at the school. The annual award honors public service employees, volunteers or students who have gone to great lengths to make Louisville a clean, green and healthier place to live, work and play.
Leppert earned the award for a project he designed to renovate the school’s senior courtyard. The renovation included green infrastructure and storm water mitigation as well as a space where students could spend time and relax. He received a $5,000 grant from the Partnership for a Green City and worked throughout the summer to see his project come to life.
“Jack Leppert is a perfect recipient of the Joan Riehm Award because he took the passion he gained from his teacher and literally became the change he wanted to see at Fern Creek High School,” said Dr. Glenn Baete, JCPS assistant superintendent of high schools.
Neimann, his teacher, also earned the award for guiding the project through the necessary steps like building modifications, budgets, and consultations with landscape designers. JCPS leaders say Neimann’s courses prepare students to leave Fern Creek well-equipped to enter sustainability degree programs in college.
“She is that incomparable teacher we remember from our own school days and the teacher we hope our children experience,” Dr. Baete said. “Her love of teaching, motivational methods, and passion for students are inspirational to those who come in contact with her as well as her community at Fern Creek High.”
The Joan Riehm Memorial Environmental Leadership Award was created after Riehm’s death from pancreatic cancer in 2008. Riehm became the first female deputy mayor for the city of Louisville in 1985. She left government 10 years later to serve as a consultant specializing in public issues management and communication, but returned to city government in 2002 to co-chair the merger transition team.
Riehm later initiated Metro government’s inclusion in the Partnership for a Green City, a collaborative effort to improve sustainability internally and in the community by four of Louisville’s largest public entities: Louisville Metro Government, University of Louisville (UofL), JCPS, and Jefferson Community & Technical College.