Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
Sunday December 21, 2025
Local Connection
Louisville Metro’s Office of Civic Innovation and Develop Louisville are seeking input from the public for an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Playbook to help the city proactively prepare for the impact of autonomous vehicles on transportation.
The public meeting to discuss the playbook and potential strategies for integrating AV technology will be held on Wednesday, May 30 at 6:30 p.m. at LouieLab (745 W. Main Street).
Though Louisville may not see widespread adoption of AVs for several years, it is important that the city initiates a conversation now on transportation values and provides an initial framework by which we can better understand the advantages and potential pitfalls of this new technology.
While projections of how, and how quickly, the technology will be adopted are still being studied, AVs are expected to have a dramatic impact on how people and goods move to, from, and around our nation. In anticipation of that, Louisville Metro is researching and crafting a policy framework that prepares for this technology while ensuring that mobility is enhanced in an equitable manner for all of Louisville’s residents.
The draft playbook lists five steps to guide the city’s approach:
- Ensure that major infrastructure decisions focus on safe movement of people and goods while considering the effects of AVs.
- Forge public-private partnerships to prepare for new regulatory and technological challenges, anticipate emerging technologies and establish best practices.
- Prepare for changes in parking demand.
- Ensure AV technology supports TARC operations to strengthen our transit system.
- Develop and maintain transportation technology and data infrastructure to provide enhanced safety and reliability while encouraging innovation and providing accurate information to people using Louisville’s transportation network.
To view the autonomous vehicle playbook and submit comments using an online form, please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/advanced-planning/autonomous-vehicle…
Louisville earned a bronze medal in an evaluation of whether its policies improve residents’ health and quality of life, according to the CityHealth initiative’s updated city ratings.
CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, offers a close look at whether the nation’s 40 largest cities have nine key policies in place that experts say help residents lead healthier lives and make communities thrive. For each of these nine policies, CityHealth awarded each city a gold, silver, bronze, or no medal, according to the quality of that policy. The group also awarded an overall medal to each city based on how many policy medals were earned.
The report shows which cities are leading the way on implementing policies shown to improve people’s health and quality of life. Louisville earned a bronze medal overall, meaning the city has a bronze, silver or gold medal in four of the nine CityHealth policies. Louisville is one of only five cities nationwide that increased its overall medal status in 2018. For more details on how Louisville performed in each policy area, please see the table below.
“Louisville has taken commendable steps toward giving everyone a fair shot at having a healthy, thriving life,” said Shelley Hearne, CityHealth’s president. “We hope this leadership continues. By adopting the gold standards of proven policies, Louisville can become the healthiest, most thriving place possible.”
CityHealth’s assessment provides more opportunities for Louisville to put policies in place to help make the city a more vibrant, prosperous place to live, and join 14 cities nationwide who have already earned a gold or silver medal. Louisville can show leadership by implementing these evidence-based policies that improve the well-being and quality of life for its residents.
CityHealth will update its ratings again next year. For more details on how Louisville stacks up against the other 40 cities, go to www.cityhealth.org.
CityHealth’s nine evidence-based policies address ways that cities can improve the health of their residents in areas of everyday life – from the workplace and school to housing and public transportation. Each policy is backed by evidence, supported by experts, and has a track record of bipartisan support. In addition to the medal ratings, CityHealth is available to provide technical assistance and support to cities as they advance these policies.
Louisville Metro Animal Services recently received a $40K grant from PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, to help reduce the pet population in Jefferson County. LMAS is using the grant to offer spay/neuter vouchers to Jefferson County residents, which can be redeemed at any Jefferson County Veterinary office or the Kentucky Humane Society SNIP Clinic.
“We are thankful PetSmart Charities awarded LMAS this grant so we can offer discounted vouchers to the public,” said shelter director Ozzy Gibson. “It’s another tool in our arsenal to maintain our hard-earned status as a No Kill Shelter for time and space. Reducing the pet population in Jefferson County is a key factor in keeping that title.”
By offering assistance for discounted spay/neuter surgeries, LMAS will increase in-house surgeries (2,700 in 2017) and those performed by outside providers. The voucher not only encourages responsible pet ownership, it helps reduce uncontrolled breeding of stray cats and dogs and allows LMAS to be proactive about future shelter overcrowding.
Female cats can breed up to four times a year and have an average of 4 kittens per litter. In just 7 years, an unspayed female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens; an unspayed female dog and her offspring can produce 97,000 puppies. With the grant from PetSmart Charities, LMAS can cover the entire cost, or provide a significant discount on spay/neuter surgeries for up to 400 cats and dogs in Jefferson County!
”By establishing this spay and neuter voucher program, Louisville Metro Animal Services is taking a proactive approach to preventing unplanned litters and reducing pet homelessness in the community,” said Kelly Balthazor, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities. “Not only are they advocating for lives of local pets, they are further establishing themselves as a vital resource for local pet parents, too.”
The voucher covers up to $100 of the cost to spay/neuter a cat or a dog. Vouchers can be obtained at the LMAS Animal Care Center located at 3705 Manslick Rd. Monday-Friday between 12-6pm, or Saturdays 11-2pm; or at Animal House Adoption Center located at 3516 Newburg Rd. Tuesday-Sunday from 12-6pm. For more information about how to obtain a spay/neuter voucher from LMAS, email animals@louisvilleky.gov or call 473-PETS.
Louisville Parks and Recreation is offering an affordable family golfing package at its ten golf courses during the Memorial Day Weekend.
For only $25, a family of up to four members can play nine holes at any Parks course. The $25 includes greens and cart fees, and families can take advantage of the deal after 4:30 p.m. on three days: Saturday, May 27, Sunday, May 28 and Monday, May 29.
Families are encouraged to call in advance to book a tee time at the golf course of their choice.
“Our courses are in great shape this spring, and we’re hoping for a lot of play from families this summer,” said Louisvile Parks and Recreation Director Seve Ghose. “Come out and enjoy a round of golf with the family on a great course at an affordable price!”
Louisville Parks and Recreation golf courses are open from daylight to dark seven days a week.
Photo: Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Service
With the arrival of warmer temperatures, KIPDA Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living is once again teaming up with Louisville Metro Office for Aging & Disabled Citizens (OADC) to collect electric fans for seniors and persons with physical disabilities. The fans will be distributed to qualified individuals within the KIPDA region including Jefferson, Bullitt, Henry, Shelby, Oldham, Spencer, and Trimble Counties. Donations of new box fans will be collected through June 11 at:
KIPDA, 11520 Commonwealth Drive (Lou., KY 40299)
WLKY Studio, 1918 Mellwood Ave. (Lou, KY 40206)
Drop off hours are Monday through Friday; 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Monetary donations will also be accepted to purchase fans. Make checks made payable to KIPDA, Attn: Fan Fair Program and mail to the address on Commonwealth Drive listed above postmarked by June 11. If you would like to make special arrangements for a donation or need further information, please contact Sarah Teeters (502) 574-5092 at the OADC or Jennifer Craig (502) 266-5571 at KIPDA.
Last year, over 500 fans were distributed to residents in need thanks to fan or monetary donations given by community organizations, churches, businesses, and private citizens. Local station WLKY TV32 provided both on-air and on-line advertising, in addition to serving as one of the drop-off locations, and will provide similar support to this year’s efforts.
On June 16, a “Fan Fair” will be held from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. at the Edison Center located at 701 W. Ormsby Ave. to distribute the collected fans to seniors 60 and older, as well as to individuals with physical disabilities, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Qualifications to receive a free fan will be:
- Person 60 years or older
- OR documentation verified by a physician of a physical disability
- Must be a resident of Jefferson, Oldham, Henry, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble or Bullitt Counties
- Proof of address and age will be required
- One fan per household
“We are excited to be partnering with Louisville Metro Office of Aging & Disabled Citizens again this year, helping older adults and persons with disabilities stay comfortable during the summer months, stated Barbara Gordon, director of the KIPDA Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living. “I am proud of all of the community partners who support this effort and help to make it happen.“
Coinciding with the Fan Fair will be a health/resource fair open to all ages to provide various health checks and information from local area resources. Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness and LMPD will be on hand to facilitate a prescription drug toss so that attendees can properly and safely dispose of unwanted or expired prescription medications.
“Our annual fan drive and fan giveaway event goes beyond just fans; it provides another avenue for our teams to connect with some of our most vulnerable residents”, stated Gena Redmon Harris, director of Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services which oversees the OADC. “We are so grateful for all of the fan and monetary donations and various kinds of community support, and are looking forward to another great event this year.”
For more information about the fan donations or Fan Fair, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/resilience-and-community-services or www.KIPDA.org.
Mayor Greg Fischer is pleased to announce that Jeana Dunlap, Louisville’s Director of Redevelopment Strategies, has been named as a member of the 2019 Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Each year the Fellowship selects a group of exceptional mid-career practitioners who influence the shaping of the built and natural environment, for a year of independent study at Harvard University.
“I am incredibly excited for Jeana to receive this remarkable opportunity,” Fischer said. “Her recognition in this elite fellowship is further proof of her remarkable work in community development, in equitable investment and, specifically, in Russell. Jeana will represent Louisville among an incredibly skilled, international class of fellows.”
The fellows receive living accommodations and virtually unlimited access to the educational resources at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to fortify their perspective and expand vision, all in the service of improving the future of the built and natural environment.
This year’s Loeb Fellowship class includes architects, urban planners, public artists, civic leaders and journalists from New York, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Vancouver, Boston, Amsterdam and San Jose (Costa Rica), who all arrive to the Fellowship with one common purpose—to strengthen their ability to advance positive social outcomes and support a more equitable collective future.
“It’s a great privilege to be selected for the Loeb Fellowship and to spend the next year in Cambridge,” Dunlap said. “Although it may be hard leaving the people and places I love, I’m also looking forward to expanding my professional network, collaborating with amazing people and engaging thought leaders from around the globe. I fully intend to invest the fellowship year taking my work to the next level.”
In addition to her cross-functional work in the Russell neighborhood, Jeana most recently has led a community-wide dialogue on the historic and current-day impact of redlining practices in underserved neighborhoods. She collaborated with local urban planner Joshua Poe to publish “Redlining Louisville, The History of Race, Class and Real Estate,” a story-map that depicts the impacts that 1930s-era redlining practices had on modern-day Louisville, using such data sets as poverty, race, property values, vacant properties, home ownership and mortgage lending.
Jeana will start her year-long fellowship in Cambridge, Mass. in August.
Photo: Neighborhood Place
Cane Run Neighborhood Place on Monday hosted a special celebration to commemorate its 20th anniversary of serving families, while South Jefferson Neighborhood Place on Tuesday will celebrate renovations after 21 years of serving the community.
Mayor Greg Fischer and Councilwoman Jessica Green joined current and former Cane Run staff, council members and agency partners Monday at the 3410 Lees Lane site to mark the occasion with cake, games and group photos.
Neighborhood Place provides health care, education, employment and social services to local families. Last year, South Jefferson Neighborhood Place at Fairdale served 14,000 families, and their satellite office at Valley High School served an additional 12,300 families. Located in the Shively/PRP area, Cane Run Neighborhood Place served nearly 15,000 households.
“South Jefferson and Cane Run are two of our eight outstanding Neighborhood Place locations across Louisville, each providing vital resources and services for our residents,” said Mayor Fischer. “Each facility allows nearby families to receive services at one location conveniently located in their neighborhoods. I want to thank the partner agencies and local communities who have built this successful model and reshaped our community’s social service system.”
On Tuesday,May 22nd, South Jefferson Neighborhood Place partners and members of the community will rededicate the renovated site with a celebration from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1000 Neighborhood Place in Fairdale. Renovations include new flooring, paint and furnishings in the office and waiting areas. The new look provides a brighter, more inviting and contemporary space for families served as well as staff.
Tuesday’s program starts at 3:30 p.m. and will include remarks from JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio; the city’s Chief Resilience Officer Eric Friedlander; Councilwoman Vicki Aubrey Welch, Bill Wagner, CEO of Family Health Centers and other supporters. Tours will be offered, Fairdale Christian Church will be grilling hot dogs, and Kidz Club will also have a tent to hand out water, chips, cookies and cake.
The South Jefferson facility was opened in May 1997 alongside the Fairdale Family Health Clinic and near Fairdale High School and South Park Teenage Parent Program to reinforce the strong partnership between Neighborhood Place and Jefferson County Public Schools.
“The Neighborhood Place Collaborative highlights that by working together across agency lines, we are able to better serve our students and their families,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio. “The only way to remove barriers to education is by working together as a community to address the needs of our students and their families.”
