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Louisville Metro residents not mulching autumn leaves into their lawns or using curbside collection will have the option to dispose of them at one of three drop-off sites beginning November 5.
Metro Public Works is offering a free leaf drop-off service November 5 through November 30. Drop-off will not be available on November 28 and 29 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Only loose leaves will be accepted. Containers used to bring leaves to the drop-off sites must be disposed of off-site by residents.
Leaf drop off sites:
- Public Works Yard
- 10500 Lower River Road (enter from Bethany Lane)
- Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Public Works East District Operations Center
- 595 Hubbards Lane
- Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Public Works Waste Reduction Center
- 636 Meriwether Avenue
- Tuesday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
President David James (D-6) is encouraging anyone who would like to help to come out for a community wide cleanup which is set for the Old Louisville area on Tuesday October 22nd.
“I want to encourage anyone who would like to help us to come out and join us,” says President James. “Cleanups are a great way to show community pride in our neighborhoods.”
The 160 volunteers from the University of Louisville are volunteering as a part of their “Cards Come Together Week of Service 2019,” which Is part of this week’s upcoming homecoming activities.
The volunteers will meet at Fourth and Oak Street to begin a cleanup of the Old Louisville area starting at 1:00pm. From there, volunteers will fan out across Old Louisville to collect trash and spruce the area up for the fall season.
“I wish to thank U of L and Dr Neeli Bendapudi for her continued and dynamic support for our neighborhoods around the university. This is another example of her great leadership,” says President James.
For more information about the cleanups, contact President James Office at 502-574-1106.
The Department of Public Health and Wellness is reminding people that despite cooler weather, mosquitoes are still active and continue to pose a threat for transmitting diseases such as West Nile virus. People should continue to guard themselves by wearing insect repellant and long sleeves and pants when going outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
This year there has been one death reported from West Nile in ZIP code 40211 and one other non-fatal case in ZIP code 40215. Mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile in ZIP codes 40204, 40205, 40206, 40211, 40213, 40214 and 40215. It is also important to note that we have had no mosquitoes test positive for any diseases other than West Nile virus.
The Department of Public Health and Wellness is continuing countywide mosquito control actions, including treating catch basins, monitoring mosquito traps and testing mosquitoes for diseases, and fogging when necessary.
“Even though we can expect mosquito populations to begin to decrease as the weather gets cooler, West Nile positive mosquitoes may continue to be present throughout the entire community until the first hard frost,” said Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. “If you go outdoors during dusk and dawn, you should wear long sleeves and pants and insect repellant to protect yourself. We advise everyone to take the appropriate precautions no matter what ZIP code you live in.”
The Department of Public Health and Wellness advises people to take the following precautions:
Avoid Mosquito Bites
- Use insect repellents when you go outdoors. Repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and some oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-menthane-diol products provide longer-lasting protection. To optimize safety and effectiveness, repellents should be used according to the label instructions.
- Wear long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors. Mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing, so spraying clothes with repellent containing permethrin will give extra protection. Don’t apply repellents containing permethrin directly to skin. Do not spray repellent on the skin under your clothing.
- Take extra care during peak mosquito biting hours. Take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing at dusk and dawn or consider avoiding outdoor activities during these times.
Mosquito-Proof Your Home
- Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes outside. Use your air conditioning, if you have it.
- Help reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home by emptying standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires and birdbaths on a regular basis.
Last year there were four human West Nile cases in Louisville and no deaths. In 2017 there was one non-fatal human case. In 2016 there were two human cases and one death. In 2015, there were three human cases with no deaths.
In most instances, people infected with West Nile virus either show no symptoms or relatively mild symptoms. However, less than one percent of infected people develop a serious neurologic illness such as encephalitis or meningitis. Serious illness can occur in people of any age. However, people over 60 years of age are at the greatest risk for severe disease. People with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and people who have received organ transplants, are also at greater risk for serious illness.
The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness has operated a mosquito control program for more than 60 years. The department does surveillance of mosquito populations with traps strategically located throughout the community, and tests mosquitos for such diseases as West Nile, La Crosse, Eastern Equine and St. Louis Encephalitis.
In the spring the department pre-treats potential mosquito breeding sites with larvicide to prevent hatch offs. In the summer it treats catch basins and performs mosquito fogging in response to West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases.
For more information on mosquito control and prevention, visit https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html or www.louisvilleky.gov/health. If mosquitoes are bad in your neighborhood, file a complaint by calling MetroCall 311 or 502.574.5000.
Louisville residents are invited to bring unneeded documents to be shredded and prescription drugs to be disposed of at a free event on November 2, 2019. The paper shredding and drug toss event is a joint operation of Louisville Metro Public Works and Louisville Metro Police.
Residents can protect themselves from identify theft and divert unused medications from the waste stream or misuse by bringing items to:
Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center
1030 Phillips Lane
Saturday, November 2, 2019
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Businesses may not participate in this event. All paper materials will be shredded on site and recycled. Shredding services are donated by the Louisville Branch of Shred-It Louisville. The drug toss is a drive-through event.
In advance, black out all personal information on all medication containers that will be tossed. For safety reasons, sharp items, needles, lances, cosmetics, personal care or hygiene items cannot be accepted. Medication products should never be flushed down the toilet or drain, burned in the open or thrown in the trash because they can contaminate the environment if exposed to drinking and ground water.
Photo: Project Green Heart
At 1000 Stanley Avenue this week, the first of thousands of trees was planted as part of a major health study to determine the impact of green foliage on the community’s health.
Councilwoman Keisha Dorsey (D-3) was on hand for the first tree planted as part of the Green Heart Project, a program being conducted by the University of Louisville Environment Institute and The Nature Conservancy.
“We know Louisville Metro has been losing trees at an alarming rate. As the Green Heart Project moves forward in the coming years, we will be able to have a better understanding on how greenery impacts the health of the people of our community while replenishing our tree canopy,” said Dorsey.
The Green Heart Project will examine, for the first time, if increasing greenness in an urban community will reduce the levels of air pollution in the neighborhood, decrease the risk of heart disease, and increase outdoor activity and relationships between neighbors.
Green Heart will help discover:
- How to plant trees in urban communities to maximize the removal of air pollution,
- If increasing green space affects the risk of developing obesity, diabetes, and heart disease,
- If increasing urban green space reduces mental stress, enhances social cohesion, increases physical activity, and
- If urban green space affects crime rates, property values, storm water runoff, energy use, and heat island effect.
Research teams with the project have already conducted health screenings with neighborhood residents and will recheck their biomarkers over time to determine whether the additional trees and shrubs improve their health, including cardiovascular health, diabetes, and other health indicators.
The Green Heart Project has a specific timeline:
- Baseline measurements in 2018 and 2019
- Monitor levels of air pollution around roadways and residential areas.
- Recruit hundreds of people for the HEAL Health Study to see baseline health, stress levels, lifestyle and relationships, and disease risk.
- Greening in 2019 and 2020
- Plant thousands of trees, shrubs, and grasses to create a robust and sustainable ecosystem maximized to remove air pollution.
- Monitoring in 2020 and 2021
- Track changes in pollution, physical and mental health, and social change.
- Comparison in 2022
- Compare observed changes before planting and two years after planting
“Every neighborhood in our community is special and we all want a better quality of life,” said Dorsey. “Now, we will be able to see through the Green Heart Project if the beauty of trees and greenery not only improve our neighborhoods but our health as well.”
For more information about the Green Heart Project, go to: https://louisville.edu/greenheart/about
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
For a second time in less than a week, Solid Waste Management Services Enforcement Officers, with help from a private citizen, have located and impounded a vehicle caught on camera illegally dumping. It’s the 12th impounded vehicle of the year.
“I want to thank the citizens who assisted SWMS Officers in locating this vehicle. It’s assistance like this from the public that are making sure are neighborhoods are not being turned into someone’s personal dumping ground,” said Councilwoman Nicole George (D-21). “The message has always been clear, if you illegally dump in our neighborhoods, it will be costly when you get caught.”
According to SWMS Enforcement, on August 10th, a citizen’s private security system captured a white Ford F-150 being used to dump a couch in the Beechmont Neighborhood. The SWMS Enforcement Team was able to locate the vehicle today in the 100 block of East Adair.
In total, the illegal dumper received a citation with fines and fees totaling $750. Also, they will have to pay approximately $250 for impound and storage fees.
This is the second impounded vehicle for the week. On Wednesday, a Ford F150 was impounded in the 3500 Block of River Park Drive as a result of illegal dumping that had occurred in September in District 6.
Impounding any vehicle involved in illegal dumping was approved by the Louisville Metro Council when it amended the local ordinance on illegal dumping. The changes to the ordinance also called for fines and storage fees paid the dumper when the impounded vehicle was found.
Families can enjoy fall color and outdoor fun at Jefferson Memorial Forest during the Wilderness Louisville Forest Adventure on Saturday, October 19, beginning at 4 p.m.
And, for the first time ever during this annual event, families are encouraged to pitch a tent and stay overnight. $25 will reserve one of the Forest’s family campsites and for $15, campers can set up in the field in the Horine Reservation.
Daylight activities include a children’s nature exploration area, a climbing wall, pumpkin decorating, guided hikes, activity at the nature center and more. Music will be performed by Grandma’s Boys, and food trucks will be on site.
Nighttime activities will include storytelling by the campfire along with night hikes and stargazing with the Louisville Astronomy Society and the Louisville Free Public Library. Camping set-up and registration will take place from 3-4 p.m. October 19.
“The annual Forest Adventure is the perfect opportunity for families to discover the natural beauty and recreational opportunities at Jefferson Memorial Forest, which is thirty minutes away, or less, no matter where you live in Louisville,” Park Administrator Bennett Knox said.
With 6,600 acres, Jefferson Memorial Forest offers many opportunities for individuals and families to enjoy and explore the outdoors. The Forest features more than 35 miles of marked hiking trails, fishing, and primitive camping. The hiking will be through the Horine Reservation of the Forest, located at 12304 Holsclaw Hill Road. Nine different trail routes in four sections of the Forest will be featured, providing a range of options for hikers of all abilities. The trails range in length from one-fifth of a mile up to five miles, and have terrain varying from relatively flat to rugged.
The Wilderness Louisville Forest Adventure is presented by Quest Outdoors.
