Friday January 23, 2026
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
His high school baseball teams won six Kentucky State Baseball Championships. During his 39 year as the winningest coach in Kentucky, he posted a state record of 1,144 victories. He was the sixth winningest coach in the nation.
On Thursday night, the Louisville Metro Council approved a resolution for an honorary street signs for Bill Miller the late coach of the Pleasure Ridge Park Panthers to be placed in front of the school where he coached.
“Obviously Coach Miller is legendary based on his wins and state championships but the real measure of his achievements is the extraordinary number of lives that he touched in the process. Coach Miller helped so many students and athletes grow from boys to productive young men and hundreds of them attended the services to show their respect,” said Councilman Rick Blackwell (D-12), the primary sponsor of the Resolution.
Coach Miller was born in Louisville and attended PRP graduating in 1967. He also attended the University of Alabama and played football for legendary Coach Bear Bryant. He also played baseball while with the Crimson Tide
After college, his 39 year baseball career began as a coach when he returned to PRP first as a teacher and then as coach of the freshman and junior-varsity baseball teams. During his career, the Panthers won state championships in 1994, 1995, 1996, 2008, 2013 and 2017.
He was inducted into the Dawahares/Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2017 shortly before his passing.
By unanimous vote, the Metro Council approved the placing of honorary Street signs at the northwest corner of Greenwood Road and Waller Lane, at northwest corner of Greenwood Road and Feyhurst Place and at the entrance to PRP High School at 5901 Greenwood that read “Coach Bill Miller Way”.
“I hope the honorary signs demonstrate our community’s appreciation for Coach Miller’s dedicated service to Pleasure Ridge Park High School,” said Blackwell.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilwoman Barbara Shanklin is encouraging residents of District 2 and the surrounding area to come out and enjoy a free event in Petersburg Park on Saturday, May 12th.
In partnership with Kentucky Shakespeare, the Councilwoman is sponsoring the “Shakespeare in the Parks” production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is one of the Bard’s most enduring comedies involving love, marriage and magical misadventures. The play is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world.
“We have enjoyed bringing these productions to our area for the last few years and this is a free weekend event for everyone,” says Shanklin. “Petersburg Park is a great place for this event, so bring a lawn chair and come join us.”
Shanklin and other Metro Council members are sponsoring this year’s free production tour of Kentucky Shakespeare in various parks throughout Metro Louisville. The tour is now in its fifth year.
Kentucky Shakespeare, a not-for-profit charitable organization, professional theatre company, and the oldest free Shakespeare Festival in the United States has been offering free Shakespeare in Central Park in Old Louisville during the summer.
Their 6-actor, 80-minute production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been touring 25 Kentuckiana locations this spring, bringing free Shakespeare to local neighborhoods until May 19th.
The event begins at 6:30pm. Petersburg Park is located at 5008 East Indian Trail.
For more information about Saturday’s “Shakespeare in the Parks” at Petersburg Park, contact Councilwoman Shanklin’s office at 574-1102.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Free music on a nice spring evening is one way one of Metro Louisville’s oldest neighborhoods relaxes when the 2018 edition of Old Louisville LIVE returns on Friday, May 11th.
“Old Louisville is once again the place to kick off the weekend with live music and fun for everyone,” says President David James (D-6). “It is also another great way to get out and enjoy one of the best places in our city: Old Louisville. So bring family and friends and joins us for a nice relaxing Friday night.”
Highlight this Friday’s Old Louisville LIVE is Brutally Handsome – the Eagles Tribute Band from 8:00pm until 11:00pm. Best of all, admission to the concert is FREE.
“Free concerts in Central Park are one of the great things we do in the community. We hope everyone will come out have fun and enjoy Old Louisville,” says Brent Logsdon, Chairman of the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council.
The 2018 Old Louisville LIVE series has the following entertainment lineup through September:
- Sat. May 19th 7-9 pm JCPS Trio of Bands with Jecorey Arthur
- Fri. Aug 31st 8-11 pm In Lightning
- Fri. Sept 7th 8-11 pm Junior J and Shania Robinson – R& B artists
- Sat. Sept 15th 5-10 pm Hal & Ben’s Bike-In (Ben Sollee and Hal Riedling bring music and a movie to the park)
- Sat. Sept 22nd 7-10 pm Monarchs
- Fri. Sept 28th 7-9 pm John LaBarbera Big Band (Tentative)
All Old Louisville LIVE shows will take place at the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater in Central Park, are free, and open to public. Food trucks will be onsite and concessions will of Old Louisville products will be offered for purchase.
Joining President James and the OLNC as sponsors are Louisville Metro Government, The 1300 Association, South Third Street Association, South Fourth Street Association, Garvin Gate Neighborhood Association, Belgravia Association, St. James Court Association, Treyton Oak Towers, Genscape, Paradise Tomato Kitchens and BC Plumbing.
For the latest updates about Old Louisville LIVE, visit Old Louisville Neighborhood Council’s website http://oldlouisville.org/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/oldlouisvilleneighborhood.
Council Members David Yates (D-25) and Rick Blackwell (D-12) invite the community to the first-ever Family Movie Night at the Southwest YMCA this coming Friday, May 11th. It’s a free event for the entire family.
“The Southwest YMCA is a wonderful amenity for our community. Councilman Blackwell and I sponsor these great events to ensure every family in our community can have some fun in a safe and comfortable atmosphere,” said Yates. “Family Movie Night is a new event this year. I am sure we will have a great turnout just like our Back to School Bash and Fall Family Festival!”
“Families can enjoy a free night together in a fun and safe environment with this event,” says Blackwell. “The Southwest YMCA does a tremendous job of offering family-friendly events for our community and we are excited to offer something different this year.”
Family Movie Night at the Southwest YMCA will be held from 6:00pm to 9:30pm. Families can enjoy activities from 6 – 8 pm including:
- Hot dogs, ice cream and popcorn
- Inflatables, family games and face painting
- Membership and Healthy Living Information
Bring your blankets and chairs to enjoy the feature film “Zootopia” beginning at 8 pm. This Disney animated film released in 2016 tells the story of a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox working together to uncover a conspiracy. The Southwest YMCA is located at 2800 Fordhaven Road.
For more information, contact Councilman Yates office at 574-1125 or Councilman Blackwell’s Office at 574-1112.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilwoman Marianne Butler is once again encouraging pet owners to take advantage of the next S.P.O.T. Clinic for residents of District 15 set for Saturday, May 12th.
“S.P.O.T. Clinics are an effective way to provide needed veterinarian services at a low cost for pet owners,” says Butler. “If you have not had time during the week to take care of your pet, this clinic is one way to renew a license and update vaccinations.”
Here is a list of services offered at the District 15 Spring S.P.O.T. Clinic:
- 1 year rabies vaccination: $10.00
- 3 year rabies vaccination: $15.00
- DAPP: FREE!
- 1 year altered license: $10.00
- 1 year altered senior license: $5.00
- 1 year unaltered license: $60.00
- 3 year altered license: $27.00
- 3 year senior license: $13.50
- Microchip: $25.00
The S.P.O.T Clinic (which stands for Stop Pet Overpopulation Today) will be located in the front parking lot at the Salvation Army building, 1010 Beecher Street. The hours of operation are from 9:00am until 12:00pm.
For more information about the S.P.O.T. Clinic, contact Councilwoman Butler’s office at 574-1115.
Representatives from State and Local offices joined together to celebrate the completion of the Urton Lane Bridge in southeastern Jefferson County. Phase I of the Urton Lane Project was first funded in July 2011 through an appropriation by Councilman Stuart Benson, seeks to develop more than 400 acres of land located in the southeastern portion of the Bluegrass Commercial Park. When all phases of the project are completed, the Urton Lane Extension will grant a new access route to Taylorsville Road and the Gene Snyder for persons seeking to transport goods or commute to work.
“The completion of the Urton Lane Corridor will take time, but when completed will lead to approximately 10,000 new jobs for the area and nearly two million square feet of office and industrial space.The jobs created as part of this project are expected to pay higher than average wages and demand well trained workers while releasing few if any emissions. The Urton Lane Corridor project is a great example of cooperative efforts by public and private partners that will be an economic boon for our community.” – Councilman Stuart Benson
The total cost for the completed portion of the Urton Lane Extension is $1.5 million. Additionally, the bridge was constructed with multi modal pedestrian traffic needs in mind. The north and south approach ramps will be constructed as the many acres of adjacent land are developed.
“The bridge project gets us closer to completion of the Urton Lane Corridor, which has been talked about for years. And it’s time to make it a reality. Connecting this bridge to Urton Lane and completing the Urton Lane Corridor will help us add up to 10,000 new jobs.” – Mayor Greg Fischer
In addition to funds pooled by the nine Republican members of the Louisville Metro Council, additional funding for the project was included in the FY17 Mayor’s Budget Proposal through use of System Development Charges. This funding source seeks to improve transit in some of the fastest growing parts of Louisville Metro and comes from fees paid each time a new home, apartment or townhome is constructed in southeastern Jefferson County.
“Transportation projects like the Urton Lane Bridge provide vital connections to keep Kentucky’s economy moving, I applaud the efforts of Councilman Benson, who worked tirelessly to make this project a reality. By placing economic development ahead of partisanship, we are confident that there will be further opportunities for new development and jobs in Jefferson County and throughout the Commonwealth.” – Governor Matt Bevin
About the Urton Lane Bridge Project:
- Project funding starting in July 2011 with the final funding for the project added as part of the
FY18 Budget. - Construction started in May 2017 and was completed in early April 2018.
- Total Project Cost: 1.5 million.
- When complete, the Urton Lane Extension is expected to help develop over 400 acres of land adjacent to the Bluegrass Commerce Park and help create more than 10,000 jobs with an expected average salary greater than the average for Louisville Metro.\
- Constructing a bridge over an existing railroad corridor brought additional obstacles and levels of approval than most public projects.
- Project was managed by Louisville Metro Public Works, Mindel Scott & Associates and included work with outside stakeholders from Hollenbach-Oakley, Norfolk Southern, American Contracting, LLC, Qk4 and Louisville Metro Council District 20.
For more information on this event or the Urton Lane Bridge Project, please contact Stephen Haag, Jr at 574-1204 or steve.haag@louisvilleky.gov .
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilwoman Marianne Butler (D-15) is sponsoring Breast Cancer Screenings and Mammograms for Women 40 years an older on Saturday, May 12th.
“Early detection of breast cancer is one of the best ways to fight this disease. It is my hope that women over 40 will take advantage of this event. Many of us know of someone who has lost a love one because of breast cancer,” says Butler.
The Breast Cancer / Mammography Screenings are for the Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 3509 Taylor Blvd.
Councilwoman Butler is partnering with Horses and Hope, The University of Louisville Hospital, the James Graham Brown Cancer Center and the Kentucky Cancer Program.
The Mammograms are for women age 40 and older. There is no cost to program eligible women without insurance. Insurance will be filed for women with coverage. Appointments are required for the screening.
Call 368-8211 to make an appointment.
