September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time set aside to help educate the public about the prevalence of childhood cancer across the U.S. and promote the need for continued research and treatment. As part of the observance, Governor Matt Bevin has officially proclaimed Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Kentucky and will be illuminating the Kentucky State Capitol dome gold tonight.

“Sadly, childhood cancer is not rare. Like many families in Kentucky, mine knows this only too well,” said Gov. Bevin. “By spreading awareness for pediatric cancer, we can begin to make a powerful difference in the fight to eradicate it. Please be engaged, and find ways to commit your time and generosity to this worthy cause. We can do this, because we are Kentucky.”

Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children. Approximately one in every 300 children in the United States will be diagnosed by his or her 20th birthday. That means 15,780 children per year, are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. alone.

“Raising awareness of childhood cancer as the number one cause of death by disease is the first step to better outcomes for the nearly 16,000 children that will be diagnosed this year,” said Jamie Ennis Bloyd, mother of a childhood cancer survivor and president of the Kentucky Pediatric Cancer Research Trust Fund. “Education is the first step towards meaningful change, and I appreciate Governor Bevin taking the lead in making sure this devastating issue gets the attention it deserves.”

The Pediatric Cancer Research Trust Fund was created by the Kentucky legislature to enhance efforts to reduce pediatric cancer incidence and mortality. These efforts target the program needs and challenges specific to population groups and geographic regions within the Commonwealth.

Recently, the Kentucky Pediatric Cancer Research Trust Fund announced it is now taking applications for grant funding. For more information on how to apply for these first-ever grant funds, go to the Pediatric Cancer Research Trust Fund website.

The grants are possible because of donations made on state income tax returns. Kentuckians now have the option to check a box and make a donation to pediatric cancer research. Contributions to the trust fund will be used to advance promising Kentucky programs promoting pediatric cancer research and treatment.

For more information on National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, go online to the American Childhood Cancer Organization.

Mayor Greg Fischer’s statement on KyCIR story regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and LMPD:

“LMPD does not enforce federal immigration laws. It does provide assistance to federal agents when there is the potential for danger, when federal agents detain people who have local warrants for their arrest, or when a crime is occurring.

“However, as reporting by Kate Howard of the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting shows, LMPD has responded on a few occasions as back-up for ICE officials or to simply knock on a door to help clear a house. I have asked LMPD Chief Steve Conrad to meet with ICE leaders within the next two weeks to examine why this is happening, and to more clearly define local and federal roles and procedures when ICE agents are calling into MetroSafe for assistance.

“I recognize that this matter may cause confusion and disappointment in our foreign-born community and I have asked Bryan Warren, who leads our globalization efforts, to meet with immigrant leaders to hear their concerns and report back to me with potential recommendations.

“While the reporting shows that only 23 instances took place over a six-month period — with many of them involving local warrants, crimes or safety concerns — these calls divert LMPD resources and erode the trust that our city has worked to build with our immigrant and foreign-born community and to create a welcoming, global city of compassion.

“LMPD officers are doing their job — responding to calls that come into our 911 dispatch center. LMPD does not ask immigration status when responding to any of the 700,000 calls for service each year, and LMPD does not call ICE — ICE calls them. Our process for these calls needs clarity so we continue to be a welcoming city, and we will provide that clarity as soon as possible.

“I want to thank the KyCIR for their important reporting on this matter.”

With a new school year underway, Metro Council District 9 is once again inviting children and their parents to enjoy healthy exercise and fun by hosting the 18th Annual Back to School Block Party on Friday, September 8th.

“This a great event and over the years it has been a fun way to bring summer to a close and keep everyone motivated to enjoy the beginning of a new school year,” says Councilman Bill Hollander.

The Back to School Block Party will be held at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center, 201 Reservoir Avenue from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

The event offers FREE swimming, pizza, and door prizes.  The food and refreshments will be available until they run out.

Parents will also have a chance to get a free child ID kit made by Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD).  LMPD officers of the Fifth Division have been partners in this event for many years as a way of interacting with children and families.

​The Councilman also thanks the following sponsors who have already committed door prizes: A Reader’s Corner, Blue Dog Bakery, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Comfy Cow, Crescent Hill Trading Company, Heine Brothers’ Coffee, Just Creations, Margaret’s Consignments, McDonalds, Metro Parks, North End Café and Red Hog Butcher.

If you need more information about the 18th Annual Back to School Block Party, please contact the Councilman’s office at 574-1109 or email kyle.ethridge@louisvilleky.gov.

Mayor Greg Fischer and the Commission on Public Art today made public the nearly 850 comments that citizens made through an online form regarding a review of public art in Louisville. The comments can be found here: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-art/public-art-review

The comments range from those who argue that no statues should be removed to those who say the review should include the naming of streets and public buildings, as well as those who say this is a complex issue that requires greater consideration.

Also today, the Mayor also released this statement:

“I want to thank the Commission on Public Art for holding a community meeting tonight to hear from citizens about art in public places that could be interpreted to be honoring bigotry, racism and/or slavery. I look forward to hearing their summary of the meeting.

“That meeting is the first in a series of events that the city will lead over the next few months in a community dialogue about inclusion, racial equity, and the impact of racism and slavery on our city and our country. We will announce those events in the near future.

“Many of those conversations are already happening through entities as the Speed Art Museum, whose Southern Accent exhibit explores the South’s influence on American culture; to Simmons College, which is leading a discussion on social and economic disparities that exist in our community; to Louisville Metro Government’s own Center for Health Equity and our work with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity and its Racial Equity Here program.

“I invite everyone in the community to take part in one or more of the many opportunities to engage in these conversations over the coming months.

“I have been struck by the many comments that I have received after Charlottesville that demonstrate not only a desire to learn more about the issues behind the displays of racism and mayhem in Virginia, but also the large absence of baseline knowledge around the institution of slavery, its moral issues, its economic underpinnings, and how it impacts our city and country to this day. For us not to use this moment in our country’s history to advance our democracy would be an abdication of responsibility and a significant lost opportunity to build our collective capacity to grow a more dynamic, equitable, and inclusive future.

“We can only be a city where all citizens can reach their full human potential if we face our big challenges head-on, and this includes the challenges of race and equity. I believe Louisville has developed enough social muscle to have a deep, productive, and sometimes uncomfortable community conversation about these challenges.”

The Center for Digital Government today recognized Louisville Metro as a leader in digital and innovation efforts.

The city’s website, louisvilleky.gov, placed second among cities for the Center’s new Government Experience Award. The Center also gave an Innovation Award to the city’s Office for Civic Innovation for its partnership with the app IFTTT.

“A city should be a platform that gives citizens of every neighborhood and ZIP code the opportunity to reach their full human potential.  Our many digital and innovation efforts reflect this value, whether it means digital tools for getting jobs done or innovation work that leads to better service and a more inclusive community,” Mayor Greg Fischer said. “My thanks go to our Information Technology team, our Office for Civic Innovation, and the many community partners who make positive things happen every day.”

The national awards are given for work that offers citizens more integrated, anticipatory and personalized electronic services.

“Citizen expectations are increasingly being reshaped by their experiences with consumer technologies. The website is no longer the only experience they use – it’s now one of many channels in their overall experience,” said Dustin Haisler, Chief Innovation Officer for the Center for Digital Government. “The Government Experience Awards were developed to recognize government agencies that are focusing on designing and delivering services across the overall experience and not necessarily just one channel.”

Offering more services online and offering citizens improved interaction and transparency are among Mayor Fischer’s strategic goals.

In February, Louisville Metro became the first city government to partner with IFTTT, a web and mobile platform that allows users to transform how they experience and manage their homes and habits through tools such as Twitter, Google Drive, and Amazon Echo.

Louisvilleky.gov
The city’s web portal is the digital front door to city government.  It offers easy to find online services, news and events in useful ways, no matter what device the user is on.  The site makes it easy for users to look up services by address, including their junk set-out dates and street sweeping dates, and sign up for notifications by email or text.  There are many ways to pay for services online as well.  Some of the most popular services include:

• MyLouisville: https://louisvilleky.gov/city-services/mylouisville
• City Services: https://louisvilleky.gov/city-services/services
• City Forms: https://louisvilleky.gov/city-services/forms
• Open Data Portal: https://data.louisvilleky.gov/
• City Events Calendar: https://louisvilleky.gov/events
• City News: https://louisvilleky.gov/news
• Online Maps: https://louisvilleky.gov/city-services/maps
• Report an issue: https://louisvilleky.gov/city-services/report
• Map Crime: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/police/services/crime-maps
• Customer Service Search Portal: https://portal.louisvilleky.gov/codesandregs/mainsearch
• Get a Permit: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/get-permit
• Get a License: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/get-license

Innovation Award: IFTTT
Louisville’s Office for Civic Innovation, in the city’s Office for Performance Improvement & Innovation, picked up a national award for their work using IFTTT (If This Then That).  Louisville was the city in America to join the platform.  IFTTT is a useful technology that is allowing Louisville Metro Government to create an entirely new experience for citizens to interact with their government.

By exposing various data services for air quality, emergency notifications, or Louisville news & events to IFTTT, and providing pre-built applets to our citizens, Louisville Metro is connecting these various smart city information sources to devices or services in our citizen’s homes. These applets can be broken apart into their base components, triggers, and mixed and matched with any other service or device they would like. For examples, the City has a pre-configured applet that connects air quality sensors, to a Philips Hue light bulb.  When the air quality is poor, the bulb changes colors according to federal AQI color coding standards. A citizen could take this applet and re-mix it. So instead of changing the light color, it could turn on their HVAC filtering system, or send them a text notification. “According to Grace Simrall, the city’s Chief of Innovation, “The IFTTT platform enables us to provide a cohesive experience to our citizens, but empowers them to mix and match city technology however they wish.”

Louisville Metro Animal Services (LMAS) and the Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) are teaming up to offer local dog owners $10 vaccines against canine influenza, or dog flu, on Thursday, Sept. 7, from 4-7 p.m. at My Dog Eats First headquarters, 2509 Portland Avenue in Louisville.

This is the second low-cost dog flu vaccine clinic that the agencies have offered. Two vaccines spaced 2-4 weeks apart are needed to reach full effectiveness. Dog owners who came to the Aug. 24 clinic are advised to return on Sept. 7 for the second vaccine. But all dogs are welcome: owners can follow up with their own veterinarian for their second vaccine. And the KHS Healthy Pets Clinic, which is open five days a week at 241 Steedly Drive, regularly offers this vaccine for $25 per dog.

The Portland vaccine clinic is made possible by support from the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

Canine influenza in the Louisville area was first detected in June. Since then, a number of local veterinarians, dog owners, boarding facilities and shelters have reported confirmed cases. The virus that causes canine influenza is very contagious to dogs, but it is not contagious to people. LMAS and KHS strongly recommend that all dog owners consider vaccinating their dogs.

“Vaccinating is the best way to protect your own animals and other dogs in our community from dog flu,” said Ozzy Gibson, LMAS Director.

“We hope to vaccinate hundreds of dogs,” says Karen Koenig, KHS Vice President for Animal Welfare. “Our goal is to ensure that every owner can afford to vaccinate and protect their pets.”

Almost all dogs exposed to the virus become infected and the majority – 80% of infected dogs – develop flu-like illnesses. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and include persistent coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge, lethargy, reduced appetite and fever.