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It is a classic story of politics, intrigue, deception, betrayal and murder of a political leader. It is not a story of Washington DC but instead a classic tale of politics in ancient Rome.
Councilman David James (D-6) and other Metro Council members are kicking off a fourth year of “Shakespeare in the Parks” with a free production of “Julius Caesar” on March 30th at the Parkhill Community Center.
“Once again, Kentucky Shakespeare takes to the road around Metro Louisville to present the arts to many areas of our community,” says James. “Shakespeare in the Parks brings the arts to all areas of our city.”
Over 57 years, 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.
This year, “Shakespeare in the Parks” will bring an 85 minute, six actor version of Julius Caesar at 6:00pm at the Parkhill Community Center, 1703 S 13th Street.
“Thanks to Councilman James and the residents of District 6, we’re thrilled to also bring our free spring Shakespeare in the Parks to the Parkhill Community Center,” says Matt Wallace of Kentucky Shakespeare. “We are grateful for Councilman James and all he’s done to champion the arts in this city.”
This year “Shakespeare in the Parks” has a touring schedule of 23 locations in the Metro Louisville area from March 26th through May 19th.
For more information about Thursday’s “Shakespeare in the Parks” at the Parkhill Community Center, contact Councilman James’ office at 574-1106.
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) will host its first “Celebrate Languages Week” beginning March 27, highlighting the benefits of students speaking different languages learning alongside each other.
With more than 130 languages spoken by students in JCPS, an average school day can sound like a symphony of speech. That blend of voices is music to the ears of Eli Beardsley, the district’s English as a Second Language (ESL) coordinator.
“Second language learners are another example of how our rich diversity strengthens the learning environment at JCPS,” Beardsley said. “Not only do they help students for whom English is their primary language to learn a new language, but they foster an understanding and acceptance of other cultures that will prepare our students to be successful citizens in a global economy.”
Throughout the week, schools will host events to highlight and celebrate the various languages spoken by students, including having students making morning announcements in their native language; welcoming students each morning with a world-language greeting; and promoting bilingual books in school libraries. World-language classrooms will also participate in poster contests.
In addition, some sites will hold schoolwide events to mark the celebration:
- ESL Newcomer Academy, 4018 W. Market St., Global Homecoming, Thursday, March 23, events during the day and open house from 3-5 p.m.
- Goldsmith Elementary School, 3520 Goldsmith Lane, International Festival, Tuesday, March 28, 6 p.m.
- Seneca High School, 3510 Goldsmith Lane, Cultural Extravaganza, Thursday, March 30, during the school day
- Semple Elementary School, 724 Denmark St., International Festival, Thursday, March 30, 6 p.m.
The District’s English Language Learner population – students born in other countries or raised by parents who speak another language – has boomed, growing by 30 percent over the past five years, to more than 8,100 in 2017. The number is projected to top more than 10,000 by the 2018-19 school year.
For more highlights on the District’s World Language programs, click here.
Michelle McKelvy, an English teacher at Ballard High School, has been awarded the Excellence in Classroom and Educational Leadership (ExCEL) Award. Representatives from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and from the award sponsors — LG&E and KU and WHAS11 — honored the teacher earlier this week during a ceremony at the school.
“Mrs. McKelvy stands out because of the heart and compassion she shows every student,” said Ballard Principal Staci Eddleman. “Every conversation she has with a student is validating and uplifting. If a student is having a hard time, she is the gentle ear they seek. If a student is proud of an accomplishment, she is the one with whom they share. In her words and actions she makes each child feel special.”
Praised by fellow educators for her ability to make an impact on Advanced Placement and Achievement Gap students alike, McKelvy was recognized by the District with a Golden Oar Award in fall 2016. She has presented and facilitated a number of discussions and professional development seminars, including “Building a Classroom Community” in 2015, “Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers” in 2016; and “Reeling in the Reluctant Reader” in 2016.
McKelvy works continuously to improve instruction through professional development opportunities, said Kerri Dixon, assistant principal. “Although she juggles an extremely demanding workload of a myriad of grade levels courses, she volunteers to lead the 11th-grade English Professional Learning Community so that this group can benefit from her expertise and collaborative knowledge.”
“Every school has one of those teachers who everyone knows do a great jobs,” said Library Media Specialist Laura Younkin. “Mrs. McKelvy is one of those teachers at Ballard. She will not teach her students just the basics of English and have them read novels. She will love them and they come out of her class better students and better people.”
As an ExCEL Award winner, McKelvy will receive a $1,000 instructional grant.
At least four people, including a suspected attacker and a police officer, have been confirmed dead in an attack near the British parliament that authorities are treating as a terrorist incident.
“Although we remain open minded to the motive, a full counterterrorism investigation is already underway,” Commander BJ Harrington told a news conference Wednesday in London.
A search is underway to confirm there are no additional attackers, though police officials have indicated the attack was carried out by a lone assailant.
Parliament was placed on lockdown after an attacker stabbed a police officer before being shot by other officers on the parliament grounds. The injured officer later died of his injuries. At least two people were killed and eight others injured when a vehicle struck several people on the nearby Westminster bridge.
A senior police officer told VOA that they believe only one assailant was involved in what appears to have been “a three-staged attack.”
It began with an SUV being driven over Westminster Bridge right by the House of Commons. The SUV mounted the sidewalk and struck several pedestrians.
We were called at approx 2:40pm to reports of an incident at #Westminster Bridge. Being treated as a firearms incident – police on scene
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 22, 2017
Attacker rammed pedestrians
According to police sources, the vehicle struck some other pedestrians at the perimeter fence near the gates at Old Palace Yard.
“The attacker then rushed the gates and struggled with a police guard who tried to stop him. The assailant stabbed him several times,” the senior police officer said. “Other officers shot the attacker.”
Eyewitness accounts
The gunfire was heard at 2:38 p.m. London time inside the House of Commons as lawmakers were debating legislation on pension reform. Eyewitnesses say about half-a-dozen shots were fired.
“It all happened within a minute,” witness Tawhid Tanim told VOA. “I came out of where I work and saw a car had pulled up and I heard I just heard bang bang bang and people running everywhere.” Continue reading
Credit: Louisville Metro Police
Mayor Greg Fischer appointed former U.S. Attorney Kerry B. Harvey to conduct a wide-ranging special investigation into allegations surrounding the LMPD Explorer program.
The Mayor also ordered a separate extensive inquiry into all city programs that involve children and teenagers. This inquiry will determine if adequate steps are in place to protect youth and will review and recommend national best practices and policies.
Mayor Fischer has also asked the FBI’s Louisville Office to investigate potential violations of federal law related to sexual abuse allegations in the LMPD Explorer program.
“We have to get to the bottom of these disturbing allegations — for ourselves, for our citizens, for the thousands of LMPD officers who are honest, compassionate, courageous people of integrity,” Mayor Fischer said. “We need to know the truth. And, most importantly, for the victims of anyone who may have committed a crime while wearing an LMPD uniform.
“We have to get the whole story — and we will.”
Special investigator appointed
Until this year, Harvey served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, a position from which he oversaw the high-profile investigations of former state Personnel Cabinet Secretary Tim Longmeyer and state Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer.
Louisville Metro Government today contracted Harvey to examine the allegations of sexual abuse in the LMPD Explorer program, and also actions of city employees and others regarding the alleged abuse.
Mayor Fischer’s office began discussion with Harvey on Tuesday and signed a contract today. Harvey will also periodically update the Metro Council Government Accountability committee on his work.
“Kerry Harvey has a reputation for conducting dogged investigations and holding public institutions accountable,” Mayor Fischer said. “That’s exactly what I expect he’ll do here — conduct a full, comprehensive investigation that will lead to accountability.”
Harvey is being commissioned to look into LMPD and other city entities — conducting interviews, reviewing documents and other activities — to fully ascertain what happened within and around the Explorer program. His investigation will parallel a criminal investigation of the allegations underway by Louisville Metro Police.
“The allegations surrounding the Explorer program, if true, represent unacceptable conduct involving children, and the citizens of Louisville deserve to know what happened,” said Harvey, who assumed the U.S. Attorney post in 2010 and currently is with the Lexington office of the Dickinson Wright law firm.
Citywide inquiry to ensure safety
A separate inquiry will examine all city departments and agencies that have programs for children and teens — or interactions with youth — to determine if adequate steps are in place to protect youth.
The inquiry will also lead to recommendations of national best practices and policies.
“I believe the vast majority of our programs operate effectively, safely and are following best practices, but I am extremely disturbed about the allegations that have surfaced in the Explorer program,” Fischer said. “My concern is that children are protected – and I want parents and grandparents to know that we are taking the welfare of their children seriously.”
The review will be wide-ranging because many departments offer programs for or interact with youth, from Metro Parks to LMPD to Youth Detention Services. The inquiry will also appraise the policies of agencies that partner with Louisville Metro Government, to ensure that they align with the best practices followed by the city.
The first step will be an inventory of all programs involving youth, which the city’s Human Resources Department will undertake. Then, the city will hire an outside national agency to review the programs.
The Mayor said the inquiry is necessary because Louisville Metro Government offers programs or partners with many local agencies on children and youth programming – and a fresh perspective is important. He will direct that the inquiry is both comprehensive and undertaken swiftly.
Fischer said that “no stone will be left unturned” as the city investigates the allegations that have surfaced in the Explorer program. The Mayor also said that transparency is of utmost importance. That is why he asking the courts to unseal the civil lawsuit while the criminal investigation continues.
Nine students from the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District are national award recipients of the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades seven through 12. The nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers announced the names of the more than 2,500 national award recipients today.
“This is the Oscars of the teen art world, so we are very excited to see these talented JCPS students recognized on the national stage,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Donna Hargens. “The arts are important and truly have the ability to energize classrooms and inspire the students inside them. Congratulations to our national recipients—we’re excited to celebrate their creativity and achievements.”
The recipients, which include students from Atherton, Butler Traditional, duPont Manual and Pleasure Ridge Park, are:
Gold Medal
- Morgan Betsill, DuPont Manual High School, Mixed Media – Jasmine, Art Teacher: Alana Alford
- Morgan Betsill, DuPont Manual High School, Sculpture – Who Are You?, Art Teacher: Cyndi Young
- Teanna Courtney, Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Ceramics – Clifton’s Tea Time, Art Teacher: Tammy Podbelsek
- Jordan Heller, Atherton High School, Drawing & Illustration – Imprisoned, Art Teacher: Rachel Gibbs
Silver Medal
- Grace Bradley, DuPont Manual High School, Photography – Grasping for News
- Megan Dyer, Butler Traditional High School, Art Portfolio – Sun Tea, Art Teacher: Becky McClinton
- Mackenzie Smith, DuPont Manual High School, Drawing – Outdoor Portrait, Art Teacher: Alana Alford
- Abigail Stewart, Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Ceramics – Decorative Bone, Art Teacher: Tammy Podbelsek
- Celeste Stokes, Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Sculpture – My Urban Queen, Art Teacher: Tammy Podbelsek
- Tammy Trieu, Atherton High School, Painting – Beneath, Art Teacher: Rachel Gibbs
American Visions Medal
- Morgan Betsill, DuPont Manual High School, Sculpture – Who Are You?, Art Teacher: Cyndi Young
All submissions are judged based on the program’s three criteria: originality, technical skill and emergence of personal vision or voice. Student works are first judged regionally, with students receiving Gold Keys, Silver Keys, Honorable Mentions or American Visions & Voices Nominations.
Gold Key works are then judged nationally by a panel of creative-industry experts to receive Gold, Silver, American Visions & Voices, Portfolio Silver with Distinction or Portfolio Gold Medals.
An online gallery of artwork from the JCPS students is available here.
A proposed liquor store on South Shelby Street will be the subject of an important community meeting hosted by Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4) and Councilman Pat Mulvihill (D-10) on Tuesday, March 21st.
“There have been concerns raised by many neighborhood residents and businesses as to how appropriate this proposed liquor store is for this area of District 4,” says Sexton Smith. “This meeting will be a chance for anyone to voice their concerns and hear how others feel about this proposal as we move forward.”
The proposed store would be located at 1496 South Shelby St. While the actual location is in District 4, it would be right across the street from District 10.
“We all want to see good economic development in our neighborhoods but is this proposed store the right kind of economic development,” says Mulvihill. “If there is opposition to this store, then we want to make sure everyone knows what the options are to keep it from happening.”
The neighborhood meeting is scheduled for Tuesday March 21, 2017 at St Elizabeth School Cafeteria. St Elizabeth is located in the 1020 block of East Burnett Ave, just about two blocks from the proposed liquor store.
For more information about the community meeting, contact Councilwoman Sexton Smith’s office at 574-1104 or Councilman Mulvihill’s office at 574-1110.