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Nonprofit organizations committed to creating a culture of health and wellness can now apply for a 2017 Mayor’s Healthy Hometown mini-grant.
Mini-grants are awarded annually to non-profit organizations offering programs or services within Louisville and Jefferson County that align with the focus areas and goals of Healthy Louisville 2020:
- Healthy Homes and Healthy Neighborhoods
- Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies
- Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods
- Mental and Behavioral Health
- Obesity Prevention
- Social Determinants of Health
- Substance Abuse Prevention
Applicants must be incorporated nonprofits that have been qualified to do business in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for a minimum of the past three years. Applications must be submitted online. To access the online application manual, go to http://bit.ly/2pY31VP. To access the online application, go to http://bit.ly/2qKOi1x. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 13. Applications will be reviewed and scored by a panel of representatives from the community.
Organizations interested in applying can participate in a call to provide technical assistance and answer questions on Wednesday, May 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The number to call is (502) 574-6164
In 2016, awards ranged from $7,500 to $11,000 and were presented to: the Academy of Music Production Education and Development (AMPED), Girls on the Run of Louisville, the Metropolitan Housing Corp., and 2NOT1 Fatherhood and Families, Inc.
Since 2005, the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement has awarded more than a half million dollars in grants to more than 100 community groups.
More than a dozen students from the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District recently earned top honors at the SkillsUSA state championships in Louisville. Students from nine JCPS high schools competed in the annual competition, which gives students from across Kentucky the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and expertise in a variety of in-demand career areas. SkillsUSA Kentucky is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure the state has a skilled workforce.
JCPS students brought home a total of 17 awards in categories that included Heavy Equipment Training, Automotive Refinishing Technology, Computer Programming and Technical Drafting. The students are enrolled in career-theme schools in JCPS, where they invest time developing marketable skills in high-demand fields.
Winners from JCPS include:
- Skylar Sample, Fairdale, Heavy Equipment (First)
- Curtis Simmons, Fairdale, Heavy Equipment (Second)
- William Propes, Fairdale, Heavy Equipment (Third)
- Kaylyn Wade, Pleasure Ridge Park, Photo Art Display (First)
- Abigail Stewart, Pleasure Ridge Park, Advertising Design (First)
- Rawan Saleh, Fern Creek, Advertising Design (Second)
- Sean Riggle, Southern, Automotive Refinishing Technology (First)
- Aaron Araujo, Southern, Collision Repair Technology (First)
- Iosef Casas, Fern Creek, Computer Programming (First)
- Breagan Craig, Fern Creek, Computer Programming (Second)
- Kaylyn Wade, Pleasure Ridge Park, Photography (First)
- Patrick Cleary, Pleasure Ridge Park, Photography (Third)
- Justin Schneider, Jeffersontown, Technical Drafting (Second)
- Daniel Berry, Jeffersontown, Technical Drafting (Third)
- Collin Bradley, Roderick Coleman and Tyler Zickel, Southern, Community Service (First)
- Skylar Sample, Fairdale, Extemporaneous Speaking (First)
- Jameir Kirkpatrick, Iroquois, Prepared Speech (Second)
First-place winners will have the opportunity to compete in the national SkillsUSA championship in June, which is being at the Kentucky Expo Center. More than 16,000 people — including students, teachers and business partners — are expected to participate in the weeklong event.
A spectacular day of Bluegrass and Americana music, food and beverages, craft vendors, and youth activities in a scenic environment awaits those who visit Jefferson Memorial Forest’s thirteenth annual Forest Fest on Saturday, May 20.
Forest Fest has been known for providing a great variety of bluegrass music; this year’s event expands on that tradition with six musical acts in the lineup. The music starts at 11:30 a.m. in the forest’s Horine Section, 12408 Holsclaw Hill Road.
The lineup starts off with the Jon Stickley Trio, followed by The Wooks (from Lexington). Louisville’s own Misty Mountain String Band and Mipso play next. Four-time IMBA award winner Flatt Lonesome and former Carolina Chocolate Drop Leyla McCalla round out the evening.
The event is free, but parking is $10 per carload. Bring a blanket or chair. Food, wine, and beer will be available for purchase along with items from various crafters. Outside alcoholic beverages are prohibited. Well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome, and their owners are asked to be considerate of other patrons.
The event is made possible through the financial support of presenting sponsors, Metro Councilwomen Vicki Aubrey Welch (District 13) and Cindi Fowler (District 14), in whose districts Jefferson Memorial Forest is located, as well as assistance from Councilpersons Marianne Butler (District 15), Rick Blackwell (District 12), James Peden (District 23), Madonna Flood (District 24), David Yates (District 25), Jessica Green (District 1), Pat Mulvihill (District 10), Glen Stuckel (District 17), Mary C. Woolridge (District 3), Barbara Sexton Smith (District 4), Cheri Bryant Hamilton (District 5), David James (District 6), Angela Leet (District 7), Brandon Coan (District 8), Bill Hollander (District 9), Dan Johnson (District 21), and Robin Engel (District 22). Also sponsoring the event are: LG&E, WFPK Radio Louisville, Forcht Bank, and LeafFilter.
A variety of entertainment options for children, including live nature demonstrations and a climbing wall, will take place during the day, beginning at noon and ending at 5 p.m. Workshops by performers will begin at 12:30. Artists from across the region will demonstrate their skills as part of a craft fair, and food and beverages from Comfy Cow Ice Cream, Shack in the Back Barbeque, Lil Cheezers and DakShin food trucks, Brooks Hill Winery, Heine Brothers Coffee, Mr. G’s Kettle Corn, and local craft beer from Falls City will be available for sale.
Forest Fest Band Schedule:
- 11:30 a.m. Jon Stickley Trio
- 12:45 p.m. The Wooks
- 2:00 p.m. Misty Mountain String Band
- 3:30 p.m. Mipso
- 4:45 p.m. Flatt Lonesome
- 6:00 p.m. Leyla McCalla
Forest Fest Schedule of Activities:
- 10:30 a.m. Booths open to the public; food areas open; Forest Nature booth opens for children
- 11:30 a.m. Music begins; Children’s activities begin (until 5 p.m.)
- 12:30 p.m.-1 p.m. Band Workshop: Misty Mountain String Band
- 2 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Band Workshop: The Wooks
- 2:30- 3 p.m. Band Workshop: Mipso
- 3:30 -4 p.m. Band Workshop: Flatt Lonesome
- 4-4:30 p.m. Band Workshop: Leyla McCalla
- 7 p.m. Forest Fest concludes
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 20th.
“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.
Photo: JCPS
Ballard High School junior Nicholas Wright will spend most of his summer break learning about and creating awareness for global issues. Wright, the son of Marcus and Portia Wright, has been awarded an internship at the United Nations (UN) in its Temple of Understanding Program.
As part of the program, high school and college students from across the United States, as well as the world, will spend five weeks learning about the UN and what it’s like to be an intern for a non-governmental organization (NGO). Wright was one of only 20 applicants selected to participate in the highly competitive program.
“Nicholas desires to be a global citizen,” his mother, Portia, said. “He began his love of learning about other countries and cultures while attending Meyzeek Middle School. He joined the Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA) and got completely wrapped up in the economic, educational and social problem solving for disparaging countries. This is a perfect example of the possible impact the activities and experiences of school clubs and effective classroom instruction can have on a student. Nicholas has gone from the model UN to the actual UN!”
During his internship, Wright will complete a research project addressing the topic of the human right to water. For more information about the program, click here.
Gov. Matt Bevin joined four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield last week to announce a championship boxing match to be held in Louisville on June 24 at Freedom Hall. The announcement was made in conjunction with the Louisville Sports Commission, the Muhammad Ali Center, Top Knotch Boxing (TKO), Kentucky Venues, and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.
The televised event will kick off a fight series entitled the “Real Deal Championship Boxing Series” that will be promoted by Holyfield’s company, Real Deal Sports & Entertainment. The Louisville event will feature a championship bout among contenders and an undercard that will include local amateur boxers.
The event is part of Louisville’s six-week celebration of Muhammad Ali’s legacy, entitled the “I Am Ali” festival. The festival runs June 3 to July 15, and focuses on Ali’s legacy and core values.
This is the second major combat sports announcement in Kentucky this year and comes on the heels of Gov. Bevin’s reorganization of the Kentucky Boxing & Wrestling Commission (KBWC). The reorganization streamlined KBWC as part of the Red Tape Reduction initiative and tasked the commission with cutting needless bureaucracy that stifled the combat sports industry.
“We are thrilled to welcome Evander Holyfield and Real Deal Sports & Entertainment to Kentucky for this exciting championship bout,” said Gov. Matt Bevin. “Our state has a rich boxing heritage, and we have worked hard in recent months to cut red tape and remove unnecessary bureaucracy hampering the industry. As a result, Kentucky is able to once again host large-scale combat sports events. We anticipate that this will be the first of many to come and are grateful to Real Deal Sports & Entertainment for their vote of confidence.”
The boxing industry has experienced significant growth in Kentucky as a result of Red Tape Reduction efforts. In 2016 alone, there were 13 boxing shows, which was more than the prior three years combined. The number of scheduled shows in 2017 is already on track to exceed last year’s numbers. The state has also experienced approximately 30 percent growth in combat sports revenue during the last fiscal year.
Public Protection Cabinet Secretary David Dickerson stated that he is looking forward to additional economic development opportunities that will arise from Gov. Bevin’s charge to cut red tape in the industry. “It’s exciting to witness the explosive growth of combat sports in our state, and KBWC is constantly exploring new ways to grow the industry,” he said. “We believe that today’s exciting announcement is just the beginning.”
To date, Gov. Bevin’s Red Tape Reduction Initiative is responsible for repealing 151 regulations and targeting an additional 338 regulations for repeal. Over 1,900 of Kentucky’s 4,700 regulations have been reviewed as part of the initiative. Visit http://redtapereduction.com for full details.
The Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission oversees all professional boxing, wrestling, and full contact competitive bouts and exhibitions in Kentucky. Learn more about the commission at http://kbwa.ky.gov.
Louisville Metro Government is completing a planning study for the future route of the Louisville Loop route between the City of Prospect and the Big Four Bridge – the Ohio River Valley Northeast (ORVNE) master plan.
This section of the Loop is the last remaining section without a master plan.
Louisville Metro Parks & Recreation will be hosting a third and final public meeting for the project on Monday, May 22, 2017 from 6-8 p.m. at Locust Grove, 561 Blankenbaker Lane, 40207.
The meeting will be an open house format with an overview presentation of the plan at 6:00 p.m. Residents are invited to view exhibits about the project and provide feedback on the plan’s recommendations.
For more information, you can view the project website at www.linkingtheloop.wordpress.com/.
