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Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School (LPAS), a districtwide magnet of Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), is celebrating 50 years of history, culture and educating leaders. Rooted in rich tradition and values established in December 1966, LPAS has transformed from an elementary school to become the only public performing arts elementary school in Kentucky.
On April 29, former students, staff and the community are invited to celebrate this milestone anniversary. The celebration, which will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. at the school at 930 E. Main St., will include games, crafts, tours, student performances and conversations about the school’s history.
Additionally, LPAS families, friends and alumni are encouraged to share their memories of the school ahead of the event. Photos and stories can be submitted here.
The first phase of the Bourbon District – an initiative that pays homage to Downtown Louisville’s rich bourbon history and recognizes the city’s current bourbon industry boom – was unveiled today on Main Street in front of the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.
Featuring Historic Site signs, Destination signs, banners and a pop-up “event scape,” the Bourbon District is a collaborative effort led by the Louisville Downtown Partnership (LDP), Louisville Metro Government and the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, in cooperation with Downtown’s Bourbon industry community.
At one time, Main Street was a hub of activity for the bourbon industry due to its proximity to the river.
“Main Street is truly the home of Louisville’s bourbon industry, both historically and in its current resurgence,” said Rebecca Matheny, Executive Director of the Louisville Downtown Partnership (LDP).
“Today, ‘Bourbonism®’ is thriving in Downtown Louisville, with four distillery experiences already open and three more planned, as well as a number of additional bourbon attractions slated to open within the next few years,” said Mayor Greg Fischer, who unveiled the first historical marker on Main Street.
The Bourbon District will use the public right of way to create an engaging and educational aesthetic for pedestrians while supporting the ongoing development of the bourbon industry in Downtown Louisville.
The renaissance of bourbon has sparked tourism and development in Downtown Louisville.
“While Louisville’s bourbon story goes back to the late 1700’s, it’s only been in the last decade that bourbon tourism has become a defining point of our city’s authenticity. We are thrilled to be part of sharing this cultural heritage with locals and visitors and think it will enhance their appreciation of Louisville’s unique destination experience,” said Karen Williams, President and CEO of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau.
When complete, the Bourbon District will be concentrated along Main Street from Jackson Street to 10th Street, and along Fourth Street from Main Street to Broadway.
Solid Light, a local Louisville company nationally recognized for designing and building extraordinary visitor experiences, created the Bourbon District to be a walkable experience.
“When visitors come to the Bourbon District, they will have an authentic experience learning about Louisville’s bourbon heritage and experiencing its resurgence,” said Solid Light Owner/President Cynthia Torp. “Working with the Louisville Downtown Partnership to create the Bourbon District was especially meaningful for us because our roots are here, so we are dedicated to keeping the history of our community alive. With every piece of history we uncovered and historical marker we designed, our passion for the project and for sharing Louisville’s bourbon story grew.”
Phase I, unveiled today, is concentrated on Main Street between Fourth and Sixth streets and will highlight the four active bourbon attractions. Plans for Phase II, which will be located on the southwest corner of Fourth and Main streets, include a grand sculptural element as part of a Story Hub, an informational and interactive center of the Bourbon District. Phase III will include at least eight more Historic Site signs and Destination Signs for the upcoming bourbon experiences.
Phase IV will include further activations to make the corners of Fourth and Main Streets distinctive pedestrian areas. “Bourbon is such a significant part of Downtown Louisville’s history, and the Bourbon District will help us tell that story to locals and visitors from all across the globe,” Matheny added.
LDP drives economic growth in Downtown and adjacent central-city neighborhoods for the benefit of the entire region, as well as oversees multiple on-street enhancements that help establish Downtown Louisville’s distinctive character and widespread appeal. LDP believes the economic engine of any great city starts with a strong Downtown.
For more information, go to: www.louisvilledowntown.org. LDP can be contacted at 556 S. Fourth Street; Louisville, KY 40202; (502)584-6000.
Photo: Kentucky Governor’s page
First Lady Glenna Bevin today attended the Women’s Auxiliary Spring Luncheon held at the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville. Mrs. Bevin spoke in front of an audience of 300 women, where she shared how her personal experiences have influenced her passion for children and those in the Kentucky foster care system. After being involved in the Southern Baptist Seminary for many years, the Bevins established the Bevin Center for Mission Mobilization in memory of their oldest daughter, Brittiney, who had an incredible passion for children and mission work.
“I have raised my children to be the hands and feet of Christ,” said Mrs. Bevin. “We have children here in Kentucky who are going to bed hungry, abused, and that don’t know Jesus loves them. That shatters everything inside me.”
Mrs. Bevin stated that there were many reasons her husband decided to run for governor, but one in particular was to correct Kentucky’s broken foster care system. Prior to adopting four children from Ethiopia, Gov. and Mrs. Bevin attempted to adopt an 11-year-old girl in Kentucky. However, their application was denied due to the many unnecessary regulations in the state’s foster care system.
“My reasons for being here are not to tell you my story. My reasons are very, very, selfish,” said Mrs. Bevin. “I am here to call on you to be my foot soldiers in this battle for Kentucky’s children. We have to take advantage of our programs and educate ourselves on the issues that Kentucky kids face today. Step out of your comfort zone, rethink your plans, your missions, and to pray for God’s guidance in making Kentucky your mission field.”
This call to action follows the Gov. and First Lady’s Open Hearts/Open Homes summit held in March. This was a collaboration between the Governor’s Office and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. There, state officials called on communities to take action and provided inspiring, but sobering education as to the current situation within Kentucky’s foster care and adoption systems.
The Worksite Wellness Council of Louisville, a Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement partner, will host its annual worksite wellness conference on Thursday, May 18, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Gheens Foundation Lodge at Beckley Creek Park in the beautiful Parklands of Floyds Fork. For conference registration, sponsorship or vendor information, or to apply for an award, visit http://bit.ly/2nn4fGU.
Businesses with worksite wellness programs are encouraged to apply for an award. Awards will be presented at the conference. The deadline to apply is this Friday, April 28. The Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement has been recognizing businesses committed to fostering employee health and wellness for 11 years. The awards are based on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Worksite Health ScoreCard criteria, in recognition of policies, programs and strategies proven to work. Four levels of winners will be awarded based on ScoreCard results: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. In addition, several “Fleur de Lis” awards will be presented to honor businesses with exemplary or unique worksite wellness programs or initiatives. Businesses can apply at https://www.stateofwellness.org/louisville/.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Plug into Wellness to Light Up your Community.” Attendees will hear from guest speakers on topics such as how to connect with all sectors of the community to improve employee and community health and how workplace wellness programs serve as a foundation for changing and improving business.
“We welcome any and all businesses who want to learn more about creating healthier workplaces to attend the conference,” said Allison Ledford, chair, Worksite Wellness Council of Louisville. “It’s a great way to learn about best practices in improving employee health whether it’s through our speakers or through networking and sharing.”
The cost to attend the conference is $75 if registration is completed by April 30. The cost is $95 after May 1 or the day of the conference. Online registration and additional information regarding vendor booths and sponsorships is available at http://bit.ly/2nn4fGU. Sponsors include Norton Healthcare, Humana, Musselman Hotels, Anthem, and the Louisville chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.
The Worksite Wellness Council of Louisville assists area employers to establish worksite wellness by providing training seminars and conferences throughout the year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), worksite wellness programs enhance worker productivity, reduce absences, reduce health care costs and help to shift the health care paradigm from treatment to prevention.
Tomorrow kicks off the two-week Kentucky Derby Festival with one of the largest fireworks displays in the country. Thunder Over Louisville is a fun family event that features music, food, an air show, and a very large fireworks display at the end of the day. Unfortunately, the weather will not be so cooperative, and there is no rain date. As long as it is safe to be near the river, the show will go on. We are currently looking at a high near 50 degrees with nearly 100% chance of rain.
Visitors to the main viewing area on either side of the river will need a Pegasus pin for entrance. The official program for the day will be available tomorrow in the local newspaper. The day begins when many displays open at 11:00 AM. The US Military will have multiple interactive displays on the South Great Lawn, including a dog tag machine, a fitness challenge, an obstacle course, and a 4D virtual reality simulation of a Navy rescue mission. The South Lawn will have activities geared towards children, such as the ninja jump and Meijer will be sponsoring a Family Fun zone that will feature face painting, bounce houses and a beer garden for the parents.
The famous air show does not start until 2:30 PM (recent time change from 3:00 PM). The line up of acts will feature aircraft from the US and other foreign countries’ militaries, both past and present. The show usually features a couple of stunt pilots that will display their skills in the cockpit by performing stunning, and dangerous, maneuvers in the air at various heights. If you have not been to a Thunder Over Louisville event with cloud cover, the ability of the planes to fly close enough to be seen is dependent on the ceiling level and the pilot’s discretion. The entire line up of airshow can be seen online, but it is subject to change.
The air show ends when the fireworks start. As with the previous 27 events, the 28-minute fireworks show has a theme. This year it is “Local & Original”. Along with the fireworks, there is a musical score to go along with the show and as always, there will be a salute to the US that usually features the US flag being flown by aircraft in the viewing area and a few well-known, patriotic songs. The fireworks are currently scheduled to start at 9:30 PM.
If you plan on attending the event, some useful information can be found at the Kentucky Derby Festival webpage. You should plan on leaving any personal drones, tents, canopies, glass containers, alcoholic beverages, pets, bicycles, and grills at home. Lawn chairs are permitted and so are tarps (as long as they are under 10′ x 10′). Event organizers also recommend that you dress for the weather (possibly consider a change of clothes in a waterproof bag or in the car), make sure you gas tank is full (traffic after the event can be slow moving at best and many routes that may be familiar will be blocked), and plan to park as far away as you can comfortably walk. A map of the viewing area is also available on the website.
If you do not want to drive to the event, the local public transit provider, TARC, will have extra buses on certain routes and alternate loading spots following the event. More information, including route changes and detours, can be found on their website. If you are unable to attend the event or do not desire sitting in the rain all-day, you can listen to the show all day on WVEZ 106.9 and many local news stations will air the event as well.
Photo: Care Innovations
Mayor Greg Fischer and Gov. Matt Bevin today announced Care Innovations LLC, a telehealth company specializing in designing, developing, and optimizing remote care delivery programs, will invest nearly $1.7 million to relocate and expand its research and development center, creating 24 high-wage jobs in Louisville.
“Louisville is seeing tremendous advancements in analytics, data science and technology within our lifelong wellness and aging cluster. Care Innovations’ expansion is a great example of how technology can innovate to meet the market’s advanced industry growth,” the Mayor said. “I welcome the company’s innovative solutions to bettering patient care, and look forward to its future success and growth.”
Care Innovations will relocate from its 1,900 square-foot Prospect office to a more than 7,000 square-foot space on Fourth Street in Louisville. The new office will provide additional room for software development, analytics and testing.
“Care Innovations located in Prospect less than 18 months ago, confident they would be able to tap into Louisville’s tech and healthcare industry expertise,” Gov. Bevin said. “That confidence was not misplaced, and Care Innovations is now moving to larger offices that will better accommodate their substantial and consistent growth. We congratulate them on their impressive efforts and look forward to their continued progress.”
The company, based in Roseville, Calif., opened its Prospect office in October 2015 to better reach its customers, build relationships with industry leaders and analysts and attract strong technology and healthcare talent.
“As we continue to partner with major healthcare systems and health plans both nationwide and internationally on their goal to provide continuous care, it is imperative that we expand our talent, and Louisville’s growing healthcare market is ideal for doing just that,” said Randall Swanson, CEO of Care Innovations.
Also known as RPM, remote patient management is a form of telehealth that uses information technology to gather patient data outside of traditional healthcare settings. By moving care into patients’ homes, clinicians can provide proactive care, rather than reactive, which may help reduce hospitalizations, improve outcomes and lower costs.
Care Innovations has been an advisor and leading provider in the remote patient management and telehealth industry for more than 10 years. The company partners with payers, healthcare providers and home health companies to make continuous care easier by employing its service suite, technology and education offerings to design, develop and deliver remote care. Doing so helps Care Innovations’ customers reduce costs and improve patient outcomes outside of traditional clinical settings.
To encourage the investment and job growth in the Louisville area, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in January preliminarily approved Care Innovations for tax incentives up to $500,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
For more information on Care Innovations, visit www.careinnovations.com.
Louisville Metro Government has agreed in principle to a settlement that would significantly reduce a proposed utility rate increase by Louisville Gas & Electric (LG&E).
Wednesday’s settlement agreement is more than $40 million below LG&E’s initial request for new revenue and includes a drastic reduction in LG&E’s proposed fixed monthly charges of $46 for residential customers who have both electric and gas service. The settlement requires the approval of the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) and could be altered following the PSC’s hearing on the case that begins May 9.
“This settlement protects LG&E customers of all types but also supports the utility in providing safe and reliable service for its users,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “Louisville Metro’s efforts in this case benefit all cities within Jefferson County and the rest of the LG&E service area.”
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell, in his authority as legal representative for Louisville Metro Government, has personally represented the city in the case, including settlement negotiations last week in Frankfort.
“Our work to limit the increase on fixed charges and to the rates cities pay for street lights is a big win for everyone in Jefferson County,” said O’Connell. “Listening to the input of our citizens, the Mayor and other city officials, along with members of Metro Council, guided me throughout this case. I hope that the PSC views this stipulation as fair, just and reasonable and ultimately approves it.”
LG&E asked the PSC in November to grant an increase to its electric and gas rates that would boost the company’s annual revenues by $107.5 million. Louisville Metro Government intervened in the case on December 2 and has since presented facts and expert testimony that called for a substantial cut to LG&E’s request. The settlement represents a 38 percent reduction from what LG&E requested in additional revenue.
Louisville Metro’s intervention paid especially high dividends in the debate over the fixed electric service charge. LG&E proposed to more than double the current service charge of $10.75 to $22 per meter. This increase raised concerns about impacts on low-income families, seniors and others living on fixed income, and from those in Louisville who had invested in energy conservation efforts, including solar technology. The high level of proposed increases in fixed charges was a significant factor in Louisville Metro’s decision to intervene.
The settlement raises the electric fixed charge only 75 cents each year in 2017 and 2018. The new fixed charges will be $11.50 and $12.25, respectively, a fraction of the company’s request.
When the fixed gas service charge is also taken into account, Wednesday’s agreement includes combined monthly charges of $27.85 for residential customers starting July 1, 2017. This combined $3.60 increase from current charges is drastically lower than LG&E’s request for an immediate $21.75 monthly boost in fixed costs outside of monthly electric and gas use.
Louisville Metro spends more than $17 million annually on utility bills. The city estimates $650,000 in cost avoidance compared to LG&E’s original request that would have resulted in more than a $1.23 million hike in Louisville Metro’s yearly utility bill.
This is the city’s first significant intervention in a LG&E rate case heard before the PSC in more than 30 years. Of the Louisville Metro Council members present and voting on Dec. 15, they unanimously approved (20-0) a resolution in support of intervention. Councilmen Bill Hollander and Kevin Kramer both have offered written testimony in the case.
Other notable pieces of the settlement include:
- Low-income customer support: $700,000 to the Association for Community Ministries (ACM) for utility assistance and $180,000 for Home Energy Assistance, both to remain in effect through June 30, 2021. This is a $200,000 increase to the contribution to ACM.
- Electric bus infrastructure and rates study: LG&E and Kentucky Utilities (KU) commit to fund a study concerning economical deployment of electric bus infrastructure in the Louisville and Lexington areas, as well as possible cost-based rate structures related to charging stations and other infrastructure needed for electric buses.
- LED lighting collaborative: The Utilities commit to engage in good faith with Louisville Metro, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, and any other interested parties to these proceedings in a collaborative to discuss issues related to LED lighting to determine what LED street lighting equipment and rate structures might be offered by the Utilities.
Parties to the settlement include LG&E, Louisville Metro, the office of Attorney General Andy Beshear and numerous other intervenors in the case, including large-scale commercial and industrial customers and nonprofits like the Metropolitan Housing Coalition and the Sierra Club.
“The outcome of the rate case for residential customers in Louisville Metro is much improved over what had been requested,” said Tom FitzGerald of the Kentucky Resources Council, which represented the Metropolitan Housing Coalition. “Louisville Metro and County Attorney Mike O’Connell worked with the other intervenors and were instrumental in keeping customer charge increases small, and in helping to expand low-income energy assistance for the most vulnerable LG&E customers. We appreciate LG&E’s continued commitment to low-income assistance, which they pledged to increase and continue through 2021.”
This is a partial settlement as intervenors AT&T Kentucky and the Kentucky Cable Telecommunications are not parties to the agreement.
Attorney Gregory Dutton from the law firm of Goldberg Simpson has served as outside co-counsel for Louisville Metro on this case.
A full version of the stipulation can be found here.
