Sunday November 16, 2025
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SubscribeAs part of a “visioning” exercise, Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation will host 12 public meetings during the months of September, October and November to receive feedback on future park amenities including dog parks, skate parks and walking/hiking trails.
“We look forward to hearing from citizens across Louisville about what they’d like to see in their parks,” said Director Seve Ghose. “With 12 meetings and a public comment period that will last into December, we hope everyone takes advantage of the opportunity to share their hopes and dreams for the future.”
Ghose said the meetings will take place once each week for 12 weeks at four sites: the East Government Center in Middletown; Sun Valley Community Center in southwest Louisville; the Portland Community Center in the Portland neighborhood in west Louisville; and the Cyril Allgeier Community Center in the Camp Taylor neighborhood just off the Watterson Expressway.
The meetings in September will feature a discussion about dog parks; October’s meetings will address skate parks; and November’s meetings will focus on walking/hiking trails. All meetings will last from 6-7:30 p.m.
“This is our and the community’s opportunity to discuss how best to enhance the system to best serve the growing community and disparate needs while improving the quality of life of all residents,” Ghose said.
Ghose said those who would like to attend a meeting but can’t are still encouraged to send comments about these topics and others to parks@louisvilleky.gov. Continue reading
The 8th annual Big Green EGGFest starts tomorrow with a Meet & Greet at 6:00 PM. The Meet and Greet will be at Brownsboro Hardware and Paint (4858 Brownsboro Road). There will be live music and food for everyone who attends. Cost is $20 per person.
The main event is Saturday, starting at 9:00 AM, there will be cooking classes throughout the day. The classes will start easy with how to use Big Green Egg and then progress into different meats and finally, dessert. Visitors will also be able to watch local chefs compete in a Chopped-style competition on stage. Admission is $15 per person (soda and water will be available for purchase at $1 and beer available at $4). There will be free parking available at the Christ Church United Methodist Church (4614 Brownsboro Rd) and a free shuttle that will operate every ten minutes between the church and the hardware store.
All proceeds from the two events will be donated to Blessings in a Backpack and A Recipe to End Hunger.
After a study completed by the Office of Planning and Design Services, a draft of regulations regarding methane plants within the county has been given the Louisville Metro Council.
The methane plants are bio-digester. A bio-digester is defined as a renewable energy system that uses controlled decomposition of biodegradable materials (e.g. outdated food from local groceries and yard waste) in oxygen-deprived environments using naturally occurring bacteria to convert the biodegradable materials into methane-rich biogas and a waste product, which is used as a fertilizer.
According to the proposed regulations, any plant will need to be a minimum of 1,320 feet away from a residential property, school, religious building, park, community center, hospital, nursing home, or assisted living facility and at least 50 feet from a public right-of-way. Vehicles delivering feedstock, the biodegradable materials, shall not unload their cargo until they are fully enclosed in the receiving building and feedstock can only be stored in a fully enclosed building. All bio-digesters must also comply with noise ordinances, all local, state and federal laws regarding utility substations, safety, maintenance, health, and so on. Plants must also submit an emergency response plan and strategies for limiting odor that is generated from the decomposition. Natural methane is an odorless gas and it is produced in a variety of places throughout the world, including swamps and marsh lands.
There are currently three bio-digesters in the county: two of which are operated about Metropolitan Sewer District and the third is a private company. Any new proposed plants would need to seek a conditional use permit in industrial zones and the permit grants the applicant the ability to hold a public hearing. Conditional use permit holders must meet all requirements set forth in the regulations, and the Board of Zoning Adjustment must determine that there will be no adverse effects to neighboring properties before the permit is issued. However, plants that are strictly for agricultural use are exempt from zoning requirements, noise ordinances, odor mitigation, and emergency response plans per state law. A map of lands that are eligible for use is available on the City’s website.
The regulations are open for public comment, and if you missed one of the six meetings already, the final four meetings are coming up quick:
- July 27th, 6 – 8 PM – Newburg Library: 4800 Exeter Ave,
- July 27th, 6 – 8 PM- Central Government Center: 7201 Outer Loop
- July 28, 9 AM- Old Jail Auditorium: 514 W. Liberty St
- August 1, 6 PM – Old Jail Auditorium: 514 W Liberty St
Written comments can be submitted to Brian Mabry via Brian.Mabry@louisvilleky.gov. All comments must be received by 12 PM on August 1st to considered during the evening public hearing.
There are a few options in Jefferson County this year if you’re looking for a way to celebrate the Fourth of July.
July 3: Louisville Orchestra on the Waterfront. Event begins at 5:00 PM, concert starts at 8:30 PM and fireworks will follow the Louisville Bats game. Admission is free
July 3: Lousiville Bats will be playing the Gwinnett Braves starting at 6:45 PM. Fireworks will be after the game. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online. Admission starts at $10.
July 4: LouCity will be playing Montreal starting at 7:30 PM. Fireworks will follow the game. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. Admission starts at $15.
July 4: The Crescent Hill 4th of July Festival is a two day event that starts on the 3rd. Event runs 10:00 AM until 10:00 PM both days with fireworks on the 4th.
July 4: Fort Knox 4th of July Celebration at Brooks Field from 5PM until 10:30PM features live music, kids activities, hot air balloon rides, inflatables, and fireworks at 10:15PM. Open to the public. Don’t miss the Salute to the Nation from 8:45-9:40PM.
The Metro City Council rejected a proposal from Metropolitan Sewer District to increase rates by 20% to help fund maintenance and replacement projects. Instead, customers will see a 6.9% increase starting in August. This is the largest rate hike that MSD can implement without prior approval from the city council.
Customers should expect to see their bills increase by about $3,40 per month.
A research team from the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville has received a $5 million grant to fund the “4 Your Child Project”. The project is hoping to connect fathers, who do not have custody of their children, with resources to enable them to be an active part of their children’s lives.
The program is working with the Kentucky Office of Child Support Enforcement to help fathers. The program hopes to help about 1500 families. The program features group-based parent education and individual case management that will help these fathers become financially independent and develop parents skills to become responsible fathers.
More information about the project can be found on the 4 Your Child’s website.
In an announcement at J.J. Family Auto Sales, Mayor Fischer announced that the city will be giving $128,000, in loans, to 13 local businesses. The announcement was made at J.J. Family Auto Sales as they finished an expansion project that was made possible through a similar loan last year. The loans are part of a development plan that is meant to help small, low to moderate income, businesses start-up and grow here in the county.
The businesses are considered micro-businesses, meaning that they employee less than five employees. The loans are to help these small business grow. Fischer stated that for every $1 that the city uses in this way, it helps businesses generate $5, which in turn helps the local economy.
The loans are funded from a federal grant, the Community Development Block Grant through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Businesses that received the loans this year are:
- $15,000 loan to Manhattan on Broadway, 716 East Broadway. The loan will allow the owner, Nachand Trabue, to purchase more inventory, sound and video equipment. This project will add two full-time positions.
- $15,000 loan to George Addison dba BeeNetworks Media Group, who specializes in marketing and media video productions. This will allow the owner to purchase supplies and inventory.
- $15,000 loan to Romanique Beauty Salon, 5201 Dixie Highway. The loan will allow the owner, Janisha Ditto, to purchase production equipment, signage and marketing materials.
- $15,000 loan to Future Pioneer Learning Center, 7731 St. Andrews Church Road. This will allow the owner, Roshunder Gordon, to purchase childcare equipment, insurance and signage for an expanded facility.
- $15,000 loan to Doaty Distribution, LLC to purchase box trucks. The loan will help the owner, James Doaty, expand routes to five other locations for deliveries of snacks.
- $15,000 loan to Wright Amount located in Chef Space, 1800 West Muhammad Ali Blvd. This will allow the owner, Tracy Wright, to purchase inventory, rental space and food trailer.
- $8,000 loan to All is Fair in Love and Fashion to purchase inventory and equipment. The loan will help the owner, RaeShanda Johnson, expand production services.
- $5,000 loan to Extreme Appetite, LLC. This will allow the owner, Damira Trabue, to provide mobile food catering services.
- $5,000 loan to The Black Italian, a food catering service. This loan will allow the owners, Paula and Anthony Hunter, to purchase inventory, space and a vehicle and support transportation for customers.
- $5,000 loan to Jace’s Childcare, 4107 Cane Run Road. This loan will assist owner, Keishonda Clark, in purchasing some new equipment, and rental assistance.
- $5,000 loan to Queens Crown Lunchbox and Catering. The loan will allow the owner, Katrina Dawson, to purchase a stove and inventory to operate business.
- $5,000 loan to Garry Sloan dba G.T. Transportation, LLC. The loan will help purchase office furniture, printing equipment and supplies.
- $5,000 loan to Rebecca Jones dba Genesis Tax Service, a start-up tax service. The loan will allow the owner to purchase tax software and equipment.
For more information about Community Services’ microbusiness trainings and loan opportunities, visit their website.
