Monday November 10, 2025
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
As a way to help Louisville expand its tree canopy, Councilman Brandon Coan (D-8) has announced the second annual Planting O’ the Green, an initiative that will plant 90 trees in the weeks surrounding the St. Patrick’s Parade.
“In honor of this year’s 45th St. Patrick’s Parade, we’re planting 45 trees in District 8 and 45 trees in District 6,” said Coan. “I believe this pay-it-forward approach is the only way to solve our citywide tree problem, and I hope Planting O’ the Green remains a tradition for many years to come.”
The Councilman and President James (D-6) made the announcement with representatives of TreesLouisville, MSD, Brightside, Olmsted Parks Conservancy and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
“I’m thrilled to work with Trees Louisville and Councilman Brandon Coan to bring more trees to our neighborhoods. Paying it Forward with Trees in our community is a great way to help replenish our tree canopy, which makes us all healthier and our city more vibrant,” said President James.
In District 6, 45 trees will be planted on E. St. Catherine between 2nd and Preston. In District 8, the trees will be planted in the green space along Gardiner Lane in the Hawthorne neighborhood abutting I-264.
“TreesLouisville is thrilled to be a primary sponsor of the Planting O’ the Green,” TreesLouisville Executive Director Cindi Sullivan said. “Our vision is a healthier community for current and future generations through a more robust tree canopy, and collaborations like this one are an excellent way to make progress.”
“Brightside is very happy to be a part of another Planting O’ The Green,” Brightside Director Gina O’Brien said. “Trees are a terrific investment in our communities that will positively affect the health of Louisville’s residents, environment and economy. Districts 6 and 8 will reap the benefits of these trees for years to come.”
John O’Dwyer, President of the Father Abram J. Ryan Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, reflected on the meaning of the St. Patrick’s Parade and the impact of Planting O’ The Green.
“The Hibernians strive to open the spring season each year with the St. Patrick’s Parade, often called the People’s Parade, and it is a time for fun and community. Now we are making the Greenest Parade even greener as the next evolution of this charity event to give back to our fine city,” O’Dwyer said.
The 45th Annual St. Patrick’s Parade is Saturday, March 10th. For more information about Planting O’ the Green, contact Councilman Coan’s office at 574-1108.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilman David Yates (D-25) is encouraging residents to come out to the next “Talk with David” on Tuesday, March 6th at the Southwest Regional Library beginning at 6:00pm.
This will be a “Meet your Major” meeting featuring LMPD 3rd Division Major Joshua Hash.
“We have always had a very good working relationship with the 3rd Division and I believe Major Hash will do a fine job in leading the men and women who protect us,” says Councilman Yates. “I want to encourage everyone to come out and meet him and let him know what you are concerned about and how you can help LMPD.”
Councilman Yates has also invited officials with Metro Parks to provide an update on the upcoming groundbreaking and timeline of completion for the Waverly Park Restrooms.
Representatives from MSD, Louisville Water Company and IPL will be on hand to answer questions along with Congressman John Yarmuth’s office will be on hand to help answer any questions and concerns.
“Please come out and join us. This is also a chance to talk with me about any concerns you might have about any issue.” says Yates.
For more information about the next “Talk with David”, contact President Yates’ office at 574-1125.
Louisville Metro Government has again earned the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). This is the fifth consecutive year GFOA has granted the award – its highest recognition for government budgeting – to Metro.
GFOA guidelines and criteria are used to assess budgets for serving as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communications device. In receiving the award, Metro’s Fiscal Year 2017-2018 budget received high marks in all four categories.“Our city government is focused on providing a transparent, accessible government that responds to the needs of citizens. This award shows that our budget — the guiding document for our fiscal year — meets the high standards that citizens deserve. I’d like to congratulate Budget Director Aaron Jackson, our budget staff and the entire Office for Management & Budget for their tremendous work.”
Jackson added: “Mayor Fischer’s commitment to citizen engagement and transparency brings Metro in line with best practices, like those that GFOA works to promote. That drive to make Metro a leader in the government sector has been essential in receiving this honor for five years.”
The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving about 19,000 government officials and other finance practitioners in North America.
Louisville Metro’s FY17-18 budget presentation can be found here: https://louisvilleky.gov/sites/default/files/management_budget/fy18_appr…
Mayor Greg Fischer announced that Louisville residents who need assistance cleaning up from the past week’s flooding can call Metro Government’s MetroCall 311 to get connected with volunteers who are helping with recovery efforts.
Louisville Metro Emergency Services and the Office of Resiliency and Community Services are working with Kentucky Emergency Management, the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross and Metro United Way to identify flood victims and organize volunteer cleanup teams.
Residents who would like to volunteer to aid stricken residents and help with general community cleanup can contact Metro United Way 2-1-1. Callers can leave their information and will be contacted within 72 hours for a volunteer assignment. The city’s MetroCall 311 is available Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Mayor Fischer added that the city is developing a plan to disperse a $100,000 donation to help flood victims that University of Louisville head football coach Bobby Petrino and the Petrino Family Foundation made this week. Football team members are slated to be among the cleanup volunteers in the coming days.
“We’re grateful for Coach Petrino’s generous gift and the work of volunteers from across the city who are pitching in to help Louisville bounce back from the flooding,” Mayor Fischer said.
The Mayor also announced today that the city’s flood response and recovery costs had surpassed the $2.8 million threshold required to qualify for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. The assistance helps local government agencies recoup costs, which are expected to continue to rise.
As the waters recede, allowing access to previously flooded areas, recovery and cleanup efforts are expected to increase across the city in the coming days.
Louisville Metro Public Works has opened seven flood debris drop-off sites throughout the county. The locations and hours of operations are found on the Louisvilleky.gov website:https://louisvilleky.gov/government/flood-drop-locations
In addition, Waterfront Development Corporation staff and many volunteers will begin cleaning up Waterfront Park as the waters return to normal levels. Louisville Metro Parks is assessing affected locations and will be hosting community cleanups at a future date.
The Salvation Army is accepting donations of cleaning supplies at its 911 South Brook Street campus. Items most needed at this time include the following:
- Bottles of Water
- Disposable Latex Gloves
- Heavy Duty Work Gloves
- Bleach (82 Ounces)
- Household Cleaners (Windex, 409, etc.)
- Disinfectant Dish Soap
- Scrub Brushes/Pads
- Sponges
- Towels
- Paper Towels
- Dust Masks
- Mops
- Brooms
- 5-Gallon Buckets
- Storage Totes
- Heavy Duty Garbage Bags
*Note*- For those able to donate large scale donations (Pallets), please call (502) 671-4900 to arrange pick-up and/ or delivery of those items. Clothing and household goods are not needed.
As with all disasters, financial donations are most effective because they offer flexibility in supporting relief operations and those immediately affected by disaster. To make a financial donation by phone, please contact the Salvation Army’s Donor Relations Manager, Rennay Cooke at (502) 671-4926. By mail, please make checks payable to The Salvation Army of Louisville and note in the memo line “Disaster Relief.” Mail checks to The Salvation Army, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, KY 40203.
The Muhammad Ali Center’s fifth annual international photography contest and exhibition, Shining a Light, opens to the public on March 8th, International Women’s Day. The theme of this year’s exhibition, Experiences of Refugee Women, illustrates the innumerable issues of rights and justice that these women face every day through a prolific look at their lives before and after resettlement. The exhibit features images of women from ten refugee groups: Rohingya, Syrian, Kurdish, Sarhawi, Ahmadiyyan, Afghan, Bhutanese, Iraqi, Congolese, and Somali.
Informed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Women’s Refugee Commission, the photographic submissions were asked to depict one or more of the following issues as they pertain to Refugee Women’s lived experiences:
- Gender-Based Violence
- Livelihoods
- Education
- Rights and Justice
- Sexual and Reproductive Health
The Center corroborated with Kentucky Refugee Ministries (KRM) on the text for this exhibit to ensure that the information disseminated is accurate and effective. Inspired by Muhammad Ali’s core principles, Respect & Giving, the Center’s programming related to Global Citizenship aims to inspire to act locally and to think and behave globally. Visitors will learn how they can support refugee women, like those featured in the exhibit, in Louisville and on a global scale.
Shining a Light, featuring 35 photos, will be on display at the Ali Center from March 8 to June 24, 2018. The cost of the exhibit is included in regular admission pricing.
The Center received 75 entries from 14 countries. The photos were judged by a panel entirely made up of women in order to create a unique perspective for the exhibit.
Top entries include: “Rohingya Refugee Exodus” by KM Asad, Bangladesh; “She Never Cry” by Afriadi Hikmal, Indonesia; “An Innocent Smile of Rohingya Girl” by Sohel Parvez Hague, Bangladesh.
Louisville Parks and Recreation is hosting a World Cup-themed men’s soccer tournament from June 14 through July 15, 2018 to commemorate the version staged in Russia.
The tournament is open to adults 18 and over, in a 7 v 7 format, with 35-minute halves. The team fee is $150 for the three-game guarantee in the group stage, mimicking the Cup schedule, with games being played in the evening of the actual game days. There are only 32 spots available with teams representing the 32 countries who qualified for the tournament. Countries can be selected by participating teams.
Tournament sponsorships are available at $200 only through a 3’ x 8’ banner that is produced by the business or organization and will be placed on site at Thurman Hutchins Park for the months of June and July. Thurman Hutchins will also be the site of a festival on the tournament’s final day, including food trucks, music, and other entertainment options for the whole family.
Please contact Parks and Recreation Director Seve Ghose directly at seve.ghose@louisvilleky.gov or 502-415-8590 to secure a spot.
“Louisville has seen a spike in soccer interest over the last few years and to further engage the community we are seeking teams to sign up and participate in a soccer tournament,” Ghose said. “The goal is also to continue the tournament in the non-World Cup years with several more teams participating. Playing the ‘beautiful game’ on quality fields, under the lights will be a novelty and we encourage teams to sign up now and reserve your spot – we only have thirty two.”
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilman Brandon Coan (D-8) has proposed the creation of a business improvement district along the Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue corridor and announced a series of public meetings to discuss the plan with property owners and the public.
“If you are familiar with the Louisville Downtown Management District – the dedicated team of service professionals working seven days a week to beautify and keep downtown clean – then you can imagine what the Highlands Management District (HMD) might look like,” said Coan. “In addition, the proposed HMD would also assist LMPD, PARC and social service providers working along the corridor, from Broadway to the Douglass Loop.”
Management districts are funded by special assessments against properties located within service area boundaries, and they are managed by a board comprised primarily of district property owners. The proposed Highlands Management District special assessment is $0.1745 per $100.
The public meetings will discuss the management district proposal in greater detail, including how the petition process works, the scope of services to be provided, budget information and more. The meetings will be held at the following times and locations:
- Monday, March 26, 1 pm, at HopCat
- Thursday, March 29, 6 pm, at the Highlands-Shelby Park Library (inside the Mid City Mall)
- Monday, April 2, 6 pm, at the Douglass Community Center Gymnasium
Coan’s proposal is the result of more than six months of studies, reports and recommendations by an exploratory committee comprised of property owners and other stakeholders in the corridor, in consultation with the Louisville Downtown Partnership. If the proposal is accepted the Highlands Management District is scheduled to begin service in January 2019.
For more information about the proposed Highlands Management District, contact Councilman Coan’s office at 574-1108 or visit www.tinyurl.com/BardstownRdBID for more information.
