Tuesday November 11, 2025
News Sections

To accomplish their task of developing principles for evaluating Louisville’s existing public art and monuments, the Public Art and Monuments Advisory Committee will hold several more public meetings before completing its work in June.

The meeting schedule is as follows:

  • March 6, 6 p.m. at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage
  • April 14, 10:30 a.m. at the Cyril Allgeier Community Center
  • May 18, 12 p.m. at the South Central Regional Library
  • June 5, 6 p.m. at the Main branch of the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL)

Planning for an additional meeting at the University of Louisville is in progress, and details are pending.

To view information pertaining to the Public Art & Monuments Advisory Committee, please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-art/public-art-and-monuments-…

Photo: KFC Yum! Center

Four-time Grammy Award winner Keith Urban will bring his “GRAFFITI U WORLD TOUR 2018” to Louisville on Saturday, October 20. Tickets will go on sale on March 2 at Ticketmaster.com. The tour will feature special guest Kelsea Ballerini as Urban’s supporting act on most of the North American leg.

The 58-city tour will kick off in June and run through November. Urban’s shows have become concert events that electrify. They’re unexpected, if not unpredictable, and have been hailed by media around the world as a “concert experience not to be missed.” The tour will feature many of Urban’s 23 #1 songs, as well as brand new songs that have never been performed live and an all-new concert production that promises to be as spectacular as never before.

“I’ve been full-on writing, recording, collaborating and creating with some incredibly talented people for GRAFFITI U, a lot of whom I’ve never worked with before,” said Urban.  “I can hear how some of the songs will translate live already, which really makes putting on a new show so exhilarating and I loved having our fans included in the announcement of the tour because it’s their tour too.”

“I remember hearing Keith Urban songs that stopped me in my tracks and made me want to drop everything and chase that kind of lyric and heart-filled artistry,” says Ballerini. “He’s the best in the business and I can’t wait to fangirl and learn from him this year. Truly an honor to tour with him.”

For all official Keith Urban tour news including show dates and where to purchase tickets, go to www.keithurban.net.

On Thursday, February 22nd the Metro Council’s Community Affairs and Housing Committee held a special meeting to honor outstanding residents and volunteers as part of its 16th Annual Black History Month Program.

“Reaffirming Our Diverse Culture” is the continuing theme of the program, which concludes the month long celebration of Black History Month in Louisville Metro.  It begins at 12:00pm in Council Chambers, 601 West Jefferson Street.

“For 16 years now, the Metro Council has believed it is important to thank the many unsung heroes who give their time and talent to their communities and neighborhoods,” says Councilwoman Barbara Shanklin (D-2) who chairs the Committee.  “Through their example, not only are those in need helped but they inspire others to get involved in public service. This is one way of thanking them for all they do.”

One special group will be honored during the program along with 26 individuals.  Below is a list of the honorees of for the 16th Annual Black History Program:

2018 Group Award: 

The Mary Alyce Sweeney Foundation

The Foundation was created by the family and friends of Mary Alyce Sweeney of Louisville. She lived by two very simple rules: give back to the community and be a bridge over troubled waters to those in need.   The Foundation continues her spirit of giving and making dreams come true by touching the lives of others through community service, care packages, domestic abuse services and outreach. The Foundation works to support our ethnically diverse community in educational and social needs.

2018 Honorees:

  • District 1 – Robert Cunningham
  • District 2 – Gloria Crayton
  • District 3 – Mary Maiden
  • District 4 – Jackie Floyd
  • District 5 – Evelyn Glass
  • District 6 – Rev. H. Wayne Colbert
  • District 7 – Archie Bailey and the Moonglows
  • District 8 – Stacey L. Robinson
  • District 9 – Terrian Barnes
  • District 10 – Stephan M. Williams
  • District 11 – Officer Eddie Phillips
  • District 12 – Christie McCravy
  • District 13 – Officer Anthony Mabrey
  • District 14 – Roger Thompson
  • District 15 – Jarren Thomas
  • District 16 – Tanisha Ann Hickerson
  • District 17 – Kyle Brooks
  • District 18 – Reagan Patrick Roy
  • District 19 – Kenneth F. Hayden Sr.
  • District 20 – Deon Reese
  • District 21 – Abdourachid Farah
  • District 22 – Coach James Schooler
  • District 23 – Roy Sutton
  • District 24 – Tenneil Edelen
  • District 25 – Officer Dwight Mitchell
  • District 26 – Rosalind M. Cole

The Community Affairs and Housing Committee 16th Annual Black History month program will be carried live on METRO TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184.  For UVERSE Subscribers, the meeting airs on Channel 99.

You can also watch the meetings online by going to the Metro Council home page at http://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council/metro-council-clerk and click the “Watch Meetings Online” button.

Photo: Louisville Metro Council

Councilman Bill Hollander invites the community to attend an upcoming D9 Community Conversation, which will close out Black History Month with a presentation by Clifton resident Joshua Poe on redlining in Louisville and a nationally acclaimed project to explore it.

Redlining is the denial of services or the refusal to grant loans or insurance to certain neighborhoods based on racial and socioeconomic discrimination. It was an explicit government policy which led to the racial segregation of our major cities, including Louisville. Poe’s work can be found here: https://lojic.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=e4d2990795….   An article about it is here:  https://insiderlouisville.com/metro/redlining-louisville-map-wins-harvar….

Poe is an urban planner and independent researcher using GIS and planning principles to facilitate social justice and revitalization. He developed an interactive map that was the impetus for the Redlining Louisville project.  Poe’s map, “Redlining Louisville: The History of Race, Class, and Real Estate,” was selected as the first winner of Harvard University’s Map of the Month contest, which recognizes best-in-class data visualizations created by all levels of government and nonprofits. “Redlining Louisville” was selected for its outstanding use of data combined from multiple sources, including historical data, its creativity and effective communication to the public, and the policy implications it is likely to have moving forward.  More about the award is here: https://datasmart.ash.harvard.edu/news/article/map-of-the-month-redlinin….

The D9 Community Conversation is Wednesday, February 28, beginning at 6:30 p.m.,  at United Crescent Hill Ministries,  150 South State Street.  “Redlining is an important subject we all need to understand in order to deal with its consequences. I am looking forward to Josh’s presentation”, says Hollander.  “As with all D9 Community Conversations, discussion of any other subject is also welcome and I will be available to talk with constituents about any questions, comments or concerns. ”

For more information about the meeting, contact Councilman Hollander’s office at 574-1109.

Photo: KFC Yum! Center

Willie Nelson & Family and Alison Krauss will perform live on Wednesday, May 23 at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville.

Tickets for the newly added Louisville show will go on sale to the general public starting this Saturday, February 24 at 10am ET at LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster outlets, the venue box office and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.

WILLIE NELSON – 2018

With a six-decade career and 200 plus albums, this iconic Texan is the creative genius behind the historic recordings of Crazy, Red Headed Stranger, and Stardust. Willie Nelson has earned every conceivable award as a musician and amassed reputable credentials as an author, actor, and activist. He continues to thrive as a relevant and progressive musical and cultural force. In recent years, he has delivered more than 10 new album releases, released a Top 10 New York Times’ bestsellers book, again headlined Farm Aid, an event he co-founded in 1985, received his 5th degree black belt in Gong Kwon Yu Sul, headlined the last three years of the on-going Luck Reunion food and music festival at his ranch in Luck, TX during SXSW, announced the launch of his cannabis company Willie’s Reserve, and graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. In 2015, Nelson added “It’s A Long Story: My Life,” the unvarnished and complete story of Willie, hit bookshelves and landed him on the New York Times’ bestsellers list; and a new studio album with Merle Haggard titled Django And Jimmie, which debuted at #1 on Billboard‘s Country album chart and #7 on Billboard‘s Top 200 album chart. In November 2015, the Library of Congress honored him with their Gershwin Prize for Popular Song for his contributions to popular music. He is the first country artist to receive the distinguished award. And 2016 began with the release of Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, a collection of 11 newly recorded Gershwin classics. The album debuted at #1 on both the Top Current Jazz chart and the Top Traditional Jazz chart, as well as earned him a Grammy Award for the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. In September, came For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price, an album of newly recorded interpretations of 12 Ray Price songs. While a month later, Nelson released Pretty Paper, his new novel inspired his classic holiday song of the same title about a legless man who sold wrapping paper in front of a Ft. Worth, TX department store. In April 2017, Nelson released God’s Problem Child, his latest studio album with 13 new songs It debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Country album chart and #10 on the Billboard 200. Nelson continues to record more new songs for upcoming projects as well as touring throughout North America year long.

ALISON KRAUSS – 2018

Alison Krauss’ new album Windy City is her first effort away from her band Union Station since Raising Sand and her debut for Capitol Records. The album features Alison performing 10 classic songs that she carefully selected.

Following Raising Sand, her platinum 2007 album with Robert Plant that won six GRAMMY Awards including album of the Year, and 2011’s Paper Airplane with her longtime collaborators Union Station, which won the GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album and topped Billboard’s Folk, Country and Bluegrass charts, Alison began to feel the tug of inspiration. The results are the amazing new project, Windy City. Alison inhabits, and liberates, the very essence that makes each of the songs eternal. While they span different era and musical genres, there is a unifying sensibility.

The 2018 edition of the National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) closed Saturday with an increase in attendance and ticket sales, and a record number of new exhibitors and exhibit sales.

Over 314,000 attendees packed the Kentucky Exposition Center for the four-day event that celebrated 53 years of providing the agricultural industry’s latest and most comprehensive display of equipment, services and technology. With the largest number of exhibitors in its history, NFMS spanned more than 1.3 million square feet filling 920 booths, for an increase of 40 exhibitors.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Championship Tractor Pull attendance was the largest number in recent history. Over 67,000 tickets were sold to the five performances in Freedom Hall. During the Saturday night finals, a ceremony honored past participants and the organizers of the first tractor pull. In a half-century of growth, the invitation-only tractor pull now draws the nation’s top drivers competing for the title of Grand Champion and more than $200,000 in prize money.

“For over half a century, the National Farm Machinery Show has delivered on its purpose to provide solid information and cutting edge technology to the farming community,” said Don Parkinson, interim CEO of the Kentucky State Fair Board. “The largest indoor farm show along with the longest running championship tractor pull in one venue is unique to Kentucky and we look forward to another 50 years of championing agribusiness here in the Commonwealth.” Parkinson also serves as Secretary of the Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet.

As the nation’s largest indoor farm show, NFMS brings an economic impact of $17 million to Louisville annually, filling local hotels and restaurants with attendees from across the country and around the world. NFMS is owned and produced by the Kentucky State Fair Board.

The 2019 NFMS dates are February 13-16. For more information, visit www.farmmachineryshow.org.

Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio, Dave Myers, Fairdale High School heavy equipment science instructor, Fairdale High School students, business partners and former students will celebrate Fairdale High School’s launch as an Academies of Louisville school beginning in the 2018/19 school year, focusing on preparing students for careers in law enforcement, fire science and heavy equipment.  Fairdale will be the 12th – and newest – academies school within JCPS.

Following brief remarks, students will demonstrate exercises in all three program areas to highlight the real-world experiences they’re gaining in an academies-model curriculum, including a high-speed chase in a driving simulator; forcible door entry simulation; and heavy equipment operation.

In addition, FHS graduates who are now working in related careers will be available for interviews.

 

Archives