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Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilwoman Barbara Shanklin (D-2) is inviting the community to join a special event with the Men of Peace for the 21st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Brunch with the continuing theme of “Keeping the Dream Alive” as Metro Louisville kicks off a week of special events to honor the late civil rights leader.
“Dr. King’s message of civil rights and social justice continues to be an important message for all of us in Louisville, Kentucky and in our country,” says Shanklin. “This brunch is one of the ways we help our young people understand the need for equality for all while we strive for justice and peace in the world.”
The MLK Jr. Brunch will get underway at 11:00am at Newburg Middle School, 4901 Exeter Avenue on Saturday, January 13th.
This year’s featured speaker is the Reverend Lesa Dae of St. Stephens Church Women’s Ministry.
The event is an important fundraising effort for various youth programs sponsored by the Men of Peace Presbyterian Church throughout the year.
“These programs provide us an opportunity to help the young people of Metro Louisville lead a better life and become better citizens,” says Shanklin. “I am pleased to help the Men of Peace spread Dr. King’s message through their actions. I hope the community will come out and celebrate with us as we all enjoy this event.”
For ticket information about the 21st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Brunch, call Michael Foree Sr. at 502-819-5723 or contact Councilwoman Shanklin’s office at 574-1102.
For thousands of local children – and quite a few adults, too – sledding is a highlight of the winter season. Louisville Parks and Recreation wants to remind the public it will open hills in seven parks for sledding from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on days when snow accumulation reaches 2-3 inches.
Louisville Parks and Recreation has selected its best and safest sledding hills in the area. As long as the sledding hills maintain adequate snow coverage, they will remain open. Park users are asked to avoid sledding when hills are closed. Sledding on slopes that lack appropriate snow depth will cause turf damage that must be repaired in the spring.
The rule of thumb for determining if enough snow accumulation has occurred is that if you see blades of grass poking through the snow cover; it’s not deep enough to sled safely. Sledding when parks employees have not posted the “open” sign, and at all other times, comes at your own risk.
DESIGNATED SLEDDING HILLS:
- Cherokee Park (Baringer Hill, intersection of Alexander Road and Scenic Loop)
- George Rogers Clark Park (1024 Thruston Avenue, behind playground, near McKinley Avenue)
- Joe Creason Park (1297 Trevilian Way, behind Metro Parks administration building)
- McNeely Lake Park (6900 Cooper Chapel Road, near Korean War Memorial)
- Tyler Park (1501 Castlewood Avenue, on Tyler Park Drive side of park)
- Charlie Vettiner Park (5550 Charlie Vettiner Park Road, near Easum Road entrance)
SLEDDING RULES:
- Sledding is permitted on designated sledding hills when the “Sledding Hill Open” sign is displayed.
- Sledding hills will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. as long as there is adequate snow to protect slopes; all sledding hills will close at 11 p.m.
- Park vehicles only in regular parking areas to protect your car from damage.
- No vehicles are permitted off the pavement in any park.
- No alcoholic beverages are permitted at any time.
- Those who use the designated sledding hills are doing so at their own risk. Bonfires will not be permitted at Metro Parks’ sites, and sledders are urged to carry a cell phone in the event of an emergency.
- Please pick up your trash or use the designated trash bins for waste removal – or take trash with you as you leave.
SLEDDING SAFETY TIPS:
- Only use devices designed for sledding.
- Wear appropriate clothing – loose ends or flaps can easily get caught.
- Sleds should contain a number of riders appropriate for the designated device during each descent.
- Dress in layers, so you can remove one layer without risking frostbite. Several thin layers are warmer than one bulky layer.
- Make sure you’re with someone who knows your name and can contact family in an emergency; parents should remain with their children.
- Don’t drink alcohol before sledding – it impairs your ability to use good judgment and causes the body to lose heat more rapidly.
- Check your path for trees and other objects before starting your descent.
- Don’t sled head-first or standing up. Good visibility is necessary during your descent. Don’t face backwards, and make sure your vision isn’t obscured by hats and scarves.
- When climbing the hill, stay to the sides. Don’t climb in the sledding path. It’s important to remember that slopes can become very crowded during peak times.
January is National Radon Action month. The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness wants you to know the dangers of radon and encourages you to test your home. The department is offering free radon test kits while the supply lasts. You can request a kit online by clicking HERE or by calling 574-6650.
Radon is a gas that you cannot smell, taste or see. It forms naturally when uranium, radium and thorium break down in rocks, soil and groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes in through cracks and gaps in homes and other buildings. Radon can cause lung cancer through prolonged exposure. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, behind smoking, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, causing between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year.
The entire state of Kentucky is at high risk for radon exposure with about 40 percent of homes estimated to have unsafe levels. The only way to know if radon exists at dangerous levels in your home is to test for it.
“To encourage people to test their homes for radon, we are offering free test kits, “said Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. “People can’t see or smell radon so they may be unaware that it might exist at dangerous levels in their homes and be exposing them to deadly health effects.”
The lung cancer risk factors of tobacco smoke and radon are related. More radon-related lung cancers occur in individuals with a history of exposure to tobacco smoke. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.
Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, with the highest mortality rate of any cancer. Kentucky has the highest incidence rate of lung cancer in the nation with a rate of 93.4 per 100,000 compared to the national average of 59.4. According to the recently released 2017 Health Equity Report, cancer is the leading cause of death in Louisville.
The death rate from lung cancer in Kentucky is 69.5 per 100,000 compared to the national average of 43.4. In Louisville our lung cancer incidence and mortality rates are also well above the national average. According to the Kentucky Cancer Registry the incidence rate of lung cancer in Louisville is 94.8 per 100,000 compared to 59.4 nationally. The death rate is 61.7 compared to 43.4 nationally.
Here are a few tips to help prevent radon in your home:
- Stop smoking and discourage smoking in your home. Smoking significantly increases the risk of lung cancer from radon. Second hand smoking in the home is also a leading cause of Sudden Infant Death (SIDS).
- Increase air flow in your house by opening windows and using fans and vents to circulate air.
- Seal cracks in floors and walls with plaster, caulk, or other materials designed for this purpose.
- Seek a qualified contractor to help remove the radon from your home.
- Mitigation costs generally range from $1,200 to $2,500 depending on the size and foundation of the home.
Consult the Kentucky Association of Radon Professionals or the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists National Radon Proficiency Program to locate approved contractors near you.
Photo: KFC Yum! Center
Award-winning Country duo Sugarland announced today their highly-anticipated return to the stage with the Still The Same Tour, beginning this Spring in the US. With numerous Grammy, ACM and CMA Awards, chart-topping hits and MULTI-PLATINUM sales, the pair’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush will bring their new live show to 48 cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville and Louisville on Saturday, July 28, 2018. The first leg of the tour will feature opening acts Brandy Clark and Clare Bowen, while Frankie Ballard and Lindsay Ell will accompany the pair for the second half.
“We are thrilled to head back out on the road together as this has been a long time coming for the both of us!” said Nettles. “And to have Brandy, Clare, Frankie and Lindsay join us will make our return really special.”
“Can’t wait to get back out there and share our new music with the best fans on earth!” Bush continued. “It will be great to hear everyone singing the old favorites along with us all summer.”
Tickets for the Still The Same 2018 Tour will go on sale starting Friday, January 12 at 10:00am local time. Beginning today, fans in select cities will have the opportunity to purchase VIP packages which includes an opportunity to meet Sugarland, attend a pre-show VIP sound check, access to exclusive tour lithographs and more.
Since the band’s inception in 2002, Sugarland has sold nearly 10 million albums domestically, earned seven No. 1 singles to date and amassed over 260 million on-demand streams. Their critical and mainstream appeal has been magnified with countless industry accolades over the course of their career. The hitmakers recently released “Still The Same,” their first new music in seven years, aptly setting the tone for their joint venture with Big Machine Records and UMG Nashville; this summer’s tour shares its name. This rejuvenation of their musical vision remains true to the authentic sound and emotive songwriting that has made Sugarland one of the most popular Country music duos of all time.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilman Vitalis Lanshima has announced two public Town Hall Meetings will be held next week for residents of District 21 to learn more about the pending MSD rate increase ordinance currently before the Louisville Metro Council.
“It is important that the residents of District 21 have a chance to learn more about what has been purposed as MSD attempts improve its infrastructure throughout the city,” says Lanshima. “MSD is looking at almost $4 billion in needed improvements and I want everyone to have a chance to voice their thoughts on this ordinance.”
The Ordinance is sponsored by Council members Barbara sexton Smith (D-4), David James (D-6) and Stuart Benson (R-20). It would allow MSD to increases its rates to as high as 10% for a period of four years. MSD can only raise its raises as high as 6.9%. Any increase about that must get Metro Council approval.
Tony Parrott, the Executive Director of MSD, will be available to speak about the rate hike at both meetings.
The Councilman is encouraging residents to attend either of these two meetings:
- Monday, January 15th 6:30pm
- Americana Community Center – 4801 Southside Dr.
- Tuesday, January 16th 6:30pm
- Wesley House Community Services – 5114 Preston Hwy.
“These are the first of a series of community meetings I plan to conduct on various issues in the district,” says Lanshima. “I also wanted to encourage everyone in the district to come out to meet me and let me know what is on your mind regarding issues or concerns.”
The Muhammad Ali Center is proud to announce its upcoming Daughters of Greatness speaker: Jamillah Ali Joyce, daughter of Muhammad Ali. Jamillah will speak on Friday, January 19th. The event will begin with a hot breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and the program will be from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Throughout the year, the Daughters of Greatness breakfast series invites prominent women engaged in social philanthropy, activism, and pursuits of justice to share their stories with the Louisville community. The Daughters of Greatness series provides a place for dialogue and discussion on current issues of justice, community engagement, and social movements within the Louisville area and beyond.
Jamillah Ali Joyce was raised in the suburbs of Chicago. She attended the University of Illinois where she majored in communications. Upon graduation Jamillah began her career by serving as the primary marketing director for the MARC Corporation in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Heeding a call to public service Jamillah returned to Chicago to work for the State of Illinois under Illinois’ longest serving Secretary Of State Jesse White. Secretary White acknowledged Jamillah’s work ethic and effectiveness in the performance of duties in the office by appointing her to her current position as the sole Illinois Secretary of State Employment Counselor in the City of Chicago.
Oftentimes Jamillah has represented her father at local, national, and international civic and charitable functions. Included among the many charitable endeavors Jamillah has regularly supported the Ed Kelly Youth Sports Program, the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls “For Mercy’s Sake”, Chicago Cubs World Series Champion Coach Joe Maddon’s Respect 90 Foundation, and the St. Baldrick’s Conquer Kid’s Cancer Foundation’s “Fight for a Cure.” Jamillah remains very active in helping worthy causes by making appearances and promoting the Ali “Service to Others.”
Jamillah and her children are active members of the Ephraim Bahar Cultural Center which regularly provides food and hygienic products to the underprivileged and homeless in the city of Chicago.
Jamillah currently resides in Chicago with her husband, attorney Michael Joyce and their three children: Nadia, a senior at the University of Notre Dame; Amira, a freshman at the University of Louisville; and Jake, a kindergarten student at St. Cajetan.
Seating is limited. Tickets are $20 for Ali Center members, $25 for non-members, $15 for students. Tables of 8 and 10 are also available. Information about our 2018 Breakfast Club and Sponsorship Opportunity is available here. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are available here or by contacting Erin Herbert at eherbert@alicenter.org.
photo credit: Jamesmac96
Venue industry publication, Pollstar Magazine, released its 2017 Year-End Worldwide Ticket Sales rankings and AEG Facilities’ managed KFC Yum! Center is ranked 24th in the nation and 50th in the world for ticket sales by venue, having sold more than 386,000 tickets in 2017. The arena broke its records for total tickets sold and total number of concerts hosted in a calendar year, both set in 2014.
AEG Facilities, the KFC Yum! Center’s management group, owns, operates or is affiliated with 26 of the top 100 arenas worldwide, including the No. 1 ranked The O2 in London.
Multiple factors contributed to the success of the arena including the record breaking number of concerts, quality of artists who performed at the venue and fan support. Of the 29 total concerts hosted at the KFC Yum! Center in 2017, 14 sold out and three were ranked in the top 10 tours in the world, including Guns N Roses, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran. The Louisville community visited the venue in record numbers, but more than half of the venue’s ticket sales came from regions outside Louisville, including Lexington, Cincinnati, Evansville and Indianapolis.
The KFC Yum! Center is excited for a strong slate of amazing shows in 2018, including Kid Rock, Luke Bryan, P!nk, Maroon 5, among many others.
*Value includes concerts and family shows only; does not include sporting events, private meetings or trade shows
