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The Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools (KGHS) program and the Kentucky National Energy Education Development (KY NEED) Project are hosting the 10th annual Youth Summit and Awards Luncheon April 27 in Frankfort. KGHS is a program of the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC).
The event will recognize students and their outstanding accomplishments in promoting school and community health and environmental sustainability. Examples of student projects include: worm composting at Providence Montessori Middle School, updating an outdoor classroom with benches made of recycled plastic caps at Morton Middle School, and teaching peers about healthy eating choices at Kit Carson Elementary School.
Students will showcase their projects beginning at 10 a.m. at the Frankfort Convention Center. At 11:15 a.m., Kentucky Education Commissioner Dr. Stephen Pruitt will be the keynote speaker.
More than 200 students and teachers will participate and be recognized. Nine KGHS schools will be given awards, and the KGHS Teacher of the Year will be announced. Additional KY NEED schools will also be honored for their projects.
- WHO: Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools
Kentucky National Energy Education Development Project - WHAT: KGHS and KY NEED Youth Summit and Awards Luncheon
- WHEN: Thursday, April 27, 2015, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Eastern time
- WHERE: Frankfort Convention Center, 405 Mero St., Frankfort, KY 40601
Those who want to experience and learn more about virtual reality will have their chance tomorrow during a free, public event 2-3 p.m. at the University of Louisville’s Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium.
Two virtual-reality clips will be shown on the planetarium’s 55-foot, immersive dome:
- “Growing Up Girl” gives viewers a chance to experience a day in the life of a Kenyan girl as she copes with extreme poverty. The video shows the young girl as she travels vast distances to fetch water, gather wood and, after dark, walk to a nearby town so she will have lights to complete her school work.
- “Be Who You Are/Love Who You Are” shows the exuberance of gay pride parades from around the world. The clip was first shown during a 2016 LGBTQ event in Louisville and was so popular attendees rated it as the best session of the conference.
After the clips are shown, there will be a discussion about how to harness of the power of virtual reality filmmaking in the Louisville community.
The conversation will be facilitated by Aukram Burton, executive director of Kentucky Center for African American Heritage; Dean Otto, curator of film for the Speed Art Museum; Leo Osborne, founder of a video and digital communications firm; and Nathaniel Spencer, who runs a video services company and is a Louisville Film Commission advisory board member.
Attorney General Andy Beshear issued a Scam Alert warning government organizations and small businesses to be cautious of a “business email compromise” scam.
Several reports of the scam have recently been reported in central and eastern Kentucky, with losses totaling more than $8,000.
The scam is carried out when a con artist creates a spoof employee email account or hacks into a legitimate account and sends an email to another employee asking him or her to initiate an emergency wire fund transfer.
Beshear said company leaders, as well as those who oversee spending are most usually the targets of the scam.
“The business email compromise scam is a serious danger to Kentucky businesses and governmental organizations,” Beshear said. “Our office is working to protect Kentuckians every day, and the recent reports we have received on the sophisticated nature of this scam is cause for concern for all business owners and government leaders.”
According to an FBI report, the business email compromise scam is an emerging global threat and from 2013-2016, victims in the United States lost more than $960 million to this scam.
Beshear’s Office offers these tips from the Better Business Bureau to help protect from the scam:
- Avoid free online email accounts by creating a company domain name and establish company email accounts.
- Review IT security procedures and consider implementing a two-step verification process for wire transfers and for spending approvals.
- Warn staff to be suspicious of out-of-the-ordinary emails for a spending request, especially if those emails request confidentiality or insist quick action.
- Be careful about details shared on company websites and social media accounts. Business descriptions, hierarchical information and out-of-office details are sources of information for hackers and scammers.
One of the critical missions of the Office of the Attorney General is to help Kentucky families, seniors and businesses recognize and avoid scams.
Kentuckians who suspect a scam should contact the Office of the Attorney General at 502-696-5300 and fill out an online complaint form. Beshear recently issued a scam alert warning Kentuckians of IRS and tax-related identity theft scams and a Facebook customer service scam.
March 5-11 is National Consumer Protection Week, and Attorney General Beshear is asking Kentuckians to take time this week to stay ahead of scammers by signing up for Scam Alerts.
Scam Alerts provide Kentuckians a direct alert, including tips on how to avoid new and trending scams reported in Kentucky. To enroll, text the words KYOAG Scam to GOV311 (468311), or enroll online at ag.ky.gov/scams and select text message or email alert.
More than 600 students from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and area private schools will gather Friday for the JCPS IdeaFestival, to be held from 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at Spalding University, 901 S. Fourth St.
With a theme of ‘connectivity,’ the student-centered conference will feature six presentations, highlighting discussion of current and forward-looking ideas and issues from a diverse group of speakers.
Student-planned and executed, the event provides young people with an outlet to express opinions and delve into timely issues, and encourage their peers to see the connection between these issue and their lives.
Presentations include:
- 9:25 a.m.: “From the Memoirs of Society” (Shan’Taya Cowan of Fairdale High School)
- 9:40 a.m.: “Connecting to Classical Music” (Alison Addie of duPont Manual High School)
- 10:20 a.m.: Education Panel presentations (Jack Bradley of duPont Manual High School; Pearl Morttey of Fern Creek High School; Seth Pardieu of duPont Manual High School; Brittany Jewell of Central High School; and Naudia Green of Central High School)
- 10:40 a.m.: “Students Connecting to Education” (Moderators: Sydney Blocker and Anjali Chadha of duPont Manual High School) Followed by an audience Q&A
- 12:05 p.m.: “A Word with Kris Kimel, founder of IdeaFestival”
- 12:15 p.m.: “Decriminalizing Debate” (Carter Squires of duPont Manual High School)
In 2014, the JCPS IdeaFestival evolved from the IF Manual event, a festival held at duPont Manual High School and inspired by the official IdeaFestival. The JCPS IdeaFestival has expanded to deliver thought-provoking presentations and festivals to the entire JCPS District and private schools.
Mayor Greg Fischer announced a new city partnership with IFTTT, a San Francisco-based web and mobile platform that allows users to transform how they experience and manage their homes and habits.
IFTTT allows users to customize their experience with other services and tools — including Twitter, Google Drive, email digest and Philips Hue light bulbs — without coding.
Starting today, Louisville’s real-time air quality data will be available on IFTTT. Residents will be able to use IFTTT to create their own “Applets” using this data — for example, they could receive a push notification or send a Tweet when the air quality reaches a specific level.
The city plans to provide more feeds of city data to IFTTT soon, allowing residents more options to integrate city data into their daily lives. The IFTTT partnership is part of Louisville Metro’s Smart City efforts, which seek to use technology and information to improve services and increase opportunity for citizens. Louisville Metro’s Office of Civic Innovation is also currently partnering with CNET to explore the interaction of smart homes and Smart Cities.
“Cities are platforms for creating opportunity, and this partnership with IFTTT is another example of how we’re using the open data we collect, and putting it into citizens’ hands in accessible ways,” Mayor Fischer said. “I’m eager to see the clever ways citizens take advantage of this partnership to improve their lives, and the lives of others.”
Grace Simrall, the city’s chief of innovation, said: “We’re focused on bringing data and technology to citizens where they live —making it intuitive, accessible, inclusive and equitable. We’re excited about this partnership because it’s a small step in that direction, and we expect much more to come.”
Linden Tibbets, founder and CEO of IFTTT, said: “IFTTT is thrilled to have the city of Louisville join the platform. We believe that cities harnessing their own data can create countless possibilities for their residents. Louisville is leading the way in this regard. We look forward to partnering over the next months as they add more and more to their service.”
IFTTT is available at http://ifttt.com or in app stores.
Just one week from today, the 52nd National Farm Machinery Show is returning to Louisville and brining with it the 49th annual Championship Tractor Pull.
The event, hosted at the Kentucky Exposition Center at 937 Phillips Lane, runs from Wednesday, February 15, through Saturday, the 18th. KY Expo Center parking is $8 with admission to the Farm Machinery Show free and open to the public. Tickets for the Championship Tractor Pull are available through Ticket Master starting at $20.
The National Farm Machinery Show is the nation’s largest indoor farm show, featuring nearly 900 exhibitors, offers the most complete selection of cutting-edge agricultural products, equipment and services available in the farming industry. In addition to seeing the industry’s newest products , visitors can attend free seminars from experts on topics including the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), data handling, weather and commodity trends, and marketing.
Tyne Morgan and Al Pell will also be performing a live-taping of “U.S. Farm Report” during the show that visitors can stop by and watch. The show also features more than 80 vendors in the Gift & Craft Market in the South Wing Mezzanine, offering something for everyone.
Championship Tractor Pull
Former champions and a record-breaking number of women drivers will compete for a share of the $250,000 purse in 2017 at the 49th annual Championship Tractor Pull.
2016 champions including Terry Blackbourn, Steve Bunnage, and Mendi Nelson, among others are returning to try to keep their titles. The 2017 competition will also break last year’s record for women competitors as Anna Belle Bradley, Ashley Corzine, Julia Ray, and Kentucky’s own Monica Shaw and Lisa Tatum, along with many other female pullers enter the arena.
Over 70,000 fans are expected to attend the competition, which will include several new categories such as the 6,350 Modified 4×4 Truck and 9,500 Limited Pro Stock Tractor classes.
If you like the roar of Pro Stocks, Super Stocks, Modified, and Alcohol Tractors as well as two- and four-wheel drive trucks battling it out in the dirt, don’t miss the excitement every night of the 2017 National Farm Machinery Show in Freedom Hall.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, Attorney General Andy Beshear is warning Kentuckians of the “sweetheart” scam, which reports suggest caused Kentuckians to lose more than $80,000 last year.
A sweetheart scammer typically uses a fake photo and identity to approach a victim through social media or online dating sites and acts as if they are interested in getting to know him or her.
Over time, the scammer works to develop a long-distance, sham relationship with the victim. Once the scammer gains the victim’s trust, they pretend to need emergency funds and asks the victim to wire money, send prepaid gift cards or other hard-to-trace payment methods.
Beshear said the beginning of the year and Valentine’s Day brings about scammers who are looking to exploit those seeking new friendships and relationships.
“We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers – and this is especially true when it comes to helping our friends and family avoid falling victim to a scam,” said Beshear. “I encourage everyone to call or visit with those they care for this month, especially younger or older relatives who may live alone or be lonely, and discuss scams and help them to know the common warning signs.”
Beshear said identifying these red flags could help stop a sweetheart scam, watch for someone who:
- Claims very quickly that they are in love.
- Refuses to meet in person.
- Asks to leave the protections of a legitimate dating or social media site and communicate via email, text or instant messenger.
- Demands the relationship be a secret.
- Provides information that cannot be verified through an independent online search or through trustworthy sources.
- Demands money or gift cards sent overseas.
- Solicits sensitive personal or financial information.
Kentuckians who suspect a scam should contact the Office of the Attorney General at 502-696-5300 and fill out an online complaint form.
One of the critical missions of the Office of the Attorney General is to help Kentucky families and seniors recognize and avoid scams.
Beshear recently issued a scam alert warning Kentuckians of IRS and tax-related identity theft scams.
Kentuckians are urged to stay up to date on new and trending scams by signing up for Scam Alerts. To enroll text the words KYOAG Scam to GOV311 (468311), or enroll online at ag.ky.gov/scams and select text message or email alert.