Saturday November 8, 2025
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
Louisville has been chosen to host the 27th annual Congress for the New Urbanism, an international placemaking conference, in the spring of 2019. Recent Congress host cities include Seattle, Detroit, Dallas and Buffalo. The event will bring over 1,500 attendees–including urban planners, architects and landscape architects, environmental consultants, engineers and real estate developers–to Louisville from across the country and the world.
CNU’s annual Congress is the premiere international event on planning, designing, and building walkable communities, mixed-use development, and sustainable, equitable cities.
“The arrival of the Congress for New Urbanism could not come at a better time for Louisville,” Mayor Greg Fischer said. “Many of the country’s most innovative and creative urban experts will be in our city and they can witness the renaissance happening across our neighborhoods while contributing their talents to areas of our city needing more attention.”
Each year, CNU members work with the host city to organize and to execute two to four Congress Legacy Projects which identify crucial roadblocks, engage local residents in visioning, and generate top-of-the-line design and placemaking strategies. Through multi-day workshops, CNU members engage with city officials, business owners, developers, neighborhood leaders, and members of the public to form a plan to enhance a corridor, section of a neighborhood, or other land use challenges chosen by the city’s host committee.
“Hosting CNU 27 is both an honor and a remarkable opportunity for Louisville,” Host Committee Chair David Tomes said. “Our city will have the chance to showcase New Urbanist neighborhoods like Norton Commons and Liberty Green, as well as dynamic redevelopment initiatives like Russell, Portland, NuLu, and SoBro, while also focusing worldwide attention on iconic places such as the Cherokee Triangle and Old Louisville. Most important, the visiting leaders of CNU will offer practical proposals to improve the livability of this city we love.”
Louisville’s host committee includes over 100 public officials, community leaders, academics, and representatives from the planning and urban design industries.
For more information on the Congress for the New Urbanism, please visit https://www.cnu.org/
Make plans to bring your family to a Kentucky State Resort Park for the annual Easter buffet on April 16 for a great meal.
The menu at the resort park restaurants includes roast beef carved on the line; baked country ham; catfish and hushpuppies; and a chef’s favorite entree selection. The meal will also include fresh fruit, a cheese bar, garden vegetables, salad and desserts.
The price for adults is $19.50, and children (12 and under) are $9.50, not including tax. The price includes a beverage. The buffet will be served starting at 11 a.m.
General Butler State Resort Park will have seatings at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30, 4, and 5:30. Please call 502-732-4384. Buckhorn Lake will have a slightly different menu.
Here are the Easter buffet closing times for all of the resort parks:
Buffet closes at 4 p.m.: Buckhorn Lake, Pine Mountain.
Buffet closes at 5 p.m.: Lake Cumberland, Kenlake, Kentucky Dam Village.
Buffet closes at 6 p.m.: Pennyrile Forest.
Buffet closes at 7 p.m.: Natural Bridge, General Butler, Carter Caves.
Buffet closes at 8 p.m.: Dale Hollow, Barren River, Rough River, Cumberland Falls, Jenny Wiley, Blue Licks Battlefield, Lake Barkley.
Several parks are planning egg hunts and other activities for guests in April and on Easter Sunday. For more information, or to make lodging reservations, visit www.parks.ky.gov.
Photo: KY State Parks
Kingdom Come State Park will host the Tour De Kingdom Come cycling race on May 20.
The 36-mile road race is part of the 6-race Eastern Ky/Va Cycling Rally Circuit. Points will be awarded for top finishers for each event and winners will be recognized at the final event in October.
Riders will tour the park in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky as well as 14 miles of the Little Shepherd Trail. The route will bring riders back to the park entrance and a final climb with a 22 percent gradient. Riders who complete the final climb in under 17 minutes will earn a polka dot t-shirt.
Registration starts at 9 a.m. at the park gift shop. The race starts at 10 a.m. Participants should register at www.BikeReg.com before May 1 to guarantee a t-shirt.
For more information about the park, call 606-589-4138.
Photo: KDF
Spring break for many conjures thoughts of traveling somewhere warm and catnapping on a beach between rounds of golf.
A staycation sounds much better if you’re a muskellunge angler from Kentucky. The state’s muskellunge fishery has earned a reputation that extends beyond its borders, and experienced anglers know spring is one of the can’t-miss times of the year.
“Your odds of catching a trophy are better in the spring and fall,” said Tom Timmermann, northeastern fisheries district biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “In the fall, they’re packing on that weight to get through the winter. In the spring, if you catch those females before they release their eggs, they’re full of eggs. Either way, you’re looking at a chance at some bigger fish.”
Kentucky lies within the natural range of the Ohio strain of muskie, but the population in lakes and streams now is supported with stocking.
The bloodlines of these young predators trace to broodstock collected each spring from the Licking River. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s Minor Clark Fish Hatchery at the foot of Cave Run Lake Dam raises every muskellunge stocked in Kentucky.
Buckhorn, Cave Run, Dewey and Green River lakes are managed as trophy fisheries and there is a 36-inch minimum size limit in place on each. A 30-inch size limit for muskellunge is in effect elsewhere in the state
Cave Run Lake reaches into parts of Bath, Menifee, Morgan and Rowan counties and it produced the current state record in 2008. The 47-pound bruiser measured 54 inches.
Mike Hardin grew up fishing the lake and this past fall released a 50-incher caught on a homemade inline spinner.
“I believe they’re probably right there and ready to go pretty soon,” said Hardin, an assistant fisheries division director with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “The cold weather may slow things down a little bit but they’re already making that march.”
The longer periods of daylight and water temperatures climbing past 50 degrees trigger the muskellunge’s instincts to move shallow. Many anglers do well focusing on larger embayments, secondary cuts and flats because they warm up first.
Look for areas that offer food, vegetation or timber, warmer water and close proximity to deeper water. Scotts Creek, Warix Run, Buck Creek and Leatherwood on Cave Run Lake are popular spots in spring. Start at the points and work back to the shallows, casting to the bank and any structure or sub-surface features along the way.
“Those fish run up into the hollows seeking that flowing water,” Timmermann said. “The males are up there early and the females come up second. If you see a bunch of males, you know you’re still a little ways off from the big fish getting up there.”
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is studying the impact of a 2010 regulation change that adjusted the size limits on Buckhorn, Cave Run and Green River lakes to 36 inches.
The same size limit went into effect last year on Dewey Lake in Floyd County. It is maturing as a muskie fishery after receiving its first muskie stocking in 2014. Sampling conducted this past fall found some of those fish had reached the minimum size limit.
At Buckhorn Lake in Leslie and Perry counties, catch rates have been better in the lower lake due to the habitat. “We have some larger shallow flats and there’s a lot of woody debris on those,” Kentucky Fish and Wildlife fisheries biologist Joseph Zimmerman said.
At Green River Lake in Adair and Taylor counties, the areas around the Emerald Isle and state marinas produce some of the better catch rates on the lake while the upper reaches of the Robinson Creek, Casey Creek and Green River arms offer large shallow flats worth exploring.
“The area behind the state marina is a good spot,” said Eric Cummins, southwestern fisheries district biologist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “It’s wind protected and heats up quicker than some other parts of the lake.
“In the upper ends of the lake, you have warmer water dumping in at the mouths of those feeder creeks. If you have some stained water, muskie will slide up a little shallower and generally be more available to your shallower presentations.”
Many a bass angler pitching a crankbait or plastic frog has been surprised by a muskie. To have a fighting chance, it’s best to pair a 6-foot-6 or longer medium-heavy or heavy action rod with a 4.2:1 or 5.2:1 ratio baitcasting reel spooled with 65-pound or heavier braid. Wire leaders of 9- to 18-inches are a necessity because of the muskie’s sharp teeth.
Up-sized rattling lipless crankbaits, large soft-plastic swimbaits, minnow-imitating crankbaits, jerk and glide baits, spinnerbaits and in-line spinners are enough to cover just about any situation in the spring.
Anglers should dip the rod tip into the water as a lure gets to within a few feet of the boat and draw a figure eight. Muskie are prone to stalk a lure and the figure eight can entice a boat-side strike.
“I don’t know how many fish I’ve had hit right at the boat and I’ve never seen them until I’ve made the turn,” Hardin said.
A guide once told Timmermann that muskellunge anglers should not be married to one spot in spring.
“If you’re not catching fish, if you’re not seeing fish on your electronics, if you’re not raising fish, keep moving,” Timmermann said. “This time of year, jump from big hollow to big hollow.”
On Cave Run and Dewey lakes, anglers should inspect their boats and lures and discard any weeds before running to a new spot because of the presence of hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant. Hydrilla was discovered just last year in Cave Run Lake.
“This is not a good thing for the lake,” Timmermann said. “Pay attention to what you’re moving and when you’re moving it. Clean your motors and trolling motors off before you move to a new spot and clean those weeds off of your baits.”
Furthermore, boaters can fight the spread of hydrilla by clearing any plant material from their boats before launching and removing all plant material from boats, motors and trailers after pulling their boats from the water. Spray or scrub off any remnants of plant material on boats before storing them.
One more thing to remember before trying for the muskellunge of a lifetime this spring in Kentucky is a fishing license. The new license year started March 1. Consult the Kentucky Fish and Boating Guide for complete licensing information. It is available online at fw.ky.gov and wherever licenses are sold.
Photo From KY Transportation Cabinet
The Kentucky Department of Vehicle Regulation is alerting boaters of a recent change in federal law regarding the registration and renewal process for vessels.
Beginning January 2018, boat owners will need to verify all Hull Identification Numbers (HIN) when renewing or applying for new registrations. All HIN registrations must be valid and formatted correctly in order to be compliant with the new law.
If a HIN is missing or not formatted properly, a boater must apply for a new HIN. Boaters are required to complete the TC 96-169 application for a hull identification number and attach the ownership documents as instructed.
Boaters can submit their applications by mail, email or in-person at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s One-Stop-Shop.
“This new law streamlines the boater registration verification process and establishes federal standards to help prevent identification theft and fraud,” said Stephanie Williams, director of the Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing.
Renewal postcards for 2017 will be also mailed to Kentucky boat owners notifying them of the new requirement and required compliance by the 2018 renewal period.
When registering or renewing a HIN in 2017, a message attached to the registration or receipt will notify individuals that they will not be able to renew their registration in 2018 without a valid HIN. Boaters are encouraged to visit http://drive.ky.gov for more information.
All boats registered in Kentucky must have a HIN recorded in the state’s title and registration database. All boats imported or manufactured on or after November 1, 1972 are required to have a HIN. These identification markers may be molded into the hull or marked by an engraved metal plate located at the vessel’s stern.
The Department of Vehicle Regulation has been working with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife in order to conform to this new requirement.
To find out more about valid HINs and the actions that boat owners must take in order to comply with the new law, visit http://drive.ky.gov/motor-vehicle-licensing/Pages/Boat-Titling.aspx or contact KYTCMVLBoat@ky.gov for more information.
Photo From KDF
Spring turkey hunting is slipping into position before daybreak and sitting still as the sun eases over the hills.
It is breaking the silence with a call and getting a response that sends a shock of excitement down your spine. It is coaxing a love-struck gobbler closer and keeping your wits as it struts into range.
“There’s something about that drumming, spitting, gobbling turkey in front of you that makes the ground shake,” said Jason Lupardus, Midwest Conservation Field Supervisor with the National Wild Turkey Federation who has regional biologist duties in Kentucky. “I live for those moments. Favorite time of year, by far. You can’t beat it.”
The spring turkey season is something of an obsession among hunters who have experienced those magical mornings many times over or dream about it happening their first time out this year.
In Kentucky, the 2017 season is right around the corner. Hunters ages 15 and younger are first up. The youth-only season is the weekend of April 1-2. The general statewide season opens April 15 and runs through May 7.
“I’ve got high hopes,” said Zak Danks, wild turkey program coordinator with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
The state’s turkey flock numbered fewer than 2,400 birds when restoration efforts began in 1978. The restoration continued until 1997, and today turkeys can be found in all 120 counties. The statewide turkey flock is estimated from 200,000 to 240,000.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife monitors turkey reproduction through annual brood surveys conducted every summer.
A wet spring and early summer affected nest success and brood survival in 2016. The number of turkey poults per hen averaged 1.6 across the state, down from 2.3 the year before. What that means for this spring is fewer jakes but a strong crop of older, more experienced gobblers.
“We should have plenty of 2-year-old birds out there gobbling and providing good opportunity for folks,” Danks said. “I’m pretty excited about it. Of course, we’re going to cross our fingers and hope for good weather. The early season weather really impacts things. If we get good weather, people will get out and should have some good action.”
Lupardus is even more bullish about the upcoming season.
“We may have our banner year,” he said. “There were reports last spring of lots of jakes running around. That tells me that banner production from two years ago was still in place. Therefore, we should have a lot of 2-year-old birds out there gobbling this year. I’m thinking this could be our 10-year high.”
Kentucky’s spring turkey harvest has remained stable since the 2010 season when hunters took a record 36,097 birds.
The average spring harvest for the six years before 2010 was 26,887. In the six years since, the average spring harvest was 31,600. Hunters checked 31,047 birds last spring.
Kentucky times its spring season to give gobblers ample opportunity to breed hens before subjecting them to hunting pressure. The mild winter and subsequent early green up this year has ramped up anticipation.
“I’m sure people have been seeing a lot of birds strutting, hearing some gobbling, and that may have them wondering why we don’t start hunting them sooner like some other states,” Danks said. “But we really feel like we have a good handle on our season. We’re trying to strike a balance between hunting opportunity and protecting the resources.”
A strong mast crop this past fall combined with the mild winter should translate into hens being in tip-top physical condition for the breeding season.
“Which hopefully could bode well for their clutch sizes,” Danks said. “When hens are in better condition, they lay better eggs with more yolk reserves and hopefully that leads to better poults. We would like to think that we’re coming into a really good spring in that respect.”
Hunters are allowed a limit of two bearded birds during the spring season. Any combination of male turkeys, or female turkeys with visible beards, may be included in the season limit. No more than one bird may be taken per day.
Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, but hunters may be in the field before and after shooting hours.
While many hunters focus their efforts on the early season and early morning hours, Bo Spencer does not overlook the mid-morning and late-season opportunities.
“I tend to really like mid to late mornings and the second half of our spring season,” said Spencer, who works in Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s Information Center and is an avid turkey hunter. “The first week or two of the spring season, hens are roosting with and staying with gobblers until mid-morning. After about 9:30 or so, the hens have left the gobblers. Often times this will result in a gobbler becoming more willing to answer and come to calls.”
He continued: “The second half of our spring season, hens are on the nest and those gobblers are still in breeding mode. Late-season birds can be more willing to work to calls. They might not be as vocal and gobble as much as pre-season and early season but they will come looking. These late-season birds can come in quietly and all of the sudden there is a gobbler in range that you didn’t know was even in the area.”
Hunters are encouraged to consult the 2017 Kentucky Spring Hunting Guide before the season or going afield. The guide provides information about current regulations, licenses and permits, legal equipment, safety tips and more. It is available online at fw.ky.gov and wherever licenses are sold.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife helps take the worry out of finding a place to hunt. It owns, leases or manages more than 80 public hunting areas across the state, and all but a few are open under statewide hunting regulations for the spring turkey season. These exceptions are noted in the guide. A complete listing of public hunting areas can be found on the department’s website.
Be sure to tune in to Kentucky Educational Television (KET) on Saturday, March 25 for a special “Kentucky Afield” TV half-hour call-in show focusing on the spring turkey season. The live show airs at 8:30 p.m. Eastern/7:30 p.m. Central.
Danks and a representative from Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s Law Enforcement Division will join host Chad Miles to field phone calls from hunters across the state.
If you’re planning to enjoy the outdoors this year and go camping, make sure to try out a Kentucky State Park campground.
The parks have 30 campgrounds across the state. To help kickoff the camping season, the state parks will hold its annual “Camper Appreciation Weekend” on April 28-30, when campers can get two nights for the price of one.
Another camping discount offered during April is a two nights for the price of one Sunday through Thursday nights. Guests should use the discount code “Spring2017” when making online reservations to get the discount.
State park campgrounds are offering a variety of activities during Camper Appreciation Weekend. These include entertainment, arts and crafts, putt-putt golf, bonfires, movies, cookouts and nature programs.
All state park campgrounds have water and electric services with dump stations or sewer hookups, along with picnic tables and fire rings at each improved site and bath houses. Primitive sites are also available.
All campgrounds will be open March 31.
Check the Department of Parks web site at www.parks.ky.gov for more information on Camper Appreciation Weekend, including reservations. (For the Camper Appreciation Weekend, campers will be charged half price for the nights of April 28-29.)