Monday April 29, 2024
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County Attorney’s annual list has netted $14.8 million in 10 previous years

ChildSupportListJefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell today announced the eleventh publication of delinquent child support obligors is now printed in The Courier-Journal and the full list is available online.

The Child Support Division has collected $14.8 million, sent wage withholding orders to 11,029 employers and found 18,266 new addresses directly attributable to the lists printed each year since 2005.

“Children are our community’s most precious asset,” said O’Connell. “All of us in Jefferson County – parents, family members, employers and concerned citizens – can play a role in tracking down those who are not fulfilling their obligations to their kids.”

This year’s list of 4,034 names can be found online at www.louisvilleky.gov/countyattorney. Only 538 names appear in the printed insert, with this year’s focus on some of the county’s newest child support orders and those with recent court action.

“The nearly 200 employees in our child support division have a singular focus: connecting kids and families to the money that is rightfully theirs. Early intervention and proactive communication with parents owing support gives them a better understanding of their responsibilities and helps collect the financial support crucial to the futures of these children.”

Child support collection is one of the public’s most cost-effective programs. For every $1 spent, federal child support programs collect $5.25. In Kentucky that figure rises to $6.45 for every $1 spent.

Anyone with information that could help locate someone on the list should call 574-0821 or email jcaocs@ky.gov.   Continue reading

CodeRED is Out, Smart911 is In

Smart911In the past, residents of the Greater Louisville Area and Kentuckiana have been able to sign up to receive emergency notifications by email, text, or phone calls through a service called CodeRED.  During emergency situations, subscribers would receive notifications with details about the emergency along with instructions for what to do such as shelter in place or evacuate.

CodeRED’s coverage of the Louisville area will officially terminate tomorrow night, August 16, at midnight and currently subscribed citizens will no longer receive area alerts from that service.  Area residents will still be able to receive alerts, although it requires action.

The new service that will provide emergency alerts involving the Louisville Metro Area is LENSAlert – with LENS short for Louisville Emergency Notification System.  This service is provided through the Smart911 framework.

Those wishing to do so can sign up for LENSAlert by visiting the subscription page here.

Councilman Kevin Kramer of District 11 and Councilman Stuart Benson of District 20 will be holding a town hall meeting tonight at the Jeffersontown Fire Department (10540 Watterson Trail). The meeting will start at 6:30 PM.

The councilmen will be present as well as officials for other local government agencies to answer any questions. The meeting will include an update on the Urton Lane Project.

For more information, contact the office of Councilman Stuart Benson at 574-1120.

As part of a “visioning” exercise, Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation will host 12 public meetings during the months of September, October and November to receive feedback on future park amenities including dog parks, skate parks and walking/hiking trails.

“We look forward to hearing from citizens across Louisville about what they’d like to see in their parks,” said Director Seve Ghose. “With 12 meetings and a public comment period that will last into December, we hope everyone takes advantage of the opportunity to share their hopes and dreams for the future.”

Ghose said the meetings will take place once each week for 12 weeks at four sites: the East Government Center in Middletown; Sun Valley Community Center in southwest Louisville; the Portland Community Center in the Portland neighborhood in west Louisville; and the Cyril Allgeier Community Center in the Camp Taylor neighborhood just off the Watterson Expressway.

The meetings in September will feature a discussion about dog parks; October’s meetings will address skate parks; and November’s meetings will focus on walking/hiking trails. All meetings will last from 6-7:30 p.m.

“This is our and the community’s opportunity to discuss how best to enhance the system to best serve the growing community and disparate needs while improving the quality of life of all residents,” Ghose said.

Ghose said those who would like to attend a meeting but can’t are still encouraged to send comments about these topics and others to parks@louisvilleky.gov.    Continue reading

MSD Rate Hike Coming Soon

LouisvilleMetro HallThe Metro City Council rejected a proposal from Metropolitan Sewer District to increase rates by 20% to help fund maintenance and replacement projects. Instead, customers will see a 6.9% increase starting in August. This is the largest rate hike that MSD can implement without prior approval from the city council.

Customers should expect to see their bills increase by about $3,40 per month.

City Helps Small Businesses

Louisville_City_FCIn an announcement at J.J. Family Auto Sales, Mayor Fischer announced that the city will be giving $128,000, in loans, to 13 local businesses. The announcement was made at J.J. Family Auto Sales as they finished an expansion project that was made possible through a similar loan last year. The loans are part of a development plan that is meant to help small, low to moderate income, businesses start-up and grow here in the county.

The businesses are considered micro-businesses, meaning that they employee less than five employees. The loans are to help these small business grow. Fischer stated that for every $1 that the city uses in this way, it helps businesses generate $5, which in turn helps the local economy.

The loans are funded from a federal grant, the Community Development Block Grant through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Businesses that received the loans this year are:

  • $15,000 loan to Manhattan on Broadway, 716 East Broadway. The loan will allow the owner, Nachand Trabue, to purchase more inventory, sound and video equipment. This project will add two full-time positions.
  • $15,000 loan to George Addison dba BeeNetworks Media Group, who specializes in marketing and media video productions. This will allow the owner to purchase supplies and inventory.
  • $15,000 loan to Romanique Beauty Salon, 5201 Dixie Highway. The loan will allow the owner, Janisha Ditto, to purchase production equipment, signage and marketing materials.
  • $15,000 loan to Future Pioneer Learning Center, 7731 St. Andrews Church Road. This will allow the owner, Roshunder Gordon, to purchase childcare equipment, insurance and signage for an expanded facility.
  • $15,000 loan to Doaty Distribution, LLC to purchase box trucks.  The loan will help the owner, James Doaty, expand routes to five other locations for deliveries of snacks.
  • $15,000 loan to Wright Amount located in Chef Space, 1800 West Muhammad Ali Blvd.  This will allow the owner, Tracy Wright, to purchase inventory, rental space and food trailer.
  • $8,000 loan to All is Fair in Love and Fashion to purchase inventory and equipment. The loan will help the owner, RaeShanda Johnson, expand production services.
  • $5,000 loan to Extreme Appetite, LLC. This will allow the owner, Damira Trabue, to provide mobile food catering services.
  • $5,000 loan to The Black Italian, a food catering service. This loan will allow the owners, Paula and Anthony Hunter, to purchase inventory, space and a vehicle and support transportation for customers.
  • $5,000 loan to Jace’s Childcare, 4107 Cane Run Road. This loan will assist owner, Keishonda Clark, in purchasing some new equipment, and rental assistance.
  • $5,000 loan to Queens Crown Lunchbox and Catering. The loan will allow the owner, Katrina Dawson, to purchase a stove and inventory to operate business.
  • $5,000 loan to Garry Sloan dba G.T. Transportation, LLC. The loan will help purchase office furniture, printing equipment and supplies.
  • $5,000 loan to Rebecca Jones dba Genesis Tax Service, a start-up tax service. The loan will allow the owner to purchase tax software and equipment.

For more information about Community Services’ microbusiness trainings and loan opportunities, visit their website.

GLI_metro_hAhead of its 2016 DC Fly-In, GLI is releasing a document outlining its federal priorities for the business community in 2016.

“The federal agenda is a unique and essential advocacy tool utilized by our region,” said Kent Oyler, President & CEO, “When we take top leaders on the DC Fly-In, the agenda provides the ability to address a host of issues to our officials on a limited time frame.”

Each issue on the agenda directly impacts multiple businesses in the region. Those include:

  • Reforms to the individual and corporate tax codes, a long-term solution for federal tax extenders, and a measure that allows states to levy a sales tax to online retailers just as they do “brick and mortar retailers”
  • Flexible compensatory practices for private businesses in the wake of the Department of Labor’s Overtime Rule
  • An increase in the H1-B visa cap that fits workforce needs
  • Increased funding for education, especially early childhood education and STEM programs
  • Concerns regarding over-burdensome EPA regulations, including an expansion of the definition of Waters of the U.S. and the Clean Power Plan
  • Increased investment for inland waterways and an ensuring that funds allocated under the FAST Act are allocated as written
  • Funding for aviation systems and reauthorization of the FAA
  • International trade agreements that do not permit currency manipulation
  • Reforms to the Affordable Care Act and the Recovery Audit Contractor program
  • Expanding treatment for drug addiction and mental health
  • Increased access to capital and funding for technical assistance and capacity building for small businesses

The policy priorities were selected by business leaders participating in GLI’s Public Policy Committee system.  GLI also surveyed its membership to obtain feedback on federal policy issues.  You can view the full agenda here.

“The agenda includes issues for businesses of all sizes and industries,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, Chief Operating Officer, “Our committees take a holistic look at the region’s business ecosystem to ensure we are addressing the most timely and pertinent issues.”

Dozens of business leaders from across the Greater Louisville region will be embarking to Washington on June 22nd and 23rd for GLI’s 2016 DC Fly-In.

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