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More than a dozen students from the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District recently earned top honors at the SkillsUSA state championships in Louisville. Students from nine JCPS high schools competed in the annual competition, which gives students from across Kentucky the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and expertise in a variety of in-demand career areas. SkillsUSA Kentucky is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure the state has a skilled workforce.
JCPS students brought home a total of 17 awards in categories that included Heavy Equipment Training, Automotive Refinishing Technology, Computer Programming and Technical Drafting. The students are enrolled in career-theme schools in JCPS, where they invest time developing marketable skills in high-demand fields.
Winners from JCPS include:
- Skylar Sample, Fairdale, Heavy Equipment (First)
- Curtis Simmons, Fairdale, Heavy Equipment (Second)
- William Propes, Fairdale, Heavy Equipment (Third)
- Kaylyn Wade, Pleasure Ridge Park, Photo Art Display (First)
- Abigail Stewart, Pleasure Ridge Park, Advertising Design (First)
- Rawan Saleh, Fern Creek, Advertising Design (Second)
- Sean Riggle, Southern, Automotive Refinishing Technology (First)
- Aaron Araujo, Southern, Collision Repair Technology (First)
- Iosef Casas, Fern Creek, Computer Programming (First)
- Breagan Craig, Fern Creek, Computer Programming (Second)
- Kaylyn Wade, Pleasure Ridge Park, Photography (First)
- Patrick Cleary, Pleasure Ridge Park, Photography (Third)
- Justin Schneider, Jeffersontown, Technical Drafting (Second)
- Daniel Berry, Jeffersontown, Technical Drafting (Third)
- Collin Bradley, Roderick Coleman and Tyler Zickel, Southern, Community Service (First)
- Skylar Sample, Fairdale, Extemporaneous Speaking (First)
- Jameir Kirkpatrick, Iroquois, Prepared Speech (Second)
First-place winners will have the opportunity to compete in the national SkillsUSA championship in June, which is being at the Kentucky Expo Center. More than 16,000 people — including students, teachers and business partners — are expected to participate in the weeklong event.
Councilwoman Marianne Butler is once again encouraging pet owners to take advantage of the next S.P.O.T. Clinic for residents of District 15 set for Saturday, May 20th.
“S.P.O.T. Clinics are an effective way to provide needed veterinarian services at a low cost for pet owners,” says Butler. “If you have not had time during the week to take care of your pet, this clinic is one way to renew a license and update vaccinations.”
Here is a list of services offered at the District 15 Spring S.P.O.T. Clinic:
- 1 year rabies vaccination: $10.00
- 3 year rabies vaccination: $15.00
- DAPP: FREE!
- 1 year altered license: $10.00
- 1 year altered senior license: $5.00
- 1 year unaltered license: $60.00
- 3 year altered license: $27.00
- 3 year senior license: $13.50
- Microchip: $25.00
The S.P.O.T Clinic (which stands for Stop Pet Overpopulation Today) will be located in the front parking lot at the Salvation Army building, 1010 Beecher Street. The hours of operation are from 9:00am until 12:00pm.
For more information about the S.P.O.T. Clinic, contact Councilwoman Butler’s office at 574-1115.
Photo: JCPS
Ballard High School junior Nicholas Wright will spend most of his summer break learning about and creating awareness for global issues. Wright, the son of Marcus and Portia Wright, has been awarded an internship at the United Nations (UN) in its Temple of Understanding Program.
As part of the program, high school and college students from across the United States, as well as the world, will spend five weeks learning about the UN and what it’s like to be an intern for a non-governmental organization (NGO). Wright was one of only 20 applicants selected to participate in the highly competitive program.
“Nicholas desires to be a global citizen,” his mother, Portia, said. “He began his love of learning about other countries and cultures while attending Meyzeek Middle School. He joined the Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA) and got completely wrapped up in the economic, educational and social problem solving for disparaging countries. This is a perfect example of the possible impact the activities and experiences of school clubs and effective classroom instruction can have on a student. Nicholas has gone from the model UN to the actual UN!”
During his internship, Wright will complete a research project addressing the topic of the human right to water. For more information about the program, click here.
Gov. Matt Bevin joined four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield last week to announce a championship boxing match to be held in Louisville on June 24 at Freedom Hall. The announcement was made in conjunction with the Louisville Sports Commission, the Muhammad Ali Center, Top Knotch Boxing (TKO), Kentucky Venues, and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.
The televised event will kick off a fight series entitled the “Real Deal Championship Boxing Series” that will be promoted by Holyfield’s company, Real Deal Sports & Entertainment. The Louisville event will feature a championship bout among contenders and an undercard that will include local amateur boxers.
The event is part of Louisville’s six-week celebration of Muhammad Ali’s legacy, entitled the “I Am Ali” festival. The festival runs June 3 to July 15, and focuses on Ali’s legacy and core values.
This is the second major combat sports announcement in Kentucky this year and comes on the heels of Gov. Bevin’s reorganization of the Kentucky Boxing & Wrestling Commission (KBWC). The reorganization streamlined KBWC as part of the Red Tape Reduction initiative and tasked the commission with cutting needless bureaucracy that stifled the combat sports industry.
“We are thrilled to welcome Evander Holyfield and Real Deal Sports & Entertainment to Kentucky for this exciting championship bout,” said Gov. Matt Bevin. “Our state has a rich boxing heritage, and we have worked hard in recent months to cut red tape and remove unnecessary bureaucracy hampering the industry. As a result, Kentucky is able to once again host large-scale combat sports events. We anticipate that this will be the first of many to come and are grateful to Real Deal Sports & Entertainment for their vote of confidence.”
The boxing industry has experienced significant growth in Kentucky as a result of Red Tape Reduction efforts. In 2016 alone, there were 13 boxing shows, which was more than the prior three years combined. The number of scheduled shows in 2017 is already on track to exceed last year’s numbers. The state has also experienced approximately 30 percent growth in combat sports revenue during the last fiscal year.
Public Protection Cabinet Secretary David Dickerson stated that he is looking forward to additional economic development opportunities that will arise from Gov. Bevin’s charge to cut red tape in the industry. “It’s exciting to witness the explosive growth of combat sports in our state, and KBWC is constantly exploring new ways to grow the industry,” he said. “We believe that today’s exciting announcement is just the beginning.”
To date, Gov. Bevin’s Red Tape Reduction Initiative is responsible for repealing 151 regulations and targeting an additional 338 regulations for repeal. Over 1,900 of Kentucky’s 4,700 regulations have been reviewed as part of the initiative. Visit http://redtapereduction.com for full details.
The Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission oversees all professional boxing, wrestling, and full contact competitive bouts and exhibitions in Kentucky. Learn more about the commission at http://kbwa.ky.gov.
Louisville Metro Government is completing a planning study for the future route of the Louisville Loop route between the City of Prospect and the Big Four Bridge – the Ohio River Valley Northeast (ORVNE) master plan.
This section of the Loop is the last remaining section without a master plan.
Louisville Metro Parks & Recreation will be hosting a third and final public meeting for the project on Monday, May 22, 2017 from 6-8 p.m. at Locust Grove, 561 Blankenbaker Lane, 40207.
The meeting will be an open house format with an overview presentation of the plan at 6:00 p.m. Residents are invited to view exhibits about the project and provide feedback on the plan’s recommendations.
For more information, you can view the project website at www.linkingtheloop.wordpress.com/.
By a vote of 15 to 6, the Louisville Metro Council has amended the Louisville Metro Smoking ban ordinance to include concerns about the use of electronic smoking devices and hookah bars in public areas.
“I want to thank my colleagues for their support in making these changes,” said Councilwoman Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13), who is the primary sponsor of the ordinance. “Everyone agrees the smoking ban has gone a long way in protecting public health and as new products come on line we need to make sure they are included to maintain the protections we are now providing the public.”
The amended ordinance now includes electronic smoking devices and hookah bars in the banning of nicotine based products being used in public areas. The smoking ban ordinance was passed in its current form by the Metro Council in 2008.
“The ordinance passed tonight represents the bi-partisan work of a number of people on the council,” said Councilwoman Marilyn Parker (R-18). “The ordinance and the amendments we passed tonight protects job creators, their employees and the health of the people we represent.”
The Council’s Community Affairs, Housing, Health and Education Committee reviewed the changes for more than six months. The final version was approved with bipartisan support and input from business and the Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness.
“The Committee made sure that we listened to everyone who had an interest in this issue,” said Councilwoman Barbara Shanklin who chairs the Committee. “I want to thank Councilwoman Welch and Councilwoman Parker, who are both Registered Nurses, for working together to help us continue to protect the health of the people of Metro Louisville.”
This new version of the ordinance also modernizes and updates other parts of the original smoking ban with regard to language and related businesses, public areas and dwellings.
Highlights of the Amended Smoking Ban ordinance:
- Defines electronic smoking retail store as a business operation with at least 85% of sales dedicated to electronic smoking devices, and/or accessories or products; and defines electronic smoking device as any device containing or delivering nicotine that a person can use in any manner or form to inhale vapor or aerosol form of the product;
- Defines hookah as water pipe and associated products and devices used to produce fumes, smoke and/or vapor from burning or material including tobacco, herbal shisha; and defines hookah establishment as a business operation dedicated to the allowing on-site smoking through one or more hookah pipes, and must not allow minors in the building.
- There is an exemption for the consumption of any non-nicotine related products from an electronic smoking device at an electronic smoking retail store to allow tasting of various flavors.
- There is an exemption for any non-tobacco products through a hookah at a hookah lounge in operation as of March 1, 2017 shall not allow minors in the building, sell alcoholic beverages or be licensed as a food service establishment(LMCO Ch. 118)
- Smoking is not allowed 15 feet outside the entrance to any building, except for hookah establishments.
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Donna Hargens announced last week that the district is launching a powerful new summer conference led by educators and focused on innovative ideas in JCPS.
The inaugural JCPS Deeper Learning Symposium, which will be held June 7–9 at the Kentucky Exposition Center, will feature nationally prominent keynote speakers and presenters as well as a number of JCPS educators. More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the symposium, which will include teams of educators from each school and department in JCPS. Additionally, student performances and displays will help highlight the incredible talent throughout the district.
“The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Learning Redesigned,’” Dr. Hargens said. “This event will be an important opportunity to highlight the innovation around the concept of deeper learning that’s already happening in our district and in our schools. Simply put, this conference will help fuel other educators and leaders with ideas that can be used in classrooms to continue making learning relatable and fun for our students.”
The symposium will focus on the district’s vision to create personalized, deeper learning for every student and professional—a key goal of the Vision 2020 strategic plan. Deeper learning is grounded in helping students develop the social, emotional, and intellectual knowledge, skills, capacities, and dispositions to thrive in school and beyond by cultivating:
- Caring, constructive learning relationships
- Meaningful, personalized, real-world learning experiences.
- Supportive, equity-focused learning environments.
Several organizations and partners are supporting the JCPS Deeper Learning Symposium with donations or financial support. If an organization would like to help support the symposium, contact Sam Corbett with the Jefferson County Public Education Foundation at samc@cflouisville.org or call (502) 599-8650.