The Courier-Journal (Louisville)

Mr. Football race, rankings at the mid-season point

SPORTS, 1B

Kentucky Party offers voters another option at ballot box

WINCHESTER, KY – They have just 305 registered members and a bare-bones political platform built around three priorities — fighting corruption, opposing wars and supporting “equality of opportunity for everyone in the Commonwealth.” Still, the...

Lock, camera law may get update

Licensed massage therapists have become fixtures at Louisville Metro Council meetings. At nearly every meeting since the council passed new regulations for massage facilities in November 2025 – aimed at rooting out businesses that use massage services...

How 2 counties dealt with voter address discrepancies

Vince Mattingly III still sees Spencer County school buses pass his Shelby County home. The buses are a reminder that his home, situated near the county line, was once considered to be in Spencer County – a classification that changed two years ago....

Arena’s progress ‘slow and steady’

Five months after plans for a new arena in Louisville first surfaced, progress on developing the facility is “slow and steady,” a project official said Sept. 25. Details on arena renderings and funding are still being worked out as officials continue...

Chronologizing KY’s bourbon heritage

Bourbon, the country’s official native spirit, has been putting Kentucky on the map for centuries. h On the national and international stage, the spirit is synonymous with the Bluegrass State. And within Kentucky, bourbon’s influence is woven into the...

Plan outlines goals for downtown through 2027

Downtown Louisville officials are planning ways to improve economic activity in the Central Business District through a more than $4.6 million budget for 2027. The Economic Improvement Plan calls for, among other things, new development on surface...

‘Needs have grown,’ former principal says

Will Green shook his head in frustration as he watched a Facebook post made by a former Louisville principal go viral – a post he felt was heavily critical of fundraising efforts he’d been dedicated to for the past decade. “IF YOU ALWAYS DO WHAT...

Chemical co. sues to block development

The years-long battle to redevelop the abandoned Rhodia chemical complex in Louisville’s West End has hit another roadblock, with the former owner of the land suing to block the state from allowing redevelopment, citing health risks from lingering soil...

‘Hunts people every night’

The man Louisville Metro Police shot and killed in May as they tried to apprehend him for his suspected role in the brutal killing and mutilation of a homeless man months earlier was already well-known to law enforcement – even once telling an LMPD...

A worker’s commute reveals impact of TARC changes

Alex Chapman lives in the Portland neighborhood and commutes to work at Dairy Queen most days via TARC bus. He’s remarking on the new signs that now populate the TARC routes and stops. The commute takes him two hours one way on an average day, he said,...

Courier Journal reporter talks challenges for JCPS’ future

In August 2025, Zachary Taylor and King elementaries opened their doors under those names for the last time. h Both campuses were closed as the district made millions of dollars in budget cuts, though Zachary Taylor’s building will be used as a swing...

GETTING LOUD IN LOUISVILLE

Day two of Louder Than Life brought massive crowds, and more heat, to the Kentucky Exposition Center grounds in Louisville for a day full of headbanging, guitar riffs and mosh pits. Festivalgoers partied Sept. 18 during a second day of 90-degree...

Beshear weighing White House bid

With the energy of Democratic Socialists of America and their progressive kin grabbing midterm headlines, can an earnest, moderate, Bible-quoting governor from a red state emerge as the Democrats’ standard-bearer two years down the road? Andy Beshear...

Livin’ the ultimate fish story

PARIS, KY — The wood dock creaked slightly as S.G. Goodman shifted her weight before letting the line on her spincasting rod fly across the pristine pond at Stone Farm, the storied home of thoroughbred racing fixture Arthur Hancock III. In 24 hours,...

EPA repeals emission rule

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is removing limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the agency announced Sept. 14, in another sweeping step by the Trump administration to reduce regulation of the power sector and halt federal...

KY bourbon in trade war

The trade war between the U.S. and its second-largest trading partner, Canada, continues to drag on, with Kentucky’s marquee bourbon industry in the middle. Following trade talks that collapsed in August with the country’s northern neighbor, Canada...

Ford plans $1B Louisville truck plant investment

Ford is expanding its marquee facility in Kentucky with a $1 billion investment. The Ford Kentucky Truck Plant, where the company produces its Super Duty trucks, will soon be home to a new $1 billion state-of-the-art paint shop, replacing the plant’s...

UofL Health opens new $25M cancer center

The new UofL Health Brown Cancer Center at South Hospital’s immediate goal is to break down barriers to care and potentially save many Kentucky cancer patients hours of travel time in the car. h The health care system’s longterm mission is much bolder:...

12 area spots to pick your perfect pumpkin

SCENE, 1C

A GENERATION OF AFTERSHOCK

Aquarter-century later, 9/11 still echoes. The worst terrorist attack in U.S. history has been followed by other seismic events, from a once-in-a-century global pandemic to the rise of artificial intelligence that is transforming commerce, education...

When every minute counts

Before the school day officially starts at Clarksville Elementary School in Southern Indiana, students are already working on math and reading activities. During the 2025-26 school year, staff at Clarksville started thinking about how they could use...

ICE arrests in KY hit new high; Louisville leads state

Immigration officials are arresting more people in Kentucky than ever before, according to newly released data. Through Aug. 5, more than 2,350 immigrants were arrested this year across the commonwealth. That’s a 69% increase from the same period last...

Louisville’s homelessness count drops in latest tally

The number of people who were homeless in Louisville decreased this year compared with the previous year, according to the city’s most recent point-in-time count (PIT), conducted in February. Each year, volunteers fan out across communities to count...

New ‘Most Wanted’ list seeks fraudsters

WASHINGTON – First, the FBI came for the mobsters and other “Most Wanted” fugitives in 1950. Then it came for the “Most Wanted Terrorists” after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington 25 years ago. Now, the FBI has a third Most Wanted list, this...

WHAT’S IN THE FUTURE FOR BOURBON TOURISM

When landing at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, a walk through the terminal makes it clear: You’ve arrived in “bourbon city.” From downtown’s Whiskey Row and its many tasting rooms to distilleries that dot the county - not to mention...

KY lawmakers seek stricter Flock rules

Some Republican lawmakers are expressing concern over Flock cameras, with one member of leadership suggesting greater guardrails surrounding the powerful and controversial automated license plate readers, including requiring police to obtain a warrant...

Spirits giant Brown-Forman reports sales dip

Louisville-based Brown-Forman Corp. reported a 1% decline in both net sales and gross profit during its first quarter 2027 earnings call as it reaffirmed a flat net sales forecast for the rest of the fiscal year. h The company behind Jack Daniel’s,...

GE plans $1 billion Louisville redesign

GE Appliances, the appliance company with its global headquarters in Louisville, is once again growing. The kitchen appliance manufacturer and the IUE-CWA, the union representing its workers, announced on Sept. 2 a $1 billion “major transformation” at...

‘If we don’t fight for it, nobody’s going to fight for it’

It took three decades, millions of dollars and a change in state law to bring an abandoned chemical complex in Algonquin to the verge of redevelopment – but a looming legal fight still threatens to set back a long-awaited project. The notorious Rhodia...

Flock camera vandalism is surging in Louisville

Cut down. Spraypainted. Stolen. Since last October, Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras in Louisville have been vandalized or gone missing on at least two dozen occasions according to documents obtained by The Courier Journal under...

After 11 years on dialysis, this Bardstown woman finally got a new kidney

LaQuayia “LQ” Goldring, 37, hoped dialysis would keep her alive long enough to see all her siblings graduate from high school. The Bardstown woman was a cancer survivor, a college student and a big sister to 11 when the donated kidney she’d received...

The Lexington plane crash, 20 years later

This week’s Sunday cover story focuses on the 20th anniversary of Comair Flight 5191. h The commercial flight from Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport bound for Atlanta accidentally took off from the wrong runway, which was too short. The plane crashed just...

Texas Roadhouse growing its footprint — in grocery stores

For decades, warm yeast rolls and deliciously spreadable cinnamon butter have been a staple in Texas Roadhouse restaurants across the country. The fast-casual steakhouse chain headquartered in Louisville has managed to turn steaks, loaded baked...

See where UofL, UK land on our ACC, SEC preseason rankings

SPORTS, 1B

Head Start providers worry changes may harm program

A new proposal from the Trump administration seeks to roll back many requirements for Head Start, leaving some Kentucky providers with concerns over the future of the federally funded preschool and child care program for low-income families. The...

KY cattle advocates balk at beef imports

President Donald Trump’s plan to allow hundreds of thousands of tons of beef to be imported into the U.S. over the next 90 days has drawn significant pushback from industry advocates in Kentucky – including a congressman who’s been a thorn in Trump’s...

The movement to ‘8664’ is aiming for a comeback

A movement to “8664” is aiming for a return to Louisville’s consciousness, two decades after discussions about Interstate 64’s place in the city were often heard. Members of the original 8664 group are “looking to get the band back together,” said Ken...

Trump’s proposal could allow roads, logging in undeveloped tract

The Trump administration is moving to repeal a federal conservation rule that has long protected undeveloped swaths of national forests from roads and logging — including more than 2,800 acres at the heart of Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. The Roadless...

Tough fight to mitigate measles outbreak risk

With measles cases in the U.S. at a 30-year high, many health experts and parents, including in the Louisville metro area, are taking a closer look at protection measures for children. More than 2,465 measles cases have been confirmed nationwide as of...

Roblox says deceased girl waived suit rights at age 8

Can an 8-year-old waive their rights to sue a company by clicking a box? That’s the stance of Roblox, an online gaming platform that bills itself as a digital playground. The argument comes as the $41 billion company is embroiled in a lawsuit with...

Famous Lewis and Clark Expedition comes full circle in Louisville

The expedition of Lewis and Clark may sometimes be told without references to the Louisville metro, but the area itself plays a key role in both the beginning and end of their famous exploration of the western U.S. While there is a lot to say about...

Letters about updated maps spark confusion

Susan and Bobby Melhart moved into their Oldham County home from Louisville’s Germantown neighborhood in 1997. The home, which sits near the border of Oldham and Jefferson counties in the Willow Creek subdivision, was an ideal fit, foremost because it...

‘More time on the clock’

Three pills a day could give Christina Baumer dozens more weekly movie nights with her 5-year-old twins. Those pills, a ground-breaking new drug for late-stage pancreatic cancer, could possibly create time for hundreds more family dinners. It could...

Cubans discuss Castro heir

Sometimes going days without power at their home in La Habana, Cuba, Louisville resident Yensy González’s parents struggle to stay in touch with her. In their city, trash accumulates on their street while they stockpile food rations in their...

A place for history lovers, gearheads, pop culture fans

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Inside the Skydome of the National Corvette Museum, a cathedral for horsepower, sunlight shines through the glass ceiling onto a display of Corvettes, making visitors like Steve and Rachael Stepro stop in their tracks. The couple...

Reporter tells the story of iconic Chevrolet Corvette

The Chevrolet Corvette, an iconic American made sports car, has been produced in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for 45 years. h The car’s history and legacy in pop culture extends beyond its time in the commonwealth, dating back to the first Corvette to make...

‘World-class attraction’

A completely overhauled design for downtown Louisville’s Belvedere unveiled Aug. 11 includes a soaring performance space, winding walking path and children’s play area, among a slew of other features. Having pivoted from an initial design deemed too...

Is it worth it?

This year, John Mays hoped to renovate his 2,600-square-foot historic home in the Chickasaw neighborhood, but it hasn’t been as easy as calling up a contractor and paying a bill. His 100-year-old home lies within an area the Louisville Metro Council...

Jeffersonville mayor pushes back against bridge project

The mayor of Jeffersonville, Indiana, is calling for city and state leaders in Kentucky to come to the table to discuss a project centered around the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge that has created tension across state lines. Indiana leaders have...

Get a slice of NYC at these Louisville spots

FOOD, 1C

Persistent problem

The health care industry continues to prove itself essential amid ongoing disease outbreaks from cyclospora and salmonella across the U.S. However, a recent report from the Kentucky Hospital Association that looked at workforce data from 2025 found...

‘We’re still fighting’

On May 14, 1963, the Louisville Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance banning racial discrimination at public businesses — a move that earned the city national praise. A New York Times piece republished in The Courier Journal on June 5, 1963, declared,...

Choose-your-own-adventure exit

This week’s Sunday cover story focuses on Louisville’s most dangerous intersections. Louisville drivers have consistently ranked among the “worst” in recent national studies, based on collision and fatality data. Courier Journal reporter Stephanie...

At a crossroads

Cornbread Hemp’s cofounders spoke for more than 15 minutes about the future of their industry in early August, but their comments could be summed up in two words lit up next to them: “SAVE HEMP,” the jumbo LED sign displayed. Speaking to a receptive...

THE FIRST DAY

The streets of Louisville were once again crowded with vehicles marked by car rider tag numbers and buses stuffed with new backpacks as more than 90,000 students returned to Jefferson County Public Schools classrooms Aug. 6. h The start of the new...

KY’s fix for Medicaid cuts only temporary

Kentucky’s Medicaid providers may have avoided drastic cuts previously set for Aug. 1, but the financial crisis is far from over, with experts warning a temporary solution could leave the state facing a greater shortfall in the future. In June, the...

War of words, images

As leaflet bombs packed with propaganda exploded over North Korea and China in the 1950s, one Louisville man tucked a copy of each message away for safekeeping. h For decades, those papers rested in a large straw basket Lt. Allen Schwartz brought home...

EARTH-FRIENDLY CONSUMERISM

Inside owner Leslie Delgado’s eco-friendly, fair trade gift store are imported trinkets and tubs of everything from plant-based granite and tile cleaner to lemongrass-scented laundry detergent, all used to promote waste reduction. h Delgado opened...

Law takes on security at businesses

Louisville Metro Council approved an ordinance July 30 requiring late-night businesses deemed a nuisance to have security personnel on site. The ordinance, sponsored by Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins and cosponsored by Councilwomen Betsy Ruhe and Barbara...

From Ohio

Ohio State revokes fraternity for 10 years after student hospitalized in March

Equine headstones

When Barbaro raced down the stretch at Churchill Downs to win the 2006 Kentucky Derby by 6 / lengths, he did more than win the most legendary race. He became a national sensation. Then he shattered his right hind leg at the start of the Preakness,...

JCPS officer has Yearwood ties

A new chief academic officer with strong ties to Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Brian Yearwood has been named, marking the third person to fill the position in less than one year. Nathan Balasubramanian, who has worked with Yearwood in...

‘AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES’

Jainaba Jobe had a busy day. First, she pitched herself at a packed job fair, then she aced a job interview with Kit Federal Credit Union. Finally, she attended an awards’ ceremony, all while sporting a neatly tailored blue pantsuit she snagged with...

Kentucky copper plant pivots to power data center boom

Turning up its smelters, Kentucky’s Hussey Copper plant could be poised to help bring copper manufacturing back to the United States. Hussey Copper, which was founded in 1848 in Pennsylvania and opened a plant in Henry County in 1966, was acquired by...

A preventable tragedy?

Something was wrong at the AAK vegetable oil factory in Shively, and it was Adam Goins’ job to fix it. It was a cloudy Sunday in September. Goins, an AAK maintenance worker, was at home monitoring operations remotely after an alarm went off at the...

A community’s pillar

In a world where grocery, electric and housing prices seemingly climb higher every year, one cost hasn’t risen for Danielle Ruffin’s family. h The Patch is just as free as it was when she was a child. h Nearly four decades have passed since the single...

Why KY’s new colon cancer law is important

There are so many things that are uncomfortable about colon cancer. The disease itself can be devastating. Colonoscopies have a reputation of being inconvenient, and the day-long prep involved with it is often extremely unpleasant. Not to mention,...

Steel mill site eyed for huge data center

A developer is eyeing the property of a shuttered steel mill in Eastern Kentucky for what would be the largest data center project in the state so far, according to plans shared with local officials. The developer, Rubix Data Centers, plans to build a...

Policing the party

According to an LMPD statement, the Summer Task Force will become a new unit focused on “enhancing safety and improving experiences in entertainment districts while conducting proactive crime-prevention details within the city’s five Sustained Focus...

WANTED: A JOB

Every Monday, 18-year-old Holden Beckett drives from Louisville to Frankfort to help film Gov. Andy Beshear’s podcast. By the weekend, he’s back in Louisville, serving up breadsticks and pasta bowls at a local Olive Garden. • After graduating from...

More housing?

Improving housing supply and affordability in Louisville are among the key aims of newly proposed changes to rules guiding development in the county. Recently introduced, long-awaited updates to Louisville Metro’s Land Development Code would make it...

Rep. Guthrie at center of data center battle

Across Kentucky, conversations around data centers are quickly dividing communities and their elected officials, with local and federal lawmakers increasingly coming under fire from their constituents. Data centers have been around for decades....

Announcer has ‘got it down to a science’

As Shawnee Park Road curved left, a man’s voice carried clearly through the trees. It was at once complimentary and critical, praising smooth jump shots and criticizing three-pointers that fell short. The voice belonged to Cornell Bradley, known...

JCPS officials say they’ve been left out of major decisions that affect students. Is the district repeating past mistakes?

Uncertain impact

Following a year muddled with global trade debacle as President Donald Trump’s administration implemented — and then removed — a slew of tariffs on most other countries, a key trade agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico will soon begin a...