The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Temps plummet amid major U.S. winter storm
As part of a major winter storm that is forecast to spread heavy snow, sleet and dangerous ice and affect tens of millions of Americans across two dozen states through the weekend, cold air blasted into the central United States on Jan. 23, sending...
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Her husband was killed in a KY prison
Robert Anthony Broyles, Jr. had just days left on his prison sentence at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex. He’d kept his head down and had done his time, taking classes to better himself and shorten his incarceration, his wife said. He had a...
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Frigid
Jefferson County Board of Education members have approved closing two schools at the end of this school year, making a small dent in the massive budget deficit the district is currently operating under. King and Zachary Taylor elementary schools,...
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STILL FOR NEWCOMERS?
When Marcos Perez left Cuba in 2024 to come to the United States, he thought his chances of earning a high school diploma were behind him. He was starting a new life far from home as a senior, aged 18, who needed to work. When he arrived in Louisville,...
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Tire dumping plagues Kentucky’s waterways
Millions of discarded tires are strewn across Kentucky’s 90,000 miles of waterways, illegally chucked from bridges, rolled downhill or washed away by floodwaters — plaguing the state’s most important natural resource with a non-decomposing source of...
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Presentation reveals JCPS budget cuts
Hundreds of Jefferson County Public Schools employees are set to lose their jobs and two schools will close if cuts proposed by Superintendent Brian Yearwood are approved. JCPS released initial details about a proposed 2026-27 draft budget, which...
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71 days later ...
Charred vehicles, oil-tinged water and memorial wreaths still stand as reminders two months after the deadly Nov. 4 crash of UPS Flight 2976 in Louisville, which took 15 lives and limited access for the many dozens of businesses in the area. Crews...
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NARROW LIVING
The long, narrow and humble shotgun house, ubiquitous in Louisville’s oldest neighborhoods, tells a remarkable story of working-class and architectural history, traced back across rivers, seas and centuries. ●The shotgun house has its North American...
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FLOUR POWER
HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. – If you close your eyes, you could imagine you’ve wandered into the world of Willy Wonka. The heavenly redolence of cocoa powder is all around, so much a treat to the nose that you might wonder what smells so good in the oven and...
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Are these Louisville’s wackiest intersections?
Unlike Pittsburgh, built on a triangle, or the District of Columbia, with spokes intersecting its grid, the city of Louisville’s block grid is pretty straightforward thanks to early city designers like John Corbley and William Pope, and later Abraham...
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Task forces’ legislative ideas
Multiple task forces that met during the 2025 interim period have released their recommendations for new state laws ahead of the 2026 legislative session. Task forces, also known as special committees, consist of a bipartisan group of legislators...
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Crump ‘never stopped following what I loved’
Diane Crump, the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby, died Jan. 1, according to a social media post from her family, after being diagnosed in late 2025 with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. She was 77. Crump spent final days at...
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MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
It’s all about money for Kentucky’s 2026 legislative session. State lawmakers will return to Frankfort on Jan. 6 for the 60-day session, where one of the main priorities will be crafting the state budget. Kentucky sets a biennial state budget during...
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These Louisville businesses closed or relocated in 2025
A number of Louisville-based businesses announced their decision to close in late 2024 and early 2025. The Courier Journal reported on a number of these announcements as they came throughout the year, speaking to a number of business owners and...
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Room to help others
As temperatures plummet, a local church is opening its doors for the homeless as part of a new temporary shelter location. This January, Grace Immanuel United Church of Christ in Butchertown is allowing a group of 14 men to stay overnight from January...
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5 unique city services tax dollars help fund
With a $1.2 billion budget, Louisville Metro Government is sure to offer resources and services that fly under everyday citizens’ radars. From neat mobile apps to language translation services, there are dozens of resources — paid for on the...
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The greatest jockey you’ve never heard of
FLORENCE, Ky. – As a winter wind whipped through the paddock, a few fans stood in hoodies and winter coats, hands buried deep in their pockets. The jockey donning a thin maroon-and-white race silk envisioned his next ride. ● If he felt the cold, he...
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THEIR FINAL RESTING PLACES
Bourbon legends such as E.H. Taylor and Pappy Van Winkle have been immortalized through bourbon brands. ● And while their memories live on in bourbon collections all over the world, many of the most famous historical figures in the bourbon industry are...
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Ready or not
structure,” he added. “Coming up with the strategy is a great thing. Coming up with the finances to do the repairs, that’s another thing. Where does the money come from?” The recent spate of historic storms has been punishing for local governments,...
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Sniffing out electronic evidence
FRANKFORT — What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a police dog? • Maybe an athletic Belgian Malinois latching its jaw onto a trainer’s padded protective suit? Or sniffing for drugs around the outside of a car? • Or perhaps a...
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50 years puts him in a league of his own
In a digital age defined by endless options, Terry Meiners, the veteran drive-time voice of NewsRadio 84 WHAS, has accomplished what few in media ever do — he has risen above passing trends and remained a relevant force for nearly 50 years. “I am so...
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Historic run for economic growth
Since Gov. Andy Beshear took office in December 2019, Kentucky has been on a historic run, securing more than $43 billion and 65,000 jobs in private sector investment announcements. Beshear has continually emphasized the importance of economic...
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DNA test unexpectedly connects KY father, daughter after 47 years
Heather Lally spent 47 years convincing herself she didn’t need a father. She’d never met the man her mother dated briefly in the mid-1970s, but he’d made it clear he didn’t want to be part of her life. After he died, she lost all hope of ever having...
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‘They need the chance to be able to thrive’
Thirty-one years ago, Tomeka Cannon was so afraid that she called an ambulance as her eightmonth-old daughter, Laneesha, had her first seizure. That initial, terrifying episode eventually progressed into about a dozen seizures a day. Doctors...
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DATA CENTRAL
Alec Willis moved to Monrovia, Indiana, weeks before learning he would soon have a new neighbor: a 390-acre Google data center campus that will require twice the electricity of all Indianapolis households combined when operational, according to a...
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FOOD TREND?
For a city named after a famous king of France and one obsessed with restaurants, a term invented by the French, you’d think Louisville would be oozing with places to enjoy croissants, confits and foie gras. But, Louisville’s RSVP to the French cuisine...
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Big ticket projects
The SDF Next Program, which has brought a new baggage claim area and parking upgrades to the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, is entering its latter stages with some big ticket projects. Announced in late 2019, the multiyear series of...
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It was the fire fight of their lives
Marcus Hudson instinctively craned his neck toward the night sky. A sharp explosion had echoed through the air, and for a brief moment, he needed to know whether a metal pressure relief valve was about to barrel down on his head. In front of the...
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TRAINING ISN’T ONE OF THEM
WARSAW, Ky. – In the three years since Bud Webster was elected to be Gallatin County’s top lawman, he has made significant accomplishments. As sheriff, he brought back 24/7 law enforcement coverage to the rural northern Kentucky county. His deputies no...
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Ford, SK On to end EV battery partnership
Ford Motor Co. and South Korean conglomerate SK On have parted ways on their joint electric vehicle battery endeavors — including on the massive $5.8 billion BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale. The battery park in Hardin County, which was announced...
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TROUBLE BREWING
Mike Safai sips a coffee in the Bardstown Road shop that bears his name, and monitors a chart on his phone showing the commodity price for a pound of coffee soaring higher than it has in nearly half a century. Behind the surging line on his screen is a...
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Snow day
Louisville residents will face frigid temperatures and the potential for additional snowfall after an overnight winter weather system covered the city with snow Dec. 12. More than 4.5 inches of snow was recorded at the Louisville Muhammad Ali...
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Righting a wrong
The bill to end the longest federal government shutdown in the nation’s history put U.S. Rep. James Comer in a bind. Comer, a Kentucky Republican and former state agriculture commissioner who’s considering running for governor in 2027, has been a...
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Should liquor stores be spread out?
Louisville Metro Council members have asked city planning officials to consider creating new regulations for liquor stores, including requirements that could bar them from setting up shop within a certain distance from another liquor store or sensitive...
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‘Cracking down’
As President Donald Trump’s administration continues to put transportation rules and regulations at the forefront of his second term, a new initiative which the administration believes will make the truck and bus driving industry safer is underway –...
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Housing programs could lose millions in funding
Louisville’s housing programs for the homeless are in danger as the Trump administration makes deep cuts to grants for permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing. In November, the Department of Housing and Urban Development released its 2026...
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TRAFFIC JAM
In his first year in office, state Sen. Aaron Reed heard plenty from constituents about issues at Kentucky Driver Licensing Regional Offices. ● The freshman Republican lawmaker from Shelbyville understood where they were coming from. After all, the...
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PROTECTING CHILDREN
The two letters on her gold necklace express more than the initials of Ashley Nation’s two daughters. They signify her fight — not just for her kids, but all kids. Not solely because of her past, but because of their futures. Nation is a survivor of...
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KENTUCKY DISASTERS
Kentucky state Sen. Robin Webb held up a thick black binder stuffed full of white paper. The binder, which she hefted in the air during a Nov. 21 meeting in Frankfort, contained the many recommendations the Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task...
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THE FIRST SNOW
The sun rose in Louisville Dec. 2 to reveal a winter wonderland arriving earlier than usual for this time of year. The latest snowfall proved to be the highest-ever recorded for Dec. 2, with an official total of 4.7 inches measured at Muhammad Ali...
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Mark Stoops out at UK
LEXINGTON – It’s over. After 13 seasons guiding the Kentucky football program, Mark Stoops was fired, the university announced Monday. News of his firing was first reported on Sunday by Jeff Drummond of Cats Illustrated. The SEC’s longest-tenured...
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Norton West sees nearly 60K patients in first year
Nearly 59,000 people have received care at the $90 million Norton West Louisville Hospital since it opened one year ago. When the hospital officially opened Nov. 11, 2024, it marked the first hospital to open west of Ninth Street in over 150...
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A look at TIFs
Aparticular type of incentive, called tax increment financing, typically makes headlines a few times in year in Louisville when developers seek the incentive from local or state government. • The focus is usually on the project connected to the...
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FEELING SAFE AGAIN
For the past three years, the smell of barbecue has drifted across the corner of South 15th and West Oak streets in Louisville’s Park Hill neighborhood. Louisville Smokers BBQ, a small carryout spot known for its rib tips and brisket, has built a...
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Fighting against ICE, religion in schools
When Michael and NixB Slider started hosting a small group of friends in their basement in February to talk about the news and policies coming out of the Trump administration, it quickly became a cathartic bonding exercise for the often-outnumbered...
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Husband rare match for spouse’s kidney
In 1986, Debbie Dziadus’ children peered curiously out the window, waiting for her first-ever blind date to arrive. In the days leading up to it, her friends identified the nearest payphone at the Kentucky restaurant where they were going, just in case...
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Budgetel fights suspension amid health, safety concerns
A Louisville hotel with a history of failing inspections is fighting to stay open after the city’s health department suspended its permit, leaving some of its long-term residents a step closer to homelessness and with few options to turn to. The...
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Louisville road projects are uncovering history
East Market Street in Louisville’s bustling NuLu district is getting a new look in 2025, but the work needed to remake the street has brought some of the city’s long-gone history back to the surface. Underneath the asphalt, a former trolley line used...
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TO WEAR OR NOT TO WEAR?
To wear a Guardian Cap or not to wear a Guardian Cap? That may just be the question of the football season – at all levels of play. But sports medicine experts say the answer to that question is neither simple nor definite. Guardian Caps are a brand of...
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A YEAR LATER
Industrial debris scattered in yards and inside homes. Asthma flare-ups. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnoses. This is the fallout some community members suffered from the Givaudan Sense Colour factory explosion, according to lawsuits, interviews...
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FOREVER GRATEFUL
Until recently, the “most stable” years of Mike Johnson’s life were spent in prison. For nearly two decades, the U.S. Army veteran couch surfed, lived in his car or slept in his prison cell. He’d grown up poor, finished high school early and enlisted...
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‘We’re a great nation, and it’s a disgrace’
OWSLEY COUNTY, Ky. — It was a beautiful, clear-skied, crisp November morning when the line of cars for a food bank’s weekly distribution started to creep onto Highway 11. A slow procession of aging pickup trucks, minivans and station wagons lurched up...
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RETURN TO NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
A couple months ago, Pat Kelsey had a weird dream. “This was a UFC fight,” he told a room full of Louisville locals at the Salute to the Game luncheon for St. X and Trinity football on Sept. 25. Kelsey paused for laughter, and to adjust his signature...
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Death toll in UPS crash hits 13; 5 victims ID’d
The number of people killed in the Nov. 4 crash of a UPS cargo plane in Louisville has grown to 13, Mayor Craig Greenberg announced the evening of Nov. 6. “We pray tonight for the victims and their families,” Greenberg said. “It is with deep sorrow...
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‘I feel empty’
Sadit Aliyev and a coworker were settling in just after 5 p.m. at Kentucky Truck Parts & Service to have a bite to eat when the explosion happened. It was Nov. 4, and a UPS plane that had taken off minutes earlier from Louisville Muhammad Ali...
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DEATH TOLL CLIMBS
The death toll continued to rise a day after a UPS cargo plane, loaded with fuel and bound for Honolulu, crashed shortly past the runway of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Nov. 4, marking the deadliest plane crash in the history of UPS...
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Congressmen to play role in ballroom’s fate
Two Republican Kentucky congressmen will play a part in deciding the future of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom. The lavish gold-accented ballroom, announced by Trump in July, is expected to cost around $300 million to create and sparked...
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PURVIS FACING CHALLENGERS
The race for Louisville Metro Council District 5 is quickly becoming one of the most crowded local contests of the 2026 election cycle. As of Oct. 31, three candidates — including incumbent Councilwoman Donna Purvis — have officially filed to run in...
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Kentucky Speedway’s racing days finished?
From its opening in 2000 to its heyday in the early 2010s, the Kentucky Speedway, once home to NASCAR races, would bring tens of thousands of fans to Gallatin County every race day. • With 66,000 grandstand seats and more than 3,000 RV campsites,...
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$1 FOR A DREAM?
HHome ownership means everything to Ebony Robinson.In the 2000s, as a young, single mother, she worked tirelessly to provide a stable home for her son.Now, after rehabbing a home she bought from Louisville’s Landbank Authority for $1 and finding a...
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‘Time of crisis’
On Oct. 28, volunteers for the Highlands Community Ministries food pantry walked in to empty shelves, bare fridges and the knowledge that families would be relying on them more than ever. Just days before, the U.S. Department of Agriculture warned...
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The scramble to save SNAP
WASHINGTON – As the government shutdown approaches a month with no end in sight, federal lawmakers and state officials are scrambling to blunt the pain of missing services such as the first lapse Nov. 1 in food assistance since the program was...
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MEETING FUTURE DEMAND
State regulators approved LG&E and KU to build two new gas-fired power plant units in Jefferson and Mercer counties at a cost of nearly $3 billion, as the utilities prepare for future data center projects and forecasts of an unprecedented spike in...
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Pantries brace for shortages
It’s been months since volunteers at the United Crescent Hill Ministries food pantry have seen any infamous large blocks of yellow American cheese roll off trucks from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The once plentiful bags of rice have...
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‘Potential to cause very real harm’
Federal workers without pay. Federal programs without funds. Federal lands without stewards. Kentucky is already feeling the pain of a weekslong government shutdown, and is bracing for more as the stalemate in Congress stretches toward the one-month...
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Ford invests $60M into Kentucky Truck Plant
Ford Motor Co. is looking to beef up its truck production capacity — including at its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, through new jobs and a $60 million investment. Following a September fire at the Novelis aluminum plant in New York, from which...
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Appreciating the legacy of Louisville’s Brown family
There is no denying that George Garvin Brown and his descendants have made an unfathomable impact on Louisville over 155 years. • It goes well beyond the bourbon industry and the people that Brown-Forman employs, though. The Browns’ philanthropic...
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Impact on your wallet
Kentucky residents could still see their utility bills increase after a new settlement agreement with LG&E and KU and key stakeholders was announced, though not by as much as previously estimated. The settlement, filed to the Kentucky Public Service...
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How did JCPS slash $100M from budget?
It’s been just over a month since Jefferson County Public Schools’ latest budget was approved, with leaders indicating that despite nearly $100 million in cuts, a larger amount will need to be slashed in the coming year to balance the district’s...
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LMPD officer who cited homeless woman in labor got tourism award
Two weeks before Louisville Metro Police Lt. Caleb Stewart issued an unlawful camping citation to a pregnant homeless woman in active labor under a Louisville overpass last year, a top city official nominated the officer for a local tourism award,...
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New data center regulations advance
As the clock ticks on a data center moratorium in Oldham County, officials are working to approve a series of regulations intended to guardrail their presence in the Louisville exurb. The new rules set forth requirements for the energy intensive...
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Worthwhile investment?
In the ongoing conversation about Jefferson County Public Schools’ financial mess, the purchase of weapon detectors two years ago has been repeatedly pointed to as proof that while overspending occurred, money was also spent on worthwhile...
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Lab’s got national checkup
A Louisville area company is stepping in to fill a gap during the ongoing government shutdown. HealthTrackRx, a medical laboratory based in Louisville that tests patient samples from across the nation for diseases, routinely collects, and publishes,...
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NO LAUGHING MATTER
TThe rainbow of canisters littered the home’s second floor, hidden from the sight of Christopher Boone’s mother, on a bitter cold day in January 2025. Shawnna Boone had seen a colorful cylindrical container once before. A year earlier, Christopher,...
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