WFPL

School's Out: Donna Hargens and JCPS Year in Review on Byline

WFPL — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 14:07:53 +0000

The 2011-12 school year at JCPS just concluded, and the Board is currently evaluating the performance of new superintendent Donna Hargens, in private.

On Byline Friday afternoon, WFPL reporter Devin Katayama spent some time looking back at the past year, including ongoing controversies over the student assignment plan, possible changes to that plan, and changes to the JCPS administrative hierarchy.

Energy Association's PAC Runs Ad for Rogers

WFPL — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 14:00:00 +0000

With over $1 million in cash on hand for his re-election bid, U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., isn't under any serious threat in November.

But the folks at the American Chemistry Council released this ad to remind voters anyway.

Check it out (h/t PageOneKentucky):

West Virginia State Senator Says Mining-Related Accident Shows Need for More Mining

WFPL — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 20:34:01 +0000

The House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing today on coal mining and the Environmental Protection Agency’s veto of the Spruce Mine in West Virginia. I didn’t cover the hearing, but Ken Ward of the Charleston (WV) Gazette did. He pointed out some peculiar testimony from West Virginia State Senator Art Kirkendoll.

Theater Highlights for This Weekend: Erin Keane on Byline

WFPL — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:46:04 +0000

Arts and Humanities reporter Erin Keane gave a quick rundown of some worthy local theater to check out this weekend on Byline Friday afternoon, including a dystopian play by Theatre [502], and a play about surrealist painter René Magritte for young audiences produced by the Alley Theater. Of course, the galleries and restaurants of Market Street are alive tonight for the monthly Trolley

JCPS Year in Review; Violent Offenders at Zoo; Belmont Preview: Today on Byline

WFPL — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:24:34 +0000

A rundown of what was discussed today on Byline, WFPL's weekly news roundtable.

1:06pm: Education news and JCPS end-of-schoolyear review. Superintendent Donna Hargens has been on the job for roughly a year now. WFPL's Devin Katayama weighed in and also shared a produced feature with voices of some JCPS students.

WDRB Boss to Local Stations: You're Next

WFPL — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:18:13 +0000

WDRB-TV in Louisville is currently without about half of its audience as negotiations continue with Time Warner Cable.

The talks are over how much Time Warner should pay WDRB to broadcast local content. Time Warner says it has offered a rate comparable to what Insight used to pay WDRB, but station officials say it won't cover the necessary costs to keep that station a Fox affiliate.

Annual Creek Sweep Aims to Clean Floyds Fork

WFPL — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:30:00 +0000

The 21st annual Floyds Fork Creek Sweep is tomorrow. Volunteers will boat down the river and climb along its banks picking up trash, in an effort to keep the waterway clean.

Teena Halbig is the co-president of the Floyds Fork Environmental Association. She says the annual cleanup is necessary.

Courier-Journal Publisher Discusses New Online Paywall and Content Strategy

WFPL — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:19:38 +0000

Courier-Journal publisher Wesley Jackson is in an odd position. He’s essentially the connection between a local institution (the paper) and a giant national corporation (C-J parent company Gannett) during an emotional and dramatic time for both.

Victims of 2010 Pike County Flood File Lawsuit Against State

WFPL — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:55:18 +0000

Residents in Eastern Kentucky whose homes were flooded in 2010 have filed suit against the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. They say the flooding was caused by an unreclaimed surface mine site, and the state allowed the mine operator to violate the law.

Council Members, Public Works Officials Seek Help Catching Illegal Dumpers

WFPL — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:24:09 +0000

Joined by Public Works officials, Louisville Metro Council members Marianne Butler, D-15, and Cheri Bryant Hamilton, D-5, called on residents to help them crackdown on illegal dumping across the city.

Butler and Hamilton announced on Friday that the city will install 19 new state of the art cameras over the summer in problem areas, which have seen repeated cases of trash and other junk items being dropped off improperly. The cameras are designed to be mobile and will be moved periodically in the case of violators moving to different locations.

Butler says illegal dumping is a perennial problem in many neighborhoods, and the public can help track violators by visiting the city's website to report an incident and identify illegal dumpers caught on camera.

"Hopefully with this we will stop the dumping," she says. "We are asking residents to go to the website. Look at the photos that are on it and help us prosecute the people who are devaluing your neighborhood. Because these people are dumping in everybody's neighborhood."