Cover Story
No Festivals! Economic pain is deep and wide
Phil Goldsborough’s food truck Longshot Lobsta makes as much money at any of Louisville’s three-day major music festivals as it does in an average month. Even when it rains and even when the heat index is above 100 degrees, he sells out at those events. People have already made a financial commitment to be there,…
What do Republicans want?
Last week, as the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $3.3 trillion bill to help stabilize the American economy, the Republican excuse for opposing it was that it was a Democratic “wishlist.” Other than wondering why they didn’t call it an Obama wishlist — they seem obsessed with 44 these days — I have a…
Chief, how many more screwups?
Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad needs to resign. The time and circumstances warrant the 63-year-old police chief turn the department over to new leadership. By continuing to serve, he perpetuates skepticism over whether his police department is capable of protecting and administering equitable, transparent justice for every part of the community. The recent killing…
A parade of cheers and tears: Principal’s retirement celebration — at a distance
When it came time for the Meredith-Dunn School in Louisville to mark the retirement of Principal Kathy Beam, the school community didn’t let the rain — or the pandemic — hinder their plans. On Friday May 15, the school held a drive by event for students to say goodbye and congratulate Beam, who has headed…
10 Things To Do In Isolation This Week In Louisville (5/18)
MONDAY, May 18 Trivia Night with LPF Digital Pride Zoom Free | 7-8:30 p.m. This trivia night is for those with knowledge about LGBTQ+ history and pop culture. The Louisville Pride Foundation is hosting, and yes, there will be prizes. TUESDAY, May 19 Cris Eli Blak: ‘Living as a Black Man in America’ Facebook Live…
They wanted an angel, but she was only human: Why WAVE deleted that story about Breonna Taylor
The coronavirus pandemic has repeatedly highlighted the critical role local journalism plays in keeping the public safe and informed, and it underscores our need to continue supporting ethical, quality journalism with our subscription dollars. But the public must keep journalists accountable for their mistakes, especially when their work threatens to make the public actually less…
Black Lives Matter calls for ‘transparent investigation’ into Breonna Taylor shooting
Black Lives Matter Louisville has released a list of demands regarding the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor by Louisville police, asking for a “transparent investigation,” dismissal of charges against her boyfriend and the release of 911 recordings. Taylor, a 26-year-old licensed EMT with no criminal record, and her boyfriend were asleep March 13 when police…
Are we really in this together? Hell No!
As the coronavirus started to sweep across the United States, I recall going to the grocery store, and there was a somber mood in the atmosphere. It was almost tangible as various shoppers walked through the aisles picking up canned goods, pasta, bleach and toilet paper, hoping the supplies we purchased would help us get…
5 Things To Do While Social Distancing In Louisville This Weekend (5/15)
FRIDAY, May 15 Lift Your Spirits Facebook Live Free | 6-7 p.m. We all miss getting together with friends for drinks and music. Lift Up Lou is recreating the Friday night hangout with a cocktail recipe with Copper & Kings’ Brandon O’Daniel, music from Aaron Bibelhauser and a discussion with the city’s Hero of the…
Kentucky one of two states to get ‘green’ light to restart its economy, group says
[Updated: Kentucky’s score of “green” has been replaced with a “yellow” because it has met only 82% of the testing target. The scores change in real time.] Finally, we top a list that isn’t for being the nation’s fattest or heaviest smokers or something else not so good. A cadre of public health and crisis…
Gov. Beshear’s Legal Defeats: The World (and the Law) Turned Upside Down
Encountering the Upside Down is dangerous enough for the residents of Hawkins, Indiana, on the Netflix show “Stranger Things.” Fearsome creatures control that dimension and present an ongoing threat to our world. But when the upside down becomes not the realm of the fictional beast the “Mind Flayer,” but the province of federal judges deciding…
Louisville Economic Brains Say COVID-19 Isn’t The Public Health Problem To Worry About. Sound Wonky?
Fanboys of business and development want Kentucky to reopen its economy… yesterday. And they don’t think the public health threat of COVID-19 is enough to warrant getting in the way. In a virtual Louisville Forum discussion, professor emeritus of economics Paul Coomes and Republican Councilman Anthony Piagentini both questioned the public health benefit of Gov.…
McConnell, you shut up —‘Old white men don’t get to tell Black men to shut up anymore’
Perhaps it’s time to introduce U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, to this new reality of the 21st century: Old white men don’t get to tell Black men to shut up anymore. At least not without recriminations. In an online interview this week with Lara Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law and campaign mouthpiece, the senator went…
Savage Love: Amazed and Confused pt. 2
Q: It’s taken a lot to do this but here goes. I am a 38-year-old gay male. I have been dating this this guy for one year and 10 months. It’s been a lot of work. He cheated on me numer-ous times, and he lives with me and doesn’t work, and I’ve been taking care…
The billboards say what? City arts groups unite during coronavirus
In normal times, it can be dif?cult to tell whether a leader is truly great. Organizational success might seem like a good metric, but it is not. After all, in normal times, it’s entirely possible for a person to inherit a healthy organization, maintain the status quo and achieve a semblance of success simply by…
Yes, there is such a thing as a free lunch…at Dakshin
When the pandemic abruptly shut down all the restaurants in March, Dakshin Indian Restaurant’s owner Sanjay Taxak took many of the same steps as other local eateries: He started offering takeout service and curbside pickup, and he began offering his restaurant’s Indian fare delivered via Grubhub, Postmates and Uber Eats. But that wasn’t enough. Taxak…
Local, independent music venues help lobby Congress, join national movement to survive
Small, independent music venues, including several from Louisville, have banded together to avoid a mass extinction of live performance spaces during the pandemic. The recently formed National Independent Venue Association, or NIVA, which has been lobbying Congress, is made up of more than 1,000 businesses, including local ones such as Headliners Music Hall, Art Sanctuary,…
Shelter unsafe to house the homeless to stop the spread of the virus
While most Louisvillians are #safeathome, our city has failed to show any compassion to the most vulnerable of our citizens. Seven thousand people in this city do not have secure housing; on any given night, our shelters are over?owing and hundreds of people sleep outside. I am the psychiatric nurse practitioner on an Assertive Community…
Inside the Joy Center
The city’s solution to stymieing the spread of coronavirus in Louisville’s homeless population is The Salvation Army’s Joy Center, two main rooms in a 35,000 square foot warehouse: one for people who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and another for those who have tested positive. Major Roy Williams of The Salvation Army’s Louisville…
Thorns & Roses: The Worst, Best and Most Absurd (5/13)
Thorn: If it is social, is it socialism?! Gov. Andy is allowing restaurants to reopen at a third capacity May 22 with unlimited, properly spaced outdoor seating. Unfortunately, we bet most people stay home, and the ones who don’t, well — they probably think social distancing is socialism distancing. Some restaurateurs are saying they will…
Like LEO? Here’s how to help.
We at LEO offer our sincerest congratulations to The Courier Journal for winning its 11th Pulitzer Prize, this one for studiously and unrelentingly chronicling the avalanche of last-minute pardons and commutations handed out by the corrupt, craven and mercenary Gov.-reject Matt Bevin. We are fortunate as a city to have it as our paper. In…
West of Ninth pandemic edition… (5/13)
For obvious reasons, West of Ninth’s Walt and Marshae Smith have not been interviewing people for their photograph blog, which runs in LEO. So, here are scenes from the pandemic. West of Ninth started as a Louisville photography blog, westofninth.com, by two Russell residents, Walt and Shae Smith. With a love for their community, Walt…
Liberate Michigan!
To those of you marching in “Liberate [your state]” gatherings in capitals all over the Midwest, my sympathies are with you. Especially those few who are out there because the government is willing to let the unemployed die on the vine. We wouldn’t have anything to march about if we had the sort of economy…
Implausible deniability is GOP’s MO
Since when did claiming ignorance become an acceptable response from politicians, our so-called leaders? Things have gotten so fringy and down-right ugly within the Republican Party that admitting or faking ignorance is what its members think is the best available option. Kentucky Republican state Rep. Savannah Maddox, a ?rst-term legislator, attended an Open Kentucky Now…
Family seeks answers in fatal police shooting of Louisville woman in her apartment
Breonna Taylor was working as an EMT in Louisville when the coronavirus pandemic hit the country, helping to save lives while trying to protect her own. On March 13, the 26-year-old aspiring nurse was killed in her apartment, shot at least eight times by Louisville police officers who officials have said were executing a drug…
