8.1: Cool Down - Hour 1

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, let's get it started. Welcome in, Happy Friday.
You can feel it, right, It's Friday. We've made it
to the end of the week and I'm on vacation
next week, which is exciting. So I'm gonna make the
most of these four hours before I get out of
here for a week. I know you'll miss me, right right,
everybody will miss me, right Please say please, thank you.
I needed that.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
You won't believe how much on mission Nick, thank you?

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Yeah really, John and I talked about that yesterday.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah, I'm sure it's been a real real process for
you guys this week, just the dread and worry of
knowing what life will be like without me for a week.
But yeah, that's nothing better than to really uh inflate
my ego myself. I'm doing it myself clearly to get
the show started here on a Friday. But it is
Kentucky and this Morning News, Coffee and Company, and we
were rolling with you for the next four hours. And

(00:46):
I tell you what, We've got cooler temperatures comparatively speaking,
this feels I mean, it's not fall weather, nothing close
to it, but it kind of feels like it. Given
the heat way we've had recently, and we had football
on TV last night. I mean, this is arousing. I mean,
this is what we've been waiting for. And we got
a long way to go before we actually get to
real football games. Well not a super long way, but

(01:06):
still long. Yeah, seeing football on TV last night it
got me excited again.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Next Saturday, well coming up, not this Saturday, but next Saturday.
Will mark the Saturday football every Saturday until February. Mid February, dude,
this is the last Saturday. So if you need to
get stuff done and you're distracted by football, tomorrow's the
day to get it done.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Noted. Everybody, make sure you keep that in mind because
he's don't say he didn't try to get your prepared
right or what's about to come whenever we actually get
to you know, the real stretch of it. And that's fun.
I've talked about this before on my sports show, and
because of sports just being such a huge part of
my life, my lifestyle, and really the older I get,

(01:53):
the more I think, you know, I don't think there's
anything wrong with that, but you know, you kind of
grow out of that a little bit because you know,
you got things that you you that are like you can't.
I can't not be a dad for a weekend because
Louis was playing in a big game, you know what
I mean. Like I've got responsibilities like like most people do.
But my years have always not necessarily like mentally, my years,

(02:14):
they don't change over in January. They change over when
we get to a new sports season. And and so
for me, like once we get past Derby and the
sports year, for me, as far as what I really
you know, crave and and love covering, that's kind of like,
all right, well, now the off seasons here, the year's over,
and then once we get to football starting, then you

(02:34):
have that going for obviously the entire season. Then college
basketball starts and then you really roll into about Derby
and like that. So when a school year starts, football starts,
that's kind of what that to me, that's kind of
how I chalk up here we go, there's another year.
Because I basically have made my years based off of seasons.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
There's been there's a magic to your point, I feel
your vibe because there's a magic to that that fall
transition when we and what it is the beauty of
college football is basically it's it's a summer. It's a
it's a fall picnic that breaks us from summer, from
coast to coast. That's what college football. As people go out,
they tailgate. You see it Louisville games, you see at
Kentucky games. You can see it down at Moorehead and

(03:12):
Murray wherever you go up there. And I you, John,
that's one of my favorite places to tailgate is up
in Bloomington.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
Oh yeah, beautiful place.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
Oh my god, in Bloomington in the fall is magical
and quick.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
Right, And my my wife and daughter are not sports
fans by any means, but football is kind of served
as a rallying cry for our family. And whether it
be a Saturday afternoon where we're all just kind of
sitting around, or it'd be Sunday, you know, everybody gathers around.
You don't have to be a technical football fan to
appreciate the football season. And that's a big part of

(03:43):
American culture.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Well, yes, that's what I was going to say, the
word culture. It is such a it is such a
big part of of really, and I know there's not
a lot of there's some people that just that really
aren't that interested in it. And I live I live
so much of my life thinking, wait a second, it's
not a big party every thing you do in your life,
and then you know other people do different things. It's
it's it's you know, I was in my own world,

(04:04):
I suppose. But with this shift, as far as the
time of year, you really go from okay, summer break
for kids, you've got really really hot temperatures and technically
when football starts and school starts, it's still hot outside,
but it's going to start to downshift. But you go
from you know, kind of having a loose schedule because
again not to say that people don't follow baseball, but
when high school football starts for families, that's that's a

(04:27):
that's it's a huge priority, that takes up a lot
of time. It's a big emphasis for them, and that
that it's you know, it's it's gonna be here well
before you know it.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
And you get so many communities, not just here in Louisville,
but start looking outside the waters and I look at
some of these communities in southern Indiana, look at some
of them around Kentucky.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
You go to a place like.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
Bell County, I mean communities rally around football. Oh yeah,
in a lot of ways, dude, So you're you're spot
on your assessment. There certainly is a changing of the
guard going on right now, and I think flipping the
calendar to August really emphasizes that.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
I can't wait and again it'll be here soon enough. Yep,
good stuff. All right, let's get you caught up on
the forecast. I was going to say the warcast. That's
not a word. But we'll get you caught up on
what we can expect today in the weather with Matt
Melissa Bitch of WLK why. Bobby Ellis will give us
an update on the traffic, and we'll keep this thing
rolling along a lot to get into today. Mayor Greenberg

(05:18):
set to join us at eight o'clock this morning, so
make sure you stick around for that and stick around
for us. We're here for the next three hours four
hours roughly, and I hope you stay with us right
here on news Radio forty whas. It is five point
sixteen here at Kentucky Anda's Morning News Coffee and Company,
Nick Coffee with you here on news radio at forty whas. So.

(05:38):
One of the big stories yesterday was the explosion that
took place in Jeffersonville. There was a house that exploded.
Five people were injured, and it sounds like the injuries
were not life threatening, which is certainly certainly good. However,
still an awful situation. And I didn't see some of

(05:59):
the I mean yesterday when looking at the monitor in
front of me. The wky coverage is what I saw
from a visual standpoint. Obviously was following along and keeping
up with what was being reported about it, but it was,
I mean, it's what you could expect, I suppose when
you hear a house exploding and one of those things
that just again from the visual standpoint, to know that
no one lost their life is really a miracle just

(06:21):
from the looks of it. But they found some of
those victims yesterday in the front yard and they flew
to to the hospital be a helicopter, while the remaining
three were taken to the hospital in an ambulance. So
the home completely completely destroyed and there's no evidence at
all of malicious intent, which is also I would say,
a good sign. It doesn't change anything as far as

(06:42):
the outcome here, but investigators are urging the public not
to speculate on the cause and warning that you know,
rumors can be harmful and even slanderous, which this is
maybe me being the new guy here in following these
types of stories a little bit more as far as
the detail, But that just to me seems like well,

(07:05):
or like right out of the gate. Why would you
think people would speculate. I mean, I think more than anything,
people would want to know. But I also think that
most would be aware that there's all kinds of different
scenarios that could have led to this happening. In fact,
I'm willing to acknowledge ignorance as far as how these

(07:25):
things happened to where you could tell me this explanation
and it may be something I would have never even
known possible that could cause that. So it might be
because meaning they might be warning people not to speculate
and urging them, I should say, is because there was
a house that exploded with a natural gas leak in
twenty nineteen that I believe backs up to this house.

(07:50):
So to me, just trying to read the situation here,
reading between the lines, certainly speculating on my end, not
any proof by any means, but people are going to
say this was this was caused by a gas leak,
and that of course would be you know, that would
be man. There's no there's no good way to have
your house blow up, right, I mean, there's nothing like,

(08:10):
there's no but to know that it was caused because
of a gas leak. I mean that would be you know,
at that point, you're going to wonder who's responsible for
that gas leak happening. So yeah, the explosion that took
place in twenty nineteen on Assembly Drive was due to
a natural gas leak, and that explosion killed one man,
injured his wife and a neighbor. So one of the
attorneys involved in that twenty nineteen case shared that the

(08:34):
widow of the man who died that she's you know,
she's she's recovered, and she sends her best wishes to
the victims of this latest tragedy. So again, it's I
guess you could call it speculation, but it's reasonable speculation
without question that a house that backs up to a

(08:54):
home that previously exploded in twenty nineteen and killed somebody.
I mean, let's just be real here, most who are
you know, and again I'm not calling anybody else ignorant.
I don't know anything about what would lead to this.
So again, there's many scenarios that could be explained to me,
and I'll just take your word for it. If you're
somebody that does, in fact know a lot about this,

(09:15):
you're an expert. But I think most are just going
to assume, well, yeah, that can't that's too much of
a coincidence. Right. So Centerpoint Energy says no gas leaks
have been found in their system, but surveys are still ongoing,
and gas service in that area has been shut off
as a precaution, which makes total sense. So, yeah, a
scary situation, but again, fortunately no one is suffering from

(09:39):
any life threatening injuries in that explosion. All Right, We've
got a loaded show for you guys the rest of
the way, so stick with us. We've got sports coming
your way here. In just a few minutes, Scott Fitzgerald
will deliver his first sports update of the day, and
of course you've got traffic and weather coming up. Bobby
Ellis will get us caught up on how the roadways
are looking this morning. Matt Melosa bitch is going to
give us some good news. At least, I think it's

(09:59):
good news not to be as hot as it's been
the last couple of weeks, which that's that makes me happy,
I say, that as I'm heading to Florida, which will
probably be brutal humidity and whatnot, but hey, it'll be
on the beach and that'll be that'll be the best.
That's the best way to deal with some crazy heat, right,
all right, stick with us again. It's Kentucky Na's Morning News,
Coffee and Company we can hear on news radioaight forty whas.

(10:20):
I would certainly hope this is my mother's favorite radio show.
It would really break my heart if it wasn't. But
I'm just gonna believe that it is. In fact, I
know that it is Happy Friday, everybody. It is Kentucky
and is Morning News with Coffee and Company here on
news Radio eight forty whas Nick Coffee, that's me. You
just heard John Shannon prior to that, Scott Fitzgerald in
with sports and the one and only John Ald in

(10:41):
alongside today. So the team has asseymboled here on a Friday.
And just a reminder, I'll be out next week and
I'll miss you guys, and I know you'll be struggling
without me, I'm sure, but looking forward to a nice getaway.
But John, you knew this about me because of the
years we worked together prior to the reunite being reunited

(11:02):
here at WHAS. But the pre travel anxiety is not
kicked in yet for me.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
I wonder if it's because of the time of day
being so much different than you know, when you were
doing the afternoon show.

Speaker 1 (11:11):
Yeah, I don't know. I usually would just get and
I don't know. It's a real thing, and maybe I
just looked it up to feel less or to feel
more normal, which really you can find anything on the
internet this day and age to make you believe whatever
it is that you want to believe. But when I
would go on any type of really trip, rather it
be vacation or just a trip that's you know, associated

(11:33):
with work, but it's also you know, something I'm looking
forward to. Right before leaving for any kind of trip,
I get I would get this panic and this anxiousness
that well, I shouldn't be going. I don't need to
do you know, there's no I don't need to go.
There's and there's never really been a reason for that,
but for some reason, And it's good that hasn't kicked
in for me just yet, because I am excited to

(11:53):
get down to Destin, Florida and I'm hoping that we
see a much lighter crowd than when we have been
in previous years, because this is the latest we've gone
in a while. Once my daughter started school, we could
no longer go in early to mid August, just because
we needed to be back here so she could start school.

(12:13):
And we didn't realize how lucky we had it, because
most schools across the country are back when you get
to August, at least early August, mid August. I mean, heck,
it's wild to think that some of these schools in
southern Indiana started school in July and that could.

Speaker 2 (12:27):
Again, it doesn't make any sense to me.

Speaker 1 (12:30):
It felt early. But I went to dinner with my
dad yesterday and he pointed out that he couldn't believe
that those schools were already back in Those schools were
already back to school, And then he mentioned that it's
just in July, and I'm like, yeah, you know what
I hadn't thought about that. Just the optics of that
is it sounds like these kids are being robbed of
summer to know that they're back in school in the
month of July. Now again, it was only like one

(12:51):
or two days, but still it's really early, and I
don't I don't think.

Speaker 2 (12:56):
About the amount of snow days we had this past year.
I'm sure, I don't know for sure, but it wouldn't
surprise me if some of the Indiana schools went into
June before they got out for summer break. That seems
very short.

Speaker 1 (13:07):
I feel like if you started school at the end
of July and let's just say, you only get a
few snow days, which honestly, last year was the worst
winter we've had in a while. I mean, we hadn't
had that many. I mean there was some what was
it the first week back to school from Christmas break
here in Louisville. I don't think they went back to school. No,
I think they got like a three week break. So,

(13:28):
but I'm just saying, if we get the average amount
of snow days within the last decade, it won't be
that many. To be honest with you, and you started
school in July, are you out by like Derby? I mean,
it's that would mean that would make sense as far
as with the typical school year when it lasts. But yeah,
I can imagine those kids knowing that they got to

(13:49):
go back to school and it's not you know. I mean,
I think we went back to school whenever I was
like in high school. I want to I think it
was like mid August, like two weeks from now, which
maybe I'm wrong on that, but yeah, back to school.
I mean, if you're in j CPS or the other
school districts here in the area, you'll it'll be your
day soon. In fact, it's next Thursday when JCPS starts,

(14:12):
so be prepared. But again, I'm out next week. You'll
be in good hands. It'll be the crew that you
typically get every morning here minus myself and then Joe
Elliott's going to be mixed in in some form or
fashion within the week. So you'll be in good hands.
And I'll miss you, and trust me, I know you
guys are gonna miss me like crazy. And I hope
you guys have been able to pick up on my
poor attempt at sarcasm here and there. We've got Rory

(14:35):
o Heil coming your way in about five minutes. Looking
forward to to the conversation with him, and it sounds
like he's gonna be able to give us some encouraging
news as far as the prices of homes, which if
you have not bought a home recently despite maybe needing
one looking for one because of the prices. I totally
get it. So maybe Roy is gonna Rory's gonna give
us some good news here in just a few minutes.
But your next update of traving weather, Bobby Ellis, will

(14:57):
getus caught up on the roadways. As far as how
we're looking to get this Friday start, Matt Melosevich, we'll
tell us what we're in for as far as weather
right here on news radio eight forty whas Happy Friday,
ladies and gentlemen. It is Kentucky AND's morning news here
on news Radio eight forty whas Nick Coffee with you,
and we now bring in Rory O'Neil of NBC News. Rory.

(15:18):
Home prices have dropped in fourteen of the major cities
here in the United States. What does this mean for
buyers when it comes to, you know, finally being able
to feel more comfortable in making what is a huge
investment in a big purchase in anyone's life. It sounds
like things are getting better for those folks.

Speaker 4 (15:36):
Well, yeah, so it is shifting a bit to the
buyers side of the equation, but things are still pretty
jammed up right now. You're right. Medium home sales prices
fell in fourteen of the fifty biggest areas in the country,
and prices are falling because the housing market is slow
due to the high housing costs and a lot of
the economic uncertainty out there. Homes are also taking long

(15:59):
longer to sell than a year ago in just about
every major metropolitan area. A lot of people are still
waiting for perhaps that interest rate cut that could lower
mortgage rates, so that's kept a lot of buyers on
the sidelines as well.

Speaker 1 (16:13):
I tell you what, I was thinking about this the
other day, and it may just be because it's something
I'm giving more thought to, But I can't remember the
last time I knew someone that was purchasing a home,
rather be the first time, or maybe they're just moving
up just because right now, with all things considered, it's
just a scary thing to do because of the economic uncertainty.

(16:33):
Do we know sort of those that are buying? Is
it people that are just not as worried about the
market because maybe they're financially just in a situation to
where it really won't matter to them. Because I just
I'm trying to think of who right now unless you
just have to have somewhere to live, which again that
may be the case for some, but I just tarked
for me to envision when it comes to the average
American who's buying houses.

Speaker 4 (16:54):
Well, right, and look, plenty of people still relocate, usually
for work, so you know, there was still a lot
of mobility in the country for you know, and taking
new opportunities things like that, and a lot of people
are cashing out and perhaps downsizing a little bit, which
is also why we've seen a lot of pressure on
those entry level homes. You know, if you had a
family home in the Northeast, now you want to move

(17:15):
to Florida. You're you know, you had the four or
five bedroom house, Now you like just want a two
bedroom because it's just the two of you. That kind
of thing. Those small entry level houses are very tough
to find. But the you know, there are some hot
spots still. I mean a year in Cleveland, for instance,
prices are up fifteen percent. Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, is up

(17:36):
about nine percent. Detroit is up about seven percent. But
then you go to Oakland, California, and then in Florida,
West Palm Beach and Jacksonville both have seen prices. Same
with Austin, Texas and Houston, Texas as well, where there's
been a big, big building boom. So that's a matter
of supply and demand in places like Austin and Houston.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
I feel like empty nesters may may not be able
to become empty nestors as quickly as they wanted to,
or maybe they won't be able to stay in that
situation quite as long. Because if if you're finishing college
and you are looking to you know, you're no longer
living on campus because you graduated, I mean, you probably
don't have it right away. A job that financially puts
you in a spot where you're comfortably able to get

(18:16):
a lease on an apartment and certainly buy a home.
But he knows, maybe the empty nesters are thinking, Okay,
I need some relief. Yeah, you can come back, give
us a little bit of rent money to help with
this mortgage.

Speaker 4 (18:26):
Well right, Well that's the other thing. So if you
have the empty nesters, though, say they're sixty five, you
know they have the mortgages been paid off, they've been
there in that house for thirty years. You know, it's
pure cash for them to go buy something smaller in Florida,
So that's a very different kind of transaction. And you know,
and those people sometimes they can buy in all cash.

(18:47):
You know, that's something we've seen a lot of as well,
that there's a lot of cash buyers in the marketplace.
And we've seen a lot of investment in homes by
corporate investors who are buying those entry level homes and
then turning them into mental property. So that's had been
another big factor in a lot of this getting the
real estate market punched up.

Speaker 1 (19:06):
Rory and Hiliv NBC News is our guest joining us
here on news Radio eight forty whas the Presidential Fitness
Test is returning to schools across the United States. And
I will admit maybe this is me showing my younger side.
I'd heard of this, didn't really know a whole lot
about it. I love it as somebody who loves sports
and courage, you know, all kids to be active within

(19:26):
sports in some form of fashion. What can you tell
us about sort of what this entails as far as
the test itself.

Speaker 4 (19:32):
Yeah, well, we haven't gotten those details. But it used
to be that up until I think twenty twelve, you
used to have to pass this test that included forty
push ups, ten pull ups, a six and a half
minute mile run, and I think when it started they
used to have a softball throw, a six hundred yard jog,
fifty yard dash, a long jump, so it used to
be a lot more complicated when it started. But yeah,

(19:53):
they phased it out about fifteen years ago to try
to promote overall health rather than what had become concerning
about the shame test of you can't do ten pull
ups in front of your classmates or you can't climb
the rope in front of the whole class of fifth graders.
So they were trying to avoid that shame that a
lot of kids felt. I'm talking about myself here, so

(20:19):
that was a part of it. But President Trump wants
to bring this back as part of MAHA celebrating the
two hunred and fiftieth Birthday of America. He wants to
get the kids healthy again.

Speaker 1 (20:28):
Rory, as always, we appreciate your time, enjoy your weekend,
and we'll talk to my friend.

Speaker 4 (20:33):
Hey, thanks, Dick, come a good weekend.

Speaker 1 (20:34):
That is Rory O'Neil of NBC News. I think the
Presidential Fitness Test totally makes sense that there could be
some kids that wouldn't be able to complete it, and
that could, of course, you know, maybe make them feel
a little less confident in themselves, which is what you
don't want. But I also think it just sounds fun.
I mean, I'm not even a kid anymore. I'd like
to do the test. I don't know how well I
would do, but a lot of fun for sure. All Right,

(20:56):
we'll have some fun the rest of the way here,
so stick with us your next update of trapping weathers
right here, right now, and then we'll have another sports
update with Scott Fitzgerald on news radio eight forty WHS