10.15.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the reading of the Courier Journal for Wednesday,
October fifteenth, twenty twenty five. The Courier Journal is brought
to our Louisville listeners via Loville Public Media. As a reminder,
Radio E is a reading service intended for people who
are blind or have other disabilities that makes it difficult

(00:22):
to read printed material.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Your reader for today is.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Blanca Michael Ward. We begin with WHAS eleven's weather forecast
for the next several days. Today, expect a high of
seventy six, clouds and sun pleasant. Tonight a low of
fifty five, clear. Thursday high of seventy three, low of

(00:48):
fifty one, nice with plenty of sun Friday a high
of seventy five, a low of sixty four, warm with
high clouds. Saturday high of seventy nine, low of sixty one,
mostly sunny, thunder showers. Sunday high of sixty eight, low

(01:12):
of forty nine, rain and a thunder storm. Monday high
of sixty seven, low of fifty plenty of sunshine. Your
Almanac readings for the Losval area are as follows. Temperatures
high seventy seven, low fifty two normal high seventy two

(01:37):
normal low fifty one, record high eighty eight in nineteen
seventy five, record low thirty one in nineteen o nine.
Precipitation Monday zero month to date four point eighty eight
inches normal month to date one point sixty two inches.

(01:58):
Year to date forty eight eight point two hundreds of
an inch normal year today thirty eight point sixty nine inches.
Paullen count is low today in grass and weeds, not
available for trees, and it is moderate in molds. Air

(02:23):
quality today is good. Sun and moon Wednesday sunrise seven
fifty two am, sunset seven oh five pm, moonrise one
fifty four am, moonset four twenty nine pm. Thursday sunrise
seven fifty three am, sunset seven oh four pm moon

(02:48):
rise three oh one am, moon set four fifty five pm.
There will be a new moon October twenty first, a
first moon October twenty ninth, a full moon November fifth,
a last moon November twelfth. And now for a bit
of weather history. Hurricane Hazel hit near Myrtle Beach, South

(03:13):
Carolina on October fifteenth, nineteen fifty four, with one hundred
fifty miles per hour wind GUS. The storm brought record
rain to the central Carolinas. Winds gusted to a record
ninety eight miles per hour.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
At Washington d C.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
We continue with today's headlines from the front page of
the Courier Journal. Ice Whole surge after Citi's policy change
advocates nonviolent offenders facing deportation risk. Enrollment down at most
JCPS schools, courts guide funding for facilities district, Trump cabinet

(04:01):
blames protests for shutdown. We begin with this story, Iceholl's
surge after cities policy change advocates nonviolent offenders facing deportation risk.
This was written by Monroe Trombley of the Louisville Courier

(04:21):
Journal USA Today Network. Since Mayor Craig Greenberg reinstated a
policy this summer allowing Louisville Metro Corrections to hold people
for up to forty eight hours for federal immigration authorities
to detain them, immigration officials have already issued more than

(04:43):
forty percent of all holes made over the entirety of
last year. Between August one and October first, these holes,
known as detainers, were issued against eighty one people, according
to to jail officials. Most were listed as Hispanic in

(05:04):
booking records. By comparison, immigration and Customs enforcement data obtained
by the Deportation Data Project, a national group of academics
and lawyers maintaining a clearinghouse of federal immigration data, show
one hundred eighty eight detainers in all of twenty twenty four.

(05:27):
A Courier Journal review of jail bookings found that while
a handful of those detained were accused of violent crimes,
including two people charged with murder, roughly half were booked
on traffic or drunken driving charges. When Greenberg announced the
policy change in late July, he said it would prevent

(05:50):
broad immigration sweeps like those seen in other cities. I
will not risk the safety of our broader immigrant community,
he said at the time. Metro corrections and federal immigration
enforcement exposing nonviolent offenders to deportation. It's another channel for

(06:11):
individuals to be picked up by ice, put into detention,
potentially put in expedited removal, which could mean removal to
a country they have no connection with, said State Representative
Nima Kalkarni, an immigration attorney who represents parts of Louisville

(06:33):
at the Kentucky Capitol. In one case, Louisville police stopped
forty year old but Melo velees Juan Catlos early on
August thirtieth, while he was driving a two thousand three
Hyundai Sonata with expired registration plates tied to a two
thousand five Ford Focus. According to an arrest report, he

(06:57):
was accused of driving without a license or inasurance and
was released from Metro corrections the following day, presumably to ICE.
Booking records show five days later, Jefferson County District Court
Judge Christina Garvey issued a bench warnt after he failed
to show for his arraignment, a hearing where defendants are

(07:20):
formally advised of their charges interruptly and may be assigned
legal representation. ICE did not answer before publication whether the
agency did indeed take the les Juan Catalus into its custody.
Matt Mudd, Greenberg's press secretary, said in a statement that

(07:41):
what's happening in other cities right now shows that the
mayor's decision was the best way to protect Louisville and
Louisville's law abiding immigrant community and to prevent aggressive federal
enforcement actions from happening in our city. Louisville receives ICE

(08:01):
detainer policy. An immigration detainer is a request from US
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE asking a local jail to
hold someone up to forty eight hours after they would
otherwise be released so immigration agents can take them into custody.

(08:22):
It's not a judicial warrant, but an administrative request to
transfer the person into federal custody. Greenberg's July decision revived
to practice the city halted in twenty seventeen when Metro
Council passed an ordinance limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

(08:44):
The mayor said the US Department of Justice notified him
that Louisville was violating federal law by refusing to honour detainers,
and that the city would be removed from the Department's
list of so called sanction tuary cities if he reversed course.
Two weeks later, the Justice Department released an updated list,

(09:08):
and Louisville was no longer on it. The Washington Post
reported on October seventh that Louisville and Nevada were the
only jurisdictions to roll back policies that had restricted local
police from assisting ICE agents in making arrests. Greenberg's decision
drew immediate criticism from the acial U of Kentucky and

(09:32):
local immigration advocates, who said the policy ensnar's residents who
would otherwise never come into contact with Ice. The mayor
was fearful and capitulated to fear, said David Horvith, part
of the inter Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice, a Louisville
based alliance of religious congregations and community advocates formed during

(09:57):
the first Trump administration. This reversal is divisive. It takes
people away from their families, risks their livelihoods, and doesn't
make anyone safer. Others frame it more simply, Louisville was
violating federal law by refusing to honor ICE detainer requests,

(10:19):
and now it's not. Please tell me what other federal
laws we ignore and fight the federal government on free speech,
due process. What else do we want a mayor or
council to have the ability to disregard, said Anthony pi Argentini,
the Republican caucus leader on Metro Council. Pagentini, who represents

(10:45):
District nineteen, covering Middletown and parts of Douglas Hills and
Woodland Hills, said he's considering legislation that would require Lousvill's mayor,
regardless of who holds the office to comply with I
detainer requests. I am concerned with any mayor, with any

(11:05):
council that would say, hey, I know the federal law
is this, but we're just going to ignore that. Pagentini
added traffic DUI charges drive ICE holes. To better understand
how many people ICE issued detainers for the Courier Journal
built its own database using publicly available booking information. The

(11:30):
analysis found that eighty one people had ICE holds in
August and September, a figure confirmed by jail officials. Most
people flagged for detainers during that period were accused of
nonviolent offenses. A review of booking and Jefferson County court

(11:50):
records show. Yet for much of this year, the White
House has issued statements touting the Trump administration's efforts to
remove of killers, rapists, and drug dealers, language Democrats have
criticized as framing a broader deportation effort that also targeted
immigrants without criminal records. Of the eighty one people held

(12:15):
for ICE, forty six were booked on traffic or drunken
driving charges. Many were cited for lacking valid licenses, registrations,
or insurance. A few faced accusations of leaving the scene.
Of a crash or, in more serious instances, hitting a
child on a bike or endangering children in their car

(12:39):
while drunk driving and not having the proper permits to
operate a motor vehicle are widely viewed as serious offenses.
Critics of Trump's deportation push argue it falls short of
the worst of the worst offenders he pledged to target.
About forty three per cent had prior cases in Jefferson County,

(13:04):
mostly for similar traffic violations. Court record show only two
had a previous violent defense, a twenty two year old
man accused of punching his partner in the face and
a thirty eight year old man accused of strangling his partner.
The Courier Journal was unable to locate court cases or

(13:26):
corresponding reports for six of the people booked on traffic
and drunken driving charges. Among the remaining thirty five people,
the most common charge was fourth degree assault, typically related
to domestic violence, accounting for seven cases. Others faced charges

(13:47):
including drug possession, burglary, theft, disorderly conduct, and failure to
appear in court. Two people were booked on murder charges,
one a nineteen year old Guatemalan woman, accused of killing
her newborn baby. The other a sixty year old man

(14:07):
accused of slitting his wife's throat in their Valley Station
home in September. Tracking the ICE detains in louisboll an
analysis of arrest location data found no clear geographic pattern
in where Louisville, Metro, Shively and other police agencies arrested

(14:28):
people later flagged for detainers. However, the eight arrests occurred
in Newburgh, a neighborhood where about one in four residents
identify as Hispanic, more than double the country wide rate.
Thirteen citations did not include arrest location data or their

(14:49):
corresponding arrest reports could not be found in online court records.

Speaker 2 (14:56):
Most of those with.

Speaker 1 (14:57):
Immigration holes have since been rel least, though it's unclear
how many were ultimately transferred to ICE custody. Jail officials
confirmed only the number of people who currently have or
previously had detainers. Major Jason Logston, spokesperson for Metro Corrections,

(15:19):
said some remain in custody as their criminal cases proceed.
Once a person is transferred to ICE, he said, local
officials no longer track them. Advocates say that's part of
the problem. The city's renewed cooperation means local oversight ends
the moment ice steps in. You don't get a right

(15:43):
to an attorney, You don't get a right to a
phone call, Koolkarney said of the federal immigration system, you
could get picked up in Oldham County and taken to
Louisiana and moved around between detention centers without anybody knowing
where you are. In a local case, Cicely Martinez Pees,

(16:07):
a Honduran mother of four who, according to her attorney,
had lived in Louisville for over ten years, was detained
after attending a routine immigration appointment and was taken to
the Clark County Jail in Jeffersonville, Indiana. According to the
Southern Indiana based advocacy group Do Something, Betez has since

(16:31):
been transferred to Louisiana and was last believed to be
in San Antonio, Texas. Gulcarni wants Louisville to resist what
she considers arbitrary and potentially unlawful demands from the Trump administration,
even at the risk of lawsuits. Attica Scott of the

(16:53):
Forward Justice Action Network, a nonprofit advocacy group, worries that
Louisville Bull's decision to honor immigration detainers will further strain
the already fragile relationship between local law enforcement and residents.
We still haven't rebuilt trust since the twenty twenty protests,

(17:14):
she said. Now we're eroding it even more. We continue
with this story. Enrollment down at most JCPS schools, counts
guide funding for facilities district. This was written by Krista

(17:35):
Johnson of the Louisville Courier Journal. USA Today Network, Kentucky's
largest school system is shrinking, with the latest enrollment numbers
showing Jefferson County Public School leaders slightly overestimated how many
students would show up for school this fall. In January,

(17:55):
Jefferson County Board of Education members received enrollment projections for
each school across the district, estimating about ninety one thousand
students would enroll in K through twelve schools, along with
another about seven thousand students and schools that serve students
with specific needs, early childhood programs, and other specialized areas

(18:21):
outside the traditional classroom. As of September, however, less than
ninety thousand students were enrolled in jcps's K through twelve schools.
According to numbers obtained by the Courier Journal through an
open records request. Enrollment for the district's early childhood program

(18:45):
is also down, with fewer than two thousand students showing
up for the first stay despite projections showing thirty two
hundred were expected. As district leaders worked to determine which
cost cutting measures to pursue amid a massive budget deficit,
schools that are significantly under capacity could become a focus.

(19:10):
Enrollment count's guide each schools and the district's funding. Higher
rates of funding follow students in certain groups, but overall,
schools with fewer students receive fewer dollars despite the dip
in funding, Though those schools still have the same overhead
costs as those with more students, They each still have

(19:34):
a principal, nurse, librarian, maintenance staff, and utility bills, among
other expenses. This scenario already led JCPS to consolidate young
and Engelhard elementary schools ahead of this school year. The
district's latest budget, approved in September, pointed to the high

(19:56):
costs associated with schools that have small enrollment numbers, noting
the cost per student in elementary schools with fewer than
three hundred students, is nearly sixty percent higher than the
cost per student in elementary schools with more than six
hundred students. On average, JCPS spends about nineteen thousand dollars

(20:22):
per student in the smaller schools, compared to almost twelve thousand,
eight hundred dollars per student in the smaller schools. At
the middle and high school levels, the budget noted JCPS
spends over seventeen thousand dollars per student in schools with
fewer than five hundred students and about twelve thousand, four

(20:45):
hundred dollars in schools with more than one thousand students.
In meetings since that budget passed, questions around right sizing schools,
meaning the student body is better aligned with the building's capacity,
in order to maximize funding, have been raised repeatedly. When

(21:06):
asked by The Courier Journal if low population schools might
be targeted for cost savings, Chief Financial Officer Eddie Munns said,
we're looking at all things, but we don't have a
direction at this point on where our budget reductions are
going to occur, and certainly we will not look at

(21:31):
school closures as the sole way to accomplish these reductions.
While JCPS currently has about eighty nine thousand, five hundred
students in its K through twelve schools, those buildings have
room for nearly one hundred six thousand students. About eighty
JCPS schools have fewer students in the twenty twenty five

(21:55):
twenty six school year than they had in the previous year,
and dozens are op rating well below their building's optimal capacities.
Multiple high schools saw dips in enrollment, including Iroquois two
hundred fifteen fewer students, Mail one hundred thirty three, Southern

(22:16):
one hundred twenty three, and Fern Creek one hundred twenty.
The Academy at Shawnee, which serves both middle and high schoolers,
has one hundred eighty seven fewer students. On the other
end of the spectrum, the Marion Seymour School, a combined
middle and high school, experienced the largest one year jump

(22:39):
in enrollment, with an additional five hundred five students.

Speaker 2 (22:43):
This year.

Speaker 1 (22:44):
Echo Trail Middle also saw a big jump, enrolling four
hundred eighty eight more students, though as a new middle school,
this is the first year Echo Trail is serving eighth graders.
Hudson Middle also added its first eighth grade class, though
it only enrolled seventy additional students this year. When it

(23:09):
comes to the space, buildings have Stuart Middle, Slaughter Elementary,
and Atherton High are all significantly over capacity at one
hundred twenty six percent, one hundred twenty three percent, and
one hundred twenty percent, respectively. Twenty eight other schools are

(23:30):
also enrolled beyond their building's optimal capacities. Far more schools
are operating under capacity. Western High, which became a full
Magnet school last year, is the most underutilized building in
the district, with fewer than four hundred students in a
space that could hold fourteen hundred. The low enrollment is

(23:54):
largely due to the recent transition. All freshmen and sophomores
at the school are Magnet students, while non Magnet upperclassmen
are being phased out through graduation. This means juniors and
seniors living near the Shively school who did not previously
attend it cannot enroll there. This scenario is costly for

(24:18):
the school system, given a building's overhead costs don't decrease
significantly just because fewer people are occupying it. Simultaneously, JCPS
recently lost a federal grant that was meant to help
support Western's transition into a full Magnet school over the.

Speaker 2 (24:39):
Next four years.

Speaker 1 (24:41):
Four other schools are operating below fifty percent capacity, Coldridge
Taylor Monassory Elementary forty two percent, McFerrin Prep Academy forty
two percent, Shelby Academy forty three percent, and Zachary Taylor
Elements Injury forty nine percent. Roughly three dozen schools are

(25:04):
operating at or below seventy five percent capacity.

Speaker 2 (25:11):
Next, we have this story.

Speaker 1 (25:13):
Trump cabinet blames protests for shutdown. This was written by
Sarah d Weyer of USA Today. Two of President Donald
Trump's cabinet secretary said Democrats are keeping the government closed
for the sake of no King's mass protests scheduled for

(25:34):
October eighteenth. The comments made on the same Fox Business
show on October thirteenth, echoed congressional Republicans last week, who
blamed the two week long shutdown on Democrats, saying they
wanted to keep the government closed until after the protests,
hoping to show party activists they are pushing back on

(25:57):
the Trump administration, sizing the rallies. Treasury Secretary Scott Bassett
said No Kings means no paychecks, no paychecks, and no government.
Liberal groups have criticized elected Democrats for not doing enough
in Congress to resist Trump's changes to the federal government.

(26:20):
Senate Democrats are refusing to approve a short term funding
measure for the federal government, demanding Republicans restore large cuts
to the Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare and
Medicaid that will cost millions of people their health insurance.
No King's protests are scheduled at more than twenty five

(26:43):
hundred locations across the country, including Louisville, Lexington, Owensboro, and
Bowling Green, among others. In Kentucky with one of several
flagship protests planned outside the U. S Capital This Protests
held by the same organizers over the last year, including

(27:04):
a June fourteenth rally also named No Kings, have been
peaceful and drawn massive crowds. Rally organizers told USA Today
they expect the crowds to joyfully and peacefully celebrate their
First Amendment right to protest. They've used the comments to

(27:25):
draw more attention to their upcoming events. Transportation Secretary Sean
Duffy told Fox he expected millions of attendees will be
part of Antifa paid protesters. It begs the question of
who's funding it. Leah Greenberg, co founder of Indivisible, one

(27:48):
of the groups organizing the protests, responded on social media,
this is what it looks like when you fully lost
control of the message and you're panicking. On October tenth,
several Congressional Republicans referred to the protests as hate America
rallies and accused Democrats of keeping the government closed at

(28:10):
the requests of activists. Howse, speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana,
set on Fox News that Republicans were hearing that Democrats
wouldn't reopen the governmental until after the rallies because they
can't face their rabid base. The House remains in recess.

(28:30):
There has been no public discussion of plans to have
the National Guard present at the Washington protest or any others.
In an October tenth statement, the coalition of activist groups
putting on the protest rallies and marches stressed that organizers
undergo security and de escalation training to avoid violence. Hunter Dunn,

(28:56):
a national spokesperson for the fifty five oh one protest
group said he finds the Republican rhetoric funny. You kind
of get to pick which lie you're going with. The
enemy can't be simultaneously both weak and strong, he said.

Speaker 2 (29:18):
We continue with this story.

Speaker 1 (29:21):
Man dies from injuries after September I sixty five collision.
This was written by Carolyn Neil of the Louisville Courier
Journal USA Today Network. A man is dead after a
collision on Interstate sixty five near the county line in September,
according to a news release from Louisville Metro Police. LMPD

(29:45):
responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision on
I sixty five northbound near mile marker one twenty four
around six fifteen pm September nineteenth.

Speaker 2 (29:58):
Spokesperson Aaron l.

Speaker 1 (30:01):
According to a preliminary investigation, a passenger vehicle was traveling
northbound in the third lane when, for an unknown reason,
the driver drifted across the lanes. The passenger vehicle collided
with the work truck that had been pulled over on
to the right shoulder after experiencing a tire blowout.

Speaker 2 (30:23):
The impact was severe.

Speaker 1 (30:25):
Ellis said the driver of the passenger vehicle had to
be freed by emergency services. He was taken to u
of L Hospital with life threatening injuries. He was pronounced
dead October eleventh. The driver of the work truck was
standing in a grassy area next to I sixty five
waiting for a tow truck and was not injured. No

(30:48):
other vehicles were involved. Lmpd's traffic unit is leading the investigation.
M We now turn to today's obituaries. We read only
the name, age, and location. If you would like further

(31:11):
information on any of the obituaries, please call us during
the week days at eight five, nine, four, two, two, six,
three nine zero, and we will be glad to read
the entire obituary for you. I will repeat that number
at the end.

Speaker 2 (31:26):
Of today's listings.

Speaker 1 (31:28):
Today's death notices include Chryl mcnight Bithin eighty, Louisville, Anna
Marie Lowe Brown ninety James Michael Edelin seventy two, Louisville,
Harvey Russell Gay Junior, seventy six, Louisville, Dolores C. Gilman

(31:52):
ninety five, Louisville, Carolyn L. Griffin ninety two, New Albany, Indiana.
Dennis Earl Hardy ninety three, Louisville. Betty Koehler Hammerdinger ninety six, Louisville,
Judy Portman seventy one, Louisville, Lando, Madrid Buno seventy one, Louisville.

(32:18):
Danny Ray Stevenson ninety five, Louisville, Theodora Gotti, Ted Tulledo
Junior seventy eight, Prospect William A.

Speaker 2 (32:31):
Bill Wells ninety two.

Speaker 1 (32:36):
If you would like further information about any of today's listings,
call us during the weekdays at eight, five, nine, four, two, two, six,
three nine zero. We continue with this story Ford paus'es

(32:58):
SUV production at plant. Aluminum supply situation remains in flux
after fire. This was written by Olivia Evans of the
Louisville Courier Journal USA Today Network. Ford Motor Company has
temporarily paused some production at its largest plant, where it

(33:20):
produces large SUVs and its iconic truck line. A fire
at the Novellas Aluminum plant in New York in September
has caused the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville to temporarily
halt production of its Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator large SUVs.

(33:40):
An official at UAW Local eight sixty two, the union
representing workers at Ford's two Louisville plants confirm the production pause.
The production of Expedition and Navigator are expected to be
down this week and possibly next week.

Speaker 2 (33:58):
The union leader told The Courier Journal.

Speaker 1 (34:02):
A definite time frame of the plant's paused production was
not immediately available, as the aluminum supply situation remains in flux.
Ford is the biggest user of Novellis aluminum. It uses
it in the body of its F series pickup to
reduce vehicle weight, increase towing capacity, and cut down on

(34:26):
corrosion compared with traditional steel bodies. Ford said it is
working with Novellas and looking at options to mitigate any
potential interruptions to production. Novellas is one of several aluminum
suppliers to Ford. Since the fire nearly three weeks ago,

(34:47):
Ford has been working closely with Novellas and a full
team is dedicated to addressing the situation and exploring all
possible alternatives to minimize any potential disruptions. Jess Enoch, a
communications director for Ford, said in a statement in April,

(35:08):
Ford CEO Jim Farley was in Louisville as The company
launched the twenty twenty five Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator
from the truck plant as part of a five hundred
million dollar investment. While SUVs are temporarily not being produced,
the Kentucky Truck plant is still up and running. Only

(35:31):
part of the pat shop and main production area are down.
The plant, which sits on Chamberlain Lane, is most notably
known for its production of the Ford's Super duty trucks.
At least two thirds of the plant is still running
at normal operation because truck production has not yet been

(35:53):
impacted by the aluminum shortage from the fire. The UAW
official said received a robocall from Ford alerting them to
the temporary production halt. The UAW official said if a
worker is still working at the Kentucky Truck plant during
the temporary production can stop depend on a variety of factors.

(36:21):
Some workers will fall into the unemployment category, some will
qualify for company pay for the work week despite the
SUV production being down, and some have opted to be
transferred for the time being to work on truck production.
The UAW leader said Ford declined to provide specifics on

(36:45):
any production adjustments or how it could impact Ford's earnings,
which will be reported on October twenty third. We continue
with this story. Blue oval Sk facing second lawsuit over
wage issues. This was written by Olivia Evans of the

(37:09):
Louisville Courier Journal.

Speaker 2 (37:10):
USA Today Network.

Speaker 1 (37:13):
A second lawsuit has been filed against Blue oval Sk,
alleging the electric vehicle battery maker failed to properly pay
workers at its six billion dollar battery plant in Glendale.
The first lawsuit over worker day discrepancies was filed September
twenty fourth in a federal court in Michigan. The Courier

(37:36):
Journal previously reported in the latest conflict. Sean O'Brien and
Randall Moore, two former Blue oval Sk workers, filed on
September twenty nine, a class action and collective action lawsuit
against the battery maker. The complaint, also filed in a

(37:57):
federal court in Michigan, where Blue oh Esk is headquartered,
said the company made the Glendale workers work more than
forty hours in a work week, but failed to pay
them for all overtime wages due Similar to the earlier lawsuit,
this clase alleges Blue oval Esk, a joint venture between

(38:20):
Ford Motor Company and South koreanesk On is in violation
of both the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Kentucky
Wages an Hours Act for not properly paying employees for
all time worked. O'Brien worked at Blue Oval Esk from
October twenty twenty three until July twenty twenty five. O'Brien

(38:44):
declined to comment about the lawsuit. Moore, whom The Courier
Journal was unable to reach, worked at the Plan from
April twenty twenty four until June twenty twenty five. The
complaint allegis bo both regularly worked more than forty hours
each week, but were only paid their hourly rate for

(39:07):
forty hours of work. The court documents state the workers
totaled more than forty hours of work each week because
they had to do pre shift work without pay. The
complaint alleges the workers spend five to ten minutes putting
on equipment such as hard hats, vests, boot and shoe covers,

(39:29):
then must walk five to fifteen minutes to their workstations
and ensure all machinery was in proper working condition. The
complaint continues that the workers had to repeat those same
activities in reverse after their schedule shift time ended, and
this post shift work was also not paid. The lawsuit

(39:52):
also alleges that Blue Oval S case automatic deduction of
paid time.

Speaker 2 (39:57):
For a meal break is illegal.

Speaker 1 (40:00):
When alleged workers were required to remain at the manufacturing facilities,
to be on call to work even during the lunch periods,
and were regularly interrupted during the meal periods to answer
questions from their supervisors.

Speaker 2 (40:16):
About work and to perform other tasks.

Speaker 1 (40:20):
The lawsuit looks to include all current and former production operators,
as well as production and field technicians who were paid
hourly at any point in the three year period prior
to the filing of the lawsuit. Court records show Blue
Oval Ascade did not respond to a Courier Journal request

(40:41):
for comment. The Blue Oval sk battery Park, which officially
started production August nineteen, has faced a slew of other
issues stemming from worker complaints, in addition to the two
lawsuits filed alleging the ev battery maker is violating wage laws.

(41:02):
In May, a Courier Journal investigation found dozens of workplace
injuries hospitalizations related to respiratory issues, unshakable mold contamination, a
bat infested training facility, blocked emergency exit doors, and chemical
exposure risks. Blue oval Esca as publicly and repeatedly denied

(41:28):
assertions of unsafe conditions. Additional documents the Courier Journal obtained
via open records requests from the state found employees of
the battery park openly refused to work with the hazardous
chemical in the plant, joining a pattern of tension between
Blue oval Escae and plant employees, including some who have

(41:53):
repeatedly said they feel unsafe working with various toxic substances
they do owned fully understand. The ev battery maker has
received at least one citation for health and safety issues
from the state. The Courier Journal previously reported additional health

(42:14):
and safety complaints are still under investigation by the state.
Most recently, workers citing health and safety concerns as a
key issue, voted by a narrow margin to unionize with
the United Auto Workers. Now the election outcome is being challenged,
tying up the proceedings with the National Labor Relations Board

(42:38):
and leaving workers in limbo for an indefinite period until
a decision is finalized by the government agency. We continue
with this story. Shutdown suspends Mammoth Cave tours. This was

(42:58):
written by Carolyn Neil of the Louisville Courier Journal USA Today,
network cave tour operations at Mammoth Cave National Park are closed,
according to an alert on the National Park Service website.
Other areas within the park remain as accessible as possible.

(43:19):
The website said visitors can still access Mammoth Cave Campground,
Maple Springs Group Campground, Houton Campground, front Country Trails, and
back country trails. The closures come two weeks after the
start of the federal government shutdown October first. According to

(43:41):
a National Park Service contingency plan, roadways and trails that
are accessible for twenty four hours a day can remain open,
but facilities and areas that would be locked or secured
during non business hours must be closed for the duration
of the shutdown. A National Park Service spokesperson previously told

(44:04):
The Courier Journal in a statement that the agency will
continue to keep parks as accessible as possible during the
lapse inappropriations. Mammoth Cave National Park is open twenty four
hours a day, but cave tours and access to the
Visitors Center are limited after hours. Visitors are also required

(44:28):
to have a reservation or permit to camp in designated
campgrounds or backcountry campsites. According to the National Park Service,
Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the world's longest
known cave system. A National Park Service report found that
more than seven hundred forty seven thousand people visited Mammoth

(44:51):
Cave National Park in twenty twenty four. We continue with
this story mad Everyone feel special. This was written by
Matthew Glowicki of the Louisville Courrier Journal USA Today Network.

(45:13):
The owner of a long running apparel, jewelry, and home
goods shop in Louisville's Butchertown neighborhood has died. Jack Mathis,
co owner of lifestyle shop Work the Medal, died Sunday.

Speaker 2 (45:28):
He was sixty one.

Speaker 1 (45:30):
With deep sadness and respect to our employees and our
community who mourn our beloved Jack, Work the Medal is
closed today Monday, October thirteenth, twenty twenty five. Read a
Monday post on the business's social media pages. This is
a great loss for us, as it is for many

(45:50):
of you. Mathis co founded the shop, located at twelve
oh one Story Avenue in the Butchertown market with local
entrepreneur and developer Andy Blyden. In two thousand and three,
work the metal was one hundred percent. Jack Blinden said,

(46:11):
noting his business partner's dual knack for numbers and creativity
grew the shop from its four hundred square foot beginnings
into a sprawling seventeen thousand square foot retail experience. He
always wanted to introduce fun products that you couldn't find
in other places and put it in a really nice

(46:34):
box and put a ribbon on it to make it
as easy as possible for the customer. The shop will
continue to stay open with Matthis's husband, Tim Buckles, picking
up where mathis left off. The upcoming holiday season, always
a special time of year at the shop, will take
on additional meaning this year. We're going to honor his

(46:58):
legacy this Christmas and continue on with the vision and
energy he had for the store. Bliden said he was
one in a million. Melissa Cobb, business development leader for
Signorama Downtown and past president of the Butchertown Business Alliance,

(47:19):
said matthis thoughtful curation of merchandise helped make it a destination.
They did such an incredible job with that store and
the growth it experienced over the years. She said, you
could never go in there and not walk out with something.
Jesse Betholomew got to know Matthis her first boss, working

(47:41):
at the shop off and on over a decade, starting
when she was sixteen. He was so good at what
he did, she said. He's so intuitive about what people
want and what people would like.

Speaker 2 (47:55):
He was brilliant in that way.

Speaker 1 (47:58):
After a few years, took her to markets in Atlanta
to buy merchandise for the shop, trusting her opinion on
jewelry and clothing. He saw something in me that I
didn't see, and he gave me those opportunities. And he
did that with other people too, she told The Courier Journal. Bartholomew,

(48:20):
now a real estate agent, recalled one of the last
times she saw Mathis at an event her brokerage hosted
at work, the Metals Events Space. She took extra care
selecting her outfit for the evening, knowing Mathis would be there.
He inspired her love of fashion, and she always wanted

(48:42):
his stamp of approval. He made everyone feel special in scene,
she said. He just really cared about people and connecting
with people. We continued with this story popular family owned
Italian restaurant to close Louisville location. This was written by

(49:08):
Amanda Hancock of the Louisville Courier Journal.

Speaker 2 (49:11):
USA Today Network.

Speaker 1 (49:13):
A popular Italian restaurant will close its Louville location at
the end of October. Milana will shut down at eleven
three hundred Westport Road, with the restaurant's final day of
service set for October thirty first. It is with a
heavy heart that we announce Milano's on Westport Road will

(49:37):
close its doors for the last time on October thirty first,
twenty twenty five, reads a Facebook statement from October tenth.
We are deeply grateful for the trust and loyalty you've
shown our Milano family. Although it's hard to say goodbye,
we hope and pray that in the not too distant

(49:58):
future we may return in again to Louisville. The family
owned eatery launched in two thousand at seventeen forty five
Midland Trail in Shelbyville. That location will stay open, according
to Milano's Facebook post. Even though the Kentucky based restaurant

(50:19):
is leaving Louisville, Milano has plans to open another location
in the state. On October three, Milano announced plans for
a new location at one thirty five East Main Street
in Georgetown. It's expected to open in November. As is

(50:40):
adorned on the restaurant's menu, Milanos is known as the
home of the calsones, with thirteen calzone variants available, including
classics like an Italian meatball calzone. There is also calzone
is inspired by a cheeseburger as seafood filled one with shrimp, lobster,

(51:01):
meat and calamari, and the option to build your own.

Speaker 2 (51:05):
Plus.

Speaker 1 (51:06):
Milanos offers the Godfather Challenge, inviting patrons to consume a
colossal calzone in under an hour. If they complete the
challenge in time, the meal is free. If they don't,
the challenge costs forty nine dollars.

Speaker 2 (51:23):
Ninety five cents.

Speaker 1 (51:24):
Beyond calzonis, Milano's expansive menu features pizzas, pasta dishes, salads,
and house specials like a ten ounce ribbi, salmon rigatoni
and a tour of Italy plate, which includes a combo
of lasagna, ferducini alfredo and chicken parmesan. We continue with

(51:52):
this story. Kentucky Derby Festival Wins Awards Association recognizes it
as a top global event. This was written by Kirby
Adams of the Louisville Courier Journal.

Speaker 2 (52:08):
USA Today Network.

Speaker 1 (52:11):
Louisville pride was on full display as the Kentucky Derby
Festival was recognized as a top global event this week
during the International Festivals and Events Association's seventieth anniversary Convention
and Expo in Palm Springs, California. Longtime Derby Festival favorites

(52:34):
such as Thunder Over Louisville, the Humana Mini Marathon and Marathon,
Ellen N Federal Credit Union, Great Balloon Fest, PNC Tour
de lou Philly's Derby Ball and Kroger's Festiville on the Waterfront,
among other events, were honored during the convention. The annual

(52:57):
gathering drew entries from some of the world's top festivals
and events, including Thailand's Bangkok Art Baieno, South Korea's Buck
Jay Cultural Festival, Denver, Colorado's Cherry Creek Art Festival, and more.
The Kentucky Derby Festival won twenty three IFEA, Haas and

(53:22):
Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards for excellence in various categories for promotions, multimedia,
advertising campaigns, and merchandise. Here's what to know about the
Kentucky Derby's Festival twenty twenty five. IFA hass and Wilkerson
Pinnacle Awards Kentucky Derby Festival IFIA Hassen Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards.

(53:50):
The Kentucky Derby Festival won gold in the following categories.
Best Pinner Button, thunderover Louisville, Glowing the Dark Wingpin, Best
Invitation Ticket, Philly's Derby Ball presented by courtesy Cadillac Bridgerton
themed Invitation, Best Radio Promotion, Lenn Federal Credit Union, Great Balloonfest,

(54:18):
Best Sponsor Gift Happy Derby Gift Box featuring Happy Derby
themed swag.

Speaker 2 (54:26):
In addition, the.

Speaker 1 (54:28):
Derby Festival won eleven Silver Awards and eight Bronze awards
in categories such as Best Giveaway Item, Best Single Newspaper
Display Ad, Best TV Promotion, Best Single Social Video, and more.
Twent t six Kentucky Derby Festival Signature Event dates. Many

(54:53):
of the dates for the twenty twenty six Kentucky Festival
are already on the calendar, in including Dillard Spring Fashion
Show Thursday March twenty sixth Thunder over Louisville Saturday, April eighteenth,
Kroger's Festiville on the on the Waterfront Thursday April twenty

(55:17):
third through Friday, May first, Humana Mini Marathon and Marathon Saturday,
April twenty fifth, Zoeller Pump Company Pegasus Parade Sunday, April
twenty sixth, Shepherd Insurance Great Steamboat Race Wednesday, April twenty ninth.

(55:39):
For a complete list of Kentucky Derby Festival events and information,
visit kdf dot org. And now this story outlook darkens
for Gaza ceasefire, Hamas Titan's grip on area as Israel
DeLay's aid. This was written by Nadal al Mugrabi and

(56:03):
Mayon Lubel with ruders stateline Cairo, Israel delayed aid into
Gaza and kept the Enclaves borders shut on October fourteenth,
while re emerging Hamas fighters demonstrated their grip by executing
men in the street, darkening the outlook for President Donald

(56:23):
Trump's plan to in the war. Three Israeli officials said
Israel had decided to restrict aid into the shattered Gaza
strip and delay plans to open the border crossing to
Egypt at least through October fifteen, because Hamas had been
too slow to turn over bodies of dead hostages. The

(56:45):
militant group has said locating the bodies is difficult. Meanwhile,
Hamas has swiftly reclaimed the streets of Gaza's urban areas
following the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops last week. In
a video circulated late on October thirteenth, HAMAS fighters dragged

(57:06):
seven men with hands tied behind their backs into a
Gaza city square, forced them to their knees, and shot
them from behind as dozens of onlookers watched from nearby
shop fronts. A Hamas source confirmed that the video was
filmed October thirteenth, and that Hammas fighters participated in the executions.

(57:30):
Ruders was able to confirm the location by visible geographic features.

Speaker 2 (57:36):
This concludes readings for.

Speaker 1 (57:38):
The Courier Journal for Wednesday, October fifteenth, twenty twenty five.
Stay tuned for more news to follow immediately. Your reader
has been Blanca Michael Ward