12.18.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the reading of the Courier Journal for Thursday,
December eighteenth, twenty twenty five, which is brought to our
Louisville listeners via Louisville Public Media. As a reminder, Radio
Y is a reading service intended for people who are
blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
read printed material. Your reader for to day is Cindy Fraser.

(00:21):
We'll start with a five day forecast brought to you
by w h A s to day high fifty eight,
windy with rain to night, low twenty five, rain, breezy, colder.
Friday high thirty four, low twenty eight, breezy and much colder.

(00:43):
Saturday high fifty two, low thirty three, clouds and sun. Warmer.
Sunday high forty seven, low thirty sunny and cooler. Monday
high forty six, low thirty eight, mostly cloudy. Tuesday high

(01:03):
fifty two, low forty, cloudy with a little rain. The
local forecast wide spread showers Thursday, with wind gus over
forty months per hour possible. A sharp cool down into
Friday is expected, with highs in the thirties. Friday, we
warm back up to the fifties for the week end.

(01:24):
The Almanac for Louisville on Tuesday. Temperature high forty nine,
low twenty five, normal high forty seven, normal low thirty two.
The record high was seventy in nineteen eighty four. The
record low minus four in nineteen eighty nine. Precipitation Tuesday

(01:47):
zero month to date one point zero five inches normal
month to date two point one eight inches year to
date fifty three point three five inches normal year to
date forty six point three nine inches. Snowfall Tuesday zero
month to date ten point six inches normal months to

(02:11):
date zero point nine inches season to date ten point
six inches normal season to date one point three inches.
Air Quality was moderate Wednesday and will be moderate to day.
Sun and moon sun rise seven fifty four a m
sunset five twenty five p m, moon rise six fifty

(02:36):
six a m moonset four o three p m. Friday
sun rise seven fifty five a m, sunset five twenty
five p m. Moon rise seven fifty three a m
moonset four fifty two p m. The new moon will

(02:57):
be December nineteenth, the first quarter December ninth, the full
moon January third, and the last quarter January tenth. Weather history,
wind driven lake effect snow accumulated to two feet in
northwestern Pennsylvania on December eighteenth, nineteen eighty one. In nineteen

(03:18):
eighty four, this date seemed more like its April counterpart,
with temperatures in the sixties in Pennsylvania. Now we will
read the front page headlines from today's edition. First, they
rushed to the ups crash inferno. It was the firefight
of their lives. First responders recall night of terror tragedy. Next,

(03:42):
Clemmens win seat in Senate South End Democrat victorious by
big margin. And the final headline on today's front page
the sheer Guthrie spar over forty e V battery plant.
Now let's turn to our first item, entitled they rushed
to the ups crash inferno. It was the firefight of

(04:03):
their lives. First responders recalled night of terror tragedy. Bubonae
Trombly 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.

(04:26):
In front of the Okalona firefighter ranged an inferno unlike
anything he had ever seen, fed by tens of thousands
of gallons of jet fuel from a UPS cargo plane
bound for Hawaii. The flames were pressing toward tanks of
used petroleum, and every time a valve blew, the firefighters flinched,

(04:46):
Racing for the worst. Hudson and the others considered taking
cover behind a fire rig, but they quickly realized it
offered no safety. The rig was just as exposed, and
if it ignited, it would become another source of danger
that in and of itself is another explosion, he said.

(05:08):
It's been six weeks since UPS Flight twenty nine seventy six,
a mc donald Douglas MD eleven cargo plane crashed in
an industrial area south of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport,
killing fourteen people, including the three pilots aboard, in the
minutes and hours directly after, more than a dozen Kentucky

(05:28):
fire departments, including Okalona, rushed to the scene to put
out a towering fire. The National Transportation Safety Board is
investigating the crash, considered the worst in UPS Airline's history.
The Federal Aviation Administration granted all MD eleven planes plus
similar DC ten and MD ten models in the disaster's wake.

(05:53):
The night of the crash was organized chaos. As one
firefighter put it swack as the arrow struck its target, Hudson,
a burly Chicago native, and his co workers let out
a whoop. It's the end of a long day of
station duties and emergency calls, and the Oklona fire fighters

(06:13):
are making the most of what little down time they
have on the second day of their forty eight hour
shifts by shooting a cross bow, one of them brought
from home. Cigars go along with a cross bow, and
smoke hangs in the air outside the fire station on
Rangeland Road as the first responders exhile across the way
at another Oklona fire station, Sergeant Josh Eaton, a tall,

(06:36):
muscular former college baseball player, is on the phone catching
up with a former team mate. Alex Parker, a mustachi
oled Louvillian who comes from a family of fire fighters,
sits down to an early dinner of chicken and rice
after a full day of checking fire fighting gear. They too,
are savoring a rare stretch of free time. Then, in

(06:58):
an instant, everything changes. An emergency alert breaks the calm
fire explosion, and automated voice announces, Hey man, I think
I've got to go eaton twenty nine says into the phone.
South of Oklahoma and Bullet County, Josh Grimes is making
dinner for his four children when his phone goes off.

(07:21):
A notification flashes on the screen, Critical Incident Alert three
Runway seventeen R No, that must be a typo. The
director of public safety at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport
thinks because Alert three means an aircraft crash. But as

(07:41):
he turns on his radio, Grimes hears cliff Cope the
airport authorities on duty chief calmly describing the scene before him,
heavy black smoke south of the airfield, downed wires, and explosions. Grimes,
forty seven, realizes he can hear the blast in the
background of the transmission. He starts calling neighbors to see

(08:04):
if they can watch his kids. They arrive after what
feels like an eternity that it was probably only two minutes,
Grimes later recalled. Once on the road, he sees a
massive column of black smoke rising from the north. Holy
sh He thinks this is real. When the automated voice

(08:25):
said fire explosion. Eaton's first thought was of the outer
Loop recycling and disposal facility. People sometimes mistook methane flaring
at the landfill for a fire, but as the Okalona
firefighter sat reading the dispatched notes on an iPad while
Parker drove the rig north through the scene, he quickly

(08:45):
realized this one was different. Possible ups plane crash with
multiple witnesses. One note read as the minutes passed, nine
one one calls kept pouring in thirty forty fifty. The
drive to Great Lane and Moulton Avenue took ten or
fifteen minutes, but it felt much longer for the fire fighters.

(09:08):
Parker twenty seven doesn't remember much of the drive itself.
What he does recall is how the smoke column seemed
to captivate the drivers in front of him, leaving them
oblivious to the fire truck trying to get through the
scene before Cope forty four and other airport fire fighters
is one of utter destruction. They are the first to

(09:31):
reach the northern end of the crash site, arriving alongside
crews from the nearby Kentucky Air National Guard Base and
the Louisville Metro Fire department, But Cope and his team
cannot step out of their truck live thirteen point eight
kilofl power lines are whipping an arking across the ground.
Two dangerous to approach on foot for the moment, They

(09:54):
decide to fight the fire from inside their vehicles. Unlike
municipal fire engines, the Airport Authority trucks can pump and roll,
allowing crews to drive and attack fires simultaneously. They can
also carry up to six times as much water using
roof and bumper turrets along with under truck nozzles. The

(10:15):
airport fire fighters begin laying a thick blanket of foam
across the raging fire in front of them, but the
debris field is immense, limiting how far they can maneuver,
and the all consuming heat is overwhelming. They could feel
the heat through the windshield of the truck. Grime said.

(10:35):
Jony Myman is an emergency radio addict. The Emergency Services
director for Louisville Metro, keeps his radio on at all hours,
even while off duty. When he does sleep, he leaves
it on then as well. A fire fighter by trade
and Louisville native, Myman likes to know what's happening across
the city, and after years of listening, he can tell

(10:57):
instantly whether a call is routine. So when he hears
a report of an explosion at the airport, mymon jumps
up from the couch in his Pleasure Ridge Park home,
leaving behind an unfinished episode of The Big Bang Theory,
and springs into action. From his car. He calls Louisville
Mayor Craig Greenberg's office. After reaching the scene and seeing

(11:19):
the volume of smoke rising into the air, he desires
to issue a shelter and place order for every one
within five miles of the airport via the federal government's
smartphone warning system. In grocery stores, libraries, and community centers
across the Louisville area, people look down at their phones
and see the same message, stay indoors and avoid the

(11:42):
airport area due to air quality concerns. The order soon
expands to neighborhoods north of the airport to the Ohio River.
Then it widens again, stretching from the outer loop north
to the river. Officials urge people to close air intake
systems and remain indoors. Hello, is anyone here Inside a

(12:05):
building near the intersection of Grade Lane and Melton Avenue
on the south side of the fire. Eton and Parker
from Okalona are checking for survivors. They saw blood on
the door and wanted to make sure no one was
trapped inside. After several minutes, they find no one and
shift their focus to keeping the building from catching fire.

(12:26):
On the other end of Grade Lane, near Knob Avenue,
thirty three year old Hudson is doing the same Armed
with a twenty four pound rotary saw, he and others
respond to reports of people trapped, cutting fences and chains
to reach buildings throughout the vast industrial area. Eaton and
Parker soon move on to other buildings working to contain

(12:48):
the blaze. But as they held hand lines for the
next four hours, a knack in question kept coming to mind.
Where is the plain? Grimes is trying to answer that
same question. Unlike municipal firefighters, airport authority crews are trained
to find key pieces of wreckage the cockpit, tail fuselage,

(13:13):
and to search for survivors. But none of those pieces
are in front of them other than part of a
wing jutting from a petroleum silo. There's no clear sign
that a plane had come down. This is the second
largest aircraft in the ups fleet. We should be seeing
something crimes sinks. At one point, Parker from Okalona looks

(13:35):
to his right and sees an engine the size of
a pickup truck burning on the ground. It was a
downed plane. Indeed, Maima needs a command post with dozens
of agencies converging on the area. He needs a central
place to coordinate strategy. The Okolona Fire Protection District, designated

(13:57):
as a primary incident commander since the crash site falls
within its district, has the fire response covered, but Mimon
and Grimes still need a location where they can manage
state and federal resources that will arrive to assist. They
decide on a property just below the waste Management landfill.
From an RV style mobile command unit, officials monitor the

(14:18):
fire and track the hundreds of firefighters from more than
a dozen departments working the scene, ready to respond if
anything goes wrong. And something almost does go wrong terribly.
On the north side of the fire, at the corner
of Gray Lane and Knob Avenue sits Kentucky Petroleum Recycling

(14:39):
along with Gray Day Autoparts. It was directly struck by
Flight twenty nine seventy six as it crashed. As airport
fire crews continue battling the blaze, a new hazard emerges.
A slurry of spilled petroleum and oil from the recycling facility,
mixed with firefighting foam and water begins rising like fl bloodwater.

(15:01):
It crosses Grade Lane and flows under the fire trucks.
Roadside ditches along Grade Lane fill quickly, and the slurry
starts climbing the side walls of the truck's four foot tires.
Fearing the loss of fire fighting equipment and possibly lives,
Cope orders a pause in firefighting operations so the trucks
can be moved to higher ground. Firefighters work quickly to

(15:24):
disconnect hoses from the hydrants supplying the trucks. Some end
up with a bootful of the oily mixture. An hour
or so into the fire fighting, another explosion sounds. Hudson
and other firefighters on the North Side near Kentucky Petroleum
Recycling Wins. Given what they know about the area, they

(15:45):
figure the noise is probably one of three things, a
tire bursting, a car, gas tank igniting, or a pressure
relief valve on a petroleum tank blowing, But because they
aren't sure, their heads shoot upwards. Every time an explosion
cracks through the night, car horns blare non stop, adding

(16:07):
to the stress and confusion. Officials would later say at
news conferences that many of the pressure release valves operated
exactly as designed. Had they failed, the destruction would have
been far worse. Shut down the line, add more hose,
move around the debris, turn around, and spray the hose

(16:27):
to keep it from catching fire. Repeat for four hours.
Eaton and Parker of Okolona follow this pattern. Each time
they advance, they muscle the heavy hand line over car parts,
plain wreckage, and the twisted debris of warehouses and junkyards.
By the time they stop, they're roughly one thousand feet
from where they started. There's really only one thing to

(16:51):
do in that situation. It's just to flow as much
water as you can, Parker said. The fire will eventually
burn itself out. He hopes. By ten p m. The
smoke begins to clear. Hudson, Eaton, and Parker are exhausted,
their bodies pushed to the limit for hours on end.

(17:13):
With much of the fire finally under control, Parker sends
a quick text to his family, I'm good. I love
you guys. They had been waiting for hours to hear
he was okay that he didn't get hurt in the
two mile long blaze. Another Oklona fire fighter, Michael Marshall,
joins others to begin calming the wreckage for victims and remains.

(17:36):
The search team soon grows to about seventy people. It
is a punishing job. Some remains are clearly human, others
are so charred they're bagged for the corner's office to confirm. Marshall,
who had worked overtime the day before and was out
to dinner at Roosters in Middletown with his wife and
kids when the crash occurred, would stay on the scene

(17:58):
until four a m. Any time there's a scene like that,
you want to go and help out any way you can,
he said. Looking at the crash site the next day,
Grimes is struck by the sheer amount of destruction before him.
The ground is littered with metal. Mangled vehicles and semi
trailers can be seen as far as the eye can see,

(18:21):
and very little A flight two nine seven six is intact.
Besides two engines, some landing gear and a partial wing,
The rest is in shards. It looked like a B
fifty two must have come down through there and done
a bombing run, he later said. Accompanying the wreckage is
an eerie silence. The airport had not yet resumed flights,

(18:44):
and with a slight breeze, the only sound is a
clanging of metal. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board
arrived in Louisville. One tells Grimes he's been with the
agency for ten years. He says he's never seen worse destruction.
Louisville Airport firefighters and paramedics trained regularly for events like

(19:05):
the ups crash. Just two weeks earlier, they and other
agencies completed a mass casualty exercise on the airfield. Still,
most calls to the airport's Department of Public Safety are medical,
and Grime says the chance of responding to a crash
of that size is virtually non existent. It just so

(19:25):
happened that it caught us before we all retired, Grime said,
nodding to his age. Sitting in his office on a
recent Monday, he said some of his fire fighters told
him the November fourth response was the first time in
their careers they thought they might not make it home.
Eaton and Parker are bushed. It's one thirty a m.

(19:46):
November fifth, and after nearly eight hours of fire fighting,
all they want is a hot shower and something to eat.
But before any of that can happen, they have to
put their heavy gear away. They repair back the hoes
they held for most of the night. They service and
rebottle their air packs. They clean their tools and the

(20:07):
rest of their equipment. They are still on the clock.
Parker has another six hours left in his forty eight
hour shift. Eaton is approaching seventy two straight hours of service,
the maximum number of hours Oaklona fire fighters are allowed
to work. We were ready for another fire by two
thirty a m. Parker later said. Only then do they

(20:29):
hit the showers and heat the chicken and rice that
Lagrange fire fighters serving as a stand by crew in
case Okolona residence needed help had put away so it
wouldn't spoil. The fire fighters know they will likely never
respond to another scene of that size and scale. They
are still processing what they witnessed and the lives lost.

(20:51):
To see video of that plane going down and imagine
what the victims had to see was difficult, Parker said.
The next autumn from Today's front page is entitled Clemens
wins seat and State Senate South End Democrat victorious by
big margin by Lucas Albach and Hannah Pinsky. The open

(21:15):
Kentucky Senate seat in Louisville will stay blue in twenty
twenty six. Gary Clemens is set to head to Frankfort
during the upcoming legislative session as a South End Democrat.
Won a special election December sixteenth for the Chamber's vacant
District thirty seven seat. Clemens, a labor union leader and
U S Army veteran, won seventy two percent of the vote,

(21:37):
defeating Republican candidate Calvin Leach, who received twenty five percent
of the vote, and Libertarian candidate Wendy Higden, who took
two percent. The unofficial results were released by the Jefferson
County Clerk's office at seven p m. Clemens said in
a statement that working families deserve a voice in Frankfort
who understands their struggles and will fight for their future,

(22:01):
and he's ready to do so. I've served as an
Army reservist and for nearly two decades as a union leader.
Those experiences have shaped my leadership and my commitment to service.
Clemens said, I understand the struggles of veterans and working
families because I've lived them, and I am ready to
take that same fight to Frankfort. Clemens serves as president

(22:24):
of the United States Workers Local sixteen ninety three, representing
over two hundred workers an American synthetic rubber company in Rubbertown.
During his campaign, he spoke about making the district more affordable,
including lowering the costs of groceries and gas prices, and
bringing back high paying jobs. The district covers the southwestern

(22:46):
edge of Jefferson County. Clemens's term will expire in January
twenty twenty nine. David Yates previously represented the area since
twenty twenty one. He was appointed interim Jefferson County Clerk
following the death of Bobby Holsclaw, who died in September
at the age of eighty one. Yates announced before Holsklau's
death that he would run for clerk in twenty twenty six,

(23:09):
facing at least one primary challenger in ros Welch. Clemens
was elected to the Kentucky Senate just weeks before the
start of the twenty twenty sixth legislative session, where lawmakers
will craft the next biennial state budget. Session begins on
January sixth and will end April fifteenth. Gary Clemens goals
in Frankfurt. A rally for Clemens at the Teamsteron's Local

(23:33):
eighty nine union hall the night before the vote brought
out more than one hundred supporters and a slew of
elected Democrats. Governor Andy Basheer and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman
drew cheers from the audience as a rallied support for
the candidate, while Basher's senior adviser, Rocky Adkins worked the
room as they spoke. Clemens is a political newcomer, but

(23:55):
he feels prepared for the role through twenty years of
union leadership. Star at the bottom and worked my way up,
he told The Courier Journal in an interview before the event.
He's lobbied in Frankfort and in Washington, d C. During
his time heading the guild, and said he's learned how
to negotiate with high level executives on behalf of blue

(24:16):
collar workers. I have to see both sides. I can't
go in with a wish list of one hundred items
and think I'm going to get it. He said, I'm
taking that style of mentality, knowing what the working class needs,
knowing what the working class is falling behind on, and
how to figure out a way to move us forward
and be able to work across the aisle. Clements supporters

(24:39):
will point toward that union background when you ask what
he'll bring to Frankfort. Basheer, who has met with cheers
by the audience when he arrived and was animated in
a support for Clemens during his speech, said sending the
candidate to the capital will show Kentucky is ready to
fight back against the attacks on organized labor we see
session after session after session. Earlier in twenty twenty five,

(25:04):
the legislature passed a bill that prevents the state from
adopting occupational regulations that are more strict than federal standards,
despite unanimous opposition from Democrats, who are joined by some Republicans.
When we elect the right people, we get the right
results for our families. Basher said, we need candidates like
Gary Clemens, and we need them to win. State Representative

(25:29):
Rachel Urkes was in the crowd, cheering along with other supporters.
Workes has represented part of the South End in the
state House since twenty twenty three. Anne said Clemens will
bring a good perspective to Frankfort. It's going to be
so great to have a strong working class guy who
just really gets working class issues in Frankfort in the Senate.

(25:50):
See that's kind of the counterpart to my house seat.
Worke said, what's so refreshing is to have somebody who's
been part of this community, has seen what it's like
to take labor issues to Frankfort with elected officials, and
now to be stepping up and filling that role as
a representative for the area. Yates was in the audience
as well. He had publicly remained neutral as a current

(26:13):
chair of the county Board of Elections. He wanted to
avoid any appearance of partisanship, but said Clemens is an
outstanding person and I think he'll be a great senator.
You have to have strong leadership qualities and be able
to listen to your constituents humbly listen, learn, understand, and
then advocate. And I've seen him do that as president

(26:35):
of the steel Workers, Yates said, he's come and lobbied me,
We've had disagreements, have worked toward resolutions together, and I
consider him a friend. To be successful in the Senate,
You're going to have to do that. You're going to
have to be able to advocate and persuade, and I've
seen him do that. The final item from today's front

(26:57):
page is entitled Basher Guthrie spar over Ford EV Battery
plant by Lucas Albach. Ford's announcement this week that it
would cut more than one thousand jobs at its planned
electric vehicle battery plant in Glendale and shift to a
new business model was a watershed moment for what Governor
Andy Basheer has called the biggest economic development project this

(27:19):
date has ever seen. But if you ask a governor
whose twenty twenty one announcement was a lynchpin of his
re election two years ago, the sky in Hardin County
isn't falling, And if it is, blame lies at the
feet of President Donald Trump and US Representative Brett Guthrie,
the Republican who's represented the region in Congress since two
thousand nine. They took a hatchet to the EV industry.

(27:43):
Were we to become a national leader, Bashier told reporters
hours after Ford's announcement, Any temporary job laws is directly
on this President and that Congressman because there was a
big right future in front of us. The Blue Oval
s K Battery Park was expected to open in twenty
twenty five. When plans were revealed in twenty twenty one.

(28:05):
The five point eight billion dollar proposal, the largest individual
product and biggest job creation announcement in the Commonwealth's history,
was expected at the time to create five thousand jobs
on its roughly one thousand, five hundred acre campus just
south of Elizabethtown. Guthrie quickly pushed back on Bashier's comments

(28:26):
in a statement to The Courier Journal. He said Basher
is once again trying to deflect from the fact that
the policies he and the Biden Harris administration champion have
made life more expensive and limited choice for the American people.
Rather than on up to the fact that the electric
vehicle mandate was not what the American people wanted, he
tries to pass the blame for decisions that came as

(28:48):
a result of lack of market demand. Guthrie said Republicans
across the country have long taken issue with a push
under former President Joe Biden to produce more battery powered
and hybrid views instead of gas powered cars, which climate
experts have said contribute to global warming through their omissions.

(29:08):
If you've listened to Basher, who's considering running for president
in twenty twenty eight, on the campaign trail, you've heard
him talk about the project. In twenty twenty one, he
announced plans to run for re election the same week
he unveiled the plan. He's called Kentucky the evy Capital
of the United States and has touted the project in
appearances on national television. The announcement this week was a

(29:32):
significant setback. Ford, citing an operating reality that has changed,
announced the shift in plans would lead to more than
fifteen hundred immediate layoffs and would eventually result in more
than twenty one hundred jobs once the plant is operational
in twenty twenty seven, Basher's final year as governor. That

(29:52):
move came four days after the Massive American Automobile Manufacture
said it was parting ways with es chaon the South
Korean conglomerate the company had partnered with on ev battery projects,
with four taking over ownership of the facility in the
Bluegrass Day and esk On now owning plants in Tennessee.

(30:13):
The number of employees who will lose their jobs is
staggering at face value. But as Blue Oval s K
ceases operations, Basheer said he expects some of those employees
to be wearing Ford blue sometime in the future. We
don't know how many of them are going to be
laid off or for how long the Blue Oval companies
going to no longer exist, So those jobs have to end.

(30:37):
The question is how soon they will be Ford employees,
he said. But what I know is we're creating a
lot of jobs around this Commonwealth very quickly, and we're
going to present as many options to these workers as possible.
In blaming the President and Guthrie, Basher pointed to where
the massive Trump backed policy bill passed by Congress in July,

(30:57):
the One Big Beautiful Bill, as it was called by supporters,
included provisions pacing out tax credits for EV purchases, which
opponents said would slow demand for the vehicles. The legislation,
which Bashir has dubbed the Big Ugly Bill, had a
key backer in Guthrie, who chairs the House Committee on
Energy and Commerce. The governor drew a direct line between

(31:20):
his support and the overhaul of Ford's plans in his district.
We're supposed to serve not our party, but the people
we represent, and to vote for this bill when you
are a representative in Kentucky is just wrong. Much less
to shepherded through. He said, I'm going to continue to
fight for our people, and if a Republican president wants
to bring us opportunity, I'll support them. But when one

(31:43):
passes legislation that directly hits and hearts Kentucky jobs, I'm
going to stand up to it. Guthrie meanwhile, said he's
long sounded the alarm about the costs of pursuing a
nationwide electric vehicle mandate would have on the auto industry,
its workers, and consumers, citing high costs and hesitancy among consumers.

(32:03):
The Biden administration did not enforce a national mandate on
electric vehicles, although it did apply pressure to the industry
to shift toward e v's through tail pipe regulations and
by incentivizing consumer e V purchases through tax credits. Regardless,
while the changes to the plan can cause whiplash for
those who have followed its progress over the last four years,

(32:24):
Bashier showed some optimism. Kentucky got the better part of
that deal. When Ford took over ownership from s k On.
Ford has been here since it were making model teas,
and he noted the company also recently announced a two
billion dollar expansion of the Louisville assembly plant centered around
e V production. To that end, he and Guthrie are

(32:46):
on the same page. I am confident in Ford's commitment
to growing the number of jobs at the Glendale facility
over the next several years. The congressman said, Ford's facility
in Glendale will create the jobs of the future right
here in our community, providing increased battery storage for new
advanced manufacturing projects, strengthening our electric grids reliability, and continuing

(33:08):
to provide economic growth. Other officials expressed muted optimism as well.
GEOP state representatives Deep Ratcher and Samara Havern, who represent
Hardin County, so they support for it's move to take
over the development and transition the project toward energy storage,
particularly as initial plans for the project have faced significant

(33:30):
challenges from the outset. At the same time, optimism must
be matched with both caution and accountability, and we will
be watching closely to ensure commitments are met and honored.
Republican State Senator Matt Deneen who represents Glendale in the Senate,
in a statement, said he expects short term challenges amid

(33:50):
the transition before its commitment to the new plan illustrates
its presence and employment in the region will continue as
planned and at the local level. Harden County Judge Executive
Keith Tall and a social media post, said he'll work
with workers looking for new jobs, but expects the updated
plans to showcase for it's dedication to remain in the Commonwealth.

(34:13):
Reporters Conor Giffon and Olivia Evans contributed, Now it is
time to read the obituaries. We read only the name, age,
and location. If you would like further 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

(34:34):
obituary for you. I will repeat that number at the
end of the listings. Patty V. Adams No. Age Gibbon
of Louisville, William Glenn Beauchamp ninety one of Westchester, Ohio,
Raymond Carl Delongeay eighty three of Louisville, Charles D. Greenwell

(34:57):
eighty one of Hernando Beach, Florida, George William Keene eighty
eight of Louisville. Susan Margaret Krakowski eighty two of Louisville.
Missus Ruby F. Morris seventy of Louisville. Willie C. Parker Junior,

(35:18):
seventy seven of Louisville, Charlotte Hilton Thomas seventy nine of Clarksville.
John Thompson eighty seven of Louisville. If you would like
further information about any of the listings to day, call
us on week days at eight five nine, four two
two six three nine zero, and we will be glad

(35:40):
to read the entire item to you. Now, let's turn
to the interior of today's paper, where our next item
is entitled Lawmakers fail to extend health care subsidies by
Zachary Chermelli of USA Today from Washington, Congress has run
out of time to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies
that will expire at the end of the year, meaning

(36:02):
health insurance premiums are about to go up for millions
of Americans. That reality became clear after a last minute
effort failed among Republicans in the House of Representatives who
were hoping to trigger a vote on the tax credits,
said Speaker Mike Johnson on December sixteenth. Though roughly a
dozen moderate GOP lawmakers worked on the issue the weekend

(36:25):
before Congress was set to depart for the holidays, Johnson
told reporters that no consensus had been reached. Many of
them did want to vote on this Obamacare COVID era
subsidy the Democrats created, Johnson said, in the Capital, we
looked for a way to try to allow for that
pressure release valve, and it just was not to be. Then,

(36:46):
on December seventeenth, the House blocked quick consideration of a
Democratic bill to force quick votes on a three year
extension of the subsidies. The vote on the procedural move
was two hundred four to two hundred three, with four
Republicans crossing the aisle. Democrats loudly protested, accusing Republican leadership
of gabbling an end to the vote prematurely before all

(37:09):
members had cast their ballots. The failed vote and the
top congressional leader's acknowledgment virtually guaranteed the impending conclusion of
the Affordable Care Act subsidies affecting roughly twenty two million
Americans once they run out at the end of the year,
the average enrollee who receives the tax credits on the
Obamacare marketplace will see their premiums double, according to KFF,

(37:33):
a nonpartisan health policy research group. December eleventh, a bill
that would have continued the covid Era subsidies for three
years failed to advance in the Senate. All Democratic and
four Republican senators voted to support it, but the measure
didn't reach the sixty vote threshold needed to pass that chamber.

(37:54):
Among other reasons for the GOP's opposition to extending the credits,
including reigning and federal spending. More broadly, Johnson pointed to
a recent report from a non partisan watchdog, the Government
Accountability Office, that identified persistent fraud risks in the program.
The House is still expected to vote on a separate
GOP back bill aimed at more generally reforming the health

(38:17):
care system. That legislation would enable businesses to group themselves
together to get health insurance. It also pledges to provide
funding in twenty twenty seven to reduce out of pocket costs.
I hope the Democrats will come along with us, Johnson
said about the vote on the new bill, which isn't
likely to ultimately pass Congress without addressing the issue of

(38:38):
Obamacare subsidies. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York,
criticized the speaker when he discovered his counterparts in the
House would not hold an Obamacare vote. Johnson said it
just was not to be. Schumer said, We'll tell that
to an American family that's got to pay five hundred
to one thousand dollars more a month for their health care.

(39:01):
Contributing Reuters next an item entitled j CPS teacher accused
of having sexual conversation with student by Caroline Neil, a
Jefferson County Public Schools teacher, is facing charges after allegedly
having sexual conversations with a fifth grade student. According to
court documents, During a December sixteenth arraignment hearing, Sidney Graff,

(39:26):
thirty six, of Louisville, pleaded not guilty to procuring or
promoting the use of a minor by electronic means. She
is currently on house arrest with a cash bond set
at one hundred thousand dollars. Graff, a math teacher at
Smyrna Elementary School, was arrested December fifteenth, after Louisville Metro
Police detectives were contacted by j CPS police regarding the

(39:48):
exploitation of a student during a non traditional instruction day.
According to the arrest citation, police said investigators review the conversations,
which included discussions of oral se and arrangements to meet
the child. December fifteenth, screenshots and videos of the conversation
reportedly depict Graf's image and name. Graff was arrested while

(40:10):
picking up the child near his residence, according to the erescitation.
In an e mail sent to families, Smyrna Elementary Principal
Amanda Cooper said Graff will be reassigned and will not
have contact with students during the investigation. She is the
next scheduled to appear in court December twenty sixth. Next

(40:31):
is an item entitled people in the News. Long time
General Hospital star Geary dies at seventy eight. Anthony Geary,
who played one half of legendary soap opera couple Luke
and Laura on ABC's General Hospital for thirty seven years,
has died. According to a report from TV Insider, he
was seventy eight. Geary died Sunday, December fourteenth after complications

(40:54):
from surgery. According to TV Insider, Geary's husband Claudiogama the outlet,
it was a shock for me and our families and
our friends. For more than thirty years, Tony has been
my friend, my companion, my husband. The actor is best
known for playing Luke Spencer on General Hospital, originating the
soap opera character in nineteen seventy eight and playing him

(41:18):
until he retired in twenty fifteen. The character was eventually
paired romantically with Laura Collins Genie Francis and became perhaps
the most popular soap opera couple of all time. The
character's nineteen eighty one wedding episode was watched by thirty
million people, making it the most watched soap opera episode

(41:38):
in history. Our next onymous from the Metro page and
is entitled JCPS. Included in Seanek's Student's Suit. Five were
injured in bleacher railing collapse in October by Christa Johnson.
Two months after a bleacher railing collapse during a high
school soccer game, a lawsuit has been filed on behalf

(41:59):
of five Saint Xavier's students injured in the accident, alleging
wrongdoing on behalf of the bleacher manufacturers, the engineers who
installed them, the city inspectors who approved that construction, and
Jefferson County Public School employees who approved their purchase. Individually
and collectively, their actions were reckless, grossly negligent, oppressive, and

(42:20):
or malicious, the suit argues. On October sixteenth, j CPS
Wagoner High in Saint Matthew's was hosting the seventh Region
Tournament semi final between Saint X and Trinity High Schools.
After Saint X won the game, players from the school's
team rushed towards the visitors bleachers to celebrate with the
student section. There, a railing at the bottom of the

(42:42):
stadium gave out, with video showing members of the Sainte
X student section falling to the ground. In the immediate aftermath,
three students were transported by ambulance to the hospital, and
possibly three were taken to hospital by private means. JCPS
spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan told The Courier Journal at the time

(43:02):
the injuries of the students named in this suit included
a fractured pelvis, fractured elbow, a deep laceration that ultimately
became infected, a torn labor and injuries to head, chest,
and lower back. The suitor ledges all involved in the
installation of the bleachers at Wagner, which had just been
completed the month prior to the collapse, should have known

(43:24):
about the potential danger the bleacher's design system posed, argues
the suit, which was filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court
on December fifteenth. Our clients, all of whom are high
school students, are innocent victims who were injured as a
result of what appears to be a series of negligent
decisions made by several parties, and we are confident we

(43:46):
will demonstrate that in court. John Bay, a Louisville attorney
representing the students, told The Courier Journal Daned Clayton Corporation
manufactured the new bleachers despite there being known prior incidents
of railing collapse apses similar to the incident at Wagner
in other stadiums that use the same bleacher system, the
suit alleges. The suit also states six j CPS employees

(44:11):
involved in the construction of the bleachers and the Louisville
Metro Building Inspections supervisor should have known about dangers associated
with the system and protected students from the flaws lawsuits
represent only one side of the case. In a statement,
JCPS spokesperson Carolyn Callahan said the district does not comment

(44:31):
on pending litigation. Requests for comment from Dant Clayton and
Louisville Metro Government were not immediately returned, nor could The
Career Journal independently find similar accidents involving the bleachers system
as referenced by the lawsuit. JCPS announced in May twenty
twenty three that it would renovate all of its high

(44:51):
school campus stadiums, and in the time since, renovations have
been finished or are nearing completion at eleven schools. Callahan's
said by e mail that the bleacher system made by
Dan to clay was also installed at most other stadiums,
but was not installed at Central Mail or Manual. Wagner's
Stadium reopened September eighth, three days after the bleachers were

(45:14):
inspected and found to be in compliance by the Construction
Review Division of Louisville's Department of Codes and Regulations. J
CPS rescheduled multiple games across the system after the collapse
in order to reinspect stadiums. The suit is seeking compensatory
and punitive damages. Jason Frank's contributed to this report. Our

(45:37):
next item, still from the Metro page is entitled Paul
warrens of risks of redrawing districts. Senator says efforts will
escalate division by Leo Bertucci. US Senator Ran Paul said
he is concerned congressional redistricting efforts in Indiana and other
states could lead to political violence from constituents who feel unrepresented.

(46:01):
I do think this, and this is all the negative
aspect of both parties doing this. I think that it's
going to lead to more civil tension and possibly more
violence in our country, the Kentucky Republicans said. In a
December fourteenth interview for NBC's Meet the Press with Kristen Welker,
Paul used Kentucky's congressional delegation in an example, noting how

(46:24):
much of Louisville is represented by a Democrat in the House,
Representative Morgan mc garvey, while the rest of the very
republican state is represented by a member of the GOP.
We can carve up Louisville and get rid of that
one congressman. But how does that make Democrats feel? I
think it makes them feel like they're not represented, Paul said,

(46:45):
while Kentucky's congressional district map has not been under a microscope.
In twenty twenty five, neighboring Indiana saw a push from
President Donald Trump's administration to redraw lines in favor of
the Republican Party failed after a majority of Indiana's Senate
Republicans voted against a proposed map. Trump has threatened Republican

(47:08):
lawmakers not in favor of the proposal with primary challenges,
The Indianapolis Star reported. Paul said he is concerned the
latest slate of redistricting proposals will appear so thoroughly one
sided that voters will feel they have little to no
say in elections. I'm saying it's a mistake for both parties,

(47:28):
Paul said, I know exactly how we de escalate this,
because once Texas is done and changed five seats to
be more Republican, California is going to do the same thing.
And it's back and forth and back and forth. But
I think there is the potential that when people have
no representation, that they feel disenfranchised, that it can lead,

(47:49):
in my opinion, to violence in our country. Paul continued
during the interview Paul also spoke about his proposed alternative
to the Affordable Care Act, known as a Health market
Place for All Act. Paul was among the Republican lawmakers
who rejected a proposal from Democrats to extend subsidies for
Obamacare under Somber eleventh. Paul's health care plan would allow

(48:12):
large businesses with subscription based services like Costco, Sam's Club,
and Amazon to offer group health insurance to their members.
The members would then have leverage of size to force
premiums lower. Paul previously wrote in an op ed for
The Courier Journal, I just exchanged some messages with the
presidents in the last couple of weeks. He still supports this,

(48:34):
Paul said on Meet the Press, this is the one
thing that can bring down insurance premiums if tax credits
expire at the end of twenty twenty five. Officials have
said the average costs for Americans who receive subsidized ACA
insurance will more than double beginning January first, twenty twenty six.
Next still from the Metro page an item entitled crews

(48:58):
respond after car crash Spark's East End apartment fire by
Lillian Metzmeyer. At least two people were injured after a
car reportedly struck a natural gas line as it crashed
into an East End apartment complex, causing a large fire.
December sixteenth, A Metro Says spokesperson said the fire was

(49:18):
reported at the Rolling Hills apartment complex, located near Westport Plaza,
at around four oh seven p m. In a Louisville
Metro Police news release, spokesperson Matthew Sanders said at that time,
officers responded to a reported injury accident at the intersection
of Westport Road and Langdon Drive. Sanders said preliminary investigation

(49:42):
shows that two vehicles, one black Genesis suv and one
blue Nissan Sedan, collided in a tea bone fashion within
the intersection, causing the Genesis to leave the road, hitting
the gas line before crashing into the apartment building. Officers
immediately entered the building to evacuate residents. Sanders said the

(50:03):
driver of the Genesis was transported to an area hospital
with non life threatening injuries, and the Nissan driver was
treated at the scene. Sanders said there are no other
reported injuries, including among residents. While the exact cause of
the crash remains under investigation, no charges are expected. Sanders added.

(50:23):
The fible item from to day's metro page is entitled
Kroger's Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Lottery Returns by a Man
of Hancock. It wouldn't be the holiday season without a
chance to win some Pappy. Kroger's long running and popular
Pappy Van Winkle lottery, held annually during the holiday season,
returns this December, just in time for Christmas. At least

(50:48):
fourteen bottles of the rare, high end bourbon will be
available at sixty one Kroger Wided Spirit shop location across Kentucky.
That means more than one thousand bottles will be up
for grabs for gifting, collecting, or Christmas season sipping around
this date. The lottery will be held four to eight
p m. Saturday, December twentieth at participating stores. Shoppers will

(51:12):
be allowed one entry per store. Each location will have
at least fourteen bottles in stock, including the following selections.
Old Rip Van Winkle ten year one hundred seven proof
retail price one hundred forty nine dollars ninety nine cents.
Old Rip Van Winkle twelve year ninety point four proof
retail price one hundred sixty nine dollars ninety nine cents.

(51:36):
Old Rip van Winkle thirteen year ninety five point six
proof retail price two hundred twenty nine dollars ninety nine cents.
Peppy van Winkle fifteen year, one hundred seven proof retail
price two hundred thirty nine dollars ninety nine cents. Peppy
van Winkle twenty year ninety point four proof retail price

(51:58):
three hundred fifty nine dollars ninety nine cents. Peppy Vanwinkle
twenty three year ninety five point six proof retail price
four hundred ninety nine dollars ninety nine cents. The drawings
will happen the following day, December twenty first, and bottles
will be sold to the winners beginning December twenty second.
The following stores are participating in the Pappy Vanwinkel lottery.

(52:21):
Louisvill Kruger Stores twenty two nineteen, Holiday Manor Center twenty
two hundred, Brownsborough Road ninety two twelve, Then Station Road
twenty four forty, Bardstown Road thirty thirty nine, Breckenridge Lane
fifty five thirty three, New Cut Road sixty nine hundred,
Bardstown Road five thousand, one, Mud Lane forty five O

(52:46):
one Adder Loop ninety eighty, Taylorsville Road ninety four forty
Brownsborough Road twelve four, fifty, Lagrange Road twelve six eleven,
Taylorsville Road, thirty one one sixty five South Second Street
twelve sixty five, Gos Avenue ninety five O one Westport

(53:07):
Road one O six forty five, Dixie Highway forty nine fifteen,
Dixie Highway seventy five, O nine, Terry Road twelve five
O one, Shelbyville Road two ninety one North Hubbard's Lane
Sweet one thirty sixty seven, forty five Leui Church Road, Lagrange,

(53:28):
Kroger Stores twenty thirty four South Highway fifty three, twenty eight,
thirty five Kentucky three ninety three, Prospect Kroger Store fifty nine,
twenty nine, timber Ridge Drive, Shepherdsville Croger Store, one eighty five,
Adam Chipper Parkway, Lexington Kroger Stores thirty ninety eight, Richmond

(53:50):
Road forty one O one, Tates Creek Center Drive one
fifty West Lowery Lane Sweet one ninety eighteen O eight
Alexandria Drive thirty six, fifty Boston Road, forty seven fifty
Hartland Parkway, ten sixty Chinaway Road, thirty one seventy five
Beaumont Center's Circle, sixteen hundred Leestown Road, seven O four

(54:14):
East Euclid Avenue, Bardstown Kroger Store, one O two East
John Rowan Boulevard, Brandenburg Kroger Store, five sixty eight by
Pass Road, Danville Kroger Store, two hundred SkyWatch Drive, Elizabethtown
Kroger Store, thirty forty Dauphin Drive, Frankfurt Kroger Store, three

(54:35):
hundred Brighton Park Boulevard, Georgetown Kroger Store, one O six
Market Place Circle, Madisonville Kroger Store, five forty five island
Ford Road, Moorhead Kroger Store, three hundred Kroger Center Drive,
Mount Sterling Kroger Store, eight ten Indian Mound Drive, Mount
Washington Kroger Store two thirty four Eastbrook Point Drive, Middlesborough

(54:58):
Kroger Store. Five fifteen North Twelfth Street, Nicholasville Kroeger's Store,
nine sixty seven South Main Street, two hundred East Brannon Road,
Owensboro Kroger Stores sixteen fifty Starlight Drive, twenty six thirty
Frederica Street, Richmond Kroger Store eight ninety Richmond Plaza, Russell

(55:19):
Springs Kroger Store one eighty one South Highway one twenty seven,
Shelbyvillekroger Store three eleven Boon Station Road, Shepherdsville Kroger Store,
one eighty five, Adam Shepherd Parkway, Somerset Kroger Store, fifty
Stonegate Center for Sales, Kroger Store to twelve Kroger Way,

(55:39):
Winchester Kroger Store sixteen sixty one Bypass Highway nineteen fifty eight.
Next is an ITOmen titled Tariff Inflation less than expected,
but duties still have had impact on prices by Daniel
des Viissat of USA Today. Millions of American consumers have
been waiting for President on Donald Trump's tariffs to spark

(56:01):
a dramatic rise in consumer prices, pushing the inflation rate
into the red zone. They're still waiting. The annual inflation
rate reached three percent in September, its highest mark in
months of aggressive tariff hikes by Trump. Forecasters expect roughly
three percent inflation again in November, with the data due
for release December eighteenth, but many Americans expected tariffs to

(56:25):
push inflation much higher. It's a good news story that
the economic impact of tariffs is smaller than it seemed
like it might be, said Bill Adams, chief economist of
Comerica Bank. Back in May, Consumers surveyed by the University
of Michigan predicted prices would rise six point six percent
over the next year. Businesses surveyed by the Federal Reserve

(56:47):
Bank of Philadelphia in the third quarter of twenty twenty
five predicted prices would rise four point seven percent in
the coming year. Those dire predictions hinged on tariffs. Tariffs
are taxes, and bill distances generally pass at least part
of their cost to consumers. When Trump unveiled sweeping terrace
in April, many business leaders brace for a punishing wave

(57:09):
of inflation. The magnitude and speed at which these prices
are coming to us is somewhat unprecedented in history, said
John David Rainey, chief financial officer of Walmont, speaking to
The Wall Street Journal in May. Seven months later, it
looks like that wave may never break. In a December
tenth news conference, Federal Reserve Charge your Own, Powell suggested

(57:32):
America has little to fear from tariff inflation in the
months to come due to the constraints of time. It
will be unable to complete this item. This concludes readings
for the Courier Journal for a Thursday, December eighteenth, twenty
twenty five. Stay tuned for more news to follow immediately.
Your reader has been Cindy Fraser