9.30.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the reading of the Courier Journal for Tuesday,
September thirtieth, two thousand, twenty five, which is brought to
our Louisville listeners via Louisville Public Media. As a reminder,
RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to

(00:21):
read printed material. Your reader for to day is Angie Mems.
Will start with the weather section and the forecast through Sunday,
brought to you by w h A s to day
high eighty five, mostly sunny and warm, Tonight, low sixty three,

(00:43):
mainly clear, Wednesday high eighty two, low sixty sunshine and warm,
Thursday high eighty one, low sixty one, mostly sunny and warm,
Friday high eighty three, low sixty one, sunny and warm,

(01:06):
Saturday high eighty one, low sixty sunny and warm, and
Sunday high eighty two, low sixty three, sunny and warm.
The local forecast from Acuweather staff meteorologist mostly sunny and
very warm, Today, mainly clear, tonight warm, Tomorrow brilliant morning sunshine,

(01:32):
followed by sun and areas of high clouds. Thursday, mostly
sunny and warm, Friday warm with plenty of sunshine. The
Almanac for Louisville on Sunday temperature high eighty seven, low
sixty normal, high seventy eight, normal low fifty seven, record

(01:56):
high ninety five and twenty nineteen record low thirty six
in nineteen forty two. Precipitation Sunday zero inches month to
date four point one seven inches normal month to date
three point three nine inches year to date forty three

(02:20):
point one four inches normal year to date thirty six
point eight zero inches. Pallen count. There's no report for
pollen count. To day air quality Monday moderate to day
good sun and moon. Tuesday sunrise seven thirty eight a m.

(02:47):
Sunset seven twenty seven p m. Moon rise three fifty
five p m. Moonset twelve o eight a m. Wednesday
sunrise seven thirty nine am, sunset seven twenty six pm,

(03:09):
moonrise four thirty five pm, moonset one ten am. Moon
phases Full moon October sixth, last quarter October thirteenth, New
moon October twenty first, and first quarter October twenty ninth.

(03:33):
Weather history, A cold outbreak sent temperatures into the teens
as far south as western Kansas. On September thirtieth, nineteen
eighty five. On the same day, Grand Island, Nebraska, had
three point eight zero inches of snow. Now for today's

(03:53):
front page headlines, there are three articles. Article one, McGarvey
fase his fallout from Kirk vote. Democrat voted to honor
activists life and legacy. Article two Jeff Boat redevelopment is
step closer to reality. Twenty million dollars in state funding

(04:15):
going to site on Ohio River. Article three search for
Michigan victims continues. Officials seek motive in deadly church shooting.
Now for today's articles, McGarvey faces fallout from Kirk vote.
Democrat voted to honor activists life and legacy. By Lucas Ahlbach,

(04:40):
Courier Journal, USA Today Network. John Yarmouth has seen the
playbook that drew US Representative Morgan McGarvey into controversy this month.
Just ask him about Christmas. The longtime Democratic congressman, in
an interview with the Courier Journal, said he hadn't read
the right resolution. His successor in the US House had

(05:02):
voted in favor of four days prior titled Honoring the
Life and Legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk but he
said it was probably drafted in a way that would
make it hard for Democrats to oppose it. In two
thousand and seven, he recalled he was presented with a
House resolution to recognize the importance of Christmas and the

(05:24):
Christian Faith. Legislation, he said, was written in a way
that was as close to declaring the United States a
Christian nation as you could possibly get without expressly saying that.
I ended up voting present, not against it. He said,
that was during my first term, and when former Republican

(05:45):
US Representative Anne Northrop ran back against me in two
thousand and eight, she tried to make it a campaign issue.
McGarvey now is facing heat of his own after his
September nineteenth vote. The two term congressman has repeatedly said
he voted for the resolution honoring Kirk, a controversial thirty

(06:06):
one year old conservative activist with a rabid following who
was shot and killed on September tenth at a forum
in Utah Valley University. In an effort to unequivocally condemn
political violence. Kirk spread hateful rhetoric, McGarvey said in a
statement immediately after the vote, but in a moment where

(06:28):
the Trump administration seems to be doing all they can
to tear us apart. I want to do everything I
can to bring this country together. In all, ninety five
Democrats voted for the resolution, while fifty eight voted against it.
Another thirty eight voted present, and twenty two did not vote.

(06:50):
House Democratic leaders voted in favor of it as well,
saying their stance is not an endorsement of the views
espoused by Charlie Kirk in any way shared. The U. S.
Senate also passed a resolution condemning his killing and honoring
Kirk's life and legacy, though it was shorter and included

(07:10):
less praise for the activist. Mcgarvey's message has landed differently
among his constituents, most notably Louisville's black residents, facing backlash,
The heads of the Louyville Urban League and NAACP said
McGarvey called them and said he regretted his vote over
the weekend after its passage. Kirk, a close friend of

(07:33):
Vice President J. D. Vance and ally of President Donald Trump,
had been critical of Martin Luther King Junior and the
Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixty four, and once said
Supreme Court Justice Keatanji Brown Jackson, former First Lady Michelle Obama,
former MSNBC host Joy Reid, and then US Representative Sheila

(07:57):
Jackson Lee four black women do not have the brain
processing power to otherwise be taken seriously and had to
go steal a white person slot to go be taken
somewhat seriously. The resolution in Congress made no reference to
those comments. Instead, the filing from Republican House Speaker Mike

(08:20):
Johnson lauded Kirk for engaging in respectful civil discourse across
college campuses, media platforms, and national forums, and said his
commitment to civil discussion and debate stood as a model
for young Americans across the political spectrum, and he worked
tirelessly to promote unity without compromising on conviction. It included

(08:47):
clauses calling for an end to political violence, thanking law
enforcement who responded to the shooting, and extending condolences to
Kirk's two children and wife, who said it his memorial
service she forgives the accused shooter, Tyler Robinson, arrested after
a manhunt that spanned more than thirty hours. Mcgarvey's office

(09:10):
declined to interview requests for this article and previous coverage
and did not issue a statement for this piece, instead
referring a reporter to a September twenty fifth spokesperson's comment
that reiterated the representative completely rejects the hateful views Charlie
Kirk promoted and joined Democratic leadership to unequivocally condemned political violence.

(09:35):
Despite the Republican majority's attempt to create a false choice
between the two, the fact is Democrats can both condemn
political violence in this country and reject Charlie Kirk's disgusting
and hateful rhetoric. The statement read. Some in Lousville said
they understand where McGarvey was coming from, but for others,

(09:57):
the representative's vote crossed a line difficult votes in the pit.
McGarvey was known as a bridge builder between Democrats and
Republicans during his time in the Kentucky State Senate, where
he served as his party's chamber leader for four years
before he took office in US Congress in twenty twenty three.

(10:18):
And it's tough to find a member of either party
who will say a bad word about the congressman on
a personal level. Yarmouth, who endorsed McGarvey in his twenty
twenty two US House primary against progressive state representative Attica
Scott said House representatives he keeps up with have frequently

(10:39):
said we really miss you, but we love Morgan, and
that comes from Republicans as well. I don't know whether
he wants to go on a leadership track or not,
but I think he's going to be rising quickly in
the Democratic Caucus, added Yarmouth, who spent sixteen years in
the House and several years as chair of the chamber's
Budget Committee. Yarmouth wouldn't say how he would have voted

(11:03):
on the Kirk resolution without reviewing it, other than to
say he was appalled by the shooting and very empathetic
for his family. McGarvey also offered condolences to Kirk's loved
ones less than an hour after the shooting was reported,
saying political violence has no place in this country and
cannot be normalized, but condemning political violence isn't controversial, Louysville

(11:28):
Urban League President Lyndon Pryor, said, McGarvey, who prior said
acknowledged he made a bad vote in a private conversation
with him, voted for a resolution that includes absolutely ridiculous
things about Kirk, and now that is in the congressional record,
nobody's out here championing political violence. That's not a thing,

(11:51):
Prior said. So the idea that we're going to essentially
give in on incredibly divisive, hurtful, and sometimes even hateful
rhetoric because we want to make the point that were
not for political violence, I don't think that that's an
even trade. Those two are not congruent. One absolutely outweighs

(12:12):
the other. In his thirty six years in the state Senate,
Minority Leader Gerald Neil has had to make tough votes
as well. The West End Democrats said McGarvey was well
respected in his time in Frankfort, due in part to
his willingness to work across the aisle. But I tell
you this also, he didn't compromise his position. He spoke

(12:35):
out forcefully on issues that were core and central to
his beliefs. Neil has also recorded votes that weren't popular,
and while the NAACP and Urban League have a right
to their positions and play an extremely important role in
ensuring elected officials stay true to their values, McGarvey is

(12:56):
in the pit, so to speak. He said, when you
take those votes, you're going to be interpreted different ways
by different people depending on their philosophical and political beliefs.
Neil said, I don't get really caught up into that.
You've got to make those judgment calls. I know him
as a person of integrity, and I think the central

(13:19):
message there is that you can't condone violence, no matter
where it comes from, and I agree with that. It's
important to remember the Kirk resolution was symbolic. Yarmouth added,
bills that have a tangible impact on a voter's life
are what they'll remember. A small number of people may
be alienated, he said, but it's impossible to please everyone

(13:43):
every time. I'm going to vote the way I think
is best for the values that I campaigned on that
I represent, and then be able to defend that vote,
he said. And if I can't defend it, then I've
got a real problem. Reactions to mcgarvey's vote in Louisville.
Talk to Democrats in mcgarvey's district and you'll hear a

(14:05):
wide array of perspectives. With the population, the twenty twenty
US Census reported is twenty four percent black, It's the
most diverse congressional district in Kentucky. A niece, Chenault, a
coordinator with Louisville showing up for racial justice. Spent the
weekend after his vote urging members to call his office

(14:28):
and vote their displeasure. I know he sort of ran
on being middle of the road and working across the aisle,
but this is just not the place for that, said Chenault,
a white woman raising a biracial child. She'd already believed
McGarvey should be more outspoken in support of Gauza. The
congressman recently announced he'd no longer accept campaign donations from

(14:52):
the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and is unsure whether
she'll support him in the future. Local activists and poet
Hannah Drake, founder of The Unknown Project, said McGarvey has
lost her support. That was the time to stand ten
toes down with the community you said you were going

(15:13):
to represent, she said in an interview. Louisville NAACP president
Raymond Burse, who spoke with mc garvey on September twenty first,
acknowledged the vote came as a shocking surprise because he
usually has a sensitivity to issues like that that impact
our community, but he expects to continue to support the congressman,

(15:37):
calling the recent rift a little blip on the scale.
I told him, I think he needs to reach out
to people in the community to explain his vote, to
acknowledge publicly that it was in fact a mistake, and
work from that and continue to fight for equality. He said.
The best way to change all of this is to

(15:57):
work for those things you truly believe in and make
some changes, make some differences. I don't have any question
about his ability to do that and his commitment to it,
Burce added. At a fundraiser hosted by local Democratic donor
Christina Lee Brown after the vote last week, McGarvey offered more.

(16:19):
Norton Healthcare, Sports and Learning Center president Sadika Reynolds, whom
The Career Journal contacted after learning she attended the event
and agreed to an interview, said she spoke up during
a question and answer portion and asked him to justify
his vote to the crowd, estimated at fewer than one
hundred people. There was confusion among House Democrats as to

(16:44):
whether the party would support it. She said. He told
the audience, and he said, in hindsight, they should have
been organized to oppose it, that he had messed up. Reynolds,
who led the Lousville Urban League for more than six
years before stepping down in twenty twenty two, has known
McGarvey for years. I don't know that he apologized. He

(17:06):
definitely did own it, she said, but even if he
did apologize in that room, it was a private affair.
While in town last week, organizers said McGarvey had hoped
to attend the September twenty sixth Bishop's Table event, a
weekly public West End gathering with a predominantly black audience

(17:27):
where local leaders joined community members to discuss current events
over breakfast. He missed it due to ongoing discussions with
fellow House Democrats over a potential federal government shutdown, and
later canceled another planned appearance at a Newburgh business in
order to get back to Washington, d c for more action.

(17:49):
At the Bishop's Table at Gospel Missionary Church, Prior drew
applause when he reiterated his call for McGarvey to be
more public with comments of regret he's made privately to
local leaders. Private apologies for public mistakes are not acceptable.
He said. His vote was public and his remorse needs

(18:11):
to be equally as public. Afterward, Minister Nicki Cooper said
while mc garvey was unable to attend, the most recent meeting.
His willingness to attend and his previous interactions with her
gave her confidence in him. When he comes down here,
he doesn't just come to say what he's got to say,

(18:32):
like other politicians say what they've got to say and
then run out, she said. He comes, he stays, and
then he stays over to hear what we've got to say.
Bishop Dennis Lyons, the event's host, said he doesn't blame McGarvey.
Democratic leadership was making a statement about political violence, he said,

(18:54):
and Loysville's congressman joined them. He made the yes vote,
trying to hopefully build a bridge with the party, because
even the Democratic Party is divided. Lyons said, when the
best you try to live the mistakes, we will forgive.
Reynolds isn't looking for an apology. Kirk shouldn't have been killed,

(19:15):
she said, but the resolution was crystal clear moving forward,
she said, I'm more interested in what he does than
what he says. Burce, the Louisville NAACP president, said he
remembers when Yarmouth made some unflattering comments about Michael Jackson
after the Pop Sensation's death in two thousand and nine.

(19:37):
Those remarks weren't well received by our community, he said,
but the congressman won reelection several more times to rebuild support.
Burst said, he just went to work and worked harder.
That's what he did next. Jeff Boat Redevelopment is step
closer to reality. Twenty million dollars in state funding going

(20:01):
to site on Ohio River by Matthew Glowicki Career Journal
USA Today Network, an estimated nearly one hundred and eighty
five million dollar effort to redevelop the former Jeff Boat
side along the Ohio River in Jeffersonville has secured a
sizeable state grant. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation awarded the

(20:27):
project twenty million dollars in regional Economic Acceleration and Development
Initiative funds at its September twenty fourth meeting. The project
was one of seventeen across the state intended to turn
vacant blighted properties into productive residential, commercial, and community hubs

(20:48):
with the financial support of Lilly Endellment Incorporated. We are
thrilled to have the funds available and looking forward to
working with IEDC on the next steps, said Steve Bollinger,
Principal and Executive vice president, of Development at Thrive Companies,
which is redeveloping the site. These funds play a crucial

(21:10):
role in making this project happen with the amount of
work that has to take place on the site. Mixed
use plans for the eighty acre site include multifamily and
single family housing, shops, restaurants, offices, and entertainment space. Plans
also call for public walking paths, including an extension to

(21:31):
the Ohio River Greenway and multiple Ohio River outlook points.
American Commercial Barge Line, which owns the property, picked Ohio
based real estate developer Thrive in summer twenty twenty four
to be the master developer for the land, which was
once home to the largest inland shipbuilding operation in the country,

(21:53):
but has been vacant since the last barge rolled off
the assembly line in twenty eighteen. Courier Journal reported in August.
Though the site isn't filled with construction cranes due diligence,
work is underway to reimagine the property. This work includes
exploration of ground conditions and creation of a financial plan

(22:16):
for the project. Thrive will assess any potential contamination on
site and what foundation work is necessary to be able
to build vertically. We feel that hopefully over the next
twelve months, we truly feel like we're in a good
position to start taking advantage of some of those economic tools,

(22:38):
start doing some of the concrete rip up and recycling
of material, and truly understand what's underneath, Bollinger said in August. Next,
search for Michigan victims continues. Officials seek motive in deadly
church shooting by Christopher Kahn and kristin Jordan, USA Today.

(23:02):
Network law enforcement officials on September twenty ninth were searching
for more victims and piecing together what led an ex
marine to launch a deadly attack on a church in
central Michigan, killing at least four people and wounding eight others,
and what authorities are investigating as an act of targeted violence.

(23:24):
Officials said. Thomas Jacob Sandford, forty, rammed a truck bearing
two American flags into the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter day Saints in Grand Blanc, a suburb of Flint.
The attacker then got out of his truck, opened fire
on hundreds of worshippers, and used gasoline to set the

(23:44):
building ablaze. Authorities said Sandford was killed in a gunfight
with police. Two people were fatally shot in the attack,
and the bodies of two others were found hours later
amid charred debris of the building. Of those injured in
the shooting, one person was in critical condition and seven

(24:05):
were listed as stable. Authorities, said Grand Blank Township Police
Chief William Rennie said first responders were still working to
find more victims, adding that some people remained unaccounted for.
We're working tirelessly to find additional bodies, he said. The
entire church has not been cleared because it's a total

(24:27):
loss due to the fire. The shooting was the latest
to break out at a place of worship this year,
and comes after several high profile targeted attacks. In August,
a gunman opened fire at a Catholic church and school
in Minnesota where hundreds of young students were attending, mass
killing two children and wounding at least seventeen people. In

(24:51):
the wake of the attack, President Donald Trump called for
an end to what he described as an epidemic of
violence in our country. The incident was also one of
a dozen mass shootings in Michigan this year, and the
deadliest among six mass shootings reported in the United States
over the weekend, including a shooting at a bar in

(25:12):
North Carolina, where a gunman fatally shot three people and
wounded eight others anti LDS talking points. Sandford of Burton, Michigan,
about eight miles north of Grand Blanc, appears to have
been a veteran of the U. S. Marines. According to
his mother's social media posts and archived news reports, he

(25:35):
did stints in Japan and a rock after graduating good
Rich High School in two thousand three. According to a
two thousand seven news article from the Clarkston News, about
a week before the deadly shooting, the alleged gunman went
on a tirade against the Church and described Mormons as
the anti Christ. According to Burton City council candidate Chris John's,

(25:59):
Johns told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA
Today Network, that he spoke with Sandford while he was
canvassing in Burton. He described Sandford as outgoing, polite and
extremely friendly, and added that his animosity toward the Church
didn't seem violent. It was very much standard anti LDS

(26:20):
talking points that you would find on YouTube, tik tok Facebook,
said Johns, who has spoken with local police and the FBI.
Sandford is registered to vote in Burton, but available records
do not show when he last voted. In Michigan, voters
do not register by party. I know every one who

(26:41):
was there. Central Michigan residents expressed disbelief in the wake
of the deadly attack. I'm very shaken up. Stephanie Giddings,
whose daughter had recently been baptized at the chapel, told
the Free Press their family. Philip Catter, a Clio resident,
was a member of the Grand Blank Church but didn't

(27:04):
attend morning services the day of the shooting. I know
everyone who was there, he said, choking up with emotion
as tears welled in his eyes. Mourners gathered on a
football field shortly after the shooting to pray for the victims,
their families, and those impacted by other violent incidents across
the country. The vigil was planned weeks ago by the

(27:27):
Genesee County Republican Party as a reaction to the assassination
of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The event, which was held
on the football field of Holy Redeemer Church in Burton,
focused primarily on the deadly church rampage that broke out
less than ten miles away. Pastor Timothy Hicks of Christian

(27:48):
Love Faith Center in Flint attended the vigil. He said
he heard the news of the shooting while leading service
at his own church and paused to lead his congregation
in praying for the victims. You can only imagine how
devastating it is when you think you're in a place
of safety, a place of worship, and then all of

(28:09):
a sudden, lives are taken at the sound of a gunshot.
Hicks said, classes canceled, nurses barred. Multiple public school districts
canceled classes and after school activities on September twenty ninth.
We know this tragedy has weighed heavily on our students,
staff and families. The visible police activity throughout the community

(28:33):
has created understandable distraction and unease, set a statement from
good Rich Area Schools. We believe taking this day will
allow space for healing and for families to be together. Meanwhile,
nearly seven hundred and fifty registered nurses at Henry Ford
Genesee's Hospital and Grand Blank were on strike September twenty

(28:57):
eighth when the shooting took place. Some said they offered
to help the hospital but were turned away. In a
statement to the Free Press. The hospital said it couldn't
allow the nurses to assist for security and patient privacy reasons.
The statement added that the hospital was able to care
for the patients from the church tragedy without additional help.

(29:20):
Editor's note contributing Carrissa Wattock, Dinah Voyle's Pulver Thal, Gwen
Joey Garrison, Chris Quintana, USA Today, also Tess Ware and
Andrea may Sahuri Detroit Free Press. Next. Longtime Metro councilman

(29:41):
Glenn Stuckel dies at ninety by Leo Bertucci, Courier Journal,
USA Today Network. Glenn Stuckel, a former Louiso Metro councilman,
has died. Members of the Metro County Minority Caucus said
and adjoint statement September twenty seven. He was ninety. We

(30:02):
pause here for a programming note. Now as the time
we typically read obituaries, today's paper contains no obituaries. Back
to the previous article. Stucckel, an original member of Metro Council,
served District seventeen in northeast Jefferson County from two thousand
three to nineteen. During his time in Metro council, Stucckhel

(30:26):
helped establish new dog parks and community gardens in his district.
The Courier Journal reported in twenty eighteen he was also
instrumental in the construction of the Northeast Regional Library. Minority
caucus members said in their statement, everybody I worked with
on the council always had the best interest of the

(30:46):
district at heart. Stuckhel said in twenty eighteen he would
bridge the gap between Republicans and Democrats, knowing we were
all there for the right reasons. Stucckhel ran a Louyville
area home building and remodeling firm for several decades. According
to his resume, he won various local awards for his

(31:07):
home building work and served on several commissions related to
the field, including a stint on the board of directors
of the home Builders Association of Kentucky. Stuckel served in
the U. S. Army from nineteen fifty four to nineteen
fifty six. His resume showed he earned a letter of
commendation from the Army for actions during Hurricane Connie in

(31:31):
nineteen fifty five. In their statement, Metro Council Minority Caucus
members said Stucckel volunteered with the Cozaer Shrine Temple, a
charity serving children in need of medical care. Kevin Kramer,
Metro councilman for District eleven, said Stuckel was a wonderful
man who lived a life and service of others. He

(31:54):
was our point person for matters such as infrastructure and housing,
but was also a leader in helping to bring people
together to focus on the things in life that really matter.
Kramer said in a statement, we will all miss Glenn
and hope our future service will keep him and his
many lessons in mind. District twenty councilman Stuart Benson said

(32:16):
Stuckel was a great man. He knew how to serve
others and believed that actions and results were more important
than words. Benson said in a statement, Glenn was a
man of faith and conviction, and I am thankful to
have had the opportunity to work with him for so
many years. A celebration of life for Stucckle will take

(32:38):
place October eighteenth at Hurstborn Christian Church, six zero one,
Nottingham Parkway. Visitation will begin at ten a m followed
by a memorial service at noon next one dead in
westbound I two sixty four crash at Algonquin Parkway by

(32:59):
Leo Bertuti Courier Journal, USA Today Network. A person is
dead September twenty eighth following a vehicle collision on westbound
Interstate two sixty four at Algonquin Parkway, Louisville Metro Police
spokesperson John Bradley said in a statement officers were called

(33:19):
to the area around seven twenty a m. On a
report of a collision between a van and a motorcycle
on the highway, Bradley said. According to a news release,
lmpd's preliminary investigation indicates that the operator of the motorcycle
was traveling westbound at a high speed and sideswiped the

(33:40):
other vehicle, which was also traveling westbound. The impact caused
the motorcyclist to be thrown from the bike and strike
a guard rail on the north side of the roadway.
The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. All lanes
of westbound I two sixty four at Algonquin Parkway reopened

(34:00):
to traffic after police closed off the area. According to
an alert from Louisville Metro Emergency Services sent at ten
twenty nine a m lmpd's traffic unit is continuing to
investigate next four charged in connection to vandalized graves in

(34:21):
Hardin County by Caroline Neil Courier Journal, USA Today Network.
Four Radcliffe men are facing charges in connection to vandalism
and thefts at graveyards in Hardin County, according to a
news release from the Harden County Sheriff's Office. According to
court records, Gavin Krejoan forty three, Jesse Barcinas thirty three,

(34:46):
and Joseph Mendiola thirty are facing multiple counts of violating
graves and theft by unlawful taking or disposition. Tomas Bernardo,
forty five, was charged with multiple accounts of receiving stolen
property in an amount between one thousand dollars and ten
thousand dollars and violating graves. All four men are being

(35:09):
held at the Harden County Detention Center. Information regarding their
bonds is not yet available. It is unclear when the
four men are scheduled to appear in court. Investigators said
they began collecting evidence of stolen and vandalized property from
local scrap yards September twenty second, and began interviewing people

(35:30):
of interest the following day, leading to the arrest of
the men. The desecration of graves is among the most
disturbing crimes we could encounter, and it strikes at the
heart of our community's values. Harden County Sheriff John Ward
said in a statement, I want to commend our detective
unit for their outstanding work in swiftly identifying suspects and

(35:54):
making arrests in this case. Their expertise and dedication reflect
the very of law enforcement, and I want to assure
our citizens that we will continue working tirelessly until every
individual responsible is held accountable. The case remains under investigation.
Next Babies and incubators at risk in Gaza, UNICEF says

(36:20):
by Emma Farge Reuters, Israeli tanks advanced on September twenty
ninth to within a few hundred feet of Al Shifa
Hospital in Gaza City. Gaza Strip, another nearby hospital, All
Hello housing ninety patients, including twelve babies and incubators, was

(36:42):
surrounded by tanks and shelled overnight. The United Nations Children's
Charity called for an immediate evacuation to rescue those babies
and a similar number in incubators and other Gaza City hospitals.
Medics said the site was shelled. Video obtained by Reuters

(37:02):
showed hospital rooms and beds there strewn with debris. It
is time to move them because Gaza City again has
become a combat zone, but moving them where there is
no safe place for them to go, unis of spokesperson
Ricardo Pyres told Reuters. In Israel's latest offensive, troops have

(37:25):
flattened Gaza City neighborhoods, dynamiting buildings that they said were
used by Hamas. Hundreds of thousands of residents have fled,
Though many say there is nowhere to go. Israel has
told them to head south, where other cities have already
been raised. The military side, in his statement September twenty ninth,

(37:46):
it was continuing to target militant groups. Medics said the
military had killed at least thirty people across Gaza on
September twenty ninth, most in Gaza City. Evacuation of the babies,
many of them newborns, will mean moving them to make
shift carts wrapped in blankets with portable oxygen supplies and drips.

(38:08):
Pyres said, still they could be exposed to infection or
variable temperatures, or supplies could run out during the transfer.
It was not immediately clear which hospitals could take the babies,
with many damaged, overcrowded, and facing shortages. Pires was in
Gaza City in August where he saw one of the babies,

(38:30):
a premature girl named Nargus, who he said had been
removed from the womb of her dead mother. Were very
concerned not only about her but all the other babies,
he said, saying efforts to reach her father and her
doctors since the shilling had been unsuccessful. In Gaza City,

(38:52):
there are more babies than incubators, and some of them
are sharing, he said. Israel has said it will not
halt fighting unless Hamas frees all hostages and permanently surrenders
its weapons. Hamas says it is willing to free its
hostages in return for an end to the war, but
will not give up its arms as long as Palestinians

(39:14):
are still fighting for estate. The assault on Gaza City
has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis that has increased
Israel's international isolation. Several Western countries, including Britain and France,
have recognized Palestinian independence, defying Israeli objections. A hostage relatives

(39:37):
group sent a letter to President Donald Trump ahead of
his September twenty ninth meeting with Netanyahu, urging him not
to let anyone sabotage an agreement next Galen College of
Nursing sanctioned campus still accredited well under warning by Stephanie Kuziedom,

(39:58):
Courier Journal, USA Today Network, a regional accrediting body, sanctioned
a higher education institution campus in Louisville. Following a review
by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on
Colleges sac SCOC. The board issued a warning to Galen

(40:20):
College of Nursing in Louisville. The board issued the sanction
on June twenty sixth. It will review the sanction in December.
An institution can be on a warning for two years maximum.
The college is still accredited while on its current six
month sanction. The sacs COOC issued Galen the warning because

(40:43):
it said it determined the institution had not demonstrated compliance
with student achievement student outcomes regarding educational programs and also
regarding archived information. In a statement provided to the Courier Journal,
the college said Galen College of Nursing received a warning

(41:04):
from SACS COOC during a routine off site review earlier
this year. The issue is that we did not meet
the metrics being measured, but in how we reported the
data to sacs COOC. This is a correctable documentation issue,
not a reflection of performance. The college recently submitted a

(41:27):
strong response to sacs COOC, fully demonstrating compliance, and we
are confident the concern will be resolved once the report
is reviewed in December. Our outcomes related to student achievement
remains strong and we are committed to our mission of
educating compassionate and prepared nurses. Sacs COOC staff cannot comment

(41:52):
on questions specifically related to Galen College of Nursing. According
to the disclosure statement from June, nearly five thousand full
and part time students were enrolled in the college's Louisville
campus in fall twenty twenty three, the most recent data
available according to the National Center for Education Statistics, The

(42:14):
college lists its accreditation with the SAC s COOC, along
with approvals and awards, on the home page of its
Loyville website. The accreditation section does not mention its current sanction.
In April twenty twenty four, Galen College of Nursing submitted

(42:34):
a fifth year interim review, a mandatory report submitted halfway
through an institution's ten year accreditation cycle. The interim review
committee found compliance concerns in that report regarding certain accrediting standards,
causing Galen to submit a referral report. The governing body's

(42:54):
Board of Trustees issued the warning after reviewing the referral
report to a disclosure statement released by the regional accrediting body.
The sacs COC said in that statement, a warning can
be imposed by the board after significant non compliance with

(43:15):
the core requirements or the accreditation standards of the accrediting body,
for failure to make timely and significant progress toward correcting
deficiencies that led to non compliance, or for failure to
comply with sacs COOC policies and procedures. At the six

(43:37):
month mark in December, the Board of Trustees will review
a monitoring report submitted by Galen that is supposed to
address the non compliance standards, then reconsider the accreditation status
from there. The board has five options. One remove the
institution from a warning without an additional report. Two, remove

(44:02):
the institution from a warning and request a follow up report.
Three continue accreditation while on a warning and request another
monitoring report, possibly with a special committee authorized. Four place
the institution on probation while continuing accreditation, and request a

(44:23):
second monitoring report, possibly with a special committee authorized. And
five remove the institution for failure to comply. Galen College
of Nursing runs twenty four campuses nationwide, including three in Kentucky, Louisville, Hazard,
and Pikeville. Because an sacs COOC accreditation includes all components

(44:49):
of an institution, including all branch campuses, off campus sites,
distance learning centers, and all other programs, the disclosure statement
said the warning status applies to the entire institution. Next
neighborhood is now a preservation district seven member architectural review

(45:12):
committee to be formed by Killian Barlayer Courier Journal, USA
Today Network. The Chickasaw neighborhood in West Louisville has been
solidified as a historic Preservation district. Louisville Metro Council voted
in favor of the designation at its September twenty fifth
meeting after more than a year of work by neighborhood residents.

(45:35):
With final approval, the district will now form a seven
member architectural review committee that will be charged with devising
design review guidelines for the area. Those guidelines are used
to determine whether exterior alterations to a property, including demolition
and new construction, are appropriate for the district. The new

(45:58):
district plans to act adopt the Clifton Historic Districts Guidelines
and the interim as the community works to develop its
own set. Savannah dar, a historic preservation officer with the
Louisville Metro Office of Planning, previously told The Courier Journal
the interim guidelines take effect thirty days after the council

(46:19):
approved the district. According to local law, the permanent guidelines
will ultimately be approved by the Historic Landmarks and Preservation
Districts Commission and Metro Council, and cannot be finalized without
first hosting public hearings. They want to figure out through
further public engagement, what they want to review, how stringent

(46:42):
they may or may not be want to be. Dar said,
those are really the guidelines in place that will dictate
what the process looks like in the future and what
rules the property owners need to follow in the district.
If an application to make an exterior change approved, the
property owner will receive a certificate of appropriateness, meaning the

(47:05):
project can move forward subject to other applicable regulations. If
it is denied, the work cannot proceed, though there is
an appeal process. Chickasaw Preservation District designation follows neighborhood effort.
The Metro Council approval makes Chickasaw Louisville's eighth local preservation district,

(47:30):
along with West Main Street, Limerick, Old Loisville, Cherokee Triangle, Parkland, Butchertown,
and Clifton. The spark to earn the designation was ignited
while the neighborhood worked toward earning a spot on the
National Register of Historic Places, a process that was finalized
in twenty twenty four. Dar said the Chickasaw Neighborhood Federation

(47:55):
led the charge, motivated by a desire to give the
neighborhood a con create preservation mechanism. While placement on the
National Register of Historic Places offers residents some financial incentives
for historic preservation, it is mostly symbolic. As they started
to pick up, our conversations in our general meeting were

(48:18):
this is great, but what does it do? And as
we analyze that more, we wanted to consider what some
other neighborhoods had in place that seemed to offer greater
protection for a neighborhood, like vibe in character and architectural respect,
said Amira Granger, president of the Chickasaw Neighborhood Federation. In

(48:39):
August twenty twenty four, the neighborhood group completed the first
step to establish a local preservation district, filing a petition
with at least two hundred verified signatures from residents of
the proposed district. With the designation official, the neighborhood's attention
now shifts toward establishing the design review guidelines acrossss S.

(49:04):
Granger said residents are encouraged to engage in There's a
lot of work to do, but it's really a time
for the community to come together and to get to
know one another. Granger said, this is just a time
I think neighbors can kind of come together more to
talk about memories of the neighborhood, to help with storytelling
and collection of those stories, as well as getting information

(49:27):
and sharing information. Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins, whose district touches part
of the preservation district, applauded the designation for giving residents
a voice and how the neighborhood is shaped for years
to come. I am glad that the hard work from
the residents of Chickasaw paid off. With this neighborhood being

(49:48):
recognized on a national level, it only makes sense for
Metro to assist and move forward with the preservation district.
This allows a body of stakeholders to decide what they
want in their neighborhood. Hawkins wrote in a statement, Chickasaw
is full of history, and we should always be ready
to assist in preserving history. Next, KDE gets to move

(50:13):
forward with SAT. Switch will save state three point six
million dollars over nine years. By Krista Johnson, Courier Journal,
USA Today Network. The Kentucky Department of Education's fight to
switch the state's required college admission exam has come to

(50:33):
an end after a protest over the awarding of a
contract to the administrator of the SAT was denied for
nearly two decades. All Kentucky high schoolers have been required
to take the ACT their junior year, but this spring
they will instead take the SAT. The change comes after

(50:56):
the state's ACT contract ended in June. The Apartment's new
contract with the SAT administrator is for four years, with
options for five additional one year extensions. KDE would have
paid one point eight five million dollars to ACT this
year for the testing, but will instead pay one point

(51:19):
five million dollars to SAT. According to KDE documents, the
switch will save the state three point six million dollars
over a nine year period. The document's State Act protested
the switch in July, alleging the State Department did not
follow state law in awarding the contract to the SAT administrator,

(51:41):
but in a newsletter since September twenty three, KDE wrote
the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet determined that the protest
lacked merit and did not demonstrate any prejudice. Students can
choose to take the ACT and exam some colleges preferred
and that could better fit an individual's academic needs, though

(52:04):
they need to pay for that test themselves. Students can
also choose to pay to retake the SAT in order
to potentially achieve a higher score. The cost of the
ACT is between sixty eight dollars and ninety seven dollars.
The cost of the SAT is sixty eight dollars. Both
tests have waiver options for students from impoverished neighborhoods. What

(52:29):
is the difference between the SAT and ACT? The SAT
is a shorter test than the ACT with fewer sections.
The ACT lasts two hours and fifty five minutes with
separate English, math, reading, and science sections. Students can also
add an optional forty minute writing section. The SAT lasts

(52:53):
two hours and fourteen minutes, with a reading and writing
section as well as a math section. Students are given
an analysis and science score based off answers in those sections.
In twenty twenty four, several changes were made to the test,
including one shortening reading passages from five hundred to seven

(53:15):
hundred and fifty words to twenty five to one hundred
and fifty words, two allowing the use of a calculator
for the entire math section as does the ACT, and
three restructuring the test to be an adaptive exam, meaning
the difficulty of questions changes based on students earlier performance.

(53:40):
What resources can students access to prepare for the SAT?
In its newsletter regarding the finality of the switch on
September twenty three, KDE included several links that students and
families can turn to ahead of this spring to better
prepare for the SAT. Those links include one Understanding Scores,

(54:05):
which explain what SAT results mean and how they connect
to college readiness. Two More Than a Score, which highlights
the many ways SAT results can open opportunities beyond admissions
in three and Appearance Guide that offers clear steps to

(54:25):
encourage preparation, reduced test anxiety, and connect students to free
personalized practice tools. Next. Funeral arrangements for Aubrey announced by
Lillian Metzmeyer, Courier Journal USA Today Network. Funeral arrangements have

(54:45):
been released for long time Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey,
who died September twenty three while serving his final term.
He was eighty six. JCSO Lieutenant Colonel Carl Yates confirmed
aubus Bree's visitation will take place October first, from eleven
am to six pm at Southeast Christian Church located at

(55:09):
nine twenty Blankenbaker Parkway. Aubrey's funeral service will take place
at the same location October second, beginning at ten thirty
a m. He will be buried at Saint Michael's Cemetery
located at thirteen hundred Ellison Avenue. We are expecting a
number of people from out of town because he touched

(55:32):
so many lives and different venues. Yates said the Jefferson
County Sheriff's office will close at noon October first, and
will be closed all day October second. He said. Aubrey
was the county's longest serving sheriff after first taking office
in nineteen ninety nine. Before he was first elected as sheriff,

(55:54):
Aubrey spent twenty eight years with Louisville Metro Police and
was in the Army reserves for thirty two years. Attendees
from the National Sheriff's Association and the Kentucky Sheriff's Association
are among those expected. The National Sheriff's Association, an organization
Aubrey led in twenty fourteen through fifteen, named him as

(56:17):
twenty twenty five's Sheriff of the Year. Aubrey is the
second county official to pass while in office. In September,
the Jefferson County Clerk's office announced the death of Clerk
Bobby Holsclaw September eleventh. She was eighty one. Mayor Craig
Greenberg has yet to announce an interim clerk to replace

(56:38):
her until the twenty twenty six election. Greenberg will also
be responsible for announcing a replacement for Aubrey, though he
said it's way early to make the decision. Editor's note,
Chief politics reporter Lucas Ahlbach contributed next. Al d launches
refresh for its packaging private label products to carry grocery

(57:03):
chain name by Julia Gomez and Jonathan Limehouse USA. Today,
Ald is unveiling a huge packaging refresh by putting its
name on nearly every product and launching its first ever
namesake brand. Over ninety percent of Aldi's products are private label,

(57:25):
and while they will remain at the store, they will
receive a new look. According to a news release published
September twenty four on the grocery chain's website, Brands such
as Clancy's, Simply Nature and Specially Selected will now sport
an ALD logo or an Ald original labeled on their packaging.

(57:46):
The company's release said, the new look and feel of
our products is the next step in our journey to
modernize our simpler, quicker shopping experience. ALD CEO Adie McGrath
said in the dam This concludes readings for the first
sections of The Courier Journal for Tuesday, September thirtieth, twenty

(58:09):
twenty five. Stay tuned for more news to follow immediately.
Your reader has been Angie Mems