On Track

No matter what community you come from — city, suburb, or rural — you probably know where the local library is.

This week on “In Conversation” we talked with Lee Burchfield, director of the Louisville Free Public Library. We discussed the state of the library system — such as finances and government allocations, ongoing negotiations with the library employees, and what new norms are in place for checking out books, using computers and being a community resource now that COVID-19 rates have declined.

We also discussed SummerWorks with its director Chris Locke. SummerWorks connects local youths with employers and jobs. We learned about the program, and how this year’s job market is affecting it.

June is a month of commemoration and celebration.

For the first time this year, Louisville Metro Government employees had Juneteenth off work, to commemorate enslaved people being freed as part of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth originated in Texas, and has increased in popularity throughout the country. Several citywide events were planned last week in celebration, and we learned more about them on “In Conversation.”

We also celebrate Pride Month, an amplification of LGBTQ communities. We talked with leaders of established and new organizations that put the focus on empowerment and visibility.

Live music. Live theatre. Live events.

Being able to attend shows, performances and other events in person is part of the long-awaited leap from pandemic life to a summer that resembles the old normal.

On this week’s show we talked to community arts leaders about what’s new, what’s coming back and what the trends are nationally and locally for reopening the arts. Our guests included Andre Kimo Stone Guess, the new President and CEO of Louisville’s Fund for the Arts.



We also discussed two big issues in the Louisville arts community - leadership turnover at several organizations and how to address and create more equity in the arts.

As you drive through Louisville, you see more people out shopping and dining since before the pandemic hit. But you also see more help wanted signs.

While the economy has been severely impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, employers are practically begging people to apply for jobs.

On this week’s “In Conversation” we explored with our guests what that's about. Is extra unemployment pay really causing people to not want to work, or did extra unemployment pay just highlight that some employees had not been making a living wage to begin with?

In the best of times, it’s not easy being in charge of a city. And it’s fair to say, 2020 and 2021 have not been among the best of times.

Mayor Greg Fischer joined us this Friday on “In Conversation,” to talk about where we’ve been, where we are, where we’re going as a city.

We discussed his proposed budget for the next fiscal year, and the priorities the budget reflects.

And it was one year ago this week that protests started in Minneapolis against the police killing of George Floyd, and here in Louisville, over the killing of Breonna Taylor. We talked about the investigations into Taylor’s death, and lessons learned about local policing.

Travel-size bottles of hand sanitizers are going to be packed in a lot of luggage this summer. Because with higher temperatures and lower COVID-19 numbers, many are ready to chance a change of scenery.

Road trips and flights are making a big comeback and we talked to travel agents on “In Conversation” to talk about where people are going and how they plan to get there — and stay safe.

And whether you’re taking a good book to the beach or a state park, or cozying up in your favorite reading spot at home, we’ve got you covered on book recommendations, too.

Here are some of the books recommended by our guests, librarians Jenny Lewis and Yalonda JD Green:

Children’s books

“Outside, Inside” by LeUyen Pham

“When the World Turned Upside Down” by K. Ibura

“The Bad Guy” series by Aaron Blabey

Adult books

“The Premonition: A Pandemic Story” by Michael Lewis

“The Other Black Girl” by Zakiya Dalila Harris

“The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba” by Chanel Cleeton

“Sex and Vanity” by Kevin Kwan

Whether in local jails or state prisons, at any given time there is a large number of Kentuckians behind bars — almost 30,000 at the end of 2020.

This week on “In Conversation” host Rick Howlett talked about incarceration with experts in the criminal justice field. We talked about policies that impact the people serving time, and what can happen when businesses give a second chance to Kentuckians after they have served their sentences.

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, so we also took some time to reflect on the contributions and history of the AAPI community, and why acknowledging this month is particularly important in 2021.

Everyone has to eat.

And whether you’re a veggie lover or meat eater, what you eat almost always starts on someone’s farm.

Kentucky is home to over 75,000 farms. We unpacked whether the Kentucky farming industry is a growing field or a declining one.

This week on “In Conversation,” we talked about the state of farming in Kentucky — how supply and demand have changed, what agricultural laws are in play, and the complicated role that hemp plays in the farming landscape.

Last year’s Kentucky Derby was unprecedented in many ways. Instead of being run the traditional first Saturday in May in front of more than 150-thousand fans, it was held in September with no fans, because of coronavirus.

And for the first time in decades, a major demonstration was held outside the grounds of Churchill Downs, demanding racial justice following the police killing of Breonna Taylor.

But in 2021, we’re back to Kentucky Derby as usual — sort of.

This week on “In Conversation,” we talked with Churchill Downs’ Darren Rogers about preparations for this year’s Derby, which has returned to the month of May but will be run with a limited number of fans. We also assess the state of the thoroughbred racing industry and Kentucky’s equine community with Keeneland Vice-President Vince Gabbert, and Sarah Coleman with the Kentucky Horse Council.

Kentucky continues to lead the nation in the rate of child abuse and neglect, according to the latest available data. The numbers in Indiana are also disturbingly high.

We’re still learning about just how much the coronavirus pandemic has affected the incidence of abuse and neglect, but advocates have been worried over the past year, as COVID-19 has caused many children to be isolated with their abusers. Plus the closing of schools, daycares and other safe places for months left many with no place where abuse could be reported or detected.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and this week on “In Conversation”, we’ll discuss the child abuse epidemic, what’s being done to address—and prevent-the problem and how you can help.

Our guests are:

• Shannon Moody, Chief Officer of Strategic Initiatives, Kentucky Youth Advocates

• Jeff Alston, Community Outreach Coordinator, 502 Fathers/Healthy Babies Louisville

• Emily Angel, Staff Attorney and Director, Guardian ad Litem Program at Kids’ Voice of Indiana