DFWCards

I-65 construction south of Louisville to hamper travel into the city

Any former Louisvillians now living in Dallas-Ft. Worth who are planning driving trips back home for Thanksgiving should take note of this item.

As reported by WAVE3, some of the federal stimulus money is being used to resurface the portion of Interstate 65 between between Fern Valley Road and the Watterson Expressway (I-264). Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear officially announced the beginning of the project on Wednesday.

From the article:

The resurfacing project, the first in 21 years, will be funded in part by federal stimulus dollars, according to Beshear. "Actual construction cost is estimated at $28.7 million and some $18 million of that is coming from the Reinvestment and Recovery Act."

The $28.7 million project involves replacement of concrete pavement with asphalt on the 3-mile section of interstate between the I-264 interchange and Fern Valley Road. It's among a dozen road and bridge projects in Jefferson County totaling more than $195 million, either currently underway or soon to be planned for the Louisville area.

Drivers can expect lane closures along the construction route which will probably cause additional backups even during non-rush hour times.

The project is due to start on Monday night (September 21) with the northbound lanes being resurfaced first. Work will be underway 24 hours a day until its completion, sometime in mid-December. The speed limit will also be reduced to 45 M.P.H. in the construction zone with a double fine for speeders.

Rick Pitino is not happy with the Louisville media

It appears that UofL basketball coach Rick Pitino is getting a little testy about the Louisville media’s continued interest in the Karen Sypher story.

As reported in The ‘Ville Voice, in a news conference held Wednesday, Pitino laid into the media, saying “Enough is enough” and “We need to move on.”

“It’s a pretty sad day. I understand your business very well. I understand the competitiveness of it. What I don’t understand why you keep fostering this behavior.

“On the day where Ted Kennedy died, we broke in the news here in Louisville with Karen Sypher and audio and tapes she gave to detectives, and it's already been put out. That's a pretty sad commentary on us.

“I need this thing to go to trial.

“Wait for the trial and the truth will come out.

“This is someone who lies inconsistently to get their way.

“Everything that’s been reported is 100 percent a lie. All of this has been a lie, a total fabrication of the truth, except what I’ve told you. Tim Sypher has not come forward to tell the truth, because he’s in a custody battle for his child. The university and the authorities said, don’t say anything.

“It hasn’t hurt recruiting one bit. We will still bring in Top Ten players. Our fans are the greatest in college basketball. We will run the program with great integrity.

“You shouldn’t be reporting the lies.”

Pitino said that his advisers have told him not to discuss details of the case but that the truth would come out at trial.

Early Wednesday Louisville police released audio and video recordings of phone calls and an interview with Sypher, who is facing counts of extortion and lying to the FBI.

If Pitino is already this crossways with the local media, the mind boggles as to how he’ll react when the Cardinals hit the road this winter and encounter a much more combative press than you’ll find in Louisville.

UofL plans to create archive of flood records

From WAVE3.com, the Associated Press, and the University of Louisville web site:

The University of Louisville wants to create a record of the recent flood in the city and on much of the campus.

The university's libraries are asking for digital photos, videos and narratives of the August 4 floods that damaged Louisville homes and cars, buildings on the university's campus, and items at the Kentucky Derby Museum.

In addition to creating the collection, some of the images will be shared on an August 2009 Flood website that the libraries’ Digital Collection will host, according to Rachel Howard, digital initiatives librarian.

University Libraries, a member of the MetaArchive Cooperative, also will have the digital files replicated and stored at six different geographic locations so they are not lost due to natural disasters or other problems. The cooperative previously has documented the disasters in New Orleans and at Virginia Tech.

Pitino apologizes; pledges to coach as long as UofL will have him

Following a standard public relations template for putting undesirable news in the rear-view mirror, Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino apologized on Wednesday afternoon at a press conference to his family and to his players for what he referred to as an “indiscretion” six years ago. He insisted that he would continue to coach at the University for “as long as they will have me.”

As reported in the Louisville Courier-Journal, he did not specifically address the police report made public yesterday in his statement, but said he'd already apologized to his family months ago and now wants to apologize to his extended family at the university.

Prepared statements from UofL President James Ramsey and Athletic Director Tom Jurich were also distributed.

Ramsey said that “regardless of the truth or falsehood of specific actions that have been attributed to the coach, he's clearly made errors in judgment that have come under intense public scrutiny. We can't ignore these errors in judgment, and they have saddened and disappointed me.

"As we try to teach our students, when you make a mistake, you admit it and right it as best you can. Coach has done that today. We hope this closes this chapter; we're all ready to move on.”

That may be easier said than done.

Many think that even if the University and the community rallies behind Pitino - who has a morals clause in his current contract with UofL - opposing coaches will use the sordid details of the story as leverage against him during the annual battle to convince blue-chip basketball recruits to come to Louisville.

Early reactions to the Rick Pitino bombshell

Here are some of the blog posts today regarding the news about University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino having had an intimate encounter with Karen Sypher, resulting in a pregnancy which Pitino paid to terminate; rest assured that this is the tip of the iceberg.

In particular, I’m looking forward to what ESPN’s Pat Forde (a Pitino friend who co-wrote a book with him a couple of years back) has to say on the matter:

Pitino Bombshell Confirms What Everybody Knew (The ‘Ville Voice)

There is no bigger story. Ever.

This is the news Sypher was using in her extortion attempt against Pitino — it’s the accusation local media’s been keeping secret even though Sypher was willing to talk about it to anyone who would listen. The most credible rumor — about Pitino paying for Sypher to get the abortion in Cincinnati — is true.

So here comes the reaction, headed by the questionable one from Pitino’s boss, Dr. James Ramsey, who said his thoughts were with the Pitino family.  As if some tragic event had occurred, a quote more appropriate for the death of a loved one.

Pitino has a morals clause in his contract. It addresses this sort of thing. U of L has cause to fire him. But the question comes down to how public opinion will come down on Pitino and whether he’ll be able to continue in his job as the Louisville basketball coach.

Even John Calipari Thinks This Is Sleazy (The Buzz)

If the game of life were a pinball machine, abortion would be a flashing tilt sign. All of the sudden, we’ve stepped in the religious/political world where the issue is routinely used to wedge the electorate. Ain’t nothing Pitino, or anyone for that matter, can say to change the way people feel about it. This story has all sorts of weird stuff, from getting it on in a restaurant to Pitino’s assistant marrying her 6 months later. The word “abortion” is the shiny object. Will he survive the backlash?

Let’s All Watch The Media Fumble Helplessly On The Pitino Story (Deadspin)

This was a tough one for the media. There have been so many rumors flying around that we felt like we knew all of this before it got confirmed last night.

So now that we do, why is it the abortion aspect of this story that's jumping out at people? It's the one part of this story that's a real surprise. We're accustomed to our athletes cheating on their wives. It's nothing new to see them accused of rape. And, almost as often, we see the cases against them fall apart.

But abortion's a new one. I can't remember a single story where it played a major role, and make no mistake, Kentucky's a part of the country where this is a BIG deal to many people. It's a novelty to sportswriters, and one they're not entirely prepared to deal with. So in the days and weeks ahead, expect to see that dominating the ledes even though, not coincidentally, it's the one part of this that Pitino least wanted to get out.

Keeping Louisville Weird (Card Game)

Lots of people doing weird things in connection with the Rick Pitino-Karen Sypher affair. An unpredictable mix of local luminaries and loonies caught up in the soap opera, sometimes making it difficult to identify the good guys from the bad one day to the next.

The release of the police interview with Pitino confirms what many wanted to deny, that it was indeed a sex scandal, and it will continue to tarnish and embarrass anyone even remotely involved.

The observer doesn’t believe this is the scenario the Keep Louisville Weird promoters had in mind when they launched the marketing program.

Details of Pitino-Sypher relationship made public by Louisville newspaper

What began as a typically quiet summer evening in Louisville changed radically Tuesday when the Courier-Journal published the lurid details of the relationship between Cardinals basketball coach Rick Pitino and Karen Sypher.

In statements made earlier this year to Louisville Metro Police and obtained through a Kentucky Open Records Act request, Pitino acknowledged having had consensual sexual relations on August 1, 2003 with Sypher at Porcini, an Italian restaurant in the Crescent Hill section of the city. He also admitted to later paying for Sypher to obtain an abortion. However, he denied Sypher's allegations that he raped her at the restaurant and then again later at a different location.

Sypher’s credibility has been challenged on numerous fronts and Louisville Commonwealth’s Attorney David Stengel declined to prosecute the case in July.

Louisville is a predominantly Catholic city in which Pitino’s success with the Cardinal basketball program has been widely celebrated. It will be interesting to observe whether the news that he paid for an abortion will affect his standing in the city and perhaps ultimately impact his position at the University.

Steven Pence, Pitino's lawyer, told ESPN.com Tuesday night that there is no reason why Pitino would take a leave of absence from the school in light of the information from his client's police interview being made public.

Kenny Klein, Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations at Louisville, added that Pitino hasn't made any suggestion that he would leave the program. He said that athletic director Tom Jurich and the administration are behind Pitino.

University of Louisville President James Ramsey spoke obliquely about today’s news in a statement released to the press.

"Several months ago Coach Pitino informed me about the alleged extortion attempt. I've now been informed that there may be other details which, if true, I find surprising," he said.

President Ramsey and Provost Willihnganz update University on flood damage recovery efforts

University of Louisville President James Ramsey and Provost Shirley Willihnganz updated the University Friday on the status of the school’s flood recovery efforts:

Colleagues,

As we continue to clean up after this week's flood, we want to take time out to thank everyone for your hard work under difficult circumstances.

This is the most significant damage our campus ever has sustained, and it will take some time to get back to normal.

It is difficult to believe the destructive power of water and how much damage can happen in a very short time.

Some of you had to evacuate your buildings – some even by rescue boats – and streets flooded with several feet of water.

Water entered many buildings around the north and east sides of Belknap Campus. Some still are closed while we clean the mud and remaining water from floors and other surfaces and remove water-soaked carpets, ruined wallboard and baseboard. At the Health Sciences Center the School of Public Health and Information Sciences was hardest hit with a foot or more of water in its basement.

Still, despite the daunting task ahead of us, we are making progress.

Physical Plant again is doing an amazing job restoring buildings and grounds in our third weather emergency in less than a year's time.

A lot of you have been on campus this week helping to clean up flood damage and move displaced offices to new locations – all while doing your normal jobs of helping students prepare for the coming semester.

You are doing a great job and doing it with a great "can-do" attitude. We have accomplished a lot in a short time and appreciate your dedication.

We also are encouraged by the number of people who have called to offer help and who have said they are keeping us in their thoughts. We appreciate their support in these difficult days.

The flood affected more than UofL buildings and property. We realize that many of you suffered losses at your homes. We are in the process of organizing an internal effort to help our campus family. You’ll hear more details about this next week.

Again, we thank all of you for everything you bring to UofL. The work and attitude you've shown over the last four days reminds us why we love this university.

James Ramsey, president
Shirley Willihnganz, provost

Louisville Main Library to remain closed through Labor Day; flood damage extensive

Louisville’s Main Library at Third and York streets was heavily damaged as a result of flooding from this week’s rainstorm, and does not expect to open for business again until after Labor Day.

And even then, the best hope is to get one floor open and have limited operations, using emergency mechanical systems, said Craig Buthod, Louisville Free Public Library director, according to a Courier-Journal report.

Buthod estimated total damage at the Main Library of $5 million, including about 50,000 books, dozens of computers, four elevators, three bookmobiles, extensive furniture and finishings, and all or most of the building's boilers, chillers, air handlers and other mechanical systems. Library computers system-wide remained out of commission as of Saturday morning.

This is an unfortunate time for such a catastrophe, with public funding for the Louisville library under intense pressure, as it has been in cities nationwide during the current recession.

If you are interested in helping the library, donations to the Flood Relief Fund can be sent to the Library Foundation, 301 York Street, Louisville, KY 40203 Attn: Flood Relief.

Finally, verification that someone besides the UofL basketball team will use the new arena

From the Louisville Courier-Journal:

Two major religious conventions have signed deals to come to Louisville and will use the new downtown arena for a major part of their activities, Gov. Steve Beshear announced Friday in Frankfort.

The two conventions – the 24th annual Church of the Nazarene Global National Youth International Conference in 2011 and the 2013 North American Youth Conference of the United Pentecostal Church International – will have a combined economic impact estimated at $10 million for the Louisville economy, local convention officials said.

The $238 million arena rising at Second and Main streets is scheduled to open in November 2010 for the start of the University of Louisville Cardinals' basketball season. But Friday's announcement of the signing of the two convention groups that will use the arena was the first affirmation that the stadium will also grow Louisville's travel, tourism and trade-show business.

“We decided to build this arena for two reasons,” Beshear said at the news conference at the Capitol. “First, to create a new home and new excitement for U of L basketball, and (also) to create economic development by attracting visitors and events to downtown Louisville. It's already paying off on the economic-development front.”

Linda Edwards, vice president of sales and marketing for the Kentucky State Fair Board, who helped recruit the conventions, said both groups chose Louisville because of its central location, affordability and the number of attractions within walking distance downtown.

The Nazarenes will bring about 13,000 people – about 10,000 high school-age youth and most of the rest parents -- to Louisville July 3-11, 2011. The convention will have an estimated economic impact of $7 million and translate into about 13,000 hotel room nights, Edwards said.

University of Louisville Belknap campus to be closed on Wednesday due to flood damage

From a press release issued this afternoon by the University of Louisville:

Belknap Campus, School of Public Health closed Wednesday after flooding

August 4th, 2009

The University of Louisville Belknap Campus and the university’s School of Public Health and Information Sciences will be closed Wednesday, Aug. 5, after a record amount of rainfall left portions of the university under water Aug. 4.

With the exception of the School of Public Health, the Health Sciences and Shelby campuses will be open and on their regular schedules.

During the morning commute Tuesday, as much as six inches of rain fell in a one-hour-and-15-minute period, according to city officials in a televised press conference.

On Belknap Campus, nine buildings had some flooding, and 12 buildings lost electricity. The Houchens Building was hardest hit; about 30 employees were stranded and rescued by the Louisville Metro Swift Water Rescue Team. At least one employee was injured, suffering a broken wrist. Some cars along South Brook Street were submerged.

About 20 buildings at the Health Sciences Campus experienced water damage. Six buildings lost electricity. Worst hit was the School of Public Health and Information Sciences, which had more than two feet of water.

Once the storm hit, physical plant personnel, public safety and University of Louisville Police began working to secure the Belknap and Health Sciences campuses. The Provost’s Office set up a carpool program to help employees whose cars were flooded get home.

“We feel fortunate there weren’t any serious injuries on campus,” said UofL President James Ramsey. “Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated staff and faculty, I’m sure we’ll rebound quickly from this terrible storm.”

Although the Belknap Campus and the School of Public Health will be closed, some employees may be called in to help with the cleanup.