Just a reminder that the JCPS board’s secret evaluation of Sheldon Berman will take place tomorrow. [WFPL]

Today First Lady Jane Beshear will re-launch Kentucky’s appliance rebate program with a kick-off speech at Louisville’s GE Appliance Park. [Press Release]

Sixteen jurors have finally been seated in the Pitino-Sypher sexytime extortion case. [H-L]

In yet another ridiculous interview, Daniel WATB Mongiardo is claiming he isn’t sure he “trusts” Jack Conway and therefore isn’t sure he can endorse him. Oh, and according to Conway and Mongiardo people – it was Lt. Dan himself who brought up the idea of someone else paying off HIS debt. There WAS an agreement and Jack Conway needs to admit it. He must think there weren’t people sitting behind him (my attorneys and four filmmakers) in that coffee shop with us. Both Daniel & Jack need to stop acting like pissy little girls. [A Kentucky Newspaper]

Last night, President Barack Obama nominated James Edward Clark to be U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Kentucky. [Press Release]

I’ve never understood how people could text and drive. Beginning January 1, 2011, that’ll be illegal. Too bad it’s only a $25 fine. [H-L]

Michelle Jones, noted America-Hater because she doesn’t like beer, has a story about Homebrewing Night at the Louisville Beer Store. It’s tonight from 6:00 P.M. to close. [Consuming Louisville]

Obviously, this website isn’t part of LMPD. But I know dozens of officers who read and comment there. Take a look at what they think about the latest news from Atlanta. [LMPD.com]

Looks like A Kentucky Newspaper is going to become even more cookie cutter and regurgitated. Hot. Maybe I’ll eventually have give in, now that we’ve got this news, to the C-J reporters begging me to link to their stories again. [WFPL]

Larry Clark is trying to kill Kentucky’s bourbon industry. Folks need to get outraged over this.  [Bluegrass Politics]

Metro Government is consolidating its automobile fleet. I’d write about it, but Jerry Abramson’s spokesgays can’t handle even a bit of warranted criticism and yanked me from their fancy list. [Joe Arnold]

The next city budget predicts a slight revenue increase. Something doesn’t smell right. [WFPL]

Kentucky’s April unemployment rate dropped to 10.6%. [Page One]

That Pussycat girl won some fancy dancing contest on the teevee! [WHAS11]

TARC’s service cuts go into effect on June 6: #35 Indian Trail, #58 Bashford Manor/Oxmoor, #59 River Road, #80 Hurstbourne Parkway. [Press Release]

The Belle of Louisville’s 96th (!!) Season opens Memorial Day Weekend and you should take a fancy cruise. I mean, the boat has fancy air conditioning this year. [Click the Clicky]

Chief Robert White is now a finalist for the Atlana job. [Jessie Halladay]

It is a shame that the libruls have not tagged my giant Republican automobile with a Gas-Hole magnet. [Swiss Miss via Broken Sidewalk]

Once upon a time they tore down Fourth Street. [Broken Sidealk]

You know, I really like her and felt pretty badly about the way she was treated in 2008 and last year – so much so that I had to pay my attorneys to defend my sources. But this gives me great pause. She registered her domain name before resigning from the campaign. She wouldn’t provide evidence to back up her claims when I asked her, saying she’d only show me off-the-record and in-person. [FatLip]

Is your fat kid just dangerously fat? Do something about it. Stop making your kid fat. [Let's Move]

We can’t decide if we’re most excited about demolishing an entire city block or ruining an entire city block’s history for ever. [C-J]

How’d we miss this one? 610 Magnolia was named the best place in the country to get a Manhattan. [GQ]

Louisville-based RegenEn Solar received national recognition for its thin-film solar installation. [Solar Today]

Louisville isn’t on the ‘10 Healthiest and Safest Metro Areas’ list. [LiveScience]

Mayoral candidates responded to an 8664 questionnaire. [FatLip]

DEVO and Cake have been added to the Forecastle Festival’s 2010 lineup. [CLICK THE CLICKY]

Louisville gets a big, fat C on the infrastructure report card. [More WFPL]

Interesting that David Tandy secured the UFCW endorsement yesterday, isn’t it? But we saw that one coming a mile away when he flip-flopped on the JBS Swift fiasco, abruptly adopting the UFCW position. After months and months of beating a different drum. [Just Wondering]

The Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority will meet tomorrow at 10:00 A.M. at Indiana University Southeast. [Press Release]

University of Louisville’s Board of Trustees will meet tomorrow. Grawemeyer Hall. Immediately following a meeting of the Research Foundation and personnel committee, which begins at 1:00 P.M. [Press Release]

The Kentucky Derby Museum is set to reopen with a major launch party in just under two weeks. [WFPL]

Is anyone else a little creeped out by this new KFC trend of using two pieces of chicken as the “bun” of a sandwich? [Business First]

First Lady Jane Beshear will appear on FOX41 at 8:45 this morning and on WHAS11 at 12:30 P.M. to discuss upcoming breast cancer awareness events. Two of them: Pink Out Day at the Kentucky Oaks and the annual Celebration of Hope luncheon. [Press Release]

Tons of Jack Conway’s supporters are slowly growing tired of the U.S. Senate campaign. It’s not just me. [Page One]

Do you have a living will? No? Download the Kentucky Living Will Packet. Please just do it if you’re over 18. It makes life for your loved ones much easier. [OAG]

Local music nerds: THE PASS will be with Electric Six (“Gay Bar” is hilariously great, fyi) at Zanzabar on April 23. Doors open at 8:00 P.M. $12. [Facebook & Buy Tickets]

The voters of Parkland know what’s what. They said yes to alcohol sales. So much for a couple out-of-touch, uptight councilcritters trying to force their hands. [C-J]

Local businessmen Ward Plauche and Don Blackburn are opening Fresh Produce Warehouse at 4044 Taylorsville Road on April 14. With all the fanfare of the Creation Gardens extension, this news has somehow gotten lost in the mix. Big news for the East End, for sure.   [Business First]

Something tells me there’s no way this guy can beat Tony Lindauer for PVA. [Corey Koellner]

The Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB) has received an Exemplary Participation Award from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) for their efforts in the 2009-10 Braille Readers are Leaders Contest. KSB is one of only 14 schools for the blind nationwide to receive this distinction. [Press Release]

Today marks a special election in precinct M107 to determine if alcohol sales should be legal. Cause that’ll solve ALL of our problems. [Lame]

Yesterday David Tandy received the endorsements of: Internation Brotherhood of Teamsters Locals 783 and 89, Teamsters Joint Council 94 and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 227. [Press Release]

State of Affairs will host Next Louisville: West Louisville this Thursday. You should go be in the audience. [Facebook]

Creation Gardens is one step closer to construction of its new location. [C-J]

Today at 2:00 Jim Ramsey and Ag Sec Reeeeeechie Farmer will cut the grand-opening ribbon of the University of Louisville’s first Kentucky Proud store. Bookstore in the Swain Student Activities Center. Quick, every television station go ask Reeeeechie if he’s gonna pla… I mean run for governor. [Press Release]

It’s a shame king coal isn’t doing all it can to prevent disasters like this. And it’s an even bigger shame we don’t take mine safety more seriously in Kentucky. [WHAS11]

It’s the worst blast since 1984 with 25 dead in West Virginia. Just horrific. [H-L]

Why is the University of Louisville paying Alicia Sells even though she hasn’t lobbied for the school since November? And why is there an agreement to use her as a consultant? What does this woman know and why is she being paid off? Somebody at UofL needs to start talking. [Nancy Rodriguez]

The city can give Cordish a giant forgivable loan to “develop” Fourth Street Live. So why can’t it give Six Flags the same to keep Kentucky Kingdom functional? Or why not forgive the lease, sell Six Flags the tract of land and self-finance it? There’s nothing else they’re gonna do with that land. [Deep Thoughts From a Reader]

What a failure, Louisville. You need to try harder. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be one of the drunkest cities in America. [HuffPo]

This is awesome, right? Took days before a call system told area residents about chemical vapors. Nice. [C-J]

Jack Conway just does not care for Sen. Shelby and issued this statement Saturday afternoon, “Senator Shelby’s decision to hold the government hostage to obtain special favors for his state is distasteful. It is reminiscent of the backroom deal on health care struck by Senator Ben Nelson, D-NE, in December.” [Press Release]

Everybody should see this documentary about the first black marines. [C-J]

But they lost, and a 6 percent tax on alcohol went into effect.

The bourbon bunch had a logical argument, and of course I’m always gonna take sides with people like Bill Samuels over people in Frankfort who keep screwing up the government. This tax, though, was especially illogical.

The best argument against it may have been that county governments that refuse to allow the sale of the product in their borders stood to benefit most. Or that attacking our state’s signature industry might drive industry giants (Brown-Forman put in a threat) to move, or that locals would just cross the Ohio River for spirits.

Read the Rest After the Jump…

But really the reason the tax passed is that spineless rural legislators needed something in exchange for voting in the much-needed (yet not large enough) increase in cigarette taxes they passed.

Samuels, the sage of Makers Mark, was and is a vocal opponent of the alcohol tax. He recently put his money where his customers are, offering a rare discount to wholesalers on his product so they wouldn’t have to raise their prices. (So you should check and make sure your retailer hasn’t jacked up the price of Makers anyway.

Samuels put ads in the state’s two largest newspapers and made his point in his factual, folksy way.

Here’s the copy in the ad:

You don’t need 20/20 vision right now to see that times are tough. For all of us. Whether you’re an executive of a blue-chip corporation or a convenience store bagger, everyone is doing whatever they can to cut back and stay afloat.

As we all know, the government has had its hands full with the unenviable job of digging us out of this serious
economic recession. And, as we all know, it’s not going to be a quick fix. But I’ve never been one who enjoys
watching the action from the sideline. So, I thought I’d try to lend a hand.

Many of you may have noticed a tax hike that went into effect not too long ago. It was an increase in Kentucky’s
alcoholic beverage tax. Some may say that it wasn’t such a big deal. But I’d hate to see a tax hike keep
people from enjoying their favorite bourbon.

And now, to my point.

For the first time ever, we’re lowering the price of Maker’s Mark® for our retailers in the amount of six percent. Which coincidentally is also the exact amount of the tax hike. We’ve encouraged all of our retail
 partners to pass these savings on to you, our friends.

Which means the next time you’re out visiting your favorite liquor store, you’ll have the chance to thank
them for passing their savings along to you.

I guess you could say we’re just doing our part to stimulate the economy. One drink at a time.

St. Matthews has a law requiring that new liquor stores must be at least 700 feet from existing liquor stores.

And as you can see from this picture, the new Liquor Barn under construction on Shelbyville Road is pretty darn close to the Beverage Warehouse operation across the street.

The Beverage Warehouse owner, Greg Anastas, is suing St. Matthews, Liquor Barn and the state ABC Board for allowing construction to continue toward a planned early October opening. A judge will rule this week on whether or not to delay things — with the case hinging on how you measure the distance between the front doors of the two storefronts. Here’s how the C-J covered the story.

The St. Matthews ABC administrator, James King, issued a letter to Liquor Barn attorney Kenneth Handmaker March 10 indicating he’d measured the distance and found it to be too close. Not the end of the story, however.

The next day King got a letter from Handmaker, threatening an appeal.  On March 11, King changed his mind and approved the application for St. Matthews.

Liquor Barn believes the measurement required by the law is that the 700-foot barrier must be taken by going out the front door, walking to the nearest crosswalk, crossing the street and coming back. Anastas says you merely have to go to a nearer spot to cross the street.

Anastas believes the opening of the store across the street would obviously impact his business. He’s got four stores in the city, including one that competes with a Liquor Barn near Hursbourne. When he opened that store three years ago, he says he was able to take 30 percent of Liquor Barn’s business in that location.

The new Liquor Barn, on the site of a former car dealership, would be at least five times as large as the Beverage Warehouse on Shelbyville Road, and would be right across the street.

“The St. Matthews law is obviously  being broken,” Anastas said. “My goal is to win this or to get a legal answer on why I’m wrong. Neither has been given.”

Anastas says he explained how and why the law was being broken in May, and provided copies to all concerned, and that he still hasn’t gotten a response.

A Bigfoot National Embarrassment: Why would Bigfoot go to Fairdale? This guy filmed a plastic bag in his backyard and is getting national attention for it. And a local station pays attention. [WAVE, Page One]

Flip Wilson Revisited: Some pastor in Russellville actually used the excuse “The Devil Made Me Do It” after he raped a 13-year-old girl. [Herald-Leader]

Beer in Memphis: $114.576. That’s how much 45,207 Memphis football fans spent on beer at a game against Ole Miss last weekend. $2.53 per person. Officials starting selling beer cuz they needed cash. Now they got to be wondering why they waited until this year. [Memphis]

Even Doug is Against Saggy Pants: So now city leaders have passed a resolution against droopy drawers, something even Doug Hawkins agreed to. But even sponsor Judy Green agrees the whole agenda was just to get people talking about the big problem. [C-J]

Billy Slide Gillispie: The ex-UK coach tells a Houston TV station he’s got a booze problem, and is getting treatment. “I’ve never been afraid to accept responsibility,” he says. [Herald-Leader]

Comedy from a Congressional Candidate: Just take a look at this stuff from Marilyn Parker. Note I resisted calling her any names. [Page One]

On TV Tonight: If you’re not watching “Jockeys” on Fridays at 9, you’re missing some good TV. The crew is making its way to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby in tonight’s show.

Today’s B-Day Shoutout: Lori Farmer of Fox 41 – sunny skies on Sunday.

See you at Slugger Field, or somewhere doing something.  And don’t forget the ‘Ville Voice Breakfast of Champions bright and early Monday morning at the University Club. Guest speaker is Dr. James Ramsey.

Now, logically, I don’t get it. But few of Kentucky’s alcohol-related laws make any sense.

Last spring, efforts to get a bill through the state legislature failed, thanks to pressure from liquor store owners. There are all sorts of logical arguments in play here. 35 states already allow wine sales in grocery stores, including Indiana. But in Kentucky, wine must be purchased at a special store that only sells wine and liquor.

So the Kroger-backed Food with Wine Coalition is starting a petition drive, complete with displays at Kroger, to influence consumers and, ultimately, state legislators. Francis interviewed Old Town Liquor store owner Gordon Jackson, who made the argument that people who don’t know enough about wine to make intelligent choices shouldn’t be allowed to pick some cheap Chardonnay off the shelf at Kroger.

Luke Schmidt, the Food and Wine Coalition rep, said he projects increased sales would bring $30 million into state government in tax revenue if the law is changed. The logic there is that if the product is available at new locations, people will buy it.

Case in point: In Memphis Sunday, fans at the Memphis-Ole Miss football game, for the first time, could buy beer at the concession stands during the game. The idea came from the Liberty Bowl operator, who had previously not sold beer at the request of the school. But now they needed revenue to keep the old stadium operating. The take from the crowd of 45,207 in beer sales alone — $114,567.