We love us some Proof and 21C but let’s not pretend that proof is the best place to eat in all of Louisville. [Zagat]

Gregory O’Bryan, the guy accused of killing Andrew Compton, is due in court for a pre-trial hearing today at 8:45 A.M. [What Happened To Andrew?]

Wow. We thought the mainstream could do better than a whitewash when it came to Bud Shart… Schardein. But, uh, nope, obviously not. Wow wow wow. [C-J/AKN]

This is also how the story is being told on local television stations. Three sentences that mentions nothing of the scandal, nothing of that $200,000 bonus for being corrupt, nothing of the problems the city faces. Wow. [WAVE3]

Oh, wait, here’s a four sentence story about Schardein’s “retirement” from the Metro Sewer District. [WLKY]

Fortunately, there are a few media outlets in Louisville that won’t let the city forget what really went down with that scandal. [WFPL]

Do America’s infrastructure problems go beyond crumbling roads and bridges? [HuffPo]

On a scale of 1 to Greg Fischer on the day he gets to leave office, how excited are you that Time Warner has been given the go-ahead to purchase Insight Communications? [FOX41]

Publisher of A Kentucky Newspaper, Arnold Garson, is retiring on March 2. You knew this was just a temporary dumping ground for him. Did he even bother putting Kentucky plates on his vehicle? [Deep Newspaper Thoughts]

The head of Metro Parks got to drive drunk in a city vehicle and still kept his job. So why should we expect little issues involving metal detectors to be resolved with ease? That department is at least as screwed up as Metro Animal Services. [WHAS11]

There was a giant drug bust in Jack Conway’s backyard this week, right as he started talking again about how he’s cut off the pill supply from Florida. [Page One]

The Bourbon Women Association is apparently a thing and it has some sort of $25 event series coming up. It’s bourbon, so we obviously had to mention it. [Business First]

Bike safety? In the United States? HAHA, fat chance. [The Economist]

We’re spending $150,000 to make the metro alert system work. [WAVE3]

Bellarmine University has some sort of civil liberties thingy going on September 16. [Press Release]

Rather than change things at Metro Animal Services, Greg Fischer’s folks are going after other area animal shelters in an attempt to lessen coverage. If you think otherwise, you haven’t been receiving the calls we have. [WHAS11]

Yesterday marked the 125th day Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Steve Robertson has questioned Jack Conway over his involvement in his brother’s drug scandal: “If I had to guess, I’d say Mr. Conway has not extended his services of arranging defense lawyers and meeting with suspects of criminal investigations to anyone outside his own family,” said Robertson. “As we close in on two months from Election Day, it is time for our press corps to quit giving the Attorney General a free pass.” [Press Release]

Newsflash: Todd Hollenbach can’t pass the smell test if he’s campaigning – without his opponent – at a $50-per-ticket event. [Business First]

Judy Green is a gigantic embarrassment for this city and she needs to be kicked out on her ass. [FOX41]

You should take your dogs to Yew Dell Gardens on 9/11 because you’ve got nothing else to do. [Consuming Louisville]

Imagine that – yet another corrupt health care business in Kentucky allegedly violating the law. [H-L]

Will the old Colgate factory every get re-developed? [WFPL]

What was that, again, about school vouchers being the savior of the educational system? [WLKY]

Louisville is a gas guzzling city with an average of $179 spent on fuel each month — ranked at number 11. [Mint.com]

New favorite way to pass the time: reading Karen Voyer-Caravona’s biking website. She’s a former Tom Owen staffer who moved to Flagstaff, the best place on earth, and writes all about riding her bike. Go read it. You’ll feel like you’re on vacation. [She Rides A Bike]

Can you imagine if Americans lived like this and thought of bikes and groceries in this manner? [NY Times]

Yesterday marked the 90th (!!) day Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Steve Robertson questioned Jack Conway over his involvement in his brother’s drug scandal: “Conway is running from the voters of Kentucky who have a right to know answers to the questions surrounding his brother’s compromised investigation,” said Robertson. “We will not stop our Come Clean campaign until the Attorney General either answers our questions or is replaced by Todd P’Pool.” Jack will never answer questions and even his staff are getting frustrated. [Press Release]

Don’t go to Indiana or you’re likely to get killed with a rock. Which is crazier than getting killed by gunshot in Louisville. [WHAS11]

Eleven people died in eleven separate crashes on Kentucky roadways from Monday, July 25 through Sunday, July 31. [KSP Release]

The Princeton Review ranked Bellarmine University among the nation’s best colleges. Check the fact sheet out for details. [External PDF Link]

The new owners are taking over Whiskey Row. This is good, right? Except, of course, the buildings that will be demolished. [WFPL]

Food stamp usage is still on the rise in Kentucky while everyone acts like the statewide economy is puppies and rainbows. [Page One]

A management audit at Metro Sewer District is set to begin next week. Hopes? Predictions? [C-J/AKN]

What? Thefts at Metro Animal Services? Surely not! [FOX41]

Guess which newspaper still hasn’t issued a retraction or made a correction. [Deep Newspaper Failures]

Can’t believe we’re linking to that dying rag but go read this story about Judy Green deliberately misleading her Metro Council colleagues. Soon to be former colleagues, that is. [C-J/AKN]

Do you think she’ll go over the edge even more when former aides get called to testify at her hearing? [WHAS11]

The story of an LG&E employee who killed his supervisor and them himself is horrific no matter how many times you hear about it. [FOX41]

So many questions remain unanswered surrounding Kentucky Retirement Systems. Too bad there’s only so much time in a day to ask them. [Page One]

We’re pretty sure Lexington was never an international laughingstock. And definitely not because of anything Men’s Health had to say. [Tom Eblen]

Hundreds of people turned out to see the progress that’s been made on the Big Four Bridge walkway. It’s going to be a terrific addition to the park. [WAVE3]

Is it really that easy to forget your infant child in a hot car? Really, we’re asking because we want to know. [84WHAS]

The new superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools is in town this morning to get familiar with everything. It must be nice for her knowing that she doesn’t have much to live up to. [WLKY]

The Louisville Sports Commission and Bellarmine University have been selected to hose the 2012 NCAA Division II Spring National Championships Festival. [Business First]

Am I wrong, or doesn’t this smell like the big dogs at Dismas just wanna use their profits to watch some sports from a fancy box?

Sure, Dismas does some great work. All of the Dismas employees I’ve ever met have been terrific examples of upstanding citizenry. But none of them will ever get to enjoy a luxury box at Yum! Diabetes Center. None of them – the ones busting their rear ends – will get to put their butts in seats in those boxes… like the CEO and the board. So I’m just trying to figure out why on earth anyone can justify this.

An organization would have to have a history of spending large amounts of money on items like this, otherwise the entire board would be freaking out about wasteful spending.

Well… about that. State Auditor of Public Accounts Crit Luallen is today releasing a 77-page audit of the charity. The report examines policies, procedures, controls and the financial activity of Dismas Charities, Inc.

It makes ten findings and offers multiple recommendations for strengthening Dismas’ controls and management oversight.

Let’s dig in to the findings:

1. Dismas Charities Board of Directors’ lack of review and approval weakens control and oversight necessary for accountability. During examination, no evidence was found that any review or approval by the board took place for policy manual adoptions or changes, contract agreements for goods and services, executive staff travel or actual budget expenditures.
2. Several of Dismas Charities’ policies need strengthening to achieve greater accountability. Dismas has a comprehensive set of policies in place but in order to provide accountability required of a nonprofit that receives a majority of its funds from public sources, it’s gotta strengthen nearly everything.
3. Dismas Charities spent funds on sporting and entertainment events with questionable benefit to its mission. Leased a suite at KFC Yum! Center and Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, rented a hospitality “caboose” for University of Louisville football games, financially sponsored Bellarmine University’s basketball team, hosted various social events including an annual Derby Gala, an annual Holiday Open House and golf outings. The report suggests these were all extravagant social events with little value.
4. Dismas Charities’ Executive Staff received significant compensation through salaries, bonuses, and other provided benefits. The top two executives ranked above the 90th percentile for transition care industry salaries. The personnel committee approved the President/CEO’s incentive bonus but Dismas didn’t have policies requiring the board to review and approve it on an annual basis.
5. Dismas Charities ethical policies for Board members, officers, and employees do not cover all areas of standards. Policies don’t address solicitation of vendors or employee use of Dismas property and equipment. Policies for investigating unethical activity and criteria for discipline are not detailed.
6. Dismas Charities’ whistleblower policy does not provide an avenue for employee concerns to be brought directly to the Board. And there’s no internal audit function that investigates and examines issues assigned by the Board of Directors and that reports directly to the Board.
7. Dismas Charities’ Board members received no formal orientation regarding their legal and fiduciary responsibilities. By-Laws and meeting meetings do not reference a required orientation process when new members are sworn in. Executive STaff says there’s an annual orientation program but no documentation of such a program or manual was ever produced.
8. The Department of Corrections’ Master Agreement with Dismas Charities does not contain standard contract language authorizing the APA access to the contractor’s records. That’s not exactly good news when the majority of funds paid by the DOC to Dismas were paid through the master agreement. There was no language providing access to accounting records, documents or other evidence.
9. Certain contract requirements were not reviewed for compliance. The two minimum halfway house inspections per year didn’t appear to be broad enough to ensure that all of the requirements specified in the contract were reviewed for compliance.
10. A cost analysis was not performed by the Department of Corrections to determine the cost effectiveness of Dismas Charities. Without a cost analysis of what the Commonwealth would incur to operate halfway house facilities in lieu of using Dismas, the DOC can’t determine fair per diem rates that should be paid for housing offenders.

None of this is good news for Dismas and it seems the Commonwealth of Kentucky has a bit to be worried about, as well.

Something tells me you’re going to want to read the rest of this to get the juicy, juicy and review the audit by CLICKING HERE…

Today at 7:30 P.M. the Bellarmine will celebrate. Doors open at 6:30. Knights Hall on the University campus (off Norris Place at Knights Way). Be sure to take $15 to buy a championship t-shirt. [Press Release]

Alison Grimes received a Teamsters endorsement in the race to be Kentucky’s next Secretary of State. [Page One]

There’s a feral hog problem in Jefferson Memorial Forest and we all fear for the safety of Fairdale Bigfoot. [WFPL]

GLI announced its 2011 board of directors. You should take a look at the list. [GLI]

Basically, you should be buying flowers for your ladyfriend or your ladyboyfriend. Because that just makes sense. Unless they sneeze at everything. [Consuming Louisville]

Of course the Metropolitan Sewer District’s new ethics policy falls short. Glad the Metro Council finally noticed. Remember all the crap Schardein caused with the whistleblower? It’s like the entire city has forgotten that mess. [C-J/AKN]

The solid gold Kentucky Derby 137 Winnter’s Trophy will arrive at Churchill Downs today at 2:00 P.M. [Press Release]

The public meeting for on the Jefferson County Public Schools superintendent search drew quite a small crowd. [WAVE3]

Here’s hoping the residents of Rubbertown are being taken seriously by Greg Fischer and his administration. We don’t want them to be blown off for a basketball game. [FOX41 & More WFPL]

Schools in Lexington have some sort of fancy new math program that sounds foreign. Do Louisville schools have this? Maybe we’re just linking this to cause controversy. [H-L]

Love him or hate him, Greg Fischer has done the right thing by showing up in Rubbertown after the explosion and then going to Butchertown to hear concerns of the the neighborhood in the wake of the JBS Swift ammonia leak. Jerry Abramson would never have done something so common sense. [Deep Greg Thoughts]

Brent McKim has been cleared to serve on the Jefferson County Public Schools search committee to find a new superintendent. [WAVE3]

Is there a potential problem at the University of Louisville that no one wants to talk about? [The 'Ville Voice]

Here’s what Governor Steve Beshear had to say about the Bellarmine Knights’ win: “My hearty congratulations go out to the Bellarmine Knights for their win over BYU-Hawaii in the NCAA Division II Men’s basketball tournament. I spoke with Coach Davenport this morning and invited him to bring the entire team to the Capitol soon, so that we can celebrate their success and honor their hard work and perseverance. Today all of the Bluegrass is proud of the Knights.” [Press Release]

On Sunday, April 17 at 5:00 P.M., PFLAG will award and celebrate the Bruce and Margaret Lincoln Scholarship recipients at First Lutheran Church (417 E Browdway). Doors open at 5:00. Dinner at 5:30. You’ll need to make at least a $10 donation to the scholarship fund. GO! [PFLAG Louisville]

Will Louisville corporations follow the lead of Lexington-based Lexmark? The company committed to 20 years’ worth of volunteer service in 2011. [H-L]

Greg Fischer, in his Bellarmine hoodie, says city leaders need to amp up the ethics code. Good move on his part. Let’s hope he pushes for this. [FOX41]

Seems like the emergency warning system in Louisville is going to get reamed for the next several weeks until things improve. What a flustercuck. It’s almost as if these things are being allowed to occur just to stick it to Greg Fischer. (I know that’s not the case – just half-joking to lighten the mood.) [Joe Arnold]

Here’s yet another Greg Fischer link. Give his announcement of plans to increase the number of GED-holders in Louisville a quick watch. [Metro TV]

I totally saw my shadow this morning, if you were wondering.

Dear Greg Fischer: Maybe it’s not a good idea to send Sadiqa Reynolds (who is fond of referring to herself as a “former lawyer and body language expert” – to think I ever had respect for her, it’s a shame she sold out and turned 100% ignorant) to Metro Animal Services to lob empty threats at innocent people. Maybe you could get off your ass and actually do something instead of hiding – as has always been the case – daddy’s money and power. You embarrass the living shit out of me. [We're Just Getting Started]

I’m not going to shut up about this. There’s no reason for wasteful legislation to stop meth production. Limiting access to legitimate consumers is ridiculous. Send a letter to your legislator today. [SEND A LETTER!]

Ever wondered what the real financial impact of the meth bill could be? Then you should take a look at this, complete with numbers directly from law enforcement officials, not empty talking points pushed out of Greg Stumbo’s office with the backing of groups that only exist to make him money/get him re-elected. [Page One]

Meet your new mayor. He’s just like the old mayor. What was that, again, about me being nothing but a naysayer when it came to Greg Fischer on the campaign trail? It’s like the man WANTS to prove everything I said right. And he’s working hard to do it. [FatLip]

The Gheens Foundation awarded Bellarmine University $750,000 to support the implementation of its Vision 2020 plan for continued growth and improvement. That is kind of big news for higher education in Louisville. [Bellarmine]

We love the Fund for the Arts and think you should support it. But you should also consider supporting Dare to Care. Feeding the hungry – especially children – is equally as important. If you can give a dollar per paycheck to pay some high dollar artsy salary to keep people like me happy, you can most certainly afford to give a dollar per paycheck to Dare to Care. [WFPL & Dare to Care]

Karen Sypher and her attorney say there was a government conspiracy against her. They say they’ve got the evidence to back their claims up.  Then why the heck didn’t she bring this mess up previously? This disgusting Pitino sexytime scandal is never going away. [WAVE3]

I wanna hear this headline read on TV, “Police released photos of robbery at Cox’s Smokers Outlet…” [FOX41]

Yesterday Greg Fischer announced two new “green” city projects. He can make Louisville as green as he wants. But how many people will really notice him until he takes decisive action to clean up Metro Government? [Metro Gubmint]

Yesterday we launched a project that focuses on shining a light on the messes at Louisville Metro Animal Services. We hope to drive up adoption and volunteer rates, as well. [The 'Ville Voice & LMAS Rainbow Bridge]

How could you steal $831,000 from needy seniors? Jesus H. Hope he enjoys prison. [FatLip]

If you were wondering what the repeal of health care might cost Louisville? Take a look. [External PDF Link]

Wildlife biologist Dr. Eric Regehr will discuss his research on polar bears during a free lecture at Bellarmine University tomorrow afternoon. [Press Release]

Kevin Cosby, a guy focused on buying access to politicians by hosting fundraisers and allowing them access to his church congregation, met with Rand Paul during an MLK event. [WHAS11]

The 2011 Jewish Film Festival starts on February 12. You should probably get prepared if you’re a film nerd. [Consuming Louisville]