Illustrating once again to me what a small town Louisville is, the attorney working for the ethics commission assigned to sort through various legal issues and questions has past ties to both Mr. Zielke and MSD. For the record, Deborah Kent tells me she worked for Mr. Zielke for about three years in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and then worked for MSD for about six years. She’s now in private practice.

Kent is in an advisory role only to the commission, and as far as I know, has no remaining ties to either MSD or Mr. Zielke.

My thoughts:

Several weeks ago I mentioned Kent and Zielke (Steve Henry’s apologist – funny how that worked, since he got CONVICTED). She freaked out, claimed she had nothing to do with him, that they weren’t on good terms. So let’s assume that’s a reality. Wouldn’t it mean she should recuse herself if there’s bad blood? Wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest?

I’m in the group of people who believes Metro Ethics is a flipping joke – so it doesn’t matter either way. But come on. This sort of incestuous crap is what ruins our city.

Don’t worry, kids, the MSD board is weight tighter ethics rules. HAHAHA. [C-J/AKN]

Yesterday was the 131st day Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Steve Robertson has questioned Jack Conway over his involvement in his brother’s drug scandal: “As Jack Conway wonders how Todd P’Pool denied him the FOP endorsement, it’s probably worth considering that Jack didn’t do himself any favors by refusing to address a serious situation in which he undermined the rule of law by granting special favors to his friends and family instead of doing the right thing.” [RPK Finally Remembered To Send A Release]

The entire state is freaking out about our bridges situation. Here’s betting Anne Northup regrets poo-pooing the idea of light rail funding a decade ago. [H-L]

John Yarmuth says needed repairs on the Sherman Minton bridge are as serious as disaster relief. [WFPL]

Everybody just cold hates the Jefferson County Public Schools student assignment plan. [FOX41]

Even Teddy Gordon released a statement about it: “How much more is JCPS going to rearrange the deck chairs on this Titanic? The student assignment plan sank years ago for good reason; it does not work in improving the education for any child in Louisville. Furthermore, the amount of taxpayer’s money that JCPS has wasted on these convoluted and malarkey studies could have been used to hire more qualified teachers.” [Press Release]

Don’t worry, Roger, Kentuckians will still flock to godforsaken Indiana to drink all of your fancy beer. We wouldn’t neglect you like that. [WHAS11]

Maybe you meat eater types should consider eating disgusting Tofurkey for a while. [Business First]

The NuLu Festival will be here again on September 24, 2011. Get ready for it. [Consuming Louisville]

Now you know why we call her ODJ. Judy Green didn’t even have the guts to show up for her removal hearing. You’d think someone who screamed so loudly from the rafters would have the cojones to come defend herself if she’s innocent and if she’s been so wronged. [WAVE3]

Most people in the United States want a ban on smoking in public places, according to the latest polling data. [Reuters]

Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Steve Robertson questioned Jack Conway for the 76th day in a row yesterday: “The roller coaster ride that Jack Conway has taken us all on is nearing an end,” said Robertson. “His refusal to answer simple questions regarding whether he engaged in a serious conflict of interest speaks volumes to voters.” [Press Release]

Louisville native and Iraq veteran Troy Yocum is walking across the country to raise money for military families in need. Check this out. [Broken Sidewalk]

The Gannett beast’s profits have fallen 22% as circulation and newsprint advertising are dying out. [Poynter]

This Friday at 9:00 A.M. Eastern, Congressman John Yarmuth will host his second annual “Build Your Skills: A Job Hunter’s Guide to Success” workshop. If you’re interested in going, be sure to RSVP via Yarmuth’s official website. [Yarmuth's Site]

Louisville isn’t one of the top ten cities in the United States with the fastest green jobs growth. Maybe we can change that. We’re “Possibility City,” after all. [HuffPo]

July’s Car-Free Happy Hour will take place this Thursday at The Egg Roll Machine/Cafe Mimosa at 5:30 P.M. [Consuming Louisville]

No, this Judy Green mess is not over with the Metro Council. The entire city is literally going to melt from the heat and from Judy’s ethical lapses. [FOX41]

For real. Just check this mess of folks getting sworn in to decide Judy Green’s fate. [WAVE3]

We won’t know what’s going down with Judy until the first or second week of August. [Phillip Bailey]

U.S. Attorney Kerry Harvey says a nursing home’s worthless care lead to deaths and injuries. [H-L]

The Kentucky Arts Council awarded $95,000 to Actors Theatre of Louisville. This is why our city can have nice things. [WHAS11]

Okay, this issue apparently died down. But how do you feel about two-way traffic coming to portions of Brook and First Streets? [Broken Sidewalk]

The Belle of Louisville has canceled Easter! At least, the Easter Brunch has been canceled thanks to high water. [Press Release]

Parker Raque, a local at Penn State, has earned All-America honors as a gymnast. [GpPSUsports.com]

Douglass Boulevard Christian Church is standing with marriage equality. This is another significant move to push this city and this state forward. [WHAS11]

Decades after the gay rights movement swept secular schools, more gays and lesbians are coming out at Christian colleges but are running up against conservative administrators, trustees and alumni. [NY Times]

A trial has finally been set in the Andrew Compton murder case and the community once again has its stomach in its throat. [WAVE3]

The editorial board is right again and the University of Louisville needs to stop treating public dollars like they’re private. [C-J/AKN]

Metro Council is seeking stronger ethics rules for quasi-governmental agencies. [WFPL]

Hope you got a load of some of the quarterly campaign finance reports for Kentucky candidates on the federal level. [Page One]

Maybe something IS being done about abandoned properties and such??? [Metro Gubmint]

Here are the latest details from Bobbie Coleslaw’s gubernatorial campaign, which is apparently never getting off the ground. [H-L]

Wasn’t that just approved last Wednesday – just two days prior to the announcement? Or are we missing a bunch? Because it seems this went down quite quickly.

Did the Board of Education advertise for bids, examine them and award them all in a two-day time frame?

Or did the KDE develop the bid and release it before it was approved?

Did the KDE have the contractor selected before the BOE meeting?

Maybe the $50,000 – $200,000 JCPS-KDE snafu should be the least of our worries? We’re not alleging wrongdoing, but there certainly are a lot of questions that Terry Holliday and crew don’t want to answer.

Judy Green issued the following statement (seriously) in regard to LEO Weekly’s annual fake issue:

“I have been made aware of a letter written in the LEO this week that has my name attached to it. While I understand that this is a yearly issue made up of false stories as part of an April Fool’s joke, too many people have contacted me believing this letter is authentic and was written by me.

I have not written nor have I instructed anyone to write a letter that is critical of the paper or any of its current or former reporters.

While I can understand the spirit of the “Fake” issue, I hope that in the future the publication will give serious thought to its choice of words with regard to current events because sometimes the public does not get the joke.”

Lest you think this is an April Fools’ Joke, here’s the press release received from the Majority Caucus spokesman:

CLICK FOR PDF

The joke’s on Ole Dirty Judy. Wow.

Judy Green’s ethics hearing has been rescheduled. Meaning this hot mess is going to be dragged out even longer. [WFPL]

A few mouth-breathers who have pretended to stop reading this website continue to email us with silly troll concerns. He’s a pro-tip: we’re not holding a gun to your head forcing you to read us. [If You Say You're Going Away, Teabaggers, Then Go Away]

FACT: Branden Klayko has totally disappeared and no one knows where he is because, well, why not. [Broken Sidewalk]

Yeah, it’s nice for Greg Fischer to get a feel for each agency of Metro Government. But spending an entire day playing firefighter is, well, see for yourself. [FOX41 & WLKY]

This is a great story about 36 hours in Louisville. You should give it a read. [NY Times]

The Community Ventures Corporation announced yesterday that it was opening the Women’s Business Center of Kentucky downtown. [H-L]

Yet another hipster restaurant is opening on East Market Street. Which means people like us are super-excited. [Consuming Louisville]

An ambulance company with offices in Louisville is under investigation for allegedly defrauding the government. [WHAS11]

But have you ever wondered just how many complaints have come through at that cost?

Let’s take a look (Warning: External PDF Link):

• 11 incidents taking up 301 hours of work

The three largest were hot messes, though. One lasted 167 hours and didn’t produce evidence to substantiate allegations. One took 28 hours and another 46. Neither resulted in usable evidence.

Welcome to the sad state of Metro Gubmint.

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]

SMUG?

Right?

I mean… all anyone needs to do is obtain emails from Green’s office to 100 Black Men, Feed the City, the Chickasaw Neighborhood Association, Youth Alive and the Life Institute. Cause there’s tons of information therein that everyone seems to be ignoring.

Potential misappropriation of funds from Feed the City. The others have received money from ODJ, tying her directly to them.

Maybe it’s time to pull the Kroger Card receipts that are in question, according to the police report, and see how all that money was spent.

I’m beginning to think the prosecutor didn’t do their job and was potentially asked to back off. The police did their job and detailed scandal that would have required additional discovery and investigation, which did not take place for some reason.

It’s time for a full-scale, Steve Henry-style investigation. Conway needs to appoint a special prosecutor. The Kentucky State Police needs to step in. This nightmare needs to end for our city.

P.S. DeVone Holt and WLOU are still refusing to release the tapes. Cowards. They’re ignorantly trying to turn this into a racial issue. Huge failure on their part.