Meth in Louisville
Over the last four years, the number of arrests in Louisville for manufacturing methamphetamine has nearly doubled. Police say it’s the result of increased vigilance by officers and citizens in recent years. But as Gabe Bullard reports, authorities acknowledge that just finding and arresting manufacturers and users isn't enough to keep the dangerous drug off the streets.
WARNING: These pages contain images of meth users that some visitors may find disturbing.
Louisville Republicans
Louisville-area Republicans lost a lot of ground in 2006 when Democrat John Yarmuth claimed the Third District congressional seat from the GOP’s Anne Northup, who held the office for ten years. Yarmuth defeated Northup again last year, and the presidency and Congress have also shifted into Democratic hands.
Now the Louisville GOP is making some adjustments, as it plots strategy for next year’s local, state and federal races. Stephanie Sanders caught up with some local Republican leaders to find out more about those preparations.
AmeriCorps
In 1993 President Clinton signed the National Community and Service Trust Act, creating the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps. Often referred to as the domestic Peace Corps, AmeriCorps recruits individuals to serve in communities of need stateside. Addressing such issues as public health, clean energy, education and financial literacy, AmeriCorps strives to be a valuable resource in strengthening local service networks. Janelle Rae spoke with Eileen Cackowski, Executive Director of the Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service about the mission of AmeriCorps.
Biking the Underground Railroad
In the 19th Century, escaped slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad had to deal with vigilantes, search parties and the constant threat of being found and forced into servitude. Pat Crawford of Pensacola, Florida is currently retracing their steps, and he's encountered curious dogs and hopeful southerners. Crawford is the Executive Director of WUWF public radio.
He's riding his bicycle along one of the Underground Railroad routes from Florida into Canada as a fundraiser for his station. Crawford stopped for a rest in Louisville last week, and Gabe Bullard asked the traveler about his trip, the American landscape and how to deal with roving packs of pit bulls.
- Pat Crawford's website from his 2006 hike from Florida to Washington, D.C.
- Crawford's site for his current trip
National Anthem
The Kentucky Derby has invited LeAnn Rimes to sing the national anthem, marking the first time it’s had a national recording artist sing the song at the event. Elizabeth Kramer reportson why the Derby had begun what it is calling “a new tradition” and what it means.
Tania James 
Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, family is what defines us, what makes us who we are. This makes the family dynamic ripe for stories spun off into fiction, novels, short stories, poems, etc. Since the beginning of the modern novel, family relationships have been mined for stories. Tania James continues the tradition. In her first novel, Atlas of the Unknowns, James weaves a story of two sisters trying to find their place in the world. Robin Fisher talked with James about her first novel, families and having a sense of place
