By Stephanie CrosbyOtter Creek Park in Meade County will get a new breath of life when it re-opens next spring under a new operator. The park is owned by Louisville Metro Government and had been operated by Metro Parks until last year, when it was shut down because of budget cuts.A new agreement was signed Wednesday under which Louisville gives most of the park’s 2,100 acres to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to operate. Governor Steve Beshear says the park will now be known as Otter Creek Outdoor Recreational Area.“The park will continue to offer trails for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding. Likewise, Camp Piomingo operated by the YMCA of Greater Louisville under a lease at Otter Creek will continue to offer its programs to youth,” he said.The park was given to the City of Louisville by the federal government decades ago, and then the city purchased an additional 200 or so acres. Beshear says the state will pay Louisville for that acreage.He says a user fee will also be put in place to help pay for operations at the park, but an exact amount hasn’t been determined.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.
