Ryan Van Velzer
KPR Managing EditorRyan Van Velzer is the Kentucky Public Radio Managing Editor.
Ryan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and has more than a decade of experience in the industry. He has worked for The Arizona Republic, The Associated Press, The South Florida Sun Sentinel and as a travel reporter in Central America and Southeast Asia.
He has won numerous awards including regional Edward R. Murrow awards, Associated Press Broadcasters awards and Society of Professional Journalists Louisville Pro Chapter awards.
Email him at rvanvelzer@lpm.org.
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The first sighting of the invasive spotted lanternfly was confirmed earlier this month in northern Kentucky, according to University of Kentucky Entomologist Jonathan Larson.
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LPM News collected questions from the public asking how Kentucky’s next governor would protect people and the environment. Here’s how they responded.
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Kentucky used $25 million in federal funds to clean up more than 600 abandoned oil and gas wells around the state over the last year.
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Kentucky’s clean energy workforce was the second fastest-growing in the country last year behind Tennessee, according to a new report.
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Louisville has struggled for decades to rein in ozone pollution. Local regulators now think the city’s air quality has improved enough that it meets the federal standard. If the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agrees the city could end requirements that make the city’s gas more expensive, but environmental experts are concerned the economic benefits could come at the expense of vulnerable populations.
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It can be more than 10 degrees hotter in parts of Louisville that lack grass and trees. This week Louisville announced a $12 million federal grant to combat urban heat in underserved areas and improve the city’s tree canopy.
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The Kentucky Public Service Commission approved a special contract allowing a cryptomining facility in Pike County to receive discounted electricity from Kentucky Power, even though the utility won’t have the capacity to meet existing customers’ demand in 2026.
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What are your plans for when the lights go out? September is National Preparedness Month. Kentucky emergency management has this reminder on how to best prepare for disasters.
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The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied another request to block Kentucky and Tennessee bans on gender-affirming care for minors while the court reviews a legal challenge to the laws. A final decision in the case is expected later this month.
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It’s been about a decade since Louisville Metro learned it had one of the fastest growing urban heat islands in the country. The risks disproportionately impact historically marginalized neighborhoods. Experts say the city has the chance to become a national leader at combating the problem, but an LPM News analysis finds it could take a century or longer at the current pace.