Sherman Minton Bridge reopens
Just before midnight on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, the Sherman Minton Bridge reopened, allowing approximately 80,000 displaced drivers to once again commute between Kentucky and Indiana via Interstate 64.
In a release made through Facebook, Louisville mayor Greg Fischer said: “The reopening of the Sherman Minton is certainly great news. The bridge’s closing has been a very clear reminder that our region’s economic vitality is tied to cross-river mobility — that’s why getting the Ohio River Bridges Project under construction is so important. Although the closing had a significant impact on our region, it also brought out the best in our people. Commuters adjusted their schedules, businesses allowed employees to work staggered hours and city and state transportation officials worked diligently to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. Hats off to Hall Contracting for getting the job done early.”
Hall Contracting was scheduled to finish the project my March 2, but finished two weeks ahead of time. One lane of the bridge will remain closed as workers finish painting the new steel beams, but the “nightmare” that many Indiana commuters have described has come to an end.
U of L hospital merger continues
A month and a half after Governor Steve Beshear rejected a proposal that would merge University Hospital with the Catholic health care system, the U of L Board of Trustees has voted to give the university the go-ahead to search for new partners. The board voted last week to give University Medical Center Inc. and U of L permission to issue a request for proposals from other health care organizations interested in merging. A merger could help to steady the hospital’s wavering finances.
New donation to U of L library archives
Around 30 issues of The Louisville Cardinal, dating from 1935 to 1937, have been donated to the University of Louisville Ekstrom Library archives. The donation comes from professor Michael Johmann, who also gave a circa 1924 copy of The Kentucky Cardinal, The Louisville Cardinal’s forerunner. Johmann said he hopes the papers will help archive some of U of L’s early history, which was hit hard by the flood of 1937. “Issues such as these are rather scarce,” he said.
Miss U of L pageant race
The Miss University of Louisville pageant’s 2012 contestant pool is the largest in its five-year history, with 16 girls competing. Two crowns will be presented this year – one for both the Miss University of Louisville and the Miss Cardinal Country titles.
The pageant is scheduled for Wednesday, March 7 at 7 p.m.
U of L to help soldiers with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
President James Ramsey signed an agreement last week with Maj. Gen. Edward Tonini, who was representing the Kentucky National Guard. The document outlines a partnership between the university and the guard, promoting “an ongoing professional exchange among soldiers and their families,” according to a release. The two organizations will also initiate programs to research post traumatic stress disorder, institute degree programs for soldiers, improve training in language and culture and add summer academic and athletic camps for guardsmen’s children, along with other initiatives.
