Kentucky

Know the law before you light that rocket. What Louisville and Kentucky laws say about fireworks

Published

5 months ago

June 27, 2025

Press Room

Know the law before you light that rocket. What Louisville and Kentucky laws say about fireworks

It’s almost July 4, and Kentuckians are getting ready to light up the sky.

Before you plan your fireworks celebrations, take a look at what the laws are in the Bluegrass State.

Can you set off fireworks in Kentucky?

Yes, according to the Kentucky State Fire Marshal’s website, as long as you live in a place where local ordinances don’t prohibit it.

Are fireworks legal in Louisville?

In Louisville or Jefferson County, larger display fireworks are not legal due to a local law. Some consumer products that don’t leave the ground, such as sparklers, are allowed.

If the cautionary label on the firework has the words “explosive,” “emits flaming pellets,” “flaming balls,” “firecracker,” “report” or “rocket,” it is automatically a no-go, according to the Louisville-Jefferson County Code of Ordinances.

But, smaller ones like sparklers, cylindrical or cone fountains, wheels and ground spinners are legal. Still, don’t let the size fool you − they can burn up to 1,200 Fahrenheit, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

How to use fireworks safely

The state fire marshal suggests following the following advice when using fireworks:

Use fireworks outdoors.
Obey local laws.
Keep a bucket of water or a working water hose nearby.
Use fireworks as intended and avoid altering them or combining them.
Never relight “dud” fireworks. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
Spectators should keep a safe distance from the person lighting the firework (the individual lighting it should wear safety glasses).
Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a “designated adult operator.”
Do not use homemade fireworks or illegal explosives.
Report illegal explosives to the fire or police department in your community.
Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks.
Read and follow all instructions on the label.

Former Courier Journal reporter Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez contributed.

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Kentucky

Kentucky child abuse prevention group trains advocates statewide

Published

9 minutes ago

November 13, 2025

Press Room

Kentucky child abuse prevention group trains advocates statewide

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Kentucky has one of the highest child abuse rates in the country, with data from the Child Maltreatment 2023 Report showing about 14 out of every 1,000 children in the Commonwealth experienced some form of abuse or neglect.

Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky is working to change that through its two-day Upstream Academy training program designed to build a statewide network of advocates.

According to Norton Children’s, Kentucky’s child abuse rate is the fourth highest in the country. Leaders say socioeconomic factors contribute to the problem.

“Socioeconomics can be a part of child abuse. People are stressed, incomes are low, things are happening so that can actually be a cause of it. It could be, you know, their past. They’ve been abused so they’re abusing their children,” said Rebecca Cantrell, an Upstream Academy trainee.

Training creates advocate network

Cantrell, who adopted her own daughter, attended the training in Lexington on Thursday.

“If it’s not talked about it’s not fixed, so if we can talk about it we can help prevent it,” Cantrell said. “If there’s any way I can prevent it I am going to try.”

The training aims to teach advocates how to recognize warning signs of abuse and how to make reports. Participants also learn about available resources in their communities.

“Get to know the advocates in your town. Get to know the people that you can get resources from to help even your neighbor,” Cantrell said.

Statewide expansion planned

Jill Seyfred, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, said the organization’s goal is to train at least one person from each county.

“Our goal is to train at least one person from each county and then that person will go out and conduct trainings on child abuse prevention activities and then it’ll be a ripple effect,” Seyfred said.

When complete, 120 people will be trained with tools to help prevent child abuse across Kentucky.

“We know that there are people out there who are interested in doing this work and helping us,” Seyfred said.

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Kentucky

Mark Pope says Kentucky got ‘punished’ for ‘not playing the right way’

Published

18 hours ago

November 12, 2025

Press Room

Mark Pope says Kentucky got ‘punished’ for ‘not playing the right way’

Mark Pope began his press conference with congratulations for Louisville, but quickly turned to a brutally honest assessment of his own team, calling the performance “extremely poorly” and an “incredibly disappointing” product for Kentucky basketball.

But the entire game —and Kentucky’s core issue —was summed up by one stat line.

Louisville had 20 assists and 6 turnovers. Kentucky had 14 assists and 14 turnovers.

“The 20 to 6 compared to the 14-14 tells the really the whole story of the game,” Pope said.

The Wildcats were “sticky with the ball,” as Pope put it, and completely abandoned their offensive principles. The result was a 20-point deficit and a final score that wasn’t as close as it looked. The Cats were able to get it to 4, but bad shot selection and bad defense allowed the Cardinals to end on an 8-4 spurt over the last 3 minutes.

How Kentucky got “punished”

Pope was clear that this wasn’t just a bad shooting night; it was a failure of execution that led to a confession you hate to hear, but know it is true:

“We’re going to lose a 20-to-6, 14-to-14 game. We’re just going to lose it,” Pope said. “And… we got punished for not playing it the right way.”

That punishment was clear. Louisville scored 19 points off turnovers and had 11 steals, constantly hounding Kentucky’s primary scorers. Otega Oweh, who finished with 5 turnovers on 4-for-13 shooting, was a primary target of the Cardinals’ defense.

“I thought they were physical with them. I thought they brought a crowd. They did everything we didn’t do,” Pope said of the plan against Oweh. “They were really good at bringing a crowd and… making them play through multiple defenders.”

Kentucky has a tune-up against Wright State on Friday, and it is really needed after the overall display put on tape last night. The good news is they still were in the game after playing so badly for long stretches. So, if you are a silver lining kind of fan, there you go.

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Kentucky

KFCA names top players, linemen, coaches for each of state’s 48 football districts

Published

2 days ago

November 11, 2025

Press Room

KFCA names top players, linemen, coaches for each of state’s 48 football districts

The Kentucky Football Coaches Association has named its Players of the Year, Linemen of the Year and Coaches of the Year for all 48 districts, eight in each class.

Players of the Year, Linemen of the Year and Coaches of the Year for all six classes will be named during the state finals Dec. 5-6 at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field in Lexington. The KFCA Mr. Football and statewide Coach Haywood Lineman of the Year and Jimmie Reed Coach of the Year awards will be announced in mid-December.

Louisville-area Player of the Year winners are Christian Academy’s Ja’Hyde Brown, North Oldham’s Colin Daniels, Spencer County’s Keyon Davis, Atherton’s Garyon Hobbs, Bullitt Central’s A.J. Lee, Manual’s Gerian Traynor, Male’s Steron Davidson and Trinity’s Zane Johnson.

Louisville-area Lineman of the Year winners are Kentucky Country Day’s Kris Mandy, Christian Academy’s Kellan Hall, Valley’s Josh Vaughan, Spencer County’s Richard Gilbert, Iroquois’ Jeremiah Jackson, Fairdale’s Chaz Tutt, Male’s Christian White and Trinity’s Nate Shields.

Louisville-area Coach of the Year winners are Christian Academy’s Hunter Cantwell, Butler’s Gary Wheeler, Fairdale’s Louis Dover, St. Xavier’s Kevin Wallace, Male’s Chris Wolfe and Oldham County’s Jamie Reed.

Here are the award winners for each district, with Player of the Year listed first and followed by Lineman of the Year and Coach of the Year.