The Rusty Satellite shines on Portland this week, with my interview with the pastor of the Church of the Promise and the man behind the Portland Promise Center, Larry Stoess. We recorded our interview in his office, just in back of The Table restaurant, on Tuesday. Larry has a new book being released soon, Think Red, which examines how we might be different if everyone thought like Jesus. Stoess, raised in Oldham County, moved to Portland with his wife to start a ministry that has grown to include a restaurant and a new program for first-time home buyers. Listen in, and you’ll feel just a little bit better about good things happening in our community.
To borrow from the old SNL skit, Jessica Bledsoe and her husband decided last year to start living in a van (though not down by the river). The Bledsoes traveled extensively in the Western U.S., all the while working on their big project, PAVR. That’s a Google Marketplace Web app that helps busy people figure out how they’ve been spending their time. We met at her office in NuLu, just down the street from Hectare’s CBD store, where I was able to load up on some great new product.
While I’m truly focused on local news here on the Rusty Satellite, I was shocked to learn of the whole Jon Gruden fiasco. Little did I know that Gruden, who resigned as coach of my longtime favorite NFL team, the Raiders, was a homophobic, misogynistic bigot who represents what’s wrong with this country. And, surprise, many members of the far right are defending him over social media for horrific emails sent over an eight-year period. The truth is that you are what you write, no matter when you wrote it. The big local story is the announced resignation of John Yarmuth from Congress, setting up a contentious race for his seat in 2022. And Carla Dearing, a local businesswoman, announced that she’s joined the crowded race for Louisville mayor.
Some good news — Hillbilly Star, the new record from Johnny Berry & the Outliers, comes out tomorrow on SonaBlast Records, and there’s a release party at the High Horse Bar Oct. 29. The big event this weekend is, surprisingly, a matchup of undefeated college football teams — Georgia and . . . Kentucky.
The city’s longest running and most interesting podcast is sponsored by Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill, Hectare’s Natural Wellness Solutions, and eXp Realty. Call Rick at 502-439-6391 with your comments or suggestions about the show.