If you skipped from 2019 to 2021 in Shelbyville, you might not even notice that a pandemic put most of the world on pause for a year. 30 minutes east of my house, Mayor David Eaton oversees a city that has seen exactly zero businesses fail downtown, is building a new convention center and offering more activities for tourists. And between the first time Eaton was mayor back in the 1990s, to the middle of his second term, the city’s population has tripled.
Eaton says he’s in his final term as Mayor, with plenty of projects to complete before spending more time at the city’s Weissinger Hills Golf Course.
I was thrilled to catch up with Lori Cheek, who last appeared on the show in December 0f 2014, a time when she was getting national attention as the creator of a dating app that was featured on the TV show Shark Tank. A lot has happened since, including Lori’s decision to move home from New York after anticipating what COVID-19 would do to that city. She’s settled in NuLu, for now, and figuring out which nightspots have the best warming stations.
We decided to have a beer at West Sixth, though she insisted on sitting outside, where it was nice and sunny.
Some real estate statistics from the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors tell the story of an industry’s change — though sales overall increased by 13 percent, average pricing jumped by 16 percent while available inventory fell by 41 percent. You can see what’s available right now at my eXp Realty web site.
Also in the news, the new Louisville Extreme indoor football team announced it will play games this year at the KFC Yum! Center, and Kentucky Kingdom will open under new ownership this spring. In media, WAVE’s Lauren Jones offered an emotional exit after the station didn’t renew her contract. And it’s Restaurant Week, a great opportunity to support the industry and have a night out. Or you could stay in for a healthy meal from Home Cuisine, a sponsor of our show.
