Louisville-based nonprofit Nile Orphan Care is working to help hundreds of orphans in South Sudan, a country that’s experienced decades of conflict and civil war.

October is Women’s Small Business Month, and here in Louisville, Amanda Dare has built a platform that celebrates women-led shops year-round. She's the founder of Woman-Owned Wallet Feminist Gift Shop in NuLu and creator of the Woman-Owned Walking Tour — a map that highlights local businesses owned by women. LPM's Ayisha Jaffer spoke with Amanda about Louisville’s women-owned business community, her feminist gift shop and other business ventures, and the growth and challenges facing female entrepreneurs today.

It’s Halloween season, when bats appear in holiday decorations and spooky stories. But beyond their eerie reputation, bats are year-round neighbors in Kentucky and a vital part of our environment. Matthew Springer is an associate extension professor of wildlife management at the University of Kentucky. His work focuses on wildlife ecology, human-wildlife interactions and conservation outreach. We spoke with Matthew about Kentucky’s bat species, the threats they face, and what people can do to support them.

The event has expanded from a grassroots graffiti jam to a festival hosting more than 170 artists, raising the city’s profile in the street art community.

In Louisville, access to prenatal and postpartum care is still a challenge for many families. One leader working to close those gaps is Shemika Whiteside, Executive Director of Zora’s Cradle, where she helps families with everything from milk and diapers to housing, therapy, and advocacy.

A Louisville group dedicated to encouraging outdoor events and camping in the Black community will have its second annual camping event this weekend. Brittiney Griffin is the founder of Black Azz Camping. She talks with LPM’s Michelle Tyrene Johnson about the event and her group’s mission.

Every October, spooky stories resurface — and here in Louisville, few loom larger than the Goatman, also known as the Pope Lick Monster, said to haunt a railroad trestle in eastern Jefferson County. Michael Book is the author of “The Legend of Pope Lick.” He spoke with LPM’s Ayisha Jaffer about the Goatman’s origins, the dangers around the legend, and how it lives on through the upcoming Goatman Festival.

Sadiqa Reynolds announced last month that she was stepping down as CEO of the Perception Institute, a think tank based in New York City, to focus fully on the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center. Reynolds was a longtime leader of the Louisville Urban League. Reynolds sits down with LPM's Michelle Tyrene Johnson to talk about what brought her focus back to Louisville, and this weekend’s Artists and Afros event, an art show she started last year.

The Louisville Book Festival is back October 11, and at its center is local author and therapist Deedee Cummings. On this episode, Deedee talks about this year’s Festival, her new children’s book “Hope in the Nick of Time,” and why access to diverse stories matters now more than ever.

It’s fall in Louisville—a time when arts and culture are buzzing across the city. From Halloween traditions and local folklore to Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and music education programs, what’s shaping Louisville’s creative scene right now? On this episode, we check in with LPM’s arts and culture reporter Giselle Rhoden about the artists, stories, and communities bringing Louisville to life this season.

Gerrymandering isn’t just about drawing political maps—it’s also happening in Kentucky’s prisons. When incarcerated people are counted as residents of prisons instead of their hometowns, it can shift political power and representation across the state. On this episode, we talk with Mike Wessler, Communications Director with the Prison Policy Initiative, about why prison-related gerrymandering matters to democracy.

Louisville Public Media is celebrating 75 years of service to our community. As part of that celebration, we’re sharing the stories of people who’ve helped shape Louisville, in a project called 75 and Change. Today, Michelle Tyrene Johnson from the “On Track” production team sits down with one of those changemakers, Betty Winston Bayé, for a conversation about her groundbreaking career as a Black journalist in Louisville.

Soccer pride is building in Louisville and Racing Louisville is at the center of it. From big wins on the field to growing hometown support, how is this young club shaping the city’s sports identity? We’ll be talking with Head Coach Bev Yanez and Team Captain Arin Wright about the team, their journey, and what’s ahead this season.

What is music education, and why is it so beneficial for young people, even if they’re not musicians? We’re joined by vocalist, songwriter and educator Kiana Del, LPM’s Engagement Manager for Music Education, to talk about teaching music to kids, how it shapes their growth, and why access and expression matter.

Louisville’s tap water is award-winning and nationally recognized. But so-called “forever chemicals” are raising new questions about what’s really in our drinking water. We talk with health and environmental reporter Morgan Watkins from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting about PFAS in Louisville’s water and what’s being done to keep the Ohio River safe.

Your child’s mental health matters, but between school pressures, social media, and life changes, it can be hard to know what kids really need. On this episode, Dr. Katy Hopkins of Norton Healthcare joins us to share what families should watch for, and how to build habits that support kids’ mental health.

Everyone in Louisville knows there’s a right and a wrong way to say the name of our city. So then why are there so many different ways to pronounce it? And how did it evolve this way? We're revisit our conversation about the many ways to say Louisville, and how language can become a stand-in for identity, and belonging.

Bernheim Forest and Arboretum is one of Kentucky’s most beloved natural spaces, connecting people with nature in the region. It protects rare wildlife and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. We talk with Bernheim’s President and CEO, Mark Wourms, and Director of Conservation Andrew Berry, about the forest’s mission, challenges, and future.

If you’ve been driving through downtown Louisville lately, you’ve probably noticed construction zones, lane closures, and shifting traffic patterns. The city is in the middle of a major transportation overhaul that could reconfigure how key streets work. So what’s being done to keep traffic moving, and make our streets safer for everyone? Jennifer Caummisar-Kern, Executive Director of Metro Louisville Public Works, joins us to talk about it.

Black Louisvillians have higher rates of cancer, heart disease and stroke than their white neighbors. And men here have a lower average life expectancy than women do. On this episode, we meet Kamari Wooten, the coordinator of Black Men’s Wellness Day. It’s an event featuring health screenings, a 5K and more, all focused on improving the health of Black men in our city.