PODCAST · society
Curious Louisville
by Louisville Public Media
Have you ever had a question about the Derby City that you just can't answer? That's where Curious Louisville comes in. Listeners submit their questions, the public votes on which questions to investigate, and 89.3 WFPL finds the answers.
Episodes
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A Curious Louisville Can Opener Special
Interstate 65 has re-opened in Louisville, and it might be the end of an era for a certain notorious underpass. The Can Opener's emergence as a cult hero was a bright spot in an otherwise stressful couple of months for Louisville drivers, and we all had a lot of questions. Like, why is it so much...
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What's the story behind Louisville's "Lovers Lane"?
Unless you’ve traveled through the area, you might not know there’s something very special about Springdale Road in northeast Louisville: over a hundred brightly-colored, signs with romantic messages. They range from homemade from scraps of wood to professionally printed on metal. Locals call it...
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How did U of L's David Isaacs become the 'Godfather' of college basketball stats?
Did you know that one team from the University of Louisville has been part of every NCAA men’s basketball Final Four since 1969? You won’t see them on the court, but look on the sidelines and you’ll spot a team of hardworking statisticians who learned from the best. David Isaacs was part of that...
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Does road salt end up in the Ohio River?
The city of Louisville has a fleet of around 50 salt trucks, and when it snows, each can carry 10 tons of snow at a time to scatter on our roads and expressways. When the snow melts, most of us never have to think about that salt again. But Annie McCanless, a retired social studies teacher in the...
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Were there Civil War barracks in Old Louisville?
Have you ever used the "places" feature in the Wikipedia app? It shows you interesting sites near your location. Michelle Kadikian, who lives in Old Louisville, used that feature while at home, and found fragments of information about a Civil War encampment called Taylor Barracks. There's not a…
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Did a German spy really live in my house?
When Sarah and Lowe Sutherland bought their house back in 2007, a friend of a friend told her a titillating story: "I was a paper boy on your street back in that during the war, and when I was delivering the papers, I saw that they arrested a German spy in the house that you just bought." The...
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What's with the beeping box in NuLu?
It sits alongside a brick building in Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood. It’s a metal box, about the size of a dresser, or maybe a deep freezer, but a little taller. And it makes a beeping sound. Sort of an alarm, but so quiet you can't hear it until you're close to the box. It's been described as...
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Who are those faces on the old Manual High School?
At the corner of Brook and Oak Streets in Old Louisville sits a building that started out as the duPont Manual Training High School, back in 1892. When Dan Trabue moved to the neighborhood around 25 years ago, he noticed something curious near the building's roofline: six round medallions, each...
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Who is the voice of the crosswalk?
"Whose voice is that on the the walk sign at Douglass Loop and Bardstown Road? I go through that area quite a bit, and at some point I noticed that there was a voice, and that the voice didn't sound like they were from Louisville." That's what Dan Pike and many other people have been curious…
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What's That Door In A Hill On Lexington Road?
You may have seen it while driving down Lexington road, away from downtown, just before Headliners Music Hall. A retaining wall in the side of the hill... with a door in the middle. What's behind it? It's a question we get a lot at Curious Louisville. On this episode, Ashlie Stevens takes us…
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Curious Louisville: Do White Outer Lines Make Roads Safer?
For fourteen years, Robert Miles has seen cars in ditches, in neighbor’s yards and in his own fencing that borders the boundary of the horse farm his family owns. He lives off Todds Point Road in Shelby County. “It’s horrific, you’re taking your life in your hands every time you go through,”…
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Why Is A Stretch Of Louisville Highway Measured In Kilometers?
The United States prides itself on a kind of rugged individualism. We like to think we do things our own way here. So while the rest of the world uses the metric system, here in America, we use a system based on inches, feet, yards and miles. Except on a particular stretch of Louisville highway....
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Why Does The U of L Cardinal Mascot Have Teeth?
Woody Woodpecker. Donald Duck. Iago from “Aladdin." Louie, the U of L cardinal. All these birds have something in common: at various points in their histories, they have been depicted with a full toothy grin. Which leads to our latest Curious Louisville question from Rachel Peterson: “Why does…
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Curious Louisville: Why Is There An Omar Khayyam Blvd In Valley Station?
Nadeem Saddiqui and his family recently moved to Valley Station, in the southeastern part of Louisville. "It's stereotypically not the most multi-cultural area of Louisville," he said. So it surprised him to see a street named Omar Khayyam Blvd. "It was a medieval Persian poet," he said. "Growing...
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Curious Louisville: Who Were The Caldwell Sisters?
Support Curious Louisville: Curious Louisville is all about you. You send us your questions, and we take you along with us on a search for the answer. It's people-powered. In fact, our whole organization here is people-powered -- it's because of your support that we can do the work we do. Join us...
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Curious Louisville: Who Cleans Up Graffiti On The Backs Of Freeway Signs?
Is it art? Is it crime? A little bit of both? Whatever it is, it's part of your morning commute. "Every morning when I commute to work, no matter which way I go, I started to see more and more graffiti on the back of the signs," Joe Sullivan reported. "I saw it and I thought, I hope they take…
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Curious Louisville: Why Are There So Many Fish Fries In Louisville?
Every year at the beginning of Lent, (the period in the Christian calendar between Ash Wednesday and Easter) WFPL publishes a guide to all the fish fries in Louisville. It's always one of our most popular stories of the year. There are Facebook groups dedicated solely to rating the different fish...
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Curious Louisville: What Was Old Louisville Called Before It Was 'Old?'
Louisville is a city of neighborhoods. For a lot of people, where they live is a big part of their identity. And Curious Louisville listener Evan Patrick wondered about how one neighborhood developed an identity of its own. WFPL’s Ashlie Stevens looked into the answer.
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Curious Louisville: What Happened To Muhammad Ali's Olympic Medal?
In the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, a young Muhammad Ali -- then called Cassius Clay -- defeated three-time European boxing champion Zbigniew Pietrzykowski. He returned to Louisville with a gold medal, which he wore around his neck for days afterwards; some biographers say he even slept with it...
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Curious Louisville: Whatever Happened To The Falls Fountain?
It was supposed to be Louisville’s answer to the St. Louis arch. But in the press, it was eventually called ugly. A turkey A good idea gone bad. It’s been gone since 1998, but not entirely forgotten. In fact, it’s been on Curious Louisville listener Mark Friedland’s mind: Whatever happened to the...
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Curious Louisville: Why Is The Bridge Being Painted Yellow?
If you're driving downtown near the river, you can't miss it: a brand new paint job in progress on the Clark Memorial Bridge. We've heard it compared to a school bus, a canary, and butter. Curious Louisville listener Allan Steinberg wanted to know how the color was chosen. (Allan's not a fan: "I...
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Curious Louisville: What's Up With That Stone Circle In Champions Park?
In a park off of River Road, nearly hidden by scrubby grass is a mystery: an about 50-foot wide stone circle marking long-ago infrastructure. This ring intrigued Curious Louisville listener Jim Turner, and he asked about it. “I heard [the circle] was a wading pool administered by the Louisville...
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Curious Louisville: What Is On Shippingport Island?
In the middle of the Ohio River, visible from I-65 and Louisville’s Portland neighborhood, is a tiny island called “Shippingport.” You can drive to the base of the island, but you’ll be met with an array of “no trespassing” signs and wire gates. And Curious Louisville listener Ruby Fields wanted…
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Curious Louisville: What Is In The Tiny House On The 14th Street Bridge?
If you’re driving down I-64, and happen to look out over the Ohio River, you may catch a glimpse of a house-like structure on top of the 14th Street Bridge. It’s small -- barely noticeable -- but a lot of people have questions about it. Including our latest Curious Louisville listener. WFPL’s...
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What Happens To Your Recycling?
Over the last couple years, WFPL's Curious Louisville has received nearly a dozen questions about Louisville recycling. People want to know what happens after it leaves the curb, where it all goes, and how a 2017 Chinese policy impacts recycling in Kentucky. In this installment of Curious...
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Curious Louisville: What Causes Traffic Signals To Go Out?
Traffic signals: you barely notice them until they’re not working. But what actually causes them to malfunction? That's what a Curious Louisville listener wanted know; As WFPL's Amina Elahi found out the culprit is often power, or -- more accurately -- the lack of it. Here's more:
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Curious Louisville: How Do You Become A Kentucky Colonel?
What do Paul McCartney, Betty White and Muhammad Ali have in common? All three, along with about 100,000 other people, have been given the title “Kentucky Colonel.” But how does one gain the honor? That was listener Patrick Grantz’s question for Curious Louisville -- and our resident Kentucky...
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Curious Louisville: Where Is Pokey LaFarge's 'Carpet Alley?'
If you listen to our sister station WFPK, or attended Forecastle in 2016, you’ve probably heard of Pokey LaFarge He’s an artist whose music, as NPR’s Stephen Thompson once said, “evokes the old-timey spirit of a thousand crackling 78 RPM records.” LaFarge is based in St. Louis, but lived in...
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A Curious Louisville News Special: Your Questions About The JCPS Audit
Earlier this month, Curious Louisville asked what questions you have about the JCPS audit and possible state takeover. You sent us more than 50 in the first 24 hours, and we realized we’d need to dedicate some extra time to answer them all. Here's our hour-long news special, hosted by Kentucky...
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Curious Louisville: Could A State Takeover Of JCPS Affect Teacher Contracts?
Curious Louisville asked for your questions about the JCPS audit -- and you had lots of questions! In today’s edition, we take a look at the Jefferson County Teachers Association--also known as JCTA or the teachers union--to answer this question from former teacher, Paul Downs: "With JCTA and…
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Curious Louisville: Have There Been Other State Takeovers in Kentucky?
Last month, the Kentucky Department of Education released an audit recommending the state take over Louisville’s public school system. Curious Louisville asked for your questions about the audit. Shawn Carroll and Karen Rippy wanted to know if there had been other state-takeovers in Kentucky. And...
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Curious Derby: What Happens to Retired Horses?
As part of Curious Derby, we’ve reported on horse safety, injuries and even deaths while racing. But this caused Rob Harris from Louisville to wonder: "What happens to race horses once they retire, winners or not?" WFPL’s Ashlie Stevens went to a farm that specifically houses older thoroughbreds…
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Curious Derby: What's The Cheapest Horse Ever To Win The Derby?
When you watch the Kentucky Oaks tonight, look for a solid brown filly whose jockey is in orange and brown checkered silks. Her name is Chocolate Martini, and trainer Tom Amoss bought her at a claiming race. That got listener Elizabeth Jesse thinking. "So my best friend, her name is Hayley Amoss,...
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Curious Derby: What's The Origin Of The Call To The Post?
It’s 34 notes in the key of C -- no sharps, no flats. And it means the next race is about 10 minutes away. You know it as the Call to the Post. Listener Hannah Zimmerman wanted to know where it came from, so WFPL's Laura Ellis went looking for the answer.
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Curious Derby: How Do Jockeys Stay In Racing Shape?
During the most exciting two minutes in sports, a lot of people pay attention to the athleticism of the horses -- and with good reason. But have you ever wondered what type of physical conditioning it requires to guide and stay balanced on top of a 1000-pound racehorse? As part of our Curious…
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Curious Derby: Can Animal Lovers Make Peace With Horse Racing?
Every horse racing fan remembers Eight Belles’ death, said Michael Blowen, the owner of Old Friends, a retirement farm for thoroughbreds. It happened in 2008, minutes after the filly had placed in the Kentucky Derby; she collapsed on the track after both her ankles broke. In television coverage...
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Curious Derby: What's Up With Men's Derby Fashion
The perfect dress. An outrageous hat. A pair of killer heels -- and a pair of backup flip flops. Everyone knows what the Derby essentials are for women. But what about men? Tyler Franklin wanted to know, what's up with men's Derby fashion? How did it evolve? WFPL's Ryan Van Velzer needed the…
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Curious Derby: How Many Planes Fly In During Derby Weekend?
During the first weekend in May, people from all over the world flock to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. But Fred Benz and his wife typically leave that weekend to avoid the rush of tourists. Whenever they do, Benz notices how packed the tarmac at Louisville International Airport becomes…
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Curious Louisville: What Happened To The Belvedere’s ‘Pan’ Statue?
When Donna Finnell was working downtown in the late 1970s, she spent a lot of lunch breaks walking around on the Belvedere. She especially liked to visit a small statue nestled in the landscaping there — a delicate bronze figure of the Greek god Pan. He was shown bending towards the ground…
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Curious Louisville: What Happens To Zoo Animals When They Die?
We know that all dogs go to heaven, but what happens to the Louisville Zoo animals when they die? This Curious Louisville question actually has a variety of answers — ranging from the zoo’s educational programs to a baby pool on the rooftop of a Bellarmine University science building. Dr. Zoli...
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Curious Louisville: How Did We End Up Here?
For our latest installment of Curious Louisville, WFPL listener Ben Taylor came to us with this inquiry: “Why is Louisville located at this particular point on the Ohio River instead of somewhere else?” Submitted Curious question asker Ben Taylor. The answer lies mostly in the river — and the…
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Curious Louisville: How Do You Pronounce ‘Nachand’?
For our latest installment of Curious Louisville, listener Peggy Hoffman came to us with the question, “How do you pronounce N-A-C-H-A-N-D? It’s a street off of Watterson Trail — what’s the history of it?” We found out this distinct name is actually found on streets and buildings in both…
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Curious Louisville: How Did Hillcrest Avenue Become Halloween Headquarters?
Ask anyone in Louisville the best place to see Halloween decorations, and you’ll likely be sent to Hillcrest Avenue in Crescent Hill. It’s just one of those things everyone seems to know. But how did it get started? And what’s it like being a homeowner there? That’s what Curious Louisville…
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Curious Louisville: Was The High-Five Really Invented In Louisville?
You see it performed everywhere. At sporting events, on television, maybe even at your workplace. It’s the high five. From the documentary ‘Doctors of Dunk’ But while this gesture seems like it’s probably been around forever, its origin story may actually have local ties. For WFPL’s Curious...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Have you ever had a question about the Derby City that you just can't answer? That's where Curious Louisville comes in. Listeners submit their questions, the public votes on which questions to investigate, and 89.3 WFPL finds the answers.
HOSTED BY
Louisville Public Media
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Curious Louisville have?
Curious Louisville currently has 44 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Curious Louisville about?
Have you ever had a question about the Derby City that you just can't answer? That's where Curious Louisville comes in. Listeners submit their questions, the public votes on which questions to investigate, and 89.3 WFPL finds the answers.
How often does Curious Louisville release new episodes?
Curious Louisville has 44 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Curious Louisville?
You can listen to Curious Louisville on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Curious Louisville?
Curious Louisville is created and hosted by Louisville Public Media.
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