In the world of grassroots community organizing, few are as confrontational or effective as Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together (CLOUT) at bringing issues to the forefront.

The coalition of churches and neighborhood groups holds an annual call-to-action assembly that gathers over 1,500 residents to discuss and extract policy actions. It is a somewhat controversial event in part because of the assembly's format of calling public officials before the group and demanding a definitive answer on their ideas.

In Louisville, that model has worked with certain leaders such as Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Donna Hargens, who pledged to review the school systems disciplinary policy. But others—namely Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer—feel the style is too rough and they have decided to avoid the group altogether.

I talked with CLOUT Co-President Chris Kolb, about organizing versus protest movements, the growing frustration among residents with elected leaders and whether the organization's style is effective or not.

In this week's LEO, Joe Sonka takes us inside the Creation Museum for a conversation with Ken Hamm, CEO of Answers in Genesis Ministry. Hamm talked about his next project, Ark Encounter, which will feature a rendition of Noah's Ark. Sonka joined us on Friday to talk about how fundraising troubles and construction delays have plagued the project, in a segment we believe is the first time dragons have been mentioned on Byline.

The absence of many Democrats gave Republicans plenty of fodder at this year's Fancy Farm Picnic.

Republicans from U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell down to local legislative candidates took shots at state Democrats and President Barack Obama throughout the event.

“And so I think we ought to take a quick attendance check here as we get started. Governor Beshear are you here," McConnell said, with Republicans in the audience responding with a loud “No.”

Louisville musician Jason Noble died this morning at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., where he was a patient in a clinical trial for a new cancer treatment. Noble was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma in 2009. He was 40.

Mayor Fischer has been an outspoken proponent of a local sales tax option for the city. At the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting in July, he explained: 

Let’s say we want a new forensic crime lab in Louisville, costs $35 million dollars, could be public transportation, could be schools—but again they’re optional. So in other words the voters of your city, the voters of your county get to vote yes or no.

The annual Fancy Farm Picnic in western Kentucky threatens to be a tad dull this year for regular attendees accustomed to fiery political rhetoric and mud-slinging.  The reason:  a curious absence of many prominent politicians.  Most of Kentucky's elected Democrats announced plans to skip this year's picnic, and there will be few prominent Republicans present.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is scheduled to make a stop in Indiana to campaign for GOP Senate contender Richard Mourdock at a fundraiser.

From the Evansville Courier & Press:

Courier-Journal music writer Jeffrey Lee Puckett was awarded the Governor's Award in the Arts this year. On Friday's Byline, he joined WFPL's Erin Keane, and host Gabe Bullard, to talk about writing about music. He discussed what it's like to review local acts in a town where everyone knows everyone else, and revealed that his very first beat at the C-J involved bases, not basses.

A western Kentucky county has approved changes that will allow a new coal mine to be opened, but there are some restrictions once mining begins.

The Daviess County Fiscal court voted unanimously last night to uphold the rezoning of nearly 700 acres in the southern end of the county. But county officials also placed some limits on what type of equipment could be used at the mine and when the mine could operate.