Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was publicly sworn into office just before noon in a ceremony in front of Metro Hall. Fischer officially became Louisville's 50th mayor just after midnight. He took the oath of office last night in a private ceremony at his home.In his inaugural address, Fischer called on Louisvillians to strive to make the city the best it can be."Where neighbor cares for neighbor, friend for friend, stranger for stranger. We must volunteer more often, we must take better care of our environment. We must embrace our humanity through our arts and through our parks. We must insure affordable housing is available for all. In short, we must care more about the whole then we do ourselves," he said. Fischer's inauguration was followed by a downtown parade. A sold-out inaugural gala will be held tonight at the Kentucky International Convention Center.More than 2,000 people turned out for a free inaugural breakfast at the Kentucky International Convention Center that included music, speeches and brief remarks from Fischer."I'm honored and I'm humbled to be your new mayor and I look forward to working with you as your partner as we move together," Fischer said. The breakfast ended with procession to the Cathedral of the Assumption, where a musical service was planned.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.