MediterraneanGrocery Wholesalers in Louisville, KY

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program will not be getting back one of their top offensive weapons for the start of their run in the ACC Tournament.

Sharpshooting guard Reyne Smith is out for today's matchup vs. Stanford in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, the program announced prior to tip-off.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound guard suffered a right ankle injury in their penultimate game of the regular season against Cal on Mar. 5, then was forced to miss the regular finale against Stanford on Mar. 8. Louisville was able win both games, taking down the Golden Bears 85-68, then the Cardinal 68-48.

Smith was forced to check out of the game against Cal at the 12:36 mark of the first half. He then spent the remainder of the period in the tunnels of the KFC Yum! Center attempting to work through the injury.

While he was ruled "questionable" to return at halftime, Smith did not warm up with the rest of the team prior to start of the second half. As it turns out, athletic trainer Katie Creznic had told Kelsey that Smith "couldn't come back in the game." He finished with zero points on 0-for-2 shooting.

Not only is he Louisville's third-leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, he is one of the top three-point shooters in all of college basketball. His 106 makes from deep in ninth in the nation, while his 277 attempts is eighth and has also broken the Louisville single-season record. His 38.3 percent shooting percentage on threes is second in the ACC.

The Ulverstone, Australia native spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Charleston with Kelsey. In 102 career games and 89 starts with the Cougars, he totaled 1,212 points, 294 made threes, 192 rebounds, 149 assists and 68 steals. This included an All-CAA Second Team nod last season, when he averaged 12.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Tip-off between Louisville and Stanford is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Reyne Smith: Jamie Rhodes - Imagn Images)

You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI Twitter/X - @LouisvilleOnSI Instagram - @louisvilleonsi

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X and @mattmcgavic.bsky.social on Bluesky

Two rounds of strong storms are possible across Kentucky and southern Indiana Friday night through Saturday night.

Credit: WHAS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Spring-like weather has been in full swing across Kentuckiana this week, with temperatures climbing 20+ degrees above normal.

With daily record highs in jeopardy, this week has been the warmest stretch of the year so far! These warm temperatures will help fuel a strong storm potential for the upcoming weekend.

ROUND 1: Friday Night

Most of Friday will be dry, breezy, and warm as high temperatures approach 80° by the afternoon. A strong line of storms will develop to our west Friday evening as an area of low pressure tracks northeastward into the Upper Midwest.

These storms are currently forecast to move into Kentuckiana after Midnight Friday night, gradually weakening as they push eastward through sunrise Saturday.

Credit: WHAS

Credit: WHAS

With this first wave of storms, strong winds will be the main threat with spin-up tornadoes possible.

The set-up will somewhat limit our moisture and instability, but plenty of shear (spin) will be available for the storms that hold together.

Credit: WHAS

Credit: WHAS

With this being an overnight severe weather threat, be sure you have multiple ways to receive weather warnings!

Storms will continue to weaken as they push east of I-65 around sunrise Saturday.

ROUND 2: Saturday afternoon – night

The second round of storms will move in starting Saturday afternoon, continuing into the overnight hours. This wave should be more expansive, with widespread showers and thunderstorms expected.

Credit: WHAS

Strong winds and heavy rainfall look to be the primary threats of this second round, though hail remains possible.

Credit: WHAS

Credit: WHAS

Rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches are expected across our area, with the heaviest amounts along and south of the Parkways.

Credit: WHAS

Rainfall amounts between 1-3 inches likely

Rain will gradually wind down early Sunday morning as a cold front pushes through the region.

Keep a close eye on the forecast on air, online, and on the WHAS11 app as we continue to fine-tune the details.

The 2025 Pride Festival kicks off with the annual free Kentuckiana Pride Parade starting at noon on Saturday, June 21.

Credit: Aspen Hester, WHAS11 News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Wednesday, the Kentuckiana Pride Festival and Parade announced the first round of entertainers for the 2025 festival.

The 2025 Kentuckiana Pride Festival and Parade will take place on Saturday, June 21 on the Big Four Lawn at Waterfront Park in Louisville.

According to a press release, multi-platinum pop artist Natasha Bedingfield will be one of the headliners.

Also hitting the state is The Scarlet Opera, a five piece band from LA nominated for a 2024 GLAAD Media Award that mixes the grandeur of the theatre with the raw energy of rock and roll.

Recently featured on Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" country singer Tanner Adell will also be performing.

Lastly, the festival announced pop-funk singer Molly Grace.

They say a second round of entertainment including a co-headliner will be announced soon.

A full day of performances on The Stonewall Stage also includes local Louisville artists, featuring RELAAY, the chorus VOICES of Kentuckiana, and DJs Scz and Spring Break. Plus, international DJs GSP + Dan Slater will have you dancing the day away.

The Equality Stage will be home to tons of local drag performances.

"We are looking forward to the continued growth of the festival and the opportunity to bring our community closer together as a reminder that we all deserve to be seen, loved and celebrated for who we are,” President of the Kentuckiana Pride Foundation Rodney Coffman said.

With the Kentuckiana Pride Foundation efforts being year round, events supporting its mission continue to be added to promote and advocate for the community.

A full list of the events for 2025 can be found on the festivals website.

The 2025 Pride Festival kicks off with the annual free Kentuckiana Pride Parade starting at noon on Saturday, June 21 at Campbell and Market Streets and ends at the festival entrance at the Big Four Lawn.

General Admission and VIP Tickets for the Kentuckiana Pride Festival are on sale now. VIP tickets are limited and sell out each year, so purchasing early is encouraged.

General Admission tickets are $10 and purchasing in advance is also recommended for quick and easy access into the festival.

Rounds of severe storms are expected to hit our area this weekend. Here's what you need to know.

Credit: WHAS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The WHAS11 Weather Impact Team has issued a Weather Impact Alert Day for Saturday, March 15. A couple rounds of strong to severe storms will be possible.

Our region is under a Level 1 and Level 2 risk of severe storms from the Storm Prediction Center, as you can see on the map below.

There is a more significant risk of a tornado outbreak south of our area, especially over Alabama and Mississippi.

TIMING OUT THE STORMS

Notice on the Futurecast maps below, the first line of storms arriving very early Saturday, mostly likely after 4 a.m. from the west.

This line of storms is expected to weaken as it moves into our area, but could still produce gusty winds and heavy rain, especially for areas west of I-65 before sunrise.

Credit: WHAS11

The more significant threat of severe storms will develop Saturday afternoon into the evening. The warm (highs in the 70s) and moist air will create unstable air to feed the developing storms. Severe storms could be capable of damaging wind gusts over 60mph, heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, hail, and possibly a spin-up tornado.

The threat of severe storms will diminish later in the evening Saturday as the heaviest rain and storms begins to move east. Lingering showers early Sunday, but most of Sunday will be drying out and cooler in the 50s.

Credit: WHAS11

Credit: WHAS11

NON-THUNDERSTORM STRONG WIND GUSTS

Even without thunderstorms around, wind could be gusting over 40mph late Friday through Saturday. A Wind Advisory has been issued from 5 p.m. Friday through 8 p.m. Saturday.

Credit: WHAS11

SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY

With severe storms possible at night, keep in mind some important safety tips. Always have a family plan ready to go. If a warning is issued, seek shelter in the most interior part of your home, in the basement if you have one.

Have a first aid kit and other items to keep you and your family safe. Stay calm and get to your safe place as soon as possible if a warning is issued.

Credit: WHAS11

Credit: WHAS11

Credit: WHAS11

This story has been updated to include comments from House Speaker David Osborne and information on where the bill stands.

An amended bill that began as legislation about swimming pools would have set new standards for how cities can regulate short-term rentals — a last-minute move that would overriden some restrictions in Louisville.

House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, filed an amendment to Senate Bill 61 that prohibits local governments from setting density limits for short-term rentals, which are often booked through platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. In Louisville, short-term rentals that are not owner-occupied cannot be located within 600 feet of each other.

The amendment was attached to the bill after it had already passed both the Senate and a House committee, preventing public comment from taking place. The revised bill passed in the House on a 59-28 vote Friday, with several lawmakers voicing concerns about how it could affect their districts. However, it failed receive a floor vote in the Senate before a veto period began at midnight Saturday.

Speaking to media before the House vote, Osborne claimed both Louisville and Lexington "feel like they can work with any constraints" of the bill. But the accelerated change drew ire from some Louisville Metro Council members, who said the bill is another law that will limit the city's local control.

"To me, there is nothing more fundamental to local government than basic zoning regulations, and if locals can't make zoning decisions, why are we making any decisions?" Councilman Markus Winkler said. "Perhaps we should start to send all of our zoning cases to Frankfort and let them decide."

Councilman Ben Reno-Weber shared similar frustrations.

“That bill was about swimming pools yesterday," Reno-Weber said in a statement to The Courier Journal. "This is the bull---- that makes people hate government. If we need to change a law, let’s have a robust public discussion and craft laws that work — ideally at the level closest to the people most impacted.”

Reno-Weber represents District 8, which encompasses Louisville's Highlands neighborhood. One of Reno-Weber's predecessors, former District 8 Councilman Brandon Coan, spearheaded the city's 600-foot rule in an attempt to cut down on the proliferation of short-term rentals in the district's neighborhoods.

Osborne said Friday that it's a "simple property rights issue."

"I certainly understand and respect local governments' ability and authority and right to regulate short-term rentals, which is what that is regarding," Osborne said. "But at the same time, I think we also have to respect private property rights."

Winkler pushed back on the idea that short-term regulations are a "property rights" issue.

"This is functionally allowing, without restriction, commercial operations in residential zones," Winkler said.

In the House, Rep. Rachel Roarx, D-Louisville, said she welcomes more short-term rentals in parts of her district, but other areas are rapidly changing because of a proliferation of short-term rentals.

"Things like short-term rentals, conditional use permits for things like Airbnbs can really gobble up the real estate in your neighborhood, in your community to a point where homeownership and folks that are going to live in your community long-term is not the bulk of what you see on a block," she said, adding that discussions about property rights should extend to people living next to short-term rentals.

Louisville elected officials aren't alone in their concerns. Other Kentucky cities, including Covington, are against the legislation, arguing it takes "away local voices and local controls."

“Covington leaders spent almost four years engaging with its property owners and neighborhood advocates to find the proper balance that works for our unique community,” Covington Mayor Ron Washington said in a statement.

How does Louisville regulate short-term rentals?

Since 2016, Louisville has required all short-term rentals to register annually with the city, providing information on where they're located and who owns them.

Louisville employees review each short-term rental application before it's registered to make sure it meets zoning, occupancy and other requirements. Code enforcement officers can cite rentals operating without a registration.

Starting in 2019, short-term rentals were also required to receive conditional-use permits if they wanted to operate without a host at residentially zoned properties.

Those rentals are not supposed to be within 600 feet of each other, though the Board of Zoning Adjustment has the power to approve permits with exceptions.

Metro Council members directed city planning employees to again review short-term rental regulations in November 2022. The following year, the council approved several changes, including increasing the annual short-term rental registration fee, requiring an owner to live at a residence at least six months before registering it as an owner-occupied rental and prohibiting a new registration at a property if a citation has been issued there for unlawful short-term rental activity within the past 12 months.

What would Kentucky Senate Bill 61 do?

Under Osborne's amendment, cities could continue requiring short-term rental owners to register their properties and "impose reasonable fees," as well as "authorized taxes." Homeowners' associations can also still enact their own rules for short-term rentals.

"The amendment as it is written still gives the local governments full authority to regulate, to issue conditional use permits, to repeal and revoke conditional use permits if there's violations," Osborne said. "It allows them to get to the bad actors without penalizing."

However, the amendment would prevent local governments from imposing density limits, including on the number or percentage of short-term rentals in a building, zoning district or other geographic boundary.

It lets cities require conditional-use permits or other forms of approval to operate short-term rentals. But officials cannot deny approval unless there is a "significant negative impact" on health, safety or resident welfare, like noise or nuisance issues.

Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at [email protected] or at @ellie_mccrary on X, formerly known as Twitter.