Dwain Lee said he hopes to write many more mystery books, following the same cast of characters. | Photo courtesy Dwain Lee
Hi everyone, City Editor Declan here. I recently had a chance to sit down with Rev. Dwain Lee — a former architect, current minister at Springdale Presbyterian Church, and now mystery author. We talked Louisville architecture, Civil War re-enactments, and his debut novel, “Plausible Deception.”
The book follows fictionalized versions of himself and his husband as they are wrapped up in a scandalous case involving a stolen Stradivarius violin. The story isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem — Lee’s husband George Yu is an internationally-recognized luthier, aka a violin-maker.
The idea to write a book came to Lee after he and Yu had what he describes as a “harrowing” incident at the LAX wherein one of Yu’s violins was nearly confiscated by a bomb squad.
“Afterwards, I said ‘this doesn’t even feel real, it feels like something you read about in a book.’ And that just got the wheels turning,” said Lee.
Creating a Rain Garden | 6-7:30 p.m. | Waterfront Botanical Gardens | $19, $15 for members | Learn to use rainwater runoff to water your plants from the Director of Horticulture.
Story Time | 10 a.m. | Bodhi Salt | $30 | Bring the kiddos for a calming storytime + play date in the salt room while you take a break in the sauna or steam barrel.
Mardi Gras Day @ the Market | 11 a.m. | East End Farmer’s Market | Free | Shop local crafts, enjoy live music, and bring the kids for crafts
Sunday, March 2
“In Her Voice,” presented by Voces Novae | 3-4 p.m. | St. Albert the Great | $25 | The local choir will perform songs by female composers, including Dolly’s Light of a Clear Blue Morning.
Find candidates who want to work right here, right now. | Gif by 6AM City
Local job boards are a total game-changer — for both job seekers and businesses. Instead of sifting through endless listings, they focus on quality over quantity, connecting employers with candidates who actually want to work in the area. That means fewer relocation headaches and better retention.
For big and small businesses, it’s a smart way to connect with candidates who understand the local community and culture. Plus, hiring locally usually means a faster, smoother hiring process. Whether you’re looking for a job or trying to fill one, LOUtoday Job Board keeps things simple, practical, and close to home.
Ramen House will vacate Mid City Mall this year, taking over the former Gary’s On Spring space in the Irish Hill neighborhood. The owners say the new location will have a similar menu + look, but with the addition of a second-floor bar. After 60+ years, Mid City Mall is up for sale. (Courier Journal)
Concert
Deftones, Avenged Sevenfold, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Evanescence, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Insane Clown Posse are all on the roster for Louder Than Life 2025. Peep the full lineup, and get your hands on single-day passes — they’re selling quick.
Edu
The Jefferson County Board of Education officially approved Friday, May 23 as the final day of school for JCPS. This year’s winter weather imposed five consecutive snow days, but LOU students will only have to make up one of them. Summer camps fill up fast, now’s the time to register. (WHAS11)
State
Louisville vs. Lexington is a heated rivalry, but Gen Z wants to bridge the gap. According to a survey by career.io, the dream school-to-employer pipeline in Kentucky is studying at the University of Kentucky to working at Humana. Guess you’re not so bad, LEXtoday.
Sports
Louisville City FC unveiled its 2025 home and away kits this week. The new home kit features an angular, dark purple pattern, while the away kit is white with a gray wave pattern meant to evoke the Ohio River. Peep the team’s social media for pics of the jerseys in action.
Outdoors
The Jefferson Memorial Forest will host a winter bird hike on Saturday, March 1, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Bring your binoculars + learn to identify the birds that winter in the Bluegrass State, then make your own pine cone bird feeder to attract feathered friends to your yard. The hike is free, but registration is required.
Sports
The Cards won their final road game of the season against Virginia Tech 71-66, putting them on a six-game winning streak. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews and more from local experts of the Cardinals with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Number
$2,101. That’s the record-breaking price that car insurance premiums are projected to reach in 2025. Read: It’s more important than ever to make sure you’re not overpaying. Review Money’s best car insurance list to see if you could save (maybe up to $1,300 a year).*
Community
Your LOUtoday team here. We care about Louisville. We also care about the people in it. That’s why every day, we bring you positive, impactful news about our city — skipping the political talk, crime coverage, and biased reporting. Support our approach to local news with a one-time donation.
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More local reads
Though John Cosper is from Southern Indiana, his work details many experiences that happened in Louisville. | Photo by LOUtoday
Dwain Lee isn’t Louisville’s only published author — far from it.
Brew up a batch of your favorite cup of tea or coffee and get ready to meet your next read, because we’re talking about locally-written books in Louisville.
Fiction
“As You Wish” by Leesa Cross-Smith | Release date: June 24, 2025 | The latest book from this Derby City author follows two au pairs in Seoul, their stories intertwining around an enchanted waterfall capable of granting wishes.
Learn something new
“Louisville’s Waterfront Park” by Rick Bell | Release date: 2011 | Dive into the history behind Louisville’s Waterfront Park from a local historian who still gives tours.
Your two new best friends to speed up blow drys: a really good hairbrush and Kenra Platinum’s time-saving blow dry spray. The Wet Brush hairbrush features a vented design for faster airflow plus heat-resistant bristles, while the 4.7-star rated Kenra spray detangles, smooths, and decreases blow-dry time by 50%.
Today has been a very literary edition of LOUtoday, so let me leave you with one more local read — this one’s for the kids.
Local illustrator MacKenzie Haley did the illustrations for Dolly Parton’s “Billy the Kid Makes it Big” and “Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas,” which follow a country-music-playing French Bulldog on his way to Nashville to make it big.
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