One of the Republican candidates in the Kentucky governor's race hits the airwaves with his first TV ad and says more to come.

These are Kentucky police officers.

We have to make certain that we respect them, that we defend them.

They defend us.

Every day, Kelly Craft talks about her criticism of another candidate in the wake of a federal report critical of the Louisville Police Department.

More help is on the way for Kentucky communities recovering from natural disasters.

It's a dream of mine.

I never thought of and the community's been very supportive.

And a town in eastern Kentucky opens the region's first Black History museum.

Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the Katy Endowment for Kentucky Productions, the Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the Katy Millennium Fund.

Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition on this Wednesday, April the 26th.

I'm Rene Shaw.

Thank you for winding down your Wednesday with us.

Kentucky's 2023 primary election is now less than three weeks away.

Today, Republican candidate for Governor Ryan Quarrels released his first TV ad where he touts growing up on or rule family farm.

If you're ready for it, Governor, thanks like you because they were raised like you.

I'd be honored to have your vote.

According to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, as of last week, Corales has more cash on hand than any other Republican candidate for governor.

His campaign says to expect more TV ads, as well as digital and radio ads and fliers in the mail.

The latest polling by Emerson College and Fox, 56 TV shows the two term ad commissioner in third place.

But that same poll found 20% of respondents were undecided.

We'll talk more about that with public radio journalist Ryland Barton in just a few minutes.

Former U.N.

Ambassador Kelly Craft and political action committees on her behalf have released several TV ads and her bid to become only the second female governor of Kentucky.

We talked yesterday about her education policy ideas.

And part two of my interview tonight, we talk about her criticism of Republican primary frontrunner Daniel Cameron.

She's taken him to task over his past work on criminal justice reform and his response to the U.S. Department of Justice's report on the Louisville Metro Police Department's pattern of civil rights violations.

I want to talk about an ad that you call you criticize Daniel Kahneman of the woke DOJ report on Louisville police that found that the Louisville Metro Police Department had a pattern of abuse and civil rights violation.

And this, of course, stemmed in part from the Breonna Taylor raid of 2020 and the killing of her in that apartment.

I want to ask you about Wokeism, and you've been asked before what it stems from, what it encompasses and what's next.

So let's let's start with the DOJ ad about, you know, Daniel Cameron and his did not prosecute any lmpd officer for Taylor's death.

So is it fair to go after him for being on the side of Biden at this particular juncture?

I think what is fair are the facts in the facts are that he he found it acceptable that this Department of Justice, led by a very woke Attorney General, Merrick Garland, would come into Louisville to make an announcement concerning our Louisville Metro Police Department.

These are Kentucky police officers.

We have to make certain that we respect them, that we defend them.

They defend us every day.

We need to defend them from Joe Biden, his attorney general, coming into the state of Kentucky to try to, first of all, disparage them.

Second of all, to take control if you.

We both know from the Louisville shooting, how could anyone find fault with the Louisville Metro Police Department in light of the fact that they saved so many lives, tragedies that could have been.

They were there within 3 minutes.

You know, they are doing the best job they can do given the resources, given the respect, given what their their call time is, what their help is within their offices, that's another area.

They need not only additional officers on the streets with them, but they need their resources within their office.

So is there ever an instance where you can think of that would be an unjustified use of force?

Many would say that that was the case in the Breonna Taylor case.

Do you agree or disagree?

You know, what is really sad is we lost a life and that's what we have to remember.

Breonna Taylor is no longer with us.

And that's sad.

Not only that, that's for her family.

So that's what I'm focused on.

It's not for me to judge.

I wasn't here.

I was not the attorney general.

And what is important is that we learn from mistakes.

We correct them.

We stand up for our law enforcement and we make certain that whatever they need, that as governor of Kentucky, they receive, we can't talk about helping our law enforcement or our teachers or anyone for that matter, on an election year.

They protect us every day of the year.

We need to give back the same and protect them when it comes to the term wokeism.

Where does that go next?

We can say that it's a reaction to the anti-racism activities that did STEM in part from Breonna Taylor and from George Floyd.

We know that that term rose through the vernacular at that time.

But we're seeing it also when it comes to the transgender LGBTQ community.

Many people ask who's next and what's next when it comes to facing the woke agenda from the left?

What's next?

But that's very important to ask, because if we do, if we allow this to continue, then that becomes normalized.

Then you open the door for whatever else may be.

There, where it is affecting our children, where it is affecting our churches, where it is affecting our workplaces and our homes.

We have to stand up for what is truth.

Truth is a thing.

It's not a philosophy.

We need to be focused on producing young adults in this state that are work ready, that are reaching their full potential.

I want to produce master electricians, master plumbers, not activist.

I want to make certain that our children stay in Kentucky.

And to that point, Ambassador Craft, we know that we have slid in the numbers since the pandemic when it comes to workforce participation.

And once segment of the county economy, many people would point to our former offenders.

We know that previous Republican Governor Matt Bevin really made that a part, a central piece of his gubernatorial administration focusing on successful reentry.

You have gone after a political action committee, has gone after Daniel Cameron for being soft on crime because of his justice reform efforts when it comes to reentry, supporting bail reform.

But yet we know as Governor Matt Bevin once said, 95% of those behind bars will come out.

What do you say to that population?

Is there a place for them to be reintegrated into society as successful and productive members and not being accused?

If someone is working on their behalf of being woke because they're trying to reintegrate these people into society and have them pay taxes?

Well, let's talk let's talk.

We have kind of three issues there.

So let's talk about that.

I do not coordinate with the super PAC, but I do understand that the attorney general called them silly.

Well, I don't think it's silly when you speak to a mother or father who's been affected by someone that wasn't prepared to leave incarceration, or if you speak to our law enforcement and they make an arrest and that person is let out on cashless bail or just slapped on the wrist.

I don't think that's silly.

What we have to do with nonviolent offenders, people.

Misdemeanors from from drugs before they are released, whether it is incarcerating, whether it's juvenile detention, whether it's rehab.

We have to make certain that they have the skills in order to be reintroduced into the workforce.

But it's not enough just to have something within.

They have to be accepted when they walk out.

Otherwise, it's a revolving door.

I said in in a women's cell in northern Kentucky, in two of the women were were getting ready to be released on misdemeanor.

They didn't want to leave because they had nowhere to go.

They didn't even have a library card.

They had no I.D..

So what we need to do, it's our responsibility that if you're going to work hard and be clean and turn your life around, I believe in chances.

We need to help them be successful.

So we need to make certain before anyone leaves rehab or incarceration or juvenile detention that they have the skills, that they have a place to go.

That we have partnered with businesses in our community that will allow them the opportunity for a job.

We'll have more of my conversation with Kelly Kraft tomorrow night.

We talk about former President Trump's endorsement of Daniel Cameron and whether she still supports Trump, given his criminal indictment and other investigations.

You can also see the first part of our interview on our Web site at K Dawgs slash Kentucky Edition.

And another programing note, you'll see and hear from several Republican candidates for governor this coming Monday night, May 1st on Kentucky tonight.

You can send us your questions and comments by phone, e-mail and tweet.

That's this coming Monday, May 1st at eight Eastern, seven Central right here on KCET and other news.

More help is on the way for Kentucky communities recovering from natural disasters.

Today, Governor Andy Beshear announced more than $120 million is coming from a program within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The money is to be spent on homes and rental properties for counties impacted the most by natural disasters.

In 2021 will receive 80% of the funds.

Those counties are highlighted here in yellow on the map.

The remaining 20% of funds will help the 36 counties you see here in white blue cities, counties, nonprofits for profits and government entities can apply for the funding.

The application window opens May 1st.

Governor Beshear says an additional nearly $300 million will soon be coming to Kentucky to further help communities recovering from the flooding.

A new article out today by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting and Louisville Public Media takes an in-depth look at the cleanup efforts in eastern Kentucky.

The article is titled Invasive and Incomplete How Flood Cleanup Left Eastern Kentucky Feeling Violated and Vulnerable.

We'll hear from the journalist who broke the story Friday on Kentucky Edition.

The largest economic development project in state history will soon have a new training center to help train future workers.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held this week in Hardin County, which is the future home of the Blue Oval ESQ Electric Vehicle Battery plant.

Governor Andy Beshear, State Senator Matt Damon of Elizabeth Town and company leaders were all on hand for the event.

Blue Oval and the Ford Motor Company are partnering with the Elizabeth Town Community and Technical College to build the training center.

The center will give employees proprietary knowledge of blue oval's battery designs and manufacturing processes.

It's scheduled to be finished by next spring.

Blue Oval ASC will employ roughly 5000 people.

Time now for a midweek check in of some major political happenings, particularly with the Kentucky Governor's race, with our good friend Ryland Barton, who's managing editor of Kentucky Public Radio.

Good to see you, Rylan.

Good to see you, too, Renee.

So the sprint to May 16th is on, and we have some newcomers to the political ad field who've just gotten the game in the last few days.

Ryan Corales, the current ad commissioner, has this ad out today.

I grew up on my family farm in rural Kentucky, where we have lived in farm for more than 200 years.

So, Ryland, what do you make of this ad that Corales has come out with?

Ryan Corales Yeah.

I mean, so one of the main takeaways is that we are really getting we're in crunch time for the primary election.

We're down to three weeks or a little less than three weeks.

And this is his first appearance on TV.

I think another takeaway is that this isn't really an attack ad.

He is, you know, kind of obliquely trying to, you know, make himself he's the Kentucky candidate who's born and raised here.

He's been, you know, from generations of Kentucky farmers.

So he's trying to he's kind of taking he's trying to have a positive approach here three weeks out, while the two presumed frontrunners, Daniel Cameron and Kelly Crowe, are really starting to attack each other at this point, they're really jockeying for place.

I think Coral's at this point is betting on, you know, people getting sick of that, a fight happening between the front of the first two candidates and hoping to split the middle there with a positive campaign in these final weeks before the before the primary election.

And so could the same be said of Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, who has kind of an introduction ad to viewers as well, kind of showing that he's, quote, the adult in the room.

Here's a little bit of what he has to say in his ad, but desperate, telegraphed, forcing Daniel Cameron to Kentucky's soft establishment.

Are you tired of the same old politics?

This reminds me a lot of Matt Bevin's ad in the 2015 primary when how Hiner and Jamie Colmer were, you know, kind of going at it and having a huge fight.

And Bevin kind of came out with this ad and pointing that out and in saying Kentucky voters wouldn't you like to have an adult in the room rather than politicians fighting it out at the top?

So again, another introduction for him to two more voters in the state who are trying to get to know him.

He's been polling very low lately.

We will see if there's any polling before the election to see if any of this is boosting his presence.

But yeah, at this point, they're just looking for any any sort of end for folks who are getting sick of the fighting at the top of the ticket.

Is it too late, though?

I mean, like as you said, we're less than three weeks out from Election Day and there's early voting at that.

Right.

So is it too late to kind of get in the game to identify who you are and being the adult in the room?

Should you have done that few weeks ago?

It could be.

One thing is that money money is a real consideration here.

You know, the the earlier you start, the the more you have to spend than you would be expected to continue that all the way through the campaign.

But the other thing to to consider is that with so few people voting in a primary election, you know, you can you can make great jumps in in popularity and in public awareness because there's a much smaller pie that you're trying to attract to your side of the of of the race.

Yeah.

So someone who doesn't have to worry so much about the money and who has been doing a great deal of political advertising is Kelly Kraft, the former U.N. ambassador, and now she's got this mailer out.

Tell us about this.

Yes, So Kraft's out with this mailer now saying that Daniel Cameron and Andy Beshear are two sides of the same coin, pointing out that they both were used to work for the same law firm, saying that Cameron is the established, handpicked establishment candidate and referring to the fact that Erin used to work for Mitch McConnell was one of his attorneys, and that they're kind of part of the same political world.

And then also saying that, you know, all the attacks you're seeing from the Cameron campaign or associated groups against the Kraft campaign are are lying about him.

So she's trying to get her name out there.

We have seen that she spent a lot of money on advertising and mailers throughout her campaign.

And this has been successful for her.

This is we just seen since the beginning of the year, a lot more people know who Kelly Kraft is.

She's risen a lot and polling folks saying that they would be considering voting for her.

There's still a bit to go to catch up with Cameron.

But, you know, in these final weeks, anything could happen.

Yeah.

And with the last poll showing that 28% are undecided, you never know what could happen.

So lastly, let's talk about the kind of back and forth between Governor Andy Beshear and Attorney General Daniel Cameron over a KSP post in Louisville.

What's happening there and why is this become such an emerging issue?

Yeah, Cameron said on the fly over Country podcast last week that he would be in favor.

In response to a question about what to do about mass shootings in Louisville and violence that he would like to put a Kentucky State Police post in Louisville, Beshear came out and said that, you know, he didn't come out and totally say that was a bad idea, but he wondered if Cameron had had reached out to Lmpd, the local police force, which is larger than Ksb, but also that, you know, by setting up a police force in case police force in Louisville, that he'd be taking away from a lot of the other coverage area.

That case be does statewide, you know, and really especially a lot of rural areas.

So this is kind of a bit of a back and forth here, an opportunity really for Beshear wants to lean out and start criticizing the candidates who are criticizing him and then he made that and made that response during his weekly press conference.

Well, thank you, Robin Barton, for always breaking it down for us.

Appreciate you.

Thanks, Renee.

Jefferson County Public Schools is taking new steps to keep weapons out of its schools.

Last night, the jeep's Board of Education greenlit next steps to putting weapon detection technology in the district's middle and high schools.

Unlike traditional metal detectors, the equipment would use artificial intelligence or A.I.

to screen large groups of students.

Some board members were supportive of the measure, but others voiced their dissent.

Here's more in today's education news.

I really like the artificial intelligence weapon detection systems.

I really hope that this community hears my colleagues and this board as a whole begging this community and this state to do something about the proliferation of guns on our streets.

It is unacceptable that our school buildings have to take our school system has to take on this work.

But the duty has fallen to us.

This is going to exacerbate the staffing crisis in two ways.

Wanted take $17 million over five years, which is half a percent raise that we will not be spending on investing in our STEM.

Secondly, this requires more staff.

So it disturbs me a little bit that the board is thinking about spending $17 million on something that has no research behind it.

And very little research in the research that does exist is mixed at best.

The board voted 5 to 2 in favor of advancing the measure.

A final vote is scheduled for May 9th.

Two Kentucky schools have are national recognition.

Cardinal Valley Elementary and Lexington and Mary J. Hogsett Primary School in Danville were awarded the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools Award.

The award goes to schools that focus on these three pillars reducing environmental impact and cost, improving health and wellness of students and staff, and providing effective environmental ancestor and ability education.

The two Kentucky schools are among 26 schools to receive the designation this year.

A spokesperson for Fayette County Public Schools says it's the only district in the country to be recognized every year since the award began in 2012.

And a mural honoring a Louisville legend is now complete.

A seven story mural of Louisville native Muhammad Ali now adorns the side of Chestnut Street YMCA near Central High School, where the greatest went to school.

World renowned artist Shepard Fairey started the project on Saturday.

He's best known for designing the Barack Obama Hope poster for the 2008 presidential election.

The image is based on a photograph taken by Ali's personal photographer and incorporates his messages from his role as a messenger of peace for the United Nations.

And it really was the precise distillation of my experience.

Everyone helping to make this happen in the pursuit of elevating Ali's legacy, the fact that he's a hero from Louisville and that it's he might be a source of light, but he's representative of everyone helping everyone.

Shepherd worked with local artists, held a public workshop, and met with the YMCA black achievers to help influence the mural.

It was a historic day in Ashland this past weekend as the ribbon cutting was held for the C.B.

Knuckles Community Center and Black History Museum, Eastern Kentucky's first Black History Museum.

Take a closer look.

And tonight's segment called Tapestry that looks at arts and culture, a word of the I grew up here and for Ashland to have a black history museum, the first Black History museum actually in eastern Kentucky, is a pretty amazing it's a dream of mine.

I never thought it would happen here.

And the community's been very supportive of me and my art.

I don't know what to say, to be honest with you.

I'm overwhelmed with, Oh, I started a Ashland k y Black History page on Facebook in 2020.

So that actually was the start and the exhibits and things like that.

I did those myself painstakingly, and I'm so happy that I did.

At first it was supposed to be just national black history, but I decided to go ahead and do general Black history as well.

Behind each picture and each section, there are stories and some of the people are no longer living, but their stories can still be told.

So we've got a lot of local history.

We also have a lot of national history.

The building was named after our principal.

C.B.

Knuckles was the principal of Booker T Washington School.

So that was already the name given to this building, the community center, when it was erected some 37 years ago.

And why not leave that name on there to go along with?

Who better to name a black history museum after them?

A person who fought so much for equality and and wanted the schools to have to make sure that we had everything that we needed for a smooth transition from segregation into integrate.

But he cared about the welfare of each of us.

And we know that because of all the time he spent going out into the community and through the state to make sure that we had successes beyond just the school, we know today, our country is at a crossroads.

See, I was around in the sixties.

That was when the Civil Rights Act, the civil rights movement, the riots, the all the things that were occurring was going on.

And I see our country turning in a direction that I'm not really pleased with.

And I feel we have a need for more places like this so we can actually teach everyone, young, old and everyone in between, all about our culture and our history, what we have to be proud about.

Everything that we share that makes us special.

Well, I want the black and white community to come together.

I've got things in here regarding the white community, how they've helped the black community over the years.

Quakers.

Thaddeus Stevens, John Brown.

So Eleanor Roosevelt wonder why I wanted to offer unity by bringing people together.

In an interview with the Ashland Daily Independent, Smith said more than 20,000 stories and photos have been donated to the center from at least 600 supporters.

Well, we'll hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 630 Eastern, 530 Central for Kentucky Edition when we have more great stories like that where we inform, connect and Inspire.

We hope you all subscribe to our weekly email newsletter and watch full episodes and clips of Katie Dawg.

I'm Rene Shaw.

Thank you so much for joining me tonight.

And I will see you right back here tomorrow night.