>> We not be surprised to see some warnings ends of Kentucky tomorrow.

>> As Kentucky claims up from Friday's storms.

We look ahead to what could be coming Wednesday.

Talking reaction as former President Donald Trump is arraigned in New York.

Well, I think like the rest of the world on the Russian invasion began, it horrifying.

>> And the retired Lexington police officer turned her horror and to action.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Tuesday.

April, the 4th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for winding down your Tuesday with us as parts of Kentucky.

Cleanup from the latest round of storms were bracing for more.

>> Severe weather is possible again on Wednesday.

Storms last Friday night caused damage in Christian County.

It's believe straight-line winds topped 90 miles an hour.

The National Weather Service now confirms an EF one tornado touched down near the Jefferson Shelby County line.

Our Christy Dot and spoke to Jordan John Gordon of the National Weather Service about what happened then and what to expect tomorrow.

>> John Gordon, thank you so much for being with us and talking with us.

We're talking about the storms that rolled through over the weekend.

This was Friday night into Saturday morning caught some by surprise and the tornado those produce from us.

Tell us where that hit and how strong was it?

Yeah, an April fool's morning at 12:30AM, in the morning.

We were watching that thunderstorm that came out of Owensboro and DOT did not do very much.

But it's kind of intensify just east of Anchorage.

>> And we saw circulation on radar and we did.

You hear about trees and power lines here and there.

But boy got a doorbell camera, which was amazing.

You heard this loud and heavy rain and wind and then trees falling silent on that.

And by golly, phony of one tornado 90 miles an hour.

>> 4.2 miles.

with was up 230 yards wide.

>> So what damage did it do out there?

Well, actually had a plastic surgeon's first, it was a 3 story lost a lot of its face.

Shaw gutters and shingles.

And then it hit a lot of trees.

Sporadically.

I think inside the thunderstorm that were too small fumbles and were hit.

Trees were snapped in a parade and lots of shingles gutters.

Some sheds.

The worst was on Flat Rock Ridge Road where it got pretty wide.

I bet you there's to 300 trees down.

>> Wow.

So with this came at night while a lot of people are sleeping, that's been the case for tornadoes in that.

We've had just a recent in recent months and years.

Is that just in our mind or is that a trend that's actually happening?

>> It seems like we have had more.

I don't disagree with you.

December 10th.

11010th a big one.

Everything was that night.

Whether is Mayfield, Dawson Springs, Bowling Green, all the tornadoes in central Kentucky where well after midnight Super Tuesday, 2008, most of them are after dark.

unfortunately and what we have help people is have 2 ways to receive your warnings.

It your local TV station's docking awake.

Yeah.

You got to have way weather radio, your phone.

You can pay subscriptions, be prepared, have a plan of action for whether you never know what's going to happen, especially after dark.

Yes, and good thing you mentioned that because we may have another round of severe weather coming up.

>> For tomorrow for winds.

Yeah, yeah.

I like is that going to be as severe as what we had over the weekend?

Tomorrow is very complicated because we have cloud cover and we have a frontal system moving in.

I think there will be some warnings tomorrow.

>> And I think there's going to be periods during the day we have often on storms.

But the main show is probably 5 to 10:00PM.

And I'm hoping the sun does not come out in the afternoon.

Sun were clouds.

If we get to Sunday about you feel the storm's you get powerful storms and I would not be surprised to see some warnings ins of Kentucky tomorrow.

I will make sure we KET our weather radios and apps on our bones on Sunday at this morning's.

Thank you so much.

Time.

>> And thank you, Christy Dot an tomorrow.

Storms are expected to hit and the late afternoon and evening.

So stay weather aware.

And eastern Kentucky community is mourning the death of a high school athlete Pulaski County High School junior.

Andrew Dotson was injured during a spring football practice game on Friday.

He died Monday morning.

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association posted this picture and message.

Julian Tackett, the K H commissioner says Dot son's death is difficult to comprehend.

>> What we've been told is there they were having their legal organize practice from spring last Friday.

And I believe that's all attributed to the parents said he was tackled routine play and hit his head on the ground.

That's really all we know is that eventually passed away yesterday.

Want not only was it a freak according to everyone that they we've heard from that it's true.

It's not the norm.

You know, we we've studied and we've spent more time on heat related illness and concussions and violent head-to-head collisions.

And this was not one of those.

This that's what that's what makes it.

So stunning and frustrating is this.

You can't categorize this with about anything that ever happened.

It's just it's got its own category.

The community itself is still in a state of shocked.

You're starting to see more people talk about it, which is very important.

deal with it and don't internalize it.

It says.

You know, it's just such a such an unexpected tragedy that all the schools are rallying together behind Alaska County and ran behind this family.

And I think it's been a it's been a very I would say it's been a very Kentucky thing to watch.

>> Pulaski County schools is on spring break this week.

The district says it will make grief counselors available to those who need it.

One school is back in session next week.

>> Kentucky's middle and high schools will all have at least one automated external defibrillator and at least 3 staff members train and how to use it.

In addition to all coaches, Governor Andy Beshear just signed that and 8 other public safety bills passed by the Kentucky General Assembly among the others House Bill 401.

Which gives State police the organization to store and manage video and audio captured by their new body camera recording system House bill 407.

Allowing law enforcement agencies to create wellness programs to support officers, mental and physical health House Bill.

One 15 makes it a felony to assault a police dog and Senate Bill.

79 makes it easier for domestic violence victims to KET their addresses out of public documents.

Those signings com 5 days after the 2023, Kentucky General Assembly ended its session and on the final day, the Republican leadership removed 6 House Republicans from committee assignments.

You can see their pictures here, their representatives, Felicia Rayburn of Pendleton, Josh Callaway of Irvington Steven down of our Langur Mark Heart of Falmouth Kim Porter Moser of Taylor Mill and Nancy Tate of Brandenburg Representative Rayburn told the Lexington Herald-Leader is Austin Horn that she was removed as retaliation for challenging leadership representative Suzanne Miles.

The House Majority caucus chair was one of our guests last night on Kentucky tonight.

And I asked her about the claim of retaliation.

Well, I think it's a common occurrence as far as change in communities that thing off and on.

You'll say committees change.

>> I was at the last day and the last I was going into the interim so that we kind of start looking at things and seeing where we are like we say, we've got a lot of the members.

There's a lot of things that are taking place right now.

And and we just kind of need to know where people are and what's going on you know, was it retaliation for any actions or votes?

I wouldn't say it specifically retaliation sound much.

As you know, we have members that pushed back with us to say, you know, sentence got to be done with some of the things that's going on line.

And so I would think most of the things that took place on the last day and some changes that took place was a direct result of our membership asking Representative Miles also discuss the Second Amendment sanctuary bill that passed this session.

>> The bill makes it illegal for put police in Kentucky to enforce federal firearms bans.

>> I do think the Second Amendment you know, cost.

I think it came about mainly because of the concern at the federal of what may be executive orders from our president was a concern.

I put forward a bill this year that would simply have in a tax exemption for gun safety trigger locks.

And I couldn't get so much as a committee hearing.

So I think again, sometimes it ends up being shiny penny legislation that's put we're to get people to look over here.

Instead of focusing on the things done everyday, Kentuckians are impacted by that.

That Second Amendment sanctuary bill that we passed.

I think it's unconstitutional were saying, you know, we don't believe in the supremacy clause.

So other states have done.

It's caught up in litigation.

I. I wish we stopped passing bills that we know are going to get it.

Cut the legislature and litigation.

You know, we don't think it's a proper bill.

We should pass it to the ledge legislature.

We shouldn't be dependent on the courts to right.

Our wrongs.

>> The General Assembly did not pass a bill that would allow anyone at least 21 years old to carry a gun on a college campus that bill was opposed by university presidents and university police chiefs.

It was a wide ranging discussion that touched on everything from abortion to transgender youth legislation on Kentucky tonight last night you can see the full program online on demand at KET DOT Org.

Slash K why tonight and join us again next Monday when we continue our look back at the Kentucky General Assembly's work will talk to leaders in several key advocacy groups about bills passed related to education, business health and more.

That's Monday at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty today to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records.

The former president appeared in a Manhattan courtroom this afternoon.

The charges are related to a hush money payment to a pornographic actress made during Trump's 2016 campaign for President.

Congressman James Comer of Kentucky's first district is chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability a few days ago he tweeted this about the investigation.

Quote, the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has weaponized his office to launch a blatantly political indictment.

This case rests on a farfetched legal Syrian tested anywhere in the U.S. the American people deserve better than this cheap political stunt, unquote.

U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate minority leader has made no public comment about the Trump indictment or today's arraignment.

Senator McConnell continues to recover from a fall in Washington, D.C., in early March.

The 81 year-old spent a few days in the hospital, then went to a rehab facility before going home.

U.S.

Senator Rand Paul has commented 2 weeks ago before the grand jury indicted Trump.

Senator Paul tweeted, quote, a Trump indictment would be a disgusting abuse of power.

The DA should be put in jail and quote.

Still no signs of methanol in the air after a barge accident on the Ohio River near make out and down last week, 10 barges broke loose from a tugboat last Tuesday.

One barge carrying 1400 tons of methanol ended up partially submerged under a dam.

Louisville Emergency Management says water testing Sunday showed no detectable presence of methanol in the Ohio River.

This news comes as crews prepare to move methanol from the submerged barge onto another boat.

Owners have to have an emergency plan in case a dam fails.

That's after the Kentucky General Assembly passed and Governor Andy Beshear signed Senate bill to 77 the Kentucky Lantern reports that under the new law, if a dam has a hazard classification of significant moderate or high, the owners have to have an emergency action plan until now.

Kentucky did not require it.

This was inspired in part when a sinkhole opened near a dam in Crittendon County last year.

If the dam had failed, it could have sent 180 million gallons of water toward private property and a hospital.

♪ ♪ The foundation for a healthy Kentucky is trying to make sure Kentuckians get back to the basics.

It's launched.

A new campaign called raise your guard, Kentucky.

The focus is on simple steps.

People can take to reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease and help fight off the next COVID variant or virus that comes along.

More now on the campaign in today's medical News.

>> You'd be surprised the number of people who don't realize how much it could mean that their health, if they just do some simple things, you know, and these things.

This is not rocket science.

These are things in everyday like that that people ought to raise your guard, Kentucky suggests small steps they can mean a big difference in the health and quality of life for folks across this commonwealth.

This particular campaigns is a really pretty basic and we believe that coming out of COVID in particular, people across the state need to focus on the basics, need to focus on just what you need to do every single day to be healthier.

Move around.

More.

Eat better.

Get more sleep and a number of other that really these fairly obvious.

But I think we all are guilty neglecting some of those things.

So we all could use a reminder.

And to the extent that we do these things, we're going to have healthier people in a healthier state.

Well, Kentuckyian so long struggled with chronic diseases.

We don't have to accept this as the status quo.

We leave the entire nation cancer rates for obesity are hikes.

We're one of the top states for cardiovascular disease.

And the problem that we have seen with COVID and coming out of COVID is that.

These rates of underlying disease have exacerbated the danger that people deal with a relative to COVID.

So if you've got one of these problems, one of these underlying problems and again, we in Kentucky have more of them than most people.

You're going to be much more vulnerable to COVID-19 or a COVID variant that comes or, you know, we don't know what other kind pandemic we might face in the future.

So the best thing you can do is be prepared the best way to be prepared is to do those basic things that you need to do to be healthy.

To reach a wider audience.

Chandler said the campaign will feature.

>> 5 people whose stories will be told in English, Spanish and Swahili.

♪ ♪ >> And they're off its derby season.

April officially begins.

The Kentucky Derby festival season.

>> Our Kelsey Starks has more on the race that puts all all of Kentuckyian the winner's circle.

>> Well, you know, a Louisville likes to stretch out the most famous 2 minutes in sports into a month long festival.

And that is the Derby festival.

Of course, Stacey Yates is the chief marketing officer for Louisville She's here to talk a little bit about the impact to this season has here we are in Louisville just coming off the heels of some great March Madness games in here.

And they're talking about an economic impact.

It 15 million dollars for the city.

Let's talk a little bit about why this isn't only great for the city of Louisville that really great for the entire state.

to huge brand opportunity for the state right.

>> When Lexington host things when level has things.

Owensboro, Paducah, it really just shines a positive spotlight on our state.

And then there's the economic impact.

The throw a lot of cases when people are coming to cities like Louisville for something.

Also discover something like urban and there's a lot from the streets of downtown mobile.

They're over 60 distilleries elsewhere around the state that might get it.

I get a taste about that second and 3rd visit to do so.

These kind of marquee really tourism for the state overall.

>> Yeah, let's talk a little bit about that.

Bourbon is and I know you kind of the masterminds behind that and it has really Louisville and Kentucky in general has become a destination for bourbon enthusiasts.

What kind of impact has has that had now that were several years into this now certainly created a buzz.

Yeah.

So yeah.

So many years over 15 now has got to think back.

>> Louisville didn't have any distilleries.

That had a truism component to it.

So we have production.

We are we were and still are believes making a 3rd of the world's bourbon supply.

But they weren't turning opportunities.

There are only 8 distilleries out the state that you can do this.

And we just wanted to plug into that.

And so we did with this little promotion we came up with.

That was a cocktail tour, essentially cut the ribbon trail and then we were an overnight success.

Know.

Haha, it's been 15 years, we're so excited to say that we have a dozen distilleries with uttering experience now and the city of Louisville own over 60 in the state.

I'm told and we have like 5 or 6 on the docket right now that will be open in different stages from basically next week until the end of this year.

So a lot of and that bourbon tourism space.

We really have become what we set out to do.

And that is kind of the the the napa for wind.

But and the Bergen record or if you ask?

>> Yeah, absolutely.

And here we are.

And derby season right says that the biggest tourism season kind of the kickoff for a tourism season here in Louisville.

A great drink bourbon, It has been a difficult few years, though.

I mean, coming off of COVID and a lot of downtown businesses struggled are just kind of starting to come so what do you expect this year is downtown Louisville back.

>> I challenge people that think it, but it's not.

And then they're they do not all the office workers have returned.

I don't know that that's as much of a a COVID thing as it is a new way of life right Hybrid schedule.

So you might be down here on a Monday and not find all of your favorite place is open for lunch, but I would challenge people to be hard pressed to come on.

Really Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday and not wonder what was going on you.

It's a lively, vibrant corridor here on Whiskey Row is that a dozen bourbon attractions and iconic attractions like Louisville slugger the Frazier History Museum.

The Science Center.

You will see folks with a mini bad in one hand and a bourbon gift bag and another just its first thing at the same.

So downtown is very much alive on weekends, especially from a tourism standpoint.

Yeah, and a lot still to come.

We've the slugger museum here in downtown recently renovated and as soon to be open by cutting the ribbon on those renovations.

And the exhibit.

>> Is a soon to be opening at the Derby Museum.

>> It's been more than a year since Russia invaded Ukraine and one retired Lexington police officer has found herself more involved with the Ukrainian people people than she ever could imagine.

She got connected with a non-profit organization called show Vaughn's Trost one of their main forms of support cooking and serving hot pizzas.

>> I think like the rest of the world on the Russian invasion began, it horrifying and it's surreal.

But in 2022, we would be where we were that there was a ground war in Europe and it was just shocking in very upsetting.

And I just felt call to to pray for that situation.

And it was it was really on my heart.

Woke me up in the middle of the praying for the his protection for the country for I'm just in a rapid end to this.

But it never crossed my mind.

That point that I would go there.

My father had been a refugee as a child.

He's from London and he was in London was being bombed and he and his sister were put on a ship at ages 6, 8, and shipped to America.

And when I started reading about this and hearing about it again, praying for those most precious little children who were being ripped from their families and and displaced.

I felt the need to go.

So just to support them, it's it's not just a matter of feeding them.

You know, I we didn't run into anybody, at least in the areas that I worked that were starving.

They were having their needs met but they were frightened and they were displaced and they were sad and they were heartbroken.

The children didn't understand what was happening.

So it was to make that connection with them to pull up fire up some music, get pizzas going in the summer.

We hand donuts.

We have ice cream >> and just listen to their stories just giving them a hug or dancing with the kids.

Dancing is a big part of this over there.

And it provided just enjoy and kind of a respite from what they have been experiencing.

One woman came up to me and just pointed to herself and said Mariupol and I think everybody knows what that meant.

It's that that city that just was totally devastated.

And she had are some there and they were living in a school in a room and he had to set foot out of there in the weeks ahead of that room in the weeks that they had been there and she communicated to us.

Google Translate was our friend.

They he looked outside and he saw.

People cooking pizza and music and dancing and wanted to go out and came out for the first time.

That's the sort of environment that they're living in.

And that's the hope in the joy that we can provide just really a little bit of time that we were there.

I think my background is a police officer definitely played into I always wanted to help and I saw something that's unjust.

That's really unbelievably.

And just that you can't kind of wrap your head around.

This is happening and you just you find a spot where you can help and do what you can and you do it >> Ukrainians, I'm the most incredible people.

>> Across the board I have ever met.

They're resilient.

They are funny.

Their are giving loving.

They're very positive.

They are so strong in there identity and the most beautiful that culture they want to share it.

I don't feel like I've ever lived life so deeply.

Then I have with the people.

I was sharing these experiences with and it's life changing.

And I feel like I have received so much more than a given.

But this can't be ignored because it will impact this should there in in a way that we can't even imagine.

Should there be a loss in Ukraine?

It's worth staying up with and fighting for.

>> Joan has made 3 separate trips to Ukraine since the invasion.

Each of them lasting about 3 weeks.

Well, Kentucky is known as the horse capital of the world, but would you believe it's one of the Gulf capitals of the U.S. gambling dot com.

Look at some key data and concluded that Kentucky is the 5th best state in the nation as a retirement destination for golfers, the rankings are based on golf courses per capita greens fees, amount of sunlight and even the cost of Bud Light beer.

Nebraska was first on the list.

Kentucky is also the bourbon capital and it turns out bourbon barrels can do more than hold bourbon.

A special art project turning barrels and to bow ties.

That's tomorrow.

We'll explain next on Kentucky EDITION.

>> Which we hope will see you 4 at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full episodes and clips.

But hey, T Dot Org.

You can also find us on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

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Thank you so much for joining us tonight.

I hope we'll see you right back here again tomorrow night.

In the meantime, take really good care tonight.

♪ ♪ ♪