♪ >> Communities picking up the pieces after close to a dozen tornadoes touched down in Kentucky.

>> I'm going to be really busy for the eclipse.

We will see people come in from all over the country in the world.

>> See how one Kentucky town is preparing for an out of this world experience for Eclipse watchers.

>> A call from college Oncology department and emergency room.

>> Plus a life changing diagnosis for one University of Kentucky student.

Let's see how the UK campus stepped up to help him and others battling cancer.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KU Team Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Thursday.

April, before I'm Renee Shaw.

Good to be back with you and thank you for joining us tonight.

>> Storms Tuesday left thousands of Kentucky homes and businesses without power.

And K E T was one of them.

As a result, we were unable to bring you Kentucky Edition Tuesday or Wednesday, but we are glad to be back with you tonight and we thank you so much for your patience.

The governor's office says Kentucky had 11 confirmed tornadoes on Tuesday.

Boiled county had 2 of those one of the Boyd County tornadoes was an E F 2 along with one in Jefferson County.

The others were eaef ones.

There's still one confirmed death.

A man who died in a car crash in Campbell County.

Governor Andy Beshear toured the damage in prospect on Wednesday today.

The National Weather Service announced it upgraded the tornado that hit the city to an ETF, too.

The National Weather Service says the tornado struck Jeffersonville, Indiana before jumping the Ohio River and hitting prospect wind speeds reached up to 120 miles per hour, destroying homes and downing large trees.

Crews are still working to clear roadways.

Governor Beshear also toured Jessamine County Wednesday.

One of the areas hit by an E F one tornado.

There was extensive damage reported in adults Trail Park where several buildings had roofs and siding torn off.

The last time the county was hit by a tornado was in 1995.

And you have one tornado also touched down in Anderson County downing large trees and damaging buildings, particularly roofs.

The National Weather Service reports 95 mile an hour winds.

Emergency management were quick to help with cleanup and some people have already started rebuilding whose?

Cleanup continues across Kentucky following severe weather on Tuesday.

That includes in Lexington where straight-line winds uprooted trees, trees, rather in the Cardinal Valley neighborhood.

Power lines were taken down and some homes and vehicles were damaged.

One homeowner who works the night shift was awakened by an unexpected alarm.

>> A lot of wind and then we started to pick up and I just hear this kind of thunder.

I heard that.

How shaken?

And that's that's that what happened with that?

No ice.

>> Well, that noise was a tree coming down on his roof and vehicle.

His car was crushed.

Sanchez says he's just glad he his partner and dogs are all safe.

Crews immediately got to work removing trees from power lines so electricity could be restored >> we've got a way for KU to assess everything on the ground.

The lines cut the power off.

Make sure that nothing is electrified.

They give us to go.

We go in assessed area.

See what the dangers are.

What's going on coming 3 or 4 plans to get out safe.

This want to go.

>> Corey Devore estimates there were as many as 200 trees on power lines across Lexington.

As Governor Andy Beshear discuss the storms today.

He again denounced the Republican, backed a portion of the budget bill that he says would limit the state's ability to deal quickly with a weather disaster.

The governor says the budget would cap the executive branch's response to emergencies.

At 25 million dollars per fiscal year.

He says that's not enough money.

And the delay in authorizing more money could be devastating.

>> The current pending statement.

You for the very first time in our history would limit the amount and executive branch can spend or to expend in response to a natural disaster and not the limitation after any individual one.

But over the course of the year to give you an example, we would have exceeded the cap that they are setting in the first.

3 to 4 months of this fiscal year in just 3 to 4 months.

We'll be out of money.

They were allowed to spend to respond to a natural disaster.

Now, some say that there's a another pocket sitting out there we can use now that under the budget can only go towards beam imagines the match just in the year, 2 or 3 years later, you can use them for the immediate emergency response.

And that means we've now had at least 2 major weather events.

Again, the tornadoes in Trumbull and Carroll County and then in the damage in Gallatin County as well as this storm that's impacted so many counties that we would have been over the amount.

And it would have taken either a special session or are calling people back in the period for us to simply respond and think about how long that takes and how long the bill takes to pass.

Those are precious moments.

Minutes, hours and days where we have to be responding.

A meeting.

>> The governor says he will line item veto that part of the budget bill Republicans have super majorities in both chambers and would have the opportunity to override the veto when they reconvene for 2 days later this month.

Tuesday's tornado outbreak happened one day before the 50th anniversary of the super tornado outbreak of 1974.

148 tornadoes were recorded across 13 states claiming hundreds of lives.

Our Chris T-dot and explores how advancements in technology and tornado safety have changed in the last 50 years.

>> Now a lot of people will remember the 1974 super tornado outbreak.

This happened on April 3rd.

And so this year marks the 50th anniversary that tornado outbreak that was in deadly.

And, you know, by some reports killed over 60 people in Kentucky alone, 315 deaths total in 13 states and Kentucky.

Brandenburg in the county was hit the hardest with with Kentucky's only reported EF 5 Tornado.

You just saw the map there of all the lines of all this tornadoes and hear some of that footage.

There's the footage of that tornado believe that's in the Louisville area where it really swept was on the ground 20 miles through.

Louisville did a lot of damage in the Cherokee Park area.

for when it hit the Louisville area.

That was EF 4 tornado.

I mean, things are very different now.

And you can see by these pictures and in some of the images, you know, technology has come quite a long way, hasn't it, John?

I mean, what's the difference now, if an outbreak like that happened today versus what happened, then this is the signature event of all.

>> This is the number one event.

Everything changed back in the day.

Diane Sawyer did the weather and what we have people who are not meteorologists And this event that Gilbert to show the Louisville one was a helicopter pilot that day.

And that kind of really led to the chase or movement.

D*** Albert up there doing the traffic.

So back in the day, you had facts charts.

You 1950's style radars.

You had no Internet you had no.

I know that.

Shocking to on Twitter, Facebook.

There was nothing.

>> Yeah.

One computer model and that it lists event led to the evolution of the Doppler weather radars.

A lead to the end of the graphics movement has led to the movement of the Sky warn program of getting spotters to report damage and a hail and wind and everything else.

It also led to of the Kentucky Mesonet Shane works that lead to better observations.

Back in the day we had Louisville and Lexington and Frankfort Airport London.

We didn't have anything.

It 15 sites in the state.

Now you have 70 some stations in the state.

We have everything got better because of a horrible disaster.

>> Destin, I know like emergency management.

What lessons were learned then and I've even seen some counties putting UPS tornado shelters to write.

So days are different now from even from an emergency management side of it.

>> Putting together and having them work on what we call mitigation projects, things that are we can do to either prevent the situation from happening or at least prevent the loss of life.

And we work really hard.

Our team with our locals to put those mitigation projects in place.

And one of those one of those being.

You know, having storm shelters, whether it's community storm shelters or inside public buildings that they have a location that they can go to within those public buildings as well as the communication.

We talked about the outdoor warning sirens how do we do a better job of communicating with people with that?

Those are all things that every time I mean, not just the 74 event, but obviously a big every time.

How do we make this so?

We know we can't stop tornadoes are happening.

But in this case, what we do to prevent the loss of life.

>> A lot of great information on that program and you can see that show in its entirety online on demand at K E T Dot Org.

It's called severe weather staying safe.

Now turning to national politics, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky senior senator continues to make the case for continued U.S. support of Ukraine.

McConnell was in Shelbyville yesterday.

His position on Ukraine puts him at odds with many of his fellow Republicans.

>> Not taking a single American Involvement directly in the war were trying to h***.

These brave people stand up for their own and then.

And this is, you the Democratic world.

Against the real jobs that we had, which in my view of the greatest and the Berlin Wall came out.

We've got the they did during the Soviet period.

We've got to try to all COVID commercial computer into a national security threat.

And you've got around sitting there.

age groups like that.

They're shooting it out.

So the 2 parties you could take your my friend.

You could say, bliss.

KET my head down and maybe everything will be OK. Or you can stand up to it and made a big bash now.

But I'm Ron Reagan, Republican.

>> 60 billion dollars.

But Kentucky's junior U.S.

Senator Rand Paul is been a chief critic of sending money to Ukraine.

But McConnell says that line of thinking is wrong.

>> But I have a trying to help do everything I can to again for notion that somehow this is not an American >> To be the leader the Democratic world.

Things don't work well, if we are not in the leadership position.

There and what a big issue that could >> McConnell recently announced he'll be stepping down from his post as Senate Republican leader at the end of his leadership term.

He was asked about a replacement for the position.

McCall said he doesn't have, quote, a preference but expects he will have a good successor will have a good.

Kentucky has 4 and a half million people.

And of those about 610,000 are serving as caregivers.

We talked about that.

What caregivers face and what can be done to help them Monday night on caring for the aging akt form right here on KET, our host Doctor Wayne Tuckson asked the panel just who are these caregivers?

>> A lot of them are children.

The children when their parents are needing support or the spouse.

We have a lot of people in Kentucky they're receiving supports to their spouse.

It's interesting because when we do a lot of work in eastern Kentucky in rural areas and it kind of becomes a whole family event that when you do have one person that's providing your care all the time, that person can experience a lot of fatigue and burden and stress.

But when we have care convoy is what they call it, convoy of people that are there to support you that we take rotations and support that it can be.

The neighbor could be the cause and can be the answer.

The sister, whoever is available, we're all pitching in to support this individual as they age ideally in their home environment for as long as comfortable as possible.

There is good news about Kentucky's senior population.

Experts say on the whole there are they are healthier than ever before.

>> But they need to take action to stay that way.

>> Modern medicine has done a million veins and it really keeps people alive And so if you are healthy, are people who are smoking as much as they used to be?

You know, so I think our whole mindset has changed as trigger institute off-leash in clinic.

We really focus on lifestyle medicine and his exercise.

Nutrition.

Getting the right sleeve.

Your social relationships.

>> And that information out there.

And so I think, you know that with this teenager is a lot of ways to communicate.

People get good information, know how change their diet and have more, you know, plans and more vegetables and less red meat.

And so I think yet that this information is out there, people use to not know that they needed to exercise it just kind of exercises.

That was their work.

They working on a farm and they had exercise.

But now we know you need to exercise.

So, yeah, I think things are changing and people are healthier and older adults.

You know, there's so much of value and they have spring such wisdom.

And we need to KET them active members of society, right?

And and they do that to get the healthy and they are healthy.

You can see more of that robust discussion caring for the aging.

Okay.

It form online on demand at KET DOT Org.

Visit our next chapter.

>> Web page also to get more information about senior living.

Most may be too young to vote, but Kentucky students have another way to get involved in the upcoming general election.

>> The secretary of state's office is inviting all K through 12 students to send in their best design for the first I voted sticker contest.

Secretary of State Michael Adams says it's a way to encourage civic participation and even the youngest Kentuckians, the winner will be announced at the 2024 State Fair stickers with the winning design will be given out to voters during the 2024 general election in November.

But a great idea.

♪ ♪ We are just days away from an event so rare people are lucky to witness it once in a lifetime.

But hearing Kentucky, it's our second one in less than a deck.

A what I'm talking about on Monday, far Western Kentucky will be in the path of the total solar eclipse.

Our Laura Rodgers explains how Paducah we'll roll out the red carpet for Starry eyed travelers.

>> A lot of exciting things going on up in the heavens right now.

>> And the city of Paducah is right in the center of it.

Anytime we have a major U.S. less true.

Love him like a total eclipse.

>> It's an exciting time for lots of different reasons.

Susan Edwards owns Wild Hair Studios Rock shop and the heart of downtown healing crystals crystals to decorate your home with a collection of items meant to enhance one's spiritual journey.

In sense, candles on Monday, April 8, when the Sun, Moon and Earth all line for a total solar eclipse, it will be a spiritual experience that many of never witnessed before.

>> What gets weirdly dark?

The animals start to get confused and start thinking that it's night time.

>> They certainly feel it.

It's difficult to explain.

But there's just an energy about it.

That is fascinating.

>> This is the Duke U.S. second time in a decade to be in the path of totality following another eclipse in 2017, we had people come from all over America in the world.

So we decided this go around.

We kind of wanted to harness that a little more.

The X marks, the spot total Eclipse Festival is this Sunday and Monday in the downtown district banks and major part to a grant from the Simons Foundation.

>> There's going to be a heavy emphasis on science and all of the the wonderful family oriented things that you can do around learning about the clips is and what they are, how they happened.

Hundreds of eclipse chasers are expected to converge on Paducah for the best seat in the House.

We are going to have a viewing area on the riverfront and our museum is offering their lawn for people to come and view.

>> And then they can be right the streets and viewed as well.

>> It's good for the local economy like restaurants and retail and also a chance for those world travelers to see a bit of the blue grants.

>> We are going to be really busy for the eclipse.

We will see people come in from all over the country in the world, aside from the once in a lifetime experience, they can also pick up some souvenirs, including a specially designed T-shirts since we are going to be a totality.

I did try to use the design too.

>> Make that.

But also some of the iconic about Paducah, like chief to do like our museum, like the arts are landmarks and attractions.

They're eager to showcase filling the time around the few minutes.

All eyes are on the sky.

>> There's a certain energy that just happens.

It's unlike anything else.

We're Kentucky edition.

I'm Laura Rogers.

>> Thank you, Lauren.

Now Paducah is right on the edge of totality.

So it'll be quick from 02:00PM to 202 Central time.

We all have a crew there to bring you our eclipse special Monday night at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

♪ >> 2 major national sporting events are coming to Kentucky the spring.

Louisville will, of course, post the 100 50th Kentucky Derby.

And just weeks later.

>> The PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Course.

Our Kelsey Starks talks to the president of the Louisville Sports Commission about what else is coming and the impact of these events on the entire state.

>> I think a lot of people don't realize to what kind of events are actually hosted here.

Tell us about some of the most recent some really big names.

>> Sure.

I mean, we just wrapped up USA Gymnastics Winter Cup that Kentucky International Convention Center where it is the start to the road, too.

The Paris Olympics.

So we had future Olympians that we're all vying to make the U.S. National team that just wrapped up.

We had we just finished USA Cycling Cyclocross national championships.

A joke recent park.

We have a long lineage of hosting cyclocross at the highest level.

We hosted the Elite World Championships on River Road back in 2013, USA Track and field is now a regular client of ours.

Because of the new indoor track.

And I know you interviewed Sadiq well and that story and it's amazing.

And to have a facility that's world class.

Yeah.

In the Russell neighborhood is terrific.

we have USA Fencing coming back this fall and that will be fresh off of the Olympics.

So we'll have a limp Ian's that will compete there.

BMX USA BMX Saturday P Tom Sawyer State Park.

So it is just a a plethora of national governing We have Ironman coming back again for 70.3.

I know you interview job.

And so, yes, we're excited to have that lifestyle brand back in our community this And, you know, it's we're just always out there pounding the pavement, finding new opportunities of just to make a Louisville great sports community.

>> Yeah, let's talk a little bit more about some of those facilities you mentioned we have some great sports facilities here in town.

How do we compare to other cities and what are what your competition?

>> Well, I mean, real competition really does come from 2 factors having the right facility and having the right funding.

And so we find ourselves competing a lot with cities like Milwaukee, Columbus, Ohio, we compete with in the we compete with, you a Pittsburgh.

So a lot of city to Louisville, but it comes down the venues that you have been for us.

We have.

I'm starting with the Kentucky Exposition Center.

It is the 5th 6 largest public facility in the country.

A lot of folks don't realize the amount of sporting events that we help produced in that facility will be the largest women's basketball tournament on Planet Earth will take place there this with over 100 basketball courts about 5,000 women's basketball teams will will descend on Louisville for the better part of the month of July.

That's a fabulous venue for us.

The Lynn Family Stadium has been a game changer.

It allowed us to host the men's soccer national championships this past December.

First time ever.

And that was a partnership with University of Louisville and the folks ASM Global that manage the some facilities.

So, you know, it's center continues to just deliver.

We have the NCAA women's volleyball national championships coming in December for the second time that the Yum Center.

>> And what about rumors of an NBA team looking at Louisville?

Well, you can find that out.

When you watch inside Louisville with Kelsey starts this Sunday at 12 noon Eastern.

11:00AM central right here on KET.

♪ >> This weekend is the University of Kentucky's annual Dance Blue Marathon.

A fundraiser to help fight pediatric cancer.

The event has special meaning for a 22 year-old UK senior Johnny Kirkpatrick.

>> Who was treated in the dance blue clinic after being diagnosed with leukemia his freshman year of college.

>> I mean, I personally believe the 2018 year-old the thing, the things that are going to happen it's very shocking and so after a devastating I was diagnosed freshman year UK and 2019 start out the year.

Do know freshman things trying to make start to get sick was urged to finally go to the doctor after trying to brush got a call from the College Oncology department sand because emergency room immediately.

I had acute lymphoblastic leukemia on comes to the desperate plight.

Heard my case and came down and I was put in like especially young adult trial dance blues.

A student run fundraiser You could wear.

Students all their efforts to raise money and 25 dance marathon where they celebrate those fundraising efforts and all funds go towards dance.

Blew past week like I was very fortunate to push them because it's just such an excellent care team.

Not only the doctors and nurses but other people having that staff like helping sort out school and stuff like that.

They made the whole experience bearable.

Being the host.

I mean, life is a special people to be with.

I just can't imagine country anywhere else.

With the treatment works.

Sits Kyle Long.

They put it into remission within a year to something.

I was still on lower dose chemotherapy for a long time, like told home and stuff and do my physical activity for year 2 within the first month of treatment last.

Almost on my just been so sick all the time.

So.

Is lowered to get back to that.

Being sick.

Let me to learn a lot about.

Taking my good health for granted.

So I try to do as much as they can.

I got their back to class.

>> Every day I'm going to play soccer as much as I can.

You know, start to learn new sports as well.

Take a couple >> Think about a more Sunday is mother's, but I'm like think it.

Pushes me experience more and life.

And push myself to doing the enjoy that.

I have.

Sometimes I forget that.

I try to remember is like and don't take for granted the time you have people who have.

>> Certainly a good message.

This year's Dansby Marathon will take place in Rupp Arena from Saturday evening to Sunday night.

And our thanks to our intern, Laurel Swans for bringing us that story.

We have a lot more stories for you tomorrow night on Kentucky edition at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central.

We inform connect and inspire.

>> I'm Renee Shaw.

Great to be back with you and I'll see you right back here again tomorrow night.

♪