And this whole week is ancient.

So drink plenty of water and take care of yourself.

We'll ask an expert why we're getting this kind of heat.

And when can we expect some relief when you party?

The blame for that?

Who is to blame for the school bus transportation disaster?

Some say it goes beyond Jefferson County.

Anything from a quarter horse to a gated horse to a miniature horse, you name it.

All the horses I want in my facility, I want to be able to help every single horse.

And Kentucky of course, is known for its horses.

And a young entrepreneur is giving those needing care some extra love and attention.

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

Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition on this Tuesday, August the 22nd.

It's a hot one out there.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for winding down your Tuesday with us.

The dangerous heat continues in Kentucky.

The state remains under a weather warning through Thursday evening.

The heat index is expected to be between 105 and 120 degrees each afternoon.

A cool down is expected over the upcoming weekend as temperatures are forecast to drop into the eighties.

We do expect it to be hot in late August, but is this worse than usual this time of year?

Our Kristie Dutton talked with meteorologist John Gordon from the National Weather Service about the significance of this latest heat wave, what's causing it and when it's likely to end.

As soon as we walk outside, it feels like we're stepping into a hot tub.

John, why is all this heat happening?

Oh, gracious.

We've got this large dome of high pressure over the center of the nation.

It's not just Louisville, it's Saint Louis, it's Tulsa, it's Chicago.

It's a mass.

We have this big dome of hot air suppressing heat down, and this whole week is hot.

So drink plenty of water and take care of yourselves.

It's going to be a sweltering week.

Yes.

And so historically, are we breaking records?

Is this typical weather for Kentucky?

I'll put this into perspective for us.

Yeah, we can certainly come near some records Thursday and Friday, especially western Kentucky.

Before that, our folks out there, west of Owensboro, it's going to be much hotter.

Earlier in the week.

But, you know, it's the week of the of the state fair.

What happens every year?

It's always hot as a sweaty Betty out there.

So we try to teach people to drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks, get in the shade as much as possible.

And now is not the time to try your winter clothing.

Wear just some loose clothing.

Yes, absolutely.

So I know parts of the states are in excessive heat warnings, excessive heat watches.

Should we expect those to include more of the state as the week goes on?

Yeah, I think so, especially Thursday and Friday.

I think that map will change a little bit further to the east.

You know, I don't know if anyone can tell the difference between a 98 heat index and 103 heat index.

But certainly it's going to be hot across the entire state.

The worst areas of the West and the Central Park through Friday.

And there is some relief this weekend.

So really tell us about that.

Give us a light at the end of the tunnel.

There is light.

There is a cold front coming down Saturday, so there will be some cooler temperatures or maybe upper eighties, low nineties and the heat indices coming down a little bit.

And oh, I will say a smattering of pretty said 20 to 40% coverage probably during the day on Thursday for Saturday, rather, coming down from the north to the south.

Okay.

So until then, throughout the whole workweek, it's going to be hot.

It's going to be humid.

They say it's not the heat, it's the humidity.

And this time it's both, really.

And so that's going to make it feel much hotter.

What he didn't say that we're talking about right now.

What's going to be interesting is that the western part of the state is going to be humid all week, but there is a hint of some more northeasterly winds across the northern part of state.

They'll actually be maybe hotter in temperature, but not as hot with the heat index because their two points are going to be a little bit lower.

It's still hot.

I personally like a drier heat.

That's just me, but hot as hot.

Hot is hot.

It's a sweaty betty.

As he said, the heat is also affecting the new school year.

Many school districts across the state are canceling some after school practices or moving them inside.

Also, many school busses will be taking extra precautions for the afternoon ride since most do not have air conditioning.

A Lexington nonprofit is working hard to get sandwiches along with other items such as sunscreen and water to the city's homeless population.

The 24 year old ministry has served 9.4 million meals and plans to serve more amid dangerous weather conditions.

There isn't a human being alive who doesn't want help, who wants to be left to suffer on their own, in the heat, in the cold, even being hungry, not having a bed, not having a refrigerator, there's no body.

Passionate Caravan has been rolling for over ten years.

We saw that as a need about ten years ago.

So we have community and faith community groups that will supply the needs to be able to not only give a sandwich.

And in this case, we're asking for peanut butter and jelly sandwich, water chips, sunscreen.

But most important, a smile and a connection, because part of the story of homelessness are people who are lonely, who are left out and don't think they can belong anywhere.

When it's dramatic weather, we go into high gear.

Normally we're at the weekends and on Friday evenings when there are no social services available.

But because of the emergency weather situation we're in now, it will be out every day this week reaching out to those who no one else is.

Peanut butter and jelly can do well in the heat without, you know, we do others in the winter, we do soups.

We do coffee.

Now we do the water, the PB and J and snacks.

Not only is it hot, we will go outside and it's hot and we can get it in our car and hopefully it's air conditioned or not.

You get a respite sometime during the day and the night.

These folks don't.

These folks are stuck.

If they can't get in a cool cooling center or someplace cool, they're going to be drained and it drains you both physically and that's a scary one because it can lead heat stroke, but it also drains you emotionally.

It makes people give up.

We want to do it step by step, inch by inch, create the awareness for the community, but also give them a little hope.

Give them a little kindness.

Share a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that lets them know that the community cares.

The Catholic Action Center is also informing people about Lexington's cooling spaces, which include Dunbar Community Center, the Tates Creek Golf Course, Pick a Dome Gothic golf course, and the Lexington Senior Center.

Each location will be open through the week.

No school today or tomorrow in Lee County because of illness.

And students will learn from home Thursday and Friday.

The school system is not saying what kind of illness is causing so many students to call in sick.

Extracurricular activities are also canceled, including games and practices.

The Kentucky Board of Education has begun the process of searching for the state's next education commissioner.

Yesterday, board members approved the State Department of Education's request for proposals to seek an outside firm to lead the search.

Current Commissioner Jason Glass announced last month that he's stepping down at the end of September after a contentious relationship with Republican state lawmakers regarding laws directed at LGBTQ plus students.

The board hopes a search firm can begin working no later than December 1st and plans to meet again next month to discuss its next steps.

Education was our topic last night on Kentucky tonight.

Among other things, our panel talked about the recent bus problem and Jefferson County on the first day of school bus delays were so bad, some students didn't get home until almost 10:00 that night.

Schools closed for a few days while the school system worked to fix the problem.

Part of the debate last night was whether the state is providing local school systems the transportation money it's supposed to provide.

So when we talk about the debacle that that occurred on that first day of school, we party the blame for that.

We recognize that two years ago and didn't do anything.

So so so let's look at ourselves in the mirror and say, as a legislature, we didn't do our job.

So during the interim period that we are in now and we know that we'll be going into a regular session January 2nd and it is a budget year, will there be discussions and are they happening now about fully funding those school transportation costs at 100%?

Considering there is also a three plus billion dollar surplus, Renee, Now, would there be discussions?

But we should do that.

The governor advocates that.

And I said as a legislature, we recommended that at the end of that task force in 2021, and we didn't do that.

So we saw that problem two years ago and didn't do anything about it.

We give JCPenney's $45 million a year towards transportation.

I mean, you had $45 million and look at look at how the start of the school year was.

I mean, the real issue isn't the funding.

The real issue is taking the initiative, having the bus drivers know their routes.

They've spent so much time focused on so many other things other than the basics of getting kids to school, educating kids, that sort of stuff.

The last two school board meetings and as you mentioned, they've had to put Senate Bill 150 in place.

They spent the last two school board meetings trying to subvert that law, figuring out how they could get around it rather than focusing on having children in the classroom.

And I feel like this is a consistent message which keeps having closed the schools for so long and all the learning that we've lost.

And then now this week that's happened.

This is a basic function of any school district to get kids to school.

And it's happening around the state, it's happening around the country, it's happening around the world that we can do the basic function of getting kids to school.

And this was just such a disaster.

I respectfully disagree with the transportation of students being a basic process.

It's by far one of the most complex aspects of any organization in terms of school functions.

And the fundamental issue is the lack of funding.

I am Warren County.

We're down a third of our bus drivers.

I think Superintendent Polio was very clear that the Jefferson County Public Schools is operating on half the number of bus drivers that they were employed just a few years ago.

I've watched it become a major issue year after year for, as I mentioned earlier, better than a decade.

And the reality is you can't transport students.

And we're not talking about packages here.

We're talking about students.

We're talking about students.

And in some cases show up the very first day of school.

They don't know their name.

We don't know who they are.

I ran into that on the very first day, just by pure chance of visiting our schools.

A five year old from another country.

And those individuals take additional time to care for when you're transporting.

So I find it disingenuous for folks on the outside to be making these these comments when they really have no understanding of just how complex it is in transporting our students to and from school.

A viewer asked if students in Jefferson County could be given bus tokens and ride city busses to school.

Our panel seemed open to that idea.

We touched on other things last night, including the gubernatorial candidates, education plans, the implementation of Senate Bill 150, the transgender students bill, discipline problems in schools and much more.

You can see the full hour of that program online on demand at dawg slash k K-Y tonight.

Now back to the school bussing issue.

Congressman Morgan McGarvey is asking the U.S. Department of Education to help JCP.

S address its bus driver shortage.

In a letter to the department's deputy assistant secretary, McGarvey said the district has lost a third of its bus drivers since before the COVID 19 pandemic.

He said the shortage, combined with other factors, led to the district's transportation disaster.

On that first day of school, the Louisville Democrat representing Kentucky's third Congressional District also cited his personal experience.

He says, quote, Like many JCPenney's parents, I sent my son on a bus for his first day at a new school, and he didn't get home until after dinner.

Some kids weren't picked up at all or didn't get home until nearly ten at night, leading to worried parents and hungry kids.

Every parent deserves to send their kids to school with peace of mind that they're being taken care of and welcome home safely and quote.

McGarvey also said that while Congress should not control Jeep's bus routes, he believes it's his job to ensure our schools in Kentucky and across the nation receive the federal support they deserve.

Our public affairs team continue with our examination of education issues on a special program next Monday night.

Early Literacy form learned about the science of reading and how Kentucky teachers are teaching reading differently.

We'll have that discussion for you next Monday at eight Eastern, seven Central right here on E.T.

with host Kelsey Starks.

A paycheck and tuition help.

It's a win win idea from the Kentucky community and technical college system.

Education first, employers announced today is a partnership between KCTCS and 45 Kentucky companies across various sectors to provide work and higher education.

Students taking part will work for participating companies while taking college classes, earning tuition assistance alongside a steady paycheck.

Education First, employment opportunities are not just short term experiences like internships or co-ops.

These employers are offering opportunities for full time and part time jobs at our above than our above the regional living wage with the flexibility and the benefits to complete their TCS credential and succeed in the workplace or transfer on to a four year university.

Students have options.

You know, you don't have to go right into a typical college program if you don't want to go into a typical college program.

If you want to earn and learn, you can have a job, you can get a degree and not come out saddled with debt.

I was 41 when I paid off my last student loan, and I can't tell you how much of a burden that lifted off of me getting that paid.

Well to be able to give something like this back to the students so that they can come out of school debt free.

That's huge.

Companies who take part in the Education First initiative must provide competitive wages.

Also at the state capitol, lawmakers in Frankfurt received an update today on the state's so-called baby box law.

The 2021 law allows for the anonymous surrender of an infant less than 30 days old to a baby box at fire and police stations and hospitals.

There are 19 safe haven baby boxes located around the state.

The devices are equipped to automatically alert staff when a baby is placed inside.

To date, three infants have been safely surrendered.

The founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Monica Kelsey, told members of the Veterans Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee that Kentucky should be proud of its success stories.

Now, this year alone in the state of Kentucky, we have had two little boys and one little girl surrendered in the baby boxes just in Kentucky.

Kentuckians have had they have just wrapped their arms around this program.

Babies are being saved.

Women are being helped.

And and I couldn't be more proud to be standing with a lot of your communities in Kentucky giving this resource to parents.

But Kelsey says improvements need to be made concerning the anonymity of the mothers surrendering their infants.

We helped a mom in Kentucky surrender at an emergency room air, and the E.R.

wanted the birth moms information.

Now, this is supposed to be confidential.

When a mother goes in and surrenders an infant to an ER staff member, the E.R.

staff member put it into the computer.

They transferred this baby to the protection of safe haven and then gave this birth mothers information to the cabinet.

The cabinet decided since they had this, mothers information, they had to reach out to her parents.

And this was a minor.

And so this this made a whole mess.

Another thing that we've seen in the state of Kentucky is one of the babies that was surrendered in one of our boxes had, I believe it was marijuana and alcohol in this baby's system.

The Department of Child Services came to the firehouse and was wanting information about this birth mom.

And the moment that we start giving this information for these babies or these parents to the cabinet or to the Department of Child Services, when a child has marijuana or alcohol in their system, these women are going to bring them to us anymore.

They're going to start dumping them in trash cans and dumpsters again for fear that they're going to be identified.

Kelsey, along with State Representative Nancy Tate, also hopes to improve the language protecting the first responders who work in firehouses with baby boxes.

Well, it's official.

The Teamsters today voted to accept a new U.P.S.

contract that means there will not be a strike, which look likely in July.

This is good news for the 10,000 U.P.S.

workers in the Louisville area.

Things are getting back to normal at Morehead State University after a cyber attack.

And a Grammy nominated rapper is bringing his music back to his home state.

Our Toby Gibbs has more in our regular Tuesday look at headlines around Kentucky.

The campus systems at Morehead State University are back online more than a month after a serious cyber attack.

Officials told Morehead State Public Radio that 20 to 21 individual accounts on campus were compromised in the attack back in July.

Morehead State University President Jay Morgan said the information technology department inspected and clean.

More than 2000 computers, identified any compromised data and got the systems back online in time for the start of the semester.

Morgan told Morehead State Public Radio they recognize that cyber attacks are becoming the new norm and that they use the incident as an opportunity to strengthen the university security systems and get ahead of some planned technology improvements.

Some hardened county residents are pushing back on a plan included in a new Kentucky transportation cabinet study that puts their homes in the path of a bypass.

The plan connects Kentucky to 22 to Kentucky, 1136 and was initiated following the announcement for Blue Oval Esk, which is being constructed off Interstate 65.

The news Enterprise said the homeowners thought the plan had been shelved, but found out last week that it was being considered once again.

The newspaper said the cabinet would continue to take public comment on the study until September eight.

A nonprofit group has announced it plans to dedicate 13 homes it built in a new Mayfield subdivision to families who lost their residences during the December 2021 tornado outbreak.

The Mayfield Messenger said Samaritan's Purse gave an update on its progress to the Mayfield City Council last week.

It reports the nonprofit has committed to building 59 homes in Mayfield.

A dedication ceremony will be held for the first 13 homes on September 29th in Mayfield.

Grammy nominated rapper and Louisville native Jack Harlow is bringing back his third annual No Place Like Home Tour.

Murray State Public Radio reports HARLOW has added Murray to the list of six cities he will be performing in across Kentucky.

The tour will kick off on November 24th in Owensboro and will wrap up in Lexington.

General admission ticket sales will begin this Friday with headlines around Kentucky.

I'm told he gives young adults are finding new services to provide in the changing world of agriculture and barren county.

A murray State University graduate is offering one of the few places in Kentucky to provide therapy for horses.

Our Laura Rogers paid a visit to her new facility to learn more about Jordan.

Berry's love for horses began in childhood.

I've worked with horses my entire life.

I've been riding horses since I was a little girl.

That passion ledbury to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree and Animal Technology with an emphasis in equine science.

She also completed a certification program in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

I saw that my horses needed a lot of therapy and I wanted my horses to be the best of the best.

So I was like, How can I help myself as well as others?

Her knowledge is extensive Equine protozoa.

Marlow Encephalitis.

It can either be very, very deadly or not deadly at all.

It can either attack the nervous system or the muscle system.

Today, she's using her education and experience to provide therapy for horses who are sick and injured.

Especially in this community, there's a lot of barrel races that go on, a lot of horse shows.

And I know there's a lot of hors Horses like Z, who has a broken leg with the first two weeks in my facility, has splint bone, has actually calcified back together.

So we are actually in the healing process already with a broken tailbone.

Getting a workout on the underwater treadmill.

It's called a Hudson ankle Pacer.

Plus it is a dual unit, so it's basically an underwater treadmill.

These horses get on and go to work.

It just seems to just make horses blossom.

I've seen a lot of pictures that she had done when she was out in Oklahoma working with the horses.

And you could tell such a difference.

Kitty is getting pulsed electromagnetic field therapy since pulse electrode through the copper coils and it brings oxygenated blood flow throughout the horse.

So it basically makes the horse feel really, really good.

Both sides of Berry's family are in the horse industry.

Support from relatives like her grandmother is helpful in launching her career as a young ag entrepreneur.

I know she's doing good things for horses.

I've seen it.

People are more considerate of the horses and they were at one time.

They want their horses to be in good shape.

They want the horses to perform well.

Berry says horse owners don't need a referral from a veterinarian for her care, but she does work closely with vets to make sure a horse gets the best course of treatment.

Portions come in for pre and post surgery care, any type of extra fitness that the horse might need so the horse doesn't actually have to come in for rehab.

They can come in just for fitness.

If the horse is a little on unfit side or on the little heavier side and they need to slim down a little bit, that's definitely a big reason.

Berry's future plans include training kids and teens who have an interest in horses and agriculture.

She's really, really interested in bringing the youth in the forage.

The FFA, I would love to be able to teach younger generations, Hey, like this is therapy.

This is needed to keep your horse going, to make your horses perform the best.

She says it is rewarding to see improvement in the horse's health and her hard work pay off.

It's a sense of peace to be able for them to just trust me enough to work on them, to basically care for them.

It's all around just the best feeling to be around a horse.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you, Laura.

Jordan Berry says she hopes to inspire young other young ag entrepreneurs to follow their dreams.

Her facility is located in the barn air community of Barron County, Kentucky, is home to the nine banded armadillo.

One was just confirmed and the barn Hind Forest and Bullitt County.

It's the first time the BERNHEIM staff has been able to verify what in the forest.

You might associate the armadillo with the American Southwest, but animal experts say predators, climate change and other factors have caused armadillos to move to other places.

And they're being spotted more and more in parts of the south and the Midwest.

Well, that'll do it for us tonight.

We hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 630 Eastern, 530 Central for Kentucky Edition, where we inform Connect and Inspire.

Subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full episodes and clips at KET dot org You can also find us on the PBS video app on your mobile device and Smart TV.

You're welcome to send us a story idea to Public Affairs at KET dot org And follow us on Facebook X, formerly known as Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Thanks again for watching tonight.

I'm Renee Shaw, and I hope to see you right back here again tomorrow night.

Take good care.