That little bit.

They hung on to that 10% of what they've got left.

They don't lose it.

>> A state senator talks about what he sees as one of the biggest challenges facing Eastern Kentucky following last month's deadly flooding.

>> We feel we have a special relationship with them and we should do what whatever we can to make a difference.

>> A Kentucky college is writing a big check to help Eastern Kentucky.

>> For us, this is an opportunity for safety and equipment training combined into one.

>> And CR rodeo with a different kind of horsepower.

>> 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 Wednesday.

August, the 31st.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your Wednesday night with us.

More than a month after historic flooding in eastern Kentucky claim nearly 40 lives.

Housing remains a concern.

The American Red Cross estimates that more than 1600 homes were destroyed or heavily damaged by flooding during last week's three-day special session in Frankfort State.

Senator Brandon Smith of Hazzard introduced an amendment that would have set aside 50 million dollars strictly for housing needs.

The amendment did not pass.

Today.

We caught up with the senator who shared some of the conversations he's had with flood victims who are choosing to live in tents.

>> Just a basic need.

In some they wanted to be self reliant.

They they can be back there and they have gardens and stuff still.

They have other things that they could be fixing or they can start to clean up a little bit of time.

And safety.

As far as you hate to say it.

You see a lot of heroes that will step up in a case like this and you'll see other people that will come in still, Rob, you blind, as we say, and so I think there's an aspect of people that have lost almost everything they have and that little bit.

They've hung on to that 10% of what they've got left.

They don't lose that either.

>> We'll have more from Senator Smith and those impacted by the flooding tomorrow night on Kentucky edition.

More temporary housing is headed to Kentucky.

Louisiana is giving Kentucky 300 travel trailers.

The first 65 are now headed to lecture and Floyd counties, Governor Andy Beshear site Louisiana this morning.

>> This is a huge help.

Now, the only cost that we have in these trailers is the transportation.

And I think it saves us about $40,000.

Plus per trailer.

We have sent our people down to inspect them.

They're in credible shape.

They are as nice as any trailer that we have purchased and it's going to allow us to amplify this program significantly.

>> Then county is loaning to buses to Perry County in eastern Kentucky.

And those buses won't be empty link.

Nky reports been county is asking people to fill the buses with school supplies.

People in northern Kentucky can donate supplies.

Everything from notebooks.

2 USB drives between now and September.

The 7th.

Maria College is sending more than 1 million dollars to help victims of the floods in eastern Kentucky.

The money will go toward helping local school districts, businesses and the foundation for Appalachian Kentucky.

Our Casey Parker Bell spoke with Bree a college President Lyle Ru lost about the contribution.

>> We have a longstanding connection to to the We not only focus on educating students from Appalachian, Kentucky, they make up about 70% of our student body but are a great commitment.

We have 8 altogether of the 8th of those great commitments is that we will be trying to make a difference with individuals, families and communities in the region.

And so when something like this happens we feel we have a special relationship with them and we should do what whatever we can to make a difference.

>> That the money is going couple different places, but one of them is up to $50,000 in contributions to some of the school districts that are affected.

What specifically did you all decide to help the school districts in eastern Kentucky?

their self interest there.

Of their students are not able to complete their education and they're not able to go on to college and so the most urgent need from the point of view of Berea College is to get the schools up and running and there are there are counties where met most of the school systems have been disrupted completely.

We know they'll They'll get a lot of help from the state.

The state just authorized an extra 200 million plus.

But I was talking to a judge executive in the region and he said just replacing one good size, high schools of 40 million prospects.

So these school systems are going to have absent have a difficult time.

Well, we're hoping to do is not replace what the state needs to do for those systems.

But instead to do the other things like maybe assist with putting their libraries back together, help teachers who have to turn there then East Room into an educational And oftentimes teachers wind up using their own funds for that.

And so we're hoping to help with that.

And then there are other other little needs that I'm sure will fall through the cracks.

>> Berea College is also giving employees to additional vacation days through September to be used for volunteering in areas affected by the floods.

It's been one month since a new state law took effect requiring school districts to have a school resource officer on every campus.

As we learned today, not all districts have met that goal.

Earlier today I sat down with Ben Wilcox, the state school security marshal and John Acres with the Kentucky Center for School Safety to understand some of the challenges districts are facing.

>> We've seen a 21% increase sorrows across the state.

That puts us at over 50% of the campuses in the state of Kentucky covered by a full-time SRO, which is a lot of numbers coming in very, very fast.

>> So what happens to the remaining who are still trying to come into compliance was still working on obstacles.

in that numbers are so hard right now because we're everyday hearing of other school districts now that are contacting us and saying we've hired 2 more.

We've hired an officer here without an officer there.

So, you know, they're still got tops tools some with funding and some with personnel.

But, you know, we're seeing them overcome those.

And we've got the road to go.

it's very it's very good news of what we're hearing right now.

>> Mister Acres, from your perspective for run, those a center for school safety.

How important is this SRO piece in ensuring that schools are safer in Kentucky?

>> Well, it's my opinion has been a former principal rose would be a part of my faculty.

They're not an outpost that happens to be there.

There's somebody there to create relationships with these kids to get to know the community and to get a feel for what's going on.

Often times we can get a heads up from some of the kids that would go to an SRO.

Been was a former SRO and he would have kids would come in and visit him in his office and he would get Intel that I as a principal are.

My teachers are my council's when they wouldn't be able to get.

So it's not an either or situation.

We welcome this arose in as being a part of the fiber of a school.

Yeah.

>> There's also been some negatives sorrows.

And we know we've heard that voice during that the lawmaking session earlier in previous times about if we really want to make sure that schools are safe, there needs to be other components in just the hardware.

But the hardware and the social and emotional and mental wellness piece.

Is that getting short shrift or is all of it being taken into equal measure?

>> Well, couple things come into that question right there.

One is what kind of training or these officers getting and probably half of it now deals was social emotional issues, which something that didn't have before and the officers that are being trained and they're saying this is some good stuff.

Well, we wish we had this before.

So that's starting to be covered or a little bit.

But by the same token, too, we want to make sure that when I work with an SRO and we have a crime is committed on campus.

Now the disciplinary and if you will, for board policies.

Men shop would be or the SRO shops will be the if the if the best behavior crosses over into a law, a violation.

But then we would get together as an SRO in his principle.

Well, let's get the parents in here.

See if we can avoid taking this kid downtown and said if we can kind of negotiate some kind of meaningful consequence for that kid without ever taken to court without ever going with an arrest on those things.

And so that type of partnership works well and should leave some of that relieve some of that problem that parents might be having about saying, well, having a cop in there with what are you going to be the head cover my kid and drag him out of there?

No, we're going to try to do a lot of things in a preventive way long before we get today, cuffed and taken downtown.

Mister Cox, let you comment on the absolutely.

And I think that, you know, the school safety news in it.

I did a phenomenal job of bringing everything together.

Like you said, hardware, hardware, mental health.

>> And I sorrows or component of that, just having an extra amount of sorrows is not going to solve your problem.

But having that SRO that works with your mental health professionals that works with your students that works with your staff, you have to have equal parts.

And I think that we've we've done a real good job of working towards the hardening of our schools.

Now we really need to start working on the softening of our schools.

And that may be working in getting those mental health professionals in and working all together with that.

Your principal may not be the mental health professional, but they can calling the mental health professional to come in and understand the issues at it.

The child or the staff is having.

>> Our school quipped enough financially to get their own SRO or do we know there are some schools that have their own police department?

But that's not an option for everyone.

And we know that labor shortages also apply the law enforcement.

Right.

Exactly.

And I think those are the 2 biggest obstacles is the funding in the in the hiring right now.

And I think that's what schools are working on.

And it's going to take a little while to do.

But that's those are the 2 biggest obstacles that were saying, yeah.

>> Anything else to care, dad?

>> Well, the one question that's always ask, you know, may want to go to out so the organization's whatever.

What can we do to make school safer?

And I said, well, let's see if we can get a partnership going on with the parents and the community.

And if they hear something or see something, say something the U.S. we know that.

What if you want to talk about school shooters?

We know that most school shooters leak information before they do their bandied.

And so if somebody a bystander should pick up something like that, let us know that the SRO know that are so, you know, let us know through our tip line, whatever the case may be, but we have a statewide tip line.

That accessible.

24 7 and so I think it's very important for the parents and the community to know that that's another option.

Let us know ahead of time if something might be going down, that might be dangerous to their child or some other kids.

>> Keeping students safe is the top priority for school resource officers about according to Chris Berrier director of law enforcement from Montgomery County Schools, Sorrows Duty doesn't end a school security.

>> Question got to see us go.

I KET when I was 15 years old that I was going to college and then I was going to work with students in some form or fashion.

I KET that I was going to be a police officer like I KET that.

That's what I was going to do.

And so I worked at the local police department here for a period of time.

And then this job came open at the school.

And I was like, OK, Chris, a pretty line with what you wanted to do when you're 15, you know, you want to work with students.

You know, you wanted to be a law enforcement.

So like, let's let's go with this.

Let's go.

Got to go.

Get a little for me.

It's 100% about relationships and how to interact with these kids, how we get them on the on the straight narrow.

How do we get graduated so they can be productive members of society and my attention and when I get up and go to work in the morning is not to like.

>> Hey, I think how many kids got That's that's never never thought process for us.

It really is like.

How going to be a positive role model.

You know how to engage with students in a meaningful way.

I'll be honest with you.

There's been students who have had to do law enforcement work in terms of and or s kids.

But I promise you that I still try to have a positive relationship with those kids sitting there.

There's a a reluctance to have law enforcement in the schools in a place like Louisville.

And I think that probably comes from like a bad experiences as that may be a parent or grandparent.

Even the child has had with law enforcement over the years.

And so in in our environment, we try to put law enforcement in the schools with the mission as possible so that we can foster develop those long-term meaningful relationship with kids.

We've seen students from kindergarten through 12th grade come to our schools and they grow and mature.

And as a change from less that this let's just say a middle school to high school and that a student might be at risk.

That's how is more familiar with us.

Then they might be with the new administration if a child gets sideways with with the principal, whatever we can step in, like a man like we're good, we're going to work through this and we can de-escalate the situation because again, they they change levels of schools, 3 middle school in higher elementary, middle.

But the one thing that's constant in their familiar >> I'm here with them every single day for years.

It's crazy.

>> The needs that these kids come to light when it becomes like a look at trust you more than anybody in this building.

That's a that's a huge compliment to you.

And it's also one of those things that kind of let you know, it's like what we're doing here works and that we're doing it right.

>> Some more education news today.

The Bowling Green Daily News reports the Bowling Green Independent School District will KET next year's property taxes at this year's levels.

The board lowered the tax last year because of rising property values and new construction the Fayette County School board has to decide between 2 options lowering the property tax to 78 and a half cents per $100 of property value providing enough money to finish 3 projects or raising the property tax to 83.3 cents and having enough money to finish 12 projects.

The board will vote September.

The 8th.

More than 107,000 people died from overdoses in the U.S. and 2021.

2,250 of those people were from Kentucky.

That's a 14 and a half percent increase from 2020 today in the state Capitol Rotunda.

Policymakers honored those lost by observing international overdose Awareness Day.

Kentucky's Lieutenant Governor says there is work to be done to prevent more overdose deaths.

>> And we all share the belief that every Kentucky N >> has the right to be healthy and happy and safe.

Unfortunately, there are too many Kentuckians living with the trauma that accompanies the addiction and overdose epidemic.

And if we know anything, it is that we are all vulnerable.

Many status, physical health.

None of these things spare us from the grips of addiction.

Just like it doesn't matter where we live, where we work, where we worship or how we vote.

It's so important.

We recognize what a tragic.

You're a couple years we've had.

You've heard the numbers.

We are afraid when I go to bed every night, just.

Statistically 6 Kentuckians die every day in the state.

>> Of preventable death.

It to death doesn't have to happen.

It's a chronic brain disease that is just destroying our people.

And I think it's so important.

We come together today to recognize that.

>> Then Ingram, the executive director of the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy who you just heard says the state is working to improve access to clinical care for those suffering from addiction and offer more harm reduction measures.

Louisville's labor force is now back to Prepandemic levels.

The Courier Journal says the work force included 686,000 people in June.

>> That's 13,000 more than February of 2020, right before the pandemic hit the metro area.

Unemployment rate was 3.4% in June.

Ron Crimes funeral is tomorrow in Middletown.

Crim was a former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives.

He died last week if the age of 87 Krim served in the Kentucky General Assembly as a Republican from 1997, to 2017.

He was also in the insurance business.

♪ >> Time now for our midweek, check-in of the major developments in Kentucky.

Politics of the last week when Rylan Bar who is the managing editor of Kentucky Public Radio and Ohio Valley Resource.

Good to see or island.

Thank you for joining us.

>> I could see 2.

>> So let's talk about the special session that ended on Friday over eastern Kentucky.

Flood relief.

Let's talk about what was in it and what was not and who it made on happy about what was not in it.

>> Yes, so the big ticket on this is that it's a 213 million dollars that goes out to local governments, nonprofits, utilities that are really doing that.

The rebuilding and recovering after the flood.

So imagine things like trying to get water lines rebuilt, trying to get roads trying get some schools rebuild, but also getting schools up and running with some wraparound services, including actors, cool programs.

There's a real wide range that this money could be used for each one of the big arguments and discussions that certain late in the special session was around housing.

Whether there's enough money in this for housing in Republican state Senator Brian Smith proposed an amendment to tack on 50 billion 50 million more dollars for for affordable housing in eastern Kentucky.

I think there are a lot of people who thought that this is an interesting idea ultimately got tamp saying that there is already money within the 213 million dollars that can go to some of the immediate housing needs to try and get people into temporary housing.

Whether that's trailers, whether that's, you know, hotel temporarily, whether it's continuing of people being in state This is going to be an ongoing discussion, especially is for as as summer turns into ball as tempers as temperatures change as we get farther and farther away from that initial date of the flooding and we're going to be seeing what kind of situation people are in right now.

It's still pretty dire.

People are in incredibly a lot of people are and probably temporary living in tents still living in really, I'm messed up housing situations right now.

So we'll see how much this discussion continues and whether when lawmakers return in early January, whether they decide to do something again, have another immediate infusion of cash to try and help people out that are still in dire situations.

And then this other discussion about trying to develop some sort of permanent housing solution.

Is that going to be a huge thing for eastern Kentucky?

It's a lot of the cities.

Small cities are, you know, based on Rivers in downtown's, the right along rivers that that can really flood pretty easily.

So it's going to be flood mitigation, a discussion of this and and affordable housing discussion.

Part of this.

>> And so the one thing that amendment did is a straw that attention to this need that we really had discussed up until that point.

So that can be a good byproduct of that of that amendment.

The did not get attached.

So let's talk about the governor's we're still waiting.

It seems like every week we talk about Kelly Craft and we're for an announcement that we think will be coming in a couple of weeks.

>> Right.

We seen a little bit of reporting on this A Kentucky Fried The outlet run by Nick are pure policy spectrum.

A reporter he says that there's a possible date of September 13th.

The he's been hearing that she will announce one of the more of concrete developments here is that Kelly Knight Craft showed up to the Kentuckyian breakfast last week that one of these of political events where just about everybody shows up and they're just ready to answer questions on the news of the day.

She still of being pretty coy about whether or not she's going to run, but being suggested at the same time that she very well might.

She said that she's not going to give out her game plan to people at this point in time.

Just says as the basketball coach that UK and U of L wouldn't be giving out their game.

But and so she's still she's really not putting this to bed at this point.

And the rumors KET on flying that she's going to do it.

>> And finally, real quickly, let's just talk Mitch McConnell, the minority leader who is seeming to moderate expectations about a retake Republicans retake in the U.S. Senate.

He's kind of made some comments and walked back from some previous comments about the strong you know, chances of ever retake of the U.S. Senate.

>> Yeah.

Last week McConnell generated a lot of head wind headlines but saying he wasn't too confident and Republicans ability to to win back control of the evenly divided.

Fifty-fifty U.S. Senate.

I'm saying that candidate quality was an issue he is sense, apparently kind of walked back those comments, IA event in Scott County of the last couple days for he said that there's a 50 50 chance on Republicans are winning back control the Senate and he feels more confident about Republicans ability to win the House.

He's also been holding.

He held a fundraiser in Louisville for some of Some of those candidates are probably of that inequality issue was attack on it in Pennsylvania.

Also Herschel Walker in Georgia.

So we're going to see we're going to see if, yeah, how this all bears out.

But definitely McConnell's trying to temper some expectations and, you know, trying to KET Republicans in the game here and also a big thing to KET an eye on is, you know, if Republicans were to win control of the Senate, this is the that would be the moment which you could you would very once again become the Senate majority leader.

And if he doesn't, it raises questions on how much longer he would continue.

Even, you know, trying to lead Republicans in the so there's a lot there's a lot on the line in these elections coming up.

>> Certainly is.

Well, thank you Rylan for helping us break it down and understand it all.

Take good care.

>> Practice makes perfect for the people who maintain Kentucky roads and sometimes that practice can be fun.

We leave you tonight with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Rodeo.

>> They want to see first did acquit Rodeo in 2006.

So it's been going on for quite some time for us.

This is an opportunity for safety and equipment training combined into one.

So when you think about all of the different things that our equipment operators do, our highway technicians, they are utilizing a lot of different skill sets to KET themselves safe every single day.

And also those around them out there on the roadways.

>> At its heart, this is a safety and training event.

In addition to this competition.

And so.

>> When we look at the opportunity to gather up our some of our best equipment operators from all across the state, all in one place.

>> We want to make sure that we are helping you know, gain that safety culture so that they can take that back to each one of their individual districts in crews.

>> I do the cooking little boy course.

And it's, of the to see h***.

>> We move or big road to the town fell apart.

The docking area.

We'll run low, but we've got to get very precise.

Don't.

>> We load unload it.

So it becomes a matter of inches.

>> I compete in the competition.

There's 5 golf balls out in the same box.

I think.

And you pick up to go falls and you put him in to 5 separates owners as close as you can get a 3 minute time limit.

We just want to be coached, UK because that's the main part of the competition is.

And it's quick.

It's just somebody is going from our 05:00AM.

>> This year we had over 100 competitors and our statewide competition that participated in the 6 events.

And it's a it's really exciting to see folks, not only and showcase their skills, but you know, show that teamwork, spirit and camaraderie and learn about safety training as well.

It's critically important that as we look at the work that we do out there, whether it's anything from mowing or ditching or filling potholes are doing snow and ice operations or anything in between that our staff do so safely not only for themselves, but for the traveling public and ensures that were out there doing all the things and doing everything that we can to make sure that everybody goes home every night safely.

Sometimes we get come full.

You're running quitting all time.

And when you're in this people looking at you, you tend to pay attention more what you're doing.

Plus, you might habit you're learning from other people.

Better ways of doing things more efficiently, even okay.

Wait to see.

We have some of the most talented equipment operators and highway technicians in the entire nation.

And so we're very fortunate to have our group scored well in the statewide rodeo, being able to go and compete in the regional competition.

>> While KET, why TC has never won a regional rodeo.

We have places high a second and we put our operators up against anybody as far as how they safely go out there and serve the citizens of the Commonwealth.

>> The job transportation Cabinet.

Well, tomorrow, we'll talk to you about the opening day of the turf Way Park up in northern Kentucky.

The reopening of that park is going to be opening tomorrow and we'll bring you some sound from that will also talk to state Treasurer Allison Ball about the 800 million dollars in unclaimed property.

You could have some of that and how some of that could benefit Eastern Kentucky flood victims.

And we'll also bring you the story of a wooden sculpture of a controversial race source.

All of those stories and much more you're going to see tomorrow night on Kentucky edition.

And we do hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition where we inform connect and inspire.

We invite you to subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition, e-mail news letter and watch full episodes at KET Dot Org.

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

>> And you can follow taking it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop and you're more than welcome to follow me on Twitter at Renee, didn't he?

Once again, we do hope.

We'll see you again tomorrow night at 06:30AM, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky.

Addition in the meantime, take really good care.

Thank you for watching.

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