♪ >> Wind chills starting tonight and through Friday afternoon are going to be very dangerous.

>> The state's advice to Kentuckians.

Stay home, stay warm and stay safe as low temperatures and high winds.

Some Kentucky into the deep freeze.

You won't like what you're seeing on the roads, but you may like what you're seeing at the gas pump.

Since Thanksgiving with 100% capacity.

Doctors discuss the trend of respiratory virus is spreading rapidly heading into the holidays.

>> This program is about tone officers.

At the end of the day, it's about a sea of wine.

And we'll tell you about a special holiday honor for 37 Kentucky State troopers.

>> Killed in the line of duty.

>> 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.

Addition for Thursday, December 22nd I'm Casey Parker Bell filling in for Renee Shaw.

The dangerously cold weather is here.

The cold is moving from west to east temperatures are already dropping in western Kentucky.

>> The Mercury will fall in central and eastern Kentucky throughout the evening.

And snow is also on the way.

Governor Andy Beshear says the state is doing everything it can to prepare, but Kentuckians need to be aware of how dangerous the weather will become.

>> When chill warning and winter weather advisory or out for minor snow accumulations.

But primarily dangerous wind chills that are in effect tonight through Friday.

The wind chills starting tonight and through Friday afternoon are going to be very dangerous.

And while the worst part moves helped Friday afternoon Saturday morning, still supposed to be negative.

17 degrees.

So nobody get loan into a sense of complacency or security is going to be really, really cold.

It's not going to get above freezing until probably on Tuesday.

And the wind chills are negative until either Sunday or Monday, depending on how that warm-up works.

Plan on slippery road conditions, especially tonight and moving into tomorrow.

If you can stay off the roads, please do like we discussed yesterday and I think Secretary Gray will mention again today.

I think kids that cold, if we some of the snow and how it can move across the roads with the wind gusts, you can have very little visibility and we can get to a point where the salt, even with all the extra stuff we do too, won't work to prevent ice if we have certain conditions out there.

So everybody expect the roads to be treacherous tonight through tomorrow, probably through most of Friday, at least.

>> The governor declared a state of emergency yesterday.

He's asking every county to open a warming center and to publicize its location through local media and here just all Kentucky INS to be aware of where those warming centers are located.

In case people whose power.

If people do lose power, many will turn on generators and many people with Powell will be using space heaters to KET warm.

Today, the director of Kentucky Emergency Management Colonel Jeremy slicker reminded people to use those generators and space space heaters the right way.

>> I'll go back again.

One of the first companies we're going to talk about is the heater and carbon monoxide in generator safety.

And we talked about that yesterday.

I'm going to emphasize again today.

That is one of our most things that can occur when you get one to one of the severe weather events, particularly when the temperatures are cold or there's a possibility of Lou Lou's Empowered, Lose power.

People have generators.

They start using.

It's the place where we go wrong as we use them indoors.

So 10 to 15 feet away from the House insured as good ventilation and the the the zones does not going to get inside of what you residing.

You.

So again, KET the generators outdoors.

And I know I'm repeating myself doing that for a reason.

I want everyone to hear.

Horrible wars bases.

Evaluate the safety precautions that come with those.

Some of them have have Have you?

See what that he is how you can be safe use in the news.

But those in areas that are they're designed for were not in areas that they're not designed for NL.

So incorporating smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in do your safety plan as well.

Those things can change your lives when one of these other things go accidentally.

If you start feeling bad.

Remember, call 9-1-1.

>> Colonel Slicker says if you do have to go outside for any reason, be sure to bundle up from head to toe because of how dangerous the bitter cold can be to exposed skin.

The state is adding a 44th death to the list of people killed in the Eastern Kentucky floods last July.

And it's someone who became the face of the flood to many people, not just in Kentucky but across America.

Mae Amburgey of Letcher County died in October during the floods.

This picture of Amburgey appeared all over the U.S. it shows the 97 year-old in her home in waist deep water.

This picture appeared in newspapers all over the country, including the New York Post and it went viral.

Her name has now been added to the flood death list.

266 families are still living in travel trailers to 10 different locations.

55 people are still living at state parks, which is down from 360 on September.

1st.

Here's more proof.

This could be the worst flu season in Kentucky in 10 years.

The state's second-largest city, Lexington reports 136 new flu cases and one new death over the last week.

That brings the Lexington total to more than 1700 cases and 10 deaths so far this flu season.

That's compared to 381 cases and 2 deaths all of last year and the percentage of pediatric cases in children from one to 10 years old is also up the Lexington, Fayette County Health Department says an 86% of flu cases.

The patients had not been vaccinated.

And of course, this is a problem all over Kentucky, the medical center at Bowling Green is also seeing a surge in respiratory illnesses like flu RSV and COVID-19.

The center tells us the CDC has recorded 13 million cases of the flu.

>> Since Thanksgiving, we've been 100% capacity only this past few days.

Have we drop down to a 7% capacity?

We have a capacity of 297 beds right now and 51% are related to respiratory illnesses.

So that's that's a pretty big jump.

I would say normally were somewhere around 20.

25% of the population is related to that type of thing.

Influenza, even though it's >> the flu.

It is still something that needs to be dealt with seriously.

if you're having symptoms and if you have high risk issues of illness, you know, such older age, heart disease, emphysema, COPD or asthma know you might want to be seen so that you can make sure you're OK and you know, the proper treatments before.

>> That time lapse goes past this and make it effective.

>> We are seeing some cases with people who have influenza and RSV.

And I've actually seen a few cases over the past couple much with the COVID RSV and influenza at the same time and the issues you add to your immune system, the harder it is to kind of get through it.

Pneumonia, is it ultimate bad outcome of all these diseases?

If you have pneumonia and you're requiring oxygen and so forth and that's the problems that we see that cause you to be in the hospital.

If you are sick, it would be good to maybe minimize your contact with other people.

if you have been sick for the past few days or so for you get in, you get in the public, maybe wear a mask for a few days to kind of help.

You know, the spreads of your, you know, when you sneeze and so forth back in the fall, we did push the flu vaccine that seems to have made an impact.

A lot of people but improvement in lesser severity.

There are some medicines you can use for influenza >> their message you can use for COVID now that are a prescription and not require an ID.

We hope that in January after the holidays that we can some semblance of order and emerged from that because it's going to be busy.

Trying to prepare for it and it seems like every other month we have to prepare for a different respiratory crisis since COVID started.

But we get through it day by day.

Was the the community's patience with us because sometimes emergency rooms and doctors offices are just packed with people with this type of things, your patience and they can try to take care of yourself as much as possible with the voices of contact with people was that are ill and get proper treatment.

If you feel you're getting sick.

>> Doctor Moss says most patients spend 3 to 5 days in the hospital before getting better.

He says most people seeking treatment have an underlying disorder like COPD or asthma conditions like heart disease and diabetes can also make healing more difficult.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced more settlements related to Kentucky's opioid crisis.

2 drugmakers Teva Pharmaceuticals and elect run agreed to pay Kentucky more than 114 million dollars.

A press release from Cameron's office says the company's played a role in furthering the opioid epidemic in the Commonwealth to date.

Companies accused of fueling the opioid crisis have agreed to pay Kentucky nearly 650 million dollars.

A state law requires that money to be split.

Fifty-fifty between local governments and the state.

A federal appeals court is siding with people who want to protest near abortion clinics in Kentucky in 2021, the Louisville Metro Council passed an ordinance creating a 10 foot buffer zone around health care facilities.

The ordinance banned people from lingering in or obstructing an area 10 feet around the facility.

2 right to life groups sued.

The Courier Journal reports that the 6th U.S.

Circuit Court of Appeals blocked enforcement of that ordinance saying it was likely it violates the First Amendment.

Kentucky lawmakers return to Frankfort on January.

3rd for the beginning of the 2023, Kentucky General Assembly.

It's an odd numbered year.

So this is a short session of 30 days for leaders of the General Assembly joins us to preview the session last Monday on Kentucky tonight, Renee Shaw asked them what we should expect.

I think that you're going to see us take a much more traditional approach to a short session.

We've had an incredibly aggressive agenda really for the last 6 years, but particularly last 3 years has been dominated by 3 consecutive Budgets.

>> Pandemic rate redistricting, things that we absolutely had to address those those early days of session.

There's not a burning out here.

That is incredibly time sensitive.

The sessions.

I think you're going to see us take a more traditional look at that House.

Short session was supposed to be an originally intended to be done.

I'm sure that there will be something throughout the session that will cause calamity.

People be setting her on >> we'll be live for those moments that we do.

But but I think that generally speaking, you're going to see a much.

>> Much more session, a much more deliberate pace.

>> Where we truly do take a look back at the policies that we've we've passed.

>> Well, I think first of all them saying that we may have a bit of a slower approach and technical approach is good over the last 4 years, we've pass on average about 190 laws, 8 sessions.

So I think being a little bit more deliberate in nature is is going to be good for us.

And I think that I'm excited about all of the things that we can do to work together.

Most of the issues that we work on our you know, we have been continue to work across the aisle on things like lowering insulin costs, improving maternal and mental health care.

Hopefully legalizing medical cannabis.

Early voting responding to natural disasters in the follow-up that we need to do for Western or eastern Criminal justice reform around substance You know things like them.

Yeah.

>> You can see the full discussion on Kentucky tonight.

A K E T Dot org slash kick by tonight.

A few dozen bills have already been drafted ahead of the 2023 legislative session.

That includes a proposed bill to regulate cannabis.

There's also addressed Bill to change the filing deadline for certain candidates seeking election.

And there's a bill being drafted regarding conceal deadly weapons and schools.

The 2023 General Assembly convenes January 3rd, we'll have full coverage every night here on Kentucky edition.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed a Kentuckyian to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of directors.

And this picture you see way Dwight the former Lyon County judge executive with Senator Mitch McConnell.

McConnell recommended white to the present to President Biden.

In a statement, Senator McConnell said, quote, I applaud the Senate approving Wade White's nomination and finally adding a Kentucky into the TVA board of directors as proven by his successful tenure as Lyon County Judge Executive Wade will be a leader in helping 215,000 Kentucky households access to reliable power, TVA promises to provide unquote.

The U.S. Senate also confirmed a new ambassador to Russia.

Senators voted 93 to 2 for Lynne Tracy, the current ambassador to Armenia.

The 2 no votes came from Sen Rand Paul and Senator Mike Lee of Utah.

Russia has been critical of Tracy for March.

She's made in support of tighter restrictions against Russia and supports of contacts with opponents of President Vladimir Putin.

Some members of Congress did not attend last night's speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

NBC News reports that it didn't appear Senator Paul was in attendance.

Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky is 4th congressional district was missing.

Both Paul and Massey have been longtime critics of U.S. spending to help Ukraine since the Russian invasion last February.

Here's what Congressman Massie tweeted, quote, I'm in DC But I will not be attending the speech of the Ukrainian lobbyist unquote.

Massey's position is at odds with U.S..

Senator Mitch McConnell, a supporter of U.S. financial aid to Ukraine.

McConnell says helping Ukraine is a less expensive.

The cost of not helping.

>> Defeating the Russian.

Will help prevent further security crises in you.

It will prevent even further American trading And hurt American workers and families They will massively were down the arsenal that is available The EU's bullied blood to redraw still other borders down the road.

And it star warning.

2 other would-be aggressors but the People's Republic of but insisting Ukraine to America is directly demonstrating our commitment to the vision principles and territorial integrity and national sovereignty to.

>> In his speech, President Zelenskyy said that U.S. aid to Ukraine was not charity but an investment in global security and diplomacy.

This afternoon, the U.S. Senate passed a 1.7 trillion dollar bill toughen federal government agencies through September.

The bill includes more aid for Ukraine.

The bill now goes to the U.S. House.

♪ >> You're urged not to drive as the winter storm arrives.

When you hit the road again, you'll notice gas prices continuing to drop gas now costs less than it did a year ago.

Triple A says the average price for a gallon of unleaded is $2.80 in Kentucky one month ago.

It was 3.33. a year ago.

It was 2.95, the cheapest gas on average is in Henderson County, worst $2.48.

Kentucky remains below the national average of $3.10.

Governor Beshear today.

Look back at how Kentucky did on the business front in 2022, he says the state can be proud of the new businesses coming to Kentucky and the jobs.

It will bring.

>> Is bouncing back from a pandemic multiple natural disasters in a way that is setting the foundation for transformational change.

Future growth in a brighter tomorrow than many of us don't was ever possible.

This year, the Commonwealth.

So nearly 250 new location in expansion announcements totaling nearly 10.5 billion dollars in private sector investment and 16,000 new full-time jobs.

So not only as we wind up 2022, are we completing the best 2 year period in state history for economic development, the 2022 is now the second highest year in our history for private sector investment trailing only 2021.

We're not just creating any jobs with these investments were creating quality jobs with better wages for families.

>> The state is giving Louisville 38 million dollars to help people still affected by the COVID pandemic to avoid eviction.

The money is from Kentucky's healthy at home Eviction Relief fund.

People who qualify can receive up to 15 months of rent assistance, including help with 12 months of back rent and 3 months of future Rent.

Mayor Greg Fischer called the program a lifeline for many people.

Governor Beshear announced money for Lexington on Monday.

It's estimated the state has helped more than 50,000 Kentucky households with more than 196 million dollars.

♪ What began as a way to honor a few fallen law enforcement officers has now become a national memorial program.

>> The Fallen Heroes Reef Program provides Christmas wreaths to be placed on the grave sites of fallen law enforcement officers.

>> A Kentucky mother who lost her son in the line of duty since the way to cut back to those who gave all.

>> The Kentucky State Police.

We put a strong emphasis on remembering our fallen today.

We have 37 troopers are officers that have died in the line of duty with the Kentucky State Police.

We continue to remember they are they're part of the agency.

They will always remain a part of that important part of the agency win.

As long as we're here, we're going to continue to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Brenda Tiffany is the mother of fallen Trooper, Kentucky State Police Trooper Cameron Ponder who was killed a lot of duty with the Kentucky State Police in 2015 bring that actually found out about the fallen heroes.

Reprogram reached out to them we have been participating in that program ever sense.

>> When I first the program in general, I just my heart was just about, you know, supporting Sichuan to tribute to police those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

And it was really just to support that program.

Really.

I was getting one for Cameron and then it just when I did that, I thought, well, maybe we can do this for all of his brothers and sisters who have guided my to do a ship has reached out to the various posts that had a fallen Kentucky State police saw a trooper and they actually at the ceremony where they walk the Reese too.

The final resting place.

I'm in a place that Rees the grave site and they salute the officer.

They remember the officer have a moment of silence and then they in the ceremony and then we just have a lot of hugs and a lot of love and modern remembrance.

It's very reverent.

It's an otter for us as troopers to be able to.

>> Hey, that tribute to the trooper.

Cameron Ponder actually went through the academy with Cameron Ponder that class.

92 of the Kentucky State Police Academy.

And it was just heartbreaking.

Absolutely heartbreaking.

No one heard of his of his death to this program is about the phone officers.

But at the end of the day, it's about leasing loved one any.

>> Anyone who's lost somebody that they love, they don't want them.

Forgot holidays are specially hard to know because you're always looking at that in TC.

One that will never be felt right in my goal.

And this is when the families receive these threes that, yes, they lost a precious life that I can't change that situation.

And I can't make the pain go away.

But if I can put a little bit of gray of joy in their and if this re does that for them like it did for me, I look at that re every day.

And I think Cameron every day and I'm thankful every day that someone remembered a very precious life.

So hopefully that's the message that these families will get from this.

>> Brenda Tiffany says they want to see the program grow even more and that they are reaching continuing to reach out to to graphically diverse departments across the country.

♪ >> Glasgow couple's Christmas village display gets quite the attention every holiday season they've been collecting and creating it for more than 30 years.

>> It takes a lot of time and attention to detail and they tell us it's worth it for the joy.

It brings to others.

♪ >> Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.

I have so many treasures that came from my family like to display them.

We start decorating maybe at the end of October.

>> If you're took a lot longer than it has.

>> That spent the whole day going through.

And checking the lights and street lights to make sure they all worked.

>> The village takes anywhere from.

A week to 2 weeks.

And the risk.

I kind of do in the 20 while he's working to make that part.

>> There's a >> electrical plugs.

And now it's and everything that goes underneath it.

have to go back each year and they repaired and replaced.

>> They are expecting.

When they walk in what they say and they just when they think village, they think for a few houses and they come in and they're they're overwhelmed at first.

You could come in and in view, this whole group in here.

>> 15 times and every time you would see something different, you will find something that you didn't realize that.

>> From an L a fly.

A place where something is being eaten.

Our something Somebody riding around and whatever it is, they're just little be pace is that people >> can pass over until life.

Top and take time to look at.

>> I think having taught school and that topped the young children, they enjoyed Christmas.

So much small children come to see this and they just love it.

They want to touch everything, especially the water like the sticker fingers.

And for some reason, everything on the village's real candy, except on the fans.

We've had large dogs in the Ali, places need to have to try and little of like to watch trying and so far that that draws our attention.

Part of it is they come in and look at it.

>> Have had Lady come back 3 times already because she says every time I come, I see something different.

>> Today life is so quick.

We go so fast before most people realize it.

>> They've lost a lot of the meaning.

>> Of slowing down and enjoying what they're doing.

Christmas.

I always look forward to decorating.

Takes a little while.

It's one of my favorite times and I.

>> 2 get them somehow some way.

♪ >> What an incredible holiday display.

The fact say they tried to change one or 2 things in the village every year.

They leave the display up through February.

Although Beth says sometimes this march before comes down.

You've probably heard of the polar Bear plunge.

This isn't a polar bear.

It's fritz, the hippo taking a swim up at the Cincinnati Zoo in the 70,000 gallon pool and the zoo's hippo cove.

Hippos don't exactly swim, though.

They push themselves off the floor and the walls of the pool using their powerful legs.

Fritz was born August 3rd and weighed 29 pounds.

He weighed 399 pounds at today's way.

Over the last 6 months, we've introduced you to several young people who are leading the way for the next generation.

Tomorrow.

We'll take a look back at some of their stories and the industries they're taking on.

That's Friday on a special episode of Kentucky Edition.

We hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition, we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full episodes and clips a K E T Dot Org.

>> You can also find Kentucky Edition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV follow PT on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the state of the loot.

Thank you for joining us.

We hope you have a great night.

Renee Shaw will join us tomorrow for that special edition of Kentucky.

Take Great Care.

♪