♪ The latest round of winter weather wasn't just painful for saw.

It was deadly.

I am so happy that Lexington finally has this.

Check out.

A new tool Lexington is using to care for its youngest citizens.

>> It's going to save lives.

And the important for this district, it said the bill.

>> And new technology will help search and rescue efforts in the case of a natural disaster or emergency.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Thursday, January, the 16th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your night with us.

Police prosecutors and health care workers have a new tool to deal with strangulation Kentucky Attorney General Russel Coleman just released a new manual that identify signs, provide strategies to prosecute cases and guides advocates to help victims.

>> Strangulation happens at all ages and all socioeconomic classes.

And it's an act of power and dominance from the perpetrator.

This manual better equipped medical providers across the state with how to care for these victims.

Research is now made clear that when a man puts his hands around the woman's neck.

>> He has just raised his hand and said he's more likely to kill police officers.

To kill children.

And later killed his partner.

So when you hear he choked me now, you know.

You're at the edge of a homicide.

Quoting from Police Chief magazine 2022 November strangulation is one of the most accurate predictors for the subsequent homicide victims of domestic violence.

It's the biggest clue.

Will take place.

>> As a physician, absence of physical exam, findings and injury can be fatal is terrifying, even fatal cases of strangulation up to 40%.

They have no visible external injury of the neck.

That's because it way inclusion can occur with less force.

A firm handshake.

Arterial compromise, or blood flow to the brain.

Can actually occur with less force than it takes to open a SCOTUS.

A soda can.

That's investigation care of patients have experienced regulation is incredibly important assessment for strangulation and children can be even more challenging, especially for those less than 4 years of age who are unable to verbally described what happened.

And oftentimes our team has to rely on their injuries to tell their story rather than their words.

>> Some of the signs could be seeing.

Some are paid in blood shot eyes, bruises on the neck, but many symptoms cannot be seen and many of the symptoms heart victims for months to come.

For too long.

Our colleagues in emergency departments in our colleagues in law enforcement face to many limiting factors to investigating and successfully prosecuting these offenses.

>> I have investigate thousands of cases that of domestic and dating violence in Jefferson County.

Before the stimulation statute.

In 2019, I saw firsthand the struggles the law enforcement community across Kentucky faced when investigating strangulation.

Ys.

There are no set rules.

No guidance, no training.

Officers are often it instructed to charge assault fourth-degree Dv, a misdemeanor or one in danger.

In the first degree, however, officers often find it difficult to articulate how the act this relation could create a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury.

This held especially true when there were no visible injuries, which was the case but have time with this manual law enforcement agencies across Kentucky will finally have direction when responding to and investigating strain relations.

>> The manual is the first tool kit to be released to address strangulation and Kentucky.

Winter weather and Kentucky from January 5th through the 11th proved deadly Governor Andy Beshear today announced 6 deaths in Kentucky during that time related to snow and ice.

He says a woman died in Spencer County and 5 men died in 4 counties.

Boone, Oldham, Breckenridge and Franklin.

He says most of the deaths were heart attacks and the urge people to be careful and take it easy while shoveling snow.

And he said Kentuckians need to be ready for what's next.

>> Next wave of cold weather is set to enter the commonwealth.

So the next few days the temperatures are going to rise a bit.

But we need Kentucky is to be aware that more cold weather is on the way starting on Sunday.

We're expecting Arctic air to bring dangerously low temperatures that will remain until Wednesday.

Areas of Kentucky can expect wind chill conditions to be in the single digits at or below 0.

And in other words, there's going to be really, really cold.

It's going to be dangerously cold.

>> The governor also commented on a lawsuit from the Kentucky Student Voice team, a group that filed a lawsuit yesterday claiming the state he's failed to uphold its constitutional duty to provide a quality education for all students.

>> I haven't had a chance to fully review the lawsuit filed by the student voice team.

But I have had concerns about whether the appropriations from the state legislature are meeting the Rose Standard said many years ago in Rose and Kentucky's then highest court said that our Constitution requires enough funding to provide a good education for all of our students staying wide.

And each of my budgets we've asked for more funding.

We've asked for more funding to go into salaries.

We've asked for more funding to go into technology.

We've asked for more funding so that teachers weren't having to pay their own continuing education in the Legislature has done less.

So I think this is going to be a very important lawsuit.

The very least to to evaluate those appropriations by the General Assembly.

And my hope is that they won't just immediately bristle that they will look at what that law is being lawmakers and we will work to better fund each and every one of our public schools.

>> Governor Andy Beshear also help celebrate the birthday of Doctor Martin Luther King Junior yesterday we observed Dr King's birthday on Monday.

The 20th, but he was born in January.

15th 1929.

Governor Beshear spoke to the African-American black employees, special emphasis committee of the VA Medical Center in Louisville.

The governor talked about the legacy of black Kentuckians like Colonel Charles Young, the first block colonel in the U.S. Army as well as the governor's close friend and former secretary of the of the executive Cabinet, Michael Brown, who died last year.

He also looked at racial justice, progress of the state, including the removal of a statue of Jefferson Davis from the Capitol Rotunda and his executive order prohibiting workplace discrimination of hairstyles historically associated with race.

He says, although Kentucky has seen some recent progress, he knows there is more work to do.

>> Now, I understand that I'll never feel I truly feel the historical an ever present weight of racism of inequities of injustices that have persisted for so long.

But I know that there.

And I'm willing to listen and that right here work with so many incredible leaders in this and other communities to be intentional and to make real change.

>> Join us for Kentucky edition on Monday night for an extended look at Governor Beshear is remarks regarding Doctor King's legacy and its impact on Kentucky.

It would be a first of its kind in Kentucky.

Today, developers made public their plans to bring a massive data center to the Derby city powerhouse data centers and PO companies are working on the project together.

They say the 400 megawatt Hyperscale data Center.

We'll handle data to help with cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

In a press release, the company said Kentucky was an attractive place to build such enough facility and part because of new legislation.

Last year, the Kentucky General Assembly passed House Bill 8, which among other things created a 50 year tax exempt program for Data Center projects in Jefferson County Senate President Robert Stivers called today's announcement a game changer saying it will, quote, drive long-term economic growth in our major Metropolitan Center and boost Kentucky as a regional business hub.

End quote.

A new member of the state Senate is driven to serve in the Kentucky General Assembly by business workforce development and education maze in the state at 9 was elected to serve the 17th Senate district after Damon Thayer who served for more than 20 years.

Retired.

He talked with me recently about his motivation to seek elected office and what he hopes to accomplish.

And this sit down interview.

That's part of our series on the Kentucky General Assembly's freshman class of 2025.

♪ >> I think so because I'm raising kids in that district work on the small business.

They are very important that we had someone with conservative values, but also the ability to get things done.

And I think my experience in the private sector, I miss my biz.

It gives me that ability experience to get things done for the people.

Something district.

Yeah.

>> Tell us about your small business.

So I was not about to pop on Main Street in Georgetown.

We just celebrate or 8 year anniversary back in August, which means we've been through some things including COVID, came out of sight of COVID.

And so again, his own experience it over to small businesses making payroll every 2 weeks.

Talking a lot about what it.

But there's people go through and I'm sure what that is.

And so I understand how important that is to our economy overall.

And so again, I think that's what helped me in this role.

>> And as you just mentioned, of course, 8 years you did survive a few of those during the COVID pandemic.

You know, talk about those struggles and how that even informed you perhaps to have a political involvement.

>> You know, we have absolutely did.

And so we had to be very creative.

Do that on to, you know, work within the rules that we were given to be able to operate and so turn a profit.

So it's it's always to always make it out to make a profit small business.

Anderson.

We have anything striking that make it harder.

It becomes very difficult to be very creative in that time.

And then, you know, again, some she said notoriety during that time because a business that we had, we did not win a certain food.

And Tom, we were using from trucks and to be very popular.

As you recall.

And so after think 65 days, restaurants would be allowed to reopen that.

The governor does not allow bars what we request by the BART reopening.

So, you know, I just didn't understand how part of foods in front of me run by a change.

The risk of COVID.

So the road, a very respectful letter to the governor and we put on Facebook and got a few 100 likes and shares and comments and so as KET cannot interviewed me.

And I explain that same thing.

And that that reporter asked the governor had a press briefing the next day about the situation.

He's a wealth of spread out.

Get a little bit of food they can reopen.

And so we've got a hot dog roller and we're in business.

So again, had the craving figure how to work within the conference.

And then after a few days and we were contacted by the state, it seems they make sure you're actually selling hot dogs that they're not just there for show.

How did that experience?

>> Kind of shape or maybe even reshape what you think government should be or should not be doing.

>> You have told people there's there's 5 things that really shaped my my view of government, the role government.

That's one of them.

>> Partial opening the small business, just saying all the things we have to go through to pursue the American dream, to employ people very challenging.

And sometimes I thought I necessarily challenging.

But then during COVID even more.

So, you know, I understand that people make decisions based upon information at the time.

You know, we didn't always agree on what those decisions should be.

But again, just saying what I felt was government overreach was able to impact my small business and nearly bankrupted it was very challenging for me to accept.

Tell us about your military career.

21 years and the tough coming National and listed right out of high school.

I was a treatment to instructor based which obviously essence State a commissioned officer.

That officer it ruptured bench, of course, in Fort Benning, Georgia.

My wife runs for a first for marriage in Fort forced 4 months, American Fort Benning.

And I did that for a number of years and that in my career as a military intelligence officer working right in Frankfort, the adjutant general staff and not in the intelligence Department is Stas.

I just want to make this a great place to raise a family or help it continue to be replaced by the time.

I think it already is particularly the district on the number is ending.

But, you know, so raising Cane's here.

Hope for have grandkids run around that district saying so I'm here just to ensure that remains a great place.

Tonight, a family pursue the American dream is as I have and I've lived the American dream the way I grew up, never dreamed that I'd be sitting here talking to you.

And so does my background be able to see how no decisions and God's providence of led me to this place on make sure there was the same opportunity.

>> The business owner and military veteran has been assigned to serve on the Senate licensing in occupations, agriculture and veterans, military affairs and public protection committees.

♪ ♪ Gun deaths and injuries are most often the cause of intentional violence or self harm.

But accidents happen to Louisville's office for safe and Healthy Neighborhoods tackles gun violence in the river city.

But this week it's handing out gun locks to prevent injuries caused by accidental use.

The Louisville office found that since 2022 more than a dozen kids locally have been victims of accidental often self inflicted shootings.

At least one child as young as 2 years old.

Children of a curious.

They like to climb things.

They like to get into things.

They like to say what something does, how it works.

>> And certainly a gun would be a point of curiosity for some kids.

So that in giving these locks away, we're just trying to help the community and particularly those families that have children to ensure that the cake and a curious, but it is safe to be curious.

And we found that just everyday people are coming in and getting these lock.

They're asking for more than one lock, in fact, because they have more than one gun.

And we have 5,000 locks so we can cover it.

We just ask that people come between now and Friday.

And and get a lock.

We too, and ensure that your home is safer for you and everyone who lives there.

The office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods will host its annual event, remembering those who died by gun violence in Louisville.

>> Later this month.

And 2022.

Kentucky pass legislation that lets parents leave newborns at fire stations and hospitals without fear of prosecution.

The safe and friends at pave the way for communities to work with organizations like Safe Haven, baby boxes, the organization creates baby box's large boxes installed on the exterior walls of fire stations and hospitals allowing for the safe and anonymous surrender of and fence.

Yesterday Lexington's Fire Station to became the 49th Safe Haven Baby Box in Kentucky.

>> I am so happy that Lexington finally has this.

This safe haven baby box right here at fire station.

2 is a perfect place and provides a safe environment for a surrendered newborn until emergency medical care can come to the child's need.

Usually within a few minutes.

>> So when you come in and you open the box, it has a first alarm that was set off to know that the box has been opened.

The second alarm is a 60nd delay.

So once she has her baby in the box, it will get her chance to mourn him to get away.

And it gives the fire department a chance to, you know, give her that piece in time that she needs with a and fun to say goodbye and she wants to.

And then it all the set off alarms and then dispatch will be called to safely bring the event to the hospital.

And we want to let parents know >> that they now have the anonymous option.

Should they choose it to safely and legally surrender their infants.

We hope that one day we can stop him from the pandemic across this country.

>> And Kentucky, only infants less than 30 days old can be surrendered into the safe haven baby box.

Currently the U.S. has more than 300 safe haven baby boxes nationwide.

♪ ♪ >> Cumberland County's taking a unique approach to combat brain drain and encourages young people to get involved with and stay and their community alongside an internship program.

The Cumberland County Civic Club is a fully staffed fiscal court for my students from the local high school.

Its members take part in a variety of public service to help shape the community.

>> We've known this for a while several decades in Cumberland County, like a lot of real Kentucky that we're losing our youths who are losing their best and brightest.

And you can buy that on any number of things.

But one of the things that we found was a primary problem is they didn't have a voice.

They didn't have a seat at the table.

Fortunately here in Cumberland County, Fiscal court, all of them.

And should Sarah.

Gave the youth of our county not just one seat at the table, but multiple seats at the table that Cumberland County Civic Center and the Cumberland County and turns are involved with a wide variety of things in our county.

They've helped with USDA commodity food, distributions.

They helped with our first ever give away a toy day where we gave away over $100,000 in brand new toys they helped with all of our Christmas parade.

Save hosted the first-ever county trivia knots here in Cumberland County.

And our First Fridays advance.

But you're paying in the courtroom.

They put up a wall of remembrance and a lot of recognition.

They cut down trees.

They trim rose bushes.

They help set up for court meetings.

They draft press releases.

They do it all.

>> We're a small county and others other counties out there and we'll even more students.

We have a bunch of young minds in Cumberland County and I'm so thankful that they have worked hard to my civic club, what it is and that we're getting all this attention and it's just kind of building and building has more in schools in counties here about it.

And it's just exciting to see all the youth in Kentucky wanting to say leadership in the community and creating programs like this to create interest and local government to stop that.

The brain drain.

And it's important to KET a relationship with older members, more experienced members in the youth to build that relationship to move the ball forward.

Because if you didn't have that relationship, I think would be productive.

>> No laws.

People here are peers would go to government meeting, school board meetings, fiscal court meetings and learned what was going on with our civic stuff here now in the last year we've been able to really elevate that every single time.

He ran a high school knows that if they want, they can help us or they can do their own civic engagement project.

They start going to school board meetings.

They should learn how to make a difference and get involved.

And that's something that is amazing for us to have because we haven't quite have that level and civic engagement before.

>> Additionally, their involvement in this program can highlight career pathways.

They're by connecting students with local businesses, industries, civic leaders.

And I think that would allow the community to showcase the viable career opportunities and the entrepreneurial potential that is available here in the county that would make them.

I can either stay here or return here once there.

Once they're done with college.

>> Let the use of Cumberland County today.

Design what Cumberland County looks like 10 years, 20 years or even 5 years down the road so that then they got some invested interest in it that think with the group that we've got in the group that they will have when they replace all of us.

And I think we're setting ourselves up in a pretty good position.

>> I'd say so.

Future leaders, indeed, the Cumberland County Civic Club is currently working on getting a splash pad set up for children in their community.

From tornadoes to floods and ice storms.

Kentucky has had its share of severe weather events and natural disasters.

Emergency management and 8 central Kentucky counties now have new resources to respond to those situations.

Our Laura Rodgers explains more from Hardin County.

>> Makes us much more efficient in our response.

Times are much more efficient, too.

>> Lieutenant Travis Cook with the Hardin County Sheriff's Office flying in in 3.50 drone.

One of 5 aircraft now in the department's fleet survival resource for us.

We use them for a lot of things, search and rescue for missing persons.

We use it for accident Reconstruction.

>> A Lincoln Trail area Development District hosted a press conference Wednesday in Elizabeth Town.

>> And today we are celebrating a grand slam announcing the new fleet of advanced drones and 8 area counties.

These are $40,000 machines.

Design for search and rescue.

What we're doing is picking up heat signatures here now.

>> They were purchased with federal funding from the American Rescue Plan.

Act and support from a local bank.

>> It can help in a major natural disaster or in a missing persons case.

Law enforcement says it can even help in situations like train derailments more times than not the trains, Holland, some kind of hazardous material.

So instead of putting a deputy in harm's way and having to walk that one or 2 miles of rail, he had.

We just put this.

Fired in the air will fly that drone down that real head.

We can put non.

>> Aerial drones in the air in an hour and a half or less at any location in this region for search and rescue.

Just ask Eastern Kentucky are western Kentucky.

How important that would be to save lives.

>> London referring to deadly and destructive tornadoes and flooding in Kentucky over the past few years since drone fleet will be able to survey damage.

It will be able to find people that are in need of help water, search and rescue.

One of the drones can even go underwater with damaging the end goal to save more lives in the event of an emergency, I believe we always have to be better and better and better prepare.

Were Kentucky Edition.

Amari Rodgers.

Thank you, Laura.

The funding also created a community response team with an engineer on staff.

>> They say speeding up response and survey items or survey times rather will help get federal assistance faster.

♪ ♪ >> Louisville's Portland neighborhood will soon be home to an attraction that you just can't miss a giant sculpture all created by local artists will light up the outside of Louisville, visual Arts, a gallery and art, a space.

You'll be able to see it while driving into town on Interstate.

64.

Our Kelsey Starks explains the vision behind this massive creation.

>> The future is bright at Louisville.

Visual Arts located here in the Portland neighborhood.

Angela Hagan is the new executive director.

>> I was really interested in taking on this role a few months ago because I have my doctorate in public affairs.

My kids coming to city doctor because I care about what makes healthy, vibrant communities and the board of Lda really wants to make this organization a cornerstone or a gathering place for community.

And we're right on the precipice of all this revitalization that's happening in the Portland neighborhood.

>> Louisville, Visual Arts is a multipurpose facility, housing an art gallery and artist spaces.

It also host art education and outreach programs.

All from this building on Litle Street in Portland.

But soon you won't be able to miss it.

>> We have a donor who it was very interested in.

Really igniting so to speak, the work that we're doing in the neighborhood and wanted to put us on the map and say, look, there's a place here where things are happening, right?

So we're literally putting this park on the outside of the building.

It's going to be a huge cultural piece that extends off the building several feet and will light up at night and you'll be able to see it from blocks away.

And I hope that that is really not only a physical symbol, but a metaphor for what's happening here in programs, not just in the neighborhood as a community center and gathering place, but for their education programs that we're doing for the professional support and development that we do for artists here in our community.

Just really be that symbol of what's happening.

>> Eye-catching indeed, you can learn more about the history and future of the Portland neighborhood.

On the latest episode of Inside Louisville with Kelsey Starks.

>> Catch it online and on demand at KET Dot Org.

Well, that'll do it for us this evening.

Thank you so much for joining us.

And we hope to see you again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition where we inform connect and inspire.

Connect with us all the ways you see on your screen, Facebook, X and Instagram to stay in the loop and send us a story idea by email to public affairs at K E T Dot Org.

Inside Kentucky politics Bob Babbage and Trey Grayson.

That's tomorrow night on our program and we hope to see you then taken care tonight.

♪