>> I would ask the year that we were released that we were not well.

We're in this for it.

We were desperate.

>> And eastern Kentucky flood survivor on the desperate and perilous steps she had to take to leave her property.

>> This was a fast-moving flight that took everything in its path.

>> What infrastructure, Eastern Kentucky lost in the flood and how officials are building back.

>> This is not a political thing.

This is a human decency thing about a woman whose life was taken from her.

>> A political clubs, guest speaker causing controversy.

>> You're making the problem far worse.

>> What works and what doesn't as Kentucky tries to fix its juvenile justice system.

>> 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 on this Wednesday, January 25th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for winding down your Wednesday with us.

♪ ♪ >> This week marks 6 months since catastrophic flooding hit eastern Kentucky.

More than a foot of rain fell in that region during a five-day period with almost 8 inches fallen the night of July 27th into the morning of July.

28 43 died as a result of the flooding.

One person remains missing and Breathitt County, the Kentucky National Guard perform 1400 rescues airlifting those trapped by the flood waters.

Thousands of homes and businesses along with hundreds of roads and bridges and several schools were damaged or destroyed.

A federal disaster declaration was issued for more than a dozen counties.

Crews worked for several weeks to clear debris and repair roads left impassable by the flash flooding.

Most of the roads and bridges that were destroyed or damage were located in Kentucky.

Transportation Cabinet's District 12.

We caught up with the chief engineer for that district to find out what progress has been made and what still needs to be done.

Into law.

We received a catastrophic flooding event in district 12 in throughout the eastern region, especially in district 12.

We serve 7 counties and of those 7 counties.

>> For them not litter.

Floyd in Pike received the bulk of the statement and the bulk of the rain.

The majority of our games was on our county roads.

We had 27 bridges in district 12 along that were considered emergencies.

All those 27 we have 16 already back up and replaced him and the others have diversions or detours around.

So no one saw slide.

We had to state facilities that were We had one in Pike County which is on Kentucky, 16 Evergy.

We had to take the bridge outlook currently replacing it and then we had a COVID failure on Kentucky.

3.43.

In Letcher County between the on and McRoberts.

Both of these have diversions and detours.

But those are 2 state roads that affected.

All of our operations only for 3 months was flood-related.

These counties received water in places that we've never received water before.

It's hard to plan for for anything of this size and magnitude that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is currently working with UK to look into the effect of the disaster zone, our bridges and really working on the resiliency to so that studies ongoing looking at flooding events in the runners and that occurs when it when we have 40 to dance and it's been implemented into our design as well.

This was a fast moving flood that took everything in its path.

We lost bridges.

We lost parts of roads.

Some of my employees lost their homes.

But through it all, I saw and experienced.

He would come to set new sing before we had people come in here with trucks and supplies all the way from Paducah to Pike County and not County Letcher County say what can we do to help?

I had people call me what my Venmo account.

So you know, the Venmo account is and so the next thing I KET I had one and people are sending us money from all of the state.

And it was just that for days and days to supplies, committee and trucks coming in to with all the days that we The Hope Hicks, Rafik would be 5 years.

>> Could be a little bit But with all the other work that we have to do, we know when the snow and ice we take care of possible flooding.

Totally back to where we were.

5 news.

>> Westfahl Holbrook said of all the flooding related projects the district has done so far.

Debris removal has been the costly assist.

It wasn't just state roads and bridges that were destroyed by flash flooding.

Flooding took out private roads and bridges as well, often trapping survivors on their property.

That was the situation for one Letcher County couple who had to make their own path back to their community.

It was a frustrating at times.

Dangerous one.

>> It was a sight on a singer.

Never expected to see.

>> We had saying many floods, but we had neighbor saying they're breached on.

We have rain in 17 years.

There we had one wooden bridge one way in one way out.

And when the bridge was completely gone.

The only way across was the creek.

I honestly thought with the N F you.

>> Hours are few days.

Somebody with they there to help us get out we had and that food forest, you know, for a couple of days.

>> And that we needed water and stuff like that.

But no one could get to us.

You to a great time, someone would stop with water and they were just throw one bottle of water at the time over the creek because it was like a 60 foot get from our road to the mine wrote.

>> Once the water receded, Tanya, her husband quickly went to work, placing concrete pavers on each side of the creek.

They finally had a way out.

But the journey was just beginning.

>> We were going to get want to just hang in there.

Hang in there.

So I think what month landlords to spend all that money.

We're not even going to have to use it because we're going to get out of there eventually.

>> In the meantime, Tanya, her husband returned to their jobs, but that took some work.

Tony said several times a week they would cross the creek bed and the highway in front of their home.

Then walk across the neighbor's property there and almost like a football field, all to get the 2 cars they had to borrow because there's were stuck on their property.

>> We want to see my return from work.

But they had to do it in the dark.

>> Although the live in it not I got home at one.

32 o'clock in the morning.

You always saw the air.

So a buyer.

I carried as a Taser who hit to make a main it.

It was crazy.

>> The breaking point came after a trip to the grocery store.

Tony said she was carrying groceries and sit down with the concrete pavers trying to cross the creek.

>> That sale strike back.

With 2 armfuls of groceries which probably $300 worth of groceries.

And I just sit there and prayed and cried.

Yeah, it was.

But that was the turning point.

>> They began losing hope that a permanent bridge rebuilt.

Tony said they began looking into building a temporary structure.

>> We were just trying to find someone to build a something temporary that we could move our steps.

You know, just names we got multiple estimates.

3 or 4 estimates and the cheapest and even temporary bridge was going to be about $30,000, a concrete bridge is they say 10,000 per said and we had 60 fate.

>> Cross so that was not going to happen.

I would ask feared that we were really lose an arm of that.

>> We were not well.

We were desperate.

They were desperate.

>> Help finally came after a conversation with the county official who time you said you surplus supplies from the county to build a temporary bridge.

>> The day they construction on our bridge.

I don't know how many people posted in tag may like I will sit in this traffic all that you say you get out of there.

Got some good for you.

A lot of people that were.

Ryan help and >> the day the temporary bridge is finished.

Tony said they went to the U haul and moved to another home in Letcher County.

>> God will make a blasting out of every trial.

And yeah.

He has.

>> What an experience.

Tanya tells us the temporary bridge is still there and she believes it will be a long time before something permanent replaces it.

Now there is some good news for the rebuilding efforts in eastern Kentucky governor Andy Beshear announced a second land acquisition this time in Perry County.

The governor's office says the ice and family contributed the land, which is on higher ground just outside of Hazard.

Initial plans call for building 150 new homes on the property which will be paid for in part by the team.

Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund last month.

The governor made a similar announcement and not county.

They're the state has secured 75 acres of land with room to expand the development to almost 300 acres.

We will have more stories about the rebuilding process in Eastern Kentucky tomorrow and Friday right here on Kentucky EDITION.

♪ On to other news, the fallout continues from a recent presentation and Bowling Green.

The Republican women of South Central Kentucky hosted Jonathan Mattingly, a former Louisville police officer involved in the deadly Breonna Taylor raid when the original venue canceled.

The event was moved to a downtown restaurant, upsetting others who are eating there that night.

>> I apologize to the patrons.

>> Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly is responding to backlash over a recent appearance he made to discuss the Breonna Taylor case.

>> This event was a private event.

It was supposed to be having a private location.

When no one would be around.

But those who wanted to be there wanted to hear the truth of what happened the night that Breonna Taylor tragically lost her life last minute.

>> They got a table here reserved and then it happened.

>> It may have been a private gathering, but it was held in a public place on its Greek restaurant where protesters gathered this week to express outrage.

It's disgusting where it just.

>> Everyday people trying to go out and have dinner being faced with a insensitive, you know, experience honestly.

>> Casey Johnson was eating at the restaurant that night and could overhear Mattingly's presentation.

>> The first thing he said was let me take you back to March 2020 and they started going through some loud.

So did she know dispatch?

I mean, it's pretty triggering honestly.

>> Mattingly now releasing this video on YouTube, calling it a, quote, Bad decision for the event to move forward in that space.

>> There was no ill-will, no malice.

We did not want the other patients to hear this.

I apologize to you really do.

I know if I were in your shoes and there's something that I disagree with the in play over brought my patronage to pay for a very upset as well.

>> He also says, however, don't blame the venue.

The restaurant.

>> Is a victim in this because they didn't know what was going on.

And I feel sorry for them.

I apologize to the owners.

They were putting a rough situation right in the middle of crossfire that they didn't belong.

>> This is also gotten the attention of the local NAACP chapter who says they are investigating >> the event in itself is is that in our opinion, disgusting and abhorrent?

I think it's imperative that we speak truth to power because Breonna Taylor was killed.

One of the big problems that was with this event was that he was made political that her death was going to be made as a political fodder.

4, the conversation.

>> The former LMPD officer recently authored a book about the night Taylor was killed and the ensuing fallout in the video.

He says he wants to dispel rumors about the night he spoke at on us.

>> All the events that we talked about with the events after the fact.

The things that were handled in the wrong way that the general public has received all this misinformation and it's been said we have to talk about it in the right context.

And I I don't know that this event was that right?

Contacts that that would have help bring some understanding to what happened that night.

Rather.

It was more of a political show in order to create a buzz is an important thing.

It's it's important that we don't forget Breonna Taylor.

>> And but it's also important that profit is not being made off of her tragedy.

And that's kind of what this feels like for Kentucky.

Addition on Laura Rogers.

>> We made attempts to reach the Republican women of South Central Kentucky, but we did not receive a response back Republican candidate for Governor Ryan corals was also scheduled to speak to the group that night but backed out due to the controversy.

We told you yesterday about a fight at the Warren County Juvenile Detention Center that left a staff member hurt Governor Andy Beshear and lawmakers are looking for ways to improve Kentucky's juvenile justice system.

Monday night on Kentucky.

Tonight, our guests talked about differing opinions about what the system is supposed to do.

>> 2 weeks ago I had the most disturbing conversation.

That I have had in my 18 years at K Y.

A lawmaker and I were enthusiastic exchange the individual shared among the things that most bothered him.

Was that I kept talking about using juvenile justice to get kids back on the right track this individual and for me that that's not what juvenile justice was.

4.

It was for punishment.

I'm not talking about Jason Whitney, Nima or cut and I'm not talking about the majority of lawmakers, but I would respectfully suggest that until the General Assembly charts are really clear path.

Just what Josh was talking about is here's how we can rehabilitate kids.

It's going to be tough because if you've got some of colleagues who are inventing a system of punishment.

Rather than in rehabilitation.

Supersedes that tree AU's versus systemic change.

So I think that's of I'm still shaking my head in wasn't angry.

I was saying I was saying to hear that kind of conversation come out of Frankfort in 2023.

>> So I want to Senator about that kind of conversation.

Is there?

I mean, I've seen some committee hearings where maybe it's lean that way toward punishments and less toward correction and rehabilitation.

I mean, what's the temperature and the Senate Republican Caucus?

But I think >> Kerry's description just now is accurate.

You can find It would take would take much time to find it.

But I think it's still a minority opinion, which I'm thankful for.

You think it's kind of productive.

One of the things that you've already heard from naming a night the response to juvenile misconduct can be so much more impactful with community based programming interventions.

The direct interventions that Josh is talking about and I agree that there might there are there instances where confinement in some form or fashion might be the only place you can safely administer those contacts.

But if you only confined without having that direct intervention, whether for behavior, health or psychological or traumatic issues, whatever, if you ignore all the rest of that, you're making the problem far worse.

>> You can see more of that conversation about Kentucky's juvenile justice system and how to deal with the riot and assault online on demand at KEIO T K E T DOT Org.

Slash K why tonight?

>> Time now for our midweek.

Check-in of some major political developments here in Kentucky where their good friend Rylan Barton.

He's the managing editor of Kentucky Public Radio and Ohio Valley Resource.

Good to see your island.

>> It seemed to an end.

>> So a few things we want to talk about.

Let's first start with juvenile justice and we had a program on here Monday night on Kentucky tonight.

We talked about it for an hour and then the next day there was another riot, a situation and Warren County.

This time the situation seems to be growing worse and worse with each passing day, lawmakers have said they've got some commitment to addressing.

What's your sense of it?

All?

>> Yeah, I mean.

Obviously this this incident earlier this week and that it's only added to a lot of the concern around of the juvenile justice You know, just kids who are really incarcerated by the state and in Kentucky, problems with cilla these problems and staffing there's a says, Joseph, there's there's a massive number of vacancies within of the juvenile justice system for or for workers.

There have been several instances of of of riots it.

Really terrifying cases of sexual assault so then this week of the most recent things that the staff member of Warren County Juvenile Detention Center in Bowling Green is recovering from injuries after an attack of from inmates at the at the Juvenile Justice Center there.

So especially this happening right in the middle of the legislative session when the governor has said he wants to do something about this.

Legislators have said they want to do something about this.

Seems like there's going to be something that happens.

But there's a lot of debate over exactly what direction to go right now.

And I'm not sure that there's a really firm line on how lawmakers want to move forward at this point.

>> And how much money it may take to right the wrongs and the juvenile justice system.

And with the Department of Juvenile Justice because the governor said the other day could take tens of millions of dollars.

He wants to raise the pay for some to 50,000 and but that may not do it because you can't even get the people in the door to take the job.

Right.

So this is a really multifaceted.

>> Yeah, there's and that's where it seems like most of the governor's attention has been integrated.

That's, you know, he's he's the executive of the administration that runs this abuse.

You know, one of the easiest things you can do is just deal with the purse strings of, you know, the that puts more money towards the people who are working in the juvenile Justice Center.

However, I think there's a lot more attention that needs to be done on, you know, facilities in general.

I there's a lot of attention to and I'm I'm wondering how this will end up appearing in if there's any legislation lawmakers do with how to actually help the kids out who are in in these situations, taking a pretty tough pivot to talk about.

There's a lot of organizations that are revealing their priorities for the remaining days of the 2023 session that resumes February 7th.

>> ACLU this week, really some of their priorities among them, automatic voting rights restoration for certain Fallon.

So talk to us about that and maybe some other things they'd like to see accomplished.

>> Yeah, it's been a real top one issue for a lot of known criminal justice reform minded people in Kentucky.

Kentucky is one of only 3 states that, you know, bands permanently bans people with felonies on their records from of from voting again.

So the governor, governor Beshear couple years ago issued an executive order automatically of restoring voting rights to a lot of people who have completed their sentences for certain low level felonies.

Now there's some folks some lawmakers really want to in trying that in state law to make this a policy going forward.

You know, there's been some bipartisan support for this in the past there's some question as to whether or not that's going there's as much support or of this.

This time around, it would require a constitutional amendment, which means there's a higher threshold needs more votes to pass the legislature and then it needs to be approved by voters Turner referendum anyway.

So that's that's what the policies are pushing for.

I think another thing they're really trying to do KET an eye on, you know, depending on how the state Supreme Court's really to report an the ACLU use of force involved in the lawsuit against of the state's abortion bans and also to get on some of anti trans bills that have been proposed in the legislature, which we haven't seen exactly how much momentum there will be around that.

And one policy, which I think there will be a lot of bipartisan support for is that go kind of closing a loophole in state law that that makes it illegal for mix.

Fentanyl test strips illegal big because it technically count as drug paraphernalia.

So just be like an easy harm reduction thing to be able to test some drugs to make sure that it doesn't have fentanyl in it.

And and and which has been such a deadly scourge on the state of the past few years.

>> Final topic for us today is the special election in the state Senate district.

Number 19, that was vacated by Morgan McGarvey who is now serving in Washington is the 3rd Congressional district.

Congressman.

And so there's been a little kerfuffle over this.

And that seems to be there some resolution.

Now, here are island.

>> Yeah, it's Jefferson County and propose having for voting locations for this special election and they submit their plan to the state which has oversight over these kinds of voting plans to the state Board of elections.

We know that Secretary of State Michael Adams has oversight over and they ended up rejecting that plan saying it was too few voting locations and now they have increased the number to 12.

There's a little bit of a of a spat over this of a Jefferson County Clerk, Bobbie Holsclaw said that that, you know, that the plan that they had was finding the and the board was over exercising its powers over this.

But, you know, in the end, this is something that Secretary Adams has really paid attention to.

And lawmakers have been making a lot of noise about recently as well.

The number of polling places and making it more accessible for voters access the ballot box, especially on Election Day.

Yeah.

>> We'll KET our eyes on this.

And it probably doesn't affect the outcome of the victor in that open seat right?

>> Right.

It's it doesn't seem to be the most competitive race.

I'm Kasey Chambers, Armstrong, to the Democratic candidate, you know, seems to be the in a heavily Democratic district, but she still been campaigning pretty hard for to see she's been releasing endorsements and and they're going around knocking on doors.

So I'm just she's trying to in the seat, which of there will be a special special election coming up for folks in the Louisville area to vote on.

>> Yeah, February 21st of that data still as it was proclaimed by the governor.

Well, thank you.

Robin Barton is always good to see you.

And thank you for your breakdown.

♪ >> In other political news, U.S.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky says President Joe Biden has no choice but to negotiate when it comes to raising the debt ceiling.

The Treasury Department says it has started taking extraordinary measures as the government has run up against its legal borrowing capacity of 31 trillion dollars.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to act to raise the debt limit.

Friction between President Biden and House Republicans is raising concerns about whether the U.S. can sidestep an economic crisis.

Senator Paul says conservatives will not vote to raise the debt ceiling without significant reforms.

>> If we were to have 100 billion dollar cut, which would still have a spending way more than we spend before.

COVID 100 billion dollar cut in free spending would balance our budget in just 4 years.

This is amazing.

We have an opportunity here.

It could be done.

But he would take compromise between both parties.

Republicans would have to give up the sacred.

Callan says we will never touch a dollar in military.

And the Democrats would have to give the sacred cows and they will never going to dollar and welfare.

Everything.

We have to be looking across the board.

No one has a sacred area that would be immune when you make the cuts across the board, they aren't as big as you'd actually think they would be.

>> The U.S. government can temporarily rely on accounting tweaks to stay open.

That means any threats to the economy are still several months away.

Money is headed to Pike County to expand access to clean water.

Governor Andy Beshear announced almost 4 million dollars and help that includes money for a new water main in Elkhorn City, the replacement of water lines in the mountain Water district and an upgrade to Pike pulls water treatment plant.

>> Coming up tomorrow, a discussion with journalists, Sarah Ladd about a new federal policy designed to cut down on the number of suicides among our veterans.

Plus, housing was already a concern in eastern Kentucky.

Then came historic flooding.

We take a look at what's being done to get people back into their homes.

You don't want to miss those stories and much more on Kentucky edition tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire.

I'm Renee Shaw, thank you so much for your time tonight.

And I look forward to seeing you right back here again tomorrow night.

Take a 10.

♪