♪ >> There's no place for those people to go.

There's no extra capacity to absorb that.

>> Housing experts and eastern Kentucky calling on lawmakers to help them get homes built for flood survivors.

Who's ahead in the race for governor?

What a new poll says about the Republican primary and the November election.

>> But there are so many animals in shelters who stories are out there, but they're just as deserving of their second home in their second chance.

And they're loving animals.

And they just want somebody to come in and take care of them, too.

>> And you'll meet Ethan, the Louisville dog whose comeback story has inspired millions.

>> 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 Thursday, January 26th, I'm Renee Shaw.

>> Thank you for winding down your Thursday with us.

We continue our look at eastern Kentucky's recovery following catastrophic flooding 6 months ago.

>> With thousands of homes destroyed by the flood.

The greatest challenge is finding people a place to live.

>> But as housing experts in the region will tell you, Eastern Kentucky was already dealing with that challenge.

Well, before the flood Housing Development Hazard based nonprofit that builds affordable housing for low-income families says even before the flight, about 40% of people living in the region were inadequately house.

That includes those who are homeless, doubling up with other families living in substandard housing or spending more than 30% of their income on their house payment or rent.

The organization said the issue can be linked to an appraisal gap.

And and affordability gap.

The appraisal gap is when the cost of building a home exceeds the appraised value.

The affordability gap is the gap between the appraised value of the home and what the buyer can afford.

The Housing Development Alliance is working to build new affordable homes in the counties hit hardest by the flooding.

The project is funded by a grant from the foundation for Appalachian Kentucky.

We spoke to both organizations and a flood survivor who's getting one of those new homes all say while it's a start, it doesn't begin to meet the need.

>> We had a housing before the flood of you took a bad situation and made it a lot worse when this flood hit.

Exacerbated that housing crisis.

The flood didn't didn't discriminate.

But the people who can afford it, the least where the people who suffered the most, they were closest to the creek.

They had the least amount of foundational support to withstand the flood.

>> I can't go back where I live because the land was completely destroyed.

I lived in a double a and there was some.

The top.

The bought the back half the hole, probably 50, 60, 70 feet of the land had actually washed out.

It was you wrote it and then it just the back half of my house with just standing Meyer in about 30 feet up in the air.

My son and daughter-in-law live in northern Kentucky and I came and that we're able to get to us.

And so we stayed up there until the end of Thanksgiving Thanksgiving weekend.

And we found a rental in breath.

It it was so hard even for us.

Just a founder, Randall.

And it was just accidental mentioning to a person that no person.

That's how we found out.

>> I think one in 6 families in the hardest hit counties applied for FEMA.

And so it's hard if you start with a broken housing market and you lose 400 houses that that that literally washed away and another 1800 or 2000 that were significantly damage and probably need to be replaced.

There's just no place for those people to go.

There's no extra capacity to absorb that.

>> Now, as I drive back in areas are just everyone else bought that could possibly have a traveler travel trailer or a small trailer or anything.

They're just stuck everywhere because all of us the land that at one time was never flooded.

It's is just Scotland.

And and nobody knows what to do.

It.

>> The need is significantly more with this event because of a lack of insurance.

FEMA says 4% applicants or that they had had flood insurance.

So 96% of the people who are trying to recover from this flood started with nothing.

The foundation took in 8,000 applications for assistance right off the bat.

We mapped out all of the addresses that we had.

>> That said they were either fully destroyed or partially destroyed.

And that came to about 5,000.

We made the first 1 million dollar investment in a movement called housing.

Can't wait to have foundation was great.

They stepped up really early on and said here's some money get busy we've committed to doing at least 20 houses as fast as we can.

>> A friend.

Tell me about the housing development wants that.

We're helping the flood.

Some flood victims.

And so it was a few weeks before, you know, we heard anything, but actually they did say they could help us.

So we are in the process of getting everything together actually build a new house.

But we'll be in Perry County and it's it's like my being.

15, less than 20 minutes from where I lived.

Originally, I'm just thankful to have somewhere to go.

Many do not.

>> We know that's just a drop in the bucket to the need.

When we talk about long-term recovery and talking about building thousands of houses, that's not something that can happen overnight.

But people need housing today.

And so people are living in all sorts of different situations.

We know people who are staying in houses are not completely repaired.

We're seeing people buy mobile homes and bringing them and setting them right back up where their mobile home washed away.

And it is I think it is desperation.

And that's one of the reasons why we really desperate for the state to, you know, fund some of the recovery.

I legislature didn't put any housing dollars in the first emergency I think that was wrong.

You're one of the things we're being told as well.

You're not ready to spend the money.

You haven't even spent all this money.

The problem with that is in order to be ready to spend the money.

You have to know what's coming.

We're going to do ourselves a disservice if we spend all of our philanthropic dollars first and then let the how do I how do you know, what kind of money do we need?

We need all the things so we need to be stacking that philanthropic money in that state money and that federal money with now and with any money that might come.

>> We know if we don't have any resources if we don't know what's coming.

We can't even give people hope and more than anything right now, our people need help.

>> According to Scott, Nic, Reynolds around 70% of the families impacted by the flood did not live in a designated flood zone.

He said that presents a challenge when they're trying to help a family determine whether they should rebuild on their property or move somewhere else.

Hundreds of families displaced by the flood were sheltered at state parks.

6 months later, many of those families are still calling Jenny Wiley State Resort Park home.

We checked in with to current residents who told us about their stay and why they're ready for a new address.

>> They're just thankful they may want much of that.

You know, just come in 10, 12, 15 minutes tops and it was my wife's that.

So I jumped off the porch.

I went down on what, 6.30, and it was over top.

My head.

>> All their belongings, their homes, everything.

They'll got washed away in the floods.

People had nothing.

It was a tragic situation hundreds of families in eastern Kentucky.

Immediately the governor declared certain state parks to be emergency shelters for flood survivors.

>> So with that, I think within 36 hours we became an emergency shelter.

People were placed from the flood, you know, either in one of our larger rooms or will in one of our colleges and also in the campground in and travel trailers.

>> At first, it was just something different.

My.

We're used to and little bit around.

To counter that stuff to do with leave just a mile.

But it took them and they've also have peace of mind of.

>> You know, having shelter have the people that that care about him, having services, you know, haven't some normalcy is of the law that they lost?

We've been able kind of be a central area for different organizations and different assistance programs to be able to come to.

>> With our laws, groups come in and just, you know what, they're up north and help people.

I provided meals.

Clothing member will do a gift cards.

People have my east.

They will have me like it.

Red Cross help.

I've applied for funding of that that light.

And, you know, so I don't know that on the sisters full way finding a vehicle after public wants win here, but just turn to pay for what you pay for the goods and get back before too.

>> You know, working with plays just want to been through tough times in or have tough times ahead.

there is a brighter day ahead.

>> and we're here to help.

Don't treat us like we're some.

I just come rent a room for not.

You know, they're Francis.

>> State Park officials say over 200 families were living in travel trailers at state parks as of last Friday, Trinity Shepherd said that 40 of those travel trailers are located in Jenny Wiley.

Governor Andy Beshear says this could be the toughest rebuilding process in U.S. history.

He says the federal government continues to help, but can talk INS need to KET on pushing FEMA.

>> Quick update.

So far the total proved from FEMA is more than 96.9 million dollars.

This next piece is important.

It is 1.4 million dollars increase since last week.

Remember, we're averaging 600 to $700,000 of additional awards coming out.

This is almost double that.

Don't give up.

KET pursuing your climb since January 14th, an additional 14 applicants have received the full Max.

37,900.

So even if you received some continue to push.

>> We continue our eastern Kentucky flood recovery coverage.

6 months later tomorrow night on Kentucky Edition as we look at efforts to save historical Eastern Kentucky documents and artifacts damaged during the floods.

Turning now to politics, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron leads the Republican field for governor.

But Governor Andy Beshear leads all Republicans.

That's according to a new Mason-Dixon poll out today.

Republicans will pick a nominee for governor in the May primary.

The poll of more than 400 Republicans shows Cameron with 39% of that vote.

13% of the vote would go to Kelly Craft, the former United Nations ambassador.

This poll was conducted January 18 through the 20's 3rd.

So it's after the start of her TV ad campaign AG Commissioner Ryan Quarles has 8% state auditor, Mike Harmon has 5%.

All other candidates combined have 7%.

And 28% of Republicans are undecided.

Now Governor Andy Beshear is ahead of all the Republicans.

The closest raced is with Cameron Beshear leads that 49 to 40 with 11% undecided.

The governor leads Kelly craft.

57 to 32% with 11% undecided.

Beshear is ahead of corals.

52 to 35%.

And he leads Mike Harmon.

53 to 33%.

The governor's overall approval rating is 61% that slightly up from 60% in this same poll one year ago.

U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says he's glad to hear that the United States and some U.S. allies in Europe.

We'll be sending tanks to help Ukraine and its continuing war with Russia.

He says the move is overdue.

Here's Senator McConnell on the Senate floor yesterday.

>> I was happy to learn yesterday and this morning.

That indeed both the White House.

And their counterparts in Germany.

Are finally moving forward with these overdue steps.

Germany has announced it will supply Ukraine with an initial 14 leopard, 2 tanks.

And the Biden administration is expected to send a loose 30 and one Abrams tanks.

Good news.

Now the Berlin is taking this step.

I hope and expect that Germany and other European countries.

With tension their inventory.

Will move expeditiously.

To send them to grant.

>> Elaine Chao, former cabinet member and wife of Senator McConnell is speaking out publicly about former President Donald Trump's attacks on her Chao served as Trump's secretary of transportation she resigned after the January 6 insurrection at the nation's capital saying she was deeply troubled by it.

Trump has criticized her sense then and referred to her as Cocoa Chow on social media.

Here's part of what Chow said in a statement to the political website.

Politico quote, When I was young, some people deliberately misspell door meant mispronounced my name.

Asian Americans have worked hard to change that experience for the next generation.

He doesn't seem to understand that which says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans, end quote.

Louisville's mayor wants to spend more than 30 million dollars to fight homelessness.

Mayor Craig Greenberg's plan calls for more than 8 million dollars to prevent homelessness.

He wants 24 million to create permanent affordable housing and the creation of a community care campus.

And the smoke town neighborhood, it would provide medical care and temporary housing and it would connect people to community services.

That campus would be a partnership with Norton Healthcare, U of L Health, the Coalition for the Homeless and other organizations.

Here's some good news from Western Kentucky.

The city of Marion in Crittendon County now has plenty of water.

This is video of Lake George Mayor Diana Browning says it's now overflowing.

A levy on the lake was breached last April to prevent a dam from giving way.

And the lake had to be drained.

That created a water crisis and lead to Governor Beshear declaring a state of emergency.

There.

The breach still needs to be fixed.

The mayor says she's hopeful repairs will be again over the summer.

Good.

♪ Suicide among Kentucky veterans is sadly on the rise.

That's in contrast to the national picture.

Yesterday I spoke with Sarah lot, the reporter with the Kentucky Lantern who was covered mental health issues for years.

She says there's a new federal program now that could give greater access to mental health services for our veterans.

Sarah Ladd with the Kentucky Lantern.

Thank you for a few minutes of your time to talk about this really.

>> Important issue.

This federal policy has.

The headline says it is expected to save Kentucky veterans through emergency mental health care.

Can you talk to us about the mental health crisis that's facing so many of our Kentucky veterans.

>> For sure.

Thank you for having me.

Yeah.

There's a new federal policy that's part of a 10 year strategy to decrease veteran suicides and basically what it entails is that any veteran?

Whether or not they're enrolled in VA benefits can go to any VA or non VA. Health care facility and get emergency mental health care in the case of a suicide and crisis.

So whereas before advocates might have had to kind of walk them through some eligibility criteria and figure out where they could send them to get help in a very, emergency situation.

Then now it's easier.

It's just very simple.

People can just go to these veterans can just go to health care facility, nears them and get that help.

>> And hopefully this will this situation because as you reported and 2020, there are 119 veteran suicides in Kentuckyian that's up from 120 19, according to the data.

But you have an interesting addition to this and and and contrasting this to national trends.

>> Yeah.

The VA reports that sue veteran suicides decreased in 2020.

For the second year in a row.

So 2019, 2020 decreased and that fewer veterans in died by suicide in Twenty-twenty than any year since 2006.

So there have been some positive trend lines nationally.

Yes, in Kentucky.

We know that it went in Twenty-twenty from 2019.

We don't have 2021 2022 day to get.

So that remains to be seen what that one's going to look like for us locally.

We do know that are.

We are hearing that 6 Kentucky veterans died by suicide since November.

And so.

Yes, the advocates I speak to believe that this federal policy will save lives because it simplifies care.

>> One of the things in your reporting, which is always thorough is you talk about the mental health shortage areas in Kentucky, particularly when it comes to providers.

And this is probably not anything new, but it really does bring home the point about, you know, accesses is one big barrier and being able to get to a provider to help you is an enormous challenge.

>> Absolutely.

I mean, I think we've seen throughout COVID and even before that.

But throughout this pandemic, we have seen every corner of the health care workforce just exhausted.

You know, we hear about a lot with nurses and doctors, but that extends to mental health professionals, too.

In addition to surviving a pandemic themselves had to kind of help others.

You're twos.

That's next year or 2.

But they carry and we do know everyone, everyone that I've talked to about this kind of points to that as being part of the reason that we're we see these shortages, you know, in 2022, the rural health information hub.

Show that every single Kentucky County.

Was a mental health shortage areas.

That means we don't have enough.

Providers enough facilities, cetera.

And so there's also this need in getting more social workers and more people who can offer that help too.

All Kentucky INS onto specifically in the story is, you know, we need to get more of them, but we also need them trained.

In military lingo so they can best make that connection with veterans seeking help.

>> Sarah lot, it's always great connecting with you.

And we hope to do it again soon.

>> Absolutely.

Thank you so much.

♪ ♪ >> Help Kentucky hospitals and patients and beat Florida.

>> By giving blood the big Blue Slam ends tomorrow.

It's an annual competition between the Kentucky Blood Center and a center in Florida.

Kentucky has won this competition 8 times, including the last 2.

Florida has won 6 times, but Kentucky was behind as of last night, leading 763 donations to 743, the Kentucky Blood Center provides blood to 70 Kentucky hospitals.

Kentucky's a donor centers are open from 08:00AM to 06:00PM.

So go big Blue.

Speaking of health, we're talking about medical marijuana on Monday night on Kentucky tonight.

No backers have tried to pass this legislation for years to legalize it.

Will this be the year it finally gets through the pros and cons of medical marijuana and your questions for our panel.

That's next.

Monday at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

♪ Earlier this week, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear point kind of January, Ethan Almighty Shelter, Animal Awareness Month.

>> So who is even almighty?

If you haven't met him yet?

Our Kelsey Starks has an introduction.

>> Well, this is even almighty.

The dog who made international headlines after he was left dying of starvation outside the Kentucky Humane Society just 2 years ago.

Well, as you can see now, Ethan is doing.

>> Just great and much of that is thanks to his adopted family, which includes Jeff Callaway.

Who is that here with us to talk on Ethan's behalf today.

Thanks so much for being here.

For those who may have been living under a rock and they don't know who the thing is.

Give us a quick background of history.

>> Sure.

Thank you for having us.

And we really so.

Ethan was dumped in the parking lot at the Kentucky Humane Society, January 29th of 2021. weighing 2.38.

Pounds close to death.

A family who was dropping off donations pulled around the parking lot in song and they stopped and called in and some KHS staff quickly came out and scooped him up, brought him into the medical area.

There whose first thought was, you know, he.

Why would you bring a dead dog?

Here is nothing we can do it.

He took a breath and they immediately jumped up and started life saving the maneuvers on him.

So >> it's amazing to see him now and think he was 38 pounds.

And you say just got better and better each day and since then eaten is truly an international celebrity recently winning the 2022 Hero Dog Award from American Humane.

Now this is a huge honor.

>> Hundreds of dogs nominated millions of votes.

You're talking celebrity judges.

He said features in People magazine.

What is it about, Ethan?

You think that?

>> Capture so many people's hearts?

I think it's there's a couple things that they kind of came together.

I'm kind of the perfect storm you might say it was during COVID and there's a lot of negatives and sad things going on in the news.

People are losing family members and they didn't get to say goodbye to and there are so many bad stories on TV.

And I think Easton story popped up on on social media and people thought this is just another terrible story.

This someone has done something terrible was dog is not going to make it.

And he each day he just got a little bit better and he kept fighting and he kept taking another breath.

And in his vet has said since he has, he's the strongest part of any dog she ever seen.

And so he had this determination to KET going and people around the country no matter what kind of what they were going through their own struggles.

Weather was fighting an illness or they lost a loved one.

They clung onto his hope and inspiration and really started following.

It really fell in love with him.

So it's been quite it's been quite a journey.

>> And now you say you hear from people all over the world who are inspired by his story.

Yeah, I hear from I've gotten cards and letters and e-mails from folks all over the world telling me what teeth and story has done for them and how they feel connected to a dog that they've never met.

I tell people.

You know, look to your local shelter.

Sometimes it might mean donating some supplies sometimes of my being fostering animals.

Sometimes it's just volunteering your time.

>> In other times, if you're able it's to donate some money but there are so many good things going on at your local you know, just support him, go out and volunteer and take some time and whether in Louisville, Kentucky, main society or just all across the state.

>> There are so many ways to help and fact that Fraser Joy Family Foundation has stepped up to help the Kentucky Humane Society.

Tell us about that pledge.

>> So that was a, you know, surprise to me this week when we were at the governor's But the Fraser, Joy Family Foundation has been following even story all along decided they wanted to match $29,000.29.

for the day that he was found in January.

The first $29,000 that will go towards the Kentucky may say to to help lifesaving matters to.

So it's I mean, it's such an honor and a joy.

And I'm so thankful that, you know, that they've been following the thin and support Ethan and that this sport, the Kentucky Humane Society.

>> That is a matching gift.

So you have until January 29th that anniversary of when Ethan was founded to donate and even Sonner and have your gift to the Kentucky Humane Society doubled back to you.

Thank you, Kelsey.

What a great story.

>> In addition to his awards, an international celebrity status.

Ethan was recently also awarded the title of Chief tasting officer for Bush's beers non-alcoholic Dog Brew and has been inducted into the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association's Hall of Fame today, Governor Beshear name even as a Kentucky All-Star.

>> Go to go.

>> Join us tomorrow night on Kentucky Edition, you can see part one of our series of interviews with AG commissioner and candidate for Governor Ryan corals.

Plus, how one woman in eastern Kentucky is making sure hundreds of people impacted by the flooding are getting a hot meal each and every day.

We hope you'll join us tomorrow night to see those stories and more at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central right here on Kentucky EDITION, where we inform connect and inspire 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 follow KET on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Stay in the loop.

You're also welcome to follow me on Twitter at Renee K E T. Thanks so much for watching.

Hope to see you tomorrow night.

In the meantime, take really good care.

♪ ♪