>> To be there this morning and to see your smiling faces and our kids come in and it was wonderful.

>> Students forced out of their school by flooding are now back on familiar terms.

>> Now, bigger news and we want >> the longest-serving congressman was front and center as the House finally picked a speaker.

>> We've given birth to a younger Generation Gen Z, which is kind of now focused on more social causes like sustainability and health care and things that are less about consumption.

>> And why younger consumers are looking to give new life to old are clones.

>> 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 Monday, January, the 9th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for winding down your Monday night with us.

>> After months of sharing space at Cowan elementary students from Whitesburg Middle School have finally returned to their own campus.

Letcher County School Superintendent Denise Leon says that reopening school is another encouraging step towards recovery for the community devastated by the July floods.

>> This morning I was able to be over Students and buses arrive to greet kids this morning as they come to their House call to be there this morning and to say you're smiling faces and our kids come in and it was wonderful point been planning for for our weekend.

So it went very smooth this morning.

Last week, items and the construction tame work to get everything finished and completed.

So we had some time to go in and claim and get ready for staff and staff spent the men's and that we can get in their rooms, put together and get the resources back together.

Move from one building to the next.

So that this morning when kids well can't they have class.

It gives me such great help to see that progress.

And 5 months ago long we were in that building and look at that.

The mud and the muck and the devastation of the flood made.

You wonder how long it would take when it went to when that when this would happen, if it could happen this school year and now to save them with new floors and ceilings, fresh paint them and to see our students and had to back in that spices.

It's amazing.

That is extremely grateful.

I'm extremely thankful for all those who helped make this happen for kids.

We've had so many people reach out across the state across the nation to help to do We've had districts across the state.

Give us buses and school furniture student.

They ask resources that really does take a village.

And so our villages large the house side of Kentucky has come through for us and helped us make this possible for kids.

That's our second school that we free up one point, I was a child.

Connor Elementary go back to their campus a week ago and that's gone very well.

We have one more school, which is worse quest for government tree.

It's next door to watch for middle school.

That building was built in the 70's and has an open concept.

>> And so as we go back into it, we're going to be building walls and on for classroom.

So that's going to take a little bit longer.

But they'll be back on campus.

More question for the fall.

>> John says that West Whitesburg Elementary is the last school in need of major repair.

Those students are still sharing space with Letcher County Central High School.

This weekend.

Crews once again search for a breath of county woman missing since the late July floods.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports 160 searchers from 25 state and federal agencies searched 12 miles of floodplain along the North Fork of the Kentucky River.

They did not find 60 year-old Vanessa Baker, but say they did find some valuable clues to help with the search.

These pictures are from the Wolfe County search and rescue team.

The team used a drone during the search.

The drone was program to look for anything maroon in color since Baker was wearing maroon when she disappeared.

And government news today, a new era for Kentucky's highest court begins today after being led by the now retired John Mitten for 14 years.

The Kentucky Supreme Court has elected a new leader, Lawrence be Vanmeter was sworn in as the court's chief justice this afternoon that made her a served on the court since 2017 and is only the 3rd justice ever to have served at all 4 levels of the Kentucky Unified Court system.

The investiture service was attended by a who's who of Kentucky political leaders who spoke to the importance of the court and the responsibilities of its new chief Justice.

>> That's the highest legal authority in our state.

The Kentucky Supreme Court ensures clarity, uniformity.

In fairness.

Hold up the backbone of our democracy, which is the rule of law.

Today.

This critical institution welcomes a new leader.

I think there are 3 things that I wish you all and the incoming chief justice and I'm not sure.

Which is of greater priority.

First of all, patients.

Because you do have to deal with many things, including.

>> The 2 branches of government.

Wisdom.

To determine.

What is the wisest and direct route to run ports but also wisdom in discerning law.

>> Chief for almost 3 decades, people the Commonwealth have benefited greatly from your service.

Your reputation as a thorough, the helpful and diligent judge, no doubt.

Let your selection of this honor.

I look forward to working with you as we face the many opportunities and challenges facing our commonwealth, including juvenile justice, child welfare, criminal justice reforms as well as modernizing further the court system.

Kentuckians are best when served by all 3 branches of government.

And when we joined together to to address both our challenges and opportunities >> Square work on station of the United Now he can chief >> words, Mister Chief Justice Raiders that, you know, office ice where?

Well also care.

What isn't and still, response to these.

>> What is your place as Law?

In us.

And the It.

The United >> Van Meter will serve a four-year term.

The Kentucky Supreme Court chief justice is elected by a vote of the court's members.

Van Meter won on the first ballot.

More history was made this afternoon.

2 new justices join Van Meter on the bench for the first time Justices Kelly Thompson and Angela McCormick visit won elections last November.

And political news.

Kelly, Kraft is spending more money than her Republican opponents for governor.

According to new campaign finance reports, Kraft is a former United Nations ambassador under former President Donald Trump.

Kraft has spent a million dollars, some of it on TV ads.

She's raised $547,000.

The last quarter of 2022. and raised 1.3 million dollars so far.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron raise 259,000 in the 4th quarter of last year, giving him 712,000 AG Commissioner Ryan Quarles raised 54,000 and has a total of 874,000 and Alan Keck, the mayor of Somerset joined the race in November.

He has $200,000 so far.

The races are set for the May primary Friday was the deadline for candidates to file to run for Kentucky's constitutional offices in 2023.

And here's how it looks.

15 people filed to run for governor.

Most of them are Republicans.

There are 4 candidates for Secretary of State, 3 candidates for auditor, 4 candidates for commissioner of Agriculture.

2 candidates for attorney general and 4 candidates for state treasurer.

Local elections in Kentucky could soon become partisan under a pair of proposed bills in the Kentucky General Assembly, Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, a sponsor of Senate Bill, 50 representative Matt Lockett of Nicholas Ville, a sponsor of a companion measure House Bill 50 in the lower chamber.

Both bills would make partisan City Council and school board races, senator say are explained his reasoning for the bill last month on Kentucky tonight.

>> I believe the voters need to be informed and the best way you can inform as tell a person what party you're a member of when you're on the ballot.

>> According to the Kentucky League of Cities, there are more than 400 city governments in Kentucky currently less than 10 have partisan elections.

Jim Hamburg is president of the Kentucky League of Cities and he's also the nonpartisan mayor of South Gate in northern Kentucky.

He says this decision should be left up to local cities.

>> I can tell you that local decisions are made at the local level.

What's the best thing for us right now?

That doesn't give you an idea of the city on him and Southgate.

We've been nonpartisan since 1989.

Actually the first election was 1990, when I first going city council here, you know, we've been nonpartisan ever since then.

As you mentioned, the 6 cities are partisan right now versus that of the 4.15.

Well, it's 400 in 9 cities that are non partisan at this time.

Well, look at it.

Is that the political parties are irrelevant when it comes to providing services to our constituents.

It's up to the citizens of that point to versus the state.

To determine whether we should be partisan or nonpartisan on the local level.

And that's the big thing that I look at this point for home rule.

>> Under the measure, school board candidates would also have to declare their political party affiliation.

Eric Kennedy is the director of advocacy for the Kentucky School Boards Association.

He told the Lexington Herald leader of the Bills would be a, quote, distraction from what's right for kids and the management of the school district.

A similar bill was filed last year by Republican Representative Thomas Huff.

That Bill never made it out of committee.

The 2023, Kentucky, a general General Assembly convened last Tuesday in the first 4 days.

The House passed a bill that would mean another individual state income tax cut next January.

No, it still needs Senate action.

And we'll discuss what to expect on that.

And a host of other bills when lawmakers return in February.

That's tonight on Kentucky tonight at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

While Kentucky Republicans are working to lower the state income tax House Democrats are hoping to increase the tax for some representative Lisa Willner of Louisville has introduced House Bill One 11.

It's in response to House Bill one which calls for lowering the individual state income tax rate by another half percent in January 2024. taking it to 4%.

Representative Willner is bill.

Anyone earning 100 to $125,000 in 2024?

would see their income tax return to 5%.

Anyone earning more than $125,000 would have their tax rate move to 6% and all income would be taxed at 6% for anyone making more than $150,000 as we said, House Bill one passed the House last week.

The Senate is expected to take it up when they return in February.

It would be easier for people to carry concealed guns in schools and some parts of airports in Kentucky.

If House Bill one 38 becomes law.

Representative Savannah Maddox filed the bill on Friday.

It would change the current law which lets schools local governments and state government limit concealed weapons in government buildings and people with valid licenses to carry concealed weapons would be allowed to carry them in schools.

Turning now to federal government news, House Republicans elected Kevin McCarthy, a speaker of the House late Friday night on the 15th ballot after he reached an agreement with the final 6 Republican holdouts after McCarthy's when the current longest serving member of Congress, how Rodgers of Kentucky's 5th congressional district swarm into office.

>> I'm now ready to take the oath of office.

I want to ask the dean of the House, the honorable how Rogers of Kentucky.

One of my first mangers to administer.

>> The oath of the office.

♪ >> First, we want to offer my Congratulations.

The gentleman from ♪ ♪ now we'll e U.

Bigger do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States?

>> Against all enemies, foreign and the move that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same that you take this obligation Then in the middle reservation or purpose of and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties only on Verizon, which you're about to to have begun to >> with the speakership finally decided new members of Congress could then be sworn in, including Morgan McGarvey, the new Democratic congressman for Kentucky's 3rd congressional district.

He replaces John Yarmouth, who retired after serving 16 years.

Congressman Andy Barr of Kentucky, 6 district congratulated Speaker McCarthy.

Barr was sworn into office for his 6th term.

He put out a statement saying in part, quote, Now it's time for House Republicans to begin the work.

We were elected to do pass legislation out of the House to address 40 year-high inflation secure our southern border.

Reduce rise in crime and confront threats from adversaries abroad like China.

At the same time, we must also began conducting rigorous oversight of the Biden administration from top to bottom end, quote.

♪ The drugmaker Pfizer has given 1 million dollars to the Republican Party of Kentucky's building fine and what could be the largest contribution to a political party in Kentucky history.

Campaign finance law limits how much people and political action committees can contribute to candidates.

But a 2017 bill passed by the Kentucky General Assembly allows each party to set up building funds and there is no limit on how much a person or a corporation can contribute.

John Suthers, spokesperson for the Republican Party of Kentucky.

Tell the Kentucky Lantern that the Republican Party is planning to expand its headquarters in Frankfort.

He added, quote, the funds raised in to this account can only be used for certain expenditures related to the building and are not eligible to be spent on candidate or issue advocacy.

And other news algae.

Any KU say it plans to close all 26 of its business offices by the end of 2024, according to the Courier Journal, the Walk-In customers have declined.

42 1% since 2014 as people shift to online accounts, automated phone calls and the company app.

Now, this will happen gradually with 7 offices closing on March 31st.

70 people work in those offices.

The company says it's working to find opportunities for those 70 workers.

Help is now available to thousands of Kentuckyian struggling to KET the heat on in their homes.

The Kentucky River Foothills Development Council is taking applications for its heating crisis.

Emergency Assistance program.

It's part of the low-income energy assistance program called Lie.

He money is available to households that have received a past due or eviction.

Notice applicants must meet the income criteria and love and one of the 4 counties, Kentucky River foothills serves Kentucky River Foothill said with inflation putting a strain on households, it expects a large number of applicants for its program this year.

>> We are to see a lot of people this season for rely.

He in we have seen as significant demand for lie.

He sense March 2020 since COVID began.

I know that there were not a word technically in the thick of COVID but what COVID did was it created Lawson wages, loss of jobs.

And so we saw more people than ever have to reach out and ask for help.

That has never asked for help is gas, other goods and services are increasing.

And so for low-income families and individuals meeting those essential needs is is quite hard.

And so are like the program helps to to bridge that that gap to help, you know, kind of fun, help those those individuals and families through these uncertain times.

And if we offer help, then that frees up money that can be spent on other things like food and medicine and other essential needs that that that householder individual have us.

Applications will be accepted through March 31st or until the program runs out of funds.

>> For more information, go to the Kentucky River Foot Hills website.

God's Pantry.

Food bank provides food and meals to Kentucky ends in 50 counties in central and eastern Kentucky all the way from Anderson to Pike County.

And their 2022 fiscal year.

They served over 40.5 million pounds of food to families and individuals facing food insecurity.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation play God's Pantry.

Foodbank has seen an increase in demand for their services and 2023.

They hope to expand their services to help more Kentuckians in need.

>> There's a whole variety of different things we're doing.

One is to use mobile pantries to help in specific counties where we know there is increased need.

We're looking to improve our fate county pantry program by adding another pet pantry and by adding a valid volunteer center that will help us be able to sort food more effectively more efficiently and get it out into the community faster.

And we're actually looking to expand our storage and handling capacities by moving into a new food bank sometime in the next 12 to 18 months.

>> We'll take a closer look at one of the mobile pantry distribution sites in the coming days right here on Kentucky EDITION.

♪ Fashion has long been a way to express ourselves.

Retail experts say younger consumers are shifting their habits from buying new clothes, 2 apparent apparel that may be older than they are the growth of the secondhand apparel market is projected to out pace fast fashion in the very near future.

>> One of the best ways to KET things out of landfills is to reuse them over and over and over again right now, technically about 85% of all clothing that's manufactured ends up in a landfill.

That's about 92 million tons of textile waste each year.

You also have implications for water usage.

You pesticide use that cotton industry is typically ranked as the 3rd biggest users of pesticides and particularly in the United States, Gen Z seems to be much more environmentally and socially conscious.

Then.

>> The previous generations were at that age.

They start hearing about sustainability at a much earlier age.

You know, they can take environmental science classes as part of the high school curriculum now in many places.

So they just generally understand that the fashion industry for a very long time has troubles the environment.

I think the you know, the younger generations definitely looking at the money they spend in general as investments.

And so they kind of >> value check everything that they purchase.

and uncertain economic climate.

So I'm just from a value perspective >> you can buy very, very nice textiles at a fraction of the cost.

And those very nice textiles or something that will last.

They have lasted.

Some of these cars have been around since the 40's in the 50's.

>> Our consumer power is probably our greatest weapon towards making big strides when it comes to sustainability.

Our purchasing power.

So to speak.

That drives all of the other and the industry's themselves.

One of the things that Gen Z's kind of pushing away from is being over marketed to and oversold to.

>> So they turned to things like TikTok and Snapchat.

They're doing of the research on these platforms versus more traditional platforms like Google but even Google has released data showing the search for the keyword secondhand has risen 80% in the last 2 years.

>> It's really interesting and fun to see the creativity that we're seeing with thrifting and with recycling of clothing and repurposing them all together.

>> We're kind of still developing their identities and figure not they are in close are the easiest and one of the most fun ways to experiment with different identities to really make a commitment.

But I think to that it's an environmental consciousness.

They are aware of what is happening to our landfills and how much waste is going into our landfills.

And it's a way to kind of reduce their carbon footprint.

>> Allison Henderson says another trend is the rising popularity of work where she credits the pandemic for that as more people became interested in at-home activities like gardening, as well as respect and admiration for essential workers.

♪ >> Kentucky's entry in the Union inspired a 15 star flag.

And would you believe a naval battle in Kentucky?

KET still be?

Gibbs has all that and more in tonight's look at this week in Kentucky history.

♪ >> Americans flew a 15 star flag for a while in the 17 90's.

President George Washington authorized that flag January 13th 17 94 about a year and a half after Kentucky became America's 50 states.

You probably don't think of Kentucky is a place for a naval battle, but it happened January 11th 18.

62 as the union, ironclad Essex and St. Louis battle the Confederate ships general polled IV and Jackson.

>> On the Mississippi River next to Carlisle County.

Happy birthday to KET Johnson, Kentucky's 45th governor who served from 1939.

To 1943.

He was a newspaper owner and the only journalist to become governor of Kentucky.

And he's the grandfather, a former secretary of state bomb damage.

Stephen Foster died January 13th 18, 60 for the young age of 37 Foster wrote My Old Kentucky home, which became Kentucky's state song in 1928.

Former UK basketball player Louie Dampier.

It is 57th consecutive free.

Throw on January 9, 1971.

Setting a pro basketball record.

Dampier played 9 seasons with the American basketball associations, Kentucky Colonels and later played with the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.

>> And those were some of the big events this week in Kentucky history.

>> I'm too big.

It is.

>> Thank youto be gives that to do it for us tonight.

We hope you join us again tomorrow night on Kentucky edition.

We'll talk about kids in Lexington.

You have a great option after school.

It's a program through the Lexington Public Library that includes everything from snacks to homework, help find out more about that program tomorrow.

Tuesday on Kentucky EDITION, which we hope you'll join us for at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full KET Dot Org.

You can also find Kentucky Edition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV and OKC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Hope you all also follow me on Twitter at Renee.

Take it.

I'll see you at 8 o'clock for Kentucky tonight.

Take good care.

♪