♪ >> I have been shot 12 times and none of those bullets to the major organ.

>> A shooting survivor from Kentucky reacts to a new federal gun safety law.

We have a bit shortage, a shortage of veterinarians in all sectors.

Kentucky needs animal doctors.

What can the state do to attract and keep them?

>> I'm 40 to it.

There's definitely an older people to me that can I get.

>> And Kentuckians of all ages have skateboarding fever.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KTM down for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and UK 18 Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Monday, July 11th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you so much for spending some of your evening with us.

>> Murder assault, wanton endangerment.

Those are the charges against Lance Storz.

The man accused of killing 3 police officers and a police dog and Floyd County June 30th Wy MTN has reports stores was indicted today.

He faces 20 charges total funeral services last week were held for Deputy William Petri captain Ralph Frasier.

And Officer Jacob Chaffins an event Friday honored a police canine.

The sheriff's office says stores opened fire on officers using a rifle as they responded to a domestic situation.

And the Allen community.

Police in Louisville say a man shot an officer and police then shot him.

Metro police say they approached a man wanted on warrants at a park last night.

According to police.

That suspect shot an officer in the chest.

But the officer wore a bulletproof vest and wasn't seriously hurt.

Police shot the suspect and he ended up in a Louisville hospital.

Police have not released his condition.

State police are now investigating the shooting.

President Biden and gun safety advocates were at the White House today acknowledging the gun safety bill passed by Congress and signed by the President June 25th, among other things, the new law toughens requirements for young people trying to buy guns closes.

The so-called boyfriend loophole that allowed abusive romantic partner.

Steven have guns and helps local police take guns from people judged to be threats.

President Biden says he knows this won't stop all shootings, but he says it will stop some.

>> We're doing here today is real is vivid.

It's relevant.

The action we take today is a step designed to make our nation the kind of nation we should be.

>> It's about the most fundamental of things lives of our children, too.

Our loved ones.

We face literally a moral choice in this country.

World, Georgia Brown, real were real world implications.

Will we take why steps of the villa responsibility to protect the innocent?

And while keeping faith with the constitutional rights?

We're waiting matched thoughts and prayers with action.

I say yes.

And that's what we're doing here today.

>> The bill passed with bipartisan support.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voted for it while Senator Rand Paul voted no Kentucky's congressional delegation voted along party lines with all 5 Republicans opposing it.

And Democrat John Yarmouth voting.

Yes.

Whitney Austin of Louisville was there for today's White House event.

She was shot 12 times as she walked into the 5th 3rd bank headquarters in Cincinnati on September 6th, 2018.

She talked to us about that shooting and about the new legislation and about what else needs to happen on the federal and state levels to stop gun violence.

>> As I will go to the hospital after being scanned and prodded and all those things.

I learned that I have been shot 12 times and none of those bullets had a major organ, her artery.

And so it was the clearest moment of my life with my husband in that I knew I needed to do something to help prevent gun deaths across America.

And so that's what prompted me to start with the strong, an organization with my husband to help find common ground to reduce gun violence across America.

This piece of legislation now law is going to change thousands and thousands of lives.

But anybody that thinks this problem is simple.

It's not correct.

It's a complex problem and it takes many different solutions working together in concert to take the numbers we see today, which is more than 47,000 people dead in 2020 to get into a much, much lower number.

And so this piece of legislation is a huge when I am so part proud to have been a part of it to see it to the finish line.

But we still have more work to do.

We need a legal path to help gun owners and their moment of crisis, whether they are intent on harming cells as and suicide are harming others.

In the case of mass violence or otherwise.

And so if you think about all the dollars that are being poured into our communities to help prepare us to recognize these warning signs.

We need a legal path to pair with that so that we can temporarily transfer of firearms when someone is in crisis and get them the help that they need.

And so we call that law car in Kentucky crisis a version and rights retention.

And that's what we will continue to push if you do not have hope, then you will not be willing to take action and it's no one is taking action.

Then change will never come.

And so while it is extremely difficult to see these incidents of mass violence play out to see the gun violence that's happening daily in our communities.

Everybody needs to remember that.

We just saw a significant moment in the history of this fight and that alone is hope to keep going.

>> Whitney Austin told us she thinks it's possible.

Kentucky's Republican led Kentucky General Assembly could pass gun safety measures.

She says in politics, the unpredictable can happen.

Governor Andy Beshear says despite inflation and other financial challenges, there's good news today about Kentucky's economy.

>> A huge growth in our general fund.

A 14.6% yearly growth, the highest annual growth since fiscal year 1991.

Biggest growth in 31 years.

Our general fund receipts totaled 14.7 billion dollars resulting in a more than 945 million dollar revenue surplus.

That is the second highest revenue surplus ever following last year's record amount.

That's likely to be even higher.

Once the books are closed on spending later this month.

>> The governor says personal and com's sales and the road fund are also up.

Congressman James Comer of Kentucky's first congressional district talked about the 2023 race for governor in an interview with W H O P radio in Hopkinsville Comer says he's not running and he expects to endorse a fellow Republican before the primary, but not yet.

>> I'm very confident I will endorse someone in the GOP They haven't gotten in the race yet.

They're still making calls and doing everything that that the right to tell people.

I think you should keep your powder dry because I think probably who lived to be in the top 2 candidates haven't even found yet, though.

It's very early in the in the game.

I know there's always people that want to be the on the ship was the first person the files.

But I think that the strongest candidate to get to enter the race.

>> Uh, has one of those of the year?

>> No, no to the road looking very bored to going back to Washington and being the next chairman of the House Oversight Committee, too.

>> Congressman Comer didn't say who he expected to join the race on the Republicans.

Already.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles State Auditor Mike Harmon and State Representative Savannah Maddox have all announced their candidacies.

A National Presbyterian Group headquartered in Kentucky is pulling its investments from 5 energy corporations.

The Presbyterian Church USA voted overwhelmingly for a resolution to stop investing.

And Chevron, ExxonMobil Marathon Phillips.

66 and Valero Energy Presbyterian leaders have been asking fossil fuel based companies to take steps to reduce greenhouse gases.

Some other religious groups have done the same.

The Presbyterian Church USA is based in Louisville.

It's the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S. with more than 1 million members.

Ken talking now has 3 cases of Monkeypox.

The Courier Journal reports they're all in the Louisville area.

The health department told the newspaper the 3 cases are not related.

One of the patients has already been released from isolation and the other 2 are recovering at home.

The CDC says there are 790 cases in the U.S. as of July 8th.

♪ Kentucky is facing a shortage of large animal vet Marion's.

The AG commissioner has called it a real big problem.

Our Casey Parker-bell reports on the shortage and potential solutions.

>> We have a bit shortage.

A shortage of veterinarians in all sectors.

Representatives from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture testified to legislators about the state's shortage of large animal or farm animal veterinarians.

Kentucky state veterinarian says large animal vets help protect the state in numerous ways.

>> We have our vet Marion's a private practitioners in the field there at the markets are looking at animals.

They're writing health certificates to make sure animals are healthy to move across 8.

>> The Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiner's issues about 270 licenses each year.

Roughly 50 of those are new graduates.

But not all of those licensees practice full-time in Kentucky.

Kentucky has no veterinary school.

So the state contracts with Auburn in Tuskegee University's have slots for Kentucky students.

The state pays the difference between in-state and out of state tuition.

The testimony today from the Department of Agriculture says there are enough slots for Kentucky students.

I'm open to having that conversation about these other schools, the Southern Regional Education Board sorry be negotiates the deals between the states and schools for veterinary medicine slots.

The legislators are looking at ways to use the reserve slots to incentivize Kentucky students to return home.

>> In terms of the sorry, be a contract.

If you can explain that a little bit to the as to what you were talking, what you're talking about?

Well, what we're talking about there is where you have the 38 to slots for Auburn vet school each year.

The Kentucky helps support as Representative Tipton said Pace, a difference between downstate and in state.

Tuition, putting some sort of conditions on those slots.

Maybe not all of them, maybe just some of them, whatever.

Maybe it goes back to what I said about finding those that are interest and passion about food, him and giving them an incentive to come back to Kentucky.

In other words, will forgive part of your long that will will repay part of your own.

That will do something.

And the state is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide loan forgiveness for veterinarians who work in areas with severe shortages.

>> These loans are eligible for vets and 73 different counties.

The chief of staff for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture says the number of slots aren't the only issue.

There's also a problem with the qualifications for entrance and the veterinary school, the selection process being used by the Veterinary Medical College Application Service, which is what most of our universities favor a higher GPA, which tends to go to small animals.

Stop and think about it.

You've got young farmers.

What drives young person to go back to the farm to production, agriculture.

What drives a young person to enter the field.

The mic medical that near medical medicine to literally go back to the farm.

Oftentimes that person may not have a GPA.

Maybe the good OL boy down the road, but he's got the Saints, the brains to go to that school and succeed for Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker-bell.

♪ >> Some are traveling is in full swing.

But that often means blood donations take a seasonal dive yet the need for blood never takes a holiday.

We spoke with the Kentucky region, CEO of the American Red Cross.

Steve Cunanan last Friday to learn more about how they're trying to get supply to meet the demand.

>> You know, summer is typically a very challenging time from a blood donation perspective.

Traditionally, we rely on a lot of drives that happen in schools and schools obviously are not in session.

Also, you have the overlay of a pretty active vacation season right now, look at what's happening from an airline perspective.

There's a lot of pent-up demand for people to go.

And I understand that, unfortunately, when that happens, people don't always think about the blood donations and what's needed from the American Red Cross.

Every 2 seconds.

Somebody needs blood.

And the Red Cross provides 40% of our blood supply.

And we're down this in June.

We were down about 12% from where we should be to meet the demand.

So it's really important.

We get folks out during the summer months to donate.

>> And how do you regain those numbers?

How do you get back above where you need to pay?

>> Well, it's a lot of effort.

It's a lot of reach out for folks, but we have some opportunities right now.

We're running some promotions with the discovery Network to talk about Shark Weekend.

There you can enter some for that.

So that's really important.

But we have to reach out to the community and we have to make it easy for the community.

And I would encourage everybody watching this to go Red Cross blood dot org or call 1, 800 American Red Cross to arrange an appointment.

It's extremely easy.

You put in your zip code and you're able to see where the drives are.

>> We know that COVID is probably present its own set of challenges.

And I'm just thinking, particularly and the beginning of the year when there was the omicron surge was what kind of decline did you notice them and blood donations and hasn't been able to rebound?

I know the summer months may present its own set of challenges, but have you rebound from the COVID surgeon?

Maybe the decline in donations from that specifically?

Yes, I think we have our you know, are we comfortable where we are?

No, I don't think we're comfortable where we are.

>> Back in January, we saw historic declines in our blood supply and we have been able to go ahead and mitigate some of those things.

You know, when there's a decline like that, there are a lot of effects from a hospital perspective.

So hospitals may be delaying surgeries that they could do.

They may be rationing some blood, and that's never a good situation.

At all.

What we've been able to do is build back the inventory.

The issue with blood is blood is a perishable product.

So the shelf life is about 42 days.

So you keep having to go and get more units into the system and we have systems that we have processes to do that.

But we rely on the generosity of the public.

>> For those curious about whether the American Red Cross is still testing for COVID antibodies.

Where does that stand?

We are not at this point.

We're not doing that any longer and no diagnostic testing is available to new mayor know, though, not all.

You know, when people talk about coming to us to get diagnostic testing, we are not doing that.

We're a blood donation facilities, right?

Yes.

So now let's talk about the connection to sickle cell anemia and the work that you all are doing in the strait testing for those who self identifies African-Americans and maybe they don't self-identify but might have some ancestry that could put them at risk.

>> Very, very important.

Sickle cell is a very debilitating disease, very painful disease that affects folks black to cent.

And what they have to do is they have to get transfusions on a very regular basis.

And if blood is not available and more importantly, if the correct blood with the correct antibodies and not available.

That is typically black or African blood.

Also, that is important because that rates are little different from the perspective of what people, what traits people are carrying.

so what we're doing is also testing.

So people don't know.

A lot of people don't know that they possess that rates.

The sickle cell trait, those traits may skip generations.

But once you have it, you're more likely to pass that on from an off offspring perspective.

And I think that's important just to people know that and sometimes people may not identify as black or African American and we're able to say, yes, you have the sickle cell trait near little surprise.

>> so talk to us about some basic do's and don'ts of donating blood.

Is their list.

There is a list.

And if you go Red Cross blood dot org, you'll be able to say that.

But some of the things that people need to keep in mind first, I think you need to be healthy there are also some requirements around minimum weights.

It's a, you know, roughly 90 pounds.

So if you're not over 90 pounds, that's a problem.

We can't go ahead and do that.

You should be hydrated.

You should be feeling well, there's not a whole lot of restrictions on that.

There are some age restrictions.

You know, if you are 16 or you 16 between 16 and 18, you need a parent's permission to do that.

But it only takes 45 minutes and we encourage everybody to come in and talk to us and give blood the actual process is only going to take about 15 minutes.

So 15 minutes to save a life is a pretty good deal.

♪ >> Skateboarding has been around since the 1920's, but it's an a surge in popularity in recent years before the pandemic, there were about 6 million skateboarders in America during the pandemic.

That number jumped to more than 8 Million.

According to recent industry data, skateboarding got another boost when it became an Olympic sport in 2020 enthusiasm for the sport and other forms of skating.

Have people packing skate, parks and Lexington.

And as you'll see, it's not just young people who are getting on board with this trend.

>> No matter what age you are, you know, you're ready.

You're a kid teenager or an adult.

One of the best things you can do is be here.

This gay part, you're seeing more and more people get back on Definitely see in a lot of skateboarders.

I would say that they followed the national trend.

>> There has been a spike in in popularity in the last 5 years.

And I would say that the pandemic contributed to that as well because skateboard by yourself or with friends 6 feet apart.

And so it's one of the sport's that could continue through the pandemic.

There was probably a 60% increase of use in a public park open space during the pandemic.

Skateboarding is always been big around this area.

But with increasing numbers, you'll see it at least 100 to 150 people to hear.

>> Every day to 2 days.

>> It's not just the popularity and skateboarding.

It's a popularity and rollerblading Viking scooters.

Skateboarding it.

It's it's really all of them.

The numbers are low and really blame for quite some time.

So just be mean, a few buddies.

>> And now I see about off and on like 30 or 40 different road waiters.

>> I would say more and more young people used to skate part.

But at the same time, lots of folks like myself are coming with their kids.

>> And there are coming back around and through the and getting that kind of time where you you have to be alone with your family.

>> 25 years that I've been in parks, I have seen more adults continue beyond age.

24 and I've seen it become a family sport where parents who enjoyed skate morning as youth now take their kids to the skate park.

>> I'm 40.

So there's definitely an older people to me that come out here and skate like all the way up to 50.

So got range about 6 to about 50 obvious Gaber Infor about 13, 14 years.

Now.

When they first built this facility, I was like 16, 17 years old.

That was my favorite thing to do.

And I'm 40 now and I still come here 2 or 3 times a week.

>> And especially like a family atmosphere.

You come out here for you get to know everyone, innocence and the connections and bonds with people that you may not a thong and ended up being friends with him.

You know?

You know, having some in common with just a grin.

>> People actually come from other towns to come here.

So just like vacationing or going to a lake.

Or go hiking trail and the owner and director of Redox K camp.

So today we're out here in Lexington, but it's a traveling camp.

So we travel to a bunch of different skate parks all across Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana.

>> And introduce kids to skateboarding and but I'm just feel the positive impact.

>> Or friends first K perks was founded in 2010.

Mission statement is to fund or areas help with design and ongoing maintenance repair.

In addition to Central Kentucky skate parks primarily here in Lexington.

>> We work with the city because we try to be a voice for the community and the skaters in the community.

>> We update our master plan every 10 years.

We do a comprehensive county.

>> Park master plan.

And it looks at all of our assets and it looks at trends and looks at public demand that we need people to.

Share their story about what they need in their parks in order to make the community better.

So their advocates for sure, for the project and funding.

>> And then they become stakeholders once it's funded.

And we asked them questions in the design process.

We hope that people are become stewards of what is built and particularly if they work h*** o* a project in 1999.

>> The Woodlands Get Park was built and it was the first outdoor concrete skate park that we had here in Lexington.

We now have 3 additional ones that are group has helped.

Fundraise for and design and gauge public input on growing up.

There was even one.

So we've got for now.

>> But it would be really awesome to see like more skate parks just a few like little small skate spots might be a nice adjustment.

Whisk.

A community's been excellent.

Lexington.

If we keep up the good work, we can have better facilities around this area.

♪ >> Some baseball milestones and an important Kentucky moment during the Civil War.

Toby Gibbs tells us more in tonight's look at this week in Kentucky history.

♪ >> Confederate Colonel John Hunt Morgan's rate from Tennessee into Kentucky continued as his Raiders reach sent the an on July 17th 18.

62 as Morgan's men tried to cross the Licking River Bridge.

400 union troops open fire.

But the Union forces eventually surrendered and Morgan's been destroyed since the Anna's Railroad Depot.

7 inmates were put to death on 7/13/1928, state penitentiary in Eddyville.

All 7 were electrocuted using an electric chair, nicknamed Old Sparky 7 executions in one day is the 20th century record.

Happy birthday to Albert.

Happy Chandler.

The 2 time governor of Kentucky, U.S.

Senator and baseball commissioner was born July 14 to 18 98 in Anderson County.

He was governor from 1935.

To 1939.

And again from 1955.

To 1950, not as baseball commissioner in the late 1940's, he allowed the Brooklyn Dodgers to sign Jackie Robinson.

>> Major League Baseball's first black player happy Chandler died in 1991.

Tod Browning director of the 1931.

Har Classic Dracula starring Bela Lugosi was Born in Louisville on July.

12th 18, 80.

He was a circus performer Vaudevillian, movie, actor and screenwriter before becoming a director.

He died in 1962.

>> Legend has it.

That Browning's Uncle Baseball player Pete Browning was the first man to use a Louisville slugger bat when woodworker Jf Alergias.

>> The U.S. Supreme Court made history by reversing the Roe v Wade decision.

We'll talk about that important decision and others coming up tonight on Kentucky tonight at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KETK.

And we thank you for joining us for KETK night.

We also have some stuff that's coming up tomorrow.

Here's a look.

>> In 1931.

In Harlan County, there was a lot more going on.

Call the letting Harland Harlan County Board.

>> And you'll hear the songs of the miners tomorrow on Kentucky edition.

We sure hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire.

We hope that you subscribe to our weekly Kentucky addition email newsletter and watch full episodes at KITV Dot Org.

You can also find Kentucky addition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV and you're welcome to follow KETK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop and I appreciate it.

If you follow me on Twitter at Renee K E T we hope you'll tune in for Kentucky tonight as we talk about the U.S. Supreme Court and how those decisions affect your daily life.

That's coming up at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KATC.

Thank you for watching tonight.

We'll see you tomorrow.

Take good care.

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