♪ >> Governor Andy Beshear heads east and we made the far East.

Like if you have a question, though, is in the think you're down that a different kind of learning for everyone that's there.

>> Just raise your hand and ask your question.

>> Some Owensboro, middle schoolers are not just booksmart.

They're learning to be street smart.

>> This is how how your next com.

you can cut to out of this one.

If you get creative.

>> And stay tuned to see how this guitar maker is making an impact.

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

♪ ♪ Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Friday, July, the 12th.

We made it to the weekend.

>> I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you so much for kicking off your weekend with us.

We continue our visit to Owensboro as we look at the school that goes beyond the text books and we take a tour of the state's second largest art museum.

More on all of that.

A little later on Kentucky Edition this evening.

But first, the news Governor Andy Beshear is off to Asia.

The governor will visit Japan and South Korea on an economic development trip.

Kentucky is home to Japanese and Korean companies that employ thousands of Kentuckians.

The governor talked about the trip yesterday.

>> So the end of this week and next, I'm going to be traveling there and working to bring new jobs to Kentucky.

As I meet with 17 individual companies, including Toyota, Louisville, SK SK on and had touchy, which are currently employing will employ more than 15,000.

Now.

They currently employ 15,000 Kentuckians announced another 7,000 new jobs during my administration, we've announced over 10 billion dollars in investments by the company's on visiting.

So it's a good time to say thank you.

It's also true that in the past almost every year or every other year, Kentucky governor's would travel to Japan specifically.

That's something that I've wanted to do.

But with a pandemic tornadoes, floods and everything else we've faced, we've had to push it.

I'm back.

As you know, Japan is the top country for foreign direct investment in Kentucky as our state is home to 200 Japanese owned facilities, unemployed 47,000 residents.

And now 7 Curry in own facilities operate in the Commonwealth with 6 others announced during this administration which will push employment by Korean companies to 6,700 people.

>> Also yesterday the governor announced Kentucky would have a billion dollar budget surplus for a 4th consecutive year today.

State Representative Jason Petri, a Republican and chair of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee said the Republican led Kentucky General Assembly deserves credit for the surplus and the resulting investments.

In a statement, he said, quote, This unfailing commitment to acting as stewards of taxpayer dollars provided the opportunity to invest more than 2.7 billion dollars over the next 2 years to improve road rail river air and water infrastructure as well as make targeted investments in school facilities.

Public pensions, tourism and community development and quote.

U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says his top priority is to stop a Donald Trump inspired foreign policy even though McConnell has endorsed the former President Trump and his allies have been critical of NATO and of U.S. support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The Punchbowl News interview, McConnell, McConnell was critical of Trump's America first approach and is urging conservatives to STA top cozying up to Viktor Orban, the Hungarian leader who has limited free speech written Christianity into his country's constitution and crack down on gay rights.

Trump met Orban and Mar-A-Lago yesterday.

And more political news actress Ashley Judd who's been involved in Democratic Party politics is asking President Joe Biden to withdraw as a candidate.

Other Democrats have expressed concern after the president's performance in a debate 2 weeks ago.

Another celebrity with Kentucky ties George Clooney, you see there wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times, also calling for President Biden to bow out.

♪ Time.

Now to recap some of the big political news of the weekend, Kentucky with our good friend Rylan Barton, who is a senior editor with in PR states team.

Good to see you on this Friday.

>> A rare Friday or dare and I do good, good way to kick off the weekend.

Let's start first with the JCPS task force that was formulated by the legislature in this past legislative session.

5 people have been selected and there's one particular person from Louisville who has already expressed his opinion about school choice and charter schools.

Tell us about this task force and what they're supposed to be doing.

>> Yes, so this is this is a task force that was created to you.

Just talk about the future of Kentucky's largest school district.

It is.

You know, I think the twentysomething largest school district in the country, a Jefferson County public school.

So this is Louisville school district on there.

But a lot of problems with JCPS over the years.

I think even hopes that system there, even its greatest cheerleaders will admit that.

But they're trying to work with them.

But this has been a big Some.

>> Republicans, especially in the state legislature even consider possibly dismantling breaking apart the school district into smaller parts.

That's a lot of critics who really worried could happen from this out on sports.

So, you know, the task force is made up of several members of the public.

Also a state legislators, both Democrats and Republicans on.

But something with critics are really worried about and how we could.

This really shows the intention of this task force and that they the shows that the task force is going to look into breaking apart and JCPS is that I'm the one of the members, Jodi Gordon Berger, he's a former consultant, humid up on route, not bad on the Courier Journal.

Last month in support the the school Choice amendment, that so-called school Choice Amendment that's going to be on the ballot on this coming November in Kentucky, which would allow the taxpayer dollars to go starships about had not going to students who go down public This has been a big controversial issue in Kentucky where the state constitution actually currently bars public dollars from going to nonpublic education.

But this amendment would attempt to do something with 2 to change that language anyway, this panel is going to start meeting next week.

I'm going to variance in to watch to see what these discussions are like.

See if they are actually able to address some of the issues that have gotten JCPS recently, one of which alas years, especially huge problem with the rollout of the the district's new transportation plan.

Recently.

The of the school bus providing transportation for magnet school and these are and then some of the folks are going to be our most impacted by that are that are the most and that the poor students in the district.

So a lot to talk you know, and I think that there's it's always deserving to provide more attention for some solutions to the district right?

We understand that there's to submit their recommendations by December the 1st so that when the legislature convenes in January, they can.

>> Perhaps take up those recommendations.

Next topic, a federal prison is a step closer to being built in eastern Kentucky.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons released its final environmental impact statement this week.

What we know about this, why is it necessary?

>> This is a big priority how Rogers Republican Congressman Hal Rogers of eastern Kentucky, he's been trying to a federal prison happened in eastern Kentucky this is a big issue in Kentuckyian especially central The area has become a hub for some of these federal prisons.

They are billed as economic development initiatives are the job creators for the There are some grassroots groups in the Dew point out that a lot of those jobs don't end up materializing or at least the nearly to the extent that some of the proponents of us, if say will this projects and products similar to the U.S. have come by the time again in recent decades.

And they've been.

Eventually scuttled.

So this is but this is kind of a part of this that they've ever gotten to actually have an environmental impact statement approved just to basically that means that I mean, if if this doesn't happen, it's not going to be for these environmental reasons.

There's this kind of a big coalition opponents so say it's the folks in Adam like the Washington, D.C., area and also eastern Kentucky to have been trying to oppose this because a lot of the folks who would end up in prison would be of coming from and some say Washington, D.C., where if you're charged with a felony or convicted of a felony, you might end up in federal prison that is relatively nearby.

But still 100 miles away in eastern Kentucky.

They're saying that, sir insurance to to their ability to be able to visit family members there.

And some eastern Kentucky say they just don't need it.

So there's still a few more steps to take up with us for this to actually happen.

But I think that both opposition in support of it is just kind of thing.

>> And final item, there is an adult oriented Web site that has had to shut down in Kentucky because of a new state law.

Tell us about this.

>> Yeah, I'm a poor k*** and that's an online pornography website has said that they're not to do business in Kentucky anywhere because of that.

A recent state law requiring people who visit the website to prove that there to prove their age, which would require uploading identification materials, which that it's the site says they're just not interested in doing.

This is something that happened.

The repeated a lot of other states across the country's as legislature's passes.

I will.

I will say also this is passed by the legislature and signed by Democratic governor and each year.

I think there's a dozen other states have done that so far putting Indiana, Florida and Idaho just recently.

there have been lawsuits over his.

Well, I'm a little bit in flux right now.

But yeah, as a new law goes into effect in 3 days.

But the website when it had to shut down service to the starting this week.

Yeah.

>> Well, thank you Rylan for breaking it all down for us.

And we look forward to seeing you probably at the regular time next week amid weak.

Have a good weekend.

♪ >> Our trip to Owensboro included a stop at the Owensboro Innovation Academy, a middle school where the students roll up their sleeves and learn by doing our Clayton Dalton takes us to class as Kentucky Edition goes on the road.

>> We like to refer to it as controlled chaos.

>> Here at Owensboro, Innovation, Middle School referred to by locals as I've middle students engage in project based learning it's a teaching model the ISIS group projects and collaborative assignments to educate students.

>> Project based learning is very much student-led and so different groups will be at different points in the project.

so you have them doing obviously different tasks to accomplish their end goal.

So it looks a little bit chaotic, but we know where everyone is that we give them benchmarks along the way like that.

The end goal.

But we have benchmarks which are little like little checkpoints along the way.

>> I middle diverge is from the more traditional instruction model here.

Students learn through hands-on activities.

>> We did a roller coaster project where we had to design and build a roller coaster using potential and kinetic energy.

And we watched like a video and then it we did the lab for it to learn about potential and kinetic energy than we had to find materials and build like a whole roller coaster to get a marble from the top all the way down to the bottom and took up.

>> Education and I middle isn't just about being book Smart.

It's about being street smart, too.

>> We really try to incorporate what we call 21st century skills.

They're like those soft skills that employers are looking for.

Are you able to collaborate with A group of people a way to be able to effectively communicate both in writing and orally.

Do you have agency?

It's one of the things we grade them on.

It means like you're taking ownership.

You are able to self reflect are able to analyze your failures and like have crossed The Tigers had a more react during a mike whenever and job interview because they taught us with what the right hand to like the right to do.

A handshake at.

>> How much I contact is too much or too little.

They gave us like a questions to ask about whenever a at a job interview or just to look up for that job.

>> or is the principal and I middle.

He says the school's unique teaching model provides choices for students and their families.

>> You know, there's our model with project baseline.

There's traditional middle school and it's great to have those options.

And we always tell parents that, you know, we don't promote one school or the other.

It's where your child can learn.

The best is where we want to end up.

So there's been a positive reaction from from parents present having the choice and then the parents who come here and choose to go to They like the aspect that we kind of tried to teach to the whole child.

>> My and junior shared their biggest piece of advice for incoming students, something they both learned during their time and I middle.

>> Really only inspect is just that are it's never wrong to ask a question.

>> Just because it in yourself and communicate with your teachers like if you have a question, though, is going to think you're down that a different kind of learning for everyone.

That's there.

Just raise your hand and ask your question.

>> Principal Moore says he hopes students leave the school with the vision of the world greater than just themselves.

>> And always tell the students every year that there's no doubt that they're going to do great things individually.

But the greatest things are going to do, they're going to have it done working with and working with the group.

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

>> Thank you, Dalton.

Now Little News.

Rick Ferris has been plying bluegrass music professionally since he was 14 years old.

He's been studying the art of Luke Perry, the building or repairing of guitars for almost just as long now he runs Kentucky guitar works in Owensboro, which aims to support both those passions.

♪ >> No planes to calm I had no.

Let so Kentucky guitar work came because of the need of.

>> Leury to be passed down from.

It's not usually from father to son, but from from Apprentice to apprentice.

You know, like over the years, it's it's lineage of knowledge that goes back for centuries.

If COVID taught us anything, we lost quite a few very prominent repair these years.

>> they weren't training people like they could have been.

>> So a lot of that knowledge that they possessed was gone.

We want to KET that from happening.

We want to bring new people in a sleuth years.

>> And train them up and send him out in the world so they can repair instruments so they can build guitars.

Were in a boom right now is get our building since COVID happened.

Guitar sales are up 200%.

So it's there's there's a need and a Owensboro has been doing a Bluegrass Music initiative, which is to cultivate bluegrass culture right here in Owensboro.

So they needed to lose here and they they reached out.

And so this is kind of been a part of their pillar.

One of the of the Bluegrass Music initiative.

So we're here to educate and a bill guitars.

>> This is how how your next com.

And you can cut to out of this one.

>> If you get creative.

>> this facility here, Kentucky, Utah works.

We have 1700 square feet.

Plus what we we can handle 5 students at a time for building classes for small classes like pair, you know, action sets maintenance and things like that.

We can handle the whole crowd full of folks.

this space makes it possible to bring people and let them have a wonderful environment to assemble a guitar or to learn to repair their own or to start their budding with your will settle down not just enhance bluegrass music in general and >> shining a light on the grass is kind of what I've always wanted to do because it's done so much for me.

I liked as an artist or as we >> Yeah.

Take your pick it.

It's blue dress has been there for me.

So I'm very happy to to try to be there for it as it goes forward.

So I hope it peaks people's curiosity and gets them thinking about things and building things, making things that are going out like >> I give you a broader perspective on the world and what you can do to it.

♪ >> Our thanks to Kevin comes for that piece.

We take you now on a tour of the state's second largest art museum that was established in 1977, the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art is renowned for making cultural connections through its collection Preservation and exhibit exhibition of the Visual Arts and this vast space.

There are a lifelong learning experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds to discover more about themselves and the world around them earlier this week while we were visiting owns Berle and talking with the community at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Museum.

I caught up with Jason Hayden, assistant director and development officer for the museum.

As we go on the road.

Tell us about the fact that this it's here in the state's 4th largest city.

>> That may be unusual considering a museum of that caliber is mostly found in more urban areas.

>> Well, you know, that right owns Burrows, fortunate to have such a vibrant arts community with 3 museums, a performing arts center in theaters of dance and drama and far exceeds what anyone would expect to come from of city of 60,000.

People, the museum itself, the Art Museum started as a small local concern in just 4 decades has become the second largest.

We've seen him in the state of Kentucky.

Yeah.

>> And how has that become?

So?

>> Well, that is been the museum success is the result of the generosity of the corporate private and public sectors.

And it's allowed the museum to become a premier educational facility offering quality of service, not usually found outside large metropolitan >> And it has 3 major wings.

>> Well, the News Inc historically important facility consists of 3 wings.

But 2 of those wings are on the National Register of Historic places.

>> And Carnegie rotating exhibition Wing exhibition change about every 3 months and that wing.

And come from some and some of these are from some of the country's most museums and galleries.

Then they have a broad some of the or world's most distinguished artists and scholars and educators in critics to local audience, the museum's permanent collection consists of over 4,000 pieces of world art dating from the 15th century to the present and a portion of that collection documents.

The culture history of Kentucky from the 18 50's to the present and another portion celebrates Tanner nationally recognize tradition of Appalachian folk art.

We have one of the best.

If not the best collection of the Appalachian folk art in the state >> let's talk about the collaborative project with the city of Owensboro, right?

And we're going to see that as we are right here along the riverfront.

There's some beautiful sculptures that really puncture weight.

The already aesthetic Lee appealing river target Riverfront Center and that home one mile.

But certainly it is an elevated >> seen because of the sculptures that are there.

>> Well, if you think about it, public art is really the icing on the cake.

We have this beautiful downtown and the museum partnered with the artisan partner with the City of Owensboro.

create a municipal public art collection with the program.

River Arts, and that has placed its brunt national and international scale pierced present.

They're sculpture for consideration and the program in the city to place.

12 works of monumental public sculpture in the downtown development area and actually throughout the city.

>> Let's talk about how you try to engage and his youngest citizens, the children and there are several different ways to engage them in particularly those who would not be exposed to the fine arts any other way?

>> Well, a special emphasis is placed on the education of children and their 3 galleries in the museum dedicated to that purpose.

The Michael E Horn, family foundations.

Our land is and fully equipped.

Children's art studio.

Designed to stimulate the imaginations of young artists and provide free art in church and during regular gallery hours.

And the John Raley has.

Kaleidoscope Cave is an interactive digital gallery that combines experiences in both the visual and the performing arts and the young and art galleries, a special space designated for the exhibition of the work of young artists.

And it is the showcase 4 regional school projects.

And on top of that, we have free art camps every year.

For that offer, unique art and arts instruction.

For children enact the program actually has acts as a catalyst for partnerships with regional social service agencies.

So 50% of the seats of each one of those camps is reserved for those children in the social service agencies and after they have filled those seats, then we open it to the public right?

Actually, we had one coming up.

>> And those are all free on for these children.

They are was wonderful work.

And thank you for doing that CERN.

It's been a pleasure.

Have a few minutes of your time today.

Thank you very much for the opportunity come visit the Army's an absolutely thank you, sir.

♪ >> B, there is something for everyone this week in Kentucky, including cars, horses, music, Shakespeare and Legos are to be.

Gibbs has the details.

And this look at what's up around the Commonwealth.

♪ >> Crews on in the downtown core been this weekend for the Cumberland Valley Cruise-in hundreds of antique and classic cars and hot rods will be on display.

The free family-friendly event also includes music, trained rides, inflatables vendors and a petting zoo.

Kids of all ages will get the chance to let their imaginations run wild at the Warren County Public Library's Lego Party happening tomorrow.

Know your own Lego creations at this all-day event at the library and Smith grows.

If you're in need of some inspiration, you can check out the amazing creations made by the Tennessee Valley Lego Club.

Also happening in Warren County is Corvette scraps and collectibles head to the National Corvette Museum to browse work by local and regional artists.

Plus of delicious local food trucks.

>> This is your chance to find a new collectible and explore the museum.

There's plenty quite entertainment happening at the Kentucky Horse Park this weekend with the return of Briar Fast, Popular celebration of forces draws fans from around the world and features prior models and the real horses that inspired the the sounds of bluegrass music will be in the air in Campbell County this Saturday at the Sun Valley Bluegrass Festival bring the family to AJ Jolly Park in Alexandria and enjoy live music, food, crafts and more.

Another great bluegrass festival is happening just a few counties over Reba Grass has a preview.

Zika festival at the Ampitheater in Green Bow Lake State Resort Park.

Bring a chair or a blanket and settle in for some great bluegrass music.

Head to Somerset next week.

But the master musicians festival.

If you're looking for lots of musical variety, this outdoor today Music festival kicks off Thursday and features everything from the blues to Bluegrass Rock and roll to jazz, aggressive new grass.

The country.

The Market House Theater in Paducah is putting on a classic Shakespeare comedy this weekend.

12th Night is a story of mistaken identity.

Twen trouble and true love.

You won't want to miss the shenanigans.

Yoga is a great way to unwind and heavily region.

Owenton is taking the relaxation to another level with their yoga and the lavender fields of them tomorrow at the yoga mat and sunscreen and get ready for the best smelling yoga session ever.

And that's what's happening around the commonwealth.

I'm told the Good >> Thank Youto be Gibbs.

He has his yoga mat.

We've got more from Owensboro Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, actually on Kentucky Edition, we certainly enjoyed our time there.

Plus cold country is putting this on to work.

We'll tell you about some home sporting solar panels and who's footing the bill.

Thank you so much for joining us us this week.

We'll see the same time on Monday at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central on Kentucky EDITION where we inform connect and inspire.

Connect with us all the ways you see on your screen there and send us a story idea.

And public affairs at KET Dot Org.

Thanks very much for watching.

And I'll see you again on Monday.

Ticket care.

♪