>> We celebrate the launch of a service that will help Kentuckians and some of their darkest moments.

>> Getting help for mental illness is now faster and easier.

Kentucky's Corvette museum is turning tornado damage into an opportunity.

I knew about the echo skeleton.

>> But I never found never dreamed that I would be a candidate for one.

>> And technology is giving a shooting victim the chance to walk again.

Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the Kaye E T and Aument for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the Kaye E Team Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Monday, July 18th.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your Monday evening with us Governor Andy Beshear was joined by mental health advocates in Frankfort today to officially announce the launch of a new three-digit mental health crisis hotline.

The governor said the 9, 8, 8, hotline which went live on Saturday.

Well, immediately connect those Kentuckians facing a mental health or addiction crisis to the help they need.

>> To date.

>> We celebrate the launch of a service that will help Kentuckians in some of their darkest moments.

A service that will be that light in the darkness.

A guide to the last and will bring hoped to those.

We've lost all hope the Commonwealth is joining states across the nation in implementing the simple three-digit suicide and mental health crisis Lifeline.

9, 8, 8, calling or texting, this number will connect.

Kentuckians facing risk of suicide mental health distress, that addiction crisis with compassionate and trained counselors.

We're ready to help.

This new number is the 9-1-1 of mental health.

It is available.

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, counselors respond to calls chats or text messages directly from those in need as well as Kentucky and who are concerned about a loved one or a friend who may be helped.

And now Kentuckians can visit 9, 8, 8 dot k y dot Gov.

To connect with the lifeline.

And to learn more about it.

The 9.88 lifeline as part of a nationwide moved from the 10 digit national Suicide Prevention hotline.

Phone service providers will now direct 9, 8 calls to existing national lifeline.

And that Lifeline has 13 Kentucky call centers around the commonwealth.

With this change.

We do anticipate an increase in the number of calls.

And ultimately that's a good thing because we know people out there need help that aren't reaching out for help.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults in Kentucky.

And according to the recent Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior survey, 15% of Kentucky high school students.

>> Reported having seriously considered suicide during the previous year.

That is heartbreaking.

It it's not acceptable.

And this is something that we can do to address it.

That's one of the reasons we need to do everything we can to make it easier for people of any age to access services, especially when they find themselves in a dark place mentally or emotionally and make sure they get the help that they need.

The transition to 9 a day to something.

Kentucky's worked on for a long time.

And I want to acknowledge the resources that have been brought to bear to make it happen.

First, a two-year 1.1, 6 million Dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

And a 19.6 million dollar investment in this current state budget funds from Kentucky's mental health block grant funding from vibrant, emotional health.

The nonprofit administrator of the Lifeline.

>> Following the announcement, we spoke to Doctor Allen Bruns old, the medical director for the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and intellectual disabilities within the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

He said the 9, 8, 8, hotline will make it easier to save more lives.

>> Can you imagine trying to remember in 11 digits when you're in crisis?

We're just excited that now all folks have to remember is 9 a day.

>> This is for me.

It's behavioral health, taking its rightful place.

>> And overall, health care for too long, people have felt hesitant to to call about a behavioral health crisis.

Kentucky has now 13 fully-staffed centers across the state.

Our goal is it that the calls are answered regionally by individuals in folks own community who will understand there needs the best.

And we also understand the resources, the best and so that the lines are manned by trained counseling staff who have received specific crisis intervention training.

Many of them have a background in behavioral health services.

Some are volunteers and some are paid.

But the most important thing is that we want the calls answered by Kentucky INS who know how to best help other Kentucky hands.

In addition, we have a backup system in place now where almost all of our counties, I have a backup center so that if a call can't be answered locally, it will be answered by another call center.

Because historically some of these calls would roll over to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

We think that all suicide is ultimately preventable.

And so we've think that if we can reach people and it felt make that phone call, there's significant evidence that 80% of the time we can resolve the crisis right there on the phone.

And for those other 20%, we can get services to them.

And so what we know is that very often people report just talking to someone and just knowing there's someone at the other end, there are decreases in the suicide.

Ala teethers decreases in loneliness.

There's decreases in a sense of panic and anxiety.

And so the what we know is these Collins could be extremely effective in decreasing someone's immediate risk.

And then as we get them connected to services, it decreasing their long-term risk and we have a goal of 90% of these calls being answered here in Kentucky by Kentucky trained counselors and volunteers.

They receive broad training for about all age groups.

They received a training around resources for different kinds of problems, including substance abuse, including hall, broader mental crises as well as suicide prevention.

Part of our hope is that people will see this as a broad resource.

Historically, it has focused primarily on folks who are suicidal.

But we want folks to use it as a crisis line now as well.

And so it can be a way to get information about services all the way from children to our older populations from things is to versus substance use disorder, mental health issues and even folks with developmental and intellectual disabilities average call is less about 13 minutes.

And so some are longer summer shorter.

But in that period, there offered a resource is a connection there offered the opportunity for follow-up.

If they choose that.

So the idea is for the 20% that need additional services, there's a warm hand off to to an actual provider who can address their needs.

In certain situations.

That might mean dispatching a mobile crisis.

Team that would actually go to them the individual where they are in some cases, it might using our 9-1-1 R e M S partners, our law enforcement.

If that's required.

But warmer alternate goals is a bit as we implement this week and avert the calls that would have gone to 9-1-1, and involved in law enforcement and EMS to a line for folks who are trained to deal with behavioral health and substance.

Use issues.

I think one thing that's important is 9-1-1. didn't happen overnight and it took years for it to be uniformly available and implemented.

And so this is this weekend was a launching point and we have work to do and we hope to grow those.

The availability of those intensive crisis services to meet the demand.

But it will put it in a way that will take us time.

>> COVID cases have jumped in Kentucky in the last week.

According to the new map based on numbers from the CDC.

61, Kentucky counties are now in the Red, our high category.

This map was updated July 15th a week earlier, 37 counties were red.

45 counties are in the yellow or medium category, only 14 or green, meaning low.

At last check, the statewide COVID positivity rate was almost 17%.

Charles Booker, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate raised 1.3 million dollars for his campaign during the 2nd quarter of 2022, that's according to his new filing with the Federal Election Commission.

His opponent, Republican U.S.

Senator Rand Paul raised more than 3 million during the same time period.

But Booker says it's more important to have grassroots support over all of the state.

In a statement, Booker said, quote, We are proud to be a campaign that is funded by the people.

The people of Kentucky deserve a U.S. senator who sees them and will fight for them each quarter.

We're continuing to see support growth for our people centered campaign with volunteers in every surging numbers of small dollar donors.

It's clear Kentuckians are fired up and committed to removing Rand Paul and bringing new leadership to Washington, unquote.

Charles Booker is one of many people reacting to the death of Clarence Yancey, a community activist involved in Louisville politics for decades.

The Courier Journal reports the NC died Sunday at the age of 88 Mayor Greg Fischer.

Praise UNC as a man who energized said Civic involvement.

Charles Booker called him an inspirational figure who encouraged him to aim higher and get into politics in a tweet.

Congressman John Yarmouth says in part he was a giant personality who sparked a life into countless events and let key support to some of the communities, strongest leaders and all my 2.

He took.

I'll miss UNC and honestly can't imagine the campaign trail without him end quote.

It appears President Biden will not nominate conservative Chad Meredith to a federal judgeship in Kentucky.

The Courier Journal reported in late June that president would nominate Meredith to the federal bench as a part of a deal with U.S..

Senator Mitch McConnell and exchange McConnell would make it easier for other Biden judicial nominees to get through.

McConnell denied such a deal existed.

Meredith is an antiabortion lawyer who served as deputy general counsel to Governor Matt Bevin, abortion rights advocates and Governor Andy Beshear denounced the idea of nominating Meredith.

Governor Beshear said Merritt played a role and Governor Bevin's last-minute pardons for murderers and rape us.

The White House said Friday that Senator Rand Paul did not back the Meredith nomination.

There is a tradition that a U.S.

Senator can veto a potential federal court nominee from his or her state.

Senator Paul is not saying why he opposed the Meredith nomination.

Senator McConnell suggested to The New York Times that Paul might feel it's his turn to pick a nominee.

The Bracken County Republican Party has taken down its Facebook page after backlash over an anti Semitic post.

The post was about Steve Dettelbach, the new director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

It read in part, quote, a Jewish anti-gun activists.

Steve Dettelbach has just been made director of the ATV, ATF, rather, the Jewish John to is getting stronger and more aggressive.

Karen Cook and all the Bracken County GOP chair later responded on the party's Facebook page saying she was made aware of the post and that it, quote, Does not represent the values of the brecon County Republican Party.

It was incredibly insensitive.

We will investigate how this occurred and we commit to tighter oversight of our social media going forward.

According to the Courier Journal newspaper, Kirk and all told them at the that the page was hacked and the decision was made to delete the party's Facebook page.

We talked to Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, the chair of the Kentucky Jewish Council who said the message is more than just insensitive.

He says it's dangerous.

>> She and sensitive, which probably a little bit.

The issue is not the intent to be.

Your album was written.

>> But the content of the post.

>> The intro of Jews control the media and controlling government.

You hear that is able to install a new head of the ATF.

It is extremely dangerous.

And have you heard violence against use is the same car going back in January that was behind the attempted assassination.

Are you sure you're running for mayor?

You heard by a new election to control the government.

And this idea we want to wish them all controlling is You usually get bumped it up.

But the truly dangerous.

So is my thing that has to be prove we can do that and explain the Republican Party to be a much better job.

I'm just going to say this does not represent our values.

We can get 100%.

There is no value to disarm.

Had no place for this.

I think we're guard.

So we're working on.

They were is much less of a problem.

And what was said.

And the party, I think you saw that you will too much on the 10 most when they should be saying and this it read it is wrong.

Calling reasons we understand danger for all these this truck and we can do that.

>> Rabbi, let's and met with members of the Republican Party of Kentucky.

This afternoon to discuss the Facebook post, the state Republican Party communications director Sean Southern also sent a statement to KT about the post saying, quote, We condemn the language in the original post and want to make it clear it does not represent the values or ideals of the Republican Party of Kentucky.

End quote.

Kentucky has several new education bills on the book promoting early reading Education for children giving teachers more options for getting their certification and more during today's ceremonial signing of the Bills, Representative James tipped him a Taylorsville said a new early reading program will benefit all of Kentucky over the long haul.

>> Reading and education, we'll open up the world to a child.

There are so many opportunities out there.

I truly believe that this is an education bill that Cambridge generational poverty.

They can provide those opportunities for students to succeed in life.

It's more than an education bill.

It's a workforce development.

Bill.

If we wall to have the workforce for the jobs that are coming to Kentucky.

We have to have a well educated workforce and that starts with the ability to read.

>> Also signed today, a bill expanding the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program to all 120 Kentucky counties.

We told you about that last week.

It's a program started by Dolly Parton that mails books to children so they can learn to read before starting school.

The Kentucky State Fair needs workers.

The fair runs from August.

The 18th through the 28th at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

It means workers to handle admission traffic guest services, operations, maintenance and cleanup pay ranges from $11 an hour to 13 50.

It can go as high as $20 and $0.25 for overtime.

You can apply for a job at the fair's website.

We've been keeping you updated about Brian Lee of Bowling Prize winning chef who was competing on the PBS series.

The Great American Recipe.

The show began with 10 chefs competing each week.

One was voted off, unfortunately, last Friday show was the end of the line for Lee.

He tweeted about it the next day and had no regrets.

>> The show is such a fantastic experience.

I am so grateful that it occurred to, you I've met lifelong friends and I gained a lot of insight from it.

But, you know, things happen the way they happen and I will stand on my flavors forever.

These out.

♪ >> That's the right attitude.

Mister Lee, a popular Kentucky tourist attraction damaged by the December tornadoes has announced a couple million dollars in improvements.

The National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park says it wants to build its facilities back even better than they were before the storms.

It helps the upgrades will draw more people and help raise tourism dollars across the region.

>> As all of Bowling we were extremely impacted by the tornadoes that hit our community back in December.

>> Here at the Motorsports park, all of our suffered catastrophic And so we're still in that rebuilding phase.

But all of our buildings were roughly 80 to 90% destroyed.

As we went through the process of looking at the damage, assessing what we're going to rebuild.

We ran a parallel path engaging a designer called half are to help us think about what we could do and how we could enhance the guest experience here at the most part.

By having some of these food and beverage Alamance adding the rooftop bar is not only hoping to drive length of stay here at the motorsports park and really provide an upscale level of entertainment.

We know.

And we're confident that is also going to drive length of stay to our community.

We wanted to get the show back on the road quickly.

So while we've been open since late December, as we think about this new expansion, it will actually come in phases.

We hope that our Kimberly a fast pavilion, which will the experience with a new quick service restaurant, a new dining pavilion and patio area.

We hope to have that by the end of the year.

Working with our local and state regulators to allow us to continue to rebuild yet remodel, the existing building and allow us to move back in a phased approach.

Well, we add on the extra part of the building and the rooftop bar.

So it will come in phases that will will see at the end of this year and move through the latter part of next year.

As the motorsports park bros, we are going to grow.

We're already talking about how we bring on an exciting new food beverage team expanding our operations and custodial teams and really growing our team with this expansion.

♪ >> April Ballantine of Lexington is known as an advocate for domestic violence victims and gun violence.

Survivors.

But now she's taking on a new title as the first we re walk user in Kentucky.

Its robotics technology that helps those with lower limb disabilities.

Walk again.

We spoke with April to find out how this technology has changed her life.

>> When I was a little girl, my dad always said you can do anything that you wanted to.

And you can be anything that you want to be.

I've always believed that.

And I've always challenge myself to do that.

And to do more many.

Spinal cord injuries are the result of a car accident?

I was actually shot 5 times.

The ex-boyfriend I knew about the echo skeleton, but I never thought never dreamed that I would be a candidate for one.

>> The Re walk exoskeleton is meant for someone who has a complete or incomplete spinal cord injury at the T 4, which is kind of your upper 3rd level with that level injury or So the Re walk allow someone to potentially walk in their home or community that otherwise would have been wheelchair in a wheelchair full-time re walk has been trying to get into the Lexington market.

It's the right few people.

That person has to be able to have good head control has have really good arm use because they use a really big set of crutches to help support them have to be able to be cleared, medically to be upright.

So the model has been the patient drives it right.

It's patients entered.

And so April has been the patient to drive.

Bring it into this market.

I've seen violent here.

Alright, UK every year up to >> And up into it, I guess about 6 or 7 years now.

But on that, doctor, Dale, there she had just started their UK.

So she's watching the movement to seize my flexibility.

She's here in my story.

And, you know, she says.

>> Understands what my entry level is.

And she's like, oh, the house, how she able to do.

And so at the end, she said I'm going to have you to stand up using the parallel bars.

I said, OK, we'll try.

And so when I stood here in the bars, she have a lot of the upper body strength.

She had the desire with this lady.

>> Could do this.

She said screens or Botox ask But Hawks which I'm not supposed to be able to do and then she said, push your hips forward.

And I did that too.

And she said we're going to put you into a skeleton.

>> Next thing I knew I had a call from we walk and that's when the ball started rolling.

And, you know, the doctors approvals, then after that ahead, a day of March, 21st.

And that was the date that the first steps in the echo skeleton I always feel like I can just get up.

And every time I try to, you know, just doesn't it doesn't work.

It doesn't happen.

So that day.

I walked, I walked 2 laps around a room over at UK.

I had to they had to immediately show me how to pivot and have turn corners because, you know, it wasn't, you know, a complete circle or anything in its totally different every time you shift left.

>> And the weight shift to the left is significant enough.

That knows to move your right foot and it will start to walk in.

The person learns to scuff their foot to stop it.

So they kind of learn what mechanisms to tell the computer in the device to.

Move or not.

It was like, oh, my daughter.

That was probably one of the best experiences I've ever had.

>> Some of my closest friends and family was there.

And to be able to to stand and have physical touch that I have for good.

>> The social and an emotional connection to be able to stand.

It's huge.

She stood and was in a picture with her family.

Hey, everyone was outstanding level and that meant so much for that ability to say this was taken away from me.

I couldn't I can't stand anymore than to be able to do it and to walk was very emotional.

Can see the look on my face.

And I think that if you 2 words.

>> That can't how it made me >> what it does for the wheelchair community is is going to be remarkable.

The exoskeleton gives them away to be on their feet up right?

I have potential improvements in there.

>> Breathing or respiratory function in their bowel and bladder because the upright not sitting, it prevents skin problems.

There's a big list of opportunities that can be preventative and and improve their quality of life.

That Goodman back in April, jump started this.

Now we walk is connected here in Lexington.

I will be the first in the state of Kentucky to have one to be chosen to do that.

>> I still haven't found the words for it.

>> You headed?

♪ >> Well, that technology is powerful, but so is April Ballantine.

Kentucky's first radio station went on the air and fighting began in a war with Kentucky is playing a major role.

Toby Gibbs has all that and more in this week in Kentucky history.

♪ >> The war of 18 12 began July 18th, 18, 12 with Kentucky playing a big role in the fighting.

Kentuckians formed volunteer companies with troop movements.

Exceeding numbers requested by the government.

The Kentucky National Guard says 64% of the Americans killed.

We're from WHA as Kentucky's first radio station signed on in Louisville on July 18, 1922.

WHS became an NBC affiliate and switch to CBS in 1932.

>> In May of 1925, WHA has joined WGN in Chicago.

The first radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby.

Journalist in Kentucky native Helen Thomas died on 7/20/2013.

She was a longtime White House correspondent for the United Press International Wire Service covering 10 presidents from Kennedy to Obama.

Thomas was born in Winchester.

It's the birthday of the famed Gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson born in Louisville on July 18, 1937, Thompson wrote for Rolling Stone magazine as well as several books and was one of the pioneers of a first person style of journalism that put the author into the story.

P** Wee Reese, a Hall of Fame shortstop for the Brooklyn later, Los Angeles Dodgers was born July 23rd 1918, correct Reese played for the Dodgers from 1940, to 1958.

Was a 10 time All-Star and was known as an early supporter of teammate Jackie Robinson.

Reese died in 1999.

With this week in Kentucky history.

I'm Toby, get yours.

>> Thanks, Toby.

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

Hope to see you then and hope to see you tonight on Kentucky tonight.

When we talk about 50 years of title 9, don't miss that discussion.

Coming up at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KETK.

Thanks so much for watching.

See you later tonight.

And tomorrow.

Taken care.

♪ ♪