>> And a lot of people don't even realize they have COVID until there well into and have been infectious for a couple of nights and actually spreading it to others.

>> COVID cases continue to spike with eastern Kentucky hit the hardest.

>> Our path towards victory is a path towards unifying the state.

>> Kentucky's AG commissioner talks about his run for the top job.

>> Was the first time that we really KET that we were doing something more than just a radius time.

But we're doing something that actually can make an impact and children's lives on that first day of school.

>> How a light hearted idea ended up fulfilling a serious need and several Kentucky communities.

>> 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, July 25th.

>> Thank you for being with us on your Monday evening.

I'm Renee Shaw.

COVID is high in 2 thirds of Kentucky's counties.

The latest map shows 80 of Kentucky's 120 counties are in the red zone when the county is in the red.

The CDC recommends people wear masks in indoor public places and get vaccinated.

Jefferson County moved into the red last week prompting the public school system there to require masks inside all schools.

Starting today.

Some of the counties with the worst COVID rates are in far eastern Kentucky last week, Wolf, Perry and Leslie counties had the highest incident rates in the entire state.

Those counties are overseen by the River District Health Department, which is made up of 7 eastern Kentucky counties.

The health department's director spoke with our Casey Parker-bell today about how they're combating the current surge and encouraging people to get vaccinated and boosted.

>> So how is the river District Health Department alerting people to this increase in COVID cases and what are you doing to get people vaccinated?

>> Course we utilize our social media lot to to people in the area where we are in or with our local television station that the Y M T a they allowed me to do an issues and answers with am which will air tonight at 7.

Again, just to provide the latest information and education.

We encourage individuals if they have not been boosted to plays, get their voters, you know, and and just educating about what vaccines they are eligible for and trying to to link them up to their medical providers here in the Kentucky River District in our health were actually participating in a statewide event this Were really targeting vaccination and we're giving away $25 gift cards.

This incentive.

Gas prices are high.

So to help offset the cost of coming out and getting your vaccine will give way.

25 $1.

Gift card is first.

50 participants adding to one of our health departments.

It comes and yet they are a primary or a booster and any of our health departments here this Friday.

>> Is this increase impacting your hospital capacity in your area?

>> We have actually saying our hospitalization numbers go up a little bit.

One of the things you know we're closely monitoring is the number of hospital beds in use and ICU and ventilator beds.

And thankfully, we're not seeing a huge increase in an ICU beds.

One of the things the 5 very ideas that it seems to be causing milder illness and most individuals.

So while it's easier to catch more transmissible it's does not seem to be housing nearly a severe illness and the majority of individuals by far the people who are having the hardest time with this variant are the unvaccinated.

So the vaccines are working, even though they not may not KET you from catching the virus altogether.

For those who?

>> Do you have symptoms for COVID?

What recommendations do you have?

>> Number one is stay home.

And you know, if you have any symptoms and and respiratory symptoms there, you know, if you've got an gestion sneezing, runny nose, out fever, do not go to work, do not go to school.

We, of course, schools out right now, but it will be back in session here shortly.

>> If you need to see your medical provider by all means, please go see your healthcare provider.

Get tested for COVID rule out COVID first and then look at what else is going on.

>> Our thanks to Casey Parker-bell for that interview, a former UK employee is suing the UK Board of Trustees Laurean divorce as the board discriminated against her on religious grounds after she refused to get a COVID vaccine.

The Lexington Herald-Leader obtained court documents end of or had worked for UK since 1999. in 2021.

She was told everyone working on campus had to receive a vaccine or undergo weekly tests.

The Boers says she didn't get the vaccine due to her religious beliefs.

She says she asked for religious exemption and was denied.

She says she was eventually forced to retire.

UK is not commenting.

Kentucky now has 4 confirmed cases of monkeypox.

That's as of Friday.

That's according to the Centers for Disease Control.

3 of the 4 cases are in Jefferson County, by contrast, Kentucky's neighbor, Indiana, has 35 cases, according to who yes in Louisville, the CDC reports about 3,000 cases nationwide since May 18th monkeypox can cause flu-like symptoms and rashes.

It spread through close contact with someone who's infected with it.

The last scheduled medical cannabis town hall is today in Hopkinsville and Christian County.

It's underway right now in Hopkinsville Community College.

Kentuckians are telling their stories to the medical Cannabis Advisory Committee committee members have traveled around the state in the last month holding meetings and different areas across the state yesterday Governor Andy Beshear tweeted this, quote, 90% of Kentucky adults support medical cannabis and the team, Kentucky Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee will help ensure every voice is heard.

As AI Wei executive action that could provide access for those suffering from chronic pain or our veterans suffering from PTSD, unquote.

Just someone county Republicans have censured.

Senator Mitch McConnell over his support of a gun reform bill that passed in June weeks after the mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas.

The legislation as more juvenile criminal and mental health records to the background check system.

It also closes the so-called boyfriend loophole preventing gun purchases.

If someone is convicted of domestic violence involving a romantic partner, the censure resolution with which passed last week says the Safer Communities Act violates the second, the 5th and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The resolution called on McConnell to resign as Senate minority leader.

It said Jessamine County Republicans would seize all McConnell this afternoon, we talked to Bob Artie of the in county Republican Party.

>> We'll begin with his support for the Democrats legislation called out Safer Communities Act and the most challenging part of that was the red flag law where the federal government was giving money.

2 U.S. states the past red flag laws and and those of us who are concerned about protecting the Second Amendment work very concerned about that red flag laws certainly infringe Second Amendment rights.

It it allows the police to step in in states where those laws have been passed.

Take the firearms the firearm owner.

I'm merely on the basis of complaint made by literally anyone including anonymous complaints.

It's a kind your guilty toll proven innocent situation.

What I hope is other counties will again take up the matter and issue their own that coloration Ys about Senator McConnell's activity.

And my hope is if there's enough enough of there will a clear signal sent to the Senate Republicans in Washington that Senator Mitch McConnell really no longer represents the majority of senators only 15 out of 50 senators actually voted for this a Safer Communities The vast majority.

35 of the senators voted against it.

So I think I think Senator McConnell has lost a step with the conservative element of the party.

>> We reached out to Senator McConnell's office for response to those.

His office referred us to some comments he made on the U.S. Senate floor on June 20 secant.

>> A bipartisan group led by Senator Cornyn has put together a package of common-sense and popular solutions.

To make these horrific incidents less likely.

And it does not.

So much as touch.

The rights of the overwhelming majority of American gun owners were law abiding citizens.

Of >> now on to other political news, Allison Ball will run for Kentucky State auditor and 2023.

She made the announcement on Wk White.

He's newsmakers program over the weekend.

Ball is a Republican who was finishing her second term as state treasurer.

She is term limited and cannot run again for that job in a tweet Ball says she's looking forward to bringing her watchdog mentality to the auditor's office.

Governor Beshear says he's hearing from people who've lost some of their snap benefits.

Now snap refers to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as Food stamps.

The Kentucky General Assembly voted to end Kentucky's COVID state of emergency causing the state to lose out on federal funds.

The governor says people are suffering because Republican lawmakers, he said wanted to protest his COVID policies.

>> This was our state of emergency on COVID which is still causing impacts on food prices.

And at the time they were looking at set, folks, we don't have one restriction left in place, but you are going to cut about 15 million dollars a month.

Food from people who need it the most.

Well, they did it and it's happened and we're hearing from folks that.

Want to know the reason.

They used to receive at least $95 per month under that federal program that some individuals and families received hundreds of dollars in extra support each month.

>> SNAP benefits or food stamps will be.

One of the things will discuss on Kentucky tonight tonight.

The topic is work, wages and welfare.

As we discussed Kentucky's jobs picture the struggle for some businesses to find workers, pay issues and public assistance.

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

♪ ♪ ♪ >> So far there are 9 Republicans vying for the chance to unseat Democrat Andy Beshear and the field is expected to get larger.

>> On Friday, I talked to Governor Turrell hopeful Ryan Quarles, Kentucky's current commissioner of agriculture to see how he'll set himself apart from the pack.

>> I want to run a positive, clean campaign that's focused on my vision for what's best for Kentucky.

And I think one of the things that's going to separate me from the pack is that we have broad base, grassroots support.

We had a great fundraising quarter donations from all 120 counties.

And we are really trying to make sure that folks that may have never voted before in Kentucky election to bring them on board.

And I think that our path towards victory is a path towards unifying the state.

A lot of people who live in rural Kentucky.

I feel like they're being mourned right now.

A lot of the folks in Urban, Kentucky feel like they may not be getting the responsiveness that they need, how the current administration.

And so for me, about 7 years running a statewide executive branch agency.

The second biggest only behind the governor's office.

I feel like we bring experience, we bring energy ring a use full unifying message across Kentucky and I look forward to putting my name on the ballot along with some friends says we're all playing for the same job and we'll see what happens next.

May.

>> So you say that you're going to KET your campaign positive.

Are you making a pledge to not do any negative campaigning?

Can you say that today?

>> For me, I want to run a campaign is based off my ideas that someone is based on great ideas about how we move to Kabul for and not about insults.

All defend myself.

But at the same time, my mom taught me long ago that a teaspoon of honey goes a lot further than a jar vinegar.

And so the Ryan Quarles that I think most Kentuckians know is one that that is a focus on building the Commonwealth, bringing people together, consensus building.

And I think that that's a message that could work right now.

And so for me, I'm going to be on the road almost every single day, shaking hands, running an old fashion networking campaign were not to Seoul's my boots and we'll see where the role of the outcome comes on.

May 16th of next year.

>> So 2 words could describe run calls, centrist moderate.

Would that be accurate?

That's a conservative Republican because I will track record ever since being elected in 2010 of standing up for the conservative values that I know that most Kentuckians have for me.

I've been a Republican that has cut the size of government.

We have done more with less at the Department of Agriculture and we've been one that has stood up for constitutional rights.

I was the first constitutional officer to stand up against Andy Beshear's shut restrictions back in 2020 because he was shut down.

Small family owned agribusiness venues while letting the big box stores stay open.

So I was the first one even before the attorney general to stand up against the COVID restrictions.

So I think that to words that were described by candidacy would be conservative Republican.

>> That cannot be said of Daniel Auditor, Harman of >> So what's the difference?

There's going to be of the 9 people who are in the Republican primary so far.

I think most of us we already acknowledge us are going to be just about the same place with most of the issues that we're all pro life are going to be pro gun standing up for a Second Amendment.

We're going to be for shrinking the size of government.

But for me, it's about a track record that you can look at.

We have the experience we have put our our principles into action at the Department of Agriculture as well as my time as a state legislator or a standing up some of the liberal issues that we're trying to be forced to.

The House representatives when serve there.

So for me, I want to make sure we bring this campaign to everyone will be shaken hands outlook for it to Fancy Farm and the rubber chicken dinners and everything in between over the next 40 weeks and weeks.

>> I want to talk about the office of the governor because as you know, in the last couple of years at some of his powers have been greatly reduced executive authority.

His ability or the numbered that he can appoint to boards and commissions, etcetera.

So will that backfire if there is actually a governor?

I'm corals.

Will you wish that the legislature had not tried to strip away that power from Governor Andy Beshear and that you have to suffer the consequences?

No, I think the current governor invited the certain situate the situation because he antagonized as legislators.

>> He went 8 months during COVID without speaking to members of both the House and Senate leadership.

Imagine being a CEO and not communicating here.

Board of Trustees are border regions about what's going on in your company.

That's basically what Andy Beshear did.

He spends more time vetoing legislation.

Bipartisan legislation, even Democrats or Republicans have voted for.

And then if he doesn't get his way through a veto, he runs to the nearest circuit court judge ensues people.

>> Governor Andy Beshear has sued over measures passed by the GOP dominated General Assembly that ship some of his powers to other state offices controlled by Republicans, including appointments to the state Fair board.

That commissioner corals has power over now.

Tomorrow night on Kentucky.

Addition your heel corals talk about issues he wants to dress in his remaining 17 months is that commissioner, including support for farmers, struggling with their mental health.

Judicial races don't often generate the kind of interest as other elected offices on the ballot.

But the contest for a seat representing Northern Kentucky on the state's highest court is becoming a notable exception with the brewing debate over abortion rights and separation of powers.

There's heightened interest in the race between current Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Michelle Calor and Republican State Representative Joseph Fisher Fisher is the architect of the anti abortion trigger law in the courts.

Now and a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot this year and shining no constitutional right to an abortion or government funding of it in Kentucky, I asked former Republican Kentucky secretary of state Trey Grayson and Democratic political operative will Carly about growing interest in that race and other judicial races on this year's ballot?

>> Representative Fisher has been a leader, as you noted on the abortion issue and in Kentucky and in for just cold is really this is the first time she's had a tough and she was appointed to the court was reelected.

Pretty comfortably.

To this term and the officials never run.

And and a large district is in a state rep for about 20 years.

But he is trying to run as a conservative Republican.

He's trying to talk about that is so there's also that on him and with the Supreme Court races over the years, Kentucky's nonpartisan court races have been tested by some of the concerns about the restrictions on the freedom of speech to fishers, not only trying to parlay his support and this leadership on the abortion issue.

And this is a pretty prolife part of the state.

Even a Kentucky to hold fairly light.

But in Kentucky, in particular.

But he's also trying to run on conservatism in Republicanism.

Just Keller, whose and I was on the Court of Appeals before becoming a member of the Supreme Court to she's been a justice for a long time.

She's always been appointed by Democratic governors to this positions and ultimately winning them.

So there is a partisan angle to this as well.

So it's it's a fascinating race to watch.

And, you know, I've done both of them are a couple Really interesting to see how this all plays out.

>> Well, Carly, do you have anything you'd like to add to this?

Because I would imagine that of all the things that are on the ballot, you know, Kentucky Supreme Court isn't the thing that most people are paying attention to, but maybe they are now.

What are you hearing?

>> I think actually a lot of people are tuning in not only to the Supreme Court race, but the Court of Appeals race.

The Circuit court race.

There are a couple hot ones McKenzie Cantrell.

Obviously, Bill people are tuning, they realize after the overturning of Roe v Wade that, you know, our judicial system matters a great deal and who we put on the bench matters a great deal.

And while we need to make sure that we KET the integrity of the port by not making these races partisan, we do need to find a way that people can be informed about, you know, what are the things that these judges or or what informs their opinions on how will make the law or rule about the law and make decisions that are going to affect, you know, millions of going forward.

So that's that's kind of where I am.

I think there's going to be a Brown's weld advertisements in activity here this November in the fall.

>> Well, have more insight about that race and others that will come from Public Radio's Ryan Lynn Barton on Wednesday and our Friday panel, political insiders will talk about this as well.

♪ >> It started many years ago is a radio start an on air personality, known for his energetic delivery and good humor.

>> Would live on Abbas until it was filled to the brim with school supplies.

Those antics would lead to a larger movement that today Phil's many needs in classrooms and communities across southern Kentucky.

>> Stuff.

The bus live event.

>> 100%.

Everything we collect saints, local with kids right here in southern Kentucky.

I had no idea his sickly.

What we're getting into.

>> I lived in that bus for 100 hours.

And that was basically kind of that benchmark that we did for many, many, many years.

>> I remember those first years you know, I was like, who's the crazy radio guy?

No sleeping on the bus.

And then it kept going on and going on.

It kept growing.

>> Still recall, the first time I met Tony Rosa, what about the bus back in 2013 and was just amazed at the number of supplies.

The boxes filled to the roof.

>> And that began in 2005.

When we first did this, we filled up one school bus with about 2 tons of school supplies.

We thought that would last for ever.

And we found out very quickly that that would last basically the first couple of weeks of school and it would be 2000 and I say 18 or filling up 5, 6, buses and collecting 2025.

Tons of school supplies and a four-day period.

>> The need in our community is tremendous.

And that stuff the bus is is one of those organizations that that has not only, you know, tried to fill the void.

They have filled the void.

>> Over the years we've seen the number of families needing assistance continue to increase and considering the recent pandemic, coupled with a tornado, we've seen that number significantly rise.

>> And it actually awarded several grants as they prepare for the school year as so.

They came out today and we gave them the funds to go shopping where this started 17 years ago as where it is now, either growth that we've seen over the years been We have WKU teams coming out.

The Bowling Green hot rods coming >> Every single year we work at least $3,000 in college scholarships.

>> We have families who every year will come to us and say we need a backpack.

We need school and then but it goes on throughout the year.

You know, we have teachers who will say I really like to add to my classroom library with with books or our really like to add these different resources in my classroom.

>> And with stuff the bus now being a nonprofit, they have classroom grants.

We have different things that schools, teachers, family resource coordinators can go to stuff the bus and apply for a grant for a specific need.

>> And stuff the bus is always been great to work with us.

>> To help those families help those students.

And it's a great relationship.

It's a great working partnership.

I was stuff the bus.

>> Every parent wants their kid to have that great school experience to walk in the first day with a backpack to have access to all kinds of opportunities and stuff.

The bus is an organization that makes a possible.

I think >> Service that we can provide is a quality education and students to learn.

They have to have those basic necessities and our partnership with stuff that was unable to us, too.

I provide those to our families in need.

>> It really is helping us level the playing field helping us support our families and helping our community as a whole.

I never would have imagined that I would be able to use my platform to help build the community up around us.

But really, that's what broadcasters locally should be doing.

And and we take pride in that is the voice of our community right on new release this Friday.

>> The footprint of the stuff, the bus foundation continues to grow over 500 families.

Get a Thanksgiving dinner through the stuff.

The bus foundation and our great community champion partners.

>> So it's more than school supplies in the summer.

So it's really humbling to be able to be part of something that is 100% local.

It's all built on sweat equity and just great volunteers and members of our community help out their neighbors and families and children in need.

♪ >> What ago, Tony Rose, if you think it was hot this past week, it was hotter in 1930, and you have a Kentuckyian to fight for the traffic light.

Toby Gibbs has more in our look at this week in Kentucky history.

♪ >> Garrett Morgan died July 27th 1963, the son of a freed slave born in Harrison County in 18, 77, he would invent a 3 position traffic signal an early type of gas mask and a line of hair care products.

He did it all despite only having a 6th grade education.

He eventually moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where a school science is now named in his honor.

Kentuckians felt something unexpected on July 27th 1980, during an earthquake centered near Sharpsburg in Bath County.

>> It measured 2.5 and caused a million dollars in damage, including some collapsed chimneys.

The Mercury hit 114 degrees in Greensburg in Greene County on 7/28/1930, it's the hottest temperature in Kentucky on record.

A tuberculosis outbreak in the early 19, 100's prompted Louisville to build a new hospital.

The Waverly Hills Sanatorium open July.

26 1910, at first it handled 40 to 50 patients by 1926.

After new could hold more than 400 the development of Streptomycin cause tuberculosis cases to drop and the hospital closed in 1960 want the building still stands.

Covington's Latonia racetrack opened in 18.

83 in close July.

29 1939, the track host of the Spring Summer racing series and another one in late fall racing bus considered it one of America's top tracks and it was an early racing home for legendary jockey.

Eddie, our the Great Depression led to the tracks.

Closing standard oil, bought the land and tore down the track during World War.

2 with this week in Kentucky history.

I'm Toby Good News.

>> That's all our time for tonight.

We do hope we'll see you tomorrow night.

Right back here at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition.

Take good care.

See you tomorrow night.

♪