>> This a person who committed an act of pure evil.

>> Governor Andy Beshear talks about the Floyd County police shootings as the community says goodbye to another shooting victim.

Kentucky schools have bosses.

But do they have enough drivers?

>> I learned how to swear out a swagger in the poll.

And it sort of replaced for me that part and my boys life that is taking care of and for other boy but playing football, basketball, whatever.

>> We wrote The Hustler and the Queen's gambit make the writer who called Lexington Home.

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

Leonard Preston down that for public affairs and the KETK Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Thursday, July 7th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending part of your evening with us.

>> Floyd County continues to say goodbye to officers shot to death a week ago.

The sheriff's office accuses Lance Storz of Allen of killing Deputy William Petri captain Ralph Frasier.

Officer Jacob Chaffins and a police dog.

A private service was held today for Officer Chase sons.

Their funerals for Deputy William Petri.

And Captain Ralph Frasier aired live on W why empty earlier this week.

An event is planned for tomorrow for The police canine also killed.

People are honoring the fallen officers by leaving balloons, flowers and other items on police cruisers at the Prestonsburg City Hall and the Floyd County Courthouse, Governor Andy Beshear today mourned the officers deaths and said he hoped Kentucky can learn something from the shootings.

>> What can we do in the future, whether that's ensuring a communications equipment works together, whether that's looking at different policies or procedures about how we deal with a situation like this.

I hope that we can make the next group of officers and troopers and going to any situation remotely like this.

I'm a little bit safer.

So they know what they're going into and the most response.

This a person who committed an act of pure evil.

That was waiting.

And stockpiling to, I believe kill as many people as he as he could.

>> The governor was in Pike County yesterday announcing state investments in different projects, including money for clean drinking water.

>> I'm here with the work of 700 and $8,826.

They will install 30,000 linear feet of 6 inch PVC piping for the Brushy Creek Sycamore.

Water Line extension process.

This is going to supply clean drinking water.

I believe for the first time 225 residents of Pike County.

>> In addition to that, a million dollars will go to build a new senior center on Bank Street impactful and 358,000 will go to improve breaks Interstate Park.

Governor Beshear was asked today about the abortion amendment on the Kentucky ballot this fall.

If voters approve the amendment would add language to the Constitution of Kentucky stating there is no right to an abortion or government funding for one.

The governor says he is against the amendment.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Family Foundation is blasting the courts for allowing abortion to continue in Kentucky last week, a Jefferson County judge temporarily blocked a Kentucky abortion ban that went into effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, higher courts have allowed the judge's decision to stand the Family Foundation calls that appalling and said in a statement, quote, Not is enough.

Kentucky's duly enacted in clearly constitutional pro-life laws must be enforced immediately.

End quote.

A judge heard testimony yesterday that could determine if abortions will be banned in Kentucky during the hearing.

A Louisville doctor testified about the abortion care.

She provides that testimony led to legislators asking questions today about her relationship with the University of Louisville.

Our Casey Parker-bell reports on the potential controversy.

>> She says it's her job responsibility, not for residents, not a connection residency program, but it's her job responsibility to perform abortions for the University of Louisville's family Planning Services.

If that u of l's position and what they do, we need to know about that during yesterday's court hearing on the injunction blocking Kentucky's abortion ban, doctor Ashley Bergen and ObGyn that works for the University of Louisville testified about the abortion care.

She provides that W an abortion clinic in downtown Louisville.

That testimony led Louisville Representative Jason me miss to question doctor Burgum's relationship with university and whether taxpayer dollars are going to fund abortions.

The 2 to 3 days a week Doctor Bergen is performing abortions.

Is that as a U of L employee is she paid by U of L to perform abortions as she says that she is.

>> She is.

She is not paid by you about to do abortions.

received salary the support the department receives salary support.

For to to train in the a mandated standards.

But she and her job description for the University with the University of Louisville.

There is no mention of her providing of her performing abortions.

Louisville Senator Karen Berg, who's also a physician at U of L Health.

>> Says residents are required to learn how to perform abortions.

She says legislator shouldn't be meddling in a process that could result in negative consequences for the medical school.

>> So when you are up here saying, by default that the University of Louisville should not be training their OBGYN resident in this regard.

It's the truth is it is a requirement for certification of the program.

It is not a political decision.

That is a medical decision.

>> Representative Dina says he's not looking to change with the schools teaching but once know how taxpayer dollars are being spent.

>> I believe the overwhelming number of taxpayers in Kentucky do not want their money and their institutions and their government, which is what University of Louisville is going to put toward performing abortions.

So if that's what the university does, if they pay that, you said.

You never know.

University funds are used for abortions.

That in my mind is in question.

>> Mina says he will be requesting documents from the University of Louisville about doctor burdens job description and hash is paid for Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker-bell.

>> Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is the new star of a new Democratic campaign commercial airing across America.

It's focused on some of his comments about abortion.

Here's part of it.

>> We may well be on the verge of an era when the Supreme Court since Roe versus Wade to the ash heap of their concerns about a possible national abortion ban from Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says and national ban on abortion is possible.

>> The McConnell quote is from an interview he did with USA TODAY and May.

The ad is appearing in states with competitive U.S. Senate races, including New Hampshire and Nevada.

Senator McConnell says America's labor shortage will end as Americans run out of stimulus money.

Senator McConnell spoke Tuesday in Paducah, according to Business Insider McConnell discuss the impact of 3 COVID stimulus packages to under President Trump and one under President Biden.

McConnell said, quote, You've got a whole lot of people sitting on the sidelines because frankly, they're flush for the moment.

What we've got to hope is once they run out of money, they'll start concluding it's better to work that not to work, end quote.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul says he wants to make it easier for farmers to sell the meat they raise.

Paul spoke out in support of the so-called prime at during his appearance at the barren County Farm Bureau yesterday.

The legislation would let me processors obey only Kentucky regulations, not USDA requirements.

>> Right now, every meat processor United States has to do knighted states, federal regulations.

The regulations are very expensive.

But I don't think Ed, the quality or So if we allowed local small meat producers to adhere to state rules, I think it would allow them to grow allowed were competition and allow people who raise cattle to get more of the profit from selling their cows.

>> Paul says the Prime Act would make it easier for consumers to purchase locally produced meat.

A former White House lawyer with the Kentucky ties will testify to the January 6 committee.

Pat Cipollone was White House counsel from December of 2018 until the end of the Trump administration in January of 2021.

He lived in northern Kentucky for time and graduated from Covington Catholic High School in 1984.

The New York Times reports a pillow knee has agreed to a committee interview.

The committee believes Cipollone was a witness to President Trump's statements about overturning the 2020 election results.

And that's a bologna saw Trump's reaction to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

The Madison County Democratic Party has released this video saying that a candidate for mayor of Richmond has lying about her involvement in the events of January.

6th.

Kristen Arnold is a Richmond city commissioner running for mayor.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports she was at a rally supporting President Trump in Washington, D.C., but she claims she left hours before the invasion of the Capitol.

Madison County Democrats say they've matched a picture taken by Arnold with video shown by the January 6 committee and say it appears Arnold may have marched on the Capitol.

The Democrats say Arnold needs to answer more questions.

Arnold told the Herald-Leader she was not part of any violent acts on January 6th and that she had the constitutional right to attend a rally as a private citizen.

Kentucky's drought situation is worse now than it was a week ago.

This is the new map from the U.S. Drought monitor.

The brown area is moderate drought.

The yellow is abnormally dry.

The drought area is bigger than it was last week and includes more of western Kentucky.

The map does not take into account the rain that fell in parts of Kentucky yesterday.

The Army says it started to destroy the last chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass.

Army Depot in Madison County.

The depot has m 55 rockets that contain a nerve agent known as Seran.

The work began yesterday.

The depots, VX and mustard agent have already been destroyed.

♪ The labor shortage is affecting Kentucky school districts.

Many of them are in dire need of hiring more people to safely get your children to school.

Among them, Warren County public schools who would like to recruit at least 30 more bus drivers for the upcoming school year.

>> In 2000 17, we had 2.13 drivers.

And today we have 161.

>> So we have a shortage in general.

>> I've been driving the school bus for 12 years now.

The a lot.

But I look at it as a ministry.

>> Last year was pretty tapped.

We've got to the school year.

The drivers came obviously in them up, bus monitors a chip in and help one another.

They were doing not only their own rats the wrath because they had going to feel those needs are open.

>> Being able to help train up a child.

That's basically what we're doing being a village.

>> We go through a lot of background checks before they even come in.

And then once we do that, that we have to go through extensive training.

>> A lot of people say why can't drive a bus?

Anybody can drive us all.

We saw the same thing myself until I could actually was trained in can drop a bust.

So you can drive a bus.

We train you.

It is not as scary as those people thing.

>> We can take easily 5 to 8 weeks to get to the training and we pay for that.

But it's it's a lengthy process to get you through.

Although staffs.

>> It was kind of frustrate minutes.

Lee once you get it, that and that is for you.

The fact of you getting your CD you can keep that way.

We have a couple hours in the mornings and then you come back in the afternoon around one 30.

So you actually have time.

>> During your midday, you know, to run errands or if you had another part-time job.

>> I thank yous just because a COVID obviously is one factor.

This hit us pretty hard in the last couple of years, but we've been the climb.

A couple years back a bit.

I don't know if it's because of the job market changed our special here walk and we have a coffee influx of of industry company and because we're high-growth, district.

And so that pool of available drivers kind of breaks up a little bit.

>> You can brighten up someone's day and not even realize.

>> This benefit is our children.

If you locate this is the best job ever had.

>> And fence toddlers and preschoolers are now eligible for shots in the arm against COVID-19.

>> But according to the Centers for Disease Control, only a little more than a 3rd of parents want to get their child under 5 vaccinated.

>> Louisville pediatrician, Doctor Beverly Games was one of the first doctors in Kentucky to offer COVID vaccinations in a private setting.

We visited her recently to discuss vaccine hesitancy and how she tries to ease parents.

Fears.

>> We were involved early on in the pandemic.

at some of the push back was related to people thinking this vaccine was just develop.

Thanks.

And was so new that they wanted to wait and see so I have to frequently when I was meet, some resistance explained to them.

These drugs have been development for years and they've been tested for safety and they've been tested for efficacy being effective and so basically I I just asked them.

Why would you treat this any different immunizations and and bionics have saved more lives worldwide than anything.

Not modern technology, not new.

Immunizations and antibiotics historically have saved lives all around the globe.

Now, the latest group, the 6 month, the 5 year group.

Or or 4 year and a half or 5 years there's a little bit more hesitancy in that group.

we had a 9 love isn't on today.

And so I gave them a call and asked them, would you be interested in receiving a COVID vaccination day?

And she's like no, she didn't really give me a reason.

And so I think there there are still some mystery about this vaccination.

And so that parents are like, oh, wait and see.

Let me just wait and see.

>> But Louisville mother, Erica Taylor is a taking a wait and see attitude.

>> Because you get to this, everybody get in these dangerous and you got to be protected and safe.

>> It was.

This Erica deals with health conditions that she says make it even more crucial that she and her daughter are vaccinated against COVID-19.

>> Because people to get health issues by.

I feel like I have little question is why allergies?

It's just important to need it because I feel like the minute people they can get it.

The easiest, you know, you have to get it now.

You notice it.

>> Doctor Gaines takes a family approach in giving vaccinations making time for each one and a household to get protected against the coronavirus.

We keep a separate COVID schedule.

>> So we will schedule the mother, the father, friend, grandma, the baby.

So we always have a a separate schedule on that schedule.

I think we do maybe 10 a day and you tell them.

>> The biggest reason I can give you to get the shot is I've gotten my children have gotten it.

>> If I had grandchildren, they would get it.

You know, so and then so I think sometimes when they can relate to you and that you have, you're going to put your family.

Well, you know, on the vaccination or get the vaccination, it makes them feel a little better.

>> Kentucky's top health official Commissioner Steven Stack says COVID shots for kids is about more than protection, but also preventing long-term health consequences later, doctor stacks as parental resistance to shots for young kids is more prevalent since the disease doesn't present as severe in children and access to COVID shots for kids can sometimes be a barrier.

>> So up take will be slower in.

It will be slower in the 5 of the 6 month to the 4, 5, year old age because you have to go to your pediatrician's office.

If you're under 3.

All right.

So there's just not as much availability just because and that age range, the pharmacies don't generally do it.

And you have to go to your primary care provider.

>> I'm glad you mentioned that because there was a question.

Where do I go if and we hope that most parents have a medical home for their child.

But if they don't or perhaps they can't get in, it's okay to go to a pharmacy.

The pharmacy will administer them.

Absolutely.

So.

>> The pharmacists are allowed to go all the way down to age 3 in some pharmacies.

If they have a store based clinic may have a nurse practitioner, a physician assistant and then they could go all the way down to the younger ages.

But you go to vaccines, DOT Gov.

So vaccine or go to key White COVID-19 and the vaccine page.

And there's a link to it and you can put in your zip code and put how many miles within 5, 10, 15, 20 and you can identify what age group you're looking for in to help you find vaccine providers for whatever age group.

>> And the series of shots, one to 3.

What's the dosage?

So for the Pfizer one, it's 3 doses spaced at least over 2 months.

And for the modern age, 2 doses spaced over 4 weeks.

And any difference in efficacy or the effectiveness.

But Pfizer versus they're both wonderful and you should get whichever one you have access to.

So if your pediatrician says I only have Pfizer and we have moderna, that's fine.

Get the one that you have access to.

They both worked just fine.

Yeah.

And once again doesn't necessarily mean that the child would not contract COVID, correct.

But just the hospitalizations.

Certainly the deaths are less yes in in kids.

Let's let's think about this.

The mortality risk, the death risk is obviously way, way lower in children and older adults.

But the long COVID thing that we've already touched on.

It's a problem.

We really do not understand if you think about a child is 2 or 3 years old in all the years of good life, they have ahead of them.

If those vaccines blunt the risk of that long COVID problem, it's real which well worth getting it to lower that risk.

>> Governor Andy Beshear said today that only one-third of Kentuckians overall of had booster shots as COVID infections are higher than they were just 2 months ago.

The latest data shows 43 of the state's 120 counties with high levels of COVID.

>> Going to camp is a common summer activity for kids.

But in Lexington, a group of adults are getting in on the fun, a program through Lexington Parks and Recreation is giving adults with disabilities.

The opportunity to enjoy all that summer has to offer.

And as you'll see, these are definitely some happy campers.

>> Our therapeutic Recreation program is really a year-round program.

It's really an opportunity for people might have a disability.

But, you know, really want to connect with other people have the sense of community stay active.

>> But during the summer, we how for 3 different this one that's at Dunbar Community Center is for more of our adult population throughout the summer.

They're doing all kinds different activities.

So it's kind of people that might have some special needs to a lot of different fun activities.

>> We've gone to the movies.

We go around to local pools and go swimming will be going to a legends game next week.

So it's really a way to engage the participants with their community and do a lot of fun activities together as a group.

♪ >> it's >> really just like any other camp where it's a bunch of people coming together hanging out with their friends and doing fun activities.

We're here to make sure that they have a fun time.

I've seen it the participants is the friendships that they forms through participating in these programs.

It's been so fun coming into this group were a lot of them already have this really strong friendships with each other and these come this community that they've built.

And they have such amazing energy.

It's really difficult to be.

>> Upset or down when you're around a group of people that are so happy and upbeat and just excited for life all the time.

I would love for them to just take away that >> they are able to have a place here, a home where they can come and have it.

People support them they can have their wants and needs met while also having a fun time as ♪ ♪ >> I live in your story this season of Kentucky line.

>> Was born in San Francisco.

when I was a kid, I was put into a hospital in San Francisco.

My family moved to Kentucky.

I attic hurt Children's heart disease.

Really?

So they told me.

Anyway being emerge in the Kentucky all of a sudden was really a shock to me.

I think that's what I was writing about.

It.

Do you weigh when I wrote the men Felder?

>> He awoke in a taxi with the woman.

She was shaking him gently.

Where do you want to go?

She said, where is your own?

He stared at her.

I don't really know.

>> I wasn't allowed to do sports because of the heart disease.

And I spent a lot of my time Senator reading books until I got old enough to go to the pool road and that changed my life in another way as well as the group became.

I learned how to swear not to swear in the poll and it sort of replaced for me that part and my boys life that is taking care of it for other boys by playing football, basketball, whatever.

>> We came to Lexington, he didn't fit.

And he never fit in until he found a pool table.

And Toby Kavanaugh.

And once he found a pool table and Toby Kavanaugh, he spent almost all his time at Kavanaugh's house and they were wealthy and water.

Love that.

And so he was very happy with that portion of his life.

Toby Kavanaugh was Walter Tevis is best friend.

>> They would go down the basement of play pool.

He taught Walter Tevis to play pool and then they would sneak down to the Phoenix Hotel.

See what I call this a grand old days of Lexington.

So these 2 boys from Chevy Chase with kind of wander down to get a taste of life on the other side.

And I think that must've really appealed to young Walter Tevis because it appeared again and again in his work and in all its forms.

>> I was had an elementary clipping with pen and paper.

You know that I could do that sort of thing better than most people.

We didn't really consider making a profession out of it until I graduated from college and became a high school teacher in Kentucky.

I found myself in kind of a economic deadlock, making it miniscule salary for a lot of work.

>> I'm so excited now that he's that his work is getting a second read.

I have so much pride.

>> For the work that he did and then going back and reading all of his books.

I didn't read them when I was younger.

When I was a teenager.

So now I've read them all and I know him as a writer and I am just floored.

>> I think anybody who knew realize that he was.

One of those writers who also had.

The capacity for self-deprecation.

So much so that he probably never knew how good he was.

>> Kentucky has its share of ticks.

But what kind of ticks are out there and how much of a threat do they pose tomorrow night on Kentucky addition, an expert talks to us about what you should worry about and what you can do to cut down on the risks.

We thank you so much for joining us tonight.

We hope to see you again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire.

We hope you'll subscribe to our weekly Kentucky addition, e-mail news letter and watch full episodes and clips at Ktb Dot Org.

You can also find Kentucky addition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

>> And follow KITV on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

And you're welcome to follow me as well on Twitter at Renee K E T. Thanks so very much for watching.

Take good care and we'll see you tomorrow night.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪