♪ >> U.S. senators reach a deal on a gun reform plan.

What's in and what's out?

What do people think of the deal?

New numbers are out about overdose deaths in Kentucky is the problem getting better or worse?

>> There were some that we'll just sit and think about that family or pride just at my desk and cry.

>> Working to reunite people with their photos and other keepsakes after they were scattered for miles by the western Kentucky tornadoes.

>> 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.

Welcome to Kentucky EDITION.

Today is Monday, June 13th.

Thank you so much for joining us tonight.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Kentucky senior senator speaks out about a bipartisan gun reform deal announced over the weekend.

20 senators from both parties began work on a plan after the mass shooting deaths of 19 students and 2 adults at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

About 3 weeks ago.

The plan announced yesterday would increase funding for states to implement red flag laws to take guns away from people seen as threats.

It would also increase funding for school security and mental health services.

It would not raise the age limit to buy a semiautomatic weapon.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate minority leader has been supportive of the talks.

He put out a statement saying, quote, I continue to hope their discussions yield a bipartisan product that make significant headway on key issues like mental health and school safety respects the Second Amendment broad support in the Senate and makes a difference for our country, unquote.

There are plenty of strong opinions about guns and what to do about mass shootings in America.

Hear from gun safety advocates and gun rights advocates coming up a little later and this broadcast.

New numbers from the state show an increase in overdose deaths in Kentucky.

The 2021 drug overdose report says more than 2200 Kentuckians died of overdose deaths last year.

That's up more than 14% from 2020.

The report also says fentanyl accounts for about 70% of those deaths.

Governor Andy Beshear wants more services to help people fighting drug addiction.

The governor says the state will create what's called recovery ready communities in response to a state law passed in 2021, the state's Office of Drug Control Policy will partner with the Volunteers of America to provide transportation support groups, recovery meetings and jobs services to people seeking treatment for drug or alcohol addiction.

All of it would be free.

Tonight on Kentucky tonight we're discussing opioid addiction.

A CDC study released in April said Kentucky was 4th and deaths related to opioid use.

We'll talk about the opioid crisis and the newly released numbers on overdose fatalities with our 5 guests, including experts on addiction and drug control policy.

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

Inflation was high at 8.6% in May, the highest inflation rate since December of 1981.

It was 8.3% in April.

This means products we buy every day percent more than they did a year ago on a recent Kentucky tonight, a panel of economists discussed inflation and what's causing it.

They said there were different factors, including the high demand for goods and problems with the world's supply chain as the COVID pandemic begins to ease.

>> so, we still seem to have, you know, high demand people, a lot of money to spend.

But we have reduced supply.

And so as a result of that, we have these inflationary pressures that we've been hearing about.

So it hasn't been as that may be transitory as what we thought last year.

Right?

But in fact, it's a look at this number when hit, of course, everything shut down.

>> The vaccines came online March April last Look at the numbers for inflation.

That's exactly when they started to go up in March or April of last year's.

When we started to see these 4, 5%.

So as and exploded, we talked about the bottlenecks supply bottlenecks continue.

And again, that's a global phenomenon.

Nothing that's going on here.

You're going to see inflation really creep up.

>> During that same program, Kenya, stop of the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy said she didn't expect the price of gas to decline until 2023.

You can see more of that discussion at KITV DOT org.

Slash K why tonight?

COVID cases continue to increase in Kentucky as of Friday, 19 of Kentucky's 120 counties were in the red, meaning high COVID case numbers.

Another 28 counties were yellow, meaning medium, the remaining 73 counties were still green, meaning COVID case numbers were considered low.

Kentucky is one of 12 states splitting 60 million dollars to fight water pollution.

The money will help states control farm runoff and other pollution that ends up in the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico.

The EPA says the pollution is contributing to, quote, a dead zone in the Gulf.

The money is from the infrastructure bill signed by President Biden last November.

A Kentucky fire department suddenly has an extra $40,000.

The Ford Motor Company is building 2 vehicle battery plants in Glendale in Hardin County.

Workers cut down trees on that property.

Ford sold that Amber and donated money to the Glendale Volunteer Fire Department.

The department's annual budget is about $80,000.

The department will use the money to maintain equipment and update firefighting gear.

♪ Now more on the Senate deal on gun safety reform.

>> This weekend, people all across America rallied for changes to the nation's gun laws and Kentucky Saturday, hundreds turned out in Lexington and Louisville protesting against the recent spate of mass shootings and gun violence.

I caught up with Kathy Crow, the co-leader of the Lexington Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America to talk about the bipartisan deal brokered in Washington and more changes her organization would like to see on gun laws.

>> We are thrilled.

With this bipartisan 20 senators have come together to have a framework.

It's been 26 years since Congress has done anything substantial about gun violence.

So we're really very happy.

We're super encouraged.

And I feel like and then it was political pressure Moms.

Demand Action worked tirelessly and with others who are interested in keeping our community safe from gun violence, if passed, this will save a lot of lives.

It's a critical step forward enhanced background checks just for those under 21.

Also federal funds to implement red flag laws in Kentucky.

We don't have one.

However, we have the crisis.

Aversion rights retention.

The Carville, which is set in committee this past 2 sessions and that bill with due process and law enforcement and a judge would take against temporarily away from those he may harm themselves and others.

Some hoping the incentive U.S. federal funds will get that passed.

Also, the boyfriend loophole domestic violence.

Right now.

We've Stossel taking guns away from that is he may harm the spot staff.

Now it's going to be a perhaps a boyfriend that would do that.

Also, we've got a lot licensed gun dealers.

And those people who are on the Internet or at gun shows they're going to have to ask for background checks and they'll have to say they are licensed again dealer also.

And there's work on gun trafficking.

Know this is very latest right now.

We're hoping that it will go forward to the Senate and that that it will pass.

So is non-store what we want.

This is a first step.

We want more.

We would like to expanded background checks.

That means every single purchase would have a background check.

We would like U.S. federal red flag law and not state to state.

I think that would be the best and also to regulate assault weapons.

51% of Americans want a regulation for assault weapons.

That's the get to ace of these mass We would like for to raise the age to purchase it to 21 for hand.

Again, you can get one of these assault rifles with a magazine of 100, which is the real problem, 100.

For a magazine and it can be taken out and more and be added to that.

So that's just a killing machine.

We'd like that to the right lane.

Terry Brooks is the executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates which champions education, health and safety issues related to children and families.

>> Brooks, who was a school administrator for more than 20 years, talked about the move in Ohio today to let teachers carry firearms in schools.

We began our conversation about the bipartisan Senate deal on gun safety.

He too, says it's a good first step.

>> The idea that you had such a diverse group of lawmakers say that there's a lot of aspects of gun control.

We don't agree on here.

Says Common sense.

Move ahead.

Ideas that was really encouraging and also suggested not just in Washington, but in Frankfurt.

We should be able an assessed that same bipartisan effort.

You know, I'm Renee, I think the biggest challenge we as a nation have right now is said the tragedy in Texas which affected everybody is you mentioned not just in my role.

Hey, why I Paul of South public school grandchildren right now we we all are trying to wrap our heads around how to keep it safe and the absolutely worst decisions we can make his job to a proliferation of guns in schools or frankly, just think there's a silver bullet like school resource officer, each that are suddenly going to keep kids safe.

That's just not of.

That's not born off our experience.

It's not worn out by research.

Instead, we as a commonwealth and we as a people nationally have to turn to what's been proven to protect kids.

you know, not go toward that easy politically of inclined solution.

>> So we know that Doctor Brooks, when we were talking, we learned higher Governor Mike DeWine said that he signed a bill into law that makes it much easier for teachers to legally carry guns in schools and the measure drastically reduces the amount of training and other staff would need to possess a firearm on school grounds from 700 hours of training to 24 hours of training.

Your thoughts on arming teachers in Kentucky.

Public schools.

>> Well, I think it's one of the absolute worst ideas that we could come up with in response trying to protect our kids.

>> Governor DeWine, >> in many ways has let up how well, this is one case where he has not, you know, along with all those other to 25 years as public school administrator, I bumped into a lot of principals, assistant principals, teachers who were trained marksman.

And you think about just a pragmatic, forget absolutely illogical.

Know she that it too can be trained to successfully wield a gun in 24 hours or with training.

You think about things like how do they identify who that shooter is?

Shooters tend not to wear main takes you think about basic issues of storage within the classroom.

Things that we hear lawmakers talk about in our homes across the commonwealth.

So there are lots of pats weights.

Hardening schools to increase the risk assessment processes that Kentucky is under way to supporting behavioral and mental health supports for kids and families.

Lots of ways to increase school safety.

The proliferation of guns and the growth sorrows are not 2 ways that we should be pursuing.

>> Doctor Terry Brooks, executive director of the Kentucky Youth Advocates.

Thank you for your time today.

Last Monday on Kentucky tonight, Gun rights advocates made their case to keep current firearm laws as they are.

Our Casey Parker-bell breaks down what gun rights advocates think should be changed and what shouldn't.

>> We all agree that mental health is a major >> problem.

Gun rights advocates are making the case increase.

Mental health services should be central to address mass shootings.

>> Getting to the level where that you can be involuntarily committed is is very high.

I think we saw it a couple years.

Last mass shooters.

They were very mentally unstable.

And but for whatever reason they're on a will reach that threshold when any one of us can look at the the Facebook post and know that there's something very wrong there.

>> Congress announced a bipartisan gun package that would increase investment in mental health treatment.

Allow enhanced background checks for people under 21 years old.

But some gun rights advocates say they're not sure all the proposed solutions we'll solve problems.

>> It's not obvious to me, frankly, that any solution geared at the law abiding citizen, which is the only person is going to play with these laws.

It's not obvious to me that we can.

We can catch the criminals that cycle past murders, the inclined by putting another law on the book.

>> The CDC says Kentucky has the nation's 13th highest firearm death rate.

The 20 per 100,000 residents.

That's more than neighboring states.

West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana.

Tonight.

♪ >> We've been following the rebuilding efforts after those devastating tornadoes swept across Western Kentucky and December.

As we reported in our special western Kentucky Hope Rising Governor Andy Beshear was in Mayfield Friday for a celebration as storm victims Bill and Barbara Patterson moved into a brand new house just 6 months after the disaster.

Homes and help Kentucky Mennonite disaster service and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation have been leading those efforts.

>> It was really upsetting the night that I figured out their house us.

On that day while we get them not doubt.

♪ >> Like disaster service is.

It is to be building these holes.

In fact, we're 22 locations right now throughout the country.

I'm grateful to be here today.

>> 6 months ago to know that 6 months later.

The celebration, the celebration right here as we're celebrating the first.

Says that tornado that came through 3 families are going to get these to their future starting right here.

>> The kitchen.

I really like the kitchen.

♪ >> I feel and I cannot explain that.

He's got a long 6 months.

>> Very thankful.

I feel joy and happiness for them and for our family >> a little sadness because I would homes gone.

But it's going to be okay.

I know it's going to be.

>> Good people.

The great people to help us tonight.

I'm okay.

Great people out there today.

>> At >> 2 new babies that are joining our family.

And we're just happy to my memories with down and the other at kids that we have in our family just might know ones.

>> Oh, well, that's really, you know, Casey, because you usually don't have people like that.

And they feel that says it's such a little to have.

This community is always in tragic.

Advanced always come together and night.

This time that done the >> That very thankful for all of them.

>> They're very happy about it.

And it's good seeing them happy.

You know, they're really upset at first.

But now it's just so happy.

>> Good to see them.

Happy indeed.

>> Finding long-term housing for tornado survivors isn't Mayfield's only challenge on the road to recovery, according to the members of the Graves County Mayfield, long-term recovery group, a language barrier is making it difficult for them to get the word out to some tornado survivors about available resources.

They say bilingual case managers and translators are desperately needed.

We talked to one woman who was walking Mayfield's non English speaking survivors through the recovery process.

>> I I lose 30 or possible into and I signed also church right after that tornado.

I was working leaves a lot of people.

Who needed.

The help I think is is it more complicated for them, get these helping them get those resources other or they're afraid?

Or they don't know how to communicate their know how to reach the right person, the right resources.

They don't feel safe to ask for anything my thing.

>> The the end of the processes and will get charged for the help that they in getting the pins him a little behind in the polls is to recall over.

>> When it comes to a process, we fame brings this.

so many information like personal information.

They don't they don't want to trust anybody to say like, okay, Comer in and I will be able to help you too.

Fill out this application for you.

It's hard.

It's difficult.

And tried to convince the indeed tool to get the h***.

It's it's it's been a challenge.

You need with them about one o their experience that you have with older people in the same situation.

And so that way they will know that.

I mean, it's it's it's good.

It's good to get the help that it's it's he won't and then at the end, we're here to help them.

We know that a lot of organizations, they all for the front kind of help, the resign continue helping people.

the whole process is to be covert is even if they don't understand the language, even It's hard for them to understand me.

I know that they need to help.

And I know that I need to help them.

>> After the tornado struck photos, newspaper clippings and other documents of interest were found in farm fields and backyards all across Kentucky and even Indiana more than 86,000 people have joined a Facebook page to either post or search for those items, hoping they will be reunited with their rightful owner.

Now, one library has stepped in to sort organize and hold those items for safekeeping.

My name is Rachel Ferguson, a library assistant at the Warren County Public Library.

>> From a vacation.

>> after the tornado were involved in a lot community efforts and our outreach manager Court Stevens.

Got in touch with a gal that is running a Facebook group called Quad-state.

Tornado found items.

We thought that it would be a good idea to have a general location for those items to the strangest thing that we received is a heavy, almost paper that you would find in some of these deaths.

It's a photo of a class picture from, I believe 19.

0, 4, were that has its and taste in Lake Kerlik or class.

And it's probably it's weighty.

It's probably 2 or 3 pounds.

And to think of that, traveling in the distance is really kind of incredible.

>> A long letter.

one photo that we've had reclaimed so far, which is a picture an older woman struggling to check in on a farm.

And it's an old photo, 20's or so.

I would say we re posted online and the woman's granddaughter saw it and recognize her grandmother and we were able to get that back to where it belongs.

We probably started in February to receive the photos and it was really emotional.

There were some that we'll just sit and like, think about that family or cry just at my desk and cry.

So many of these pictures probably aren't digitized.

So the idea of all of these memories being just lost and that it was really heavy to think about that.

But on the other hand, to think that there are people out there who also probably experience a loss or damage and they are saying these things on the road on their property and their yard and thanking this needs to be preserved and picking that up instead of just tossing it, it's a very human thing to take the time to preserve somebody else's memories because, you know that you would want your pictures to be saved.

That's really cool.

>> Last week we brought you the experiences of people recovering from the December tornadoes in Mayfield, Dawson Springs in Bowling Green.

It was part of a weeklong series called Western Kentucky.

Hope Rising.

If you missed those stories, you can stream those programs on demand at KITV DOT org and especially our Friday night program.

That was a whole program dedicated to the recovery.

♪ ♪ A prison break, a beloved dog and an important milestone in American history.

>> That and more in our look at this week in Kentucky history.

>> June 19th as Juneteenth the day that commemorates the emancipation of slaves at the end of the Civil war.

June 19th 18 65 Union Army General Gordon Granger ordered slaves freed in Texas the last 8 with institutional slavery in 2005 lawmakers created Juneteenth National Freedom Day in Kentucky.

6 died and 30 were heard as 2 Army transport helicopters collided at Kentucky's Fort Campbell on June.

19th 1996.

The collision came during a training exercise.

>> The army said the 2 Black Hawk helicopters, main rotor blades hit each other.

Workers move the statue of Jefferson Davis out of the state Capitol Rotunda on June 13th 2020 Davis was born in Todd County and served as the only president of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.

The 12 foot marble statue had been in the capital for 84 years.

But critics said it was wrong to honor a man who supported slavery and led a rebellion against the United States.

Lexington loss.

Miley paid on June 17th 1957.

The dog showed up in the downtown area in 1946.

And was regarded as the town dog.

He was a familiar presence around Maine and Limestone streets after he died a plaque with his likeness went up along the sidewalk.

Those are a few of the interesting things that occurred this week in Kentucky history.

>> Thank youto be gives for that.

The transition from teenager to adult can be difficult for anyone.

Western Kentucky University has a program teaching young people with autism, the skills they need to make that transition.

We'll catch up with them and show you how that program is working out tomorrow on Kentucky EDITION.

Before we leave you tonight, a salute to the thousands of Kentucky women who served in our armed forces.

Kentucky is one of 14 states to have a women's veterans day and it was yesterday June 12th.

It commemorates the day President Harry S Truman signed a bill into law in 1948.

Allowing women to serve as soldiers.

The Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs says more than 27,000 women Veterans Live in Kentucky.

We certainly salute you.

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.

Subscribe to our weekly Kentucky addition, e-mail news letter and watch full episodes and clips Akt Dot Org.

And you can also find Kentucky addition on the PBS video app or your smart mobile phone device and smart TV and follow KETK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

And you're more than welcome to follow me on Twitter at Renee K E T. Thank you so very much for joining us tonight.

Pope.

It's a great start for the rest of your week.

Take good care.

And I'll see you tomorrow night.

♪ ♪