[music] >> This campaign is about Kentucky common sense versus crazy.

[MUSIC] >> The Republican Party of Kentucky is hyping its candidates ahead of the November election.

[MUSIC] >> So you've got a really large watershed, a thousand, over 1000 acres, all draining to one sinkhole that basically operates like a 12 inch pipe.

[MUSIC] >> What is a green sink and how is it protecting hundreds of homes from flood damage in Hardin County?

[MUSIC] >> It's just a great way to get the kids involved and excited about it, and then get us excited about seeing them love Stem as well.

>> And how a group of educators is helping students stay engaged with learning over the summer break.

[MUSIC] >> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

[MUSIC] >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition for the start of this brand new week.

It is Monday, June 22nd.

I'm Renee Shaw, and we thank you for spending some of your Monday night with us.

Unity and freedom.

Those were two themes from this weekend's statewide Lincoln dinner, where Republicans from across the Commonwealth gathered ahead of this year's general election.

Our Emily Prince was on the scene in Lexington Saturday and has more.

>> It was a who's who for the Republican Party of Kentucky here at the Lincoln Day dinner in Lexington on Saturday night, nearly 1000 attendees got to hear from candidates of the Republican Party for U.S.

Congress, as well as Andy Barr, who is running for United States Senate.

>> Ladies and gentlemen, this campaign is about Kentucky.

Common sense versus crazy.

>> Barr spoke directly against his Democratic challenger, Charles Booker, comparing him to Zoran Mamdani, the democratic socialist mayor of New York.

>> Today in America, freedom is under attack.

A growing, powerful, left wing, woke, socialist and crazy ideology is on the march.

If we let it, it will come to Kentucky.

And my fellow Republicans, I will not let it.

>> Barr sailed to success in the Republican primary over former Attorney General Daniel Cameron and businessman Nate Morris, who dropped out of the race after being offered an ambassador position by President Donald Trump.

Barr told reporters after Saturday night's event that he had spoken with Cameron and Morris a few times since the election.

>> The party is very, very unified after that primary.

As I said in my speech, that competition made me a better candidate, so I thanked both of them.

>> The current congressman stayed strong on his political messaging, vowing for lower taxes, a strong national defense and more.

>> Common sense tells us that we are a nation of immigrants and that we welcome people to our country, but they have to come legally or they should not be here at all.

And common sense tells us that boys are boys, and girls are girls, and biological men should not be allowed to compete against girls in sports.

>> Barr told me he plans to participate in more than one debate with Charles Booker.

Before the November election.

Unity was a keynote of Saturday's event after a few contentious primary races.

One of those was in Kentucky's fourth congressional District.

Retired Navy Seal Ed Gallrein defeated incumbent Thomas Massie with about 55% of the vote.

Gallrein, who was handpicked by Trump to run in the race, promised to continue the president's agenda.

>> The president knows he cannot do it alone, which is why he asked me to serve the Commonwealth, our party and nation.

Again.

We must continue to work as a team to elect committed conservative Republicans up and down the ballot.

>> Doctor Ralph Alvarado will face a highly contested general election in the sixth Congressional District.

His Democratic challenger, Zach Dembo, has received an endorsement from Governor Andy Beshear and many other high profile Democrats.

>> This seat doesn't belong to Andy Beshear.

This seat belongs to the people of Central Kentucky.

If we hold this seat, we preserve a voice for faith, freedom, personal responsibility, secure borders, strong families, and constitutional government.

>> Another voice for faith, family and freedom was Maria Rodriguez, a Cuban immigrant who was running in the Third Congressional District, which encompasses almost all of Louisville.

Rodriguez talked about her experience growing up in a communist country.

>> I am running because I love this country, and I know what it's like to live without freedom.

I know what happens when faith is pushed out of public life, and citizens become dependent on the government.

Instead of empowered by opportunity.

>> Rodriguez will face Democratic Congressman Morgan McGarvey in the general election.

One person missing from Saturday night's gathering was outgoing U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell, who was hospitalized in Washington, D.C.

last week.

Andy Barr said he had not heard much from the senator, other than a text that said he was doing well.

His team sent their regards to Saturday night's attendees for Kentucky edition.

I'm Emily Prince.

>> Thank you so much, Emily, for that.

All Kentucky members of the U.S.

House of Representatives, including some who did not speak on Saturday, are up for reelection in November.

Now, when it comes to Senator McConnell, we reached out to his office today, and his spokesperson told us they don't have an update to share.

The 84 year old was admitted to the hospital more than a week ago, and it's unclear if he's still there.

The reason for his stay also hasn't been disclosed.

McConnell is not seeking reelection after serving seven terms in the U.S.

Senate.

Kentucky's attorney general is suing the prediction market platforms Cassie and Polymarket.

These sites allow users to make money off the outcomes of sports and global and cultural events.

Our June Leffler has more on how states and federal agencies are regulating this kind of betting.

>> A state tax on prediction markets was set to go into effect on July 1st, at 14.25% of all transactions.

It mirrors the rate of online sports betting.

Now that tax is tied up in the courts after the sites sued this month.

The tax is a first of its kind from a state legislature, but lawmakers said in March they would not do anything else to regulate the prediction market platforms.

>> Can somebody run a betting on elections?

>> Yes.

Prediction market companies are offering wagers or derivative swap contracts, as they would tell you on election outcomes regulated at the federal level by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

And that agency has said that we are preempted from directly regulating those products, even though they look very much like wagering.

>> While states have rights to regulate gambling, a federal agency says these platforms are closer to open financial markets and that it sets those rules.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has taken this authority so strongly that it has sued Arizona, Illinois and other states for their attempts to tax or stop this kind of wagering.

Still, states, including Kentucky, continue to push back on the platforms and the federal status quo.

Attorney General Russell Coleman filed suit last week against Caci and Polymarket, saying they operate illegal sportsbooks that have no ties to traditional horse tracks and do not connect users to gambling addiction resources.

Unlike Kentucky's regulated sportsbooks, though, the sites are known for bets made on the outcomes of wars or elections, Coleman focuses his argument on sports betting, which he says makes up nearly 90% of last year's wagers on these platforms.

Ohio made a similar targeted case against Caci and won in federal court in March.

Kaushi is now appealing that ruling.

The result is a growing legal clash.

States fighting to regulate what they see as gambling and companies claiming federal protection under the CFTC slowly evolving rules.

Ultimately.

Courts and possibly the U.S.

Supreme Court may decide who's in charge for Kentucky Edition.

I'm June.

Leffler.

>> Thank you.

June.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission proposed new rules for prediction markets this month.

It includes little changes to sports wagering with its standard rules and scorekeeping, but would likely intervene in bets on athlete injuries or anything that could be rigged or not in the public's interest.

Now to some weather news.

Another round of severe weather swept across the state today.

A strong line of storms rolled into Kentucky during the overnight hours in Meade County, near Louisville.

Several large trees were toppled, blocking roads.

Flooding was also reported across the county.

It was a similar scene in nearby Nelson County, where some county roads were covered by water.

Several roads were also closed this morning in Lexington because of high water.

The fire department responded to multiple calls of cars stranded and even submerged.

It's because of weather events like today that a Hardin County city has been working to better protect itself from heavy rains.

The city of Radcliff has reduced its flood plain by four feet by building what's called a green sink.

They took what was once a flat piece of land and turned it into a beautiful basin.

Our Mackenzie Spink spoke with city officials to learn more about this method of flood mitigation.

>> The catalyst for the Quiggin's Basin project was actually a 1997.

After historic rainfall caused heavy flooding at the bottom of the Happy Valley watershed.

>> We had about ten inches of rain over a couple days, and this whole area was was underwater.

Dixie highway was underwater.

>> The homes that are surrounding the basin, which are adjacent to it, they were all completely underwater.

We have an area over here called Happy Valley.

Unfortunately, that wasn't so happy during those times because it was completely flooded.

The homes were underneath water.

>> After similar flooding in 2008, the city began a partnership with FEMA and the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management to build the Quiggin's Basin.

The natural sinkhole in this area wasn't draining the flood water fast enough, so creating a basin made space for the water to collect somewhere that wasn't roadways or residential areas.

>> So a lot of times when you're dealing with basins and stormwater, you're talking about just slowing water down.

You're trying to detain it until the peak of the storm has passed.

And the downstream system can take additional flow.

This is just a giant bathtub.

So you've got a really large watershed.

1000/1000 acres, all draining to one sinkhole that basically operates like a 12 inch pipe.

>> The native plants in this basin had to be carefully chosen.

They had to withstand being underwater for days at a time, but also survive potential droughts.

Crawford says the habitat in the green sink has been thriving, and that the nearby streams have actually improved ecologically since the completion of the project.

>> Immediately after the construction of the project, while we were still kind of in our growing period on the restoration, we were starting to see tadpoles.

We were starting to see more birds.

We were starting to see the the wildlife interacting, you know, with what was built.

>> Part of the original design for the Basin project incorporated paved trails around the edges.

Originally, the paths were intended for service crews and vehicles, but they've also become walking trails for the community.

>> If we look now, you know, you'll see people out here walking.

You'll see, you know, nature, you'll see people walking their dogs, you know, and so it really has added a, a, a, a sense of safety to some of these homeowners that are around here.

>> Crawford says the community and environmental impacts were bonus benefits of the Basin Project.

The main purpose of the basin was put to the test last year.

>> February 2025, and then again in April 2025.

We had massive rain events where we actually had events that were larger than the 100 year storm, and we were able to to see firsthand, you know, if our solutions worked.

>> They did exactly what they were supposed to do.

Did we have some overflow?

Absolutely.

But we didn't have anybody's house completely underwater.

And that that that showed that they did exactly what they were built for.

>> Dixie highway did not go under water, and we didn't have any residential flooding in this area.

So it was a great day when we were able to, you know, verify that that all the hard work and money that was spent, you know, provided a meaningful impact and prevented 100 residents from having their basements flooded again and, and kept Dixie highway open for the traveling public.

>> For Kentucky edition.

I'm McKenzie Spink.

>> Thank you so much.

McKenzie.

With the surrounding land now safer from flood waters, more businesses have been opening in the area.

That includes a Baptist Health emergency care center that's currently being built.

And cleanup continues from last week's severe weather.

Nearly two dozen tornadoes were reported from Iowa to Ohio on Thursday.

Five of them were here in Kentucky.

The National Weather Service says an EF two tornado touched down in Maysville.

Winds were clocked at 114mph.

That was strong enough to toss a 700 pound four Wheeler nearly 200ft through the air.

Several homes and businesses were also damaged.

EF one tornadoes were also confirmed in Grant and Boone counties and Boone County.

The tornado was on the ground for six miles and was 400 yards wide.

That's the length of four football fields and what started as an EF two tornado in Indiana weakened to EF one when it crossed the Ohio River into Trimble County, where tornado also touched down in Carroll County.

But the National Weather Service has yet to determine its strength.

No injuries were reported.

Now to Education News.

The superintendent of Kentucky's second largest school district says he wants his job back.

The Fayette County School Board placed Demetrius Liggins on paid administrative leave earlier this month.

That decision was made after Liggins sent the board an email saying he wanted to begin discussing what's called a separation agreement.

The board later announced he was resigning, which Liggins denied.

Now, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports, a lawyer for the superintendent is alleging the board violated Kentucky's open meeting laws when placing ligands on leave.

The letter, sent on Friday, demands he be reinstated within four days.

The school board has its next regularly scheduled meeting tonight.

[MUSIC] The Kentucky Behavior Institute is a conference designed to give teachers the tools they need to manage student behavior in the classroom.

Educators learn how to build relationships, work with students experiencing trauma, and care for their own mental health.

Our Mackenzie Spink is back to tell us how these strategies have changed over time, and how these skills are being implemented in Kentucky classrooms.

More about this in tonight's look at Education Matters.

[MUSIC] >> When students act disruptively in the classroom, learning is often put on pause for everyone in the room.

The Kentucky Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders says giving students tools to handle their emotions before a behavior happens is more effective than only training teachers on how to properly react.

>> For me, the mission of the conference is to respond skillfully to student behavior, responding, but then also the proactive piece of teaching.

How do we skillfully teach behavior?

Just like we would reading, just like we would math?

>> You know, it's one thing to respond in the moment, and we absolutely do that.

But what we really want to do is empower our students and our families to have those strategies and resources so that they're successful from the outset.

>> Educators at the conference say they've seen an increase in behavior events in the classroom, particularly since the Covid 19 pandemic.

>> I've been in education.

August will actually be year 24.

Behaviors of the student is not the same.

When I first started, when I was much younger, I do think that all school systems are being faced with doing more with less resources, and that impacts the well-being of everyone.

>> However, they say the strategies to support students with behavioral issues have improved over time.

>> When I came into our district and started reviewing some behavior plans, I noticed we were heavily reliant on the same interventions or almost like a one size fits all response to student behavior.

>> In 2019, Kentucky received a federal grant called Project Aware, which helped to highlight the effect of trauma on children's brains and learning functions.

Organizers with the Behavior Institute say this was revolutionary in the student behavior space.

>> How do I support students that might have some significant life events that have happened, and they still need to come to school and be educated every day?

How can we support them and their families in the classroom?

So that trauma informed piece has been huge.

>> The proactive, trauma informed classroom management skills taught at the conference will ideally set up students for success not only in the classroom, but also in their relationships and eventually the job market.

>> They're really looking for things that we've kind of called soft skills in the past.

So the ability to disagree agreeably or the ability to communicate appropriately with other people, whether that's in the school or in their future in the workplace.

So making sure that they have these emotional regulation skills so that they can ultimately actualize it all goes back to actualizing their full potential.

>> Teachers at the conference don't only learn tools for classroom management, but also self-care and coping tools.

According to the National Education Association, challenging student behavior is a common reason why teachers leave the profession.

>> The sessions that I've attended are all focused on things that we can do with the resources we have to improve our environment.

I think society as a whole is realizing that being an educator is stressful.

There's one thing I love about my job is being able to be a support for them, understanding the day to day stressors that they face.

This conference has done really well of saying, hey, this is hard.

What can we do to learn to do hard better?

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm McKenzie Spink.

>> Thank you again.

McKenzie.

The Kentucky Behavior Institute takes place every two years.

This year, there were more than 1300 attendees.

So how are Kentucky kids doing?

Every year, the kids count data book looks at children's well-being and education, health, economic stability, and other factors.

Tonight on Kentucky tonight, a report card on Kentucky's kids with state lawmakers and children's advocates.

We hope you'll join that conversation tonight at eight eastern, seven central right here on KET.

A group of students is spending part of their summer learning about a variety of career options in the Stem fields through hands on learning activities.

But the students aren't the only ones gaining knowledge and new skills.

At the University of Kentucky's Stem experiences camp.

Aspiring teachers are learning right along with them.

>> This is a great way for people that >> Are interested in teaching or prospective teachers to come and learn a little.

Bit about the field in a way that's friendly and accessible to them.

They're learning how to design experiences around Stem that are engaging, enriching, fun, but also have some really good, important Martin.

Joe.

I mean, another thing they're learning how to do is just to manage a group of kids.

That's a key element of teaching.

>> So this camp was originally founded as a way to get more students involved with Stem.

So it's a great thing that every year they have plenty of pre-service teachers here who are learning all about working with Stem with students as well.

And then it's just a great way to get the kids involved and excited about it, and then get us excited about seeing them love Stem as well.

Yeah, it's really like, show me what I'm so passionate about learning Stem.

I taught one student how to do long division earlier this week, and it was just such a proud moment for me, my first time getting to do that with younger kids.

And so it really makes me inspired to do that with the older kids as well.

I'm from southeastern Kentucky, and so there's a real big need for Stem education there.

And so I just feel like this is something that I'm good at and able to do, and I just want to be able to go back and help those kids have a good future.

>> In school.

A lot of times, Stem science, technology, engineering and math can feel pretty scheduled and we can have learning objectives and some activities that are fairly programed.

And that's because we want to maximize that learning time.

But in a camp space format, we can really open it up and allow kids to be more creative, to design, to build, to imagine.

And it doesn't really feel like school because it's summertime.

And he had the benefit.

Is there meeting kids from different communities, different parts of the community, new faces, new experiences, making new friendships.

We have a great group of campers of all age groups from early elementary all the way through high school.

Join us and in any given session, they might be doing robotics.

They might be extracting DNA from a strawberry.

They might be building the tallest tower they can build with a preset of materials.

But whatever they're doing, they're going to be exploring.

They're going to going to be doing some hands on stuff and learning through experience.

We like to mix it up sometimes, and every once in a while we'll come up with an activity like we're going to, we're going to try for this robotics challenge or this engineering challenge.

And, and almost always our kids come through and surprise us with some really amazing creativity.

>> And I'm helping out with robotics.

They.

So we build stuff out of Legos.

Today we're building a robot called spot and a rabbit.

And science is really fun because sometimes I think of it like boring.

But at this camp, like it changes my idea.

And I think it's really fun here.

>> Beth camp, Stem camp is.

>> Nothing better than a thumbs up.

The University of Kentucky Stem Experiences camp runs through June.

We have everything from gold to baseball to beer cheese.

As our Toby Gibbs looks back at this week in Kentucky history.

>> The Commonwealth of Kentucky created two counties on June 22nd, 1792, just three weeks after becoming a state.

Washington County was named for President George Washington.

Scott County was named after Charles Scott, a Revolutionary War general and future governor.

These were the first new counties added after Kentucky's statehood.

Mildred Hill was born June 27th, 1859, in Louisville with her sister Patty.

She wrote the song Good Morning to All, which was later used as the melody for Happy Birthday to You.

On June 28th, 1935, President Franklin D Roosevelt ordered a gold vault built at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

The president wanted gold reserves moved away from the East Coast to guard against possible attack in the event of a war in Europe.

[MUSIC] Fred Vinson took the oath to become Chief Justice of the United States.

On June 24th, 1946.

[MUSIC] Vinson was born in Lawrence County, went to Center College and served as a Congressman and as Secretary of the Treasury.

On June 22nd, 1889, the Louisville Colonels lost their 26th straight game, setting a major league record.

[MUSIC] On June 25th, 2013, the Kentucky General Assembly recognized Clark County as the birthplace of beer cheese.

Those are some of the highlights of this Week in Kentucky history.

I'm Toby Gibbs.

>> Thank you so much, Toby.

Now, before we leave you tonight, we just received an update on U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell from his office.

His office sent a statement that reads, quote, Senator McConnell is still working closely with staff on Senate business, and Kentucky matters as he continues his recovery.

However, he will not be voting this week, end quote.

And we'll keep you posted that coming from Stephanie Pen, the spokesperson for U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell, Kentucky's second largest city, has embarked on a unique beautification project tomorrow on Kentucky edition.

How Lexington is turning unsightly utility boxes into works of art with the help, of course, of the community.

That story and much more.

We'll bring you tomorrow, Tuesday on Kentucky Edition, where we inform, connect and inspire.

And, you know, to tune in at 630 eastern, 530 central.

We hope that you'll also subscribe to our Kentucky edition email newsletters, and watch full episodes and clips@ket.org.

You can also find us on the PBS app that you can download on your mobile device and smart TV.

Send us a story idea at the email address on your screen, public affairs@ket.org.

And of course, we're looped in on the social media channels, Facebook and Instagram, where you can stay in the loop.

Thanks so much for watching.

Make sure you tune in for Kentucky tonight at 8:00.

Coming up in just an hour.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thanks for being with us and I'll see you soon.

Take good care.