>> Of the day.

He'll the live in yet to play.

Write that down of this scourge on our pick.

>> Ahead, how Kentucky will spend millions to fight the opioid epidemic and who will lead that fight.

Everybody just kind with its neighbor helping neighbor like in any disaster.

>> Mayfield's mayor looks back at the deadly night that changed her community.

♪ It's a growing problem.

People scamming self-checkout machines in stores.

What Kentucky plans to do about it.

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

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

♪ ♪ >> Welcome to Kentucky EDITION.

Today is Monday, June, the 6th.

>> I'm your host, Renee Shaw.

All welcome.

And let's get right to the headlines.

The 2022 election isn't even here yet.

But the 2023 race for Kentucky governor is getting more crowded all the time today.

Savannah, Maddox jumped into the race on the Republican side announcing on her website that she is running for Governor Maddox is a state representative from the 61st district which includes Grant and Gallatin counties.

Plus parts of Boone and Kenton.

She is a so-called liberty conservative and has been very critical of Governor Andy Beshear's COVID emergency orders.

Maddox is making a formal announcement tonight in northern Kentucky and we'll have more from her tomorrow on Kentucky EDITION.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan corals and state Auditor Mike Harmon have already announced their candidacies for Governor.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky says he will not endorse any Republican candidates for governor before next year's primary.

Paul spoke to W H O P radio in Hopkinsville.

Paul says a crowded field with several well-known candidates already shows the strength of Kentucky's Republican Party.

Kentucky has more than 400 million dollars to fight the state's opioid crisis.

And now we know who will help lead that fight.

And February states reached a 26 billion dollar settlement with 4 companies, Cardinal Mckesson, AmerisourceBergen and Johnson and Johnson for their role in America's opioid problem.

Kentucky share is 483 million with half going to local governments and half going to state government today, Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the new members of the commission to decide how the state will spend the money.

>> Kentuckians are hurting.

And since taking office.

In 2019, this office has devoted.

Every available resource to addressing that hurt the partner with law enforcement to get drugs off of our streets.

Successfully defended the law and that makes it easier for families to secure a treatment for loved ones.

And most recently.

Held opioid companies accountable for their role exacerbating this crisis.

>> This commission and its work have been pining for.

With the laps of our kinfolk.

They lie buried beneath the ground of every one of the 120 counties.

Which comprise this come with.

We shall undertake our responsibilities.

With all of the reverence and humility.

Demanded by that coast.

>> Among the 11 members of the commission, state Treasurer Allison Ball, State Representative Danny Bentley and Erik Friedlander, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Attorney General Cameron has ruled against a fellow Republican and an open records case.

Cameron says Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles his general counsel and the Kentucky Department of AG, quote, Blatantly violated the Open Records Act when they fell to respond to a Kentucky Democratic Party request a public records related to department lawsuits.

Cameron corals are both Republican candidates for governor in 2023.

There's talk in Kentucky of tougher punishments for people who rip off self-checkout machines in stores.

The Courier Journal reports of Somerset case where a woman switched bar codes on 2 items in order to save money.

Prosecutors charged her with a felony instead of the standard misdemeanor.

But an appeals court reversed her conviction.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron will ask the Kentucky Supreme Court to reinstate that case.

Has store owners complained the crime is becoming more and more common.

COVID cases continue to increase 7 counties are now in the red or high category for case numbers, including several in eastern Kentucky and a couple in western Kentucky.

21 counties are in the yellow or medium category.

That includes Jefferson and Fayette.

The other 92 counties are still in the low category.

Doctor.

Steven Stack commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health says we are learning to live with COVID.

>> And so the have increased in recent weeks.

But the numbers we released yesterday showed it has turned down a little bit and that could be because the holiday weekend, we know people don't get tested as much.

We also know that more people are testing at home with antigen tests.

So our capture of all the people with the virus is going to be reduced.

And then there's some people who just are testing.

They think they have allergies because it's allergy season.

Still.

And so the important thing from my perspective is that the hospitals are doing well, at least from a COVID perspective.

So we only have about 225 people in the hospital statewide for COVID about 25 or so in the icus, only about 8 or so on a ventilator for COVID.

That's way less than our peak.

>> And doctor Stag says we're at a place where Kentuckians can now make their own decisions about protecting themselves from the virus.

In Wisconsin, a man is accused of killing a retired judge and having a hit list that included Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Police say in addition to McConnell, the suspects list included the governors of Wisconsin and Michigan.

Police say the suspect shot the judge Friday morning and later shot himself.

But survived.

Mass shootings and gun laws.

Those of the topics on Kentucky tonight tonight after shootings in Texas and elsewhere, Americans are debating the proper response.

The U.S. House is now considering a gun reform bill.

We asked one of our guests, Congressman John Yarmuth of Kentucky about the likelihood of any house backed bills passing in the Senate.

>> Well, from all I hear there is a sincere effort going on on a bipartisan basis to take some action.

Now, I think the odds of the Senate getting 60 votes to pass.

What we passed in the House is virtually 0.

I think once the public sees the options that are available and we believe that public opinion, it is overwhelmingly supportive of virtually everything that that we're proposing on the House side that that maybe a few Republican senators will see their work with their work their way clear to take a more aggressive approach to this huge national issue.

>> Hear more from Congressman Yarmouth and our other guests, including a mass shooting survivor and a leader of the Kentucky League of Kentucky.

Sportsman on Kentucky tonight.

It was a history changing day.

78 years ago.

♪ Today is the anniversary of D-Day.

The island allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France during World War.

2, the Kentucky Historical Society says more than 300,000, Kentucky and served during the second World War.

The National World War 2 Museum says that as of 2021, there were 2,324 Kentucky, Veterans of World War 2 still living.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors Plan to vote today on a resolution supporting a Muhammad Ali stamp.

It's part of a campaign called give the champ stamp the legendary heavyweight boxing champ and Louisville native died in 2016.

It's a complicated Citizens stamp advisory committee has to review the request.

The process can take up to 3 years.

♪ All this week.

We're marking 6 months since deadly tornadoes barreled through western Kentucky.

Bowling Green Dawson Springs and Mayfield suffered the greatest damage.

80 Kentucky ends were killed.

The storm damaged thousands of buildings with a price tag in the billions.

Dawson Springs as the childhood home of former Governor Steve Beshear.

Last month.

I caught up with him, former first lady Jane Bashir and their sign current governor Andy Beshear to talk about the region's recovery.

>> These were donations that started pouring in everything from Amazon to the Kentucky Distillers Association.

Shell Auction was the largest single donor to people.

7, $20 into some kids sending a couple dollars of their allowance and what that has led us to is supplement state funding that we've had all together.

We've now provided over 60 million dollars to the region.

And before you count with FEMA and the Red Cross the United Way has done its more that 11 million dollars going to directly help families.

It's it's about a million dollars to pay for funerals.

16 million dollars.

We just announced a regal 300 homes and now that debris removal is complete.

Just about But Mayfield, it was 30 million dollars to the school system from the state fined 15 million to travel trailers where people than able to spread out a little bit time and not have to stare at up at a destroyed home.

Every single day.

But people's generosity from that to that toy drive.

Really incredible.

This was a moment in time now with the whole state and the whole country.

The whole world came together.

They did it for for us.

I like that.

That's because they saw us right, actually saw as we're good people that open our homes and our hearts to one another.

When people saw that, they joined them.

So how do you?

>> Right?

The rebuilding and recovery efforts?

Are they sending lay on target mean how do you even determine what's on target?

I suppose.

But how do you assess it?

>> So a disaster, this thing where it's not people's roofs that are gone there, the whole house is gone.

I do believe that people have worked really hard and it's going as quickly as can be expected, at least in the debris removal.

So the exception of Mayfield where large government buildings got hit so hard, it's going to take demolition, which is going to be painful in and of itself.

Primary debris removal is now done in just about every other county, which is pretty special and back.

But first, new home that we broke ground on.

It may feel looks like it's going to be done next month by the 6 month anniversary, I was for a family that lived there for for for generations.

The rebuilding effort.

We're really excited to make that announcement about 300 homes with a Fuller and habitat homes and help in Mayfield.

One challenge is going to be with inflation right now and with supply chain issues.

The rebuilding may take months longer than we'd like it, too, will push through that and the more expensive.

That's right.

Yeah, that's real We have we have 2 challenges that our families are facing.

One.

Is that they were unsure and totally and shirt right now.

The cost of rebuilding means their their house may look a little different.

And then there's the rental side.

I know some of the areas had always seems like some of the areas that or have urged people, people living on the margins, right and wanted to make sure that that we have that type of housing.

But but the piece that goes along with that our and every time we have a jobs announced or something that pushes us closer ensures that these towns are going to survive.

We just made a $300,000 investment in Graves County to get their site build.

Ready to build the pad.

We already have a company talking to us about the bowling green.

Just did more on that in the trance park down there.

So when we really look at the rebuilding, it's both getting the structures out.

People's lives back together.

There's also ensuring the vitality in the future of those towns.

We're going to do it.

We're not going anywhere no matter what it takes matter.

What else happens out there?

We're going to get done.

>> Throughout the week, you'll hear more from the Beshear family about the tornado aftermath and cleanup.

The devastation in Mayfield, as you heard and was tremendous with.

23 lives lost in more than 250 buildings destroyed.

Mayor Kathy own and retrace the events of that December night and the community efforts to rebuild.

>> The tornado hit around 9.25, it was probably 10 o'clock or so.

By the time I got to the to the fire station where everyone had gathered.

And I remember walking in that fire station.

And I saw people there who truly all they had left was what they had on that homes on them.

Some of them were barefoot.

Some of them were hurt, not horribly but hurt.

And what?

I get emotional about it every time when telling this part is.

How many of our retired employees first responders had already come and we're already there to help.

And all of our employees came.

You know, there was no time to call everybody just kind with its neighbor, helping neighbor like in any disaster, fast forward, 6 months on end says most properties have been cleared of debris.

>> Some people are still living in temporary housing while their homes are being rebuilt.

Neighbors are still helping neighbors.

Volunteers are from near and far.

>> We're standing in a home under construction near the corner of North 5th.

A nice tan and North Mayfield.

And you'll see scenes like this around town where homes are being rebuilt and it's a sign of hope.

You know that 4 letter word hope is sprinkled around and front of the bank and other places to inspire people about our future to come.

Hope is not just a word.

It's the spirit of this community that you'll see all around.

>> There are so many nonprofits committed here to build homes for people who lost property that they owned.

But then we are a community had a lot of rental property.

And there are leave out some but Samaritan's Purse, which is just internationally so well known for extending that helping hand in that loving heart.

And I love on each one of these organizations, especially if they're building rental prop up the building for people who rented and now will be.

We'll get a home.

For their own yet that I love that.

All of these have that component in there of counseling is far as the cost of owning a home because if you've been a lifelong renter, there are things that you've never had to deal with, homeowners insurance and property taxes homeowner maintenance.

Not that that they're so well run.

Is rebuilding going on there?

I love hearing about.

Business owners were not sure what we're going to build, what we're going to build back.

I think some people think there ought to be more commercial property being rebuilt right now.

And it is.

But but you've got to wait on every block to the waiting on final insurance, too.

>> Mayor own and marvels at the generosity still pouring in from across the nation.

I just talked to him and usually whose corporate news Corp >> is just waiting with almost a million dollars to do green spaces.

But we've got to get this city lay out first.

This is what the twister did to Anderson Park.

>> Named after the family of Mayfield, founders.

Now the mayor says the restored park is surrounded by 23.

Newly planted trees to honor the 23 whose lives the storm claimed.

She says it stands as a symbol of hope and wholeness.

>> It is.

We will be hope we will be held at, you know, put a horrible thing to have happened to this town that we all love so much.

Our city attorney.

Who grew up here.

He said.

I never knew how much I love this town until almost lost it.

And to me, that is like so many of us and I have no doubt that.

10 years from now, we will look at and see a completely different looking downtown, but still holding on to the things that are so vitally important.

But always always always.

Before December tornado to now.

It is the people of the city and county that are holding us all up.

And how did this all together and moving forward to better better better than we ever work?

>> And we invite you to join us this Friday for a special Kentucky addition as we mark the 6 month anniversary of the western Kentucky tornado outbreak.

We'll talk with those living in the areas impacted by the tornadoes to see where they are on the road to recovery.

Watch Western Kentucky hope rising at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central on Friday.

♪ >> Will you get the care you need if you're hospitalized with the country's dire nursing shortage.

It's a question being asked more frequently by patients.

It's also a concern for the nurses who are administering care to patients.

Recently, nurses across Kentucky gathered in Frankfort to voice their concerns about patient care, working conditions and one of the solution state lawmakers have come up with to solve the nursing shortage.

>> I just think we have a broken system.

Kathleen added to the hospice nurse who came to Frankfurt to call for change the biggest change he wants to see is patient to staff ratios in hospitals and other health care facilities.

>> Part of the reason why I left my previous position was because we were constantly under staff.

It was common for us to have anywhere from 8 to 10 patients, a shift we would have a tech with us, but that tech could have 18 patients themselves.

So it was the constant stress of going in for each 12 hour shift and never knowing how that money are we going to be under staff >> the free to organize a march in Frankfurt.

Staffing shortages are not only stressful for the nurses, but also dangerous for patients.

>> It's not just about nurses being safe.

It's about the patients that were caring for when when you have low safe staffing ratios in the nurses, caring for plus patients that puts each of those patients at risk for heart.

It puts them at risk of.

>> Not getting the care that they need.

And that's what we're actually at stake.

>> When you're under staff as a nurse and your understaffed with your tech staff, its patient care that suffers because you can only be in one place at one time with one patient.

And so patients then are waiting longer to get pain medication.

They're waiting longer to go to the bathroom.

Some of them may get tired of waiting and get up on their own and fall.

>> Kentucky is facing arson charges for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the state to a crisis level during the height of the pandemic.

When the 60% of hospitals around the state reporting critical staffing shortages, which prompted Governor Andy Beshear to declare a state of emergency to address a statewide nursing shortage.

State lawmakers passed Senate Bill 10 removed the limit on the number of students who can enroll in college nursing programs.

Governor Beshear signed the bill into law in April.

But Adam says she doesn't think that will solve staffing shortages and health care facilities.

>> You can admit more people into nursing schools.

It doesn't mean they're all going to complete the program.

There's always going to be some that Joe completed for one reason or another.

Also when those in new nurses go out into the field.

What conditions are they meeting?

>> Health care workers attending the marks.

A real change can only happen at the federal level.

They're calling for the passage of the nurse staffing standards for hospital patients, safety and Quality CARE Act.

The legislation would establish a standard, a nurse to patient ratios.

>> I really think that this is something that isn't shouldn't be determined by states.

This should be something that is federal across the nation.

There's a lot of corporations and people that are against it.

They say that it takes away our ability manage staffing and it would be to cost too costly to do but what we say is the conditions that we many nurses have been working in across the nation with the pandemic only proves that there has to be protection for the patients at a federal level that says you have to have this many nurses to this many patients to be safe.

>> They say passing legislation at the federal level also improve working conditions that are causing burnout and forcing many nurses out of the profession.

>> If they're going into work, stressed every day, feeling like they may lose their nursing license over unsafe conditions.

If they're being asked to I deal with, you know, COVID patients without proper PPE shift after shift.

How long are they going to stay?

>> Nurses have been fighting this fight for 30 plus years.

I know of.

>> From nursing homes, the hospitals to all different levels of saying that.

>> We shouldn't be put into conditions.

Our unsafe.

But I think that a lot of times nurses have been exploited because of their compassion.

>> Because of their hard work and their dedication to being a nurse.

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Echo Camel.

>> Don't arm ANSA News.

CEO of the Kentucky Nurses Association supports the federal legislation.

You just heard and she talked to us about the change in attitude toward nurses.

>> In 2020, as you said, we were heroes.

as recent as the end of 2021, nurse reported to me that she went to the grocery store.

And gentlemen scrubs and someone spit on her.

She was at the grocery store.

She was at the grocery store and a person in the grocery store spit on her.

So that's a long fall from a hero to a person that gets picked on.

And a lot of that is that nurses are the people that you encounter the most in health care.

She said we are 53.3% of the health care and the nurses are the people who are asking.

Please wear a mask.

Please get vaccinated.

Please wash your hands, please.

Social distance.

We are the not only the care providers, we are also the people who protect the patients.

And so we're asking people to do the right thing.

>> Every Monday we look back at some of the important events and milestones this week in Kentucky.

History to begins has more.

♪ ♪ >> An air back helicopter crash killed the pilot and a paramedic and a nurse and Clay County on June 6, 2013, the crew was headed back to Manchester after taking a patient to a London hospital.

The chopper crashed in the parking lot of Pace.

Is Creek Elementary School pilot Eddy Sizemore Flight paramedic, Herman Dobbs and flight nurse Jesse Jones died.

The NTSB said the helicopters main motor blade malfunctioned.

A Clay County jury awarded the victims families more than 20 million dollars.

Jim 7th is often called Boone Day in Kentucky.

It's the day and 17.

69, the Daniel Boone and John family began exploring the Bluegrass Transphobic Transylvania University resumed using its familiar name on June 12, 19.

0, wait began as a grammar school in 17, 85 in Danville been moved to Lexington and became Transylvania University and 70 99.

It merged with another school in 18 65 and became known as Kentucky University for more than 40 years.

But in 19 it went back to the name Transylvania.

Thank a Kentucky and for the gas mask.

Lewis has let of Louisville patented the gas mask on June 12, 18.

49.

He called it has less long protect or air interred and passed through a wall filter that block dust and other particles.

Tomorrow on Kentucky addition, we continue our series Western Kentucky Hope Rising.

We do hope you'll join us as we journey through their recovery.

The tornadoes devastated many businesses in Bowling Green.

How often are those businesses looking now?

6 months later, we'll catch up with those business owners and asked them about the cleanup.

>> And looking ahead to the day when things finally get back to normal.

Thank you so much for watching Kentucky edition on this Monday.

I hope to see you again tomorrow night.

Same time right here on KETK.

♪ ♪