[MUSIC] I actually jumped.

I mean, it's like you jump from the inside every time you hear that, that sound, that sound is a severe weather alert.

How state lawmakers hope to encourage more homeowners to get prepared.

[MUSIC] >> Donald Trump just threatened to blow up an entire civilization.

Doing it is a war crime.

>> Just a Kentucky congressman says Donald Trump isn't fit to be president.

[MUSIC] >> I don't think they're ever going to forget these experiences, and their employers are going to be thankful for it.

>> And some future lawyers get their day in court.

>> Production of Kentucky edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

[MUSIC] >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky edition for this Wednesday, April the 8th.

I'm Renee Shaw, and we thank you for winding down your Wednesday with us.

The Kentucky State Senate will move forward with an impeachment trial for Judge Julie Goodman of the Fayette Circuit Court, even after a state Supreme Court ruling released Monday halted the proceedings.

Senate President Robert Stivers says the Senate Impeachment Committee will begin its work April the 16th, a week from tomorrow.

The Kentucky House voted for Judge Goodman impeachment on March 20th.

She's accused of abusing the powers of her office, defying legal precedents and state statutes and other charges.

State Representative Jason Nemes of Middletown spoke out against her on the House floor.

>> Judge Goodman sees herself as a law unto herself if she does not like a statute enacted by the General Assembly, she disregards it.

If she disagrees with the binding precedent of the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court, she announces she will not follow it.

If she believes the prosecutor is acting improperly, she conducts her own investigation and renders her own verdict without notice, without authority, and without regard for the constitutional role of the grand jury or the petty jury.

Judge Goodman ought not be a judge in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

>> Judge Goodman's defenders, though, say she's never been accused of a crime and that removing a judge based on a judge's ruling set a dangerous precedent.

Her lawyer says she's tough on prosecutors to make sure they do their jobs correctly.

>> The fact that you lose now and then is just part of the deal, and the fact that a judge is tough on you is just the way it is, because judges are holding the government to the highest possible standards.

A judge that isn't doing that isn't doing their job.

>> On Monday, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued a 5 to 1 ruling saying that the impeachment effort violated Goodman's due process rights.

The alleged offenses were not impeachable and that the General Assembly was not the proper venue.

The Senate President, Robert Stivers, put out this statement this afternoon, and it says, quote, the Senate is aware of the opinion issued by the Kentucky Supreme Court and is carefully reviewing its implications.

There have been long standing concerns within the legal community about the conduct at issue, and I am encouraged that the judicial branch, per the opinion, is now taking a more active role in examining those concerns.

That level of accountability is essential to maintaining public confidence in our courts.

The Senate's focus remains on carrying out its duties, as outlined in the Constitution of Kentucky, that each branch of government operates with integrity, and that concerns about judicial conduct can be raised and addressed without fear of retaliation, end quote.

Senator Stivers says House prosecutors will lay out their case against Goodman on April the 16th and 17th and 20th.

Judge Goodman will have three days to respond April 21st through the 23rd.

The impeachment Committee will then present its findings to the full Senate on April the 24th, and you can see that coverage of the impeachment proceedings right here on KET, both on air and on our Kentucky channel and online at KET dot o r g. Last night, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran that's supposed to last for two weeks.

In exchange, Iran said it will allow ships to travel through the Strait of Hormuz for a fee.

But Iran closed the strait today after Israel bombed Lebanon.

The cease fire declaration came just before a deadline set by President Trump.

He had threatened a major attack on Iran's infrastructure if Iran didn't reopen the strait.

In a social media post earlier in the day yesterday, the president said an entire civilization might die.

That remark prompted criticism.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear responded to that threat with this statement that says, quote, an American president threatening to end a civilization is not just anti-American.

It's flat out crazy.

End quote.

Because of that threat, about 85 Democrat's in the U.S.

House now say President Trump is mentally unfit to serve as president.

They want him removed using the 25th amendment to the U.S.

Constitution.

Among the 85 congressmen Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky's third district, the only Democrat in Kentucky's U.S.

federal delegation.

Here's what he had to say.

>> Donald Trump just threatened to blow up an entire civilization.

Doing it is a war crime.

Just saying.

It's a horrifying escalation to the war that he started.

It's crazy.

I mean, think about this.

If Obama or Biden had done something like this, we would have either assumed that someone hacked their account or invoked the 25th amendment, and we should.

It's wrong.

It puts America and Americans at risk.

But here's the thing.

Congress is not powerless.

Mike Johnson must call us back into session right now to vote on the War Powers Act and stop this insanity.

>> Now, on a related matter, flags on state buildings will be at half staff Saturday to honor Technical Sergeant Ashley Pruitt of Bardstown.

She died March the 12th and the crash of a refueling tanker in western Iraq as part of an operation supporting the war in Iran.

Her funeral is Saturday at New Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in Cox's Creek, Kentucky.

Flags will be lowered from sunrise to sunset.

Congressman Andy Barr of the sixth district, a Republican candidate for the U.S.

Senate, has parted ways with his campaign manager.

Blake Gober left the campaign last week, according to a statement to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

That's after a report from the conservative website Breitbart about past statements by Gober critical of President Donald Trump.

According to Breitbart, after a Republican primary debate back in 2024, Gober posted, quote, Donald Trump is not fit to be president of the United States again.

Any of the people on the stage tonight are much better suited to be president than either Trump or Biden.

End quote.

And Breitbart says after the January 6th, 2021, insurrection at the U.S.

Capitol, Gober posted this quote, I am proud that I have never voted for Donald Trump.

End quote.

Kentucky state Senator Julie Raque Adams, a Republican from Louisville, is blasting Democrats for accusing her of wrongdoing.

Adams is the head of Kentucky strong, a political nonprofit organization.

The Kentucky Lantern reports Kentucky strong has received all of its money in recent years by interest, that lobbied the Kentucky General Assembly and that the nonprofit's only expenses are payments of $80,000 to Adams.

Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Coleman Eldridge is calling for an investigation by the state attorney general and the Legislative Ethics Commission.

Adams put out this statement, quote, on social media today, and it says, quote, I would never assassinate the character of another human being.

Like, what is happening to me?

What is being alleged is grossly misconstrued.

I'm the executive director of an 11 year old organization I founded to help Republican women be successful in winning elections and staying in office.

It's Small.

It's a support that's there for those who need it, and everything has been properly disclosed with the IRS.

It's only in an election year when the other side tries to make it an issue.

If I were not an elected official, the words being thrown around about me would be slanderous.

End of quote.

She went on to say she delivered four important bills to the governor's desk, saying that each one benefits the community.

[MUSIC] Time now for our reporter's notebook.

And we're still talking about the Kentucky General Assembly session.

Right now it's in a veto recess period, but they resume on April the 14th.

And we're delighted to have Sylvia Goodman, who is the state Capitol reporter for Kentucky Public Radio, with us to dissect some of the developments here of late.

Good to see you, Sylvia.

>> Glad to be here.

>> So let's talk about some educational policies, particularly that affect Jefferson County, where you're situated.

There were several, but we'll talk about the one that really dealt with the composition and the number of the Jefferson County School Board.

Tell us what has what is final about this?

Or.

We know at this point.

>> Right.

So I think you're referring to Senate Bill four.

And that is was late amended piece of legislation.

Initially, it was a very bipartisan bill that created a principal training program, but it morphed late in the session to also change the structure of at this point.

Specifically, Jefferson County's board limiting it, eliminating several seats to five in Jefferson County is the only school board in the state that has seven seats.

It is also by far the largest school board in the state, and it Knott school board.

It's by far the largest school district in the state.

So it limits.

It eliminates two seats.

It would also then force an election at the end of this year.

So it completely also rewrites the districts.

Now it allows the new school board, once it's in place to redo the districts themselves also.

So it would only be for this election year, but it could be a pretty big shift for Jefferson County.

Those school districts look very different, and school board members have to decide whether or not they're going to run for reelection at the end of this year.

We know of at least two who are not going to be.

>> And correct me if I'm wrong, but there is also legislation that passed concerning the superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools giving him the current superintendent Brian Yearwood more latitude when it comes to day to day operations and even how much he could spend without having to have more fiscal oversight.

>> Exactly.

That is Senate Bill one.

It actually very closely mirrors legislation that lawmakers already passed and that the Supreme Court recently overruled.

They have come back and and passed very similar, not totally identical legislation, but they've added on a list of their reasonings.

They said the Supreme Court ruling left room for them to bring this legislation back, as long as they fully expounded why they felt that Kentucky's largest school district, JCPS, needed to have this specific shift in governance that the superintendent should have more authority over day to day affairs because of the complexity of the district versus the school board, which is elected superintendent, is appointed by that elected body.

>> So finally, in the few seconds we have remaining, what do you have your eye on when the session resumes for the final two days next week?

>> Well, the big bill I have my eye on is this housing omnibus bill.

It's a Senate bill that got stuffed with eight or more pieces of legislation in the final days of the session.

It really included all of the various housing measures that had been moving slowly or rapidly through the General Assembly, but it didn't make final passage.

And so really, what I'm waiting for here is to see if that if in any form ends up passing, and because there are certainly several parts of that that Governor Beshear would likely sign that Democrats would support.

But there are some parts that maybe are a little more contentious, especially around Airbnb short term rentals that was added in in the last minutes.

>> Yeah, I was just going to say, Sylvia, that that short term rental piece, I think gives some of them some some heartburn.

And so we'll see how they're able to reconcile that.

Well, thank you so much for being on top of it.

Sylvia Goodman, who's the Kentucky State Capitol reporter for Kentucky Public Radio.

We appreciate all you do.

And thank you for a few minutes today.

>> Thank you.

>> U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell visited Northern, Kentucky, yesterday as he touted $18 million of federal funding for the region.

Our Emily Sisk was on the case and has more.

The projects benefiting from those dollars.

>> Pick out the best communities, the best programs and back them up.

>> That's exactly what Senator Mitch McConnell was celebrating on Tuesday as he visited Northern Kentucky after securing $18 million of federal funding for the region.

One project receiving the federal money is the Covington Central Riverfront.

What was once an old IRS site is now being turned into a new riverfront neighborhood.

>> The Covington Central Riverfront project is a cornerstone of the city's long term redevelopment strategy.

We are transforming 23 acres of former vacant commercial land into a vibrant, mixed use neighborhood.

>> $4.5 million of federal funding will go to a land bridge at the site, with a parking garage and park for the community.

The CVG International Airport is also benefiting from the funds, as a taxiway and concourse will get a facelift.

>> These projects, as I mentioned, are so important to enhancing the airport environment, ensuring that CVG continues to serve as a vital gateway for our region and a key driver of economic activity.

>> The last recipient was the Life Learning Center based in Covington.

The organization focuses on workforce development.

>> We teach individuals who are unemployed how to get a job, and more importantly, we teach them how to keep a job.

The other sites that we're going to be pursuing with the funding will be Morehead and Somerset and Bowling Green.

>> Along with these projects, Senator McConnell said one of his biggest focuses was ensuring funding was available for the Brant Spence Bridge, which connects northern Kentucky and Cincinnati.

A groundbreaking for that project is expected to happen later this spring for Kentucky Edition.

I'm Emily Sisk.

>> Thank you.

Emily.

Kentucky state lawmakers are responding to dangerous tornado outbreaks that have hit Kentucky in recent years.

Senate Bill 11 was signed into law in March.

It establishes a safe room rebate program for homeowners.

Our Laura Rogers spent some time with a barren county couple currently installing a safe room after surviving a tornado just one year ago.

>> Part of that roof went.

>> KY and Maria Lancaster know how to prepare for a storm with generators, lightning rods and emergency supplies.

>> That extra light.

>> It comes with experience.

>> People always talk about it being like a freight train.

I mean, it was just a big roar like that.

>> One year ago in the early morning hours of April 3rd, 2025, an EF two tornado hit the Lancaster's Barron County property.

>> As soon as we got the official alert on the weather radio that there was a tornado warning and we were to take shelter, Clay said.

We don't need to wait.

We need to go now.

>> Clay and Maria took cover here inside a fiberglass storm shelter installed in 2004.

Barrett 12ft underground.

>> You could hear the wind getting stronger.

You could hear things hitting on top of the the shelter.

>> Once the storm passed, they emerged from underground to take in the damage.

>> We had a metal carport up on one end and we said, oh, the carport.

>> The National Weather Service says winds reached 120mph, destroying an Airbnb bungalow on the Lancaster's property, along with damage to their home.

>> We were trying to find buckets and towels as the early morning hours came in.

That's when we saw the rest of the devastation.

>> It's been a year of recovery and rebuilding, including this new addition to their house, a basement with a safe room that arrived just last week.

>> That way we don't have to go outside.

We can get to it quickly.

Some people have them in their garages, but this seemed like it'd be a good deal for us.

It's underground and it's secure.

>> As Kentucky increasingly weathers severe storms and tornadoes, state lawmakers hope to incentivize more homeowners to install residential safe rooms with the passage of Senate Bill 11 offering up to $5,000 in rebates.

>> When they came and brought us in, that was our first experience of seeing an actual safe room.

>> I think it's a great idea because everybody needs a safe spot to go.

Even our neighbors next door, you know, it took off a whole roof where a little girl was in her bunk and broke her arm.

So that's very important.

They need safe places to go.

>> The Lancasters say neighbors are welcome to take shelter with them in future storms, along with their Airbnb guests.

>> Since we're out here in the country, we're not really close to a community tornado shelter.

And so we felt like it was more important for us to be able to protect ourselves, whoever might be here with us.

>> The couple didn't qualify for FEMA assistance, but have relied on insurance claims and out-of-pocket expenses.

Money, they say, is worth it for preparedness and peace of mind.

>> I do have more anxiety since we have been through a tornado and we know what the devastation can be like, so that does alleviate some of the anxiety.

>> It's worth the cost.

You know, you can't put a price on life.

>> And we thank Laura Rogers for that report.

State Senator Stephen Meredith of Litchfield sponsored Senate Bill 11.

Homeowners may receive a rebate covering half of the construction or installation costs, up to $5,000 for safe rooms that meet FEMA guidelines.

It begins in January of 2027, led by the Kentucky Emergency Management.

[MUSIC] Some aspiring attorneys had their day in court recently in a good way.

The attorneys in this case are high school students in the pre-law career pathway offered through the Jessamine Career and Technology Center.

They took part in a mock trial where they argued a fake case in a real courtroom with a real judge.

>> Nothing truly prepares students with the actual legal skills that we're learning in our law programs today.

If these students jump from high school into law school today, they will outperform college graduates hands down, guaranteed with the skills we're giving them.

>> Experiential learning is an incredible way to grow an education, as opposed to reading about it in a book or to sing about it something online.

When you get to go and participate in a trial, when you get to participate in learning the facts of a case and then turn around and get to make a presentation, make an argument, cross-examine a witness that really sets you apart as far as understanding and having a deep understanding for the legal system, the system that we have of justice in this country.

>> So the case is the trial of a woman named Jordan Pike.

Her brother murdered a drug dealer, and she's on trial for allegedly helping him commit that murder.

My role in the case is that I perform the closing argument.

So at the end of the trial, I'm the one who goes before and sums everything up for the defense.

And I cross-examine the detective.

The police detective who investigated the case, and who is trying to kind of tell you that all the evidence points to the defendant.

And I direct examine an eyewitness who saw something that implies that the defendant took active steps to prevent violence.

In this case.

This is a really fun case.

It's the case I've been involved in the most since I'm a senior.

And yeah, I'm, I, I, we were split into two teams like you saw today and the team prosecution and defense.

I'm an attorney for both sides of my team.

So I direct scholar Boyle across Jordan Pike.

And then I do the opposite on the other side, and I do the opening and closings as well.

And it's really fun to do.

I'm, I'm quite involved on the team and I feel like everyone, all my teammates really make it very enjoyable.

>> We just learned so much like case law, precedent, everything like that.

And we work with real Kentucky statutes.

We have gotten so many compliments as to how well we are in the courtroom, how professional we are, and how we are sometimes better than actual lawyers.

>> In this case, it was readily apparent they had studied the facts.

They knew the law, they were prepared to make arguments.

And so the level of preparation here was something that I haven't seen before.

>> We take students that they're in their shell.

They need to know how to communicate with one another in a professional way.

I think that is something that our workforce needs across the boards.

Students are used to this, right?

More and more.

They're used to that.

Are they used to actually communicating professionally?

Not with the slang that we all use in our text and such.

Can they write professionally?

Can they handle themselves with decorum?

So it's giving them just a professional level of personality attribute that I don't think is really taught outside of this setting.

>> This is an extremely beneficial thing, especially for people who are looking to go into law careers.

First of all, it teaches you to do public speaking in a really natural way without ever having to be like centered around that and feel like you're forcing yourself to do public speaking.

It's a very natural kind of argument.

It teaches you to analyze the rules of evidence, to analyze a fact pattern like the case we have, we get it months in advance.

We write all our material over a long period of time.

It teaches us to prepare and to understand the legal arguments in question, and then to know what it's like to present those in a courtroom.

>> I feel like my public speaking is a lot better, and I feel like this has really helped me just get practicing on saying and doing my like openings and closings really good.

On public speaking.

We must prove that Jordan Pike did this with me.

Every time I'm in a room where I have to speak to a bunch of people, I feel like a lot more confident than I did before I did my trial.

>> I don't think they're ever going to forget these experiences, and their employers are going to be thankful for it.

And even the kids that don't choose the law pathway, if they go into even becoming a doctor, the communication skills they learn here are going to transition.

These skills are transitional, making a work ready workforce.

And I'm happy that Kentucky has these opportunities now for kids.

>> Yeah, here, here.

Brilliant minds and a great program.

The mock trial team recently won third place in the Kentucky state trial competition, and a fun fact some of those students also sing in an a cappella group called La Cappella.

[MUSIC] A familiar face in the horse racing world is retiring before Kentucky Derby.

Number 152 Mike Battaglia has set the morning line odds for every Derby since 1974.

Battaglia recently or currently identified the Kentucky Derby favorite 39 times in 51 runnings for a success rate of 76.5%.

He also served as Churchill Downs announcer from 1977 to 1997, and later as simulcast host from 1997 to 2007, Battaglia said.

This is said this in a statement, quote, I'm very appreciative of everyone at Churchill Downs for the opportunity over the years.

It's been a great run and I felt like it was the right time to step away and let someone else take it forward.

End quote.

Well, he certainly will be missed.

The TRACK has named Nick tomorrow as his successor tomorrow, recently, or currently works in a variety of industry roles.

Morning line Oddsmaker at Keeneland, track announcer at Sam Houston Racetrack and a handicapper at Twinspires tomorrow, says it's an honor to take over for Battaglia, and those are big shoes to fill.

You can own a piece of Derby history.

Lelands auction House is selling Derby jockey trophies from 2007 to 2009 and 2010 from Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel, who won the Derby each of those three years.

Current bids are already topping $4,400, so bring your cash.

You can also buy a black leather saddle that Burrell used in those three races.

Bidding for that is now up to more than $2,700.

And thank you so much for being with us tonight.

We will see you right back here on Kentucky edition.

Same time, same channel and