[music] >> It appears that in about an hour and 45 minute period, four and a half to five inches of rain fell on this particular area.

[MUSIC] >> And part of one Kentucky County is now a mess.

[MUSIC] >> Educating these kids about where their food comes from.

The importance of agriculture is one of the most important parts of this job.

[MUSIC] >> This week, students across the state are getting outside the classroom to learn about agriculture and farm safety.

[MUSIC] >> You know, actions speak louder than words.

And she's so loud in both of those ways.

You just know that she cares.

>> And we'll go inside the classroom of Kentucky's newest teacher of the year.

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

[MUSIC] >> Good evening, and welcome to Kentucky Edition for Tuesday, September 22nd.

I'm Kelsey Starks and our KET Studios in Louisville.

Thanks for joining us.

A Kentucky county is facing a messy cleanup tonight, part of Harlan County in southeastern Kentucky received more than four inches of rain in less than two hours.

Nobody died, but it did leave water and mud on roads and in people's homes.

Our Christy Dutton spoke with County Judge Executive Dan Mosley about the damage and what it will take to clean it up.

>> Last night, a very small area of Harlan County within about a five mile radius, experienced a very significant flash flood.

And based on our conversations with the National Weather Service, it appears that in about an hour and 45 minute period, four and a half to five inches of rain fell on this particular area that impacted the Coxton, Brookside and ages communities.

>> Yeah, and that's right there near a river and and creeks.

And that can really amplify the flooding impact.

What impacts did you all have?

What are you all cleaning up now?

>> So we've had a lot of county roads that were impacted in that particular vicinity.

We've we've seen culverts ripped from the ground.

We've seen some bridges that have been impacted.

Tiles stopped up and the water not able to pass through.

And ultimately resulting in additional flooding.

We've we've seen in addition to the road damage, people's private property, water got in some homes in some basements, a lot of mud in people's yards, debris piled up everywhere.

We even saw several vehicles that were were flooded as a result of this particular flash flood event.

And there were a couple of areas even where rock like a like literally like rockslides occurred near the top of the mountain, nowhere near a creek rock come tumbling down the mountain into, into the side of, of a home.

It's been very sporadic.

We're just thankful that there was no loss of life.

When you have flash flooding that occurs at the midnight hour, that's what your biggest fear is, is that people are asleep.

They don't know what's happening around them.

But our first responder community did an amazing job getting to each door and alerting people of the trouble that was coming their way.

>> A lot of people think with flood events, you think of water, but at this stage, what you're dealing with is not water, it's the mud.

The tree limbs just it just looks like gunk that covers, as you say, yards, roads, but also homes.

So what is the need with the communities that were impacted, that were affected?

What are the needs now.

>> We've asked those with property damage to report that to my office, and we started two different databases here.

We started a I have a need database and we started.

I want to help with a need database.

I need help and I want to help.

And we're trying to.

Get.

>> Get to either of those.

>> That's exactly right.

We're trying to help connect those.

So because there's obviously certain limitations that government has in order to help.

But if we can be a facilitator and work with the Red cross and other entities that have stepped up and said that that they want to be a part of this, we've had churches already come up and say they want to help there.

There are abundance of needs right now in this particular communities that were impacted.

So we're essentially trying to connect people and find those that have resources and are willing to help and want to help with those who need it.

And in this particular area, there, it's a it's an aging population in this particular community.

And a lot of people that live there that were impacted, they they don't have the ability to be able to get out and shovel that muck out of their yard or, or get it out of their home or their basement and pump the water out.

>> And if somebody does want to help there, what do they need to do?

>> They can reach out to our office at 606573 2600.

And we're managing that database and, and connecting folks, we've already made several of those connections today to get some people some assistance.

And, and we'll continue to do so as long as that's needed.

>> Okay.

Wonderful.

Well, I know we have more rain in the forecast.

So Judge Mosley, thank you so much.

I know it's been a very busy day for you.

And we'll probably stay that way for the next few days as you all clean up.

Thank you so much for your time.

>> Thank you to stay weather aware.

>> Thank you for that.

Christie to Frankfort now state Auditor Alison Ball is starting an online tool.

She says it will track what she calls error rates and wasted taxpayer dollars in the Beshear administration's processing of benefit programs.

Ball just sent a letter to Governor Andy Beshear and Doctor Stephen Stack, secretary of the cabinet for Health and Family Services.

She says in the past year, she's found high error rates in how the cabinet administers Medicare, Medicaid and the Snap program, also known as food stamps.

She says the Beshear administration has not acknowledged her earlier warnings about these problems.

In her letter, she writes, quote, we received nothing in response from your administration, no acknowledgment, no corrective action plan.

In fact, after our letter, your agency's administration of the SNAP program in particular got worse, putting Kentucky at serious risk of paying a $60 million penalty, end quote.

The governor is now an author.

Today is the release date for go and do likewise.

How We Heal a Broken Country, written by Governor Beshear.

The governor is in Washington, DC to promote the book.

He will discuss the book with Maryland's governor, Wes Moore, at a D.C.

theater tonight at 7:00.

We're going to have more on that tomorrow right here on Kentucky edition.

Small businesses are the beating heart of our economy.

So what happens when the moms and pops of these shops need to retire our June Leffler has this report on the crisis and opportunity of Kentucky's aging business owners.

>> There's not a lot you can do to modernize a business like this, because it's so hands on and so traditional.

>> Balconies, staircases and gates, functional and ornamental ironworks is embedded in the fabric of Louisville.

>> Centerpiece still left to go.

>> Not all pieces stay put.

This one is being refurbished so it can go back to the island of Bermuda.

>> They started bringing them to us originally in the 70s.

I think.

I guess it's because it's in a saltwater environment that they they deteriorate pretty quickly.

Yeah.

They're just really ornamental, handmade.

All this stuff is handmade.

You know, it's kind of a catchphrase I have on the back of our cards that says we do make them like they used to, because you hear that a lot, that they just don't make them like they used to.

We do.

>> Built to Last.

Indeed, the company's been in Louisville for 150 years.

>> You know, we toughed out wars, toughed out.

I maybe the flood toughed out, the depression.

>> Nancy Powell's husband was the fourth generation in his family to own the business.

Their son, Travis, could have been the fifth, but he didn't want that.

>> So I said, no, you're okay.

You can do what you want.

>> What happened next?

A talented metal worker at the shop stepped in and bought the business.

>> I can keep it going and keep the name alive and still provide for myself and my family.

>> A welcome deal for everyone.

>> What would I have done?

What I sold it to?

Just anybody?

No, I would have rather the business go down with a good name than sell it to somebody.

And the business's reputation would no longer be what it is today.

>> Businesses across the nation have a succession dilemma.

In Kentucky, 150,000 business owners planning to retire in the next ten years do not know who will take over their company, and that's troublesome for all of us.

>> Not only do they employ a incredible amount of the jobs in our society, but go look at the high school football field and baseball field.

Look at the advertisements on those walls.

Those are the businesses that are the lifeblood of our communities.

And we can't afford to have those disappear.

>> But the silver tsunami of aging business owners poses an opportunity for the next generation of entrepreneurs, says Dave Knox.

He runs a business innovation hub in Northern Kentucky.

>> We have probably one of the most entrepreneurial generations coming up that we've ever had.

There are great people that want to be entrepreneurs, but maybe don't have that original idea that they want to go launch from scratch, but they know that they can take something not from 0 to 1, but maybe 1 to 10.

>> This model is called entrepreneurship through acquisition or ETI, a economic development groups in Kentucky are promoting this model to aspiring entrepreneurs at meetups and conferences.

>> I wish I'd known about ETA before now, but now you know about it.

In sprocket.

Western Kentucky is here to spread the word.

>> Whether the company stays steady or becomes something bigger is up to the proprietor.

>> You know, think about Howard Schultz, for instance.

You know, when he bought Starbucks, it was three stores in Seattle, Washington.

He didn't create the concept of Starbucks.

He had this idea of what it could be and what it could grow.

>> Work is steady at Pole Ironworks, but 51 year old Robert Baker is thinking of his future.

>> Absolutely.

My son works here.

He's been here for a couple of years, and hopefully one day he feels like doing the same thing that I did.

But absolutely, I want to see the place continue after I'm gone.

You know, that's kind of the whole point of me taking over was just not to just let it die and go away.

>> As a new family operates the shop for perhaps another century, Baker says the pole name will remain as a testament to the company's enduring craftsmanship.

For Kentucky edition, I'm June Leffler.

>> Thanks, June.

Well, these days you could call Kentucky Hollywood South.

Thanks to a tax incentive plan, movie makers are bringing their film shoots to the Bluegrass State.

Last night on Kentucky tonight, we talked about the ripple effect on the rest of Kentucky's economy.

>> This industry really is like almost an octopus.

You know, we have our tentacles and our reach that is far beyond what you see on camera.

I think what happens with pre-production, production and post-production is all economic impact.

And then it continues as people connect to these stories and to what they're seeing on their screens, they want to visit and they want to come, you know, screen tourism is a huge driver for us.

And so I think what we're seeing is that, yes, this incentive is intended for the film industry, but the film industry impacts so many of our industries in the Commonwealth.

And you're seeing that in our hardware stores.

You're seeing that in our restaurants.

You're seeing that in our hospitality industry, and you're seeing that as far as uplifting and telling what and who Kentucky really is.

>> Yeah.

And Justin is there with you, Justin, you may want to build on that a little bit and say more about return on investment.

>> Yeah, I was just going to say, you know, piggybacking off of what Meg was saying, the the great thing about the incentive is that the nature of a tax credit means that producers have to they have to come to the state, they have to hire crew, they have to spend money here.

They have to they have to pay wages.

They have to pay Kentucky withholding taxes.

They have to rent equipment.

They have to pay locations.

They have to come here and do all of those things.

And that has to be verified.

And it's only after that process happens where they have come, they have done the project, they have spent that money, they have paid Kentucky taxes.

It's only then that they that they actually earn their incentive.

And I think that's what makes this so powerful, right, is the the incentive is there.

But it's only earned after you have done the thing.

You have made the production here, right.

It also is something that galvanizes the private sector as well, not only increasing jobs, but bringing in financiers like me to try to make these things happen.

Right?

It puts the risk on the private sector as opposed to the public sector to watch this industry grow.

And I think that's a that's a powerful thing.

>> Over in Western Kentucky.

Christy, is it a challenge for you?

And and maybe it's even a fun challenge for you to fight, to try to find the locations people are seeking.

>> It is I mean, our job is first to educate people about the incentive.

And we have an amazing incentive, one of the best in the country.

But at the end of the day, people still need to make their movie or TV series and they need to make it creatively the best that they possibly can.

So sending a script over and saying, this is my vision, this is what I'm looking for.

And it can be anything in the entire world that they're looking for.

Literally from a mansion to a building that looks like somewhere that an Apple iPhone would be made, that's completely white and stark.

And no, all glass like it's, it's an interesting expedition to try to find it.

I represent ten cities within Western Kentucky, and I have great partners within those cities.

So to be able to say, okay, guys, here's what everybody is looking for and send it out to the cities and get them excited about what the opportunities are and have them dig up these amazing gems within their cities because they know it better than anybody does.

And then to have filmmakers so surprised at what can be done here has been such an amazing feeling.

>> Very interesting where you can see all of last night's very interesting conversation online on demand.

Go to ket.org/ky.

Tonight there is a new development in the Crystal Rogers case and tenants organized to demand improvements from their landlord.

Our Toby Gibbs tells us more in this look at headlines around Kentucky.

>> The Kentucky Standard reports a judge has delayed Nick Houck's perjury trial.

Nick Houck is the brother of Brooks Houck, the man convicted of killing Crystal Rogers of Bardstown, who disappeared in 2015.

Nick Houck is accused of perjury for inconsistent statements during the Crystal Rogers investigation.

[MUSIC] His attorney is asking for the case to be dismissed.

[MUSIC] He says Houck's statements didn't affect the investigation.

[MUSIC] Renters in Shelbyville are starting a tenant union to demand action from a Lexington based property management company.

The Kentucky Lantern says more than 75 tenants want winter wood Incorporated to take care of burst pipes.

Unresolved sewage back mold mice and eviction threats.

Winter wood told the lantern it can't respond to the allegations because they lacked information about the specific properties affected.

[MUSIC] From the Bowling Green Daily News, the Kentucky Court of Appeals has reversed a $22 million judgment against Scotty's contracting and Stone in October of 2012, during construction work on Kentucky Highway 90.

[MUSIC] A retaining wall collapsed, killing one worker and injuring three.

The Court of Appeals says there were irregularities during the 2023 trial.

It recommends that all claims be dismissed.

[MUSIC] Paducah is celebrating the grand opening of the riverfront Infrastructure project, the Paducah Sun says a $10 million federal grant helped pay for more walking paths.

[MUSIC] Green space, a riverboat excursion pier and plaza.

The project began in 2019, was delayed two years because of the Covid pandemic, but then started again in 2022.

[MUSIC] With headlines around Kentucky.

I'm Toby Gibbs.

>> Agriculture is one of Kentucky's leading industries, regularly generating between 40 and $50 million for the state's economy.

Well, this week, the Department of Agriculture is exposing students from across the state to farming heavy machinery, livestock, and more, and showing them how they can be involved in this crucial industry, whether they live on a farm or not.

Here's more in tonight's Education Matters.

[MUSIC] >> Down goes Bob.

>> This is AG Education Week, all in for Education Week.

It's a partnership between the Department of Agriculture, the Lieutenant Governor's office and the Department of Education to increase access to agriculture education across the entire state of Kentucky.

And we're doing the entire kickoff kickoff of the entire week centered around agriculture, education, and including farm safety as well into that.

So we're going to have a safety demonstration here with more than 650 students all across Jessamine County.

They're coming right here to learn about farm safety.

And we're going to host a press conference, do a whole lot of really amazing things with our first responders here in Jessamine County.

And then we're going to move into safety demonstrations.

There are more than 25 different stations here so that students can learn about agriculture, education, and farm safety.

>> As Commissioner of Agriculture, I feel like a lot of times I'm the voice for rural Kentucky.

Our farming community.

And so making sure that that voice is heard and working in partnerships to ensure that we are getting our best foot forward in AG.

And so educating these kids about where their food comes from, the importance of agriculture is one of the most important parts of this job.

And we're now leading the nation in ag education, and we're grateful for that.

>> One of the things that makes agriculture unique is a lot of times you're working with heavy machinery, but sometimes you're also working with tools like ATVs and our kids that are in fifth grade, they're getting ready to go into those different activities, potentially on farms or just, you know, even off farms, working with ATVs and having fun with them.

So we want to make sure that our students who are our future leaders, also agriculture leaders, have an opportunity to learn how to be safer on ATVs.

We have larger equipment here.

So some of our students have never seen large pieces of equipment before or worked with them.

So we're excited for them to get hands on with those pieces of equipment.

We have some animal demonstrations, and then we also have our mobile science activity centers here.

That's a part of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

>> But I'm really excited for the kids that have never lived on a farm and have never been a part of that work, because this is going to create the kind of exposure for them that can open up new doors of opportunity for careers.

It will help them better understand how we're going to feed a growing world, and we need their help in doing that.

It's like I said today, you know, we we need their help to solve challenges that we don't even know yet.

And so every chance we can get them, you know, out of the classroom and into a field and getting their hands dirty is Moore.

They're going to learn and experience and retain because it's that hands on learning.

>> This is just the kickoff.

We're just getting started.

We have a full week and we tour the entire state during the week.

So we're going to start here in Jessamine County, but then we'll have a Western Kentucky Day and Eastern Kentucky Day.

A Northern Kentucky day.

We're going everywhere because we're promoting agriculture, education and farm safety across this entire state.

>> This spring, 95% of counties participated in agriculture, Education Week in some way, and the Department of AG says it's pushing for 100% this fall in more education news, Kentucky recognized its newest teacher of the year earlier this month.

So we wanted to explore what makes this educator stand out.

Our Emily Prince takes us to Northern Kentucky for a glimpse inside Miss Molly Seifert's classroom.

>> My first period, I have 29 boys and two girls.

God love them.

And for the whole week, every time I would walk in the room, they would stand up and cheer.

>> Those senior students at Beechwood High School cheered for Mrs.

Molly Seaford after she was announced as Kentucky's 2027 teacher of the year.

Seaford has been with Beechwood Independent School District for more than 20 years, currently as a senior English teacher.

>> Pink Post-it note here's all the feelings that he's having.

>> She said.

The teacher of the year recognition was certainly not expected.

>> It was an absolute surprise on the drive down there, my son called me and said, mom, have you prepared any words in case you do win?

And I said, no, son, I haven't really.

I thought it wasn't going to happen.

He's like, mom, I think you should maybe pull out a note card and just jot down a few words, just in case.

>> Seaford's principal said the news wasn't quite as much of a shock to the rest of the community.

>> Everyone was thrilled, really excited for Miss Seaford, but no one was surprised.

>> So what makes the Northern Kentucky teacher stand out?

One senior said it wasn't just her lesson plans, but her character.

>> You know that you're safe in this room.

You're never going to be judged in this room.

Miss efforts, always going to have your back.

>> My philosophy is to make sure that every kid feels good about himself when he or she leaves the classroom every day.

Do you feel good about yourself?

Do you feel good about what you've done?

Do you feel cared for?

I tell the kids all the time, I care more about you as a human being than I do care about your reading and writing skills.

Of course I care about your reading and writing skills, but what's more important to me is are you a kind human?

>> A few years ago, Seaford made the jump from teaching freshman to seniors.

>> I had this moment of do I try something new this late in my career, or do I want to stick teaching this group that I know that I liked?

And so I went for it.

I'm so glad that I did.

I love 1718 year olds who are right on the cusp of, you know, going out to do whatever the next thing is.

>> Seaford's classroom is decorated with brightly colored bricks displaying where her students journeys will take them.

Next.

>> I, I just get such joy to look at these names and remember the great relationships that I've had with these students.

I'm honored to have these bricks in my classroom.

>> I think she looks at each student and finds the potential and helps pull that potential out of the student, makes them feel seen for whatever their strengths are.

>> On top of teaching AP Literature and English for Seaford also leads an extracurricular.

>> My very favorite thing in my entire career is to be a speech and debate coach.

I love that the most, and there's no secret there.

>> But those extra commitments take plenty of time and effort.

>> To have people like Miss Seaford who are going to volunteer, and it's pretty much volunteer, you know, for the amount of work that that teachers do outside of the classroom.

>> It's a lot of time on your own before and after school.

It's a lot of time on the weekends.

This past week, I've been trying to find the perfect script for every single 40 members of my speech and debate team.

>> That includes Ko and Yap, captain of the team who said just this weekend, Seaford created an outline full of different speech and debate ideas.

>> You know, actions speak louder than words.

And she's so loud in both of those ways.

You just know that she cares.

>> Look at me.

I love you so.

>> Much in Fort Mitchell.

For Kentucky edition, I'm Emily Prince.

>> You have a lot of feelings.

>> Inspiring story there.

Well, Miss Seaford said her platform is centered around empowering student voices, a fitting mission as the speech and debate coach.

Well, she will represent the bluegrass in the National Teacher of the year competition.

Good luck to her.

[MUSIC] Alpha Gal Syndrome is a tick borne food allergy that affects people's everyday diets.

Dietitians at the University of Kentucky recently published one of the only existing nutritional guides for those with Alpha Gal syndrome.

>> At first, it was referred to, like you said, as the red meat allergy, but we really have been trying to push more awareness that it is way more than just red meat.

>> Tomorrow here on Kentucky Edition will tell you more about this unique syndrome and how the Nutritional Guide is improving life for those with Alpha Gal syndrome.

That's right here.

Tomorrow night we'll be here at 630 eastern, 530 central for more Kentucky edition, where we inform, connect and inspire.

Thanks so much for joining us this evening.

Have a great night.

[MUSIC]