[MUSIC] >> We are hoping that easier access does allow more people to use online services.

>> Attention Kentucky drivers.

Renewing your license may be getting a bit easier.

>> After having 30 years in law enforcement to see this happen anywhere in Western Kentucky.

It's kind of surreal.

[MUSIC] >> Those sworn to serve and protect are learning the basics of the badge.

Closer to home.

And meet a Kentucky woman with momentum.

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

>> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition for this Thursday, June the 4th, I'm Renee Shaw.

We thank you for spending some of your Thursday night with us.

Data centers.

They bring jobs and investment, but they also need lots of energy and water.

Now, leaders of Kentucky's Energy Planning and Inventory Commission, or Epic for short, say they have a plan for attracting data centers in a way that will protect Kentuckians from soaring electricity prices.

Here's a breakdown from Kentucky Edition's Clayton Dalton.

>> Communities across the state are being met with data center proposals, and some locals are asking questions about the implications these projects could have on the environment and their utility bills.

Epic Commission leader Eric King said today's report is about planning and strategy, not a commentary on whether Kentucky should recruit data centers.

>> The report begins with a simple question how can Kentucky accommodate large new energy loads while maintaining reliability and affordability?

What we found is that Kentucky is in a unique position.

What we.

We have affordable electricity.

We have available land.

We have a very strong industrial base and companies are taking notice around the country.

But this report is not about whether Kentucky should recruit data centers.

That is a decision local officials and local communities, economic developers will make themselves.

This report is about what Kentucky needs to understand if these projects move forward.

>> A central finding in the report is that Kentucky needs to have rules that assign costs to developers before data center infrastructure is built, to ensure Kentucky ratepayers don't bear the cost of these projects.

>> This report also reinforces a simple principle economic development and ratepayer protection are not mutually exclusive.

Kentucky can pursue both.

Kentuckians deserve confidence that growth can occur while existing customers remain protected.

Communities deserve clear information before decisions are made and policy makers deserve objective, independent analysis as they evaluate the opportunities and challenges ahead.

This report is not intended to be the final word on data centers.

>> The Kentucky General Assembly did not act on a data center bill in the 2026 session.

State Senator Robby Mills said there's more to learn before taking legislative action.

>> I think there's a need for all 138 legislators to take this report, digest it, start asking questions, ask questions of their county judges, local government officials that are are grappling with this issue.

I think, January, we're going to be in a much better position to look at this and say, do we need to weigh in on this, or are utilities protecting the ratepayers enough to where we don't have to weigh in on it?

>> State Representative Adam Moore said he thinks the legislature should have acted.

>> I actually filed legislation last year myself, called it the Kentucky Ratepayer Protection Act.

We got one version of it through the House, but we didn't get it passed into law.

I think that's one of the two big failures of us.

Number one, we didn't pass a good big housing bill, and we didn't pass a data center bill because there are no guardrails right now.

It's essentially the Wild West, where, again, there's all these NDAs and communities are fearful because they don't know who's putting bids in and offers in on these lands, and they can't get that information.

>> Governor Andy Beshear said he would not let a data center come to Kentucky if it passed along the cost of energy to the people of that region.

Mills said he agreed.

>> I think that the intent is to protect ratepayers.

I think it's important to to look and see who legislators are here, the folks from Eastern Kentucky that are battling high electric prices, that's top of their agenda if you ask every one of them.

And I think that's what the whole goal here is, we need to understand the issue.

We don't want to push away economic development.

It can coexist together.

How do we do this best for Kentucky and for the residents.

>> For Kentucky Edition?

I'm Clayton Dalton.

>> Thank you.

Clayton.

The Kentucky General Assembly approved its two year budget this year, and Northern Kentucky University's president is already lobbying for more money.

As our June Leffler reports, the request is to pay for a program that brings high school students to campus every day.

>> Gifted high school juniors and seniors can take classes at NKU during regular school hours for dual credit.

>> These are students who are ready for college level work, with an emphasis on admitting first generation students and low income students.

We have a campus based commute model.

It's actually what the program was built to do.

We.

We have found that it's the best of both worlds for our students who live with their families.

Come to the university from 8 to 230 in the afternoon and then return to their communities to do arts and athletics and other kinds of activities in their native high schools.

>> Northern Kentucky lawmakers say they've seen the success of the Trueba Young Scholars Academy.

>> It provides an opportunity for kids that are coming from underserved areas that they would never, ever get.

I live in Pendleton County.

Pendleton County has embraced this, and it's been such a successful experience for the students.

>> NKU wants to extend college prep learning to Northern Kentucky middle schoolers as well.

But the university's president says current state funding means the program will suffer.

>> There was also additional language in House Bill 500 that prohibited seek funding from supporting the academies, and particularly unexpectedly in the Votruba is a program the school districts participating in the VYSA as we now call it, program.

We're sending not only their seek dollars to support the program, but other funds as well.

Those funds were paying for not just their dual credit tuition, but also transportation and meals and textbooks and counselors and other staff to ensure their success.

>> The university is asking for $750,000 now and seek funding tied to individual public school students in the next budget cycle.

It's also asking lawmakers to match private investment dollars.

Lawmakers did not immediately accept the ask.

>> Well, do they arrive at the school at 8:00 and leave and go to NKU and come back at three?

Is that child at school or not?

Or should the state dollars go?

>> I love the innovation that you've got partners that are committed enough to your program to send a portion, probably not all, but a portion of their total total seat dollar to you to help elevate these kids in ways that changes what normal looks like, because it makes the other students that may not attend votruba suddenly realize that normal looks different in my community.

Opportunities are there, but I think you can understand why we chose to spend tax state taxpayer dollars in a more intelligent way.

>> NKU says it's serving 290 young scholars, but could scale up to 600 with more funding for Kentucky edition.

I'm Jim Loeffler.

>> Thank you.

June.

Now, turning to AG news.

Despite smaller profit margins and a drought, many Kentucky farmers are doing better than farmers.

Nationwide.

>> Farm bankruptcies have increased nationwide significantly.

We had a 46% increase in farm bankruptcies from 2012, excuse me, from 2024 to 2025.

It is interesting to point out, though, the Kentucky actually saw a decrease in that time period.

We had two bankruptcies in 24 and not in 25.

>> If we go back to last year, I probably had one of the worst financial years that I've had in a while last year because of the drought.

But we have farmers that persevere, that are resilient.

And I think we have some of the top quality farmers in the state of Kentucky.

And that's one of the reasons you see at number zero up there right now.

>> Professors from the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment spoke to the Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture about how Kentucky's farming landscape is doing financially, and the economic experts gave Kentucky's farming economy a B plus.

>> On the strength side, our land and asset values, so the equipment, values, everything have remained strong.

Cattle prices, of course, super strong.

That farm balance sheet is strong.

The agritourism or the value added side in Kentucky has also done really well over the past few years.

And I think there's a lot of potential there and a lot of strength in that area.

And then biofuels.

I would also list as a strength.

As far as challenges are concerned, input prices are a challenge.

Fertilizer prices, you know, with urea shooting up 70% at the beginning of the year, diesel shooting up 70%, they're coming down some.

But those those are challenges.

The declining working capital not having as much cash on hand to pay bills.

And then just the entries to barrier the barriers to entry.

Excuse me for young farmers are still there.

It's very expensive to get into agriculture, very high cost to get into agriculture.

So that's a challenge.

>> State lawmakers expressed interest in the future of aviation.

Biofuel is a way to boost the agricultural economy, as well as the potential for what's called right to repair legislation to reduce costs for farmers.

A trip to a driver license office, licensing office rather, can be stressful due to the paperwork and sometimes the long lines, but a new system is on the way to make things a little easier, Monday, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will launch My Drive, an online portal that puts Kentuckians in the driver's seat.

>> My drive is is an online account that you can set up, and for me to kind of keep things simple, it's kind of like a portal I have at my doctor's office or things where I can create my own username and login so it's secure just in my information.

But then it also links to my driving record.

So if I want to learn anything about my driving record, I can view it.

I can also submit documents if a renewal or an issuance is, you know, upcoming, I can submit those documents on there and have them pre reviewed and, and increase my chances of making a one time trip.

You know, that everything has been approved and I have all the appropriate documents.

And as well, you know, we mail your permanent card or your credential.

So you can also check on that status, because that's often a call that we get a lot, you know, when am I going to get my card?

So you can check its status of when it's been mailed, kind of like a, any other package you might order, you can go to your my drive account and you know, you'll click create an account and it'll prompt you through the process about how to set up your username and password.

And then when you get to the it, you know, you can look at all the requirements that would need whatever type of license that is.

The system does send reminders about renewals that it that it's time.

And so, you know, as always, we hope that will trigger people to go ahead and start getting ready for that renewal and getting their documents together.

So also in my drive account, you know, anybody that enrolls can elect to add emergency contact in there.

You know, that's important whether you're, you know, you're in a motor vehicle accident or something.

You know, the first responders would be able to find who they could contact to, you know, get you help.

Well, we are hoping that, you know, the easier access does allow more people to use online services because the less people going into the office allows us to focus on those that are required.

And so if they use we have more online services that are utilized by our customers, then the lines would be shorter in the offices when you have to attend.

So that is our hope.

But we do understand it's new and there's going to have to be a lot of communication about it and a lot of education, and we're willing to put into that time as well.

Until our citizens here in Kentucky get used to using it.

>> In other news, before they get the badge, Kentucky police officers must attend the Department of Criminal Justice training.

Most of them do that in Richmond, on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University, where they spend 20 weeks learning the skills and knowledge necessary for public safety.

That distance can be a challenge, however, for recruits in Western Kentucky.

As our Laura Rogers explains, a new option is on the way to ease that burden.

>> Early last year, the Department of Criminal Justice Training joined with Madisonville Police Department to open a basic training academy in Western Kentucky.

>> We've got a great partnership with DOCJT.

It's been wonderful working with them.

>> That partnership will continue in a new $50 million facility, getting more officers from preparation to patrol on a faster timeline.

>> One of the things that we.

>> Saw really right around the Covid era, just after, was the fact that you couldn't get a police officer into training for 6 to 7 months.

It's a year and a half, really, before you can get a new officer on the street.

>> Combine this with the fact there was a need for more officers as tier one employees on the 20 year retirement plan were moving on.

>> When we started talking about this with the legislators and with DOC JT, we realized that there's only one place in Kentucky that you can put another academy and make it so that every officer is within two hours, and that's Madisonville.

>> Construction is now officially underway on the Department of Criminal Justice training.

West Gaines Brown campus.

>> It will be a significant investment in the community, but it's a significant investment into law enforcement training.

>> And I'll be honest with you, after having 30 years in law enforcement to see this happen anywhere in Western Kentucky, it's kind of surreal because I never thought it was going to happen.

But the fact that it's happening in Madisonville makes it even better.

>> Chief Steve Bryant, a former Kentucky state trooper, says the new training facility will help recruit more officers unable to leave home for 20 weeks.

Hundreds of miles away in Richmond.

>> It's a 3.5 hour drive for us.

So, I mean, if you live in Paducah, that's a five hour drive.

You can almost drive to Chicago in five hours.

>> In the long run, he says it will also help save taxpayer dollars.

>> Our agency alone spends over $50,000 a year sending people to training every year in Richmond.

>> We're super excited about it.

>> State Representative Wade Williams, who represents Hopkins County in the state legislature, is the former Madisonville police chief.

>> Having one close where someone can drive home relatively quickly if anything comes up, I think it will make a better atmosphere for those employees that want to get into the field, but don't have to put their family through such a burden to do.

>> So, he says.

Training closer to home may also help officers better understand the communities they serve.

>> Richmond does a good job of of teaching the generalized.

The job of law enforcement.

Every small community or every region, I guess, of the state.

I found this out in the state legislature that there's a lot of different cultural backgrounds in different areas.

>> The new West campus will have the space to graduate officers more quickly, going from training about 25 at a time to 50 through concurrent classes.

>> So they'll start a class, and then two weeks later, they'll start another class.

Two weeks later, they'll start another class.

And that's kind of what they do in Richmond right now.

>> It's designed for departments west of Elizabethtown and I-65.

But Chief Bryant says some recruits may still train at EKU.

>> The first thing they're going to do when they hire somebody is check and see where the first opening is.

If we hire somebody and the first opening is Richmond, we may send them to Richmond just because that's going to get them out on the street faster.

>> The DOCJT West campus is expected to open later next year or early 2028.

>> It definitely is going to be nice to have it in our own backyard.

>> For Kentucky Edition, I'm Laura Rogers.

>> Thank you Laura.

The Kentucky General Assembly has also okayed $13 million for a paved driving course to train for high speed pursuits and other operations.

As for the current building in Madisonville, Chief Bryan says they've received federal funding for a cyber crime lab to do digital forensics.

[MUSIC] The state says a reduction in lanes will make the Dixie highway safer.

But not everyone agrees, and a lawsuit involves London's mayor.

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

[MUSIC] >> American Express is suing London Mayor Randall Weddle and B.C.

recycling.

[MUSIC] American Express says it extended credit to the defendants and claims the account went into default after payments weren't made.

The Sentinel Echo says the lawsuit seeks more than $713,000.

[MUSIC] The newspaper reached out to Weddell's legal counsel but did not receive a response.

From Link and Katie.

The mayor of Florence opposes a state plan to reduce lanes on the Dixie highway.

In February, the transportation cabinet announced a plan to reduce a mile and a half of the Dixie highway from four lanes to three in between Turfway Road and the Dixie highway.

Commonwealth Avenue intersection Mayor Julie Metzger says she's concerned about safety and traffic.

The state says a three lane road with a turn lane in the middle will be safer than the current four lane road.

[MUSIC] A Kentucky lantern analysis shows 16 people appointed to the UK Board of Trustees by Governor Andy Beshear have donated more than $1.6 million to his political causes since 2015, and the lantern says some of those trustees are also giving to a superPAC promoting Beshear's presidential exploratory effort.

A Beshear spokesperson, Scottie Ellis, says no one has been appointed because of their donations and that the General Assembly's Republican supermajority confirmed all nominees.

The governor has criticized some of UK decisions in recent weeks.

The Messenger Inquirer reports Daviess County now has its own Kentucky Mesonet weather station.

It's at the Daviess County Operations Center on Calhoun Road.

Kentucky has nearly 90 Mesonet stations operated by the Kentucky Climate Center at Western Kentucky University.

Each one collects weather information every five minutes to support public safety, agriculture and research.

[MUSIC] And those are tonight's headlines around Kentucky.

[MUSIC] I'm Toby Gibbs.

>> Calling >> All Kentucky history lovers.

A Central Kentucky site dating back to the 1700s is reopening its doors to visitors under new ownership.

Our Emily Prince learned more about the Madison County property, which was home to one of the most influential Kentucky.

>> The City of Richmond celebrated its new ownership of White Hall State Historic Site here on Wednesday.

The mansion was home to the Clay family.

Museum curator Matthew Parrish said.

Green Clay and his son, Cassius Clay, were some of the most influential but nearly forgotten Kentuckians and Americans, Parrish said with the city's new ownership, he hopes more visitors can appreciate the deep history here at White Hall.

>> He's kind of this pretty important person in Kentucky history that nobody really knows.

>> Green clay, that is was the originator of the present day White Hall site.

Green was a frontiersman and politician.

He even ratified the U.S.

Constitution as a Kentucky representative.

>> He was one of the biggest landowners in the state's history.

Clay County, Kentucky, is actually named after green because he basically he owned most of it.

As far as I understand, green clay was also the biggest slave owner in the state.

During his time.

>> Green Clay built the oldest stages of the White Hall property in the late 1700s.

As time went on, the family expanded the mansion to its current size with about 40 rooms.

Parrish said many people are more familiar with Green Clay's youngest son, Cassius.

>> Despite growing up in a slave owning family, Cassius Clay becomes an anti-slavery politician.

>> Cassius started an abolitionist newspaper and was appointed by Abraham Lincoln to serve as the U.S.

ambassador to Russia.

>> He was an ambassador, so he was known on the world scene.

>> Even though he was a well known abolitionist and had close ties to President Lincoln.

Cassius history is still complex.

>> That's a big thing that we talk about here at Whitehall.

Despite cash as being an anti-slavery activist, he still owned slaves.

It shows people that there weren't just slave owners and abolitionists.

There were people in between.

>> Richmond Mayor Robert Blythe said he doesn't like to ignore or sugarcoat history, but to recognize what really took place at sites like this one.

>> As I like to say, history is what it is.

>> That's why the mayor wanted the city of Richmond to take ownership of the historical site, which was previously possessed by Eastern Kentucky University.

>> And Madison County.

There are some of the world's best kept secrets.

Unintentionally, this place could not be allowed to go into any further disrepair.

>> Visitors who come to Whitehall will experience what it was like to live on the property and see a nod to America's 250th birthday.

>> There's a brand new exhibit here at Whitehall called The Veterans of Richmond, and it's sort of like America 250 theme exhibit that talks about veterans from Richmond who were in conflicts from American Revolution up through World War Two.

>> The new city ownership is special to people like Commissioner Jim Newby, who has strong family ties to the site.

>> My father was the the park ranger, my mother was the head tour guide, and my sister ran the gift shop.

>> That family history and the desire for increased tourism is why Newby strongly supported the city's ownership.

>> When we took it over, I was ecstatic.

I was like, yes, I was a definite yes.

>> Mayor Blythe said he wants to ramp up the tourism efforts at multiple historic sites in Richmond and bring in the next generation to recognize the history here for Kentucky Edition.

I'm Emily Prince.

>> Thank you so much.

Emily White Hall State Historic Site is open for self-guided tours every week, Wednesday through Sunday.

You can find out more about the programs and events celebrating America's 250th anniversary by visiting online, on demand.

[MUSIC] ket.org/250.

Now, when you mow your yard like I do, you probably just want to get it over with.

But speed mowing was on display at Waterfront Park in Louisville, as a woman set a world record for mowing an American football field.

As an official with the Guinness World Records looked on.

>> So a Guinness World Records adjudicator is basically like the referee or judge on the ground at a record attempt.

So in this case, I monitor everything and make sure these guidelines, which are rules, are fully enforced and everything checks out to have a successful Guinness World Records attempt.

In this case, it needs to be an American football field.

Right?

So a surveyor came out, measured it, filled out a report, and then in this case, it has to be a four centimeter reduction in the grass height, which is about an inch and a half.

There was a point earlier in the week where I know I was a little worried about meeting that requirement, but they did.

>> It feels incredible to be a part of this experience.

The engine that I got to use today was incredible.

It was fast, it was powerful, and it's just incredible to beat a record, to set a record really.

>> Absolutely.

Well, the idea was simple.

We have just cut this field and we designed this field.

In this landscape of the waterfront park and set the record in less than one hour.

And what she did is not just stay below one hour.

She did.

>> I did 14 minutes and 51 seconds.

>> Wow.

They don't call her the lawn Queen for nothing.

The football field is approximately 57,600ft█!S.

You go, Queen.

Wel, that'll do it for us tonight.

We hope to see you right back here again tomorrow night at 630 eastern, 530 central on Kentucky edition where we inform, connect and inspire.

Connect with us all the way as you see on your screen.

You can find us online@ket.org and on the PBS app that you can download on your smart devices.

Send us a story idea by email to Public affairs@ket.org, and look for us on the social media channels.

Tomorrow is Friday, and we're so glad about it, and we hope that you'll come back with us for another episode of Kentucky edition.

Till I see you tomorrow.

Have a good one.