♪ >> a long-time lawmaker battles, an outspoken activist and one of the most watched races of next week's Kentucky primary.

>> This was a hub of activity and resources in the community and we want to restore that.

This building has been empty for long time for many, many years.

>> How United Way is hoping to continue a legacy of service and a historic Lexington building.

>> It's not often that someone can have a vision like that and and then have that you and dreams and have those dreams come true like they have here.

>> And as pro golfers tee off in Louisville this week, we explore the history of Kentucky's number one golf course.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KU Team Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Tuesday.

May 14 time Kelsey Starks in for Renee Shot this evening.

We are one week away from Kentucky's may 21st primary Republicans and Democrats will decide which candidates will represent them in races for the U.S. House.

Kentucky General Assembly and local elections in November.

Some state legislative races are getting more attention than others, including a state Senate race between a 35 year.

Incumbent.

>> And a well-known activist, Kentucky additions.

June Leffler has more in this primary 2024.

Update.

♪ >> Senate District 33 is where the greatest movie Illion Grew-up the Jefferson County district stretches miles along the Ohio River.

That includes locals downtown commercial center and the West and many historically black neighborhoods, the people of Senate district.

33 are my neighbors there.

My family, my friends.

They want their children to do better than they did.

>> They want to help their neighbors.

And yet there are things that they've added because of the stresses of life and the things that >> not available for them.

>> Regardless of the Democratic primary results, this majority black district will have a black senator, possibly Attica.

Scott, the well-known activists in and outside of global.

>> Kentuckians will know Atticus that maybe they see me stand up for TARP workers to make sure that we KET union jobs and protect public transportation.

Maybe they've seen me during the protest in Twenty-twenty for justice for Breonna Taylor to stand up around police accountability.

She's >> challenging the incumbent Democratic Senator Gerald Neal, who's had the job for 35 years.

>> I've been here for a while.

I've been here a long time and that produced.

So I bring concrete things to people because that's what resonates in people's lives.

>> Political science professor Dewey Clayton says their styles are very different.

>> You have 1, one candidate that tends to be all school.

More conciliatory.

But then on the other hand, you've got a young candidate who is eager just thinks that.

Clearly it's a for change.

>> Scott does have statehouse experience having served 6 years as a state representative.

>> When I served in the state legislature, for example, I was working on things like black, maternal Health and the Crown Act and expanding the teaching of black indigenous history.

>> But these bills did not become state laws.

>> We didn't get the full ban on no-knock warrants that we wanted out of the protest in 2020.

But we saw Louisville pass a ban on no-knock warrants.

We know that Bowling Green have a ban on no-knock warrants.

So again be sparked policy movement.

And that's just as important as the change that we want to see in Frankfort.

>> Neal is a leader in his caucus.

>> We're in the minority and the minority leader of my caucus.

So if I can't negotiate with that, they do not respect me if they don't understand what I need and are willing to a deal with that the new yo, that road means nothing.

>> He points to his record.

>> Something always go back to cuts.

It.

It recurs every single year I to pass the bill that you referred to as KET Chip.

And it health care to families that fell between the cracks.

And I'm talking about 10's of thousands of children each year.

>> This state budget cycle Mills says he's brought millions of state dollars back home.

>> Funds to Simmons College so they can expand in terms of the dormitory that the trend is safe to fund the shiny learning center and which will be in Shawnee Park right down the street from where I live in in that room pushing for those elements to get $200 million dollars focus on downtown Louisville.

Tell you this has been excited in that regard.

This session.

>> So as a link, there's been a lot economic development taking place and revitalization projects taking place there.

But I would say that time it has been somewhat neglected.

It.

And so I think there there's a lot of hope and expectation that that things are clearly going to improve.

>> But Scott says it's worth being skeptical of investment to 3 years ago.

The state created tax increment financing districts, including and locals, Weston.

While investors say tip districts, jumpstart revitalization, it also leaves middle and low-income residents with part of the bill.

>> And now elders in my community are fearful that they're going to lose their home because it taxes have tripled in the past year.

So those promises were denied.

They were not kept.

And so we can't continue to have the same representation in the state legislature.

>> This race will decide if change comes or not.

No Republican is buying for this district come November for Kentucky edition.

I'm June Leffler.

>> A 3rd candidate will be on the ballot for this race to Michael Churchill junior filed to run earlier this year.

But he has since told The Courier Journal that he has suspended his campaign and is backing Attica.

Scott.

A National pro Israel group plans to run TV commercials.

Critical of Congressman Thomas Massie, the conservative Republican from Kentucky's 4th district the Courier Journal reports the United Democracy Project will spend about $300,000 on ads criticizing Massey this year.

The United Democracy Project is an affiliate of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

A spokesperson says Massey has a quote, radical anti Israel record, unquote.

Massey told the newspaper he thinks the group is trying to tilt the outcome of the May 21st primary to Eric Deters one of the 2 Republicans challenging Massey.

The other is Michael McGinnis.

Massey also says he wonders if House Speaker Mike Johnson is involved in the ads.

Former President Donald Trump is in court today.

He's in Lexington tomorrow.

The former president will be in Lexington for a fundraising dinner co-hosted by longtime Republican fundraisers.

Joanne Kelly craft.

She served as President Trump's ambassador to the United Nations and ran for governor last year.

Tickets to that dinner cost.

$25,000 per couple.

According to the invitation, the money raised will go to an account that spent more than 50 million dollars last year helping to pay Trump's legal bills.

The Kentucky Democratic Party is reacting to Trump's visit communications director Jonathan Levin released a statement saying, quote, Indictments 4 to be exact.

It don't come cheap.

That's why Donald Trump is headed to Lexington tomorrow night for a glitzy fund-raiser, hoping that donors can foot the bill for his legal fees for tickets starting as low as $25,000.

You can spend an evening with the disgraced former president.

We're not going to object if Trump wants to continue, could winking millionaires into paying for his lawyers.

But we hope that the next fundraiser steers clear of our Commonwealth.

We don't have to wait until Election Day to vote in the May primary.

Kentucky has 3 days of no excuse early voting that begins Thursday and runs through Saturday.

Each polling place will be open for at least 8 hours each day.

Although the specific times can vary from county to county on Election Day, polls will be open from 06:00AM to 06:00PM.

You can find your polling location and see a sample ballot.

Just go to go vote DOT K y dot Goff.

Join us the day before the May 21st primary for a special Kentucky tonight previewing the election.

Our panel of political experts will handicap the big races and we want your questions and comments.

That's next.

Monday May 20th at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

And of course, you want to tune in on election night as well as we show you the numbers and analyze who won and why.

That's all happening Tuesday night.

Also at 8 Eastern 7 central here on KET.

The case of 3 Jewish women challenging Kentucky's abortion ban is now in the hands of a judge.

Arguments in the case were presented yesterday and a Jefferson County Circuit courtroom.

The women from Louisville sued former Attorney General Daniel Cameron in 2022, they say according to their faith, life does not begin at conception.

According to the Kentucky Lantern, much of yesterday's debate centered on in vitro fertilization or IVF and whether or not it was covered by Kentucky's abortion ban during the 2024 General Assembly, a number of bills seeking to protect IVF in Kentucky were filed after an Alabama Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos have the same rights as children.

None were passed and that includes one filed by state Sen Whitney Westerfield.

The Republican has one child as a result of IVF and his wife is pregnant with triplets from the same process.

Still, Senator Westerfield argues IVF is protected in Kentucky because of a different bill that was passed last session.

House Bill.

One 59 protects health care providers from being prosecuted for harming a patient with some exceptions.

Here's Senator Westerfield speaking about the bill on the Senate floor back in March.

>> But the definition providers and has one 15 has actually broader than the version of the bill that I wrote.

Might be broader still in the version that senator from Jefferson, 19 Road.

And so I think this bill accomplishes that and does so without necessary amendments or changes.

>> 3 Democratic state lawmakers told the Lantern they think Kentucky law is still unclear about IVF in the courtroom yesterday, a lawyer for the attorney general's office said the state's position is that IVF is not limited.

And Kentucky.

So the women's rights in this case have not been violated.

The judge said he will work to issue his ruling quickly.

Either way.

Both sides are expected to appeal.

Governor Andy Beshear is taking his message about portion rights to a neighboring state.

The governor will head to Tennessee next month to speak out against that state's abortion ban.

This year will be in Nashville for an event called championing championing great reproductive freedom.

And he will be joined by Hadley Deval.

That's the young woman who appeared in a campaign ad for Governor Beshear's reelection last year and ad that criticized Republican candidate Daniel Cameron and the Kentucky law that does not allow abortion in cases of rape and incest.

Teachers are getting a raise in Bowling Green City schools.

The Board of Education approved a 5% salary increase for employees.

That includes for classified staff like custodians and bus drivers starting pay for teachers is $45,000 and the minimum hourly wage is 15.

75 an hour.

The school district says it was made possible thanks to additional state funding.

Along with enrollment growth.

A number of other districts are doing the same according to the Kentucky School Boards Association, Franklin County Schools is giving up 4% salary increase to all employees.

Oldham County School teachers are receiving a 7% raise in addition to paid maternity leave.

And Scott County schools is giving at least 8% pay raises to all employees.

In today's medical news, a highly contagious virus continues to spread in Lexington.

>> The city's health department confirmed another case of pertussis.

This time it was found at Lafayette High School 3 previous cases have been reported since April 2 at Bryan Station, High School and one at Lexington, Catholic High School and all 3 of those cases.

The health department says the patients were vaccinated against the virus.

Symptoms of protests is also known as whooping cough, start off similar to a common cold after a couple of weeks.

The coughing it's worse and can last for several weeks.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Kentucky American Water customers.

You will be getting a refund from the company.

The Kentucky Lantern reports the Public Service commission has rejected part of a recent rate hike.

The company wanted to raise rates by 22% amounting to almost 26 million dollars.

But the PSC reduced the rate increased to 10.6 million dollars.

Kentucky Americans started to bill people for the bigger increase starting February 6th.

The company will refund customers for the extra money.

They were charged.

Kentucky Americans serves 138,000 customers in Lexington and about a dozen other counties.

There's a new push to save Kentucky farmland and the real ID deadline is getting closer.

Our Kentuckyian responding art OB Gyn says those stories and more in this.

Look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> The Kentucky Farm Bureau has started a program to curb the last of farmland in the state.

The Hop town Chronicle reports the Kentucky Farm Land Transition Initiative.

We'll provide resources and information to landowners to help them better facilitate the transition of farmland between hands.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Data, Kentucky has lost more than 1.4 million acres of farmland and more than 2 decades time.

The campaign was also created to lobby for more state-level incentives to KET farmland, active.

Anthem.

Medicaid has launched a free digital mental wellness course at 17 Kentucky schools.

The Kentucky Lantern reports the understanding mental wellness program is accessible to more than 1500 students in grades 8 through 10 anthem says the program exposes students to quote the experiences of others in order to develop awareness and empathy, reduce stigma and provide facts on the prevalence and symptoms of mental health conditions.

End quote.

Kentucky is below the national average for residents obtaining a real ID ahead of a federal deadline in 2025.

Wks reports that 28% of the state's population has obtained a real ID.

The type of identification card that will be required to board domestic flights.

Visit military bases and and are some federal buildings.

According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the national compliance rate is currently 54% vehicle regulation.

Commissioner Matt Cole says the state's compliance rate is projected to reach.

35 to 45%.

♪ Allison Sloan has been named the Kentucky Education Association Teacher of the Year.

Islam teaches special education at Rowan County Senior High School and just taught in the district for 24 years.

He is president of the Raleigh County Education Association and leads the Appalachia Educators Alliance WLKY reports that slowed created the Facebook group, Kentucky teachers in the snow with supplies over 28,000 teachers with resources and information.

With headlines around Kentucky.

I'm told he gives.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> And historic building in Lexington's East End neighborhood has reopened as a United Way Point center.

It serves as a one-stop shop for people to access financial support and social services.

But before changing hands several times, the building on 5th Street was home to Palmer's pharmacy.

The first black owned Rexall Pharmacy in the U.S. which opened during segregation United Way.

Leaders say they hope to continue that tradition of service.

Doctor Palmer provided his customers and neighbors.

>> And I'm thrilled to welcome you all here today at the ribbon cutting in the grand opening about new flagship since it the marks Berry family waypoint center.

I start over.

>> Knowing the origins of this this building really one of 2 pharmacy buildings owned by Palmer, Senior one of the first black farmer says in Lexington, this was a hub of activity and resources in the community and we want to restore that.

This building has been empty for a long time for many, many years.

And now night with the blue grass has been given this building.

Our hope is that it again will become sort of a bustling hub of activity and helping families in the east and into outlets that and you don't have a pathway to thriving.

You know, you always have what you call a landmark buildings.

This is one of them.

>> Several Palmer was a farmer says he was not a native Kentuckian, but he chose to come to Kentucky and settled in Lexington to open a pharmacy, very prominent.

People in the community have talked going in the pharmacy building, not only too bad wrecks with a medical care, but also to participate in city and talk.

>> To each other at the lunch counter sit-in.

We've, of course, is that it just >> You know, probably like to close with >> They also have talked about Mister Palmer and his advocacy.

4.

Health care for African-Americans.

He became a big band because of his passion and his understanding that.

You have to reach back.

You have to get back.

If you are privileged, it's up to you to get back to your community.

This is what you get here and likes it.

We want people to come in coming to the center and be able to receive all types of resources help with their taxes, to learn how to use a budget for their family to make great decisions, you know, really becoming financially empowered in mobile to be able to reach that point of success for themselves.

So we feel like our role is to be a convener, a collaborator and catalyst for community action.

That's what this pharmacy once was for.

Doctor Palmer.

>> And we think feel like it's an honor for United Way to be able to sort of pick up that mantle and honor the name say 5 continuing on that role of being a community resource for not only folks in the east and all >> you look at these policemen were that the lone next.

I just happen to, The silver Comet Trail should want it's going to be a big structure here very important commute.

We'll start with you.

>> If you fly the American flag at your house, consider lowering it tomorrow.

It's peace.

Officers Memorial Day and it's traditional to lower flags to half-staff from sunrise to sunset.

The flag will be lowered at all state buildings.

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will break from the number 5 spot in the Preakness just this week.

Trainer Kenny McPeek committed hit to his torso running in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

His decision came after seeing how Mystic Dan trained over the past several days.

But Mister Dan is not the favorite in next Saturday's race.

Muth trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert is the morning line.

Favorite Baffert is looking for his record, extending 9th Preakness when he was forced to miss the Kentucky Derby for a 3rd consecutive year after Churchill Downs Ban was extended.

Louisville's Valhalla Golf course hosts the PGA Championship this week.

It's the 4th time the club has hosted the championship.

It was the dream of the founder Dwight Game who built the golf course back in the early 80's.

Now it's the number one golf course in Kentucky.

>> It was a obviously a dream come through.

It started on a rainy day and when older brother and dad were over place of business in Jeffersonville, And I got a call that night and it's a wellness center talking about, well, how about a golf and assets?

Well, why not?

So that's kind of where it all started.

During started.

>> And that dream continues today.

Nearly a decade since that interview first aired on KET Kentucky Life when Gordy Game recalled when his late father, Dwight first came up with the idea for the Holocaust course the course opened in 1986. general manager Keith Reese came on board shortly after.

>> When I started in 89 as an assistant golf professional, I I really had no idea that might be so blessed to be here 30 plus years and see everything that's gone on here.

It's been truly amazing.

Dwight Game.

What was such a just such a kind and compassionate played played golf every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at noon.

And then it's 3 sons.

Walk already infill.

Just.

>> All fantastic.

People.

The vision that they had.

It's not often that someone can have a vision like that and and then have the and dreams and have those dreams come true like they have here.

>> The dream was to build a state-of-the-art golf course on nearly 500 acres of rolling terrain about 20 miles east of downtown Louisville Gordy Game and his 3 sons commissioned golf legend Jack Nicklaus to design the course.

The goal was to have a championship golf course that could host a World Class Championship event like the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup.

Both have happened since.

>> And I think the city is so blessed that they decided to to build fall and make it into what it is today.

They definitely set the groundwork for everything that's happening now.

>> The PGA of America purchased portions of alcohol in the 90's and eventually took full ownership in 2000.

During that time, Valhalla has hosted some of golf's most memorable championships.

>> Louisville welcomes a new generation of players in May of 2024 experience, the excitement for yourself.

>> We've been so fortunate to have just fantastic finishes to our events and some fantastic champions.

I think really what I think about it that the 2000 PGA Championship, I think will always be one of those memorable times because you've got Tiger and it was the major of the millennium.

So it was, you know, Pebble Beach, Saint Andrews.

Augusta involved was in that mix.

But just just the thrill of the finish, their the playoff that that really goes down in my mind is one of the greatest championships of all time.

>> Last year, a group of longtime club members purchased the club from the PGA and are ready to begin.

Val Halas next chapter.

>> We refer to this kind of period that we're in now is chapter 3 chapter one being the game family who founded the Club of and Chapter to the PGA of America on the club for 20 years and now chapter 3 mister Kurtz, Stauffer, Novak, 2 junior Bridgeman and chest muscle.

Man.

What a wonderful group.

This this is an exciting time for us for sure.

I think my dad and brother and a lot.

>> Brother, too.

And it's just just to KET saying it's a dream that has come true and it keeps getting better.

And that's >> The PGA Championship runs this Wednesday through Sunday.

You can learn more about the Holocaust course and meet the new owners on the inside Louisville.

You can stream it now on KET DOT Org.

Lots of us in Kentucky love to fish.

But for our veteran community, it can be especially meaningful.

>> This is an opportunity for them to do something that they adore and have the support to go out and, you know, spend the day fishing with other >> Camp Hero and the VA teamed up to get fishing rods in the hands of visually impaired veterans.

Find out what they reeled in tomorrow on Kentucky edition.

We do hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire.

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Have a great evening.

♪