A community pays its respects after a deputy is shot to death on the job.

The country will not involved.

Kentucky's senior senator talks about efforts to raise the debt ceiling and the upcoming race for governor of Kentucky.

I would always recommend to film makers to consider Kentucky as a location.

Why the entertainment industry is rolling in the rolling hills of Kentucky.

The intention of it is that it's uplifting, that just to look at it can bring joy and happiness to somebody.

And check out this pit stop of positivity bringing together a Lexington community.

Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions, the Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition for Tuesday, May 23rd.

I'm Kelsey Starks in for Renee Shaw.

Thanks for joining us tonight.

Kentucky mourns the shooting death of a Scott County sheriff's deputy.

And tonight, police have a suspect in custody.

According to the arrest citation.

Police accuse 45 year old Stephen Xing Shane of shooting deputy Caleb Conley during a traffic stop along Interstate 75 in Scott County just before 5 p.m. Eastern time yesterday.

Conley died at UK Hospital.

Police say Xing Xiang went to a home in Georgetown, pulled a gun on people there, took a vehicle and went to Lexington.

He's accused of shooting someone there and stealing their vehicle.

Police found and arrested Xing Zhang just after 630 last night on Charles Avenue.

First responders escorted Deputy Conley's body to a funeral home today, and people have been leaving flowers outside the sheriff's office.

The Scott County sheriff says Conley was married and had children.

He'd been with the department for years and had been in the Army before that.

Governor Andy Beshear commented on the murder.

He said, quote, Kentucky, please join Brittany and me in praying for the family and fellow law enforcement officers of Scott County Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley, who was killed this evening while protecting our people.

This hero made the ultimate sacrifice and we will be forever grateful.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the Republican nominee for governor, tweeted this, quote, I am deeply saddened to learn that Scott County Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley was shot and killed this evening.

Mackenzie and I mourn the loss of this hero.

Today's tragedy is yet another example of the grave danger faced by our law officers.

And we have this from State Senator Damon Thayer and State Representative Phil Pratt, who represent that district.

His death is a tragic reminder of the danger our law enforcement officers face each and every day as they protect and serve.

We offer our condolences to his family as well as to his colleagues at the Scott County Sheriff's Department as they mourn the death of a good man who wanted no more than to make this a better place.

Lexington teachers are getting a raise.

Details in today's look at education news.

Last night, the Fayette County School Board approved an $867 million budget.

It includes an average pay raise of 8% for contracted school system employees.

Everyone is guaranteed to get a raise of 4%.

Starting teacher salaries will top $50,000.

That'll be the highest starting salary in the state.

And Fayette County will spend almost $11 million to hire more teachers and staff.

Board chair Tyler Murphy calls it, quote, a historic investment in our staff and in our schools.

The United States will not default.

That's according to U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate minority leader, as he spoke today during the groundbreaking of a new $66 million forage animal production lab on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington.

The secretary of the Treasury says the United States could run out of money on June 1st if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling.

After today's groundbreaking, Senator McConnell commented on the debt ceiling crisis and his feelings about Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron winning the Republican nomination for governor.

Look, I think everybody needs to relax.

The last ten times the last ten times we raise the debt ceiling, there were things attached to it.

This is not that unusual and is almost entirely required when you have divided government.

Regardless of what may be said about the talks on a day to day basis, the president and the speaker will reach an agreement.

It will ultimately be passed on a bipartisan vote in both the House and the Senate.

I'm happy that we had a aggressive, shall I say, Republican primary for governor.

I think it underscores the changing nature of Kentucky, as illustrated by the fact that the only well, we have one one congressman who's a Democrat out of six and the governor.

And that's about it.

So, yes, this will be a very competitive election.

Daniel Kahneman is an outstanding nominee and we expect to win in November.

The forage research lab, when finished, will help farmers improve their production of forage, their feed eaten by cattle, horses, sheep and goats.

Today's groundbreaking for the forage animal production lab speaks to the heart of what a land grant institution like ours is so distinctly positioned to do, and that is to take basic discovery, and in this case, a forages and animals that depend upon them and apply it, apply it so that that knowledge can be quickly applied and transferred directly to those on the front lines of producing.

I was proud to do my part to help secure the nearly $66 million in federal funding to establish this new lab at UK in partnership with USDA today.

A big moment.

This is a big moment, not just for the UK, but for the entire Commonwealth.

Central Kentucky is well on the way to becoming the go to hub for high tech advanced agricultural research.

The lab is expected to be finished in 2026.

It will be more than 52,000 square feet.

The ACLU of Kentucky and the National Center for Lesbian Rights are hoping to delay the enactment of a new state law.

Earlier this month, the groups sued over Senate Bill 150.

Specifically, the suit looks to block part of the bill that bans medical care for transitioning youth.

That section of the bill, Section four, goes into effect June 29.

Now, the ACLU of Kentucky has filed a motion asking for a judge to delay the implementation of Section four.

In a statement, ACLU of Kentucky legal Director Corey SHAPIRO said, quote, The families we represent from across the Commonwealth should be able to begin or continue essential medical care for their children while our case plays out in the courts.

On the other side, David Walls of the Family Foundation put out a statement saying, quote, The ACLU's argument is legally and morally flawed and only further exposes the dangerous ideological movement seeking to mutilate children in the name of denying their biological sex.

Bodily mutilation of children through surgery and chemicals is not health care.

Lawmakers overturned Governor Andy Bashir's veto of Senate Bill 150 during the latest General Assembly.

The wide ranging bill also allows teachers to use a student's gender pronoun given at birth, even if that means ignoring the student's wishes.

And it bans schools from providing instruction on sexual orientation and identity.

On last night's Kentucky Tonight, our panelists discussed the Kentucky economy and Governor Andy Beshear, his handling of it.

The conversation came just after the governor launched the first TV ad of his reelection campaign and conducted a bus tour of several Kentucky cities.

I don't blame the governor for getting that all over Kentucky because he needs to get his story out first, because we're about to tell the truth on him.

What's the truth?

You're going to tell the truth of the matter is he he leads with with with the economy.

But the single fact that he's not going to be able to run from.

You know, Hemingway said you can run all around the world, but you can't run away from yourself.

This governor is going to be able to run all around Kentucky, but he's not going to be able to run from his record.

And the most important fact on the economy is there are fewer Kentuckians working today than were working when he was inaugurated.

He likes to talk about how we have the highest surplus that we've ever had.

We have a better rainy day fund, stronger rainy day fund than we've ever had when we passed those budgets in the General Assembly.

He opposed them.

He talks about how he would reduce taxes.

He vetoed the bill, House Bill eight last year that reduce taxes.

This this governor is a governor who wants to tax you more and he wants to spend.

But he signed this version of taxes.

He signed House Bill one this year.

You know, it's an election year.

And so he decided to sign it.

We reduced the taxes from 4.5% to 4%, which was a fait accompli because we had already put the apparatus in place last year in House Bill eight, which the governor vetoed and call it irresponsible.

But when it comes to economic development, you cannot say he's not been a pro economic development governor.

We've had three years in a row of record economic development, investment in our commonwealth, and that has been during Governor Bush's time.

He's using the tools at his disposal to bring jobs to the Commonwealth.

He chose to go to Ford to recruit them, to come to Hardin County and have that record investment right there.

And it's not just the Ford deal.

There's been record investments everywhere.

The largest Amazon investment is happening right now in northern Kentucky at the northern Kentucky Cincinnati airport on our side of the river.

There's huge operations going down in Bowling Green.

That is part of that battery manufacturing center that we're becoming.

So the economic development focus of the governor has been statewide and he's using the tools that are at his disposal.

And that's what any governor is supposed to.

Tomorrow night on Kentucky tonight, you'll hear some of the conversation about the governor's fall opponent.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron see the full program as our panelists discuss the governor's race and the down ballot races.

See that online on demand at that Oregon wide tonight.

The CEO of the Louisville Urban League says she was fired for exposing wrongdoing.

Louisville Public Media reports KITCH Kumi Price filed a lawsuit Friday.

In it, she claims there were conflicts of interest and improper sharing of funds between the Louisville Urban League and the separate nonprofit group that runs the Norton Health Care Sports and Learning Complex.

The league led the $53 million effort to build that complex.

Price also says the National Urban League was concerned about how the Louisville organization was handling education and health grants.

The Louisville Urban League Board fired price in March.

A Louisville police officer's lawsuit against Breonna Taylor is boyfriend has been dropped.

Jonathan Mattingly was one of the officers involved in the March 2020 raid.

Police fired 32 shots.

Taylor was hit six times.

Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired back.

He says he didn't know they were police officers.

A bullet hit Mattingly in the thigh.

He filed filed suit against Walker.

But The Courier Journal reports attorneys for both Mattingly and Walker agreed to dismiss the case with each paying his own costs.

A western Kentucky town gets new traffic lights.

Teachers in one county are getting a raise.

And a community fights a proposed solar farm.

More in our Tuesday.

Look at headlines around Kentucky.

New traffic signals are going up in downtown Mayfield 16 months after tornadoes ravaged parts of western Kentucky.

According to the West, Kentucky star work first started in February, but additional crews recently arrived to help speed up the process.

The messenger reports teachers in Hopkins County will be getting a pay raise.

The school board voted in favor of a 2% increase for certified employees and a dollar 50 per hour raise for classified employees.

The raises will begin next school year.

Some residents in Mercer County are fighting a proposed solar farm.

The Advocate messenger says more than 400 people attended a public meeting about the issue last month.

LG and EE and CU want to build the project on a farm that's a little under 2000 acres north of Harrodsburg, according to the paper.

Some county officials say the land could be used to attract new industry, which could create thousands of jobs, jobs that wouldn't exist if the land is used as a solar farm.

And there's a new event center in southern Kentucky.

The gaming hall at Kentucky Downs and Simpson County held a ribbon cutting ceremony last week.

The bowling Green Daily News says the space will be used to host musical performances, business meetings, weddings and more.

With headlines around Kentucky, I'm Toby begins.

Well, there was a lot of buzz earlier this year when famous actor and director Ethan Hawke was shooting scenes for his latest film right here in Kentucky.

But he's not the only one coming here to make a movie.

More and more filmmakers are choosing Kentucky as their movie set.

Laura Rogers takes a look at why they're lured by the bright lights of the bluegrass.

Got it, Grandma, when you are.

Oh, well, gosh, how many movies We've done a lot.

Ten in Southern Kentucky.

Branscombe Richmond has been in show business nearly 50 years.

People said, Boy, Branscombe has died in more movies you'll ever imagine.

He's he's fought Steven Seagal.

He's fought Chuck Norris.

He's fought Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But today, his style is a little more family friendly.

It's so cool.

I have never seen a kangaroo before.

So it's like it was really cool what we find in today's marketplace.

What translates great internationally?

Animals and Children, which makes this movie set at Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo and Horse Cave when the light moves on Alive.

The perfect location for Richmond's latest project, Kangaroo Kids.

This place is just amazing and I'm loving it.

Guys like me who are independent producers look for incentives to film.

You have the talent, you have the natural beauty, and you have this great tax credit that makes a big difference.

Kentucky offers a 30 to 35% tax credit for things like feature films, Broadway productions, documentaries and television shows.

If we spend X amount of dollars here, there is a rebate that comes back to the production.

So you're able to do it for a reasonable cost and you get to put people to work that are new to the industry.

So we have a lot to do and the people in Kentucky have just been terrific.

The Southern Kentucky Film Commission has helped us in every possible way.

Kentucky also has a natural beauty that makes an ideal setting for many a movie plot.

It's absolutely gorgeous, as you can see.

Like all these wildflowers and all this stuff, we just pick right off of the set and we just stick it in the scene and it makes it look amazing.

Theory is Branscombe Richmond's son.

He and his younger brother are both on set working side by side with their dad.

Three, two, one.

Action.

Just like my dad.

Same deal.

My dad was in the business.

I worked in the movies with him.

I've been making movies in our backyard since we were, like, nine, ten years old.

This is all I've ever wanted to do with my life.

All right.

Okay.

He's been part of this film from its conception.

And now he's co-directing.

Even giving his father the showbiz veteran direction.

Won't she be afraid of the dark?

Well, every parent knows.

All they do is talk back.

The Kangaroo Kids crew is on a 15 day shoot in southern Kentucky.

And the economic impact is significant.

The local spend is amazing.

If they have a half a million dollar budget.

Most of them will spend 200 to $300000 locally.

That's a lot of money to be spent in a small town.

You know, we stay at the same hotel all the time When we film here, we have our local caterers, we have Amish caterers, we've got bucket bees.

We've got all kinds of guys who are part of our community and we depend on them.

And they will continue to do so, as Richmond has three more projects planned after this one.

I'm really happy to say that we've come here to Kentucky as a family filmmaking venture and that we are invested for long term.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Laura Rogers.

She's The Kangaroo Kids is scheduled to premiere Thanksgiving Day on Sun Stream.

Juneteenth is observed on June 19th, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States in 1865.

Louisville plans activities for nine days starting June 10th.

Today, the city announced some of those events planned.

Among them amplify Songs of Justice, a performance of Civil Rights songs, premiering June 10th at 7 p.m. at the Kentucky Opera Center for Cultural Health.

Lean in to Louisville luncheon at 1130 on June 14th at the Palm Room on West Jefferson Street.

And there's an event with former Kentucky poet laureate Frank X Walker at 6 p.m. June 19th at the Frazier History Museum on West Main Street.

That's not all.

Go to Juneteenth, Lou.

Dot com to find out more.

Well, more than 20,000 students from across the country will be arriving in Louisville next month for the National Beta Convention.

It's the first time in 12 years Louisville has been chosen to host.

I sat down with the National Beta Council's Kentucky chair to find out what it's all about.

Well, hi, Donna.

Where thank you for being your council chair for Kentucky's Veda Group.

So tell us, what is BITA and how is this connected in schools?

It is the world's largest organization for youth.

We have a we have divisions, and it's the junior and the senior and the elementary divisions in Bida.

And we are an organization that promotes achievement, leadership, character and service for students in grades four through 12.

You have to have the grades to get in and to do service in your community, which is so important.

And we have a lot of leadership opportunities for students, which is so important in their growth.

And then, of course, you know, building character, that's what we're all about.

That's what schools are all about.

That's right.

And so the convention, though, the national convention being here in Louisville, this is a big deal.

It really is.

This is the first time in 12 years we've been here.

We have a national convention somewhere every summer.

But it's normally in some, you know, Savannah, Orlando, Nashville.

But this year, it's going to be here.

And it is just amazing.

As I said, 12 years ago, we had it here.

So in Kentucky, we have a lot.

But Kentucky is about a state.

It really is.

We do we do very well in the competitions.

We do very well in the in all of the aspects of Bida because we believe in it.

And our administrators and our different schools and our teachers support our children through BIDA.

So, you know, we have over 31,000 students who are by the students in Kentucky and over 600 clubs.

So it's just it is just a wonderful organization for young people.

It just helps them, you know?

And then just to tell you, we have a great scholarship program this year by the guy, 40 to $1000 scholarships to different seniors throughout our state.

And then we have two students who are getting larger scholarships and one's getting 2501 is getting 6000.

Wow.

It's such a great way to recognize achievements of the kids, you know, that maybe are really doing well in school and contributing to their community and and really give them that opportunity to be recognized and in a national way.

So what kind of competitions happen at the national convention?

Well, right now, students are taking online their academic contests.

And that's, of course, all the discipline areas math, science, English, social studies.

But it is also speech and and in our Spanish foreign languages, it also encompasses agriculture, spelling, all, you know, all of those different ones.

But when they like and then they're also sending in submissions for arts and crafts.

And we have everything from jewelry making to recyclable art, all kinds of painting and drawing.

And it's it is amazing for someone who is not an artist at all.

It is amazing to see what young people can do and it's great is great.

Then when they get to the convention, we have a lot of talent.

Our students is again, I use the word amazing, but it is amazing how talented they are in music and instrumentalists and and dancers.

All of those people, all of those young people strive to be the very best in just watch them get in front of two or three or 4000 at a session and be able to do what they do is just absolutely great.

And then we like officers, we have national officers.

There are eight national officers, four three at the senior level, three at the junior level and two at the elementary.

And I'm proud to say that right now Kentucky has four of those.

Eight were elected last year.

Oh, very well represented.

Well, thank you so much, Lynn.

Competitive.

That's all right.

Nothing wrong with that.

With this year's National Beta Convention in Louisville is coming up June 15th through the 26 that the convention center in Lexington hosts the state Beta Convention, which is coming up in January.

Well, if you're looking for a little positivity, keep an eye out for Lexington's Tree of Love.

It's hard to miss.

Decked out with beads and encouraging notes, it's a botanical beacon of hope.

I have a dear friend and colleague.

Her name's Meryl Russo.

She's lives in L.A. and she started this on a hike that she was doing in the canyons in L.A. And when I saw the joy she had, like, the stories that she was telling about it growing and people taking it having a life of its own.

I just thought I'd love to replicate that.

So the Tree of Love is meant to be something that gives to you and can receive from you.

So I encourage people to write their own notes.

They can take the Post-it notes.

We keep them outside in a box and have pens, or you can make your own and bring them.

I have clothespins and I have tacks that people can put to the strings on the tree.

You bring a note of your own.

You bring a thought of your own, a quote that you love or something that you hope that will encourage somebody else and you can take as well.

So there's if there's a note there and it speaks to you, take it and keep it with you.

Same with the rocks.

You can make rocks and leave them.

Or if you see a rock that speaking to you, then please take it and have it be a part of your world.

I wasn't sure how people would feel about it if it would just be an eyesore or if it would be something that people loved.

And then when it was clear that people liked it and that they wanted it to be a part of that neighborhood at the least, and if not more, the community, you're right, it grew.

People are really writing what's on their heart, that they are really afraid or they're feeling really alone.

And this is a place where they can be seen.

I really love it when I hear other neighbors who have said that they're talking about the tree and they're meeting over the tree.

I've had people introduce themselves and say that this is like an excuse to introduce introduce themselves to other people or to be a part of something that feels like it's growing and that I've had numerous conversations like that.

And then I've had people ask how they can make their own tree happen.

Anyone can do it, and it can be a tree that is near you or could be on a pathway if that's allowed where the pathway is and I have people that are doing smaller versions that is portable, that is on a life tree, and you can put notes on it that way.

There's just so much that is hard and negative that it's wonderful when you can grow in love and connection and have that reminder as well.

It's sometimes going to be hard to find that, and it's nice when someone else can plant it for you.

Recent storms have blown away some of the notes, but Dr. Howser says watching it fill back up again is really part of the magic.

If you'd like to leave a note or pick up a painted rock.

Lexington's Tree of Love is at 435 Cochran Road.

Well, there's nothing like kicking back and reading a good book.

In one Kentucky town, you'll be able to read a book while sitting on a book.

Covington is getting six book benches, saluting famous books.

We'll show you more tomorrow night on Kentucky Edition.

And we hope you will join us again tomorrow night at 630 Eastern, 530 Central for Kentucky Edition, where we inform, Connect and Inspire.

You can subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full episodes and clips at KET.org You can find Kentucky edition on the PBS video app and on your mobile device and smart TV.

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You can stay in the loop that way.

Thanks for joining us.

We'll see you here tomorrow.