♪ >> 2 weeks after Louisville police arrested the world's top golfer, a prosecutor makes a decision about Scottie Scheffler.

>> We need places like this for us to recover if we don't And I mean, all we're going to see is more overdoses.

>> Pathways journey House has grown bigger to include more women and mothers on their road to recovery.

>> And I like the fact that it moved because the viewer interact with it.

>> You may often be moved by a work of art.

But this time the art is moved by.

You.

And this year's Fancy Farm and see is a man with friends in high places.

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

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

May 20th.

I'm Kelsey starts in for Renee shot this evening.

>> Scottie Scheffler, the world's number one golfer.

No longer faces charges in Louisville.

Police arrested Scheffler on May 17th as he drove to the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf course.

This happened where traffic was stopped after a bus hit and killed pedestrian John Mills who was crossing the street in the dark.

Police accused Scheffler of ignoring a police officer's directions as he drove near that crash site.

An officer says he grabbed onto Scheffler's SUV and ended up being dragged and injured.

Police charged Scheffler with a felony because of that officer's injury and 3 other misdemeanors.

Scheffler said it was all a misunderstanding and that he didn't know what the officer was telling him to do.

Well, today a Jefferson County prosecutor asked the judge to drop the charges against Scheffler and the judge agreed.

County Attorney Mike O'Connell said, quote, based upon the totality of the evidence of my office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mister Scheffler, Mister Scheffler's characters characterize Ation that this was a big misunderstanding is corroborated by the evidence.

Scheffler's attorney said Scheffler is happy.

It's all over and that Scheffler didn't do anything wrong.

The death toll remains at 5 after storm Sunday in Kentucky.

Those 5 deaths occurred in Jefferson Harden Hopkins Caldwell and Mercer counties, 14 counties in 5 cities declared emergencies all because of the tornadoes, wind damage and hail Governor Andy Beshear toured some of that storm damage.

His office released this video.

>> where not only year has their story and their names share.

We try to talk about ways to help get the information from the very most emergency management for all their local leaders and they their em records there.

There's not ♪ >> as of this morning, there were still 27,000 Kentuckians without electric power.

The number was more than 50,000 just yesterday afternoon.

Most of the current outages are in Western Kentucky right now.

Lexington has another case of pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

The newest cases from Paul Laurence, Dunbar High School.

All of this comes one week after the Lexington, Fayette County Health Department declared a whooping cough outbreak in Fayette County with 10 cases since late April and a total of 14.

So far the health department urges everyone to be on the lookout for symptoms of whooping cough.

That includes at coughing a low fever and a running nose and make sure your children are up to date on their vaccines.

That Pentagon has some new help.

Thanks to a new research lab at the University of Kentucky, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was on-hand for the ribbon cutting at the next generation additive manufacturing research laboratory.

>> It is the newest addition to the Pigment College of Engineering.

Senator McConnell has helped to bring in 25 million dollars of federal funding for the lab.

>> Which will develop products for the Department of Defense as well as civilian use.

McConnell says given the world situation right now, it's a good time to increase the country's defense spending.

>> Well, I think we've certainly learned in the last few years that this is a challenge facing the ocean.

Reminiscent of the period leading up to World War.

2, this is a very, very dangerous period.

We're at.

We have 2 big power competitors.

Russia and China.

A short of satellite state.

All working.

The democratic parts of the world.

So this is extremely important.

And what you see here today is an example what we need to do, which is to rebuild our industrial base.

We sort of took a holiday from history for a while.

I was in your a bit as well.

We're way now.

This is a part of how I intend to spend the next 2 years.

Using whatever influence I have.

To help America understand that we need to increase defense spending.

We need to improve our industrial base.

Get ready for the long term competition.

That was that of us.

>> This national unique research lacked.

It's perhaps the most advanced collection of fun to get in a fight to the missions.

And systems and tools.

I mean, it's.

The supporting infrastructure.

In an echo in the city.

And these new technologies you you can do such team and the state departments including Sullivan industry, part in this heat in this opening ceremony, the opportunity to push there are limits off worse.

The boundaries of innovation and could this job issue, KET, as that would be in a once in a factor?

>> The new lab kicks off a 50 million Dollar 5 year partnership between UK the University of Tennessee and the U.S. Army to improve manufacturing capability in the U.S. now, Senator McConnell also attended the opening of a new facility in Boyd County on Tuesday.

Pathways Journey.

House is transitional housing aimed at supporting women with substance use disorders who have children and are going through treatment to conquer their addictions and trying to regain custody of their children.

>> We are a transitional living.

I O P or intensive outpatient program.

we go through it since about patient parenting in Bloom, Anger Management.

We offer various different peer services medication management, primary care providers.

We had 2 facilities part of this.

We had an 8 that facility in Greenup any 6 bed facility in Carter County.

And we see we stayed full so being able to open up at 25.

That facility allows women coming out of jail, allows women leaving the hospital with the CBS.

>> It provides a lot of safety and security and the chance for all of our consumers and all avoid county to get to understand and experience recovery.

Long-term struggle with addiction for, you know, about 20 years.

And I've been in our programs.

But >> like I said, this one is Been here for 3 months and my life has changed dramatically.

My parents were here I went from not having a relationship with him to having a wonderful relationship with and I talk to them daily and they're very supportive there here constantly.

And, you know, they can doesn't mean all that.

My kids out of relationship with them today.

I am.

I'm not trying to regain custody back of my younger do so.

A lot of things have changed in my life since I've been in this program, some of our consumers aren't able to have kids on their own.

They have to have supervision with the CBS.

>> So being able to bring your kid allows you to KET your kid in treatment with you.

While also providing the tools necessary to sustain recovery.

I think the you know, it speaks volumes to and places like this in and the widespread.

>> The problem with addiction and, you know, we need places like this for us to recover.

If we don't then, I mean, all we're going to see is more overdoses.

>> Additions, a very complex.

It's not decided to go get high.

And now this is where my life is.

It's a very complex disorder.

And it's something that is 100% treatable.

I see it every single day.

I've seen that in the 4 years that have done this type of work and it's a beautiful thing to get to see the light click on and many of our staff are in recovery themselves.

So we see long-term recovery.

Every single day in our peer support specialist that are absolutely life-altering for the she see when you walk through the door, they're the ones that are really the hope tellers and recovery is its unique.

Everybody has their own path, but it's 100% doable thing.

It's just work.

>> Pathways currently has services in Boyd Carter.

Greene up, Lawrence Bath Menefee Montgomery, Morgan and Raleigh and counties.

A former northern Kentucky corrections officer is in jail tonight.

He's accused of sexually abusing teens at the Campbell County Juvenile Detention Center Wave.

3 news reports Neil Mormon was arrested in Cincinnati after failing to appear for a court date.

Court records show he's facing 2 felony counts of sexual abuse.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Justice Department launched a federal investigation into possible civil rights abuses at Kentucky's 8 youth detention centers.

Kentucky's Attorney General Russel Coleman says Governor Beshear was wrong to veto part of House Bill 8.

That's a bill that made changes to Kentucky's tax system.

The bill exempted gold and silver from the state's 6% sales tax.

The governor vetoed that part of the bill.

Coleman wrote an opinion last week saying the governor doesn't have that authority.

Coleman says the governor can issue a line item veto for parts of appropriations bills.

But Coleman says House Bill 8 isn't an appropriations bill at the time of the veto.

The governor said anyone buying gold can afford to pay the sales tax.

Coleman's opinion, though, does not reverse the veto, but it could carry weight if the courts become involved.

Tomorrow.

The attorney general's office will pick 12 Kentucky counties all at random 4 election audits that something that happens after every election.

The AG says 98 people called the election fraud hotline.

36 called before Election Day.

44 called on Election Day and 18 called after the polls closed.

State Representative Kim Moser, a Republican says her party needs to unify.

Moser, won renomination in the 64th District in Kenton County.

>> I am very slim margin.

She tells the Lexington Herald-Leader that the Republican Party needs to stop its infighting and decide on a philosophy in order to build trust among its supporters.

Mosher be a so-called liberty conservative Karen Campbell, I just 84 votes in the May 21st primary statewide voter turnout was around 13% and the primary in Kenton County.

It was estimated at less than 10%.

You know, it shouldn't be.

That Fancy Farm political pick.

Neck is set for August 3rd in Graves County.

And you can see it right here on KET.

And we now know who's serving as and see.

It's father Jim Shift Fish Co a well-known Catholic priest in the Lexington diocese see seen here in this recent picture Mark Pope Kentucky, basketball jersey to Pope Francis.

The Fancy Farm picnic is a fundraiser for Saint Jerome Catholic Church.

The political chairman of the Fancy Farm Picnic Steven Elder released this statement saying, quote, We are excited to have father, Jim, except the role is and see of our 100 and 44th event.

He brings a wealth of experience through speaking and engaging with crowds.

He has such a social media presence and following with over 70,000 followers on Facebook, next and over 10,000 on Instagram, unquote.

♪ ♪ >> I'm Laura Rogers catching up on the political News of the Week with NPR's Reiland Barton and Rylan Governor Andy Beshear recently issuing a couple of executive orders.

One.

It gives us a new state holiday, another protecting state employees when it comes to wearing natural hair.

Can you tell us more about these orders?

>> Yes, so the first it makes a Juneteenth an official state holiday.

This is something that has come up in the state legislature time and time again.

Lawmakers for some reason have not been able to like it across the finish This is a holiday that celebrates the point in many black who enslaved of throughout the first years of American history.

We're finally got word that the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued.

This was long after the end of the Civil war and is becoming a holiday to celebrate black history.

And also just at the end of slavery in the United States.

This is something a lot of folks are exciting is happening in the state will be an official state holiday for state employees.

The other one, the Crown Act, which is an acronym for creating a respectful and open world for natural hair that is a it's a bill that's designed prevent discrimination against folks are having a natural hairstyles.

So it's a lot of great which is something that, you know, some employers the discriminate against would-be employees or or employees saying they have to change her hair suffer one reason or another.

This executive orders designed to.

I'm trying to stop that because these are, you know, well south of here that have nothing to do you know how how an employee performance.

And and it's just really just trying to seek to prevent that sort of discrimination in the workplace.

>> And I think it's nice, too, with the Juneteenth holiday.

When you think about the fact that Kentucky is the birthplace of President Abraham Lincoln issued the patients.

some big news recently and then also let's talk the state income tax because I know this was a popular talking point during the primary election when we were interviewing incumbents who are running, especially on the Republican ticket Sunday.

I asked that the, you know, at least one of them.

Why are you running for reelection?

And one of the answers was, well, we want to get the income tax down to 0.

I want to go back to Frankfort to make that happen.

But now we're hearing some of the Republican leaders say, you know, it may not be something raible to the fiscal level right now.

>> Yeah, this is a being political rallying cry for Republicans.

As you said earlier this year during legislative races.

But also last year, this was a big push Republican nominee for Governor Daniel Cameron.

He said he wanted to eliminate the state's income Going back to the former governor.

Not that not that.

And that was one of his big things.

A lot of Republicans say this is something that would encourage investment in the state.

May Kentucky more attractive to people moving here.

But when you're reducing the amount that you're taxing people's incomes means it's less money coming into state coffers, which we used to on any number of social services and and things just like a bill of rights.

on the other side of things, this so many Republican leaders of the legislature say it's not going to be possible to do this to.

It's unlikely that you're really going to get down to 0, even though they didn't pass a bill a couple years ago.

That does slowly allow the state to start reducing the income tax by half a percentage point every year, depending on certain conditions for the state has enough money in the rainy day fund, whether it's bringing in enough revenue but Republican leaders say it doesn't look like this.

It's really going to able to make those going forward unless it does something else like raising the sales tax, which would be, you know, that to be a real political avert a rail for folks That's what a lot of states that have that depend on having that you have eliminated their income tax depend on data from having a higher sales tax.

And that's something that I think that Republican political leaders consent, there's not a lot of appetite for among voters.

there's probably a little bit more reduction coming in the next coming years.

But in getting down to 0, I would say it's unlikely to happen anytime soon.

>> And along those lines as well that there this year line item vetoed some provisions, I believe in House Bill 8, which had to do with state revenue is Re.

General Russel Coleman agreeing with the GOP that that was unconstitutional because it being an appropriations I saying that correctly plant.

>> Yeah, this is this is a bit of a complicated story, but it does it just kind of get to the heart of some of the other battles over power between Governor Andy Beshear in the legislature and Republican Attorney General Russel Coleman.

it's a little bit of an issue, but within this Bill, House Bill 8 include a 2 sections that golden silver from the state's 6% sales tax.

And this year line item veto that it's those provisions.

The legislature came back and said, well, you're not allowed to do that because you're actually not allowed to line item veto.

That's like, you know, just kind of taking part of the bill and exercising it from the bill.

You're not allowed to do that because it's not a an appropriations bill and appropriations bills.

General, just like the this year says it Russell Coleman just came in and says it is not a there's been a battle We could see if this could end up going to court.

But I think at the root of this is really a fight over power.

And what the what the governor's powers here with the Legislature's power is and it's something that could ultimately gets out.

court says.

>> Because ultimately the Republican supermajority could just overridden that detail.

Correct?

>> They could have overridden and they decided not to decide to go this way saying that, well, this isn't even legal in the first place to be able to do this sort of veto.

>> Alright island.

Well, it's always an interesting catch up with you.

We appreciate it so much.

And thank you for your time.

>> If you are.

>> Well, look out for more electric school buses on Kentucky roads.

The Biden administration just announced 900 million dollars.

So 530 school districts across America can replace diesel school buses with electric and natural gas buses at about 60 of those school districts are right here in Kentucky.

The vast majority of the new buses will be electric.

The White House says this will save school districts money and will help both the environment and Americans health Bowling Green received money for 13 electric buses in August of 2023.

We talked to school leaders about that change.

>> We've got to prevent it.

But it works.

It's efficient that we are going to save money on on fuel.

We're going to save money on maintenance calls.

>> We're looking at an expenditure of around $0.49 a mile for a diesel bus versus what we're looking at for an electric bus of about $0.14 a mile, a school district on average for bus might be looking at a savings of anywhere from 4,000 to $11,000.

The big things that kids will notice is as low noise and and no missions.

That was great to be on a bus for the first time in my life.

And I didn't get off thinking that I was standing behind the tail pipe.

>> The money for the new buses comes from the bipartisan infrastructure law that was passed in 2021.

Kentucky is one of 21 states joining the federal government in an effort to improve the nation's power grid.

In order to expand the amount of available electricity and prevent power outages.

Thousands of people lost power in Texas due to storms over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

As part of the agreement, states will share information about how to improve their power grids and the federal government will provide technical assistance programs.

Well, if you are one of the millions of people who travel during the Memorial Day holiday, you saw gas prices very similar to the same price about a year ago.

Triple A says the average price of gas in Kentucky is $3 and $0.38 a gallon for unleaded a year ago.

The average price was $3.34.

Kentucky is doing better than the nation as a whole.

The national average right now is $3.57.

and the most expensive gas right now is in Jefferson County at $3 and $0.89 a gallon.

The cheapest isn't Bell County at $2 and $0.96.

♪ ♪ I'm not.

I'm on is a mechanical device.

Made to move like a human or living creature and they've been part of human history for 10's of centuries.

One Kentucky artist uses the skill of mechanical engineering.

In combination with skilled artistry to create sculptures that move more than just the viewer.

So we're taking a closer look in this week's Arts and culture segment.

We like to call Tapestry.

I create sculpture that move.

And I like the fact that >> it moves because the viewer interacts with that they turn to crime or they pull a lever.

They lift the lid of a buck.

Something that.

Provide some motion.

But also causes the piece to kind of come to life.

I have been in some exhibits where the exhibiting entity feels like they need to put it the last case away from him and patch and that completely misses the point.

I think if the person can't interact with it, if they can't be involved with it in a hands-on way, it really misses that important purpose, which is to kind of be a part of that person's experience.

People get to touch it.

They get to interact with it.

They get to turn a crying.

They get to bring it to life.

They get to show it to their family and friends.

they become immersed in it.

I think they experience the same joy.

That I do in creating it.

I've got a big gear turning a little gear which enables me to get the way you living really.

>> Quickly, I have a long Even as the childhood taking my toys, the park to figure out how they work.

Have they moved?

But when I decided create some kinetic sculpture some time either.

I had to basically start from the beginning and teach myself about mechanical movements.

And that's been a real trial.

And there are kind of endeavor.

But also very challenging in a heck of a lot of fun.

It has a little bit of a surprise.

You turn the crank and of course, the big gear turns.

And then the invasion of cats come out.

I like to create a piece that understands alone and work even if it didn't move.

The movement.

Can sometimes be a novelty are a very important part of the peace.

But I'd like for it to.

Stand on its own as sculpture.

First.

How lucky can you be to be able to go into a studio and create any crazy thing you can think of.

And have people appreciated.

I feel like the luckiest person.

Earth.

I have a that I absolutely love.

I can't wait to get back in the studio.

I would love to KET working to the very end.

>> You can get hands on with that exhibit.

It's called curiosities in motion.

It's running at the Mormon Gallery in Louisville until June.

29th.

Well, he started life in Bell County, Kentuckyian, he went about as far as you can go.

>> I'm just because I grew up here in the mountains.

I never really felt like that was limiting for Mi 6.

>> 5.

>> 2 years of work.

>> you >> get down to that last one.

Second to.

>> On the arms opening up now.

>> Not a blast off.

Just jump to He's astronaut John Shoffner.

And you will hear from a man who really knows what it means to reach for the stars.

>> It's a story you won't want to miss and you can see it right here tomorrow night on Kentucky Edition.

We thank you so much for joining us tonight.

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.

Thanks so much for joining us this evening.

You can catch this full episode at KET Dot Org.

Have a great night.

♪