>> Wildfires continue to burn in parts of Kentuckyian those fires have now taken someone's life.

>> We need more people that to continue to do it in order to start our 70 plus hospitals.

>> How giving the gift of life can help Some bragging rights.

>> There's some people on the street.

Who are unhoused to have vouchers, no one over into the no one on except for a voucher.

>> Plus, the efforts and one Kentucky city to ban what many consider a form of housing discrimination.

Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Monday.

>> November the 13th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for starting off your week night with us.

Kentucky's wildfire crisis took a deadly turn over the weekend.

The state says and Oldham County Firefighter Sergeant Thomas Patch K Junior was hurt fighting a fire in gotion on Saturday.

He died later at Norton Brownsboro Hospital.

He was 53 years old.

The state says there are 16 active wildfires mostly in the eastern and southern parts of the state.

Now active means firefighters are fighting them, but they continue to spread.

That number is down from 31 on Thursday.

36 fires are now contained, meaning there are no longer spreading, but they still require action.

And 76 are controlled, meaning they are no longer a risk.

The fires have affected almost 27,000 acres.

And we have this video shot by Matt.

and judge executive of mug often county and says he wrote his four-wheeler behind his house and found the wildfire.

You see here we spoke with the Kentucky Division of Forestry tomorrow about the progress that's been made and the concerns that remain.

>> We have made.

>> Really wonderful progress.

And we're getting that number of active fires to decrease, which is excellent news.

Not only for our crews, but also for citizens of the Commonwealth are being directly impacted by these wildland fires.

So that's excellent.

But that doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet.

You know, we're staying hypervigilance.

We have brought in a members from the National Weather Service to provide us of a weather updates and using, you know, the most up-to-date prediction models of what the incoming weather is going to look like.

And so we have a pretty good idea of what the weather is going to do within this week.

We're seeing with whether models heading into this week is that or a relative humidity is going to drop into critical levels.

So here in the state of Kentucky, when we get around, 25% relative humidity or lower, that is really not good news when it comes to wildfire.

And then we also know that we're going to be receiving some above average temperatures for this part of the year.

And so when you put additional heat and low relative humidity together that's adding up where a sticky situation when it comes to wildfire.

So given that information, we're saying, you know, hyper vigilant and aware of our situation.

And we have teams spread out just in case that we do need additional folks behind the curve on the line.

And I can't say it enough that it really does take a village when it comes to fire up was Asian.

Crews and equipment have arrived from Oregon, Idaho and Texas.

>> And the Kentucky Division of Forestry expects more reinforcements from Utah later this week.

5 soldiers based at Kentucky's Fort Campbell died when their helicopter crashed over the weekend in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Pentagon says they were part of the Army Special Operations forces.

They died during an air refueling mission while training.

This is part of an increased U.S. military presence in the eastern Mediterranean since the Hamas attack on Israel on October.

The 7th, although they were based at Fort Campbell, the 5 were not natives of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear put out this statement, quote, This is a heartbreaking reminder of the sacrifices these heroes make for our country and our freedoms.

Please join Britain and me in praying for the families, friends and fellow service members of these American heroes and quote.

Kentucky veterans are not always getting the care they deserve.

That was the message to lawmakers last week during committee hearing and Frankfort.

Our Jen LaFleur reports Stacey Brantley tried to get her father into one of Kentucky's be a nursing homes.

>> That never happened.

My dad actually passed away last month he had.

Bit waiting a year to get into that facility.

The 81 year-old who served 30 years in the army was put on a wait list.

I asked, you know, hey, is there any way to tell like?

Where he is on this list?

I mean, is the lake number 10 is the number.

52.

It's not that Kentucky's for VA nursing homes are full.

They just don't have enough nurses.

That means half of the 681 available beds are empty while veterans remain on weightless.

According to a member of the Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection.

>> Lawmakers say the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs needs to step up.

>> This summer.

Several colleagues and I.

Made personal visits to our VA centers.

And I want to applaud your staff.

They're outstanding.

They are sir.

Facilities are wonderful.

They're awesome.

But I have some grave concerns.

When it comes to communicating.

And the occupancy and the capacity rates.

We're not asking you to lower your standards.

Are thank you.

We're demanding you meet the standards.

And we always will, sir, we're asking you meet the standards of every commissioner that's come before you no matter what if I catch a stroke and that will be here to represent, we just need to know when and where, sir.

>> The nursing shortage is acute more than half of nursing homes nationwide are limiting their client intake because of staffing shortages.

According to the American Health Care Association.

Still, lawmakers in Kentucky expect better outcomes.

>> To say that I'm upset is an understatement to to see our veterans every day trying to get into a nursing home.

We have open beds and then and then we say we can't do it when other states are doing when surrounding nursing homes.

>> Are full.

But our better nursing homes are at 50% at best.

His outrageous.

He every time that you've asked, are we come before us?

We give me more money for nurses.

We give me more more money for heating air, whatever us.

But there's not been asking when we try to communicate is not been there.

>> The state did bump VA staff wages by 10% in 2022, it also eliminated a cap on what contract nurses make until staffing improves.

Veteran center's will continue to admit clients based on need.

Absolutely.

We've got a lot of work ahead of us and we have to do it as a team because there's no one ticket are one thing that we can wave a magic wand and do this.

>> Veterans affairs says nearly 300,000 veterans live in Kentucky.

>> For Kentucky June Leffler.

Thank you.

June the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs runs for Veterans Centers and Perry Jessamine Harden and Hopkins counties.

>> A 5th facility is set to open in Bowling Green in 2025. a programming note for you tonight, KET.

He is airing a special program honoring Kentucky's military families supporting Kentucky Veterans Akt form.

So town hall-style conversation with a panel of military and state officials discussing issues related to today's veterans after the program, audience members were given a chance to engage with the panelists that include Kentucky's 2022 female veteran of the year.

Joanne Orr.

>> I went into the military and 25 army retired.

I'm retired January first 2000, my new put I got out with some issues out was dizzy as part of the court may soon for the 24th Infantry Division time brought in 90,000.

So just well today as a stone is she?

And had a really hard time when my heart and started because I think a lot of people didn't want to really believe we were there.

And if we were, there was just a few homes.

That wasn't the case said that to say that was really nothing here for women, veterans, you know, as Miss Game birds.

My other Joya with the dolls, it's with tells us apart saying we were kind of left on the back burner and all that slowly but surely is starting to fade away.

That's terrific.

Now there's a story also.

And um, I plug a show here on KET means a lot to me, Kentucky life.

>> That we've got to tell last year we're actually going to retail it again this year on our Veterans Day episode about that woman's honor flight that you all got to take it from the grass here.

We're here to see.

What did that mean to you?

After that day when you came back to that airport and all those people were there to cheer you on and welcome you home.

I can't imagine what that felt like.

>> Yeah, I thought about the gentleman on 2 brothers.

As a matter of fact, they have served in Vietnam because I know when they came back they weighed stuff, thrown items, speed ad and called baby killers and all those sort of things.

us it was a first.

It was a first.

It was just something they had never happened before for women.

Veterans plan.

Yeah.

And I don't think a guy in people expected to see so many, I'm sure and we were a little section Bisbee of the 27,000 women been now reside in the state of Kentucky who have served this country.

>> We thank her and others for their service to our country.

Supporting Kentucky Veterans Akt Forum hosted by Chip Polston airs tonight at 8 Eastern 7 Central right here on KET.

Now, if it felt like TV ads in volume and frequency in the governor's race were off the charts or you're right.

New numbers show just how much money the candidates and their allies spent.

The group add impact politics as candidates and political action committees PACs spent about 77 million dollars on the Kentucky governor's race.

That's up 220% from 2019 when spending totaled, then about 24 million spending for the Democratic incumbent and Victor Governor Andy Beshear was about 49 million spending for Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron was about 29 Million.

In other news workers at 2 Ford plants in Louisville seem skeptical of a proposed union deal with Ford Union members at the 2 plants voted against the deal by a margin of 52 to 48%.

That's compared to union members nationwide who voted for it with 65% of the votes.

Some members of the Union local 8.62 told WDRB TV and Louisville, they're not satisfied with the proposed pay increase of 25% over the course of the four-year contract.

That includes an immediate 11% raise.

Wk YTN, Lexington reports.

High-speed Internet is headed to 16 counties and southern and eastern Kentucky.

You can see the list here of the counties affected the center for rural Development and Somerset says it's a 31 million dollar project using federal money and state matching funds and will mean more affordable high-speed Internet to 33,000 homes.

Some homes will get the new service in 3 to 6 months.

Others will get it for a year and a half or won't get it until over a year and a half.

It's always a good time to roll up your sleeves and give blood, especially this week.

Kentucky is competing with Tennessee and the 36th annual Big Blue Crush.

You can give blot at any of the 8 Kentucky Blood Center donor locations.

And they're also mobile drives under way.

Eric Lindsay with the Kentucky Blood Center says donations made with KBC go directly to local patients at more than 70 hospitals around the stage.

>> We have folks over the past couple years since the pandemic.

We're starting to see some donors come back that that had, you know, but obvious health and safety reasons had, you know, our fallen out of have of the pandemic you had, you know, just ahead, not donated, were seen some encouraging signs that folks are coming back.

But we still not to the point where we wanted to be a starting point where we can feel good you know, on people's lives are at stake.

We want to make sure there are blood supply is not OK are good.

We want to make sure it's great to make sure that the blood is always there.

as it relates specifically to big crash, we know this is over and events that brings out people that, you know, that that maybe this is the only time they don't 80 year or maybe this this this motivates them to donate for the first time.

Whatever it is that motivates you to we're just we're hopeful to get you back here and start if this is the event's, if it's the competition versus Tennessee, if it's the T-shirt, they're really popular with their donors, motivation to come out.

We're just in case you forgot about it.

And you're seeing this on this interview in the news for the first time it motivate.

You got pay whatever it is.

We're just happy to have you.

Have you back.

We just we need more people that to continue to do it in order to start our 70 plus hospitals.

>> And we know that the holidays are an especially crucial time.

The big Blue cross contests last through Friday.

Kentucky leads the series with 26 with Tennessee 20 to 14 with one tie and Kentucky has won 3 of the last 4 years, including last year.

Let's do it again.

♪ >> The city of Lexington could become one of more than 100 cities, including Louisville to and what is known as source of income discrimination.

That's when landlords will not rent to someone using other sources of income, including federal housing vouchers to pay rent.

We spoke to some housing advocates as the Lexington City Council get set to consider a ban on the practice.

>> There's some people on the street.

Who are unhoused to have vouchers, but no one over into Illinois except about sure we've had people on the street for as long as 130 days with a voucher and then no one will read to them.

We've had homeless programs return funds they were using for Elsa says because they couldn't find anybody or into their clients.

We are discriminating against.

>> People as long as we have source of income discrimination >> these are people who have the means to pay for units and are not being allowed to.

this is direct discrimination against in many cases are unhoused population.

I'm disabled.

I had about your before.

I.

>> Now I'm on.

>> Disability, but I do work some so at many points in my life.

Income haven't looked perfect for super desirable to all landlords that has really limited my housing choices.

It has put in harm's way before.

I think it puts a lot of people in harm's way.

If they don't have the ability to access the same housing options that are now says.

>> It's people with disabilities.

It's single parents.

It's it's people who have a lot of vulnerabilities in terms of finding a unit to rent regardless of whether they're using assistance, only compounds the situation when they're trying to use a voucher and, you know, we looked one day just to to sample the data.

There were, you know, only 4% of listings.

We had did not list but a And so you're talking about a 500 plus listings.

May be a handful would even talk to you.

Much less read to you about 80% of Lexington's Housing Choice.

6 name out your shoulders are nonwhite.

76% black.

That doesn't mean lenders are intentionally saying I will read based on race, but it means that their decision not to take vouchers has an impact on race.

It's a disparate impact on and black in but communities and other communities of color.

You know, that's not lost on folks.

You community like so many others that has a history of redlining limiting where those folks can can live.

There's still any number of barriers that will be out there for some of these individuals, including credit history or eviction history.

Here.

You know, other things that may limit their options.

But what we're saying is let's not limited just based on a form of payment.

Let's you know, if the landlord still wants to scream, folks based on their credit history or based on their criminal history, although that's still allowed the normal stop them from that.

In fact, I would encourage all in order to make those Well, we're saying is, does it matter if the check comes from the tenant or from the Housing Authority?

>> Housing saves people And if we can get folks who are already qualified for the program who already have their vouchers, if we can get their application seen by landlords and knowledge the same as every other application will see that.

But some of those tenants people, they're going to want their properties.

And that will change so many things that will allow people to it.

If they do the vote just before the end of the year and it passes.

That would mean that like people get to survive the holidays.

People die during winter on the street.

And we have the ability to stop that.

I've been homeless before.

I'm also really good time and a nice person.

And I the misinformation that has been going around in the land like community that a U.S. that section 8 tenants are just like bad people or are out to cause it's something we really need to.

We're going to fight.

Because good people deserve to have it.

Have a home and raise their families in that home.

>> Yeah, the tenants obviously are very, very strongly in favor of this.

And then landlords there's some landlords that are just adamantly opposed to it and are willing to consider there's little to take 16 batters and trigger shoulders and say on the problem with it and then there's some of the middle of just want to know more.

We want to try and find a way that makes everyone happy.

But that's not always We just needed to make sure everyone feels heard.

Everyone gets a chance to.

>> To weigh in.

>> The council will hear public testimony on the issue tomorrow night.

Council members could vote on a ban by the end of the year.

♪ >> Kentucky's first and only Miss America has been an advocate for veterans said she ran on that platform in 1999.

Since then, Heather, French Henry has been commissioner of the Veterans Affairs and later made an unsuccessful run for Kentucky.

Secretary of state.

>> Our Kelsey Starks caught up with her for inside Louisville.

>> You've done so much for the veteran community in Louisville, Kentucky, the country really I'm just raising that voice.

And you were appointed commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs as well.

>> Tell us a little bit about what that impact has been.

>> The impact on the veterans community is something I've been extremely proud of.

Not just because I'm a daughter of a disabled Vietnam veteran, the niece of a formerly homeless veteran.

But the fight fat.

Hopefully it shows other people, but they too can take the steps to increase awareness to make an impact for those who serve.

When you talk about a population of people who they sign a blank check, they say I'm willing to die for you.

And now we have less than 5% of our country.

That step set to do that.

You know what can we do it now?

It's our responsibility as a civilian to say, OK, you've done this for me.

What can I do for you?

And so as Miss America being able to work on homeless veterans, bring awareness for women veterans.

Those were 2 populations that we have not really fully develop the conversation around.

At that time.

We had 250,000 homeless veterans on the street on any given night.

And so working with legislators in groups like the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, Homeless Veterans.

Reintegration programs like U.S. vets out of LA who have by 7 campuses across the country.

Louisville had a couple at the time and we're so growing.

There was a grand pretty in program that had just gotten started where the federal VA was pay.

Many to these institutions to be able to have beds for homeless veterans and then they can KET better so it felt like in 99 2000, all these wonderful programs in discussions were starting to happen.

Past legislation ahead, homeless veterans and had women veterans.

But I will say this today we're a little spoiled because after 9.11, the silver lining on that cloud is that everyone now says yes to everything veteran related.

I mean, it's really great to see that growth, but pre 9.11, it wasn't like it wasn't like that.

And we had senators and congressman that fought against S, you know, there was an information blackout.

The happened in the VA that we had to expose and people got fired over those things.

And at the time when we're talking about discretionary spending for the VA, which means the VA only gets as much money is how many veterans are coming in and federal government.

There were people that did not want to be a to grow.

They wanted to sort of lessen the foot stand right the V a.

But the reality is we shouldn't.

And we needed to broaden that.

And in a day when homeless veteran offices within the VA can barely afford a fax machine.

And pets date for that to where now every VA has services for homeless veterans.

Every VA has services for women, veterans.

Every VA has mental health services.

And so we have created this energy that 24 years later, we're seeing more resources than we've ever seen.

That's what makes me really proud.

And it's I'm almost also at the point where it's not about me being a leader in the veterans community and end that now it's about watching others who they don't even know.

They were inspired by what I did.

They probably don't even know who I am, but they're inspired because of the work that we did and the work that still left to do.

So they're picking up those pieces and carrying them on.

>> You can catch inside Louisville on Sundays at noon Eastern.

11:00AM central right here on KET and you can see the full interview with Heather French Henry and Kelsey right now online on demand at KET DOT Org.

♪ >> We have a trio of interesting birthdays and the Kentucky connection to the Teddy bear hour.

2 begins tells us more in tonight's look at this week in Kentucky history.

♪ >> Happy birthday to Louis U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice born on November.

13th 18.

56 in Louisville.

President Woodrow Wilson appointed Brandeis to the court in 1916.

He served until 1939.

It was the first Jewish appointee to the court.

Abraham Lincoln's friend Joshua Speed was born November 14th, 18, 14 and Louisville in 1935, he moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he and Lincoln became friends.

Speed served as an adviser to the president during the Civil War.

Speed declined.

Lincoln's multiple offers to make of secretary of the Treasury.

>> When President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shooting cornered bear while hunting, it inspired a Washington Post editorial cartoon published November 16, 19.

0, 2, drawn by Woodford County native Clifford Berryman.

The cartoon led to the creation of the toy known as the Teddy Bear.

The other President Roosevelt was in Harrisburg.

32 years later on November 16, 1934 FDR dedicated the George Rogers Clark Monument to honor the first permanent settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains.

The man being honored that day.

George Rogers Clark was born November 1917.

52 in Virginia.

He first visited Kentucky at the age of 20, eventually moved here and helped establish Louisville when he was 26 a general and explore is the namesake for Clark County man.

He's the brother of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Fame.

And that's tonight's look back at this week in Kentucky history.

I'm Toby Good.

>> Thank you so much.

To be gives that to do it for us tonight.

We hope to see you right back here again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky.

Addition for we inform connect and inspire.

Thanks so very much for watching.

Take really good care.

And I'll see you tomorrow night.

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