>> We just disagree.

And that's why can't support this legislation.

>> A familiar face at the state capital says the upcoming session will be his last.

>> What I love about Massey is that, you know, that the futures with the state.

So we've got to jump start.

These >> A high school class in central Kentucky is Sky high over its latest research project.

>> You look like this burned here, just born around and all this stuff.

>> And a testy exchange involving Congressman James Comer of Kentuckyian a Democrat over Hunter Biden and Co MERS own finances.

>> 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 Tuesday, November, the 14th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your Tuesday night with us.

>> A veteran member of the Kentucky state Senate says he will not run again and 2024.

Senator John Schickel as a Republican from union and Boone County in northern Kentucky.

He's been state senator for the 11th district for 16 years and chairs.

The Senate Licensing Occupations Committee.

In a statement, Senator Schickel explained his decision to leave the Kentucky General Assembly.

Quote, the Kentucky General Assembly like the U.S. Congress was founded to be a citizen Legislature.

I have always thought citizen legislators should not make a careers out of their service because I strongly believe in the founding principles of a government of the people and by the people end quote, Senator Schickel says in his last year on the job he will continue to support policies friendly to small businesses and he will advocate for Boone County.

Now, here's reaction from Senate President Robert Stivers to news of Senator Schickel decision not to seek re-election.

Quote, Senator John Schickel has brought deep respect and trust to this constitutional office and rigor to the legislative process.

John ran his committee meetings with military precision and it's been a privilege to serve alongside him despite being a part-time legislator.

John has always brought everything he has to Frankfort during our General Assembly.

And while back in our districts, John Circle is a dear friend and I wish him all the best in this next chapter of his life.

End quote.

Republican leaders of the Kentucky General Assembly say they're open to a discussion about adding rape and incest exceptions to Kentucky's near total ban on abortion.

House Speaker David Osborne and Senate President Robert Stivers both spoke to the Lexington Herald-Leader yesterday after the Kentucky chamber's legislative preview conference, the abortion ban and the absence of exceptions for rape and incest was a major issue during the governor's race.

Speaker Osborne told the newspaper there is some interest in adding those exceptions among Republicans and the House Senator Stivers said he expects a discussion about it among the 31 Republicans in the state Senate.

Now in other news, wildfires continue to burn in parts of Kentucky, especially the southern and eastern parts of the state.

As we told you yesterday, a firefighter from Oldham County died over the weekend.

The Kentucky Division of Forestry says it's getting help from other states as Kentucky's own firefighters work overtime.

>> So mom, you know, we have about 125 kdf employees that are all being used in some form or fashion and suppression tactics.

And then we have those 6.10, person crews from Warren and then we received additional aid in the form of love.

That's on the ground.

Crews from the Idaho Department of Lands.

And once again, these 3.10, person crews which are referred to as suppression modules.

And so they will also be heading out to those same 2 regions of Pine Bill and hazard to help with on the ground attack.

All these wildfires.

>> As of yesterday, fires have burned about 26,000 acres.

And Louisville.

A jury today started deliberations in the case against Brett Hankison.

The former police officer accused of violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights.

Taylor died as police raided her apartment.

Her boyfriend Kenneth Walker fired a shot as they entered.

He said he didn't know they were police.

Police returned fire, killing Taylor in closing statements yesterday the prosecutor said Hankison was blindly firing through 2 covered windows when he couldn't see his target.

WDRB reports that during the trial, several officers testified that Hankison's actions were inconsistent with the training police officers receive Hankison's attorney argue jurors have to put themselves in hankison shoes and think about what he was saying at the time.

If convicted Hankison could get life in prison.

And August.

The Kentucky Judicial Commission on mental health kicked off a series of town halls across the Commonwealth.

The commission hopes to hear how Kentucky ends think the justice system should address mental health issues and other conditions.

Last week, Kentucky Edition travel to Louisville to sit in on one of those town halls.

>> Our purpose is to school or recommend and implement a transformational changes to improve systemwide responses are just as involved individuals who experience mental health needs substance, use issues or intellectual and developmental disabilities.

We had a summit last May here in Louisville.

>> It was attended by over 1100 people.

But we still lacks the actual consumer voice, barriers and roadblocks are our citizens facing when they are seeking mental health.

So that's the purpose of tonight.

>> I was neglected and ostracized from my school system for years, surrounded by inadequately equipped providers and social justice system.

Workers.

We didn't know how to deal with me were denied the fact that I was struggling in They treated me like a head case when I was just looking to cope.

I was so a lot.

But I didn't have to be like that.

We need to sincerely start talking about mental health issues.

>> We need to create these new avenues of support.

We've learned that housing is a problem everywhere.

We've learned that student mental seems to have.

>> Suffered mightily with with and we've learned that there are not enough mental health providers that there are long delays.

They're always moments when myself as a panelist in my other panelists will look at each other and think that never occurred to us.

The courage of the people who come and stand here.

You saw it.

They tell powerful intimate stories about their lives and what they've suffered and how they recover.

And how we can help improve the system to make it less painful for the next person in CA Grand recovery is very important.

>> Information gathered at the time has will be used to help find resources and opportunities to improve the circumstances for individuals struggling with mental health problems, substance use disorders and intellectual or developmental disabilities.

New numbers from last Tuesday's election show.

Governor Andy Beshear did better in rule areas and he did in 2019.

>> It's usually a Republican stronghold.

The Kentucky Lantern reports that an 85 Kentucky counties designated as rule.

The governor won.

43.3% of the vote to Republican Daniel Cameron's.

56.7%.

That's an improvement for Governor Beshear of more than 2% from 4 years ago.

The governor won 17 of those 85 counties and 2019.

He won just 13 of them.

Now switching to the federal government to U.S., Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says he backs House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan spending plan to avoid a government shutdown.

Johnson has pushed a plan that would fund veterans programs, transportation, housing, agriculture, and energy until January 19th funding for defense.

The State Department, Homeland Security and other government agencies would be extended until February Secant.

Many conservatives want cuts and not an extension of current spending levels.

The House Freedom Caucus made up of conservatives opposed the plan.

There are also critics in both parties who don't like the plan because it doesn't include money for Israel, Ukraine or border security and the U.S. without action.

The government will shut down Friday at midnight.

Also on Capitol Hill, an angry exchange involving Congressman John James Comer of Kentucky's first district calmer as chairman of the House Oversight Committee has been leading an investigation into the president's son, Hunter Biden and his finances.

Comer has criticized Biden as well.

One of those criticisms involves a loan from the president to his brother.

But Democrats say Comer also loan money to his brother.

Here's an exchange today between calmer and Congressman Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat from Florida.

>> But the u N Goldman, who is Mister Trust Fund continue to drive or deny the claim or no, I'm not going to give you your time and we stop the clock.

You all continue to look like a Smurf here just going around and all this stuff.

Bill is Mister Chairman.

You that of where you can not on time.

We use this information and you have gone on to me that in his right hand, it's something you do scare you install it in your brother.

The American people have the right plan and why he's a bully and a ways away believing that again, why did they leave him in Ruby any why they believe what you're saying?

Mister Chairman, why you go on FOX News and say low New Orleans was a tax of we don't know.

That's what you're doing or not.

>> We do now we have no idea what's about to take your word for it.

But when the prelude are not been proven or Mister Mosque with what that you've already been proven to learn, who's proven me a liar.

You.

Yes, you are and go to my hometown.

There's a camera crew there today in opposition research crew there today trying to determine a senior of God and world who seem to have gotten a new year stop high for you?

Not.

I think the American people have lots of questions, Mister Chairman and perhaps you can sit maybe for a deposition.

>> Comer says that the story of him loaning mother money, rather to his brother first reported by The Daily Beast is, quote, completely false, end quote.

What an exchange, the longest serving president in the history of the Kentucky Farm Bureau will leave the job next month.

Mark Kenny has been president for 15 years.

Haney is a farmer from Pulaski County where he raises apples, peaches and cattle.

Last week U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell pay tribute to Haiti on the Senate floor.

>> Are going to do.

The Farm.

Bureau's longest-serving pro.

You.

There are a proud farmer and That played an important role in preserving our common goals you ever go from next generation of young producers.

You.

This year, the farm bureau, Bismarck, a warm very Those who perished that done.

Closing out to being successful years with the president.

Nearly 75,000 forms back home to help KET dinner plate all across the country.

And for the better part of a century they trusted mark to lead them through the good times >> Haney had announced his plans to retire in September.

Here's what he said at the time.

Quote, Kentucky Farm Bureau was a grassroots organization made up of the brightest hardest-working people you will ever know.

It's been my honor to serve alongside these terrific Kentucky farm families, unquote.

A group sues the federal government saying it's not doing enough to protect fish from coal mining and the program encourages hunters to give to the hungry.

Our Toby Gibbs has those stories and more in our Tuesday.

Look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ ♪ >> The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced a temporary housing program for survivors of last year.

Severe weather in eastern Kentucky will end in January.

The Appalachian News Express reports that will and the January 29th.

So far, 129 households have been placed in temporary housing in breath that Floyd not let your Perry and Pike counties.

77 found permanent housing with the help of this program.

Federal officials announced that more than 22 million dollars will be used in western Kentuckyian Tennessee.

The benefit residents in rural areas wk and that's reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture's announcement as part of President Joe Biden say investing in Rural America event series.

The money will be used to acquit law enforcement to expand annual and services.

And a bourbon distillery improve water treatment and implement a dental health care program in schools.

2 environmental advocacy groups are suing the federal agencies for their alleged lack of conservation protections for coal mines, including those in eastern Kentucky.

The groups say the lack of protections could harm endangered and threatened aquatic life Appalachian voices and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit last week alleging minds in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia put big Sandy crayfish guy river crayfish and the Candy Darter at risk.

The U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service did not immediately return the newspaper's requests for comment.

Officials with a nonprofit focused on hunger relief by providing Kentuckians with healthy protein is encouraging hunters to donate, made to local food banks, Morehead, State Public Radio reports Kentucky hunters for the hungry has more than 16 meat processors that participate in the campaign.

Hear hunting season with guns and November.

26th Vo and archery season lasts until Mid-January.

With headlines around Kentucky, I'm told begins.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> A new report out by the American Lung Association shows Kentucky is making strides when it comes to long cancer treatments and screenings.

But as the 2023 state of Lung Cancer report reveals, Kentucky has a lot more work to do to improve the survival rates for those with the disease.

A look at that now.

And today's medical news.

>> Lung cancer >> the number one cancer killer across the entire country in an even larger than that.

Right.

And the reason for that is because it is typically asymptomatic.

>> Until it's in its most advanced stages.

The sad part today we have the highest lung cancer incidence in the nation.

And we have the highest lung death rate in the nation.

We moved up to second best in the nation for lung cancer screening of high-risk individuals.

>> This is huge because this is where it all begins.

Early detection.

Is the key to early and effective treatment that leads to survival.

And so this is the first building block in the chain to changing Kentucky's lung cancer story.

But we're still.

Only screening 10% Ish.

Of high-risk individuals in our state.

We're just talking right now about the high-risk individuals and defined by the United States Preventive Services Task Force that has people in that age range of 50 to 80 years old with a 20 pack year history, which means a pack a day for 20 years or 2 packs a day for 10 years.

>> And so on.

>> And we have quit in the last 15 years.

We need to do better and we can.

We need to reach communities all across Kentucky with access to quality screening.

So it's a matter of.

Focused and ongoing effort.

To put the the processes in place to achieve that goal.

A broader reach across the state for high-risk individuals.

We're we're in the average range for surgical treatment.

Lack of treatment.

Can change.

When people understand.

There, there are there are treatments.

It's not it's it should not be a sense of nihilism or it did.

And for that matter, they are increasing advances in new treatments immunotherapy and things of that and in Kentucky, we recently passed a biomarker testing coverage Bill so that we can now cover the testing for defining are deciding the certain this specific tumor time the patient might have in order to provide targeted therapies and that another enormous advancement and over time, then we begin to move the needle on early treatment.

And when you get early treatment because of early detection, you move the needle on survivability.

>> Radon is another area of concern for Kentucky.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

According to the report, almost 37% of radon test results in the state were at or above levels that require corrective measures to reduce exposure.

The proportion of us kindergarteners are opting out from school vaccination requirements has hit its highest level ever.

It's a sign that more parents are questioning routine childhood vaccinations that they used to automatically accept.

But this trend of increasing vaccination exemptions is not playing out the same across the country and Kentucky during the 2022.

23 school year.

1.7% of kindergartners were exempt from at least one other vaccines commonly required.

According to the CDC.

While that number is below the national average of 3%, it's more than 4 times higher than it was during the previous school year when looking at Kentucky, 7 surrounding states, only West Virginia had a lower percentage of vaccine exemptions.

All U.S. states require children attending childcare centers and schools be vaccinated against a number of diseases, including measles, mumps, polio and chickenpox.

All states also allow families to get an exemption from the requirement.

If a child has a medical condition that prevents them from receiving a vaccine and most states, including Kentucky.

Also lets parents opt out for religious or other non-medical reasons.

♪ ♪ ♪ The Big Blue Crush continues.

Now, that's a blood drive with Tennessee and Kentucky competing to raise the most blood.

Kentucky took the lead after one day.

Kentucky leads for 10 donations to 359.

The competition ends Friday.

The Kentucky Blood Center says it's important for people to give before the holidays when blood donations often decline.

And this is the 36 competition.

Kentucky won last year and let's do it again.

♪ ♪ >> It's not your typical science fair project.

Our Laura Rogers takes us to the Hardin County classroom where some down to Earth students are doing research that out of this world.

>> Here at John Hardin, High School in Elizabeth Town.

Jeremy Hall is teaching students about agriculture.

>> We have a hydroponic stock opponents in our culture led in our room for kids to study and also to grow up plans for the food insecurity.

>> It's a hands-on learning approach that's helping these high school students solve real world problems.

Learning should be fun.

>> I went into education because I had great teachers.

>> I was a year ago when Hall was presenting to the National Association of Agricultural Educators that he learned of an opportunity for his classroom to do research for NASA.

>> We're always looking for new opportunities.

I think my students thrive on outside of the box thinking this school applied and was selected to take part and growing beyond Earth a classroom based citizen science projects that advances NASA research on growing plants in space.

It's crazy.

Honestly, I never thought that I'd be involved in it, but she is thanks to the support of her peers who selected Harley is one of 2 freshman to lead the project and Mister Hall's classroom.

He incorporates a bunch of >> real-life things to build on and the students are taking measurements and collecting data on hydroponics that will help NASA scientists develop technology to grow food crops in deep space.

There's a food insecurity problem here on Earth.

So if we grow the >> Then it will help that issue.

Since there's limited space they know about us and our research here in the lab and what good it's doing for the community and then asking us to do.

And that's just such a huge honor.

The 28 day trial helps the students better understand how a lighting source affect certain plants.

>> We're trying to a plant called Mister Show, which is a really neat It's it's a double plant.

The flowers, even a double on the star's home and Towne a better care for them in order for the plants to grow.

>> The ruling was our best grower was good or all bad.

Germinated well had really good germination rate.

>> A really quick wide leaves the blaze which provides a lot of food for what it is.

>> But it's not the success of the project that gets hall most excited.

It's the potential failure a Dauphin can provide the most impactful lesson learned is what was your dad and you learn from it and then apply that what you've learned.

>> That's his biggest success has been right off the bat.

>> The problems in the world can be basically saw bad culture.

And it's a big part of everyday life.

>> Everyday life that is examined and explored right here and the classroom.

>> This is what education is about that we need to let kids think on their own to try and reassert and have them understand that failure is not the end all the time.

But you can actually learn a lot from failing.

And that's what we're trying to have fun, failed learn in the plot.

>> For Kentucky Edition, he incorporated all that into like a real-life plant science.

I'm Laura Rogers.

As always, thank you.

More Rogers, the research project help support the NASA Artemis program.

The long-term goal is to establish a moon base.

>> Where a hydroponic greenhouse will provide food for space travel.

Pretty cool.

♪ ♪ >> Coming up tomorrow on Kentucky Edition, we of course, talked with dry Lynn Barton of Kentucky Public Radio.

It is Wednesday after all.

>> Senator Mitch McConnell reacts to violence in Congress.

Plus, Congressman Hal Rogers decision about running for a 23rd term and we'll show you some sign making with a futuristic twist.

>> It's 10 mile light actually a laser light that never touches the piece that we put in the machine.

>> We check out laser cut signs made right here in Kentucky tomorrow on Kentucky edition, which we hope to see you for again tomorrow at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central way, of course, and connect and inspire, subscribe to our Kentucky Edition, email newsletters and watch full episodes and clips at KET Dot Org.

>> Connect with us all the ways you see on the screen, Facebook x, Instagram, send us a story idea.

The public affairs at K E T Dot Org and more to stay in the loop.

Thank you for watching tonight.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Take good care and I'll see you right back here tomorrow night.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪