♪ >> Today is a typical Kentucky.

More than 200,000 kids woke up.

With the pollen.

>> Find out why child advocates say that should be a warning sign for Kentucky state lawmakers.

>> Why not Kentucky as the AG tech of of the United States.

>> A grant program launches to bring Ed Tech business to the Bluegrass.

>> We all know if you don't have gas is in elementary school or middle school, you're just not going to report.

>> The better you see the more you learn.

Kentucky's largest school system is helping pupils with their peoples.

>> 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 Thursday, November, the 16th, I'm Renee Shaw.

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

>> We begin tonight in Louisville after 3 days of deliberations, there's a hung jury in the Brett Hankison case.

Hankison is the former Louisville police officer being tried for violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights.

Taylor was shot to death during a police raid in 2020.

Her boyfriend fired shots and police returned fire, killing Taylor.

The prosecution argued that Hankison fired shots through 2 covered windows when he couldn't see his target.

Again, a hung jury in the high consent case.

We'll have more tomorrow on Kentucky edition.

Now in other news, a nonpartisan nonprofit that serves as a voice for Kentucky's kids has released what's called the 2023 Kids Count Data Book which analyzes how well Kentucky children been fairing over the last 5 years.

Kentucky youth advocates data looks at 16 different areas that are organized into 4 different areas.

Economic security, education, health, family and community.

>> The real message that I would hope to share with you today.

Is that this year's kids count report.

More than most.

Serves as a warning sent.

I mean, candidly, it is not a house on far.

But it's certainly not good news.

>> We know that in many ways kids count is the report card for Kentucky's kids.

So in June we take a look at how Kentucky compares to other states.

We're looking at how counties are fearing a is their trajectory getting better staying the same or declined?

How's this county doing as compared to appear county right next door.

>> Well, this book is cool obligations.

And on 2 news, I mean, you can look at the data.

And not see that 46% of kindergarteners.

Only 46% of kindergarteners.

We are ready to learn in this year's book.

Think about what it means that about 2 out of 3 0th graders in Kentucky.

Do not read.

At the national middle proficiency level.

And that Over 66% of 8th graders who can be minimal national proficiency standards in Numeracy.

Or think about the impact.

That is today is a typical Kentucky.

More than 200,000 kids woke up.

Living in poverty.

We know.

The child who poverty.

We're childhood poverty used today.

It is firmly in the canary in the coal mine.

because that's where all those other indicators I don't.

>> So if childhood poverty is getting worse this year and next year on year to you.

Indicators around health, safety and education are going to climb.

So again, we we have a moment to change the trajectory.

Our SA, how light it the coop.

What is a crisis is the crisis of the workforce sector and professionals who deal with kids.

Chark here K 12 schools.

Child Welfare, juvenile justice, all all of those sectors tell you, but they're programming is suffering.

Kids are falling through the cracks because we are inadequately staffed.

That is a terrible situation to find ourselves in.

When you look at the half points.

>> You see that there are more kids today not be reunified with their families and a few years ago.

So again, that's one of those critical crossroads.

Are we going to tackle those kind of issues may help?

Or are we doing way until it reaches a critical stage.

So our whole hope.

>> He was not only that the kids count data compels folks in Frankfort to make policy changes and budget investments.

But we want we want preachers and principles and policeman and county judge executive news and nonprofit leaders in communities across Kentucky to think about what their numbers show for their hometown and how they can begin to make a difference in the lives of the kids who live right next door to them.

>> Now the report did have some positive indicators, including a decline in teen pregnancies and a dip in the number of young people incarcerated in the juvenile justice system.

The funeral was today for an Oldham County firefighter who died in the line of duty over the weekend.

According to the Kentucky Division of Forestry, 53 year-old Thomas Patch KET suffered a medical event while fighting a wildfire in Oldham County.

Pesci was a member of the Ballards Ville Fire Department Governor Andy Beshear has ordered flags at half-staff today in patch, his honor, the governor's office said in a release that the wildfire started from a burning vacant building.

And the cause is being investigated.

Crews fighting wildfires in eastern Kentucky are getting more outside assistance.

The Kentucky Division of Forestry said heavy equipment from Arkansas has arrived and is headed to firefighters who are currently trying to contain 13 active wildfires and KET 36 more under control.

Madoff and breath it Owsley and Perry are the county saying the most wildfire activity?

The lack of rain is making things worse for firefighters.

And this is the latest map from the U.S. drought monitor.

It was completed Tuesday.

Now sections of eastern and southern Kentucky are now in the darker orange, which means severe drought.

And there wasn't there a week ago, the lighter orange is a moderate drought.

Governor Andy Beshear sent other states for their help and fighting Kentucky's wildfires.

Also, he announced Kentuckians have spent almost 448 million dollars so far since sports betting became legal and during his news conference today, the governor announced that Vicki Reed is resigning as Kentucky's juvenile Justice commissioner effective January.

1st, Reid has been criticized for the riots, assaults, skates and other problems at Kentucky's Duval Justice Centers and Governor Beshear also reflected on his election win on November, 7th just last Tuesday and what he thinks voters are saying.

>> People are optimistic about where we're going.

They were hopeful in really has the Mystic where our country has gotten.

They believe what's happening right now in Kentucky is exciting and it's going to create better lives for us.

I think you also saw a rejection of anger politics.

I'm very clear statement by voters that they want people to run for something not against someone.

You know, we shouldn't be engaging in the politics of of hate and anger.

We should be engaging in in the the comparison of ideas.

And I think you saw from boaters.

>> That that's what they're looking for.

>> Governor Beshear's inauguration is Tuesday, December 12th, you can see full coverage of it live here all day on KET First Lady Britainy Beshear announced an inauguration poster contest for Kentucky children.

You can find out more about how to design and submit a poster and more about the inauguration at Kentucky DOT Gov.

Slash inauguration.

Federal politics.

It looks like the nation will avoid a federal government shutdown for now.

Last night the U.S. Senate approved the spending plan that had already passed the U.S. House.

The Senate vote was 87 to 11.

The bill will fund some government programs into January and others under February while negotiations continue on a long-term spending package.

Senator Mitch McConnell voted yes.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky voted no.

Some Republicans in the House and Senate voted no because they didn't like maintaining government spending.

They view as too much before the vote last night.

Senator Rand Paul introduced an amendment to cut discretionary spending by 15% outside of defense and veterans affairs.

Earlier this month on the Senate floor, Paul denounced the national debt and the effect it would have on the U.S. economy.

>> The national dead just recently surpassed 33 trillion dollars.

That's $280,000 per ounce home unless we change course the debt only increases the CBO for next trillion-dollar deficits.

As far as the eye can see, we borrow over 176 million dollars every hour.

3 million dollars is borrowed every minute and $50,000.

Every second it is out of control.

The net interest payments are anticipated to double from 475 billion dollars to a trillion dollars by fiscal year 2028. interest will be the largest item of expenditure for the federal government.

Americans could pay dearly for Congress's inability to say no to the welfare and warfare stayed.

>> The Senate rejected Senator Paul spending caught amendment by a vote of 32 to 65.

The state has settled with Walgreens for its role in Kentucky's opioid epidemic.

Kentucky accused Walgreens of business practices that made Kentucky's opioid problem worse.

The Attorney general's office says Walgreens will pay Kentucky 100 million dollars and the pharmacy chain agrees to monitor and share information about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron says this is a glimmer of hope for Kentucky as it fights the opioid epidemic.

Gentrification is a term used when developers take over a neighborhood in rehab in rundown homes and communities that often force out by pricing out the people who already live there last week, Louisville's Metro Council passed what's called an anti displacement ordinance to fight it.

Kentucky additions June Leffler has more.

>> For nearly 3 years, the Louisville tenants Union fought for a measure to curb gentrification last week, all Metro Council members president signed off on such a law.

>> What we realized a few years ago when we started writing this legislation is that we were tired of waiting for our politicians to take action.

So we took it ourselves and we found an ally on Metro Council Councilman Ja'corey Arthur Louisville.

>> Specifically West Louisville and parts of neighborhoods that are around the downtown core.

Are struggling with development that comes in.

Raises the cost of living raises right raises property taxes, which then in turn makes you have to pay more for your mortgage and it's pushing people out.

>> Soon Metro Council will have a better idea of how new law Fs or townhouses could impact their constituents living nearby.

>> This legislation is specific to developers who want Metro government resources.

Sometimes that means funding.

So that means land or property the Metro government owns or controls.

Sometimes that means letters of support.

Sometimes it means certain a government official actions that they can take to help the development.

If you want those metro resources, there are conditions to that.

And so it creates is being called a displacement index is still a key Putin data.

I just numbers.

This is what I'm a charge and rent.

This is the income of the neighborhood.

These types of metrics to come up with a score at the end that lets us know.

>> Will this project inflate the cost of living it community or or Willie, it just help it stay stabilized, which?

If it if it does turn out that in mind inflate, then that developer has every opportunity to change the project so that it can better suit that community to receive those resources.

>> The building Industry Association of Greater Louisville represents the construction industry and some developers.

It said, quote, While the BIA supports efforts to address displacement issues, the development community does have concerns that this recently passed ordinance will negatively impact our ability to provide much needed housing of all types and price ranges throughout our entire community.

Lbg development builds mixed income apartment complexes across Jefferson County and the nation.

That means a portion of their apartments go for market rate while the rest are cheaper and publicly subsidized for low-income renters.

The developer said, quote, While we understand the intent and firmly agree that long-term residents of the neighborhood should not be forced to relocate due to new residential development.

We have serious concerns about the potential negative impacts to developing affordable housing in Louisville in order to create a vibrant livable and affordable city.

We need to remove barriers to getting developments approved and under construction, not create more.

Kentuckyian spend a lot of their money on housing alone.

39% of renters pay.

Roughly a 3rd of their income for rent.

Same goes for 17% of homeowners in the state severely cost-burdened Kentuckians pay more than half of their income for housing.

19% of Kentucky renters and 7% of homeowners are in that category.

>> He for a place to live.

It put you in a position where you probably forward other basic necessities.

We have to make that tough choice between your housing and food for your housing and child care, housing and medicine, housing and anything else that you need to survive.

>> Arthur says this could be a movement building moment in Kentucky.

Lexington will decide if it wants to ban landlords from refusing to rent to people with housing vouchers.

Renters and social service providers spoke in favor of the ban while some landlords opposed it at a recent public hearing this week.

Louisville has such a ban in place.

>> There are our homes across the state where people are concerned about being able to pay their mortgages, pay their rent and they relate to this.

So the people were part of making this.

And I think that you're going to see a lot more of that across Kentucky as tenants have these winds, these legislative winds, they're stepping up and fighting back to the local government standing up and fighting back with their landlords with a property management saying we've had enough that we want better.

>> It may seem hard.

We may not know where to go some time, but if you've got that fire and you know that things are possible, come find us cause we can help build legislation because a win for us is a win for you.

And we want to KET on winning because we want poor working class people in this country to have more power so that our material reality can be what we need to not only survive, but to thrive.

>> Louisville's new ordinance should take effect in 6 months for Kentucky edition.

I'm John Leffler.

>> Thank you, June for that in-depth report, Lexington will revisit the proposed source of income ban early next year.

It will be heard again in the social services and public safety Committee.

One day left in the Big Blue Crush.

The Kentucky Blood Center is trying to raise more blood than Tennessee's blood center to make sure both states have a healthy blood supply for the holidays when donations often go into a slop after yesterday, Kentucky continues to lead 12, 89 to 12, 20.

It's close.

You can give at any Kentucky blood Center location.

There are 8 of them.

This is the 36th year for this competition.

Kentucky has won 20 times.

Tennessee has won 14 times and there was a tie.

♪ ♪ Agriculture in Kentucky is more than just pulling a plow technology on the farm means more food and more money.

Bluegrass ad Tech is a partnership between Lexington, the UK School of Agriculture, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and all Tech.

It's now offering grants to encourage companies to come to Kentucky and use technology to make Kentucky the AG Tech capital of the U.S.. >> I am really excited about this day and it's been a long time coming.

One of our inspirations from many years ago was doctor Pierce Lions who always believed we could be the AG Tech capital of America.

>> Perhaps because I was raised in a farming community with farming family.

I've always seen Lexington's farmland and Kentucky's farmland as the source of the beauty, of course.

But also a source of economic strength.

Our farms, our businesses that together make an enormous contribution to our economy.

We can never forget the deep roots.

Our economy has an agriculture.

>> We would have a lot of special things in our statement comes agriculture.

What areas are are caught by Connick brands, bourbon and horses.

Second fried chicken.

What today's announcement is about entrepreneurship that if you have a good idea, come to Kentucky.

We're going to be a challenge.

Grant.

We're going to be mentorship.

Technical advice, legal advice, lab space and farm space to help make that idea into a viable commercial product.

You think of it like Shark Tank for agriculture.

We already have so many good things going for us, but there's no state in America that is claims to be the birthplace of good AG Tech ideas.

And that's what Kentucky Active Development Corporation strives to do to be that bridge between entrepreneur the AG world and the commercial >> In addition to the challenge, Grant now the Bluegrass I taught high tech group will provide a holistic set of resources to assist entrepreneurs and startups in there growth and development that will include facilitating connections with mentors and successful business leaders Farmer's field or research teams ongoing.

A key player in the accelerator program slam commercial retail spaces, other capital funding sources that we want to continue to develop.

Now.

>> Quite excited yes, I take a moment corporation to me on its feet and running.

It's because it's not just about I station funding.

You know, it's it's also the network go back to companies that we can come together finding mentors, time finding people that already know how to do this.

It's vital for for all start ups, especially if you're I, you know this and that small environment and nice environment.

>> I'm very excited about this opportunities.

And I like the action between the say, hey, this.

Stay with us today.

And the private company has to act side saying they can take advantage of all these different Reese.

Also send everybody is bringing in something friends and I think >> We hope the result of AG Tech Development Corp will yield new companies and agri-food.

And I agree businesses boost our state economy.

And a lot more affordable.

Nutritious and environmentally sustainable food for Kentuckians and beyond.

>> Applications for the challenge.

Grant are now being accepted.

The last day to apply is March first 2024.

Kentucky faces of food insecurity.

Problem.

Now, a new study says it could be getting worse nationwide.

The daily Yonder reports that food insecurity in royal rule areas grew by 4% in 2022, it now affects 15% of people in rural America.

Now in urban America, food insecurity went up 2% and affects 12% of the population.

Food insecurity is defined as the condition of not having access to sufficient food or food of an adequate quality to meet once basic needs a recent Department of AG study showed food insecurity in Kentucky at 13.1%.

♪ >> There's a problem in the Jefferson County Public School system that's coming into sharper focus, children who need glasses are getting their eye exams but not taking the next step of getting glasses.

>> Well, a new pilot program looks to change that.

♪ >> You know, last year and a CPS, we had 9,000 children failed their vision screenings and only about 10% of those had any follow-up.

And so this is just a foundational fundamental, you know, we can do all sorts of learning interventions.

But the truth is if they can't see they're not going to do well in school.

And so Doctor Singh golf has been amazing.

I reached out to him in my work with with him through the health department and he absolutely was interested.

Tell me about the foundation, the work and he and dockter rubbish are involved in the foundation and said I think this is something that we can help to address.

JCPS has has a very robust.

>> Prove them where to screen children.

Even though the screen children, but children don't really get cautious.

We all know if you don't have gas is in elementary school or middle school, you're just not going to perform.

Not only there's significant Social Im, not you are labeled bishop or you're not smart enough.

Not knowing that you can really read as a child.

So when she reached out to me, you know, we looked at the problem would this is mostly an accessibility problem.

We basically every single class or 5 students and every single needs glasses.

So you're thinking imagine class and 25 or 30 >> kids like, you know, there's 4, 5, They're not seen.

You know, they can't read the paper in front.

They can see the board like, think about what that does for, you know, even stress.

Our teachers, you know, trying to try to someone that came, see what you're doing on the board and still manage the rest of us.

So it's a definitely a positive impact on our goal is stream the children.

Find a prescription, try to get them glosses within a day or 2 so that they can enjoy reading, writing and learn.

>> Maney said because what out classes our like different than everybody ISIS fans, everybody anything.

You can see it 2, 4, 6, I'm just like I'm not the county in order that was going on before.

Like what's the point in that case?

>> I can't leave because I can't see.

>> So you realize when you listen to their stories, the impact that you will make as he grew up.

He's a community prospers.

We already have 2 more schools schedule that are going to the week after Thanksgiving.

So the goal is to probably go through every elementary school company to Twenty-twenty court.

We will be to every elementary school demo stock.

We got going.

We do schools and We just do this in a sort of groove fashion so that we can KET it coming back serving once we got taken care of the big news right now.

>> What a fantastic program it to continue.

And to 2024 and those running.

It hoped to take it to all JCPS schools in the Louisville area.

Both middle and possibly high schools in the future.

♪ >> Tomorrow is Friday.

So what we have we have a catch-up of the week's political news tomorrow with Bob Babbage and Trey Grayson.

As we go inside Kentucky politics.

Plus a Kentucky band director will soon March on the national stage.

Johnson of Campbellsville University will join the band directors marching band and next week's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The organization saluting America's band directors includes hundreds of music.

Educators across the country.

More on his preparation for the historic parade coming up tomorrow night on Kentucky EDITION, which we hope you'll join us for again at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire.

>> We hope you subscribe to our Kentucky Edition email newsletters and watch full episodes and clips of KET DOT Org.

Look for some the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV and send us a story idea that public affairs at KET Dot Org and follow us, of course, on Facebook X and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Thanks again for watching.

Can't wait to see you again tomorrow night.

Right back here for Kentucky.

Addition take that chance.

♪ ♪