>> What we are seeing in multiple places and cities is that individuals are literally being kidnaped off the streets.

>> Should police in Kentucky be required to help ice.

The debate over immigration enforcement arrives in Frankfort.

>> The cost of preparation and resiliency will save our Commonwealth so much money in the long run.

>> Preventing a disaster is cheaper than dealing with one.

What the state's disaster prevention Task force is recommending to Kentucky lawmakers.

>> The world is going to the devil.

We are going to all die if the reefer madness is exploded.

>> Senator Rand Paul says.

Hemp critics, including Mitch McConnell, are from the Stone age.

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

>> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition for Friday, November the 21st.

I'm Kelsie Starks filling in for Renee Shaw.

Thanks so much for being here.

Well, we have all seen Ice raids all over the U.S.

in the last few months.

Now a Kentucky lawmaker wants local police and sheriff's departments in Kentucky to assist U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Draft legislation would compel local law enforcement to share information and manpower with Ice when called upon by the federal agency.

Our June Leffler has more.

As we begin tonight's legislative update.

>> This has been used to address identity theft rings.

This has been used to address human trafficking.

This has been used to address gang violence as well.

>> This Northern Kentucky Republican proposes a law requiring state and local police and county sheriffs to sign a 287 agreement with Ice, specifically the task force model.

>> The task force model does not change the day to day operations of law enforcement.

This is not independent raids.

This is if they pull someone over for supposed DUI.

They are called for any other type of case that they are then able, upon reasonable, reasonable suspicion, to investigate to whether or not the individuals involved are here legally.

>> 14 counties have signed some agreement with Ice.

Most including the task force model, including Bracken County, whose sheriff says, quote, immigration enforcement is not the primary mission of local law enforcement.

As of this date, the sheriffs office has not had a need to utilize this enforcement authority.

But Democrats in Frankfort pushed back, citing chaotic ice scenes elsewhere.

>> What we are seeing in multiple places and cities is that individuals are literally being kidnaped off the streets by individuals who are not showing identification, who are not improperly marked vehicles, who are not providing warrants.

>> Folk are concerned about Ice and ICE's relationship to our law enforcement and to our citizens.

And it is real important that we do not go into, in my opinion, something that removes.

Due process.

>> The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky also opposes this, saying, quote, this attack on local control will undermine public safety, erode constitutional rights, strain law enforcement resources, and damage community trust across Kentucky.

>> Am I correct that they can already enter into these agreements without this legislation?

>> They are permitted, yes, but right now, right now, with the areas that have it, we don't have these agreements in the areas that need it most.

>> We don't have it in areas that need the most.

What do you mean by that?

>> Northern Kentucky for one, where I where I reside, we are right along a major, major highway.

Those are areas where, especially whenever we're talking about other areas, such as what task force models have been particularly used for trafficking, smuggling operations.

Those are the areas that particularly need it.

>> I think this really gets down to being a local control issue for me.

If our law enforcement agencies, I think they know their jurisdictions best, they know where their resources need to be allocated.

They already have this tool.

I'm not really sure why we need to require everyone to be a part of it.

>> Kentucky's largest cities don't have these agreements.

Louisville police have policies to limit involvement with Ice, though Louisville's jail does hold Ice detainees for up to 48 hours, something Louisville's mayor and the president of the United States agreed to this year for Kentucky edition.

I'm June Leffler.

>> Well, today, the Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force gathered in Frankfort for the last meeting of the interim session.

The group made its recommendations to the Kentucky General Assembly ahead of the 2026 legislative session, which begins in January.

We've got more on their top priorities as we continue tonight's legislative update.

>> The number one thing is to establish a state resilience office.

Like I said, many states have this already.

It would be a coordinating body for preparedness, resilience and mitigation efforts.

It would focus initially primarily on data.

I think data is the key word that we've heard all over the country, in the world in regard to this, as far as tracking, mapping history, projections.

>> Creating a new division of government always makes people a little uneasy.

But when you're looking at the cost of rebuilding time after time, the the cost of preparation and resiliency will save our Commonwealth so much money in the long run.

We had a speaker from maybe Pew Charitable Trusts, some nonprofit that came and spoke to us, and for every dollar we spend, I believe it was something like $13 will be saved in in.

Yeah.

In response to these things.

>> You see evacuations occur after these disasters sometimes.

And what that does, it has a lot of impact on school systems and and other infrastructure.

And it it's harder to attract a replacement a population and business.

So there's a big fiscal side to this that affects state.

Bottom line.

>> Since 2020, the billions of dollars of damage that has been done.

And if we can invest a little bit of money and a lot of effort, I think we can do a lot of things to help Kentucky and to help the people here.

>> Senator Robin Webb also recommended that the Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force be continued in some capacity, whether as a regular committee or as a task force, she said the General Assembly needs to be involved when it comes to budgeting for and managing natural disasters.

Ronald Exantus will stay in jail.

The Kentucky Parole Board made that decision yesterday, killed six year old Logan Tipton and injured other members of the family in Versailles in 2015.

He was found not guilty of the murder, but by reason of insanity.

But he was found guilty of assault and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

He was released October 1st of this year under a 2012 state law.

That prompted outrage here in Kentucky and nationwide.

Police arrested Exantus in Florida, saying he hadn't properly registered as a convicted felon.

Because of that, the state parole board revoked his mandatory supervised release, meaning he will remain behind bars.

The state's largest public school district is proposing to close and consolidate certain schools.

The news comes as Jefferson County Public Schools is facing a budget deficit of more than $180 million.

If it is approved by the school board, the district will close.

Zachary Taylor Elementary and Liberty High School after this current school year, King Elementary would also be merged into Maupin Elementary.

Superintendent Brian Yearwood said these were difficult but necessary decisions.

The district is hosting three forums for family and staff to share their feedback.

The board is expected to make a final decision on December the 9th.

Louisville and Lexington will get almost $9 million to upgrade their bus systems.

The money is from the U.S.

Department of Transportation.

The Lexington Bus System Lextran will get more than $6 million to buy new busses.

The Louisville system, called Tarc, gets $2.6 million to create a new bus break maintenance shop.

U.S.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky is reacting to President Donald Trump's remarks about six Democratic members of Congress who put out a video reminding U.S.

service members they can refuse to obey illegal orders.

Here's a little part of that video.

>> The threats to our Constitution aren't just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.

Our laws are clear.

You can refuse illegal orders.

>> You can refuse illegal orders.

>> President Trump reacted to that video by saying the six Democrats were guilty of sedition.

He said that's a crime punishable by death.

Senator Paul responded to President Trump's remarks by saying, quote, it isn't really a good idea to talk about jailing your political opponents or hanging them or whatever else.

End quote.

Senator Paul is also critical of his Kentucky colleague, Senator Mitch McConnell, all over him, McConnell and most other Senate Republicans supported a hemp provision to the budget bill that limits products with a certain level of THC.

Paul says it will put the hemp industry out of business.

He says McConnell and others are overreacting.

>> And then people from the Stone age, like McConnell, who saw Reefer Madness in 1925 live at the matinee, are still thinking the world's going to the devil.

We are going to all die if the reefer madness is exploded.

And really, it's it's a lot more complicated than that.

I had people come up to me on the floor of the Senate and they said, well, my my mom takes a gummy to sleep at night, and it's like, who am I to tell somebody, mom or grandma or them self that has trouble sleeping?

Half of America has trouble sleeping.

Who am I to say, oh, you can take Ambien, you can take Percocet, you can take whatever legal heroin the pharma pharmaceutical companies will sell you.

But you can't take a gummy with a little bit of THC in it from a plant.

So I don't know.

I'm disappointed in it, but it's a big industry.

It's a $25 billion industry is going to be wiped out.

And there's a lot of people who use these products that are mad now.

And I tell them, call Mitch McConnell and frankly, call some of the Democrats who voted to ban it, too.

It was a I don't know, I'm not done fighting on it.

We're going to see if we can get it reversed.

>> If it isn't reversed, the hemp provision would take effect in 2027.

Well, central Kentucky is seeing a lot of growth and it's not just contained to Lexington.

Cities like Nicholasville and Mount Sterling are experiencing their own growth spurts.

WKYT's Renee Shaw talked earlier today with economic development folks in Jessamine and Montgomery counties about their recent wins and ideas on what could advance and manage that kind of growth.

That is in tonight's Business Beat segment.

Renee, over to you.

>> Thank you so much, Kelsey.

Good to be with you all on a Friday.

And we're going to be talking some business beat.

And we've got two economic development experts with us today.

We're glad to have back with us.

Jason Rainey, who is executive director of the Mount Sterling Montgomery County Economic Development and adjunct faculty at the University of Kentucky, Gatton College of Business and Economics.

And Russ Meyer, who's with us now.

You're going to say he looks really familiar where he is, the former mayor of Nicholasville, former state lawmaker, recent retiree from the Kentucky state parks commissioner there, and now the executive director of the Jessamine County Joint Industrial Development Authority.

Welcome, gentlemen.

>> Thank you for having us.

>> Good day.

So, Jason.

Yeah, good to have you here.

And congratulations on on being back home and doing another in another capacity.

>> That is exciting.

Yeah.

Back home is exciting.

And I've enjoyed all these roles.

But and being in Frankfort and being a part of this administration has been great.

A lot of big accomplishments going on.

But to get back home and to go to work for your community and where you live is there's nothing like it.

Yeah.

Nothing like.

>> So talk to us a little bit about Jessamine County and some of the great economic development wins already happening there.

>> Yeah.

Well I mean hey we are growing, growing, growing and have been for quite a long time.

We're now the fifth fastest growing city in the state.

When I was mayor, we were the ninth.

So our mayor, Alex Carter, has done a great job.

But you know, there's a lot of big economic wins.

One thing that we've done is we've got 162 acre economic development industrial park on US, 27 on the south side, the south light on on Main Street onto 27.

So we're working hard to get that completed.

We're in phase three right now, and that's going to open up a lot of opportunities, you know, for industry, for business, commercial business to keep growing in our community as you as you know, coming to Nicholasville, you know, Brandon Crossing has been a big hit.

That's been a big land for us.

You know, over a thousand jobs.

And and, you know, with that, in a five mile radius of Brandon Crossing, there's 150,000 people.

So that's an opportunity in its own.

So you don't really realize that.

>> But you don't think about that at all.

>> That's a biggie.

Yeah.

And you know, we don't have a major interstate.

Of course.

You know, I hope to see us resurrect I-75 connector.

Again if we can do that.

But we'll see.

We'll see what happens.

But, you know, there's a lot going on, but hopefully, you know, we can continue to play the role of being a great partner in the region with Mount Sterling, with Fayette, with all the surrounding counties.

And and that's where we really win is when we all come together and work as a region.

And, you know, Jason gave me a call to come on with with you all.

And I appreciate that, Jason.

But, you know, hey, let's action creates action.

We all do it together.

That's right.

>> It's all up from here.

And you talked Jason about that.

The regionalism that's happening when it comes to economic development space.

And also there's been some good news recently, Governor Andy Beshear announced there was a $700,000 community Development Block grant fund that was coming to you, all of a company that specifically to lease equipment to a company called Ripe Technologies.

So tell us about this.

And what kind of gains you expect from this.

>> Yeah, this is a company that we were able to recruit in from Miami, Florida to Mount Sterling, Kentucky.

They moved all the operations there.

We're real excited to have them as part of the community.

But this equipment loan is very significant because through partnership with Department of Local Government, the executive branch, everybody in Frankfort, you know, we're able to do this equipment loan.

It's going to create several jobs, 35 jobs, at least in a certain 51% of those will be low to moderate income people.

So we're able to try to bring folks up and give them more job economic opportunity for their for their families.

But when they pay the money back, ultimately, the industrial authority, our office will have those funds to reinvest in economic development.

As far as the significance of that CDBG program, you know, this will be the third one in the last ten years in our Gateway Area Development District region.

So, you know, kudos to our fiscal court members.

Judge Haddox, you know, all the folks in Frankfort, Commissioner Sawyer, working with us to be able to get get this through and especially the Gateway Area Development District, we couldn't do it without their help.

And Josh Farrow, his team, they're really outstanding.

>> Yeah.

So what is it that you all may be asking state lawmakers to do when they go in for their 60 day budget session?

When it comes to economic development, what do you hope.

>> To see?

Well, I think continuing to make sure we have a priority with the Kentucky Product Development Initiative that that's funded in the biennium budget.

You know, we were talking before we came.

>> Which means what I mean.

>> You know, well, it's the.

>> It's to be able to develop a product for Kentucky for economic development sites.

Right.

And and we were talking before we came in, you know, my new industrial park.

None of that's possible without the without that program the legislature put in place.

They put funding in place.

And then all the folks in the executive branch, Secretary Noel Rocky, being able to go to bat to say, hey, you know, Mount Sterling deserves a chance to, to really elevate.

So we appreciate them and the teamwork.

>> So yeah.

>> That's right.

I would add to that.

That's he's spot on Jason.

Spot on I would add to that infrastructure water, sewer road projects that that are important vital assets to to our communities and to the longevity of economic development in the region.

And if we look at all our projects regionally and the impact of them, that's that's a big deal.

But I would have to call that one in my mind.

>> Yeah.

>> 1 in 1 a right.

>> And some would say, well, central Kentucky seems to have good roads and good infrastructure, but you say there's more to be done there.

>> There is more to be done.

There always is.

And that is our vision.

Yeah.

That is our clear vision is our infrastructure.

>> And we know that lawmakers did make a sizable commitment to that in the last budget session in 2024.

Right.

And we know that there were counties who really needed some additional help because they had some issues.

So it would be interesting to see what happens.

They've got 60 days to figure it out.

Begins January the 6th.

And I'm sure we'll be seeing you all in the halls.

Well, it's a different hall this time because it's a temporary capital, but we'll see in the annex.

How about that?

And I hope you all have a great holiday season.

>> We'll be there.

>> Thank you.

Yeah.

Good to.

>> See you.

>> Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you gentlemen.

>> Thanks, Renee.

We're talking economic development and tourism on Monday's Kentucky Tonight.

Join Renee and a panel of tourism and economic development experts to talk about how tourism can bolster the Eastern Kentucky economy.

You'll hear from them.

You can also send us your questions and comments.

That's Monday at eight eastern, seven central right here on KET.

Well, it's the last day of the Big Blue Crush, an annual blood drive competition between Kentucky and Tennessee.

It's been a back and forth contest.

Kentucky retook the lead yesterday.

Kentucky leads the series 22 to 14 with one tie.

We'll have the final results for you here on Monday.

The drive helps blood centers in both states restock their blood supplies for the Thanksgiving holiday.

You know, it's also a good time of year to give food.

The annual Cram the Cruiser campaign started earlier this week that runs until December the 5th.

You can drop off nonperishable food items at any of Kentucky's 16 state police posts, and troopers will be stationed at stores throughout the state accepting donations.

Yesterday, Kentucky First Lady Brittany Beshear talked about the importance of this food drive, especially now.

>> Last year, Team Kentucky showed up like they always do, collecting over 204,000 pounds of food.

I'm confident this year will be just as successful.

These opportunities remind us we can all help.

Every donation, every can will make a difference.

The Cram the cruiser food drive comes at the perfect time.

As we all know, the Trump administration used the federal shutdown to withhold Snap benefits from our people.

More than 600,000 Kentuckians rely on Snap.

Those are our neighbors.

Those are our friends.

Those are families.

We know people are still hurting.

We're approaching the Christmas season.

And to me, Christmas is about the spirit of giving the cram.

The cruiser food drive is the perfect way to show that spirit.

So let's cram the cruiser, make the holidays a little bit easier and a lot brighter for our friends and family across the Commonwealth.

More information can be found at Kentucky State police.ky.gov.

>> Last year's Cram the Cruiser campaign brought in more than 204,000 pounds of food statewide.

We are just a few days away from Thanksgiving, but there are already plenty of Christmas themed activities around the state.

Our Toby Gibbs has some of them.

In tonight's look at what's happening around the Commonwealth.

>> Harlan County is gearing up for the holidays with the annual Jingle Bell ride.

Riders get the chance to kick up a little dust and a little holiday cheer by exploring more than 7000 acres of trails and terrain while helping fill local toy drives.

Riders can hit the road starting next Thursday.

Lexington is on track for a weekend full of nostalgia as the model trains, Hot Wheels, slot cars and diecast show rolls into town, bringing collectors and hobbyists under one roof.

Visitors can browse trains, cars and diecast pieces, and even catch some slot car racing and demonstrations throughout the day.

The event takes place this Saturday.

Madisonville is getting ready to deck more than the halls this season.

Deck the Park returns to City Park, turning the space into a nightly winter scene filled with lights, rides, and holiday displays.

The free attraction opens each evening, giving families a chance to stroll or drive through the glowing setup and soak in some seasonal spirit.

Skip the crowds and go underground on Black Friday with Carter Cave's first ever Turkey Crawl.

The guided trip through Cascade Cave is designed for beginners looking to build a little confidence underground, wear sturdy shoes and warm layers.

All the gear is provided.

They're rolling out the holiday spirit this weekend in Dawson Springs, as the city hosts an old fashioned horse drawn Christmas parade and tree lighting.

See festive horse drawn carriages, make their way through downtown, do a little holiday shopping at the Jingle Mingle shopping event before catching the official Dawson Springs tree lighting ceremony.

The festivities happen on Sunday.

There will be a flurry of holiday activities in the foothills of Clinton County next Saturday, with the second annual Christmas in the foothills celebration.

Carriage rides, ice skating, mechanical reindeer rides, a Christmas tree court and craft and food vendors are all part of the one day festival.

If you're hoping to carve out some time for tradition this holiday season, then check out Harlan's Festival of the Mountain Masters.

The event showcases Appalachian artistry with local craftspeople from across the southeast, sharing their handmade work and demonstrating the skills behind their craft.

It's a chance to find one of a kind gifts, listen to live music and celebrate the region's rich heritage.

The festival runs November 28th and 29th.

Louisville's once again rolling out an annual tradition that truly shines beneath the surface.

Lights under Louisville turns the Mega Cavern into an underground holiday landscape glowing with more than 7 million points of light.

Visitors can travel through themed displays while listening to holiday music echoing through the cavern.

The show runs through January 3rd.

And that's what's happening around the Commonwealth.

I'm Toby Gibbs.

>> By the way.

Comment on Kentucky is preempted tonight for Ken Burns American Revolution.

It will be back here next week.

You can join us Monday.

It's Thanksgiving week and many of us will be traveling for the holiday.

We'll have a Thanksgiving travel preview and all the days, of course, Monday on Kentucky Edition, and we do hope you'll join us Monday night at 630 eastern, 530 central for Kentucky Edition, where we inform, connect, and inspire.

You can subscribe to our Kentucky Edition email newsletters and watch full episodes and clips at ket.org.

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Thanks for having thanks for joining us.

We hope you have a great weekend.