>> Everybody around us incentivizes housing except for, you know, except for Kentucky.

>> But is that about to change?

The recommendations to help solve Kentucky's housing crisis.

Plus, take a trip to the Kentucky county where the state and national park.

>> Everything got so expensive.

And having a hand like this that can help a family or anyone else is very appreciated.

>> And how God's Pantry is helping families this Thanksgiving holiday.

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

>> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition for this Tuesday, November the 25th, I'm Renee Shaw, and we thank you for spending some of your Tuesday night with us.

Kentucky needs 200,000 new homes, and a committee of state lawmakers has spent two years looking for solutions.

This week, Kentucky's Housing Task Force issued its final recommendations before the next legislative session that starts in January.

Our June Leffler has more on what that task force is saying.

And tonight's legislative update.

>> The committee offered 14 housing legislative remedies.

The boldest one being an injection of state dollars into new housing development funds.

>> Coming into this budget year.

We've got some tough decisions to be made, and I think it behooves all of us on this board that knows the challenges of housing to advocate for whatever level of government involvement you think needs to occur here.

>> According to the final report, the state could create a new fund for residential housing and infrastructure.

The report doesn't recommend a dollar amount, but mentions Indiana started its fund with $100 million.

The money could be one time dollars that developers pay back in the form of loan payments.

>> Everybody around us incentivizes housing except for, you know, except for Kentucky.

So we've got to figure out how are we going to play in that ball game.

We want to compete in economic development.

We're lowering our personal income tax to be more competitive.

But if folks don't have a place to live, then they're not going to come work in Kentucky and live in Kentucky.

>> Other funding solutions include increasing home buying fees that go towards the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, expanding the rehabilitation tax credit for abandoned homes, and offering a state low income housing tax credit to match the federal one.

The committee's other recommendations are around state and local government regulations, which wouldn't require funding.

>> We've got to have good laws, local or state laws, whichever one they might be, to help government do what it needs to do, but yet get out of the way of developers and encourage development.

>> Specific changes include reducing requirements for parking spaces and multiple staircases for multifamily units.

For single family homes that could be allowing smaller lot sizes.

This Louisville Democrat warns of too much deregulation, specifically around reducing energy efficiency standards.

>> Some of the more sustainable building practices are relieving energy costs for our constituents.

So I just want to caution that while it may make sense in the short term to place a moratorium on building codes, I'm really concerned about the affordability of maintaining the home after it's built.

>> However, he and other lawmakers say the recommendations are promising.

>> A lot of what we've talked about this entire summer largely is bipartisan in effort.

>> The General Assembly begins session on January 6th for Kentucky edition.

I'm June Leffler.

>> Thank you.

June.

In September, Governor Andy Beshear signed emergency regulations to update the use of isolation in Kentucky's Department of Juvenile Justice facilities.

Today, the state auditor released a letter saying that those new regulations are, quote, smoke and mirrors and an attempt by the administration to continue allowing harmful practices.

Our Mackenzie Spink tells us more about this.

>> Within the new regulations from Governor Andy Beshear is a switch from the term isolation to restrictive housing, as well as requirements recommended by the U.S.

Department of Justice to provide more frequent medical and mental health evaluations for the isolated youth.

>> This step requires leadership review, and it requires leadership to approve time limits.

It will also mandate all DOJ staff are trained on this new policy, and that isolation isn't excessively used, is only used in the most appropriate circumstances, and that it is used safely and effectively.

>> However, State Auditor Allison Ball says the new regulations fail to make substantial changes in the Department of Juvenile Justice or DOJ.

In Auditor Ball's letter to the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, she says the regulations don't clearly define the term restrictive housing and give the DOJ too much discretion as to when to use isolation.

At a hearing in front of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, a member from Auditor Ball's office expounded on the letter.

>> No substantive research exists showing the benefits of placing youth in isolation.

Yet an abundance of data and research exists, indicating that isolation caused a great deal of harm to youth.

The sheer amount of times isolation was used at facilities 1579 times in one year alone, shows that DOJ is overusing isolation, including for discipline, punishment and administrative convenience, all of which do not justify the use of isolation according to best practices.

>> In her letter, Auditor Ball shares examples of how she feels the new regulations defy best practices.

For example, the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative requires youth in isolation to be checked every 15 minutes, even while they're asleep.

The new regulations from the Beshear administration say that from 8 p.m.

to 6 a.m.

staff do not need to perform the normally required checks.

In 2024, the auditor's office conducted a comprehensive review of the Ddj and found what they say were deeply concerning and unacceptable.

Conditions in Djj facilities, including excessive use of isolation as well as other instances of abuse.

>> Although our office provided many recommendations to DOJ to help solve the issue of their problematic and harmful use of isolation, it doesn't appear that the Beshear administration has followed any of them.

These regulations are nothing more than an attempt to convince the public into thinking that real change has occurred within Ddj.

>> Last month, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported juvenile justice workers admitted to investigators that they were routinely skipping mandatory visual checks on youth in isolation and falsely filling out paperwork for Kentucky Edition.

I'm Mackenzie Spink.

>> Thank you, Mackenzie, for that report.

The emergency regulations signed by Governor Beshear went into effect in September, when he signed them.

A permanent version of the regulations will be filed and reviewed by the Legislature's Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee.

Dozens of anti-poverty protesters rallied at the state Capitol on Monday to bring attention to what they call policy violence against the poor.

The so-called Moral Monday event in Frankfort was one of several nationwide held in response to federal cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, or Snap, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

>> We are the richest country in human history, and we are watching more and more people fall into poverty.

More and more people become victims of policy violence.

We have to admit that we are in a state of moral rot and decay, and that is absolutely intolerable.

Yes, in this country we are billionaires are accumulating more and more billions of dollars, and people come in every day working people, when they get their paycheck, we'll sit at the table and decide if they have to pay their house bill, car bill, light bill, groceries or buy the insulin.

And they can't do it all.

They have to leave something out.

That's unacceptable.

>> To many people are food insecure.

This hunger written into law of empty refrigerators, dwindling groceries in a nation of abundance.

The people respond.

We refuse to accept policy violence as normal or inevitable.

>> Before the cuts.

SNAP help me buy fresh food, plan balanced meals and worry less each month.

It wasn't a lot, but it made a real difference.

I could focus on my recovery and I was able to focus on living, not just surviving.

When the benefits were reduced, everything came.

Prices stayed high, but the amount I received went down.

I found myself putting stuff back on the shelves at the store, choosing cheaper, less healthy foods and dressing if what I bought would last until next month.

These cuts didn't just shrink my budget, they increased my daily anxiety and made basic nutrition harder to afford.

Staff used to give me a bit of stability.

Now I struggle every day to make ends meet one meal at a time.

>> More than 24 million rely on ACA coverage.

93% need premium credits to afford it.

The shutdown may be over, but many people are still shut out of the Food Network.

So the policy violence continues.

That is 20 million kitchen tables with unopened bills and impossible choices between survival and dignity.

4 million losing coverage and 20 million facing double premiums.

The people respond.

We refuse to accept policy violence as normal or inevitable.

>> After the rally, the group took letters to state lawmakers asking them to support programs that help the nearly 36% of Kentuckians who are considered poor or working poor.

We have construction projects in Morehead and Bowling Green, a new book about McCracken County and a statewide program to improve the search warrant process.

Our Toby Gibbs tells us more in this look at headlines around Kentucky.

>> Kentucky's search warrant program is now statewide.

The program lets police officers request search warrants while in the field, judges can authorize or deny the requests remotely.

Weku radio says the Breonna Taylor shooting in Louisville in 2020 exposed problems with the warrant process, and the search program is an effort to improve that process.

It started in a few counties in September of 2022, and is now expanded to all 120 counties.

Work will start soon on Riverfront Park in Bowling Green.

It's a project to turn vacant land along the barren River into a recreation area.

The Bowling Green Daily News says work on phase one will begin in December, after city commissioners approved a construction bid.

Phase one will include a new boat ramp, a pedestrian plaza, picnic areas, event space and more.

The trailblazer reports construction and renovations continue at Morehead State University.

Some buildings will be renovated and others destroyed as part of a $350 million project.

Prefontaine Hall and the Science and Engineering Building are nearing completion.

Read all about 200 years of Paducah area history.

With the publication of the McCracken County Bicentennial History Book, The Paducah Sun says the book is 416 pages and has 600 pictures.

The project is a joint effort by the county fiscal court, the public library, and a volunteer group called the Paducah Ambassadors.

Danville is urging people to vote for the city in a parade magazine contest called America's Favorite Small Towns.

The Advocate Messenger says the magazine will pick the finalist next spring.

The state winners on June 1st and the national winner on June 12th.

You can vote at America's favorite Small Towns dot Parade.com.

With headlines around Kentucky.

I'm Toby Gibbs.

>> Two days before Thanksgiving, God's Pantry Food Bank handed out 7500 boxes of food to families in central and eastern Kentucky.

Earlier today.

Volunteers passed out some of those boxes at Southland Christian Church in Lexington.

>> So food insecurity is at the highest level we have ever seen, right?

280,000 people across central and eastern Kentucky, 18.2% of those who live in this geography.

And it's growing.

But what we see right now is an elevated awareness, an elevated understanding of how important public private partnership is.

We learned a month ago that when Snap benefits are placed on hold, that hunger relief changes.

And fortunately, we're past that time.

But the recovery right for the ripple effects of what we've experienced over the last couple of months will take some time.

And sharing Thanksgiving is an incredibly important piece of that recovery process.

This year.

>> I'm retired and everything now.

I was a horse trainer and driver, and right now everything got so expensive, and having a hand like this that can help a family or anyone else is very appreciated.

I have a daughter, about 16.

I've been raising since a baby, and sometimes you don't know where things are coming from, but a day like today is very appreciated and I hope the best for everyone for Thanksgiving.

>> A food bank that serves much of central and western Kentucky is expanding operations.

Feeding America, Kentucky's heartland, welcome the community into its new Bowling Green warehouse.

Today, their distribution center is in Elizabethtown.

They say this new space will help them get food to their partner agencies faster.

Feeding America helps nearly 250,000 Kentuckians in 42 counties.

They receive food from places like local retailers, growers, food drives and the USDA.

They then sort and package it for pantries, senior centers, soup kitchens and other agencies.

The food bank says the government shutdown and conversation around Snap benefits heightened awareness about food insecurity.

>> It's a topic and a conversation that we work in day in and day out.

But with the government shutdown, that was one of the key points, along with things like health care.

But in our realm, you know, we were able to show that programs like Snap are very crucial to the work that we do.

We work with over 200 partner agencies.

Last year, we distributed over 20 million pounds.

We feel that there's logistical wins that we have by having a facility here where our trucks can leave from here, can pick up here so that we're not all working out of just our Elizabethtown warehouse.

>> Feeding America picks up fresh food five days a week from local retailers.

This warehouse has refrigeration space as well as storage for organizations like the Red cross to keep cots, water and other supplies in case of a natural disaster.

They say there will be volunteer opportunities starting in the new year.

Vice president JD Vance and his wife Usha, will visit Kentucky's Fort Campbell tomorrow night.

Vance will help serve an early Thanksgiving dinner.

He's also expected to speak to troops stationed at the fort.

On last night's Kentucky.

Tonight, we took an in-depth look at tourism and the role it plays in Eastern Kentucky's economy.

We visited Southeast Kentucky's Bell County, home to both a state and national park, which bring a wealth of opportunities to explore the region's scenic views.

Our Laura Rogers went to Pine Mountain State Resort Park, where she sat down with county officials to discuss tourism efforts.

>> Tourism has exploded here in comparison to what it was years ago.

>> But tourism wasn't top of mind when Bell County judge executive Albie Brock came into office nearly two decades ago.

>> When I first got elected, we did a study to see what we could do to grow our community.

We involved hundreds of members of the community.

You know, it ranked really high on potential.

>> Much of that potential centers around outdoor recreation and adventure, of which there is plentiful opportunity.

And the mountains of eastern Kentucky.

>> We've just got so much of it.

We've got more public hunting than any place in Kentucky by a lot.

We're the only county in the state that has both a national park and a state park.

We've got two golf courses.

We've got places to fly, fish, places to go, off roading, kayaking, whatever you like to do outdoors, chances are you'll find something here.

>> That list will soon grow with the arrival of a new tourism destination expected to open in 2027.

>> We've got the largest tourism project taking place in Bell County right now in Boone's Ridge.

It's a 50 plus million dollar project that is estimated by USDA estimates, not, you know, stuff a developer, you know has brought up to bring in over a million people a year.

>> With those expectations, we set out to learn more about Boone's Ridge in the works in Bell County for more than a decade.

>> To the best of my knowledge, it's the largest, most aggressive tourism venue being developed in eastern Kentucky.

>> The nonprofit Appalachian Wildlife Foundation is the owner and developer of Boone's Ridge, which sits on 12,000 acres outside Pineville.

>> Our mission is the environmental, education and economic revitalization of Kentucky's Appalachian region.

>> With an estimated year to 18 months left of construction, Boone's Ridge is already home to a resident elk herd relocated from other parts of the state.

>> What we've done is we've restored the elk population to this area.

We used helicopters to relocate, trap and transport elk over a three year period.

>> A couple hundred elk have now multiplied to more than 600 roaming freely.

>> In addition to that, though, we have an incredible black bear, deer, bobcat, and wild turkeys, of course, are part of the birding experience, but abundant wildlife on site.

>> And the goal is for everyone to be able to enjoy that.

>> Wildlife accessibility is something that we're focused on.

We've created an accessible nature trail.

It's a paved, improved nature trail that will allow people with mobility impairments to actually get out and enjoy the wildlife and the wild views.

>> There are stunning views from this eastern Kentucky mountaintop, an area once heavily dependent on coal that Frank Allen says will greatly benefit from the tourism dollars.

Boone's Ridge aims to attract.

>> This is an area where the economy has been based on the extraction and export of natural resources, and what we're doing is showing the value in preserving and showcasing the natural resources.

>> The foundation has raised $74 million for the project, with a goal of another 20 million, and they expect a big return on investment.

>> We're hoping that long after I'm gone, this will be an attraction similar on a much smaller scale to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

>> This one will also be family friendly, with a big playground and petting zoo, along with retail, restaurants and an aerial gondola.

>> Once that project gets off the ground and gets going, it's a game changer.

>> The from this land.

>> Another game changer has been John Grace's efforts to organize musical performances and Bell County, like the Laurel Cove Music Festival and Pineville and Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series.

What has that brought to the community to offer these these live music opportunities and concerts?

>> It's been great.

I remember when I took over the position in 2016, you know, obviously I knew being from here that our outdoor recreation, our frontier, our history are kind of two pillars.

But we were looking for just something else.

And events and event based tourism has been something that has really worked well for us.

We have an event like Laurel Cove Music Festival, which takes place here at the state park.

We've been really lucky and humbled that the past two years, it sold out in under five minutes before we even announced a band, which I never we would have never dreamed that that would have happened.

But we knew that with the setting, the venue at Laurel Cove Amphitheater, it's such a esthetically and acoustically it's just it's beautiful, like it's a great place to have a concert.

>> They've worked to build on that success.

With shows at Bell Theater in downtown Pineville, with the added benefit of bringing more foot traffic downtown to support small businesses like coffee shops, restaurants and retail, which you'll also find in Bell County's largest city.

Tell us more about the communities of Pineville and also Middlesboro.

>> Pikeville is a small community as well as Middlesboro, and we have local retail shops.

We have several little cute boutiques that have merchandise that is something unique to our area that you can only find here.

So it's a great place to shop local.

We have nice little restaurants in Middlesboro that have outdoor seating, indoor seating, lots of different choices of meals that you can find and just enjoy being on the main streets.

>> And I'm sure you have a lot of out of town guests that come in to visit the state park here.

And then they're also exploring the surrounding communities as well.

I know you all appreciate that support.

>> Yes, Pine Mountain State Park is a wonderful place to come.

Have a vacation.

You can do the hiking trails.

You can just explore the whole area.

Chained Rock is really a neat little hike that you can take and overlook the city.

>> Bell County is also home to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, located between and Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.

>> We're the only county in the state with a national park and a state park.

A lot of people don't realize that.

>> Which means double the opportunity for taking in the area's natural beauty, history, and culture.

Somebody is really going to stay busy when they come visit.

>> Yeah, yeah.

And that's kind of the whole idea is to kind of market it as a place you can go and have multiple things you can do over the course of several days or a week and, and try to find those cross sections where people can come and, you know, they can hike at the national park or state park.

They can enjoy a live music event downtown Pikeville or in Middlesboro or, you know, the tons of other stuff.

The national park has got a great exhibit on, like the frontier era history.

Up here.

We've got museums.

There's a lot of stuff to do here.

>> It's not an accident that our numbers have exploded.

It's been a lot of vision and and effort and support has went into that.

>> And has that led to a larger economic impact in your communities?

>> Absolutely.

You look at our community based on population and you look at Middlesboro, and we've got multiple branded chain hotels.

There are a lot of people make careers out of being in the hospitality industry.

So, you know, there's a lot of employment associated with it.

And then obviously, you know, they stay, they shop.

It helps our local business.

>> You are new to this role, being executive director at Bell County Chambers.

So what would you like to accomplish and and see the chamber do in the near future?

>> I've lived in Bell County all my life, and I think it's the best place to to live and work and raise a family.

I am working closely with our two Main Street directors and with John Grayson with tourism.

And so we are really trying to push this area.

We want people to come stay, we want people to shop, we want people to explore everything that we have and give back to our area and grow to love it as much as we do.

>> Thank you so much for that, Laura.

You can see more of last night's Kentucky tonight, and we also take you on a tour of Boyd and Pike counties.

That program is online on demand at ket.org.

KY tonight.

Well, you probably own a broom, but do you have an old school broom?

>> A handmade thing, as most of us hopefully have gotten to experience, feels a little different than something completely made by machine.

>> Meet the people.

Turning out brooms the old fashioned way in Berea, that story tomorrow, and much more on Kentucky edition.

Same time, same channel.

We thank you for being with us tonight, and we hope to see you right back here again tomorrow night.

Until then, take really