♪ Kentucky's housing crisis is projected to get worse.

Today.

State lawmakers here how other states are tackling the challenge.

People love big here, but we know that there will always be trapped.

National state and local leaders gather in eastern Kentucky to address the unique challenges and opportunities in that region.

Forgetting is a normal part of being human.

It happens to us all and it isn't always a sign of aging or dementia are.

We now know scientist on the power of our memory and up to 50 for those battling Alzheimer's.

>> There's a huge discrepancies within the aviation field where a male dominated field.

>> But one school in Louisville is looking to correct that imbalance.

How it's inspiring girls to pursue careers in aviation.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this brand new week.

It is Monday, October.

The 21st, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending a little bit of your Monday night with us.

A breakdown in communication led to last year's school transportation debacle in Louisville.

That's according to an audit of Jefferson County Public Schools.

The findings were presented to a state task force today.

That's looking at ways to overhaul the district.

Our June Leffler has more.

And tonight's legislative update.

>> JCPS paid for its own transportation audit which came out this spring consultant says months of big changes and months of big changes and little communication resulted in some students getting home as late as 10:00PM on the first day of school last year.

The Transportation department was not at the table.

>> The IT Department was not at the table.

School principals were not meaningfully engaged in the process.

The reasons given by staff for this exclusion varied.

But the end result was that the initiatives were largely directed by a small number of JCPS senior staff in a retired administrator brought back on a consulting basis.

JCPS Educators who serve on the task force created by the state legislature.

>> Say those problems are a thing of the past.

I'm assuming kind of based on the presentation that this was under taken before we had our transportation of this school year.

Start.

>> And because the school year start this year went extremely well.

You know, as Representative Burton ask indicated, this year's been profoundly different.

We don't have late buses are buses are all there on time.

We don't have the issues with with us.

This plan.

>> So just in terms of commentary and firsthand experience, I could never defend what happened in 2023, but it is a profoundly different situation now.

But there has been a trade-off since last year.

JCPS had to cut busing for students who opt not to go to their home school.

>> Students that apply and get in to magnet schools with special programming have to get to school on their own.

Now.

>> And another example of district we're currently working with witches.

Almost 3 times the size of JCPS.

They provide a huge amount of transportation to advanced academic programs and CTE programs across schools.

And how did they handle it?

Part of that is done with the scheduling peace.

The students are transported to their regular home school and then they pick up another bus to go to their specialty program.

And then there's a midday run that brings them from their specialty program back to their home school.

All very complicated ways of saying that.

Then there are lots of ways to do it without denying services to students.

>> JCPS Administration has said it agrees with most of the audit and its recommendations for improvement for Kentucky edition.

I'm John Leffler.

>> Thank you.

June low-income families of students who have been denied bus transportation will receive travel stipend from the District.

How should Kentucky work to solve the state's housing crisis?

A legislative task force created earlier this year is exploring the options in June, the Kentucky Housing Corporation told state lawmakers serving on the task force that Kentucky's housing short by about 200,000 houses and rental units today, the same group projected that by 2029, that number would grow to nearly 290,000 Republican State.

Representative Kevin Bratcher of Louisville.

Want to know why Kentucky's population continues to out pace.

The housing supply.

>> The census of Kentucky is not growing at these levels.

So is it immigration?

Is that what's causing this can do?

You know, I don't know if it's in your bailiwick.

>> Well, only because we've been pretty steeped in this and did the housing supply gap analysis and I work for the chamber.

So not that I'm usually an expert in it, but I feel like I've got my junior Ph D and housing data this year there are several drivers.

The biggest driver.

And you can hear about this at the national level as well.

But we also have data for Kentucky.

It's in the chamber's report.

They this great bar chart that shows at a recession.

We lost so many home builders, particularly are smaller home builders in Kentucky.

And we have never gotten back even to the average home building rental and homeownership in Kentucky since '08.

We have never in any year read built even the average that we used to build before 8 recession.

The whole country went through this.

We lost a lot of home builders.

Many of them got into other businesses, retired or went to go work for like fall.

Homes are drees like got a job somewhere.

But didn't you know, didn't get back into the risk of doing the business themselves that really hit a rural areas.

Maybe even more so than our urban areas.

But it hit everywhere.

That is the biggest driver.

But there are many things you could add on top of it.

Households are smaller in Kentucky.

So even if you don't have a lot more people, you got demand for more households, immigration probably display will in migration into Kentucky.

Just a few other U.S. citizens into Kentucky.

>> The Kentucky Housing Corporation presented lawmakers with an overview of how other states are addressing the housing issue.

Strategies include changing zoning laws and creating new tax credits.

Today's meeting was informational only the task force is required to submit a report to legislative leadership before year's end.

And anonymous registered sex offender is challenging a new state law earlier this year.

The General Assembly passed Senate Bill 249, the bill which was signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear requires registered child sex offenders to use their full legal name on social media.

A federal court recently blocked a Davis County attorney from enforcing the law to get the anonymous offender.

A lawyer representing John Doe told the Owensboro Times the law, quote, only harms the ability of people trying to reintegrate into society after being held accountable for an offense, unquote.

Kentucky Attorney General Russel Coleman argues the law is similar to the state's existing sex offender registry laws.

Quote, while those laws allow citizens to locate sex offenders in the physical World, SB 249, serves the same function for the virtual world, unquote.

The a G S office is now requesting the case be heard by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court has set a date to hear arguments in a different case that could have implications in Kentucky on December 4th.

The court will consider if a Tennessee bill restricting transgender care for minors violates the equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Nearly half of U.S. states have enacted similar bans, including Kentucky.

Election Day is 2 weeks from tomorrow.

And while this is an off year for statewide races, every Kentuckian is being asked to consider 2 constitutional amendments amendment one asking non-citizens should be banned from voting in Kentucky.

Something that isn't currently happening.

Amendment 2 would create a path for the General Assembly to direct public dollars to private schools.

Last week I spoke with Jimmy Clark, an Arizona mother who once lived in Louisville, who says school choice is working for her family.

Janet Clark, thank you so much for your time.

We really appreciate it.

>> Thanks for having me.

While you've race, unlike kind of resurfaced in Kentucky, a piece an op-ed that you wrote appeared in The Courier Journal, the headline was school choice shines Bright in Arizona.

Kentucky should be next.

What's the main point of what you are communicating and that opinion piece?

Well, I should sing information about Arizona's program in the news that Kentucky from different.

>> How some organizations and I felt compelled to correct the record.

My mom on lies about how Arizona's something power for 20 program.

We're actually working.

And that's why I wrote Clinton.

I want Kentucky families to know that Arizona's Biden is doing just fine and that kids and families in Arizona have more options because of things.

We'll talk about your personal experience in connection to this issue because it's not just responding to policy questions and rebutting what may have been put out in a position paper.

But you have personal experience with how this is help your kids thrive in and a better educational environment.

Talk to us about that.

>> Yes, ma'am.

That's right.

So I have 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls and I was home schooling.

My 2 oldest boys when they were 6, 8, And unfortunately, we discovered that they were struggling to re.

We got them the value.

We did our local school district that had severe dyslexia and this graph yet.

And unfortunately, there were no programs that were offered to me in one of the best school districts in my state.

Help my dyslexic children.

One in 5 kids have to flex.

Yeah.

And so we ended up on our state Education Savings account program it completely transformed our lives.

We were able to afford the best, their beings, the best programs, the best tutors for now, all 5 of my kids are on a TSA because, of course, our program now it's universal.

It's no longer just for special needs students.

So I just want families to know that these programs are really life changing for students with disabilities.

And so you couldn't.

>> Find those services to help your children in a traditional public school environment.

>> Yes, that's right.

So I'm traditional public schools can write IEP or 504 plans.

And any parent who's been for those meetings knows that it's a very difficult, very emotional process.

Not just to get your kids are going to fight the to get them.

The services that you feel like they need.

And most parents, if you were to ask him today, feel like they're not getting the high quality services that they need, no matter what state you're in.

And that's because of all sorts of different reasons.

But within USA, we were able to just quickly opt out of that, get our kids services immediately.

Here is no way there's no delay.

We were able to leave that option and quickly get onto an education savings account.

side.

That's where I want to pick up.

When you said just to kind of clue our viewers in education savings account, can you describe or define more of what that is and how it works in Arizona?

>> Don't take each and savings.

It is a scholarship that allowed the link to take a portion of the funds here in Arizona.

90% to be exact.

So there's at FOX Sports savings and were allowed to use that funding for tutors, replace current education or a private school are choosing from those funds.

We receive them every single where they rolled over and then allow parents to be in control of where their child goes, where no longer limited in Arizona, by our family, on com or by our zip code when it comes to giving our kids a great education and we have had he has an Arizona approaching.

Well years, our program just want universal for all families 2 years ago and not a single public school is closed in Arizona because of USA's.

In fact, it's been the opposite.

More kids have options and more not fun because we have new schools opening all the time here in our states.

Well, thank you, Jeanne Clarke, so much for your time.

We really appreciate it.

Thank you.

Renee.

>> Amendment 2 is the focus on tonight's Kentucky tonight.

You'll hear more from Janet Clark on how the Education Savings account works in Arizona and the cost savings that she says if yields and a panel of educators and interest groups will give their perspectives as well.

Plus, we will take your questions about school choice, an amendment to.

That's tonight on Kentucky tonight at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

Time is running out to request your ballot.

If you want to vote by mail in next month's general election, the state's online mail-in absentee request portal closes tomorrow at 11:59PM on the DOT.

Secretary of State Michael Adams says more than 120,000 Kentucky voters have already requested and absentee ballot.

They must be filled out and deliver to your county clerk's office by 06:00PM local time on Election Day, November 5th, in order for it to be counted for more information, go to online.

Go vote, DOT K Y dot Gov.

The 10th annual strengthening our Appalachian region or it wrapped up in Pikeville last weekend with a raft of funding announcements roughly half a billion dollars in funding was announced for various projects in eastern Kentucky, ranging from completing the Mountain Parkway expansion project.

2 additional support for schools and high-speed Internet services for several of the officials at the event.

It was a day of optimism for the region.

>> We want more jobs.

We want more investment.

We want to make sure that eastern Kentucky has the resources to compete, not just with other parts of the country, but other parts of the world.

At a time when businesses coming to people instead of expecting people to drive hours to business.

This is one of the best opportunities for eastern Kentucky between the money going to the Mountain Parkway and other funds.

We talked half a billion dollars of investment 116 million and a new federal grant matched by 150 million in state funds for the Mountain Parkway and more than 200 million in school facilities and and one grandson in broadband expansion.

We have to understand that.

Money will not always be there that we have it now.

We need to make sure that we.

>> Are responsible and accountable and getting the biggest bang we can for the money that's been given to us.

If you go to many of the community here in eastern Kentucky, you will see a exciting things happening towns rebuilding reinventing themselves, new industry coming in.

Diversifying.

Certainly.

Thank you.

See Eastern Kentucky.

The new business, the new buildings, Education expanded health care, expanding good things are happening throughout the region.

>> Years ago.

You may recall like the Lexington newspaper.

Labeled Eastern Kentucky.

As the nation's painkiller capital.

But today.

There are more recovery beds per capita in Kentucky.

Than anywhere else in the country.

Making us the nation's recovery capital.

We are now giving individuals more opportunities.

We're home.

Through recovery.

Than ever before.

Ago.

It's to make our region.

The land of opportunity.

And I'm proud to progress.

Thus far.

In fact, as a result of our hard fought efforts to clean up the region.

We're now focusing our work on inviting people to our region.

Bolstering our tourism joined.

>> When you look at the investment in the Mountain Parkway for landing the entire Mountain Parkway, it's going to bring a lot of business when you look at the water and sewer money that we're putting into expand capacity, it's going to bring a lot of business.

When you look at the not just affordable housing but rebuilding housing after the flooding.

And that's going to show business brand new communities that they can be a part of and where they see their workers coming from.

So it's exciting.

I think we've come a long way from 10 years ago, but we've got a long way to continue to go and it shouldn't take us another 10 years to get there.

I think that it certainly is a tribute to the resiliency and character of our ancestors and that they withstood the all of months and move forward.

And I think we're seeing the same thing.

>> And the people that live here today, that same a sense of character and resilience.

Ian Strand that even with the devastating floods in Kentucky.

>> They didn't give up.

They're building back better.

People love being here.

But we know that there will always be challenges, but that working together, we can overcome them.

>> Over 30 million dollars in funding was announced for the abandoned mine land Economic Revitalization Program which focuses on turning former coal mining into new economic development projects.

♪ ♪ Now to insight into our memory from neuroscientist.

Doctor Lisa Genova.

It's part of Katie's next chapter initiative focusing on the rewards and challenges of aging >> memories fascinating.

It's.

>> Essential to so much of who we are, what we do from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep and even then that the mechanisms behind memory or fast at work.

So I think that it's fascinating that >> any age.

We can.

>> Learn anything and memorize anything.

Remember word limit.

Listen what we can remember.

So Danny, and you can learn to play guitar or a new language or all the words to the latest Taylor Swift song.

We can remember anything if we give it the right input.

>> Doctors, you know, they gave a presentation called how we remember and why we forget at Western Kentucky University, a guest of the presidential speaker series.

She has a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University and her tech talks have got millions of views turnovers, the best-selling author of several books, including still Alice, which became a movie and one, Julianne Moore, an Oscar for best actress Genova posed with the cast on several red carpets back in 2015, she calls her novels, quote, informed fiction.

>> My grandmother had Alzheimer's and has the nerve scientist and my family.

I did everything I could to understand it.

And so I read everything that was out there at the time.

So I read the scientific research papers.

The clinical Disease Management looks like the 36 hour day.

Everything was written by a scientist, a clinician, a caregiver, a social worker.

There are all these from the outside looking in.

And so I learned a lot.

What I didn't learn was what does it feel like from the perspective of the person with it was a feeling to be my grandmother.

And as your granddaughter, I felt a lot of sympathy for her.

I felt so bad for her and so heartbroken for her.

So heartbroken for all of us.

But that's sympathy that KET sure experience is emotionally detached and separate.

It's kind of a form of other rising.

I didn't know how to feel with her.

I didn't know how to except the reality of her Alzheimer's and just be comfortable with her as she was.

And I realize interestingly fiction as a place where you can walk in someone else's shoes and experience what it's like to be someone else.

And empathy.

Is really what collapses that emotional distance and allows us to connect.

And in the absence of a cure, this is really what all of us want with our loved ones with Alzheimer's is to stay emotionally connected.

Terrific insight to know his next book, more or less Maddy is about a young woman with bipolar disorder.

>> It comes out in January.

♪ ♪ >> If you traveled on a commercial airline more than likely the person sitting at the pilot's seat was male, according to the organization, Women in Aviation women account for less than 20% of the aviation workforce.

And less than 5% are airline pilots.

Louisville school is trying to close that gap and make the skies more female friendly.

>> There's always the ABA says girls in Aviation Day at Bowman Field each year and we take a few students.

My first year when I was here and I just thought, you know what would be awesome if we had one on school grounds because we have a hanger.

We have all this and just show our students.

Well, we have to offer here trying to we have to pathways.

We have flight aeronautics and aircraft maintenance or to career pathways that they wish.

>> There's an discrepancies within the aviation field where a male dominated field and we just want to show our female students that there are other possibilities out there.

>> And we have FEMA representatives come so they can see a female in that role and ask questions and get hands on experience in this.

Even if they don't choose that pathway, that we've opened their eyes to it as a possibility.

>> My role is to help the students for gas.

They wanted to aviation and I'd like I'm hoping them like learn information about Pilate in airplanes, seeing people that look like to you act like you and you know, our the gender you I just like flying and I've been in.

>> And if I love, I travel a lot to songs like in say stunt and I want to know how to do it.

And >> 5 facts about invest.

It was a lot.

I want to do it.

>> And we have Campbellsville because they offered or credit within the aviation pathway.

We also have Army National in if Air National Guard and well back.

CVS brought aircraft maintenance simulators so students can get the experience of what that might be like.

We also have heard us talk to mayors where they can fly an airplane.

>> I as well as and they're playing here in the hangar so they can see what that looks like and how our students have taken it apart and put back together.

I feel like there's not a lot of aviation programs in general.

>> And if you have people like a lot of my friends doing aviation as females.

It should be.

A better.

I hope I guess for you to do it, too, especially because there's people your age doing the same thing you want to do and a program that would actually like to do.

>> I feel like it really helps us to make a decision and know what we want to do.

Inches.

All maze of had that want to study in college or university about Sun arena and area helped me.

And I think I'm gonna go of the a son in that's going to my major.

♪ ♪ >> We have details tonight about America's first hand transplant.

The opening of an iconic Kentucky hotel and the world's largest baseball bat.

Our Toby Gibbs has more.

And this look at this week in Kentucky history.

♪ >> The Union and Confederate troops clashed in the battle of Camp Wildcat in Laurel County on October.

21st 18?

61.

It was the first union victory of the war as the boys in blue push rebel forces back into Tennessee.

Well, those Brown hotel opened October, 25th 1923, the hotel would eventually welcome several presidents and such stars as Al Jolson Elizabeth Taylor, Gene Autry and Joan Crawford.

And it would be the birthplace of the Kentucky hot Brown in 1926.

Surgeons performed the first successful hand transplant in the U.S. and to a hospital in Louisville on October.

25th 1999. and receive the new left hand during an operation that took 15 hours.

October.

21st, 90 95, the world's largest bat at 120 feet at 34 Times arrived in Louisville for its placement outside the Louisville Slugger Museum.

The Hilltoppers musical group from western Kentucky University appeared on CBS is the Ed Sullivan Show then called toast of the town an October.

26 1952.

Speaking of TV, happy birthday, Jonathan Wolfe, the TV and movie music composer was born in Louisville on October, 23rd 1958 might be best known as creator of the memorable Seinfeld Fame.

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

I'm Joe begins.

>> Thank you as always.

To be Gibbs do it for us tonight.

But we hope to see you right back here again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central on Kentucky edition.

Were we inform connect and inspire?

You can connect with us all the ways you see on your screen, Facebook X and Instagram to stay in the loop with Kentucky Edition and other KET programming.

And send us a story idea to public affairs at KET Dot Org by email and look for us on the PBS app that you can download on your smartphone or tablet.

>> Thanks very much for watching.

Tune in at 8 when we talk about amendment 2 right here on KET.

Until then take good care.

♪