♪ >> Folks, you can't catch a child up on that.

If you don't have a math teacher.

>> Kentucky has a teacher shortage.

What the governor has in mind to KET teachers on the job and test scores on the upswing.

>> We're invested in this community where the state.

>> Kentucky has a drug problem and the University of the Cumberland wants to help fix it.

>> Most of what you find that for the nation's falls, I would say easy.

8 1% of what you find online is falls.

>> And a documentary filmmaker wants to De Bock.

The Mets about Freemasons.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

The owner Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Thursday, October, the TWENTY-SEVENTH, I'm Renee Shaw.

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

Governor Andy Beshear unveiled what he calls an education first agenda.

This comes a week after the state released its school report card which showed many of the state students were struggling after remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One part of the plan is funding Universal Pre K which he says would help students learn more.

>> We are once again calling for historic investment in the Commonwealth's youngest learners by providing universal preschool for all 4 year-olds and full-day kindergarten for every Kentucky child.

It is time this year's Kentucky report card on kindergarten screening showed 62.7%.

Kentucky's children were below average for academic and cognitive abilities.

Want to make sure that our reading in our test scores improve about ensuring every Kentucky child is kindergarten ready.

>> There are many things that we can do and that we will need to KET doing to help reinvigorate the idea of teaching as being a viable and rewarding career.

We must start addressing the fiscal reasons.

Why are our potential future teachers don't go into the profession.

And why our current teachers leave earlier them.

We'd hoped talented people have options when it comes to career choices.

We have to work as a state to address the real labor market realities when it comes to total compensation.

>> The governor wants to do these things.

Fund Universal Pre K and all-day kindergarten for all students with money from the state's budget surplus, give teachers and staff a 5% across the board raise to ease the teacher shortage.

Restore professional development dollars for educators and restore pensions for new teachers.

Make educators eligible for a loan forgiveness program of up to $3,000 a year and provide grants to support social and mental health services.

All of this would require the Kentucky General Assembly to reopen the budget during the next legislative session.

State Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer responded to the shares press conference this morning.

And he said in a statement in part, quote, We do a biennial budget and have no plans to open up the budget in the middle of the cycle.

Funding decisions won't be made again until 2024, unquote.

It is the biggest gift ever from one person to Jefferson County, Public Schools, writer and philanthropist.

Mackenzie Scott is giving the school system 20 million dollars to improve schools in Louisville's west in it will help pay for everything from playgrounds to musical instruments.

Scott is the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Kentucky is getting almost 7 million dollars to support school safety and mental health.

The money is from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice, $800,000 goes to the state which will give the money to groups supporting mental health emergency preparedness and crisis response efforts about 6 million goes to different organizations throughout the state for school safety efforts.

2 Kentucky lawmakers are pushing to expand a rescue team, but they say is sure to save Lives.

Representative Mark Mark Hart and Buddy Wheatley a Republican and a Democrat plan on Co sponsoring a bill to create the Kentucky Urban Search and Rescue team.

This type of rescue team already exists, but it's not a statewide program yesterday.

Members of the Lexington Fire Department explained to committee members why this statewide specialized rescue team is needed.

They pointed out that Kentucky is one of only 7 states that does not have a state or federal urban search and rescue team and that Kentucky is the only state in the South without one.

>> If there's a major disaster like the New Madrid fault we talked about earlier, there's going to be disaster, not just in Kentucky Hile Noi Missouri, all those areas and a lot of places have a lot more population density than Kentucky.

If something like that were to happen, Kentucky would not have the resources to build us to save our own little on the people around us.

>> Representative Hart added that having this type of statewide rescue team would mean a faster response time following a natural disaster.

>> Disaster hitting eastern Kentucky.

It was almost 12 hours before some of these teams were able to get boots on the ground to assist the fire departments in the in the communities that were called for the assistance with this type of approach.

And with this type of organization we could theoretically have boots on the ground in an hour.

And that's what are my knees thanking up because there was put we could to save lives in eastern Kentucky.

>> Kentucky is saying to major natural disasters just 6 months apart.

Tornadoes in Western Kentucky in December killed 80 people.

And 43 people lost their lives following flooding in eastern Kentucky back in late July.

There's other flood news today.

The state says 559 flood victims are now living and 305 travel trailers.

People have donated more than 10 million dollars to the Eastern Kentucky.

Really fun and 40% of that money has now been handed out of that money.

$162,000 came from the Blue White Game last Saturday night in Pikeville.

The money came from ticket sales.

Some people bought tickets so that flood victims could attend the game.

Devastating flooding in eastern Kentucky has made day-to-day life difficult for many.

But one county clerk says her office is doing what it can to remove any barriers for people who want to vote in this election.

Not county clerk Risi Cornett says all 9 voting centers in the county are functional and that she expects to have around 80 poll workers at polling sites on Election Day.

Our office is also issued more than 500 absentee ballots around 200 more than previous elections.

She said many of those who requested the absentee ballots told her that they were unable to make it to the polling site.

Despite the challenges she expects a good turnout for the election.

>> I expect at least 30 to 40% of our people voting.

It's that's what I think.

Because they said the absentee ballot, you take 530.

So yeah, I'm looking I'm not the least 30 to 40%.

Because my candy means so much to me.

I mean, that just get a little bit emotional, but that.

I've been here all my life and I worked around the laugh.

And and and not people or my people.

I love.

I love my job.

And that got him up.

A Need to come about.

I said it might be hard for you to do.

It.

You're at.

And we and this is a county election and you need to express your pain.

And I want to vote because this direct to vote.

It were they can get out.

The hauler can't get to bones.

That's what Kyle last year.

American Art Reese's it in the cart officer will come of age.

And in the beano Faye Turney Bank.

But yeah, and the that's how I've talked and the bank, you know, they're all this for the devastation of these people.

When they have a statement.

I think my panties strong, they're strong people.

And they know when the state, but that would not stay put.

And I think that now is the time because it's county election.

And this is one of very well make sons will never have.

Is our county election because he says this makes our county are officials might hurt him.

And I feel said, Mister out.

Who can vote for the ones you want to have a new candidate vision.

It's been rough for these people.

Cornet says she's also spoken with several voters who were displaced by the flawed and are currently living at Camp sites.

>> About ways her office can help them cast their votes.

Yesterday was the deadline to ask for an absentee ballot.

The secretary of state's office says the lowest percentage of request was from Todd County.

We're less than one percent of voters asked for an absentee ballot.

The highest a coffin county at 7 and a half percent.

The average for all counties is 2.3%.

Jefferson County was close to that.

A 2.0.

41 Fayette County was at 3.43%.

As we've discussed, there are 2 constitutional amendments on the ballot in Kentucky in November.

Amendment.

One would let the Kentucky General Assembly call itself in a special session and it would let lawmakers extend the session past the usual Deadline amendment 2 would add language to the Kentucky Constitution stating that nothing in the Constitution should be construed as a right to abortion or funding for one today, Representative Nancy Tate and members of the Kentucky General Assembly is pro-life caucus set out of state groups opposed to amendment 2 are making false claims.

>> According to one email or Kentucky Axes amendment number 2 in Kentucky is government though the rains, which will Bayer whole abortion, even in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is at risk.

The survey and pretends to take you into it and this is bones.

If I it is not paid a nickel of 4 sons.

There's an exception to preserve the lives and the health of the pregnant review regarding difficult and rare cases of sexual assault of this amendment does not matter.

Is that those this legislator, his grass or send exception to any time it is this issue.

>> This is an issue that voters need to stand up and vote yes on and say no.

Do all the misinformation.

False has deceived the deceptions coming through the many millions of dollars, most of which matter staying active is groups and organizations, the individual donors and so forth from around the country.

Trying to confuse and scare voters into thinking this amendment does things that simply does not do.

>> And response, Kentucky House Minority Leader Joni Jenkins released a statement.

It says in part, quote, Today's Pop press conference accusing the amendments opponents of fall.

So it is is both wrong and a deliberate attempt to hide their own wildly inaccurate statements.

Those speaking today?

No, there are no taxpayer funded abortions in Kentucky, but they lie about it anyway, women's health care.

She says all of it is on the ballot on November 8th.

And that's the truth.

End quote.

More proof that Kentucky's drought problem is getting worse.

Let's look at the U.S. Drought monitor map of Kentucky from a week ago October the 20th, the darker, the color, the more severe, the drought.

Now let's switch to the new map out today.

You can see parts of western Kentucky are now red, which means extreme drought.

All of this is increasing the risk of fire.

The Kentucky Division of Forestry says 56 counties have declared burn bans the forest fire season last until December.

15th.

Governor Andy Beshear says that while the COVID picture is improving, Kentuckians need to be on the alert for RSV which stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Today the governor said RSV is sending people especially the very young to hospitals.

>> So RSV is not regularly in Kentucky recipe is something that if it hits someone might I might just think is a cold.

But it can be really problematic, especially for younger kids where we are tracking is where our capacity is at our pediatric hospitals.

You know, we only have couple a pediatric hospitals that have ICU Michael Medical Center is out of beds but doesn't have a pediatric I C you we are seeing our pediatric hospitals fill up and it is concerning.

>> The governor also announced new jobs in Kentucky.

He says UPS supply chain solutions will spend 330 million dollars on new facilities in Jefferson and bullet counties creating 435 jobs.

Governor Beshear was at a groundbreaking yesterday at the app Harvest leafy Greens, far member Maria and Agra Tech business.

That already has 600 employees and expects to add 400 more.

Also the U.S. Department of AG announced 759 million in grants to help rule areas receive high-speed Internet.

Kentucky will be getting 21 million dollars.

♪ There's no money in Kentucky to fight child abuse and neglect coast.

Their charities today donated 1.3 million dollars to Kentucky youth advocates and 18 other community organizations.

The money will go to many different programs that will pay for child abuse recognition and prevention training sessions, fun, self care workshops and support groups, host events to strengthen families and support advocates for those without a voice.

Kentucky suffers from one of the highest overdose death rates in the nation.

A problem compounded by a shortage of qualified addiction counselors, University of the Cumberland is working to change that with a new online master's degree in addiction.

Studies.

>> Here come, those are pretty nimble whenever we see or hear of a need.

We try to meet that.

If you look at the stats from the CDC, it's pretty clear that the state of Kentucky and really the Appalachian region, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, are among the highest in the country.

When you look at, >> particularly overdose deaths.

We saw that there was a shortage to qualify addictions counselors.

So in order to help meet the need for the community and the state and beyond.

>> We decided to offer a program so we can help address the shortage.

The program's really developed to be 100% asynchronous, which means that it doesn't have a quest meetings will be designed to allow students to enroll.

>> To engage in the course work on their schedule and in a way that fits with what is often busy professional lives, the total credit requirements is 30 hours.

That 30 credit hours can be completed in as fast as one year if they choose to.

But definitely would see completion within 2 years for that master's degree in order to be eligible for the program.

You have to have a bachelor's degree and counseling psychology, human services or related field.

We started building applications for the program.

>> Our first cohort will start in the spring which start next January.

Now.

>> There's a an organization that's called the ICRC is the international credential and rest up Ross the consortium.

And that organization sets the credentialing and offers the exam that's required for licensure as clinical alcohol and drug counselor witches.

The credential that folks who pursue this degree would ultimately pursue what we're providing is just the educational part of the requirements for that licensure.

Once they completed a degree, then they'll have to engage in clinical work for some number of hours.

And once they complete the hours under supervision and take the exam that's offered by ICRC.

Then they would be eligible for licensure.

Whenever you look to start a program, you have to look at what the need is.

Substance use disorders continue to be a significant issue.

Intentions here.

The universe of the Cumberland says >> to really play a role in providing.

The qualified providers to work with substance use disorders.

These are our neighbors.

And we're invested in this community were invested in the state.

And we want to play a role in and contributing solutions to a problem that's affected.

Many of us.

And so we're proud to be able to play a role in providing solutions.

>> According to the state's annual overdose Fatality reported deaths were up again last year.

There were more than 2200 deaths in 2021. fentanyl was identified in more than 70% of those deaths.

♪ >> Spooky season is upon us.

And Kentucky is home to some of the country's most haunted places.

In fact, some call the neighborhood of old Louisville just south of downtown Louisville.

They most haunted neighborhood in America.

Kentucky additions.

Kelsey Starks is with the author who truly, quote, wrote the book on this fascinating neighborhood.

>> Well, Lovell is becoming a tourist destination for many reasons.

But one of them is paranormal activity and no one knows better about this dark side of Derby city.

Then our very own best selling author David is here with us today.

Now, remember you from back in the days of your bourbon cookbooks and that kind of thing.

I'm curious what brought you into this genre?

>> I started off as a food writer and I was writing cookbooks institute restaurant reviews Cousins like Kentucky Monthly.

in 1999, I bought a house on 3rd Street.

And that's kind of where I was doing.

My my my food writing.

this house I moved into.

Before I moved and honor the previous owner casually mentioned that there is a ghost that came with the property.

And she said was a poltergeist named Lucy who like to walk around in the middle of the night and scare your pets and not pictures off the wall and I love those stories, but I'm kind of skeptics.

I didn't really pay much attention to it, but I moved in a long story short.

All these strange things started to happen that she told me what happened.

And I never did see a ghost in the House but experienced all these other things that people would say.

We're paranormal in nature.

And what happened is the first year of the 8 years we were in the house.

That's when I began to meet, you know, fellow homeowners and made friends with my neighbors and the typical house and all of us.

100 135 years.

Also got some stories to tell and people began sharing like family legends that have been passed out or they KET about scandals are murders associated with the former owners of their houses.

Some of them had ghostly goings on.

And so I started collecting the stories and writing them down.

It was a way for me to do my part because when I moved to Louisville.

I was surprised the city wasn't doing more to promote Louisville neighborhood as a possible tourist destination off east, you know, beautiful old houses, one of the largest historic preservation districts in the country.

45 square blocks, all houses, roughly 1400 old homes and mansions.

And so I started using these ghost stories as a vehicle to talk about more than just the ghost and the paranormal.

It was a way to talk about history and architecture and the quirky people who live there.

And so people began reading my stories and they wanted to see the places that they were reading about.

And so we got into giving tours to show off the parts of the neighborhood that I was writing about and to get people on the streets and to educate and to to make money for different neighborhood associations.

And it's been great.

I'm going on 18 years strong and I've been doing the tours in some form or other week and people from all over the world come to check out our beautiful architecture and our spooky stories in old Louisville.

>> It is absolutely fascinating.

And one of the biggest stories in your book, a dark room in glitter say my book club read this and we.

>> We're all just blown away because it is something that's it's it's this neighborhood that sits in our city that few people know the history of.

But that was that they mean part of it is about the murder the night.

But so much is about the history and that the neighborhood.

And it was just fascinating.

>> Yeah, a dark room and glitter boss City just came out a year in October.

So we're celebrating the the one year But yeah, it's a true crime story.

It's about a triple murder that took place.

And I almost bought the house where it happened.

So that was kind of my personal connection.

I lived right around the corner.

And so these are people I KET and interacted with and I sat in on the trials that took over 10 years to write the book.

But what I discovered you know, the writings I do trying to tout Louisville and the city itself as a character.

Like you said, there's so much interesting history here and there's so many things.

Louisville Younes can be proud of.

And Kentucky having this wonderful historic preservation district right in their own backyard.

So I wrote this book and becomes a character in the book.

and so it is a true crime book is kind of a memoir as well because so much time passed.

I was able to kind of look back and reflect on things and it's about me writing the book.

But at the heart, it's trying to get to the bottom of this terrible murder who really feel this poor guy.

>> All right.

Well, and those goes to or ghost tours again, through the end of November.

So you can.

>> Check them out yourself if you dare 7 nights a week, a march to November than the offseason.

We even offer them as well because we're getting so much demand.

So many people are finding out we're adding an extra tours and a lot of times this time of year, of course, we're sold out.

We're turning people away.

But we get tons of people come up for the ghost tours.

It's a good Has this.

>> Thank you so much for being here.

We appreciate it very much.

My pleasure.

Renee, back to you.

>> Thank you.

Cal say those tours run 7 days a week as they said and also KET an eye out for season 2 of Honda Discoveries free, cheering 800 locations throughout Kentucky.

If you dare, including several in old Louisville.

♪ >> The organizations have the level of mystery and lore surrounding them like the Freemasons fascination with the oldest fraternal organization in the world has grown in recent years with best-selling books like The DaVinci Code Movies like National Treasure.

But a Lexington filmmaker says this so-called Secret society is actually an open book, a documentary he created that is now streaming on.

Amazon Prime aims to take away some of the mystery by team telling one of the Freemasons signature rituals.

>> Most of what you find about free missionaries falls, I would say easy.

80 1% of what you find online is falls.

I think there's just a misconception about how secret this organization truly is.

And I would call that secret.

I would just call it private.

Freemasonry is nothing more than a fraternity where men can get together.

Bring in who they want into the fraternity and educate themselves based on certain symbols and remind themselves what it means to be a good person.

So I discovered cremation or e almost 10 years ago when I discovered it was very eye opening for me so I'm very passionate about free missionary the Sonic Table documentary was my first thought, rather.

>> It is my honor to propose the first host this evening.

>> When the pandemic hit, we were planning to have a festive board, which is a dining experience.

We all gather together once a year, have a big feast.

In fact, I would refer to this as a ritual.

This is just an event.

This is something that we do outside of our normal ritual.

So there is nothing closed doors.

There was nothing that anybody was not allowed to see.

We couldn't do that because of the pandemic.

So we started to think what else can we do to help KET momentum going and provide education?

So I don't recall who mentioned it, but we talked about doing a documentary in explaining in teaching about the Masonic table about what a festive board it is because actually even a lot of free masons don't know what it is or might have a mission interpretation of what it is or how it's performed.

So we were originally creating something for the Masonic community.

But the progressed we realized that it could be it could offer more information to people that were outside and not from a with freemasonry.

So we decided that we were going to put together a documentary.

And we ran into space.

It's time for one day.

Have everybody come together.

They KET their parts.

They KET their roles and we practice and went through Masonic dining the festive board as if we were going through it in a natural environment.

So it turned out to be production for Mason's as well as >> So we wanted to figure out how we could let people watch it.

And we also wanted to figure out how we could generate some revenue to recoup some costs.

Of course, Amazon Prime seem like the perfect route to do that.

The reviews all of the reason I've seen have been extremely positive.

It's been inspiring to other man who didn't even know that this was part of our fraternal traditions are heritage of getting together.

I think unfortunately society is is struggling to find the truth in most things these which is why I believe the documentary was an important production to do is to try to provide facts and truth with me, brother.

♪ >> some famous freemasons include George Washington, Winston Churchill, comedian Richard Pryor, an astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

We thank you for watching tonight.

We hope we'll see you right back here tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our Kentucky Edition weekly email newsletter and watch full episodes at KET Dot Org once again.

Thank you for watching tonight.

We hope to see you tomorrow night.

We've got the Inside Kentucky Politics segment coming up just for you.

>> Tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central.

Take good care.

♪