♪ >> Police spent a 3rd day combing the woods and their hot for an accused interstate shooter.

Scammers are sophisticated and they know what they're doing.

Experts are getting the word out open to protect you from falling victim to a scam.

>> And they're greeted with a very friendly y'all.

If they approach.

>> And learn the story behind this northern Kentucky icon.

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

♪ ♪ Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky.

Addition for Tuesday, September, the 10th, I'm Renee Shaw.

>> Thank you so much for joining us this evening.

Kentucky Edition is on the road again.

And the last time the 2024 this time we're in northern Kentucky as we take a look at a special kind of high school, learn about the area's history.

And here, the story of the well-known Florence, y'all water Tower.

But first, today's news police continue their search for Joseph Couch.

The man accused of shooting and hitting injuring 5 people and 12 vehicles along Interstate 75 in Laurel County on Saturday.

This was the 3rd full day of the man hot in a wooded area near the shooting scene.

Couch is 32 years old.

He's 5 foot 10 and weighs about 150 pounds.

Police found his SUV and an assault rifle.

According to the arrest warrant counts, texted that he, quote, wanted to kill a lot of people, unquote.

Several schools in the area were closed again today.

Better without it.

That's the slogan of a new anti opioid campaign aimed at Kentucky's young people.

Kentucky Attorney General Russel Coleman talked about his office's proposed ad campaign today as he testified before the Kentucky opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.

>> Better without it will encourage young people to choose positive wife choices that will shine a light on the resilience of these kids.

The owner teacher, what you'll hear more about in a moment.

It will nurture the 5 C's competence.

Confidence connection, character and compassion over a two-year period will launch an aggressive advertising campaign on social media, streaming services with influencers and it Kentucky's universities to show young people, the totality of their drug free.

But Henschel.

>> Coleman is proposing 3 and a half million dollars on the campaign over the next 2 years.

The Legislative Ethics Commission is moving forward with its investigation into a Democratic state lawmaker.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the Lrc met this morning and voted 8 to 0 to launch a formal investigation.

Representative Daniel Grossberg, the lawmaker from Louisville has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women.

According to reporting by the Herald later, he's denied any wrongdoing and response.

Today's decision by the lrc, his attorney told the paper Grossberg was looking forward to having his name cleared there.

Kentucky's Department of Education named the 2025 Teacher of the Year today.

>> And that is Jennifer Montgomery and English teacher Minutes.

Independent Middle School.

>> When I think back to that three-room house that I grew up in in Trumbull County with no running water and no telephone and it helps me just reflect on why became a teacher in the first place?

Because I am a product of pop of public education.

So this is what I aspire to do in my own classroom to help my students see their wares as individuals and to help them believe in themselves.

Their lives are his significant and important.

Not just in the future for what they will do with their lives, but also their important right now for who they are.

And so I'm proud today to represent over 40,000 other Kentucky educators who are doing the same things in their classroom.

Classrooms changing one child's life at a time by just helping them simply realized that their stories are important because they are important.

>> Kde recognized 8 other teachers, including Kentucky's high school, an elementary school teachers of the year.

These educators were chosen from 500 applicants.

There are more than 40,000 teachers in the state.

The current teacher of the year was also there.

He told KET he opposes the school Choice Amendment that Kentuckians will vote on this November.

>> And in my community, public schools need all the funding they can get.

And so I am why the eminently opposed to amendment 2.

And I hope that anyone who values public education, democracy and freedom would vote that way because public schools are the foundation and the core of our free democracy.

It truly does bring everyone to a level playing field.

And if we remove funds from not, we are doing and immense disservice to the people like me growing up who had to have a public school to succeed.

>> Amendment 2, if it passes, would allow the Kentucky General Assembly to authorize public money for private schools.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump debate for the first time tonight.

It's an ABC news debate being simulcast on other networks, including PBS and K T last Friday during our Inside Kentucky Politics segment, I asked Ray Grayson and Bob Babbage about what they're expecting and what the candidates need to do.

Your predictions for the big debate on Tuesday, September, the 10th, but Wayne Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

I will predict absolutely her 100%.

>> The BofA claim victory and the debate to a solid bet.

A lot to you.

I think that's already been written.

Yeah.

But you know, Maureen Dowd who writes very effectively for The New York Times.

A few weeks ago.

So this is an unserious acting man right gets an untested woman.

>> So lets just say the facts, something people are thinking about.

You've got roughly 10% of the folks who might vote.

Still trying to figure out the candidates for Trump to give a more serious presentation and for her to show that she's ready for the job.

That's what's this coming week.

A lot at stake.

Let's hope it goes.

Well, let's hope it's dignified.

Let's hope it's been death in April.

Both have certifications to make on significant policies, including recent multiple positions and policies and changes from before on policies.

Americans really are about a performance.

How are you done before and what are you going to do next?

Particularly defining what you're going to do next says says what this week should be and we all want debates.

The 3 of us always like to see debates.

You do a magnificent job, writing debates.

Let's hope that this is one where people say I've got a lot out of it.

Yeah.

I mean, debates matter.

We learned that earlier in the year and this race is essentially tied.

There's only a few 1000 voters in several states who >> whose opinions are going to decide this either candidate can win.

There's a lot of talk about that.

A nice.

I mean, untested versus which series will go toward the town used.

And so voters are going to look like which wants to our water, which poison do I pick one and so that they can have a clarifying amendment for those orders.

Yeah.

>> Well, what have you next week to talk about it all but will have to text each other?

Yeah.

And yeah, we'll do that for sure to budget out in on that.

Thank you all.

Thanks.

Thank you.

>> You can see the presidential debate on KET tonight getting at 9 Eastern 8 central.

Berea.

Police are getting help with trauma and burn out.

And Kentucky has a case of slop favor are Toby Gibbs has more in this?

Look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> A public health officials have confirmed the first case of the aura push virus or swine fever in Kentucky.

The Advocate Messenger reports the person with the infection has returned to Louisville after traveling to the Caribbean, according to the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness.

The virus is spread through the bite of infected midges and some of the ski, tows infected person had mild symptoms and is recovering.

There have been 2 deaths linked to the virus worldwide this year.

♪ The Brea Police Department adopted a mental health and wellness plan which provides paid leave for police officers experiencing mental health problems.

The Richmond Register reports the plan is expected to help officers experiencing burnout and trauma.

The order provides paid leave for office or gym 3 to 5 year increments during their time with the department.

A voluntary program will cost the city $2200 annually.

♪ A private liberal arts college in Louisville has named a new president.

The Kentucky Lantern reports Spalding University announced and Kenworthy as its 11th President Xi will start January first.

Her predecessor, Tory Burch, Clore retired in June.

With headlines around Kentucky.

I'm told he get.

♪ >> And at the northernmost part of the state in towns like Covington and Newport.

Let's find yourself peeking over at the Cincinnati skyline just across the Ohio River.

Northern Kentucky is intertwined with the culture and history of Cincinnati and the partnership between the 2 areas goes way back.

We explore the past and present of northern Kentucky as Kentucky edition goes on the road to home to more than 400,000 people.

>> Northern Kentucky isn't just a significant cultural and economic region to our state.

It's important for our country as a whole with an urban stretch along the Ohio River and a mixture of rural and suburban communities sprinkled throughout northern Kentucky sits at the core of the Ohio Valley, an area that's central to American development past and present.

>> I like northern Kentucky so much because I see a net.

Both Kentucky history that I can relate to.

But I see American history and too often I think Kentucky ends.

We are not as aware of northern Kentucky as they might want to be and are all of us along the Ohio River were not us aware of our importance in American history.

The Ohio River Valley was so significant and the growth of the nation from the Ohio River region are watershed which currently covers 14 states, 6 of them border the river.

And there are over 30 million people who live in the Ohio River agent, the trade along the Ohio River region today is over 185 million times that's carried on the Ohio River.

The urban nature of the region, the industrial nature, the region makes a very unique as does that Ohio River that Ohio River is key to everything that happened historically and is even happening now.

And the area.

>> Northern Kentucky's problem Kaisha non the Ohio River places it in a powerful partnership with Kentucky's 2 largest cities.

>> It's called the Golden Triangle and the 3 points of the Golden Triangle.

Our northern Kentucky, Lexington and Louisville.

And all within that Golden Triangle.

Most Kentuckians live and the vast prosperity that is, and that is actually helping to increase the population of Kentucky as well as the economic prosperity is coming from that region.

>> Northern Kentucky exists in a state of tension both culturally and economically between the pool of Ohio and Kentucky.

10 Kadi says one of the bridges connecting Covington to Cincinnati tells the story.

Well.

>> The Roebling suspension bridge many Cincinnati businessman and people who own real estate oppose that bridge because they KET that it would offer.

24 hour a day, 365 days.

A year transportation across to Covington and they said what's going to happen is real estate values in Covington are going to rise at The IX Bentz of Cincinnati and they're going to fall in Cincinnati.

They were right real estate values in Covington increase Covington group greatly right after the bridge was opened officially and 18 67.

But that didn't mean that it ended the prosperity of Cincinnati.

They grew to gather.

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

>> Thank you so much.

Clayton will have more from Professor 10 cars on the history of immigration in the region and its modern-day impact.

That's tomorrow right here on Kentucky EDITION.

A public high school in Kenton County is keeping business in mind when it comes to education.

The Ignite Institute located in our Langur works with industry partners to develop curriculum and provide mentorship opportunities to prepare students for in-demand jobs and its partnerships with local universities is giving some students the chance to earn an associate's degree before they even get their high school diploma.

>> He was with the secret is like what makes ignite different.

It's one of the only regional schools in the state.

Our kids from multiple counties can come to it.

Free of charge.

And then when they come here, they enter system manner.

One of one of 6 colleges that we have which are design education.

Engineering, allied health by on that.

And computer science ignite is about preparing students for the future in the industry that there.

>> Interested in so students who are looking at design and biomedical sciences are going to go into the areas as a career out in the field with professionals, professional businesses, organizations and such.

>> So the first thing that drew me to ignite was the specific pathways, every scholar, regardless of their college has to your own project.

But Ford designed specifically my freshman and sophomore year.

What we had to do was we had to contact a local business and asked to collaborate and like most intern there.

And I think that's a really unique opportunity to ignite, especially with the path ways because I wouldn't have been able to do like any of that.

A regular high school.

I think it's a lot more hands-on project based learning and we have some pretty cool opportunities like our senior year internships that you wouldn't regularly have during a normal school year.

>> I think that it really makes things exciting.

And there's like a really fun end goal connecting with companies and networking with them.

Get your foot in the door for when you're ready to actually graduate and >> going to the industry.

I think one of the big Strang says or regional partnerships, you know, Nku gateway, all the industries that we work with the other 186 different business Our kids replace the internships where they're coming here.

Judging are still working now is very important without those partnerships ignite isn't special place that it is.

>> There's a lot of people who support me here.

And they have given me every opportunity to succeed, like getting my associate's degree early.

>> So you have kids graduate from college before the actually graduate from high school.

They just put me in jail credit early.

>> So then I just kept doing classes throughout all of my years.

And then I graduated with my associates.

Great last year.

It's now have to graduate high school.

I think it's great for the jumpstart into the career.

I really feel like this area is a >> big hub for a lot of the areas that we're teaching right now, creating.

An early start for our students and getting them right into the workforce as quickly as possible.

With all due credit classes being at a discounted rate.

I feel like this is just so incredibly accessible and practical for a lot of our students and another Kentucky region.

>> I mean, I just think it's a really great opportunity like sometimes like a mist going on, like I can't even believe that this is a real school because it just it's so fun to me.

>> What a great opportunity.

The Ignite Institute is located on the former site of Toyota's northern American engineering and manufacturing headquarters.

Toyota donated the building after it moved the headquarters to Texas in 2017.

Well, St. Louis has its arch.

San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge.

Seattle has the Space needle.

If you drive past Florence, Kentucky, you won't forget the Florence, y'all water Tower.

>> So what's the story behind this memorable northern Kentucky?

I Don, we did some digging.

>> I was born and raised in the city of 4 when I turn 6 and was in the first grade.

My father was elected mayor and he served in that capacity for the next 20 years after that, it was another probably 19 years before I took office is in the 1973.

74.

A deal was made to sell.

The land owner sold the land that is now on mall road and they were going to develop a regional mall there.

The fact that the mall was going to go there.

Required that the city find a way to provide water to the west side of the expressway.

The water tower was built.

They painted the words Florence Mall on and that was to be their advertisement.

The Kentucky Department of Transportation and probably the federal Highway Department.

We're very pleased.

First off the mall didn't exist.

So they work happy.

They were advertising something that didn't actually happened yet.

Also, Lady Bird Johnson had a highway beautification act.

That literally for bade billboard advertising on interstate highways.

So there was a combination of a whole lot of things that came into play when the highway Department.

Gently threatened the city and told them they needed to remove that by either throwing a tarp over it, repainting it doing something with it.

City had a fairly small budget at the time.

And there was only a certain amount of money that could be spent without council approval.

My father sitting at a meeting, very informal meeting with some people.

Was scribbling on a napkin, you know, different variations of what the tower could say.

And he literally took in marked out the legs of the M. Dropped in an apostrophe and turned into a Y and Florence was born.

People have come to know that that when they see that water tower there either on their way on vacation heading south or they're coming home and they are greeted with a very friendly y'all.

If they approach.

So I think that it has become an icon.

As you can see, we're standing in the team shop for the Florence Y'alls and they have embraced not only the all but the water tower as they mark it and just tell people where they are.

We began a campaign of what should be renamed the team.

And we had a lot of different ideas sent to us.

In fact, quite the community and that ultimately we settled on the office.

>> You know, honestly really came down to.

What embodies Florence.

We are Florence.

We are Florence's professional team.

We want to embody that and promote what Florence's and there was nothing better and there still is nothing better than the icon.

That system I-71 75, which is the farm, water tower truly.

That's roughly what time?

Honestly, it exceeded our expectations when it came out in terms of how people wouldn't truly embrace it and body, it's not his only legacy, but it was the one that was the most fun and the most fun to tell.

He would be nothing but happy to see the way that it's been embraced.

>> And continue to share the story.

>> It's an icon.

Indeed.

It cost $472 to change the word mall to y'all on the water tower.

Back in 1974, it's a pretty good investment.

♪ You've likely gotten a phone call an email or text message that you just don't think is legitimate right?

Well, there are so many ways scammers try to steal your personal or financial information.

And unfortunately, many times they're successful, state and local agencies are leading efforts to prevent that.

Our Laura Rogers takes us to the Glasgow scam jam.

>> Are bad people out there who are casting wind Nats or just trying to get a small percentage of people to bite on that initial hook.

>> Dan Klein is a certified financial planner who says his clients are often the target of scans.

We see this a lot.

And while many times scammers prey on the elderly, not always.

We also have normal everyday people who click on something to do something that would normally seen reasonable.

We spoke with AARP about that.

>> Is it our senior population that you find to be most often targeted?

>> But the target for scammers in Kentucky just like the nation is everybody.

Thank you, everybody.

Study show millennials are often more likely to fall for scams.

However, Atkins says when they do steal from seniors.

>> They usually get more money.

>> Because seniors have more money.

Typically, it's a very emotional and physical injury to seniors to lose all their savings.

Once someone has already lost their money to a scam, it's virtually impossible to get that money back.

That's why prevention is so important with scam gems like this one in Glasgow.

Yeah.

Getting out the word about warning signs to watch for.

We see a lot of romance scams right now.

The scammer will reach out to their victim and they will try to build some kind of bonds relationship.

They will then take advantage of that trust to get personal or financial information.

They want to get people into a heightened emotional state.

>> Because if you're thinking, get with your emotions, you're not thinking with your brain.

You're thinking with your heart.

And when you're doing that, you don't always make the most rational decisions.

>> The alliance as gift cards are also a red flag.

Well, encourage people to go to Walmart or Walgreens and get gift cards and send them to a location.

When you hear gift cards, you think state.

It's important to note government agencies will not contact you by phone to get your personal information Re tales of which have been shared at scam Jam events.

There was a woman there who came and spoke.

She was taken for 1.7 million dollars.

>> Where she thought she was working with someone from the U.S. Treasury or on a bit lower comes down to trusting your instincts.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't.

For Kentucky Laura Rogers.

>> Good advice there.

If it's too good to be true, then certainly it's not.

If you do think you've been scammed, you should reach out to authorities immediately.

The Department of Financial institutions tells us criminals are now using artificial intelligence to target their victims.

Well, many of you participated in a live call and last night where we answer questions about the state planning wills and medical and financial decisions.

Several viewers had questions about what's called the Medicaid 5 year look-back period.

It's kind of complicated.

We put those questions to our panel of experts as part of Katie's next chapter initiative focused on the issues facing Kentucky's aging population and their loved ones.

Go because we had a lot of questions about this 2 recent war desk.

>> On an explanation of the Medicaid five-year look-back period would be helpful for a lot of people.

We've been through a state planning with both of my parents and is something you really have to be aware of and plan for an advance that most people don't know about.

So 5 year.

Look back.

And is that ubiquitous from state to state is is this a so it's a federal 16 months.

Always tell people in the 1990's early, you could give all your assets away on Monday.

Going to Medicaid on Tuesday and Medicaid would be approved and they would pay for your nursing home in 2006, the end of the reforms happened and what the government said at that point is you can't do that.

What we will do is you can you can transfer assets.

You can put them in a trust, which is a tool that we often use.

It has to be irrevocable in nature, but you must do it at least 5 years prior to asking for Medicaid.

So the government lets you do that.

However, you're giving them a 5 year period.

He will not ask for Medicaid.

So the look-back Israeli I make an application for Medicaid.

Medicaid will look back to make sure any transfers to trust or otherwise occurred.

More than 5 years before they did stitt's regarded if it didn't, the Medicaid will not cover that person for an amount of time that they believe is equal to the amount you could have paid for if you had not transfer that money.

Yeah, I can.

>> So you can see that full discussion online on demand right now at KET DOT Org Slash next chapter and we will do that again.

What we do.

Hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central on Kentucky EDITION where we inform connect and inspire.

Connect with us all the ways you see on your screen there, Facebook, X and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Send us a story idea.

Email address on your screen and look for us on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

Thanks so much for joining us from Northern Kentucky.

University will be back tomorrow and I hope to see that.

♪ ♪