♪ >> So since, you know, it's always been the driving force of the last few years.

We're overdoses.

>> Overdoses are up in Kentucky, second largest city and the problem could be worse than the numbers indicate.

Kentucky Supreme Court justice is getting a promotion.

>> So I give the kids the kids the rest of the last year and up on to that certain conditions.

I'm going to make of that that and he has a vote.

>> Kentucky State University start a new chapter with a new president.

>> We have generations here who are still in mourning for grandfathers, great grandfathers.

It never came home.

>> And Woodford County honors prisoners of war and those missing in action.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Monday.

September 23rd.

I'm Kelsey Starks in for Renee Shaw this evening.

Lexington is seeing a spike in drug overdoses.

More in tonight's medical news, the Lexington, Fayette County Health Department says there were 2 dozen non-fatal overdoses during a four-day period last week.

That is up from the average 10 to 17 over doses a week the numbers were reported by the overdose detection.

Mapping application system.

But experts say the real number of overdoses in any given week is likely much higher.

>> We know that only about 30% of people called 9-1-1, when there's an overdose.

If they have Narcan, it's very likely that they are revising someone and not calling EMS, particularly if this person is overdose before.

Is there a fear of arrest or have drugs on property?

And so we are having community.

People reviving people who've overdosed and it's not getting reported.

And so it could be that those numbers that we were a lot higher.

But because of different situations, it's just not getting reported since these are non-fatal overdoses.

There's no toxicology report, but we do have a pretty good idea of what's in the area we're seeing makes of fentanyl and a horse tranquilizer called Xylazine in a mix.

That is the most fatal combination of illicit drugs that we've seen.

And so we are also seeing an increase in a mix of fentanyl.

Again and benzodiazepines like Xanax.

And so Sentinel has always been the driving force over the last few years for overdoses.

It is synthetic opioid.

It is may just from chemicals that you can purchase from China will sell you the chemicals, although they've banned Sentinel.

And it seems like this is just a better business model for drug cartels and drug dealers where a half a million doses to be held in your hand, concealed easily and distributed the easy.

As I was saying, this horse tranquilizer, it's not a controlled substance because it's a veterinarian medicine and it is acting like an opioid, but it's not.

And so when somebody overdoses on a mix of xylazine in fentanyl, we can give them in.

Our can.

And it will restore their breathing.

However, that may not wake up because it does not work on is housing because, well, it acts like one.

It just isn't an opioid and naloxone or most people know by Narcan only works on opioids.

And so unfortunately, what we're seeing is fentanyl mixed into just about everything that somebody could you.

It's in cocaine.

It's mixed in with methamphetamine.

It's mixed into that tht they car churches and we have people that are pressing fentanyl to look like Zammit.

So Perkins Center alert app and all of this is getting into the street.

And unfortunately, we're just seeing a ton of overdoses right now.

The illicit drug market is always changing and it travels through different states to get here to Kentucky and would never know what's coming next.

We never anticipated that would even get in the mix before.

And that's where we're at now.

>> The Fayette County Health Department offers free Narcan KET to anyone who needs them.

They are available Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays following a short 15 minute class.

Kentucky sheriff will be in court on Wednesday accused in the shooting death of a judge Sheriff Shawn Stines of Letcher County is charged with one count of murder.

He's accused of killing District Judge Kevin Mullins last Thursday inside the Letcher County courthouse in Whitesburg Stein's was sent to the Leslie County Jail.

According to the Courier Journal, his arraignment Wednesday at 11:00AM Eastern.

We'll be in the Carter County Circuit Court.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the Letcher County courthouse will be closed all of this week.

Kentucky is getting a new chief justice in 2025.

Kentucky Supreme Court justices voted today to make Deputy Chief Justice Deborah Henry Lambert.

The new chief starting January 6th.

She was elected to the Supreme Court in November of 2018 and he's been a judge for 17 years.

She will replace Chief Justice Laurance Vanmeter who is retiring from the court.

In a statement, the chief justice elect said, quote, I am both humbled and honored to have been elected by my colleagues to service the chief justice for the next for years.

I know it is certainly no small task to lead the judicial branch of government.

While it may be notable that I will be the first woman to serve as chief justice in Kentucky.

I am most proud to be a small town kid from the mountains of eastern Kentucky who has had a lot of support and encouragement along the way, end quote.

Kentucky's only public historically black colleges under new leadership after Kentucky State University's inauguration ceremony for Dr The school's 19th president.

>> A memory in Operation Doctor A 19 president intends to rest.

Today.

Today marks an important milestone in key issues which just in the beginning of the chapter.

Feel a little interest.

♪ >> My father taught me.

Whenever I would have liked to when the deputy to make every place I've been that and then a phone.

So I can because that is the lesson last year.

And I found it and that's a few conditions I'm going to make of that better than he has about.

We talk about how we advance education post secondary education in Kentucky.

Tissue.

It's essential to have a mean this morning.

Just heading hundreds or thousands of degrees to to our workforce.

That's important.

Essential.

>> But the idea what good education is and who are educating and the people that we're bringing this story, adding to that city.

Process in our society that richness that changing generational mobility.

That changes even generational.

Well, all of those pieces I think are essential to the state.

Then KSU.

It's very much in the central part of that >> you we have to do is to be Ensuring the many of the other >> Up next is to build on the foundation was set for the first and to think that none of us into a new level.

We're going to be it.

New programs.

We're going to be.

In doing so many new things that we haven't about them before.

How much do you plan to use it to you from the city?

The but for us to move on to the next level.

And I'm very excited this year's Arab to think more than just the press event.

>> They've inherited the family.

They've been here to richness and their values richness and their knowledge and their beliefs and truly some what I consider to be a very much role models that many of our students here come fall is as important as ever.

But what I see the most, who would continue doing what we have been all this time.

>> And which is 11, the leveling the playing field for every student.

So every student can have access to better.

What >> Capo is the school's 5th president in the last 10 years.

And that includes Aaron Thompson who served in the interim capacity.

The U.S. Department of Education just named to 7 Kentucky schools as 2024 National Blue Ribbon winners.

The honor is based on a school's overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps.

The 5 public schools are Corbin, Middle school, Cold Hill Elementary School in Laurel County, Lone Oak Elementary School in McCracken County, Northern Elementary School in Pulaski County.

In Shirley Mann Elementary School in Boone County.

And there are 2 private schools on the Kentucky list today include Holy Cross District High School in the Diocese of Covington and Saint Albert.

The great school in the Archdiocese of Louisville, the Department recognized 356 schools nationally.

Representatives from the home building and rental industry spoke to Kentucky lawmakers today.

They say of Kentucky wants more housing, state and local officials should cut some red tape.

>> Are we talking about wiping out all regulations on the books course not.

But to the extent that Kentucky has rules on the books that are more stringent than federal or more stringent than surrounding states, do we have a reason for that or is that just something that's been on the books for years and we could potentially change it?

>> It is estimated that 25% of the homes cost comes from regulations.

Of course, that permit fees that's building codes, electrical codes, that inspections that studies and engineering all of those things that have to be done in order to create a piece of land to develop.

>> Reduced parking requirements parking requirements are one of the biggest cost for development.

The Urban Land Institute found that parking minimums where the number one barrier in and building affordable housing.

Growing transportation alternatives, an evolving residential preferences are good reasons to review in parking requirements that they know meet current needs.

Reduce lot size.

These codes mandate that each home include a certain amount of land regardless of the owners preference.

Research has shown that such rules raced home prices by forcing buyers to purchase large more expensive parcels and reduce the barrier number of homes that can be built on that parcel.

We allow for 20 townhomes and small lot homes.

>> Kentucky could use another 200,000 houses and apartment according to the Kentucky Housing Corporation.

It estimates that shortage will grow to 287,000 in the next 5 years.

A legislative committee looking at the shortage will release findings and recommendations by December.

In economic news.

More jobs are headed to send piano and Harrison County.

>> Commercial specialty Truck Holdings is launching a 28 million dollar Project.

250,000 Square Foot Building is already under construction.

There.

The Kent Company makes a truck bodies and parts and already has about 300 workers in Cynthiana.

And here's more economic news last week, Governor Andy Beshear announced Moody's Investors Service had upgraded Kentucky's credit States.

Credit rating is considered a measure of the state's ability to pay debts.

And the overall health of the economy.

The governor talked about why it happened and what it means for Kentucky.

>> The rating is a measure of the state's ability to pay debts in the overall health of the Kentucky economy.

Moody's said the sub great would upgrade was driven by our sustained commitment to healthy reserves in structural balance, including fully fund pensions and paying down our unfunded liabilities.

He also said the upgrade reflects growth in key industries will help solidify Kentucky's economic growth over the next several years.

They include large investments in our manufacturing sector.

Our position in EV manufacturing and our position as a logistics as well as the growth of our tourism and health care sectors.

What this really is talking about is the fact that we rank in every record that's out there 2021 2022 or best economic developing years in the Commonwealth's history ratings make it easier, less expensive to borrow in each of our budgets.

We have things that we fund directly.

We have things that we borrow on through bonds to to ultimately move those projects forward.

This impacts that rating makes it less expensive, were either able to do more were ultimately not spend as much.

>> And it's not just movies.

It's the 3rd upgrade this year.

Fitch Ratings and peak level ratings have also upgraded Kentucky's credit rating.

Kentucky Edition recently spent some time on the road in northern Kentucky with stories about the area's businesses, education, arts culture and more join us for a special Kentucky tonight.

Progress and challenges facing northern Kentucky.

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

Nima Kulkarni remains that Democratic nominee in a special November election to fill a vacancy in the 40th State House district.

The Kentucky Lantern reports that on Friday at 3 Judge Court of Appeals panel denied a motion to disqualify Kulkarni.

She won her primary.

Last May.

past opponent Dennis Horror Lander argued her paperwork was improper since one of her filing.

Witnesses was a Republican.

The courts eventually ruled against Kulkarni and that set up a special election to fill that seat.

Democrats chose Kulkarni to run in that November.

5th special election for lander and her main opponent Williams, I'ts sued with the court of appealing so ruling in Cole Carney's favor HoR lander and Zeit say they will appeal now to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Congressman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky's first congressional district continues.

His criticism of the Democratic Kennedy candidate for Vice President Tim Walz Comer is the chair of the House Oversight Committee.

In last month he announced an investigation into Wall says a legit ties to China.

Comer has called that relationship, quote, cozy comer appeared on the FOX Business Channel Friday where he also criticized Waltz's family.

>> Yeah, that's a scary family.

There mean is that, you know, the it looks like that I'm a family that's been indoctrinated and they they they believe that there's a better way to do business in a deal with some of the things that the water is upset about.

China, their affection for China.

And that's very concerning to me because we don't want to set our business model like China's.

I mean, China has already got 2 big win for the home here in the United States.

>> Representative Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, blasted comers plan to investigate was as a political move designed to help former President Trump Frost accused calmer of violating House rules.

Well, drivers look out for deer.

Kentucky State police say it is that time of year when you need to be.

>> Extra mindful of deer on Kentucky roads.

Police urge you to focus and remember deer travel in groups.

So if you see one deer, there are probably more nearby the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says there were more than 3200 deer-related crashes in Kentucky in 2023. causing more than 200 injuries and 3 deaths.

And that's not the only deer problem.

In Kentucky, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources says Kentucky now has new scattered cases of hemorrhagic fever in deer.

This is a disease and white tail deer caused by small biting flies that growing population when rainy periods are followed by dry weather.

The disease can cause dear to waste away.

You're often found dead near water.

So if you see deer with hemorrhagic fever, you are asked to notify Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

♪ ♪ >> Well, since 1979, the 3rd Friday in September has been known as national prisoner of War and Missing in Action Recognition Day.

Last Friday, Woodford County.

>> Observed the day by holding 2 ceremonies in Versailles and Midway.

>> National P O W M I a recognition day organizations across the country come together to host ceremonies like this one.

If a truce on display of the P O W him my flag.

And what is known as the build a BMI time.

Both serve as a constant reminder and we must never forget.

Those who serve and sacrifice for freedom.

We also understand that each name on the P O W M I a list.

Currently at their nearly 82,000 represents a life cut short.

We're a family left in uncertainty.

And that was sort of the common thread in all the stories that they weren't there.

>> But they want to remember that they want to know they want people to know why they weren't there and that sacrifice.

It means a lot.

It means a lot to to any family.

I think when, you know, people like that, it is his home or many of us KET Mr. Carl.

>> In our neighborhood, he survived the war and live with the scars of his capture and his imprisonment for years.

But it was a faithful and proud servant in our community.

>> My nose, Mr. Thomas recall.

Mr. Carr was.

Injured in captivity in Germany after his glider.

>> Was shot down over.

Plus, the Romanian, the oil fields.

Now, when I first heard Mister Cole story.

That's has really familiar, I realize that my great uncle who is not from this area at all.

Was flying in the same mission that Mister Cole from Woodford County was in when he was shot down and he actually documented that day.

The day was Friday and the date was May 5th.

We were told our target will be the or refineries.

Plessy Romania.

This will be another double header, which we would be missions.

21 to 22.

That is if we made it there and back this proved to be the roughest mission I've been on today.

Our group last 3 planes to the flak over the target.

This mission was a living h*** for about.

25 minutes, I watched the crewmen bail out of his plane over the target.

His chute opened only to be caught on the tail rotor of the plane behind him.

The plane was already in trouble and begin to plunge.

Earth were I watched this plane and a dangling airman both hit the ground and we have generations here who >> are still in mourning for grandfathers, great grandfathers that never came home.

You think about those stories that got passed down and they weren't there.

We are remembering them.

We are recognizing them and so that they are not forgotten to history and that their service is not forgotten to history.

>> Private first class and sell Edgar Craig.

U.S. Army.

Missing in action.

October 24th 1944.

Captain Calvin Kenneth Kerns USMC Korea missing in Action July 3rd, 1951.

Staff Sergeant Robert Earl Duncan.

Usaf.

World War 2 missing in action November.

26th.

>> As you saw there at the end of that story, people were setting America's white table there in midway.

This idea came from the Vietnam War as a symbol of those missing in action or those being held prisoners of war on P O W M I a recognition day restaurants, businesses, churches, libraries, all participate by setting the table aside for those heroes, we wish to remember.

♪ >> Well, record breaking crowds turned up for the world's largest bourbon and music festival over the weekend.

And Louisville hour, Kristie, that and takes us to bourbon and beyond.

>> Whether you like your music festivals, neat or on the rocks.

The organizers of bourbon and beyond say this music festival is proof that good food and good bourbon can share the spotlight with the festival's 100 music artists.

>> This is the world's biggest and clear and food festival.

Suburban is everywhere.

>> You know, we have.

>> The largest menu of rare bourbons.

But you will find anywhere else.

>> We have over, you know, a dozen activations in bars rooted just in the bourbon industry.

The festival's bourbon experience host says there's a strong connection between music and bourbon.

It's about being an artist.

There's no difference of an artist that by cracking the perfect song building all those like musicians.

And, you know, >> putting it all together.

Blending the right thing.

No different than West gets about blending its about years of practice and like.

>> And going in and out of the woods just to make the perfect with me.

So I mean, they go hand in hand and there's nothing better than drinking.

A little bit of urban.

Wasn't a great time.

♪ >> And it bourbon and beyond.

You also get a little bourbon, education like the right way to bring Berman and the right place to drink it in.

>> So my professional Berman expert opinion absolutely should be doing.

I like going but it Bill, does the Romans and pushes them through the top of the glass?

But if you just want to go through and enjoy with me, whatever vessel you can get him out, right then the best way glasses.

cubs, whatever you can talk about enjoying whiskey, doesn't matter what kind of life and come back.

>> Bourbon experiences are distilled into the four-day festival with bourbon and cheese dishes.

Bourbon pairings and tastings.

Like educate Mont 3rd time to do a little bit.

Education often entertain the audience at the same time.

So the whole goal of like, you know, when you're tasting a little bit of whiskey and we do a little bit of chef or culinary, it's about how all of those flavors blend together to actually create something totally different.

Let's cheers to you guys drawing a crowd.

That's no small batch.

I know people who travel from all over.

>> Just to come because they know that they're going to get to taste and experience things that they never get to do anywhere else.

So.

>> You know, we sell passes in all 50 states over 27 countries.

So I will truly is a destination for the world right now as bourbon and beyond ages to perfection.

Organizers hope the fans will always save or the spirit of Louisville's rich culture.

>> We want to continue to see him grow.

We want to continue to bring people from all over the world to experience a bill.

We want to make sure we KET that charm and we KET what's special about it.

>> We're Kentucky edition.

I'm Kristine gotten.

>> The music has stopped for now.

But at the Highland Festival grounds is set for an encore already.

Preparations are underway for louder than Life.

Ford, a rock and heavy metal music festival that begins right there on Thursday.

♪ ♪ Tonight, we look back at a rare visit to Fort Knox that death of a Kentucky legend and the birth of a trailblazing politician are Toby gives has all that.

And this week in Kentucky history.

♪ >> Reporters, members of Congress and Treasury Department officials toured the Gold vault at Fort Knox on September.

23rd 1974.

This isn't something that happens every day.

In fact, it wouldn't happen again until 2017.

Union and Confederate forces clashed in the Civil War.

Battle of snows pond in Boone County on September 20th, 18.

62, it's better.

It's we're trying to slow federal troops moving South.

Daniel Boone died in September.

26th 18, 20 of the age of 86.

He was living in Missouri at the time.

No, his body was eventually moved back to Frankfort cemetery.

>> Happy birthday to Emma Guy.

Crime.

Well, Lord September.

28 18 65 in Scottsville in Simpson County.

A claim to fame.

He was the first woman to hold statewide office in Kentucky when the Kentucky Senate elected her state librarian in 18, 96, she would go on to serve as secretary of state state Treasurer, state parks, director on commissioner and the director of archives.

And Happy Birthday to us.

It took the educational television sign on the air on September 23rd in 1968.

Those are some of the highlights this week in Kentucky history.

>> I'm Joe begins.

>> Happy birthday.

Really hope.

We'll see you back here tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire.

You can subscribe to our e-mail newsletters and watch full episodes and clips at KET Dot Org.

You can send us a story idea where at public affairs at KET Dot Org.

You can follow KET on Facebook X, formerly known as Twitter and Instagram where you can stay in the loop.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Have a great night.

♪