Our main worries are wind gusts and sustained winds, as well as the amount of rain.

Stormy weather.

Get ready for a wet and windy weekend.

Today, our students are flying on an expedition.

Mars mission.

A down to earth approach to space travel that's getting kids excited about learning.

And a new big screen at Rupp Arena will leave you floored.

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

Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition on this stormy Friday in September the 27th.

We hope you are safe and ready to start the weekend.

Thanks for joining us for Kentucky Edition this evening.

Kentuckians are urged to be careful and watch the weather through Sunday as rain from Hurricane Helene moves through the commonwealth.

Here's Governor Andy Beshear this morning.

The widespread rain is 3 to 5 inches possible all the way through Sunday night.

I believe the vast majority of the rain we're going to see today, maybe 70%.

But as you're looking at the various models and what it could mean, this this end of this system could start pretty much right above central Kentucky and dump rain on us all the way through the end of Sunday.

Now.

Also expect winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour, even 60 miles per hour at times.

It's enough to move a car or a trailer tractor.

The governor says expect falling trees, which could bring down power lines.

At one point today, 223 or 220,000 Kentuckians were without electricity.

Brissett Clerk Lee and Letcher Counties and the city of Winchester have declared states of emergency.

Big news tonight from Louisville, Dr. Marty Pollio, superintendent of the Jefferson County Public School System, is retiring next year.

Polio has been superintendent for seven years.

He's been a part of the school system for 30 years and says his last day will be July 1st, 2025.

The decision comes amid renewed scrutiny of the state's largest school district.

Earlier this year, a legislative task force was created to consider, among other things, possibly splitting up the school district.

Here's a quote from Louisville's mayor, Craig Greenberg.

Quote, Dr. Marty Polio has dedicated his life and career to educating young people here in Louisville.

I am thankful for his tireless service and efforts to improve educational outcomes for all students.

We will continue working closely together for the remainder of his tenure on partnerships to improve public education in Louisville.

End of quote.

State lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are praising a new multimillion dollar center.

And Louisville Goodwill West Louisville Opportunity Center opened in March and has already provided free services to more than 1000 people.

Senate President Robert Stivers, a Republican and Senate Minority leader Gerald Neal, a Democrat, toward the facility Thursday.

Both say the Kentucky General Assembly's $3 million investment in the center is paying off.

We've met a lot of people in West Louisville here who are living in poverty and don't have a lot of choices in their lives that who are highly motivated for something better.

And we knew that would be the case before we came here, because we have these centers not as big as this one, but we have these centers and eight other communities, and we see that over and over.

People who are stuck in circumstances they don't want to be on.

And.

Well, I just get a sense that something else is possible for them are willing to run through brick walls to build a new life.

And so we have seen that here in West Louisville, just as we've seen it in other communities.

And I good Well, we are all about opening up pathways to allow people into that new life.

I would drive by this site over and over again and would wonder, I wonder what would happen if I wonder what would happen if then out of the blue I thought I made it and all of a sudden this thing started popping up and he brought all the capacity here.

And as you know, it reverberates throughout the area, a small concentration of services and economic capacity that did not exist.

And there's more yet to come.

You know, if you change a person's outlook, you give them hope by knowing that they can have a different economic trajectory, that they will have a good job, good health care, the potential to go on vacation, to go to those family reunions know when they get 65 or 66 that they can retire.

You give them that hope, that opportunity to hit that economic trajectory, then you're gonna see a difference in your community.

You're not going to see as many girls.

You're not going to see as much time.

It is our challenge.

Every day that we sell, we push, we encourage hope to those who come through the door.

It's hope that we do for those 1020 people that we've already brought in as new clients at this location.

And it's still growing.

Hope is what we do when we talk about the almost 43,000 total services that we've provided on all the partners that have provided services at this location and still growing.

Hope is what we've evolved to the homeless and those who have barriers and so that we can reduce those barriers to not just get a job but to be successful in a career.

And so there are two things that we try to give people when they come here.

One of those things is we want to have as many different services and resources as possible for you to take advantage of, to get answers to those things that have held you back.

And if we don't have it, we're going to go find it for you.

Because the second thing that people get when they come here and our and to our other opportunity centers is they get somebody who's going to be in their corner.

They get somebody who cares about whether they succeed or not.

We think that having answers and having a support system is the thing that allows people to hope.

And hope is the thing that allows them to have the motivation that they're going to need to work hard for that new life.

The 125,000 square foot resource center cost $50 million and is the largest mission related investment and Goodwill's 100 year history.

We told you last week about a fire in the parking garage of the Muhammad Ali Center.

Smoke entered the center, forcing it to close W Elk.

Why?

Reports more than 100 people are now helping to claim the 96,000 foot center.

There's still no word on when it will reopen.

Kentucky is once again going after a company for its alleged role in the opioid crisis.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman is suing pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts, pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs, as they're often called, run prescription drug coverage for health insurers and employers that provide coverage.

They help decide which medications are covered by insurance.

The lawsuit says Express Scripts colluded with opioid manufacturers in deceptive marketing schemes to increase sales of the addictive drugs.

The amount of prescription opioids sold annually in the US quadrupled between 1999 and 2010, according to the suit, Kentucky has been at the epicenter of the crisis with some of the nation's highest overdose death rates.

It's not marijuana, but it can get you high.

Delta eight and nine are on the shelves of smoke and vape shops across Kentucky.

These hemp derivatives come in vapes, gummies and even drinks.

And since it's something you can drink, liquor distributors in Kentucky are asking lawmakers to regulate these infused beverages, just like they would alcohol.

Our June Leffler has more in tonight's legislative update.

Delta eight and Delta nine fall under the purview of the state cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Two alcohol distributors and a hemp producer say the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board or ABC should monitor Delta drinks instead.

But these products are legal and what we're here to talk to you about is putting a little bit more regulation around these products because they are intoxicating and they don't fall under the umbrella of the ABC.

Part of the problem is there's part of the framework is built out to keep Kentuckians safe.

A lot of it is not.

So there's checks and balances on the front end, but there's not a lot of enforcement.

There's more of a registration process versus like a license here when it comes to things like the age restrictions.

You know, we're all very big on that.

But it needs to be more than just written on the package itself.

Right.

That's important.

But we need to have safeguards.

We need to have enforcement.

So that's not actually happening.

A THC and CBD shop owner says this sounds like a money grab to keep these drinks only in liquor stores.

There's no reason that these drinks should be limited to liquor establishments, and the reason being is the Cabinet has established regulations.

They have inspectors.

I've already had one come out to my establishment and there are rules and there are regulations in place by the cabinet.

The one thing that really bothers me about this, what about the people that actually don't drink alcohol?

I know.

I know.

That's kind of crazy here in Kentucky.

But there are a lot of alcoholics and they don't actually drink alcohol.

So you're forcing them to to go into a liquor store to buy their cannabis products?

That's not right.

That's not what needs to happen.

Lawmakers have concerns other than where Delta products.

Are being sold.

Delta nine THC doesn't dissolve 100% solubility like alcohol does.

So it makes it a little more challenging to detect the toxic firing level, so to speak, because there is a portion of this that is absorbed or is stored in fatty tissue.

So it does stay in your body metabolite does stay in your body for for quite a long time, which provides a little extra layer of complexity.

And when trying to assess impairment.

Even though state lawmakers passed regulations on Delta products in 2023, some say this is still uncharted territory.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm June Leffler.

Thank you.

June.

U.S.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky is asking Congress to increase the limit on THC and hemp from point 3% to 1%.

Governor Andy Beshear wants Letcher County's sheriff to resign.

Sheriff Sean McKee Starnes is accused of shooting and killing Judge Kevin Mullins in the Letcher County Courthouse on September the 19th.

Stevens pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Wednesday.

Governor Beshear sent Stevens a letter asking him to resign by today.

The governor says the county needs a full time sheriff.

Every Kentucky county needs an active and a working sheriff.

I mean, one of the most important roles of state government is to provide safety to to our people.

And right now, Letcher County doesn't have an active and a working sheriff.

The facts that we all know, regardless of motive, which will be determined through the criminal investigation, show that the current sheriff can't continue in that role.

And what I'm trying to do is to get Letcher County a sheriff that can be active as quickly as possible.

The governor says if Sheriff Stevens doesn't resign, he can be removed, but that process can take up to six months from bourbon and beyond to the urban Bourbon Trail.

Kentucky tourism is capitalizing on the bourbon industry.

It's called bourbon ism.

And our Kelsey Starks gives us an insider's view of this booming industry on this week's Inside Louisville.

I'm curious, when you created or you had this idea to really capitalize on bourbon.

Did you expect all these things that came out of it?

Like was that the goal?

Or is it even beyond what your wildest dreams were with the hotels and the restaurants?

And so, yeah, I would say hotels and restaurants we had hoped for, you know, that's that they are a significant part of the hospitality industry.

And we hoped that they would, you know, buy it, so to speak.

And they did over time.

But I would say to the level in which they have and the new development that has has come in has overwhelmed me a little bit.

I think the the biggest example would be when the Omni decided they would be a part of our community.

When we remodeled the convention center and the plans early on, they'd already adopted the equestrian theme and the bourbon theme.

And I'm not talking just putting bourbon barrels in the lobby.

It's that just intention to detail the sepia tones, the coppers, the it really working it into every part of the building.

They really kind of just set the tone for that.

And then you've got a hotel that opens that even has it in the name Distill.

Right?

And they've got a bourbon experience that happens every day at when Prohibition would have ended with a toast.

So those little things kind of surprises.

And then people come here and they, you know, or go anywhere and say, well, this kind of this feels like Louisville, like it has a brand.

It really has.

And and and brand is is an interesting concept to some people.

Some people think it's a logo or a slogan, and that can be part of it, certainly.

But it's more about what you think about when you think about a place, a city or a person.

You know, Starbucks is a great example.

You don't even have to see the word Starbucks to or Disney to to get the feel that this is so Disney or this is so Starbucks.

And I think that's what has happened over these last was that 1518 years that we started to see around and it's not.

Bourbon isn't the only brand pillar, by the way, that we try to promote at local tourism.

It is also the the equestrian culture.

Southern ness as we describe it.

So not what you would think Deep South, but more of sort of that modern sounds and the gracious way we have hospitality here and culture and authenticity.

But the the Bourbon brand is just seems very authentic to Louisville.

And it's again, it's not something we had to create like a Disney.

I mean, it's something I think brands for any destination are more successful when you extract them out of what's already going on.

It's the history of.

And so that's what we did with Bourbon.

It was a signature asset of the Commonwealth.

We knew we were make it making it here.

We just weren't celebrating.

So that's shining a spotlight on what was already there.

Then all this private development comes in behind it and now it really does seem to be our thing.

To learn more about the history of bourbon as some visit bourbon and beyond and hear from Woodford Reserve's first female master distiller.

All on inside Louisville with Kelsey Starks this Sunday at 12 noon 11 a.m. central on KCET.

Last week on Kentucky Edition, we told you about the We Lead Computer science program, a virtual computer science career academy established by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2022.

The program is the first of its kind in the US.

Program leaders along with lawmakers and educators, announced on Thursday a new partnership they say, will give even more Kentucky students an early start on training for careers in the tech industry.

We lead this is carrying out the General Assembly's charge to significantly expand Kentucky's students access to opportunities that prepare them for jobs in Kentucky's technology sector.

Today, we're announcing three ways that we are going to meet our challenge from the General Assembly chambers of Commerce across the state know their businesses better than anyone.

So we're asking them to take the lead.

We're offering $100,000 in micro grants to chambers in Kentucky.

We're asking them to identify which Kentucky employers are hiring tech talent, what skills they need in their talent pipeline, and how those chamber members can engage with students.

And we need to ask in partnership with we as the Inner alliance, is expanding its model of employer engagement and tech talent pipeline development into Kentucky.

In October 1st, we lead series is launching our student recruitment efforts for 2526.

We want to enroll 300 additional students to join our 86 as we move toward our goal of graduating 250 to 300 students a year.

Who are the most qualified applicants in the entry level tech pipeline?

When we look at job opportunities and job growth in certain sectors, there's nothing more important than the technology field that this will play.

And to make sure our next generation of learners have the skills and ability to be able to move right into that seamless transition into the workforce.

We're trying to design a workforce.

We're trying to train a workforce for jobs, and we don't even know what they're going to look like.

Computer science is going to play a role no matter what the industry, what the line that you're going to go into is so important that we give our students, our kids, our children, those opportunities to be in computer science.

We lead new partnership with Inner Alliance.

We'll help more of our students get real world experiences, real world experiences.

We're going to make school relevant for so many kids.

I want to encourage all local chambers of commerce throughout the Commonwealth to step up and take the lead on identifying employers who are hiring this kind of talent.

Use this opportunity to provide these employers with the opportunity to influence the skills of We lead CSS and develops its students because these young men and women are the future of our workforce.

Ladies and gentlemen, programs like this meet people where they are and can help keep talented people in Kentucky, which should be all of our goals.

These kind of partnerships also help education build closer ties to the business community.

Partnerships like this allow our best and brightest students to stay here in the Commonwealth.

Students in the We Lead Seattle program can get dual college credit and computer programing, cybersecurity and data science.

Now to a story that takes us decades into the future when Mars travel could become common, a middle school students are using STEM skills, science, technology, engineering and math to conduct a successful space mission.

Our Laura Rogers takes us to the Challenger Learning Center at Paducah.

Or they're proving that education matters.

How beautiful it is with things that are unknown, that are just so amazing to figure out how.

A profound point of view from Lila montez, one of dozens of Masefield seventh graders on a mission to Mars.

I've been, like, talking on the intercom, tell people like, what they need to do.

It's all a simulation, of course, here at the Challenger Learning Center at Paducah on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Literally, they can think out of this world.

They experience not only space simulations, but they do hands on engineering activities.

A former teacher, Melissa Duncan, says the center is focused on upper elementary and middle school students.

When studies show many of them start to lose interest in STEM subjects.

STEM education, science, technology, engineering and math.

It's basically the wave of the future are not even the wave of the future.

It's the wave of now.

With support from a half a million dollar fundraising campaign, the Challenger Learning Center went through a major upgrade this summer, including a brand new mission control.

They're actually going into the year 2076, where we hope Mars travel has become common.

Across this group of students living on Phobos, the larger of Mars.

Two moons are sending their classmates on an expedition Mars mission.

We have teachers come in and they will look at us and say, I remember when I came here as a student.

Teachers like Kaylee Anderson.

I just remembered how much fun it.

Was.

Who says what they're learning here supplements their classwork.

It gives them a chance to practice the hands on skills that we talk about at school all the time.

My team over.

It's extremely cross curricular.

There's really no way that you can say this does not apply to something that we do at school.

So as possible.

Duncan says it's not just STEM, but other 21st century skills like teamwork, creative thinking and decision making that come into play.

They're reading the writing, They're following directions.

The kids.

Really enjoy the mission and getting to do their individual job.

Which is at 20.

Those jobs include testing H2O samples.

Well, we found water on Mars and that there was a little bit of life around the water.

Commander Luke now even navigating an emergency, helping their classmates avoid an asteroid.

Along the way.

I learned how to work together.

It's better for you to work with everyone on Mars.

So when you go to finish up the job, everything is completed and everything is calm.

We often see children really come out of their shell.

They are just taking their job.

They're taking it seriously, they're enjoying it.

They're participating, and they're contributing to the success of the mission.

This episode is just one of 150 missions.

As the center welcomes 130 classrooms a year from Kentucky, Southern Illinois, Tennessee and Indiana.

For Kentucky Edition.

I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you, Laura.

There is also a Challenger learning center in eastern Kentucky at Hazard Community and Technical College.

There are more than 40 centers around the world.

And today's sports news, the official kickoff to the college basketball season at the University of Kentucky is two weeks away.

This year, big blue madness will be like never before.

UK Athletics is partnering with a big glass floor to turn the court at Rupp Arena into a full LCD video screen.

The high tech feature has been used in some major events, but this will be a first for a college basketball.

Big Blue Madness is one of the most anticipated events in college sports.

In addition to the new floor, new head coaches for the men's and women's team will also be making their season debuts.

Coach Mark Pope and Coach Kenny Brooks.

Halloween is still more than a month away, but Kentucky is getting into the spirit early.

This weather helps.

Our Toby Gibbs has a few of your spooky options.

And this look at what's happening around the Commonwealth.

Hey, you, check out the hay bale trail at Mar Park Arboretum in Madisonville.

Drive through the park and marvel at Hay Bale masterpieces through the end of October.

Don't forget to vote for your favorite haunted house hound.

Listen up.

Tonight is the opening night of the haunted industrial park in Ferguson.

Great participants can explore the abandoned park at will.

But beware of what lurks in the shadows.

Scares abound at this spooky seasonal event.

The Jack O Lantern Spectacular is kicking off next week in Iroquois Park.

As you follow a winding path through woods, you'll find yourself among 5000 uniquely carved pumpkins.

If you're looking for a luminary night in Louisville, this family friendly event is for you.

The Full Moon Sisters Bazaar is coming to Bowling Green this weekend.

If you're on the hunt for something strange or want of a kind, this bazaar bazaar is the place to find it.

Check out the curiosities and explore the Corvette Museum while you're there.

The Newport Aquarium has a unique autumn adventure to explore.

Underwater pumpkin glow features giant glowing animals made from pumpkins, pumpkin enrichment for the animals, and an underwater pumpkin patch surrounded by sharks.

I guarantee you'll have a really gourd time.

Bear and River Lake State Resort Park needs your help to fill its trail of scarecrows.

Build your own festive scarecrow with friends and family and put him up to guard the bike trail at the park.

All entries must be in by October 18th, but you can visit the Scarecrow Trail through mid November.

And that's what's happening around the Commonwealth.

I'm Toby Gibbs.

Thank you, Toby.

It's the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

But that's not the only thing on the menu in Corbin.

The city is proud of its food scene, and that story, as our Monday on Main series continues Monday on Kentucky edition, which we hope you'll see you for after this stormy weekend, 630 Eastern, 530 Central, we inform, Connect and Inspire.

Do stay safe and we hope to see you on Monday night.

Have a good one.