♪ ♪ >> She was out.

Now she's back in the latest twist.

And then the local party election case.

Just because you build a building.

>> And you put a clinic in.

It doesn't mean that people have access to it.

So you still need the for the open that door.

>> Kentucky Home place celebrates 30 years of service to roll Kentuckians.

>> It's looking really good for Kentucky.

>> Why are more and more Kentuckyian signing up for college?

And a good year for the Kentucky Lottery is good news for Kentucky.

Students.

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

♪ ♪ Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Tuesday, September.

The 3rd welcome to September.

And welcome to Kentucky EDITION.

I'm Renee Shaw.

>> Thank you for joining us.

State representative Kulkarni is replacement as the Democratic nominee and the 40th House district is Nima Kulkarni.

As we've reported, coal Carney easily won the May primary to become the party nominee in November.

past Democratic opponent Dennis or lander took her to court saying she wasn't a valid candidate and should be disqualified.

He argued that one of the witnesses as she filed her paperwork was a Republican.

The law requires that the witnesses be members of the candidates saying party, the case went all the way to the Kentucky Supreme Court with the justices agreeing Carney violated the law 2 weeks ago.

Secretary of State Michael Adams ruled a special election was needed to fill the seat.

And last week Democrats chose their candidate for that special election.

The law allowed them to pick Kulkarni and they did.

Kentucky Edition has reached out to the Republican Party to find out about its plans.

We have not heard back yet.

The special election will be on Election Day this year, November.

The 5th.

Kentucky's medical marijuana program has received more than 2600 applications for business licenses.

That's according to the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis.

The application window closed on Friday.

Companies looking to cultivate and process medical marijuana submitted more than 360 applications combined.

Most of the applications received were for dispensaries.

State law caps, the number of dispensaries allowed at 48.

They'll be spread out with at least 4 in each of these 11 regions.

You see on your screen next month, the state will use a lottery system to select which businesses well be awarded the licenses.

The Kentucky General Assembly legalized medical cannabis for qualifying patients in 2023. setting a start date for the program for January of 2025.

Clark County's coroner says a school bus hit and killed a 15 year-old this morning.

The Winchester Sun says the victim, a girl was McKenna Letcher a student at George Rogers.

Clark High School, according to the school system.

The crash was at Veterans Memorial Parkway and Iron Works were road.

The Clark County Superintendent, Dustin Howard said grief counselors and other mental health support staff will be available at all.

Clark County schools starting today, Governor Andy Beshear offered these thoughts, quote, my heart aches for the family and friends of this precious child lost in this tragedy.

Please join Britain and lifting up the Clark County community and prayers of peace and comfort, unquote.

Dry conditions in parts of Kentucky have prompted burn bans in the counties you see listed here.

County judge executives call for burn bans and under a burn ban.

People are prohibited from burning grass.

Crops leaves and debris.

Campfires and bonfires are also banned along with open pit cooking and charcoal grilling use of fireworks and welding may also be prohibited or regulated.

Kentucky is helping Western states fight wildfire fires and Kentucky is getting help in return.

In August 30 Kentucky firefighters headed west to help out in 4 different states.

Governor Andy Beshear says it's part of a second or a year-round effort that pays dividends for Kentucky.

>> Just this year, our Kentucky Division of Forestry has sent more than 4 dozen team members and heavy equipment to 8 states.

That's Oklahoma, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Idaho, Colorado in Texas.

We're able to do this in between our own spring and fall fire seasons when our personnel are less involved indirectly fighting wildfires, these deployments to other states cost the Commonwealth.

Nothing and Kentucky's reimburse for all costs associated with the deployment.

The agreement is a win win.

First we show the team Kentucky speared cause.

These are all Americans that are being impacted.

We want to make sure that we can be a force multiplier and we know these other states will turn around and help us when needed.

And in fact, many of them have after our natural disasters.

In turn, we get to.

>> That help again when when we needed.

But but in the end of the day, it's about answering the call with anyone across this country needs help.

>> The governor says other states sent 143 firefighters to Kentucky last November to help fight wildfires burning here at the time.

The federal government is pumping millions of dollars into Hydro electric power in Kentucky.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded Hydro Partners, LLC, nearly 56 million dollars to build 3 hydroelectric plants on the Kentucky River.

The plant will be in Jessamine County at Lock 9 and Madison County and Lock 10 and in Lee County Adblock 13.

Each project can produce enough electricity to power 1600 homes each year.

Kentucky lottery fans one more than a billion and a half dollars in prizes during fiscal year 2024. and Kentucky students want as well as the lottery paid Kentucky 404 million dollars to be used for education.

The fiscal year ended June 30th and during the year of the lottery generated more than 2 billion dollars in sales.

That's up 14% from the previous year since 1999, the lottery had funded more than 5 billion dollars in scholarships and grants benefiting Kentucky schools and students.

And that money comes in handy because the cost of an education beyond high school can be a pricey investment.

And the president of the governing body that oversees state's public colleges and universities says affordability is just one of the many barriers many students face.

I continue my conversation with Aaron Thompson Day head of the Kentucky Council on Post-secondary Edge, education about how students can bridge those financial Enrollment numbers can KET the upward trajectory.

It's now on.

Here's part 2 of our conversation from Friday and our Education Matters segment.

Doctor Aaron Thompson is good to continue our conversation.

Love those matters.

Well, it's a let's talk now about what enrollment looks like overall across the university system in Kentucky's higher education system.

What does it look like?

Is it good better improving its a guy that we're we're happy, but we can always do better.

But we're good, but probably say it can take a while for states to rebound.

>> From COVID enrollment and we've kept that going last year.

We've set some record first-year enrollment sand and we had really good enrollment under kctcs system as well as a poor year.

>> System and also among over profits this year.

Early numbers cause yes, going take a while because there's drop.

There's other things that could happen but were running 5 plus percentage point center kctcs system and her 4 year as the 2 sons.

So we are up again.

They and their first year students are up also.

So it's looking really good for Kentucky.

And I'm proud their institutions and all of a folk they're involved are really engaged to make this happen.

>> Yeah.

Do you know what's driving those higher enrollment numbers?

Because the economy is looking up and we know that a lot of places are looking for work or so.

It's not like there's a work.

There's a workforce shortage, but there's not a worker shortage or work shortage.

Absolutely good strategy.

I tell people all the time and this is what we know.

I mean, we know that we're going to have to have.

>> At least 60% of our actually the data are showing 63% by Twenty-thirty for us to continue this.

The economy.

>> And we're going to have to have about 90% Geathers post-secondary certificate.

If they want to scale up, move up.

So what's driving?

And I think some variety of things, first of all, are working from all.

And yes, we're working on those first gear, traditional age population groups heavily from Kentucky.

But we also know that only about FORTY-SEVEN 0.8% of those students graduating from high school or going to college.

So we're having this supplement.

We have items like a, you know, our adult learners items like or out of state students with the hope.

May we bring them back and stay.

So we've got strategies said around that tuitions said around that.

The thing that we also have to do is stare once again, focus heavily.

How we get those numbers up in Kentucky for it, especially in areas like.

His turn and take it around from an inner inner cities.

But yeah, there's a variety of strategies.

Well, the thing I want to add is that where high state?

So I appreciate the for putting money in our but we also all of our campuses are focused heavily on that.

I met need.

So these are all been statewide strategies that we've been able to employ, but that we're want to add is it's not just a moment coming in right?

We're actually having success caliber institutions where tensions her way up, graduations away up and please understand we're keeping them or to the end where up with a four-year degree.

Now it's down to 4 years again.

>> Was it because it had gotten as high as 6, right, right?

Yeah.

So so all of these are strategies that we're focused on.

What I call the squeeze.

The you know, it's it's this strong student success effort, as you all know, with our collaborative and what the campuses are doing.

Also, this heavy recruitment effort letting students know the value proposition of the importance of Harriet.

And we're doing better in Kentuckyian selling that value proposition.

Many other states all about collaboration with the K through 12 system where you've got dual credit, right where kids are.

You know, they're getting their high school diploma and almost an associate's degree, right?

I they're starting out as a sophomore when they get to college.

>> That's all I've got kids that the bat, right?

So we're focused heavily on that.

We know we can make it better.

But her dual credits way up.

And the other point we're strategist is getting more access to people that have been left out of that process right.

And the idea that if you can get those college credits, you're going to go and look at least have a sophomore level.

Sometimes junior level and sometimes you're going to have that certificate about ways to pay for goods are way up in Kentucky.

And we're in for getting people in the workforce faster.

But the idea it's not only for the Bility we found out in our David that if you have a dual credit course, especially if you're an underrepresented minority, you have a greater chance of being successful in college.

And so all of this goes to exactly the set of strategies.

I mentioned earlier what I call home a state that focuses on exactly what students are meeting and how we can do that.

But we have to focus regionally.

We have to focus in ways on certain population groups that have been left out of it right.

>> Affordability is always one of the biggest concerns when it comes to higher education attainment.

And we know that there's been some snafu.

These are just some Conte ways of the Federal Financial Aid Program.

Right?

FAFSA Whats that like this time, it will have a program on KET that helps people understand it.

But where does that stand?

>> Yeah, absolutely.

I've been watching to see more in the last year.

I think ever that's not been good.

You know, they're supposed to be a last October.

They toast going to be delayed, too December 31st.

And when it came out, it didn't work very well.

And then they were other snafu, sort.

Spend not a great year for getting our students and wear high.

We're high poverty, state grant them.

And so the students that normally apply for a fast for our students.

The earlier people last May.

Have some income.

Those that apply lay her.

Not right.

So it's created some problems.

Now.

It looks like the really big rollout won't be until December again.

I'm not fully October.

A few will rollout in October, but I want to add one over here in Kentucky.

We've kept our tuition the lowest in history and the last 6 years, lowest in history in Kentucky.

And guess what?

Our debt load has has reduced tremendously.

We decrease over the last 5 year 60 26% you know, borrow money.

With the other point I'll make is we had, you know, 6 years ago, we were 59% of all of our students borrow money, go to school are now 42%.

So miss once again, the strategy around affordability, us not just one size fits all, but that's what I like about doing this job in Kentucky because we can really do those positive effects that helps all of our citizens get where they need to go right.

>> Along with students as also faculty and we know that the Legislature has maybe perhaps not with so much.

It rolled out legislation beat but conversation about tenure about administrative salaries, about things that they consider perhaps to bloat the cost of tuition of kids go into those schools.

Your response to that?

Yeah, absolutely.

Want to give this response.

First, though, the legislature in the last couple by.

>> Has really been able to supply dollars to hire.

Yeah, you know, some of our institutions haven't gotten as much as others that you all know.

>> But they've been able to to give us lifetime some money across the board.

We can get more faculty salaries.

More steps, hours.

that I know is if there's legislation coming in on any of those items as here, I hope they work with CP.

Mayor institutions to make the legislation be where we're not hurting the progress cuss.

We know that faculty engagement where those students who are positive way, of course, it's the greatest effect on student success.

Those programs serve as truly a national model for us to get where we need to go.

As you all know, I'm trying to bring employers and work with us earlier so we can have an already employable workforce for a Kentucky but legislation around anything to do with faculty, I think has to be shaped in a manner that helps us to advance.

And I and I have dealt with the people who've actually put forth some of that legislation before and they've been happily able to work with us as we are with them.

>> President Thompson says the council's priorities include more bridge programming for students in K through 12 to help them have a smoother transition to higher ed and engaging adult learners and those with a history of substance use and a post-secondary education experience.

♪ In most cities, the homicide rate is falling but not Louisville.

And the army is improving the barracks at Kentucky's Fort Campbell.

Our Toby Gibbs tells us more in tonight's look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> Lawmakers in Kentuckyian Tennessee travel to Fort Campbell as they opened renovated merrick's built more than 40 years ago.

If you AMS reports the barracks came in the EU says the U.S. was moving away from using a drafted Army.

U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says it's a dangerous time for the country, adding that it's important for the U.S. to have the world's best military and facilities in the next few years or barracks of the bays will be renovated.

♪ 106 people have been murdered in Louisville this year, which is a 6% increase over this time in 2023.

PM reports Mayor Craig Greenberg says Louisville's homicide rate is unacceptable.

The as he wants to see substantial sentences for people who, quote, are committing the most heinous crimes in our city, end quote, in August, a major Cities Chiefs Association survey showed violent crime is decreasing in most of the country's biggest cities.

♪ The purchase District Health Department has opened the harm reduction of the McCracken County in the UK.

And that's reports the purpose of the program is to provide a safe environment for people starting and continuing recovery or actively using.

It also provides tools to reduce infections and overdoses.

Project manager Cameron for team says this program helps to break down stigmas associated with substance use.

♪ A new program called the teacher Corner is providing free classroom supplies for teachers in Christian County with Christian County, Public Schools, Education Foundation sponsors the program.

Uptown Chronicle reports the district's 96 new teachers and the first appointments to go through the teacher corner.

Every teacher received about 20 points and point people to about one dollar.

With headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> Thank youto be Gibbs.

3 decades ago, state lawmakers, Paul Mason and littered Gray introduced a House bill that would create Kentucky home place following a medical tragedy in Mason's family since it began in 1994, Kentucky.

Home places helped to recruit and train community health workers to help fill in the healthcare gaps in underserved areas.

Last weekend hazard the program celebrated its 30th birthday.

>> Kentucky Home Place was established in 1994 and and really seeing what the nature of the people was in his truck and talking.

The name comes from the fact that call my son really wanted a program that Mitt people where they were at their home.

>> Where they live, no, their community.

>> And to be able to help them access the social and health care needs that they had in the community.

We provide services to everyone from children to adults by come in the office.

Our you know, our database questions are based on going up for health screenings and social determinants of So like it's set up to, you know, say what they Nate.

Are you day for?

How long has it been since you've been and saying your provider?

Have you had a I examine a new law gives them an annual dentist.

Does if you're a lady, a mammogram or screenings held screenings, colonoscopies, all the things that we need them that we forget sometimes we should have.

Then there's too many ABC's and Health Care.

>> These are language that people can really understand to be able to make their sales have good outcomes.

You know, when you look at it, health care is 10% other hand.

We get from our providers.

The other nominees, U.S. community health workers can be that Hills coach to help us get that other 90% that we need to inhaled year.

Just because you build a building and you put a clean again, it doesn't mean that people have access to it.

So you still need a community health worker to open that door.

To get the people and to get the services.

So I think they've opened many doors over these these 30 years to allow people to access to care that they need to access to the social services that they need since I've been doing this job with Kentucky, home ply solace >> I don't know how the world survived without what we day for.

The people were.

>> We're a pivotal role in their life advocating on their behalf as lay eyes on community health worker just saying that the Nader man at the end of the die, whatever they made, where we're focused on helping them get than aid.

They're the people that fall in the gap of, you know, by guys make too much ink them to qualify for any services and barley.

Nothing comes to mike its French until I get there.

You know, their next month checked by always side are alive.

Never received help from anybody.

And you up never got anything for free came to Kentucky home price.

Then and they're proud.

You know, they're the working class.

People were not use the handouts.

We don't want handouts.

And they're just thankful, you know, whether it's a $25, food voucher, but I can give them to local flea market or helping them get that last that the medication they're they're so grateful and they're humbled and just thankful.

We served over 200,000 people.

>> In the time we met that, we're talking about here and we've access over 416 million dollars in medications, supplies medical devices that people need on their daily lives.

I could not tell you how happy I am and how passionate I am about the community.

Health workers here today.

There's a lot of community health workers that have come through this program that are not here today that really, really blazed the trail for the community, health workers that are here.

And I'm just really grateful that I got to be a part.

Of the journey where the best kept secret in our hometown.

So if anybody doesn't know Kentucky home price, then >> you're in South Eastern Kentucky.

I would challenge you find your Kentucky home place them find a community health worker in the doctor's office.

Them.

We are the people fighting for you and the fighting for the people that that when we have your best interest at heart so it's just an honor.

>> A community jam, indeed, Kentucky home place currently has 20 community health workers serving.

26 Kentucky counties.

♪ Both Kentuckyian Louisville Wonder College football openers over the Labor Day weekend.

More in tonight's Sports News.

Kentucky had no trouble beating Southern Miss, but everybody had trouble dealing with the weather.

Lightning delayed the start of the game by more than 2 hours and more bad weather forced the game to end in the 3rd quarter.

Kentucky was declared the winner 31 zip Louisville crushed Austin Peay 62 to nothing and the new associated Press football poll out this afternoon.

Louisville is in 22nd place up from 26 than the latest poll.

Even though Kentucky won it actually slipped from 40th to 40nd place in the new poll.

Tonight, we look back at a presidential visit to several Kentucky town's a governor who stayed in office a few extra days and the Kentucky Derby.

That was about 4 months late.

Our Joe Gibbs has more in a special Tuesday.

Look at this week in Kentucky history.

♪ >> Governor Joseph Fisch a left office on September.

Second, 1928, 8 days after he was supposed to leave the felt the new governor Thomas Metcalf was unfit for the office.

President Franklin D Roosevelt visited Kentucky this week in 1940, the president was in court on September second and in Winchester, Olive Hill, Mountaintop and Ashland on September.

3rd.

>> On September, second, 2021 Congressman Hal Rogers of Kentucky's 5th congressional district.

It's Kentucky's all-time longest serving member of Congress serving more than 40 years.

On that day.

He passed Congressman William Mattar as of today.

Rodgers has served more than 43 years in Congress.

Governor, happy Chandler sent the National Guard to Sturgis in Union County on September 4.

1956. interspersed.

The crowd as Sturgis High School was integrated 500 people at blocked the entrance to the school.

It was a confrontation that lasted 18 days.

Louisville Native Muhammad Ali.

That name cash just play, won the light heavyweight gold medal and the Rome September 5th, 1960.

In 2020 Kentucky Derby was nowhere close to being on the percent in May and May because of the COVID pandemic.

The run for the roses was pushed back to September 5th and run without a crowd in the stands at Churchill Downs.

And those are a few of the big events this week in Kentucky history.

>> I'm Joe Gibbs.

Thank you again to obey.

>> Over the long weekend, Louisville hosted the Derby City BMX a Nationals.

>> We've got riders from Warren to 78 people come in from all over for this >> We'll take you through the ups and downs of the sport of BMX or bicycle motocross tomorrow on Kentucky edition, which you know is at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire.

We hope to see you then.

We've got also you can check us out on all the ways you see on your screen, Facebook, X and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Thanks very much for watching.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Take good care and I'll see you right back here tomorrow night.

♪