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inspire more men and women to wear the gray? [MUSIC] >> We applaud those grandmas and grandpas. We got to do more than applaud. [MUSIC] We've got to support. [MUSIC] >> Child advocates argue. We have to help the people who are helping Kentucky kids. [MUSIC] >> Someone is seeing this art by these artists every day, and sometimes hundreds of people every day. That's an artist. >> And how the city of Lexington is turning eyesores into eye catching works of art.
>> Production of Kentucky edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund. [MUSIC] >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky edition for Tuesday, June 23rd. I'm Kelsey Starks here in our KET Studios in Louisville, filling in for Renee Shaw. Well, it's now been ten days since Kentucky senior U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell went to a Washington, D.C. hospital. It is still unclear why he went there or whether he
is still there. We brought you an update from his office at the end of last night's Kentucky edition. That statement said, quote, Senator McConnell is still working closely with staff on Senate business and Kentucky matters as he continues his recovery. However, he will not be voting this week, end quote. This is not Senator McConnell's first hospital stay this year. In fact, he spent eight days in the hospital in February for what was described as flu like
symptoms. The 84 year old McConnell is not seeking reelection this year after seven terms in the U.S. Senate. Kentucky's other senator, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, says he is subpoenaing Doctor Anthony Fauci to testify to Congress about the origin of Covid. Senator Paul is chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Fauci is the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases. He says Covid had a natural origin, but Paul says the U.S. played a role in the creation of Covid in a Chinese lab, and that Fauci led a cover up of that information. Here's Senator Paul on CNBC. >> From the Trump administration, particularly with Secretary Kennedy. We've gotten a lot of information. That information is revealed that not only did he lie to Congress, he knew that he was
lying to Congress. He knew he was making several continuous and contiguous lies to begin with. But he also, from the very beginning was destroying records, sending letters and notes to Francis Collins, the head of NIH, saying, read this and destroy this. That sounds more like the CIA talking to each other, but not the executive branch that's against the law and also a felony. So we've been negotiating with him for for material and for a testimony. This has gone on for
some time. He slow walked us slow walked us, finally agreed to come in voluntarily. That would have been this month. And then this week or last week, perhaps rather. He says he's not coming in. And so we've issued a subpoena. I was able to get subpoena power for our committee last year. And so with the subpoena power, we will bring him in unless he decides to fight it in court. >> The subpoena calls for Fauci to testify in July. Paul says Fauci was about to testify
voluntarily but backed out. A Kentucky congressman is part of a bipartisan deal to protect children online. Congressman Brett Guthrie of Kentucky's second district announced the deal Monday. The Kids Act includes sections of 14 different bills. It aims to hold social media companies accountable for harm caused to children, teenagers and young
adults. The bill includes provisions that would require pornographic websites to implement age verification technology and require AI powered chatbots to disclose that they are not humans. So how are Kentucky kids doing here in 2026? Well, the 2026 Kids Count Data book, which came out a couple of weeks ago, ranks the Bluegrass State 36th among the states in education, health, economic stability, and
other factors. In a separate report from researchers at Harvard, Harvard, Stanford and Dartmouth, Kentucky is in the top tier of states, though for education recovery after the Covid era school disruptions. So it's a mixed bag. Our panel talked about Kentucky's kids last night on Kentucky tonight, right here on KET. Many Kentucky children are in the care of relatives other than their parents. We talked about the need to provide more help for so-called kinship care.
>> The number of grandmas and grandpas and aunts and uncles and godparents who are stepping up if they make that commitment, we as a state have to support them. I know Representative Heavrin is a champion on kinship. My premise is that as a state, we owe those caregivers, supports, respite care, adequate economic supports, and they are not getting them today. You actually get far more supports being a foster parent than you do a kinship caregiver. That is
a broken system. We need to honor family as a first stop. So that's the other thing that folks embrace the concept of kinship care. We applaud those grandmas and grandpas. We got to do more than applaud. We've got to support. >> We know that kids do better when they're with family members. And so why aren't we making better strides to do that? And a lot of that lands on the executive branch right now. And seeing, you know, I'm going to say the ball's in
their court. You know, we really feel like what we did, what we could in the budget and through policy. And so we're trying to to continue to be a partner on that and figure out. >> So the idea that we have community partners, that we have civil society churches who are, are ready and willing to step in, is more an idea about strengthening families and
communities. And I think, I hope what, what you will see coming out of both the interim and the next session are some additional ways and flexibilities where government is not the only answer. Government really should be further, much further down on the list. And we really should be looking at how do we strengthen the grandparents, aunts, the uncles, those who raise their hands to say, we're going to help take care of this child because we have a
connection with this child? And so what Representative Heavrin referenced in the budget language was that not just was there a line item for supporting kinship care, but there was also policy language that talks about provisional approval of a relative as a foster home, a different type of approval. You know, something that's very encouraging to me is we're seeing so much movement out of the administration for Children
and families. Assistant Secretary Alex Adams and his team are doing a phenomenal job with a home for every child. And what a home for every child does at the national level is it does remove some of the barriers it they're doing a significant deregulation of of all these pages upon pages of, of bureaucratic barriers that are just in place because they've been there for so many years, they just get added to.
So I'm very encouraged by the legislature's willingness to move in a direction that that removes some of these barriers and provides support for kinship caregivers through provisional approval and through some administrative changes. So I agree with Representative Heavrin. You know, the ball is in the court of the executive branch. And, you know, I'm very hopeful that this is an option for them that they will be able to pursue.
>> That's just one of several interesting topics touched on last night, including the impact cell phone restrictions are having in Kentucky schools. You can see that full conversation online, on demand. Go to ket.org/ky tonight. Well, Kentucky's two largest school districts have made recent headlines for their financial woes. But will Fayette County Public Schools be able to balance the budget ahead of the
new fiscal year? And when will they give updates on the status of Superintendent Demetrus Liggins? Our Emily Prince has more from today's media briefing. >> There's a very good chance we could be in a negative situation. >> The interim chief financial officer of Fayette County Public Schools, uncertain about the financial status of the district as they prepare to close out the 2026 fiscal year. Last year, CPS announced a $16 million budget deficit and cut
more than 100 jobs. As a result, Ko assumed her position as interim CFO this March and said she's still cleaning up the finances of the last couple years. >> We still don't know exactly where we're going to end the fiscal year, June 30th. We've worked very hard to try to rein things in. When we realized we weren't in a great financial situation. >> The interim CFO said she's focused on getting the budget as balanced as possible for the
new fiscal year. Fayette County Public Schools finances are under the microscope by a couple different auditors, one being the state auditor's office and another an independent, Texas based company. At last night's school board meeting, the board approved giving that independent auditor an additional $35,000 to complete their audit. The board has already spent 120,000 on their services.
>> We will accept the data as we receive that data from our partners, whether those are our external audits or whether they are our state audits, and we'll use that information to drive continuous improvement forward. >> At last night's board meeting, a handful of attendees shared their concerns about leadership in the district.
Drama has continued to unfold as Superintendent Demetrus Liggins was placed on paid administrative leave on June 10th, and doctor Bill Bradford was named acting superintendent. Liggins attorney has since demanded for his job to be reinstated. During Tuesday's media briefing, the acting superintendent said they would not make any comment about pending legal action related to
the matter. When I asked if he could clear up any confusion on what the future of leadership looks like in the district, Bradford had this to say. >> We understand you're curious about some of the distractions and perhaps some of the news that is attractive in terms of viewership, but we also want you to be equally as attracted to what is happening in our schools and within our system that we're excited about.
>> Bradford maintained that staff and students will be ready for the new school year come August. For Kentucky edition, I'm Emily Prince. >> Things that are taking place within Fayette. >> County. Following today's media briefing, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported that the district will make nearly $20 million of cuts for the new fiscal year. Well, the state hopes a nicer paycheck will help state police recruiting.
The governor's office says the starting salary for sworn officers will be $71,000 a year, starting with the cadet class, 108. Troopers will also become eligible for 100 hours of overtime, and cadets will receive mileage reimbursements while attending the academy. KSP is accepting applications through its online portal. Virtually every police and sheriff's department across the state is facing staffing shortages right now, and a committee meeting in Frankfort
today. Lawmakers heard that recruiting competitive applicants is a challenge for cities and counties, but retaining them can be difficult, too. According to research from the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice, the number of sworn municipal officers in the state has decreased by 8% since 2021. Vacancies within law enforcement agencies put strain on remaining officers in an already demanding job, and on top of that, local governments are struggling to offer that competitive pay.
>> And once officers are recruited. >> And trained, keeping them in the profession is another battle. When they are hired. And after spending 23 weeks in the academy and then going through their field training, each rookie knows that they are not only expected but demanded to be professional in every
task they are given. However, sitting in my seat and with every other judge, executive and mayor across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, we're having trouble paying them like the professionals that they are. I can feel the purse straps tightening in Montgomery County, and it's not a comfortable feeling. So a lot of young men and women are leaving the public sector and moving to the private sector, where they feel they are being properly compensated.
>> Now, some departments are looking beyond competitive wages to retain officers, like flexible scheduling options and expanding physical and mental wellness initiatives. [MUSIC] Louisville officials celebrated the development of a humble quad plex in a West End neighborhood. It's one housing project made possible by the local land bank. The city run agency acquires vacant lots and abandoned houses and puts them back on the market to attract
developers. The going rate for these properties starts at as little as $500. >> We're standing on what seemed to be two vacant lots, but what I see is a land of possibility. These two vacant lots that we're standing on today have been sitting empty for decades. One of them has been in the land bank since 1999, the other since 1992. I'm excited to share with you all that these two empty lots will soon become a brand new four
plex. That means four new affordable homes for new opportunities for families to live in this neighborhood, to put down their roots and build their futures. >> Mayor Craig Greenberg says the land bank sold or leased twice as many properties this year as it did the year before. Currently, 500 properties are up for sale and 71 are being developed right now. Not only are abandoned homes a waste of space, but they're also associated with more crime and
public health hazards. A federal court rules on whether a horse racing governing body is constitutional, and we have details. After a deadly plane crash in central Kentucky. Our Toby Gibbs has more on this look at headlines around Kentucky. [MUSIC] >> A plane crash left two people dead near Nicholasville. The Courier-Journal says the crash was just before nine in the morning. Emergency crews found a small plane in a farm area off Kentucky Highway 169. The NTSB is investigating. [MUSIC]
Tim Robinson, owner of Kentucky Addiction Recovery Care, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to a scheme to defraud multiple lenders. WKU Public Radio says Robinson pleaded not guilty to three federal charges last Wednesday in Ashland. Prosecutors say Robinson sold his company's future IRS tax credits to two lending companies, but then kept the tax credits to pay his company's expenses instead of paying back what he owed.
Kentucky Addiction Recovery Care had 30 treatment facilities statewide two years ago. Since then, it's closed most of its locations. [MUSIC] For the third time. A federal court says Heights is unconstitutional. Heights is the horse racing Integrity and
Safety Authority. It's the national group that oversees the safety of thoroughbred racehorses, according to The Courier Journal, the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and 12 state associations argue that AIC is a private corporation exercising federal regulating powers over the horse racing industry. [MUSIC] The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with that argument on June 11th, saying Heights violates the U.S. Constitution. The case is now likely headed to the U.S.
Supreme Court. From the Kentucky Lantern, Springhaven will close June 30th. It's a domestic violence organization in Elizabethtown. Its partner organization, zero V, says it's because of financial instability. It's been open 40 years. Spring Haven provided in shelter services to 70 women, 30 children and one man in 2024. Zero V says clients will be able to access services in other places. [MUSIC] Kentucky today reports.
Kentucky artifacts are part of a Smithsonian exhibition called From These Lands Sharing our natural and cultural heritage. It opened last Thursday at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. with artifacts from all 50 states. One of the Kentucky items is a mammoth cave. Gypsum. Stalactite. [MUSIC] With headlines around Kentucky. I'm Toby Gibbs. >> Kentucky's newest royal is from Paris Paris Kentucky. That
is. And we're talking about the newly crowned Miss Kentucky. Meet the newest Miss Kentucky, Raegan Earleywine. Well, we are happy to welcome Raegan Earleywine, the brand new Miss Kentucky. Welcome to our Louisville studio. So tell us you just won this June 13th. Yes. So you got to tell us about the moment. >> Oh my goodness. >> When when you're announced as Miss Kentucky. >> It was so hard for me to believe. I've been competing in this organization for 13 years
now. And I saw my work finally come to fruition. When they called my name, I was in absolute shock, and I feel like it still hasn't completely set in. I was looking at the pictures last night for the first time and I got to relive that moment, so it's really setting in now. >> Yeah. Well, you mentioned that you've been competing for 13 years and you're a native of Paris Paris, Kentucky. So tell us about your journey to this point. >> Yes. I started competing
when I was 12 years old. I saw Jenna Day get crowned Miss Kentucky, and I was in absolute awe. But once I really started competing, I realized that Miss Kentucky is more than just glitz and glamor. It's a full time job and there are so many opportunities that come with it, and I've gained confidence through the Miss America organization. So I think it's something that benefits all women. >> Yeah, all that work pays off.
It does. But you're right, a lot more goes into behind the scenes than a lot of people realize. So talk a little bit about that. What, what kind of things do you work on and, and how does it translate to this moment? >> So this year, preparing for Miss Kentucky was actually really hard for me because I'm a full time student at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. And we go year round. So 8 to 5 every single day up until Miss Kentucky week,
I was in school. So even on days that I just did not want to prepare, I had to come home, work on interview, work on my talent, all the things just to be ready for this week. So it was hard, but the work paid off, I guess. >> Yeah. So now you are taking a year off of school to commit to this role. And, and now that you're in this role, explain what that entails. That's a full time job now. >> It is. I will be working with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture as a spokesperson
for Kentucky Proud. And I want to put my unique twist on that initiative this year by incorporating my CSI, My Community Service initiative, Make Someone Smile, promoting oral health with my CSI, I get to travel around the state and talk about oral health in Kentucky because we lack in education and access right here in the Commonwealth. So I want to make that connection between foods grown right here in the state of Kentucky and how it relates to your oral health.
>> So how did you get involved in or interested in dentistry and then come up with this community tie? >> Yes. So I wanted to go to medical school all of my life. I wanted to be a doctor. But then as I got realized that that work life balance was not for me. So I saw all the great qualities of an occupation that I wanted education, creativity, and giving back. And so that's what I ran with. >> And now your community initiative, and how does that translate into your job now?
What do you do with that? >> So obviously I eat, sleep and breathe dentistry. And once I got into dental school, I realized that Kentucky lacks in oral health care and dentistry. So that's why I wanted to address this issue. I volunteer at clinics, free smiles clinics right here in Louisville, Kentucky, where we provide free dental care to those who are underinsured, as well as travel around to elementary schools and talk about healthy oral habits.
>> And tell me about the Miss America organization in general. And there's a lot of misconceptions about what it entails. And it is more than a beauty pageant. >> It is. I think a lot of people get caught up in the glitz and glamor, but we are more than just a girl wearing a shiny hat and a sash. Like I said earlier, I was chronically shy when I was 12 years old and I started competing in the Miss Kentucky organization, but I got confidence and I was given a voice whenever I started
competing. So I think it really shapes women into who they are today and makes them a more well-rounded individual. >> And what's your advice to young women who may see you in this position? >> I would tell them to go ahead and compete in a preliminary competition for Miss Kentucky. It took me 13 years to finally win the crown, but the lessons that I learned over those years are invaluable. They're going to shape me into who I am and take me far into my future.
>> And that future now includes the Miss America pageant, which we will be watching, and that is coming up in September. And so we'll be watching you compete in that. Well, we will be watching and rooting for Raegan when she competes in the Miss America 2027 competition that happens September 6th in West Palm Beach, Florida. [MUSIC] Some Central Kentucky artists are helping the city of Lexington make the unsightly, beautiful. These artists are using utility boxes as canvases
and. As you'll see in today's tapestry, our Arts and Culture segment, they are turning eyesores into eye catching works of art. >> Lexington is just so you know, full of wonderful creative artists. And so we have this wonderful bench of people to choose from. So when we put out a call for artists, the it's the hardest part, honestly, is to decide to pick
only 12. The main goal is just to excite people about art and local artists and give you a little spark in your day of creativity and hopefully on your way to work. If you see one of these artistic utility boxes, then it gives you a little boost in your day. It gives you a little like, I want to be creative too, but even if you're just driving by it and notice it, it's just a nice thing to have. Other than having a whole city full of kind of sad looking boxes.
Someone is seeing this art by these artists every day, and sometimes hundreds of people every day. That's an artist's dream that your work is seen every day. The hundreds of people. >> I think as an artist, the hardest part is trying to figure out who your audience is and how to get your art out there and get as much exposure as possible, because the more that see it, the better opportunities I think that you have. And that's another reason why public art is so important.
Traffic boxes have been a really good use for public art because they're just these boring boxes. And you know, if if it makes you not look at your phone at a stoplight because you saw something that caught your eye and put a smile on your face or sparked your imagination to, to go home and create your own art, you know, or to hug your dog. >> I hope you fall in love with one of the artists that's helped with the artistic
utility boxes. And you buy some other art, or you go to their website and you look at everything they've done, and you show up at a gallery hop and you enjoy their work, you know, I mean, support, support the artists who are supporting us all with this wonderful project. You can drop by one at, you know, 50 miles an hour, or you can really stop and engage with one. And both of those are
really great experiences. So I'm happy that this that this program exists and that people can access art in this way, either up close and personal or drive by. And just think, that was cool. >> The city says it is taking submissions for the program until October, so there's still time for you to submit. We do hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 630 eastern, 530 central for Kentucky Edition, where we inform,
connect and Inspire. You can subscribe to our Kentucky edition, email newsletters, and watch full episodes and clips@ket.org. Send us a story idea at public affairs@ket.org. And of course, you can follow KET on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop on social media. We do thank you for joining us tonight as we connect and inspire. We hope you have a great evening. [MUSIC]