♪ >> And one home potentially and easy.

Yes, from the federal government to say we want to help the people of Kentucky, especially of eastern Kentucky to get through this.

>> Governor Andy Beshear discusses the made for more financial aid for victims of last week's deadly flooding.

>> The book came out 5 days before Joe Biden pardons, family.

>> Kentucky Congressman James Comer on his new book and potential future plans.

>> In order for us to do the job that we've got to do.

We've got a meeting with it.

How the city of Louisville is partnering with goodwill to stop gun violence.

>> I want to Bellevue, the be the most family friendly city in this whole tri-state area.

>> Plus, how a transform downtown and some clever marketing are drawing people to this river city.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this brand new week.

It is Monday, February the 24th I'm Renee Shaw and we thank you for spending some of your Monday night with us.

The death toll from recent weather events and Kentucky has risen yet again.

Governor Andy Beshear says 22 people have now died because of flooding and freezing temperatures that Delta State a one-two punch last week this morning.

He said Kentucky is still waiting to hear from the federal government on whether the state will be approved for expedited major disaster declaration doing so would free up money for cleaning and individual assistance grant of more than $40,000.

>> Without the additional federal funding individual and public assistance.

The whole lot of families are going to be hit.

Really hard without those dollars that were there in the past to help them get up and move forward.

You know what?

For people who've had a total loss, even the $42,000 in go make a poll.

But at least he's going to help pull a little bit for those that have had their homes ruined.

At least that's some money to help get back up on their feet without it.

You're going to see people not just but devastated.

>> Late this afternoon this year said President Donald Trump did approve his request for an expedited major disaster declaration.

It includes assistance for local governments and individuals in these counties.

Brexit, Clay, Harlan, not Lee lecture, Martin Owsley Perry and Pike additional counties may be added at a later time.

Turning to politics, Republican Congressman James Comer making appearances in Kentucky to discuss his new book, the Republican Women's Club of South Central Kentucky hosted Comer Friday night in Bowling Green.

Our Laura Rodgers was there caught up with them on current events and Washington and future political aspirations.

>> They said they could get a crowd and they were told that hurt U.S.. Representative James Comer, who represents Kentucky's first congressional speaking at the Bowling Green Country Club Friday night.

I grew up an hour south of here in Monroe with the college in Bowling Green.

>> I KET he was going to be someone special.

Tina Steam Todd Comer in kindergarten more than 45 years ago.

>> Tompkins Ville Elementary School.

I'm so proud of fame.

>> I'm really excited about the book until The New York Times bestsellers List for Freeway.

>> Homer's book All the Presidents money investigating the secret foreign schemes that made the Biden family Ridge was released in January.

They kept saying the Biden's foreign business and I always had the question.

What business did We brought the Biden family in her deposition that they never could say what business they were and calmer, who serves as chairman of the House Oversight Committee lead impeachment inquiry into the former president.

He says he doesn't feel mainstream media accurately reported the information he presented to them on the investigation.

What I would do in the book is I will report what we failed.

I would report about the press coverage or or whatever that I would have.

And then that would put in the book what the media would actually report, which was often very different than what I wouldn't doubt that the press conference Comer says some of the most convincing evidence came at the end of President Biden's term.

He pardon his entire family.

>> Preemptively for an 11 year period.

The 11 year period.

Just so happened to be the 11 years that I've painted bank records.

So I think the pardons, which should an unprecedented, I think that was an admission of guilt by Joe Biden.

But Biden says those pardons were to guard against possible retribution by President Trump.

>> Are says he is supportive of President Trump's efforts to find what he calls waste, fraud and abuse and the budget.

President Trump put disrupters in office and a lot of these agencies, they to be disruptive.

And I think every agency couldn't couldn't stay and a good thorough audit.

He says there's also been a, quote, open line of communication between Trump's Cabinet and the House Oversight Committee been in communication with cash to tell if the FBI staff communicated multiple times a day with Pam Bondi staff at the Department of Justice.

We asked Congressman Comer about his future political aspirations as there has been indication he could run for governor in 2027 in my heart always been in Kentucky.

I remember when he ran for governor and we had a rally and Tompkins may.

I was 2015 income or loss to the Republican primary to Matt Bevin by 83 votes.

And Molly says he hasn't made an official decision.

The interest is still actually traveling around Kentucky meeting with people about we take turns out or anything like Heading a good, substantive important in meetings with business leaders, local elected officials, party leaders and just getting their input as to whether or not.

>> I should do this and I can say that there's a lot of support out there for for my okay to the CA when the time comes.

But right now it's a little early to make a decision.

Homers.

Current term in the house INS in Twenty-twenty 6 or Kentucky edition.

>> I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you much more.

We did ask Congressman Comer about Senator Mitch McConnell's announcement last week that he won't seek reelection in 2026.

>> Comer said he thinks whoever wins the GOP primary will be the quote, overwhelming favorite.

Now, here's one person hoping to win that primary.

Former Kentucky attorney General Republican Daniel Cameron announced last week he's running to replace Senator McConnell in a video posted on social media today.

Cameron who once served as legal counsel to Senator McConnell.

Explain why he's running and criticized his former mentor.

>> I'm going to be the type of senator that stands of for your constitutional rights.

It is going to support President Trump's America first agenda.

Now what we saw from Mitch McConnell in voting against Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard in RFK was just flat out wrong.

You should expect the senator from Kentucky to vote for those nominees.

>> Cameron is the only Republican for now to declare that he's running for the U.S. Senate seat Central Kentucky's 6th district Congressman Andy Barr says he's seriously considering it now in the state Legislature, diversity, equity and inclusion or dei within higher education has become a focus of the state Legislature.

House Bill 4 was filed earlier this session and 6 to eliminate dei programs, policies and offices at all of Kentucky's public universities.

Similar legislation was introduced and Frankfort last year but failed to pass.

Katie's Emily Syst.

Pope spoke with northern Kentucky University students and to journalist to learn more about potential impacts of the bill.

>> A lot of the work that I'm passionate about doing is directly affected by this bill.

We're talking about the office African-American student initiative.

So Tito soon initiatives LGBTQ, I plus 2 Danish.

It is.

We're talking about people being affected in terms of being able to continue their academic scholarships like the diversity scholarship.

I'm personally on a scholarship that's helping me to continue my education.

>> This sponsored this bill in particular.

Jennifer Decker, a representative from Wadi in her statements about this Dekkers, said that the purpose of the bill was to eliminate discrimination across all demographics within higher Ed.

So that includes not only race, which is pretty much what we normally talk about in these conversations, but also religion, class and gender and a variety of people who are impacted by the eye personally, I would definitely agree.

I would definitely agree with a bill.

I believe that we should not have forced a first name.

>> I believe that having that, I would say that having the news programs in place.

To give special like opportunities and stuff to people just be based on race and things like that.

I believe that would be used sort of discriminatory it right.

Just basically saying, hey, you're this and you need extra care to kind of think that these programs are discriminatory thing just undermines the value that they really hold at the end of the day because these programs exist because historically >> we have not been late in the certain spaces.

Therefore, there was a need to create these spaces.

>> There are programs that honor and recognize culture.

But that is for all people to come to and to enjoy and also is not discriminatory at on being able to be recognized and who you are and not have your racial identity swept under the rug and why spaces is actually inclusive.

We do not specifically have like an office of Diversity, the Center for Inclusive Excellence and Global Engagement.

It's called Siege at UK you and they basically host and all of the groups on campus who might feel like they are not represented as well as >> people know.

PKU is a predominately white institution.

The minority is going to be people of color and seeds will host events for them, allow them to make clubs and gather so they would definitely be effective.

I feel like it would obviously pass because of the super majority that we have.

>> And the Kentucky.

Government.

I feel like it's it's more of like a statement saying that, you know, these policies are not working and they're not.

And they're just a waste of money.

Honestly, I believe that's what the representative we're trying to set an institution.

I can kill you.

We don't have the necessary to get the budget as the UK.

One thing where even likened WKU.

So we're already dealing with the fact that >> have limited resources to do so just being able to or cutting down the source of the more it is just adding fuel to the fire at this point.

>> I feel like if this bill passes, there will be a lot of silence when it comes to talking about things that people are going through or racial issues or even expressing their Kocher, I still like it will really limit the voices of a lot of students here.

>> Especially in case campus.

I don't think you could be perceived very well.

I do think it'll be a good thing in the long run.

How the campus operates and it carries itself at the national level.

We are >> Target on the I've especially from the Trump administration.

This is kind of a reflection of that moment.

I think that we're seeing at the national level here at the state level, but at the same level is minute conversation that's been happening since before Trump said attorney them again.

>> And I think Stanley Sisk for that report.

If the bill passes universities would have to abide by the new rules by June 30th of this year.

If an institution does not comply with the law, it could be sued by Kentucky's attorney general.

♪ ♪ ♪ Kentucky is one of just 3 states that KET felons from regaining the right to vote.

If they aren't pardoned or have their records expunged.

The League of Women Voters of Kentucky wants to change that.

They met in Frankfort last week to call on lawmakers to pass a bill that would amend the state's constitution and let voters decide voting rights should be restored once a person sitting in saying is complete.

>> And tracking data on this issue since 2006, Kentucky is falling behind.

So we are only one of 3 states that continues to disenfranchise people who have been convicted of any felony.

That support function on on on how we are making sure that we are getting everyone for participating in our government in terms of the number of Kentuckians who are still denied the right to vote 153,000, 618.

There have been 190 4,000, 161.

Kentuckians who have regained their right to vote to the executive order that was filed in 2019 again, the executive order.

it's a wonderful, a stopgap measure that it's in place right now.

But it is not permanent to to know that the role of the people who are directly impacted is vital in terms of the strategy communicating outreach and just kind of the spirit and the heartbeat of a movement like this.

>> Right.

So what that meant for us was myself and other other people who have been through the system.

We're sitting at the decision-making table and helping to develop the strategy and helping to the communicators.

Our goal was simply to try and humanize us.

We want to I'm not somebody I want you to think about the loved one.

You have been to the criminal justice system is nobody who doesn't know somebody who's been impacted by the criminal justice system.

And people ask me when when that I know we were going to win when that's all I heard.

All I heard was all I'm gonna go vote in November for my son in law, for my daughter, from my aunt.

I'm gonna vote for that person.

Lives up the street that the conversation with instead of this is a proxy vote for governor or this is my political party or my organization.

But it was it was a very human moment.

>> We have to know and understand that our justice system, it's a process.

And if our justice system says that someone has completed that time and they're in our community, we are as as citizens we as elected to need to know and understand that they are neighbors.

They're paying taxes of that.

They are back in our communities.

And so their voice matters just like everybody else's vote.

>> State senator, cut your hair and you just saw has filed Senate bill 225.

It proposes amending Kentucky's constitution to automatically restore voting rights for people convicted of some felonies.

The bill is waiting to be discussed in committee.

The 2025 General Assembly session is now past the halfway mark.

There are just 14 days left in the short, 30 day session.

>> And we'll discuss what could what could happen in the days to come with Republican and Democratic leadership from the House and Senate on Kentucky tonight this evening at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

♪ ♪ >> The city of Louisville has partnered with Goodwill Industries for an initiative that meets gun violence.

Head on the organization operates Community Violence.

Intervention sites in 4 of the most at risk neighborhoods in the city following training operatives with pivot to peace, make connections through their neighborhoods to de escalate, potentially violent situations before a tragedy occurs.

>> The goal of it to pieces to reduce gun balance and to build a stronger and healthier community.

There were an issue that Kentucky has been doing this work for a while and bringing community balance intervention into it and put in a framework was a little different from us.

But we've been working with Congress.

People.

We've had a lot of people who go through our programs and services that we have reached out and support to have a better life.

2 things with a public health approach.

Violence can be prevented.

But early intervention or direct intervention and then what could be prevented by reducing the level of transmission.

So my focus in on the highest risk individuals that are involved in violence.

>> Were preventing the transmission violence from one group to another and individual to another young man.

When this in this environment don't mess with him.

>> They try to figure it out on a day-to-day basis.

Memphis about.

>> Every day when we we look at what the shooting responses in our community may have been.

We are able to assess what our team needs to do when they're out in the field and we strategize about what we want to do, what the community should see from us, how we can make sure we partner with the white people so we can make sure the community knows that we're out their ballots intervention specialists, people who are credible, the credibility to be their shared experience with their community.

The credibility could be their person of turning their backgrounds.

That allows them to connect quickly maintain the establish relationships with our community.

We do with kids, but always fit some type of description.

So talking to them and understand them trying to give them.

>> Can you know a lot of these kids would come from the the type of community we come from.

They don't have hope.

So the only thing we're trying to do is >> I was once considered.

In a vulnerable situation are vulnerable individual.

Some clients at the beginning, a little wary of what we've got going on.

But once you tell them about a program, me tell them all the resources that we have on the community, partners that were connected to they're very excited and and and want to be a part of what we have going on.

That goes back to just be incredible of being from these neighborhoods as well after a while.

People refer people to you as well.

And the just being visible.

So people can know that when they need to, they can know they can find you as well.

>> He had me a 31 conflicts in the community that could have winds out of it in the shootings of Ocala teams.

And we've been able to support our community best showing up to 100% of the shooting responses to happen in our designated area.

It could be a dangerous job.

>> You're actually going up to people that are in conflicts with others where there's shootings going on back and forth.

So you engaging people often that may be in possession of firearms may be there's a high risk that at any moment stats, other groups are looking for them and they could be shot at.

They're in danger issues that come into you and challenges of doing these positions and also takes a toll on the workers themselves.

Often community violence, intervention workers suffer secondary trauma.

>> And I'm I'm pro-life.

As I mean, I'm not time to and grade the significance of it.

But it says the life that we live.

So, you know, cinema, it's like because it goes on so much.

So we used to that farm and a lot of folks to do the job that we've got to do.

We've got a meeting with it.

But you know, when it may take some like to save a life.

>> Pivot to peace has had boots on the ground in Louisville since last November.

♪ >> It's a northern Kentucky River city that is only one square mile.

But the small city of Bellevue in Campbell County, he's managed to generate big entrust with the help of some clever marketing.

We pay them a visit and our Mondays on Maine segment.

>> Back in the 70's we had just everything in Bellevue.

It was pretty amazing.

So one at a time when the big box stores came in, they started big super grocery stores.

Super the Park Department stores.

Big super hardware stores and one at a time these little places started not being able to make it and they started closing by the year 2000.

A lot of that stuff that made Bellevue, really charming was gone.

2002, the corner turned and I think within a couple years, 5 of those buildings were bought.

Then 6, then 7 downtown.

Now.

It's looking really good.

So we don't have a street named Main Street.

People call it the avenue.

>> And you know, when people say we're going to the avenue, it's Fairfield Avenue.

>> I think what's so unique about Bellevue that we don't see it as much.

Now in the last 20 years of just modern development is getting back to the roots of what makes a main street downtown possible in it.

It's truly these small businesses lined up and down both sides of the street.

So whether you're traversing it walking or biking or driving, you realize arrived and seeing people walk along the downtown and have more density there really creates this lively nature of the community.

And I think as Bellevue continues to attract and only businesses but people to sue to stop and stay.

We always look at the the Saturday or Sunday morning test when it's anywhere from about 09:00AM to noon where people out doing life.

I think that coffee shop with a walking their dog.

Are they going to the park?

And I think it's it's really unique.

What you see along about Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue, that they have this lively nature that they've never lost the historic nature that this community has always had one yet, KET the city and the business groups to a great job of promoting business here.

>> And helping out a little stores.

You know, we're fortunate that our right across the river from Cincinnati.

So we draw from that crowd to, you know, it's a five-minute drive over a five-minute drive back the oldest or clayson lineman is right next to the newest retail store, the bets.

And it's one of those things where I think when you create a desirable community or a desirable location, it it creates, you know.

>> Friendship to create community.

It creates relationships.

And I think that the smaller you can get and the more you can bring local people together, the further that will go where very proactive and intentional about the events that we plan.

>> And a lot of times we like to tie into an event that's already happening.

So for example, and Taylor Swift came to Cincinnati last summer.

We KET we had a Taylor Avenue and, you know, I started thinking about.

Downtown is going to be so crowded.

What about people that I don't want to be in the big crowd but are still going to see the show.

The quickly decided we're going to put up the pink street signs and temporarily change the name of the avenue.

But we also collaborated with all of the businesses on the avenue to make different specials to attract people to Bellevue before the concert.

So they could have a Taylor Swift themed dinner.

Go to a bar, have a Taylor Swift themed drink.

>> And then maybe get a little love story.

Ice cream at Schneider Sweet Shop.

I love any time we can do anything.

But like fun just brings people in, you know.

So it was just fun.

Didn't really cause us any extra money.

We didn't have to spend on marketing.

We just had to make a fun ice cream and the amount of Swifties the came to Bellevue was insane.

We could have put Taylor Swift on anything people in of com and it was amazing and it was all people from out of town and so good for places like gas and the other small businesses in Bellevue that brings people have never been here before makes the city a life.

And that's what I want.

I want Bellevue, the be the most family friendly city in this whole tri-state area.

>> And we're getting there.

I think we almost got it.

>> You may have noticed the pictures of people standing in a giant Barbie box.

The city created the box to coincide with the release of the Barbie movie in 2023, influencers and fans of the Dot Ravel to Bellevue to take pictures in the box.

♪ ♪ Tonight, we're looking back at one of the most famous boxing matches and history.

And how did Frankfort get its name?

Our Toby Gibbs explains and this look at this week in Kentucky history.

♪ >> President Thomas Jefferson nominated Thomas Todd of Kentucky to the U.S. Supreme Court on February.

28 18.

0, 7, Todd was born in Virginia, but later settled in Danville, Kentucky after Senate confirmation Todd served on the Supreme Court until his death in 18.

26.

The city of Frankfort was incorporated on February.

28 18.

35.

It's believed the town was named after a settler named David Frank.

>> It was originally called Franks forward after a crossing point on the Kentucky River.

In General Assembly formally approved the name Georgetown for the Scott County town on March.

First, 18.

47.

The town was named after George Washington before being named Georgetown town was known as while spring and the Lebanon.

President elect Warren G Harding visited Lexington on February.

28 1921. president elect spoke for 8 minutes from the caboose of his train.

It would be sworn in as president in Washington, D.C., 4 days later.

Louisville's Muhammad Ali then known as Cassius Clay defeated Sonny Liston in one of the most famous heavyweight fights of all time on February, 25th 1964, in Miami Beach list in the reigning champion was a 7 to one favorite, but he gave up at the beginning of the 7th round.

And that's a look back at this week in Kentucky history.

I'm Joe begins.

>> Thank you to obey in Louisville.

A special group of candidates is training to become the next generation of health care professionals.

>> If you give a kid a chance.

And if there's some they can sacrifice their time for putting goodwill of children.

Great things happen.

>> Tomorrow on Kentucky Edition the program that's giving young people the opportunity to heal from violence by learning to heal others.

You don't want to miss that story and so much more coming up tomorrow on Kentucky edition at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire.

You can connect with us all the ways you see on your screen.

Facebook X an Instagram, stay in the league.

We'll see you soon.

Good night.

♪