Kentucky's candidates for
Governor Square off in their
3rd debate of the season.
>> We break down their
responses as both men are
preparing for another
engagement night on KET.
>> Gun violence has increased
and we see it every night on
the news.
A Lexington group fights gun
violence at all.
>> Just in my shelter alone,
we're at our capacity about
99.9% of the year.
>> We take a look at the
resources and support for those
who don't feel safe in their
own homes.
>> One of the things that makes
an amazing is it's the one time
people will really see evidence
chair is a big deal in
Kentucky.
>> More than 4 decades later,
the Kentucky book Festival is
still going strong. Hear from
those who turned out for this
year's event.
>> Production of Kentucky
Edition is made possible in
part by the KET Endowment for
Kentucky Productions. Leonard
Press Endowment for Public
Affairs and the KET Millennium
Fund.
♪
>> Good evening and welcome to
Kentucky. Addition for Monday,
October 23rd. I'm Casey Parker
Bell filling in for Renee Shaw.
We're down to just 15 days
before Kentucky's general
election Governor Andy Beshear
and Attorney General Daniel
Cameron for tonight's guests
on Kentucky tonight, the
Democratic incumbent is hoping
for a second term. All his
challenger is looking to give
the Republican Party control of
both the Legislature and the
governor's mansion. Both
candidates shared the stage
over the weekend during a
debate televised by WLKY in
partnership with the League of
Women Voters. They discussed
education workforce
participation and the economy.
Each candidate was also asked
what they consider to be the
state's most pressing issue
when it comes to the opioid
epidemic.
>> The opioid epidemic is
something that has impacted
everyone. We have all lost
people, multiple people to to
fatal overdoses. We will not
solve this problem by blaming
each other for making it
partisan. Who's to blame are
the big pharma companies, the
big opioid companies that sent
thousands of pills and a small
counties for every man, woman
and child. They KET it was
addictive. Yet they counted
their money while our people
died. What we have to do is to
continue to support our law
enforcement community that has
secured A&M got enough fentanyl
that killed about 28 million
people this year under both
President Trump and Biden sent
National Guard to our border
because border security is
national security and we have
to continue to work with our
treatment community. Since I
become governor, we've
increased our number of
treatment beds by 50%. And
because of that and the hard
work of so many, we are one of
only 8 states in the country
that had a significant decrease
in overdose deaths last year.
We see some light. We see some
hope. Let's stick to it.
But support those in treatment
and recovery. If you're trying,
we're proud of you, Mister
Cameron. Well, look, when I ran
for attorney general, I talked
about the importance of making
sure
>> that we combat the drug
epidemic and its larger than
just opioids. Fentanyl and
other drugs as well. And so
I've been proud to be the
attorney general that is in the
process of bringing nearly
900 million dollars to the
state to fight this drug
epidemic. In the reason that
we're able to bring this money
to the state is because I said
that we don't need to just file
lawsuits. We need to hold these
companies accountable. And
those companies came to the
table bringing nearly
900 million dollars to the
state. One of the proudest
moments I've had as attorney
general is to work with our
legislature in the county judge
executives in so many mayors
and county attorneys to bring
that money into the state.
It's not a magic elixir.
It's not the end. All be all.
But it is a significant down
payment in removing in helping
removing affliction that has
plagued our people for far too
long.
>> Another topic of the debate
was COVID-19 Governor Beshear
in General Cameron were each
asked about what they learned
from the pandemic.
>> This attorney general's
refusal to to act like this
pandemic was as deadly as it
was, is a slap in the face of
the heroism that they showed.
The fact that he claims that he
would have even paused
education would have sent
thousands of teachers with many
health issues into a classroom
before vaccines were even
available. I was the first
governor in the country to
prioritize our educators for
vaccines. That's why we are one
of the first states in the
country that had all of our
school systems, all of them
back again in person learning I
made decisions to save lives.
It's clear this attorney
general would have played
politics that would cause
more death or destruction.
I'd rather save lives and win
reelection.
>> Mister Cameron, would you
like rebuttal again this year
function more like Gavin Newsom
than any red state governor
that we saw in this country.
And the fact of the matter is
we were the only state in the
union that shut down the car
printers. Again, this governor,
big winners and losers. A lot
of small businesses. I have
never recovered. They are still
shut down to this day. It's
because of the shortsighted
decisions that Andy Beshear
made. You know, it's one thing
for Gavin Newsom to tell you
that he regrets some of the
decisions that he may, but
you'll never hear them from
Andy Beshear because he's too
proud and will never say that
he made mistakes during the
pandemic.
>> Stick around for Kentucky
tonight as Renee Shaw sits down
with Governor Andy Beshear and
Attorney General Daniel
Cameron. And you'll be able
to send in your questions by
phone email and X, formerly
known as Twitter. That's
tonight at 8 Eastern 7 central
here on KET. A group focused on
gun violence prevention in
Lexington met with community
partners, including the
University of Kentucky to
identify solutions for keeping
guns out of the hands of youth
and young adults. One Lexington
hosted its first-ever symposium
last week. Leaders say they're
still work to be done.
>> So one, Lexington is a youth
and young adult gun ballot out
of the Wind. The mayor's in
our main focuses is, of course,
reducing gun But through doing
that is finding out what
resources are needed in that
May let you know, certainly
sources that, you know, don't
receive enough attention.
And by doing that, we able to
realize how we can help lower
gun violence by looking at root
causes.
>> So the purpose of the
symposium is for one, lex, be
able to connect with all of the
community members with in
Lexington to be able to bring
everyone together to help
prevent gun violence in youth
ages. 17 to 29.
>> We want the EU to be
informed about the effects of
gun violence the the dangers
of gun violence. And as a
community. Well, the community
know that there are a lot of
the kids in the community that
don't want to maybe go down
that pathway. But they just
need somebody just to give them
a lending hand. Just to have a
conversation with. We have
people were talking about in
our session this morning.
Just seen kids and community
support build a relationship.
Bill report with those kids
so that they can feel
comfortable to share with you
in just to make that
connection. And I think help in
the long run as we try to
reduce gun violence.
>> Gun violence has increased
and we see it every night on
the news every night I sit home
and I see the reports and I
mean, a couple weekends ago,
there was almost 10 gun
violence incidents. And so to
me, it's it's an issue. And if
I worry about my safety and
I know other people are and so
I can't just be a bystander.
I need to be involved and
clearly a lot of other people
involved because we've had we
have over 150 people
registered. But what we're
seeing and that we're really
excited about is the people
engaging in talking amongst
each other, figuring out how
we're doing right now. The
session where we take a
scenario from incident that
happened in Lexington.
>> How would you respond?
How would your organization
organization respond and how
can you connect with maybe
another organization that your
table, how you all can
collaborate to be more
efficient and help in
situations like this. So this
is that something that we're
seeing really excited about
that were taken away. Is that
engagement a month a month to
different organizations?
There's all sorts of different
people here today. We've got
trauma nurses, we've got moms
against gun violence.
>> We've got a legal aid and
cops the mayor. We've got
different nonprofits like one
different Newport nonprofits
are kind of like getting their
feet on the ground to be
involved with this. And so to
me, it's just a great
opportunity for people in
Lexington with that leadership
ability to get together and
start working on something to
me personally, it just means
that there is still good people
left in this world that care
about our youth with in
Lexington as well as the state
of Kentucky in general. And
they're working really hard to
be able to combat the issue of
gun violence and just bring
attention to that. So that way
individuals are aware that
there are programs out there
to help protect our youth
throughout the future.
>> One Lexington was created in
2017 as a part of the city's
efforts to address a rise in
violent crime. My age is 13 to
29.
The Kentucky Supreme Court is
being asked to limit the
language firearms experts can
use when testifying about a
match between a bullet casing
and a specific gun. The request
stems from a case involving
Joshua Ward, a Boone County
man who was convicted of a
double murder. The murder
weapon was never found. Bullet
casings found at the scene were
compared to bullet casings
found at a farm award would
practice shooting a ballistics
expert testified the bullets
came from the same gun
representatives for Ward want
the justices to limit the
degree of certainty. A
ballistics expert can say a
bullet matched a certain gun,
arguing that ballistics
analysis evidence was not
reliable representatives for
the Commonwealth said it's a
sound scientific method.
>> The expert gets up and says
these came from the same
firearm. A jury is more likely
to think that is tracked in
lead to a conviction, which
is why we're asking for the
cannot be excluded. So in
reference to Josh's case that
would be the deal. Casings in
the crime scene casings cannot
be excluded as being fired from
the same which even though uses
the word seen. It's putting
a hole fire in there that is
consistent with the class same.
They could have come from this
game. But we're also saying
we don't know because there's
no database of all the markings
that are consistent with all of
the guns in the world and all
of the guns in Kentucky, it has
been tested over and over.
Those studies have been
published in peer reviewed
journals and study after study
has shown that firearms and
tool Mark examiner Israeli air
want to find the to the
controls and standards
applicable to their
methodology.
>> The Kentucky Supreme Court
ruled in 2017. The ballistics
analysis evidence could be used
in trials.
Many Kentucky jails are
overcrowded keeping inmates
from re-offending as one way to
reduce jail populations in
Pulaski County inmates can earn
a paycheck even before they
finish their sentences. Today,
the county jailer told Kentucky
lawmakers just 2 of the 40
inmates that took part in this
program have come back to jail.
>> Their entire paycheck goes
to in their bank that they are
when they're working for the
factor, they get the same
merrily re. Does anyone else
would and then once they are
you know, the civility, you
know, they've got the money to
be able to for housing. They
get the money to before cars.
They've got to be able the
money to be able to support
themselves.
>> The program in plastic
County started in 2019. One
lawmaker says the program
sounds like a promising model
for the rest of Kentucky.
Not every county jail has the
same program.
>> What we have to decide at
some point.
Are we going to continue?
With the warehouse model or are
we going to start implementing
rehabilitation programming
similar to what you've done in
my home county Rockcastle
County. If I'm convicted of,
you know, DUI 4th or whatever,
I don't have access to this
opportunity. So I am
disadvantage because my jail
doesn't offer the same
programming that let that what
you all done.
So so it is that's a little
bit concerning to me that we
don't have mandated standards
across the state and we don't
offer incentives for innovation
like this.
The jail and Corrections reform
task Force will meet next month
after the election.
From around the county clerk
Kim Davis could owe more than
$300,000 for refusing to issue
a marriage license to a gay
couple.
>> The couple sued Davis and
one she ordered to pay. She was
ordered to pay $100,000 in
damages. Now the attorneys
representing the couple we're
requesting Davis Pay $260,000
to cover fees and expenses.
Davis's attorneys are planning
to appeal the judgment Davis
game worldwide attention in
2015 when she refused to issue
marriage licenses to gay
couples after the U.S. Supreme
Court legalized same sex
marriage. Davis said it
violated her religious beliefs.
A new war in the Middle East
and ongoing search for
Republican speaker of House
and his health things. U.S.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell discussed over the
weekend on 2 Sunday morning
talk shows on CBS News Face
the Nation. Margaret Brennan
asked Senator McConnell if
there was something the public
should know about his current
medical condition. I'm in good
shape.
>> Completely recovered.
And back on the job.
>> So does that mean that you
think you are able to continue
serving and you want to
continue serving here at a time
when we're talking about
incredible dysfunction in
Washington.
>> We ought to be talking about
what we're talking about
earlier rather than a mile.
>> Over the summer, McConnell
froze on 2 separate occasions
while talking with reporters,
the Capitol's attending
physician later said there was
no evidence the 81 year-old had
a seizure disorder or stroke.
On FOX News Sunday, Shannon
Bream asked McConnell to
respond his Kentucky colleague
U.S. Senator Rand Paul who is
requesting President Biden's
request for 105 billion dollars
to aid Ukraine and Israel and
help secure the southern
border.
>> He's certainly right that
COVID and it frankly was
expended during the previous
administration as well.
So I think they decided to go
in a very good job of doing.
However, you have to respond
to conditions.
Actually exist that are a
threat to the United States.
The Iranians. First read to us
as well. And show this is your
emergency. It's an emergency
that we step up.
Axis of evil. Trying to Russia.
Iran. Because it's an immediate
threat. United stage. And so.
We'll see what the supplemental
looks like. We're going to take
a good hard look at it.
>> On the search for Republican
House, Speaker McConnell said
he was hopeful a leader would
be named soon. Adding that the
dysfunction since a poor
message to our allies and
enemies around the world.
The United Auto Workers Union
has once again escalated its
strikes against 3 automakers.
This time the union says 6800
members walked out of a factory
in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
That makes Ram trucks for
Stellantis. The move came just
3 days after union President
Trump fame reported progress in
talks with General Motors and
Stellantis but said the
companies will have to make
better offers. No progress was
reported with Ford, meaning
8700 workers and Louisville's
Kentucky truck plant will
remain on strike.
Nearly a quarter of a billion
dollars has been wagered in
Kentucky since sports betting
became legal earlier this year
today Governor Andy Beshear
announced most of that money.
232 million dollars was wagered
on mobile devices. Nearly
500,000 online wagering
accounts have been created
online betting that can
September 28th in-person
wagering at approve sportsbooks
began 3 weeks earlier. Another
sportsbook saying these gaming
and racing in Ashland is
scheduled to open on Thursday.
October is domestic Violence
Awareness month. Kentucky has
15 programs across the state
but offer shelter and support
services. Rogers spoke with
Barron River Area Safe Space
Bres which covers 10 counties
in South Central Kentucky.
>> Brass is one of
15 member programs designated
by 0 V formally known as the
Kentucky Coalition Against
Domestic Violence. A
continuation of a grassroots
effort to support victims of
intimate partner violence.
>> They provide so many base
to protect you. You will be
really safe.
>> Nadia Glass men arrived at
Barron River Area, safe Space
or brass 10 years ago for
support and safety. A native of
Ukraine. She found herself in a
new country with an abusive
husband.
>> And the brass say from a
lake second family as they help
meant to steps like put baby,
they take
my hand and provide me and to
>> That includes finding a
place to live opening a bank
account and buying her
first car.
>> I got my diver license
people too.
Oh, my goodness. 57 years old.
You know, something is in its
best been. Big, big day in my
life.
>> I think the most important
thing that we have to first do
is to establish safety and
security where the person feels
confident roaming around the
world without that feel of
fear. Having to look over your
shoulder every time you step
outside for Ian Injures says
brass averages. 11 crisis calls
a day. I think we have a lot
of resources. I definitely
don't think that we have
enough. Their shelter. Has 31
beds that stay mostly full just
in my shelter alone. We're at
our capacity about 99.9% of the
year since the pandemic.
They've also had a hotel
partner that's given them an
extra 5 to 7 Night. Domestic
violence is rooted in power
and control and injure says the
perception has changed over the
past 40 years and it's not just
physical abuse, emotional and
psychological abuse where we
get the term gaslighting where
a person no longer can trust
their mind of what happened
because they have been
manipulated into a position
that they cannot trust what
they think. She says. An
overwhelming majority of cases
involves financial abuse.
When someone arrives at brass,
they are offered emergency
shelter and connected to
resources and referrals to live
independently.
>> Navigate those on the job
skills, training, working with.
>> Our community partners on
establishing assistance in
budgeting, being able to
navigate individuals into one
of our housing programs where
we can pay or short-term
assistance, you know, deposits
in start-up costs or for some
individuals were able to
provide them ongoing. Long-term
indefinite rental assistance.
I'm prepared now. That was the
case for Nadya and she hopes
sharing her story will inspire
others in unsafe situations to
seek help.
>> I would like to say Bump
page. I think everything that
we do here is rooted in hope.
Hope is so intent really
important. And so easy to lose.
I have hope. And because of
press.
>> Brass will host a community
candlelight vigil on October.
26, they will honor the 23
people across Kentucky who have
lost their lives to domestic
violence this year, 15 of them
to gun violence for Kentucky
edition. I'm Laura Rogers.
>> Learn more about shelter
programs and support services
at 0 V Dot Org.
♪
Eastern Kentucky University has
landed on the list of best
colleges in the U.S. the
Richmond Base University ranked
in 4 categories in the 2020 for
Best Colleges by U.S. News and
World Report those categories
for nursing top public schools,
national universities and
social Mobility. President
David McFadden tells WKU Public
Radio that the recognition is
appreciated. He says they want
to be competitive, but it is
important to remain focused on
recruiting students from the
region.
Avid readers and authors
gathered in Lexington over the
weekend to celebrate and share
their love of literature at
the 42nd annual Kentucky book
Festival at Joseph Beth
Booksellers, the event gave
readers a chance to connect
one-on-one with well known and
upcoming. Kentucky authors.
>> This is the
longest running that any of
runs and come This is its 42nd
edition. Recap coming in to
Fry, said his community or for
the the community the Ankeny
that us and show the community
But I think morning for
defense, you book is not just
the bulk of Locust connections.
One up.
teams. One of the
slogans is something for
everyone no matter what to be.
No. Make that a You like you
will be able to find that fits
the compact people. Cristobal,
we have
150 x Owens. I thought it's
Accomplished. I sense an
Alzheimer's all saw
hours. I thought is it like a
child that and they know each
other quite well. And
frantic small card. One of our
all to just say it's like
family, the Union, Kentucky,
>> The Hollywood the fall?
I mean, it's not really fall
until. We have a chance to
come into this space and buy
share books for me as a family
unit to rescue my favorite
authors. One of the things that
that makes an amazing is that
>> It's the one time people
will really see evidence chair
is a big deal in Kentucky.
I really appreciated have a
chance to contribute to
Versiti. I tell the story the
true story of Kentuckyian
Broadway, especially in the
of it, energies that are trying
to to ban books to control.
There are certain idea of what
children should know and learn
about.
>> I think Chris Petersen for
And sometimes if you ban the
book, only give us more flour
because you cry like that saw.
I think
brining backfires.
>> Then my words are just
All of my fellow
writers of who don't fit that,
this, you else to will be left
out of the store. It I would
be a complete story. Well, the
special help do that, correct.
>> The lineup of this year's
event also included Kentucky
Poet, Laureates and New York
Times, best-selling authors,
Silas House in Crystal
Wilkinson.
♪
>> We're wishing a happy
birthday to 3 interesting
Kentucky Inc.
>> And a hotel that inspired a
popular sandwich are. Toby
Gibbs has details in this.
Look at this week in Kentucky
history.
♪
>> We have an interesting trail
of Kentucky birthdays this
week. Adelaide Stephenson.
The first was born October 23rd
18. 35 in Christian County.
He was a member of Congress
and vice president under Grover
Cleveland from 1993 to 18 97.
His grandson also named at
least a dozen was the
Democratic nominee for
president in 1952. 1956.
>> Jim Bunning was born October
23rd 1931. In Campbell County.
He became a major league
baseball pitcher threw a
perfect game for the
Philadelphia Phillies and later
served in the U.S. House and
U.S. Senate from Kentucky.
And Jonathan Wald was born
October 23rd 1958 in
Louisville. He composes music
for television shows including
the familiar Seinfeld fame.
Surgeons at Louisville's Jewish
Hospital performed the first
hand transplant in U.S. history
on October, 25th 1999, the
patient received a new left
hand after an operation that
took 15 hours.
Lobos Brown hotel open October,
25th 1923, former British Prime
Minister David Lloyd. George
was the first person to sign
the guest register Al Jolson.
Harry Truman. Elizabeth Taylor
and the Duke of Windsor are
among the hotel's famous
guests. The famous hot Brown
sandwich was invented there in
1926. And that's a look back at
this week in Kentucky history,
I'm told, begins.
>> We hope you'll join us again
tomorrow night at 6.30, East,
earn 5.30, central for Kentucky
Edition. We inform connect and
inspire and we hope you'll
stick around for Kentucky
tonight. Renee Shaw will speak
with the candidates for
governor and also check us out
on all of our social media,
whether it's Twitter, Facebook
or Instagram and you can watch
us on the PBS video app on your
smart television. I'm
Casey Parker Bell. Thank you so
much for watching Kentucky
edition and have a great night.
♪