August 11, 2024 • 29 mins
Are you, or do you know, a veteran? You, they or their spouse could be missing out on benefits. The Veteran's Administration wants you to apply today! Plus, it's back to school around the Commonwealth. We hear from the superintendent of the Commonwealth's largest public school district on issues they're facing as they head back.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Coming off fine. This week's Kentucky Focus Are you a veteran?
Are you getting all the benefits you're entitled to? Plus?
School is back in session of Rode covid Wealth. What
are some of the biggest issues facing the state's largest
public school district. I'm Scott Fitzgerald and this is Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the
show that looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and it's citizens.
We cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports,
and even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Out Here in the middle of all these acres, it
can feel like you're the only person on earth, And
sometimes that's how it feels when you're going through tough times.
Stress builds up, you have trouble sleeping, maybe your mind
is racing and you just don't feel like yourself. So
what do we do We get help. Lots of people
(00:57):
are struggling with their mental health. It's more common than
you think. The good news is there are people in
our community who are here for us when times are tough.
Sometimes just talking to someone can make all the difference
in the world. So we don't feel so alone. One
thing you can do is visit love youormind today dot
org for simple steps you can take to find the
(01:18):
right solution for you, whether it's hearing stories about what
other people are going through or finding the resources we
need to navigate the stresses in our lives. Visit love
youormind today dot org. That's Love your Mind Today dot org,
brought to you by the Huntsman in the Twelfth Institute
and the ad Council.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
When it comes to making plans, you are the best.
What about those roundtrips that you plan in advance, which
are perfect on your way there and perfect on your
way back. Or those meetings with friends for we to
make a group chat three months before so that nobody
or anything is missing.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
Or your daughter's first birthday party you.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Planned it with such stadiction that instead of the first
it felt like our kinses. The same way, you plan
each detail for those moments. Start planning to protect you
and your loved ones from a natural disaster.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
Sign up for local weather and.
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Emergency alerts, prepare an emergency kit, and make a family
communications plan. Protecting your family is the best plan you
can make.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
Get started at Ready dot gov. Slash plan brought to
you by FEMA and the AD Council.
Speaker 7 (02:35):
Wake up and text, Text and eat, Text and catch
the bus, Text and miss your stopitit wait, Text and
be late to work sorrybly, Text and work, Text and
pretend to work, Text and ax. Surprised when someone calls
(02:57):
you out for not working me. Text and meet up
with a friend you haven't seen in forever. Hi O,
Text and complain that they're on their phone the whole time.
Text and listen to them. Complain that you're on your
phone the whole time. Uh, Text and whatever. But when
you get behind the wheel, give your phone to a passenger,
(03:18):
put it in the glovebox.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Just don't text and drive.
Speaker 7 (03:22):
Visit stop texts, Stop rex dot org a public service
announcement brought to you by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and the AD Council.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Well many veterans don't realize that some of the most
valuable benefits they've earned through their military experience do not expire.
Disability compensation homon't guarantee. Just to name a few, A
disability compensation claim can really be filed as early as
one hundred and eighty days prior to completion of active
duty and throughout the remainder of a veteran's life. Well,
we're joined by someone today who can tell us all
(03:56):
about that, and of course is doctor Paul Lawrence. He
oversaw benveterance benefits programs and start personally with thousands of
veterans attending virtual town halls during the COVID pandemic and
while helping folks who needed a little assistance, so to
help well, his fellow veterans better access the benefits they're
entitled to. Doctor Lawrence is of course the author of
a couple of books, Veterans Benefits for You and Get
(04:19):
What You Deserve. I was published in twenty and twenty three,
and of course he was nominated by then President Donald
Trump to serve as the seventh Undersecretary for Benefits. So
he knows a thing or two am about what he's
talking about, and he joins us, Doctor Lawrence, thank you
for taking time. It's a pleasure to talk to you.
Speaker 8 (04:36):
No, hey, nice to be with you, Scotten. Thanks for
caring about our veterans and trying to get the word
out about benefits.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Well that's no problem, doctor Lawrence. Like yourself, I'm a
veteran too, so this is near and dear to my heart.
And I spent some wonderful time in the United States Navy,
travel in the world, and my biggest benefit for me
has been my VA home loan that has helped us tremendously.
We've loved that benefit. But you're a vet and have
a long history with the military. Tell us about yourself.
Speaker 8 (05:03):
Well, so I did my fulfill my ROTC requirement. It's
been three years in the army. But I grew up
in a military family. My father was a career Army officer,
so we traveled the world, you know, and I saw
in fight the Cold War. So we have my brother
served in the Army too, So yeah, we're kind of
a military family.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
That's awesome. Doctor Paul Lawrence joining us now talking about
veterans benefits, and doctor Lawrence, for those who have recently
left the military there, you know, they pretty much leave
up to speed, thanks of course to the military separation
workshops that they do a great job with. But what
do you say to veterans who have been away from
the service for a while who may not know where
to turn.
Speaker 8 (05:38):
Yeah, well, what happens, of course on your way out
as you get a shot of benefits. It's kind of
like a fire hose, and so you quickly forget it.
And so folks after a while wake up and said
I heard something about this. So I tell them all
the time, please please please understand, benefits are not an entitlement.
These are something you've earned. It's very special by the
nature of your service, hopefully your honorable service in the
(05:58):
US military. So you can art by learning about him.
If you're good on the computer, go to VA dot gov.
And if not, That's why I wrote the book Veterans
Benefits for You, because I just found there was an
absence of easy to read information with all the benefits
in one place, but there's a whole host of or resources.
But I tell folks, please don't forget your benefits. It's
never too late to come back.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
You bet. Doctor Paul Lawrence joining us now, He of
course served as our seventh Undersecretary for Benefits with the
VAA military veteran himself, comes from a family of veterans,
so he knows the thing or two about this. And
we're talking about the benefits that are still available to
you as a vet. If you're listening, Doc, what are
some of the common misunderstandings when it comes to benefits
(06:40):
and what well known benefits do. Veterans tend to overlook
the most sure, So.
Speaker 8 (06:45):
One of the common misunderstandings is, gee, I'm pretty good.
Folks need it worse than I do. I'm not going
to apply for benefits. And that's not really true. Congress
has to provide the money for VA benefits. It's like
mandatory spending, like Social Security benefits. Don't take it away
from anybody. So please, please, please don't think like that.
Come and apply for your benefits. There's a whole host
(07:07):
people don't understand, or they often know about disability compensation.
Hey I got hurt during service and I can get
money from deal with expenses and maybe some foregone wages,
as they say you pointed out, Scott. The value of
the home loan guarantee, the ability to purchase a home
with no money down. That's a game change. Oh yeah,
parried to civilians who have to save or a down payment.
But that can be used multiple times, so after you
(07:29):
sell your home, you can use it again to purchase
another home. And of course the education benefits. You know,
what we know is a GI bill often thought of college,
but it can be used now for certificates and credentials
that can really help you in the job market.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Doctor Paul Lawrence joining us talking about Veterans Benefits. Great
information if you're a VET and you're listening right now.
VA dot CUV is the website or he's the author
of numerous books such as Veterans Benefits for You and
Transforming Service to Veterans. You can get that pretty much anywhere.
Books are so fantastic reads that outline these and doctor Lawrence,
(08:02):
well we have you. If a VET has recently lost
their job and let's say health insurance, are they eligible
to receive care through the VA and if so, how
did they go about getting enrolled?
Speaker 8 (08:11):
So they may be there's some incocracies about getting care
based on your service connection and how you serve, but
they can go to VA dot gov and apply for
start the registration process to getting into you know, the VHA,
the Veterans Health Administration. But if they've recently lost their
job and if they're service connected, I'd ask them to
look to at the benefit called VR and e Veterans
(08:34):
Readyness Unemployment, which offers training and the like to get
veterans employed. So if he's sort of been downsized or
your skills are not relevant. VR and E is a
really good benefit to look at.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
That's a program I didn't even know about, doctor Lawrence. Wow,
that's interesting. Okay, we'll check that out as well. And
doctor Lawrence, why is it important for a veteran's spouse
to be familiar with the VA benefit system?
Speaker 9 (08:56):
Oh?
Speaker 8 (08:57):
Yeah, this is a really good point, Scott. Under certain conditions,
if your veteran passes, the spouse and the family could
be eligible for benefits. So it's really important you know
about the status of your veteran and you understand what
his situation is with the VA, because you want to
know if you'd be eligible for benefits if something happens
to him or her. So it's one of those things
(09:18):
where again veterans say I'm good, I don't need benefits.
What I remind them is it could have helped your family.
So if you really do love and care for them,
really think about applying for benefits and telling them about
them so they understand what might be available if something
happens to you.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Doctor Paul Lawrence of course joining us talking about veterans benefits.
He was nominated by then President Donald Trump to serve
as the seventh Undersecretary for Benefits. He's a veteran himself,
comes from a military family, so knows a thing or
two about this. Authored a few books signed Veterans benefits,
and we'll talk about those here in just a second
and tell you where you can go to get those.
(09:53):
What are some of those benefits, doctor Lawrence? Maybe from
the fifty thousand foot version that spouses our maybe eligible
after a service member passes.
Speaker 8 (10:02):
Right, Well, that's right, so you can use the spouse
surviving spouse could use the home loan guarantee. There's also
an education benefit, and if they fall on hard times
their assets aren't reach a certain level, they would be
eligible eligible for what's called a survivor pension, a payment
to you know, you know, a needs based payment to
support them. So there's a range of benefits that that would.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Be available outstanding, and again doctor Lawrence, joining us, a
couple more questions for you, doctor, before we let you go.
What are important things for a service member to know
when they're applying for say disability, What should they have
at hand which do their homework?
Speaker 8 (10:38):
Maybe, yeah, definitely do your homework. You should have a
record that so here's how you get disability compensation. Something
happened to you in service and it still bothers you now,
so let's pull that apart. So I got injured in service.
So you should have some treatment records demonstrating you got hurt.
You should show be able to show with your d
D two fourteen that this happened while you were in service,
and you'll have to demonstrate that now it's still bothers me.
(11:01):
So you have to have documentation as clear as possible.
And then when you apply, submit a completed application, put
all the information there and make it easy to get approved.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Outstanding doctor Paul Lawrence joining us now. He has served
as the seventh Under Secretary for Benefits. He's the author
of Veterans Benefits for You and Transforming Service to Veterans.
You can get those anywhere books are sold, doctor Lawrence. Finally,
before we go, someone's listening to this, maybe they're on
the road in a nutshell. Can they simply visit the
VA's website if they have any questions at all?
Speaker 8 (11:34):
Yes, they can. I mean again, you know sort of
websites are sometimes hard to navigate. That's right, VA dot gov,
slash benefits or something like that. You can search for
it or you can get my book Outstanding Again.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Thank you to former under Secretary for Benefits at the
Veterans Administration, doctor Paul Lawrence. For more information, check out
his book Veterans Benefits for You. Coming up, it's back
to school for students all around Kentucky and for the
state's largest public school system. It's always it's a challenge,
and it's Superintendent Doctor Marty Polio speaks ahead of school opening.
Back after this in Kentucky, phoonos, have.
Speaker 10 (12:10):
You noticed bad behavior has become normalized at interscholastic athletic events.
Some fan seem angry, They lack civility toward one another.
Some even get aggressive and unruly.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Time out. What is going on?
Speaker 11 (12:27):
This has to stop.
Speaker 10 (12:29):
Let's not forget school sports aren't just about winning, and
they're definitely not an excuse to take your frustrations out
on the official or the opponent. They're about teaching lessons
like perseverance, respect, and empathy so students can learn and
grow as people, not just as players. We all have
a role to play in setting a good example for
(12:50):
our students and teaching them these important values. So fans,
it's time to step up your game and behave positively
at interscholastic athletic events in Kentucky.
Speaker 12 (13:00):
Brought to you by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
and the Kentucky Athletic Administrators Association.
Speaker 13 (13:08):
Hi.
Speaker 14 (13:08):
I'm Peyton Manning, and I'm partnering with the American Red
Cross this year to tackle blood shortages. Giving blood's important
because every two seconds, someone actually needs blood, and unfortunately,
only like three percent of the US population donates, So
we have to step up to give and to make
sure there's plenty of blood available for those in need.
(13:30):
Visit redcrossblood dot org to get in the game and
make an appointment to give.
Speaker 15 (13:37):
They are our cuddlers and coworkers, per machines and love
bugs and constant companions. They are our pets, our family,
and they make life so much better when we face
unexpected challenges in life.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
So do our pets.
Speaker 15 (13:53):
That's why we're on a mission to support people who
love their pets and the pets who love their people,
ensuring these family stay exactly where they belong together and
you have something to offer with an open heart and mind,
there is nothing you can't do.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
There's no gesture too small or too big when it
comes to helping. Whether donating a bag of kibble, sharing
an Instagram post of a lost cat, or welcoming a
foster pet into your home, every bit of kindness counts.
You can help keep pets and people together. Visit Pets
and People Together dot org to learn how to be
(14:30):
a helper in your community. This has been a public
service announcement brought to you by Maddie's Fund, the Humane
Society of the United States, and the AD Council.
Speaker 13 (14:37):
I'm Scarlet Johansson. My family relied on public assistance to
help provide meals for us. These meals fueled my involvement
in theater and the arts as a child, which fostered
my love for acting. The Feeding American network of food
banks helps millions of people put food on the table.
You can join the movement to end hunger by donating, volunteering,
and advocating, because when people are fed, futures are nourished.
(15:00):
A Movement to end Hunger at Feeding America dot org.
Slash Act now brought to you by Feeding America and
the AD Council.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
As the state's largest public school system, things can pretty
much be a challenge all the time and it's superintended.
Doctor Martyfolio is of course no stranger to the public
spotlight throughout the Commonwealth and continues to be a lightning rod,
but carries on the challenges. Perhaps the biggest issue facing
doctor Polio that's cornered national attention is of course the
(15:30):
bussing issue, and for Marty he admits changes needed to
be made.
Speaker 16 (15:34):
You know, admittedly, one of our errors that we made,
one of the major errors we made last year was
making changes to bus stops and routes all the way
up to the first day of school. So last year,
at this time we would have been adding bus stops
and changing routes. That cost a whole lot of confusion
for bus drivers who were doing new times and new
schools and all new routes, and then adding those just
(15:57):
caused a lot of problems. So we started the process
much early. We started communicating with parents about transportation really
in June, with a pause period that said after July
twenty second, you know, we may be able to find
existing stops for you, but we're not going to change
the routes. And then once we get school off and going,
if we need to make some changes, we will, and
I think that has been a huge improvement for us.
(16:19):
We're getting a lot of positive feedback from bus drivers
about that, that they've been able to practice their routes.
You know, for the past two or three weeks, we've
got a couple of scrimmage days and they've gone very well.
So I think it's you know, unfortunately, lessons learned from
difficult times. But I think we've been getting good response
from parents. And our four eight five ride number has
been up for weeks now and it will still it
(16:41):
will be up around the clock, you know, almost twelve
hours a day over the next few days.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Staying with the transportation issue, many parents have said they
would love to send their children to some of the
Magnet programs but simply can't get them there, to which
doctor Polio responds.
Speaker 16 (16:56):
Well, once again, you know, we still offer the stipend
and we'd encourage parents that you know, I know, the
first few weeks of school are not going to have
those tark drivers. We believe will be bringing back some
services when we get you know, it's still dependent upon
those seventy tark drivers getting the certification that they need,
but we think they'll get those since their cdo licensed
and then so we should have some improved or some
(17:18):
additional routes coming for our magnet schools and those will
be for free and reduce lunch students. You know, once again,
we're giving the stipend to all families to transport their
kids if they transport their kids on a monthly basis,
you know, five dollars a day for non free and
reduce and ten dollars a day for free and reduce.
So understand completely the challenge that is with parents. Once again,
(17:42):
though I still believe we have great reside schools that
families can go to. But the bottom line is we
just we're past the point in our time where we
can transport sixty four thousand kids and it was probably
three years ago, when maybe four years ago when we
passed that time, so that pays change had to make.
We had to get down to about forty thousand.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Again, we're talking back to school as the largest public
school system in the state gets back at it, Jefferson
County Public Schools, and we're hearing from doctor Marty Pollio
and a sure sign of the time, schools around the
nation are putting weapons detectors in place ahead of yet
another school year that has now rived in the Commonwealth,
Doctor Polliel on the JCPS plan, you know, it's.
Speaker 16 (18:22):
One of the things I'm very proud of. I mean,
you know, we talked several years ago about the elimination
of SROs and jcps and at our peak, we only
had twenty eight SROs for one hundred and fifty five schools.
And now, you know, we just knew that that model
wasn't you know, right or wrong, That model wasn't sustainable
where we outsource it to police departments who are having
shortages of police officers as well, and so we created
(18:44):
our own police department, like a lot of some other
major school districts have done. We had two police officers
to start last year. Because of our great leadership, we
now have forty police officers. We'll have fifty five in
the next couple of months, which really makes it about
one officer per school per three schools, which is where
we're going to be. We're never going to be able
to hire one hundred and fifty five officers in today's
(19:05):
day and age, but fifty five is an incredible feat.
And then along with weapons detection and all high schools,
which dramatically reduced our you know, weapons in schools last year,
and then we'll have them all in middle schools by
the middle of the year. So, you know, our sometimes,
you know, as we know nationally, things happen and it's
difficult to stop. But we've got to take every preventative
(19:26):
measure possible, and I think we're doing that.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Hot button issue in the schools this year, of course,
are cell phones in schools. ABC's Mike Dubuski takes a look.
Speaker 17 (19:35):
Starting next year, public school students in Virginia may have
to leave their smartphones at home. Governor Glenn Youngkin has
signed an executive order directing the state's Department of Education
to draft guidance for how to establish a cell phone
free education. The order site's rising rates of depression and
suicide in adolescents. The guidance is said to be adopted
(19:56):
January first. Virginia joins Florida, New York City, and Los
Angeles County schools in moving to ban phones like Debaski,
ABC News.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
And as far as implementing them here, doctor Marty Polio.
Speaker 16 (20:08):
Yeah, we do not have that policy right now. I mean,
right now, what has tried to done we try to
do is teach kids when and where they're able to
use it and not able to use it. But it
is a huge challenge for teachers. I mean, it gets
more difficult by the years the technology increases. It really does.
And I mean when I first started as a principal,
I mean, kids might have had a flip phone, but
they didn't have, you know, the smartphones, and so it's become,
(20:31):
without a doubt, for students across this country, a major distraction,
and so we're watching that. I mean, there's a lot
of difficulties when it comes to having kids give up
their phones and put them in a pouch or something
like that to start the day, and some workarounds that
kids are pretty darn good with technology. I'm better than
the adults a lot of times, and so they figure
things out. So, you know, it's a step that I
(20:53):
could see probably happening in the future. I think we
got to do it the right way and take our
time with it. But you know, the ways, it's hard
enough to engage kids and teenagers as we know that
much less now with cell phones, So I think it
could be something that's coming.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Something all school districts are dealing with, especially this time
of year is navigating a sometimes busy parking lot, as
walking to school has pretty much become a lost art
for most kids. How is a large school district like
JCPS handling They're parking slash traffic issues this year.
Speaker 16 (21:22):
Whether it's private school, public school, county school. We know
when all kids are being dropped off at school at
the same time and being picked up at the same time,
it's going to cause traffic jams. I mean, there's no
other way around that. But we did know that of
the twenty five schools that are Magnet schools, there's going
to be an increase in cars. So we did hire
a traffic coordinator, someone who has experience in developing traffic
(21:44):
patterns effectively, and brought them in to look at those
twenty five schools and really changed a lot of the
things that we can do to make it more efficient
to have more cars on campus to get in and out.
So there will be traffic, there is no doubt. And
trust me, the first couple of days, three or four days,
it'll be worse because you know, news kids coming to
(22:05):
a school, parents don't know where to go. But you
know it takes a little bit of time. But we
made a lot of changes to parking lots and traffic
patterns at schools to support that.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Again, we're hearing from doctor Marty Polio, superintendent for the
largest public school district in Kentucky. Now, next year will
mark the fifth anniversary of COVID. It changed so much
for so many to include education. So are things starting
to resemble normalcy prior to COVID. Let's say, you, doctor Polio, you.
Speaker 16 (22:31):
Still have a lot of kids in the you know,
school district that have obviously the vast majority of kids
have been evected in one way or another by COVID
and virtual learning and all of those things. And so
you know that's not easily replaceable, but I think over time,
as I said, then it's going to take several years.
You know, our intentional focus on I mean we've got
a laser like focus on reading and math since that time,
(22:54):
and it's been you know, really intentional to say, if
we're going to recover anything, the most important we're going
to recover is literacy and numerous the skills. And so
having that focus has helped us out a lot. And
then making sure we get additional learning time for our kids,
so summer learning, after school learning all of those things,
and you know, slowly but surely, I think we're seeing
(23:14):
kids rebound from that.
Speaker 18 (23:18):
Not completing high school is more of a social thing
than it was an academic thing. I came out in
the eleventh grade. Nobody was embracing you. The kids were cruel.
It was very difficult to be gay. Even all these
years have passed, I still had that longing to have
my diploma. The hard part was determining that I was
(23:39):
going to do it. But I definitely didn't do it alone.
Speaker 11 (23:42):
At age thirty, with the help of her mentor, Carissa
finished her high school diploma.
Speaker 18 (23:46):
I have a mentor, Maria. She convinced me to continue
my education and to finish what I started to get
my diploma. Just never judges. She's a true role model.
If you're even considering getting your high school to clum
go get it. You can do it.
Speaker 11 (24:03):
No one gets a diploma alone. If you're thinking of
finishing your high school diploma, you have help find free
adult education classes near you at Finish your Diploma dot org.
That's Finish your Diploma dot org, brought to you by
the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and the ad Council.
Speaker 19 (24:18):
You say you'd never give into a meltdown, never let
kids toys take over the house, and never fill your
feed with kid photos. You'd never planned your life around
their schedule, never lock your thumb to clean their face,
(24:38):
and you'd never let them leave the house looking like
less than their best. You say you'd never put a
pacifier in your mouth to clean it, never let them
stay up too late, and never let them run wild
through the grocery store. Three So when you say you'd
(24:59):
never let them get into a car without you there,
no it can happen. One in four hot car deaths
happen when a kid gets into an unlocked car and
can't get out. Never happens before you leave the car.
Always stop look lock.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Brought to you by NITS and the AD Council Tech trends.
Speaker 12 (25:18):
On this vote, the eyes are ninety one, the nays
are three, and the motion is agreed to.
Speaker 17 (25:23):
Two pieces of tech legislation are now one step closer
to becoming law.
Speaker 20 (25:28):
You know, if these past these would be the sort
of the biggest pieces of tech any kind of tech
regulation that we've seen in the years.
Speaker 17 (25:34):
And Gadget's Gariza Beel says, the first bill that passed
out of the Senate is the Kids Online Safety Act,
which is aimed at giving parents and kids more control
over what they see on social media.
Speaker 20 (25:45):
Give teens ability to disable algorithmic feeds. It requires companies
to provide prontal supervision tools.
Speaker 17 (25:52):
The other bill is the Children and Teens Online Privacy
Protection Act, a modernization of a ninety ninety eight privacy law.
Speaker 20 (26:00):
It's really around the collection of personal data. Information about
teens prevents companies from targeting advertising to minors. Requires consent
for the collection of personal information.
Speaker 17 (26:10):
The bills next head to the House of Representatives. With
tech trends, I'm Mike Debaski, but.
Speaker 13 (26:17):
Do not.
Speaker 21 (26:20):
Go, and the they say please don't always sing with
me that means going And the judas they say please,
they'll always remember Bisbee.
Speaker 19 (26:36):
Don't drive distracted.
Speaker 9 (26:37):
A message brought to you by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, Project yellow Light and the AD Council.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Welcome back. I'm Scott Fitzgerald and you're listening to Kentucky Focus.
That will wrap it up for us this week.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Again.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Thank you to former Undersecretary for Benefits at the Veterans Administration,
doctor Paul Lawrence. For more information. Check out his book
Veterans Benefits for You and see if you're missing out
on benefits or maybe a vet you know and or
their spouse. Also thank you to doctor Marty Folio, superintendent
for the state's largest public school district, Jefferson County Public Schools.
As schools all around are great, state are heading back
(27:16):
for the new school year. That said, I know I
speak for all of us here in Kentucky Focus and
the Kentucky News Network will and wish all students here
in the Commonwealth heading back to school and or college
this fall all the best and look forward to bringing
you stories that help shape education in our state throughout
the upcoming school year. As always, make it a safe
and great week. We'll talk to you next time on
(27:37):
Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the show that
looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and it's citizens. We
cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports, and
even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
HI.
Speaker 9 (27:56):
We're the Googoo Dolls. We're fortunate that our daughters have
what they need to grow and learn, but that isn't
the case for nearly thirteen million kids in the US
that struggle with hunger.
Speaker 22 (28:05):
Childhood hunger is a heartbreaking reality that Feeding America is
working to change. Each year, the Feeding American network of
food banks rescues billions of pounds of good food that
would have gone to waste and provides it to families
and children in need.
Speaker 9 (28:17):
You can help kids in need in your community by
visiting Feeding America dot org.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Brought to you by Feeding America and the AD Council.
Speaker 23 (28:26):
The Alzheimer's Association and the AD Council present the story
of Tom and Levi.
Speaker 12 (28:31):
Tom is the smartest man I know. He's been a
professor at two major university. He's been a teacher for
over forty years. One day he told me that he
was having problems and his classes. I think one of
the students had asked the question and he didn't remember
the answer. And I also noticed that he was letting
his class out earlier than they were supposed to let out,
and he was telling them that he was doing it
(28:53):
as a favor to them, but I think in reality,
he just wanted to get out of there. I was
really starting to worry because I saw something that is wrong.
Speaker 19 (29:01):
Levi and I talked about how it would change our lives.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
But he was there beside me, and my love for
him was just immense.
Speaker 23 (29:12):
When something feels different, it could be Alzheimer's. Now is
the time to talk. Visit alz dot org slash our
stories to learn more. A message from the Alzheimer's Association
and the AD Council
Coming off fine. This week's Kentucky Focus Are you a veteran?
Are you getting all the benefits you're entitled to? Plus?
School is back in session of Rode covid Wealth. What
are some of the biggest issues facing the state's largest
public school district. I'm Scott Fitzgerald and this is Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the
show that looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and it's citizens.
We cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports,
and even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Out Here in the middle of all these acres, it
can feel like you're the only person on earth, And
sometimes that's how it feels when you're going through tough times.
Stress builds up, you have trouble sleeping, maybe your mind
is racing and you just don't feel like yourself. So
what do we do We get help. Lots of people
(00:57):
are struggling with their mental health. It's more common than
you think. The good news is there are people in
our community who are here for us when times are tough.
Sometimes just talking to someone can make all the difference
in the world. So we don't feel so alone. One
thing you can do is visit love youormind today dot
org for simple steps you can take to find the
(01:18):
right solution for you, whether it's hearing stories about what
other people are going through or finding the resources we
need to navigate the stresses in our lives. Visit love
youormind today dot org. That's Love your Mind Today dot org,
brought to you by the Huntsman in the Twelfth Institute
and the ad Council.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
When it comes to making plans, you are the best.
What about those roundtrips that you plan in advance, which
are perfect on your way there and perfect on your
way back. Or those meetings with friends for we to
make a group chat three months before so that nobody
or anything is missing.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
Or your daughter's first birthday party you.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Planned it with such stadiction that instead of the first
it felt like our kinses. The same way, you plan
each detail for those moments. Start planning to protect you
and your loved ones from a natural disaster.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
Sign up for local weather and.
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Emergency alerts, prepare an emergency kit, and make a family
communications plan. Protecting your family is the best plan you
can make.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
Get started at Ready dot gov. Slash plan brought to
you by FEMA and the AD Council.
Speaker 7 (02:35):
Wake up and text, Text and eat, Text and catch
the bus, Text and miss your stopitit wait, Text and
be late to work sorrybly, Text and work, Text and
pretend to work, Text and ax. Surprised when someone calls
(02:57):
you out for not working me. Text and meet up
with a friend you haven't seen in forever. Hi O,
Text and complain that they're on their phone the whole time.
Text and listen to them. Complain that you're on your
phone the whole time. Uh, Text and whatever. But when
you get behind the wheel, give your phone to a passenger,
(03:18):
put it in the glovebox.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Just don't text and drive.
Speaker 7 (03:22):
Visit stop texts, Stop rex dot org a public service
announcement brought to you by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and the AD Council.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Well many veterans don't realize that some of the most
valuable benefits they've earned through their military experience do not expire.
Disability compensation homon't guarantee. Just to name a few, A
disability compensation claim can really be filed as early as
one hundred and eighty days prior to completion of active
duty and throughout the remainder of a veteran's life. Well,
we're joined by someone today who can tell us all
(03:56):
about that, and of course is doctor Paul Lawrence. He
oversaw benveterance benefits programs and start personally with thousands of
veterans attending virtual town halls during the COVID pandemic and
while helping folks who needed a little assistance, so to
help well, his fellow veterans better access the benefits they're
entitled to. Doctor Lawrence is of course the author of
a couple of books, Veterans Benefits for You and Get
(04:19):
What You Deserve. I was published in twenty and twenty three,
and of course he was nominated by then President Donald
Trump to serve as the seventh Undersecretary for Benefits. So
he knows a thing or two am about what he's
talking about, and he joins us, Doctor Lawrence, thank you
for taking time. It's a pleasure to talk to you.
Speaker 8 (04:36):
No, hey, nice to be with you, Scotten. Thanks for
caring about our veterans and trying to get the word
out about benefits.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Well that's no problem, doctor Lawrence. Like yourself, I'm a
veteran too, so this is near and dear to my heart.
And I spent some wonderful time in the United States Navy,
travel in the world, and my biggest benefit for me
has been my VA home loan that has helped us tremendously.
We've loved that benefit. But you're a vet and have
a long history with the military. Tell us about yourself.
Speaker 8 (05:03):
Well, so I did my fulfill my ROTC requirement. It's
been three years in the army. But I grew up
in a military family. My father was a career Army officer,
so we traveled the world, you know, and I saw
in fight the Cold War. So we have my brother
served in the Army too, So yeah, we're kind of
a military family.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
That's awesome. Doctor Paul Lawrence joining us now talking about
veterans benefits, and doctor Lawrence, for those who have recently
left the military there, you know, they pretty much leave
up to speed, thanks of course to the military separation
workshops that they do a great job with. But what
do you say to veterans who have been away from
the service for a while who may not know where
to turn.
Speaker 8 (05:38):
Yeah, well, what happens, of course on your way out
as you get a shot of benefits. It's kind of
like a fire hose, and so you quickly forget it.
And so folks after a while wake up and said
I heard something about this. So I tell them all
the time, please please please understand, benefits are not an entitlement.
These are something you've earned. It's very special by the
nature of your service, hopefully your honorable service in the
(05:58):
US military. So you can art by learning about him.
If you're good on the computer, go to VA dot gov.
And if not, That's why I wrote the book Veterans
Benefits for You, because I just found there was an
absence of easy to read information with all the benefits
in one place, but there's a whole host of or resources.
But I tell folks, please don't forget your benefits. It's
never too late to come back.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
You bet. Doctor Paul Lawrence joining us now, He of
course served as our seventh Undersecretary for Benefits with the
VAA military veteran himself, comes from a family of veterans,
so he knows the thing or two about this. And
we're talking about the benefits that are still available to
you as a vet. If you're listening, Doc, what are
some of the common misunderstandings when it comes to benefits
(06:40):
and what well known benefits do. Veterans tend to overlook
the most sure, So.
Speaker 8 (06:45):
One of the common misunderstandings is, gee, I'm pretty good.
Folks need it worse than I do. I'm not going
to apply for benefits. And that's not really true. Congress
has to provide the money for VA benefits. It's like
mandatory spending, like Social Security benefits. Don't take it away
from anybody. So please, please, please don't think like that.
Come and apply for your benefits. There's a whole host
(07:07):
people don't understand, or they often know about disability compensation.
Hey I got hurt during service and I can get
money from deal with expenses and maybe some foregone wages,
as they say you pointed out, Scott. The value of
the home loan guarantee, the ability to purchase a home
with no money down. That's a game change. Oh yeah,
parried to civilians who have to save or a down payment.
But that can be used multiple times, so after you
(07:29):
sell your home, you can use it again to purchase
another home. And of course the education benefits. You know,
what we know is a GI bill often thought of college,
but it can be used now for certificates and credentials
that can really help you in the job market.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Doctor Paul Lawrence joining us talking about Veterans Benefits. Great
information if you're a VET and you're listening right now.
VA dot CUV is the website or he's the author
of numerous books such as Veterans Benefits for You and
Transforming Service to Veterans. You can get that pretty much anywhere.
Books are so fantastic reads that outline these and doctor Lawrence,
(08:02):
well we have you. If a VET has recently lost
their job and let's say health insurance, are they eligible
to receive care through the VA and if so, how
did they go about getting enrolled?
Speaker 8 (08:11):
So they may be there's some incocracies about getting care
based on your service connection and how you serve, but
they can go to VA dot gov and apply for
start the registration process to getting into you know, the VHA,
the Veterans Health Administration. But if they've recently lost their
job and if they're service connected, I'd ask them to
look to at the benefit called VR and e Veterans
(08:34):
Readyness Unemployment, which offers training and the like to get
veterans employed. So if he's sort of been downsized or
your skills are not relevant. VR and E is a
really good benefit to look at.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
That's a program I didn't even know about, doctor Lawrence. Wow,
that's interesting. Okay, we'll check that out as well. And
doctor Lawrence, why is it important for a veteran's spouse
to be familiar with the VA benefit system?
Speaker 9 (08:56):
Oh?
Speaker 8 (08:57):
Yeah, this is a really good point, Scott. Under certain conditions,
if your veteran passes, the spouse and the family could
be eligible for benefits. So it's really important you know
about the status of your veteran and you understand what
his situation is with the VA, because you want to
know if you'd be eligible for benefits if something happens
to him or her. So it's one of those things
(09:18):
where again veterans say I'm good, I don't need benefits.
What I remind them is it could have helped your family.
So if you really do love and care for them,
really think about applying for benefits and telling them about
them so they understand what might be available if something
happens to you.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Doctor Paul Lawrence of course joining us talking about veterans benefits.
He was nominated by then President Donald Trump to serve
as the seventh Undersecretary for Benefits. He's a veteran himself,
comes from a military family, so knows a thing or
two about this. Authored a few books signed Veterans benefits,
and we'll talk about those here in just a second
and tell you where you can go to get those.
(09:53):
What are some of those benefits, doctor Lawrence? Maybe from
the fifty thousand foot version that spouses our maybe eligible
after a service member passes.
Speaker 8 (10:02):
Right, Well, that's right, so you can use the spouse
surviving spouse could use the home loan guarantee. There's also
an education benefit, and if they fall on hard times
their assets aren't reach a certain level, they would be
eligible eligible for what's called a survivor pension, a payment
to you know, you know, a needs based payment to
support them. So there's a range of benefits that that would.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Be available outstanding, and again doctor Lawrence, joining us, a
couple more questions for you, doctor, before we let you go.
What are important things for a service member to know
when they're applying for say disability, What should they have
at hand which do their homework?
Speaker 8 (10:38):
Maybe, yeah, definitely do your homework. You should have a
record that so here's how you get disability compensation. Something
happened to you in service and it still bothers you now,
so let's pull that apart. So I got injured in service.
So you should have some treatment records demonstrating you got hurt.
You should show be able to show with your d
D two fourteen that this happened while you were in service,
and you'll have to demonstrate that now it's still bothers me.
(11:01):
So you have to have documentation as clear as possible.
And then when you apply, submit a completed application, put
all the information there and make it easy to get approved.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Outstanding doctor Paul Lawrence joining us now. He has served
as the seventh Under Secretary for Benefits. He's the author
of Veterans Benefits for You and Transforming Service to Veterans.
You can get those anywhere books are sold, doctor Lawrence. Finally,
before we go, someone's listening to this, maybe they're on
the road in a nutshell. Can they simply visit the
VA's website if they have any questions at all?
Speaker 8 (11:34):
Yes, they can. I mean again, you know sort of
websites are sometimes hard to navigate. That's right, VA dot gov,
slash benefits or something like that. You can search for
it or you can get my book Outstanding Again.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Thank you to former under Secretary for Benefits at the
Veterans Administration, doctor Paul Lawrence. For more information, check out
his book Veterans Benefits for You. Coming up, it's back
to school for students all around Kentucky and for the
state's largest public school system. It's always it's a challenge,
and it's Superintendent Doctor Marty Polio speaks ahead of school opening.
Back after this in Kentucky, phoonos, have.
Speaker 10 (12:10):
You noticed bad behavior has become normalized at interscholastic athletic events.
Some fan seem angry, They lack civility toward one another.
Some even get aggressive and unruly.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Time out. What is going on?
Speaker 11 (12:27):
This has to stop.
Speaker 10 (12:29):
Let's not forget school sports aren't just about winning, and
they're definitely not an excuse to take your frustrations out
on the official or the opponent. They're about teaching lessons
like perseverance, respect, and empathy so students can learn and
grow as people, not just as players. We all have
a role to play in setting a good example for
(12:50):
our students and teaching them these important values. So fans,
it's time to step up your game and behave positively
at interscholastic athletic events in Kentucky.
Speaker 12 (13:00):
Brought to you by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
and the Kentucky Athletic Administrators Association.
Speaker 13 (13:08):
Hi.
Speaker 14 (13:08):
I'm Peyton Manning, and I'm partnering with the American Red
Cross this year to tackle blood shortages. Giving blood's important
because every two seconds, someone actually needs blood, and unfortunately,
only like three percent of the US population donates, So
we have to step up to give and to make
sure there's plenty of blood available for those in need.
(13:30):
Visit redcrossblood dot org to get in the game and
make an appointment to give.
Speaker 15 (13:37):
They are our cuddlers and coworkers, per machines and love
bugs and constant companions. They are our pets, our family,
and they make life so much better when we face
unexpected challenges in life.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
So do our pets.
Speaker 15 (13:53):
That's why we're on a mission to support people who
love their pets and the pets who love their people,
ensuring these family stay exactly where they belong together and
you have something to offer with an open heart and mind,
there is nothing you can't do.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
There's no gesture too small or too big when it
comes to helping. Whether donating a bag of kibble, sharing
an Instagram post of a lost cat, or welcoming a
foster pet into your home, every bit of kindness counts.
You can help keep pets and people together. Visit Pets
and People Together dot org to learn how to be
(14:30):
a helper in your community. This has been a public
service announcement brought to you by Maddie's Fund, the Humane
Society of the United States, and the AD Council.
Speaker 13 (14:37):
I'm Scarlet Johansson. My family relied on public assistance to
help provide meals for us. These meals fueled my involvement
in theater and the arts as a child, which fostered
my love for acting. The Feeding American network of food
banks helps millions of people put food on the table.
You can join the movement to end hunger by donating, volunteering,
and advocating, because when people are fed, futures are nourished.
(15:00):
A Movement to end Hunger at Feeding America dot org.
Slash Act now brought to you by Feeding America and
the AD Council.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
As the state's largest public school system, things can pretty
much be a challenge all the time and it's superintended.
Doctor Martyfolio is of course no stranger to the public
spotlight throughout the Commonwealth and continues to be a lightning rod,
but carries on the challenges. Perhaps the biggest issue facing
doctor Polio that's cornered national attention is of course the
(15:30):
bussing issue, and for Marty he admits changes needed to
be made.
Speaker 16 (15:34):
You know, admittedly, one of our errors that we made,
one of the major errors we made last year was
making changes to bus stops and routes all the way
up to the first day of school. So last year,
at this time we would have been adding bus stops
and changing routes. That cost a whole lot of confusion
for bus drivers who were doing new times and new
schools and all new routes, and then adding those just
(15:57):
caused a lot of problems. So we started the process
much early. We started communicating with parents about transportation really
in June, with a pause period that said after July
twenty second, you know, we may be able to find
existing stops for you, but we're not going to change
the routes. And then once we get school off and going,
if we need to make some changes, we will, and
I think that has been a huge improvement for us.
(16:19):
We're getting a lot of positive feedback from bus drivers
about that, that they've been able to practice their routes.
You know, for the past two or three weeks, we've
got a couple of scrimmage days and they've gone very well.
So I think it's you know, unfortunately, lessons learned from
difficult times. But I think we've been getting good response
from parents. And our four eight five ride number has
been up for weeks now and it will still it
(16:41):
will be up around the clock, you know, almost twelve
hours a day over the next few days.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Staying with the transportation issue, many parents have said they
would love to send their children to some of the
Magnet programs but simply can't get them there, to which
doctor Polio responds.
Speaker 16 (16:56):
Well, once again, you know, we still offer the stipend
and we'd encourage parents that you know, I know, the
first few weeks of school are not going to have
those tark drivers. We believe will be bringing back some
services when we get you know, it's still dependent upon
those seventy tark drivers getting the certification that they need,
but we think they'll get those since their cdo licensed
and then so we should have some improved or some
(17:18):
additional routes coming for our magnet schools and those will
be for free and reduce lunch students. You know, once again,
we're giving the stipend to all families to transport their
kids if they transport their kids on a monthly basis,
you know, five dollars a day for non free and
reduce and ten dollars a day for free and reduce.
So understand completely the challenge that is with parents. Once again,
(17:42):
though I still believe we have great reside schools that
families can go to. But the bottom line is we
just we're past the point in our time where we
can transport sixty four thousand kids and it was probably
three years ago, when maybe four years ago when we
passed that time, so that pays change had to make.
We had to get down to about forty thousand.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Again, we're talking back to school as the largest public
school system in the state gets back at it, Jefferson
County Public Schools, and we're hearing from doctor Marty Pollio
and a sure sign of the time, schools around the
nation are putting weapons detectors in place ahead of yet
another school year that has now rived in the Commonwealth,
Doctor Polliel on the JCPS plan, you know, it's.
Speaker 16 (18:22):
One of the things I'm very proud of. I mean,
you know, we talked several years ago about the elimination
of SROs and jcps and at our peak, we only
had twenty eight SROs for one hundred and fifty five schools.
And now, you know, we just knew that that model
wasn't you know, right or wrong, That model wasn't sustainable
where we outsource it to police departments who are having
shortages of police officers as well, and so we created
(18:44):
our own police department, like a lot of some other
major school districts have done. We had two police officers
to start last year. Because of our great leadership, we
now have forty police officers. We'll have fifty five in
the next couple of months, which really makes it about
one officer per school per three schools, which is where
we're going to be. We're never going to be able
to hire one hundred and fifty five officers in today's
(19:05):
day and age, but fifty five is an incredible feat.
And then along with weapons detection and all high schools,
which dramatically reduced our you know, weapons in schools last year,
and then we'll have them all in middle schools by
the middle of the year. So, you know, our sometimes,
you know, as we know nationally, things happen and it's
difficult to stop. But we've got to take every preventative
(19:26):
measure possible, and I think we're doing that.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Hot button issue in the schools this year, of course,
are cell phones in schools. ABC's Mike Dubuski takes a look.
Speaker 17 (19:35):
Starting next year, public school students in Virginia may have
to leave their smartphones at home. Governor Glenn Youngkin has
signed an executive order directing the state's Department of Education
to draft guidance for how to establish a cell phone
free education. The order site's rising rates of depression and
suicide in adolescents. The guidance is said to be adopted
(19:56):
January first. Virginia joins Florida, New York City, and Los
Angeles County schools in moving to ban phones like Debaski,
ABC News.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
And as far as implementing them here, doctor Marty Polio.
Speaker 16 (20:08):
Yeah, we do not have that policy right now. I mean,
right now, what has tried to done we try to
do is teach kids when and where they're able to
use it and not able to use it. But it
is a huge challenge for teachers. I mean, it gets
more difficult by the years the technology increases. It really does.
And I mean when I first started as a principal,
I mean, kids might have had a flip phone, but
they didn't have, you know, the smartphones, and so it's become,
(20:31):
without a doubt, for students across this country, a major distraction,
and so we're watching that. I mean, there's a lot
of difficulties when it comes to having kids give up
their phones and put them in a pouch or something
like that to start the day, and some workarounds that
kids are pretty darn good with technology. I'm better than
the adults a lot of times, and so they figure
things out. So, you know, it's a step that I
(20:53):
could see probably happening in the future. I think we
got to do it the right way and take our
time with it. But you know, the ways, it's hard
enough to engage kids and teenagers as we know that
much less now with cell phones, So I think it
could be something that's coming.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Something all school districts are dealing with, especially this time
of year is navigating a sometimes busy parking lot, as
walking to school has pretty much become a lost art
for most kids. How is a large school district like
JCPS handling They're parking slash traffic issues this year.
Speaker 16 (21:22):
Whether it's private school, public school, county school. We know
when all kids are being dropped off at school at
the same time and being picked up at the same time,
it's going to cause traffic jams. I mean, there's no
other way around that. But we did know that of
the twenty five schools that are Magnet schools, there's going
to be an increase in cars. So we did hire
a traffic coordinator, someone who has experience in developing traffic
(21:44):
patterns effectively, and brought them in to look at those
twenty five schools and really changed a lot of the
things that we can do to make it more efficient
to have more cars on campus to get in and out.
So there will be traffic, there is no doubt. And
trust me, the first couple of days, three or four days,
it'll be worse because you know, news kids coming to
(22:05):
a school, parents don't know where to go. But you
know it takes a little bit of time. But we
made a lot of changes to parking lots and traffic
patterns at schools to support that.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Again, we're hearing from doctor Marty Polio, superintendent for the
largest public school district in Kentucky. Now, next year will
mark the fifth anniversary of COVID. It changed so much
for so many to include education. So are things starting
to resemble normalcy prior to COVID. Let's say, you, doctor Polio, you.
Speaker 16 (22:31):
Still have a lot of kids in the you know,
school district that have obviously the vast majority of kids
have been evected in one way or another by COVID
and virtual learning and all of those things. And so
you know that's not easily replaceable, but I think over time,
as I said, then it's going to take several years.
You know, our intentional focus on I mean we've got
a laser like focus on reading and math since that time,
(22:54):
and it's been you know, really intentional to say, if
we're going to recover anything, the most important we're going
to recover is literacy and numerous the skills. And so
having that focus has helped us out a lot. And
then making sure we get additional learning time for our kids,
so summer learning, after school learning all of those things,
and you know, slowly but surely, I think we're seeing
(23:14):
kids rebound from that.
Speaker 18 (23:18):
Not completing high school is more of a social thing
than it was an academic thing. I came out in
the eleventh grade. Nobody was embracing you. The kids were cruel.
It was very difficult to be gay. Even all these
years have passed, I still had that longing to have
my diploma. The hard part was determining that I was
(23:39):
going to do it. But I definitely didn't do it alone.
Speaker 11 (23:42):
At age thirty, with the help of her mentor, Carissa
finished her high school diploma.
Speaker 18 (23:46):
I have a mentor, Maria. She convinced me to continue
my education and to finish what I started to get
my diploma. Just never judges. She's a true role model.
If you're even considering getting your high school to clum
go get it. You can do it.
Speaker 11 (24:03):
No one gets a diploma alone. If you're thinking of
finishing your high school diploma, you have help find free
adult education classes near you at Finish your Diploma dot org.
That's Finish your Diploma dot org, brought to you by
the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and the ad Council.
Speaker 19 (24:18):
You say you'd never give into a meltdown, never let
kids toys take over the house, and never fill your
feed with kid photos. You'd never planned your life around
their schedule, never lock your thumb to clean their face,
(24:38):
and you'd never let them leave the house looking like
less than their best. You say you'd never put a
pacifier in your mouth to clean it, never let them
stay up too late, and never let them run wild
through the grocery store. Three So when you say you'd
(24:59):
never let them get into a car without you there,
no it can happen. One in four hot car deaths
happen when a kid gets into an unlocked car and
can't get out. Never happens before you leave the car.
Always stop look lock.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Brought to you by NITS and the AD Council Tech trends.
Speaker 12 (25:18):
On this vote, the eyes are ninety one, the nays
are three, and the motion is agreed to.
Speaker 17 (25:23):
Two pieces of tech legislation are now one step closer
to becoming law.
Speaker 20 (25:28):
You know, if these past these would be the sort
of the biggest pieces of tech any kind of tech
regulation that we've seen in the years.
Speaker 17 (25:34):
And Gadget's Gariza Beel says, the first bill that passed
out of the Senate is the Kids Online Safety Act,
which is aimed at giving parents and kids more control
over what they see on social media.
Speaker 20 (25:45):
Give teens ability to disable algorithmic feeds. It requires companies
to provide prontal supervision tools.
Speaker 17 (25:52):
The other bill is the Children and Teens Online Privacy
Protection Act, a modernization of a ninety ninety eight privacy law.
Speaker 20 (26:00):
It's really around the collection of personal data. Information about
teens prevents companies from targeting advertising to minors. Requires consent
for the collection of personal information.
Speaker 17 (26:10):
The bills next head to the House of Representatives. With
tech trends, I'm Mike Debaski, but.
Speaker 13 (26:17):
Do not.
Speaker 21 (26:20):
Go, and the they say please don't always sing with
me that means going And the judas they say please,
they'll always remember Bisbee.
Speaker 19 (26:36):
Don't drive distracted.
Speaker 9 (26:37):
A message brought to you by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, Project yellow Light and the AD Council.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Welcome back. I'm Scott Fitzgerald and you're listening to Kentucky Focus.
That will wrap it up for us this week.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Again.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Thank you to former Undersecretary for Benefits at the Veterans Administration,
doctor Paul Lawrence. For more information. Check out his book
Veterans Benefits for You and see if you're missing out
on benefits or maybe a vet you know and or
their spouse. Also thank you to doctor Marty Folio, superintendent
for the state's largest public school district, Jefferson County Public Schools.
As schools all around are great, state are heading back
(27:16):
for the new school year. That said, I know I
speak for all of us here in Kentucky Focus and
the Kentucky News Network will and wish all students here
in the Commonwealth heading back to school and or college
this fall all the best and look forward to bringing
you stories that help shape education in our state throughout
the upcoming school year. As always, make it a safe
and great week. We'll talk to you next time on
(27:37):
Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the show that
looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and it's citizens. We
cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports, and
even entertainment. It's Kentucky Focus on kNN.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
HI.
Speaker 9 (27:56):
We're the Googoo Dolls. We're fortunate that our daughters have
what they need to grow and learn, but that isn't
the case for nearly thirteen million kids in the US
that struggle with hunger.
Speaker 22 (28:05):
Childhood hunger is a heartbreaking reality that Feeding America is
working to change. Each year, the Feeding American network of
food banks rescues billions of pounds of good food that
would have gone to waste and provides it to families
and children in need.
Speaker 9 (28:17):
You can help kids in need in your community by
visiting Feeding America dot org.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Brought to you by Feeding America and the AD Council.
Speaker 23 (28:26):
The Alzheimer's Association and the AD Council present the story
of Tom and Levi.
Speaker 12 (28:31):
Tom is the smartest man I know. He's been a
professor at two major university. He's been a teacher for
over forty years. One day he told me that he
was having problems and his classes. I think one of
the students had asked the question and he didn't remember
the answer. And I also noticed that he was letting
his class out earlier than they were supposed to let out,
and he was telling them that he was doing it
(28:53):
as a favor to them, but I think in reality,
he just wanted to get out of there. I was
really starting to worry because I saw something that is wrong.
Speaker 19 (29:01):
Levi and I talked about how it would change our lives.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
But he was there beside me, and my love for
him was just immense.
Speaker 23 (29:12):
When something feels different, it could be Alzheimer's. Now is
the time to talk. Visit alz dot org slash our
stories to learn more. A message from the Alzheimer's Association
and the AD Council
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