October 3, 2025

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announces he is appointing State Senator and Senate Minority Whip, David Yates, as interim Jefferson County clerk, conference in Lexington explores ways to prevent human trafficking and other forms of domestic abuse, and infectious disease expert talks about rise in West Nile Virus cases in Kentucky.

Episode Transcript

(00:09):
>> You deserve to have the
confidence that every eligible
vote will be accurately counted,
and that your voice will be
truly heard.
>> A Kentucky state lawmaker is
ready to take another job.
>> West Nile virus isn't
transmitted from human to human.
It's only from mosquito to
human.
>> An infectious disease

(00:30):
specialist explains how to
protect yourself against the
West Nile virus.
>> I'm doing this to stay ahead
of Parkinson's.
>> And a free therapy program
helps those with Parkinson's
improve their quality of life.
>> Growing up.
>> Production of Kentucky
Edition is made possible in

(00:50):
part by the KET Millennium Fund.
>> Good evening and welcome to
Kentucky Edition for this
Friday, October the 3rd. We
made it to the weekend. I'm
Renee Shaw, and we thank you

(01:12):
for kicking off your weekend
with us. A leader of the
Kentucky General Assembly will
leave that job to become
Jefferson County clerk this
morning. Louisville Mayor Craig
Greenberg announced he's
appointing state Senator David
Yates as interim clerk,
replacing Bobbie Holsclaw, who
died September the 10th. Yates
is a Democrat serving now as

(01:33):
Senate Minority Whip. He's been
a member of the state Senate
since 2021. By law, Yates will
have to resign from the
Kentucky General Assembly in
order to be sworn in as interim
clerk. That's planned for
October the 8th. Yates will
serve until the next election
for county clerk in 2026. He
says he feels he's prepared for

(01:54):
the job based on his past
experience.
>> As I look back on my path,
Assistant Attorney general, the
UAW legal, the Metro Council to
Metro Council president, the
State Senate, the state Senate
leadership, all while being a
litigator for people. I believe
that his led me to and prepared

(02:16):
me for this new challenge, this
new, this new chapter of
service. I'm excited about the
opportunities before us. I know
our clerk's office. They serve
a lot of vital roles, but one
of the most sacred
responsibilities that we have
in a democracy that is running
free, fair and transparent

(02:38):
elections. Civilians deserve
nothing less. You deserve to
have the confidence that every
eligible vote will be
accurately counted, and that
your voice will be truly heard.
I'll fight to safeguard that
trust and provide the services
that you deserve.
>> Mayor Greenberg also
appointed Deputy Mayor David

(02:59):
James to replace Sheriff John
Aubrey, who died in office on
September the 23rd. James will
be the first black sheriff in
Jefferson County history.
>> I understand the weight of
history that's on my shoulders.
This is a milestone, but it's
not mine. It belongs to the

(03:21):
generations who paved the way
before me for greater inclusion
and fairness in public service.
I am committed to using the
office to build bridges,
strengthen trust, and ensure
that every resident of our
county feels protected,
respected and heard.
>> After Yates resigns from the

(03:42):
state Senate, Governor Andy
Beshear will need to call a
special election to fill Yates
Senate seat. Attention to
domestic violence is elevated
during the month of October, as
the issue is highlighted all
month long across the country.
This week, a national
conference was held in
Lexington to explore ways to

(04:02):
prevent human trafficking and
other forms of domestic abuse.
Our McKenzie Spink breaks down
the data, updates us on a new
initiative and explains why the
state's top elections official
is involved.
>> I always thought that human
trafficking was an urban
problem. This is a Las Vegas
problem or a Los Angeles
problem.
>> That's just one of the

(04:24):
misconceptions debunked at this
week's conference for the
National Association of
Confidential Address Programs.
>> It is, but it's also a huge
problem in rural areas. We
actually have proportionately
more human trafficking in the
Cumberland region of Kentucky
than we do in Louisville or
Lexington.
>> The issue of human
trafficking may seem odd for
Kentucky's top elections
official to take on, but his

(04:45):
office deals with business
filings and has a key interest
in helping them spot and stop
the crime in their
establishments. The Secretary
of State's office also oversees
the Kentucky Safe at Home
program, an address
confidentiality program that
helps survivors of certain
crimes, including sexual
assault, domestic violence,
trafficking, stalking, and

(05:07):
other crimes safely hide their
address on public records,
including voter rolls. Last
year in Kentucky, authorities
say there were 256 victims of
human trafficking. 27% of those
were minors. That's according
to the Kentucky nonprofit
refuge for women to help raise
awareness and intervene in
human trafficking scenarios.

(05:28):
Several states, including Iowa,
have partnered with businesses
to provide training on how to
spot the signs of trafficking.
>> Most businesses are groups
in their community, and whether
you're the owner or a manager,
your employees live there. They
have families there, they have
children. And when they are
given the facts, when they are,
you know, shared with them that

(05:49):
this is happening right here in
River city. That is an eye
opener. So they're ready to do
something, but they struggle
with is what do I do?
>> Kentucky Secretary of State
Michael Adams launched Kentucky
Businesses Against Trafficking
at the beginning of this year.
He says it started slow, but
now nearly 1000 businesses are

(06:10):
participating. A special focus
is put on the hospitality and
tourism industries.
>> We've had numerous events
around the state, many events
and other events, training
events. We've put a ton of
staff time into this. We're
doing this in rural areas,
urban areas, and you will see
that we're taking this
seriously and we're in it for
the long term. And so that's

(06:31):
helped us actually get a lot
more Joyner's recently than we
had back in January when we
launched. So now we're up to
several hundred thousand.
>> Deanna Lynn, executive
director of refuge for women,
is a survivor of human
trafficking. She says the extra
training and awareness could
make a real difference for
victims.
>> You ask somebody, are you a

(06:51):
victim of human trafficking? No,
no, I wasn't I wasn't kidnaped,
I wasn't forced into this. It
takes years to even identify
what happened. And so to have
these stickers I wish hotels
would have called. My room had
been like, are you okay in
there? I wish there were
stickers that said, you are not
for sale. What? The whole world

(07:13):
told me I was.
>> In 2023, Secretary Michael
Adams worked with state
lawmakers to strengthen the
state's address confidentiality
program. The revised law
removed the barrier of needing
an emergency protective order
to participate instead of an
EPO. Participants provide a
statement under the penalty of

(07:33):
perjury, explaining their need
to conceal their address. For
Kentucky Edition. I'm McKenzie
Spink.
>> Thank you. McKenzie. Now
moving to higher education news,
the Trump administration's
Department of Education says
the University of Kentucky
violated the federal Civil
Rights Act by taking part in a
conference designed for
students of color. According to

(07:55):
the department's investigation,
the department investigated 50
universities on allegations
they provided racial
preferences by attending the
conference or offering race
based scholarships. Of the 50,
45 were found to be in
violation for that conference.
UK partnered with a program
known as the D project. The
Department of Education says

(08:16):
the PhD project endorsed and
promoted a program that limited
participation based on race. In
a letter, UK President Eli
Capilouto said, quote, we will
as always, seek to comply with
the law and policy direction we
are given by federal policy
makers. That is our
responsibility. I believe it is

(08:36):
also how we can best protect
our people, their work and our
mission to advance this state.
End quote. Capilouto also says
UK has severed ties with the
PhD project. Time now to go
inside Kentucky politics on
this Friday. And we've got just
one solo soul joining us today.

(08:59):
The incomparable reporter from
the Courier-Journal. She's the
politics reporter Hannah Pinsky.
Thank you so much for being
with us this afternoon. We
appreciate it.
>> Yeah. Thank you for having
me on.
>> Yes. Our pleasure. So let's
talk about a couple of things
that you wrote this week that
people, we hope caught in the
CJ. And that was a
congressional district for the
sixth Congressional District,

(09:19):
which is in central Kentucky.
The Republican candidates
showed up for a young college
Republican forum. Tell us about
who was there, who's in that
race on that side of the
political ledger and what they
talked about?
>> Yeah, so we had all three
high profile candidates in the
House district six race on the
Republican side, really

(09:40):
discussed about for an hour, a
variety of issues, including
Israel, freedom of speech, and
even what committees that you'd
hope to serve on and what their
kind of legislative style would
be if they were elected to
represent the district in
Washington, D.C. and those
candidates include former state
Senator Ralph Alvarado and then

(10:00):
current state representatives
Deanna Frazier Gordon, as well
as Ryan Dodson.
>> Yes, and so did they talk a
lot about their. All three of
them have legislative
backgrounds, right. Ralph
Alvarado having served in the
state Senate, of course, he's
been he was the commissioner of
the Department of Public Health
in Tennessee. But did they talk

(10:22):
about their legislative
credentials as as a way to give
them extra street cred for why
they should be sent to
Washington?
>> They did. And I think what
was really interesting is that
they really they each had three
different messages on how they
would basically operate in
Washington, D.C. so kind of
start. So starting with
Representative Dodson, he

(10:43):
really talked about, you know,
being a fighter, his experience
in the state legislature and
being able to fight for
people's rights, being able to
stand up for what he calls
common sense, very much painted
it as a it's an us versus them.
Them, meaning the Democrats. So
he really painted himself as
the candidate, you know, who

(11:03):
would fight for the Central
District with Representative
Deanna Gordon? I think what was
interesting is that she really
painted herself as someone who
values transparency and who
would be a fighter as well. And
then you have Ralph Alvarado,
who really, I believe, touted
his background and experience
in the health care and saying
how, you know, we have a system

(11:24):
in the United States. That is
what he called broken and that
his experience and he's already
talked to, you know, current
physicians who do and doctors
who do serve in Congress about
sort of the ideas he could
bring and what he could do to
improve the health care system
for Americans as well.
>> Were there any kind of sharp
or stark differences in either
ideology or where they might

(11:45):
fall out on the issues, or do
they all seem to be pretty much
in lockstep on some of the
major problems confronting the
district and the country?
>> I think the one thing that
stood out to me was when they
talked about foreign affairs,
specifically with Israel and
AIPAC. Representative Dodson
had explicitly said, you know,
he would not accept any money

(12:07):
from AIPAC during that forum
because he said he believes
that foreign entities shouldn't
be used to influence American
elections. With that being said,
he did say he supported Israel.
He called them our friend and
an ally. And, you know, they
help democracy in the Middle
East. Whereas Alvarado and

(12:27):
Gordon, they kind of stood up
for AIPAC, but they did not
explicitly say whether or not
they would or would not accept
donations. And they were also
very supportive of Israel, like
Dodson was as well.
>> So let's shift now to a
different race. That's not yet
even a race, but in the fourth
Congressional District, we know
that President Donald Trump has

(12:49):
often been at odds with fourth
district Republican Congressman
Thomas Massie, and he's even
promised to primary him. And
there's actually political
action committees already out
there running ads against
Massie. But who is Trump
putting up to run? Where does
that stand? Is anybody in the
race to run against Massie yet?
>> You know, we have not heard

(13:10):
a name yet that Trump has
picked to run against Massie.
And it's interesting because
from the political scientists
I've talked to is that this is
a very rare and unique
situation where, you know,
where Massie could face a
significant challenger in his
primary. And so I know state
Senator Aaron Reid's name has

(13:30):
come up quite a bit, especially
in the beginning when Trump had
said, you know, he's going to
lead the charge to unseat
Massie. There was reporting
from Politico that, you know,
state Senator Aaron Reid had
visited with Trump at the white
House, but there were some
ideological differences,
differences between the two of
them, particularly when it
comes to abortion. So that
could be a reason why he has

(13:52):
not been chosen yet. We don't
know. But it'll be interesting
to see if Trump does follow
through with his words, saying
he will handpick what he calls
the great American patriot to
run against and unseat Massie.
>> And if you have noted,
Congressman Massie is pretty
popular in that district. Right.
And he and Rand Paul just kind
of crisscrossed the district

(14:13):
just last week together and got
a good reception. So it's going
to be tough to go up against
him.
>> It definitely is. And from a
couple of political and
Republican consultants I've
talked to, you know, the kind
of the thing is, whoever does
decide against Massie, they
might create a lot of friends,
especially in the MAGA world,
in the and in the Trump world.
But they're also going to

(14:33):
create, you know, sort of a lot
of political enemies in that
district as well. So the
question is, you know, who is
willing to step up to that
challenge with the mindset of,
you know, some of these folks,
do you think Massie is
unbeatable because of his
popularity in the district? And
so it'll be interesting to see
if, you know, Massie does have
a significant challenger, how
close that race could be.

(14:55):
>> Well, Hannah Pinsky,
politics writer with The
Courier Journal, it's great to
see you on this program.
Kentucky Edition. We know.
We'll see you on comment
probably really soon. Have a
great weekend.
>> You too.
>> There's a free resource for
Kentuckians with Parkinson's
disease. Western Kentucky

(15:16):
University's Communications
Disorders Clinic received a
grant last year to offer the
Speak Out Therapy program, both
in person and by telepractice.
Our Laura Rogers shows us how
it aims to slow down the
progression of the disorder.
>> Probably two years before it
was diagnosed, I was just

(15:37):
shaking a little bit.
>> Adair Wimpee of Scottsville
would later learn he has
Parkinson's disease.
>> At first it affected
everything. My balance is not.
>> First word.
>> Is real. Well, real good.
It's affected my brain and my
nerves more than anything.
>> This marks his fourth speak

(15:57):
out treatment. Therapy that
works to help Parkinson's
patients with their speech and
swallowing.
>> I'm just hoping and praying
that this works because I'm
trying to stay, at least even
with Parkinson's, because they
say there's no cure for it.
>> This is an opportunity for
folks in the state of Kentucky
to get started with us. Stay

(16:19):
with us so that we can be with
them throughout every step of
the Parkinson's journey.
>> Doctor Amy Engelshoven is an
assistant professor in the
Department of Communication
Sciences and Disorders at K.u.
a grant recipient of the
Parkinson's Voice Project's
Speak Out Therapy program.
>> The more evidence based
practices we have available to
us, practices that we know are

(16:40):
working specifically for people
with Parkinson's, the better.
>> Parkinson's disease is a
progressive and neurological
condition that affects movement,
often causing tremors,
stiffness, and shuffling of
feet.
>> People with Parkinson's
unfortunately, experience that
diminished movement not only in
the rest of their body, but

(17:00):
also in the mechanism that
controls their swallowing and
their voice.
>> The roads could be icy, and
I never thought about speech
being a part of Parkinson's.
>> Adair says. He has noticed
his voice becoming softer.
>> I speak to people in passing
on the street and they don't
speak back. People are leaning
in to hear me. I can't project

(17:21):
my voice.
>> This therapy aims to improve
that, beginning with warm up
exercises.
>> May we have them do some
nonsense words of, you know,
may me my mo moo help to
increase effort and intent, but
also to work on intonation
patterns.
>> It is also beneficial to the
graduate student leading the
session, trained in the Speak

(17:42):
Out program with oversight from
a certified and licensed speech
language pathologist.
>> I really enjoy just getting
to know the clients and things
that they want to work on
personally, and things that
they might be struggling with.
>> Good job.
>> This is an opportunity for
them to not only experience the
patient and their response to
this acquisition of a

(18:03):
communication disorder, but
also how the caregivers and
care partners are responding
and how it affects them as a
unit.
>> I think it's very effective
just being able to teach
clients to speak with intent.
>> It also helps with cognitive
decline.
>> My short term memory is
terrible.
>> Some of the exercises
addressed that, as well as

(18:24):
potentially fatal conditions
like aspiration pneumonia.
>> It's a wonderful support
system for people with
Parkinson's because Parkinson's
doesn't go away.
>> Tires, hood. Plates.
>> Car.
>> For Kentucky edition, I'm
Laura Rogers.
>> All right.
>> The Kentucky Department for

(18:44):
Public Health reported only 11
cases of mosquito borne
illnesses from 2003 to just
last year, but this year, there
have been 19 cases of the West
Nile virus across the state.
The Lexington-fayette County
Health Department reported a
fourth case in September. While
the Department of Health and
Wellness in Louisville reported

(19:06):
nine cases of the West Nile
virus. To learn more about the
West Nile virus, we spoke to an
infectious disease specialist
for tonight's medical news.
>> The West Nile virus is a
virus that humans get from
mosquitoes, and those
mosquitoes get infected because
they bit a bird that was

(19:26):
infected. West Nile virus isn't
transmitted from human to human.
It's only from mosquito to
human. So any zoonotic illness,
which is an illness that comes
from animal, have a very
complex ecosystem, complex
ecology. And oftentimes when
there's a change in either the

(19:46):
areas where animals live or the
life cycles of the animals,
then we'll see changes in the
amount of cases right now as
the climate and the weather
changes, the the mosquito
habitat changes, the mosquito
lifecycle changes, and exposure
of mosquitoes to humans can
also change. And so we very
well may be seeing more cases

(20:08):
of West Nile virus because of
the changing ecosystem and
changing climate. Most of the
time when someone gets West
Nile virus, they are
asymptomatic, which means they
don't have symptoms, they don't
get ill. About 1 in 5 people
will get ill. They will feel
muscle aches and fevers, and
they'll just feel unwell. And
then an even smaller percentage

(20:29):
of those people, maybe about 1%
of people who are infected,
will get central nervous system
disease. We call that West Nile
virus encephalitis or sometimes
meningitis, which is
inflammation of the brain. And
that can cause confusion or
coma or really bad neurologic
symptoms. And the people that
are at risk for that are

(20:51):
typically older people or
immunocompromised people. So
prevention of transmission of
disease is really key. And the
way to do that is protect
yourself from mosquito bites,
which isn't always that easy to
do, especially at this time of
year. And so the best thing to
do is during dawn or dusk, when
the Culex mosquito starts to

(21:11):
bite you either cover up any
exposed skin, or if you can't
do that because it's too hot,
you can wear mosquito repellent
like Deet, at least 30% Deet or
picaridin. And one other way to
prevent infection is also try
to reduce your exposure to
mosquitoes in other ways, such
as getting rid of standing

(21:32):
water on your property. If you
have buckets of water, that's a
breeding ground for mosquitoes.
So West Nile virus, like many
other viruses, does not have a
specific treatment. We mostly
give what's called supportive
care, which means making sure
that you're well hydrated, well
nourished, making sure your
fever is under control, making
sure that your neurologic

(21:53):
symptoms are under control. But
there's no medicine that
directly fights the West Nile
virus. It's not something that
the general public needs to
panic about or anything, but
just to be aware about.
>> Good information. According
to the recent alert from the
Kentucky Department for Public
Health, one person has died
from West Nile virus in

(22:13):
Kentucky. Ring in the first
weekend in October with a fun
outing or two, and you have
plenty of activities to choose
from. As always, our Toby Gibbs
look at looks at what's
happening around the
Commonwealth.

(22:38):
>> Paintsville is painting the
town red, apple red. That is as
the city kicks off the 61st
Kentucky Apple Festival. Enjoy
carnival rides, live music, a
car show, and hot air balloon
rides. Check out a whole crop
of handcrafted items designed
by artisans from across the
country. And with dozens of
food booths, there will be

(22:58):
plenty of treats to pick from.
Abraham Lincoln's legacy comes
to life in Hodgenville this
weekend, as the birthplace of
the 16th president hosts it's
Lincoln Day celebration. Get a
taste of tradition watching
teams compete in the Pioneer
Games. See who towers over the
competition in the Lincoln Look
Alike contest. The festival

(23:20):
also features one of the oldest
continually held art shows in
the state an ice cream eating
contest, live music exhibits, a
classic car show, and five and
ten K races. Music will be
coming from the mountains in
Monticello this Saturday, with
the return of the Black
Mountain Jamboree. Get immersed
in nature while listening to a

(23:40):
lineup of rising Americana,
rock and country acts on two
stages. There will also be food
trucks and artisan vendors on
site. Looking to escape the
grind this weekend? Then roll
on down to Richmond for the
Millstone Festival. The event
features live performances,
food and craft vendors, a twins
contest, a cornhole tournament,

(24:02):
tractor show and inflatables, a
train ride and a petting zoo
for the kids. Get into the
Halloween spirit while learning
a little history by taking the
Oldham County Candlelight
Cemetery Tour. Stroll through
some of the cemeteries around
Lagrange and find out some of
the fascinating people who
called Oldham County home. Hit

(24:24):
the road this Saturday with the
Bluegrass Cycling Club for the
annual Red River rally. In its
56th year, this group ride
welcomes riders of all ages and
levels who bike while enjoying
the scenic views of the Red
River Gorge. Head upstream with
a paddle this weekend at the
Kentucky Lake Paddle Up event.

(24:45):
Make your way from Sledd Creek
to Kentucky Dam Village boat
ramp by kayak, canoe, or any
other worthy paddle craft you
may have. This family friendly
trip lets you choose from a
leisurely paddle on the lake,
or a guided geological journey
down the banks. If you would
rather ride the river than
paddle water, then check out

(25:05):
America's River Roots Festival.
This year, the event celebrates
America's 250th birthday by
highlighting the musical,
culinary and cultural impact
America's river cities have had
on the nation. The festival
takes place along the banks of
Newport, Covington and
Cincinnati and features music,
food, riverboat races,
sightseeing cruises, and other

(25:26):
activities. Grow in your
knowledge of mushrooms by
taking a trip to Metcalfe
County this weekend for the
second annual Kentucky Mushroom
Festival. Learn about the
culinary and medicinal uses of
mushrooms through workshops,
talks and guided walks through
the woods. Live music, yoga
sessions and mushroom themed
costume contest and jewelry

(25:48):
making round out this three day
event. The night sky will be
lit up over Madisonville this
Saturday, as Wings Over Western
Kentucky hosts its first ever
twilight and night air show.
Bring your family and your
chairs and watch aerobatic
performers and skydivers,
aerial lights and pyrotechnics,
vintage aircrafts and a
choreographed pyrotechnic
finale. The event is free and

(26:10):
will also have local food
vendors and a kids area. And
that's what's happening around
the Commonwealth. I'm Toby
Gibbs.
>> Thank you Toby. Lots of
great stuff to do this weekend,
so make it a good one. And we
do hope you'll join us again on
Monday night at 630 eastern,
530 central for Kentucky
Edition. Thanks for being with
us. I'm Renee Shaw. Have a