12.3.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning everybody, and welcome to the reading of the
Lexington Herald Leader. Today is Wednesday, December third, and your
reader is Rod Brotherton. And as a reminder of Radio
Hi is a reading service intended for people who are
blind to have other disabilities that make it difficult to
read printed material. Well, it sure is all of a

(00:22):
sudden winter. Let's start with a seven day forecast. Today
mostly sunny and cold with a high of thirty seven.
Tonight cold and late snow flurries with a low of
twenty seven. Thursday a bit of snow in the morning,
high thirty three, low twenty three. And Friday more snow
in the morning, high thirty eight, low twenty eight. It

(00:44):
will be partly sunny on Saturday with a high of
forty one, low twenty eight. Sunday snow and flurries, high
thirty nine, low twenty four. Monday periods of sun but
still cold with a high of thirty five and low
of twenty seven. Cloudy and rain mixed with snow early
the high of forty and low thirty five. Yes it

(01:07):
is December. Looking at the almanac, Yesterday's high and low
thirty seven and twenty three normal fifty and thirty two.
Last year it was thirty seven and twenty eight. The
record high was a balmy seventy degrees in nineteen seventy
and the record low was five in nineteen sixty four.

(01:29):
Precipitation on Monday a trace at one hundredth of an inch.
Month to date we've had that, and the normal is
point one three inches. The year to date we've had
fifty six point eight five inches. Normal is forty five
point seven seven, and last year we'd had forty five
point seven five. The record fore yesterday's date was one

(01:49):
point one inch in twenty eighteen. And we're in the
winter so we can start tracing our snowfall, and we've
had three tenths of an inch to date. The normal
is four tenths and last year we'd already had two
point nine inches. For the sun and the moon, the
sun rose today at seven thirty eight, it will set
at five to nineteen this evening. The moon will come

(02:12):
up at three point fifty seven this afternoon and set
at six oh five in the morning. Weather trivia for
the day. What is that name given to a storm
racing southeast out of Western Canada? Why that's the old
Alberta Clipper. All right, let's take a look at the
headlines for today. Well, I'm sure most everybody knows by now,

(02:35):
but Kentucky taps Oregon offensive coordinator Stein as its next
football coach. Kentucky football has found its new football coach.
A day after firing Mark Stoops. Just after eleven pm Monday,
UK officially named Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as its

(02:58):
next coach. Will Stein brings an outstanding track record of
developing elite quarterbacks and leading some of the most dynamic
and successful offenses in college football. UK Athletic Director Mitch
Barnhardt said in the news release announcing the higher his

(03:18):
deep connection to Kentucky, having grown up attending games at
our stadium, gives him a unique passion for this program
and this community. We are thrilled to have him leading
the Wildcats onto the field next season, and I know
the Big Blue Nation will join me in giving him

(03:38):
a warm welcome, both to Will and his wife, Darby
and their children, Joey and Demmy. Stein is a Louisville
native and son of a former UK football player who
grew up a Wildcat fan. He helped lead Trinity High
School to three state championships before walking on to play
quarterback at Louisville. Stein opened his junior year in twenty

(04:02):
eleven as the Cardinals starter, but was injured in a
week in the week three and a start at Kentucky.
He was replaced in that game by future NFL first
round draft pick Teddy Bridgewater, who remained Louisville starter for
the rest of Stein's career. More recently, Stein has led

(04:22):
one of the top offenses in college football at both
Oregon and UTSA. Oregon. This seasonly ranks ninth nationally in
points per game at thirty eight point two and thirteen
in yards per game at four hundred and sixty five
point two, and has ranked in the top twenty five
nationally in both categories in each of Stein's three season

(04:46):
as coordinator. The Ducks ranked second nationally in both stats
in his first year on the job in twenty twenty three.
I'm honored and excited to become the next head coach
at Kentucky, Stein said in a release. Growing up in
Kentucky and sitting in the stands at UK games as

(05:07):
a kid, I can only dream of one day leading
the Wildcats. This is truly a dream come true. My
goal is to lead with purpose and help young men
grow on and off the field. I'm deeply thankful to
President Capealuto, Mitch Barnhardt, the Big Blue Nation for the

(05:29):
trust they placed in me. I also want to thank
Coach Dan Lanning and the entire Oregon staff for their
support and mentorship. They've been incredible. Now I can't wait
to get started and make Kentucky proud. Stein started his
coaching career as a graduate assistant at Louisville before following

(05:51):
coach Charlie Strong to Texas as a quality control coach
from twenty fifteen to twenty seventeen. He then spent two
seasas as the offensive coordinator for Lake Travis High School
in Texas before the three years at the University of
Texas San Antonio UTSA. While Stein is best known in

(06:12):
the Bluegrass State for his time at Louisville, he told
The Harrow Leader in twenty eleven he grew up rooting
for Kentucky. I spent a lot of games there at
Commonwealth Stadium, he said, I still know I was in
Section one twenty eight rough thirteen with number five Oregon,
a slock for the playoff. Stein may need to balance

(06:33):
his time between building a Kentucky staff and roster with
preparing the Ducks to compete for a national championship. But
Kentucky could also benefit from the public relations boost of
having its next head coach visible during the playoff games.
ESPN reported Stein planned to remain with the Ducks through

(06:55):
their playoff run. Hiring a well respected offensive mind was
seem to give Kentucky a better chance to keep red
shirt freshman quarterback Cutter Bowley and other promising young players
in the fold, but Stein will have to make his
pitch to those players before any decisions are finalized. UK

(07:16):
players will be able to enter the transfer portal beginning
five days after the highre is finalized. Stein recruited four
star UK football Class A twenty twenty six quarterback commitment
Pat Putanowski to Oregon if either Bowley or nor Potanowski,
who is a top prospect in the twenty twenty five

(07:38):
MLB draft, are on the twenty twenty six Kentucky roster.
Stein has a proven track record in developing transfer quarterbacks.
Oregon started this season Dante More transferred there from UCLA.
Last season, starter Dylan Gabriel through four thirty eight and

(07:58):
fifty seven yards, thirty touchdowns, and six interceptions After previous
stops at Central Florida and Oklahoma, Stein, who is thirty six,
will be one of the youngest head coaches in the
country next season. Only four current FBS head coaches or younger.
According to Bett MGM. Only one of the coaches, Arizona

(08:21):
State's Kenny Dillingham, coaches in a power conference. Will Stein
brings two invaluable qualities to the table as the next
head coach of the UK football program. Capeluto sit at
the release. He is an outstanding developer and coach of
young talent, something he has proven repeatedly in his career

(08:44):
already as a quarterbacks coach, an offensive coordinator, and an
at an elite level. He has a deep and abiding
passion for this place. It runs deep with him and
his family. He understands is the big Blue nation, this
university and what this team and program mean to the Commonwealth.

(09:07):
We are looking forward to welcoming Will and his family
back home, and we can't wait to support them as
they further elevate our program in a way that makes
Kentucky proud. Now in National News White House Backs, heg
Sith confirms second boat strike. The White House defended the

(09:31):
Pentagon's handling of a September attack on an alleged drug
running boat and denied that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseith had
given an order to kill everyone on the vessel, rebutting
report has led to allegations of possible war crimes. White
House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt confirmed there were two strikes on

(09:53):
the vessel in the September second attack, but stressed the
actions were lawful domestic opioid crisis in the United States.
She also said the order for the second strike came
from US Navy Admiral Frank Bradley and not Hegcyth. President
Trump and Heg Sith have made it clear that presidentially

(10:17):
designated narco terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in
accordance with the laws of war, Levitt told reporters at
the White House. The comments signal Trump continues to support
Heg Seth, who came under fresh scrutiny after The Washington
Post reported Friday that he ordered the attack and demanded

(10:38):
that those strikes kill everybody on board. That report led
to accusations that the US military was committing war crimes
in the waters off the coast of South America. Levitt
denied that heg SITH had issued a verbal order to
kill all on board the vessel. She told the reporters,

(10:59):
the President has made it quite clear that if Narco
terrorists again are trafficking illegal drugs towards the United States,
he has the authority to kill them, and that's what
this administration is doing. The military campaign against suspected drug
traffickers in the Western Hemisphere has killed more than eighty

(11:20):
people and spurred debate over its legality, with critics accusing
the administration of conducting extra judicial killings. The US campaign
eventually widened to include targets in the eastern Pacific Ocean,
and Trump has alluded repeatedly to the possibility that the
US could strike land targets inside Venezuela. Bipartisan leaders of

(11:45):
the House and Senate Armed Services Committee said they would
investigate reports in the second strike, referring to the link
between the boat strikes and a potential campaign in Venezuela.
Levitt said that HEGSITH had spoken with members of Congress
who may have expressed some concerns over the weekend. Roger Wicker,

(12:06):
a Mississippi Republican and the Senate's panel's chairman, told reporters
on Monday evening that will also be talking to the
admiral that was in charge on the scene. We're going
to investigate the facts. I think they'll have to be
held in a classified setting. We'll see what can be revealed.

(12:26):
But it is our responsibility as an Article one branch
of government, Wicker added, referring to the part of the
Constitution that defines the powers of Congress. Senator Jack Read,
the top Democrat on the committee, praise Wicker expressed confidence
in the inquiry. Levitt also confirmed Monday that the president

(12:47):
would convene his national security team as he weighed his
next steps on Venezuela. The US military has amassed considerable
forces in the region, fueling speculation that Trump would order
a broader attack on the Venezuelan mainland that was aimed
at unseating President Nicholas Maduro. The administration has accused Maduro

(13:11):
of heading a drug trafficking organization known as the Cartel
de la Soles, which the US in November designated as
a foreign terrorist organization. The US repatriated the survivors of
an October strike to Ecuador and Colombia. Ask Monday whether
the US policy on the disposition of survivors had changed

(13:33):
in the wake of the initial strike, Levitt said not
to my knowledge. No. Next, TSA offers a forty five
dollars option for those without a real ID or passport.
The Transportation Security Administration announced Monday that flyers who don't

(13:53):
have an acceptable real ID or passport can pay a
forty five dollars fee and use confirm dot ID, a
modernized identity verification system, to confirm their identities at security checkpoints.
Starting February first, those without the proper identification will be

(14:14):
sent to TSA's optional confirm ID process before they enter
the security line. The TSA said in a press release.
The process at each airport will be different, and the
agency is working with private companies to offer online payment options. Now,
more than ninety four percent of passengers already have a

(14:36):
real ID TSA sid it expects increase weight times for
those without one. Identity verification is essential to traveler safety
because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and allegal aliens out of
the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail,

(14:58):
said TSA Chief staff Adam Stall in a statement, the
vast majority of travelers present acceptable identification like real IDs
and passports, but we must ensure everyone who flies is
who they say they are. The security of the traveling
public is our top priority, so we urge all travelers

(15:19):
to get a real ID or other acceptable form of
ID as soon as possible to avoid delays and potentially misflights.
TSA also encourages travelers to make an appointment at their
local DMV to update their ID as soon as possible,

(15:40):
and finally, on the front page, State shuts down the
illegal Lexington sober living home. Kentucky officials have shut down
a sober living home on Buckhorn Drive after discovering the
home was not licensed by the state and residents complained
there was no power or water. Kindred Steel, a spokeswoman

(16:03):
for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said after
the hair leader asked questions about the sober living home,
state officials investigated and found the recovery home was not
licensed or certified by the state, which is required. DBHDD,
which is the Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities,

(16:27):
located the property that was referenced and notified the operator
of its violation that all residents must be moved immediately
to a new location. Steel said last week. Dbhd ID,
a division of the Cabinet for Family and Health Services,
has oversight over sober living homes. The homes are typically

(16:49):
used by people leaving in patient treatment. Medicaid, a state
federal insurance program for low income and people with disabilities,
can be built for sober living services. All four residents
who were residing at the property have been offered other placement.
Steel said the Herald Leader was contacted by a resident

(17:13):
of the home the week of November twenty fourth, who
said the home in the thirty five hundred block of
Buckhorn Drive had no power or water for several days
and eviction notice had been placed on the door some
time that week. The resident said the home is registered
to Great Neighbors. Officials with Great Neighbors could not be
located for comment. Under state law, sober living or recovery

(17:38):
homes operating in Kentucky must hold valid certification or be
in an approved provisional period. If a residence is operating
without certification or is unable to maintain safe living conditions,
the Department can take action up to and including requiring
the operator to cease operations. Steel said, when we become

(18:02):
aware of a potential uncertified or unsafe residence, we verify
its status and follow up directly with the operator. If
a closure is required, the operator is responsible for ensuring
residents have a transition plan and access to alternative housing options.
Steal sid The proliferation of sober living homes prompted the

(18:27):
City of Lexington to pass an ordinance in November requiring
the homes to be licensed or certified by the state.
In addition to being licensed by the city, the local
ordinance also limits the number of people in a recovery
home to eight. The city passed the ordinance after receiving

(18:48):
repeated complaints from neighbors and neighborhoods about sober living homes
popping up with no notice. Some neighbors have grumbled that
the homes have little or no oversight, have questioned if
the homes are monitoring residents. Sobriety operators and those who
live in recovery homes say the model has helped them

(19:09):
stay sober and return to work. The new ordinance, passed
by the Lexington Fayed Urban County Council on November twentieth
has a six month grace period to allow recoverry residences
to come into compliance. New local rules will take effect
in May and next fund raising blitz launched for area

(19:32):
nonprofits before the federal government shut off access to SNAP
benefits on November one, The Nathaniel Mission saw a surge
and demand. The Versales Road nonprofit as a wait list
for some of its feeding and pantry programs. The Reverend
Daniel Bayer, the executive director of Nathaniel Mission, told the

(19:54):
Lexington Fayed Urban County Council during a November Council work
session meeting, we continue to see rising need numerous families
and individuals facing food and security bay or sit. We
have more individuals seeking services than what Nathaniel Mission can provide.

(20:15):
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program benefits, which help low income people
pay for groceries, have been since restored after the federal
government finally reopened in November after the longest shutdown in history.
The council has also agreed to give additional money to
Nathaniel Mission and other Lexington feeding programs. Yet the demand

(20:40):
for services and food is still acute. Many nonprofits officials
have said as demand has increased. Some nonprofits have also
been hit hard by federal funding cuts. On Tuesday, the
Bluegrass Foundation launched its annual fundraising campaign, rebranded Bluegrass Gives

(21:00):
formerly known as the Good Giving Challenge. The online fundraising
effort will help two hundred and thirty four local organizations
raised funds by using more than eight hundred thousand dollars
in matching donations from multiple foundations. That means at certain times,

(21:21):
every one dollar donated will be matched with a one
dollar donation from a foundation. Since the Bluegrass Foundation has
launched citywide fundraising initiative in twenty eleven, has raised more
than twenty six million dollars for local nonprofits. The one
day event goes from six am to midnight Tuesday, and

(21:42):
as of nine am Tuesday, the online fundraising effort had
raised more than seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars for
two hundred and fourteen organizations. Go to the website bg
gives dot org to find a full list of participating
organizations and next. Wounded National Guardsmen shows progress after the

(22:07):
DC's shooting. The medical condition is improving for US Air
Force staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, one of the two National
Guard members from West Virginia shot a few blocks from
the White House last week. The governor and his mother
said a memorial is growing outside the Farragut West Metro
station where the shooting occurred. On November twenty sixth, Army

(22:29):
specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who was twenty, died one day after
the attack outside the Farragut West Metro station while conducting
high visibility patrols. President Trump announced her death on Thanksgiving night. Wolfe,
who was twenty four, underwent surgery after the attack. West
Virginia Governor Patrick Morrissey has visited him at an undisclosed

(22:53):
hospital in the nation's capital. I want to say I'm
not the doctor. I'm not going to try to pretend
to be. So what I will say is that Andrew
remains in serious condition, Morrisey said at a news conference
Monday of the state's capital in Charleston. Though he is
fighting for his life. The governor said, wolf was able

(23:14):
to respond when a nurse asked him to give a
thumbs up if he could hear him. We were told
that he also wiggled his toes, Morrisey told reporters. So
we take that as a positive sign, and he added,
I'm not here to speculate. Wolf's mother Melody posted on
Sunday on Facebook. We continue to have complete faith in

(23:39):
a total healing of our sweet Andy. He is remaining
stable with good vital signs while being heavily sedated. He
still continues to be very active, moving his arms, legs,
and mouth. His pupils are dilating normally, and his brain
pressure is normal. All huge wins. She is appreciative of

(24:02):
all the support. We know there is a long road
to go, but our faith keeps us hopeful. We remain
grateful for the prayers and support of all the people
all over the world. Our God is so good and
I will continue to say this, she said, and you
will have one heck of a testimony to share with all.

(24:25):
We are praying for faith to be renewed in those
who need it, and for non believers to come to
know Jesus as they witness this miracle happening with our
precious boy. Wolf, a Martinsburg, West Virginia native, enlisted in
the National Guard in February of twenty nineteen. West Virginians
have been deployed in the nation's capital since the Joint

(24:48):
Task Force DC Mission began in August ostensibly to cut
down on crime. In all, there are two thy five
hundred troops, including around one hundred and eighty from West Virginia,
with an additional five hundred called up after the shooting
to patrol the capital. Morris He said that over the
weekend he attended several vigils in West Virginia for the

(25:10):
National Guard members. People are talking so eloquently about Sarah,
who by all accounts is an amazing woman who lifted
up people around her with a smile, morris He said,
and from talking to Sarah's parents and people in the unit,
everyone had nothing but incredible things to say about Sarah.

(25:32):
The suspect, Rahamu Lala la Kawal, twenty nine, was being
hospitalized after being shot by another Guard member and will
face a first degree murder charge. US Attorney for the
District of Columbia, Jeanine Piro, said on Friday and next
Hondurans faced week of uncertainty his election ends in a tie.

(25:57):
Honduras risks weeks of inserting after Sunny's presidential election was
tied between candidate backed by President Trump and a former
sportscaster whom the US leader attacked as a borderline communist.
Nasre Asfura, conservative former mayor of the nation's capital, at
thirty nine point nine to one percent of the votes

(26:18):
when the Electoral Authority declared a quick count was over,
while Salvador Nassarala had thirty nine point eight nine percent.
Trump said he would refuse to work in the SRALLA.
With one point nine million ballots tallied, Asfura had just
five hundred and fifteen fifteen votes more than his rival.

(26:38):
The head of the Electoral Authority, Anna Paula Hall, set
in a post on x authorities are now starting a
vote by vote tally, a process that might take weeks.
After the quick count was ruled a technical tie. Trump
stunned Honduras two days before the vote with his intervention
in favor of Asphura, as well as with his decision

(26:59):
to pardon one Orlando Hernandez, a former Honduran president since
forty five years in prison after being convicted of cocaine
trafficking and weapons and offenses. Hernandez belonged to Asfura's National
Party of Honduras, with President Trump threatening to cut off
US financial support to Honduras if Asfura does not win,

(27:22):
the bilateral relationship with the country remains. A training partner
was also on the ballots at Antanza Alonzo Senior Americans
Analyst at Risk Intelligent Company Vertersnik Maplecroft. In a country
where remittances represent about a quarter of GDP, voters can
hardly afford to be at odds with Washington. The electoral

(27:43):
authority has until December thirtieth to declare a winner. The
next president will take office on January twenty seventh. Hall
called for comb and patients from voters. In twenty seventeen,
weeks of deadly street protests erupted in the country after
Hernandez one reelection and a vote widely viewed as fraudulent.

(28:04):
Police clashed with protesters who blocked roads and set fire
to tires across the country. And now, after a short pause,
I hope you'll rejoin us for a continuation of the
reading of the Lexington Harold Leader for today. Thank you
for listening, and now please stay tuned for more news
right here on radio I. Now we will continue reading

(28:30):
from the Lexington Herald for this Wednesday, December third. Your
reader is Rod Brotherton, and we'll start with the obituaries
we read only the name, age, and location of given.
If you would like further information on any of the obituaries,
please see the website or call us during the week
days at eight five nine four two two sixty three

(28:51):
ninety and we will be glad to read the entire
obituary for you. Repeat the number at the end of
the listings, and today's obituary has two names, Mayor David
Alan Bergeen seventy five of Lexington and Richard C. Standback
sixty eight of none such. If you would like any

(29:11):
further information about the listings, please visit legacy dot com,
slash obituary, slash Kentucky, or you can call us at
radio eight eight five nine four two two sixty three
ninety and we will try to read them to you
over the phone. Now, let's return to today's news next.
Jeff Bezos gives five million dollars to Eastern Kentucky Community

(29:36):
Action Group, an Eastern Kentucky nonprofit that offers services to
people in poverty, was awarded a five million dollar grant
from the Bezos Day One Family's Fund, a nonprofit started
by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez
Bezos KCEOC Community Action Partnership, Inc. Which serves Bell Clay Hardin, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Rockcastle,

(30:04):
and Whitley Counties, was one of thirty two organizations across
the country to receive money from the Bezos Day One
Family Fund. According to a Monday press release from k CEOC,
we are honored and deeply appreciative for this award, said
Paul D. Dole, President and CEO of k CEOC Community

(30:24):
Action Partnership, Inc. The timing of this award is crucial
given the critical needs of the families experiencing homelessness as
they strive to reach self sufficiency. It is the largest
one time gift in the nonprofit's sixty year history. The
nonprofit was one of several in Kentucky forced to get

(30:45):
bank loans for lines of credit to keep its head
Starts preschool program running during the federal shutdown when some
head Start programs ran out of money. Head Start allows
those organizations to use federal money once the federal government
reopened to repay those loans, but interest has to be

(31:06):
paid by the nonprofit. K CEOC Community Action Partnership, Incorporated
plans to use the one time grant over the next
five years to provide a variety of services, including outreach
services for those living on the streets, rental assistance to
help house homeless families, and expanded shelter services. These efforts

(31:30):
will increase the number of people served in Eastern Kentucky's
k CEOC officials said homelessness is increasing in Kentucky, particularly
in rural areas, including Eastern Kentucky, according to a twenty
twenty five annual homeless count. We are so thankful for
this opportunity. It is part of our mission to help

(31:52):
those who are unsheltered, and with this funding, we can
reach so many more people and make a difference in
so many more lives, said Jennifer Smith, vice president and
chief operating officer, who oversees all homeless programs at KCEEOC
on our next story. Locally says that Lexington residents could

(32:14):
have access to two new public transit programs next year.
The City of Lexington could fund not one, but two
transit pilots next year to offer free and low cost
rides to residents needing transportation to medical appointments, interviews, and more.

(32:34):
The Lexington FAED Urban County Council took the first step
on November twentieth and allocating four hundred and seventy five
thousand dollars in additional funds to support a micro transit
pilot project that could be operated by alex Trans starting
sometime next year. In May, the council gave the transit
agency two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the same

(32:57):
pop pilot. Also voted at the same regular meeting to
give the United Way of the Bluegrass three hundred and
seventy five thousand dollars to operate a two year pilot
of a subsidized lift service called Ride United, to give
Lexington residents free lift rides to essential services. Together, those

(33:19):
two allocations totaled eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The
money will come from the sea's unallocated fund balance leftover
from the previous fiscal year. The Council will take a
final vote on funding both initiatives at its Tuesday, December
second council meeting. Build, an advocacy organization made up of

(33:42):
several Lexington churches, has spent the last two years pushing
Lextrand to create a micro transit service, essentially an on
demand form of public transit. The group's advocacy for micro
transit partially arose from frustrations in twenty two three and
twenty twenty four with lex trans Wheels, paratransit service. That

(34:06):
program targets individuals with disabilities who cannot use the bus system.
At the time, Wheels drivers were often elaked or missing
pickups entirely, leaving vulnerable riders stranded. With micro transit, a
rider can typically schedule a trip on an app and
the driver in a car or van will pick up

(34:27):
the rider and then drop them off their destination. Similar
to private ride share companies like Uber and Lyft, Wheels
only serves riders with disabilities, and riders have to schedule
at least twenty four hours in advance by phone. A
micro transit service would be open to anyone in Lexington,

(34:48):
and riders could schedule on demand rides on an app.
A feasibility study commissioned by Lextrand this year recommended the
agency pilot of micro transit service in an area of
north west Lexington bounded by Newtown Pike for Sales Road
and Alexandria drive. Trips would have to begin and end

(35:09):
in that zone. Ride fares would be three dollars and
include free transfers to Lextran buses for those who are
traveling to a destination outside the zone. The actual cost
to lex trand per trip is fifty four dollars and
sixty six cents. However, according to the study, and the

(35:30):
pilot would cost Lextran roughly two point three million dollars
to operate over two years. The study estimates the service
would generate twenty one thousand, three hundred and twenty seven
trips per year. While discussions around Lextran operating a new
micro transit service it has been ongoing for a few years.

(35:52):
Information about the Ride Unlimited service came before the council recently.
In a November nineteenth meeting focused on several approaches to
micro transit, Patrise Muhammad of the United Way of the
Bluegrass brought the council a proposal for expanding the Ride
United program. Currently, Ride United Trip provides one free lift

(36:15):
trip per month to Fayette County residents who need a
ride to a medical appointment or an emerge an employment
related meeting like a job interview or a career fair.
Riders called two to one one the United Ways Service
hotline to schedule a trip with an additional three hundred
and seventy five thousand dollars over two years, Mohammad told

(36:38):
the council Wednesday, United Way could expand that service to
cover far more trips to the grocery store, legal appointments, classes,
and other important services would be available free for all
Lexington residents. United Way estimates the expanded service would provide
twelve five hundred rides over two years. Ride United's per

(37:02):
trip operational cost, however, hovers between twenty five and thirty dollars,
Muhama told the council. Fifth District council member Liz she
Han brought the motion to expand Ride United pilot to council,
saying while lex trans proposed micro transit pilot only covers
one area of the northwest Fayette County, the United Way

(37:26):
could provide service to all of Lexington. United Way of
the Bluegrass can't collect data force across the entire county
for who calls them, where they're located, what they need,
where they need to go, and that can help us
inform a wider micro transit program across the county, she
hands it. Other members of the council shared optimism about

(37:49):
how the two programs could work together, kind of like
the idea simultaneously trying a couple of different things and
seeing what works. Vice Mayor Dan Wu said, the ultimate
answer may not be this works and this doesn't. The
ultimate answer might be that this is a good pairing.

(38:10):
Lextrand general manager Fred Combs agrees the two services could
work well together. It's enough to sort of work through
that would look like with these partners. But this is
a wonderful opportunity. Combs told The Herald Leader. I can
see some synergies between these programs. Homes expects lex Trend

(38:30):
to enter a contract with private vendor who would run
the micro transit pilot in April or May, and the
final contract may alter the cost. We're going to aim
to do as close to what's in the study as
we can, comb said, We're going to get as much
service out of these dollars as we can get. Combs

(38:54):
has repeatedly told counsel lex Trend does not have the
money in its current budget to support a micro trendnsits
serve it on its own. Lextrand will search for long
term funding for it as part of the pilot. The
United Way has previously relied on grants and private sun
funders to support the right Unlimited program. If funded by

(39:16):
the city, the organization will look at other options after
the pilot concludes. I would love for it to turn
into an line item that the city sees that this
is needed here. It's important that we make a great
impact where we can sustain that relationship with the city.
United Way Vice President of Resource Development Caleb Robinson told

(39:39):
the hair Leader, but that doesn't mean United Way plans
to rely solely on taxpayer funds. This pilot will put
more of a spotlight on the program and more corporate
partners will probably want to be a part of it,
Robinson said. As for members of BUILD who attended the
November two, twentieth meeting to ask the council to support

(40:02):
the Lextrand pilot but unprepared to speak about the Ride
United programs, the real time reaction was mixed. Ride United
will not add good paying jobs to Fayette County. Vice
President of BUILD of Local Minster Brian Shinawith said it
will heighten the injustices and exploit in the exploitation of

(40:25):
the gig economy by relying on lift drivers. Some BUILD
members were more optimistic What matters is that everyone, this Council,
the Public, United Way, and Lextrand itself has recognized the
same reality, and that is that the system as it

(40:45):
stands is not enough. Dale Swanson told the council next
data centers and electric bills send political shock waves as
loyal Republicans. Rhyese Patten said that he and his family
of cattle ranchers in Hogansville, Georgia, had one thing on

(41:06):
their minds when they cast their ballots in November for
the state Utility Board to make a statement. They were
already irked by their escalating electric bills, not to mention
an extra fifty dollars a month levied by their local
utility to cover a new nuclear power plant more than
two hundred miles away, but after they heard a data

(41:29):
center might be built next to their Logos ranch about
sixty miles southwest of Atlanta, they had enough of Republicans
who seemed far too receptive to the interests of the
booming artificial intelligence industry. That's the first time I ever
voted Democrat, Peyton fifty eight said. Message sent some of

(41:51):
Georgia's reddest and most rural counties. Republicans crossed party lines
in November and helped propel two Democrats, Hubbard and Alisia Johnson,
to landslide upsets, ousting the incumbent candidates on the Georgia
Public Service Commission. No Democrat has served on the five

(42:12):
person commission, which regulates utilities and help set climate and
energy policy since twenty seven. Across the country, Democrats have
seized on rising anxiety over electricity costs and data centers
in what could be a template for the twenty twenty
six midterm elections. In Virginia, Governor elect Abigail Spanberger pledged

(42:38):
during her campaign to lower energy bills and make data
centers pay more. In the House of Delegates, one Democratic
challenger unseated at a Republican incumbent by focusing on curbing
the proliferation of data centers in Loudoun County and the
exerbs of the nation's capital. In New Jersey, Governor elect

(43:01):
Mikey Schryl promised to declare a state of emergency on
utility costs and freeze rates. And in Memphis, Tennessee, state
Representative Justin J. Pearson, who is challenging Representative Steve Cohen
in a high profile Democratic primary next year, has vowed
to fight supercomputer by Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company Xai

(43:27):
that would be located in a predominantly black neighborhood. Strong
opposition by citizens forced the Tucson City Council in August
to pull the plug on an Amazon data center slater
for that Arizona city, and then in September forced Google
to call off one in Indianapolis. Electricity is the new

(43:50):
price of eggs, said Charles Hua, executive director of Power Lines,
a nonprofit organization that aims to modernize utility regulations and
reduce power bills. This is a defining moment for politicians
of all stripes. What's your answer to lowering utility bills?

(44:11):
Because I think consumers and voters are looking for leadership
on this. After meeting recently with Virginia legislators, while said
he was struck by how the nexus of data centers
and utility bills actually came up very consistently. In twenty
twenty two, a spike in natural gas prices following Russia's

(44:34):
invasion of Ukraine fueled to rise and energy costs around
the US. Utilities have also undertaken projects to modernize the
power of grid and improve the infrastructure to guard against
extreme weather and absorb an anticipated surge in demand from
data centers. As the price of electricity has risen, more

(44:58):
customers have fallen behind on their un utility bills have
had their power cut off. Georgia ranks thirty fifth and
energy affordability in part because of cost overruns and delays
associated with his new plant, Vulgtal nuclear reactors in Waynesboro,
according to the American Legislative Exchange Council, an influential conservative

(45:21):
policy group, So it wasn't a surprise. Attorney General Chris
Barr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger, candidates in the
Republican primary to succeed term limited Governor Brian Kemp, call
November's results of referendum on affordability. You're a fool if

(45:41):
you don't recognize that, car said. Some Georgia Republicans have
cautioned against reading too much into the twenty five percent
point loss suffered by the Utility Board incumbents Tim eccles
and Fitz Johnson. This year's election stemmed from a twenty
twenty federal law suit which contended that the state wide

(46:02):
elections for commission seats, which represents geographic districts, were unfair
to black voters. Appeals court eventually ruled against the plaintiffs,
but the legal battle delayed the elections, setting the stage
for November's two races, the only statewide ones this year.
Two more utility seats will be contested in twenty twenty six.

(46:26):
Democratic turnout was also boosted, Republicans say, by municipal elections
in strongholds such as Atlanta. I think it's a complete anomaly,
State Senator Greg do Leazal said at a Republican event
in Valdosta to promote his candidacy for lieutenant governor next year.

(46:46):
Noting the comfortable margins racked up by President Trump in
twenty twenty four and Kemp in twenty twenty two, he added,
there's no planet on which a sixty five to thirty
five split is representative. Data centers have been a prominent
issue in Atlanta's rural exurbs. Trump wants to accelerate their

(47:08):
growth at the Battle for AI Supremacy. At least twenty
six are under construction within sixty miles of Atlanta, and
another fifty two are planned in Troop County on the
Alabama border the victorious Democratic utility candidates wheel twenty four
point romps enjoyed by the Republican candidates in twenty twenty

(47:31):
and twenty eighteen down to ten thanks to voters like
the Patents. The patents have never been to Hogansville City
Council meeting before they heard about the proposal to build
a data center on four hundred and thirty seven acres
next to their ranch and across from their Georgia untamed zoo,
which houses animals including soths and capybaras and is popular

(47:55):
with school field trips. Now they've been to two and counting.
Peyton and his wife Tina stressed that they didn't mind
data centers as long as they were placed in industrial
areas and the public had input. But in nearby Lagrange, Georgia,
he noted, residents were blindsided by an eight billion dollar

(48:19):
project now under construction. So when a Democratic candidate for
Congress recently posted on the Troop County Anti Data Center's
coalition Facebook page pledging to be an ally in this fight,
Tina Peyton urged her to attend an upcoming Hogansville form
on the issue. I blame Trump for what's happening. Here

(48:41):
because Trump is pushing for the data centers. Reese Peyton said,
Kemp jumped on the bandwagon, and these guys that were
here were doing nothing more than what Kemp was telling
them to do. Next, two more people are indicted in
killing of two federal witnesses in Lexington. Two more people
have been indicted in a twenty twenty three murder for

(49:04):
higher plot that killed a federal witness in Lexington, according
to court documents, Casey Allison Morris twenty nine and Quincino
Lamont Wade Junior twenty four are among eight people now
indicted in the death of Christopher Lewis, who prosecutors say
was shot and killed by a Lexington street gang called

(49:26):
Hot Boys. William Q John Dixon twenty eight and Raleigh
Dashine Lamar thirty two, da Quies DeMar Sharp twenty seven,
Desmond Elijah Bellamy twenty sixth and Jatise Alvin Parks twenty
one and di Angelo Montevious Boone twenty six. We're indicted

(49:49):
in October. In the September twenty twenty three killing, Morris
and Wade were indicted in November, according to court documents
unsealed on November seventh. Morris was charged with use of
interstate commerce in commission for murder for hire, conspiracy to
use interstate commerce in commission for murder for hire, and

(50:11):
conspiracy to use a firearm in the crime of violence.
She faces a maximum sentence of the death penalty or
life in prison. Wade faces the charge being an accessory
to the crime for allegedly facilitating the getaway car, and
he faces a maximum of fifteen years in prison. One

(50:32):
year before he was killed, Lewis, who was twenty eight,
was indicted alongside a man named Raleigh Lamar on charges
of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and money laundering. Lewis was
going to testify at Lamar's trial, court document so, but
he was gunned down first. At the time of his arrest,

(50:54):
Lamar had more than two million dollars in assets, including
luxury cars, high in jewelry, and gun, prosecutors say, and
in twenty twenty three, police alleged he used one thousand
dollars of those funds to order a hit on Lewis.
The four men involved were to receive two hundred and

(51:14):
fifty dollars apiece. Lamar was convicted anyway in a February
twenty twenty four trial and sentenced to eighteen years in prison.
According to online court records, the details of Lewis's killing
were first included in court documents for a federal detention
hearing for Wade, who was initially charged in a separate

(51:34):
case with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a
person convicted of a domestic violence. Five of the six
men named in the original indictment were charged with witness
tampering via killing, conspiracy to witness tampering via killing, use
of interstate commerce to facilitate murder for hire, conspiracy to

(51:57):
use interstate commerce to facilitate murder for hire, and conspiracy
to use a firearm for a violent crime. Boone faces
only three of the five charges, use of interstate commerce
to facilitate murder for hire, conspiracy to use interstate commerce
to facilitate murder for hire, and conspiracy to use a

(52:20):
firearm for a violent crime. If convicted on all charges,
the six men and Morris could face the death penalty
or life in prison. A trial was scheduled for December second,
but it was postponed while the attorney's generals determined whether
the death penalty will apply. The last time the federal

(52:43):
government carried out an execution was in January of twenty
twenty one, when Dustin Higgs was executed. It marked the
thirteenth and final federal execution in a series that resumed
under the Trump administration. Next Lexington History, A political dispute
turned deadly for two city leaders in eighteen eighty nine.

(53:08):
As Lectington celebrates the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
its founding, the hair Leader in Kentucky dot Com each
day throughout twenty twenty five will share an interesting facts
about our hometown compiled by lez carry all our notable
moments in the city's history. Some funny, some said, others heartbreaking,
were celebratory, and some just downright strange. In eighteen eighty nine,

(53:32):
a political dispute between two Lexington leaders turned deadly. Colonel A. M.
Swope and Colonel William Cassius Goodlow were leaders within the
Republican Party in Kentucky. Both of the men had national
reputations and fought in the Union during the Civil War,
and both had earned the rank of colonel. Swope had

(53:54):
been the internal revenue collector for the district. Goodlow had
been a state senator and the minister to Belgium and
then moved to the role of internal revenue collector. The
dispute between them began in eighteen eighty eight during the
Kentucky Republican Convention. As the party leaver leaders moved to
nominate delegates to the national Convention, the two men back

(54:17):
to different candidates. Swope supported Senator John Sherman as the
Republican presidential candidate, while Goodlow supported Benjamin Harrison. Debate between
the two sides rose to a heated level, including personal insults.
Swope and Goodlow's arguing rose to such a level of
animosity that others at the convention stepped in and convinced

(54:40):
the two men to withdraw their insults and shake hands,
but the efforts didn't fully mend feelings and enmity. The
two refused to speak to one another. When Goodlow was
appointed at Internal Revenue set collector, Swope was infuriated he'd
held the position under President Rutherford Hayes. He hoped to

(55:00):
return to the position under President Harrison. On November eighth,
eighteen eighty nine, the two men ran into each other
at the post office as Swope entered the building to
pick up his mail. He blocked Goodlow's access to his mailbox.
Goodlow waited patiently, but Swope struck up a conversation with
the mail kirk and continued to block Goodlow's box. In

(55:24):
some accounts, Goodlow said, will you please allow me to
get my mail? In others, he harshly barked, you obstruct
my way. In either case, Swope ignored him and continued talking.
Goodlow took Swape's action as an affront. This is the
second insult from you, he said. The two men confronted

(55:48):
each other and drew weapons, Goodlow his folding clasp knife
with a four inch blade, and Swope his revolver. Records
indicate Swope fired his gun and hit Goodlow in the stomach,
then he fired again, grazing his shoulder. In response, Goodlow
lunged at Swope, stabbing him in the chest. Swape stumbled,

(56:10):
but Goodlow was upon him, and Goodlow raised his knife
hand again and again, stabbing Swope twelve times more until
he laid dead on the floor. According to news reports,
Goodlow stood up, walked out of the door of the
post office and called out to a passing businessman, call
a carriage. I am shot clear through. Get me a doctor,

(56:36):
his doctors said. However, the wound to his abdomen was
not treatable. Goodlow died two days later in great pain
at the Phoenix Hotel. It is a calamity which Lexington
cannot estimate, said the Weekly Leader, and at present she
can do naught but sorrow. And this conclude. Who's the

(57:00):
reading of the Lexington Herald Leader for today, Wednesday, December third?
Your reader has been Rod Brotherton. Thank you, as always
for listening, and now please stay tuned for sports news
right here on Radio I