12.11.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the reading of the Courier Journal for Thursday,
December twelfth, twenty twenty five, which is brought to our
Louisvil listeners be a Louisville public media. As a reminder,
Radio I is a reading service intended for people who
are blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult
to read printed material. Your reader for to day is
Cindy Fraser. We'll start with a five day forecast brought

(00:24):
to you by w h A s to day high
thirty five, cloudy and cold, to night, low thirty one,
snow at times. Friday high forty three, low twenty five,
a little snow, Saturday high thirty one, low nine, low

(00:45):
clouds and colder. Sunday high twenty two, low nine, clouds
and sun very cold. Monday high thirty one, low twenty
seven of sun very cold. Tuesday high forty four, low forty, high,

(01:07):
clouds not as cold. The local forecast cloudy and cold today,
snow at times tonight accumulating one to two inches, intermittent
snow and flurries. Tomorrow morning accumulating a coating to an inch.
Otherwise cloudy storm total snowfall one to three inches. Saturday

(01:29):
low clouds, then perhaps some sun and colder with a
bit of snow in the afternoon and evening. Sunday very
cold with times of cloud and sun. The Almanac for
Louisville on Tuesday temperature high forty seven, low twenty seven,
normal high forty nine, normal low thirty three. The record

(01:53):
high was seventy in eighteen ninety seven. The record low
minus six in night eighteen seventeen. Precipitation Tuesday zero month
to date zero point five four inches normal month to
date one point two two inches year to date fifty

(02:14):
two point eight four inches normal year to date forty
five point four three inches. Sun and moon Thursday sun
rise seven forty nine a m, sunset five twenty three
p m, moon rise none, moonset twelve forty nine p M.

(02:36):
Friday sun rise seven fifty a m, sunset five twenty
three p m. Moon rise twelve fifty four a m
moonset one eleven p m. The last quarter of the
moon will be December eleventh, the new moon December nineteenth,
the first quarter December twenty seventh, and the full moon

(03:00):
will be January third. Weather history. On December eleventh, nineteen
ninety two, a powerful storm brought over thirty inches of
snow to parts of central Pennsylvania. Wind Gus topped eighty
five moss per hour in Wildwood, New Jersey, and hurricane
force wind Gus occurred in Central Park. Weather trivia question

(03:25):
during which four months are hurricanes least likely to form? Answer?
December through March. Now we will read the front page
headlines from today's edition. First, taking a Step Forward Toyota
Boushoku opens new two hundred twenty five million dollars smart
plant in Kentucky. The next headline from today's front page,

(03:50):
jcps's bumpy budget dilemma, school closures paused, size of cuts uncertain.
And the final headline from today's front page, Fox con
to build new factory in Louisville. Now let's turn to
our first item entitled taking a Step Forward. Toyoto Boscheku
opens new two hundred twenty five million dollars smart plant

(04:12):
in Kentucky by Olivia Evans from Hopkinsville. A little over
two years after it was announced, the Toyota Boschekou America
Incorporated smart plant has opened in Kentucky. The two hundred
twenty five million dollar investment by Toyota Boshoku brings one
hundred fifty seven new jobs and the company's first effort

(04:34):
smart plant to Hopkinsville, located one hundred seventy miles southwest
of Louisville. Announcements are exciting, they're the hope. Ground breakings
are the progress, but ribbon cuttings are the reality. Governor
Andy Basher said December ninth at the Toyota Boshoku Western
Kentucky facility. This is when the jobs are real, when

(04:56):
families are changed, when a community takes a step forward.
The smart plant is the first facility of its type
for Toyota Boshoku, a global supplier company affiliated with Japanese
automaker Toyota Motor. The plant in Christian County relies on
advanced automation and data driven production to make components for

(05:17):
Toyota vehicles, including seat recliners and seat tracks, the part
of the seat that allows it to slide forward and
backward in the car. The facility is roughly a three
hundred fifty four thousand square foot building sitting on approximately
forty eight acres in Hopkinsville. The project was supported by
various state incentives ranging from five hundred thousand dollars to

(05:40):
six million dollar incentives that were approved by the Kentucky
Economic Development Finance Authority in twenty twenty three. As part
of these incentives, the average hourly wage for workers must
be twenty eight dollars and forty nine cents. In twenty
twenty five, the project was approved for two Industrial Revenue bos,

(06:00):
a business incentive leveraged by local governments to help businesses expand,
at one hundred ten point nine million dollars and one
hundred nineteen point one million dollars. Today is a celebration
of commitments delivered, and that's the name of the game
when you come to Kentucky, said Jeff Knowele, the Secretary
for the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. What is Toyto

(06:23):
Boshoku Western Kentucky. Toyto Boshoku Western Kentucky is the newest
facility for Toyota Boshekou America, a company that makes various
parts and components used in Toyota motor vehicles. The facility,
which officially started production in November, is considered one of
the most state of the art facilities in advanced auto

(06:43):
manufacturing and utilizes robotics and other automated elements to facilitate work.
This facility has one hundred fifty plus people that will
be working here, which disproves that automation eliminates jobs. Bashir said,
the more automation, the more jobs, the more you ultimately produce.

(07:03):
What this means is it's going to be here for
a long time. For Hopkinsville and for Kentucky, Toyoto Boshuku
officials set other facilities it operates require significantly more manual
labor and team members for production, and while the Western
Kentucky facility has less workers than some facilities, it is
a more efficient and ergonomically safe facility for employees. For example,

(07:29):
the task of walking and retrieving one of the dozens
of parts made and used at the Western Kentucky plant
is effectively eliminated due to the use of robots. The
robots zip around the manufacturing plant, slowing when they approach
humans to collect parts and deliver them to the necessary
stations around the production facility. Additionally, when the robots are

(07:50):
at roughly twenty five percent battery left, they know to
dock themselves to charge, creating an ever constant flow of
robotic help for workers throughout the facility, which both signs
in Japanese and English. Safety is emphasized with an in
house safety training dojo and green mile providing a walkway
for workers that avoids machinery. The plant is extremely organized,

(08:14):
with a slew of whiteboards greeting workers as soon as
they enter the production floor, broken down by daily, weekly,
and monthly tasks. The parts made at Toyota Boshuku Western
Kentucky will support production operations at plants in Tennessee and Canada,
said Magee Mahmoud, Senior Manager Administration at Toyota Bokoshu Western Kentucky. Additionally,

(08:37):
Bashir said the parts made out of the Hopkinsville plant
will be used in the Toyota RAV four, which has
one variation made at the Toyota plant in Georgetown. As
the time continues to move forward and our volume continues
to increase, we will also increase headcount, Mahmud said, noting
the plant hopes to eventually scale to roughly two hundred

(08:58):
thirty employees. What is Toyota Boshoku Totoboshiku, founded in nineteen
eighteen is what eventually became the Toyota group that helped
establish Toyto Motor in the nineteen thirties to day, Toyto
Boshoku develops and manufactures interior filtration and power train components
used in Toyoto motor vehicles and some general motors vehicles.

(09:21):
Toyto Boshoku is a parent company of Toyota Boshuku America.
The company is dual headquartered, with a location in Japan
and its American branch in Erlanger, Kentucky. Toyoboshuku America, the
portion of the company base out of Kentucky that serves North,
Central and South America, employs roughly eleven thousand people across

(09:42):
eighteen locations. The state of Kentucky has been extremely friendly
to the manufacturing industry, Wamud said. With a Hopkinsville plant
officially online, Toyto Boshoku America now employs more than one thousand,
one hundred Kentuckians across its five plants. The Commonwealth Toyota's
connection to Kentucky. Since nineteen eighty six, Japan based automaker

(10:07):
Toyota has invested more than eleven billion dollars in its
Kentucky operations. The auto manufacturer employs roughly ten thousand workers
in the Commonwealth and more than twelve million vehicles have
rolled off its assembly lines, including the Camry, America's best
selling sedan, and the hybrid Rav four. Toyota has long

(10:27):
been a leader in US manufacturing, with its largest vehicle
manufacturing plant in the world in Georgetown, helping to reshape
the Kentucky business landscape. In November, Toyota announced it would
invest two hundred four point four million dollars and eighty
two new jobs at the plant in Georgetown. The Kentucky
facility will add an all new line for four cylinder

(10:49):
hybrid compatible engines. The Courier Journal previously reported the Kentucky
Toyota partnership has driven decades of success, and I'm proud
to see the RelA relationship grow even stronger. Basher previously
set Next from today's front page is an item entitled
JCPS bumpy budget dilemma, school closures paused, size of cuts

(11:13):
uncertain by CHRISTA Johnson. The clock is ticking for leaders
of Jefferson County Public Schools who are tasked with presenting
a new budget in January that is significantly lighter than
the current one by the tune of one hundred thirty
two million dollars. Not long After Superintendent Brian Yearwood took
over at JCPS in July, the district's finances became one

(11:37):
of the hottest topics of conversation across Louisville. Despite the
time that has passed, though questions on how the massive
budget deficit will be addressed have persisted without concrete answers.
The Jefferson County Board of Education voted to spend about
forty thousand dollars hiring an accounting firm tasked with identifying

(11:57):
cuts in mid November, though by then and Yearwood had
indicated eighty five percent of the needed cuts had already
been identified. The firm, according to one district finance leader,
should present their findings by December eleventh in order to
inform the next budget, though the firm's hiring was later
than it should have been. The board had been set

(12:18):
to vote on hiring a firm in October before Yearwood
backtracked on that plan. That hasn't been the only snag
in jcps's path toward a balanced budget so far. The
only plan to save money that has been shared publicly
was to close or relocate five schools, a plan community
members rallied against before leaders put a pause on it

(12:40):
days before it was set to be approved. The plan
was supposed to say four million dollars annually. Yearwood said,
though it's now unclear if that plan will change or
be scrapped altogether. Here's what we know, based off comments
from district leaders since September about how money could be saved.
How much could JCPS save by closing and relocating schools.

(13:04):
When first announcing his plans to close three schools and
relocate two others, Yearwood said the proposal would save four
million dollars annually. At the same press conference, Chief operations
Officer Robert Fulk said the closures of King and Zachary
Taylor Elementaries alone would save a collective three million dollars.
Relocating Waller Williams could save about three hundred thousand dollars

(13:26):
a year. Full continued, while there aren't significant cost benefits
to relocating TAP or TAPP, aside from the potential transportation
savings from having the program more centrally located, Waller Williams,
according to the plan, would begin occupying the space that
TAP is currently in. The largest amount of pushback to

(13:47):
the plan came from supporters of Liberty High and how
much closing the school would save j CPS is unclear.
Smaller schools like Liberty are more expensive to operate as
they still need any of the administrative and support staff
that larger schools need, like a principal and mental health practitioner,
though they received less overall funding that is largely based

(14:09):
on enrollment. JCPS spends just under sixty seven thousand dollars
per Liberty student, which is significantly higher than the district's
other multi level schools, though it is on par with
Breckenridge Metropolitan High another j CPS alternative school with roughly
the same number of students. Aside from the costs associated

(14:30):
with the low enrollment, Liberty staff also drive up the
school's operations budget. More than seventy percent of the teachers
at Liberty hold master's degrees, and the years of experience
for the faculty is significantly higher than the districts about
sixteen years compared to less than thirteen, factors that drive
up their salaries. In regard to Liberty, Folks said his

(14:52):
team had not recommended the school's closure and could not
say how much it would save the district. The school
was not on a critical needs loop based off the
Operations Team's Facility Profile Index, a new tool being used
to identify which schools might be candidates for closure, while
the other four schools targeted for changes were When asked

(15:12):
for the cost savings figure associated with closing Liberty, JCPS
spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan said it would save the district nearly
five million dollars. When pressed on how Liberty's cost savings
alone could be larger than the full plans figure, you'rewood sided,
Callahan provided a response from jcps's finance department that said,

(15:33):
you're essentially cutting all costs. Teachers will fill vacancies around
the district, but the one hundred thirtyish students will be
spread out over numerous schools. Filling vacancies does not equate
to cost savings, though it is likely the salaries of
Liberty's experienced staff will be continued to be paid, albeit
from a different schools budget. JCPS would likely save money

(15:56):
on its per pupil expenditures for Liberty students given this
schools they enroll in spend less per student, but on
the operation side, it is also unlikely the district would
save much from closing Liberty in the immediate future. In
selling King's property. Folk estimated j CPS would benefit from
a one time payment of about eight hundred thousand dollars

(16:18):
for Zachary Taylor's property in East Louisville. He estimated three
million dollars profit, but Liberty share space with some central
office personnel who would continue working on the Atkinson Drive property.
Those employees will eventually be moved when j CPS relocates
to a new consolidated office building. Folk said before the

(16:39):
time being, j CPS would still need to pay for
the building to operate. Callahan did not respond to questions
on whether the four million dollar figure Yearwood initially provided
was incorrect, how leaders came up with a near five
million dollar figure to close Liberty, or what the future
plans are for the building. Liberty is located in on
akins And Drive. Aside from closing schools, how will j

(17:03):
CPS balance its budget, whether its four million dollars or
nine million dollars or somewhere in between. The district's closure
plan would only represent a small chunk of what Yearwood
says needs to be saved. The total number of how
much needs to be saved has also repeatedly shifted. Before
Yearwood was hired, j CPS leader said that after cutting

(17:25):
one hundred million dollars from the twenty twenty five through
twenty six budget, another fifty million dollars must be cut
from the twenty twenty six through twenty seven budget once
Yearwood came on, though that figure jumped significantly. Chief Financial
Officer Eddie Monds said the difference is that the new
superintendent is seeking to graft a responsible budget that takes

(17:48):
into account upcoming purchases j CPS will eventually need to make.
When the idea of hiring an accounting firm was first introduced,
part of the explanation as to why an audit was
needed was to figure out exactly how big of a
deficit the district faced. At one point, Leaders said one
hundred eighty eight million dollars needed to be cut over

(18:08):
two years, though a financial presentation given by months showed
the district's deficit was forty seven million dollars in fiscal
year twenty twenty two, two hundred and ninety five million
dollars in fiscal year twenty twenty five, then one hundred
eighty eight million dollars in fiscal year twenty twenty six.
After the hiring of a firm was delayed, one hundred

(18:30):
thirty two million dollars became the magic number Yearwood latched onto.
Regardless of the number, it is clear that closing a
few schools, if that happens, will not be enough. When
Mons first told school board members the deficit was far
larger than they'd previously been led to believe, he acknowledged
the cuts wouldn't be easy, but said by taking action now,

(18:52):
we can turn this around. He indicated, Yearwood implemented a
hiring pause across the district in August to give leaders
a chefs to take an intentional look at any vacant
positions to make sure that they are truly essential. We
are looking at all other spending to make sure we
eliminate all non essential spending. We are looking at individual

(19:13):
programs to make sure they are right sized and we
aren't allocating beyond the benefit for that program. Muns also
said contracts would be evaluated to see which could be discontinued,
and all cabinet members provided recommendations for reductions within their departments.
Reducing the district's investment portfolio was also listed as a

(19:33):
cost saving measure. Muns caused significant alarm when He first
told board members JCPS would need to sell assets in
twenty twenty six to make payroll, but when it happened
a year earlier than discussed, it was described as a
routine practice for large organizations like JCPS. It is unclear
that this helped approach the one hundred thirty two million

(19:54):
dollars in cuts or instead kept the district from incurring
more debt Yearwood has also said j CPS's Central Office
will see cuts, though he hasn't provided any details regarding
how many positions or which departments will be impacted. The
department has nearly five hundred central office employees who earn
more than one hundred thousand dollars a year. According to

(20:17):
j CPS documents. Their jobs cover a wide range of
duties that ensure JCPS is meaning state and federal guidelines
while educating roughly ninety three thousand students across more than
one hundred fifty buildings. When will JCPS announce budget cuts?
Board members are set to see the first draft of

(20:38):
the twenty twenty six through twenty seven budget during their
January twentieth meeting. Generally, the draft budget will be made
public a few days ahead of that meeting. From there,
changes can continue to be made with a working budget
approved in September and the final litemprinted days from pages
entitled Foxcn to build new factory in Louisville by Caroline Neal.

(21:02):
Foxconne Technology, the world's largest electronics manufacturer, announced December ninth
it will be opening a new factory in Louisville that
officials say will bring nearly two hundred jobs to the
metro area and will serve as the company's first manufacturing
operation in the United States. The Kentucky Economic Development Finance
Authority recently approved the Taiwan based company for a six

(21:25):
hundred thousand dollars tax incentive as well as a three
point four million dollar incentive associated with the one hundred
seventy four million dollar projected investment. As part of the
incentive agreement with the Commonwealth, Foxconn will employ one hundred
eighty workers within ten years. Foxconn, which has more than
two hundred thirty factories and offices in twenty four countries,

(21:49):
focuses on products including smart electronics, cloud and networking services,
and computing equipment. According to the company's website, the company
plans to lease as in Southwestern Jefferson County near Randy
co Lane. Operations at the facility are expected to begin
in the third quarter of twenty twenty six, according to

(22:10):
a news release from Mayor Craig Greenberg's office. Considering market changes,
we need to be closer to customers and provide services
that meet their needs, Foxchn's head of Investment Yu Kai
Linn said during a December ninth news conference with Greenberg.
Greenberg described the addition of fox Cohn as a sign
that global companies see Louisville as a place they can grow, innovate,

(22:34):
and build lasting success. The three hundred and fifty thousand
square foot factory will integrate AI, robotics and advanced automation
into every phase of production. In addition to employing engineers,
the facility will also offer advanced manufacturing job opportunities. Greenberg said.
Fox Conn has not yet specified what will be produced

(22:57):
to the facility, but Greenberg said it will be a
well known consumer product brand and item. Well known products
the company produces include Apple products like iPhones and iPads,
as well as gaming consoles from a Nintendo and Microsoft's
Xbox line. Foxconn also aims to make the facility sustainable,
which Lynn set includes both addressing environmental concerns and bringing

(23:22):
long term positive impact to the city. Lynn said the
company wants to recruit at the University of Louisville. U
of L President Jerry Bradley said the Speed School of
Engineering is creating the next generation of engineers who will
be game changers for projects like those at Foxconn. We
are ready and we are a willing partner. He said.

(23:44):
Advanced precision manufacturing is key to our Commonwealth's future, and
I am confident that Speed School graduates and fox Conn
will be able to partner and we will be able
to answer the call. Louisville Economic Development Alliance CEO trepor
Plus said fox KHN choosing to manufacture in Louisville represents
where America and Louisville are going. For years, people question

(24:08):
whether you could build consumer electronics in the United States
of America, he said. As of today, we are no
longer debating that, we are demonstrating that it can be done.
Greenberg said Louisville was chosen for its strong infrastructure, skilled
and adaptable workers, and strategic location in America's manufacturing and
logistics corridor. This is the beginning of a new era.

(24:32):
Of advanced manufacturing in our country, and Louisville is leading
the way, Greenberg said. With this project, large scale consumer
electronic production returns to the United States in Louisville with
Fox Kahn's flagship factory of the future right here in Louisville. Now,
let's turn to the interior of today's paper, where our

(24:54):
next item is entitled Polar Vortex sending blast of cold
air to us by dut Oh Rice of USA Today.
Ready for some serious cold. The planet's most extreme cold
air will be barreling into the central and eastern United
States over the weekend like a wrecking ball, said Weather
Trader meteorologist Ryan Maui in a post on X on

(25:17):
December ninth. Maui called it a textbook polar vortex megadump
of Western Canadian cold. Some of the coldest, if not
the coldest temperatures across the entire globe will cover the
central and eastern US over the weekend and into early
next week, clematologist judicohen, A research scientist and mit said

(25:37):
in an e mail to USA Today. It also seems
that the most expansive and continuous area of below normal
temperatures across the globe will extend from Alaska to the
eastern US this upcoming week, he said, But in a
shred of good news for those who hate the frigid weather,
this cold blast could be relatively short lived. Forecasts expect

(26:00):
to return two more typical wintry temperatures later in the
month and into the new year, as the polar vortex
retreats back to the north and La Ninia returns to prominence.
In Chicago, windschills could make a run at twenty below
at some point this coming weekend. The National Weather Service
said windchills near minus forty five are possible in the Dakotas.

(26:23):
Windshills that low can cause frostbite to expose skin within
ten minutes. The Weather Service said temperatures will dip to
as much as thirty degrees below the seasonal average in
many locations. According to the agency, the blast of cold
will come from the polar vortex, which is a large
upper level low pressure area or circulation that typically resides

(26:45):
above the Arctic Circle. When this storm is strong, it
tends to keep the coldest air in the northern hemisphere
locked up over the pole. However, when it weakens, a
stretches frigid air can move south. ACI Weather meteorologist Alas
Sosnowski said in an online forecast, pulses or lobes of
the polar vortex can pinwell south over the United States,

(27:08):
which is what is happening in these forecasts. According to MAUI,
this type of on again, off again behavior from a
disrupted polar vortex with lobes bringing transient coal blasts isn't unusual.
ACU Weather meteorologist Paul Pasteloch told USA Today. He said
this particular lobe should persist up until the eighteenth or

(27:31):
nineteenth of the month. We believe that two to three
more rounds of intense cold are possible from the Midwest
to much of the East, spanning December tenth to nineteenth.
Pasteloch said there is a chance for a frost or
freeze late next week as far south as central Florida.
After that, the vortex should retreat back toward the north

(27:53):
pole for the immediate future, experts predict according to the
Climate Prediction Center's winter forecast, which is law NINA as
a primary guide, a warmer than average winter is most
likely across the southern tier of the nation, as well
as in California and along much of the East Coast
and Florida. Colder than normal conditions are expected in the

(28:13):
Pacific Northwest and across the Upper Midwest. Our next item
is entitled fifteen year old arrested after alleged attempt to
bring gun into j CPS building by Caroline Neil, A
fifteen year old student was arrested on suspicion of attempting
to bring a gun into a Jefferson County Public Schools building,

(28:34):
according to a news release from Louisville Metro Police. L
MPD responded to a call to assist j CPS police
with a student who tried to bring a gun into
academy at Shawnee around nine a m. December ninth, spokesperson
d White Mitchell said. District spokesperson Carolyn Callahan said j
CPS police charged the student with unlawful possession of a

(28:56):
weapon on school property. In an email to parents, Principal
Holly Smith said the weapons detection system went off as
a student entered the building, prompting staff to conduct a
standard follow up screening. As staff for examining the student's bag,
the student retrieved it and left the building before the
screening was completed. Mitchell said police established a perimeter near

(29:18):
a house near forty fifth Street and Jewel Avenue where
the student was later arrested. L MPD's K nine located
the firearm that the student allegedly discarded. Mitchell said, I
want to assure you that at no time did any
prohibited item breach our security and enter the school building.
Smith said our layered security measures functioned exactly as intended

(29:41):
to keep our school community safe. Smith said the student
will be disciplined in alignment with the Student Support and
Behavior Intervention Handbook and may face additional consequences as determined
by law enforcement. Now it is time to read the obituaries.
We read only the name, age, and location. If you
would like further information on any of the obituaries, please

(30:04):
call us during the week days at eight five nine
four two two, six three nine zero and we will
be glad to read the entire obituary for you. I
will repeat that number at the end of the listings.
Richard T. Biellemare eighty four of Louisville, Barbara macgee eighty
two of Louisville, Barbara bill u Redman eighty five of Prospect.

(30:30):
If you would like further information about any of the
listings to day. Call us on week days at eight
five nine, four, two, two, six, three nine zero, and
we will be glad to read the entire item to you.
Our next item is from the metro page and is
entitled student in k s U shooting I D. Franklin
County Corner's Office said j Jean Daryl Fox, junior nineteen,

(30:54):
of Indianapolis was the victim who died by Caroline Neil.
A December ninth shooting at Kentucky State University left one
person dead and another critically injured. Police said the shooting
occurred on the south side of campus after three p m.
Near the Whitney M. Young Junior Residence Hall. Police said

(31:14):
one individual, who was not a student at the university
was arrested and facing murder and assault charges. Frankfort Police
is leading the investigation. We understand how unsettling incidents like
this can be for students, parents, and our community, but
please know that the safety of our residents and our
campus partners remains our top priority. Frankfort Police Assistant Chief

(31:38):
Scott Tracy said during the December ninth evening news conference.
We will continue to work closely with Kentucky State University
as this investigation moves forward. In a December tenth news release,
the Franklin County Corner's Office identified to Jean Daryl Fox, junior, nineteen,
of Indianapolis as a student who died. Coroner William Herrod

(31:59):
said Box was pronounced dead at the Frankfort Regional Medical
Center at four thirty three p m. December ninth, and
autopsy was performed the morning of December tenth, and the
final results will be available in fourteen to sixteen weeks.
Herod said Frankfort police responded to a report of a
shooting at KSU around three ten pm. When officers arrived,

(32:21):
KSU campus police already had a suspect in custody. Tracy
said two students were shot and were taken to an
area hospital for treatment, where Fox later died. The second student,
who has not yet been identified, remains in critical condition.
KSU administrators said the university is in close contact with
the families and is providing every available support to them.

(32:45):
Counseling and support services are also available for students, faculty,
and staff. We encourage anyone in need of assistance to
contact the university's Counseling Services administrators said. Frankfort police later
identified Jacob Lee Bard, forty eight, of Evansville, Indiana. He
is facing murder and assault charges and is currently being

(33:08):
held at the Franklin County Regional Jail. Bard is the
father of two baseball players at the university, though it
is still unclear why he visited the campus December ninth.
According to a recitation, Bard was involved in a physical
altercation on campus, during which he produced a handgun and
shot to other individuals. Bard is scheduled to appear in

(33:30):
court for an arraignment hearing December eleventh. In a video
posted to Acts December ninth, Governor Andy Basheer asked for
Kentucky families to pray for the victims' families as well
as a Frankfurt community. Pray for a world where these
things don't happen, and I'll keep trying to build the
Kentucky that we don't see arguments end in violence, he said.

(33:52):
During a December ninth news conference, CASEU president Kopeia Kackpole
said the incident was a senseless tragedy, as I cannot
imagine receiving the call I placed to day to the families.
A cockpos said I cannot thank our law enforcement enough,
our community enough, and our leader right here with me now.

(34:12):
In a December ten news conference, he added he has
been in contact with the victim's families and visited the
second victim, who was still in intensive care in the hospital.
I was there very late last night, and this morning
I was there again and met with a student, he said.
A Cockpost said he has met with city officials about
how to improve campus safety going forward once the investigation

(34:35):
is completed. CASHIU posted a statement to the university's website
December ninth, confirming that all classes, activities, and final exams
would be suspended for the remainder of the week. Students
may return home if they choose, The school wrote December
twelfth was scheduled as a last day of final exams
before cashu's winter break. The first day of the spring

(34:57):
semester is scheduled for January twelfth, only twenty six, according
to the Academic Calendar reporter Lillian Metzmeyer contributed. Next still
from the metro page is an item entitled seven Counties
Services plans to buy a piece of Sullivan University CEO.
It's a bold step forward in our journey to transform

(35:18):
lives by Stephanie Cuzdem Seven County Services plans to purchase
property to expand its care. The Mental Health Center announced
December second its plans to purchase the property at four
zero zero four Gardener Point Drive, which served previously as
a residence hall for Sullivan University. Prior to that, it

(35:39):
was the KFC Hotel. The former dorm building is listed
for sale by CBRE for nine point nine five million dollars.
The property is owned by Sullivan University. Originally built in
nineteen sixty five, the property first housed a Colonel Sanders Inn.
It was located on the edge of KFC's then property,
The Universe. She remodeled it into student housing in twenty ten.

(36:03):
The one hundred forty two thousand, seven hundred fifty four
square foot property included a two hundred fifty seven room
building on five point twenty nine acres. Seven County Services,
which offers both mental and behavioral health services, substance use treatment,
and intellectual and developmental disability services, serves those in Bullet, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby,

(36:27):
Spencer and Trimble Counties. This is more than a building
it's a bold step forward in our journey to transform lives.
Dave Pancotie Seven County Services CEO said in a news release,
we are thrilled about the opportunity to expand our footprint
in a way that allows us to consolidate resources, improve efficiency,

(36:49):
and most importantly, continue providing hope and compassionate, high quality
care to our community seven Counties. In the press release
did not state how it plans to use the building.
The non profit declined in interview, stating that the process
is still early. This story may be updated next. An

(37:10):
iteman titled LMPD identifies officers in shooting man fatally shot
December seventh at apartment complex by Leo Bertucci. Louisville Metro
Police officials disclosed December seventh the names of the officers
who fired the gunshots that killed a man at an
apartment complex and Hrsborn Acres. Documents released by LMPD show

(37:33):
Michael Crowe and Austin Taylor on December fourth, fired at
a man police official said was armed in the nine
thousand block of Red Deer Circle. Years earlier, Crowe was
found in violation of LMPD policies in another police shooting. Crowe,
who joined LLMPD in twenty seventeen after three years with

(37:54):
the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, received a letter of
reprimand in December twenty twenty two following an investigation into
his actions during a twenty twenty one police shooting via
walmart On Bashford Manor Lane. Crow fired at an armed
man who police had chased for miles after he drove
away from a traffic stop. The Courier Journal previously reported

(38:16):
the man fired shots just before Crow discharged his weapon.
In the twenty twenty two letter, then l MPD Chief
Rika Shields wrote she found Crow to be in violation
of the department's pursuit and body camera procedures during the
Bashford Manner shooting. Shield said during the police chase, Crow
traveled in a high rate of speed without lights and

(38:38):
sirens activated, and failed to stop at any stop sign.
Crow did not have his body camera in a proper
position to record the pursuit in shooting, Shields wrote. The
Courier Journal previously reported Crow was wearing a vest that
covered the body camera, though audio was captured from the recording.
The same letter exonerated Crow, charges that he violated lmpd's

(39:01):
use of deadly force and de escalation policies. Shield said
Crowe's decision to fire at the armed man qualified as
quick and justified actions because the man had fired at
officers first. Since joining LMPD in twenty twenty, Taylor has
received one letter of reprimand for failing to appear for
mandatory court attendants in August twenty twenty one. The records

(39:24):
LMPD shared December seventh include multiple letters of commendation for
both Crow and Taylor. Both officers are assigned to the
sixth Division. Body camera footage from the December fourth shooting
has not yet been released by LMPD. A department's policy
calls for video recordings to be shared to the public
within ten business days of the shooting. Both officers fired

(39:46):
shots at the man after ordering him to drop his weapon,
LMPD Deputy Chief Ryan Bates said December fourth, Crow and
Taylor rendered aid at the scene, but the man was
pronounced dead by first responders. Shows have not yet released
the identity of the man who was shot and killed
December fourth. Next is the final item for today's metro page,

(40:07):
which is entitled Kentucky Native George Clooney nominated for a
Golden Globe by Kirby Adams. Kentucky native George Clooney is
in the running for a twenty twenty six Golden Globe
Award for his leading role in the feature length film
J Kelly. For his role as an aging megawat movie
star searching to add meaning to his life beyond the

(40:29):
silver screen. Clooney was nominated in the category for Best
Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical
or Comedy. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced nominees for
the eighty third annual Golden Globes on December ninth. Also
nominated in the category are Ethan Hawk for Blue Moon,
Jesse Plemmons for Bogonia, Li Boong Hung for No Other Choice,

(40:54):
Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, and Timothy Chalomay
for Marty Supreme. Clooney's recognition for J. Kelly is his
fourteenth Golden Globe nomination, which includes three wins for O
Brother Where Art Thou, Syriana and The Descendants, plus a
Cecil B. De mil Lifetime Achievement Award in twenty fifteen

(41:18):
in J. Kelly. Clooney's agent is played by Adam Sandler,
who is also nominated for a twenty twenty six Golden
Globe in the category Best Performance by a Male Actor
in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture. The eighty
third Golden Globe Awards will be held Sunday, January eleventh,
twenty twenty six, in Beverly Hills, California. The event will

(41:38):
air live on CBS and stream on Paramount Plus. Comedian
Nicki Glazer is returning as host for the second consecutive year.
Next an iteman titled US Farmer's warn of broken system,
Say Bailout's help, but aren't long term answer by Media
Yancey Bragg, Anna Cli, Danella Eller, and Ross Riley of

(42:03):
the USA Today Network. A few years ago, Wisconsin soybean
farmer Doug Rebount was getting fourteen dollars and fifty cents
a bushel for his crop. Now admitted trade dispute with
China and rising production costs driven by inflation, that price
has plummeted to round nine dollars thirty cents. Rebout's farm,

(42:24):
which grows about eighty thousand bushels of soybeans annually, is
looking at a four hundred thousand dollars economic loss due
to the dropping prices, He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
part of the USA Today Network, prior to President Donald
Trump's announcement of a twelve billion dollar assistance package for farmers.
Rebouts said that although financial aid would help farmers weather

(42:47):
the storm, many fear the economic uncertainty will linger. Some
are worried about losing farms that have been in their
families for generations. Right now, we're farming at losses because
of these price Rebouts said, as farmers, we don't want
to keep receiving bailouts. We want to get paid for
our costs, be able to pay our own bills and

(43:09):
make a little bit of money. Soybean farmers were hit
particularly hard when China, which has historically bought half of
US soybeans, retaliated against US tariffs and turned to Brazil
and Argentina instead. Meanwhile, the cost of labor, fertilizer, fuel, oil,
and seed rose. Though aid is on the way, China

(43:32):
has resumed purchasing American soybeans and some teriffs have eased,
farmers are really struggling. Angela Huffman, president and co founder
of the non profit government watchdog farm Atch told USA
Today the aid package is welcome and needed desperately to
meet their immediate needs, but long term structural change is essential.

(43:54):
She said. The way we see it is these repeated
bailouts are awsome. Was signed that the underlying system is broken,
said Huffman, who runs an Ohio sheep farm. Farmers try
to cut costs. Ernleman, a central Iowa farmer and the
Iowa Farmers Union board president, told the Des Moines Register,

(44:16):
also part of the USA Today network, that farmers are
trying to cut costs wherever they can. Few are buying machinery,
and some are deferring equipment maintenance, trimming fertilizer, seed and
chemical costs, and trying to negotiate farmland rental agreements. Those
needs don't go away, he said. Sometimes when the bill

(44:37):
comes it's a lot bigger. Some have had to take
off farm jobs to stay afloat. Huffman said they do
what they can to scrape by, but a lot of
them simply are not surviving. She said, it really is
a crisis. Huffman said dozens of farms were lost each
day in recent years, prompt in comparisons to the crisis

(44:59):
of the nineteen eighties that forced thousands of farmers into bankruptcy.
Nearly half of farmer's recently surveyed by the National Corn
Growers Association think the country is on the brink of
yet another farm crisis. More than one hundred and eighty
farmers filed for bankruptcy protection in the first two quarters
of twenty twenty five, nearly sixty percent more than during

(45:22):
the same time frame last year. According to US Bankruptcy
Court filings, Arkansas led the nation with nineteen farm bankruptcy filings,
followed by Iowa, Georgia, California, and Nebraska. Macderduff, an agricultural
mediation specialist, told the Register he seen cases that are
more complex and involved millions of dollars and often a

(45:46):
dozen people of peace fears for the future of agriculture.
Trump said the aid package will provide much needed certainty
to farmers as they get this year's harvest to market
and look ahead to next year's crops, but some uncertainty
remains over whether China will be able to buy the
millions of metric tons of soybeans the White House set

(46:08):
it would over the next few years. Given a glut
of recent imports to that country wheter is reported, and
if farmers are unable to sell all their soybeans, the
crop will remain stored for the next year, creating an
oversupply that could drag prices down even further. If that happens,
then our livelihood starts withering away a little bit. Corn

(46:31):
and soybean farmer Brian Warbuck told the USA Today Networks
Indianapolis Star the war in Indiana. Farmer doesn't know anyone
who's lost their farm from the squeeze yet, but fears
he will if things don't change in the next year.
Rob Baker, a fifth generation corn and soybean farmer in Leyland, Mississippi,

(46:52):
said the current crisis has felt like watching a train
wreck in slow motion. Baker said China has prepared for
this moment over the year by pumping money into Brazilian infrastructure,
but john his help, Brazil has doubled its output of
soybeans in the last fifteen years. If the expansion continues,
Baker said he could see a day in five years

(47:14):
when soybeans would not be a feasible, profitable crop for
American farmers. Baker, who is also the Mississippi representative on
the board of directors for the American Soybean Association told
the USA Today Network's Mississippi Claron Ledger in October that
a bailout from Congress would be abandoned on a much

(47:34):
larger problem. Contributing bar Jansen, USA Today Reuters, Toda Yancey
Bragg writes for USA Today, and A Cliber writes for
the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Donnell Eller writes for the Des
Moines Register. Ross Riley writes for the Mississippi Clarion Ledger.
Next proposed settlement could end SAFE plan by Zachary Schirmelli

(47:59):
of USA TIA Today from Washington. Former President Joe Biden's
signature student loan repayment plan could be over and the
clock is ticking from millions of borrowers to enroll in
another program. On December ninth, the Federal Education Department announced
a proposed legal agreement meant to kill the program, known

(48:19):
as a Saving on a Valuable Education or SAVE plan.
The agency said it settled with several Red states who
sued to stop SAVE in March twenty twenty four. If
approved by the courts, the settlement will require that no
new borrowers are enrolled in the SAVE program. Which based
monthly bills on borrower's incomes and was hailed by the

(48:41):
Biden administration as the most affordable student loan repayment option
in history. The Department will also deny any pending SAVE
applications and move current borrowers into different repayment plans. The
settlement would end the legal limbo in which more than
seven millions Seve GAVE borrowers have been stuck for more

(49:01):
than a year and a half. Those borrowers have been
in administrative forbearance, not requiring them to make payments since
June twenty twenty four. Interest on their debt restarted in
August of this year. The agreement also represents what the
Trump administration called the final nail in the coffin to
Biden's efforts to deliver nearly two hundred billion dollars in

(49:24):
student loan relief to more than five million Americans with
crushing debt through the SAVE program. Specifically, President Donald Trump's
predecessor Greenlit roughly five point five billion dollars in student
loan discharges to nearly half a million SAVE borrowers. SAVE
also brought many borrowers monthly payments down to zero dollars

(49:46):
in a statement. Nicholas Kent, the Education under Secretary, criticized
the debt cancelation as an attempt to gain a political
win to prop up a failing administration. The Trump administration
is riding this wrong and bringing an end to this
deceptive scheme, he said. The law is clear, if you
take out a loan, you must pay it back Protect borrowers.

(50:08):
An advocacy group for people with student debt, called the
settlement a back room deal that amounted to pure capitulation.
The real story here is the unrelenting right wing push
to jack up costs on working people with student debt
pursus you, the organization's deputy executive director said in a statement.

(50:29):
The next item is entitled Increase in Labor Costs moderates
in third quarter by Lucia Mudikani Oproiters from Washington, US
labor costs increase slightly less than expected in the third
quarter as a softening labor market curbed wage growth, which
bodes well for the inflation outlook. The report from the

(50:51):
Labor Department on December tenth followed on the heels of
data on December ninth, Tuesday showing resignations dropped to a
five year low in October that supported views by Federal
Reserve officials that the labor market was not a source
of inflation. The labor market is easing amid low supply
and demand for workers, blamed by economists on reduced immigration

(51:13):
and import tariffs, which have boosted prices of some goods.
With ac quits rates dropping and demand for workers fading
in the second half of twenty twenty five, we expect
wage growth to receive further in twenty twenty six, said
Ben Ayers, senior economists at Nationwide. The reduced pressure from
wage costs should be welcomed by firms and could help

(51:35):
to drive improved business investments in the new year. The
Employment Cost Index, the broadest measure of labor costs, rose
zero point eight percent in the last quarter, after getting
zero point nine percent in the second quarter. The Labor
Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said economists pulled by Reuters
had forecast the ECI advancing zero point nine percent. Labor

(51:58):
costs increased three point five percent in the twelve months
through September, the smallest year on year gain since the
second quarter of twenty twenty one, after rising three point
six percent in the year through June. The report was
delayed by the forty three day government shutdown, and the
BLS noted that survey response rates decreased in September. Data

(52:20):
collection had not been completed before the longest shutdown in history.
The agency said, this may indicate that these results could
experience higher revisions than usual, said Eugenio Aylman, chief economist
at Raymond James. Nonetheless, this is good news because these
numbers reinforced the FED Chairman's argument over the last year

(52:41):
that labor costs so far are not behind the recent
increase in inflation. The ECI is viewed by policymakers as
one of the better measures of labor market slack and
a predictor of core inflation because it adjusts for composition
and job quality changes. While the generation suggested wages posed

(53:01):
no threat to inflation, price pressures remain elevated, partly because
of chiffs e roading consumers buying power cooler. Wage growth
could also hamper consumer spending. Wages and salaries, which are
the bulk of labour costs, rose zero point eight percent
last quarter after increasing one percent in the April through

(53:22):
June quarter. They increased three point five percent on an
annual basis when adjusted for inflation. Overall wages rose zero
point six percent in the twelve months through September after
advancing zero point nine percent in the second quarter. Growth
and compensation for unionized workers slowed considerably last quarter. Private

(53:43):
sector wages and salaries gained zero point eight percent in
the July through September quarter. They increased three point six
percent in the twelve months through September after rising three
point five percent in the second quarter. Compensation costs will
rise at a slower pace in the coming quarters, said
Matthew Martin, senior economists at Oxford Economics. Workers have less

(54:05):
confidence in testing the labor market. The next item is
entitled U S Vows sanctions if ICC targets Trumps. Washington
demands change to Court's founding document by Homeria Pomuck of
Reiters from Washington. President Donald Trump's administration wants the International
Criminal Court to mend its founding document to ensure it

(54:28):
does not investigate the Republican president and its top officials.
A Trump administration official set threatening new U S sanctions
on the Court if it did not. If the Court
does not act on this demand, and two others, dropping
investigations of Israeli leaders over the war in the Middle
East and formerly ending an earlier probe of U. S

(54:49):
troops over their actions in Afghanistan. Washington may penalize more
ic C officials and could sanction the court itself, The
official set Sanctioning the court would significantly escalate the U
S campaign against the ICC, which has long been criticized
by US officials, including both Republicans and Democrats, who say

(55:10):
the court infringes on U. S sovereignty. The Trump administration official,
speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Washington has communicated
its demands to ic C members, some of whom are
U S allies, and has also made them known to
the court. The United States is not a party to
the Rome Statute that established the ic C in two

(55:31):
thousand two as a court of last resort with the
power to prosecute heads of state. The demand and the
threat to resume the U S sanctions campaign towards the
Court have not been previously reported. Washington fears action after
Trump's term ends. ICC judges issued arrest warrants for Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense chief joav Galant

(55:56):
and Hamas leader Ibrahim Almasri. Last November, we alleged war
crimes and crimes against humanity during the year's long conflict.
In March twenty twenty, prosecutors opened an investigation in Afghanistan
that included possible crimes by US troops. Since twenty twenty one,
the Court has deprioritized looking into the role of the

(56:18):
United States, but it has not formally ended its probe
to force the War Tribunal to drop these charges. The
United States earlier this year slaps sanctions on nine ICC officials,
including judges and prosecutors, but it has stopped short of
imposing sanctions on the Court as an entity, which would
severely disrupt the Tribunal's work. There is growing concern that

(56:43):
in twenty twenty nine, the ICC will turn its attention
to the President, to the Vice President, to the Secretary
of War and others and pursue prosecutions against them. The
Trump administration officials said that is unacceptable and we will
not allow it to happen. The White House had no
immediate comment on the matter. Any effort to change a

(57:05):
Rome statute to accommodate the U S demand would be
slow and difficult, requiring approval of two thirds of countries
that have ratified the Rome Statute. Amendments to the Rum
Statute are within the prerogative of states parties. The ic
c's Public Affairs Unit, which speaks on behalf of the
Court and its presidency, said in response to Ruda's questions,

(57:26):
it did not address a question on whether Washington has
reached out to seek a prosecution community for Trump. Due
to the constraints of time, we will be unable to
complete this item. This concludes readings of the Courier Journal
for Thursday, December eleventh, twenty twenty five. Stay tuned for
more news to follow immediately. Your reader husband, Cindy Fraser,