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Study: Most high school students say they have had a traumatic experience
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KENTUCKY NEWS CONNECTION New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show three of every four high school students nationwide said they have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, including witnessing domestic violence in the home, parental separation or physical and sexual abuse, among others. Research has shown the…
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Kentucky labor unions want next administration to support PRO Act
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN Kentucky News Connection Labor groups in Kentucky and across the nation are pushing for the next administration to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO, Act. The legislation would reform existing labor laws to clamp down on union-busting tactics and strengthen workers’ rights during organizing and bargaining with their employers.…
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Youth detention on the decline in Kentucky
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KY NEWS CONNECTION A new report showed a decade after being passed, Kentucky’s juvenile justice reform law is getting results. It found 60% of juvenile cases were diverted to alternative programs in 2020, compared to 41% in 2013. Instead of being sent to in detention centers, kids in diversion programs participate in…
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Kentucky wants colleges to redesign admissions with focus on low-income, first-generation students
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KY NEWS CONNECTION Kentucky is one of a handful of states that’s been awarded a $150,000 grant from Lumina Foundation to test changes to the college admissions process. Colleges nationwide are struggling with enrollment post-pandemic, and over the next decade fewer traditional-age students are expected to enroll. Lilly Massa-McKinley, Ph.D – executive…
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Kentucky bill would strengthen trauma-informed resources in schools
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KY NEWS CONNECTION Suicide rates among young Kentuckians are rising and proposed legislation would strengthen trauma-informed care in schools and boost youth suicide prevention resources. According to the latest state data, one in seven high school students reported having seriously considered suicide within a 12-month period. Sheila Schuster, executive director of the…
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Kentucky child-care providers face uncertain future when federal funding expires
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KY NEWS CONNECTION Child-care providers in Kentucky are bracing for severe funding cuts when $330 million in annual federal funding expires in September. A recent survey of hundreds of child-care directors in the Commonwealth shows most expect to raise tuition rates and cut staff pay. Research shows kids who have access to…
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Kentucky lawmakers consider bill that would expand felony offenses
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KENTUCKY NEWS CONNECTION Under proposed legislation being considered by Republican lawmakers, Kentucky renters would face harsher criminal penalties for property damage. Penalties would increase for sleeping in a tent in public areas, and for violent offenses, among other measures. Ben Carter, senior litigation and advocacy counsel with the Kentucky Equal Justice Center,…
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Report: Kentucky lawmakers increasingly fast-track bills, reducing transparency
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE Kentucky lawmakers convene this week for the 2024 legislative session, and a new report finds state representatives are increasingly fast-tracking legislation while eroding citizen participation. The League of Women Voters of Kentucky analysis finds lawmakers are replacing original versions of bills with last-minute substitute versions, leaving little or no…
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Kentucky leads nation in advanced cervical cancer fatalities
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN January is Cervical Health Awareness Month and health experts said they are concerned about the growing number of cervical cancer diagnoses nationwide. Kentucky already has the highest rate of cervical cancer in the U.S., with the state’s Appalachian region having cases at twice the national rate. Rebecca Gibran, CEO of Planned Parenthood…