FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) – While Kentucky lawmakers are not currently in session, that does not mean the Capitol is at a standstill.

Lawmakers are pushing to expand free meal programs to students in the upcoming session, and they say farmers will also benefit.

“We might have different ideas on how to educate and how to pay for that education, but we know that we want to feed our children, we know to educate them they need a full stomach first,” said Rep. Shawn McPherson (R-Scottsville).

Legislation to address food needs for Kentucky students, tied with the needs of Kentucky farmers, is already in the works for next year’s legislative session.

“If you can work for the schools and for the farmers and education and tie education and the farmers together, then I think that’s just a win-win for everybody,” said Rep. McPherson.

The bipartisan legislation is being sponsored by Rep. Chad Aull (D-Lexington) and Rep. McPherson in the House of Representatives and Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong (D-Louisville) is planning to file a similar bill in the other chamber.

“Everyone recognizes that agriculture is really important in Kentucky and anything we can do to support our small farmers is a really, really good investment of our state dollars,” said Sen. Chambers Armstrong. “Our hope is that by introducing this legislation, hopefully passing this legislation this year, we can get more folks on board and more folks excited so that when we roll out the program a year from now, everyone is really geared up and ready to take full advantage of it.”

The proposed bill looks to fill in gaps left by federal free and reduced meal programs. Schools are asked to pair up with local farmers to fill the stomachs of students, while growers harvest their treasured crops.

“We just want to give them a stable environment to say, ‘if you grow your product, we can get it from your field to their mouth’,” said Rep. McPherson.

Since the upcoming legislative session is not a budget-passing year, sponsors of the legislation say their hope is to get the framework passed so it can be included in the state budget that will be passed in 2026.

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The first Olympics appearance of Avery Skinner’s career was a memorable one. As well as a successful debut.

Skinner, the first former Kentucky volleyball player to ever compete in the Olympic Games, won silver with Team USA on Sunday in Paris. The U.S. lost to Italy, 25-18, 25-20, 25-17, in the championship match. Skinner finished the gold-medal match with seven points on a team-leading 22 attacks.

Starring as an outside hitter for the Wildcats from 2017 to 2021, Skinner was a key cog for UK’s national title-winning squad in 2020, which was held in 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic delayed NCAA championship events in fall sports to the spring.

She won SEC championships all four seasons at Kentucky, earning first-team All-America laurels from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) during her senior season after hitting .366 with 3.77 kills per set. She also was an All-SEC and AVCA Southeast All-Region selection that season. In her maiden campaign with the Wildcats in 2017, Skinner landed on the SEC All-Freshman Team after notching 363 kills, averaging 3.32 kills per set.

A native of Katy, Texas, the 6-foot-1 Skinner comes from a family of athletes.

Her father, Brian Skinner, spent 14 seasons in the NBA. Skinner’s younger sister, Madi Skinner, was part of Kentucky’s volleyball program for two seasons — including winning the NCAA championship with Avery in 2020 — before transferring to Texas.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

BATH COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – There are countless small towns out there that have something that makes them special, and for Bath County, Kentucky, there’s a piece that leaves researchers stumped, and it sets the county apart from the rest.

Bath county, specifically Olympia Springs, is the home of the Kentucky meat shower.

“On March 3rd of 1876, Mrs. Rebecca Crouch was outside with her grandson, and out of the clear blue sky, meat started to rain down,” said Bath County History Museum Curator Brent Frizzell.

“They gathered up what was remaining and they say it was a horse wagon full, and I think everyone knows what that means, and I think people in the area ate it,” said Transylvania University Professor of Art Kurt Gohde.

A slice of the meat was saved from the phenomenon and has been under the care of Transylvania University.

On Saturday, the Bath County History Museum got to return this sliver back to its original meat locker.

“A lot of people left impressed and enjoyed very interesting stories that actually came from other people who had relatives or descendants of people that visited or saw it back when it happened,” Frizzell said.

Godhe explains some of the theories researchers have on what kind of meat it is and how it got there.

“An interesting one includes a weather pattern where winds will pick up small fish and frogs and I think its called an up spout, and then they lay them down in another place. For me, the vulture vomit theory is the only one that feels possible,” Godhe said.

Godhe added while the studying and DNA testing of the meat have been inconclusive, it’s been fleshing out the speculation.

“Just to be in a space where everyone who walks through the door knows the story and many of them feel like a personal connection to the story, is an incredible experience,” said Godhe.

Although the sample is back at Transylvania University, Frizzell said they are already planning to host more events where people can come and view it in person.

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