Uncovered by WDRB News

Old criminal records -- even showing charges that were never proven in court -- remain a barrier for people seeking employment and reintegration into society. After a big reform in 2016, Kentucky lawmakers are considering further efforts to make expungement more accessible to everyday people. WDRB.com criminal justice reporter Jason Riley breaks it down, including a discussion with U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker, the Democratic state representative from West Louisville. 

Check out Riley's most recent work on this subject:

SUNDAY EDITION | Kentucky lawmakers look to ease process for erasing criminal records

Louisville Gas & Electric's Solar Share program continues to add customers who want solar energy without the expense and hassle of solar panels. The utility is building a massive solar farm off I-64 in Simpsonville, Ky. But, is Solar Share a good deal? WDRB.com business reporter Chris Otts took a close look at the numbers.

SUNDAY EDITION | LG&E’s ‘community’ solar farm is growing. Is it a good deal?

This bonus episode features the entire interview WDRB's Travis Ragsdale conducted Tuesday with Braidy Industries founder Craig Bouchard. Bouchard spoke out shortly after news broke that he had filed a lawsuit seeking to replace the board of directors who fired him as the company's CEO on Jan. 28. The battle for control of the company comes as its ambitious vision to "rebuild Appalachia" by constructing a $1.8 billion aluminum plant remains just that -- a vision. Bouchard claims his ouster disrupts the progress he was making to secure funding for the mill. The board claims he wasn't making progress. 

Craig Bouchard sues to remove Braidy Industries board members

Braidy Industries CEO Craig Bouchard says Kentucky's most-anticipated aluminum plant will be built

WDRB anchor Valerie Chinn and photojournalist Doug Smith discuss their recent reporting trip to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. Chinn and Smith got extraordinary access to U.S. Customs & Border Protection officers to see how they go about their daily jobs. They got a look at at a small section of President Trump's border wall and the fleet of 'predator drones' (costing $11 million each) that the government uses to patrol the boundary. And they talked to a Central American mother who was apprehended with her small children, including a baby she delivered during her journey to the U.S.

Links:

WDRB embeds with Border Patrol at the US-Mexico border wall

WDRB exclusive at US-Mexico border as fentanyl seizures skyrocket

WDRB News gets inside look at $11 million, high-tech drones used to patrol US-Mexico border

As more homeowners and businesses get Ring and Nest cameras, police agencies in the Louisville region want to know where those cameras are and how they can get access to them. WDRB.com reporter Marcus Green discusses his Sunday story examining how police departments are forging 'partnerships' with Ring. Some cities are even subsidizing homeowners' equipment. Police say they're just looking to solve crimes, but some have raised concerns about civil liberties. 

SUNDAY EDITION | Louisville-area police forge ties with security camera companies, raising privacy concerns

This bonus episode features the complete one-on-one interviews WDRB politics reporter Lawrence Smith conducted with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville, on Thursday, Feb. 6 following President Trump's acquittal in the impeachment trial. Smith also gives his impressions.

Time markers:

McConnell (1:30 to 16:00)

Yarmuth (16:00 to 32:00)

Smith (32:00 - end)

Story: As he celebrates a momentous political win, McConnell says impeachment can't become 'routine'

Kentucky spends a lot, compared to border states, on 'incentives' for businesses to create jobs in the state. Is the money worth it? WDRB.com business reporter Chris Otts discusses his recent Sunday story examining the corporate giveaways. Then (14:00), the conversation turns to Kentucky's best-known economic development deal: Braidy Industries. The company has devolved into a power struggle as it still lacks the $1.7 billion needed to construct its much-heralded aluminum plant in eastern Kentucky.

Background:

SUNDAY EDITION | Cash-strapped Kentucky spends more on job subsidies than border states

Bevin relaxed clawback terms for Kentucky's investment in Braidy Industries, records show

Bouchard says his firing by Braidy Industries is 'without basis'

County jails throughout Kentucky regularly collect 'booking fees' and 'per diem' charges from inmates, as if they were hotels. One person got a $4,000 bill for a jail stay in Clark County after he was released with no conviction for any crime. Is this fair? Is it constitutional? WDRB.com criminal justice reporter Jason Riley explains the history of the practice and efforts to reform it. 

SUNDAY EDITION | Kentucky court to decide if jails can force inmates to pay before conviction

In this two-part episode, WDRB political reporter Lawrence Smith weighs in on Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's agenda and what's happened so far in the 2020 legislative session (01:00 - 13:00). Smith's discusses Beshear's efforts to bridge divides with the GOP, sports betting, medical marijuana, voter ID issues, the push to prevent 'sanctuary cities,' prison reform and more.

Then, WDRB.com education reporter Kevin Wheatley discusses his Sunday story examining how Kentuckiana high school teachers are 'navigating a political minefield' to bring President Trump's impeachment into their classrooms. (13:00-end)

Louisville's Dixie Highway has received an expensive makeover in the last two years. This busy and poorly planned corridor is known as the Dixie Die-way because pedestrians are killed at three times the rate of comparable roads. Did new medians, sidewalks and other improvements help the situation? Are businesses happy about the changes? WDRB.com reporter Marcus Green explains. Appearances: Mayor Greg Fischer, Metro Councilman Rick Blackwell and business owners along the highway.

Background: 

SUNDAY EDITION | There’s a ‘new’ Dixie Highway. Is it better?