Kentucky Newsmakers 8/21: Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers; FEMA Officer Brett Howard

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - On the latest episode of Kentucky Newsmakers, WKYT’s Bill Bryant talks with Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers and FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Brett Howard.

It’s been a challenging year for Lexington police. Homicides are on track to set a new record, which would break last year’s record. Police are often called to shootings and assaults where witnesses disappear or won’t talk about what they know.

The police department is short staffed and finding officers to fill the holes is proving very tough. Downtown has seen shootings and other violence, but now the police department and Mayor Linda Gorton have announced a plan to try to slow the crime down.

Chief Weathers has often said he needs more support from the community, and he joins us to discuss.

The devastating flooding in eastern Kentucky is a tremendous challenge. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been on the ground since shortly after the flood, but there have been some frustrations from hundreds of people who’ve had their claims denied and from some who’ve gotten very small checks after losing everything.

FEMA has been working to re-contact people and speed up the process. We wanted to get an update on where things stand, so Federal Coordinating Officer Brett Howard joins us.

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