Studio 619 for January 13, 2008

AMBER Alert AnniversaryIn 1996, nine-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted from her Texas home, raped and murdered. In the days that followed, her community learned that the police had information that could have lead to finding her before her death, but had no was to disseminate the information to the public. Thus, the AMBER Alert system was born and is now used in all fifty states.Kentucky celebrates its tenth year of AMBER Alert on Sunday. Stephanie Sanders spoke with the state program’s coordinator, Major Mitch Bailey of the Kentucky State Police, about how the program has changed and how public perception of AMBER Alert is crucial to its successKentucky General Assembly: Week OneKentucky’s tight budget situation, casino gambling and the possibility of linkage between the two dominated discussion during the first week of the 2008 session of the Kentucky General Assembly. Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh has the story.The Neighborhood InstituteAn educational program in Louisville is aimed at providing people with the tools they need to make positive changes in their neighborhoods. It’s called The Neighborhood Institute, and it was developed in 1987 by the non-profit Louisville Center for Neighborhoods.The next class convenes later this month, and Rick Howlett spoke with the program’s director, Mary Mayrose, and two institute graduates, Luther Brown of west Louisville and Diane Richey, who lives in the Highlands.GED ConnectionPublic Television viewers may have noticed the GED Connection program. For 33 years, Kentucky Educational Television has produced the nationally-aired program to help adults study for the GED test. Now, the program needs to be updated, but the funding hasn’t materialized. WFPL’s Gabe Bullard reports on GED Connection and its future.State Police ShortageThere are around 900 Kentucky State Police Troopers in the Commonwealth, but that’s still almost one hundred officers short of the need. Sergeant Marshall Johnson is recruiting for the K-S-P. Tune in as Johnson explains the variables of the job, the difficulties of retaining troopers and how you can apply to become part of Kentucky’s police force.Eyes Wide OpenTen distinctive billboards are going up over the Louisville metropolitan area’s freeways this month as part of a museum’s unveiling of an exhibit called “Eyes Wide Open.” It is using art mounted on billboards to provoke the public into taking a new look at the city and to engage a younger generation in art and in the museum. WFPL’s Elizabeth Kramer took a drive seeking the larger picture.What Can I Bring?Pot luck dinners come in all sizes, from the small group of friends to the large “church supper”. But the one question everyone has is, “what should I bring?" Cookbook author Anne Byrn wants to help us answer that question with her new cookbook What Can I Bring? Cookbook.Join WFPL’s Robin Fisher as she talks with Byrn about pot lucks, cookbooks and where all those recipes come from. Byrn will be signing copies of her book at the Barnes & Noble at the Summit, Wednesday January 16 th at 7:00 in the evening.Listen to the show