FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 15, 2026) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear provided updates on economic development, action to fight hunger, medical debt relief, housing in Western and Eastern Kentucky and Hispanic Heritage Month. First Lady Britainy Beshear provided updates on Domestic Violence Awareness Month and a new campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking. The Governor named former Major League Baseball player and new manager for the New York Mets, Lexington native Andy Green, as this week’s Team Kentucky All-Star.

Economic Development
Gov. Beshear celebrated an estimated $17 million investment in Floyd County by R/S-Godwin Truck Body Co. The fourth-generation family-owned trucking equipment manufacturer is expanding its operations for future growth and creating 65 new, full-time jobs in Eastern Kentucky. This was the second major announcement for Eastern Kentucky recently, following a record-breaking investment in Owsley County announced by Speed Kentucky.

The Governor highlighted Kentucky’s new megasites web tool, which any business looking to locate a large-scale project in Kentucky can use to identify high-impact sites in each region of the state. This new feature builds on Kentucky’s speed-to-market advantages and showcases why there is nowhere better to grow a business than the commonwealth.

Fighting Hunger
On Monday morning, the Governor and First Lady joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Frankfort to help unload a 34,000-pound food donation that will be distributed through Feeding Kentucky, a nonprofit that serves all 120 counties across the commonwealth. The delivery is part of a nationwide effort by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to send 250 truckloads of food to 250 food banks across the country to commemorate America250. See footage from the event.

On Wednesday, Gov. Beshear sent a letter to Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for the Trump administration, and a letter to Kentucky’s congressional delegation raising concerns that federal changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have resulted in more than 80,000 Kentuckians losing access. The Governor highlighted that the number includes 24,655 children and 6,572 seniors who are hungrier today because of President Trump’s actions to cut SNAP benefits.

Medical Debt Relief
In September, Gov. Beshear signed an executive order establishing the Team Kentucky Medical Debt Relief Program, which will provide relief to more than 130,000 Kentuckians from $250 million in medical debt. Already, around 40,000 letters have gone out to Kentuckians, erasing $100 million in medical debt. The Governor reminded Kentuckians that no application process is necessary. Eligible Kentuckians are identified by Team Kentucky’s partner organization, Undue Medical Debt. Those determined eligible will receive a letter in the mail. For more information, visit MedicalDebtRelief.ky.gov or UndueMedicalDebt.org.

“This program is bringing so many families relief,” said Gov. Beshear. “Medical debt isn’t a choice. It’s what people are faced with after a serious accident, cancer diagnosis and more. Relieving this debt is the right thing to do to help Kentuckians who are overwhelmed by these extreme costs.”

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
The First Lady highlighted that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Team Kentucky is committed to protecting Kentuckians from domestic violence and supporting survivors. The Beshear administration has launched an interactive dashboard sharing domestic violence data, awarded $189 million in grant funding to victim service agencies across the commonwealth, held the Shop and Share donation drive each year to benefit domestic violence shelters, established a program to protect the residential addresses of survivors, enhanced the state’s stalking laws and more.

“Every single person deserves to feel safe in their own home,” said Mrs. Beshear. “We must condemn domestic violence for what it is: a heinous crime that has no place in Kentucky or our country. We must also commit to being there for survivors of violence, because it takes a lot of bravery and support to overcome this trauma. It’s our responsibility to be there for them and help them move forward.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence, help is available:

• If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
• If you are not in immediate danger, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or visit thehotline.org for confidential support, safety planning and referrals.
• Kentuckians can visit ZeroV.org to find local domestic violence shelters that can help keep them safe, as well as other resources.

Partnership With Human Trafficking Awareness Coalition and Kentucky Racetracks
Tuesday, Mrs. Beshear announced that all nine of Kentucky’s racetracks are partnering with the First Lady’s Human Trafficking Awareness Coalition to increase education on how to spot and report human trafficking. The racetracks will now display human trafficking awareness posters in line with signage seen at airports, hotels, convention centers and sports arenas. For more, see the full release.

Housing in Western and Eastern Kentucky
Gov. Beshear announced an update on the construction of 953 rental units in Western Kentucky, the largest single housing announcement in Kentucky history. Every unit is now under construction, with five out of the 11 developments now leasing up. Each development is taking information from interested renters, and every development is expected to be leasing up by spring of 2027.

For Eastern Kentucky, Gov. Beshear announced a partnership with The Hope Initiative to build 20 homes at the Chestnut Ridge high-ground community in Knott County. Construction on 12 of those homes is beginning this week. The Hope Initiative has been instrumental in the rebuilding efforts from the western Kentucky tornadoes, having rebuilt or repaired more than 60 homes.

Hispanic Heritage Month
The Governor recognized Sept. 15-Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the culture, history and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

“Kentucky is proud to boast a vibrant Hispanic community,” said Gov. Beshear. “As a commonwealth, we welcome more voices to the table, and we welcome more talent to the team. We know that our diversity of backgrounds and perspectives opens doors to new ideas and a brighter future for everyone. So today, I want to wish everyone a Happy Hispanic Heritage Month.”

Team Kentucky All-Stars
Following Andy Green’s recent promotion to full-time manager for the New York Mets, Gov. Beshear named the former Major League Baseball player and Lexington native as this week’s Team Kentucky All-Star.

“Andy, congratulations on this new role and on being today’s Team Kentucky All-Star,” said Gov. Beshear. “Thanks for making Kentucky proud.”