The next episode of KET’s Kentucky Life spotlights Louisville’s Paws on Patrol, Gravel Switch’s outhouse races at Penn’s Store, Winchester’s Beer Cheese Festival, and Pralltown, Lexington’s oldest African-American neighborhood. The episode airs Saturday, Oct. 5, at 8/7 pm and Sunday, Oct. 6, at 4/3 pm on KET, and Monday, Oct. 7, at 7/6 pm on KET2. 

First, Kentucky Life visits the Paws on Patrol program in Louisville—a partnership between the city’s police department and animal services in which police officers take one of the shelter’s dogs on patrol with them for the day. The program was conceived as a way to increase community interaction with police—and likewise as a way to help to promote animal adoptions. The dog, adorned with a bandana that says “adopt me,” gets a day out of the shelter, which does wonders for its disposition and increases the likelihood that it might find an adopted home. 

Next, former Kentucky Life host Byron Crawford takes a stroll down memory lane, revisiting one the first pieces he did, from 1998, when he trekked to Gravel Switch for its annual outhouse race that takes place at Penn’s Store, the community’s general store. Participants construct their own homespun outhouses and then race them down the street, propelled solely by human locomotion. 

Then, Kentucky Life is off to Winchester, which lays claim to having invented beer cheese, celebrating the milestone with its annual Beer Cheese Festival. Townspeople talk about the ingredients that go into beer cheese and their favorite delivery devices, whether crackers, veggies or spoons. 

Finally, Kentucky Life talks with those who called Pralltown, Lexington’s oldest African-American neighborhood, their home. Residents talk about their memories of growing up in the neighborhood, talking about the pride they felt when they saw many of their peers go off to find success in their respective vocations. 

Kentucky Life is a KET production, produced by Brandon Wickey. Segment producers for this episode are Valerie Trimble, Angelic Phelps, and Frank Simkonis. 

This year is Kentucky Life’s 25th anniversary, and to mark the occasion, the program will include special Memory segments, in which each of Kentucky Life’shosts—Byron Crawford, Dave Shuffett and Doug Flynn—will revisit some of their favorite stories over the years.

KET is Kentucky’s largest classroom, where learning comes to life for more than one million people each week via television, online and mobile. Learn more about Kentucky’s preeminent public media organization at KET.org, on Twitter @KET and at facebook.com/KET.