Veteran plans to sue Villa Rica police over arrest
WSB-12 News
February 26, 2016
CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. — A veteran told Channel 2 Action News he's planning to sue local law enforcement for what he's calling a "traumatic arrest." The man has a medical marijuana card from Colorado, but he had marijuana with him in Georgia.
"It was probably one of the most horrific things I've ever been through and I've been through a lot," veteran Bill Clanton said.
On Feb. 9, Villa Rica police spotted Clanton exiting I-20 eastbound onto Highway 61. Police say Clanton was pulled over, because the officer couldn't clearly see his license plate.
The officer smelled marijuana in Clanton's car and took him to jail.
Clanton says he's still shaken by his recent arrest in Carroll County. The Colorado resident served in the Persian Gulf War and suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.
read more here
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Medical Marijuana ID Not Good In All States
If you have the right to use medical marijuana in your state, that's great but check the other state before you enter it. Just like gun laws change from state to state, so does this.
Hundreds Welcome Home Montana National Guardsmen
A Big Sky welcome: Hundreds turn out for Montana soldiers returning from Afghanistan
Independent Record
AL KNAUBER
Updated 4 hrs ago
Wives and children, mothers and fathers waited for a plane to arrive that carried the soldiers who were returning from duty in Afghanistan, as did friends and others in uniforms of camouflage who said they too were in service.
John Bebich, a Marine Corps veteran, was among those who came for the ceremony. His son, David, was on the incoming plane. He said he understood what it’s like to leave for duty. He also understood what it’s like to return.
Bebich served from 1969 to 1972 and said as he waited for David that “the going part isn’t so fun.”
“To come back, it’s like Christmas. You wait for it to arrive.”
read more here
Independent Record
AL KNAUBER
Updated 4 hrs ago
“This is not where you expect to be. I didn’t expect at 50 years old to be waiting for my husband to return from war.”
Mary Graff
A soldier poses with his family after returning from a six-month deployment to Afghanistan. Thom Bridge, Independent RecordA six-month wait came to an end Friday for the families of six Montana Army National Guard soldiers.
Wives and children, mothers and fathers waited for a plane to arrive that carried the soldiers who were returning from duty in Afghanistan, as did friends and others in uniforms of camouflage who said they too were in service.
John Bebich, a Marine Corps veteran, was among those who came for the ceremony. His son, David, was on the incoming plane. He said he understood what it’s like to leave for duty. He also understood what it’s like to return.
Bebich served from 1969 to 1972 and said as he waited for David that “the going part isn’t so fun.”
“To come back, it’s like Christmas. You wait for it to arrive.”
read more here
Friday, February 26, 2016
Suicide Prevention VA Changes Crisis Line
VA Announces Additional Changes to Improve Veterans Crisis Line
Changes Support Crisis Line Staff and Creates Structure for Them to Succeed
Canandaigua, NY
Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson today announced improvements to enhance and accelerate progress at the Veterans Crisis Line, which serves as a life-saving resource for Veterans who find themselves at risk of suicide.
Today, during his third trip to the Crisis Line in a year, Mr. Gibson announced that the Crisis Line would form a stronger bond with VA’s Suicide Prevention Office and Mental Health Services. This partnership includes VA's National Mental Health Director for Suicide Prevention as well as several hubs of expertise, including one Center of Excellence focusing on suicide prevention research and education located at the same medical campus as the Crisis Line responders in Canandaigua, NY.
Mr. Gibson also announced that the Veterans Crisis Line would now be under the direction of VA’s Member Services, which has many efforts underway across the nation to restructure portions of VA that have direct contact with Veterans. This brings an expertise in ensuring that staff in these vital roles have more streamlined processes, adequate training and resources at their fingertips, to better serve Veterans.
These structural changes build on key hires made in the last year to lead the Crisis Line, including a director with extensive clinical social work background.
“I witnessed again today that the employees at the Veterans Crisis Line have a tremendously difficult job and they complete it with care, compassion and professionalism,” said Mr. Gibson. I want to make sure that the trained professionals at the Crisis Line -- folks I consider the best in the business -- are able to focus on their core mission of focusing on the Veterans most in need of their help. They are life savers and we have to create the structure around them to succeed.
“Over the past year, we have put together a strong team to lead the employees at the Crisis Line. Today’s announcement of a structural change within the Veterans Health Administration and additional support from our experts in suicide prevention is another step to make sure the employees and the Veterans they speak with have what they need give Veterans a safe place to call when they need us most.”
As a part of the MyVA initiative, the largest restructuring in the Department’s history, VA has made improvements at the Veterans Crisis Line a key priority. By the end of this year, every Veteran in crisis will have their call promptly answered by an experienced VA responder. That will mean non-core calls will be directed appropriately to other VA entities that can best address their questions or concerns.
Already, VA has committed to increase staff at the Veterans Crisis Line. It now has more than 300 employees, and is in the process of hiring 88 more staff. At the same time, they have expanded the work area for responders and are making necessary technology improvements to phone systems and equipment to better handle the increased demand at the crisis line.
“Last year, counselors at the Crisis Line dispatched emergency responders to intervene and save the lives of Veterans in crisis more than 11,000 times,” said Gibson. “That means, on average, we’re stepping in to save 30 lives per day. Nothing could be more important.”
Key Facts:
Changes Support Crisis Line Staff and Creates Structure for Them to Succeed
Canandaigua, NY
Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson today announced improvements to enhance and accelerate progress at the Veterans Crisis Line, which serves as a life-saving resource for Veterans who find themselves at risk of suicide.
Today, during his third trip to the Crisis Line in a year, Mr. Gibson announced that the Crisis Line would form a stronger bond with VA’s Suicide Prevention Office and Mental Health Services. This partnership includes VA's National Mental Health Director for Suicide Prevention as well as several hubs of expertise, including one Center of Excellence focusing on suicide prevention research and education located at the same medical campus as the Crisis Line responders in Canandaigua, NY.
Mr. Gibson also announced that the Veterans Crisis Line would now be under the direction of VA’s Member Services, which has many efforts underway across the nation to restructure portions of VA that have direct contact with Veterans. This brings an expertise in ensuring that staff in these vital roles have more streamlined processes, adequate training and resources at their fingertips, to better serve Veterans.
These structural changes build on key hires made in the last year to lead the Crisis Line, including a director with extensive clinical social work background.
“I witnessed again today that the employees at the Veterans Crisis Line have a tremendously difficult job and they complete it with care, compassion and professionalism,” said Mr. Gibson. I want to make sure that the trained professionals at the Crisis Line -- folks I consider the best in the business -- are able to focus on their core mission of focusing on the Veterans most in need of their help. They are life savers and we have to create the structure around them to succeed.
“Over the past year, we have put together a strong team to lead the employees at the Crisis Line. Today’s announcement of a structural change within the Veterans Health Administration and additional support from our experts in suicide prevention is another step to make sure the employees and the Veterans they speak with have what they need give Veterans a safe place to call when they need us most.”
As a part of the MyVA initiative, the largest restructuring in the Department’s history, VA has made improvements at the Veterans Crisis Line a key priority. By the end of this year, every Veteran in crisis will have their call promptly answered by an experienced VA responder. That will mean non-core calls will be directed appropriately to other VA entities that can best address their questions or concerns.
Already, VA has committed to increase staff at the Veterans Crisis Line. It now has more than 300 employees, and is in the process of hiring 88 more staff. At the same time, they have expanded the work area for responders and are making necessary technology improvements to phone systems and equipment to better handle the increased demand at the crisis line.
“Last year, counselors at the Crisis Line dispatched emergency responders to intervene and save the lives of Veterans in crisis more than 11,000 times,” said Gibson. “That means, on average, we’re stepping in to save 30 lives per day. Nothing could be more important.”
Key Facts:
- Since its launch in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered nearly 2 million calls — and nearly a quarter of those calls were answered last fiscal year — 490,000.
- The same is true for referrals to local VA Suicide Prevention Coordinators: One quarter of the 320,000 referrals made so far by crisis-line counselors were made in FY 2015.
- Crisis Line counselors dispatched emergency responders to callers in crisis over 11,000 times last year (averaging 30 per day) — and over 53,000 times since 2007.
- Since adding chat and text services, they have engaged nearly 300,000 Veterans or concerned family members through chat or text.
Omaha Firefighter Battles PTSD
Firefighter battles PTSD diagnosis after surviving explosion
WEAU News
Matthew Smith
February 25, 2016
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) -- It was all hands on deck for a two-alarm fire that injured seven in late January.
"We got very lucky," said Mike Terrell, one of the firefighters that was hurt that day. "We could have had five firefighters and a civilian dead like that." he said as he snapped his fingers.
He's referring to a massive fire at the Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak and Cutler Funeral Home in Omaha. Terrell was inside the building when there was a major explosion.
Terrell was part of a two-man team. His crew's job was to turn off the gas line to the building that was inside.
While Terrell was inside he encountered the owner of the funeral home, and was trying to get him out when an explosion went off inside.
"Last thing I remember is trying to reach out with my right hand to shield Mr. Cutler from getting hurt," he said.
Terrell came to on his stomach; he dragged himself, crawling to get out.
Terrell was discharged from the hospital within a day, but 36 hours later he blacked out at his home. His wife frantically called 9-1-1.
"I don't remember the six guys being here, carrying myself downstairs, or any of that," Terrell explained.
read more here
WEAU News
Matthew Smith
February 25, 2016
"I know what to do at a fire. I know what to do at an emergency situation; that I've been trained to. Not having control over my mind, it's a lot worse."
"We got very lucky," said Mike Terrell, one of the firefighters that was hurt that day. "We could have had five firefighters and a civilian dead like that." he said as he snapped his fingers.
He's referring to a massive fire at the Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak and Cutler Funeral Home in Omaha. Terrell was inside the building when there was a major explosion.
Terrell was part of a two-man team. His crew's job was to turn off the gas line to the building that was inside.
While Terrell was inside he encountered the owner of the funeral home, and was trying to get him out when an explosion went off inside.
"Last thing I remember is trying to reach out with my right hand to shield Mr. Cutler from getting hurt," he said.
Terrell came to on his stomach; he dragged himself, crawling to get out.
Terrell was discharged from the hospital within a day, but 36 hours later he blacked out at his home. His wife frantically called 9-1-1.
"I don't remember the six guys being here, carrying myself downstairs, or any of that," Terrell explained.
read more here
Five Veterans Among Those Who Died Waiting for VA
5 Veterans Who Died While Waiting for a Doctor’s Appointment with the VA
Jeremy Sears
After 5 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marine Sgt. Jeremy Sears returned home with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
After doctors informed him of his condition, he waited from October 2012 to February 2014 for the VA to approve his disability claims — only to learn after 16 months that his claim had been denied.
Having never received a followup plan on how to manage his conditions, Sears would take his own life at a California gun range only a few months later.
read the rest here
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