Man Honored For Helping Injured Officer
Good samaritan comforted the wounded Paul Latschar
Sep 26, 2008
Reporter: Jeff Sabin
An Omaha man who came to the aid of an injured police officer was honored Friday at City Hall for his courage and willingness to help.
Mayor Fahey and the OPD honored LaDon Stennis for the action he took last month.
"There's an old saying about police officers,” said Omaha Police Sgt. Chris Circo. “You always know who the police officers are because they're the ones running to the gunfire. I think Mr. Stennis has a little police officer in him."
Stennis was riding his motorcycle when he came upon the scene at 42nd and Camden Avenue shortly after Officer Paul Latschar was critically wounded the night of August 20th. He tended to Latschar for several minutes until paramedics arrived.
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http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/29802474.html
Friday, September 26, 2008
Several updates on homeless veterans
Homeless Veterans Stand Down Helps Local Vets
WJHG-TV - Panama City,FL,USA
It's a great place," said Glenn Folds, another homeless veteran. Murphy and Folds are not alone. The Homeless and Hunger Coalition of Northwest Florida
Grant for homeless veterans center
Worcester Telegram - Worcester,MA,USA
WORCESTER— Massachusetts Veterans Inc. has received a $1.5 million federal grant to build a center for homeless veterans.
Homeless vets' facility earns grantStockton Record - Stockton,CA,USA
By The Record Dignity's Alcove, not yet a year old and the Stockton area's first transitional home for homeless veterans, will receive a $377000
Shelter for homeless vets to receive $2 million
Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA
Patty Murray says that a new $2 million grant from the Department of Veteran Affairs will provide money for a new shelter that will serve homeless veterans
Female vets' shelter proposed for Ballston Spa
The Saratogian - Saratoga,NY,USA
Funding sources include the Homeless Veterans Reintegration program.
Orlando Food Not Bonds wins right to feed homeless in court
Hallelujah! Orlando has it's heart back and compassion for the least among us as Christ commanded His followers to do and simple human kindness requires of anyone with a conscience.
Federal judge: Orlando's law against feeding homeless a civil rights violation
Willoughby Mariano | Sentinel Staff Writer
5:26 PM EDT, September 26, 2008
A federal judge has permanently barred Orlando from enforcing a rule barring large group feedings of the homeless in Lake Eola Park because it violates activists' basic civil rights.
In a ruling released this afternoon, U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell criticized the city's ordinance saying there was no "rational basis" for it.
"Rather than address the problem of homelessness in these downtown neighborhoods directly, the City has instead decided to limit the expressive activity which attracts the homeless to these neighborhoods," the ruling states.
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Return to Bolivar Peninsula is slow-going for residents after Hurricane Ike
Return to Bolivar Peninsula is slow-going for residents
By JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press
Sept. 26, 2008, 11:45AM
HIGH ISLAND — Residents of the Bolivar Peninsula crowded onto the only roadway back home today, the first day they were allowed to return and check out the massive wreckage left behind after Hurricane Ike roared through this thin strip of land along the Gulf of Mexico.
The peninsula's 4,000 or so residents are being allowed back on a "look and leave" policy, lining up to return despite warnings they could find snakes and alligators in the debris. The peninsula just northeast of Galveston was among the hardest-hit areas when Ike blasted ashore Sept. 13, with 110 mph winds and a storm surge that swept away homes and businesses.
In the small town of Gilchrist, what was once a field across the street from some vacation beach houses now looked more like a dump where the remains of the homes were scattered. Homeowners slowly wandered through the field, looking through chunks of wood, plates, VCRs, blinds and broken toilets.
Beth Varing, whose vacation home of 20 years was gone except for some wooden pilings, was making a small pile beside the road of items she recovered: a few unbroken dishes, some utensils, a fishing pole and some tile pieces.
"It's unbelievable. All I can do is cry," she said. "These beach houses have been here forever. I can't wrap my thoughts around this. I can't see how it picked up these beach houses and now there is nothing left."
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By JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press
Sept. 26, 2008, 11:45AM
HIGH ISLAND — Residents of the Bolivar Peninsula crowded onto the only roadway back home today, the first day they were allowed to return and check out the massive wreckage left behind after Hurricane Ike roared through this thin strip of land along the Gulf of Mexico.
The peninsula's 4,000 or so residents are being allowed back on a "look and leave" policy, lining up to return despite warnings they could find snakes and alligators in the debris. The peninsula just northeast of Galveston was among the hardest-hit areas when Ike blasted ashore Sept. 13, with 110 mph winds and a storm surge that swept away homes and businesses.
In the small town of Gilchrist, what was once a field across the street from some vacation beach houses now looked more like a dump where the remains of the homes were scattered. Homeowners slowly wandered through the field, looking through chunks of wood, plates, VCRs, blinds and broken toilets.
Beth Varing, whose vacation home of 20 years was gone except for some wooden pilings, was making a small pile beside the road of items she recovered: a few unbroken dishes, some utensils, a fishing pole and some tile pieces.
"It's unbelievable. All I can do is cry," she said. "These beach houses have been here forever. I can't wrap my thoughts around this. I can't see how it picked up these beach houses and now there is nothing left."
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Police: At least 4 dead in Ind. school bus crash
Police: At least 4 dead in Ind. school bus crash
Associated Press
4:29 PM CDT, September 26, 2008
LOGANSPORT, Ind. - School children were among four people who died when a school bus collided with a dump truck at a rural intersection in northern Indiana, police said.
Cass County Coroner Gene Powlen confirmed the four deaths, and law enforcement officials on the scene said some of the victims were students who were aboard the bus.
"The victims are everywhere," Powlen said.
The crash occurred about 3 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 24 and U.S. 35 west of Logansport and about 70 miles north of Indianapolis, 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten of the Indiana State Police said.
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Associated Press
4:29 PM CDT, September 26, 2008
LOGANSPORT, Ind. - School children were among four people who died when a school bus collided with a dump truck at a rural intersection in northern Indiana, police said.
Cass County Coroner Gene Powlen confirmed the four deaths, and law enforcement officials on the scene said some of the victims were students who were aboard the bus.
"The victims are everywhere," Powlen said.
The crash occurred about 3 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 24 and U.S. 35 west of Logansport and about 70 miles north of Indianapolis, 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten of the Indiana State Police said.
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Son of northeast Ohio police chief dies in Iraq
Son of northeast Ohio police chief dies in Iraq
UPDATE: 6:49 AM, Friday, September 26, 2008
ELYRIA, Ohio — A soldier whose father is the police chief of a northeast Ohio community has been killed in Iraq, police said Thursday.
Capt. Michael Medders Jr., 26, was the son of Elyria Chief Michael Medders, who has been with the department 32 years.
Police Capt. Dan Jaykel said when and how the soldier died were not yet known.
"It's a tremendous loss," he said. "We here at the Elyria Police Department felt that it was a part of our family that passed away and throughout the community. Michael Medders Jr., to me, was a hero for what he did in Iraq."
Chief Medders said the family would not comment Thursday.
Medders was deployed in October 2007, said Army spokesman Sgt. Martin Maley. He joined the Army in 2003 while attending Bowling Green State University, and was a member of the U.S. Army's 2nd Squadron 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
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linked from ICasualies.org
UPDATE: 6:49 AM, Friday, September 26, 2008
ELYRIA, Ohio — A soldier whose father is the police chief of a northeast Ohio community has been killed in Iraq, police said Thursday.
Capt. Michael Medders Jr., 26, was the son of Elyria Chief Michael Medders, who has been with the department 32 years.
Police Capt. Dan Jaykel said when and how the soldier died were not yet known.
"It's a tremendous loss," he said. "We here at the Elyria Police Department felt that it was a part of our family that passed away and throughout the community. Michael Medders Jr., to me, was a hero for what he did in Iraq."
Chief Medders said the family would not comment Thursday.
Medders was deployed in October 2007, said Army spokesman Sgt. Martin Maley. He joined the Army in 2003 while attending Bowling Green State University, and was a member of the U.S. Army's 2nd Squadron 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
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linked from ICasualies.org
Framingham man shot in police standoff
Framingham man shot in police standoff
By Anne Baker
Globe Correspondent / September 26, 2008
Police shot a Framingham man in the chest, critically injuring the man after he opened fire on officers at his home, authorities said yesterday.
Michael Boyd, 24, fired his shotgun at an officer and ignored repeated orders to drop the weapon, the Middlesex district attorney's office said in a statement.
Police responded to calls about 10 p.m. Wednesday from a woman who said she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Boyd.
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By Anne Baker
Globe Correspondent / September 26, 2008
Police shot a Framingham man in the chest, critically injuring the man after he opened fire on officers at his home, authorities said yesterday.
Michael Boyd, 24, fired his shotgun at an officer and ignored repeated orders to drop the weapon, the Middlesex district attorney's office said in a statement.
Police responded to calls about 10 p.m. Wednesday from a woman who said she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Boyd.
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More mental health care, abuse aid in VA bill
More mental health care, abuse aid in VA bill
Audrey Hudson (Contact)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Legislation passed by the House on Thursday would expand veterans' treatment for substance abuse and mental health care, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as provide counseling for families of veterans.
The House approved by voice votes the Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act and the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act.
The Senate is expected to pass both measures before Congress wraps up its work this weekend.
The benefits package would provide a faster system to process claims, expand pilot programs that offer adjustable rate loans and offer legal help to military reservists who lose their jobs because they are deployed overseas.
"It's a disgrace that veterans have to wait months or years for the benefits they have earned because of a bureaucracy that simply doesn't work," said Rep. John Hall, New York Democrat.
"A nimble, responsive VA claims system could go a long way to help our nation live up to its commitment to care for wounded veterans and their families. It could prevent suicides, bankruptcies, poverty, family disruptions and homelessness among our nation's disabled veterans," Mr. Hall said.
Rep. Bob Filner, California Democrat and chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, said the bills would help modernize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to become a "21st-century world class entity that reflects the selfless and priceless sacrifices of those it serves - our veterans, their families survivors."
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Audrey Hudson (Contact)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Legislation passed by the House on Thursday would expand veterans' treatment for substance abuse and mental health care, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as provide counseling for families of veterans.
The House approved by voice votes the Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act and the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act.
The Senate is expected to pass both measures before Congress wraps up its work this weekend.
The benefits package would provide a faster system to process claims, expand pilot programs that offer adjustable rate loans and offer legal help to military reservists who lose their jobs because they are deployed overseas.
"It's a disgrace that veterans have to wait months or years for the benefits they have earned because of a bureaucracy that simply doesn't work," said Rep. John Hall, New York Democrat.
"A nimble, responsive VA claims system could go a long way to help our nation live up to its commitment to care for wounded veterans and their families. It could prevent suicides, bankruptcies, poverty, family disruptions and homelessness among our nation's disabled veterans," Mr. Hall said.
Rep. Bob Filner, California Democrat and chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, said the bills would help modernize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to become a "21st-century world class entity that reflects the selfless and priceless sacrifices of those it serves - our veterans, their families survivors."
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Returning Veterans Resource Network looks to heal invisible wounds
Veterans group looks to heal invisible wounds
By: Jason Glenn, Leader Staff Writer
09/25/2008
Updated 09/23/2008 01:11:25 PM EDT
When a soldier returns home from battle with physical wounds, the treatment is usually pretty straightforward and their needs are often easy to identify.
Cuts and broken bones need time to heal, rehabilitation is a daily grind, and family and friends know how to help out a veteran whose abilities are obviously limited.
But when a soldier comes back with invisible wounds, psychological and cognitive scars that might not be outwardly apparent, getting help can be a whole new battlefront.
One metro area group composed mainly of Vietnam-era veterans is trying to change that.
The Returning Veterans Resource Network is reaching out to soldiers who are back from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families, trying to guide them through the often difficult and confusing process of assessing and treating post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, the invisible wounds of war.
"There are literally hundreds of thousands of vets falling through the cracks who either don't know where to go for help or haven't gone for help (out of) fear," said Rob Knott, president of the group.
Knott, a veteran of Special Forces operations, said he struggled with PTSD for years before seeking help. And when he did, he found that navigating Veterans' Affairs red tape was no easy task in and of itself.
A little more than a year ago, he and a number of other VA volunteers decided to do something about it, so they formed the resource network to help younger vets avoid the pitfalls they had encountered trying to get help.
Joe Schneider, vice president of the group, said his experiences in Vietnam and the years he spent acknowledging, understanding and working through his own trials with PTSD made him want to get involved.
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By: Jason Glenn, Leader Staff Writer
09/25/2008
Updated 09/23/2008 01:11:25 PM EDT
When a soldier returns home from battle with physical wounds, the treatment is usually pretty straightforward and their needs are often easy to identify.
Cuts and broken bones need time to heal, rehabilitation is a daily grind, and family and friends know how to help out a veteran whose abilities are obviously limited.
But when a soldier comes back with invisible wounds, psychological and cognitive scars that might not be outwardly apparent, getting help can be a whole new battlefront.
One metro area group composed mainly of Vietnam-era veterans is trying to change that.
The Returning Veterans Resource Network is reaching out to soldiers who are back from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families, trying to guide them through the often difficult and confusing process of assessing and treating post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, the invisible wounds of war.
"There are literally hundreds of thousands of vets falling through the cracks who either don't know where to go for help or haven't gone for help (out of) fear," said Rob Knott, president of the group.
Knott, a veteran of Special Forces operations, said he struggled with PTSD for years before seeking help. And when he did, he found that navigating Veterans' Affairs red tape was no easy task in and of itself.
A little more than a year ago, he and a number of other VA volunteers decided to do something about it, so they formed the resource network to help younger vets avoid the pitfalls they had encountered trying to get help.
Joe Schneider, vice president of the group, said his experiences in Vietnam and the years he spent acknowledging, understanding and working through his own trials with PTSD made him want to get involved.
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Congressman Filner Leads House in Passage of Comprehensive Veterans Bills
Filner Leads House in Passage of Comprehensive Veterans Bills
Written by Imperial Valley News
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Washington, DC - On Wednesday, September 24, 2008, Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, announced that the House of Representatives passed comprehensive legislation to provide improved health care services and increased benefits for our Nation’s veterans.
Chairman Filner (D-CA) thanked his Republican and Democratic colleagues for their contributions to the comprehensive legislative package. He also thanked his Senate counterparts for their dedication to working together to craft legislation that will address the important and timely needs of veterans.
Chairman Filner offered the following statement on the House Floor: “Over the course of the 110th Congress, we have learned much about the needs of our Nation’s veterans and the bills passed today go a long way to address them. S. 2162 takes care of the men and women who have given so much to defend this Nation and provides our veterans with the quality health care programs and services they need and so richly deserve. S. 3023 will help modernize the VA claims processing system and assist it in becoming a 21st century, world-class entity that reflects the selfless and priceless sacrifices of those it serves - our veterans, their families, and survivors.”
The following bills were considered and approved by the House of Representatives:
S. 2162, as amended - The Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (Introduced by Senator Akaka)
Provisions of the bill include (but are not limited to):
* Expanding treatment for substance use disorders and mental health care;
* Conducting research into co-morbid PTSD and substance use disorders through the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder;
* Providing mental health care, including counseling, for families, of veterans;
* Providing reimbursement for a veteran for the costs of emergency treatment received in a non-VA facility;
* Establishing a pilot program to allow a highly rural veteran to receive non-VA health care;
* Designating at least four VA health care facilities as epilepsy centers of excellence;
* Mandating the VA to centralize third party billing functions at consolidated centers;
* Eliminating a rule prohibiting VA from conducting widespread testing for HIV infection;
* Expanding health care benefits provided to the children of Vietnam and Korean war veterans born with spina bifida;
* Developing and implementing a comprehensive policy on pain care management;
* Expanding referral and counseling services for certain at-risk and transitional veterans;
* Providing support services for very low-income veteran families residing in permanent housing; and,
* Authorizing major medical facility projects for 2009
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Written by Imperial Valley News
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Washington, DC - On Wednesday, September 24, 2008, Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, announced that the House of Representatives passed comprehensive legislation to provide improved health care services and increased benefits for our Nation’s veterans.
Chairman Filner (D-CA) thanked his Republican and Democratic colleagues for their contributions to the comprehensive legislative package. He also thanked his Senate counterparts for their dedication to working together to craft legislation that will address the important and timely needs of veterans.
Chairman Filner offered the following statement on the House Floor: “Over the course of the 110th Congress, we have learned much about the needs of our Nation’s veterans and the bills passed today go a long way to address them. S. 2162 takes care of the men and women who have given so much to defend this Nation and provides our veterans with the quality health care programs and services they need and so richly deserve. S. 3023 will help modernize the VA claims processing system and assist it in becoming a 21st century, world-class entity that reflects the selfless and priceless sacrifices of those it serves - our veterans, their families, and survivors.”
The following bills were considered and approved by the House of Representatives:
S. 2162, as amended - The Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (Introduced by Senator Akaka)
Provisions of the bill include (but are not limited to):
* Expanding treatment for substance use disorders and mental health care;
* Conducting research into co-morbid PTSD and substance use disorders through the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder;
* Providing mental health care, including counseling, for families, of veterans;
* Providing reimbursement for a veteran for the costs of emergency treatment received in a non-VA facility;
* Establishing a pilot program to allow a highly rural veteran to receive non-VA health care;
* Designating at least four VA health care facilities as epilepsy centers of excellence;
* Mandating the VA to centralize third party billing functions at consolidated centers;
* Eliminating a rule prohibiting VA from conducting widespread testing for HIV infection;
* Expanding health care benefits provided to the children of Vietnam and Korean war veterans born with spina bifida;
* Developing and implementing a comprehensive policy on pain care management;
* Expanding referral and counseling services for certain at-risk and transitional veterans;
* Providing support services for very low-income veteran families residing in permanent housing; and,
* Authorizing major medical facility projects for 2009
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