Tampa tow truck driver takes parked car with a baby on board
By Robbyn Mitchell, Time Staff Writer
In Print: Thursday, August 27, 2009
TAMPA — The tiny foot popped into view just as the tow truck driver pulled over to call in and let his bosses know he had picked up an illegally parked Nissan at an apartment complex.
John Davenport looked more closely and discovered there was a 13-month-old boy in the car he had just loaded onto his truck Tuesday night at Park Terrace Apartments.
"They need to be put under the jail for that," he said. "You just don't leave a child in a car for a second. You just don't do that."
The baby was asleep, buckled into a child safety seat in the back of the 1995 Nissan. Davenport, 31, of Tampa said the windows were just barely cracked.
"It wasn't even open enough for a dog," he said.
read more here
Tampa tow truck driver takes parked car with a baby on board
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Deputies: Trustee stole from slain UCF officer's trust fund
This was less than $5,000, but if true it would mean that this betrayal had no conscience at all. Millions, could have been tempting for the greedy. I'll give you that. But less than $5,000? That shows no limits to the depths a person is willing to sink to. I really hope that this turns out to be one huge misunderstanding and no one tried to take advantage of the kindness of others for this widow. I will hang onto that hope until all the evidence comes out, but after being stunned over and over again, I have a feeling this will be one more case of the worst people are capable of.
Deputies: Trustee stole from slain UCF officer's trust fund
Susan Jacobson
Sentinel Staff Writer
11:31 p.m. EDT, August 26, 2009
A deputy's wife has been arrested on a charge of stealing from a trust fund meant to help the family of a University of Central Florida police officer killed on duty.
Bambi Darcey, 33, was a friend of the family of Mario Jenkins, who was mistakenly gunned down by a reserve Orlando police officer while both were working a UCF football game at the Citrus Bowl in September 2005.
Darcey was trustee of the Officer Mario Jenkins Memorial Trust Fund. Darcey told Jenkins' widow, Valerie, that she would transfer that responsibility to Valerie Jenkins, according to arrest paperwork.
read more here
Trustee stole from slain UCF officer trust fund
Indictment handed down in killings of Sgt. Christina Smith, Spc.Megan Touma
3 Bragg soldiers indicted in 2 deaths
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 27, 2009 9:12:28 EDT
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A North Carolina grand jury has indicted three Fort Bragg soldiers who police had previously charged with killing two female soldiers in separate attacks last year.
read more here
3 Bragg soldiers indicted in 2 deaths
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 27, 2009 9:12:28 EDT
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A North Carolina grand jury has indicted three Fort Bragg soldiers who police had previously charged with killing two female soldiers in separate attacks last year.
read more here
3 Bragg soldiers indicted in 2 deaths
Vietnam vet re-enlists, deploys with wife
Vietnam vet re-enlists, deploys with wife
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 27, 2009 9:51:16 EDT
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Vietnam veteran Jim Jones didn’t feel comfortable sitting at home while his wife deployed to Afghanistan.
So Jones decided to come out of retirement from the Illinois Army National Guard and join her. He made the decision to join his wife, Julie, as she was training in Indiana last year.
read more here
Vietnam vet re enlists deploys with wife
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 27, 2009 9:51:16 EDT
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Vietnam veteran Jim Jones didn’t feel comfortable sitting at home while his wife deployed to Afghanistan.
So Jones decided to come out of retirement from the Illinois Army National Guard and join her. He made the decision to join his wife, Julie, as she was training in Indiana last year.
read more here
Vietnam vet re enlists deploys with wife
20 injured in vehicle rollover at Fort Sill
20 injured in vehicle rollover at Sill
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 27, 2009 7:47:09 EDT
LAWTON, Okla. — Officials at Fort Sill say about 20 soldiers were injured when the five-ton truck they were in rolled over.
A statement from the base says none of the injuries are considered life-threatening — although one soldier was flown to an Oklahoma City hospital.
The soldiers with the 3rd Battalion, 378th Regiment, were hurt about 3 p.m. Wednesday when the truck rolled as the driver tried to avoid an animal.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/08/ap_army_sill_rollover_082709/
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 27, 2009 7:47:09 EDT
LAWTON, Okla. — Officials at Fort Sill say about 20 soldiers were injured when the five-ton truck they were in rolled over.
A statement from the base says none of the injuries are considered life-threatening — although one soldier was flown to an Oklahoma City hospital.
The soldiers with the 3rd Battalion, 378th Regiment, were hurt about 3 p.m. Wednesday when the truck rolled as the driver tried to avoid an animal.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/08/ap_army_sill_rollover_082709/
Feds sue to recover cash sent to dead veteran
When a veteran receiving disability checks dies, the family has to notify the VA. This is not a case of a family member deciding to keep the money. It was automatically deposited into the bank account of this veteran. What this does end up doing is cause everyone reading this to wonder, how many others is this happening to? After all, we've all read about homeless, forgotten veterans, long forgotten by families. Some of them could have walked away from everything, including disability checks. Impossible? No not really.
When they give up, they give up all the way. There should be some way of keeping track of our veterans and knowing if they are dead or alive.
Funeral home operators notify social security and in the case of veterans, they notify the VA. So how did it happen that the VA didn't know they were sending checks to a veteran laid to rest? When my Dad died, the funeral home notified the VA and so did we. When my father-in-law died, we didn't have to notify the VA because he never had a claim. We couldn't even get help to bury him even though he was a WWII veteran with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. When my Mom died, again, we notified the VA and social security along with her pension.
How many others are slipping through the cracks? Is anyone checking? Aren't there rules to go by all the way around the country? Raises a lot of questions that need to be answered.
When they give up, they give up all the way. There should be some way of keeping track of our veterans and knowing if they are dead or alive.
Funeral home operators notify social security and in the case of veterans, they notify the VA. So how did it happen that the VA didn't know they were sending checks to a veteran laid to rest? When my Dad died, the funeral home notified the VA and so did we. When my father-in-law died, we didn't have to notify the VA because he never had a claim. We couldn't even get help to bury him even though he was a WWII veteran with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. When my Mom died, again, we notified the VA and social security along with her pension.
How many others are slipping through the cracks? Is anyone checking? Aren't there rules to go by all the way around the country? Raises a lot of questions that need to be answered.
Feds sue to recover cash sent to dead veteran
Associated Press
2:07 p.m. CDT, August 26, 2009
DETROIT - The federal government says it mistakenly gave more than $50,000 to a dead Detroit man. Now it wants the money back.
The government recently filed a lawsuit in federal court in Detroit, seeking to have the state of Michigan turn over the money.
read more here
Feds sue to recover cash sent to dead veteran
Red Cross, National Guard trying to head off suicide
August 26, 2009
Red Cross, National Guard trying to head off suicide
When members of the West Virginia National Guard's 821st Engineering Company came home from Iraq in the spring of 2008, they were hailed as heroes. But along with their gear and their memories, some members of the unit brought with them the ghosts of combat and stress.
By Rusty Marks
Staff writer
Advertiser
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When members of the West Virginia National Guard's 821st Engineering Company came home from Iraq in the spring of 2008, they were hailed as heroes.
But along with their gear and their memories, some members of the unit brought with them the ghosts of combat and stress. In March, one of the members of the 821st shot himself.
"He had been back for 10 months," said Staff Sgt. Travis Willard, manager of the suicide prevention program for the West Virginia National Guard.
Willard said the soldier had been going through a divorce, and had been seeing a professional about his problems. "At one point he discontinued his treatment," Willard said. "He just stopped going."
Members of the American Red Cross and West Virginia National Guard teamed up Wednesday to present a Suicide Prevention and Military Families Workshop at Charleston's Embassy Suites Hotel.
About 50 people -- mostly health providers, behavioral health professionals and family advocates -- came to find out more about spotting service members at risk for suicide and how to stop suicidal thoughts before it's too late.
read more here
http://wvgazette.com/News/200908260754
Red Cross, National Guard trying to head off suicide
When members of the West Virginia National Guard's 821st Engineering Company came home from Iraq in the spring of 2008, they were hailed as heroes. But along with their gear and their memories, some members of the unit brought with them the ghosts of combat and stress.
By Rusty Marks
Staff writer
Advertiser
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When members of the West Virginia National Guard's 821st Engineering Company came home from Iraq in the spring of 2008, they were hailed as heroes.
But along with their gear and their memories, some members of the unit brought with them the ghosts of combat and stress. In March, one of the members of the 821st shot himself.
"He had been back for 10 months," said Staff Sgt. Travis Willard, manager of the suicide prevention program for the West Virginia National Guard.
Willard said the soldier had been going through a divorce, and had been seeing a professional about his problems. "At one point he discontinued his treatment," Willard said. "He just stopped going."
Members of the American Red Cross and West Virginia National Guard teamed up Wednesday to present a Suicide Prevention and Military Families Workshop at Charleston's Embassy Suites Hotel.
About 50 people -- mostly health providers, behavioral health professionals and family advocates -- came to find out more about spotting service members at risk for suicide and how to stop suicidal thoughts before it's too late.
read more here
http://wvgazette.com/News/200908260754
Deacon Bob Little, Vietnam Vet, Air Force Major, killed in accident
Three tours of Vietnam, Gulf War, Deputy Sheriff and the list goes on.
Deacon Bob Little - 1946 - 2009
By David Stoneberg
STAFF WRITER
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Deacon Bob Little of the St. Helena Catholic Church died Sunday morning following a crash about 10 miles north of Laytonville in Humboldt County.
According to Sgt. Jim Malner of the CHP Garberville office, the 63-year-old Little was on his Yamaha motorcycle on Highway 101, north of Laytonville. According to witnesses he was going about 60 mph when he approached a stopped vehicle waiting to turn left into a driveway. Little braked and skidded to the right, around the stopped vehicle. He lost control of the motorcycle and ended up on the edge of the roadway. The accident happened shortly after 10 a.m.
Little, who was wearing a helmet and protective riding apparel, was transported via Calstar 4 helicopter to Ukiah Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Little, who lived in American Canyon, was riding his motorcycle north to visit his daughter, Rebecca, who lives in Portland, Ore. According to Monsignor John Brenkle, he left about 7:30 a.m. and was expected to be back on Wednesday.
Deacon Bob Little - 1946 - 2009
By David Stoneberg
STAFF WRITER
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Deacon Bob Little of the St. Helena Catholic Church died Sunday morning following a crash about 10 miles north of Laytonville in Humboldt County.
According to Sgt. Jim Malner of the CHP Garberville office, the 63-year-old Little was on his Yamaha motorcycle on Highway 101, north of Laytonville. According to witnesses he was going about 60 mph when he approached a stopped vehicle waiting to turn left into a driveway. Little braked and skidded to the right, around the stopped vehicle. He lost control of the motorcycle and ended up on the edge of the roadway. The accident happened shortly after 10 a.m.
Little, who was wearing a helmet and protective riding apparel, was transported via Calstar 4 helicopter to Ukiah Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Little, who lived in American Canyon, was riding his motorcycle north to visit his daughter, Rebecca, who lives in Portland, Ore. According to Monsignor John Brenkle, he left about 7:30 a.m. and was expected to be back on Wednesday.
Three Vietnam tours
After high school he joined the military and served three tours in Vietnam from 1966 to 1969 and later was activated and served in Desert Storm for several months. He worked his way up from the enlisted ranks to U.S. Air Force major and retired from the Air Force Reserve in March 2006.
He was a sheriff’s deputy for 15 years and later earned his teaching credential while going to night school.
He taught science and physical education at St. Helena Catholic School from 1986 to 1991. While he was a teacher, Little augmented his salary by working in the hospitality room at Sutter Home and then moved over to head hospitality and marketing at Silver Oak Cellars.
read more here
Deacon Bob Little
Veterans Group Blasts Right Wingers Pushing “Death Book”
Disclosure right now is that I am in a very, very bad mood right now. This is one of the first emails I read this morning. It is not a great way to start my day after my morning prayer.
I did a huge post about this. I won't bother you with repeating all of it. You can read it here.
Veterans are not stupid, stop treating them like they are
In my life, I've met all kinds of people from all walks of life. Each one of them have within them the same possibilities to do good or to do harm. Some choose to think of others, putting themselves in the place of others, while some, well, let's just say they only think of themselves and their own gain, never bothering to once think of who they are hurting as long as they get what they want.
Some of them are just too blind to see what they are turning into. Others, well, they must have something really twisted in their soul to the point where they have slaughtered whatever good God intended them to produce in this world.
I do not fully blame the people repeating this abomination because they are too uninformed to know what is true and what is a blatant lie. They have been following the people they believe instead of using what God provided them with called a brain.
I blame the creators and the pushers of this lie against our veterans, trying to cause them to fear, feel even more hopeless by this lie being repeated and above all, reminding them that they are yet again the victim of a political game played by people with no morals, no values for anyone other than themselves and have sold their own souls for power.
Truly despicable people push this lie, sending it out onto massive email chains, never once thinking about who will read it because they think, "Now we got them right where we want them" and causing harm to our veterans in the process. Never once do the senders of this sin contemplate the real magnitude of the problems our veterans face everyday, or the fact that it got worse for them while they enabled party loyalty to overshadow what was happening when "their guy" was in office. They got what they wanted and that was all they needed to know. Nothing else mattered.
I track all of this all the time and never once did I see from any of these pushers a post or email chain about the suicides, when they could have done something. The veterans coming back homeless, were their own fault, or in the words of their hero Bill O'Reilly, they were not real. I didn't see posts about the lack of troops in Iraq when they were dying, or the equipment issues, or the fact the wounded were coming back and having to wait in the valley of despair for their claims to be approved. The list of what I didn't read goes on but above all it proved that they don't care about the veterans unless they can use them.
These "fiscally responsible conservatives" propagating lies never once thought about the vast amounts of tax payer dollars driving the deficit to astronomical highs was pushed by two wars never included in the Presidential budget or the fact hundreds of millions of dollars was lost, never accounted for and wasted. This at the same time their heroes in the Congress kept saying there wasn't enough money to righteously fund the VA to take care of the wounded and waiting.
For all the truly patriotic conservatives out there, be appalled. Find out what the truth is and then nail these liars once and for all! It is not only your duty to your country it is your moral obligation to stand up for our veterans being assaulted again.
This is not a harmless rumor. It goes far beyond a lie about the "death book" because it ends up telling veterans they don't matter when it comes to politics and that is the biggest sin of all. If you hear any of these political animals on the radio or TV repeating these lies, hit them with the facts for the sake of the veterans. Stand up for them and stop allowing people to use any veteran in this country as a political tool. If you get one of these emails, ask yourself what the person sending it has to gain and then ask what they have against veterans when they see fit to use them.
Remember veterans served this one nation. Not Democrats and not Republicans. No side should use them instead of standing up for them!
I did a huge post about this. I won't bother you with repeating all of it. You can read it here.
Veterans are not stupid, stop treating them like they are
In my life, I've met all kinds of people from all walks of life. Each one of them have within them the same possibilities to do good or to do harm. Some choose to think of others, putting themselves in the place of others, while some, well, let's just say they only think of themselves and their own gain, never bothering to once think of who they are hurting as long as they get what they want.
Some of them are just too blind to see what they are turning into. Others, well, they must have something really twisted in their soul to the point where they have slaughtered whatever good God intended them to produce in this world.
I do not fully blame the people repeating this abomination because they are too uninformed to know what is true and what is a blatant lie. They have been following the people they believe instead of using what God provided them with called a brain.
I blame the creators and the pushers of this lie against our veterans, trying to cause them to fear, feel even more hopeless by this lie being repeated and above all, reminding them that they are yet again the victim of a political game played by people with no morals, no values for anyone other than themselves and have sold their own souls for power.
Truly despicable people push this lie, sending it out onto massive email chains, never once thinking about who will read it because they think, "Now we got them right where we want them" and causing harm to our veterans in the process. Never once do the senders of this sin contemplate the real magnitude of the problems our veterans face everyday, or the fact that it got worse for them while they enabled party loyalty to overshadow what was happening when "their guy" was in office. They got what they wanted and that was all they needed to know. Nothing else mattered.
I track all of this all the time and never once did I see from any of these pushers a post or email chain about the suicides, when they could have done something. The veterans coming back homeless, were their own fault, or in the words of their hero Bill O'Reilly, they were not real. I didn't see posts about the lack of troops in Iraq when they were dying, or the equipment issues, or the fact the wounded were coming back and having to wait in the valley of despair for their claims to be approved. The list of what I didn't read goes on but above all it proved that they don't care about the veterans unless they can use them.
These "fiscally responsible conservatives" propagating lies never once thought about the vast amounts of tax payer dollars driving the deficit to astronomical highs was pushed by two wars never included in the Presidential budget or the fact hundreds of millions of dollars was lost, never accounted for and wasted. This at the same time their heroes in the Congress kept saying there wasn't enough money to righteously fund the VA to take care of the wounded and waiting.
For all the truly patriotic conservatives out there, be appalled. Find out what the truth is and then nail these liars once and for all! It is not only your duty to your country it is your moral obligation to stand up for our veterans being assaulted again.
This is not a harmless rumor. It goes far beyond a lie about the "death book" because it ends up telling veterans they don't matter when it comes to politics and that is the biggest sin of all. If you hear any of these political animals on the radio or TV repeating these lies, hit them with the facts for the sake of the veterans. Stand up for them and stop allowing people to use any veteran in this country as a political tool. If you get one of these emails, ask yourself what the person sending it has to gain and then ask what they have against veterans when they see fit to use them.
Remember veterans served this one nation. Not Democrats and not Republicans. No side should use them instead of standing up for them!
The Plum Line
Greg Sargent's blog
Veterans Group Blasts Right Wingers Pushing “Death Book” Claim As “Cruel” To Veterans
Today Rush Limbaugh used Ted Kennedy’s death to keep pushing the “death book” tale, that claim being spread on the right that Obama’s veteran’s agency is distributing manuals urging veterans to hurry up and die.
“No government of ours should ever become a partner in snuffing out a life,” Rush declared on the air. “Ted Kennedy didn’t have to read a death book. Ted Kennedy wasn’t asked to say, `Is my life worth living?’”
That’s unsightly enough on its own. But it turns out Rush’s broadside comes a day after the Vietnam Veterans of America, a national advocacy group, defended the manual and strongly denounced “death book” claims as “hysteria” and as “cruel” to veterans themselves.
“This booklet was developed with guidance from clerics, and it addresses options most of us and our loved ones will have to sort through as we live our final years,” the group said in a little-noticed statement that was sent my way. “To play politics with veterans’ end-of-life choices is not only irresponsible politically, but it is cruel.”
read more here
Veterans Group Blasts Right Wingers Pushing Death Book
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Veterans still fighting for health care
I think the thing that bothers me the most about the false uproar over the VA choice pamphlet, is that a lot of veterans already feel like the VA just wants them to hurry up and die. I know it's not the case, but given what they have to go through and how much time it takes to have a claim approved, you really can't blame them for feeling that way.
Even once they are in the system with a ranking of a service connected disability, what is done for them is really "better than nothing" in most facilities. Veterans end up getting better results going to a Vet Center than they do going to the VA in some states.
Families are also a huge part of this but they are left out of all of it. There used to be support groups at the VA hospitals for the families. Even back then, they were told only the basics, but at least they found someone going through the same things. They were able to learn from each other. Understanding PTSD better, they were also able to help their husbands. Women veterans, well, they were pretty much forgotten about when it came to PTSD. It didn't seem to matter that a lot of nurses ended up with PTSD.
With all the talk going on now about the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans needing help, Vietnam veterans end up being forgotten yet again but they waited a lot longer. Do any of the new groups understand that had it not been for the Vietnam veterans, there wouldn't be anything there for them either? Veterans came back from wars with the same wound but it took the Vietnam veterans to fight to make it all happen.
If the VA were really serious about doing what our veterans needed, they would listen to the Vietnam veterans and their families to make sure all these years of mistakes were not simply repeated.
Even once they are in the system with a ranking of a service connected disability, what is done for them is really "better than nothing" in most facilities. Veterans end up getting better results going to a Vet Center than they do going to the VA in some states.
Families are also a huge part of this but they are left out of all of it. There used to be support groups at the VA hospitals for the families. Even back then, they were told only the basics, but at least they found someone going through the same things. They were able to learn from each other. Understanding PTSD better, they were also able to help their husbands. Women veterans, well, they were pretty much forgotten about when it came to PTSD. It didn't seem to matter that a lot of nurses ended up with PTSD.
With all the talk going on now about the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans needing help, Vietnam veterans end up being forgotten yet again but they waited a lot longer. Do any of the new groups understand that had it not been for the Vietnam veterans, there wouldn't be anything there for them either? Veterans came back from wars with the same wound but it took the Vietnam veterans to fight to make it all happen.
If the VA were really serious about doing what our veterans needed, they would listen to the Vietnam veterans and their families to make sure all these years of mistakes were not simply repeated.
Veterans still fighting – for health care
by Melissa Suran
Aug 26, 2009
The heavy smell of Asian food was in the air. Street vendors were selling fresh groceries, parents were buying their children cheap good-luck charms, and the chatter of everyone could be heard throughout the square. It was like any other day for Sgt. Gil Rivera, who vividly recalls the midday scene.
Suddenly, Rivera heard some voices speaking in Vietnamese. A soldier in the Vietnam War, he was ready to kill the passersby, whose voices were coming closer and closer.
But he didn’t have his gun. And he wasn’t in Vietnam. In fact, he was in New York – in Chinatown.
The incident occurred about 30 years after the Vietnam War. Rivera, who served in the U.S. Army, said what happened to him was a reaction caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, a mental illness that can result from being in a terrifying situation where one’s physical well-being is threatened.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is not to be confused with Post Traumatic Stress, or PTS, which results directly from a traumatic event or from trauma. Although many who suffer from PTS personally underwent a terrible experience, PTS can also be caused by witnessing a traumatic event. Patients are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when PTS symptoms last for a month or more.
Although many experience PTS, it does not always rise to the level of a being a disorder. Symptoms of PTS include being angered easily or having unpleasant emotions triggered by sensory perception such as sound or smell.
It took Rivera three decades to get the help he needed and is now fully pensioned. Unfortunately, his case is an all-too-common one.
“I hadn’t heard Vietnamese spoken since Vietnam,” said Rivera, 63, who now lives in Prince Frederick, Md. “Honestly, if I had a gun who knows, maybe I would have shot those people.”
Rivera is one of more than 1 million veterans who suffer from PTSD. But Rivera is lucky that he received any help at all.
On Aug. 17 at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Phoenix, President Barack Obama said he plans to do more when it comes to veterans’ health care.
“We are a country of more than 300 million Americans. Less than one percent wears the uniform,” he said. “As we protect America, our men and women in uniform must always be treated as what they are: America’s most precious resource.”
read more here
Veterans still fighting for health care
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