Cop shooting suspect kept 'Shooter's Bible,' weapons in storage unit
By Jamal Thalji and Rebecca Catalanello, Times Staff Writers
Posted: Aug 31, 2009 01:59 PM
TAMPA — He had a book called the Shooter's Bible, a .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle, and a load of ammunition stored in a Pinellas County rental space.
The man accused of killing a Tampa police officer Aug. 19 kept weapons and several firearms-related items in his storage unit located at Public Storage, 4080 E Tampa Road in Oldsmar, according to a search warrant filed in Pinellas County Circuit Court.
Police Cpl. Mike Roberts was on the ground when Humberto Delgado, 34, shot him to death, the warrant says.
The night Roberts encountered Delgado pushing a shopping cart on Nebraska Avenue, police say he was armed with four guns, including a Taurus .45-caliber pistol police now believe was the gun he used to shoot Roberts.
read more here
Cop shooting suspect kept Shooter's Bible
Monday, August 31, 2009
Orange County firefighters say 10-year-old girl is a hero
Orange County firefighters say 10-year-old is a hero
Walter Pacheco
Sentinel Staff Writer
7:57 a.m. EDT, August 31, 2009
A 10-year-old girl ran apartment to apartment Sunday night, warning residents of the flames and smoke that had engulfed their south Orange County apartment building.
Fire and smoke damage displaced six families from their Lancaster Villas apartments, reports show. The little girl, whose name has not been released, is in the hospital this morning for minor injuries she suffered during the overnight blaze.
Neighbors and Orange County firefighters said the child is a hero.
"This little girl, a really great person, saved us," Lancaster Villas resident Jessica Phelps said in a televised newscast. "She ran knocking on all the doors."
Orange County Fire Assistant Chief Jeff Holton called the girl's bravery "really amazing."
Firefighters said her decisive actions saved lives. Her quick response to the fire is due in part to their ongoing campaign to teach Orange County Public School district students fire safety and medical emergency tips.
read more here
Orange County firefighters say 10 year-old is a hero
Walter Pacheco
Sentinel Staff Writer
7:57 a.m. EDT, August 31, 2009
A 10-year-old girl ran apartment to apartment Sunday night, warning residents of the flames and smoke that had engulfed their south Orange County apartment building.
Fire and smoke damage displaced six families from their Lancaster Villas apartments, reports show. The little girl, whose name has not been released, is in the hospital this morning for minor injuries she suffered during the overnight blaze.
Neighbors and Orange County firefighters said the child is a hero.
"This little girl, a really great person, saved us," Lancaster Villas resident Jessica Phelps said in a televised newscast. "She ran knocking on all the doors."
Orange County Fire Assistant Chief Jeff Holton called the girl's bravery "really amazing."
Firefighters said her decisive actions saved lives. Her quick response to the fire is due in part to their ongoing campaign to teach Orange County Public School district students fire safety and medical emergency tips.
read more here
Orange County firefighters say 10 year-old is a hero
Local author recognizes that pain of war spans the centuries
Local author recognizes that pain of war spans the centuries
By Chris Bergeron/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Posted Aug 31, 2009 @ 12:03 AM
After he began working with Vietnam veterans, Dr. Jonathan Shay heard in their stories the same feelings of grief and betrayal that triggered "the rage of Achilles" in Homer's ancient epic, the "Iliad."
At the Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Boston in 1987, former grunts spoke to him of the betrayal of "what's right" by officers and politicians. They revealed lingering sorrow over lost comrades and simmering rage that made their homecomings so difficult.
A Harvard-educated psychiatrist who'd never been in the military, Shay made powerful connections with them by writing stories about Homer's heros, Achilles and Odysseus, warriors like them scarred in body and soul.
"From the beginning, I had an interest in the idea that war could damage good character. War hasn't changed in 3,000 years," he said. "The Iliad is about what war has always done to people. Everyone is changed by combat but not everyone is injured."
Looking back, Shay remembers the veterans in that first program as "very rough men who'd experienced severe combat trauma and were given to rages."
"Everyone was an outpatient. There were no locked doors, no court orders. Almost all were from Vietnam," he said. Later, there were a few from World War II and Korea, he said.
Now retired, Shay credits "dumb luck" for helping him reach troubled veterans through stories from Homer's 2,700-year-old poems about the Trojan War and its aftermath.
read more here
Local author recognizes that pain of war spans the centuries
By Chris Bergeron/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Posted Aug 31, 2009 @ 12:03 AM
After he began working with Vietnam veterans, Dr. Jonathan Shay heard in their stories the same feelings of grief and betrayal that triggered "the rage of Achilles" in Homer's ancient epic, the "Iliad."
At the Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Boston in 1987, former grunts spoke to him of the betrayal of "what's right" by officers and politicians. They revealed lingering sorrow over lost comrades and simmering rage that made their homecomings so difficult.
A Harvard-educated psychiatrist who'd never been in the military, Shay made powerful connections with them by writing stories about Homer's heros, Achilles and Odysseus, warriors like them scarred in body and soul.
"From the beginning, I had an interest in the idea that war could damage good character. War hasn't changed in 3,000 years," he said. "The Iliad is about what war has always done to people. Everyone is changed by combat but not everyone is injured."
Looking back, Shay remembers the veterans in that first program as "very rough men who'd experienced severe combat trauma and were given to rages."
"Everyone was an outpatient. There were no locked doors, no court orders. Almost all were from Vietnam," he said. Later, there were a few from World War II and Korea, he said.
Now retired, Shay credits "dumb luck" for helping him reach troubled veterans through stories from Homer's 2,700-year-old poems about the Trojan War and its aftermath.
read more here
Local author recognizes that pain of war spans the centuries
Therapy online: Good as face to face?
Actually in some cases, it's better. The anonymity online help provides is a door opened wider than seeing someone face to face depending on what is behind the therapy needed. People do not have to wonder if they are being judged looking into someone's eyes, feel intimidated or feel as if they have to quickly respond to a question without having time to really think about it.
I am not a therapist. I am a Chaplain, focused on PTSD, as well as the spiritual issues trauma causes. When people come to me, it's online, private and I help them from across the country as well as internationally. In most cases, I don't even know their real name, which is fine with me. The only problem I have with this is when I feel deeply concerned for someone on the ledge. There have been times when I had to try to find out where the person lived so that I could contact law enforcement to do a welfare check on the person. This is rough when I have very little to go on. I try to get as much information as possible but I can't push them. I may have a phone number and a real name, but sometimes it's just an email address.
The other problem with this is when others ask me how I know someone is telling the truth or not. That one is easy because they have nothing to gain by lying to me. I cannot help them with a claim, get them medication, have no money to give them and 99% of the time, they don't even want their story told. There is nothing in it for them to not be truthful. Often it's a matter of gaining trust from them, which is usually a very slow process. The more they trust me, the more they open up. It's also one of the reasons you never see a story from me online talking about any of the people I help unless it is in totally vague terms. A slow posting day is a busy day on the emails. It just works out that way all the time.
The most important thing aside from trust is to know who you are asking for help. If it's a site linked to veterans groups you can go through, like Give An Hour, usually you know you can trust them to give you the best help possible. If you turn to someone just because they have a website or blog, you need to first know as much as you can about them. There have been too many times when someone gives out totally wrong information or gives you the wrong advice even though they may mean you know harm. They just don't know enough and can cause you more pain than you already had.
This is not to slam all bloggers because most of them know what they are talking about when they get into this line of work. Some carry insurance and are licensed. This is done because they are trained to do what they do and take it all very seriously. Others give out great advice because they have been there and can tell you what worked for them. If you run into any advice coming close to suggesting they know the only "cure" for you, run as fast as you can. With PTSD there is no "one size fits all" at all. The only thing that really can be fit into the category of this would be when someone tells you that taking care of your mind, body and spirit works best, but there is no one way of getting there. There are all different faiths and levels of faith/spirituality. Some people say they believe there is a God but have no faith in religious groups. Each one has to be treated where they are as they are. There are also some hacks out there with deep emotional problems of their own and on some kind of power trip. Just keep your eyes open and see if their agenda is to help you or themselves.
PTSD has gotten so out of control that this is going to take all the help the Internet can offer, so the more help available, the better as long as that help is really supportive to you.
I am not a therapist. I am a Chaplain, focused on PTSD, as well as the spiritual issues trauma causes. When people come to me, it's online, private and I help them from across the country as well as internationally. In most cases, I don't even know their real name, which is fine with me. The only problem I have with this is when I feel deeply concerned for someone on the ledge. There have been times when I had to try to find out where the person lived so that I could contact law enforcement to do a welfare check on the person. This is rough when I have very little to go on. I try to get as much information as possible but I can't push them. I may have a phone number and a real name, but sometimes it's just an email address.
The other problem with this is when others ask me how I know someone is telling the truth or not. That one is easy because they have nothing to gain by lying to me. I cannot help them with a claim, get them medication, have no money to give them and 99% of the time, they don't even want their story told. There is nothing in it for them to not be truthful. Often it's a matter of gaining trust from them, which is usually a very slow process. The more they trust me, the more they open up. It's also one of the reasons you never see a story from me online talking about any of the people I help unless it is in totally vague terms. A slow posting day is a busy day on the emails. It just works out that way all the time.
The most important thing aside from trust is to know who you are asking for help. If it's a site linked to veterans groups you can go through, like Give An Hour, usually you know you can trust them to give you the best help possible. If you turn to someone just because they have a website or blog, you need to first know as much as you can about them. There have been too many times when someone gives out totally wrong information or gives you the wrong advice even though they may mean you know harm. They just don't know enough and can cause you more pain than you already had.
This is not to slam all bloggers because most of them know what they are talking about when they get into this line of work. Some carry insurance and are licensed. This is done because they are trained to do what they do and take it all very seriously. Others give out great advice because they have been there and can tell you what worked for them. If you run into any advice coming close to suggesting they know the only "cure" for you, run as fast as you can. With PTSD there is no "one size fits all" at all. The only thing that really can be fit into the category of this would be when someone tells you that taking care of your mind, body and spirit works best, but there is no one way of getting there. There are all different faiths and levels of faith/spirituality. Some people say they believe there is a God but have no faith in religious groups. Each one has to be treated where they are as they are. There are also some hacks out there with deep emotional problems of their own and on some kind of power trip. Just keep your eyes open and see if their agenda is to help you or themselves.
PTSD has gotten so out of control that this is going to take all the help the Internet can offer, so the more help available, the better as long as that help is really supportive to you.
Therapy online: Good as face to face?
Story Highlights
Study: Online therapy has same benefit as could be expected from traditional therapy
There are legal issues with offering therapy online to people in other states
How health insurance companies deal with online therapy will affect its use
By Elizabeth Landau
CNN
(CNN) -- Your therapist's name is ELIZA, and she interacts with you through text on a computer screen. However embarrassing or difficult your problem may be, ELIZA will not hesitate to ask you a question about it, or respond graciously, "That is very interesting. Why do you say that?"
Computer-based therapy has come a long way since ELIZA, a 1960s computer program designed to emulate (and parody) a therapist. Today, with the Internet, people can use the instant message format to communicate with real therapists.
A new study in The Lancet suggests that real-time chat therapy with a psychotherapist is successful in helping people with depression.
Participants were randomly assigned to either receive online cognitive behavioral therapy in addition to usual physician care -- which may include antidepressant medication -- or to continue their usual care and be placed on a waiting list. The intervention consisted of up to 10 55-minute sessions, five of which were expected to be completed by the four-month follow-up.
Of the 113 people who did online therapy, 38 percent recovered from depression after four months, compared with 24 percent of people in the control group. The benefits were maintained at eight months, with 42 percent of the online therapy group and 26 percent of the control group having recovered.
read more here
Therapy online
UPDATE on murder of Rev. Carol Daniels
Slaying details of Oklahoma City pastor shocking
Slain pastor was discovered nude in a ‘crucifix position’ at Anadarko church
Buzz up!BY RON JACKSON
Published: August 30, 2009
ANADARKO — Police found the mutilated body of the Rev. Carol Daniels in a "crucifix position” behind her church altar last Sunday, The Oklahoman learned from sources close to the investigation.
Sources confirmed that Daniels’ bloodied corpse appeared to have been left in the form of a cross with both arms outstretched to the sides. Sources also said investigators were disturbed by two other facts at the crime scene:
• The killer took Daniels’ clothes, perhaps to hide evidence or as a grisly trophy.
• The killer methodically took time to spray a dissolving chemical around the body in an apparent effort to destroy any DNA evidence.
Police found Daniels’ nude body at 12:09 p.m. after being notified by an elderly couple who found the Christ Holy Sanctified Church doors locked and the reverend’s vehicle parked in front. A medical examiner’s report obtained through an open records request showed that the killer inflicted deep, gaping wounds to the throat. The wounds nearly decapitated Daniels’ head, said Dr. William Manion, a forensic pathologist in Burlington County, N.J.
Severe lacerations were also found on her left breast, back, stomach and hands — the latter a sign that the 61-year-old Oklahoma City woman likely tried to fight her attacker.
Daniels’ hair was also burned.
read more here
Slaying details of Oklahoma City pastor shocking
linked from RawStory
Slain pastor was discovered nude in a ‘crucifix position’ at Anadarko church
Buzz up!BY RON JACKSON
Published: August 30, 2009
ANADARKO — Police found the mutilated body of the Rev. Carol Daniels in a "crucifix position” behind her church altar last Sunday, The Oklahoman learned from sources close to the investigation.
Sources confirmed that Daniels’ bloodied corpse appeared to have been left in the form of a cross with both arms outstretched to the sides. Sources also said investigators were disturbed by two other facts at the crime scene:
• The killer took Daniels’ clothes, perhaps to hide evidence or as a grisly trophy.
• The killer methodically took time to spray a dissolving chemical around the body in an apparent effort to destroy any DNA evidence.
Police found Daniels’ nude body at 12:09 p.m. after being notified by an elderly couple who found the Christ Holy Sanctified Church doors locked and the reverend’s vehicle parked in front. A medical examiner’s report obtained through an open records request showed that the killer inflicted deep, gaping wounds to the throat. The wounds nearly decapitated Daniels’ head, said Dr. William Manion, a forensic pathologist in Burlington County, N.J.
Severe lacerations were also found on her left breast, back, stomach and hands — the latter a sign that the 61-year-old Oklahoma City woman likely tried to fight her attacker.
Daniels’ hair was also burned.
read more here
Slaying details of Oklahoma City pastor shocking
linked from RawStory
Shake the Devil Off
Book reviews: 'Shake the Devil Off' by Ethan Brown and 'The Year Before the Flood' by Ned Sublette
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, August 30, 2009
By BEATRIZ TERRAZAS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
Beatriz Terrazas is a former Dallas Morning News photographer and writer whose work will be published in TCU Press' upcoming Literary El Paso.
Just in time for Hurricane Katrina's fourth anniversary come two ambitious books set against New Orleans. Both lay bare collective wounds.
In Shake The Devil Off: A True Story of the Murder That Rocked New Orleans, veteran journalist Ethan Brown examines post-traumatic stress disorder through Zackery Bowen, a charismatic soldier in the U.S. Army's 527th MP Company.
Zack, a New Orleans bartender before his enlistment, did tours of duty in Kosovo and Iraq. While overseas, his marriage derailed. Discharged in 2004, he returned with his family to New Orleans only to divorce and begin a turbulent relationship with artist Addie Hall. They were among the holdouts who made headlines by riding out Katrina.
A year later, having survived Kosovo, Iraq and Katrina, Zack made news again by killing Addie, dismembering her body, then killing himself.
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, August 30, 2009
By BEATRIZ TERRAZAS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
Beatriz Terrazas is a former Dallas Morning News photographer and writer whose work will be published in TCU Press' upcoming Literary El Paso.
Just in time for Hurricane Katrina's fourth anniversary come two ambitious books set against New Orleans. Both lay bare collective wounds.
In Shake The Devil Off: A True Story of the Murder That Rocked New Orleans, veteran journalist Ethan Brown examines post-traumatic stress disorder through Zackery Bowen, a charismatic soldier in the U.S. Army's 527th MP Company.
Zack, a New Orleans bartender before his enlistment, did tours of duty in Kosovo and Iraq. While overseas, his marriage derailed. Discharged in 2004, he returned with his family to New Orleans only to divorce and begin a turbulent relationship with artist Addie Hall. They were among the holdouts who made headlines by riding out Katrina.
A year later, having survived Kosovo, Iraq and Katrina, Zack made news again by killing Addie, dismembering her body, then killing himself.
One psychiatrist tells Brown that Zack's downward spiral probably had several causes, including the loss of friends in Iraq, the collapse of his marriage and the transition to civilian life. Zack's fellow soldiers express feelings of being forgotten by the rest of America.
But Brown discovers the military, too, is at fault. He cites a VA memo cautioning against PTSD diagnoses: "Consider a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder ... we really don't have time to do the extensive testing that should be done to determine PTSD." At the same time, the National Institute of Mental Health warned that inadequate mental health care could lead to "postwar suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan vets" exceeding combat deaths.read more here
Two firefighters die battling blaze in Los Angeles County
Two firefighters die battling blaze in Los Angeles County
Story Highlights
NEW: Two dead firefighters identified
Fast-growing Los Angeles County wildfire has become 42,000-acre conflagration
So-called Station Fire threatens up to 10,000 homes and 2,000 other structures
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Fire officials late Sunday identified two firefighters who died accidentally while battling a fast-spreading wildfire in Los Angeles County.
Capt. Tedmund Hall, 47, and Spc. Arnaldo Quinones, 35, were in a vehicle that "went over the side" on Sunday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Country Fire Department.
They were fighting what is known as the Station Fire, which had spread to 42,000 acres by late Sunday.
Hall was with the department for 26 years and Quinones for eight years.
The accident happened near Acton, about 25 miles north of central Los Angeles, during "intense fire activity that was occurring near Mount Gleason," Deputy Fire Chief Michael Bryant said.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/31/california.wildfires/index.html
UPDATE
LA firefighters killed trying to save inmate crew
By CHRISTINA HOAG and JACOB ADELMAN, Associated Press Writers
Monday, August 31, 2009
18:21 PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) --
As the roaring wall of flame raged through the Angeles National Forest, firefighters Ted Hall and Arnie Quinones worked feverishly to protect their fire-crew camp, made up mostly of prison inmates.
read more hereLA firefighters killed trying to save inmate crew
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Police: 'No known suspects' in 8 Georgia deaths
Police: 'No known suspects' in 8 Georgia deaths
Story Highlights
Police: Someone not in custody may have information about the deaths
Seven found dead Saturday at mobile home park residence in Brunswick, Georgia
One other victim died Sunday, 9th victim still in critical condition Sunday
Police said they have been called to the home before, but would not say why
(CNN) -- Authorities believe at least one person not in custody may have information about the deaths of eight people in a Georgia mobile home, Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said Sunday.
Seven people were found dead Saturday at a residence in a mobile home park in Brunswick, Georgia.
"I'm confident to say that there's somebody, at least an individual, that we would like to know about that's not at the scene," whether or not they were directly involved in the case, Doering said.
Seven people were found dead Saturday at a residence in the New Hope mobile home park in Brunswick, Georgia. Two others were hospitalized in critical condition, and one of them died Sunday, authorities said.
Police have "no known suspects," Doering told reporters Sunday afternoon. "We are not looking for any known suspects. That doesn't say that there are no suspects. They're just not known to us."
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/30/georgia.killings/index.html
Story Highlights
Police: Someone not in custody may have information about the deaths
Seven found dead Saturday at mobile home park residence in Brunswick, Georgia
One other victim died Sunday, 9th victim still in critical condition Sunday
Police said they have been called to the home before, but would not say why
(CNN) -- Authorities believe at least one person not in custody may have information about the deaths of eight people in a Georgia mobile home, Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said Sunday.
Seven people were found dead Saturday at a residence in a mobile home park in Brunswick, Georgia.
"I'm confident to say that there's somebody, at least an individual, that we would like to know about that's not at the scene," whether or not they were directly involved in the case, Doering said.
Seven people were found dead Saturday at a residence in the New Hope mobile home park in Brunswick, Georgia. Two others were hospitalized in critical condition, and one of them died Sunday, authorities said.
Police have "no known suspects," Doering told reporters Sunday afternoon. "We are not looking for any known suspects. That doesn't say that there are no suspects. They're just not known to us."
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/30/georgia.killings/index.html
Veterans Demand Apology from GOP and FOX for Lies About VA
Veterans are not stupid. Stop treating them like they are
Veterans groups blast right wingers
Senator John McCain, uses VA but thinks veterans are stupid
Veterans Demand Apology from GOP and FOX for Lies About VA
Written by Veterans for Common Sense
Thursday, 27 August 2009 12:36
August 27, 2009 - The claim that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a manual encouraging veterans to "commit suicide," made by Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, is an asinine assertion with no basis in fact.
Steele made the charge two days ago (August 25th) on FOX News. Steele's egregious comments are an outrageous slander against VA designed to create an atmosphere of mistrust and fear among the millions of our veterans who rely on the VA for medical care. Veterans demand an apology from Steele and FOX News.
"Let me be absolutely clear, Steele lied. There is no VA manual encouraging veterans to commit suicide," said Paul Sullivan, the executive director of VCS, a non-profit based in Washington, DC providing advocacy for veterans, especially veterans with mental health conditions.
Here is the full text of Steele's comments:
"If you want an example of bad public policy, let's look at this situation with our veterans where you have a manual out there, telling our veterans stuff like, ‘Are you really a value to your community?' and, you know, encouraging them to commit suicide. This is crazy coming from the government, and this is exactly what concerns people, what puts them in fear of what government controlled health care, of health care, will look like."
go here for more
Law keeps veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder out of jail
Law keeps veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder out of jail
By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Posted: 08/30/2009 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- Combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder who are accused of certain crimes may soon have a choice between a trial or mental-health treatment.
El Paso judges last week took the first step in creating a Veterans Mental Health Treatment Court. They authorized the program for Judge Ricardo Herrera's county criminal court.
"I just think we need to get ahead of the curve a little bit and get this in place," said Herrera, who proposed the idea to the Council of Judges.
He said the court would make sense for El Paso because of Fort Bliss and its explosive growth. The post has about 20,000 active-duty soldiers and is expected to grow to 34,000 by 2013.
The court would be geared to active-duty soldiers or veterans who served in combat zones or other hazardous assignments and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, said Cesar Prieto, who works in Herrera's court.
He said the court for veterans would include felonies and misdemeanors, but not the most serious crimes, such as murder and rape. Prosecutors would have to approve a defendant's participation in the program.
read more here
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_13232775?source=most_emailed
By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Posted: 08/30/2009 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- Combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder who are accused of certain crimes may soon have a choice between a trial or mental-health treatment.
El Paso judges last week took the first step in creating a Veterans Mental Health Treatment Court. They authorized the program for Judge Ricardo Herrera's county criminal court.
"I just think we need to get ahead of the curve a little bit and get this in place," said Herrera, who proposed the idea to the Council of Judges.
He said the court would make sense for El Paso because of Fort Bliss and its explosive growth. The post has about 20,000 active-duty soldiers and is expected to grow to 34,000 by 2013.
The court would be geared to active-duty soldiers or veterans who served in combat zones or other hazardous assignments and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, said Cesar Prieto, who works in Herrera's court.
He said the court for veterans would include felonies and misdemeanors, but not the most serious crimes, such as murder and rape. Prosecutors would have to approve a defendant's participation in the program.
read more here
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_13232775?source=most_emailed
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