Hot Local News for Veterans from Around the Country

Today’s Local News for Veterans from around the Country

What’s Inside:  A Summary

• National Veterans Wheelchair Games To Be Played In Nebraska
• VA Reaching Out To Iraq, Afghanistan Vets As They Return To Wyoming
• Technology Being Used To Help Treat Wyoming Vets
• Veterans Treatment Court Operating In Buffalo  
• Foundation Provides "Home Away From Home" To Recovering Vets

WYOMING: VA Reaching Out To Iraq, Afghanistan Vets As They Return To Wyoming.   The Jackson Hole (WY) Star-Tribune (7/6, Miller) reported on a Veterans Affairs "program for service members who spent time in Iraq or Afghanistan called the OEF/OIF program." The "2-year-old OEF/OIF program is so called because it was created specifically for veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan or Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq." The program’s "main objective is outreach. So instead of waiting for veterans to seek help, the VA now sends OEF/OIF program representatives out to meet National Guard soldiers before they set foot in Wyoming." The Star-Tribune added, "The OEF/OIF program serves all Wyoming National Guard and Air Guard members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan."  

WYOMING: Technology Being Used To Help Treat Wyoming Vets.   The Casper (WY) Star-Tribune (7/6, Miller) reported, "In a large, rural state like Wyoming, getting to the doctor can sometimes mean traveling long distances." That is "especially true for many of the state’s veterans," who "often rely on Veterans Affairs medical centers and clinics for care." Those facilities, however, can be located "many miles away." There is "talk of adding more VA clinics" in Wyoming, but for now, the VA is "using technology to address the issue. Hundreds of veterans around the state have regular contact with VA staff through an electronic system that uses ‘Health Buddies," which are "small computers that patients keep in their homes." These computers "ask a series of questions that help medical staff members monitor the patients’…health indicators."

COLORADO: Liesegang Raising Funds For Fellow Disabled Vets.   The Grand Junction (CO) Sentinel (7/6, Buchanan) reported 36-year-old disabled veteran Dana Liesegang "is going to raise money for others this August by riding her…recumbent tricycle in the Mount Shasta Summit Century, a scenic but physical ride across the shoulders of 14,124-foot Mount Shasta in northern California. It’s part of her personal ‘Ride to Recovery,’ the name she’s given her efforts to raise funds for other people with spinal-cord and nervous-system injuries." Liesegang "will be accompanied on the Mount Shasta ride by friend Mike Weiss," who "also raises funds for the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass."

NEW YORK: Veterans Treatment Court Operating In Buffalo.   The AP (7/6, Thompson) reported on a "veterans treatment court" in Buffalo, New York. The court, "the first of its kind in the country," is run by Judge Robert Russell, who "tailor-made the…court to address not only vets’ crimes but their unique mental health issues." The AP added that the court "has been highly praised" by the Veterans Affairs Department and other veterans organizations. NEW YORK: VA Hospital’s July Fourth Celebration Called "Second Christmas."   The Schenectady Gazette (7/6, Moore) reports, "Christmas comes twice a year for the veterans living at the Stratton VA Medical Center. There’s Dec. 25, of course and then there’s the Fourth of July, said World War II veteran Roland J. Babbitt. … Not only do families visit, but the whole hospital is decorated and volunteers host a party."

MICHIGAN: Honor Flight Founder Says "Time Running Out" To Honor WWII Vets.   The Tuscola County Advertiser (7/6, Seifert) reports, Ivan McPherson, 88, "will be a passenger on one of Michigan’s Honor Flights, a free trip for World War II veterans to their monument in Washington DC." The Honor Flight organization began in 2004, and "is a tribute to heroes." The group’s founder said, "time is running out. We’re losing around 1,500 [WWII veterans] each day, and we need to pay them one last tribute."

RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island Lawmakers Reject Proposal To Establish State VA.   In the fourth story in his "Veterans’ Journal" column in the Providence (RI) Journal (7/7), George W. Reilly reports a proposal to establish a Rhode Island Department of Veterans Affairs "has been defeated" by the state’s General Assembly. Currently, "veterans issues are dealt with by a division of the state Department of Human Services."

FLORIDA: Group To Provide Treatment And Vocational Assistance To Veterans.   The Fort Myers News-Press (7/6, Reed) reports, "Armed with a two-year, $110,000 grant, Lee Mental Health is launching a program to help Lee County veterans overcome the mental illnesses or substance abuse problems that are preventing them from finding and keeping jobs. The funding comes from The Able Trust, a public-private partnership to help Floridians with disabilities enter the workforce." Services "will include job placement, employment coaching and on-the-job advocacy, clinical treatment, and assistance connecting to other social services, colleges or vocational training." According to one official, "there’s a significant amount of veterans who have other related issues that affect their employment," and this program "can play a vital role in our community."

TEXAS: Foundation Provides "Home Away From Home" To Recovering Vets.   The Killeen Daily Herald (7/6, Petre) reports, After a conversation with a disabled veteran, Julie Win-Curtis "founded the Texas Military Family Foundation," a non-profit organization which provides "a home away from home for wounded warriors and soldiers." The house offers "a kitchen and bathroom, cozy overstuffed chairs (good for sleeping), a big-screen TV, several Internet-accessible computers, phones and a fax machine," and the "only requirement for soldiers is that they clean up after themselves." Veterans and supporters "help to fund the house by receiving donations." 

TEXAS: University Of Texas Conducting Comprehensive PTSD Study.   The Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram (7/6, Vaughn) reported, "Three years ago, as the number of soldiers and Marines experiencing" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) "steadily escalated," Brian Baldwin, who lost a cousin to suicide, "used his position as manager of a brain center at the University of Texas at Austin and his Army connections to initiate one of the most comprehensive studies ever undertaken on the disorder." The "UT researchers hope that by comparing the results of brain scans and behavioral tests on soldiers before and after life in a combat zone, they can learn who is more susceptible to PTSD and develop methods of preventive care."

IOWA: Program Provides Free Caskets Made By Vets, For Vets.   The Rapid City Journal (7/6, Garrigan) reports, The Veterans Honored Interment program provides caskets "made by veterans, for veterans." The caskets were initially "made at the veterans home, but the demand for them soon outpaced the limitations of the residents’ age and woodworking abilities. Now, additional coffins are crafted by members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 268 in Sioux Falls." The caskets "are available to any veteran or their spouse who is a South Dakota resident," and "the only other requirements are an honorable discharge from the military and a South Dakota burial."

GEORGIA: Fisher House Construction Called "Priority" For County.   The Aiken Standard (7/6) reports, "Constructing a 21-bedroom Fisher House on the campus of the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center Uptown Division is a priority for the Aiken County Veterans Council." According to the Standard, "the Aiken County Veterans Council is moving forward with its plans for Fisher House Day 2008 in several ways. Because of interest and scheduling, Sept. 13 will be the official Fisher House Day, but the fundraising has begun before and may continue beyond Sept. 13." Groups involved in fundraising include the CSRA Chapter of the American Ex-POWs, two local Marine Corps Leagues, and the Korean War Veterans Association.

ARKANSAS: Arkansas To Receive "Badly Needed" Fifth Vets’ Cemetery.   The AP (7/6) reports, "A fifth veterans cemetery for Arkansas will be established by the state on 99 acres near this Cross County community." Jerry Bowen, a former undersecretary in the federal Veterans Affairs Department, said, "This is something that has been badly needed in Arkansas and particularly in this part of the state." The need is especially acute, because, "of the four current veterans cemeteries in Arkansas, only three are open for new burials." Governor Beebe’s office called the cemetery "a very important first step to be able to provide services for the veterans and their families."