KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A decision by Jackson County legislators on how to spend remaining federal COVID-19 relief funds is likely delayed again. In a letter sent to Chairwoman Jeanie Lauer, five legislators say they won't attend a scheduled meeting Wednesday morning to revisit the issue, which would deny the Legislature a quorum. Jay-Z's Team Roc, Innocence Project files lawsuit against KCKPD, UG The move comes after the Jackson County Legislature failed to override County Executive Frank White's veto of an ordinance outlining how to allocate the funds. At issue, how to divide the money between infrastructure and community social service needs. One of the signees, Manny Abarca, says he plans to have the vetoed ordinance placed on Monday's regular meeting agenda as a starting point. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android The county must decide by Dec. 31 how to spend the $70 million, or it goes back to the federal government. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Ukraine fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles into Russia, officials said Tuesday, marking the first time Kyiv used the weapons that way in 1,000 days of war. The use of the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, came as Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons, opening the door to a potential nuclear response by Moscow to even a conventional attack by any nation supported by a nuclear power. A Telegram channel affiliated with the Ukrainian military posted a video Tuesday that it says shows U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles being fired from an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Donald Trump Jr. and House Speaker Mike Johnson put the rumors to rest on Monday, confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did indeed eat the McDonald's meal in front of him in a picture that went viral over the weekend. Trump Jr. appeared on the Charlie Kirk podcast on Monday and described the scene on Trump Force One during an early morning flight that led to the photo in question. Kennedy in the image holds a McDonald's burger with a bottle of Coke sitting nearby, a look of concern plastered on his f A Georgia appeals court on Monday canceled oral arguments that were scheduled for next month on the appeal of a lower court ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue to prosecute the election interference case she brought against President-elect Donald Trump. Trump and other defendants had asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to hold oral arguments in the case, and the court had set those arguments for Dec. 5. A Fulton County grand jury in August 2023 indicted Trump and 18 others, accusing them of participating in a sprawling scheme to illegally try to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

A decision by Jackson County legislators on how to spend remaining federal COVID-19 relief funds is likely delayed again.

Decision on COVID relief funds in Jackson County likely to be delayed again

NILES, Ohio (WKBN) — A milestone celebration was held Tuesday for one of Trumbull County's leading providers of medical care. For many of those 100 years, St. Joseph was operated by the Sisters of Humility of Mary. Among the items on display was an early habit worn by the sisters. "Every day when we come to work, we are continuing their legacy by taking care of those that are the most sick, poor and underserved," said President Charlotte Gardiner. Among the crowd was Sister Millie Ely, one of the last of the Humility of Mary Sisters to be the hospital's president. "That 100 years, God's grace and hand had to be in that endeavor, and that's certainly true of St. Joe's," Ely said. From its founding in 1924 until 1996, the hospital was located on Tod Avenue in Warren. It's now located on Eastland Avenue SE. Tino DiCenso contributed to this report.

300 people attended a dinner at the Eastwood Event Center for the 100th anniversary of Warren's St. Joseph Hospital.

St. Joseph Hospital celebrates 100 years in service

Elderly people who are excessively sleepy during the day or lack motivation to go about their daily activities may be more likely to develop a pre-dementia syndrome called motoric cognitive risk (MCR) – that can progress to dementia. Those are the findings of a new study by researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, which cross-referenced sleepiness in the day with certain signs of MCR: occasional memory issues and a slower walking gait. This could help healthcare professionals spot signs of dementia risk at the earliest opportunity – potentially at a point where mitigations can be put in place to prevent it from developing. "Our findings emphasize the need for screening for sleep issues," says lead author and geriatrician Victoire Leroy. "There's potential that people could get help with their sleep issues and prevent cognitive decline later in life." Leroy and colleagues recruited 445 adults without dementia aged over 65, with an average age of 76. Once a year for an average of three years, the participants completed questionnaires about their recall abilities, sleep patterns , and daily activities, while their walking speed was tracked on treadmills for an average period of three years. Over the study period, 35.5 percent of the participants categorized as having excessive daytime sleepiness and a lack of enthusiasm for day-to-day activities developed MCR. In the participants outside that group, 6.7 percent developed the syndrome. While the study doesn't prove a direct relationship, it does suggest that in some people, being overly sleepy and feeling sluggish during the day could be early signs of MCR. The condition was three times more likely in people with those symptoms, after accounting for age, sex, and several health issues – including depression . "Our findings also emphasize the need for an early screening of sleep disturbances as a potential preventive intervention for cognitive decline," write the researchers in their published paper. It's well established that earlier is better when it comes to a diagnosis of dementia – or pre-dementia – and we're seeing more and more evidence that the condition can be prevented in a large number of cases, if it's spotted earlier on. Based on previous research , those who have MCR are around three times more likely to go on to develop dementia than the general population. Vascular dementia is particularly likely, caused by a reduced blood flow to the brain. Add all this together and we've got what might be an early warning of increased dementia risk in certain people – though more information needs to be collected about the how and the why behind this association. "More research needs to be done to look at the relationship between sleep issues and cognitive decline and the role played by motoric cognitive risk syndrome," says Leroy. "We also need studies to explain the mechanisms that link these sleep disturbances to motoric cognitive risk syndrome and cognitive decline." The research has been published in Neurology , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Related News</h3>

Extra Sleepiness During The Day Could Be a Signal of Pre-Dementia

The parking lot at ImpactLife in Davenport was full Tuesday morning as volunteers flocked in for a special celebration.The organization marked its 50th anniversary in Davenport with a proclamation from Davenport Mayor Mike Matson proclaiming ImpactLife Week in the city and a ribbon cutting to honor the occasion.ImpactLife CEO Mike Parejko said the company has more than 800 employees across Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri."We serve as the vital link between the generous volunteer blood donors who provide the blood donations and the healthcare professionals who deliver the blood transfusions to the patients in need," he said. "It is truly an honor to stand here on the shoulder of giants who came before us."Few know the importance more than people who have been impacted by blood donation, as is the case for Jessica McKearney. In 2019, her son Hudson , just shy of his second birthday, was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) CNS2a, an aggressive cancer."The cancer was taking over his bones, and he was unable to produce normal cells," she said. "When we took him to the University of Iowa, we assumed it was leukemia based on his lab work, but he had to receive two units of red blood cells and platelets that day as soon as he got there, just to stabilize him."McKearney said for Hudson's specific cancer type, he needed to endure not only chemotherapy but lumbar punctures."Because of of blood donors, he was actually able to even undergo cancer treatment, because we were killing everything in his body," she said. "Fortunately, during his treatment, there was blood on the shelves at that time, and that was because of blood donors."Prior to Hudson's diagnosis, McKearney was not a regular blood donor and didn't understand the importance and need, she said. It wasn't until a transfusion was the only way to help her son that she understood fully.During his three-and-a-half years of treatment, Hudson underwent numerous transfusions to help him reach remission. The McKearney family has since established the Hudson Strong Foundation to assist families facing pediatric cancer to offer support during their fight."We are forever grateful for blood donors, and since he is currently in remission, he's off chemotherapy. He is seven years old, and in first grade. He's doing very well, but we realize that blood donation and advocating for this is going to be a part of our lives forever," she said. ImpactLife, formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, started in 1974 with the merger of the Scott and Rock Island County Medical Society blood banks. At the time, it was located on East 15th Street in Davenport. Two years later it moved to the southwest corner of Locust Street and Kimberly Avenue in Davenport. That facility was added onto multiple times, until the team outgrew it as well.In 2004, the center moved to its current location at 5500 Lakeview Parkway, meaning this year also marks 20 years in the new facility, Parejko noted. The blood center ultimately changed its name to ImpactLife in 2021."The size and the scope of our blood center and even our name has changed, but our appreciation for our donors, our sponsor groups, our hospital partners, volunteers, and especially our Impact Life team remains as strong as ever," Parejko said.</h2></h4></h4></h4>

The organization started in Davenport in 1974 with an office on East 15th Street.

ImpactLife celebrates 50 years in Davenport

PUEBLO — More healthcare and criminal justice resources are now available in Pueblo. A ribbon cutting happened Tuesday for the Bessemer Wellness Center. Covering Colorado One-stop shop for those needing assistance in Pueblo nearing completion</h3> Aidan Hulting The center will provide different services, including the following: <li>medication assisted treatment</li><li>a methadone clinic</li><li>a criminal justice program</li>"It gives me great joy, it was a labor of love, and to see all of these vendors and partners, this is what it is going to look like and together we can reimagine how people access healthcare and services that are desperately needed," said Jude Solano with the Bessemer Wellness Center. The center cost a little more than $2 million to build, and the money came from state and local funding. In the future, the center hopes to have a grocery store inside.

More healthcare and criminal justice resources are now available in Pueblo. A ribbon cutting happened Tuesday for the Bessemer Wellness Center.

Bessemer Wellness Center opens in Pueblo, offers healthcare and criminal justice resources

DALLAS — Francis Zalace said her illness will not keep her sidelined, at least not long. The 41-year-old is an El Paso native who came to Dallas to teach."My boyfriend said that, 'You know what, maybe you should see a doctor,'" Zalace said.The first-grade music teacher at Dallas Independent School District's Clinton P. Russell Elementary School said she was having breathing issues. But a trip to the emergency room turned into an ambulance taking her to the hospital because her oxygen level was well below the standard 95-100% at 80%. Zalace said she woke up in the hospital 10 days later after feeling like she was in a very long dream with abstract colors, audible voices, and kidnappers taking her from one place to another until calling her father in the dream world. She woke up."That's when they had to talk with me about needing to amputate, because, essentially, what had happened was they had put me on vasopressors, which was to help my body fight off the infection," she said.A side effect of her condition, necropsy, was amputation. It became clear to the mother of three after her father explained the past 10 days what needed to happen. Zalace looked at her limbs."And my hands were this translucent black-purple color, kind of like onyx stone. And, to me, they felt like they were stuck together," she said.Her mother, Carmen Seda, and children were by her side."She has a huge, huge, huge reservoir of hope," Seda said. "Huge reservoir of, of tenacity. And, we tap into that every day."Seda is a retired educator who wasted no time coming to see about her daughter until bed bugs ran the family into an extended-stay hotel while Zalace was in the hospital."I started keeping a journal at the time just to kind of chart how I was feeling, just kind of ground myself," Seda said. "And the number of times I say, 'okay, there's the shock, shock, and suddenly I couldn't eat.'"She said they just wanted her daughter alive, but it did not stop the questions to the doctors."And at that point, I was just thinking. Can you save her elbows? Can you save her?" Seda asked.The amputation happened. Zalace said the clock on the wall became her friend and measuring tool for visits, medication, and the day, especially after being in the hospital for months."Let's not focus on limitations," Zalace said. "Let's focus on abilities. So that's kind of the attitude that I've had with myself."In the hospital, she started playing the tongue drum. Her dominant instruments are the clarinet and piano. As she waits on them, prosthetics won't make it impossible, but it is undoubtedly challenging to play some instruments."I work a lot more with keyboards and ukulele. And so, you know, I'm like, 'okay, all the percussive stuff I can still do, I've still got these two arms,'" she said. "I can tape mallets to them. Let's go. Piano. I've already played piano a couple of times in recreational therapy."The plan is to return to the classroom one day. She has videos playing the piano as best she can with her daughter. First, the family has an online campaign to address mounting medical and temporary housing expenses. But the will to go forward exists."She chose ability. She chose perseverance. She chose in more than just hope. You know, hope is the emotion. It's action," Seda said. "It's praxis. It's the action that's going to make it happen. And she's embodying that."Zalace always wanted to teach music therapy. This situation could make her an example to students who need inspiration. She plans to visit her school to see her students eventually.

Francis Zalace said her fight with pneumonia and strep was critical. The battle was so bad she lost her legs and most of her arms.

North Texas music teacher trying to recover from bacterial loss of limbs, financial devastation

I already know it's unwise to state this on the internet, but what the hell – I'm angry with Jordan Peterson . I'm angry because he inflicted a virtually unreadable 505-page book about God upon the world; I'm angry because I was forced to attempt to read it; and I'm angry because I now have a splitting headache and, worse, a head full of verbose sophistry and stupid misogyny from a Russell Brand-style big-word spouter, dolled up in the robes of a would-be St Augustine. "Set yourself straight in intent, aim and purpose, as you begin to more deeply understand the structure of your society and your soul. Journey with Jordan Peterson through the greatest stories ever told. Dare to wrestle with God."So reads the self-aggrandising press release that accompanies We Who Wrestle with God, Peterson's new, hefty doorstopper that's as lofty in ambition as it is impenetrable to the casual reader. A lesson, if ever there was one, in overpromising and underdelivering.I'll say this for the wildly divisive pop-psych "public intellectual" who switched from lecturing to making obscene amounts of money telling young men to "straighten up and fly right" on YouTube: he's not afraid to aim high. There could scarcely be a more formidable topic to tackle than that of the Creator Himself. For Peterson, who grew up in a mildly Christian home in Alberta, Canada, the son of a librarian mother and school teacher father, this was not at one time on the cards. In his teens, Peterson rejected Christianity altogether and embraced revolutionary socialism before returning to what he considers a "traditional" view of the world and the Good Book. He gained degrees in political science and clinical psychology before beginning a career in teaching at Harvard and later as a professor in Toronto, where he married and began a family (his daughter Mikhaila is also a podcaster).The book takes us on a journey through some of the key bits of the Old Testament, arguing that the archetypes contained within are the lens through which we are programmed to understand the world. From these stories, Peterson attempts to extrapolate fundamentals about the character of God and, therefore, humanity: Adam and Eve as eternal father and mother of all and originators of sin; Cain and Abel as the cautionary tale about not giving your all (and, of course, the perils of sibling rivalry); Noah as the one Good Man in a sea of chaos; the Tower of Babel as a timeless lesson in hubris; Abraham as the first true adventurer; Moses as hero and saviour of the oppressed; Jonah as the ultimate warning against shirking responsibility.If it seems an odd decision to focus on the Old Testament and not Jesus when arguing that Western society as we know it is predicated on the tenets of Christianity fear not! Peterson is planning a whole other book, presumably equally hench, on the New Testament. That aside, as I gamely try to drag my brain kicking and screaming through the tangled mixture of waffle and bluster, needlessly archaic language and sweeping, unequivocal statements posing as absolute truths, I keep coming back to the same questions: who is this book for? What is its purpose? And why on earth did a disgraced former psychology professor feel compelled to write it?On this last point, a quick look back at Peterson's trajectory over the past decade provides some clues. Until the mid-2010s, he continued to work as a clinical psychology professor at the University of Toronto, largely unknown outside the realm of academia. In 1999, he published his first book, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief; in 2013, he started a YouTube channel where he uploaded some of his academic lectures. So far, so blah.Then, in 2016, Peterson began making social media videos railing against Canada's Bill C-16, a law that prohibited discrimination against gender identity and expression. Within two years, these anti-trans forays into the culture wars had earned him nearly two million subscribers on YouTube. Around this time, he developed a dependency on the anti-anxiety drug Clonazepam – a depressant in the benzodiazepine family – an addiction that became so extreme by 2020 that he flew to Moscow to be placed in a medically induced coma (after being refused this treatment in North America). He remained in that state for eight days, followed by a month in intensive care, but announced his return to health later that year. Even as his dependence took hold, Peterson's star continued to ascend in 2018, when his second book hit shelves and bestseller lists around the world. Twelve Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, a collection of self-help essays combining a blend of commonsense advice and pseudointellectualism that particularly appealed to disenfranchised young men, was a roaring commercial success. A global book tour saw him sell out 1,000-seat venues; he was profiled by The New York Times and invited to spout his views on podcasts like the Joe Rogan Experience (during which he revealed he subsists on a meat-only diet of beef, salt and water, presumably in a bid to Make Scurvy Cool Again).Meanwhile, Peterson's proclamations that "enforced monogamy" was a reasonable solution to lonely men committing mass murder, and that the current hierarchy that sees men dominate positions of power "might be predicated on competence", prompted accusations of misogyny and raised him up as unofficial patron saint of the manosphere. In the blink of an eye, "Jordan Peterson" went from internet-only sensation to household name.As a backdrop to all of this, his own profession turned on him. In 2020, the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee of the College of Psychologists of Ontario investigated statements made by Peterson which were alleged to be "transphobic, sexist [and] racist". In 2022, it ordered him to complete specific training after concluding that his language in public statements was "disgraceful, dishonourable and/or unprofessional" and "posed moderate risk of harm to the public" by "undermining public trust in the profession of psychology". He refuted the claims and denied all wrongdoing.Perhaps, given the parallels – a whirlwind that propelled him from relative nobody to revered influencer with millions of modern-day disciples and, subsequently, "martyr" persecuted for his beliefs – it's unsurprising that Peterson would feel emboldened to take on the topic of the Messiah. It's certainly not the first time he's weighed in on the subject of God or biblical allegory, but this latest effort is the first time he's dedicated a whole book to it.Reading We Who Wrestle with God is, it must be said, a particularly curious experience for a practising Christian. Surely I, of all people, should be grateful that Peterson has decided to bring his considerable clout to bear on an endeavour as worthwhile as championing biblical wisdom to a contemporary audience? After all, I don't disagree that the Bible and its teachings underpin Western civilisation in a way that's been all but forgotten in an increasingly secular society. I am, in theory, all for the lessons of the Good Book finding their way back into mainstream culture. But I only needed to get as far as the first few pages to realise that Peterson's latest work is extremely unlikely to help the cause.Firstly, I must return to my original question: who is this book for? I can't for the life of me work it out. It's hardly aimed at academics – a niche literary market that doesn't tend to warrant extensive and expensive promo and marketing. If it were, some questions might reasonably be raised about Peterson's suitability to author it as a psychology, rather than theology, professor. (In a moment of presumably unconscious irony, Peterson writes at one point: "Genesis 2 therefore extends the characterization of God, presenting him as the spirit that warns against overreach – against the cardinal sin of pride. What might overreach mean?" Hmm, perhaps the belief that you can sweep in and publish the next Very Important Book about the Divine simply because you're interested, rather than expert, in it?)The assumption must be, then, that this is a book for laypeople – bringing fundamental truths about the human condition as revealed through the stories of the Bible to the masses. But that interpretation doesn't hold up to scrutiny either.Struggling through We Who Wrestle with God is, at its most basic level, a deeply unpleasurable experience. If you really wanted to turn a new generation on to the benefits of placing God and biblical morality at the centre of an orderly society, writing a bafflingly dense tome seems a weird way to go about it. Wading through the quagmire-like muddle of academia-babble and self-important bombast, one feels compelled to keep pausing to absorb sentences once, twice, three times – and still the meaning remains elusive.I can feel myself slowly descending into madness upon reading lines that sound like they're conveying grand truths about the universe but, on closer inspection, mean... what, exactly? Lines like, "The Great Father is the a priori structure of value, derived from the actions of the spirit that gave rise to such structure, and composed of the consequences of its creative and regenerative action." Come again?Little wonder the thing's more than 500 pages long; at almost every opportunity, 100 words are used where 10 would suffice. It's perhaps the literary embodiment of the new intellectual style that Peterson represents. This isn't someone who appears to want his reader to understand – there's no attempt to make ideas concise, digestible or even discernible. It's the style, rather, of someone who wishes to prove themselves very clever indeed by obscuring meaning, hiding it beneath an esoteric "word salad" that would likely collapse under questioning if only you could ever get to the nub of what was being said. Unfortunately, that's as fruitless an endeavour as trying to nail mist to the wall.When quoting from the Bible in We Who Wrestle with God, Peterson tellingly and deliberately uses the King James version, not the much more commonly used New International Version. The former translation was done in the early 1600s and, while a lot of literary types love its lyricism and poetry, it's all "spaketh" this and "goeth" that – old words that fell out of use centuries ago and serve only as an immediate and unnecessary barrier to comprehension for the modern reader. It's hardly surprising considering that Peterson himself often opts for language that was last popular 200 years ago (think "import" instead of "importance", "privation" instead of "deprivation" – it's like stepping into the pages of Pride and Prejudice).In this way, the book echoes the playbook that has elevated Peterson to his current position of "public intellectual": a projection of intelligence built on the shakiest ground, a heady mix of antiquated language, whataboutism, posturing and obfuscation. "I can't really understand what this guy is getting at – therefore he must be smart!", the audience assumes, instead of wondering why a man so smart can't express himself coherently. When he throws out the occasional statement that is graspable, then, it's hard not to cling onto it like a life raft amid the sea of confusion – a dangerous circumstance when what's being said is as likely to be some deeply sexist bit of rhetoric as it is a good-sense piece of life advice.Debating such a person, as atheistic scholar Richard Dawkins recently discovered, is like combating an opponent made of shape-shifting sand – there's nothing solid to get a grip on. When asked straightforwardly by Dawkins whether, for example, he believes in a literal Virgin birth , Peterson gave a masterclass in straw man arguments posing as answers, eventually conceding, "These questions... They don't strike me as... They're not getting to the point."In fairness, just as in many of Peterson's writings and lectures, there are some good, solid truisms and nuggets of advice buried beneath the book's flabby prose and arcane vocab. I'll happily nod along with sentiments like "there is no sense in establishing a society that fails to care for the people who compose it at every stage of their development, from vulnerable to able, productive and generous" – a profoundly socialist-sounding worldview that Peterson derives from Deuteronomy.And yet, just as in many of Peterson's writings and lectures, there are problematic ideologies buried beneath all the guff too. His very method of "interpreting" the Bible raises huge alarm bells. Instead of looking at the stories and archetypes to discover something of what humans might be like, he reverse-engineers theories, looking at the world around him, deciding what he thinks men and women are like, and applying this confirmation bias retroactively to the Bible. A case in point is Peterson's take on Adam and Eve and the Fall, where he concludes that Eve's decision to succumb to temptation and eat the forbidden fruit is motivated by the sin that "all" women are susceptible to: a prideful and "all-encompassing" compassion. But we don't know Eve's motivation; the story doesn't tell us. It's less like adding 2 + 2 and getting 5, and more like starting with 5 and stating definitively that the sum must have been 2 + 3 – when it could just as easily have been 1 + 4, 2.5 x 2, or even 20 ÷ 4.While we're on the subject of Eve – Peterson also uses her as a jumping-off point to share a worldview in which women are deemed to have little inherent worth independent of their role as mothers. "It is no coincidence, perhaps, that the sacred image of woman is not so much woman as it is woman and infant. What is a woman, alone? A target of short-term sexual gratification," he writes. Ah, the old Madonna/whore paradigm! A cliche as damaging as it is pervasive.I'm sure Peterson's fans, of which there are plenty, will disagree with me – but I can only surmise that he isn't anywhere near as clever as he thinks he is. The true mark of intelligence in a public intellectual is, to my mind, the capacity to apply that intellect to presenting complex arguments in an accessible way. It's not a case of dumbing things down, but of figuring out how to clearly communicate ideas to ensure your audience can follow, understand and, therefore, potentially be convinced by the points you're advancing. When looking at theology, CS Lewis, for example, was a master at this – able to convey the highest of concepts and deepest of truths about the character of God through his allegorical fiction and theological essays. I'm sceptical that anyone would get to the end of We Who Wrestle with God knowing anything more about God (though they might have more sexist ammunition to throw at childless women).The saving grace in all of this? I don't believe for a minute that many people will read Peterson's book. They'll buy it, sure, and display it on coffee tables and bookshelves, and occasionally misquote from it down the pub. But plough their way through those miserable 505 pages? I doubt it. After all, wrestling with God himself would surely be a less taxing experience than wrestling with Peterson's unwieldy, unintelligible "magnum opus".

The pop psychology superstar has decided it’s high time his voice was heard on the most grandiose of subjects: God. But as he’s neither a theologian nor even vaguely adept at making complex ideas accessible, the question Helen Coffey keeps coming back to is – why?

How Jordan Peterson fooled young men into thinking he’s the world’s smartest man

Lee Health is looking to a brighter future with room to grow advanced services and facilities now that it has achieved the status of a private, not-for-profit hospital system.At the beginning of November, Lee Health pivoted away from operating as a government owned healthcare provider and became a private, not-for-profit healthcare company that will continue to be community-focused for the residents of Southwest Florida.The community and Lee Health patients should see very little change. In fact, Lee Health officials prefer to call the company a community-focused nonprofit health system rather than use the word private.Much of what people know about and have come to expect from Lee Health will remain the same, including its leadership, board of directors and staffing. Lee Health's commitment to providing high-quality, compassionate care to every member of the community, regardless of their ability to pay also remains enshrined as a firm contractional agreement with the Lee County Board of County Commissioners, who approved the change in ownership. In exchange of this core promise, Lee Health retains ownership of its building, equipment and assets.Patients and the community will see changes in the future, including newer, updated facilities, a new campus in Fort Myers and expanded services through partnerships and joint ventures. The company is looking into rehabilitation centers and expanded services in orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries and disorders. According to Lee Health President and CEO Dr. Lawrence Antonucci, the company's structural change is one of governance that came about in part from a Florida state bill in 2019 that struck down requirements to present a certificate of need and meet certain requirements before building new medical facilities. That state legislation left the door open for increased competition with private medical providers from other areas of the state looking to expand and move. As a result, 65 new hospitals were announced to be built in the state between 2020 and 2022."We had been evaluating our structure and its limitations for a while and knew we were going to have to do something differently for long-term sustainability to serve our community," Antonucci said.Antonucci explained that although increased business competition is normally viewed as a good thing, in this case, the healthcare landscape was changing, but Lee Health's former structure was a major roadblock impeding Lee Health's ability to change with it, add new services and compete fairly.Lee Health, which is Southwest Florida's largest healthcare provider, found itself at a difficult competitive disadvantage with the 2019 legislation. Because Lee Health has operated as a Lee County government entity for the past 60 years, it was limited to keeping its facilities within the county borders. Large new housing developments were opening in surrounding counties, in some cases, just across the county line. Nearly a quarter of Lee Health's patients lived outside of Lee County and that number was projected to grow.In addition, as a governmental branch, strategic planning meetings were subject to state Sunshine laws, making it difficult to negotiate with potential strategic partners or enter into joint ventures to offer new and expanded services, particularly specialized outpatient care, to meet the needs of a growing regional population. Antonucci cited examples of outpatient care such as surgery centers and state-of-the-art rehabilitation facilities for patients recovering from a stroke or serious injury such as a hip fracture requiring specialized care."It was difficult to plan for our future and discuss preliminary ideas when our competitors were listening in and sitting right in front of us in our own meetings," said Antonucci. "Our competitors knew every move we were considering and with whom we were negotiating. We were also limited in the types of partnerships and collaborative joint ventures we could legally enter into under our government structure."Lee Health officials came to a conclusion that a new structure was needed for the long-term health of the organization and began looking for solutions. In the fall of 2023, Lee Health undertook a three-phase process. It hired a nationally recognized research firm, Kaufman Hall & Associates, to conduct an evaluation on making the conversion. Kaufman's report showed that Lee Health should pursue it in the best interests of all stakeholders.Next, the healthcare system worked with the Lee County commissioners to formulate and adopt a mission agreement document. After that, public hearings and town hall meetings were held with the public to vet the process. The final was completed on Oct. 28 when the five Lee commissioners unanimously voted in favor of the change that would loosen the strings attached to Lee Health while at the same time keeping assurances that the primary medical needs of the community would be met, including for those residents who could not typically afford to pay a private healthcare provider. An oversight board and independent auditor will ensure that Lee Health lives up to that promise.Antonucci described the final decision to pivot from government-owned to a private company as a defining moment for the healthcare company and community. The decision and written agreement mean that the company did not just reshape its structure, but reaffirmed its promise to patients and the community that Lee Health will continue delivering high-quality care to the entire community regardless of ability to pay, and it will continue to upgrade its services and facilities.For its first 50 years of operation, Lee Health was a private nonprofit entity. In 1968, it began operating as an independent special healthcare district under the state of Florida's regulations, which governed it until the Nov. 1 conversion.Looking ahead, Antonucci sees Lee Health's role as a community-based healthcare provider increasing and not decreasing its role in Fort Myers. He points to the new 52-acre state-of-the-art medical campus the company is building along Colonial Boulevard. Projected for completion in 2027, it will replace the aging Lee Memorial Hospital on Cleveland Avenue. The new campus will include a 168-bed general hospital, medical offices for physicians and patients, an outpatient surgery center for orthopedics, along with a rehabilitation center. Other considerations for the site include a skilled care nursing facility and other specialized care services. Oncology and cancer care are other modalities Antonucci suggested for expansion.Antonucci said Lee Health is in discussions with county commissioners on future uses for the property once Lee Memorial Hospital is torn down. Built in the 1960s, the aging building has outlived its usefulness as a general hospital.In addition to Lee Memorial Hospital, Lee Health owns and operates Cape Coral Hospital, Gulf Coast Medical Center, Health Park Medical Center, the Rehabilitation Hospital and the Golisano Children's Hospital, which is the region's only dedicated children's hospital. Lee Health also operates several specialty care facilities and urgent care centers. ¦

Gulf Coast Medical Center Lee Health is looking to a brighter future with room to grow advanced services and facilities now that it has achieved the status of a private, not-for-profit hospital system. At the beginning of November, Lee Health pivoted away from operating as a government owned healthcare provider and became a private, not-for-profit

New Era for Lee Health

BATAVIA — Rochester Regional Health United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) continues to keep its international Baby-Friendly designation after a review by Baby-Friendly USA.UMMC received its first designation as a Baby-Friendly hospital in 2019.This redesignation period will run until 2030. This designation shows that UMMC adheres to the highest standards of care to help mothers and their babies get off to a healthy start by having skin-to-skin care right after birth, "rooming in" or allowing healthy babies to stay in the room with their mothers during their hospital stay, and breastfeeding when babies are ready, the hospital said in a press release."This would never be possible without the staff," Nurse Manager of the Maternity Unit Olivia Barren told The Daily News Tuesday. "A designation is a designation, but the outpatient office and the hospital staff do this work every day and they do it so well."These standards are built on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, a set of evidence-based practices recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for optimal infant feeding support in the first days of a newborn's life.The positive health effects of breastfeeding are well documented and widely recognized by health authorities throughout the world as one of the best ways to boost infants' immune systems, lower the risk of infections, and promote cognitive development. For mothers, breastfeeding supports postpartum recovery and builds a nurturing bond with their child."The hospital experience strongly influences a mother's ability to start and continue breastfeeding," said Shawna Radder, RN, IBCLC. "We are committed to implementing evidence-based care through the Baby-Friendly designation to ensure that mothers delivering in our facility who intend to breastfeed, as well as those who cannot or decide not to breastfeed, are fully supported."Is it harder to get a Baby-Friendly designation for the first time or harder to retain it? Barren said both are equally hard to accomplish. On the redesignation process, UMMC dealt with retirements and turnover among staff who contributed to the designation process in 2019."We had people from Baby-Friendly come to our facility. They interviewed staff and dozens of patients," Barren said.Baby-Friendly USA visited May 22-23. During staff interviews with Baby-Friendly, the two groups discussed policies UMMC has that address being baby-friendly and how to educate patients."They had to demonstrate a variety of breastfeeding skills and answer questions around breastfeeding support," Barren said.The organization also called mothers after they left the hospital to ask them questions."A lot of it was about the education they received during their prenatal care and the care we gave them," she said. "We had absolutely no negative (feedback) from the patients."The Baby-Friendly designation lasts five years.UMMC joins a growing list of more than 20,000 Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers throughout the world, 560 of which are in the United States. These facilities provide an environment that supports breastfeeding while respecting every woman's right to make the best decision for herself and her family."It took awhile for us to get the results from their (Baby-Friendly USA's) visit," Barren said. She said UMMC heard the results in October and recently celebrated with the staff.UMMC helps new families even after they leave the hospital with infant feeding classes, breastfeeding and beyond Baby Café, Lactation Education After Discharge (LEAD) Program and even a Breast/Chest Feeding Support Line at (585) 344-8104."United Memorial Medical Center aims to support, educate, and empower every family with the tools they need to make informed decisions. This commitment is part of our broader mission to provide exceptional care that fosters healthy families and supports long-term health outcomes," said UMMC Chief Medical Officer and OBGYN Tara Gellasch.SYRACUSE — A strong storm system will bring enough rain to much of Upstate New York to make a dent in the drought that has sparked damaging wildfires.The storm is also likely to drop heavy snow Thursday night and Friday morning, but only on hilltops of 2,000 feet or higher, according to the National Weather Service. Some wet snow could linger into the weekend.Western New York could see lighter accumulations.A strong cold front will be in the process of pushing east through the forecast area Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo. Some rain may occur before more-persistent moisture occurs before Thursday morning.Some wet snows may occur Thursday in the Southern Tier with about 3 inches possible in higher elevations, according to the NWS in Buffalo.Lake effect snow could occur Friday."Any snow accumulation will again favor areas outside of the lower elevation lake plains," NWS officials said in Tuesday's forecast discussion. "Snow will be wet with low snow ratios. The still warm ground will also encourage melting of falling snow, or melting of the lower layer of snow accumulation lending to the overall low snow ratio."Up to 2 inches of rain could fall starting Wednesday across much of Upstate New York, parts of which have been bone-dry for months, according to the National Weather Service. That rain will help reduce the fire danger, but likely won't be enough to end the monthslong drought in areas like the lower Hudson Valley.Much of the state remains at high or very high risk of rapid spread of wildfires, including Central New York. A statewide burn ban is in effect until Nov. 30. Campfires. open cooking fires and brush burning are prohibited.The heaviest precipitation is expected in Central New York and the Finger Lakes, which could see some lake effect snow or rain after the main storm moves through. Temperatures will likely be too warm for areas like Syracuse to see snow, but there's a 50% chance that higher elevations like the Catskills will.If the storm's center of low pressure drifts farther east than currently forecast, more cold air could pour in from the north and bring snow to elevations of 1,500 feet, the weather service said."This storm has a big boom or bust potential with only a small change in surface low location," the weather service said.Some areas of Upstate New York could see their first measurable snowfall of the year, likely at higher elevations. The most likely time for that would be Thursday night and early Friday morning, the weather service said.The storm will also bring high winds Friday and Saturday in the Central New York area.The combined precipitation from the rain and snow will be beneficial to drought-struck areas, the weather service said. Some areas of the Hudson Valley and Long Island haven't seen any measurable rain since September.The lower Hudson Valley has had less than half of the normal rainfall since mid-August. Poughkeepsie has had just a total of 1 inch of rain since Sept. 1; normally, it would have seen 10 inches since then.Even an inch of rain would help wet the leaves and twigs that form the tinder for wildfires. Cooler temperatures as November progresses also help lessen the risk of fires.One state parks employee died while fighting the state's largest wildfire since 2008.(Includes reporting by Daily News staff.)PERRY — For the second time since August and third time in his odd criminal career, a former Perry man faces rape charges involving an underage girl.Seems that history is coming back to haunt the man who once opened his own historical society.Village Police Chief Michael Grover said Jonathon D. Bucknam, 44, was arraigned Monday on charges of third-degree rape.An investigation revealed Bucknam had a sexual relationship with a child under age 17 for more than a year, beginning in 2021, police said.Bucknam — whose bizarre criminal history includes a previous rape conviction —was accused this past August of having a sexual relationship with a girl under 17, two months before he was sent to prison in April 2024. He was in prison when he was charged.Investigators said he "engaged in forcible compulsion" and was charged with third-degree rape and first-degree sexual abuse.Bucknam was in prison the first time he was charged with rape in 2017, while he was serving time for dealing drugs and welfare fraud. He was charged with having a sexual relationship with a girl under 15 years old. He was later convicted.Bucknam's criminal history began in 2016 when he was arrested and charged with lying on Social Services forms, claiming that he rented a residence on Water Street in Perry when he actually owned the house.A year earlier, Bucknam celebrated the grand opening of Perry Historical Society on the first floor of his residence — a former bar — touting it as the first historical society in the village.He named himself president and began operating the society, despite the objections of others involved in the village's rich history.He continued operating the society and attempting to get a charter, even after he was arrested again in October 2016 and charged with selling prescription medications.Bucknam had called police to report that his drugs were stolen but an investigation revealed he had either sold or gave the drugs to another person.During court proceedings for those charges Bucknam repeatedly lied about his military service, claiming he served several overseas tours in the Navy, including one where he received a brain injury in an explosion in Iraq.An investigation revealed Bucknam never served overseas and, in fact, was given a bad conduct discharge for a sexual assault.Bucknam was later sentenced to 18 months in state prison for selling drugs, a sentence that was lengthened by his conviction for third-degree rape. He violated parole in 2018 and was returned to prison.He was released in 2020 and remains on post-release supervision until December 26, 2026, according to state department of corrections.Bucknam was returned to prison for a parole violation in April and was released Sept. 13, according to DOCS.Bucknam is classified as a Level 2 sex offender on the state registry.

View the The Daily News for Wednesday, November 20, 2024

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There is no such thing as "the face of homelessness," as it turns out. The oft-used expression is well-intentioned but wildly inaccurate.Instead, there are many faces of homelessness worn by people from many walks of life. They're young to old, of every race and creed, the residents of every Florida county, people with or without formal higher education or successful previous careers, and often the victims not of addictions or mental illness as traditional stereotypes sometimes suggest, but of ill luck and unfortunate circumstances.Recent studies of living conditions for Americans show a majority of households, about two out of three, managing only to meet their bills each month, able to maintain little extra in checking accounts and none in savings. Under those conditions, a medical emergency, a car accident with costs they can't meet and subsequent loss of transportation, a jump in rent or homeowner association fees, the death of a spouse faced by people too old to work along with the subsequent end of a monthly Social Security check, all may result in losses that lead to homelessness. It's just not that hard to do.A glance at the problem from the cradle of a winter holiday season that celebrates largesse can prove startling and disturbing, but there's good news: People can help. And their help can change the universe for neighbors in trouble."These people are our neighbors, and this is a problem that can be solved," said Steve Brooder, CEO of St. Matthew's House, a nonprofit organization operating shelters in Naples, Immokalee and Fort Myers, where a new 39-bed shelter for women from both Collier and Lee counties has just opened its doors. "No one wants to be hopeless and homeless. The faces of these people, our neighbors, can be a mom with two kids or an elderly person who lost a spouse and their HOA or insurance went up. And now they're homeless." More than ever before, he added, the population of homeless people includes many first-timers.That's what all the officials who work to improve the lives of homeless people said, even though the numbers have multiplied.Many people may want to help the homeless without seeing how, and the first step may just be to see them, suggested Ashley Brantley, executive director of the nonprofit Jesus Loves You in Charlotte County."Our previous director drove past a man one day, saw him and turned her vehicle around to go talk to him," she recalled. "She started a conversation, and his first statement was, 'You saw me?'"Just engaging in a conversation, if it's safe — asking if they're familiar with the resources available."Brantley added this, too: "If it really pulls on your heartstrings, reach out to organizations or ministries like ours and see how you can help."The housing dilemmaFrom east to west, officials also said the single biggest problem creating the often heartbreaking dilemma of a human without a home is not addiction, illness or ill will, and it's certainly not laziness.The problem is a lack of affordable housing, enough food or transportation to a job that can pay enough to live in the affordable housing."When you look at what's happened to the Florida housing market and the cost of rent, and compare that to the wage base, it's very unaffordable to live here if you're not making a certain dollar amount," said Karen Davidson, president and CEO of Gulfstream Goodwill Industries in Palm Beach County."It always comes down to money, to finding the land — NIMBYism is prevalent, the 'not in my backyard' attitude (of people and politicians). And it can come down to (placing) specific populations. So, you might not want to have seniors in a housing complex that has chronic homelessness or women with children, and that takes some planning."The condition is far from hopeless, even if individuals who have fallen into it can't sometimes see that."This is absolutely a problem that can be solved, but it won't be one person or one government that solves it," Davidson said. "The United States should not have individuals who are unhoused and unsheltered if that's not something they want to do — and the majority do not want to be in those circumstances."Gulfstream Goodwill operates all four Palm Beach County shelters and others in Indian River, Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Martin counties. And not just shelters; it includes programs staffed by case managers who can help get people on their feet and employed with safe and comfortably habitable living arrangements that are permanent, rather than temporary."When people think about the homeless, they often think about health or substance abuse problems," Davidson said. "But the face of homelessness is changing."People who live paycheck to paycheck may have had an incident or an accident. It could be somebody sleeping on a friend's couch, and these people are considered sheltered but still homeless."In the United States as a whole, about two-thirds of households live paycheck to paycheck, a condition common in Florida where service-industry jobs are both prevalent and relatively low-paying, where groceries are up 25% on the average, and insurances, car repairs, rent and utilities seem to have skyrocketed far above increases in wages.As a result, people can get into trouble at the drop of a hat."It could happen to any of us. There but for the grace of God go I," said Brooder, pointing to the new 39-bed shelter for women in the Dunbar section of Fort Myers.The shelter offers 11 private dorms for women with children and 28 beds for single women. It also includes shower and laundry facilities, a central kitchen, a playroom and staff offices, all designed to help about 300 women rotating through to more stable lives, he hopes — single women, seniors and women with children — each year."The homeless population has grown as the lack of affordable housing has reached a crisis stage," Brooder said, echoing the words of colleagues. "And one of the changes we've seen in the homeless demographics since COVID and the hurricanes is a lot more first-time homelessness."In a matter of hours, Hurricane Ian alone left many people on the southwest coast without homes. Some had had the friendship, family or financial wherewithal to quickly locate alternative living circumstances. Some didn't."We used to think about chronic homelessness from drug addiction or mental illness, but now it's people who were kicked into homelessness because of the economy, the loss of a spouse, a storm, a health challenge that cost them a job — so many things," Brooder added.If two people who can no longer work most or any jobs rely on Social Security, and one dies, the survivor may become homeless, he pointed out."Now the population is markedly made of women and senior citizens... and that's a tough one."Each week, St. Matthews does an occupancy report on all of its facilities in Collier and Lee. In a recent report, Brooder said, 32% of shelter residents were over the age of 55."That's a unique challenge. We used to operate as a working shelter. People would come in needing a place to help them get back to work or on their feet," Brooder said. "But with seniors, they often can't get back to work."And fighting homelessness is not just a matter of providing shelter.It's a much more complex challenge.Jeanette Smith is a model of how that can work, although it's not a model she ever wished to be or imagined she would be, she said.In mid-November, Smith graduated from the culinary school established by Gulfstream Goodwill at the Lewis Homeless Resource Center in West Palm Beach, a place she'd reached through help from another West Palm organization with high marks for helping troubled people, The Lord's Place.The Lewis Center and a good case manager will now help her find both housing — she's likely to share rent with another woman or two in an affordable neighborhood, she said — and decent work.That her journey has been a long, hard road is no cliché.Smith, 56, was born and raised in Sweden, married an American, had three children and spent 18 years living in Connecticut and Palm Beach County, where the family moved in 2004, in comfortable circumstances. She worked in retail sales in a successful career.A divorce left her working on her own, a single mom and a bad car accident in 2017 resulted in a serious spinal injury that prevented her from carrying on her successful career.She began to struggle, and things got worse in 2020, she recalled."I was renting a house, and my landlord wanted to make it a Section 8 property, but I didn't qualify — and she didn't tell me. So she didn't renew my lease," Smith said. "I had no saved money for a first month, last month security deposit, so that's how I ended up homeless."Having lost her rental, "I started sleeping in a friend's car, or on the beach or in parks. I was outside the whole time. Sometimes I stay in a place with a shower for a night or two, but I spent years doing this."Her former husband, meanwhile, went to court and took away her children, a fact she can't describe without tears, for which she tries to apologize.In her time on the street, she was robbed and beaten up several times, once so badly she had to be hospitalized, she said. Th Lewis Center, however, made all the difference once she reached it."I spent three months there, and in those 90 days, I was able to find housing, where I'm staying now, and I got into the culinary program, which has a stipend, so we got paid," she said. "I went from 18 years of having a nice home to on the street, but I finally got in touch with the Lord's Place, had a great case manager, and I'm here now."The difference between street living and shelter with a hand up is too great for her to describe, but when she pointed to details most people take for granted, her voice trembled with both wonder and gratitude."They give you a TV, a full-size bed, bedding, towels — the whole shebang for the bathroom, if I can use that word, 'shebang' — with shower curtain, rugs, towels. They give you pots and pans, plates, utensils, cleaning things... it's fabulous."Both volunteers and officials are trying new strategies to help those who make up the new faces of the homeless, like Smith's, Brooder said, echoing the words of others."In Collier and Lee, there are several initiatives — one is through HOT teams, the Homeless Outreach Teams," Brooder explained.The Lee County Sheriff 's Office has two HOT deputies who devote themselves full-time to finding homeless people and getting them to help.And in Collier, said Brooder, "we've started initiatives with sheriff 's ride-alongs. A case manager rides with the deputy and goes out to engage them during the day and into the early evening."They're saying, 'Hey, we can get you some help. Come to the shelter. We'll get you new clothes, hygiene, water, other resources.' The deputies know where they are. And where the tent encampments are. They're not there to harass anybody. They're not going to arrest somebody if they see an open container."Another idea the professional helpers are adopting is the opening of day centers."The idea is you have a place where the homeless can come during the day, say from 9 to 3 or 4 p.m.," Brooder said. "They can get out of the heat or rain or weather. Potentially, there are showers. Three's food, coffee and maybe computers where they can seek new employment. You invite in veterans' groups or the United Way." ¦In the KNOWSobering statisticsHomeless agencies partner to do a Point in Time or PIT count of homeless by county on a given night in January each year. The information goes to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which sponsors programs across the state and country.Numbers are widely acknowledged to be guesses, likely on the short side.In Lee County this year, for example, 1,675 women have been found living in cars.About 32% of the homeless are over 55.• In Palm Beach County: Prior to COVID, officials say, they counted 1,397 homeless individuals on a January night. In January this year, the number was 2,126.• In Lee County: In 2023, 292 females were homeless.In 2024, it was 387 — a 33% increase in the number of women counted as homeless.And the Lee count went up 14% year over year, from 692 in 2023 to 788 this year.• In Collier County: The 2024 numbers show a 25% increase over 2023.Total homeless counted in 2023: 703.In 2024, the number was 878. That's a 25% increase."We know this is always an undercount," said Steve Brooder, CEO at ST. Matthew's House in Collier and Lee. "How can you count every person who is homeless on a couple nights in January? Everybody acknowledges it. HUD acknowledges it."• In Charlotte County: The Treasure Coast Homeless Services Council identified 701 homeless people in January this year. In 2023, the number was 427.• In Florida: The total number of people experiencing homelessness in January 2023 was 30,809, a 19.1% increase from the previous year, according to the January one-night county in each county.In 2024, the count climbed to 31,462.• Florida Department of Health numbers, 2024:Charlotte County: 343Collier: 660Lee: 941Palm Beach: 2,126

In honor of November being National Homelessness Awareness Month, this week’s issue of Florida Weekly shines a spotlight on the numerous challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness, as well as the efforts of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to provide support and solutions. There is no such thing as “the face of homelessness,” as it

Fort Myers Florida Weekly

A magistrate and HR executive in her late 50s, settled, single, not dating or sexually active, Jo felt that her risk of becoming a victim of rape had passed, or was certainly low – and that drug-facilitated rape in particular was something that happened to young people, in clubs, at parties, "on the apps". When it happened to her two years ago, it was her adult son who had to make sense of it, and explain why she'd woken up naked beside a man she had no feelings for, blood on the bed, pain between her legs, her memory of that night a blank space. Her rapist was someone she had known since secondary school, a former classmate who, until that week in November 2022, she hadn't seen since their final A-level. At some point, he had emigrated and then connected with Jo (not her real name) through Friends Reunited. They messaged once a year around their birthdays, which were close together. That was the only contact they had until he got in touch to say he was back visiting family, and how about a coffee? It was strange from the start. Jo expected nothing more than a friendly catch-up. He was married with teenage children. Jo was long divorced. They realised that one of their favourite bands was playing locally in a week's time, so they booked tickets together. Then, that first day, quite out of the blue, he told Jo that he loved her, had always loved her and wanted to find a way to be together. "I was taken aback," says Jo, "maybe a bit flattered, bowled over. I'd never once thought of him that way. I went home and as the days passed, he kept messaging me, getting so full-on and a bit stalkerish, as if he was desperate to see me. I was trying to be polite and I agreed to meet him again to put him straight. I made it clear that I didn't feel the same. The truth was that I wasn't attracted to him – and he was married. I had been single and content for years, and I'd never consider getting involved with a married man." They still had the concert, though, so Jo went along, hoping they could part without any hard feelings. "After the gig, we walked into a pub, he bought us drinks and I have no recollection beyond that." Her next memory is coming briefly to consciousness in her own bed; he was there too with his fingers inside her. "Then I woke the next morning, my head was banging so hard it was unbelievable and my body felt battered. He was lying next to me with no clothes on. I just couldn't work out how we ended up there." It is hard to build a solid picture of drug-facilitated rape – who does it, how, where, why, how often? There are too many gaps and so much guesswork. The body of research is still small and reliable data virtually impossible to collect. A national survey by Stamp Out Spiking suggests that 97% of spiking victims don't report it , because they didn't realise until too late, felt there wasn't enough evidence and didn't expect to be believed. Then there are women who won't know that they are victims – there are examples, especially in marriages, of women being unaware it is happening over a period of years. On certain forums – such as Women's Aid and Reddit – women can be found airing their suspicions that they've been drugged and raped by their husbands, and listing the warning signs they missed: "forgetfulness", "clumsiness", "intermittent, unexplained pain and discomfort", "feeling like you have done a marathon in your sleep". The most recently available data on this from the 2020 Crime Survey for England and Wales found that 5% of rape victims suspected they had been drugged by the perpetrator, and this rose to 14% in cases where the attacker was a stranger. From time to time, cases emerge that bring the issue into focus. More than 60 women have alleged that Bill Cosby drugged and raped or sexually assaulted them , a pattern of abuse said to have spanned most of his career as one of the US's best-loved comics. (He has always denied the allegations.) In Manchester, police believe, from video footage on his phone, that the PhD student Reynhard Sinaga drugged, raped or sexually assaulted more than 190 men between 2015 and 2017. Most of his victims were untraceable but Sinaga is now serving a minimum of 40 years for 159 counts of sexual offences against 48 men. In France, Gisèle Pelicot, now a feminist hero, recently waived her anonymity in order to put drug-facilitated rape back in the spotlight. For more than a decade, the husband she loved and trusted was spiking her food and drink with anti-anxiety medication to render her unconscious, first raping her and allowing strangers to watch online, then inviting them to participate. Dozens of men, most within a 60km radius of their small town in south-eastern France, are said to have accepted Dominique Pelicot's offer while he filmed them, later filing the 20,000 photographs and videos he took neatly away in a folder on his computer called "abuse". Has the case generated a deeper understanding of how and why? In court, it was heard that psychologists found "no salient personality traits" in Dominique Pelicot; he does not suffer any "mental pathology or abnormality" and has a "correct relationship with reality". His use of pornography and search terms such as "asleep porn" were highlighted, marking his tendency towards paraphilia and somnophilia (sexual interest in someone who is unconscious). Psychologists have linked somnophilia and the steep rise in pornography categories such as "unconscious" as the most logical extension of the internet porn explosion. Somnophilia, like online porn, is a one-way activity with no need to perform or please a partner who becomes an object, a receptacle with no reality or subjectivity to navigate. Whatever the role of online porn in the Pelicot case, drug-facilitated rape predates the internet by centuries. The medieval legal historian Gwen Seabourne highlights a case from 1292 in the south-west of England where a woman suffering from leg pain consulted her doctor, who administered a drink that incapacitated her, then raped her. In her sweeping history, America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines, Gail Collins links women's growing independence in the late 1800s with the increasing use of drugs to control their sexuality. One doctor's records show that he visited a household two or three times a week in order to put a woman under anaesthetic so her husband could "have sex" with her. "Throughout history, we see the use of drugs to facilitate unwanted sexual attacks," says Joanna Bourke, a British historian and the author of Rape: A History from 1860 to the Present. "In 19th-century Britain, drug-facilitated rape was a major concern, in the context of two drugs in particular – alcohol, much of which was adulterated so it was not clear how strong a drink was, and chloroform, which was a new drug, unregulated and widely available." Bourke believes that drug-facilitated rape can only be understood through the deeply embedded "rape myths" and male entitlement that have existed through history. "One of these is that 'some kinds of sexual violence are not really damaging'," she says, "the belief that, 'She's unconscious, she won't feel it, she won't remember it, so it's not that bad and not really going to harm her.' Linked to this is the idea that if she's not fighting back, it's not really rape – and screaming and hitting isn't enough. There have to be wounds." This is a clear feature of the Pelicot case, with many of the defendants insisting that they are not rapists. (One expressed his belief that rape was something that "happens in the street" in the style of, "If you don't want it, I'll hit you.") A psychologist told how Dominique Pelicot had trouble accepting the harm he had done, instead complaining that the trial had "destroyed his life", and that if he hadn't been arrested, "I would still be happy, and she too – everything would have continued the same way." In another case, in Indianapolis in 2014, a man called David Wise who had drugged and sexually assaulted his wife for three years was sentenced to eight years of GPS-monitored home confinement, with the ability to leave for work and no required therapy. The judge told his former wife that she needed to forgive her ex-husband. Prosecuting drug-facilitated rape is rare and difficult. In many cases, including that of Sinaga and the Pelicot trial, it is only uncovered due to chance discoveries of video footage. Gisèle Pelicot knew something was very wrong; she suffered weight loss, hair loss, problems with her memory, unexplained gynaecological problems and difficulty moving her arm, but who would have imagined why? (Her husband dutifully drove her to medical appointments to get to the bottom of it.) Last year, Steven Evans from Greater Manchester was convicted of 37 offences, mostly sexual assault, against four women, after rendering them unconscious with a substance he called "magic". Again, this only came to light when one of his victims found videos on his old phone. (In the past, when she had complained of waking up with pain in her intimate body parts, he'd laughed at her.) In Australia, in a case in 2001, a woman only discovered that her husband of 30 years was drugging and raping her when she found the videos taken with a hidden camera in their bedroom. She later told the court that she had feared she had cancer because of a host of mysterious gynaecological problems that required multiple surgeries. Without video evidence of the acts themselves, or perhaps CCTV footage of the victim completely incapacitated beforehand and unable to consent, or a witness to the substance being administered, these cases can be almost impossible to prosecute, says Nogah Ofer, a solicitor at the Centre for Women's Justice. "Toxicology is the main type of evidence if you give a sample quickly enough," she says, "but some of these drugs can leave your system very quickly." (Some can be picked up seven days later; others can be gone in less than 12 hours.) "By the time you've come round, left wherever you are when you wake, maybe told a friend, worked out what has happened, it can be too late." Even when the drug is identified, depending on what it is, how do you prove you didn't take it recreationally? What is left is less than "your word against his", because victims have no clear memories, often no memory at all, no account to offer a jury. "It's a crime that people can get away with all the time," says Ofer, "and I'm sure they do." For Jo, the chances of any kind of justice look slim. "When I woke and realised he was next to me, I had no idea what had happened," she says. "He tried to cuddle me. I can't remember what I said; I just needed to get him out of there. When he left, he said he'd ring me later and asked: 'Can I not even have a kiss?' I felt ashamed, I felt cheap and so confused." A few days passed before she confided in her son, who urged her to report the rape. Five days after it had happened, Jo gave a statement to the police and had a forensic examination. (She isn't sure if her bloods were tested for drugs but assumes they would have left her system anyway.) The man was arrested and interviewed, and insisted that the sex had been consensual. "Since then, every step has felt like a battle," Jo says. Police didn't confiscate the suspect's phone or laptop – but Jo had to hand in her own phone, apparently so that police could download the man's messages for evidence. ("I'm the victim. I've barely told anyone, but I had to somehow explain to everyone why I didn't have a phone.") Earlier this year, she learned that the CPS would not be taking her case forward, a decision she is planning to challenge. "It has affected me in so many ways," she says. "It's like a weight on my shoulders all the time. I haven't told many people and putting up a front is exhausting. My job is very detailed, very pressured, so I've decided to go part-time next year and that's a direct result of what happened. I'm just so tired. I have always been a firm believer in the system, in justice, and this makes me question and doubt everything." The blank space from that evening is never far from her mind. "I used to be confident and outgoing. I live in a really nice, safe, quiet neighbourhood, but I don't feel safe any more. When I go out, my senses are heightened, I'm looking out for shadows. If I'm anywhere social, I'm on edge, holding on to my drink, but I'm nervous at home, too. "I wake in the night in my room, in the bed where it happened, and I have this feeling that I don't know what's going on and what is coming next. Flashes of his face, of him being here pop into my head. Some people might think not knowing what happened to you is easier. For me, it isn't – and it's meant the odds are completely stacked in his favour."

Gisèle Pelicot waived her anonymity to put drug-facilitated rape in the spotlight, and her experiences of sexual violence have shocked the world. So what else do we know about this most hidden of crimes?

The truth about drug-facilitated rape: ‘When I woke up my body felt battered’

Officials are being hit with renewed calls for an investigation into a mysterious brain disease that has been plaguing hundreds of people in a small community for more than a decade. The new leader of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, Premier Susan Holt, has reopened an investigation into the illness that causes dementia-like symptoms and partial paralysis. Since DailyMail.com last reported on the cases , there have been over a dozen more who - affecting an estimated 450 people in the area, and mainly people on the Acadian peninsula. Local authorities had previously put the total case count at just 48 people. There have been 40 deaths, according to the premier. The Public Health Agency of Canada , a national organization under the purview of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , had previously offered $5million in funding to the province to investigate the cases. The New Brunswick Public Health department conducted its own investigation without utilizing the funds, and concluded there was no cluster of brain disease in the area. Rather, the department said the patients had been misdiagnosed and actually had dementia and cancer . Officials ceased investigations. Your browser does not support iframes. Now, Premier Holt announced she plans to relaunch an inquiry, using the $5million initially offered by federal authorities. She said: 'I think we need to be doing everything we can to shed some light on this and find a way to stop what's making people sick.' This adds fuel to a vocal minority of health officials in the area, led by New Brunswick neurologist Dr Alier Marrero, who have publicly insisted something sinister is going on in the area. Premier Holt said: 'The inexplicability of it is agony. Not knowing what's caused it, what's going to happen next, what the treatment path is. 'But knowing that it doesn't seem to be treatable and people around you have died from this is terrifying. So, I think we need to be doing everything we can to shed some light on this and find a way to stop what's making people sick.' The unknown neurological disease, which was deemed The New Brunswick neurological syndrome of unknown etiology, causes people to develop problems with walking, balance, coordination, hallucinations, sleep, focus, memory and brain fog. The government was first notified of the cluster of diseases in late 2020 by the Dr Coulthart's Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance System (CJDSS) when 40 residents were suffering from mysterious neurological symptoms, which presented similar to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. CJD is a rare fatal disorder similar to mad cow disease that leads to rapid brain deterioration and muscle problems. However, an independent oversight committee concluded a year later the patients actually had known illnesses. But emails leaked two years after the close of the investigation revealed Dr Michael Coulthart, the head of a surveillance system, said: 'My scientific opinion is that there is something real going on in NB [New Brunswick] that absolutely cannot be explained by the bias or agenda of an individual neurologist. 'A few cases might be best explained by the latter, but there are just too many (now over 200).' By a year later, 48 patients had been identified as part of the cluster. Most of the cases are clustered around Moncton, New Brunswick, a town with a population of 85,802. Many of the patients were referred to the Moncton interdisciplinary neurodegenerative diseases (MIND), where they were treated. MIND, which was formerly affiliated with Dr Marrero, placed the number of patients near 450 based on symptoms. This included Luc LeBlanc and Cody Gallant, who are some of the youngest residents suffering from the debilitating disease. LeBlanc, 39, was previously healthy, but has now been told by doctors his brain is 'like somebody of an 80-year-old', CBC reported. He was one of the 48 patients that the government included in the cluster and has now had to stop working because of muscle spasms and brain fog. Gallant, 21, was a former high school football player, but he now has problems sleeping, has severe headaches, hallucinations and difficulties with coordination. He was not one of the 48 patients the government included in the cluster, but according to the MIND clinic, he has the condition. Prior to Premier Holt's statement, the official position of the New Brunswick government has been the cases are not connected or linked to one cause. Dr Marrero is one of the only physicians who has publicly pushed back against this stance. He went so far as to conduct his own blood tests of some of the New Brunswick patients - finding that pesticides found within each of their blood could be the cause behind their illness. Dr Marrero told The New York Times Magazine 'I am not concluding that this is the cause of what is happening.' But, he added: 'It is something that is telling me that something is wrong with the environment they live in.'' In December 2022, he found 90 percent of the patients he tested had elevated levels of an agricultural chemical called glyphosate in their blood. He cautioned this could merely be commonplace in the area, and it's not possible to conclude anything from these blood tests alone. In this area of New Brunswick, a number of chemicals - including glyphosate - are used to keep local forests healthy. Glyphosate, an herbicide and the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup, has been scrutinized by the public for decades. Some studies link it Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and others link it to an increased risk for developing Parkinson's. It's banned or restricted in parts of Canada. In Quebec, the herbicide is banned in forest management. In Vancouver, there is a ban on using the produce in public parks and outdoor gardens. But not all health organizations agree the product is toxic. The US EPA has repeatedly affirmed its approval of glyphosate. The most recent review of the product in 2020 stated: 'There are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label.' It's still used across North America. In New Brunswick, it's used to maintain the forests. Aside from pesticides, some have suggested the unknown illness could have to do with the local seafood supply. Many coastal New Brunswick residents reportedly eat fish caught in the area, and the economy in part depends on aqua-tourism. Toxic algae blooms, driven by pollution, sometimes pop up in the area, and the fish that feed in these ecosystems can sometimes be full of neurotoxic chemicals, linked in other parts of the world to Parkinson's-like diseases. The lack of an explanation has been frustrating for patients in the cluster like Terriline Porelle. Porelle, who used to be an active person, told The Guardian she now has difficulty controlling her hands, problems with memory and walking. She only eats frozen meals because she is no longer able to cook for herself and has problems completing tasks. She said Premier Holt's investigation is a welcome change, and hopes it will find something that explains her symptoms. Porelle said: 'I am hopeful that Premier Holt will do the right thing by us patients and the people of New Brunswick.'

Officials are being hit with renewed calls for an investigation into a mysterious brain disease that has been plaguing hundreds of people in a small community for more than a decade.

Small community demands answers as mysterious brain disease leaves residents paralyzed

It's flu season in Los Angeles with the virus making its way through the roster ahead of Saturday's matchup against . Several Trojans players are dealing with illness this week, which has made the preparation difficult as they have been held out of practice. USC coach Lincoln Riley was asked about the issue during his weekly press conference, coincidentally letting out a cough right as the question came through. He joked about the moment before giving his answer about how the outbreak has impacted the Trojans. "Perfect timing," the coach said with a laugh . "It's had a little bit of an impact. That's part of it, though. It's like I told the guys today, Saturday at 7:30, no one's gonna care what you had or didn't have. You gotta go out there and play the game. You have different obstacles that come up and you've gotta go face them. We'll deal with it and adjust how we need to. But no excuses. Gotta be ready for Saturday."It's unclear exactly how many players are out with the illness or even which ones, but that should become evident Wednesday when the injury report is released. However, Riley did share that things have taken a turn for the worse of late with USC's flu outbreak. "A little bit," he said when asked whether more people were coming down with the flu. "Most of the people, it's been running its course. Kind of 48-72 hours. We're thinking probably today we're at the peak of it and I think we'll get better from there."USC is coming off of a 28-20 win against this past week and needs just one more win to reach bowl eligibility. The Trojans recently benched quarterback Miller Moss in favor of Jayden Maiava , who gave the offense new life while throwing for 259 yards and three touchdowns to one interception. We'll see what the health of the team looks like when the game kicks off at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

It's flu season in Los Angeles with the virus making its way through the USC roster ahead of Saturday's matchup against UCLA.

Lincoln Riley shares how flu outbreak impacts USC preparation vs. UCLA

SONOMA, Calif. - Health care workers in Sonoma County must wear face masks in patient care areas. The county's interim health officer issued the order because of increasing risks of illnesses such as COVID-19 and the flu. "Each year, we see that higher rates of influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses that can cause severe respiratory infections occur between late fall and spring," said Dr. Karen Smith, Sonoma County's interim health officer. "Influenza and other seasonal respiratory viruses infect tens of millions in the United States each year and can result in serious medical outcomes, including hospitalizations and death." The mask order applies to staff at all health care facilities in the county, including hospitals, dialysis centers, and skilled nursing facilities. The order will remain in place through April 30. All other Bay Area counties , except Marin and Solano, have a face mask requirement at medical facilities. Grimmway Farms is one of the world's largest carrot growers, producers, and shippers. However, the company, which is headquartered in Bakersfield, California, recently drew public attention after recalling several sizes and brands of its bagged organic baby and whole carrots, and people want to know the reasons behind it. Here's why carrots were recalled by [...] The post Why Were Carrots Recalled by Grimmway Farms in California? E. Coli Outbreak Explained appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie

Health care workers in Sonoma County must wear face masks in patient care areas.

Sonoma County mandates face masks for health care workers

CINCINNATI — For the fourth year in a row, the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati is asking community members to lend their names to snowflakes that hang on their windows and walls, making it a brighter place for those staying in the House throughout the holidays.The Send A Snowflake campaign doesn't cost any money."It's absolutely free," said Sarah Curry, the Ronald McDonald House's communications manager. "We just want the snowflakes. We want to put them on the windows, we want to cover the windows, we want to really blanket our entire house."The families that stay at Ronald McDonald House have a child receiving treatment at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center. Those stays can often last weeks. And when people are away from their homes during the holidays, life can seem a little bit tougher. The snowflake campaign, Curry said, helps lighten the space and lets its residents know that people care about them."What it does for our families is remind them that people who don't even know them know they're here, right here in Cincinnati, and they care about them," Curry said.You can add your name to a snowflake through Nov. 26.

The families that stay at Ronald McDonald House have a child receiving treatment at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center. Those stays can often last weeks.

Cincinnati Ronald McDonald House asks community to 'Send A Snowflake' to brighten families' spirits

NEW YORK (PIX11) — Five times. That's the number of moves Kelly – a Venezuelan migrant mother of seven children – said she's had to make from one New York City shelter to the next since arriving in the United States in January. "It's bad for my children," Kelly said during her testimony Tuesday in front of the Council committees on General Welfare and Immigration. More Local News This long-planned hearing was meant to address the much-discussed disruptiveness of the 30-day single adult and 60-day family shelter limit police implemented last summer by the Adams administration, and defended Tuesday by Molly Schaeffer, the city's head of asylum seeker operations. "None of these policies were done easily. These were done to really make sure we were protecting both our shelter system and people at their most vulnerable time," said Schaeffer. But in an unexpected move, Mayor Eric Adams relaxed the policy a day before the council hearing, waiving the tedious reapplication process. But it is only for migrant families staying in the city's HERRC, or humanitarian emergency shelters. "Much better," Kelly told PIX11 News after her testimony. But then she went on to complain about the rules that often complicate migrant life in general inside a shelter. She echoed concerns, expressed by advocates, who say shelters destabilize migrant families – especially students. "You completely uproot them. They lose contact with everything. They are not able to create a community. We want permanent shelter and dignified housing for everyone," said migrant advocate Ximena Bustamante. Migrant advocate Mariel Acosta added, "By staying in a stable housing situation, their kids can go to school. People can retain a job. They can build communities." In a statement, Mayor Adams said in part: "...we're doing everything we can to make sure that our shelter system serves its purpose as a soft landing spot for new arrivals — not their final landing spot. "The new policies we're implementing today will build on our successes, save taxpayers millions, and help even more migrants take their next steps towards fulfilling their American Dream."

NEW YORK (PIX11) — Five times. That’s the number of moves Kelly – a Venezuelan migrant mother of seven children – said she’s had to make from one New York City shelter to the next since arriving in the United States in January. “It’s bad for my children,” Kelly said during her testimony Tuesday in […]

NYC shelter moves destabilize migrant families, advocates say

The Navy has suspended operation of its residential substance abuse treatment program at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Virginia, as a result of staffing shortages that affected the quality of care. The service closed the program, considered the Navy's top rehab center on the East Coast, in September, officials confirmed this month. All patients were sent to or are being referred to other Defense Department residential programs or the Tricare network, NMCP Public Affairs Officer Christina Johnson said. "Due to critical staffing shortfalls, [Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program] Level 3 service is temporarily suspended to ensure quality care via safe staff-to-patient rations and to preserve other SARP services and graduate medical education requirements," Johnson said in an email Nov. 1 to Military.com.Read Next: Veterans Bill with Improvements for Caregiver, Homelessness Programs Passes House "Providing safe and effective substance abuse treatment for our active-duty service members remains a priority," she added. The closure comes two years after Navy officials were forced to transfer residential patients out of the building, which is separate from the main hospital, due to maintenance problems and a rat infestation. Those issues, which were not publicly disclosed, prompted SARP leaders to reduce the number of spots available for residential treatment and move all patients to a nearby barracks that was less secure than a locked-down rehabilitation facility. Emails between the then-SARP commander and the hospital's chief of mental health described the SARP facility as not "hazardous," but said the "berthing areas were not to acceptable standards for continued residential use." "Talks are already underway about both immediate solutions and long-term solutions," wrote the SARP program director to the director and staff on March 15, 2022, according to emails obtained by Military.com. Those included investing nearly $500,000 in renovations, including replacing carpeting, windows and tiles and "bringing rooms up to living standards." Navy SARP leadership also explored transferring the program to Langley Air Force Base in nearby Hampton at the time, but abandoned the plans out of concerns that the move could jeopardize program accreditation, compliance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine standards as a residential program, the ability to care for medically complex patients and space concerns, according to the emails. Level 3 treatment is a 35-day, abstinence-based program for service members with moderate to severe substance abuse whose addiction has affected their professional and personal lives. Patients live at the facility and have access during the day to addiction treatment, mental health services and medical care. In fiscal 2024, the program served 163 personnel, according to Johnson. A source with professional knowledge of addiction and the situation at the facility said the movement of patients to a barracks jeopardized care, because it reduced the number of spots in the program and gave patients struggling with addiction more freedom to access alcohol or drugs since they weren't in a locked-down facility. The decline in services, which included discussions of staff furloughs, also jeopardized morale, the source said. "The program was under-resourced," the source said. "The employees banded together and filed complaints about it. Many quit." The issues at the SARP coincided with the deaths of at least seven sailors, including four suicides, among the crew of the carrier George Washington , which at the time was in the Newport News Shipyard. At least one of the sailors was found to have been drinking heavily when he died by suicide, according to the Navy's investigation into the deaths. "It's a state of mismanagement and decay and atrophy, and it's really frustrating, because service members say the military drives them to drink - it doesn't cause them to drink, you know, it's part of the culture of the military. But then the resource isn't there to help them stop drinking," said the source, a mental health professional who treats service members across the six branches of the armed forces . While misuse of illegal drugs and prescription medications is lower in the U.S. military than the general public, the Defense Department's Survey of Health-Related Behaviors, last published in 2021, found that alcohol use is higher than the U.S. population. More than a third of active-duty personnel report they engaged in binge drinking, defined as more than four drinks at a time for women and five for men, within the previous 30 days, compared with roughly a quarter of U.S. adults. And nearly 10% of troops in active components said they drank heavily, compared with 9% of U.S. adults. The individual service branches operate their own substance use disorder programs, each with varying levels of treatment, including residential rehabilitation. The Army's programs are known as ASAP, or Army Substance Abuse Program, while the Air Force offers its Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment, or ADAPT, program for Air Force and Space Force members. Navy SARP serves sailors and Marines. Johnson said the Navy program needs 33 full-time staff members to support residential care, including psychologists, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, social workers, behavioral health technicians, and drug and alcohol counselors. She was unable to provide a time frame for when the program may restart but said that other outpatient programs such as intensive outpatient care remain operational, as do all training programs for personnel. Under reforms of the military health system that began in 2017, the Defense Health Agency is charged with managing and staffing military health facilities, while the services are responsible for what is known as "operational medicine," treating active-duty personnel for illness and injuries and supporting training and combat. Earlier this year, the Defense Health Agency awarded contracts worth up to $43 billion to 11 health-care companies to recruit and staff 591 military hospitals and clinics. Whether that contract will help the Portsmouth SARP program remains to be seen. "NMCP is working with our DHA Headquarters to restore staffing to support the residential SARP program. Further updates will be provided as information becomes available," Johnson said.

The program, in an aging building at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Virginia, has struggled to retain employees.

Navy Shutters Premier East Coast Substance Abuse Program Amid Staffing Shortages

DETROIT (WXYZ) — On Tuesday, 39-year-old Micah Parker was reunited with the Detroit Medical Center staff who helped save his life after he suffered a heart attack on the job just a few months ago."I'm just happy to be here," Parker said.He said it was his coworker for the Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union Local 2, Alan Mamere, who ultimately rescued him on Sept. 13.VIDEO: 'It was a regular day.' Worker talks about having a heart attack while on the job 'It was a regular day.' Worker talks about having a heart attack while on the job "I just had to do something," Mamere said.The two bricklayers say it started out as a normal day and no,w it is a day they will never forget."We were talking about the next job I was going to and that's when it happened," Parker said."Before I could even turn around, he was already down," Mamere said.VIDEO: Man describes moment he jumped into action to help save coworker Man describes moment he jumped into action to help save coworker According to DMC cardiologist Carlos Oviedo, Parker's main artery was 100% blocked."The most important thing that the CPR did was to prevent his brain to suffer from the lack of blood flow," Oviedo said.Mamere knew how to do CPR because Bricklayer's Local 2 requires all 3,700 of its employees to take training classes. It is something he and many of his coworkers previously considered a waste of time."We're all a bunch of construction workers. We were like the last thing we're going to have to do is use it. You know, we might get a cut or something but CPR, nah, we don't need it, but I guess we need it," Mamere said.Foreman, Robert Ader said he will also be keeping a defibrillator in his work car from now on."The way we work, high in the air, high on scaffold, the trip to the ground to get it when you don't know where it's at could be the difference between him being here and not," Ader said.Since the scare, Mamere said his outlook on CPR training has changed."Now, it's something you're like at any moment in time it could happen so, it's nice to know I'm capable of doing it if I need to apply it I can make it happen," Mamere said.Local 2 is asking people in the community to get CPR training if possible and to take it seriously."It's not a game, at all. If you're not paying attention to anything dealing with that stuff just go because it's not a game and I'm a testament to that," Parker said.

On Tuesday, 39-year-old Micah Parker was reunited with the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) staff who helped save his life after he suffered a heart attack on the job just a few months ago.

Local 2 bricklayer gives coworker live-saving CPR after heart attack on the job

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The future of a proposed homeless shelter is in the hands of the Champaign City Council. C-U at Home is behind the proposal, and said they need the space to meet the needs of the community. However, nearby business owners and neighbors are worried. The shelter would take over a business center on S. Mattis Ave. near Sangamon Drive. "I think that there's a lot to be concerned about with safety," neighbor Jane Heaton said. C-U Public Health District nearly out of period products Heaton lives in what she said is "too close" to the location of the proposed shelter. "We have a long waiting list that people have been on, and been sitting on for some time," C-U at Home Executive Director Melissa Courtwright said. "So, it's really important to us to try to meet the community need and expand our program." Despite the goals of the proposal, some locals aren't sold on that idea. "I'd rather it go in someone else's neighborhood," Heaton said. C-U at Home operates seven shelters across Champaign-Urbana but said that isn't enough. Courtwright said while they're aware people in the area are concerned, there are regulations for who can be housed. Urbana City Council discussed new grocery store "There's a certain way homelessness is presented, but our clients don't reflect those stereotypes," Courtwright said. The proposed shelter would house 26 people. That would be in addition to the around 30 they already serve in other locations. Those living in the shelters cannot be registered sex offenders or have a recent violent history. "We do a thorough intake and interview with each person," Courtwright said. "It's actually a pretty competitive process to get in because we have so many applicants and such little space." If the proposal passes through city council, the businesses in the building would have to find new spaces. One of those businesses, Aging in Place, said they thought they'd be there forever. New H-Mart store in Urbana nears completion "We had architects come through assessing the walls, so that's when we put two and two together, they're wanting to buy this and use it as something else," said Lacee Latham, Aging in Place documentation lead. Latham and other businesses said they've not had any communication with C-U at Home. She hopes that changes after the city council meeting. "I'm really shocked and concerned that they're not going to other businesses in the suites and getting their input," Latham said. Latham said she heard rumors that Aging in Place and the other businesses in the building will have to be out by Dec. 1 if the proposal passes. Courtwright said C-U at Home has no timeline on the potential move and never communicated a leave by date. She hopes to work with business owners if the vote passes to make the transition as seamless as possible.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The future of a proposed homeless shelter is in the hands of the Champaign City Council. C-U at Home is behind the proposal, and said they need the space to meet the needs of the community. However, nearby business owners and neighbors are worried. The shelter would take over a business […]

‘I understand why people may have concerns’; Proposed Champaign homeless shelter

CINCINNATI — Standing on the corner of Bridgetown and Ebenezer roads, Kenny Johnson is hoping a stranger will help save his friend's life.For the last week or so, Johnson has rallied on the sidewalks, wearing a sandwich board and hoisting a picket sign inscribed with his friend, Dave Harbison's, name. He wants to find Harbison a living kidney donor — and said he won't stop until he does."I'm just hoping someone sees me, and if they can't donate a kidney, they know someone who can," he said. "Being human, one of the things I love about it is, we can care about each other, and we don't know each other." Harbison and Johnson met more than two years ago while undergoing dialysis treatment at Liberty Dialysis in North College Hill. The two friends say their shared use of humor to cope with treatments brought them together."Before Dave got there, the dialysis clinic was like a funeral home," Johnson said. "As soon as they sat him next to me, it was just a different place.""I first started dialysis and Kenny was already there, and he sort of took me under his wing," said Harbison, who receives 12 hours of dialysis treatment per week. "[We] became extremely, extremely good friends. Instantly. It was an instant bond." Man looks for kidney donor Harbison was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2022 after a medical emergency.Three days per week, he wakes up at 4:30 a.m. for treatments. By around noon, he's finished and starts his workday running a construction company. "He fascinates me," Johnson said. "When he gets done ... he goes straight to work. He's still working, and I just think that's amazing." After six years of dialysis treatment, Johnson received a kidney transplant earlier this year. He's now set his sights on helping an old friend."I just feel like I have to give back," Johnson said. "I can't leave my buddy behind. I [have] got to get a kidney for Dave."To help find himself a living kidney donor , Harbison joined a program called Off the List . To learn more about becoming a donor, or to begin the testing process on Harbison's behalf, visit the living donor questionnaire here . You can also contact Antoinette Fassoth with UC Health at 513-584–0748 or living kidney donor is a healthy person who donates one of their two kidneys to a patient while they're alive. Here are the requirements to become a live donor candidate, according to the National Kidney Foundation : <li>You must be 18 years old, though some transplant centers require you to be 21 years old.</li><li>You must be healthy and not have any existing medical conditions including uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.</li><li>If you're a smoker, you may be asked to quit before receiving approval to donate.</li>

For the last week, Kenny Johnson has rallied on sidewalks, wearing a sandwich board and hoisting up a picket sign, to find his friend Dave Harbison a living kidney donor.

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