Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News

Veterans!  Here’s your Top 10 News stories of the day compiled from the latest sources

We encourage you to browse our list so that you can take what you want and keep what you need….

 1. VA Loans – Great Facility For The Veterans.  Stock Markets Review  VA loan is also known as Veterans Administration loan. It is established for the veterans of the United States of America who provide services to the nation in military. This loan is designed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and …

2. Bill casts uncertainty for mom, caregiver.  Toledo Blade  That deadline passed, though, and now the US Department of Veterans Affairs has offered a watered-down plan to implement the program with narrower eligibility requirements. Less than a third of the projected 3500 families expected to benefit would be

3. Veteran’s Symposium.  Community Impact Newspaper  Presentations will be provided by agencies such as the Texas Veterans Land Board, Texas Veterans’ Commission, County Veteran Services Office, US Small Business Administration, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. You will learn about health …

4. On a mission for veterans’ issues.  Helena Independent Record  Duckworth, the US Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, lost both her legs in 2004 after a Black Hawk she was co-piloting was hit by a grenade in Iraq. She was the keynote speaker at the Montana

5. Richmond couple spend retirement helping others.  Morning Sentinel  While the two veterans now living with the Dyers through the US Department of Veterans Affairs “medical foster home program” pay a monthly fee to live there, it really isn’t about the money, the couple said. “This is family. There’s no ‘working’ to it,

6. Portland baker honored for contributions to veterans.  Middletown Press  By JEFF MILL, Press Staff PORTLAND — Through the years, local baker Frank Cavaliere has proved to be one of the best friends Portland veterans have. Friday, members of the town’s Veteran’s Affairs Commission rewarded Cavaliere for his commitment to …

7. VA Reaching Out to Veterans on Campus Through VetSuccess.  Business Wire  “Veteran-students transitioning from active duty service to civilian educational pursuits face unique challenges entering the college setting,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The VetSuccess on Campus program continues this …

8. Unemployment rate for Gulf War-era II veterans at 11.5 percent in 2010.  The FINANCIAL  (Some veterans did not report whether they had a service -connected disability.) Veterans with a service-connected disability are assigned a disability rating by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Ratings range from 0 to 100 percent, in increments …

9. Ohio State student seeks honor for last WWI veteran.  Columbus Dispatch  But congressional leaders have not approved a resolution by the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs that would allow Buckles to lie in repose in the rotunda in Washington, DC The committee drafted the resolution in April 2009 and sent another letter …

10. Local veterans saluted at medal ceremony in Kenner.  NOLA.com  Bobby Jindal and Lane Carson, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, along with local public officials, were on hand for the event. RUSTY COSTANZA / THE TIMES-PICAYUNEWorld War II veteran Harry Bode, right, who served in the US Navy …

HAVE YOU HEARD?

Nearly 400 Veterans will invade the slopes during the 25th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, taking place in Snowmass Village, Colo., March 27 – April 1. For a quarter of a century, the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic has provided newly injured Veterans, and those from years past, the opportunity to learn life changing skills through rehabilitative winter sports events. During the six-day program, Veterans will learn adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing and be introduced to a variety of other adaptive activities and sports, such as rock climbing, scuba diving, trap-shooting and sled hockey. The Clinic is an annual rehabilitation program open to all U.S. military Veterans with spinal cord injuries or disease, visual impairments, certain neurological conditions, orthopedic amputations or other disabilities, who receive care at any Department of Veterans Affairs health care facility. Jointly sponsored by VA and the Disabled American Veterans, the clinic is hosted each year by the Grand Junction (Colo.) VAMC and VA’s Rocky Mountain Network. Daily video highlights and “stories from the mountain” will be posted daily at www.wintersportsclinic.va.gov, and at the end of the week on VA’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

POWER YOUR BUSINESS –  A BUSINESS CONFERENCE FOR VETERANS

VAMBOA, the Veteran and Military Business Owners Association, is joining forces with Amgen (VAMBOA Corporate Sponsor) and other powerful groups in the business community to host the “POWER YOUR BUSINESS” conference on Tuesday, April 26th, at Amgen’s Corporate Conference Center in Thousand Oaks, California. You can also attend via Web Ex. Attendance, both in person and via Web Ex, is limited and on a First Come Basis, so register now.

They are finalizing a powerful lineup of speakers from both private industry and the government sector. You will have the opportunity to learn from some of America’s major corporations what you need to do to win their business. There will also be sessions on Certification/Verification, Financing, and more. In person conference fees include breakfast and lunch, with an opportunity to network following the conference at a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception.

The Registration cost is very reasonable:  Early Bird (Before April 1st) $ 99 for the full day event, and $59 for Web Ex. On or after April 1st $139 for the full day event, and $89 for Web Ex.
This event will sell out, so register now.

IN OTHER NEWS

•  Guest opinion column: Ensuring fair treatment for soldiers is a priority.  DesMoinesRegister.com  The Veteran Affairs Committee has also proposed to correct a loophole in the Injured Veterans Grant Program. Injured veterans are eligible for a grant of up to $10000 to allow family members to travel to assist them in their recovery

•  Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs News Article Page.  Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran Trust Fund Donation … Information on federal and state veterans’ benefits, programs, and services is …

• Minnesota Senate confirms Shellito as Veterans Affairs head – Topix.  Local News: Jamaica, NY … confirmed by Minnesota’s Senate as state Veterans Affairs commissioner. …

• Iraq, Afghanistan veterans struggle to find jobs (AP). By Editor – Political News Patty Murray, chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said veterans have told her they take their military experience off their resumes because they fear a potential employer will decide they’re at risk for … As a start, he said his organization is pushing for a robust study looking at every job in the military and how it translates into the civilian and academic world, as well as each state’s licensing requirements pertaining to military experience.

• Director of Veterans Affairs visits Jacobetti Home : News. By Nikki Junewicz  “Given the state of Michigan and the overall budget, it’s not good at all so I was certainly holding my breath to see what they would do to the Jacobetti budget” says Slagle. Jason Allen, the Michigan Director of Veterans Affairs,

• Walk for awareness.  San Bernardino Sun  Statistics provided by the US Department of Veterans Affairs back up the numbers Zaleski is using, according to Annie Tuttle, spokeswoman for the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center. In San Bernardino and Riverside counties, 47 veterans between

• Suicidal thoughts plague veterans.  nwitimes.com  “What we don’t really know is the relationship between the people who are really going to kill themselves and the population who calls,” said Dr. Dean Krahn, chief of the mental health service line at the US Department of Veterans Affairs center in …

• Buerkle Chairs First Veterans Affairs Subcommittee Hearing. Auburn (NY) Citizen “Friday marked a first for Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle since taking office in January. On Friday, Buerkle chaired her first subcommittee hearing,” on the subject of “Implementation of Caregiver Assistance: Are We Getting It Right?” In a statement, Buerkle expressed her hope that the hearing would raise issues about …

• Boston Conference To Explore Military Suicides. Boston Globe “More than 1,000 service members, veterans and caregivers are expected in Boston for a conference on preventing military suicides. The conference will focus on the role of community programs to help active-duty military, National Guard and Reserve members and veterans who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts.”

• Bennett Bill Helps Convicted Veterans. Bradenton (FL) Herald “A bill designed to help veterans convicted of certain crimes has been proposed by Florida Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Bennett. The bill provides that veterans convicted of crimes resulting from post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse or psychological problems stemming from military combat may be granted a hearing on …

• Veteran Donors: Collier, Lee Officials Urge Caution In Donating To Vet Causes. Naples Daily News “Unscrupulous solicitors posing as veterans can take advantage of such good will to collect money that may never reach veterans. Lee and Collier residents were shocked a couple of years ago by fatigue-clad groups soliciting money in street intersections or outside shopping centers.” Veterans’ leaders from both counties recommend caution when before giving to a group representing itself as a veterans charity.

• Schuylkill VA Seeks Volunteers. Hazleton (PA) Standard Speaker The county veterans affairs office “is seeking volunteers to help post American flags on the gravestones of 38,800 county veterans.” The assistant director …

• Hawks Awed, Amazed By Wounded Soldiers. Chicago Daily Herald Even before the Blackhawks got to the White House on Friday, they were still talking about their moving experience from Thursday when they visited wounded soldiers and their families at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.”

• US And Australian VA Work On Research On Impact Of Recent Conflicts. USNavySeals The Department of Veterans Affairs of the United States and Australia “are conducting joint research efforts towards assessing the impact of recent conflicts on the health of returning service members,” “Australia will shed light on similarities and differences with respect to the health effects of recent military deployments we have in common, such as Afghanistan.”

• House Approves Creation Of Vets Office At Local Embassy In US. Manila Bulletin (3/13) The Philippines House of Representatives has voted to create a veterans’ affairs office in the nation’s embassy in Washington, DC to pursue the rights on Filipino World War II veterans.

• US Society Disconnected From Its Warriors. San Antonio Express-News “the increasing distance between the small community of military personnel who are bearing the burden of war and American society in general,” which journalist Bob Woodward describes as “an epidemic of disconnection.” As the Afghanistan and Iraq wars near the nation’s longest, Americans have grown tired …

• Psychology Consultant Speaks At Base Women’s History Event. Alamogordo (NM) Daily News Dr. Heidi Kraft’s guest speech at Holloman Air Force Base’s Women’s History Month Luncheon. An Iraq veteran psychologist who now consults for the Navy and Marine Corps’ Combat Stress Control programs, Dr. Kraft described her …

• Women Gather To Celebrate Service. Daily Sparks (NV) Tribune “The Governor’s Mansion was packed with female armed service veterans on Friday afternoon for the fourth annual Nevada Women Veterans Summit High Tea event. The event was …

• Weight Of War: Soldiers’ Heavy Gear Packs On Pain. NPR “Soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan routinely carry between 60 and 100 pounds of gear including body armor, weapons and batteries.” That’s well in excess of the 50 pound limit that a 2001 Army Science Board study recommended for protracted use, and has led to a tenfold increase in …

• Heroin Ring Centers Around VA Hospital. KRQE-TV Albuquerque’s Veterans Affairs hospital “is at the center of a big drug ring, busted by Bernalillo County narcotics detectives. The product is heroin. News 13 has learned the suspects were working for the VA and targeting vets as customers.” The VA inspector general’s office reportedly received a tip several weeks ago about heroin dealing to veterans, both on and off the VAMC campus. Two dealers and several customers have been arrested, and further arrests may follow.

• Larger VA Clinic In Works For Charlotte Region. Rock Hill (SC, 21K) Herald The VA “is finalizing plans for a larger outpatient medical complex to serve the Charlotte region’s growing needs.” It is reportedly deciding between two locations for a 295,000-square-foot clinic that will open in 2013 or 2014

• Gallipolis VA Clinic Use It Or Lose It Say Veterans Officials. Point Pleasant (WV) Register “Use it or lose it. That’s the straightforward version of the message local veterans leaders are trying to get out to area veterans in regard to the Gallipolis VA Clinic.” The Ohio facility opened in September and operates two days a week, but the head of the Gallia County Veterans Service Office says that most area veterans are not registered for VA healthcare and only 519 veterans had signed up to make the Gallipolis clinic their primary provider, rather than the 1,000 the VA would like to see.

• Salem VA Scheduling Veterans Exams. Danville (VA) Register & Bee “The wait is over this week for some veterans who’ve been waiting to see a doctor about their claims. The Salem VA Medical Center is dedicating 80% of its primary care appointments this week to compensation and pension exams.

• Helping Vets Connect. Lake County (CA) Record-Bee The Lake County Vet Connect, a newly formed committee spearheaded by all local veterans organizations, “will debut its first clinic to help county veterans access benefits and services this coming Wednesday” in Lakeport.

• Elks Honor Firefighters, Police And First-Responders. Macomb (MI) Daily The Elks nationwide “are dedicated to the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Lodge 2124 pays for bingo games through the Voluntary Services office at the John D. Dingell VAMC in Detroit. Vets can win vouchers to shop in the hospital exchange.”

• DAV: Veterans helping veterans.  Woonsocket Call  My first year selling ads, we raised $5500 for the DAV. The DAV’s annual state convention is scheduled for April 15-17. Robbins and other DAV volunteers also collected donated articles that might be useful at the Veterans Administration hospital

• First VFW Post Begun By Women Gets Started In NY. Associated Press “As one of the few female officers in New York’s Veterans of Foreign Wars organization, Marlene Roll heard the questions all the time: Why don’t more women join the VFW? How can we change that?” A Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran, Roll viewed the answer as one of not just gender, but also generation. VFW posts often appear to younger female veterans as “men’s clubs” not welcoming to women veterans or the issues of particular concern to them.

• VFW Reaches Out To Female Veterans. Omaha World-Herald Nebraska’ Veterans of Foreign Wars, to offset the loss of 11,000 in under 20 years, due mostly to the death of World War II veterans, “is reaching out to specific groups of veterans, including women.” It is holding its first Nebraska Women Veterans’ Fair on March 19 at the Strategic Air & Space Museum near Ashland;

• Newtown Township Lawyer Donates $100,000 To Establish Veterans Fund At Bucks. Advance Of Bucks County (PA) Newtown Township resident and law firm founder Kevin Zlock “has donated $100,000 to Bucks County Community College to establish the Kevin Zlock Veterans Family Endowment. The fund’s proceeds will provide tuition assistance and other benefits to veterans of US armed forces and their families who are enrolled in credit or noncredit programs at Bucks.”

• Asheville Vets Forum Covers Benefits Issues. WLOS-TV “An effort to keep veterans informed draws a crowd in Asheville. the Asheville mayor’s Committee for Veterans Affairs sponsored today’s forum at the Veterans restoration quarters

• Craig Resident Serves By Assisting Veterans On Honor Flight. Craig (CO) Daily Press A past Honor Flight from Grand Junction to Washington, DC, on which the average age of participating World War II veterans was 86.