1.      On Verge Of Suicide Following Oil Spill, Iraq Vet To Seek Help At VA. In an online story about how the Gulf oil spill has affected the surrounding community, NPR's "Morning Edition" (12/1, Elliott, Peñaloza) pointed out that one of those in the community is 27-year-old Aaron Hofer, who "has been largely out of work" since the spill happened. After noting that Aaron's wife "says she has finally convinced her husband, an Iraq war veteran, to get help at the Department of Veterans Affairs," NPR quotes Aaron, who said, "If it wasn't for my children, I probably would have already committed suicide."

2.      Veteran Trauma Court Operating In Colorado. The KUSA-TV Denver, CO (12/1, Wolf, Bolton) website noted that in Colorado Springs, Colorado, there is a "Veteran Trauma Court, a first in the state." In 2010, the court's "first trial year," it "has been able to work on the cases of more than 40 veterans," including an Iraq vet who asked KUSA not to reveal his name. According to KUSA, which referred to the vet as "James," a Veterans Affairs "clinician determined James had symptoms" of post-traumatic stress disorder and "arranged for him to get medication and treatment."

3.      VA Aims To Improve Hospital Performance With New Online Tools. In continuing coverage, Federal News Radio (12/2) reports, "The Veterans Affairs Department is raising the bar for its health care centers with some new online tools that allow vets to compare the performance of the...153 hospitals" operated by the department. Federal News Radio adds, "The goal is to inspire further improvements at the hospitals, VA officials told Government Health IT ."

4.      School In Washington State Recognized As Veteran-Friendly. The Vancouver (WA) Columbian (12/1, Vogt, 37K) noted that on Tuesday, Washington State University (WSU) Vancouver was "recognized...as a veteran-friendly campus. In an afternoon ceremony, a memorandum of understanding was signed by Mike Gregoire, a veteran and the husband" of Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire; "John Lee, director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs; and Hal Dengerink, chancellor of WSU Vancouver." The agreement "ensures that students get access to the state VA for reviews of their needs and assistance in obtaining benefits."

5.      Opinions Differ On Whether Mayor Would Be Right Choice For Connecticut Vets Job. The Bristol (CT) Press (12/2, Collins, 8K) says that while many "Bristol leaders say they would support the appointment of Mayor Art Ward to serve as the state's veterans commissioner if Gov.-elect Dan Malloy chooses" Ward, "not everyone's on board." Lori DeFillippi, who "organizes many of the veterans events in Bristol, said Ward 'would not be a good choice,'" because it "would 'mean nothing for Bristol' since there hasn't been a veterans  

service officer in town since Al Santucci retired two years ago." Although DeFillippi "said...Ward 'doesn't seem to be worried about filling' the position at City Hall," Ward "said recently he expects the military to provide two veterans service officers who will work at City Hall soon."

6.      New Superintendent Hired For Kansas Veterans' Home. The Dodge City (KS) Daily Globe (12/2) notes that on Wednesday, the "Kansas Commission on Veterans' Affairs announced the hiring...of the new superintendent for the Kansas Veterans' Home at Winfield." Steve Dunkin, currently superintendent of the "Kansas Soldiers' Home at Fort Dodge, will succeed Jim Hays as superintendent of the veterans' home in Winfield. Hays will retire Dec. 30 after 12 years as superintendent at the Winfield facility."

7.      Union Says Pay Freeze Would Hurt VA Nurse Recruitment. In continuing coverage, Modern Healthcare (12/1, Carlson, 72K) reported, "If President Barack Obama wants to cut federal expenditures, one vocal labor union of nurses says, he should start by 'ending the costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq once and for all' instead of freezing the wages of front-line nurses in the Veterans Affairs system." National Nurses United (NNU), "whose 160,000 registered-nurse members include 7,000 Veterans Affairs RNs, blasted Obama's announcement of a two-year wage freeze for all nonmilitary federal workers." In a news release, "NNU co-president Jean Ross said...the cuts would make recruitment efforts of VA nurses even more difficult, adding 'salt to the already festering wound' of the Obama administration's sustained opposition to expanding collective-bargaining rights for VA nurses."
     VA Email: Freeze "Not A Reflection" Of "Excellent Work" Done For Vets. The Columbia-based Missourian (12/2, Brewer, 17K) notes, "An e-mail from the Veterans Administration explaining the economic incentive for the proposal was passed on to local employees...said" Public Affairs Officer Stephen Gaither "of the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital." According to the Missourian, the email read, "The proposed freeze is not a reflection of the excellent work you do for our nation's veterans."

8.      VA Assisting Homeless Vets In South Dakota. The KELO-TV Sioux Falls, SD (12/1, Wilson) website said Chris Nelson, a "decorated Vietnam vet who overcame his haunting memories from war moved on with his life," is now "helping other vets do the same as the manager of the Berakhah House." Nelson "is the Veterans Housing Coordinator for Volunteers of America Dakotas, who, along with the Veterans Administration, produced a program that's helping homeless vets get off the streets and back to work." KELO added, "Last year alone," VA "assisted nearly 250 homeless veterans in the Sioux Falls area."

9.      Tahoma National Cemetery Workers Discover Theft Of 11 Memorial Plaques. In continuing coverage, the AP (12/1) reported, "Workers at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Wash., have discovered that 11 bronze memorial plaques" which were "donated by various veterans groups" have "been ripped from their granite foundations." On Monday, the cemetery's director "said...he thinks the theft happened sometime over the weekend." The AP adds, "Besides the 11" plaques "that were stolen, three more were damaged," while another "11 or 12 remain unharmed."

10.    Protest Against VA's T4 Procurement Withdrawn. In his "What's Brewin'" blog for NextGov (12/1), Bob Brewin wrote, "In early September, I reported that Vetrepreneur LLC, a Herndon, Va.-based service-disabled veteran owned business, had filed a protest against the Veterans Affairs Department's humongous Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology (T4) IT procurement." Brewin, who pointed out that the protest to the Government Accountability Office claimed the procurement "did not fit with requirements of the Veterans First Contracting Program which requires VA to 'give priority to a small business concern owned and controlled by veterans,'" noted that on Tuesday, he "called Robert Hesser, president of Vetrepreneur," who "said he withdrew his complaint because VA told GAO the Vetrepreneur's small size precluded it from filing a protest, an argument he could not dispute." But according to Brewin, Hesser "said even though he withdrew his protest, nothing in VA's response to GAO addressed the contractual and solicitation discrepancies Vetrepreneur protested."

11.    WWII Vet Unable To Prove His Military Service. On its website, KBFX-TV Bakersfield, CA (12/1, Ferguson) said that while 93-year-old veteran Bill Quinlan "fought to protect us in World War II," the "records that prove" his military service were destroyed in a 1973 fire in St. Louis, according to the Kern County Veterans' Services Office. Quinlan "said he's been fighting to get help" obtaining benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, "but nothing has worked." KBFX added, "Eyewitness News contacted Rep. Kevin McCarthy's office on Wednesday, and a spokesman said they would contact the Quinlan family immediately."

12.    WWII Memorial To Be Re-Dedicated In Washington State. The Tacoma (WA) Daily Index (12/2, 500) reports, "Retired Rear Admiral Herbert M. Bridge...will deliver the keynote address when the Washington State World War II Memorial is re-dedicated on Tues., Dec. 7, on the state capitol campus in Olympia." The memorial, "one of the first in the country to honor those who served in World War II," was "originally dedicated in 1999."

13.    VA Hospital To Cut Ribbon Next Week On New Clinic. The Alexandria (LA) Town Talk (12/2, 30K) notes that on Monday, the Veterans Affairs hospital in Alexandria "will cut the ribbon on its Natchitoches Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Natchitoches." According to the Town Talk, the "clinic will allow Natchitoches-area military veterans to receive primary care and mental health services at a place close to home."

14.    Western New York VA To Conduct Health Benefits Seminar. According to the Batavia (NY) Daily News (12/1, 13K), the Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System will hold a "health benefits seminar for veterans at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 11," in Room 301 of Freedom Hall, which is located at the VA hospital in Buffalo.

15.    Rockettes Visit Hayden VAMC Patients. The KPHO-TV Phoenix, AZ (12/1) website noted that on Wednesday, December 1st, and Thursday, December 2nd, members of the "national dancing troupe the Radio City Rockettes," in Arizona to perform "four Christmas Spectacular shows," were scheduled to visit patients at the Hayden Veterans Affairs Medical Center, to "spread holiday cheer, goodwill and American flags." A slideshow with photos from Wednesday's visit were posted on the KPHO website. A similarly positive report on this story was aired by KPNX-TV Phoenix, AZ (12/1, 5:17 p.m. MT).

16.    Local Officials Attempting To Bring New VA Clinic To Idaho. According to the KIFI-TV Idaho Falls, ID (12/1, Borghi) website, officials with the city of Pocatello, Idaho, are courting Veterans Affairs "to make the old Portneuf Medical Center building" the home for a new clinic. The Portneuf Health Care Foundation, which "has the final word on what happens with the old building," is also hoping it will become a VA clinic.

17.    Vet Urges New Jersey Senate To Approve Study On Need For VA Hospital. In continuing coverage, the Brick Township, New Jersey-based Brick Patch (12/2, Bennett) reports, "Ex-Marine Gerry P. Little is urging the New Jersey Senate to follow the lead of the state Assembly and create an 18-member panel to study the need for a veterans' hospital to serve southern New Jersey." Little, an Ocean County freeholder, "said Senate approval would mean a chance to 'finally convince the Veterans Administration a hospital is needed in the southern part of the state.'"

18.    Police Identify Man Who Walked Into VA Hospital With Stab Wounds. According to the Omaha (NE) World-Herald (12/1, Nygren), Omaha police have "identified the man who was stabbed late Tuesday" as 26-year-old Jose Cardenas, who walked into Omaha's Veterans Affairs hospital at "about 11 p.m. with two stab wounds," before being "transferred to the Nebraska Medical Center in critical condition. Police said Wednesday morning that Cardenas' injuries are not life threatening." The KETV-TV Omaha, NE (12/1) website published a similar story.

19.    ERAU Program Eases Veterans' Transition Into Academic Life. The Prescott (AZ) Daily Courier (12/2, Rhoden, 16K).

20.    Wounded Vets Bicycle Through Las Vegas In Solidarity. In continuing coverage, the KSNV-TV Las Vegas, NV (12/1, Matadeen) website reported, "On Wednesday, about 50 wounded veterans from across the nation got on their bicycles and pedaled through the streets of west Las Vegas and Summerlin," as "part of an effort to unite veterans." According to KSNV, "16 such rides are held each year nationwide."

21.    WWII Vet Getting French Legion Of Honor. The AP (12/2).

22.    Mojave Cross: Parties In Talks, January Hearing Set. The Riverside (CA) Press-Enterprise (12/2, De Atley).

23.    Muscatine Chiropractor Awarded US Flag At Veterans Ceremony. The Muscatine (IA) Journal (12/2, Steinbach, 7K).

24.    Remains Of Iowa Korean War Vet Coming Home After 60 Years.  Radio Iowa (12/1, Hanson).

25.    Funeral Planned For Iowa Soldier, 60 Years Later. The WOWT-TV Omaha, NE (12/1) website.