On May 3, staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published the interim final rule for implementing the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act 2010. This new rule will provide additional support to eligible post- 9/11 veterans who elect to receive their care in a home setting from a primary family caregiver.

“I encourage family caregivers to apply for these new, enhanced services that provide support in the place most familiar to veterans, their homes,” said Ralph T. Gigliotti, FACHE, Durham VA Medical Center Director. “The new program builds on the foundation of caregiver support now provided at VA and reflects what families and clinicians have long known; that family caregivers in a home environment can enhance the health and well-being of veterans under VA care.”

Senate budget proposal shuffles education money, leaves cuts

Compromise or charade? Depending on one’s political proclivities, and whether or not one is involved in public education in the state, a revised budget in the Republican-controlled North Carolina Senate is one or the other.

While the budget makes some changes to specific cuts which were proposed for public education last month in the House, Democratic Governor Beverly Perdue has called the new proposal a “charade” and is sticking to her promise to veto any budget bill that does not protect education jobs and funding in the state.

Measure approved by legislative committee

A bill approved Wednesday by a House committee would help stop offenders from repeating their crimes by removing barriers that keep them from finding lawful jobs, Attorney General Roy Cooper said.

“Turning ex-offenders into productive citizens makes all of us safer,” Cooper said. “Too often, former offenders get derailed when they can’t find a way to earn a living. This bill will help by removing some of the obstacles once ex-offenders show that they can live responsibly.”

As North Carolina faces one of the largest state deficits in the country--roughly $2.5 billion--the Senate Justice and Public Safety Appropriations subcommittee has proposed to cut millions of dollars, hundreds of jobs and two holding facilities from the Department of Juvenile Justice and Crime Prevention (DJJDP) in order to reduce spending.

Department officials say that the proposed cuts will do more harm than good for the state.

Last year, approximately 31,198 youth were involved in department community service programs throughout the state, with 19,984 facing court services. In the 28 westernmost counties, 3,893 youth were involved in the court services, while 5,763 were in community service programs.

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