Joplin Rotary Club supports 7 nonprofit groups with Community Fund
Scott Belden, chairman of the Rotary Club's Community Fund Board, said this meeting was the one that he makes sure not to miss every year.
'It's fun to just give away money but especially for the nonprofits that are really invested in our community,' Belden said after the noon meeting at the Joplin Elks Lodge. 'It's a wide range of things we're able to support, and it's fun to be able to do that.'
Rotarians gave away $20,300 to seven groups:
• Area Agency on Aging Region X, represented by Kacy Lankford, received $2,000 for its food delivery service to homebound seniors.
'This goes to our homebound meal program, where we have a rural area and sometimes this is the only food seniors on the route are able to get,' Lankford said. 'They are very dependent on it. This goes toward those emergency meals that we're able to put together when we're not able to reach them.'
• A $2,000 award went to the Aspire Grant Program, represented by Crowder College Joplin Campus director Melissa Smith.
'This will allow us to fund several scholarships for part-time and full-time students and help reduce barriers to education,' Smith said.
• The Children's Center of Southwest Missouri received $2,000 to remodel one of two interview rooms at the center.
'It's a space for them to share their story and for us it's very important that that space is comfortable and age appropriate,' said Betsy Mense, representing the center. 'This will allow us to remodel one room."
• Rotarians gave $10,000 to the Community Clinic of Southwest Missouri, represented by Director Stephanie Brady.
'We know how much the support of the Rotary Community Fund does for us and this is going to help us with our clinical needs,' Brady said. 'We appreciate the support.'
• The Creative Learning Alliance, represented by Neely Myers, received an $800 grant for a new playground kit.
'I want you to know Rotarians that by investing in this transformative play system you have invested in our future builders, tinkerers, architects, engineers, etc.,' Myers said.
• Joplin NALA, or Neighborhood Adult Literacy Action, received $1,500 to replace an outdated testing system.
'This program is going directly to really make sure that all of our students get the best education possible,' said Kaden Propps, representing NALA.
• The Life Choices Network, represented by Karolyn Schrage, received $2,000 for new software that helps educate new parents.
'I love the fact that you all are investing not just in Life Choices but in the young families across our communities,' Schrage said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A breakdown of safety procedures ‘directly contributed' to an 82nd Airborne paratrooper's death
On Sept. 12, 2024, Army Spc. Matthew Perez made his way to the ramp of a C-17 and prepared to take part in a parachute jump at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana. Perez, who was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, had told his parents that he was nervous because he was going to be jumping with over 150 pounds of gear, more than he had ever jumped with. As Perez, 20, pushed unsteadily out of the door of the aircraft, catastrophe struck. An incorrectly tied knot caused his main parachute not to open, according to a subsequent investigation. Once he jumped from the plane — and investigators believe he may have tripped or fallen as he did so — Perez had just 7.6 seconds to realize the failure and pull his reserve parachute. The Army's review of the jump found that Perez opened his reserve parachute roughly 100 feet from the ground but still hit at a high rate of speed, suffering major injuries. Perez was medically evacuated to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on Sept. 13. Perez's wife Jessica, whom he had married that May, was pregnant at the time of his death. He had also adopted his wife's daughter. 'He was born at 27 weeks,' Perez's father Jose told Task & Purpose in 2024. 'He was a preemie. It was told to my wife that he was going to have a hard life, and he dealt with hard life, and […] he was strong. Like I said, he was built differently.' The Army's investigation into Perez's death, which was obtained by Task & Purpose, uncovered a serious breakdown in safety procedures and inspections among 82nd Airborne jumpmasters and safety officials leading up to the incident. Investigators also found that the jumpmaster who most likely inspected Perez before the jump was not able to correctly describe to the investigating officer the proper way to check a critical knot in Perez's equipment that failed and led to his death, and the jumpmaster likely lied about where he was during the events leading up to the jump. The investigating officer described the T-11 main parachute and its reserve chute as 'inherently flawed' because extension lines must be attached to the main parachute for jumps from C-17 aircraft, increasing the risk of someone making a catastrophic mistake during the process. And the reserve parachute does not open automatically if a paratrooper cannot pull the ripcord in time, according to the Army. 'Their operation requires paratroopers to strictly adhere to the policies and procedures for airborne operations,' the investigation says. 'In this airborne operation, those policies and procedures were not followed. Consequently, SPC Perez's death was likely preventable.' The investigation found a failure between two vital pieces of Perez's equipment — a long yellow cord known as a 'static line' and a five-foot extension added to the line. Perez's static line, which automatically opens a paratrooper's parachute, required an extension for the jump. But somewhere in the pre-jump process, the two lines on Perez's parachute were 'most likely' improperly connected, and that flaw was not spotted. Once the connection between them failed, there was no hope that his main parachute could deploy. Perez's family remains unsatisfied by the Army's explanation for their son's death. In the wake of the fatal jump, a company commander was fired and a handful of riggers and jumpmasters on duty during the training exercise were punished. Jose Perez said he does not believe the Army has gone far enough. 'As a parent, it's never going to be enough,' Jose Perez told Task & Purpose. 'He don't get to hold his baby. He don't get to see us, talk to us. All of that is taken away.' Investigators traced the direct cause of Perez's death to an improperly tied knot that should have connected a 5-foot extension to his static line, which are required for all jumps from C-17s. When five-foot Universal Static Line Extensions are used, Army parachute rigging regulations mandate they be secured to the main static line using a girth hitch, a simple, time-tested loop-and-pull knot with countless uses in the military and beyond. But at some point prior to Perez's jump, the extension was added to his parachute with an improperly tied knot, according to the investigation. Investigators said they could not determine exactly who was responsible for the fatal error or when it occurred and that no record was made of the addition in the parachute's Form 3912, a small logbook that stays with each parachute through its service life. 'The improper packing, rigging, modification, inspecting, or some combination thereof, of SPC Perez's T-11 M [parachute] directly contributed to his death,' the investigation found. The investigating officer said he could not definitively determine when Perez's static line was adjusted, whether early in the evening or at the airfield just before the flight, said Army Col. Mary Ricks, a spokesperson for the 18th Airborne Corps. 'This is because there is no direct evidence that SPC Perez's 5' [Universal Static Line Extension] was replaced,' Ricks said in a statement to Task & Purpose. 'The [investigating officer] found the most likely cause for the improper girth hitch, however, is that it was adjusted at the [departure airfield].' Fatal jumps are relatively rare in the unit. Perez is the only 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper to die during an airborne operation within the past two years, Ricks said. If Perez's line was switched before he donned the parachute, then the mistake would have had to be missed by at least one jumpmaster during a Jumpmaster Personnel Inspection, or JMPI, before he moved out to the flightline to board the C-17. Investigators spoke to all of the jumpmasters on duty for the jump, but none of the soldiers said they had conducted Perez's JMPI, according to the investigation. Given those blanket denials, investigators said they could not rule out the possibility that Perez did not receive an inspection prior to the jump, but the investigating officer determined that 'it is more likely than not' that Perez was inspected. If so, investigators wrote, at least one jumpmaster 'lied to me about his whereabouts during the critical period.' The soldier who officials suspected of lying about Perez's JMPI — whose identity, like all witnesses in the investigation, was redacted — was 'admonished' by the division commander, Ricks said. When quizzed on their general knowledge of parachute inspections, four of the jumpmasters inspected the 5-foot extension line 'in a different time or manner' than required by standard procedures, the investigation found. None of the jumpmasters said they had failed to inspect the line, according to the investigation. One jumpmaster was unable to properly describe the correct way to inspect a girth hitch. Ricks confirmed to Task & Purpose that this jumpmaster is the one who most likely inspected Perez prior to the jump. 'This investigation revealed confusion among jumpmasters about the proper manner to inspect a 5-ft [extension],' the investigation says. 'This likely had grave safety implications for the overall [Joint Forcible Entry — Airborne] operation.' After Perez's death, the investigative team looked at several parachutes that had been packed by soldiers with D Company, 189th Division Sustainment Battalion, which packs parachutes for the entire 82nd Airborne Division. That review uncovered an 'unacceptable rate' of problems ranging from minor to 'potentially catastrophic.' 'Based on our recent audit, these deficiencies are systematic and endanger the paratroopers of [the 82nd] Airborne Division if uncorrected,' the investigation says. Riggers with the unit, the report found, may have removed and replaced the 5-foot extension lines for some of the paratroopers as they waited to load the C-17 at the airfield. Investigators found that soldiers were unclear on the rules governing parachute preparation. Several of the soldiers did not know who was allowed to make changes to the 5-foot extension line, where in the preparation process such a change could occur, or what the unit's standard operating procedure is for rigger checks at the airfield. Two soldiers, whose names were redacted, recalled previous incidents during which 5-foot extension lines were changed at the departure airfield prior to a jump. Another thought the line could be changed at the airfield if an air delivery officer gave permission to do so. The investigation determined that by replacing the 5-foot extension at the airfield, the riggers had violated their unit's standard operating procedure. But in response to a question from Task & Purpose on those procedures, Ricks said that the company's standard operating procedures at the time did allow certified riggers to replace the extension lines at the airfield, and that that replacement is allowed under the Army's technical manual for the T-11 parachute. The night Perez died, one soldier told investigators, a member of the rigger check team was emotional after the accident. 'I spoke with her and she asked me 'what's going to happen to the person that packed it?'' the soldier recounted. 'And I just told her that I don't know. At any rate, she seemed very emotional and concerned. Last week, I was talking with [REDACTED] and he told me she asked, 'so wait, only riggers are supposed to change out static lines — not [jumpmasters]?' That concerned me, given this incident. It made me think there was something she knew or saw while on rigger checks at JRTC that she wasn't saying.' Riggers in D Company told investigators that a lack of incentives available to soldiers in the unit can 'lead to burnout and low quality,' and that riggers who are out of the office for extended periods 'could use a refresher' when they return. An Airdrop Systems Technician warrant officer — an advisor to senior leadership about airborne operations — told investigators that when soldiers at the rigger check facility are caught cutting corners, they are retrained. However, some leaders showed a reluctance to decertify soldiers because they might file a complaint with the Army's Inspector General's Office or Equal Employment Opportunity program. Ricks said that prior to Perez's death, certified parachute riggers were allowed to replace extension lines 'for any technical or materiel concerns' for C-17 jumps. But 82nd Airborne officials now restrict such changes. 'As a result of this tragic training fatality, however, the [82nd] Airborne Division now limits this practice within the unit,' Ricks said. 'The Division's policy now requires replacement of the entire parachute and the first General Officer in the chain of command must approve any exception.' Retired Army Lt. Col. Francesca Graham, a former jumpmaster, told Task & Purpose that replacing the extension line at the airfield was 'a very extraordinary thing to happen,' adding that if she were in a similar situation, she would have opted to replace the entire parachute instead of just the extension line. When paratroopers are at the departure airfield, they are rushing to get onto their aircraft, Graham said. That means anyone who makes changes to parachutes under such time pressure is more likely to make an error than the riggers and packers preparing parachutes much further in advance, she said. 'It's kind of one of those things where it's like, how much risk are you willing to take?' Graham said. 'Like for me, there were numerous times when a reserve parachute had an issue with it, and so as the jumpmaster doing the inspection, I was like: 'Go get a new reserve.'' Graham was also struck that none of the jumpmasters interviewed for the investigation was able to say conclusively who — if anyone — had inspected Perez. If Perez did go through a JMPI prior to the jump, then the jumpmaster 'didn't see a major defect,' she added. 'At the point that someone dies or there's an incident, people's memories get real sharp, real quick,' Graham said. 'One of those jumpmasters should have been able to say: 'Yes, I inspected this jumper.'' 'There appeared to be leadership failures from start to finish at the jump,' Graham said. Following Perez's death, a company commander was fired 'for the systemic failures of oversight with parachute rigging activities and quality control,' and is currently assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's staff, Ricks said. Nine other officers, warrant officers, and noncommissioned officers were reprimanded, she said. Eight jumpmasters and five riggers were decertified after the fatal jump, Ricks said. Being decertified means that jumpmasters can no longer perform their duties and have to undergo retraining, including the proper way to inspect the 5-foot inspection line. All the soldiers who were decertified due to Perez's death have since been recertified after going through the refresher training and resumed their duties, Ricks said. The 82nd Airborne Division has made a number of changes to make sure that the failures leading up to Perez's death do not happen again, including sending the decertified jumpmaster to a refresher course and retraining the riggers, Ricks said. The Army Criminal Investigation Division, or CID, also investigated Perez's death, but closed its investigation after finding 'no probable cause […] to support any allegations of criminal misconduct,' Ricks said. Jose Perez said leaders in his son's unit had told him and his wife that five — not eight — jumpmasters had been decertified. Ricks was unable to explain the disparity. Both of Perez's parents said they are not satisfied with the information they have been provided about their son's death. Perez's mother Vanessa said that she is frustrated by the redactions in the copy of the 240-page investigation that she and her husband were provided. 'There's full sentences, full paragraphs that we're not able to read, and we wonder why,' she said. 'At times, I'm going to be honest with you, I feel like they're hiding something.' Perez, who carried a squad automatic weapon, weighed 340 pounds at the time of the jump, including his body weight and all his gear, the investigation found. 'He stressed it out to us how scared he was because of so much weight he had,' Vanessa Perez said. 'He expressed it to myself, my husband, his wife as well.' But Ricks said it was not unusual for a machine gunner Perez's size to be carrying so much weight during a parachute jump. 'The T-11 Main and T-11 Reserve parachutes weigh a combined 53 pounds,' Ricks said. 'SPC Perez's combat equipment — which included his ruck, weapons case, and weapon — weighed 104 pounds. [Three hundred and forty] pounds combined pounds is within the acceptable range for jumping combat equipment, and the T-11 Main canopy is authorized and rated to be jumped at a total rigged weight of 400 lbs.' The exercise marked Perez's ninth jump and fourth in full equipment and at night. The investigation also determined that Perez's exit from the C-17 was 'weak,' possibly due to 'paratrooper fatigue and the weight of his combat equipment.' He likely tumbled through the air as a result. The report also faulted Perez for not keeping his hand over the ripcord for his reserve parachute when he left the aircraft and for waiting too long to pull his reserve. But Graham said it was 'ludicrous' to blame Perez for not exiting the aircraft correctly, explaining that rather than jumping up and out as paratroopers are supposed to, he likely fell forward because of how much weight he was carrying. 'He's now tumbling in the air, which means that the static line is wrapping around him, and he has no idea what's going on,' Graham said. 'You're disoriented completely, and you probably have things wrapped around you as you fall forward.' 'It's a lot,' Graham said. Jose Perez called the investigation's finding that his son waited too long to open his reserve parachute 'bullshit.' 'It's a training exercise — everyone should be coming home,' Jose Perez said. 'No one should die. Protocol should be: Everyone should come home.' The Air Force fitness test may soon include 2-mile runs twice a year 'War Thunder' continues to live up to its reputation for OPSEC violations Guardsmen sent to LA are 130 miles east of the city doing drug busts Lightning Carriers: The Marines' secret weapon in the Pacific Pentagon releases details of 'Midnight Hammer' strikes against Iran
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Donations sought for repairs at Veterans' Memorial in Northville Township
For decades, the Veterans' Memorial at Rural Hill Cemetery in Northville Township, Michigan, has honored fallen soldiers, where nearly 170 are laid to rest. Commander Ed Huyck and about a dozen other active members of VFW Post 4012 in Northville oversee maintaining the grounds. CBS Detroit "Our cemetery here at Rural Hill it's suffered through time, and it needs a lot of attention. We do our best to fulfill our role, but it's getting increasingly difficult. We don't have the manpower," Huyck said. Huyck says the cemetery is deteriorating and in need of serious maintenance. Headstones are covered in mold and dirt and need cleaning and straightening, the entrance arch is rusted and needs refurbishing, and the guard rails are also rundown. "The primary concern here is this walkway. It's extremely rutted, worn out, needs to be taken out and replaced," Huyck said. Repairs that Huyck says will cost an estimated $15,000, which the VFW Post 4012 does not have. CBS Detroit "It saddens me. We rely on the city for lawn maintenance, but other than that, we're on our own," said Huyck. He hopes the community comes through with donations. In the meantime, he's doing the best he can. "It's a community effort that we're making on behalf of the community and the veterans of foreign wars, so any help would be appreciated," Huyck said. There is no deadline for these donations. If you would like to show support, monetary donations can be sent to Northville VFW Post 4012 Veterans Cemetery Fund, located at 438 S. Main St., Northville, MI, 48167.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Is It Normal for Teens To Hide in Their Rooms All Summer? Parents Share Their Best Advice
It doesn't matter if you are a living room family or not — by the time your kid reaches their teenage years (and maybe even before), they just want to spend all their time in their rooms. It's like some collective activation where your lovely, talkative, Velcroed-to-you child suddenly wants nothing to do with you. And it can be a hard adjustment for parents of teens! One parent on Reddit asked for tips on how to help break their teen out of the summer cave-dwelling behavior, and experienced parents came through with some pretty solid advice. On the Parenting Teenagers subreddit, a parent shared that they work from home and their 14-year-old daughter stays in her room on her iPad all day. 'it's a fight if I suggest something more productive,' the parent wrote. They explained that other than drawing 'a bit,' doing some video chatting and gaming with friends, and 'one or two chores if I ask,' the teen pretty much lazes around her room all day. More from SheKnows Shoppers Are Calling This Highly Rated Handheld Fan 'Perfect' & 'Practical' - & It's Just $10 Right Now 'I'm feeling like a failure because I'm chained to my work just to live paycheck to paycheck,' the parent wrote. 'She's a great kid but doesn't like hanging out with us, talking to us, listening to us, hugging us, never says I love you (this started around age 10.) Idk just feeling down and need some validation. 😭' In the comments, parents first reassured this concerned parent that their teen was 'totally normal.' 'My son is almost 16 and he began preferring his own company and the company of his friends online around the same age,' one person wrote, adding that they try to spend time as a family through dinners or running errands together. Another parent said that this is normal behavior for younger teens who don't work. 'Mine were like that until they were old enough to get summer jobs. I hear all the time from other people that my kids are great, but they don't like hanging out with us either. 🤷🏻♀️' Other parents shared what worked for them. One mom wrote that her teens ages 13 and 14 are signed up for swimming, a leadership camp, and an outdoor camp. Other than that, she plans smaller outings with them. 'My suggestion is to plan even small things with your teen,' she wrote. 'Eg. When I'm done work today, let's go get some slurpees! There's a night market on this weekend, let's check it out. I need a new pair of jeans. Can you come with me to the mall to help me pick some out? Want to sign up for the 10k charity run next month? These are all really low [commitment] options that have worked with my teens.' Another shared their 'flexible rules for the summer' that works for their family. This includes reading a book of their choosing for 30 minutes, going outside for 30 minutes, doing something creative (like writing, drawing, or dancing) for 30 minutes, and asking to help with chores. 'Other than this they can have as much screen time / nothing time as they want, but they usually end up finding one of those things more interesting than sitting around and it lasts longer than the assigned time,' the parent wrote. If all else fails, you might have to just grit your teeth and get through it. One parent shared that her son 'refused to take any kind of sport or class or activity' and just played Xbox all day. 'I'm sorry but he's the size of a full grown MAN and I can't FORCE him to do things,' they wrote, adding that the teen also didn't care about a 'loss of privileges.' There is hope, though. 'But good news: he turned 16, got his license and a job so now he's booked and busy and we're all so much happier,' they wrote. When kids are too old for summer camp and too young for a job, it can be very difficult for parents. Maybe you can help them find somewhere to volunteer, discover a new creative hobby, or do odd jobs around the neighborhood like pet-walking or babysitting. And if they aren't interested in any of that, don't sweat it. One day they'll move out and you'll wish your sulky teen was still living at home — even if you barely ever see of SheKnows The Summer College Prep Tips No One Talks About — But Every Teen Needs Celebrity Parents Who Are So Proud of Their LGBTQ Kids Here's Where Your Favorite Celebrity Parents Are Sending Their Kids to College
