Latest news with #MedalofValor
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Yahoo
El Paso Police Department honors compassion, valor at 2024 awards
The El Paso Police Department recognized compassion, bravery and dedication to service at its annual awards ceremony. More than two dozen awards were presented by El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas to EPPD police officers and civilians, who were honored for their efforts in helping others, at the department's annual awards ceremony for 2024 earlier this month. Here are the award highlights: El Paso resident Ruben Montellano, who received a Chief's Award, was walking home from the Walmart Neighborhood Market store on Saul Kleinfeld Drive when he noticed a man at a bus stop who was visibly distraught, an award summary stated. Instead of walking past, Montellano sat down and started a conversation with the stranger, who "confided that he had been kicked out of his home, hadn't eaten, and was contemplating stepping into traffic," the summary stated. Crime: Man killed in shooting on Morehead Avenue in Central El Paso neighborhood Montellano notified police, offered the man something to drink and stayed talking with him. Officers arrived to find Montellano seated next to the man, holding his shoulder in a gesture of support, the summary stated. "Ruben's quick thinking, empathy, and willingness to help a stranger in crisis likely prevented a tragedy. His actions are a true reflection of community spirit and humanity," the award summary stated. Officer Matthew Urquidi of the Special Traffic Investigations Unit was honored as the 2024 Officer of the Year. He was described as "tireless, thorough and deeply committed to justice" in an award summary. Archives: Bravery, dedication: El Paso police honor officer, detective of the year for 2023 Urquidi displayed "exceptional drive, skill, and heart" when he kept digging, pouring everything into a fatal hit-and-run investigation leading to the arrest of a suspect and uncovering a human smuggling operation while also assisting in a separate intoxicated manslaughter case, the summary stated. Detective Adrianne Zamora of the Crimes Against Persons Unit led several sexual assault investigations last year, showing compassion, determination and a relentless pursuit of justice, an award summary stated. She was named 2024 Detective of the Year. Zamora was also recognized for always being willing to step in to help other detectives in difficult cases. "She is a shining example of the strength, heart, and professionalism we strive for in this department," the summary stated. The Medal of Valor was presented to Officer Ivan Valdez for his bravery in saving a woman who was being attacked by a man armed with a knife in 2023, an award summary stated. Valdez responded to a call of a domestic disturbance in progress when he heard a woman in distress and looked through the window of a home to see the woman being threatened by a man with a knife, the summary stated. "With no time to spare, Officer Valdez forced entry into the home. He found the woman injured and pleading for help as the man began to attack her. With no other option, Officer Valdez used lethal force to stop the threat and save her life," the summary stated. The suspect, Juan Carlos Marquez, 49, died at a hospital after the police shooting, which occurred at an East Side home in the 2600 block of Schooner Drive on Sept. 11, 2023, according to El Paso Times archives. The 2024 Supervisor of the Year award went to Sgt. Christina Mendoza of the Financial Crimes Unit for her dedication, initiative, community outreach and as an example to other officers, the awards summary stated. Mendoza oversees three sections — Digital Forensics, Fugitive Operations and White-Collar Investigations — responsible for hundreds of investigations ranging from fraud to the capture of high-risk fugitives, the summary stated. The EPPD Metro Unit, with its Downtown bicycle patrols and work maintaining order, addressing threats and dealing with large crowds of vulnerable people during the past migrant refugee influx, was named the 2024 Unit of the Year, an award summary stated. The Metro Unit exemplified teamwork and was a reliable and visible presence at public events, protests and in calls for service as well as fighting criminal activity near shelters, community relations and clean-up efforts, the summary stated. Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@ and @BorundaDaniel on X. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Police Department 2024 awards honor officers, residents
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
From the Farm: ‘Raymond' star Patricia Heaton serves up life lessons with accolades
Launched in 1996 and spanning nine seasons on CBS, Patricia Heaton's star status on 'Everybody Loves Raymond' was earned from her portrayal of mom and wife character Debra, who assured that every day was Father's Day in their Long Island home. Not an easy task, especially when living next door to her Italian mother-in-law kitchen rival Marie, played by the late great Doris Roberts. I interviewed Roberts back in 2001 when she was in Gary as one of the celebrity judges for the telecast of the 50th anniversary Miss USA pageant, which was telecast live from the Genesis Convention Center downtown. Roberts, who died at age 90 in 2016, had wonderful things to say about working with Heaton, as well as the series' title name star Ray Romano. Last week, I enjoyed chatting some with Heaton, 67, at a dinner Thursday in downtown Chicago hosted by The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading global Jewish human rights organization that honored Heaton and business leader Todd Stern, among others, at its 2025 Humanitarian Award Dinner. (By no coincidence, June 12 also marked the birthday of Anne Frank, who died at age 15 in 1945.) Heaton was one of two honorees to receive the organization's Medal of Valor. Heaton has become just as famous for her devout Catholic faith, never afraid to stand by her beliefs despite the many behind-the-scene forces in her industry and other career decision-makers with opinions that do not always agree with all who surround her. On Thursday, she was honored for her defense of Israel and the Jewish community. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups launched a large-scale attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of 250 people. In response, Heaton created a new non-profit group called O7C, or October 7 Coalition, to fight against antisemitism. During the awards presentation, Heaton shared the stage with Stern, who was recognized for his support in establishing the first Mobile Museum of Tolerance in the U.S., an educational initiative of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which has since rolled out 10 mobile museum units which travel from California to Illinois, Florida and other states to teach lessons of tolerance to more than 200,000 students a year around the country. The Mobile Museum of Tolerance is a self-contained classroom on wheels where staff can lead workshops that confront modern issues like bias, bigotry, and discrimination, with more details at Also honored Thursday was Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, presented with the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Government Leadership Award. Chicago Bulls CEO Michael Reinsdorf and his wife Nancy bestowed Kareem K.W.O.E. Wells, known locally as the 'King of Mitzvahs,' with the Center's Medal of Valor. On 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' Heaton's character was married to Ray Barone, a sportswriter for Newsday. Heaton's youth was spent growing up in tiny Bay Village, Ohio, as the daughter of Chuck Heaton, a sportswriter for The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The fourth of five children, her sister Sharon is a Dominican nun. 'It wasn't until I was in college at Ohio State University that I first met Jewish people and it was an immediate connection that has remained ever since,' Heaton said Thursday. 'When Oct. 7 happened, and we began seeing all of this body cam footage being shared online, mostly by Hamas, I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. I was so shocked about why weren't people standing up and doing something about this?' Heaton, a mother of four, attended the dinner with her husband David Hunt, and she said they now live full-time in Nashville. During her time from 1996 until 2005 on 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' Heaton's character became a recurring kitchen punchline that she could only make one recipe the family really enjoyed: her lemon chicken. This is until an episode that aired in 2000. To the surprise of her own family and her in-laws, her character Debra gleefully discovered she could also make a delicious variation of the Italian beef staple 'Braciole di Manzo.' When scenes were shot around the dinner table, the cast dined on a true delicious dish, as insisted by producer Phil Rosenthal, rather than nibbling at disguised 'pretend' prop food. The slightly altered recipe for Debra's Braciole di Manzo was inspired by a recipe in a Williams-Sonoma cookbook titled 'Savoring Italy.' 1 pound boneless beef, top round, fat trimmed, cut into 4 thick slices Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 thin slices prosciutto 1 thick slice provolone, cut into 4 equal pieces 2 tablespoons pine nuts 2 tablespoons currants 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped 1 cup dry red wine 4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped 3 fresh basil leaves torn into small pieces Directions: Place meat slices between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet until they are 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Place a slice of prosciutto and a piece of cheese on each one. Sprinkle with pine nuts, currants and garlic. Roll up each of the layered slices, tucking in the ends. Tie the rolls at 1-inch intervals with string. In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add beef rolls and cook, turning as needed, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Add onion and cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes longer. Add wine and cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and sprinkle with more salt and pepper and reduce heat, cover and simmer on low until the beef is tender, as much as 2 hours. If sauce is becoming too dry, add water as needed. Uncover and scatter parsley and basil over the dish before serving with sauce spooned over top.
Business Wire
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Operation HOPE Founder John Hope Bryant and Business Leader Chaitra Dalton-Bryant Honored with Medal of Valor by Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Operation HOPE is proud to announce that its Founder, Chairman, and CEO John Hope Bryant, alongside his wife, entrepreneur and philanthropist Chaitra Dalton-Bryant, have been awarded the Medal of Valor by the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation (AJCF). The prestigious award was presented at AJCF's 2025 Annual Gala in New York City, in recognition of their leadership, compassion, and commitment to building bridges between Black and Jewish communities, and to combating hatred in all its forms. The Bryants were honored alongside a distinguished cohort of changemakers, including Grammy-winning artist Victory Boyd, activist Malynda Hale, Pastor Carl Day, and entrepreneur Raymond Leon Roker. All were recognized for their participation in the AJCF-EXODUS Delegation to Poland, a powerful pilgrimage earlier this year commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Led by Van Jones—Emmy Award-winner, CNN commentator, and founder of The Dream Machine—the January 2025 delegation journeyed through Holocaust memorial sites in Auschwitz, Kraków, and Warsaw, engaging with survivors, educators, and Jewish leaders. The experience emphasized the enduring need to fight antisemitism, anti-Black racism, and bigotry through truth-telling, education, and cross-community solidarity. 'This honor underscores the importance of our shared humanity,' said John Hope Bryant. 'In the face of rising hatred and division, we must remember the lessons of history and work together to build a world rooted in dignity, empathy, and justice.' Chaitra Dalton-Bryant, founder and Chief Wellness Officer of The Art of Wellness and Chair, National Minority Health Association, added: 'As an African-American woman and business leader focused on healing and wellbeing, I believe deeply in the power of courageous conversations and collective healing. This award reflects a call to action for all of us to lead with love.' John Hope Bryant founded Operation HOPE in 1992 to expand economic opportunity and financial literacy in underserved communities. Through its national network of HOPE Inside locations, the organization has served more than 4 million individuals and continues to champion what Bryant calls "Silver Rights"—economic empowerment as the civil rights issue of our time. The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation's Medal of Valor is awarded to individuals who exemplify moral courage, leadership, and a steadfast commitment to fighting hatred. This year's gala also marked AJCF's 25th anniversary and celebrated 20 years of its American Service Academies Program (ASAP), an educational initiative for future U.S. military leaders focused on the lessons of the Holocaust and ethical leadership. 'We are deeply honored by this recognition and humbled to be part of a long-standing tradition of Black and Jewish partnership,' said Bryant. 'Together, we must continue to stand up, speak out, and lead forward.' About Operation HOPE: Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to "silver rights" with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $4.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. For more information: Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. About the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation: The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation is dedicated to combating antisemitism and bigotry through Holocaust education and remembrance. AJCF operates the last remaining synagogue in Oświęcim, Poland and reaches global audiences through programs that promote tolerance, ethical leadership, and historical truth.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
2 Tacoma officers who saved man from burning car awarded Medal of Valor
Officers Victor Celis and Cory Correia did not think twice before they rescued David Brooks from his burning car two months ago. For that, they've received a prestigious award Thursday. Celis and Correia were dispatched April 29 to the 900 block of South 96th Street for a single-car crash. A car had struck a pole and fence, with its engine compartment fully engulfed in flames, according to the Tacoma Police Department. Brooks had been driving the vehicle and was still inside when the officers arrived. 'The only thing I remember at that point was I came back to senses, or whatever it might have been, noticing that my airbag had deployed, my car's on fire and I pressed my panic alarm,' Brooks told The News Tribune at a ceremony held to honor Celis and Correia. 'The operator comes on and I said, 'My car's on fire, and I don't think I can get up.'' Celis and Correia pulled Brooks out of the car and had to navigate the smoke, flames and downed wires to move him to a safe distance from the fire. 'Once I was basically at safety, the only thing else I heard was, boom. The car had exploded,' Brooks said. The incident left Brooks with a crushed heel and several fractured bones in his body. Brooks said he was in the ICU and eventually taken to a general room at a hospital. Now, he is going through rehabilitation and recovery. Celis told The News Tribune that saving Brooks was just instinct. 'You don't think about what you're doing. You just go in and you get it done,' Celis said, 'You gotta help him, that's the whole point.' For the rescue, Celis and Correia were awarded the Medal of Valor at the police headquarters. This medal is the highest honor given to police officers in the country for acts of bravery and heroism that went beyond what is normally expected. Both officers told The News Tribune they had learned they were being awarded the Medal of Valor once the ceremony began. 'It feels great,' Correia said when he was asked how receiving the honor felt. 'I think the chief made a good point saying that any one of these other officers would do the exact same thing.' Correia has been with TPD since 2019, while Celis joined the department in 2022. Celis has been in law enforcement for 28 years, and will be joining the Fircrest Police Department in July as their newest chief of police. Interim Police Chief Patti Jackson awarded Celis and Correia their medals during the ceremony as members of the department watched. City manager Elizabeth Pauli, family members of the officers, Brooks and his family also were in attendance. 'Despite the spreading fire, both officers put themselves in harm's way to save the driver's life without waiting for assistance from the Fire Department,' Lt. Shawn Mallot said at the ceremony. Brooks' brother, Steven, thanked the officers in his remarks during the ceremony. He said he had written a letter to Jackson in May, which summarized how grateful his family was. 'These officers are a very good example of what being an unselfish hero is all about,' he said.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dad Died in Crash Hours After Birth of 5th Baby. Now Wife Adjusts to Life as a Single Mom with a Newborn (Exclusive)
Captain Marvin Taylor III was a committed father and husband, working overtime to provide for his growing family Tragically, he died hours after his wife gave birth to their fifth child His grieving family is still in "disbelief," Fire Chief James Kubinski tells PEOPLEA Texas fire captain died hours after welcoming his fifth baby and weeks after his death, his grieving family and coworkers are still grappling with their new reality. 'Your fifth child comes into the world and, a few hours later, you leave to go check on the other four kids and pick them up to bring them back to meet their new sibling.' Fire Chief James Kubinski, who worked with Captain Marvin Taylor III before the fatal accident on Mother's Day, tells PEOPLE. "He never came back," adds Kubinski. Taylor had just left a hospital in Austin after meeting his newborn when he was hit from behind in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 11. 'It was an intoxicated driver traveling at over a hundred miles per hour,' says Kubinski, 49. 'That driver was immediately detained by police and arrested." Officials told CBS affiliate KWTX that 34-year-old Rodney Bremby was arrested in Taylor's death. A spokesperson for the Travis County Jail confirms to PEOPLE that Bremby arrived on May 11 and was held on a $103,000 bond. He is charged with intoxication manslaughter and was released two days later on a personal recognizance bond. The spokesperson says he will wear an ankle monitor until his court date. It is unclear if Bremby has retained representation. An investigation is ongoing, the Austin Police Department confirms to PEOPLE. The City of Austin Municipal Court did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. In the weeks since Taylor's death, his family is still in 'disbelief,' says Kubinski. Now Taylor's wife is not only 'adjusting to a newborn, but she's adjusting to a newborn without her husband," he remarks. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The fire department in Killeen — which consists of 264 sworn civil service personnel and about a dozen administrative staff — is also shaken by the sudden loss of one of its longstanding leaders. Taylor joined the fire department in 2014, and recently started working in the training division 10 months ago. He quickly doubled the pool of new applicants from approximately 150 to 400 in that short period. Kubinski admired his passion and commitment to the job, adding that he couldn't speak any higher of someone in Taylor's position. Last fall, as a heavy storm system ravaged parts of Texas, the captain was one of three service members deployed from the Killeen Fire Department. During that deployment, Taylor helped save a stranger from floodwaters, for which he received a Medal of Valor. 'That was part of the eulogy that was shared by one of his shift mates,' says Kubinski. 'They talked about that incident with so much pride.' The captain was the sole provider for his growing family, often taking extra shifts to support his wife and children. The kids, all boys, were named after Catholic saints. In one of Kubinski's last interactions with Taylor, they talked about the new baby. 'I said, 'Which baby is this? Which number is this?' He said, 'This is my number five,' ' recalls Kubinski, who joked that Taylor could have his own 'engine company.' 'He laughed,' says Kubinski. 'He was a family man.' The fire chief says that navigating the news of Taylor's death has been one of the hardest things he's personally experienced, as it has been for many who knew Taylor. Despite their collective pain, the department rallied around Taylor's family. A two-person honor guard stood over Taylor's remains for 10 days, which was followed by a funeral service at a catholic church in Copperas Cove, a miles-long procession and final honors at the graveside. Separately, a fund that was created in Taylor's memory has raised more than $145,000 as of Tuesday, June 3. 'We're still grieving,' remarks Kubinski, who says there are still moments when they get teary-eyed when thinking about what the captain would have done or said. "We're still hurting.' Read the original article on People
