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Local Lake Levels & Weather………..…..Page 2
Obituaries…………………………….…...Page 4
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Community Calendar…………….…….…Page 7
Reflections Online by John Holthe……….Page 8
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Financial News…………….……………..Page 12
Monday, Feb. 17, 2020
Between March 12 and
March 20, invitations to partici-
pate in the 2020 Census will
start arriving in households
across the country.
“The Census Bureau is ready
for the nation to respond next
month,” said Census Bureau
Director Dr. Steven Dilling-
ham. “Millions of Americans
are applying for 2020 Census
jobs, more than 270,000 local
and national organizations are
engaged, and in less than 30
days the majority of U.S.
households will receive an invi-
tation to re-
spond to help
ensure that
every person
in the U.S. is
counted.”
“The 2020 Census is on mis-
sion, on schedule, and on budg-
et to promote an accurate
count,” Dillingham continued.
“Response is important because
statistics from the census are
used in distrib-
uting where hun-
dreds of billions
in funding for
school lunches,
hospitals, roads and much
more. The invitations will re-
mind respondents to include
everyone living in the house-
hold, whether they are related
or not. This includes young
children. Your response will
impact communities for the
next decade.”
“The Census Bureau has suc-
cessfully tested its data collec-
tion systems, has built backup
systems to support resilient
operations, and is ready to re-
ceive responses from all around
the country,” added Dilling-
ham.
This invitation will include
instructions on how to respond
to the 2020 Census online or by
phone. By April 1, most house-
Less than a month til 2020 Census invitations are sent out
This invitation will include instructions on how to
respond to the 2020 Census online or by phone.
See CENSUS page 9
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Lt.
Governor Matt Pinnell unveiled the state’s
new brand. The brand is a result of nine
months of work by a volunteer committee
consisting of more than 140 creatives.
“As Secretary of Tourism and Branding,
Lt. Governor Pinnell has traveled to com-
munities across Oklahoma and personally
experienced everything our state has to
offer,” said Gov. Stitt. “His enthusiasm
and passion for our state and people is evi-
dent, and he charged full steam ahead to
pull together creatives from all over the
state to form and launch this new brand for
Oklahoma. With this new brand, we will
work to breathe new life into tourism, job
recruitment, investors, and much more.”
“Last summer I invited more than 200 of
Oklahoma’s brightest and most creative
designers, marketing experts, communica-
tions professionals, videographers and
photographers to join me in creating a new
brand for Oklahoma,” said Lt. Gov. Pin-
nell, “Their task was to develop a cohe-
sive, new brand for Oklahoma that best
represents our heritage and history, our
booming industry, our beautiful one of a
kind vistas, and most importantly, our
greatest asset – our people. The vision be-
hind this effort is to position Oklahoma as
a top-tier destination for visitors, business-
es, talent and citizens.”
Joining Gov. Stitt and Lt. Gov. Pinnell
on stage was business and civic leader
Steve Hendrickson, government affairs
director for The Boeing Company and
member of the Board of Directors for the
Oklahoma Business Roundtable.
“As a representative in Oklahoma’s aero-
space and aviation industry, I have experi-
enced first-hand the challenges Oklahoma
faces when representing our State as a top-
tier destination for capital investment, ex-
pansion, relocation and recruitment of new
employees,” Hendrickson said. “Together,
as Oklahomans, we can reverse these per-
ceptions of being ‘one of those states in the
Oklahoma’s new brand unveiled: Imagine That
The shapes and colors reflect the earth,
sky, water, agriculture and forest. A white
star in the middle of the brand is a power-
ful symbol of America and on the original
flag of the state. The chevrons outlining
the star acknowledge Oklahoma’s mili-
tary. All the elements form a circle and
direct energy inward, highlighting Okla-
homa as a hub at the center of America.
See BRAND page 9
According to reports from the Oklahoma
Highway Patrol, a fatal car crash happened on
U.S. Highway 62 Sunday afternoon, Feb. 16,
just after 5:30 PM.
The single vehicle crash happened approxi-
mately eight and a half miles outside of Altus
when a pickup truck departed the right side of
the road and stuck a guardrail, pinning the driv-
er, Kathy James of Altus.
James was pronounced dead at the scene.
James was a counselor at Altus Early Child-
hood Center.
In a statement from Altus Public School’s
Superintendent Roe Worbes, he said, “Our
deepest condolences go out to her family. Mrs.
James spent her career serving the students of
Altus Public Schools. She will be dearly missed.
Her family is in our thoughts and prayers.”
The cause of the collision is under investiga-
tion.
Altus educator dies in fatal car crash
Kathy James
Page 2
Page 2 Sunrise Online News
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Page 3
OKLAHOMA CITY – State
officials including Gov. Kevin
Stitt, Attorney General Mike
Hunter and Department of Cor-
rections (DOC) Director Scott
Crow announced today that the
state has found a reliable sup-
ply of drugs to resume execu-
tions by lethal injection.
The state will use an updated
version of the previous protocol
that includes recommendations
by the 2016 multicounty grand
jury. The three drugs that will
continue to be used are: mid-
azolam, vecuronium bromide
and potassium chloride.
Additionally, officials with
the Attorney General’s Office
have complied with the notice
provisions of the joint stipula-
tions, thus enabling the state to
request execution dates for in-
mates who have exhausted their
appeals after 150 days.
“It is important that the state
is implementing our death pen-
alty law with a procedure that is
humane and swift for those
convicted of the most heinous
of crimes,” Gov. Stitt said.
“Director Crow and Attorney
General Mike Hunter have
worked diligently and thor-
oughly to create a path forward
to resume the death penalty in
Oklahoma, and the time has
come to deliver accountability
and justice to the victims who
have suffered unthinkable loss
and pain.”
Although the state previously
announced the move to nitro-
gen hypoxia as the preferred
method of execution, the 2015
law allowing the state to devel-
op a method for nitrogen hy-
poxia specifically states death
sentences shall be carried out
by nitrogen hypoxia only if the
drugs for lethal injections are
unavailable.
“My commitment to Oklaho-
mans who remain tormented by
the loss of their loved ones has
been that we would go any
route necessary to resume exe-
cutions as expeditiously as pos-
sible within the rule of law,”
Attorney General Hunter said.
“They have endured enough
through the decades of waiting
on the lengthy appeals process
and the state’s attempts to get
the protocol right. I appreciate
Director Crow and his team for
their tireless search to acquire
the drugs from a reliable
source. Because of these ef-
forts, we can finally tell the
victims their wait for justice is
nearly over.”
The updated protocol includes
several of the recommendations
by the 2016 multicounty grand
jury, including a verification of
execution drugs at every step in
the process, more training for
the execution teams, among
others.
Also, consistent with the multi-
county grand jury recommen-
dations, the DOC continues to
work on a protocol that will
allow the state to proceed by
execution through nitrogen
hypoxia when appropriate.
“Under this enhanced protocol,
Oklahoma Department of Cor-
rections stands ready to resume
executions recommended by a
jury of peers, sentenced by an
impartial judge, and mandated
by law,” Director Crow said. “I
thank Governor Stitt and Attor-
ney General Hunter for their
leadership, which helped create
this improved process. Addi-
tionally, I am deeply grateful
for the patience of victims’
families and loved ones as we
worked to ensure Oklahoma’s
executions resume and are car-
ried out in a meticulous man-
ner.”
Sunrise Online News Page 3
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State officials announce plans to
resume execution by lethal injection Updated protocol includes
recommendations by multicounty grand jury “The time has come to deliver accountabil-
ity and justice to the victims who have suf-
fered unthinkable loss and pain.”
- Gov. Kevin Stitt
Page 4
Willey Sue Willey, age 78 of Altus,
Oklahoma and formerly of
Fairfield, California, passed
away Friday, February 14, 2020
at the Magnolia Creek Care
Center in Altus.
Memorial Services will be
later in February 2020 at the
Lowell-Tims Funeral Chapel in
Altus, Oklahoma.
Arrangements are under the
direction of Lowell-Tims Fu-
neral Home and Crematory,
Altus, Oklahoma.
McGough Alice McGough, age 71 of
Granite, Oklahoma, passed
away Sunday, February 16,
2020 in Granite, Oklahoma.
Funeral arrangements are
Pending Under the direction of
Greer Funeral home, Granite,
Oklahoma
To sign the online guest book
and share memories with the
family please visit
www.GreerFuneral.com
Chastain Herman Darrell “Butch”
Chastain went to his heavenly
home on February 13, 2020, in
Mangum, OK, at the age of 77
years, 7 months and 27 days.
Butch was born July 16, 1942,
at home in King City, Califor-
nia to Leon “Herman” and
Gladys Mae (Roberts) Chas-
tain. Nicknamed by his sister,
Pat, she started calling him
Butch at a young age. He at-
tended school in California,
where his family had moved
during the depression, until
1956 and his family returned to
Blair, Oklahoma. Butch gave
his life to Christ at the age of
16 at the First Baptist Church in
Blair, OK. Butch graduated as
Valedictorian of his class in
1960 from Blair High School
where he played basketball and
baseball. He excelled in both
sports, but his true love was
baseball where he was selected
as an All-State left-handed
pitcher. He played American
Legion baseball as well as mi-
nor league baseball. Several
MLB teams wanted to draft
him right out of high school.
The Dodgers were there on the
last day of school and he said if
it would have been the Yankees
he would have signed. His de-
sire was to attend college. He
had numerous college scholar-
ship offers to play baseball,
some from SWOSU, OU, Univ.
of Texas, and OSU where he
attended and played until 1965.
Butch also steer wrestled some
and he met the love of his life
Patsy Pride at a play day in
Blair, OK. With much coaxing,
she finally went on a date with
him and they were later married
at the First United Methodist
Church in Altus, OK, on June
10, 1966. Butch and Patsy then
attended Oklahoma Panhandle
State University, Goodwell,
OK, together until he graduated
with a degree in Animal Sci-
ence in 1968. He took a job
with the Oklahoma Health De-
partment as a dairy inspector
and they moved to Sayre. They
later moved to Hext and finally
to the farm south of Sayre. He
worked for the health depart-
ment for 10 years. He moved
his family for four years to Al-
tus to help out with the meat
processing business after his
father in-law passed. He also
owned and ran a convenience
store In Altus during this time.
They sold the businesses and
moved back to the family farm
where he farmed. He later
worked for Puckett’s Grocery
as a butcher and drove a truck
for Galmors for 12 years until
his precious wife became ill
and he lovingly and unselfishly
took care of her for over 15
months until her death on Sept
8, 2019.Butch and Patsy were
married for over 53 years and
have three children, Jan, Kert
and Casey. Butch raised race-
horses at one point and he and
Patsy made many trips to Raton
and Ruidoso, NM, to the races.
He enjoyed meeting people and
visiting with family and
friends. He never met a
stranger. He always had a smile
and hug for his children and
grandchildren. He enjoyed
watching his children grow up
and play ball. He also loved his
grandchildren and enjoyed lis-
tening about all their activities,
especially their sports contests.
He spent his time watching his
Dallas Cowboys, Sooners,
Thunder, and helping his
friends with whatever he could.
He loved working on his farm
and talking about his cattle. He
was always so proud of his calf
crop and would describe each
calf that was born to Patsy and
as he became ill his face lit up
when he was told all about his
new calves. Butch was a giv-
ing, loving, and kind man. He
attended the First Baptist
Church, Carter, OK. Through
our family’s journey the past
two years he kept the faith al-
ways believing in the power of
prayer, miracles, and trusting in
the Lord. He is preceded in
death by his wife Patsy, his
parents, and one infant sister,
Opal Mae.
Butch is survived by his three
children, Jan Thompson and
husband Clyde, Granite, OK,
Kert Chastain Sayre, OK, Ca-
sey Cayot and husband Chris,
Enid, OK. Six grandchildren,
MaKenzie and Reed Thomp-
son; Camden, Cooper, Conley,
and Callum Cayot; one sister,
Pat Beakey, Tucson, AZ; neph-
ews Bryon Wright, Tommy
Pride, James Pride, nieces
Belinda Morgan, and Tina Kel-
so, and many special friends
and relatives.
Services for Butch Chastain
were held Monday, February
17, 2020 at the First Baptist
Church in Carter, with Pastor
Ralph Chapman officiating.
Interment was to follow at Blair
Cemetery. Butch passed from
this life on February 13, 2020
in Mangum.
On-line condolences for Butch
can be made by visit-
ing www.peoplescooperativefu
neralhome.com
Weatherford Betty Jo Weatherford, 85,
Altus, passed away on Sunday,
February 16, 2020 at her home.
Services are pending with the
Kincannon Funeral Home and
Cremation Service.
Runividge Lilly Deen Runividge, 95,
Altus, passed away on Satur-
day, February 15, 2020 in Pla-
no, Texas. Services are pending
with the Kincannon Funeral
Home and Cremation Service.
Page 4 Sunrise Online News
Obituaries
Page 5
Sunrise Online News Page 5
Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020
1:49 a.m., reckless driving, 700 blk E.
Broadway
3:33 a.m., disturbance, 1800 N. Main
3:52 a.m., check suspicious subject in
Fat Daddy’s parking lot
7:37 a.m., auto burglar interior motion
alarm, 1117 Sheryl Lane
9:54 a.m., check suspicious subject in
alley, 800 blk E. Walnut
10:14 a.m., upstairs motion alarm,
Western Prairie Vet Clinic
12:20 p.m., male subject shooting a gun
behind the horse barn on Market Road
12:44 p.m., pit bull trying to get into
her back yard to attack her dog, 1016
N. Thomas
1:11 p.m., burglary, 901 Hazel
1:17 p.m., dog charging her when she
tries to get out of the vehicle, 1214 Inis
2:02 p.m., animal bite, enroute to ER
2:53 p.m., larceny shoplifting, 2500 N.
Main
4:08 p.m., animal bite, 1305 Springfield
5:06 p.m., assault and battery, 1332 N.
Thomas
5:12 p.m., reckless driving, Hwy 283
6:59 p.m., fire alarm, 1200 E. Pecan
9:31 p.m., assault and battery, 1200 E.
Pecan
10:00 p.m., person in pickup threw a
bottle out the window at him hitting the
windshield and breaking it, 62 and Park
Lane
10:11 p.m., intoxicated person with a
beer in the lobby of the hospital
10:36 p.m., three shoplifters, 2500 N.
Main
Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 12:04 a.m., alarm, CBD Plus USA
12:56 a.m., domestic disturbance, 2101
E. Broadway
1:31 a.m., check suspicious vehicle, in
east alley of 100 blk N. Hightower
2:06 a.m., intoxicated driver, headed
onto Veterans from the intersection of
Broadway and Veterans
1:00 p.m., stolen property, report to PD
1:53 p.m., grass fire, 16320 SCR 198
2:54 p.m., reckless driving, E. Broad-
way
2:56 p.m., accident with unknown inju-
ries, 301 W. Broadway
5:20 p.m., fire, 3 east and mile half
north of Blain
5:28 p.m., assault and battery, 605 Sat-
urn
5:31 p.m., alarm, 1819 Hollywood
7:12 p.m., someone set a pile of stuff
on fire then left and now the flames are
getting pretty high, 206 and 159
7:17 p.m., larceny shoplifting, 2500 N.
Main
8:17 p.m., disturbing the peace, 805
Kathy
9:01 p.m., larceny shoplifting, 2500 N.
Main
10:25 p.m., disturbing the peace, 300
blk N. Jackson
10:27 p.m., animal nuisance, 1206
Northtowne Dr
Friday, Feb. 14, 2020 2:00 a.m., check suspicious vehicle at
storage units on Falcon Road
2:23 a.m., truck sitting on the east side
of the dispensary, W. Broadway
6:22 a.m., commercial burglar alarm,
motion in art gallery 123 W. Commerce
NBC building
7:14 a.m., sexual assault, 1101 Stepha-
nie Lane
9:30 a.m., property damage to fence, F
Street
10:20 a.m., burglary, 400 S. Veterans
12:36 p.m., reckless driving, heading
east
12:52 p.m., vicious animal, 505 S. Nav-
ajoe
1:19 p.m., panhandling, 220 E. Broad-
way
1:56 p.m., non-injury accident, Trail
Drive
3:08 p.m., check subject slapping him-
self, 813 N. Main
3:12 p.m., alarm, Stockman’s Bank
ATM
4:46 p.m., remove subject, 1001 N.
Chalmers
4:59 p.m., domestic disturbance, 405
Saturn
7:40 p.m., door open on vacant house,
1213 Scott
8:44 p.m., hall motion alarm, 1417 Al-
lyson Circle
8:57 p.m., non-injury accident, medical
clinic parking lot, Park Lane and
Broadway
9:21 p.m., dogs trying to attack her in
the front yard, 822 W. Walnut
Altus Police Log
Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020
Laurie Diane Walter, 37, application to accelerate
Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020
Dillon Dewayne Burns, 28, hold for Tillman County
Jose Felix Cruz, 30, hold for Greer County
Candren Nichole Lee, 32, resisting executive officer,
petit larceny, motion to revoke
Just Leigh Luna, 24, DUI
Enriqueta Naranjo-Ortiz, 36, defective vehicle, no valid drivers license
Daniel Ray Payne, 34, petit larceny, failure to pay
Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Jose Guerrero, 39, assault and battery
Arrests
LOOKING FOR TIPS The Altus Police Department is seeking
information regarding the identity of the
two pictured females. They are wanted for
questioning regarding a credit card fraud
investigation. These particular pictures
were taken at a liquor store in Chickasha,
Oklahoma. If you know the identities of
either female, please contact the Altus
Police Department at (580)482-4121 or
the Jackson County Crimestoppers at
(580)482-TIPS (8477). You can remain
anonymous.
Page 6
ALTUS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP 107 N. Hudson, Altus ALTUS CHURCH OF CHRIST 600 W. Pecan, Altus ALTUS CHURCH OF GOD 900 S. Park Lane, Altus ALTUS GRACE UNITED METHODIST 620 S. Park Lane, Altus ALTUS KOREAN NAZARENE 800 N. Julian, Altus CHURCH OF GOD OF PROPHECY 1000 S. Kennedy, Altus ELM & HUDSON CHURCH OF CHRIST 400 N. Hudson, Altus EMMANUEL BAPTIST 800 N. Forrest, Altus FAITH LUTHERAN 2401 N. Park Lane, Altus FIRST BAPTIST 300 N. Main, Atlus FIRST PRESBYTERIAN 208 E. Cypress, Altus FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF ALTUS 317 N. Main, Altus FREEDOM CHURCH 1400 Falcon Road, Altus FRIENDSHIP BAPTIST 16010 S. CR 210, Altus GLAD TIDINGS ASSEMBLY OF GOD 1505 E. Tamarack, Altus HIGHLAND HEIGHTS UNITED METHODIST 1911 N. Main, Altus HOLY REVIVAL CENTER 519 Martin Lutehr King, Altus MACEDONIA BAPTIST 721 Martin Luther King, Altus MARTHA ROAD BAPTIST 20388 E. CR 158, Altus SAINT JOHN’S BAPTIST 620 Martin Luther King, Altus
SALVATION ARMY 1100 N. Park Lane, Altus SOUTHSIDE BAPTIST 1100 Asalee, Altus ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL 721 N. Thomas, Altus VICTORY BAPTIST 1200 S. Park Lane, Altus FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH 2501 N. Park Lane, Altus PRINCE OF PEACE CATHOLIC 1500 Falcon Road, Altus RELEVANT CHURCH OF ALTUS 701 W. Broadway, Altus ALTUS SDA CHURCH 1304 N. Chalmers, Altus APOSTOLIC TRUTH UPC 2400 Galaxy Dr, Altus FIRST CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST 900 S. Main, Altus CORNERSTONE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 900 S. Main, Altus FAMILY WORSHIP CENTER 1100 N. Park Ave, Altus NEW COVENANT MISSION INC 2515 N. Main, Altus OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN 1901 Falcon Road, Altus PRIMERA IGLESIA 401 E. Liveoak, Altus CHRIST WAY CHRISTAN CHURCH 2200 N. Main, Altus NEW HOPE BAPTIST 400 S. Willard, Altus TEMPLO SINAI 805 N. Blain, Altus TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH 1300 N. Benson, Altus
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. – Psalm 46:1
Page 6 Sunrise Online News
Christian-94.5 FM 6 AM- Noon and 6 PM to Midnight. Mon - Fri “Anyone who does not
love does not know God,
because God is love.’”
1 John 4:8
Galatians 6:9
Page 7
The Armed Services YMCA will be holding
their 9th annual Chocolate
and Wine Festival on Fri-
day, Feb. 21. The event will
be held at the Unforgettable
Event Center this year, located
at 1104 N. Spurgeon, from 7-9
PM. Tickets are $25 per per-
son or $40 per couple, and are
available at NBC Bank, Holi-
day Inn Express & Suites, the
ASYMCA office, or by con-
tacting Emily at (580) 481-
6523 or by email:
[email protected] .
Proceeds benefit the Altus
Armed Services YMCA pro-
grams.
Shortgrass Arts Institute is
sponsoring a Painting with
Acrylics Class with Linda
Stokes on Feb. 24, 25, & 27
from 6 to 9 PM at the Altus
Public Library, 421 N. Hudson.
Cost of the class is $30 and all
materials are included. This
class is for adults and students
ages 16 & up. Partial funding
for these classes is provided by
the Oklahoma Arts Council and
the National Endowment for
the Arts. Please call the Altus
Public Library, 477-2890, for
more information or to sign up
for the class.
The Altus Pop Expo 2020
will be held Friday, Feb. 28
starting with a mixer from 6-8
PM, followed by the Saturday
event from 10 AM to 6 PM.
There will also be a Monster
Ball held from 7:30 PM to
Midnight. Advance tickets are
$10 per day or $15 for the
weekend. At the door prices
are $15 for the day or $20 for
the weekend. Cost to attend
the Monster Ball is $25 per
person. The event will be held
at The Wind and Stone in
Lone Wolf.
A Daddy and Daughter Dance featuring 80’s music
will be held Feb. 29 from 7 to
9 PM at the Altus Community
Center, 401 Falcon Road.
Cost for the dinner and
dance is $29 per couple and $5
per additional child/adult. If
you just want to come for the
dance, the cost is $10 per cou-
ple and $3 per additional child/
adult. Tickets are bring sold at
the Altus City Gym, 601 Katy
Drive, and at playaltus.com.
Dinner tickets must be pur-
chased in advance by Feb. 21.
Altus Parks and Recreation is
hosting their 1st annual
Shamrock Shootout Boys and
Girls Basketball Tournament
March 19-21. The event is for
children kindergarten through
the 8th grade. There is a three-
game guarantee, and team entry
fee is $150. The team roster
information needs to be sub-
mitted by Sunday, March 15.
To registers, go to
www.PlayAltus.com, or for
more information, contact
[email protected]
Narcotics Anonymous meets
Mondays at the Church of
Christ, 1000 E. Tamarack from
6 to 7 PM. This is an open
meeting. Entrance is on the
west side of the building.
For more information, call or
text Angie P. at 909-638-5240,
Charlotte H. at 580-706-0551
or Emily C. at 580-481-8221.
Sunrise Online News Page 7
500 S. Main in Altus, Ok (580) 482-0106
Dedicated To Clean Water!
Open 8-5 Mon-Fri Closed 12-1 for lunch
Open Saturday
8 AM to Noon
We have 3 & 5 Gallon Bottles
Available, Plus 1 Gallon,
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Need A Reverse Osmosis System or
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ROBERT ‘BOB’ PRESTON—OWNER
Feb. 28 thru March 1 at the
Jackson County Fair Grounds
Page 8
Hello, Readers! I hope this
column gets printed. This is the
second time I've written it. I
had it all ready to go yesterday,
but Nancy Pelosi got her hands
on it and ripped it in half so I
had to write it again. I'd like to
start this column by saying
"Congratulations" to Kennedy
Martin for winning the 2020
Miss Altus Pageant which is a
contest held every year to see
which contestant misses Altus
the most. Bethany Garrison,
Angela Nichols and Alyssa
Williamson were the runner-
ups which must mean they're
really good at running up the
stairs...which is quite hard to do
in high heels I've heard. Angela
Nichols also received the Most
Photogenic Award which
means she is pretty as a picture.
Mariah Flores was the Miss
Congeniality Winner which
means she was the contestant
who resembled Sandra Bullock
the most. Meadow Goodwin
won the Pizazz Award which is
an award I was interested in
winning until I learned pizazz is
not a type of pizza.
The title of the pageant was
"Crowning Reflections." I
thought it was sweet of the pag-
eant coordinators to include the
name of my column in the title.
If they do that again next year I
would like the opportunity to
change a few things about the
pageant. I think turning the pag-
eant into a Paintball version of
"The Walking Dead" or even
"The American Ninja Warrior"
would be a nice change of pace.
Being smart, congenial, photo-
genic and having pizazz is all
well and good, but I think the
qualities that Miss Altus should
have are the ability to take out
zombies while completing an
obstacle course in five minutes
or less.
I think the Talent portion of
the pageant should include ac-
tivities that might be a chal-
lenge to the young women of
today such as dialing a rotary
phone, finding a book in the
library using the Dewey Deci-
mal System, using and folding a
paper map and seeing who can
go longest without their phones.
I also think that talents like jug-
gling flaming chainsaws or
wrestling alligators in a shark
tank should be allowed in the
pageant. I have nothing against
singing and dancing, mind you.
I just think that the contestants
should try to come up with tal-
ents that the audience has not
seen before. Think about it,
how could a contestant lose the
pageant if they made contact
with aliens from another galaxy
while on stage? Another thing I
would change is the Evening
Gown portion of the pageant.
Instead of wearing Evening
Gown outfits, I want the con-
testants to wear Evening Clown
outfits: Funny hair, funny
makeup, big red noses that
squeak when you squeeze them,
outrageous clothes and big flop-
py shoes. What more does a
modern young woman need to
turn the heads of everybody in
the room?
As for the Interview portion
for the pageant, I think the con-
testants should have to answer
the following questions:
1. How come Tarzan does
not have a beard? He lives in a
jungle with no apparent way to
shave so what keeps his whisk-
ers off of his face?
2. If Love is blind, how can
there be love at first sight?
3. How can something be
called indescribable if the word
indescribable is a word you use
to describe something?
4. If someone says they are
speechless, doesn't the fact that
they said they were speechless
mean they are not speechless?
Shouldn't they have just stayed
quiet?
5. Why does boiling water
make pasta soft and an egg
hard?
6. Can you have a nightmare
during the day?
7. If a bunch of cats jump on
top of each other, is it still
called a dog pile?
8. What has four letters,
sometimes has nine, rarely has
six, and never has five.
9. How do the "Keep off the
grass" signs get on the grass?
Wouldn't someone have to get
ON the grass to put the sign
there?
10. Why are they called
APARTments when they are all
stuck together? Shouldn't they
be called Togetherments?
11. How come the word pho-
netic is not spelled the way it
sounds?
12. Why is the person who
invests your money called a
broker? Doesn't the word broke
mean you have no money?
13. If you don't pay your
exorcist, do you get repos-
sessed?
14. Are blazers a pyromani-
ac's choice of clothing?
15. If all the world's a stage
then where does the audience
sit?
Well, I have company com-
ing to visit my ailing loved one
so I better end this column and
get ready for whatever adven-
tures may transpire. If you want
to contact me to tell me I'm the
main beneficiary in your will,
then please drop me a line on
my Facebook page or send me
an E-mail
at johnholthe19682019@gmail.
com. In the meantime, I hope
you enjoy these jokes:
1. In an American history
discussion group, a professor is
trying to explain how society’s
idea of beauty changes with
time. “For example,” he says,
“the winner of the Miss Ameri-
ca pageant in 1921 stood five
foot one, weighed only 108
pounds, and had measurements
of 30-25-32. How do you think
she’d do in today’s version of
the contest?” The class was
silent until one woman com-
ments, “She’d lose for sure.”
“Why is that?” asks the profes-
sor. “Well for one thing,” the
student answers, “she’s proba-
bly dead."
2. I couldn't figure out why
the baseball kept getting larger.
Then it hit me.
3. Two guys are walking
through a game park & they
come across a lion that has not
eaten for days. The lion starts
chasing the two men. They run
as fast as they can and the one
guy starts getting tired and de-
cides to say a prayer, "Please
turn this lion into a Christian,
Lord." He looks to see if the
lion is still chasing and he sees
the lion on its knees. Happy to
see his prayer answered, he
turns around and heads towards
the lion. As he comes closer to
the lion, he hears the it saying a
prayer: "Thank you Lord for the
food I am about to receive."
Page 8 Sunrise Online News
My mom and I argued all day about
what to call a medieval soldier.
But it was getting late so we called it a
knight.
Page 9
Sunrise Online News Page 9
households will have received
an invitation delivered either by
mail or by a census taker. In
areas of the country that are
less likely to respond online, a
paper questionnaire will be
included in the initial mailing
to households. Reminder mail-
ings will be sent to households
that do not respond, and in the
fourth mailing every household
that has not yet responded will
receive a paper questionnaire.
Once households receive in-
vitations, please respond to the
2020 Census by using the pro-
vided Census ID. If a house-
hold is unable to enter the Cen-
sus ID people can still respond,
by providing an address.
Whether people respond online,
by phone or by mail, it is im-
portant to respond right away.
Below is a timeline of how and
when the Census Bureau will
invite households to complete
the 2020 Census questionnaire:
March 12-20: Initial invitations
to respond online and by phone
will be delivered by the U.S.
Postal Service. Areas that are
less likely to respond online
will receive a paper question-
naire along with the invitation
to respond online or over the
phone.
March 16-24: Reminder letters
will be delivered.
March 26-April 3: Reminder
postcards will be delivered to
households that have not re-
sponded.
April 8-16: Reminder letters
and paper questionnaires will
bedelivered to remaining
households that have not re-
sponded.
April 20-27: Final reminder
postcards will be delivered to
households that have not yet
responded before census takers
follow up in person.
If a household does not respond
to any of the invitations, a cen-
sus taker will follow up in per-
son sometime between May 13
and July 31.
A sample of the 2020 Census
paper questionnaire and pre-
view of the online question-
naire is available, along with
more information about when
most people will receive
their invitations in the mail.
The 2020 Census questionnaire
is available online and by
phone in English and 12 addi-
tional languages: Spanish, Chi-
nese, Vietnamese, Korean,
Russian, Arabic, Tagalog,
Polish, French, Haitian Creole,
Portuguese, and Japanese.
These 13 languages cover the
language needs of over 99% of
all U.S. households. To help
ensure a complete count of
everyone, the Census Bureau
will also provide video lan-
guage guides, print language
guides and language glossaries
in 59 non-English languages,
including American Sign Lan-
guage, Braille, and Large Print.
The U.S. Constitution man-
dates a census of the population
every 10 years. Census statis-
tics help determine the number
of seats each state holds in the
U.S. House of Representatives
and how billions of dollars in
federal funds are allocated to
state and local communities for
the next 10 years.
For more information about
the 2020 Census,
visit 2020census.gov.
Census Continued from page 1
middle’ and instead we will
create an awareness that we are
the very center of the United
States.”
The Oklahoma Department of
Commerce has updated its web-
site and social channels to rep-
resent the new brand.
“Commerce is excited to em-
brace the new brand unveiled
by Governor Stitt and Lt. Gov-
ernor Pinnell and for the oppor-
tunities it will provide us to
better market our state’s eco-
nomic development potential,”
said Brent Kisling, Executive
Director, Oklahoma Depart-
ment of Commerce. “We pride
ourselves on the collaborative
nature of our state — the way
we work together to
help Oklahomans and the way
various entities work side-by-
side to bring in new jobs and
investment and help Oklaho-
mans and Oklahoma companies
thrive. Together, under one
brand, we can work alongside
other state agencies
to market the value of the state
of Oklahoma to current and
future residents.”
The unveiling of the brand
was via a video created by the
volunteer team. The logo de-
sign is inspired by Oklahoma’s
heritage. The shapes and colors
reflect the earth, sky, water,
agriculture and forest. A white
star in the middle of the brand
is a powerful symbol of Ameri-
ca and on the original flag of
the state. The chevrons outlin-
ing the star acknowledge Okla-
homa’s military. All the ele-
ments form a circle and direct
energy inward, highlighting
Oklahoma as a hub at the center
of America.
The tagline “Imagine that”
conveys the idea behind the
Oklahoma brand: a state that
surprised people by defying
expectations, providing count-
less opportunities and inviting
audiences to dream of their own
personal potential.
Over the next few months, the
brand rollout will continue as
highway signs, tourism efforts,
agency websites, programs and
communications begin to im-
plement the new brand.
“Today marks the beginning
of a transformation,” said Pin-
nell. “The transformation of
Oklahoma’s statewide, national
and international image.”
Brand Continued from page 1
By Sue Hokanson,
Quartz Mountain Nature Park
February 2020’s weather has
been a rollercoaster ride. The
first two days of the month
were in the upper 70’s. Then
we had a major cold front blast
through bringing more snow,
temperatures in the single dig-
its and wind chills were brutal-
ly cold. The rest of the month
looks to be more seasonable
and stable. Highs are currently
forecasted to be in the mid to
upper 50’s and lows in the
30’s.
When temperatures are in the
70’s and 80’s everyone starts
thinking about the lake, camp-
ing, hiking and everything else.
Of course, with it being only
February a lot of Quartz Moun-
tain’s extras are still winter-
ized. All of North Shore
(including the Eagle’s Roost
ATV Area), most of the bath-
rooms in the Main Park and the
lease concessions, Quartz
Mountain Grocery Store
“Pebble’s Beach” (Putt Putt
paddle boats) have yet to open.
March 1 Quartz Mountain
Grocery Store Pebble’s Beach
kick off their seasons. Depend-
ing on weather forecasts, the
bathrooms in the Main Park
will start being opened- we do
not want to open too early and
have water lines freeze! About
spring break, the turkey vul-
tures return to Quartz Moun-
tain.
Eagle’s Roost ATV Area
opens to ATV’s April 1.
During the winter, dry/
dormant vegetation and high
temperatures the Fire Danger
has been very high.
Please be aware of your sur-
roundings, keeping an eye out
for any smoke and/or fire. Re-
port any/all fires to 9-1-1…
immediately. A small fire can
quickly explode into a blazing
inferno, when the wind is
blowing + 40 mph!
Until the spring rains wet
everything down and green up
the dormant vegetation, camp-
ing with an extra 5 gallon buck-
et (or 2) is a great idea. Fill the
bucket with water, before start-
ing your camp fire and leave it
ready to use on any stray spark.
Hopefully, you never have to
use it on sparks and it will be
handy for drowning your fire
when you are ready to leave
your campsite.
February weather has been a rollercoaster ride
When temperatures are in the 70’s and 80’s
everyone starts thinking about the lake,
camping, hiking and everything else.
Page 10
SERVICES
Need yard work done? Call
James at (580) 301-1402
Leaves racked. Also doing
painting. Call 649-8327.
ITEMS FOR FREE Plastic hamster cage and parts.
Call 482-8266
Free oak firewood. Call 318-
1152 from 10:30 AM to 3 PM.
Leave a message.
ITEMS FOR SALE
Winchester Colt AR 15. Call
471-1557.
Ashley sofa with recliners. Call
405-488-9095.
10-15 pairs of boy’s husky siz-
es 14-20). Call 318-0843.
Crosses queen-size comforter.
Call 480-2438 or 210-3016.
Watches, scanners and a bicy-
cle for sale. Stop by 721 N.
Willard.
Seasoned and ready to burn
mesquite firewood. Call 954-
2561.
Set of 22” tires and wheels
Mags $250 call 301-3640
Dr. Pepper Machine. Call 580-
377-9673
Two iPhone Xs, both are black.
$450 each or both for $800.
Each comes with a case and
charger. Call 649-6009.
Four 14” Keystone wheels.
$80. Call 580-649-9297 after 9
AM.
VEHICLES FOR SALE
2019 Jeep Cherokee 4 Wheel
Drive. $32,000 or best offer.
Sticker price $38,485. Neet to
sell this week. Under 5,500
miles. Call Curtis at 580-481-
8274. See it at 904 N. York in
Altus.
VEHICLE WANTED
I’m looking for a nice looking
car or truck in good running
condition to take me back and
forth to Oklahoma City for
doctor’s appointments. Need
something under $2,000. Please
call Phillip at 649-0794.
HELP NEEDED
Mission on Wheels needs a
ramp built. If you can help call
482-1290.
FOR RENT
3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house,
500 Sequoyah Lane. Call 481-
0430.
2 Bedroom house with cellar
and carport, 1517 Debby. Call
482-8266 for more information.
2 Bedroom house at 411 N.
Navajoe. Call 482-8266 for
more information.
LOT FOR SALE
50x160 Lot with cellar and
garage. Call 477-1240.
HELP WANTED
Are you an RN looking for a
fresh new career opportunity
that fosters professional
growth, career advancement,
teamwork, and positive work
environments that always place
the patients and their families
first?
Newly opened positions:
• Same Day Surgery
• ICU
• Women’s Center L&D
• OR RN Circulator
• Emergency Department
• RN Float Pool
• 3N Med/Surg
• 4N Orthopedics
• Harmon Memorial Hospital
RN Critical Access
Visit www.jcmh.com/careers
Looking for experienced cooks.
Must have evening and late
night availability. Apply within
at Friendship Inn Restaurant.
Harmon County Health Depart-
ment has an opening for a R.N.
III. Follow the link below for
job details, benefits package
and instructions on how to ap-
ply. Closing date for this posi-
tion is January 24, 2020.
https://www.jobapscloud.com/
OK/sup/bulpreview.asp
Red River Federal Credit Un-
ion is now hiring a full time
switchboard operator/
receptionist for the main office
in Altus.
3B Auto Sales and Service is
looking for someone to work in
the office part time pay de-
pends on experience must ap-
ply in person 1310 W. Broad-
way Altus
The JCMH Auxiliary serves
the Snack Bar, Gift Shop, OR
waiting room and the front
Desk. JCMH Hospice is always
seeking volunteers. For the
Auxiliary, contact Melissa Hu-
bert, 379-5516.
For Hospice, call Brenda Wat-
son, 379-6900.
Page 10 Sunrise Online News
Swap Shop Classifieds
FREE DANCE LESSONS
For Single Lady. Just dancing, nothing x-rated! Call 580-318-1152 between 3 PM and 9 PM or
between 7 AM and 10 AM or leave a voice mail between 10 AM and 3 PM, Monday though
Sunday.
Just Visit
Travelok.com
The starting bid on this item is just
$450 on the KWHW/KQ-106 Bids
for Bargains program. Call (580)
482-1450 to participate!
Page 11
President Trump:
I prefer not to talk politics
and this issue has more to do
with the media than anything
else. The major media was all
over the fact that President
Trump cut short his visit to
New Hampshire but they never
mentioned why he cut his visit
short. It was, in fact, to allow
him to make a trip to Delaware
to welcome home some mili-
tary heroes who were killed.
I’ve said enough so let’s stop
right here.
Some retirees have already
been pushed to off-base pro-
viders in Tricare shift:
Military retirees receiving
care on bases nationwide are
being quietly shifted to off-base
civilian providers in a transition
that has been taking place since
at least 2018, Military.com has
learned.
That’s independent of a plan
outlined in a recently obtained
memo that would close 38
treatment facilities to all
but active-duty patients.
The changes detailed in the
Feb. 3 memo are a part of a
review of military hospital op-
erations and a system consoli-
dation under the Defense
Health Agency ordered by
Congress in 2016. The memo
did not list the affected facili-
ties or make clear when the
changes would start. A report
on that review is expected to be
delivered to Congress as early
as this week.
The memo said changes
would happen “in a deliberate,
responsible fashion” and not
until officials are able to
confirm there are available
providers in the lo-
cal Tricare network.
Air Force issues new guide-
lines for beards, turbans and
hijabs:
Airmen will be allowed to
wear up to 2-inch beards under
a new Air Force guidance that
outlines grooming standards for
religious accommodations. The
updated grooming policy, pub-
lished Friday, also allows
members of the Sikh faith to
wear turbans and Muslim wom-
en to wear hijabs.
Airmen must have religious
or medical exemptions to grow
beards, the policy says. The
guidance for beards grown un-
der a shaving waiver remains
unchanged: Such whiskers
must not be trimmed to give a
sculpted appearance and cannot
exceed a quarter-inch in length,
the updated policy states.
The Air Force is following
the lead of the Army, which in
2017 became the first service to
allow Muslim and Sikh soldiers
to wear head coverings and
beards in line with their reli-
gious beliefs. A similar accom-
modation was extended later to
Norse pagan service members.
Some civilians who served in
Vietnam are getting veteran
status:
A recent ruling by the De-
fense Department has granted
veteran status to a group of
civilians who served in Vi-
etnam. Specifically, the group
consists of “Department of
the Navy civilian special agents
who served in direct support
and under control of the De-
partment of the Navy within
the Republic of Vietnam be-
tween Jan. 9, 1962,
and May 7, 1975.”
The ruling determines that
this group will be “considered
as having served on active duty
for the purposes of all laws
administered by
the Department of Veterans
Affairs.” That means that they
and their family members may
be eligible for health, disability
and burial benefits, just like
military members who served
during that time period.
They won’t, however, be
eligible for any retroactive ben-
efits. They may also be eligible
for state veteran benefits.
If the veteran is deceased, a
surviving family member may
still file the application for vet-
eran status. To receive benefits,
these veterans must first get a
DD-214 to use when applying
to state or federal agencies. To
get a DD-214, an affected per-
son must submit a DD-2168,
Application for Discharge of
Member or Survivor of Mem-
ber of Group Certified to Have
Performed Active Duty with
the Armed Forces of the United
States.
Veterans point to value of
Stars and Stripes amid pro-
posal to strip funding from
news organization:
Many veterans are speaking
out about the importance of
Stars and Stripes as a news
source for troops in light of
the Pentagon’s decision this
week to gut the historic news
agency of its annual funding to
free up more money for
what it considers to be crucial
warfighting expenses.
Stars and Stripes began oper-
ations in the Civil War and has
been a critical, and often the
only, means for troops on the
front lines to keep up with the
news back home. Even with the
post-9/11 wars occurring in the
internet age, thousands of
troops have been fighting in
war zones where digital access
is either inconvenient or nonex-
istent.
The Defense Department has
proposed in its $705.4 billion
budget for fiscal year 2021 to
cut Stars and Stripes of its more
than $15 million annual subsi-
dy, which equals about half of
the news organization’s annual
funds to pay expenses. Stars
and Stripes remaining money
comes from sales, subscriptions
and advertising.
DOD watchdog will review
military use of cancer-linked
chemical:
The Pentagon’s internal
watchdog will review the mili-
tary’s response to a cancer-
linked chemical spread in part
by its use of firefighting foam.
A class of chemicals abbreviat-
ed as PFAS has contaminated
water in at least 425 military
sites, pushing Department of
Defense (DOD) Secre-
tary Mark Esper to take action
on his first day in office and
start a task force to address the
substance.
The review from the DOD’s
Office of Inspector General
(OIG) is a response to a request
spearheaded Rep. Dan Kil-
dee (D-Mich.) that asks how
long the DOD has known
PFAS was harmful to human
health, how the military
will address cleaning up the
substance, and how it will take
care of service members and
communities harmed by
PFAS.
The question for veterans is
what military sites are affected,
what type(s) of cancer are
caused by the chemicals,
and when is the date for filing
for a benefit?
Pending legislation
PAWS for Veterans Therapy
Act Puppies Assisting Wound-
ed Service members for Veter-
ans Therapy Act or the PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act
This bill requires the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs to
implement a pilot program to
assess the effectiveness of
addressing post-deployment
mental health and post-
traumatic stress disorder
through a method where veter-
ans train service dogs for veter-
ans with disabilities.
S.3266 - Guard and Reserve
GI Bill Parity Act of 2020
A bill to amend title 38, United
States Code, to ensure that the
time during which members of
the Armed Forces serve on
active duty for training quali-
fies for entitlement to Post-9/11
Educational Assistance of the
Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, and for other purposes.
S.2594 - Veterans’ Prefer-
ence Parity Act
This bill modifies the eligibil-
ity criteria for certain veterans
to qualify for a preference in
the federal hiring process. Spe-
cifically, an individual who is
honorably discharged from
active duty service is eligible
for a veterans’ preference, if
the active duty service was
performed for more than 180
total days (currently, consecu-
Sunrise Online News Page 11
It’s official: Troops get another big
pay raise in 2021 budget request The proposed military pay raise for fiscal 2021 in the Defense Department’s budget request,
released Monday, is 3%, the second-highest pay raise for troops since 2010.
The 3% raise, following 2020’s 3.1% bump, ensures that the troops will be “well compen-
sated” and underlines DoD’s recognition that military and civilian personnel “are our most
valuable resource” in carrying out the 2018 National Defense Strategy to counter China and
Russia, according to the Pentagon’s budget overview.
Continued on page 12
Page 12
In your life, you will have all
sorts of relationships – with
your family, your friends, your
co-workers, and even with civic
groups and charitable organiza-
tions you support. But have you
ever considered another key
relationship – the one you have
with money?
Of course, this type of rela-
tionship has several aspects,
such as saving, spending and
investing. And your fellow
Americans clearly face some
challenges in these areas. For
example, in a recent survey by
financial services firm Edward
Jones, only 21% of respondents
reported that they feel happy
when thinking about saving
money, while 92% said they
see room for improvement in
their financial health. Yet only
one in four plan to improve
their spending habits. Further-
more, just 26% said retirement
was a top savings priority.
If you share some of these
concerns, what should you do?
Here are a few suggestions:
• Identify your money-related
emotions. Try to recognize the
emotions you feel in connection
with saving and investing. Do
you get nervous about spend-
ing? Does putting away money
for the future give you satisfac-
tion or not? Do you worry that
you don’t know how much you
should be investing, or whether
you’re investing in the right
way? Clearly, these types of
questions can cause some anxi-
ety – and, even more important-
ly, they may lead you to make
poor decisions. Emotions are
obviously closely tied to money
– but they really should not
play a big role in your spend-
ing, saving and investing choic-
es.
• Develop a financial strategy.
By developing a sound finan-
cial strategy, you can reduce
money-related stress and help
yourself feel empowered as you
look to the future. A compre-
hensive strategy can help you
identify your goals – a down
payment on a new home, col-
lege for your children, a com-
fortable retirement, and so on –
and identify a path toward
reaching them. Your financial
strategy should incorporate a
variety of factors, including
your age, risk tolerance, income
level, family situation and
more. Here’s the key point: By
creating a long-term strategy
and sticking to it, you’ll be far
less likely to overreact to events
such as market downturns and
less inclined to give in to im-
pulses such as “spur of the mo-
ment” costly purchases. And
without such a strategy, you
will almost certainly have less
chance of achieving your im-
portant goals.
• Get an “accountability part-
ner.” Your relationship with
money doesn’t have to be mo-
nogamous – you can get help
from an “accountability part-
ner.” Too many people keep
their financial concerns and
plans to themselves, not even
sharing them with their partners
or other family members. But
by being open about your fi-
nances to your loved ones, you
can not only avoid misplaced
expectations but also enlist the
help of someone who may be
able to help keep you on track
toward your short- and long-
term goals. But you may also
benefit from the help of a finan-
cial professional – someone
with the perspective, experi-
ence and skills necessary to
help you make the right moves.
Like all successful relation-
ships, the one you have with
money requires work. But
you’ll find it’s worth the effort.
This article provided by Emily
Smith, Edward Jones, 901
Falcon Rd., Altus, Ok.
Emily Smith
Page 12 Sunrise Online
Can You Improve Your Relationship with Money?
tive days).
Additionally, a retired mem-
ber of the Armed Forces is eli-
gible for a veterans’ preference,
even if the retiree (1) is not a
disabled veteran and (2) retired
at or above the rank of major or
its equivalent.
S.3110 - Identifying Barriers
and Best Practices Study Act of
2019
A bill to direct the Comptroller
General of the United States to
conduct a study on disability
and pension benefits provided
to members of the National
Guard and members of reserve
components of the Armed
Forces by the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and for other
purposes.
VA strengthens care and ben-
efits for Veterans with $243
billion budget request for
fiscal year 2021:
The U.S. Department of Vet-
erans Affairs (VA) has a pro-
posed $243.3 billion budget for
fiscal year (FY) 2021.
The 10.2% increase from FY
2020 will allow VA’s contin-
ued commitment to provide
Veterans with high quality
health care and timely access to
benefits and services.
“The budget request will en-
sure Veterans and their families
experience health improve-
ments and technological
modernization advancements,”
said VA Secretary Robert
Wilkie. “That’s evidenced by
the increase in budget funds
we’re receiving — that not only
increase health care services
and benefits to Veterans — but
allow VA to lead the way in
forward thinking innovation.”
Commissary Online Benefits:
It will be at least a month
before the 4.1 million newly
eligible shoppers — such as all
service-connected disabled
veterans — will have access to
the MyCommissary portal and
its benefits, officials said. The
access problem doesn’t affect
the new customers’ ability to
shop in the commissaries on
installations, or any of the other
on-installation benefits. Offi-
cials expect the access to be
available by late February or
early March, said Kevin
Robinson, spokesman for the
Defense Commissary Agency.
“We ask the new customer
groups to be patient,” he said.
That MyCommissary portal
authenticates customers’ eligi-
bility for the online access, but
it can’t do that for the 4.1 mil-
lion people who are newly eli-
gible to shop as of Jan. 1.
VA Sexual Trauma Claims:
For nearly two years, about
one in five veteran military
sexual trauma claims were
wrongfully denied or improper-
ly handled by the Department
of Veterans Affairs, officials
told Congress 5 FEB. In Sep-
tember 2019, VBA completed a
review of about 9,700 previous-
ly-denied MST claims from
Oct. 1, 2016 through June 30,
2018.
Of the 9,700 the agency re-
viewed, about 1,900 “required
additional development” so
they were initially wrongly
denied or improperly handled,
VBA Undersecretary for Field
Operations Willie Clark told
Congress. That amounts to
about one in every five MST
claims during that period being
wrongly denied or handled in-
correctly.
Since September 2019, of the
1,900 still being worked on,
Clark said VA found that about
460 deserved to be approved
and have their disability per-
centage increased. Another 500
are still being worked on, Clark
said, and about 900 claims de-
cisions were sustained or re-
mained denied. Clark said VA
approves thousands of claims
“daily” including survivor
claims. “We do get these right
in some cases,” he said.
“Where we get them wrong, we
need to know about it. If we
don’t, then we discourage more
people from coming to the VA”
The information was revealed
in a House Veterans Affairs
Committee hearing on how VA
supports military sexual trauma
survivors.
VA Mission Act:
Eight months after the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs
launched a new program to
connect veterans with private
sector doctors, the agency
doesn’t know how many ap-
pointments have been complet-
ed or how much it’s costing
taxpayers. The VA Mission
Act, a bipartisan measure in-
tended to expand veterans’ ac-
cess to private doctors, was
the subject of a congressional
hearing Wednesday. Members
of the Senate Veterans Affairs
Committee quizzed VA offi-
cials for nearly two hours about
the program’s cost, use and
ongoing implementation. Sen.
Jon Tester (D-MT) said he was
frustrated that the VA could not
forecast the cost. Congress
needs to know its funding re-
quirements, he said, especially
since President Donald
Trump’s budget proposal for
the agency in fiscal 2021 is
expected to be unveiled next
week. “Eight months into the
new community care program,
the VA has not provided – or
cannot provide – the number of
referrals that have become ap-
pointments,” Tester said.
Veterans & Active Military News Continued from page 11
