December 3, 2021

Judge won't dismiss 25 murder counts against Ohio doctor

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A judge Friday refused to dismiss the 25-count murder indictment against an Ohio doctor accused of ordering excessive painkillers for hospital patients, meaning one of the biggest cases of its kind ever brought against a U.S. health care professional will proceed toward trial.

William Husel, 46, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers say he was providing comfort care for dying patients in the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System, not trying to kill them.

Mount Carmel’s review concluded Husel ordered excessive painkillers for about three dozen patients who died over several years, but the fired doctor was charged only in cases involving at least 500 micrograms of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. The previous prosecutor on the case, who wasn’t reelected, had said using dosages that large in nonsurgical situations — for people being taken off ventilators — pointed to an intent to end lives.

Husel’s attorneys argued that during the still-secret grand jury proceedings, the prosecution must have misrepresented whether such dosages would surely be deadly, and that the resulting indictment should therefore be dismissed. They noted that prosecutors had records from a patient who was not part of the indictment who received even larger dosages and survived for days.

The current prosecutors argued Husel’s team did not prove there was any prosecutorial misconduct or that the grand jury was misled.

Franklin County Judge Michael Holbrook agreed in his decision Friday and reiterated that the defense’s “speculation” does not meet the legal threshold to merit disclosing the secret grand jury transcripts they unsuccessfully sought.

Messages seeking comment were left for Husel’s lawyers, including Jose Baez, the Florida-based attorney known for successfully defending high-profile clients such as Casey Anthony and Aaron Hernandez.

Husel’s trial is scheduled for February.

His colleagues who administered the doses were not criminally charged, but the hospital system said it fired 23 nurses, pharmacists and managers after its internal investigation. Even more were referred to their respective state boards for possible disciplinary action.

Mount Carmel has reached more than $17 million in settlements with patients’ families and estates, and more lawsuits are pending.

Husel and some of his former colleagues also filed defamation cases that accused Mount Carmel of spreading a false narrative about what happened. The health system denied that. https://apnews.com/article/health-ohio-indictments-columbus-d13e76de425f16b4a8b28471d16a2fd2

Back in the 1970's when my father was dying of cancer, the only thing the doctors could give my dad was codeine. I stood by his bed day after day praying he would die soon, not because I wished him dead but because watching him suffer from excruciating pain was one of the hardest things my family had ever endured. When my mother, and more recently my husband, were dying from cancer, hospice care was legal. Both died peacefully in their sleep instead of in agony.

If I were on that jury, I would vote "NOT GUILTY".

October 11, 2021

Today at the hospital

at the sign in desk, there was a sign "This desk takes care of two departments. Just because someone comes in after you and gets called first does not mean they got taken ahead of you." It had never been there before. Two days ago I saw a sign somewhere else sort of on the same order. What in the heck is wrong with people nowadays? Whatever happened to manners and civil discourse? Is everyone looking for something to fight with someone about?

In the first place the X-ray department has about 15 different departments and the person doing stress tests might be ready for another patient before the department doing CT scans. There is no first come, first serve. If you are there for a mammogram and that department is busy, the first person called might be someone needing an MRI and that tech is ready for that person. And across the hall the desk also signs people there for physical therapy and everyone uses the same waiting area.

I hate to think what another 10 years will bring to this country at the rate we are becoming Neanderthals.

October 8, 2021

There is something seriously wrong with out legal system

Murrysville man gets probation, house arrest in estranged wife's 2017 death


Elizabeth Arrington’s memories of Feb. 6, 2017, constantly replay in her mind.

Arrington had been trying to get in touch with her daughter but got no answer. Finally, she called her estranged son-in-law to come to her daughter’s Penn Hills home to let her in. Once he got there, he pushed the door open so Arrington could go in first.

Arrington found her oldest daughter’s body on the bedroom floor.

“I sat there, trying to wake her up, she was so very cold, she was covered in bruises,” Arrington told the court on Wednesday. “I shook her, I screamed, ‘Please wake up, please God help me.’”

She asked her son-in-law, Antonio Vecchiola, to call 911. A dispatcher told him to start CPR.

“After about 30 seconds, you got on your knees, you pumped your hands on her chest three times, you bent over to give her your breath, and you gagged, got up and walked out of the room,” Arrington told Vecchiola. “You knew she was dead.”

https://triblive.com/local/penn-hills/murrysville-man-gets-probation-house-arrest-in-estranged-wifes-2017-death/?fbclid=IwAR2TrRITsMk_p01vQVV22ywRZD5d59H77R_r0IAGNwycA1bIbAvfEvGiqVM

He pled guilty to manslaughter and got 1 year house arrest and probation.

That is not justice for beating your wife to death. That is not even a slap on the wrist.

September 27, 2021

By 2024 there won't be many GOP voters left

David Corn
@DavidCornDC
Thank you, Trump voters.
Quote Tweet
Bill Grueskin
@BGrueskin
· 1h
“In counties where Trump received at least 70% of the vote, COVID has killed 47 out of every 100,000 people since the end of June.

“In counties where Trump won less than 32% of the vote, the number is 10 out of 100,000”

https://nytimes.com/2021/09/27/briefing/covid-red-states-vaccinations.html

August 3, 2021

Police officer dies in shooting outside the Pentagon building, law enforcement sources say

Source: CNN

A police officer died Tuesday following a shooting outside the Pentagon building, according to three law enforcement sources.

While the exact circumstances of the shooting are still unclear, CNN previously reported that an officer had been shot in the incident. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency, which oversees the security of the Pentagon, did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
Pentagon Force Protection Agency Chief Woodrow Kusse will brief reporters on Tuesday afternoon with Pentagon press secretary John Kirby to provide more information
The "shooting event" occurred on the bus platform on the Pentagon complex and prompted a lockdown of the building with no personnel allowed outside, according to a message that was sent to the Pentagon workforce by the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/03/politics/pentagon-shooting-lockdown/index.html

July 30, 2021

Clean up continues after two tornadoes touch down in Ohio Valley

Twitter Share Icon
Email Share Icon
Two tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in the Ohio Valley on Thursday evening.

The first hit the ground in New Athens.

The second reached the surface in the Wintersville area.

In both cases, houses were ripped apart and trees and power lines were downed.

It was a first for New Athens Volunteer Fire Department Chief Randy Culbertson.

“I’ve with this department for 21 years, and I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude,” he said.
https://wtov9.com/news/local/two-tornadoes-confirmed-to-have-touched-down-in-ohio-valley

July 28, 2021

Ted Cruz shows up to vote on Capitol Hill in gym clothes

https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Ted-Cruz-shorts-basketball-Todd-Sunhwae-Kim-16345835.php

Sen. Ted Cruz comes to vote in workout clothes, telling reporters they scheduled a vote “in the middle” of his basketball game

Gym shorts, sweaty T-shirt and black tennis shoes. The man has no respect for anything.

February 24, 2021

Got my first shot yesterday.

Feeling very excited to be able to pick up my mentally challenged son and take him to visit some of my other adult son and daughters for the first time in a year. We can be a family again.

February 8, 2021

Thanks to whoever sent me hearts