Latest news with #ArmyReserves
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mark Pinsley files to run in competitive Pennsylvania U.S. House District
(WHTM) – Lehigh County Controller and former Auditor General candidate Mark Pinsley (D) has filed to run for Congress in Pennsylvania's 7th District, currently held by freshman Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (R). Pinsley lost the Democratic Auditor General primary in April 2024 to Malcolm Kenyatta, receiving about 35% of the vote. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now A former township commissioner, Pinsley served in the Army Reserves and was a small business owner. He touted himself in the Auditor General primary as the only Democrat 'with years of experience with auditing the government.' The 7th District Democratic primary is shaping up to be one of Pennsylvania's most competitive in the 2026 election cycle. Former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, former PPL executive Carol Obando-Derstine, and former Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure have each filed for the race. Mackenzie won the seat representing Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties, as well as parts of Monroe County, by about 4,000 votes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Hamilton Spectator
31-07-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Lively's Gerry Wagner got married on D-Day, then went to war
To reach 100 years old is quite the milestone. It is with sadness that the family of Gerald (Gerry) Wagner share that their dad is no longer here to recount his memories. He was in otherwise good health right until his last days. Born March 24, 1925, and leaving us on July 19, 2025, Wagner represented a chapter of Canadian history that is soon to disappear. 'I am writing to let you know of the passing of Private Gerald Wagner, of Lively, the last known member of The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI) who served in World War 2,' posted Captain (retired) Tim Fletcher. As a young man, Wagne joined 'RHLI late in the war and fought through some of their toughest battles towards war's end,' said Fletcher. 'I was supposed to meet him last year. The fates conspired against us getting together. I was in the Army Reserves for 36 years. I try to stay involved with as many veterans as I can.' Wagner served in Italy, then France. After hospitalization, he caught a returning English convoy to Belgium. In Holland, he was at Nijmegen, then off to Essen and ended up with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. He was then part of the occupation of Germany as part of the Queen's Own Rifles. 'The loss of someone like Pvt. Wagner is a loss not just for our regiment but for all Canadians, Fletcher said. 'His experience was a reminder of the human condition and that we have to work towards something better. It is an erosion of memory.' For this reason, donations to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #564 Lockerby Poppy Fund would be appreciated. His daughter Kathy O'Neill recalled her father's last days. 'We were just loading the motorhome on the ferry to Newfoundland and in the lineup. We got the call. We came back fast. I even offered to drive. Dad was in hospital and he waited for us. My sister was here. We were soon all here.' Like many pensioners across Sudbury, Wagner had long service with Inco (34 years.) He had been living at the Meadowbrook community (a Chartwell retirement residence in Lively) since 2015. 'So many people have come up to us and said such nice things,' O'Neill said. 'In Lively, drivers used to honk and wave to our dad. He used to be at the corner. Messages on Facebook recall him being there. He said before he passed that he just wanted peace and love.' I had an afternoon to talk with Wagner this spring. It was soon after he received the King Charles medal on his birthday. He was musing about letting his hair grow; maybe to even – he said jokingly - consider a ponytail. 'I was born in Pembroke. My dad was a diamond driller. I was later with the same company. There were five children, and I was number four. It was a happy childhood ... 'In 1941, I came up north to join my Dad. I've been here ever since. I ended up in Creighton. I met a good-looking girl. I knew she was the one for me.' Ivy (nee Hodgins) predeceased in 2009. 'It was Christmas. I proposed with a box of Laura Secord chocolates. Robert Brown Jewellers sold me a ring. There was a tray of rings. My Mum chose, and I paid in full. 'I drove my Dad's green Buick out to Creighton. I put the ring in the centre spot of the box. Ivy did not see it. She took the box, thanked me, and put the chocolates to the side. It was only when her grandmother said that Ivy should have a second look inside that she realized what was there.' Wagner had to get permission from the Canadian Army to get married. 'I was just a private. We got married on D-Day (June 6, 1944.) The church was packed … I thought they were there for our wedding, but actually the doors were open for everyone and anyone to pray. They all stayed.' The ceremony was delayed for hours. 'I was waiting patiently for Ivy as she and her parents went into town to get her flowers and found everything was closed. We were 65 years married when Ivy left us. I had no appetite, but I had my little dog.' Beauty was a Bichon and the love of Meadowbrook. She was close to Wagner's heart. 'She took sick and suffered, and she had to leave me. She was 15.' For this reason, donations to Pet Save is another of Wagner's wishes. What was the secret to his long and rewarding life? 'I quit drinking, I eat well, and no, I don't exercise,' he said in the spring. 'I moved in here. I have been in the same suite. I have been happy here.' In the summer on a nice day, you might have spotted Wagner. 'Any day I go out to the corner, and I sit and watch the cars driving by. Sometimes I get a toot-toot. I get very suntanned over the summer. 'It's been a good life. Have loving children, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren … and another coming. Life is what you make of it. If something is broken, go and fix it. If it isn't broken, don't mess with it.' Bluesky: @ X: @SudburyStar Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Winder, Gary 1943-2025 St. Joseph, Mo.
Gary Winder, 81, of St. Joseph, passed away Wednesday, July 9, 2025 in St. Joseph. He was born Nov. 24, 1943, in St. Joseph, son of Nadine Viola and Willard Winder. He graduated from Benton High School, class of 1962, and was in the Army Reserves. Gary worked at Boehringer Ingelheim in the Pharmaceutical Lab as a Supervisor. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Nancy Fredrickson; and a nephew, Steven E. Fredrickson. Survivors include brother, James (Connie) Winder, of Maine; nieces, Angie Giegerich, Tracy Kerner, and Stacey Skinsacos; nephews, Scott and Stephen Winder. Graveside funeral services and interment will be conducted on Friday, July 10, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at the Mount Auburn Cemetery. Memorials are requested to Juvenile Diabetes and an organization of donors choice. Online condolence and obituary at As published in the St. Joseph News-Press.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Mack and Stisher take charge of Decatur Police Department
Jun. 14—Growing up in Birmingham, new Decatur Police Chief Torry Mack and incoming Deputy Chief Eric Stisher were inspired by police officers who served their communities — and after two decades of doing the same, they find themselves in Decatur, eager to continue that mission. "That's the route; that's the foundation right there," Mack said on Friday. Mack was sworn in as the city's new chief June 2 and Stisher will begin his role Monday. But before these men made the decision to serve their local communities, they served their nation. Both enlisted in the U.S. Army at a young age and first met each other while they were stationed at Giessen, Germany, in the same unit. "I was field artillery and he was communications, but we were in the same battalion back in 1989," Mack said. Both men fought in the Gulf War. Mack, 55, served in the U.S. Army for 21 years and achieved the rank of master sergeant. He received the Kuwait Liberation Medal and Meritorious Service Medal. "I just enjoy helping — I did it on a national level in the military," Mack said. "Once I got off active duty, I needed a job. It was going to be in public safety — firefighter or police, whoever called first. Police called first, and I hit the ground running." Stisher, 54, said after he completed his active-duty obligations in the military, he continued serving in the Army Reserves for 24 years and retired as a 1st sergeant. He said by serving in the military and as a police officer, he has accomplished both of his career goals. "Twenty-seven years of military and four combat tours and 27 and a half years with the police department," Stisher said. Mack on March 30 retired as a captain with the Birmingham Police Department after 30 years, where he most recently served as division manager of Special Operations overseeing tactical units such as SWAT, K-9, explosives, snipers and the Crime Suppression Unit, as well as specialized teams focused on enforcement, intelligence, crime reduction and reconnaissance. Stisher retired this year as a lieutenant with the same department, having started his law enforcement career as a corrections officer in 1995 before becoming a police officer in 1997. During their time in Birmingham, Mack and Stisher worked with youth to introduce them to law enforcement and spur interest in potential careers. Instilling a vision of positive policing in the minds of young people is something Mack believes will lead them to become officers one day. He looks forward to Decatur's Explorer program that is scheduled to kick off Monday. It's aimed at educating teenagers who are interested in law enforcement careers, and he lauded the success of the same program in Birmingham. "You wouldn't believe how many participated in our Explorer program that are now sworn officers," Mack said. "That's a good pipeline to a good job." Just as he was preparing to retire after a 30-year law enforcement career, Mack said a friend in Decatur contacted him about the open police chief position left vacant by former Chief Todd Pinion in March, following a third-party review of the Police Department. "I had no idea what was going on in Decatur and I had a friend tell me I should apply," Mack said. "He mentioned some issues that were going on and I was like, 'Why would I want to apply for that?'" In the early morning hours of Sept. 29, 2023, 39-year-old Steve Perkins was shot and killed in his front yard on Ryan Drive Southwest by former Decatur police officer Mac Marquette during a botched attempt to repossess Perkins' truck. Since then, local grassroots organizations like Standing in Power and numerous individuals supporting the Perkins' family have led demonstrations demanding accountability from the Police Department. The Police Department came under scrutiny again April 15 when Decatur resident John Scott Jr., 41, was arrested by police while experiencing an apparent mental health crisis. Scott resisted officers and was tased twice and wrestled to the ground and taken into custody. After an hour in the Morgan County Jail, Scott suffered a medical episode and was taken to Decatur Morgan Hospital and later to Huntsville Hospital where he died a week later. Mack said his friend kept pushing him to apply for the job and he finally did. After watching news reports about Decatur, Mack said he knew he made the right choice. "I said, 'OK, maybe I could be the change agent that is needed,'" Mack said. "I heard about the Perkins incident and other things. The third-party review said it was lacking communication and lacking leadership. I thought that I could bridge the gap between the community and police officers. I know I can be that leader to move this department forward." Stisher said he was sitting at home watching TV when he got the call from his long-time colleague to join him in Decatur as his deputy chief. The position was created Monday by the City Council on a 4-0 vote after Mack requested it. "He said he wouldn't do it unless I came with him and I said, 'I hear you.'" Stisher said. "I'm in, because everywhere he has gone as a leader in Birmingham, he's asked me to come with him. We've done great things together in Birmingham." Stisher said after a brief conversation with his wife about the new job, he was quickly back on the phone with Mack to accept the job. "After that, I started paying attention to the City Council meetings and started reading news and pulling up news clips on social media and I felt like we could truly make a change," Stisher said. Mack said both the Perkins and Marquette families are suffering. "Any time a life is taken, it's sad," he said. He said the Perkins family lost a husband, a father and a brother — "That's a sad occasion." As for Marquette, Mack said the former officer has been impacted as well. "He is not the same since this happened," Mack said. "He's not the husband his wife married prior to this incident. There are no winners in this situation. Prayer on both sides will get them through it." Mack said he spoke with Paulette Tennison Sanders on Monday, the mother of Scott. He plans on providing more mental health training for his officers and will work with mental health liaison Kate Anderson on the direction of the training. "We're going to discuss how to enhance what we've got," Mack said. Mack addressed the frustration of people protesting Decatur police and said it all boils down to transparency and communication, something he aims to perfect during his tenure as chief. "Their perception possibly could have been not caring and not hearing from the leaders in the Police Department and not being informed," Mack said. "I think that's what they are upset about. I guess we turned a deaf ear to it." He said he has spoken with the Decatur police command staff and the members of Standing in Power and said both sides yearn for dialogue with one another. He plans to bring both to the table soon to sort things out. "We're not going to discuss the case or anything that happened yesterday," Mack said. "We're going to talk about where we are today and how we can move forward. That's a start. We need to be intentional. If we want to continue to live like this, then let's not talk. But the people that are suffering are the citizens of Decatur. It's no closure for the loved ones on both ends." — or 256-340-2442.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Anti-ICE protester wearing Army fatigues in video isn't active duty
Claim: A video clip authentically shows an active duty U.S. military member defying deployment orders by participating in anti-immigration enforcement protests in Dallas, Texas, in June 2025. Rating: Context: The Department of Defense Rapid Response X account said the woman seen in the Dallas video served in the U.S. Army from November 2010 to August 2014 and in the Army Reserves from August 2014 to June 2020. In other words, she wasn't on active duty in June 2025. On June 11, 2025, BreakThrough News, an independent news website based in New York City, posted a video (archived) showing a woman wearing Army fatigues at an anti-immigration enforcement protest in Dallas, Texas, on June 9, 2025. (X user @BTnewsroom) BreakThrough News said the video showed a "military member" speaking out against U.S. President Donald Trump's deployment of troops to Los Angeles. The woman in the video said: We are not pawns for Donald Trump's agenda. Why now? It's because the military was called upon innocent protesters. We, in our oath to serve, we serve the people of the United States, the Constitution. These constitutional rights are being stripped and just denied, and the military will not be pawns to that. So I'm calling upon the conscience of military members who served previously and now. We have a conscience, we have a mind, and we have a duty and moral obligation to say no and resist evil. The video had more than 5 million views at the time of this writing. Claims started circulating online on X (archived), Facebook (archived), Threads (archived) and Instagram (archived) that the woman in the video was an active duty U.S. soldier or Marine and had defied orders by participating in the anti-immigration enforcement protest in Dallas. However, according (archived) to the Department of Defense (DOD) Rapid Response X account, the woman in the video was not an active duty soldier. Carmen Colado served in the U.S. Army from November 2010 to August 2014 and in the Army Reserves from August 2014 to June 2020, according to the DoD. Colado described herself as a "U.S. Army veteran" and a "Former military intelligence analyst" on her Instagram page. The DOD Rapid Response account said of Colado that: "She does not speak for nor reflect the U.S. Army." Therefore, we rate this video claim as miscaptioned. We reached out to the U.S. Army Public Affairs to ask whether it had or would contact Colado about her appearance in the video while wearing an Army uniform and whether the appearance broke any army rules that might apply to retired service members and await a reply. Colado, who said her mother immigrated to the U.S. from Honduras in the 1990s, became a filmmaker, director and writer after leaving the Army. Social media users speculated that Colado had broken military rules by appearing and speaking at the protest while wearing an Army uniform (archived) (archived) (archived). According to "DOD Instruction 1334.01 Wearing of the uniform," former service members may wear their uniform during specified activities or occasions. The directive did not list protests as a specified activity. The directive also said that retired service members must not wear their uniform "during or in connection with furthering political activities, private employment, or commercial interests, when an inference of official sponsorship by DoD or the Military Service concerned for the activity or interest may be drawn." Likewise, "Directive 1344.10 on Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces" says that members not on active duty "should avoid inferences that their political activities imply or appear to imply official sponsorship, approval, or endorsement." @BTnewsroom. "BREAKING: After Trump Deployed Marines to LA, This Military Member Joined an Anti-ICE Protest in Dallas, Declaring, 'We Won't Be Pawns in Stripping Away Constitutional Rights.'." X, 11 June 2025, "Carmen Colado." Instagram, "Carmen Colado | Art Department, Director, Writer." IMDb, Accessed 12 June 2025. @DODResponse. "Correction: This Individual Served in the U.S. Army from November 2010 to August 2014 and Was Then in the Army Reserves from August 2014 to June 2020." X, 11 June 2025, Penrod, Virginia S. DOD INSTRUCTION 1334.01 WEARING OF THE UNIFORM. U.S. Department of Defense, 13 July 2021, Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces . U.S. Department of Defense, 19 Feb. 2008, Quezada, Chelsea. "Empowering Dreams: A Year Later with Mitú x Walmart's Filmmaker Mentorship Program Alumni Carmen Colado and Ernest Govea." Mitú, 26 Feb. 2024,
