Latest news with #Belcher
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Upstate veterinarian highlights safest ways to travel with pets for summer
GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA)— As the weather gets warmer, more people will be traveling with their pets. Veterinarians in the Upstate want to make sure pet owners are doing it safely. VetChat Mobile Veterinarian Dr. Christy Belcher said the first thing people should do if they're planning to take their pets with them on a trip is to get them up-to-date on all their vaccinations. Dr. Belcher said all dogs and cats need to be current on their rabies vaccine. Pet owners are advised to have their pets' official rabies certification with them, which displays their tag number. Dr. Belcher explained that pet owners can keep a digital copy of the rabies certification on hand or print it out. 'We also recommend distemper, Parvo and Leptospirosis for dogs and then bordetella kennel cough for dogs, since dogs are going to be mingling with dogs all over and we don't know their vaccine status. And then, the same for cats, just a rabies vaccine and then a feline distemper and a feline leukemia vaccine,' said Dr. Christy Belcher. Dr. Belcher recommends printing all medical records for the pets to make it easier to refill a prescription, especially for those traveling out of state. 'Some pharmacies have a drive-thru, so, you know, explain to them, 'Hey, I have an animal. Is there any way I can buy whatever I need through the drive-thru so that I don't have to leave my pet in the car? Dr. Belcher added. 'We say probably for every four to six hours of driving, we want to stop, just let the pet get out.' Dr. Belcher went on to say pets should be in crates while driving and never left alone. She also advised pet owners who are flying to complete all the required health certifications for boarding a plane two weeks before their trips. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
VE Day saw millions celebrate while this British Paratrooper unearthed Nazi Germany's darkest horrors
Peter Belcher was already a veteran of the D-Day landings and the Battle of the Bulge, but the worst was yet to come As millions celebrated VE Day across a war-torn Europe, British paratrooper Peter Belcher was coming to terms with the harrowing sights at a Nazi concentration camp. Even as a seasoned veteran of key battles like D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, he was unprepared for what awaited him. A six-time decorated hero, honoured with France's esteemed Legion d'Honneur for his role in the nation's liberation - by May 1945, Belcher found himself in northern Germany, where his unit joined forces with the Russians. But when the Germans surrendered two days later, there was no jubilant celebration for Corporal Belcher or his comrades. Close by, a rail track vanished into the trees, leading to one of numerous concentration camps established by the Nazis. Now a centenarian, Mr. Belcher, who served with the 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry within the 6th Airborne Division, recounted: "We actually... with the padre, went to a nearby concentration camp and there were two survivors still in there." He remembers the disbelief of those left: "They just didn't believe, because the gates were open and nobody about, that they could just walk out." What the Brits found inside horrified them: "There was a pile of bodies. There was a pit already dug and the bodies were literally skin and bone, piled high." In the following days, they enlisted local villagers to help bury the dead. Reflecting on VE Day from his home in Devizes, Wiltshire, Mr Belcher summed it up simply as "relief", saying that everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that at last, the conflict had ended. But his stay in England was short-lived – within just 10 days, he returned and soon set off once more to take part in the warfare still raging in the Far East. Mr Belcher is one of the roughly 60 veterans residing at Broughton House Veterans Care Village in Salford, Greater Manchester. This revered institution has been a sanctuary for over 8,000 ex-service members since its inception in 1916. Another veteran calling it home is Jean Mack, aged 92. Having enlisted in the Royal Navy at 21, she hailed from Putney, London. Her teenage years were spent in Worthing, East Sussex, where she witnessed the end of the war. Mrs Mack recalls: "I presumed it was over simply because all the adults, they all seemed to be going mad about something and dancing everywhere." She reminisces about an unforgettable sight: "There was a big, I think it was an air-raid shelter at the end of our road and there was a piper, how he got up on there I don't know... complete in his kilt marching round and round the top of there." Meanwhile, Reg Mitchell, now 91 and originally from Twickenham, London, has vivid memories of the city reeling under the Blitz, with Germany's victory and consequent invasion appearing imminent. Mr Mitchell, who dedicated 25 years to the RAF and retired as a Flight Lieutenant, reflected: "We lived in the house which had a cellar." He shared: "And as kids we spent the first years on the steps of the cellar at night. It was endless, you know, although they were getting it in the East End, we were getting the noise. "Almost every night. We virtually lived in the cellar." However, VE Day brought different memories for him, particularly of his family finding a clever way to earn some extra cash. His brother-in-law had participated in the war and had seized a Nazi flag from the town hall in Aachen, Germany. Mr Mitchell recalled: "My father and my brother-in-law went round the streets with this flag, inviting people to pay sixpence to spit on it. "I can distinctly remember that." The Allies' Victory in Europe signalled the end of combat but also unveiled the full extent of the Nazi Holocaust as advancing Allied forces discovered the death camps. Mr Mitchell shared: "Around that time specifically I can remember Belsen, because that was opened up just before VE Day because there were pictures in the paper. "And it left a mark on me. I had a very good friend at school, his father was a local rabbi, and they obviously would've known what was happening but we didn't." Mike Clarke, 90, another resident at Broughton House, remembers the VE Day bonfire held in his home village of Barwick-in-Elmet, near Leeds, West Yorkshire. Mr Clarke, who later served in the RAF for 22 years, said: "It wasn't like any other day. "I think there was a feeling of relief, no doubt about it because you were thinking, the killing, the dying is stopping." Mr Clarke, who lost two uncles in the war, also said that the anniversary should be commemorated not only for the victory in Europe but also for revealing the horrors of the Holocaust. He shared: "For those who gave their lives particularly and having seen, four or five weeks prior to the end of the war, you went to the cinema and you got the news on the cinema, and we seen pictures of Belsen and that was quite horrific. "During four years or five years of the war we, as peasants, didn't sort of realise what was going on with the Jews, homosexuals and everybody else that Hitler tried to get rid of – got rid of. "So, it was quite enlightening seeing that on the cinema. So, the end of that type of thing was a blessing."
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
NYU sophomore says her drunk roommate peed on her while she slept — yet school told her to move out
A vile incident inside a New York University dorm room has now turned into a pissing match between the alleged victim and the school. NYU sophomore Eloni Belcher claimed her roommate urinated on her as she slept in their shared dorm room inside the Broome Street Residence Hall. The Tisch School of the Arts student told The Post she was roused from slumber shortly before 5:30 a.m. on April 12 by her allegedly inebriated roommate, who was squatting over her and peeing. 'It was horrible,' said Belcher, 19. 'I thought we were friends.' As she realized what was happening, Belcher went to block her face with her arms — at which point, her roommate proceeded to pee on them, she recalled. The Michigan-native, at NYU on a full-ride scholarship, said she fought the overwhelming urge to retaliate against her 20-year-old roomie. 'I knew if I did anything to hurt her, even something in the moment, I would receive the brunt of the punishment,' she said. 'I know that if you get into a fight on campus, everyone involved gets punished.' The roommate urinated on her clothing, bedding, and mattress, she said — evidence she provided to school officials. 'They made me move to a different room' inside the same dorm 'when I asked for temporary housing,' explained Belcher. 'I asked why I had to move, and they asked, 'What do you expect? You want us to kick her out?' And I said, 'Yes.' 'They were telling me it was my only viable option, moving out,' she continued, 'and I did — but they've disregarded what has happened to me.' The roommate claimed she was sleepwalking, said Belcher, who would not identify the young woman. The Post spoke to the suspected leaker this week, and she denied the allegations. 'That's not really my vibe,' the woman explained. 'I think she's lying.' The woman called the matter 'an ongoing case,' and told The Post she has already been interviewed by police, with no charges filed. The two apparently never had any real problems, though Belcher noted she'd asked the roommate to lower her voice while talking on the phone the day before the downpour. Belcher filed complaints with NYU's Department of Campus Safety and Office of Student Conduct, and later, with the NYPD, which confirmed receiving a report about the alleged urine harassment. The ex-roommate 'apologized and fled to the restroom' after relieving herself on Belcher, police said. Belcher learned from school officials on April 15 they hadn't even started investigating her claims, and decided to vent about the situation in an Instagram video, now seen by more than 4 million people. 'I was assaulted,' she insisted in the video. 'Why would I uproot my entire life three weeks before [the end of the semester] for nothing?' The university has since informed her that she is 'being investigated now for posting [that video],' Belcher claimed. 'They're trying to turn this around on me. I guess we can't use our freedom of speech anymore.' 'It's been very frustrating,' she told The Post. 'NYU's just deliberate mishandling of my case has been confusing to me. I genuinely believed if anything happened to me that was this serious, it would be handled appropriately. I never thought that it would get to this point.' NYU spokesperson John Beckman told The Post 'the alleged behavior is concerning, and we have taken the entire matter seriously since it came to our attention. We respectfully disagree with the characterizations that the University wasn't concerned about the student's welfare, didn't promptly engage the Office of Student Conduct, didn't inquire about retaliation and threats, or didn't try to fulfill what we believed to be the student's wishes. Safety is our top priority — always.' Beckman would not confirm Belcher was being probed, or her roommate disciplined, adding the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 'prohibits universities from disclosing information about students' disciplinary records.'
New York Post
03-05-2025
- New York Post
NYU sophomore says her drunk roommate peed on her while she slept — yet school told her to move out
A vile incident inside a New York University dorm room has now turned into a pissing match between the alleged victim and the school. NYU sophomore Eloni Belcher claimed her roommate urinated on her as she slept in their shared dorm room inside the Broome Street Residence Hall. The Tisch School of the Arts student told The Post she was roused from slumber shortly before 5:30 a.m. on April 12 by her allegedly inebriated roommate, who was squatting over her and peeing. 5 Eloni Belcher is an acting student, at NYU on a full-ride scholarship. Leonardo Munoz 'It was horrible,' said Belcher, 19. 'I thought we were friends.' As she realized what was happening, Belcher went to block her face with her arms — at which point, her roommate proceeded to pee on them, she recalled. 5 Eloni Belcher shared an image of her soiled pillow on Instagram. Eloni Belcher/ Instagram The Michigan-native, at NYU on a full-ride scholarship, said she fought the overwhelming urge to retaliate against her 20-year-old roomie. 'I knew if I did anything to hurt her, even something in the moment, I would receive the brunt of the punishment,' she said. 'I know that if you get into a fight on campus, everyone involved gets punished.' The roommate urinated on her clothing, bedding, and mattress, she said — evidence she provided to school officials. 'They made me move to a different room' inside the same dorm 'when I asked for temporary housing,' explained Belcher. 'I asked why I had to move, and they asked, 'What do you expect? You want us to kick her out?' And I said, 'Yes.' 'They were telling me it was my only viable option, moving out,' she continued, 'and I did — but they've disregarded what has happened to me.' 5 Belcher has been critical of NYU's response to the incident. Leonardo Munoz The roommate claimed she was sleepwalking, said Belcher, who would not identify the young woman. The Post spoke to the suspected leaker this week, and she denied the allegations. 'That's not really my vibe,' the woman explained. 'I think she's lying.' The woman called the matter 'an ongoing case,' and told The Post she has already been interviewed by police, with no charges filed. The two apparently never had any real problems, though Belcher noted she'd asked the roommate to lower her voice while talking on the phone the day before the downpour. 5 Belcher immediately stripped her bedsheets after the disgusting incident. Eloni Belcher Belcher filed complaints with NYU's Department of Campus Safety and Office of Student Conduct, and later, with the NYPD, which confirmed receiving a report about the alleged urine harassment. The ex-roommate 'apologized and fled to the restroom' after relieving herself on Belcher, police said. Belcher learned from school officials on April 15 they hadn't even started investigating her claims, and decided to vent about the situation in an Instagram video, now seen by more than 4 million people. 'I was assaulted,' she insisted in the video. 'Why would I uproot my entire life three weeks before [the end of the semester] for nothing?' The university has since informed her that she is 'being investigated now for posting [that video],' Belcher claimed. 'They're trying to turn this around on me. I guess we can't use our freedom of speech anymore.' 5 An NYU spokesperson said the school 'respectfully disagrees' with Belcher's claims. Leonardo Munoz 'It's been very frustrating,' she told The Post. 'NYU's just deliberate mishandling of my case has been confusing to me. I genuinely believed if anything happened to me that was this serious, it would be handled appropriately. I never thought that it would get to this point.' NYU spokesperson John Beckman told The Post 'the alleged behavior is concerning, and we have taken the entire matter seriously since it came to our attention. We respectfully disagree with the characterizations that the University wasn't concerned about the student's welfare, didn't promptly engage the Office of Student Conduct, didn't inquire about retaliation and threats, or didn't try to fulfill what we believed to be the student's wishes. Safety is our top priority — always.' Beckman would not confirm Belcher was being probed, or her roommate disciplined, adding the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 'prohibits universities from disclosing information about students' disciplinary records.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why the focus on ‘divisive concepts' in New Hampshire? Why the attacks on diversity programs?
Why is the modern Republican Party so invested in reframing American history? (Getty Images) Years ago, when I worked as a newspaper opinion editor, a conservative reader sent a letter to argue that 21st-century America was a post-racial society. I don't recall the details of his email except that his case was built around individual accomplishment, particularly the success of Black entertainers (including Bill Cosby) and the election and reelection of President Barack Obama. His point, no doubt in response to something I had either published or written myself, was that structural racism — to the extent it ever existed — most certainly did not exist now. I'm not sure how I responded exactly, but I do remember being baffled by the evidence he offered for his conclusion. To arrive at 'post-racial society' via Cosby and Obama seemed both absurd and dangerous — a reductionist presentation of recent history, yes, but also a stubborn refusal to seek out the realities of other eyes. And I'm not even talking about empathy — that's like the advanced course. I mean just seeing through the experiences of others that there is not one America, that this nation exists differently for different people, and that opportunity is not a single, shared thread. While we have struggled mightily as a nation to even chip away at yawning opportunity gaps — not just for Black and Indigenous people but women, immigrants, the working poor, the list goes on and on — historically there seemed to me, naively as it turns out, to at least be agreement that the gaps existed. The frequent and sometimes violent conflict over that reality and its causes could be offered as ample proof, I thought. But now, an entire political party has built its brand on denialism and erasure — and found in its followers a population more than willing to sacrifice their future if it means the relief of forgetting the past and averting their eyes from the present. My letter writer from years ago wasn't a fringe anomaly but a harbinger. The most obvious example nationally is the Trump administration's carpet-bombing of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and the countless ways those attacks have rippled out and laid waste to lives and livelihoods. Meanwhile, New Hampshire is mimicking the efforts and with the same toe-deep understanding of what purpose the programs actually serve. In one memorable February exchange, Auburn Republican Rep. Jess Edwards had to talk down fellow Republican Rep. Mike Belcher from his superficial hatred of the Department of Health and Human Services' 'Office of Health Equity,' which Belcher had targeted for elimination. 'The word 'health equity' has jumped out at me as well,' Edwards told Belcher sympathetically during a hearing for the since-retained bill. 'I think we've got a situation where whoever came up with the name of that department really regrets it, because they couldn't forecast how the name would basically become synonymous with actual discrimination.' Truly, how could anyone have predicted that the Republican Party would successfully sell its supporters on the idea that 'equity' is synonymous with its antonym? This is the same genre of illogic and enforced ignorance that has given New Hampshire its 'divisive concepts' law, the subject of a legal battle now being fought in the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. Although part of the legal problem with the law is that it's overly (and purposely) vague — an extension of the first Trump administration's 'critical race theory' mass hallucination — the goal was and is to make teachers afraid to tackle the uglier, less 'shining city on a hill' chapters of America's past and present. But why? Why is the modern Republican Party so invested in reframing American history, which they are accomplishing through educator threats and a transparent effort to make 'equity' and 'inclusion' mean their opposites? What is it that links the party's stop-teaching-about-slavery Project 1776 to the implementation of its anti-democratic, pro-wealthy Project 2025. Those are the questions you have to ask. 'History is not inert,' Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote in Vanity Fair last year, 'but contains within it a story that implicates the present.' And that, eloquently, is the answer. Nothing is more dangerous to the powers behind a nation as historically unequal as our own than to have the citizens start asking the right questions of the right people. But with the pitchfork mobs so blindly dedicated to the eradication of all things DEI and 'divisive concepts,' the powers needn't worry. In Donald Trump's America, we're a million miles away from the right questions. And that, as any right-wing politician can tell you, is and always was the point.
