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Andy Redding - Staff Directory
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Harvey WaldenCommunity Member
2 weeks ago
Andy Redding
Andy Redding City Commission Title: Mayor, District 5
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HAHarvey Walden
3 days agoHow to Stay Safe During Extreme Heat: Essential Tips and Resources
Extreme heat season is in full swing. *First published 6/27/25. Updated 7/2/26. Temperatures high enough to be dangerous to health are occurring across the country. Extreme heat, defined as temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two days, can lead to serious medical issues, medical emergencies and even death. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent health problems and stay safe during extreme heat. Follow these safety tips for extreme heat Try to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day (usually 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). If you must be outside, dress in light, loose-fitting clothes that cover arms/legs and frequently apply SPF 30+ sunscreen. Stay in the shade as much as possible. On hot days, avoid outdoor exercise. Do any needed outdoor activities during the coolest parts of the day or evening when possible. Drink extra water and avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol. If you feel too hot and cannot get to a cooler area, cool off with wet cloths. Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles. Check on vulnerable family, friends and neighbors during times of extreme heat. Fans will not cool you enough at indoor temperatures above 90*! You must seek a cooled or air-conditioned location. If your home is too hot, find a cool location: Go to the library, a shopping mall, a friend’s home or a designated cooling center. Be prepared for power outages during extreme heat. If you rely on medical equipment or refrigerated medications, talk to your medical provider about a power outage plan. Recognize early signs and symptoms of heat-related illness Heat cramps: Muscle pains or spasms are the first sign that heat is affecting the body. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke: Heavy sweating, paleness, fatigue, lightheadedness, headache, nausea, vomiting or fainting are more severe forms of heat-related illness. If signs of heat-related illness occur: Stop any exercise Move to a cooler location Drink water or a sports drink Stay prepared and informed Look for local emergency alerts at weather.gov and sign up to receive alerts on the FEMA or Weather Channel apps. Understand the difference between Heat Outlooks, Heat Watches, and Heat Warnings/Advisories. Identify nearby cooling shelters, particularly for those without access to reliable air conditioning, or other cooled spaces. Cooling areas are found online or by calling 2-1-1 (state helpline) or 3-1-1 (city helpline) or on your local health department website. Go to heat.gov for the latest heat information and printable materials. Additional resources are available from CDC on heat health and heat stress on the job and from HHS on tools and resources. Remember, always follow your local guidance related to any weather emergency. Prepare for future heat waves Update personal Heat Action Plans, particularly if you or your loved ones are at higher risk of extreme heat effects due to age, pre-existing conditions, certain medications or reliance on medical devices. Ensure you are registered for local emergency alerts. Make friends and family aware of available heat preparedness actions, including preparing their home for extreme weather with the support of home energy assistance programs. Share information on heat preparedness or recognizing heat-related illness early. Information is available to people at greater risk of severe weather impacts, such as those experiencing homelessness or taking certain medications for mental health conditions. If you are a health care provider, educate yourself and your colleagues on early signs of heat-related illness and what to do. Use available toolkits to screen patients for heat-related risk factors and help them create a Heat Action Plan. VA heat resources VA Homeless Veterans Support: Helps Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness connect with housing and services. Contact your local Homeless Programs Coordinator, or the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID VET (877-424-3838).. VA Housing Support: Offers Veterans home loans to buy, refinance, build, improve or keep their home, and other housing assistance services and benefits. VA Disaster Assistance, Disaster Logistics Assets and Mobile Medical Units: Assistance with temporary housing, emergency prescriptions and replacement of damaged medical equipment, with various mobile assets deployed to affected areas to ensure continuity of care, including temperature-controlled medical/pharmacy units. Mobile Vet Centers: Vehicles with space for free, confidential counseling and crisis support with no appointments needed. Veterans Crisis Line: Available 24/7 at 988 (press 1) or text 838255. You do not have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect. VA Health Connect: Enrollees can access health care 24/7 from wherever you are. Together we can prepare for and stay safe during severe summer heat this year and every year.
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HAHarvey Walden
3 days agoVet the Vote Seeks 250,000 Veterans to Staff 2026 Midterm Elections
Editor’s note: The sharing of non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products or services by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans should always verify information with the organization offering the program. Elections don’t run themselves. As the U.S. November midterms approach, communities across the country need trusted, reliable people to staff the polls—and few fit that description better than Veterans and military families. Vet the Vote Vet the Vote is a nonpartisan initiative working to recruit 250,000 Veterans and military family members to serve as poll workers in the 2026 midterm elections and beyond. Since launching in 2022, more than 165,000 individuals have already stepped up. The program is backed by a coalition of more than 50 organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Football League, Veterans of Foreign Wars and NASCAR. Poll workers play a critical role in ensuring election integrity. They open and close polling sites, check in voters, safeguard ballots and reconcile vote counts. When there are not enough workers, polling locations may close or lines may grow longer. Most jurisdictions offer compensation ranging from $150 to $300 per day, along with paid training. There’s a constant need to mobilize new poll workers. We would like to see the Veteran and military family community make volunteering as poll workers a new norm of public service within our community. From service to the polls For many, the transition from military service to civic service feels natural. Navy Veteran Julie Hendricks, director of operations for We the Veterans and Military Families, began working as a poll worker after joining Vet the Vote in 2024. “In Iraq and other countries, they don’t have the same freedoms we do,” she said. “It reinforced not just the right, but the responsibility to vote. Being a poll worker is exhausting but rewarding. No one knows what the end result will be, but people just want to know that their vote counts, and being part of making that happen feels awesome and very energizing.” Julie Hendricks during her Navy service Other stories highlight the lasting bonds formed through service. Vietnam Veterans Craig Jones and Michael Mabes took different paths during the war—Jones as a Green Beret medic and Mabes in the Navy aboard the USS Procyon—but both eventually settled in San Francisco and became poll workers. They met at the polls and have worked side by side in eight elections since. Jones serves as an inspector, Mabes as a clerk, and each election they request to be assigned together. Their continued service earned them recognition this year with Super Bowl tickets through an NFL partnership. Michael Mabes (right) working at the polls during the 2026 primary elections Preparing to serve Getting involved is straightforward, but timing matters. When you register with Vet the Vote, you will be directed straight to your local jurisdiction’s application page to complete the registration process. Prospective poll workers should complete their applications as early as possible to improve their chances of being selected and completing required training. Even so, it is never too late to volunteer. Election officials often need last-minute replacements or additional support for recounts and runoff elections. Vet the Vote has heard directly from election officials in a few states that they are constantly recruiting poll workers to ensure they are on the bench since people’s schedules change, and they are unable to work. Officials around the country have said that Veterans often make some of the most reliable volunteers; when they are needed, they show up and get the job done for their local communities. If you are not selected right away, don’t be discouraged. It often means your community is fully staffed, which is a good thing. Stay engaged by keeping your application current each election cycle. Answer the call again! Serving as a poll worker is another way to support your community and strengthen elections. If you have already worked the polls, you can report your service at https://app.vetthe.vote/already-poll-worker/ and be recognized for continuing your commitment. Ready to get involved? Sign up at https://app.vetthe.vote/become-poll-worker/ and help ensure elections run smoothly in your community.
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HAHarvey Walden
3 days agoVA Research Releases New Findings on COVID, Substance Use, and Gulf War Veterans
VA’s Office of Research and Development recently published three News Briefs highlighting new findings on COVID-19 and Gulf War illness, substance use disorder treatment and the experiences of Gulf War Veterans. Researchers address Veteran concerns for GWI, COVID VA researchers in West Haven, Connecticut, used VA’s Million Veteran Program (MVP) to address Veterans’ concerns that Gulf War illness may increase their risk for adverse COVID-related outcomes. Their findings found overall that those who deployed overseas in the 1990–1991 Gulf War were not associated with increased COVID-related health risks, even in the early pre-vaccine pandemic days. MVP allowed the researchers to compare more than 130,000 Veterans, in which Gulf War Veterans were only 1.6% more likely to test positive for COVID. More research would be needed to see if the rate was consistent in the era of COVID vaccinations, but the study shows how the MVP database and VA research can be used to address Veteran concerns. View the full study from “PLOS One.” Hybrid telehealth model helps Veterans combat substance abuse Contingency management (CM) is the use of tangible incentives to reinforce target behaviors. While it has proven to be an effective strategy for promoting behavior change, particularly in abstinence from substance use and adherence to injectable medications for substance use disorders, it can be a logistical and financial challenge. VA researchers repurposed a hybrid telehealth CM model from the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver core CM elements to Veterans with substance use disorders for a fraction of the labor and time CM normally requires. The CM cohort received more than half as much medication (1.62 times) over a year as the comparison group, demonstrating that incentives for medication adherence do not need to be expensive to be effective. View the full study from the “Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment.” Gulf War Veterans heard on VA experience Researchers from the Portland VA Medical Center combined data from the VA project ‘Listening to Gulf War Vets: A Qualitative Inquiry into the Health Experience and Treatment of those with Chronic Multisymptom Illness’ with a survey of 39 Gulf War Veterans; the combined data aims to identify challenges Veterans face with persistent, unexplainable symptoms of chronic fatigue, pain, cognitive impairment and gastrointestinal distress, commonly known as Gulf War Illness (GWI). Veterans spoke out on challenges in communication, navigating VA benefits and even having GWI recognized as an illness. While recent legislative and policy changes have made progress in this area, the researchers’ findings highlight historical gaps that could be addressed through standardized, institutional commitment and broader access to individualized care and treatments. View the full study from the “Journal of Patient Experience.” For more Office of Research and Development updates, visit ORD online or go to https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/.
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