Minor Drug Busts Bankrupting west Texas Town
The small town of Sierra Blanca in West Texas operates a busy checkpoint on Highway 10, making a number of drug arrests each year that’s disproportionate to the town’s population of about 3,300. But the success of the checkpoint is also a strain for the county, as the cost of catching, detaining and prosecuting drug offenders is more than the amount the federal government reimburses for. Sierra Blanca is caught between a rock and a hard place, as some advocate for fewer busts, and some stress the town’s economic dependency on the checkpoint, despite the overall loss. Full story from the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Navy and Marines changing approach to legal procedures For assault cases
The San Diego Union-Tribune explains what the Navy and Marine Corps are doing to deal with the rise in sexual assault claims. The military branches have brought in civilian lawyers with more experience in prosecuting and defending those types of offenses to better equip the military courts with effectively handling the claims. Jeanette Steele has the full story.
Virginia program encourages and trains businesses to hire veterans
Companies often want to hire veterans, but may not know how to effectively recruit them or treat them once they’ve hired them. A Virginia program, run by the state’s Department of Veterans Services, aims to help companies with these challenges, and increase the number of vets hired in the state. In its first year, it has succeeded in finding jobs for 1,573 vets. Full story from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Vietnam vet reunited with his dog tags after more than 40 years
A man who was injured and lost his dog tags in Vietnam in 1968 finally has them back, thanks to a California woman who launched an extensive search for him on the internet with the intent of returning the tags. Full story from John Wilkins of the San Diego Union Tribune.
