On this Veterans Day, Senator Joni Ernst is raising concerns about how the Veterans Administration is responding to “whistleblowers.” “We do have to be vigilant in this oversight and it quite literally is a matter of life and death,” Ernst said during a senate hearing this year.

The V-A’s Office of Inspector General operates a hotline to field complaints from V-A staff and veterans, but Ernst says it’s unclear whether the agency is reviewing those complaints quickly enough. “All too many times in the past there has not been the follow-up necessary and those months delay could mean another veteran that has been left untreated or another veteran that takes their life because of a lack of care by the VA,” Ernst says.

Ernst is asking officials for an update on the case of Brandon Ketchum of Bettendorf, a 33-year-old veteran who committed suicide in July. Ketchum did tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Ketchum wrote on his Facebook page hours before he took his life that he had asked to be admitted to the V-A Medical Center in Iowa City, but was sent home with medication.

Later today (Friday), Ernst will be presenting three Iowa veterans with the medals they earned for service in times of war, but did not receive yet. One ceremony will be held in Marshalltown at 4:30 p.m. for a Vietnam veteran and a veteran of World War II. At 6 p.m., Ernst will be in Ankeny to award the Bronze Star and other medals to a Vietnam Veteran. Ernst held similar ceremonies earlier this week in Lenox, Newton and Cedar Rapids to present medals to veterans.

(Radio Iowa)

A high school student in Colorado, with ties to Atlantic, was recently selected as a Marie Curie Scholar starting this fall at the College of Saint Mary. A surprise scholarship check presentation of $80,000 honored Emma Turner, of Loveland, CO., Nov.9th, at Loveland High School. Emma is the daughter of Darrick & Laura Turner, of Loveland (and formerly of Atlantic), and the granddaughter of Atlantic residents Norman and Sherry Templeman, and Dennis and Jane Turner.

Emma plans to major in biology at CSM. College of Saint Mary’s prestigious Marie Curie Scholars Program, funded in part by the National Science Foundation, provides significant financial support and resources for academically talented young women who study science or math. Marie Curie Scholars may receive up to $20,000 annually for four years in gift aid – and participants also receive free tutoring, have opportunities for undergraduate research, may participate in National Institute of Health and NASA research fellowships, and attend and present at national conferences.

Fall is open enrollment season for many health insurance plans. One option is to simply re-enroll in the same plan you chose for 2016. However, that can be a risky strategy: insurance plans can change their coverage terms from year to year; consumer health-care needs can change, too. Instead, careful consumers will match their needs for the next 12 months to a policy that will provide adequate coverage at the most affordable cost.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering a FREE online workshop on Wednesday, November 30, from 6-8 PM. The Smart Choice Health Insurance Education program is research-based, non-political and non-commercial, and will equip consumers with tools they need to make the best possible decision when choosing health insurance plans for themselves and their families.

To register for this free online class register by noon on November 30 at http://tinyurl.com/pvmceb7. For more information, contact Barb Wollan, Human Sciences specialist in family finance, at 515-832-9597 or bwollan@iastate.edu.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say one person has died and another has been injured in a crash that occurred during a police chase in Sioux City. The Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office says the chase began around 3:45 a.m. Friday, when a deputy tried to pull over a vehicle. The vehicle turned onto another street and accelerated, with the deputy in pursuit. The vehicle soon went out of control and crashed into a wall. The names of those involved haven’t been released.