News Cut Category Archive: When people do good

A hero's 'noncombat' death

Posted at 11:27 AM on March 29, 2012 by Eric Ringham (4 Comments)
Filed under: War, When people do good

It's bad news any time an American soldier is killed overseas. But there's some comfort in this: Word of the death of a Rhode Island National Guardsman arrived (on my desk, anyway) via a tweet from Lotfullah Najafizada, an Afghan journalist who spent some time in the Twin Cities last year as a fellow with the World Press Institute. Lotfullah linked to a CNN story about the death of Dennis Weichel:

The official Pentagon news release says he died "from injuries suffered in a noncombat related incident." But there is much more to the story. Weichel, 29, of Providence, died saving the life of a little girl. ...

Some children were in the road in front of the convoy, and Weichel and other troops got out to move them out of the way.

Most of the children moved, but one little girl went back to pick up some brass shell casings in the road. Afghan civilians often recycle the casings, and the girl appeared to aim to do that. But a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle was moving toward her ... .

Weichel saw [the] massive truck bearing down on the girl and grabbed her out of the way. But in the process, the armored truck ran him over ... The little girl is fine. Weichel died a short time later of his injuries.

Specialist Weichel's death, and those of three others reported last week, brought the number of U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan to at least 1,788. Of that number, 1,489 were the result of enemy action. One of the reports says Weichel's death resulted "from injuries suffered in a noncombat-related incident," which gives no hint of the heroism he displayed.

I recently sent Lotfullah a message asking him to write a commentary for MPR News on the March 11 massacre of civilians in southern Afghanistan. I haven't yet heard back from him about that. But maybe his tweet about Weichel's sacrifice is all the commentary we need.
-- Eric Ringham

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Gadhafi and the teachable moment

Posted at 1:30 PM on October 20, 2011 by Eric Ringham (4 Comments)
Filed under: Schools, When people do good

It's a reflex: When a big international story breaks, local media go looking for the local angle. Now that Moammar Gadhafi has been killed, my colleague Paul Tosto remembered this local connection: In 1986, Gadhafi sent a letter to second-grade students at Maxfield Magnet School in St. Paul. The kids had written to the Libyan dictator as part of a class project, and Gadhafi's people apparently saw a PR opportunity.

The children sent Gadhafi questions about dispute resolution, and he answered as though they were taking his side. (You can read Kristin Tillotson's piece in the Star Tribune here, and David Brauer's take in Minnpost here.) What's compelling to me is that a second-grade teacher, Jill Swanson, saw an opportunity to explore a topic as complicated as propaganda, and took it:

"These were 7- and 8-year-olds sharing their thoughts really well, and then his response had a tone of 'thank you for supporting me.' When I read it to them, the kids were looking at me like, 'That's not what we said.' It was confusing to them, but it gave us a great opportunity to discuss what propaganda is, and how to spot it."

Now, that's teaching. A quarter-century later, those kids remember Swanson and the effect she had on their lives. The story fits nicely with today's commentary about Perry Mann, another teacher who made the world different for his students. So, with what we used to call MEA weekend upon us, let's take a moment to thank Ms. Swanson, Mr. Mann and all those others who made a difference in our lives. For me, it's Dann Peterson. Who is it for you?

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Ted from Owatonna (5x8 - 9/12/11)

Posted at 7:02 AM on September 12, 2011 by Bob Collins (11 Comments)
Filed under: Five by 8, When people do good

When people do good in Faribault, the BWCA in the rear-view mirror, when the earth speaks, girls just don't want to sing the National Anthem correctly, and spelling and security.

Continue reading "Ted from Owatonna (5x8 - 9/12/11)"

Jennifer's pillow (5x8 - 9/7/11)

Posted at 7:03 AM on September 7, 2011 by Bob Collins (5 Comments)
Filed under: Five by 8, When people do good

1) WHEN PEOPLE DO GOOD (CONT'D)

Like most people with great personal stories to tell, NewsCut reader Jennifer Nelson prefaced her e-mail to me by noting that her story isn't as big of a deal as the "When People Do Good" entries of previous posts. Like most people with great stories to tell, she undersells her story.

Yesterday I decided to grab my camera and head out to the State Fair to take some photos since my family had an advance purchase ticket left over. It was a beautiful day. Since on the last day of the Fair vendors are usually offering deals, I made my way to the grandstand to check out a pillow that's been recommended to me. (Since I have a permanent neck injury, the right pillow can make a huge difference.) They didn't have any last minute deals and for my budget they are just a little too pricey. So I simply asked the saleswoman where else they sell them for future reference since I wasn't able to purchase one right then. She told me and I was about to leave when another customer at the booth announces "I'm going to buy two of them. One for each of us," and gestured towards me. I was a bit taken aback. This woman was a complete stranger. I'd never seen her before in my life and she knew nothing about me except that I was interested in this pillow.

"Really?" I asked.
"Yep." She replied.
"You're serious?"
"Uh huh."
"You don't have to..."
"I want to."

By that time the saleswoman had already swiped the card. She asked if we wanted one bag or two, to which the stranger replied "You better make it two. I don't even know her." The saleswoman stopped dead in her tracks. "Wait, you don't even know her and you just bought her a pillow? Wow. That's some good karma." I turned to thank the woman, nearly in tears and she simply smiled, said "We're going to sleep really good tonight," and walked away. I was speechless. Not only had a complete stranger just bought me a new pillow, but she seemed genuinely excited to do so.

The reason that this meant so much to me is what that stranger didn't know. Seven years ago I suffered permanent injuries in a car accident. One of those injuries was to a joint in my neck that has left me with chronic pain. I have purchased pretty much every type of pillow you could imagine over the years since when I sleep wrong, I wake up with headaches, muscle spasms, and numbness in my fingers. This isn't a visible injury and since I'm only 29, most wouldn't assume I have an injury like that.

What's made the situation even more complicated is that I was laid off just over a year and a half ago. It was difficult to get the insurance to cover any treatment for my injuries even when I had coverage, but when I lost my job I also lost my access to healthcare. In this economy, I have been unable to find work. I work what freelance I can, get some help from family members when needed, and am currently on my final tier of unemployment benefits. Even with all that, the bills barely get paid. When it comes to my chronic pain and injuries (which also include my knees - something that's complicated my job search efforts since I can't work full time on my feet), my only choice is to manage them the best I can on my own. I do what exercises and stretches I can, rely on over the counter medicine when needed, and save up my money when able for other items that help (supportive shoes, kinesiotape, braces, heat/ice packs, pillows, etc). When I stopped at that booth, I was simply trying to plan out how I could best save to purchase their product in the future. Instead I took one home that night. It may seem like such a small thing, but it makes every day a lot easier for me.

From now on, if anyone asks me if "Minnesota Nice" is real, I can confidently reply "You betcha!"

Keep 'em coming, people!

2) REVISITING RNC 2008

We got an inside look last night at the work of Brandon Darby, the FBI informant who blew the whistle on his colleagues who allegedly intended to come to Minneapolis St. Paul in 2008 and disrupt the Republican National Convention, including throwing bombs at police vehicles.

The documentary, Better this World, aired last night on PBS' Point of View program.

Watch the full episode. See more POV.

Darby's role came out during the Minnesota trial of David McKay. Darby initially agreed to be interviewed by filmmakers, but then reneged. There were no cameras permitted in the federal trial of McKay.

How did the filmmakers get all the footage of the protests? These babies....

"The Twin Cities got a $50,000 grant to put up cameras throughout the cities for the Republican National Convention as part of a security effort," documentary producer Kelly Duane de la Vega said. "There was a massive amount of security footage filmed throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul. That footage is actually part of the public domain -- not very many people know that, but we discovered that. We got a great deal of that footage, and then we started looking for our subjects. And it was like a needle in a haystack in many ways, but they would pop up, because there were cameras absolutely everywhere. There's a scene in a Walmart where the young men are going in to buy materials to build Molotov cocktails. And that's from Walmart's security cameras. We're all being filmed all the time."

McKay's trial ended in a mistrial, and shortly before a second trial, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm, one count of illegal manufacture of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm with no serial number. He was sentenced to four years in prison.

The film showed compelling scenes of his family discussing whether to make the plea or whether it was worth going to trial to say what happened and get a longer sentence as the penalty for doing so.

But the documentary suggests it was the FBI informant calling the shots and recruiting the people who ultimately went to prison while he went free.

According to Larra Elliott, one of the activists who accompanied the three to the RNC, "Brandon . . . said something that caught my attention, like, 'Don't you feel that firebombs and armed militias . . . that kind of . . . action is necessary sometimes?' And Brad was like, 'No, I don't feel that way.' Brandon would not leave it alone."

"Your own actions have taken you away from someone who might need you in the future, and you can't be there for that person. I don't feel anything but shame and guilt because I want nothing more to be there for the people that I love," McKay says near the end of the film.

The POV website today offers this quiz about the use of FBI informants.

3) PAWLENTY'S SPARKS

Tim Pawlenty's first interview since announcing he was ending his campaign for the White House wasn't with a reporter, or a news organization from the old sod of Minnesota; it was in New York, with a comedian.

The governor sported a more relaxed look, but he took a swipe at the electorate for being more interested in something other than serious policy. Then he made a joke about "shooting sparks out my butt."

A few minutes earlier, David Letterman was zeroing in on the other Minnesotan, with "top 10" reasons why Michele Bachmann's campaign is in trouble:

10.Intern answers phone, "Hello, O'Bachmann Train Wreck"
9.She keeps referring to the Governor of Texas as Katy Perry
8.Husband is leaving campaign to host a makeover show on Bravo
7.Spent last weekend campaigning in Juarez, Mexico
6.Ranks behind that creepy middle-aged white guy, that other creepy middle-aged white guy, and barely ahead of other creepy middle-aged white guy
5.Only polling well with people who are heavily medicated
4."Headquarters" is now the backseat of a Hyundai Sonata
3.Claims bad weather is God punishing us for J-Lo and Marc Anthony break up
2.Has yet to acknowledge the road to the White House goes through me, Dave
1.She's running out of batsh** crazy things to say

4) 9/11 at 10

The most iconic movie and TV roles for the icons of 9/11.

Meanwhile, the 9/11 Memorial Foundation has rejected the contribution of a French artist whose sculpture depicts the twin towers as a nude couple.

5) MICROFINANCE MISSILES

Kiva is a website with some Minnesota roots that lets you give small loans to people around the world. to help them get their small business up and running. This 2007 MPR story explained how the concept works.

Kiva has received a lot of attention for the innovative way it allows people around the world to make loans. Everyday people can act as banks, and make a loan of as little as $25 over the Internet.

If you log onto the Kiva Web site, you see exactly who is doing the lending and who is trying to start a business. You get updates as well, to see if the business is thriving or failing.

How well has it caught on? Check out this fascinating data map treats each loan as a dot and the type as a color and tracks the number of them over the last few years.

Intercontinental Ballistic Microfinance from Kiva Microfunds on Vimeo.

Reportedly, the the loan repayment rate is 99 percent.

Bonus: Wednesdays should always start with bulldog-police horse love stories.

TODAY'S QUESTION

Although Minnesota has a reputation for stiff penalties against drunken driving, state law addresses only the operation of a motor vehicle - not a bicycle. Today's Question: Should it be illegal in Minnesota to ride a bike while intoxicated?

WHAT WE'RE DOING

Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) - First hour: The disappearing moderate.

Second hour: Severe drought in Texas and an active hurricane season in the Atlantic are just the latest events in what has already been a wild year for weather. MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner joins Midmorning to discuss what's going on with our weather.

Midday (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.) - First hour: Michael Hurley of the 9-11 Commission joins discusses what was learned in the investigation and in the decade since.

Second hour: Rebroadcast of 2004 American RadioWorks documentary about the 9-11 Commission hearings. "Witnesses to Terror."

Talk of the Nation (1-3 p.m.) - First hour: Political talk with Ken Rudin.

Second hour: . Authors tell their stories of taunts and teases and tears.

All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) - A decade after the terrorist attacks, MPR's Sasha Aslanian profiles its legacy for two Minnesotans. FBI whistleblower Colleen Rowley made the cover of Time magazine for her criticism of U.S. intelligence failures. Today, she no longer has her FBI career and failed to win public office. Now on the outside, she devotes herself to fulltime activism against what she considers the US's misguided response to 9/11. The parents of Tom Burnett Jr., who fought the hijackers on flight 93 that crashed near Shanksville, PA., have taken a different path. Tom's death propelled them into suing the terrorists in an attempt to bankrupt them. They're pledging to fight on and want the U.S. government do everything possible to shut terrorism down.

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Heaven.

Posted at 7:30 AM on August 26, 2011 by Eric Ringham (0 Comments)
Filed under: Health, Life, When people do good

It's now two weeks since the last day of my vacation, when I took this not very good photo on the Heartland Trail between Walker and Akeley, Minn. It was a moment I wanted to remember: The trail was like a lesson on perspective in art class, heading perfectly straight to its vanishing point. The air was rich with forest smells. Not for the first time, I thought of what a gift these old railroad routes have become, and what a great way they are to travel through the woods.

For my money, the Heartland is the best, but I also admire the more challenging Paul Bunyan. What's the best bike trail in the state?

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Taking a vacation when there's a war on

Posted at 5:00 AM on August 16, 2011 by Eric Ringham (2 Comments)
Filed under: War, When people do good

I spent last week near Akeley, Minn., more concerned with the rise and fall of the air pressure in my bike tires than with the ups and downs of the stock market. When the bike trail is beckoning and the loons are singing, only the biggest and baddest headlines merit attention. Like the revelation on Thursday that two Minnesotans had been among the casualties when the Taliban shot down a U.S. helicopter in Afghanistan.

That news was playing in my head as I poked around the Akeley cemetery. In a town that has shrunk to about 400 people, where another storefront seems to go dark every year, the cemetery is a place of tradition and permanence. It tells the history of the town - the children who died early in the 1900s of diseases that we now regard casually; the old people who lived most of a century and saw it all.

This year, the veterans' memorial in the cemetery struck me as especially poignant. It stands at the rear of the cemetery, as though on guard duty. Then my eye happened to fall on the tombstones of two Vietnam veterans who died within a few months of each other: James Olson, who passed away in 2005 at age 60, and John Dunham, who followed in early 2006 at age 58. Their epitaphs say "Gone fishing" and "He loved life," which in that part of the state mean pretty much the same thing.

In a town that size you can bet they knew each other, but I wondered whether they had been friends, whether they had known each other in the Navy, whether they had lived their whole lives in Akeley or merely retired there. And I wondered about John Faas, 31, and Nick Spehar, 24, the Navy SEALS from Minnesota who were killed last week: Were they friends?

I hope they were, and I hope that all four of them - Olson and Dunham in their day, and Faas and Spehar in theirs - felt appreciated by those of us who don't have much to worry about besides our bike tires.

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Fergus Falls' big move

Posted at 2:39 PM on May 2, 2011 by Bob Collins (3 Comments)
Filed under: When people do good

When nearly 100 elderly people in an assisted-living home need to move to a new facility, you don't just put them on a bus and drop them off at unfamiliar surroundings. Things are more complicated than that.

In Fergus Falls today, the PioneerCare Center moved 93 of its residents to a new building that's been under construction for about 18 months.

"We've been planning the whole transfer to this new building since the start of construction," Steve Guttormson, the spokesman for PioneerCare told me this afternoon. "We've had staff and volunteers and families on different committees."

It helped to have the people of Fergus Falls around.

The new building is about four blocks from the old one, so today, Fergus Falls had a parade for the residents of the facility, with classic cars, a color guard from the VFW, and the kids in the band at Fergus Falls High School escorting the seniors to their new home.

Two residents -- Mildred Roswold and Pete Beldo -- were chosen as grand marshalls.

"It is a wonderful addition to our community and the school felt we need to do our part to help in this grand opening," Dean Monke, the high school principal, said.

By all accounts, the residents , such as Dorothy Loftis, liked it:

(h/t: Shane Garrahan. Photos via Steve Guttormson. Band photo via Eric Strom)

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