Dec. 19–Hospital emergency departments all over Eastern North Carolina have a new tool in finding available psychiatric beds. Wilson Medical Center is one of the first 18 hospitals using the pilot project, the North Carolina Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Bed Board website. Story continues here >>>
"They say justice is blind. It must be to ignore the plight of the mentally ill in America’s prisons." So writes Matthew Mangino for thecrimereport.org in introducing the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s recent two-part series on mental illness and incarceration. In his editorial "America's 'Mental Health Gulag,'" Mr. Mangino points to North Carolina as well as other states as examples of less than humane treatment and solutions.
Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis responds to commissioners | Hendersonville Times-News
December 13, 2011
Henderson County commissioners said tonight the county has been billed $5,000 to cover the deductible for an insurance claim involving Sheriff Rick Davis, but county officials have been denied information about the claim or any settlement the insurance company has made on the sheriff’s behalf. Story continues here >>>
Troubling questions abound in case of Henderson County sheriff | The Asheville Citizen-Times
December 13, 2011
If silence is golden, then Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis must be the richest guy in the world.
The embattled sheriff has been uncharacteristically mum the past couple of months, other than a highly curious statement he released on Thanksgiving Eve, which I must note is a notorious dead zone for news. Story continues here >>>
Lawsuit Looming Over 114 Vehicles – The Watauga Democrat
December 13, 2011
An attorney for Smoky Mountain Center has threatened legal action if the New River Service Authority board does not turn over custody of dozens of vehicles by midnight tonight. Story continues here >>>
Commitment supervision not required – Wilkes Journal Patriot
December 13, 2011
Chief District Court Judge Mitchell McLean said Monday night that law enforcement officers are not required to stay with patients being evaluated for involuntary commitment once they are transported to Wilkes Regional Medical Center (WRMC) or other medical facilities. Story continues here >>>
Records paint scary picture of vet who killed Moore deputy – Raleigh News & Observer
December 13, 2011
VASS — A month after his arrest on charges of deserting the Army in 2007, Martin Abel Poynter was subdued by Moore County deputies with a stun gun and was involuntarily committed for psychological evaluation, court and criminal records show. Story continues here >>>
