Oshkosh area’s first baby of 2020 born at 1:42 a.m. in Ascension Mercy Hospital – Oshkosh Northwestern

Hayden June was the first baby in Oshkosh born on New Years Day at Ascension Mercy Hospital.(Photo: Courtesy of Ascension Mercy Hospital.)

OSHKOSH Born at 1:42 a.m. on New Years Day, Hayden June Knickelbein rang in 2020 as the first baby born in Oshkosh this year.

She was born at Ascension Mercy Hospital to parents Amanda and Bryce. Hayden is their second child and first daughter.

Later on New Year'safternoon, Aurora Medical Center deliveredits first baby, also a girl named Gillyann Grace who was born at 2:20 p.m. to mom Kaitlyn Gilles of Oshkosh.

She weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounce and was 19 inches long, and has three older siblings.

Gillyann Grace was the first baby born at Aurora Medical Center on New Years.(Photo: Courtesy of Aurora Medical Center.)

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Oshkosh area's first baby of 2020 born at 1:42 a.m. in Ascension Mercy Hospital - Oshkosh Northwestern

DA: Judge recused herself due to relationship with Assumption chief deputy; judge disputes claim – The Advocate

District Attorney Ricky Babin has told about 20 Assumption Parish criminal defendants that the judge overseeing their cases has disclosed a personal relationship with a top deputy in the parish Sheriffs Office and that disclosure could benefit their cases.

A draft of the letter Babins office sent to the defendants and their lawyers says Judge Jessie LeBlanc of the 23rd Judicial District disclosed a relationship with Chief Criminal Deputy Bruce Prejean when she recused herself from signing a warrant for an arrest in a narcotics case.

We have no information as to the nature of the personal relationship which would require recusal, nor do we have any information on the length or duration of the personal relationship, the letter adds.

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LeBlanc gives a much narrower explanation. She told WBRZ, which first reported the issue, that she recused herself because she once gave a job reference to an undercover sheriffs agent who is Prejeans close relative.

After 16 years as Assumption Parish sheriff, Mike Waguespack retired suddenly Wednesday, saying he has accepted a job with a private firm.

"I felt it necessary to clarify that my recusal in this matter stems from the fact that my prior employment recommendation for the undercover agent would be a conflict at future stages of the proceedings," she wrote.

Tyler Cavalier, a spokesman for Babin, said Monday night that prosecutors are still trying to determine the extent of the affected cases and suggested there could be more. The defendants who have been sent the letters include some facing murder charges.

The letter says that LeBlanc has never previously disclosed such a relationship with Prejean to Babin's office, and she has not recused herself from any other matter involving the Sheriff's Office since she became judge.

LeBlanc said that she was not told about Babin's letter in advance, has never received a copy of it and only learned on Dec. 27 about the letter and what it says that she disclosed to sheriff's deputies.

Under the law, judges review arrest warrants and determine if detectives have gathered enough information to have probable cause for an arrest. LeBlanc added she doesn't ever recall seeing an undercover agent's name on other narcotics warrants but this one did have one when it arrived on her desk in November.

"I felt it would be prudent to have another judge consider the warrant due to my concern regarding the unusual circumstance of identifying an undercover officer by name," her statement said.

LeBlanc is a native of Ascension Parish and lists her home in Gonzales but is one of five judges serving in a three-parish judicial district that covers Assumption, Ascension and St. James parishes. Her primary office is in Napoleonville and has counted on her personal ties in Assumption as part of her electoral base.

She did not return a phone call and text message for comment Monday evening.

GONZALESThe Ascension Parish Council is poised to consider a contested 30-year contract Friday night that would consolidate sewer service i

Prosecutors said Tuesday that Babin made a required disclosure to the defendants after being informed about LeBlanc's recusal by the Sheriff's Office and that the office was his source of the information about the judge's comments.

In the statement Monday night, Sheriff Leland Falcon said that his staffers initially informed him that the judge had declined to sign the warrant and, "as obligated by law," "immediately conferred" with Babin and "accurately and thoroughly advised him of Judge LeBlanc's disclosure."

Falcon, in the prepared statement and then in an interview Tuesday, said that he also spoke with LeBlanc personally and he is certain the reason that she gave him for her recusal was her relationship with Bruce Prejean and not the undercover agent.

"It was a very clear conversation," Falcon said.

His statement added that LeBlanc "did not elaborate on that relationship."

But Falcon said that he has also spoken with Prejean, a longtime deputy in the Sheriff's Office who predates the sheriff's tenure and served a few months as interim sheriff before Falcon was sworn in.

Falcon said Prejean told him that he and LeBlanc had a close, platonic friendship that dates back to her time as the hearing officer for the 23rd Judicial District Court before she became a judge.

Falcon said he wouldn't see that kind of friendship as necessarily creating a reason for LeBlanc to recuse herself. Falcon said he has not taken action against Prejean at this point, waiting to find out more information, but Falcon said he believed he was obligated to report the judge's recusal to Babin because of what LeBlanc told him.

"I have worked closely with the District Attorney's Office and other members of the judiciary to specifically provide all information I possessed as it relates to this important issue," Falcon wrote.

The new Assumption Parish Sheriff, Leland Falcon, will be sworn in Wednesday, earlier than originally planned, following the resignation of fo

When asked, Falcon also added that it is not uncommon for undercover agents to put their names on arrest warrants, saying some do and some don't. He said that after seeing LeBlanc's statement to the media, his deputies were able to find another warrant that she had signed previously that had the agent's name on it.

LeBlanc's telling of her conversation with Falcon contradicts what the sheriff says happened. LeBlanc says that Falcon inquired with her after she had asked a detective to present the warrant to another judge. She says she told the sheriff her potential conflict stemmed from the undercover agent.

"I explained to Sheriff Falcon that I voluntarily recused myself from signing the warrant because I have known this particular agent since before his career in law enforcement ever began," she wrote. "Moreover, I provided a recommendation and character reference for the undercover agent when he was applying for employment outside the field of law enforcement."

She added that her recommendation of the undercover agent was "clearly an opinion regarding his credibility and character" and that she asked the arrest warrant be considered by another judge.

GONZALES The two-person race for the Division D seat in the 23rd Judicial District is coming down to a debate over which candidate has the ri

A Republican, Leblanc has been judge since she won a special election in March 2012 against Republican lawyer Matt Pryor to replace Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo. She was departing for the federal bench in New Orleans with three years left on her term. LeBlanc was reelected to a full, six-year term in 2014 without drawing an opponent.

LeBlanc was previously the judicial administrator for the 23rd Judicial District Court and, before that, was an assistant district attorney under former District Attorney Tony Falterman when Babin was also an assistant district attorney. For a time, Babin was Falterman's top assistant district attorney while LeBlanc was in the office.

GONZALES Jessie LeBlanc did not lose a precinct in Ascension Parish, and districtwide lost one precinct and tied in another in a Saturday el

Despite those connections earlier in her career, LeBlanc has issued several tough rulings against Babin's prosecutors in Ascension and St. James parishes that have rankled staffers in his office.

A state appellate court panel this week reinstated a five-count malfeasance in office indictment against a top official in the St. James Paris

Among them, she found in April 2017 that Assistant District Attorney Bruce Mohon committed prosecutorial misconduct in connection with corruption cases brought against now-outgoing St. James Parish President Timmy Roussel and his top aide, Blaise Gravois.

The ruling applied to Gravois' case only. LeBlanc threw out his charges, though an appellate panel later reinstated them but upheld the misconduct finding.

Prosecutors later accused her of bias. She withdrew from the case but disputed the bias claims.

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DA: Judge recused herself due to relationship with Assumption chief deputy; judge disputes claim - The Advocate

Whatll Happen In The Next Decade? Here Are 9 Predictions For The 2020s – Forbes

Dont take too seriously any speculations about what the next decade will hold. Be ready for another wave of astounding, unforeseen events. Who in 2000 could have foreseen 9/11 or the economic crisis of 2008? Or the election of our first African-American president? Who in 2010 could have predicted the rise of political populism and the ascension of Donald Trump, Brexit or the aggressive foreign policies of China and Russia? Or the general breakdown in recent years of the post-WWII order that led to the avoidance of another global conflict and created conditions for the stunning rise in global living standards? (Over 1 billion people have emerged from dire poverty in the new millennium; thats 137,000 people a day.) Or that billions of people would possess handheld devices that are virtually supercomputers? Or that Hong Kong would be rocked by pro-democracy demonstrations for months on end, which could, in the goodness of time, have profound repercussions in China itself?

Nonetheless, despite the futures impenetrable fog, the itch to predict is irresistible. So here goes, in a few categories.

Healthcare will experience enormous Uber/Lyft-like upheavals, providing entrepreneurs with an astounding array of opportunities. The fundamental problem in this immense sector is the lack of free markets. The system has been dominated by third partiesinsurers, government and employers. In what other industry, for instance, would government feel compelled, as the Trump administration has begun to do, to require providers to post prices?!?

The prime propellant for radical change is the rapid rise of high-deductible company insurance plans. The amounts of money people are paying out-of-pocket for medical expenses is fast approaching the size of the U.S. travel industry. Services providing price comparisons for various tests and procedures are coming, big-time. So are metrics that will enable patients to compare outcomes at various clinics and hospitals. Free markets will do what governments have never been able to do with their top-down, regulatory initiatives: provide more and better healthcare at less cost.

Previously, there was no competitive advantage in adopting innovations such as telemedicine, electronic records and warranties for procedures. This burgeoning consumerism will also lead to faster adoption of breakthroughs. Such market-oriented pressures will see most general hospitals evolve into specialized treatment centers or disappear altogether. The political fallout from this will be immense.

In addition, expect big breakthroughs in cures (especially for Alzheimers), in cheap, personal and convenient delivery systems and in sweeping changes in how pharmaceuticals are manufactured.

Current thinking about tax and monetary policies will be obliterated. No sane person would posit that constantly changing weights and measures, such as the number of inches in a foot, the number of minutes in an hour, the number of ounces in a pound or the size of a gallon would stimulate the marketplace. Yet thats exactly what central banks do with money, which is supposed to measure value. Unstable currencies hinder progress, because they inhibit investment, the key to higher standards of living; instability makes people concerned about preserving what they have, so they put their money into hard assets like gold, silver, land or houseswhich is exactly what happened during the run up to 2008, after the U.S. deliberately weakened the dollar.

Heres a prediction no one else will make: By 2030 countries will be adopting the gold standard, the method for monetary soundness that has worked for 4,000 years.

Another economic idiocy that will go by the boards is the idea that taxes dont much effect economic performance. Taxes are a price and burden. A light burden lets commerce flourish.

As unlikely as it may seem with every candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination advocating higher levies on more and more things and activities, a growing number of governments in coming years will move in the opposite direction, reducing tax rates to generate growth and, yes, more revenue.

The Magic Formula, a recent book by Forbes.com contributor Nathan Lewis, demonstrates conclusively that throughout recorded history economies that have low tax regimes and sound currencies end up doing better than those that dontalways. This book will become the bible for a new generation of policymakers.

The way governments engage in regulation will dramatically change. Since the 1960s, the U.S. has experienced an unrelenting tsunami of rules spurred by the spurious notion that precise rules can be written to cover every conceivable contingency in life, thereby removing imperfect human judgment. The result has been a diminution, especially in government, of responsibility for actually getting things done.

Watch for this regime of suffocating rules to be replaced by one of simple principles or goals. It will be up to those affected to find the best ways to achieve a given task. If the results are found to be lacking, those in charge will suffer the consequences. No crying, But we followed the rules! Australia, for example, replaced hundreds of pages of nursing home regulations with a few pages of principles, and the outcome was excellent.

Expect dramatic changes in higher education, galvanized by the scandalous explosion in student debt. Unending increases in college sticker prices will cease, as people focus on the bloating of higher-ed bureaucracies and as institutions are forced to share some of the liability for loans to their students. This will help deal with another scandal: the pitiful graduation rate of students, even within six years. Purdue, under its president, Mitch Daniels, is a pioneer here: The total cost for a student at Purdue today is lower than it was in 2013, when Daniels took office.

Young people will feel less pressure to go to college after high school and instead will pursue good-paying jobs where shortages exist. The presence of online courses will enable them to pursue additional education when they want to.

Of course, there will be crises and challenges.

There will be plenty of issues to roil American politics. These will include things before us today, such as climate policies, identity politics, campus free speech, and coming to grips with how to better mainstream the growing numbers of released prisoners. The 2020 elections, despite a rather uninspiring beginning, will see the start of a profound debate about what kind of country we are to become. This isnt unprecedented. Weve had such soul of America events in the 1850s, the 1890s, the 1930s and, to a lesser extent, the 1970s.

Current concerns over privacy will pale in comparison to the worries coming as we realize the implications of the rise of the surveillance state. In China soon a persons every move in every place every day will be recorded and preserved forever. In freer countries people will still experience the increased recording of their everyday moves. A ripe market will arise for devices that can disrupt ubiquitous nano-cameras.

The world will watch to see if India, a diverse and multicultural state if there ever was one, can hold together in the face of rising Hindu nationalism. If this goes wrong, the ramifications will have international repercussions.

Drug lords will control a growing portion of Mexico unless we find grassroots ways to lessen drug use here in the U.S.

Despite growing use of windmills and solar energy, global consumption of fossil fuels will expand enormously as China, India and other developing countries see car and truck unit sales mushroom by the tens of millions. Electricity will still be generated predominantly by fossil fuelsunless massive high-tech breakthroughs arise. Which, in this ever-unpredictable world, cannot be ruled out.

Bottom line: Such crystal-balling will be quickly outdated by actual events.

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Whatll Happen In The Next Decade? Here Are 9 Predictions For The 2020s - Forbes

Greenfield Barnes & Noble To Close, Health Center To Move In – Greenfield, WI Patch

GREENFIELD, WI Ascension Wisconsin announced plans to open a new health center in Greenfield. The health center will provide access to primary, specialty, hospital and emergency services.

The building where it will be located, 4935 S. 76th Street, is currently the home of a Barns and Noble bookstore. According to a Milwaukee Business Journal report, the bookstore will move out during the summer of 2020 when their lease on the property expires.

The new Ascension center will then move in. The project will create 50 to 70 new jobs. Construction is expected to begin in the spring, with a tentative opening of late summer 2021.

The 32,000-square-foot health center will house a small-scale hospital with emergency services and eight inpatient beds.

Ascension officials say the new hospital will operate 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year. It will be staffed by emergency medicine physicians, experienced nurses and clinical specialists

The facility will be fully licensed, CMS-accredited and in-network with most commercial providers. Medicaid and Medicare also will be accepted. This is the second facility of its kind that will be owned and operated under Ascension Wisconsin and Emerus' joint venture

Ascension Wisconsin will establish a primary and specialty care clinic and outpatient diagnostic imaging facility within the health center. Cardiology and electrophysiology will be provided to complement primary care services and the imaging center will include MRI, CT, ultrasound, mammography and x-ray services.

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Greenfield Barnes & Noble To Close, Health Center To Move In - Greenfield, WI Patch

Vote on Ascension Sewer deal back on for Friday night but suit to block vote pending – The Advocate

GONZALESThe Ascension Parish Council is poised to consider a contested 30-year contract Friday night that would consolidate sewer service in the Dutchtown, Prairieville and Gonzales areas, after a state appellate panel threw out a lower court order that had previouslyblocked any action until next year.

But the Gonzales lawyer who filed the original suit that led to the lower court order said he has already filed another suit to block action. He added that he expects other suits could follow from other plaintiffs.

Jean-Paul Robert's latest suit, known as a temporary restraining order, was pending early Thursday evening, he said, and mirrors what he filed Monday over the lack of adequate public access to the documents behind the deal.

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"It's not gonna be just Sean Dardeau this time. It's gonna be an avalanche," said Robert, who is representing Dardeau, a Geismar-area car salesman fighting council action on the sewer contract.

GONZALES Hours from a final vote Monday by the Ascension Parish Council on a 30-year deal to bring regional sewer service to Ascension Paris

A special meeting of the Parish Council was called Thursday evening for Friday at 6 p.m. and also, for Friday at 7 p.m., a meeting of a special parish utilities district, which is also composed of the council members. The bodies are expected to cast a series votes allowing the sewer proposal to go forward.

Several councilmen leaving another meeting Thursday night said they are prepared to vote Friday if the court doesn't block them again. Some said they would be supporting the deal.

Councilman Daniel "Doc" Satterlee, an outgoing, two-term member who has championed a sewer fix for years but has faced intense criticism over the Ascension Sewer deal, said the proposed agreement is the product of years of work and investigations of other ideas, including having the parish go it alone, that don't work financially without access to the existing private customer base in the parish.

"I think the contract has been worked on and worked on and worked on, so I feel comfortable with it,"added William Daniel, the parish infrastructure director."I think most of the council does. It's just a matter of being able to have a hearing and having people show up to vote."

The deal with Ascension Sewer LLC, a consortium of Bernhard Capital Partners and Ascension Wastewater Treatment, would involve buildingone new regional plant in the Geismar areato replace dozens of small, neighborhood-sized treatment plants in eastern Ascension.

About 19,500 customers of parish government and Ascension Wastewater would fall under the agreement, including 2,800 Ascension Wastewater customers located outside Ascension Parish. The parish contract would give Ascension government control through the consortium over Ascension Wastewater's 16,500 customers and their rates.

Ascension Wastewater is the largest private sewer provider in the parish and relies heavily on these small sewer plants. The new regional plant would dump cleansed wastewater into the Mississippi River and avoid tightened regulatory restrictions on the discharges into polluted ditches and bayous left by the smaller sewer plants.

The Ascension Parish Council's leadership has finished negotiating a 30-year sewer concession and plans a binding vote Monday, over the object

But the customers would see an immediate rate increase if the deal is approved. Rates would start at $57.90 per month for residential customers and more for commercial customers, and the rates would increase by 4% per year for the first 10 years. The first phase of the system is expected to cost $215 million.

Parish officials have emphasized the cost of not acting. Ascension Wastewater is likely to cut its own deal with Bernhard Capital, depriving the parish of an important customer base, they say. Also, costs to run and upgrade the parish's existing systems would drive a $13 million to $27 million shortfall over the next 20 years at a starting rate of about $60 per month.

Following months of talks with the sitting Parish Council and their lawyers, newly elected council members and Parish President-elect Clint Cointment began raising concerns about the deal. He and others aired worries about the speed with which the final versions of the deal were being pushed through the council and about a number of provisions, including termination fees, that Cointment says could bankrupt the parish.

Earlier attempts at a final vote were halted so Cointment could try to negotiate with Ascension Sewer. While both sides suggested some progress was being made, Council Chairwoman Teri Casso cut off those talks Dec. 11 after, she said, the two sides became stuck on some details.

A recent estimate from financial analysts working for the parish says the termination fees could vary greatly, from $15 million near the end of the agreement to $187 million in year five. At that point, the consortium would have spent the most cash and taken out the most debt to build the new system but without much time to collect month sewer fees to start paying off the costs. The termination fees are designed to reimburse the consortium partners for their unreimbursed costs plus their rate of return.

Jeff Jenkins, co-founder of Bernhard Capital,has disputed fears about the termination fees, calling it a red herring. He said that even if either side did pull out and termination fees were due, the parish still would control the customers who could pay off those fees.

As part of the deal, both the council and its utilities district must vote to transfer the sewer assets of Ascension Wastewater to the district, which means the parish would then own them.

Under an agreement also up for a vote Friday, the consortium would pay Ascension Wastewater, an equity partner in Ascension Sewer that will draw profits from ratepayers, an undisclosed sum for that infrastructure. Ratepayers would cover almost all the costs of the partnership, which projects an 8% return on investment.

Meanwhile, an East Baton Rouge Parish city-parish attorney said the city-parish government is working on an agreement to link up about 1,100 to 1,400 of Ascension Wastewater's customers now in the Ascension Sewer deal to the city-parish system.

Ascension Sewer officials had earlier suggested those out-of-parish customers would help defray sewer rates for the deal in Ascension. But Jenkins said that if another agreement is reached with the city-parish for the East Baton Rouge customers, that agreement would be revenue neutral for the Ascension Sewer agreement.

The state Public Service Commission must also ratify the transfer of Ascension Wastewater's sewer assets.

The flurry of activity Thursday evening was prompted by an order midday Thursday from a three-judge panel on the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal.

The panel rejected Judge Jessie LeBlanc's order Monday enjoining the Parish Council from voting on Ascension Sewer until at least Jan. 7. Cointment and six new members of the 11-person council are expected to be inaugurated Jan. 6.

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Vote on Ascension Sewer deal back on for Friday night but suit to block vote pending - The Advocate

Trust issues plague the relationship between Ascension St. Joe’s and the community it serves – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Rick Banks from Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, far left; Nate Gilliam, organizer for the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, center left; Melanie McCurtis of the Metcalfe Park Neighborhood Association, center right; and Jack Hansen. a research and policy analyst from Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization, far right, all spoke at a meeting Oct. 1 to discuss Ascension Wisconsin's St. Joseph campus.(Photo: Talis Shelbourne / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Three empty chairs at a community meeting epitomized the mistrust between the leaders of Ascension Wisconsin and the St. Joes Accountability Coalition.

The coalition, composed primarily of community leaders from Milwaukees north side, invited Ascension Wisconsin to that Oct. 1 meeting to press the health systemtosigna legal contractbinding it to a list of commitments. The commitmentsincluded keepingAscension St. Josephhospital openand providing an urgent care clinic, affordable housing assistance, local hiring, more employee training and living wages for all employees.

Ascension didnt show.

For one, Ascension Wisconsin officials said they were told they would not be allowedto speak at the event. For another, they said signing a contract was unnecessary because they have promised to keep the hospital open,already hire locally andprovide employee training.

The hospital, which employs about 800 people, is one of the neighborhood's largest employers.

The coalition wants the hospital to sign a community benefits agreement, known as a CBA, which is a contract between community groups and real estate developers or government entities.

Reggie Newson, Ascension Wisconsinsvice president of government and community services, said the health systemis proving its commitment to the community by expanding and adding services to St. Joseph.

For example, two certified nurse-midwives were just hired forthe hospital's new midwifery clinic and a third is being recruited. The hospital is also planning to hire a cardiac nurse practitioner and cardiologist.

But members of the coalition arent convinced, because they say there is no legal penalty if Ascension fails to follow through on its promises.

Nate Gilliam, an organizer with the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals, advisory board member of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Instituteand coalition spokesman,said the coalition just wants accountability.

Its good that theyre saying all these great things on paper and to the media," he said. "But if they are going to do that, they shouldnt have a problem with signing a CBA.

The lack of trust between the coalition and Ascension Wisconsin started 18 months ago, when hospital administrators citing losses of roughly $30 million a yearproposed cutting some of Ascension St. Joseph's surgical and medical units and other services, such as cardiology support.

RELATED: Ascension Wisconsin cutting services at St. Joseph hospital

The hospital, at 5000 W. Chambers St., serves a majority African American population on the city's north side, an area facingsteep socioeconomic disadvantages. Decades of limited access to health care havecontributed to higher rates of chronic disease. Higher rates of poverty means many residents rely on Medicaid for health insurance.

Residents interpreted Ascensions proposal as a precursor to closing the hospital and in an area where transportation is scarce feared they would have to go farther for health care.

The proposalwas criticized by Mayor Tom Barrett, several aldermen and community leaders, including George Hinton, CEO of the Social Development Commission and former president of Aurora Sinai Medical Center, who wrote an op-edin opposition.

Ascension dropped the proposal.

But that was 18 months ago.

Reggie Newson, Vice President of Government and Community Services, Chief Advocacy Officer, Ascension Wisconsin.(Photo: The Refinery Photo Studio)

Since then, Newsonsaid the hospital surveyed more than 1,000people by telephone and held five community listening sessions. The information was used to develop priorities for the hospital and corresponding programs, such as the midwifery program and heart and vascular community care center.

Similarly, members of the coalition conducted their own survey, knockingon hundreds of doors and collecting 584detailed responses.

When surveyed on non-clinical services, over 40% of residents said housing assistance, local hiring and living wages were their top priorities.From the coalition's survey onclinical services,61.6% said access to urgent care was most important to them.

Kevin Kluesner, Ascension St. Joseph's chief administrative officer, said he and others arewell aware of the health disparities and disadvantages within the community they serve.

He saidAscension Wisconsin's pushto expand services is proof the hospital isnt going anywhere.

RELATED: New Women, Infants, and Children office opens at Ascension St. Joseph through Milwaukee Health Department partnership

Thatcommitment is despite the hospital'shaving lost roughly $150million since the 2012 fiscal year. In the 2018 fiscal year, the most recent for which information is available,Ascension St. Joseph lost $31.6 million.

By comparison,Froedtert Hospital reported $134 million in profits for the 2018 fiscal year, according to information filed with the Wisconsin Hospital Association.Aurora St. Lukes Medical Center reported $166 million in profits in 2018.

Gilliam said that since the hospital is a non-profit venture, lost profits shouldn't matter. He also said that Ascension Wisconsin hasmore profitable locations across the state, that can offset the losses at St. Joseph.

Markasa Tucker, executive director of the African American Roundtable and supporter of the coalition, reads the response from Ascension on her phone.(Photo: Talis Shelbourne / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

The results from the coalition's survey mirrored what residents at the Oct. 1 community meeting described.

Charles Hawkins said he likes his primary care physicians, but said they keep leaving.

Another resident who lives blocks away from the hospital, Arkesia Jackson, said when her brother-in-law experienced a flare-up of his COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, she was thankful a community hospital was nearby.

"He ran inside the emergency and collapsed, car running," she said. "He is a patient at St. Joe's. They had all his records, they knew who he was, they knew what he was suffering from."

Newson said the goal isto provide consistent, quality care for all patients.

Gilliam acknowledged that details of what the coalition isasking for, such asracially equitable health care and helping with housing assistance, are somewhat vague. However, thats because its members said they want to sit down with Ascension and hammer out an agreement as long as Ascension commits to signing one.

Coalition members argue that other hospitalshave worked withcommunity groups on similarinitiatives.

Robert Silverman, a professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Buffalo, said there are some rare examples of CBAs being used in the health care field.

For example, Yale University signed a CBA with the Community Organized for Responsible Development groupin 2006 regarding the construction of a new cancer center.

It still remains unlikely that Ascension, a national organization,would willingly set such a precedent for its hospitals.

Gilliam said he thinks it's important for hospitals to be accountable to the community.

I dont see why they see a community benefits agreement as adversarial off the top," Gilliam said. Whenever theyre ready to come to the table in earnest, well be there.Thats it."

But with the addition and expansion of several new programs, Kluesner said he's not sure what else hospital officials can do to prove they are serious about being a reliable anchor institution on the citys north side.

"We've signed 11 new providers. That's the best proof we could give of our commitment togrowing services here at St. Joseph. If people are wondering what are we doing at Ascension St. Joseph, I think that actions speak louder than words," he said.

Contact Talis Shelbourne at (414) 223-5261 or tshelbourn@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @talisseerand Facebook at @talisseer.

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Trust issues plague the relationship between Ascension St. Joe's and the community it serves - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Tech and health care need their own ‘Hippocratic oath’ – STAT – STAT

When a whistleblower revealed the details of Project Nightingale, a collaboration between Google and the Ascension health system, he or she also surfaced critical flaws in the ways that health care and tech work together.

As part of the deal, Ascension, a nonprofit Catholic hospital system that operates in 21 states, gave Google access to millions of patient records, including names and birth dates. The goal of Project Nightingale was to build new tools that help doctors extract key information from patients medical records and deliver more targeted medical treatments. It would also make it possible for doctors to spend more time with patients and less time combing through endless layers of electronic health data.

The problem was that the hospital system gave Google access to this mountain of data without the knowledge of doctors or patients. After the news broke, stories emerged questioning compliance with privacy laws and whether Google had plans to monetize the data it received. Lawmakers have voiced similar concerns.

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This isnt an isolated incident. There have been other hiccups over the years as tech and health care have increasingly gravitated towards one another. Think IBM Watson, Memorial Sloan Ketterings alliance with Paige.AI, and the fall of Outcome Health. These gaffes are exacerbating an already frayed trust between the public and the tech industry.

We must act now, before new regulatory barriers and other problems arise that set digital health back for years. We are calling on those working in our respective industries to change our ways. We must lead by example to fully realize the potential of health care technology partnerships to improve both the outcomes and experience for patients and clinicians.

The cultures of tech and health care are fundamentally different, so its easy to see why collaborations between the two run into trouble. Tech is about working fast, in secrecy, with a small set of designers and engineers. It aims to create buzz, sell a vision, and get a product to market as quickly as possible. It recognizes that even though a product may not be perfect right away, iterative work can make it better.

Health care moves at a more measured pace, mainly because patients lives are at stake. Developing a new medicine requires proving its efficacy and safety, which often takes decades and billions of dollars. It requires exposing the results and data to the scrutiny of peers and regulators. Its about putting patients first and developing something that works and is safe, even if it takes longer.

Despite these fundamental differences, there are opportunities for tech and health companies to develop tools that complement traditional medical care by guiding patients to the right treatment, detecting health problems earlier, and much more. Theres so much to gain if this is done well. And yet, we must overcome the friction that occurs when we work with one another.

This friction is understandable. Tech wants health care to move faster. Health care wants tech to slow down. Tech wants health care to buy its vision. Health care wants that vision backed up by evidence, not hype. This tension is stifling the progress of digital health. There have been too many examples of tech running roughshod over the principles of medicine. Startups like Theranos and uBiome, to name two, crashed and burned after misleading investors, regulators, and customers about their capabilities.

Tech within health care, as a result, has lost credibility with the public, and even companies playing by the rules will be met with skepticism. The resulting trust vacuum has the potential to create additional barriers to progress and stall projects even before they get off the ground.

On the health care side, there are countless examples of an industry that, unless pushed, has been slow to adopt innovations in digitization and information technology. Even with the widespread adoption of electronic health records (which required a governmental mandate to achieve), different health systems still cant effectively share data. As a result, health care is far behind other industries in integrating cutting-edge digital technologies.

We need to compromise. Health care needs to be more willing to partner effectively with tech and embrace a more iterative development style. Developing a digital tool in a rapid, iterative fashion requires a significant change in health cares culture. But thats a good thing. Health care could quickly learn what digital health tools work and get them into patients and clinicians hands.

Tech, on the other hand, needs to appreciate and respect the culture of health care and its mission to help patients achieve better health. Startups must generate evidence that their products improve outcomes. They and their financial backers need to be willing to invest in those studies. And, uncomfortable as it might be, tech companies must be open and honest about what theyre doing. Earning and keeping the publics trust has to be just as important as anything else they do.

The use of data in health care is fundamentally different than it is in other industries, such as retail. Most retail consumers accept that, by signing up for a frequent shopper card at their local supermarket or clothing store and receiving its associated discounts, they will be entered into a database and targeted with personalized ads.

But take this approach to medicine and its an entirely different story. Say a patient sees a doctor and during the visit provides him or her with personal information. If that information is later used to sell the patient new products, it would feel like a moral transgression to both patient and provider. This possibility is one reason for the public outrage over the Google-Ascension deal. After the news broke, Googles assurances that the data were being used only for good werent enough. The damage was done.

Patients arent just consumers. They trust their clinicians and the health care system with their lives. Tech companies need to treat this trust with respect. Tech needs to shed its stereotypical secrecy and be honest even to the point of overcommunicating if the goal is establishing trust. Tech cant confuse the vision for its products with the reality of what they are and what they have (and havent) proven. Tech companies must be upfront with health care providers about a products stage of development and what they hope to achieve. If tech needs to use patient data to make digital health tools, the parties involved have a moral and legal obligation to let patients know what is happening and why.

Patient data is an incredibly valuable asset: It is the fuel for creating intelligent tools that could make health care better and cheaper. There are ways to manage this information safely and ethically. But that message must be explained more clearly going forward, and health and tech companies must do a better job respecting and alleviating the concerns people have even before they have them.

Tech and health companies should be as transparent as possible at all points. If they feel like they cant be, its time to ask, Why not? Stories like the Google-Ascension deal must prod us to redouble efforts toward transparency.

When health and tech companies decide to work together, we should commit to a digital health Hippocratic oath. Lets proactively tell patients, the broader public, and every employee within our own organizations what were doing and why. Lets say to everyone exactly how patient data will be used, how it will be protected, and how our work might benefit people in the long run. And lets promise, publicly, that the data wont be used for any other reason than to benefit patient care.

We dont pretend any of this is easy, but its essential that we persevere to optimize the marriage of health care and technology. Our patients and the public deserve nothing less.

Thomas M. Maddox, M.D., is a cardiologist, professor of medicine, and executive director of the Healthcare Innovation Lab at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and BJC HealthCare. Simon MacGibbon is the CEO and co-founder of Myia Health.

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Tech and health care need their own 'Hippocratic oath' - STAT - STAT

Why Bobby Webre is eyeing expansion of female dorm at Ascension jail – The Advocate

Ascension Parish government and the sheriff have agreed to renovate he parish jail's female wing, addressing the problem of sending female prisoners to north Louisiana jails because there's not enough room in Ascension's.

Under the new funding agreement, Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webreplans to add 16 more beds to the parish jail's 48-bed female wing.

The renovation, which the sheriff hopes to start in early spring, will convert the old facility, built on the parish's west bank in the mid-1970s, from individual cells into an open bay-style dorm, freeing up space for beds.

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"And hopefully, we can control that population for quite a while and not have to ship females out of parish," Webre said.

The dorm is expected to cost $670,000 to $680,000 to renovate and will include new plumbing.

Though the sheriff runs the jail, it is parish government, under state law, that owns the facility and has the responsibility to maintain it. The parish will pay $600,000 for the renovation and the Sheriff's Office will kick in $80,000.

Webre's office has already spent $40,000 toward that bill for architectural plans and other early costs, the agreement says.

Currently, female inmates who don't have a bed in the dorm are being housed in Madison Parish in northeastern Louisiana, costing Ascension a $24 per prisoner daily fee and complicating transportation costs to bring the inmates back and forth for court, Webre said.

The Ascension Parish jail has been routinely seeing about 55 to 58 female inmates per day, with most being held for nonviolent crimes, such as theft, drugs and bad checks, the sheriff said.

Webre was the jail's warden for 16 of his 34 years in the Sheriff's Office, from 1996 to 2011. He said that when he first began overseeing the jail in '96, its maximum population for female inmates was 16 and the dorm then was rarely full.

General population increases in Ascension have contributed to the rise in inmates but Webre said many of the female inmates end up in the jail because they continue to fail to show up for court dates. Judges won't recall bench warrants for their arrest and the inmates are held for court, Webre said.

"By far, this is my largest female population in my 34 years," he said.

Overall, the jail facility has a capacity of 572 inmates.

A $11.5 million expansion in 2008 doubled the jail's capacity to the current level,Webre said, and has left the Sheriff's Office in good shape for housing the male inmates.

Parish government financed its construction in 2007 and will continue to pay off that debt through 2027. The balance on the debt is expected to be $5.5 million by the end of this year, said Martin McConnell, parish spokesman.

Parish Council members and outgoing Parish President Kenny Matassa spoke in support of the funding agreement at the Parish Council meeting Thursday night. The agreement, which Webre said has been discussed for about a year, was approved without opposition.

"We appreciate the sheriff very much and his concerns for being able to secure those inmates here in our parish," Council Chair Teri Casso said.

Though Webre is pushing forward with the female dorm expansion, he said he has no plans to build a new juvenile facility unless it can be a multi-parish operation, to help defray its costs. The sheriff reserves six beds in St. Bernard Parish for the juvenile offenders at a cost of $200 per offender per day.

After new state standards took effect several years ago, the St. James and Assumption sheriff's offices closed multi-parish juvenile detention centers, citing the cost.

The Ascension Parish Council adopted a 1-mill, 20-year tax in 2013 in hopes of one day building a new facility after the St. James facility closed. The fund is being used to pay to house the juveniles out of parish.

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Why Bobby Webre is eyeing expansion of female dorm at Ascension jail - The Advocate

Big plays by White Castle’s Javier Batiste, Ascension Catholic’s Jai Williams help Eagles win Red Stick Bowl – The Advocate

ZACHARYThe Eagles didnt panic after surrendering their lead in the fourth quarter against the Patriots on Saturday afternoon.

Jai Williams sliced through the heart of the Patriots defense to pace the Eagles to a 27-22 win in the 18th annual Red Stick Bowl all-star football game at Zacharys Bronco Stadium.

The Patriots scratched back from a 21-10 halftime deficit and captured a one-point lead with four minutes to play on a 28-yard touchdown reception by Jack Johnson of Silliman.

But the Eagles responded by mounting a furious six-play scoring drive highlighted by a 32-yard reception from Catholic's Jackson Thomas to Derrick Varnado of Ascension Christian and also assisted by a personal foul infraction by the Patriots.

Williams touchdown run with 2:46 made the difference for the Eagles. The Ascension Catholic product finished with 58 yards on eight carries.

The Eagles' Javier Batiste of White Castle was named Most Valuable Player of the event that featured nearly 90 of the top players in the Baton Rouge area.

Batiste was an integral part of the games most electrifying play. Lining up at running back, Batiste took a lateral pass from quarterback Luke Lunsford of Denham Springs and found wide receiver Rodney White of East Feliciana sprinting down the right sideline for a 35-yard touchdown to give the Eagles a two-score lead late in the opening period.

Batiste also scored the games first TD on a 38-yard run and pulled in a 58-yard pass from Dunham quarterback Anthony Safford just before halftime.

It was a different atmosphere compared to a normal game, Batiste said. But we played hard and we were confident we could come back and get the lead after we let it slip away.

The Eagles launched a hurry-up offense and blitzed ahead with scores on their first two possessions. Behind quarterbacks Safford, Lunsford and Thomas, they appeared in control until relinquishing the lead in the fourth quarter.

Coach had us moving off the ball in practice and had us prepared. We thought that was the key to winning the game, Batiste said.

Eagles coach Ron LeJeune of East Iberville said he felt the flea-flicker play early on set the tone for most of the game.

Our coaches called a good game, especially on that double-pass play. The fans want to see the ball in the air, and we tried to make it as entertaining as possible, LeJeune said. We went back and forth at the end, but we finished strong. I was confident, but I was sweating at the same time.

Patriots coach Steven Thomas of Zachary said spotting the opposition two scores early put his squad at a disadvantage.

We just didnt start off well, but we turned it on after that, he said. We finally took the lead but just made a few errors at the end that cost us the game. We had a chance to win in the end, and thats all you can ask for.

Johnson, whose 28-yard catch gave the Patriots their only lead, was named best receiver for his team. He hauled in the pass from Walker's Ethan McMasters on a 50/50 jump ball between two defenders.

Coach just gave us a big pep talk at half time and that pumped us up, Johnson said. We had a lot of confidence in our offense and we never gave up, but things just didnt go our way. I had a blast and it was a fun experience.

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Big plays by White Castle's Javier Batiste, Ascension Catholic's Jai Williams help Eagles win Red Stick Bowl - The Advocate

Ascension Fund announces board of directors, officers – The Advocate

During its annual holiday dinner at the Grapevine Caf in Donaldsonville, the Ascension Fund celebrated its mission to reward and inspire excellence in education and announce recently elected board of directors and officers.

The 2019-20 Board of Directors includes: President Sally Diez, Vice President Bret Hughes, Treasurer Brad Walker, Secretary Lisa Dunigan, Michael Buturla, Holly Daigle, Sherrie Despino, Dale Doty, Malcolm Dugas, Jr., Alsie Dunbar, Fritz Englade Sr., Sonny Graugnard, Amy Hathorn-Lambert, Juanita Pearley, Timothy E. Pujol, Paulette Rosamond, Donald Songy, Craig Walling and Buddy Wells.

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The Ascension Fund was established 28 years ago as a project of the Rotary Club of Gonzales. Original pledges of $800,000 for the creation of the Ascension Fund were placed in an endowment, the income from which now funds the grants.

The fund provided its first grant in 1992, and since that time has given over 1,300 grants representing $1.5 million in awards to area public schools and teachers. Fundraising efforts through 41 community supporters have raised the endowment to $1.6 million, which is managed by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

Applications for 2020-21 Ascension Fund grants will be available in January. The fund offers teacher grants in the amount of $500 or $1,000 and school impact grants for $2,500 to education professionals in Ascension Public Schools. For more information, visit http://www.ascensionfund.com or call (225) 290-3322.

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Ascension Fund announces board of directors, officers - The Advocate

Jets vs. Steelers: Le’Veon Bell’s chance at revenge, Steelers defensive ascension among things to know – Jets Wire

While the Jets have nothing to play for except pride on Sunday, they still have a chance to put Pittsburghs playoff hopes on the self.

Jets running back LeVeon Bell and offensive assistant Hines Ward will be squaring off against their former team for the first time. Bell has insisted that this is just another game, but Ward wants a Gatorade shower if the Jets are able to pull off the upset.

A win over the Steelers wouldnt be the most surprising thing New York has pulled off this season. However, besides the injuries that continue to afflict Gang Green, the offensive ineptitude has plagued one of the leagues worst units. It might be more of the same against one of the leagues best defensive units on Sunday.

Here are four things you need to know for the Jets Week 16 clash with Pittsburgh.

LeVeon Bell will play his first career game against his former team on Sunday.

While Bell expects a 50/50 reception mixed with cheers and jeers, the Jets running back claims he wont have any added motivation facing the Steelers.

Each and every game I play I try to give it my all. I guess if I can find an extra squeeze in there, Im going to try, Bell said Friday. It is what it is with me. I always try to go out there and give my best.

Whether Bell believes that or not, he is having his worst statistical season to date.He has rushed for just 676 yards on 204 carries with three rushing touchdowns. He also has 57 catches for 404 yards and a score.

The Jets are going to need Bell to run rampant on Sunday to give themselves a fighting chance. A revenge game might not be in the cards for Bell, but hell certainly be looking to eclipse the season-best 87-yard rushing performance that he set last week.

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Jets vs. Steelers: Le'Veon Bell's chance at revenge, Steelers defensive ascension among things to know - Jets Wire

The Ascension Book More Post-WWE Dates Mick Foley On The Bump Fight Size Update – Fightful

Here is your Fight Size Update for the morning of 12/17/19.

- The main event for Tuesday's NWA Powerrr will be Eli Drake vs. Mr. Anderson in a No DQ match.

- According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Paul Heyman and Bruce Prichard were in charge of their respective shows at WWE TLC. Vince McMahon and Triple H were not at the show, but did conference call into the production meeting.

- Taz will be leaving CBS Sports Radio.

- The Ascension will be appearing at WrestleFest 2 on Mar. 8 in New York for a signing. They are also booked for Xtreme Wrestling Alliance on Mar. 21 in what's being teased as a "SmackDown rematch."

- Mick Foley will be a guest on Wednesday's WWE's The Bump.

- Watch the cold open for Tuesday's IMPACT. Fightful will have live coverage of the show beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

- Ric Flair told Wrestling INC that Vince McMahon nixed him taking a bump at WWE Crown Jewel.

- Lineup for AEW Dark on Tuesday.

* Vickie Guerrero as guest commentator

* The Best Friends & Orange Cassidy vs. Pac, Jack Evans & Angelico

* Kris Statlander vs. Bea Priestley

* SCU vs. Private Party

* Britt Baker vs. Machiko

- WWE Raw in three minutes.

- Subscribe to Fightful Select, for podcasts, exclusive and early news, and much more. You can also subscribe to my Patreon page where I write about more wrestling, MMA, NBA, NHL, NFL, bad reality television, and much more.

- Also make sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel for interviews, news updates, podcasts, and more!

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The Ascension Book More Post-WWE Dates Mick Foley On The Bump Fight Size Update - Fightful

Ascension Parish Schools recognizes district and school-level students of the year – The Advocate

The 2019-20 students of the year for the Ascension Parish Schools were recognized at the school board's Dec. 3 meeting. The districtwide students of the year are Hiba Hasan of Dutchtown High School, Grant Guillory of Dutchtown Middle School and Sophia Collins of Galvez Primary School, according to a news release.

The 12th-grade students of the year for their respective schools are:

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The eighth-grade students of the year for their respective schoolsare:

The fifth-grade students of the year for their respective schoolsare:

In order to be considered for student of the year honors, students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2. The school-level coordinator submits all students in fifth, eighth and 12th grades who meet the initial criteria. Teachers then vote for students on the list based on the child's academics, behavior and leadership qualities. The coordinator then chooses the students with the top votes to enter the actual school-level competition. A small committee of school staff is assembled to score students based on test scores, grades and an interview. The students with the highest committee score are named the school's student of the year.

Those students are now eligible to compete at the district level. The students have to submit a biographical sketch, writing sample, portfolio of their accomplishments and be interviewed by members of the Ascension Parish community who volunteer as judges. The district winners will be entered in the regional competition, which will occur in February. Winners from the state's regional competition will be named in March.

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Ascension Parish Schools recognizes district and school-level students of the year - The Advocate

Lee turns to defense to turn back East Ascension – The Advocate

The best way to get jump shots to start falling is by attacking the basket.

So when Lee High Schools girls basketball teams jump shots werent going in, its offense moved into the paint, and despite not making a single jump shot, thePatriots made enough layups and free throws to win 53-46 over East Ascension (4-6).

Tonight, we couldnt buy [a jump shot, said Lee coach Valencia Wilson, who credited East Ascensions tough defense as well. As they say, we couldnt hit an elephant with an ironing board.

Lee (8-1) raced out to a 14-8 lead at the end of the first quarter, with 12 points coming in the paint and the other two at the free-throw line.

Much of the same continued for Lee in the second quarter, but East Ascension got some offense going behind seven points by Aja Causey. The Spartans still trailed 28-27 at halftime despite Causeys efforts and six points by Mahogany Landry.

Twenty-two of Lees first-half points came on field goals in the paint, while the other six were at the free-throw line. The scoring for Lee was spread out as five individual players scored in both quarters.

We broke down defensive-wise too many times, East Ascension coach Dennis Chandler said. You look at the layups now some were good offensive execution but we gave up probably about 8-10 points where we did not communicate well and left a girl wide open here and there, and theyre too good to do that too.

In the third quarter, Diamond Hunter scored six of Lees eight points, and the Lady Patriots remained on top 36-34 going into the fourth quarter.

East Ascension tied the score for the first time with a basket to start the fourth quarter, and eventually gathered a 42-40 lead on two free throws by Causey with six minutes, 10 seconds left.

The lead didnt last, however.

Lee forced a string of turnovers and were able to get out in transition for easy fast-break layups.

The two-point lead for East Ascension turned into an 11-point deficit after a 13-0 run on layups and free throws by Lee, who is normally a perimeter-orientated, shooting team.

Lee finished off with another layup and free throw to seal its 53-46 win.

The Patriots ended with nine free throws and 44 points in the paint.

Hunter led Lee with 16 points, while Causey finished with 12 points and Sadie Williams led East Ascension with 16 points.

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Lee turns to defense to turn back East Ascension - The Advocate

WWE Rumors: Reason why company released The Ascension (Exclusive) – Sportskeeda

Exclusive

10 Dec 2019, 20:28 IST

Following the news that WWE released Sin Cara and Luke Harper, it was also announced that The Ascensions Konnor and Viktor had been allowed to leave the company.

The former NXT Tag Team Champions featured sporadically on WWE programming after their main-roster debut in December 2014, but they had not competed in a televised match since the week of WrestleMania 35 in April 2019.

Speaking on the latest episode of Sportskeedas Dropkick DiSKussions, Tom Colohue told host Korey Gunz that the duos professional behaviour played a part in WWE granting them their releases.

For more details on The Ascension and the latest WWE releases, listen to Sportskeeda's Dropkick DiSKussions with Korey Gunz and Tom Colohue!

Having established themselves as one of the most dominant tag teams in NXT history, The Ascension failed to replicate that success following their call-up to the main roster in December 2014.

Although they picked up some statement-making victories in early 2015, notably against The New Age Outlaws and Goldust & Stardust, it soon became clear that they would struggle to be taken seriously as legitimate Tag Team Championship contenders.

In total, they earned just three Tag Team title opportunities in five years on RAW and SmackDown, with their most recent title match coming against Chad Gable and Jason Jordan at Elimination Chamber in February 2017.

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WWE Rumors: Reason why company released The Ascension (Exclusive) - Sportskeeda

Even More WWE Releases Are Likely On The Way – Forbes

WWE cleaned house with a handful of releases earlier this week, and more could be coming in the near ... [+] future.

WWE made a handful of releases earlier this weekletting Sin Cara, Luke Harper and The Ascension go in one fell swoopbut that may just be the tip of the iceberg.

The company released a statement on WWE.com on December 8 announcing the quartet of releases, with the former two departures coming as no surprise. Luke Harper had been linked to a possible WWE exit for much of the year after the former Wyatt Family member took to social media to request his release in April only to have injury time added to his deal before ultimately being let go this week. Likewise, Sin Cara revealed on Twitter that he asked for his release last month, and at the time, it was reported that he likely wouldnt have his wish granted before WWE ultimately changed course.

WWE has come to terms on the releases of Jonathan Huber (Luke Harper), Sin Cara and Ryan Parmeter(Konnor)and Eric Thompson (Viktor) of The Ascension.WWE wishes themall the best in theirfuture endeavors.

For most of 2019 and even in previous years, WWE had typically avoided releasing superstars in large part due to internal fear that theyd end up in All Elite Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling or another one of WWEs biggest competitors. But earlier this year as more and more superstars wanted out of WWE due to the lure of AEW, those within WWE began debating whether or not to let those superstars go, with some pushing for WWE to release disgruntled stars who probably wouldnt make a huge impact in AEW (or elsewhere) while others maintained that WWE shouldnt let any superstar get awayno matter who that superstar is.

As evidenced by the releases of Sin Cara, Harper and The Ascension, that former group won out, and according to PWInsider.com, there are rumblings of additional releases coming, though those releases were expected to happen earlier this week and havent as of yet. Fightful Select adds, however, that a number of NXT stars believe that cuts are coming to the yellow brand in either January or February, a move that wouldnt be all that surprising given thatas has been the case with Raw and SmackDowna number of NXT stars have reportedly been seeking their WWE exits due to broken promises, poor pay and creative dissatisfaction. Tom Colohue of Sportskeeda, meanwhile, adds that there are some additional WWE stars who may request their release soon:

In other words, the recent slate of WWE releases has opened the floodgates for a potential mass exodus of talent.

Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co reports that WWEs sudden willingness to release superstars may truly be boiling down to one thing: Money. Heres what Davis wrote regarding the recent slate of WWE releases:

A WWE source told me that another reason why the company is more open to releasing some wrestlers is that it helps them cut down on salaries while freeing up more money to offer deals to mid and upper card wrestlers who they dont want to leave the company.

As noted, WWEs new stance is that it will release superstars who it believes likely wouldnt become huge stars in AEW, NJPW, ROH, Impact Wrestling, etc. That, of course, is almost impossible to predict as most within WWE likely didnt think that Cody Rhodes or a name like Juice Robinson would have as much success as they have when they left WWE a few years back. Still, its probably safe to say that names like Harper, Sin Cara and The Ascensionwhove all spent most of their careers as mid or lower card performersarent going to turn the tide in the new wrestling war if they end up in AEW, which made them expendable at a time when WWE could be looking to cut costs while still prioritizing signing superstars it deems to be more valuable to the company.

It hasnt gone unnoticed, after all, that a talented tag team like The Revivalwhich has reportedly been seeking its WWE release for close to a yearhasnt been let go while WWE has also made re-signing Rusev a top priority amid reports that he could be looking to leave WWE as well. Names like The Revival and Rusev would probably make a much bigger splash outside of WWE than stars like The Ascension and Sin Cara, which is why WWE has put so much emphasis on re-signing those stars it believes are more critical to the success of the company. Among the names who have recently inked new long-term deals with WWE are Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, and The Miz, who are all obviously featured much more heavily than Harper, The Ascension and Sin Cara were.

So, its apparent that WWE is still willing to shell out the big bucks to maintain talent, even at a time when its disappointing earnings have caused concern within the company. Its no secret that WWE has experienced sharp declines in many key metrics over the past year, including total revenue, live event attendance, merchandise sales and the WWE Network subscriber count, a reality that has caused some concern about WWEs financial future despite its huge TV rights deals that would seemingly keep the company financially secure for the foreseeable future. But the lack of WWE Networks growth, the companys signings of a number of top indie stars and its disappointing TV ratings have undoubtedly given WWE pause about whether or not to continue signing talents just to sign them.

As recently as a few months ago, WWE was in a position where it could sign any and all stars to lucrative long-term deals without fear about how that might affect its future. However, that was a short-sided strategy that didnt take into account what might happen if WWEs financial future seemed less secure or if it acquired more talent than it knew what to do with. Morale within WWE has plummeted this year due at least in part the sheer overload of superstars the company has, and with Vince McMahon potentially looking to cut costs, the most obviousand perhaps the easiestway to do that is to cut bait with disgruntled and/or seldom used stars who wont make the jump to AEW and immediately help pro wrestlings new No. 2 promotion.

With a boatload of WWE stars currently struggling to find a spot on TV and WWE looking to trim the fat where it can, it certainly looks like the releases of Sin Cara, Harper and The Ascension were just the beginning of what could be a long process of WWE cleaning house.

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Even More WWE Releases Are Likely On The Way - Forbes

Sickle Cell Patient Gives the Gift of Music at Ascension St. Joseph – Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

By Karen Stokes

Jonathan Hood, plays piano at Ascension St. Josephs (Photo by Karen Stokes)

Beautiful music has a calming effect and calm is important to hospital health care providers and patients. Jonathan Hood, a sickle cell patient is giving back to the hospital where he spent time by sharing his talent playing piano in the lobby at Ascension St. Josephs Hospital.

The reason I play at hospitals is I feel indebted, said Hood.

The nurses, doctors and administrative staff are there all day and night, they do so much and they have people screaming and swearing at them. Ive actually done those things to nurses and doctors.

Hood has spent a great deal of his life in hospitals due to his diagnosis of Sickle Cell. With Sickle Cell Disease, the hemoglobin is abnormal, causing the red blood cells to be rigid and shaped like a C or sickle. Sickle cells can get stuck and block blood flow, causing pain and infections.

According to hemotology.com, approximately 70,000 to 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease, the most common form of an inherited blood disorder.

When I play I hope I can alleviate stress. I love to play because it stops my pain. I feel a sense of serenity and theres no pain anymore, said Hood.

[From left to right] Theresa Barnett, Jonathan Hood, Jasmira Hood, Caleb Hood, Patrice Hood and Kevin Kluesner, St. Joseph Hospital Chief Administrative Officer (Photo by Karen Stokes)

Hood, 32, has an eclectic taste in music. From classical, jazz and gospel to soft rock. He also plays at Feed My Sheep Ministry Church where his stepfather, Carlton Barnett pastors.

When Im playing the piano I can connect to God, Hood said.

When asked what a good day for him looks like, Hood said, A good day is a day where I can be in as little pain as possible and be as productive as possible, firing on all cylinders. Im able to spend time with my wife, Jasmira and my son, Caleb and I get to go to work. Thats a pretty good day for me.

Employed at Russ Darrow Kia, Hood has a great working relationship with his supervisor and staff.

The entire staff is very welcoming, its like a family, he said.

Theres no one way to beat Sickle Cell. Its a fight. Its a battle everyday, Hood said. I dont necessarily feel Im winning the fight but its my mom, dad, stepfather, sister, grandmother, wife and son, my family that encourages me to fight everyday. Its real.

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Sickle Cell Patient Gives the Gift of Music at Ascension St. Joseph - Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

See Venus Near Saturn in the Night Sky This Week and Make Your (Skywatching) Season Bright! – Space.com

Look up the next few evenings! Venus and Saturn will appear near each other in the night sky this week.

The cream-colored inner planet and its ringed solar-system sibling will be at conjunction, or their closest apparent proximity to one another in the sky, tonight (Dec. 10) at 11:41 p.m. EST (0441 GMT on Dec. 11). The planets will appear low in the sky if you are looking southwest, no higher than 16 degrees above the horizon, according to In-the-Sky.org.

To spot Venus and Saturn , search for the constellation Sagittarius. You can also try finding it by first locating the stellar beacons Altair and Vega, which will shine overhead, according to a new video from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The huddled pair of planets will be visible together through Dec. 13, according to the space agency.

Related: December Full Moon 2019: The 'Cold' Moon Joins Venus and Saturn

Now, if you're trying to see Venus and Saturn, keep in mind that, while both planets will appear near to each other to the naked eye, they won't be close enough to both be seen in the viewfinder of a telescope, so for telescope users, some adjustment will be necessary!

During this event, Venus will be the brightest of the two with its magnitude of -4.0. Saturn will shine at a magnitude of 0.5.

The conjunction of Venus and Saturn doesn't mean they are physically near each other there are three planets and a whole asteroid belt that separate the two worlds they will just look like close neighbors, as they'll be sharing the same right ascension.

Just like with a map on Earth, the celestial sphere can also be broken up into a grid. Our planet is marked with a grid of longitude (east-west lines) and latitude (lines running north-south). Similarly, finding locations of interest in the sky is made easier through the imposition of a grid, which uses right ascension (left-right lines) and declination (top-down lines).

Right ascension is measured in units of time. So, when Venus and Saturn share the same right ascension, its value will be 19h 21m 10s. Declination is measured in degrees, arc-minutes (') and arc-seconds ("), starting at 0 at the celestial equator (the projection of the equator onto the night sky). The celestial North Pole would be +90 and the celestial South Pole would be -90. Venus' declination tonight will be just 148' south of Saturn; the terrestrial planet will have a declination value of -2351' during conjunction, and Saturn's declination will be -2202'.

The Space.com staff has put together several telescope guides for the holiday season. Visit lists like "Best Telescopes for The Money" for recommendations on the perfect skygazing gift.

Follow Doris Elin Urrutia on Twitter @salazar_elin. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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See Venus Near Saturn in the Night Sky This Week and Make Your (Skywatching) Season Bright! - Space.com

Konnor and Viktor of the Ascension Released by WWE After 8 Years with Company – Bleacher Report

WWE releasedThe Ascension's Konnor and Viktor, the company announced Sunday.

Sin Cara and Luke Harper joined them in leaving the promotion. In those cases, both performers had previously requested to be released.

Konnor and Viktor last appeared in a televised match when they competed in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 35 in April.

The Ascension still own the record for longest reign as NXT tag team champions (343 days).They beat Adrian Neville and Corey Graves in October 2013 for the belts and held the titles until suffering a defeat to The Lucha Dragons at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way in September 2014.

They made their main roster debut in November 2014, earning a win over The Miz and Damien Mizdow on Raw.

The pair have basically been stuck in tag team purgatory since then, continuing what has been a trend for duos who achieved stardom in NXT.

Whereas NXT has historically put a big emphasis on tag team wrestling, Raw and SmackDown haven't provided the division with the same luxury. As a result, former NXT tag champions have either become afterthoughts (The Revival, The Vaudevillains) or gotten broken up shortly after their arrival (American Alpha, Sanity).

The Ascension's most memorable contributions on the main roster were when they involved themselves in Breezango's "Fashion Files" backstage segments.

Getting released by WWE will allow Konnor and Viktor to start booking independent dates together or go in separate directions.

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Konnor and Viktor of the Ascension Released by WWE After 8 Years with Company - Bleacher Report

Ascension partners with GBR Food Bank for free food distribution – Weekly Citizen

ThursdayDec12,2019at11:26AM

Ascension Mobile is scheduled for Thursday, December 19, 2019, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., at the Lemann Center Pavilion, 2162 Thibaut Drive, Donaldsonville.

Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa announced today that parish government will partner with the Greater Baton Rouge Food bank for a free food distribution.

Ascension Mobile, as the program is called, will provide enough food to serve 400 families. The distribution is not based on need, and will be first come-first served. The only requirement to receive the distribution is to be a resident of Ascension Parish. Those seeking a food distribution should be prepared to show proof of residency.

Ascension Mobile is scheduled for Thursday, December 19, 2019, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., at the Lemann Center Pavilion, 2162 Thibaut Drive, Donaldsonville.

The mobile will be conducted as a drive through; participants do not get out of their vehicles. From Marchand Drive (Highway 3089), drivers should turn onto Church Street, take a right onto Clay Street, and be routed through the Lemann Center parking lot. From the Lemann lot, cars will be directed to the Pavilion.

Only one distribution per car is allowed; multiple families in one vehicle will be served only once. When cars reach the distribution point, the product will be loaded in the vehicle for them.

For more information, contact the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank at 225-359-9940.

Contributed by Ascension Parish Government

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Ascension partners with GBR Food Bank for free food distribution - Weekly Citizen