Category Archives: Ascension

MOSINEE, Wis. (WSAW) -- We're learning new details about a proposal to build the Ascension Wisconsin Spirit Medical Transport hangar at the Central Wisconsin Airport.

The CWA board is set to review a lease in a meeting this Friday.

The med flight is currently based at the Stevens Point municipal airport and was set to expand there, but the spirit med flight hangar may move to this empty lot east of the main airport terminal.

Ascension Hospital said in a statement, "Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach an agreement with the City of Stevens Point on the value of services and infrastructure investment required for this project As a result we have submitted a plan to the Central Wisconsin Joint Airport Board, which will allow for the continued delivery of services to our patients and the communities we serve."

Ascension submitted a proposal to CWA for a ten year agreement which suggests it would bring an extra $20,000 a year to the airport.

They expect construction will cost an estimated $600,000.

In the original Stevens Point expansion plan, the new hangar was going to be 19,000 square feet with helicopters, an airplane, and lodging for staff.

Renderings show the CWA facility would have a 18,272 square-foot hangar facility, but specific plans for inside the hanger are not included. The agenda from the upcoming board meeting said, if approved, construction on the new hangar would start on Nov. 18 and finish next August.

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Proposal would move Ascension Wisconsin med flight hangar to CWA - WSAW

GONZALES Eight months removed from his acquittal in the October 2015 slaying of a St. Amant High senior, Jacob Westbrook testified Wednesday that two youths in the Ascension Parish Prison juvenile dorm raped him in early 2017 while he awaited his murder trial, saying the first of three sexual assaults by the two may have only gone on for minutes but "felt like lifetime."

During the first day of the first-degree rape trial of one of Westbrook's accused assailants, Tre'Anthony James, 20, of Baton Rouge, prosecutors and defense attorneys offered competing slices of jail life: a brutal one where the strongest dominate the weakest in cloistered jail cells with little privacy or another where young men behind bars find a jailhouse version of romance and engage in consensual sex.

Westbrook has also filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, James, his co-defendant, Kaglin Green, and sheriff's employees over the incident, but the suit is on hold while the criminal cases proceed.

Prosecutor Matthew Derbes portrayed Westbrook as fearful of stronger youths who gradually dominated him and said Westbrook initially was unwilling to be a "rat" as the threatening behavior worsened.

"It's not that easy when you're in jail," Derbes told jurors in his opening statement.

Attorneys for James, who is charged with two counts of first-degree rape of Westbrook, claimed the sexual contact, which is not disputed, was consensual. They attorneys also questioned why Westbrook didn't tell deputies or family, who had regular interaction with him, about alleged bullying.

Yet, in later testimony, jurors also heard prosecutors play a recording of James' initial sheriff's interview where James makes no claim of consensual sex but flatly denies raping or having any kind of physical or sexual contact with Westbrook.

"We don't even joke like that," James told an investigator.

Derbes pointed out that James' denials came before crime lab testing turned up DNA linking James to sexual contact with Westbrook.

James' attorneys also attacked several inconsistencies Wednesday in Westbrook's various accounts of the rapes and highlighted that Westbrook later told a psychiatrist that he played "homosexual games" with James and others in the days to weeks leading up to the assaults.

"I'm dying to know what those homosexual games are," defense attorney Shannon Battiste told jurors in his opening statement.

In February, Westbrook, who is now living and working out of state and has a young child, was where James is: at the defense table on trial trying to avoid life in prison. Ascension Parish prosecutors had accused Westbrook of second-degree murder in the stabbing of 18-year-old Todd "T. J." Toups Jr.

Westbrook, who was 16 at the time, claimed self-defense, testifying he had grabbed a knife only scare the larger Toups away, but, when the two youths faced off inside the trailer home of Westbrook's then-pregnant fiance,Westbrook said he reacted to a punch from Toups and fatally stabbed him, sending the kitchen knife deep into Toups' chest and upper heart.

Like the first-degree rape charge James is facing, a conviction for second-degree murder would have brought a mandatory life sentence for Westbrook, but a jury acquitted him.

Back on the stand at the Ascension Parish Courthouse Wednesday, this time as the victim, Westbrook, 20, described for jurors how the alleged sexual assaults by James and Green were the culmination of primarily James' gradual domination over him.

Westbrook said he and Green were initially friendly but Green started asking and then taking breakfasts, dinners,commissary items and the use of Westbrook's telephone code and had repeatedly beaten him in practice boxing something they call "slap fighting" and wrestling sessions.

Later, however, under rapid-fire questioning from Battiste, Westbrook testified that the homosexual games described by the psychiatrist were actually a similar kind of ratcheting up of aggression from James and others. Initially a game of hide-and-seek where Westbrook searched for others in the jail cell blindfolded and in the dark, the game led to his being blindfolded but having his butt slapped, his pants pulled down and his genitals touched.

Westbrook testified that in the first of three assaults on Jan. 10 he was pinned down over a day room table while Green got a razor for James, who cut open Westbrook's orange jump suit, pulled down his jail-issue long johns and underwear and raped him.

Under questioning from Assistant Attorney General Derbes, Westbrook estimated that the first of two alleged rapes by James took four to five minutes.

"It felt like a lifetime," Westbrook added.

He accused James of raping him again a day later again but this time without force because he knew James could beat him up.

On cross-examination, Battiste, the defense attorney, pointed out that Westbrook's lawsuit claims he screamed for help when he was being raped the first time but deputies never showed up. On the stand, Westbrook said he didn't say anything because he was afraid and acknowledged that the lawsuit wasn't correct.

Battiste also drew attention to Westbrook's testimony Wednesday that Green, 20, of Donaldsonville, also raped him in January 2017. Westbrook acknowledged he never told a sheriff's investigator or a sexual assault nurse that Green raped him but only later when he spoke with investigators from the State Attorney General's Office and a mental health professional.

Westbrook testified he didn't believe Green's attack was a rape because he wasn't physically restrained that time but that he relented, fearing Green, after Green's repeated asking for sex. Green is facing a charge of principal to first-degree rape.

Battiste also questioned how Westbrook could have been so afraid of James when he had been willing to stab Todd Toups in 2015. Westbrook shot back that he had only grabbed the knife to scare Toups and didn't have a similar weapon in jail.

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Rape trial offers two competing slices of life at the juvenile dorm of the Ascension Parish Jail - The Advocate

The Ascension Fund recently awarded 45 grants totaling $50,000 to Ascension Parish educators at 18 schools to support innovative and creative methods of learning.

The nonprofit organization awarded seven school-impact grants of $2,500 each and 38 teacher grants ranging between $500 and $1,000.

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The Ascension Fund was established in 1991 as a project of the Rotary Club of Gonzales. The fund provided its first grant in 1992, and since that time has given 1,304 grants representing more than $1.5 million in awards to area public schools and teachers. The Ascension Fund is guided by a board of directors, and the invested funds are overseen by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

Serving on the board of directors are President Sally Diez, Treasurer Brad Walker, Secretary Lisa Dunigan, Michael Buturla, Holly Daigle, Sherrie Despino, Dale Dody, Malcolm Dugas Jr., Alsie Dunbar, Fritz Englade Sr., Sonny Graugnard, Amy Hathorn-Lambert, Kevin Hardy, Bret Hughes, Juanita Pearley, Cherron Philippe, Timothy Pujol, Paulette Rosamond, Donald Songy, Craig Walling and Buddy Wells.

The 2019-20 grant winners are:

For more information about the Ascension Fund's grant program or to donate, visit http://www.ascensionfund.com or call (225) 290-3322.

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Ascension Fund awards 45 education innovation grants totalling $50,000 - The Advocate

(Weston, WI)- Ascension Medical Group is pleased to welcome General Surgeon Maykong Leepalao, M.D., to the medical staffs of Ascension St. Clares Hospital, Weston and Ascension Good Samaritan Hospital, Merrill.She provides specialized surgical care for people of all ages with advanced training in bariatric surgery. Leepalao has special interest in complex minimally invasive and robotic surgery including foregut, hernia and bariatric surgery.Clinic appointments with Leepalao will be scheduled at Ascension Medical Group at Weston, 3301 Cranberry Boulevard on the campus of Ascension St. Clares and in Merrill at Ascension Good Samaritan Hospital at 601 South Center avenue. She joins Jeremy Luedtke, M.D and Noah Wride, M.D., as general surgeons with Ascension Medical Group in Weston and Merrill.

Maykong Leepalao, M.D.

I strive to provide exceptional care and service that is in the best interest of the patient while utilizing the most advanced technology available, said Leepalao.Leepalao earned her medical degree at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota and completed her general surgery residency at Marshfield Clinic Health System. She completed a bariatric surgery fellowship at Peachtree Surgical and Bariatrics, Atlanta, Georgia. An avid dog lover and when not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her family as well as cooking and snowboarding.For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 715.393.3909 or visit ascension.org/wisconsin.

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Ascension Welcomes Third General Surgeon to Weston and Merrill - Merrillfotonews

Literary history's best-known vampire, "Dracula," is coming to the stage just in time for Halloween.

On Oct. 17, Ascension Community Theatre opens the stage adaptation of Bram Stoker's Gothic horror classic.

Directed by Larry Schexnaydre, "Dracula" is the tale of the charismatic count, played by Baxter Francis, whorelocates from his native Transylvania to London.

Dracula's mode of survival is deadly to those around him, and, in his attempt to find new blood, he battles with the professor Abraham Van Helsing, played by Jacob Balfantz, who is investigating the mysterious illness of Lucy Seward, played by Jamie Trice.

Performances will be Oct. 17-20 and Oct. 24-27. Shows begin at 7 p.m.; Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Those attending are welcome to dress in Halloween costumes. The theater is at823 N. Felicity Ave., Gonzales.

Tickets are $15-$25 by calling (225) 647-1230 or visitingactgonzales.org.

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Just in time for Halloween: Ascension Community Theatre opens 'Dracula' on Oct. 17 - The Advocate

The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office and Ascension Public Schools are collaborating to address acts of unkindness and conflict in schools through a "Don't Stand By; Stand Up!" campaign.

"We can work together to prevent and address bullying by serving as role models, educating, listening to our students, encouraging them, and strengthening students who may have been bullied," Sheriff Bobby Webre said. "We want to empower bystanders to act, and help those who bully others to behave appropriately and kindly."

Prior to the creation and launch of the campaign, a committee of employees from both the Sheriffs Office and Ascension public schools conducted student focus groups at the primary, middle and high school levels to evaluate student knowledge of bullying and how best to address it.

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The members of the committee included Allison B. Hudson and Lt. Coy Daigle with the Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office; Linda Lamendola and Josette Guillory with the student services office of Ascension public schools; Jackie Tisdell and Danielle Evans with the school system's public information office; Latatia Johnson, supervisor of federal programs and primary schools support partner; Amy Dunn, a primary schools instructional supervisor; Jamie Williams, a middle schools instructional supervisor; and Karen Buratt, a high schools instructional supervisor.

The student focus groups drove the creation of a multilayered approach. Elements of the campaign include:

The centerpiece of the campaign is a video written by the 2019 Ascension Parish student of the year Reace Dedon and filmed in spring 2019 with the following high school students and staff:

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Ascension Parish Schools anti-bullying campaign rises from grass roots - The Advocate

The church of the Ascension will be holding its bi-annual Friendship Fair on October 18th & 19th at 71 North Village Avenue, Rockville Centre from 10am to 8pm both days.

As in the past, there will be home cooked meals, baked goods and jams. Also a large lawn sale with quality household items, furniture, faux furs, toys, holiday items and much more.

The ever popular silent auction has many treasurers such as Royal Doulton dinnerware, Benson Hedges humidor, sterling flatware, Bushnell telescope, depression glass, Mickey Mouse collection, grandfather clock, Tiffany Type lamp and baseball cards. We also have a large collection of books, jewelry and collectibles.

Phil Weiss, who appears on The Antique Roadshow will be present to appraise your treasures on Saturday, October 19th from 11am to 4pm. No furniture or jewelry please. $10 per item or 3 for $25.

For further information please call 516-766-0693.

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Oct 18 | The Church of the Ascension Friendship Fair | Rockville Centre - Patch.com

The rising stand-up standout showcases his versatility in his new half-hour Comedy Central special

At just 25 years old, Jaboukie Young-White has already had quite the comedy career. From writing gigs on hit Netflix series American Vandal and Big Mouth, to a correspondent role on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and not to mention consistently being touted as one of the best young comics in the country, the Harvey, Illinois native has put the work in since his mid-teen years to get where he is now.

Now, as he is set to kick off the latest season of Comedy Central Presents on Friday (October 18) with his first non-late night TV spot, Young-White is of course excited to see some of his extended work out there. After looking it over himself, though, hes even more excited about the evolution his comedy has gone through over the past 10 months since recording the set.

It was nice to have the time to stretch out a bit and do a set longer than a five minute late-night set where you get the audience going, and then youre gone, Young-White tells Vanyaland. Looking back at it, though, having taped it earlier this year, a lot of the jokes on there have evolved, and there are other jokes Im doing now that have sprouted out of jokes I do in the special, so I find myself wishing I could go back in time and add that tag or do that bit a little longer. But thats just par for the course when you put something in stone for posterity, and Im still truly grateful that I had the opportunity to do this.

Reflecting on the work it took to bring the finished product to fruition, Young-White embraced the process of trimming the fat from his set, and while he does acknowledge that it was in no way easy to do, it was a creatively rewarding experience that ultimately brought the set that we will see to its finest form.

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It was challenging, but also a fun exercise in killing your darlings, says Young-White. The original set was about 40 minutes or so, and I feel like the end product was a lot sleeker and meatier than what I was originally working with, and the exercise of making it what it turned out to be was honestly really fun.

Sure, he chalks up most of his success to pure luck, but having accomplished so much in such a short amount of time in the scene since 2015, it also helps that Young-White knew exactly what he wanted to do very early on his teen years.

I had been performing throughout high school, so speaking in public with the intention to entertain was not foreign to me, so I feel like that gave me a real leg up, says the Illinois native. I also think there was a lot of invisible work that I put in when I was starting out in stand-up that was discredited because I was young, which I get, because I would be pissed too. At the same time, though, its nice to look back and flex on all of those dudes who would rather stay mad.

The way Young-White sees it, the half-hour special is a great summation of where he currently resides in his career. Whether it be the fairly even distribution of social commentary and everyday observational humor, or the changing of material up until the morning of the recording and the attempt to never tell the same joke twice, the DePaul University alum is always looking to keep his comedy evolving and always in the moment.

That doesnt mean he isnt ever looking back to see how hes grown as a comedian, and how his surroundings have influenced him since hitting the ground running with stand-up while still in college, during a time in which political activism and social upheaval really began to take shape.

I started doing comedy in a very politically-charged environment, and I definitely think that some of the stuff I do is in conversation with that, and some of it is just nonsensical shit, but if its something Im experiencing, its going to work its way into my stand-up, in a way that I may or may not be aware of. It may or may not be intentional, but whatever it is, I always make sure that it comes from a very real part of me.

First and foremost, Young-White wants to make you laugh with his special. Its always been his goal and passion to entertain and to share the absurdity he finds in his thoughts. But, if you happen to get something a little bit deeper out of it, given the political and social topics he actively explores, by no means does he see that as a loss.

Its so hard for me to pinpoint something that I hope people take away from my work, but I always know what Im trying to do, and whatever way people wind up taking that can be so many different things, says Young-White. I really just hope that people laugh, and maybe see something in a way they hadnt seen it before, or thought something they hadnt thought of before, and show people something new while making them laugh.

Comedy Central Presents premieres tonight at 11 p.m. with back-to-back episodes featuring Jaboukie Young-White and Vanessa Gonzalez.

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Jaboukie Young-White continues to put in the work, amidst his comedy ascension - Vanyaland

GONZALES In a District 5-5A battle Friday night, East Ascension scraped by with a win over Dutchtown in a back-and-forth showdown at Spartan Stadium.

East Ascension (5-2, 1-1 in district) held off a Dutchtown second-half comeback with an interception in the end zone by safety Kael Babin as time expired to win 29-24.

It was the first loss of the season for the Griffins (6-1, 1-1).

Big stop, East Ascension coach Darnell Lee said. The defense spread out the gates in the second half. Im proud of this team and staff, they did a great job. We had to dig deep coming off of last weeks loss and we made the plays when we had to.

East Ascension used a balanced attack while Dutchtown leaned on the success of running back Dylan Sampson in the first half, who finished with 182 yards and a touchdown.

Dutchtown quarterback Brayden Fritsche was 0-for-6 at halftime and didnt complete a pass until halfway through the fourth quarter. He finished at 6-of-17 for 143 yards.

Dutchtown took a 7-3 lead on Sampsons 74-yard touchdown with two minutes left in the first quarter, but it wouldnt last long.

Quarterback Cameron Jones completed his third pass of the night to receiver Steven McBride, who hauled it in and took it 74 yards to the end zone to go up 9-7.

Jones heated up after that, finishing 13-of-24 for 218 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game with a shoulder injury.

Another long touchdown drive by East Ascension, including two big completions by Jones a 17-yarder to Jyrin Johnson and the 14-yard touchdown to Hobart Grayson IV extended its lead to 16-7.

Jones and Grayson connected again on the next possession, this time for a 6-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds left before halftime to extend the Spartans lead to 23-7.

In the first half, we felt like we were in position defensively all three of their touchdowns. They just make athletic plays, Dutchtown coach Guy Mistretta said. We felt good about what we were doing, and we just had to keep it up.

Dutchtown started to turn the tide in the second half, opening with a drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock and ended in a field goal that cut East Ascensions lead to 23-10.

We didnt score on that opening drive (of the second half) and gave them momentum, Lee said. Our defense stepped up a couple times.

A fumble recovery by Dutchtowns Jadyn McKinney late in the third quarter prevented an East Ascension touchdown drive in progress.

The Griffins continued to close the gap into the fourth quarter when Sampson dragged half of the defense with him en route to a 28-yard touchdown run to cut the Spartans lead to 23-17.

East Ascension's final touchdown of the game to secure a victory came from backup quarterback Kullen Wheat, who hit a wide-open McBride for a touchdown.

Fritsche hit Jadyn McKinney for a 67-yard pass immediately after to cut the score to 29-24. The defense forcing a Spartans punt before Babin's interception ended it.

I mean this sincerely, even if we catch that ball and win it, I wouldnt be any more proud of them, Mistretta said. Thats a really big and talented team over there and we did everything we could and Im really proud of our guys.

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East Ascension holds off Dutchtown, hands Griffins first loss of season - The Advocate

INDIANAPOLIS -

Ascension St. Vincent health system and neurosurgery group Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine are expanding their longstanding business relationship. The two businesses have signed a Letter of Intent to partner at St. Vincent Indianapolis and Peyton Manning Childrens Hospital at St. Vincent.

The partnership will also allow forexpanded access ofneurological services outside of central Indiana.

Were excited to grow our relationship with St. Vincent through this expanded partnership and look forward to working together to deliver high-quality, innovative care to the community, said Dr. JeanPierre Mobasser, president of Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine. We appreciate that St. Vincent has been a model hospital partner that continues to value our unique contributions."

Goodman Campbell, formerly known as Indianapolis Neurosurgical Group, was started in the 1970s. Since then, the physician-owned practice has been the sole provider of neurosurgical services on the St. Vincent Indianapolis campus.

But with this broadening partnership, Goodman Campbell will be able to expand its services across the state through its relationship with Ascension St. Vincent.

By investing the necessary resources to enhance our partnership with a nationally-recognized neurosurgery leader like Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, we believe we can provide our adult and pediatric patients with the best possible care for neurological disorders right here in Indiana, said Erica Wehrmeister, St. Vincent Central region president.This partnership is an innovative example of how health systems and independent practices can successfully join forces to improve care for patients.

As part of their growing partnership, they will jointly develop a new neurosurgical center of excellence at St. Vincent Indianapolis.

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Ascension, Goodman Campbell to Expand Care - Inside INdiana Business