The Northern Virginia Daily reported Wednesday that the agency's board dismissed the CEO/president, director of development, and finance director after up to 30 unmailed checks to vendors were found in a staffer's desk last month. Although written on the agency's account, staff discovered that the agency couldn't cover the checks. (Meanwhile, the CEO earned $102,838 in 2010.)
State and local investigators are auditing the agency, and the agency will have to submit a report to the chief of the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services and Virginia Department for the Aging.
This isn't the first time the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging has been in financial hot water. The agency settled a 2009 lawsuit with Winchester when the city said it failed to pony up $250,000 for the expansion of the local War Memorial Building.
The Roanoke Times reported Wednesday that the 5-year-old did not have a tag with her bus route and parents' contact information, like her teacher was supposed to pin on her at day's end. The school is reviewing its procedures.
Her mother asked, "If she hadn't gotten in the car, where would she be right now?" The school is very lucky the girl wasn't hurt or kidnapped.
The Associated Press reported Thursday that the Virginia Beach host of "700 Club" said on his show Tuesday that divorce is OK if a spouse has Alzheimer's disease. "I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her." When a co-host rebutted with the "for better or for worse" and "in sickness and in health" vows, Marion responded, "If you respect that vow, you say 'til death do us part. This is a kind of death."
This appalling and heartless declaration of moral abandonment should chill anyone with a soul. Yes, caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer's is difficult and frustrating because seniors with advanced Alzheimer's cannot care for themselves or remember even basic things. But the Alzheimer's Association was unnerved by Marion's suggestion.
"We don't hear a lot of people saying 'I'm going to get divorced,'" said one association official. "Families typically respond the way they do to any other fatal disease." Another told ABC News, "We were really surprised. This is not any kind of trend we've seen. In fact, Alzheimer's families really rally together around their loved ones."
This is a particularly disturbing idea to hear from a preacher. Marion seems to harken back to a time when the mentally ill were thrown into barbaric institutions or shunned from others. Emotional cognizance is normally the last personality trait to fade for Alzheimer's patients. Marion lost his long ago.
That's Marion/Pat "Who Would Jesus Abandon?" Robertson, today's Worst Virginian in the World!
