Merger of hospitals set to bring changes

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Merging two hospitals into one health care system is an ongoing challenge for a team of doctors and community members entrusted with the task.

Capella Healthcare Inc. leased the former Muskogee Community Hospital effective July 31. Capella also leases the Muskogee Regional Medical Center.

Transition team members say they are considering how to use the new arrangement to reduce duplication in services and fill in gaps.

Among changes already made:

The closing of the MCH campus emergency room;

Expansion of services at the MRMC emergency room for urgent care needs; and

The transfer of womens imaging services from Providence Imaging to the MCH campus.

There will be more announcements of changes at least through October, when the hospital has planned a naming ceremony for the new health care system created by the merger.

The transition team formed soon after the announcement of Capellas lease of the MCH campus includes doctors, community members, college presidents, and more.

Dr. Timothy Holder, a team member, said the transition team has been trying to find ways to build on the strengths of the MCH facility.

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Merger of hospitals set to bring changes

John Roberts Health Care Switch Detailed By Jeffrey Toobin In New Book

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Nancy Pelosi Speaker John Boehner Jerrold Nadler

"Today, in upholding the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court has shown that, even at a time when Washington seems to have reached a new level of dysfunction, there remains a respect for the rule of law, for precedent, and for the ability of Congress to legislate on matters that affect the American people," Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. "By not caving in to the most craven political calls, it appears the Court has stood by more than 70 years of legal precedent to ensure that: some 32 million Americans will have access to health insurance; we stop the unnecessary deaths of 42,000 Americans annually who die simply because they lack health insurance; insurers can no longer deny a child health care because of pre-existing conditions; millions of young adults receive coverage on their parents' plans until age 26; insurers can no longer impose lifetime limits on coverage; millions of Americans receive free preventive care; and, seniors save billions of dollars on prescription drugs. "The Affordable Care Act will now assume its rightful place, along with Social Security and Medicare, as powerful testimony to what our nation can achieve to benefit the lives of all Americans. Today's decision will, I truly hope, put to rest the partisan attacks from the Right against the law and many of its provisions. Republicans have threatened to continue their attempts to repeal these provisions, but let us all hope that they will respect the Court's ruling and put the health and wellbeing of the American people ahead of insurance companies."

"Today's decision makes one thing clear: Congress must act to repeal this misguided law," said Sen. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. "Obamacare has not only limited choices and increased health care costs for American families, it has made it harder for American businesses to hire. Today's decision does nothing to diminish the fact that Obamacare's mandates, tax hikes, and Medicare cuts should be repealed and replaced with common sense reforms that lower costs and that the American people actually want. It is my hope that with new leadership in the White House and Senate, we can enact these step-by-step solutions and prevent further damage from this terrible law."

Republican Governors Association Chairman Bob McDonnell issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: "Today's ruling crystallizes all that's at stake in November's election. The only way to stop Barack Obama's budget-busting health care takeover is by electing a new president. Barack Obama's health care takeover encapsulates his Presidency: Obamacare increases taxes, grows the size of government and puts bureaucrats over patients while doing nothing to improve the economy. It's never been more important that we elect a President who understands the marketplace and will make job creation his top priority. By replacing Barack Obama with Mitt Romney, we will not only stop the federal government's healthcare takeover, but will also take a giant step towards a full economic recovery."

"Dr. Coburn will be reviewing the ruling and will respond with an updated plan to repeal and replace this unworkable law. The Court affirmed Congress' power to tax people if they don't eat their broccoli. Now it's up to the American people to decide whether they will tolerate this obscene abuse of individual liberty," said John Hart, a spokesman for Sen. Coburn.

"Today's Supreme Court decision sets the stakes for the November election. Now, the only way to save the country from ObamaCare's budget-busting government takeover of health care is to elect a new president," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "Under President Obama's signature legislation, health care costs continue to skyrocket, and up to 20 million Americans could lose their employer-based coverage. A panel of unelected bureaucrats now has the unprecedented authority to come between elderly patients and their doctors. Meanwhile, the rules and regulations placed on job creators and small businesses make it nearly impossible to hire new workers at a time when Americans desperately need jobs. "We need market-based solutions that give patients more choice, not less. The answer to rising health care costs is not, and will never be, Big Government. "We must elect a president who understands the economy, respects free enterprise, and can provide the leadership we now so desperately need. On Election Day, we must elect Mitt Romney and put America on the path toward a brighter economic future and successful health care reform."

Today, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) released the following statement on the Supreme Court ruling on the President's health care law: "The Supreme Court's decision to uphold ObamaCare is a crushing blow to patients throughout the country. ObamaCare has failed to keep the President's basic promise of allowing those who like their health care to keep it, while increasing costs and reducing access to quality care for patients. In this tough economy, jobs and economic growth are on the minds of most Americans, but ObamaCare has increased uncertainty for small businessmen and women and forced them to put their hiring decisions on hold. "During the week of July 9th, the House will once again repeal ObamaCare, clearing the way for patient-centered reforms that lower costs and increase choice. We support an approach that offers simpler, more affordable and more accessible health care that allows people to keep the health care that they like. "The Court's decision brings into focus the choice the American people have about the direction of our country. The President and his party believe in massive government intrusions that increase costs and take decisions away from patients. In contrast, Republicans believe in patient-centered, affordable care where health care decisions are made by patients, their families and their doctors, not by the federal government."

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act: "Our highest court has weighed in, and its decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a victory for all Americans who have ever worried about being able to access or afford the care they need. Democrats are proud to have worked hard to pass this landmark legislation in 2010 and of our efforts to make sure it is implemented in a way that continues to yield new benefits for patients, employers, and care providers. "The Affordable Care Act made it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against patients on the basis of pre-existing conditions, allowed young people to remain on their parents' plans until age 26, and prohibited insurance companies from charging women higher premiums than men. The Medicare Part D 'donut hole' is closing, and seniors on Medicare now have access to free preventive services like mammograms and colonoscopies. Moreover, the Affordable Care Act provides deficit savings of more than $1 trillion over the next two decades. The Affordable Care Act further brought peace of mind to the 30 million uninsured Americans who will finally be able to access affordable coverage once the law is fully implemented. "Republicans have been trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act since the day it was enacted, and they have been eagerly awaiting today's ruling. But they must now accept that the Affordable Care Act will remain in place and that the time for litigation and partisan posturing on this issue ought to come to an end. Republicans now have a responsibility to work with Democrats to implement the Affordable Care Act, and I call on them to do so in order to make care affordable and accessible to Americans."

Following the Supreme Court's decision affirming the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, former Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine today released the following statement: "The Affordable Care Act is an important first step in curbing discriminatory insurance company practices and increasing access to health care, but more needs to be done to bring down costs. Our government, businesses, and citizens cannot continue to spend more than any other nation on health care while getting second-rate results. As Senator, I am committed to working with all stakeholders to find additional improvements to the Affordable Care Act that give all Americans affordable access to high quality services. "While there is more work to do, it is worth noting what has already been accomplished under the Affordable Care Act. Nearly 63,000 more young people in Virginia have health coverage, more than 800,000 Virginia seniors have received free preventive care, millions of small businesses are now eligible for tax credits, and twenty million American women have access to cancer screenings and contraception without co-pays. And we've put an end to the egregious abuses by insurance companies that denied coverage to children with preexisting conditions, charged women higher premiums for the same coverage, and dropped folks when they got sick. "My opponent regularly calls for a full repeal of this law, despite the positive results it's already delivering for Virginia. In the decade encompassing George Allen's six years as a U.S. Senator, the average insurance premium for families more than doubled and over 12 million more Americans were uninsured. Clearly, inaction was not a solution, and neither are continued calls for repeal. Instead we must work together to strengthen this existing program and improve cost controls."

"In passing health reform, we made history for our nation and progress for the American people. We completed the unfinished business of our society and strengthened the character of our country. We ensured health care would be a right for all, not a privilege for the few. Today, the Supreme Court affirmed our progress and protected that right, securing a future of health and economic security for the middle class and for every American."

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John Roberts Health Care Switch Detailed By Jeffrey Toobin In New Book

Dion Lee: sleek, futuristic, leathery

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Dion Lee fused sportswear and futurism in his sleek spring summer 2013 show at London Fashion Week.

The Australian wunderkind, showing in London for the second time, held the crowd of international editors on the edges of their benches as they leaned in for closer looks at his accomplished creations.

The first thing to catch their eyes? That would be the leatherlots of it. Appearing in forensically fitted pencil skirts and jackets, it featured slashed-and-plaited panels that created vertebrae-like patterns down the backs of thighs and spines.

But there was simplicity too, as in the purity of the white, midriff-baring tracksuit that opened the show (yup, midriffs: it's practically a Lee-girl requirement to show it off). Colour filtered into the opening series of white looks in the form of transparent orange panels. It built through periwinkle dresses into more blazers, this time with sea-creature swirls and folded-leather peplums.

Dressesexcellent, wearable dresseswere mostly high-necked, with split, neoprene bodice panels that brought to mind lungs and respiration. Has London given the designer room to breathe?

Theres always a consciousness of the body that runs through the collections, he told us backstage. Particularly with this one, there was that kind of layering and transparency and building those shapes underneath the torso. But it was also looking at parallels between technology and the human race.

Technology, the human race and some mighty fine leather jacketscome back next season, Dion. Youre welcome in London anytime.

See the full collection here

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Dion Lee: sleek, futuristic, leathery

Chavez weeps over his lost freedom to roam Venezuela

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CARACAS (Reuters) - Facing his toughest-ever re-election challenge, socialist President Hugo Chavez teared up during a campaign speech on Saturday, lamenting his lost freedom to roam anonymously through Venezuela's towns and countryside. The 58-year-old self-styled revolutionary, who has battled cancer over the past year, is known for long speeches during which he often bursts into song and ...

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Chavez weeps over his lost freedom to roam Venezuela

Freedom Force Game 4

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The Florence Freedom staved off elimination with a comeback win in the Frontier League championship series.

Playing in the playoffs for the first time in Florence history, the Freedom dropped the first two games at home to Southern Illinois, but rallied Saturday night to stay alive and force a game four.

Game four is Sunday night in Southern Illinois.

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Freedom Force Game 4

Religious freedom key for peace, pope says

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Published: Sept. 15, 2012 at 12:09 PM

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Religious freedom is "indispensable for peace" and forgiveness key to reconciliation, Pope Benedict XVI said in Lebanon Saturday.

Benedict was in Lebanon as part of his three-day visit to the Middle East.

"Religious freedom has a social and political dimension, which is indispensable for peace," the pope said.

When he arrived in Lebanon Friday, the pontiff said he came to the region as "pilgrim of peace," Voice of America reported.

His visit came as anti-American protests spread across the region over a film produced in the United States denigrating the Prophet Muhammad.

People cheered Saturday as the papal motorcade went to the presidential palace, where President Michel Suleiman greeted the pope, The (Beirut) Daily Star said.

Benedict said only by "rejecting revenge, acknowledging one's faults, accepting apologies without demanding them, and, not least, forgiveness ... can there be growth in understanding and harmony between cultures and religions."

He criticized religious fundamentalism as a "falsification of religion."

Suleiman said Christians were key in achieving democracy, the Star reported.

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Volunteers hit the beaches for Coastal Ceanup

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Eric Negroni, 10, an Ashton Elementary School student, picks up trash on Siesta Key Beach during Saturday's International Coastal Cleanup.

SARASOTA - A troop of volunteers wearing neon green T-shirts joined Saturday morning beachgoers, scouring the sand for forgotten wrappers, lost water bottle caps and discarded cigarette butts.

Nearly 1,900 volunteers pitched in to remove litter from Sarasota County beaches for the annual International Coastal Cleanup. Last year, volunteers with Keep Sarasota County Beautiful collected 270 bags of trash and recyclables from area beaches, said Wendi Crisp, the program coordinator.

Friends, schools and churches organized groups of volunteers at Siesta Key and 28 other beaches and parks. Not only did the volunteers pick up trash and separate the recyclables, but they meticulously tallied each piece of litter for the Washington D.C.-based Ocean Conservancy.

The Ocean Conservancy collects the data gleaned by volunteers around the world to track discarded waste items and the threat they pose to marine life.

Some items take years to decompose in the ocean, threatening fish and birds that may eat a plastic bag or tangle with old fishing line. Aluminum cans can take 200 years to decompose, according to the Ocean Conservancy.

I can't walk past trash on the beach, said Sara Jane Bush, who coordinated volunteers from First United Methodist Church. She is the chair of the church's Earth Stewardship committee, which began with a lecture series and expanded to community programs, like joining the coastal cleanup effort.

It's not safe, Bush said about the glass and plastic polluting the ocean. A former volunteer with the Mote Marine Laboratory's turtle patrol, she said helium balloons with strings that land in the ocean can be fatal if eaten by a turtle. Sharp objects that wash up on the beach can also be hazardous to barefoot runners and swimmers.

On Siesta Key, the volunteers wearing bright shirts that read Keep Sarasota County Beautiful written on the front and Volunteer on the back dotted the beach, as they spread out in pairs and small groups to collect and tally the litter.

Ron Hallock, who runs a handyman and landscaping service, said Saturday's cleanup was his second.

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Volunteers hit the beaches for Coastal Ceanup

Clean-up drive at city beaches

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Mumbai, Sept. 16 -- To encourage and educate people keep coastal areas and beaches clean, the service personnel of the Indian Coast Guard along with their families, NGOs and students launched a coastal clean-up drive at Juhu and Girgaum Chowpatty beaches in Mumbai on Saturday. The clean-up was undertaken as part of the International Coast Clean-up 2012. Other beaches along the Maharashtra ...

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Clean-up drive at city beaches

Leopold Koss, MD Passes Away

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Obituary_505366cb43bbeLeo Koss 00Leopold G. Koss MD, passed away at his home in New York City, September 11, 2012. Born in Gdansk, Poland in 1920, Leo (as he was known to all who loved him) miraculously survived the Holocaust and became a refugee in Switzerland where he finished the medical studies he had started in Vienna before the War and continued in Brussels and Montpellier. When he arrived in New York in 1947 with his wife and baby son and $20 in his pocket, he spoke no English. Yet, with his prodigious intellect and devotion to science, he rose to the top of his field in his adopted country. He was a pioneer in the field of Cytopathology and was the author of the seminal book on the subject, "Diagnostic Cytology and It's Histopathologic Bases," which appeared in five editions and was recently translated into Chinese. Over his long career, he also wrote numerous other medical books and hundreds of scientific papers. Dr. Koss was chairman emeritus of the Department of Pathology at Montefiore Hospital and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, which was renamed in his honor. He will be remembered by all who knew him as a man of great intelligence, culture and wit. He was a gifted storyteller who could, depending on his audience, recite French love poetry, sing baudy ditties or quote Caesar's Gallic Wars in the original Latin He is survived by his three sons, Michael, Andrew, and Richard as well as 4 grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Riverside Memorial Chapel on October 26 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to the Visiting Nurse Service of NYC whose dedicated employees cared for him at the end of his life with unquestioned respect and love.

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NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover Report #6 – Video

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14-09-2012 14:45 A NASA's Mars Curiosity rover team member gives an update on developments and status of the planetary exploration mission. The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft delivered Curiosity to its target area on Mars at 1:31:45 am EDT on Aug. 6, which includes the 13.8 minutes needed for confirmation of the touchdown to be radioed to Earth at the speed of light. The rover will conduct a nearly two-year prime mission to investigate whether the Gale Crater region of Mars ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life. Curiosity carries 10 science instruments with a total mass 15 times as large as the science payloads on NASA's Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Some of the tools, such as a laser-firing instrument for checking rocks' elemental composition from a distance, are the first of their kind on Mars. Curiosity will use a drill and scoop, which are located at the end of its robotic arm, to gather soil and powdered samples of rock interiors, then sieve and parcel out these samples into the rover's analytical laboratory instruments.

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NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover Report #6 - Video

NASA Launches Private Space Taxi Certification Program

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PASADENA, Calif. -- With an eye toward breaking Russias monopoly on flying crew to the international space station by 2017, NASA has launched a two-stage certification process aimed at ensuring commercial passenger spaceships currently under development will meet the agencys safety standards, schedule and mission requirements.

NASA expects to award multiple firms a Certification Products Contract (CPC), each of which will run for 15 months and be worth up to $10 million. The program dovetails with the agencys ongoing partnerships with Boeing, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) and Sierra Nevada Corp., to develop privately owned space transportation systems capable of flying astronauts to the space station.

If there are other companies who can demonstrate that they can indeed meet the requirements of the request for proposals, which is that they can develop a system and have already started to do that to a certain point that is integrated, then were certainly willing and very open to anybody to put in a proposal, Commercial Crew Program manager Ed Mango told Space News at the AIAA Space 2012 conference in Pasadena, Calif.

CPCs first phase is scheduled to begin in February and run through May 30, 2014. The timing is intended to influence commercial spaceship design and operations plans early enough to meet NASAs space station mission requirements and minimize potentially costly changes and schedule delays later in the development process.

After three rounds of Space Act Agreements that leveraged U.S. government funding with private investment to stimulate development of passenger spaceships, NASA is shifting to fixed-priced, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based awards for the CPC effort. The first buy will be for data products related to an end-to-end Crew Transportation System (CTS) for an ISS design reference mission, NASA wrote in its Sept. 12 solicitation. [Now Boarding: 10 Private Spaceships Coming Soon]

That includes alternative standards, hazard reports, a verification and validation plan and a certification plan. Phase 2 includes final development, test and verification activities, including at least one and possibly more demonstration missions to the space station.

The government expects that only Phase 1 contractors will be capable of successfully competing for Phase 2, NASA wrote.

NASA intends to run its ongoing, 21-month, $1.1 billion Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) projects with Boeing, SpaceX and Sierra Nevada separately from any awards the companies may win under the Certification Products Contract.

They can work in conjunction if folks want to do that, but we, NASA, will keep those separate because one is for public purpose and one is for NASA purpose, Mango said.

The partners themselves, whomever would like to propose for that, are really going to end up making a system that can meet multiple customers hopefully, and if they would like to make one of those customers NASA then we are now telling them through CPC, Heres the requirements you gotta meet. How are you going to meet them? And if you cant meet them, lets talk about that and lets get to a baseline that we can both agree to, Mango said.

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NASA Launches Private Space Taxi Certification Program

Yellow Medicine County Circle programs looking for volunteers

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Yellow Medicine County is currently looking for Volunteers for their Circle programs. We have three different types of Circles operating out of the Restorative Justice Department: Circle Sentencing, Family and Community Circle, and Circle of HOPE. The Circle Sentencing process involves members of the community participating in the actual sentencing process for youthful offenders. The Circle will meet with the youth and their support people on a regular basis typically every other week. The victim(s) may also become involved if they wish; and together, the circle, the youth, and possibly the victim, will work to establish goals that will not only rehabilitate the youth but also restore them to their community, building skills that will ensure lasting positive change. The referrals for the Family and Community Circle come directly from Family Services or the Court after a child protection report or child welfare concern has been reported. Family and Community Circle is a strength-based process to enhance the ability of families and communities to keep children and families physically and emotionally safe and unified. Acting thru the Circle, community members and family members play an equal role in encouraging and assisting families to identify and enhance their strengths while searching for solutions. Most recently, Circle of HOPE was developed in the community of Granite Falls. Circle of HOPE provides a community strength-based process to help persons in recovery (from alcoholism/addiction) make a safe and healthy transition to their community upon completion of treatment. The Circle balances support with accountability for those in recovery, helping them maintain sobriety and assist them in making amends. It is important to note that participation in all of the Circles is completely voluntary on the part of participants, whether they are children, parents, or community members. Without the commitment and volunteerism of the community, Circles would not be as successful as they are today. Many people in the community are concerned about crime and the impact it has had on our neighborhoods, schools, and businesses. The Circle Sentencing process allows citizens of the community to directly participate in attempting to reduce crime and negative juvenile behavior, help support victims, and restore youth to their communities. While it is strictly a voluntary effort, it offers the potential for a very personally enriching experience while also providing a great service to the community. If you are interested in volunteering, they are asked to please contact Sharon Hendrichs, Yellow Medicine County Restorative Justice Coordinator at 320-313-3028 or via email at: sharon.hendrichs@co.ym.mn.gov

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Yellow Medicine County Circle programs looking for volunteers

School: Boston doctor was disciplined for viewing adult pornography

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From Chris Boyette, CNN

updated 10:44 PM EDT, Fri September 14, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- The Boston Children's Hospital pediatric doctor charged with receipt of child pornography was disciplined for using a school computer to access adult pornography when he was medical director at Phillips Academy boarding school, school officials said Friday.

Richard Keller, 56, who is also a pediatrics clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School, was the medical director at Philips Academy for 19 years, according to John Palfrey, the head of the school.

In an e-mail to faculty, staff, students, alumni and parents on Friday, Palfrey said Keller was reprimanded in 1999 for using an academy computer to access pornography that featured adult subjects, and in 2002 was reprimanded for showing an inappropriate cartoon to students.

According to Palfrey, Keller was cited for "poor management and poor judgment," leading the Andover, Massachusetts, school to place him on administrative probation in 2009.

Palfrey went on to say that as recently as 2010, Keller sent an inappropriate voice-mail message to a colleague at the school. A claim by Keller that the school had discriminated against him was determined to be "groundless," according to Palfrey.

In April 2011, the academy informed Keller that his contract would not be renewed. The doctor resigned that month, the school said.

"We have no reason to believe that any of our students were involved in, or affected by, Dr. Keller's alleged criminal behavior," Palfrey said, adding the federal case made Thursday against Keller is unrelated to alleged misconduct at Phillips.

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School: Boston doctor was disciplined for viewing adult pornography

School: Doctor was disciplined for viewing adult pornography

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From Chris Boyette, CNN

updated 10:44 PM EDT, Fri September 14, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- The Boston Children's Hospital pediatric doctor charged with receipt of child pornography was disciplined for using a school computer to access adult pornography when he was medical director at Phillips Academy boarding school, school officials said Friday.

Richard Keller, 56, who is also a pediatrics clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School, was the medical director at Philips Academy for 19 years, according to John Palfrey, the head of the school.

In an e-mail to faculty, staff, students, alumni and parents on Friday, Palfrey said Keller was reprimanded in 1999 for using an academy computer to access pornography that featured adult subjects, and in 2002 was reprimanded for showing an inappropriate cartoon to students.

According to Palfrey, Keller was cited for "poor management and poor judgment," leading the Andover, Massachusetts, school to place him on administrative probation in 2009.

Palfrey went on to say that as recently as 2010, Keller sent an inappropriate voice-mail message to a colleague at the school. A claim by Keller that the school had discriminated against him was determined to be "groundless," according to Palfrey.

In April 2011, the academy informed Keller that his contract would not be renewed. The doctor resigned that month, the school said.

"We have no reason to believe that any of our students were involved in, or affected by, Dr. Keller's alleged criminal behavior," Palfrey said, adding the federal case made Thursday against Keller is unrelated to alleged misconduct at Phillips.

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School: Doctor was disciplined for viewing adult pornography

Boxing legend Ali accepts Liberty Medal

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The Liberty Medal, one of Philadelphia's highest honors, is bestowed upon those of "courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe."

Past recipients include Nelson Mandela, Sandra Day O'Connor and Steven Spielberg.

Ali, 70, was honored not only for being a boxing champion but for championing religious freedom, freedom of speech and racial equality.

Speakers at the ceremony outside the Constitution Center included basketball great Dikembe Mutombo, actor Terrence Howard and Ali's daughter, boxer Laila Ali. But perhaps the most moving speech was given by Joe Louis Barrow II, son of legendary boxer Joe Louis.

"Knowing [Ali] since I was a little boy has given me a ringside seat to history," Barrow said.

Barrow spoke of how his father had volunteered to serve in World War II whereas Ali refused to serve in the Vietnam War, citing his religious beliefs.

"In different ways, you both defended the ideal of the Constitution," he said. "And time has shown you were both on the right side of history."

Barrow choked up as he recalled how on the day of his father's funeral, Ali performed a magic trick just for him.

"You put your large hand on my very small shoulder, and on that day, far away from the bright lights, you gave a scared little boy the courage to face the challenges of a lifetime," he said. "For that, I can simply say, 'Thank you. I love you.' "

Because Parkinson's disease has made it difficult for Ali to speak, his wife, Lonnie, spoke on his behalf.

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Boxing legend Ali accepts Liberty Medal

Liberty Trail to include nod to Richmond's Slave Trail

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The organizer of a proposed Liberty Trail through Richmond agreed this week to incorporate several key sites from the city's Slave Trail, including Lumpkin's Jail and the African Burial Ground, after a backlash from the Richmond Slave Trail Commission.

Valentine Richmond History Center Director William J. Martin, who is spearheading the Liberty Trail project, also agreed to include the commission in the development of the trail.

Del. Delores L. McQuinn, D-Richmond, the commission's chairwoman, last week said the draft map of the Liberty Trail was unacceptable and called for inclusion of the Slave Trail.

"It is a part of Richmond's history," McQuinn said. "It should under no circumstances be left out."

Martin said he and other participants in the Greater Richmond Chamber's Liberty Trail project "probably moved too quickly" to create the trail.

Martin called the exclusion of all slave sites an oversight, adding that he always planned for the Slave Trail to be included on maps. In the past 20 years, Richmond has unearthed its history as one of the nation's largest slave trade markets.

When the Slave Trail Commission first saw the proposed Liberty Trail map on Sept. 6, members expressed frustration that it did not incorporate important slave-history sites and did not mention the Slave Trail. They also said they were disappointed not to have been consulted in the creation of the Liberty Trail map, which circles through the Jackson Ward Historic District and past the Maggie Walker House.

Chamber members were inspired to create the trail during the chamber's InterCity trip to Boston this year, where they toured that city's Freedom Trail. Martin said last week that the 6-mile Liberty Trail course had been intended to link 14 of Richmond's 17 National Historic Landmarks and was designed to complement the Slave Trail.

Martin said he apologized in the Wednesday meeting with McQuinn, which was also attended by City Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille, a commission member, and city tourism coordinator Anedra Bourne.

Newbille could not be reached for comment Thursday. Bourne, who delivered the maps to the commission, said she was not involved in planning the Liberty Trail.

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Liberty Trail to include nod to Richmond's Slave Trail