2A ❚ SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2019 ❚ THE DES MOINES REGISTER Axne demands answers in Des Moines VA nursing home death
Donovan Slack injury reporting procedures,” she wrote. gressive and wandered into other resi- USA TODAY “Our veterans deserve the highest stan- dents’ rooms. VA healthcare providers dard of care, and they need to know that adjusted his medications and placed WASHINGTON – Rep. Cindy Axne, D- VA standards, policies and procedures him on one-on-one observation with an Iowa, is demanding answers from the are being met.” aide to prevent him from straying into Department of Veterans Affairs about VA national spokesman Curt Cash- other rooms. the death of a World War II veteran from our said agency officials “will respond to But on Dec. 11, 2018, staff removed the a head injury at the VA nursing home in the representative directly.” He referred strict observation even though he was Des Moines, Iowa. to an earlier statement from Des Moines still determined to be a danger to him- Axne wants to know why James VA spokesman Timothy Hippen that self and others, the medical records “Milt” Ferguson Sr., a legally blind 91- said a policy review after the “untimely show. year-old with dementia, wasn’t moni- death” concluded “all staff acted proper- He was transferred to the VA nursing tored more closely and what policies are ly.” home on the medical center’s campus in place to prevent a similar injury or In response to inquiries from USA the next day. Ferguson continued to en- death. TODAY, Hippen and Cashour have de- ter other residents’ rooms repeatedly, “No veterans or their family member clined to say what policies are in place to but records show staff did not reinstate should have to worry they will experi- prevent such traumatic injuries at the strict observation. ence what Mr. Ferguson and his family VA nursing home in Des Moines or else- After the head injury at 3:49 p.m. experienced,” Axne wrote in a letter to where. Dec. 20, Ferguson wasn’t taken to the the VA Thursday. More than 40,000 veterans rely on emergency room until about 6:30 p.m., Her concern follows a USA TODAY in- Jim Ferguson with his father, James care each year at the VA’s 134 nursing and he wasn’t transferred to a trauma vestigation that chronicled Ferguson’s “Milt” Ferguson. FAMILY PHOTO home across the country. hospital until 8:55 p.m. case and what specialists say was a con- Axne said in an interview Thursday Hippen, the Des Moines VA spokes- cerning series of decisions by VA staff, that she had spoken with Ferguson’s man, has declined to answer detailed before and after his deadly injury. records and surveillance video. They son, and he “obviously still has ques- questions about what happened. He Ferguson was removed from one-on- didn’t take him to the emergency room tions and believes internal policies said that in general, “caring for nursing one supervision, and he wandered into for more than two hours and he wasn’t weren’t adequate.” She asked VA for re- home residents involves balancing pa- other residents’ rooms repeatedly, med- transferred to a trauma hospital until sponses to her questions within 30 tients’ independence with the need for ical records show. When he rolled his five hours after the fall. He died from the days. supervision, as appropriate.” wheelchair into one room unsupervised injury two days later. “I want to know how this happened Ferguson’s son Jim said Thursday Dec. 20, 2018, his son said VA staff told In her letter to VA headquarters in so that we can make sure that it never that he is grateful for Axne’s help in get- him the resident of the room flipped Fer- Washington, Axne asked about resident happens again,” Axne said. ting more answers about his father’s guson backwards out of his wheelchair. supervision policies, and reporting and Ferguson was admitted to the acute care. He landed on his head, causing a mas- response procedures for accidents, in- psychiatry ward at the VA Medical Cen- “Now that I have had time to sit back sive brain bleed. cluding head injuries. ter in Des Moines in November after his and seen everything and thought about Nursing staff didn’t report the inci- “The timeline of events raises con- dementia worsened. He had been in a everything, I think, it’s horrible,” he dent for 40 minutes, according to the cerns regarding patient monitoring and private nursing home but became ag- said. “I hope they make changes.”
Accused ISU student now charged with exploiting girl
Tyler J Davis case, has requested a Des Moines Register bond-reduction hear- USA TODAY NETWORK ing. That motion will be heard Tuesday as well. An Iowa State University graduate Wolf declined to com- student accused of sexually assaulting ment on any of Paulus’ one woman has also been accused of Paulus charges Friday. sexual exploitation of a teenage girl Last month, police half his age. charged Paulus with Authorities in Story County believe third-degree sexual abuse after he al- Jona Shitaleni Paulus, 33, committed legedly committed a sex act on a wom- the crimes in a two-day span, court an who was in his apartment at the records show. University Village complex. A separate Kenny Chesney performs at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Thursday. The Ames man was charged April complaint filed by ISU police states ZACH BOYDEN-HOLMES/SPEICAL TO DES MOINES REGISTER 30 with sexual exploitation of a minor, that Paulus held down a woman a felony, and possession of a depiction against her will early April 6 and sexu- of a minor in a sex act, an aggravated ally assaulted her. misdemeanor, Iowa Courts Online rec- Police said she was eventually able Kenny Chesney weathers ords show. The charges stem from an to push him off of her and then began April 5 interaction between Paulus and recording him with her phone as she a 16-year-old girl, court records show. was leaving. storm in return to D.M. The sexual exploitation charge In the recording, she can be heard came after police searched Paulus’ telling Paulus, “I told you no,” followed Aaron Calvin vate Chesney spends a great deal of phone while investigating third-de- by him replying, “I know. I know,” ac- Des Moines Register time when he’s not touring. gree sexual abuse charges related to an cording to the complaint. USA TODAY NETWORK When the hurricane made landfall, it April 6 incident at the man’s university When police interviewed Paulus razed the tropical paradise to the apartment, according to a criminal three days later, he admitted sexual in- Kenny Chesney’s introductory video ground, including the house the mas- complaint filed by campus police. In- teractions occurred but told authori- montage was cut short as soon as it be- sively popular musician had built on its vestigators said the phone contained ties they were consensual. A no-con- gan Thursday evening when the big shores. sexual images and a sexual video de- tact order prevents Paulus from inter- screen suddenly cut to black. Moments of somber hope from the picting a girl who repeatedly told him acting with the woman. He has plead- Booming thunder from the storm album inflected the 22 song, hour and she was 16 years old. ed not guilty to the sexual abuse that crashed upon the city could be forty-five-minute-long tour of Ches- The teen sent the content to Paulus charge. Trial is scheduled to begin heard even within the walls of Wells ney’s numerous chart-topping hits. at his request, officers reported. A de- June 18. Fargo Arena. This included the lead single “Get tective interviewed the girl, who con- Story County Attorney Jessica Rey- Fourteen long minutes elapsed while Along,” an anthem of togetherness ooz- firmed that it was her in the photos and nolds confirmed that Paulus is being nervous “Kenny” chants rose and fell ing with down-home charm. video and that she was 16 at the time of investigated for a third sexual crime before the power was restored. A light- “Everything Will Be Alright,” a Ches- her conversations with Paulus, court that occurred the same day of the al- ning strike had caused arena’s breakers ney-fied riff on the Bob Marley standard records show. leged assault. Reynolds said she could to trip, which led to a brief power loss. that was invoked toward the end of the The court issued a no-contact order not offer any details about the investi- After power was restored, the modern night and clearly written to console between Paulus and the teenager. gation or if new charges are imminent. country music star appeared again to himself and his island neighbors, stood Paulus is scheduled to be arraigned Wolf also declined to comment welcome everyone to the “Songs for the out as a unique addition in well-trod ter- on the charges involving the minor at 1 about this investigation. Saints” tour. ritory. David Lee Murphy, a contempo- p.m. on Tuesday. He is being held on Tyler Davis can be contacted at 515- The video projected the Caribbean rary of Chesney’s who played an open- $75,000 bond, but Michelle K. Wolf, 284-8378, [email protected] or on sun out into the venue as Chesney and ing set of his own, joined him in support. the public defender assigned to his Twitter @TDavisDMR. friends — famous and not — smiled, But if the wrinkles around Chesney’s played and drank Chesney-owned Blue gleaming white smile had gotten a little Chair Bay Rum. deeper or his tanned brow any more As the video concluded, a howling weary since his previous visit to Des crowd greeted the man himself as he ap- Moines, almost exactly four years ago at peared in a blue tank top, blue jeans and the same venue, it went unnoticed, curled white cowboy hat. overshadowed by an effortless show- Altoona manufacturing facility Leading the band, Chesney ripped manship. through the opening set of songs with a Prancing and jumping, calling out fined $8,700 after worker death practiced buoyancy and easy familiarity and thanking the crowd effusively, the that put at ease the Iowa segment of his 51-year-old titan of the modern country fan base, a part of a mass of fans he’s landscape moved through a selection of Ian Richardson not have procedures in dubbed “No Shoes Nation.” his Billboard Hot Country high-charting Des Moines Register place to control the area Chesney’s warm and twangy bari- hits including “No Shirt, No Shoes, No USA TODAY NETWORK where the incident oc- tone easily filled the cavernous arena Problem,” “I Go Back” and “How Forever curred. and any of the ominous portents Feels.” The Iowa Occupational Safety and The citations allege brought about by the outside storm The one downtempo song of the set, Health Administration has fined an Al- that proper machine melted away like the ice in a glass of the “You And Tequila,” a duet with opener toona manufacturing facility $8,700 Wilson guarding was not in rum-based specialty cocktails available Caroline Jones, didn’t put a dent in the after a worker was killed in an accident place at the time of the at the concessions. enraptured fans’ enthusiasm. earlier this year. incident. “We apologize for the delay, it’s really Chesney ended the performance OSHA has cited Summit Products The company also had incomplete stormy outside,” Chesney shrugged with the iconic song that helped cement Inc., a plant that manufactures metal logs for work-related injuries and ill- when he finally took a moment to pause him in the hearts of country fans two and plastic RV accessories, with mul- nesses, according to the citation docu- after “Till It’s Gone” before heading into decades ago: “She Thinks My Tractor’s tiple violations following the March 1 ments. “Summertime.” Sexy.” death of William George Wilson Jr., a Summit Products has 15 working It’s oddly appropriate that Chesney’s As the goofy paean to farm-boy ego 42-year-old machine operator. days to respond to the citations. Iowa show would be slightly blown adrift by a and masculine objectification played A family member said Wilson was OSHA has called for the violations to storm. out, Chesney gifted one lucky fan a gui- crushed by machinery at the facility be fixed by June 21. After all, the enduring presence on tar while leaning down to sign shirts and died about an hour later at Mercy This is the first time Summit Prod- country music radio stations was tour- and hats. Medical Center in Des Moines. ucts Inc. Has been fined by OSHA, ac- ing in support of an 18th studio album, No matter the losses endured at the OSHA citation documents detail cording to the government agency’s “Songs for the Saints.” hands of indifferent nature, it seemed four “serious” violations and one “oth- online database. The album is an attempt to reckon impossible for him to be anywhere but er-than-serious” violation, totaling Albert Marasco, the CEO of Summit with the devastation Hurricane Irma where he was, regaling singalong $8,781 in fines. Products Inc., did not immediately re- bore down upon the Virgin Islands, the crowds with tales of youth, love and Iowa OSHA said the company did spond to a request for comment. Caribbean island where the deeply pri- beer.