| Hazelden releases book on celebrity addict stories
The Hazelden Foundation, Minnesota-based substance abuse treatment center with a national reputation, is releasing a book detailing the addiction battles of celebrities. Hazelden, which has treated many big-name actors, musicians and personalities for drug and alcohol addiction, said it will publish a book called "The Harder They Fall", which tells the stories of celebrities rise to fame, descent into addiction, and recovery. Among those profiled are comedians Richard Pryor and Richard Lewis, musicians Grace Slick and Alice Cooper, media pundit Glenn Beck. .
Nurse Aide Guilty in Neglect Case
Another defendant has pleaded guilty in a nursing home neglect case. Tammy Devos pleaded guilty Monday morning to misdemeanor counts of willful violation of health laws and falsifying business records. In exchange for her plea, Devos was sentenced to 16 weekends in the Monroe County Jail. Devos was an employee of the former Jennifer Matthew Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Portland Avenue. According to court documents, Devos failed to turn a patient who suffered from dementia, allowing that patient to lie in his own waste. The certified nurse aide admitted she falsified records to show she had turned the patient. Devos must surrender her license. She is the 10th defendant to plead guilty in the Jennifer Matthew case. Four others await trial.
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The Council of Fashion Designers of America, the U.S. industry’s trade group, in January issued guidelines for a healthier industry, but stopped short of enacting regulations on models’ weight. The council’s guidelines recommend teaching models about nutrition and eating disorders, banning models under 16 from runways and offering healthy food backstage, with no smoking and no alcohol. But at fashion shows this week, there was a steady supply of free alcohol and cigarette smoke was in the air. "I can be naturally thin," said Russian beauty Sasha Pivovarova, 22, lighting a cigarette as she prepared for a show. Her advice for young girls is simple: "Don’t try to look like me." Backstage at 9 a.m. one day, the breakfast buffet included champagne, miniature pastries, coffee and caffeinated energy drinks.
Drug benefit premium to rise next year
Many seniors and the disabled will need to shop around next year to avoid an increase in their monthly premiums for the Medicare drug benefit. Medicare officials announced Monday that the average premium for basic coverage will increase from about $22 this year to $25 next year. About 24 million elderly and disabled people are enrolled in the drug benefit or in more comprehensive health plans that include drug coverage. The federal government subsidizes the cost of the insurance coverage, with the poorest participants getting extra help. Overall, the monthly premium is still much lower than the $41 that was anticipated when the drug benefit was established, said Herb Kuhn, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Kuhn credited a greater reliance on generic drugs as well as competition among insurance companies for the program's costs coming in lower than originally expected.
Michigan-Based Cyberspace Ministry Helps Porn Addicts
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Brian McGinness had an insatiable appetite for porn.Day after day, for more than eight years, he spent countless hours surfing the Web for it, usually on a computer that he used after business hours at his old job.Because of his compulsion to view pornography, McGinness spent more time away from home, so he lied to his wife about having to work overtime in the evenings. He felt guilty about what he was doing, believing that it was morally wrong and knowing that it was keeping him from his spouse and their two young children. But he also felt unable to control himself.All that started to change one Saturday morning in December after he attended a breakfast of "Porn and Pancakes" organized by XXXChurch.com, an online ministry created to get Christians talking about their X-rated addictions.
Comedian Paula Poundstone to perform in Bar Harbor
Paula Poundstone is various things to different people: author, radio personality, single mother of three, a recovering alcoholic touched by scandal and, most of all, an award-winning stand-up comedian. Many facets of the Massachusetts native will be on display when she performs at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor. Proceeds from the show will benefit The Maine Lighthouse Corp., which advocates for comprehensive addiction treatment in Maine. An Emmy Award winner, Poundstone, 47, also was the first woman to receive a cable ACE award for best stand-up comedy special and also won an American Comedy Award for funniest comedienne. A regular on NPR's "Wait, Wait … Don't Tell Me!" she also wrote her autobiography, "There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say," which came out last year.
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