He was the third of six children of Henry P Duane graduated from Walnut Grove High School in 1952 and immediately enlisted he became an Army Ranger and served on several dangerous missions behind enemy lines during the Korean Conflict he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from South Dakota State University Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University; Managing Attorney from childhood I was always very interested in logic and debate My parents encouraged that – often letting me debate all aspects of my life from a very young age I became a philosophy major and ultimately ended up at law school Litigation was a natural and perfect fit for my reasoning and advocacy skills developed in my youth You practiced law for nearly 17 years before switching gears to academia – what was practicing like and how did you transition to academia I started off in general commercial litigation at a big NYC firm Although I was never quite the hours-grinder that other associates were it was still a lot of dedication of my time When my wife and I were expecting our first child (about 7 years after I started at the firm) I made a decision based on two things: 1) I wanted to have more time at home with my family and 2) I wanted a career in something I could explain to a 3-year old That brought me to environmental law at the Attorney General’s office My father was a college professor his whole life but became even stronger after hosting some town halls and really enjoying the instructional presentation format that provided it was an absolute perfect fit for me – litigate environmental cases on the “clean” side and also teach it is one of the best ways to create a positive and lasting change in the world I hope to always be working toward improving the human condition for the better You have been managing attorney of the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic since 2016 – what has that experience been like The clinic represents not-for-profit environmental groups when they sue Those suits can be against polluters (generally citizen suits under federal environmental statutes) state actors (generally municipalities for failure to conduct sufficient environmental review) or agencies (DEC or EPA when they fail to do something required by law) and review everything that gets filed or sent to the clients or opposing counsel We’ve done some very interesting and significant cases you were appointed Executive Director of John Jay Legal Services (JJLS) – what vision do you have for JJLS I oversee all the applications and placements in the clinic along with deciding awards for clinical work and making decisions about how the office is run and structured Our clinics do a great job at serving underserved communities I would like to see this expanded even further There is no shortage of a need for pro-bono representation in all areas of law Each clinic and externship director has been great about looking at ways to expand the reach and impact of our clinical offerings What is the most rewarding part of your work at Haub Law and I put the skills you taught me to work every day.” The concept that all the work we are doing leads to better lawyers in practice is very rewarding What advice do you have for law students once they graduate It’s hard to go to work directly in your dream job from law school Learning to be a great lawyer can take several stages – just like my career did to working for a plaintiff-side environmental firm so I would say open your eyes to all opportunities everything always seems to work out for the best At least it does if you are putting positive things out into the world Are you working on any research projects or upcoming publications I have been toying with the idea of writing an Environmental Skills textbook There isn’t much out there that is truly current But the real answer is: driving my kids around to sports and other activities After spending the last 35 years pursuing a career in finance Todd Jacobson ’27 decided to switch gears and pursue a law degree the potentially negative longer lasting consequences became abundantly clear – from educational outcomes to healthcare access I would like to pursue a career in public policy to work on these issues.” Elisabeth Haub School of Law Professor Josh Galperin speaks with Bloomberg Law about proposed changes to the federal civil service system highlighting how the plan strategically favors the current administration.  Haub Law Professor Bennett Gershman continues to offer insightful commentary on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown He warns that the president is "using every weapon at his disposal" and stresses the consequences of undermining judicial independence.  Copyright © 2024 Pace University Privacy Policy This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page by | Apr 11 Attorney General and AARP director are going on another “Stop the Scammers” tour Insurance Commissioner Dough Ommen says they will visit 22 cities “The Stop the Scammers approach is really to make sure consumers know ahead of time what to look for because the best defense that we have in order to stop these scams is for consumers to know what they look like,” Ommen says AARP Iowa director Michael Wagler says it is important to stay on top of the latest scam efforts “Research shows that when a when we are aware of scams we are 80 percent less likely to engage in those scams Criminals are constantly trying new tactics,” he says but there are some common elements that let you know its a fraud “A contact out of the blue that produces high emotion and contains urgency If we could train our brains to recognize that the that these three elements equal a likely scam we could also train our brains to react to those scams in a positive way,” Wagler says Ommen says the first Stop the Scammers tour helped them as people came forward and told them about things they had encountered Ommen says bitcoin and investment scams continue to be prevalent when you’re dealing with anyone who you aren’t looking at across the table And that can mean different things,” Ommen says “But the primary issue is you will be told by a scammer to not tell anyone Any any individual that is telling you to not tell someone else is the sure sign of a scam.” Ommen and Wagler talked at the first stop today (Friday) in the Des Moines suburb of Windsor Heights You can find the full schedule at Iowafraudfighters.gov RadioIowa is a division of LEARFIELD © Learfield News & Ag, LLC. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy  | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information Kottayam: Just hours before attending the commissioning ceremony of the Vizhinjam International Seaport Kovalam MLA M Vincent visited the tomb of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday morning he told the media that Oommen Chandy is the "father of the Vizhinjam Port," as he dared to initiate the project despite facing criticism from the CPM-led opposition Condemning the LDF government for claiming credit of the project Vincent noted that Oommen Chandy had completed all formalities for the project and even challenged the legal hurdles by approaching the Supreme Court who represents Kovalam—the constituency where the port is located—arrived at St George Orthodox Church in Puthuppally at 5.45 am where he lit candles and offered prayers at Oommen Chandy’s tomb Vincent proceeded to Vizhinjam to attend the official function Vincent’s visit comes amidst a political storm over who deserves credit for the Vizhinjam project Chandy Oommen MLA countered the CPM’s claim that Oommen Chandy merely laid a foundation stone The CPM is afraid even of the memory of Oommen Chandy That is why they did not invite the Opposition Leader to the commissioning ceremony,” he said He emphasised that the government plays a major role in a project until the agreement is signed Reiterating Opposition Leader VD Satheesan’s statement Vincent pointed out the LDF government's lapses in completing rail and road connectivity to the port "The state government only plays the role of a facilitator after signing the agreement Adani Group has successfully implemented the project the state government has yet to complete works under it No container has crossed the gate of the port yet Because the state government did not complete the road and rail connectivity works which should have been completed by 2019," he said He added that the Pinarayi government failed to establish a fishing harbour and seafood park that was announced during the launch of the port project in Vizhinjam to rehabilitate the fisherfolk M Vincent has been allotted a seat on the dais during the inauguration Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor is also among the Congress leaders invited to the event Vincent has consistently advocated for the Vizhinjam Port to be named after Oommen Chandy a demand that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has dismissed as “wishful thinking by some people.” The Kaweah Kollectors will place a bronze plaque on the old Courthouse Annex building, site of The Darling Hotel in downtown Visalia The plaque, which will include a brief history of the building, will be placed at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 on the Court Street side of the hotel. It will be the 15th plaque placed by the Kaweah Kollectors on historic buildings in Visalia The group has placed plaques on the Visalia Fox Theatre, the Palace Hotel “This one is going to be their last,” local historian Terry Ommen said After more than 20 years of service in Tulare County History of the Darling HotelThe building now known as The Darling Hotel was built in 1935 “It was built by the federal government as part of the public works projects that they had during that Great Depression era and they basically paid the bill for that building and other buildings throughout the country as part of a ‘put people to work’ campaign,” he said “It's been called an annex building because when it was built it was built directly against the old 1876 courthouse so it was wasn't a standalone structure,” Ommen said “It was considered an addition to the original courthouse building Some people have called it the old welfare building and some people have called it the Tulare County Courthouse Annex.” “They added a north and a south wing to that 1876 building in 1908 That's when they built the 1935 annex building that we see there today as the Darling.” The annex was an important part of the courthouse adding that the building was vacated when Tulare County opened its current courthouse on Burrell Avenue in Visalia in the 1950s The county-owned annex building was then put to use for other purposes “It was ‘a welfare building’ for a long time,” Ommen said “The county's welfare operation was in there.” The original courthouse was damaged beyond repair by the 7.7 magnitude Tehachapi earthquake in 1952 That building was razed in the early 1960s However, the building that is now the Darling Hotel, 210 N. Court St. “The structure was made to last,” Ommen said “It's a concrete structure with lots of steel in it and even though it's a 90-year-old building it's going to be with us for a while because it was structurally very well built.” the building opened as the Darling Hotel on July 1 was named one of the world’s top 20 “Hottest New Hotels” by Tripadvisor which described the hotel as “The perfect local getaway.” Tripadvisor: Visalia's Darling Hotel ranked among best in the world Kaweah Kollectors disbandThe Kaweah Kollectors were organized in September 2003 and chartered the following March. The group is a chapter of the Questors an international historical preservation organization founded in 1944 The process of placing a plaque on a historic building in Visalia is a long one “We have to talk to the owners of the establishment and we find out a lot of history through that,” she said “We take what we've found in our research and we write up a little bit of history on the plaque itself We present this to (Visalia’s) Historic Preservation Advisory Committee and get their OK on it “Then we have the plaque made and then we get it put up and we have a celebration of that plaque,” she said adding that they usually have a speaker at their plaque unveilings not all building owners want a plaque on their building “Some of the owners don't want to touch it with a 10-foot pole noting that the owners of The Darling Hotel supported the idea The Kaweah Kollectors have been involved in more than placing plaques in the city “We spent about $11,000 on plaques and we've given a ton of money to the Fox Theatre,” Brown said “We've also supported the California Governor's Mansion.” The group has also restored the Carol Barnes statue outside the Tulare County Public Library in Visalia and helped the Lemon Cove Women's Club get a roof “We've done a lot to help with different needs throughout the community and beyond the community,” Brown said the decision has been made to dissolve the group “We are disbanding the Kaweah Kollectors because people are not that interested in antiques and history and things such as that and it takes quite a bit of energy and we've gotten old,” she said “This has happened to a lot of other chapters too Ommen is among those lamenting the decision by Kaweah Kollectors to disband citing the group’s “generosity of thousands and thousands of dollars” in the community “It's a loss for us history people because not only did they talk preservation they actually spent money to recognize these old buildings with plaques,” he said The NCAA Tournament bubble has more moving parts than a car engine a slew of games throughout the country can impact several other squads hoping to hear their name on Selection Sunday Xavier is firmly on the tournament chopping block as March approaches. Winners of three straight Xavier has four regular-season games and the Big East Tournament remaining to make its case 'It's clearly clicked now.': How Dante Maddox Jr. went from bench to breakout for Xavier Why Dave Ommen has Xavier Musketeers missing the NCAA TournamentThough it's vital for Xavier to continue winning it also matters what happens around them on the bubble Every bubble team falls into a similar category of having a sub-par record in Quadrant 1 games That's why they're on the bubble in the first place there's things to like," Ommen told The Enquirer "Road record is not great but not atrocious Metrics sort of suggest that Xavier in not quite there yet Five of Ommen's eight squads ahead of Xavier on the bubble are ranked higher More: What we learned from Xavier Musketeers' win over Butler Bulldogs "The NET Ranking is the (selection) committee's tool but the NET Ranking is what the committee values," Ommen said Why Tim Krueger has Xavier Musketeers making the NCAA TournamentThough margin of victory is not considered by the committee, it's clear Xavier has been competitive with the best teams on its schedule, which ranks as the 51st-hardest in the nation, per KenPom "I don't want to diminish Xavier," Krueger told The Enquirer you get a team in your head and you kind of leave them there and don't realize the difficult schedule Xavier played in the Big East starting out the thing that jumps out is that 1-9 Quad 1 record and that's not going away," Krueger said Xavier has done that with an 8-3 mark in its last 11 contests and a three-game winning streak heading into Sunday's game at Seton Hall Handle your business over the next few weeks and hang onto the bubble while others fall That's Xavier's path with one additional at-large bid this season (37) after the demise of the PAC-12 "With the teams Xavier's playing coming up there are a lot of teams just barely hanging on," Ommen said "Sometimes you gain just by winning and other people lose." "That (going 4-0) should put them right in that conversation depending on what happens around them," Ommen said Krueger added: "When you look at the other teams There's an argument for Xavier over any of them I'd rather put in a 21-win team if they run the table." There are no easy wins in the Big East and Xavier still has to be at its best against Seton Hall Sunday (just ask UConn) March opens with what is setting up to be a gargantuan matchup against Creighton at Cintas Center "It might really come down to them beating Creighton," Kreuger said That becomes a Quad 1 if the Huskies move into the top 30 Xavier would need to beat the Bluejays next Saturday then have them move up by Selection Sunday There's a cut-off for each quadrant but wins over UConn and Creighton would still carry weight "I think there are a lot of smart people in that room that can see those are good wins regardless of what column it falls in," Ommen said "I think there's more to it than just the Quad 1 number." The Big East Tournament draws a lot of buzz but the committee has a sample size of 30-plus games to work on before conference tournament week "We're talking about one data point," Ommen said you'll hear pundits talk about a team getting one more win Xavier could be in a position where a couple of wins could make a big difference." There's no exact science behind going from bubble to bracket The only shoe-in route for Xavier is to win the Big East Tournament "It's a chance to take it out of the committee's hands," Ommen said "If you're wanting a 100% answer on how to get in Xavier has proven it can compete with every Big East team so a conference tournament title doesn't sound too far-fetched can split with Creighton next week and led St John's by 16 in the second half at Madison Square Garden "There's not a team in the league that's so overwhelming that says they couldn't do that," Ommen said Home / News / Government & Politics / State Government some Iowa homeowners are finding themselves dropped from insurance Iowa City resident Dylan Nice has owned his 822-square-foot Nice said he never filed any claims or had been notified of any issues with his home on Friendly Avenue A tree service determined the large silver maple in his front yard was “very beautiful and healthy,” and not at risk for falling but recommended pruning it back “to get it up off the house” and installing 25-foot cables on the larger branches that overhang the house That’s why he was surprised when he received an email with a request from his insurer asking him to make substantial changes to his property Travelers Insurance used aerial images to scan the house for defects — a growing trend among insurance companies It noticed that there were tree limbs touching and overhanging the roof of his home The company said he needed to remove branches so that the entire roof would be visible from an aerial view in order for his policy to renew on June 1 making 80 to 90 percent of the roof visible from the air Making the roof completely visible would require removing the tree which Nice said he could not afford and was unwilling to do Travelers decided that wasn’t enough and dropped him anyway. That sent Nice scrambling to find another company to insure his Moffit cottage, a term that refers to its builder, Howard F. Moffit, who was known for designing unconventional homes “It felt kind of hostile,” Nice said Homeowners insurance rates have soared and thousands of Iowa homeowners have lost coverage as some insurers have pulled out of the state and others are not renewing policies leaving homeowners like Nice and others searching for new coverage As climate change produces more extreme weather insurers are losing money as disasters from hail hurricanes and wildfires become more frequent The tumult in the insurance industry caused by climate change — once concentrated in high-risks states like Florida California and Louisiana vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes and wildfires — has now spread to the Midwest In 2023, insurers lost money on homeowners coverage in 18 states, more than a third of the country, according to a New York Times analysis of newly available financial data That’s up from 12 states five years ago Most of those states are in the interior of the country severe storms and hail in the Midwest and Southeast insurers have raised premiums amid mounting weather-related losses and inflation dropped customers and withdrawn from some states altogether The property insurance market is facing significant challenges globally due to inflation supply chain disruptions and severe weather events leading to high loss ratios for insurers said Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen “This hard market that we're involved in right now is unusual for Iowa It is not unusual in the insurance market,” Ommen said citing hard markets that followed Hurricane Katrina in 2005 “I would offer that what we see in our hard market here in the U.S is tied to the derecho and the very large losses that we experienced in 2020,” he said “But it's also tied to a number of other items.” Insurance companies are struggling to keep up with increasing losses and policyholders are facing premium increases A May report from Moody’s Ratings says more than 90 percent of the country experienced double-digit rate increases from 2019 through 2024 as the industry faces soaring costs rates jumped up to 60 percent over the five-year period some states saw rates increase as much as 30 percent The report notes that from 2014-2023 insurers paid out more for claims than they earned in premiums The report states insurance companies are facing several challenges to profitability inflation and more people moving to areas at higher risk of flooding hurricanes and wildfires — each of which is becoming more intense due to climate change has increased costs to rebuild and repair homes with litigation pushing the costs of insurance claims even further According to the American Property Casualty Insurance Association rapid increases in inflation since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to significant property and casualty insurance losses The cost of building materials remains higher than regular inflation “far outpacing increases in premiums while natural disaster losses continue to climb resulting in the hardest market cycle in a generation,” according to the association The U.S. property and casualty insurance saw an estimated $21 billion in underwriting losses in 2023 Underwriting losses in 2022 totaled $24.8 billion according to analysis by data analytics and risk assessment firm Verisk and The American Property Casualty Insurance Association suffered at least 10 catastrophes causing more than a billion dollars in losses Natural disaster losses from 2020 to 2022 in the U.S exceeded $275 billion in 2022 dollars — the highest ever three-year total for U.S the homeowners insurance market had been profitable for years followed by losses in 2020 to 2022 because of severe storms “We have strung together some pretty tough years — 2021 and 2022 were also really difficult years,” he said insurers in the state lost a combined more than $1 billion according to data from the Iowa Insurance Division That year, a derecho, a powerful line of severe storms with hurricane-strength wind gusts, tore through Iowa and the Midwest It was preceded by severe thunderstorms that dropped pingpong ball to baseball sized hail across Eastern Iowa In 2023, for every dollar insurers earned from homeowners policies in Iowa, they paid out $1.44 in losses and other costs, according to The New York Times’ analysis The growing tumult is affecting people like Nice whose homes have never been damaged and who have dutifully paid their premiums Cancellation notices have left them scrambling to find coverage to protect what is often their largest investment and often face challenges navigating a shifting landscape with limited options according to interviews with homeowners and insurance agents and brokers some are ending up in high-risk insurance pools created by states that are backed by the public and offer less coverage than standard policies In Iowa, residents who have been dropped by their insurance carrier may find coverage through the Iowa FAIR Plan an insurer of last resort for qualified applicants State regulators across the country have grappled to come up with strategies to restore stability to the market lawmakers this year passed new laws allowing county and state mutual associations to obtain reinsurance from companies that are in compliance with Iowa reinsurance laws rather than only those that are licensed in Iowa said insurance companies are withdrawing from personal lines (home and auto coverage) in Iowa due to reinsurance issues Reinsurance is a type of insurance that is purchased by insurance companies to reduce risk Insurers buy reinsurance (think insurance for insurers) and as disasters worsen and higher interest rates increase the cost of capital reinsurers have become more reluctant to underwrite insurance in parts of the United States That’s made insurance companies even more conservative about where to do business At least four companies — IMT Insurance Celina and Pekin Insurance — have dropped Iowa customers impacting tens of thousands of policyholders in the state not with the risk to the solvency of that company but the ability of the companies to obtain the reinsurance that they need in order to cover the risks in Iowa,” Ommen said “ … A tornado event can be very damaging And so I don't view that that has been the serious risk The serious risk has been the risk of straight-line windstorms and widespread hail And so it's the reinsurers that have made it much more difficult for these mid-size “That is the reason those companies have pulled out.” Iowa lawmakers this year also passed a new law for county and state mutual insurance associations to reorganize by forming a mutual insurance holding company It also extends the required notice for policy cancellation from 30 days to 60 days for automobile county and state mutual insurance policyholders “We're continuing to study the market to see what can be done from a regulatory perspective in order to encourage companies to view the Midwest as a good place to write insurance,” Ommen said States regulate insurance markets by approving or rejecting rate increases dictating the extent of coverage and providing consumer protections but have limited government control when it comes to regulating reinsurance “Reinsurance is an international economic approach to getting capital into the insurance markets,” he said “These are global companies that have applied science and modeling to determine how it is that those underlying risks can be managed … Those are economic decisions that the government really can't solve.” Ommen said his office still is working on issues surrounding how much notice companies that withdraw from the state need to provide He encourage homeowners and property owners to speak with their insurance agent about available incentives and ways to fortify their home and make their properties more climate resilient to reduce their risks such as installing water shut-off devices and impact-resistant shingles Dave Langston spent three months trying to find another company to insure the 17 town houses on East Post Court in southeast Cedar Rapids that belong to members of his homeowners association president of the Beaver Creek Homeowners Association received a notice in January that its insurer announced it would no longer renew home and auto insurance policies in Iowa as part of a strategic restructuring plan that also included temporarily suspending writing new home and auto policies in Arizona The company cited “severe and erratic weather patterns combined with the impacts of rising inflation” that have made it difficult “to keep home and property premiums at manageable levels while paying ever-increasing claim amounts.” said it will primarily focusing on commercial and life insurance which has been less impacted by environmental changes “Iowa has become more and more prone to severe weather events coupled with the impact of these storms negatively affected our loss ratio making it unprofitable for us to successfully operate in that state,” Pekin spokeswoman Susan Crisler said in a statement to The Gazette “Our decision to no longer write personal lines insurance for the state of Iowa was based on financial performance Iowa has not been a profitable state for us resulting in millions of dollars of loss since 2019.” The decision impacted roughly 40,000 Pekin customers in Iowa an independent insurance agent with offices across Eastern Iowa the independent insurance agent was able to find a replacement policy within a week or two for his Central City home and I had not been hailed on either,” Neighbor said where you were pounded by hail stones and a year and a half later you got your roof torn off — with two huge claims on your policy He said his offices are helping Iowans every day who have lost coverage He argues home insurance premiums in the state have been “underpriced” for 30 years and companies have failed to put enough money in the bank to prepare for losses over the last decade has been a “perfect storm” of factors that have led to increasing losses and companies to shed their risk in places like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids going so far as to even drop people who have no claim history I’ve seen nothing like it,” he said of the frequency and severity of storms in the state Neighbor predicts Iowa will continue to see more insurers leave the state without others willing to enter the market to replace them “The availability of insurance is not an issue and “the speed in which these carriers are able to get rid of people.” found new insurance but it came with a steep price The association's previous insurance was $18,500 while the new insurance is now $26,500 with reduced coverage on wind and hail and a 2 percent deductible of the home's value as opposed to a $10,000 deductible for an event Securing the policy required “jumping through hoops” to prove the association used higher-end materials when replacing roofs following the 2020 derecho in addition to replacing outdated heating and cooling systems Dave’s wife and a former Linn County Supervisor who has been working on climate resilience for the last 18 years She served on the National Advisory Council for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and currently serves on the board of Geos Institute which helps communities build resilience in the face of climate change “A lot of people are going to have to pay more if they want their homes insured which provides a barrier to homeownership,” Langston said “So there’s equity issues buried in this as well.” His prior policy provided coverage up to $140,000 His new policy covers up to $124,000 — less than value of his home Nice said he filed a complaint against Travelers with the Iowa Insurance Commissioner for unfair market practices was to get out of the policy,” he said “The conditions of my property have not changed since Travelers agreed to insure the property when I bought it in June 2021.” Nice said the whole experience was confusing said it continues to write and renew business “that’s consistent with our underwriting appetite.” “We regularly monitor our risk exposure and make any adjustments to ensure we are operating responsibly and can fulfill our obligations to our customers,” the company said “The loss environment and marketplace for personal lines are dynamic Through a variety of underwriting approaches including targeted pricing and managing policy terms and conditions we are responding to the impact of inflation across the country and increased levels of severe weather in certain states.” Marion insurance agent Gary Mosakowski said homeowners should educate themselves on their policy details and available coverage options to avoid surprises He also stressed the need to shop around for insurance Mosakowski said policyholders may need to increase deductibles to lower or keep rates from increasing but be prepared to pay out-of-pocket if needed He also warned against filing claims for minor repair costs “Three claims in a year may result in policy nonrenewal so choose claims wisely and avoid unnecessary filings,” he said Homeowners and agents also should work together on an ongoing basis to manage insurance costs and identify available discounts “I don't see anything coming down price wise,” Mosakowski said “I could see it maybe leveling off if things get better.” Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com Covering Iowa politics, including the Iowa Legislature and campaigns. Get the On Iowa Politics Newsletter The Gazette has been informing Iowans with in-depth local news coverage and insightful analysis for over 140 years independent journalism with a subscription today © 2025 The Gazette | All Rights Reserved We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of Calvin Lewis Van Ommen created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories © 2025 Langeland-Sterenberg Yntema Funeral Homes Made with love by funeralOne Local historian Terry Ommen will examine the experience of Tulare County's marginalized peoples when he delivers a presentation at 210 on Tuesday He warns that sometimes that experience was not flattering to the county's past residents and about gun battles in the streets of Visalia In his many writings in local publications including his former column in the Visalia Times-Delta and his current column in Lifestyle magazine Ommen has frequently touched on some of the instances in which local minorities "How marginal groups have been treated in Tulare County's history." The program is December's installment of "Tulare County Voices @ 210," a monthly forum devoted to examining topics of interest in the community The forum is co-sponsored by First Presbyterian Church and the Visalia Times-Delta. It will be at 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at 210 W.Center Ave Ommen has been the forum's presenter in December for more than 10 years local lawmen and outlaws in the community's history This year's topic is a departure from Ommen's past examinations because this is history that some might not want to remember Mexicans and other minorities – were frequent victims of discrimination and outright persecution and one of the biggest statewide gatherings of the Ku Klux Klan Ommen suggests that those attending bring open minds and a willingness to confront the less pleasant aspects of our communities' history "Despite the  painful subject matter presented," Ommen said "I believed the audience will be surprised by the resiliency and courage oftentimes shown by the victims The evening will be uncomfortable at times yes but there will be moments that will be uplifting I remember reading that the words to the hymn "Joy to the World," written by Isaac Watts in 1719 It was actually written to glorify the Lord's triumphal return at the end of the age This fact reminds me of the most unusual and joyful children's Christmas program I ever attended was doing his student teaching in a rural Christian school in New Mexico Tony taught in grades five through eight and had volunteered to direct the annual Christmas program He was thoughtful enough to invite me to attend .. Tony decided to allow the students to create their own production and to permit them to work somewhat independently choose the theme: "Joy To The World." There was nothing unusual about that selection; that title has served us well since 1719 This particular version was a "bit" non-traditional Imagine a cast of more than 50 elementary students who looked "comfortable" in their self-designed costumes Tony had asked the kids to "think outside of the box." The children were of various ethnic backgrounds The baby Jesus was a well-worn doll of unknown origin; painted a golden bronze and Joseph had blond hair .. that this kid was the son of a local minister; and had appointed himself the "creative director." a well-intentioned American Indian girl read the traditional Christmas story from the New Testament book of Luke 2:1-20 Then suddenly a male angel interrupted the performance and shouted "I bring you joyful news!" And all heaven broke loose Instead of the aforementioned "Joy to the World" written by Watts dance featuring the "Joy to the World" rendition by Hoyt Axton and made popular by the band Three Dog Night it's the one that begins with the words: "Jeremiah was a bullfrog." I would share a verse or two what we might refer to as "unsanctified." The chorus however I recall that "fun" things occurred that night When that young angel interrupted the silence with a "message of great joy," everything changed; much as it did on a Bethlehem hillside over 2,000 years ago We are journeying (Advent) toward Christmas penitent; a little too "dressed up." On Sunday The birth of Jesus is indeed the moment when God "took off his tuxedo," became a man (John 1:14) and brought us the most joyful news ever announced Joy and even fun can be a part of our holiday experience Humor can interrupt life and make it liveable So what if the Christmas pageant isn't perfect It can be a necessary interruption of what we traditionally expect Children often treat their world with eager expectancy; so when joy enters Some of us "older folk" need to do the same May we reach out with our hands and hearts this holiday season and experience the fun and excitement that's always ready to explode — Dan Van Ommen is a Zeeland resident and a member of the Reformed Church in America. Contact him at dan.vanommen@gmail.com Even though the Christmas shopping season seems to begin as soon as the Halloween candy is handed out; there is every year the Plymouth Colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared an August harvest feast that many acknowledge as the first Thanksgiving This celebration was a step in establishing a relationship between native Americans and the Colonists what we might refer to as a "natural " friendship All was not peaceful during those early days began to cooperate and even appreciate each other As I contemplate Thanksgiving 2023 and what I am particularly thankful for I am especially grateful for a gift not always easy to develop for a senior citizen; the gift of having an opportunity to associate with I moved from a residence where I had spent the past 15-plus years During this time I was fortunate to have young neighbors occupying the apartment right next door (and those hoping to soon be married); indeed a most interesting and hopefully will be until I leave this world It is often a challenge for seniors to develop a good relationship with the younger generation; initially it can be awkward allow me to share a few thoughts on seeking with leaving my aforementioned residence; I had a decision to make One of the "natural options" was for me to follow the lead of fellow seniors and move to a senior citizen residence facility many were out of my price range; but the deciding factor for me was a word (or two) from my favorite niece "Make sure you're going to be content living with only old people." I thought why wouldn't I be content living with old people I have spent most of my professional life living near to tutoring high school students in 2023; working with young people has been my life I  am an occupant of a trendy place called The Lofts I am the oldest resident by more than 50 years I feel like a college residence supervisor As the "gospel" according to Simon and Garfunkel states: I'm "just kickin' down the cobblestones Jesus told his disciples a parable about mixing the old and the new; (Luke 5:36-39) This a parable about integrating new and old ideas; however I believe it can be applied to the blending of young and older people The parable does not state that "the new is better;" in fact it states the opposite; "the old is better;"(verse 39) We might refer to it as "just developing better quality." the old wineskins had lost their elasticity which was still in the process of fermentation often have a rough time mixing and "expanding." However I realize I would have a less colorful life if were not for my interaction with the the younger set I'm thankful for the many blessings I enjoy My "old men's "coffee group is one example There is a certain comfort in associating with friends who have many things in common I claim the verse from Psalm 92:14: "They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green." The song I referenced earlier states: "Slow down My "kickin' down the cobblestones" may have slowed to more of a senior shuffle; but I'm thankful for young people who can show me how it's done I am also thankful for the adventure of a new day I am thankful that Lord who sustains me and is "finishing me," is the Lord of the dance of life and the Lord of the old and the new This work, Service and Basketball: GM3 Brittany Ommen, by PO1 Andrew Gordon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) with the support of several other professional societies have released updated guidelines for the management of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) Combining the latest evidence and emphasizing collaborative decision-making the document contains updated recommendations on cardiac myosin inhibitors and risk stratification for sudden cardiac death with a separate section for pediatric patients “I hope these guidelines refine the place in therapy for cardiac myosin inhibitors as it stands today and encourages patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to lead active healthy lifestyles,” Ommen said published online Wednesday in both Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology was developed in collaboration with and endorsed by the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine the Pediatric & Congenital Electrophysiology Society and the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance The document gives a class 1 recommendation for use of cardiac myosin inhibitors in patients with symptomatic obstructive HCM who are not responding to or tolerating first-line therapies Ommen said he’s seen mavacamten “used quite a bit” since it was approved but noted that its uptake varies by institution “In places that don't have surgeons or interventional cardiologists to deliver the invasive therapies,” he said “they now have an option to offer patients that they can prescribe for them right there in the practice.” about a third of patients don't get symptomatic improvement from mavacamten So it's not like it's totally eliminating the need for those other procedures and many patients don't want to take a medication lifelong when they can have an option that's a fix for an anatomic problem that might be a one-and-done solution.” Ommen also pointed out that the risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) program needed for prescription of mavacamten which requires frequent echocardiographic assessment “There's a lot of logistics scheduling for surveillance to make sure that there's no adverse effects from the drug; that decreases some patients’ and some providers’ enthusiasm for using it,” Ommen said adding that he still expects the updated guidelines to increase its use nationally Another major addition in the guidelines is an “evolution” in the way physical activity should be approached for HCM patients the recommendation was for exercise of only low-to-moderate intensity “We now have recognized that it's reasonable for most patients to even perform ‘vigorous’ activity which is defined by at least an hour of activity beyond the level of 6 METS noting that this was given a class 2a recommendation “So it's not like vigorous like big-time athletes It's vigorous compared to what we hope all people who are trying to improve their health and activity would be doing as part of a healthy lifestyle.” recommendations for exercise at the competitive athletic level were untouched “It's still a class 2b because we just feel like the intensity of training haven't been addressed in published literature,” he said adding that this issue doesn’t regularly come up in clinical practice as much as it does in debates at national meetings “The important thing is that we can now reliably tell most patients that you should be getting the same level of exercise everyone else is supposed to.” Pediatric patients now have a special section in the HCM guidelines as some new risk-prediction tools have emerged in recent years for this population But this differentiation was also partially logistical “More because of document standards and rubrics we separated it out from the adults altogether and we just needed more words to describe the differences,” he explained “By making the children a separate category in the document other than these new tools and risk markers So it's now a little bit more stand-alone than it was for adults which might bring it to more attention to practicing pediatric cardiologists.” Ommen pointed out an important change with a class 1 recommendation for more intensive extended monitoring for subclinical atrial fibrillation “There's a risk assessment goal for patients that have higher risk of A-fib,” he said “Monitoring them with an ambulatory ECG more frequently to make sure that we're not leaving them unprotected for risk of stroke is the goal of that recommendation.” Perhaps the biggest open question in this field is related to the treatment of symptomatic nonobstructive HCM “There are a bunch of trials ongoing looking into that but we don't have data yet to publish in the guideline document.” he said he’d like to see more research into the mechanisms underlying the effects of cardiac myosin inhibitors “It remains unknown whether the fact that they target a cellular mechanism unique to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has any implications long term other than relief of obstruction (ie other disease-modifying principles of this beyond relief of outflow tract obstruction) or are they just a simple and novel way to achieve relief of outflow tract obstruction.” there remains a need for further refinement of risk-prediction models in HCM He expects that ongoing clinical trials in these areas will enable another guideline update within the “next few years.” Yael L. Maxwell is Senior Medical Journalist for TCTMD and Section Editor of TCTMD's Fellows Forum Ommen SR, Ho CY, Asif IM, et al. 2024 AHA/ACC/AMSSM/HRS/PACES/SCMR Guideline for the management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. J Am Coll Cardiol and topical videos covering the spectrum of CVD and presentations from major meetings right to your inbox TCTMD ® is produced by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation ® (CRF) CRF ® is committed to igniting the next wave of innovation in research and education that will help doctors save and improve the quality of their patients’ lives New at TCTMD? Register today! Forgot Password Enter the email you used to register to reset your password Sign up to receive the most important cardiovascular news This content is available for meeting attendees and/or Platinum Members In his program for "Tulare County Voices @210," historian Terry Ommen will explore a poignant era of local history with his program "Voices from the Great Depression: Stories of Tulare County." Ommen is Visalia's preeminent storyteller of history he is also seeking the stories that his audience can tell "My presentation would include some general context history about Tulare County during that time period," said Ommen "but my focus would be audience involvement I would like to hear not only from Dust Bowl migrants and their families that evening but anyone with any Depression-related story." Those who attend can also be prepared to see vintage photos and accounts of the era the period from 1929 through the 1930s presented some of the most harrowing experiences for people in Tulare County "I am told that the Dust Bowl migration was the largest migration of people in American history," Ommen said "About  2.5 million people moved out of the Plains States Tulare County received a good share of them." Their experiences were recounted in the novels of John Steinbeck and in the poetry of Tulare's Wilma McDaniel Ommen expects to mine the work of all of them There were other events in the Depression era in Tulare County that were distinctive sometimes catastrophic: the rise of bigotry which famously held its state convention in Visalia in 1931; labor unrest such as the cotton riots of 1933; and natural disasters The Ku Klux Klan and Visalia:The Ku Klux Klan and Visalia: A legacy of racism that hasn't died Ommen also plans to recall the centers of the migrant experience "I have heard some of the stories from many of these dust bowl migrants and others over the years," Ommen said Then there is the story from the point of view of farmers Those who might have a story to share can contact Ommen at histerry@comcast.net And be sure to attend "Voices from the Great Depression" on Dec DevOps.com April 16, 2025 | April 10, 2025 | March 7, 2025 | February 25, 2025 | February 19, 2025 | © 2025 ·Techstrong Group, Inc.All rights reserved About the author: Dan Van Ommen is a retired senior living in Zeeland He lived and worked for many years in San Diego were he retired from Point Loma Nazarene University He served at Point Loma as a baseball coach sports information director and as a media relations specialist Van Ommen has spent his most recent years as a freelance writer motivational speaker and newspaper columnist About the book: "The Coffee Shop Gospel" is aimed at our changing times for people who are not afraid of change and who are seeking better ways to be Christian It is a collection of both humorous and thought-provoking articles and serves as a conversation piece for friends who love to meet up over coffee and have conversations about their faith Van Ommen has been challenging the christian status quo for many years and this compilation of his writings is no exception former pastor of First Baptist Church in Providence Rhode Island and a friend of Van Ommen says "This author brings a fresh set of eyes to the scriptures and he utilizes a pen with language that sparkles and awakens the reader Its truth will put you dancing on the graves of past tradition and worn out phrases." Where can the book be purchased?: Readers World Holland; Bunte's Pharmacy and Milt's Barber Shop in Zeeland and from any online bookseller and directly from the publisher — Follow this reporter on Twitter @SentinelLori or @SentinelGOmag 70 of Montezuma passed away Saturday morning 2017 at the CHI Mercy Health Center in Corning Funeral services will begin at 11:00 am Thursday 2017 at the Community Hope Church in Montezuma Burial will be held in the Friends Cemetery in New Sharon Visitation will begin after 1:00 pm Wednesday 2017 at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home with the family present from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Memorial contributions may be made to the Montezuma Fire Department Holland-Coble Funeral Home of Montezuma is in charge of arrangements the son of Walter and Mary Retha (Heitsman) Van Ommen He was a 1965 graduate of Montezuma High School Wayne was united in marriage to Linda Moore in New Sharon Wayne enlisted in the United States Navy in 1966 Miracle Equipment and Farmhand before working 21 years as a welder for Montezuma Manufacturing retiring in 2009 He was an avid reader and enjoyed watching westerns and old T.V collecting firearms and watching NFL football games father and grandfather and loved spending time with his family and especially enjoyed watching his grandchildren in all of their activities He was a member of the National Rifle Association His memory will be honored by his wife of nearly 50 years Robin (Curt) Ferguson of New Sharon and Bobbi (Willis) Van Weelden of New Sharon; six grandchildren Cole and Tyson Ferguson and Whatt and Abigail Van Weelden; his brother Wiley (Kathy) Van Ommen of Montezuma; his sister Wauneta (Fred) Davis of Newton and many other relatives and friends Wayne was preceded in death by his parents Gordon Ommen is the spark plug behind the first whiskey distillery in Deuel County Department of Labor staff have said they met with state regulators and understand the NAIC best-interest annuity rules that have been adopted by 40 states Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen is unconvinced "That just simply is not accurate," he said "I would express concern that in their justification for their rule they just misunderstand the annuity suitability revisions." The DOL fiduciary rule proposal is open for public comment until Jan Speaking Sunday during the Life Insurance and Annuities [A] Committee meeting Ommen encouraged the NAIC regulators to craft a pointed comment letter to set the record straight "I know we tend to not do that," Ommen said of commenting on a federal rule proposal "but this is a particularly different circumstance since the very justification for their moving forward is their criticism of our efforts here." The issues at stake are more than just a federal encroachment on the state-based system of insurance regulation The DOL released its latest fiduciary rule attempt on Halloween with President Joe Biden joining for a press conference to denounce "junk fees." The rule was widely criticized by industry trade groups who claim the extension of fiduciary duty to virtually anyone recommending an annuity would have a chilling effect on advice to middle-market savers The proposal is nearly 500 pages and has a lot of details But the biggest fight is going to come down to how agents are regulated – and that goes for both independent and captive agents The A Committee met during the NAIC fall meeting in Orlando Several industry groups commented on the DOL proposal vice president and principal deputy general counsel for the American Council of Life Insurers pointed to a recent study estimating that a fiduciary standard would reduce the projected accumulated retirement savings of 2.7 million individuals with incomes below $100,000 by approximately $140 billion over 10 years "It makes no distinction between providing investment advice and selling an insurance product and is totally inconsistent with the 2018 federal appeals court ruling striking down DOL prior rulemaking attempt," Bard said "Nearly all annuity recommendations will likely now meet this new definition meaning significant additional and unwarranted liability for those selling insurance products." NAIC regulators went to work following the 2018 ruling tossing out the Obama administration fiduciary rule. In the time since, the A Committee updated its annuity suitability regulation, converting it to a best interest standard for annuity sales and recommendations. It mirrors the best-interest regulation adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2019 for broker-dealers and registered representatives Agents are not allowed to place their own interests ahead of their clients States swiftly responded to lobbying efforts that ramped up following the 2020 model adoption by insurance commissioners. Oklahoma became the 40th state to adopt the standard in July Many advisory groups have come out in favor of the expansion of fiduciary status Registered investment advisors have a self interest in seeing all of their competitors adhering to tougher standards executive director of the Center for Economic Justice such as the Consumer Federation of America also support the rule as good for annuity buyers "It's particularly important for the proposed consumer protections as consumers roll over their lifetime savings into guaranteed income products," he told the A Committee "If CJ or CFA believed the rule would eliminate consumer access to retirement security products or financial advice But we don't believe that outcome will occur." InsuranceNewsNet Senior Editor John Hilton covered business and other beats in more than 20 years of daily journalism. John may be reached at [email protected] © Entire contents copyright 2023 by InsuranceNewsNet.com Inc No part of this article may be reprinted without the expressed written consent from InsuranceNewsNet.com InsuranceNewsNet Senior Editor John Hilton has covered business and other beats in more than 20 years of daily journalism. John may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @INNJohnH Trade groups oppose NASAA’s proposed changes to annuities regulation Life insurance sales take a dive in the third quarter, Wink reports and money- making insights straight into your inbox Helping clients determine when and how to best claim benefits is valuable Most Guaranteed Lifetime Income Benefits are fully guaranteed others not so much; does your client understand what they have Make sure you are THE ONE in your territory who can answer common consumer questions [free guide] American Equity offers competitive commissions [Check out our FREE VIDEO on why you should have E&O.] Learn this and much more from the Society of FSP's FREE 2014 Advisor Success Kit Terry Branstad on Monday tapped Doug Ommen to lead the Iowa Insurance Division Home / News / Health Care and Medicine Ommen - who has served as the interim Insurance Commissioner - will replace Nick Gerhart who resigned at the end of his four-year appointment is now the chief administrative officer at FBL Financial Group 'I'm pleased that Doug Ommen has accepted this responsibility as Iowa Insurance Commissioner,” Branstad said in a statement 'Doug is a seasoned attorney and insurance regulator who has over 30 years of experience in public service and I'm confident in his ability to lead the Iowa Insurance Division.” Before serving as interim Insurance Commissioner Ommen also had been Deputy Insurance Commissioner in Iowa since 2013 Ommen served as Missouri's Insurance Commissioner under Gov Matt Blunt and provided leadership in consumer protection in the administrations of Attorneys General Bill Webster Jay Nixon and Chris Koster in Missouri since 1985 'I've spent my career in public service ensuring that consumers are protected and I'm very happy to continue that work for Iowans,” Ommen said in a statement l Comments: (319) 398-8331; chelsea.keenan@thegazette.com Holland residents Calvin and Mary Van Ommen will celebrate 50 years of marriage with an open house in Noordeloos Christian Reformed Church by the Rev Their children are Deb Busscher and Jim DeYoung of Zeeland They have six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren Local historian Terry Ommen likes to connect the dots His research often leads him to understand how the seeds of the past planted the fruits of the present One of the most fertile eras for Tulare County was the Great Depression and the 1930s and often the remedies to those problems with the advent of the social safety net Ommen plans to explore some of those events in his talk for “Tulare County Voices@210” with his program “Voices from the Great Depression: Stories of Tulare County.” Ommen is Visalia’s preeminent storyteller of local history “My presentation would include some general context history about Tulare County during that time period,” said Ommen “but my focus would be audience involvement I would like to hear not only from Dust Bowl migrants and their families that evening but anyone with any Depression-related story.” Among the events that have attracted Ommen’s interest: The “Okie migration” of farm families displaced by the Dust Bowl “I am told that the Dust Bowl migration was the largest migration of people in American history,” Ommen said “About  2.5 million people moved out of the Plains States Tulare County received a good share of them.” The rise of public works projects and social programs in response to the Depression including labor unrest and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan “I have heard some of the stories from many of these dust bowl migrants and others over the years,” Ommen said and dread; some were inspiring and uplifting.” The Times-Delta/Advance-Register asked Ommen to comment on some of the features of his work in historical research and the elements he plans to talk about at 210 VTD: What part of your work as a historian do you most enjoy doing And what is the most minor favorite thing you do as a historian my favorite part of what I do is the research —the discovery what I try to do is understand how people lived in earlier times I get a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction As a simple example: Some early Visalia maps show a street in downtown Visalia named “Sakie,” in place of the street’s true name of Acequia One day I looked into the word Acequia and discovered it meant “ditch” in Spanish as the first man-made waterway in the community was a ditch that was cut from the Matthews Grist mill race going west down the street that became Acequia Acequia was named that because of the water ditch that was dug along its path That still did not answer the Sakie problem When I heard the pronunciation of the word Acequia It is pronounced “a SAKE ia” using the correct Spanish pronunciation Early map makers heard the Spanish pronunciation and mistakenly thought they heard “Sakie” and put that on their map This was done by map makers who were obviously not local My least favorite part is organizing the stories Not being very technically savvy means a lot of manual files and cross-referencing VTD: History is constantly being revised because of fresh revelations What things have you discovered that changed local history Ommen: So true about history being dynamic A big one for me is the famous picture purported to be Nathaniel Vise So many good historians have used the single photo of him repeatedly One day a family member contacted me and said the picture was wrong and gave proof - our picture of Nathaniel Vise is actually William Francis Turner Photos have been misidentified so much that it seems impossible to set the record straight VTD: You have chosen the 1930s in Tulare County as your focus for this year’s program for “Tulare County Voices @210.” What makes this era so intriguing Ommen: I picked the 1930s (the Great Depression era) this year as a topic because so many first- and second-generation experiencers are leaving us was an event that caused people to shiver with anguish having either gone through it or heard about it through their parents just doesn’t have the same effect or understanding I hope the folks who attend our program at 210 on Dec 13 will be willing to share their stories before the memories fade away “ground zero” for important societal changes and experiences Inspire: Many researchers say they encounter an “A-ha moment” you had in your encounter with 1930s history of Tulare County I kept waiting to find evidence of violence by the Visalia Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Lodge No I found no reported “lynchings” that appeared to be racially motivated so I’m sure they were active in underground activities My take on the Klan locally was that they tried publicly at least to come across like any other service club Inspire: What was the high point of events in Tulare County in the 1930s Ommen: One of the high points in Tulare County in the 1930s for me was the opening of the Fox Theatre and the joy it brought to those that could afford to see movies Another is Tulare County is and was a “bread basket,” so food was available for most especially those connected with farms or farmers My father was from a Minnesota farm family I remember him saying food was never a challenge for them with cows Another positive point of the 1930s was the creation of welfare nonprofits There were a lot of neighbor-helping-neighbor efforts Another biggie was the numerous public works projects made possible by the federal government Buildings were built [such as the Tulare County courthouse and projects like the “Mineral King Bowl” were dug with federal money hiring teams of horses and men — all done by hand with fairly primitive tools who oftentimes lacked a voice in the workplace and that resulted in labor unrest —strikes as in the case of the Exeter Race Riot of 1929 Filipino workers were “run out of town,” literally Inspire: If a typical resident of Tulare County from Ommen: Your “typical 1938 resident transported to today” question is a tough one All revolves around the word “typical.” But I think the number and diversity of government services available to those in need today would surprise everyone Inspire: Let’s turn that question around: What would a resident from our time and place find most surprising about 1938 Ommen: I think today’s individual would find a lack of government services Inspire: What local events of the present day will historians be examining 100 years from now will be the big topic looking back a hundred years from now The pandemic has so many aspects — impact on education The unfortunate decline and disappearance of print media Terry Ommen will be the featured speaker at the next installment of “Tulare County Voices @210.” His program is “Voices from the Great Depression: Stories of Tulare County,” from 7 p.m HistoryTerry Ommen is often recognized as Visalia’s preeminent authority on local history having inherited the mantle from his mentor Ommen has written extensively about the history of Tulare County He is the author of four books and literally hundreds of articles in local publications He is currently a regular contributor to Lifestyle and The Good Life magazines Ommen is a member of several history organizations including Visalia Heritage the Tulare County Historical Society and the Wild West History Association Army and spent three years in the military police corps Ommen obtained a bachelor’s degree from Long Beach State University and a Master’s from Chapman University Ommen joined the Visalia Police Department He retired in 1997 with the rank of captain Ommen nurtured his interest in the history of the Old West and Tulare County’s role in it He has written on a broad range of subjects I must admit I have a special interest in the early peace officers and the badmen they pursued,” Ommen said For several years Ommen wrote and published a blog called “Historic Happenings,” which remains online at www.visaliahistory.blogspot.com The International SAMBO Federation (FIAS) is a non-governmental non-profit organization that unites National SAMBO Federations FIAS is the only internationally recognized organization responsible for the development of SAMBO worldwide The FIAS website regularly features SAMBO news as well as SAMBO videos and photos from SAMBO competitions It also includes the official competition calendar of the International SAMBO Federation and other documents regulating tournaments in Sport SAMBO