Obituary: Mike Sweeney, former Pioneer Press crime reporter and CEO of the Twin Cities Newspaper Guild

posted in: News | 0

John “Mike” Sweeney joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a combat correspondent in the Vietnam War. When he came home, he refused to accept his “Distinguished Journalist” award from the state of Minnesota or attend his own recognition ceremony, such was his disgust with the war he covered.

Born in an army base, baptized by the news industry, Sweeney would take the same conscientious cantankerousness into the newsroom of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, where he served for 22 years, much of it as a crime and courts reporter, editor and union steward before becoming chief executive officer of the Twin Cities Newspaper Guild.

Sweeney, 80, died June 1 at the Minneapolis Veterans Home following a years-long illness. He passed away from complications of Ataxia and Parkinson’s disease, “of which he willfully fought until his last breath,” wrote his daughter, former journalist Kathleen Sweeney, in a written obituary prepared for her father.

Former newsroom colleagues remembered him as the kind of eagle-eyed advocate for journalists and journalism whom they might butt heads with while in the moment-to-moment trenches of news-making but still respect the next day.

“While we often disagreed, I knew he was a man of principle who stood up for what he believed,” wrote Walker Lundy, a former executive editor for the Pioneer Press, in an online forum this month.

Former newsroom colleague Brian Bonner, a recent editor of the Kyiv Post, recalled Sweeney as “a true blue friend, occasional golf partner and a mentor” who had no hesitation rewriting one of Bonner’s stories while editing him on a weekend shift in the early 1980s.

“He displayed the widest range of emotions, sometimes in a single work shift — funny as hell, yet he could get mad as hell, too, as everyone knows,” said Bonner, posting to an online forum this month. “He made work exciting with his passion for living. In the later years of our friendship, with me in Ukraine, his messages were uplifting and typical of the love, support, curiosity and concern he showed for his friends.”

Former newsroom colleague David Hawley recalled how Sweeney was the first person he met when he started at the Pioneer Press  in 1978.

“We had both worked at the (Associated Press) and I remember he informed me that the newspaper’s contract, unlike the AP, allowed me a day off on my birthday — which, as it turned out, was the day after my first day at the paper,” wrote Hawley, in an online forum. “I dutifully mentioned this to Don O’Grady, then the managing editor. He shot a dirty look at Mike and then turned to me and said, ‘You’re gonna fit in here.’ I got the next day off.”

Sweeney, according to his daughter, was the “first and only baby” born at the Camp Lockett Army Base in Campo, Calif. His family later relocated to Hopkins, Minn., where he was raised as the eldest of five brothers and two sisters. He attended Most Holy Trinity Elementary School and Benilde High School before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. After service in Vietnam, he completed his journalism degree at the University of Minnesota and wrote for the Fairmont Sentinel and the Associated Press in Bismarck, North Dakota.

He then spent the next two decades at the Pioneer Press, specializing in crime and courts coverage, before leading the Twin Cities Newspaper Guild until his retirement in 2006. In retirement, Sweeney partnered with novelist and former Pioneer Press colleague John Camp to write a book loosely based on a story he had written years prior for the newspaper. The novel “Bad Blood” went on to win a Thriller Writers Award.

Among his pastimes, wrote his daughter, Sweeney enjoyed “camping with his children and friends in the Boundary Waters, photographing loved ones, running marathons, studying and achieving a TaeKwonDo Brown belt, golfing, skiing and reading an endless number of books, and of course, the newspaper.”

He is survived by Angeles, his wife of 49 years, his children Kathleen, Carlo and Michael, six grandchildren and six siblings. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 a.m. on June 29 at the Minneapolis Veterans Home, 5101 Minnehaha Ave. South. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Bob Allison Ataxia Research Center at the University of Minnesota or the National Ataxia Foundation.

Related Articles

Obituaries |


Bill Walton, Hall of Fame player who became a star broadcaster, dies of cancer at 71

Obituaries |


John Koerner, bluesman who inspired a young Bob Dylan, dies at 85

Obituaries |


Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who skewered fast food industry, dies at 53

Obituaries |


Minneapolis-born Dolores Rosedale, sidekick on ‘Beat the Clock,’ dies at 95

Obituaries |


Obituary: For Denny Seefeldt, Scandia’s first mayor, civic duty was a way of life

New help for dealing with aggression in people with dementia

posted in: Society | 0

Judith Graham | (TNS) KFF Health News

Caring for older adults with dementia is stressful, especially when they become physically or verbally aggressive, wander away from home, develop paranoia or hallucinations, engage in inappropriate or repetitive behaviors, or refuse to let caregivers help them.

Upward of 95% of patients experience these neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, which tend to fluctuate over time and vary in intensity. They’re the primary reasons people with dementia end up in assisted living facilities or nursing homes. At some point, families and friends trying to help at home simply can’t manage.

“When people think about dementia, they usually think about forgetfulness and memory impairment,” said Mary Blazek, director of the geriatric psychiatry clinic at the University of Michigan. “But it’s behavioral and psychological disturbances that are most disruptive to patients’ and caregivers’ lives.”

Now, help is available from a first-of-its-kind website created by prominent experts in this field. It offers free training in a comprehensive approach to managing neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia — a method known as DICE — based on several decades of scientific research as well as extensive clinical practice.

The website’s goal is to “give people tools to better manage often-distressing situations,” said Helen Kales, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC Davis Health in Sacramento, California, and one of DICE’s creators. Users learn that neuropsychiatric symptoms are caused by changes in the brain that increase people’s vulnerability. Nine video modules and two simulations provide comprehensive information and problem-solving techniques.

More than 16 million unpaid caregivers — primarily family members and friends — help people with dementia live at home. (An estimated 20% of patients live in institutional settings.) The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, affects nearly 7 million Americans 65 and older.

DICE is also designed to help “avoid the knee-jerk prescribing of psychoactive medications” that have potentially serious side effects, Kales said. Several medical organizations recommend that non-pharmaceutical approaches to troublesome behaviors be tried before drug therapy, but, in practice, this doesn’t routinely happen.

Drugs prescribed for dementia include antipsychotic medications, such as Risperidone, which carry a black-box warning noting an increased risk of sooner-than-expected death in elderly patients; anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin, for which use has been on the rise despite concerns about safety; benzodiazepines, such as Ativan, which are associated with an increased risk of falls and, thus, fractures; and Celexa and other such antidepressants that have limited data supporting their effectiveness in easing dementia symptoms.

DICE is a mnemonic — a pattern of letters meant to serve as a memory aid — that stands for Describe, Investigate, Create, and Evaluate, the four pillars of this approach. At its core is an assumption people with dementia engage in disturbing behaviors for often-unrecognized reasons that can be addressed once they are understood.

Take an example on the website featuring Jennifer, a 55-year-old caregiver for her mother, Betty, 85, whom she tries to bathe daily in the late afternoon. When Betty resists getting into the tub, Jennifer insists, “Let’s go! I have things to do.” Betty responds by smacking her and shouting, “Leave me alone. It hurts.”

DICE asks caregivers to step back from the heat of the moment and examine issues from three perspectives: the person with dementia, the caregiver, and the environment. All can contribute to distressing situations and all need to be considered in fashioning a response.

Examining the problem by using a “who, what, when, how, why” prompt can reveal several potential issues:

The patient. Betty has arthritis and may experience pain getting in and out of the tub. She may feel tired and overwhelmed in the late afternoon.
The caregiver. Jennifer may become easily frustrated when she encounters resistance — adopting a scolding and commanding tone rather than breaking down what Betty needs to do in simple steps.
The environment. The bathroom tends to be cold, with overly bright lights, tepid bathwater, and no grab bars around the tub.

Some possible solutions discussed on the website: Offer Betty an over-the-counter pain reliever before her bath. Try baths in the morning, not the afternoon. Relax expectations that she’ll have a daily bath and offer sponge baths several times a week. Install grab bars around the tub, and make sure the water temperature is comfortable. Use a nicely scented soap and play music to help Betty relax. Speak calmly, making simple statements.

These embody strategies shown to improve neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with dementia: recognizing and addressing underlying medical issues such as pain, infections, or delirium; simplifying the tasks a person with dementia is expected to perform; and establishing daily routines that give structure to the day.

Other important steps: Engage the person in activities that are meaningful to them, including social interactions. Reduce clutter and the potential for overstimulation in the environment. Make sure the person is using hearing or vision aids, if needed. Get them outside and exposed to light.

If safety, psychosis, or major depression are urgent concerns, then consider using psychoactive medications after consulting a physician.

Of course, this isn’t a comprehensive list of recommendations. Nor is it prescriptive. What works for one person with dementia may not work for another.

Using DICE is an iterative process that involves creativity and frequent evaluation to assess whether strategies are working, Kales said. If not, new interventions should be tried.

Although this is the first time family caregivers can access the DICE toolkit, the program has been available to health care professionals for a while. Notably, all of Wisconsin’s dementia care specialists have been trained in DICE over the past few years (every county in that state has a specialist who helps families with dementia).

“It’s a really pragmatic approach that’s put together in a very thoughtful fashion,” said Art Walaszek, a professor of psychiatry and medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health who’s been involved in that effort.

Other dementia training programs are available, some of which review behavioral and psychiatric symptoms in less depth, and they, too, are increasingly available online. Another valuable resource, Best Programs for Caregiving, launched in March, lists evidence-based programs across the country and their availability. Enter a ZIP code to find information that previously hasn’t been assembled in one place. This site, too, is very much worth consulting.

____

We’re eager to hear from readers about questions you’d like answered, problems you’ve been having with your care, and advice you need in dealing with the health care system. Visit kffhealthnews.org/columnists to submit your requests or tips.

___

(KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.)

©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

First Miss Juneteenth MN pageant to be held at Hamline University

posted in: Society | 0

Hamline University will host the inaugural Miss Juneteenth Minnesota State Pageant from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Sundin Music Hall.

An awards dinner will follow beginning at 6 p.m. at the Cedars Hall event center in Minneapolis.

The pageant will crown winners in five divisions from ages 6 to 30, according to the Miss Juneteenth MN State Pageant website. The divisions include Little Miss Juneteenth, Junior Miss Juneteenth, Teen Miss Juneteenth, Miss Juneteenth and Ms. Juneteenth.

Each crowned contestant will be recognized at the awards ceremony and dinner.

Tickets, from $25 to $75, are available at missjuneteenthmn.org or at Sundin Music Hall on the Hamline University campus. The Miss Juneteenth MN State Pageant is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization that aims to expose girls, teens and adults to educational, networking and career opportunities.

The Juneteenth holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

Related Articles

Local News |


Feds seek woman who left bag of $120,000 as bribe with promise of more at home of food fraud juror

Local News |


‘Eternally grateful for the kindness’: Russian transgender refugee reunited with husband at MSP Airport

Local News |


A Mazda, a gift bag of $120,000 and a dismissed juror

Local News |


The elevator is out — again — at the six-story Tilsner Artist Lofts in Lowertown

Local News |


Who is getting part of Melinda French Gates’ $1 billion in donations to support women and girls?

State softball: Mankato East rallies past Cretin-Derham Hall in seventh for Class 3A title

posted in: News | 0

NORTH MANKATO, Minn. — Cretin-Derham Hall left fielder Audrey Michel went back to the fence, leapt up and snared a ball that was potentially going over the fence for a Mankato East home run in the top of the sixth inning to preserve the Raiders’ 1-0 lead in the Class 3A softball state tournament title game at Caswell Park.

Center fielder Samantha Haider raced over and nearly tackled her teammate to the ground in excitement.

“Last year, Sami did it two times, she met the fence and caught it on the fence, and we all were super excited,” Michel said. “When you have a close game and you make a play that keeps it a close game, it’s all really exciting for everyone. I know everyone wanted it so bad, so the excitement was just rushing through everyone.”

Raiders coach Carolyn Osdoba said the play was “incredible,” and noted how it signified Cretin-Derham Hall’s effort on Friday.

“They put it all on the field, and that’s all you can ask for in a championship game,” Osdoba said, “so I’m very proud of them.”

That they delivered such an effort likely provides the top-seeded Raiders a little added comfort following their 6-1 loss to third-seeded Mankato East, which rallied with six runs in the final inning to win its second straight Class 3A championship.

Mankato East slugger Hailey Petzel opened the top of the seventh with a solo shot over the center-field fence to tie the score at 1-1.

“It was the best feeling in the world. I was screaming, I was throwing my hands up. It was awesome,” Petzel said. “I was so happy. Finally being able to score, especially in the seventh, I feel like it shifted the momentum to our side.”

Osdoba noted that hit wasn’t necessarily a surprise. Petzel is known for hitting bombs.

“It was unfortunate after that that we couldn’t pull it together and get those outs (after that),” Osdoba noted.

From there, Mankato East simply put balls in play, and mental and physical errors seemed to snowball for the Raiders (20-7), as the Cougars (20-6) largely used small ball to score their next five runs and all but put the game out of reach.

“It was crazy. We were all screaming,” Petzel said of the Cougars’ dugout during the seventh inning. “I think I lost my voice at one point.”

Sometimes, when the avalanche starts to roll, it’s tough to get it to stop.

“That can definitely be difficult,” Osdoba said. “You’ve just got to take a deep breath, do the best you can and stick with it.”

Cretin-Derham Hall’s lone run in the game came in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two-out base hit to right by Maddie Mulcahy. But even that play felt like the Raiders left something on the table, as a base-running snafu ended the play and the inning.

Still, that felt like it might be enough for Raiders pitching ace Brooke Nesdahl, who has been sensational all season in the circle for Cretin-Derham Hall.

“She pitched basically every inning for our team this season, which is incredible. She’s a competitor,” Osdoba said. “I couldn’t ask for more from Brooke.”

But Mankato East did what champions do, finding a way to apply pressure and scratch things out when it mattered most.

Friday serves as another learning lesson from an extremely young Raiders roster, which will lose just one senior starter to graduation.

A year ago, Mankato East edged the Raiders in 10 innings in the state semifinals en route to a title. This time around, Osdoba said her team was far more comfortable in the state tournament environment. And the Raiders took yet another step.

Now they know what the championship game atmosphere is all about. Friday marked the Raiders’ first title game appearance since 1991. The excitement around the program was evident from the fans in purple shirts who lined the fences.

“This team, what a phenomenal season,” Osdoba said. “Our athletic director pointed out how big the crowd was, how many people came to watch, which was super cool, and a bunch of little girls came to watch. So hopefully they can remember the community support and that aspect of things. … It sucks (losing this game). But hopefully eventually we can look back at the season and be proud of all we accomplished.”

And look forward to what may still be to come.

“We want to be the first team to win a state championship. … We’re excited just to be better and come back next year,” Michel said. “Even last year, getting third place, we wanted it so much more this year. And I know that getting second this year, we’re just going to want it that much more next year.”

Related Articles

High School Sports |


State softball: Randolph edges St. Agnes in 2A semis in epic pitching duel between Raymond, Proper

High School Sports |


State softball: Pair of late-game homers push Cretin-Derham Hall into first state final since 1991

High School Sports |


State softball: Rosemount generates a bevy of hits, but not enough runs in semifinal loss to New Prague

High School Sports |


State softball: First-inning charge leads Rogers to upset win over Forest Lake

High School Sports |


State softball: Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Agnes cruise to quarterfinal victories