Today's News

The column this month concerns the question of eligibility for VA benefits.

Laurie Burgin was excited when she got a letter and check from Direct Financial Services. According to the letter, Burgin had won $450,000 and the initial check of $4,800 was provided to help pay for the taxes she would incur.

“You talk about a high. ...I had a bubble built up you wouldn't believe,” said Burgin about her supposed good fortune. “But I went from an extreme high to an extreme low.”

That occurred after she began to check into the truthfulness of the letter and the check. Neither checked out.

Providing for a severely disabled child who will require lifetime care is a challenge for a family. Harvey Clarke, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and engineer, found a solution that works for his daughter.

Clarke's 34-year-old daughter, Melanie, has cerebral palsy, the result of oxygen deprivation during birth. The resulting damage left her able to think just fine, but unable to control her body. She can't live without a caregiver and Harvey Clarke, who is 71, and his wife won't be able to do this forever.

According to Nathaniel Young, director of the Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement, Bedford County has the best record in the state when it comes to parents paying court-ordered child support.