News Archives
In addition to Congressman Young's regular legislative activity and votes in the House and in the Appropriations Committee, here are some highlights from his schedule:
Remembering our fallen heroes
May 26, 2008 – ST. PETERSBURG - While many Bay Area residents spent Monday on the beach or grilling with friends and family, hundreds gathered at Bay Pines Cemetery to remember our country's heroes in one of the largest Memorial Day ceremonies in Florida.
Congressman Bill Young of Pinellas County joined veterans, their friends and families, and many others to take part in this year's Memorial Day event. It drew a larger crowd than last year, with several hundred people taking part.
Read the story at MyFoxTampaBay.com
Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross Honors Young
April 25, 2008 – The Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross honored Representative C. W. Bill Young at a dinner in Tampa to support the Red Cross Angels. The Red Cross and Florida Governor Charlie Crist honored Young for his work in support of our troops serving in uniform and for his support of the Red Cross missions in time of disaster. Crist called Young a “public servant who serves with heart.” Young thanked the Red Cross for its support in our state’s and our nation’s times of greatest need.
Young Address Tampa Bay High School Students
April 25, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young spoke to 400 Tampa Bay area high school students to thank them for their support of blood drives in their high schools. He keynoted the Florida Blood Services’ leadership program to tell the students from the four county area that they are heroes for their volunteer efforts to save lives in their communities and that their willingness to help others will serve them well in their years ahead. Young has worked closely with the staff and board of Florida Blood Services on a number of medical issues, including the establishment of the National Marrow Donor Program. Florida Blood Services is also a contract provider of blood products for the Department of Defense.
See the official Press Release
Young Attends Funeral Services for Fallen Clearwater Solider
April 20, 21, 22, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young attended funeral services for U.S. Army Specialist Arturo Huerta-Cruz of Clearwater, who died in Iraq from injuries sustained in an IED explosion. Young provided emergency assistance to the soldier’s family as they needed help contacting and making travel arrangements for his family members to travel from Mexico to Clearwater for the memorial services. He and his wife Beverly were with the family when the soldier’s body arrived at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and they attended mass with the family in Clearwater and the graveside services. Young called Specialist Huerta-Cruz a “hero who paid the ultimate price for freedom.”
Fallen Soldier Comes Home (TampaBay.com)
The funeral of Spc. Arturo Huerta-Cruz (TampaBay.com)
Lack of citizenship didn't deter soldier from Clearwater (TampaBay.com)
Young Attends Mobilization Ceremony For Pinellas Park Army Reserve Unit
April 13, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young attended ceremonies at the Army Reserve Center in Pinellas Park for the deployment of the 319th Minimal Care Detachment medical unit as the soldiers prepared to deploy to Iraq. Fifty soldiers from the unit will be part of a 400 person medical detachment. They include doctors, nurses, medical technicians and other personnel. This is the 319th’s second deployment as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Young thanked the members of the unit for their service and expressed special thanks for the family members who provide them with moral support while they are gone.
Young Attends North Pinellas Fireman’s Ball
April 12, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young attended the First Annual North Pinellas Fireman’s Ball sponsored by Palm Harbor Fire Rescue. The event raised funds for Palm Harbor’s Education Fire Station, which will raise public awareness about the importance of fire safety in preventing injury, death and property loss within the community. Young thanked the fire fighters for putting their lives on the line every day to protect Pinellas residents and for this special effort to educate children and families about the dangers of fires and how to prevent them.
Young Joins in Honoring Pinellas County for Receiving National Award
April 10, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young joined in congratulating two Pinellas County Government employees who represented Pinellas County in being honored in Washington by the National Association of Counties. Dr. H. Bruce Rinker, Pinellas County Environmental Management, and Mr. Joseph LaGath, Pinellas County Volunteer Services, attended an award ceremony to receive the 2008 Acts of Caring Award for Pinellas County, one of four counties awarded for their excellence in community improvement. “It is through the county’s work that Pinellas County remains such a great place to live, to work and to play,” Young said.
Young Receives Award for His Work to Expand the Delivery of Health Care in Florida
April 9, 2008 – Cindy Selleck, the national President of the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Association and faculty member of the University of South Florida, presented Representative C. W. Bill Young with a leadership award for his work to expand the availability of health care in rural and urban areas of Florida through the AHEC program. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Young has been a champion of the national AHEC program to support medical students who are willing to provide health care in underserved areas of our nation. At the time Young first become involved with the program, Florida only had AHEC services available in two parts of the state. Now there are 23 AHECs, including one in the Tampa Bay area sponsored by the University of South Florida.
Area Health Education Centers
AHEC: U.S.F. Health
Young Joins in Dedication of New U.S. Geological Survey Building
March 28, 2008 – Representative C.W. Bill Young joined with federal, state and local officials and the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership to dedicate a third building for the U.S. Geological Survey in St. Petersburg to continue to expand their highly successful partnership with the University of South Florida and State of Florida. The Bayboro area of downtown St. Petersburg has become an international center for the study of marine science and coastal issues and the USGS is a key partner in that effort, Young said. The dedication of the third building comes on the 20th anniversary of the USGS opening its first office in St. Petersburg. Young led the effort to convince federal officials to bring the USGS to St. Petersburg. Since that time, the number of federal USGS employees has grown from 6 to 116 and Young said he hopes that the operation will continue to grow as the USGS continues to expand its research to include the study of hurricanes and other natural disasters.
Young Receives Award from Pinellas County Sheriff
March 28, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young received an award of appreciation from Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats for his support through his work on the House Appropriations Committee for technology improvements to enable the sheriff’s deputies to work more effectively and safely. The improvements Young has funded include facial recognition technology to try and identify individuals wanted on out standing warrants, license plate reading technology to monitor stolen and wanted vehicles, and in-car computers to support deputies in the field.
Young Hosts Breakfast for Rotary Club of Seminole Lake
March 28, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young hosted the Rotary Club of Seminole Lake’s weekly breakfast at his Seminole District Office. Forty members of the club attended and had an opportunity to talk with Young about current events in Congress and locally in Pinellas County. Young is a former recipient of the Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellow Award. His wife Beverly and Dr. Jim Olliver, the Provost of the Seminole Campus of the St. Petersburg College, both received 2007 Paul Harris Fellow awards at the breakfast.
Young Gives Keynote Address at 75th Anniversary Celebration of Bay Pines
March 19, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young gave the keynote address for the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, thanking all of the medical staff, administrative staff and volunteers for providing the finest care anywhere in the nation. One of Young’s first congressionally directed projects was to provide the $110 million in 1976 to build the hospital at Bay Pines, which replaced the original hospital building that opened in 1933.
Young Attends Dedication of Purple Heart Memorial at MacDill Air Force Base
February 23, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young joined in ceremonies to dedicate the Purple Heart Memorial at the Navy Reserve Operational Support Center on MacDill Air Force Base. The memorial, dedicated to the sacrifice of those Navy members who have been killed or wounded in defense of freedom, was designed and constructed by active and retired Navy Reservists. The memorial project began in direct response to the experience of Navy Mobil Construction Battalion 14, which mobilized in 2004 to support humanitarian efforts in Iraq. Two weeks after arriving in Iraq, two members of the unit were killed in a convoy attack. Two days later, five more sailors died when hit by mortar fire and 30 were injured. “The Purple Heart recognizes courage and valor in combat and this memorial honors all those who have been injured and died in the defense of freedom,” Young said.
Memorial Honors Slain Navy Reservist (TBO.com)
Purple Heart Memorial Dedication (Navy.mil)
Young Attends Groundbreaking for St. Petersburg Job Corps Center
February 21, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young joined U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and state and local elected officials in breaking ground on a new Job Corps Center in downtown St. Petersburg. Young provided funding for the $40 million Pinellas Job Corps Center, which will include nine buildings on a 16-acre campus. It will serve 300 students at a time who will receive education and training in fields such as health care, construction, information technology, and automotive and machine repair.
What's New at Job Corps? (D.O.L.)
Work Pays off on Job Corps Campus
Young Hosts Meeting with Governor Crist and House Appropriators on the Everglades
February 12, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young hosted a meeting with Florida Governor Charlie Crist and members of the House Appropriations Committee to discuss the way forward on federal funding for the restoration of the Everglades. During the meeting, Young, Crist and the committee members talked about prioritizing projects for this, the largest U.S. civil works project in history. They also talked about how to improve cooperation at the federal, state and local level to ensure the best chance at success for this complicated project to restore the Everglades to its natural state and to improve water flow and quality. As Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Young ensured that the Department of Interior and Army Corps of Engineers received full funding to uphold the federal share of the project.
Official Webpage of C.E.R.P.
Young Meets with Florida Adjutant General Doug Burnett
February 7, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young met with Florida Adjutant General Doug Burnett to discuss readiness issues for the Florida National and Air Guard. During their meeting in the Capitol, Young and Burnett discussed several projects that Young has provided federal funding for including the construction of the Guard’s Regional Training Center to conduct training to prepare for disaster situations and the facilities and equipment necessary to field a second Civil Support Team for Florida to be ready to deploy on a moments notice when disaster strikes the state. Young provided funding to stand up the second Civil Support Team, making Florida one of only three states with two teams.
Emergency Response Unit to be based in Pinellas Park
Young Meets with Pinellas County Commission Chairman Bob Stewart
February 7, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young met with Bob Stewart, Chairman of the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, to discuss a number of funding needs for Pinellas County, including federal support for the county’s ongoing beach restoration program. During the meeting in the Capitol, they also talked about local transportation needs and several legislative proposals of interest to the county.
Young Honors Disabled Students for Overcoming Adversity in the Classroom
February 6, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young honored students from across the nation who were recognized in Washington by Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) for their ability to overcome obstacles in the classroom to become outstanding students and leaders in their schools. Young has been a national leader for more than two decades in providing federal support for RFB&D’s work to provide recorded textbooks for blind and dyslexic students so that they can continue on with their studies. When first begun, the books were read onto reel-to-reel tapes. With funding provided by Young, RFB&D has been able to convert these books to more user friendly digital tapes.
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
Young Joins in Ceremonies Honoring the Blackthorn
January 28, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young joined in solemn ceremonies paying tribute to the 23 Coast Guard sailors who died 28 years ago when Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn collided with another ship near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Young joined Coast Guard Chief of Staff Admiral Bob Papp in the ceremonies at the Blackthorn Memorial Park at the southern tip of St. Petersburg, calling the men and women of the Coast Guard “true heroes who go into harms way on a moments notice, in all weather conditions and without regard to their own safety to save the life of another person.” Young said he is proud to represent four major Coast Guard installations in the 10th Congressional District.
Young Welcomes Home the 320th MP Company
January 27, 2008 – Representative C. W. Bill Young welcomed home from Iraq troops from the 320th Military Police Company in downtown St. Petersburg. The men and women of this Army Reserve unit returned from a one year deployment and have just completed training to redeploy again later this year. The welcome home ceremony was a national initiative sponsored by Young who worked with the Chief of the Army Reserve to provide funds to sponsor welcome home ceremonies for reserve units coming home across the nation. Young called these returning “citizen soldiers” a unique brand of American patriots who volunteered to leave their families to defend our nation’s freedom here and abroad.
Young Joins in Top Off Ceremony for the new All Children’s Hospital
December 14, 2007 – Representative C. W. Bill Young joined in topping off the building ceremonies for the new state of the art All Children’s Hospital which is under construction in downtown St. Petersburg. Young has supported the building of this modern hospital complex with funds he has provided through the Department of Health and Human Services and most recently with funds provided through the Federal Emergency Management Administration to All Children’s Hospital to develop a completely self-supported utility system for power, air and water to enable it to remain fully operational during emergencies for up to four weeks.
New Hospital "Topping Out" Ceremony
Young Cuts Ribbon on New Defense Mobile Crime Labs
December 14, 2007 – Representative C. W. Bill Young joined federal, state and local law enforcement officials in cutting a ribbon on a new line of mobile crime labs developed for use by the Department of Defense to investigate crime scene evidence overseas in the War Against Terrorism in Afghanistan and in Iraq and to assist the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security with emergency crime scene needs here at home. The mobile crime lab was developed by the National Forensic Science Training Center at the Pinellas County STAR Center in Largo with funds Young provided through the Army.
