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WASHINGTON — Veterans who suffered sexual assault or other sexual abuse while in uniform would get help more easily from the Department of Veterans Affairs under a bill approved Monday by the House.

The bill would allow a statement by a survivor of military sexual trauma to be considered sufficient proof that an assault occurred. The House approved the bill by voice vote Monday night.

The North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs (NDDVA) gave away six new vans to Highly Rural Counties in North Dakota. The vans come from a Federal grant which the ND DVA was awarded last year. Eight vans were purchased in June from Harlow' Bus Sales in Bismarck. The six passenger vans are Dodge Caravans which are converted to wheel chair accessible vans with a ramp and chair tie downs so up to two wheel chair bound veterans can ride at the same time. Dennis Kubistka the CVSO from Steele County received his van on July 17th at the NDDVA - Fargo office.

Jeff Frieson, the manager of the Bismarck Veterans of Foreign Wars Club, along with Mindy Frieson, a bartender there, are organizing a fundraiser to help veterans in need.

"The fact is that I couldn't serve (in the military)," Jeff Frieson said. "But I can do this to help those who did serve our country. We'll help any way we can, until all the money's gone."

Any veteran and their family, whether from WWII, Vietnam, Korea or Iraq and Afghanistan, is eligible to receive help, according to Frieson, who says the fundraiser is one way he can show his respect for soldiers.

What’s it like to be deployed at sea for six months? How does the Navy contribute to world peace and security? What new technologies is the Navy currently developing? These questions and many more will be answered in Fargo, N.D., one of 12 cities selected to host a 2015 Navy Week, a Navy signature outreach program.

Fargo Navy Week is scheduled for July 20-26, 2015, coincides with the Fargo AirSho, and is designed to provide area residents an opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity.

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs may have to shut down some hospitals next month if Congress does not address a $2.5 billion shortfall for the current budget year, VA officials warned Monday.

The VA told Congress that it needs to cover shortfalls caused by an increased demand by veterans for health care, including costly treatments for hepatitis C. The agency also is considering furloughs, hiring freezes and other steps to close a funding gap for the budget year that ends Sept. 30.

Barnes County Veteran Service Officer Chad Clement (left) and Stutsman County Veteran Service officer David Bratton (right) complete the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs accreditation training.

If you are a veteran and looking for a job or are interested in exploring new careers or educational opportunities, come to the largest veterans career fair in Minnesota with 125 of Minnesota's best employers with current job openings.

Wednesday, July 15th 
10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. 

Veterans Career Fair 
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Earle Brown Heritage Center 
6155 Earle Brown Drive 
Brooklyn Center, MN 

U.S. Bank is sponsoring their JOES for GI's event at thier Downtown Fargo location (Corner of 2nd Ave and Broadway) and their U.S. Bank Service Center (Corner of 43rd St. SW and 15th Ave) in Fargo. Event is Wednesday July 22nd from 11AM to 1PM. There will be Sloppy Joes, Chips, Cookie and Beverage for $5.00

Unemployment for post-9/11 veterans in June held steady at the near-record low of the previous month, 5.4 percent, government data show.

As a whole, the nation added 223,000 jobs last month, with the overall unemployment rate dipping to 5.3 percent, down from the 5.5 percent recorded in May, according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics.

June marks only the third month in history with an unemployment rate for the latest generation of vets below 5.5 percent. May 2015, also with a 5.4 percent rate, was the second, and May 2014, with a record 5.3 percent rate, was the first.