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A veterans' benefits workshop hosted by Rep

Livingston County News - 6/18/2017

A veterans' benefits workshop hosted by Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, will continue as scheduled this afternoon with an increased presence from Livingston County Sheriff's deputies in the wake of this week's incident near Washington, D.C., in which a gunman shot at members of Congress.

"We will not be cancelling this event due to the recent event that occurred in the D.C. area," said Jason Skinner, director of the Livingston County Veterans Service Agency.

The event, scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. at the National Warplane Museum, 3489 Big Tree Lane, will feature brief descriptions of various local organizations' missions and services. Stations will be setup for veterans to explore benefits that may be available to them.

Representatives from the Veterans Administration and liaisons from local, state and federal agencies are scheduled to attend to provide information on services and resources available to area veterans. Topics to be covered will include enrollment into various programs, benefits offered by the VA, and service connected status, among others.

Veterans that are attending to seek benefits should bring a copy of their DD-214 or military separation paperwork, Skinner said.

Representatives are expected from the both the Buffalo Regional Office of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Canandaigua VA Medical Center, Livingston County Veterans' Service Agency, Livingston County Officer for the Aging, Livingston County Suicide Prevention Task Force, The American Red Cross, Rochester Veterans Outreach Center, Blue Star Mothers and the Veterans One-Stop Center of Western New York.

Livingston County Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty told Spectrum News that the increased presence from the Sheriff's Office "is just a precautionary approach to ensure his safety."

"We have no information that there's any threat to the congressman," Dougherty said.

On Wednesday, a shooting during a Congressional Republicans baseball practice in Alexandria, Va., left several people injured, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a congressional staffer, a lobbyist and two Capitol Police special agents. The gunman, James Hodgkinson, was killed during a shootout with police.

In an interview with WBEN 930 AM in Buffalo shortly after the shooting, Collins said he's had a license to carry a firearm for the past 30 years and that he'd be carrying a gun on his person.

Collins told WKBW-TV, channel 7 in Buffalo, that he would carry a firearm while out in public.

"If you look at the vulnerability, I assure you: I have a carry permit. I will be carrying when I'm out and about," Collins told the television station. "On a rare occasion I'd have my gun in a glove box or something, but it's going to be in my pocket from this day forward."

Collins' communications director, Sarah Minkel, said this week that Collins was considering moving his district office from Geneseo'sMain Street to ensure the security of the office and the safety of that staff that works there.

Collins, who also has a satellite office in Lancaster, Erie County, represents all of Livingston, Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties and parts of Erie, Monroe, Niagara and Ontario counties.

The congressman's Geneseo office has been the epicenter of citizen protests since February.

Geneseo Police Chief Eric Osganian said his office hadn't received any reports of threats of violence against the office or members of Collins' staff and that the only action his officers had taken during protests was to occasionally ask demonstrators to move because they were blocking traffic in and out of the office's parking area.