GTP introduced Friday that the businesses developed a new association plan, identified as Chamber Blue of Kansas, and according to GTP, it would give enterprise homeowners well being insurance discounts.
“This is a huge deal, and a new strategy for the GTP and our associates,” said Matt Pivarnik, CEO of the Increased Topeka Partnership. “We are thrilled to see Chamber Blue of Kansas appear on the net, as it could indicate superior health and fitness protection at decreased fees for numerous of the nearby enterprises that make our local community terrific. For this prepare to be as impactful as probable, we have to have heaps of companies to get on board.”
In accordance to GTP, the Chamber Blue of Kansas prepare is offered to companies who are in Shawnee Co., have 2 or far more staff, and are latest, dues-spending users of the Higher Topeka Partnership. GTP more says that if a larger team of people and firms enroll in the approach, it could imply most likely reduce expenses and more strategy choices.
“Chamber Blue of Kansas could be a recreation-changer for Shawnee County corporations,” mentioned Curtis Sneden, president of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce. “Chambers across Kansas have been performing tricky to stand up this plan because we realize wellbeing protection is a important component of worker payment. The simpler it is for businesses to deliver reasonably priced overall health insurance policies, the simpler it will be for them to attract new employees and the happier these personnel will be.”
GTP said that far more than 24 chambers of commerce in Kansas partnered with BCBSKS to make the plan achievable.
“Providing obtain to economical well being insurance plan carries on to be a challenge for smaller and medium-sized enterprises,” said Keith Richards, operator of Meridian Roofing Alternatives. “As a business proprietor, I see the value in being in a position to coordinate with hundreds of other firms in Shawnee County to negotiate charges and share the Chamber Blue approach that Blue Cross and Blue Protect of Kansas has produced. This has the prospective to be a strong reward for our personnel and could give us with an critical device for recruiting and retaining talent. I inspire all businesses to assessment this possibility to guarantee the most effective costs probable.”
Any concerns about turning into a GTP member can be emailed at MemberRelations@TopekaPartnership.com, but to grow to be a member of GTP, click here.
If businesses are interested in Chamber Blue of Kansas, go to the BCBSKS web page.
Company is booming when it arrives to opening new businesses in Hardin County.
In accordance to a examine from Self Monetary published Feb. 7, company purposes in the Elizabethtown-Fort Knox area increased from 1,129 in 2019 to 1,261 in 2020. The selection grew from 33,150 to 37,550 statewide in the same year.
In Elizabethtown, there were 576 new business applications in 2019. That variety wavered marginally to 567 in 2020 but climbed to 679 in 2021.
Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation President and COO Rick Video games suggests the pandemic easing coupled with significant industrial investments in the location will help modest businesses.
“There’s no question that announcements like Nucor and BlueOvalSK are going to make a variation,” he said.
Radcliff Little Organization Alliance President Matthew Smith reported he has observed extra folks decide to go out on their own and start off a organization.
“I’ve observed many contractors that have been doing the job under builders who are now out constructing on their have,” he claimed.
He said he also does not see the trend declining at any time shortly.
“It’s a good time to get started a business,” he explained. “I sense like the economic climate is powerful, and this region is very strong. We’re almost certainly not going to see any allow up for at minimum two to 3 decades.”
Hardin County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Margy Poorman said compact firms in the location have been escalating since the pandemic.
“We’ve normally had the entrepreneurial spirit here in the local community,” she mentioned. “That just continues to expand.”
She mentioned the pandemic may possibly have inspired business people to depart their company employment or work opportunities with more substantial corporations to established up their have organization.
Charlie Messina opened Very little Charlie’s Pizza at 2030 N. Dixie Ave. in December. A restaurateur originally from New York, Messina said he was amazed with the mind-set and kindness of men and women in the space.
“No make any difference exactly where I went, the people today here were being really friendly,” said Messina. “I like the place really considerably, and that’s why I did it. It has been wonderful. The help that the community has been providing us so significantly, it’s wonderful. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”
Messina stated he knew the top quality of his pizza would defeat no matter what troubles COVID problems may well have introduced.
“We don’t slash corners by any means,” he said. “What my buyers take in is what I eat. If I inform anyone that pizza is $20, and they give me $20, they should really get $20 well worth of pizza.”
Messina has been so amazed with the success he’s witnessed in the place that he suggests they are looking to develop into other parts of Hardin County.
“Kentucky has been excellent to us,” he mentioned.
To watch the whole research referenced, go to self.inc/website/us-metropolitan areas-raise-in-new-business-purposes.
T-R PHOTOS BY SUSANNA MEYER — Vic and Gayle Hellberg, the owners of Hellberg Jewelers, one of several local businesses that participated in Small Business Saturday in Marshalltown.
Small Business Saturday gives local mom and pop operations a chance to shine after the big shopping rushes of Black Friday at larger chain stores. Matt Gerstandt, the owner of Black Tire Bike Co said it had been a slightly slow day.
“Small Business Saturday hasn’t been gangbusters, but we’re running some select specials and we’ve had some good foot traffic,” Gerstandt said.
While it may not have been as busy as some would have liked, Gerstandt said the Holiday Stroll had a positive impact on business the previous week, jumpstarting the revenue a week early. He remains optimistic for the upcoming holiday season.
“Kids bikes have been great for availability, so we’re getting some of those families that have been patiently waiting for kids bikes. Some of those supply chains are loosening up just a little bit,” Gerstandt said.
Gerstandt also wanted to stress the importance of shopping locally not just because customers can feel better about where their dollars are going.
Matt Gerstandt, the owner of Black Tire Bike Co on Main Street, was happy to see the foot traffic in the downtown area on Small Business Saturday.
“Don’t shop local because it’s local, shop local because you’re getting better service,” Gerstandt said.
Another Main Street Business, Hellberg’s Jewelers, owned by Vic and Gayle Hellberg, was open for business on Saturday, and they were hopeful it would be a successful day.
“It’s definitely better than an average Saturday, so that’s the good part,” Vic Hellberg said.
The Hellbergs also participated in the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber Bucks giveaway. Select businesses offered the opportunity to register to win Chamber Bucks of different values depending on the business. The Chamber of Commerce has sponsored this giveaway for several years running in an effort to incentivize shopping locally and to support small businesses. While Vic Hellberg has never asked customers if the Chamber Bucks giveaway was a motivation for them to come shop, he was certain it had an effect.
“I know that makes a difference to people. They do come down because our chamber does a good job for our community,” Vic Hellberg said.
Chamber of Commerce Director John Hall was enthusiastic about the giveaway, hoping it would be a helpful tool for businesses looking to gain more shoppers on Small Business Saturday.
“We know the value of small businesses, and the Chamber Bucks giveaway is one more tool to bring in more business,” Hall said.
The Chamber of Commerce partners with the Small Business Development Center, which provides the materials for events like these and ships them to participating businesses. Chamber Bucks can be redeemed at any business or organization that is a member of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, and participating businesses can be found at www.marshalltown.org.
In addition to the giveaway, the Chamber of Commerce also partners with Shop Iowa, which provides a free online platform for small businesses to sell online. With resources like Shop Iowa, Hall hopes small businesses can thrive in Marshalltown all year, not just on Small Business Saturday.
——
Contact Susanna Meyer at 641-753-6611 or
smeyer@timesrepublican.com.
T-R PHOTOS BY SUSANNA MEYER — Vic and Gayle Hellberg, the owners of Hellberg Jewelers, one of several local businesses that participated in Small Business Saturday in Marshalltown.
Matt Gerstandt, the owner of Black Tire Bike Co on Main Street, was happy to see the foot traffic in the downtown area on Small Business Saturday.
Joe Oltmann and Vickie Tonkins (center) confer during the February El Paso County GOP Central Committee meeting.
Heidi Beedle
The vice chairman of the El Paso County GOP, Karl Schneider, filed a campaign finance complaint form with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office today, according to documents available on TRACER, a campaign finance disclosure website.
Schneider’s complaint involves donations from the El Paso County GOP’s Aug. 6 Lincoln Day Dinner, which featured Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. According to Schneider’s complaint, “Donations to the Party for the Lincoln Day Dinner were not found,” he wrote. “The [Treasurer] later resigned in part, due to the fact he requested, as did I on 8 October 2021, that we hire an outside accountant and conduct a full audit to help sort this matter out. The Chair [Vickie Tonkins] has refused to provide this support and refused to communicate with myself on the matter and other members of the Executive Committee of the El Paso County GOP which has a fiduciary responsibility w/regard to all financial matters. I am very concerned that the Party has violated and is violating the Fair Campaign Practices Act and, given our current bylaws structure, we are unable to compel compliance of the Act by our Chair. It is the intent of this complaint to report suspected campaign finance law violations and ultimately achieve transparency in our Party financial dealings by requesting the Secretary of the State of Colorado investigate these allegations of campaign finance law violations.”
Attached to the complaint was an Oct. 1 email from former El Paso County GOP Treasurer John Pitchford to the executive committee — Schneider, Chairwoman Vickie Tonkins, Secretary Sheryl Glasgow and Colorado Republican Committee Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown — bringing attention to the discrepancies. “We need a full inventory of all Lincoln [Day] items sold and unsold,” wrote Pitchford. “I am unable to do any further Tracer reporting until we have accurate records from Aug 6. Jeanine Nelms was the winning bidder for two items. I wanted to get her address so I could enter her data into Tracer. She told me she came to the office to pay for her coffee – NO coffee. She wanted to pay for her necklace – NO necklace. I suggest we hire an accountant to figure this out.”
Also included was an Oct. 8 email between Schneider and Mary Elizabeth Fabian, who ran for the District 5 City Council seat in 2021. Schneider wrote, “Please reach out to John [Pitchford]. I recall he suggested an outside consultant/accountant be hired to help him clear up donation accountability problems as of a week ago. I think there were at least two items, possibly very high dollar value (jewelry), missing and some tracer challenges. There may be other issues but not sure. I do agree with our Treasurer that if he needs additional resources, he should get it.”
Schneider’s Nov. 23 campaign finance complaint.
Colorado Secretary of State’s Office
Schneider also addressed Tonkins, who was copied on the Fabian exchange, requesting an audit be conducted for all tickets and items related to the Lincoln Day Dinner; that a police report be filed if the missing items were over $50 in value; and a Special Executive Committee session be called to address the issues.
An undated message from the El Paso County GOP Executive Committee to Brown was also included in the complaint. Burton Brown wrote, “On Oct. 12, Dr. John Pitchford resigned from his position as Treasurer of the El Paso County Republican Central Committee…. He did this when his request to hire an accountant to investigate discrepancies with the Lincoln Day Dinner was denied by the County Party Chairwoman, Vickie Tonkins…. His resignation was to become effective on October 21 so that he could stay on to train a replacement. Ms. Tonkins informed him she was not giving him the training time that he requested. To her, his resignation was effective immediately and he was to turn in the books and any party related items in his possession…. Based on John Pitchford’s concern, Vice Chair Karl Schneider, also requested a full audit from Ms. Tonkins…. To date, she has refused to respond to his request. Our county bylaws are clear, the Executive Committee has a fiduciary responsibility for the finances of the Central Committee. As such, we, members of the Executive Committee, are concerned there could be discrepancies in the Lincoln Day Dinner records/accounts. We know this was a very successful dinner. It was attended by over 400 people with many auction items, and allegedly grossed approximately $50,000. All receipts should be properly accounted for.”
Tonkins did not immediately respond to the Indy‘s request for comment. Schneider’s complaint is not the first accusation of discrepancies in regards to the El Paso County GOP’s finances. According to a Sept. 4 email sent by Pitchford to members of the Fountain City Council, obtained via a Colorado Open Records Act request, Pitchford accused newly elected Fountain Mayor Sharon Thompson and Colorado Rep. Mary Bradfield (R-HD21) of filing a false report. “In 2019 I became treasurer of the El Paso County GOP and in that capacity, I reviewed our Tracer reports and found one of them to be in my opinion fraudulent,” wrote Pitchford. “I’ve attached this report and it will allow you to do the math so that you can determine for yourself that this particular report is fraudulent on its face. Our CPA put it this way, ‘it just doesn’t add up.’ I began asking questions as to why this report was falsified and who had knowledge of it. I wanted to know why no effort was made to determine why this report was in error by nearly $44,000 and why no efforts were made to correct it before filing it with the Secretary of State. Sharon Thompson had knowledge of this document and assisted state representative Mary Bradfield in preparing it.”
A TRACER report filed by Bradfield that Pitchford claimed was fraudulent.
Colorado Secretary of State’s Office
Thompson, who served as the Republican House District 21 chairwoman since 2012, denied involvement with the TRACER report in question. “I had nothing to do with the books,” she said in a Sept. 12 phone interview. “I’ve never prepared a TRACER Report.”
Bradfield confirmed that Thompson was not involved in the filing of the report, and said the report in question was the result of an adjustment made with the knowledge of the Secretary of State’s Office. “After collaboration with the Secretary of State Tracer Division, a one time adjustment was made in the EPC GOP Tracer account,” she said in an email.
The labor shortage carries on to lead to disruption for company owners and clients.Chris Ware/Newsday RM/Getty Photos
The vice mayor of Folsom is doing the job at a restaurant to enable control staffing shortages, for every CBS News.
Sarah Aquino had currently taken on a 2nd task offering wellbeing and everyday living insurance.
She said she required to guide by instance and encourage other individuals to just take up vacant roles.
The vice mayor of Folsom, California, has taken up a 3rd task at a neighborhood cafe in an try to tackle the city’s labor shortage.
Sarah Aquino explained she just lately began her new employment as a hostess and dining area supervisor at Back Bistro, CBS News claimed.
Together with that and her vice mayor responsibilities, she also sells health and fitness and life insurance coverage, the outlet claimed.
“I saw a Fb post that explained they were being desperate for hosts and buspeople,” Aquino instructed CBS MoneyWatch. “I informed them I experienced no cafe expertise, but I am a difficult employee and fast learner, and if you’re willing to employ the service of and practice me, I will dedicate to perform for up to 20 several hours a week for six months.”
“I resolved to guide by illustration,” she said. If people can “get out there and assistance these firms fill these positions, it allows the firms when also aiding the metropolis of Folsom,” she added.
Aquino a short while ago announced a marketing campaign to motivate community retirees, remain-at-property mothers and fathers, and learners to go to function and enable relieve the labor crunch, as Insider’s Mary Hanbury described.
Lots of cafe owners in California are having difficulties to hire or retain workers. In September, a sushi restaurant chain in the condition was pressured to near all 9 areas at the time a week, because of to a absence of qualified employees.
“We have a very good business, our shoppers, but now we have no support,” the owner explained to KCRA at the time.
The broader retail business is also experiencing disruption connected to worker shortages in the operate-up to Xmas.
Recently, a deficiency of Santa impersonators was described, whilst this was blamed on the actuality that older adult males worry they may contract COVID-19 although performing the position.
According to CBS Sacramento, Back again Bistro are about 10 employees shorter of the place they would like their staffing to be.
For Aquino, she hopes the new campaign will “inspire a several men and women when they see the support required sign.”
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion social paying invoice features a provision that, if it will become regulation, would mark the 1st time the federal govt has made available specific assistance in response to the decrease of area news.
The aid would come in the sort of a payroll tax credit for corporations that make use of qualified community journalists. The measure would permit newspapers, digital news outlets and radio and television stations to assert a tax credit score of $25,000 the 1st year and $15,000 the following four yrs for up to 1,500 journalists.
It’s a response to developing alarm that the elimination of newsroom employment is leaving communities with no obtain to significant info. The problem has developed because a hedge fund with a reputation of ruthless value-cutting obtained Tribune, one of the nation’s largest newspaper chains, in May possibly. Presently, about one-fourth of the country’s newspapers have closed and 50 {1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} of neighborhood journalism work have evaporated in the previous 15 several years, according to study from the University of North Carolina.
That leaves about 1,800 communities with no neighborhood newspaper.
But the credit score, which would price tag $1.67 billion more than the next 5 a long time, does generate some tension for the field. Some leading Republicans in Congress have derided it as a handout. Primary journalists also acknowledge that it truly is uncomfortable to receive financial aid from a government they deal with independently.
Even now, provided the feeling of disaster the market is dealing with, many journalists say the chance is well worth it.
“This is only a unwilling reaction to this concern of the collapse of regional news and their business enterprise models,” said Steven Waldman, president and co-founder of Report for America, an firm that areas journalists in area newsrooms, which includes the Involved Push. “Most journalists begin off with a balanced skepticism about the governing administration acquiring associated and supporting journalism. And that is suitable.”
“But,” he extra, “the motive why this is occurring now is just the severity of the disaster.”
Federal government assist for media, in ways immediate and oblique, is not new. It goes again to the earliest times of the place when Congress sponsored periodicals’ postal rates. Additional a short while ago, a pandemic-period modest business enterprise mortgage system furnished millions to news businesses.
The provision is supported by extra than a dozen Residence Republicans, however the second-rating GOP chief, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, named it a scam in a the latest tweet. “Make no oversight — this is Biden and Dems in Congress serving to pay the reporters’ salaries who go over for them,” he tweeted.
The proposal’s fate in the end hinges on how Congress proceeds with the broader legislation, which has only captivated Democratic assist and has turn out to be bogged down by divisions in the Residence and Senate. Notably, it is a person of the several provisions to which Household and Senate Democrats have now agreed.
Lawmakers will resume debate on the bill when they return to Washington this coming 7 days.
Although the proposal’s principal objective was to rescue tiny papers that have been hit really hard as advertisement pounds evaporated at the begin of the pandemic, it will support some bigger organizations. Should the tax break become regulation, Gannett, just one of the nation’s biggest remaining newspaper chains, could attain as considerably as $127.5 million over 5 yrs, in accordance to an evaluation by the AP.
Maribel Perez Wadsworth, who operates the information division of Gannett, which employs more than 4,000 journalists at United states of america Currently and local papers this kind of as the Arizona Republic and Detroit Totally free Push, named the credit history a “good shot in the arm.” She would not specify how the cash would be utilised.
AP spokesperson Lauren Easton declined to remark on the tax credit history.
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., introduced the credit rating as a piece of laws final year together with Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Clean.
1 of the careers tax credit’s proponents was local community-newspaper chain Wick Communications, which is based in Sierra Vista, Ariz. — Kirkpatrick’s congressional district. CEO Francis Wick reported income has dropped by about 50 percent because 2009, with a steep advert-revenue drop during the pandemic as neighborhood corporations minimized advertising and marketing. To slice fees, the corporation consolidated town papers into regional titles, reduce print publication times and furloughed journalists.
The tax credit score, which would incorporate an more $2 million for the firm in its initial yr, would help the papers in the 11-point out chain attempt to changeover to a electronic-centric model with much more spending subscribers, Wick stated, somewhat than target so tightly on slicing bills.
“We want to make positive ultimately we can do our employment,” Wick stated.
The proposal has a key supporter in Property Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who experienced lengthy supported endeavours to assistance neighborhood journalism. But the problem became additional own when her hometown paper, the Baltimore Sunlight, was between all those acquired by hedge fund Alden Global Capital despite attempts by journalists and neighborhood users to steer the paper to local ownership.
One particular of individuals nearby advocates, previous Maryland county govt Ted Venetoulis, referred to as Pelosi immediately after Alden’s invest in, to urge her to guidance the credit rating, which by the time of that cell phone phone was presently in the broader Biden deal.
That would be the very last time Venetoulis and Pelosi, D-Calif., would talk in advance of he died in early October, the speaker explained in an obituary in the newspaper and her workplace verified to AP.
The provision place in location guardrails to try to hold income from likely to partisan sites that masquerade as regional information or bogus-news operations even though casting a broad internet about which companies are thought of legitimate local information shops, no matter if they are hedge fund-owned chains, nonprofit, print, digital, radio or Tv.
“This is not the authorities determining who receives it and who doesn’t get it,” claimed Jon Schleuss, president of the NewsGuild, a union that signifies journalists, such as individuals at the AP. “Are you using regional journalists? If so, here’s a tax credit score. It’s definitely handy since it is targeted to exactly where we’ve dropped so a lot of journalists around the earlier 10 years and that’s in the community.”
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