March 8, 1924 Castle Gate Mine disaster

The Castle Gate mine disaster occurred on March 8, 1924, in a coal mine near the town of Castle Gate, Utah (now dismantled), located approximately 90 miles (140 km) southeast of Salt Lake City. All of the 171 men working in the mine were killed in the series of three violent explosions. One worker, the leader of the rescue crew, died from carbon monoxide inhalation while attempting to reach the victims shortly after the explosion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Gate_mine_disaster

March 8, 1782 Gnadenhutten massacre takes place at Gnadenhutten, Ohio

The Gnadenhutten massacre, also known as the Moravian massacre, was the killing on March 8, 1782, during the American Revolutionary War, of 96 Christian Lenape (Delaware) by colonial American militia from Pennsylvania. The militia attacked Lenape at the Moravian missionary village of Gnadenhütten, Ohio.

The site of the village has been preserved. A reconstructed mission house and cooper's house were built there, and a monument to the dead was erected. The burial mound is marked and has been maintained on the site. The village site has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In an unrelated event in 1755 during the French and Indian War (part of the Seven Years War), Native Americans allied with the French massacred 11 missionaries and converted Munsee Lenape at a Moravian mission village in Pennsylvania that bore the same name. The term Gnadenhutten massacre usually applies only to the 1782 event in Ohio.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnadenhutten_massacre

March 8: National Peanut Cluster Day

8 injuries reported in Granite City steel plant explosion

GRANITE CITY, Ill. (KMOV) – At least eight people were injured in an explosion at the American Steel Plant in Granite City Thursday morning.

The explosion was reported at 8:11 a.m. at the plant, located at 1001 Niedringhaus Avenue.

Two people were being treated at Gateway Regional Medical Center, while two others were taken to Gateway then airlifted Mercy Hospital in St. Louis.

Officials said two more people were airlifted from the scene to a local hospital, and at least two were transported by ambulance to Gateway.

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Explosion-reported-at-a-Granite-City-steel-plant-195862931.html

JCPenney Is Quietly Firing More Store Employees After A 'Secret Broadcast'

JCPenney is quietly eliminating more positions in its stores company-wide, sources familiar with the matter told us.

Store managers watched a "secret broadcast" on Tuesday afternoon, where they were informed that stores must prepare to "work harder with less" in 2013.

"Service Leaders," "administrative assistants," and "office/cash room associates" are being cut from the hierarchy, effective on April 5, sources told us.

There's no word yet on exactly how many people the cuts will affect, and there has been no official announcement from JCPenney. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/jcpenney-quietly-firing-more-store-140801863.html

Red-light cameras debated before Missouri appeals court

ST. LOUIS • The state appeals court here heard arguments Wednesday in several cases that will help determine how red-light cameras are operated across Missouri — if they are allowed at all.

The Eastern District Missouri Court of Appeals has previously held that municipalities can use the cameras to ticket red-light runners if the offense is treated more like a parking violation, citing the vehicle versus the driver, and is civil in nature. That decision, in 2011, dealt with a $100 ticket that Mary Nottebrok received for violating Creve Coeur’s red-light ordinance in August 2009.

But on Wednesday, an attorney representing different violators asked a three-judge panel to consider additional factors that he argued should invalidate Creve Coeur’s ordinance.

Arguments were also made relative to red-light camera ordinances in Florissant and St. Louis, which are similar to each other in set-up but differ from Creve Coeur’s ordinance.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/red-light-cameras-debated-before-missouri-appeals-court/article_a626f289-82b0-562d-b4f1-11be1dc5e6ea.html

Costco, Vintage Vinyl break with other businesses in backing increase in minimum wage

NEW YORK • For many businesses, opposing minimum wage increases is a no-brainer: Raising the minimum wage increases their expenses. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce steadfastly opposes the proposal, as do many businesses big and small.

But this week, a handful of businesses applauded a bill introduced in Congress to raise the minimum wage, and even sent out a news release vocalizing their support for doing so. They included retailer Costco and smaller businesses such as Vintage Vinyl in University City and British American Auto Care in Columbia, Md.

So what gives? Why are some businesses bucking the trend and calling for a change in policy that would so clearly increase their expenses, especially at a time when finances are stable at best? And why Costco, a public company that has investors watching every penny and questioning every management decision?

After all, wages in retail, when adjusted for inflation, have actually decreased by about 30 cents an hour since 2007. Wouldn’t retailers want to keep it that way?

http://www.stltoday.com/print/business-section/costco-vintage-vinyl-break-with-other-businesses-in-backing-increase/article_b967fc36-2931-56bd-895b-ece5fafb9715.html

Disappearing Ink: What will happen to all the books?

On a cool Thursday evening in January, several women gather around folding tables in a Central Phoenix warehouse to sort thousands of books, pausing only to pull out a greeting card used as a bookmark or to show off a rare find. This ritual takes all year — and every year, the work of putting together what's billed as one of the largest used-book sales in the country is the same. Only the titles change.

The volunteers quickly pull worn copies of Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses, Relationships for Dummies and anything by Maurice Sendak out of grocery bags, stick them with color-coded price tags and place them neatly into a maze of tall shelves filled with salvaged produce boxes labeled by genre and topic.

A few weeks later those books and about a half-million others took their places inside Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the Arizona State Fairgrounds for the 57th Annual VNSA Used Book Sale.

By the time you read this, book fans will have lined up around the block in the dark with big empty bags, waiting hours for the gates to open. Volunteers will have hustled between rows of tables, and, by the end of the two-day sale, the VNSA — which used to stand for Visiting Nurse Service Auxiliary but now means Volunteer Nonprofit Service Association — will have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit local charities.

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2013-03-07/news/disappearing-ink-book-recycling-stripping-pulp/

Best Buy Backs Away from Telecommuting

While a report released this week showed more American employees are working from home at least one day a week, some high-profile companies are pushing back, or at least asking, "Is it worth it?"
Best Buy is the latest company to make headlines regarding its company policy toward telecommuting.

The electronics retailer, based in Minneapolis, Minn., said it's not eliminating telecommuting for its corporate employees outright. Minnesota Public Radio reported the company is ending its "results-oriented work environment policy." The company said it just wants employees to discuss with their managers whether they should continue the at-home arrangement.

"Our new policy is not about whether an employee can work from home or not. It's about whether that decision can be made by them alone, or in consultation with their managers," said Jeff Shelman, spokesman for Best Buy, in a statement.

Last month, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer sparked office conversation when the Wall Street Journal's All Things D reported Yahoo instructed remote employees to return to company offices.

http://gma.yahoo.com/best-buy-backs-away-telecommuting-204016140--abc-news-personal-finance.html

Stop & Shop Workers Agree on New Contract

QUINCY, Mass. — Five union locals representing 40,000 Stop & Shop workers in New England have reached tentative contract agreement with the retailer here.

In a joint statement, United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 328, 371, 919, 1445 and 1459 said a deal was reached early Tuesday. Details of the contract were not disclosed.

The unions said they would present the offer to workers for a ratification vote following a legal review.


Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/stop-shop-workers-agree-new-contract#ixzz2Ml0cjf4p