By Brittany Muldoon
President Obama thanked veterans for their service and stressed the need to help the veterans smoothly transition back into everyday life.
"Now that more of them are coming home, we need to serve them as well as they served us," said Obama in his weekly address.
Obama acknowledged that this will require more than a simple "thank you." He encouraged citizens and elected officials to take action to ease the transition back into everyday life for the veterans by helping them to find jobs, homes, and quality education.
"If you fight for your country overseas, you should never have to fight for a job when you come home," said Obama. Since Obama has taken office, 300,000 veterans have been hired and he plans to continue to connect highly-skilled veterans to businesses.
Obama also said he plans to encourage businesses to hire more veterans by implementing new, potentially permanent, tax credits for companies that hire veterans and wounded warriors.
Obama said he has also been working to get more veterans hired in the private sector with the help of Michelle Obama and Jill Biden's Joining Forces campaign.
"They've already hired or trained over 290.000 veterans and military spouses, and they've committed to hiring over 400,000 more," Obama said.
Obama also stressed the need to give veterans the opportunity to obtain the quality education that they deserve and acknowledges the progress made under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
"We've worked with thousands of schools across the country to set new standards to protect against dishonest recruiting and predatory lending practices that target our veterans," he said.
Although the country has made significant progress with job and educational benefits for veterans, Obama stressed that as more veterans return home, the nation will have to work much harder to ease their transition back into society.
Obama proceeded to thank the veterans once again, reassuring them that "as long as I'm your President, I will make it my mission to make sure that America has your back, not just on one day or one weekend, but 365 days a year."
Monday, November 11, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
Lawyer: Parents changed routine on day child died; father charged
Original Story Courtesy of:
GREENSBORO — It’s a daily juggle that goes on in households all over the world without anything going tragically, incomprehensibly wrong.
 |
| Officials remove Nico's car seat from the van in which he died.
(Photo courtesy of WFMY News 2)
|
But for a Whitsett family early last month, that routine ended in the death of a child. Now, 31-year-old Jose Stanlin Fichack faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter in his youngest son’s death.
A Daily Routine Gone Wrong
For the Fichacks, mornings were a race to work, school or day care. Dad and the oldest boy were out the door and on the road right after breakfast. Mom and 3-month-old Nicolas — “Nico” to his family — took a separate car to work. Usually that meant Nico and mom would meet up with dad at a store at the FantaCity International Shopping Center, where the adults work.(This information has been corrected to fix an error, see below. Nov. 1, 9:05 a.m.)
On Oct. 3, the family changed its routine. Mom and the oldest boy spent the morning together to attend a school event.
Nico’s dad strapped the baby into his car seat in the van and headed to work.
It wasn’t until the three adults were together at work later that day that someone asked, “Where’s Nico?”
Several hours after the Fichack family left home that morning, police found Nico dead in a van parked at the shopping center.
At Moses Cone Hospital, doctors would say the child died of heatstroke.
A Father Takes the Blame
On Wednesday, nearly a month later, police issued an arrest warrant in connection with Nico’s death.
The Guilford County District Attorney’s Office examined evidence from police and the medical examiner’s office before deciding to charge the baby’s father, said Howard Neumann, the chief assistant district attorney.
On Thursday, Jose Fichack turned himself in. He was released on a $50,000 bond.
The child’s mother will not be charged, officials said.
“It was a tragic accident,” Robert O’Hale, Fichack’s attorney, said Thursday. The parents “are forever devastated by it.”
The attorney said both parents and the wife’s brother work at the same business in the FantaCity shopping center, 4929 W. Market St.
“The wife’s brother called 911,” O’Hale said.
Police said the infant was in the car between one and five hours that day.
The temperature in Greensboro was 83 degrees at the time Nico was found, according to the National Weather Service.
A 911 call recorded the rescue efforts of bystanders. The caller said the child was not breathing and asked for an ambulance. A dispatcher gave instructions on performing CPR.
Nicolas was pronounced dead that day at the hospital.
A Devastated Family
It was unclear Thursday if his older brother remained with the family after the incident. Police would not say, and the Guilford County Department of Social Services does not comment specifically on any case.
However, Steve Hayes, a division director for the agency, said if there is an incident in a home, DSS will look at all of the children.
That is true especially if a child has died.
“If a child died of abuse or neglect, we look at the family for risk of abuse and neglect of other kids,” Hayes said.
“If we get involved for one issue, we look at the whole family.”
Fichack, of 1812 N.C. 61 in Whitsett, faces a possible penalty ranging from 13 months to 59 months in prison, Neumann said.
The sentence range is wide, and at the lower end can be suspended.
According to Neumann, a woman who was found guilty on a similar charge in a previous case was put on probation.
Fichack’s first court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 2 in Guilford County District Court.
Related Stories:
Saturday, November 2, 2013
High Point Market is a Tradition for Root Family
By Brittany Muldoon
The Root family has been attending the High Point Market twice a year for more than half a century, and they intend to have a presence there for years to come.
Emmet Root has been attending the High Point Market for 58 years. This fall, there were three generations of Roots at the Market, as Root was joined by his son and grandson, to represent Furniture Sales of Mid-America.
The Root Family
Emmet, 79, has attended the old Southern Furniture Market, now known as the High Point Market, in October 1955. Of course, he attended the one that opened last Saturday, Oct. 19 and lasted until Thursday, Oct. 24, but this market was special.
This is the first time that three generations of Roots were here together. Michael has been attending market on and off for the past 25 years, and this is Jay's first market.
"Jay joined us this market to make some of the longer trips that I don't want to make anymore," says Emmet. "It's nice to have that new adrenaline flowing through the business." He adds that it has been a pleasure to have his son and grandson both join him in High Point this week.
A Family Business: Furniture Sales of Mid-America
Furniture Sales of Mid-America, is truly a family business for the Roots. Emmet Root founded the company over 64 years ago and has been representing it at the High Point Market ever since. Michael Root now serves as the president and chief executive officer of the company, with Jay recently joining the ranks as a sales representative.
Furniture Sales of Mid-America has been designing and creating quality furniture ever since Emmet founded it. The company caters mostly to he Midwest and Rocky Mountain states.
The company has been recognized by several national furniture factories for excellence in sales, including several Salesman of the Year awards in the past few years. Emmet prefers to stay active with keeping up the reputation of the business, which is why he continues to represent it at the High Point Market twice a year.
High Point Furniture Market
The High Point Market is the world's largest furnishings industry trade show. It brings more than 75,000 people to High Point every six months. There are approximately 2000 exhibitors at each market and more than 10% of attendees are international. In fact, over 100 countries are represented at the High Point Market each year.
Visitors and representatives at the High Point Market are able to buy, sell, and market a wide variety of furniture each spring and fall. They also focus on accessories and other design services.
"I've always said that if you're in the furniture business and you don't go to High Point, you aren't really in the furniture business, because this is where the action is," says Emmet. "To me, this is where the pulse of our business is. I love seeing the people here, and I just enjoy watching the changes in design and merchandising."
The next market is scheduled to occur on April 5-10 of 2014.
For more information on the trends and economic impact of the High Point Market, please visit the following articles:
Top Trends from the High Point Market, Part 1
High Point Market Contributes $5.39 Billion to Regional Economy, Study Finds
Emmet Root with Michael and Jay, his son and grandson, at this past High Point Market.
The Root family has been attending the High Point Market twice a year for more than half a century, and they intend to have a presence there for years to come.
Emmet Root has been attending the High Point Market for 58 years. This fall, there were three generations of Roots at the Market, as Root was joined by his son and grandson, to represent Furniture Sales of Mid-America.
The Root Family
Emmet, 79, has attended the old Southern Furniture Market, now known as the High Point Market, in October 1955. Of course, he attended the one that opened last Saturday, Oct. 19 and lasted until Thursday, Oct. 24, but this market was special.
This is the first time that three generations of Roots were here together. Michael has been attending market on and off for the past 25 years, and this is Jay's first market.
"Jay joined us this market to make some of the longer trips that I don't want to make anymore," says Emmet. "It's nice to have that new adrenaline flowing through the business." He adds that it has been a pleasure to have his son and grandson both join him in High Point this week.
A Family Business: Furniture Sales of Mid-America
Furniture Sales of Mid-America, is truly a family business for the Roots. Emmet Root founded the company over 64 years ago and has been representing it at the High Point Market ever since. Michael Root now serves as the president and chief executive officer of the company, with Jay recently joining the ranks as a sales representative.
Furniture Sales of Mid-America has been designing and creating quality furniture ever since Emmet founded it. The company caters mostly to he Midwest and Rocky Mountain states.
The company has been recognized by several national furniture factories for excellence in sales, including several Salesman of the Year awards in the past few years. Emmet prefers to stay active with keeping up the reputation of the business, which is why he continues to represent it at the High Point Market twice a year.
High Point Furniture Market
The High Point Market is the world's largest furnishings industry trade show. It brings more than 75,000 people to High Point every six months. There are approximately 2000 exhibitors at each market and more than 10% of attendees are international. In fact, over 100 countries are represented at the High Point Market each year.
Visitors and representatives at the High Point Market are able to buy, sell, and market a wide variety of furniture each spring and fall. They also focus on accessories and other design services.
"I've always said that if you're in the furniture business and you don't go to High Point, you aren't really in the furniture business, because this is where the action is," says Emmet. "To me, this is where the pulse of our business is. I love seeing the people here, and I just enjoy watching the changes in design and merchandising."
The next market is scheduled to occur on April 5-10 of 2014.
For more information on the trends and economic impact of the High Point Market, please visit the following articles:
Top Trends from the High Point Market, Part 1
High Point Market Contributes $5.39 Billion to Regional Economy, Study Finds
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)