Friday, March 29, 2013
Employees who don't disclose information will pay a $600 penalty.
Is it fair for companies to ask employees to divulge their weight as part of their benefits programs? CVS pharmacy chain has informed its employees they must reveal their weight, height, body fat and blood pressure to the company's insurance provider, or face a $600 annual penalty. Some say this is an invasion of privacy and unfair, while others say it's common practice for employers to encourage employees to take part in incentives programs. CVS spokesman Michael DeAngelis defended his company's position in an email to The Huffington Post, saying that the company will not have access to the information, which instead will be reviewed by the firm overseeing CVS's benefits program. “Our benefits program is evolving to help our colleagues …
Saturday, March 16, 2013
This week's question centers around public funds going towards private schools that have explicit, severe anti-gay policies.
Earlier this year a group called the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) released a report indicating that some scholarship money generated through a Georgia tax credit program has been used at religious schools that ban gay, lesbian and bisexual students. The report states, At least 115 private schools participating in Georgia’s tax-funded scholarship program have explicit, severe anti-gay policies or belong to state and national private school associations that promote anti-gay policies and practices among their members. While SEF did not take issue with the policies of private religious schools, it did have a problem with tax dollars going to schools that discriminate against some people. Tax money, the group said in its report, should…
Friday, March 8, 2013
The question is now before the U.S. Supreme Court in a challenge brought forth by Shelby County, Alabama.
The United States Supreme Court later this year is expected to rule on whether Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. The case is before the high court due to a challenge by Shelby County, Alabama, which argues the section is unconstitutional because the calculation — based on voting turnout and registration data from the early 1970s — used by the federal government to determine which states must comply with the law is outdated. Shelby County argues that the overt methods of voter intimidation to block black residents in the county and the state from exercising their right to vote no longer exist in the state. Section 5 requires several states, including Georgia, to have any changes to its voting practices approved by the…
Saturday, March 2, 2013
A new Jack and the Beanstalk remix serves up the fee fey foe fum to whole new audience.
Editor's note: Jack the Giant Slayer is showing at Cherokee 16 Cinemas in Towne Lake and at Carmike RiverStone 15 Cinemas in Canton. The CGI wizards in Hollywood have taken an old fairy tale and made it into kind of a big video game. This time Jack climbs the beanstalk to encounter not just one giant, but a whole village of them in…Jack the Giant Slayer. Shot in 3D and packed with CGI, director Bryan Singer uses his skills to create a whole new story that kids may love. Sure there is a little romance and some gross out vulgar humor but hey, they are giants after all. The CGI was a bit over the top but that is the way these fantasy movies are made these days. That along with a great acting cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, …
Monday, February 25, 2013
A Georgia advocacy group is pushing for the re-evaluation of the state's marijuana laws.
Marijuana has been decriminalized in Colorado and Washington state. Should Georgia follow suit? Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform & Education (Georgia CARE), a project of the Georgia Taxpayers Alliance, Inc., seeks to change the state's laws on marijuana, eventually leading to a complete legalization of the drug. The group claims this would unburden our criminal justice system, which is laden with marijuana-related crimes and arrests. Georgia CARE has published a "Blueprint to Reform" (attached to this article) that outlines how it perceives marijuana reform and eventual legalization can happen in Georgia. For example, CARE advocates making marijuana a Schedule II drug and allowing medical prescription of cannabis. Following this, the …
Saturday, February 23, 2013
The Rock turns into a Snitch in his latest film about what a father would do to save his son.
Editor's Note: "Snitch" is showing at Cherokee 16 Cinemas in Towne Lake and at Carmike RiverStone 15 Cinemas in Canton. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays a father whose estranged son is framed on a drug-dealing charge in "Snitch." With his son facing a hefty sentence, The Rock pleads with the U.S. Attorney (played by Susan Sarandon). He soon learns that the only way to get his son's time reduced is to help them find a bigger fish in the drug world. As you might guess, The Rock does just about anything to save his son. You'll be surprised to know that Johnson does more acting and less action in this movie. Nice try Rock…but the film seeks to make a statement about the futility of the war on drugs, only to take a back seat to its thriller …
Monday, February 18, 2013
On Presidents Day, let us know your favorite leader and why he is your choice.
Presidents Day honors Georgia Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays are in Feburary, along with the other presidents. In honor of the day, let us know who you think was our best president. Is it someone in current times, or in your mind has history already given us someone tough to beat? Of course, if you'd like to tell us who you think was the worst president, we'd welcome those comments as well. Keep up with Holly Springs-Hickory Flat Patch news by subscribing to our newsletters and following us on Twitter and Facebook!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Click on the SeeClickFix interactive map to report the latest street and road issues, track and vote on them, and monitor governments' responses for a fix.
While heavy rainfall and frigid temps this winter could contribute to pothole problems on local roadways well into the spring months, you may already know of a Holly Springs street or Hickory Flat road in need of repair. As they develop, click on "report an issue" in the SeeClickFix map above to note potholes and other road problems affecting your street or community. Also see what complaints others have logged, zooming in or out on the map to see specific neighborhoods and areas. Holly Springs-Hickory Flat Patch will share the link to this story with the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Cherokee County Road and Bridges Department and the city of Holly Springs so officials know where repairs are needed most. We'll update this …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
WhatsYourPrice.com, an online dating website where members bid for first dates, reports more than 3,600 Atlanta-area men were a portion of 369,000 across the country who offered an average of $131.70 during the four weeks preceding Valentine's Day.
Would you pay for a first date? Men bidding on first dates and paying women more for them as Valentine's Day approaches, according to the online dating website, WhatsYourPrice.com. It gives 'generous' members the opportunity to date 'attractive' members who may not even give them a chance on traditional dating websites, according to a press release. A singles study by the world's only dating-auction website found that 3,619 Atlanta men made offers for first dates on Valentine's Day, along with a total of 369,282 men across the country during the last 4 weeks. The average price to get a valentine this year: $131.70, which is 62 percent higher than the site’s annual average of $80 for a first date. "Our study revealed that as Valentine’s Day…
Monday, February 11, 2013
One restaurant in Washington did, but some people say it just rewards people for behaving how they should.
An Italian restaurant in Poulsbo, Wash. made the news recently when it took $4 off the bill of family dining there because the children were well behaved. According to Fox News, the mom posted the receipt on Reddit with a note that reportedly said, “If only all restaurants did this for people with kids.” She added that not only did she get a discount for her well-behaved kids, but the server also gave them a free bowl of ice cream to share. Fox News reports that the children were ages 2, 3 and 8. The mother reportedly said that she teaches her children that they don’t need crayons and iPads to prevent them from being an unpleasant distraction for other patrons – she encourages conversation between them instead. The mother reportedly got …
r patton
6:05 pm on Friday, April 5, 2013
Agreeed! Wait until your MD tells you you can't have a certain test or exam because PRESBO won't allow it. more ›