STAFF CHANGES

Welcome to Myranda Muth to the Mandan Group Home and several ISLA settings.  We are very excited to have you a part of our team.

Welcome to Alison Feist to the 3^rd Street group home.

Residential Services would like to welcome Monica Gilbert as a new Residential Supervisor.  We are happy that you agreed to join us in your new role.  Monica has been a DSP with Pride since 2006.

Please welcome Elija Kirby to Pride Production. Elija works Part-time for Pride Production from 12-4p.  We are very happy to have him join our Production team.

CONTRACTS AT PRODUCTION

All of our standard Production contracts are going well. We did add one new contract, sharpening pencils for Jacobsens Music.    

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

S. Fennell 4/2; M. Gawryluk 4/2; M. Hathaway 4/3; Z. Jacobson 4/4; A. Woodbury 4/4; D. Geiss 4/5; T. Baker 4/7; K. Mertz 4/8; J. Cieslak 4/9; J. Weisbeck 4/10; B. Schafer 4/10; T. Leno 4/10; S. Leupp 4/10; B. Kelly 4/11; M. Fisher 4/13; J. Bohe 4/15; M. Teevens 4/16; H. Lunde 4/16; K. Horan 4/17; R. Nelson 4/18; N. Nickolauson 4/18; E. Hogue 4/19; J. Miller 4/19; S. Prociv 4/22; K. Klipfel 4/23; J. Wetch 4/23; L. Svihl 4/26; T. Olson 4/27; S. Simonson 4/27; S. Kinney 4/27.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions the 555 voice mail box is once again up and running. The items we get will be addressed in the What's Happening each month, or if you would like to leave your name, it will be addressed individually.

 

ACCOLADES

 

Pride, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan Highlights

Eligibility All Contributions: You must work 1,000 hours within 12 months and be at least age 21 to contribute to the Plan.

Initial Entry Dates All Contributions After completing the eligibility requirements, you will enter the Plan on the following January 1 or July 1, whichever comes first.

Contributions  Employee Pre-Tax Contribution Limits: Up to 100% of your compensation, not to exceed $15,500. If you are at least age 50 by December 31, you may contribute an additional $5,000 in catch-up contributions (2008 limits).

Changes to Contribution Amounts: Changes are permitted quarterly upon written notification to the Employer.

Employer Matching Contributions: Your Employer will match 100% on the first 4% of compensation contributed.

Employer Discretionary Contributions: You must work 1,000 hours during the year and be employed on June 30 to receive the discretionary contribution, if one is made.

Rollover Contributions: A tax-free rollover from a former Employer's qualified retirement plan or a traditional IRA is permitted prior to satisfying the Plan's eligibility requirements.

Vesting: You are always 100% vested in your contributions and roll-over balances. Employer matching and discretionary contributions vest according to your "years of service." A Year of Service is a year that you work at least 1,000 hours.

Year(s) of Service                                Vesting Amount 1…………………………………………………….25% 2…………………………………………………….50% 3…………………………………………………….75% 4……………………………………………………100%

Distributions Distributions: During employment you may withdraw from your account due to hardship or upon reaching age 59 1/2. You may also withdraw your full account balance upon termination of employment, death or disability.

Investment Options Investment Options: Information about the investment options for this Plan is included in the packet.  Prospectuses are available on the individual funds website or by logging on to your account at www.statebanks.com.  Changes to investment instructions can be made online or by calling either the SBT Customer Service Line or voice response unit (VRU).

Refer to the Summary Plan Description for detailed information about the Plan.

 

VACATION/PTO HOURS

You cannot carry over more than 240 hours vacation/PTO hours from one fiscal year to the next fiscal year. At the end of the fiscal year you will lose any hours in excess of 240. It is your responsibility to check the number of hours you have on your remittance advice (pay stub). If you are not sure, you may check with the Business Office. You should check regularly, since leave must be approved by your team leader. Don't wait until the end of the fiscal year! (June 30^th)

 

MILEAGE SHEETS

All mileage forms must be turned in to your supervisor by the 15^th of the month. The forms are then due into the Business Office by the 20^th. Any forms received after the 20^th may not meet the payroll deadline and will then go on to your next month's paycheck.

 

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION

The school at Pride Manchester is asking that everybody save their box tops from General Mills products. The box tops are then turned in and vouchers are received to be used to buy school supplies, go on field trips/activities, or whatever the children desire. There is a drop off spot at the Missouri office and at Pride Manchester.

 

BENEFITS ENROLLMENT/CHANGES

Please remember that you have 30 days from your Eligibility date or a qualifying event to meet with the Business Office to complete the Paperwork for all benefits. This included the HWB (Higher rate of pay option). A change of status determines your eligibility date and a list of qualifying events can be provided by the business office. If you do not enroll within the 30 days, you must wait until you have a qualifying event to enroll or change your benefit options.

 

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION

The school at Pride Manchester is asking that everybody save their box tops from General Mills products. The box tops are then turned in and vouchers are received to be used to buy school supplies, go on field trips/activities, or whatever the children desire. There is a drop off spot at the Missouri office and at Pride Manchester.

 

Other Info/Updates

 

CONGRATULATIONS

Gladys Bohrer completed her Advanced DD Certification through Support Systems.  Congratulations Gladys!

          Recently, Bismarck’s Sam’s Club was awarded the “Helen Walton Award”. This award made Bismarck’s Sam’s Club the most humanitarian store in the nation (Out of 602 stores.) for their community involvement. Sherry Fennell, a staff at Pride Production, was invited to witness the ceremony. Prior to the ceremony, a supper and a night of bowling for all Sam’s Club Employee’s and Special invited guests, was held.  Several of the individual’s from Pride Production were invited to attend.  Those that attended thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  So the next time you go to Sam’s Club say “Thank You and Congratulations from Pride Production”. 

JOKE OF THE MONTH

Two Mexican detectives were investigating the murder of Juan Gonzalez.  “How was he killed?” asked one detective.  “With a golf gun,” the other detective replied.  “A golf gun! What is a golf gun?” “I don’t know, but it sure made a hole in Juan”. 

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Health Care Bill Q and A

Hello

            Many people have stop in and ask me questions about the health care bill.  This is only part of what is going on.

            On March 21, the U.S. House passed the Senate health care reform bill and then passed a reconciliation package of changes to the Senate.  The North Dakota legislative delegation (Byron Dorgan, Kent Conrad, and Earl Pomeroy) voted for the bills.

             It is my understanding that the Governor John Hoeven and State Representative Rick Berg do not support the health care bill.

            While the details of the bill will need be more closely study, below are some of the changes.

1.         Small employers and nonprofits will receive a payroll tax credit (those with no more than 25 full-time employees and average wages below $50,000) to help offset the cost of providing health care coverage for their employees. For tax years 2010 through 2013, qualified nonprofits will be eligible for up to 25 percent of the costs of providing health care coverage if they pay at least 50 percent of the premiums. “Starting in tax year 2014, they will be eligible for up to 35 percent of such costs if they buy insurance from new exchanges, or insurance marketplaces, that states must set up for small businesses,” the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports.

2.         The bill simplifies and expands eligibility for Medicaid for households with income up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $29,327 for a family of four.

3.         For the first time ever, low income, childless adults under age 65 would be eligible for Medicaid beginning in 2014.

4.         The bill provides an option for states to implement the Medicaid expansion sooner

5.         Under the bill, the federal government will pay 100 percent of the cost for the Medicaid expansion from 2014 through 2017 and most of the cost in the following years. (If a state decides to implement the expansion sooner, the states would bear a portion of the cost of expansion.)

6.         The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis indicates that federal health care reform would reduce the federal budget deficit by $138 billion in the first ten years and $1.2 trillion in the second ten years.

7.         The bill is funded with new taxes and fees on medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies. It also would increases the Medicare payroll tax rate by 0.9 percentage points (to 2.35 percent) on wages over $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly. Beginning in 2013, a new 3.8 percent tax will be imposed on interest, dividends, capital gains and other investment income for individuals making more than $200,000 and couples making more than $250,000.

8.         The bill includes a new state insurance exchanges or marketplaces where consumers would be able to shop and compare insurance policies.

9.         Finally, the bill includes significant insurance reforms:

• Starting in 2010, insurers will be prohibited from denying coverage to children for pre-existing conditions and eventually from denying coverage to anyone for pre-existing medical conditions.
• Insurers will also be barred from imposing lifetime dollar caps on the amount of coverage available to policyholders.
•  The bill will eliminate the gap in coverage, or “donut hole,” by 2020 for seniors participating in the Medicare prescription drug program. Beginning immediately, seniors who hit the “donut hole” would receive a $250 rebate. In 2011, they would also receive a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs.

 

Charles Bisnett, CEO

Pride Inc.

 

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