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FRONTIER HEALTH CARE LAWSUIT

LOCAL NEWS

DATE: 06 25 10

SEVERAL FORMER EMPLOYEES OF FRONTIER HEALTH CARE, THE COMPANY THAT OWNED AND OPERATED THE LIBERTY DAYTON HOSPITAL FOR SEVERAL YEARS SUED FRONTIER FOR UNPAID WAGES. THE LAW FIRM REPRESENTING THE EMPLOYEES IS SHELLIST, LAZARZ, AND SLOBIN EMPLOYMENT LAW TRIAL LAWYERS OF HOUSTON. THE FEDERAL ACTION WAS FILED IN UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, EASTERN DISTRICT IN BEAUMONT.  ACCORDING TO ATTORNEY MICHAEL SLOBIN, THE JUDGE IN THE CASE HAS AWARDED A DEFAULT JUDGMENT TO THE PLAINTIVE - THAT IS THE EMPLOYEES - AGAINST THE TROUBLED COMPANY AND its OWNER, ALBERT SCHWARZER.  ATTORNEY MICHAEL TODD SLOBIN SAID THE SUIT WAS FILED IN DECEMBER 2009. THE HOUSTON ATTORNEY SAID HE REPRESENTS ABOUT 100 FORMER EMPLOYEES OF FRONTIER HEALTH CARE WHO CLAIM THEY WERE EITHER NOT PAID, OR THEIR PAY CHECKS WERE REFUSED FOR INSUFFICIENT FUNDS WHEN PRESENTED TO THE BANK.  IN ADDITION, HE SAID THERE ARE CLAIMS OF UNPAID OVERTIME. THE SUIT ALSO CHARGES MONEY TAKEN OUT OF PAYCHECKS TO COVER HEALTH INSURANCE NEVER REACHED THE INSURANCE COMPANY. 

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MICHAEL TODD SLOBIN, ATTORNEY FOR ROUGHLY 100 FORMER EMPLOYEES OF FRONTIER HEALTH CARE AT THE FORMER LIBERTY DAYTON HOSPITAL, SAID HIS OFFICE HAS ABOUT 30 DAYS TO GATHER UP A DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR DAMAGES AND PRESENT IT TO THE FEDERAL JUDGE IN THE BEAUMONT COURT. AGAIN, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST FRONTIER HEALTH CARE AND ALBERT SCHWARZER PERSONALLY, FOR UNPAID WAGES, OVERTIME AND INSURANCE PREMIUMS IN THE FEDERAL COURT IN BEAUMONT ON JUNE 15. THE LIBERTY COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT #1 IS NOW OPERATING WHAT IS NOW CALLED LIBERTY DAYTON REGIONAL HOSPITAL.  

lhs band

news story

06.25.10

thirty liberty high school band students qualified for the 3-a state band solo and ensemble contest held recently in plugerville. the group of local MUSICIANS returned home with 19 state medals. Those earning gold include soloists matthew brady and john thomas corbitt. matthew brady scored his gold on the state music theory test, missing just four questions. those results on the theory test also earned matthew the highest award handed out – that of outstanding SOLOIST. still on the subject of matthew brady – he earned a silver medal for his solo trumpet playing and another gold medal as part of a percussion ensemble. sophomore john thomas corbitt claimed gold on snare drums, repeating his outstanding results at state from his freshman year. corbitt was also part of a 14-piece ensemble that claimed gold at this state event. that gold medal ensemble was led by liberty senior zach webb who we are told hand-picked the group’s members. in addition to webb, brady and corbitt, the percussion ensemble was made up of chanci askew, callie cutsinger, jonathan gunter, and MICHAEL holaday. others in the group are alex ihuit (e-wheat), ramiro lopez, anthony malish, josh sterling, edgar vazquez. lauren watts, and brody zalesak. earning other individual medals at the 3-a state solo and ensemble COMPETITION were twirler selina orenals (or-nEigH-lus) and trumpeter brittany yates. a tip of the hat to these liberty high school students for their star-studded medal-winning performances at the state solo and ensemble contest for class 3-a.

rosenwald school grants

news story

06.24.10

The Annie E. Colbert Rosenwald School in dayton has received a $40,000 grant from the national Trust for Historic Preservation. the historic school on colbert street is one of eight around the country that received a grant through a joint INITIATIVE of the national trust and lowe’s building centers to help preserve these historic BUILDINGS. the brainchild of Booker T. Washington and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, the Rosenwald School Building Program greatly improved the quality of public education for African-Americans in the rural south during the early part of the 20th Century. back In 1912, Washington and Rosenwald piloted a rural school building program for African-Americans first in Alabama. during the ensuing 20 years, the Rosenwald Fund used matching grants to help construct more than 5,300 schools and related buildings in 15 southern and southwestern states. Court-ordered school desegregation in the 1950s dictated that many Rosenwald Schools be closed, and most of these historic buildings had been lost and forgotten until recently. Today, only an estimated 12 percent of these schools remain standing, with many in extreme levels of disrepair. With help from Lowe's and the National Trust, eight schools in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina once again will serve as vital community centers. one of those is the Annie E. Colbert Rosenwald School in dayton which has received a $40,000 national trust grant. information on the grant says the Annie E. Colbert Rosenwald School – a brick structure - will serve as a historic museum and host community functions. the dayton school was built through the combined effort of rosenwald monies and local community efforts.

DVFD BBQ and auction

News story

06.25.10

Dayton volunteer fire department’s annual barbecue and auction is tomorrow at the fire house on the corner of cook winfree. the long-running fund raiser provides some of the money needed to help run the county’s largest volunteer fire department. The $8 Barbecue plate includes brisket, beans and green rice. the lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow. As in past years, the dayton volunteer fire department’s ladies AUXILIARY will also hold a silent auction. items include baked goods and merchandise donated by area businesses and individuals. The community is encouraged to support the dayton volunteer fire department’s annual barbecue and auction is tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. the firehouse is on winfree street just north of u.s. 90.

lisd press box update

news story

06.25.10

liberty isd trustees have hired the law firm of local attorney rick MCGUIRE to represent them in NEGOTIATIONS with the district’s insurance company over storm damage claims following hurricane ike. the insurer is lexington INSURANCE, which is owned by chartis – formerly known as a.i.g. superintendent cynthia lusignolo said the board is concerned over the company’s apparent reluctance to pay costs related to replacing the press box at memorial stadium.

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the old 280-square-foot press box was torn from atop the stadium by hurricane ike back in 2008 and slammed to the ground in the parking lot below. the district has been working for two years to rebuild the structure. that project has been delayed, in part, over a state requirement that the district install an elevator even thought the elevator is just 20 feet off the ground. federal disability laws require an elevator for any press box larger than 500 square feet. texas law has a lower threshold of 300 square feet but allows variances - IF APPROVED - up to the federal level. as a result, the school district requested a variance from the state for a replacement press box that is engineered with 480 square feet of enclosed space. superintendent cynthia lusignolo said the state denied their request, and a SUBSEQUENT appeal, claiming the useable open-air roof space also had to be counted in the total square footage. that makes the press box 960 square feet by the state’s CALCULATIONS. using the state’s measurements, the old 280-square-foot press box would be counted as 560 square feet and would also have required an elevator. interestingly, both dayton and hardin recently built similar size press boxes, and based on advice from their architects, did not include elevators. while liberty’s press box is about 20 feet above ground, hardin’s is twice that - 40 feet, and dayton’s towers more than 90 feet in the air. neither with a elevators. the liberty school district has been working with its insurance company and fema to recoup the cost of that state-required elevator, which is adding an estimated $100,000 to the price of the new press box at memorial stadium. the insurance company has APPEARED reluctant to pay for the press box elevator; however, district officials have said the insurance policy should cover damage plus the cost of complying with current building codes and disability requirements. therefore, liberty school board contends the insurance company is responsible to make the district FINANCIALLY whole. trustees are not asking the insurance company to pay for the extra 200 square feet of working space, but they do want compensation for the cost of replacing the old structure plus the cost of the state-required elevator. district officials have said the new press box will cost about $550,000 when finished. based on information he got from the builder – bruce general construction of beaumont – lisd director of MAINTENANCE and operations, robert ward, says the new press box at memorial stadium should be completed by june 30. then, the elevator is expected to be installed by july 15. kshn has talked with seven school districts and also two experienced builders of such STRUCTURES, and not one thinks the 20-foot high liberty stadium needs the $100,000 elevator. HOWEVER, as we said before, the state REQUIREMENT apparently trumps experience; therefore, the district is being required to install it. now, lisd trustees have hired liberty attorney rick MCGUIRE to represent them in NEGOTIATIONS or possible legal action with the district’s insurance company to recoup the costs of replacing the press box and the addition of that state-mandated elevator.