Gonzalo Trevino Sr., 54, worked as a hauler for a garbage company. Investigators said Trevino was unloading his truck when another dump truck accidentally emptied its contents on him. The load shifted and tipped over the side of the semi tractor-trailer instead of going out the back.

Authorities said the garbage truck contained 80,000 pounds of building debris that included wood, steel and concrete. “It’s unknown at this time if it was an equipment malfunction or if it was a case of soft ground,” said Fire Chief Alan Carlson.

According to the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office, Trevino suffered blunt force injuries to his chest and abdomen when he was buried under the load. Rescue workers from 10 different departments spent almost an hour searching for him. The teams specialized in confined space, trench and excavation rescue operations. Firefighters dug Trevino out by hand from under the debris. However, he was dead by the time they found him.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the accident. The agency has strict guidelines regarding landfill and waste management safety for both employers and employees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, garbage truck workers had the seventh most dangerous occupation in 2010.

OSHA’s safety recommendations include providing workers with reflective gear, gloves and hard hats when they are working on garbage trucks or near moving machinery. In addition, garbage truck workers should exercise caution in order to protect workers and pedestrians from hazards. For example, equipment should be turned off completely to prevent accidental crushing.

The grocer held job interviews for veterans and their families on Sept. 15 at all 128 of its Michigan stores. They were hiring to fill around 1,400 jobs in the area. Kroger also attempted to fill 20,000 open positions in the supermarket division across the country by hosting in-store job interviews.

“The Kroger Company of Michigan is deeply committed to Michigan veterans and their families, and we continue to honor our heroes by offering them career opportunities. Kroger is a place where veterans can start with a job and remain for a career,” said Jayne Homco, president of The Kroger Co. of Michigan, in a statement.

Many veterans face unemployment after returning home to the United States from duty due to lack of opportunity or the challenge of transitioning to civilian life. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the joblessness rate for veterans of all generations was 4.3 percent in September. The rate has decreased only slightly from the 4.7 percent recorded in the same month last year.

Unemployment can have a negative impact on both the mental and physical health of veterans. It can also lead to problems such as homelessness. A job can provide veterans with the opportunity to utilize their skills, improve their quality of life and maintain their independence.

In 2014, Kroger hired more than 6,000 veterans nationally through the Honoring Our Heroes campaign as part of its commitment to active duty troops and the country’s more than 23 million veterans.

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact an attorney about your Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Mental Health, Sexual Assault, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability, Medical Malpractice, or Aid and Attendance claim, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800

The grocer held job interviews for veterans and their families on Sept. 15 at all 128 of its Michigan stores. They were hiring to fill around 1,400 jobs in the area. Kroger also attempted to fill 20,000 open positions in the supermarket division across the country by hosting in-store job interviews.

“The Kroger Company of Michigan is deeply committed to Michigan veterans and their families, and we continue to honor our heroes by offering them career opportunities. Kroger is a place where veterans can start with a job and remain for a career,” said Jayne Homco, president of The Kroger Co. of Michigan, in a statement.

Many veterans face unemployment after returning home to the United States from duty due to lack of opportunity or the challenge of transitioning to civilian life. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the joblessness rate for veterans of all generations was 4.3 percent in September. The rate has decreased only slightly from the 4.7 percent recorded in the same month last year.

Unemployment can have a negative impact on both the mental and physical health of veterans. It can also lead to problems such as homelessness. A job can provide veterans with the opportunity to utilize their skills, improve their quality of life and maintain their independence.

In 2014, Kroger hired more than 6,000 veterans nationally through the Honoring Our Heroes campaign as part of its commitment to active duty troops and the country’s more than 23 million veterans.

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact an attorney about your Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Mental Health, Sexual Assault, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability, Medical Malpractice, or Aid and Attendance claim, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800

Justin Jokerst, 31, was working at a construction site in Edwardsville, Illinois on a Grove HL150T crane when he was crushed by the crane’s boom, according to authorities. The accident took place on Lakeview Corporate Drive at about 11 a.m.

Authorities pronounced Jokerst dead at the scene. An Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation is underway. The building under construction is a 500,000-square-foot commercial warehouse addition off New Poag Road.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4,405 workers were killed on the job in 2013. This is the lowest total since the bureau’s fatal injury statistics began being kept in 1992, but at more than 12 deaths every day, it is still far too many.

Twenty percent of worker fatalities in 2013 happened in the construction field. The lead cause of construction fatalities was falls, which accounted for 36.9 percent of the total deaths in construction. The other three most common causes of construction deaths were being struck by an object, which accounted for 10.3 percent of the total; electrocutions (8.9 percent); and being caught in or between objects (2.6 percent).

Paul Greenberg is a Chicago work accidents and wrongful death lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

In 2015, Social Security recipients will see a 1.7 percent
cost-of-living increase in benefits. This small increase comes on the
heels of several years of other small to non-existent increases: in
2014, Social Security recipients received a 1.5 percent increase, and
no increase at all was given in 2010 or 2011.

Although
any increase is better than nothing, such a small change won’t go
far for most Social Security recipients. The average Social Security
recipient collects about $1,300 each month, so a 1.7 percent increase
is about $22.00 more each month.

Every
year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics adjusts Social Security benefits
to match any cost-of-living increase measured by the Consumer Price
Index.

Some
seniors will see their Medicare Part D premiums go up; for those who
do see premium increases, the Social Security raise may offset the
increase.

To contact an estate planning lawyer at Hook Law Center, call 757-399-7506.

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, First Lady Michelle Obama reacted with “horror” to the employment situation that veterans face, saying, “After everything they have done for us, the idea that any of our veterans are spending months or even years struggling to find a job is unacceptable.”

Young veterans agree. In a new public service announcement, veterans report spending months searching for employment. These young speakers were surprised to learn that companies who do hire veterans frequently pigeonhole them into low-paying security, labor or janitorial roles.

Moreover, dissatisfaction with the GI Bill is rising. A recent Gallup poll showed that veterans aged 18 to 24 are the least likely to call themselves “satisfied” by the benefits the GI Bill provides.

With complex lives, many young veterans are forced to use their GI Bill benefits for lower-quality, part-time programs or online universities. And as the number of for-profit colleges expands, there are increased reports of schools eating up GI Bill benefits before a degree is even earned.

The VA Center for Innovation is seeking to diversify the types of opportunities available to veterans looking for a path to a professional future.

One new initiative, the VA-TechShop Partnership, is a pilot program with a chain of Silicon Valley fabrication laboratories. The hope is that veterans with mechanical engineering skills may be able to invent new products or start a manufacturing business with access to high-tech fabrication tools.

As more veterans come home, both statistical and anecdotal evidence suggest that better programs, not more programs, are needed.

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact a veterans lawyer, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800

There is a significant tax benefit for employers who hire a qualified veteran.  A tax return credit is available to those who hire vets before December 31, 2013.  The business can receive up to $9,600 in tax credit as part of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). The credit is part of other business-related tax credits on the Form 3800, General Business Credits.

Are many employers claiming the credit early next year? Right now, it is hard to say.  The numbers show that more vets are being hired: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job numbers have been slowly and steadily increasing for the past several years. In fact, the employment rate for veterans is currently much higher than that of the national average compared to civilian employment.

The unemployment rate for vets is currently at 6.3 percent, down from 6.6 percent in May 2013. And that’s a drop from June 2012, which had an unemployment rate for veterans of 7.2 percent – mostly affecting Gulf War Era veterans.  The latest drop in vet unemployment rates seems to have been caused at least in part by the Veterans Administration pushes for greater employment and visibility for vets, including Hiring Our Heroes and the Veteran Retraining and Assistance Program. Also, say veteran advocates, there seems to be a greater acceptance from civilian employers that hiring veterans means access to employees with extensive training, proven discipline and undeniable experience. A number of large corporations and nonprofit groups have launched programs and initiatives to hire more of the nation’s veterans.

To get the credit, the employer must hire a qualified veteran. A qualified veteran is someone who has served on active duty (not including training) in the U.S. Armed Forces for more than 180 days, or who was discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability. Additionally, they  must be hired as an employee prior to December 31, 2013, and must be appropriately certified by the State Workforce Agency (SWA) as: a member of a family which receives food stamp assistance for three or more months during the previous 12 months prior to hiring; unemployed for four or more weeks, though less than six months, within the 12 months prior to the hiring;  gainfully entitled to their service compensation disability which was service-connected; hired not more than one year after their discharge or release from active duty. The vet must not be related to the employer, have worked for the employer previously, be a dependent of the employer or worked fewer than 120 hours during a one-year period.

Source:

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t05.htm

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact an attorney about your Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Mental Health, Sexual Assault, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability, Medical Malpractice, or Aid and Attendance claim, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800

Are many employers claiming the credit early next year? Right now, it is hard to say. But the numbers show that more vets are being hired: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job numbers have been slowly and steadily increasing for the past several years. In fact, the employment rate for veterans is currently much higher than that of the national average compared to civilian employment.

The currently unemployment rate for vets is currently at 6.3 percent, down from 6.6 percent in May 2013. And that’s a drop from June 2012, which had an unemployment rate for veterans of 7.2 percent – mostly affecting Gulf War Era veterans. The latest drop in vet unemployment rates seems to have been caused at least in part by the Veterans Administration’s pushes for greater employment and visibility for vets, including Hiring Our Heroes and the Veteran Retraining and Assistance program. Also, says veteran advocates, there seems to be a greater acceptance from civilian employers that hiring veterans means access to employees with extensive training, proven discipline and undeniable experience. A number of large corporations and nonprofit groups have launched programs and initiatives to hire more of the nation’s veterans.

To get the credit, the employer must hire a qualified veteran. A qualified veteran is someone who has served on active duty (not including training) in the U.S. Armed Forces for more than 180 days, or who was discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability. Additionally, they must be hired as an employee prior to December 31, 2013, and must be appropriately certified by the State Workforce Agency (SWA) as: a member of a family which receives food stamp assistance for three or more months during the previous 12 months prior to hiring; unemployed for four or more weeks, though less than six months, within the 12 months prior to the hiring; gainfully entitled to their service compensation disability which was service-connected; and hired not more than one year after their discharge or release from active duty. The vet must not be related to the employer, have worked for the employer previously, be a dependent of the employer, or work fewer than 120 hours during a one-year period.

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact an attorney about your PTSD, TBI, Mental Health, Sexual Assault, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, TDIU, Medical Malpractice, or Aid and Attendance claim, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800

Data from June 2013 show that the rate of unemployment among veterans has continued to decline steadily. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for all veterans, the rate of unemployment was 6.3 percent in June, down from the May figure of 6.6 percent. That is less than the U.S. average of 7.6 percent.

Looking at only post-9/11 veterans, the rate of unemployment was 7.2 percent in June, down from 7.3 percent in May.

The rate of unemployment for veterans has been in steady decline since January of 2010, when it was at nearly 10 percent. To further combat unemployment among veterans, the VA is working with the Chamber of Commerce and the White House to organize “Hiring Our Heroes” job fairs across the country.

For more information about our legal services for veterans, visit www.littmankrooks.com.

Online learning can be a flexible, affordable way to earn a college degree, which may be why more vets than ever are looking at online education.

Vets are attending college as never before, in large part perhaps due to the unemployment numbers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment for vets between 18 and 24 was 30 percent in 2011, while unemployment was just 18 percent for ages 18 to 24 in the general population.

U.S. News & World Report released its premiere listing of online education programs for military vets. Almost fifty percent of vets return from service looking to further their education by enrolling in post-secondary schools. A large percentage of those vets, according to Student Veterans of America, attend online programs as a way to meet family and work obligations.

The online schools listed by U.S. News include a number of educational programs that award college credit for eligible students who have military experience. There were also schools listed that focus on flexibility for students who are taking courses with more than one school or program. U.S. News also ranked programs based on their graduation rates and the amount of debt students faced after graduation. Their ranking, said a U.S. News spokesperson, was not just based on the benefits of each program, but also based on overall quality of the program offerings.

The ten top online programs offering bachelor degrees in terms of quality, affordability and program selection, according to U.S. News, are offered by: Pace University; Charter Oak State College; Brandman University; Bellevue University; Regent University; University of Nebraska – Omaha; California Baptist University; Post University; Ball State University, and Fort Hays State University.

The ten top online Master of Business Administration programs, according to U.S. News,  are offered by: Central Michigan University; West Virginia University; Washington State University; Temple University; University of Nebraska – Lincoln; University of Mississippi; University of Colorado – Denver; University of Memphis (Fogelman);  Ball State University (Miller); and Columbia College.

The revised G.I. Bill covers college tuition of $280 per unit and three years of full-time school, and includes a book allowance of $500 as well as a basic housing allowance of up to $1,500 per month. The housing allowance is based on the cost of living in the nearest military installation. Vets with extended years of service can often transfer their own education benefits to be used by their immediate family members.

Sources

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/education/theres-huge-market-online-education-veterans
http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_23230440/returning-military-veterans-choosing-college-record-numbers

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact an attorney about your PTSD, TBI, Mental Health, Sexual Assault, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, TDIU, Medical Malpractice, or Aid and Attendance claim, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800

U.S. News & World Report has released its most recent listing of top online education programs for military vets. Almost fifty percent of vets return from service looking to further their education by enrolling in post-secondary schools. A large percentage of those vets, according to Student Veterans of America, attend online programs as a way to meet family and work obligations.

Vets are attending college as never before, in large part perhaps due to the U.S. unemployment numbers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment for vets between the ages of 18 and 24 was 30 percent in 2011, while unemployment was just 18 percent for ages 18 to 24 in the general population.

The online schools listed by U.S. News include a number of educational programs that award college credit for eligible students who have military experience. There were also schools listed that focus on flexibility for students who are taking courses with more than one school or program. U.S. News also ranked programs based on their graduation rates and the amount of debt students faced after graduation. Their ranking, said a U.S. News spokesperson, was not just based on the benefits of each program, but also based on overall quality of the program offerings.

The ten top online programs offering bachelor degrees in terms of quality, affordability and program selection, according to U.S. News, are offered by: Pace University; Charter Oak State College; Brandman University; Bellevue University; Regent University; University of Nebraska – Omaha; California Baptist University; Post University; Ball State University, and Fort Hays State University.

The ten top online Master of Business Administration programs, according to U.S. News, are offered by: Central Michigan University; West Virginia University; Washington State University; Temple University; University of Nebraska – Lincoln; University of Mississippi; University of Colorado – Denver; University of Memphis (Fogelman); Ball State University (Miller); and Columbia College.

The revised G.I. Bill covers college tuition of $280 per unit and three years of full-time school, and includes a book allowance of $500 as well as a basic housing allowance of up to $1,500 per month. The housing allowance is based on the cost of living in the nearest military installation. Vets with extended years of service can often transfer their own education benefits to be used by their immediate family members.

Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact a veterans lawyer, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800