The New Citizens Press

 

By Michael Lawson

Investigative Reporting Workshop 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Rolanda Wade works as restorative aide and certified nursing assistant. To her patients, she is everything. 

 

“A lot of them can’t get dressed by themselves. They can’t wash themselves,” said Wade, who has been on the job 17 years. “Some of them can’t even feed themselves. We have to brush their teeth, do their hair, pick out their clothes for the day.”

 

The pay is low and injuries are common, but nursing care is a rare bright spot in the gloomy economic landscape, adding jobs at a steady clip. As the field has grown, so, too, have efforts to unionize. 

 

Those unionization campaigns are being fought on a shifting battleground, from massive chains to private homes. With boomers moving into retirement, the tensions aren’t likely to abate any time soon. 

By Vanessa Loy

 

(BPRW) — The United States Virgin Islands is nicknamed “America’s Caribbean” for good reason. This group of islands is located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea, not far from Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands. Because the U.S. Virgin Islands are a U.S. territory, U.S. citizens may travel through the islands without a passport as they would travel through any state. 

By Jill Schlesinger

Tribune Media Services

 

How much does your 401(k) plan cost you? For many retirement plan participants, the answer has been elusive, until now. The U.S. Labor Department has finally said enough is enough and will impose rules beginning on July 1 that will require 401(k) administrators, like mutual funds and insurance companies, to disclose the fees they are charging to run retirement plans. This is good news for the three-decades-old 401(k) plan, which now accounts for $4.3 trillion of retirement savings.

 

Photo credit: WSU Sports Information

 

By Harry M. Anderson, Jr.

 

After spending several years on the hardwood during their prep basketball years at Lansing Everett High School and their collegiate years at Wayne State University, Kristen and Nicole Rogers are still involved in the game they loved and grew up on. Kristen, who spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Wayne State University  from 2008-2011, is now a full-time assistant at Northern Michigan University in Marquette under current Head Coach Troy Mattson, and Nicole is now in her third season as a part-time assistant at Madonna University in Livonia just outside Detroit. Both girls grew up on the game.

 

Photo credit: NMU Sports Information

 

The love of the game started with the older sister Kristen who played the game most of her life. She played in the Lansing-area Junior Pro League in her pre-junior high years.

 

Kristen played at Everett High School from 1998-2001 playing at the guard position. With help from Head Coach Johnny Jones, Kristen helped the Lady Vikings win three straight Capital Area Athletic Conference Basketball titles in 1999. 2000 and 200l. She also helped them win back-to-back MHSAA Class A State Titles in 2000 and 2001.