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PHA Using Technology to Speed Rent Money Into the Bank
The Philadelphia Housing Authority has installed a new system at all of its properties that puts tenants' rent payments right into the bank -- no more waiting for a check to clear. The system is called Check 21. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060830/PHW021 ) PHA Executive Director Carl Greene -- known for his penchant for taking advantage of the latest technology -- says Check 21 has revamped the way his agency collects rent. "Residents would use a check or money order and wait for their accounts to be adjusted. Then we'd have to pick up the checks from all of our sites and process them downtown. That's all changed," he said. The new system enables managers at all PHA housing sites to slide a tenant's payment check or money order through a Check 21 device.
Feds seize nearly $1M in bogus money orders, checks in Phoenix
PHOENIX Nearly one (m) million dollars in counterfeit money orders and travelers' and cashier's checks have been seized in Phoenix during the past three weeks. Customs and Border Protection officers found them in packages that were sent from overseas. The agency expects additional seizures this week. The agency says the counterfeit money orders and checks are aimed at individuals who are targeted through Internet auction sites, dating services and other online encounters. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. .
Parish Predators
At St. Francis de Sales, where he sang in choir, they called him Pavarotti. He performed at church concerts and weddings, and even with Houston Grand Opera. A dark-skinned Costa Rican with a goatee and eyes set widely apart, German Rojas Moreno was everyone's friend. He was a doctor back home, he said. In Houston, he worked at a health clinic where he treated some of the boys who sang in the choir. And, he opened his home to them. It was just an apartment, but it was a boy's dream: big-screen TV, Xbox, pool table. During the school year, they spent weekends there, and in the summer, they were there nearly every day. According to the boys, who are now men, Moreno was playful, boisterous. He'd jokingly put them in a headlock, challenge them in soccer. The boys, who filed police reports about Moreno, say he tried to show them new games, too, like the one where you masturbate and see who can last the longest.
News Brief: Students will be able to check multiple races
Proposed guidelines from the Department of Education will allow the University to report the number of multi-racial students for the first time. Existing regulations force multi-racial and multi-ethnic students to select only one racial or ethnic category on registration forms that Penn uses to compile its full enrollment data. The University reports these data to the Department of Education each year. The new guidelines would require universities to allow students to mark multiple races, thus allowing universities to report this information. The Department of Education uses these data for research purposes and statistical analysis, according to the proposal. According to Lois Chiang, Provost Ron Daniels' chief of staff, multiracial and multiethinic applicants have been able to select multiple racial categories for the past three years, but federal regulations have not “allowed this type of selectivity" when it comes to enrolled students.
Mistaken Part D refunds will have to be repaid
I heard that Medicare sent some people refund checks in the mail for the Part D premiums they have paid. I didn't get one. Should I expect to receive one soon? Medicare recently sent letters to 230,000 people to notify them that they had received a refund in error with respect to Part D premiums withheld from their Social Security checks. These beneficiaries are continuing to receive their drug coverage through Part D without any interruption.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently learned that, through a Medicare processing error, some beneficiaries' drug plan premiums were incorrectly processed. The refunds were either made via an electronic fund transfer to their checking account or by check in mid-August. Medicare says that those beneficiaries who were not supposed to receive this money will be asked to pay it back to the government.
Medicare Sends Out Checks
Recipients were reimbursed for monthly premiums which they had already paid for prescription coverage. Each payment averaged around $215.
Nobodys status is expected to be affected by this mistake.
Because of this glitch, deductions from peoples Social Security Checks will not resume until October and for many the checks have to be sent back.
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'The Pittsburgh guys'
"The Pittsburgh guys, we're a tight group, and we're all proud to be from Pittsburgh and play for Penn State," Posluszny said. "Think about it. A.Q. Shipley (Moon), who's going to be our starting center, is a Pittsburgh guy, giving the ball on every play to Anthony Morelli, a Pittsburgh guy. Justin's going to be a key guy, too. There is something about it, coming from Pittsburgh, coming from Western Pennsylvania and playing for Penn State." Posluszny is the veteran of the group, a senior who was a consensus All-American last year, winning both the Bednarik and Butkus awards. He's in his second season as a team captain, an honor last accorded at Penn State nearly four decades ago. .
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