Two jurors who convicted former Qwest chief executive Joe Nacchio of illegal insider trading expressed displeasure with an appellate court’s decision last week to allow Nacchio to remain free on bond during his appeal.
“I feel that so many people have been let down by (Wednesday’s) decision,” juror Anna Garduno said in an e-mail. “So many former Qwest/U.S. West employees, as well as 18 jurors (12 jurors along with six alternates). It seems our verdict is in question. What a shame. What a disappointment.”
Juror Doug Stoneman said: “I would not like to see the verdict overturned.”
Best lemonade stand goes to Aurora kid
Kid entrepreneur Mark Rinkel of Aurora was awarded the title of having the Best Lemonade Stand of the Week by . According to Inc., Rinkel has earned nearly $14,000 in lemonade sales.
Rinkel is using a portion of his profits to pay for training of a diabetic alert dog for his younger brother, Jason. The dog is able to sense when Jason is in need of insulin.
With the Inc. recognition, Rinkel will compete against other 5-12-year-olds across the country for the Best Lemonade Stand in America award and the $1,000 college savings bond that comes with it. Rinkel wouldn’t reveal his secrets, but said his recipe includes boiled sugar water.
Dollar stores boast some shady stuff
Party supplies. Mascara. Picture frames. All for a dollar and hard to resist.
The bargain buys at discount stores can seem like a deal, but some items aren’t even worth the $1 price tag, according to the current issue of ShopSmart magazine, a Consumer Reports publication.
Watch out for the following five items at discount stores, ShopSmart researchers say: Vitamins. Some multivitamins lacked one or more nutrients listed on the label, while others failed to dissolve properly.
Electrical products: Products like Christmas lights, extension cords and fans might have fake labels vouching for their safety.
Toys for kids under 3. Toys with small parts or sharp edges must be labeled as unsafe for children under 3 years old. But some imported toys, particularly those manufactured in China, might be mislabeled or unlabeled.
Fishy brand names. Counterfeit products sometimes have brand names that sound like well-known brands, such as Dinacell batteries packaged to look like Duracells.
Soft vinyl lunch boxes. Several brands of soft, insulated lunch boxes have tested positive for lead.
Hey, new boss, get out of your corner
You’ve just landed a promotion. Now what? Instead of hiding in your new corner office, get your hands dirty in your new position, advises Jan Tomlinson of Chubb Group of Insurance Cos.
First, establish credibility by acknowledging both your strengths and areas of weakness. Enroll in training programs to beef up skills that need improvement.
Recognize your new staff’s expertise and use them as resources. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It might feel uncomfortable, but dive into unfamiliar territory to boost your competency. Even though you’re the boss, expect to make occasional mistakes and try to learn from them.
Work on keeping your best workers
Employers, do you know what will send your best workers packing? By asking a few simple questions, you can keep your company’s talent from being wooed by the competition.
“Adopt the policy that no one will work at a company longer than one year without being re-recruited by the boss,” said Michael Jalbert, president of employment recruiter MRINetwork.
Jalbert suggests the following questions to learn more about how your employees feel about their jobs:
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
