Today's Feature

Federal Minimum Wage Increases.

News release

In accordance with the provisions of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, the federal minimum wage increased to $6.55 per hour today. Employers can obtain copies of the new federal minimum wage poster and the "Handy Reference Guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act," and other reference tools by visiting the Internet site, http://www.wagehour.dol.gov.

The minimum wage poster can be directly accessed at http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/regs/compliance/posters/flsa.htm, and the Handy Reference Guide is located at http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/regs/compliance/hrg.htm. The federal minimum wage rate will increase again on July 24, 2009, to $7.25 per hour. For more information, call the U.S. Department of Labor’s (USDOL) toll-free help line at (866)-4US-Wage (487-9243).

Missouri employers subject to the provisions of Missouri’s Minimum Wage Law should take note that Missouri’s minimum wage rate is higher than the federal rate and that covered employers are required to pay covered employees at least $6.65 per hour. Information on Missouri’s Minimum Wage Law can be accessed at the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ Web site, http://www.dolir.mo.gov/LS/minimumwage/index.asp. Missourians also can contact the Department’s Division of Labor Standards at (573) 751-3403 or e-mail questions to minimumwage@dolir.mo.gov.

On Sept. 30, 2008, the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations will measure the increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) as published by the USDOL from July 2007 to July 2008 as prescribed by state law. Based on changes in the CPI-W, Missouri’s minimum wage rate will increase or decrease. The new rate will take effect Jan. 1, 2009.

The USDOL publishes the CPI-W each month, which can be found at http://www.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm. Employers may use this information to make reasonable projections based on earlier changes in the CPI-W.

If at any time the federal minimum wage rate exceeds the Missouri minimum wage rate in effect at the same time, the federal rate will be adopted as Missouri’s minimum wage rate and future CPI-W adjustments will be based on the rate that is in effect on Sept. 30 of that year.

Played a little dominos this last weekend. Double fifteen’s. If ya wanna test your kid’s (or your own) ability to add, subtract, and divide by five, pick up a set of these jewels. As a matter a fact, why not introduce the game as part of any high school graduate’s final exam. That’d cut the wheat from the chaff.

The other practical education experience would be ta have ta make change and count it back to the customer for a day at the fast food joint. Usetabe, (I’ve used that term so much lately, I’ve decided to make it just one word in my vocabulary) these ever’day math skills were used on some regularity. With video games and calculators, even those of us who learned need to exercise the skills to keep ‘em workin’. Quick, what’s 8 x 7?

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Misaligned Bolt Keeps Door From Locking.

Q: I have been unable to fully lock my front door for a while now because the door bolt will no longer go all the way into the frame. I think the door is misaligned. How do I fix this? -- Gerard J., San Diego

A: Definitely check the alignment of the door. You can do this by holding the end of a ruler or other straight item against the top of the frame to see if the crack between the top of the door and the frame is straight or has a slight angle. You also can check the sides and bottom this way. If the door is not hanging straight, work with a friend to remove the door from its hinges and place shims under the hinges.

A shim can be as simple as a thin piece of cardboard cut to the shape of the hinge. When slid into place behind the hinge plate, it raises the profile of the hinge, which changes the angle at which the door is hung. You may need to re-hang the door a few times to get the proper width and placement of the shims.

If the door is straight or shimming doesn’t resolve the latch issue, check the alignment of the bolt with its strike plate (the metal plate set in the door frame). Make sure the plate is screwed tightly to the frame and not wiggling loosely.

The latchbolt itself can be raised or lowered slightly by shimming it in much the same way the door is shimmed. You can insert a thin piece of cardboard behind the bottom hinge to raise the latchbolt, or behind the top hinge to lower the latchbolt.

HOME TIP: Removing and replacing door hinges can gradually widen screw holes until the screws no longer tighten. Renew the screw holes by gluing wooden golf tees into the holes and cutting them flush with the surface.