Latest news with #Tolbert
Business Wire
06-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
City of Detroit Accelerates Digital Transformation with UKG, Driving Data-Driven Outcomes and Increased Productivity
LOWELL, Mass. & WESTON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UKG, a leading provider of HR, payroll, and workforce management culture solutions, today announced that the City of Detroit, which is in the midst of a significant economic and urban revitalization, is driving data-driven decision making and building a workplace culture of productivity and accountability with UKG to support its resilient, thriving community. Since filing for bankruptcy in 2013, Detroit has rebounded with remarkable resurgence, marked by booming construction, reinvigorated neighborhoods, and a growing business sector. With major investments in infrastructure and real estate, the Motor City is reclaiming its status as a hub of innovation, culture, and opportunity. At the heart of this transformation is Detroit's 9,000-person frontline workforce managed by AI-driven UKG technology, with a strategy that prioritizes people and positions the city for future growth. 'With UKG, our culture has shifted to one of continuous improvement and accountability,' said Bennie Tolbert, project manager for the office of the chief financial officer at the City of Detroit. 'We transitioned several outdated systems to the flexible UKG Pro ® suite as a single source of truth for our people data. The shared data and insights have unified our teams — from management to frontline staff — by fostering an environment of trust and transparency across our 20 departments, agencies, and boards, allowing us to serve our 600,000+ residents even better.' One way Detroit is boosting morale and delivering trust to its people is through accurate pay. The UKG Pro suite — which includes UKG TeleStaff ®, a highly specialized public safety scheduling tool recently deployed by Detroit's fire and police departments — has, for the first time, allowed the city to align and automate payments related to its dozens of collective bargaining units, ensuring every employee isn't just paid accurately, but also on time. Detroit is also leveraging UKG technology to make the day-to-day lives of its people easier. According to an IDC and UKG report on AI-driven workforce transformation for state and local governments, governments like the City of Detroit are increasingly embracing AI to optimize efficiency, attract, develop, and retain talent, and boost morale. 'UKG has helped us move into the 21 st century, and we now have a more proactive approach to data,' said Tolbert. 'For example, our department directors historically struggled to determine which shifts were experiencing the highest rates of absenteeism. UKG data insights showed us that night shifts were the biggest problem area. As a result, we added a night-shift premium that not only drove people to work but encouraged others to volunteer, improving our overall attendance.' 'Similarly, we were able to leverage AI in UKG to determine our secondary language choice," added Tolbert. 'We used people analytics in our UKG Pro suite to pinpoint that Spanish was one of our employees' preferred languages, so we were able to tailor our trainings and offer videos in departments from fire to water in the language they speak. This proactive approach ensures our employees feel seen and valued.' The City of Detroit has additionally made work more meaningful through a new UKG performance management program, which includes goal setting, mid-year reviews, and an annual performance evaluation that was adopted by 85% of the city's departments soon after deployment. The program, which led to higher employee engagement and increased productivity, earned Detroit a UKG Innovation Award in 2024. 'UKG allows us to create a culture of continuous feedback,' said Benn Bukovac, HRIS manager for the policy, planning, and operations division at the City of Detroit. 'Managers are encouraged to conduct check-ins with their team members to discuss progress, provide feedback, and adjust goals as needed. As a result, employees are more open to feedback and committed to their own professional growth and know their benchmark for personal success, as well as how those individual goals tie into our organization's progress.' 'Detroit's digital transformation is a pivotal moment in history for the city, marking a new era of innovation and efficiency,' said Rachel Barger, president, go-to-market at UKG. 'Embracing AI and advanced technology is critical for any public sector entity looking to transform its operations, better connect and engage with its constituents, and make smarter decisions in support of its community. With our unique data insights combined with a deep portfolio of vertical-specific solutions, UKG is uniquely positioned to help government agencies navigate the challenges of today's rapidly changing workforce.' Supporting Resources About UKG At UKG, our purpose is people. We are on a mission to inspire every organization to become a great place to work through HCM technology built for all. More than 80,000 organizations across all sizes, industries, and geographies trust UKG HR, payroll, and workforce management cloud solutions to drive great workplace experiences and make better, more confident people and business decisions. With the world's largest collection of people data, work data, and employee sentiment data, combined with rich experience using artificial intelligence in the service of people, we connect employee and workforce insights with business outcomes to show what's possible when organizations invest in their people. To learn more, visit Copyright 2025 UKG Inc. All rights reserved. For a full list of UKG trademarks, please visit All other trademarks, if any, are property of their respective owners. All specifications are subject to change.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lee's Summit police officer injured in shooting released from hospital
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Lee's Summit police officer injured in a shooting late Sunday night has been released from the hospital. Lee's Summit Police Sgt. Chris Depue said Officer Jared Timbrook was shot Sunday evening while chasing a suspect on foot while responding to a domestic disturbance at an apartment complex. He was treated by fellow officers on scene and taken to an area trauma center. See the latest forecast, maps and radar for Kansas City 'Officer Timbrook was shot four times, his medical team did an amazing job of caring for him,' Depue said. Depue said Timbrook will continue his healing journey at home. 'On behalf of Officer Timbrook and his family along with the men and women of the LSPD, we are thankful for the amazing care that he received and the outpouring of support for him from this amazing community,' Depue aded. Timbrook has been with the police department for approximately 18 months. Thomas Eugene Tolbert, the man suspected of shooting Timbrook, was found and arrested in Ellis, Kansas early Tuesday morning. Ellis Police Chief Avery Smith said Tolbert received a ride from someone who didn't know Tolbert was wanted. He made it to a hotel about 300 miles west of the Kansas City metro area . Around 4:50 a.m., KBI agents, Ellis County Sheriff's Office deputies, and Hays Police Department officers arrived at the hotel and safely took Tolbert into custody, per KBI. Depue says the Blue Alert helped speed up the process of locating and arresting Tolbert. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV Tolbert was arrested on a Missouri warrant for first-degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, resisting arrest or detention by fleeing, and second-degree domestic assault. The charges were filed Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court in connection to the shooting. Tolbert has been booked into the Ellis County jail, according to the KBI. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man suspected of shooting Lee's Summit police officer arrested in Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Thomas Eugene Tolbert, the man suspected of shooting a Lee's Summit police officer in Missouri, has been found and arrested in Kansas, prompting the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to cancel its Blue Alert. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV The alert was issued while law enforcement was searching for Tolbert, who allegedly shot a Lee's Summit officer while police were investigating a domestic disturbance at an apartment complex Sunday night. The KBI canceled the alert after Tolbert, 27, was found and arrested in Ellis, Kansas, early Tuesday morning. According to KBI, law enforcement received information Tuesday indicating that Tolbert might be inside a hotel in Ellis on Washington Street. Around 4:50 a.m., KBI agents, Ellis County Sheriff's Office deputies, and Hays Police Department officers arrived at the hotel and safely took Tolbert into custody, per KBI. Tolbert was arrested on a Missouri warrant for first-degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, resisting arrest or detention by fleeing and second-degree domestic assault. The charges were filed Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court in connection with the shooting. View the latest headlines from Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas at Tolbert has been booked into the Ellis County jail, according to the KBI. There will be a news conference at the Lee's Summit Police Department on Tuesday morning with information on the suspect and the officer's condition. This is a developing story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
They spent over $200K to expand their family. Doctors say it's common for LGBTQ+ couples.
Matt Tolbert and his husband Joshua Gonzales knew they wanted kids for at least a decade. The New York thirtysomethings began their research into surrogacy and adoption and determined they'd need upwards of $100,000. 'We didn't really know how we were going to get there,' Tolbert, 36, says over a Zoom call. But as they dove into the process, they quickly discovered the cost of surrogacy in the U.S. had increased. Estimates vary, but that cost could be as high as double or triple that $100,000 they'd planned on. It's a common story among LGBTQ+ people who want to grow their families but face a medical system that was built for heterosexual couples. While decades of technological advancements have improved fertility care, there's been little change to better accommodate same-sex, transgender or nonbinary couples, said Marea Goodman, a licensed midwife and founder of PregnantTogether, a virtual community for queer and solo parents. 'The history of fertility care is based in a lot of heterosexuality,' they said. 'The same tactics that they use for heterosexual people, who have been trying to conceive at home but can't, are not appropriate for the LGBTQ folks or solo parents who are accessing those same services.' Tolbert and Gonzales face what many LGBTQ+ couples do: The fact that insurance doesn't cover their fertility journey. Until recently, most insurance companies followed the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's definition for fertility, which defined infertility as a condition in which heterosexual couples couldn't conceive after a year of unprotected intercourse. 'If you're a gay couple, you're not infertile, or you may be, but that's not the reason for you going through fertility treatments,' Tolbert added. In October 2023, the organization expanded that definition to include all patients who require intervention. About two dozen states have laws mandating private insurers to cover fertility treatments, according to a KFF database. However, only Colorado, Illinois, Maine and Washington, D.C. explicitly include LGBTQ+ people. California's new law, which goes into effect July 2025, mandates coverage for IVF and expands the definition of infertility to include LGBTQ+ people. It would only apply to larger companies with more than 100 employees. Still, it's a step in the right direction, said Dr. Mickey Coffler, reproductive endocrinologist at HRC Fertility, a network of fertility clinics in California. 'We are responsible as providers to do the best in our abilities to educate patients and make them aware of their rights because this new state bill is quite revolutionary and it's going to be very helpful,' he said. Pride Month: What is it and why is it celebrated in June? Between July 2024 and February 2025, Tolbert and Gonzales underwent fertility and tested for sexually transmitted infections ($652); flew to Mexico and made semen deposits ($2,380); selected an egg donor with enough frozen eggs for two IVF journeys; and made embryo transfers. Today, one of the couple's surrogate is 18 weeks along and the other nine weeks. Tolbert and Gonzales used the same egg donor so their children would be half-siblings. The fees for their agency, donor, surrogates and other medical fees tallied $118,295, and overall, they spent $143,538 with an additional expected $78,028 for a total of $221,566. A limited supply of egg and sperm donors, and surrogates is also partly driving rising costs for LGBTQ+ people, Coffler said. American families are also competing with international families who are seeking similar services in the U.S. Rising fees "has become a huge barrier for these patients to be able to afford those services,' he said. Despite the mounting costs, Tolbert and Gonzales are excited to build their family. In the meantime, they aim to showcase their journey and educate their followers along the way. 'We're sharing this not for sympathy, but for transparency,' Tolbert said in a recent TikTok video, 'and for those of you exploring similar paths to have a real-world example. Every journey is unique, and costs can vary wildly, but knowledge is power.' Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at adrodriguez@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Infertility, IVF: How LGBTQ couples navigate a heterosexual system
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lee's Summit police shooting suspect arrested at Ellis hotel
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has now canceled the Kansas Blue Alert that was issued after law enforcement were searching for a suspect believed to have shot a Lee's Summit police officer Sunday night. The alert was canceled Tuesday morning, June 3, after Thomas Eugene Tolbert, 27, was located and apprehended in Ellis. In the early morning hours, law enforcement received information indicating that Tolbert might be inside the Days Inn hotel at 204 N. Washington St. The Ellis Police Department said witnesses reported giving Tolbert a ride from Kansas City, Missouri. The witnesses stated that they didn't know Tolbert was wanted in connection with the Blue Alert, but found the information when scrolling through social media. They immediately contacted law enforcement. Officers from the Hays Police Department, deputies from the Ellis County Sheriff's Office and KBI agents arrived at the hotel and safely took Tolbert into custody at around 4:50 a.m. Ellis police said nearby hotel rooms were evacuated during the incident. After a brief struggle and taser deployment, Tolbert was taken into custody. Wichita police search for suspect in deadly convenience store shooting He was booked on a Missouri warrant on suspicion of assault first-degree or attempted serious physical injury, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, resisting arrest or detention by fleeing, and second-degree domestic assault. He was booked into the Ellis County Sheriff's Office Jail. A Blue Alert is used to help find violent criminals who have killed or seriously injured an officer in the line of duty. KSN has named him due to a threat to public safety. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
