Tag Archive for: Transportation

Investigation recovers $45K in back wages from fruit company that denied dozens of agricultural workers full wages, transportation and housing

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Employer name:       Mt. Clifton Fruit Company LLC

Investigation site:     17581 Mechanicsville Road, Timberville, VA 22853

Investigative Findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer violated multiple requirements of the H-2A agricultural worker program by failing to do the following:

Back wages recovered:        $45,384

Civil money penalties:          $8,998

Workers affected:                  55, which includes 50 H-2A program workers and five other workers

Quote: “Our investigation found the Mt. Clifton Fruit Company denied dozens of agricultural workers, many of whom traveled to the U.S. at the company’s request, safe housing and transportation, and their legally earned wages,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Roberto Melendez in Richmond, Virginia. “In addition to recovering back wages, we assessed penalties for these deliberate violations.”

Background: Mt. Clifton Fruit Company LLC is an agricultural fixed-site employer who specializes in growing and harvesting a variety of apples which are sold retail, direct to consumers and to processors in the U.S.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. The department can speak with callers confidentially in more than 200 languages through the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Download the agency’s new Timesheet App for i-OS and Android devices – also available in Spanish – to ensure hours and pay are accurate.

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Hack on Transportation Systems Exposes Employee Information

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The Department of Transportation’s administrative systems were hacked, exposing the data of hundreds of thousands of employees, the agency confirmed on Monday. 

According to Reuters, the agency notified Congress about the hack late Friday. Transportation confirmed the breach exposed the personal information of approximately 237,000 current and former agency employees.

The affected administrative systems were used, for example, to process employee transit benefits. The agency noted that the breach did not affect any transportation safety systems. 

Transportation’s Office of the Chief Information Officer is investigating the breach, “with the support of other federal agencies, including CISA,” an agency spokesperson told Nextgov in an emailed statement. ”The OCIO is addressing the breach and has suspended access to relevant systems while we further investigate the issue, and secure and restore the systems.” 

It is unclear who is behind the cyber attack, how it occurred and when it was first discovered.

“In an era where the federal government is asking the private sector to do more in terms of cybersecurity, the Department of Transportation breach shows the government needs to follow its own lead and better protect its own systems,” Brandon Pugh, director of Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats at the R Street Institute, told Nextgov in an emailed statement. “All data breaches are concerning, but there are particular risks with information on federal employees being made public. The information could be used to target the impacted federal employees or to carry out future attacks, depending on the precise data that was breached.”

“Cyber attackers require a single vulnerability to infiltrate an organization’s network, highlighting the critical importance of fortifying individual systems during a data breach,” Amit Bareket, CEO and co-founder of Perimeter 81, told Nextgov in an emailed statement. “In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, malicious actors continually devise novel techniques to target organizations and exploit their invaluable resources.”

Bareket noted that “individuals who were affected by the U.S. Department of Transportation data breach…

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CO 141 between Naturita and Gateway to close for flood safety — Colorado Department of Transportation

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Southwest Colorado — CO Highway 141 will likely be closed between Naturita and Gateway on Friday evening due to forecasted high river flows. If the river reaches expected levels, the Colorado Department of Transportation plans to close the highway at 5 p.m. The highway will remain closed until the flood danger has subsided. This closure is dependent on various factors including snowmelt and reservoir releases. The public will be alerted once the official closure is in place. As flow amounts fluctuate, the bridge may require additional closures.

“River flows in the area have not been observed at these levels in 18 years. With the flood event expected to peak this Friday, we are taking proactive and cautionary measures at this particular bridge. Engineers and maintenance personnel will be assessing the structural integrity throughout this high-flow event,” stated Julie Constan, Regional Transportation Director.

For safety, CDOT has determined that the bridge structure at Roc Creek should be closed to traffic while peak water flows are occurring. The structure is located approximately 27.5 miles north of Naturita at Mile Point 88.5.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood advisory for the Dolores River due to the increased release of water from McPhee Reservoir. The flood advisory also includes the Dolores and San Miguel Rivers due to heavy runoff from snowmelt. The flood advisory is in place until further notice and covers the counties of Montezuma, Dolores, San Miguel and Montrose.

Traffic Impacts

Check COtrip.org for current road closures and conditions or contact Southwest Region 5 Customer Service during weekday business hours 970-385-1423.

  • The northbound closure point is located just north of Naturita and the County Road CC junction, MP 64
  • The southbound closure point is located just south of Gateway, MP 110
  • Do not bypass the closure barricades
Dolores River flowing underneath a CDOT bridge structure located on CO 141
A photo captured on May 3, 2023 shows the Dolores River flowing underneath a CDOT bridge structure located on Colorado Highway 141 at mile point 88.5. River flow rates are nearing 10-year flood event levels.

For more information about the flood advisory, refer to the National Weather Service Flood Advisory. For more…

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Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Program Updates for Week of April 30 — Colorado Department of Transportation

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Colorado Springs — Construction on Interstate 25 between South Academy Boulevard and Santa Fe Avenue requires ramp closures on Thursday night and overnight lane closures throughout the week to shift traffic barriers to prepare for the northbound traffic switch from mile 128 to 135.

Beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 30, and continuing until Wednesday, May 3, drivers can anticipate left lane closures on northbound I-25. On Thursday night May 4, drivers can anticipate various lane closures and ramp closers on northbound I-25 to perform the traffic switch. All lanes reopen at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, and at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The traffic switch that was originally scheduled for Saturday night, April 29 has been rescheduled for Thursday night, May 4. Northbound I-25 traffic will move to the newly constructed southbound lanes and will be head-to-head, separated by temporary barrier with 11-foot lanes and two-foot shoulders, so northbound lanes can be constructed. Motorists can expect new on- and off-ramps, lane closures, ramp closures and several detours with the traffic switch.

Northbound I-25 ramp closure detours include:

  • Entrance 128 at Santa Fe Avenue.: Traffic will travel north on Santa Fe Avenue / CanAm Highway to South Academy Boulevard., turn west and enter I-25 at Entrance 135.
  • Exit 132 at Mesa Ridge Parkway: Traffic will continue north to South Circle Drive, turn around and travel south to Exit 132A or 132B
  • Entrance 132 at Mesa Ridge Parkway: Traffic will proceed west to southbound Entrance 132, travel south to Exit 128, turn east onto Santa Fe Avenue, continue north on CanAm Highway to South Academy Boulevard, turn west and enter I-25 at Entrance 135
  • Exit 135 at South Academy Boulevard: Traffic will continue north to South Circle Drive, turn around and travel south to Exit 135

Construction schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change

Northbound I-25 detour map for the night of May 4, 2023
Northbound I-25 detour map for the night of May 4, 2023

Traffic Impacts

I-25 between U.S. 85/Fountain (mile 127) and South Academy Boulevard (mile 135)
Nighttime closures:

  • Sunday, April 30, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., northbound I-25 left lane closure between Mile Point 127 to 132
  • Sunday, April 30, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., northbound I-25 left…

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