Associated Press
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. An Alabama-based emergency services company still owes more than $200,000 in salaries to Mississippi employees it left unpaid when it went out of business last month.
Emergystat employed about 400 people with a payroll of $150,000 in Mississippi before going out of business, leaving 23 counties without regular ambulance service temporarily.
Larry Lunan, president of Emergystat’s parent company, Paladin Holdings, Inc., says most of the employees will be paid Monday when “to the best of my knowledge” 70 percent of the checks will be cut.
Paychecks began bouncing several weeks ago and the company ceased operations in Mississippi and five other states January 23rd after owners could no longer afford its professional and liability insurance premiums.
Officials in affected counties only had a few hours of warning before service ended, but all were able to piggyback on services in other counties and have since started to make other arrangements.