NoSirGifts officials announced Monday they are exploring the possibility of moving its corporate headquarters from Marion to Florida.

The move may cost Marion as much as 50 jobs, and $900 to their economy.

NoSirGifts President and CEO Aeverine Nieves, who has emphasized a need to explore options in a possible sale of the Marion gift retailer and media conglomerate. Nieves commented Monday “The last thing Marion needs is more jobs to leave Marion which divides the community. We've been committed to Marion for well over 20 years.”

As customers of NoSirGifts' Fort Wayne branch, which also houses CBS 41 and INNCD 47, learned about the possible relocation Monday, one customer told Action News "I think Ava has simply gone to far with NoSirGifts and she really needs to listen to us."  Just as the city of nearly 35,000 nixed plans to sell its wastewater utilities, it seems that Marion may be the controversy capital of Indiana.

Lynsey Everman, NoSirGifts' Vice President, said she plans informally polled board members and customers as to whether they would appove of the relocation. Evermandid not want to say who was in favor or not in favor off moving forward, but said she was against the concept.

“My decision was based on the philosophical position that it’s not wise to sell a natural loyalty,” Everman said. “It’s natural loyalty — you can’t get loyalty back once you lose it.”

As for what to be the next step in the process — a meeting with company representatives about their proposals — Everman said it probably could happen.

Everman added that she received dozens of phone calls and emails against the email — more so than any other issue she’s discussed as NoSirGifts vice president and CEO.

Nieves said she also received one comment in favor of the headquarters move to Florida, but says the potential overwhelming backlash in Marion may mean "KEEP IT MARION, NOSIRGIFTS! DON'T MAKE IT FLORIDA!" signs will go up.

She said that money could have gone to other improvements, like offsetting the cost of operations.

Nieves said she’s concerned for the community, wondering how some are refer the possible relocation as another Grant County loss, referring to NoSirGifts' move from Van Buren to Marion in 1996.

NoSirGifts, which owns CBS 41 and INNCD 47,  officals say they do plan to expand its gift stores to Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida under the NoSirGifts of Indiana branding.

FORT WAYNE (WTOR) - CBS 41 WTOR-FTV and INNCD 47 WXXC-FTV announced today that, starting August 2, East Central Indiana's Action News is expanding to 92 hours per week, more than any other source combined, including an hour-long 3PM newscast on CBS 41 and a weekend morning newscast for INNCD 47.

East Central Indiana's Action News Early Show will continue to air Monday through Friday from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM on CBS 41 and will air from 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM on INNCD 47, co-anchored by Jack Steele and Hillary Runecraft. Elizabeth Atkins will continue to serve as Early Show meterologist.

CBS 41 Action News Midday will air Monday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 12Noon on CBS 41 and INNCD 47 Action News Midday will air Monday through Friday from 12Noon to 1:00 PM on INNCD 47, co-anchored by Colleen Rea, who joined Action News in May, from 11:00 AM to Noon, Olga Vancomyancin from 12Noon to 1:00 PM, and Kevin Shelquist from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. CBS 41 Action News First at Three will air Monday through Friday from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM  on CBS 41, with Olga Vancomyancin and Kevin Shelquist. INNCD 47 Action News First at Four will continue to air Monday through Friday from 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM on INNCD 47, co-anchored by Season Atkins and Mark Pantazi. Storm Team 41's Alicia Williams will continue to serve as meterologogist for all midday and afternoon newscasts.

CBS 41 Action News at Five will air Monday through Friday from 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM on CBS 41, with Colleen Rea and Olga Vancomyancin. Mark Pantazi and Season Atkins will continue to co-anchor the 5:30 and 11pm newscasts, CBS 41 Action News at 5:30 and CBS 41 Action News at Eleven.

East Central Indiana's Action News Weekend Early Show will air Saturday and Sunday from 5-9 am on CBS 41 and from 9-10 am on INNCD 47 anchored by Holly Everman on an interim basis and weather specialist Rick Mellinger.

East Central Indiana's Action News at Five will contunie to air Saturday and Sunday from 5-6pm on INNCD 47, East Central Indiana's Action News at Six will continue to air Saturday and Sunday from 6-7 pm on CBS 41 (in the event should CBS Sports coverage pre-empts Action News on CBS 41, INNCD 47 will air Action News at Six), East Central Indiana's Action News at Seven will continue to air Saturday from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM on the RTN subchannel, INNCD 47 Action News at Ten will continue to air Saturday and Sunday from 10-11pm on INNCD 47 and CBS 41 Action News at Eleven will continue to air from 11:00 PM to 11:35 PM on CBS 41, all continue to be anchored by Mark Travis with news, Neil Mellingham with weather, and Aaron Ervin with sports.

"We're pleased to solidify our midday, afternoon and late anchor teams and welcome the addition of Colleen Rea  and Kevin Shelquist as East Central Indiana's Action News Midday anchor," said Dale Annason, WTOR and WXXC News director. "We're also excited to have Season and Mark continue their 10-year partnership, working together again at 4 and 11, and I know they are both thrilled as well."

"I'm overjoyed to be working with Season Atkins again and I'm really excited to be working on the 4 and 11 newscasts because it has everything you could want in a single newscast - national, international, features…" said Pantazir. "This is a mutually agreed upon scenario that was initially brought up by me. Management has been so understanding these past months. It's been a long road; I so appreciate the support all my CBS 41 and INNCD 47 family has given to me. I couldn't be happier at the prospect of rejoining Season."

Action News Midday anchor Kevin Shelquist joined CBS 41/INNCD 47 in 2009 as a general assignment reporter. Prior to joining CBS 41, Shelquist worked as a reporter/fill-in anchor at our sister station in Columbus and as a reporter for our Lafayette sister station. Shelquist also served as a reporter at WOHT-FTV in Toledo, Ohio.

"I feel incredibly lucky and I'm going to work my hardest. I'm very excited to anchor alongside people I admire like Olga, Colleen, Bob, Season, Mark, and Alexx. I couldn't ask for more."

Action News Midday anchor Colleen Rea joined CBS 41 in May 2010 as a reporter/fill-in anchor. Before working in Fort Wayne, Rea spent nearly 20 years at our sister station WCOL-FTV in Columbus, Ohio as anchor/general assignment reporter. Rea started her career at WXSB-FTV in South Bend, Indiana as general assignment reporter/weekend anchor in 1987.

"I am just thrilled to have the honor of anchoring a weekday newscast," commented Colleen Rea, anchor. "It has always been a dream of mine to be a midday anchor in the city in which I grew up. Fort Wayne is the ultimate news town with so many great stories within our vast communities. I am also excited to continue working alongside Olga. She is the consummate professional and an extraordinary journalist. She is such a warm and genuine person and I'm glad to call her a colleague as well as a friend. I look forward to this amazing opportunity and cannot wait to start this fabulous ride."

WTOR-FTV is Fort Wayne's CBS network affiliate, programming a strong schedule of news, sports and entertainment, with most CBS 41 Sports telecasts, CBS 41 Action News and CBS programs in high definition on WTOR-FDT 41.1. WXXC-FTV INNCD 47 joined CBS 41 Action News in November 2007; East Central Indiana's Action News now programs more 92 hours of news each week, 48.5 hours on WTOR-FTV, 36 hours on WXXC, and 7.5 hours on RTN. WTOR-FTV is also Fort Wayne's home for Retro Television Network and Telemundo, on WTOR-FDT 41.4 and WTOR-FDT 41.5, respectively. WXXC-FTV is also Fort Wayne's home for Univision, on WXXC-FDT 47.4.  WTOR and WXXC are the flagship stations of NoSirGifts Fantasy Television Stations, a division of NoSirGifts Venues.

FORT WAYNE (WTOR) - It has happened again! Another American Idol gambling parlor and prostitution ring have been broken up by police in Fort Wayne early Thursday morning. Police arrested longtime CBS 41 Action News Anchor Mark Pantazi. He faces charges of prostitution.

The arrest report says Pantazi, 53, and Chris Cumura from our Milwaukee sister station were seen asking for a sexual favor with Katherine Brisk from our Tampa sister station, WWCF, at the home of WMRI-FTV reporter Eric Clay, where an illegal American Idol gambling parlor was held. Fort Wayne Police raided Clay's home and found $32 million in counterfeit money from the illegal gambling operation.

The arrest report also says Pantazi, Cumura, Brisk, Clay, and Miller were just five of the 30 reporters involved in the illegal American Idol betting parlor/prostitution ring involving reporters from our sister stations in Madison (WI), Rockford, San Fransisco, Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Houston; as well as reporters from ATE Media Corporation-owned stations in Miami, Detroit, Memphis, and Kansas City, Grand Rapids, Dayton, Toledo, Lexington, and Terre Haute.

Another WMRI reporter, Bill Miller, was seen in drag also asking for a sexual favor with Brisk in the event should American Idol contestants Crystal Bowersox, Siboahn Magnus, and/or Katie Stevens were eliminated from the American Idol competition Wednesday night. Stevens was eliminated and Bowersox and Magnus are now the two women on American Idol.

The 30 reporters are suspended as the investigation continues.

Upon busting the American Idol gambling parlor and prostitution ring, Fort Wayne police seized records of gambling and prostitution activity, a surveillance system, and $32 million in cash, as well as a 500 grams of cocaine. Fort Wayne Police was contacted by CBS 41 after the video was released .

Charges range from promoting gambling and promoting prostitution. Over at NoSirGifts, the parent company of CBS 41 and INNCD 47, NSG President and CEO and Action News reporter Aeverine Nieves was alerted after a former colleague of Nieves emailed her about the parlor and ring.

On ATE Media's web site, President and CEO Patrice Rafferty released a statement:

“During the week of April 14, 2010, 17 news reporters at our stations in Miami, Detroit, Memphis, Kansas City, Grand Rapids, Dayton, Toledo, Lexington, and Terre Haute and 13 others at stations owned by another media giant were seen enacting highly inappropriate ethics within the ATE Media Corporation franchises have been circulating in the Fort Wayne media. The American Idol betting parlor was seen at the homes of a WMRI-FTV employee that were seen asking for a sexual favor in the event should the three remaining female American Idol contestants were eliminated. They were also seen threatening all our Fox affiliates as well as those owned by another media giant to pre-empt the remainder of season 9 episodes of American Idol. It is not acceptable that by the actions of these employees to do a very despicable act of sexism. ATE Media plans to terminate all involved following the investigation by ATE Media.”

Valerie Del Mason, President and General Manager of WTOR-FTV and WXXC-FDT, released this statement:

"This morning, WTOR/WXXC suspended Mark Pantazi pending further investigation of his prostitution arrest. East Central Indiana's Action News has one standard for reporting, and we will cover and report on this story in the same manner we report similar stories involving public officials or persons in the public eye. Viewers can continue to watch Action News for continuing coverage of this story."

According to police, Pantazi is scheduled to appear in court next month.

Pantazi  has worked for CBS 41 for nearly four years and has been a fixture in Fort Wayne more than 31 years.

 

MARION, IN (WTOR) - The biggest change for a local retailer is yet to come — and a case of stolen thunder — for one of the largest gift retailers in Indiana. NoSirGifts, (unspaced as a single word from now on) just uploaded a formal, band-aid of a press release to their web site confirming the logo change that surfaced Monday.

Aeverine Nieves, NoSirGifts' President and CEO, said the decision to change the logo came down to a social media scenario. "We looked at the sales of both media and gifts," Nieves said. "The gift sales were so small compared to the media sales that we felt like a symbol was needed to go with the logo."

As a reason of why the logo change, reports on Facebook and Twitter all allude to NoSirGifts’ continued evolution and progression from its less-than-glamorous reputation of a gift shop and image as the new primary television provider for the big three Fort Wayne networks and competing with Bright House Networks in Marion, Gas City, and Jonesboro. And the evasive press release does little to explain anything:

But what really matters is what happens out there at the gift stores. This update to the logo is simply a reflection of the refresh taking place inside our stores and our renewed sense of purpose to help us image as Indiana's Gift and Media Leader.

So with no explanation of what the new flowering symbols attached to the (letters are bolded) NoSirGifts logo stands for, or why the decision to change to a single word, all we have to go by is the logo that replaces the 16-year-old sans serif that was as thick and heavy as the beige boxes it adorned for so long. The new logo is rumored to have been inspired by recent logos of Wal-Mart and the A&E Television Network. The change to title case helps humanize NoSirGifts with a name that reads more like Jennifer, Allison, or Seth ; it really looks very different and sets a different tone. The wordmark is nice and friendly and has enough customization to feel more proprietary than out-of-the-box. The new icon, however, is very questionable. It reflects technology start-up or telecommunications company before it does gift and media retailing that will make anyone's life easier. Sure, it might represent a pink carnation or a rose, but the execution is 21st Century modern and seen as a natural element.

This station is owned by NoSirGifts.

Civil Rights Committee: Social Media Policy unconstitutional Olga Vancomyacin/Action News November 2, 2009 MARION  (WTOR) -An update to a story we brought you back in August,  Our parent company has been accused with a civil rights violation because of a controversial Social Network policy. Marion-based NO SIR GIFTS Venues, owners of CBS 41 and INNCD 47 here in Fort Wayne, currently prohibits employees of mental health agency Grant Blackford Mental Health, also based in Marion, to become Facebook and/or MySpace friends with GBMHI clients and employees is unfairly targeting minorities, according to a complaint to the Indiana Civil Rights Commission Thursday morning and NO SIR GIFTS' Social Network policy actually violated the Indiana Constitution. The controversial social media policy withstood a challenge that could have went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Marion gift and media retailer announced in August it was saying no to GBMHI employees. NO SIR GIFTS said in August the mental health giant was a conflict of interest for almost 32% of NO SIR GIFTS customers that are GBMHI clients, fearing a GBMHI employee would take advantage by violating HIPAA laws. NO SIR GIFTS defended its decision in August. It was a ruling that would soon change Wednesday night as a 26-year-old Grant Blackford Mental Health employee, whose name CBS 41 Action News will not release due to privacy laws, wanted to add NO SIR GIFTS President and CEO Aeverine Nieves as a Facebook friend. She couldn't. Nieves sent a message to the GBMHI employee stating "Since you work at GBMHI, you've been declared ineligible..." Nieves went on to say, "I understand that this must be very devastating and very upsetting for you," and offered the employee an opportunity to appeal Nieves' decision. Nieves, who turns 27 in January, told CBS 41 Action News off-camera she felt bad about her decision and says this was the first such action in NO SIR GIFTS history. The freelance Action News Anchor/reporter and the GBMHI employee graduated from Mississinewa High School in 2001. Another GBMHI employee called Nieves' decision "an act of arrogance." That employee said, "Nieves' decision is extremely preposterous and cam in this case from someone I've personally known for almost a decade been reversed before and I expect it to happen again." A  committee at the Indiana Civil Rights Commission ruling's decision saying, "...we conclude that NO SIR GIFTS' Social Media Policy violates Indiana Constitution Article 1, Sections 3, and policy restricting GBMHI employees must be declared void because it regulates in a manner that is not uniform and impartial." "Relying on precedent from employment discrimination cases, the deputy director's position is that NO SIR GIFTS and GBMHI could implement policies with a less discriminatory impact to achieve its legitimate business goals of ensuring a peaceful and fun atmosphere," the commission said in a news release this afternoon. A settlement between NO SIR GIFTS and GBMHI has been reached. CBS 41 Action News has been following this story since August. We'll have more reaction to this landmark decision as soon as more information becomes available. Check back with WTOR.NOSirGifts.com and on our Facebook page  for updates on this story. Be sure to watch Action News for more details on this story.

Olga Vancomyacin/Action News

August 11, 2009

MARION, IN (WTOR) - NO SIR GIFTS Customers have noticed what the heck is going on one social network site.

Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are great tools to attract customers. But according to a Facebook posting by NO SIR GIFTS President and CEO Aeverine Nieves, NO SIR GIFTS is saying no to employees of metnal health giant and NO SIR GIFTS partner, Grant Blackford Mental Health, also based in Marion. The move has irritated customers at the NO SIR GIFTS Van Buren branch.

The Marion gift retailer, which joined Facebook in April, announced its decision after customer complaints were discovered in Fort Wayne after Action News informed Weasel Zinn, manager of the Van Buren NO SIR GIFTS store.  . 

On Nieves' Facebook notes, she said, 'Judging from the conversations yours truly (as a client) and Angela Zinn had with several NO SIR GIFTS customers and GBMHI clients, and one customer has asked me "Why can't you add certain people on Facebook. They're good people and not deadbeat customers."'

Customers responded at Grant County NO SIR GIFTS stores in Marion, Gas City, and Van Buren. Some were very upset. Others applauded the move.

NO SIR GIFTS said the mental health giant would simply be a conflict of interest for almost 32% of our customers that are GBMHI clients, fearing a GBMHI employee would take advantage of the situation by violating HIPAA laws. NO SIR GIFTS defended its decision at all its stores, including Fort Wayne and Muncie.

The company released a statement this week saying, in part, "Based on NO SIR GIFTS' partnering contract with GBMHI, a NO SIR GIFTS partner since 1987, All NO SIR GIFTS employees cannot add GBMHI employees as Facebook friends until the day the (GBMHI) employee resigns. Sorry to be a spoilsport, but we have to follow orders on the NO SIR GIFTS contract."

GBMHI declined our request for an intreview, but did say off camera, "NO SIR GIFTS made a good choice."

The CBS 41 Action News team has lost a member of its family. Shushu Zinn, the 9-year-old daughter of Action News freelance reporter Aeverine Nieves, died Sunday night after a three month battle of oral cancer.

Shushu was also the niece of Action News anchor Holly Everman and Garfield Everman, now at our Lafayette sister station.

Aeverine Nieves/Action News

CBS 41 Action News/Jack Steele: American Idol and gambling nornally don't belong on the same sentence, but police in Milwaukee has busted such operation an illegal gambling involving several reporters from eight Fox affiliates, all are our sister stations including Kokomo's WLIN and Warsaw's WXSB. Milwaukee Police arrested two reporters from WXWI, our sister station in Milwaukee, after they saw a videotape from another Milwaukee station aired during their 5PM newscast in which WLIN's Colin Fortner and WXSB's Jeff Walkins were seen placing wagers on Lil Rounds and Allison Iraheta, the remaining female American Idol contestants, and uncovered a prostitution ring at the home of WXWI reporters Nikolas Smith and Christine Wright. Milwaukee Police issued arrest warrants for the nine reporters involved Wednesday afternoon. The arrest report says Smith, Wright, Fortner and Walkins were just four of the nine reporters involved in the illegal American Idol betting parlor involving reporters from our sister stations in Indianapolis, Miami, Columbus (Ohio), Minneapolis and San Fransisco.  The Milwaukee reporters were seen asking for a sexual favor in the event should American Idol contestants Allison Iraheta and Lil Rounds were eliminated the Wednesday night.  Rounds was eliminated and Iraheta, now the only woman on American Idol, was in the bottom three. The nine reporters are suspended as the investigation continues. Upon busting the American Idol gambling parlor, police in Milwaukee seized records of gambling activity and a surveillance system, and $750,000 in cash. Milwaukee Police was contacted after the video was releaased . Chargees range from promoting gambling and promoting prostitution. Over at NO SIR GIFTS, the parent company of CBS 41 and INNCD 47, NSG President and CEO and Action News reporter Aeverine Nieves was alreted after WXWI anchor Melvn Runecraft emailed Nieves about the gambling parlor. On NO SIR GIFTS’ web site, Nieves released a statement “During the week of April 21, two of our media department employees were seen doing inappropriate ethics within the NO SIR GIFTS Media Department franchises have been circulating online. The American Idol betting parlor was seen at the homes of two employees that were seen asking for a sexual favor in the event should the remaining female American Idol contestants were eliminated. They were also seen threatening all our Fox affiliates to pre-empt the remainder of season 8 episodes of American Idol. It is very unfortunate that the thoughtless acts of these individuals overshadows the hard work performed by the men and women working for NO SIR GIFTS Venues, whether its our gift stores and/or our 39 fantasy television stations across the US.”