| Readers recount traumatic stories in their own words
Cars are an integral feature of modern life, a constant provider and reminder of freedom and mobility, allowing most everyone the ability to go anywhere they like, whenever they choose. That might be the reason car theft leaves such a lasting mark on its victims. Dozens of people responded to a Statesman Journal request for personal stories about auto theft. The stories are filled with loss and humor, frustration and anger. They speak of feeling violated in a very personal way, haunted by the thought of a stranger grubbing through their car and their possessions. They speak of thousands of dollars spent to repair damage caused by the thieves. There is a young girl heartbroken about the theft of her first car; a man who found his car stolen from a hospital lot while he cared for his stroke-afflicted father-in-law; a man who caught a thief dumping off his stolen truck; and a woman saddened by the loss of her classic 8-track tape collection.
When Good Real Estate Goes Bad
While the national median home price made zero gain from $222,000 in December, 2005, to December, 2006, luxury home sales chugged along. Home prices in the 10 wealthiest zip codes appreciated 6.55% from the third quarter of 2005 to the third quarter of 2006. While many sellers despair, the rich get richer--or at least the owner of a home in a prime real estate market only sees the property become more valuable. But that's not the case in suburbs outlying the struggling car capital, Detroit, where some high-end homeowners in places like Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, and Birmingham are getting nervous. For decades this area was a choice locale for automotive industry executives and top engineers, who bought well-appointed estates nestled inside gated communities and sprinkled among the hills and ponds of Oakland County, only some 25 miles from downtown.
Ready or not, new graduates push into the real world
In this area, most high school seniors are preparing to go off to college and a good number are joining the military. They all have set plans for at least a couple of years if not longer. College students are still under their parents' wings, whether they like it or not. These young adults have a sense of security. Despite living in a dormitory or a rented house, they still have a home to go back to during school breaks. Many people are still covered by their parents' health and auto insurance plans, and receive financial help from Mom and Dad, as well as the government. Graduation changes everything. Leaving college is an exciting time in anyone's life, but it's also a somewhat scary era, too. Even if you don't have children or own property, you still get tied down at some point after college.
Anticrash Tech Gets Nod from Regulators
According to Barry McCahill, a retired National Highway Traffic Safety Administration official, the ruling to require Electronic Stability Control, or ESC, is arguably the most important regulation the NHTSA has ever issued. The safety benefits of ESC are massive and the ESC rule ushers in a new era where preventing a crash is paramount, he explained.
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Eight Local Nonprofit Groups Receive Recognition, Financial ...
PHILADELPHIA, March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- GlaxoSmithKline today honored eight nonprofit organizations from the Greater Philadelphia and Lancaster regions with the GlaxoSmithKline 10th Annual IMPACT Awards. The GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards recognize excellence in the area of community nonprofit healthcare and, as part of the award, each of the eight local awardees received $40,000 to continue their work. To date, the GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards program has invested nearly $4 million dollars over ten years to continue the great work of the 86 award-winning organizations, which are all model programs in providing care to at-risk populations. "Access to healthcare is one of the most pressing issues facing the world today," explains Duncan Learmouth, senior vice president of Corporate Communications and Global Community Partnerships for GlaxoSmithKline.
Use of Pet Medications on the Rise
Every day some people take a handful of pills - one for high blood pressure, one for high cholesterol, maybe even one for arthritis. The associated costs for prescription drugs can be costly. Imagine the family member that requires several medications is actually the family pet. More and more people are putting their pets on long term health care regimens, which often include prescriptions.
The Guffords in North Carolina spend a lot of time and money on their 12-year-old dog. Brownie is diabetic - he gets a blood sugar check and shot of insulin daily. He also takes pills, mixed into a bowl of tuna and canned carrots. Brownie has been medicated for several reasons in the past year: diabetes, infections, high blood pressure and upset stomach. He has also been medicated for anemia and a spider bite.
Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. Announces It Has Received Requisite ...
WESTCHESTER, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2007--Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. (the "Company") announced today that it had received, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 5, 2007, tenders and consents from holders of 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the Company's outstanding 11% Senior Notes due 2013 (the "Notes") in connection with its cash tender offer and consent solicitation for the Notes, which commenced on March 22, 2007. The tender offer and consent solicitation is being conducted in connection with the previously announced merger and related transactions that will result in the Company and ADESA, Inc. becoming wholly owned subsidiaries of KAR Holdings, Inc. (the "Merger"). The completion of the tender offer and consent solicitation is conditioned on, among other things, the closing of the Merger.
Four Components Needed to Support Health Insurance for the ...
WASHINGTON, March 15 (AScribe Newswire) -- Four elements are needed if federal and state lawmakers are to develop meaningful universal health insurance coverage within a private insurance system, Urban Institute health policy expert Linda Blumberg told a U.S. House subcommittee today. These are comprehensive subsidized insurance benefits for low- and modest-income individuals, a guaranteed source of coverage for all potential purchasers, a mechanism for broadly spreading the costs of covering those with the greatest need for health care services, and either a mandate for individuals to obtain coverage or that mandate combined with a light employer mandate. The subsidies, Blumberg told the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, should ensure that benefits are made available to meet health care needs affordably.
South Floridians look to legislators for solution to property tax woes
When John Engelhart's father bought a two-bedroom summer home in 1959, his intentions were to keep the Delray Beach house in the family for generations.
The Engelharts divided their time between Michigan and South Florida. After his parents died in the 1980s, Engelhart, his wife and four children carried on the tradition, spending summers in South Florida.
But Engelhart, a retired businessman and World War II veteran, said he can no longer afford the tax bill on the 1,500-square-foot waterfront house his father purchased for $43,200. It is now valued at $885,607. The 2006 tax bill: $19,647.
"As a businessman, you got to face the reality," said Engelhart, 81.
He said he's staying put for a year, hoping that state legislators will find a solution to the state's property tax crisis that is fair to all property owners.
Obama wants to hear from consumers, health-care providers
PORTSMOUTH (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama talks in general terms about lowering health-care costs by focusing on prevention and chronic disease management, and using the savings to cover the uninsured. But his audience yesterday was almost single-mindedly focused on a single-payer system.
The Illinois senator promises to achieve universal health care coverage by the end of his first term, but has yet to offer specifics. Instead, he said he wants to hear from consumers, health-care providers and other experts and that even once he releases a plan, he'll remain open to changes.Read this article in full with a
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Financial workshop series: "An introduction to credit." The Woodlands, 195 Union St., Newark. 6 to 7 p.m. (740) 349-7066, ext. 202. Ice cream social: This is for students who achieved goals for the third grading period. Central Intermediate School, Church Street, Newark. (740) 349-2331. Lay responder first aid/CPR/AED instructor's training: American Red Cross of Licking County, 196 S. Fifth St., Newark. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To register, call (740) 349-9442. Linnville Lighthouse Afterschool Program: Open to fifth through 12th grade. St. John's Lutheran Church, 6004 Linnville Road, Newark. 3 to 6 p.m. Moundbuilders Toastmasters: Meet in room 71 of Hopewell Hall. Open to all persons who desire to improve their communication skills. Newark Campus of Ohio State University and Central Ohio Technical College, 1179 University Drive, Newark.
Eco-friendly car insurance leaves less green in your pocket
Motorists trying to do their bit for the environment are being stung by expensive green policies, according to new research.
The findings of price comparison website moneysupermarket.com showed that although green is the colour of choice at the moment, those insurers boarding the ethical bandwagon to entice eco-friendly consumers are hitting them with premiums hiked by up to 44 per cent over standard policies.
Several insurers including CIS and More Than have launched green motor insurance, the features of which include offsetting carbon emissions or offering discounts for eco-friendly cars. The providers also argue their products are good value for money.
While CIS promises to offset 20 per cent of your carbon emissions by investment in reforestation and renewable energy sources, insurance for a Ford Focus driver costs 21 per cent more than market-leading cover from LV=.
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