Headed for a Home
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Martin wins LifeLock 400 —1B TTHEHE DDAILYAILY CCITIZENITIZEN Monday,june 15, 2009 •Dalton, Georgia • www.daltondailycitizen.com • 50 Cents Insurance THINGS Headed for a home TO rates rising CHECK Habitat for Humanity building houses in Chatsworth OUT BY MISTY WATSON in Georgia ON THE [email protected] 3 INSIDE CHATSWORTH — Roger Vest ATLANTA (AP) — As was surprised to be standing there Georgians struggle to cope with an witnessing a groundbreaking so ongoing recession, their car and Large grocers, wholesalers soon. home insurance rates are on the rise. appeal to Latinos. It’s only been a few months Hit hard by storms and losses on since he begaN planning to build Wall Street, insurance companies See page 3A the first Habitat for Humanity have been hiking their rates this homes in Murray County. year in Georgia and in other states. Weak security puts you at “It’s gone a lot faster than I According to the Georgia risk when you use your thought it would, but that’s what Department of Insurance,four of credit cards. God can do. God has been in this the largest insurance companies the entire time,”said Vest, pastor operating in Georgia are raising See page 5A of the First United Methodist their average homeowners’ insur- Church of Chatsworth, as he ance rates by 5 to 11 percent this Mitral valve prolapse and spoke to a small group of people year. extra heart beats are attending the groundbreaking cer- The rate hikes by State Farm, MISTY WATSON/THE DAILY CITIZEN usually not a concern. emony on Locust Street on Cotton States, First Liberty Sunday. Wade Owens, left, 17-year-old volunteer for the Murray Insurance Corp. and Nationwide See Donohue,page 8A “We have a list of close to 100 County Habitat for Humanity,and Bill Woods, construction Mutual Fire Insurance were names of people interested (in supervisor for the Murray County Habitat for Humanity,break approved by the agency and affect nearly 40 percent of the state’s helping),”he said. “We plan to ground Sunday on Locust Street in Chatsworth where four homeowners, The Atlanta Journal- FROM TODAY’S begin construction in August at houses will be constructed. the latest.” Constitution reported on its Web FORUM The city of Chatsworth deeded sit on a lot of at least 10,000 said they saw no “useful purpose” site Saturday. just under an acre of land to the square feet. for the plot for the city govern- Auto insurance rates are rising “Gov. Palin’s husband, organization on Sunday. Four The property,awooded area, ment. but not quite as steeply. The median Todd, should get on a plane, homes are expected to be built had belonged to the city since rate hike among changes filed by fly to New York, go to David there. Each home will be approxi- 1923. After talking to city council about two dozen companies has been 2.4 percent. Letterman’s office and mately 1,200 square feet and will members, Mayor Tyson Haynes ➣See HABITAT,2A punch him in the nose.” Despite the increases, Georgia Insurance Commissioner John “If you don’t like tattoos Oxendine told the AJC consumers on ladies, don’t look at Flying are doing better than in other states, them.” where rates have gone up by double flags digits. “Why are we giving Insurers are regulated at the state government all this power?” level. Press reports have show that they have been raising rates in other MISTY WATSON “I don’t need to ‘get a states, including Illinois, Texas and THE DAILY CITIZEN life.’I’ve had a good one for Florida, while rates have dropped in 74 years. What we need now some other states, like Ohio. is a president.” Katherine Brownlee, Some industry experts say it’s 3, of Dalton, raises a not entirely clear which way premi- See page 2A flag during a Flag ums are going. Day ceremony at the “The situation at the moment is a Dalton Elks Lodge on little bit complicated because sup- ply and demand are both moving,” WEATHER Sunday. The featured said Michael Murray,assistant vice Forecast: Showers, speaker was Lt. Col. president of financial analysis at the thunderstorms John Lane (Ret.) who Insurance Services Office, a New Today’s High: 85 teaches at Woodward Jersey-based company that tracks Tonight’s Low: 68 Academy in Atlanta. insurance industry statistics. Details, Page 12A Charlie Troop families Martin Grace, a Georgia State were invited to the University professor of insurance event. and risk management, said home- INSIDE owners’ insurance rates are likely to Classified..............5B rise in coastal areas that are vulner- Comics..................9A able to hurricanes. Georgia homeowners’ insurance Crossword..............8A rates may also be rising faster as Dear Abby...................9A insurers play catch-up to increase Horoscope...............8A rates that have been below the Lottery..................2A national average,he said. Students turn over new leaves But Georgians have been paying Movies...................8A higher than the national average for Obituaries.........10A auto insurance. Grace said rising Opinion................4A Roman Open costs of auto repairs are likely Sports......................1-4B behind the increase in auto insur- Scholarships give ance rates this year. He and other experts believe students a chance insurers may have a hard time rais- ing revenue by much this year to take next step because customers are holding off on buying newer,more expensive BY RACHEL BROWN cars or bigger homes that might up 7 69847 00001 6 [email protected] their insurance costs. Murray said huge losses from Whitney Hall is studying for a storms, like Hurricane Ike, which career so she can help heal sick chil- hit the Texas coast, drained much of dren, but only a few months ago she PHOTOSBYMISTY WATSON AND MATT HAMILTON/THE DAILY CITIZEN insurers’ capital. That reduced their was debating whether to quit school. ability to finance future insurance Hall said she had lived most of On the left is Whitney Hall. Amanda Franklin is on the right. contracts. Last year,the industry’s her life away from her birth mother They are recipients of Roman Open Scholarships. net worth dropped to $456 billion and father,had experimented with from almost $518 billion at the end drugs, then turned them down after her teacher and “best friend,” A 2009 graduate of Southeast of 2007. being ashamed of herself, and was Crystal Bryant,telephoned to say High School, Hall will attend Boom-and-bust cycles are typi- simply tired of trying. she would bring her to school her- Dalton State College this fall on the cal for property and casualty insur- She asked her birth father to sign self if Hall hadn’t arrived by 8 a.m. Roman Open Scholarship, which is ance companies, which alternate the papers. the next day. giveN to students with good grades between “soft” markets when insur- “My dad said, ‘I’m not signing “I was like ‘Oh my God. OK,’” and financial need and who have ance is easy to get and “hard” mar- your life away.’ I said, ‘OK, fine,’” Hall said. “So I went, and we overcome hardship. Money for two kets when it’s harder to get and rates Hall recalled. worked everything out. I got my scholarships is raised through the spike. For the next nine days, she didn’t attendance straightened out, and I Roman Open Charities golf Industry and government data go to school. On the 10th day,she actually made As in the classes, As indicate those spikes frequently would be automatically withdrawn, and Bs ... I don’t know what got into come a few years after the country she said. Just before that happened, me, but it changed real quick like.” ➣ See SCHOLARSHIPS,2A comes out of a deep recession. CHECKERS •SPICY CHICKEN All-AMERICAN SELECTION99 ¢ 99 ¢ •HOT DOG •HAMBURGER lOTTERY WINNING NUMBERS – FOR JUNE 14 ATYOUR PAGE 2 Georgia: Evening Cash 3: 6-0-1, Cash 4: 4-3-6-1, Fantasy 5: 22-17-9-26-31 SERVICE Tennessee: Evening Cash 3: 1-2-2, Lucky Sum 5; Cash 4: 9-5-7-2, Lucky Sum: 23 Our mailing address: 2A Monday, June 15, 2009 P.O. Box 1167 Dalton, Ga. 30722-1167 Our shipping address: TODAYS FORUM Habitat 308 S. Thornton Ave. TODAY’S CITIZEN Dalton, Ga. 30720 Editor’s note: Please knees and apologize to ➣ Continued from page 1A keep your comments as NAME: Heather Yo ung Our Web site: Sarah Palin and her 14-year- brief as possible. Get to the old daughter,who he was “This is one of the better AGE: 18 www.daltondailycitizen.com point! Longer comments talking about. Let’s see you projects I’ve been asked to be HOME: Murray County To visit us: should be submitted as let- print this, Mr. Editor.” ters to the editor. If you involved in,”Haynes said. “It’s FAMILY:Grandfather, Our offices are located on the include a name, please a very worthy project. David;grandmother, west side of the intersection of “I agree with the one Hopefully it will add to the spell it. Call (706) 272- who said a beer festival to Lynn; mother, Connie; Thornton Avenue and Morris 7748 to reach Today’s quality of life for our commu- benefit kids is sick. That’s sister, Chelsea Street in downtowN Dalton. Forum. nity.” like having a cannabis festi- We’re open 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wade Owens, 17, is excited WORK/SCHOOL: val to benefit drug rehab.” Monday through Friday. “GM still is not releasing to be a part of the first Habitat Agent at Leonard the names of the 1,323 deal- home in Murray County.