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PacifiCare Life Assurance Company’s wallet is a bit lighter this week. It seems the insurance company did not look into claims properly before slapping that big red DENIED stamp on the file. Not only did PacificCare have to pay a fine of $46,000 . . . they had to go back over 10,000 claims.
4,928 of the denied claims were actually legit and will be paid.
You’ve heard the slogan: “Get it and get it back.” While the GoodNewsPDX staff lacks any significant mechanical or engineering background, our understanding is that when LoJack is installed on a vehicle or pricey electronic like a laptop, if that item goes missing, a satelite / GPS / super cool tracking system kicks in and pinpoints the boosted goods.
True to form, LoJack helped locate a disgruntled teen in Kelso Wa. Deputies were alerted to a LoJack signal in their area and eventually pulled over Alexander Zweber. The car which the 19-year-old Zweber was driving belonged to his FATHER. Apparently Zweber got into a fight with his parents and was trying to drive from Kelso to Arizona to see his girlfriend.
He’s facing charges and will likely ring in 2009 behind bars. At this point GoodNewsPDX has not been able to confirm whether or not Zweber at least filled up the tank during his runaway attempt. Speculation is that, like most ungrateful teens, the car was on “E” when it got back to dad.
The US Postal Service is unveiling the new stamps for 2009. One of the series commemorates Oregon’s 150th anniversary. You can view the stamp here.
Among the other sets this year is a celebration of TV’s golden age including icons like Lucy and Groucho.
Neither rain nor sleet nor snow nor ice . . . No matter the elements, the dancers at Oregon Ballet Theater would not be deterred. They did not cancel a single show during the Arctic Blast and happily exchanged tickets if attendees were unable to make their planned night.
THAT’S dedication!
After, in some cases, WEEKS of no trash pickup thanks to snow and ice, it looks like almost everyone will finally be able to get rid of their waste this week as trash collection resumes around the city.
The standard seems to be that collection agencies are not offering refunds for missed pick ups but they ARE grabbing extra bags this week if your can is overflowing. Of course you should check with your individual service provider and not take GoodNewsPDX word as gospel in this case.
A great piece today in The Columbian about a local historic church that recently got renovated. The owners managed to maintain the historic look while integrating new technology.
The entire GoodNewsPDX staff would like to apologize for the lack of posting on Christmas Day.
On a completely unrelated note . . . the nursing staff in the ICU at Providence St Vincent Hospital are truly wonderful human beings.
Thanks to news that GMAC is getting a piece of the $700 Billion rescue fund, Wall Street saw a bit of a post-Christmas bump. The Dow Jones industrial average popped up more than half a percent as did the S and P.
When a 21-year-old Salem man pulled over around 1 PM on Christmas Day, he thought he was offering a ride to a young woman in need. But after he drove the lady to her apartment, she whipped out a gun and sped off in the man’s hummer.
A few minutes later, a Salem police officer stopped the truck and took the young woman into custody. Inside the vehicle he found a gun and the victim’s wallet. The suspect who is a juvenile is looking at several charges including first degree kidnapping.
Fresh off their first trip to the land of Bracket-ville, PSU stunned 7th-ranked Gonzaga AT Gonzaga 77-70. This marks the first victory for the Vikings over a ranked team in 12 attempts.
The victory marks only the THIRD loss by Gonzaga at home in the last 58 games. All of this after snow and ice stretched travel an extra DAY. The Vikings were supposed to fly out at 9 AM on Monday to Spokane. In reality they had to catch a bus north which was delayed further at the Snoqualmie Pass, finally arriving around 1:30 on TUESDAY.
