Salvage News

Bench Trial Requested for Ind. Sheriff’s Son in Arson Case

A Johnson County, Ind. judge will hold a bench trial for Morgan County Sheriff Robert Garner’s 23-year-old son, who faces arson and other charges. Robert Jake Garner faces 19 felony counts, including eight counts of arson, for a series of …

Few Kan. Residents Covered by Flood Insurance

While his flooded neighbors faced an uncertain future, homeowner Bob Foust was already well under way this week repairing the water damage to his house upstream of the refinery’s oil spill. Not only did his house escape the oily gunk …

Ore. Storm Damages Crops

A severe thunderstorm damaged alfalfa, potato and strawberry crops in southern Oregon. Several alfalfa fields in Malin, where the crop had been more than 4 feet tall, were sheered, as though cut by mowers, the (Klamath Falls) Herald and News …

Best Upgrades/Affirms Ratings on Old Republic and Subs

A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to “A+” (Superior) from “A” (Excellent) and the ICR to “aa-” from “a” of Chicago-based Old Republic General Insurance Corporation (ORGENCO). Best has also affirmed the FSR of “A” (Excellent) …

Katrina-Like Storm Could Wipe Out N.C.’s Outer Banks, Experts Warn

For more than 200 years, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has guided sailors through the “graveyard of the Atlantic” — the shallow shores of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. But not even the nation’s tallest lighthouse is safe from the merciless grind …

N.H., Maine Still Dealing with Flooding, Power Outages, Washed-Out Roads

Rain continued falling on much of New Hampshire late Wednesday, keeping some schools closed and lengthening the morning commute for drivers detouring around washed-out roads. Thousands of homes and businesses still had no power, and the state’s largest utility, Public …

Auto Dealers Urge Congress to Make Available Data on Totaled Vehicles

The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) asked the U.S. Senate to bring more transparency to the used-car buying process by requiring insurance companies to provide consumers access to data on severely damaged, stolen and flooded vehicles. David Regan, VP of …

2 Pa. Men Face 35 Years Jail Time for Reselling Stolen Autos

Two Pennsylvania men have been sentenced to a combined 35 years in state prison for their roles in an auto theft ring responsible for thefts of more than $3 million worth of vehicles, according to New Jersey Attorney General Stuart …

Calif. Citrus Growers Expected to File 3,000 Claims from Cold Snap

Freezing temperatures that destroyed a wide swath of crops in California are expected to bring in a flood of claims, according to California regulators. With a $1 billion agricultural damage estimate, officials said citrus growers alone will likely file 3,000 …

Fla. Faces Destruction Delivered by 4 Christmas Tornadoes

Four Christmas Day tornadoes damaged hundreds of Florida homes, with one flipping airplanes at a flight school and tearing the roofs off three apartment buildings, accoording to officials. Gov. Jeb Bush late Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Columbia, …