State Farm Lloyds must pay home insurance policyholders $310 million in refunds and interest for overcharges stretching back as far as six years…

This is a drop in the bucket compared to what abuses take place. For those of you interested in obtaining your refund the article goes on to state:

Existing policyholders will receive refunds in the form of credits when they renew their policies. Those who are no longer customers or don’t want to renew will receive checks, according to the state.

6.  Keep your seat-belt fastened until the officer has seen you are wearing it.

Today’s suggestion may keep you from getting a seat-belt violation ticket. You can find the entire collection of suggestions as we compile them by clicking the link on the right hand side of this page. Thanks to the Port Arthur Police Department for allowing us to submit these items to our readers.

5.  Remain calm.  If there are passengers, also ask them to remain quiet and cooperative with all reasonable requests. Do not let anyone in your vehicle make threatening statements or gestures to the officers.

You can find the entire collection of suggestions as we compile them by clicking the link on the right hand side of this page. Thanks to the Port Arthur Police Department for allowing us to submit these items to our readers.

4.  STAY in your vehicle.  If you are asked to exit the vehicle, do so slowly.

You can find the entire collection of suggestions as we compile them by clicking the link on the right hand side of this page. Thanks to the Port Arthur Police Department for allowing us to submit these items to our readers.

3. NEVER attempt to outrun the patrol vehicle or pretend not to see the lights or hear the siren!

As always, you can find the entire collection of suggestions as we compile them by clicking the link on the right hand side of this page. Thanks to the Port Arthur Police Department for allowing us to submit these items to our readers.

2.  When being signaled by an officer to stop, look for the nearest place to position your vehicle as far out of the lane of traffic as possible.  Pull off to the right side of the roadway unless otherwise directed.  Stop and turn on your flashers.

You can find the entire collection of suggestions as we compile them by clicking the link on the right hand side of this page.  Thanks to the Port Arthur Police Department for allowing us to submit these items to our readers.

If you are stopped by a police officer for a violation under our laws or ordinances you are expected to cooperate. Just as the officer strives to maintain a level of professionalism during the traffic stops, drivers and occupants can do their parts, too, by following these simple guidelines.”

1.  Carry proper identification: a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance.

Check back for additional updates as we compile the list of 25 items that the Port Arthur Police Department hopes you consider if you are stopped by a police officer.

The CPSC, in a statement, said owners of the affected Yamaha Rhino vehicles should immediately stop using them until the repairs are made.

The CPSC statement said the agency’s staff has investigated more than 50 incidents involving 46 driver and passenger deaths in these two Rhino models. The agency said “more than two-thirds of the cases involved rollovers and many involved unbelted occupants.”

Many of the accidents “involve turns at relatively low speeds and on level terrain,” the agency said. About 120,000 of the affected Rhino models have been distributed nationwide since the fall of 2003, the agency said.

The CPSC said Yamaha will install a spacer on the rear wheels and remove a rear antisway bar to help reduce the chance of rollover. The company will also continue to install half doors and additional passenger handholds on vehicles that don’t currently have those features.

Earlier this year, tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that Chinese-manufactured drywall contained elevated levels of strontium sulfide, as well as several organic compounds associated with the production of acrylic paint, which were not present in samples of U.S.-made drywall. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said it has received over 800 Chinese drywall complaints since last December. Common features of the reports submitted to the CPSC from homes believed to contain problem Chinese drywall have been: A “rotten egg” smell in homes; health concerns, such as irritated and itchy eyes and skin, difficulty in breathing, persistent cough, bloody noses, runny noses, recurrent headaches, sinus infections, and asthma attacks; and blackened and corroded metal components in homes and the frequent replacement of components in air conditioning units.

During America’s building boom that was followed by hurricane damage that decimated homes and business, building was frenzied. And, while the U.S, had the desire and manpower to meet the need, it lacked sufficient product. U.S. manufacturers could not produce enough to meet the overwhelming demand so millions of square feet of goods was purchased from abroad. It’s estimated that more than 500 million pounds of possibly deficient Chinese drywall entered America between 2004 and 2008. An earlier Associated Press statement revealed that this is enough material to build about 100,000 homes.

Another site reported:

According to its Web site, as of the last week in June the Consumer Product Safety Commission has received more than 570 reports of defective drywall from 19 states and the District of Columbia.

But some numbers suggest that the Chinese imported drywall could be much more widespread. In a February analysis by the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune, using a shipping database from the Port Import Export Reporting Service, more than 550 million pounds of drywall—enough to construct 60,000 average-sized homes—have been imported from China into the U.S. since January 2006, the largest amount by far going to Florida. And that’s not even the full extent of the imports that so far have been the subject of most of the lawsuits—those mostly stem from drywall shipments dating back to 2004.

Our attorneys and staff have personal reasons to support these local programs, but the reality is even without personal ties there is reason to be proud of what our local schools have to offer.

Best of luck in the coming year.  Look for us in the bleachers!