Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A, The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, January 25, 2006
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U.S. Labor Department Sues
National Workforce, Inc.
Special to the Ledger
The U.S. Department of Labor has sued
National Workforce Inc., Leesburg, Ga.,
and two of its executives for mismanage
ment of the firm’s employee health plan.
“The law clearly requires those who
administer health plans to do so in a
careful, prudent and honest manner
solely for the benefit of participants,”
said Howard Marsh, director of the
department’s Atlanta regional office of
the Employee Benefits Security Adminis
tration (EBSA).
Filed in U.S. District Court in Albany,
Ga., the department’s legal action alleges
that the company, its chief executive of
ficer, Charles Kirkpatrick, and its chief
operating officer, Sandra Kirkpatrick,
violated provisions of the Employee Re
tirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
The suit charges that the defendants
imprudently selected plan service provid
ers, administrators and reinsurers, which
resulted in the non-payment of claims to
participants. The suit also alleges that the
defendants caused or allowed plan assets
to be transferred outside of the jurisdic
tion of U.S. district courts, and that they
engaged in prohibited transactions.
The suit seeks a judgment ordering
the defendants to restore to the plan all
losses, including interest or lost earn
ings, which occurred due to their alleged
ERISA violations. The department is
also asking the court to remove the de
fendants from their positions as fiducia
ries and appoint a successor to take over
operation of the plan.
Employers with similar problems, who
are not yet the subject of an investigation
by EBSA, may be eligible to participate
in the department’s Voluntary Fiduciary
Correction Program (VFCP). Participa
tion in the VFCP requires employers to
correct violations of the law but allows
them to avoid EBSA enforcement actions
and civil penalties as well as any appli
cable excise taxes. For more information
about the VFCP, see www.dol.gov/ebsa.
The case resulted from an investigation
conducted by EBSA’s Atlanta regional
office. Employers and workers can con
tact the regional office at (404) 562-2156
or EBSA’s toll free number, 1-866-444-
EBSA (3272), for help with problems
relating to private-sector pension and
health plans.
Leesburg Police Files Weekly Report
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Chief Charles Moore reports
that Leesburg police officers
worked several cases recently
including cases involving
entering motor vehicle, terror
istic acts, criminal trespass,
identity theft, forgery, lost
- mislaid property, theft by
taking, aggravated battery.
On January 23, a high
school student reported to
Major David Bullington that
Jenny Holloway, a 4th
grader at Lee County
Elementary School,
was the school winner
of the 2006 Georgia
National “Fair Bear”
writing contest.
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her car had been entered
while parked in the student
parking lot at the high school
and several items had been
removed.
On January 21, Corporal
Robert A. Anglin received a
report from a driver on West
Main Street that a group of
juveniles threw something at
her car causing damage to the
door.
Corporal Henry J. Dun
can III received a criminal
trespass report January 20
from a high school student
that his vehicle was damage
by someone scratching the
driver’s side door.
Sgt. David Turner was
contacted at the police station
in reference to identity theft.
The victims’ identity was be
used in an out of state loca
tion where a family member
resides. They were told to
contact the authorities at that
location.
Corporal Robert S. Anglin
worked a criminal trespass
case January 20. A driver of
a vehicle on Magnolia Street
reported that a dog with a
chain jumped up on his ve
hicle scratching it. The owner
of the dog agreed to pay for
the repair to the vehicle,
Sgt. David Turner worked
a forgery case January 20. A
store on Walnut Street cashed
a payroll check with identi
fication but the identification
and check were forged.
Lt. Monterey Moody
worked a lost - mislaid prop
erty case January 18. The
victim reported losing her
cell phone but did not know
where the phone was lost.
Corporal Robert S. Anglin
worked a gas drive off Janu
ary 17 at a convenience store
on Hwy 19.
Andrew Bernard Lockett,
of 125 Magnolia Avenue,
Leesburg and student at Lee
County High School, was
charged with aggravated
battery by Corporal Henry J.
Duncan III after hitting and
kicking another student at
the high school. That student
was checked by a doctor who
diagnosed him with a broken
jaw and several contusions
(deep bruises).
Lt. Gregory A. Barrett
worked a theft by taking
case at the Lee County Fire
- E.M.S. Station in Leesburg.
Lt. Barrett was told by a
paramedic that a Sony Play
Station 2 belonging to the
E.M.S. had been removed
from the dayroom. The
PlayStation 2 was located in
one of the fire department
bedrooms.
Oxendine: Thousands Helped
In 2005; $15.7 Million In
Insurance Claims Recovered
Special to the Ledger
In 2005, Insurance Commissioner John
W. Oxendine’s office helped thousands of
Georgia consumers settle disputes with their
insurance companies, returning $15.7 million
in insurance claims to policyholders, money
they might not have received without his help.
“Representatives in our Consumer Services
Division helped consumers and businesses
retrieve $15,660,488,” Oxendine said. “Many
of the citizens who called my office had claim
disputes with insurance companies, and our
investigators were able to secure a settlement
favorable to the consumer.”
Over the past ten years, Oxendine’s office
has retrieved $136.45 million.
Specialists in Oxendine’s Consumer Ser
vices Division can help with problems in
life, health, auto and homeowners insurance.
Consumers can call even if they just want
their insurance policy explained or reviewed,
the Commissioner said.
“Our office takes calls Monday through Fri
day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., so we can offer the
convenience of assisting consumers by phone
after traditional working hours,” Oxendine
added.
Consumers with insurance questions or
problems can contact the Consumer Services
Division at 404-656-2070, or toll-free at
1-800-656-2298. Consumers can also file a
complaint via the Department’s Web site at
www.gainsurance.org. Or write to: Georgia
Insurance Commissioner, Consumer Services
Division, 716 West Tower, 2 Martin Luther
King, Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30334.
The Commissioner also sends field rep
resentatives to counties outside the metro
politan Atlanta area at least once a month.
Consumers can meet with an investigator for
face-to-face advice on any type of insurance
problem. Georgians can call the number
above to find out when an investigator will be
in their area.
Smithville to Receive $102,472
for Project Funding
Special to the Ledger
State Transportation Board
member W.R Bill Langdale
and Georgia DOT Commis
sioner Harold Linnenkohl
recently announced the re
cipients of the Transportation
Enhancement (TE) program
funds for FY06 and FY07
for the 2nd Congressional
District.
The TE program is feder
ally-funded and was originally
established in 1991 by the
Intermodal Surface Transpor
tation Efficiency Act (ISTEA).
The program was continued
by the Transportation Eq
uity Act for the 21st Century
(TEA-21) in 1998. The Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Ef
ficient Transportation Eq
uity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU) passed in the
fall of 2005 and provided the
program with further federal
funding. The Georgia DOT’s
Office of Planning manages
the TE program in Georgia.
Langdale said, “The TE pro
gram provides transportation
enhancement projects that not
only emphasize community
beatification but also provide a
better traveling experience for
Georgians.”
There are 12 eligible activi
ties that can be funded by the
TE program which include
multi-use facilities such as
walking and biking trails and
paths; streetscaping and land
scaping projects in cities and
towns; historic preservation of
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transportation-related facili
ties like railroad depots; and
scenic preservation of views
and scenic byways.
During the 2005 TE Call for
Projects, the Georgia DOT
received a total of 275 eligible
applications representing
combined requests statewide
of over $220 million in federal
funds from all 13 congressio
nal districts by the September
23, 2005 deadline. In this
selection round, $54.6 million
in federal funds were available
for Federal Fiscal Year 2006-
07 to be distributed evenly
statewide; $4.2 million was
available for each congres
sional district for the two-year
selection.
Up to 80 percent of the funds
being used for these projects
have been provided by the
Federal Highway Administra
tion (FHWA), with the local
governments funding the
remainder of the total project
cost.
In Lee County, the City of
Smithville will receive fund
ing for Smithville Streetscape
Improvements in the amount
of $102,472.