Newswires

Jan. 10– With Republicans waging primary election battles in New Hampshire and South Carolina, President Barack Obama’s Pennsylvania re-election campaign is ratcheting up. The campaign will open its first Pennsylvania field office at 1031 W. Linden Street in Allentown on Thursday night to go with its state headquarters, which is in Philadelphia.

Jan. 10– FORT WORTH– A co-conspirator in the shooting deaths of two men during a convenience store robbery testified Monday that he was “scared” of accused gunman Kwame Rockwell. Chance M. Smith testified outside the presence of the jury that Rockwell had taken pictures of Smith and Smith’s mother and e-mailed them to his girlfriend in Mexico.

Jan. 10– PLANT CITY– Barbara and Rick Borchers sold their house and paid their mortgage in full eight years ago. But now, all these years later, another lender, Bank of America, is suing them for foreclosure on the same house. “Everyone I tell says,’ That’s impossible, it’s a scam, somebody is pulling your leg,'” Barbara Borchers said.

A nearly three-decade legal battle involving contaminated groundwater has so far resulted in about $150 million in recovered insurance costs for a chemical firm with Missouri ties, the firm’s lawyers say.

HealthPlanCRM and Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc. have extended and expanded their partnership, strengthening an engagement which began more than five years ago. Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, headquartered in Albany, serves Medicare Advantage in 24 counties within New York State and offers statewide Medicare Supplement plans.

ECRI Institute’s new report, Top 10 C-Suite Watch List: Hospital Technology Issues for 2012, available for free download, contains executive-level overviews and ECRI Institute’s unbiased perspectives on complex and high-profile technologies and processes of care that are prominent and will continue to be so in the next few years.

Daniel Fay has joined MassMutual’s Retirement Services Division as key account manager effective December 2. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Fay is focused on strengthening MassMutual’s relationships with the company’s key accounts and retirement plan advisory firms in the Eastern region.

Gemini Fund Services, a supplier of investment solutions, has announced the expansion and growth of the Northern Lights Variable Trust. “Gemini is committed to providing our advisors with solutions to bring successful investment vehicles to the market and meet the evolving needs of investors,” said Andrew Rogers, President of Gemini Fund Services, in a release. “

Lockton Affinity, an insurance program manager, said that it has expanded its government contracting expertise with the addition of Sara Payne as a Senior Vice President. “Sara Payne is recognized as a leader in managing complex insurance programs for government contractors,” said Steve Eginoire, Chairman and CEO of Lockton Affinity, in a release. “

Lincoln Financial Group has announced the appointment of Emily Pachuta as Head of the Consumer Insights group within the Insurance Solutions/Retirement Solutions division. Prior to Lincoln, she was Director of Field Marketing at Merrill Lynch’s Global Private Client Group.

According to a recent survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, many consumers overlook life insurance as a potential source of immediate funds. “When thinking about everyday finances, life insurance is not top of mind for most Americans,” said NAIC Vice President and North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm, in a release. “

Jan. 10– California once again starts a new year in a budget hole, one the state has been trying to climb out of primarily with the help of a single tool: spending cuts. The budget deficit for the coming fiscal year is expected to be $9.2 billion, far less than last year’s $26 billion hole but significant nonetheless.

Jan. 09– WALLA WALLA– A small group of archaeologists will dig up new ground for Fort Walla Walla Museum. James Payne, Fort Walla Walla Museum director and state certified archaeologist, said more states are requiring contractors to hire certified. Affairs Medical Center, Myra Road for the city and Russell Creek Road for the county.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9– The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release:.

Wefve been perfecting our electrical risk management approach for 12 years with NFPA 70 E assessments that go beyond industry standards. The launch of the new site also comes at a time when 2012 changes are being implemented into NFPA 70 E, the standard code for electrical safety in the workplace.

Jan. 10– There’s a good chance you haven’t seen or heard anything from longtime area head pro Robert Spangler since his last course, Island Green Golf Club, closed in August. It closed under Signature Golf’s management, and is expected to reopen no later than Sunday under new management that doesn’t involve Spangler.

Jan. 10– Surfside Beach has agreed to financial settlements in a pair of lawsuits filed by former employees who said they were wrongfully terminated from their positions with the town.

When Assistant U. S. Attorney Gerald Burke asked the 64- year-old swindler where he got the money to pay for his one-way $99 airfare to Denver to report to prison, he said he borrowed it from his mother and his ex-wife. He must report on Jan. 18 to the Englewood Federal Correctional Institution in Littleton, Colo., to serve a 20- year sentence.

Jan. 09– The Michael R. Mastro bankruptcy trustee has asked a judge to approve payment of $2.8 million in recovered funds to the fugitive real-estate magnate’s many creditors. If there are no hitches, trustee James Rigby said Monday, the checks could be in mail by mid-February.