RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 1 -- The North Carolina Department of Insurance issued the following news release:
Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin today announced the arrest of Daniel Owen Carson, 54, of 7777 Rock Meadows Trail Court in Denver, N.C.; he is charged with one count each of obtaining property by false pretense and with failure to pay group insurance premiums.
Department of Insurance criminal investigators allege that from June to September 2011, Carson did not pay group insurance premiums, causing employees of Lake Norman Dental Center in Denver to lose group health insurance coverage without proper notice. Carson is accused of continuing to deduct health care premiums from employees' paychecks during that time even though the employees did not have health insurance coverage.
Carson was arrested on July 30 in Lincoln County and placed under a $4,000 unsecured bond.
The Department of Insurance employs 20 sworn state law enforcement officers dedicated to investigating and prosecuting claims of insurance and bail bonding fraud. Since Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin took office in 2009, criminal investigators have received more than 14,000 complaints, resulting in 602 arrests, 333 criminal convictions and more than 110 pending court cases. These efforts have delivered more than $48.5 million in restitution and recoveries for victims.
An estimated 10 cents of every dollar paid in premiums goes toward the payment of fraudulent claims. To report suspected fraud, contact the Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840. Callers may remain anonymous. Information is also available at www.ncdoi.com.
Rebecca Denton (rebeccasbrain on Twitter) wrote "Boris Johnson stuck on a zip line in Victoria Park. I kid you not." in her Tweet with this photo.
London Mayor Boris Johnson got stuck midair on a zip line Wednesday during a celebration for 2012 Olympic Games.
ITV, the British partner of NBC News, reported that Johnson had to be pulled the remainder of the way by people on the ground.
According to The Telegraph newspaper,?Johnson was the first person to use the zip line, in Victoria Park, East London. "Get me a rope, get me a ladder," ITV quoted him as saying. "I think the brakes got stuck.?
The Telegraph said witnesses reported that Johnson spent the approximately five minutes suspended in the air waving two British flags and leading the audience in cheering the British Olympic team.
The newspaper quoted a spokesman for Johnson as saying the mayor "remained unbowed" by the incident. "The judges will rightly be marking him down for artistic impression,? the spokesman said.
The cause of the incident was not immediately clear.
London mayor Boris Johnson attempts to make a dramatic entrance at an Olympic party?but gets stranded on a zip wire instead. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
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Click for more from the 2012 summer games in London.
Sarah Jones, a former NFL cheerleader with the Cincinnati Bengals, is speaking out about being called the "female Sandusky."
The 27-year-old, who also worked as a high school teacher in Kentucky, was accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student last year. The case has earned her the nickname the "female [Jerry] Sandusky," linking her to the former Penn State assistant football coach who was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys.
"To read those things and not be able to comment, not be able to stick up for myself is not fair," Jones told ABC News. "People don't know the real me. There's blogs and postings out there that I have slept with numerous people. I married my high school sweetheart... I just asked the general public to maybe hold their judgment a little bit longer until the truth comes out."
In April, the former high school teacher and one-time captain of the Cincinnati Ben-Gals cheerleading squad plead not guilty to charges of first-degree sexual abuse and unlawful use of electronic devices.
The prosecution alleges the woman sent "steamy" texts to her student and later told him to "deny everything," according to ABC News.
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According to Fox19, Jones' attorney, Eric Deters, filed a motion to dismiss charges against the former cheerleader stating: "The Commonwealth does not have a single witness that there was any sex. There is not a single sealed text message that would reflect there was sex in any state, much less Kentucky. There is no confession. There is no admission. There is only speculative conjecture."
Jones continues to maintain her innocence and says the allegations against her have been fueled by gossip.
"The biggest challenge of teaching high school is rumors," she told Fox19. "That's what this is. This whole thing has gotten completely out of control. At the end of the day, everyone will know the truth."
Jones first made headlines when she landed on Nik Richie's blog, The Dirty, in 2010.
Richie's website featured postings about Jones from anonymous sources, who alleged the former cheerleader had sex with the entire Bengals team, had STDs, and even engaged in sexual intercourse in her classroom. Jones sued Richie, citing defamation, libel and invasion of privacy, Forbes reported in March.
Jones spoke about her issue with The Dirty during an interview with Anderson Cooper in November of last year, saying, ?One day I was this credible teacher that they looked up to and listened to. The next day I was a slut to them. I had a student come in and say I cannot come into my classroom and learn because you had sex in here and you're a slut.?
Motions to dismiss the case against the former cheerleader were scheduled to be heard on July 30.
You are here: Home / Blog / Blog / Priming the Pump ? Data is the New Oil for Any Business
You don?t have to be Experian or IBM to tap into the richness of data.? Even a roadside sandwich shop could be sitting on fuel that is the future of marketing.? According to the Direct Marketing Association?s acting president and CEO, Linda Woolley, ?Big data is the coin of the realm in marketing right now, and everyone wants to know their consumer better in order to cater to their needs.?
Though the desire may be great, few businesses are leveraging data insights to drive strategy and even fewer know where to start.? According to a poll conducted in February at the Aprimo Marketing Summit 2012, only 11.6% of respondents are doing anything to integrate data into their promotional decisions, while 14.9% are still scratching their heads wondering ?What Is Big Data??.
Whether you are a multi-million dollar operation or an up-and-coming entrepreneur, forget about the adjective ?big? for a moment and keep it simple.? Think about where and how you store information about your current clients and prospects.
In some cases, you may have to dust cobwebs off of trans-files, but more often you?ll be surprised in the sophistication of your databases.?? Look to your contact list, transaction receipts, reservation software or customer relationship management system ? - ? anything that you can download into a spreadsheet containing at least a name and zip code is a resource.? The more insights within each resource and the ability to merge databases together is all the better, but in need not be complex. Instead, think in terms of statistically significant and all of a sudden ?big? becomes ?manageable?, ?attainable? and ?actionable? if shared with a marketing partner, who can leverage your information into relevant, timely and measurable communications.
Most companies do not have a team of statisticians, let alone a marketing department, who knows how to interpret data and utilize it in customizable, creative ways for outreach.? If you do, you are in the minority.? For your data to go ?big?, it must be shared with experts for analysis and comparison to the universe of aggregated publically available information from U.S. households, individuals and other businesses.? Then, and only then, can you make intelligent marketing decisions with regard to message, offer, media channel, and more.
Priming the pump and tapping into the ?new oil? is only one spreadsheet away.? Make data a driving force behind every marketing decision you make.
CHICAGO (AP) ? Exelon, the nation's largest supplier of wholesale electric power, reported weak second-quarter earnings on Wednesday amid a nationwide slump in electricity prices.
Net income was $286 million, or 33 cents per share on revenue of $5.95 billion. Adjusted to exclude the costs associated with the company's recent acquisition of Constellation Energy and other items, Exelon earned $522 million, or 61 cents per share.
Analysts expected the company to make 64 cents per share on revenue of $4.43 billion, according to FactSet.
The results are not directly comparable to last year because the company has since acquired Constellation and began incorporating those results.
Exelon, based in Chicago, operates the largest number of nuclear plants in the U.S. and has operations in 47 states. Its power plants sell electricity into wholesale markets in regions of the country that have deregulated power markets. In those markets, the price of power paid to all generators is generally set by the price of natural gas-fired generation. A glut of natural gas in the U.S. brought on by increased production and a historically warm winter has pushed wholesale power prices down, denting the results of Exelon and other wholesale generators.
The company's generation results were also hurt by higher nuclear fuel costs and higher operating and maintenance costs. Operating expenses grew from $3.46 billion last year to $5.22 billion in the recent quarter.
Exelon also operates regulated utilities that deliver power to 6.6 million customers in Maryland, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Results at those utilities slipped because of lower rates allowed by regulators and higher maintenance costs.
In midday trading Exelon shares fell 18 cents to $38.94.
Don?t sing ?The Lazy Song? (by Bruno Mars) and expect results. ?Today I don?t feel like doing anything, I just wanna lay in my bed, don?t feel like picking up my phone, so leave a message at the tone?,? won?t get you results. And it?s not enough to just be doing the day-to-day work to achieve success. As an executive you know that it often time takes going the extra mile to get the job done or reach the goal. Your mindset should be engaged to apply some of those same strategies and tactics with your career.
1.???????? Big picture thinking. Most executives have the ability to focus on the big picture and not get bogged down with little details (they delegate those pieces). In your career plan, focus on what is going well, what isn?t working, and change the action plan accordingly.
2.???????? Streamline processes. Use technology (programs, apps, smartphone) to help you manage data, calendar, contacts, etc. Entering this data could even be delegated to someone else to free up your time for tasks that only you can do.
3.???????? Smart networking. Make the most of the time you invest in networking.? Be prepared (who will attend, who do you want to meet?) for better results. Follow up by sending a pertinent article/resource or suggesting a meet-up at some future time.
4.???????? Hire a professional. I don?t imagine you would drill and fill your own teeth. The same applies to your career. Consider a professional career coach to help you with interview techniques, job search strategies, and salary negotiations. ?
5.???????? Guard your online image. Google yourself, recruiters and hiring managers will. Keep your posts professional, and profiles updated including a recent professional picture, up-to-date contact information and career details.
6.???????? Mastermind. In Napoleon Hill?s book ?Think and Grow Rich,? he introduces the concept of a mastermind group where people surround themselves with mentors, and like-minded professionals to tap for advice and information sharing. Putting together your own group like this can be quite beneficial. If you prefer working with one person, seek out someone who you admire for his or her talents and successes.
7.???????? Dress for success. In most corporate settings, executives are expected to dress a notch above the general staff. This denotes authority and can exude confidence. Maintain the same dress code during job search mode ? your clothes speak volumes without saying a word.
8.???????? Ongoing professional development. The business world is changing at breakneck speed and a portion of what you learned in college years ago is handled differently today. Be attractive to a prospective employer with continuing your education and staying up-to-date in your specialty field. ?
With the recent passing of Stephen R. Covey, we can all be reminded of his famous quote, ?Start with the end in mind.? As you are reflecting on your career, preparing for a promotion or a transition to another company or industry, examine your goals and what you want to ultimately accomplish. Do you want to retire in 10 years? Start your own company? Move up the corporate ladder? Whatever your goals, start with the end in mind to create your career action plan. Invest in yourself by investing in your career.