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Midwestern News
Local news stories affecting the auto body industry in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
Michigan Governor Signs Drugged Driving Laws
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed laws to target drivers under the influence of drugs after two young men were killed in a head-on collision by a repeat drugged driver.
The legislation signed Tuesday allows police to conduct a preliminary roadside analysis for controlled and other intoxicating substances. A conditional bond is to be placed on motorists arrested for drugged driving and the information entered into a law enforcement database.
Legislators sponsored the bills after the July 2013 deaths of Russell Ward and Koby Raymo in St. Clair County.
A woman who crossed the center line and struck their vehicle had been pulled over six times in five years for drugged driving, but officers didn’t know she had multiple offenses because they weren’t listed in the Law Enforcement Information Network.
Iowa Body Shop Owner Suspected of Homicide
The owner of an auto repair shop in Waterloo, Iowa is a suspect in a recent homicide case. Anthony Tronca, owner of AJT Auto Repair, was arrested on September 16 and is currently being held at Black Hawk County Jail on drug and weapons charges.
Lt. Michael McNamee of the Waterloo Police Department said Tronca is a suspect in the homicide but has not been officially charged.
On Sept. 9, 44-year-old Ronald Dean Randall of Waterloo was reported missing. Waterloo Police searched a wooded area south of Waterloo off highway 218 and located a body believed to be Randall. An autopsy report determined that the death was a homicide. Tronca’s girlfriend, Jessica Ogden, was arrested on Sept. 15 and later released on bond.
Anyone with information concerning this investigation is encouraged to call the Waterloo Police Department at 319-291-4340 or Crime Stoppers at 855-300-8477.
IHCC of Iowa Holds Fundraiser for Auto Collision Program
On the afternoon of October 4, the parking lot of Indian Hills Community College Advanced Technology Center was occupied by children slamming cars with sledge hammers and family members admiring antique cars.
The car demolition and classic car show served as a fundraiser for the auto collision program, which received 100 percent of the proceeds. One of the antiques, which had been donated by a fellow student, was painted to look like a classic cop car by the auto collision program.
The annual craft fair is one way that Indian Hills Community College involves children and community families in the maroon and gold homecoming celebration every year, according to Danielle Lunsford/The Courier .
Ken Borth Auto in Iowa Has New Owner
Dale Kabrick, who has served as the body shop manager at Ken Borth Auto Plaza for the past seven years, has assumed ownership of the body shop and service departments, according to reports by Randy M. Cauthron, spencerdailyreporter.com.
Kabrick took ownership of the collision, repair and service operation at Ken Borth Auto Plaza in south Spencer on October 1. Previous Owner Ken Borth will continue to run the car dealership and rental service.
From collision and auto body work, to general mechanical service, Kabrick said he and his staff can service all cars from the newest models, to foreign and domestic -- including European vehicles, according to Cauthron. Tyne, Kabrick's wife, has a full-time job in the OB unit at Spencer Hospital, but plans to help with business operations. Kabrick and Tyne have two daughters, Lauren and Jillian.
Kabrick studied auto collision at Northwest Iowa Community College, and worked as a mechanic for three years prior to his position at Ken Borth Auto Plaza.
Reports by Cauthron state that the company has a website in the works - kbautobody.com -- where customers can go to review a complete list of services and schedule appointments.
MN AG Sues Texas Company Selling Extended Auto Warranties
MN Attorney General Lori Swanson is suing a Texas auto warranty company for deceptive tactics, saying it's violating its promise of a full refund within 30 days.
The lawsuit is part of a broader investigation into extended auto warranty practices, Swanson said.
The state is seeking unspecified civil penalties, and restitution for affected customers of Enterprise Financial Group Inc. of Irving, Tex. The company has sold more than 3,700 extended auto warranties to Minnesota customers since 2009, according to the state's lawsuit filed Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court. The warranties, also called service contracts, typically cost between $1,600 and $2,600.Auto warranty companies have been a perennial source of trouble for consumers, from annoying robocalls and deceptive warranties to companies collapsing and leaving policyholders on the hook. In an interview, Swanson said she thinks the improving economy is creating an opening for bad sales practices.
ABRA Auto Body & Glass Expands in Two Midwestern States
ABRA Auto Body & Glass announced the opening of its newest franchise in Fort Madison, Iowa along with the acquisition of Corpo Collision Center in Schaumburg, Illinois. It’s ABRA’s 50th franchise and the company’s second acquisition in Illinois in 14 days.
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CARSTAR Expands MSO Network in Kentucky
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts announced on October 8 that CARSTAR Hall’s Collision Center has joined North America’s largest collision repair MSO network, expanding its presence in Kentucky.
CARSTAR Hall’s Collision Center is located at 3947 Bardstown Rd. in Louisville, KY, and is owned by Harold Hall. Hall, who has been in business since 1967 and at his current location since 1970, joined CARSTAR for the knowledge, training, and expertise that the company can offer a shop wanting to grow. The shop is a family affair, with Hall’s son, David, managing the operation.
“My father met another CARSTAR owner who seemed happy with his business,” said David Hall. “At that point we made contact with CARSTAR, and went from there. We needed knowledge, and didn’t want to move forward alone.”
Gerber Collision & Glass Opens New Repair Center in Michigan
The Boyd Group Inc. (the "Boyd Group") announced on September 3 the opening of a new Collision & Glass Repair Center in Roseville, Michigan.
Repair Shop Owner Participates in Wheels to Prosper, Inspired to Do More
Kubly’s Automotive in Brodhead, WI
On December 5, Kubly’s Automotive in Brodhead, WI, will donate a refurbished Chevrolet Malibu to a lucky family in need through a program called Wheels to Prosper.
The giveaway will take place during the annual Fire N Ice festival, which attracts over half of Brodhead’s 3,500 residents, according to Dusty Kubly, owner of Kubly’s Automotive.
Click HERE to download the PDF version of this article.
Michigan is Establishing a Test Town for Driverless Cars
Michigan's Department of Transportation, the University of Michigan, and 13 companies are contributing to the $6.5 million, 30-acre testing ground, according to reports by Devin Connors, escapistmagazine.com.
Michigan, home of three American major auto manufacturers, wants the facility to be within their state lines.
On the north edge of Ann Arbor's University of Michigan flagship campus, a ghost town will be set aside for the driverless. The test town is being built by the Michigan DoT, the aforementioned university's Mobility Transformation Center, and 13 private-sector companies. Some of the names involved include Bosch, Econolite, Ford, General Motors, and Toyota, according to Connors.
The facility will include every day driving occurrences, like traffic lights and stop signs, and some not-so-every day obstacles, like robotic construction crews and pedestrians popping out from behind parked cars.
Car-to-car communication is the main technology being tested, according to Connors. Companies hope that eventually vehicles will be able to stay a safe distance from each other, etc., regardless of different models/dealers.