State Farm

Choice of builder near for State Farm officesState Farm Insurance Co. is close to deciding who will get to build its 402,000-square-foot regional headquarters in Frederick, and a Virginia construction company appears to have the upper hand.State Farm spokeswoman Shari Wisnewski says Manhattan Construction Co. of Fairfax last week submitted what appears to be the low bid at $28.1 million. But the deal won't be final until State Farm's home office in Illinois goes over the seven competing bids.

WHAT'S A good gesture for "I'm sorry?"That's the subject of a new contest sponsored by the AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety as the latest attempt to curb road rage takes root.Drivers with ideas are urged to log onto the foundation's Web site at http: //www.aaafts.org and scroll through the page until directions for the contest appear.Most drivers refuse to accept it when they have made a road-related mistake -- instead they take the opposite tack and make an obscene gesture or blast their horn in defiance and utter arrogance.

Editor: On the evening of Nov. 16, Patterson Mill Middle High School PTSA sponsored its sixth annual PTSA Bingo. This event is our PTSA's primary fundraiser, funding activities and programs for both Middle School and High School students and faculty. Without a tremendous amount of help, this event would not be possible. Therefore, Sue Parks and Renee Guerassio, on behalf of the PMMHS PTSA  would like to say a tremendous THANK YOU to the following businesses, organizations and families for their generous donations and support: Arbonne; Applebee's; Arena Club; Aruba Tanning Salon; Back to the Racks; The Baltimore Orioles; The Baltimore Ravens; Barnes & Noble; Bath and Body Works; Bel Air Athletic Club; Billiards Bar and Grill; Chick-Fil-A; Chili's; Classic Snacks - Jay Lloyd; Carol Benson and Family; Coffee Coffee; Dawn Markovic; The Deane Grandparents; Dunkin Donuts; Edible Arrangements; Edna Engle; Einstein Brothers Bagels; Famous Dave's; Firestone - Edgewood; Five Guys; Flowers by Lucy; Fortunato's; Friendly's; Friendship Wine & Liquors; Girlee Gurlz; Angles Hair Team; Dark Horse; Duclaw's; Italian Sensations; Hair Cuttery; Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy; Jiffy Lube; Kathy Yokemick; The Lloyd Family; Looney's Pub; Mary Margaret Jacobs and Family; Mastercuts; McComas Funeral Home; McDonalds; Meryl Norman - Dawn Markovic; Michael Bogner and Family; Michele Deane and Family; Michelle Kennedy; The Mill; M&J Complete Auto Care; Outback Steakhouse;...

In the six months that have passed since Margaret Fulcher received her most recent homeowners insurance policy, she has moved on from being shocked to simply incensed. The premium to fully insure her Baltimore rowhouse increased fourfold last year — to a sum she can ill afford and one that she thinks does not accurately represent the cost of replacing her home. "This is a case of homeowners insurance underwater," said Fulcher, comparing her premium to a mortgage that is worth more than the home to which it is attached.

Two women who work for a State Farm insurance agent in Randallstown sued him and his corporate employer Tuesday, saying he repeatedly subjected them to sexual harassment, vile insults and a hostile work environment. Kristi Mitchell and Veronica Cobb are seeking at least $4 million in punitive damages from the agent, Obie Sorrell, and State Farm Annuity and Life Insurance Co., a Fortune 500 company based in Bloomington, Ill., that has 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees. Mitchell has been an office manager for State Farm since February 2002, and Cobb was hired in May as a customer-service manager.

State Farm Classic The leader ... Doug Johnson 66 ... and selected followers Jim Thorpe 67 George Burns 68 Jose Maria Canizares 68 Bob Gilder 69 Bobby Cole 69 Jim Holtgrieve 69 Bruce Fleisher 71 Graham Marsh 71 Tom Kite 72 Lanny Wadkins 72 Allen Doyle 73 Dana Quigley 73 J. C. Snead 74 Leonard Thompson 78 Complete scores. [ Page 8c]

A day after two Baltimore County women sued their supervisor, a State Farm insurance agent, and State Farm Annuity and Life Insurance Co. on grounds of sexual harassment, assault and defamation, a company representative said Wednesday that it would investigate the allegations. Jen Alvarez, a State Farm spokeswoman in Virginia, said that company officials had not had an opportunity to study the filing, and she would not discuss personnel issues. "What we can tell you is that we take any allegations of this nature seriously and will be thoroughly investigating the matter," Alvarez said.

FedEx is a shipping company — except on football Sundays in Washington. Verizon is a communications company, unless professional hockey is being played at the home of the Capitals. Verizon competes with Comcast, unless you're talking about the home court of the University of Maryland Terrapins. Now, State Farm Insurance wants to be identified as a good Samaritan by drivers whose cars go kaput on Maryland highways. Just like FedEx, Verizon and Comcast, the insurance company has entered into a partnership — albeit somewhat less glamorous than the others — with the state of Maryland.

Hale Irwin, winner of three Senior PGA Tour events and more than $1 million in earnings this year, has officially committed to play in the inaugural State Farm Senior Classic, July 2-5, at Hobbit's Glen Golf Club in Columbia.Irwin led the tour with $2.3 million last year, and has been its scoring leader the past two years. For his career, he has won 35 tournaments, including three U.S. Open championships, and 15 Senior tour events since joining the 50-over group in 1995."He will be off for a few weeks prior to our tournament, but he really likes the Baltimore area and didn't want to miss our event," said John Mathews, executive director, in making the announcement.

John Francis Welsh, a retired State Farm Insurance Co. executive and former Baltimore resident, died Jan. 21 of pulmonary fibrosis at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital in Houston. He was 84. Mr. Welsh, the youngest of eight siblings, was born in Baltimore and raised on Preston Street. His parents had died by the time he had turned 7. He was unusually intelligent, family members said, and had taught himself to read the newspaper by the time he was 5. An older sister had him tested for the orphan scholar program at McDonogh School, and after scoring high on the admission test, he entered the Owings Mills school in 1934.