Five-day Weather 48/32 NatioN forecast TODAY

Sunny to partly cloudy A2

Sunny to partly cloudy.
8 a.m. 32 5 p.m. 43 9 p.m. 38 Mostly sunny Partly cloudy Mostly cloudy

9-year war 48/32

comes to a close /A2

/A3

TUESDAY

47/40

Mostly cloudy.

WEDNESDAY

52/39

Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain.

www.carrollcountytimes.com

Website helps small business owners pick health plans

51/41
Mostly cloudy.

THURSDAY

Monday, December 19, 2011

75

49/36

FRIDAY

Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain.

14

34

Enables people toYESTERDAYS for browse TEMPERATURES insurance options. . in. .one. .place High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
ance to his full-time emIts the first time small ployees cost Alex Obriecht POLLEN FORECAST business owners can rearound $30 a month when pollen season has ended in The search local insurance he started his small busi- area. Forecasts will begin the plans at one place, said ness more than three de- in the spring. again HSS official Erin Shields. cades ago. Finding the Obriecht, owner of Race MOON PHASES right health for small NEW insurance FULL a LAST QTR busiFIRST QTR Pace Bicycles with five ness has traditionally been locations including Westa complicated and conminster, now pays around fusing decision for many $3,500 a year to provide small business owners, DEC. health insurance for each 24 JAN. 1 JAN. 9 JAN. 16 Shields said. However, the of his 17 full-time employnew small business SUNRISE AND SUNSET health ees on the plan, which insurance finder tool, Sunrise today . . . . . . . . .7:24 a.m. costs close to $60,000 a which was. .created under Sunrise tomorrow . . .7:24 a.m. year. Sunset today . . . . . . . . 4:46 p.m. requirements contained in Sunset tomorrow . . . . .4:46 p.m. Despite the rising costs, the Affordable Care Act, health insurance isnt the new health-care law of something the Westmin- 2010, makes it easy for conster resident would deny sumers to learn about and his employees though compare their insurance he will admit that its options. caused him to think twice The site has five tabs that about it. read: find insurance opAs a business owner I tions, get help using insuralways considered it im- ance, the health-care law portant to offer health in- and you, comparing care surance to my employees providers, and prevention and to pay for it, Obriecht and wellness. said. I feel this social obThe greatly expanded ligation to provide health website will give small insurance because the fact business owners an unof the matter is that if you precedented detailed redont have health insur- view of their health insurance it can be a devastating ance plan choices, Shields issue. said. The Department of Small businesses on avHealth and Human Ser- erage spend 18 percent vices recently expanded a more than large employers website to help small busi- for the same health insurness owners like Obriecht ance coverage, according find and evaluate health to Shields. insurance plans. This new tool brings The site, www.health needed transparency to care.gov, compiled infor- the marketplace, which mation from more than will help ensure insurance 530 insurers and 2,700 coverage plans for all states. please see insurance, A5
Low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 The . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Normal high. information. .was colTimes sTaff WriTer Normal low . . . by .The. .Centers for lected . . . . . . . . . . 27 Medicare and Medicaid Record high . . . . . . . . 72 (2006) Providing health insurServices. Record low . . . . . . . . . . . 7 (1919)

YESTERDAYS PRECIPITATION As of 5 p.m. Sunday . . . 0.00 in. Total for the month . . . . .2.64 in. Normal month-to-date . . 1.92 in. Total for the year. . . . . 54.66 in. Normal year-to-date . . .40.51 in.

By Brett Lake

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san diego charges past Baltimore

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Chargers rout Ravens, knock team out of first place /B1

ap photo

San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews (24) dives into the endzone for a touchdown as Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Jameel McClain, left, inside linebacker Ray Lewis, second from right, and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs try to stop the run during the second half of the game Sunday in San Diego

Childrens Chorus brings cheer

Show filled with holiday songs draws crowd
By peter paNepiNto
Times sTaff WriTer

TodAy in The Times

Kim Jong il dies at 69
North Korea reports death of longtime leader, military put on high alert. A8

The boys and girls of the Childrens Chorus of Carroll County spent the past three months rehearsing songs, learning the meaning of each of them as well as which emotions to display on their faces while singing them. Their hard work paid off. The Childrens Chorus dazzled more than 800 spectators Sunday in Baker Memorial Hall at McDaniel College during the Winter Celebration concert. Three different choirs performed Sunday, including Les Petites Voix, II Choro Della

Bella Voce and Cantare Bel Canto, which altogether include about 130 children, said Diane Jones, co-founder of Childrens Chorus. Admission to the concert was free. The show opened with a guest performance by a string quartet from Baltimore-based Peabody Preparatorys Performance Academy for Strings. Two violinists, a cello and viola player serenaded the crowd before the choirs took the stage. The first choir to perform was Les Petities Voix, which is made up of first-, secondand third-grade children. The group of smiling children performed songs such as DYLaN SLaGLE/StaFF photo Hanukkah is Here and RuDominic Bechtel, 9, center, plays the part of dolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, with the latter being a Rudolph while singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer during the Childrens Chorus of Carroll choir and crowd favorite. please see Chorus, A5 Westminster Sunday.

County Winter Celebration at McDaniel College in

Donations close in on $50,000

Staff report
Donations totaling $5,346 from the residents of Carroll Lutheran Village and $750 in additional gifts have brought the amount raised in this years Holiday Hope campaign to $49,673. The total amount raise still trails last year by about $4,000 at this point in the campaign, which aims to raise $75,000 by Christmas for Carroll County Food Sunday, Neighbors in Need, Carroll Hospice and The Shepherds Staff. Other donations received along with the contributions from residents of Carroll Lutheran Village were $100 in memory of Mary Ann Kern, $100 from Gaye and Frank Grimes Jr. in memory of Mary and Mark Fleming and Teresa and Smokey Grimes Sr., $50 in memory of Ira and Mary Zepp, $50 from Dorothy Kirk in memory of Otis Kirk Sr., $50 in memory of Mr. and Mrs. T.E. Robbins, $25 from Errol and Joy Smith in memory of John Matthews and $25 from Errol and Joy Smith in memory of Betty Roberts. Also received was $100 in honor of Jennifer Gambino, $50 from PACU/PERI-OP in honor of Lisa Burmeister and two anonymous contributions totaling $200. To participate in the program, readers need only to clip the Holiday Hope advertisement that appears in the paper every day between now and Christmas. Todays ad appears on Page A5. Fill in the information card please see donations, A5

Holiday Hope
Amount raised so far:
$49,673

Goal: $75,000
$65,000 $55,000 $45,000 $35,000 $25,000 $15,000 $5,000

Prep sports

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2011, Carroll County times

Join the high school sports community online at www.carrollvarsity.com.

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