Sea Turtle to Be Released at Oceanfront This Thursday

Checkered Flag fans who missed the big sea turtle release earlier this week will want to head to the oceanfront this Thursday morning for another chance.  For the first time, the Virginia Aquarium is going to release a sea turtle along the busier oceanfront area.

Stranding team to release turtle near Atlantic Ave.
The Virginian-Pilot
VIRGINIA BEACH

For the first time, the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team will release a rehabilitated sea turtle along the shore near Atlantic Avenue and Laskin Road.

The Kemp's ridley turtle, Shredder, was hooked accidentally by a fisherman off the Little Island Pier in Sandbridge on May 23, according to a news release from the aquarium.

Officials decided to release the turtle at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in an area that?s easy for locals and tourists alike to see.

Shredder received antibiotics after the hook was removed and he has become something of a hero at the facility because a fourth of his carapace is missing. Marine experts believe the injury likely was the result of a shark bite. It healed naturally.

Shredder was named for a character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise because officials are using a heroes and villains theme for creatures rehabilitated at the facility this year.

An acoustic tag will be attached to Shredder to transmit coded messages underwater that will be received by the Navy. The data will allow Navy officials to track the movements of sea turtles to develop better ways to protect them if they are in the areas where the Navy has assets or is conducting training.

For more in Hampton Roads events, stay tuned to Checkered Flag.com.

Dream Special: Lease a New 2014 BMW 320i

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People are holding on to their older vehicles

It's official.  People are hanging on to their vehicles.  That's no surprise to us here at Checkered Flag.  You may have recently gotten a letter from one of our stores asking you to sell us your pre-owned car or truck.  We need your used cars.  And, here's why.

Average age of US cars stays at all-time high
By Michael Strong of The Detroit Bureau

While automakers are enjoying robust sales of new cars and trucks in 2014, it would seem plenty of Americans continue to enjoy the same vehicle they've owned for more than a decade, according to a new survey.

The average age of cars and trucks in the U.S. remains at an all-time high of 11.4 years as of Jan. 1, according to IHS Automotive and its Polk subsidiary.

"In our history of tracking, we have seen a gradual increase in the average age of vehicles on the road," said Mark Seng, director of aftermarket solutions at IHS Automotive, in a statement. "This year, we're seeing somewhat of a plateau in the market, and expect it to remain over the next few years."

While that's still at the highest levels since Polk started following the numbers, it is unchanged from last year. The only is one alteration: trucks have hit the same age level as cars.

While sales, which are expected to exceed 16 million units this year, are strong, new cars joining the fleet aren't being offset as much by higher scrappage rates of old cars. In other words, old cars are lasting longer.

Looking ahead, IHS forecasts that the average age of vehicles is likely to remain at 11.4 years through 2015, then rise to 11.5 years by 2017 and 11.7 years by 2019. This rate of growth is slowing as compared to the last five years due to the substantial increase in new vehicle sales.

Consequently, there's more cars on the road. IHS says there were 252.7 million, up 3.7 million or 1.5% from the previous year.

IHS also believes the volume of vehicles 0-5 years old will increase by 32% over the next five years while vehicles in the 6-11 year-old category will decline by 21%. Because of improved quality and consumers holding their cars and light trucks longer, vehicles 12-plus years old continue to grow and will increase by 15% by 2019. (end of article)

For more in automotive news, stay tuned to the home of your Virginia Beach pre-owned vehicle dealers, Checkered Flag.com.

source: [msn.autos.com]