Latest Alabama Headlines
All the headlines from our Alabama Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Damage Estimated in Billions as Insurers Work to Pay Claims
May 4 2011 // Officials, insurers and residents are starting the daunting task of assessing and cleaning up the damage from the massive storm system that hit the Southeast as the amount of insured losses is heading into the billions of...
17 Alabama Counties Now Qualify for Federal Storm Aid
May 2 2011 // The federal Emergency Management Agency says 17 Alabama counties now qualify for disaster assistance to homes and businesses damaged by tornadoes and storms. FEMA added seven counties to the list Sunday. They are Autauga,...
Alabama Windpool Growing
May 2 2011 // The Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association, known as the windpool, grew by a third between February 2010 and February 2011 with its total policy count rising from 15,214 policies to 20,350 policies. Bob Groves, manager...
Obama, Cabinet Vow Urgent Aid for Storm-Battered Southern States
May 1 2011 // Federal officials vowed urgent support Sunday for a region devastated by the deadliest U.S. natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina, even as they acknowledged recovery would not be quick or easy. President Barack...
Officials, Insurers Begin Tallying Damages from Deadly Storm
Apr 29 2011 // Officials in Southeast states hammered by a storm that killed at least 300 people have begun the task of evaluating the damage. Alabama appears to have suffered the brunt of the storm, where Tornadoes struck particularly...
Tornadoes, Storms Rip South, at Least 228 Dead
Apr 28 2011 // Tornadoes and violent storms ripped through seven southern U.S. states, killing at least 228 people as they flattened neighborhoods, flipped cars and toppled trees and power lines. In the deadliest series of tornadoes in...
Alabama Boosts Tax Break for Small Businesses Buying Health Insurance
Apr 25 2011 // Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has signed legislation increasing the state income tax deduction that small businesses get for supplying health insurance for their employees. The new law applies to the current tax year....
Alabama Insurance Pool Grows As Private Market Shrinks
Apr 11 2011 // More Alabama homeowners are seeking their insurance coverage through the state’s windpool as the trend of private insurers shedding their wind policies continues. The Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association, known...
Alabama Governor to Form Coastal Insurance Panel
Apr 7 2011 // Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is creating a commission to address the rising cost of insurance for the state’s coastal homeowners. Bentley said the commission will be asked to make recommendations on how to make...
Alabama House Votes to Ban Texting While Driving
Apr 4 2011 // The Alabama House is making a second attempt to ban texting while driving The House voted 86-2 last Thursday for legislation sponsored by Republican Rep. Jim McClendon of Springville. He got a similar bill passed last...
People
Apr 4 2011 // The Obama administration has officially named Illinois state insurance regulator Michael McRaith to head the new Federal Insurance Office. McRaith, currently the head of the Illinois Department of Insurance, will run the...
Alabama Nuclear Plant Cites Superior Safety
Apr 4 2011 // A U.S. nuclear plant in Alabama similar in design to the earthquake-hit Fukushima facility in Japan has multiple defenses to prevent and tackle the same kind of emergency, its operator said. Safety features at the Browns...
Alabama Senate Approves Auto Insurance Verification Database
Mar 11 2011 // The Alabama Senate has voted to set up a computer database that would allow county tag officials and law enforcement to instantly check whether a vehicle has liability insurance. The Senate voted 35-0 Wednesday for a bill...
Alabama Plans Session on Coastal Insurance
Mar 7 2011 // Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has renewed a campaign pledge to call a special session of the state Legislature to find a solution for coastal residents seeking homeowners insurance. “I have made a commitment, and...
Homeowners Choice Begins Expansion to Alabama
Feb 23 2011 // Homeowners Choice, Inc. a Florida-based insurance holding company, has taken initial steps to enter the Alabama homeowners insurance market, its first market outside of Florida. According to the company, it expects to...
Alabama Governor Vows Special Session on Coastal Insurance
Feb 22 2011 // Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has renewed a campaign pledge to call a special session of the state legislature to find a solution for coastal residents seeking homeowners insurance. “I have made a commitment, and...
Alabama Bars’ Machines Let Drinkers Test Alcohol Level
Feb 18 2011 // The latest electronic novelty popping up in local bars in Alabama might spare someone a night in jail or even save a life — or it might just become another drinking game. Breathalyzer machines have been installed at...
Alabama Court Orders New Trial on $8.5 Million Verdict Against Ford
Feb 16 2011 // The Alabama Supreme Court has thrown out an $8.5 million verdict against Ford Motor Co. and ordered a new trial, saying a judge made an error by asking jurors if they could serve for four weeks. The judgment was awarded to...
Alabama Court: University Hospital Shares State Immunity
Feb 7 2011 // The Alabama Supreme Court recently ruled for the first time that a hospital affiliated with a state university shares the state’s immunity from lawsuits. The 5-3 decision threw out a $3.2 million judgment against a...
Judge Defends Spill Decision That Upset Louisiana AG
Jan 31 2011 // A federal judge said Jan. 28 that he wasn’t trying to deprive states of their rights when he appointed Alabama’s newly elected attorney general to coordinate all states’ interests in the litigation...
