Latest Illinois Headlines
All the headlines from our Illinois Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Illinois Governor Looks to Reduce Worker’s Comp Costs
Apr 13 2015 // High on the list of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s legislative priorities is reducing the amount employers pay for workers’ compensation insurance. Illinois currently ranks 7th nationwide for the highest cost per...
Midwest Storms Continue; At Least 1 Killed in Illinois Tornado
Apr 10 2015 // One person was reported killed and several others injured when a large tornado swept through Northern Illinois on April 9. The Illinois towns of Fairdale, Rochelle and Kirkland sustained major damage. Fairdale, a community...
Auto-Theft Task Forces Closing Amid Illinois Budget Crisis
Mar 31 2015 // Officials with police-run auto-theft task forces say they are shutting down across Illinois due to state spending freezes. Separately, the (Peoria) Journal Star also reports that a bipartisan deal reached in the state...
J.M. Wilson Announces Staff Changes in Illinois
Mar 26 2015 // Jenna Caschetta Insurance wholesaler J.M. Wilson has promoted Jenna Caschetta to property/casualty underwriter in its Arlington Heights, Ill., office and added Gerry McCabe as P/C underwriter. Caschetta is responsible for...
Judge Dismisses Mayflower, Arkansas Oil Spill Lawsuit
Mar 19 2015 // A federal class-action lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corporation over a 2013 crude oil spill in central Arkansas has been dismissed by a federal judge, who acknowledged in his ruling that his decision seems unfair. U.S....
Illinois County Fairs Losing State Money for Insurance, Other Costs
Mar 17 2015 // County fairs across Illinois are reassessing their finances as the state reduces its support in a cost-saving measure. A recent letter from Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration instructed county fairs to...
Insurers, Drugmakers Tussle Over Drug Copay Caps
Mar 13 2015 // The battle over soaring U.S. drug prices is heading for the states. With the price of some treatments topping $100,000, patient groups are pushing for state laws to make sure insurers cover most of the costs. Their...
Illinois Lawmaker Wants Prison Time for Distracted Drivers in Fatal Crashes
Mar 10 2015 // Fatal crashes caused by illegal cellphone use should carry penalties similar to those imposed on drunk drivers who kill, a suburban lawmaker says. The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reports that Rep. Robert Marwick wants...
Fratianni-Atsaves Appointed Chair of Illinois Workers’ Comp Commission
Feb 25 2015 // Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has appointed Joann Fratianni-Atsaves as the chairman of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC). She has 34 years of experience in workers’ compensation law and has...
Problem of Metal Theft Focus of Illinois House Bill
Feb 19 2015 // A bill filed in the Illinois House would form a new task force to address thefts of recyclable metals, including copper. The Belleville News-Democrat reports the panel would review efforts to combat theft and come up with...
Motorcycle Safety Bill Proposed in Illinois
Feb 18 2015 // An Illinois lawmaker wants motorcycle safety to be a formal part of driver’s education courses. The proposal by Republican Rep. Tom Bennett of Gibson City would amend the driver’s education act in the Illinois...
Outlook Revised to Stable for Illinois Casualty Co.
Feb 13 2015 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative for the financial strength rating (FSR) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of Illinois Casualty Co. (Illinois Casualty) in Rock Island, Ill., while affirming the FSR of...
Illinois-Based RLI Promotes 4 in Claim Department
Feb 5 2015 // Specialty insurer, RLI Corp., based in Peoria, Ill., has promoted several leaders within the claim department. Don Driscoll, vice president, claim, has been promoted to vice president, chief claim officer. Driscoll will...
Rash of Fires Deemed Suspicious in Southern Illinois Town
Feb 2 2015 // Authorities in southern Illinois are investigating half a dozen recent fires in the village of Marissa, including one that destroyed a local landmark serving as a museum to the area’s coal mining history. The blaze...
Illinois’ Joseph M. Wiedemann & Sons Joins Keystone Insurers Group
Jan 12 2015 // Keystone Insurers Group announced its newest franchise partner in Illinois: Joseph M. Wiedemann & Sons, based in Arlington Heights. The firm, which has three offices in the Chicago-East Central Illinois area, is the...
People – Midwest
Jan 12 2015 // The St. Louis, Mo., office of independent insurance broker, Lockton, has promoted Diane Fischer to vice president, unit manager of risk management. Fischer joined Lockton in 2007, with more than 20 years of national...
DSP Insurance Services Acquires Willis of Illinois’ Schaumburg Office
Jan 6 2015 // DSP Insurance Services, based in the Chicago area, announced the purchase of certain assets of Willis of Illinois’ Schaumburg office. The acquisition was finalized Dec. 31, 2014. John Adams, Bob Mielke, Jerry Olson...
New App in Illinois Aimed at Reducing Deaths in Grain Bins
Dec 29 2014 // A new app could help reduce the number of fatal grain bin entrapments that occur in Illinois. The Illinois Corn Marketing Board and the Grain and Feed Association of Illinois teamed up to create an app that will locate the...
Rockford, Illinois, Settles Police Shooting Lawsuit for $1.1M
Dec 18 2014 // The city of Rockford, Ill., has reached a $1.1 million settlement with the estate of an unarmed black man who was fatally shot inside a church-run day care by two white police officers in 2009, according to officials. In a...
Illinois Landlord Gets Life in Deadly Arson-for-Insurance Case
Dec 18 2014 // A Cicero, Ill., landlord has been sentenced to life in prison for the deaths of seven people during a Valentine’s Day 2010 apartment fire that prosecutors say was set for insurance money. Cook County prosecutors say...
