Latest Texas Headlines

All the headlines from our Texas Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Drunk-Driving Texas ‘Affluenza’ Teen Sought by Authorities

Dec 18 2015 // Authorities are investigating whether a teenager who killed four people in a 2013 drunken-driving wreck — and claimed as part of his defense that he suffered from “affluenza” — has fled with his mother to...

Man Who Drove Bugatti into Gulf Going to Prison for Insurance Fraud

Dec 18 2015 // An exotic car salvage yard owner in Lufkin, Texas, has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison after pleading guilty to insurance fraud. The Houston Chronicle reports that in November 2009, Andy House drove...

Zeman Elected as Chair of Texas Insurance Trade Group

Dec 18 2015 // Allstate Regional Counsel Robert Zeman has been elected to serve as chairman of the board of directors of the Insurance Council of Texas (ICT). Zeman was elected a the board’s December meeting; his term begins Jan....

Ratings of Texas-Based National Unity Insurance Downgraded

Dec 17 2015 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating to B+ (Good) from B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating to “bbb-” from “bbb” of San Antonio-based National Unity Insurance Co. (National...

Houston Builder Lands Safety Award from Construction Safety Group

Dec 17 2015 // Houston-based D.E. Harvey Builders has been honored with the first ever General Contractor Job Site Safety Award from the TX Construction Association Safety Group. The general contractor won the award for its dedication to...

Blue Bell Ice Cream Returning to More Texas Outlets

Dec 15 2015 // Most of Texas will have Blue Bell ice cream this week after months of cleaning production plants and regulatory reviews following listeria contamination. The Brenham-based company on Dec. 14 began returning ice cream to...

After Seeing Truck in Jihadist Photo Texas Plumber Sues Dealer

Dec 15 2015 // A Texas plumber is suing a truck dealer after a vehicle emblazoned with his company’s name and phone number — and carrying gun-toting fighters — appeared in a photo circulated by purported Islamic...

Medical Care, Compensation Increase for Texas Nuclear Plant Workers

Dec 15 2015 // The past few years have seen an increase in the number of workers at a nuclear weapons plant in the Texas Panhandle who have been compensated and given medical care for conditions caused by exposure to plant hazards. Those...

Texas Associates Insurors Hires Novak as Risk Advisor

Dec 14 2015 // Texas Associates Insurors, headquartered in Austin, has added John Paul Novak in its commercial risk and insurance division as an advisor, specializing in construction and hospitality risks. A native Texan, Novak’s...

Review: Hispanic, Black Drivers More Likely to Be Searched in Texas

Dec 9 2015 // An analysis of Texas traffic stops shows Hispanic and black drivers are far more likely to be searched by Department of Public Safety troopers, despite DPS assertions that all motorists are treated equally. The review of...

Texas Safety Officials: Nearly 16K Vehicles Stolen in December 2014

Dec 9 2015 // The Texas Department of Public Safety says the potential for vehicle thefts is high in December. The DPS reported that 5,717 automobiles, pickups and motorcycles were recorded stolen in December 2014, making it one of the...

2015- Modernization in the Non-Admitted Market

Dec 9 2015 // Dallas, TX, December 9, 2015- 2015 has been a big year for mergers and acquisitions in our industry. You read consolidation news everyday…Willis to buy Towers Watson…Confie acquires another broker…Gen...

Texas State Fire Marshal Report: Fire Occurred Every 7 Minutes in 2014

Dec 8 2015 // In 2014, 957 fire departments in Texas reported 72,124 fires, with a fire occurring every seven minutes, 163 civilian fire deaths, 780 civilian fire injuries and $662,625,954 in property, according to a report from the...

Signature Select Expands into Texas with New Hires in Austin, Dallas

Dec 7 2015 // Signature Select LLC announced it has expanded into Texas by establishing a presence in Austin and Dallas. In Dallas, Shelly Floyd and Cliff Layfield have been hired for the Dallas operation and Patrick Datz was added as a...

People – South Central

Dec 7 2015 // Houston-based Columbia Lloyds Insurance Co., a provider of homeowners and tenant dwelling insurance throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, appointed John R. Todd as president and chief executive officer, and Shabbir...

Spring Storms Rack Up More than $1.5B in Losses in Texas

Dec 7 2015 // Storms during April and May in Texas caused more than $1.5 billion in property losses, according to the Insurance Council of Texas. ICT spokesman Mark Hanna says paid residential property losses in April and May were close...

OSHA: Texas Workers Exposed to Asbestos at Construction Site

Dec 4 2015 // Federal safety regulators say three commercial real estate renovators have been cited for a combined $112,000 in penalties for exposing workers to asbestos hazards at a San Antonio, Texas, worksite. FBZ Broadway LP, One...

Furniture Maker, Staffing Agency Fined $161K for Texas Workplace Hazards

Dec 4 2015 // Furniture manufacturer, MooreCo Inc., and Milwaukee-based Manpower Group US Inc., a staffing agency, have been cited by federal safety regulators for exposing temporary workers to workplace hazards at a MooreCo plant in...

King Appointed to Texas Windstorm Insurance Board

Dec 3 2015 // Texas Commissioner of Insurance David Mattax has appointed Deborah King to the board of directors of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). King of Highland Village is vice president and chief actuary at...

Texas Firm to Pay Over $3M to Settle Ambulance Kickback Claims

Dec 2 2015 // A Texas company that operates nursing care facilities will pay nearly $3.2 million to settle allegations of receiving kickbacks from ambulance companies. Regent Management Services of Galveston oversees 11 nursing...