Latest Virginia Headlines
All the headlines from our Virginia Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Bills to Raise Virginia Speed Limits Pass
Feb 4 2010 // Virginia lawmakers have passed bills that would boost the top speed limit in the state from 65 mph to 70. In the Senate, the bill passed on a 29-10 vote. Democratic Senator Creigh (Cree) Deeds of Bath County said the state...
Chemical Leaks at West Virginia DuPont Plant Appear Unrelated
Feb 1 2010 // Three recent chemical leaks at a West Virginia DuPont plant, one of which killed a worker, don’t appear to be related, a federal investigator said. U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigator Johnnie Banks promised a...
Mandatory Seat Belt Bills Clear Virginia Senate
Jan 29 2010 // The Virginia Senate has passed a bill to allow police to pull over and ticket drivers for not wearing a seat belt. The bill passed 24-16 Wednesday and heads to the House, where similar efforts have died in past...
West Virginia DuPont Worker Dies After Chemical Exposure
Jan 27 2010 // Federal safety officials are investigating a DuPont chemical plant Monday after a series of leaks that resulted in the death of one worker and the operation’s temporary shutdown. DuPont officials put the sprawling...
Business Moves
Jan 24 2010 // Towers Perrin, Watson Wyatt Towers Watson & Co. has completed the merger of Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt. The transaction to form Towers Watson, a global professional services company, was announced on June 28,...
West Virginians Producing Film on Dangers of Texting While Driving
Jan 22 2010 // Several young adults from West Virginia are starring in a new educational film on the dangers of distracted driving that is to be released this spring. Charleston, West Virginia-based MotionMasters is producing the film,...
West Virginia Eyes Lien on Fire Insurance to Fight Abandoned Buildings
Jan 21 2010 // West Virginia may be on the path to helping municipalities pay for debris removal of abandoned buildings with insurance payments in a way that insurers can live with. The issue of how to pay for the cleanup has irked...
Virginia County Wants Insurers to Pay for Ambulance Services
Jan 21 2010 // The Board of County Supervisors in Prince William County, Virginia is considering raising the cost of an ambulance trip. The board on Tuesday moved forward with a plan to have insurance companies pay between $400 and $700...
West Virginia Seeking to Restore Confidence In State Supreme Court
Jan 20 2010 // Gov. Joe Manchin and the state Supreme Court hope to shore up public confidence in a West Virginia judicial system that has been scrutinized by the nation’s highest court and branded a “hellhole” by the...
West Virginia Workers Compensation Insurer BrickStreet Approved in Illinois
Jan 15 2010 // West Virginia-based BrickStreet Mutual Insurance said it has been approved to begin writing workers’ compensation insurance in Illinois. The move continues an expansion drive for the company, which was approved to...
People
Jan 10 2010 // New York-based insurance wholesaler Russell Bond & Co. has promoted Margaret J. Arnold to assistant vice president-controller. She is a 20-year veteran of the firm. In addition, the company has also promoted Derek...
West Virginia Court Sides with Insurer on Antitrust Claim by Cancelled Agent
Jan 10 2010 // An insurance company has won a victory over one of its former West Virginia agents who claimed the insurer violated state antitrust law when it cancelled his contracts to sell its life and property/casualty products. The...
HUD Helps Virginia Homeowners with Suspect Drywall
Jan 7 2010 // Some families in Virginia whose homes were built with suspect drywall from China may be eligible for assistance to help rehabilitate their properties. To qualify, families must have insurance through the Federal Housing...
Virginia’s TowneBank Buys Taylor Johnson Insurance Group
Jan 6 2010 // Virginia-based TowneBank has acquired Taylor Johnson Insurance Group, which will become part of the bank’s affiliate, Towne Insurance Agency. Taylor Johnson Group, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, employs...
U.S. Mine Deaths At Record Low
Jan 4 2010 // The number of miners killed on the job in the United States fell for a second straight year to 34, the fewest since officials began keeping records nearly a century ago. That was down from the previous low of 52 in...
Cigarettes Sold in Virginia Must Meet Fire Standards
Dec 29 2009 // Starting next month, cigarettes sold in Virginia must comply with standards aimed at making them less likely to start fires. The General Assembly passed legislation in 2008 requiring that cigarettes sold in the state meet...
People
Dec 20 2009 // Beecher Carlson expanded its National Energy practice by appointing Jacklyn Kearns senior vice president. Kearns has 28 years of insurance and risk management experience. She joins Charlie Pierpont in Beecher...
Judge to Rule on Virginia Tech Shooting Lawsuits by Jan. 15
Dec 16 2009 // A judge said this week he would rule by Jan. 15 on whether to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the families of two students slain in the mass shootings at Virginia Tech. After hearing arguments, Montgomery County Circuit Court...
State-Owned Vehicle Accidents Cost West Virginia $17 Million
Dec 11 2009 // West Virginia has paid out $17.7 million to resolve more than 5,000 accident claims involving state vehicles during the past five budget years. That’s one finding from an audit delivered to legislators this week. The...
More Injuries on Public Than Private Sector Jobs in Virginia
Dec 10 2009 // New numbers show more workplace injuries and illnesses were reported in Virginia from those in government jobs than in the private sector in 2008. According to a Virginia Department of Labor and Industry report, 97,900...
