Latest Virginia Headlines
All the headlines from our Virginia Topic Page, ordered by recency.
New Federal Safety Rules for Mines Finalized
Apr 6 2012 // Federal regulators are issuing a final set of rules for underground coal mine examinations that aim to hold operators more accountable for finding and fixing dangerous conditions — and preventing the deaths of their...
Federal Healthcare Law to Aid Black Lung Victims
Apr 5 2012 // Proposed changes to U.S. Department of Labor rules would make it easier for coal miners and their families to obtain black lung benefits, while a West Virginia congressman aims to reduce the amount of paperwork they have...
Va. DOT Contractor Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Used Uninsured Vehicles
Apr 4 2012 // A Staunton contractor accused of defrauding the Virginia Department of Transportation has pleaded guilty to commercial fraud. Thirty-two-year-old Jeffrey T. Jennings faces up to 15 years in prison. The News Leader reports...
West Virginia Residents’ $93 Milllion Settlement with Monsanto Questioned
Apr 3 2012 // An attorney is challenging a $93 million settlement between Monsanto Co. and thousands of West Virginians. Thomas Urban II represents some class members who say the settlement isn’t fair and reasonable, the...
Inspections Improving Mine Safety, Says U.S. Official
Apr 3 2012 // Aggressive inspections at troubled mines are helping create safer working environments for coal miners, the head of the federal government’s mine safety agency said during a visit to Kentucky. U.S. Mine Safety and...
Virginia Officials Urge Earthquake Insurance Check
Mar 31 2012 // State officials are reminding homeowners to review their insurance policies to see if they have earthquake insurance ahead of a new law that will require better disclosure if policies exclude such coverage. The State...
Ex-Mine Chief Pleads Guilty in West Virginia Blast
Mar 30 2012 // The former superintendent of the West Virginia mine where 29 workers died in a 2010 explosion pleaded guilty on Thursday to a federal conspiracy charge that he tipped off employees to safety inspections. Gary May, 43, is...
Judge Won’t Dismiss Massey Shareholder Suit Over Safety
Mar 30 2012 // A federal judge refused Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit by former Massey Energy shareholders who say they were deliberately misled about the company’s safety record before the Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West...
Regulators Say West Virginia Mines Warned of Inspectors
Mar 30 2012 // Three times in a month, regulators have caught West Virginia coal companies illegally warning miners that federal inspectors were onsite. Mine Safety and Health Administration director Joe Main says such warnings let...
Aftershocks From 2011 Quake Continue in Virginia
Mar 29 2012 // Virginia continues to experience aftershocks from last summer’s earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.1-magnitude aftershock occurred at 11:21 p.m. Sunday, March 25, some 8 miles south of Louisa and 8 miles...
Va. Police: Social-Media Policy Is Part of ‘Virtual Character Check’
Mar 29 2012 // Recent reports that some employers are asking job applicants for access to their social networks during the hiring process have raised questions about the legal liability of such practice. This growing controversy is also...
Virginia AG Cuccinelli Upbeat After Health Care Hearing
Mar 29 2012 // Virginia’s attorney general was in an upbeat mood Tuesday after listening to the U.S. Supreme Court’s arguments on the key provision in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul — a requirement...
Virginia Insurance Fraud Arrests Going Up
Mar 28 2012 // The Virginia State Police insurance fraud program just released their 2011 annual report, which shows the number of arrests for insurance fraud and other related crimes, such as arson and forgery, is continuing to increase...
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds West Virginia Law on Arbitration in Nursing Home Cases
Mar 26 2012 // The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a West Virginia law that allows nursing homes to use pre-dispute arbitration agreements with residents that prevent them from suing in medical malpractice cases. In a recent case, [Marmet...
Company Pleads Not Guilty in Virginia to $670M Fraud
Mar 20 2012 // A Costa Rican company accused of a $670 million insurance fraud scheme has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Richmond, Va. Defense attorney John Russell entered the plea Monday on behalf of Provident Capital Indemnity...
Va. Woman Faces Maximum of 303 Years in Prison for Healthcare Fraud
Mar 19 2012 // A Richmond, Virginia, woman has been convicted on 35 counts of health care fraud and other charges. Federal prosecutors say a U.S. District Court jury found 49-yar-old Veronica Sharon Cunningham guilty last Thursday after...
West Virginia Passes Mine Safety Measure
Mar 19 2012 // West Virginia will update its mine safety laws in the wake of the worst U.S. coal mining disaster in four decades. The House of Delegates sent the measure to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, who proposed the legislation. Delegates...
Global Warming Litigation Ruling in Favor of Insurers Vacated
Mar 19 2012 // What Does This Mean? As if times weren’t uncertain enough, the Virginia Supreme Court issued a ruling on Jan. 17, 2012, vacating its Sept. 16, 2011, opinion in Steadfast Insurance Co. v. The AES Corp. and granting a...
Marsh & McLennan Agency Acquires KSPH in Virginia
Mar 13 2012 // Marsh & McLennan Agency, a unit of Marsh Inc. acquired KSPH, a $5 million revenue employee benefits agency in Glen Allen, Va. Launched in 2000, KSPH offers employee benefits and retirement plan services to middle...
West Virginia Passes Ban on Texting While Driving
Mar 13 2012 // West Virginia lawmakers ended their 60-day legislative session over the weekend by passing agreements on fighting methamphetamine labs and targeting distracted drivers. A unanimous Senate vote and an 80-8 vote in the House...
