Latest Wisconsin Headlines
All the headlines from our Wisconsin Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Midwest Legislative Priorities Include No-Fault Auto, Distracted Driving, Contractor Fraud, Tort Reform
Jan 7 2019 // With some of the highest auto insurance rates in the nation, Michigan’s no-fault insurance laws — much maligned by the insurance industry and business interests — are sure to be a target for legislative...
Wisconsin Real-Time Weather Data Startup Poised for Expansion
Jan 2 2019 // Understory, a Madison, Wisconsin, startup whose ultra-local weather sensors can tell if a hailstorm that pelted your roof or a downpour that flooded your street left damage in its wake, is heading into a year of explosive...
Insurance Journal Midwest’s Top Stories for 2018: From Agent Fraud to Ruby Slippers
Dec 31 2018 // The most-read stories in Insurance Journal’s Midwest region in 2018 covered agent fraud, a fatal tourist boat sinking in Missouri, court cases and opinions, and even a pair of stolen — and returned — ruby red...
Wisconsin’s Next Governor Picks Insurance Commissioner, Other Cabinet Members
Dec 27 2018 // Wisconsin Governor-Elect Tony Evers has named Mark Afable as insurance commissioner. Afable has worked for American Family Insurance in Madison since 1994 and currently serves as its chief legal officer. He will replace...
People
Dec 17 2018 // Cincinnati, Ohio-based American Financial Group Inc. (AFG) hired Anthony W. Dunn as vice president, overseeing the internal audit function for the company and its subsidiaries. Dunn has 20 years of experience in the...
‘Ineffective’ Safeguard Cited in Husky Oil Refinery Blast in Wisconsin
Dec 12 2018 // An “ineffective” safeguard failed to prevent an explosive mixing of air and fuel at a Husky Energy refinery in Superior, Wisconsin, leading to a blast and fire in the plant’s gasoline-producing unit in...
Haven Holdings Completes Acquisition of Wisconsin’s Time Insurance
Dec 7 2018 // San Juan, Puerto Rico-based Haven Holdings Inc. (Haven Holdings) has completed its acquisition of Wisconsin-based Time Insurance Co. from Interfinancial Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Assurant Inc., the company...
Merk Tapped as Next Executive VP, CEO at Wisconsin’s Rural Mutual
Nov 30 2018 // Madison, Wisconsin-based property/casualty insurer, Rural Mutual Insurance Co. (Rural), has appointed Daniel J. Merk as its next executive vice president and CEO. Merk will work with current executive VP and CEO Peter...
J.M. Wilson Adds Vansyckle in Wisconsin
Nov 28 2018 // Managing general agency and surplus lines broker J.M. Wilson has hired Landen VanSyckle as sales and agency relations specialist in its Madison, Wisconsin, office. VanSyckle will be the primary resource and liaison for...
Credit Ratings of Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Upgraded
Nov 20 2018 // A.M. Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a” from “a-” of Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Co. (Wisconsin Mutual)...
Shipyard Workers in Wisconsin Settle Lead Claims for $7.5M
Nov 19 2018 // Fraser Shipyards has settled lawsuits involving dozens of workers who were exposed to lead while working on an old freighter in Superior, Wisconsin, the company said. Fraser has agreed to pay $7.5 million to more than 60...
Wisconsin Shipyard Workers Settle Lead Claims for $7.5M
Nov 9 2018 // Fraser Shipyards has settled lawsuits involving dozens of workers who were exposed to lead while working on an old freighter in Superior, the company said. Fraser has agreed to pay $7.5 million to more than 60 workers who...
Hartung Named Wisconsin State VP for Keystone Insurers Group
Nov 8 2018 // Keystone Insurers Group (Keystone) has appointed JoAnn Hartung as Wisconsin state vice president for the agency partnership organization. Hartung has served multiple roles within the industry, most recently as regional...
Officials: Driver Was Huffing Before Crash That Killed Wisconsin Girl Scouts, Mom
Nov 6 2018 // A young driver was inhaling chemical vapors, or huffing, just prior to striking and killing three Girl Scouts and a mother and critically injuring a fourth girl who had been picking up trash along a rural Wisconsin...
Investigators: Contractor Mismarked Gas Line Before Deadly Wisconsin Blast
Nov 2 2018 // A utility-location worker failed to properly mark a natural gas line in a Madison, Wisconsin, suburb this summer, leading to an explosion that leveled more than half a dozen buildings and killed a firefighter, according to...
Opioid Prescriptions Drop 32% in Wisconsin over Last 3 Years
Nov 1 2018 // A new state report shows doctors have been prescribing fewer opioids over the last three years. The report from the state Controlled Substances Board shows opioid prescriptions have decreased 32 percent over the last three...
Court Limits Insurer’s Payout in Massive Wisconsin Wildfire
Oct 31 2018 // The state Supreme Court is limiting an insurance company’s payout in a massive northwestern Wisconsin wildfire. Logging equipment owned by Ray Duerr Logging LLC sparked the Germann Road Fire in Douglas County in May...
Possible Mold in Grain Harvest May Threaten Wisconsin Farmers’ Profits
Oct 29 2018 // Wet weather this year has delayed Wisconsin’s grain harvest and caused widespread mold problems in farm fields, according to agriculture experts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects Wisconsin farmers to...
Report: Confusion in Wisconsin Refinery Blast Evacuation Caused by Social Media
Oct 15 2018 // Social media caused confusion during evacuation efforts following a refinery explosion and fire in Wisconsin, according to a report. Douglas County created an 18-page report examining the emergency response to the Husky...
4 New Insurers OK’d to Do Business in Arkansas
Oct 12 2018 // Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr has approved four new out-of-state companies to sell insurance products in Arkansas. The Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) has granted Certificates of Authority to...
