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Kentucky Couple Charged with Arson in House Fire

A central Kentucky couple have pleaded not guilty to charges that they damaged their rental home by intentionally setting it on fire. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that 31-year-old Debra Poole and 29-year-old Anthony Poole were each charged late Tuesday with …

Louisiana Secretary of State Named Chief Deputy Insurance Commissioner

Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon has named Secretary of State Al Ater to serve as chief deputy commissioner of insurance, effective Jan. 11, 2010. Ater was chief deputy commissioner of insurance from July 2004 until he returned to the …

Motorists Insurance Creates Agent and Policyholder Services Division

Columbus, Ohio-based Motorists Insurance Group has created a new division to focus resources on agent-facing technology, agency interface priorities and develop call center best practices for all companies in the group. In addition, the new division, MAX Service, will work …

Levees Beneath Threatened Washington Dam Called Weak

Half a dozen stretches of levee on the Green River in Washington, below the threatened Howard Hanson Dam, are porous and unstable, according to a Seattle Times report. Those stretches, between Auburn and Tukmila, are considered a failure risk should …

Captives Fuel Growth and Income for Agency Owners

In times like these, where the insurance industry is now in its fifth year of a soft market, the use of an agency captive insurance company can spark both revenue and profits to improve an agency’s overall financial performance. The …

January 1 Is Deadline for ‘Fire Safe’ Cigarettes in Texas

As of Jan. 1, 2010, all cigarettes sold in Texas must be certified fire standard compliant (FSC), the Texas Department of Insurance and the State Fire Marshal’s Office announced. All FSC cigarettes will be marked near the Universal Product Code …

Workers in Cold Climates Advised to Take Special Safety Precautions

Construction crews never get completely used to working outside in the bitter cold. “About all you can do is dress for it,” said Kevin Bikowski, superintendent for Miron Construction at its Plexus building site downtown. “Hopefully, you can get out …

Homeowners Average Insurance Premiums Up Slightly in Ohio

Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Jo Hudson announced that on average Ohioans paid slightly more for homeowners insurance in 2007 than in 2006, according to a report issued by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Ohio’s homeowners insurance …

Insurers contributed $30.1 billion to California’s gross state product in 2007, accounting for about 2 percent of the state’s gross domestic product, according to a new report written by the Insurance Information Institute. California has a $1.85 trillion economy that …

Oregon Enhances Death Benefits for Fatal Worker Injuries

Oregon is enhancing the death benefits available to surviving family members when a worker has a fatality, by expanding the scope of the burial benefit and doubling it to 20 times the state average weekly wage; creating a new benefit …

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