Texas / South Central News

Hendricks, President of Texas’ Specialty Insurance Managers, to Retire

Sherri Hendricks, a Texas insurance professional with an extensive career in the industry and current president of Austin-based Specialty Insurance Managers, is retiring. In 1980, Hendricks began her career in insurance in Corpus Christi working for Holland and Associates, a …

Louisiana Sees Gains in Not Seasonally Adjusted Employment

The state’s not seasonally adjusted number of employed individuals increased in June both over the month and over the year for the third consecutive month, the Louisiana Workforce Commission reported. The June 2021 estimate of 1,936,239 shows a gain from …

Texas Veterans Homes Often the Deadliest Places During COVID-19 Pandemic

Mary Kay Dieterich was encouraged last year when Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush promised to shake up the management of the El Paso nursing home where her father died of COVID-19. She knew it wouldn’t bring Eugene Forti, a …

‘Holy Moly!’: Inside the Fight Against a Texas Ransomware Hack

It was the start of a steamy Friday two Augusts ago when Jason Whisler settled in for a working breakfast at the Coffee Ranch restaurant in the Texas Panhandle city of Borger. The most pressing agenda item for city officials …

Texas Lifting Insurance-Related COVID-19 Suspensions

A bulletin issued by the Texas Department of Insurance outlines actions the agency is taking to return to the ordinary course of business after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott rescinded suspensions of insurance-related statutes and rules issued in response to the …

Viewpoint: Be Prepared Before Disaster Strikes

In the wake of 2020 and winter storm Uri, we have seen firsthand how disaster can strike anytime or anywhere, causing sometimes irreparable damage — and no business is immune. Perhaps one of the greatest lessons is the importance of …

Study: Many Texas Households Lack Homeowner’s Insurance

A study conducted the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University following winter storm Uri revealed a widespread lack of homeowners insurance in the state. The study shows households that are low-income, in nonmetropolitan areas, or without a …

Alera Group Acquires Oklahoma’s Keller Insurance Agency

Alera Group, an independent, national insurance and wealth management firm based in Deerfield, Illinois, acquired Keller Insurance Agency, a firm specializing in commercial property/casualty insurance, with a particular focus in senior living facilities. Keller Insurance Agency is affiliated with Tulsa, …

Louisiana ‘Good,’ but Texas Lags in IBHS Building Code Rankings

Texas has a long way to go but despite getting hit by four hurricanes and one tropical storm in 2020, Louisiana still ranks as one of the top 10 states for resilience based on its statewide building codes. The “Rating …

Officials: Texas Home Explosion May Have Been Intentional

The explosion that destroyed a house in suburban Dallas on July 19 and heavily damaged the two next door, injuring six people, may not have been an accident, officials said. Previously, fire officials had said that a gas leak in …

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