Texas / South Central News

Fire Damages, Destroys Buildings at Famous Texas Wurstfest Venue

Fire destroyed one building and damaged another last week on the grounds for an annual festival celebrating German culture in the Texas city of New Braunfels. While fire officials work to determine the cause, Wurstfest organizers say they’ll rebuild in …

Oklahoma Appeals Court Upholds Class Action Status for Earthquake Lawsuit

The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals has upheld the class action designation of a lawsuit against an oil company over damage caused by earthquakes near Prague in November 2011, including one of magnitude 5.7. The court on Friday rejected the …

Judge Trims Oklahoma Opioid Penalty on J&J to $465M to Reflect Math Error

An Oklahoma judge on Friday said Johnson & Johnson must pay that state $465 million for fueling the opioid epidemic through the deceptive marketing of painkillers, down from his original award of $572 million. The decision by Cleveland County District …

As Texas Windstorm Insurer Mulls Rates, Policyholders, Lawmakers Strongly Oppose Hikes

Texas’ property insurer of last resort for wind and hail in counties along the Gulf Coast is finding itself once again between a rock and a hard place — or perhaps more appropriately, between a hurricane and a tornado — …

U.S. Attorney: Oklahoma Man Sentenced for Stealing Almost $370K from Employer

A Tulsa, Oklahoma, man was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to repay nearly $370,000 after being found guilty of stealing from his employer. Ernest Everette Howard, 49, of Tulsa, must $368,329.61 in restitution, according to the U.S. …

Attorney: Oklahoma’s Tulsa County to Pay $10M to Settle Jail Death Suit

Officials have agreed to settle a lawsuit over the death of a 37-year-old man, who died in 2011 after lying naked in a Tulsa County, Oklahoma, jail cell for five days with a broken neck. Documents filed in federal court …

Mier Named President of Texas Surplus Lines Association

Jennifer Mier, executive vice president with AmWINS Group in Dallas, has been elected president of the Texas Surplus Lines Association. Other officers elected at the group’s 64th Annual Meeting on Nov. 11 in Austin are: Vice President Amicia Hine, executive …

Torres, Marquez Join Burns & Wilcox’s Houston Management Team

Suzette Torres and Gina Marquez have joined the Houston management team of wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager, Burns & Wilcox. Torres joins as a managing director and Marquez joins as an operations manager. Torres oversees day-to-day management and is …

Texas Oilfield Services Firms to Pay $1.2M to Settle Federal Race Discrimination Suit

Two Houston-based oil field services companies have agreed to pay a total of $1,225,000 to settle a race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by federal officials. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Nabors Corporate Services Inc. and C&J …

Gwartney Appointed VP, Employee Benefits at Oklahoma’s Universal Insurance

Dason Gwartney has been named vice president and employee benefits practice leader at Universal Insurance Agency in Durant, Oklahoma, a unit of First United Bank. Gwartney joins First United/Universal with more than 25 years working with employee benefits and insurance …

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