Texas / South Central News

Federal Appeals Court Says Corps Doesn’t Have to Review ‘Polluting Spillway’

The Bonnet Carré Spillway diverts Mississippi River flood flows away from New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain, which connects to the Mississippi Channel and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The spillway has been opened only 15 times since construction was completed …

People Moves: Watkins Insurance Group Appoints Two Shareholders

Watkins Insurance Group has announced the appointment of Joe Guyton and John Aoueille as two new shareholders. With over a decade of commitment to the agency, Guyton and Aoueille have demonstrated their expertise in risk and insurance solutions. Guyton, vice …

Death Row Minister Files $10M Defamation Suit Against Oklahoma Corrections Agency

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A death row minister who was inside the execution chamber during Oklahoma’s last lethal injection sued the Department of Corrections for $10 million on Friday, alleging the agency and its spokesman defamed him in a statement …

Arkansas Governor Passes School Bathroom Bill

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders last Tuesday signed a law prohibiting transgender people at public schools from using the restroom that matches their gender identity, the first of several states expected to enact such bans …

Officials: Crews Failed to De-Ice Road Before Massive Texas Crash

DALLAS (AP) – The company responsible for maintaining a Texas interstate where 130 vehicles crashed in icy conditions two years ago, killing six and injuring dozens, failed to address the deteriorating road conditions, federal officials said last Thursday. That portion …

Environmental Groups Say Texas Isn’t Holding Polluters Accountable

More than 21,000 unexpected pollution releases by Texas companies have released over 400,000 tons of air pollution in Texas from 2016 to 2022, and companies in less than 1% of these cases have been forced by the Texas Commission on …

Corps of Engineers Appeals Ruling on Mississippi River Spillway Openings

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A federal judge’s ruling that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must consult with federal fisheries experts before opening a spillway that protects New Orleans from Mississippi River flooding is being appealed. The Bonnet Carre spillway …

Another Louisiana Resident Sentenced for Conspiring to Stage Auto Accidents

Marvel Francois, a 54-year old of Houma, Louisiana, was sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers occurring in New Orleans, announced United …

Texas Medical Liability Trust Reports Data Privacy Event

Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) provided notice that the company and its affiliates may have been affected by a recent data privacy event. On Oct. 12, 2022, TMLT identified suspicious activity within its environment and took immediate steps to secure …

Texas Governor Appoints Bolduc as Public Counsel for OPIC

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed David Bolduc as the Public Counsel for the Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC) for a term set to expire on February 1, 2025. The Office represents the interests of insurance consumers in regulatory …

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