Texas / South Central News

Toxic Wastewater From Ohio Train Derailment Headed to Houston Suburb

DEER PARK, Texas (AP) – Toxic wastewater used to extinguish a fire following a train derailment in Ohio is headed to a Houston suburb for disposal. “I and my office heard today that `firefighting water’ from the East Palestine, Ohio, …

NTSB Investigates Arkansas Plane Crash That Killed 5 Employees of Environmental Firm

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) _ Federal investigators headed to Arkansas Thursday to determine the cause of a small plane crash that killed five employees of an environmental consulting firm. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board planned to begin work …

Texas Dollar Tree Store Fined $254K for Shortchanging Employee Safety

Soon after federal workplace safety inspectors arrived at a Dollar Tree store in Mount Pleasant, Texas, they found the national discount retailer again shortchanging employee safety – continuing a pattern of disregard dating back to 2017 – by allowing storeroom …

Univ. of Texas System Pauses New DEI Policies

The University of Texas System’s board of regents said Wednesday it has put a pause on all new policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion at its 13 university and health campuses and asked all school leaders to provide a …

Texas Dental Practice to Pay Back Wages to Workers Fired for Raising COVID Concerns

Two workers at a North Texas dental practice will share $15,706 in back wages to be paid by the dentists who fired them for raising concerns about COVID-19 safety measures in Spring 2020, following a federal whistleblower investigation and litigation …

XPT Specialty Acquires Texas’ Craig & Leicht

XPT Specialty announced the acquisition of Texas-based wholesale agency Craig & Leicht. Founded by Amy Leicht-Craig and former TSLA president Matt Leicht, CIC, CPCU, ASLI, Craig & Leicht has earned a strong reputation for their multi-faceted experience in a wide …

Arkansas Challenges EPA’s Blocking of State Ozone Plan

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to reject its plan to comply with federal rules that are supposed to assure that the state’s coal-fired power plants and industrial sites don’t …

Two More La. Residents Sentenced in Staged Auto Collision Scheme

U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced New Orleans residents Herbert Allen,age 38, and Dion Ridley, age 23, after they pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Judge Vance …

Baton Rouge, La. to Pay $1.17M Settlement in Alton Sterling Protest Lawsuit

ATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – The city of Baton Rouge will pay a $1.17 million settlement to 14 people who accused local law enforcement of using excessive force and violating their First Amendment rights at a protest over Alton Sterling’s …

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Accuses Hurricane Claim Law Firm of Fraud

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon announced Friday that his department issued a cease-and-desist order to McClenny, Moseley & Associates, a Houston-based law firm that filed more than 1,500 hurricane-damage lawsuits in the state — many which duplicated filings made by …

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