January 23, 2009
A previously unknown fault in eastern Arkansas could trigger a magnitude 7 earthquake in the cotton fields of the upper South with an epicenter near a natural gas pipeline, a scientist said. Haydar Al-Shukri, the director of the Arkansas Earthquake …
January 22, 2009
Liberty Mutual Group is throwing in the towel on direct distribution of insurance to middle market businesses. Since it couldn’t beat independent agents and brokers — who dominate sales in this segment — Liberty Mutual has decided to join them. …
January 16, 2009
Gov. Mike Beebe has appointed A. Watson Bell of Searcy to chair the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission. Bell replaces Olan W. Reeves, who was appointed to the commission by former Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2003. The governor’s office says Bell …
January 15, 2009
Jay Bradford has been officially appointed Arkansas Insurance Commissioner effective Jan.15, 2009. Commissioner Bradford previously served for two years as the director of the Division of Behavioral Health Services within the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Bradford worked in the …
January 15, 2009
AFS/IBEX has promoted two employees: Carlos De La Cruz and Merry Jane Eversole. De la Cruz was promoted to assistant vice president and will oversee the Southern California region. He has more than 28 years experience in the premium finance …
January 14, 2009
A new report finds Louisiana is among 15 states to have made progress in enacting key highway safety laws. Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas did not fare so well. The 55-page study was done by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, …
January 11, 2009
The economic downturn is spurring anxious drivers to fraudulently dump unwanted vehicles for insurance money, according to research by the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. Officials in nearly a dozen state and local jurisdictions around the U.S. report clear warning signs …
January 11, 2009
Editor’s Note: For a comprehensive report of mergers and acquisitions for 2008, see Special Report: Agency Mergers in 2008 in the Dec. 22, 2008, edition of Insurance Journal. Brown & Brown, Insurance 1, Alexander & Bolton Brown & Brown Inc. …
January 11, 2009
A national consumer group says state insurance departments vary in the quality of the information they provide consumers online, with differences in the usefulness of information such as the rates and practices of individual insurance companies. According to the Consumer …
January 7, 2009
An Arkansas rice mill has agreed to pay $350,000 after the federal government found the company discriminated against hundreds of women and non-Hispanic job applicants, the U.S. Labor Department announced. Producers Rice Mill Inc., based in Stuttgart, discriminated against 246 …