Missouri News

A.M. Best: Outlook Negative for Columbia Mutual Insurance Co.

A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to negative from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of Columbia Mutual Insurance Co. (Columbia), Columbia, Mo., and its insurance subsidiaries. …

Outlook for National Fire and Indemnity Exchange Revised to Negative

A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to negative from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of National Fire and Indemnity Exchange (NIE) of St. Louis, Mo. A.M. Best …

Judge Overturns Missouri Law on Birth Control Coverage

A federal judge has struck down a Missouri law exempting moral objectors from mandatory birth control coverage because it conflicts with an insurance requirement under President Barrack Obama’s health care law. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig cites …

Columbia Insurance Group Promotes DeVore to Branch Manager

Columbia Insurance Group (CIG) has promoted Shelly DeVore to branch manager of the Columbia, Mo., branch office location. DeVore has served in a number of key roles in her 12 year career at CIG, including administrative supervisor and policy services …

Missouri Golfer Survives Mid-Round Illinois Sinkhole

When it comes to dealing with this divot, score one for Missouri golfer Mark Mihal. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the mortgage broker from Creve Coeur, Mo., is recovering after a sinkhole opened up beneath him on the fairway …

Subcontractor in Deadly Kansas City Blast Lacked Permit

A cable company subcontractor suspected of rupturing a natural gas line before a deadly Kansas City restaurant explosion didn’t have an approved permit for the work, city officials said Monday. Pat Klein, assistant city manager, provided no other details in …

DeVos Promoted to Vice President at Assurance

Melanie DeVos has been promoted to vice president, Client Services – Property and Casualty at Assurance, an independent insurance brokerage located in Schaumburg, Ill., and St. Louis, Mo. This newly created role is designed to bring leadership and consistency to …

2nd Winter Storm in Days Blasts Central U.S.

The second major snowstorm in a week battered the nation’s midsection on Feb. 26, dropping a half-foot or more of snow across Missouri and Kansas and cutting power to thousands. Gusting winds blew drifts more than 2 feet high and …

Missouri Texting While Driving Law Nabs Few Violators

A 2009 Missouri law that bans young drivers from using their cell phones to send text messages has led to few citations and remains difficult to enforce, a Columbia newspaper reports. The Columbia Missourian reports that an average of fewer …

Missouri Bill Proposes Online Workers’ Comp Database

Missouri senators want to create an online database for businesses to check whether prospective employees have a history of filing workers’ compensation claims. The bill given first-round approval drew support from both Republicans and Democrats who said they hope a …