Oklahoma News

Temporary Walls Turn New York City Apartments into Firetraps

The firefighters were trapped in what amounted to a burning maze: a Bronx apartment illegally divided into extra rooms for the sake of making a buck in this cramped city. With flames licking at their bodies and black smoke making …

Liberty Mutual Drops Direct Sales to Middle Market Businesses; Puts Faith in Independent Agents

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. …

Economic Downturn Driving More Motorists to Ranks of Uninsured

Approximately one in six drivers across the U.S. may be driving uninsured by 2010, according to a recent study from Insurance Research Council (IRC). Although the estimated percentage of uninsured motorists decreased nationally, from 14.9 percent in 2003 to 13.8 …

Oklahoma Governor Approves Expansion of Insure Oklahoma

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry has approved the expansion of Insure Oklahoma, a state program that helps small businesses purchase health insurance for their workers. Emergency rules signed by Gov. Henry will expand the pool of eligible businesses, raising the eligibility …

Auto Thefts Down in Tulsa

Police in Tulsa, Okla., say that a 30 percent drop in auto thefts last year is largely due to officers targeting thieves who snatch cars to make quick cash from scrap metal. Roughly 2,500 vehicles were reported stolen in 2008, …

Bill Filed to Increase Penalties for Drunk Driving in Oklahoma

Each year, more than 17,000 Americans are killed by drunk drivers including approximately 275 Oklahomans and around 1.5 million drunk drivers are arrested according the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office. Having lost a loved-one in 2008 at the hands of a …

Bill Would Add Oklahoma Small Businesses to Do Not Call List

Oklahoma House of Representatives Democratic Leader Danny Morgan, D-Prague, filed a bill that he says will help small businesses reduce costs by adding Oklahoma businesses to the state’s Do Not Call Registry. Morgan’s bill, HB2050, proposes language to include businesses …

Nebraska Could Be Next State for Fire-Safe Cigarette Law

Nebraska has fallen out of the mainstream when it comes to smoking-related laws, but that could change. Thirty-seven states have passed laws requiring that all cigarettes sold in their states be fire-safe. Nebraska is not among them, but the state …

La. Ranks High For Safe Driving Laws, Other S.C. States, not so Much

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, …

Need for Dam Inspections in Oklahoma Growing, Report Says

Some dams in Oklahoma do not have a state-required emergency action plan that outlines possible dangers and steps to protect residents in case of a breach and dozens of dams had not been inspected within the state-mandated one-year period, according …