Latest Kansas Headlines

All the headlines from our Kansas Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Democrat: Kan. House Speaker Should Step Down Due to Insurance Ties

Feb 8 2010 // A Democratic legislator called for Kansas’ Republican House speaker to step down because he is representing businesses, trade groups and insurance funds in a lawsuit against the state.State Rep. Marti Crow said...

Kansas City Agent Convicted of Fraud Sentenced to 15 Years in Jail

Jan 28 2010 // The Kansas Insurance Department (KID) reported that a former Kansas City-area insurance agent has been convicted on federal charges of insurance and mortgage fraud, and handed a 15-year jail term.Investigators from the KID...

IMA Adds Allen, Davies-Downing in Wichita, Kansas, Office

Jan 27 2010 // Mark Allen and Christy Davies-Downing have joined the Wichita, Kan., office of insurance broker IMA Inc. as sales executives.Allen has extensive sales experience as an entrepreneur and in other industries including...

Kansas State Fair Wants to Opt Out of Workers’ Comp Pool

Jan 27 2010 // Kansas State Fair officials are asking the legislature to allow the fair to opt out of the state workers’ compensation insurance pool.Fair officials want to be able to buy insurance from a private company, but state...

From Zero to 200 in 5

Jan 10 2010 // Len Kline and his business partners, the private equity firms Parthenon Capital and Century Capital Management, had an ambitious goal when they created Kansas City, Mo.-based Ascension Insurance Inc. in late 2007. They...

From Zero to 200 in 5

Jan 10 2010 // Len Kline and his business partners, the private equity firms Parthenon Capital and Century Capital Management, had an ambitious goal when they created Kansas City, Mo.-based Ascension Insurance Inc. in late 2007. They...

Lockton Re Adds Executives in Kansas City and New York

Jan 8 2010 // Privately owned, independent reinsurance brokerage Lockton Re has expanded its presence in the United States with the appointments of three new executives – Larry Hunter-Blank, Joe Zuk and Scott D. Polkinghorne at...

Kansas Insurance Department Recovers $15M for Consumers

Jan 8 2010 // The Kansas Insurance Department reports that it helped consumers recover more than $15 million through resolution of disputes with insurance companies in 2009.This is the second time in three years the department has...

States Get Tough on Distracted Drivers in 2010

Dec 29 2009 // Illinois, Kansas, New Hampshire and Oregon will bring in the new year with new state laws aimed at cracking down on distracted driving, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI).Of the four...

Kansas Commissioner Fines Progressive Direct, Calls for Premium Refunds

Dec 22 2009 // The Kansas Insurance Department (KID) reported Dec. 21 that Commissioner Sandy Praeger has levied a $5,000 fine against a Kansas-licensed insurance company and has ordered premium refunds for those consumers affected by...

Industry Veterans to Open New Business – ThinkRisk – in Kansas City

Dec 22 2009 // Plans are underway for the February 2010 launch of ThinkRisk Underwriting Agency in Kansas City, Mo.Founded by insurance industry veterans Chad Milton, Leib Dodell and Debra McClenahan, ThinkRisk will offer underwriting...

2009 P/C Insurance Mergers, Acquisitions Large and Small

Dec 20 2009 // Large insurers AIG, Farmers and The Hartford made moves in 2009, as did large brokers Marsh, Aon, Willis, Gallagher, Brown & Brown, Hub and Wells Fargo. So, too, did, many regional insurers and Main Street agencies....

Kansas Regulators: State’s Auto Insurance Rates Among Lowest in U.S.

Dec 15 2009 // The Kansas Insurance Department reports that Kansas ranks sixth lowest in the nation for average auto insurance expenditures, according to figures released by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)....

IMA Hires Otto as Sales Executive in Kansas City

Dec 15 2009 // The risk and insurance services company, IMA Financial Group Inc., announced that Heather Otto has joined IMA’s Kansas City location as a sales executive. Otto has successfully managed client portfolios in a $1...

From Zero to 200 in 5: The Rise of Kansas City-based Ascension Insurance

Dec 11 2009 // Len Kline and his business partners, the private equity firms Parthenon Capital and Century Capital Management, had an ambitious goal when they created Kansas City, Mo.-based Ascension Insurance Inc. in late 2007. They...

Kansas Town Considers Tighter Rules on Pit Bulls, Including Insurance

Nov 10 2009 // City commissioners in Hays, Kan., could vote this week on strict new rules for pit bull owners. Pit bulls would not be banned in the northwest Kansas community. But a proposed ordinance would declare the dogs to be...

Foremost Expands Dwelling Fire Program in Kansas

Oct 16 2009 // Foremost Insurance Group has expanded its Dwelling Fire program in Kansas effective Oct. 15, 2009. The company said it will write a broad spectrum of landlord and rental coverages, with lower rates and new, larger...

Nearly $4.5M Recovered by Kansas Insurance Dept. in September

Oct 8 2009 // The Kansas Insurance Department announced September 2009 was a record month for insurance claim recoveries.The department’s Consumer Assistance Division recovered almost $4.5 million from insurance companies as a...

Sinkholes Create a Void in Insurance Coverage for Kansas Residents

Sep 9 2009 // State insurance officials say residents in a Hutchinson, Kan., neighborhood that will be bought out because of the potential for sinkholes likely won’t see an increase in their insurance premiums.On the other hand,...

People

Sep 7 2009 // Markel Corp. has promoted Henry Lopez to president for Markel Midwest. Lopez has served as executive vice president for the Midwest region since November 2008. He joined Markel in 1995 as a financial analyst and has held a...