Latest Michigan Headlines

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

Michigan Senate GOP: Cutting Car Insurance Rates a Priority

Feb 4 2019 // Michigan Senate Republicans have proposed legislation that would make it optional for Michigan drivers to buy what is now mandatory unlimited medical coverage.Senate Bill 1 was the first to be introduced by GOP senators...

Assembly Workers in Michigan Using Wearable Technology to Support Arms

Feb 1 2019 // Ford Motor Co. and other manufacturers want to help their workers take a load off. Or at least make it easier to lift a load up.Ford is among several companies providing wearable technology to elevate and support their...

Employees of Michigan’s AF Group Raise Nearly $267K for Charities

Jan 30 2019 // Employees of Lansing, Michigan-based insurer, AF Group, have pledged $266,750 in support of numerous charitable organizations around the country as part of the company’s recent Caring and Sharing Community...

Michigan Highways Closed Due to Crashes, Whiteout

Jan 28 2019 // Authorities in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula have closed a highway because of a large multi-vehicle crash and whiteout conditions.Michigan State Police said Sunday afternoon that M-28 in the central UP would be closed...

Icy Blast in Midwest Recalls 2014 ‘Polar Vortex;’ Worst to Come

Jan 27 2019 // An arctic blast spread painful cold across the Midwest on Friday, closing schools, opening warming centers and even intimidating ice fishermen in a taste of the even more dangerous weather expected next week.Forecasters...

Michigan Senate GOP Priority: Cutting Car Insurance Rates

Jan 17 2019 // Michigan Senate Republicans have signaled their intent to make lowering high auto insurance premiums a top priority in the two-year session, proposing legislation that would make it optional for Michigan drivers to buy...

Fox Takes Over as Michigan Insurance Department Director

Jan 16 2019 // Anita Fox officially began her tenure as director of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) after being sworn in on Jan. 14. Director Fox was appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Dec. 27, 2018....

Michigan’s AF Group Promotes 5 in Leadership Positions

Jan 15 2019 // Lansing, Michigan-based AF Group has promoted five in key leadership positions across the organization.Abel Travis has been promoted to vice president, Underwriting & Product Innovation. Prior to joining AF Group in...

Michigan Recalls Some Medical Marijuana Products

Jan 14 2019 // A Michigan agency has issued a recall notice for several medical marijuana products that officials say failed laboratory testing.The products were sold Dec. 27-30 at HG Lansing on East Oakland Avenue in the city of...

Medical Marijuana Patients Admit Driving While Under Influence

Jan 9 2019 // More than half of people who take medical cannabis for chronic pain say they’ve driven under the influence of cannabis within two hours of using it, at least once in the last six months, according to a new study.One...

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires Michigan’s First Agency

Jan 8 2019 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Kalamazoo, Michigan-based First Agency Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Founded in 1959, First Agency Inc. is a broker and managing general agency specialized in...

Midwest Legislative Priorities Include No-Fault Auto, Distracted Driving, Contractor Fraud, Tort Reform

Jan 7 2019 // With some of the highest auto insurance rates in the nation, Michigan’s no-fault insurance laws — much maligned by the insurance industry and business interests — are sure to be a target for legislative...

Declarations

Jan 7 2019 // Caution Advised“I encourage New Yorkers to exercise caution when disclosing sensitive personal information.” — New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood warned in a press release announcing that a...

States Surprised with Burst of Insurance Fraud-Related Legislation in 2018

Jan 7 2019 // Lawmakers Debated More Than 100 Fraud-Related Bills and Passed 33 into LawThe introduction of new bills slows down during years when legislators tend to be more concerned with reelection. That’s why 2018 was such a...

Insurance Journal Midwest’s Top Stories for 2018: From Agent Fraud to Ruby Slippers

Dec 31 2018 // The most-read stories in Insurance Journal’s Midwest region in 2018 covered agent fraud, a fatal tourist boat sinking in Missouri, court cases and opinions, and even a pair of stolen — and returned — ruby red...

Whitmer Taps Fox to Lead Michigan Insurance, Financial Services Department

Dec 28 2018 // Michigan Governor-Elect Gretchen Whitmer has selected Anita Fox to head the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services.Fox brings more than 30 years of experience in the legal field to the role, having...

Damaging Hail in August Leads to Disaster Designation, Help for Michigan Farmers

Dec 21 2018 // The U.S. Department of Agriculture says a portion of Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula has been designated as a natural disaster area following a summer hailstorm that damaged crops. Agriculture Secretary Sonny...

Michigan Company Sues 3M over Chemicals Linked to Tainted Water

Dec 21 2018 // A western Michigan-based footwear company has sued a chemical manufacturer linked to contaminated water detected at military bases and industrial sites.Wolverine World Wide filed the federal lawsuit on Dec. 19 against 3M,...

Michigan Business Index Shows Hiring, Retaining Talent Still Challenging

Dec 13 2018 // Acquiring and retaining talent remains the top challenge for Michigan’s small- to mid-sized business leaders, according to a survey commissioned by Accident Fund Insurance Company of America and the Michigan Business...

Michigan’s Kaufman Group Named a BEST for Workplace Training and Development

Dec 11 2018 // The employees and agent/broker clients of Farmington Hills, Michigan-based H.W. Kaufman Group may be pleased but not surprised to learn that the specialty insurance organization has been recognized as one of the best in...