Latest Rhode Island Headlines

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

FEMA Grants Helping to Raise Flood-Prone R.I. Homes

Dec 17 2013 // The owners of eight flood-prone properties near Misquamicut State Beach in Westerly, R.I., are using federal grant funds to raise their homes and businesses high enough to minimize any future damage. The Westerly Sun...

NCCI Proposes Increase for Workers’ Comp Loss Costs in Rhode Island

Dec 9 2013 // The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) recently delivered a workers’ compensation loss cost filing to the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation.Based upon its review of the most recently...

Rhode Island State Police Push to Require Hands-Free Phones

Nov 22 2013 // The head of the Rhode Island State Police says they are pushing to require the use of hands-free devices when using a cellphone while driving.Col. Steven O’Donnell tells WLNE-TV that he will ask the General Assembly...

FM Global in Rhode Island Appoints Manager of Broker Relations

Nov 21 2013 // Johnston, R.I.-based FM Global appointed Randall Schreitmueller as vice president, manager of broker relations, a newly created position at the company.Randall SchreitmuellerSchreitmueller is responsible for championing...

Rhode Island Lawmakers Get Grim Report on Sea Level Rise

Oct 14 2013 // Sea levels will rise in Rhode Island by as much as 5 feet as climate change reshapes the coastline over the next century, the state’s top coastal resource official told lawmakers on Oct. 10.In a grim presentation to...

Rhode Island Lawmakers to Review Rising Sea Levels

Oct 8 2013 // Rhode Island’s state lawmakers plan to review the effects of climate change and rising sea levels are having on Rhode Island. The House Environmental and Natural Resources Committee plans to hear a presentation on...

Home Insurer Narragansett Bay Expands Its Coastal Capacity in Mass., R.I.

Oct 7 2013 // Pawtucket, R.I.-based home insurer Narragansett Bay Insurance Company (NBIC) said it is increasing its capacity for coastal homeowners insurance through select agency partners.The company said it is expanding its coastal...

Rhode Island Police Launch Seatbelt Enforcement Campaign

Sep 25 2013 // Police in Rhode Island are stepping up their enforcement of the state’s seatbelt laws. State Police Superintendent Col. Steven O’Donnell says police departments throughout the state will be participating in a...

Closing Arguments Presented in $1B Lead Paint Case in California

Sep 24 2013 // NL Industries Inc. is one of five paint companies that presented closing arguments against a public-nuisance lawsuit by 10 California cities and counties seeking more than $1 billion to replace or contain lead paint in...

Insurance Pros in Politics: Insurance Veterans Elect to Also Work in State Legislatures

Sep 10 2013 // Running a successful insurance agency business is tough enough by itself but some insurance pros are taking it one step further. They manage to juggle multiple careers in insurance and politics.Pennsylvania State Sen. John...

Rhode Island to Create Uninsured Motorists Identification Database

Aug 27 2013 // Rhode Island recently enacted legislation that will allow the division of motor vehicles to hire a third-party contractor to develop an uninsured motorist identification database — and send warning notices to...

OceanPoint Insurance Appoints Account Executive in R.I.

Aug 26 2013 // Middletown, R.I.-based OceanPoint Insurance Agency announced the addition of Douglas Guilbert as a new account executive. He will be based in the agency’s Barrington, R.I., office.Douglas GuilbertIn his new role,...

R.I. Dept. of Transportation Getting Grant to Combat Distracted Driving

Aug 16 2013 // Rhode Island is one of seven states receiving a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to help reduce distracted driving.The state Department of Transportation will use the $459,000 grant to develop...

R.I. Enacts Auto Body Repair Bill

Aug 5 2013 // Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee recently signed into law a bill (HB 5263/SB 465) that would prevent insurers from declaring a vehicle a total loss if the vehicle can be restored to its pre-accident condition at a cost...

HUD OKs First Part of Rhode Island’s Sandy Recovery Plan

Aug 2 2013 // The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved the first stage of Rhode Island’s disaster recovery plan following Superstorm Sandy.The initial plan, funded through HUD’s community development...

Commentary: R.I. Court’s Ruling on Self-Insured Retentions in Med-Mal Policies

Jul 23 2013 // In a surprising decision, the Rhode Island Supreme Court held that a self-insured retention (SIR) endorsement in a nursing facility’s professional liability policy was void. However, the Court’s ruling is broad...

R.I. Enacts Auto Body Repair Bill; Industry Group Expresses Disappointment

Jul 22 2013 // Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee recently signed into law a bill (HB 5263/SB 465) that would prevent insurers from declaring a vehicle a total loss if the vehicle can be restored to its pre-accident condition at a cost...

Firm Running R.I. Health Exchange’s Call Center an Affiliate of Health Insurer

Jul 22 2013 // The company that was awarded a $24 million contract to operate the Rhode Island health benefits exchange’s customer service center is an affiliate of one selling plans on the exchange, but state officials say there...

R.I. to Keep Assessment Rate for Workers’ Comp Insurers at 6.75%

Jul 15 2013 // The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training said it is keeping the assessment rate for workers’ compensation insurers unchanged at 6.75 percent for the coming year. The department said this assessment rate has...

Rhode Island Plans Crackdown on Uninsured Drivers

Jul 12 2013 // Rhode Island officials are planning a crackdown on drivers whose vehicles aren’t insured.Lawmakers have sent a bill to Gov. Lincoln Chafee that would create a system of warnings and fines for uninsured motorists. The...