Latest Texas Headlines

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

Jun 16 2008 // PeopleDallas-based Colemont Insurance Brokers promoted Su Young to vice president in Colemont’s Texas office. Young joined Colemont in 2001 as part of the Texas financial services team and is located in Houston. She...

Weather Is a Big Deal in South Central States

Jun 16 2008 // Well before the June 1 start of hurricane season claims costs from weather related damages were on a steady climb across the South Central states of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana.Late May, early June hailstorms...

Declarations

Jun 16 2008 // He’s No Devil“They say I’m the devil and I’ve been bought off. It’s absolutely not true.” —Oklahoma Rep. Ron Peterson, R-Broken Arrow, a former independent insurance agent, announcing...

New Markets

Jun 16 2008 // The following markets were selected from the MyNewMarkets database of 25,000 coverages and programs. To find additional markets, or to submit markets, go to www.MyNewMarkets.com.Custom Home Builders Market Detail: Lemac...

Texas Chemical Plant Explosion Leaves 1 Dead, 6 Injured

Jun 13 2008 // An explosion at a Goodyear chemical plant in Houston killed a worker and injured six others on June 11.The body of the worker, whose name was not released, was found under debris about seven hours after the 7:30 a.m. blast...

Insurors Group Adds Rio Grande Valley-based Shepard Walton King

Jun 11 2008 // Insurors Group LLC has added Cameron Investment Company Inc., dba: Shepard Walton King Insurance Group, located in McAllen and Harlingen, Texas, as one of its members. Shepard Walton King Insurance Group was formed in 1995...

Texas’ April Enforcement Actions Result in $771K in Fines, Restitution

Jun 10 2008 // Enforcement actions taken by Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin that became final during April 2008 include nine license revocations, two license denials and fines and restitution totaling $771,165. The today...

Texas Governor’s Mansion Heavily Damaged in Fire; Arson Suspected

Jun 9 2008 // Arson is suspected in a fire that swept through the Texas Governor’s Mansion early on June 8, causing damage that state officials described as “bordering on catastrophic.”The 150-year-old mansion has been...

Texas Agent Group’s Recruiting Manager to Help Members Find Staff

Jun 9 2008 // Colleen O’Sullivan has joined the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas as the organization’s first-ever recruiting manager. Sullivan’s duties will include assisting the IIAT’s Trusted Choice...

Texas Begins Test of Uninsured Driver Verification Program

Jun 4 2008 // A coalition of Texas state agencies on June 2 launched a 60-day test of TexasSure, a program aimed at reducing the number of uninsured drivers in the state. The program was initiated in the Austin area and is a joint...

New Purchasing Group for Texas Lodging Industry Launched

Jun 4 2008 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company has partnered with Hilb, Rogal and Hobbs (HRH) to offer a workers’ compensation purchasing group for hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and hospitality groups.Members of the Texas...

Texas Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Resigning

Jun 4 2008 // Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Albert Betts will resign his post effective Aug. 31, 2008, the insurance department announced. Betts was appointed as the first...

4 Texas Agencies Picked for Big ‘I’ Best Practices Study Group

Jun 3 2008 // Austin, Texas-based Combined Agents of America LLC (CAA) announced four of its member agencies, Bigham-Kliewer-Chapman-Watts, Bryan Insurance, Pierson & Fendley and Weatherby-Eisenrich, were selected to participated...

Coastal Growth from Texas to N.C. Lends Urgency to Hurricane Forecasts

Jun 2 2008 // The rapid pace of development along hurricane-prone coasts is adding a new level of urgency for forecasters to more accurately pinpoint potential storm impact zones, the director of the National Hurricane Center...

Here We Go Again

Jun 2 2008 // The odd-numbered year scenario could come as close to predicting hurricanes as hurricane forecasting experts have recently.Gulf Coast residents: It’s time to cross your fingers, pull out the old rabbit’s foot,...

People

Jun 2 2008 // Specialty Insurance Managers Inc. CEO Frank R. Berry and President Diana G. Berry are retiring. The Austin, Texas-based managing general agency chose to perpetuate by passing the leadership of the firm to Mike Berry,...

Credit Woes May Cause Turbulence in Catastrophe Markets

Jun 2 2008 // The credit crunch in the U.S. financial markets that boiled over due to the subprime mortgage meltdown may affect the ability of insurers and reinsurers that cover coastal areas to raise cash for claims payments should a...

$50M in Insured Losses Expected From May Storm in Austin

Jun 2 2008 // Trees downed in May 14 storm damaged this house in central Austin.Back-to-back storm systems that surprised Central Texas overnight May 14-15 with intense winds and heavy hail damage may result in more than $50 million in...

Dispute Between State Farm and Texas Goes On

Jun 2 2008 // State Farm Insurance does not have to refund consumers some $650 million in alleged overcharges while its dispute with Texas regulators over homeowner rates is reviewed.A state appeals court ruled the insurer was denied...

Texas Review Board Says Insurance Department Works Well but Offers Changes

Jun 2 2008 // Texas Sunset Advisory Commission staff in a report released in May 2008 said the Texas Department of Insurance functions well but that the state’s “overall approach to insurance regulation” may need...