Texas / South Central News

Report: New Orleans Wasted Money on Life Benefits for Years

The city misspent around $500,000 on employee benefits during a span of eight years, according to a report released by the New Orleans Inspector General. The inspector general’s office evaluated the city’s policies and practices relating to tprocuring and managing …

FEMA to Waive Katrina Victim Debts

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is implementing a plan to waive debts for thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters. An aide to Sen. Mary Landrieu who has been briefed by FEMA said the agency will mail out …

Oklahoma Public Safety Officials Seek More Funding

Following three years of budget cuts, Oklahoma’s public safety officials told lawmakers their budgets need a boost to restore workforce levels and replace antiquated facilities and equipment. The heads of Oklahoma’s public safety agencies told members of a House budget …

Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance Adds 4 South Central Agencies

Four South Central independent insurance agencies joined the Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance in January. The new agencies are: Iron Property Insurance Agency of Houston; Parks Agency of Big Spring, Texas; Huckleberry Insurance Agency of West Monroe, La; and Keegan Insurance …

Oklahoma Commissioner Backs Bill to Use Premium Tax Funds for Firefighters

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak announced his support for using insurance premium taxes to bolster the pension funds of the state’s firefighters. Doak said he supports House Bill 2320 introduced by Rep. Randy McDaniel (R-Oklahoma City), which would restore …

Louisiana AG Recovers $25.2M from Drug Companies Charged with Fraud

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell announced that his office has recovered $25.2 million from five pharmaceutical companies that he sued alleging unlawful inflation of drug costs paid by Louisiana taxpayers through the Medicaid program. The companies — Actavis, Boehringer Ingelheim, …

Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires Louisiana’s Detlefs Johnson & Partners

Insurance brokerage and risk management services firm Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired of Detlefs Johnson & Partners located in Baton Rouge, La. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. With operations dating to the 1970s, Detlefs Johnson & …

Many Texans Earn Low Pay, Hold Few Assets

Texas politicians like to tout the state’s economic growth, but more and more Texans are finding themselves teetering on the edge of poverty. There is little doubt Texas has survived the Great Recession better than other states, but a study …

Officials: Louisiana Man Accused of Setting 12 Fires

Louisiana State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning says a 55-year-old Kaplan man is accused of setting a dozen fires, including one that destroyed the vacant Kaplan Rice Mill. Browning and Kaplan Police Chief Boyd Adams say in a news release …

Copper Thieves Plaguing Texas Businesses

Despite new laws making any theft of copper a state jail felony, thieves continue to plague Texas businesses by ripping away copper tubing from commercial air conditioning units. Several Texas businesses have been hit more than once and the result …

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