Southeast News

Mediation Fails, West Virginia Slurry Pollution Case Going to Trial

Mediation has failed to settle a lawsuit by hundreds of Boone County residents who blame coal companies for contaminating their water supplies. Attorney Roger Decanio said this week that the case against Massey Energy and four subsidiaries is headed for …

Court Upholds Mississippi Man’s 37-Month Sentence for Insurance Fraud

A federal appeals court has upheld the 37-month sentence handed to a Mississippi man convicted of defrauding a Memphis insurance company. The Commercial Appeals reported that a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Memphis upheld …

South Carolina Weighs Sprinkler Mandate for New Homes

The debate over whether all new homes should have fire sprinklers is heating up in South Carolina. The South Carolina Building Code Council is considering whether to adopt the International Residential Code requiring sprinklers in all new homes. The National …

Florida Readies Storm Plan for Republican Convention

Florida Gov. Rick Scott will have the final say whether to cancel the Republican National Convention in the event of a hurricane. The convention where Mitt Romney is expected to be formally nominated as the Republican candidate for president in …

West Virginian Gets 18 Month Jail Term for Faking Insurance Claims

A Buckhannon, West Virginia man who admitted to defrauding insurance companies by staging vehicle accidents and filing fake claims will spend 18 months in prison. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey sentenced 42-year-old Christopher John Thrain earlier this week on …

Mississippi Curbs AG’s Control Over State’s Legal Business

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has signed a law limiting the attorney general’s control of the state’s legal business. The law,  House Bill 211,which takes effect July 1, requires the attorney general to appoint outside lawyers if he declines to represent …

West Virginia Coal Miner Claims Alpha Fired Him Over Safety

A coal miner who says he was fired for enforcing safety standards that slowed down both production and the sealing of the Upper Big Branch mine in southern West Virginia is suing Alpha Natural Resources. The State Journal said Glen …

Assurant Specialty to Hire Up to 100 Workers in Gwinnett County, Ga.

Assurant Specialty Property, a provider of insurance services, said this week it is hiring as many as 100 new employees at its customer service centers in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The company is hiring part-time and full-time customer service representatives, as …

Mississippi Catholic Groups Sue Over Birth Control Rule

Ten Catholic groups in Mississippi are suing the Obama administration over a mandate that most employers provide birth control coverage as part of health insurance plans. Roman Catholic groups across the nation filed 12 lawsuits Monday. One was filed in …

Mississippi Pathologist Settles with Innocence Project Over Defamation Claim

A forensic pathologist who sued the Innocence Project for defamation has accepted a $100,000 judgment to end the suit. The Clarion-Ledger reported  that the Innocence Project said it agreed to the judgment because its insurance carrier wanted to settle. The …

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