A proposal to extend the Illinois medical marijuana pilot program beyond 2017 may soon gain passage in Springfield. That would mean the industry’s prospects could come to rest with Gov. Bruce Rauner. Rauner has said the program should not be …
St. Louis, Mo.-based Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), comprising nearly 100 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Southern Illinois, hired Grady Gamble as a recruiter for Missouri. Gamble will implement a regional plan to pursue and enlist new partnerships with …
Business groups and injured employees weighed in May 6 as Illinois lawmakers began debating whether to revamp the state’s workers’ compensation insurance program to reduce costs for employers. Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan called a meeting of the Illinois House …
The auto insurance comparison website Google Compare is expanding into Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania, as well as adding ratings and insurance agent support. That announcement was made Tuesday by Stephanie Cuthbertson, group product manager for Google Compare, at Google’s annual …
Itasca, Ill.-based international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has hired Sean P. Connelly as global chief information officer. In this role, he is responsible for leading the company’s global technology strategy and initiatives. …
Itasca, Ill.-based Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Integrated Healthcare Strategies located in Kansas City, Mo., and Minneapolis, Minn. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. With operations dating back to 1974, Integrated Healthcare Strategies (Integrated) provides strategic human …
Few of the tourists who drive old Route 66 through this rural Illinois town are aware of its true economic engine: a booming business in asbestos lawsuits that attracts law firms from across the country. Since 2005, those lawsuits have …
A southern Illinois fire chief says a string of fires at rental properties do not appear to be connected. The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports there have been 12 fires at rental homes since May 2014. Seven of them happened in …
A.M. Besthas downgraded the financial strength rating to B- (Fair) from B (Fair) and the issuer credit rating to “bb-” from “bb” of Unique Insurance Co. (Unique) of Chicago, Ill. The outlook for both ratings has been revised to negative …
A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to B+ (Good) from B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “bbb-” from “bbb+” of Specialty Risk of America (SPRISKA) in Springfield, Ill. The outlook for the ICR remains …
