Insurance Journal » Louisiana

Lafourche Parish Plans $6M in Flood Projects

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:45:47 +0000

Louisiana’s Lafourche Parish is preparing to begin more than $6 million in flood protection projects for the Raceland and Des Allemands areas. The Daily Comet reports the work includes revamping two pump stations and a bulkhead using money from federal …

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Former Louisiana Insurance Agent Gets 5 Years in Fraud Case

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:48:17 +0000

A 35-year-old Denham Springs, La., man has been sentenced in Baton Rouge federal court to nearly five years in prison and ordered to pay two life insurance companies more than $1.4 million for frauds he committed against them. The Advocate …

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May 16 Storm Produced 4 Tornadoes in Louisiana

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:45:23 +0000

A powerful thunderstorm in the afternoon on May 16 produced four tornadoes as it moved into Louisiana from Texas The National Weather Service, in a survey released Saturday, says all tornadoes had winds of 90 mph to 100 mph. The …

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Revised Medicaid Expansion Backed by Louisiana House Panel

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:25:36 +0000

A proposal that would tap into federal funding available to offer insurance to the working poor narrowly received the backing of the House health committee, after two Republican lawmakers sided with Democrats to advance the bill. But one of those …

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Louisiana Ex-Furniture Store Operator Pleads Guilty in Fraud Case

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:40:40 +0000

A former operator of a Baton Rouge, La., furniture store destroyed by a fire in 2006 pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge stemming from the blaze and was put on probation. The Advocate reported that Ron Henderson, who managed …

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Ascension Parish to Lobby Against Flood Insurance Increase

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:47:09 +0000

A councilman from Louisiana’s Ascension Parish is heading to Washington, D.C., to lobby against an increase of premium rates for National Flood Insurance Program policyholders. The Advocate reports Councilman Randy Clouatre plans to meet with members of the state’s congressional …

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Louisiana’s Ag Economy Hits Record $11.4B in 2012

Wed, 01 May 2013 03:40:09 +0000

The LSU AgCenter says high prices and record yields for corn and soybeans drove Louisiana’s agricultural economy to a record high of $11.4 billion last year. That’s about 6.5 percent more than the 2011 total of $10.7 billion and $500 …

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Storms Flood Streets, Damage Houses in Southeast Louisiana

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:04:58 +0000

A fast-moving line of intense thunderstorms flooded streets, knocked out power to more than 30,000 people in southeast Louisiana on April 24 and spawned two tornadoes that damaged homes and businesses in Jefferson Parish. No injuries were reported. Kenner officials …

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Louisiana Will Chip in on Bayou Pointe-aux-Chenes Floodgate Cost

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:07:32 +0000

State officials in Louisiana have approved a grant that will pay for 50 percent of the cost of a new floodgate to be built on Bayou Pointe-aux-Chenes. The Courier reports the barge floodgate will be 56 feet wide and 18 …

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Audit Says Louisiana May Owe Feds for Misspent Storm Aid

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:23:49 +0000

Louisiana may owe the federal government more than $115 million for disaster relief aid that was misspent or awarded to ineligible recipients after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a state audit said. The legislative auditor office’s review of the Office of …

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Louisiana Lawmakers Seek Better Oversight of Salt Mines

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:32:31 +0000

Lawmakers in Lousiana are looking to prevent a repeat of the massive Assumption Parish sinkhole that officials say was caused by a collapsed underground salt cavern – and make sure prospective property owners know what may lie beneath the ground …

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Louisiana Town Wants to Toughen Law on Pit Bulls

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:22:06 +0000

City officials in Westwego, La., want to make it more difficult for residents to own pit bulls in a crackdown following a near-fatal attack last month. The Times-Picayune reports officials are working on amendments to Westwego’s pit bull ordinance, proposing …

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A.M. Best Downgrades Rating of LEMIC Insurance Co.

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:09:28 +0000

A.M. Best Co. announced it has downgraded the financial strength rating to B (Fair) from B+ (Good) and issuer credit rating to “bb” from “bbb-” of workers’ compensation insurer LEMIC Insurance Co. (LEMIC) of Baton Rouge, La. Both ratings have …

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Houma, Louisiana Floodgate to Be Ready for Hurricane Season

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:35:42 +0000

The flow of the Houma Navigation Canal in Louisiana completely stopped recently for the first time in the waterway’s 50-year existence. The door of the Bubba Dove Floodgate was connected and fully closed as part of ongoing improvements to the …

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Insurance Company Settlement Money to Bolster Louisiana’s Budget

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:03:42 +0000

Louisiana has received $95 million in legal settlements with insurance companies, ending questions about whether the money would roll in for this year’s budget or leave lawmakers scrambling to fill a shortfall. Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols announced the settlement …

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The Never Ending Snoball Fight

Robert Redfearn, Jr. — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 05:31:59 +0000

Snowfall in Southern Louisiana is a rarity, but one doozy of a snowball fight has been ongoing since at least 2006 and has resulted in four separate lawsuits, now consolidated in the United States District Court for the Eastern District …

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Louisiana-Based AMERISAFE Announces Management Changes

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:15:22 +0000

DeRidder, La.-based AMERISAFE Inc., a specialty provider of hazardous workers’ compensation insurance, has promoted G. Janelle Frost, currently the company’s chief financial officer, has been promoted to chief operating officer, effective May 15, 2013. Frost joined AMERISAFE in 1992, and …

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Bars Often Roll Dice on Liquor Liability Coverage

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:36:21 +0000

Louisiana beer tavern owners Chuck Brechtel and Eddie Dyer are the first to admit that plenty can go wrong when your main line of work is serving alcohol to thirsty crowds all night. For that reason, they say they err …

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Louisiana Couple Arrested for Possessing $165K in Stolen Vehicles

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:53:19 +0000

Louisiana State Police announced that insurance fraud detectives have arrested a Lake Charles couple for charges relating to possession of stolen vehicles worth an estimated $165,000. In October 2011, detectives received information about suspected stolen property from a LoJack asset …

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Louisiana Sinkhole Expands Again

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:18:32 +0000

About 25 trees fell into the Assumption Parish, La., sinkhole and officials say a new crack formed Monday night in a well pad south of the lake-like slurry hole. The Advocate reports experts working for the state Office of Conservation …

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Louisiana’s St. Bernard Parish Gets $10M to Elevate Homes

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:19:57 +0000

St. Bernard Parish officials say the suburban New Orleans, La., community has $10 million in federal grants available to help residents elevate their houses and ease the danger from flooding. The Times-Picayune reports the announcement by Parish President Dave Peralta …

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Louisiana Civilian Labor Force Largest Since November 2005

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:39:22 +0000

Louisiana’s civilian labor force grew in January to the largest it’s been since 2005, according to seasonally adjusted figures released by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Louisiana Workforce Commission reported that the state’s unemployment rate was 5.9 percent …

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SIAA Adds 5 Agencies in South Central Region

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:23:03 +0000

The Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance (SIAA) announced it signed five new member agencies in the South Central region in February. The newly signed agencies are: Pluta Insurance Agency of Irving, Texas; Crump Commercial Insurance Agency of Covington, La.; Advantage Insurance …

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Copper Thieves Hit Substations in Louisiana’s Union Parish

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:53:05 +0000

Union Parish, La., sheriff’s deputies and Marion police are investigating the theft of a large amount of copper wiring from a substation owned by Claiborne Electric Co. Deputies say a large amount of copper was stolen over the weekend from …

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A.M. Best Downgrades National Automotive Insurance Co.

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:30:59 +0000

A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to C (Weak) from B (Fair) and issuer credit rating to “ccc” from “bb” of National Automotive Insurance Co. (National Automotive) of Metairie, La. The outlook for both ratings is negative. …

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Eastern Insurance Holdings Opens Gulf South Regional Office

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:04:26 +0000

Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc. has opened a Gulf South regional office in support of subsidiary Eastern Alliance Insurance Group (EAIG), a domestic casualty insurance group specializing in workers’ compensation insurance. EAIG’s Gulf South regional office will provide workers’ compensation insurance …

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Activist Brockovich to Speak with Residents Near Louisiana Sinkhole

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:58:07 +0000

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich and a California attorney hired by a group of Assumption Parish, La., residents are coming to Pierre Part to discuss the legal options for residents evacuated from the Bayou Corne area due to a giant sinkhole. …

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Audit Outlines Trouble with Louisiana’s $75M ‘Katrina Cottages’ Program

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:26:39 +0000

Louisiana’s $75 million “Katrina cottages” program took years longer than expected to build homes for hurricane-displaced residents and paid significantly more per house than similar nonprofit programs, according to a recently released audit. The federally-funded, but state-run housing initiative had …

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Deadline Extended for Isaac Flood Insurance Claims

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:04:52 +0000

Louisiana property owners with flood insurance policies whose homes or other structures were damaged during Hurricane Isaac have an additional 60 days to file claims for their flood-related losses. Policy owners now have until April 22 to complete their proof …

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Louisiana Drunk Driver Program Linked to Scandal, Disbanded

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:37:17 +0000

A program that allowed some drunken drivers in Louisiana to wipe their records clean in near-record time has been halted after Lafayette judges balked at continuing the program amid an ongoing federal bribery investigation. The program, which involved so-called “immediate 894” …

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