Louisiana News

Audit Says Louisiana May Owe Feds for Misspent Storm Aid

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 …

Louisiana Lawmakers Seek Better Oversight of Salt Mines

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 …

Louisiana Town Wants to Toughen Law on Pit Bulls

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 …

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

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 …

Houma, Louisiana Floodgate to Be Ready for Hurricane Season

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 …

Insurance Company Settlement Money to Bolster Louisiana’s Budget

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 …

The Never Ending Snoball Fight

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 …

Louisiana-Based AMERISAFE Announces Management Changes

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 …

Bars Often Roll Dice on Liquor Liability Coverage

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 …

Louisiana Couple Arrested for Possessing $165K in Stolen Vehicles

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 …