Monthly Archives: <span>October 2006</span>

Koches Receives Spirit of Education Award

Sharon A. Koches is the inaugural winner of the Spirit of Education Award presented by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”), honoring her commitment to delivering quality education to Big “I” members. Koches, regional marketing …

Calif. Blaze that Killed Four is 70 Percent Contained

Dying winds and cooler temperatures helped firefighters begin to get the upper hand Sunday on a 63-square-mile wildfire that killed four firefighters, although the blaze was still threatening a wilderness area plagued by drought and filled with dead trees. Fire …

Spinach Probe Most Thorough Ever, But No Clear Answers Yet

Like lab technicians on a crime-scene television drama, investigators have tracked a strain of bacteria over thousands of miles — from bagged spinach in Midwestern refrigerators to the guts of a wild pig in the hills of California’s central coast. …

Gallup, N.M., Man Sentenced in Insurance Fraud Case

A Gallup, N.M., glass repair shop owner has been sentenced to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to five counts of insurance fraud. State District Judge Robert Aragon accepted the plea earlier this month from Danny A. Martinez. …

Former N.M. Insurance Superintendent Must Appear for Deposition

A judge has ruled that former New Mexico Insurance Superintendent Eric Serna and his former deputy must appear for depositions in a lawsuit that contends a Santa Fe couple paid too much for title insurance. Serna and Joe Ruiz did …

Janes Named Property Broker in Swett & Crawford’s Los Angeles Office

Swett & Crawford has welcomed Brian Janes, a property broker, back to its Los Angeles office. Since 2004 he was a property broker with Stewart Smith/AmWins in the Glendale, Califo., office. James began his career in 1992 with The Gorst …

Sharing Power Seen as Option for Evenly Split Oklahoma Senate

Democratic and Republican state Senate leaders in Oklahoma may follow the lead of their counterparts in other states and share power if the chamber has a tie in membership after the Nov. 7 general election, officials said. Several states have …

Okla. Commissioner Fights Texas Group’s Attack Ads

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland has started her own ad campaign to counter a series of negative TV ads from a Texas group called “Just the Facts America.” Meanwhile, The Oklahoman filed a lawsuit against the group claiming trademark and …

Unemployment Trust Fund in Okla. at Highest Level Since 1997

A strong economy has boosted Oklahoma’s unemployment insurance trust fund to its highest level since 1997. The fund, which is used to pay unemployment benefits to workers who lose their jobs, had $705 million by June 30, according to the …

Thompson Coe Attorneys Recognized as ‘Best Lawyers in America 2007’

Two attorneys from Texas-based Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons LLP have been selected to be included in the 2007 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Brian S. Martin was cited for his achievements in Insurance Law. Ronald D. Wamsted …