Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Timber Farmers in Florida Panhandle Face Tough Choices Year After Michael
Oct 16 2019 // The sunsets are a sight to behold in Joe Leonard’s neck of the woods these days. A year ago, lush stands of towering pines obscured the horizon, he said as he drove his pickup along a dusty Florida Panhandle road....
A Hint of Light in the Public Adjusting World
Oct 16 2019 // I recently read an article on Claims Journal about licensing for public adjusters. Here it is. Public Adjusters Winning Broad Support for Licensing as Carriers Fret About Inflated Claims Let me quote from a paragraph that...
Private Flood Insurance Growth Could be Boon for Claims Professionals
Oct 16 2019 // A nudge into the market by carriers offering private flood insurance is becoming more of a shove, which might bring new opportunities for claims adjusters and maybe create a more efficient claims process along the way. An...
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires Florida-Based Direct To PolicyHolder (DTPH)
Oct 15 2019 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida-based The Doyle Group, Inc. and its affiliates, collectively doing business as Direct To PolicyHolder (DTPH). Terms of the transaction were not...
Insurance Office of America Adds Moser to Southwest Florida Team
Oct 15 2019 // Insurance Office of America (IOA) is has added Charity A. Moser to its growing team in Southwest Florida. She joins the new Bonita Springs branch location as a risk management consultant. Moser is a licensed Florida...
Florida Panhandle Facing Uphill Battle in Recovery One Year after Michael
Oct 11 2019 // A year after Hurricane Michael, the Florida county hardest hit by the Category 5 storm is still in crisis: Thousands in Bay County are homeless, medical care and housing are at a premium, domestic violence has become a...
Rivard Appointed Chair of Board of Governors for Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance
Oct 11 2019 // Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis has appointed Bo Rivard as the chair of the Citizens Board of Governors, effective immediately. Rivard has served on the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation Board of...
Florida Governor Appoints 8 to Cybersecurity Task Force
Oct 9 2019 // Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed eight individuals to Florida Cybersecurity Task Force, according to a statement from the governor’s office. The Florida Cybersecurity Task Force is tasked with reviewing...
Red Tide Returns to Florida’s Southwest Coast
Oct 8 2019 // Scientists say toxic red tide is back in the waters off the Florida southwest coast after fading away earlier this year following a 15-month bloom. Biologists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute said Friday...
State Finds Florida Specialty Insurance Insolvent; 90K Homeowners Lose Coverage
Oct 7 2019 // Florida personal lines insurer Florida Specialty Insurance Co. (FSIC) has been ordered into receivership and will be liquidated after state regulators determined the company is insolvent and unable to establish a viable...
Hub Acquires the Assets of Florida-Based Doug Johnson Insurance
Oct 7 2019 // Hub International Limited has acquired the assets of Doug Johnson Insurance, LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Headquartered in Gainesville, Fla., Doug Johnson Insurance is an independent insurance agency...
A Growing Agency With a Small Business Feel
Oct 7 2019 // Florida-based Acentria Insurance has been busy since its founding by industry veteran Kendall McEachern in 2010. The personal and commercial lines agency has acquired several agencies and now has 50 locations and more than...
Insurance Office of America Adds Claypool to Southwest Florida Team
Oct 2 2019 // Insurance Office of America has added Christopher Claypool to its expanding team in the southwest Florida region. He joins the Fort Myers team as a commercial risk advisor. Claypool has more than a decade of experience in...
Florida Law Banning Cellphones While Driving in School, Construction Zones Takes Effect
Oct 2 2019 // Better keep your hands off that cellphone if you are driving near a school or through a construction zone in Florida. As of Tuesday, it is against the law to hold a cellphone while driving in those places. Florida earlier...
250 Residents Displaced by Florida Rooftop Pool Leak
Sep 30 2019 // A leak of thousands of gallons of water from a rooftop pool has displaced 250 people from a Florida apartment building. Authorities say the water began pouring from sprinkler heads and light fixtures Friday night at The...
Florida City Faces $200M in Repairs to Sewage, Water Line After Hurricane Michael
Sep 27 2019 // The biggest city devastated by Hurricane Michael last fall has had a recent series of sewage leaks, and local officials say it will cost more than $200 million to repair its sewage and water systems. Television station...
Florida Children’s Hospital Facing Massive Fines Over Issues in Heart Unit
Sep 24 2019 // Florida regulators were expected to issue one of the largest fines against a hospital in recent memory. The Tampa Bay Times reports that Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital could face a total of $804,000 in...
Monarch E&S Insurance Services Opens Florida Branch
Sep 24 2019 // Monarch E&S Insurance Services, a division of SPG Insurance Solutions, a full-service MGA and wholesale broker, has opened a new branch in Florida. The new branch is part of the company’s plans to expand its...
Florida Governor Wants Stiffer Fines for Cities That Pollute
Sep 20 2019 // Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will ask the Legislature to increase fines for local governments that pollute state waters and give the Department of Environmental Protection more power to enforce pollution laws. DeSantis...
Nearly $80K in Wigs Stolen from South Florida Warehouse
Sep 20 2019 // Police in South Florida say thieves stole up to $80,000 in merchandise from a wig warehouse. The owner of Prime Trading Hair and Wigs told detectives in Miami Gardens that he was notified overnight Tuesday that the alarm...
