Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Former Florida GOP Chairman, Insurance Agent Dies at 84
May 16 2007 // William M. Taylor, a former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, has died. He was 84. Taylor, an insurance agent for 50 years, grew up in Thomasville, Ga., The Florida Times-Union reported. He moved to Jacksonville as...
Appurtenant Structures Contribute to Florida Storm Loss, Study Shows
May 16 2007 // During the 2004-2005 Florida hurricane seasons, there were anecdotal reports that appurtenant structures such as pool enclosures, garages, carports, and sunrooms substantially contributed to the total storm damage either...
Hundreds of Florida Wildfire Evacuees Still Waiting to Go Home
May 16 2007 // Higher winds were expected to fan the flames of the large fire burning in southeast Georgia and Florida on Monday. The wildfire that raced through the Okefenokee Swamp in southeast Georgia and into Florida was started by...
USI Holdings Closes on Acquisition of Florida Broker Goldin
May 16 2007 // USI Holdings Corp. today announced the acquisition of Miami, Fla.-based benefits broker, Steven E. Goldin Insurance, Inc. Goldin provides benefits products and services to mid-sized businesses throughout Southeast Florida....
Appalachian Underwriters Buys Florida Brokerage Business
May 16 2007 // Nationwide managing general agency Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. of Oak Ridge, Tenn., has completed the purchase of the renewal rights to the brokerage business of Creative Insurance Underwriters in Florida. “It was...
Fla. Officials Move to Shut Down Viatical Provider for Dishonest Practices
May 15 2007 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation issued a Notice and Order to Show Cause to Coventry First LLC alleging violations of the Florida Insurance Code and for “engaging in fraudulent or dishonest...
Expert: Coastal Overdevelopment Will Worsen Fla.’s Insurance Woes
May 15 2007 // Construction of new high-rise developments on vulnerable barrier islands will continue to exacerbate Florida’s property insurance crisis, according to Robert Hartwig, Ph.D., president and chief economist of the...
Insurers Call for Additional Reforms for Florida Consumers
May 15 2007 // A new Florida law enacted during a 2007 January special session provides immediate savings for homeowners by shifting potential payments for hurricane losses from the homeowners receiving the current policy benefits to...
Wildfires Burn More than 330,000 Acres in Georgia, Florida
May 14 2007 // Officials closed a 35-mile stretch of Interstate 75 from the Georgia-Florida state line to Lake City, Fla., as well as a 40-mile stretch of Interstate 10, from U.S. 90 to U.S. 129, as a gigantic wildfire approached them...
Crist Drops Fla. Hurricane Ad Campaign after Bids Questioned
May 14 2007 // A Florida public service campaign to heighten hurricane awareness has been scrapped by Gov. Charlie Crist just three weeks before the 2007 tropical storm season after two firms that lost out on the lucrative contract cried...
Spring Wildfires, Floods Wreak Havoc from Coast to Coast
May 11 2007 // Nature’s fury made life miserable from one end of the United States to the other, with people forced out of their homes by wildfires near both coasts and the Canadian border and by major flooding in the Midwest. And...
Fla. Emergency Officials Practice for Hurricane Season
May 10 2007 // Florida emergency preparedness and response officials started a four-day practice exercise Monday to go through possible scenarios they may face this hurricane season. Officials were working at the emergency operations...
Early Storm Andrea Off Florida Coast
May 10 2007 // She’s certainly no hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of around 45 mph (75 kph), but her arrival signals an early start to the Atlantic storm season. Miami’s National Hurricane Center logged in its first...
Fla. Fire Situation Critical, 2 Neighborhoods Evacuated
May 9 2007 // Further evacuations were ordered Monday in windy, parched Florida as a wildfire crept within a quarter-mile of several homes. Residents in at least two areas of the state were ordered to leave, and hundreds more were on...
Florida Agent Recognized with National Award
May 8 2007 // Melissa Champany of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents recently received the 2006 InsurPac Young Agent Award at a luncheon in Washington, D.C. Champany was recognized for her efforts in launching a 2006...
Fla. University and AIR Work toward Understanding of Hurricane Vulnerabilities
May 8 2007 // AIR Worldwide Corporation is collaborating with the International Hurricane Research Center and the College of Engineering and Computing at Florida International University and will fund the installation of the “AIR...
Fla. Gov. Praised Legislature for Continued Property Insurance Reform
May 8 2007 // Gov Charlie Crist commended the Florida House and Senate for continuing the work of lowering property insurance rates by passing legislation that “ensures affordability and consumer choice within Florida’s...
Agents welcome Citizens expansion of small commercial coverage statewide
May 7 2007 // Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is expanding its insurance coverage for small businesses beyond coastal areas to properties across Florida. “Our goal is to make coverage available as quickly as possible to the...
Figures
May 7 2007 // $100 million The dollar figure placed on an alleged nationwide workers’ compensation scam for which five men have been indicted. The investigation began in 2002 after the Florida Division of Workers’...
Fla. CFO Praises Lawmakers for Mitigation Program Legislation
May 4 2007 // Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink applauded the Legislature’s passage of HB 7057, which makes improvements to the state’s My Safe Florida Home program. HB 7057 was sponsored by State Representatives...
