Latest Louisiana Headlines
All the headlines from our Louisiana Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Grant Helps Louisiana City Crack Down On Underage Drinking
Jun 14 2012 // The Houma Police Department is using state grant money from Louisiana to crack down on underage drinking and smoking. The department was awarded a $187,220 grant through the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission’s...
State Fire Marshal Added to Louisiana Carnival Ride Lawsuit
Jun 8 2012 // The mother of two teens injured last year on a carnival ride in Greensburg, La., is suing the state Fire Marshal’s Office. The Advocate reports the lawsuit alleges the fire marshal’s office failed to properly...
Louisiana Woman Convicted of Bank Theft, Will Pay $284K to Insurer
Jun 8 2012 // A federal judge has sentenced a former employee of Teche Federal Bank in New Iberia to 27 months in prison for embezzling over $387,000 between June 2008 and January 2011. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Doherty...
Feds Seek Insurance Funds from Former Louisiana Mayor
Jun 8 2012 // A federal magistrate has ordered the garnishment of money from a life insurance policy owned by former Ball, La., Mayor Roy Hebron, who is serving a four-year prison sentence for defrauding a federal agency. The Town Talk...
Louisiana Cities’ Feud Threatens Fire Response
Jun 7 2012 // Broussard, La., officials say the city’s fire department will continue to respond to calls in rural Lafayette Parish, but city-parish government’s nonpayment for that service ultimately might put lives and...
Louisiana Lawmakers Lower Costs for Citizens Customers Along Coast
Jun 7 2012 // A last-minute provision added to legislation headed to the governor’s desk will give some relief to coastal property owners who get insurance through Louisiana’s state-run insurer of last resort. The compromise...
La. Legislature Takes Wrong Turn on Rates
Jun 6 2012 // The Louisiana Legislature wrapped up their 2012 session late June 4 by passing S.B. 204 , a bill that would reinstate a partial suspension of the requirement that state-run Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. must...
Drug Maker Sues Louisiana AG in Avandia Drug Case
Jun 6 2012 // Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline has filed suit against Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, alleging that private attorneys hired by Caldwell to prosecute the state’s lawsuit against the company have a...
Trial Opens in Louisiana for Suit Against Costner Over BP Deal
Jun 5 2012 // Jury selection began June 4 in a legal fight between two Hollywood stars over investments in a device used to try to clean up BP’s 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In his lawsuit, actor Stephen Baldwin claims...
Duration, Severity Drive Workers’ Comp Claims Costs in Louisiana
Jun 4 2012 // Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp. (LWCC) was created by the state legislature in 1991 in an effort to stabilize and revitalize the state’s workers’ compensation. Today, the private nonprofit mutual...
Officials: Louisiana Pump Station Work Will Help Protect From Floods
May 31 2012 // Lafourche Parish, La., officials say the repair of two pumping stations in the Raceland area will help protect against flooding. The parish will be rebuilding the Cyprien Pump Station, which services the low-lying area...
Ratings of Louisiana-based Amerisafe Inc. and Subsidiaries Affirmed
May 31 2012 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of property/casualty subsidiaries of Amerisafe Inc., headquartered in DeRidder, La. — American...
Lobell, Tutt Join Louisiana-Based Specialty Risk Associates
May 30 2012 // Specialty Risk Associates Inc., headquartered in Shreveport, La., has added Rhonda Lobell as a commercial lines underwriter and Dolores Tutt as a personal lines underwriter. Lobell will be working at the Baton Rouge, La.,...
58% Wind Rate Boost by Louisiana’s Last Resort Insurer
May 28 2012 // Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. plans an average rate increase for wind-only policies of 58 percent, sparking an argument among top state officials on whether the increase is legal. The Advocate reports that...
3 Louisiana Law Enforcement Officers Plead Guilty in Insurance Scam
May 28 2012 // Two law enforcement officers from the New Orleans area have pleaded guilty to engaging in a plot to make a fraudulent insurance claim. Former New Orleans Police Sgt. Kevin Guillot and former Jefferson Parish...
Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles
May 25 2012 // Gloom infects the hard-working shrimp and crab docks of this gritty fishing town as the second full year of fishing since BP’s catastrophic oil spill kicks into high gear. Usually folks are upbeat and busy in May,...
Fraud Charges Against Former Louisiana Sheriff Candidate Dropped
May 24 2012 // Charges against former St. Helena Parish, La., sheriff candidate Frederick D. Bell of Kentwood for alleged insurance fraud and theft have been rejected by the district attorney’s office. Assistant District Attorney...
Ex-Workers Accused in Thibodaux, Louisiana, Restaurant Fire
May 23 2012 // Two former employees are accused of torching a Western Sizzlin restaurant in Thibodaux, La., early on May 21. Police say 18-year-old Donavan Cade Hoffpauir and 22-year-old Derrick Hebert, both of Thibodaux, were arrested...
Celebration Believed to Have Led to Louisiana Tech Frat House Blaze
May 23 2012 // Fire investigators in Ruston believe a weekend fire that gutted a Louisiana Tech University fraternity house originated in the fireplace while students burned old class notes to celebrate the end of their school...
Louisiana Parish Wants to Dispose of State-Owned Katrina Properties
May 21 2012 // A St. Bernard Parish commission is debating what to do with about 2,000 parish properties sold to the state by victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Times-Picayune reports that a panel overseeing the properties will discuss...
