Latest Tennessee Headlines

All the headlines from our Tennessee Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Group Urges Tennessee Residents to Avoid Ash from Coal Plant

Dec 29 2008 // Authorities need to more strongly warn residents that muck left from a major coal-ash spill in eastern Tennessee could pose health risks, a southern environmental group said Saturday. The Tennessee Department of...

Tennessee Motel Sued for $100M in Death of Alabama Woman

Dec 8 2008 // The parents of a former north Alabama high school homecoming queen have filed a lawsuit seeking $100 million against the motel in Knoxville where she was killed, allegedly by a motel employee. Cynthia Senn and Michael...

Business Moves

Nov 30 2008 // Arthur J. Gallagher The HR Group International insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. reported it has acquired The HR Group, LLC of Brentwood, Tennessee. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The HR Group...

Madrid Zone Earthquake Study a Wake-Up Call for Tennessee, Other States

Nov 30 2008 // A new federal study of the New Madrid Seismic Zone predicts Tennessee would see the highest level of damage if there is a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The study notes that the total economic impact of a series of NMSZ...

Business Moves

Nov 30 2008 // Brown & Brown, Conner Strong Florida- based Brown & Brown Inc. said it has agreed to acquire the small business insurance unit of Conner Strong Companies, Inc., which is headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey....

Study Shows Tennessee Would Lose Most People, Buildings from Earthquake

Nov 24 2008 // A new federal study of the New Madrid Seismic Zone predicts Tennessee would see the highest level of damage if there is a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The Federal Emergency Management Agency released the two-year study as...

Kentucky’s HopFed Bank Gets Preliminary Approval for Bailout Funds

Nov 21 2008 // Kentucky’s HopFed Bancorp, Inc., holding company for Heritage Bank and Fall & Fall Insurance, reports it has been preliminarily approved to participate in the U.S. Department of Treasury Capital Purchase Program...

Arthur J. Gallagher Buys The HR Group of Tennessee

Nov 20 2008 // International insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. reported it has acquired The HR Group, LLC in Brentwood, Tennessee. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Established in 1996, The HR Group offers...

Voters Shuffle Deck of State Legislatures; Both Parties Claim Gains

Nov 5 2008 // Voters on Tuesday left their mark on the state political landscape, shifting the partisan control of state government in a dozen states. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Democrats gained control...

Tennessee-based Unum Releases Buyers Study Findings

Nov 4 2008 // Headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn., Unum unveiled findings of its 2008 Buyers Study, saying the role employee benefits play in protecting the financial stability of workers and their families is often overlooked. One half...

Small Earthquake Reported in East Tennessee

Nov 3 2008 // The U.S. Geological Survey reported a small earthquake occurred in East Tennessee, but emergency officials say no damage has been reported. The agency recorded the earthquake was centered near Maryville and occurred at...

Tennessee’s Appalachian Underwriters Acquires Business Insurance Center

Oct 29 2008 // Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based Appalachian Underwriters Inc. acquired the business insurance center assets of NFIB, from MSC Insurance Agency of Tennessee LLC. NFIB is a small business association representing small and...

Tennessee Underwriter Forms Commercial Brokerage in Florida

Oct 28 2008 // Tennessee-based Appalachian Underwriters Inc. established a commercial brokerage division and will open a new office in Sarasota, Fla. to house the new operation. AUI will focus on property and casualty risks that are...

Southern Drought Creeping Northward to West Virginia

Oct 20 2008 // Extreme drought conditions, the second-worst possible, have now spread into Kentucky, and severe conditions have returned to West Virginia and southwest Virginia, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. “The last...

$90 Million Lawsuit Filed in Tennessee Fire that Killed 7

Oct 20 2008 // Survivors of the seven people killed in an August fire in Memphis, Tenn. have filed a lawsuit seeking $90 million. The Commercial Appeal reported the lawsuit filed in Circuit Court claims electrical problems at the rental...

Tennessee-based Unum Bridges Language Gaps in Employee Benefits

Oct 15 2008 // Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Unum, in an effort to serve its Spanish-speaking customers, created customized employee education and enrollment materials, added bilingual call centers and is providing on-claim support. Unum says...

Nationwide Insurance Expands in Tennessee

Oct 15 2008 // Nationwide opened a new office in Memphis, Tenn. Nationwide said the opening of this office is part of the company’s efforts to reach diverse consumers and grow its market share among a diverse population. Associate...

$90 Million Lawsuit Filed in Tennessee Fire that Killed 7

Oct 13 2008 // Survivors of seven people killed in an August fire in Memphis, Tenn. filed a lawsuit seeking $90 million. The Commercial Appeal reported the lawsuit filed in Circuit Court claims electrical problems at the rental property...

Tennessee-based Unum Names Bishop Executive VP and General Counsel

Oct 1 2008 // Unum Group, based in Chatanooga, Tenn., appointed Liston Bishop III as executive vice president and general counsel for the company. Bishop has served as Unum’s interim general counsel since February. He joins the...

People

Sep 22 2008 // Jacksonville, Florida-based Harden & Associates, an insurance brokerage company, promoted Dustin Theilacker to chief information officer. As CIO, Theilacker will continue to provide technology vision and leadership...