Latest Texas Headlines
All the headlines from our Texas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Fatal Auto Pedestrian Accidents on the Rise in Texas
Dec 22 2015 // The number of fatal auto pedestrian accidents in Texas has risen 36 percent since the Texas Department of Transportation began keeping the records in 2010, recently released National Highway Traffic Safety Administration...
People – South Central
Dec 21 2015 // The Texas Surplus Lines Association Inc. has elected new officers and directors, including President Shawn Fabors, managing director, AmWINS Program Underwriters Inc. in Dallas. He takes over from outgoing President Penny...
Texas State Fire Marshal: Fire Occurred Every 7 Minutes in 2014
Dec 21 2015 // A fire occurred every seven minutes in 2014 in Texas, state fire officials say. A report released by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, shows that last year, 957 fire departments in Texas reported 72,124 fires, an...
The Charity Issue
Dec 21 2015 // Gillis, Ellis & Baker Employees of Gillis, Ellis & Baker Insurance (GEB) spent a recent weekend fixing up the exterior of the Gentilly home of Eleonor Sheppard. The GEB team repaired siding, painted the...
Drunk-Driving Texas ‘Affluenza’ Teen Sought by Authorities
Dec 18 2015 // Authorities are investigating whether a teenager who killed four people in a 2013 drunken-driving wreck — and claimed as part of his defense that he suffered from “affluenza” — has fled with his mother to...
Man Who Drove Bugatti into Gulf Going to Prison for Insurance Fraud
Dec 18 2015 // An exotic car salvage yard owner in Lufkin, Texas, has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison after pleading guilty to insurance fraud. The Houston Chronicle reports that in November 2009, Andy House drove...
Zeman Elected as Chair of Texas Insurance Trade Group
Dec 18 2015 // Allstate Regional Counsel Robert Zeman has been elected to serve as chairman of the board of directors of the Insurance Council of Texas (ICT). Zeman was elected a the board’s December meeting; his term begins Jan....
Ratings of Texas-Based National Unity Insurance Downgraded
Dec 17 2015 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating to B+ (Good) from B++ (Good) and the issuer credit rating to “bbb-” from “bbb” of San Antonio-based National Unity Insurance Co. (National...
Houston Builder Lands Safety Award from Construction Safety Group
Dec 17 2015 // Houston-based D.E. Harvey Builders has been honored with the first ever General Contractor Job Site Safety Award from the TX Construction Association Safety Group. The general contractor won the award for its dedication to...
Blue Bell Ice Cream Returning to More Texas Outlets
Dec 15 2015 // Most of Texas will have Blue Bell ice cream this week after months of cleaning production plants and regulatory reviews following listeria contamination. The Brenham-based company on Dec. 14 began returning ice cream to...
After Seeing Truck in Jihadist Photo Texas Plumber Sues Dealer
Dec 15 2015 // A Texas plumber is suing a truck dealer after a vehicle emblazoned with his company’s name and phone number — and carrying gun-toting fighters — appeared in a photo circulated by purported Islamic...
Medical Care, Compensation Increase for Texas Nuclear Plant Workers
Dec 15 2015 // The past few years have seen an increase in the number of workers at a nuclear weapons plant in the Texas Panhandle who have been compensated and given medical care for conditions caused by exposure to plant hazards. Those...
Texas Associates Insurors Hires Novak as Risk Advisor
Dec 14 2015 // Texas Associates Insurors, headquartered in Austin, has added John Paul Novak in its commercial risk and insurance division as an advisor, specializing in construction and hospitality risks. A native Texan, Novak’s...
Review: Hispanic, Black Drivers More Likely to Be Searched in Texas
Dec 9 2015 // An analysis of Texas traffic stops shows Hispanic and black drivers are far more likely to be searched by Department of Public Safety troopers, despite DPS assertions that all motorists are treated equally. The review of...
Texas Safety Officials: Nearly 16K Vehicles Stolen in December 2014
Dec 9 2015 // The Texas Department of Public Safety says the potential for vehicle thefts is high in December. The DPS reported that 5,717 automobiles, pickups and motorcycles were recorded stolen in December 2014, making it one of the...
2015- Modernization in the Non-Admitted Market
Dec 9 2015 // Dallas, TX, December 9, 2015- 2015 has been a big year for mergers and acquisitions in our industry. You read consolidation news everyday…Willis to buy Towers Watson…Confie acquires another broker…Gen...
Texas State Fire Marshal Report: Fire Occurred Every 7 Minutes in 2014
Dec 8 2015 // In 2014, 957 fire departments in Texas reported 72,124 fires, with a fire occurring every seven minutes, 163 civilian fire deaths, 780 civilian fire injuries and $662,625,954 in property, according to a report from the...
Signature Select Expands into Texas with New Hires in Austin, Dallas
Dec 7 2015 // Signature Select LLC announced it has expanded into Texas by establishing a presence in Austin and Dallas. In Dallas, Shelly Floyd and Cliff Layfield have been hired for the Dallas operation and Patrick Datz was added as a...
People – South Central
Dec 7 2015 // Houston-based Columbia Lloyds Insurance Co., a provider of homeowners and tenant dwelling insurance throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, appointed John R. Todd as president and chief executive officer, and Shabbir...
Spring Storms Rack Up More than $1.5B in Losses in Texas
Dec 7 2015 // Storms during April and May in Texas caused more than $1.5 billion in property losses, according to the Insurance Council of Texas. ICT spokesman Mark Hanna says paid residential property losses in April and May were close...
