Latest Texas Headlines
All the headlines from our Texas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
‘Degassing’ North Dakota Crude Oil Before Shipping Among Safety Ideas
May 14 2014 // After a spate of fiery derailments, the scramble to make North Dakota’s Bakken crude oil safer when it’s being transported on trains has focused on better tracks, slower speeds, and reinforced railcars that...
75 Homes Destroyed in Texas Panhandle Wildfire
May 13 2014 // Emergency officials say about 75 homes are destroyed and hundreds of people have evacuated the area after a wildfire burned up to 2 square miles in the Texas Panhandle. The Texas Department of Public Safety said in an...
Wildfire Season Starts Early Amid Drought; Costs to Top $1 Billion
May 13 2014 // U.S. states plagued by historic drought are bracing for an early wildfire season with a cost that may rise as high as $1.8 billion, or almost $500,000 more than what’s available to control the blazes. Oklahomans...
Last of Texas A&M Bonfire Collapse Lawsuits Settled
May 12 2014 // The last remaining lawsuit arising from the deadly Texas A&M Bonfire lawsuit collapse has been settled almost 15 years after the collapse. The collapse of the 60-foot stack of more than 6,000 logs early the morning of...
Insured Disaster Losses Higher in Oklahoma Than in Any Other State in 2013
May 12 2014 // May 20, 2014, marks the one-year anniversary of the deadly tornado outbreak in Moore, Oklahoma, which contributed to the state’s designation as the site of the costliest U.S. natural disasters in 2013, according to...
Denton Could Be First City in Texas to Ban Fracking
May 9 2014 // A North Texas city that sits on top of the Barnett Shale, believed to hold one of the largest natural gas reserves in the U.S., could become the first area in the state to permanently ban hydraulic fracturing. A recently...
Texas Regulators Name McWhorter Fraud Unit Employee of the Year
May 8 2014 // Lt. Donald McWhorter is the 2014 Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Fraud Unit Employee of the Year. McWhorter was recognized for his successful career in law enforcement and fraud investigation during the 16th Annual TDI...
Family of Texas ‘Affluenza’ Teen to Pay Victim $2M
May 7 2014 // The family of a North Texas teenager who killed four people and injured 12 in a drunken-driving wreck has reached a settlement of more than $2 million with the family of a teenage boy left disabled. Tarrant County court...
Martin Elected President of Combined Agents of America for 2014-2015
May 6 2014 // Bill Martin has been elected president of the Combined Agents of America LLC (CAA) for 2014 – 2015. Other members of CAA’s newly elected management committee include new Treasurer Pete Bibby, new Second Vice...
Armstrong Appeals to Texas Supreme Court to Halt Insurer Lawsuit
May 5 2014 // Lance Armstrong has asked the Texas Supreme Court to stop a Dallas company from trying to force him to pay back about $12 million in bonuses it paid him for winning the Tour de France. SCA Promotions sued Armstrong last...
Injured Worker Cost per Claim Rises in Texas, Louisiana
May 5 2014 // Payments per claim for the medical care of injured workers in Texas grew nearly 8 percent in 2011, largely the effect of price increases from earlier reforms, according to a 16-state study by the Workers Compensation...
Having Survived Court Challenges, Oklahoma’s Workers’ Comp Redesign Takes Effect
May 5 2014 // The transition of Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation system from a court-based system to an administrative one became effective Feb. 1, a change that proponents say will lower costs and help make the state more...
People – South Central
May 5 2014 // Chris HayesSpecialty Insurance Managers Inc., a managing general agent based in Austin, Texas, hired Chris Hayes, a former Lloyds of London underwriter, to oversee a new high value homeowners insurance program in Texas,...
Business Moves
May 5 2014 // AssuredPartners, CBS Coverage Group Lake Mary, Fla.-based AssuredPartners Inc., through its subsidiary Assured SKCG Inc., has acquired CBS Coverage Group Inc. in Plainview, N.Y. CBS Coverage Group specializes in commercial...
Insured Loss Estimate from North Texas Storm Rises to $500M
May 2 2014 // The estimate of insured losses from an April 3 hail and wind storm in Denton, Texas, and nearby cities has risen. The Insurance Council of Texas now estimates that the amount of insured losses will be $500 million rather...
5% of All Texas Vehicle Fires Are Arson, Fire Marshal Says
May 1 2014 // In Texas, approximately five percent of all vehicle fires are intentionally set, which accounts for $3.5 million in vehicle fire losses, according the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office. “Vehicle arson is not a...
2 Texas Companies Tie for Top Spot in 2014 ‘Forgiveness’ Ratings
Apr 30 2014 // Based on a study of 10,000 U.S consumers, H.E.B. and USAA, both based in San Antonio, Texas, tied for the top spot in the 2014 Temkin Forgiveness Ratings, which rates 268 companies across 19 industries. USAA’s...
Texas Nuclear Weapons Plant Cited for Safety Issues
Apr 30 2014 // Experts have recommended improving operating and training procedures after inspectors raised concerns about explosives safety at the nation’s only nuclear weapons assembly and dismantling plant. A letter to Pantex...
Community Service a Big Part of Texas Agents’ Annual Conference
Apr 29 2014 // The young agent members of Texas’ largest independent agents association will once again kick off the group’s annual conference with a community service project. This year, the young agents of the Independent...
From 2008 to 2012 Texas Had 216 Oilfield Deaths
Apr 29 2014 // Federal figures show Texas had 216 oilfield deaths from 2008 through 2012 to lead the U.S. during the reporting period. The Houston Chronicle reported that nationwide the number of oilfield deaths reached 545 amid...
