Latest Texas Headlines

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

Royalty Owners Sue Denton, Texas, Over Fracking Moratorium

Oct 2 2014 // A group of mineral royalty owners has sued the city of Denton over its temporary ban on hydraulic fracturing, claiming the ban violates property rights. City leaders halted fracking as they consider making their city the...

80 People Being Monitored in Dallas Ebola Case

Oct 2 2014 // More than 80 people in Dallas are being monitored for symptoms of Ebola after coming into contact with patient Thomas Eric Duncan or others who Duncan had met, health officials said. The people have been asked to report to...

‘Ike Contingent’ Pounding Insurers with Texas Hail Claims

Oct 2 2014 // Insurance availability crises are nothing new. Nor is finger-pointing about what exactly causes them. In Texas, a red state that is nonetheless home to a robust plaintiffs’ bar, sparring in a particularly active...

Cause of Oklahoma Truck-Bus Crash Still a Mystery

Oct 1 2014 // The softball coach who was driving a team bus smashed into by an errant truck did everything he could to save four players who died in the accident, a relative said, even as investigators tried to solve the mystery of why...

Texas Windstorm Insurer Says Finances Are Shaping Up

Oct 1 2014 // Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) announced it has successfully obtained $500 million in funds to assist in paying future catastrophic claims and that the association is now in its best financial position since...

10 Years and 12,000 Smoke Alarms in Texas

Sep 29 2014 // The We’re Out to Alarm Texas program has donated approximately 12,000 smoke alarms to Texas seniors and other citizens throughout the state during its 10 years in existence, the Insurance Council of Texas...

Texas Extended Warranty Company Sued by Minnesota AG

Sep 26 2014 // Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is suing a Texas auto warranty company, alleging it uses deceptive tactics to avoid giving customers refunds. According to the lawsuit filed in Hennepin County District Court,...

Texas Construction Company Owners Sentenced for Workers’ Comp Fraud

Sep 25 2014 // Texas Mutual Insurance Co. reported that a Travis County district court sentenced Anthony Stokes and Mario Williams of Little Elm, Texas, for workers’ compensation fraud-related charges. Stokes and Williams were...

West Texas Battered by Torrential Rains

Sep 24 2014 // Torrential rains from the remnants of Hurricane Odile have battered West Texas, and police said on Sept. 22 they were investigating whether the death of a woman in El Paso was related to the flooding. Rainfall amounts...

Ballinger to Retire from Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas

Sep 24 2014 // The board of directors of the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLSOT) announced the retirement of Philip R. Ballinger as executive director after 22 years of distinguished service. He will remain in the post until...

Preliminary Flood Maps Available in Texas for Aransas, San Patricio Counties

Sep 23 2014 // Newly-released preliminary flood maps for Aransas and San Patricio counties in Texas will help residents and business owners to determine their flood risks and make informed decisions, according to the Federal Emergency...

$1.6M in Preparedness Grants Go to Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Sep 23 2014 // Emergency management agencies in five states – Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas – have been awarded more than $1.6 million in preparedness grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),...

Auto Wrecks with 3 or More Fatalities Rise in Texas

Sep 22 2014 // The number of auto accidents involving three or more deaths has more than doubled in Texas since 2010, with more fatalities occurring along roads seeing increased traffic because of the oil and gas boom. An investigation...

Texas-Based Cut Stone Manufacturer Fined $234.9K for Safety Violations

Sep 22 2014 // Cut limestone manufacturer Mezger Enterprises Ltd., based in Lampasas, Texas, has been cited for 27 safety and health violations, including two willful, by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and...

Homeowner Rate Hikes Go Unchallenged by Texas Commissioner

Sep 22 2014 // Texas’ insurance commissioner has allowed the three largest home insurers to impose significant rate hikes on many policyholders despite the objections of a state consumer advocate. Insurance Commissioner Julia...

People – Midwest

Sep 22 2014 // Portage, Mich.-based property/casualty MGA and surplus lines broker, J.M. Wilson, has promoted Crystal Russell to accounting operations supervisor. Russell is responsible for payment and account reconciliation of company...

Fatal Occupational Injuries Decrease by 8% in Texas in 2013

Sep 22 2014 // In 2013, there were 493 fatal occupational injuries in Texas, an 8 percent decrease from 536 in 2012, the Texas Department of Insurance reported. The figures are based on preliminary data released release by the U.S....

People – South Central

Sep 22 2014 // Stuart Parker, currently chief operating officer at San Antonio-based USAA, has been named to succeed current CEO Joe Robles when he retires at the end of February 2015. USAA Capital Corporation President Carl Liebert has...

Texas Pickup Trucks Stolen the Most: NICB Report

Sep 22 2014 // Pickup trucks may not be the “official vehicle” of the state of Texas, but if the state had one, the truck would certainly be in the running for official status. Besides being popular with drivers in Texas,...

Once Again, Texas Lawmakers Asked to Do Something about Windstorm Insurer

Sep 22 2014 // What to do about Texas’ wind insurer of last resort? That’s the question being asked again of Texas lawmakers in advance of the coming legislative session. In a surprise visit to a Senate Business &...