Latest Texas Headlines
All the headlines from our Texas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
412 Motorcyclists Died on Texas Roads Last Year, Officials Say
Jul 13 2020 // Texas transportation officials say 412 motorcyclists were killed and more than 1,800 were seriously injured on the state’s roads in 2019. Acknowledging that on average, one motorcyclist dies every day on Texas roads,...
Texas Hospital Sued for Retaliation in Employment Discrimination Case
Jul 13 2020 // The Woodlands Psychiatry and Counseling Company, a hospital in Conroe, Texas, has been sued by federal officials for allegedly retaliation for firing an employee who had filed a discrimination charge against the healthcare...
Insurity Acquires Virtual MGA in Texas
Jul 13 2020 // Insurity Inc., a provider of cloud-based core system solutions and data analytics for insurers, brokers, and MGAs, has completed the acquisition of Austin, Texas-based Virtual MGA. The deal, which closely follows the June...
University Researchers Claim Air Filter ‘Catches and Kills’ the Coronavirus
Jul 10 2020 // Researchers from the University of Houston, in collaboration with others, have designed a “catch and kill” air filter that they say can trap the virus responsible for COVID-19, killing it instantly. Zhifeng...
Texas Communities to Use $12M in Grants to Combat Vehicle Crimes
Jul 9 2020 // Texas suffers from more than $1 billion in losses from motor vehicle crime each year, according to the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA), a division of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. To help Texans...
Bridges Elected Vice Chair of Independent Insurance Agents of Texas
Jul 9 2020 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) elected Mark Bridges of INSURICA in Amarillo to serve as vice chair for 2020-2021. Bridges was elected to the post during IIAT’s annual business meeting on June 10,...
In-Person Texas GOP Meeting Canceled by Houston Convention Center
Jul 9 2020 // The Republican Party of Texas’ in-person convention has been canceled, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said on July 8. The news came after Turner directed the city’s legal department to work with the Houston...
Missouri Won’t Shut Down Summer Camps Despite Virus Outbreaks
Jul 9 2020 // Missouri leaders knew the risk of convening thousands of kids at summer camps across the state during a pandemic, the state’s top health official said, and insisted that camp organizers have plans in place to keep an...
Luttrell Named ELITExan Young Agent of the Year by IIAT
Jul 8 2020 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) has named Russell Luttrell of Benton-Luttrell Insurance in Van Alstyne as the André P. Juneau ELITExan of the Year. Luttrell was presented with the award during...
Texas Leaders Warn of Hospital Limits, Ask for Lockdowns Amid Virus Surge
Jul 6 2020 // Leaders in two of Texas’ biggest cities are calling on the governor to empower local governments to order residents to stay home as the state’s continued surge in coronavirus cases tests hospital...
Nored to Lead New Texas Health Insurance Market Monitoring Team
Jul 6 2020 // A new team at the Texas Department of Insurance has been established to identify and quickly resolve issues involving health insurers in the state. Michael Nored, previously special counsel to the commissioner, was tapped...
Hub Acquires Assets of Gus Bates Insurance & Investments in Texas
Jul 6 2020 // Chicago-based global insurance brokerage, HUB International Limited (Hub), has acquired the assets of GBC Benefits Ltd., d/b/a Gus Bates Insurance & Investments (Gus Bates I&I), located in Fort Worth, Texas. Terms...
People & Places
Jul 6 2020 // National Alexander Wells Zurich North America has appointed Alexander Wells as U.S. head of Middle Market. He will be responsible for the strategic management and development of Zurich’s Middle Market...
Whether Public or Private, Flood Insurance Is a Must, Experts Say
Jul 6 2020 // Tropical Storm Imelda hit the Texas Gulf Coast on Sept. 17, 2019, as a fairly low-level tropical storm but that doesn’t mean it was an inexpensive one in terms of property damage, especially with regard to...
Reported Surplus Lines Premium Again Sets Record in Texas
Jul 6 2020 // The amount of surplus lines premium reported in Texas continued its upward swing in May, coming in at nearly $100 million higher than reported in the same month last year, according to the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of...
Another One Down: Austin City Limits Music Fest Canceled Amid Virus Surge
Jul 2 2020 // Austin City Limits has joined the ranks of major music festivals to be canceled because of the coronavirus. Festival organizers said in a statement on July 1 that scrapping the three-day October event was “the only...
Texas Independent Agents Name Stoffle Account Manager of the Year
Jul 2 2020 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) has named Karla Stoffle of Upshaw Insurance in Amarillo as Account Manager of the Year. The Account Manager of the Year award is given annually to an account manager in...
Texas Work Comp Division: Healthcare Providers Indicted for Drug Distribution, Fraud
Jul 2 2020 // Three Texas healthcare providers will face trial for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and mail fraud, according to the Texas Department of Insurance – Division of Workers’ Compensation. On June...
Texas Bar Owners Sue Governor Over Recent Shutdown Order
Jun 30 2020 // Hoping to block Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision ordering Texas bars to close due to a rise in coronavirus cases, more than 30 bar owners filed a lawsuit on June 29 challenging Abbott’s emergency order. The lawsuit,...
Texas Insurance Department Asked to Conduct Auto Insurance Data Call
Jun 30 2020 // The Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC) has asked the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) to conduct a special data call of the top 10 auto insurance groups in the state to gather information about personal...
