Latest Virginia Headlines
All the headlines from our Virginia Topic Page, ordered by recency.
West Virginia Hoping for a Miracle in Mine Rescue
Apr 7 2010 // Drills boring into a West Virginia coal mine Wednesday carried hope for a “miracle” rescue of four miners missing after a blast killed 25 people in the worst U.S. mine disaster in a quarter century. The...
At Least 25 Dead in West Virginia Coal Mine Blast
Apr 6 2010 // An explosion ripped through a West Virginia coal mine owned by Massey Energy, killing at least 25 miners in the deadliest U.S. mining disaster since 1984. Governor Joe Manchin said Tuesday morning that four miners remained...
Bayer to Pay $143K Fine Over 2008 West Virginia Plant Explosion
Apr 2 2010 // Bayer CropScience has agreed to pay a $143,000 fine to resolve safety citations stemming from a fatal explosion at its Institute, West Virginia plant in 2008. Bayer said that the citations are principally related to the...
Virginia Man Sues PetSmart for $1M, Says He Slipped in Dog Feces
Apr 2 2010 // A Virginia man who says he fell after stepping in dog feces at a PetSmart store has filed a $1 million negligence lawsuit against the company. Robert Holloway alleges in his lawsuit in U.S. District Court that he badly...
U.S. Safety Chief Pressures Mines to Install High-Tech Equipment
Mar 30 2010 // America’s top coal mine regulator says he will redouble pressure on the industry to meet a 4-year-old congressional mandate to equip the nation’s underground mines with high-tech communications and tracking...
West Virginia Approves Insurance Liens for Cities
Mar 22 2010 // House and Senate in West Virginia lawmakers have signed off on allowing cities and towns to tap insurance proceeds when clearing away buildings destroyed by fire. The bill has been sent Gov. Joe Manchin, who sponsored the...
Marsh McLennan Agency Acquires Virginia’s Rutherfoord Agency
Mar 17 2010 // In a move that accelerates its national growth, Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA), a subsidiary of insurance broker Marsh Inc., has acquired Thomas Rutherfoord, Inc., the country’s 14th largest privately-held...
Virginia Woman Sues State for $15M over Son’s Drowning at Park
Mar 16 2010 // A Virginia woman whose son drowned at Smith Mountain Lake State Park has filed a $15 million lawsuit against the state and several other defendants. Dora Mae Henley’s lawsuit claims the death of her 12-year-old son,...
Virginia Agents Must Now Print Their Own Producer Licenses
Mar 16 2010 // Virginia’s insurance regulator says it will no longer mail licenses to producers and companies, since they can print the licenses out themselves online. The Virginia State Corporation Commission announced the change...
West Virginia to Create Electronic Auto Insurance Verification System
Mar 15 2010 // West Virginia lawmakers want to give police and the courts an easy way to verify whether a driver has required liability insurance. The House has approved a measure previously backed by the Senate to instruct the Division...
West Virginia Lawmakers Approve Insurance Liens for Cities
Mar 15 2010 // Lawmakers have signed off on allowing West Virginia’s cities and towns to tap insurance proceeds when clearing away buildings destroyed by fire. The Senate has sent Gov. Joe Manchin his proposal to allow...
As Weather Warms, Property Owners Urged to Buy Flood Insurance
Mar 12 2010 // Having flood insurance will be increasingly important this year as spring rain combines in many parts of the U.S. with the melting of record snowfall, according to the Insurance Information Institute. “Many states on...
West Virginia Lawmakers Approve Creation of Special Business Courts
Mar 12 2010 // Lawmakers hope a new bill will blunt business groups’ criticism of West Virginia’s court system. The Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to allow the state Supreme Court to create special business courts in...
West Virginia Mine Foreman Pleads Guilty to Faking Safety Records
Mar 12 2010 // A foreman accused of faking a safety inspection report at a Patriot Coal Corp. mine pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of making false statements and certifications under federal mine safety laws. John Renner, 40, of...
Profit Plunges at West Virginia’s Brickstreet Mutual
Mar 11 2010 // Competition and the expiration of federal tax exemption cut BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Co.’s profit by 66 percent in 2009. The workers’ compensation insurer says it earned $38.9 million last year, compared to...
Kinsale Formed as Virginia-Based Specialty Insurer
Mar 10 2010 // Kinsale Capital Group has formed a Virginia-based E&S insurer, called Kinsale Insurance Co., that will underwrite commercial property/casualty and professional liability E&S lines in 31 states and the District of...
West Virginia Lawmakers Tackle Vacant Buildings, Insurance Liens
Mar 9 2010 // State lawmakers appear ready to increase the independence of West Virginia’s local governments, and they aren’t waiting on results from an ongoing experiment on the subject. The Senate is expected to take up a...
Insurance Fraud Reportedly Increasing in Virginia
Feb 26 2010 // The number of suspected insurance fraud notifications received by the Virginia State Police are continuing to increase, according to the Insurance Fraud Program’s 2009 Annual Report Last year, the Insurance Fraud...
Collapse Concerns Grow as Snowstorm Slams Eastern States
Feb 8 2010 // Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. were particularly battered by a weekend snowstorm that caused massive power outages and resulted in moderate structural damage to areas in the region. At least two deaths were...
Bills to Raise Virginia Speed Limits Pass
Feb 4 2010 // Virginia lawmakers have passed bills that would boost the top speed limit in the state from 65 mph to 70. In the Senate, the bill passed on a 29-10 vote. Democratic Senator Creigh (Cree) Deeds of Bath County said the state...
