Latest Virginia Headlines
All the headlines from our Virginia Topic Page, ordered by recency.
How Mapping Disasters Can Help Devastated Communities Rally
Jul 17 2017 // On Meredith Beers’ laptop, the intensity of the twister that touched down here in February is marked in green, yellow and red. The colors illustrate light, medium and heavy damage from the 150-mile winds that tore...
New Study Reaffirms Virginia Flooding Predictions as Sea Levels Rise
Jul 14 2017 // A new study reaffirms predictions that parts of coastal Virginia will face chronic flooding if nothing is done about sea-level rise. The Union of Concerned Scientists said Wednesday that a city like Poquoson, Va., could...
$1.23M Fine Against West Virginia Gov. Justice’s Coal Company Upheld
Jul 14 2017 // A federal appeals court has upheld $1.23 million in civil contempt fines ordered against one of Gov. Jim Justice’s family coal companies. The court says it lacks jurisdiction to hear an appeal of the $30,000 daily...
Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia Names Chairman, Board Members
Jul 12 2017 // During its recently held annual meeting at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va., the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia (IIAV) named Douglas B. Megill of McLean Insurance Agency chairman of the board of...
Federal Judge Halts West Virginia $151M Water Crisis Settlement
Jul 12 2017 // A federal judge has declined to grant preliminary approval to a $151 million settlement stemming from a 2014 chemical spill that sparked a water crisis in West Virginia. Local news outlets report Judge John T. Copenhaver...
Kentucky Reduces Number of Coal Mine Safety Inspections to Cut Costs
Jul 11 2017 // Kathy Bartlett watched helplessly this spring as Kentucky lawmakers cut back on mine safety inspections and replaced them with coaching sessions on miners’ safety habits. She knows more than most what’s at...
Midwest States Show Slightly Better Return-to-Work Results
Jul 10 2017 // From 10 to 18 percent of injured workers never reach “substantial return to work,” according to new research by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) comparing outcomes for injured workers in six...
Veterans Can Now Be Reimbursed for Virginia Insurance License Exam Fees
Jun 29 2017 // Veterans of the United States Armed Forces and some active duty military and reservists now have a new incentive to become licensed insurance agents in Virginia. The State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance...
West Virginia City Sues Liberty Mutual for $20M Over Claim Denial
Jun 28 2017 // A West Virginia city has filed a federal lawsuit seeking a $20 million insurance claim to cover damages at its hydroelectric plant. The Intelligencer reports that the lawsuit was filed this month in U.S. District Court in...
Weed Warning: Legalizing Marijuana Tied to Rise in Crashes in 3 States by HLDI
Jun 23 2017 // Legalizing recreational marijuana use in Colorado, Oregon and Washington has resulted in collision claim frequencies that are about three percent higher overall than would have been expected without legalization, a new...
WCRI Researchers Compare States on Injured Workers Returning to Work
Jun 21 2017 // From 10 to 18 percent of injured workers never reach “substantial return to work,” according to new research by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) comparing outcomes for injured workers in six...
Cardinal Health Seeks Dismissal of Drug Suits in 6 West Virginia Counties
Jun 16 2017 // A pharmaceuticals distributor has asked a federal judge to dismiss lawsuits filed by six West Virginia counties over the opioid crisis, arguing that they were filed too late and the matter was already addressed in a state...
Rolling Stone to Pay $1.65M to Settle Suit Over University of Virginia Rape Story
Jun 15 2017 // Rolling Stone magazine agreed to pay $1.65 million to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by a University of Virginia fraternity over a debunked story about a rape on campus, the fraternity said Tuesday. The settlement...
West Virginia Supreme Court: No Workers’ Comp Benefits For Inmates
Jun 13 2017 // The West Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that inmates participating in work-release programs do not qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the court unanimously affirmed a...
The Andrew Agency Acquires Wood Insurance in Virginia
Jun 5 2017 // The Andrew Agency, a Richmond, Va.-headquartered insurance broker, has acquired Wood Insurance, effective June 1, 2017. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Also based in Richmond, Va., Wood Insurance specializes...
West Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty to Staging Accident For Insurance
Jun 5 2017 // Federal authorities say that a 56-year-old Fairmont woman has pleaded guilty to fraud, admitting she participated in a staged vehicle accident, faked injuries and filed a false insurance claim. Prosecutors say Robin...
Virginia Insurance Commissioner to Retire After 30 Years
Jun 2 2017 // Virginia Insurance Commissioner Jacqueline K. Cunningham will retire at the end of the year after serving for a total of 30 years with the State Corporation Commission’s (Commission) Bureau of Insurance (Bureau). She...
12 States Have Advanced Tougher Distracted Driving Bills This Year
Jun 1 2017 // As auto accidents and fatalities increase on America’s roads, a dozen states have taken legislative action this year to further combat distracted driving. According to an analysis by the Property Casualty Insurers...
2 Killed in Explosion at West Virginia Industrial Plant
May 30 2017 // An explosion at a West Virginia industrial plant has killed two people and injured a third. Officials say the explosion was reported last week at Midland Resource Recovery, a company based in Ontario, Canada, that odorizes...
West Virginia Gov Orders State to Step-Up Cybersecurity Efforts
May 26 2017 // Gov. Jim Justice has directed the West Virginia Board of Risk and Insurance Management to take steps to protect personally identifiable information collected and kept by state agencies, including health information...
