Latest Virginia Headlines

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

Business Moves

Apr 16 2012 // Peachtree, Personable Holdings A Florida domiciled auto insurer that provides coverage to 18,000 drivers in the state and Georgia has been acquired by California equity firm looking to enter the non-standard...

Business Moves – Southeast

Apr 16 2012 // Peachtree, Personable Holdings A Florida domiciled auto insurer that provides coverage to 18,000 drivers in the state and Georgia has been acquired by California equity firm looking to enter the non-standard...

Federal Healthcare Law to Aid Black Lung Victims

Apr 16 2012 // Proposed changes to U.S. Department of Labor rules would make it easier for coal miners and their families to obtain black lung benefits, while a West Virginia congressman aims to reduce the amount of paperwork they have...

Virginia Insurance Fraud Arrests Going Up

Apr 16 2012 // The Virginia State Police said its special agents made 231 arrests for insurance fraud and other related crimes, such as arson and forgery, in 2011 — up eight percent over 2010. The Virginia State Police investigates...

West Virginia Permits Access to Driver’s Insurance Information Before Lawsuit

Apr 13 2012 // Individuals in West Virginia involved in a traffic accident will soon be able to access the other driver’s insurance coverage before filing a lawsuit under a new disclosure law. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed into law...

Virginia Wildfires Burn More Than 7,000 Acres

Apr 12 2012 // Parts of Interstate 64 and three other roads remain closed because of wildfires that have burned more than 7,000 acres in Virginia. The National Forest Service says five large fires are burning in Alleghany, Craig, Page...

Navy Compensating Those Affected by Virginia Jet Crash

Apr 11 2012 // A slew of residents who lost their homes after a Navy jet crashed into their apartment complex began picking up government checks on Monday to help them pay for food, clothing and housing over the next two weeks as they...

West Virginia Mine Blast Survivors’ Cases Still Unsettled

Apr 11 2012 // Nine men who survived West Virginia’s Upper Big Branch mine disaster want to abandon mediation of their personal injury claims and start gathering evidence for trial because they say the mine’s new owner...

Navy Jet Crash in Virginia Beach, Va., Fiery, Not Deadly

Apr 8 2012 // Zooming along at 170 mph (275 kph) in a fighter jet carrying thousands of pounds (kilograms) of volatile fuel, two Navy pilots faced nothing but bad choices when their aircraft malfunctioned over Virginia’s most...

New Federal Safety Rules for Mines Finalized

Apr 6 2012 // Federal regulators are issuing a final set of rules for underground coal mine examinations that aim to hold operators more accountable for finding and fixing dangerous conditions — and preventing the deaths of their...

Federal Healthcare Law to Aid Black Lung Victims

Apr 5 2012 // Proposed changes to U.S. Department of Labor rules would make it easier for coal miners and their families to obtain black lung benefits, while a West Virginia congressman aims to reduce the amount of paperwork they have...

Va. DOT Contractor Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Used Uninsured Vehicles

Apr 4 2012 // A Staunton contractor accused of defrauding the Virginia Department of Transportation has pleaded guilty to commercial fraud. Thirty-two-year-old Jeffrey T. Jennings faces up to 15 years in prison. The News Leader reports...

West Virginia Residents’ $93 Milllion Settlement with Monsanto Questioned

Apr 3 2012 // An attorney is challenging a $93 million settlement between Monsanto Co. and thousands of West Virginians. Thomas Urban II represents some class members who say the settlement isn’t fair and reasonable, the...

Inspections Improving Mine Safety, Says U.S. Official

Apr 3 2012 // Aggressive inspections at troubled mines are helping create safer working environments for coal miners, the head of the federal government’s mine safety agency said during a visit to Kentucky. U.S. Mine Safety and...

Virginia Officials Urge Earthquake Insurance Check

Mar 31 2012 // State officials are reminding homeowners to review their insurance policies to see if they have earthquake insurance ahead of a new law that will require better disclosure if policies exclude such coverage. The State...

Ex-Mine Chief Pleads Guilty in West Virginia Blast

Mar 30 2012 // The former superintendent of the West Virginia mine where 29 workers died in a 2010 explosion pleaded guilty on Thursday to a federal conspiracy charge that he tipped off employees to safety inspections. Gary May, 43, is...

Judge Won’t Dismiss Massey Shareholder Suit Over Safety

Mar 30 2012 // A federal judge refused Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit by former Massey Energy shareholders who say they were deliberately misled about the company’s safety record before the Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West...

Regulators Say West Virginia Mines Warned of Inspectors

Mar 30 2012 // Three times in a month, regulators have caught West Virginia coal companies illegally warning miners that federal inspectors were onsite. Mine Safety and Health Administration director Joe Main says such warnings let...

Aftershocks From 2011 Quake Continue in Virginia

Mar 29 2012 // Virginia continues to experience aftershocks from last summer’s earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.1-magnitude aftershock occurred at 11:21 p.m. Sunday, March 25, some 8 miles south of Louisa and 8 miles...

Va. Police: Social-Media Policy Is Part of ‘Virtual Character Check’

Mar 29 2012 // Recent reports that some employers are asking job applicants for access to their social networks during the hiring process have raised questions about the legal liability of such practice. This growing controversy is also...