Texas / South Central News

4 Oklahoma Counties Declared Disaster Areas Due to Drought

Gov. Mary Fallin’s office says four counties in northeastern Oklahoma have been designated disaster areas because of drought, making farmers and ranchers eligible for federal assistance. Fallin’s office said Friday that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue notified Fallin of …

New Highway Safety Laws in Louisiana Target DWIs, Driving During Floods

Louisiana’s Highway Safety Commission is touting new laws that toughen DWI provisions and create new penalties to stem dangerous driving during floods. The laws, passed during this year’s regular legislative session, took effect Aug. 1. Anyone convicted of driving while …

Arkansas, Feds Want Exxon to Pay $1.8M for Oil Spill Damage

State and federal officials are asking Exxon Mobil to pay more than $1.8 million in compensation for a 2013 oil spill in Arkansas. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the state Game and Fish Commission proposed the settlement Tuesday. The funds …

El Paso Construction Company Cited for Trenching, Excavation Safety Hazards

Federal safety officials have cited an El Paso, Texas, construction company for failing to protect its employees from trench collapse hazards. El Paso Underground Construction, a pipe-laying company, faces $190,642 penalties proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety …

Higginbotham Acquires Aviation Specialist, Colt Risk Management

Fort Worth, Texas-based Higginbotham has acquired Colt Risk Management Services (CRMS). CRMS is an independent commercial insurance broker specializing in aviation risk. The CRMS team has moved to Higginbotham’s Friendswood office, giving that location a combined staff of nearly 40 …

Texas’ Murex Petroleum Sued for Allowing Racial Harassment, Hostile Workplace

A Texas-based oil and gas company, operating in Tioga, N.D., violated civil rights law by subjecting an African-American employee to a hostile work environment based on his race, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed …

Texas Windstorm Insurance Association: Rates Inadequate by More Than 30%

While the board of the directors of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association voted at its recent quarterly meeting to raise rates for residential and commercial properties by 10 percent next year, the group acknowledges a rate inadequacy that is far …

Harris County Releases Flood Control Projects Listed in Bond Proposal

Flood control officials in the Houston-area have released a list of projects to be funded by the county’s $2.5 billion flood infrastructure bond proposal. The Houston Chronicle reports that the Harris County Flood Control District announced the 237 projects on …

Texas Governor Renews Hurricane Harvey Disaster Declaration

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has extended the disaster declaration for 60 counties impacted by Hurricane Harvey last year. Abbott first issued a disaster declaration on Aug. 23, 2017, for Aransas, Austin, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend, …

Report Faults Years of Neglect in New Orleans’ 2017 Floods

Outside consultants fault New Orleans officials’ long-term neglect of the city’s failing drainage system for widespread flooding last summer. Through a public records request, The New Orleans Advocate obtained the ABS Group report, a year and a day after a …

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