Gov. Brad Henry has declared a state of emergency for Oklahoma in case hurricane evacuees from Texas are brought to the state. Hurricane Ike is expected to hit Texas Saturday and Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten says …
Federal investigators are wrapping up a probe of a fatal propane explosion at a Raleigh County, West Virginia convenience store in January 2007. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said it will release its final report on the blast Sept. 25. …
The Mississippi Supreme Court scheduled oral arguments for Oct. 6 in Franklin Corp.’s appeal on a multimillion-dollar verdict won by four workers who claimed they suffered medical problems because of inadequate ventilation at a Houston, Miss. furniture plant. A Calhoun …
Residents forced to stay inside their homes as nearly 40,000 burning tires released toxic fumes in Nitro, West Virginia two years ago, reached a tentative settlement with two companies. Though U.S. Tire Recovery and ChemValley Properties admit no wrongdoing, they …
The Georgia Department of Labor reports that 59,090 laid-off workers filed first-time unemployment claims in August. That’s a jump of 72 percent from August of 2007. State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said the jump is the largest yearly increase since …
Pennsylvania businesses have saved more than $300 million thanks to a program that allows workplaces to save five percent annually on workers’ compensation insurance premiums, according to the state. Businesses qualify for the savings if they have a state-certified safety …
A court settlement described as “absurd and disturbing” would give Canadians owning homes contaminated with asbestos-containing Zonolite insulation virtually nothing, while their lawyers would get millions from W.R. Grace. In the United States, where as many as 35 million homes …
A western Pennsylvania trucker linked to arson by his truck’s global positioning device will spend up to 10 years in prison. Forty-eight-year-old Thomas Reinhardt, of New Brighton, was sentenced after pleading guilty to arson and causing a catastrophe before Beaver …
Bermuda-based PartnerRe Ltd. announced that its preliminary estimate of claims relating to its exposure to Hurricane Gustav are currently expected to be between $25 and $45 million on a pre-tax basis, net of reinstatement premiums. “During the last week of …
A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘A-‘ (Excellent) from ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) to “a-” from “a” of Bermuda-based reinsurer Lehman Re Limited. In addition Best revised the outlook for all …