Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, President Aaron Broussard has placed his embattled top aide, Tim Whitmer, on paid leave. Broussard told The Times-Picayune he placed Whitmer on leave pending an investigation into newly disclosed deals between Whitmer’s insurance brokerage and parish contractors. …
Des Moines, Iowa, has been named “America’s best city to do business,” according to an annual survey by MarketWatch. Des Moines beat cities such as Washington D.C., Omaha, Neb., and Minneapolis/St. Paul in the survey that compared economic strength and …
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which recently enacted stricter flood zone regulations, is moving ahead with buying houses damaged in last year’s flood. The City Council has approved the first batch of buyouts of 28 properties. They are in a group of …
The Portland Fire Department is crediting a new sprinkler system with helping save a building in the city’s Old Port District from serious damage or destruction. City firefighters were called to the building at 10 Exchange St., just before 1 …
Driving too fast will soon get very expensive in Georgia. Going 85 miles per hour or more on most Georgia roads — including interstates — will cost a speeder an additional $200 when a new law takes effect Jan. 1. …
Lawyers for victims of a Rhode Island nightclub fire that killed 100 people have asked a judge to approve a trust fund that will pay out $176 million in settlement proceeds. The request was made in court papers filed Wednesday. …
Alleged swindler Allen Stanford will spend more than a year in custody after a U.S. judge Thursday set his criminal trial for January 2011. “This criminal case is going to get under way and it is going to go on …
A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a+” of Zurich Insurance Company Limited (ZIC), the main operating company of Zurich Financial Services Ltd. (ZFS), and its rated subsidiaries. …
The California Department of Insurance has fined Annuity Services Insurance Center $15,000 for deceptive advertising practices targeting senior citizens in California, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said. Beginning in August 2004, Investor’s Union LLC, doing business as Annuity Service Insurance Center, …
Five years after a Sumatra Indonesia tsunami killed 230,000 people, officials say that more communities are taking the threat seriously, implementing warning systems and understanding that swift action is needed if a threat arises. Since that tsunami devastated communities around …