Patricia Wells

A judge has stopped a Michigan landfill from accepting hazardous waste shipments from five states after local communities raised concerns about environmental risks. The order came from Wayne County Judge Kevin Cox, who said the danger was too great to ignore, even if it meant financial losses for the landfill operator. The landfill, Wayne Disposal … Read more

Heavy rains caused flash flooding in parts of the Midwest over the weekend, leading to power outages, stranded drivers, and widespread disruptions. The final day of the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis, just outside Milwaukee, was canceled as the fairgrounds became flooded after several inches of rain fell. The National Weather Service warned of … Read more

Louisiana authorities have agreed to pay $9 million to Clifton “Scotty” Dilley, who was left partially paralyzed after a state trooper shot him during a traffic stop in Baton Rouge in 2018. Dilley, only 19 at the time, was struck in the back, and the trooper initially claimed the injury was from a Taser. The … Read more

Two workers lost their lives and at least ten others were hurt in a powerful explosion and fire at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works plant in Pennsylvania on Monday. The accident happened at the facility located about 15 miles from Pittsburgh, which is the largest coke-making plant in North America. The U.S. Chemical Safety and … Read more

The Austin Association of Insurance Professionals (AAIP) gathered on June 20th at The Oasis on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas, for their annual installation dinner. The event marked the introduction of the group’s new leadership team for 2025 and 2026. Meghan Welte, the current AAIP President, hosted the evening. Newly installed as President is Abigail … Read more

Coterie Insurance, based in Appleton, Wisconsin, has added two new leaders to its team: Mike Albert as chief technology officer and Allan Egbert as chief platform officer. Both bring years of experience and a history of working closely together. Albert and Egbert co-founded Ask Kodiak, a company they started before it was bought by Applied … Read more

Two workers died Thursday after their helicopter crashed into power lines, hit a barge, and caught fire near East Alton, Illinois, just north of St. Louis along the Mississippi River. The crash sent thick black smoke into the sky and led to several explosions, witnesses said. The helicopter crew was performing repairs on powerline tower … Read more

Chubb Limited, based in Warren, New Jersey, has made several important leadership changes in its surety and claims businesses. Steve Haney, who has served as vice president and division president of North America surety and chief underwriting officer of global surety, has been named president and chief underwriting officer of global surety. Haney, with nearly … Read more

California-based insurance brokerage ALKEME has acquired Innovative Insurance Group, a major player among Virginia’s insurance agencies. This move broadens ALKEME’s reach on the East Coast, with the local team continuing to work out of its eight Virginia offices. Innovative Insurance Group was formed in 2015 when four Virginia benefits agencies combined. The company focuses on … Read more

The Great Barrier Reef has suffered its biggest loss of live coral in a single year in 40 years of monitoring, according to Australian scientists. This sharp decline comes mainly from coral bleaching caused by rising ocean temperatures linked to climate change. Despite this setback, the total amount of living coral remains close to the … Read more