By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX –
The Texas Insurance Commissioner has ordered State Farm to refund $310 million to its Texas customers. The refunds are for overcharges that date back to 2003.
The Dallas Morning News reports. The state's public insurance counsel actually wanted to fine State Farm $1 billion dollars, but Insurance Commissioner Geeslin took the advice of his staff and reduced the fine to a third of that.
State Farm, the largest insurer in Texas, previously said it's done nothing wrong.
Texas officials: We're running out of water
The Texas population is expected to nearly double over the next 50 years, so lawmakers and water experts gathered in Fort Worth today to convey an important message: We're running out of water.
There is no shortage of alarming statistics to make that point. Texas' population of about 24.3 million is expected to hit about 45.5 million by 2060, but the water supply can't come close to keeping pace.
Imagine the state were to experience a major drought with that many more people. Officials estimate almost every Texan would be without sufficient water and there would be more than $90 billion in economic losses.
Lawmakers and water planners are trying to raise awareness about the issue and the importance of the 2011 Legislature investing in changes called for in the state water plan. Among the moves the plan calls for are the construction of 19 new reservoirs, water reuse programs, more pipelines, desalinization plants and conservation methods.
Officer not indicted in man's Taser death
A grand jury has opted not to indict a Fort Worth police officer who used a Taser twice on a man who died about an hour later.
Tarrant County District Attorney Joe Shannon said the grand jury was asked whether police Cpl. Stephanie A. Phillips should be charged with a criminal offense in the April death of Michael Jacobs.
The Tarrant County medical examiner had ruled Jacobs' death a homicide. The mentally ill man was shocked with a Taser twice - the first time for 49 seconds and the second time for 5 seconds, with a 1-second interval between the shocks.
Relatives have said they called police that day to report a disturbance because Jacobs had not been taking his medication for bipolar disorder. Officers said he became combative.
Charges to be refiled against 3 in Houston
The Texas Department of Public Safety says charges have been refiled against three employees of a Houston company accused of not properly inspecting some vehicles.
DPS said 5 Minute Inspections also had inspected a chartered bus involved in a 2008 wreck in Sherman that left 17 dead, but said the investigation into that case continues.
DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange on Monday said the suspects surrendered last week, but there was a problem with an incorrect word in an affidavit. She says the result was the cases were dismissed Friday but were refiled on Monday.
Harris County District Attorney's office spokeswoman Donna Hawkins said she couldn't confirm the refiling but said there was a time lag before cases are entered into the office databank.
DPS earlier said the three men were charged with tampering with a government document. A three-week DPS investigation determined hundreds of stickers were issued after inspections allegedly had not been done.
9 years in prison over Texas SWAT scam
A man who pleaded guilty to his role in a "SWATing" conspiracy in Texas has been sentenced to nine years in prison.
Federal prosecutors in Dallas on Monday announced the sentence for 35-year-old Carlton Nalley.
Nalley in February pleaded guilty to conspiracy to retaliate against a witness, victim or informant, and to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and unauthorized access of a protected computer.
Swating and "spoofing" technology are used to send law officers on bogus calls, or to scam telephone companies and steal personal information about customers.
Prosecutors say part of the Nalley investigation involved information used to swat a couple in Alvarado in June 2006.
Nalley was sentenced Friday. Two co-defendants in June pleaded guilty to the same counts and also received prison terms.