Latest Washington Headlines
All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.
For UIG, Protecting Unions Is a Labor of Love
Jun 5 2017 // It can be pretty tough keeping an independent insurance agency up and running successfully long-term if you’re just in it for the money, according to the leader of a Chicago-based agency that is celebrating its 20th...
12 States Have Advanced Tougher Distracted Driving Bills This Year
Jun 1 2017 // As auto accidents and fatalities increase on America’s roads, a dozen states have taken legislative action this year to further combat distracted driving. According to an analysis by the Property Casualty Insurers...
Wildfire near Leavenworth, Washington, Forces Evacuations
May 25 2017 // Evacuation orders are still in effect in as crews battle a wildfire north of Leavenworth, Washington. Brendan Cowan, a spokesman for the Northwest Incident Management Team, says the blaze covered about 40 acres as of...
Insurance to Pay for up to $57M in Damage to Washington Waste Treatment Plant
May 22 2017 // An analysis says equipment failures caused between $49 million and $57 million of damage at the Washington’s largest sewage treatment plant. KING-TV reported the analysis was released related to damage at the West...
Washington Governor Signs Law Banning Holding Cellphone While Driving
May 18 2017 // Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a measure that bans holding hand-held devices while driving. The measure, signed by Inslee in Tacoma Tuesday, prohibits holding an electronic device, including phones, tablets and...
Brother of Washington Man Who Died in Hospital Fall Sues for Wrongful Death
May 16 2017 // A Washington man has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Eastern State Hospital staff after his brother died under their care. The Spokesman-Review reported that Kenneth Peters has accused doctors of not rendering...
Washington City Mulling Suits Against Opioid Makers in Homelessness Fight
May 12 2017 // The city of Tacoma, Wash. is considering suing the manufacturers of opioids such as OxyContin in its fight against homelessness. Mayor Marilyn Strickland said at this week’s City Council meeting that the city is...
Washington Tunnel Collapse Renews Safety Concerns over Nuclear Site
May 12 2017 // Thousands of workers at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation were told to stay home as efforts began to plug a hole that developed in the partial collapse of a tunnel containing dangerous radioactive waste from the building of...
Seismic Network Confirms Small Quake Hit Washington Peninsula
May 5 2017 // A small earthquake struck the Kitsap Peninsula a few miles east northeast of Bremerton, Wash.. Its epicenter was about 12 miles (19 kilometers) deep. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network says the magnitude 3.3 earthquake...
Feds to Use Fires to Lower Washington Wildfire Risks
May 1 2017 // To reduce the risks of wildfires, federal officials this spring are planning to conduct controlled burns on more than 9,000 acres of land in Washington state forests. The Seattle Times reported the fires planned in the...
Washington Nightclub Claims Racial Prejudice in $22.5M Suit
May 1 2017 // The city of Vancouver, Wash., and others successfully conspired to close a nightclub because of racial prejudice, the club’s owners say in a $22.5 million suit. The owners of Q Nightclub and Lounge say efforts by the...
Inspectors Find Continuing Safety Issues at Washington Mental Hospital
Apr 25 2017 // Inspectors who visited Washington state’s largest psychiatric hospital found that safety problems that thrust the facility into the national spotlight after the escape of two dangerous patients a year ago persist,...
Feds Will Use Fires to Lower Washington Wildfire Risks
Apr 24 2017 // To reduce the risks of wildfires, federal officials this spring are planning to conduct controlled burns on more than 9,000 acres of land in Washington state forests. The Seattle Times reported the fires planned in the...
Minor Temblor Reported off Bay in Washington
Apr 24 2017 // A small earthquake struck near Port Townsend in Admiralty Bay. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network says the earthquake happened shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday between Port Townsend and Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island. The...
Washington Nightclub Claims Racial Prejudice in $22.5M Suit
Apr 18 2017 // The city of Vancouver and others successfully conspired to close a nightclub because of racial prejudice, the owners of the club say in a $22.5 million lawsuit. The owners of Q Nightclub and Lounge say efforts by the city...
Washington Commissioner Fines Insurance Professionals over Violations
Apr 17 2017 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler recently took disciplinary action and issued fines totaling $3,650 against insurance companies, agents and a continuing education provider who violated state insurance...
Oregon, Washington Testing Early Quake Warning System
Apr 13 2017 // An early warning system for earthquakes has been expanded to Oregon and Washington, joining California in testing a prototype that could give people seconds or up to a minute of warning before strong shaking begins. The...
Washington Commissioner Supporting Strict Distracted Driving Bills
Mar 22 2017 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is advocating for two distracted driving bills that the state Legislature is considering. House Bill 1371, sponsored by Rep. Jessyn Farrell, and Senate Bill 5289, sponsored...
Uber Vehicle Striking Washington Gas Pump Resulted in Fiery Explosion
Mar 16 2017 // A gas pump burst into flames after being struck by a vehicle in service for Uber in Seattle, Wash. The result was a fiery explosion that was caught on surveillance video. KOMO reported the crash involved an Uber driver...
Plunging Temperatures in Northeast Lead to Icy Conditions Following Storm
Mar 16 2017 // Concerns about falling temperatures and icy conditions on roads and sidewalks across the Northeast followed a late-season storm that plastered the region with sleet and snow. Tuesday’s powerful nor’easter...
