Latest Washington Headlines

All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Lockton Northeast Names Connolly Chairman to Succeed Calabrese

Jun 21 2017 // Robert Connolly has been named chairman of Lockton Northeast, succeeding Michael Calabrese, who will continue to serve as vice chairman of Lockton’s Northeast operations. Connolly has been the president of...

3.6M Temblor Shakes Washington Area Northwest of Seattle

Jun 19 2017 // A magnitude 3.6 earthquake shook an area of the Olympic Peninsula northwest of Seattle, Wash., the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. It was centered less than a mile east of Quilcene. The USGS says the small earthquake...

Judge Tosses Fines Against Tesoro in Deadly Washington Refinery Blast

Jun 13 2017 // A Washington state administrative judge threw out $2.4 million in fines levied against refiner Tesoro Corp. for a 2010 explosion that claimed the lives of seven workers at the company’s Anacortes, Washington,...

Washington County Insurer to Pay $2.25M Wrongful Conviction Settlement

Jun 12 2017 // The insurance company for Spokane County, Wash. will pay $2.25 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit that contended the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office engaged in witness-tampering and recklessness to...

Former Washington Insurance Agent Charged in Theft of Clients’ Money

Jun 9 2017 // A former insurance agent in Washington has been charged with stealing premiums from his clients. Levi Watson, 44, of Bothell, Wash., faces one count of first-degree theft and one count of money laundering, both...

Automakers Seek Changes to Federal Autonomous Vehicle Guidelines

Jun 6 2017 // President Donald Trump’s administration will unveil revised self-driving guidelines within the next few months, the head of the U.S. Transportation Department said on Monday, responding to automakers’ calls for...

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...