West News

All 4 Dead Aboard Plane After Crash Near Runway in Rural Alaska

A crash of a plane roughly a half-mile from a runway near the southwest Alaska community of St. Mary’s killed all four occupants on board the aircraft, authorities said. Alaska State Troopers said they received a report of an overdue …

California Labor Commissioner Gets $1.7M Settlement in Wingstop Wage Theft Case

The California Labor Commissioner’s Office reached a $1.7 million wage theft settlement for 550 workers in an alleged scheme in which the owner of multiple Wingstop locations in Bakersfield created separate corporate entities to circumvent labor laws. The franchisee must …

Wildfire Risk Upends California’s Cannabis Heartland as Insurance Vanishes

Hannah Whyte is one of thousands of Californians who have struggled to insure their property in the event of wildfire. Her 77-acre farm nestled deep in a wildfire-vulnerable forest lost its coverage from State Farm after the mountainous region burned …

HEMIC in Hawaii Issuing $5 Million Dividend to Policyholders

Hawaii Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company Inc. is giving policyholders the largest dividend in the workers’ compensation carrier’s history. The HEMIC board of directors recently announced a $5 million dividend to qualifying policyholders. The company credits HEMIC’s steady growth and policyholder …

Washington Cabinet Shop Fined $187K for Safety Violations

A Ridgefield, Washington cabinet company has been cited for numerous safety violations including unguarded saw blades, spraying flammable glue next to ignition sources and not taking steps to lock down dangerous machinery. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries …

California Commissioner, Cal Poly Humboldt Working on Public Wildfire Model

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Cal Poly Humboldt plan to form a strategy group to undertake what Lara says will be the nation’s first public wildfire catastrophe model. The plan is for the group to draw from California’s research …

PCF Acquires Insurance Business of Top Insurance Associates in Washington

PCF Insurance Services acquired the insurance business of Top Insurance Associates in Snohomish, Washington. The Top Insurance Associates team will join PCF Insurance’s Fortiphi Insurance. Top Insurance Associates offers personal and commercial insurance services to individual and business clients in …

People Moves: Aspire in California Names Rea Chief Technology Officer

Aspire General Insurance hired Sam Rea as its chief technology officer. Rea has more than 20 years of experience leading IT organizations in the insurance industry. Before joining Aspire, Rea was CTO for the Peak6 InsurTech portfolio of companies for …

California Commissioner Issuing Moratorium on Cancellations for Wildfire Victims

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has identified areas in the vicinity of the several ongoing large wildfires in the state that will be protected by a one-year moratorium on homeowners insurance non-renewal or cancellation due to wildfire risk. Lara’s action …

Hawaii Probe Finds No Single Factor Led to Maui Wildfire Losses

No single factor led a fire in the seaside Hawaiian town of Lahaina last year to rage out of control and kill 102 people, according to a state report that assesses the government’s response to the disaster but not its …

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