West News

Mother of Black Student Seeking Damages Against California School for Racist Rant

The mother of a Black 12-year-old boy is seeking damages against a Southern California school district after her son’s teacher went on a half-hour tirade laced with racism and profanity. Katura Stokes filed a damage claim, typically a precursor to …

Lawmakers from California Want U.S. Departments to Be Year-Round Wildfire Agencies

California’s U.S. senators and nearly two-dozen representatives are asking the Agriculture and Interior departments to transition their agencies to a year-round wildland workforce because blazes are no longer limited to traditional fire seasons. The move would require reclassifying more seasonal …

Former California Agent Arraigned After Allegedly Stealing from Client

Formerly licensed insurance agent, Mandy Pruitt, 42, of Visalia, Calif., was arraigned today on one count of grand theft after she allegedly stole more than $4,400 from a client and used the money to pay for personal expenses. The alleged …

Hawaii Teen Gets $150K Settlement for Arrest by Classmate’s Dad

The Honolulu City Council has approved a $150,000 settlement in a lawsuit that accused a police officer of improperly arresting a boy who had a personal dispute with his son. The family’s federal lawsuit alleged that Officer Kirk Uemura had …

Washington School District Agrees to $4.25M Sex Assault Settlement

A suburban Seattle, Wash., school district this week agreed to pay $4.25 million to settle a lawsuit that accuses a former middle school teacher of sexually assaulting his student for nearly a decade. According to the lawsuit, drama teacher Richard …

California County Paying $4M in Misconduct Suits

San Diego County has so far spent more than $4 million to settle a dozen lawsuits brought after a sheriff’s deputy admitted to on-duty misconduct with 16 women, a newspaper reported Sunday. The Union-Tribune cited documents that show lawyers for …

Groups Opposing Bill to Create California Medical Provider Network Option for Workers

A piece of California legislation to establish a statewide medical provider network for employees is raising a few eyebrows. Assembly Bill 1465 would require the administrative director of the state’s workers’ compensation system to establish a statewide medical provider network, …

Caesars in Nevada Puts Pandemic Losses At $2B, Wants Insurers to Pay

Casino giant Caesars Entertainment Inc. is putting its losses because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 at more than $2 billion, and is suing a long list of insurance carriers it accuses of balking at paying its business interruption costs. …

Utah Passes Law Requiring Pilot Insurance Following Plane Crash

The lawsuit from a 2017 crash of an airplane on 1900 West in Roy lingers on, more than three years after it was filed. The pilot, apparently, was not insured, leaving Samantha Sandoval – hit in her car in the …

Judge Considering Requiring PG&E in California to Turn off Power More Often

A federal judge overseeing Pacific Gas & Electric’s criminal probation said Tuesday that he is considering requiring the utility to be more aggressive about turning off its electricity lines near tall trees, a plan that could double the number of …

West News Archives by Month