West News

Southern California Begins Assessing Damage From Largest Earthquake in 20 Years

RIDGECREST, Calif. — Crews in Southern California assessed damage to cracked and burned buildings, broken roads, leaking water and gas lines and other infrastructure Saturday after the largest earthquake the region has seen in nearly 20 years jolted an area …

Oregon Agency Charged with Earthquake Study and Preparation Could Be Abolished

The state agency in charge of earthquake study and preparation, as well as monitoring mining efforts in Oregon, could be shut down after going over budget for the second time in four years. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the Department of Geology …

Officials Say 4 Wildfires in North-Central Nevada Were All Human Caused

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management says four separate wildfires that broke out in north-central Nevada this week all were caused by humans. The fires that began on Tuesday near Interstate 80 between Lovelock and Winnemucca are all now either …

Phoenix Buildings Continue to be Without Power After Fatal Fire

A fire in an underground utility vault killed one worker, injured a second and cut power to numerous high-rise buildings Monday in downtown Phoenix, possibly for a few days, authorities said. The explosion happened Sunday night while two workers for …

California Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in $250K Insurance Fraud Scheme

A California Department of Insurance, Employment Development Department and U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service investigation that uncovered a complex unemployment insurance fraud scheme has now led to prison time on federal charges for the man who perpetrated the …

Hawaii Including Gender X on State Driver’s Licenses

Hawaii will soon provide drivers the option to select “X” as their gender on licenses. Democratic Gov. David Ige was expected to sign the bill aimed at reducing discrimination against transgender and gender fluid people, Hawaii News Now reported. The …

$6M Death Claim Filed in Arizona Police Shooting

A law firm says it has filed a $6 million claim against the city of Phoenix in the death of a man who was shot by police officers investigating a string of armed robberies. News media was sent a copy …

Hot Weather May Fuel South-Central Alaska Wildfire, Some Residents Evacuate

Meteorologists say a new wave of hot, dry weather is expected to fuel a wildfire burning on the Kenai Peninsula, and continued smoke and record-breaking temperatures are predicted for the Fourth of July holiday week across south-central Alaska. A wildfire …

HP Enterprise Gender Pay Gap Lawsuit in California Making Headway

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. isn’t poised to win a quick escape from a class-action lawsuit accusing it of paying female employees less than their male counterparts. A California state court judge said in a tentative ruling last week that the …

Sale of Applied Underwriters Still Under Review; Cayman Islands Insurer Likely Involved

It appears that the Berkshire Hathaway workers’ compensation unit Applied Underwriters is being sold in a large acquisition, which likely involves Cayman Islands-based United Insurance Co. A spokesman for the Applied confirmed that a deal is in the works, but …

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