Latest Washington Headlines

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

Oregon Ski Area Sued over Washington Child’s Death

Aug 12 2022 // The parents of a 9-year-old child who died skiing at Mt. Bachelor ski area in central Oregon last year have filed a $49 million wrongful death lawsuit against the resort and its parent company, Powdr Corp.Angela and Brian...

Coastal Washington Tribe Builds Tsunami Refuge Tower

Aug 11 2022 // There’s a new option to escape a tsunami for people on the southwest coast of Washington.The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe dedicated a 50-foot tall evacuation tower in Tokeland, Washington, the Northwest News Network...

Judge Finds Washington Commissioner Exceeded Authority on Credit Score Ban

Jul 29 2022 // Thurston County Superior Court Judge Indu Thomas found that while Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s rule temporarily banning credit scoring followed the Administrative Procedures Act, but he exceeded...

Washington Auto Repair Owner Caught 2nd Time in Workers’ Comp Scam

Jul 29 2022 // A Kennewick, Washington, business owner pleaded guilty to a felony for failing to provide workers’ compensation insurance for his employees for the second time.Benton-Franklin Superior Court Judge Norma Rodriguez...

Potential Class-Action Suit Says Washington Healthcare Provider Failed to Provide Interpreters

Jul 28 2022 // Providence St. Joseph Health, the largest healthcare system in Washington state, failed to provide in-person American Sign Language interpreters for deaf patients, leaving them at the mercy of virtual interpreters whose...

Washington Department of Labor Issues Outdoor Worker Guidance Amid Heat Wave

Jul 26 2022 // The Washington Department of Labor & Industries is responding to potentially record-breaking temperatures across Washington this week and warning businesses in industries from agriculture to building and road...

Faking Workers’ Comp Injuries Costs Washington Logger $160K, Detention

Jul 21 2022 // A Cowlitz County, Washington, logger who reportedly faked injuries to collect workers’ compensation benefits was ordered to repay the state more than $160,000.James Joseph Thomasson, 53, has also been ordered to...

Washington Superintendent to Resign, Receive Nearly $400K

Jul 21 2022 // A school district superintendent northeast of Seattle, Washington, will resign and receive nearly $400,000 after an investigation showed employee claims of his behavior creating a toxic work environment were mostly...

Washington Seafood Processing Company to Pay $92,000 Settlement

Jul 14 2022 // A seafood processing company west of Aberdeen, Washington, will pay more than $92,000 in a settlement agreement over water quality violations, Washington state ecology officials said.Pacific Seafood – Westport,...

Washington Town of Conconully Hit by Flash Flooding

Jul 7 2022 // A flash flood flowed through the streets of the town of Conconully in Washington’s remote Okanogan County, sending a foot of water and mud into 30 to 40 homes and businesses.County emergency managers said 1.7 inches...

Washington Man Wanted for Auto Insurance Fraud

Jun 30 2022 // Vincent Labarbera, of Vancouver, Wash., has been added to Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s most wanted after he failed to appear in Clark County Superior Court to face felony charges of filing a false insurance...

Alera Group Acquires Compensation Works in Washington

Jun 28 2022 // Alera Group acquired Compensation Works in Washington. The Compensation Works team will continue serving clients in their existing roles. Compensation Works is a national compensation company providing services that...

Jury Awards $595K in Washington Salmon Pen Collapse

Jun 24 2022 // A Washington state jury on awarded the Lummi Indian tribe $595,000 over the 2017 collapse of a net pen where Atlantic salmon were being raised – an event that elicited fears of damage to wild salmon runs and prompted the...

Washington Governor Joins Calls for Insurance Commissioner Kreidler to Resign

Jun 20 2022 // Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee is now among a growing number of people saying elected Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler should resign.The calls for the 78-year-old, six-term Democrat, to step down come after the...

$1.5M Settlement for Washington Police Chief Who Displayed Nazi Insignia

Jun 14 2022 // A suburban Seattle, Washington, city will pay more than $1.5 million to settle a dispute with a former assistant police chief who was disciplined for posting a Nazi rank insignia on his office door and joking about the...

Forecasters Issue Flood Watch for Columbia River in Washington

Jun 14 2022 // Unusually heavy rain and a melting snowpack have pushed the Columbia River to near flood stage from Vancouver to Longview, according to the National Weather Service.Forecasters issued a flood watch for areas along the...

Washington Family Sues City Following Landslide and Home Collapse

Jun 10 2022 // A Bellevue, Washington, family who lost their home when it was pushed off its foundation during a January landslide filed a lawsuit this week against the city for unspecified damages.The lawsuit, filed in King County...

Amtrak Settles With Ex-Engineer in Fatal 2017 Washington Crash

Jun 8 2022 // Amtrak has agreed to pay an ex-engineer for his pain and suffering caused by a 2017 derailment when his train sped off a curve in DuPont, Washington, killing three people and injuring dozens.Minneapolis lawyer Fred...

Washington Flash Flood, Mudslide Damaged Homes

Jun 8 2022 // A flash flood and mudslide in Okanogan County, Washington, damaged two homes, according to county emergency management officials.Emergency management officials said last week’s mudslide happened amid thunderstorms in...

Washington High Court Declines to Shift Duty to Inform of Drug Risks to Makers

Jun 6 2022 // A prescription drug maker has done its legal duty by warning prescribing physicians of a drug’s risks in accordance with Washington law even when the drugs are advertised directly to consumers, the state’s...