Latest Washington Headlines

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

Next Virus Shutdown May Cost Washington Restaurants $800M

Nov 25 2020 // A four-week shutdown on indoor service at restaurants and bars prompted by an alarming statewide spike in COVID-19 cases is expected to cost the industry some $800 million, a representative said Monday.Anthony Anton, chief...

Judge Upholds Washington’s Orders Against Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network

Nov 20 2020 // An administrative law judge upheld Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s fine and cease-and-desist order against Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network Inc., for illegally acting as an insurer in the...

Washington Man Faces Theft, Fraud Charges After Filing $65K in Claims

Nov 18 2020 // Jaskaran Singh Gill, of Tukwila, Wash., was charged in King County Superior Court in Washington with two counts of first-degree theft, one count of second-degree theft and four counts of filing a false insurance claim...

Washington Insurance Agent Charged with Wire Fraud in Alleged $750K Scheme

Nov 17 2020 // A 57-year-old Snohomish, Wash., insurance agent was charged this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle with five counts of wire fraud for her theft of approximately $750,000 in premium payments from various insurance...

20 Farms in Washington Fined for Not Protecting Workers From COVID-19

Nov 17 2020 // Three Mid-Columbia farms are among those receiving the biggest fines in the state from the Washington state Department of Labor and Industries for serious violations of agriculture regulations to prevent the spread of the...

Hub Acquires Assets of The Vitolo Company in Washington

Nov 16 2020 // Hub International Limited has acquired the assets of The Vitolo Co. in Seattle, Wash. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Mike Vitolo, founder and president of The Vitolo Co., as well as the Vitolo team, will be joining...

Washington Construction Firm Fined More Than $92K After Safety Inspection

Nov 13 2020 // A Washington construction company with a reported history of safety problems in Kitsap, Pierce and Grays Harbor was fined more than $92,000 for allegedly serious safety violations, including failing to enforce the use of...

Washington Firm to Pay $175K to Settle Federal Disability Discrimination Suit

Nov 6 2020 // Northwest Wireless Enterprises LLC, an exclusive T-Mobile retailer, will pay $175,000 to a former employee to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit, federal officials say.According a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal...

Settlement in Deadly Washington Crab Boat Sinking Calls for Over $9M

Nov 4 2020 // The owners of a Seattle-managed crab boat have reached a settlement of more than $9 million with two survivors and the families of four crew members who died last year when the Scandies Rose went down in the Gulf of...

Washington Commissioner Winning Sixth Term, Prop. 22 in California Passes

Nov 4 2020 // Incumbent Mike Kreidler was leading Republican challenger Chirayu Patel in the race for Washington insurance commissioner as vote counting continued on Wednesday.Kreidler, who’s seeking a sixth term in office, had...

Washington Family Files Lawsuit Following Death After Surgery

Nov 2 2020 // The family of a woman who lived at a Washington facility filed a lawsuit alleging neglect that caused her death following bunion surgery.The lawsuit says 33-year-old JoHanna Pratt died from a pulmonary embolism after the...

Ex-Police Chief in Washington Turned Pinup Model Charged with Workers’ Comp Fraud

Nov 2 2020 // A Snohomish County, Wash., woman faces two charges of making false or misleading statements to collect more than $67,000 in workers’ compensation benefits from the Washington State Department of Labor &...

Amazon Injuries Could Spark Higher Workers’ Comp Rates for Fulfillment Centers

Oct 26 2020 // Injuries in Amazon.com Inc. warehouses could damage more than just the company’s reputation. They could start to hurt the e-commerce giant’s bottom line, as well.Washington state’s workplace safety...

Washington Developing Wildfire Smoke Worker-Safety Rules

Oct 23 2020 // The Washington Department of Labor & Industries is developing new workplace safety and health rules regarding wildfire smoke.The L&I announced the move this week in response to an increasing number of acres burned...

Ex-Police Chief in Washington Turned Pinup Model Charged with Workers’ Comp Fraud

Oct 19 2020 // A Snohomish County, Wash., woman faces two charges of making false or misleading statements to collect more than $67,000 in workers’ compensation benefits from the Washington State Department of Labor &...

What P/C Insurance Industry Can Expect If Biden Wins or If Trump Is Re-Elected

Oct 19 2020 // If Republican President Donald Trump wins re-election, the property/casualty insurance industry is not likely to see much change from the status quo in Washington.If Democrat Joe Biden wins the presidency, however, the P/C...

Report: Washington Businesses Fined for Mask Violations, But Most Are Complying

Oct 19 2020 // A handful of Washington businesses are facing fines for violations related to lack of mask use by customers and staff, however thousands of other businesses that were the subject of complaints and have been warned are now...

Northwest Windstorm Kills 1, Thousands Lose Power

Oct 15 2020 // One person died after a tree fell on them and thousands of people in western Washington were without power as high winds blew into the region Tuesday.According to Anne Nesbit with Key Peninsula Fire, a tree fell on a...

Mechanical Problems Likely Caused Massive Washington Industrial Plant Fire

Oct 14 2020 // Mechanical problems at a Tacoma, Wash. industrial plant are the likely cause for a fire that triggered explosions and spewed toxic chemicals into the air early over the weekend.It took several hours for Tacoma firefighters...

Iowa Orders Hole in Won, Affiliates to Stop Insurance Business in State

Oct 13 2020 // The Iowa Insurance Division has ordered Hole in Won LLC, Kevin Kolenda, Hole In Won.com, Hole in Won.com Worldwide, Golf Marketing Worldwide, Compliance HIW, and Amanda Penrose (respondents) to cease and desist acting as...