West News

California Business Owner Ordered to Pay $687K in Restitution for Workers’ Comp Fraud

A California business owner convicted of felony workers’ compensation insurance fraud was ordered to pay $687,560 in restitution to the victims. An investigation by the California Department of Insurance determined that Jorge Maldonado, owner of Pro-Care Building Maintenance, under-reported the …

Organic Bulk Walnuts Sold in Natural Food Stores Tied to Dangerous E. Coli Outbreak

At least a dozen people in California and Washington have been sickened with E. coli food poisoning linked to organic walnuts sold in bulk in 19 states, U.S. health officials said Tuesday. The nuts were sold in natural food and …

People Moves: Brown Joins Alliant Insurance Services’ Employee Benefits Team

Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, California, hired Angie Brown as a First vice president and consultant for its employee benefits group, based in Alliant’s absence, disability and life insurance practice. Brown drives compliance with FMLA, ADAAA and continually emerging …

M4.1 Earthquake Shook Parts of Los Angeles Area: USGS

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake shook parts of the Los Angeles Area, including the cities of Corona, Anaheim, and Santa Ana on at 1:49 p.m. local time on the afternoon of Wednesday, the USGS confirmed. The epicenter was in the Santa …

California Contractor Pleads Guilty to Insurance Fraud After Underreporting Nearly $1M in Payroll

Kent Bo Fridolfsson, 67, of Benicia, California, pleaded guilty to six charges of insurance fraud and grand theft after a joint investigation with the California Department of Insurance, Solano County District Attorney’s Office and the Employment Development Department reportedly revealed …

New Mexico Restaurant Settles Wage-Theft Complaint After Prolonged Legal Battle

New Mexico labor announced a legal settlement that resolves longstanding accusations of unpaid wages against a restaurant business in northwestern New Mexico. The Workforce Solutions Department said in a news release that 505 Burgers Farmington LLC has agreed to pay …

$24.5M Settlement in New Mexico over Natural Gas Flaring in Permian Basin

New Mexico has reached a record settlement with a company over air pollution violations at natural gas gathering sites in the Permian Basin. The $24.5 million agreement with Ameredev announced this week is the largest settlement the state Environment Department …

Study: California’s 2023 Snowy Rescue from Megadrought a Freak Event

Last year’s snow deluge in California, which quickly erased a two decade long megadrought, was essentially a once-in-a-lifetime rescue from above, a new study found. Don’t get used to it because with climate change the 2023 California snow bonanza —a …

People Moves: BenefitMall Appoints Patton Benefits Sales Executive for Colorado

BenefitMall named Sam Patton to its team as the new benefits sales executive for Colorado. Patton specializes in ancillary benefits such as life, disability insurance, and executive supplemental disability. Patton most recently served as an executive disability benefits consultant with …

Warren Buffett’s PacifiCorp Now Faces $30B Claim Demand in Oregon Wildfires

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s PacifiCorp now faces a demand for $30 billion from victims of Oregon’s 2020 Labor Day wildfires, an escalation of a legal onslaught on the largest grid operator in the western US. While the amount sought in an …

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