West News

California Couple Charged with Underreporting $4M in Employee Payroll

Brian Hill, 64, and Leslie Hill, 68, a husband and wife from Bakersfield, California, were charged with multiple felony counts of insurance fraud and conspiracy after a California Department of Insurance investigation reportedly found the couple underreported over $4 million …

Washington Declares Drought Emergencies in a Dozen Counties

A drought emergency was declared in a dozen counties of Washington state because of early snowmelt, a lack of spring rain and low-flowing streams. Some wells in Whatcom County in the northwestern part of the state are dry, and one …

Report: California Workers’ Comp Premium Levels on the Rise

California workers’ compensation premium levels rose by 14% in 2022 due to the economic recovery from the pandemic-related downturn, according to the new Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California’s 2023 State of the System Report. The WCIRB report forecasts …

Viewpoint: Washington’s Aggressive Approach to Preventing Intoxicating Hemp Cannabinoids May Be Good for Other States

Like other states across the country, Washington has been grappling with how to regulate intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid products that are being innovated faster than state lawmakers can respond. The state has decided on an extreme solution that prohibits products containing …

Small Earthquake Confirmed in Arizona Town

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake shook a northern Arizona town Sunday afternoon but there was no immediate word on any injuries or damage, the United States Geological Survey confirmed. The USGS said the small quake struck near Chino Valley, just north …

Barring Change, Allstate May Exit California Property Market Completely

The topic of a recent California insurance department workshop was the potential use of catastrophe modeling in ratemaking, but carrier representatives and consumers took the opportunity to air concerns about other problems in the state’s insurance market. The state’s growing …

Deck Collapse at Montana Country Club Leaves 30-Plus Injured During Popular Golf Tournament

More than 30 people were injured when a deck collapsed at a Montana country club during a weekend golf tournament, police and city officials said. The second-story patio floor of Billings` Briarwood Country Club broke and gave way Saturday evening. …

Train Derailment in Northern Montana Spills Freight

A train derailment in northern Montana spilled freight and left 25 cars tangled up along a major east-west railroad corridor but caused no injuries. The accident comes less than a month after a railroad bridge collapse in southern Montana sent …

Leavitt Agencies McDonald-Leavitt and Leavitt United Join

McDonald-Leavitt Insurance has merged into another larger Leavitt Group affiliate, Leavitt United Insurance Services. This merger is intended to provide Kim and David McDonald—McDonald-Leavitt founders and co-owners—with broader market access, a dedicated claims department, loss control services, and a robust …

People Moves: SAIF in Oregon Promotes Keefer to Chief Actuarial Officer

SAIF, headquartered in Salem, Ore., named Olivia Keefer its new chief actuarial officer. Keefer previously served as actuarial director. In her new role, she manages the reserves process, oversees ratemaking and the rate filing process, maintains the economic capital model …

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