West News

People Moves: Zimmer Named CEO of Alliant Insurance Services in California

Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., appointed Greg Zimmer as chief executive officer. Zimmer joined Alliant in 1998 as chief financial officer and was named president in 2007. He assumes the role of Alliant leader Tom Corbett, who will …

Uninsured California Subcontractor Charged with 30 Felony Counts

The California Department of Insurance is urging business owners to verify the insurance coverage for any subcontractor or vendor they do business with after trucking company owner and operator Raymond Youash, 37, of Encino, appeared in court this week on …

California Emergency Services Official Sued for Sexual Harassment, Retaliation

A lawsuit accused a deputy director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services of sexual harassment and retaliation against a senior employee while the agency did nothing to stop it. Ryan Buras, an appointee of Gov. Gavin Newsom, harassed …

Lawsuit over California Group’s Do-Not-Eat Listing for American Lobster Dismissed

A California court has dismissed a lawsuit from a group of fishermen against a conservation group that added New England lobster to its list of seafood to avoid. The lawsuit stemmed from a decision by Seafood Watch, which rates the …

Fatal Hot Air Balloon Crash in Arizona May Be Linked to Faulty ‘Envelope’

An “unspecified problem” with the balloon portion of a hot air balloon may have led to Sunday’s crash in the Arizona desert that left four people dead and another critically injured, federal authorities said. The National Transportation Safety Board said …

Washington State Sues to Block Kroger and Albertsons Proposed Merger

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued to block the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, two of the nation’s largest grocery chains. In the suit filed in King County Superior Court, Ferguson argued that the $25-billion deal would harm …

California Has Lowest Number of Fire Departments Per 100K People, Report Shows

California topped the ranking for the states with the fewest fire departments per 100,000 people, a new study shows. The study out this week shows California tied with Florida, and Nevada ranking second and Arizona ranking third. The report, commissioned …

Alliant in California Launches Student Health Specialty for Higher Ed

Alliant Insurance Services launched a student health specialty within Alliant Public Entity, offering student medical insurance for domestic and international students. The firm says its program helps higher educational institutions counter high claims trends, while providing resources to make health …

Wildfire Prevention, Helping Maui Recover Top Agenda for Hawaii Lawmakers

Hawaii lawmakers convened this week for the first time since the burning of historic Lahaina awakened the state to the deadly and costly threat posed by wildfires in an age of climate change. The tragedy refocused the attention of lawmakers. …

The Avalanche Risk is High in Much of Western U.S.

As a massive winter storm dumped snow across much of the western U.S., some hardy winter sport enthusiasts headed to ski resorts and backcountry slopes despite frigid temperatures during the long Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. But in many …

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