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90-498: The wildfires broke out throughout Napa , Lake , Sonoma , Mendocino , Butte , and Solano Counties during severe fire weather conditions, effectively leading to a major red flag warning for much of the Northern California area. Pacific Gas and Electric reported that red flag conditions existed in 44 of the 49 counties in its service area. Seventeen separate wildfires were reported at that time. These fires included

180-474: A ground delay program at San Francisco International Airport , and nearly 280 flights were canceled over a three-day period. Over a week after the fires started, flights continued to be canceled and delayed due to poor visibility from the smoke. The Cherokee Fire broke out on the evening of Sunday, October 8, near Oroville in Butte County just after 9 PM PDT. Reportedly igniting near Cherokee Road,

270-542: A state of emergency for the counties of Napa, Sonoma, Yuba , Butte, Lake, Mendocino , Nevada , and Orange , and sent a letter to the White House requesting a major disaster declaration. President Donald Trump approved the disaster declaration on October 10. That evening, Governor Brown issued an emergency declaration for Solano County . Surveying the region, representative Mike Thompson of California's 5th congressional district said, "I fully expect this will be

360-403: A 30% discount on the fine as a result of its cooperation with the investigation. Aon said its conduct was not deliberate, adding it had since "significantly strengthened and enhanced its controls around the usage of third parties". In December 2011, Aon Corporation paid a $ 16.26 million penalty to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice for violations of

450-611: A compensation and employee benefits consulting company. Later in that year, however, the company decided to cut 6% of its workforce as part of a restructuring effort. In 2003, the company saw revenues increase primarily because of rate hikes in the insurance industry. Also that year, Endurance Specialty, a Bermuda-based underwriting operation that Aon helped to establish in November 2001 along with other investors, went public. The next year Aon sold most of its holdings in Endurance. In

540-509: A dwindled able bodied agricultural labor force caused by the needs of the American war effort. Following the war, several new small and medium size businesses began operating in the county. A large majority of these businesses were related to the wine industry and tourism. Agriculture in the county remained very diverse until late in the 20th century when wine grapes again became the primary focus. While vineyards were planted on well over 90% of

630-468: A fellow Prussian compatriot and pioneer viticulturalist at Sonoma, married Lolita's younger sister Caroline with a dowry that included land near the Bale mill. Krug then moved north of St. Helena to establish the valley's first commercial winery. John Patchett opened the first commercial winery in the county in 1859. The vineyard and wine cellar were in an area now in the city limits of Napa. After working as

720-472: A female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.16. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

810-561: A guide for one of the earliest immigrant trains to California, was granted Rancho Catacula in 1844. The Town of Napa was founded on Rancho Entre Napa by Nathan Coombs in 1847. Following the event of the Mexican–American War , Bear Flag Revolt in 1846 and the Mexican Cession in 1848, settlers were granted deeds from the original ranchos during the 1850s through 1870s. To this day, a number of streets and landmarks around

900-659: A market cap of $ 65 billion in April 2023. W. Clement Stone 's mother bought a small Detroit insurance agency, and in 1918 brought her son into the business. Mr. Stone sold low-cost, low-benefit accident insurance, underwriting and issuing policies on-site. The next year he founded his own agency, the Combined Registry Co. As the Great Depression began, Stone reduced his workforce and improved training. Forced by his son's respiratory illness to winter in

990-472: A notification to preserve equipment, emails, and documents relevant to the utility's tree-trimming program. CAL FIRE Director Ken Pimlott discouraged premature speculation of causes, stating that, "The facts will come out when the investigations are done." On July 1, 2020, the PG&;E Fire Victim Trust (FVT) was established as part of the reorganization plan of the 2019 bankruptcy of PG&E to administer

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1080-586: A political party. Major Economic Activity in Napa County (Highest number in each category highlighted ) Napa Valley is widely considered one of the top American Viticultural Areas in California, and all of the United States, with a history dating back to the early nineteenth century. By the end of the nineteenth century, there were more than 140 wineries in the area. Several still exist in

1170-591: A resort town taking advantage of or the area's numerous mineral hot springs. He also founded the Napa Valley Railroad Company in 1864 to bring tourists to Calistoga from San Francisco ferry boats that docked in Vallejo . Brannan's railroad venture failed and was sold at a foreclosure sale in 1869. The railroad eventually came under the ownership of Southern Pacific Railroad late in the 19th century. The Veterans Home of California Yountville

1260-407: A snapshot of life and insight into some of the characters that lived around the valley during the later part of the 19th century. Stevenson, accompanied by his new bride Fanny Vandegrift and her 12-year-old son from a previous marriage, Lloyd Osbourne , spent the late spring and early summer of 1880 honeymooning in an abandoned bunk house at a played-out mine near the summit of Mount Saint Helena. In

1350-753: A specialised risk management firm focusing on cybersecurity. On 14 November 2016, Aon acquired CoCubes an online Indian Assessment firm, facilitating hiring of entry-level engineering graduates. On 10 February 2017, Aon plc agreed to sell its human resources outsourcing platform for US$ 4.8 billion (£3.8 billion) to Blackstone Group L.P. (BX.N), creating a new company called Alight Solutions. In September 2017, Aon announced its intent to purchase real estate investment management firm The Townsend Group from Colony NorthStar for $ 475 million, expanding Aon's property investment management portfolio. On 9 March 2020, Aon announced its merger with Willis Towers Watson for nearly $ 30 billion in an all-stock deal that creates

1440-416: A wedding gift from George Yount, land in the area of the valley now known as Rutherford. Rutherford established himself as a serious grower and producer of fine wines in the following years. Bale's oldest daughter Lolita married the seaman Louis Bruck. When Bale died in 1848, Bruck became the executor of the will for the family. He was elected the first mayor of Napa City when incorporated in 1872. Charles Krug,

1530-553: A winemaker for Patchett, Charles Krug founded his own winery in St. Helena 1861. The county's population began to grow in the mid-century as pioneers, prospectors, and entrepreneurs moved in and set up residence. During this period, settlers primarily raised cattle and farmed grain and fruit crops. Mineral mining also played a role in the economics of the county. In 1858 the great silver rush began in Napa Valley, and miners flocked to

1620-642: Is Hood Mountain , elevation 2,750 feet (840 m). Napa County is home to a variety of flora and fauna including numerous rare and endangered species such as Tiburon Indian paintbrush and Contra Costa goldfields . The 2010 United States Census reported Napa County had a population of 136,484. The racial makeup of Napa County was 97,525 (71.5%) White , 2,668 (2.0%) African American , 1,058 (0.8%) Native American , 9,223 (6.8%) Asian , 372 (0.3%) Pacific Islander , 20,058 (14.7%) from other races , and 5,580 (4.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44,010 persons (32.2%). As of

1710-408: Is in the 4th Assembly District , represented by Democrat Cecilia Aguiar-Curry , and the 3rd Senate District , represented by Democrat Bill Dodd . The county is one of three counties in California to establish a separate department to deal with corrections pursuant to California Government Code §23013, along with Santa Clara County and Madera County . Historically, Napa County

1800-505: Is thought not to have exceeded 5000 persons. In 1776, a fort was erected by the Spanish Governor, Felipe de Neve , a short distance northwest of Napa, on an elevated plateau . Russians from Sonoma County 's Fort Ross grazed cattle and sheep in the Napa Valley in the early 19th century and in 1841 a survey party from the fort placed a plaque on the summit of Mount Saint Helena . Francis Castro and Father Jose Altimura were

1890-774: The "Judgment of Paris" in 1976. In prehistoric times, the valley was inhabited by the Patwin Native Americans , with possible habitation by Wappo tribes in the northwestern foothills. Most villages are thought to have been constructed near the floodplains of watercourses that drain the valley. Their food consisted of wild roots, acorns , small animals, earthworms , grasshoppers , and bread made from crushed California buckeye kernels. In winter they would construct huts made of tree branches. In summer they camped near rivers and streams. In winter months, they were half-clad in wild animal skins and at other times they wore no clothing. The maximum prehistoric population

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1980-574: The 1991 Oakland firestorm , which until then had been the single costliest fire on record. In addition, the Northern California fires were predicted to cost the US economy at least $ 85 billion. In 2018, the Camp Fire surpassed the October 2017 fires to become the single-costliest fire on record, causing an estimated $ 16.5 billion (2018 USD) in property damage. Owing to the extreme conditions, shortly after

2070-576: The Camp Fire (2018) . A filing by PG&E to the judge overseeing PG&E's probation for the 2010 San Bruno fire said that the Tubbs Fire may have started with privately owned equipment on private property for which PG&E was not responsible. The Nuns Fire, centered in the areas to the east and north of the city of Sonoma , merged with the Norrbom fire on October 11. The Adobe fire merged with Nuns/Norrbom on October 12. The Partrick fire joined

2160-514: The Diablo winds were reported gusting up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) within the affected areas as over a dozen wildfires began to break out. Many of those killed in the fires are believed to have died late on October 8 or early on October 9, 2017, when most of the fires broke out overnight. Most of the victims were elderly, though the ages of the victims ranged from 14 to 100 years old. On October 9, California governor Jerry Brown declared

2250-643: The Tubbs Fire (which grew to become the most destructive wildfire in the history of California up until that time - fires in 2018 were more destructive), the Atlas Fire , Nuns Fire , and others. These wildfires were also the most destructive ones of the 2017 California wildfire season . The October 2017 fires were the costliest group of wildfires on record at the time, causing around $ 14.5 billion (2017 USD) in damages, including $ 11 billion in insured losses and $ 1.5 billion in fire suppression costs, surpassing

2340-521: The census of 2000, there were 124,279 people, 45,402 households, and 30,691 families residing in the county. The population density was 165 inhabitants per square mile (64/km ). There were 48,554 housing units at an average density of 64 units per square mile (25 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county in 2010 was 56.4% non-Hispanic White, 1.8% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 6.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 32.2% of

2430-580: The 17 minutes they had between the two impacts. As a result, 176 employees of Aon were killed in the crash or died in the eventual collapse of the tower or from smoke inhalation. At 9:59 a.m., the tower collapsed, killing any survivors still within, including Eisenberg and Kevin Cosgrove . In 2004–2005, Aon, along with other brokers including Marsh & McLennan and Willis , fell under regulatory investigation under New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and other state attorneys general . At issue

2520-770: The 92nd and 98th–105th floors of the South Tower of the World Trade Center at the time of the September 11 attacks . When the North Tower was struck by American Airlines Flight 11 at 8:46 a.m., an evacuation of Aon's offices was quickly initiated by executive Eric Eisenberg, and 924 of the estimated 1,100 Aon employees present at the time managed to get below the 77th floor before United Airlines Flight 175 crashed between Floors 77 and 85 at 9:03 a.m. Many, however, did not manage to get beneath in

2610-487: The California Legislature to give landowners property tax relief for designating their land for agricultural purposes. This agricultural preserve on the floor of the valley in unincorporated areas between Napa and Calistoga was the first of its kind in the state. Initially, the preserve encompassed 23,000 acres (93.1 km ),but it has grown to more than 30,000 acres (121.4 km ). In 2010, legislation

2700-582: The South, Stone moved to Arkansas and Texas . In 1939 he bought American Casualty Insurance Co. of Dallas, Texas. It was consolidated with other purchases as the Combined Insurance Co. of America in 1947. The company continued through the 1950s and 1960s, continuing to sell health and accident policies. In the 1970s, Combined expanded overseas despite being hit hard by the recession. In 1982, after 10 years of stagnation under Clement Stone Jr.,

2790-475: The Tubbs Fire. Napa County, California Napa County ( / ˈ n æ p ə / ) is a county north of San Pablo Bay located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California . As of the 2020 census , the population was 138,019. The county seat is the City of Napa . Napa County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of

October 2017 Northern California wildfires - Misplaced Pages Continue

2880-546: The UK by the Financial Services Authority, who stated that the fine related to the company's inadequate bribery and corruption controls, claiming that between 14 January 2005 and 30 September 2007 Aon had failed to properly assess the risks involved in its dealings with overseas firms and individuals. The Authority did not find that any money had actually made its way to illegal organisations. Aon qualified for

2970-733: The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act . According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Aon's subsidiaries made improper payments of over $ 3.6 million to government officials and third-party facilitators in Costa Rica , Egypt , Vietnam , Indonesia , the United Arab Emirates , Myanmar and Bangladesh , between 1983 and 2007, to obtain and retain insurance contracts. On 5 January 2007, Aon announced that its Aon Affinity group had acquired

3060-834: The WedSafe Wedding Insurance program. On 22 August 2008, Aon announced that it had acquired London-based Benfield Group . The acquiring price was US$ 1.75 billion or £935 million, with US$ 170 million of debt. On 5 March 2010, Hewitt Associates announced that it acquired Senior Educators Ltd. The acquisition offers companies a new way to address retiree medical insurance commitments. On 12 July 2010, Aon announced that it had agreed to buy Lincolnshire, Illinois -based Hewitt Associates for $ 4.9 billion in cash and stock. On 7 April 2011, Aon announced that it had acquired Johannesburg, South Africa-based Glenrand MIB. Financial terms were not disclosed. On 19 July 2011, Aon announced that it bought Westfield Financial Corp.,

3150-431: The agricultural land in the county, by the end of the 20th century, modern day farmers have recently begun exploring the possibility of raising other food crops in order to again diversify and take advantage of growing conditions. At 3:20 a.m. on August 24, 2014, the area was struck by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake centered 3.7 miles (6.0 km) northwest of the city of American Canyon . In October 2017, parts of

3240-483: The area each year. Napa County has maintained a rural agricultural environment in a large part of the valley floor while neighboring Sonoma, Solano, and Yolo counties have allowed large tracts of former farmland to be rezoned for commercial and residential development. In 1968 vintners and civic leaders in the county seized an opportunity to preserve farmland by taking advantage of the Williamson Act enacted by

3330-493: The book, Stevenson's descriptive writing style documented his ventures in the area and profiled several of the early pioneers who played a role in shaping the region's commerce and society. Stevenson's book also brought attention to the various spas and hot springs in the county. From Calistoga to Æetna Springs in Pope Valley to Soda Springs Resort a few miles east of Napa, tourists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries made

3420-414: The boundary of the agricultural preserve. The trust now covers over 50,000 acres (202.3 km ). While establishment of the agricultural preserve and the land trust has slowed residential development in much of the county, residential growth within the incorporated cities has continued at a moderate pace. Several substantial homes have been built on the hills surrounding the valley in areas not covered by

3510-523: The claims of the wildfire victims. Also on July 1, PG&E funded the Fire Victim Trust (FVT) with $ 5.4 billion in cash and 22.19% of stock in the reorganized PG&E, which covers most of the obligations of its settlement for the wildfire victims. PG&E has two more payments totaling $ 1.35 billion in cash, scheduled to be paid in January 2021 and January 2022, to complete its obligations to

3600-493: The company sold its remaining direct life insurance holdings to General Electric to focus on consulting. Aon built a global presence through purchases. In 1997, it bought The Minet Group, as well as insurance brokerage Alexander & Alexander Services, Inc. in a deal that made Aon (temporarily) the largest insurance broker worldwide. The firm made no US buys in 1998, but doubled its employee base with purchases including Spain's largest retail insurance broker, Gil y Carvajal, and

3690-476: The county has a total area of 789 square miles (2,040 km ), of which 748 square miles (1,940 km ) is land and 40 square miles (100 km ) (5.1%) is water. Napa is warmer in the summer than Sonoma County , to the west, or Santa Barbara County , a wine-producing county in southern California. Thus, the Napa wineries favor varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon , while Pinot noir and Chardonnay are more

October 2017 Northern California wildfires - Misplaced Pages Continue

3780-423: The county their destination much the same as modern day tourists. The resorts became very popular with San Franciscans anxious to escape the cold and foggy weather that often plagues the city to enjoy the warmer climate Napa County offered. In the mid-1860s, entrepreneur Samuel Brannan purchased land in the northern end of the valley at the foot of Mount Saint Helena and founded Calistoga. He began developing it as

3870-534: The county were affected by wildfires . From June to July 2018, the County Fire affected a small part of Napa County after crossing over from Yolo County, California . In October 2019, heavy smoke and unscheduled black outs by Pacific Gas and Electric Company of up to 20,000 customers affected the county due to fierce winds and threats from the Kincade Fire . According to the U.S. Census Bureau ,

3960-562: The county's territory were given to Lake County in 1861. Napa County comprises the Napa, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area , which is also included in the San Jose - San Francisco - Oakland , CA Combined Statistical Area . It is one of four North Bay counties. Napa County, once the producer of many different crops, is known today for its regional wine industry , rising to the first rank of wine regions with France by local wineries Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Chateau Montelena winning

4050-482: The county. Following Yount's death in 1865 at age 71, the town of Yountville was named in his honor. Following his marriage to General Vallejo ’s niece Maria Guadalupe Soberanes, Edward Turner Bale became a citizen of Mexico and was granted Rancho Carne Humana in the northern end of the valley. Bale completed building the Bale Grist Mill a few miles north of St. Helena in 1846. Colonel Joseph B. Chiles

4140-493: The deadliest wildfire events in the United States during the past century. Days prior to the wildfires, the National Weather Service had begun issuing red-flag warnings throughout much of northern California as conditions were expected to become extremely volatile, with winds expected to be gusting between 25 and 35 miles per hour (40 and 56 km/h) from the north to the south. By the evening of October 8,

4230-445: The eastern hills. While gold was being prospected in other areas of the state in the 1850s, Napa County became a center for silver and quicksilver mining. In the 1860s, mining carried on, on a large scale, with quicksilver mines operating in many areas of Napa County. In 1866 John Lawley established a toll road from Calistoga over Mount Saint Helena to Lake County. Robert Louis Stevenson 's book The Silverado Squatters provides

4320-757: The elder Stone, then 79, resumed control until the completion of a merger with Ryan Insurance Co. allowed him to transfer control to Patrick Ryan . Ryan, the son of a Ford dealer in Wisconsin and a graduate of Northwestern University , had started his company as an auto credit insurer in 1964. In 1976, the company bought the insurance brokerage units of the Esmark conglomerate. Ryan focused on insurance brokering and added more upscale insurance products. He also trimmed staff and took other cost-cutting measures, and in 1987 he changed Combined's name to Aon . In 1992, he bought Dutch insurance broker Hudig-Langeveldt . In 1995,

4410-563: The establishment of several new retail outlets in the southern end of the county in recent years. American Canyon has also established a green belt preserve of over 1,000 acres (4.0 km ) on the western and eastern sides of the city. Aon (company) Aon plc ( English: / ˈ eɪ ɒ n / ) is a global professional services firm that offers a range of risk-mitigation products. Aon has approximately 50,000 employees across 120 countries. Founded in Chicago by Patrick Ryan, Aon

4500-539: The evening of October 8, 2017, and burned at least 34,000 acres (13,759 ha). In the Fountain Grove area numerous homes, the Fountaingrove Inn, the historic Round Barn, and a Hilton resort were destroyed. By October 14, the death toll from this fire alone had risen to 20. By October 20, the Tubbs Fire had become the most destructive wildfire in the history of California. This was later surpassed by

4590-455: The fire quickly expanded from hundreds to thousands of acres within a few hours of burning as it threatened nearby Oroville and surrounding rural neighborhoods. The Atlas Fire burned Napa County, north of the city of Napa, near Napa Soda Springs . On October 29, the fire had burned 51,057 acres (20,662 ha) and was 100% contained. The Tubbs Fire started near Tubbs Lane in Calistoga on

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4680-456: The fires ignited on October 8 and 9, they rapidly grew to become extensive, full-scale incidents spanning from 1,000 acres (400 hectares) to well over 20,000 acres (8,100 ha), each within a single day. By October 14, the fires had burned more than 210,000 acres (85,000 ha) while forcing 90,000 people to evacuate from their homes. In total, the Northern California fires killed 44 people and hospitalized at least 192 others, making this one of

4770-413: The firm's decision to divest. This growth strategy manifested in November 2008 when Aon announced it had acquired reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor Benfield Group Limited for $ 1.75 billion. The acquisition amplified the firm's broking capabilities, positioning Aon one of the largest players in the reinsurance brokerage industry. In 2010, Aon made its most significant acquisition to date with

4860-457: The first Europeans to explore the Napa Valley, in 1823. When the first white settlers arrived in the early 1830s, there were six tribes in the valley speaking different dialects and they were often at war with each other. The Mayacomos tribe lived in the area where Calistoga was founded. The Callajomans were in the area near where the town of St. Helena now stands. Further south, the Kymus dwelt in

4950-531: The following 13 ranchos were granted in Napa County: George C. Yount was an early settler in Napa County and is believed to be the first Anglo-Saxon resident in the county. In 1836 Yount obtained the Mexican grant Rancho Caymus where he built what is said to be the first log house in California. Soon afterward, he built a sawmill and grain mill, and was the first person to plant a vineyard in

5040-646: The formation of Aon Korea. Responding to industry demands, Aon announced its new fee disclosure policy in 1999, and the company reorganised to focus on buying personal line insurance firms and to integrate its acquisitions. That year it bought Nikols Sedgwick Group, an Italian insurance firm, and formed RiskAttack (with Zurich US ), a risk analysis and financial management concern aimed at technology companies. The cost of integrating its numerous purchases, however, hammered profits in 1999. Despite its troubles, in 2000 Aon bought Reliance Group's accident and health insurance business, as well as Actuarial Sciences Associates,

5130-573: The four-fire conflagration on October 13. By October 16, the combined fire, which now also included the Pressley fire, covered over 48,000 acres (19,000 ha). On October 18, the Oakmont Fire merged into the Nuns Fire, and the combined fire grew to over 54,000 acres (22,000 ha) in size. Based on the investigation by CalFire, it has been found that Pacific Gas & Electric equipment

5220-952: The larger, 1.5-liter wine bottle for an image of affordable quality. In addition to large scale wineries, Napa Valley's boutique wineries produce some of the world's best wines. The producers of these wines include but are not limited to: Araujo , Bryant Family, Monticello Vineyards, Ceja Vineyards , Chimney Rock Winery, Colgin Cellars , Dalla Valle Maya, Diamond Creek, Dominus Estate , Duckhorn Vineyards , Dunn Howell Mountain, Grace Family Vineyards , Harlan Estate , Husic, Kistler, Jericho Canyon Vineyards, Marcassin, Rutherford Hill Winery, Screaming Eagle , Sequoia Grove, Shafer Hillside Select, Steltzner Vineyards, and Bouchaine Vineyards. Today Napa Valley features more than four hundred wineries and grows many different grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot , Zinfandel , and other popular varietals. As many as five million people visit

5310-417: The late 2007, Aon announced the divestiture of its underwriting business. With this move, the firm sold off its two major underwriting subsidiaries: Combined Insurance Company of America (acquired by ACE Limited for $ 2.4 billion) and Sterling Life Insurance Company (purchased by Munich Re Group for $ 352 million). The low margin and capital-intensive nature of the underwriting industry was the primary reason for

5400-618: The losses were in urban areas not historically prone to wildfire exposure. By October 12, the air quality in the city of Napa was ranked the poorest in the nation, due to high levels of particulates and ozone . By October 13, air quality in the city reached the "hazardous" level, the most dangerous on the Environmental Protection Agency scale . In Solano County, over 250 people were sickened by smoke inhalation, and sought care at hospitals. Twenty-three were admitted to emergency rooms. By October 12, smoke from

5490-538: The middle part of the valley. The Napa and Ulcus tribes occupied part of the area where the City of Napa now exists while the Soscol tribe occupied the portion that now makes up the southern end of the valley. Many of the native peoples died during a smallpox epidemic in 1838. Settlers also killed several over claims of cattle theft. During the era between 1836 and 1846, when California was a province of independent Mexico ,

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5580-615: The northern part of the state. On November 4, 2008, Napa County voted 56 percent against Proposition 8 , which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. According to the California Secretary of State , as of February 10, 2017, Napa County has 76,038 registered voters, out of 93,926 eligible (81.0%). Of those, 35,660 (46.9%) are registered Democrats, 18,417 (24.2%) are registered Republicans , and 17,827 (23.4%) have declined to state

5670-524: The owner of insurance-industry consulting firm Ward Financial Group, from Ohio Farmers Insurance Co. Financial terms were not disclosed. On 22 October 2012, Aon announced that it agreed to buy OmniPoint, Inc, a Workday consulting firm. Financial terms were not disclosed. On 16 June 2014, Aon announced that it agreed to buy National Flood Services, Inc., a large processor of flood insurance, from Stoneriver Group, L.P. On 31 October 2016, Aon's Aon Risk Solutions completed acquisition of Stroz Friedberg LLC,

5760-417: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 11.9% were of German , 9.7% English , 8.6% Irish , 6.7% Italian and 5.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000 . 75.3% spoke English , 19.5% Spanish and 1.1% Tagalog as their first language. There were 45,402 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 9.9% had

5850-457: The preserve or the land trust. A large portion of the land south of the City of Napa remained undeveloped for many decades until the 1980s. Several wine bottling facilities and wine storage warehouses now stand on what was once vacant land. A number of light industries have also sprung up in this region as new business parks have been built. The growth of American Canyon, Napa County's southernmost and newest city, incorporated in 1992, has prompted

5940-567: The price of grapes crashed to below $ 24 per ton. Then A.P. Giannini, founder of Bank of America in San Francisco, started to promote to rebuild the commerce of wine and viticulture. Following the Second World War , the wine industry in Napa again began to grow. In 1965, Napa Valley icon Robert Mondavi broke away from his family's Charles Krug estate to found his own. This was the first new large scale winery to be established in

6030-514: The purchase of Hewitt Associates for $ 4.9 billion. Aside from drastically boosting Aon's human resources consulting capacity and entering the firm into the business process outsourcing industry, the move added 23,000 colleagues and more than $ 3 billion in revenue. In January 2012, Aon announced that its headquarters would be moved to London, although North American operations and jobs remained in Chicago. On 10 February 2017, Aon announced that it

6120-673: The specialty of Sonoma and Santa Barbara wineries. At the north end of Napa County, in the Mayacamas Mountains , lies Mount Saint Helena, the Bay Area's second tallest peak at 4,344 feet (1,324 m) and home to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park ; Snell Valley is also situated in northern Napa County; the Missimer Wildflower Preserve is within Snell Valley. On the west side of the Napa Valley

6210-465: The time the fires were starting. Pacific Gas & Electric stated that strong winds had affected the utility's power lines in the North Bay area on late October 8 and early October 9. A California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) spokesperson stated that investigators were considering this among other possible causes. The California Public Utilities Commission sent PG&E

6300-485: The valley including Charles Krug Winery, Schramsberg, Chateau Montelena , Nichelini and Beringer. Viticulture in Napa suffered a setback when Prohibition was enacted in 1920. Furthering the damage was an infestation of the phylloxera root louse which killed many of the vines through the valley. These two events caused many wineries to shut down and stalled the growth of the wine industry in Napa County for years. But for many Italian and Swiss families as farm labourers in

6390-533: The valley reflect the names of these ranchos and original grantees. Napa County was formed and became one of the original California counties when the state became part of the United States in 1850. Descendants of George Yount and Captain Edward Bale played key roles in the early development of Napa County. Yount's granddaughter Elizabeth Yount married Thomas Rutherford in 1864. The couple received as

6480-524: The valley since before prohibition. After the establishment of the Mondavi estate, the number of wineries in the valley continued to grow, as did the region's reputation. Consumer trends followed the 60s free lifestyle for experimentation. The old "paesano" customers of "dego red" gallon jug wines changed to young women who considered white wine, not beer, as their new drink of choice for romance. Robert Mondavi Winery attracted new wine aficionados by introducing

6570-457: The vineyards, Prohibition offered the unique opportunity for the growing and shipping of grapes to immigrant home winemakers across the country. Charles Forni, who received a gold coin as his first U.S. dollar upon arriving, rose to be a large shipper. The Mondavi family came West from the Minnesota ore country to Lodi to ship grapes to the "Italian Club" miners. When Prohibition stopped in 1933,

6660-439: The wildfire victims. Claimants are wildfire victims from the 2017 North Bay Fires, 2015 Butte Fire , and 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California. The 2017 Tubbs Fire is considered to be one of the 2017 North Bay Fires. The court case for the Tubbs Fire was superseded by the PG&E Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA) of December 9, 2019 and by the PG&E bankruptcy reorganization plan, wherein PG&E accepted liability for

6750-505: The wildfires began on October 8. By October 14, PG&E had restored electricity to 92% and gas service to 16,800 of the customers affected. Reinsurance broker Aon Benfield stated that these are the costliest wildfires in U.S. history, with an estimated eight billion U.S. dollars in insured losses. The largest portion of these losses was to residential property . Additional losses were to automobiles , commercial property including business interruption insurance , and to crops . Many of

6840-513: The wildfires had spread nearly 100 miles, with "unhealthy" air quality indices registered in the cities of Oakland , San Francisco , and San Rafael . Due to the poor air quality, San Francisco State University canceled classes, and outdoor activities were canceled in a number of cities, including Danville , Palo Alto , and Walnut Creek . Visibility issues spurred the Federal Aviation Administration to implement

6930-625: The wine industry, but resulted in a boom for shipping grapes to immigrant, home winemakers across the country. During World War II , the Basalt Rock Company located south of the City of Napa on the Napa River, built 3 dozen salvage rescue tugs for the United States Navy . German prisoners of war were housed in a Camp Beale satellite prisoner of war camp near Yountville. The prisoners were utilized to supplement

7020-572: The world's largest insurance broker. As of 21 May 2020, Willis board was under probe over merger agreement with Aon. The deal was called off in July 2021. In December 2023, Aon agreed to acquire NFP, a middle-market provider of risk, benefits, wealth and retirement plan advisory services company, for $ 13.4 billion. In March 2024, Aon plc acquired the technology assets and intellectual property of Humn.ai, an AI-powered platform. This will enhance its commercial fleet proposition. On 3 June 2009, it

7110-433: The worst fire disaster in California history." More than 10,000 firefighters battled the blaze, using more than 1,000 fire engines and other equipment, with crews arriving from as far away as Canada and Australia . Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reported mobilizing 4,300 workers to restore power. It also said that more than 350,000 customers had lost electric service and 42,000 customers gas service since

7200-634: The year 2020 unless there is a ⅔ majority vote to adopt such changes. Measure J was reaffirmed by a 5–2 vote of the California Supreme Court in 1995 in the case of Devita v. County of Napa. The Land Trust of Napa County was founded in 1976 by a group of local citizens with a mission to protect the natural diversity, scenic open space and agricultural vitality of the county. The trust acquires conservation easements, facilitates land transfers to local, state and federal agencies along with accepting outright donations of land within and outside

7290-631: Was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males. Napa County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. The supervisors are: In the United States House of Representatives , Napa County is in California's 4th congressional district , represented by Democrat Mike Thompson . In the California State Legislature , Napa County

7380-741: Was created in 1982 when the Ryan Insurance Group merged with the Combined Insurance Company of America under W. Clement Stone . In 1987, the holding company was renamed Aon from aon , a Gaelic word meaning "one". The company is globally headquartered in London with its North America operations based in Chicago at the Aon Center . Aon is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under AON with

7470-681: Was established in Yountville in 1884 by the San Francisco chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic . The State of California assumed administration of the Home in 1897. By the end of the 1900s, farmers had planted over 500,000 fruit and nut trees in the county, especially plums and pears. This helped to soften the blows to the agricultural economy caused by the phylloxera infestation in the county's vineyards and upcoming prohibition that crippled

7560-405: Was heavily Republican . It only supported a Democrat for president seven times – four of which were for Franklin D. Roosevelt – in the thirty-two presidential elections between 1860 and 1988. However, a Republican hasn't carried the county since George H. W. Bush in 1988 . It is now one of the most Democratic counties in California, and is reckoned as part of the solid bloc of blue counties in

7650-667: Was passed by the California State Senate and State Assembly and sent to the Governor for signing in the form of Senate Bill 1142. This bill was created to provide relief stream of funding to augment the Williamson Act. The county has resisted encroachment on the preserve since it was created with voters reaffirming their desire to keep it intact on several occasions. In 1990 voters passed Measure J adopting an initiative freezing all county zoning changes until

7740-574: Was published in a statement in April 2020 regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. On 30 June 2020, Aon announced it would repay staff in full, plus 5% of the withheld amount. In June 2020, Willis Towers Watson called its shareholders to two meetings to discuss its acquisition with Aon for August 26, 2020. It was revealed that the US Department of Justice has requested more information on the deal under antitrust rules. Aon's New York offices were on

7830-446: Was reported that Aon had signed a four-year shirt sponsorship deal with English football giant Manchester United . On 1 June 2010, Aon replaced American insurance company AIG as the principal sponsor of the club. The Aon logo was prominently displayed on the front of the club's shirts until the 2014/2015 season when Chevrolet replaced them. The deal was said to be worth £80 million over four years, replacing United's deal with AIG as

7920-446: Was selling its employee benefits outsourcing business to private equity firm The Blackstone Group for US$ 4.8 billion (£3.8 billion). In February 2020, Aon named Eric Andersen as president of Aon after co-president Michael O'Connor departed the company to pursue new opportunities. He will be reporting to Greg Case, the firm's CEO. In June 2020, Aon announced it was planning to repay the temporary 20% pay cut from 70% of employees that

8010-460: Was the cause of all of the individual fires except for the Tubbs Fire. In January 2019 CalFire determined the Tubbs Fire was caused by incorrectly maintained electrical equipment owned by a private landowner. However, in August 2019 a fast-track jury trial was scheduled to revisit whether or not PG&E was the cause of the Tubbs Fire. News media noted reports of wind-damaged power equipment around

8100-409: Was the practice of insurance companies' payments to brokers (known as contingent commissions). The payments were thought to bring a conflict of interest, swaying broker decisions on behalf of carriers, rather than customers. In the spring of 2005, without acknowledging any wrongdoing, Aon agreed to a $ 190 million settlement , payable over 30 months. In January 2009, Aon was fined £5.69 million in

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