Public Safety

A woman wearing a purple shirt and pink glasses.

Anchorage community activists vent and try to find consensus on policing reforms

At a community meeting, there was collective interest in civilian police oversight and funding for special mental health crisis teams.
a man

State rules use of force justified in fatal downtown Juneau shooting

Prosecutors cleared Juneau Police Sgt. Chris Gifford and trooper Sgt. Branden Forst in the July 15 shooting of Steven Kissack, 35.
two men in jackets and ties

Troopers plead not guilty in bloody Kenai arrest

It was the first time Jason Woodruff and Joseph Miller Jr. appeared in court since they were each charged with one count of misdemeanor assault.
a home

Flooded Juneau residents face choice: Protect homes or prepare them for more?

Staying completely dry might be difficult, if not impossible, but it’s also hard to make peace with letting the water in again and again.
two men with dogs

‘A light in a pretty dark moment’: Ketchikan couple reflects on dog rescue a week after landslide

The dogs were trapped in a collapsed home for nearly a week after the Aug. 25 landslide, until they were found and saved unharmed.
a river

Man dies in helicopter crash near King Salmon

The helicopter crashed into the Naknek River. One passenger died, and three others plus the pilot were rescued.
a hat

Akiak man charged with beating 7 sled dogs to death

Troopers say Charles Ivan, 23, chained up and beat nine dogs after a Sept. 1 family dispute, but a witness saved two of them.
Skyview Middle School

Former Soldotna school custodian accused of sexually abusing student

Alexander Coxwell, 52, was arrested Thursday. He worked for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District until November 2016.
Blue and red police lights.

3 pedestrians struck and killed in Anchorage in just over 24 hours

Four people were hit by vehicles in the Anchorage area in two days. Three of the crashes were fatal.
a hearing

Alaska Native woman believed slain by serial killer Brian Smith declared homicide victim

A six-person jury determined Tuesday that Cassandra Boskofsky, missing in Anchorage since 2019, had been killed.
a man in a tie

Seward man arrested on federal charges in threat against Dunleavy’s office

Matthew Edward Stanley, 22, was taken into custody Wednesday. He faces federal charges of making a threat involving explosives.
vehicles

Ketchikan colleagues mourn landslide victim Sean Griffin

The longtime city worker died helping clear storm drains on his day off. Friends say his commitment was central to his character.
overdose kits

Alaska schools to be stocked with anti-overdose kits under new law

Hundreds of overdose-reversal kits are headed to schools as part of a strategy to combat Alaska’s high rate of opioid deaths.
a helicopter

Alaska Air National Guard responded to 3 plane crashes in ‘very busy’ weekend

A spokesman says Guardsmen rescued eight people in five missions "all over the place" during the Labor Day weekend.
a building

Former Dillingham tribe employee federally charged in embezzlement case

William Corbett is now accused of embezzling more than $94,000 from the Curyung Tribe, after he first faced state charges in the case.
people outside a building

2 students, 2 teachers dead in Georgia high school shooting; 14-year-old in custody

A 14-year-old student is in custody after opening fire at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., leaving two students and two teachers dead and injuring nine other people, officials said.
three men

Alaska bill making church and synagogue vandalism a felony is signed into law

Alaskas's new law addresses vandalism attacks on synagogues and other religious sites, which are increasing nationwide.
a semi truck

Driver hurt when semi goes off Seward Highway and into Turnagain Arm

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, police say.
officials

Murkowski pledges federal support for Ketchikan landslide recovery efforts

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski told officials last week that she would work to secure federal dollars for rebuilding efforts after the fatal slide.
a harbor

It could take nearly 2 weeks to repair a broken fiber optic cable that has caused widespread outages in Sitka

Sitka has been without internet access since an undersea fiber optic cable broke Thursday, cutting off most residents from the online world.
a map

Landslide triggers 55-foot tsunami wave at Kenai Fjords National Park

Heavy rains and melting glaciers are making landslides in the area more common, says a geologist.
Ketchikan's police chief

Ketchikan police chief to step down in exchange for dismissal of assault charges against him

Jeffrey Walls has agreed to retire effective Sept. 9, the day before his trial for five misdemeanor assault charges was set to begin.
an aerial view of a river

Anchorage man dies in plane crash near McGrath

Troopers say 58-year-old Cary Foster was the sole occupant of the Piper PA-18 Super Cub.
Blue and red police lights.

Palmer feud led to gas-station worker’s fatal shooting, police say

Isaac Beshaw, 22, faces a first-degree murder charge in the Monday death of Steven Williams, 22, at a Speedway Express station.
A Police Officer in uniform gives a tour.

Anchorage police to incorporate virtual reality into training with emphasis on de-escalation

A federal grant created in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd in 2020 will cover the cost of APD's virtual reality system.

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