Public Safety

Craig police chief says other Prince of Wales Island communities want 911 calls routed to Craig dispatch

Craig's police dispatch may start taking 911 calls for other Prince of Wales Island towns. The chief says it's doable, but radio dead zones cost money.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Palmer man, 54, dies after 15-foot fall from scaffolding

A 54-year-old Palmer man died Wednesday after falling about 15 feet from shifting scaffolding at a home off Buffalo Mine Road, troopers said.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Ketchikan hunter treated for hypothermia after overnight search

A Ketchikan hunter activated his satellite SOS device Wednesday evening and was found with hypothermia after an overnight search that resumed Thursday morning.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Denali crews may burn brush piles along first five miles of Park Road through November

If you see smoke near the Denali park entrance this fall, it's probably on purpose. Crews are burning brush piles along the first five miles of the Park Road.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Residential fires killed 14 Alaskans in 2025, governor's proclamation says

Residential fires killed 14 Alaskans in 2025, injured 32 others and 28 firefighters, and caused about 45.2 million dollars in property loss.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Boater swims to Admiralty Island after fishing vessel sinks, rescued by Coast Guard a day later

His fishing boat sank near Murder Cove, his life raft leaked, so he swam to Admiralty Island in a survival suit. A Coast Guard helicopter found him a day later.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Wasilla man dies after motorcycle strikes guardrail supports on Wasilla Fishhook Road

A 28-year-old Wasilla man died early Tuesday when his motorcycle went out of control on Wasilla Fishhook Road. His passenger survived with minor injuries.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Anchorage Assembly to consider $511,190 grant to replace police mobile data computers

Anchorage police mobile data computers, the laptops in patrol cars, are due for an upgrade. The Assembly weighs a $511,190 federal grant Tuesday.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Troopers say Sterling driver failed to stop and had heroin after a short pursuit

Troopers say a Sterling driver wouldn't stop, led a short chase that ended at a residence and had heroin in his wallet. He faces a felony drug charge.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Anchorage Assembly to consider $1.2 million safety review contract for water and sewer utility

The Anchorage Assembly will weigh a $1.2 million contract for Nortech to review water and sewer crews' safety programs, from fall hazards to confined spaces.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readFrom Sep 4

Kodiak borough weighs $70,919 off-road rescue vehicle for Womens Bay firefighters

Womens Bay's volunteer firefighters have been riding their own ATVs to off-road calls. The borough may buy them a $70,919 side-by-side with a pump and a plow.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Alaska prisons seek contractor for mental health care, with video visits allowed in Nome, Bethel and Ketchikan

Alaska's prisons want a contractor for mental health care at four facilities. In Nome, Bethel and Ketchikan, clinicians might visit in person only monthly.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Sedan passenger seriously hurt in Knik Goose Bay Road crash in Wasilla

A sedan passenger was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday night on Knik Goose Bay Road in Wasilla, a corridor with a fatal crash rate nearly four times the national average.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Anchorage police say missing 65-year-old Vona Skinner has been located

Anchorage police located 65-year-old Vona Skinner, who was missing since Sept. 24 near East 8th Avenue.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readFrom Sep 24

Ketchikan man, 78, dies after his vehicle leaves North Tongass Highway near Mile 13

John Olson, 78, of Ketchikan died Saturday after his vehicle left North Tongass Highway near Mile 13. Troopers haven't said what caused the crash.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Troopers arrest driver for DUI after car strikes moose near Soldotna

A Camry met a moose near Soldotna around 2:20 am. Troopers arrested the driver for DUI, and the badly hurt moose was gone before they could find it.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Troopers investigating death of Elim woman after reported injury

A 40-year-old Elim woman died early Saturday after an injury at a house in the village. Alaska State Troopers and the medical examiner are investigating.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Palmer junk hauler cited for dumping over 500 pounds of trash on Mat-Su land

A junk removal business is supposed to take the junk to the dump. Troopers say a Palmer man's took 500-plus pounds of it to a Point MacKenzie railbed instead.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Troopers say semi driver fell asleep before hitting car stopped on Parks Highway near Healy

A Massachusetts driver stopped partly in the lane for a photo on the Parks Highway near Healy. A semi driver troopers say fell asleep hit him. Both got cited.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Bethel police warn residents not to shoot suspected rabid animals in the head

Bethel police warn residents to avoid shooting suspected rabid animals in the head, since brain tissue is needed to confirm the disease. Two foxes in Bethel tested positive for rabies in February.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Four taken to hospitals after Spenard Road shooting, Anchorage police say

Four people were taken to hospitals after a shooting on Spenard Road in Anchorage on Saturday, police said. Their injuries were not life-threatening.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Togiak man, 19, dies after ATV hits shipping container

Tyler Lee Maines, 19, of Togiak died early Friday when the ATV he was driving hit a shipping container, troopers said. The investigation is continuing.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Warrant rule for sharing police camera data splits Anchorage Assembly surveillance drafts

Anchorage Assembly debates whether outside agencies need a warrant before police share Real Time Crime Center data, with one version requiring warrants for inter-agency sharing and the other allowing broader data sharing for law enforcement purposes.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read

10-year-old boy reported missing in Big Lake is found safe, troopers say

A 10-year-old boy reported missing in the Big Lake area Friday has been found safe, Alaska State Troopers said, thanking the public for its help.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Anchorage police officers now must intervene when a colleague uses improper force

Anchorage police say they've acted on 48 of 52 outside recommendations on use of force, but allow one pursuit tactic at higher speeds than reviewers advised.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read

Police are searching for two missing teenagers in Anchorage and Wasilla

Anchorage police are searching for two missing teenagers: Sparrow Kowatch, 16, missing since Sept. 19, and Jay Moriwaki, 13, last seen Wednesday night.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Tlingit & Haida wins $1.57M to train Southeast Alaska overdose responders

Tlingit & Haida will spend $1.57 million over four years training responders and keeping naloxone stocked across Southeast Alaska communities.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Pile burning starts Friday at three White Mountains cabin sites

Crews will burn slash piles at three White Mountains cabin sites starting Friday. If you see smoke out there this week, it's supposed to be there.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Man dies entrapped in heavy equipment on Goldridge Drive in Fairbanks

A man died after becoming entrapped in heavy equipment on Goldridge Drive in Fairbanks, Alaska State Troopers said.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Rob Mathis accepts full-time Whittier fire chief job

Whittier made Rob Mathis its permanent fire chief eight days after he ran the cruise terminal fire response as the interim. That's one way to interview.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Hiker injured by bear on Jones Point Trail in Haines

A hiker attacked by a bear on the Jones Point Trail got herself out. It is the second bear attack in Haines in under a month, and both bears are loose.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

A teen moose hunter was flown to a hospital after a tree stand fall near Fairbanks

A teenage moose hunter fell from a tree stand southeast of Fairbanks and was flown out by trooper helicopter along with his father. Injuries weren't described.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

A police drone searched south Anchorage for a brown bear before dawn

Anchorage police flew a drone over a south Anchorage neighborhood before dawn looking for a brown bear. Whether they found it is not public.

by Alaska News1mo ago1 min read

Mat-Su bans license plate readers before the borough owns any

Mat-Su banned borough use of license plate readers before owning any, with the sponsor calling himself a brick wall against Anchorage's surveillance push.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago4 min read

Follows: Mat-Su considers banning plate readers before it has them

Ketchikan Gateway Borough gets $347,000 to replace a South Tongass ambulance

South Tongass lost both its ambulances when the station burned in 2024. It has been driving an 18-year-old hand-me-down from Valdez ever since.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Fairbanks gets $728,000 in congressionally directed funds for a 14-stretcher ambulance bus

Fairbanks is buying a bus that can carry 14 patients on stretchers. The grant covers one year; crewing it after that is the city's problem.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Palmer pilot and Michigan passenger killed in eastern Alaska plane crash

Two people died when a Piper Super Cub went down in eastern Alaska on Sept. 17, two days after a separate crash near Aniak killed two men.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readFrom Sep 17

Campfire and fireworks ban north of Fairbanks runs to Oct. 31

Campfires and fireworks stay banned on federal land north of Fairbanks through October 31 to prevent wildfires near homes and the NOAA facility.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Scammers posing as MEA are threatening Mat-Su members with shutoffs

Scammers posing as MEA are calling members, some with their account numbers, threatening to cut the power. MEA says hang up and call 907-761-9300.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom Sep 10

Troopers arrest driver on DUI charge after 105 mph stop near Fairbanks

Alaska State Troopers arrested a driver on a DUI charge after stopping them for driving 105 mph with signs of impairment on the Richardson Highway near Fairbanks on September 20th.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read