Palmer’s police chief returned to work Monday after a nearly three-week suspension over Facebook posts he made calling the Black Lives Matter movement a “hate group.”
Public Safety
Tenakee Springs residents hope their first ferry in nine months brings only people and supplies, not coronavirus
The Alaska Marine Highway System ferry LeConte made the first of three summer sailings to the Chichagof Island community of Tenakee Springs.
New COVID-19 rules in place for Alaska’s ferries, including testing, mask wearing and social distancing
Passengers on Alaska’s mainline ferries are now being required to get a COVID-19 test before traveling.
Feds drop charges for released California inmate who allegedly violated coronavirus quarantine
Duane Fields, 48, is the only person known to have been criminally prosecuted in the state for violating coronavirus quarantine rules.
Ketchikan officials urge calm while police investigate individual who broke COVID-19 quarantine
The impacts of an infected person breaking quarantine are far-ranging: Ketchikan Public Utilities’ sole customer service office is closed. Ketchikan Little League announced it would suspend three divisions for at least two weeks.
Helicopter removes ‘Into the Wild’ bus that lured Alaska travelers to their deaths
Photos posted to Facebook on Thursday show a twin-bladed Chinook helicopter carrying the bus away from the remote site it occupied near the Teklanika River, where it attracted numerous tourists who had to be rescued after the book’s publication.
To address concerns with policing and racism, Juneau starts by listening
The three-hour meeting included some sobering testimony from more than 40 community members who called in, many of them people of color who shared stories of racial profiling and discrimination.
Police and fire departments in Anchorage remain disproportionately white, despite diversity efforts
Both Anchorage’s fire and police departments have been sued for racial discrimination.
Alaska’s courtrooms remain closed to jury trials due to pandemic
Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger issued the order on Monday, saying it’s not possible to maintain social distancing in courthouses around the state.
Have questions about police accountability and use of force in Alaska? We’ve got some answers.
What do the data show about police shootings and use of force in Alaska, and how often it’s used on black and Alaska Native people? What policies govern use of force by the police? What do we know about how officers are disciplined for violating those policies? And does the ethnic makeup of Alaska law enforcement agencies mirror the communities they police?