Last summer there were five fatalities in Juneau’s backcountry between June 21 and Sept. 16 — four of which resulted in recoveries of the bodies. The volunteer search and rescue team was intimately involved in those incidents.
Public Safety
Bill closing loophole in sexual assault law passes Alaska Legislature
Democratic Juneau Rep. Sara Hannan’s bill comes after a high profile sexual assault trial in the capital city ended with two acquittals and 14 charges declared mistrials in September.
U.S. Coast Guard advises Southeast Alaskans to avoid false alerts
A false alert is anytime the Coast Guard’s search and rescue systems are activated when there is no real emergency. Responders still have to treat it like it is one.
Alaska Legislature passes sweeping crime bill raising age of consent to 18 on last day of session
House Bill 239 includes elements of 10 separate proposals introduced this year and last year, plus a few new elements.
Suspect in violent Mendenhall Valley break-ins pleads not guilty
A man accused of breaking into two homes in the Mendenhall Valley and assaulting three people earlier this month has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
An Alaska Peninsula volcano is showing signs of unrest; scientists are learning more about it for the first time
The Alaska Volcano Observatory raised Kupreanof Volcano’s alert level to “advisory” and its aviation color code to yellow on Tuesday. That means the volcano is showing signs of unrest, but it doesn’t necessarily mean an eruption will happen.