Glenn Highway

Alaska State Troopers have identified the three people killed Thursday night in a rollover crash at Long Lake near Chickaloon. Troopers say 28-year-old Leah Thompson of Valdez lost control of her SUV which then rolled off the Glenn Highway at Mile 86, north of Palmer, and landed in part of Long Lake. Thompson was pronounced dead at the scene. Thompson's two children, 7-year-old Trinity McIntosh and 5-year-old Avery McIntosh, were also in the car during the crash. Rescuers were able to pull them from the wreckage, but they were declared dead at Mat-Su Regional Hospital.

The crosses fixed alongside the Glenn Highway just outside of Anchorage are a constant reminder of all that was lost here. They mark the tragic end to a July 2001 police pursuit. It was the last time an Anchorage Police officer was killed in the line of duty. His name is Justin Wollam. He had been with APD for just two years before his untimely death. Officer Ryan Rockom said he became friends with Officer Wollam when they met while working the mid-shift together. It was while working one of those late-night-to-early-morning shifts that officer Wollam lost his life.

The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday (April 14) that the Anchorage Chamber Citywide Cleanup Week has been moved to May 4 to 11. The popular spring cleanup program has been delayed due to colder temperatures than normal and a significant amount of snow still on the ground. "Before making a decision to change the date of Citywide Cleanup Week, we consulted the Anchorage National Weather Center for historical data," said Anchorage Chamber president Andrew Halcro.

The MatSu Borough Emergency Operations Center issued this summary earlier today. Check with KTUU.com and Channel 2 News for the latest. At least three structures have fallen in water, two cabins in Willow Creek, and one house Thursday in the Matanuska River. More than half the town of Talkeetna left homes yesterday, according to Talkeetna Fire Chief Ken Farina, after a fight to plug a breached revetment was lost to the Talkeetna River. The river crested at the second highest recorded level reaching 15.65 feet at 5 pm yesterday, according to a NOAA site.

Light to moderate freezing rain fell in and along the Chugach mountains yesterday evening and overnight.  While most of the urban corridor was untouched by the rain, some areas right along the mountains have very slick, water-on-ice roadways this morning.  This includes---Palmer, the Butte, Chugiak, Eagle River, the Anchorage Hillside. Turnagain Arm, and Girdwood. Conditions are improving as crews get surfaces sanded and traffic creates some texture on the roads.  Reports indicate that side streets are still very slick but that the Glenn Highway and other main roads are improving.

by Channel 2 News staff Sunday, January 3, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Police fatalities in the U.S. hit a 50-year low in 2009, with no officers killed in Alaska. Nationwide, 125 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year -- the lowest number of annual police fatalities since 1959. In Anchorage the most recent law enforcement death was in 2001, when police officer Justin Wollam was killed during a chase on the Glenn Highway. According to a report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Alaska ranks sixth from the bottom on the list of police fatalities by state.

Buckle up, slow down and have a designated driver if you want cocktails at the Alaska State Fair this weekend because there will be more law enforcement patrolling the Glenn Highway. Alaska State Troopers are focusing additional enforcement efforts on fair traffic. Troopers got additional funding from a federal program called National C rack -D own on I mpaired D riving . The money will pay for additional overtime through September 5th. It's a statewide program but troopers will use some of the money to focus on keeping drivers safe this weekend.

Some 80 historic military vehicles made their way across the Glenn Highway into Palmer in a giant convoy Friday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the construction of the Alaska Highway, also known as the Alcan. Members of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association stopped at the Sheep Mountain Lodge east of Matanuska Glacier early in the day for a coffee break, before continuing on to Palmer and Hatcher Pass. The members, many of them veterans, said it's important to commemorate the anniversary of the highway's construction because it played such a crucial role during World War II, being built in only a matter of months.

The Alaska State Fair celebrates 76 years with its opening day August 23 beginning at noon and continues until Labor Day weekend. The usual fair staples, including rides, concerts, and food, will be at Palmer fairgrounds at mile 40 of the Glenn highway. This year's theme is “You're Gonna Love It,” and there will be more freebies than ever before. You can access Alaska Native exhibits and performers from all over the state, acrobatic horseman, Cirque-de-Solee style performers and the Bodies exhibit, which will be debuting never before seen elements.  Rock band Creed kicks off the concert series, and the band has a requested a public safety inspection as patrons enter the venue and the inspection will be by same-gender security personal.

Anchorage police have identified the five teenagers who were all injured in a Birchwood car crash Tuesday morning, one of them critically. APD spokesperson Lt. Dave Parker says driver Jesse Contreras, 18, had four passengers in a Ford sedan: Ciara Akers, 16; Tyler Schaf, 17; Brendan Weaver-Rocha, 18; and Jonathan Parsons, 18. Emergency crews were called to the scene at about 6:10 a.m. after the car, headed south on Aurora Borealis Road near...