Kotzebue

by The Associated Press Monday, January 18, 2010 KOTZEBUE, Alaska -- The rural community of Kotzebue is the site of Tuesday's statewide forum on job creation and economic growth. It's one of four such forums to be held in Alaska. Others will be in Juneau, Jan. 26, and Anchorage, Feb. 1. The first was in Fairbanks last week.

Gov. Sarah Palin was in Kotzebue Tuesday to sign a bill that would allow more communities to take part in the Village Public Safety Officer Program. House Bill 106 was introduced by Kotzebue Rep. Reggie Joule. Palin told the crowd the bill would allow municipal governments in communities with less than 10,000 people to administer the program.  Palin says one of the challenges in rural Alaska is consistent law enforcement and more VPSOs will make a difference.      "The presence of these officers has had a significant impact on improving the quality of life in participating villages," said Palin.

Charles Parker is President and CEO of Alaska Village Initiatives, which represents more than 50,000 Rural Alaskans.  AVI promotes the economic well-being of Rural Alaskans through economic development, assistance, networking, advocacy and education. Parker is an Inupiat raised in Nome, with family in Point Hope and Kotzebue.

A Kivalina woman was arrested Sunday night after Alaska State Troopers say she became intoxicated in the dry village and stabbed another resident of her home in the back Saturday evening. Troopers in Kotzebue were told about the incident Sunday afternoon. Kivalina village police officers said 30-year-old Rhonda Norton stabbed the adult, who was preparing children to leave the house, at about 10 p.m. Saturday. A family member then restrained Norton, while the injured adult crawled out of the home and collapsed before being taken to the local clinic by other family members.

More than 100 Coast Guard members are home Thursday night after nine days of drills and community outreach along the Arctic Slope. Operation Arctic Crossroads wrapped up in Kotzebue. During the operation, crews tested their equipment and familiarized themselves with areas along the coast where they may be called for search-and-rescue missions. Also on the mission was an optomitrist and a veterinarian, to treat hundreds of people and animals in each of the eight villages. “The logistics for them to get glasses is also difficult -- they do have to travel to some of the bigger cities such as Nome or Kotzebue or Anchorage, so they were appreciative of our services as well,” said Coast Guard Cmdr.

More than 1,500 people attended the late state Sen. Al Adams' memorial service at ChangePoint Church in Anchorage on Wednesday. In addition to family and friends, many state dignitaries also attended. Adams died Monday following a long battle with illness. "I knew it was coming but still, it was so unexpected," said Rep. Reggie Joule. "It's a tremendous loss for his family, his friends and it's a big loss for the State of Alaska -- but Al used his time very well. " Adams spent much of his time in public service representing the Kotzebue area, including eight years in the state House and 12 years in the state Senate.

The U.S. military is coming to the Last Frontier this weekend to pay some very long-distance house calls. Military members from 30 states will travel to Kotzebue and 11 other Alaska villages to train medical specialists, by providing free health care to local residents in on-the-spot clinics. The annual Operation Arctic Care allows doctors, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, and other military medical personnel to get valuable training by treating patients in remote areas.

by Channel 2 News staff Friday, March 5, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Alaska Court of Appeals has upheld the murder conviction of a Nome police officer. Mathew Owens' first trial in 2003 for the murder of 19-year-old Sonya Ivanoff ended in a hung jury, but in 2005 he was convicted by a Kotzebue jury and sentenced to 101 years in prison. Owens appealed on several points, including a claim that the evidence should not amount to a conviction, but the three-judge panel rejected his appeal.

Three new military-grade tactical vehicles are being distributed to Alaska State Troopers in Southcentral Alaska and Fairbanks. AST spokesperson Beth Ipsen says the tactical response vehicles are intended for “use during situations involving a higher-than-normal degree of danger to the public or responding officers.” Troopers have been looking into acquiring tactical vehicles of their own for about 10 years, especially since the June...

Search efforts near Kotzebue for two snowmachiners who have been missing for more than a week have been reduced to ground volunteers, according to state officials. Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters says that as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, troopers ceased their funding of the search for Shallain Adams, 23, and Clifford Griest, 32. The two left Kotzebue headed for Selawik at 2 a.m. May 15, riding a black Polaris IQ snowmachine. According to Peters, no sign of Adams or Griest has been found since the search for them began, with poor conditions frequently grounding aircraft and hampering ground searchers' efforts.

Alaska State Troopers say search efforts continued Monday for two snowmachiners last seen more than five days ago, with poor conditions still hindering attempts to locate them. According to AST spokesperson Megan Peters, all air assets in the search for Noorvik resident Shallain Adams, 23, and 32-year-old Clifford Griest of Selawik were grounded Monday by bad weather. “We've got dedicated ground searchers and their efforts have been quite frankly heroic, but there haven't been any confirmed signs of them,” Peters said.

STORY UPDATED AT 7:52 p.m. at 5/19/13: Alaska State Troopers say weather continues to hamper the search for two snowmachiners near Kotzebue. Shallain Adams, 23 of Noorvik, and Clifford Griest, 32 of Selawik, left Kotzebue early Wednesday morning on a black Polaris IQ snowmachine destined for Selawik. Over 70 searchers from Kotzebue, Selawik, Noorvik, Kiana, Noatak and Buckland have been involved in the ground search, but “efforts have been hampered by periodic bad weather. On Saturday, an Alaska wildlife trooper flew for a couple of hours before fog and blowing snow turned the pilot back.

Kotzebue police say a 7-year-old local boy last seen Saturday was found dead, pinned by ice against a sea wall, hours after he was reported missing Sunday afternoon. According to a Wednesday statement from the Kotzebue Police Department, Suyuk Brown was last seen playing in front of his Shore Avenue home at 3 p.m. Saturday during a snowmachine race. His family reported him missing a day later, at about 4:40 p.m. Sunday. Members of Kotzebue Search and Rescue, as well as the local fire and police departments, conducted a search for Brown until his body was located just after 11 p.m. Sunday.

Three new military-grade tactical vehicles are being distributed to Alaska State Troopers in Southcentral Alaska and Fairbanks. AST spokesperson Beth Ipsen says the tactical response vehicles are intended for “use during situations involving a higher-than-normal degree of danger to the public or responding officers.” Troopers have been looking into acquiring tactical vehicles of their own for about 10 years, especially since the June...

Saima Chase slid onto the ice at Kotzebue Sound, her arms loaded down with two five-gallon drum buckets filled with an ax and pick. “When were these holes last opened?” Chase asked her cousin Juanita Henry, who sat quietly in the sun, ice fishing with about 20 frozen tom cod in front of her. “Last night,” Henry told Chase as she flung another fish off her line. It quickly froze in temperatures that hovered around 20 degrees. Chase, and many people here in Kotzebue, hunt and fish to feed their families.

Charles Parker is President and CEO of Alaska Village Initiatives, which represents more than 50,000 Rural Alaskans.  AVI promotes the economic well-being of Rural Alaskans through economic development, assistance, networking, advocacy and education. Parker is an Inupiat raised in Nome, with family in Point Hope and Kotzebue.

Alaska State Troopers are seeking a 45-year-old Kiana man wanted for allegedly firing at a crowd following a woman's suspicious death in the village Friday night. According to AST spokesperson Megan Peters, arrest warrants have been issued for 45-year-old Teddy Smith on three counts of third-degree assault, as well as single fourth-degree counts of assault and misconduct involving weapons. Peters says Smith has not been charged in the death of 70-year-old Dolly Smith, whose body was discovered Friday evening, but only for his actions after authorities responded to the incident.

More than 1,500 people attended the late state Sen. Al Adams' memorial service at ChangePoint Church in Anchorage on Wednesday. In addition to family and friends, many state dignitaries also attended. Adams died Monday following a long battle with illness. "I knew it was coming but still, it was so unexpected," said Rep. Reggie Joule. "It's a tremendous loss for his family, his friends and it's a big loss for the State of Alaska -- but Al used his time very well. " Adams spent much of his time in public service representing the Kotzebue area, including eight years in the state House and 12 years in the state Senate.