According to court documents, 29-year-old Trayton Ballot was on a three-hour flight from Anchorage to Seattle in January 2025. The victim, a 17-year-old seated next to him, said that she woke up after Ballot rubbed her inner thigh.

According to Alaska State Troopers, 61-year-old Clifford Melton left Kotzebue on Monday headed for the Northwest Arctic community of Buckland, about 70 miles away. Search and Rescue teams from Buckland and Kotzebue responded after reports that Melton was overdue

Four Kotzebue residents filed suit in Kotzebue Superior Court on Jan. 21. They allege the city failed to provide “safe, effective and sanitary” water and sewer to its residents, which the lawsuit describes as a breach of contract.

Kotzebue Fire Chief Funk said nine fire department staff members and two volunteers responded to the fire. The crew used a fire ladder and engine, plus two ambulances to keep firefighters warm as they worked on the fire. Funk said fighting the fire was difficult.

According to court documents, officers responded to the residence and found the victim, 57-year-old Jens Leavitt lying on his back and unresponsive. Leavitt was later pronounced dead at a local hospital from multiple stab wounds.

Ron Johnson was hired in early December, but his position was not officially approved until Thursday night. The Kotzebue City Council unanimously approved his appointment during an executive session, according to the city’s attorney.

The latest estimate for the Western Arctic Caribou Herd is 121,000, a steep drop from 2023. The last time the herd’s numbers were this low, Jimmy Carter was president — almost 50 years ago.

“It came out of our concern for our community,” said Ruth Ann Zent, co-founder of the local non-partisan group that organized the event. “We felt like, instead of just complaining about policies, maybe we should take action to help our community.”

Charging documents say 21-year-old Dustin Gooden got into a physical altercation with the VPSOs after they tried to speak with him.

“If we feel like there is any need whatsoever, any kind of a situation that might be unsafe for our students, then we immediately will go into a lockdown,” Alexander said. “We'd rather be safe than sorry.”