Alaska State Troopers are investigating the death of an Anchorage man whose body was found Monday near Kasilof, with few details immediately available on how it happened.

A Friday AST dispatch says the body of 50-year-old Calvin Bennett was found at about 4 p.m. Monday, near Mile 102.5 of the Sterling Highway.

"Bennett was found approximately 30 yards off the highway in the wood line," troopers wrote.

According to AST spokesperson Megan Peters, troopers don't believe foul play was involved in Bennett's death. The case is currently considered an unattended death, and it's not clear whether it was a suicide.

"It's probably a couple of things, but that doesn't mean it was unintentional," Peters said.

Peters says that while Bennett's family had noticed his absence before Monday's discovery, he had an independent streak that kept them from immediately being concerned.

"It wasn't uncommon for this guy to be gone without telling anybody," Peters said.

Troopers don't yet have a cause of death for Bennett, and are continuing to investigate the case. His next of kin have been notified.

Contact Chris Klint

Friday took a somber tone as dozens gathered at a memorial service, held in honor of Alaska Police Memorial Day, at the state's new crime lab in Anchorage.

Sixty-four names of fallen officers were read by Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew and Alaska State Troopers Director Col. Keith Mallard -- each name accompanied by the ringing of a bell in its honor.

During the ceremony, two names were added to the Alaska Police Memorial outside the crime lab: Manokotak Village Public Safety Officer Thomas Madole and Alaska State Trooper Tage Toll.

Troopers say Madole was fatally shot by Leroy B. Dick Jr. during a March 19 confrontation, when Madole responded to reports that Dick was suicidal. Toll was one of three people who died, along with pilot Mel Nading and snowmachiner Carl Ober, in the March 30 crash of AST's Helo-1 near Talkeetna.

On Wednesday, DPS spokesperson Megan Peters said Friday's events are important to commemorate the sacrifices officers have made in Alaska over the years, which sometimes don't receive as much publicity as cases in the Lower 48.

"This may not be New York or L.A. or Chicago, but tragedy strikes in small towns as easily as it can in cities," Peters said.

Three troopers have also been wounded in the line of duty during the last year, receiving state Purple Heart awards issued by DPS in the tradition of the military medal.

Troopers Gordon Young and Christopher Bitz received shrapnel and gunshot wounds respectively in Kotzebue on June 17, when Arvid Nelson Jr. opened fire on them from a vehicle they were approaching. Nelson subsequently committed suicide during a standoff with troopers.

In a similar Mat-Su Valley incident, Peters says Trooper Andrew Ballesteros received two grazing head wounds during an Oct. 13 traffic stop on Trunk Road near the Parks Highway. Driver Nicholas Lee Frazier, who was later found dead from apparently self-inflicted gunshot wounds, opened fire on Ballesteros at short range, temporarily blinding him with the gunpowder flash of the shots.

"One bullet hit (Ballesteros') glasses and skinned the side of his head," Peters said.

DPS has also awarded two more Purple Hearts -- to Madole and Toll -- on a posthumous basis.

Alaska law enforcement agencies began their observations of the day Friday morning, with an awards ceremony held for Anchorage police officers at the Loussac Library's Wilda Marston Theatre.

A total of twelve awards were given at the APD event, including eight Medals of Valor to officers for "an exceptionally courageous act where the officer had prior knowledge of the physical risks and dangers involved."

In addition, four current and former APD officers received Shield Awards, given to any employee who "sustains serious physical injury in the line of duty as the result of criminal conduct of another and not the result of or concurrent with conduct that is less than acceptable by Department standards."

APD leaders say that while the medal and shield programs began in 2012, Friday's event is meant to establish the awards as an annual event on Alaska Police Memorial Day.

Speaking at the awards ceremony Friday, APD Chief Mark Mew says he recognizes the risks officers face on a daily basis as they serve the public.

"When bad things happen, most people run away," Mew said. "When bad things happen, soldiers, cops, firefighters -- they run towards the problem instead of away from the problem. That puts us in harm's way a lot; that's why our jobs are a bit different."

Medal of Valor recipient Sgt. Jeffrey Morton spoke with Channel 2 about the incident for which he was honored -- the Sept. 13 arrest of 37-year-old Jason Barnum after a standoff at the Merrill Field Inn. Police investigating a string of burglaries were speaking with Stephanie Callis and Sam Williams Jr. in a room at the inn at about 11:30 a.m. that morning when Barnum allegedly opened fire on officers, grazing Medal of Valor and Shield Award recipient Ofc. Daniel Thyen's back.

"And when I come out of the bathroom, they ran and they literally run inside the room, so obviously something's wrong," Morton said. "And as soon as (Callis) exited the room, a suspect at that point which we later knew (as Barnum) steps apart, immediately exits, and came shooting at the two officers that were in the room."

Thyen and Ofc. Joel Breiner returned fire, striking Barnum in the arm and forcing him back as police exited the room and got the other people out. Barnum, who eventually surrendered to police nearly two hours later, was charged with one count of first-degree attempted murder and two counts of assault in the incident.

APD spokesperson Anita Shell says this year's award recipients included:

Medal of Valor:
Sgt. Jeffrey Morton
Ofc. Kevin Armstrong
Ofc. Joel Breiner
Ofc. Kemberly Semeniuk
Ofc. Mischa Sorbo
Ofc. Daniel Thyen
Ofc. Brian Vanderbrunt
Ofc. Doyle Warren

Shield Award:
Detective Cynthia Bradley (ret.)
Ofc. Keo Fujimoto
Ofc. Christopher Simmons
Ofc. Daniel Thyen

Other events open to the public were also held Friday in Fairbanks and Juneau, to commemorate the date.

The Fairbanks Police Department at 911 Cushman St. hosted its city's event at 11 a.m., with a picnic following the ceremony.

In Juneau, a wreath was laid at the Evergreen Cemetery at 601 Seater St. at noon Friday. The Juneau Police Department hosted a 6 p.m. ceremony outside its headquarters at 6255 Alaway Ave., followed by a partial screening of a documentary on fallen officers and their families.

Friday's remembrances in Alaska are deliberately offset from Wednesday's National Police Memorial Day, so that families of fallen officers may attend events on both days.

Channel 2's Samantha Angaiak contributed information to this story.

Contact Chris Klint

A construction worker from Anchorage was injured on the Sterling Highway near Cooper Landing Friday afternoon when a piece of equipment rolled over his foot and lower leg, according to Alaska State Troopers.

AST spokesperson Megan Peters says troopers responded just before 4:15 p.m. Friday to Mile 54 of the Sterling, where 31-year-old Ross Kennedy had been wounded in a "non-traffic accident."

Peters says Kennedy was medevaced from the scene by a LifeMed air ambulance, but no long-term road closures were reported during the incident.

"They had to land a helicopter on the highway, so the road was closed for that," Peters said.

According to Peters, responding troopers were still at the scene as of Friday afternoon. She didn't immediately have details on what project or company Kennedy was working with.

Contact Chris Klint

STORY UPDATED AT 10:41 a.m. at 5/11/13:

On Saturday morning, Anchorage police released the name of the body found Thursday evening in a vehicle fire behind the Tokyo Garden Restaurant in Midtown.

Police identified the body as 28-year-old Karl Leroy Cox Jr. and his family has been notified.

In an emailed statement, police spokesperson Dani Myren wrote, "The investigation of this incident continues; no further information concerning this case is available for release at this time."

KTUU's Neil Torquiano contributed to an update of this story.

STORY UPDATED AT 2:37 a.m. at 5/10/13:

Anchorage police are investigating whether a man's body found in a burned van after a Midtown vehicle fire Thursday night was the product of foul play.

The Anchorage Police and Fire Departments responded to the fire behind a restaurant, Chong's Tokyo Garden on the 500 block of West Tudor Road, at about 11 p.m. Thursday.

"The vehicle wasn't completely engulfed, the rear of the vehicle was on fire, and flames were coming out from inside," said APD Sgt. Michael Couturier.

Couturier says a body was found inside the 1986 Ford van after the fire was extinguished. No injuries were reported while fighting the fire.

Employees at the restaurant called authorities after seeing the blaze, but weren't aware a body was inside the vehicle. Couturier says it's too soon to determine whether foul play was involved, and that investigators are trying to track down the owner of the van.

"It was sold to someone but they haven't re-registered it yet," said Couturier.

In a Friday statement on the incident, APD spokesperson Dani Myren didn't make any mention of whether foul play was believed to be a factor.

"Identification of the man could not be made due to the condition of the body caused by the fire," Myren wrote. "An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death and identity of the deceased."

Witnesses had told officers that a man had been living in the van.

Myren says both APD and AFD investigators are continuing to work on the case.

Channel 2's Jessica Ridgway and Chris Klint contributed to this story.

Contact Adam Pinsker

The University of Alaska Fairbanks says it will end its services as a venue for community recycling.
   
Bins in a UAF parking lot are a popular location for dropping off paper, glass and plastic and more than 1.5 million pounds of material were collected in 2012.
   
But UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers says the school had to pay more than $130,000 last year to haul the stuff off, and without a subsidy from the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the bins will go away June 1.
   
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://bit.ly/YILcrY) reports the borough assembly voted late Thursday to restore $125,000 in funding.
   
The university estimates 90 percent of the recyclables originate off campus.

State parks officials have closed the boat launch at the Cooper Landing State Recreation Site.
   
KSRM reports (http://is.gd/1Gh5V5) the closure will be only temporary to repair the launch located at Mile 48 of the Sterling Highway.
   
It's expected to reopen June 10.
   
In the meantime, authorities say boaters can use a nearby boat launch.

The state of Alaska is a favorite location for reality television shows, but a new offering from the National Geographic Channel is taking a different bent.
   
"Ultimate Survival Alaska" will pit eight experienced outdoorsmen against the extreme challenges that the state can offer.
   
The first episode in the 10-part series premieres Sunday night. The eight outdoorsmen are dropped off in the Brooks Range, above the Arctic Circle, and have 72 hours to travel through the wilderness on foot to a pre-arranged landing zone.
   
There's no ultimate winner or prize money at stake. Producers say the men's survival is their only reward.
   
Among the participants are mountain and wilderness guides and dog mushers, including former Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey.

A Colorado man who pleaded guilty to shipping almost $350,000 worth of methamphetamine to Fairbanks has been sentenced to 15 ½ years in federal prison.
   
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://is.gd/zjedx3) reports 40-year-old Mario Gutierrez sent meth from the Denver area to a co-conspirator in Fairbanks during 2009 and 2010. The money was deposited in a bank account Gutierrez maintained in Alaska.
   
Gutierrez was sentenced Friday. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of money laundering.
   

A North Pole man was killed Friday evening while transporting a bulldozer near Cantwell, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Troopers said 72-year-old Donald Kiehl was driving a D6 Caterpillar bulldozer when it had "fallen through the ice on a pond between Gold Creek and Stephan Lake," around 5:30 p.m. Friday. Troopers were notified around 6:20 p.m. and Kiehl was presumed dead on the scene.

The troopers investigation found that a "crew of men were transporting equipment and machinery to the Stephan Lake Lodge to do some contract work," and as the crew crossed a low mountain, the bulldozer "broke through the ice on an alpine lake and sank."

According to troopers, people on scene were able to retrieve Kiehl from the water and attempted CPR on him, however "he was unable to be resuscitated."

His body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy and troopers wrote, "No foul play is suspected at this point but investigation is continuing."

Stephen Lake Lodge is located 140 air miles from Anchorage near the Talkeetna Mountains and has been around since the late 1960s.

There have been 45 workplace deaths in Alaska since 2001, according to Alaska Occupational Safety and Health (AKOSH).

This is a developing story. Please check KTUU.com and the Channel 2 newscasts for updates.

      

Contact Neil Torquiano

From Barrow to Ketchikan, thousands of Alaskan kids received some fundamental life lessons during Saturday's third annual Lemonade Day Alaska.

Lemonade Day Alaska started in 2010 to teach kids to save, spend and share.

"Kids learn from start to finish how to start and operate their own business with a lemonade stand," said Johnna Golden, State Director for Lemonade Day.

More than 3,500 kids from across the state set up lemonade stands at store fronts, on street corners and out in front of their homes, learning important life lessons like money management and perseverance.

"I learned to sell things and to find a good location to sell it," said 11-year-old Angelina Deveroux.  "You just have to keep trying and trying and if people don't come, you still have to try."

The statewide event aims to teach participants the basics of becoming entrepreneurs.  Kids must do everything as they work towards running their own business, including finding an investor, figuring out a location, marketing, making the product and selling it.

"This isn't something that kids generally learn in school," said Golden.  "It's easy enough to just set up a stand and say I'm going to sell some things.  It's another to have to figure out how much you're going to make versus what you had to pay for your materials and realize that materials aren't free."

Participants get to keep all proceeds from Saturday's event, although Golden says a majority of the kids donate a percentage of their earnings to a charity of their choice.

Lemonade Day is a national program that started in 2007.

Contact Blake Essig

Anchorage fire investigators are looking into a Saturday morning fire that scorched a local restaurant.

15 units from the Anchorage Fire Department responded to a fire at Sunrise Grill off of Old Seward at about 5 a.m.

No one was hurt and fire marshals say they don't know what caused the fire.

Investigators say it took fire crews a couple of hours to put out the blaze and they'll be back on Monday to do more research as to what caused the fire.

"The majority of the structure is intact but it might be a total loss for the business," said Brian Balega, AFD Investigator.

Contact Samantha Angaiak

It's the presence of Alaska that allows the United States to be considered an arctic nation. On Friday, the Obama administration released a new Arctic strategy that states the country's priorities in the arctic region.  

"I think this is the time Alaska is being recognized as an important part to the United States as the United States cannot be an Arctic nation without Alaska," Senator Mark Begich said. "This plan is an important tool that we will now use to push for Arctic development.

The plan mentions Alaska more than five times saying the impacts on the state's environment and native people are a top priority when considering further exploration of the arctic's resources.

"Whenever you get a president's cabinet to come together to help write a statement on where we're going on the Arctic that's positive," Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell said. "On the other hand, America has to understand that Alaska is one of our crown jewels."

The Obama administration says the arctic circle contains approximately 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of its undiscovered gas deposits. In the past, these deposits were unreachable but the new plans says harvesting these energy sources is a real possibly since the sea ice is melting. But the environment is still a concern for others.

"The Wilderness Society's concern about the environmental impact of drilling in the arctic is obviously oil spills," the society's communication diretor Tim Woody said. "We're also concerned particularly in the Arctic ocean about the increase release of greenhouse gases contributing to climate change from industrial machines."

The eight nation Arctic International Council will meet next week on May 15 in Kiruna, Sweden. It's these nations that will help decide the future of both the arctic and Alaska.

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An historic house in downtown Juneau could one day serve as a home-away-from-home for Alaska's lieutenant governor.
   
Lawmakers added language to the state operating budget saying they want the Department of Natural Resources to negotiate with the governor's office to establish the House of Wickersham State Historic Site as lodging for the lieutenant governor when he or she is in Juneau. The department manages the site.
   
But the Legislature did not provide the $200,000 in funding requested by Gov. Sean Parnell for the next wave of renovations aimed at making the upper floors more hospitable.
   
While Parnell supports renovations to the house to ensure it is accessible to the public, his spokeswoman says he hasn't taken a position yet on whether the lieutenant governor should be put up there.

A 2-year-old girl visiting a Big Lake dog kennel was attacked by a dog and seriously injured.
   
Alaska State Troopers say Elin Shuck suffered wounds Friday to her neck and jugular vein.
   
She was flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center and reported stable Saturday.
   
Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters tells the Anchorage Daily News (http://bit.ly/ZYYPSD) by email that Elin and her family were visiting the kennel to tend to eight sled dogs they board there.
   
The girl's father, Brody Shuck, says his wife and three children were walking a dog when another dog broke from its tether and attacked Elin.
   
The girl's mother pulled the dog off and it attacked a second time.
   
Matanuska-Susitna Borough animal control officers have seized the dog. 

It's that time of year again for an Anchorage summer tradition: the Downtown Market and Festival is back.

Every year, at Third Avenue between C and E Street, a plethora of vegetables, fruits, crafts and local specialties are available for Alaskans and tourists to enjoy.

This year, the market manager joked that the market has doubled its admission fee - that's right, it's still free, in order to make it easier for everyone to participate.



"We've got a lot of our favorite vendors from the past back and other new vendors all around the place, so it's going to be an exciting year," Bill Webb, Market Manager, said. "We're looking for a big year and this is our 21st anniversary so we're actually grown up now and looking for a wonderful start for our second 21 years."



The market opens from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and runs through September 8th.

Contact Neil Torquiano

Two Anchorage police officers fired their guns after a stolen pickup truck rammed a police car Saturday morning in Muldoon and three suspects were arrested without injuries.

26-year-old Ryan Robert Portlock, was charged with second degree theft, first degree vehicle theft, first degree attempted vehicle theft, unlawful possession, and third degree criminal mischief. 26-year-old Cory Michael Wolf and 29-year-old Amber Jobell Myers were each charged with criminal mischief in the fifth degree.


 
Shortly after 10:00 a.m. Saturday, police dispatch received a report of people doing drugs in a vehicle near 4^th Avenue and State Street. Police checked the license plate and found that a blue Nissan pickup truck had been reported stolen.

Patrol cars blocked the truck to the front and rear and police stated that, "the suspects failed to comply with verbal commands, and instead drove the stolen truck toward a patrol car, striking it as it pushed past."


(Photo: Ryan Robert Portlock, 26, arraigned at Anchorage Jail Court. 5-12-13)

Court documents show that Portlock rammed the front officer's vehicle and two police officers "discharged their weapons," during the incident and "no persons were struck by bullets."


(Photo: Amber Jobell Myers, 29, arraigned at Anchorage Jail Court. 5-12-13)

The truck crashed through a fence and went east on 4^th Avenue and cut through Standish Park playground and came to a stop on Standish Street. Wolf and Myers were taken into custody at that point.

Portluck fled on foot and a few moments later was taken into custody on Cherry Street. According to charging documents, he attempted to circle back towards a patrol car and open the driver's door, which was locked before his apprehension.

Court papers say, "officers learned that Portlock had obtained the pickup truck the day earlier [May 10] after stealing it from a Holiday gas station." The owner of the truck left it running before heading into the store and Myers and Wolf watched Portluck take the vehicle. Portlock also allegedly placed a false back license plate on the pickup truck later that evening.

Portlock has a prior felony conviction for theft and Myers has two prior felony convictions for illegal drugs and assault. Wolf has no known prior criminal convictions.

Dani Myren, police spokesperson, said due to the initial investigation with any officer-involved shooting that few details could be released and in a statement wrote, "at one point during this incident two officers fired their service weapons and struck the vehicle."  

The Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals will investigate the officers using their weapons and the names of the officers who fired will not be available for release for three days in accordance to police policy.

Editor's Note: Clarifies spelling of suspected driver's last name Portlock, instead of Portluck.

Contact Neil Torquiano

On the heels of the Obama administration releasing a new strategy that would make the Arctic a top priority, rumors swirl that the Coast Guard is pulling out because of a lack of maritime commercial traffic.  A rumor that Coast Guard officials say isn't true, although cutbacks are coming.

"It's important for the public to understand that the Coast Guard is committed to having a presence in the Arctic," said Veronica Colbath, Coast Guard Public Affairs Officer.  "We are working under current budget constraints, but we know that the region is extremely important."

"There are no bones about it," said Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, R-Alaska.  "There is a pull back, but I don't think there is a pull back in commitment, there is a pull back in resources."

According to Treadwell, sequestration and Shell suspending its 2013 arctic drilling operations has forced the Coast Guard to scale back its arctic operations and look to other areas of the Arctic moving forward.

"Because Shell won't be doing its operations, I think the focus and concern Alaskans should have is what's going through the Bering Strait," said Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell.  "Last year, we had 46 vessels going through the Bering Strait and most of them were caring energy."

The Coast Guard says in order to deal with the recent sequestration, it's looking at leveraging infrastructure that's already in place in a budget constrained environment.  It will take a step back and look at where it can be most effective moving forward with Operation Arctic Shield this summer.

"Arctic Shield is about learning lessons and operating in the region," said Colbath.  "We think we can be effective and that's why we're possibly looking at having a forward operating location in Kotzebue."

Coast Guard officials hope to have their summer plans solidified by the end of May.

Contact Blake Essig

The Alaska Native Heritage Center had plenty of reasons to celebrate Sunday with the beginning of its summer season.

This year marks the 14th birthday for ANHC and friends and family gathered at the Muldoon location on Mother's Day.



Different groups performed throughout the day, including special musical guest, Pamyua.



Yaari Kingeekuk introduced the Cultures of Alaska and shared some history about her name.



Crow Creek Pipes and Drums performed a guest set at ANHC.

It was a chance for moms and their families to enjoy free events and walk away with forget-me-nots.

ANHC will be open seven days a week during the summer season.

"We have much to accomplish, we have to focus on Alaska Native languages, we have a focus on youth," Annette Evans Smith, President & CEO ANHC, said. "Our job is to make sure that Alaska Native cultures continue to thrive in Alaska for another 10,000 years."

Editor's Note: KTUU's Samantha Angaiak and Chris Klint contributed to this story.

Contact Neil Torquiano

Leah Campbell's life has been quite the emotional roller coaster. When she was 25 years old, she decided to start a new life in Alaska. She wanted to start a family, so she drove up solo from San Diego. Doctors told her she'd be able to have children, but after six months in Alaska, Leah started having health problems. 

"My doctor said you're going to lose your ability to have kids," Campbell said. "This is not something you can continue to compete with, so you need to make a decision."

Leah's doctor gave her options and she chose in vitro fertilization. Two treatments and 30,000 dollars later, Leah was not pregnant. She lost her ability to conceive.

As Leah lived with her infertility, she started writing a book, which would be titled "Single Infertile Female." She had read books about infertility before but they all had a happy ending. Leah wanted to tell a different story. Leah said her book didn't have a happy ending, so she thought.

Earlier this year, Leah's book--the one without a happy ending--was in its final draft, but Leah's life suddenly began a new and unexpected chapter. One of Leah's co-workers knew a woman in a rural Alaska village with three kids. After she became pregnant with her fourth child, her husband passed away. The woman decided another child would be too much to handle, so Leah was able to adopt the baby girl, Josie, and today she was able to experience her first Mother's Day.

"This mother's day is pretty much a miracle," Campbell said. "After years and years of trying and losing my ability to conceive, it's definitely a blessing to wake up this morning with my little girl screaming in the other room."

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A fight at Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau has left an inmate missing part of his ear.

Alaska State Troopers say the victim had part of his ear bit off by another inmate Saturday afternoon.

Alaska State Troopers were notified of the incident shortly after 3 p.m.

A trooper dispatcher tells KINY-AM (http://bit.ly/WBe2Xg) that the injured inmate was treated at Bartlett Regional Hospital.

Troopers say charges of third degree assault will be forward to the district attorney's office.