Disgraced Judge faces impeachment & U.S Military Updates

Local First News (News of the North)

The Juneau School District alerted parents on Sunday night about a school shooting threat circulating on social media, though authorities do not believe it to be credible. The threat, shared among local students, involves pulling a fire alarm and shooting outside a school, but it is not directed at any specific individual. Increased police presence was seen at Thunder Mountain Middle School as a precaution. Similar threats have been reported nationwide, with some schools responding by increasing security. This comes after previous threats in Alaska, including bomb threats last fall.

Former U.S. District Court Judge Joshua Kindred resigned in July after an investigation revealed multiple misconduct cases, including sexual harassment and inappropriate relationships with federal prosecutors. Now facing an impeachment inquiry in the U.S. House, Kindred could be barred from future office if convicted. The case has raised concerns about conflicts of interest in past cases and has led to scrutiny of U.S. Attorney for Alaska, S. Lane Tucker, for her handling of the situation. The U.S. Attorney's Office is now reviewing Kindred's previous cases.

The U.S. Coast Guard tracked Russian naval vessels, including two submarines, as they entered U.S. waters near Alaska. The ships crossed 30 miles into the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone but were navigating around sea ice, which is allowed under international maritime law. The Coast Guard emphasized continued patrols in the region to protect U.S. interests and maintain maritime security. Rear Adm. Megan Dean confirmed that the incident occurred about 60 miles northwest of Point Hope.

A plane crash over the weekend near the community of St. Mary's, Alaska, claimed the lives of four people. The crash occurred just half a mile from the runway. Alaska State Troopers and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the crash. Two of the victims are believed to have been employees of Yute Commuter Service, which operates flights in the Yukon region. This tragedy follows a fatal crash involving the same company in 2020.

The U.S. Army has deployed airborne soldiers from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, as part of a rapid deployment test to Shemya Island, located near Russia. This is the first deployment to the island since 2018 and coincides with joint military exercises between China and Russia in the Sea of Japan. The operation demonstrates the Army's readiness to respond to potential threats, with increased adversarial exercises seen near Alaska in recent months. The Army has not announced when the operation will conclude.

A new study reveals that children born in 2020 will experience double the number of wildfires compared to those born in 1960. Scientists are developing new ways to measure short-term spikes in air pollution from wildfires, which current methods do not capture accurately. The study highlights that Alaska Native communities, particularly in rural areas, are disproportionately affected by wildfire smoke due to past forest management practices and the suppression of traditional fire management methods used by Indigenous peoples.