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Kidjacked | Jacked Up
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Of the 510,000 children in foster care on September 30, 2006, 52% were male and 48% were female. Alaska CPS News Archive
The Alaska news section is your source for the latest in family rights news items,
CPS reform efforts, open court demands, abolition of confidentiality laws that judges
hide behind, foster care deaths and issues, legal cases and more... Please
Email Kidjacked
with news and information from the state of Alaska and I will include it here in our
coverage.
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[National & International News]
Alaska News Coverage
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As Alaska Warms, the Iditarod Adapts
by Kirk Johnson
The Iditarod dog-sled race has gripped the imagination here for a long time, partly because it captures the idea, cherished by Alaskans, that a true-north wildness lies just over the horizon.
In trekking nearly 1,000 miles to the finish line in the old gold-rush town of Nome, mushers and their teams commemorate an event that captivated the world in 1925, when a sled team, led by a dog named Balto, raced through blizzards to deliver lifesaving serum to Nome during a diphtheria outbreak. The rescue made headlines around the world, and earned Balto a statue in Central Park in New York. And since 1973, the competitive race has been run to celebrate that trek.
nytimes.com
October 7, 2016
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Rep. Tammie Wilson accuses state of 'legal kidnapping'
by Matt Buxton
A North Pole legislator is accusing the state of "legal kidnapping" for the rise in the number of children in state protective custody.
Rep. Tammie Wilson, R-North Pole, this week called for a grand jury investigation into the Office of Children's Services, alleging the agency has ignored state and federal law in order to put more children into state custody and keep them there.
newsminer.com
September 18, 2016
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Bill aimed at improving Alaska's overwhelmed foster care system clears the House
by Liz Raines
JUNEAU - On the first day of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a bill aimed at better managing the Alaska foster care system, HB27, passed the Alaska House of Representatives unanimously Friday.
"There are 700 kids waiting for a permanent home in Alaska," Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage), sponsor of the bill and former foster care youth, told colleagues on the House floor. Gara says that figure is the second highest in the nation, and the highest number Alaska has ever had.
ktva.com
April 2, 2016
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House passes foster care improvement bill, says more needs to be done
by Anne Hillman
The state House passed a foster care improvement bill Friday afternoon. Under the new legislation, the state would put a stronger focus on finding foster kids permanent homes and prioritize placing them with relatives when possible.
One provision of the bill requires the court system to that Office of Children's Services workers do their best to find long-term homes for children. The goal is to get the kids a permanent placement within one to two years of entering foster care. At the moment, more than 700 children in Alaska are looking for permanent homes-a much higher number than in other states.
alaskapublic.org
April 1, 2016
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Judge Who Took Kids from Off-Grid Family, Same Judge who Killed his Own Son and Wasn't Arrested | The Free Thought Project
by Justin Gardner
On Monday, we reported on the tragic case of 18-month-old Thomas Naramore, who died after being left in a hot vehicle for four hours. The father, Wade Naramore, is a Garland County circuit court judge and has not been arrested despite...
The lack of an arrest, coupled with the fact that other people have been immediately arrested in similar situations, raises suspicions that Naramore is being treated favorably because of his status as a judge. In another twist to this story, Naramore is the same judge who presided over a child endangerment case in January that gained widespread attention. Seven children were taken from Hal and Michelle Stanley because the parents possessed a legal supplement called Miracle Mineral Solution, which Hal stated was not being given to the children. The Free Thought Project is not making a case for any perceived benefits of this substance.
thefreethoughtproject.com
July 30, 2015
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State issues emergency rules to ease adoption for Alaska Natives
by Alex DeMarban
The regulation, issued Wednesday, comes in response to concerns that current state requirements pose barriers to Native families seeking to adopt, particularly those in remote settings with limited access to state courts.
Following pressure from several Alaska Native groups, the Walker administration has issued an emergency regulation designed to ease burdens on Alaska Natives hoping to adopt Native children. The regulation, issued Wednesday, comes in response to concerns that current state requirements pose barriers to Native families seeking to adopt, particularly those in remote settings with limited access to state courts.
adn.com
April 15, 2015
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Officials investigating Chukchi Sea oil sheen near Shishmaref
Chukchi oil sheen spotted near Shishmaref: The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and U.S. Coast Guard are investigating a mysterious oily sheen that was found on the Chukchi Sea ice pack near the Inupiat village of Shishmaref.
The sheen, which has a gasoline-like odor, was first reported to DEC on Wednesday by a village public safety officer. The product spilled, volume and cause were unknown as of Thursday, DEC said. A unified command has been set up to respond to the situation, and representatives from DEC and the Coast Guard were expected to arrive at Sarichef Island on Friday to examine the site, DEC said in a situation report issued on Thursday.
alaskadispatch.com
June 5, 2014
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Alaska child abuse victim suffered for years before settling with the state for $1 million
by Lisa Demer
A decade after Alaska State Troopers rescued five children and exposed the harsh world of a foster and adoptive family's Big Lake compound, another chapter is closing.
State caseworkers didn't see the honey bucket in the little boy's room or the lock on the outside of his bedroom door. When workers gave Patrick and Sherry Kelley a fifth child for adoption in July 2000, they never looked back. A worried aunt flew up from Florida when that little boy was 7, went to the family's Anchorage home, and said she frantically tried to get someone in the state child protection system to listen to concerns about what she saw.
alaskadispatch.com
May 30, 2014
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Girl allegedly kidnapped from Alaska two years ago discovered in Los Angeles foothills
Glendale police found a 7-year-old girl who had been kidnapped in Alaska two years ago when they pulled over a car in La Crescenta on Thursday for a suspected seatbelt violation, officials said.
Police reportedly observed three adults and two girls, a 3-year-old and 7-year-old, in the vehicle which was traveling eastbound on Foothill Boulevard, near New York Avenue, at about 2:40 p.m., according to Glendale Police spokeswoman Tahnee Lightfoot.
articles.glendalenewspress.com
November 15, 2013
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Records show history of complaints in Bethel case
State foster care records show a history of allegations against a man who is now charged with sexually abusing two children. The state Office of Children's Services show that child welfare officials had reason to believe Peter Tony posed a threat.
Tony, 69, and his late wife, Marilyn Tony, were foster parents for 14 years until 1998, the same year a 12-year-old girl at the foster home said she had been abused by Peter Tony. After losing the foster license, the Tonys opened an in-home daycare. Tony's 48-year-old stepdaughter, Kimberley Bruesch, said she was abused by him when she was 8 years old. The Ketchikan woman said her two sisters also were abused as children and committed suicide as adults.
sfgate.com
July 26, 2013
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Bethel police: Former Alaska foster parent jailed in sex abuse investigation
Police in Bethel have arrested a 69-year-old man on charges of sexually abusing a 4-year-old child, according to a statement released late Monday afternoon.
An investigation into the abuse uncovered "numerous" other alleged victims living in Alaska and elsewhere, dating back decades, according to the release. Peter Tony, identified in the release as a former foster parent and daycare operator, was arrested June 13 for two counts of sexual abuse of a minor involving the 4-year-old, a Bethel resident who is believed to have been abused for almost a year.
alaskadispatch.com
June 25, 2013
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School Happenings
Today and Wednesday, parents and the public interested in learning more about Fairbanks B.E.S.T., a Fairbanks School District homeschool program are invited to attend either of two presentations.
Information will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the school district's administrative center, 520 Fifth Ave., and Wednesday, a similar program will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at the Noel Wien Library, 1215 Cowles St.
newsminer.com
April 23, 2013
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Juneau turns out for third annual march against domestic violence | Juneau Empire
by Emily Russo Miller
Calling for an end to the epidemic of domestic violence, sexual assault and child sexual abuse in Alaska, more than a hundred people gathered at the steps of the Capitol in downtown Juneau Thursday afternoon.
State legislators and U.S. Representative Don Young addressed the crowd before marching down Main Street, as participants carried homemade poster board signs that read "iRespect," "Safe homes" and "I believe you."
juneauempire.com
April 9, 2013
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State Demands that OCS Change Grievance Process
by Alexis Fernandez
In a 90-plus-page report released Monday, the Alaska legislature is mandating that the state's Office of Children's Services change the way it handles complaints.
In a 90-plus-page report released Monday, the Alaska Legislature is mandating that the state's Office of Children's Services change the way it handles complaints. "We found that the regulations that guided the grievance process were fatally flawed from the base of the regulations," said Linda Lord-Jenkins, the state's ombudsman.
ktva.com
July 3, 2012
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Seniors get ready for new adventures
by Shannon Reid
Homer Alaska - With preparations in full swing, the community of Homer is arranging to graduate more than 140 high school seniors this month. Many of the graduates are working with counselors to finalize future plans.
Homer Flex High School, Homer High School, Kachemak Selo, Razdolna School, Voznesenka School and the hosting homeschool programs of Interior Distance Education of Alaska and Connections Homeschool Program will all have different celebrations recognizing the graduating students. Homer High School will celebrate its graduation May 21 in the Mariner Theatre with 96 seniors preparing to walk.
homernews.com
May 16, 2012
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Letter to Editor: Children
by Pamela Samash
We live in a wonderful community. We help each other out after traumatic events such as house fires or even situations where vehicles are stuck in snow and need to be dug or pulled out.
But where Fairbanks really shines is when it comes to our kids. Fairbanks will stop at nothing to love, provide for and protect our children. We actually go so far to keep these kids safe that schools have no-bullying or -fighting rules. Bus drivers constantly...
newsminer.com
January 15, 2012
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Drug Endangered Children in Indian Country
by Walter Lamar
If you saw a toddler walking toward a busy intersection, would you wait before you intervened? Indian children in homes where adults are substance abusers are in similar danger.
Tribal community members must step in before children are hurt or taken away from the community. Lamar Associates works with the Department of Justice to deliver training and technical assistance to help service professionals in tribal communities recognize and respond to drug endangered children.
indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com
January 13, 2012
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Main Attraction: What Makes US Youth Gravitate to Ron Paul?
by Gloria Goodale
What does the young, 20-something voter see in a senior-citizen Republican presidential candidate with shaggy brows, isolationist views, and an economic policy that predates?
Isn't this the same group that helped to sweep Barack Obama into office in 2008? We're talking about Ron Paul here, the GOP presidential hopeful who has parents scratching their heads as their college-age offspring gush about Mr. Paul's rather singular views (for a politician) on Iran (leave Tehran's ayatollahs alone), the gold standard (go back to it), and marijuana (legalize it), to name a few.
alaskadispatch.com
January 12, 2012
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A real 'snowpocalypse,' orphan tree, new hotel
Just think of what we're missing in the Poconos this winter. If you ever thought a foot of snow was bad, how about dealing with 18 feet of it! That's what one town in Alaska is contending with so far this winter.
Penn State alums looking for answers from the university's new president in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal may have been disappointed. Rodney Erickson had comforting words but little else to offer at one recent meeting.
poconorecord.com
January 12, 2012
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Life Threatening Storm Hits Western Alaska
by Angelina Tala
The powerful Bering Sea storm that hit western Alaska early Wednesday with surging seas and rushing winds that ripped roofs off of homes is now impacting western Alaska.
The national weather service is calling the storm "extremely dangerous" adding that it has near record strenth. The national weather service is calling the storm "extremely dangerous" adding that it has near record strenth.
medicaldaily.com
November 9, 2011
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Stevens Prosecutor is Back Handling Corruption Cases
by David Baumann
In another sign that the Justice Department is attempting to close the books on the troubled Alaska corruption cases, a DOJ attorney who was transferred out of the Public Integrity Section following the bungled case against the late Sen. Ted Stevens.
Edward Sullivan is one of the attorneys handling the sentencing of former Republican Senate aide Trevor Blackann, the radio network reported. He also is working on a bribery case in Utah. Following the Stevens case, Sullivan and other attorneys who handled the prosecution were transferred to other DOJ sections; Williams was sent to the Office of International Affairs. However in recent months, Stevens prosecutors have reemerged as attorneys in sensitive cases.
mainjustice.com
October 18, 2011
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Former Rep. Kohring will plead guilty to federal charge
by Richard Mauer
Former Rep. Vic Kohring said Monday that he will plead guilty to a federal extortion-conspiracy charge, forestalling the lone trial still pending from the huge FBI corruption investigation into Alaska politics.
In a notice filed in U.S. District Court, Kohring said he would plead guilty to the first count in his three-count indictment. That charge accuses him of a participating in a multi-year conspiracy to squeeze money out of the oil-field contractor Veco Inc. in return for special treatment on oil legislation.
adn.com
October 17, 2011
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High gold prices are boon to businesses that supply prospectors
by Matt Buxton
For nearly four decades, Jim Madonna has sold metal detectors, pans, sluice boxes, picks and just about anything else a serious prospector or weekend hobbyist would need to find gold in the Alaska wilderness, but lately his little store has been busy.
Jittery, uncertain markets have fueled the latest surge in demand for precious metals, sparking a resurgence of interest in gold as prices top out at $1,800 per ounce. Madonna, a retired geology instructor from University Alaska Fairbanks, spends his day helping hopeful prospectors learn about finding the valuable metal. And even as prices decline as markets stabilize, sky-high high prices have made for good business in Fairbanks, where there's plenty of interest in finding gold.
newsminer.com
August 19, 2011
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Splitting up Rover
by Scott Christiansen
Seven years after Coho the chocolate lab's owners ended their marriage in front of an Alaska Superior Court judge in Fairbanks, the ex-wife went back to the courthouse and asked the judge to re-examine the case.
Perhaps a more fundamental lesson to learn from Coho's story is this: Once a divorce lands in court, it's entered a system where divorces are destined to go badly. That's because the American court system is an adversarial forum, where a judge (or jury) acts like a referee for rivals. The end result is a winner and a loser-not the best place to begin a new relationship, should the divorcing couple be arguing over access to children, rather than a dog. Alaska's family law cases-child custody agreements, divorce or dissolution cases and child in need of aid hearings-accounted for over 8,200 court cases last year. Carpeneti told the legislature that is more than 38 percent of the court system's workload.
anchoragepress.com
July 29, 2011
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Child Abuse: Adoptive Parent Allegedly Abused 6 Kids Over 10 Years
by Chris Klint and Rebecca Palsha
A 50-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday after allegedly abusing six children she adopted from 2000 to 2010. Anya James was charged with 10 counts of kidnapping and six counts of first-degree assault following an eight-month investigation.
According to APD spokesperson Anita Shell, detectives began to investigate claims early last October that four of James' children living in her home had been abused. James began to home-school the children after moving from the Eagle River area to an Anchorage Hillside home in 2001 -- severely restricting their contact with the outside world. Watch the video report...
ktuu.com
May 19, 2011
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Alert Kidjacked to Alaska CPS news!
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Jacked Up: No Where To Turn
by Annette Hall
Most states have safe haven laws on the books, permitting a new parent to drop off an infant at a local fire department or hospital without repercussions. This is a laudable service that I am certain has had a positive impact on more than one infants life over the years.
Kidjacked
May 15, 2010
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Jacked Up: Kenai Foster Care
by Annette Hall
My son is in foster care due to some behavior with alcohol, while I was away at work and he was with his mother.
Kidjacked
May 15, 2010
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Jacked Up: Alaska's War on the Family
by Annette Hall
I really need some help here. I have been accused of fracturing my infant's skull, although I have reports saying that doctors don't suspect child abuse.
Kidjacked
May 15, 2010
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