News at 6 - August 27, 2026

On Thursday, Alaska State Troopers identified the people on board as 68-year-old Alaska pilot Eric Middlebrook and California residents Ronald Schmidt, Lance Schmidt and Daniel Simons. Middlebrook is a former mayor of Bethel. Even as statewide figures paint a picture of rising crime in Alaska, the state’s annual report reveals a tale of two vastly different jurisdictions: a sharp spike in local crime within the Municipality of Anchorage contrast with a marked decline in offenses in areas policed by the Alaska State Troopers. Alaska’s municipal leaders met at the Alaska Municipal League conference to discuss data centers and whether the state is ready for them.