Washington
Truckers to haul US Capitol Christmas Tree from Alaska to DC on annual big-rig journey
Two American truck drivers will embark on a cross-country journey in honor of a special Yuletide delivery.
Alaska natives John Schank and Fred Austin will bring holiday cheer to Washington, D.C., by transporting the annual Christmas Tree to the U.S. Capitol.
This year’s tree was selected from Alaska’s National Forests, traveling 4,000 miles from Tongass National Forest near Wrangell, making 11 stops along the way, so Americans can get a chance to see the People’s Tree.
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The tree will be carried by Lynden Transport in an 80-foot flatbed truck covered with protective wrapping and a plexiglass window at the rear.
The drive could take roughly three weeks to complete.
John Schank, left, and Fred Austin are both Alaska natives. They’re driving the Capitol Christmas Tree to Washington this year. (U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree)
“My favorite part of this trip is the show-and-tell time, not the driving time,” Austin told Fox News Digital.
Austin of North Pole, Alaska, has been driving with Lynden Transport for 50 years and says it’s “pretty cool” to be transporting the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
Schank said this will be his second time transporting the tree.
“I moved it back in 2015. I came out to Chugiak National Forest near Seward, Alaska, and I’m looking forward to doing it here,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Between the men, they’ve safely driven for a combined estimate of 100 years stretching around 10 million miles.
Schank has also been driving big rigs for 50 years and said the route that he and Austin are taking is all mapped out.
The Capitol Christmas Tree will be carried by Lynden Transport, an Anchorage, Alaska-based trucking company. The tree will travel on an 80-foot flatbed truck covered with protective wrapping and a plexiglass window at the rear. (U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree)
“The trailer is 80 feet long and the tree just barely fits inside of it … We will take care of the precious cargo we’ve got, and we will drive accordingly,” said Schank.
Banners adorn the 74-foot tree, giving Americans a chance to leave their name and a message with a marker at selected stops.
“You can actually look in and see the tree … and when we’re stopped, they turn the Christmas tree lights on,” said Austin.
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“John and Fred are a dynamic duo of driving experience, leadership, and positive energy, which will make the cross-country trip memorable,” Paul Grimaldi, president of Lynden Transport, said in a statement.
This year’s tree was selected from Alaska’s national forests, traveling 4,000 miles from Tongass National Forest near Wrangell. (U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree)
The 54-year tradition of the Capitol Christmas Tree began when Speaker of the House John McCormack, D-Mass., placed a live Christmas tree on the Capitol lawn, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“This tree lived three years before succumbing to wind and root damage. In 1970, the Capitol Architect asked the U.S. Forest Service to provide a Christmas tree,” a news release said.
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Each year a different national forest is selected to provide “the People’s Tree” in an annual campaign to celebrate national forests.
The Capitol Christmas Tree will make 11 stops on the way to Washington, D.C. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The tree will be making stops in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio and Maryland before arrival at the Capitol’s West Lawn.
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Americans can track the People’s Tree at kenworth.com/tree-tracker/.
WASHINGTON TWP., N.J. — Officers in Washington Township, said they finished a DoorDash food delivery after arresting the driver who had warrants out for his arrest.
Body camera video shows officers stepping in to deliver the food themselves, a move the department in southern New Jersey later shared on its Facebook page.
“I thought something happened. Oh my God, I got so scared,” said the customer when she answered the door.
The DoorDash customer, seen on police body cam video, was instantly relieved and appreciative upon learning why officers were at her door.
“Arrested your driver, but, yeah, we delivered your food,” one of the officers said.
It turns out a Washington Township police officer stopped the DoorDash driver during routine patrols in front of a high school over the weekend.
“He made a stop on it for a violation,” said Washington Township Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik.
But then, Chief Gurcsik said the officer learned the driver had warrants out for his arrest in another county.
“He made the officers aware that he had two DoorDash meals in the car that he was in the middle of delivering,” Gurcsik said.
The officers went from cuffing the driver to ringing a doorbell to finish his delivery.
“I never heard of anything like that in the South Jersey area. It’s sort of a first for us here in Washington Township, definitely,” Gurcsik said.
Police finish DoorDash delivery after arresting driver in New Jersey
It’s happened in other places, too, including in New Mexico last summer, when a motorcycle cop delivered someone’s Chick-fil-A order after arresting the driver.
“Hello, sir, got your DoorDash. Oh, thank you,” the officer said. “He’s a good kid, give him five stars. He just didn’t take care of a simple insurance ticket.”
And officers over in Arizona made a similar arrest during a traffic stop and were seen on body camera finishing the delivery.
“Your GrubHub, still delivered your pizza,” the officer said.
“We definitely serve the community in more ways than one,” Gurcsik said.
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SEATTLE — A bill aimed at tightening Washington’s laws on child sex abuse material is headed to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s desk after clearing the Legislature unanimously.
King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said 2ESSB 5105 passed the House unanimously Tuesday night after the Senate unanimously approved it on Jan. 28, 2026.
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Manion called the measure one of her public safety legislative priorities.
“People who peddle in the misery of sexually abused children must be held accountable,” Manion said. “I am grateful for the work of Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Laura Harmon – both in prosecuting these cases and advocating for these legal fixes – and Senators Tina Orwall and Manka Dhingra for championing this legislation.”
Manion’s office said the current state law has gaps that can prevent prosecutors from holding offenders accountable in some cases.
Under current law, prosecutors cannot charge defendants for creating images of child sex abuse unless the child victim was conscious or knew they were being recorded.
The office also said that possessing sexually explicit fabricated (AI) images of non-identifiable minors is not considered child sex abuse material under Washington law.
The bill would update RCW 9.68A.040 to remove the requirement that a child be aware of an abusive recording. It would also update the definition of child sex abuse material to include fabricated (AI) images of non-identifiable minors.
The legislation would also increase the statute of limitations to 10 years for depiction crimes. Manion’s office said the current statute of limitations is three years, and argued that because the images can remain online indefinitely, victims can be re-traumatized for decades.
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