Seattle, WA
Seattle Seahawks support continued growth of girls flag football in Alaska
WASILLA — When Seattle Seahawks Managing Director of Community Engagement Becca Stout was in high school two decades ago, competing in flag football wasn’t even an option.
So being able to lead the charge in putting on the team’s first-ever girls flag football camp in Alaska on Friday, at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla, was especially meaningful for her and the organization.
More than 70 girls from across the state gathered for the camp, proving to Stout that the tide has turned for girls competing in football.
“I would’ve loved to have that, so now just every girl moving forward will have this opportunity to play football and it’s so cool,” she said. “We were told for so long that it’s just a male-dominated sport, and it’s not anymore.”
Girls flag football is being sanctioned in the state of Washington next month. Alaska had its first sanctioned state title last year. While the Seahawks have been coming up to Alaska regularly for the last decade and a half, they only started focusing on supporting the flag football community in the past couple of years.
“Supporting girls flag football is a really big initiative for the Seattle Seahawks,” Stout said. “It’s been a huge focus for us, not just in the state of Washington but helping it grow around the whole world.”
As interest has continued to grow, so has opportunity for flag football players, from youth athletes up to the highest levels.
“The girls here are out here hustling and competing and just trying to grow the game,” Stout said. “There’s so much opportunity for girls to play the sport now. More and more colleges are offering the sport so just the opportunity for scholarships for these young athletes, and it’s going to be an Olympic sport in (Los Angeles) in 2028. Hopefully someone from Alaska is competing in the Olympics in 2028.”
[Previously: Once dismissed as ‘powderpuff’ sport, Alaska girls flag football gets boost with first-ever sanctioned state championship]
Among the Seahawks contingent traveling north was starting right tackle Abraham Lucas, who was making his third visit to the state for an outreach event.
“One, I like Alaska, it’s a great place, and two, it’s nice to give back,” he said.
Lucas does a camp every year in Everett, Washington, and likes to be able to travel to other places and participate in similar events, especially ones that support the growth of sports such as flag football.
“Any capacity that you can get people to play football, whether it’s flag or two-hand touch, we all started off as young kids playing football in the front yard or backyard,” he said. “It’s great to still see people having fun with it, playing it and having a good time.”
Lucas played football at Washington State University and is happy that flag football can provide girls around the world the chance to continue their athletic careers beyond high school.
His advice to student-athletes who aspire to make it to the next level is that playing collegiate sports takes “a lot of sacrifice” and becomes like a job at some point.
“If you put all your time and energy towards it, it’ll go great for you because there’s no substitute for hard work,” Lucas said.
Proof of tangible growth in Alaska
There were at least 10 high school flag football programs from across the state represented at the event by either coaches or participants.
“It’s a great experience and opportunity for the girls that they normally don’t get,” West Anchorage head coach Antonio Wyche said. “It’s an opportunity for them to get to see different levels of football.”
The first-ever sanctioned high school state championship tournament for flag football was another indicator of how much the sport has grown in Alaska.
The Eagles have historically had “great numbers” when it comes to the participation level during Wyche’s tenure at the helm of the program. He has heard from other coaches with budding and traditionally smaller programs that their numbers are on the rise since the statewide sanctioning of the sport.
“The excitement that the girls are talking more about football is great for our sport,” Wyche said.
North Pole senior Jaelynn Colby was on the state championship team last year and has been playing flag football since her freshman year. She and her sister made the 326-mile trek to take part in the camp put on by their favorite NFL team.
“Me and my sister made this commitment to come here, we are Seahawks fans ourselves so it was pretty cool to come meet these people,” Colby said. “It’s so cool to me and awesome to have them here.”
[Previously: North Pole earns first-ever Alaska state flag football title]
While she plays a lot of sports, flag football is the one she wishes to play in college the most.
“This is definitely the best camp I’ve been to for a sport that I’m playing,” Colby said.
Two of her former Patriots teammates, Tiahna Guzman and Camryn Williams, represented not only their program but Alaska as a whole in flag football at the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl games, which she feels further underlines the sport’s rapid growth in the state.
“This has been the best year ever,” Colby said. “After our state win, we realized that this is going to be the next big thing. We’re kind of preaching it more at our school, so we’re telling all the girls that if you want a chance to do something other than your other sports you play, we’ve got that opportunity, so why not start now (rather) than later?”
Guzman is one of several girls in the state in recent years who have earned scholarships to continue playing flag football at the collegiate level. She will be taking her talents to Bryant and Stratton College in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, this fall.
Just being able to compete for a state title was a dream of Colby and her teammates when they first started playing flag football four years ago. To be able to top Service for a state title and be part of history made last year’s ride even more special.
“We’re really excited about this next year,” Colby said. “We’re going to build our team up. We lost some key players but we’ve got some new ones coming in, and I’m really excited to see how this next year goes.”
A broken water fountain inside Emerson Elementary School in South Seattle has caused significant damage to the second floor of the building, and classes on Friday and Monday have been canceled.
The water fountain caused significant damage to the school’s classrooms, supplies, and materials on both floors of the school located at 9709 60th Ave. S. in South Seattle, Emerson Elementary announced.
In response to the damage, classes have been canceled, and Emerson will remain closed for an extended period while substantial repairs are made to allow students and staff to return to a safe and healthy school building.
Seattle, WA
Mayor Harrell Celebrates CARE Department Two-Year Anniversary and Permanent Responder Program – Office of the Mayor
Seattle – Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell celebrated the two-year anniversary of the creation of the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department, combining Seattle’s 911 Center with the new Community Crisis Responder (CCR) team. Initially launched as a small team with limited hours and service area, CCRs steadily expanded in size and footprint and have been successfully and safely dispatched to over 6,700 incidents over the past two years as an alternative to a police response. This integrated model pairs call-taking and dispatch with unarmed behavioral health responders, giving Seattle a new way to respond to non-violent crisis calls while preserving police and fire resources for where they are needed most.
“I’m proud to celebrate two years of the CARE Department and our Community Crisis Responder pilot program, which is now becoming a permanent part of Seattle’s public safety system. CARE represents the fulfillment of our vision for a comprehensive approach to public safety – a third branch working alongside police and fire to ensure every resident receives the right response at the right time,” said Mayor Harrell. “I want to thank Chief Barden and all the dedicated CARE employees for their exceptional work connecting people in crisis with compassionate care and vital services. I look forward to celebrating this department’s continued success for many years to come.”
Under the new police contract announced by Mayor Harrell earlier this week, there are no longer any limits on how many CARE responders can be hired and they can be solo dispatched to low-acuity emergency calls. Mayor Harrell’s public safety sales tax plan would provide $9.5 million to double the number of CARE Community Crisis Responders (CCR) with 24 new positions in 2026, as well as supervisors, a new training manager, and additional equipment. The expansion will increase the number of CCRs on staff and extend service hours, ensuring more Seattle residents have access to compassionate, effective crisis response. The investment will also add 12 dispatcher and call taker positions to ensure the 911 Center, which has already fielded more than 581,000 calls and texts in 2025, is fully staffed.
“Today we are significantly closer to achieving the vision of three co-equal departments of first responders, and a Seattle 911 equipped to send the best first response to a call. Philosophically, the police and fire departments represent physical safety and health provision; and the CARE department represents mental and emotional health provision,” said CARE Chief Amy Barden. “All three departments should and must be anchored in a philosophy of rehabilitation. I congratulate the pilot team of CARE responders and express my gratitude to the outstanding professionals in Seattle 911 who have made all this progress possible, who have converted a theory and a dream into reality.”
The Seattle CARE department represents a new paradigm in public safety, a third City department which works in partnership with police and fire and is focused on helping people in need of behavioral health care. Seattle’s unique approach to diversified emergency response is designed to connect people in crisis with help and free up police resources to answer the calls where they’re needed most. CARE’s model and practices were highlighted by the National League of Cities as a case study of the “Community Response Model” as part of their Reimagining Public Safety Initiative.
Since launching in late 2023 as a limited pilot of six responders focused on Downtown and the Chinatown-International District, the CCR program has steadily expanded and demonstrated strong results. In 2024, the pilot expanded to additional neighborhoods and seven days a week with 10 additional responders. In early 2025, it added more CCRs and expanded citywide, responding to more than 5,000 incidents citywide. Today, CCRs operate citywide seven days a week to ensure reliable response times and the ability to surge resources to emerging needs in partnership with 9-1-1.
CARE recently launched a digital dashboard, enabling the public to view data from 2024 to date, showing call volume by precinct, the busiest times of day for Community Crisis Responders and most frequent call types.
What People Are Saying
Charlotte Joseph, Deputy Chief CARE
“Seattle 9-1-1 is extremely grateful for the opportunity to work collaboratively with our public safety partners at SPD, SFD, and the Community Crisis Responders with the goal of providing the community with the best first response. The work done in 9-1-1 is essential to the public safety ecosystem. We remain dedicated to employee development, as we focus on enhancing skillsets and knowledge about the alternative response options and best practices within public safety.”
Catriana Hernandez, CARE Crisis Response Manager
“We are beyond excited to celebrate our two-year anniversary. It was no small feat in standing up a new program. This has only been made possible through our partnership with local government, public safety, and community services. They have tirelessly supported our emerging nationwide vision of a more holistic, adaptable, and data-driven approach to mental health emergencies”
The City of Seattle has reached a new collective bargaining agreement with the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), which represents all Seattle police officers.
Under the agreement, police officers will receive a retroactive pay increase of 6% for 2024 and 4.1% for 2025. Officers will get an additional 2.7% increase in 2026, and the 2027 increase will range from 3% to 4%, depending on the Consumer Price Index.
“This contract supports our officers’ work to address crime and delivers on our promise to create a comprehensive, diversified public safety system that protects every neighborhood in Seattle,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said.
Harrell said the contract also strengthens police accountability by allowing civilian investigators to work on cases involving potential termination, and streamlines disciplinary processes to address misconduct swiftly and appropriately.
“The agreement modernizes our wages and keeps benefits high so that we can, of course, maintain a well-staffed police department, which translates to public safety for everyone,” Seattle Police Chief Shawn Barnes said. “I commend Mayor Harrell for his tireless dedication in securing a collective bargaining agreement that not only strengthens support for our officers but also enhances public safety in Seattle. This agreement reflects our shared commitment to the community and ensures that the brave men and women of our police department can continue to serve with pride and dedication.”
Major changes for Seattle’s CARE department
The agreement was ratified by SPOG members last weekend and makes big changes to the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department. It is now elevated from a pilot program started in 2023 to a permanent part of public safety in Seattle, on par with the police and fire departments. It also removes limits on its number of employees, allowing for the expansion and direct dispatch of CARE crisis responders for those experiencing a behavioral health crisis, due in part to homelessness, mental illness, and addiction.
“This expanded agreement between the City and SPOG is the most significant milestone since the CARE responder pilot launched two years ago, and I commend Mayor Harrell for keeping diversified response a top and unequivocal priority,” CARE Chief Amy Barton stated. “Going forward, we will finally be able to predictably and consistently send the best first response to a 911 call — something our community has demanded and deserves. Further, law enforcement officers can now be significantly freed up to respond to high-priority police calls.”
Harrell said the money for the officers and the expansion of the CARE department will require no new money, as it has already been worked into the budget.
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