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.”
Next month the Seattle City Council could take up legislation to make street closures an official tool to prevent gun violence. This comes after residents near Aurora Avenue North created barriers to block vehicle access to their streets last week, in an attempt to keep drive-by shootings from flowing into their neighborhoods.
Councilmember Debora Juarez represents North Seattle’s District 5 and has championed the proposal, which she said was submitted to the Council during Bruce Harrell’s mayoral administration but then stalled.
Juarez said city agencies including the transportation department close streets for various reasons already, and should add criteria around public safety.
“If we have the wherewithal and common sense to protect pedestrians and bike riders and safe crossing for kids at school, we sure as hell can protect communities from stray bullets and gun violence and shootings in their neighborhoods,” she said.
A resident of the Aurora neighborhood whose first name is Jake, he asked that his last name not be shared, told the City Council Tuesday that a bullet recently struck his house, outside his 6-week-old infant’s bedroom. He said the Seattle Police Department characterized the recent gun shots on Aurora as mostly related to prostitution and gang violence.
“The city is allowing unchecked prostitution, human trafficking, and related violence” on Aurora, he said.
RELATED: Seattle’s traffic deaths are climbing. One City Council member wants an audit to find out why
Juarez said she is working with Councilmember Eddie Lin, who chairs the Land Use Committee, as well as Councilmember Bob Kettle, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, to introduce emergency legislation that could take effect upon passage by the council and approval by the mayor.
Where city code allows road closures for construction or to protect the public from various hazards, the new language would allow the police chief to recommend closure of a street or alley to prevent criminal activity. Juarez said the closure could be temporary.
“If the chief of police tells you there’s criminal activity, there’s a serious uptick in gun violence — let’s put up these barriers for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days,” Juarez said.
But she noted that officials will have to be careful not to simply push the violence onto other streets nearby.
“If you pull a string here it’s going to show up over there,” she said. “Those are the policy questions that have to be hashed out.”
RELATED: Seattle City Council approves new police contract, boosting pay and expanding crisis response
In a joint statement with Juarez on Friday, Mayor Katie Wilson called the violence along Aurora “alarming and unacceptable.”
But she said the barriers installed by residents needed to be replaced with “temporary traffic calming treatments to reduce cut-through traffic and address the access needs of those living in the area” as well as access for emergency responders and trash pick-up. According to KOMO, city crews replaced the metal planters with staggered, concrete barriers on Friday.
Juarez said she wants the city to act with urgency to address the residents’ concerns. She said the legislation could be heard in the Public Safety Committee on June 23.
SEATTLE – Transportation officials are warning travelers to prepare for heavy traffic congestion and significant delays as massive construction closures hit highways across the region and light rail lines this weekend.
Major highway closures this weekend
What we know:
The Washington State Department of Transportation said major construction projects are taking over several regional corridors from Friday, May 29, until the morning of Monday, June 1.
Crews are squeezing a large amount of work into a short spring window so they can pause construction during Seattle’s “summer of soccer.”
This means drivers will face concentrated traffic impacts now rather than disruptions spread throughout the summer season.
Here’s what is scheduled for this weekend:
- Kirkland (Southbound I-405): All southbound lanes will be closed from Northeast 124th Street to Northeast 70th Place from 11 p.m. Friday until 4 a.m. Monday for fish barrier correction work. Miles-long backups are expected.
- Seattle (Northbound I-5): Two northbound lanes will remain closed across the Ship Canal Bridge, further restricting traffic inside the city.
- Seattle (Eastbound SR 520): Eastbound lanes and all connecting ramps between I-5 and Montlake Boulevard will close from 11 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. Crews are preparing for a traffic switch on the Montlake off-ramp. Only transit and HOV 3+ vehicles will be allowed to use the Montlake Boulevard direct access ramps to eastbound SR 520 across Lake Washington.
- Issaquah/Snoqualmie (Westbound I-90): The eastbound SR 18/Snoqualmie Parkway on-ramp to westbound I-90, along with the westbound I-90 off-ramp to westbound SR 18, will close for paving from 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday.
Timeline:
The closures start Friday evening, with I-90 ramp closures beginning at 9 p.m., followed by the full I-405 and SR 520 closures at 11 p.m. All highways are scheduled to fully reopen to regular traffic by 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. on Monday, June 1.
WSDOT also said much of the work is weather-dependent and may be rescheduled if it rains.
Light rail disruptions
In addition to the highway gridlock, Sound Transit passengers will face major service disruptions on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31.
Maintenance crews are shutting down parts of the region’s light rail network to complete rail replacement through downtown Seattle stations and perform work on the Crosslake Connection.
During the weekend shutdown, the 1 Line will completely close between the Capitol Hill and Stadium stations. Simultaneously, the 2 Line will be closed between Lynnwood City Center and South Bellevue stations.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Department of Transportation and Sound Transit.
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Eight dead in Longview chemical implosion
Eight people are dead and three remain missing after a massive chemical implosion at a Longview facility. Rescue teams face chest-deep water and a caustic “white liquor” that is so corrosive it is eating through their personal protective equipment. The EPA is actively monitoring the area after 500,000 gallons of the material seeped into nearby neighborhood dikes.
LONGVIEW, Wash. – After a massive chemical implosion at a Longview paper mill killed 11 people, little is known about the victims.
Eight people are confirmed dead, and three others remain missing after a tank of white liquor imploded at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility on Tuesday, May 26. Eight others also suffered injuries, including chemical burns and inhalation.
Longview Fire Chief Brad Hannig confirmed in a press conference Thursday that crews recovered six of the nine workers who were unaccounted for following the implosion. Two workers who made it out of the site also died, making the death toll 11.
Search and recovery efforts are underway for the three victims who remain missing. Because of the toxic chemicals, the victims’ remains must be decontaminated before the coroner can begin the formal identification process.
Keep reading for details on what we know about the victims in the Longview chemical implosion.
Two victims identified
As of Thursday, only five of the 11 victims in the implosion have been identified by family members:
Jared Ammons:
Family and friends described Ammons as a “loving husband, devoted father, cherished son and caring brother.” He leaves behind his wife, two kids, and another child on the way.
Those who knew Ammons said’ his loss has left an unimaginable hole in their hearts. A GoFundMe is raising money for his family as they navigate the recent tragedy.
Gilbert Bernal:
Friends said Bernal was one of the best people they’ve ever met, and “was a Godly man in every sense of the word.” He was a grandfather and an electrician at the facility.
His GoFundMe said Bernal was loved by many and worked hard to provide for his family. The online fundraiser will go towards his family’s funeral expenses and other needs.
CJ Doran:
Doran, who was 26 years old, is described by friends as a selfless and deeply caring husband and father. He was “the spiritual leader of their family, the joy of their home, and the family provider.” A GoFundMe will benefit his wife and family during this troubling time.
John Forsberg:
Forsberg was a father of two young children who lost his life in the Nippon plant implosion. Forsberg’s family asks for privacy as they process this tragedy, with an online fundraiser going towards supporting his children and memorial-related expenses.
Braydon Finkas:
Finkas was an electrician at the plant, whose “sense of humor and kindness touched everyone who knew him.” He was known for his love of golf, brisket-making, breweries and his wife, Kaitlyn.
Rex Czuba, a friend who organized Finkas’ GoFundMe, said he would always be there to help and would never turn down a request from a friend or neighbor. “He was a really big part of the town,” Czuba said. “He really jumped in and became a part of the community so quickly.”
Unidentified implosion victims
What’s next:
There is still little information about the rest of the workers who were killed, hurt, or still missing following the chemical implosion. City officials or the Cowlitz County Medical Examiner’s Office will release details as they continue the recovery and identification process.
Massive chemical flush underway in Longview
On the second day of recovery following what the governor called the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern state history, the Department of Ecology is flushing a massive 500,000-gallon toxic chemical spill away from Longview’s water supply.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Source: Information in this story came from GoFundMe, the Longview Fire Department, the Associated Press and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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