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'It sounded like a car crash' - a journey to The Arctic and back

caption: Petty Officer 1st Class Wahkene Kitchenmaster, a member of the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) deck department, works in below freezing temperatures to remove ice from the ship’s hull while underway in the Chukchi Sea.
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Petty Officer 1st Class Wahkene Kitchenmaster, a member of the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) deck department, works in below freezing temperatures to remove ice from the ship’s hull while underway in the Chukchi Sea.

In December a Coast Guard icebreaker headed from Seattle to the Arctic. Now they're back. Bill Radke spoke to Commanding Officer Captain Bill Woityra about the journey. Plus, a discussion on police training, how townhomes are bringing down housing prices, and a new project that helps teens voice what they're feeling.

Individual segments are available in our podcast stream or at www.kuow/org/record.

A journey to The Arctic and back

In December the Coast Guard icebreaker the Polar Star set sail for the cold, dark seas of the Arctic. On Saturday they returned to Seattle. Commanding Officer Captain Bill Woityra shares what the journey was like.

What should police training look like?

Last week Seattle police officers shot and killed a person that was in mental distress and carrying a weapon. The department says that an attempted less lethal option was ineffective. What should officers do when presented with an armed person who seems to be having a mental health crisis? Bill Radke spoke to Sue Rarh, outgoing executive director of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.

Is Seattle actually affordable now?

For years, Seattle has been struggling with new construction. Single family houses are torn down, multi-family homes go up - new condos, townhomes, apartments. Some people love the new density, some hate it. One of the complaints is that these shiny new homes are so expensive. KUOW reporter Joshua McNichols explains that according to a new study, that's not actually the case.

Giving students a space to voice their emotions

Students are missing out on much of their usual school experience because of the pandemic. Missing friends, events, life experiences. It can be a lot. A new project called Student Voices is helping high school students give voice to what they're feeling. Project leader Rick Stevenson and participating student Jake Adler joined Bill Radke to talk about how it works.

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