Derek and Suzi Alkonis pose with a photograph of their son Lt. Ridge Alkonis on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, in Dana Level, Calif. Their son, a U.S. Navy lieutenant in Japan, faces a possible three-year jail sentence for a automotive crash that killed two folks final 12 months. The household of Alkonis says he suffered from acute mountain-sickness and handed out unconscious behind the wheel. Japanese prosecutors and a choose say he was feeling drowsy and will have pulled over. Denis Poroy, Related Press
The books Lt. Ridge Alkonis, a Latter-day Saint and U.S. Navy lieutenant, took with him to a Japanese jail to start a three-year sentence for negligent driving within the deaths of two folks on the base of Mount Fuji. He and his household preserve that he handed out and was not at fault. Suzi Alkonis, Instagram
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Final week, I wrote in regards to the tough case of Ridge Alkonis, a Latter-day Saint man who was stationed in Japan with the U.S. Navy when his automotive rolled into two vehicles within the parking zone of a restaurant on the base of Mount Fiji.
Two folks died of their accidents. Alkonis started serving a three-year jail sentence final week. Japanese investigators didn't present him with any medical support or conduct any medical take a look at, however a choose decided he fell asleep on the wheel, a ruling upheld on attraction, whereas Navy neurologists reported after an examination that Alkonis blacked out from acute mountain illness.
His household says that prognosis means the courts missed Alkonis’ personal medical emergency, one which induced him to lose consciousness by no fault of his personal. They are saying he collapsed mid-sentence whereas speaking together with his 8-year-old daughter. She yelled and kicked the motive force’s seat whereas the automotive drifted at 30 mph into the parked automobiles. He remained unconscious even after the influence. The household believes that confirms that he had not merely drifted off to sleep.
Alkonis and his household are heartbroken for the victims and their households, his mother and father advised me.
“There’s lots of people which might be struggling,” Derek Alkonis stated. “There’s the Japanese household that’s struggling the lack of their members of the family. We really feel for them.”
“It’s only a tearing aside, only a ripping asunder that’s occurred for all concerned,” Suzi Alkonis stated. “That may be a true tragedy.”
An Alkonis household good friend stated that through the trial, a prosecutor requested Alkonis if he was praying for the 2 who died, an 85-year-old lady and her 54-year-old son-in-law.
“Day-after-day,” Alkonis stated.
That info and the information that Alkonis is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led me to ask his mother and father how their religion was impacting their lives throughout this maelstrom.
“We use the phrase maintain rather a lot within the church,” Suzi Alkonis stated. “I simply wrote to a good friend who stated she was praying for us that I don’t assume that I may rise up within the morning and placed on my garments and face my day with out these prayers. It is extremely, very actual, the quantity of sustaining vitality that we obtain from these prayers. And Ridge has felt it. (His spouse) Brittany feels it. This household feels it. We wouldn’t have the ability to face a day with out it.”
Derek and Suzi Alkonis have been interviewed by over a dozen nationwide and native tv and print retailers. They stated solely the Deseret Information had requested about their religion.
“I respect your questions and permitting us to speak particularly about our religion,” Derek Alkonis stated.
“It’s a part of the story,” Suzi Alkonis stated. “I imply, I do imagine it’s why we're capable of rise up on daily basis and are capable of transfer ahead.”
It’s one more reminder that journalists in search of the entire story ought to keep in mind that a majority of individuals imagine in the next energy. It's authentic in reporting a narrative to ask sources about how their religion is impacting their view of occasions and their expertise.
Ridge Alkonis’ mother and father say he requested to talk in his Latter-day Saint congregation the day earlier than he reported to jail. He famous that not all scriptural tales have joyful endings. He stated we don’t totally perceive why unhealthy issues occur to good folks, however that individuals can depend on God’s love and charm to beat tragedies and struggling.
“Our Heavenly Father’s means to remove our ache and struggling is unbound and as our religion in that means grows, so does the hope that he'll use it to bless us in our occasions of want,” he stated.
His prolonged household gathered on-line after that church assembly. They sang songs, shared testimonies and completed with prayer.
“It was an exquisite household evening,” Derek Alkonis stated.
The Alkonis household is asking U.S. officers to petition Japanese officers to launch Ridge Alkonis. In the meantime, his spouse and three youngsters are attempting to deal with his absence whereas he works in jail.
“The place he’s anticipated to go, the prisoners make a cleaning soap,” Suzi Alkonis stated.
The 8-year-old who tried to carry her father again to consciousness on the street doesn’t wish to say he's in jail, Suzi Alkonis reported.
“She says he’s going to his new job within the cleaning soap manufacturing facility as a result of it’s much less miserable.”
My current tales
President Nelson to rededicate Washington D.C. Temple on Aug. 14 (Aug. 3)
Historic NAACP, Latter-day Saint scholar journey begins in Ghana (Aug. 2)
The startling case of Ridge Alkonis (July 28)
In regards to the church
The church has up to date and improved its Ebook of Mormon app with three new tabs. The “Uncover” tab is a gateway to further content material. The “Watch” tab opens a full library of accessible Ebook of Mormon Movies segments. The “Share” tab gives a quick-response (or QR) code to share with smartphones in over 100 languages. See the Church Information story.
The church additionally introduced enhancements to the Gospel Library app, together with some shortcuts.
There's a new church historian and recorder. Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. shall be launched from that place and as a Normal Authority Seventy and granted emeritus standing at October basic convention. Elder Kyle S. McKay, a Normal Authority Seventy, will take over the position of church historian and recorder. Learn extra, together with eight highlights Elder Curtis selected from his three-year service.
Police arrested two 18-year-olds and one 17-year-old in reference to vandalism of eight Latter-day Saint meetinghouses within the space of St. George, Utah.
What I’m studying
We’ve misplaced two true icons in the previous few days.
I by no means noticed Invoice Russell play, however as a boy rising up in Boston simply after he retired, I discovered all about him and his legacy. He continued to construct that legacy by utilizing his fame and voice to steer folks to assume otherwise about race relations, achievement and dwelling a superb life. I discovered much more about him from this story and lots of others this week. Do you know he was seventh on this planet within the excessive soar at one time?
I did take heed to Vin Scully name baseball video games, and I treasured him. The one which stood out essentially the most for me was watching the primary World Sequence with my fiancée after returning house from my mission. That was 1988, when Scully’s phrases amplified the unimaginable pinch-hit house run by Kirk Gibson that lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers previous the Oakland Athletics.
Scully was one of many best American storytellers, and he simply occurred to do it as a broadcaster. His pleasant, form voice and his elegant demeanor and good life jogged my memory of the late John Wood, the good UCLA basketball coach. Listed below are clips of his 20 most legendary calls. Right here’s a pleasant overview of his life. And right here’s an amazing oral historical past of the person, his voice and his tales.
If you wish to see some actually cool knowledge on tendencies in how world information fall in numerous working occasions on the monitor, learn this. It's also possible to learn in regards to the Bible verse that helped Sydney McLaughlin not too long ago break her personal world file.
I extremely advocate the next story to everybody. It explores the mass taking pictures in Uvalde, Texas, by the eyes of a household whose 10-year-old daughter was killed. She was a softball participant, and I’m teaching a staff of women her age in fastpitch softball proper now, so this story resonated deeply. But it surely’s greater than that. The story reveals the influence on a household and a group whereas exploring greater points like race and gun management with out taking sides. Brilliantly crafted.
There’s a brand new Jackie Robinson Museum in New York. Gotta add that to my bucket record.
Behind the scenes
The books Lt. Ridge Alkonis, a Latter-day Saint and U.S. Navy lieutenant, took with him to a Japanese jail to start a three-year sentence for negligent driving within the deaths of two folks on the base of Mount Fuji. He and his household preserve that he handed out and was not at fault.
Suzi Alkonis, Instagram