Wesley Early, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
Anchorage’s new health director wants to ensure access to COVID vaccines without mandating them
Joe Gerace is in his first full week leading the Anchorage Health Department as the city's health care workers contend with a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Joe Gerace named new Anchorage health director
Joe Gerace previously worked as the Director of Operations for Visit Healthcare, the municipality's main testing and vaccine provider, and currently serves as chairman of the board of American Red Cross in Alaska.
Here are the first 2 winners of the state’s $49K COVID vaccine sweepstakes
Carin Kircher of Valdez won $49,000 in cash while Kodiak student Ethan Benton received a $49,000 scholarship.
Anchorage Fire Department lays out plan to cut back on overtime
Anchorage Fire Chief Doug Schrage says the department’s overtime budget is roughly $3.5 million. “To date, we've spent $3.2 million," Schrage said. "We expect by the end of September we will have exhausted our overtime budget.”
Anchorage School District ditches quarantine requirement for asymptomatic close contacts
Now, parents are still notified when their child is a close contact of a positive case in school. But if their child isn't showing symptoms, quarantine is not longer a requirement. Instead, parents can decide whether they want their child to remain in class, quarantine or test for the virus.
Recall election for Anchorage Assembly member Zaletel set for Oct. 26
Organizers behind the recall say Assembly member Meg Zaletel disobeyed a municipal health mandate when she participated in an Assembly meeting in August 2020. Zaletel described the recall effort as a waste of taxpayer dollars.
Anchorage mayor says he won’t require COVID-19 vaccines, pushing back against Biden mandate
Bronson said that the municipality, which has more than 100 employees, would not follow the president’s mandate and that he would not require Anchorage businesses to follow it either.
Anchorage mayor announces new committee to foster economic recovery
The Anchorage Economic Revitalization and Diversification Advisory Committee is chaired by Mike Robbins and tasked with getting the city's economy back on track.
Anchorage School Board adds name of pioneering Black educator to Fairview Elementary
The Anchorage School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to commemorate the district’s first Black teacher and principal by adding her name to her community‘s elementary school.
Anchorage police identify officer involved in accidental shooting
Anchorage police have identified the officer whose weapon discharged and struck another officer Friday night as Ryan Nigh, a three-year veteran of the department.
Declining sea ice in Kotzebue Sound is shortening subsistence hunt for seals, study finds
The study found that the ugruk hunting season is ending an average of 26 days earlier than normal.
Alaska Federation of Natives postpones convention to December, citing COVID-19 spread
The three-day event was scheduled for October 21-23 in Anchorage. But AFN President Julie Kitka said in a statement Tuesday, “the high-risk factors of holding a 5,000-person indoor meeting, with delegates coming in from across Alaska, make an in-person October gathering out of the question.”
Rare polar bear sighting causes a stir in Kotzebue
Locals in Kotzebue showed a mix of excitement and concern over the weekend in response to reports that a rare polar bear was spotted in the area.
Spike of COVID-19 cases in Noatak leads to lockdown and temporary school closure
Clusters of COVID-19 infections have also led to recent lockdowns in the Western Alaska community of Stebbins and in Metlakatla in Southeast Alaska.
These Minnesotans were having a great canoe trip with their toddler in Northwest Alaska. Then the rain clouds rolled in.
Last month, Kotzebue had its wettest month on record with more than five inches of total precipitation. As rain drenched Northwest Alaska, a small group from Minnesota floated the Noatak River in a canoe, with a toddler in tow.
July was the wettest month on record for Kotzebue
This summer saw two instances of high pressure systems near Alaska. One was in eastern Siberia and the other was in Western Canada and Eastern Alaska. Both led to dry weather and numerous wildfires in the area.
Kotzebue couple charged with assaulting and starving children in their care
A Kotzebue couple has been arrested and charged with two dozen felonies for allegedly assaulting children in their care, according to court documents.
Meet this year’s Miss World Eskimo-Indian Olympics: Kotzebue’s Kaliksuna Autumn Madison
As part of the pageant, Madison showcased her traditional Iñupiaq dancing, while drummers played along.
After spotting SOS sign, Coast Guard rescues man who says he was attacked by a bear near Nome
Officials say the Kodiak-based helicopter crew was flying from Kotzebue to Nome when they saw an SOS sign on top of a shack near a remote mining camp.
Babies in regalia: Kotzebue marks return of in-person beauty pageants
Cloudy skies and a light drizzle didn’t dampen the spirits of residents of Kotzebue on the Fourth of July as hundreds gathered across town to celebrate. This year’s celebration brought back some of the exciting in-person events that had been canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.