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.
Counselor turnover and second helpings at lunch, Northwest Arctic students grill superintendent candidates
The Northwest Arctic Borough School District has two candidates for the vacant superintendent position. This week, principals, staff and teachers from across the district got an opportunity to meet with the candidates, providing their input in the hiring process. But it wasn’t just the adults that were involved in the selection.
About a fourth of Selawik homes currently have frozen pipes, and it’s a chronic problem
Selawik mayor Clyde Ramoth says frozen pipes are a chronic problem due to issues with the initial installation of the above-ground water system.
Idaho man banned from hunting in Alaska after illegally guiding in Noatak Preserve
An Idaho man was sentenced in Anchorage Wednesday for illegally guiding moose and bear hunts through the Noatak National Preserve.
Coastal erosion unites village of Kivalina and Louisiana tribes in UN complaint
Last week, the Native Village of Kivalina joined four Louisiana tribes in a formal complaint to the United Nations.
North Slope elder Ugiaqtaq Wesley Aiken remembered for ‘life of hard work’
Ugiaqtaq Wesley Aiken was born in 1926 in the village, long before the region was driven by oil development.
Sea ice begins to recede as Northwest Alaska cold snap dies down
The cold snap helped the sea ice form in the Chukchi and Bering Seas, but the recent shift is slowing it down.
After months with no VPSOs in villages, Northwest Arctic Borough hires three
For months, the Northwest Arctic Borough hasn’t had any Village Public Safety Officers in any of their 10 village communities — home to over 4,000 people — and those vacancies have left those communities without any real policing.
Noorvik’s mayor says he was denied a REAL ID. He’s concerned other villagers won’t qualify for the same reason
There are several requirements needed to get a REAL ID, including two documents bearing a physical address showing proof of residence. For some Alaskans, that's a problem.
With a focus on wellness, Kotzebue schedules series of suicide prevention learning circles
The Alaska group Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide, or PCCARES, focuses on addressing suicide in Northern Alaska communities through community-focused listening circles.
LISTEN: Ringing in the new year (a little late) in northwest Alaska
While people around Alaska and the world rang in the New Year with collective celebration and thunderous fireworks displays, high winds and frigid temperatures forced the city of Kotzebue to postpone celebrations until Jan. 1.
Holiday cold snap breaks records, may save Northwest Alaska snowmachine races
Rick Thoman, a climatologist with the International Arctic Research Center in Fairbanks, says it’s a dramatic drop from this winter’s balmy start, but this is a normal weather pattern for this time of year.
Unexpected repairs to Alaska Airlines freighters delay holiday season shipments
While the jets are under repair, Alaska Airlines has had to put a hold on new general and premium cargo orders to the Alaska communities that use the service, including Kotzebue, Ketchikan, Utqiagvik, Nome and Bethel.
Heavy, expensive wind storms projected to hit Northwest Alaska harder in coming decades, study finds
Historically, Arctic communities have had thick layers of sea ice to help buffer those storms, but as the region warms, that protection is disappearing.
A Northwest Arctic Borough program cut water bills by about two thirds, but one village says it doesn’t need the help
The program is a partnership between the borough, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and Maniilaq Association to bring local communities in compliance with state criteria for water utilities.
Heavy storms set to hit Northwest Arctic will likely disrupt fragile sea ice
While lower sea ice conditions pose safety and hunting risks, they can also lead to an overall temperature increase for the region.
NANA approves new shareholder trust, allowing for tax-free dividends
Shareholders of the NANA Regional Native Corporation voted on Nov. 16 to establish a shareholder trust, which means dividends from the corporation will be tax-free.
Study finds marine mammal viruses are traveling between oceans as sea ice recedes
The study by researchers at the University of California Davis found that, since 2001, there have been various spikes of phocine distemper virus in Steller sea lions, bearded ring seals and various other Arctic marine mammals.
As hunters deal with a warming Arctic, UAF partners with local observers to keep them informed
As climate change disrupts the migration of animals, and the frozen rivers and sea ice hunters travel on becomes less reliable, Alaskans say sharing information is increasingly important.
New Ambler heat pump project aims to drastically reduce diesel costs in the village
Installing the pump, solar arrays and LEDs costs about $8,200 per home, providing an average fuel savings of $2,000 to $3,000 dollars a year. This means they essentially pay for themselves in about three years.
Cash-strapped Ambler Road project gets boost from AIDEA to complete permitting
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s board approved the additional funding for the proposed Ambler Road, which would stretch from the Dalton Highway to the Ambler Mining District