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.
For newly minted Iñupiaq doctoral graduate, opening doors for more Native scholars remains vital
The process of earning a doctorate takes a lot of time and work. And for one Iñupiaq woman, hearing the words doctor next to her name was emotional: Her response to passing her dissertation defense went viral this month after hundreds of thousands of people watched her reaction.
‘A pretty tough race’: Musher Tony Browning is first to cross Kobuk 440 finish line
Long-time musher Tony Browning and his dog team dashed across the finish line around 7:20 a.m. Tuesday. The actual race winner won’t be announced until officials adjust times to account for distances traveled during a harrowing storm.
Mushers brave wind, snow and fog at start of Kobuk 440
It was six degrees below zero, but the heavy winds make it feel more like 34 degrees below and a white fog blanketed the teams at the last major mushing event of the season in Alaska.
Winter weather delays Kobuk 440 start by a day
The last major race of the Alaska dog mushing season was originally supposed to start Thursday, but race officials say winter storms near Kotzebue hampered necessary travel of the mushers and other shipments.
With positions unfilled, Western Alaska prosecutors struggle to prioritize massive caseloads
The District Attorney position in Kotzebue is currently unfilled, meaning the DA in Nome is filling in, despite already trying to investigate and prosecute about 1,000 new cases a year.
Kiana’s boys basketball team needed 1 more player. An 8th-grade girl volunteered.
In Alaska, a high school team can’t play in a tournament without a minimum of five players.
Dozens of homes, water treatment plant are without power in Selawik
As of Tuesday morning, 150 homes, an apartment complex and the water treatment plant were without power.
Northwest Alaska health provider cleared to serve seal oil to elders
In 2015, Congress passed the federal farm bill which allowed people to donate wild game that they’ve hunted to certified non-profits, like hospitals or food banks.
Former Kotzebue mayor to lead National Park Service’s Native relations program for Alaska
Maija Katak Lukin, a former mayor of Kotzebue, has been selected as the Native relations program manager for the National Park Service’s Alaska region.
Red Dog Mine employee dies in production drill incident, mine operators say
An employee at the Red Dog Mine died during an incident at a production drill, mine operators say.
Alaska Federation of Natives leadership calls for Trump’s resignation after violence at Capitol
Alaska Federation of Natives president Julie Kitka said that she was horrified by Jan. 6’s deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.
Buckland sees outbreak of 14 COVID-19 cases
Officials say the Buckland cases are connected to a cluster in the village of Kivalina, 150 miles away.
Kivalina on ‘high alert’ as 44 residents test positive for COVID-19
The number of positive cases represents roughly 10% of the village’s 440 residents.
Solar project in Northwest Arctic villages set to break ground next spring
Construction is set to start next spring on a solar battery project in the Northwest Arctic villages of Shungnak and Kobuk. It’s the latest renewable project for a region routinely struck by high energy costs.
Kotzebue musher lost in Interior Alaska gets assist from troopers
25-year-old musher James Foster showed signs of hypothermia when troopers located him at a remote location off of the Steese Highway, but he refused to leave with the helicopter.
City of Kotzebue begins mask mandate and new testing requirements
The city is instituting a mandatory mask mandate for anyone who leaves their residence. Violators are subject to a warning, with police issuing fines for subsequent violations.
Harvard student from Noorvik awarded prestigious Rhodes Scholarship
Wilfried Kuugauraq Zibell, originally from the Northwest Arctic, studies Inupiaq and Yiddish literature at Harvard and was recently accepted as a Rhodes Scholar.
Representative-elect Patkotak says he opposes joining a caucus that seeks cuts to certain rural Alaska programs
Patkotak's position will make it much harder for a majority conservative Republican caucus to form.
Kotzebue man accused of murdering brother, injuring housemate in knife attack
One of the victims died at the Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue, while the other was medevacked to Anchorage with serious injuries.
Kotzebue Iñupiaq dancer showcased in Biden campaign victory video
Kotzebue native Jacqui Lambert is featured dancing the Bow and Arrow Song in front of Cook Inlet in the Biden victory video, which has been viewed at least 60 million times.