Zachariah Hughes, Alaska Public Media
Zachariah Hughes reports on city & state politics, arts & culture, drugs, and military affairs in Anchorage and South Central Alaska.
@ZachHughesAK About Zachariah
@ZachHughesAK About Zachariah
Trail Mix: At an Iditarod checkpoint, the snowbank is the studio
Trail Mix is Alaska Public Media's trail reporters inside look at covering the Iditarod sled dog race.
Emily Schwing knows a lot more than I do about reporting on thousand-mile sled-dog races. Like, vastly more....
Dallas Seavey leads Iditarod pack into Cripple
Dallas Seavey has pushed his team at the front of Iditarod pack into the old gold mining settlement of Cripple. 400 miles into the race, the three-time champion is joined by seven others out of Ophir, including Jeff King, Norwegian Robert Sorlie, and Noah Burmeister. With 14 dogs in harness, Dallas Seavey wins the Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award: $3,000 in gold nuggets. Download Audio
Trail Mix: ‘Logistics are the hard part’ in Iditarod coverage
There's really not a lot of "planning" for this. I'm only two days in, and I feel like more attention goes towards tracking flights, coordinating deadlines, and finding Internet than it does to figuring out who's at the front of the race and why.
Resting becomes strategic as Iditarod teams push through McGrath
Mushers have reached a point in the Iditarod where rest becomes strategic. Overnight, a number of them opted to push their teams further down the trail, while others chose to hunker down for a mandatory 24-hour rest. The majority of mushers who arrived first into McGrath, didn’t stay long, but some of their decisions earlier in the race, might offer clues about their race plans.
Trail Mix: An Iditarod reporter’s ambitious reading list
Trail Mix is Alaska Public Media's trail reporters' inside perspective on covering the Iditarod.
Whenever I travel, I bring something to read. Even when I know the chances of finding time to finish...
Mushing Explained Video: Designing the perfect dog sled
Iditarod mushers are preparing for a particularly bumpy, brutal ride on the trail’s first leg on icy terrain with little snow. Many have modified their run strategies, and adjusted one of the main tools for keeping a competitive edge: their sleds. Many mushers say durability is trumping speed this year as they expect to take a beating along the early trail.
Mushing Explained Video: Feeding the furnace of elite Iditarod sled dogs
The lives of the 1,300 sled dogs running now to Nome have led up to this moment as they race to against the world’s best dogs and wiliest mushers. Years of training come down to a couple short weeks of elite performance, sometimes running more than 100 miles per day.
Lacking snow, a short ceremonial start to Iditarod 44
The 44th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off with the ceremonial start to the race in downtown Anchorage Saturday.
44th Iditarod: what, who, and why to watch
The 44th annual Iditarod trail sled dog race gets underway on Sunday, although the festive ceremonial start in Anchorage happens tomorrow. This is one of the largest fields in the race's history at 85 mushers signed up to start. KNOM News Director Emily Schwing and Alaska Public Media's Zachariah Hughes will be reporting from the trail. Before they take off, let's find out who they're keeping an eye on and what to watch out for along the trail. Download Audio
Why Alaska Republicans chose Cruz (and Trump, too)
Amid record turnout, Ted Cruz squeaked out a win over Donald Trump in Alaska. Party members said voters responded to both candidates' anti-establishment messages. Download Audio
Cruz wins Alaska’s GOP presidential poll (slightly)
Cruz received 36 percent of the vote, with New York businessman Donald Trump taking 34 percent, and record-breaking turnout among party-members.
Retail and recreation under threat in Anchorage warm weather winters
Few people's livelihoods in Anchorage depend on reliable winter conditions. But there may be a hazard to the city's economic health if winter-loving outdoor enthusiasts decide dark, icy winters aren't worth sticking around for.
Anchorage elections face ‘dire’ staffing shortfall
Officials say that under pressing deadline they are 70 people under the bare minimum needed to pull off municipal elections in Anchorage.
Iconic Rondy race run on 3 mile slush loop
Anchorage’s warm weather and terrible snow conditions severely hampered the sled-dog sprint races that have been a cornerstone of Fur Rondy celebrations for decades.
Muni receives over $1M in restitution from tax fraud case
The U.S. Attorney's Office has turned over more than a million dollars in seized assets to the municipality of Anchorage tied to a 2015 court ruling.
Climate, costs, convenience drive mushing onto the road
Though the sport was born on the Seward Peninsula, serious sled-dog races are getting faster and more specialized, forcing ambitious mushers to leave the bush behind for training along the state's railbelt.
On day one, state gets 68 marijuana applications
Under revised review process, licenses for commercial cultivation will be prioritized ahead of retail stores to ensure businesses have legal products to sell upon opening. Download audio
Public assistance to drop for 5,348 low-income seniors
Officials say they've tried structuring the cuts to protect the most vulnerable seniors as budget cuts from last year trickle down. Download Audio
Law-makers sign $35,000 contract for LIO analysis
The Legislative Council has approved a contract for a global consulting firm to examine whether lawmakers should move offices out of the controversial Legislative Information Office in downtown Anchorage. Download Audio
Alaska Air National Guard members deploy to Middle East
More than 100 members of the Alaska Air National Guard are deploying to the Middle East this week. The guard says most of them are part of an airlift squadron, flying C-130s. Others come from Guard maintenance units.