Broad Donor Rolls and Deep Pockets in Anchorage Mayor’s Race
Candidates Dan Coffey and Andrew Halcro have raised the most money in the Anchorage mayor's race. However, financial disclosures paint a more nuanced picture of what those numbers mean.
Swanson’s Employees Brace For Change
Following the announcement that Swanson’s grocery store would be closing, a rapid response team from the Alaska Department of Labor was dispatched to Bethel Wednesday. The specialists were sent to assist the 80 employees from Swanson’s grocery store who will lose their jobs when the store closes Friday.
Dogs in Tow More Common This Iditarod
Race Update: 5:45 p.m. Aaron Burmeister was leading a pack of mushers into Huslia early Thursday evening. He was running ahead of a small group that included Martin Buser, Thomas Waerner, and Dallas Seavey.
Whether sled dogs are in need of rest will start to show as teams near the halfway mark in this year’s race. More mushers than ever are towing trailers behind their sleds to carry dogs as they travel down the trail. The jury is still out on whether the method actually does benefit dogs.
NCAA Rifle Champions Showcase Expert Shooters
The National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 Rifle Championships are being held at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Friday and Saturday. The championships bring together shooters capable of extreme accuracy.
I Am An Iditarod Musher
Long-time Iditarod racer DeeDee Jonrowe shares her experience of life on the Iditarod Trail, her connection with her dogs, and perseverance through health struggles.
Iditarod Trail Begins To Soften Up, Slows Down
Mushers have been travelling this year’ Iditarod trail from Fairbanks with few complains, but after the left Tanana Wednesday, they found a slow, soft trail.
Alaska Senate Passes Bill To End Daylight Saving Time
Sen. Anna MacKinnon’s bill would eliminate the need to adjust clocks twice a year.
Native Nonprofits Want State to Change on Adoption Case
All the regional Native nonprofits in the state, which represent most of the tribes in Alaska, have issued a joint statement asking Governor Bill Walker to change his position in the court case Tununuk II vs. the state of Alaska. They say Walker’s position will make it very difficult for tribal members to adopt Native children. The state says it’s only arguing for compliance with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
The case involves a Native child called Baby Dawn; her Alaska Native grandmother Elise of the village of Tununuk; and Baby Dawn’s non-Native former foster and now adoptive parents the Smiths of Anchorage. An Alaska Supreme Court ruling in December allowed the Smith’s petition to adopt Baby Dawn to override Elise’s stated wish to adopt her granddaughter.
Alaska News Nightly: March 11, 2015
Marijuana Efforts Draw Disapproval; Senate OKs Eliminating Daylight Savings Time; Mackeys Want Iditarod Title; Supreme Court Issues Stay in Education Case; Skier Injured in Avalanche; Fish and Game Relocate Wood Bison; Lemon Creek Offers Re-Entry Programs
Skier Injured in Avalanche Near Haines
A skier who was testing slopes near Haines for an international ski competition this weekend was injured in an avalanche Wednesday morning, according to state troopers. The person is alive but did not have any information about their identity or condition, according to Trooper spokesperson Megan Peters. The victim was partially buried by the avalanche and was able to be found quickly, she said. The skier was being treated at the Haines clinic.
Lance Mackey on 2015 Iditarod “This Is It For Me”
Race Update 6:00 pm: Five mushers were closing in on Ruby. The group of leaders included Mitch Seavey, Dallas Seavey, Aaron Burmeister, Martin Buser and Aliy Zirkle. The Mackey brothers were taking a layover in Tanana.
The Mackey family has long been known as a mushing dynasty within the Iditarod community. Patriarch Dick Mackey won the race in 1978. Years later, Lance Mackey claimed four championships in a row. Little brother Jason just might take on the most meaningful race of his life. When Jason Mackey arrived in Tanana, he was not feeling good about his dog team.
Fish and Game Transporting Wood Bison to Interior
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is planning to transport Wood Bison to the village of Shageluk later this month. Wood Bison have been extinct in Alaska for over a century, but animals transplanted here from Canada’s Yukon could re-populate interior Alaska with the species, and offer an alternative subsistence food source.
Re-entry Program Gives Inmates Hope to Succeed Inside and Out
On Saturday, 43 people rotated through tutorials in a basketball gym on topics like finding employment, how to open a bank account and reconnecting with family. All the participants were wearing yellow jumpsuits. It’s Lemon Creek Correctional Center’s eighth annual Success Inside and Out event, which offers resources to soon-to-be-released inmates.
Legislators Hear Hours of Disapproval Over Sweeping Changes to Marijuana Bill
Dozens of Alaskans criticize overhaul of Senate Bill 30 that leaves marijuana on the list of controlled substances, bringing felony offenses and severe restrictions on transport.
Supreme Court Grants Stay in Education Funding Case
The Alaska Supreme Court has granted the state’s motion for a stay pending appeal in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough’s lawsuit regarding education funding. In a brief one-page ruling, the order simply stated: “The motion is granted. The superior court’s judgment is stayed pending appeal.”
Dallas Seavey, Aaron Burmeister Battle For Iditarod Lead
Dallas Seavey and Aaron Burmeister are running neck-and-neck down the Yukon River, leading the Iditarod field between Tanana and Ruby.
Many Iditarod Mushers Stock Up On Music, Movies And Audio Books For The Trail
Travelling a thousand miles by dog team can be exciting, but many of those miles can also be repetitive, so many mushers carry iPods stocked with music, audio books, and even movies.
Aliy Zirkle Leads Iditarod Mushers Out Of Tanana
Aliy Zirkle's team was the first out of Tanana Tuesday night, leading the field down the Yukon River toward Ruby on the race's longest leg. Mushers are required to take a mandatory eight-hour rest at a checkpoint along the river. Sub-zero temperatures helped some mushers decide to take the rest early.
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Alaska Teens Lobby Governor On Climate Change
A group of teenagers are calling on Gov. Bill Walker to create a climate change task force.