Uneven, Icy, Snow-Free Trail Challenges Iditarod Teams on Their Way to Koyuk
Mushers were met with an unforgiving trail as they pushed up the coast from Unalakleet to Koyuk, Sunday. They battled wind, miles of glare ice and more snow free trail. They’re also battling extreme fatigue and grappling with how best to cut rest and maintain speed as they close in on Nome.
King Takes Iditarod Lead from Zirkle; Dallas Seavey Bolts into Third
Jeff King overtook Aliy Zirkle early Monday morning in the 2014 Iditarod. King took off from Elim about 1 a.m. and Zirkle, who had battled King and Martin Buser for the lead, left less than 10 minutes later. Dallas Seavey, who won two years ago, jumped into third place and was out of Elim about 2:52 this morning. While Zirkle, and King had spent more than an hour in Elim, Seavey was in and out of the checkpoint in minutes.
Part 1: Musher Mike Santos – Dog Handling
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The 2014 Iditarod will easily go down in the books as one of the most memorable. From snow-starved trails to lightning-fast runs, conditions were treacherous for this years field, nearly a third of which have been forced to scratch. Mike Santos is among the many who called it quits in Rohn after a particularly rough stretch after Rainy Pass.
But, for Santos, it's not about the race, it's all about the dogs.
Zirkle Maintains First in Iditarod; King, Buser in Pursuit on Sunday
Aliy Zirkle maintained her lead in the 2014 Iditarod Sunday, leaving Shaktoolik about 7:12 a.m. She was fighting off challenges from former champions Jeff King and Martin Buser who followed her out of Shaktoolik on Sunday morning.
Iditarod Teams Reach Bering Sea Coast
Teams running at the front of the pack have reached the Bering Sea Coast at Unalakleet. Despite a rough trail, teams are still on record pace as they continue to make their way for Nome.
Zirkle Maintains Iditarod Lead; First Out of Unalakleet Saturday Night
Aliy Zirkle continued her lead over Martin Buser and Sonny Lindner Saturday night in the 2014 Iditarod. She arrived in Unalakleet first and left first. Buser, Lindner, Jeff King and Aaron Burmeister were still in Unalakleet at 10:00 p.m.
Mushers and Sled Dogs Start to Show Signs of Fatigue on the Yukon River
Iditarod mushers kept volunteers in the Nulato checkpoint busy overnight. Some teams that weren’t expected to stay grabbed a few hours rest in the sleepy Yukon River village, while others who could have used the rest decided to blow through.
Zirkle Overtakes Buser in Iditarod
Aliy Zirkle, hoping to end her streak of second-place finishes, was the first out of Kaltag early Saturday morning. She left about 3:18 with 11 dogs in her team. She spent just a few minutes at the checkpoint before darting off for Unalakleet.
Buser Keeps Iditarod Lead; First Out of Nulato
Martin Buser, racing with 14 dogs, kept up his bid to win the 2014 Iditarod, leaving Nulato about 9:34 Friday night. Still in Nulato were Sonny Lindner, Aliy Zirkle and Jeff King.
Controversial Permitting Bill Back For Consideration
After sitting in limbo for nearly a year, a controversial permitting bill is on the move again. House Bill 77 has been sent back to the Senate Resources Committee, and it’s scheduled for hearings on Monday and Wednesday.
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HB 77: Gauging Public Sentiment
Last year, HB77 stalled in part because its opponents were vocal. People packed town hall meetings to tell their legislators to fight it, and tribes across the state passed resolutions asking for a “no” vote. But how widespread was that opposition? The Hays Group released a poll this week the gauges public sentiment on the bill.
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DEC Commissioner Says Future Sulfolane Spill Liability Shouldn’t Preclude Sale Of Flint Hills’ Refinery
The Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation says the issue of liability for future sulfolane spills should not preclude Flint Hills from selling its North Pole refinery.
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Buser In The Lead As Racers Approach Nulato
Big Lake musher Martin Buser is leading the Iditarod. After choosing an unconventional checkpoint for his 24 hour layover early in the race, he charged to the front of the race today. He’s now nearing the Nulato checkpoint with Sonny Lindner, Aliy Zirkle and Jeff King in pursuit. Iditarod Mushers and their dog teams passed in and out of the Yukon River community of Galena on various schedules throughout the afternoon.
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GCI Receives $41 Million To Build 3G, 4G In Rural Alaska
Forty-eight communities in rural Alaska, including 26 in the YK Delta will receive 3G or 4G data service, thanks to an FCC grant of $41 million that GCI secured.
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Petersburg Sweeps Education Technology Awards
Petersburg School District won three statewide awards for technology in education. The district- and the community -have made computer learning a priority.
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Bill Stoltze Announces Run For New Senate Seat
Representative Bill Stoltze, a Republican from Chugiak, announced a new political path at the Mat Su Senior Center in downtown Palmer on Friday. Stoltze told the audience that his heart has always been in Palmer, and now he’d like to represent that city in a new state Senate district. He said he’d done “a lot of soul-searching” before making the announcement.
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AK: Wave Energy
The northern Southeast city of Yakutat is gearing up for a wave-energy experiment. If it’s a success, the community of about 650 residents could lower its high, diesel-fueled power costs. The system could also be a model for some other isolated Alaska cities.
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300 Villages: Tok
This week, we’re heading to Tok, where the community is coming together to rebuild a home for a family that lost everything in a recent fire. John Rusyniak is President of the Tok Chamber of Commerce.
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Alaska News Nightly: March 7, 2014
Controversial Permitting Bill Back For Consideration; HB 77: Gauging Public Sentiment; DEC Commissioner Says Future Sulfolane Spill Liability Shouldn’t Preclude Sale Of Flint Hills’ Refinery; Buser In The Lead As Racers Approach Nulato; GCI Recieves $41 Million To Build 3G, 4G In Rural Alaska; Petersburg Sweeps Education Technology Awards; Bill Stoltze Announces Run For New Senate Seat; AK: Wave Energy; 300 Villages: Tok
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Education Funding Activism
Gov. Sean Parnell has declared this year the education session the legislature, but if you are involved in schools in Anchorage you already know that education funding and policy are hot topics. On the next Hometown Alaska, host Charles Wohlforth will be joined by education activists to lead a community discussion on school funding and school choice. Should state funding increase, and should it be available to private and religious schools?
KSKA: Wednesday, 3/12, 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
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