Anne Hillman, Alaska Public Media
Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her at ahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Anne here.
Alaska Cultural Connections: Experimental Learning Course Offers Southeast Living Perspective
A new experiential learning course is giving college students from across the country a different perspective on living in Southeast Alaska, largely from the vantage point of a kayak. The students earn college credit on the six week course.
Wrangell Looks To ‘Biobricks’ For Heating Fuel
The Wrangell Cooperative Association is looking into the feasibility of another new economic outlet for Wrangell’s wood mills and forests. They want to use wood waste to heat the community’s homes and government buildings by making woodchip boilers and biobricks. KSTK’s Anne Hillman joined forester Bill Wall for a look at the community’s potential.
Wrangell Milling Industry Supplying Instrument Makers Around The World
Wrangell’s milling industry is taking a new turn toward niche markets. Ron Franz of Whale Bay Woods is cutting and selling music wood for instrument makers around the world. He spoke with KSTK’s Anne Hillman about what makes Wrangell’s Sitka spruce sing so sweetly.
Wrangell Suing Former Hospital CEO
The Borough of Wrangell is suing the hospital’s former CEO Noel Selle-Rae and six of the re-called board members. They are seeking the return of the $520,000 given to Selle-Rae as a portion of his severance package.
Ravens Damaging Southeast Golf Courses
Golfers aren’t the only ones hitting the links in Wrangell. They’re joined by a group of ravens, who are causing extensive damage to the course. Golf courses throughout Southeast are experiencing a similar problem.
Communities Celebrate Final Whaling Festivals
This week communities on the North Slope are celebrating their final whaling festivals, or Nalukatuq. Each of the captains who successfully catches a whale either during spring or fall whaling hosts a giant gathering for distributing the meat.
Rural Students Share Thoughts on City Life
Though some urbanites never make it out to the villages, people from rural areas often have to come to the big city of Anchorage for medical care or educational opportunities. A group of high...
Health Care Access Complicates Issues For Expecting Rural Mothers
Limited access to health care in bush Alaska makes giving birth a bit more complicated for rural pregnant women than for expectant mothers in urban areas, like Anchorage or Nome.
AK: Love Of The Race
Every year Alaska hosts two nearly 1,000 mile sled dog races within weeks of each other -- the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest. Though similar in length, racing each one is a very different experience. APRN field reporter Anne Hillman caught up with two mushers who ran both races this year soon after they crossed the Iditarod finish line in Nome.
Reporter’s Notebook – Nome – March 14, 2012
Nome is amazing. It’s a grid of buildings that butts up against the Bering Sea and unlike most bush communities it boasts things like a movie theater, multiple bars, hotels, and restaurants, and even a Subway. For someone who’s spent multiple years in a town of about the same size but out in the Aleutians, this was shocking.
Brent Sass Takes Iditarod Rookie Of The Year Honors
Fourteen teams have made it in to Nome. The latest musher’s to cross the finish line include Deedee Jonrowe, Ken Anderson and Sonny Linder. They arrived more than half a day after 25-year-old Dallas Seavey became the youngest musher to win the Iditarod.
Dallas Seavey Becomes Youngest Iditarod Winner
Dallas Seavey has won the Iditarod. At 25, Seavey is the youngest person ever to win the race. It was a contest between him, Aliy Zirkle and Ramey Smyth that hung on how well they tuned their dog teams. And Seavey says his strategy of holding back to build his team's reserves paid off. He could then let them come to full strength at the last part of the race.
Dallas Seavey Nearing Iditarod Finish Line
Dallas Seavey is on the final stretch to Nome. The Willow musher is likely to capture his first Iditarod win tonight. If he does, he will be the youngest winner in Iditarod history. He turned 25 while out on the trail. Behind Seavey, Aliy Zirkle and Ramey Smyth are battling for second place. Right now, GPS shows Zirkle about seven miles ahead of Smyth.
Mushers Reflect On Past Lessons Learned
Jim Lanier was the first Iditarod musher to reach the Cripple checkpoint at just before 2 this afternoon. He has not yet taken his 24-hour layover though, so Mitch Seavey – who arrived in Cripple 20 minutes later, is leading the race. Dallas Seavey is also in Cripple. According to GPS, John Baker, Lance Mackey, Jeff King and Aliy Zirkle are close behind.
Aliy Zirkle First Musher Into Takotna
About 34 teams are taking their mandatory 24-hour break in Takotna during this year’s Iditarod sled dog race. The church and other buildings are filled with sleeping mushers. Two Rivers musher Aliy Zirkle was the first to reach the checkpoint late last night. She says so far, she hasn’t had any surprises.
Reporter’s Notebook – McGrath – March 6, 2012
I feel like it’s my first day really on the trail. Sure, I flew to Finger Lake for a 20-minute stop yesterday, but the hurried visit didn’t have the same feeling to it. We rushed out so we wouldn’t get stuck in a snow storm and only briefly experienced the lines of dogs sleeping on hay as the mushers rested. Here, it’s a whole town that’s experiencing the Iditarod, maybe for better or for worse.
Iditarod Leaders Leave Rainy Pass
Hugh Neff is leading the Iditarod. The winner of this year’s Yukon Quest left Rainy Pass at 2:58 this afternoon. Ray Redington, Jr. left the checkpoint at 3:09, followed closely by Aaron Burmeister and Lance Mackey.