Julia O'Malley

Alcohol can be a fun addition to a gathering, but it can also be disastrous if not used responsibly. Alaska has a difficult relationship with alcohol and the holiday season can be tough for people trying to stay sober or limit their intake. Listen Now

The village of Shishmaref voted to move their village and along the coast of Alaska, discussions are taking place about how to adapt to survive into the future. Workshops designed to move beyond studying change to look for solutions within communities are happening and our guest host will lead the discussion about their findings. Listen Now

From hydroponic basil grown in an Anchorage café basement, to high-tunnel green houses in Homer, to hot-springs heated tomato farms in Fairbanks to local produce at the base of Brooks Range, climate change, technology, government grants and a greater interest in local food are changing agriculture in Alaska. Download Audio

Homeless teenagers have been in the news a lot lately. Not as individuals, but as a faceless group responsible for crime and vandalism in downtown Anchorage. Anchorage Daily News Columnist Julia O’Malley wrote last summer about two downtown bike police who questioned whether non-profits that serve teenagers aren’t making the problem worse. Earlier this month, she visited one of those non profits to get their side of the story.Download Audio

The local food market in Alaska is well established. But there’s a quieter movement gaining momentum in Alaska agriculture: flowers. Peonies make up the largest share of flower farming in the state, and they’re exported around the world. And at Anchorage farmers markets zinnias, sunflowers and dahlias have moved in alongside the kale and potatoes.Download Audio

Community support has been pouring in for the Mountain View couple who's grandparents were killed and 2-year-old daughter sexually assaulted on Memorial Day weekend. Last week, an event for the family at the Northway Mall raised nearly $25,000. It was organized in just a few days by an Anchorage woman who didn't know the family but wanted to find a way to help.Download Audio

If you’re in the habit of running East Anchorage trails in the winter in the dark, then you might have run by a compact, dark-haired doctor named Joanie Hope, jogging slowly with her headphones on, singing. She is the state’s only gynecologic oncologist. But she's also in a rock band, that tours nationally to raise awareness for gynecological cancers. Their first Alaska concert is tomorrow.

Last year, everything Bill Popp thought he knew about his family changed. He found out he had a younger sister, who his mom had to give up for adoption. In the first two stories, we heard why that family secret existed and how it was eventually revealed. In this final story, Anchorage Daily News columnist Julia O'Malley describes how the family was reunited again after fifty years.

Bill Popp thought he knew his family. Popp is president of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation. And his family is a close-knit, longtime Alaska clan who talk and text and gather often at Bill’s house in east Anchorage. But last year, everything Bill thought he knew about his family changed. And all it took was one random Google search. A collaboration of the the Anchorage Daily News and APRN, hear the full 30-minute radio story of how the family came to be reunited on A Closer Look.KSKA: Saturday 12/29 at 6:00 pm & Sunday 12/30 at 7:30 pm

This is the time for big family gatherings. And for Bill Popp’s family in Anchorage, those celebrations will be even sweeter this year. Last fall, Popp found out he had a younger sister, who his mom had given up for adoption in 1961. Yesterday, we heard how that family secret was revealed after 50 years. Today, Julia O’Malley tells part two of the story – why Bill’s mom Mary Lou had to put the baby up for adoption.