Alaska News Nightly – Friday, January 2, 2026

Host: Wesley Early | Produced by: Alaska Public Media
Date: January 3, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Alaska News Nightly spotlights winter’s impact across the state: a brutal cold snap threatening the unhoused in Anchorage, a spike in flu hospitalizations, dramatic snowstorms in Juneau, a fatal police shooting in Fairbanks, ongoing efforts to manage human-wildlife conflict in Sitka, ownership of lands along the Forty Mile River, and the ongoing cultural legacy of Alaska Native drum and dance gatherings.

Key Discussion Points

1. Frigid Temperatures Threaten Anchorage's Unhoused Population

Timestamps: 00:06–03:02

• Arctic Air Mass: Anchorage braces for temperatures as low as -25°F through the weekend as a significant arctic air mass moves south.
  • “Fairbanks is dealing with even colder temperatures and that air mass just got pushed over south central Alaska and Cook Inlet region. Seen some of it as well.” – Trason Knops, NWS forecaster (01:12)
• Historic Cold in Fairbanks: Eight consecutive days below -40°F, a stretch not seen since 1979.
• Homeless Services Response:
  • Shelters raised capacity from the usual 100 to 200 people over the last nine days in anticipation.
  • “A lot of the work was done on the front end rather than kind of being in like a defense mode.” – Alexis Johnson, Henning Inc. (02:11)
  • Warming centers expanded and outreach teams mobilized to offer resources and bring unhoused people indoors.

2. Statewide Spike in Flu Hospitalizations

Timestamps: 03:02–06:19

• Severity and Unprecedented Volume:
  • “Most of us are saying that we’ve never in our careers seen so much both volume of flu coming into the hospital rapidly, as well as how ill people are.” – Dr. Benjamin Wesley, infectious disease physician (04:02)
• Early and High Numbers: Over 1,100 reported flu cases already, with at-risk populations identified.
• Treatment Advice:
  • High-risk individuals should seek antiviral treatment (Tamiflu) immediately at symptom onset — testing not required before treatment.
  • “If you have a risk factor for bad outcome of flu and you have an influenza like illness, ... you do not need a test and shouldn't even really get a test. You should just get treated.” – Dr. Benjamin Wesley (04:57)
• Flu Vaccine: Current vaccines offer protection even against new variants, especially against severe outcomes.
• Prevention Tips: Hygiene, distancing from sick people, and timely isolation if symptomatic.

3. 2026 Permanent Fund Dividend Applications Open

Timestamps: 06:19–07:17

• Reminder: New year means it’s time for Alaskans to apply for the annual dividend. Deadline: March 31.
• Context: Last year’s PFD was the lowest adjusted for inflation; the 2026 amount will be determined in the legislative session.

4. Fatal Trooper-Involved Shooting in Fairbanks

Timestamps: 07:24–09:55

• Incident Summary:
  • Alaska State Troopers fatally shot William Rexford, a 24-year-old Alaska Native man after he allegedly charged at them with a knife during a mental health crisis.
• Investigation Details:
  • Troopers had been speaking calmly, trying to de-escalate.
  • “Without any warning Rexford jumped up from the couch he was sitting on, ran into a kitchen, armed himself with a kitchen knife and then charged one of the troopers…” – Trooper spokesperson Austin McDaniel (08:23)
  • A trooper sustained a minor cut; another family member was unintentionally struck and hospitalized. The shooting is under review by state authorities.

5. Record Snowfall Paralyzes Juneau

Timestamps: 09:55–11:33

• Historic Snow: Over 80" of snow in December, making it the city’s snowiest December and second snowiest month on record.
• Strain on Infrastructure: Snow removal challenges, building collapses (including Fred Meyer’s gas station awning & a karate dojo), and several sunken vessels in the harbor.
  • “The snow removal process takes a long time...We’re also having challenges with snow storage sites just because of the tremendous volume of snow.” – Katie Kester, City Manager (10:21)

6. Sitka Grapples with Bear-Human Conflict

Timestamps: 11:33–16:28

• Upsurge in Bear Incidents:
  • Increased bear activity in neighborhoods, with several bears put down in 2021.
  • Pilot programs for bear-resistant trash management are underway, but data is still pending.
• Community Input:
  • “We have a bear problem. We know bears develop habits...so when they become a problem, they should be taken care of. That’s what we really wanted to have, not just Indian river, but our community.” – Martha Moses, Sitka Tribe of Alaska (13:49)
  • Calls for holistic approaches, including managing organic waste and citywide solutions.
  • Debate on costs and the logistics of implementing neighborhood or city-wide measures.
• Next Steps: Ongoing discussion, with city officials pushing for broader stakeholder participation.

7. Forty Mile River Land Ownership Dispute Resolved

Timestamps: 16:32–18:21

• Federal Government Cedes Claim: After a seven-year dispute, the state now officially owns the North Fork of the Forty Mile River.
  • “If the state owns the submerged lands, they can authorize activities in that submerged land like mining and so on…” – Robert Anderson, Native American law specialist (17:24)
• Significance: Impacts regulation of mining, hunting, subsistence, and resource development. The state and Gov. Dunleavy praise the decision for enabling local control.

8. Western Alaska Typhoon Evacuees Transition to Temporary Housing

Timestamps: 18:21–20:42

• Evacuee Status: Over 150 residents moved from Anchorage hotels to furnished temporary housing; over 500 remain in hotels.
• Challenges: Matching people to housing, running background checks, furnishing homes, and keeping large families together.
  • “We have to really do that case by case and do that casework. So it’s a complicated process, and to do that with 600 people is taking some time.” – Jeremy Zitic, state emergency response (19:29)
• Funding: FEMA covers hotels; rental assistance available for temporary housing.

9. Alaska Native Drum and Dance at Alaska Native Medical Center

Timestamps: 21:27–25:34

• Cultural Healing: For 16 years, the medical center lobby transforms into a living cultural circle every Wednesday night. Drumming and dance are communal experiences, not performances.
  • “This right here is not technology. This is real life. It's spoken through the drum and lived through the motion.” – Earl Polk III, patient from Bethel (22:33)
• Youth Leadership:
  • 12-year-old Kyle Watson, a regular dancer, finds happiness and ancestral connection through participation.
    • “It just makes me happy… I keep on learning more about epic words, and I keep on learning more about dance motions, too.” – Kyle Watson (23:34, 23:44)
  • Elders and leaders witness the passing of tradition and the continued presence of ancestors.
    • “He has that gift, and it's fun to watch, and it's fun to embrace and let him be who he was meant to be.” – Asi Gayakhayak (24:39)
• Cultural Message: The event bridges past and present, with deep resonance for participants and observers.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Anchorage’s Shelter Expansion:
  “We have had 200 people for the last, I would say nine days. But this was planning leading into they knew that January was going to be cold.” – Alexis Johnson [02:11]
• Historic Fairbanks Cold Snap:
  “So yeah, this stretch hasn't happened since 1979.” – Stephen Dennis, NWS meteorologist [01:27]
• Flu Hospitalizations:
  “Most of us are saying that we've never in our careers seen so much both volume of flu... as well as how ill people are.” – Dr. Benjamin Wesley [04:02]
• On Bear Management in Sitka:
  “We have a bear problem. We know bears develop habits and we know that the bear that’s going... has got a habit because he’s been going there for two, three years now.” – Martha Moses [13:49]
• Alaska Native Dance in the Hospital:
  “This right here is not technology. This is real life. It's spoken through the drum and lived through the motion.” – Earl Polk III [22:33]
  “It just makes me happy.” – Kyle Watson [23:34]

Episode Flow / Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:06 – Anchorage cold snap & homeless services
• 03:02 – Statewide flu surge and response
• 06:19 – Permanent Fund Dividend applications open
• 07:24 – Fairbanks fatal trooper shooting
• 09:55 – Juneau’s record snowfall and response
• 11:33 – Sitka’s bear management discussion
• 16:32 – Forty Mile River land dispute resolved
• 18:21 – Evacuees’ move to temporary housing post-typhoon
• 21:27 – Native drum and dance at Alaska Native Medical Center

This episode captures the resilience, complexity, and community spirit across Alaska in the face of winter’s extremes, health threats, bureaucratic battles, and the profound power of living cultural traditions.