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- [00:01]
Zachariah Hughes
Alaska Public Media's Every Little bit recognizes people who go above and beyond to strengthen our community in Anchorage and South central Alaska. I think if someone wants to start a community event, they should just go for it.
- [00:12]
Samantha Watson
I believe in serving your neighbor.
- [00:15]
Andy Josephson
Love one another.
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Layla Pyle
There's always something that you can do
- [00:18]
Zachariah Hughes
wherever people meet one another's needs. All of us are enriched by that. Do you know someone doing good in your community? Nominate them at alaskapublic.org Littlebit. We need to be a little cautious and when that ends and they straighten that out, I would expect oil prices to reverse course.
- [00:44]
Lori Townsend
Uncertainty over oil prices delay budget decisions in the Alaska House. From Alaska Public Media, this is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Friday, March 13th. Good evening, I'm Lori Townsend. Also tonight an Anchorage school is slated for closure but parents are pushing back after a hasty timeline.
- [01:03]
Layla Pyle
You can't tell parents on a Friday afternoon before a three day weekend that your only chance to come and publicly testify in person is Tuesday.
- [01:16]
Lori Townsend
The PFD application is open. Just a small amount of your PFD will help share local news and stories about Alaskans with Alaskans across this great when you choose Alaska Public Media through Pick Click give Sled dog teams in the 2026 Iditarod reached the Yukon river today at the checkpoint community of Ruby about halfway through the thousand mile race to Nome. A first place finisher could reach the finish line, the famed burled arch, as soon as late Monday or early Tuesday. When or who that will be is uncertain. But defending champ Jesse Holmes was the first musher into Ruby today and not far behind was Paige Drobney, his neighbo off the Denali Highway. Holmes is mushing for back to back championships. Drobny would be the first woman to win the last great race since Susan Butcher in 1990. Anchorage Daily News reporter Zachariah Hughes is in Ruby and joins us now. Hi Zach.
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Zachariah Hughes
Hi Lori.
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Lori Townsend
So Zach set this up for us. When did Jesse Holmes arrive in Ruby and what was that like? What did he say about how he's running this race?
- [02:24]
Zachariah Hughes
Jesse Holmes got in just a little bit before 5am for being the first musher to the Yukon wins an award that's kind of a tradition from sponsors every year. And it's a five course meal prepared by an Anchorage restaurant group that flies chefs out very much a dinner menu. So the fact that Holmes was eating it at about 6:30am was a little bit strange. He had not planned on taking his eight hour rest in Ruby. He said he figured it out maybe two dozen miles before arriving. He has had to improvise a fair amount and upend some of the race strateg he came here with. So, you know, people were a little bit surprised when he said he would be in long term parking and pulled his team in there. But he was in good spirits, very chatty, you know, a little bit of a crowd pleaser early in the morning, which was great.
- [03:12]
Lori Townsend
So Holmes and Paige Drobny, they're friends and neighbors, right? What's that dynamic like?
- [03:17]
Zachariah Hughes
You know, they're two mushers who respect each other a lot. They live about 26 miles apart on the Denali highway, which in that part of Alaska counts as neighbors. But they both train on the Denali highway and they gave each other hugs at different points upon arrival and departure. I would say this is firmly a race between those two until something or unless something changes. But both of them are pretty warm, outgoing people. So it's not as if it was like a sort of steely eyed gaze across the dog lot at each other sizing one another up. They're very much, I would say, colleagues and friends.
- [03:56]
Lori Townsend
In your story@adn.com and alaskapublic.com, you wrote that Paige Dromny arrived in Ruby before the soup course that Holmes was partaking of. Did she take the opportunity to pass Holmes or what happened?
- [04:11]
Zachariah Hughes
She did not. I and I think some others had thought that she might blow through and try to take her eight further down the trail. And part of that was that she'd rested on the way from Cripple, the cripple checkpoint up to Ruby. Now that's a long run. It's like 70 miles. Jesse had done that in one go. No rest stops. It's about a 10 hour run, which that's a big run. Most, most mushers split that up. Paige did and she'd stopped along the trail. She said part of her calculus and deciding to take her eight in Ruby was that she really wanted to keep her dogs out of the heat of the day and try and time as much of her next couple of runs as she could to be overnight when there's cooler temperatures. It has been pretty chilly this Iditarod, but there's big temperature swings and that springtime sun is really coming back. And so after about noon, one o', clock, you can really feel a lot more solar energy in the day. And so what she's banking on is that she can get more out of her dogs if she's running overnight in cooler temperatures. And on top of that, she Said, you know, she had just had a lot of kind of minor mishaps along the way. I mean, spilled fuel in her sled bag, not having a clock or a watch for a while until I think Ryan Reddington or somebody else kind of loaned her one. And just this kind of little shambling calamity, series of calamities that she was contending with. And so I think she was, you know, it lined up strategically, and then I think she was looking for an opportunity to regroup a little bit.
- [05:37]
Lori Townsend
Sounds like lots of challenges. We know it's still pretty early to make predictions about who will win, but did Dromny or anybody else comment on the significance of her possibly winning, given that a woman hasn't done that in 36 years?
- [05:53]
Zachariah Hughes
No, I think it's on. I think it's on a lot of people's mind. I would say it does not come up on the trail very often where people are a little bit more eager and willing to talk about what their dogs are eating and, you know, whether the snow is sugar snow or kind of punchy and literal trail conditions. Not something I've heard a lot about. Jesse Holmes did mention it, that, you know, I've got every woman in Alaska rooting against me. And that was very much an illusion to people. Really hoping that Drobny might be the one to kind of do what nobody's done since Susan Butcher. That was 1990, when Susan Butcher won her fourth Iditarod. And since then, it's been all men. But, you know, what's interesting is there's quite a few women in the top 10 running this year. So behind Paige Drobny was Millie Porcild. A couple hours later, not long after her, Michelle Phillips of Canada was in. And I believe Jessie Royer is closing in as we speak. So, you know, among the top 10, pretty dense with really accomplished, seasoned female mushers. And, yeah, it'll. It'll be interesting to see. And Jesse is really trying to do a repeat, but I think. I think if you asked him, you would say if he had to lose first place to anyone, he would be happy for it to be Paige.
- [07:02]
Lori Townsend
Such an exciting race this year. Thanks so much, Zach. Stay warm out there, and thanks for the update.
- [07:08]
Zachariah Hughes
Thank you, Lori. Pleasure to talk to you.
- [07:10]
Lori Townsend
That was Anchorage Daily News reporter Zachariah Hughes in Ruby. Jesse Holmes was the first out of Ruby Today, just before 1pm Paige Drobny was out of Ruby about two hours later, followed closely by Riley Dyke. All three were mushing on the Yukon river at last check while other teams rested in Ruby. Find more Coverage of the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race at alaskapublic.org the fate of a closely watched budget bill in the Alaska Legislature is back up in the air. That's after House Republicans declined to back a supermajority vote that would have funded the bill from savings. Republicans argued higher than expected oil prices, due in part to the war in Iran, would negate the need for a savings Dr. And that's true if new state revenue projections released Friday hold up. But as Alaska Public Media's Eric Stone reports, lawmakers in the Democrat dominated House and Senate majority caucuses say they're not so sure they will.
- [08:07]
Andy Josephson
Let me get you the bottom line up front. It is not clear when this time sensitive supplemental budget bill will clear the House and Senate and head to governor Mike Dunleavy's desk. But if you ask the House Minority Whip Justin Ruffridge, a sold out and a Republican, it should be as soon as possible.
- [08:21]
Wesley Early
I think that that bill should be
- [08:22]
Jim Anderson
back on the floor Monday morning. Frankly, I think it should be back
- [08:26]
Zachariah Hughes
on the floor today.
- [08:27]
Andy Josephson
At stake is funding for disaster relief, wildfire suppression and $70 million in federal match funding, which the construction industry says is critical to ensure Alaskans don't lose valuable time in the short summer season or worse, their jobs. On Thursday, all 40 members of the House voted to approve the $373 million budget bill. All but one minority Republican, though, voted against funding it from savings. That's because Republicans had been in touch with the governor's office and were quite confident they'd have enough money to cover the bill without a savings draw. Oil prices have shot up dramatically since the US And Israel started striking Iran two weeks ago, and according to a new forecast from the State Revenue Department released on Friday, that means the state will have half a billion dollars more than it thought this past December and an extra half a billion dollars in next year's budget.
- [09:15]
Lori Townsend
This revenue forecast may be even greater than they foresaw.
- [09:20]
Andy Josephson
That's Representative Andy Josephson, an acreage Democrat and a senior budgeter in the House. He says the higher revenue projections could functionally backfire on the minority. It's pretty simple. Drawing from the constitutional budget reserve takes a three quarter supermajority. But if you have the money, where
- [09:35]
Lori Townsend
it puts them politically is we don't
- [09:37]
Zachariah Hughes
need a super majority.
- [09:38]
Andy Josephson
Not now and critically not at the end of the session, but not so fast, says House Speaker Bryce Edgeman.
- [09:45]
Jim Anderson
It's not extra revenue at this point. It's projected to be extra revenue.
- [09:49]
Andy Josephson
And for now, Edgman says the safest thing to do is to pursue another draw from savings.
- [09:54]
Jim Anderson
You would take money out of the state savings accounts and if this increase in oil money is realized, we'll then replenish the money that we've taken out of the accounts and all would be funded.
- [10:06]
Andy Josephson
It is really hard to project oil prices, especially when it's not clear how much longer the war will last. And the state Department of Revenue's forecast makes that clear. Here's an example. The Revenue department says it's 80% sure that the price of oil from July of this year to June of next year will average somewhere between $45 and $130 a barrel.
- [10:26]
Zachariah Hughes
That means they don't know where oil's going to be. They're just throwing a dart.
- [10:29]
Andy Josephson
That's Senator Burt Steadman, a Sitco Republican and a co chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, and he's with Edgevin. Draw from savings now and replenish it if the money materializes.
- [10:37]
Zachariah Hughes
We need to be a little cautious.
- [10:39]
Wesley Early
And when that ends and they straighten
- [10:41]
Zachariah Hughes
that out, I would expect oil prices to reverse course and come back down substantially and very quickly.
- [10:49]
Andy Josephson
But House Minority Leader Delaina Johnson, a Palmer Republican, says she's confident there's at least enough sitting in state coffers right now to cover much of the need. Basically, she says the last forecast was a bit too pessimistic.
- [11:00]
Alex Salman
There's a large amount of money that's
- [11:02]
Zachariah Hughes
been accrued over the year that was
- [11:05]
Layla Pyle
sitting there that wasn't in our current forecast.
- [11:08]
Andy Josephson
But Edgman, the House speaker, is not convinced. He says he doesn't plan to bring the budget bill back up in the House until he's confident he has the 3/4 Superman majority needed to access the savings account. And that means for now, the bill remains in limbo. Reporting in Juneau, I'm Eric Stone.
- [11:26]
Lori Townsend
Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, young filmmakers from across the state share stories about climate change.
- [11:33]
Layla Pyle
I find a really positive way to start learning about the issue and how you can take action is creative projects.
- [11:41]
Lori Townsend
That's ahead. Stay with us.
- [11:43]
Samantha Watson
I'm Shelby Herbert, a reporter with the Alaska Desk. That's a joint reporting effort from Alaska Public Media and kuac, where I work in Fairbanks and other public radio stations in Anchorage, Haines and the Allusions. It allows us to connect you with the issues happening in communities all across the state. You can hear our stories during the morning news Alaska News Nightly or online@alaskapublic.org. the Alaska desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.
- [12:13]
Lori Townsend
It has now been more than a month since a Juneau man who had been staying at a local shelter for unhoused people was last seen by staff. Junior Llama Ciafanoa was reported missing on February 25th. Police say there are no updates and the case has been assigned to their investigations unit. Ciafenoa is 38 years old and was last seen seen at the Glory hall in the Mendenhall Valley on February 9th. Glory hall staff say CFANOA left his belongings in his room, including his phone. He also left behind medication for diabetes, according to Alaska State Troopers. Anyone with information about CFANOA's whereabouts should call JPD's non emergency line at 907-586-0600. This year, the Anchorage school board voted to close three elementary schools as part of its goal of addressing a $90 million budget shortfall. Two of the schools had weeks of community conversations ahead of their closures the other roughly 11 days. As Alaska Public Media's Wesley early reports parents, staff and community members, they feel blindsided by the sudden decision to close Campbell STEM Elementary School.
- [13:38]
Wesley Early
Shaunti Ward says Campbell STEM was more than a school to her and her fourth grade daughter, Clara. It was a family.
- [13:44]
Layla Pyle
My daughter's always walked into that building and felt safe. I know that when I'm struggling in the morning and she's struggling in the morning and she's clinging or whatever, I can just look at a staff member and say hey, do you? And they'll or they'll walk in and say hey, I'll walk Clara to class day. And they just know that.
- [13:59]
Wesley Early
The school was the first STEM certified elementary school in the state. And Ward says many parents moved to the neigh because of the school. But the Friday before President's Day, the Anchorage School District sent an email to Campbell's STEM parents. Officials recommended the school be closed to help balance the district's budget. That came as a shock, says Sarah Anderson, president of the local Taku Campbell Community Council.
- [14:20]
Layla Pyle
You can't tell parents on a Friday afternoon before a three day weekend that your only chance to come and publicly testify in person is Tuesday. After Monday everything's closed and then the next week we're voting.
- [14:33]
Wesley Early
But the district says it has to make cuts to address the budget def. Its initial budget proposal would have eliminated hundreds of teachers, some nurse positions, all middle school sports and many high school sports. The school district's chief operating officer, Jim Anderson, says the community pushed back hard.
- [14:49]
Jim Anderson
That was the impetus for the board to come back, give us a directive and say, you've got a few days. Give us one more opportunity to find some funding to be able to relieve this.
- [15:03]
Wesley Early
Specifically, the board asked the district to revisit the idea of closing schools. District officials Officials had already floated closing Fire Lake and Lake Otis elementary schools last year. Following weeks of public engagement, including several town hall meetings, the board voted down the closures. The district proposed closing those two schools again when the board again asked them to look at closures and also added Campbell Stem to the list. Anderson says Campbell had something that met the board's criteria that the other schools
- [15:29]
Jim Anderson
didn't have and that was flexible dollars for state bond debt, reimbursed reimbursement money that we had received several years ago that we could apply that toward staff.
- [15:43]
Wesley Early
Anderson says he agrees with parents that the decision was sudden, but city code requires the district to have a budget by the end of February, and when the board gave them three days to look at closing schools, it didn't leave a lot of options. With the district projecting multimillion dollar deficits in the next two years, Anderson says he hopes the process for future school closures doesn't happen like this again.
- [16:04]
Jim Anderson
I think the district had been pretty consistent about providing ample time for community feedback and discussion, and I would hope that we would go back to that model, anderson says.
- [16:15]
Wesley Early
Closing a school is emotional and never easy. But he says declining enrollment, combined with years of flat funding from the state forced the district to make hard choices.
- [16:23]
Jim Anderson
If the state had chosen to keep education funded at just inflationary increases over the last 10 years, not more just inflationary increases, we wouldn't be here today.
- [16:37]
Wesley Early
The board ultimately did vote to close the three schools. Between some bond debt reimbursement money and capital funding from a bond Anchorage voters approved a couple years ago, the district would save about $11 million by closing Campbell's STEM. Combined with closing the other two schools, the board was able to reverse cuts to most sports programs and keep several nurse in teaching positions. For some Campbell parents like Rondell Venner, the idea of reappropriating bond funding felt disheartening. She described the bond as like a
- [17:05]
Layla Pyle
I'm voting for these things to happen, and you can have a small group of elected people say no, we're going to use it over here because we've decided to not do that anymore. I don't think that instills public trust.
- [17:22]
Wesley Early
Anderson says he understands that perception, but city code gives the district flexibility with those funds under certain situations like an unexpected school closure as part of a last ditch effort to save the school, the local community council unanimously passed a resolution asking the board to reconsider closing Campbell at their next meeting and asking the Anchorage assembly to vote down the school district's budget. There's been no public indication from the school board or assembly that either body would vote to prevent the closure. Reporting in Anchorage, I'm Wesley Early.
- [17:53]
Lori Townsend
The state is test driving a lower speed limit on the park's highway near Talkeetna this summer to see if it improves safety. The Matsu Sentinel reports the speed limit will go from 55 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour on part of the park's highway near Talkeetna spur road mid May to mid September. The exact mileage of the new speed limit area hasn't been announced, but will encompass a stretch that includes a series of business driveways and the entrance to Sioux Valley Junior Senior High School. Officials with the state Department of Transportation will look at data from the summer test run and decide whether to make the lower speed zone permanent. Alaska State Troopers will enforce speed limits in the area, the Sentinel reports. Last year, troopers issued more than 3,100 citations along the park's highway. Alaska House Representative Kevin McCabe, a Republican, represents the region and advocated for the change, the Sentinel reports. Officials with the Talkeetna Community Council also embraced the lower speed zone and said they hope the change becomes permanent after the trial period in January. Bethel Musher Pete Kaiser made mushing history when he became the K300's record holding champion. Then last weekend he embarked on the thousand mile trek from Willow to nome for the 54th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. KYUK's Samantha Watson spoke with Kaiser about what accounted for his last minute decision to Compete in his 15th Iditarod.
- [19:19]
Samantha Watson
Bethel Musher Pete Kaiser has run the Iditarod sled dog race 14 times. That's nearly one race for every dog on the line. Typically he's registered in June training the whole season with the 1000 mile race in mind. This year though, the decision to compete came just three weeks before its start.
- [19:40]
Pete Kaiser
I don't really have like an exciting answer besides the fact that I just, I just felt like doing it and felt like going through the process of getting everything ready again and felt like my head was in the game enough to put it all together.
- [19:54]
Samantha Watson
Kaiser was the 2019 Iditarod champion. He's placed in the top 10 in most of his 14 runs of the race. Last year, though, Kaiser did not compete in the iconic race. He said the decision to take a break came down to a number of factors, including navigating an ankle injury, building a house, and some burnout. Kaiser says for so many years, the Iditarod was the big looming race ahead of his team each season.
- [20:20]
Pete Kaiser
And, you know, just as of recently in the last few years, you know, just kind of taking it more one year at a time approach as the kids got older and we just have, you know, busier lives and things going on, just trying to balance everything and keep everything in check with family stuff and work stuff and dog stuff.
- [20:38]
Samantha Watson
This year, Kaiser says the Kuskokwim 300 was the focus of his training, an intention that granted him a historic win in January. In his 10th victory, Kaiser became the winningest musher in the race's history. Kaiser says later in the season, though, he began to seriously consider the longer race a possibility.
- [20:59]
Pete Kaiser
By the time the cusco's over, you know, you've done 90% of the work. You know, we started training in July and so I just felt like, like, you know, things were looking okay and felt like, felt like going down the trail again. So here we are.
- [21:10]
Samantha Watson
He says the decision was made after discussions with his family and with their support, Kaiser officially put his name in the hat. About 10 of the dogs on Kaiser's gnome bound team are veterans of the Iditarod. Kaiser says the six new dogs who have run shorter races on the YK Delta seem to be handling the new routines of traveling and gearing up for the longer distance race well. Kaiser says he's looking forward to setting up the team in those early days of the race, as well as getting to return to familiar checkpoints and connect with volunteers he's gotten to know over the years. Kaiser says he's feeling confident in his team and like with any run of the race, he's eyeing a top place finish.
- [21:50]
Pete Kaiser
Yeah, ultimately, you know, it'd be nice to be nice to win, but that's not, you know, races aren't always defined by that. There's a lot of other little, little victories you can find as you're going down the trail and things are difficult and you're trying to manage a bunch of different things.
- [22:05]
Samantha Watson
Since his Rookie run in 2010, Kaiser has gone on to solidify his mushing career and distinguish himself as a rising YK Delta figure. Now running the trail for the first time as a K300 record holder, he says he's thankful for all the support up and down the river over the course of his career.
- [22:24]
Pete Kaiser
Had a lot of people tell me how excited they are that I'm back in the race here the last three weeks. So you know, that's nice. It's always meant a lot to have that support from that region and kind of represent all the mushing history of the Bethel area in the Iditarods.
- [22:41]
Samantha Watson
This year, he'll be the only YK Delta musher on the roster. He says it feels good to be back. He's excited to embark on the trail in Bethel. I'm Samantha Watson.
- [22:52]
Lori Townsend
In Juneau this week, youth from across the state presented films they made highlighting the effects of climate change and other environmental issues where they live. Young organizers told KTOO's Alex Salman that sharing their personal stories can help them advocate for the places they love.
- [23:11]
Alex Salman
White water rushing through boulders in downtown Juneau's Cold Creek and other scenes from Cope park flash across a large screen at the Juneau Arts and culture Center. Local 16 year old Mizelle Joseph narrates the film she made titled Walk with Me. Ade Kuduks ye In Tlingit, Joseph says, I feel sick when the land cries come with me. We are all wrapping the land in garbage as she collects litter from a hollowed out tree and from the bed of spruce needles on the forest floor. Joseph's film is one of eight screened this year by Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, a nonprofit led by a young activist that started in 1998 to ensure youth voices would be heard at the film screening. Joseph says narratives are an important part of advocacy.
- [24:12]
Layla Pyle
Traditionally, it's storytelling was the we passed down things.
- [24:14]
Lori Townsend
Everything was oral.
- [24:15]
Layla Pyle
We didn't write down. It makes it very personal. It puts the issues of constituents in legislators faces.
- [24:22]
Alex Salman
Brennan Barger looked into the ways a changing climate is impacting his Hometown. He's a 17 year old from Noatak, a village of around 700 people in the Arctic. His film shows photos of the village's airport.
- [24:35]
Zachariah Hughes
Noah is a place where you are welcomed with big hugs and smiles.
- [24:41]
Alex Salman
The state is planning to relocate the airport since the land it sits on is crumbling into the Noatak River.
- [24:47]
Zachariah Hughes
I talked about our erosion because it was eating up our land.
- [24:52]
Alex Salman
That erosion is caused by climate change. Warming temperatures have brought above average rain and snowfall to the Northwest Arctic burrow in recent years, causing the river to flood. As the riverbank erodes, permafrost along the bank thaws and falls into the river, causing more erosion. It's a cycle, barger says. Moving the airport is important because planes provide Noah talks only year round transportation and his community wants to remain there.
- [25:19]
Zachariah Hughes
It's important for us to, like, live in our villages where we grew up.
- [25:25]
Alex Salman
Layla Pyle is the program manager at Alaska Youth for Environmental Action. She says she was a teen in the program when she was growing up in Kodiak. Now she helps youth learn to take action in their communities, including through storytelling. She says processing an issue creatively is powerful.
- [25:41]
Layla Pyle
Teaching about climate change, talking about it, figuring out how to take action on it is so difficult. And one way that is I find a really positive way to start learning about the issue and how you can take action is creating projects and telling your own story.
- [26:01]
Alex Salman
Pyle says the program also teaches youth to talk to legislators and to work together toward collective action because, she says, change starts at the community level. The film screening is part of the program's Civics and Conservation Summit, which includes touring the Capitol building and giving testimony to the House Education Committee. Maddie bass is a 15 year old at Juno Douglas High School, Yada Agathlee, and has been involved in the program for two years. Bass made a film with other students highlighting the impacts of climate change across the state.
- [26:30]
Layla Pyle
The future belongs to the youth. It's us that's going to be affected by this even 80 years from now.
- [26:36]
Alex Salman
And she says that an issue as big as climate change needs young, innovative minds. In Juneau, I'm Alex Solomon.
- [26:57]
Lori Townsend
And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. We had reports tonight from Zachariah Hughes in Ruby, Eric Stone, Yvonne Crumry and Alex Solomon in Juneau, Wesley early in Anchorage and Samantha Watson in Bethel. If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email us newslaskapublic.org Our audio engineers, Crystal Hot, Kirsten Dobrath is our producer and I'm Lori Townsend. Have a great weekend.
- [27:28]
Zachariah Hughes
This is statewide news on Alaska Public Media.