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- [00:01]
Reporter/Field Correspondent
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. I believe in serving your neighbor. Love one another. There's always something that you can do 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. What it really is all about is
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
creating is creating citizens State lawmakers consider making civics a requirement for high schoolers in Alaska. From Alaska Public Media, this is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Monday, March 9th. Good evening. I'm Lori Townsend. Also tonight, 37 Iditarod sled dog teams are now mushing the Thousand Mile Trail to Nome.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
Today is a celebration for the entire state to celebrate dogs, our history, all of it.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly. The PFD application is open.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
Just a small amount of your PFD will help share local news and stories about Alaskans with Alaskans across this great state. When you choose Alaska Public Media through
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
Pick Click Cancer Alaska students could have a new graduation requirement in the not too distant future. The Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill today that would mandate a new civics course or exam for high schoolers starting in 2027. It's a long time priority for Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican. Here he is describing it to the Senate Finance Committee earlier this month.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
What it really is all about is creating citizens. It goes back to George Washington when he left this he said, our job
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
is to make sure that our young people become citizens. They become voters. The retired professor has made civics education a priority for much of his quarter century career in the legislature. In 2016, Stevens led the legislature to pass a resolution aiming to assess and improve the state's civic education in public schools. The bill directs the State Board of Education to come up with a curriculum covering various aspects of government and politics. The bill initially aimed to prepare students to pass the test the US Gives to naturalized citizens to reduce costs. The version that passed the Senate instead directs the state school board to come up with a curriculum and a civics test based on freely available materials. The state Education Department estimates it'd cost roughly $840,000 in its first year. As the department develops the program, the bill faced no significant opposition from lawmakers or the public and included Democrats and Republicans as co sponsors. Here's Senator Burt Stedman, a Sitka Republican
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
I think it's pretty hard to sit here and not support George Washington, so
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
I support Senate President's bill. Senators have passed similar bills twice over the past five years, but they've died in the House without a vote. Stephen says he's optimistic the House will pass the bill in his final year in office, and if not, he says he'll find someone to carry the bill again next year. The Aleutian East Borough is asking the state to investigate whether a member of the Alaska Board of Fisheries acted ethically during a vote on restrictions to the area m salmon fishery. Burrow Mayor Elvin Osterbach and representatives from several tribes in the region say they filed a complaint with the Alaska Department of law on February 23rd. They say a member of the Alaska Board of Fisheries had a conflict of interest when he cast a tie breaking vote last month in favor of restricting the area m fishery. The complaint argues Curtis Chamberlain of Anchorage should have recused himself because he is an attorney at the Chalista Corporation, a Western Alaska Native corporation that has advocated for stricter limits on the fishery. The vote came during the Board of Fisheries contentious February meeting that addressed management of the commercial salmon fishery on the Alaska Peninsula. The issue is part of a broader debate over whether fishing in the region contributes to declining chum salmon returns to western Alaska rivers, where Chalista has most of its shareholders. Neither Chamberlain nor representatives from the corporation immediately responded to requests for comment. In the complaint, the Aleutian's east ber Borough and regional tribal leaders argued the board's actions could have significant economic consequences for the communities that depend on the fishery. Mayor Osterbach said in a statement that the board was failing Alaska's fishermen and its fish. A Department of Law representative said in an email that the office would not comment on the complaint because it is confidential. Under Alaska's 1975 Ethics act, anyone can file a complaint if they think a public officer has violated the act. The legislation does not establish a required time frame for the department to investigate alleged ethics violations. The IDID Rod Trail sled dog race has plenty of Snow this year. 37 sled dog teams are now out mushing the Thousand Mile Trail to Nome, back on the race's normal northern route after a lack of snow caused a reroute out of Fairbanks last year. A little over a half foot of snow blanketed Anchorage for the Iditrod ceremonial kickoff Saturday, creating a more normal, more jubilant scene compared to the 2025, which saw an abbreviated run through the city. Alaska Public Media's AVA White was at the ceremonial start and has more on the excitement and meaning for this year's race. 3, 2.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
Snow was still falling Saturday morning as roughly three dozen mushers and hundreds of dogs pawed their way through 11 miles of trails in Alaska's largest city. Thousands of people were downtown cheering them on. Willow musher Gabe Dunham could feel the excitement. It's a big, huge party today. And today is a celebration for the entire state to celebrate dogs, our history, all of it. Though they're back on a normal route, the Iditarod will look a bit different this year for Dunham. She was introduced to dog mushing by her father, who died in January. He'd been supporting her since her first race about two decades ago. She'll be carrying her father's ashes with her on the trail to Nome, something Dunham says they talked about before he died. It was kind of a funny conversation that we had because he was, he had a hard time controlling his body temperature at that point. And so he was constantly cold. And he's like, I don't want to be cold anymore. And I told him it's really cold on the way to Nome. The race is an appreciation of sled dogs, the real athletes powering it. And Dunham says Most of her 16 dog team can run out front in the lead position. But her dog Usher stands out from the pack. And it doesn't matter what's in front of you. It can be waist deep snow or it could be open water and he's just like, okay, let's do this. And I just love that attitude about him. Every team has a standout dog, says Matt hall, who's from Two Rivers and placed second in the Iditarod the last two years. For him, that's an eight year old named Dyee. He's been there for me since he was a puppy. He became a star lead dog right off the get go. But Dyee, man, he's been, he's been a legend for me. Echoing many Iditarod mushers, Hall says a successful race is getting a happy and healthy dog team to the famed Burled Arch, the Iditarod's finish line in nomenclature. Defending champion Jesse Holmes is chasing another win, which few mushers have done consecutively since the race started over half a century ago. The race out of Fairbanks in 2025 didn't involve the tricky mountainous sections through the Alaska Range. But with some mileage tacked on, it was the longest race in history at roughly 1,130 miles. It's a mental relief to be back on the normal 1,000 mile route, Holmes says. But it's still challenging. I'm looking forward to the moments where it's not easy and it doesn't go my way and having the opportunity to
- [08:32]
News Anchor/Lori Townsend
stay positive and make the correct decisions.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
I don't expect a magic carpet ride. If I got it, that'd be great,
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
but I relish the adversity.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
Alongside the competitive mushers, including former champs Holmes, Ryan Reddington and Pete Kaiser are three mushers in a new Expedition class. Among them are another former champion, Thomas Warner, his fellow Norwegian Shell Roki and Canadian entrepreneur Steve Curtis. Roeki is a billionaire whose businesses have sponsored iditarod team since 2018. He has also mussed sections of the trail with Warner at the ceremonial start. Roki admitted he's nervous this time around.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
Being with, you know, a champion like
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
Thomas gives me the comfort.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
This is the fourth year we are in Alaska mushing, so I feel I'm
- [09:23]
Reporter/Field Correspondent
as prepared as I can be based upon my skill level. He contributed more than $300,000 to the race to lower entry fees, boost the race purse and to support villages along the trail. According to the Iditarod, mushing in the Expedition class allows the teams to receive outside assistance, which is against the rules for other mushers. Iditarod officials said all dogs will be held to the same care standards. Jody Potts Joseph is an Iditarod rookie but no stranger to the spotlight. She started on the show Life Below Zero. First Alaskans in all Alaska Native reality series, the Han Guidge and Musher from Eagle Village was inspired to mush by her brother, who had a sled dog team when she was younger. He'd always take me on training runs and we'd go to school with dog team and so you know, it's just been a big part of my life and you know my my best core memories are growing up with dogs. She said her goal is to take the trail one day at a time and to simply get her dog safely to Nome with help from Ben Townsend in Anchorage. I'm Ava White.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
The Iditarods race clock started ticking for real with a restart in Willow yesterday and the front running teams are already more than 150 miles into the race, having passed through the Rainy Pass checkpoint. As of this afternoon, defending champion Jesse Holmes was in the lead, trailed by race veterans Riley Dyke, Laro Eklund, Paige Drobny and last year's runner up, Matt Hall. Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, this year's Arctic Winter Games kick off in Whitehorse, Canada.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
These Games are about so much more than just medals. They're about these friendships that you create.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
That's ahead. Stay with us.
- [11:07]
Reporter/Field Correspondent
Hi, I'm Avery Elfeldt, a reporter with the Alaska Desk. That's a joint reporting effort from Alaska Public Media, KH&S, where I work in Haines, and other public radio stations in Anchorage, Fairbanks and the Aleutians. 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 on Alaska News Nightly or online@alaskapublic.org the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.
- [11:38]
News Anchor/Lori Townsend
The Juneau School District and its support staff union reached a tentative agreement last week on almost one year after both parties initially exchanged proposed contracts. The tentative agreement is a three year contract for an estimated 286 members of Juneau Education Support Staff, or Jess, according to an announcement from the district that includes employees who work as paraeducators, custodians, office assistants and others. The contract increases wages and employer contributions to health insurance. If it's approved, it would raise the hourly wage for all positions by $2 this school year and provide for retroactive to June 2025, when the last contract ended. It also includes 3% wage increases for the next two school years. Special education para educator Phil Butel is the vice president of jess. He says it's been a long road to reach a tentative agreement.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
It was hard. It was a lot of back and forth. Both sides were pretty intent on, you know, getting things that they wanted. Ultimately, where we ended up, I think was a really good solid middle ground.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
Now, Butel says the union is gearing up for members to vote to ratify the agreement. That requires at least half of the voting member's approval. From there, the contract will go to the school board for approval, which will require two readings. Superintendent Frankhauser says it'll take some time before the district determines how much the contract will affect its budget.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
We've got the tentative agreement and waiting to hear back from JESS and JESS membership if that tentative agreement is ratified. At that point. Once that happens, we'll start working on doing the updates to the budget and presenting that as part of the FY27 budget development process.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
School Board President Brittany Choney Haywood says she's happy the district reached an agreement with the union. This is her first time going through the negotiation process as a board member, and she says state funding can make it challenging to run the school district and negotiate with staff.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
I think it's really difficult given kind of the constraints of education funding in the state to do all the things that we need to do, and that includes negotiations with our incredibly valuable staff.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
That leaves one district union left without a new contract. Juneau Education association, the union representing teachers, has been in negotiations for more than a year. It has an arbitration hearing with the district scheduled for next month. The tentative agreement between Jess and the district is not public, a district representative said in an email. The contract will not be publicly available until it's ratified by the union. Butel, with the union, says they hope to ratify the contract ahead of the school board's March 10 meeting. Three Southeast Alaska fishermen have been charged with intentionally sinking their fishing boats in waters near Sitka and Petersburg. Federal law prohibits the deliberate sinking of a vessel that obstructs navigable waters, and each of them are facing prison time and fines, federal prosecutors say. On March 8th of last year, 59 year old John Fisher of Sitka intentionally sunk the FV igloo into Sitka Sound. On August 3rd, they say 40 year old Jason Joseph Poling of Petersburg intentionally sunk the FV leeward into Thomas Bay. Then, between September 28 and October 3, 65 year old Tony Van Veen of Sitka allegedly sunk the FV Okislitch into Sitka Harbor. The men are charged separately, but prosecutors noted all three cases together in a news release last week. Fisher, Poling and vanveen are scheduled for back to back court appearances in Anchorage for March 13. More than 100 people from around the world will arrive in Haines for a backcountry ski competition this week known as the Freeride World Tour. Borough, staff and local businesses are in the throes of preparing for the tour, which hasn't come to Alaska in almost a decade. Complicating that process, organizers say, is one main factor. Everything is at the complete whim of Mother nature, the Alaska Desk's Avery Elfeld reports.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
On a crisp, bluebird day about 30 miles outside Haines, helicopters buzz overhead. It's near sunset, and the choppers are dropping clients off at Alaska Heli Skiing, a local operator, owner Sean Brownell, pulls up on a four wheeler he uses to groom the small ski hill built into his property. He says the conditions lately have been excellent.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
Blower cold powder plenty deep. You can't feel the bottom. It's just perfect. Cold winter pow.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
It's Brownell's busiest time of year, but he's also gearing up to host the penultimate stop of this year's Freeride World Tour. The international competition draws the globe's best backcountry skiers and snowboarders and entails riders navigating down ungroomed world class slopes. The competition outside Haines is the only US stop and is tentatively scheduled for March 15. But that hinges entirely on uncontrollable factors, including visibility, snow conditions and avalanche risk. Two weeks out from the planned competition day, Brownell says, we're on top of the snow situation.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
It looks good right now to be skiing out there. Just hope that continues.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
That uncertainty has loomed over the planning process for months. Athletes are set to start arriving in town two days before competition day. But if the weather doesn't cooperate, athletes, Free Ride staff, borough employees, local organizations and volunteers could be on standby for an additional week. And there's a lot riding on the event happening at all. Reba Hilton is the Haines tourism director.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
That's the hardest part about this event, that it's all weather dependent. We've got a date on the calendar and and that date has to be flexible.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
If the event doesn't happen in that time frame, it could mean cancellation and a major local financial loss. The Haines borough has committed $75,000 for the event. If it were canceled, the community would still be on the hook for the full amount, according to the contract. If rescheduled, Hanes would owe half that sum. Hilton emphasized that safety is everyone's top priority. But cancellation, she says, well, man, that
- [18:29]
News Anchor/Lori Townsend
would be horrible on so many levels. But the borough will stand by the commitments we've made.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
It's already happened multiple times this year. Freeride canceled and rescheduled planned competitions three times in the last month due to unsafe conditions. Organizers are keeping an eye on local forecasts, but most seem wary of taking that information too seriously. At least not yet. Nate Arentz, who was on the Free Ride planning committee, said as much during a recent planning meeting.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
I saw that, but I won't trust
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
it till we're like four or five days out. Whenever competition day does arrive, a small army of staff and volunteers will kick into gear to pull off a major logistical feat for a tiny town in remote Alaska. First, by transporting about 100 people to the heli launch location on Brownell's property. From there, two helicopters will shuttle them to the mountain, dropping some at the top, some at the bottom and most at a spectator area. Brownell says he has spent weeks training staff and volunteers who will be involved in checking the snow, setting up the start and end gates and standing by in case of emergency.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
I'm not putting anybody at risk, period, up on these mountains because it is risky, super comfortable in the mountains and it's all my insurance.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
So I have to, I have to
- [19:51]
News Anchor/Lori Townsend
provide the training and that and all that.
- [19:53]
Reporter/Field Correspondent
Brownell says the official location of the competition has yet to be finalized, but a top contender is a mountain face known as the Venue. He says it's ideal because it's wind protected, holds nice snow and gets a lot of light. Still, the competition details are a small piece of a much larger logistical puzzle. Just one example. The borough is set to host a competition day dinner for 150 people, but doesn't yet know which day that will happen. The planning committee has also penciled in activities for every other day so the visiting athletes aren't stuck in their hotel rooms amid bad weather. Those events could include a bonfire, a movie screening or guided hikes, Hilton says.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
And there's so many things that go into the competition day itself.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
And then of course, that affects every other day on the calendar, too. As she sees it, the goal isn't just to pull off a smooth event. It's also to showcase the best of the Chilkat Valley. Reporting in Haines, I'm Avery Elphilt.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
The Arctic Winter Games got underway yesterday in Whitehorse, Canada. It's an event that's like the Olympics, only it features Arctic nations, and instead of medals, winners take home ulus awards shaped like the traditional Alaska Native knife used for cutting fish. Opening ceremonies were held outdoors. More than 2,000 athletes, their coaches and their families gathered to mark the beginning of a week of competition among teams from six different nations in 20 sports. Most are traditional sports like badminton, archery, hockey and wrestling, but some have Indigenous roots. Mathia Aloo Tini, grand chief of the Council of Yukon first nations, welcomed the crowd. She says each of the Games embodies the Indigenous values of respect, perseverance and teamwork.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
These Games are about so much more than just medals. They're about these friendships that you create. They're about learning from one another. They're about building confidence and community.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
Alaska has a large contingent in this year's Games. About 280 athletes with 75 coaches, support staff. Most of the competitors are students. Sarah Frampton, the executive director of Team Alaska, says for the first time in many years, Alaska will have teams represented in every sport. Frampton says the backdrop for this year's Games, given the current upheaval in the world, has taken on a more political tone than years past. Diplomats and politicians, including Governor Mike Dunleavy, have come to Whitehorse. Frampton says she hopes this year's Games will send a badly needed message to the world.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
Arctic Winter Games has a long history within the Arctic and it's something that brings us together and reminds us that we're different, but we're also very much the same and we're neighbors. We need to look out for each other.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
Frampton says the spirit of the games is basically about learning to be good neighbors and if you you can watch some of that action on the Arctic Winter Games website where some of the competitions are streamed live. A few miles down Anchorage trails from the Iditarod ceremonial starting line downtown, hundreds of spectators gathered for so called Trail Gate events to cheer high five mushers and enjoy a party atmosphere complete with a dj. The biggest trail gate event started with close friends watching the parade of sled dog teams more than 15 years ago. It's evolved into a donation based catered event with an army of organizers serving hot dogs, mimosas, coffee and hot chocolate, chicken fingers and local beer from a bar made out of snow. The revelers say it's about more than the race, which brings people together in a way that's unique to Alaska. KOM's Margaret Sutherland joined the crowd and has this audio postcard.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
We are out at the Iditarod ceremonial start and I met someone who told us that we had to go to Trailgate. So here we are at Trailgate. The free Mimos is held. We have our first competing musher coming through today out of Miller Rookie
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
Shae Siegert and I cook hot dogs at Trailgate. We throw this event every year. Basically it's a group of about 20 friends from various generations of Iditarod fandom and we just throw a big party to basically commemorate the event and send
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
our fearless mushers off on their journey. We got our second musher of the
- [24:48]
News Anchor/Lori Townsend
day, Ron Boozer from Big Lake, Alaska.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
It's like fun to get high five. I just like hope they do it because I could possibly high five the winner and that now they this is our first time coming to the trail gate party. We've done for years the watching the mushers love how much people is here already on costumes or with their kids.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
I need a hot dog.
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Reporter/Field Correspondent
You need a hot dog. We are having a great day watching the dog race and playing in the seeing the cute puppy and I really want to ride the puppies. I'm holding a large vial of medicine of the adult variety, let's call it an adult beverage and I administer it to the Trailgate patrons with a large syringe. The patients have to tilt their head back, open their mouth wide, and they receive the diphtheria shot right in the mouth down the gullet. It's not just about partying on the trail. It really is about sort of enjoying and appreciating this incredible feat that people are participating in. There's so many things in Alaska that are just like, uniquely Alaskan that literally don't happen anywhere else. And it's like extra special to have something like that that we get to celebrate in the winter, right. That, like, brings everyone together for a big party to celebrate, even in the sort of cold, dark times. Musher number eight is from our very own Anchorage, Alaska.
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News Anchor/Lori Townsend
Give it up for Chad Stoddard. That was an audio postcard from KN's Margaret Sutherland in Anchorage for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ceremonial start. And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. If you missed any of tonight's stories, we're online@alaskapublic.org and wherever you get your podcasts. We had reports tonight from Eric Stone and Jamie Deep in Juneau, Theo Greenlee in Portland, Ava White, Ben Townsend, Margaret Sutherland and Rhonda McBride in Anchorage, Hope McKinney in Sitka and Avery Elphelt in Paines. If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email us newslaskapublic.org Our audio engineer is Crystal Hyde. Kirsten Dolbroth is our producer. And I'm Lori Townsend. Good night.