Alaska News Nightly: Monday, September 22, 2025

Summary

Alaska News Nightly — Monday, September 22, 2025

Podcast: Alaska News Nightly – Alaska Public Media
Host: Casey Grove
Date: September 23, 2025

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Main Theme

This episode provides comprehensive coverage of significant news stories impacting communities across Alaska. Major topics include the workforce impact and uncertainty surrounding the proposed Alaska LNG pipeline, stalling of crucial federal funding for mineral mapping and workforce training, criminal charges at a wildlife center, community resilience after natural disasters, technological investment in mariculture, rises in influenza, reflections after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and a special segment on Alaska’s centenarians and their secrets to longevity.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

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1. Alaska LNG Pipeline: Jobs, Training & Skepticism (00:19 - 06:03)

• Context & Concern:

  • Senator Dan Sullivan and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer visit the Fairbanks Pipeline Training Center to discuss the revival of the Alaska LNG gas line project—an 800-mile pipeline from the North Slope to Nikiski.
  • Persistent skepticism about whether the long-discussed pipeline project will finally be built, and questions about where thousands of required workers will come from.

• Labor & Training Needs:

  • Jacob Houdeschel, laborers’ union manager, compares the upcoming labor needs to the 1970s Trans Alaska Pipeline System project, but notes greater emphasis now on homegrown talent and training facilities:

    “It would look a lot like TAPS. I think you'd have a little bit more homegrown. We didn't have any of these training opportunities or facilities then.” — Jacob Houdeschel (02:31) “‘Have a pair of boots and a heartbeat?’…let’s go put you out and build a pipeline.” — (02:40)

  • Labor Secretary Laurie Chavez-DeRemer targets 10,000 new jobs, reiterating intent to strengthen Alaska’s economic foundation by keeping jobs local.

    “We want mortgage paying jobs for everybody who's here. We want people in Alaska to stay here.” — Laurie Chavez-DeRemer (03:17)

• Ongoing Workforce Shortages:

  • Alaska’s nonresident workforce at a 30-year high; labor shortages are forecast to persist.

• Federal Aid for Workforce Investment:

  • Sullivan pushes to access $20 million in federal grants to the State Workforce Investment Board, as authorized in 2004, to train Alaskans—including Alaska Natives.

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2. UAF Critical Minerals Project: Federal Funding on Hold (06:03 - 08:16)

• Funding Freeze:

  • University of Alaska Fairbanks’ project for mapping critical mineral resources, awarded an $8 million Department of Energy grant, is paused due to a funding freeze. This impacts job training and strategic mineral identification in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.

• Stakeholder Disappointment:

  • Project lead Brent Sheets expresses frustration:

    “It's unfortunate that some of our partners have called and asked for help, and I've just had to basically say, well, we don't have the funding to help you right now, but stay tuned.” — Brent Sheets (07:32)

• Deadline Pressure:

  • UAF’s matching funds are at risk of expiration due to state appropriations timing.

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3. Chilkat Valley Wildlife Center: Criminal Charges Filed (08:16 - 09:57)

• Legal Action:

  • Steve Krushel, owner of Krushel Films Wildlife Center near Haines, is charged with animal cruelty after a years-long struggle with state agencies over animal welfare and a lapsed permit.

• Krushel’s Defense:

  “This is insane, absolutely insane. My heart, my spirit, my mind is all about taking care of life on earth.” — Steve Krushel (08:33) “Every animal that I've had that passed away was either examined in a necropsy… It was not because of negligence.” — Steve Krushel (09:19)

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4. Natural Disaster: Landslide in Elfin Cove (13:13 - 15:16)

• Community Impact:

  • Heavy wind and rain cause a landslide that damages homes, a cafe, power lines, and knocks a resident into the water (no injuries reported).

• Resident Reactions:

  “I'm in my 53rd year here and had never seen an event like this before.” — Mary Jo Lord Wild (13:24) “Luckily, it was daylight. It would have been a lot worse in the dark because then you can't see what's going on.” — Mary Jo Lord Wild (14:13) “We're pretty resilient and eventually people are going to need help. But in the meantime…people will be warm, dry, and fed.” — Mary Jo Lord Wild (14:40)

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5. Workforce and Public Safety Updates (10:09 - 13:13)

• Pedestrian Traffic Fatality in Anchorage:

  • A driver, allegedly intoxicated, struck and killed a woman, then fled the scene; charged with multiple offenses (11:09).
  • 11th pedestrian fatality in Anchorage this year.

• Public Safety Officer-Involved Shooting in Kiana:

  • VPSO Henry Martinez fired on an armed man (uninjured), potentially marking the first VPSO shooting incident on record. Martinez placed on leave during investigation.

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6. Kodiak Mariculture Investment (15:16 - 18:14)

• New Funding for Kelp Processing:

  • The Shunak Tribe’s WildSource facility gets a $2.3 million federal/state grant to expand mariculture processing, diversifying both output and workforce.

    “It's geared to up our output significantly and we'll be able to diversify the products that we make.” — Chris Sanito, facility manager (16:46)

  • Products envisioned include biopolymers, cosmetics, and agricultural inputs.

• New Community Amenities:

  • Plans for new office, retail space, and a seafood cafe—offering “seafood themed bagels and lox... maybe some hot fish sandwiches” (17:54).

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7. Influenza Cases on the Rise (18:14 - 19:36)

• Surge in Flu:
  • 2024–25 sees 11,900 cases—more severe and numerous than recent years. 25 deaths, including one child.
  • Low vaccination rates: only 23% of Alaska adults vaccinated vs. 47% nationally.

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8. Homer Community Remembers Charlie Kirk (19:36 - 22:02)

• Vigil Held:

  • After the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Homer’s community organizes an impromptu remembrance with prayers, speeches, and distribution of U.S. Constitution booklets.

• Themes of Healing & Dialogue:

  “We need to do like Charlie and engage…in open dialogue that's respectful, that leads them to the truth. Jesus will never capture their heart if our response…is full of hate.” — Cassie Laver, organizer (20:43)

• Community Connection:

  • Event underscores the importance of coming together beyond political affiliations to mourn and reflect.

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9. Stories from Alaska’s Centenarians (22:02 - 26:26)

• Longevity in Alaska:

  • Only ~60 centenarians in the state. The Alaska Commission on Aging collects their stories, revealing a variety of life experiences.

• Personal Histories:

  • John Strong (WWII vet, fiddler, mentor):

    “I have taught I don't know how many young fellows how to fly. And like I told them, if you want to have a decent life all your life, I said, do not smoke, drink or anything like that.” — John Strong (24:16)

  • Esti Moe (103 years old):

    “We lived on a farm and...we always had to milk cows every morning and every night. And that made me grow up fast.” — Esti Moe (25:29)

  • Norma Aldefer (almost 102):

    “Played hard, still like a good martini in the evening with cheese and crackers or hors d'oeuvres.” — Norma Aldefer (25:59) “It's what you make of it.” — Esti Moe (25:48)

• Expert Insights:

  • Cardiologist Dr. Jean Quinn emphasizes importance of social connections:

    “Another one of the things that leads to longevity is social interaction.” — Dr. Jean Quinn (24:44)

  • Yasmin Radbod, Commission on Aging program director, observes:

    "The beautiful common thread...is people who love other people, people who have hope and faith in one another and in the goodness of the world, and people who do not give up.” — Yasmin Radbod (23:29)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “That's the million dollar question.” — Jacob Houdeschel on labor for the LNG pipeline (02:03)
• “It's unfortunate that some of our partners have called and asked for help, and I've just had to basically say, well, we don't have the funding to help you right now, but stay tuned.” — Brent Sheets (07:32)
• “This is insane, absolutely insane. My heart, my spirit, my mind is all about taking care of life on earth.” — Steve Krushel (08:33)
• “Luckily, it was daylight. It would have been a lot worse in the dark because then you can't see what's going on.” — Mary Jo Lord Wild (14:13)
• “It's what you make of it.” — Esti Moe (25:48)
• “Another one of the things that leads to longevity is social interaction.” — Dr. Jean Quinn (24:44)

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Episode Flow

• Labor and economic opportunity dominate the episode—from the potential windfall if the LNG pipeline materializes, to the hurdles faced as the workforce ages and shrinks.
• Support for Alaska Natives and local Alaskans is a recurring thread, including federal grant access issues and adverse effects from rescinded federal education funds.
• Resilience surfaces in various forms—personal, communal, and economic—from centenarians recounting their lives, to villagers surviving landslides, to communities united in mourning.
• Public health and safety—from influenza to traffic and weapons-related incidents—remain a constant concern.
• The future, both in technology and societal well-being, is represented in emerging mariculture ventures and the wisdom of Alaska’s oldest residents.

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For listeners who missed the episode: This summary brings you to the heart of Alaska’s current events and enduring spirit, offering an informative and sometimes moving snapshot of a vast and vibrant state.

Transcript

[Casey Grove]

Support for Alaska Public Media On Demand.

[Brian Venoit]

Comes from Siri, an Alaska Native corporation with operations and investments spanning five continents, 45 states and two US territories.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

We're going to need thousands of well trained workers. This place is going to be training people 24 7. Senator Dan Sullivan and the Secretary of Labor tout potential jobs from a proposed gas line. From Alaska Public Media, this is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Monday, September 22nd. Good evening, I'm Casey Grove. Also tonight, a UAF project to map critical mineral potential hasn't seen any of its promised federal money. I've just had to basically say, well, we don't have the funding to help you right now, but stay tuned. Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly. Hey, I'm Rick Steves. I've traveled all over the world and connected with so many fascinating people and I'm looking forward to my visit to Alaska to share the lessons from my experience. Come see me at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium on October 16th for travel as a political act. [e-mail] events Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan missed votes on two spending bills Friday for a pre scheduled visit to Fairbanks with the US Secretary of Labor. During the trip, Sullivan and Secretary Lori Chavez de Riemer say they toured the Fairbanks Pipeline Training center and met with local labor leaders. And as KUAC's Patrick Gilchrist reports, the visit raised at least one big question about the Alaska LNG project.

[Casey Grove]

There's still skepticism about the latest revival of the decades long effort to build a roughly 800 mile proposed natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to Nikiski. And there are still unknowns. For one, if the gas line gets built, where will the workers come from to construct, operate and maintain it?

[Jacob Houdeschel]

That's the million dollar question.

[Casey Grove]

That's Jacob Houdeschel, the business manager for the laborers union in Fairbanks. He says aside from some degree of healthy cynicism, he does believe the project will get built this time around. Haudeschel says if that happens, there would be a nationwide search to recruit workers. But he says that process would look different than it did during construction of the Trans Alaska Pipeline system in the 1970s.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

It would look a lot like taps. I think you'd have a little bit more homegrown. We didn't have any of these training opportunities or facilities then.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

It was just like, hey, do you.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

Have a pair of boots and a heartbeat?

[Patrick Gilchrist]

Let's go put you out and build a pipeline.

[Casey Grove]

On Friday, Haudeschel was standing inside one of those facilities, the Fairbanks Pipeline Training center, which helps people enter apprenticeships for careers in the oil and gas and construction industries, and his comments came after a short press availability involving Labor Secretary Laurie Chavez de Rimer and Senator Dan Sullivan. Chavez Darimer told reporters she wants to understand how the U.S. department of labor can help develop the local workforce and she noted the goal is for the LNG project to create about 10,000 job.

[Avery Elfelt]

We want mortgage paying jobs for everybody who's here. We want people in Alaska to stay here. Where's the best economy going to grow with homegrown Alaskans right here. And that's why we're here.

[Casey Grove]

Only a tenth of the 10,000 jobs are estimated to be long term operational roles, though that doesn't account for indirect job creation. Even without pipeline construction, Alaska is facing a worker shortage. A report published by Alaska's Department of Labor earlier this year found that the non resident workforce hit its highest point in almost three decades as of 2023, reaching 22.5% across all industries, and state economists said in the report they expect the shortage of resident workers to continue. Meanwhile, Glenn Farn, the majority owner and lead developer of the Alaska LNG project, says it plans to reach a final investment decision by the end of the year. Sullivan referred to that timeline on Friday.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

That means it's go time. We're going to need thousands of well trained workers.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

This place is going to be training.

[Casey Grove]

People 247 Alaska's junior senator also says it's time to summon funds Congress authorized in 2004. Under that law, if federal officials and Alaska's governor agree, there's a reasonable expectation the pipeline's construction will begin within two years. The federal government can release $20 million in grants to to the State Workforce Investment Board.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

We think that moment's now, so we.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

Briefed the Secretary on that.

[Casey Grove]

Up to 15% of the funds could go toward building a training facility. And the legislation also says the funds are to, quote, recruit and train adult and dislocated workers in Alaska, including Alaska Natives. The Labor Secretary's visit comes a little more than a week after the US Department of Education announced it will stop funding a program supporting Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions. The department says the program, among others, is racially discriminatory. University of Alaska Fairbank's leadership has said the decision translates to a little under $9 million in canceled funding for UAF, and the loss affects some career training and workforce development programs at the UAF Community and Technical College. Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Sullivan signed onto a bipartisan letter last week that urges the Education Department to continue two of the seven programs it said it would no longer fund. The letter says grants under those two programs institutions that carry out the federal government's trust responsibility to educate American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian students. The letter also says withholding the funding goes against the administration's focus on increasing access to career and technical education. End quote In Fairbanks, I'm Patrick Gilchrist.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

A University of Alaska Fairbanks project to map out the Pacific Northwest's critical mineral potential won an almost $8 million federal grant this winter, but researchers haven't received a single cent of that funding. That's after the funds awarded by the U.S. department of Energy during the Biden administration were frozen and put under review in February. Brent Sheets oversees the project at UAF's Institute of Northern Engineering. He says he's surprised considering President Trump's push to ramp up domestic critical mineral production. The outcome of our project will be a regional assessment supporting the Department of Energy's efforts to develop a nationwide critical minerals and materials prospectus, if you will. The project, based out of uaf, would have distributed those millions across Alaska, Washington and Oregon. Its first objective would have been to assess, identify and prioritize sites in the region for critical mineral potential. It would also look at each site's strategic importance and feasibility, or how easy and cost effective it would be to mine the minerals. The other part of the program would have been to provide technical training to build up the region's workforce for the industry. Sheets says project stakeholders in the mining industry are also baffled about the pause. It's unfortunate that some of our partners have called and asked for help, and I've just had to basically say, well, we don't have the funding to help you right now, but stay tuned. The project is one slice of $45 million in total for similar projects across the US and Alaska, and its Pacific Northwest partners are coming up with a 20% match for their portion of the federal funds. Sheets main concern is that UAF's match is provided by state appropriations, which are set to expire next summer. He says the longer the Department of Energy award is delayed, the less time the group has to appropriately spend the funds. The state of Alaska has filed criminal charges against Chilkat Valley resident Steve Krushel two months after state agencies first raided his popular wildlife facility near Haines. The Alaska Desk's Avery Elfelt reports the.

[Avery Elfelt]

State Office of Special Prosecutions filed three felony and two misdemeanor charges against Krushel on Thursday alleging cruelty to animals. An arraignment has been scheduled in Haines for October 8th. Reached by phone on Friday morning, Krushel was in central Russia and not yet aware of the charges.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

This is insane, absolutely insane. My heart, my spirit, my mind is all about taking care of life on earth.

[Avery Elfelt]

The charges are the most recent development in a years long battle between Krushl and the state of Alaska over the Krushel Films Wildlife Center. The facility for two decades has offered thousands of visitors close up views of wild animals, but a series of incidents and inspections over the years raised concern among state officials over animal welfare and human safety. Those concerns, plus a lapsed federal license, eventually led to the revocation of Krushl's state permit. Then in June, two state agencies executed a search warrant and seized dozens of animals as part of a criminal investigation. Krushl remains adamant that the charges are unfair.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

Every animal that I've had that passed away was either examined in a necropsy that I requested or the state and it was either old age or something like that. It was not because of negligence.

[Avery Elfelt]

Krushl has spent much of the last two months in Russia where he says he's helping care for some wolf pups and two orphaned grizzly bear cubs. The Office of Special Prosecutions did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Reporting in Haines, I'm Avery Elfeldt.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, Alaska centenarians share their life stories and secrets for a long life as part of a statewide project.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

It's been a very good life. It's what you make of it.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

Of course that's ahead. Stay with us. Hey, I'm Rick Steves. I've traveled all over the world and connected with so many fascinating people and I'm looking forward to my visit to Alaska to share the lessons from my experience, come see me at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium on Oct. 16 for travel as a political act. [e-mail] events An Anchorage driver hit and killed a pedestrian on a sidewalk early Saturday before fleeing the scene, according to police. The alleged driver, 27 year old Joshua Vargas, was arrested nearby shortly after. Police say a woman had just finished crossing with a walk signal on Northern Lights Boulevard in Minnesota Drive when a sedan swerved onto the sidewalk and hit her at a.m. saturday. The woman, who has not been named publicly, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say the sedan's driver also hit another vehicle before fleeing. Officers stopped the car near West Anchorage High School a short time later. Vargas, the driver had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and smelled like alcohol, according to police. A breath alcohol sample measured 318 nearly four times Alaska's legal limit of 0.8. Vargas is charged with manslaughter, drunken driving, leaving the scene of an accident and driving on a canceled license. Last year, 15 pedestrians were struck and killed by vehicles in the Anchorage area. Saturday's collision marks the 11th such fatality so far this year. A Northwest Arctic Village public safety officer fired multiple shots at an armed man in Kayana early Thursday morning. Alaska State Troopers arrested the man, 24 year old Jaden Westlake, for an outstanding warrant and later charged him with felony assault. He was uninjured, according to a charging document. Village Public Safety Officer Henry Martinez responded to a report of an intoxicated man with a rifle outside near a home. The charges say Martinez asked Westlake to drop the gun, but Westlake did not comply and pointed the rifle toward him twice. Martinez fired four rounds and Westlake fled by foot to his home. Family members disarmed and subdued Westlake using duct tape until troopers later arrested him, according to the charges. The incident might have been the first time a village public safety officer has ever shot at someone in the line of duty. A trooper spokesperson said he was not aware of any other VPSO shooting incidents. The Northwest Arctic borough began arming VPSOs last year. Martinez was placed on a mandatory seven day administrative leave following the incident. An investigation by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation is ongoing. Westlake appeared in court Friday and pleaded not guilty. He's being held at Kotzebue regional jail on $25,000 bail. No injuries were reported when at least one landslide in Elfin Cove in southeast Alaska damaged multiple homes this morning. KCAW's Catherine Rose brings us one woman's account of the events.

[Avery Elfelt]

Around 15 folks live in Elphin Cove, a small community on the northern end of Baranoff Island. Mary Jo Lord Wild is one of them.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

I'm in my 53rd year here and had never seen an event like this before, she said.

[Avery Elfelt]

Rain and wind picked up around 10:30 on Monday morning, so we were still.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

Doing some stuff on the beach, just some fall chores, but it rapidly became more than you could stand up in and you could hear the rocks coming down off the hillside across the bay and see multiple trees coming down.

[Avery Elfelt]

Lord Wild said she saw one slide from her house at the head of the bay that took out the power line. She said one man was hit by debris and knocked off a dock and managed to get himself out of the water safely. Everyone in the community has been accounted for and no injuries have been reported, but several homes and a cafe were damaged.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

Luckily, it was daylight. It would have been a lot worse in the dark because then you can't see what's going on. Six people kind of evacuated from the head of the bay here because there was the rocks coming down, the trees coming down. There's trees across the boardwalks and the trails that we can't even see yet. Haven't even ascertained what happened there yet.

[Avery Elfelt]

Lord Wild expects the power will be out for a long time, but for now, community members are taking care of each other.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

Some of us lived here a long time, are semi prepared. This was a little bigger event than we're usually prepared for, but we're pretty resilient and eventually people are going to need help. But in the meantime, you know, things are stabilized enough that people will be warm, dry and fed until we can fully ascertain the damage and what the.

[Avery Elfelt]

Next steps are, lord Wild said. Some folks are not returning to their homes until further assessment can be done on the buildings and nearby land. Rain is expected in Elphin Cove for the rest of the week. Reporting in Sitka, I'm Kathryn Rose.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

Kodiak's Shunak Tribe announced last week that it was awarded more than $2 million for mariculture processing at its current seafood plant. As KMXT's Bryant Venois reports, it's a big investment to diversify the small plant's capabilities.

[Brian Venoit]

Dozens of workers walk along Kodiak's Cannery Row, a waterfront edge of town lined with seafood processing facilities. One of the workers is Chris Sanito, who manages Kodiak Island WildSource. It's a small plant compared to the neighboring ones, owned by big processing companies like Pacific Seafood or Silver Bay Seafoods. But it's still part of some of Kodiak's biggest fisheries.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

We participate in cod fisheries, halibut processing, salmon when we can get it.

[Brian Venoit]

The plant, owned by the Chunak Tribe of Kodiak, runs year round and usually works with commercial and sport fishermen. About five years ago, the facility added kelp to its processing lineup.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

We've blanched it, we've dried it, we've ground it, acid stabilized it, you know, so different forms every year.

[Brian Venoit]

The poundage varies widely, from as little as £40,000 processed last year to a few hundred thousand pounds of kelp a few years ago, according to sanitoe. And now WildSource is about to get an upgrade for its kelp processing capabilities. Earlier this month, it was awarded a $2.3 million grant from the Southeast Conference, an economic development organization. That money comes from a $49 million federal grant awarded back in 2022 to invest in the state's mariculture industry, Sanito says. It's a big deal.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

It's geared to up our output significantly and we'll be able to diversify the products that we make.

[Brian Venoit]

Some new products include biopolymers, which are a sort of biodegradable plastic, as well as cosmetics or process kelp to mix with soil for agriculture. Sanito says it could also be a game changer for the types of equipment the plant will eventually house.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

We'll have unloading equipment, choppers, grinders, agitation tanks, centrifuges so we can spin off different components, dryers so we can dry different parts of it, he says.

[Brian Venoit]

The investment hopefully will create a better market for Kodiak's five current kelp growers and diversify the plant's capabilities.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

This is a big chance for us and we're at the crossroads for our company and it's a huge decision for us to take land that we have that we're thinking of growing into fish processing with. But we're gonna go go for the mariculture processing and see what we can do with that.

[Brian Venoit]

And mariculture isn't the only change coming to WildSource, though. Across the street from the plant, the tribe is finishing construction on a new building for WildSource's offices, as well as a retail space and a seafood cafe.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

We're have a commercial kitchen in here and we'll have different light offerings but you know, seafood themed bagels and lox and just kind of easy walk up type dishes, maybe some hot fish sandwiches or something.

[Brian Venoit]

He says. The building will likely open early next year. In Kodiak, I'm Brian Venoit.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

Alaska had more influenza cases reported in the past year than in any of the three prior years, and the severity of those cases was worse than in recent years, according to a new report from state health officials. The Alaska Beacon reports there were an estimated 11,900 lab confirmed flu cases in the 20242025 season, which ran from to this summer. There were 25 flu deaths during that time, including the death of one child. According to the bulletin from the State Division of epidemiology, Alaska saw 10 flu deaths the previous season and five flu deaths the season before that, according to state records. Most Alaska flu cases occur between October and May, but the timing of the annual spikes varies. Meanwhile, many Alaska adults appear unenthusiastic about flu vaccines. Last season, only 23% of Alaska adults were vaccinated against the flu, compared to the national rate of 47%, according to the Epidemiology Bulletin. Hundreds of people gathered on the Homer Spit last week to remember Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, who was assassinated in Utah. As KBBI's Simon Lopez reports, a mournful crowd gathered against the backdrop of Kachemak Bay.

[Avery Elfelt]

Republican State Representative Sarah Vance and the.

[Casey Grove]

Founder of a local conservative political action.

[Avery Elfelt]

Committee organized the event.

[Casey Grove]

They put it together within 24 hours.

[Avery Elfelt]

One week after Kirk was shot and killed at a university event in Utah. Vance says she wanted to hold their remembrance before too much time had passed. We said, hey, can we do this in 24 hours? Sure. And the weather opened up being beautiful and we just sent out just an organic invitation and people came. The hour long event featured prayers, hymns and remarks from the organizers, local pastors and other community members.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

Blessed are those who are persecuted because.

[Brian Venoit]

Of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

And persecute you and falsely say every.

[Brian Venoit]

Kind of evil against you because of me.

[Casey Grove]

Along with prayers for Kirk's family, some also asked the crowd to pray for the family of the accused shooter.

[Avery Elfelt]

Multiple speakers talked about faith, the importance of community and the role of civic engagement to remember that the people who were spreading hate and vitriol are our neighbors, they are our fellow countrymen, and we need to do like Charlie and engage with them in open dialogue that's respectful, that leads them to the truth. Jesus will never capture their heart if our response to them is full of hate. Cassie Laver, the founder of the Alaska.

[Casey Grove]

Patriots Political Action Committee, says she was.

[Avery Elfelt]

Grateful for the turnout and emphasized that the gathering was meant to give people a place, place to come together. This was actually done more or less.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

You know, Sarah and I doing this.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

Not so much her office or not so much my pack.

[Avery Elfelt]

This was just Sarah and I really wanted to give the community a place.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

To come and to mourn or celebrate or remember however anybody wants to do it.

[Casey Grove]

The event concluded with the crowd singing together. Organizers handed out copies of the U.S.

[Avery Elfelt]

Constitution to attendees as they left Mercy Rains in Homer. I'm Simon Lopez.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

Getting to age 100 is a mark few people reach, and according to the Alaska Commission on aging, only about 60 centenarians live in Alaska. The commission has been interviewing some of them for a project to learn more about these extraordinary elders. Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra visited one of them in Anchorage to find out why he thinks he's lived such a long life.

[Avery Elfelt]

John Strong pages through his papers and pulls out his discharge certificates from the Navy.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

That was the first one I got.

[Avery Elfelt]

He fought in World War II and was honorably discharged in 1946.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

Yeah, I turned 21.

[Avery Elfelt]

Strong has so many stories from fighting in the Navy in World War II, from battles to injuries.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

I heard pop, pop, pop, pop. And one bullet hit me here, one hit me here, one hit me, and one just a little bit lower.

[Avery Elfelt]

He also received the Medal of Honor. Strong grew up in Michigan.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

I had a guy teach me how to play the fiddle starting when I was nine years old, and I got to be known as a fiddling kid.

[Avery Elfelt]

He left school when he was 16 and went to work in a bowling alley, setting pins. Strong eventually moved up to Alaska because he heard about the great summers and fishing. Now his granddaughter cares for him in his house in Anchorage. His life is a quiet one, and he loves telling stories.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

I got married to an old girl that was a pilot, and we enjoyed it. We had a good life together.

[Avery Elfelt]

Not many people make it to age 100 like strong. Fewer than a tenth of a percent of people in the US are that age or older. Though experts say it's expected to become more common, there are only about 60 in Alaska. Yasmin Radbod is program director for Alaska's Commission on Aging and has been interviewing those over a hundred in the state. She says people always have such different stories about how they've lived those lives. But the beautiful common thread from what I've noticed, is people who love other people, people who have hope and faith in one another and in the goodness of the world, and people who do not give up. Strong attributes his long life to healthy choices.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

I have taught I don't know how many young fellows how to fly. And like I told them, if you want to have a decent life all your life, I said, do not smoke, drink or anything like that.

[Brian Venoit]

See?

[Avery Elfelt]

Dr. Jean Quinn says those healthy choices can contribute to a longer, healthier life. Quinn is a cardiologist in Anchorage, and he says close friendships and family relationships are also important.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

Another one of the things that leads to longevity is social interaction. So I think that a lot of the older patients, one of the things that's protective for them is having a lot of social interaction, being very social.

[Avery Elfelt]

He says social relationships tend to be especially strong in Alaska. Quinn says he sometimes hears from patients that they don't want to live a long time to justify bad habits.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

But that's not really the way that it works, right? It just means that the last 10 years of your life, you're sick rather than what you'd prefer to do is if you're going to live a long life, you live that life very well.

[Avery Elfelt]

When Radbo talked to 103-year-old Esti Moe, Moe attributed her long life to growing up on a farm in Minnesota.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

You have to milk cows in order to get that. We lived on a farm and there were four of us kids, and we always had to milk cows every morning and every night. And that made me grow up fast.

[Avery Elfelt]

She and her husband drove up from Minnesota to Alaska in 1947.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

It's been a very good life up in there. It's what you make of it.

[Avery Elfelt]

Of course, Norma Aldefer will be turning 102 in November. She told Rodbode she's worked hard and.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

Played hard, still like a good martini in the evening with cheese and crackers or hors d'. Oeuvres.

[Avery Elfelt]

And she says her memory is good because she's kept her mind active by reading and doing puzzles. In Anchorage, I'm Rachel Cassandra.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. We had reports tonight from Patrick Gilchrist and Shelby Herbert in Fairbanks, Avery Elfelt in Haines, Ava White and Rachel Cassandra in Anchorage, Desiree Hagan in Kotzebue, Catherine Rose in Sitka, Brian Venoit in Kodiak and Simon Lopez in Homer. Our audio engineer is Chris Hyde, Madeline Rose is our producer and I'm Casey Grove. Good night.

[Jacob Houdeschel]

It.