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- [00:00]
Casey Grove
Support for Alaska Public Media on Demand comes from Siri, an Alaska Native corporation with operations and investments spanning five continents.
- [00:09]
Jamie Deep
45 states and two US territories.
- [00:21]
Chris Clinton
You wait for Mary or do you get in? And if you get in, do you say that you'll get out if she gets in?
- [00:27]
Casey Grove
Political observers ask, what will Mary Peltola do in 2026? From Alaska Public Media, this is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Monday, September 8th. Good evening. I'm Casey Grove. Also tonight, the University of Alaska system considers removing affirmative action language from its policies, making it clear that our hiring practices are based on equal opportunity and equal access. Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly.
- [01:01]
Rick Steves
Hey, I'm Rick Steves.
- [01:02]
Casey Grove
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. Tickets@alaskapublic.org events Alaska's 2026 governor's race is becoming a very lopsided affair. While a dozen or so Republicans are either running or believed to be preparing a run, a big question hangs over potential Democratic hopefuls. What will Mary Peltola do? Alaska Public Media's Liz Ruskin reports.
- [01:38]
Liz Ruskin
Nobody has any reliable intel, not even Alaska pollster Ivan Moore.
- [01:44]
Chris Clinton
Hang on, let's do this. I have three Alaskan buddies here in.
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Liz Ruskin
The car Moore was driving through western Canada this week. He asked his travel mates what they think.
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Chris Clinton
We had one yes and two nos to the question. Is Mary Peltola going to run for governor?
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Liz Ruskin
Moore says he's probably a yes, guessing she'll run. So that would make it 50, 50 odds in that very much not. Representative Sample what does former Alaska Congresswoman Mary Peltola say about her plans? She declined to comment for this story, but she's attended fundraisers this summer, met with important political operatives and spoke at the Alaska Democratic Party's annual picnic, prompting much speculation and inquiry. Peltola is the only Democrat to win statewide in years. She lost her seat last year to Republican Nick Begich. But Moore says based on his real polling beyond the occupants of his car, that she remains popular. If she enters, Moore says she's extremely likely to do well in the open primary and win one of the four spots on the ranked choice general election ballot.
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Chris Clinton
So it's kind of an awkward situation. Do you wait for Mary or do you get in? And if you get in, do you say that you'll get out if she gets in because no one wants to just be in a race to lose it. No one wants to take money away from Mary.
- [03:09]
Liz Ruskin
As he sees it, Alaska Democrats have an innate culture of not competing against each other because they can't afford to. There are fewer of them. The only Democrat to enter the governor's race so far is former state Senator Tom Begich. He says he'll step aside if Peltola runs. But he says he's heard Peltola is thinking of running instead for US Senate against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. Moore polled on that in late July. He says significantly more respondents had a positive view of Peltola. But in a head to head matchup, Moore says Senator Sullivan came out decisively ahead.
- [03:49]
Chris Clinton
Very un.
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Liz Ruskin
Moore attributes it to the incumbent advantage. Axios and other news sites reported last month that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is recruiting Peltola to run against Sullivan, raising the possibility that national Republicans would have to spend a ton of money in Alaska to defend what's otherwise a safe seat for them. The National Republican Senatorial Committee says it's not worried. A spokesman said, quote, chuck Schumer's best options in red state Senate ra are losers like Mary Peltola, unquote. Anchorage political consultant Jim Lotsfeld helps Democrats and moderate Republicans. He ardently hopes Peltola enters the governor's race.
- [04:35]
Chris Clinton
I think she will just sail far and above everybody else based on her popularity, her accomplishments, her name id and the Republicans will be busy in a knife fight amongst the 47 of them. Them to try to get the right to challenge her is sort of a perfect race for her.
- [04:59]
Liz Ruskin
Lotsfeld says Peltola could spend a year raising money and consolidating support across the left and middle.
- [05:06]
Chris Clinton
Whereas with that crowded Republican primary, everybody on that side has to figure out how to get to the second, third and fourth places and they're going to be pursuing their niche.
- [05:19]
Liz Ruskin
Alaska AFL CIO President Joelle hall says it may feel like potential Democratic candidates are hanging back. But she points out that the filing deadline isn't until next June.
- [05:31]
Casey Grove
She's the most electable Democrat in the entire field. And so, yeah, it is natural for everybody to want to know what she's thinking.
- [05:38]
Liz Ruskin
While Peltola lost in 2024, that was a presidential election year. Non presidential years have lower turnout and hall says the Alaska voters who stay home skew conservative. Hall says she doesn't care which race PELTOLA files for governor, U.S. senator. She just wants her to run. Reporting from Anchorage, I'm Liz Ruskin.
- [06:02]
Casey Grove
The University of Alaska Board of regents introduced changes to the university's anti discrimination policy around hiring and recruitment on Friday. The proposal would get rid of language around affirmative action. It's the latest in a series of changes the university has made to preserve federal funding under the Trump administration. KTOO's Jamie Deep reports the proposed changes.
- [06:23]
Jamie Deep
Include removing mentions of affirmative action from the board's personnel policy. Affirmative action includes programs and policies that aim to support populations that have historically been underserved. At the meeting, UA General Counsel Wayne Mowry says the change is due to a January executive order from the Trump administration that ended affirmative action. He says guidance from the U.S. department of labor stated federal contractors should also end their affirmative action programs.
- [06:49]
Casey Grove
We've done that and now we're adjusting policy to account for those changes. So the changes largely consist of making it clear that our hiring practices are based on equal opportunity and equal access and removing the specific legal term affirmative action.
- [07:11]
Jamie Deep
The change also removes mention of specific groups of people that have been historically underrepresented. Mowry says those groups are included in the university's non discrimination statement. The university changed the wording of the non discrimination statement in February to delete mentions of affirmative action, diversity, equity and inclusion. Regent Ralph Seakins brought up the idea of a simpler non discrimination statement instead, but Mowry says he didn't include changes to the non discrimination statement in the proposal.
- [07:40]
Casey Grove
We also wanted to recognize the history that was involved here and so we tried not to change where we didn't need to change to comply with what Department of Labor was indicating their enforcement strategies would be.
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Jamie Deep
The proposal comes as the Trump administration has put more than $63 million of the university system's federal grants into limbo or canceled them, according to a report from the university's federal relations team. UA President Pat Pitney says the university has time to look ahead to other opportunities if it loses more federal funding. In the long run, we're eyeing the.
- [08:12]
Hannah Weaver
Risks we're preparing, we're putting mitigation strategies.
- [08:16]
Liz Ruskin
In place, but we want the bulk.
- [08:18]
Hannah Weaver
Of our effort in taking advantage of.
- [08:21]
Casey Grove
The opportunities we have.
- [08:23]
Jamie Deep
Two people spoke directly to this proposal during an hour long public testimony period held days before the meeting. University of Alaska Anchorage Professor Mary Dallas Allen chairs the Masters of Social Work program and voiced her concerns that the changes would not protect people from discrimination. UAA professor and UA Faculty Alliance Chair Jackie Cason testified and asked the board consider the alliance's perspective. She added the lack of testimony might be because of how the board handled past decisions. The board was previously criticized for lack of transparency when it approved a motion to scar mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion without taking in public input.
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Chris Clinton
Maybe some of the reason why the public testimony is silent today is that people have lost some faith and hope that their input really matters in the decisions that the board makes and that the leadership at the campus makes.
- [09:14]
Jamie Deep
The board is expected to vote on the changes at its next meeting in November. Reporting in Juneau, I'm Jamie Deep.
- [09:24]
Casey Grove
Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, you can get soft serve in Antioch now thanks to one woman's craving.
- [09:29]
Chris Clinton
They were all excited because it was plastered all over it said ice cream machine. So they've been wanting to know when we were going to start.
- [09:35]
Casey Grove
That's ahead. Stay with us. Consider a gift of stock to Alaska Public Media.
- [09:41]
Liz Ruskin
You may avoid paying capital gains tax and receive a deduction. Learn more atalaskapublic public.org stock or contact your financial advisor.
- [09:50]
Casey Grove
A Wasilla man has been arrested after animal control officers and Alaska State troopers found more than a dozen dead animals in an area home this summer, court records show 42 year old Kevin Neher was taken into custody Thursday on six counts of animal cruelty, troopers say. Matt Nuskasu Sitnaboro Animal control officers visited the Knick Goose Bay road home on June 27 after a complaint reporting animal cruelty there was. The officers then called troopers for assistance. Troopers say nine rabbits, six goats and a dog were found dead at the home. Most were in a garage containing filthy kennels and water stations with empty bowls. Most of the animals were too decomposed to be examined, but troopers say a necropsy on the dog found that it likely died of dehydration. Troopers say three live animals, including a pair of underweight dogs and a healthy cat, were seized from Nehr. Nihur had apparently once hoped to mush the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race. Registering for the 2012 race before Iditarod officials say his team failed to meet requirements. Court records show Neher was released on $2,500 bail after a hearing Friday. His release conditions bar him from having animals in his control or possession. Fairbanks police evacuated one of the city's Fred Meyer locations on Saturday evening after a deactivated mortar shell was left in the grocery store's bathroom. Many people in the area received a text alert at about 4pm urging them to avoid the retail area. In west Fairbanks, an explosive ordnance disposal team from Fort Wainwright removed the 81 millimeter shell from the store. No injuries were reported. A spokesperson for the Fairbanks Police Department said they have identified two juvenile suspects. One of the suspects allegedly stole the shell, which was on display at a nearby military nonprofit, and brought it to the grocery store. A second suspect allegedly placed it in the bathroom. The investigation is ongoing, but Fairbanks police say they are planning to charge the two suspects with terroristic threatening a Class C felony. The grocery store reopened to the public about an hour after law enforcement responded to the incident. Fred Meyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District's Board of Education is formally responding to local concerns about federal immigration enforcement actions. The board adopted a resolution last week that reaffirms the district's legal responsibility to provide education to students in its boundaries, regardless of their immigration status or that of their parents. The resolution also refers to federal law that requires schools to safeguard all students private information, and a district regulation cited in the measure says the district does not have to allow access to people, including government officials, who may disrupt school operations. School board member Bobby Burgess read the entire resolution into the record at last Tuesday's meeting. Here's the final whereas clause in the document and Whereas we believe that it is in the best interests of the students, staff, families and community we serve that the district stands firm in assuring all students and families that we will do everything in our lawful power to prevent disruptions to the educational environment that may be created by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The measure is largely symbolic in that it does not amend existing policies, nor does it create any new ones. Instead, the resolution points to the state and federal laws that guide the district's current practices and policies, and it reiterates that the district will lean on those if necessary. But board members agreed the measure still serves a purpose. Member Tim Doran says it sends an important message.
- [13:45]
Chris Clinton
We're mindful of all students, but sometimes it's important to really make a statement about groups of people within our community.
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Casey Grove
Within our school district, who need that affirmation now. Other school boards across the nation have passed similar resolutions in recent years. The Fairbanks measure shares some language with those, including a resolution adopted in Salt Lake City in 2017, which the school board there reaffirmed in both 2019 and December of last year. More than a dozen people gave public testimony at last Tuesday's meeting in Fairbanks, with all of them in favor except one. The board debated the resolution for more than two hours to pin down their preferred wording, and despite some disagreement about the final product, the board approved the resolution in a unanimous vote. In rural Alaska, there are a growing number of cases in small, remote indigenous communities that involve young teens who are sexually exploited online. As KNBA's Rhonda McBride reports, the FBI believes one North Slope man who was indicted this summer could have other victims.
- [14:50]
Rick Steves
After FBI investigators arrested Robert Segovin and Wainwright this July for child exploitation, they wanted to be sure the North Slope man didn't have any other victims. In charging documents, they showed evidence of how Segiven, who is 31, used social media chats to badger teenage girls into sending him sexually explicit pictures of themselves. The victims were as young as 12, 13 and 15. Chloe Martin, a spokesperson for the FBI's Alaska Field Office, says although this case takes place in one of the most isolated places in the nation, it is not beyond the FBI's reach.
- [15:30]
Liz Ruskin
No matter where a child lives, they.
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Rick Steves
Deserve safety, support and justice. Martin says sexual exploitation occurs in large cities and small communities alike and it helps to end the abuse when victims come forward. Victims may be eligible for certain services, potentially restitution and rights under federal and or state law. And of course, all identities of these.
- [15:53]
Casey Grove
Victims will be kept confidential.
- [15:55]
Rick Steves
The FBI says Robert Segovin used a number of different names online, including Ethan Allen Tukak, Robert Segiven, 20, and Robert Segiven, 24. He is also believed to have ties to Utkaiavik and Kaktovic. The FBI's Anchorage Field Office and the North Slope Borough Police Department have worked together on this case, which came to light last October after a North Slope Borough police officer took a complaint from a 15 year old girl. She told the officer Segiven had asked her for images of her breasts and private parts. In the process of the investigation, he learned that two 12 year olds had also received similar messages. The officer also uncovered sexually explicit close up photos that a 13 year old had sent to Segiven. The Anchorage Police Department is also investigating the case through the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The FBI is asking anyone who has information about Segiven's alleged crimes to contact the Anchorage FBI field office or go online@tips.FBI.gov in Anchorage. I'm Rhonda McBride.
- [17:13]
Casey Grove
A gold exploration project at Coor Alaska's Kensington Mine north of Juneau has revealed thousands more ounces of precious metals. The high grade gold deposits will extend the mine's life through 2029. Steve Ball is the general manager at Kensington. He says his staff spent a few years and nearly $90 million drilling to discover more gold. Now those efforts have paid off. We increased our reserves from a low point of 261,000 ounces at the end of year 2022 to 500 1,000 ounces at the end of Year 2024. Ball says those new reserves represent around five years of mine life. A spokesperson for the Juneau Economic Development Council says this is good news for Juneau workers since the mining industry is one of the community's largest private employers and provides some of the highest paying jobs. Kensington employs around 380 people and roughly 40% live in Southeast. It's also the second largest taxpayer in Juneau after Hecla Greens Creek Mine. Kensington Mine is located about 45 miles northwest of Juneau in the Berners Bay Mining District. It's owned by Coor, a multinational company based in Chicago that began operating it in 2010. The mine has raised environmental concerns. Last year reported a tailing spill. Separately, it was potentially responsible for a fish die off downstream. In 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency fined Corps more than $500,000 for multiple environmental violations. Meanwhile, the price of gold is on the rise. As of today, it's at roughly $3,675 per ounce. One of Petersburg's most popular trail systems on Mitkoff island is known for its three lakes and its aging infrastructure. As KFSK's Hannah Weaver reports, parts of the trails recently got an upgrade with help from out of towners.
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Hannah Weaver
If you look up while along the Three Lakes trails, you'll see cedar, spruce and hemlock trees or maybe even a sandhill crane. But if you look down, which you should, you might get splashed by a geyser.
- [19:25]
Chris Clinton
When it gets a little bit wetter in there, water will like shoot up through the boards and stuff. It's actually kind of fun. It's like a geyser almost.
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Hannah Weaver
Tyler Shaw is a recreation specialist for the U.S. forest Service. He says some of the wooden boards that make up the Three Lakes Trail system were installed in the 90s. That style of trail is called step and run and Shaw says while it works well in the unique muskeg environment.
- [19:49]
Chris Clinton
It'S a lot of lumber.
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Hannah Weaver
So the Forest Service is replacing some of the old Step and Run near Hill Lake with fresh wood and netting. Near Crane Lake, they're replacing most of the wood with a gravel trail instead.
- [20:03]
Chris Clinton
We're hoping but making a more durable surface that this will have less maintenance over the years.
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Hannah Weaver
Shaw is the project manager for the Three Lakes Trail Maintenance. The people doing most of the on the ground work are employed through the Student Conservation Association. It's a non profit organization that connects young people with conservation jobs. They come from all over the country. Loma Gronow is from Texas.
- [20:29]
Casey Grove
It's been tough at times, but we've made a lot of progress with our step and run the past two months here, so it's been really fun.
- [20:38]
Hannah Weaver
David Beltrow is from Florida.
- [20:40]
Casey Grove
I just love working in the outdoors. I love being out here and doing.
- [20:43]
Chris Clinton
What I can to make a difference.
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Casey Grove
Because every little bit helps.
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Hannah Weaver
Shaw says bringing in workers each summer helps them get more work done than they could with just the local forest crew. And he says it also gives the young workers a leg up in the conservation field like it did for him when he started out as an intern.
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Chris Clinton
It makes me feel good that we're able to still offer something to the public and invest into younger generations being interns or workforce to work in the outdoors and do a job that is dynamic. It's not necessarily easy at all and you can take away really good skills. Yeah.
- [21:26]
Hannah Weaver
The trail crew will finish up their work in mid September. Shah says the Forest Service will continue updating the rest of the trail in the years to come. In Petersburg, I'm Hannah Weaver.
- [21:36]
Casey Grove
Residents of Alaska's bush communities often have to go without some of their favorite foods and flavors found in the connected road system. But as KYUK's Samantha Watson reports, one community market in western Alaska has for years been an exception to that.
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Samantha Watson
There's a kind of poetry to getting things in hard to reach places before you move to a place off the road system. People will tell you pack the stuff you like, say some fancy chocolate. It'll come in handy on tough days when you can't find what you want at the local grocery store. For Susan Holt in Antioch, that special craving couldn't exactly fit in a suitcase.
- [22:16]
Chris Clinton
So I have always really liked soft serve ice cream and living in Antioch now for 30 plus years, there is no soft serve anywhere.
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Samantha Watson
30 years seem to be Holt tipping point. Earlier this summer, she says she started looking to buy a machine. She found one from a site that offered any rural Alaskans golden ticket free shipping.
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Chris Clinton
And I was like, oh, they don't know what they're getting into.
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Samantha Watson
Antioch is a community like many, that gets excited about ice cream. Holt said she got a call from the airport when the machine came in.
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Chris Clinton
They were all excited because it was plastered all over it said ice cream machine. So they've been wanting to know when we were going to start. Word spread quickly in a small town.
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Samantha Watson
If you're wondering what counts as news in Antioch, ice cream definitely makes the list. Holt says they started with vanilla and then got a lot of suggestions about chocolate. Recently they debuted the combo flavor twist Vanilla swirled with chocolate. It was the talk of the town. The machine lives in the Antioch Community Market. It's a converted home shop with a little counter in the back. When the door is hoisted open, people know they can saunter in for a treat. It's a space born out of that same desire to have something you can't normally get.
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Chris Clinton
I just, I love having produce and that. I missed that in the village. I miss not having access to that.
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Samantha Watson
That's Leslie Bolens, owner of the former shop space that would become the Antiac Community Market.
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Chris Clinton
I had this idea to do a farmer style market where I would order in bulk produce and then split it up and then I sell it at cloth.
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Samantha Watson
When the market started in 2017, it was a challenge to figure out how to get fresh things into the remote Yukon Kuskokwim community of about 500. Sometimes snowstorms or flight delays would spoil parts of deliveries. But eventually Boland, along with market co manager Amanda Holt, got the hang of things. Each week, they'd ship in 1000-1500 pounds of fruits and veggies via bypass mail from Anchorage. At different times, produce would come from the YK Delta itself, including Myers Farm in Bethel or a potato farmer in Chewathwook. Boland says the market also became a community gathering space.
- [24:37]
Chris Clinton
People in Antioch, they like to gather in a village. You know, you don't have a coffee shop or, you know, places for people to gather.
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Samantha Watson
It's a sentiment that's still part of the space today. Inside, work from local artists is available for purchase. The space hosts paint nights and fundraiser dinners for sports teams or people in town. Boland says they're looking forward to their annual free moose vegetable soup event, complete with a bonfire next door. This past year, Boland's stopped ordering produce. She says a second market opened in town and started supplying really good veggies. The Antioch Community Market no longer needs to fill that gap.
- [25:17]
Chris Clinton
They're just doing a great job. So there's really not the demand for produce.
- [25:22]
Samantha Watson
It's still a space used to gather around food. The soft serve machine is operated by two teens in town under a business they created called two Broke Boys. Ice cream is the latest installment of their menu, which has included coffee, drinks and breakfast foods over the years. Here's 15 year old Jack Bolens. Leslie Bolens son I've been selling there.
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Casey Grove
Since it started when I was like 8. And I mean, that's where it all started. I think the first thing I sold there was pancakes.
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Samantha Watson
Jack and his counterpart Marshall Dahlman have been operating out of the community market to help fund things like basketball trips. The two say they've had some trial and error with the business. But the soft serve machine, after bringing so many people to the market already, it's a staple. They say the delicacy will now be semi officially on the list of what you can find in Antioch. In Antioch, I'm Samantha Watson.
- [26:33]
Casey Grove
And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. We had reports tonight from Liz Ruskin, Chris Clinton, Rhonda McBride in Anchorage, Jamie Deep and Alex Solomon in Juneau, Patrick Gilchrist in Fairbanks, Hannah Weaver in Petersburg, and Samantha Watson in Antiac. Our audio engineer is Chris Hyde. Madeline Rose is our producer. And I'm Casey Grove. Good night.
- [26:58]
Chris Clinton
It.