Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, February 19, 2026

Summary

Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, February 19, 2026

Podcast: Alaska News Nightly – Alaska Public Media
Host: Casey Grove
Date: February 19, 2026

---

Episode Overview

On this episode of Alaska News Nightly, the team explores the intersection of food security, economic policy, outdoor recreation, public health, and community resilience in Alaska. Key topics include the push to maintain state support for programs boosting local food access, fallout from federal tariffs on coffee, new legislation advocating for people requiring prosthetic and orthotic devices, trails planning for Alaskans’ future mobility, and making the most of Alaskan winters—on a bike. The episode also updates listeners on troubling local crime, legal cases, and highlights the resilient spirit found in Alaska’s mushing and cycling communities.

---

Main Stories & Key Discussion Points

1. Funding for “Double Up Food Bucks” and Food Security Initiatives

Starts at 01:14

• Background:
  The Alaska Farmers Market Association and food advocates request $750,000 from the state to sustain the “Double Up Food Bucks” program, which doubles the value of SNAP benefits at farmers markets across Alaska.
  Federal food assistance program changes mean Alaska now carries more of the administrative burden and costs, making state funding for supplemental programs even more critical.

• Stakeholders:

  • Rep. Ashley Carrick, Fairbanks (Sponsor of funding request)
  • Brad St. Pierre, Goosefoot Farm/Director of Tanana Valley Farmers Market
  • Hannah Hill, Breadline (Fairbanks anti-hunger nonprofit)

• Key Points & Quotes:

  • The program is “allowing everyone, regardless of income, to have access to locally grown fresh food. It's a great stimulator to our economy and … for local farmers to continue the work they're doing.” (Ashley Carrick, 02:19)
  • Alaska faces unique agricultural and food access challenges—high costs, many imports, few economies of scale
  • Work requirements for SNAP recipients are expanding, with more burden shifted to the state’s Division of Public Assistance
  • “Everybody should be able to have the most delicious Brussels sprouts that Alaska can grow.” (Ashley Carrick, 04:17)
  • “Investing in Alaskan people. It's investing especially in those low income folks, those women and children, the folks that most need to put healthy, nutritious food on their plates.” (Ashley Carrick, 04:59)

• Outlook:
  The program's fate is uncertain given state budget pressures; advocates remain hopeful it will survive the budget process.

---

2. Legislation on Prosthetic and Orthotic Device Insurance Coverage

Starts at 05:35

• Background:
  State lawmakers consider a bill requiring insurers to cover multiple prosthetic or orthotic devices per patient, offering better support for athletic, daily living, and hygiene needs.

• Stakeholders:

  • Rep. Andy Josephson (Sponsor)
  • Justine Bright, Anchorage resident using orthotics (Advocate)
  • Alison Kahn, prosthetic/orthotic specialist

• Key Points & Quotes:

  • “This is awesome for hiking, backpacking or going to the gym, but it's challenging for things like cross country skiing.” (Justine Bright, 06:05)
  • Insurance typically only covers one device, but “they aren't designed for athletics or even showering,” making life much harder (Alison Kahn, paraphrased, 06:25–07:11)
  • The bill is modeled after similar laws in other states and endorsed by disability advocacy groups.
  • Long-term savings to healthcare system predicted as healthier, active lifestyles are supported.

---

3. Alaska DOT’s Long-Range Transportation Plan and Trail Advocacy

Starts at 08:00

• Background:
  Alaska’s Department of Transportation begins long-term planning, with for the first time a focus on trails as a formalized part of statewide transportation planning.

• Stakeholders:

  • Eric Troyer, President, Fairbanks Cycle Club
  • Mindy Eggleston, President, Delta Junction Trails Association
  • DOT spokesperson Angelica Staubbs

• Key Points & Quotes:

  • “Trails are a vital part of transportation, especially in Alaska and out in the bush. They're critical and … to actually have them as part of an overall transportation plan shows that the state is recognizing that importance.” (Eric Troyer, 08:23)
  • Public input is actively sought; two special virtual focus groups dedicated to trails (walking, biking, outdoor access)
  • “Trail development, maintenance, grooming is so important … trails and rural roads will play a vital role for accessing our needs and wants.” (Justine Bright, 10:47)
  • DOT is gathering feedback online; further in-person sessions to follow.

---

4. Public Safety and Crime Updates

Starts at 12:33

• Tuluksak Fish Camp Shooting:

  • Jonathan Owens charged with second-degree murder in a fatal shooting at a fish camp
  • Details provided about ongoing investigation and preliminary court dates

• Anchorage Elections Administrator Indictment:

  • William Northrup, former city elections administrator, indicted for possession of child sexual abuse material

---

5. Alaskan Coffee Prices and Lasting Impacts of Federal Tariffs

Starts at 15:11

• Background:
  Removal of Trump-era tariffs on coffee has not yet brought prices down for Alaskan consumers. Local roasters and retailers are still dealing with high bean costs, leftovers from months of buying tariffed stock.

• Stakeholders:

  • Zoe Ash, Farm Loop Coffee, Palmer (small batch roaster)
  • Jonathan White, SteamDot (large Anchorage roaster/retailer)
  • Greg Wolf, Alaska International Business Center

• Key Points & Quotes:

  • “I’m still just in the aftermath of keeping this whole thing alive. After increases and the tariffs, we're going to keep seeing the effects of tariffs.” (Zoe Ash, 15:58)
  • “We'll be licking our wounds for a while. It's going to be several months, maybe years, before we're able to find an equilibrium from the losses we incurred in a half a year.” (Jonathan White, 16:56)
  • “Certainty matters … In the absence of that, it’s chaos.” (Greg Wolf, paraphrased, 18:22)
  • Even though tariffs officially ended on some products, higher coffee prices are expected to remain in Alaska for the coming months as old inventory is worked through.

• Industry Context:

  • Alaska already has some of the highest coffee prices in the nation (average $6+ latte)
  • Uncertainty from changing tariff policy is cited as a major challenge for Alaska businesses

---

6. Bogus Creek 150 Dog Sled Race

Starts at 19:12

• Key Outcomes:

  • Mike Williams Jr. wins his second consecutive Bogus Creek 150, and third overall since 2006.
  • The race remains a proving ground for young mushers, with challenging weather again forcing February scheduling.

• Memorable Moments:

  • “The dogs are the ones that run this year.” (Mike Williams Jr., 19:50)
  • Near photo-finish for second place; dramatic late-race passes and challenging competition for veterans and new mushers alike.

---

7. Alaska Survival Kit: Winter Bike Commuting

Starts at 21:40

• Feature:
  Host Casey Grove and other Alaskans share their experiences with daily winter bike commuting, offering practical advice for listeners interested in braving the cold on two wheels.

• Interviewees:

  • Tony Lavario, Alaska Air Cargo
  • Nancy Fresco, University of Alaska Fairbanks climate researcher and daily bicyclist

• Tips & Quotes:

  • Commitment is key: “Sometimes … you make a commitment, have it set in your mind … you just go ahead and do this.” (Tony Lavario, 22:35)
  • “Ride to work is always the worst trail and the best trail is the one coming home.” (Tony Lavario, 23:23)
  • Make biking the easiest option: keep your bike ready, minimize car usage.
  • Gear matters but doesn’t have to be extravagant; longevity and warmth are more important than being flashy.
  • “If you don’t have the right gear … it makes the biking feel undesirable … whereas if you do have all of that lined out, it makes it the easy and lazy choice.” (Nancy Fresco, 24:24)
  • Start small, don’t beat yourself up if you can’t go every day.
  • Fun matters: “Something about the crunching [of snow] that is just, like, ah, that sounds so good, so satisfying. It’s like riding on bubble wrap.” (Tony Lavario, 26:08)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This is allowing everyone, regardless of income, to have access to locally grown fresh food.” —Rep. Ashley Carrick (02:19)
• “Everybody should be able to have the most delicious Brussels sprouts that Alaska can grow.” —Rep. Ashley Carrick (04:17)
• “Trails are a vital part of transportation … especially in Alaska and out in the bush.” —Eric Troyer (08:23)
• “Ride to work is always the worst trail and the best trail is the one coming home.” —Tony Lavario (23:23)
• “Certainty matters … In the absence of that, it’s chaos.” —Greg Wolf (18:22)

---

Important Timestamps

• 01:14 – Double Up Food Bucks food access initiative
• 05:35 – Insurance coverage for prosthetic/orthotic devices
• 08:00 – DOT long-range trails planning and public input
• 12:33 – Crime updates (Tuluksak shooting, elections administrator indictment)
• 15:11 – Tariffs’ consequences and high coffee prices in Alaska
• 19:12 – Bogus Creek 150 sled dog race recap
• 21:40 – Alaska Survival Kit: Winter cycling advice

---

Overall Tone and Highlights

Reflective of Alaska’s practical, community-focused, and resilient spirit—the episode shows concern for those struggling with food insecurity, celebrates communities rallying to maintain programs despite budget constraints, and embraces the challenges—and joys—of winter life in the Far North. The tone is warm, encouraging, and rooted in lived experience, providing not just news but insights and inspiration for Alaskans facing everyday challenges.

Transcript

[Casey Grove]

Support for Alaska Public Media on Demand comes from Siri, an Alaska native corporation with operations and investments spanning five continents, 45 states and two US territories.

[Ashley Carrick]

Everybody should be able to have the most delicious Brussels sprouts that Alaska can grow.

[Casey Grove]

Alaska food producers ask lawmakers to keep state funding for a program that boosts locally grown food from Alaska Public Media. This is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Thursday, February 19th. Good evening. I'm Casey Grove. Also tonight, President Trump's tariffs leave a bad taste with local coffee drinkers.

[Jonathan White]

High coffee prices at the grocery store and at your local drive thru probably aren't going down anytime soon.

[Casey Grove]

Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly.

[Ava White]

The PFD application is open. Just a small amount of your PFD will help share local news and stories about Alaskans with Alaskans across this great state when you choose. Alaska Public Media through Pick Click Give

[Casey Grove]

Alaska farmers and food security advocates are asking the state legislature to continue a program that lets SNAP recipients double their buying power at farmers markets. As the Alaska Desk's Shelby Herbert reports, the request comes on the heels of big changes to federal food assistance programs.

[Shelby Herbert]

If there are two things Alaskans know about their food, it's that one, it's expensive relative to the lower 48, and two, a lot of it comes from somewhere else. To that end, the Alaska Farmers Market association has administered a program for the last five years that allows recipients of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or snap, to double the doll value of their benefits at farmers markets. It's called Double Up Food Bucks and it's paid for by a state Capitol request. But that funding runs out this spring. Now a collection of food security and farmers groups are asking the state legislature for $750,000 to keep it going. Fairbanks Representative Ashley Carrick is sponsoring the request.

[Ashley Carrick]

This is allowing everyone, regardless of income, to have access to locally grown fresh food. It's a great stimulator to our economy and the private as well. It's a great stimulator for local farmers to continue the work they're doing.

[Shelby Herbert]

A lot of Carrick's constituents are tied to agriculture in some way or another. Small farms are plentiful in the interior, but many of the people who run them say they're hard to keep afloat with high operational costs and climate obstacles. Fairbanks and Brad St. Pierre wears a lot of hats in the community, but he identifies first as a farmer. He operates Goosefoot Farm in Fairbanks, where he raises veggies and honey with his family.

[Casey Grove]

Myself, as a farmer, that's the number one goal is to get people food.

[Shelby Herbert]

He also directs the Tanana Valley Farmers Market, which brings in produce grown across an area the size of Indiana, from Manly Hot Springs to Nenana to Delta Junction and throughout Fairbanks. St. Pierre says double up Food Bucks is a win win for Alaska SNAP recipients and farmers, people that are benefiting

[Justine Bright]

from this capital request and also putting money into the PO and the more

[Eric Troyer]

farmers that we can have successful and the stronger the agricultural industry grows in

[Casey Grove]

our state, the closer we'll get to

[Eric Troyer]

a strong and sustainable food system.

[Shelby Herbert]

Advocates for the program's continuation also hope the request will mitigate food insecurity in the wake of sweeping changes to snap. The One Big Beautiful Bill act, which was signed into law by President Trump last summer, broadens who must meet work requirements to remain eligible. The law also shuffles more responsibility over administering SNAP to state governments. Starting October 1, Alaska's Division of Public Assistance will be responsible for three quarters of those administrative costs. All the while, state officials have discussed needing things like better technology and more employees to fix its ongoing SNAP application backlog.

[Ashley Carrick]

Everybody should be able to have the most delicious Brussels sprouts that Alaska can grow.

[Shelby Herbert]

Hannah Hill directs the Breadline, a Fairbanks based anti hunger organization and soup kitchen. They've been working with Representative Carrick on the capital request. Renew Double up Food Bucks. Hill says with less support coming from the federal government, it's more important than ever for the state to preserve programs that connect people in need with nutritious food.

[Ashley Carrick]

I think that everybody should be able to go to a farmer's market and enjoy the products that are grown in our beautiful land, and this is a great way to equalize that a little bit.

[Shelby Herbert]

While supporting farmers, Representative Carrick is tentatively optimistic that the farmers market program will

[Ashley Carrick]

continue on other capital projects might be solving deficit maintenance or investing in newer infrastructure. This is investing in Alaskan people. It's investing especially in those low income folks, those women and children, the folks that most need to put healthy, nutritious food on their plates.

[Shelby Herbert]

Representative Carrick says she's pushing for the program to be included in the state's capital budget, typically one of the last bills to pass during the legislative session. But with a tight state budget, it's unclear whether the program will net enough support to make the cut. Reporting in Fairbanks, I'm Shelby Herbert.

[Casey Grove]

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would require insurance companies to increase coverage for prosthetic and orthotic devices. State Representative Andy Josephson, a Democrat from Anchorage, introduced the bill, but it's being championed by two Alaskans with personal knowledge of the issue. Justine Bright is an Anchorage resident who uses orthotics. She needs extensive orthotic braces because of a serious ankle injury. She says she needs more than one to do all the activities she enjoys, but insurance won't cover a second device.

[Justine Bright]

I'm wearing this ankle foot orthotic and it goes up to almost my knee and it takes a lot of the weight off of my foot and ankle and kind of distributes it better around my leg. This is awesome for hiking, backpacking or going to the gym, but it's challenging for things like cross country skiing, she says.

[Casey Grove]

It's important to remember that insurance covers surgeries and treatment for injured able bodied people to return to activities. This bill aims to ensure people with limb loss or limb difference are treated the same. Alison Kahn makes fits and maintains prosthetic and orthotic devices and partnered with Bright to advocate for the bill. She says right now, insurance usually only covers one everyday prosthetic per patient, but they aren't designed for athletics or even showering.

[Justine Bright]

People are actually trying to run or trying to fish on these more expensive everyday drivers we kind of call them, and the result is more injuries. They're putting themselves at risk and they're also putting the device at risk because it's not the right tool for the job, she says.

[Casey Grove]

Many everyday prosthetics are not waterproof or good for use in the shower, which makes hygiene trickier. Khan and Bright are working with a national organization supporting similar legislation in other states. Several states have passed similar bills into law. Kahn says in the long term, it would save the state on health care costs because it would reduce health costs from sedentary lifestyles. The Governor's Council on Disability and Education supports the bill. If passed, it would take effect in 2028, and advocates for developing Alaska's trails say they're glad to see that the state Department of Transportation is including trails in its Long range plans. DOT scheduled two sessions on trails as part of a week long series of virtual focus group meetings on different transportation modes. KUAC's Tim Ellis reports.

[Tim Ellis]

Eric Troyer is the president of the Fairbanks Cycle Club and he's a member of several trails organizations and the Nordic Ski Club. He says he's glad that DOT is including a trails component in its Long Range Transportation plan. The document will guide development of policies and strategies for different modes of transportation around the state for the next 30 years.

[Eric Troyer]

Trail advocates like myself have often argued that trails are a vital part of transportation, especially in Alaska and out in the bush. They're critical and so to actually have them as part of an overall transportation plan shows that the state is recognizing

[Tim Ellis]

that importance, Troyer says. It's significant that DOT is asking for public comments on the development and maintenance of trails.

[Eric Troyer]

Non motorized transportation is often given a short shift in these transportation meetings and the fact that they are setting aside some time just for that is very valuable from my point of view.

[Tim Ellis]

Mindy Eggleston is president of the Delta Junction Trails association and she shares Troyer's enthusiasm over dot's interest in getting the public's perspective on trails.

[Justine Bright]

I'm really excited to see DOT looking

[Casey Grove]

for public input for a transportation vision

[Justine Bright]

that includes trails and rural roads. A practical plan provides opportunities to build and support needed trails throughout Alaska.

[Tim Ellis]

DOT scheduled eight focus group sessions this week related to different modes of transportation, including two related to trails. According to the website, those sessions were intended to invite public opinion on the integration of walking, biking and other forms of trail based travel to promote things like tourism and public health. Troyer says those objectives reflect the interests of bikers and hikers and others who enjoy traversing trails.

[Eric Troyer]

As a cycle club president, we want to encourage that non motorized transportation. It's very important that we get people out moving and exercising and using roads less with their cars because it's better for them and it's better for our roads, he says.

[Tim Ellis]

Fairbanks Cycle Club members and other volunteers completed work last summer on a single track bike trail and they plan to get to work on another trail project this coming summer. Eggleston says all the public comments will enable DOT to help organizations like the Delta Trails association and others statewide to plan and maintain trails all around the state.

[Casey Grove]

Trail development, maintenance, grooming is so important

[Justine Bright]

and with the future development over the next 30 years, trails and rural roads will play a vital role for accessing our needs and wants.

[Tim Ellis]

DOT also is inviting the public to enter their responses on the Long Range Plan's website. DOT spokesperson Angelica Staubbs says the agency anticipates all the feedback will greatly help development of the plan.

[Ashley Carrick]

You know, after these focus groups are done, we'll have better information. We're going to take that information and then use it.

[Tim Ellis]

All of this week's sessions are being conducted online, but Stobbs says the department is planning to hold in person meetings this spring or summer. March 8th is the comment deadline for the draft transportation plan assessment. She says the DOT will provide more opportunities later in the year to comment on the final draft of the plan. The agency hopes to adopt that plan by the end of the year in Delta Junction. I'm Tim Ellis.

[Casey Grove]

Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, making the most out of winter in Alaska by biking to work every day.

[Tony Lavario]

You know ride to work is always the worst trail and the best trail is the one coming home.

[Casey Grove]

That's ahead. Stay with us.

[Shelby Herbert]

I'm Shelby Herbert, a reporter with the Alaska Desk. That's a joint reporting effort from Alaska Public Media and kuac, where I work in Fair Fairbanks and other public radio stations in Anchorage, Haines and the Illusions. It allows us to connect to the issues happening in communities all across the state. You can hear our stories during The Morning News, Alaska News nightly or online at AlaskaPublic.org the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.

[Casey Grove]

A Tulip Suck man has been charged with second degree murder after another man was found dead from an apparent shotgun wound at a fish camp near the community. According to charging documents, 42 year old Jonathan Owens allegedly shot 54 year old Nelson Hawk at some point in the early morning hours of Sunday at a cabin owned by Owens. Alaska State troopers say they found Hawk's body on Sunday lying in the snow a short distance from the cabin. Inside the cabin, they say they found blood on multiple surfaces. The following day, troopers say they returned to Tulipsack to arrest Owens. Owens has been also charged with two counts of felony assault and one count of tampering with evidence for allegedly hiding the shotgun shotgun and removing a shell casing from the scene. Owens is currently being held in Bethel at the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center. A preliminary hearing in his case is scheduled for February 27th in Bethel Court. The former administrator of Anchorage's city elections has been indicted on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material. A grand jury indicted 36 year old William Northrup February 10th. Northrup was the city's elections administrator in the Municipal Clerk's office from October 2023 to March of 20. The indictment alleges five instances of Northrop knowingly possessing or accessing a computer to view the illicit content. Four allegedly occurred on November 5, 2024 while he was a city employee and another on July 9, 2025 after he resigned. In an email, Municipal Clerk Jamie Heintz said her office was unaware of the charges against Northrop until she was contacted Tuesday by an Anchorage Daily News reporter. She says his abrupt resignation before the 2025 election was unrelated to the investigation. On February 10, a judge issued a warrant for Northrop's arrest and set his bail at $15,000 cash. As of today, court records showed Northrop was not in custody. The State Department of Law did not immediately respond to questions about Northrup's whereabouts, including whether he was still believed to be in. If you've noticed you're paying more for a cup of coffee these days, you're not alone. Bean prices have been extremely volatile in recent years. Then came President Trump's sweeping reciprocal tariffs, which the White House removed on some agricultural products, including coffee in November. But as Alaska Public Media's Ava White reports, those tariff expenses are still impacting local roasters.

[Ava White]

When you step in Zoe Ash's garage in Palmer, you're hit with the smell of coffee. Bags of it are everywhere and come from all over the world.

[Justine Bright]

Okay, so this is the Guatemala. I love that they're like little bags because I can move them myself. This is like cilantro.

[Ava White]

Ash owns Farm Loop Coffee. What started as a hobby about five years ago quickly grew to selling roasted beans at farmers markets and wholesale to eateries around the state. The company specializes in small batch, light and medium roasts and prides itself on carrying a variety of single origin coffees. That Guatemalan coffee Ash was just talking about was delivered earlier this month. The price is up 30% since 2024 and this latest order had an extra 45 cent per pound tariff on top of that.

[Justine Bright]

I'm still just in the aftermath of kind of keeping this whole thing alive. After increases and the tariffs, we're going to keep seeing the effects of tariffs.

[Ava White]

Alaskans love coffee. So much so that Anchorage has one of the highest concentrations of coffee shops per capita in the nation. The United States imports a mind boggling amount of coffee, about $9 billion worth in 2024, but only produces about 1% of it. Damage to harvest Spurred by human caused climate change in top producing countries blended with President Trump's sweeping reciprocal tarif have resulted in significantly higher prices for local roasters like Ash.

[Justine Bright]

It kind of was like a double whammy in a way.

[Ava White]

And it's not just small roasters getting caught in the grind. Jonathan White owns SteamDot, which has two cafes in Anchorage and sells wholesale to many local businesses and retail chains, including Costco and Walmart.

[Jonathan White]

We'll be licking our wounds for a while. It's going to be several months, maybe years, before we're able to find an equilibrium from the losses we incurred in a half a year.

[Ava White]

White's business orders months in advance. He says tariffs, especially on Brazilian coffee, were an unexpected bomb that went off in the industry.

[Jonathan White]

I would say that almost every espresso blend at every coffee shop in America has Brazil in it for a reason.

[Ava White]

SteamDot raised wholesale prices twice in the last year for a combined 11% due to rising costs. Even though coffee tariffs are gone, White says the impact on prices will linger for months. The company is currently working through beans ordered last summer.

[Jonathan White]

The amount of tariffed coffee that still exists in the world is quite high, so brokers, people who sell green coffee want to get rid of that first before they start selling non tariffed coffee. High coffee prices at the grocery store and at your local drive thru probably aren't going down anytime soon.

[Ava White]

Alaskans already sip some of the most expensive coffee in the nation. The average price of a latte costs over $6. Roasters are just one example of businesses in the state still struggling under Trump's tariffs, says Greg Wolf, president and CEO of the Alaska International Business Center. He says the tariff turmoil has left businesses in a haze of uncertainty.

[Jonathan White]

Certainty matters because sometimes you're investing thousands, millions, billions of dollars and you need some level of certainty, some level of predictability. In the absence of that, it's chaos.

[Ava White]

In Wolf's 40 years in the industry, he says he hasn't seen tariffs being used like they are today as an instrument in geopolitical and foreign policy issues. He says it's a difficult time for businesses and experts like himself.

[Jonathan White]

None of us have been in the situation where the tariff policy seems to be the tool of choice.

[Ava White]

Reporting from Reuters says industry experts expect a coffee production surplus this year. That and the removal of tariffs will eventually cool beam prices, but it'll take a while. In Anchorage, I'm Ava White.

[Casey Grove]

Akiak musher Mike Williams Jr. Has won his second consecutive Bogus Creek 150 sled dog race. The race is both a favorite of veteran mushers from the region and a stepping stone for young mushers looking to compete in longer mid distance races with larger race purses. Kyuk's Evan Erickson has more.

[Evan Erickson]

Mike Williams Jr. And his dog team were framed by the sun as it peaked over the horizon upriver from Bethel on Sunday morning. The Akiak musher finished the Bogus Creek 150 just before 10am scoring his second consecutive victory, his third since winning the race back in 2006. At the finish line, he gave credit to his team for the trip to Bogus Creek and back.

[Ashley Carrick]

The dogs are the ones that run this year.

[Evan Erickson]

The 40 year old Williams Jr. And his team have hit their stride. They're coming off a third place finish in the Kuskokwim 300 and multiple sprint race victories because just 11 teams completed this year's Bogus Creek 150, which pays out to the top 15 mushers. Williams Jr took home $16,500 of a $100,000 total race purse. Second place Bogus finisher Michael Larson of Quethlac gave Williams Jr a run for this money. Larson isn't just his second year racing dogs and he kept the veteran Williams Jr in his sights during the 70 mile return trip to Bethel. Larson crossed the finish line just nine minutes after the winner.

[Ashley Carrick]

Maybe four to five miles out from

[Casey Grove]

Bogus, my team got faster.

[Evan Erickson]

This year's third and fourth place mushers Bethel's Maurice Andrews and reigning K300 champion Pete Kaiser were neck and neck in the final miles of the race headed into Straight Slough. Andrew's reaction to his top finish since winning the race back in 2018 was one of surprise.

[Ashley Carrick]

He let you win Maurice. Is that what you said? He left me winning.

[Evan Erickson]

Much of the action in The Bogus Creek 150 takes place on the return trip to Bethel after the mandatory four hour rest at the halfway point. Being the first to the Bogus Creek checkpoint like Williams Jr did last year can be a winning strategy this year. Veteran Queeth look musher Lewis Pavila held onto the first place position all the way to the checkpoint, but on the return trip, Pavola's team started to lose steam. Pavola finished in sixth, but he's still the winningest musher in the race's history with four first place victories. No musher has ever won the Bogus Creek 150 more than twice in a row. This was the third consecutive year that the race was pushed to February due to challenging weather and training conditions. This year it was due to a historic cold snap on the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta in Bethel. I'm Evan Erickson.

[Casey Grove]

Alaska cyclists deal with cold and dark in the winter and sometimes snow, ice, wind, rain, you name it. But some still manage to bike to work every day, even in winter. Who does that? Well, as it turns out, me. Yes, I, Casey Grove, bike to work every day. And I'm not the only one. So how can you convince yourself to give it a go? That's a question I set out to answer for the latest installment of our Alaska Survival Kit series when I heard Tony Lavario, who works at Alaska Air Cargo, does a daily bike commute about twice as long as mine. I had to check it out. But here's the thing. Tony starts his ride at 6:20 every weekday morning. It was A little earlier than that, that we sat down to chat quietly while his fish tank bubbled and his wife and four kids slept. this point in the day, do you ever have to, like, convince yourself to bike?

[Jonathan White]

To work?

[Casey Grove]

Is it hard or no?

[Tony Lavario]

Be brutally honest. Sometimes, you know, especially when the weather's, you know, awful, but, you know, you make a commitment, you know, have it set in your mind that, you know, you know what, I'm just gonna go ahead and do this and. And, you know, especially Mondays. You know, Mondays are always tough.

[Casey Grove]

That part about making it a commitment, it's important. And that's our first key point. If you marry yourself to the idea of bike commuting every day, it's a lot harder to break up with that idea. Tony wanted to get more exercise for health reasons. Plus, his daughter's car broke down, so he started letting her drive his. She eventually replaced her car. But by then, Tony's daily bike commute had become a habit. He was committed. Outside, Tony lifts open his garage door to get his bike always pointed out and ready to go. And pretty soon, we're on our way.

[Tony Lavario]

I had a friend asked me, what's the. What's your worst trail? Well, you've ridden, and what's the best trail? You know, ride. The work is always the worst trail, and the best trail is the one coming home.

[Casey Grove]

Tony also eliminates his car from the equation. It's often buried in snow, and his family's cars are always blocking it in. That's our second important point. Make biking the easiest option. It's something Nancy Fresco pointed to. Nancy researches climate change at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. But she's talking to me as an expert on daily winter bike commuting, and she ought to know. Nancy's been a daily bike commuter for 26 years in a place that saw its second longest stretch of sub zero days ever this winter, including 11 straight days colder than 40 below. Nancy is absolutely not a gearhead. She's been riding the same bike for 14 years, long enough that its logo has worn off and she couldn't remember what brand it is. But she makes winter bike commuting easy by investing in really warm clothes.

[Justine Bright]

Because if you don't have the right gear and you're not comfortable and you're getting hot or cold or wet, then that makes the biking feel undesirable, and it makes it a difficult choice. Whereas if you do have all of that lined out, it makes it the easy and lazy choice.

[Casey Grove]

There is, of course, the expense of the bike and the gear. Riding with studded mountain bike tires is doable on some days, but a fat tire bike makes it possible most days. And not everybody lives close enough to work to bike commute every day, nor can everyone afford the bike and the gear. So that brings up a third important thing to remember if you want a bike to work but you can't do it every day. Start out small and don't beat yourself up over it. Try one or two days, a week or a month. Even if a bike and warm clothing costs some money up front, Nancy says it's nothing compared to constantly filling up your gas tank.

[Justine Bright]

Everyone knows that any maintenance on a car is a lot of dollar signs. So yeah, I mean biking absolutely is is cheaper.

[Casey Grove]

Overall, along with committing to it, making it the easiest option and starting out small, there's a fourth really simple thing that can help a lot. Make it fun. Sometimes I'll race to catch up to other people on the trail, riders who have no idea I'm treating it like the end of a stage in the Tour de France. I also track my rides on Strava. A couple years ago, there was a piece of trail near work that my neighbor and I were battling over, vying to be what the app calls the local legend. It caused me to bike an extra couple of miles every day and has become a way of turning an overly familiar bike ride, one that I do about 250 times a year, into a sort of game. Then there are the little things. Back on the ride with Tony, we're almost to his work. He tells me he used to ride with headphones on, but then he forgot to charge them one day riding in the snow.

[Tony Lavario]

And it's just something about the crunching that is just like, ah, that sounds so good, so satisfying. It's like riding on bubble wrap. In this bubble wrap, I'd have to agree.

[Casey Grove]

It's the sights and the sounds that help make the daily ride more fun. In Anchorage, I'm Casey Grove. And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. We had reports tonight from from Shelby Herbert in Fairbanks, Rachel Cassandra, Wesley early and Ava White in Anchorage, Tim Ellis in Delta Junction and Evan Erickson in Bethel. If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email [e-mail] Our audio engineer is Crystal Hyde. Kirsten Dobroth is our producer and I'm Casey Grove. Good night. This is statewide news on Alaska Public Media.