Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, September 11, 2025

Summary

Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, September 11, 2025

Overview

This episode of Alaska News Nightly explores pivotal news and developments from across Alaska, from shifts in the state’s conservative media landscape to renewable energy challenges in rural communities. Other key stories include difficulties with electric vehicle shipping, a high-profile double homicide, the daunting search for avalanche victims, new mining operations, and grassroots movements to boost food security through community gardening.

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Main Topics & Key Insights

1. Resignation of Suzanne Downing and the Future of Conservative Media (00:23–05:36)

Summary:
Suzanne Downing, founder of the influential conservative blog Must Read Alaska, has resigned following disputes with the site’s owner, raising questions about the outlet’s future and the evolving conservative voice in Alaska politics.

• Background on Must Read Alaska:

  • Founded in 2015 as a newsletter, became a major platform for conservative opinion journalism
  • Downing known as a “bomb thrower and a pot stirrer” (Eric Stone, 01:49)
  • Sold site in 2023 but stayed as contractor

• Resignation Circumstances:

  • Disagreement with owner John Faulkner about a story on ex-Attorney General Treg Taylor and property disclosures
  • Faulkner wanted story removed/modified; Downing refused and resigned
  • Downing: “If you start taking down stories when someone complains, your integrity is shot.” (paraphrased, 02:36)

• Political Impact:

  • Highly influential among both conservatives and liberals
  • Rep. Jamie Allard: “She has for the past decade given the conservative voice a platform... to move forward with the ideals of the conservatives.” (03:34)
  • Jim Lotzfeldt (Democratic consultant): “She fed into an echo chamber and just effectively became the voice for conservatives...” (04:09)
  • Critics: Accusations of dishonesty; Downing responds that she corrects errors and disputes are often just “a difference of opinion.”

• What’s Next:

  • Downing launching new site, restricted by a non-compete for six weeks
  • Future of Must Read Alaska uncertain; Downing wrote most of the content
  • Lotzfeldt: “I think this is really bad news for John Faulkner because I think without her there’s no reason to go to that page.” (05:22)

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2. Renewable Energy Challenges in Rural Alaska (05:51–07:09)

Summary:
Rural Alaska faces growing barriers to renewable energy development due to federal budget cuts and policy shifts, even as advocates stress the necessity of alternatives to fossil fuels.

• Infrastructure Reliance:

  • Small villages depend on fragile infrastructure: diesel plants, fuel tank farms, water systems
  • Jocelyn Fenton (Denali Commission): “Villages depends on a fragile but vital infrastructure system...” (06:10)

• Federal Funding Issues:

  • President Trump’s 2026 budget reduces funding, especially for wind, solar, and batteries
  • Renewable projects “paused or defunded” (06:19)

• Political Debate:

  • Sen. Lisa Murkowski: Programs should not favor one energy source; wind and solar are “quickest and quite honestly, cheapest right now.” (06:57)
  • Sen. Brian Schatz: Office of Indian Energy holding $30 million, waiting for authorization to spend on renewables

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3. Electric Vehicle Shipping Crisis in Alaska (07:55–12:13)

Summary:
Major shipping companies have halted EV transport to Alaska over lithium-ion battery fire risks, disrupting local dealerships and buyers.

• Dealer Experience:

  • Lonnie Khmelov (Affordable Auto Sales, Juneau): “I would say we sell probably about 40% EV.” (08:24)
  • Now limited to ferry shipment: “We’ll find ways to get them here and ship them out if need be... I’m staying positive on that.” (08:54, 08:57)

• Big Dealers Struggle:

  • Cody Richardson (Juneau Auto Mall): “It will definitely affect our ability to grow EV sales in southeast Alaska.” (09:18–09:21)
  • AML continues to ship hybrids, will reevaluate as standards improve

• Root of the Ban:

  • Prompted by a ship fire (June near Adak) involving electric and hybrid vehicles

• Advocates’ Perspective:

  • Steve Benke (Renewable Juneau): Open barge shipping is safer than sealed cargo; Juneau is “a Goldilocks zone for EVs.” (10:37)

• Buyer Frustration:

  • Maggie Miller (Anchorage resident): “I was really disappointed because I just understood this was something we were trying to... make a change and it's something that we totally can support.” (11:30)
  • Ended up switching to a gas-powered Highlander after being unable to get an EV (11:54)

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4. Anchorage Double Homicide and Homeless Community Impact (12:48–13:59)

Summary:
Following the killing of Carl Nielsen Jr. and Sarah Ashley Cummings near a former homeless camp, the affected community mourns and discusses ongoing instability.

• Personal Testimony:
  • Bobbi Leaf: “Once they moved us out of the snow dump, they literally scattered us so we weren’t able to find each other at all times. We didn’t have a safe place to go... when we were together we were safer.” (13:22)
  • On the victims: “...were wonderful, amazing people who would give you the shirt off their backs... who would be there and hug you and hold you if you needed them...” (13:41)

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5. Search Challenges for Avalanche Victims (13:59–15:49)

Summary:
Efforts continue—without success—to recover the bodies of three heli-skiers lost in a deadly March avalanche near Girdwood.

• Persistent Search:

  • Hazardous terrain in steep mountain ravine with deep snow and fast glacial water
  • Trooper Austin McDaniel: “Every time we have flights south of Anchorage, we’re still taking a route that flies us over that area hoping to see some type of clue...” (15:28)

• Company Silence:

  • Chugach Powder Guides refuses to comment on the incident

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6. New Antimony Mining in Fairbanks Region (16:27–19:48)

Summary:
U.S. Antimony Corporation launches a campaign to recover the mineral from historic waste piles, with expansion plans drawing skepticism and local opposition.

• Strategic Resource:

  • Reduces dependency on imports (notably China); no US production in 2024
  • Mining from 1930s-era waste at Mohawk Mine (Ester Dome area)

• Community Concern:

  • Rep. Ashley Carrick: “After having seen the like long term future plans and size of this project. I'm even more concerned about it than I was previously.” (17:32)
  • Lack of public engagement raises issues for Kerrick, who lives near the mine: “I hope that the community is listened to.” (19:28)

• Support for Economic Growth:

  • Rep. Will Stapp: “I think economic growth is generally a good thing and I think responsible resource development is also a good thing...” (18:47)

• Operations:

  • Ore to be trucked to smelter in Montana (20 loads/month)
  • State says scope is small enough to avoid extra permitting for now

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7. Sitka Community Gardens Receive Major Grant Funding (21:22–25:59)

Summary:
Two community garden projects in Sitka receive large grants, aiming to bolster food security and empower residents to grow their own food.

• EPA-Funded Community Garden:

  • $345,000 grant supports land prep and garden development
  • Joel Hansen (project manager): “It’s pretty exciting. I didn't think we'd get this far along. There’s still a lot of work to do, but at least some number of members will be able to start growing gardens in their rented plots next.” (23:00)

• Sitka Tribe of Alaska Initiative:

  • $385,000 from Native American Agricultural Fund to support traditional foods and tribal autonomy
  • Jeff Felpouch (Resource Protection Director): “As soon as we got the funding, my mind started racing about all the things we need to do.” (23:59)
  • Working with Baranof Island Housing Authority to serve those without their own gardening space

• Wider Importance:

  • Joel Hansen: “I think home kitchen gardens are going to become more and more important to people in Sitka in order to get by, with rising cost of prices and wages stagnating.” (25:18)
  • Cliff Richter (BIHA Executive Director): “When you’re in apartment living or higher density, there’s usually not a lot of room to do this sort of thing on your own property.” (25:43)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “She has for the past decade given the conservative voice a platform in which to voice their policies, who they are, and to move forward with the ideals of the conservatives...” — Rep. Jamie Allard (03:34)
• “If you start taking down stories when someone complains, your integrity is shot.” — Suzanne Downing (paraphrased by Eric Stone, 02:36)
• “She fed into an echo chamber... liberals reading it to see what the conservatives were talking about. And thus they started to sort of control the debate.” — Jim Lotzfeldt (04:09)
• “We were safer together.”— Bobbi Leaf, on the homeless community dispersal after the park closure (13:22)
• “I was really disappointed because I just understood this was something we were trying to, you know, do as a country. We were trying to, you know, make a change and it's something that we totally can support.” — Maggie Miller, Anchorage resident on EV shipping barriers (11:30)
• “I hope that the community is listened to.” — Rep. Ashley Carrick, on new mining operations near Fairbanks (19:28)
• “It’s pretty exciting. I didn't think we'd get this far along.” — Joel Hansen, Sitka community garden project manager (23:00)
• “As soon as we got the funding, my mind started racing about all the things we need to do.” — Jeff Felpouch, Sitka Tribe of Alaska (23:59)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:23 — Introduction to Suzanne Downing’s resignation from Must Read Alaska
• 01:49 — Eric Stone explains the significance of Must Read Alaska
• 02:36 — Details of Downing’s resignation and principles
• 03:34 — Rep. Allard and Lotzfeldt discuss Downing’s impact
• 05:51 — Renewable energy struggles in rural Alaska begin
• 07:55 — Shipping stoppage puts EVs out of reach for many Alaskans
• 11:30 — Maggie Miller shares her disappointment buying a gas vehicle instead of EV
• 12:48 — Anchorage double homicide and homeless community impact
• 13:59 — Ongoing search for avalanche victims in the Chugach
• 16:27 — U.S. Antimony initiates mining near Fairbanks; political and local reactions
• 21:22 — Sitka’s community gardens receive grants, sparking new food security efforts

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Tone:
Direct, informative, and community-focused, with many voices highlighting the stakes, debates, and lived experiences behind each story.

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This summary brings you Alaska’s most urgent statewide news, offering context, first-hand voices, and clarity on ongoing developments affecting communities large and small.

Transcript

[Patrick Gilchrist]

Support for Alaska Public Media on Demand comes from Siri, an Alaska Native corporation with operations and investments spanning five continents.

[Casey Grove]

45 states and two US territories.

[Suzanne Downing]

She has for the past decade given.

[Casey Grove]

The conservative voice a platform Conservative blogger Suzanne Downing resigns from the website she originally founded from Alaska Public Media. This is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Thursday, September 11th. Good evening. I'm Casey Grove. Also tonight, despite less available funding, advocates say renewable energy is needed in rural communities.

[Suzanne Downing]

The projects that we can get online quickest and quite honestly, cheapest right now are wind and solar.

[Casey Grove]

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 Oct. 16 for travel as a political act. [e-mail] events the founder of the influential conservative blog Must Read Alaska says she resigned this week over a dispute with the site's owner over a story on former Attorney General Treg Taylor. Suzanne Downing started Must Read Alaska as a newsletter in 2015 and launched a website the following year. Here to discuss Downing's exit and what it means for the future of conservative media in the state is Alaska Public Media's state government reporter, Eric Stone. Eric, first of all, for those not familiar with the site, what is Must Read Alaska?

[Eric Stone]

Well, Casey, if you ask conservative Republicans and Suzanne Downing herself, it's an effort to counterbalance what they see as the liberal bias of the mainstream media. I spoke to Downing this week, though I can't play any clips. She says she's concerned about having her voice cloned by bad actors using artificial intelligence. Downing is a bomb thrower and a pot stirrer, and she has a point of view and she's not shy about it. She calls it opinion journalism and the conservative side of the news. In the decade or so since she founded Must Read Alaska, it's grown into one of the most influential conservative outlets in the state. She told me she sold the site in 2023 to Alaska Gold Communications. That's a firm controlled by Homer businessman John Faulkner to give her more time to spe with her grandchild. But she stayed on as a contractor.

[Casey Grove]

Okay, so why did she resign?

[Eric Stone]

Well, this week, Downing says she got a call from Faulkner about a story she wrote about Treg Taylor. He resigned as attorney general last month and he's widely expected to run for governor. The story, which, by the way, was still up as of Last Check highlights Taylor's request to withhold the names of tenants for he and his wife's rental properties on a financial disclosure form. Downing says Faulkner called her and complained that the story was unfair and wanted the story removed or heavily modified. She refused and resigned. She told me essentially that, you know, if you start taking down stories when someone complains, your integrity is shot. I should mention here I called John Faulkner on the phone and he declined to comment. The vice chair of the board thanked Downing for her service in a statement posted on Must Read Alaska following her resignation.

[Casey Grove]

How influential has Downing been in Alaska politics in the last decade?

[Eric Stone]

Very influential both on the right and on the left. I spoke with Representative Jamie Allard. She's a conservative Republican from Eagle river, and she says Downing's departure is a real loss.

[Suzanne Downing]

She has for the past decade giving given the conservative voice a platform in which to voice their policies, who they are, and to move forward with the ideals of the conservatives who want to see the state move forward.

[Eric Stone]

But it's not just Republicans. A lot of folks opposed to her are avid readers. She built the site into essential reading for both politicians on the left and the right. I spoke to Jim Lotzfeldt about this. He's a political consultant who frequently works with Democrats and moderate Republicans.

[Jim Lotzfeldt]

She fed into an echo chamber and just effectively became the voice for conservatives, with conservatives reading it and liberals reading it to see what the conservatives were talking about. And thus they started to sort of control the debate.

[Eric Stone]

Democrats have accused her of dishonesty. The Alaska House of Representatives voted down a legislative citation that would have honored her earlier this year. Representative Zach Fields, he's an Anchorage Democrat. He called her writing, quote, caustic. Downing says she makes mistakes just like any other journalist, but she says she corrects them and she chalks up the dispute to a difference of opinion.

[Casey Grove]

So what's next for either Downing or Must Read Alaska?

[Eric Stone]

So Downing has a new personal website up, though she says she's under a non compete agreement on what she called local issues. A few stories up on some more national issues like the Charlie Kirk assassination and the Congressional defense Bill, for instance. But she says that non compete expires in six weeks and I'd expect her new site to look pretty familiar once that non compete expires. The future of Must Read Alaska itself is less clear. Downing wrote the vast majority of the content on the site and she was prolific. She'll be hard to replace. Here's Lotsfelt, the political consultant.

[Jim Lotzfeldt]

I think this is really bad news for John Faulkner because I think without her there's no reason to go to that page.

[Eric Stone]

There is some new content up from various contributors, including John Faulkner on Mustard Alaska now, but it's unclear what the future of that site's going to look like.

[Casey Grove]

All right, that was Alaska Public Media state government reporter Eric Stone. Eric, thanks for being here.

[Eric Stone]

Thanks for having me.

[Casey Grove]

Renewable energy provides a sizable share of power in some rural Alaska communities, but these are tough times to seek federal funding for wind and solar. Denali Commission Programs Director Jocelyn Fenton testified to a U.S. senate committee Wednesday about the energy needs in rural Alaska. She emphasized fossil fuel life in these.

[Jocelyn Fenton]

Villages depends on a fragile but vital infrastructure system, small diesel powerhouses, bulk fuel tank farms and water treatment systems.

[Casey Grove]

President Trump has paused or defunded renewable energy projects across the country, including in rural Alaska. His 2026 budget would reduce funding for the Office of Indian Energy while disallowing any of it for wind, solar or battery projects. The hearing in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee was entitled Unleashing Indian Energy. That's a twist on President Trump's executive orders that call for unleashing American and Alaska's energy. But for participants in the hearing, the nuanced message is that renewables should be unleashed, too. Senator Lisa Murkowski, who chairs the committee, says government programs should not favor one energy source over another.

[Suzanne Downing]

The projects that we can get online quickest and quite honestly cheapest right now, are wind and solar, and we do have several of these that are in that pause category, along with some battery storage.

[Casey Grove]

The top Democrat on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii, said his information is that the Office of Indian Energy is Sitting on about $30 million, nearly half of the funds Congress appropriated for this fiscal year. The year ends in a few weeks, though some funds can be held over from one budget cycle to the next. The acting head of the office, David Conrad, said he's not discriminating against renewables with that money, just waiting for word from higher ups in the administration that he has approval to spend it. Major marine shipping companies in Alaska have stopped transporting electric vehicles to the state. Car dealerships are pondering workarounds. But in the meantime, at least some customers who had hoped to buy EVs are stuck with gas powered vehicles instead of Ktool's. Alex Solomon has more.

[Alex Solomon]

Lonnie Khmelov is taking his dealership's best selling car out for a ride, the electric Subaru Solterra.

[Eric Stone]

It's going to be hot in here for a minute because it's a Hot day.

[Alex Solomon]

Khmelov owns Affordable Auto Sales in Juneau, and until last week, he got all of his EVs shipped through Alaska Marine Lines. That's true for all the car dealerships in Juneau. Kamelev currently has 50 cars on the lot and nearly half are EVs.

[Eric Stone]

I would say we sell probably about 40% EV.

[Alex Solomon]

But now AML has stopped shipping electric vehicles to Alaska due to the fire risk posed by lithium ion batteries. This came after two other major shipping companies, Matson and Tote Maritime, suspended their EV shipments to the state for the same reason. Now, Khmelov says He'll probably ship EVs on the ferry, which has a limit of two at a time.

[Eric Stone]

I do think that going to continue selling EVs and we'll find ways to.

[Casey Grove]

Get them here and ship them out if need be.

[Eric Stone]

So yeah, I'm staying positive on that.

[Alex Solomon]

Because his operation is small. He says getting just a few cars in per week is plenty. But down the road at Juno Auto Mall, the largest dealership in town, manager Cody Richardson is less optimistic.

[Eric Stone]

Without.

[Casey Grove]

A detailed workaround to get cars here, it.

[Eric Stone]

It will definitely affect our ability to.

[Casey Grove]

To grow EV sales in southeast Alaska.

[Alex Solomon]

Richardson says EVs have made up less than 5% of their sales so far this year, but even that demand may be hard to keep up with. AML didn't agree to an interview for this story, but in a statement, a spokesperson said the company still ships hybrid vehicles that don't plug in and will reassess its ability to safely ship EVs and plug in hybrids as industry standards and safety procedures improve. The decision came after a cargo ship carrying electric, hybrid and standard vehicles caught fire and burned for days before sinking off the coast of Adak in June. All 22 crew members evacuated on a lifeboat and were rescued by another vessel. Steve Benke leads Renewable Juneau, a nonprofit that advocates for clean energy. He says he hears the shipping company's safety concerns, but as we understand it.

[Casey Grove]

The circumstances are just totally different in terms of the shipping that AML is doing. They're using open barges. They're not cramming a bunch of vehicles.

[Eric Stone]

Down in the hold of a cargo ship.

[Alex Solomon]

And he says EVs make good sense for Alaska's capital city, which runs on relatively cheap hydroelectric power, has a small network of roads and a moderate climate that isn't rough on car batteries.

[Casey Grove]

Juneau is a Goldilocks zone for EVs.

[Alex Solomon]

But it's unclear if car dealerships are facing the same problem in the rest of the state. A handful of dealerships in Anchorage didn't respond to interview requests for the story. But anecdotally, it may be harder to buy an EV in the state's largest city. Anchorage resident Maggie Miller ran into roadblocks when she explored buying one in August. Miller's teenage son totaled the family's 2013 Toyota Highlander while learning to drive.

[Jocelyn Fenton]

And we had been intending to buy an EV next fall when he turned 16. And so, so when this total happened, we were like, well, maybe we should go ahead and get the ev.

[Alex Solomon]

So the Millers called Continental Subaru to see about the Solterra. That's when they heard that the dealership can't get them because shipping companies won't transport EVs to Alaska anymore. She says she was surprised.

[Jocelyn Fenton]

I was really disappointed because I just understood this was something we were trying to, you know, do as a country. We were trying to, you know, make a change and it's something that we totally can support.

[Alex Solomon]

And Miller is often shuttling her two kids and nephews to their sports and other activities and needed a car to replace the totaled one. So she ended up just buying another gas powered Highlander.

[Jocelyn Fenton]

It's just a bummer that there's this, you know, improvements in technology, but there are all these barriers to taking the steps to do the right thing.

[Alex Solomon]

Miller says she hopes dealerships can find a way to get EVs to Anchorage, either with additional charging stations on the Alcan highway or a change in shipping policy. In Juneau, I'm Alex Solomon.

[Casey Grove]

Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, recent grants for community gardens seek to boost food security in Sitka.

[Jeff Felpouch]

As soon as we got the funding, you know, my mind started racing about all the things we need to do.

[Casey Grove]

That's ahead. Stay with us.

[Alex Solomon]

Alaska Public Media is now partnering with an Alaskan auction service so a helpful local team can get the biggest return for the least hassle should you decide to donate your vehicle. Learn [e-mail] vehicle the man and woman.

[Casey Grove]

Killed Tuesday near an Anchorage park that once housed a homeless camp are fondly remembered by those still on the streets. Police say 44 year old Carl Nielsen Jr. And 34 year old Sarah Ashley Cummings were the people found dead in a snow dump area near the park early Tuesday morning. Police are investigating their deaths as a double homicide and have not yet announced any arrests. The park area once housed two large homeless camps, which the city cleared in June. At nearby Lyons park today, Bobbi Leaf says she's still been in the area after police dispersed what she calls a closely knit homeless community.

[Suzanne Downing]

Once they moved us out of the snow dump, they literally scattered us so we weren't able to find each other at all times. We didn't have a safe place to go. They're still moving us about and moving us about, and the fact is, when we were together we were safer.

[Casey Grove]

She says she knew Nielsen and Cummings and was awakened Tuesday by the gunshots police say killed them.

[Suzanne Downing]

I'll tell you this, they were wonderful, amazing people who would give you the shirt off their backs, who would drag you nuts, who would make you smile, who would be there and hug you and hold you if you needed them, who would take you in if you needed warmth, who would run across town to get you something if you needed it, if you were sick. They were wonderful people.

[Casey Grove]

Police are asking anyone with information about Nielsen and Cummings deaths to call them at 311. Alaska State Troopers and volunteer searchers have so far been unable to recover the bodies of three heli skiers caught in an avalanche last spring in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood. The March 4th avalanche killed three out of state residents, David Linder, Charles Eppert and Jeremy Leaf. The three friends grew up together in Minnesota and were on a guided hilly skiing trip with Chugach Powder Guides near the West Fork of the twenty Mile river, according to troopers. Despite repeated efforts over the summer, including the troopers flying in members of the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and Girdwood Fire Department, the men's bodies remain on the mountain. Trooper spokesman Austin McDaniel says the terrain has been a huge obstacle.

[Jim Lotzfeldt]

You have a very steep mountain ravine that this avalanche slid down into and compacted high up in the mountains in an area that's only accessible by helicopter.

[Casey Grove]

And under that compacted snow, McDaniel says, is a fast moving glacial river. McDaniel says troopers had flown over the area in March after the avalanche struck and pinged beacons the men were wearing at between 40 and 100ft deep in the snow. Since then, he says, the troopers helicopter has flown over the site at least twice a month using advanced optical sensors to search for the men's bodies, to no avail.

[Jim Lotzfeldt]

Every time we have flights south of Anchorage, we're still taking a route that flies us over that area hoping to see some type of clue or evidence that might help us and our technical rescue folks that we're working with be able to recover human remains and bring closure to these three families.

[Casey Grove]

McDaniel says recovering the bodies remains a priority. Chugach Powder Guides has refused to comment on the fatal avalanche. A lawyer acting as a spokesperson for the Heli ski company did not respond to a phone call Wednesday. A Dallas based mining company says it started its first work to recover antimony from previously mined land in Alaska on Monday. The new activity is taking place at the Mohawk Mine, which is in the Ester Dome area near Fairbanks. As KUAC's Patrick Gilchrist reports, it's currently a small operation, but part of the U.S. antimony Corporation's broader campaign to mine the critical mineral in Alaska and transport ore to the lower 48.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

US Antimony says their projects will reduce domestic reliance on foreign adversaries for materials like antimony that are essential to national defense and energy technologies. The company says it's prioritizing a strategy to recover the mineral from discarded rock waste at historic mining sites, though it's conducting exploration for potential underground mining in the future. Operations started at the Mohawk property after an exclusive VIP site visit. Industry leaders, local and state elected officials and their staff, as well as staff for Alaska's congressional delegation were among those invited. The company planned for about two dozen to make it to the tour. KUAC did not confirm how many of them attended, but West Fairbanks Democratic Representative Ashley Carrick was there. She represents House District 35, which includes the Esther area. Kerrick says they visited multiple parcels around Ester Dome that the company has acquired. She opposes U.S. antimony's plans and says the tour only compounded her worries, especially.

[Jocelyn Fenton]

After having seen the like long term future plans and size of this project. I'm even more concerned about it than I was previously.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

In total, US Antimony says it has about 240 mining claims covering around 25,000 acres near Fairbanks Tok and the McLaren River. The Mohawk property is located a little less than a mile north of the junction of St. Patrick and Henderson roads in Esther. U.S. antimony says it acquired the site at the end of June. In response to an interview request, company CEO Gary Evans said in an emailed statement that they hosted the officials to, quote, foster open dialogue and highlight how the project can contribute to the interior's economy while reinforcing Alaska's role in critical mineral security. The United States didn't produce any antimony domestically in 2024, according to the US Geological Survey. Last year, the US imported more than 60% of its antimony from China, which banned export of it and other minerals to the US In December. East Fairbanks Republican Representative Will Stapp also went to US Antimony's exclusive tour. He says he thinks the company's plans to invest in the area are promising.

[Jim Lotzfeldt]

I was definitely optimistic. I think economic growth is generally a good thing and I think responsible resource development is also a good thing. And we just want to make sure that the operations are out there are safe and least disruptive for the residents as possible.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

The company plans to truck raw ore from its Alaska claims to a smelter in Montana at a rate of 20 loads per month. Mohawk is the first site where activity is getting underway, And Carrick says U.S. antimony officials told the group that crews were going to begin reclaiming antimony from old deposits right after the visit ended. Kerrick lives in the vicinity of the mine, and she says the company has yet to engage with the community in any public meetings.

[Jocelyn Fenton]

So the project is already happening and the plans for expansion are already developed. I hope, because they did suggest they have a commitment to hearing from the public. I hope that that actually happens and I hope that the community is listened to.

[Patrick Gilchrist]

In a letter to Alaska's Department of Natural Resources, the Dallas based company said it isn't breaking new ground at Mohawk and is instead targeting antimony in waste piles generated by mining at the site in the 1930s. The department okayed that activity earlier this month, saying it's small enough in scope to not require permits from the state Mining Division in Fairbanks. I'm Patrick Gilchrist.

[Casey Grove]

Heavy rain in Sitka triggered debris flow, flooding and one landslide last night. Sitka Fire Department engineer Zach Carlson said that around 11:45pm the fire department responded to reports of debris flow in the 1900 block of Cascade Creek Road. A section of land had destabilized from Cedar Heights Drive flowing downward toward Cascade Creek Road. No injuries were reported as a result of the slide activity. Later, around 1am the fire department responded to reports of flooding on Monastery street between DeGroff and Hearst Streets. As of press time, the intersection of Monastery and Hearst street was closed. City officials say that drivers and pedestrians should avoid the Monastery street area and use alternate routes until further notice. With concerns about food security in southeast Alaska, two Sitka community gardens have received grant funding to support their development. KCAW's Ryan Cotter reports that organizers hope more Sitkins will be able to seek food independence.

[Ryan Cotter]

With the sun shining and no Seeums buzzing around, excavation contractors Troy Bain is cutting out pieces of tarp over a patch of muskeg.

[Joel Hansen]

This is a barrier to keep the rock from sinking into the muskeg. It just adds stability to the rock.

[Ryan Cotter]

Bain has been hired by Sitka Community Garden for the past few weeks to prepare the land for the next phase of construction. One of the Main things he is working on today is building a layer of gravel that will serve as an area for street parking as mandated by the city government.

[Joel Hansen]

So this will all be gravel for the time being and possibly a concrete slab underneath the shed roof. This will be the access from the parking lot to the garden beds right through here. We'll have a dump truck here in a minute. And you can see, see the process of actually putting the rock on the fabric.

[Ryan Cotter]

This construction is being funded by a $345,000 grant or to the community garden by the U.S. environmental Protection Agency. Joel Hansen, the project manager for the community garden, is assisting Bain in preparing the land for excavation. He found out the week prior that he won the grant he applied for. He says he's been collaborating with Transition Sitka and the Sitka Local Food Network on this project for the past two years.

[Joel Hansen]

It's pretty exciting. I didn't think we'd get this far along. There's still a lot of work to do, but at least some number of members will be able to start growing gardens in their rented plots next.

[Ryan Cotter]

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Indian River, a 40,000 square foot area of Muskeg has recently been approved to be the home of a new community garden in Sitka.

[Jeff Felpouch]

We're at the very end of Rudolph Walton, and the garden will be off to the right here, off the little cul de sac.

[Ryan Cotter]

That's Jeff Felpouch, the Resource Protection Department director for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. The organization recently won a $385,000 grant from the Native American Agricultural Fund to develop a community garden to support their current traditional foods program, as well as to provide tribal members with accessible food, even potentially encouraging them to grow their own, much to the delight of Felpouch.

[Jeff Felpouch]

I'm jazzed. As soon as we got the funding, you know, my mind started racing about all the things we need to do.

[Ryan Cotter]

The Native American Agricultural Fund previously funded a collaboration with the U.S. forest Service in developing raised beds for tlingit potatoes and 100 raspberry plants, which inspired the development of a community garden. The tribe is partnering with the Baranof Island Housing Authority, known as BIHA for short, who helped them scout and finalize the plot of land the garden will eventually be built on. The two organizations found themselves working with the same people.

[Jeff Felpouch]

BIHA plays into this a lot, too, because they have renters who don't have property, the ability to have gardens of their own at the same time. A lot of those, a lot of their clients are tribal citizens. So we felt it was a good match there.

[Ryan Cotter]

The grant will be used to fund garden development as well as the salary of three Sitka Tribe staff who will be supporting garden programming as they begin executing this project. Their staff have researched what other community gardens across southeast Alaska have done. Joel Hanson from the current Community Garden also reached out to the tribe shortly after hearing of their grant. What both groups have in common is their resolute belief in the importance of community gardens. Given the current state of the economy.

[Joel Hansen]

I think home kitchen gardens are going to become more and more important to people in Sitka in order to get by, with rising cost of prices and wages stagnating.

[Ryan Cotter]

Additionally, BIHA Executive Director Cliff Richter argues that community gardens create an opportunity for residents to explore gardening when they wouldn't have the space to do it at their home.

[Casey Grove]

When you're in apartment living or higher density, there's usually not a lot of room to do this sort of thing on your own property. And so this is going to provide an opportunity to for people to spread out and do some things they may not be able to do and get creative with it too.

[Ryan Cotter]

While there are still development logistics to work through, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska hopes to begin construction on their garden next spring in Sitka. I'm Ryan Cotter.

[Casey Grove]

And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. If you missed any of tonight's stories, we're [e-mail] and wherever you get your podcasts. We had reports tonight from Eric Stone and Alex Solomon in Juneau, Liz Ruskin and Chris Clint in Anchorage, Patrick Gilchrist in Fairbanks and Ryan Cotter in Sitka. If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email [e-mail] Our audio engineer is Chris Hyde, Madeline Rose is our producer and I'm Casey Grove. Good night.