Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Summary

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Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Podcast: Alaska News Nightly – Alaska Public Media
Host: Wesley Early
Original Air Date: April 1, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of Alaska News Nightly covers a range of statewide issues, including political debates over military priorities and veterans’ affairs, significant updates in criminal justice and education, an in-depth look at the development of a proposed gold mine, environmental concerns, and community stories from across Alaska. The tone is informative and thorough, reflecting the pressing matters and local impacts affecting Alaskans from Anchorage to Nome and Juneau.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Senator Dan Sullivan's Senate Confirmation Hearings

[00:19–05:00]

• Military Strategy & Alaska’s Importance:

  • Senator Dan Sullivan used a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to highlight Alaska's strategic global position, quoting Billy Mitchell:

    "Whoever controls this place controls the world. It is the most strategic place in the world. What place was Billy Mitchell talking about? General? Alaska." – Senator Dan Sullivan [02:46]

  • Sullivan emphasized his opposition to perceived Pentagon politicization and advocated for expanding military assets in Alaska, referencing incursions by Russia and China and reopening the ADAC military base.

• Veterans Affairs & Legal Fees:

  • In a separate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing, Sullivan pressed for capping attorney fees in cases involving Camp Lejeune marines exposed to toxic water. His frustration was clear:

    "Okay, you're getting ready to lose my vote here. That's the wrong answer. The Marines are the ones who need the money, right?" – Senator Dan Sullivan [04:19]

  • The nominee’s response was criticized as inadequate by Sullivan.

• Political Context:

  • The hearings showcased partisan tension, with Democratic senators focused on checks against presidential use of the military for domestic purposes.

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2. Alaska Court of Appeals Rules on High-Profile Parole Denial

[05:00–07:48]

• Case Summary:
  • The Alaska Court of Appeals upheld parole denial for James Stoneking, convicted in 1987 of murdering his estranged wife.
• Key Legal Clarification:
  • The ruling clarified that the parole board cannot deny parole solely based on the severity of an offense; "the board did make some improper remarks... but... cited specifics to show the extreme nature of the case." – Patrick Gilchrist [06:36]
  • Sets precedent for future parole decisions in Alaska.

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3. High-Profile Sexual Assault Case Set for Trial

[07:48–08:59]

• Former Juno Chiropractor Jeffrey Foltz Case:
  • Foltz is accused of assaulting more than a dozen women under guise of medical care over more than a decade; trial set for April 21.
  • Case has faced significant delays due to complexity, witness numbers, and pandemic backlog.

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4. Community Safety: Anchorage Pedestrian Fatalities

[09:06–10:28]

• Recent Fatal Accident:
  • A pedestrian and a dog were fatally struck at a Midtown Anchorage intersection, marking the city’s fifth pedestrian fatality this year.

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5. Environmental & Economic Development: Gold Mine Exploration in Juneau

[10:28–14:32]

• Project Overview:

  • Grand Portage Resources, a Canadian mining company, is advancing environmental studies for the "New Amelga Gold Deposit" near Herbert Glacier, north of Juneau.

• Economic and Environmental Impact:

  • Years of development and permitting ahead; conceptual plans include offsite ore processing to avoid onsite chemical processing/tailings.
  • Environmental advocates raise concerns about the definition of "reasonable" environmental damage:

    "Mining is inherently destructive, so... what level of damage is considered reasonable? ...Does that align with the people in Juneau’s vision for their environment? A lot remains to be seen." – Guy Archibald [11:40]

  • Company has signed a letter of intent with Goldbelt Inc. for developing an ore terminal at Cascade Point.
  • Federal/State regulatory landscape complicated by current administration’s pro-mining orders and U.S.-Canada trade tensions.

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6. Fairbanks School District Passes Deeply Divisive Budget

[14:32–18:23]

• Budget Shortfalls & School Closures:

  • The district confronts a $16 million deficit, declining enrollment (down 2,000 students in 10 years), and flat state funding.

• Difficult Choices:

  • Outsourcing custodial staff, closing two elementary schools, increasing class sizes (26 element., 29 middle, 32 high).
  • Emotional debates among board members—calls for increased state funding and frustration at funding limitations:

    "Every child in this entire state has been grossly underfunded by the state and we’re here doing that work, trying to figure it out." – Board Member Morgan Doolian [16:56]

• Legislative Context:

  • Emphasis on the need for passage of House Bill 69 to raise the base student allocation by $1,000.
  • Split vote passed budget along lines of least-worst necessity rather than true agreement.

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7. Mount Spurr’s Looming Eruption & State Preparedness

[18:23–19:19]

• Volcano Threat & Uncertainty:
  • Mount Spurr, near Anchorage, shows signs of erupting for the first time since 1992; primary threat is ashfall.
  • Flight operations could be affected statewide, including Juneau.

    "If it goes off suddenly, can we handle diverted flights in here... and making sure that we’re prepared." – Patty Watto, Juneau International Airport [19:04]

  • State has launched public guidance and real-time updates online.

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8. Community Initiatives: Bright Lights Book Project Delivers to Nome

[19:19–21:54]

• Reviving Education with Donated Books:
  • Bright Lights Book Project, founded by Alice Culhane, delivered thousands of rescued books to Nome schools.
  • Emphasis on inspiring new generations:

    "When you get a book into the hands of any individual, they then own that book and it becomes a part of their library." – Alice Culhane [20:35]

• Student Engagement:
  • Enthusiastic response from kids; evidence that interest in physical books remains strong.

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9. Kobuk 440 Sled Dog Race Preview

[21:54–25:45]

• Race Details:
  • Starts Thursday; 13 mushers signed up for the 440-mile course from Kotzebue through seven villages and back.
• Race Conditions & Participants:
  • Good regional snow cover but fresh powder may slow the trail.
  • Mix of rookies and veterans; notable musher Jesse Holmes (2025 Iditarod winner) returns.
  • Some mushers, like Laurel Eklund, made the trip from Nome to Kotzebue after finishing the Iditarod—a testament to the unique journeys and spirit of the mushers.

    "I always find that to be such a great journey that the dogs have been on. They’ve seen a lot of terrain." – Hannah Atkinson [24:28]

• Community Involvement:
  • Festivities include local contests, races, and communal gatherings.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Alaska’s Strategic Military Value:

  "Whoever controls this place controls the world. It is the most strategic place in the world. What place was Billy Mitchell talking about? General? Alaska."
  – Senator Dan Sullivan [02:46]

• On Underfunding of Public Schools:

  "Every child in this entire state has been grossly underfunded by the state and we’re here doing that work, trying to figure it out."
  – Board Member Morgan Doolian [16:56]

• On Community Book Access:

  "When you get a book into the hands of any individual, they then own that book and it becomes a part of their library."
  – Alice Culhane [20:35]

• On Mining and Environmental Concerns:

  "Mining is inherently destructive, so... what level of damage is considered reasonable? ...Does that align with the people in Juneau’s vision for their environment? A lot remains to be seen."
  – Guy Archibald [11:40]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Senate Hearings & Alaska’s Military Focus: [00:19–05:00]
• Parole Decision & Legal Analysis: [05:00–07:48]
• Sexual Assault Case Goes to Trial: [07:48–08:59]
• Anchorage Pedestrian Fatalities: [09:06–10:28]
• Gold Mine Exploration in Juneau: [10:28–14:32]
• Fairbanks Schools Budget Crisis: [14:32–18:23]
• Mount Spurr Eruption Preparation: [18:23–19:19]
• Book Project in Nome: [19:19–21:54]
• Kobuk 440 Sled Dog Race: [21:54–25:45]

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Episode Tone and Takeaways

The episode maintains a factual and urgent yet community-focused tone. It highlights the intersection of national politics and local impacts, the struggles for adequate education funding, the enduring value of community projects, and the environmental and economic crossroads Alaska faces. Through compelling stories and direct voices, the episode provides a comprehensive snapshot of what matters to Alaskans right now.

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Transcript

[Announcer]

Support for Alaska Public Media On Demand.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Comes from Siri, an Alaska native corporation.

[Announcer]

With operations and investments spanning five continents.

[Narrator/Reporter]

45 states and two US territories.

[Senator Dan Sullivan]

It is the most strategic place in the world. What place was Billy Mitchell talking about? General?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Alaska.

[Wesley Early]

A confirmation hearing in the US Senate isn't all about the nominee. From Alaska Public Media, this is statewide news on Alaska Alaska News nightly for Tuesday, April 1st. Good evening, I'm Wesley Early. Also tonight, the Fairbanks North Starborough School Board confronts a familiar budget reality.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

Every child in this entire state has been grossly underfunded by the state and.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We'Re here doing that work, trying to figure it out.

[Wesley Early]

Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly. You can learn a lot from a Senate confirmation hearing and not just about the nominee. Alaska US Senator Dan Sullivan had a chance at the Senate Armed Services Committee today to question President Trump's nominee to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Dan Kaine. Alaska Public Media's Liz Ruskin reports on what issue Sullivan chose to raise with the man likely to soon be the nation's most senior military officer.

[Senator Dan Sullivan]

Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to begin by agreeing with.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Confirmation hearings are ostensibly a chance for senators to ask nominees about their background, policy views and how they intend to fill the duties of the position. But senators often use them not to extract information, but to deliver it to the nominee, to other senators and to the C span. Watching public, Sullivan raised several topics that are recurring themes for him. As he often does. He called out what he sees the liberal agenda of past Pentagon appointees.

[Senator Dan Sullivan]

I think the military was politicized in a huge way, particularly from the civilian leaders who were pushing left wing theories on the military, pushing climate change over shipbuilding. The undersecretary for Policy came before this committee and told us that our military is, quote, systemically racist. It's ridiculous, right?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Sullivan has repeatedly pushed back on this broad brush allegation of racism at this hearing. It served as a bit of counter programming since it was interspersed between Democratic senators asking Kaine what he'd do if Trump tried to use the military against civilians or to carry out domestic political goals. Sullivan moved on to a topic any regular observer of these proceedings knew was coming.

[Senator Dan Sullivan]

I'm not going to let this hearing go by without a famous quote from the father of the US Air Force, Billy Mitchell, who was talking about a certain place in the world. He said, whoever controls this place controls the world. It is the most strategic place in the world. What place was Billy Mitchell talking about? General Alaska. Do you agree with Billy Mitchell's? Incredibly insightful analysis.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Mitchell was a brilliant air power.

[Senator Dan Sullivan]

That's a yes. I assume you're saying yes, sir.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Sullivan raises Billy Mitchell to argue for more military assets in Alaska. He spoke at the hearing of repeated Russian and Chinese incursions in the North Pac near Alaska. He talked about the value of reopening the military base at ADAC. And he made a plug for 8A contracting. The 8 program allows the federal government to sign sole source contracts with certain types of businesses and some Alaska Native corporations have done well with it. When Sullivan's five minutes in the Armed Services Committee were up, he moved on to another confirmation hearing in the Veterans Affairs Committee. There he raised another issue he's passionate about capping attorn fees for law firms representing Marines exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune. Sullivan grew frustrated as the nominee to be general counsel for the va, James Baer equivocated.

[Announcer]

Thank you, sir.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I think the issue of representation and making sure that folks have aggressive representation helping them and helping them to get their money is important. And the VA has.

[Senator Dan Sullivan]

Okay, you're getting ready to lose my vote here. That's the wrong answer. The Marines are the ones who need the money, right?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Absolutely.

[Announcer]

I was going to say that I.

[Senator Dan Sullivan]

Need to talk because you just. Boy, oh boy. That's the wrong answer.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Senator Angus King's turn came next. The independent from Maine said all the discussion about the fine points of veterans policy seemed like playing music on the deck of the Titanic. Given that the Trump administration has fired thousands of employees at the va. Both committees will vote on the nominations at a later date. Committee Democrats didn't put up much of a fight, so confirmation appears likely. For Alaska public Media, I'm Liz Ruskin.

[Wesley Early]

In an opinion published Friday, the Alaska Court of Appeals upheld a decision denying parole for a North Pole man convicted of murdering his wife nearly 40 years ago. The court's opinion also supplies an interpretation of state law to clarify some of the powers of the Alaska Parole Board. KUC's Patrick Gilchrist reports the appeals court's.

[Announcer]

Ruling stems from a 1987 incident. That's when then 33 year old James Stoneking broke into his estranged wife's house through a window before shooting and killing her and critically injuring the man she was with. The two children of Stone King and his wife were also home at the time but were not physically harmed. Stone King was later convicted of first degree murder, assault and burglary and sentenced to 99 years to serve. In 2019, he applied for discretionary parole. The Alaska Parole Board denied the application for numerous reasons, including that releasing him would be a threat to the public and would diminish the seriousness of the crime, end quote. The board also said that Stone King must wait another 10 years before applying for parole again. To challenge that decision, he filed for post conviction relief in Fairbanks Superior Court, where the judge sided with the parole board. Stone King's appeal to the Alaska Court of Appeals then followed. He argued the board had garbled its use of the state law that outlines when to release or not release a prisoner on parole. Stone King's appeal also accused the board of independently deciding the amount of time served that's adequate for his murder conviction. The opinion, published Friday says those arguments required the appeals court judges to interpret Alaska law and describe the state board's responsibilities when determining if parole would diminish the seriousness of a crime. The appeals judges wrote that when evaluating that criterion, the parole board may consider circumstances that show the original offense to be especially egregious. But the judges added a clarification, saying that being convicted of a serious felony offense is not by itself sufficient proof that allowing a defendant parole would diminish the crime's seriousness. In other words, the court says the board can't deny eligible prisoners parole only because they think a minimum punishment isn't long enough. The appeals court opinion states that the board did make some improper remarks about the term of Stone King's imprisonment when considering his parole application. But the judges say the board members also cited specifics to show the extreme nature of the case. And the opinion ultimately affirms the Superior Court's decision and upholds the parole denial. In Fairbanks, I'm Patrick Gilchrist.

[Wesley Early]

After nearly four years, the sexual assault case against a former Juno chiropractor is slated to go to trial April 21. Jeffrey Foltz is accused of assaulting more than a dozen women under the guise of medical care. Police arrested Foltz in 2021 based on initial accusations that he had assaulted three patients while he was a chiropractor for Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium. More women have come forward since, and he now faces 18 felony sexual assault charges and one misdemeanor harassment charge. Some of the alleged crimes date back more than a decade, according to Assistant District Attorney Jesselyn Gillum. Several factors have delayed the trial over the years, including the case's complexity, the number of witnesses and a backlog of criminal cases in Juneau left over from the pandemic when in person trials put on hold the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica reported early this year that Felony cases in Alaska often face years of delays requested by defense attorneys and approved by judges. Foltz has been living in Colorado since he posted bail three years ago. He's made one in person appearance in Juneau court since. Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, a Canadian company kicks off a lengthy process to set up a gold mine in Juneau.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There's years and years of development in terms of meeting all the different requirements.

[Wesley Early]

That's ahead. Stay with us. A pedestrian and a dog were fatally struck this morning at a busy intersection in Midtown Anchorage, according to police. Police responded to the Seward highway collision at Benson boulevard shortly after 6am Police say the man had stopped in a Seward highway crosswalk when he saw a vehicle hit the dog. Two southbound pickup trucks with a green light then struck the man. Medics responded soon afterward, but the man died at the scene. The truck's drivers cooperated with officers and no charges have been filed. Police say it's not clear whether the dog belonged to the man who was struck. Police haven't yet named him as they notify his family. He's the city's fifth person to be fatally struck by drivers this year after 15 pedestrians were killed in Anchorage last year. The death comes just days after a 54 year old man was hit and killed Friday on the Glenn highway near Boniface Parkway. The Seward's southbound lanes were closed at Benson for about six hours today. A Canadian company announced last month it's starting multiple environmental studies to explore a possible new gold mine in Juneau. The announcement comes as the Trump administration pushes to ramp up mineral production in the US and as gold prices are seeing a historic surge in value. But as ktooo's Clarice Larsen reports, any potential gold production is still years away.

[Ian Klassen]

The project is called the New Amelga Gold Deposit and it's being led by Grand Portage Resources, a Vancouver based mineral exploration company. It was formerly called the Herbert Gold Project and it's proposed to be located near the Herbert Glacier, about 15 miles north of downtown Juneau. It lies within Juneau's historic gold belt, an area that has produced millions of ounces of gold since it was discovered in the 1800s. Ian Klassen, the president and CEO of the company, says the studies are critical to advancing the project forward and making it a Alaska's next great gold mine.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We've been excited about this project for a long, long time. You know, it's one of the largest, richest, undeveloped deposits around.

[Ian Klassen]

Grand Portage has been drilling on federal mining claims in the Tongass National Forest on and off since 2010, and it's already completed five years worth of baseline environmental water studies. When the company first began drilling more than a decade ago, it faced some pushback from local environmental groups and advocates. Guy Archibald is the executive director of the Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission. He says the proposed mining project is still very conceptual and it's difficult to know how impactful it could be on Juneau residents.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Mining is inherently destructive, so you know what level of damage is considered reasonable because federal law only bans unreasonable levels of damage. So you know what level here are they going to consider to be reasonable and does that align with the people in Juneau's vision for their particular environment? A lot remains to be seen.

[Ian Klassen]

Mining already plays a major role in Juneau, socially and economically. The city has strong ties to the largest silver mine in the nation, Hecla Greens Creek Mine on Admiralty Island. There's also Kensington Mine, a gold mine located about 45 miles north of town. While there are still many unknowns about the project, the company has begun to put conceptual plans into place. One involves sending the ore off site to be processed at a third party facility that would allow it to operate while avoiding the need for chemical processing or tailing storage facilities at the site. Tailings are the ground up rock that's left over after the extraction of valuable metals like gold, sink or silver. Last fall, the company also announced it had signed a letter of intent with the local Alaska native corporation, Goldbelt Inc. To see if it could develop an ore terminal at Goldbelt's property at Cascade Point. That area is beyond where the road ends in Juneau, and it's also where a new ferry terminal is proposed to be located. Archibald says that idea could come with its own set of issues.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The tailings are going to go somewhere, may not be on, you know, the side of the Herbert river, but they're going to go somewhere. You're talking lots of truck traffic up and down the road, loading it, you know, on a barge to some mill somewhere else.

[Ian Klassen]

Klassen, with Grand Portage Resources, says it's hard to give a timeline for when the project may become a reality. Developing a mine would require state and federal permits and would also be subject to local review.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There's years and years of development in terms of meeting all the different requirements that are presented by the state as well as the federal government.

[Ian Klassen]

It's also unclear if the company's Canadian roots will become an issue as it pushes to develop the project in the US Tension between the two countries is high. Following the Trump administration's long promised tariffs on imported goods, including some Canadian import that took effect. The president has also called multiple times for the annexation of Canada. Last month, mining leaders from Juneau and across the state said they had an optimistic outlook for resource development in Alaska under the new administration. On his first day in office, the president issued executive orders calling for more drilling, logging and mining in Alaska. Klassen says the company plans to do more outreach with the public as the project moves forward. Last fall, the company shared its proposed work schedule for 2025, which includes drilling approximately 15 holes to test mineralized structure of multiple veins in Juneau.

[Wesley Early]

I'm Clarice Larsen the budget for Fairbanks Area schools is now passed to the Borough assembly after an arduous stretch of budget cutting and hours long meetings. School board members have been anticipating huge cuts since last fall when they started to work on a $16 million deficit.

[Robin (Fairbanks Reporter)]

KYC's Robin reports the district serves 11,800 students, a drop of more than 2,000 in the past 10 years, and that declining enrollment is the biggest factor in the deficit as the state funds schools on a per student basis. That multiplier is called the base student allocation, or bsa. The Fairbanks North Starborough School District Board of Education started working on the next school year's budget last November, shortly after newly elected board members were sworn in back then. Chief Operating Officer Andrew degraw told them the buying power of state funding has not kept up with rising costs.

[Senator Dan Sullivan]

Actual BSA is 59 60, but the inflation adjustment there is just a little over 4,000. Yeah, really, $2013 is what we're dealing with.

[Robin (Fairbanks Reporter)]

Since then, the school board made some very bitter decisions. Last November they outsourced nearly the entire district custodial staff. In February, they voted to close two elementary schools and downsize a third. Although some of that school consolidation was to right size the student population in school buildings, not just cost factors, it still felt wrong to board member Tim Doran, who came into the meeting ready to vote the budget down.

[Narrator/Reporter]

As I look at the budget, it continues to foster a retractive mindset. Instead of building towards growth and enrichment, it's primarily focused on financial drivers rather than being student focused and education centered. I think it acts in contradiction to our strategic plan.

[Robin (Fairbanks Reporter)]

By Thursday, they had worked out a plan to increase class sizes by one student every grade, elementary at 26 students, middle school at 29 students and high school classes at 32 students. The final document is $227.7 million. It assumes that 60 million will come from the Fairbanks North Starborough Assembly. Thirteen million will come from the federal government, including money for kids in military families and the biggest chunk, 122 million from the state of Alaska. Board member Morgan Doolian said flat funding from the state made many of the cuts untenable.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We have been underfunded. Every child in this entire state has been grossly underfunded by the state and we're here doing that work trying to.

[Robin (Fairbanks Reporter)]

Figure it out, board President Melissa Burnett said Thursday night before the final vote. That state money would have made the difference in pupil to teacher ratio and.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I am going to be dedicated to.

[Ian Klassen]

Trying to decrease that PTR as much as we can.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And I hope that our legislators are listening. I hope they're watching.

[Ian Klassen]

I hope you're seeing what we're doing, and I hope that you pass $1,000 BSA in HB69 and I hope that.

[Robin (Fairbanks Reporter)]

You do what's right for public education. House Bill 69 would increase the base student allocation by $1,000 and make some statewide policy changes wanted by Governor Mike Dunleavy. HB 69 passed the House in February and is currently in the Alaska Senate. This board's budget process was emotional, especially closing elementary schools. Member Morgan Doolian could not support an increase in class sizes.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I can't vote to support this budget.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

But it's not because I don't respect.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Every single one of you and the work that you've done.

[Robin (Fairbanks Reporter)]

At the end of the night, members Brandi Harty and Loa Carol Hubbard joined her in voting against the budget. Tim Doran, saying it needed to be moved along and get to the borough assembly, voted for it, along with Melissa Burnett, Meredith Maple and Bobby Burgess in Fairbanks. I'm Robin.

[Wesley Early]

As south central Alaska prepares for Mount Spurr's more than likely eruption in the coming weeks or months, officials say the impacts could reach as far as Southeast. The volcano, about 80 miles west of Anchorage, last erupted in 1992. Scientists say the main concern for residents in its vicinity will be ashfall. When and where that ash might land is still widely unknown. Michelle Coombs is a geologist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It all depends on what the winds are doing, how strong they are and how much ash comes out of the volcano. But but the likelihood of any more than really a trace amount of ash in Southeast is pretty small.

[Wesley Early]

Juneau International Airport manager Patty Watto says she's looking at how the ashfall could affect air travel in and out of Juneau and across the state.

[Narrator/Reporter]

One of the things that we're looking at is diverted flights because if it goes off suddenly, can we handle diverted flights in here? Whether it's just for a touchdown or refueling or whatever they need and making sure that we're prepared.

[Wesley Early]

Plumes of ash can cause severe damage to the exterior of planes, impair visibility and cause engine failure. In 92, when Mount Spurr last erupted, Anchorage saw about an eighth of an inch of ash. Some light ash fall also reportedly made its way to Juneau. According to a Juneau Empire article From August of 1992, the paper reported that Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines temporarily stopped flights in and out of Juneau following the eruption, leaving many travelers stranded. The state of Alaska has launched an online website that provides access to guidance and real time updates on the volcano. Meanwhile, books bound for shredders at recycling centers are finding a new life and injecting fresh stories and ideas into classrooms across the state. KNOM's Wali Rana follows one load of those rescued books as they found their way to Nome between classes, kids at.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The Anvil City Science Academy sift through rows of books, literature flying off the tables in the tight hallway. I took a lot of books because I thought my siblings would like them and I took a few for me because they're pretty interesting. It's seventh grader Piper Lewis First Book Fair. These free used books are theirs to keep, and when you get a book into the hands of any individual, they then own that book and it becomes a part of their library. Alice Culhane started the Bright Lights Book Project five years ago in Palmer. It started as a local effort to salvage books. Now it's grown into an official nonprofit that distributed more than 40,000 books last year statewide. Pretty amazing to me because I had no idea when I started this, no idea at all that I would be going to Nome, Alaska and meeting the people. Culhane flew into Nome last week with eight suitcases full of books. Most of the books went to Anvil City Science Academy. The rest went to Pinko Bakery and libraries in Nome. And the books came from a variety of sources the Matsu School District, the Anchorage School District. We got a donation from Fairbanks and the Native Language center, private donations, teachers, schools all over the place. Culhane says the program helps inject new stories and ideas into classrooms across the state. If you have a community where you've just had the same books, then students aren't as interested. So we've been bringing more books into here to generate more student reading. Acsa Principal Lisa Leeper says she was pleasantly surprised by how many kids picked up new books. I wasn't sure that kids were still interested in hard copy books, but there were kids taking multiple books and asking, you know, if they could come back again. US Senator Lisa Murkowski visited the Bride Lights headquarters in Palmer last year. Qohane remembers Murkowski telling her she was making a difference. For K? Nom and Nome, I'm Wally rana the.

[Wesley Early]

Kobuk 440, one of the last sled dog races of the season, begins On Thursday as KOTZ's Desiree Hagan reports, 13 mushers and their teams are signed up for the mid distance race that runs along the Kobuk River.

[Desiree Hagan]

The 440 mile course changes slightly for even or odd years. This year the course begins in Kotzebue, then to Norvik and Kyana before making a loop through the three Upper Kobuk villages, then on to Selawick and the home stretch back to Kotzebue. Usually it takes mushers three to four days. Hannah Atkinson is the social media director for the Kobuk 440 Racing Association. She says solid snow cover over the northwest Arctic is a plus for mushers.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

There were certain parts of the state that did not get very much snow this year. South Central has had a tough winter and some of the places that mushers have been training. I've heard from some mushers that they've been running their teams with a truck.

[Desiree Hagan]

A lot, atkinson says. With the fresh snow falling in Kotzebue over the weekend and forecasts for more over the next few days, the course may be a little slower than normal.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

I know that in years past that fresh fallen snow does present challenges or has in the past meant a slower race as opposed to years where the trail is more set up or it's like pretty icy and the dogs run really fast on those trails.

[Desiree Hagan]

The Kobuk 440 race has a cap of 20 teams. Initially, 16 mushers and their team signed up, but three have dropped out. Atkinson says this year's roster is a nearly even mix of veterans and rookies and of women and men. And this year there's a lot of younger mushers entering the race for the first time.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

According to their bios. They kind of grew up around mushing and are getting their qualifiers for the Iditarod and I know that was the case for Sam Papperman and Sadie Lindquist.

[Desiree Hagan]

The race also has some higher profile, more well known mushers like previous Kobuk 440 champions Hugh Neff and Jesse Holmes. Holmes has won the last two 4:40 races and was the winner of this year's Iditarod. Atkinson says while it's natural to be excited about the returning champion, every musher has a story. Fairbanks musher Laurel Eklunds took a different route to get to the race's starting line. Unlike many mushers who fly their dog.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Teams into Kotzebue, Lauro Eklund finished the.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

Iditarod, ran his dogs from Nome to Kotzebue after the Iditarod and is now doing the race. And there's been a couple mushers in the past that have done that, and I always find that to be such a great journey that the dogs have been on. They've seen a lot of terrain.

[Desiree Hagan]

Atkinson says she looks forward to the race every year. She says one thing that makes it special is the collaborative effort of longtime volunteers and generosity in the seven villages along the race route.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

When you look back at the history, it's all about how great it is to come into a region and into the communities and meet people that are excited about mushing and excited about sharing their home and hosting the mushers that are coming from out of town and hosting this great competition.

[Desiree Hagan]

A full slate of events are planned in Kotzebue into the weekend, including the Archie Ferguson, Willie Goodwin Snow Machine Race, shorter mushing races, ice fishing, ice carving and dessert contests, and a community hotcake feed in Kotzebue. I'm Desiree Hagan.

[Wesley Early]

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 Liz Ruskin and Chris Clinton, Anchorage, Patrick Gilchrist and Robin in Fairbanks, Yvonne Crumry and Clarice Larson in Juneau, Wally Rana in Nome and Desiree Hagan in Kotzebue. If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email [e-mail] Our audio engineers, Chris Hyde, Annie Fight produce tonight's show and I'm Wesley Early. Good night.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This is statewide news on Alaska Public Media.