Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Summary

Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Podcast: Alaska News Nightly – Alaska Public Media
Host: Casey Grove
Release Date: March 25, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode features comprehensive statewide news, with key stories including the Alaska Legislature’s near-passage of a major bipartisan election reform bill, the community of Tunta Tuliak’s struggle to secure fuel after last year’s typhoon, immigration rights training in Juneau, a Juneau student trip to rebuild Maui homes post-wildfire, Anchorage’s art-driven city beautification efforts, and a Petersburg elementary school playground accessibility initiative.

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Key Segments & Insights

1. Major Bipartisan Election Reform Bill Nears Passage

[00:30–07:15]

Main Points:

• Alaska Legislature is set to pass a broad, bipartisan election reform bill years in the making.
• The bill’s principal aim: make it easier to vote and harder to cheat.
• It introduces:
  • Ballot tracking and curing system: Voters can track their absentee ballots and correct certain errors (e.g., missing witness signature).
    Quote: “If you make some minor error on your ballot envelope…the Division of Elections would reach out to you and give you a chance to fix that” – Eric Stone [03:17]
  • Postage-paid absentee envelopes to reduce barriers, especially for remote communities.
  • Increased poll worker pay (to address staffing challenges in rural Alaska).
  • Expanded accepted IDs: Tribal IDs now allowed for voter identification.
  • Write-in presidential candidates: Rectifying an oversight from past voting reforms.
• Voter roll maintenance: Accelerates moving inactive voters onto an “inactive status” list if they don’t participate for two years but maintains their ability to vote, complying with federal law.
  • Quote: “You can still vote if you’re inactive…you just have to vote a questioned ballot and you’d be moved back to active status.” – Eric Stone [05:35]
• Security improvements: Earlier and more frequent absentee ballot processing and reporting; standardized 10-day post-election deadline for absentee ballot arrival (pending a Supreme Court case that might change this).
• Opposition: Concerns about disenfranchising military voters and the appropriateness of sitting legislators affecting rules for their own races.

Notable Moments & Quotes:

• "We’re going to agree on the things that we can agree on, things that just fundamentally make our elections better." – Sen. Bill Wielechowski [00:21, 02:09]
• "It’s not just a matter of whether or not individuals can afford postage. There are… communities that…run out [of stamps]." – Rep. Calvin Shronge [04:06]

What’s Next?

• A final Senate vote could send the bill to Governor Mike Dunleavy as soon as Wednesday; his intentions remain unclear.
  • “We’ll have to wait and see.” – Eric Stone [07:03]

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2. Tunta Tuliak’s Emergency Fuel Delivery After Typhoon

[07:24–11:13]

Main Points:

• The community of Tunta Tuliak, heavily damaged by Typhoon Ha Long in fall 2025, faced a crisis: its power plant was running out of fuel.
• Fuel usage spiked as residents used dryers and heaters to recover from typhoon damage.
• The opening of a new Kuskokwim River Ice Road to Bethel allowed for urgent fuel delivery by truck for the first time in six years.
• High costs and lack of upfront payment ability meant the community took a $114,000 emergency loan from the state’s bulk fuel program, expedited with help from State Rep. Nelly Jimmy’s office.
  • Quote: “Getting that loan process as quickly as possible to get the fuel delivered so we could get it at that $13.60 a gallon and not have to have it flown in…” – Rachel Gunn [09:55]

Ongoing Concern:

• Funding challenges mean Tunta Tuliak’s utility faces financial hardship unless FEMA relief is approved. The first loan payment is due April 1.
  • “Not too sure, you know we will get the funds to pay for that.” – Carl Andrew [10:19]

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3. Brief Roundup: Local News Highlights

Fairbanks Fire Fatality & Coast Guard Change of Command

[11:57–14:06]

• A man died following a severe trailer fire in Fairbanks; the state medical examiner is conducting an autopsy, with no foul play suspected.
• The commander of Ketchikan-based Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Denman was temporarily relieved “for loss of confidence”, not for misconduct.

Ketchikan Jewelry Fraud Settlement

[14:06–15:10]

• Flawless Fine Jewelry (Sony Inc.) must pay $60,000 and restitution for falsely selling fake or misrepresented gold jewelry as Alaskan gold.
  • Quote: “It also hurts every honest business…” – Asst. Attorney General Ian Engelbeck [14:51]

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4. Immigration Enforcement & Rights Training by ACLU Alaska

[15:26–19:10]

Main Points:

• ACLU Alaska, led by director Mera Kimmel, held Know Your Rights trainings in Juneau following federal immigration enforcement incidents.
• Key takeaways:
  • Detainees have the right to remain silent and to an attorney.
  • Families should have a “Family Safety Planning Guide” with critical information and documents ready.
  • Employers should label private spaces and know when a judicial warrant is required.
  • Bystanders can help by getting consent, documenting events safely, and contacting family/attorneys for the detained.
  • Quote: "Practice the magic words...I'm not going to let you in. This is a private space, and show me a judicial warrant." – Mera Kimmel [17:02]
• Immigration’s significant economic impact noted: immigrants pay ~$500 million in taxes and spend nearly $2 billion annually in Alaska.
  • “That’s not chump change, especially for a state that has been struggling mightily recently with a budget.” – Mera Kimmel [18:53]

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5. Juneau Teens Help Rebuild Maui After Wildfires

[19:10–21:07]

Main Points:

• Ten Juneau high school “House Build” program students joined a Habitat for Humanity project in Maui, rebuilding homes destroyed by Lahaina’s 2023 wildfires.
• Students gained hands-on building and cultural experience, while making a tangible difference.
  • Quote: “It feels fulfilling to know that you are helping a community or helping someone out, which can have a positive effect on your mental state.” – Jace Kilmeier, student [20:04]
  • “The bigger deal is just the inspiration for these kids…to actively help address that need while having a good time.” – Andy Bullock, teacher [20:42]

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6. Anchorage Beautifies City with “Beyond the Beige” Arts Initiative

[21:31–23:12]

Main Points:

• Construction fencing around a major downtown redevelopment (Block 41) now hosts 10 panels of local art, part of a city-wide beautification project.
  • The “Beyond the Beige” initiative seeks to add vibrancy and public art, funded by matched city/state grants.
  • Quote: “It’s a net positive for me as an artist and just for the casual walker by on G Street.” – Ann Marie Henderson, artist [22:58]

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7. Petersburg Elementary Wins Playground Accessibility Grant

[24:04–26:15]

Main Points:

• Racy Steadman Elementary School got a $170,000 grant to install new accessible playground equipment, supporting students with limited mobility.
• Planned features include art/music stations and sand/water tables—designed for all children to use together.
  • Quote: “It’s something that every single kid can choose if that’s what they choose to engage in.” – Cindy Fry, special education director [25:42]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Sen. Bill Wielechowski: “We’re going to agree on the things that we can agree on, things that just fundamentally make our elections better.” [00:21, 02:09]
• Rep. Calvin Shronge (re: postage-paid ballots): “There are…communities that…run out [of stamps].” [04:06]
• Eric Stone (explaining inactive voters): “You can still vote if you’re inactive…You just have to vote a questioned ballot…” [05:35]
• Carl Andrew: “Not too sure, you know we will get the funds to pay for that.” [10:19]
• Mera Kimmel (ACLU): "Practice the magic words...I'm not going to let you in. This is a private space, and show me a judicial warrant." [17:02]
• Jace Kilmeier (student volunteer): “It feels fulfilling to know that you are helping a community or helping someone out…” [20:04]
• Ann Marie Henderson (artist): “It’s a net positive…for the casual walker by on G Street.” [22:58]
• Cindy Fry (on inclusive playgrounds): “It’s something that every single kid can choose if that’s what they choose to engage in.” [25:42]

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Additional Noteworthy Items

• For more information on election reforms and legislative actions, visit alaskapublic.org.
• ACLU’s immigrant rights resources and training schedules are available at acluak.org/events.
• Applications for this year’s Anchorage “Beyond the Beige” public arts grant are due by Monday.

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This episode showcases how local communities, lawmakers, and organizations across Alaska are collaborating to improve civic processes, respond to crises, uplift the arts, and promote inclusivity—capturing both the challenges and the rich spirit of Alaska’s people.

Transcript

[Alyeska Pipeline Service Company Announcer]

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[Senator Bill Wielechowski]

We're going to agree on the things that we can agree on, things that just fundamentally make our elections better.

[Casey Grove]

The Alaska Legislature nears the finish line on a bipartisan election reform bill from Alaska Public Media.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

This is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Tuesday, March 24th. Good evening. I'm Casey Grove.

[Casey Grove]

Also tonight, the community of Tunta Tuliak

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

gets refueled as it rebuilds from typhoon halong.

[Carl Andrew]

People were using their dryers, trying to dry up their stuff, more heaters, contractors.

[Casey Grove]

Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly.

[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 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 [e-mail] the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.

[Casey Grove]

The Alaska Legislature is on the verge

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

of passing a significant bipartisan election reform bill.

[Casey Grove]

That's after the state Senate passed it

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

last year and the House voted it through Monday.

[Casey Grove]

The bill is a compromise many years in the making.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

It would make a variety of changes

[Casey Grove]

to the way Alaskans vote, and it's

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

likely to head to the governor soon.

[Casey Grove]

Alaska Public Media's Eric Stone is in Juneau and joins us now to walk through the bill. First, Eric, what's the point of this bill?

[Eric Stone]

So, Casey, it is a very broad bill. It's a big old compromise and it has been in the work for a long time.

[Representative Sarah Vance]

As you said, Anchorage Democratic Senator Bill

[Eric Stone]

Wielachowski was one of the main sponsors

[Representative Sarah Vance]

behind this latest iteration.

[Senator Bill Wielechowski]

We're going to agree on the things that we can agree on, things that just fundamentally make our elections better. And after 10 years, I think this bill does that.

[Eric Stone]

And the general idea, to steal a phrase from a conservative who played a

[Representative Sarah Vance]

big role in crafting the bill, Homer,

[Eric Stone]

Republican Representative Sarah Vance, is to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat.

[Representative Calvin Shronge]

We aren't trying to get a certain outcome with this. We are boiling this down to how we conduct elections so that each voter, note, regardless of how they vote, has the confidence that it's going to count and that it's going to be secure and that the Voter rolls are going to be accurate.

[Casey Grove]

All right, stage is set. So you said the idea is that it makes it easier to vote and harder to cheat. Let's start with how it makes it easier to vote.

[Eric Stone]

Okay, so most of the changes are related to absentee voting, you know, voting by mail. One big thing to take note of is that the bill sets up what's known as a ballot tracking and curing system. So right now, when you send in an absentee ballot, you have no idea

[Representative Sarah Vance]

what happens to it once you drop it in the mailbox.

[Eric Stone]

This bill would set up a system that allows voters to check and see

[Representative Sarah Vance]

whether their ballot was received by the Division of Elections.

[Eric Stone]

And for the hearing part of it, it's, you know, it's not like curing meat or measles. It's if you make some minor error

[Representative Sarah Vance]

on your ballot envelope, like you forget

[Eric Stone]

a witness signature or make a mistake with your ID number, the Division of Elections would reach out to you and

[Representative Sarah Vance]

give you a chance to fix that, to make sure your ballot counts.

[Eric Stone]

The Division of Elections says fewer than 1,000 ballots had curable issues in 2024, and about 500 were tied to witness signature issues. And I should note here that this ballot tracking and curing system would come into effect for the general election in November.

[Representative Sarah Vance]

The division says it's too late for now to do it for the August primary.

[Eric Stone]

Also notable for absentee voting in this

[Representative Sarah Vance]

bill, it would provide postage paid envelopes for absentee ballots.

[Eric Stone]

The Division of Elections estimates that'll cost the state 50 or $60,000. But Representative Calvin Shronge, an Anchorage independent and another major backer of the bill, says that's well worth it.

[Representative Calvin Shronge (continued)]

It's not just a matter of whether or not individuals can afford postage. There are oftentimes communities that you can only buy stamps at one or two places, and sometimes they run out.

[Eric Stone]

And there are a few other things, you know, making it so the Division of Elections can pay poll workers more to, you know, address how hard it is to staff polls in rural areas. You can use a tribal ID as your voter id and. Oh, and it makes it so that you can actually write in a candidate for president.

[Representative Sarah Vance]

Funny enough, that actually hasn't been possible since ranked choice voting and open primaries came along.

[Casey Grove]

Gotcha. Yeah, a variety of things making it easier to vote. Tell us about some of the security aspects of the bill, though. Sarah Vance mentioned voter rolls. What's going on there?

[Eric Stone]

Okay, so this has been a priority primarily for conservatives for many years. There's a fun statistic you hear A lot. Alaska has more registered voters on its rolls than eligible voters living in the state. And there's a reason for that. It can take up to eight years to remove somebody from active voter status even if there are clear indications that they live somewhere else.

[Representative Sarah Vance]

Like, you know, they apply for public assistance or, you know, register for a car in state.

[Eric Stone]

With this bill, if it looks like you might live somewhere else or you

[Representative Sarah Vance]

haven't voted or like, signed a petition

[Eric Stone]

in two years, the Division of Elections will send you a letter and you know, if you don't respond, you'll be

[Representative Sarah Vance]

placed on inactive status.

[Casey Grove]

So does that mean you can't vote?

[Eric Stone]

Okay, this is important.

[Representative Sarah Vance]

And it was actually a big subject of debate in the House.

[Eric Stone]

You can still vote if you're inactive. Federal law requires states to wait eight years before removing voters from the master list.

[Representative Sarah Vance]

You just have to vote a questioned ballot and you'd be moved back to active status.

[Eric Stone]

Another thing, sort of in the broad category of voter trust and security, the

[Representative Sarah Vance]

Division of Elections would start processing absentee

[Eric Stone]

ballots sooner and report results more frequently. There'd also be a universal 10 days after election day deadline for absentee ballots to arrive, though, of course, we're also

[Representative Sarah Vance]

watching a Supreme Court case that could require ballots to arrive by election day. So stay tuned on that one.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Yep.

[Casey Grove]

Had a story from our Washington correspondent, Liz Ruskin. That'[e-mail] if folks want to find out more about that. Talking about this state ballot bill, though, were there arguments against it?

[Eric Stone]

Yeah, some of the opposition was tied to military voters. You know, they move around a lot sometimes overseas and they're still Alaskans, but

[Representative Sarah Vance]

you know, they could be caught up in some of these efforts to tighten

[Eric Stone]

up the voter rolls. But of course, it's important to note that they could still vote a questioned ballot.

[Representative Sarah Vance]

There was also some opposition linked to timing. You know, some folks said it may not be appropriate for current elected officials to affect an election that they are going to be running in.

[Jace Kilmeier]

Hmm.

[Mera Kimmel]

Yeah.

[Casey Grove]

Interesting. All right, so where do things go from here?

[Eric Stone]

So a Senate up or down vote will send it to the governor. That could be as soon as Wednesday. Of course, whether Governor Mike Dunleavy will veto it or sign it or allow it to become law is unclear. Wielikowski, the main Senate sponsor, says he

[Representative Sarah Vance]

hopes Dunleavy doesn't veto it.

[Eric Stone]

He says he worked with the governor's team on large parts of the bill, but Dunleavy is staying mum for now. His spokesperson gave me a non answer when I asked him about it. So for now, we'll have to wait and see.

[Andy Bullock]

All right, Eric, we're glad that you

[Casey Grove]

did not stay mum and talk to

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

us about this bill.

[Casey Grove]

We appreciate that. That was our state government reporter Eric Stone reporting from Juneau. Eric, thanks for being here.

[Eric Stone]

Thank you for having me.

[Casey Grove]

Tunta Tuliak's power plant is no longer short on fuel.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Trucks recently plied the new Kuskokwim River Ice Road extension to the community to alleviate a critical shortage.

[Casey Grove]

As Kyuk's Evan Erickson reports, the community

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

is still rebuilding from damage caused by ex typhoon halong. And how it can afford to pay back the much needed fuel remains unclear.

[Evan Erickson]

After the remnants of Typhoon Ha Long swept through Tunta Tuliak last fall, causing widespread damage to homes and infrastructure, fuel consumption in the community spiked.

[Carl Andrew]

People were using their dryers, trying to dry up their stuff. More heater contractors, you know, using electricity to work on homes. Those are the factors.

[Evan Erickson]

That's Carl Andrew, who has managed the community's power utility for the past 20 years. He says fuel needs at the power plant increased by roughly 2,000 gallons a week immediately after the storm in late February. Andrew says he checked to see how fuel levels were doing.

[Carl Andrew]

We dip our tanks every year this time of the year to make sure we have enough.

[Evan Erickson]

Andrew realized the power plant was set to run out of fuel as early as mid April, which would leave the community without electricity a month and a half before the arrival of the first fuel barge of the season. Around the same time, Kuskokwim River Ice Road crews had completed an extension linking Tunta Tuliak to the hub of Bethel for the first time in six years to aid with Ha Long relief efforts. Andrew says he saw an opportunity. He estimated the power plant would need more than 8,000 gallons of fuel to make it to spring, the sole supplier able to deliver from Bethel over the ice road. Top fuel quoted Andrew at $13.60 per gallon. Andrew says the money wasn't there to make an upfront payment. He says he had already been in close contact with State Representative Nelly Jimmy's office for help navigating the federal disaster relief process. Detailing storm losses for the utility covered under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's public assistance program.

[Carl Andrew]

Drums of oil, drums of coolant, tool in the tool set. No machine stuff like that.

[Evan Erickson]

But the fuel needs at the power plant were immediate. Representative Jimmy's office proposed what appeared to be the only solution, taking out an additional loan from the state bulk fuel program that the utility already relies on to pay for its annual fuel needs. Representative Jimmy's chief of staff, Rachel Gunn, says Jimmy's office was able to help expedite the loan process. She says the roughly $114,000 price tag for the fuel delivery would be far higher if not for the ice road.

[Rachel Gunn]

Ext the speed of the loan with the ice road and being in good condition and not having gone through a storm was absolutely paramount. Getting that loan process as quickly as possible to get the fuel delivered so that we could get it at that 1360 a gallon and not have to have it flown in in small amounts.

[Evan Erickson]

On March 11, Tunta Tuliak's utility received its fuel. Andrew says he hopes it's enough to make it through until barge season and that he can come up with a way to pay back the bulk fuel loan.

[Carl Andrew]

Not too sure, you know we will get the funds to pay for that.

[Evan Erickson]

Gun says Representative Jimmy's office is working with state and federal agencies to find a solution. She says the crisis in Tunta Tuliak is a direct result of the October 2025 storm, but that proving this for the purposes of receiving federal relief is tricky.

[Rachel Gunn]

Even though the day after the storm the fuel shut up, FEMA's got these incredibly prescriptive requirements for what is able to be attributed to the disaster.

[Evan Erickson]

For communities still rebuilding from severe storm damage, the arrival of spring will mean much cheaper barged fuel. Until then, Tunta Tuliak has found a way to keep the power on. But without some sort of reimbursement, Andrew says the utility may soon be in the red. He says the first monthly payment for the emergency fuel loan from the State is due April 1st. In Bethel, I'm Evan Erickson.

[Casey Grove]

Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, Juneau students spend spring break rebuilding homes

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

to destroyed by Maui's devastating wildfires.

[Jace Kilmeier]

And it feels fulfilling to know that you are helping a community or helping someone out.

[Casey Grove]

That's ahead.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Stay with us.

[Avery Elfeldt]

Hi, I'm Avery Elfeldt, a reporter with the Alaska Desk. That's a joint reporting effort from Alaska Public Media, KH&S where I work in Hanes and other public radio stations in Anchorage, Fairbanks and the Aleutians. It allows us to connect you with the issues happening in communities all across the the state. You can hear our stories during the morning news on Alaska News Nightly or [e-mail] the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

The state medical examiner's office is conducting an autopsy on the body of a man found Sunday in a residence in Fairbanks.

[Casey Grove]

The Alaska Division of Fire and Life

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Safety says University Fire Department personnel found the severely burned victim after they extinguished the fire that badly damaged the trailer home. University Fire responded after getting a report of the fire at around 1:30 Sunday afternoon and when they arrived they found that the fire had already spread throughout the residence, according to a dispatch from the Fire and Life Safety Division, Emergency personnel transported the victim to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital where he died of his injuries. The state medical examiner's office will autopsy the victim to confirm his identity.

[Casey Grove]

Fairbanks based deputy fire marshals are investigating

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

the cause of the fire. Investigators say no foul play is suspected. The commanding officer of the Ketchikan based Coast Guard cutter Douglas Denman has been temporarily relieved from their position. The commanding officer, lieutenant Edwin Custer, was temporarily relieved Monday following an investigation that led to what they call a loss of confidence, Pamela Manns, a public affairs officer with the Coast Guard, said in an email. The commanding officer was not meeting the high standards of leadership and performance expected of someone in their position, end quote. Manns also clarified that the relief status is not due to misconduct. She said the primary purpose of the relief is to ensure the safety, operational effectiveness and morale of the cutter and its crew. The temporary relief may or may not become permanent if warranted. That decision will be made by the commander of the Coast Guard Personnel Service Center. An interim commanding officer has been appointed to the Douglas Denman to maintain all operations. There are four cutters based in Ketchikan. A Ketchikan jeweler will have to pay $60,000 to the state and restitution to four customers for selling fake gold. That's according to a settlement filed in a Ketchikan Superior Court last week.

[Casey Grove]

State prosecutors filed a lawsuit in May

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

of 2024 against Sony Inc. Which owns Flawless Fine Jewelry in downtown Ketchik. Company Director Sunida Lakwani is also listed as one of the defendants. Undercover investigators with the state purchased what was represented as gold quartz mined in northern Alaska and handmade primarily by Ketchikan based jewelers. In reality, the jewelry was from Southern California and was often low purity 14 karat gold and sometimes contained no gold at all. Salespeople also told undercover investigators that natural gold quartz only occurs in Alaska and can only be legally purchased in Alaska, which is false.

[Casey Grove]

False.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Assistant Attorney General Ian Engelbeck was the lead attorney on the case.

[Jace Kilmeier]

When a business misrepresents its goods like that, it doesn't just hurt the guests who get fooled by these misrepresentations. It also hurts every honest business that's trying to compete with businesses that are not representing their goods truthfully in a permanent injunction.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

The state also ordered Sony Inc. To truthfully represent the origin material of its products. The company is also open to being audited by state investigators. The store, Flawless Fine Jewelry, is currently closed and could not be reached for comment.

[Casey Grove]

The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

came to Juneau last week to give

[Casey Grove]

training sessions on what to do if

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

residents encounter immigration enforcement actions in town. Whether you're a bystander, an employer or someone getting detained, KTO's Yvonne Crummery has more.

[Yvonne Crummery]

In a Know youw Rights session at the University of Alaska Southeast, ACLU Alaska Executive Director Mera Kimmel explains the legal nuances of immigration enforcement. Kimmel points to the ACLU's Family Safety Planning Guide, which loved ones can Use to Know what to do if someone

[Mera Kimmel]

is detained, that outlines all of the information that should be available to family members of people who might be picked up and detained. So what to do with your kids? Where are your critical documents like your passports or your bank accounts or your passwords and all of that?

[Yvonne Crummery]

The ACLU trainings, held in partnership with community organization Hattus Latish Coalition, are meant to help residents prepare for federal immigration officials coming to homes and businesses or stopping people in public. The information sessions come as federal agents have detained and removed multiple Juno residents for immigration enforcement and separated a family in Soldotna last month. Kimmel says anyone picked up by federal agents has the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. She advises people to document what's happening with video if they can do so safely, and to write down agents badge numbers for business owners. Kimmel advises clearly labeling private spaces in buildings and making sure documents are not in plain view. If immigration enforcement officials come to a home or workplace, they need judicial warrants, not administrative warrants, to enter private spaces, and this information should be included in a written policy for businesses and organizations.

[Mera Kimmel]

And so part of your developing a written policy is also to make sure that you're practicing the magic words that you need to utter, which are I'm not going to let you in. This is a private space and show me. I will only let you in if you can show me a judicial warrant. If they do show you a warrant, you have to let them in, kimmel says.

[Yvonne Crummery]

An individual who hides a person or aids someone resisting federal agents is putting themselves at legal risk. The second half of the training is about bystander intervention, she says. One of the most important things a bystander can do is be safe and stay calm when encountering any kind of immigration enforcement action.

[Mera Kimmel]

And one of the first things to do if you happen upon a law enforcement interaction is make sure that the person actually wants help, because the last thing you want to do is just get them into further and further hot water.

[Yvonne Crummery]

If the person says they do want help, Kimmel says to ask for their name and get as much biographical information as you can about the person, like their date of birth, country of origin and alien registration number. Then, she says the second step is to ask if there's anyone you can call for the person, whether it's family or an attorney.

[Mera Kimmel]

The third piece is try to document the enforcement action. Again, do this safely. If law enforcement is being awful and egregious, back away.

[Yvonne Crummery]

Kimmel says bystanders can legally record or film interactions and state the date, time and location for the recording. And lastly, she says, report the action to the person's lawyer if they have one, and the aclu. She says the ACLU can help people find volunteer attorneys if they don't have legal representation already. During her visit in Juneau, Kimmel also gave a talk for the Juneau World Affairs Council. She mentioned the impact immigrant communities have on Alaska. She says as of 2023, immigrants pay about half a billion dollars in taxes and spend nearly $2 billion in Alaska each year.

[Mera Kimmel]

That's not chump change, especially for a state that has been struggling mightily recently with a budget. This goes for all immigrants, including people who are here without documents in our state.

[Yvonne Crummery]

And she says economics are only some of the benefits migrants bring to the state. In Juneau, I'm Yvonne Cromry.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Kimmel's full presentation on immigration law can be found on KTOO360TV's YouTube channel. Future ACLU virtual and in person trainings can be found at acluak.org events10 Juneau High School students gained real world home building experience and some much needed vitamin D earlier this month during a school district trip to Maui, Hawaii.

[Casey Grove]

There, the students spent several days rebuilding

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

homes destroyed by the wildfires that devastated the town of Lahaina in 2023. The Juneau School District's House Build program teaches hands on construction skills by building new energy efficient homes in Juneau. Students enrolled in the program are eligible to join the annual Habitat for Humanity build trip in Hawaii. Jace Kilmeier is a senior at Juno Douglas High School, Yada Otkathle and a House Build student.

[Casey Grove]

Kilmeier says this year was his second

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

trip with the program.

[Jace Kilmeier]

I feel like it has a positive impact because you're learning, but also it's always nice and it feels fulfilling to know that you are helping a community or helping someone out, which can have a positive effect on your mental state.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Andy Bullock teaches the program and has brought dozens of students over the past decade on the trip.

[Casey Grove]

He says the homes the students worked

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

on were originally built by other students in 2019 and 2020. However, those homes burned down during the 2023 wildfires. Bullock says though the opportunity came from tragedy, he and the students had a great time rebuilding the homes and connecting with the community.

[Andy Bullock]

The bigger deal is just the inspiration for these kids to go somewhere cool to meet new people, to see different cultures, to go on a really amazing trip and to meet people, to understand the need for affordable housing for people and then to be able to actively help address that need while having a good time.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

The students helped hang drywall and install

[Casey Grove]

siding, but in their free time, the

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

students hit the beach to snorkel and took a whale watching trip. They returned to Juneau before recent storms hit Hawaii, causing historic flooding in parts of the islands. Bullock said the homes they worked on are not being impacted.

[Casey Grove]

A construction site in downtown Anchorage got

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

a splash of color recently thanks to the city's beyond the Beige initiative. Passersby in the vicinity of the construction site near fourth Avenue and G Street, a redevelopment of what's known as Block 41 can now see a local art installation along the fence surrounding it. Officials unveiled the first 10 of 25 panels Thursday. Cabin Fever Fabric, Fiber and Gifts founder Jana Hayanga pitched the idea and received the grant last year. Ivy Sponholz, a former Democratic state representative, is the current owner of Cabin Fever.

[Ann Marie Henderson]

The construction While the end is going to be really exciting, the messy middle when construction is taking place can be kind of disruptive to local businesses. And so Jana's idea was to turn it into an outdoor art gallery displaying amazing Alaskan art.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

The installation at Block 41 is part of a broader city beautification effort called beyond the Beige, a reference to a bland color some say is too prevalent in anchorage. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance created the grant funded Public Arts Initiative in partnership with the Anchorage Community development authority in 2025. Block 41 is a roughly $200 million mixed use tower that will feature retail space, housing and a new parking garage. It's been under construction since 2022. Artist Ann Marie Henderson with Studio Gallery across the street has a piece in the new installation and it's just a

[Ann Marie Henderson (continued)]

net positive for everyone. It's a net positive for me as an artist and just for the casual walker by on G Street. So it's really awesome to see these things come to fruition and be real.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Last year, the beyond the Beige grant program dispersed $100,000among 14 recipients, using $50,000 from the mayor's office that the Anchorage Community Development Authority matched. Each of the artists work at Block 41 are available for sale at galleries in the area. The artwork will be on display until the Block 41 construction is finished and the fences are removed in early 2027. Applications for this year's grants are due by Monday. For more information, visit the Anchorage Community Development Authority website. Well Petersburg's elementary school will be getting new, accessible playground equipment next school year. It's part of a $170,000 grant the school district received for special education. As KFSK's Taylor Heckert reports, it will help pay for equipment that focuses on students with limited mobility.

[Taylor Heckert]

The playground at Petersburg's racy Steadman elementary School has swings, slides, monkey bars and lots of things to climb on. But if you're a student who's in a wheelchair or has limited mobility, playing on that equipment may be difficult or impossible. That's where this new playground equipment comes in. Here's special education director Cindy Fry.

[Cindy Fry]

The idea is, and the need of it is to have a playground where our students who have accessibility concerns either limited physical and or if they are in wheelchairs or alternative movement devices, they can have places where their peers can come join them. And it's at their level and it's interactive.

[Taylor Heckert]

The district has received $170,000 in grant funding from the Hurstwood Education Foundation, a nonprofit that supports special education projects in schools. About $128,000 will be used to completely cover the costs of new equipment. The remaining money will be used on professional development for special education staff, Frey says. Only a handful of elementary students have limited mobility, about 10 or less. But it's still important to include these students at recess. Superintendent Robin Taylor agrees.

[Representative Calvin Shronge]

This allows them to be down there with their peers, interacting with their peers, frey says.

[Taylor Heckert]

They're planning on adding an art station, a music station and an area for remov sand or water tables. They'll extend the existing covered structure on the playground so this area will be dry, too, she says. This equipment will be something that all

[Cindy Fry]

kids can use, so it's not targeting just those students who specifically need to be able to access in one way or another, but it's something that every single kid can choose if that's what they choose to engage in.

[Taylor Heckert]

And she says these additions to the playground will offer options for kids who have different play styles.

[Cindy Fry]

At recession, not every student really wants to run around or go on the slides. Like, there's those kids who are just a little bit more quiet, maybe a little bit more artistic, and they this will be a great place for all of those students or any kid, really.

[Taylor Heckert]

The district hopes to get the new playground equipment installed this summer. In Petersburg, I'm Taylor Heckert,

[Casey Grove]

And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. If you missed any of tonight's stories,

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

we're [e-mail] and wherever you get your podcasts.

[Casey Grove]

We had reports tonight from Eric Stone,

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Yvonne Crumry and Clarice Larson in Juneau,

[Casey Grove]

Evan Erickson in Bethel, Tim Ellis in

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Delta Junction, Sydney Dauphine in Catchikan, Michaela Finnerty in Anchorage and Taylor Heckert in Petersburg.

[Casey Grove]

If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email us@newsalaskap

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

public.org Our audio engineer is Crystal Hyde,

[Casey Grove]

Kirsten Dobro is our producer and I'm Casey Grove.

[Casey Grove (Anchor)]

Good night.