Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Summary

Alaska News Nightly – April 1, 2026: Episode Summary

Overview

This episode of Alaska News Nightly offers a sweeping look at major ongoing stories from around the state. Key topics include new tax legislation targeting out-of-state internet sales, a high-profile immigration and citizenship case in Anchorage, the push to protect Alaska Native ivory art, labor disputes at the Ketchikan shipyard, alarming trends in Arctic sea ice decline, and community-driven revitalization projects in Juneau and Anchorage. The program features firsthand interviews, legislative updates, and voices from across Alaska, capturing the state’s evolving social, environmental, and economic landscape.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Alaska House Passes Internet Corporate Tax Bill

• [01:28–02:53]
  • The House narrowly approved a bill updating the corporate income tax to claim more revenue from out-of-state companies selling over the Internet to Alaskans.
  • The bill uses "market based sourcing," taxing companies based on customer location instead of company headquarters.
  • Rep. Calvin Schrage (I-Anchorage): “We should recognize that the business activity is taking place here and we should get our fair share of that.” [01:59]
  • The bill predominantly impacts C corporations outside Alaska, not local businesses. It repeats a 2025 bill previously vetoed by Governor Mike Dunleavy, who still opposes tax bills not tied to a broader fiscal plan.
  • House Minority Leader Delaina Johnson (R-Palmer): Emphasizes need for a comprehensive fiscal plan before enacting new taxes.
    • Quote: “If we're going to implement a tax, we need to have a more… we need to have a fiscal plan.” [02:40]

2. Congressional Push to Protect Alaska Native Ivory Carvers

• [03:44–05:03]
  • Advocates are promoting the “Artist Act,” which would stop states from banning carvings and jewelry made from legally harvested walrus ivory.
  • Megan Anders (Nome/King Island Community): Discusses economic importance of ivory carving for Bering Strait villages.
    • Quote: “If you're a hunter, you're also a carver, and it’s something you were taught by your uncles, your grandparents and your relatives.” [03:44–03:51]
  • Misinformation among tourists leads to reduced sales; the act aims to clarify legality of authentic Native art.
  • Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA): Cautiously supportive, but notes concerns about how federal clarification could affect bans on elephant ivory.
    • Quote: “I am concerned that the language as written could make it difficult for other states to enforce their bans on things like elephant ivory.” [04:50]

3. Anchorage Boy’s Deportation Hangs on Paternity Test

• [05:03–10:47]
  • Immigration officials seek to deport a 12-year-old boy, despite attorney Margaret Stock’s contention that his U.S. citizen father (a naturalized navy veteran) makes the boy eligible for American citizenship.
  • The alleged father, Bolanle Meshech Akinlea, has dodged multiple court-ordered paternity tests, complicating proof.
  • Evidence includes an affidavit, family photos, and a DNA test showing a link to Akinlea’s brother, which is insufficient for authorities.
  • Quote: “Everyone in the family knows this kid is the dad’s kid…definitely his kid.” (Margaret Stock via Casey Grove) [08:55]
  • USCIS maintains the burden of proof is on the family and reiterates the strictness of the process.
    • Quote: “Because the dad is refusing to take a DNA test, the government’s saying, ‘Well, we don’t think you’re really a U.S. citizen, we’re going to deport you.’” (Margaret Stock/Casey Grove) [09:37]
  • The outcome hinges on whether Akinlea submits to testing before the next hearing (January).

4. Anchorage Pedestrian Fatalities and Fentanyl Conviction in Skagway

• [11:47–15:22]
  • A man was fatally struck by an SUV in downtown Anchorage; he’s the second pedestrian death in 2026 amid a troubling trend: 15 pedestrian deaths in both 2024 and 2025, the highest in a decade.
  • In Skagway, Jacob Cotten (Spokane, WA) was found guilty of distributing fatal fentanyl pills by mail—the town’s first known deaths from the drug. Faces 20 years to life per count.
  • Assistant US Attorney Chris Schroeder: “Anyone who deals drugs to another person who then fatally overdoses…faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years imprisonment, up to a potential maximum of life imprisonment.” [14:54]

5. Labor Dispute at Ketchikan Shipyard

• [15:22–18:49]
  • Three complaints filed against new operator JAG Ketchikan by the union representing shipyard workers.
  • Dispute centers on whether JAG must recognize prior collective bargaining contracts; JAG claims it is not a “successor” business and is not bound.
  • Union says benefits and conditions have deteriorated, including a 25% spike in health insurance premiums.
    • Quote: “We want to make sure that the members are taken care of and ultimately we don’t believe that JAG feels the same about the local membership as we do.” (Randy Golding, union) [17:53]
  • JAG says it rescued the shipyard from closure but maintains new terms for employment.
    • Quote: “JAG is not a successor business…We’re hiring more employees. We’re not bound by that contract.” [16:47]
  • The National Labor Relations Board has yet to decide if it will proceed with the charges.

6. Arctic Landfast Sea Ice in Decline

• [18:49–21:29]
  • New research from UAF’s Andrew Mahoney shows landfast ice on Alaska’s northern coast is forming later, breaking earlier, and not extending as far out—a dramatic change since the 1970s.
  • Has impacts on subsistence whaling, resource development, and community protection from erosion.
    • Quote: “The Beaufort Sea of today is not the Beaufort Sea of the 1970s.” (Andrew Mahoney) [20:01]
  • The trend is tied to broader Arctic warming, occurring four times faster than the global average.

7. Anchorage Named International Trail City

• [21:29–22:24]
  • The International Mountain Bicycling Association recognized Anchorage as one of 27 “Trail Cities.”
  • Will Tagan (Chugach Mountain Bike Riders): Acknowledges volunteers and local support, stating, “We have a lot of trails, those trails are high quality, and we have a community that supports those trails.” [22:03]
  • Designation expected to boost partnerships and trail maintenance.

8. Juneau’s Historic Theater Restored as Aurora Grand

• [22:51–26:42]
  • James McSweeney and wife are restoring the 1940s-era Gross 20th Century Theater in downtown Juneau, intending it as a community arts hub called Aurora Grand.
  • Plans include restoring original Art Deco features, providing youth art opportunities, showing local films, and serving as a third place for community building.
    • Quote: “Calling ourselves grand is kind of what our aspiration will be…we’re going to start off pretty modest and then…ramp up over the next few years.” (James McSweeney) [24:46]
  • Videographer Conor Meyer: Sees the space as transformational for youth, wishing “To have this when I was a kid; it would have changed my trajectory.” [26:06]
  • Community members share fond recollections; McSweeney hopes to “continue with that same energy…so we can have more and more awesome memories for people.” [26:27]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tax Policy:
  “We should recognize that the business activity is taking place here and we should get our fair share of that.”
  — Rep. Calvin Schrage [01:59]

• On Family and Community Art:
  “If you're a hunter, you're also a carver, and it’s something you were taught by your uncles, your grandparents and your relatives.”
  — Megan Anders [03:44]

• On Federal Drug Law:
  “Anyone who deals drugs to another person who then fatally overdoses on those drugs faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years imprisonment, up to a potential maximum of life imprisonment...”
  — Asst. US Attorney Chris Schroeder [14:54]

• On Fostering Youth in the Arts:
  “To have this (theater) when I was a kid, it would have changed my trajectory...hopefully this space fosters the ability for youth to find themselves in the arts a little bit quicker.”
  — Conor Meyer [26:06]

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Additional Segment Timestamps

• [00:24] — Episode introduction and major headlines.
• [11:47] — Anchorage pedestrian fatality and local traffic safety.
• [15:22] — Shipyard labor complaint details.
• [18:49] — Arctic sea ice scientific update.
• [21:29] — Anchorage trail recognition.
• [22:51] — Juneau theater restoration feature.

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Episode Tone and Takeaway

Throughout the episode, Alaska News Nightly maintains a grounded, factual, yet empathetic tone. By spotlighting personal stories—children facing deportation, Native artists defending cultural livelihoods, workers grappling with lost benefits, and residents reimagining community hubs—the show underscores the interplay of policy, place, and people in Alaska’s ongoing story.

Transcript

[Wesley Early]

Support for Alaska Public Media on Demand comes from PeopleMover Help update the public transit service plan.

[Hunter Morrison]

Visit transitonthemove.com to take the latest public

[Wesley Early]

survey by April 26,

[Casey Grove]

We should recognize that the business activity is taking place here and we should get our fair share of that corporate income tax.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

The Alaska House passes a bill that would capture more revenue from companies that sell to Alaskans over the Internet. From Alaska Public News, this is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Wednesday, April 1st. Good evening. I'm Casey Grove. Also tonight, an Anchorage boys deportation case hinges on whether he can prove a US Citizen is his father.

[Casey Grove]

Because the dad is refusing to take a DNA test. The government's saying, well, we don't think you're really a U.S. citizen. We're going to deport you.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Night.

[Yvonne Crummery]

Hi, I'm Avery Elfelt, a reporter with the Alaska Desk. That's a joint reporting effort from Alaska Public Media, khns, 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 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.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

The Alaska House narrowly passed a bill today that would update the state's corporate income tax to capture more revenue from companies that sell to Alaskans over the Internet. The heart of the bill is a change to what's known as market based sourcing. That's a method of calculating corporate income taxes that's based on the location of the customer rather than the company. Representative Calvin Shragi, an Anchorage independent, says the bill takes taxes companies are already paying to their home states and reallocates them to allow that business is taking place here.

[Casey Grove]

We should recognize that the business activity is taking place here and we should get our fair share of that.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Corporate income tax Backers say the tax change would have virtually no impact on Alaska businesses. The revenue raised by the bill would come from out of state companies organized as C corporations. The bill is essentially a redo of a bill Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed last year. Dunleavy's spokesperson says the governor's position on the bill has not changed. He says the governor opposes revenue bills without a fiscal plan. But the bill did not pass with enough support to constitute a veto proof majority. House Minority Leader Delaina Johnson, a Palmer Republican, says her caucus is largely on board with Dunleavy's position.

[Casey Grove]

The idea is if we're going to implement a tax, we need to have a more. We need to have a fiscal plan. We don't want to just start passing tax bills without any other kind of piece of the fiscal plan.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Dunleavy proposed a fiscal plan in a series of bills earlier this year, headlined by a statewide sales tax and a large permanent fund dividend. Legislators on all sides panned the proposal. The tax bill now heads to the Senate, which supported it last year. Shragi says it's still early. He says he hopes the bill can pick up more bipartisan support as it works its way back toward the governor's desk. Advocates of Alaska Native ivory carvers hope this is the year Congress finally passes the Artist act so that no state can ban carvings and jewelry made from legally harvested walrus ivory in baleen. Megan Anders of Nome testified in favor of the bill at a US House hearing last week. Anders is chief of the King island community. She told committee members that carvers in Bering Strait villages earn money from their sales that support their subsistence way of life.

[Casey Grove]

If you're a hunter, you're also a carver, and it's something that you were

[Melinda Munson]

taught by your uncles, your grandparents and your relatives.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

The Marine Mammal Protection act already allows and regulates Alaska Native walrus hunting for subsistence as well as sales of ivory handicrafts made from subsistence caught animals. The Artist act would prohibit state bans on authentic Alaska Native art. Several states intending to protect African elephants outlawed all ivory possession in 2015. California specifically included walrus ivory in its ban. Anders says tourists who visit Nome are apprehensive about buying crafts that use the material.

[Melinda Munson]

They come to the artists and they say, I'm not allowed to buy this. This is a banned product, which we

[Yvonne Crummery]

know is not the case. However, this scenario has created misinformed consumers.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

She's hoping the Artist act will remove that cloud. Representative Jared Huffman of California is the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee. He says he supports the idea of clarifying federal law to help Alaska Native artists.

[Casey Grove]

We just have to be careful how we do it. I am concerned that the language as

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

written could make it difficult for other

[Casey Grove]

states to enforce their bans on things like elephant ivory. I don't think anybody wants that outcome,

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

but we need to work together. Senator Dan Sullivan has been working to pass the bill for nearly a decade, and all three members of Alaska's congressional delegation are current spons. Immigration officials in Alaska are working to deport a 12 year old Anchorage boy while his attorney tries to keep him in the US by proving a naturalized citizen is his father. The man they believe is the boy's father has so far avoided multiple court ordered paternity tests. Like other states, Alaska has seen a sharp increase in the number of people targeted for deportation under the second administration of President Donald Trump. The boy is among dozens of people in the state facing uncertain futures. Alaska Public Media's Wesley early has been following the case and joins us now. Wesley, how were you made aware of this case?

[Wesley Early]

Well, the boy this story revolves around is represented by Anchorage immigration attorney Margaret Stock. I've been reporting on Anchorage immigration enforcement for the past year and she's represented several people caught up in those actions. So in early February, Stock emailed me telling me about one of her clients, this 12 year old boy who she says is entitled to be a US Citizen. Now, what caught my eye is Stock told me the man she says is the kid's dad, who is a US Citizen, has been avoiding court orders for him to do a paternity test to prove he's the father. The man's name is Bolanle Meshech Akinlea. He was born in Nigeria, but he's a naturalized citizen and a U.S. navy veteran who lives in Washington, D.C. according to Stock and public records. And by the way, we are not identifying the boy or his mother who is currently seeking asylum.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Wait, so if the boy's dad is a US Citizen, why is the boy being targeted for deportation?

[Wesley Early]

Stock says Akileya met the kid's mother years ago when visiting Nigeria, where the mom is also from. They started a relationship. He supposedly promised to marry her, but that fell through and she ended up giving birth in Turkey. And I should say here that we tried many different phone numbers and email addresses that were publicly listed to try to get a hold of Akinlea. Last month, Alaska Public Media Washington correspondent Liz Ruskin also hand delivered a letter to an in D.C. listed as Akin Leia's home. We haven't heard from him. And Stock has had a similar experience as she has tried to get Akin Leia to submit to a paternity test with no luck. That effort has included multiple court orders.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Tell me more about the mom and her son and have they been in contact with Akinlea?

[Wesley Early]

Yeah. So the mom eventually came to Alaska. Her son grew up here and goes to school in Anchorage. Stock says he plays soccer. He's an A student who loves math and science. Despite not being in the same place. Stock says Akin Leah and the boy have had a relationship. Relationship and have met several times as recently as December. She says I can layup. Called to wish the boy a Happy birthday in 2024, before President Trump's second term. In this large scale ramp up of immigration enforcement that we've seen nationwide, Stock says her client applied for what's called a certificate of citizenship with the U.S. citizenship and Immigration Services. And late last year, USCIS issued its decision in the boy's case and said his application for citizenship was denied. And shortly after he was targeted for removal.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Did citizenship and immigration officials explain why they denied the boys citizenship?

[Wesley Early]

Yeah. So in a letter Stock provided me, the director of the Alaska USCIS field office acknowledged that Akinlea was a naturalized U.S. citizen at the time the boy was born and that he was present in the US for five years before the boy's birth, as is required by law. Stark also provided a sworn affidavit that Akin Laye signed that said he was the boy's father and that he was willing to support him financially. Stock also provided USCIS with a DNA test from Akinleus brother that showed the two were related. Here's Stock.

[Casey Grove]

Everyone in the family knows this kid is the the dad's kid. And there's pictures, family pictures and everything, and it's definitely his kid.

[Wesley Early]

However, USCIS had some issues with the evidence doc provided. First of all, they noted the DNA evidence provided doesn't show that Akin Leia is the father because as they say, he could also be the child's uncle. The director of the Alaska USCIS office also questioned name discrepancies on the boy's records, some of which identify Akin Leia by his first name, some by his middle name. And they also question the timing of when some of the boys birth records were issued. So even though Stock provided that sworn affidavit from Akalaya, USCIS wrote that the evidence was not clear and convincing. Here's Stock again because the dad is

[Casey Grove]

refusing to take a DNA test, the government saying, well, we don't think you're really a U.S. citizen, we're going to deport you.

[Wesley Early]

In a statement USCIS sent me, officials wrote that the burden of proof is on Stock and her client to prove he's a citizen and anyone not lawfully residing in the country, quote, shouldn't be surprised when USCIS refers them to immigration court for remorse removal proceedings, end quote.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Okay, Wesley, what happens now?

[Wesley Early]

Well, at this point, Stock is hoping that Akin Leia, the man who's supposedly the boy's father, will comply with a paternity test. She's gone. So far as to pay for the test and choose a lab close to where Akin Leia lives in order to make it easy for him. And it's not just the son. Stock says the mother would also be eligible for relief from deportation if her son is determined to be a citizen. And I want to add, as convoluted as this process seems, Stock says it's actually pretty common for military personnel to have children overseas with non US Residents. She says she's had similar clients in the past who should, by law be entitled to US Citizenship due to their parentage. The boy we've been talking about has a deportation hearing scheduled for next January. Stock says it would take Akin layup the boy's supposed father just a few minutes to do a paternity test that could potentially stop the boy's deportation.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Gotcha. Well, we will stay tuned to all of that. That was Alaska Public Media's Wesley Early. Wesley, thanks for being here.

[Wesley Early]

Thanks for having me.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, a historic Juno Theater gets a second chance as a community arts hub.

[Casey Grove]

Since we've opened the doors to the community, I've been talking to so many people to hear all the memories that have already taken place in this space. We're just going to continue.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

That's ahead. Stay with us.

[Melinda Munson]

I'm Shelby Herbert, a reporter with the Alaska Desk. That's a joint reporting effort from Alaska

[Yvonne Crummery]

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.

[Melinda Munson]

You can hear our stories during the Morning News Alaska News Nightly or [e-mail]

[Yvonne Crummery]

the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

An SUV struck and killed a man in downtown Anchorage early Tuesday, according to police. Police said in a statement that the vehicle's driver remained at the scene and cooperated with officers. No charges have been filed related to the incident. Police have not released the name of the man who died. Police say officers responded to reports of the collision near West Fifth Avenue and East street at about 3:30am Tuesday. They found that a Nissan Pathfinder was heading west on Fifth Avenue when it hit a man in the roadway near E Street. Anchorage Fire Department medics took the man to a nearby hospital, where he ultimately died. Traffic in the area was blocked off as police investigated the incident. All lanes were reopened before 11am Tuesday. The man is the second person fatally struck by a vehicle in Anchorage this year. In mid February, 35 year old Stephanie Howell died after a vehicle hit her in the Fairview neighborhood. In 2025, vehicles killed 15 pedestrians in Anchorage, the same number as in 2024. Both years marked the city's highest pedestrian death toll in more than a decade. A Washington man charged with distributing fentanyl pills that killed two Skagway men was found guilty by a federal jury last week. As Melinda Munson with KH&S reports, they were the first known fentanyl deaths in the small southeast town.

[Melinda Munson]

In January of 2023, when two Skagway men died of fentanyl overdoses within 24 hours, the town went into a panic. Up to that point, Skagway had managed to escape the fentanyl crisis. Municipal officials instructed residents to immediately dispose of illegally obtained drugs and flew in mental health workers. 34 year old Jacob Cotten, who spent part of his youth in Skagway but is now a resident of Spokane, Washington, was found legally responsible for the two deaths, even though he wasn't in the same state. The court found that cotten sent around 150 fentanyl pills from Spokane to Skagway through the US mail in mid January of 2023 with the intention of selling them in Alaska for a higher price. Authorities have not identified the men who died, but their families have 28 year old Anthony Bowers and 44 year old James Cook. Bowers received the pills in Skagway and began to sell them, including to cook. On January 13, 2023, Bowers was found unresponsive on his bathroom floor and later declared dead. The next day, Cook was found dead in his bedroom after five hours of jury deliberations at a federal court in Juneau. Cotten was convicted of multiple counts, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. He was convicted of another count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and he was also found guilty of a death resulting enhancement for both victims. This requires proof that the fentanyl pills he distributed were the cause of each victim's death. Assistant U.S. attorney Chris Schroeder says federal charges for drug deaths are becoming more common.

[Casey Grove]

Anyone who deals drugs to another person who then fatally overdoses on those drugs faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years imprisonment, up to a potential maximum of life imprisonment, regardless of their record. That law has actually been on the books for a very long time, but cases involving that statute have become much more common in recent years.

[Melinda Munson]

A date for sentencing has not yet been set. Cotton faces between 20 years and life in prison for each count. In Chicago, I'm Melinda Munson.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

A labor union representing Ketchikan shipyard workers has filed three charges against the yard's new operator. The union claims that JAG Catchikan has refused to negotiate with them on employee benefits from a 2023 collective bargaining agreement. As KRBD's Hunter Morrison reports, the new shipyard operator says it's not legally obligated to abide by that agreement.

[Hunter Morrison]

The shipyards labor union filed the charges in December, January and March. Randy Golding is the union's Alaska business manager.

[Casey Grove]

The biggest concern is the deterioration of the pre existing conditions and benefits that we had negotiated for with the previous operator. With this new operator coming in, all that's off the table.

[Hunter Morrison]

The union filed the charges with the National Labor Relations Board asserting that JAG Marine Group is not recognizing them or their collective bargaining agreement that was adopted under the previous shipyard operator, vigor. They allege JAG has made unilateral changes in terms and conditions of employment, including ending dirty pay or special pay for work on ship septic systems containing human waste. William Earnhardt is an Anchorage based attorney representing jag. He says the company has no legal obligation to recognize the labor union or the collective bargaining agreement.

[Casey Grove]

JAG is not a successor business. We didn't go in and just buy them out. So we're not a successor. We're hiring more employees. We're not bound by that contract.

[Hunter Morrison]

JAG Marine Group took charge of the Ketchikan shipyard in September. That's after Alaska State Development Agency ADA ended a two decade partnership with the shipyard's previous operator, Vigor. A 2025 letter from ADA cited Vigor's poor performance. Luke Rebecci is a Washington D.C. based attorney for the labor union. He says the Alaska chapter has represented Ketchikan's shipyard workers since 2022 when the facility operated under Vigo. Rebecci says the union negotiated a three year labor contract that guaranteed wage increases and premium free health insurance benefits, among other things. He says In January, under JAG, health insurance premiums went up by more than 25%. Here's Golding again, the union's Alaska business manager.

[Casey Grove]

We want to make sure that the members are taken care of and ultimately we don't believe that JAG feels the same about the local membership as we do.

[Hunter Morrison]

Bergen Wheeler is the general manager for JAG Ketchikan. He says the shipyard could have been shuttered if JAG hadn't taken it over. And he says the shipyard does currently offer voluntary premium based health insurance plans.

[Wesley Early]

I myself and my family have signed

[Casey Grove]

up for it, and I pay the

[Hunter Morrison]

premiums to ensure that I have the

[Wesley Early]

good health care that JAG provides to

[Casey Grove]

cover my children and my wife and myself.

[Hunter Morrison]

Here in Ketchikan, it is unclear when the National Labor Relations Board will decide whether to move forward with the union's charges. Attorney Rebecci says the board has a backlog of cases that were exacerbated by last fall's federal government shutdown. Reporting in Ketchikan, I'm Hunter Morrison.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Arctic sea ice has been shrinking in recent decades, reaching record lows both in summer and in winter. A new study shows a continuation of the trend. Ice is sticking to Alaska's northern shores for less time than it used to, researchers say. This can have implications for the climate, resource development and subsistence hunting, the Alaska Desk's Alyona Nydin reports.

[Andrew Mahoney]

Andrew Mahoney is a research professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. In January, he and his colleague published a study in the Journal of Geophysical Research Ocean. It focused on the ice that attaches to the shores of Alaska's northern coast, called Landfast ice. They found that over nearly three decades, the landfast ice in Alaska's Arctic is forming later, breaking up earlier, and is not reaching as far offshore.

[Hunter Morrison]

So it's sort of shrinking in time and it's shrinking in space as well.

[Andrew Mahoney]

Mahoney previously looked at the landfast ice in Chakchi and Beaufort Seas in a study published in 2014. At that time, the Chukchi Sea seemed to experience more ice loss, while the Beaufort Sea seemed more stable. This year's study showed that that has changed.

[Hunter Morrison]

Now we're starting to see changes in the Beaufort Sea that the Beaufort Sea of today is not the Beauforts sea of the 1970s.

[Andrew Mahoney]

Mahoney says that while lenfast ice is only a small fraction of the overall ice cover, it is the type of ice most people come in contact with. Indigenous communities have used it for millennia to hunt like whalers in the Karkavik in spring.

[Hunter Morrison]

A large fraction of community at any one time might actually be out on the Landfast ice actively whaling. And the success of that whale hunt is in part related to how accessible and how stable and safe the Landfast ice is.

[Andrew Mahoney]

Mahoney added that the oil and gas industry also uses landfast ice to build seasonal ice roads to connect to facilities. In fact, his team's study was funded by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management with the interest of oil and gas development near shore. And when landfast ice breaks up earlier in spring Coastal communities lose a shield protecting them from the open water and waves.

[Hunter Morrison]

There's a lot of erosion affecting these communities. Most of it happens in the fall, but we could start to see more erosion happening in the springtime if landfast ice keeps breaking up earlier.

[Andrew Mahoney]

The Arctic has been warming four times faster than the rest of the world. The recent landfast ice decline might be related to the overall thinning of Arctic ice due to climate change, but more research is needed to better understand the process behind it. In Anchorage, I'm Alena Knighton.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

For locals, Alaska's largest city has always been a trail town, but now it's official. Anchorage is one of 27 cities nationwide to receive international recognition for its trails from the International Mountain Bicycling Association. As part of the designation, Anchorage joins a national network of communities committed to trail stewardship, collaboration and expanding access to outdoor recreation, according to the Mountain Biking Association. For Will Tagan, executive director of Chugach Mountain Bike Riders, the achievement has been 20 years in the making, thanks to volunteers and community partners.

[Casey Grove]

I think really the thing that today is a celebration of what we have, you know, it's, we have a lot of trails. Those trails are high quality and we have a community that supports those trails. And those are really the three things IMBA was looking for. And we're happy that they, they thought, you know, we were one of the good ones.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

Local leaders say the recognition will help strengthen future partnerships with land managers, tourism agencies, and funders to support continued maintenance and expansion of the trail network. Well, a theater in a historic building in downtown Juneau is being brought back to life after sitting empty for years. The people behind the restoration and renovation say they want it to be a space for the people of Juneau. KTO's Yvonne Crummery got a tour and has more.

[Yvonne Crummery]

Inside an 86 year old movie theater in downtown Juneau, a group of film lovers are sifting through decades of debris. We're in a dusty room behind a big screen. There are a couple of generations of theater seats in various states of deconstruction and decay. Red rolls of tickets and an ancient cash register sit on shelves. And hanging from the ceiling is the top half of an old art deco stage arch. It's called a proscenium.

[Casey Grove]

So right here, this is the proscenium. And that was the original. So the original building. And we expect to restore this and build back the legs of it and re gild it and then this would be a performance space.

[Yvonne Crummery]

That's James McSweeney. He points up along the ceiling of the original stage.

[Casey Grove]

The original rigging is still up there for the flies. We will not be using that. We'll put some modern stuff in, and then the original catwalks we will also not be using.

[Yvonne Crummery]

McSweeney, who's renovating the old theater with his wife, says the building is full of history.

[Casey Grove]

It's really cool that it's all still here. We'd like to just bring it all back to Life.

[Yvonne Crummery]

The gross 20th century theater was built in 1940 alongside a movie theater in the Mensign Hall Valley. But during the pandemic, the downtown theater slowly closed and never reopened. In 2024, the Juneau assembly approved a roughly $1 million loan from Juneau's Affordable Housing Fund to the new owners of the building. They planned to turn the upper floors into housing. Then last fall, McSweeney and his wife decided to take a leap. They started renting the old theater space in the building with the hopes of reopening it. Before this venture, the couple had worked on the Alaska Marine Highway System ferries for about a decade.

[Casey Grove]

And like, 10 years of that made me feel really like apart from the community. And I've always wanted to be in the community at my first opportunity, jumped in, McSweeney says.

[Yvonne Crummery]

The theater will be called Aurora Grand. It's a name they plan to grow into.

[Casey Grove]

Calling ourselves grand is kind of what our aspiration will be, and we're going to start off pretty modest, and then we're going to like, ramp up, hopefully over the next few years.

[Yvonne Crummery]

He wants to restore the theater's old school aesthetic, Hollywood, Regency and Art Deco. Part of that plan is taking down the drop ceiling and restoring the chandelier that's been hidden for decades. McSweeney also wants to bring back the marquee outside of the theater that would advertise events and movies. McSweeney's wife, Amelia Sween, has been helping with the renovation. She says they plan to bring back plays and other live performances by Juno organizations.

[Casey Grove]

And we want to be able to show movies that are made by people in town, documentaries, student films, host it all so that everybody feels like this is a part of their home and part of their space.

[Yvonne Crummery]

And that's the mission behind the theater. Creating spaces for youth to hang out, work the ticket booth, learn about films, and present their own hotestine. Conor Meyer is a videographer who's helping McSweeney document the theater's transformation.

[Casey Grove]

I grew up in Yakutat, and we didn't have a third space and so having this as an opportunity to really foster arts in a way that's not seen here in southeast Alaska in this way, at this scale is really, really exciting.

[Yvonne Crummery]

Meyer says he wishes he had the chance as a young person to engage with film and creativity in the way the Aurora grand hopes to foster.

[Casey Grove]

To have this when I was a kid, it would have changed my trajectory. I wouldn't have gone through, I don't know, some of the stuff I went through to find myself. So hopefully this space fosters the ability for youth to find themselves in the arts a little bit quicker.

[Yvonne Crummery]

And McSweeney says he's excited to keep up the theater's tradition of being a part of the fabric of Juno's community for residents young and old into the years to come.

[Casey Grove]

Since we've opened the doors to the community and been talking to so many people to hear all the memories that have already taken place in the space, we're just going to continue with that same energy, hopefully even more intensified so we can have more and more awesome memories for people.

[Yvonne Crummery]

McSweeney plans to open the theater in late May. In Juneau, I'm Yvonne Crumry.

[Narrator / Alaska Public Media Host]

And that's all for this edition of alaska news nightly. We had reports tonight from eric stone and yvonne crumry in juneau, liz ruskin in washington, d.c. wesley early, alyona nyden and mikayla finnerty in anchorage, melinda munson in skagway, and hunter morrison in catch a can. Our audio engineer is crystal hyde, kirsten dobroth is our producer. And I'm casey grove. Good night. This is statewide news on Alaska Public Media.