Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, April 2, 2025 – Episode Summary

Podcast: Alaska News Nightly – Alaska Public Media
Date: April 2, 2025
Host: Wesley Early

Overview

This episode centers on the urgent challenges facing Alaska’s education system—particularly in Ketchikan—amid school leadership turnover and budget cuts, the psychological toll on students, and a statewide push for increased education funding. It also captures advocacy for Indigenous education in the wake of proposed federal policy changes, new Capitol security measures in Juneau, shifting population demographics, community activism at UAA, and the loss of Anchorage’s famed reindeer, Star. The episode closes with a tribute to Alaska Native dance and culture at Bethel’s Chamai Dance Festival.

Major Themes and Key Stories

1. Crisis in Alaska’s Schools: Funding, Mental Health & Leadership Losses

(00:25–05:28)

Discussion Points

• Ketchikan elementary schools are undergoing a controversial restructuring due to budget shortfalls, prompting board and superintendent resignations.
• High school principal Rick Dormer testifies before state legislators on the dire workforce crisis, with rapid turnover of educational leaders and lack of mental health resources.
• Student mental health is at a breaking point, with Dormer citing recent teen suicides and alarming anxiety/depression rates.
• Schools struggle to afford or retain social workers/counselors, with only one social worker for over 500 students at Ketchikan High.
• Dormer and others urge increased base student funding, with a proposed $1,000-per-student bill advancing through the legislature.

Notable Quotes

• "Every school needs quality leadership and quality teachers, and Alaska's losing their educational leaders at a very rapid rate."
  — Rick Dormer (01:32)
• "In just the last month, Ketchikan lost a teen by suicide and we had another teen attempt to take their life. ... It’s just so real and it’s right in front of us."
  — Rick Dormer (02:43)
• "As a principal, I can tell you that hiring a counselor is about impossible at this time. And then if you have the funds in the first place, how can you find them and then how can you retain them?"
  — Rick Dormer (03:52)
• “If I go to Oregon, I can get a defined benefit package. I can have higher wages, I can have a lower cost of living. ... We want to stay. I want to stay. But we are also highly educated professionals. … There are a lot of options out there.”
  — Rick Dormer (04:46)

Important Timestamps

• [01:26–05:28] – In-depth reporting and testimony from Ketchikan

2. Tribal Response to Proposed Department of Education Dissolution

(05:28–07:45)

Discussion Points

• Indigenous educators and leaders testify before the US Senate, defending the Department of Education and the necessity of federal programs for Native students.
• President Trump’s March executive order seeking to eliminate the DOE raises fears of lost funding and erosion of tribal sovereignty.
• Senator Lisa Murkowski highlights successes of culture-based funding and urges innovative approaches, but warns of the risk in shifting programs to state control.

Notable Quotes

• “Through our culture-based programs ... we have witnessed measurable educational achievement among Native students as well as improvements in their social and emotional well being.”
  — Rosita Kahani Worl, Sealaska Heritage Institute (06:13)
• "We need to make progress on the ground and we owe it to our Native kids across the country.”
  — Senator Lisa Murkowski (07:05)

Important Timestamps

• [05:28–07:45] – Indigenous educational testimony

3. New Security Measures at the Alaska State Capitol

(07:45–10:49)

Discussion Points

• Legislative Council approves a policy requiring security screening for Capitol visitors amid concerns about potential violence.
• Proponents cite increased political tension and precedent from other states.
• Detractors worry about accessibility for constituents and overestimating the security threat.
• Supporters argue the process is quick (under 30 seconds) and necessary for safety.

Notable Quotes

• “I don't believe we can wait until we have an incident where someone is harmed or a weapon is drawn before we take action to make the building safe and accessible..."
  — Rep. Sarah Hannan (08:15)
• “We don't have an extraordinarily or unprecedented increase in security threats, and I again want to err on the side of keeping the Capitol as accessible as possible.”
  — Rep. Ashley Carrick (09:12)
• “I am willing to accept the risk of some crazy person coming in, disrupting things ... because I think it is important to have a welcoming atmosphere at the state Capitol.”
  — Rep. Mike Prox (10:15)

Important Timestamps

• [07:45–10:49] – Debate and rationale for Capitol security

4. UAA Native Student Services Reorganization Sparks Backlash

(11:00–14:09)

Discussion Points

• University of Alaska Anchorage phases out “Native Student Services” (NSS), combining it with other student supports, drawing protests from students fearing loss of autonomy and cultural support.
• Changes coincide with federal DEI pressure and the removal of Alaska Native language from program branding.
• NSS President Ria Larson voices concerns that reorganization will erode support for Native students, restrict funding, and stifle self-determination.
• Evidence of immediate impact: staff on leave, layoffs rumored, and students struggling for registration help.

Notable Quotes

• “This means that NSS is not going to have its own funding or budget. Someone else outside of NSS gets the final say, which means there's no self determination for the Native staff or students here.”
  — Ria Larson (12:40)
• “The guidance is a lot better because they understand where Native students are coming from ... it’s different for us coming into university than it is for other students.”
  — Ria Larson (13:08)

Important Timestamps

• [11:00–14:09] – UAA reorganization and student protests

5. Anchorage Assembly Elections & New Faces

(14:09–15:55)

Discussion Points

• With 39,000 ballots counted, North and West Anchorage incumbents lead.
• Center-left majority likely to persist, with newcomers joining the assembly, including a conservative representative for Chugiak and Eagle River.
• Issues on deck are nonpartisan: zoning, permitting, municipal reform.

Notable Quotes

• “Gratitude for my supporters, volunteers, people who contributed and people who believe in the work that I've been doing.”
  — Daniel Voland, Incumbent Assembly Member (15:12)
• “We’re talking about zoning, we’re talking about permitting reform ... that’s not something that’s strictly Republican or strictly Democrat.”
  — Jared Gerker, Assembly Newcomer (15:47)

Important Timestamps

• [14:09–15:55] – Election analysis and assembly outlook

6. Alaska’s Demographic Trends: Growths and Declines

(16:27–18:53)

Discussion Points

• Overall state growth is small but steady, mainly along the rail belt (Kenai–Fairbanks).
• Southeast regions, notably Skagway and Haines, are aging and experiencing population loss, driven by low birth rates and outmigration.
• Efforts in Haines focus on improving housing and child care to attract young families.

Notable Quotes

• “All the growth since 2020 has pretty much been on that rail belt... with the Mat-Su kind of being our one standout area that's grown consistently for decades now.”
  — David Howell, State Demographer (17:07)
• “There’s not as many people at high fertility ages, and you have more people at these ages where mortality is higher. ... Deaths have actually outnumbered births in Skagway.”
  — David Howell (17:49)
• “The housing crisis in this town is extreme. We cannot keep teachers. We cannot attract new employees.”
  — Tom Morfitt, Haines Mayor (18:27)

Important Timestamps

• [16:27–18:53] – Population trends detailed

7. The Passing of Starr, Anchorage’s Reindeer

(18:53–20:08)

Discussion Points

• ‘Starr,’ Anchorage’s iconic reindeer mascot, was euthanized following severe health decline, possibly after being poisoned.
• Owner Albert Whitehead expresses grief and uncertainty over reviving the tradition, citing security fears after a series of targeted incidents.

Notable Quotes

• “His health was so bad that he was not doing very well. He was suffering.”
  — Albert Whitehead (19:07)
• “Would you be willing to put another animal into that enclosure, knowing there’s somebody out there that has doing this kind of stuff to him?”
  — Albert Whitehead (19:59)

Important Timestamps

• [18:53–20:08] – Tribute to Starr, the reindeer

8. Chamai Dance Festival: Honoring Yup’ik Heritage

(20:38–25:44)

Discussion Points

• Festival in Bethel celebrates cultural preservation of Alaska Native song, dance, and community, dedicating this year to the late Stanley Waska, a revered elder.
• The 1988 documentary “Drums of Winter” is screened and discussed, notable for its collaborative approach with villagers.
• Reflections from Waska’s nephew, Walkie Charles, underline the resilience of tradition and hardship of cultural assimilation policies (e.g., boarding schools, missionary critiques).
• The enduring spirit of Yup’ik dance and community connectivity resonates through generations.

Notable Quotes

• “...On some evenings, the drummers and singers are at their sharpest. Everything is together and right on key. Those nights make you want to dance from way inside, to sing from way inside.”
  — Stanley Waska, via "Drums of Winter" (22:00)
• “He grew up with very, very humble beginnings, and he died humbly. And what kept him to be the person that he is is that he had that spiritual connection between the new and the old.”
  — Walkie Charles (23:26)
• “I came into my awareness with this dancing. I grew into consciousness with it. ... I don’t think I will ever get tired of it.”
  — Stanley Waska, film excerpt (24:38)

Important Timestamps

• [20:38–25:44] – Chamai Festival and legacy of Alaska Native dance

Memorable Moments

• Raw testimony on student mental health and suicide in Ketchikan, and the difficulty retaining education professionals (02:43, 03:52, 04:46)
• Student-led protests at UAA over loss of Native-specific support and looming staff cuts (12:40, 13:08)
• Emotional tribute to Anchorage’s reindeer and concerns about the tradition's future (19:59)
• Moving film dialogue and personal reflections at Bethel’s Chamai Dance Festival (22:00, 23:26, 24:38)

Timestamps Guide

| Segment | Start | End | |-----------------------------------------------|--------|--------| | Alaska schools in crisis | 00:25 | 05:28 | | Indigenous education testimony | 05:28 | 07:45 | | Capitol security debate | 07:45 | 10:49 | | UAA Native Services restructuring | 11:00 | 14:09 | | Anchorage Assembly elections | 14:09 | 15:55 | | Alaska demographic trends | 16:27 | 18:53 | | Starr the reindeer passes away | 18:53 | 20:08 | | Chamai Dance Festival in Bethel | 20:38 | 25:44 |

Summary

This episode shines a powerful light on the human stakes behind education policy, demographic shifts, tradition, and loss in Alaska. Real voices tell stories of heartbreak and resilience in the state’s classrooms, communities, and cultural celebrations. Listeners come away with a nuanced portrait of a state confronting fiscal, social, and cultural challenges with candor and collective spirit.