Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Summary

Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, January 28, 2026 — Summary

Main Theme:
This episode of Alaska News Nightly provides statewide coverage of key news stories from Alaska, including updates on oil drilling and environmental concerns on the North Slope, education funding and policy debates, local community stories from military bases to student government, and spotlights on Alaska’s sporting culture.

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1. North Slope Oil Drilling Accident and Environmental Response

[00:18 - 02:49]

• Incident Overview:
  Despite a recent accident in which a massive ConocoPhillips oil drilling rig tipped over and caught fire near Nuiqsut, the company plans to proceed with winter drilling operations. No serious injuries occurred.
• Company Response:
  ConocoPhillips Vice President Barry Romberg assured the State House Resources Committee that drilling plans would remain on track using a substitute rig:
  • “Our exploration work plan for this winter is going to be on track. We've got a substitute rig and we're going to be moving forward with that.” (Craig Tornga, 01:45)
• Environmental Impact:
  About 4,000 gallons of diesel and 600 gallons of hydraulic oil spilled onto the tundra. Doyon Drilling, the rig operator, set up containment perimeters to prevent pollution of local waterways—so far, they remain unaffected.
  • Cleanup is ongoing, but severe weather delayed further environmental work.
• Legal Developments:
  • A federal judge denied a plaintiff request to halt ConocoPhillips' Willow project expansion. The lawsuit, led by Earthjustice and Inupiat groups, alleges insufficient consultation and risk to wildlife; litigation is ongoing.

Notable Quotes:

• “This was a very sad day. The Doyen 26 rig was a very special rig for us.” (Craig Tornga, 02:49)

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2. Fort Greely Dining Facility and Workforce Cuts

[04:43 - 06:52]

• Issue:
  Fort Greely’s dining hall resumed normal hours after nearly four months of disruption due to unexpected civilian retirements and federal workforce reductions.
• Solutions Employed:
  The Army provided food allowances and hired local vendors temporarily, then worked with Alaska’s Department of Labor to restore staffing.
• Risks & Impacts:
  Officials warned the disruption could have jeopardized readiness and personnel well-being. MREs (ready-to-eat meals) were considered but rejected over nutritional concerns.

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3. Alaska Marine Highway: New Ferry Tustamina Project

[07:38 - 08:50]

• Update:
  After years of delay, the contract to replace the aging ferry Tustamina is finally out for bid; completion is targeted for 2029, costing over $300 million.
• Project Features:
  The ferry will be hybrid-electric, with capacity for 250 passengers and 58 vehicles.
• Shipyard Interest:
  This time, several shipyards expressed interest—unlike a previous failed bid due to a requirement that 70% of costs be paid to American companies.
• Leadership Perspective:
  • “It's really delightful even just to talk about. You could probably hear the smile on my face.” (Craig Tornga, 08:01)

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4. Anchorage School District Funding and Tax Vote

[08:50 - 11:04]

• Tax Proposal:
  The Anchorage Assembly voted to add a one-time $12M tax proposal to the April municipal ballot to address an $83M budget shortfall and reduce class sizes by supporting more than 80 teaching positions.
• Support & Dissent:
  Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day voiced strong support:
  • “We cannot continue to strip resources away from a system and then demand that it perform better. That's not real. That's not how anything works in the real world.” (Erin Baldwin Day, 09:54)
  • Opposition cited concerns about district performance and money management; the ordinance passed 9-3.

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5. Skagway Students Advocate for Subsistence Absence Policy

[11:04 - 12:46]

• Student Advocacy:
  Skagway student Lena Hischer and peers are pushing for a school attendance policy recognizing up to 7 days per semester for subsistence activities (hunting, fishing, gathering), separate from regular excused absences.
• Policy Rationale:
  Advocates argue this would respect and accommodate Alaska’s rural and cultural traditions.
• School Response:
  Superintendent Josh Coffran is open to change:
  • "In essence, they would act a lot like student activities… The same could be true for hunting, fishing and foraging.” (Josh Coffran, 12:04)
  • The school board is considering the proposal.

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6. Juneau Student Voices in Contract Negotiations

[12:46 - 16:32]

• Contract Stalemate:
  Ongoing delays in teacher contract negotiations in the Juneau School District have drawn student attention and activism.
• Student Testimony:
  Zoe Lessard, a senior and school board student representative, passionately advocated for better teacher conditions:
  • “These people were and are my advocates, my friends, my support and some of them my family. My teachers have pushed me to be better and go into my future with confidence. Please allow them to continue to do this.” (Zoe Lessard, 13:43)
• Action:
  The student council unanimously passed a statement urging the district to settle contracts and support teachers.
  • “We...are completely appalled at the superintendent and school board's lack of action about this matter…” (Zoe Lessard, 14:34)

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7. Bethel’s Akiak Dash & the Next Generation of Mushers

[16:32 - 21:07]

• Race Overview:
  The Akiak Dash, a 63-mile sled dog race in Bethel, saw strong participation from local teens, spotlighting familial traditions.
• Youth in Focus:
  • 15-year-old Maya Pavila finished her first race, supported by her brother, veteran musher Jason Pavila, and their musher family. Maya's mother, Michelle, expressed pride and emotion at the finish line:
    • “Very exciting. I am so proud of her. I was like a bottur. Feel like I was going to cry.” (Michelle Oleg Pavila, 19:55)
• Family Traditions:
  The Pavila family’s multi-generational involvement in mushing shows the sport’s deep community roots.

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8. Anchorage’s Gus Schumacher Looks to Skiing Glory

[21:23 - 26:01]

• Olympic Hope:
  25-year-old Anchorage native Gus Schumacher is on track for the Winter Olympics in Italy, having podiumed twice at World Cup events recently.
• Mindset & Mentorship:
  Gus emphasizes a healthy approach to competition, focusing on self-improvement rather than just winning. Former coach Jan Buran praises his resilience:
  • “If kids start enjoying this process, I just smile because this is easy job for me.” (Jan Buran/Biron, 23:36)
  • “I was able to convince guys then losing, this is not shame. This is part of the game... you will lose.” (Jan Buran/Biron, 24:31)
• Family Support:
  Gus’s mother, Amy Schumacher, reflects on providing encouragement and grounding through tough times:
  • “I don't think pressure works in most situations... You just want to support them and you're happy when they are happy...” (Amy Schumacher, 25:03/25:10)

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Notable Quotes

• On School Funding:
  “We cannot continue to strip resources away from a system and then demand that it perform better. That's not real.”
  — Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day [09:54]

• On Student Advocacy:
  “These people were and are my advocates, my friends, my support and some of them my family... Please allow them to continue to do this.”
  — Zoe Lessard, Juneau High School Student [13:43]

• On Mushing Tradition:
  “Very exciting. I am so proud of her. I was like a bottur. Feel like I was going to cry.”
  — Michelle Oleg Pavila on her daughter Maya’s first race [19:55]

• On Olympic Perspective:
  “I don't think pressure works in most situations... You just want to support them and you're happy when they are happy...”
  — Amy Schumacher, Gus’s mother [25:03/25:10]

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Key Timestamps

• Oil rig accident & drilling update: 00:18 - 02:49
• Fort Greely dining facility challenges: 04:43 - 06:52
• Alaska Marine Highway Tustamina replacement: 07:38 - 08:50
• Anchorage school tax proposal: 08:50 - 11:04
• Skagway subsistence absences debate: 11:04 - 12:46
• Juneau student activism on teacher contracts: 12:46 - 16:32
• Bethel Akiak Dash sled dog youth race: 16:32 - 21:07
• Gus Schumacher’s Olympic journey: 21:23 - 26:01

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Episode Tone

The reporting is informative and grounded, highlighting both the challenges and resilience of Alaskan communities in a candid and empathetic tone. Personal perspectives—whether from students, athletes, or parents—add human depth to the news.

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For more, visit Alaska Public Media.

Transcript

[Wesley Early]

Support for Alaska Public Media On Demand comes from Siri, an Alaska Native corporation.

[Jamie Deep]

With operations and investments spanning five continents, 45 states and two US territories.

[Craig Tornga]

Our exploration work plan for this winter is going to be on track. We've got a substitute rig and we're going to be moving forward with that.

[Wesley Early]

A massive oil rig accident isn't stopping ConocoPhillips plans for North Slope drilling this winter. From Alaska Public this is Statewide News on Alaska News nightly for Wednesday, January 28th. Good evening, I'm Wesley Early. Also tonight, a one time tax to help fund Anchorage's school district will head to local voters.

[Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day]

We cannot continue to strip resources away from a system and then demand that it perform better.

[Wesley Early]

Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly.

[Avery Elfeldt]

The PFD application is open.

[Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day]

Just a small amount of your PFD will help share local news and stories about Alaskans with Alaskans across this great state. When you choose Alaska Public Media through.

[Wesley Early]

Pick click give ConocoPhillips says its plans to drill four new wells this winter on the North Slope will go forward despite Friday's accident involving a massive drilling rig. The gargantuan rig tipped over and caught fire Friday afternoon while in transit on a gravel road near New Ex. The company says no one was seriously hurt in the incident. ConocoPhillips VP Barry Romberg told the State House Resources Committee today that the company intended to use it to drill two of the four new wells it plans in the area this winter, but he says the company quickly found an alternative.

[Craig Tornga]

Our exploration work plan for this winter is going to be on track. We've got a substitute rig and we're going to be moving forward with that. I don't expect at this point any material change to our long term production forecast.

[Wesley Early]

Doyon Drilling, the Alaska Native Regional Corporation subsidiary that owns and operates the rig, continues to lead the emergency response. Doyon Drilling said Wednesday that roughly 4,000 gallons of diesel and 600 gallons of hydraulic oil had spilled onto the snow covered tundra. The company said it had established a perimeter to minimize pollution to nearby waterways, including a tributary of the Colville River. The Doyon says nearby pipelines and waterways had so far been unaffected. Romberg says that the spill appears to be contained and that the environmental impact was minimal as of this afternoon. A Department of Environmental Conservation officials said severe weather was delaying further work on the site. The 10 million pound rig set a long distance drilling record in 2022 when it bored 6.7 miles horizontally underground to access a previously untouched reservoir to ConocoPhillips.

[Craig Tornga]

Said at the time, this was a very sad day. The Doyen 26 rig was a very special rig for us.

[Wesley Early]

The rig was said to be the largest mobile land rig in North America. And in a related story, a federal judge for the District of Alaska denied a request this week to halt oil exploration near the North Slope community of Newxet days after the rig fell over. The rig was being used for ConocoPhillips work on a project to expand the Willow development and explore for more oil at a site close to newwexit. In December, an environmental law organization, Earth justice, filed a lawsuit in U.S. district Court for the District of Alaska. It challenges that project on behalf of several conservation groups and an Inupia led grassroots organization. The plaintiffs argue that the project will harm habitat crucial to caribou birds and other wildlife that local communities rely on for subsistence. They said the federal Bureau of Land Management approved the project illegally and without proper consultation or acknowledgment of existing concerns. The plaintiffs also requested a preliminary injunction to halt the program with while the litigation is ongoing. But yesterday the court denied that request, ruling that ConocoPhillips can proceed with its project while the court decides on the case. Norrie Simmons is executive director of Sovereign Inupiat for a Living Arctic, one of the plaintiffs in the case. Simmons said in a statement that the ruling is difficult for many Alaskans, especially after the recent rig collapse and an oil spill. While the ruling allows exploration to continue, the lawsuit is is ongoing. Fort Greely restored its regular dining facility hours last week after a service disruption that lasted almost four months. As the Alaska Desk's Shelby Herbert reports, military documents say federal workforce reductions made it hard for the installation to feed its soldiers.

[Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day]

About three hundred and fifty soldiers are currently assigned to Fort Greely, which is located just south of the small interior community of Delta Junction. The fort's dining facility usually offers three meals a day, Monday through Friday, but in October, the facility had to reduce operating hours. Lera Fry is a spokesperson for the U.S. army Space and Missile Defense Command. In an emailed statement, she said that unexpected civilian workforce retirements and attrition caused the reduction in services. She also said that the fort's mission readiness was at no point impacted, but it was a close call. According to partially redacted army contracting documents. Officials warned that the disruption could have resulted in mission failure and that the lapse risked jeopardizing the readiness and overall well being of the military and government personnel stationed at the installation. They also said that the disruption resulted from the loss of essential civilian positions due to the federal workforce reductions under the so called Department of Government Efficiency. The situation and lapse in service was first reported by USA today. Initially, soldiers received an allowance for food, according to the documents. Space and Missile Defense Command then hired a local vendor to provide meals as a short term solution. Eventually, they reached a deal with Alaska's Department of Labor and Workforce Development to hire new staff. During the months long gap, US Army Materiel Command and Space and Missile Defense Command looked at several other solutions including distributing ready to eat meals or MREs, but eventually ruled that out over supply and nutritional concerns. US Senator Lisa Murkowski and US Representative Nick Bikich III did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the lapse in services. A spokesperson for US Senator Dan Sullivan said his office is looking into it. Reporting in Fairbanks, I'm Shelby Herbert.

[Wesley Early]

Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, one Anchorage Olympian reflects on a second chance at his childhood dream.

[Craig Tornga]

After practice was over, when we were skiing back to the trailhead, just the two of us, we would kind of like commentate and pretend like we were in the Olympics.

[Wesley Early]

That's ahead. 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, khns, where I work in Haines 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.

[Wesley Early]

After years of delays, the build contract to replace the Alaska Marine Highway System's ferry, Tustamina is out to bid. The state project notice calls for the new mainliner ferry to be completed by the beginning of 2029 with an estimated price tag of more than $300 million. The new ferry will be a more efficient hybrid electric vessel with capacity for 250 passengers and 58 cars at a time.

[Craig Tornga]

It's really delightful even just to talk about. You could probably hear the smile on my face.

[Wesley Early]

State Representative Louise Stutes, a Republican from Kodiak, is a longtime advocate of the Alaska ferry system, especially the more than 60 year old Tustamina, which regularly sails from Homer to Kod island communities. She commended Craig Tornga, the head of the state ferry system, for getting the Tustamina replacement project to this point and.

[Craig Tornga]

There are several shipyards that are interested in it as opposed to the first time it went out where no shipyards were interested.

[Wesley Early]

Governor Mike Dunleavy first announced the project in 2021. The build contract went out to bid in 2022 and no bids came in.

[Craig Tornga]

So they kind of had to reassess it, redesign a few things and we're good to go.

[Wesley Early]

Tornga went back to the drawing board on the ferry's design and overhauled the contract. Tornga has previously said that one of the hurdles that delayed the project so long was a requirement that 70% of the money spent on the Tustamina replacement has to go to American companies. Bidding closes May 28, according to the state's public notice for the project. Anchorage voters will decide this spring whether to approve a one time roughly $12 million tax increase to fund the local school district. That's after the assembly voted last night to put the tax on this April's municipal ballot. The proposal was brought forward by Mayor Suzanne LaFrance. The money is intended to fund more than 80 teaching positions with the goal of reducing class sizes across the school. District officials project an $83 million budget shortfall for the next year. Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day spoke in favor of the proposal, saying the district has been underfunded for years.

[Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day]

We cannot continue to strip resources away from a system and then demand that it perform better. That's not real. That's not how anything works in the real world.

[Wesley Early]

Public testimony on the ordinance was fairly even, with 10 people in favor and 12 opposed. Many in opposition accused Anchorage schools of underperforming and questioned if the district would use the money effectively. Assemblymember Jared Gerker agreed. I do not have my constituents who have reached out to me, have not do not have any confidence in the school board or the superintendent to wisely use this money. The ordinance passed on a 9 to 3 vote, with Gurker, Keith McCormick and Scott Myers opposed. Anchorage's municipal election will be held on April 7th. Meanwhile, the federal government says 98% of rural Alaskans catch, hunt or gather at least some of their food, and much of that happens during the school year. Now, students in Skagway are calling on their school district to adopt a policy that would let them take part in those activities without it potentially counting against them, the Alaska Desk's Avery Elfelt reports.

[Avery Elfeldt]

Lena Hischer is a local student and vice president of the Alaska association of Student Governments. She says the district's attendance policy doesn't specifically provide flexibility around subsistence activities and as she sees it, that negatively affects.

[Wesley Early]

Kids who do subsistence hunter gather and does so we kind of want to make it more even or equal.

[Avery Elfeldt]

Hischer was speaking at a recent subcommittee meeting of the Skagway School Board. The board's policy committee was considering a resolution put forward by the student council that asks for seven free subsistence days per semester. Right now, students get 15 excused absences per semester. After that, they lose credit for missing class unless they get a waiver from the superintendent or school board. Josh Coffran is the district superintendent. During the meeting, he said the policy could be updated to mention subsistence activities and to allow students to proactively request days off for a moose hunt or other trip. That wouldn't count toward the 15 day limit.

[Zoe Lessard]

20.

[Craig Tornga]

In essence, they would act a lot like student activities.

[Avery Elfeldt]

For example, when students travel for sports or debates, those days don't count as absences, coffran said. The same could be true for hunting, fishing and foraging.

[Craig Tornga]

We know they're not in school, but.

[Wesley Early]

It'S not a school sanctioned event and so this would be the school sanctioning.

[Craig Tornga]

Subsistence activities and not counting it against families.

[Avery Elfeldt]

The board is set to discuss the issue at a board meeting this week. Coffran said in an email that it's still, quote, early days for the idea. If the board decides to move forward with the proposal, it would go back to the policy subcommittee and then return to the full board for consideration. Reporting in Skagway, I'm Avery Ilfeld.

[Wesley Early]

It's been nearly a year since contract negotiations officially began between the Juneau School District and its teachers union. Now students are speaking out about how unresolved negotiations are affecting them in the classroom. KTOO's Jamie Deep has more 17 year.

[Jamie Deep]

Old Zoe Lessard is a senior at Juno Douglas High School Yada at Kahle, she sits on the Juno School board as a student representative. At meetings, she typically gives updates on school dances and sports.

[Zoe Lessard]

There are home hockey games taking place.

[Jamie Deep]

This weekend, but during a meeting last October, she got up from where she normally sits for board meetings and sat at the testifier seat.

[Zoe Lessard]

My name is Zoe Lessard. I'm speaking for myself, not the school.

[Jamie Deep]

Lessard spoke after more than an hour of comments from teachers and community members sharing their experience about working without a new contract. Some spoke about taking multiple jobs to make ends meet. Others said they were overwhelmed with the workload. During her testimony in support of teachers, Lessard got emotional.

[Zoe Lessard]

These people were and are my advocates, my friends, my support and some of them my family. My teachers have pushed me to be better and go into my future with confidence. Please allow them to continue to do.

[Jamie Deep]

This now, outside of the board setting, Lessard is continuing to speak out. She wants to send an even stronger message. So she turned to the high school's student government last week with a drafted message.

[Zoe Lessard]

I cannot say what I really want to say at school board meetings and I thought it would be a powerful statement if it was approved by by the whole student council.

[Jamie Deep]

The high school's governing body of more than 40 students unanimously approved the statement. Lessard is part of the student government because of her school board role. The written statement speaks to the need to have contracts that adequately pay teachers. Here's Lessard reading a part of the statement during an interview with ktoo.

[Zoe Lessard]

We as the Juno Douglas High School Yada Kalay student government are completely appalled at the superintendent and school board's lack of action about this matter. We do not support your decision to leave teachers and support staff with insufficient contracts.

[Jamie Deep]

Lisard has some personal insight into teachers lives. Her dad is a teacher. But she says students in general notice and see the impact not having a new contract has on teachers.

[Zoe Lessard]

If they are stressed, if they're not, if their needs aren't getting met, if they need to work one or two other jobs. We notice and we notice because they aren't able to focus on teaching as much as they would like to, which is by no means their fault.

[Jamie Deep]

The statement also brings up teacher vacancies. Based on reports from early January, the Juno School district has more than 40 open teaching and staff positions. Bella Reyes Boyer is the student body president at the high school. Her mom is a veteran teacher and now the school's librarian. Last year Reyes Boyer volunteered at an elementary school and says she saw the effect teacher vacancies have on students.

[Zoe Lessard]

So I really got to see firsthand how important having those paraeducators and like teachers who are actually able to accommodate each student individually and how important that really is. It was really apparent that there is a lack of like specialized teachers for certain students.

[Jamie Deep]

Lessard says many students don't know much about the contract negotiations. So she's trying to educate her peers. She wants them to speak to the board in support of teachers.

[Zoe Lessard]

I would hope people come and testify for their teachers and support staff at the next school board meeting that they tell the school board how much the teachers and the staff in the schools matter to them and how that's what they need to be investing in for everybody's like future.

[Jamie Deep]

The district and the bargaining units for teacher and staff unions have met this winter. The school board is holding several budget specific meetings in the coming weeks, including a budget public forum on February 5th in Juneau. I'm Jamie Deep.

[Wesley Early]

Bethel's sprint sled dog races have been seeing younger and younger mushers on the roster. As KYUK's Samantha Watson reports, in some cases, that might have to do with keeping it in the family.

[Avery Elfeldt]

The trail of the 2026 Akiak Dash looks like a postcard, firm snowpack glistening against a bluebird sky. It's quiet, aside from the crunch of your own footsteps and the occasional snow machine zipping by on the Kuskatvin River. And then slowly, you can start to hear something else. 16 mushers pass by Bethel's Bluffs, headed upriver to form a 63 mile loop above Akiak and back. It's a race trail Maya Pavla is running for the very first time.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

It was good, but there too much bumps.

[Avery Elfeldt]

Pavila is 15. The Akiak Dash is the young musher's first ever official sled dog race. She came in 10th place, and though the race may have been novel, some things were familiar, like her brother, musher Jason Pavila.

[Jamie Deep]

He passed me and he high fived.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

Me and he said, keep going.

[Avery Elfeldt]

Jason Pavila has been competing in the dash for years.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

I was scared of her. I didn't want her to pass me.

[Avery Elfeldt]

The two siblings are the kids of Louis Pavila, a decorated Queethleck musher who helps manage Bad River Kennels. Their grandfather is Queethleuch mushing fixture Max Olich, who helped maintain the village's sprint race series and managed local kennels that produced champion dogs. Jason Pavila says he is proud to see his little sister on the trail.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

Yeah, I remember when I used to be her age. I'm glad she's starting to dogmash.

[Avery Elfeldt]

The dash has a history of attracting local teens, and they are dominating the leaderboard, pulling ahead of racers who have been in the sport for years. Jason is part of that lineage, too. He's 22 years old now, but he started racing around the same time as his sister.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

I remember when I used to be the only young man out there, 14 years old, racing against adults. Now there's all of these young men. I'm proud of them. I'm glad to see how mushing is going with all of these young men and everyone, this younger generation and them wanting to get behind the sled at.

[Avery Elfeldt]

The dash's finish line surrounded by family. Maya says she can't remember when she started mushing her mom, Michelle Oleg Pavila laughs At this, she drops her hand and measures the height of her knee. She remembers the kids accompanying their father on a sled since they were young children. She says it's part of what pulled Jason into the sport and now Maya.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

My granddaughters, they like being in the sled too, so I think they're probably going to get into into dog mushing, too.

[Avery Elfeldt]

Even though Michelle grew up alongside the sport, she says seeing her young daughter take to the trail was big. When she ran down to the finish line to greet Maya, she was so frazzled she forgot to put on boots. She laughs and points down to her feet. Her pink house slippers are bright against the snow.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

Very exciting. I am so proud of her. I was like a bottur. Feel like I was going to cry.

[Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day]

Just.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

Very exciting watching her thinking back to my son. Same way.

[Avery Elfeldt]

The kid's dad, Louis Pavila, is also at the finish line.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

For me, it's just another day, I guess.

[Avery Elfeldt]

After a beat, he confesses he was a little more anxious during the race. He followed Maya along the trail as snow machines.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

I was really nervous all day, he says.

[Avery Elfeldt]

It's hard work mushing, training and caring for dogs. Factor that into the teenage world of school, sports and friends, he says. A part of him hopes Maya doesn't catch the bug. But after her first major finish and a top 10 spot on the leaderboard, the Pavelists think Maya may be at the start of a career they know.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

Well, hopefully, I don't know.

[Hannah Fluor]

We'll see.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

You guys will see her more races.

[Wesley Early]

Hopefully.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

Yeah, I think she probably got hooked to it now.

[Avery Elfeldt]

From the Akiak Dash Trail in Bethel, I'm Samantha Watson.

[Wesley Early]

The U.S. men's Cross country ski team hasn't brought home an Olympic medal in 50 years. At the 2026 Games in Italy, the team's best hope is a 25 year old named Gus Schumacher from Anchorage, Alaska. He's one of the top skiers in the country and just took the podium twice at a World cup event in Switzerland. But while Schumacher says of course he's going for Olympic gold, that's not how he's going to measure success. Alaska Public Media's Hannah Fluor has the story.

[Hannah Fluor]

When Gus Schumacher was little, he and a friend had a game.

[Craig Tornga]

After practice was over, when we were skiing back to the trailhead, just the two of us, we would kind of like commentate and pretend like we were in the Olympics.

[Hannah Fluor]

Maybe not an uncommon dream for kids, but the thing is, Schumacher is competing in the Olympics for a second time. And while he's excited he's not really surprised. He says as a kid, he felt pretty sure he was going to make it.

[Craig Tornga]

I had no, like, reason to be so confident about it, but I mean, I wanted to really bad and I think that's part of it.

[Hannah Fluor]

Talk to Schumacher about skiing, and it's a lot about the mental stuff. In the two decades since he started, he's learned to train hard, focus on what his body can do, and not worry too much about coming in first. His approach to racing, he says, was shaped by the people around him, supportive parents and a coach who pushed him, but also taught him that the best way to win is to get comfortable with losing. That approach has gotten him far. In 2020, Schumacher became the first American to win a gold medal in an individual race at the Junior World ski Championships. In 2024, he became the youngest American to win a World cup cross country ski race. Since then, he's been on the podium four more times, and he is still only 25. Jan Buran started coaching Schumacher at 8 years old. He says he saw something even then.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

He was doing off it. He has good technique and, you know, he was following orders.

[Hannah Fluor]

Buran is the founder and coach of Winter Stars, a ski club in Anchorage that has sent half a dozen skiers to the Olympics. Biron says they all have one thing in common, determination. He says Schumacher had that even at 8, he was driven by Bjorn says he was also having fun.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

If kids start enjoying this process, I just smile because this is easy job for me.

[Hannah Fluor]

Now he says Schumacher is the best skier on the men's US Team. But it wasn't a straight line from driven eight year old to Olympic athlete. Schumacher says when he was young, his hard work kept him at the front of the pack. But then there were a few years when his competitors got bigger and he did not. He was working harder than they were, but they were beating him.

[Craig Tornga]

My parents and coach were like, yeah, like, it's not always going to be super easy. And they were always like, you know, it's good that you're getting beat and like. And I was just like, no, it's not like it sucks.

[Hannah Fluor]

That's the moment when a lot of kids quit. They can't handle losing. He says, you can't be good if you don't know how to lose. So he spent a lot of time talking about that with Schumacher, and it worked.

[Michelle Oleg Pavila]

I was able to convince guys then losing, this is not shame. This is part of the game. This is part of your world and you will lose.

[Hannah Fluor]

Schumacher says something shifted after that it changed the way he thought about success. When he was younger, he was focused on being the best skier in the world, winning the World cup, the Olympics. He still has those aspirations, but now he measures success by how well he skis, whether he does the very best he can. Schumacher says a lot of that comes from his parents. They never pushed him. That was huge.

[Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day]

I don't think pressure works in most situations.

[Hannah Fluor]

That's his mom, Amy Schumacher. She says the approach was a conscious decision.

[Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day]

You just want to support them and you're happy when they are happy, but.

[Hannah Fluor]

Kind of making sure it's not about me, she says. When he had a rough race, she'd focus on how hard he was trying to how much fun it was to watch him ski. Then she'd send him back out to cheer on his teammates. He could be bummed, she says. He still had to be a good person. A few weeks before the Olympics, she's at home in Anchorage looking through a stack of old photos.

[Assemblymember Erin Baldwin Day]

This was first World cup, and it was in Quebec.

[Hannah Fluor]

She printed them out to make a little book of encouragement for Schumacher to bring with him to Italy. This would have been the first relay medal. It's something she does for all three of her kids whenever they go away. Photos and notes meant to ground them remind them that they're loved. She'll be there in Italy with Schumacher, watching him compete. But she says she's not going to be nervous if he doesn't meddle. He'll be just fine. In Anchorage, I'm Hannah Fl.

[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 Eric Stone and Jamie Deep in Juneau, Alena Neidson and Hannah Floor in Anchorage, Shelby Herbert and Fairbanks, Davis Hovey in Kodiak, Avery El Felt in Skagway and Samantha Watson in Akiak. If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email us at news at alaskapublic. Org. Our audio engineer is Crystal Hyde. Kirsten Dobroth is our producer and I'm Wesley Early. Good night. This is statewide news on Alaska Public Media.