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- [00:00]
Liz Ruskin
The PFD application is open. 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 Pick click give.
- [00:21]
Steve Wychowski
This is the strongest sale we have ever had in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
- [00:29]
Casey Grove
The National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska's oil and gas lease sale breaks records from Alaska Public Media. This is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Wednesday, March 18th. Good evening. I'm Casey Grove. Also tonight, Jesse Holmes repeats as Iditarod Champion.
- [00:45]
Jesse Holmes
I've been chasing greatness ever since the last time I was here.
- [00:49]
Casey Grove
Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly.
- [01:01]
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 online@alaskapublic.org the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.
- [01:32]
Casey Grove
An auction of drilling rights in the National Petroleum Reserve. Alaska broke records today showing that the oil and gas industry is keenly interested in expanding in the U.S. arctic. Alaska Public Media Washington correspondent Liz Ruskin reports.
- [01:46]
Liz Ruskin
Kevin Pendergast, Alaska director of the Bureau of Land Management, announced that the winning bids totaled $163 million, half of which will go to the state of Alaska.
- [01:57]
Casey Grove
This is the strongest sale we have
- [02:01]
Steve Wychowski
ever had in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. By nearly every measure, the lease sale
- [02:07]
Liz Ruskin
adds meat to the Trump administration's framing of Alaska as an energy beast that just needs to be unleashed from prior conservation restrict. The government received 430 bids on more than 1.3 million acres in the western Arctic Reserve. Much of the industry's focus was on tracks near Willow, the ConocoPhillips project already underway. As expected, ConocoPhillips was a big bidder, but other major and minor companies participated too. The Spanish company Repsol made at least 20 bids of $2 million or more, many in partnership with energy giant Shell. Economist Brett Watson says the level of competition was novel.
- [02:53]
Brett Watson
Many tracks received multiple bids. That hasn't been true in a number of years. In the npra.
- [02:59]
Liz Ruskin
Watson at the University of Alaska's Institute of Social and Economic Research thinks the recent instability in the Middle east played a role. But he cites other factors like diminished interest in lower 48 fields as well as shifts in federal energy policy. Just A few years ago, Watson says, oil oil and gas companies were more tepid about investing.
- [03:22]
Brett Watson
There was just a lot of uncertainty of what the trajectory of the energy transition was going to look like. You know, US Automakers were making pretty aggressive plays into the electric vehicle space, and we've seen US Autos start to pull back on some of those investments. Obviously last year we saw the repeal of the electric vehicle tax credit in
- [03:41]
Liz Ruskin
the United States when petroleum demand seemed headed for decline. Watson says he wondered if Willow was going to be the last big project on the North Slope. He says that doesn't seem so likely now. It'll be years before companies can make development decisions on their new leases. Steve Wychowski, president of the Alaska Oil and Gas association, says that argues for keeping regulations stable.
- [04:08]
Steve Wychowski
I think in general it shows a healthy industry because we need a long Runway for development here in Alaska and stability to get to those long Runway developments.
- [04:18]
Liz Ruskin
Environmental groups were especially disappointed to see Exxon and other companies bid on tracts bordering Teshak Puk Lake, which had been protected in prior administrations for its sensitivity and importance to caribou and other wildlife. A federal judge on Monday reinstated a conservation right of way for that area. So what happens to those leases is unclear. For Alaska Public Media, I'm Liz Ruskin.
- [04:46]
Casey Grove
The Iditarod's new champion is the same as its last champion. Jesse Holmes and his team of 12 sled dogs raced down Front street in Nome last night to deliver the 44 year old musher his second first place finish in as many years. Holmes is just the sixth musher to win the race consecutively since it started over a half century ago. Alaska Public Media's Ava White was at the Burled Arch, the Iditarod's finish line in Nome and has more.
- [05:15]
Mark Chapin
Make some noise, here comes Jesse Holmes.
- [05:19]
Ava White
Jesse Holmes is the first repeat champion the Iditarod Trail sled Dog race has seen in a decade.
- [05:25]
Mark Chapin
It's another historical night in Nome, ladies and gentlemen.
- [05:29]
Ava White
Hundreds of people cheered for team can't stop at the finish chute as Holmes pumped his fists in the air. Polar and Zeus led the team under the burled Arch and earned the Golden Harness Award given to the champion mushers most valuable dogs in the race. Holmes went down the pack of perky Alaskan huskies praising each dog and fed them ribeye steaks as a reward for completing the Thousand Mile Trail. The winning run took nine days, seven hours and 32 minutes.
- [05:54]
Jesse Holmes
I've been chasing greatness ever since the last time I was here.
- [05:58]
Ava White
Holmes must chinnam on St Patrick's Day and fittingly was wearing green and what he called the lucky number seven bib. He he's originally from Alabama and now lives in interior Alaska on Brushkana Creek off the Denali Highway. He starred on the reality show Life Below Zero. This was his ninth Iditarod, and he's placed in the top 10 all but two years. Holmes was asked if he'd be seeking a three peat with a race set to run its Southern route in 2027.
- [06:26]
Jesse Holmes
It's what we're going to be shooting for and we're going to be shooting to break that southern route record because that's our favorite route, the southern route. We can't wait.
- [06:34]
Ava White
Race officials presented Holmes with an oversized check for $80,000 at a press conference after winning the race. Holmes highlighted his dogs as the real athletes of the race. He says some were born leaders and others have grown into it.
- [06:49]
Jesse Holmes
That's the process that I enjoy the most that keeps me coming back to this, not winning races or legacy. What means the most to me is to enjoy life and do something that I love and I just love seeing the the dogs do what they're meant to be doing.
- [07:03]
Ava White
Holmes led much of the race by Gnome standards. The weather was nice Tuesday night, but teams contended with strong winds along the trail earlier in the race, with windchill plummeting to 45 below. At one point, it looked like his friend Paige Drobny would challenge him for first place and a chance to be the first woman musher to win Iditarod since Susan Butcher in 1990. But while Drobny rested in the village checkpoint of Shaktulik about three quarters of the way into the race, Seward musher Travis Beals leapfrogged her. Beals finished second about four hours after Holmes, who came out to greet him at the finish line. Beals was holding his youngest son, ecstatic to see his dad for the first time in over a week, and Beals was excited, too.
- [07:47]
Steve Wychowski
We've been dreaming about winning this race
- [07:49]
Casey Grove
since I was about this guy's age,
- [07:50]
Steve Wychowski
so it's been a long road and I think we've learned a little bit every year and certainly learned some more this year.
- [07:58]
Ava White
Beals has competed in nearly Every Iditarod since 2013, and this year secured his highest finish. Jeff Dieter, a veteran Iditarod musher from Fairbanks, was third into Nome early Wednesday, followed by Drobny and Wade Mars. In Nome, I'm Ava White.
- [08:15]
Casey Grove
At last check, a total of seven teams had reached the Nome finish. Though a three pack to round out the top 10 were in the final miles of the race. 20 others remained on the trail, spread out over about 160 miles. Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, ice sculptors and Fairbanks braved the cold for an annual competition.
- [08:37]
Mark Chapin
This has been one of the coldest youth competitions we have had. It has been cold, but that'll make you bold.
- [08:44]
Casey Grove
And that is ahead. Stay with us.
- [08:47]
Avery Elfelt
Hi, I'm Avery Elfelt, 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 state. You can hear our stories during the morning news on Alaska News Nightly or online@alaskapublic.org the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.
- [09:17]
Casey Grove
The U.S. coast Guard has identified two people who died Sunday while working in a confined space on a freight barge near Ketchikan. The two people who died have been identified as Ben Fowler and Sidney Mahorovic. One body was recovered Sunday and the other recovered Tuesday. The other two crew members working in the confined space were rescued and are in stable condition. The four crew members were on the barge. Wayne Ho the Coast Guard received a call just after 9am Sunday saying the crew of the tugboat Chukchi C lost contact with four members on the freight barge. At the time the barge was moored in scowl arm, just 25 miles northwest of Ketchikan. The Southeast Alaska Coast Guard sector sent a response boat from Ketchikan with members of the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department. On the way, the crew of the Chukchi Sea tugboat helped two of the four crew members out of the confined space. They were also able to recover one other crew member who had died. Jerry Keifer is the fire chief for the North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department. He said the owner of the barge docked in Ward Cove. There, the Coast Guard worked with the fire Department and the barge owner to safely access the space and investigate the cause of the incident. The Coast Guard has not yet clarified where the crew members were on the barge or how the two died. Following a mistrial last year, jurors will again be asked to decide a case over the 2019 deaths of two girls in Unalaska. 25 year old Dustin Ruckman is on trial for a second time on homicide charges for an incident in May of 2019 when Ruckman's truck fell from a cliff on the island, throwing him from the driver's seat and killing the two teenage girls riding with him. As KUCB's Maggie Nelson reports. State prosecutors and Ruckman's defense attorneys gathered again in an Anchorage courtroom last week to hear testimony from witnesses in the hopes that a jury can reach a verdict this go round.
- [11:14]
Nicole Harvey
Nicole Harvey is the older sister of Kiara Renteria Haste, one of the girls who died in the 2019 crash. For the second time, she'll watch as witnesses take the stand, attorneys make arguments and jurors deliberate on a verdict regarding her sister's death. Harvey says some of the agony of losing her sister has dulled over the last seven years. Still, it's painful to revisit memories, especially with the start of a new trial.
- [11:40]
Julia Moudi
It, you know, kind of cracked that open for me again.
- [11:43]
Nicole Harvey
18 year old Renteria Haste and 16 year old Carly McDonald's were inside Ruckman's truck when it plummeted nearly 900ft down the north side of Unalaska's Mount Ballyhoo. Harvey won't be attending the trial in person this time, but she says she hopes her mom, her stepdad and McDonald's parents can find some sense of closure and peace. She says she's trying to avoid getting attached to any specific outcome. She says nothing will change what happened.
- [12:08]
Julia Moudi
I think the reality is that this is a kind of a losing situation for everybody because the fact of the matter is, is that Kiara and Carly lost their lives in this incident and because of that, those two families, my family and the McDonald's family is like forever changed.
- [12:26]
Nicole Harvey
Harvey says the first trial gave her some respite and helped her learn more about what happened the day the girls died. But the length of the case, spanning nearly seven years, has made it difficult to find closure.
- [12:36]
Julia Moudi
It's just left me and my family kind of suspended in this perpetual state of like of mourning the loss in the specific way that the loss occurred.
- [12:49]
Nicole Harvey
The case went to trial for the first time about six years after the crash. After more than a week in court and several days of deliberation, the jury delivered a deadlock verdict. They were unable to reach a unanimous decision and the judge declared a mistrial. Ruckman's attorney, Julia Moudi, has told the court she wants this case to go to trial and come to an end. At the start of the trial, Maudi presented her opening statement to a group of Anchorage jurors contending that some in the Unalaska community wanted Ruckman penalized right away. Instead of celebrating that he had survived. They were angry with him, a narrative she presented during the first trial as well.
- [13:26]
Brett Watson
There were some in that very small community who believed that he should be punished from day one.
- [13:33]
Nicole Harvey
Maudi told jurors that they would see evidence of bias and that they will have to determine whether or not that influenced the investigation. She says that the lead investigating officer, Teresa Osu, was friends with the victim's families and violated local police department policies.
- [13:49]
Brett Watson
It will come out that she withheld evidence. You will hear evidence that the Alaska Police Department came to conclusions based on her assumptions.
- [14:00]
Nicole Harvey
The most recent attempt to go to trial in November was halted after new evidence surfaced on asu's personal cell phone. Asu told the court she found photos and video connected to the investigation after the first trial ended. Osu is expected to take the stand again during the retrial. Maudi says that Ruckman is at fault for the deaths of the girls, but that doesn't make him guilty of criminal negligence. Prosecutor John Skidmore is representing the state. In his opening remarks, Skidmore told the jury that Ruckman's criminal responsibility is something they will have to determine driving up
- [14:34]
Brett Watson
that hill in that F150. In those circumstances, had he failed to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk and was that failure a gross deviation from what the reasonable person would do? That's what this case is about. That's why I tell you this is about the recklessness.
- [14:57]
Nicole Harvey
Attorneys for both sides declined a KUCB request for comment on the ongoing case. The court began witness testimony on Friday and returned Monday morning. The trial is expected to last another two to three weeks. In on Alaska, I'm Maggie Nelson.
- [15:12]
Casey Grove
Juneau's city owned cold weather emergency shelter might soon start accepting patrons year round instead of closing its doors in mid April. City officials say it would help address Juneau's current lack of shelter, space and housing units and would reduce the number of unhoused people camping during the summer months. KTO's Clarice Larson has more.
- [15:31]
Clarice Larson
The Juno assembly is considering an ordinance that would turn the city's cold weather emergency shelter into a year round operation. Instead of just being open from mid October through mid April, it would give the city's most vulnerable residents a place to sleep every night of the year. This is Juneau's Deputy City Manager Robert Barr explaining the proposed change at the Assembly Committee of the whole meeting on Monday night.
- [15:53]
Steve Wychowski
Juneau and Anchorage lead the state in the amount of permanent, supportive transitional housing and rapid recovery beds that we provide for our residents, however, who are in need. However, that existing number of units that we we provide doesn't doesn't quite meet
- [16:08]
Clarice Larson
the need for the past three years, Juneau's cold weather emergency shelter has been located in a city owned warehouse in Thain, about a mile from downtown. It's funded by the city and operated by staff from St. Vincent DePaul, a local nonprofit that supports people affected by homelessness. The shelter is open for the late night and early morning hours. It accepts anyone to stay as long as they aren't disruptive to other people resting there. It's considered Juneau's lowest barrier shelter and is meant to be a last resort for people without housing to survive the winter. This season, staff say the shelter has averaged about 45 people per night. But when the shelter typically closes its doors in mid April, many of its patrons are left with few options for where to sleep during the summer months. That has resulted in Juneau seeing a surge of unhoused encampments throughout the borough, particularly near the Glory hall shelter in the Menenhall Valley. Part of that increase is because of the closure of the City Run campground near downtown three years ago, which allowed unhoused people to set up camp there throughout the summer. The proposed year round shelter operation would theoretically give those campers a place to stay instead and reduce the number of encampments around town. But Barr says in order for that to work, city leaders recommend stricter enforcement to prevent encampments.
- [17:20]
Steve Wychowski
We relaxed enforcement on that in the past due to not having adequate shelter space for these residents to go to. But we do believe and our partners agree that in order for an emergency shelter over the summer months to be successful, we would have to enforce code as written right now.
- [17:41]
Clarice Larson
Juneau City code allows for dispersed camping but prohibits it in places like sidewalks or roads. In general, the city allows people to camp on unimproved public lands as long as they keep their impact low on the surrounding community. Last summer, the city on multiple occasions dismantled large encampments that grew near the Glory hall in response to safety concerns and public outcry. On Monday, the Assembly unanimously approved bringing an ordinance on the topic to the full assembly and taking public testimony. If the ordinance is approved, the city would spend about $208,000 to extend the shelter through June 30, which is the end of the fiscal year. But the annual cost for the year round shelter would be about $1.1 million. That money would be pulled from the city's general fund and included in the next fiscal year's budget. Starting in July, Assemblymember Christine Wall says she supported the proposal but had some concerns. I am, you know, uncomfortable with changing our enforcement, even though I'm supportive of opening up more space for people. But sounds like, you know, we've done good outreach to the social service providers. So you know, they know. But you know I want to hear from from a lot of people. The assembly is slated to hear public testimony and vote on the ordinance at its April 6 regular meeting in Juneau. I'm Clarice Larson.
- [19:02]
Casey Grove
The Alaska Board of Fisheries is meeting in Anchorage this week. Board members are appointed by the governor and consider changes to the state's fishing regulations. After listening to the opinions of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the public, Three proposals seek to limit hatchery production of chum and pink salmon in the state. There are about 30 salmon hatcheries, mostly in Southeast and Prince William Sound. Almost all of them are private nonprofits permitted by the state. One proposal seeks to reduce the amount of salmon eggs allowed per hatchery permit by 25%. That's sponsored by the Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory Committee. The Kenai River Sport Fishing association is also sponsoring two similar proposals. One is a proposed moratorium on any increases to pink or chum salmon hatchery production from last year's levels. The other would reduce pink salmon egg production, specifically in Prince William Sound. They argue that hatchery salmon compete with wild stocks. Fish and Game opposes all three hatchery proposals. Dozens of public written comments were also against them, coming from fishing groups, processors, tribes, cities and individual fishermen. Three proposals that have also received a lot of public attention call for changes to the state's laws on trawl gear. They were proposed by the Alaska Healthy Halibut Alliance, a coalition of industry and sport groups, including the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association. Fish and Game also opposes those proposals, but many people wrote in support, saying bottom trawling, the dragging of the seafloor with nets is bad for the environment. Southeast air carrier Alaska Seaplanes announced this week that it would be implementing a 6% temporary fuel surcharge on fares beginning Friday. The company cites a nearly 40% increase in fuel costs due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Andy Klein, a spokesperson for the company, says as far as he knows, Alaska Seaplanes has never implemented a short term charge of this kind before. But he called the current surge in jet fuel prices unprecedented.
- [21:10]
Steve Wychowski
We just are not able to absorb that. We didn't want to roll that cost into our fares because we want it to be temporary. We want it to reflect directly the cost that we're taking on with the fuel. We want to be transparent with our fares as much as possible with our passengers and our customers.
- [21:29]
Casey Grove
Alaska Seaplanes is a regional airline in southeast Alaska which operates out of a hub in Juneau. It services cities across the region along with smaller communities like Angoon, Hoonah, Pelican, Elephant Cove, Klawaoc, Kake and Tenakee Springs. Globally, jet fuel prices have surged following the US and Israel's attack on Iran, with increases exceeding 50% in many cases. US gasoline prices have also spiked over the last few weeks. Today, the Trump administration rolled back a law that mandates all goods traveling between US Ports to be moved on American made and American crude ships in an effort to lower gasoline prices. Klein says the fair surcharge is intended to be temporary and Alaska Seaplanes aims to reduce or eliminate it when conditions allow. Well A group of kids in Fairbanks put their creativity to the test in an ice sculpture carving competition last week. They spent their spring break bundled against record breaking winter temperatures. But participants say the toughest challenge wasn't the cold, it was their ability to work as a team. Shelby Herbert reports for the Alaska Desk.
- [22:38]
Shelby Herbert
Professional ice carvers from all across the globe come to Fairbanks every winter to show off their talents at the World Ice Art Championships. This year is no exception. A snowy forest path leads you past sculptures that are usually whimsical, sometimes grotesque and almost always humongous, like a school bus sized spider monster rats with swords and three large scrolls inscribed with the Bill of Rights. But the newest installations were made by kids, eight teams of them carved sculptures for the annual youth competition. I joined the kids at their works and stations on a frigid morning as the earliest rays of sun bent through the glassy surfaces of their projects. They're hard at work, hunched over their sculptures with electric and acoustic hand tools like chisels. Instructor Mark Chapin says it's been a tough but rewarding week.
- [23:34]
Mark Chapin
You learn to work with others and you find a friend or partner that you work well with and that really helps you work through the difficult times. Ashley got a late start yesterday. We came in, it was about 34 degrees below zero, he says.
- [23:50]
Shelby Herbert
This year's historically low temperatures have actually made it harder to sculpt ice, even for the most experienced world champions. The extreme cold disrupts a technique called fusing, which is when you glue two pieces of ice together with water to
- [24:06]
Mark Chapin
get a good fuse at minus 40 is very hard. As you can see, some pieces have flat and that's just because the water and ice just don't freeze as well when it's very cold, so the seam is weak.
- [24:20]
Shelby Herbert
But Chapin says this is the biggest collection of finished youth projects they've had in years. At the end of the week, the projects are ready to be looked over by a panel of judges. The teams gather on a stage made of ice.
- [24:35]
Mark Chapin
This has been one of the coldest youth competitions we have had. It has been cold, but that'll make you bold.
- [24:42]
Shelby Herbert
The participants line up to receive certificates ranking their sculptures. And finally, the winning team is announced.
- [24:50]
Clarice Larson
And last of all, salmon run with
- [24:53]
Avery Elfelt
Liz and Eve Hansen.
- [24:55]
Shelby Herbert
Sisters.
- [24:56]
Mark Chapin
Let's go.
- [24:57]
Shelby Herbert
Fairbanks sisters Liz and Eve Hanson sketched out their idea on a pizza box during a family movie night. A king salmon head with a humanoid bottom half. Legs playfully kicking up in the air.
- [25:09]
Avery Elfelt
Cause it was silly. Yeah, put legs on a salmon, it's silly. It's like a reverse mermaid. That was like our thing. And then we decided to do salmon because, like Alaska and stuff.
- [25:17]
Shelby Herbert
They said their secret was good communication and teamwork. Even through the mishaps.
- [25:23]
Avery Elfelt
The foot fell off the leg. The foot in the leg that's like standing up like this. That also fell apart. I marked it wrong and then it would look funky. Yeah, you've marked it wrong. But we fixed it so it was okay.
- [25:32]
Shelby Herbert
Their mom, Amanda Hanson, still hasn't seen it, but she's been eating up her daughter's daily project updates and says she couldn't be more excited.
- [25:42]
Nicole Harvey
And I'm like, I'm taking my mom hat off.
- [25:44]
Avery Elfelt
I know you're gonna win because it's
- [25:45]
Nicole Harvey
creative, it's Alaska related, it's hilarious, and it's whimsical. And it has to at least get top three, you know.
- [25:53]
Shelby Herbert
Eve and Liz lead her down into a glade with all the kids completely completed projects. There's a penguin, a goldfish leaping out of a bowl, and a towering eye of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings series all lit up from beneath with colorful LED lights. Amanda is dabbing at her eyes with her glove. But maybe that's just the cold.
- [26:15]
Avery Elfelt
Are you gonna cry?
- [26:16]
Nicole Harvey
I don't know.
- [26:16]
Casey Grove
Maybe.
- [26:18]
Steve Wychowski
Oh, my God.
- [26:21]
Casey Grove
That is the cool.
- [26:23]
Mark Chapin
You guys. Oh, my gosh.
- [26:26]
Shelby Herbert
You can see those sculptures yourself until the end of the month when the festival closes. And with Fairbanks record breaking cold snap, they're likely to stay mostly unmelted until then. Reporting in Fairbanks, I'm Shelby Herbert.
- [26:51]
Casey Grove
And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. If you missed any of tonight's stories, we're online@alaskapublic.org and wherever you get your podcasts. We had reports tonight from Liz Ruskin in Washington, D.C. ava White in Nome, Sidney Dauphine in Ketchikan, Maggie Nelson in Unalaska, Clarice Larson in Juneau, Angela Denning in Petersburg, and Shelby Herbert in Fairbanks. If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email us@newsalaskapublic.org Our audio engineer is Crystal Hyde, Kirsten Dobroth is our producer, and I'm Casey Grove. Good night.