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- [00:00]
Casey Grove
Support for Alaska Public Media on Demand comes from alyeska Pipeline Service Company proud of its ties to Alaska communities since 1977. Learn more at alyescapipeline.com.
- [00:18]
Adam Tell
I've turned my focus to ensuring we're doing everything we can right now to protect the citizens of Juneau.
- [00:23]
Casey Grove
The federal government continues to look for solutions to Juneau's annual flooding problem. From Alaska Public Media, this is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Wednesday, March 25th. Good evening. I'm Casey Grove. Also tonight, avalanche forecasters urge caution after a backcountry death near Haines.
- [00:41]
Zoe Ryan
They're heading out with the expectation that we're in a spring settled snowpack, but it's just not the case this year.
- [00:48]
Casey Grove
Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly,
- [00:58]
Clarice Larsen
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
- [01:11]
Casey Grove
Pick click give the U.S. army Corps of Engineers is prioritizing short and medium term solutions to glacial outburst flooding in Juneau's Mendenhall Valley. That's what leaders of the Corps said at a press briefing Tuesday. As KTOO's Alex Solomon reports, that doesn't mean the agency has lost sight of a preferred long term solution.
- [01:32]
Alex Solomon
Tapping a lake At a press briefing in the Juneau International Airport conference room, Assistant Secretary of the army for Civil Works Adam Tell said the agency never backed out of its commitment to provide the Mendenhall Valley with a long term solution to glacial outburst flooding. He said the agency is working on short, medium and long term solutions at the same time.
- [01:53]
Adam Tell
In my view, we can't wait a decade to deliver or six years or 15 years. We can't wait that long to deliver results for the citizens of this community. And so we're tackling short and medium with the same aggression that we're tackling long.
- [02:10]
Alex Solomon
The Army Corps had landed on a lake tap as the long term solution after a three day meeting in Juneau late last year. A lake tap would involve digging a tunnel through Bullard Mountain to continuously drain the glacial basin that fills with rain and meltwater so the water can't rush out all at once. Each year, the local city and tribal governments favored the idea. But last month, City Manager Katie Kester announced in a Juneau assembly meeting that the Army Corps had reversed on the long term solution. Tell says that's not what happened. He says the Army Corps has been consistent on getting a long term solution and and the only thing that's changed is his immediate focus.
- [02:46]
Adam Tell
I've turned my focus to ensuring we're doing everything we can right now to protect the citizens of Juneau through short and medium term strategies.
- [02:55]
Alex Solomon
The temporary levee remains the short term solution meant to protect hundreds of homes in the Menenhall Valley from the flood expected this summer. It's made of HESCO barriers, which are steel cages lined with fabric and filled with sand that line the Menenhall river through suburban neighborhoods. The temporary levy just barely protected valley neighborhoods from catastrophic flooding last summer when floodwaters rose within inches of the top, leaked through in some areas and caused the barriers to slump in others. Colonel Jeff Pallazzini is the Alaska District commander for the Army Corps. He said at the press briefing that the Army Corps is working with the city to help raise the levee it built last year somewhere between one and two feet. And the agency will also build phase two of the levy at no cost to the city, but which will extend the barrier to unprotected areas from Bakloop Bridge to just before the Juneau International Airport.
- [03:43]
Adam Tell
So that adds about four to four and a half miles to the system. We're talking both sides of the river, palazzini said.
- [03:53]
Alex Solomon
The agency will also haul more boulders in, called riprap, to create a continuous armored riverbank and guard against erosion. Tel says that raising the barrier, even a small amount, could result in much more protection for the community.
- [04:06]
Adam Tell
A small investment in the height can make the chances of overtopping five times smaller.
- [04:13]
Alex Solomon
The city issued a press release earlier this month saying that the temporary levy should be completed in July. For the last three years, the flood has occurred in August. But the HESCO barriers were never meant to last forever and engineers have said there's a limit to what they can withstand. So in the medium term, Tel says that the Army Corps is looking at options that could protect the valley when the temporary levy expires and the and a long term solution is still on the way. Tell says the lake tap is still the Army Corps preferred option to put an end to Juneau's glacial outburst flooding at the source. A tunnel through Bullard Mountain would work like a bathtub drain and continuously empty water from Suicide Basin so it can't rise to a level that would create a catastrophic flood.
- [04:53]
Adam Tell
If you're looking to solve this problem over the course of 10 or more years, it at this moment appears to be the most viable technically.
- [05:02]
Alex Solomon
In past estimates, Army Corps staff have said a long term solution could take from six years to around a decade in Juneau. I'm Alex Sallman.
- [05:10]
Casey Grove
Anchorage jurors are currently deliberating on a seven year old Unalaska homicide case. The jury will decide whether 25 year old Dustin Ruckman is guilty of two counts of criminally negligent homicide for his involvement in a 2019 crash on top of Unalaska's Mount Ballyhoo. Ruckman was driving near the top of the mountain when his truck plummeted about 900ft down a cliff. Two local teen girls were thrown from the truck as it fell and died. This is the second time the case has gone to trial. KUCB's Maggie Nelson reports.
- [05:43]
John Skidmore
Prosecutor John Skidmore is representing the state in this trial. He kicked off closing arguments Tuesday morning.
- [05:49]
Julia Maudi
This is a case about the recklessness of youth.
- [05:52]
John Skidmore
For the second time, a jury will attempt to decide if ruckman, who was 18 at the time of the crash, is guilty of criminal charges for the deaths of 16 year old Carly McDonald and 18 year old Kiara Renteria Haste. Ruckman told police he was thrown from the truck as it fell down the cliff and sustained minor injuries about a year ago. An Anchorage jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision and Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews declared a mistrial. Over the last couple weeks, a new group of Anchorage jurors has heard witness and expert testimony as as parties regathered in hopes of reaching a verdict. The second trial has gone more quickly than the previous one. The state officially rested its case Tuesday and began closing arguments later that afternoon. Skidmore told jurors about the risk of driving on a portion of the road near the edge of Yalaktahead Cliff at or near where Ruckman's truck fell. He showed images of the steep cliff and rocky beaches below.
- [06:47]
Julia Maudi
The sign is posted that says you need to stay away from the edge. Why? Because it's dangerous on foot. It's dangerous on foot. And if it's dangerous on foot, then you can rest assured it's also dangerous to be that close to the edge in a vehicle.
- [07:04]
John Skidmore
In this trial, as in the first, the discussion focused mainly on whether Ruckman's actions can be considered criminally negligent. Skidmore argues they can be that Ruckman failed to perceive the risk or acted recklessly.
- [07:18]
Julia Maudi
Ruckman is aware of what that risk is. He chose to consciously disregard it. And the only question left for you all to answer do you think that's a gross deviation from the standard that should be observed?
- [07:34]
John Skidmore
Defense attorney Julia Moudi took the podium next, arguing that the state lacked sufficient evidence to prove criminal liability. She says Ruckman's actions were not a gross deviation from the standard of care and, and that the risk of driving in the area was only perceived by the community after the crash.
- [07:53]
Julia Maudi
If that risk was so prevalent that Dustin Ruckman, 18 year old Dustin Ruckman, should have known about that risk, then so should everybody who lived there, everybody who owned that property, everybody who had a voice, the parents whose children were going up there and driving up there, do something, kids are going to die.
- [08:23]
John Skidmore
Maudi says that decisions about criminal liability can't be made in hindsight. She argues that the community had accepted the risk of driving in the area rather than condemning it.
- [08:34]
Julia Maudi
And the state has not presented one bit of evidence, not even one, one witness who said we don't drive in that area in this community, that is not acceptable in our community and I've told those kids not to do that.
- [08:54]
John Skidmore
She says that the state's argument relies solely on the geography or location of the area where Ruckman allegedly drove his truck.
- [09:01]
Julia Maudi
Don't let them fool you into thinking that the geography alone makes it a crime.
- [09:07]
John Skidmore
Maudi says that despite hiring a crash reconstructionist expert, the prosecution never called that person to the stand to provide more details on what was happening when Ruckman's truck fell from the cliff. She says the state didn't present anything beyond what the lead investigator already knew. Shortly after the crash, Maudi concluded her argument with a clip of the investigator, an Unalaska police officer, telling jurors earlier in the trial that the information she had initially wasn't enough to determine whether or not a crime had been committed. Skidmore finished off closing arguments with a rebuttal, and Judge Matthews provided jury instructions before handing the case over to the group of jurors Tuesday afternoon. In the previous trial, the jury deliberated for about three days before submitting their deadlocked verdict. In Unalaska, I'm Maggie Nelson.
- [10:00]
Casey Grove
Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, Sitka students get a lesson in comic literature.
- [10:05]
Tristan Gayvon
There's so much richness there and just a great medium for students to explore ideas.
- [10:10]
Casey Grove
That's ahead. Stay with us.
- [10:13]
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 online@alaskapublic.org the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.
- [10:43]
Casey Grove
A Bethel police officer shot a man who authorities say approached the officer brandishing a knife early this morning. The man was medevaced to Anchorage to receive treatment for serious injuries. State officials declined to clarify how many times the man was shot, citing an open investigation. Neither the police officer who fired the gun nor the man had been named as of this evening. Investigators say Bethel police had already had contact with the man the same evening. Officers had found the man standing in a roadway and taken him to the hospital in the hours leading up to the shooting. After the man was released from the hospital, state investigators say he was found standing in the road again. They allege the man approached an officer armed with a knife and was shot after he refused orders to drop the knife. The Alaska Bureau of Investigations is investigating the shooting. One person died on Sunday in a major avalanche near Haines Pass, just across the border in British Columbia. Late March is typically prime time for recreation in the backcountry hotspot. The but experts are warning about unstable snow conditions in the area that likely contributed to the recent tragedy. As Avery Elfelt reports for the Alaska Desk, forecasters anticipate conditions won't improve anytime soon.
- [12:06]
Avery Elfeldt
The victim was traveling with a group of five skiers in the rainy hollow area just over the Canadian border from Haines. Three skiers made their way down the slope before the fourth triggered an avalanche, which then triggered a much deeper, larger one. Zoe Ryan is a public forecaster with Avalanche Canada, a nonprofit based in British Columbia.
- [12:25]
Zoe Ryan
Even a small avalanche can be enough to create enough force that it impacts deeper layers than just the weight of a skier or a snowmobiler might impact the snow.
- [12:36]
Avery Elfeldt
The slide completely buried one person who died, according to an incident report by Avalanche Canada. The rest of the group was unharmed and removed the victim from the snow. Canadian police coordinated with Atlan Search and Rescue to retrieve the group via helicopter, according to a news release. Forecasters, including Ryan, say the tragedy is a reflection of a more precarious snowpack in the region than is typical for late March and are urging people to act accordingly.
- [13:03]
Zoe Ryan
People are really keen to get after it and most people heading out in the backcountry in that area. They're heading out with the expectation that were in a spring settled snowpack, but it's just not the case this year.
- [13:16]
Avery Elfeldt
Conditions have been unstable in other parts of Alaska, too, including near Girdwood and Turnagain Pass, according to the Friends of Chugach Avalanche Center. An incident report published over the weekend, says a recent avalanche in that area caught, carried and injured a skier. In the Haines area, the instability stems from a few key factors. Jeff Moskowitz is the director of the Haines Avalanche Center. Perhaps the most important one, he says,
- [13:41]
Julia Maudi
is there's a unique layer that has formed in the snowpack, and it's been referred to as the love layer or the Valentine's layer.
- [13:50]
Avery Elfeldt
He's referring to a freezing fog event in mid February that created a thick, crusty layer of snow throughout much of the area. Moskowitz says it's impossible to know for certain where exactly the layer is, but
- [14:02]
Julia Maudi
we know that it's widespread and it's susceptible to human triggering.
- [14:07]
Avery Elfeldt
Extreme cold temperatures in the time since have weakened the snow below and above that crusty layer, creating instability that's resulted in a unique and dangerous setup. Moskowitz says.
- [14:18]
Julia Maudi
In this case, with, you know, weak, soft, sugary layers underneath, it might become harder and harder to trigger an avalanche, but if you do, it's going to have big consequences.
- [14:29]
Avery Elfeldt
Both Moskowitz and Ryan emphasized that this winter has been atypical, with extremely cold temperatures leading to a weaker snowpack. That means Hanes and the Yukon really still have a riskier winter snowpack as opposed to a spring one. And that's not expected to change anytime soon.
- [14:45]
Zoe Ryan
Realistically, we're going to be dealing with this persistent slab problem likely until we get a really significant warm up this spring.
- [14:55]
Avery Elfeldt
Until then, forecasters are advising people to be extremely cautious and to stay out of avalanche terrain. Reporting in Haines, I'm Avery Elfield.
- [15:04]
Casey Grove
Juneau's beloved city owned Eagle Crest ski area is embroiled in controversy over a gondola project and its price tag, which has ballooned to a potential cost of as much as $37 million. That has left city leaders and the ski area's board scrambling to find ways to make the millions of dollars in unexpected costs pencil out. And now some are worried the situation could threaten the existence of the ski area itself. KTO's Clarice Larsen has been following the situation at Eaglecrest and joins us now. Clarice, when did this idea of purchasing a gondola first come up? Like, who was behind it? Why did they want it? How was the project described at the time?
- [15:45]
Clarice Larsen
Yeah, I mean, the idea came up probably like late 2021, early 2022, and it was brought up under a different general manager of the ski area and the board of directors, along with the different members of the Juno Assembly. The gondola is used, it's almost two decades old and was purchased from a ski resort in Austria. At the time, Eagle Crest officials asked the assembly to basically fast track that purchase of it before the window closed, saying it was a rare opportunity. So the assembly did. They greenlit the purchase back then for about $2 million, and the project was estimated to cost under $10 million. But recent preliminary construction estimates now clock it in at potentially costing up to $37 million instead. And that's only preliminary, and we'll learn more about the breakdown of the costs next month.
- [16:37]
Casey Grove
Yeah, that's quite a difference. Were there concerns about the cost from the beginning, and what did the gondola booster say about that?
- [16:44]
Clarice Larsen
Of course, there were concerns a lot from residents, as well as some assembly members who were super hesitant about the purchase and how quickly it was made. At the time, Eaglecrest Ski area officials argued the gondola was going to be a cornerstone of their concept to expand operations from winter into summer, and it would end the need for local taxpayer support of the ski area as it's continuing to age. And it needs some major infrastructure updates to its current lifts. But now with the new cost estimates, city officials and the Eagle Crest board are scrambling to find a way to pay for it without running the ski area itself into the ground.
- [17:23]
Casey Grove
Wow. Yeah. It seems like there were some unforeseen problems along the way. Could you describe that for us?
- [17:31]
Clarice Larsen
Yeah. I mean, some were seen, some were unseen. But, like, for example, the gondola is from Austria, so shipping it was obviously going to be pretty expensive. But then the Trump administration's tariffs went into place, and that really escalated some of the price for shipping. Also, the project needed a lot of additional parts that weren't expected. And the board made the decision recently in the past few months to ship the gondola carts to Colorado to be refurbished. Again, adding to that cost. And overall, just. I think this is true for all across Alaska. You know, the overall environment of high labor and construction costs have really skyrocketed the cost to install this gondola. I think a good thing to note, though, is that back in 2022, Goldbelt Incorporated, which is a local Alaska native Corporation, invested about $10 million into the project in exchange for a revenue sharing agreement. But obviously, now, with the updated estimations, that simply isn't enough to cover the cost.
- [18:28]
Casey Grove
Hmm. Yeah. So my understanding is there's been some fallout with the ski area's board and the management. What has happened with those bodies and what's coming up?
- [18:40]
Clarice Larsen
Yeah, I mean, since 2022, Eagle Crest has had two general managers leave. One of them was asked by the board to leave. The other one just left recently, and that's all. Since the gondola was purchased and its board is actively hiring for a new general manager right now. The board itself has also had two chairs step down during that time. So having stable leadership kind of guide this project has been really difficult.
- [19:05]
Casey Grove
Now, we mentioned this earlier that people are worried about Eaglecrest's future. Is that true? I mean, are people really worried that the Schae area would go away?
- [19:14]
Clarice Larsen
I mean, absolutely, in my reporting. You know, the Juno assembly and Eaglecrest board have been like, really candidates in public meetings about the fact that this situation could really threaten the existence of the ski area as a city owned entity. Right. This is owned by the city and borough of Juneau. So right now they're fielding a lot of options to try to prevent that from happening. One that they're looking into is asking Gold Belt Incorporated and other major investors to help pay for that additional millions that they're having to cough up. But really nothing is off the table. And there's going to be much more robust discussion and financial overview of the project on April 1, where the assembly and Eaglecrest board will meet again to figure out a path forward about, you know, will this gondola be built or not?
- [20:03]
Casey Grove
Gotcha. Well, we trust you will continue to follow it, and we will stay tuned. That was KTool's Clarice Larsen. Clarice, thanks for being here.
- [20:11]
Clarice Larsen
Thank you so much.
- [20:14]
Casey Grove
A record number of Anchorage residents are appealing their property tax assessments this year, creating a large backlog. Last night, the Anchorage assembly voted to appoint a dozen new members to the body that hears the appeals, called the Board of equalization. Still, nearly 2,000 property owners filed appeals this year. That's roughly 10 times the number a few years ago. Without additional members, the board's chair guessed it would have taken until November for the Board of Equalization to resolve the appeals. Jack Gademus is in charge of property assessment with the municipality. He says this year, about 10% of property owners saw a sizable increase in their property taxes after the municipality changed the way it assesses property. Gademus says state law required the shift in order to align with national standards.
- [21:00]
Julia Maudi
One way you can look at it is the process works, right? People are coming to us with legitimate thoughts or questions, and we're appreciative of that.
- [21:11]
Casey Grove
Gademus says most property owners actually withdraw their appeals before they go before the Board of Equalization. A lot of the time, he says the assessor's office comes to an agreement with the property owners. New members on the Board of Equalization will be trained in coming weeks and are expected to start hearing appeals by mid April. A Pulitzer Prize winning comic artist recently spent two weeks in Sitka teaching high school students how to analyze and create their own Comics. As KCAW's Ryan Cotter reports, the students and the artist ultimately ended up taking a page out of each other's books demonstrating how comics can bring people together.
- [22:02]
Ryan Cotter
It is the week before spring break at Pacific High School in Sitka, and a handful of students are scattered across different tables in a classroom, hunkered down in their final projects. While students often find themselves polishing up their final essays or posters, these teens are working on a different original comic
- [22:21]
Sydney Lindstrom
books I'm working on folding my comic because it's in a zine format.
- [22:29]
Ryan Cotter
That's sophomore Sydney Lindstrom, who is making her way through a stack of completed comic spreads. She layers the printed pages on top of a tablet, illuminating pure light to help her strain out her lines while she folds each paper into a pocket sized magazine. Her comic summarizes creation stories from various cultures and compares and contrasts them to Western scientific theories she learned about in her physical science class. Until now, Lindstrom only dabbled in illustration, usually characters from her favorite TV shows. But branching out to a whole comic in a new style was a fun challenge.
- [23:08]
Sydney Lindstrom
It's like a style that I don't really ever draw in. It's not my style really at all, but it was interesting to try out the new style.
- [23:17]
Ryan Cotter
It is this very exploration of ideas and stepping out of one's comfort zone, and that English teacher Tristan Gavon hopes to instill in his students during the course.
- [23:27]
Tristan Gayvon
Oftentimes, graphic novels and comics aren't necessarily seen as literature, but if you read them, you analyze them in the same way you would analyze a novel or, you know, a nonfiction book. There's so much richness there and just a great medium for students to explore ideas, to learn about other people, other cultures, times, events. And so I think they're just really accessible and just enjoyable.
- [23:54]
Ryan Cotter
While this is Gayvon's second year teaching the comics course, it is the first time a guest artist helped lead the class thanks to an Artisan Schools grant from the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. The artist in question is Medar de la Cruz, a Pulitzer Prize winning illustrator and comic artist chatting over zoom from his home in Brooklyn. De la Cruz fondly recalls the first day at Pacific High.
- [24:16]
Medar de la Cruz
It was really cool to just watch everybody sort of flock to the materials, start using them. It's a really exciting thing, and it reminds me of my first time. I mean, every time I come home from the art store, it's almost like Christmas, and you just really can't wait to play with the tool and see what it does.
- [24:30]
Ryan Cotter
Still, de La Cruz said it took a bit of work to bring students out of their shells. He recalls leading them in an activity where they passed illustrations around the room at random and each artist added something new, such as dialogue or another panel. It's typically a quiet exercise, but making it more conversational allowed students to open up.
- [24:51]
Medar de la Cruz
And there was a much more organic approach in this sense. And there was also a lot more laughing and a lot more fun being had than any other time that I've ever done this workshop. So it really gave me an opportunity to reconsider how I go about this in the future.
- [25:08]
Ryan Cotter
Today, those comics are proudly displayed on the glass walls of the classroom, with different drawing materials and art styles coming together to tell a wide variety of chaotically imaginative advent like the origin story of a swan and goose hybrid known as the Swoose, which became a running classroom gag. Gayvon says the collaborative comic writing encapsulated the spirit of de La Cruz's residency.
- [25:33]
Tristan Gayvon
It was such a great experience for me and, you know, a collaborative one where students were able to be creative and express themselves through both art and narrative. And so I think that's something that I take from this class I hope to build on is just that kind of spirit of collaboration and creativity.
- [25:57]
Ryan Cotter
As Lindstrom folds the last of her comics, she says de La Cruz inspired her to elevate her artistry more interested
- [26:04]
Sydney Lindstrom
in, like, in general, just getting into comics because this was my first time making like a legit comic and it was really enjoyable and I want to try it again.
- [26:16]
Ryan Cotter
Lindstrom has already given some of her comics to her teachers, but soon plans to distribute her latest completed ones to her family. She says she'll keep at least one for herself, too. And in the future, who knows how many more stories will stand beside it. In Sitka, I'm Bryan Cotter,
- [26:42]
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 Alex Solomon and Clarice Larson in Juneau, Maggie Nelson in Unalaska, Evan Erickson in Bethel, Avery Elfelt in Haines, Hannah Flor in Anchorage, and Ryan Cotter in Sitka. Our audio engineer is Crystal Hyde. Kirsten Dobroth is our producer. And I'm Casey Grove. Good night.