Beluga Whales Last Refuge: a Library and A Quiet Bay
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Displayed on a screen in a community hall, they are a species explained.
Then the sound "beluga" whispers past a table with a skull displayed, whooshes by children examining sticker maps crowded with marine busyness, follows a glacial creek to Turnagain Arm, touches a bore tide surfer, passes Bird Point and another point that bears its name.
Beluga sounds as pods swimming south down Cook Inlet.
They surface alongside a hissing highway and beneath a roar of airplanes. They pass oil drilling platforms, container ships and fishing sites.
Around 300 white whales, all that are left of a population once numbering 1,300, bob and dive and glide to a winter sanctuary—quiet and undisturbed Tuxedni Bay, where they will spend winter.
For as many as eight months they will loll and whistle, chirp, squeal and grunt to one another. They will eat, possibly, halibut, smelt and flounder. They might frolic near Magnetic Island with its 3,500-year-old hearths of stone or surface near rock pictographs depicting Alutiiq shamans and whales.
Tuxedni Bay is shallow and safe from killer whales. It's one of the "most undisturbed sections of their critical habitat" in Cook Inlet, say researchers.
One hundred miles from Anchorage, Tuxedni Bay is not only the Cook Inlet belugas' winter foraging refuge, but the site of a proposed port to ship out gold ore from a deposit called "Johnson Tract".
The company HighGold plans to build a runway, road, tunnel and port to transport ore containing gold and other minerals from Cook Inlet Region Inc. land in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.
Environmental groups have petitioned for protections and filed lawsuits to protect the belugas, bears, endangered seabird colonies and traditional subsistence fisheries from the threat of prey disturbance, acid drainage, noise and habitat damage.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/beluga-whales-last-refuge-a-library-and-a-quiet-bay
Water Utility Anticipates Upgrades for Aging Girdwood Plant
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
A master plan is underway for Girdwood's 50-year-old wastewater treatment facility and improvements could run as much as $100 million, said the facility's plant manager during a tour Monday.
The plant is "reaching the end of its useful life", according to an Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility budget document. Its clutch of buildings at the end of Ruane Road digest around 450,000 gallons of sewage a day, but that amount can almost double at certain times.
And though the system can accommodate millions of gallons in a day, the flow over the course of a month comes close to meeting the plant's capacity.
Seasonal increases, like heavy rain and break up, and human-caused events, like Slush Cup, Christmas and the Super Bowl, push the intake of wastewater to around 800,000 gallons per day. The plant can handle up to 2.5 million gallons in a day, though its month-long treatment capacity caps at 600,000 gallons per day.
New commercial and residential developments, like the controversial "Holtan Hills" subdivision, will invariably add more demand on the community's water infrastructure.
Questions surrounding local water treatment were raised in August on social media by Amanda Tuttle, a member of the Girdwood Board of Supervisors, who reported the plant had violated Environmental Protection Act standards in "the last 12 out of 12 quarters".
Last month AWWU spokespersons gave a presentation at a GBOS meeting to respond to those concerns and offered to schedule a tour of the facility.
At the GBOS meeting, plant manager Mario Croce explained that a paperwork error put the facility on the EPA's radar and the issue, involving the amount of bacteria found in the plant's effluent, has been resolved.
He said there's been "extensive sampling" in Glacier Creek to determine levels of copper, PH, and organic carbon.
"Because Glacier Creek is salmon bearing they are not allotted a mixing zone anymore," Croce said at the GBOS meeting. "Water quality standards are hardness-based standards to ensure they're not discharging toxins."
Though there has been more development in Girdwood, Croce said many communities have taken water conservation measures such as low-flow shower heads and toilets to reduce the volume of water entering the system.
The utility nevertheless faces the inevitability of repairing an aging infrastructure.
Wastewater flows into the plant through a collection of sewer mains and manholes. Groundwater has been infiltrating deteriorating infrastructure and a $2.5 million project to repair or replace just over 100 manholes in the valley will get underway next spring.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/water-utility-anticipates-upgrades-for-aging-girdwood-plant
Candidate Forum Brings Legislative Candidates to Girdwood
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Candidates for districts that include Girdwood squared off in the community hall Monday night in a forum hosted by Turnagain News.
Throughout the forum, the four candidates—two running for an open Senate seat in the Legislature and two running for a House seat—mostly gave similar responses on issues affecting Girdwood and Turnagain Arm.
All the candidates, for example, indicated their displeasure with plans by the transportation department for a four-lane divided Seward highway.
John Boyle, a Republican is running against incumbent and Nonpartisan Ky Holland for the House seat, said, among other things, access needs to state park trailheads needs to be improved with better parking.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/candidate-forum-brings-legislative-candidates-to-girdwood
Editor’s Note: A recording of the event is available on You Tube.
Red Hats, Hazmat Suits and Honks as Girdwoodians Rally for ‘No Kings’
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
When Norway was invaded by Germany during World War II, a resistance movement quickly formed and spread.
College students began to wear paper clips as a sign of solidarity. Underground newspapers were distributed. In a deliberate cold-shoulder tactic known as the "Ice Front", Norwegians would avoid speaking with the occupiers, give false directions, and stand in a bus rather than sit next to a German forcing authorities to outlaw standing in trams and trolleys.
As part of their resistance, many Norwegian wore red wool caps to symbolize allegiance to the cause.
See more photos from the event at the link below:
Turnagain News Selected for Two Triple Match Programs
TNews Donations Drive Begins Nov. 1
By Brooks Chandler
TNews Contributor
On Sept. 24 Turnagain News was selected to receive a matching donation of up to $3,000 from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation as part of the 2026 NewsMatch challenge program. Newsmatch headquarters said TN qualified based on “dedicated coverage of K-12 education” in Girdwood.
TN has featured stories on the achievements of our local youth, solicited the help of young writers and editor Soren Wuerth has actively promoted “cub reporters”—Girdwood K-8 students.
"Young reporters have stepped in to help with coverage again and again," said Wuerth. "We love that Turnagain News offers an opportunity for young people to gain experience in the field of journalism. It is important for us that our platform gives space for them to publish their writing."
More good news followed. On Sept. 29 TN was designated a NewsMatch 2026 “rural partner”.
This designation qualifies TN to receive up to $2,500 in additional matching funds from the Newsmatch Rural Partner Fund. NewsMatch headquarters stated this fund “is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.” It is awarded “to newsrooms serving rural audiences and covering rural issues”.
“Communities need local, credible, non-profit platforms to serve as accurate sources of information so people don't have to rely on just Facebook page bulletins and gossip," Wuerth said. "It's a challenge. We're always looking for writers”.
NewsMatch said both the education and rural matches run concurrently with the “main match” NewsMatch challenge program- a 1:1 match of the first $12,000 in individual donations to TN. The NewsMatch main match program is funded by a coalition of national philanthropists in support of local nonprofit news.
This results in the following donation math:
• First, $2,500 in individual donations will be triple matched. Once by the main match, once by the education coverage program and once by the rural coverage program. Net result is $10,000 in TN funding- $2,500 individual donations plus $7,500 in matching donations.
• The next $500 in individual donations will be double matched. Once by the main match and once by the rural partner match. This will provide $1,500 of funding.
• When individual donations top $3,000 there is a single match by the NewsMatch challenge program. This final match will apply until a total of $12,000 in individual donations have been received. The potential additional funding for TN from this main match is $18,000 ($9,000 in individual donations plus the $9,000 match.
The NewsMatch challenge programs have been critical in enabling TN to build capacity to deliver information to Turnagain Arm communities.
Donations made last year allowed TN to add coverage from freelance reporters to supplement volunteer contributors. This has expanded TN reporting on Whittier and Girdwood happenings.
"We are so honored to be named recipients of a triple-match fundraising opportunity!" said TN editor Wuerth. "Our team is super excited to fire up a drive to gain the match. Pedal to the metal! Please get ready to donate beginning Nov. 1."
Beaver Pond Trail Eyed for Upgrades
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
After years of being bandaged and bound, Girdwood's Beaver Pond trail is poised for a significant makeover should grant funding find approval.
The three-mile long path weaves through stately cottonwood trees, moose-pocked bogs, and silent canopies of ancient spruce and hemlock before emerging, at either end, on pavement.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/beaver-pond-trail-eyed-for-upgrades
USS Ted Stevens Enters US Navy Fleet in Whittier Commissioning Ceremony
By Chase Berenson
TNews Staffwriter
People streamed into Whittier Saturday morning on buses and trains for the commissioning of the USS Ted Stevens, the newest United States Navy vessel.
The event was the culmination of years of preparation and a week’s worth of events when the Commissioning was held in Whittier at the Whittier Cruise Terminal. It was a chilly day for an outdoor ceremony, with rainy weather and a temperature of 38 degrees at the start of the event. But that didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of the guests, audience, and sailors in attendance.
Getting to Whittier typically has some hurdles, but there were extra obstacles on Saturday. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, which is the only road connection to Whittier, was closed to public traffic. Whittier was only accessible by bus or train organized by the Commissioning Committee, and those were only available to people who had received tickets to the Commissioning.
Once in Whittier the crowds arrived at the Whittier Cruise Terminal for security checks, which some people found surprisingly lax. Multiple people said no one ever checked their ID nor were confirmed they had tickets, and anyone could have gained access to the pier alongside the ship to watch the ceremony.
Just beyond the security checkpoint, the Service High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corp was handing out event programs, ponchos, and water bottles. After emerging from the building onto the pier, participants saw that the ship was decorated with red, white, and blue bunting for the occasion. The distant mountains were obscured by clouds behind the ship, but when it was possible to glimpse them through the shifting weather they were covered with fresh snow.
The pier ran alongside the ship, with seating areas set up parallel to the ship facing towards the Commissioning’s main stage at approximately the ship’s midpoint. Due to the way the crowd was seated many people couldn’t see the ceremony directly, but there were large screens along the pier to show the action on the stage.
The event began when Commander Stephen Roman, the Executive Officer of the ship, called it to order. After 19 cannons were fired, many dignitaries and speakers took the stage over the next 90 minutes.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy was the first speaker, and, though he mistakenly referred to the commissioning as a “christening” multiple times, he also said that, “Alaska is central to America’s security, from the Arctic to the Pacific” and that this ship represents commitment to America’s strength and leadership.
Read the entire story and more pictures at the link below:
Girdwood holds Trails Marathon Saturday
Photos and Story by by Briana Sullivan
The half marathon had the most registered participants this year, with 248 people and 10 juniors! There were 87 runners doing the full marathoner and 76 running the 5K.
This was the second year of the 5K and the first time running the loop clockwise around local trails.
See full results and sponsors from our Run Sign Up site:
https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/Overview/98426
See the photos at the link:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/6zga345zzt8u7z5owqwllg5zf01lm2
Something’s Gotta Give: A Contemplation of Quitting
Commentary: Notes on the Girdwood Trails Marathon
By Brian Pautzke
On Saturday I leveled a threat. This might be my last Girdwood Trails Marathon.
My declaration was long mulled. All five kilometers of the 5K loop absolutely broke me. Bad is seeing downhills and recoiling spiritually and physically. My quads had been devastated by what amounts to their yearly surprise party; a sabotage with wicked recoil.
When I am broken I use a strategy I read about, walk 10 strides, jog 10 strides, repeat, seek to increase jog strides over time. All this is on the backdrop of the knowledge that if you have the legs, the 5k loop is straightforward compared to the rest of the race.
It arrives at an inopportune time of the race, it is late in the race, miles 21 to 24. The 5k is a special runners’ torture where up and down are put on repeat for three miles and you end up where you started.
I had time to think about how much fun I was not having and the broken quads sent a subtle signal saying, “We can only do 20 miles, 26 is too much. Maybe it’s time to enjoy the half marathon.”
Watching the leaders fly by is an earned privilege. You have to run fast enough to get to the Upper Winner Creek Extension, miles 14 to 21, out and back before they take their left hand turn back towards the hotel. It is a point of pride to get to see those men and women absolutely flying down the trail. Beautiful.
In all 74 runners finished the marathon, 216 completed the half marathon, eight ran in the kids’ half marathon, and the 5k, new this year, had 61 runners.
Read the entire commentary at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/somethings-gotta-give-a-contemplation-of-quitting
Developer Opens Bidding on 'Holtan Hills' Lots, But Remains Mum on Details
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
In a process largely shrouded in secrecy, a developer announced last week that lots flagged in a hilly rainforest behind Girdwood school are open for reservations.
Questions crowd-sourced by Turnagain News and sent to the developer of "Holtan Hills" went unanswered as of Tuesday.
An advertisement that appeared in the Anchorage Daily News Saturday quickly generated a buzz in the community. The ad directed interested buyers to a website promoting reservations for 28 homesites.
"The past five years have been a challenge for both the community and myself as the developer," Connie Yoshimura writes on the page. Buyers can reserve up to two lots and "select their own builder and home design".
The application window lasts a business week, Monday through this Friday. The website does not indicate how buyers competing for lots will be chosen, only that a "certified drawing" will be held. Lot reservations are $5,000 and will be refunded if the potential buyer's lot is not chosen in the drawing.
The website says a homeowners' association with "an elected board" will "protect its architectural value" but does not say whether and how it would manage properties to discourage short-term rentals and unoccupied residences.
An Anchorage Assembly ordinance requires regulation of short-term rentals through future bylaws of a homeowners' association, but also allows rejection of that restriction through a unanimous vote of the HOA.
On Monday morning the only people in the forest were mushroom pickers, who were dismayed to learn about a planned subdivision in the area. Later another person walked a trail speckled, here and there, with flagging.
She echoed sentiments from others in the community that without knowing the price of lots, it's hard to make a decision on whether to apply for a reservation for a lot, or two.
"What is the cost of each lot?" asked Shannon O'Brien on Girdwood's Facebook page. "That is an important part of choosing what lot to reserve. ...More information would make this process more realistic for buyers, especially those who are already stretching their finances."
Though developer Connie Yoshimura had said construction would begin this summer barring an appeal to a planning department decision, old-growth rainforest behind Girdwood's school remained quiet.
Municipal officials referred questions regarding the delay to Yoshimura whose office offered little details and did not respond to follow-up questions.
A 117-word statement to Turnagain News in late June from "Holtan Hills LLC" said, "We are continuing to make steady progress on the project as we work through civil engineering and infrastructure design, including road, pathway, sewer, gas, and electric systems."
"Our team is working toward the next phase of the project, and we look forward to sharing additional details, including information regarding lot reservations, as they become available.
We appreciate your patience as we complete the approval process with the Municipality
of Anchorage Private Development Standards and the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWWU), and we look forward to staying in touch," the developer wrote.
The development has been widely opposed in Girdwood. The controversial project was left for dead after the Anchorage Assembly voted to postpone it indefinitely in January 2022 only to be resurrected and approved over community objections a year later.
See more photos at the link below:
USS Ted Stevens to be commissioned in Whittier on Oct 3
By Chase Berenson
TNews Staffwriter
Next month the eyes of the United States Navy will be on Whittier for the commissioning of the future USS Ted Stevens. The ship is the Navy’s newest Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and she carries the hull number DDG 128. The ship will be homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval station in Norfolk, Virginia, but she is making the voyage north for her commissioning as she is being named after Alaska’s former Senator.
Per Navy protocols, the ship is not formally named until she is commissioned. Until the ceremony on Oct 3, she is known as the “future USS Ted Stevens“ or as “DDG 128.”
Ted Stevens: The Vessel
DDG 128 is the third ship of the Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Flight III series. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are a class of guided-missile destroyers that feature the Aegis Combat System and the SPY-6(V)1 multi-function passive electronically scanned array radar. Hung Cao, Acting Secretary of the Navy and current nominee for Secretary of the Navy, described the vessel by saying, “Equipped with cutting-edge systems and capabilities, USS Ted Stevens is ready to answer our nation’s call to counter aggression and safeguard our interests by providing a powerful advantage at sea.”
The Arleigh Burke-class ships are multi-mission destroyers, and the Navy uses these warships in a variety of contexts. They are designed specifically to maintain seaworthiness while operating at high speeds even in rough seas. They can be used for anti-aircraft warfare with surface-to-air missiles, antisubmarine warfare with antisubmarine rockets, land strikes with Tomahawk missiles, and antisurface warfare with ship-to-ship missiles.
These vessels also have heliports and hangars for multiple MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters manufactured by Sikorsky. The MH-60 Sea Hawks are based on the more well known UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters operated by the Army. Black Hawks are common sights in Southcentral Alaska because the Alaska Army National Guard uses them for missions such as search and rescue, medical evacuations, and disaster response from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
The different variants of Arleigh Burke-class ships are known as Flights. There have been four Flights, but due a unique numbering method this vessel is in the most modern Flight known as Flight III. This vessel is the third in Flight III.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/uss-ted-stevens-to-be-commissioned-in-whittier-on-oct-3
Running for the rocks
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Girdwood held its annual school district-wide cross-country running last Wednesday.
Fifteen athletes representing Girdwood K-8 School raced the three kilometer loop amid hundreds of others competing in six categories.
Local volunteers help ready the course and stay to take down markers, flags and signs.
"The last few years Bob Mucha has been a critical volunteer in setting up the course and breaking it down. Also, numerous parents volunteer to help the race run smoothly," said Girdwood cross-country running coach Maggie Donnelly.
For the past five years, Donnelly and coach Dawn Murphy have awarded the top five finishers with hand-painted rocks. Yes, rocks.
"A big shout out to Deb Essex for her support," Donnelly said. "Thanks to her also for gifting each athlete with a pair of socks!"
Click here for results:
https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/286338/info.
Photos from the event are here:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/way-to-go-grizzlies-photo-story
Public comment Period opens on Beaver Pond Trail restoration
By Margaret Tyler
Girdwood Parks and Recreation
Girdwood Trails Committee plans to apply for a Recreational Trails Program grant this fall.
Proposed work on the Beaver Pond Trail will bring it to the Class 3 Hiking Trail standard. Work includes restoration of the existing trail, brushing, maintenance, addition of culverts, gravel and restoration of water crossings along the trail alignment.
Public is encouraged to provide comments on this proposed project by Oct 30 2026.
Comments can be made:
Via Phone: 907-343-8373 or 907-343-8374
Via email: Kelleykt@muni.org; tylerms@muni.org
Via mail: Girdwood Trails Committee PO Box 390 Girdwood AK 99587
Comments can also be provided at the Girdwood Trails Committee regular meeting on Oct 6 at 7 p.m. in the Girdwood Community Room.
Dashing Dachshunds Duel during Fall Festival
By Brooks Chandler
TNews Contributor
Girdwood Brewing staged its third ever dog race this past Saturday. Contestants were limited to lovable weiner dogs. 100 or so damp spectators surrounded the short bunting lined paved track on a portion of the brewery parking lot. Racers included Rambo, Pistachio, Fiona, June Bug, Loki, Noodles Ferdinand and Dunkel and many other skinny pooches.
Race Marshall Tim Ball ran the event “Olympic Style” with preliminary heats, 2 semi final tilts and a final each featuring 3-4 racers. Noodles edged out Ferdinand and Ronnie in the final.
Tim told TN he originally hails from Ohio. His idea for racing daschshunds in Girdwood was inspired by a similar event held each Octoberfest in Cincinnati. According to Tim and the Cincinnati Visitors Association Cincinnati’s Octoberfest is the largest in the world after Munich. After participating in a daschund race in Ohio , Tim pitched the idea to Girdwood Brewing and races were incorporated into GBC’s 2024 Octoberfest. Judging from the level of participation and enthusiasm, wiener races will remain an annual fall festival event.
Tim and his wife are parents to Dunkel and signed Dunkel up to compete. Unfortunately Dunkel was distracted by a pile of spilled french fries scattered close to the starting line and did not advance past the prelims. Maybe next year!
See more pictures at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/dashing-dachshunds-duel-during-fall-festival
Dragon takes flight in Girdwood
By Chase Berenson
TNews Staffwriter
While a new public art piece was under construction this summer just outside Glacier City Hall, many people stopped by to talk to the artists and ask questions about it. According to Tommy O’Malley, one of the organizers of the project and better known in Girdwood as Tommy Salami, the most common question they’ve received from passersby is, “What is it?”
The short answer: the 28-foot-long undulating wooden sculpture is the body of a dragon. But the long answer is even more complex.
There has long been public art in Girdwood Park near the playground. In the early 2000s a community mural was installed. One year kids would paint one side of the mural, and then the next year kids would paint the other. Each image would stay up for two years, and it was an interactive art piece despite knowing that each image would eventually disappear. Mr. Salami says, “Kids art is temporary, because kids grow up and move on.”
The original community mural was built using untreated lumber, and after several years it fell apart.
The next iteration of interactive art at the playground was the First Amendment Chalkboard. This was made of treated lumber with sheet metal for the other side. This project was supported by the Rotary Club. The premise of the First Amendment Chalkboard was that children (or any members of the public) could write or draw whatever they wanted without fear of censorship.
Mr. Salami said, “People were concerned that we would get bad messages, but it was mostly people writing ‘I was here.’” Girdwood resident Carolyn Seramur took on the task of erasing the board every so often so that new drawings could be added, and an anonymous Girdwood resident donated chalk so artists always have supplies to add more art.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/dragon-takes-flight-in-girdwood-park
New Construction Underway Next to Merc in Downtown Girdwood
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
A grove of cottonwoods were cleared next to Girdwood's Mercantile in the past couple months to make room for a triplex of condos and commercial space, the latest of several developments to crop up in downtown.
Priced between $875,000 and $899,000, the three condos are already spoken for, according to realtor Kelleigh Shea.
Characteristic of the community's high-demand housing market, the forthcoming "Trevi Flats" condos, along with a cluster of 10 built west of the post office and completed earlier, sold quickly.
Eric Trevithick plans to begin building his eponymous "Trevi Flats" complex this fall with work expected to be completed in August 2027. The condos, adjacent to Town Park, include a rooftop with wiring for a hot tub.
Likely due to interminable winter rain and snow, there are few new buildings with rooftop patios in Girdwood. Trevi Flats is "designed to take advantage of park and views", Trevithick said, with rooftops built for snow load and tenants responsible for snow removal.
Trevi Flats will be "more compact and multifamily" with "more housing per square foot" than the custom homes Trevithick has built over the years in Girdwood, he said. It is the first "mixed use" development he's built.
So far, no one has laid claim to a commercial space that could host up to two businesses, she said. That building, planned to be 1,500 square feet, will sell for $800,000, or the spaces could be rented, according to the developers.
Seward Highway Construction to Continue Through Fall
Construction along the highway will continue through November only to resume in May, according to the state transportation department.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/seward-highway-construction-to-continue-through-fall
Pianist Brings Night of Spontaneity to Girdwood Chapel
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
In a valley largely bereft of exposure to classical music, the announcement of a piano recital may have caused a stir.
Would he play Bach? Chopin? Mozart? There was nothing in the program. In fact, there was no program.
And what to wear? Do we find that suit coat in the far corner of the closet reserved for a night out in Anchorage? Tough sartorial decisions—a piano recital!
Read the entire story below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/3xhjvtw9yqni7yhzqxrbujwtmiimp0
Alaska appeals court dismisses noncitizen voting case against Whittier woman
By James Brooks
Alaska Beacon
A three-judge panel of the Alaska Court of Appeals ruled Friday that state prosecutors misled grand jurors who indicted a Whittier resident for allegedly voting illegally.
Had jurors received accurate information, the court said, “the grand jury likely would have declined to indict.”
Read the entire story at the link below:
Artist Crowley kicks off TNews artist series
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Artist: Kevin “Kc” Crowley
Parked on the end of a row of vendors selling glitter and hoodies, cannibus merch and fair food Kc Crowley's booth gives pause to the revelor.
Prints display images in cut from woodblock, art made by carving away "negative space" with ink applied to the raised surface.
Crowley's work is deeply personal and potent: a salmon appears to twist to the surface of the print. Black lines swirl and ripple with a sense of depth, as if looking at the surface of a river, stripped of its negative space by dappling sunlight, revealed by shades of leaves.
We begin a monthly artist feature with Kc's print and words. Each month, Kc will help curate an artist feature while sharing his own prints and poetry. TNews hopes the feature sparks a deeper dive into local, Alaska art. We will continue to feature full articles and photos of our local artists doing their thing (yo, Tommy!), and want to open this section to anyone with creative ideas and imaginings.
By Kc Crowley
Artist Statement
As a kid I guess the whole art thing really started with comic books, I grew up loving comics (especially the black and white indie comics of the 80's ) and this love naturally sort of grew into tattooing and then eventually into the carving and designing woodblocks. Most of my inspiration comes from my time in the mountains or on the water. I never went to art school or took any classes so my process for printmaking is very circuitous and self taught, I have relied heavily on the local library for instructional guides but mostly just learned from my mistakes.
Read and view the entire series of poems and art
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/crowley-kicks-off-tnews-artist-feature