Looming ‘Holtan Hills’ Construction Falls on Community Long Opposed
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
A developer's news Monday that excavation for a major subdivision in Girdwood is imminent follows years of sweeping local opposition to the "Holtan Hills" project.
Speaking in multiple town hall, local board, and Anchorage Assembly meetings, in comments on social media, and through written testimony, hundreds of residents have expressed dismay at a plan conceived by developers and politicians outside community engagement.
On Wednesday, two local residents responded via text messages to news of impending construction. Both served on a board—Holtan Hills Housing Advisory Committee—formed years ago to investigate, evaluate, and make recommendations on the controversial proposal.
"As a 26-year resident, homeowner, small business owner, and parent, I stood shoulder to shoulder with Girdwoodians in a request to carve out some of the development proposal so that it could represent the greater desires of our community," said Emma Kramer, who served as the committee's co-chair.
"We offered a multitude of options to help keep its community character—from (short-term rental) restrictions, to deed restrictions, to requirements for a percentage of affordable housing, to zoning for both residential and commercial, to including affordable apartments. Time and time again, our committee was shut down. Ironically, the idea for the committee came from (the Heritage Land Bank, a municipal agency) and the Anchorage Assembly, and yet it offered no more power than a recommendation."
Kramer said she was inspired by a "grassroots movement of Girdwood folks that was overwhelmingly positive and unified," yet discouraged by what she saw as a corrupt process in which the committee's recommendations were ignored by municipal officials.
Brooke Lavender, who also served on the HHHAC and who has rented in the valley for years, wrote, "Holtan Hills does not reflect what many renters in Girdwood need. The lack of guaranteed affordability, workforce housing, and the lack of protections against seasonal or speculative ownership makes it feel like this development was never truly meant for people like me."
"The HHHAC's conclusion still resonates: this project, as designed, does not address Girdwood’s real housing challenges. That message is even more urgent now," Lavender said.
Earlier this week, residents were warned that "no trespassing" and "private property" signs will be posted at the gated entrance to an access path and Middle Iditarod Trail near the school.
The wild, forested municipal land was deemed public until it was sold, in a private-government partnership, to developer Connie Yoshimura after the Assembly, in January of last year, reversed an earlier decision to "indefinitely postpone" action on Holtan Hills.
Monday, Yoshimura's presentation did not include a map of planned activity, and she provided few details. Supervisors expressed immediate concern that popular trails would be closed and the 75-day construction window could complicate school access when students return August 14.
The municipality's Heritage Land Bank responded later to questions via email, saying there is currently no "defined schedule for construction," but "when it is received it will be communicated with (the Anchorage School District)," and, should "impacts arise," the agency will "work with ASD."
Yoshimura said in an email her company is "committed to engaging the community." She said Monday, during the GBOS meeting, "we support trails and we support trees."
Lavender said the recent news reflects a pattern in which the community has been learning about project details "after the fact."
"We’ve seen this before, like with the surprise announcement of the homeless camp in South Anchorage," she said in a text message. "Once again, the community is left reacting instead of participating. This type of pattern erodes trust."
"A strong public process should invite input, foster transparency, and prioritize early, open dialogue. We deserve a seat at the table before decisions are finalized, not after," Lavender said.
Kramer said a different community project, the construction of a new childcare center underway near the Alyeska Hotel, serves as a template for inclusive public process.
"Little Bears Playhouse (a preschool) is an example of what Girdwood can do when we come together for a common purpose," Kramer said. "I don’t wish the worst for this development. I hope somehow what we see built becomes accessible to a wide percentage of the population. I would be happily surprised if this were true."
In reply to a question about the role of local government, HLB's public involvement coordinator, Kenny Friendly, wrote that "public and government input plays an important role in this development. From the initial planning stages through to implementation. We have made concerted efforts to ensure their input is considered. The next opportunity for public and local government input will be before the actual Holtan Hills development during community meetings and public hearings."
Besides public involvement, Girdwood residents have long prized natural open space as a community priority, a vision reflected in testimony before recent, controversial Assembly action on the community's area plan.
"One could generalize to suggest Girdwoodians are only sad about losing their trees and trails. It is entirely possible to be sad about losing such things and yet still be grateful for community progress," Kramer said. "In my opinion, Holtan Hills is not community progress. It’s the profit-driven private agenda of developers given the green light to build what we don’t need, nor can support, in a challenging and rugged environment in an unsustainable way."
Lavender said she is less concerned about rental opportunities than impacts to forested wetlands and historic trails near Girdwood's school.
"These lands hold ecological and cultural significance and deserve to be cared for in ways that create longevity for the ecosystem that already exists there," said Lavender.
"...Wetlands play a critical role in regulating water, supporting wildlife, and protecting against flooding. Past municipal studies flagged this area for potential conservation, yet clearing has already begun without meaningful public process, visible mitigation, or transparency around permits," wrote Lavender.
"This is about more than development. It’s about the responsibility we share to steward the land thoughtfully, and to ensure decisions reflect both science and community values," she said.
Meanwhile, HLB does not yet have information on a plan for fencing off areas, potentially closing off trail access. As of Monday's announcement, the "owner" has not filed a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan nor notice of intent to begin work, according to HLB spokesperson Friendly.
He reiterated Yoshimura's warning about public access to lands during construction.
"Local law enforcement will handle trespass violations if notified," Friendly said.
HH Construction to Begin July 7: Road Building in ‘Holtan Hills’ takes GBOS by surprise
Developer Says Local Trails Will Feel ‘Impact’
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
The developer of a planned "Holtan Hills" subdivision behind Girdwood's school said Monday that road construction will begin July 7 and affect two popular local trails for three months this summer.
Fences, "private property" signs and "no trespassing" signs will appear in an area long considered public lands. Two trails, the Middle Iditarod Trail and Girdwood School's Athabascan Trail may see closure.
The news, which came unannounced during a Girdwood Board of Supervisors meeting, took supervisors by surprise.
"At the point in time (when) the road is under construction at the entrance of Holtan Hills, there will be a sign that says 'private property' and 'no trespassing'," developer Connie Yoshimura told the Board. "I know that many of you have used that as trail and walking areas. Unfortunately this is what insurance requires."
The Anchorage Assembly approved the so-called "Holtan Hills" despite overwhelming local opposition last year. A swath, 10 feet wider in places than permitted, was clearcut into old-growth forest behind the school in August.
Yoshimura said a contract for $2 million was signed with GMC Construction and that the company is currently "shopping" for gravel.
Construction of a road and gas, sewer and electric connections will take place during the height of summer tourist traffic in downtown Girdwood and will continue past the opening of school in early August.
"We were quite frankly a little disappointed (GMC Construction) could not begin a little earlier but it was their choice to begin after the Forest Fair," Yoshimura said.
Supervisor Brian Burnett called the lack of details surrounding construction "unacceptable".
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Colorful Local Pride Parade Marks 5th Year—’Stand Up For Who You Are’
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Raising colorful signs, banners, flags and balloons, more than a dozen residents joined Girdwood's fifth annual Pride Parade Saturday to the hoots and horns of passing cars showing support.
More than a dozen marchers left the Daylodge walking the bike path to the brewery, stopped at a lemonade stand and continued down Alyeska Hwy. to Forest Fair's main stage.
"I believe everybody should be able to say who you are and stand up for who you are," said Beverly Peterson.
The local march is a grassroots effort not held in coordinated with Anchorage's Pride Parade scheduled for June 28.
"It's not just about pride, but anybody should be able to say, 'I am...'," Peterson said.
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‘No Kings’ Protest: Residents flock to Girdwood Rally
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Prior to Girdwood's "No Kings" protest Saturday a group of birders called for a vote.
Should the group participate in a local event held in conjunction with national rallies and marches to oppose policies of the Trump Administration?
"We all knew (protests) were happening," said Jake Mohlman, a guide for the birding group Wings. "Without a unanimous decision we wouldn't have come out."
So, on Saturday, they bought some materials, made signs and stood together on the corner of Hightower and Alyeska to help spread messages of dissent.
"We took a break from birding for one hour," Mohlman said.
"Which is a real sacrifice," added Sheri Robison, a birder from Idaho.
The birding group joined more than 70 mostly-local residents in the largest of four anti-Trump protests held in Girdwood, and one of among at least 17 protests held statewide. Demonstrations took place in more than 2,000 cities nationwide and in all 50 states.
"I'm really concerned about (Trump's) lack of respect for research and science," Robison said. "We can go on... with medicine, too."
Birders are worried about climate change and habitat protection, said another guide, particularly in the Arctic where threatened species like the spectacled eider face impacts from the loss of sea ice and the effects of oil and gas development. Between 1970 and 1993, spectacled eider population had dropped by 96 percent, researchers found.
Cuts to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, clean water and air regulations and research grants all have the effect of undermining protections for birds, said Mohlman.
Others attending Saturday's protest in Girdwood said they were worried about threats and attacks on immigrants and protesters.
Rocky Plotnick, a third-generation Alaska, was on her way south from Anchorage when she heard there was a protest and wanted to help increase participation in Girdwood.
"Our numbers here in Girdwood are more important than in Anchorage," said Plotnick. "It's important to stand up to what's happening (to immigrants)."
Saturday's rally against policies of the Trump administration was the fourth held in Girdwood.
Read the entire story and more pictures at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/no-kings-protest-residents-flock-to-local-no-kings-rally
GAO report says Alaska pipeline regulation office should revitalize, update operations
By Yereth Rosen
The multiagency group that coordinates oversight of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System needs an update to better operate in changing conditions, said a federal report released on Thursday.
The Joint Pipeline Office, a consortium of federal and state agencies with various regulatory duties, has scaled back its operations over the past several years, leading to possible gaps in oversight of the system that has delivered North Slope crude oil since 1977, said the report, issued by the Government Accountability Office, an independent nonpartisan agency that conducts audits and investigations for Congress.
To meet current conditions, the joint office should clarify its desired outcomes and resume what was once communication with the public about regulation, enforcement and other issues, the GAO report said.
“Redefining and documenting the intended outcomes of JPO’s oversight activities, including those aiming to inform the public of its oversight efforts, would enable JPO agencies to work toward shared goals and ensure accountability,” the report said. It is important to document the expectations, the report said. “Clarifying roles and responsibilities would enhance coordination among JPO agencies and help JPO identify any potential gaps in oversight.”
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Alaskans plan widespread pro-democracy protests, joining national movement
By James Brooks w/photos by Yereth Rosen
As President Donald Trump orders the U.S. military into Los Angeles to confront protesters there, hundreds of Alaskans are preparing to join pro-democracy rallies planned for Saturday.
At least 18 events are scheduled to take place in Alaska, and more than 1,500 are scheduled nationwide as part of the “No Kings” movement, which is organizing to oppose Trump actions.
Dave Musgrave is organizing an event in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, a region north of Anchorage that voted overwhelmingly for Trump last year.
“We want to raise concerns about what this administration is doing. It’s very much an authoritarian overreach,” he said by phone.
Saturday’s events were originally scheduled to counter a military march in Washington, D.C., for Trump’s 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
They’ve taken on a new tone since the president ordered the National Guard and the U.S. Marines to oppose protesters in Los Angeles.
“I think the scene is going to be a gathering of citizens concerned about what has been going on, most recently with Donald Trump sending troops to L.A.,” said Laura Stats, who has been helping organize an event in Juneau, Alaska’s capital city.
Protests were already taking place in Anchorage on Wednesday against the state’s decision to accept people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Protesters gather outside the Anchorage Correctional Complex on June 11, 2025. It was the third consecutive day that protestors gathered at the jail site in response to Trump administration immigration actions. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Forty-two people were arrested outside the state and flown here by federal officials,according to the Alaska Department of Corrections.
The small demonstration taking place on a weekday is expected to be followed by a much larger event on Saturday, outside the Anchorage offices of Alaska’s three-person congressional delegation.
That demonstration will be followed by a march to the Anchorage Park Strip, where Juneteenth celebrations will be taking place.
Lu Dyer is communications director for Stand UP Alaska, which is helping organize the event.
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Amid gas crunch, Alaska could revoke leases from a company whose drilling has stalled
By Nataniel Herz
Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration is threatening to strip a company of oil and gas leases in Cook Inlet outside Anchorage, saying it’s sitting on deposits that could delay an impending shortage of gas needed for heating and power generation in urban Alaska.
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources recently placed in “default” the Cosmopolitan Unit, a block leased by Texas-based BlueCrest Energy, saying it hasn’t met commitments to drill.
The company has held leases at Cosmopolitan for more than a decade. It conducted initial drilling several years ago but has not drilled any new wells since 2019, according to state records.
Company executives say that BlueCrest experienced a cash crunch when, amid a budget crisis beginning in 2014, the state of Alaska chose not to pay tax credits to oil firms that had spent money on drilling. BlueCrest has also had to ask Alaska’s economic development agency to approve delays in paying back a $30 million state loan.
The state’s new notice to BlueCrest, signed in May by Commissioner John Boyle, gives the company until Aug. 21 to show proof that it’s secured investment to drill a $55 million new oil well, as well as to advance development of a new offshore platform that would target natural gas.
That platform could cost $350 million or more, according to BlueCrest officials.
“We want to see aggressive, defined momentum towards putting our resources into active production,” Boyle said in an interview Thursday. “We need to see some drilling. We need to see some action.”
BlueCrest is negotiating with multiple companies about potential investment, Benjy Johnson, its chief executive, said in a phone interview.
“We’re hopeful that we’ll get it done,” he said. “I think we will.”
Johnson said he understands the state’s perspective, but added that defaulting BlueCrest’s leases is “not the solution to the problem.”
“The solution to the problem is helping us get funding to drill these wells, and to get the gas development going,” he said.
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https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/k6bmrqyvmh8x4c8m5afzz59ff6rprs-lts2p
Trump wants Congress to slash $9.4B in spending now, defund NPR and PBS
By Jennifer Shutt
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration sent its first spending cuts request to Congress on Tuesday, asking lawmakers to swiftly eliminate $9.4 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and various foreign aid programs.
The request for what are called rescissions allows the White House budget office to legally freeze spending on those accounts for 45 days while the Republican-controlled Congress debates whether to approve the recommendation in full or in part, or to ignore it.
The proposal calls on lawmakers to eliminate $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. That means NPR and PBS would lose their already approved federal allocations, if the request is approved by Congress.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order in May seeking to block the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from providing funding for NPR and PBS, leading to twoseparate lawsuits citing First Amendment concerns.
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Alaska Run & Walk for Women in Girdwood event Thursday
By Briana Sullivan
Alaska Run & Walk for Women in Girdwood
In Girdwood, we will be celebrating the many years the Alaska Run for Women has united thousands of women from all over the state and beyond in one of the largest all-women runs in the country.
Since 1993, the goal of ending breast cancer has brought waves of women of all ages - with their energy and love together at the starting line, for a common cause. Now, the event offers a virtual option already underway for one week.
“Please join us to celebrate 33 years - In Person or Virtually!",” said Girdwood Organizer Briana Sullivan, Alaska Run & Walk for Women. Since 2024, the Girdwood Fire Department and the Girdwood Clinic teamed up with Briana Sullivan and Four Valleys to organize a unified Team for Girdwood community to join.
“If you've already joined a team, you can still donate to Girdwood's team or show up to participate!. The event has always brought me joy, participating decades ago among a sea of powerful pink support—and into adulthood,” Sullivan added.
“Being a part of the event and knowing so many women impacted by cancer motivates me to join this important annual event. I am happy to help our community stay off the highway or have a local option if they cannot make the main event in Anchorage in a given year."
Girdwood's event will be Thursday, June 5, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Magic Carpet. Sign up for Girdwood's Team!” she exclaimed.
The Girdwood event is part of a larger vision for Alaska, The Alaska Run for Women mission is "To raise money for and awareness of breast cancer and women's health, and to showcase the talents of Alaska's women athletes."
She said this is accomplished through: an annual women's run and walk event that serves as a vehicle for fundraising, participation, awareness and competition, and grant making to organizations concerned with breast cancer research, education, outreach, prevention and early detection.
You can sign for Girdwood's Breast Intentions at the link:
https://www.akrfwregistration.org/team/4558
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/alaska-run-amp-walk-for-women-in-girdwood-event-thursday
Commentary: Girdwood Giants Majors Baseball have Strong Start to the Season at 5-1!
By Kyle Kelley
Coach, Girdwood Giants
The Girdwood Giants Majors Little League baseball team has kicked off the 2025 season with a bang, boasting an impressive 5-1 record! They won the home opener last Friday with a 17-10 victory over the Angels. The Girdwood Giants play against teams from Anchorage. As the team takes to the diamond at Sladen Mohl Memorial Field, their hard work and dedication are evident, and fans are eager to rally behind their local heroes.
Exciting Enhancements at Sladen Mohl Field
This year, the excitement extends beyond the impressive performance of the players. Thanks to the generous support and fundraising efforts of the Sladen Mohl Memorial Field Fund, combined with the skilled craftsmanship of Schubert Construction, Sladen Mohl Field has undergone significant upgrades. The newly constructed dugouts provide the athletes with a sheltered area to prepare for their games, allowing them to stay focused and regroup between innings. These improvements create a more professional and enjoyable experience for the players, visiting teams, and the community.
Moreover, the newly replaced snack shack is a favorite spot for fans and families. With a variety of delicious snacks and beverages available, it’s the perfect place to grab a bite while enjoying the game. The snack shack not only helps fuel our enthusiastic supporters but also fosters a sense of community as families come together to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere at the field. All proceeds from the snack shack support Girdwood Giants baseball now and in the future.
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Commentary: Windows are the No. 1 human threat to birds – an ecologist shares simple steps to reduce collisions
By Jason Hoeksema
Professor, University of Mississippi
When wood thrushes arrive in northern Mississippi on their spring migration and begin to serenade my neighborhood with their ethereal, harmonized song, it’s one of the great joys of the season. It’s also a minor miracle. These small creatures have just flown more than 1,850 miles (3,000 kilometers), all the way from Central America.
Other birds undertake even longer journeys — the Swainson’s thrush, for example, nests as far north as the boreal forests of Alaska and spends the nonbreeding season in northern South America, traveling up to 5,600 miles (9,000 kilometers) each way.
These stunning feats of travel are awe-inspiring, making it that much more tragic when they are cut short by a deadly collision with a glass window.
This happens with alarming regularity. Two recent scientific studies estimate that more than 1 billion birds – and as many as 5.19 billion – die from collisions with sheet glass each year in the United States alone, sometimes immediately but often from their injuries.
In fact, window collisions are now considered the top human cause of bird deaths. Due to window collisions and other causes, bird populations across North America have declined more than 29% from their 1970 levels, likely with major consequences for the world’s ecosystems.
These collisions occur on every type of building, from homes to skyscrapers. At the University of Mississippi campus, where I teach and conduct research as an ecologist, my colleagues and I have been testing some creative solutions.
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Judge: Alaska limits on intoxicating hemp products do not violate the U.S. Constitution
By James Brooks
A federal magistrate judge has ruled that the state of Alaska did not violate the U.S. Constitution when it acted to limit intoxicating hemp products in 2023.
In an order published May 23, Magistrate Judge Kyle Reardon granted summary judgment in favor of the state and against the Alaska Industrial Hemp Association, which sued two years ago in an attempt to overturn regulations imposed by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
The court order means intoxicating hemp products, common in many other states, will remain illegal in Alaska unless sold through a licensed marijuana retailer.
“It was rewarding to be part of the process developing the regulations, and I was happy when we successfully defended against the motion for a preliminary injunction in 2023,” said Assistant Attorney General Kevin Higgins, by email. Higgins represented the state in the case.
“I’m not patting myself on the back too hard though,” he said. “The Division of Agriculture was motivated by public safety concerns when it took measured action to regulate an emerging industry. This was an easy case to make, which is probably why the plaintiffs didn’t file an opposition to the motion for summary judgment.”
An attorney representing the plaintiff did not answer a request for comment on Wednesday.
Alaska legalized the sale and use of marijuana for recreational purposes in 2014. The state subsequently created a tightly regulated market in which only licensed businesses may grow, process and sell marijuana.
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Commentary: The Alaskans who keep our national parks running are needed
By Fran Ulmer
Like many other Alaskans, I love our national parks. Their beauty, wildlife and opportunities for adventures are a great gift to current and future Alaskans, as well as our many visitors. From Denali to Katmai to Glacier Bay, these special places help drive a thriving tourism economy and support reliable, made-in-Alaska jobs. Unfortunately, Alaska’s national parks and the economic benefits they bring are threatened by drastic staffing and budget cuts to the National Park Service. It was recently reported that the National Park Service Alaska Regional Office in Anchorage has lost an estimated one-third of its staff — more than 60 knowledgeable Alaskans — a result of downsizing the Department of Interior through pressured buyout tactics. And the federal administration has threatened additional cuts through mass firings.
Roughly 2 million people visited Alaska national parks in 2023, and more are expected this year. They spent $1.5 billion dollars and supported 23,000 jobs, according to the National Park Service. In Anchorage alone, 1 in 9 jobs is in tourism, Visit Anchorage has found. Across the country, one tax dollar invested in the Park Service returns $10 to the economy.
But national parks don’t run themselves. People are needed to keep parks running, from park rangers to contracting experts, from educators who design the visitor center exhibits to biologists who make sure that park wildlife survive and thrive.
The Alaska Regional Office provides oversight and expertise to 24 national park sites across Alaska, covering more than 50 million acres of federal land. The scale and landscape of Alaska makes the Alaska Regional Office essential. Most Alaska national park sites only have one or two resource staff and limited capacity. It doesn’t make financial sense for every park to have its own pilot and plane, geologist, or subsistence expert. The Regional Office provides support and expertise that serve all our parks.
At the Alaska Regional Office, cuts and consolidation programs have eliminated crucial positions, including the regional chief ranger overseeing law enforcement. Now there is only one staff member leading archaeology and cultural resource protection for all of Alaska’s national park sites, and just a handful of staff remain to work with Alaska Native tribes, whose culture, food security, and traditional ways of life should be respected by those parks.
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Restraining order on Alaska bear cull to be in place until state fixes identified legal flaws
By Yereth Rosen
Superior Court Judge Christina Rankin, in an order issued late Monday, said the department’s decision to shoot bears earlier this month in violation of a previous court ruling justified her decision to keep the temporary restraining order in place beyond the 10 days that is standard in Alaska law.
The department will be prohibited from conducting its planned bear cull in the Mulchatna caribou herd range until it corrects the legal flaws identified in a March 14 ruling issued by a different judge, Rankin said.
She rejected the state’s request to lift the restraining order and its argument that the prohibition was no longer needed.
“Despite the State’s stated intention of discontinuing its bear predator control measures this season, due to its prior position that it would continue bear abatement unless specifically enjoined, this Court thinks it is prudent to specifically state that the TRO will not expire after ten days and extends the TRO until further order of the Court or until the State obtains proper legal authority, consistent with the March 14 Order, and the May 7, 2025 Order,” she said in her order.
It is the latest development in a lawsuit filed in 2023 by the Alaska Wildlife Alliance that challenged the predator control program.
State officials say the program is needed to boost Mulchatna caribou herd numbers, and it must be conducted in spring and early summer, when newborn caribou calves are vulnerable to bear predation. But the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and other critics say the program lacks scientific validity and was put into place without proper public input.
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Annual Parade Honors 14 Graduates
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Thirteen high school graduates and one UAA grad paraded from the Girdwood Post Office to the fire station Thursday night receiving cheers, honks, bubbles and roses.
About 100 well-wishers lined the route, including family members, former teachers, and yellow-clad Lion's Club members.
Graduates paused before emcee Salita Rios who told memories over a bullhorn of each gowned teenager before they moved to the Lion's table for more gifts. Then, the group took a moment for photos and to toss their square hats aloft.
Later, outside Jack Sprat Restaurant, Jared Moore said he enjoyed being a part of the local tradition. Standing next to him, Asher Cubit smiled in agreement.
Read the story and more pictures at the below link:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/annual-parade-honors-14-graduates
Alaska senators vote to end daylight saving time in America’s farthest-north state
By James Brooks
Alaska would be on the same time zone as Seattle for four months of the year, if a bill passed Monday by the Alaska Senate becomes law.
The Senate voted 18-2 to pass Senate Bill 26, which would eliminate daylight saving time in Alaska and ask the federal government to put Alaska on Pacific Standard Time.
(Photo by James Brooks, Alaska Beacon. Kelly Merrick, R-Eagle River, speaks in favor of a bill that would eliminate daylight saving time, on Monday, May 12, 2025, in Juneau. Story reprinted courtesy Alaska Beacon under Creative Commons)
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Alaska to resume bear-killing program, despite court order finding it to be void
By Yereth Rosen
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said Friday it will resume its predator control this weekend in Western Alaska, despite a court ruling two days earlier that determined the program remains in violation of the state constitution.
The program, which is using aircraft to kill bears in the area used by the ailing Mulchatna Caribou Herd, will resume on Saturday, the department said in a statement.
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Alaska House urges local and state agencies to prepare for a bad wildfire season
By James Brooks (Story and Photo)
Alaska’s wildfire season is shaping up to be especially dangerous this year, and the Alaska House of Representatives is asking local, state and federal officials to prepare ahead of time.
On April 25, the House voted 37-0 to approve a resolution calling for readiness.
House Joint Resolution 15, by Rep. Ky Holland, I-Anchorage, is slated for a hearing on Friday in the Senate Resources Committee.
“House Joint Resolution 15 came about from an early awareness this winter about the very dry conditions that we were witnessing in Southcentral Alaska,” said Holland, speaking to the House.
“A really key part of this resolution is a recognition of how important it is that we do the outreach and we encourage the preparation by residents to be able to be more aware of what they can do to protect their own homes through the Firewise program,” he said.
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7th Annual Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation Natural History Symposium
By Charla Hughes
PWSSF News Release
The Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation invites you to their seventh annual Prince William Sound Natural History Symposium Monday and Tuesday, May 12-13, at the Public Safety Building in Whittier and online via Zoom. The Prince William Sound Science Center in Cordova and the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward will host watch parties.
What started as a training opportunity for outdoor educators and guides has grown into a highly anticipated free community event. Monday sessions (1-5pm) are designed with the guiding community in mind, featuring topics like Alaskan plants, land management, and geology. Coffee with the Scientists at Lazy Otter and a Social at Oceanfront Cafe to follow. Tuesday sessions (9am-5pm) bring together the latest news and research from around the Sound with topics ranging from sea cucumbers and bats to the Whittier Tourism Best Management Practices (TBMP) program. All sessions are free and open to the public.
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Local Skiing Sensation Sees Her Line and Gets It
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Girdwood ski racer Katie Rowekamp was finishing a day of slalom training with her team in Kitzbuhel, Austria when, instead of riding a gondola down the mountain, she and a friend decided to ski back.
A side trail led to a CAT track, which led to a snow path, then a long traverse, shallower and shallower, to patches of concrete and a field and nothing.
"We look across the field to the other side of the canyon and see the gondola we were supposed to take down," she said during an interview in a Girdwood coffeehouse last week.
Rowekamp and her teammate took off their skis and began walking, worried. They were always told to stay on the tracks because ski resorts in Europe don't flag off out-of-bounds perimeters. The mountains are yours.
"All of sudden we found this little tiny cabin out in the middle of nowhere and we were crossing our fingers hoping somebody lived there and not some crazy Euro serial killer. And I walk around and there is this big golden retriever basking in the sunlight on their deck, and this cute old Austrian lady and her husband were there and were, like, AH!"
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/local-skiing-sensation-sees-her-line-and-gets-it