Damn. Stay safe, northwest Alaska. Yet another reason why Congress rescinding public radio funds was a terrible, short-sighted action that will endanger Alaskans’ lives. These stations and the disaster updates they broadcast are an essential lifeline.

If Alaska could have levied a production tax/royalty on sales of ranch dressing like we did Prudhoe Bay oil, we wouldn’t have the fiscal problems we do now 🤔

Municipal elections day in Alaska!

Thank you @adn.com for publishing my obituary for perhaps the most beloved bear in the world: the late, great, king 480 Otis.

This looks bad: Monday afternoon report of rock slides and building collapses at Elfin Cove, on Chichagof Island in northern Southeast Alaska. #akwx #ExtremeWeather @spiraledu.bsky.social @alaska.bsky.social

Always great to see @deephi11.bsky.social out on the Equinox course! Also grateful her house is only a few miles in, because this would be more of a painful hobble at mile 20 😂

I know that I will one day be old, but I hope I’m never “leaves my phone camera shutter noise on” old.

Sandhill cranes at Creamer's Field earlier this evening. #alaska #fairbanks

The other day I saw a black convertible Corvette rolling around Fairbanks with the vanity plate TAX FRD, which is a… *bold* choice.

That was a weak but pretty long one. Usually means a larger one further away, but not seeing a high-magnitude quake at the AEIC website.

Hey @matthewkaminski.bsky.social, give me a hint on “War Pigs” for Schwarber; I’m not getting it.

I recognize exceptions exist, but as a general rule: Anchorage bad drivers tend to go too fast; Fairbanks bad drivers tend to go too slow. Agree or disagree?

Six of these 11 have been during my lifetime. I’m totally OK with not adding a seventh. #akwx

Been getting questions about this; thanks, Rick!

Funny, because some days we feel closer to 1950 than 2000.

Lucha wrestling on a Friday night, must be a Fairbanks summer

Presenting what might be my new favorite photo sequence on Wikipedia, on the feeding habits of the mallard duck (click to expand, I don't think the whole thing will display by default):

Another reason why Alaska is great: We have an official state Mushroom Hunter GIS Dashboard. Other states wish they were on this level. 🍄 hub.arcgis.com/apps/SOA-DNR...

Fairbanks: It’s Worth the Drive!™️ Seriously though, Fairbanks summers are rad. Anchorage folks, come on up and I’m happy to be your concierge/outdoor adventure valet.

If you've done much biking in your adult life, you get this intuitively. The amount of effort you expend vs. the speed you travel feels like cheating.

Out helping with FAST Planning’s annual bike/pedestrian count, with Bella serving as my trusty assistant. She is very attentive because she imagines all people have treats. So far none have had treats.

These are sneezy times in Interior Alaska.

Here we go. The Crooked Fire at 15 acres west of Central, Alaska (northeast of Fairbanks). Cause is undetermined. #AKWildfire #Spring2025 #akwx #wildfire @carrieinfbx.bsky.social @bs.mivox.net akfireinfo.com/2025/05/17/b...

Fairbanks Airport up to 65F for the first time this year as of 6pm AKDT Saturday. This is nine days later than average date of the "first 65" over the past 50 years. #akwx #weather #Spring2025 @carrieinfbx.bsky.social @tomhewittnews.bsky.social

Hey @ktoopublicmedia.bsky.social, I appreciate the Curious Juneau feature, but given that it's a (great) adaptation of WBEZ's "Curious City," and the pun is lost when swapping "Juneau" for "City," wouldn't the great dad-joke move have been to call it "Juneau What?" instead?

Based on the arched ceiling, this appears to be the building that later became II Dice Pawn Shop, which is what it was for the duration of my childhood. It has since been demolished.

If you missed it, this recaps borough budget amendments and passage last night. A short highlights thread. Budget winners: - Fairbanks schools. A $2.8 million increase to the $2 million funding addition Mayor Hopkins proposed, for a total of $62.8 million local contribution. #fbxgov

FAIRBANKS BOROUGH BUDGET LIVE THREAD: We’re a few minutes from getting underway in Fairbanks. No public testimony at this meeting, just Assembly debate and votes on the budget. But members of the public are allowed to watch, and some Mary Siah advocates brought signs. #fbxgov

What’s up? It’s budget day in Fairbanks, and there are a BUNCH of Assembly amendments that have been filed, so buckle in. Check back in here starting at 6 p.m. to follow along when the meeting starts; I’ll be using the hashtag #fbxgov.

There’s a joke to be made with the papal conclave and the black smoke from the chimney that would kill in Fairbanks with our PM 2.5 nonattainment issues, but I can’t quite figure out how to frame it.

Felt like an earthquake in Fairbanks just now, not huge

I know I'm fighting a losing battle on this one, but for the love of God, people, there is no grammatical reason to pronounce the last E in "processes" with a hard E sound. The entirety of government and business has been overtaken with this bungled affectation.

Earthquake in anchorage 😬

A Fairbanks borough budget amendment to close Mary Siah pool just succeeded at the Assembly’s finance committee meeting. Motion was made by Tammie Wilson and passed 6-3; opposed were David Guttenberg, Scott Crass and Kristan Kelly. #fbxgov

Chena River ice just let go downstream of the Barnette bridge - still holding above there. Won’t be long now, though.

Best news all day. Congratulations to Vicky, with whom @adn.com is in great hands - and good move by the ADN to make this choice.

The News-Miner’s Day One story on the Exxon Valdez was from the AP, because they didn’t have a reporter on scene yet. Funny story: The reporter they sent the next day was Brian O’Donoghue, who was renting a cabin from my parents and asked them to make sure the place didn’t freeze up in his absence.

On the bright(?) side, many of us still have some spare N95s kicking around.

It’s hard to imagine ways in which it’s possible to own yourself harder than this. alaskabeacon.com/2025/03/12/f...

We stan a queen 👸🏻

Early Wildland Fire Season Expected in Alaska The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF) has issued a Public Order declaring an early start to fire season in DOF’s Coastal Region that includes much of Southwest, Southcentral and Southeast Alaska. akfireinfo.com/2025/03/06/e... #Alaska

Don’t mind me, I’m just popping on here for a sec to make sure @scottymax.bsky.social knows Mastodon is playing the fair this year

Do you work for Carpenter Media and/or what used to be Black Press? An American reporter is trying to figure out what's happening with your company and looking for your insight. Message me (using the chat thing or email me) and I'll connect you.

As I kid I wanted to work as a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Alaska. Thanks to the timing of my birth, through good times and bad, I spent more than more than 30 years doing just that. Today, hundreds of similar dreams were shattered. To all of you, I am so sorry. #NOAA #Alaska

These numbers are brutal for Interior kids. We need to do better if we don’t want children dying from diseases that have been preventable via immunization for decades.

My latest on Bezos bulldozing the reputation and business of the paper he vowed to save. And yes, it’s personal https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/26/jeff-bezos-washington-post-opinion

If you’re a beer person, this is a great rec. Black Spruce and HooDoo make the best beer in the state, and that’s not just Fairbanks homerism talking.

As a former opinion editor who likes personal liberties and free markets, this is awful for the Post and those of us who read it. Regardless of the political views involved, I can’t think of a time when ownership issued a diktat about opinion page direction and it benefited the public.

Great piece from @evaholland.bsky.social on the Yukon Quest (the version on the other side of the border, not the Alaska one). I think a lot of us share this grief, both for the river route and the unified 1,000-mile course. Something real has been lost, and continues to be. And we’re poorer for it.

Just a thought: Is there also a program, existing or envisioned, to pay off student loan debt for Alaska teachers who stay here for college? Because otherwise it seems like you’re creating an incentive for people to leave and return rather than stay here the whole time.