Alaska
Alaska projected to see a lower population by 2050
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – New data suggests that Alaska will see a decreasing population over the next three decades or so.
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development released its Alaska Populations Projects report on Wednesday, which states, “Alaska will likely grow for the first 10 years but as the population ages, annual natural growth will slow, leading to projected losses through migration.”
These findings are based on state demographics, using past and current population trends, including looking at the net migration, along with birth and death rates.
“We say, ‘What would happen if we continue to see those trends going out 30 years?” David Howell, a state demographer for the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, said. “So it’s just kind of a picture of what it would look like if we see similar population change over the next 30 years that we’ve seen the last 30 years.”
By 2050, the report states that Alaska is projected to have a population of 722,806. It amounts to roughly 14,000 fewer people than the state recorded in 2023, about a 2% drop.
The state is expecting to see an increase to the Alaska Native population, raising the demographic from 22% to 25% of the state’s overall population by 2025.
However, the drop in overall population is the first time during a set of projections in this time frame that a loss in Alaska’s state population was projected, Howell said.
“Our net migration losses are not made up for by what we refer to as natural increase, which is just births minus deaths,” Howell explained.
The data collected from the report, the department said, can help the state plan for the future. It can give Alaskans a better idea about how many residents will be driving on the roads, students in schools, and senior care needs.
That is especially important in this report, Howell said, where the data sees a trend of an increasing senior demographic.
“We need to get … those medical pieces in place for that population because we haven’t historically had a large senior population,” Howell said. “That will be a different level of medical care than they’ve needed in the past.”
At the same time, the state is seeing a lower birth rate, causing the population to lean older. That, combined with a negative net migration over the years, has caused a decrease in the working-age population.
“We need everyone. We need more people,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in his 2024 State of the State address earlier this year. “There’s no question about it, and encouraging pro-life policies that lead to more people having families and kids shouldn’t be controversial … Whether you’re a student of history or just a casual observer, we can’t have the kind of economic activity, growth, and technological advancements that have built civilization over thousands of years without an increasing population.”
“It is, of course, concerning that we are projecting a lower population for the future,” Adam Weinert, the special assistant for the state’s commissioner, said.
Weinert said that the Department of Labor and Workforce Development has been focusing on trying to engage with the youth population and encourage Alaskan residents to stay in the state.
“Engaging with our veterans, engaging with those who are new to the state is going to help us try to turn this population — to turn the population trend around,” Weinert said.
Ongoing efforts from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development include re-establishing the Office of Citizenship Assistance, creating partnerships with the Department of Defense, and creating career guides to work with youth.
Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.
“I was shocked,” Hanks said in an interview at her family’s home, “but I was really, really happy.”
Her English teacher sent her mother, Karyn Hanks, an email notifying her that Violet had won. The proud mother cried tears of joy, and couldn’t wait to see her daughter after school.
“I was like, ‘I’m just going to meet her down at the bus,’ which I don’t usually do,” Karyn Hanks said. “As I was going over the little hill, I saw her running from the bus, and we were both jumping up and down.”
The 54th annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicks off March 7 with an 11-mile, ceremonial start through Anchorage. The real work begins the following day, when the mushers guide their sled dogs across approximately 1,000 miles of extreme terrain from Willow to Nome.
Along the route, mushers carry “trail mail” to honor the history of sled dogs delivering mail along the Iditarod Trail. Letters and artwork from students are carried by mushers in the race, and then returned to them afterward.
Hanks’ design will be printed on envelopes used for every piece of trail mail. She also got to choose a musher to carry her own piece of trail mail. She chose last year’s Iditarod winner, Jessie Holmes.
Violet’s English teacher, Brian Hickox, and art teacher Tracey Woodford collaborated to promote the contest to their students.
Hickox has a history with the Iditarod, having served in 2019 as the “Teacher on the Trail,” where he traveled along the Iditarod trail in Alaska, reporting on the events and building themed lessons for teachers.
Hickox said many of their students expressed interest in the art contest, and six submitted. When he found out Hanks won, he was ecstatic.
“I almost couldn’t even sleep all night,” he said. “That’s how excited I was, because I knew how much it meant to just earn this achievement.”
Iditarod EDU staff sifted through submissions and chose five finalists, said Jim Deprez, Iditarod EDU co-director. Renowned Alaskan artists Jon and Jona Van Zyle decided the overall winner and two runners up.
The theme for this year’s trail mail contest was “Celebrating Iditarod Veterinarians,” honoring the roughly 50 volunteer vets who monitor the health and safety of the sled dogs.
Hanks’ design depicts the female veterinarian and dog smiling, with bubble hearts between them. The design is splashed with blue watercolor, which Deprez said impressed the staff.
“This one was a little different because it was watercolor, which we don’t see a whole lot of,” he said, “and the drawing itself, with … the expressions on the faces that she was able to portray, it spoke volumes.”
Woodford previously taught Hanks in elementary school. A few summers ago, the pair became pen pals , sending each other their artwork, including watercolor book marks by Hanks.
“She’s been a student that’s been really close to my heart for many years,” Woodford said. “It was really nice to see that her talents are recognized at a much larger scale, because I’ve always known that she’s something special.”
Lauren Albano can be reached at lauren.albano@globe.com. Follow her on X @LaurenAlbano_.
High School
Basketball
Girls
Sunday
Chaputnguak 63, Nelson Island 52
Nelson Island 48, Chaputnguak 46
Chaputnguak 72, Nelson Island 52
Monday
Bartlett 66, Service 55
Tri-Valley 56, Nenana 22
Unalaska 26, Lumen Christi 20
Tuesday
Mountain City Christian Academy 88, Soldotna 22
Nenana 28, Effie Kokrine Charter 17
Mt. Edgecumbe 62, Sitka 33
West 51, East 24
Wasilla 47, Colony 45
Service 78, South 35
Susitna Valley 38, Redington 22
Lathrop 41, North Pole 40
Grace Christian 53, Palmer 36
Homer 40, Ninilchik 15
Bartlett 75, Dimond 28
Chugiak 49, Eagle River 24
Barrow 69, Bethel 9
Monroe Catholic 50, Delta 20
Wednesday
Ketchikan 48, Sitka 39
Mt. Edgecumbe 47, Ketchikan 32
Barrow 67, Bethel 4
Thursday
Tok 40, Glennallen 26
Service 65, Chugiak 43
Grace Christian 47, Nikiski 33
Wasilla 65, North Pole 25
Homer 54, Houston 7
Palmer 37, West Valley 24
Colony 64, Lathrop 24
Galena 56, Delta 42
Mt. Edgecumbe 40, Ketchikan 33
Sitka 64, Nome-Beltz 53
East 55, Kodiak 39
Friday
Akiachak 43, Akiak 41
Tok 51, Cordova 34
Minto 71, Nenana 28
Alak 51, Meade River 47
Homer 52, Redington 29
Dimond 61, West 54
Lathrop 40, Palmer 35
Eagle River 49, South 42
Newhalen 63, Dillingham 36
Anthony Andrews 55, Gambell 51
Wasilla 57, West Valley 26
Mountain City Christian Academy 79, Kodiak 31
Grace Christian 51, Kenai Central 29
Delta 51, Galena 37
Seward 63, Susitna Valley 22
Bartlett 87, North Pole 50
Unalaska 33, King Cove 23
Mt. Edgecumbe 69, Nome-Beltz 36
Shaktoolik 60, Shishmaref 44
Alak 73, Nuiqsut Trapper 40
Akiachak 55, Kalskag 50
Anthony Andrews 75, Gambell 45
Meade River 76, Nuiqsut Trapper 46
Barrow 71, Kotzebue 25
Saturday
Mountain City Christian 79, Kodiak 19
Tuluksak 49, Akiachak 30
Shishmaref 42, Shaktoolik 38
Newhalen 67, Dillingham 52
Meade River 75, Nuiqsut Trapper 42
Grace Christian 61, Homer 22
Nikiski 47, Redington 31
Seward 73, Lumen Christi 13
Wasilla 72, Lathrop 32
Meade River 54, Alak 50
Boys
Sunday
Nelson Island 53, Chaputnguak 47
Savoonga 67, James C Isabell 48
Nightmute Elitnaurviat 73, Ayaprun 60
Chaputnguak 94, Nightmute Elitnaurviat 45
Kake 50, SISD 47
Chaputnguak 70, Nelson Island 66
Monday
Chaputnguak 57, Nelson Island 56
Savoonga 54, James C Isabell 48
Tri-Valley 75, Nenana 39
Kake 45, SISD 41
Service 73, Bartlett 38
Unalaska 58, Lumen Christi 53
Tuesday
Mountain City Christian Academy 62, Soldotna 48
Effie Kokrine Charter 67, Nenana 53
Mt. Edgecumbe 42, Sitka 32
Barrow 54, Bethel 53
Lathrop 78. North Pole 50
West 59, East 44
Grace Christian 79, Palmer 45
Susitna Valley 65, Redington 50
Service 51, South 49
Wasilla 67, Colony 66
Chugiak 63, Eagle River 39
Dimond 76, Bartlett 28
Ninilchik 80, Homer 34
Wednesday
Klawock 75, SISD 41
Lumen Christi 54, Redington 48
Skagway 93, Hydaburg 40
Barrow 71, Bethel 54
Dimond 78, Chugiak 45
Thursday
Tikigaq 87, Birchwood Christian 42
Sitka 55, Nome-Beltz 45
Hoonah 57, Gustavus 47
Tok 59, Glennallen 55
Skagway 75, Hydaburg 59
Homer 56, Houston 39
Wasilla 71, North Pole 40
Grace Christian 67, Palmer 40
West Valley 56, Monroe Catholic 12
Lathrop 52, Colony 47
Gambell 94, Anthony Andrews 88
Delta 57, Galena 50
Friday
Akiachak 75, Akiak 43
Chief Ivan Blunka 57, Manokotak 49
Brevig Mission 52, James C Isabell 45
Alak 96, Meade River 55
Akiachak 84, Z John Williams 78
Cordova 38, Tok 37
Minto 68, Nenana 21
Nuiqsut Trapper 73, Alak 37
Aniguiin 87, Martin L Olson 76
Monroe Catholic 55, Valdez 36
Koyuk Malimiut 73, White Mountain 55
Brevig Mission 58, James C Isabell 52
Unalakleet 79, Hooper Bay 19
Juneau-Douglas 53, Ketchikan 41
Haines 49, Petersburg 41
Mountain City Christian Academy 53, Kodiak 42
Grace Christian 75, Tikigaq 41
Houston 72, Nikiski 50
Homer 56, Redington 43
Dimond 69, West 57
Seward 57, Susitna Valley 51
South 85, Eagle River 30
Lathrop 83, Palmer 62
North Pole 47, Bartlett 37
Delta 51, Galena 39
Nuiqsut Trapper 92, Meade River 36
Gambell 92, Anthony Andrews 52
Akiachak 63, Akula Elitnaurvik 54
Wrangell 67, Craig 40
Barrow 101, Kotzebue 66
Nome-Beltz 79, Mt. Edgecumbe 66
Saturday
Koyuk Malimiut 50, White Mountain 41
Martin L Olson 88, Aniguiin 48
Unalakleet 103, Hooper Bay 26
Mountain City Christian Academy 61, Kodiak 37
Cordova 37, Glennallen 36
Alak 65, Meade River 34
Kenai Central 62, Ninilchik 50
Palmer 69, North Pole 61
Lumen Christi 76, Seward 61
Lathrop 76, Wasilla 39
Nuiqsut Trapper 48, Alak 41
Service 48, East 47
• • •
Nordic skiing
2026 ASAA State Championships
Overall team scores
Boys
1. South 2:54:44.2; 2. Colony 2:55:15.1; 3. West Valley 2:58:59.9; 4. Service 3:00:05.4; 5. West 3:05:13.9; 6. Kenai Central 3:11:00.2; 7. Soldotna 3:14:02.2; 8. Homer 3:15:50.5; 9. Dimond 3:18:30.7; 10. Chugiak 3:29:21.6
Girls
1. South 3:23:36.5; 2. Service 3:27:07.7; 3. Colony 3:37:57.8; 4. West Valley 3:40:09.9; 5. Chugiak 3:49:13.2; 6. Bettye Davis East 3:49:55.7; 7. West 3:50:35.5; 8. Dimond 3:53:19.1; 9. Soldotna 4:00:36.8; 10. Kenai Central 4:04:40.1
Freestyle 5K
Boys overall
1. Jack Leveque, Service, 12:29.1; 2. Chase Laker, Kenai Central, 13:11.3; 3. Ethan Elliott, South, 13:13.7; 4. Kieran Kaufman, West Valley, 13:18.2; 5. Vebjorn Flagstad, South, 13:21.0; 6. Gabe Black, Colony, 13:32.0; 7. Nathan Vandelugt, West Valley, 13:36.8; 8. Weston Sensabaugh, Colony, 13:51.2; 9. Finn Dudley, West, 14:01.6; 10. Ethan Styvar, South, 14:06.5; 11. Freedom Bennett, Service, 14:08.9; 12. Ollie Dahl, Soldotna, 14:12.0; 13. Johannes Bynagle, Homer, 14:13.1; 14. Basile Plattet, West Valley, 14:15.2; 15. Raven Spangler, Colony, 14:15.4; 16. Grayson Stanek-Alward, South, 14:22.6; 17. Leif Anderson, Lathrop, 14:25.1; 18. Josiah Sheldon, Service, 14:27.4; 19. Fletcher Darr, Kenai Central, 14:27.9; 20. Easton Roads, Grace Christian, 14:28.8
Girls overall
1. Mia Stiassny, South, 15:22.2; 2. Miya Kam-Magruder, Service, 15:27.8; 3. Tania Boonstra, Soldotna, 15:43.8; 4. Alise Elliott, South, 15:56.4; 5. Reine Soule, Service, 16:07.3; 6. Talia Smith, Service, 16:07.9; 7. Solvej Lunoe, South, 16:09.1; 8. Olivia Soderstrom, West, 16:18.5; 9. Calista Zuber, South, 16:18.6; 10. Mady Lowen, Dimond, 16:19.7; 11. Elliot Sensabaugh, Colony, 16:24.0; 12. Adah Decker, West Valley, 16:30.2; 13. Olivia Ronzio Pico, Chugiak, 16:36.7; 14. Elin Lunoe, South, 16:40.1; 15. Ellie Abrahamson, West Valley, 16:44.4; 16. Faith Harlamert, Service, 16:49.9; 17. Isela Austin, Colony, 16:56.4; 18. Maya Tirpack, South, 17:00.9; 19. Miriam Armstrong, West Valley, 17:10.1; 20. Kate Cox, Soldotna, 17:14.7
Classic 7.5K
Boys overall
1. Jack Leveque, Service, 20:41.2; 2. Vebjorn Flagstad, South, 20:46.2; 3. Gabe Black, Colony, 20:56.7; 4. Chase Laker, Kenai Central, 21:10.4; 5. Kieran Kaufman, West Valley, 21:13.3; 6. Finn Dudley, West, 21:25.1; 7. Weston Sensabaugh, Colony, 21:34.7; 8. Banyan Smyth, Colony, 21:57.1; 9. Freedom Bennett, Service, 22:02.4; 10. Ethan Styvar, South, 22:03.5; 11. Nathan Vandelugt, West Valley, 22:15.4; 12. Grayson Stanek-Alward, South, 22:24.3; 13. Raven Spangler, Colony, 22:25.5; 14. Braxton Thornley, South, 22:29.1; 15. Jake Black, Colony, 22:29.9; 16. Leif Anderson, Lathrop, 22:37.0; 17. Basile Plattet, West Valley, 22:42.8; 18. Fletcher Darr, Kenai Central, 22:44.3; 19. Owen Harth, South, 22:51.4; 20. Ethan Elliott, South, 22:55.5
Girls overall
1. Miya Kam-Magruder, Service, 24:49.8; 2. Mia Stiassny, South, 24:51.0; 3. Elliot Sensabaugh, Colony, 25:03.5; 4. Alise Elliott, South, 25:12.4; 5. Elin Lunoe, South, 25:14.1; 6. Tania Boonstra, Soldotna, 25:15.5; 7. Talia Smith, Service, 25:19.5; 8. Solvej Lunoe, South, 25:59.3; 9. Mady Lowen, Dimond, 25:59.9; 10. Reine Soule, Service, 26:02.4; 11. Calista Zuber, South, 26:07.7; 12. Olivia Soderstrom, West, 26:08.5;13. Olivia Ronzio Pico, Chugiak, 26:21.2; 14. Adah Decker, West Valley, 26:46.7; 15. Clara Sensabaugh, Colony, 27:04.3; 16. Ellie Abrahamson, West Valley, 27:10.6; 17. Maya Tirpack, South, 27:19.0; 18. Madeleine Lojewski, Bettye Davis East, 27:20.1; 19. Kyndle LaRousse, Palmer, 27:23.0; 20. Isela Austin, Colony, 27:27.2
4X3K mixed relay
Boys overall
1. South 32:00.2; 2. Colony 32:13.1; 3. Service 32:43.4; 4. West Valley 33:28.9; 5. West 34:13.9; 6. Kenai Central 34:44.2; 7. Soldotna 35:24.2; 8. Dimond 36:28.7; 9. Homer 36:47.5; 10. Chugiak 38:51.6
Girls overall
1. South 38:35.5; 2. Service 38:50.7; 3. Colony 41:33.8; 4. West Valley 42:05.9; 5. Chugiak 43:01.2; 6. West 43:19.5; 7. Bettye Davis East 43:28.7; 8. Dimond 45:14.1; 9. Soldotna 45:38.8; 10. Kenai Central 46:19.1
• • •
College
Gymnastics
Friday
UAA 192.125, Centenary 188.125
• • •
Hockey
Friday
UAF 4, UAA 3
Saturday
UAF 6, UAA 2
• • •
Women’s basketball
Thursday
Montana State Billings 65, UAA 53
Seattle Pacific 78, UAF 63
Saturday
Montana State Billings 80, UAF 53
UAA 91, Seattle Pacific 52
• • •
Men’s basketball
Thursday
UAA 82, Montana State Billings 75
UAF 78, Seattle Pacific 74
Saturday
Seattle Pacific 67, UAA 59
UAF 101, Montana State Billings 97
• • •
NAHL
Thursday
Anchorage Wolverines 2, Janesville Jets 1
Friday
Wisconsin Windigo 5, Anchorage Wolverines 1
Saturday
Anchorage Wolverines 5, Chippewa Steel 2
Alaska
‘It was incredibly swift’: Why an Alaska family was removed to Mexico this week, one son sent to Tacoma ICE facility Friday
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Days after a Mexican woman and her three children were taken into custody by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Soldotna, with the mother and two youngest children deported within 36 hours to Tijuana, Mexico, the timeline of events and process of deportation is becoming clearer.
Sonia Espinoza Arriaga, a Mexican national who recently married Alexander Sanchez-Ramos, a U.S. citizen, spoke with Alaska’s News Source by phone Wednesday evening from a transit station in Tijuana with her 5-year-old and 16-year-old children who were deported with her.
Her 18-year-old son Alexis Arriaga was first taken into custody of Alaska’s Department of Corrections, according to Alaska immigration attorney Lara Nations, before being transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday.
ICE detainees from Alaska typically spend a few days in DOC custody before transfer to the Tacoma Detention Center.
Family says attorney advised them to continue normal life
Arriaga’s husband, Alexander Sanchez-Ramos, a U.S. citizen, said the family consulted with their attorney after the missed hearing and the notice of removal was issued. He said the attorney advised them to continue their daily lives while the firm worked on next steps.
“They said that this letter — to continue to live our life as we were, go to work, all that,” Alexander said. “And … that this could possibly happen. And if and when it happened, to contact them, so therefore they can go with these next, the next steps.
“So in reference to that question, yes, but we were assured that the process would be different.”
Coming to the US
Sonia Arriaga says she entered the United States in 2023 and turned herself in at the border, triggering removal proceedings, which is a civil court process to determine whether she qualified for asylum, another form of relief, or would be ordered to deport.
Arriaga said she fled her home in Jalisco, Mexico due to domestic violence and gang activity.
She said her oldest son Alexis was brought to the United States separately several months after she and her younger sons arrived.
Alaska’s News Source asked Nations about the nature of Alexis’ immigration case and were told this week that attorneys are still gathering information about the family’s case.
Nations said she is unsure why Alexis is being separated from the family following their detention this week because those under 21 are considered minors in some civil proceedings, which means they tend to be included in a parent’s immigration proceeding.
Attorney: deportation was unusually swift
The family’s attorney confirmed the law generally permits ICE to make arrests and carry out removal orders. She said individuals have a 90-day window to file a motion to reopen a case after a removal order is issued, but noted that window does not prevent the government from acting on the removal order.
“ICE can effectuate the order in general. But it’s not a guarantee. Like, you will get 90 days and then you will be deported. No. There’s no, like, stay of the government’s ability to remove someone during that time period,” the attorney said.
The attorney said the speed of the deportation was notable.
“Yes. It was very fast. We are very far away from Mexico here. And that was incredibly swift. The federal government usually is slow moving in general,” she said.
18-year-old son detained separately
Arriaga’s 18-year-old son, Alexis Arriaga, was not deported with the others. He was placed in the Anchorage jail and has since been transferred, according to the family. The reason he was separated from the rest of the family has not been confirmed.
ICE spokespeople had not responded to requests for comment on the Arriaga case as of the time of this report.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved.
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