Alaska

First class in Alaska goes on educational program in Yellowstone

Published

1 year ago

October 31, 2023

First class in Alaska goes on educational program in Yellowstone

Every year, Chapman school eighth graders go on a trip outside their local community. This school year is no different, except students will head outside the state for the first time to Yellowstone National Park.

Chapman School’s thirteen eighth graders have spent the school year raising money for their annual trip. This year, they were selected to participate in Expedition Yellowstone, a program through Yellowstone National Park that takes place in the spring.

Chapman students are the first class from Alaska chosen by the program and the first class at Chapman to leave the state for their trip.

Heidi Stokes is an administrator at Chapman. She said students decide on the destination for the trip while they’re in seventh grade, and these students had lofty goals.

“We had some students that had more of a wider view,” she said, “and if they’re opening it up, let’s just let’s see what we can do.”

After deciding on Yellowstone, teachers applied for the program and got accepted last summer.

Stokes said students will be doing more than sightseeing.

“It’s going to be a really exciting trip, and hopefully our students will become better stewards of our land after,” she said, “I think that’s the big goal is to see this is a preserved piece of land and we might not have a preserve like that, but it’s important that we all work together to make sure that the land is preserved and well cared for.”

Chapman fifth grade teacher Laura Anderson is acting as a liaison between the school, program and Kenai Peninsula Borough school district. She said students are currently learning about the historical and scientific context behind the national park. Once they arrive, they’ll stay at Lamar Buffalo Ranch and expand on what they learned in the classroom.

“We will be doing everything from measuring temperatures of hot springs. It could be hiking and snowshoe hiking, depending on the snow, definitely observing wildlife,” Anderson said.

The program will allow students to see parts of the national park that are closed to the public while building lifelong skills such as cooking and cleaning.

From childcare to bake sales, the students have been hard at work raising money for the trip. They recently passed the halfway point to their twenty thousand dollar goal that covers airfare, ground transportation, and lodging, as well as giving next year’s eighth graders a head start on fundraising for whatever trip they decide to take.

Anderson and Stokes both have eighth graders in Chapman this year. Anderson said she’s excited to see her son experience life outside Anchor Point and develop skills for going into high school.

“I think this is one very true tangible way that can help prepare my student for what’s to come in high school and having more independence and responsibility and what is required,” she said.

If students raise enough money, they’ll be set to go to Yellowstone next year at the end of March.

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Alaska

80 mph, 90 mph and higher: Here’s a rundown of peak gusts recorded across Southcentral Alaska in Sunday’s storm

Published

1 hour ago

January 13, 2025

Press Room

80 mph, 90 mph and higher: Here’s a rundown of peak gusts recorded across Southcentral Alaska in Sunday’s storm

By Anchorage Daily News

Updated: 2 hours ago Published: 3 hours ago

A downed spruce tree partially hangs over Lake Otis Parkway during the windstorm on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Bill Roth / ADN)

Here’s a list of peak wind gusts measured at various locations by the National Weather Service across Southcentral Alaska in Sunday’s storm. Crews were working Sunday evening to restore electricity to thousands of people in Anchorage and the Mat-Su.

Gusts of more than 60 mph were recorded at various locations across the region, with gusts exceeding 80 mph at several locations on the Anchorage Hillside and higher elevations.

High winds, rain batter Anchorage and Mat-Su, with power outages reported across region

The readings were collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures, the weather service noted. Not all data listed are considered official, the weather service said. See the full list here.

Anchorage

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport: 62 mph

Merrill Field: 66 mph

Lake Hood: 59 mph

JBER – Elmendorf: 69 mph

JBER – Fort Richardson: 73 mph

Northeast Anchorage: 75 mph

South Anchorage: 75 mph

Glen Alps: 84 mph

Potter Valley: 91 mph

Bear Valley: 110 mph*

Arctic Valley: 107 mph*

Glenn Hwy Eagle River Bridge: 88 mph

Glenn Hwy S Curves: 62 mph

South Fork Eagle River: 86 mph

Birchwood Airport: 53 mph

Bird Point: 75 mph

Alyeska Weather Station: 112 mph

Alyeska Summit: 99 mph

Portage Glacier: 84 mph

Matanuska Valley

Palmer Airport: 67 mph

Wasilla Airport: 47 mph

Fishhook: 47 mph

Duck Flats: 6 mph

Susitna Valley

Willow: 36 mph

Eastern Kenai Peninsula

Seward Airport: 51 mph

Kenai Lake: 33 mph

Granite Creek: 25 mph

Seward / Sterling Hwys (Y): 42 mph

Whittier Airport: 60 mph*

Western Kenai Peninsula

Kenai Airport: 53 mph

Soldotna Airport: 39 mph

Kenai Beach: 46 mph

Sterling Highway at Jean Lake: 64 mph

Nikiski: 36 mph

Anchor Point: 31 mph

Homer Airport: 46 mph

Homer Boat Harbor: 42 mph

Seldovia Airport: 41 mph

Eastern Prince William Sound

Cordova Airport: 73 mph

Cordova Marine Ferry Terminal: 74 mph

Valdez Airport: 25 mph

Valdez Port: 23 mph

Thompson Pass: 47 mph

Copper River Basin

Gulkana Airport: 56 mph

Chitina: 37 mph

Denali Hwy at MacLaren River: 38 mph

Eureka: 36 mph

Kodiak Island

Kodiak Airport: 52 mph

Kodiak – Pasagshak Road: 61 mph

Akhiok: 45 mph

*Denotes site stopped transmitting wind data following report of highest wind gust.

“Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.”

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Alaska

Alaska Airlines faces heat after UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov gets removed from flight: 'Shame on you'

Published

13 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

Alaska Airlines faces heat after UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov gets removed from flight: 'Shame on you'

Alaska Airlines is getting called out on social media after a clip surfaced showing a famous UFC fighter get into a dispute on-board until he was escorted off his flight. The video shows Russian hall of fame athlete Khabib Nurmgomedov debating airline staff in the U.S. while he was sitting in the exit row on the plane.

The video of the incident, which reportedly took place at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Saturday, shows an employee telling the 36-year-old mixed martial artist he either has to switch seats or get off the plane. “They’re not comfortable with you sitting in the exit row,” the worker added.

“It’s not fair,” said Nurmgomedov, who was reportedly flying to Los Angeles, to which the worker replied, “It is fair. Yes, it is.”

Nurmgomedov explained that when he was checking in for the flight, he was asked he if knew English, to which he said he did. The airline worker responded, “I understand that, but it’s also off of their judgement. I’m not going to do this back-and-forth. I will call a supervisor.”

The employee reiterated the athlete could either take a different seat on the plane, or staff could “go ahead and escort” him off the flight. She asked “which one are we doing?” and then replied to Nurmgomedov saying they were going to have to rebook him on a different flight.

Across social media, people have been calling out Alaska Airlines asking why they had him removed from the plane. Many called for others to boycott the airline, and some claimed the staff were profiling Nurmgomedov, who is Muslim.

“Why did you remove Khabib from your plane? His fans need to know! I hope he sues you,” an Instagram user wrote on the airline’s most recent post.

“Are you aware of who Khabib is? His legacy surpasses that of the entire airline,” another chimed in.

“Shame on you, Alaska Airline. We all boycotting them,” a TikTok user added.

“What is the reason!? Because they don’t feel comfortable he’s sitting by a window?” another questioned.

Neither Nurmgomedov or Alaska Airlines have yet commented on the situation.

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Alaska

Experts recommend preparing in case of Southcentral power outages as storm approaches

Published

1 day ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

Experts recommend preparing in case of Southcentral power outages as storm approaches

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – With a storm approaching and high winds in the forecast for a portion of Southcentral Alaska, experts recommend preparing for potential power outages and taking safety precautions.

Experts with the State of Alaska, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management recommended taking the initiative early in case of power outages due to strong weather.

Julie Hasquet with Chugach Electric in Anchorage said Saturday the utility company has 24/7 operators in case of outages.

“We watch the weather forecast, and absolutely, if there are power outages, we will send crews out into the field to respond,” Hasquet said.

She echoed others, saying it’s best to prepare prior to a storm and not need supplies rather than the other way around.

“With the winds that are forecast for tonight and perhaps into Sunday, people should just be ready that it could be some challenging times, and to be aware and cautious and kind of have your radar up,” Hasquet said.

For the latest weather updates and alerts, download the Alaska’s Weather Source app.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

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