Alaska

OPINION: Ballot Measure 1 puts Alaska’s small businesses and workers at risk

Published

1 hour ago

October 13, 2024

Press Room

OPINION: Ballot Measure 1 puts Alaska’s small businesses and workers at risk

By Sarah Oates, Kati Capozzi, Jillian Simpson, Rebecca Logan, Thor Stacy and Alicia Maltby

Updated: 1 hour ago Published: 1 hour ago

Downtown Anchorage, photographed on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (Loren Holmes / ADN)

As the debate around Ballot Measure 1 picks up steam, Alaskans from all walks of life should take a closer look at the real consequences this measure would inflict. Despite claims of this initiative supporting working Alaskans, it is clear it will do more harm than good — especially for small businesses and workers who are already struggling just to get by in today’s difficult economic environment.

The first red flag is who is funding this effort. Once again, groups from outside Alaska seek to use our state as a social experiment by passing risky legislation that can then be expanded into other states. As is often the case, these outsiders don’t seem to understand our state’s unique economy. BM1′s supporters have proposed something that will unleash widespread negative consequences. How? It is written with vague language and overly broad definitions that leave too much open to interpretation. This will create confusion for business owners and lead to unnecessary and costly legal battles. Even worse, the measure has been crafted without considering how it will affect our small businesses — the backbone of our economy — nor the workers who rely on them for their livelihoods.

Ballot Measure 1 will force small businesses, already struggling to meet payroll, to absorb the cost of extended mandatory sick leave. This isn’t just a problem for the businesses. When employers are required to provide significantly more paid time off, those costs are passed on to consumers through higher prices on goods and services. With Alaska’s cost of living already soaring, do we really want to make everyday necessities even more expensive? The irony is that these rising costs hurt everyone, including the very workers Ballot Measure 1 claims to protect.

Small businesses, from your favorite local restaurant to the independent contractor trying to make a living, will be hit hardest by these changes. Adding increased labor costs to their balance sheets will force many of them to cut employee hours, reduce staff or even close their doors altogether. And who suffers when that happens? Again, the very workers the measure claims to protect.

Ballot Measure 1 also ignores the realities of Alaska’s labor market. Our state is different from the Lower 48 — our remote geography, harsh weather conditions, and limited population already pose challenges for employers. The additional burdens created by this measure would make those difficulties worse and discourage new businesses from setting up shop in Alaska. That means fewer job opportunities for Alaskans.

Unfortunately, we cannot pick and choose the parts of the ballot measure we like and leave the rest. This is an all-or-nothing vote, and the consequences of passing it in its entirety are too severe to ignore.

The authors of this measure may have been well-intended, but they’ve overlooked the unique needs of Alaska’s workforce. They didn’t consult with local experts or engage with the very people who will be most impacted by these changes. Organizations like ours are sounding the alarm because we understand what’s at stake for the businesses and workers we represent. Alaskans deserve better than this one-size-fits-all approach that fails to address the unique challenges we face. We need policies that support both employers and employees, not measures that drive up costs and hurt the people they mean to help.

We urge our fellow Alaskans to learn more about the issue, and ultimately choose to vote no on Ballot Measure 1. Let’s protect our small businesses, safeguard current and future jobs, and ensure that Alaska remains a place where opportunity thrives.

Sarah Oates is president and CEO of Alaska CHARR.

Kati Capozzi is president and CEO of the Alaska Chamber.

Jillian Simpson is president and CEO of the Alaska Travel Industry Association.

Rebecca Logan is CEO of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance.

Thor Stacy is state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, Alaska.

Alicia Maltby is president and CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors of Alaska.

The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.

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Alaska

Rough seas, hurricane-force winds hammer massive cargo vessel off Alaska’s coast

Published

9 hours ago

October 13, 2024

Press Room

Rough seas, hurricane-force winds hammer massive cargo vessel off Alaska’s coast

UNALASKA, Alaska – The U.S. Coast Guard said it responded to emergency calls by the crew aboard a 738-foot cargo vessel after it faced severe weather conditions off the coast of Aleutian Islands Saturday.

The agency said the bulk carrier, sailing under the flag of Panama, had a crew of 21 aboard when it faced winds greater than 65 mph and seas between 26 and 29 feet.

In addition to the crew members, a significant amount of fuel was reported to be aboard, but so far there have been no impacts on the environment.

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter successfully evacuated four people from the vessel named ‘Pan Viva’ and a Coast Guard cutter was on standby to assist with evacuation efforts.

A spokesperson for the agency said initial observations indicated there were no mechanical failures, but first responders were concerned about the ship’s proximity to land.

Autumn Chill, Snow Showers Are In The Fox Weather Forecast

A significant storm system is affecting southern Alaska, bringing seas of at least 30 feet and wind gusts reported by the National Weather Service to have reached 105 mph.

Ahead of the severe conditions, NWS meteorologists issued a High Wind Warning and warned against travel until conditions improved.

The Coast Guard said it is working with its state and local partners to ensure the safety of the mariners and monitor the ship’s potential environmental impacts.

The city of Unalaska is home to the largest commercial fishing port in the United States and is about 500 miles southwest of Prince William Sound.

Helene Kills 11 Members Of The Same Family After Mudslide Destroys Their Community

In 1989, an oil tanker known as the Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Prince William Sound, causing an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil to contaminate much of the coastline.

The event was considered one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history and caused changes in the maritime industry.

Original article source: Rough seas, hurricane-force winds hammer massive cargo vessel off Alaska’s coast

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Alaska

Alaska sports scoreboard: Oct. 12, 2024

Published

17 hours ago

October 12, 2024

Press Room

High school

TENNIS

Saturday

ASAA State Championships

Girls Singles: Jan Chongkavinit (Colony) def Lana Cebrian (West), 6-1, 6-0

Girls Singles: Alice Kim/Sarah Kim (West) def Mary Jo Landon/Timber Fleischhacker (Chugiak), 6-4, 7-6 (10-8)/ 2nd 4-0, 5-4 (7-4)

Boys Singles: Ulysses Escobar (Service) def Jude Cebrian (West), 6-1, 6-4

Boys Doubles: Jaken Reinheller/Logan Reinheller (West Valley) def Jack Debenham/Spike Clark (Dimond), 6-2, 61

Mixed Doubles: Milina Mazon/Alex Rehfeldt (Juneau-Douglas) def Jack Latteier/Meadow Lewis (Chugiak), 6-4, 2-6, 0-1(4-10)/ 2nd 4-2, 1-4, 1-0 (10-6)

• • •

RIFLERY

Thursday

East 3,042, West 2,115

Team leaders of the week:

East- Iris Hardstad-Bell 272 with 10 Bullseyes

West- Charlotte Bitten-281 with 13 Bullseyes

A-team

East (1080) Iris 272, Woolley 272, Sabado 269, Amel 267

West (1105) Bitten 281, Nilsson C. 278, Jordet 275, Cunningham 271

B-team

East (1013) Vang 263, Sobrepena 258, Barrios 250, Simeonoff 242

West (1010) Osgood 269, Cagle 249, Tesch 247, Caterinicchio 245

C-team

East (949) Yim 239, Kiunya 224, Deitz 221, Crockett 164

• • •

VOLLEYBALL

Monday

West Valley 3, Hutchison 0

Tuesday

Lathrop 3, Monroe Catholic 1

Palmer 3, Houston 0

South 3, Bartlett 0

Service 3, East 1

Dimond 3, Chugiak 0

West 3, Eagle River 2

Wednesday

Birchwood Christian 3, Sand Point 0

East 3, Colony 2

Thursday

Service 3, Lathrop 1

Mountain City 3, Mt. Edgecumbe 1

Houston 3, Redington 1

Wasilla 3, Chugiak 2

Valdez 3, Palmer 2

East 3, Eagle River 0

Dimond 3, South 1

Friday

Mt. Edgecumbe 1, West 1 (12-25, 25-22)

Sitka 2, Mountain City Christian 0 (25-16, 25-24)

West 2, Metlakatla 0 (25-16, 25-9)

Ketchikan 1, West 1 (25-21, 24-26)

Wasilla 3, Soldotna 0 (25-23, 25-17, 26-24)

Palmer 3, Kodiak 1 (25-16, 25-14, 20-25, 26-24)

West 2, Wrangell 0 (25-22, 25-19)

Saturday

Mountain City Christian 2, Wrangell 1 (25-7, 23-25, 15-11)

Palmer 3, Kodiak 0 (25-15, 25-10, 25-21)

Homer 3, Redington 0 (25-23, 25-12, 25-23)

Wasilla 3, Soldotna 0

South 3, Colony 0 (25-9, 25-12, 25-16)

Service 3, Chugiak 2 (14-25, 25-16, 25-21, 14-25, 15-13)

• • •

FLAG FOOTBALL

Tuesday

Wasilla 20, Colony 7

West 26, Eagle River 6

South 24, Bartlett 0

Service 21 Chugiak 6

Dimond 25, East 0

Wednesday

West 19, Dimond 13

South 33, Service 12

Thursday

South 27, West 6

• • •

FOOTBALL

Friday

Seward 36, Nikiski 6

Chugiak 21, Eagle River 7

Dimond 40, Colony 23

Palmer 54, Wasilla 19

Soldotna 30, North Pole 6

Saturday

Bartlett 42, South 27

East 30, Service 0

Barrow v. Homer (Late)

West v. Juneau-Douglas (Late)

• • •

SWIMMING

Thursday

West vs. Eagle River vs. Colony

Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay

1. Eagle River (Lola Woodward, Bryn Baldwin, Reese Woodward, Keira Gust), 1:54.94; 2. Colony, 2:03.16; 3. West , 2:06.75

Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay

1. Eagle River (Andrew King, CJ Rollins, Amadrion Reynier-Wilson, Zander Walker) 1:40.35; 2. Colony, 1:43.70; 3. Colony 1:57.89.

Girls 200 Yard Freestyle

1. Lelaina Trembath, Eagle River, 2:00.06; 2. Lola Woodward, Eagle River, 2:04.87; 3. Chloe Blackburn, Colony, 2:19.064

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle

1. Wes Mank, Eagle River, 1:49.47; 2. Kellan DenBleyker, Colony, 1:54.02; 3. Amadrion Reynier-Wilson, Eagle River, 1:57.94

Girls 200 Yard IM

1. Keira Gust, Eagle River, 2:19.76; 2. Hannah Cooper, Colony, 2:20.91; 3. Katie Dollick, Colony, 2:26.59

Boys 200 Yard IM

1. Reven Settle, Colony, 2:16.16; 2. Hudson Duguid, Colony, 2:21.72; 3. Al Hussain Elerian, West, 2:25.79

Girls 50 Yard Freestyle

1. Reese Woodward, Eagle River, 25.76; 2. Sophia Trembath, Eagle River, 26.32; 3. Alecia Moffat, Colony, 26.69

Boys 50 Yard Freestyle

1. Matthew Baker, Eagle River, 23.16; 2. Pierce McDonough, Colony, 23.26; 3. Iver Gates, Colony, 23.31

Girls 1 mtr Diving

1. Charlize McManus, Colony, 257.25; 2. Claire Wallstrum, Colony, 224.90; 3. Lyza Krozel, Colony, 212.50

Girls 100 Yard Butterfly

1. Katie Dollick, Colony, 1:05.57; 2. Chloe Blackburn, Colony, 1:13.53; 3. Jillian DelaCruz, Eagle River, 1:14.82

Boys 100 Yard Butterfly

1. Wes Mank, Eagle River, 55.06; 2. Thomas Smith, Colony, 55.68; 3. Nate Shockley, Eagle River, 56.81

Girls 100 Yard Freestyle

1. Sophia Trembath, Eagle River, 55.90; 2. Lelaina Trembath, Eagle River, 56.14; 3. Bryn Baldwin, Eagle River, 1:00.45

Boys 100 Yard Freestyle

1. Isaiah Hulien, Colony, 50.01; 2. Pierce McDonough, Colony, 50.58; 3. Kellan DenBleyker, Colony, 51.68

Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

1. Eagle River (Reese Woodward, Lelaina Trembath, Sophia Trembath, Lola Woodward), 1:43.45; 2. Colony, 1:49.00; 3. Eagle River, 1:49.87

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

1. Colony (Pierce McDonough, Iver Gates, Beck LaBoucane, Isaiah Hulien), 1:31.91; 2. Eagle River, 1:32.13; 3. Colony, 1:36.63

Girls 100 Yard Backstroke

1. Payton Curtis, West, 1:06.02; 2. Jerzey Lane, Colony, 1:08.41; 3. Lizzie Russian, Eagle River, 1:11.77

Boys 100 Yard Backstroke

1. Isaiah Hulien, Colony, 1:00.60; 2. Iver Gates, Colony, 1:00.68; 3, Reven Settle, Colony, 1:00.69

Girls 100 Yard Breaststroke

1. Lola Woodward, Eagle River, 1:17.81; 2. Keira Gust, Eagle River, 1:18.45; 3. Maraya Dunford, Colony, 1:25.90

Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke

1. Cruz Pineda, West, 1:13.51; 2. Ronald Smith, Colony, 1:18.50; 3. Gunnar Allen, Colony, 1:22.70

Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay

1. Eagle River (Sophia Trembath, Lelaina Trembath, Keira Gust, Caitlyn Rumph), 3:50.65; 2. Colony, 4:26.21; 3. West, 4:32.09

Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay

1. Colony (Reven Settle, Hudson Duguid, Thomas Smith, Kellan DenBleyker), 3:32.27; 2. Colony, 3:59.19; 3. Eagle River, 4:13.19

East vs. Dimond

Girls – Team Rankings

1. Dimond, 135; 2. East, 30

Boys – Team Rankings

1. Dimond, 122; 2. East, 48

Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay

1. Dimond ‘A’ (Molly McBride, Varya Bodrova, Zaylee Mullinax, Emma Clayton-Brunelle), 2:03.37; 2. Dimond ‘B’, 2:22.90; 3. East ‘A’, 2:45.32

Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay

1. Dimond ‘B’ (Dominic Brunelle , Creed Cvancara, Andy Zhang, Caeden Kullander), 1:48.45; 2. Dimond ‘A’, 1:50.92; 3. Dimond ‘C’, 2:00.58

Girls 200 Yard Freestyle

1. Varya Bodrova, Dimond, 2:22.57; 2. Elliana Stull, Dimond, 2:44.79; 3. Chelsea Kelly, Dimond, 2:47.05

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle

1. Dominic Brunelle, Dimond, 2:02.71; 2. David O’Connor, East, 2:10.34; 3. Cameron Posey, Dimond, 2:11.41

Girls 200 Yard IM

1. May Kibodeaux, Dimond, 2:46.34; 2. Emma Clayton-Brunelle, Dimond, 2:46.70; 3. Elliana Stull, Dimond, 3:10.30

Boys 200 Yard IM

1. Dominic Brunelle, Dimond, 2:19.65; 2. Drew Dittman, Dimond, 2:24.83; 3. Creed Cvancara, Dimond, 2:25.39

Girls 50 Yard Freestyle

1. Molly Wirschem, East, 26.83; 2. Tana Stierwalt, East, 31.41; 3. May Kibodeaux, Dimond, 32.38

Boys 50 Yard Freestyle

1. Roman Fosberg, Dimond, 24.39; 2. Reed Wirschem, East, 26.68; 3. Drew Dittman, Dimond, 27.37

Girls 1 mtr Diving

1. Genevieve Sperbeck, Dimond, 179.60; 2. Natalie Arima, Dimond, 157.05

Boys 1 mtr Diving

1. Roman Billings, Dimond, 257.45

Girls 100 Yard Butterfly

1. Varya Bodrova, Dimond, 1:13.42; 2. Jillian Kuipers, Dimond, 1:20.24; 3. Emma Clayton-Brunelle, Dimond, 1:32.66

Boys 100 Yard Butterfly

1. Cyrus Fosberg, Dimond, 1:11.61; 2. Creed Cvancara, Dimond, 1:13.13; 3. Jamey Algiene, East, 1:16.82

Girls 100 Yard Freestyle

1. Zaylee Mullinax, Dimond, 58.67; 2. Tana Stierwalt, East, 1:13.65; 3. Jillian Kuipers, Dimond, 1:13.77

Boys 100 Yard Freestyle

1. Caeden Kullander, Dimond, 50.10; 2. Dax O’Brien, Dimond, 53.19; 3. Roman Fosberg, Dimond, 55.89

Girls 500 Yard Freestyle

1. Molly McBride, Dimond, 6:07.78; 2. Annie Wu, Dimond, 7:11.24; 3. Sophia Stubbs, Dimond, 7:36.18

Boys 500 Yard Freestyle

1. Matthew Ray, East, 5:35.23; 2. Reed Wirschem, East, 5:35.86; 3. Clint Kopp, Dimond, 6:22.89

Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

1. Dimond ‘A’ (Varya Bodrova, Molly McBride, Zaylee Mullinax, Emma Clayton-Brunelle), 1:49.97; 2. East ‘A’, 2:16.58; 3. Dimond ‘B’, 2:17.94

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

1. Dimond ‘A’ (Roman Fosberg, Dax O’Brien, Clint Kopp, Andy Zhang), 1:35.62; 2. Dimond ‘B’, 1:39.48; 3. East ‘A’, 1:59.91

Girls 100 Yard Backstroke

1. Annie Wu, Dimond, 1:21.71; 2. Anya Carpenter, Dimond, 1:30.46; 3. Sophia Stubbs, Dimond, 1:30.82

Boys 100 Yard Backstroke

1. Dax O’Brien, Dimond, 1:04.23; 2. Andy Zhang, Dimond, 1:05.89; 3. Caeden Kullander, Dimond, 1:05.90

Girls 100 Yard Breaststroke

1. Molly McBride, Dimond, 1:21.81; 2. Zaylee Mullinax, Dimond, 1:21.84; 3. Molly Wirschem, East, 1:24.44

Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke

1. Andy Zhang, Dimond, 1:11.18; 2. Jamey Algiene, East, 1:15.83; 3. Andrew Harmon, East, 1:35.82

Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay

1. Dimond ‘C’ (Jillian Kuipers, May Kibodeaux, Chelsea Kelly, Annie Wu), 4:53.01; 2. Dimond ‘B’, 5:29.07

Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay

1. Dimond ‘A’ (Drew Dittman, Cameron Posey, Alan Wu, Cyrus Fosberg), 4:03.81; 2. East ‘A’, 4:13.50

• • •

CROSS COUNTRY

Monday

2024 Middle School Cross Country Running Championships

6th Grade Boys

1. Riley Elliott, Goldenview 12:02.2; 2. Thomas Otte, Gruening 12:12.9; 3. Max Laughlin, Rilke Schule 12:13.9; 4. Mason Baker, Gruening 12:21.8; 5. Maxwell Leguineche, Rilke Schule 12:28.5; 6. Peyton Goodman, Goldenview 12:38.8; 7. Brady Flanagan, Mirror Lake 12:49.4; 8. Mikolai Stryszak, Romig 12:51.3; 9. Tracen Ayojiak, Gruening 12:52.8; 10. Axel Udall, Gruening 12:53.6; 11. Tell Collins, Hanshew 12:53.6; 12. Reyce Lee, Goldenview 13:01.8; 13. Bryson Adkins, Mirror Lake 13:04.2; 14. Mackey Cohen, Central 13:06.1; 15. Calvin Svencer, Mirror Lake 13:06.8; 16. Gus Reimer, Romig 13:07.0; 17. Alexander Jurva, Goldenview 13:16.3; 18. Paxton Thompson, Hanshew 13:19.8; 19. Jasper Farthing, Rilke Schule 13:23.4; 20. Elias Beck, Mears 13:24.7

6th Grade Girls

1. Lacey Grandlinard, Mirror Lake 13:06.9; 2. Pascale Kirby, Mirror Lake 13:08.7; 3. Piper Miller, Goldenview 13:19.6; 4. Dakota Arellano, Gruening 13:44.4; 5. Chloe Shockley, Gruening 14:03.6; 6. Esther Angel, Goldenview 14:14.8; 7. Adeleine Chlup, Rilke Schule 14:19.3; 8. Alice Dann, Romig 14:27.6; 9. Averie Hannafious, Begich 14:28.4; 10. Reagan Martyn, Girdwood 14:35.9; 11. Kylee Dunn, Goldenview 14:42.7; 12. Juliana Schmuke, Goldenview 14:43.7; 13. McKinley Vanasse, Gruening 14:44.1; 14. Masey Muffoletto, Goldenview 14:44.5; 15. Kali Reich, Wendler 14:49.5; 16. Hailey Gard, Mirror Lake 15:06.3; 17. Sienna Glazier, Mirror Lake 15:06.5; 18. Angel Sosa-Toliver, Mears 15:06.6; 19. Berklee De Noble, Gruening 15:06.8; 20. Sofia Weingarten, Romig 15:07.2

7th Grade Boys

1. Isaac Yager, Goldenview 11:15.8; 2. Dawson Nerland**, Goldenview 11:41.0; 3. Naison Senn, Mirror Lake 11:45.5; 4. Milo Anderson, Central 11:59.8; 5. Fenn Reese, Goldenview 12:05.9; 6. Karter Marchant, Mirror Lake 12:11.2; 7. Archer Hogan, Romig 12:13.2; 8. Grayson Cook, Mirror Lake 12:13.7; 9. William Foltz, Romig 12:22.8; 10. Axel Stone, Romig 12:23.5; 11. Isaac Hughes*, Goldenview 12:32.3; 12. Liam Burkey, Gruening 12:37.6; 13. Lyle Stone, Winterberry 12:45.5; 14. Christopher Doremus, Mirror Lake 12:46.6; 15. Jack Vancil, Romig 12:58.5; 16. Bennet Gastrock, Rilke Schule 13:04.1; 17. Julien Stiassny, Girdwood 13:05.2; 18. Ellis Keck, Romig 13:06.1; 19. Atticus Watkins, Romig 13:08.9; 20. Jude Wall, Mirror Lake 13:11.4

7th Grade Girls

1. Claire Shaha, Gruening 12:01.9; 2. Claire Campion, Mears 12:09.2; 3. Naomi Smith, Goldenview 12:55.7; 4. Adelynn Hilliard, STREAM 12:57.2; 5. Brooklyn Mauger, Mirror Lake 13:03.6; 6. Riley Cook, Mirror Lake 13:04.8; 7. Liv Kullberg, Wendler 13:10.4; 8. Natalie Shaw, Mirror Lake 13:15.6; 9. Riley Vial, Romig 13:20.8; 10. Baylee Worlds, Mirror Lake 13:24.1; 11. Lillian Konrath-Bera, Mirror Lake 13:25.5; 12. Niva Flagstad, Goldenview 13:27.1; 13. Colette Levelque, Hanshew 13:30.9; 14. Peja Skinner, Mears 13:34.6; 15. Ariana Barber, Girdwood 13:36.2; 16. Samantha Sierks, Mears 13:44.1; 17. Maya Blees, Goldenview 13:48.8; 18. Hana Varnell, Central 13:50.0; 19. Paige Lojewski, STREAM 13:55.7; 20. Addison Keene, Goldenview 14:01.1

8th Grade Boys

1. Elijah Lang, Mirror Lake 11:07.5; 2. Owen Morrow, Gruening 11:14.1; 3. Ethan Elliott, Goldenview 11:16.3; 4. Ryker Edwards, Mirror Lake 11:16.8; 5. Jude Miller, Mirror Lake 11:20.7; 6. Clayton White, Mears 11:25.1; 7. Frank Gregersen, Romig 11:26.9; 8. Owen Tracy, Gruening 11:31.9; 9. Alexander Johnson, Goldenview 11:43.1; 10. Denis Prosser, Mears 11:45.6; 11. Collin Russian, Gruening 11:46.8; 12. Maxin Macy, Mirror Lake 11:48.8; 13. Henry Ivary, Mirror Lake 11:54.6; 14. Diego Marquez, Begich 11:55.2; 15. Matteo Besh-Halsey, Mears 11:55.9; 16. Jack Weiss, Mears 11:59.3; 17. Lewis Knier, Rilke Schule 12:04.4; 18. Mason Scow, Mirror Lake 12:05.5; 19. Dalton Bohne, Mears 12:07.3; 20. Logan Breeding, Girdwood 12:17.4

8th Grade Girls

1. Calista Zuber, Goldenview 11:41.3; 2. Maddison Kukuk, Mirror Lake 11:41.7; 3. Rylee Ruggles, Mirror Lake 12:13.2; 4. Brooklynne Haigh, Gruening 12:38.6; 5. Nina Varnell, Central 12:48.3; 6. Solvej Lunoe, Goldenview 12:51.3; 7. Payton Nelson, Gruening 12:54.6; 8. Cameron Miller, Girdwood 13:00.4; 9. Hannah Veltkamp, Mears 13:00.9; 10. Hailee Stepetin, Mirror Lake 13:01.1; 11. Sophie Kimball, Romig 13:13.1; 12. Grace Clark-Pederson, Mears 13:14.1; 13. Chloe Hayner, Romig 13:26.8; 14. Sienna Johnson, Gruening 13:30.9; 15. Ruby Conklin, Mears 13:44.5; 16. Nicole Booher, Mirror Lake 13:45.3; 17. Manu David, Rilke Schule 13:46.7; 18. Naomi Hopkins, Gruening 13:50.5; 19. Audrey Townley, Mirror Lake 13:56.3; 20. Sophia Bender, Mirror Lake 13:56.4

• • •

College

VOLLEYBALL

Thursday

UAA 3, Northwest Nazarene 1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-15, 25-23)

Central Washington 3, UAF 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-19)

Saturday

Northwest Nazarene 3, UAF 2 (20-25, 25-23, 26-24, 16-25, 15-11)

UAA v. Central Washington (Late)

• • •

HOCKEY

Friday

Miami (OH) 3, UAA 2

Saturday

Miami (OH) 4, UAA 1

• • •

NAHL

Friday

Anchorage Wolverines 3, Kenai River Brown Bears 2

Saturday

Anchorage Wolverines v. Kenai River Brown Bears (Late)

• • •

2024 Zombie Half Marathon Results

Women

1. Mandy Vincent-Lang, Anchorage, AK 1:30:05; 2. Molly Walli, Anchorage, AK 1:30:26; 3. Mariah Graham, Anchorage, AK 1:32:31; 4. Tamara Brabson, Anchorage, AK 1:35:22; 5. Rya Berrigan, Anchorage, AK 1:35:38; 6. Lucy Swygman, Girdwood, AK 1:36:26; 7. Kelsey Ripp, Philadelphia, PA 1:36:46; 8. Shauna Severson, Eagle River, AK 1:39:53; 9. Payton Osiensky, Anchorage, AK 1:40:00; 10. Kayla Nowak, Anchorage, AK 1:40:12; 11. Elizabeth Aarons, Anchorage, AK 1:41:21; 12. Mandy Casurella, Anchorage, AK 1:41:32; 13. Catherine Uschmann, Palmer, AK 1:42:03; 14. Haley Gilman, Whitefish, MT 1:42:39; 15. Sofija Spaic, Palmer, AK 1:43:02; 16. Tori Fishburn, Anchorage, AK 1:43:26; 17. Emily Schmieg, Anchorage, AK 1:45:07; 18. Olivia Pfeifer, Anchorage, AK 1:46:38; 19. Nicole Kimball, Anchorage, AK 1:46:43; 20. Camilla Brinchmann-Prosser, Anchorage, AK 1:46:43

Men

1. Grant Bell, Aurora, IL 1:11:40; 2. Chris Osiensky, Anchorage, AK 1:11:50; 3. Owen Marcotte, Anchorage, AK 1:14:44; 4. Cody Priest, Anchorage, AK 1:15:45; 5. Andy Peters, Anchorage, AK 1:16:20; 6. Michael Oltman, Anchorage, AK 1:22:13; 7. Micah Templin, Anchorage, AK 1:22:45; 8. Jean Paquet, Anchorage, AK 1:22:5; 9. Sebastian Reed, Anchorage, AK 1:23:44; 10. Tian Sandvik, Anchorage, AK 1:23:52; 11. James Miller, Anchorage, AK 1:23:54; 12. Mark Iverson, Anchorage, AK 1:24:07; 13. Everett Scott, Anchorage, AK 1:26:34; 14. Christopher Benshoof, Fairbanks, AK 1:26:57; 15. Ryan Olberding, Anchorage, AK 1:27:43; 16. Matt Dearborn, Eagle River, AK 1:28:17; 17. Allan Spangler, Anchorage, AK 1:28:26; 18. Jonathan Casurella, Anchorage, AK 1:28:32; 19. Ole Reese, Anchorage, AK 1:32:10; 20. Elliot Jennings, Anchorage, AK 1:32:30

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Alaska

EDITORIAL: Voting on Alaska judges matters — and here’s how you can learn more about them

Published

1 day ago

October 12, 2024

Press Room

EDITORIAL: Voting on Alaska judges matters — and here’s how you can learn more about them

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It happens every election: You’re in the voting booth filling in ovals, patting yourself on the back for being a knowledgeable and prepared voter. You power through the U.S. House race, as well as the Alaska Senate and House races. You’ve even read up on the ballot measures, so you don’t have to rely on the paragraph of explanatory text to know how to cast your votes there (or maybe you do need that paragraph to remind yourself — no judgment).

Then you get to the judges.

For many Alaskans, judicial retention elections might as well be the part of an old map that says “Here be dragons.” Even relatively well-informed voters often aren’t aware which judges are up for retention votes, or how they would judge their performance if they did know. And that’s a shame because voters have an essential role in maintaining Alaska’s judicial branch. Here’s why understanding state judicial elections is important, and where you can get good information about the judges who will be on the ballot on Nov. 5.

A well-designed, non-political process

Alaska benefited from its status as the 49th state to enter the union — our constitutional framers were able to look at what worked well and what didn’t in other states when it came to the judicial selection and retention process. Instead of having voters elect judges directly or letting the governor pick them personally, the delegates chose to create a panel — the Alaska Judicial Council — split between professional attorneys and members of the public, who would make recommendations from which the governor could choose. For the 65 years Alaska has been a state, that system has kept our judges uniquely well-insulated from partisan politics. And although you might think that lawyers and members of the public wouldn’t see eye to eye about which judicial candidates were best suited for the job, the council’s votes have been overwhelmingly aligned, with 6-0 and 5-1 votes making up a whopping 84% of the more than 1,500 recommendations in the past 40 years.

And judges are still accountable to the people under Alaska’s system, as voters can choose whether to retain judges at the end of each of their terms, which vary in length depending on which court they serve. Even Alaska’s Supreme Court justices are subject to retention elections, a system many people doubtless wish was the case for the federal courts.

Know your judges

Given the number of judges up for retention each year, the Alaska Judicial Council recognizes that it would be unrealistic for individual voters to be able to research their performance; most of us don’t spend much time at the courthouse. So the council gathers a performance evaluation on each judge, polling attorneys who appear before them, court employees and law enforcement/probation officers. The survey is exhaustive and goes out to hundreds of people, who score the judges’ performance on the metrics that matter most within the judicial system: fairness, impartiality, attentiveness, intelligence and other criteria. The Judicial Council provides the full data from those surveys, along with its overall recommendation on whether a judge should be retained, on its website.

Why it matters

Despite the wealth of information about judges supplied by the Alaska Judicial Council, there’s a definite tailing-off of votes for judges compared to the higher-profile races on the ballot. That has the potential to become a problem for the state because of pockets where organized efforts to reject all sitting judges have taken root. While it’s fine to oppose a judge’s retention for a principled reason, the out-of-hand dismissal of all judicial candidates would have catastrophic effects on our state’s justice system, resulting in huge delays to pending cases and even the potential mass dismissal of cases because of the inability to guarantee defendants’ right to a speedy trial.

The thoughtless attempt to cast out judges is corrosive, too, as it displays a callous lack of faith in Alaska’s judicial branch, which — compared to the state’s legislative and executive branches — is a model of effectiveness. Faith in the judiciary is a cornerstone of our political system, and if that becomes as partisan as the other branches have, it will have severe negative impacts on how well the system operates and the outcomes it gives us.

So take a little time this year and read up on the judges who are up for retention this year, and be sure to fill in your whole ballot. This system works best when we all have skin in the game, and it’s not too much to ask to keep Alaska’s most functional branch of government running.

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