Alaska Beacon

Hundreds of students displaced by the storm devastation of ex-Typhoon Halong in Western Alaska are entering school in other communities, including Bethel and Anchorage.

Deena Bishop, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, said most displaced students have enrolled in Bethel or Anchorage schools. She estimates 100 students have enrolled in Bethel, remaining in the regional hub of Western Alaska and the Lower Kuskokwim School District. State officials estimate 140 students have enrolled in the Anchorage School District so far, according to an update on Sunday.

Students have also enrolled in other schools across the state, but in smaller numbers, depending on where families have relocated after the storm, Bishop said. Those include the Nenana and Fairbanks areas, the Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna Valley Borough, and other rural areas, as well as boarding schools.

“All the support from the state, including from the Department of Education, has been in support of what the family would like to do,” Bishop said.

For those in Anchorage, she said the Anchorage School District is coordinating with state, tribal and non-profit partners to provide services to students and families — including transportation from emergency shelters to schools, health services, meals, and English translation services for predominantly Yup’ik families.

The Anchorage School District said it is trying to keep displaced students together. It has enrolled a number of students in the Yup’ik immersion program at College Gate Elementary, which provides bilingual classes and cultural activities, as well as the Alaska Native Charter School, Lake Otis Elementary, A.J. Wendler Middle School, Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School and King Tech High School.

Bishop said teachers and school communities are welcoming students, and “doing an excellent job in just a devastating situation.”

Anchorage Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt was not available for an interview, but echoed the district’s commitment in an update to the school board on Oct. 21. “There was one common trend, which is that our teachers, our principals and our community members are standing with Western Alaska, and they were there to greet the students and make them feel as welcome as possible during this difficult time,” he said.

Many students left their villages in the mass evacuation in the days after the storm devastation, with just one bag they could carry. Bryantt acknowledged the culture shock and trauma of the displacement as families relocate and resettle. Evacuees face challenges like finding housing and replacing clothing and personal belongings. Some are reuniting with family, neighbors and pets.

“We’re not just here to teach them. We need to address the whole child, and in this moment, as strong as these students are, they’re going through trauma and it’s going to take a lot of work,” he said. “But we’re going to put that in, because these kids are worth it, and they deserve a wonderful education that we want to offer them, in ASD, for as long as they’d like to be here.”

Lower Kuskokwim School District Superintendent Andrew “Hannibal” Anderson said the re-enrollment of their students into other schools in Bethel and Anchorage is going well, and added the districts are working with families through the ongoing logistics of replacing documentation and finding long term housing. Particularly in Anchorage, he said there’s an effort to keep Lower Kuskokwim students and classes together.

“So Anchorage [School District] has really very much been the key in helping our students find places and to find opportunities for more of our students to be together rather than randomly spread throughout the Anchorage community,” he said.

Anderson said some teachers and paraprofessionals who evacuated from the west coast region have even begun working for ASD, but the majority have stayed in their district and communities where they’re working out new positions.

He said as the students flow to different parts of the state, the district is working  to reassign the teachers who stay. That involves considering their certifications and any vacant positions that already exist in the district, as well as new positions that have emerged as displaced students enroll.

“The primary effort is to support as well as we can the already existing relationships between students and teachers, and then see what we can do with that as time moves forward,” Anderson said.

Rural schools at center of Typhoon recovery

The Lower Kuskokwim School District encompasses most of the region hardest hit by ex-Typhoon Halong. Many of its 22 village schools served as emergency shelters in the days after the storm, and are now centers for the recovery and relief efforts. The region is accessible only by boat and plane.

Some 400 people sheltered in the school in Kwigillingok, and more than 500 people in Kipnuk, two of the hardest-hit communities in the first days after the storm, before mass evacuations began.

Anderson commended the schools and staff on the frontlines of the disaster for “receiving so many of the community members into the shelters and there and taking care of them, providing all they could for the needs of large numbers of people.”

And now he said many school staff are involved in the relief efforts, as schools have utilities and space to serve as central community sites and house emergency crews responding to storm damage. Anderson said schools are often the largest and most stable facilities in their communities, so it is a “great contribution” to the recovery effort.

Some schools in the region are still grappling with power outages, including Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, Kotlik, Nightmute and Akiak. Akiak has been without power since a power plant failure in mid September. Others that suffered less storm damage are up and running, Anderson said. “Far and away, most of the schools in the district are functioning,” he said.

Disaster funding for rural schools

Bishop said disaster relief is the state’s immediate priority. But as students and families find more permanent housing and get settled into schools, she said DEED is applying to federal grants so that the state can fund districts’ extra costs.

She said school districts are taking care of students and making sure they don’t have to wait for services, so now the state will work with districts to figure out financial support that adheres to statute.

She said “it was definitely the message of the governor that either receiving schools, as well as the Lower Kuskokwim schools, should be compensated, and we are to work on figuring that out.”

She said districts will also qualify for disaster relief from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the federal disaster declaration. “Each of the schools affected could get upwards of a $250,000 grant,” she said.

Bishop said the long term impacts remain to be seen, and the ultimate goal is to get residents back to their communities. “We don’t want anyone to get lost in a big city, and we don’t want anyone to get lost anywhere. We want to be able to work with the state and those other divisions to restore those communities, to create healthy communities again, where they can live and work and go to school together,” she said.

State officials estimate more than 1,500 people are displaced by the storm disaster. The state has received 1,104 applications for state individual assistance, according to a statement from the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management on Tuesday. Applications are open on the state’s website, through Dec. 9. Individual assistance is also available from FEMA and from the American Red Cross.

President Donald Trump plans to nominate Aaron Peterson, an attorney with the Alaska Department of Law’s natural resources division, for one of two open federal judgeships on the bench of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.

The president’s plans were confirmed by the news organization Reuters, which published a copy of a questionnaire Peterson submitted to the U.S. Senate’s judiciary committee.

Trump himself has not formally announced Peterson’s nomination, but state and federal officials confirmed the president’s plans with the Beacon.

Reuters reported that Trump is preparing to nominate two federal judges in other states as well as Peterson.

A message left on Peterson’s work phone was not returned Tuesday afternoon.

According to a copy of Peterson’s questionnaire, a member of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s federal transition team encouraged him to apply to a committee formed by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to vet possible candidates for the federal judiciary.

According to state voter records, Peterson is a Republican. He identified himself in the questionnaire as a member of the Federalist Society, whose members generally follow Republican legal principles and support President Donald Trump.

Records published by the Federal Elections Commission and the Alaska Public Offices Commission do not list any political contributions by Peterson.

Attorney General-designee Stephen Cox served on the Sullivan committee. By email, he called Peterson an “outstanding choice.”

“He’s demonstrated a remarkable ability to navigate complex issues with fairness and integrity, including during his representation of the Board of Fisheries. His extensive understanding of both civil and criminal law, honed through his experience as a prosecutor, makes him uniquely qualified for this position. Alaska needs judges who are equipped to handle the complex cases before them and the realities of our state, and I am confident that Aaron will be an excellent addition to the bench,” Cox wrote.

Alaska has three federal judgeships but only one sitting federal judge. Judge Timothy Burgess retired at the end of 2021, and Judge Joshua Kindred resigned in disgrace in 2024 amid a sexual scandal.

Since then, Alaska’s two U.S. senators have been divided about who to pick as replacements and how to pick those replacements. Under longstanding Senate tradition, judge picks normally advance only with the assent of both home state senators.

As a result of the senators’ disagreements and Sullivan’s decision to not attempt to fill a vacancy under President Joe Biden, the judgeship vacated by Burgess is now the fifth-oldest vacancy among 50 in the federal court system.

Sullivan has not disclosed the names of judicial candidates that he examined through a special committee designed to serve as an alternative to the Alaska Bar Association’s traditional review process.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, disclosed the names of applicants she received and solicited opinions from the Bar Association. Peterson’s application was not among those initially received by Murkowski.

Through a spokesperson, Murkowski said she learned about Peterson’s nomination from the White House.

“After speaking extensively with him last week about his many qualifications, I informed the White House that I would support his nomination. Alaska’s District Court has had two vacancies for far too long, and I hope the White House will soon announce a second qualified nominee whom I can support to fill out the bench,” Murkowski said.

According to Peterson’s questionnaire, he met with Murkowski on Oct. 23, seven months after being interviewed by Sullivan and four months after his initial interview by the White House Counsel’s Office. Since September, according to the questionnaire, he has been in regular contact with White House and Department of Justice officials.

By email, Sullivan said Peterson has “extensive legal experience.”

“Throughout his career, which includes military service, Aaron has demonstrated a commitment to the rule of law and federalism. He also understands the principle that the job of a federal judge is to interpret the law, not to make policy,” Sullivan said. “I’d like to thank each of the members of the Alaska Federal Judiciary Council, who worked with me to fully vet a number of well-qualified Alaska nominees, including Aaron. The council’s diligent work and input are invaluable in ensuring Alaskans are represented by jurists and citizens of the highest caliber. I also want to thank President Trump and his team for working closely with my office on identifying outstanding judges who will serve Alaska and our country well.”

According to the information Peterson submitted to the U.S. Senate’s judiciary committee, he was born in Anchorage in 1981 and served in the U.S. Air Force from 2000 to 2003 before attending the University of Alaska Anchorage, graduating in 2007. He attended Gonzaga University School of Law and graduated in 2010.

After graduation, he returned to Alaska, serving first as a clerk to Justice Michael Spaan of the Alaska Supreme Court, then as a prosecutor with the Municipality of Anchorage.

The Alaska Bar Association’s directory says he was admitted to the state bar on Nov. 16, 2010.

Peterson worked in the Anchorage District Attorney’s office starting in 2012, including on violent felonies, such as murder and sexual assault. He moved to the Department of Law’s office of special prosecutions in 2015 before beginning work with the Department of Law’s natural resources section in 2019.

Since joining that section, he’s prosecuted high-profile criminal cases, including a 2018 incident in which two Matanuska-Susitna Borough men illegally killed a black bear and her two squealing cubs within their den.

More recently, Peterson has represented the state in an ongoing case that challenges the state’s current two-tier system of subsistence fishing management. He also represented the state in a lawsuit that challenged salmon fishery management in Cook Inlet.

“If confirmed,” Peterson said in his questionnaire, “I will recuse myself from any case where I have ever played a role. Further, I will evaluate any potential conflict or issue that could give rise to the appearance of a conflict, on a case-by-case basis and determine appropriate action, including recusal where necessary.”

John Boyle, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, abruptly resigned his position on Friday.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced the appointment of his deputy, John Crowther, as acting head of the agency that regulates Alaska’s agriculture, mining, oil and gas.

The governor’s office declined Monday to answer questions about the resignation, which had not been previously announced.

Dunleavy is term-limited and will leave office in December 2026. Boyle’s departure follows those of Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum and Attorney General Treg Taylor.

The resignations of both of those men — who are now Republican candidates for governor in next year’s elections — were announced in advance, unlike Boyle’s departure.

Boyle could not be reached for comment on Monday.

The departing commissioner has extensive experience in the oil industry. Before joining Dunleavy’s cabinet in 2023, he was a lobbyist for BP and Oil Search.

Crowther, who will replace Boyle on an interim basis, has been with the Department of Natural Resources since 2012, the governor’s office said.

He previously worked as director of the governor’s Washington, D.C. office and served on the staff of the U.S. Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He holds a law degree from Georgetown University.

“The Department of Natural Resources is at the forefront of protecting and developing Alaska’s precious land and waters. Mr. Crowther’s legal background and experience as a deputy commissioner make him a great choice to advance the responsible development, and maximum use, of Alaska’s natural resources consistent with the public interest as mandated by Alaska’s Constitution,” the governor said in a prepared statement released on Friday.

Correction: This story originally had the wrong byline. 

Alaska’s largest residential internet provider may soon come under the control of billionaire businessman John Malone, one of America’s biggest private landowners and wealthiest people.

On Oct. 3, Malone filed paperwork with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska asking for permission to take majority ownership of GCI Liberty Inc., the parent company of GCI Communications, Alaska’s largest internet company.

Malone already owns a majority of GCI Liberty’s voting shares, according to RCA filings, but until now has been limited by agreements that hold his voting power below 50%.

According to the filings, Malone is asking for authority to increase his voting power to “a level that would constitute control of GCI Liberty and its certificated subsidiary GCICC.”

The filings also state that both GCI Liberty and Malone have asked for a waiver that would allow them to keep their financial documents confidential.

Under state law and regulation, those documents would ordinarily be available for public inspection as part of regulators’ approval process.

Public comments on the request for secrecy are due to RCA by Tuesday, Oct. 28, and the state regulator is expected to review the takeover request after that date.

The takeover would also affect United Utilities, which provides telephone and internet service in rural Alaska, including much of the Yukon-Kuskokwim river delta region, filings show.

A new online statewide directory has been launched to showcase and connect Alaska Native artists across disciplines.

The Alaska Native Arts Directory is the work of the nonprofit Alaska Native Arts Foundation. Listing is free. The directory went live last week, timing that coincided with the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention in Anchorage.

As of Monday, about 200 artists were listed, most of them with photos and biographical information. The Alaska Native Arts Foundation said it is seeking to expand that number to more than 1,000 by next year.

The Anchorage-based foundation said it also has a goal of holding a first-ever Alaska Native Arts Economic Summit next year, bringing together artists, policymakers and other partners to work on building the Indigenous creative economy.

There are other artists’ directories in Alaska, some of them with a focus on Indigenous artists. One, the Collective49 Marketplace, enables member artists to promote and sell their work online. And there are numerous local artists directories, such as those in Ketchikan and Homer.

The Alaska Natives Art Directory, however, is intended to be more comprehensive. Along with being statewide, the directory includes writers, musicians and other performing artists along with those who create carvings, paintings and other physical works of art. It includes contemporary art forms as well as traditional Indigenous arts.

“The Alaska Native Arts Directory celebrates the full spectrum of Alaska Native creativity, visual and written arts, performance, design, and traditional practices, reflecting the diversity and vitality of Alaska’s Indigenous cultures,” Gail Schubert, chair of the Alaska Native Arts Foundation, said in a statement.

Launch of the Alaska Native Arts Directory represents a renaissance of sorts for the Alaska Native Arts Foundation.

The foundation was created in 2002 and for several years operated an ecommerce site and a gallery in Anchorage. But it shut down those operatioons in 2016 after losing state funding and encountering other financial problems.

The directory project and other new activities now have a variety of funding sources, according to the foundation’s statement. The effort is backed by grants and other support from organizations that include the Rasmuson Foundation, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the office of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, the Alaska State Council on the Arts and the Municipality of Anchorage, among others, according to the statement.