New: A deepening crisis in recruiting and keeping state workers is pushing Alaska lawmakers to consider a new pension plan for public employees. But they're far from agreeing on the structure of the new plan — or who will benefit.
Kyle Hopkins
@kylehopkinsAK
Kyle Hopkins’s Tweets
The Chilkat Valley News is hiring! A splendid opportunity for anyone who wants to report on mining, fisheries, heliskiing, local politics and much more. Please don't hesitate to DM me if you have any questions.
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private schools, public records
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"A recent @seattletimes & @propublica investigation of the Northwest School of Innovative Learning found complaints of abuse & minimal instruction.
The
argued it wasn’t subject to public records laws.
A King County judge disagrees."
by @luluramadan
propublica.org/article/northw
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The Alaska Beacon has an opening for a reporter position. We're looking for someone who wants to be a part of a small team that's making a big difference in how Alaskans engage with their state government: statesnewsroom.com/staff-openings #akleg
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could be a good project for a journalism class: Looking at the list of officers whose pay is based on prior military rank, and vetting those claims
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"The complaint alleges that Gerace was paid $94,783.69 over 203 days by the State Active Duty service for a higher rate of compensation than he was entitled to."
So, Alaska State Defense Force bases your rank on what you SAY your rank was in the U.S. military? And no one checks?
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Former Health Department Director Joe Gerace charged with civil fraud alaskasnewssource.com/2023/01/26/for
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Northwest Coast Design is highlighted in our brand new episode, “Art from the Heart!”
Stream the whole episode now on !
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Each state overlaid on Alaska.
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and I joined a school lunch this week to see how a districtwide shortage of cafeteria workers is manifesting. In this case, it meant jerky. Lots of jerky.
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Eight elementary schools in the Anchorage School District currently lack a cafeteria manager, meaning they can’t serve their usual hot lunch. As a stopgap measure, the district is offering free, shelf-stable meals. adn.com/alaska-news/ed
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Two leaders of a prison-based, neo-Nazi gang who were convicted of murder in 2017 received life sentences on Tuesday in Anchorage.
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She did say that she did not offer a legal opinion or advice to deputy chief of staff Brice Wilbanks, as described in a letter from Wilbanks' attorneys to the city. “We have put his attorney on notice that that is not true ... We do not advise employees on criminal matters.”
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Christensen declined to provide a copy of her resignation letter. “Not that there’s anything in there that’s anything other than your typical resignation letter.”
She declined to say what her new job will be. “I wouldn’t want to share without talking to my new employer.”
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Talked briefly to Christensen who said she gave her letter of resignation yesterday, and declined to comment on various allegations against Bronson. ...
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I remember making a Flipcam video to accompany this story 👴🏻
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Anchorage's Regal Cinemas Tikahtnu theater, now marked for closure, soft opened on June 7, 2010 with the disaster movie 2012. Theater's arrival prompted closing of the Fireweed Theatre & conversion of the Totem Theatre to budget movies. #alaskahistory #anchoragehistory #Alaska
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Fact-check: True
the law librarians are awesome
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Need to do some legal research? Our law librarians are experts at legal research and work hard to provide legal research resources and court system information to Alaskans.
Learn more at courts.alaska.gov/library/index.
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Hello twitter, I want to talk today about the state of the press relations in the United States. You may or may not know, but it is increasingly rare for your local journalist to be able to simply call an official to ask questions.
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The American Newspaper Name Hall of Fame
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Her daughter was dropped off at the wrong bus stop and spent nearly an hour lost in Anchorage
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In public remarks, the mayor described the young executive as a key part of his team.
“We’ve got a 21-year-old staffer who is virtually a genius, and I’ve watched him and Larry (Baker) work together day in and day out,” Bronson told the Anchorage Rotary
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Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson’s deputy chief of staff, Brice Wilbanks, resigned this week — then Wilbanks' lawyers said he was rescinding his resignation and accused the city's ombudsman of acting inappropriately. adn.com/alaska-news/an
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City Information Technology Director Marc Dahl said Thursday “it’s not technically possible” for members of the IT staff to download videos captured by the lobby surveillance cameras. You'd have to ask the front desk security staff for that, he said ...
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There is no camera inside the hallway that leads to the ombudsman’s office. But two cameras above the elevator doors and another beside the City Hall entrance from 6th Avenue would show foot traffic heading to and from the ombudsman’s hallway. ...
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“I’d rather not say.”
— City Hall security officer Michael Maberry, when we asked if anyone from the mayor’s office sought to review footage from these City Hall security cameras.
(Employees told Ombudsman they are being watched to see who is talking)
adn.com/alaska-news/an
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It’s that time of year! What do you want to know about Alaska’s legislative session? Reach out with ideas and tips: isamuels@adn.com.
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One small but puzzling fact: Why did Larry Baker use the name Larry Willis when bailing out his business partner?
According to audio from a bail hearing in the felony stalking case, a state prosecutor asked him about it …
adn.com/alaska-news/an
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Baker’s business partner resigned from a city advisory committee when we began asking questions. He had been appointed despite the felony stalking charge pending against him and a court order that banned him from dropping by City Hall.
The mayor knew about the appointment.
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Links to the Baker contracts are in the story. All have the indemnity clause removed.
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Anchorage’s former municipal manager is accusing a top adviser to Mayor Dave Bronson of pressuring the city attorney to drop criminal charges against a business associate.
What we know about a series of cases that have loomed over City Hall since 2021. adn.com/alaska-news/an
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We’re looking for dynamic, high-level journalists to join our news team. Learn more about this great opportunity in Anchorage, AK and apply here: bit.ly/3X9QrzU #JobAlert
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The older I get the worse I spell.
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One example: Memphis makes all contracts searchable and in many cases includes the original documents as attachments: morememphis.org/contracts/
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It's been more than 3 weeks since the Daily News requested Anchorage city contracts that in many municipalities would be readily available online or at the very least open to public inspection for walk-ins.
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This very morning, released a database (projects.propublica.org/repatriation-n) of institutions that receive federal money and how many unrepatriated Alaska Native/Native American remains they still possess. You can search by state . . . #alaskahistory
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Former municipal manager Amy Demboski, who was recently fired by Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, is accusing him and his administration of violating the law, blatant sexism, unlawful contracting and other unethical behavior in a letter sent to city leaders.
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hey editors, let’s work together! #BestCoast
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We're looking for a Northwest editor to helm our new Northwest hub covering Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Idaho. Salary: $150,000-$195,000. Apply here:
propublica.org/jobs/northwest
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Super excited to share this news!! 

ProPublica to Launch Investigative Reporting Hub in the Northwest propublica.org/atpropublica/p
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In Anchorage, there's an abandoned DeLorean sitting outside the Asia Garden that occasionally makes the internet lose its mind.
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WTAF Mother Nature
forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?
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"He’s most likely just a fabulist — a fake," the North Shore Leader wrote before the election.
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A tiny paper broke the George Santos scandal, but no one paid attention. My latest with @AFettersMaloy washingtonpost.com/media/2022/12/
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"Double up on gloves. Know where every heated sidewalk in the city is located. Memorize which buildings vent warm air into alleyways. Linger in grocery store lobbies and library corners. When walking long distances, wrap your boots in plastic bags.
The cold is always waiting."
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Losing a part of your body to frostbite is a life-changing injury, and one that makes the already grueling routines of living without consistent shelter in Anchorage that much harder. on.adn.com/3YYbI0Y
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"(She) said the agency has had years to better streamline their application and renewal process to mirror, for example, the state’s Permanent Fund dividend portal."
By
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