From spiking COVID-19 cases to political scandal to tangled supply chains, 2021 was a doozy.
But there were bright spots too: Quannah Chasinghorse, a Han Gwich’in and Oglala Lakota fashion model and climate justice activist, launched onto the national stage. Plus, Seward’s Lydia Jacoby became an Olympic champion. And Emma Broyles, from Anchorage, was crowned Miss America.
Also, health care staff already working long hours volunteered to cuddle Alaska’s sickest newborns. And an Anchorage man raised tens of thousands of dollars to help a family get out of Afghanistan.
As we get ready to head into 2022 — and reflect on 2021 — here are some of the most-read stories of the year from Alaska Public Media and our partner stations.
1. Anchorage mayor turned off fluoride in city water for about 5 hours
A day after declining it happened, the city revealed that Mayor Dave Bronson did decide to stop the fluoridation of the city’s water on Oct. 1. Bronson’s office ordered the fluoride be turned back on after learning he had violated city code. Read more.
2. Dallas Seavey returns to Iditarod after mysterious scandal rocked his mushing career
Four-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey returned to the Iditarod this year after a dog-doping whodunit turned his mushing career upside down four years ago. “In a way it’s coming home for me, right?” he said. “This is where I belong, racing the Iditarod.” He ended up winning the 2021 race. Read more.
3. Ammo shortage leaves Alaska businesses shooting blanks
There’s no doubt about it, Alaskans like their guns. But there’s only so much you can do with a gun without bullets. And this past year, those have been harder than ever to come by. Read more.
4. Realities diverge after Anchorage conservative activist dies from COVID
William Topel’s friends saw his death from COVID-19 as a rallying cry for ivermectin. Others who observed him during Anchorage Assembly fights over masking said the tragedy was that he didn’t get vaccinated or wear a mask. Read more.
5. Alaska’s first electric-powered school bus is performing well – even at 40 below
Alaska’s first electric-powered school bus has, so far, proven to be reliable even if temperatures that dip far below zero. “It has not missed a single day of school,” says Tok Transportation co-owner Gerald Blackard. Read more.
6. Anchorage doctors sound alarm about ‘imminent’ hospital system collapse
Over the summer, emergency room doctors sounded dire warnings about the city’s hospital capacity as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surged to their highest levels. Read more.
7. Former ‘Deadliest Catch’ captain admits to dealing heroin, court documents say
Elliott Neese, an Alaska crab boat captain formerly on the reality TV show “Deadliest Catch,” admitted to dealing heroin on the Kenai Peninsula. Read more.
8. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp, with millions of dollars in GameStop shares, eyes stock surge warily
GameStop made headlines in January when individual investors sent the video game store’s stock soaring to the dismay of hedge fund investors. Read more.
9. Biden administration puts Arctic refuge leases on ice as it asks for new environmental reviews
The oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge were issued to Alaska’s state-owned economic development corporation and two smaller companies in the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency. Joe Biden, on the campaign trail, vowed to adopt permanent protections for the refuge. Read more.
10. Resigned hospital exec Andy Teuber missing after helicopter disappears near Kodiak
Health care executive Andy Teuber went missing in March soon after the Anchorage Daily News reported that his 27-year-old former executive assistant accused him of abusive treatment and coerced sex. Read more.
