Wesley Early
Anchorage ReporterWesley moved to Anchorage in 2008, graduating from Bartlett High School and the University of Alaska Anchorage with a degree in journalism and public communications.
He started working in public radio in January 2016 as an intern at Alaska Public Media during his last semester of college. After graduating, he was hired full time and spent three years as a web editor, producer for Alaska News Nightly and education reporter. He then moved to Kotzebue (Qikiqtaġruk in Iñupiaq) to work at KOTZ-AM, where he was the community’s first news director in more than a decade.
After two years covering Arctic climate change, subsistence, Iñupiaq culture and the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wesley returned home to Anchorage where he covers city government and Anchorage life. When he’s not at work, he enjoys reading, finding new music to obsess over and searching for a new restaurant to try with his wife.
Reach Wesley at wearly@alaskapublic.org or 907-550-8421.
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Parks and Rec Director Shanna Gamble said the additional staff will allow the team to work year-round, instead of seasonally, and focus on areas beyond parks and trails. -
Prosecutors say that on Jan. 31, 41-year-old Corey Adkins drove his Dodge pickup truck into a ditch near Peters Creek while off-duty. His blood alcohol level measured significantly above the legal limit. -
Anchorage School Board approves ‘severe’ budget with hundreds of staff layoffs and 3 school closuresWith the school district facing a $90 million budget deficit, the budget trims hundreds of teachers, more than 50 administrative staff, over a dozen nurses, nine principals and eight counselors, but preserved many sports programs. -
Parents, teachers and community members are speaking out against a proposal to cut hundreds of staff and many programs to close a $90 million deficit. -
On Feb. 10, a grand jury indicted William Northrop on five counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. Northrop was Anchorage’s elections administrator from Oct. 2023 to March 2025. -
This is the first confirmed fatal vehicle-pedestrian collision in Anchorage this year. Last year, 15 pedestrians were killed by vehicles in Anchorage, the same number as in 2024.
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State legislators hope proposed corporate income tax changes can add tens of millions to the state's budget. Also, lawmakers grill Mt. Edgecumbe boarding school officials over student welfare and declining enrollment. -
Officials suggested closing Fire Lake and Lake Otis elementary schools, which were proposed to the school board last year, as well as Campbell STEM Elementary School. -
District leaders have proposed a budget that cuts more than 500 positions and many programs in order to balance the district’s books. -
Whether it’s being honest on a dating app or getting out to socialize more, local experts share how Alaskans can increase their chances of finding a date and falling in love.
