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.
-
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. -
Finding affordable child care in Alaska is tough. Rising costs, long waitlists and staffing challenges mean families don’t have a lot of options. State and local leaders are tackling the problem from a variety of angles, but is it enough? -
The Anchorage Assembly voted to make bus rides free for people ages 60 and over on Fridays. Seniors can already ride for free on Wednesdays. -
APD officials say Corey Adkins, 41, has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal police investigation and any legal proceedings. -
The contract follows roughly 15 months of negotiations and increases teacher salaries by 5% in each of the first two years and by 4% in the third. -
“We’ll be the leanest that we've been in over 15 years, and probably even leaner than that, and we still were forced to increase class sizes by four,” said ASD Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt. -
Two seats on the Anchorage School Board are also up for election. Anchorage’s municipal election is set for April 7. -
ASD superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said his intention is to use all of the funding to fill more than 80 teaching positions, with the goal of reducing class sizes across the district. -
During his State of the State address, Gov. Mike Dunleavy singled out Anchorage as he noted that crime rates across the rest of the state had dropped during his tenure.
