Author: The Tundra Drums Staff

A small earthquake measuring magnitude 1.6 was recorded early Tuesday near Tatitlek in Southcentral Alaska, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. The quake occurred shortly after midnight and was not expected to cause damage. The earthquake struck at 12:22 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time on March 10, about 29 miles northwest of Tatitlek. It occurred at a depth of approximately 5.6 miles (9 kilometers) below the surface. Seismic data shows the tremor was located in the Prince William Sound region, roughly 33 miles west of Valdez and about 86 miles east of Anchorage. The Alaska Earthquake Center reported the event as…

A Wasilla man previously convicted of killing his mother and younger brother in 2016 pleaded not guilty Monday to new murder charges related to the death of an Anchorage teenager, according to Alaska court records. Ian Millard entered the plea in Palmer Superior Court in connection with the death of 18-year-old Ataja Banks, who was reported missing in November 2023. Prosecutors have charged Millard with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and tampering with physical evidence. Investigators say Banks was killed on or around Sept. 25, 2023, according to charging documents. Human remains discovered in September 2025 near Moose Meadows Road in Wasilla…

Iran’s powerful clerical body selected Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader on March 8, replacing his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after his death during a period of escalating regional conflict. Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the 88-member body responsible for appointing the nation’s supreme leader, confirmed Mojtaba Khamenei as the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic. The decision came days after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989. Mojtaba Khamenei, a Shiite cleric born in Mashhad in 1969, had long been viewed as a powerful figure within Iran’s political and religious establishment. Although…

Hundreds of athletes from across Alaska gathered in Anchorage for the 2026 Special Olympics Alaska Winter Games, competing in several winter sports while celebrating teamwork, competition, and community during the statewide event. The 2026 Special Olympics Alaska Winter Games were held March 6–8 in Anchorage, bringing together delegations from several regions around the state. Athletes from Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, the Tanana Valley, and Kodiak participated in the competition. Events took place at multiple locations across the city. Competitors took part in sports including floor hockey, snowshoeing, alpine skiing, and snowboarding during the multi-day event. The games offered athletes an…

Anchorage is still experiencing sidewalk plowing delays this winter despite the addition of new snow-removal equipment, as city crews struggle to clear pedestrian routes following repeated snowfall across Alaska’s largest city. The Municipality of Anchorage recently added new snow-removal equipment to improve winter maintenance operations. However, clearing sidewalks across the city has remained slow during recent storms. Large snow accumulation and multiple snowfall events have created setbacks for crews responsible for clearing pedestrian routes. The Municipality of Anchorage’s Street Maintenance Division maintains more than 100 miles of sidewalks and trails in addition to many miles of sidewalks across the city,…

The 54th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race officially began Sunday in Willow, Alaska, sending dozens of mushers and dog teams onto the nearly 1,000-mile trail to Nome in one of the most competitive fields in recent years. The competitive restart of the race took place at Willow Lake after the ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage the previous day. The Iditarod Trail Committee sends mushers onto the trail at two-minute intervals as teams begin the long journey across Alaska’s Interior toward the Bering Sea coast. The race covers roughly 1000 miles from Willow to Nome and typically takes…

Alaska Nanooks Win United Collegiate Hockey Cup, Finish Season With Overtime Championship Victory The Alaska Nanooks captured the 2026 United Collegiate Hockey Cup championship Saturday, defeating Lindenwood Lions men’s ice hockey 4–3 in overtime to close the 2025–26 season. The championship game took place in St. Charles, Missouri, where Alaska Fairbanks entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Nanooks finished the season with a 15-15-3 record after securing the overtime win against Lindenwood in the final of the inaugural tournament. Alaska opened the scoring late in the first period when Peyton Platter netted his eighth goal of the…

Lionel Messi scored the 899th goal of his career as Inter Miami CF defeated D.C. United 2–1 in a Major League Soccer match Saturday, moving the Argentine star within one goal of the 900-goal milestone. Inter Miami opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Rodrigo De Paul struck from outside the box. Messi doubled Miami’s lead about 10 minutes later, finishing a through ball from Mateo Silvetti with a chipped shot over goalkeeper Sean Johnson. D.C. United pulled a goal back in the second half, but Miami held on to secure a 2–1 victory in front of more than…

A snowmachine collision in western Alaska left one person dead after two machines crashed along a winter trail Saturday, according to the Alaska State Troopers. The collision occurred when two riders traveling on snowmachines struck each other on a trail in western Alaska, the Alaska State Troopers said in a dispatch report. Troopers received a report of the crash shortly after it happened and responded to the scene. One rider died at the location of the collision. The name of the person who died has not been released. The Alaska State Troopers said the identity will be made public after…

The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran continues to escalate as the war enters its sixth day, with new missile and drone strikes hitting Israel and U.S. military bases and allied forces stepping up offensive operations across the region. Iran has launched a new wave of attacks targeting Israeli territory and American military installations in the Gulf, according to multiple reports, in retaliation for the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iranian military infrastructure. Iran’s leadership warned the U.S. it would “bitterly regret” sinking one of its warships, a move that has further inflamed tensions. Israel’s military has responded…

A major oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet drew virtually no interest from industry this week, with federal officials reporting no bids were submitted in the first offshore auction of its kind. The offering, which covered more than 1 million acres of federal waters, was the first of six Cook Inlet lease sales mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress last year as part of an energy-production push. Despite that backing, no drilling companies filed bids, reflecting declining industry enthusiasm for new exploration in the basin. The lack of participation mirrors recent state…

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has formally asked President Donald Trump to allow about 1,000 Ukrainian refugees currently living in Alaska to remain in the United States as their humanitarian parole status faces uncertainty, officials said this week. In a letter sent to the White House in January, Dunleavy urged Trump to create a pathway for Ukrainian refugees to stay in Alaska permanently. Many of the refugees arrived under the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian parole program after fleeing the war in Ukraine, where they have since found work and integrated into local communities. Supporters of extending residency rights say many Ukrainian…