The Morning Edition July 15, 2026

Good Wednesday morning, everyone. Thanks for waking up with us today. It was a super wet one yesterday across much of the state and some of that wind in South Central. What are we dealing with today? The good news is we are going to dry out as we head throughout today, but we're still holding on to some rain across parts of South Central. But as far as the heaviest rainfall, that does shift north into the interior, as well as through parts of the Brooks range. Which you can see waking up this morning, still holding on to some early morning rain showers, pushing through Anchorage, the heaviest activity. this morning, though, is already beginning to drift into the valley as we head through the first part of your Wednesday. And you can see that band of some heavier showers as you head into the valley this morning. We do have a light chance for some rain that continues for Anchorage here over the next hour or so. And then as we head throughout the rest of the day, we will dry out for many areas of South Central. This is where we're going to see some of the heaviest rainfall today, lifting north into the interior. Some areas could easily pick up a half an inch, if not slightly higher amounts. of that rainfall. And we're going to continue to hold on to this wet weather pattern, although some dry time like we're going to see across South Central today can be expected. You can see the extent of this rain lifting north as far as the south-facing slopes of the Brooks Range. Now, when it comes to the rain in the interior, most of that has been steadily building in, so really hasn't had enough time to push through a large portion of the interior, but we are already beginning to see a few hundreds of an inch of rainfall. And as we head throughout the day, it is going to be a cooler one. for many areas of the interior. As we stay in the mid to upper 50s, you can see the ongoing rainfall stays with us through a large portion of your Wednesday. So coming up with my full forecast, we'll continue to talk about this train of lows as going to reinforce this wet weather across a large portion of the state. Highs will largely stay in the 50s and 60s for many areas of Alaska, with the exception of southeast, which will actually fare much drier, which brings the question of when will we dry out across a vast majority of Alaska? as well as that seven-day forecast for you coming up. An early morning shooting on Tuesday in Northeast Anchorage sent a man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. As Lorne Maxwell tells us, it happened near a local elementary school. This is a shooting that appears to have happened in the parking lot of Tarmigan Elementary, which is the school that you see behind me. Police were called to the 800 block of Edward Street, where the elementary school is located shortly after 4 a.m. on Tuesday, where they found a man with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Many hours later, officers were still on scene, combing the area for evidence, and at one point, towing away a car that had been parked in the lot leading up to the school. District says the shooting was not related to the school in any way and that the few staff members who were inside the building Tuesday morning were safe. The district says it is cooperating with police in the investigation. Now at this point, police tell us they have not made any arrests. However, they're asking anyone with information to please contact them. Lauren Maxwell, Alaska's News Source. An Anchorage murder trial moved forward Tuesday in a case. Prosecutors say began with a $550 drug debt. It centers on the death of Oscar Garcia and a co-defendant has already been tried and convicted. Prosecutors say 48-year-old Oscar Garcia was found dead inside a car on Meryl Drive. In November 2019, the defendant Rondez Niño Marmalejo Jr. faces first and second-degree murder plus kidnapping. Jurors were shown summary.

exhibits and a chart of AT&T calls and texts links to Marmaladehouse's phone in the weeks leading up to Garcia's death. In co-defendant Elijah Ramirez's trial, prosecutors said phone data, surveillance video, and witness testimony placed him in the backseat of a red key of soul when Garcia was shot multiple times from behind. Defense attorneys challenged witness reliability and argued some physical evidence fit Marmalahos as the shooter. Prosecutors are expected in expected to continue calling witnesses this week and testimony is expected to run into next week. After what the Anchorage Fire Department called a horrific wreck on the Glen Highway last week where a woman died and her baby was severely injured, witnesses have taken to social media with one message, learn CPR. Georgina Fernandez spoke with a CPR trainer who shows us why knowing that skill matters. Starting compressions. It's in a visible tool. So this is the heartbeat. I'm keeping the heart pumping. And your first aid kit. Well, if you don't do CPR, there's virtually almost no chance of survival. Just ask John Hunt. It's all the way up. all the way down. Who's been involved in first aid since he was a teenager, now passing on his CPR skills to others. Because we have had two family members just in the last five years received CPR and AED and survive. So that's been extra motivation for me. A skill set that can make all the difference. Every minute we go without both CPR and AED, both the chances of survival are dropping 10% per minute. One, two, three, jump in there. And when it comes to responding to an emergency... You're the heartbeat, so don't stop. Keep going. It's a team effort. It is a workout. Oh, yeah. That's why you really hope people are willing to help and just keep cycling through. More educated people means more hands on deck, ready to assist, no matter where the call for help comes, especially when Hunt says 70% of cardiac arrests happen at home. On top of CPR certification, Hunt also urges people to learn about AEDs. It's on me. It would go right here. that when paired with CPR can double or triple the survival rate. And hopefully that shock will eliminate the bad rhythm of cardiac arrest and then the patient will come alive. Shock delivered. Cause in an emergency, every compression. Lead over the patient. Every moment counts. Georgiana Fernandez, Alaska's news source. Frontier safety and supply also says they will check your AED device for free. Neither swing by their location on Tudor Road or even FaceTime them to ensure your device is up to date. Alaska voters have until Sunday to register to vote in the August 18th primary election. In the primary, Alaskans will choose who will advance to the November 3rd general election in a number of statewide races and vote on a ballot measure that seeks to reinstate limits on campaign contributions. The primary is open.

meaning all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation. Voters select one candidate in each race and the top four finishers advance to the ranked choice general election. In the final full week of the special session, our political reporter and maybe you as well got a flyer warning the LNG pipeline is at risk. Courtney breaks down, Will Courtney breaks down if the project is really is in trouble or if it's just political pressure. If you like me, you may have received this flyer in the mail recently. It says, don't let Juneau politicians kill Alaska's gas land. But is that actually what's being discussed in Juneau right now? The answer is no. It's this bill right here. HB 381. What it does is it gives big property tax exemptions. Glenn Farn, that's the private company developing the project, and Governor Mike Dunleavy say the cuts are needed to make the project possible. But lawmakers in the majority have had concerns, and some actually say they could start building today, so the bill has been changed to what we have today, which added new income taxes. That's actually where some of this poison pill language comes from in that flyer. It's what the governor and Republican lawmakers are calling the tax. You know, some of the poison pills that were put in on the Senate side are going to be taken out. You know, you get language for the gas line that can work, right? These aren't poison pills. These are provisions that were added to protect Alaskans. This shouldn't just be about giving away our resources. So the bill is in one last committee right now, which still hasn't been scheduled. Lawmakers have until Sunday to pass a plan before the end of the special session. Will Courtney? Alaska's news source. This summer, this summer, the city of Fairbanks launched a push to revitalize downtown. Two months in, Mayor Mindy O'Neill says the campaign has seen both successes and challenges. Dozens have volunteered as ambassadors, giving information to tourists, and keeping an eye out for safety issues. A skate park constructed at the city's starter block has also seen consistent use. However, six nearby chalets built to house small businesses have been a bit harder to fill. They are open and they have been open throughout the summer golden days or a retail shop here or there. But without electricity, a lot of folks are limited. So once we get that electricity in there, we'll be ready to go. O'Neill says the overall, the community has responded well to the project with little vandalism or abuse in the summer installations. Ketanji Brown Jackson Ketanji Brown Jackson was in Fairbanks for a free speaking event, but ended the speech quickly and departed. We're still working on finding out what prompted the seemingly abrupt exit. We'll bring you more information as soon as we have it, but Adrian Peterson was there at the event and shares more. Tuesday night at the Charles Davis Concert Hall here at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Supreme Court Ketanji Brown Jackson Ketanji Brown Jackson spoke to residents of Fairbanks with a sold-out stadium of over 900 people.

The general trend with these winds and the upper level is right into parts of South Central. And that's why we're going to continue to see storms building in from the allusions, wrapping around and pushing right into South Central and the interior. And this trend is going to hold with us as we head through a large portion of this week. That's also keeping some cooler weather around. You can see many areas sitting in the 40s and the 50s, with the exception of parts of southeast, which is already beginning to climb into the mid-50s. It's 56 degrees in Ketchikan. You can see along the slow. those temperatures dipping down into the 30s. So as we head through the rest of today, we're going to see most of that rain lifting north through Fairbanks, the central and eastern interior. And as you head through parts of the Yukon Flats, that's where we can expect to see some of that heavier rainfall activity as we head through the rest of today. Some areas will stay dry. And then as we head into Thursday, we begin to see that activity lighten up. And then more rain builds in as we head from the middle of Thursday on into the close of the week. Not as widespread as what we'll see today. but the overall pattern continues to favor more of these rain showers pushing through the interior. So not as wet as what we're going to see for South Central, but you can see anywhere from about a quarter to about an inch of rainfall to be expected for many areas as you head through Fairbanks out and locations north of that, really expecting to see locations as you head through the south-facing slopes of the Brooks Range holding on to most of the heavier activities. So be prepared for that rain to stick around the next couple of days. You can see temperature. warming into the 50s and the 60s for the vast majority of Alaska, 45 degrees in Dead Horse today. As you head out towards Ukiahevic, that temperature is sitting in the lower 40s. A seven-day forecast showing more rain to be expected. Of course, tomorrow we will see some sunshine returning for Fairbanks. And then Friday and Saturday, you can see another round of some rain. And the next week, trending drier with those temperatures, Kristen, set to warm into the low to mid-70s. So certainly going to feel a lot nicer than this week. All right, thanks, Erin. Alaska is full of many traditions, from the unusual to the useful. Our own Danny Tompkins spoke to one duo passing along a skill held dear by many. And she joins us now to tell us more, Danny. Kristen, a couple of retired Alaskans are busy at work making these. I love looking at all the different shapes and colors. And surprisingly enough, they teach people of all skill levels how to make these as well. This was a class. Yeah, that was a class. These two call themselves the soul sisters. They've known each other for a very long time. And then cross-country skiing. And then flower arranging. and then bicycling. And now bond over something many Alaskans hold deer. I love the Alaskan native baskets, and hopefully someday I'll be able to learn to weave grass baskets. Colleen and Sharon don't weave grass baskets, but do make baskets out of reed. If they want a shorter basket, that's fine. You know, it's their baskets. Baskets can carry a variety of items, but these patterns carry a different kind of weight. And we could tell, like, whoo. you must have been tense on this part, you know. Yeah, but you're a little tight. Yeah. And then, oh, you must have been feeling really good because the basket's like loose and bulbous and yeah. So you do weave your emotions into a basket.

And for Colleen and Sharon, this hobby turned into a lesson for others. If Colleen and I could do a business, anybody can. We always believe that the people who come to our classes are the ones that are meant to be there. With an aim to leave each student, just a little different than they found them. Our goal is, like, people leaving happy and feeling successful, you know, after they leave one of our workshops. The Soul Sisters say they typically teach a class every month, and the next one is for a Bari Weiss picking basket in August. You can find more information on them and their classes in this story on our website. Thanks for listening to our podcast. Click subscribe so you can get the latest podcasts from Alaska's News Source automatically. And stay out to date with breaking news and in-depth reporting, available for free 24-7 with the Alaska's News Source app.