2024 in review: January-March

As we prepare to enter a new year, we can also look back on the past 12 months. This a piece of a four-part series noting a few of the headline you saw in the Frontiersman in 2024.

Let's take a look back at January, February and March. For more, see an upcoming edition of the Frontiersman and frontiersman.com.

January

Palmer man arrested for murdering his mother, bail set for $1 million

A 52-year-old Palmer resident, Chad Kaska, was arrested on murder charges related to the death of his mother, Cristy Kaska.

Palmer woman charged with manslaughter

A 29-year-old Palmer resident, Emma Frankson, was arrested on assault and manslaughter charges relating to the death of her romantic partner, 26-year-old Palmer resident Donna Jackson.

Ribbon cut for new home of Wasilla Train Depot

The winds were blustery, and the snow made visibility challenging, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the dozens who came out to welcome in a new era for the Alaska Railroad as the first train pulled into its new home — the Wasilla Train Depot.

Proposed seaplane Base in Meadow Lakes stirs community

During a regularly scheduled meeting of the Meadow Lakes Community Council, conversation and comments centered around a proposed private 31-slip seaplane base to be built on Island Lake in Meadow Lakes.

Northern Justice Project, ACLU of Alaska file preliminary injunction to put 56 removed books back on Mat-Su school library shelves

While schools were still on winter break, the Northern Justice Project (NJP), LLC, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska filed a motion Tuesday for a preliminary injunction to return 56 book titles to Mat-Su Borough School District (MSBSD) library shelves.

ACLU sues Mat-Su Borough School District over bathroom restrictions for transgender students

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska filed litigation in Palmer District Court against the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) over its policy preventing transgender students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity, known as Board Policy 5134. The MSBSD board approved this policy in October 2022.

February

Palmer council member arrested for driving under the influence

Richard Best, a Palmer city council member, was arrested Feb. 3 by Palmer police for Driving Under the Influence, which means his ability to drive safely was impaired.

CTHS students reaching for the stars in NASA competition

A student team from Mat-Su Career and Technical High School (CTHS) won a national NASA STEM competition, the TechRise Student Challenge, joining 59 other winning teams from across the country.

Valley man acquitted of sexual assault charges from 2019 case

A Mat-Su man was acquitted from sexual assault charges in a case that started in 2019 when he was a teenager. Kaiden Jimenez was 17 years old when he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl in a high school within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, and he was charged as an adult.

Wasilla man charged with murder in wake of October 2023 shooting

A 38-year-old Wasilla resident, Dustin Peters, faced murder charges related to a shooting that occurred in October of 2023 that ultimately led to the death of 36-year-old Wasilla resident Jacob Wodkowski.

Recent cold snap nearly caused a natural gas emergency

The state’s largest communities in Southcentral Alaska were near a natural gas emergency during the recent cold snap when temperatures dropped to -25 degrees F or below in some locations, utility officials told state officials in briefings Feb. 8 and Feb 9.

Houston High School students participate in cold learning lab at Skeetawk

Over a dozen Houston High School students participated in a cold weather injury and illness learning lab hosted by Skeetawk.

March

MSBSD school board votes to remove two more books from school libraries

In a 7-to-1 vote, the school board voted in favor of the Library Citizens’ Advisory Committee (LCAC) recommendations to remove “Call Me by Your Name,” by author Andre Aciman and “Verity” by Colleen Hoover, from school library shelves during the March 20 school board meeting.

Cooper Gordon sentenced to 56 years for murder of Mat-Su Borough man Terry Spencer in 2019

The State of Alaska Department of Law announced that Cooper Gordon, 44, was sentenced to a composite sentence of 56 years in prison for the murder of 32-year-old Terry Spencer in 2019.

Dallas Seavey wins 6th Iditarod

Dallas Seavey's path to an Iditarod championship was like none he's faced before, including killing a moose and overcoming a time penalty that had him in 10th place at one point to win a record-breaking sixth championship in the world’s most famous sled dog race.

Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games officially underway

The Menard Sports Center was filled with people from circum-polar northern communities around the world in celebration of the opening ceremony for the Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games Sunday, March 10.

Arctic Winter Games 2024 wraps up with closing ceremony

The 2024 Arctic Winter Games came to a close, with the baton, or in this case the AWG flag, being handed off to Whitehorse, Canada, who will host the 2026 AWG, during the Closing Ceremony held on March 16.

Tensions high during Sutton Council meeting

Tensions were high during a meeting of the Sutton Community Council on March 27,2024 after a presentation about the state of the law and the impact of recent memorandums addressed Native and non-Native jurisdictions.