Year in Review: 2015 in the Mat-Su Valley

WASILLA — One major event dominated the headlines in the Mat-Su in 2015, the devastating Sockeye Fire that broke out in the Willow area in June.

The fire was first reported on June 14 near mile 77 of the Parks Highway and quickly spread, forcing the evacuation of dozens of homes. It jumped the highway and eventually grew to more than 7,000 acres in size.

The Willow Community Center served as both command center for emergency officials as well as temporary housing for many of the people forced from their homes.

By the time the blaze was brought under control, the Sockeye Fire had destroyed more than two-dozen homes, including those of several dog mushers in the area. One of those who lost their homes was well-known Iditarod musher Dee Dee Jonrowe.

The community rallied behind those affected by the fire, holding fundraisers both online and at local homes and businesses. Many of those burned out vowed to rebuild, and by year’s end efforts to rebuild were well underway.

The cause of the fire was eventually found to be a burn pile that got out of control. A pair of Anchorage residents — Greg Imig, 59, and Amy Dewitt, 42 — were charged with setting the blaze.

Crime a continuing issue

Crime was another major story in the Mat-Su, with the area’s continued drug problem getting most of the headlines.

Among the major incidents that authorities said were linked to drugs were the murder of Christopher Seaman in June and the shootings of Joshua Jensen five days prior. According to police, Seaman, 23, was shot and killed by 30-year-old Joshua Beebe in Houston. Police said Beebe and another man, Robert Casello, 28, were linked to both shootings, which police said were related to heroin.

Police also said an October shooting in Wasilla was drug-related. According to Troopers, someone shot two men at a home on Charley Drive in the early morning hours of Oct. 17. Both men survived their injuries and troopers said the case was under investigation.

There were also several high profile drug arrests in the Mat-Su, including a heroin bust in May that resulted in the arrests of Yincent Yacovelli, 21, and Caitlin Horton, 19. The two were found with more than 13 grams of heroin and more than 26 grams of meth, police said. In late December, troopers announced they’d filed charges against six people in connection with an ongoing Mat-Su drug investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than 177 grams of heroin and eight grams of meth, as well as nine firearms.

The perceived spike in drug-related crimes led to several community forums about the issue — and more are planned in the coming year.

Loss of a giant

Roy Roth was a larger than life figure whose prowess as a mountain hunter was matched only by his reputation as a good guy.

That’s why it came as such a shock to area residents when the 49-year-old father, husband, coach and hunting guide fell to his death while hunting sheep on Pioneer Peak.

Roth’s death led to an outpouring of emotion from the community, who remembered the big, kind-hearted man as a pillar of the community. Hundreds packed Palmer High School for Roth’s memorial, and words of support came in via online messages from around the world.

Election excitement

The Mat-Su Borough got a new mayor in October, as assemblyman, musher and Willow businessman Vern Halter defeated incumbent Larry DeVilbiss by fewer than 500 votes. Halter became the first mayor from the Susitna Valley.

The race was characterized by many as a battle between a more conservative choice in DeVilbiss and a moderate in Halter. However, both candidates said the election was more about a choice in management styles and both ran relatively quiet, non confrontational campaigns.

The same couldn’t be said for the most contested of this year’s Borough Assembly races, that between Randall Kowalke and Doyle Holmes. The two men waged a sometimes bitter campaign against each other that included references to a long-standing grudge between them dating back to a lawsuit brought by Kowalke and his wife in 2012 against the Willow Area Seniors and Holmes.

The intrigued deepened when the final vote tally showed a near dead heat between the two men. After a lengthy certification process, Kowalke was declared the winner by 33 votes.

In other election news, Debby Retherford, Sarah Welton and Kelsey Trimmer were elected to the school board; Tim Burney was elected to the Wasilla City Council; Pete LaFrance and Richard Best were elected to the Palmer City Council; Chris Johnson was elected to the Houston City Council; and George McKee, Barb Doty and Kowalke were elected to the borough assembly.

Among ballot propositions, Wasilla lowered its sales tax from 3 to 2 percent, Palmer rejected commercial marijuana (which Houston approved) and a proposal to move the borough elected to October failed.

Another election — this one in October — resulted in Big Lake voters rejecting a proposal to form their own city by a wide margin.

Settlers Bay was the site of a major story this fall after the community’s contract post office was abruptly closed by the U.S. Postal Service over an investigation into the slow delivery of mail. The situation resulted in many angry complaints from customers who were inconvenienced by the closure.

The situation was eventually resolved after the U.S.P.S. awarded the contract to a new vendor, and the office re-opened in November.

Library book causes stir

The issue of censorship and what kind of reading materials are appropriate for children was a hot topic in Wasilla when a number of local residents protested the placement of a sex education book for gay teens in the library’s youth nonfiction section.

What was originally a complaint by one parent grew into a large turnout at the Wasilla City Council, where many people complained about both the placement of the book and the process by which it was reconsidered. However, in the end the library’s review process resulted in the book’s removal to the adult section of the library. The resolution satisfied the complaining parties, but hare feelings lingered after the public dust-up.

Weird, wild weather

As 2015 came to a close, weather was again in the news — as it had been throughout the year. After a hot, dry summer fueled wildfires, things appeared to have returned to normal when winter snow storms blanketed the Valley with its first good ski and snowmachine conditions in more than a year. However, the heavy snows led to some issues, especially in Hatcher Pass, where the road was closed for several days in November due to avalanches. The heavy snow is also believed to have contributed to the disappearance of skier Dr. Liam Walsh, who was on a solo ski trip in the pass when he disappeared. His body has not been found.

As the new year dawned, the weather was again rearing its head, with heavy winds and temperatures in the 40s caused widespread power outages across the Mat-Su.