Health and Policy for @CapTimes | @ctimesnewsguild member | 2026 @ReportingHealth National Fellow | @IWMF Ukraine Fellow | @UWJournEthics Board Member

Erin McGroarty’s Journalist Portfolio

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Alaska Legislature adjourns after passing $10.4 billion operating budget

Alaska Legislature adjourns after passing $10.4 billion operating budget

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - The Alaska state Legislature adjourned its extended session early Sunday morning after holding marathon floor sessions to pass a $10.4 billion operating budget and myriad other bills. The operating budget will be paid for in part by a structured draw on earnings from the $65 billion Alaska Permanent Fund.

Bill to revise Alaska alcohol laws dies in dispute between bars, brewers

Bill to revise Alaska alcohol laws dies in dispute between bars, brewers

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS-A wide-ranging overhaul of the state's alcohol laws essentially died Thursday when its author withdrew it from committee following public outcry over a House amendment that would have cut brewery and distillery serving sizes by one-third. Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, referred to the amendment in Senate Bill 76 as "unfair and self-serving" in a news release Thursday.

Sobering Center's first months show success in alcohol treatment

Sobering Center's first months show success in alcohol treatment

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - The Fairbanks Sobering Center has officially been open for several months now following their soft opening in November. The goal of the center is to provide a warm, safe space for intoxicated individuals to sober up and be connected with helpful resources.

Air National Guardsman prepares to summit Denali with USX team

Air National Guardsman prepares to summit Denali with USX team

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - Air National Guard Lt. Col. Ron Oliver doesn't categorize himself as a mountaineer by any means. "I consider myself to be a pretty amateur climber," Oliver said while sitting in a temporary office trailer. Oliver's office building is under construction and his work on Eielson Air Force Base has been temporarily relocated to a small cluster of ATCO units.

Economic trends show uptick in Alaska marijuana tax revenue, wages

Economic trends show uptick in Alaska marijuana tax revenue, wages

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - A report published by the Alaska Department of Labor on the state's marijuana industry shows a steady uptick in marijuana tax revenue as well as an increase in industry related wages and employment numbers.

Alaska Department of Law releases wiretap reports late

Alaska Department of Law releases wiretap reports late

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - It's been 25 years since the Alaska Legislature began allowing state law enforcement to conduct wiretaps on the condition that the state publish annual reports of such activity. However, the Alaska Department of Law has, until recently, published zero reports.

Infant's remains reveal unknown Ice Age civilization in Alaska

Infant's remains reveal unknown Ice Age civilization in Alaska

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - A paper published in part by scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks revealed new theories about a previously unknown ancient civilization in North America, and how and when people originally came to the Western Hemisphere. Genetic DNA analysis of a 6-week-old child discovered at an archaeological site in Interior Alaska helped scientists discover the new population.

Study: Arctic didn't stop warming during 'global hiatus' - it got warmer

Study: Arctic didn't stop warming during 'global hiatus' - it got warmer

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - A new study in the journal Nature Climate Change suggests that while the rest of the world was in a climate change hiatus between 1998 and 2012, the Arctic continued to warm six times the rate of the rest of the planet.

Alaska on 'front lines' in national climate report

Alaska on 'front lines' in national climate report

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS-The White House has released the latest National Climate Assessment report, with focus placed on Alaska and the Arctic as areas of particular concern with regard to rising sea levels, increased forest fires and thawing permafrost, among others. "Residents of Alaska are on the front lines of climate change.

VPSO director talks culture and indigenous resilience

VPSO director talks culture and indigenous resilience

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - Jody Potts is a mother of three and the director of the Tanana Chief's Conference village public safety officer program. She is also a member of the Gwich'in nation of Alaska. For Potts, the three are closely connected. "I feel like I've found my calling and what I was meant to do," Potts said.

Running man: O'Brien doesn't let cerebral palsy hold him back

Running man: O'Brien doesn't let cerebral palsy hold him back

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - Kevin O'Brien was 18 months old when he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a disease that causes difficulty with stiff muscles, movement and coordination. This fall, at age 29, O'Brien became the first person with cerebral palsy to complete the Equinox Marathon. It took him over 13 hours.

UAF groups map plans to aid Puerto Rico

UAF groups map plans to aid Puerto Rico

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - Two groups at the University of Alaska Fairbanks teamed up this week to participate in an international effort to electronically map previously uncharted areas of Puerto Rico in hopes of helping emergency personnel responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Alaska hospital official on GOP health bill: '50 states of chaos'

Alaska hospital official on GOP health bill: '50 states of chaos'

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS-Fairbanks and statewide hospital officials are concerned about potential effects the GOP-led Graham-Cassidy health care bill will have in Alaska. "We're obviously very concerned at the amount of money this bill could cut from the state," said Becky Hultberg, president and CEO of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association.

Fairbanks couple weathers Hurricane Harvey in Houston

Fairbanks couple weathers Hurricane Harvey in Houston

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner — FAIRBANKS - A Fairbanks couple is stuck in Houston after traveling to Texas to visit family last week. Brenda Riley, director of the Fairbanks Children's Museum and her fiancé, Ed Bermudez, director of Bread Line Inc and the Stone Soup Cafe, traveled to Houston last week to visit Bermudez's family and gather some of his belongings in storage before returning to Fairbanks.

Shutdown to cost $152 million in state worker payout

Shutdown to cost $152 million in state worker payout

Juneau Empire — Come July 1, state would be forced to empty leave banks State officials are looking at a potential bill of more than $152 million in required leave payout for state workers if they cannot agree on a capital budget by July 1.

Coast Guard commissions new cutter Bailey Barco

Coast Guard commissions new cutter Bailey Barco

Juneau Empire — Alaska's second fast response cutter gets welcomed to state Members of the United States Coast Guard and the Juneau community held a commissioning ceremony Wednesday afternoon to welcome Coast Guard Cutter Bailey Barco, Alaska's second fast response cutter.

Juneau protesters speak out on Paris agreement

Juneau protesters speak out on Paris agreement

Juneau Empire — Less than an hour after President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement on Thursday morning, protesters gathered outside the Moose Lodge.

Sm'algyax conference works to save Tsimshian language

Sm'algyax conference works to save Tsimshian language

Juneau Empire — There are only six fluent speakers of the Tsimshian language, Sm'algyax, left in Alaska. Interest in the language is on the rise, however. "I try not to dwell on those numbers because I feel like, just within this class we have 20 people, most of whom are from our state who are dedicating their lives to Sm'algyax," said Mique'l Dangeli, who carries the Tsimshian name Sm Łoodm 'Nüüsm.