Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

The atmosphere was electric at the Menard Center on Tuesday evening as the Wasilla High School Class of 2026 gathered for their final act as students—commencement. As family, friends, and faculty packed the center to honor this year’s graduates, the resounding theme was clear: embrace your uniqueness and build upon their individual strengths in their next phase of life. “Some of you are going to be builders. Some of you are going to be caretakers. Some are leaders, some are creators.

Last Sunday, May 24, 2026, was the 7th Sunday AFTER Easter, and celebrated by most liturgical Christian congregations as Pentecost Sunday, the day God poured out the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 2) Some call the Holy Spirit “The Forgotten Person of the Trinity.” Christians speak of the Father, our Creator. They praise God for Jesus, our Savior. However, we seem to speak less about the Holy Spirit. Yet, we need the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.

Valley athletes earned titles during the Region III Championships track and field meet last week at Colony High School. A pair from Colony and another from Palmer scored a pair of individual wins in the Division I girls class. Colony’s Aubrey Virgin finished first in both the 1,600 and 3,200-meter races. Virgin used a personal best time of 5 minutes, 17.41 seconds to win the 1,600. Virgin clocked a time of 11:42.83 in the 3,200. Annelise Larsen was first in both the long jump and triple jump.

The Valley Pathways School graduating class of 2026 was sent off by faculty that were more like family, attentive advisors that shared close personal connections with their students and a handful of thoughtful keynote speakers that reflected the importance of the school in the Valley’s academic atmosphere during the school's commencement ceremony May 21 at the Menard Center.

The next generation of leaders took flight this week as the Houston High School Class of 2026 celebrated its commencement ceremony on May 20. Standing before a packed crowd of cheering families, dedicated educators, and community members, the graduating seniors officially marked the conclusion of their high school journeys and the beginning of their next chapters.

The Hughes-Gettys campaign announced the passing of Roger “Rock” Hughes, beloved husband of gubernatorial candidate Shelley Hughes. Rock Hughes is being remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend whose strength, faith, humor, and steadfast support touched countless lives, the campaign team said in a statement released Saturday night. Throughout Hughes’ years of public service, he was a constant source of encouragement and unwavering love, campaign officials said.

If you have ever wondered what the borough attorney actually does, you are not alone. Many people picture a courtroom lawyer arguing dramatic cases in front of a jury. In reality, the Mat-Su Borough Attorney’s Office spends most of its time giving legal advice, reviewing contracts, defending the borough in lawsuits, and making sure local laws follow state and federal rules. Think of the borough attorney as the borough’s legal counselor and protector, not a prosecutor who puts people in jail.

Mat-Su Borough assemblyman Ron Bernier is proposing new “sin” taxes, on marijuana and alcohol, to bring additional revenue to the borough reduce the pressure on property taxes to fund municipal services. Bernier would raise the marijuana tax from 5 percent to 10 percent and also impose a new 10 percent sales tax on alcohol sold in the borough. The assembly approved putting the proposals up for public hearings at its May 19 meeting. Hearings on both taxes will be held on June 2.

Leila Petersen Palmer Moose Leila Petersen, a member of the Palmer track and field team, has been named a Frontiersman Athlete of the Week. Petersen won the Division I girls 200 and 400-meter races during the Region III Championships. The Frontiersman congratulates Petersen on her success. Aubrey Virgin Colony Knights Aubrey Virgin, a member of the Colony Knights track and field team, has been named a Frontiersman Athlete of the Week.

Our spring bear hunt was bittersweet this year. We’re heading home without a bear stored in our luggage but we do have a bag full of wet and soggy clothes. We worked our butts off this year and I can’t say I’m disappointed with our efforts. We put in over 40 miles hiking and packrafting through likely terrain as we attempted to navigate rain and intense winds. We hunted until dark every night and it wasn’t for a lack of effort that we didn’t successfully harvest a bear.