Fatal crash near McHugh Creek: A man died Saturday morning when he lost control of his Chevrolet Tracker and slid into the oncoming lane of traffic on the Seward Highway just north of McHugh Creek. Around 10:30 a.m., Anchorage Police Department received multiple calls about a two-vehicle collision. Responding officers found that a Chevrolet Silverado was driving southbound when the Tracker slid into the oncoming lane and the two vehicles collided. The Tracker's driver was ejected from his vehicle, police say. The Silverado's driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to an Anchorage hospital. The road surface was slick and visibility was poor due to ice fog. The highway was closed for several hours as crews responded.
Yukon Quest field gets competitive boost: The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race added a few notable names to its roster Friday, with two past champions entering the 2014 race that begins in less than two months. The 2012 champion, Hugh Neff, and two-time champ John Schandelmeier joined the field. It could mean another year of back and forth between Neff and 2013 champion Allen Moore. Neff edged out Moore by only 26 seconds to win in 2012, but Moore made up that deficit and then some the next year to beat Neff by 1 hour, 16 minutes. Schandelmeier last won in 1996. The current field for the 1,000-mile race now stands at 22. It begins Feb. 1 in Fairbanks.
Report of 'accidental' shooting leads to arrest: Anchorage police have arrested 27-year-old Bonnie Degenstein after she called 911 Friday night to report that she had accidentally shot a man. Police say Degenstein called Anchorage Police Department dispatch at 10:16 p.m. Friday. She said she and an unidentified man had been drinking and "playing with a gun" at a residence near midtown and that she'd accidentally shot him. When police and medics got there they found a man who'd been fatally shot multiple times. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Degenstein has been charged with second-degree murder and is expected to make a court appearance Saturday afternoon.
Alaska Airlines planes get University of Alaska makeovers: Alaska Airlines is showing its University of Alaska love by emblazoning two of its Bombardier Q400 turboprop planes with mascots from the state's two largest universities. Designs of the planes were unveiled Friday, with one painted green and gold with the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves mascot and the University of Alaska Fairbanks blue and gold Nanooks. The planes will fly primarily between Anchorage and Fairbanks and Anchorage to Kodiak. Other paint themes within the Alaska Airlines fleet include the universities of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, as well as Boise State, Montana State, Oregon State, San Diego State and Washington State.