Southcentral

Most of the changes that the House Finance Committee made were to areas outside of the agencies that provide government services.

Iditarod racer Mitch Seavey is the first musher to reach the halfway checkpoint of Huslia. The two-time champion was the first to leave Galena early Thursday and arrived in Huslia more than 80 miles up the trail at 8:18 p.m.

It’s break time on the Iditarod trail, as teams hunker down for 24 hours of uninterrupted rest along the Yukon River or consider pushing down the trail to a later checkpoint. As the race approaches the halfway point mushers try to plan how to get the most from their tactical breaks.

Iditarod veteran Aliy Zirkle has had to upend her race plans and declare a 24-hour rest in Galena because of sick dogs. After pulling off the Yukon River, Zirkle had several vets checking out her team. She said the leaders started looking ill Tuesday afternoon.

State regulators wrote that the design information submitted so far is “unacceptable for the department’s decision making process” and that “the very limited data provided to date indicates that substantial vessel design deficiencies may exist, particularly in the area of winter operations.”

The Republican House caucus is pushing to cut the state government budget. But they no longer hold the majority. Instead of shrinking, the House version of the budget has actually grown.

The Anchorage Police Department announced its new targeted crime plan Thursday. It focuses on getting into the community and developing relationships. The department will expand its foot patrols beyond downtown and into Mountain View, Fairview and Spenard.

Wade Marrs led two past champions into the Ruby checkpoint last night in the 2017 Iditarod. Three-hundred-fifty miles into the trail, the racing is underway as teams plot their next moves along hundreds of winding miles on the Yukon River.

As mushers speed toward Nome, a controversial new Iditarod rule is in effect for the first time. After a vote by the board of directors last fall, mushers are now allowed to carry two-way communication devices, like cell and satellite phones. Many competitors both young and old think the presence of technology goes against the spirit of the race.

Iditarod mushers reached the Yukon River at Tanana on Tuesday night. Teams are ready to launch their race plans as the eight-hour and 24-hour rest periods come into view. But first, they must run the longest stretch of the race between checkpoints and make it through the early race with their teams intact.