Day: July 21, 2026

Eaglecrest plans ‘Christmas in July,’ as it preps for winter season

Post author By Gracie
Post date July 21, 2026
No Comments on Eaglecrest plans ‘Christmas in July,’ as it preps for winter season

Photo courtesy of CBJ

NOTN- Eaglecrest Ski Area is off the mountain tonight with a new “Christmas in July” event downtown.

Director of Snow Sports Erin Lupro said the event will run this evening from 4–7 p.m. at Deckhand Dave’s food truck area, featuring live music from Steady Goin’ from 5–7 p.m., festive decorations and on-site season pass sales.

“If you do buy your pass at the event, we will give you an ornament to put into a box of your choice to win a Christmas present, and if you buy your season pass at the event, you have an option to pick a present that you might like. It varies from some Eaglecrest swag, of course, all the way up to, we might have a helicopter ride in one of those boxes.”

July is the only month Eaglecrest offers a payment plan for season passes, with installments stretching through October.

On the operations side, Lupro said the ski area is coming out of a “rough budget cycle” but has now begun winter hiring for lift operators, rental shop staff and instructors, with many returning employees retained.

Opening day is set for Dec. 12, with 87 operating days planned, “pretty much a copy-paste” of last winter, she said.

“The beginning of last season was a little rough, both for the community and for the staff because we want the same thing as the community. We want to be able to provide what is so much fun for all of us. So this winter, I know it’s the big elephant in the room. What will Eaglecrest be doing? We were able to work through the budget, and the only change is we have a small window in February where we’re open from 9:00 until 3:00 a little bit longer, and then switch to 4:00. So that’s the only difference that we made to the calendar for this operational season.” Lupro said.

Former Eaglecrest staffer Julie Jackson Piper will return as general manager on Aug. 31.

Tags alaska, Alaska Legislature, election, juneau, ketchikan, sitka

Music

Riley Green’s ‘The Voice’ Chair Gets A One-Of-A-Kind Upgrade Thanks To Carson Daly

Post author By alaskaadmin
Post date July 21, 2026
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Riley Green is stepping into a brand-new role as a coach on Season 30 of NBC’s The Voice, and his infamous red chair is getting a custom upgrade unlike anything fans have seen before.

During a recent interview with K99.1 FM, Green revealed that host and producer Carson Daly helped him customize his chair after the country star realized his signature cowboy hat wouldn’t work with the chair’s tall back. The solution? A custom hat holder built specifically for him.

“Carson Daly was like, we’re sitting over there and he said, ‘What are you going to do with your hat? Are you going to wear it during the show?’ I said, ‘Well, I can’t because the chair, the back of it, you can’t wear a cowboy hat with a tall chair like that.’ And I was like, ‘Man, it’d be cool to have a little holster for it.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, I’m one of the executive producers. I can probably get that done.’” Green recalled.

Photo Courtesy of Riley Green

When Green returned to set, he discovered that Carson had made it happen.

“Next thing I know, I got a little holster for my hat. So nobody else has that,” he pointed out.

The Alabama native also revealed that his custom hat holder may become more than just a convenient accessory—it could become part of his strategy as he competes with the other coaches to recruit talented contestants.

“What I found out is having the hat whenever you’re trying to get somebody to pick you for their team, when you can pull it out and put it on, they know you’re serious. That’s another…Little strategy.”

Green will join veteran coaches Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson, along with new coach Queen Latifah, for the upcoming season. While Green has taken on some unexpected opportunities throughout his career, including an acting role on CBS’ Marshals, he admitted that becoming a coach on The Voice was never something he imagined.

“Never crossed my mind. And when they called me about it, they were interested in me being on the show, I still thought there’s no way,” he shared.

Carson Daly, Riley Green; Photo Courtesy Carson Daly

The “My Way” singer described his time on the show as “such a cool experience” and said that “everybody’s been great.”

“I can’t believe I’m on the show and all the contestants that are coming on there, it’ll be cool to get to try to help them out along the way.”

While fans have yet to see Green in action on the set of The Voice, the countdown to Season 30 is officially underway.

Riley Green – The Voice – Team Riley

Season 30 of The Voice will kick off with a three-night premiere beginning Monday, September 21. The debut episode airs from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT, followed by one-hour episodes on Tuesday, September 22, and Wednesday, September 23, both airing at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Following premiere week, the competition series will settle into its regular schedule, airing Mondays from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT throughout September and October. In November, the show will transition to a one-hour broadcast beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Monday nights.

Riley Green’s new album, That’s Just Me, will arrive just days before the highly anticipated premiere on September 18.

The post Riley Green’s ‘The Voice’ Chair Gets A One-Of-A-Kind Upgrade Thanks To Carson Daly appeared first on Country Now.

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Sports Fox

INDYCAR Power Rankings: Look Out, Here Comes Josef Newgarden

Post author By alaskaadmin
Post date July 21, 2026
No Comments on INDYCAR Power Rankings: Look Out, Here Comes Josef Newgarden

Alex Palou continues to win, and he remains No. 1 in these power rankings. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver now has five wins this season, with the fifth coming Monday at Nashville Superspeedway. The driver who made a big jump this week? It’s the driver who physically and quite literally can’t even jump right now because of a badly bruised knee. That’s David Malukas. He went from the 12th row to third at Nashville. Here are my rankings going into a two-week break in the INDYCAR schedule: Dropped out: Will Power (Last Week: 8) On the verge: Will Power, Nolan Siegel, Kyffin Simpson. VeeKay looked like he was on the verge of earning his fourth top 10 in the last six races before the cautions and pit sequence cost him track position. He ended up 12th at Nashville, which was still a solid day. Ericsson finished sixth for this third top 10 in the last five races. To see him at one point challenge for the lead had to be a thrill for his fans. Rosenqvist had a surprisingly average qualifying result, as he started 17th on the grid. To go from there to finishing fifth was enough to make him feel good about his day. McLaughlin finished fourth at Nashville for his fourth top five of the season and his third in the last six races. He’d like to challenge for the lead more, but at least he can see the leaders. O’Ward was extremely frustrated after qualifying as he started 12th at Nashville. He was able to scrap for a seventh-place finish. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the momentum he was hoping for coming off the Mid-Ohio win. Kirkwood won the pole at Nashville and appeared to be a favorite for the race before losing his track position on the yellows and pit sequence. A 10th was a disappointing result considering his high hopes coming in. Lundgaard had an awful weekend with a grid penalty for being on his fifth engine, and he started 24th. He finished 16th and maybe no one is looking more forward to Portland in a few weeks than Lundgaard. Newgarden finished a frustrating second as he felt it was track position race at the end. He started second and finished second. To echo his words, “it is what it is.” Malukas was perilously close to not even racing this weekend after a hard crash Saturday in practice. He went from the back of the field all the way to third. It was a great race on a tough weekend. Palou is now a five-time winner this season. And he very well could be a five-time series champion in less than two months.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Alaska News

Unions sue Alaska Gov. Dunleavy over vacant seats on state’s pension-management board

Post author By alaskaadmin
Post date July 21, 2026
No Comments on Unions sue Alaska Gov. Dunleavy over vacant seats on state’s pension-management board

(Getty Images)

Two of Alaska’s largest labor organizations have sued Gov. Mike Dunleavy for failing to promptly fill two seats on the board that governs the state’s public employee pension plans.

The Alaska AFL-CIO, National Education Association-Alaska and five individuals filed suit Wednesday in Anchorage Superior Court, seeking a court order that would require the governor to fill seats on the Alaska Retirement Management Board that are designated for the teachers’ and public employees’ unions.

According to the complaint, the seats have been vacant since March 1. The unions sent lists of possible nominees to the governor four months before that, on Dec. 1.

Under state law, “a vacancy on the board of trustees shall be promptly filled.”

The unions sent a warning letter to the governor’s office in late May about the issue.

Stephen Cox, the attorney general designee whose confirmation was rejected by the Alaska Legislature this year, responded to the message. Now working as Counsel to the Governor, Cox said the law reserving seats for the unions “warrants further analysis, as it potentially encroaches upon the Governor’s constitutional appointment authority.”

Cox said the governor will be requesting a formal legal opinion from acting Attorney General Cori Mills.

“The administration does not comment on lawsuits,” said Jeff Turner, the governor’s communications director, when reached for comment.

The Beacon contacted the Department of Law on Monday afternoon as well, seeking comment about the lawsuit. It did not respond by 8 a.m. the following day.

The plaintiffs are being represented by attorney Scott Kendall, who has frequently fought cases against the Dunleavy administration.

By phone on Monday afternoon, Kendall said the issue is “very important” because the board handles billions of dollars’ worth of investments on behalf of state residents.

Two board meetings have already taken place without union representatives.

“This isn’t the, ‘Oops, this slipped through the cracks sort of issue.’ The new nominees were put forward by both unions three months before the prior terms expired. Those filings were acknowledged by the Department of Revenue, which handles this. So everything was done timely,” he said.

In the complaint, the plaintiffs state that if the issue goes to trial, Cox should not have a role because state law requires the Department of Law — through staff attorneys or hired counsel — to represent the state in legal issues.

Kendall said the legality of laws constraining a governor’s appointment powers have been repeatedly tried in court and upheld.

“To be honest, it’s befuddling. There’s a very clear statute. There’s a very clear regulation. They say these people shall be appointed promptly, and they shall be from lists from these two groups,” he said. “So I think it’s quite honestly bizarre that we’re even in this situation, but here we are nonetheless.”

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Entertainment

Upgrade Your Culver’s Sandwich With This One Simple Change

Post author By alaskaadmin
Post date July 21, 2026
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Turning an already good Culver’s sandwich into an excellent one isn’t complicated. A basic ingredient swap will make a delicious difference.

Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews

Music

Did Blake + Gwen Attend Taylor Swift’s Wedding?

Post author By alaskaadmin
Post date July 21, 2026
No Comments on Did Blake + Gwen Attend Taylor Swift’s Wedding?

Shelton and Stefani celebrated five years of marriage with a night out…and fans suspect that that night out might have been Taylor Swift’s wedding. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country

Music

Did Blake + Gwen Attend Taylor Swift’s Wedding?

Post author By alaskaadmin
Post date July 21, 2026
No Comments on Did Blake + Gwen Attend Taylor Swift’s Wedding?

Shelton and Stefani celebrated five years of marriage with a night out…and fans suspect that that night out might have been Taylor Swift’s wedding. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

Music

From ‘American Idol’ Audition To The Road: Hannah Harper’s ‘String Cheese’ Story Comes Full Circle

Post author By alaskaadmin
Post date July 21, 2026
No Comments on From ‘American Idol’ Audition To The Road: Hannah Harper’s ‘String Cheese’ Story Comes Full Circle

American Idol winner Hannah Harper just scored a major upgrade to her headlining tour, thanks to a new partnership with Sargento, which has signed on as the exclusive cheese sponsor of her String Cheese Tour.

The collaboration was inspired by Harper’s viral original song, “String Cheese,” which she performed during her American Idol audition. The heartfelt tune about motherhood and the pressure of trying to do it all brought Carrie Underwood (and millions of viewers!) to tears, quickly becoming one of the season’s most memorable moments.

Following the performance, Sargento reached out to Harper with a surprise package filled with string cheese. What started as a thoughtful gesture has now grown into a year-long partnership.

Hannah Harper; Photo Courtesy of Sargento

Throughout the String Cheese Tour, fans can expect special Sargento experiences, including ticket giveaways, exclusive content, limited-edition merchandise and plenty of other surprises along the way.

As part of the partnership, Sargento gave Harper’s tour bus a cheesy makeover, wrapping it in custom String Cheese Tour graphics and stocking the fridge with plenty of Sargento favorites, including String Cheese snacks, Balanced Breaks snack kits, Mighty Bites lunch snack kits and other natural cheeses. Fans can catch a glimpse of the newly decked-out bus when Harper rolls into the Backbone Bluegrass Festival in Strawberry Point, Iowa, on July 24.

Harper celebrated the partnership by taking fans on a lighthearted tour of her newly wrapped bus in a social media video, offering a closer look at its custom Sargento makeover.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hannah Harper (@hannahharper)

The collaboration will also bring fans closer to the action through surprise ticket giveaways announced across Sargento’s and Harper’s social media channels. Plus, the partnership will spotlight its most dedicated supporters by recognizing standout commenters and passionate fans as the weekly “Fan of the Week,” rewarding them with tickets to upcoming tour stops.

“I’ve always loved that Sargento is a family-owned company that believes in making high-quality, natural cheese. It’s what I feed my own family at home and exactly what I want to fuel our crew on the road,” said Hannah Harper. “Having one of the first brands that believed in me join this tour makes this partnership incredibly special.”

Hannah Harper; Photo Courtesy of Sargento

“From the moment we first heard Hannah’s music, we knew she embodied the values that have defined Sargento for generations—family, quality and bringing people together,” said Erin Price, General Manager at Sargento. “This partnership is about much more than string cheese on a tour bus. It’s about celebrating family, supporting an artist we’ve believed in from the beginning and creating memorable moments for fans across the country.”

The collaboration won’t end when the tour does. Harper and Sargento plan to continue working together through the 2026 holiday season and into 2027 with additional fan experiences, exclusive merchandise and more.

The post From ‘American Idol’ Audition To The Road: Hannah Harper’s ‘String Cheese’ Story Comes Full Circle appeared first on Country Now.

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Food

This Airline Has Had The Same Iconic Cocktail For Over 20 Years

Post author By alaskaadmin
Post date July 21, 2026
No Comments on This Airline Has Had The Same Iconic Cocktail For Over 20 Years

Upper Class passengers and certain elite frequent flyers have been able to sip on this airline’s signature sweet, tart, and bubbly cocktail for two decades.