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About 56 runners from Hoonah, Skagway and Juneau competed in Haines during the North Cross-Country Meet on Saturday.
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The Trump administration on Friday moved to exempt oil projects in federal territory on the west side of the North Slope from environmental reviews that have been standard for decades.
An industry-initiated proposed rule announced by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management would eliminate the need for review of individual development projects in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, or NPR-A.
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Forest Service surveys goshawks
Deep in some of the most remote areas of forest on Wrangell Island, U.S. Forest Service natural resource technician Anna Belback tramped her way through dense trees and brush to set up a pair of speakers. She cranked up the volume and hit play — an invisible bird began to call loudly from the speaker. The alarm call of an adult goshawk.
The Wrangell Ranger District has recently wrapped up a large goshawk survey to prepare for potential timber sales.
There is a push to increase logging on federally managed lands in Alaska following the 2025 presidential order to “unleash Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential.” Ahead of any logging operation, there are a variety of wildlife surveys required before anything can be cut, including these goshawk surveys.
“We’ve gone kind of all around Wrangell Island … parts of the island that I never thought I would see,” Belback said. “And some places that I quite frankly don’t really want to hike back into because, man, they’re pretty wicked.”
Despite the efforts of Belback and two other crew members who spread out across potential logging units, no goshawks were identified by this survey. The surveys must happen in two separate years before a timber sale, but they do not have to be consecutive years, according to Belback.
To conduct the surveys, field technicians hike into areas of land, often with no trails, to play bird calls to trigger responses from goshawks and other birds of prey that may be in the area.
In June, Belback said the calls mimic the goshawk alarm call, one a female might give her partner when there is danger in the area. Whereas in July they play a mixture of alarm calls and fledgling begging calls, the ones a baby goshawk would make when asking their parents for food.
They repeated this process over almost the entirety of Forest Service-managed potential timber units.
This might seem like a lot of effort to go through to identify some hard to locate, sparsely populated birds, but this species has a history of contested protection in the Tongass National Forest and is also used as a metric for ecosystem health.
Originally, these birds were considered northern goshawks, which are pretty widespread and well populated. However, in the 1990s, it was understood that the goshawks in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia were a subspecies. They named them the Queen Charlotte goshawk — which may be renamed yet again, since Queen Charlotte Islands have been renamed Haida Gwaii — which were far more rare.
In 1994, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned for the subspecies to be listed under the Endangered Species Act, which in some ways led to a renaming of the northern goshawk to the American goshawk and the Eurasian goshawk, according to Forest Service biologist Joe Delabrue.
“The way I understand it back when it was proposed for listing, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service separated out the two populations: the one in Southeast Alaska and the ones in British Columbia,” Delabrue said, “and the ones in B.C. got listed, but the ones in Alaska didn’t.”
Whatever you call them, Delabrue said the ones in Alaska were not listed as endangered, at least in part, because of the Tongass resource management plan.
“We definitely have significant conservation concerns for the goshawk within the Tongass,” said Cooper Freeman, the Alaska director for the Center for Biological Diversity.
He said protections provided by the management plan are barely enough to keep the population alive. However, with surveys only occurring ahead of timber sales, he said there isn’t consistent population data to compare since the management plan took effect.
Freeman said that, with renewed push for logging in the second Trump administration, there has been an increase of surveys, but that he did not think the survey methods were very effective at locating the hawks. “So it’s quite likely that many goshawks, if they’re there, would go undetected, and logging would harm the birds.”
The Center for Biological Diversity is pushing for the protection of intact old-growth forests to protect, not only the goshawks, but the many species that rely on unfragmented habitat in the region. He said they would like to see an emphasis on other types of economic activities like hunting and recreation to create a more sustainable Alaska economy.
“I think it would be an error to paint this as (the) birds versus the economy,” said Freeman, “It’s time for the Tongass to move on and start taking care of its forests and protecting them for their highest value, which is leaving these old-growth trees standing.”
The post Forest Service surveys goshawks appeared first on Chilkat Valley News.
In recent years, country music fans have been inundated with opportunities to attend new festivals, most of them in a field where you spend the weekend walking from stage to stage, fighting through crowds, breathing in dust, and trying to figure out where your next drink and meal are coming from.
Well, there’s a new festival, and I can tell you, Country Splash Cabo was something entirely different.
The inaugural festival brought country music beachside in Cabo San Lucas over Labor Day Weekend, pairing performances from some of country music’s biggest stars with DJ-led pool parties, intimate pop-up acoustic sessions, open bars, wellness activities and an all-inclusive resort experience, making it feel more like a Cabo getaway with country music woven throughout.
Before the festival, Country Splash co-founder Robert Fried told me that they were looking to create an experience that married luxury travel with country music. After spending the weekend there, I can confidently say they accomplished exactly that.
The Experience
From the moment I stepped off the plane, it was clear that the level of service was going to be a major part of the Country Splash experience.
We were greeted at the airport by members of the Country Splash team with cold beverages before being whisked away in a car service headed straight to Paradisus Los Cabos. The drive took about 30 minutes, giving us just enough time to take in our first glimpses of Cabo before arriving at the resort.
Check-in was quick and seamless. Once we arrived, we were treated to light bites, cold drinks and even chair massages before being shown to our rooms.
We were also able to make reservations for the entire weekend at the resort’s seven restaurants, and staff members escorted us to our room with our luggage.
The room itself was bright, beachy and centrally located, and the resort never felt overwhelmingly large. It was easy to navigate, clean and the staff was consistently helpful.
The beach was beautiful, with massive waves crashing along the shore. While it wasn’t swimmable, it was still the perfect place to sit, relax and take in the views. I could have sat there for hours just listening to the waves.
We also had no complaints about the food or drinks at the resort. The best part was that we were always able to get a reservation and never had to wait in long lines.
An Intimate Atmosphere
The thing that stood out to me most about Country Splash was just how intimate it felt.
Attendees had the opportunity to see not only rising artists, but arena-level headliners in a way that can’t be replicated at most major festivals.
When else are you going to see an artist like Riley Green performing an acoustic set by a fire at sunset in Cabo?
The artists weren’t just there to perform and leave. They were enjoying Cabo right along with everyone else, and that added another layer to the experience. Throughout the weekend, Dasha could be spotted hanging out by the pool and mingling with fans, while Cameron Whitcomb even ended up in the pool with festivalgoers at one point.
The intimate vibe also carried over into other parts of the festival. During the shows, there was virtually never a line at the bar. You didn’t have to wait for hours to claim a spot near the stage, fight your way through a crowd or stand hundreds of yards away hoping to catch a glimpse of the artist on a giant video screen. Even the merch line was manageable.
It may sound like a small thing, but it made all the difference.
The Music
With most festivalgoers traveling in on Friday, the festival kicked off that evening with the main stage set directly on the beach, with Jacob Hackworth becoming the first artist to perform on the Country Splash stage.
The music continued with Blake Whiten and Dasha before Tucker Wetmore took the stage, bringing his signature hip-shaking energy and songs from his Sunburn Mixtape, which proved to be the perfect soundtrack for the weekend ahead.
It was hot in Cabo, but Wetmore was hotter, moving around the stage and showing off the growing confidence and swagger that has made him one of country music’s fastest-rising stars.
By Saturday, the festival had fully hit its stride.
Buzzed-about newcomer Zach John King and LOCASH got the party started before Jon Pardi took the stage, bringing his signature brand of country music to the beach.
Then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, Sunday arrived.
Although the end of the festival was looming, the energy never let up. Drinks were flowing, fans were still dancing and the pool remained packed as Lauren Watkins opened the main stage on the final day.
Cameron Whitcomb was up next as direct support for Riley Green, bringing a completely different style and an unbelievable amount of energy to the stage. He ran across the stage, jumped, bounced around and even threw in backflips, bringing an unmatched level of energy to his set. By the end of his performance, it was hard to imagine a better way to keep the crowd fired up.
Green then closed out the inaugural festival, bringing his signature country charm to the stage and giving fans one final big performance before the weekend came to an end.
Sunset Fireside Sessions
While the main stage performances were undoubtedly a major draw, some of the most memorable musical moments happened away from the main stage.
Country Splash incorporated pop-up fireside acoustic performances on Saturday and Sunday, giving fans the opportunity to see some of the festival’s biggest names in a completely stripped-down setting.
The lineup wasn’t announced ahead of time, either. Fans found out who would be performing just moments before through a text message, adding a fun element of surprise to the weekend.
Jon Pardi and Riley Green both took part, performing with nothing more than an acoustic guitar around a firepit, while rising artists including Zach John King, Dasha and Lauren Watkins also participated.
For me, these were some of the moments that really captured what made Country Splash different. You weren’t watching an artist from hundreds of feet away. You were sitting around a fire in Cabo, watching them perform as the sun went down. It couldn’t get any better.
Daytime at Country Splash
Country Splash also took a different approach to daytime programming.
Instead of asking festivalgoers to spend the entire day waiting for the main stage to start, the festival brought the party to the pool, with DJs providing the soundtrack throughout the afternoon.
VAVO, DeeJay Silver, DJ Lucky Lou, and ADHD, the DJ duo made up of Nashville hit songwriters Ashley Gorley and Jesse Frasure, all took their turns behind the decks.
Then came Diplo, who packed out the pool for his set and brought Country Splash’s country-meets-DJ concept to its biggest party of the weekend. He also welcomed Cameron Whitcomb and Dasha into the DJ booth during his set.
It Wasn’t All About the Music
Wellness was another part of the weekend that helped set Country Splash apart.
The festival partnered with Sports Research to offer wellness experiences throughout the weekend, including Diplo’s Morning Wellness Experience on Sunday. The hour-long flow session took place on the lawn and gave guests a chance to ease into the final day before the music and festivities got underway.
It was definitely not something I expected to find at a country music festival, but it fit perfectly with the overall experience. Instead of feeling like you had to go full speed all weekend, there were opportunities to slow down, reset and actually enjoy the resort.
Looking Ahead to Year Two
By the time the inaugural Country Splash came to an end, Robert Fried was already thinking about what comes next.
Throughout the weekend, Fried maintained a notably hands-on presence, working alongside his team and interacting with guests and artists alike.
When I asked him about the lessons of year one and what he hopes to take into the next festival, he explained that being hands-on during the inaugural event was intentional.
“Year one, you have to be hands-on in every detail because it’s the only way that you’ll know what to tweak, what’s going wrong, talk with the customers, talk with your guests to find out what their opinions are, what’s good, what’s bad,” Fried told me.
Fried said they’ll take everything they learned from year one and use it to make year two even better. And yes, he confirmed that Country Splash Cabo is coming back.
“Yes, we are planning next year. Yes, it will be in Cabo. Yes, it will be country music,” Fried said. “Not going to say much more than that, but yes, we intend to keep this going for a long, long time.”
The concept, he said, is simple: combine an incredible travel destination like Cabo with A-list country music.
After spending the weekend there, I’d say they accomplished exactly that. Country Splash didn’t feel like a typical music festival. It felt like a vacation where country music happened to be everywhere you looked, and honestly, that’s a pretty great way to spend a long weekend.
The post I Attended the First-Ever Country Splash in Cabo: Here’s What Made It So Different appeared first on Country Now.
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Take a box of mac and cheese and transform it into the heartiest of meals with zero effort by mixing your creamy pasta with a humble can of soup.
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Sen. John Fetterman apparently has a novel approach to public service: If a constituent wants to see him, well, that’s just their bad luck (allegedly).
Newly released text messages obtained by CBS News paint a less-than-flattering picture of the Pennsylvania Democrat’s enthusiasm for some of the basic responsibilities that come with being a United States senator.
According to the messages, Fetterman routinely dismissed — and sometimes outright refused — requests to meet with constituents, attend events in Pennsylvania and participate in hearings.
A former staffer also confirmed the accuracy of reporting first published by The Wall Street Journal.
And some of the exchanges are, well, awkward. And maybe even damning.
At one point, Fetterman questioned why he continued to have meetings with representatives from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The reason, it seems, is that they were concerned about vaccines and Medicaid cuts.
Fetterman’s response was blunt: “Well I’m not.” Not a great response from a politician who claims to be a Democrat.
He then suggested that hospital representatives simply wanted “free trips to DC.”
But perhaps the most shocking alleged exchange involved the funerals of three Pennsylvania police officers who were killed near York last year.
A staffer informed Fetterman that the formal ceremony would begin at noon and last at least three hours. Fetterman’s response?
“3 hours??”
When the staffer explained that the event was essentially the equivalent of three separate funerals, Fetterman reportedly responded, “This may be a nonstarter.”
He also complained that attending would involve “9+ hours driving.”
Meanwhile, Fetterman reportedly claimed he was sick to avoid meeting with a group of paralyzed military veterans from Pennsylvania — only to appear on Fox News instead.
One former staffer offered an especially brutal assessment of the senator’s working style, telling CBS News: “You can’t have any sort of substantial conversation with him about any policy or strategy without it becoming completely derailed or unhinged.”
Fetterman’s office did not respond to CBS News’ request for comment.
The revelations have already prompted criticism from fellow Pennsylvania Democrats.
Rep. Chris Deluzio called Fetterman’s alleged behavior “pathetic,” citing his supposed “laziness” and “disrespect” and saying it demonstrated that the senator has “no sense of duty.”
Rep. Brendan Boyle was even more direct, calling Fetterman a “disgrace” and “lazy trust fund baby.”
Fetterman, who was elected to the Senate in 2022 after previously serving as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, has long cultivated an unconventional political image.
But apparently, there’s a difference between refusing to wear a suit and refusing to meet with wounded vets.
And if these texts are any indication, Fetterman may have discovered that even the age of Trump, politicians are still held to certain standards with regard to their behavior.
John Fetterman Accused of Canceling on Wounded Vets, Skipping Funeral For Slain Police, … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
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Apple pie, apple cobbler, they both are pastry-laden baked apple desserts, so what’s the real difference? And which is the real American dessert?
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Aldi may be one of the cheapest grocery chains around, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t carry quality goods, like its wide selection of different salmon.
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LATROBE, Pa. — Everyone who knows Mike McCarthy understood where his heart always belonged, even if his eyes and feet were firmly wherever else he was. Nothing against Green Bay or Dallas, two places with rich and storied football histories and traditions. Pittsburgh is just different, especially for a Pittsburgh kid. “This is where I’m from. This is the cloth that I was cut from,” the new Steelers coach told me during a recent visit to camp at Saint Vincent College. “When you grow up in Western Pa., we’re all sick in the head because we’re all brainwashed as kids. It’s the greatest place on Earth.” So, yes, it sure is surreal for a kid born in the Greenfield section of Pittsburgh, right across the Monongahela River from Steelers headquarters, to be coming home to that place after all these years, to run the team he bled for as a kid. It’s a bucket list item the 62-year-old never imagined could happen. He spent 23 years in Green Bay and thought he’d be there forever. He spent five years in Dallas and figured that might be his last stop too. And for almost that entire time, the Steelers had just one head coach. Heck, they had only changed coaches five times since McCarthy was born. Then, last January, the news came that Mike Tomlin was stepping down after 19 years running the Steelers — a year to the day after McCarthy was let go in Dallas. “I didn’t expect it,” McCarthy told me. “I don’t think anybody did.” But it was real. And it all started to feel even more real when the Steelers called and invited him in for an interview on Jan. 21 — the 11th anniversary of the day his younger brother Joe died of a heart attack while playing racquetball at a local gym. McCarthy spent most of that day meeting with Steelers owner Art Rooney II, general manager Omar Khan and others in the organization. But then he got to go home to have pizza dinner with his parents, Joe Sr. and Ellen, his three sisters, and everyone else he could gather from the extended McCarthy clan. “It was heavy, because it was my brother’s anniversary of his passing,” McCarthy told me. “Just to have the opportunity to spend a couple extra hours at home with my family, on that day, it almost … the reality gave me the feeling that ‘Hey, there’s a chance this might happen.’” McCarthy has always been a “Yinzer” at heart. He was born and raised in what he called “inner city Pittsburgh,” just five miles to the West of where the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers meet, maybe a 15-minute ride to the site of old Three Rivers Stadium, where his beloved Steelers played for most of his life. He played three sports at the now-closed Bishop Boyle High School. He spent some time when he was home from college working at his father’s local bar. Baseball and basketball were more his thing when he was growing up. He didn’t start playing football until high school. But he knew what football meant to his city. There’s nothing bigger than the Steelers to anyone from there. “I think that’s part of the beauty of the fabric of our great city,” McCarthy told me. “It’s totally intertwined with the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. No disrespect to the 31 other teams, but I don’t think there’s a professional franchise in sports that’s more intertwined than we are with the city of Pittsburgh, the steel industry, the blue-collar background and how the city adjusted and grew. “Just the whole history of our surroundings is such a parallel to how we want to play the game, that we’re willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. That’s something that’s been in place for over 50 years — the black helmets and the black shirts and the way this team plays.” That part is heavy, too, especially for someone who grew up seeing how the city lives and dies with how the Steelers do every Sunday in the fall. He’s taking over for a coach who wore out his welcome despite not having a losing record in any one of his 19 seasons, and who reached the playoffs five times in the last six years. The last time the Steelers had a losing season was 23 years ago. The last Steelers coach who didn’t win a Super Bowl for the franchise was Chuck Noll’s predecessor, Bill Austin, who was fired a year before the AFL and NFL were fully and officially merged. It’s a place where nothing short of a championship will ever be enough. “I’m from the old school neighborhood, so trust me, I know how this thing goes,” McCarthy told me. “And I welcome that. We have an obligation to the generations before us to uphold the play style and the success that’s gone on before us. And that’s something I embrace.” All the other McCarthys embraced it too. When he was introduced as the new Steelers coach, just 11 days after Tomlin’s exit, it was like a big family reunion at Acrisure Stadium, with relatives filling up the first couple of rows. There were more tears and more emotions than McCarthy thought he could ever have at once. But it just felt right, like it was always meant to happen. He met his wife and they had four of their five children during his years in Green Bay. He loved most of his time in Dallas working for the Jones family, too. But he could feel there’s just something different about finally coming home. “As you go away to college around the country — and I’ve been fortunate to be in the NFL for over 30 years — everybody knows,” McCarthy told me. “We all know who we are in the NFL. If you’re from Western Pa., it’s a bond. It’s a pride component that you all root for each other, in a sense. I think that’s unique. And I think anybody that knows me from my time in other parts of the country, they know where I’m from and the pride that I have being from here.” Now it’s part pride, but a lot more responsibility. Being the hometown hero will only go so far. His homecoming may be a great story, but for most of his fellow Yinzers, only bringing home the Steelers’ seventh Super Bowl trophy will do. “Well, I wouldn’t say I imagined it yet, but I’m working toward that,” McCarthy told me. “That’s why I do this. And now, to be able to do this back home, trust me, it’s not lost on me how special this opportunity is. That’s what gets me up in the morning. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think I could win the Super Bowl here.” He already won one, back in 2010 in Green Bay. But he knows doing it here would just be different. Because there really is no place like home.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports