Retired Major Clint R. Marshall served over twenty-six years in the United States Marine Corps before retiring in 2016 with many Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons awarded.  Born in Alaska, Marshall is the son of the late Elmer Marshall from Chitina Village and a grandson of the late Robert and Mae Marshall. He is Athabascan and a member of the Udzisyu (Caribou) Clan, residing in Tazlina with his wife Katherine, whom he first met on deployment in Australia in 1991. They reconnected and married 18 years later and have been married for over twelve years.

The 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) recently occurred on May 8, 2025 and the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) will occur September 2, 2025. It may come as a surprise to the reader that the top two American commanders during World War II in Europe and the Pacific were German-Americans! 

On May 12, a deceased humpback whale was found near Dock Point Beach in Valdez.  In the hours that followed, members of the Valdez community came out in droves despite the rain to witness this rare event. 

The halls of Glenallen School buzzed with energy and celebration as graduating seniors completed their ceremonial walk through the building—starting at the middle school, weaving through the high school, and ending at the elementary wing.

American Trails announced the 2025 Awardees for its Trail Capacity Fund and a local organization was among the winners. Wellwood Conservancy, a non-profit organization that manages the 115-acre Wellwood Nature Preserve, was awarded a $10,000 grant to develop capacity within the local community for trail maintenance, first aid, and stewardship of the natural world. These funds were provided by the “Ford Bronco Wild Fund,” which supports projects that help to sustain the environment and connect people to the outdoors responsibly. 

On April 30th, Glennallen School came alive with laughter, exploration, and a love of reading during its third Literacy Night of the year, which proved to be a fun, albeit hectic, evening full of engaging activities for students and families alike.

On April 24, the Greater Copper Valley Chamber of Commerce held a spring community potluck supper and dessert auction hosted at the Copper Valley Air Hangar at the Gulkana Airport. A little over 30 people enjoyed the opportunity to share a meal in the short pause between managing winter weather and the busy summer season. Before supper, attendees shared prayers for the young men recently lost in a tragic accident  and all of their loved ones.

On April 22 and 23, the second Environmental Fair was held at Glennallen High School. This public event was organized by CRNA’s Tribal Community Services Environmental Program and included lectures, presentations, booths, and activities from over two dozen local and regional organizations involved in environmental protection, education, and preservation.

On Wednesday, March 23, third through fifth grade students at Kenny Lake Elementary School presented a wax museum exhibit that taught students, parents, and members of the public about interesting historical figures. The wax museum was organized by Jennifer Hodges, who has taught the third through fifth grade class at Kenny Lake for the past seven years. Also on display in her classroom were some of the wax figures made by students in previous years.

The Valdez Animal Shelter made sweeping changes to its visitor, adoption, foster, intake, and outreach policies in early March. All these changes are meant to limit the time animals spend at the shelter and improve the wellbeing of the animals.

Debbie Lorence’s high-school world history class presented a living museum with costumes, displays, and recitations about significant historical figures from ancient times until today.

WISE hosted a “double header” of lectures as part of its 2025 Science Lecture Series at the Wrangell St Elias National Park Visitor Center in Copper Center. Kelsey Stanbro from Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission (AITRC) spoke about toxicology research in moose populations in Ahtna region, and Travis Booms from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) discussed the connection between lead ammunition and poisoning in Alaska’s hunter and wildlife biologist who has spent years evaluating the impact of lead bullets on the Alaska ecosystem. He has worked for 16 years for ADF&G, based in Fairbanks.