Articles written by Chris Bieri


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  • After 25 years as coach, Wrangell grad Archie Young leaves Mt. Edgecumbe

    Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News|Mar 27, 2024

    Archie Young likes to joke that August is like Christmas for the coaches at Mt. Edgecumbe, full of surprises for the season ahead. The state-run public boarding school in Sitka has new students coming in and departing each year, and it isn't until classes start and the dust settles that the coaches know who might be representing the school on various athletic fields and courts. In 25 years as a teacher and coach, Young has thrived as a stabilizing force in those unpredictable circumstances. But...

  • Whale Pass 10-year-old wins medals at national taekwondo tournament

    Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News|Jul 26, 2023

    Whale Pass youngster Jesse Dempsey started practicing taekwondo as a kindergartner with a very simple goal: to help control his temper. In the past five years, Jesse has made strides toward that objective and progressed his skills to the point where he could compete at the international level. And recently the 10-year-old has found plenty of training partners in his small town on Prince of Wales Island. Despite a population that rarely crests above 100 even during the busy summer season, Jesse...

  • Skagway Puppy Bus video romps to 44 million views on TikTok

    Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News|Jan 11, 2023

    The dogs of Mo Mountain Mutts have caused a stir before. Not by howling or barking, but by warming the hearts of canine lovers around the world. The Mo Mountain Mutts dog walking business, owned and operated by Skagway resident Mo Thompson, has produced a few viral videos over the past year. But a video of four dogs being picked up by the Puppy Bus last month has become an undeniable sensation, receiving more than 48 million views on TikTok alone, not to mention other social media platforms...

  • Petersburg basketball player gets his wish and shoots hoops with NBA star

    Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News|Jul 27, 2022

    Joseph Tagaban is excited to suit up for the Petersburg High School basketball team this winter as a sophomore. A year ago, that was anything but a certainty. In December 2020, Tagaban was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a potentially aggressive form of cancer. The 15-year-old spent the better part of a year in Seattle receiving treatments, and his cancer is in remission. Now, after a recent meeting with an NBA superstar, Tagaban is ready to take on opponents on the court. Tagaban met wit...