A former Bethel principal is sentenced to prison, and a COVID-19 outbreak ends an Alaska cruise

Plus: Why doesn't Alaska have a Trader Joe’s (or Ikea, or Whole Foods)? Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good morning. It’s Tuesday, July 13. In today's newsletter: - A former Bethel elementary school principal is sentenced to 15 years for trying to sexually entice a child. - A Southeast Alaska cruise is cut short, and another is canceled, after 3 people test positive for COVID-19. - Why doesn't Alaska have a Trader Joe’s (or Ikea, or Whole Foods)? One of Alaska’s biggest summer music festivals is back: [Salmonfest has announced its 2021 lineup]( with headliners Sarah Jarosz, a four-time Grammy-winning bluegrass artist, and bluegrass-rock group Greensky Bluegrass. According to organizers, there will be 65 acts spread out over five stages, as well as more than 100 vendors and a daily children’s program. The festival returns to the Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds in Ninilchik on Aug. 6-8. ⛅ Anchorage weather Partly sunny skies and a high near 66 this afternoon. Some isolated showers are possible through the evening, then tomorrow should be another partially sunny day in the mid-60s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Ryan Cunningham, rcunningham@adn.com [Former Bethel principal sentenced to 15 years for trying to sexually entice a child]( [Former Bethel principal sentenced to 15 years for trying to sexually entice a child]( Christopher Carmichael, the former principal at Gladys Jung Elementary School, will spend the rest of his life on supervised release after he serves his prison sentence. Carmichael was arrested in late 2019 after Bethel police and the FBI found that he sent sexually explicit messages to a girl he believed to be 13 years old and that he had an ongoing relationship with a former student, according to the federal charges. Parents had [complained about Carmichael to police]( at least twice in the four years prior to the FBI investigation. [Read More]( [Southeast Alaska cruise cut short and another canceled after 3 people test positive for COVID-19]( [Southeast Alaska cruise cut short and another canceled after 3 people test positive for COVID-19]( Three people are isolating in Petersburg after testing positive for COVID-19 while onboard a small cruise ship. The remaining passengers returned to Juneau, where the cruise ended. Two of the three people who contracted the virus were fully vaccinated, American Cruise Lines says. The cruise company's policy requires passengers to be fully vaccinated, but some crew members were not, according to the Petersburg Medical Center. [Read More]( [Curious Alaska: Why don’t we have a Trader Joe’s (or Ikea, or Whole Foods)?]( [Curious Alaska: Why don’t we have a Trader Joe’s (or Ikea, or Whole Foods)?]( Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Ikea are among some of the most popular retail and grocery chains that haven’t made it to the 49th state. But it's not for lack of interest from Alaskans: For example, a "Bring Trader Joe’s to Alaska" page on Facebook, started by a Seward man nine years ago, remains active with over 2,200 likes. Despite the enthusiasm, logistical challenges and corporate expansion strategies seem to undercut attempts to lure those stores into Alaska. [Read More]( [Judge hears case challenging Alaska’s new ranked-choice election system]( [Judge hears case challenging Alaska’s new ranked-choice election system]( A Superior Court judge did not immediately rule Monday after hearing arguments on a voter-approved ballot measure to change general elections in Alaska. If allowed to stand, next year’s elections would transition to a ranked-choice voting system with no party primaries. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have argued that the new format is unconstitutional and "harms the right of Alaskans to free political association." An attorney for the group behind the initiative said the plaintiffs misunderstand how ranked-choice voting works. [Read More]( [Former Dunleavy campaign manager and aide to run ‘statehood defense’ initiative targeting Biden administration]( [Former Dunleavy campaign manager and aide to run ‘statehood defense’ initiative targeting Biden administration]( Gov. Mike Dunleavy has announced that former aide Brett Huber will return to the governor’s office to focus on land rights and state sovereignty in disputes with the federal government. Huber is Dunleavy's former director of policy and communications, and he managed his 2018 campaign for governor. The state is facing off against the Biden administration on multiple fronts, though it has agreed with the state in a few key areas, like [supporting a major oil prospect in NPR-A](. [Read More]( More from the ADN [ Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: Two deaths and 174 infections reported over the weekend as hospitalizations jump]( [Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: Two deaths and 174 infections reported over the weekend as hospitalizations jump]( [Read More]( [Man thrown from boat near Fort Yukon found dead, troopers say]( [Man thrown from boat near Fort Yukon found dead, troopers say]( [Read More]( [He was 86 and easygoing — until he shot his boss dead after 31 years on job]( [He was 86 and easygoing during 31 years on the job in Florida — until he shot his boss dead]( [Read More]( [Summer camps are getting hit with COVID-19 outbreaks. Are schools next?]( [Summer camps in the US are getting hit with COVID-19 outbreaks. Are schools next?]( [Read More]( [Stories at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery bring local history to life]( [Stories at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery bring local history to life]( [Read More]( The ADN relies on readers like you. [Get digital access to the ADN for about $4 per week]( and help us cover the news that matters most here in Alaska. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Click here to unsubscribe and manage your email subscriptions.]( Anchorage Daily News Anchorage Daily News 300 W 31st Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99503