Ketchikan students dressed as cowboys for a basketball game against Metlakatla, prompting criticism and raw emotions

Also: Jury finds Maine man guilty in Fairbanks cold-case murder Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, February 10. In today's newsletter: - Ketchikan students dressed as cowboys for a basketball game against Metlakatla, prompting criticism and raw emotions in Alaska’s only Native reserve. - A jury found Steven Downs of Maine guilty of the 1993 murder and sexual assault of 20-year-old Sophie Sergie at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. - Alaskan Keegan Messing wrapped up his whirlwind Winter Olympics with a strong free skate. This week's gardening column from Jeff Lowenfels explains it's possible to start seeds outdoors a lot earlier than you might think. With the right setup, you can start certain seeds outside in the thick of winter, and end up with starts that germinate in the spring and can be planted into the garden without hardening off. [Here's how to pull that off.]( 🌤️ Anchorage weather It's a beautiful day in Anchorage, with partly sunny skies and a high of around 21 degrees. Wind is in the forecast tonight and tomorrow, especially along Turnagain Arm and at higher elevations, where wind speeds of up to 35 mph are expected. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Elizabeth Harball, eharball@adn.com [Ketchikan students dressed as cowboys for a basketball game against Metlakatla, prompting criticism and raw emotions in Alaska’s only Native reserve]( [Ketchikan students dressed as cowboys for a basketball game against Metlakatla, prompting criticism and raw emotions in Alaska’s only Native reserve]( The Ketchikan pep squad dressed in a “country” theme for Saturday’s game. To players and parents from Metlakatla — an Indigenous community in Southeast Alaska where basketball is an important part of everyday life — the outfits were a painful symbol of the cowboys and Indians stereotype that is associated with a history of brutal violence toward Native Americans. [Read More]( [Jury finds Maine man guilty in Fairbanks cold-case murder]( [Jury finds Maine man guilty in Fairbanks cold-case murder]( Steven Downs was found guilty Thursday for the 1993 murder and sexual assault of 20-year-old Sophie Sergie in a dormitory at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. For nearly three decades, police made no arrests in the case, but Downs, now 47, was tied to the crime and arrested in 2019 when his DNA was matched to the scene through genetic genealogy. [Read More]( [Alaskan Keegan Messing wraps up his whirlwind Winter Olympics ]( [Alaskan Keegan Messing wraps up his whirlwind Winter Olympics]( Alaska figure skater Keegan Messing saw the world on his way to the Winter Olympics — arriving in the nick of time earlier this week after traveling from Vancouver to Montreal to Milan to Beijing. On Wednesday night in China, he gave the world a nice show to watch. [Read More]( [Anchorage state Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson is first Democrat to enter race for U.S. Senate]( [Anchorage state Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson is first Democrat to enter race for U.S. Senate]( Alaska state Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson is the first Black U.S. Senate candidate in Alaska history and is the first Democrat to confirm a run for the seat currently held by Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski. [Read More]( [Sarah Palin tells libel suit jury the New York Times was Goliath to her David]( [Sarah Palin tells libel suit jury the New York Times was Goliath to her David]( Palin used her second day on the witness stand to accuse the Times of deliberately fabricating lies that hurt her reputation - the basis of a lawsuit accusing the newspaper of libel that has resulted in a trial in federal court in Manhattan. [Read More]( More from the ADN [Alaska Court System faces significant trial backlog as courtrooms reopen from COVID-19 closures]( [Alaska Court System faces significant trial backlog as courtrooms reopen from COVID-19 closures]( [Read More]( [Bridge blockade in Canada threatens North American auto industry]( [Bridge blockade in Canada threatens North American auto industry]( [Read More]( [The U.S. Army has released its first-ever climate strategy. Here’s what that means.]( [The U.S. Army has released its first-ever climate strategy. Here’s what that means.]( [Read More]( [US inflation jumped 7.5% in January over 2021, a 40-year high]( [US inflation jumped 7.5% in January over 2021, a 40-year high]( [Read More]( [Mask mandates continue to fall as Fauci says U.S. may be approaching ‘normality’]( [Mask mandates continue to fall as Fauci says U.S. may be approaching ‘normality’]( [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