As the vibrant days of summer begin to wane, Alaskans are reminded of the fleeting nature of the season. Although summer in Alaska is notoriously short, it is the early departure of the Violet-Green Swallows that heralds autumn’s approach. By mid-July, these agile creatures have raised their young, and soon after, they are seen feasting on insects by the lakeside. Their instinctual journey south marks the first wave of our avian residents fleeing the north, quickly followed by warblers and the melodious Swainson’s Thrushes.
First up today: An Alaska diesel mechanic, who was adept at repairing and modifying diesel engines to keep them running in Alaska’s frigid winters, was fined by the Biden Environmental Protection Agency for modifying these engines without permission. He has now received a presidential pardon from President Trump.
In a notable development, Mackenzie “Mac” Spurlock, an adept diesel mechanic from Wasilla, has made headlines. Spurlock, known for his skill in adapting diesel engines to withstand Alaska’s harsh winters, faced legal consequences after modifying these engines without required authorizations. The Environmental Protection Agency, under President Biden’s administration, had fined him heavily, but he recently received a presidential pardon from former President Donald Trump.
In June 2022, the drama unfolded further when the EPA, under Biden’s leadership, staged a dramatic raid on Spurlock’s workshop, Matanuska Diesel LLC, deploying dozens of armed agents and collaborating with various federal agencies flown in from as far as California, Washington, and Oregon. Spurlock, who served as an aerospace propulsion technician in the Alaska Air National Guard for six years, became embroiled in this high-profile case.
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, representing Alaska and serving on the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, has been an outspoken critic of the stringent regulations introduced during Obama’s administration under the Clean Air Act. Sullivan championed Spurlock’s cause, penning a letter to President Trump on March 12, urging for Spurlock’s full and unconditional pardon, a gesture that has now come to fruition.
That’s great news. Too many people from Outside don’t understand conditions up here, especially our winters, although a lot of people living in the northern stretches of the states along the Canadian border likely have a pretty good idea. Mr. Spurlock was making things worse in extreme conditions to help people earn their daily bread, and what the Biden people did to him was unconscionable.
Alaska Man score: Five smooth-running diesel engines.
And, in other news, here’s an interesting tidbit from the Alaska State Troopers.
On July 4, 2026, at 6:18 pm, the Alaska State Troopers received an SOS from the iPhone Emergency Relay Center, reporting that a 17-year-old male had lost his shoes near Snowbird Hut in Willow. Someone in the party hiked to obtain cell service and informed Troopers that they were in a snowy area and unable to hike out. Alaska Mountain Rescue Group was contacted, accepted the mission, and responded to the area. AMRG located the hikers and assisted them back to the parking area. No injuries were reported.
Now, first, it’s great that all involved are safe. That’s the main thing. But notice where they were caught – in a snowy area. This isn’t up on the North Slope, mind you; it was in Willow, in south-central Alaska, right here in our own Susitna Valley. And hikers were caught in a snowy area. On the 4th of July. Gotta love Alaska. Mind you, this was up near Hatcher Pass, which folks hereabout call being “up on the mountain,” so considerably higher elevation than our digs. You’ll find snow in Colorado in the mountains year-round, but at around thrice the altitude of this.
Alaska Man score: 5 moose nuggets for the Mountain Rescue Group for getting these folks out OK.
Now, let’s have a look at a perfectly ridiculous thing that I found I just had to have.
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