Monday Digest

Do You Believe in Magic? Dept: Lance Mackey, winner of the last four consecutive Iditarod races, looks like a sure bet to win this year, too. He is always quick to credit his dogs, but in fact, other racers say this about him:

"He could take your dogs and beat his team with your dogs. That's how good of a musher he is," said Hugh Neff, a Mackey friend who finished ninth. "It ain't just about the dogs -- it's about him. And the magic he has that nobody else seems to have."

Neff isn't alone in that opinion.

"He'll probably be the first to tell you (it's) his dogs ... (but) he doesn't have the best dog team," said Zack Steer of Sheep Mountain, who wound up 12th last year. "I ran with him in the middle of the race. My team was as fast or faster. He wins because of him and because of his passion."

Read more at the link.

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No News is Good News Dept: No recent updates on the "castle doctrine" bill currently making its way through the legislative process in Juneau. Stay tuned.

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You-Always-Hurt-the-Ones-You-Race Dept:

Ellis wins after Streeper is disqualified

Defending champion Blayne Streeper was disqualified from Sunday's final heat of the Fur Rendezvous World Championship Sled Dog Race following an incident on Cordova Street hill Saturday. Video of the event shows Streeper appear to strike and curse at another musher while their teams pass.

Ellis giving final kick to reach the finish line.

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And All the Rest Dept: Gasoline prices continue to inch upward here, but perhaps not as quickly as elsewhere. The station nearest home was at $3.63 per gallon this morning.

Winds in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley (the borough to the north) hit near 50 and 75 mph, respectively, yesterday. The oil port of Valdez had gusts of 95 mph, with damage reported to many of its buildings. It remains windy there today, with gusts expected in the 65 mph range.

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