Emily Hofstaedter

The City of Nome has seen a small bump in COVID-19 cases with three new cases reported in one week. Local health and government officials are reminding residents that COVID-19 is still present in the region and measures need to be followed to keep spread low.

If you require a gluten-free diet and have recently purchased pre-made chicken noodle soup at Hanson’s in Nome, you might want to double-check your soup packaging.

Twenty-one mushers have crossed the finish line in Deshka, leaving 15 teams still out on the historic Iditarod Gold Trail Loop.

Without the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race coming to town, the City of Nome and many commercial establishments expect to take a financial loss this year.

Dallas Seavey is the first place finisher for Iditarod 49. He is the second-ever musher to achieve five Iditarod wins, which ties him with Rick Swenson as winningest Iditarod musher in race history.

Three mushers are now back into Skwentna, the last checkpoint of the 2021 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and what is being called this year’s “White Mountain”. Dallas Seavey has a lead of one hour and one minute and that could be all he needs to seal a winning finish. That finish will likely happen in the early morning hours of Monday.

Aaron Burmeister was the first musher into Rohn southbound this afternoon. He pulled into Rohn southbound at 4:26 this afternoon and he has all 14 dogs on the line. His team has less than 200 miles to go.

Seavey maintains his lead by a few hours. He still does have to take an eight hour break, as per races rules. He can take that here in McGrath, or in Nikolai or Takotna. Sass must also take that eight-hour layover. Meanwhile, Ryan Redington and Aaron Burmeister, in fourth and fifth positions, have taken that required layover. That could give them a strategic advantage as the race continues.

After being canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Nome-Golovin 200 is back on this year. The annual snowmachine race is scheduled to depart from Nome’s East Beach tomorrow and have racers do the 190-mile loop out to Golovin and back.