In this March 6, 1999 file photo, soap opera star Susan Lucci takes a ride in the sled of musher Rick Mackey at the start of the 27th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska. | Article: Mark Thiessen, AP - Photo: Al Grillo, AP - Alaska Public Media
Rick Mackey, the winner of the 1983 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, has died of lung cancer, his daughter told The Associated Press Wednesday. Mackey, who died Monday, was 71.
The Mackey name is closely tied to the history of the Iditarod, the grueling race that takes mushers and their dog teams 1,000 miles across the Alaska wilderness to the finish line on the Bering Sea coast. Rick’s father, Dick, won the race in 1978, and his late brother Lance won an unprecedented four straight championships from 2007 through 2010.
Rick Mackey was diagnosed with lung cancer two...
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Iditarod musher Ramey Smyth at the 2020 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ceremonial start in Anchorage Saturday, March 7, 2020. | Article: Ben Townsend (KNOM - Nome), Image: Joey Mendolia (Alaska Public Media) - Nome, Alaska
The Iditarod Trail Committee announced that veteran musher Ramey Smyth will build the new Burled Arch for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The selection comes after the previous arch, a fixture of the race’s finish line in Nome, collapsed unexpectedly on April 28.
Smyth has a long history with the Iditarod, entering the race 27 times dating all the way back to 1994. Smyth is also the owner of Smyth Logwork and Construction, a log home builder based in Willow. The Smyth family has been building log homes since the late 1950s, according to their website. Iditarod...
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