Mike Mason
Investigative Reporter
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Mike comes to Alaska's News Source with decades of award-winning investigative reporting experience, with dozens of first place awards, including the Alfred I. duPont baton (TV equivalent of the Pulitzer), local and national Edward R. Murrow awards, IRE Certificate, Emmys and top recognition by SPJ, AP and others. His work has changed laws, improved building safety standards and impacted numerous legal decisions. Mike has worked at WLOS in Asheville, North Carolina, WFTS in Tampa and both WFTX and WBBH in Fort Myers and freelanced as an investigative reporter at WPIX in New York City and WXIA in Atlanta.
After taking five years off from a full-time investigative role, Mike jumped back into action here in Alaska in the lead investigative role. Before moving to Alaska, Mike spent most of the past three decades in Florida and Arizona. However, he grew up along the Canadian border in Northern Vermont so he's no stranger to cold weather. Mike's French-Canadian grandparents raised their 16 children on a dairy farm; his mother was number 15. With help from several of his uncles, Mike learned to run trap lines, canoe and do woodworking. Mike also has an art degree and enjoys hiking, creative writing and would someday like to live in his own log cabin here in Alaska.
Education
Affiliations
Awards
Updated: Mar. 1, 2023 at 7:06 PM AKST
|By David Bernknopf and Mike Mason
With documented missteps and a slew of vacated administrative positions, Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson has staved off repeated calls for answers.
Updated: Feb. 16, 2023 at 10:20 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason and Elena Symmes
Some Anchorage School District students with disabilities have been improperly restrained and placed in seclusion as a form of discipline, the DOJ says.
Updated: Feb. 15, 2023 at 2:05 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
Revive Alaska falsely claims to be backed by corporate sponsors. Seattle Mariners and Amvets are among those that say they never supported the Anchorage nonprofit.
Updated: Feb. 8, 2023 at 6:20 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
An update on an Alaska News Source investigation into a nonprofit group that received $750,000 in federal grant money uncovers questions regarding the group’s fundraising efforts. The Anchorage Assembly has already expressed serious concerns after Revive purchased a church with grant money intended to build a food pantry in South Anchorage. Part of that grant agreement required the group to raise matching funds, but no proof has been provided to show that has happened.
Updated: Feb. 2, 2023 at 4:03 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
Revive Alaska now selling church purchased partially with pandemic relief funds, while Anchorage audit shows 65% of fund recipients failed to report how money was spent.
Updated: Jan. 31, 2023 at 10:23 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
Each year the federal government requires cities to estimate the number of unsheltered people living within their communities.
Updated: Jan. 20, 2023 at 7:08 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
Anchorage Municipal Ombudsman Darrel Hess spoke out Thursday, one day after issuing a memo that a municipal “executive” said Mayor Dave Bronson’s office was viewing surveillance footage of the ombudsman’s office to see which employees visited the office and spoke with members of the Anchorage Assembly.
Updated: Jan. 19, 2023 at 6:07 PM AKST
|By Tim Rockey and Mike Mason
Anchorage Municipal Ombudsman Darrel Hess alleged in a memo sent Thursday morning that a municipal “executive” said Mayor Dave Bronson’s office was viewing surveillance footage of the ombudsman’s office to see which employees visited the office and spoke with members of the Anchorage Assembly.
Updated: Jan. 18, 2023 at 5:49 PM AKST
|By David Bernknopf and Mike Mason
The Anchorage Assembly has scheduled special executive sessions and public meetings Thursday and Friday regarding a letter addressed to the Bronson administration by the lawyer for former Anchorage Municipal Manager Amy Demboski earlier this month.
Updated: Jan. 14, 2023 at 5:16 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
The president of an Anchorage nonprofit organization is facing serious questions about how the group spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funds.
Updated: Jan. 12, 2023 at 6:11 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
Anchorage municipal officials say they’re in shock after receiving a wrongful termination letter on Wednesday from former Municipal Manager Amy Demboski’s attorney, accusing Mayor Dave Bronson of several past instances of unethical and illegal behavior.
Updated: Jan. 9, 2023 at 6:57 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
Police have now released the name of the man found dead and lying near the intersection of Benson Boulevard and A Street on Dec. 29, 2022, identifying him as 63-year-old Roger Williams.
Updated: Jan. 3, 2023 at 6:24 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
A woman accused of defrauding a Yakutat widow out of $700,000 and using the money to purchase a home in Bosque County Texas will not serve as treasurer there. Last November, Carla Sigler was elected county treasurer but failed to obtain the required bond needed to maintain that position.
Updated: Dec. 21, 2022 at 5:36 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
Anchorage Assembly investigates after municipal manager fired, claims mayor violated law and city charter.
Updated: Dec. 20, 2022 at 7:22 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
The situation of homeless Anchorage residents has many people demanding something be done to solve the problem.
Updated: Dec. 20, 2022 at 6:32 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
The former municipal manager of Anchorage is speaking out after suddenly being replaced on Monday.
Updated: Dec. 6, 2022 at 6:25 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
December marks one year since John D’Elia, executive chef of Marx Bros Café, was found dead inside the prep kitchen. Now we’re learning more about how he died and the Anchorage police department’s investigation into his death. However, D’Elia’s family and friends still have questions.
Updated: Nov. 30, 2022 at 11:09 AM AKST
|By Mike Mason
The case involved a now deceased woman named Neva Ogle, who was in her mid-80s at the time. Superior Court Judge Daniel Shally determined that former Yakutat residents, Carla and James Vernon Sigler, took $700,000 in funds from Ogle over a period of two years, beginning in 2012.
Updated: Nov. 28, 2022 at 7:32 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
Dozens of potential victims came forward to the Division of Banking and Securities following the publication by Alaska’s News Source of an alleged fraudulent multi-million-dollar investment scheme, DBS officials said.
Updated: Nov. 22, 2022 at 6:46 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
When Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, it required states to enact a sex offender registry for those convicted of certain sex crimes.
Updated: Nov. 16, 2022 at 6:29 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
This year has seen the highest number of inmate deaths recorded within the Department of Corrections, according to department records that go back to 2000. Family members of those inmates now question whether the department has been doing enough to properly treat every inmate in their care.
Updated: Nov. 9, 2022 at 6:36 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
Some voters are outraged about a mailer from Governor Dunleavy's campaign, calling it an invasion of privacy clearly designed to shame them into voting. At the top of the page, the letter states, “public records indicate you have a below average voting record.”Some thought it was either a prank or sleazy intimidation tactic and, in one case, it actually created a rift between neighbors.
Updated: Nov. 8, 2022 at 9:33 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
The Department of Justice was out monitoring several polling places throughout Alaska on Election Day.
Updated: Nov. 7, 2022 at 7:20 PM AKST
|By Mike Mason
The only ballot measure to come before Alaskan voters this year has also been the center of controversy. The issue is whether voters will approve a constitutional convention, which only comes on the ballot once every 10 years. So far, it has never been enacted, but people on both sides of the issue feel it could go either way this time and speculate on what will happen if it passes.
Updated: Nov. 1, 2022 at 3:30 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
The decision on whether to approve a review of Alaska’s constitution is the only ballot measure before Alaska voters this year.
Updated: Oct. 31, 2022 at 6:24 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
The decision on whether to approve a review of Alaska’s constitution is the only ballot measure before Alaska voters this year.
Updated: Oct. 27, 2022 at 2:02 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
The 16 deaths of incarcerated persons are the highest number reported since 2002, when the department also reported 16 inmates died that year. The department issued a press release Tuesday announcing the death of 69-year-old Paul Allen Harris at Goose Creek Correctional Center. Harris had been in custody since 2016 and the press release described Harris’ death as “expected.”
Updated: Oct. 25, 2022 at 7:40 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Some business owners are taking action to help manage the homeless situation in Downtown Anchorage. They say the presence of homeless people has been driving away tourists and is bad for business.
Updated: Oct. 21, 2022 at 11:57 AM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
An in-depth look into the homeless situation in Anchorage found that tracking their numbers and determining where they came from can be a complex task. While some people are placed in temporary shelters, others are experiencing homelessness on street corners and in tents. In many cases, who these people are and what lead them to become displaced can be difficult to determine. The answers to those questions may also depend upon who you ask.
Updated: Oct. 18, 2022 at 6:44 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
According to Alaska’s Division of Banking and Securities (DBS), an Anchorage man is suspected of defrauding dozens of Alaskans out of millions of dollars in a Ponzi-like scheme.
Updated: Sep. 29, 2022 at 7:50 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
The city’s deadline to close Centennial Campground has many of the homeless worried about where they’ll go and how they’ll get there.
Updated: Sep. 28, 2022 at 7:14 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Two more inmates have died while in the custody of Alaska’s Department of Corrections, according to a press release issued Tuesday. That brings the total number to 14 for the year.
Updated: Sep. 26, 2022 at 5:07 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Former Acting Attorney General Clyde “Ed” Sniffen has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexually abusing a minor.
Updated: Sep. 22, 2022 at 6:41 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Bob Bodell, 71, of Soldotna, claims he was sitting in the passenger seat of a stranded SUV on the side of Sterling Highway, waiting for his friends to return with some gas, when a rookie Alaska State Trooper tased, maced, and struck him twice for simply exercising his right to remain silent. However, the troopers’ version of what happened that night is much different.
Updated: Sep. 22, 2022 at 5:54 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Robert “Bob” Bodell was 71 years old in January of 2021 when, he claims, a rookie Alaska State Trooper tased, maced and beat him after exercising his right to remain silent.
Updated: Sep. 9, 2022 at 7:37 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Alaska State Representative David Eastman was in court Thursday morning, as attorneys argued whether he had a right to remain in office after being identified as a member of the Oath Keepers.
Updated: Sep. 8, 2022 at 7:12 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Records indicate that two complaints about alleged gambling filed with the Anchorage Police Department more than a year ago were apparently closed with no follow up investigation. The complaints were filed against West Side Arcade, formerly located in a strip mall at 3600 Minnesota Boulevard in Anchorage. Last February, Alaska News Source received tips from former patrons of the business, claiming it was a front for illegal gambling.
Updated: Aug. 26, 2022 at 7:40 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Two teachers and the director of an Anchorage daycare are fired after investigators say they hit children, would fall asleep on the job and called the kids derogatory names. The investigation centered around the Southcentral Foundation Employee Family Center, which is located at 4145 Tudor Centre Drive in Anchorage. It’s staffed by KinderCare, a national company composed of providers who pride themselves on providing exceptional children services.
Updated: Aug. 22, 2022 at 7:52 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason and David Bernknopf
The Alaska Black Caucus and other civil rights groups are threatening legal action against the Anchorage Police Department for not buying body cameras, even though residents voted to pay for them more than a year ago.
Updated: Aug. 18, 2022 at 9:18 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Alaska’s rarely used Amber Alert system paid off in a big way last night, helping alert the state of a missing youth.
Updated: Aug. 17, 2022 at 6:59 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Alaska State Troopers finally received funding needed to purchase body-worn cameras, which will soon be issued as standard equipment for all troopers and Alaska Wildlife Troopers throughout the state.
Updated: Aug. 9, 2022 at 6:38 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
Anchorage Health Director Joe Gerace resigned amid reports that he falsified his credentials in order to obtain his high paying city position. In response, Mayor Dave Bronson issued a press release promising to investigate the city's hiring practices.
Updated: Aug. 1, 2022 at 8:06 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
A woman charged with killing two men in the Sand Lake area has been formally arraigned on charges of first-degree murder.
Updated: Jul. 22, 2022 at 10:21 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
A woman who is charged with the killings of two men in Anchorage over the July Fourth weekend may have had mental issues, according to one woman who knew her.
Updated: Jul. 22, 2022 at 9:50 AM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
The park is currently being used as a temporary homeless shelter, now said to be housing nearly 200 people after the closure of Sullivan Arena.
Updated: Jul. 18, 2022 at 6:43 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
An Anchorage woman lost more than $4,000 after falling victim to a scam that appeared to have originated from the Social Security Administration.
Updated: Jun. 28, 2022 at 10:00 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
A father’s six-year fight to expose what he calls “potentially deadly guardrails” came to an end on Tuesday in a Tennessee courtroom. Steve Eimers sued Lindsay Corporation, the manufacturer of the X-Lite guardrail, after his 17-year-old daughter, Hannah, was killed when her car slammed into an X-Lite guardrail in Tennessee in 2016.
Updated: Jun. 15, 2022 at 10:04 AM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
An Alaska’s News Source investigation into alleged safety issues surrounding the X-Lite guardrail found there are hundreds of these guardrails installed in Alaska.
Updated: Jun. 9, 2022 at 8:05 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
For nearly six years, a father has been on a mission to warn states and drivers about what he calls “potentially deadly dangers” on our nation’s roadways.
Updated: Jun. 9, 2022 at 7:03 PM AKDT
|By Mike Mason
ATF agents hosted a media training course at the Alaska Law Enforcement Museum on Tuesday, hoping to educate both reporters and the public.
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