Zaz Hollander

Zaz Hollander

Reporter

Longtime ADN reporter Zaz Hollander is based in the Mat-Su and is currently focused on coverage of the coronavirus in Alaska. She also covers the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Contact her at zhollander@adn.com.

Wasilla man pleads guilty to manslaughter in toddler’s 2014 death

Jyzyk Sharpe agreed to serve 10 years in prison in a case stalled by polygraph appeals and the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Zaz Hollander●

New Mat-Su school policy threatens transgender students, advocates say. It may also be illegal.

The decision to bar students from bathrooms or locker rooms that match their gender identity started with reports of one incident at Colony High School last month.

By Zaz Hollander●

Alaska mushing legend Lance Mackey, 4-time Iditarod champ, dies at age 52

Mackey announced last year that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer a second time.

By Zaz Hollander, Zachariah Hughes and Chris Bieri●

Mat-Su bans transgender students from bathrooms that match their gender identity

The school board’s decision at a crowded meeting suspends Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District guidelines in place since before 2015.

By Zaz Hollander●

Former Wasilla lawmaker killed in collision on Glenn Highway

Vic Kohring, 64, represented Wasilla, Chugiak and Mat-Su in the Legislature. He was first elected in 1994 and resigned in 2007, the year he was convicted on federal corruption charges.

By Zaz Hollander●

Final photos depict deteriorating weather in 2021 Ketchikan flightseeing crash that killed 6

The pilot, who died in the crash, was involved in a different incident a month earlier, federal investigators say.

By Zaz Hollander●

Mat-Su school district’s bus contractor moves past ‘unacceptable’ start

District officials now say they were tracking eight or 10 unaccounted-for students on a chaotic first day of school last week as Durham School Services started a new contract.

By Zaz Hollander●

Palmer man convicted on federal murder charges linked to string of Mat-Su robberies

John Pearl Smith II attempted to steal drugs from Mat-Su homes in 2015 and 2016 and killed two people in 2016, prosecutors say.

By Zaz Hollander●

Mat-Su school transportation crisis prompts cancellation of sports buses

Schools this week told families they would provide an update to the situation in mid-September.

By Zaz Hollander●

From missed stops to missing children, Mat-Su families report busing chaos as school begins

A new contractor, Durham School Services, has a 10-year contract to handle transportation for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District starting this year.

By Zaz Hollander●

Last and youngest defendant in 2016 murder of Mat-Su teen sentenced to 75 years in prison

Bradley Renfro lied repeatedly to investigators about David Grunwald’s killing and rejected wearing a wire to help Alaska State Troopers, according to testimony.

By Zaz Hollander●

Alaska hunting guide serving 6 months in prison for ‘multi-year wildlife crime spree’

Prosecutors say Stephen Jeremy Hicks committed 21 illegal big-game guiding violations from 2015 to 2019.

By Zaz Hollander●

Mat-Su flooding closes roads, threatens homes after deluge soaks Talkeetna Mountains

Borough officials said multiple roads were closed Tuesday and more were being monitored after several days of rain.

By Zaz Hollander●

‘I killed my friend’: Palmer resident sentenced to serve 99 years for 2016 murder of Mat-Su teen

Erick Almandinger was 16 when he was charged in the beating and shooting death of his Colony High School classmate, David Grunwald.

By Zaz Hollander●

Hospital capacity and sick friends: Alaskans rely on new signals to gauge COVID-19 risk as cases rise

All the signs indicate that Alaska, like other states, is in the midst of another surge in COVID-19 cases driven by new and highly infectious variants.

By Zaz Hollander and Annie Berman●