A Chickaloonian wins 'Jeopardy,' and a playlist for you 💌
After last week‘s letter about ditching Instagram, Allie asked how no IG has been going for me. Allie has been off apps since January of 2025, which I have so much respect for. I constantly question what is the right choice given that social media is a big way of how I share AK IRL. I'm not quite there, but my screen time is down to 2ish hours a day, so... I'll take it.
When I was a reporter, my job was a convenient excuse for my excessive screen time. It’s my job! What am I going to do, not stay informed? Well, yes. There is actually a difference between doomscrolling and being informed, unbeknownst to me at the time. I'm still trying to find that balance. If you see a green dot next to my name, no you didn’t 💚 When I'm laying in bed and have the urge to scroll, I've been curating playlists. I told Allie I would share the next time I made one, so here you go —
Ron Clarke's total 'Jeopardy' earnings (pre-taxes): $23K
Ron Clarke of Chickaloon recently made headlines after appearing on Jeopardy, which was taped last month in Los Angeles, according to the Mat-Su Sentinel.
The episode aired last week, on Oct. 13.
The clue: A posted sign told the artists to ‘check your egos at the door’ before the recording of this 1985 single.
Correct answer: 'We Are the World.'
Ron wagered all of his episode's earnings, $9,100, against Greg Monson, and tied the game up to $9,100 to $9,100. Ron also won the tiebreaker, a rare scenario that has only happened seven times since Ken Jennings took over as host in 2021.
Clue: As part of the George W. Bush administration, she served as National Security Advisor and later as secretary of state.
Ron's (correct) answer: Condoleezza Rice.
His first day earnings amounted to $18,200. Ron didn't win the following night's episode, but ended the game with $4,800. He wagered $0.
Clue: A replica of it was built for a 1912 exhibition in Earl's Court, 85 years before another opened on the other side of the river.
Correct answer: The Globe Theater.
Ron's (incorrect) answer: My hovercraft is full of eels.
I immediately understood the reference, and that's on my dad raising me on Monty Python.
I got to googling, and it looks like Ron is a falconer who trained (or trains?) raptors. He earned his master's degree studying birds of prey. From a 2008 article with Alaska Fish & Wildlife News:
[Ron] hunts with a gyrfalcon and a peregrine falcon, and said his 45-ounce gyr can carry an 8-ounce bufflehead duck pretty easily. “He can't do the same with a mallard, though,” he said. At about two pounds, a mallard is four times the weight of a bufflehead. Clarke said an eagle with momentum is a different story.
“On a wide-open beach, I have no doubt that an eagle with a full head of steam could pick up a six- or eight-pound dog and just keep on going,” Clarke said. “If it landed to kill a ten-pounder, and then tried to pick up and fly from a dead stop, could it get off the ground? Probably not.”
Ron's W had me curious about who else from Alaska has appeared on Jeopardy. There are quite literally thousands of episodes of Jeopardy, and subsequently thousands of players. I'm almost positive this is not the full list of Alaska players, but what I could accumulate online. Let me know who I missed!
Jacob Hale – In June 2025, this Anchorage nonprofit finance director played two games, with a total take home of $6,800.
Mary Beth Hammerstrom – During a special 2013 Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament, this Dimond High School teacher netted $50,000.
Ken Higgins – In 1986, this Anchorage resident and woodworker took home $7,550 in season 4. Adjusted for inflation, that's over $23,000 today.
Tim Kiely – This Sitka Coast Guard helicopter pilot had $5,000 going into the final, but wagered incorrectly and ended the game with $2,749.
Brian Meacham – In 2011, this Anchorage film preservationist had a five-game winning streak, where his take home was $92,500. $138.5K after inflation.
Norah McKissic – This Anchorage embroiderer won the majority of her winnings on night one, and ended her two-game streak with $12,400.
Video description: Watch as Norah McKissic, from Anchorage, AK, talks about her winning experience on Jeopardy, with Jimmy from the Clue Crew.
Sarah Sinclair – While she didn't win during her appearance in 2018, this Anchorage romance novelist netted $2,000 and a second place spot.
Jonathan Woodman – In a December 1996 run, this now-Superior Court Judge won three games, securing $32,000. That's nearly $68K adjusted.