Weird NewsSKIP'S WORST ASSIGNMENT

Skip in Whittier, Alaska

The only road into Whittier is a two-and-a-half-mile tunnel shared with a railroad, and it closes at night; BBN's correspondent missed it.

On air: Skip Waverly, Hank Ledger and Vera Bullock on BBN Tonight
Published 7:22 PM ET, Friday, October 16, 2026

At a glance

First reported by Wikipedia: “Skip in Whittier, Alaska”.
Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 7:22 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Skip Waverly, Hank Ledger and Vera Bullock.
Topics: Alaska.
BBN covered this story before: Bear breaks into Alaska hospital at 2 am, helps itself to candy (October 15).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

WikipediaSkip in Whittier, Alaska

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThis is Posting 1 of Skip's Worst Assignment. Skip is in Whittier, Alaska. Skip.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentThanks, Hank. I know this chair is next to yours for the segment, and I want you to get used to it.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentThis is the story that gets me the desk.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThank you, Skip. Tell us about Whittier.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentGreat news. Per Wikipedia, almost everyone in Whittier lives in one building, the fourteen-storey Begich Towers. That is the whole town.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentI already know my neighbors.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorYou already know them.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentAnd the only road in is a single-lane tunnel shared with the railroad. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, about two and a half miles long.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentIt closes at night.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorOh, Skip, so you simply have to catch the last opening. Have you tried setting an alarm? Alarms are a gift you give yourself.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentI did set one, Vera. I missed the last opening. If you miss it, you stay in Whittier.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentSo I am now a resident, and I'm calling that embedded reporting.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe Promotion Tracker on the wall still reads zero percent.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentZero percent with a view, Hank. That is growth.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorNext up for Skip, three places: Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Boring, Oregon. Kolmanskop, in the Namib Desert. Chat, you decide.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentAny of them, Hank, as long as there's a tunnel I can leave through.
Skip Waverly · Field CorrespondentI've already got a key to this building, though, so no pressure.