Mar 2 2008 11:14PM

A Bismarck native begins the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race today in Alaska... 30-year-old Heather Siirtola is off to a great start in the race, which began in Willow50-miles north of Anchorage. Her father, Jim, tells KX News that everything went sm

Feb 28 2008 1:41PM

Feb 7 2008 11:37PM

Her story gives many North Dakotan's the inspiration to dream big. Last year, Bismarck's Heather Siirtola finshed what's known as "The last great race." The Iditarod covers over a thousand miles of dangerous, beautiful terrain in Alaska

Apr 27 2007 7:49PM

=========================It's definitely winter here. But up in Alaska, there isn't enough snow for the first leg of th

Apr 19 2007 12:52PM

How often do kids get to "meet" their homework? That's what happened to Jordan and Jessica Bushaw at Prairie Rose Elementary. Throughout the Iditarod, the fifth-graders were following musher Heather Siirtola. It was part of a class project - each stud

Apr 13 2007 12:54PM

Apr 12 2007 11:00PM

This time a month ago, Heather Siirtola was about halfway through the Iditarod in Alaska. We kept you up-to-date on her progress every day. Today, Heather came back home and Tracie Bettenhausen got a chance to talk with the Bismarck High graduate.

Mar 21 2007 7:09PM

Another Iditarod musher originally from North Dakota... made it to Nome. Ellen Halverson pulled in just before six this morning in last place. That means she gets this year's Red Lantern award. Heather Siirtola came in last night, in third to last

Mar 21 2007 10:03AM

A Bismarck native has completed the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Heather Siirtola finished the race yesterday in 56th place. Siirtola completed the race in 16 days, one hour and 35 minutes. It was almost exactly a week longer than winner Lance

Mar 20 2007 11:00PM

It's the end of a long road. Heather Siirtola slid into Nome tonight just after six o-clock. Tracie Bettenhausen talked to her about an hour after she pulled into Nome. (Heather Siirtola): "I don't know, I don't think it's hit me yet. I definitely

Mar 20 2007 7:16PM

After seventeen days on the trail Heather Siirtola is minutes from Nome... More than eleven-hundred miles... and more than two weeks later Bismarck's own Heather Siirtola is close to doing what relatively few have. Tracie Bettenhausen is in with m

Mar 20 2007 12:51PM

Iditarod musher Heather Siirtola's just more than 50-miles from the finish. Can you imagine what's going through her head right now? We talked to a man who could... Howard Farley. (Reporter): Howard Farley knows how Heather Siirtola is feeling right no

Mar 19 2007 7:22PM

After one-thousand miles, you'd probably be pretty tired, too... Heather Siirtola spent a little extra time at the Elim checkpoint than expected... and is now on her way to White Mountain. She should make it there before ten-o-clock tonight, if all goe

Mar 19 2007 12:51PM

It looks like Iditarod musher Heather Siirtola will avoid a big honor finishing in last place. She's set to leave the Elim checkpoint heading for White Mountain. There are two mushers quite a way behind Heather, including fellow North Dakotan El

Mar 16 2007 6:52PM

Heather Siirtola's on her way to the biggest village between the start and finish of the Iditarod. And the name of this checkpoint is a doozy Unalakleet. Heather's stepdad Dann Stuart says when she talked to a volunteer at the Eagle Island checkpoi

Mar 14 2007 11:16PM

The top Iditarod mushers have been sliding into Nome for about a full day now. Today, Tracie Bettenhausen talked to the official timer for the race. (Leo Rasmussen/Official Iditarod timer): "It's not another car race, or Daytona 500, or Indianapolis 50

Mar 14 2007 11:16PM

After taking her mandatory eight-hour break... ...Heather Siirtola's back on the trail. She left Grayling just before three this afternoon. The stretch she's on now is entirely on the Yukon River which can be dangerous. Heather's stepdad Dann

Mar 14 2007 12:45PM

For some mushers the Iditarod is now a memory. Last night (Tuesday), about eleven-o-clock our time... Lance Mackey pulled into Nome winning the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. He also becomes the first musher to win major long distance North Amer

Mar 13 2007 7:06PM

It's been ten days since Heather Siirtola took a ceremonial loop around Anchorage. And early this morning, she set out on the second half of her journey. Tracie Bettenhausen recaps Heather's Iditarod run. (Reporter): March third Heather Siirtola wa

Mar 13 2007 1:01PM

About five this morning Heather Siirtola left the Iditarod checkpoint heading into her second half of the dog sled race. We talked to Heather's boss at the restaurant where she works in the off-season. Dennis Freeman runs Westrib Cafe and Pub

Mar 12 2007 12:55PM

Deb Stuart says the wait is nerve-wracking. Iditarod musher Heather Siirtola should have made it to the town of Iditarod over night but isn't there yet. Heather left Ophir about 7:30 yesterday morning. This leg of the race takes 12 to 24 hou

Mar 10 2007 11:09PM

19 mushers have now dropped out of the Iditarod race in Alaska, but not Bismarck native Heather Siirtola. She says she's going to finish the race in Nome. And she's just about half way there. According to her family, Heather is finishing up he

Mar 9 2007 7:25PM

She took a shorter rest than many of the mushers Heather Siirtola left Nikolai, after ten-hours of rest. The Iditarod musher pulled out of Nikolai about three-fifteen this afternoon. She and North Dakota native Ellen Halvorson left within 10-minute

Mar 9 2007 1:04PM

She's made it to another checkpoint! This morning at about 5:30, Iditarod musher Heather Siirtola pulled into Nikolai. The next checkpoint is McGrath where Heather has an extra sled waiting, if she needs it. She has 784-miles to go. Ellen Halverso

Mar 8 2007 7:07PM

A setback today for Iditarod musher Heather Siirtola. After she left Rohn, she had to turn around and go back. Iditarod officials aren't sure how far she was from Rohn, when she turned back. Heather's step-dad Dan Stuart is updating her journey on he

Mar 7 2007 11:06PM

Classrooms follow the Iditarod every year. At Prairie Rose Elementary, a set of twins is following the same musher we are Heather Siirtola. Tracie Bettenhausen has the story. (Sound): cutting paper (Sound): typing (Reporter): School work meets r

Mar 7 2007 12:51PM

Now a quick update on Iditarod racer Heather Siirtola. Heather is still in Rainy Pass with 13-other musher teams. The National Weather Service issued a wind chill advisory which was set to lift minutes ago. The one racer who was behind Heather

Mar 6 2007 7:03PM

Iditarod race Heather Siirtola has made it through a major hurdle... even though she faced a setback earlier in the day. Heather had to leave three of her dogs at the last checkpoint Finger Lake. Here's a look at a map of the route provided by

Mar 5 2007 7:06PM

After an all-night flight, Heather Siirtola's dad is back in Mandan. We've been following Heather's Iditarod run through Alaska. Today's the second day of the race. These are the pictures Jim Siirtola took yesterday with Heather right up there at

Mar 4 2007 11:09PM

He says he never thought it would be so awesome. Those are the words of the father of Bismarck native and Iditarod sled dog racer Heather Siirtola. Just tonight, Siirtola launched her Iditarod treck... about seven central time from Alaska. It

Mar 3 2007 11:00PM

Today, Bismarck native Heather Siirtola got her Iditarod start. This is video from Anchorage-Alaska. Today, the racers are doing a ceremonial loop around Anchorage. The Iditarod was slated to start today from Anchorage but couldn't because th

Mar 2 2007 11:13PM

It's definitely winter here. But up in Alaska, there isn't enough snow for the first leg of the Iditarod, leaving from Anchorage. Heather Siirtola is a Bismarck High School graduate racing the Iditarod as a rookie this year. The Iditarod was suppo

Feb 24 2007 8:30AM

A week and a day until the start of the Iditarod. This year there'll be some North Dakotans watching who've never watched before. Why? They have a stake in one musher's outcome. Tracie Bettenhausen has more in her special report Long Distan

Feb 23 2007 7:07PM

Alaska is the last frontier and they call the Iditarod "The Last Great Race." The 11-hundred mile long dog sled race starts March 3 in Anchorage. Last night, we introduced you to Heather Siirtola. She's a Bismarck High graduate racing the Iditarod

Feb 23 2007 12:57PM

Heather Siirtola has quite a story. While out mushing on a trail, she came across a moose. Heather says moose see sled dogs as a pack of wolves, so it got defensive. It ran through her dogs, and jumped over her sled, hitting her with its knee. Then

Feb 22 2007 11:18PM

March third Anchorage, Alaska will erupt. That's the start date of the Iditarod an 11-hundred mile long dog sled race. Back in North Dakota, we have good reason to watch. Tracie Bettenhausen shows us how Bismarck's own Heather Siirtola made it to

Feb 13 2007 11:09PM

A Bismarck High graduate prepares to compete in a remarkable race. K-X News is excited to bring you a story from way up north - Alaska. Heather Siirtola graduated from Bismarck High School in 1995. In a couple weeks she'll be in the race of her