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Tuesday, Aug 4

Alaska lost 15.8% of its federal civilian workers in two years, ISER economist reports

Alaska lost 15.8% of its federal civilian workers in two years, more than the national rate, mostly through buyouts rather than firings, hitting rangers and field staff hardest.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Alaska lost 15.8% of its federal civilian workers in two years, ISER economist reports

Alaska moves to hand four more land tracts to a housing agency, no bidding required

Alaska is proposing to transfer four more state land tracts to its housing agency without competitive bidding — part of an ongoing push to turn public land into housing development.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Alaska moves to hand four more land tracts to a housing agency, no bidding required

Anchorage school board bets its emergency reserve on money that may not come

The Anchorage School Board will vote Tuesday on spending nearly all its emergency reserve to reopen 45 positions, betting on state money that isn't guaranteed until Aug. 31.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Anchorage school board bets its emergency reserve on money that may not come

Bering Sea cod trawl fee drops to 2.09% after fishery value jumps

Federal cost recovery fees on Bering Sea cod trawlers dropped from 3% to 2.09% after the fishery's value jumped 42%. But fishermen still want to know what the fees pay for.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Cover image for article: Bering Sea cod trawl fee drops to 2.09% after fishery value jumps

Weak coho run cuts Little Susitna limit to one fish, bans bait

A weak coho run cut the Little Susitna limit to one fish and banned bait through Sept. 30, with just 438 fish counted against a goal of over 9,200.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Little Susitna River, Alaska
Cover image for article: Weak coho run cuts Little Susitna limit to one fish, bans bait

FAA retires two Alaska flight routes in a satellite-navigation shift

The FAA will retire two Alaska flight routes Oct. 29 and extend a third, part of a shift from ground-based to satellite navigation over non-radar terrain.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: FAA retires two Alaska flight routes in a satellite-navigation shift

Kodiak has until Oct. 2 to weigh in on Terror Lake relicensing

Kodiak residents have until Oct. 2 to tell FERC what to study as Terror Lake Hydro seeks relicensing — a review touching power costs and the river.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Kodiak has until Oct. 2 to weigh in on Terror Lake relicensing

EPA grants Alaska authority to permit hazardous waste facilities

Alaska takes over permitting and enforcement of hazardous waste facilities starting Aug. 6, after EPA approved the state's application despite three requests to delay.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago5 min read
Cover image for article: EPA grants Alaska authority to permit hazardous waste facilities

More from Alaska

Dunleavy proclaims August 4th Coast Guard Appreciation Day in Alaska

Alaska marked Coast Guard Appreciation Day. In a state where fishing is the deadliest U.S. job and most people live on the coast, the recognition carries more weight than most.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Dunleavy proclaims August 4th Coast Guard Appreciation Day in Alaska

A free hut near Snowbird Glacier could get a new 10-year state lease

A free backcountry hut near Snowbird Glacier — no membership, just get yourself there — could keep going under a new 10-year state lease.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska
Cover image for article: A free hut near Snowbird Glacier could get a new 10-year state lease

Barrow man faces a meth charge after 14 grams found in impounded SUV

A driver stopped near Girdwood faces a new felony meth charge after troopers found just over 14 grams of methamphetamine in his impounded SUV.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Barrow man faces a meth charge after 14 grams found in impounded SUV

A 675-mile snowmachine patrol reached nine Interior villages

Tanana Chiefs Conference officers ran a 675-mile snowmachine patrol across nine Interior villages, part of a push to extend law enforcement to remote Alaska.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Interior Alaska
Cover image for article: A 675-mile snowmachine patrol reached nine Interior villages

Juneau sets hearing on $1.5M City Hall sale to Sealaska Heritage Institute

Juneau hears testimony Aug. 17 on selling the old City Hall site to Sealaska Heritage Institute for $1.5M for an arts center, or opening it to higher bids.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Juneau sets hearing on $1.5M City Hall sale to Sealaska Heritage Institute

Legislators to hear the case for a gas line as the effort stalls

A minority caucus will host an Anchorage gasline listening session with only supporters, as the effort sits stalled in a third special session with no bill.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Legislators to hear the case for a gas line as the effort stalls

Anchorage Assembly weighs 10-year tax break for condos above shops and offices

Anchorage weighs a 10-year property-tax break for buyers of new condos above shops to spur housing, but critics ask whether the price cap lets it build much.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Anchorage Assembly weighs 10-year tax break for condos above shops and offices

Troopers and corrections officers recruit at the Mat-Su Job Center

Two Alaska public-safety agencies are recruiting at the Mat-Su Job Center in Wasilla — State Troopers on Wednesday, corrections officers every Friday.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Troopers and corrections officers recruit at the Mat-Su Job Center

About Alaska

Alaska is a United States state spanning Arctic, subarctic and coastal regions. Its communities range from Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau to Kodiak, the North Slope and villages such as McGrath and Adak that sit off the road system.

The Legislature, the governor's office and state agencies set policy on oil and gas, fisheries, transportation and public lands, and state boards such as the Board of Fisheries and the AIDEA board decide on catch rules, loans and investments. Cities and boroughs keep their own budgets, taxes, liquor licenses and planning decisions.

Questions that recur across the state include local budgets and tax rates, fishery catch limits, air service and ports for remote communities, and decisions on state land. Federal agencies and courts also shape life in Alaska, from air service contracts for rural towns to the certification of statewide election results.

More from Alaska

Interior proposes easing Arctic offshore drilling safety rules

The Trump administration proposed easing post-Deepwater Horizon safety rules for Arctic offshore drilling off Alaska, reviving the spill-risk debate.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Arctic Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska
Cover image for article: Interior proposes easing Arctic offshore drilling safety rules

Chugach seeks industrial zoning for its campus, dropping a buffer

Chugach wants to rezone its Anchorage North Campus to heavy industrial to match its use, dropping a green buffer meant for a highway that likely won't come.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Chugach seeks industrial zoning for its campus, dropping a buffer

Rerouted trail restores hiker access to Root Glacier in Wrangell-St. Elias

Root Glacier is reachable again in Wrangell-St. Elias on a rerouted trail, longer and steeper than the old one, after landslide hazards closed the original approach.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
McCarthy, Alaska
Cover image for article: Rerouted trail restores hiker access to Root Glacier in Wrangell-St. Elias

Filing deadline nears for Kodiak's October election, with an Assembly seat already open

Kodiak Island Borough residents have until 3 p.m. Aug. 17 to file for the Oct. 6 election — with seats open on the Assembly, School Board and service area boards, including one already-vacant Assembly seat.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Filing deadline nears for Kodiak's October election, with an Assembly seat already open

Six Nome seats are open this fall, with a Sept. 1 filing deadline

Six Nome seats — City Council, Utility Board and School Board — are up this fall. To run, file with the city by 5 p.m. Sept. 1. The election is Oct. 6.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Six Nome seats are open this fall, with a Sept. 1 filing deadline

No heat closes Dillingham's job center counter early

A heating failure closed walk-in service at Dillingham's Bristol Bay Job Center on Tuesday afternoon, sending staff home at noon and cutting counter hours short.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: No heat closes Dillingham's job center counter early

Gold-exploration filings cluster in a historic Interior district

Three gold-exploration applications landed within six days in the historic Valdez Creek district, a small rush in an area that's produced gold since 1903.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Valdez Creek Mining District, Alaska
Cover image for article: Gold-exploration filings cluster in a historic Interior district

Eielson Air Force Base hiring fair set for Thursday

Eielson Air Force Base holds a hiring fair Thursday, Aug. 6, but the Alaska Department of Labor announcement omits time, venue, employers, and base-access details.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Eielson Air Force Base hiring fair set for Thursday

Governor's disaster declaration unlocks state aid for Talkeetna flooding

Talkeetna flooding washed away a home and damaged others, and residents want a permanent fix, not another study. The state has authorized disaster assistance for the immediate response.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Governor's disaster declaration unlocks state aid for Talkeetna flooding

Ambler advances, but the U.S. stake in its developer hasn't closed

Ambler Road permits are back in force and the project is advancing, but the U.S. government's planned stake in developer Trilogy Metals still hasn't closed.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Ambler advances, but the U.S. stake in its developer hasn't closed

Troopers arrest nine on drug charges during Salmonfest in Ninilchik

Troopers arrested nine at Salmonfest, eight on felony drug distribution charges, though the dispatch names no one and gives no drug quantities.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readFrom
Cover image for article: Troopers arrest nine on drug charges during Salmonfest in Ninilchik

Anchorage advisory committees could lose the ability to write officials on their own

Anchorage's three AMATS citizen advisory committees would need staff and higher-committee sign-off before writing elected or federal officials, under a policy up Thursday.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Anchorage advisory committees could lose the ability to write officials on their own

Utqiagvik weighs a change to how it taxes marijuana

Utqiaġvik might tax your weed. The council won't say how much, and neither will the packet.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Utqiagvik weighs a change to how it taxes marijuana

Anchorage may let buyers own a detached home outright where condos are now the norm

Anchorage may let buyers own detached houses outright in more residential zones — a change aimed at helping people dodge the financing hurdles of buying a condo. The Assembly decides.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Anchorage may let buyers own a detached home outright where condos are now the norm

Interior Alaska's spring-thaw weight limits lift Wednesday for haulers

Spring-thaw weight limits are lifting on Interior Alaska roads Wednesday — haulers can apply for overweight permits again, but full loads aren't automatic.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Interior Alaska
Cover image for article: Interior Alaska's spring-thaw weight limits lift Wednesday for haulers

Parks Highway delays ease on one stretch, but not the next

Parks Highway traffic control is gone between MP 322 and 325 after a haul-truck crossing opened, but the next stretch south still has speed limits and diversions until 2028.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Parks Highway, Alaska
Cover image for article: Parks Highway delays ease on one stretch, but not the next

As Alaska's glaciers retreat, new carbon-storing bogs are forming behind them

As Alaska's glaciers retreat, new carbon-storing peat bogs are forming on the bare ground behind them. A UAF grant will map how they form and how long they last.

Melinda Communities.Newsby Melinda Communities.News3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: As Alaska's glaciers retreat, new carbon-storing bogs are forming behind them

A shipping rule eases road transport, but not for off-road Alaska

Ship a fridge of flammable gas by truck? No permit needed. Ship it to a village reachable only by floatplane? Pull up a chair, it's permit by permit.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: A shipping rule eases road transport, but not for off-road Alaska

The little Kachemak Bay lab watching Alaska's ocean for 70 years

A NOAA-UAF marine lab has studied Kachemak Bay for nearly 70 years — acidification, algal blooms, shellfish. A seawater permit keeps its tanks running.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Kasitsna Bay, Alaska
Cover image for article: The little Kachemak Bay lab watching Alaska's ocean for 70 years

Two men barricade themselves in a car after fleeing Fairbanks police

Two men barricaded themselves in a car after fleeing Fairbanks police early Sunday, and face charges including DUI, weapons and drug misconduct after the standoff ended.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Two men barricade themselves in a car after fleeing Fairbanks police

Wind, high surf and rain batter four Y-K Delta villages into a second day

Four Y-K Delta villages spent a second day under coastal advisories, with high surf, winds gusting to 55 mph and days of rain — landing on Kipnuk as it still rebuilds from Typhoon Halong.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Cover image for article: Wind, high surf and rain batter four Y-K Delta villages into a second day

Monday, Aug 3

A Fairbanks street a sinkhole swallowed could vanish from the map

A Fairbanks street platted in 1975 but never built — and since partly eaten by a permafrost sinkhole — could be erased from the map at an Aug. 19 borough hearing.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: A Fairbanks street a sinkhole swallowed could vanish from the map

Senators move to renew the grants behind rural Alaska's telehealth links

Four U.S. senators, including Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, introduced a bill to renew the federal ECHO grants that fund rural Alaska's telehealth links between local clinics and distant specialists.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Senators move to renew the grants behind rural Alaska's telehealth links