Alaska

State energy board votes on nearly $5 million solar loan for Red Dog Mine

The state energy board votes Thursday on a nearly $5 million loan for solar at Red Dog Mine, sized to stay just under the line where the Legislature gets a say.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Whittier weighs ending seat-by-seat council races and charging to challenge results

Whittier may scrap seat-by-seat council races and candidate petitions, and set a $1,000 fee to contest an election and a $500 fee for a recount.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Wasilla council weighs $73,865 more to finish its first new growth plan since 2011

Wasilla's growth plan dates to 2011. The council Monday considers paying DOWL $73,865 more to finish the new one, which goes to the public in January.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Army has no date for a Fort Wainwright microreactor as experts flag permafrost

The Army still has no date for a microreactor at Fort Wainwright. Its Arctic workshop says testing how to set one on permafrost is a high near-term priority.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

EPA official says Zeldin connected Fairbanks garages with experts on cold diesel failures

EPA's regional chief says Zeldin heard Fairbanks garages describe cold-weather diesel failures and said, "Oh, this is news." She says EPA's power has limits.

by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Whittier harbor's new meters produced $7,000 bills and its new floats cracked

Whittier's harbor got new power meters and new concrete floats. Some meters spat out $7,000 bills, and the floats started cracking. Updates come Tuesday.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

State proposes approving revised cleanup plan for old Hiland Mountain prison range

State plans to approve a revised cleanup of Hiland Mountain prison's old shooting range, removing 1,150 cubic yards of tainted soil. Comments are due Dec. 4.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

A Kodiak student's suicide-prevention resolution goes before Alaska's school boards

A Kodiak student's resolution would have every Alaska middle and high school run a student-led mental health or suicide-prevention group. Vote is Sunday.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readFrom Oct 7

Alaska energy authority faces a $410 million gap for two Railbelt grid projects

Alaska's energy authority wants $142.3 million from lawmakers for a Cook Inlet power cable and still needs $268 million for a Healy line. That's $410 million.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Follows: A second power link to Kenai would run under Cook Inlet

State asks campaigns to pull election signs from highway rights-of-way

The election's over, and the state would like its ditches back. DOT is asking campaigns to pull their signs from highway rights-of-way, stakes and all.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Fairbanks borough mayor proposes capping whole-home short-term rentals

Fairbanks' borough mayor wants to cap whole-home short-term rentals and charge $250 a room to register them, saying they've shrunk the housing supply.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago4 min read

Free one-on-one computer help offered twice a week at the Mat-Su Job Center

Stuck on an online job application, a sketchy email or Excel? Free tutors at the Mat-Su Job Center in Wasilla will sit down with you twice a week.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read

Mat-Su finishes Fern Street rebuild with new Cottonwood Creek fish culvert

Mat-Su finished part of its Fern Street rebuild, swapping culverts that blocked salmon from most of Cottonwood Creek. Walkers got a path; fish got a door.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Judge rules Indiana prison rules don't follow an inmate to Alaska

An Indiana prisoner held in Seward sued to get Indiana prison rules, like tablet email. A federal judge said those rules don't follow him to Alaska.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Gulf pollock fleet neared its king salmon limit before pollock fishing closed

Gulf pollock boats caught nearly 16,000 king salmon, 87% of their cap, before hitting their pollock limit. Kings caught per ton nearly doubled.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min readFrom Oct 29

Comment closes on giving the energy authority state land at Bradley Lake at no cost

The state proposes giving land around Bradley Lake hydro to the Alaska Energy Authority at no cost. Comment closed Tuesday. It's tied to expansion financing.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Kensington mine's gold output falls 21%, but high gold prices keep it profitable

Kensington mine near Juneau dug up a fifth less gold this summer than last year, at a higher cost per ounce. High gold prices still kept it in the black.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Matson expects modestly lower Alaska volume this year after a 4.8% quarterly drop

Matson had a stronger-than-expected quarter, mostly thanks to China. Its Alaska volume fell 4.8%, and it now expects a modestly lower year for Alaska.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

ConocoPhillips' Alaska earnings more than triple to $423 million on higher oil prices

ConocoPhillips made $423 million in Alaska last quarter, more than triple a year ago, mostly because oil got pricier, not because it pumped much more.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Skagway budget would move $2 million in clinic costs to cruise tax fund

Skagway's manager wants cruise passenger tax money to cover $2 million of the clinic's subsidy. How much clinic work serves cruise visitors is the question.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Federal contracting in Alaska: Mendenhall Glacier visitor center plan gets more design money in federal contracts

This week's federal work for Alaska firms: more design money for Mendenhall Glacier's visitor center plan, wildfire plane upkeep and a lot of office paper.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Wasilla council takes up $6 million state loan to expand its wastewater plant

Wasilla's wastewater plant treats septage in one digester from about 1989, and staff say the city has outgrown it. The council weighs a $6 million loan Monday.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Egan Drive's winter 45 mph speed limit is now in effect in Juneau through Jan. 31

Egan Drive's speed limit near Fred Meyer in Juneau is 45 mph through Jan. 31, down from 55 mph. The stretch sees heavy crashes in winter, and a permanent traffic signal fix isn't expected until 2027.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Fastwyre asks the state to let it end cable TV in Galena and Unalaska after 41 years

Fastwyre wants to unplug cable TV in Galena and Unalaska on New Year's Eve, saying new gear isn't worth it for 70 accounts. Customers get to keep the box.

by Melinda Communities.News1w ago3 min read

AIDEA board approves up to $10 million stake in Augustine volcano geothermal project

AIDEA's board OK'd up to $10 million for a stake in a company that wants to tap the heat under Augustine, an active volcano in Cook Inlet. The terms come later.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

State's draft plan would replace, not repair, Kodiak's Sargent Creek Bridge

Kodiak's cracked Sargent Creek Bridge was in line for a temporary fix. The state's draft road plan now calls for a $6.8 million replacement in 2029.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Simpler and Stutes lead Kodiak-area races, but neither is decided

Simpler leads the Kodiak House race by 431 votes and Stutes leads for Senate. Only 77 absentee and early ballots from the House district are counted so far.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Follows: Independent groups report spending more than the candidates raised in Kodiak's House race

Challenger leads Soldotna mayor as Kenai Peninsula election counts continue

Soldotna's mayor trails a challenger who wants to undo its sales tax increase by 36 votes, with absentees still out. School board term limits are cruising.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago4 min read

Assembly shelves salary commission pick after questions over his firm's city contract

Anchorage's mayor picked a consultant for the panel that sets officials' pay. Then his firm's $86,899 city contract came up, and the Assembly shelved the pick.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Anchorage Assembly delays Missing Middle housing vote again, this time to Dec. 1

The Anchorage Assembly scheduled its Missing Middle housing vote for a Friday at noon, then unscheduled it. It's now Dec. 1, the second delay in four weeks.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago4 min read

Follows: Planners say Missing Middle overlay fits Anchorage's comprehensive plan

Anchorage passes surveillance rules, rejects new limits on plate reader searches

The Assembly wrote police plate reader and crime center rules into code 11-1, but left the 14-day data limit in police policy and rejected new search limits.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago5 min read

Follows: Anchorage Assembly amends proposed police surveillance rules, then runs out of time

Alcohol tax advocates ask Anchorage to put more into prevention and treatment

Groups behind Anchorage's alcohol tax say it put nothing into substance misuse treatment in 2025 or 2026, with none planned for 2027. They want a change.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Aleut Corporation seeks partner for 2027 Aleutian Islands pollock allocation

Aleut Corp. wants a partner to catch its 2027 Aleutian pollock. Feds moved all of this year's share to the Bering Sea, saying it likely wouldn't be caught.

by Melinda Communities.News1w ago2 min read

State proposes more riverbed for Alyeska to protect buried pipeline near Coldfoot

A river north of Coldfoot is wearing away toward the buried trans-Alaska pipeline. The state wants to give Alyeska more riverbed for a rock structure.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

NovaGold shareholders approve trading stock for Paulson's share of Donlin Gold

NovaGold shareholders voted to swap stock for Paulson's 40% of Donlin Gold, which would give one company the project. Building it waits on a 2027 study.

by Melinda Communities.News1w ago3 min read

Follows: NovaGold sets Nov. 3 vote on owning all of Donlin; filing details a dropped three-way deal

Kuukpik and SAExploration seek state permit for a winter seismic survey near Nuiqsut

Nuiqsut's village corporation and SAExploration want to run a winter seismic survey over 205 square miles, including ground Santos wants to develop.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Fairbanks police officers start sewing beaver hats with elders at Denakkanaaga

Three Fairbanks police officers began sewing beaver hats with Native elders at Denakkanaaga on Tuesday, the newest group in the Caps for Cops program.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Juneau pushes state to keep a second Douglas Island bridge in its road plan

Juneau told the state a second bridge to Douglas Island is "a must" for its next road plan. The state's draft has no money for it. DOT says it's still active.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Cordova council approves lease-to-own land deal that requires three new homes

Cordova voted to lease city land to a builder who must put up three 3-bedroom homes within five years. Do that, and he can buy it for about $102,500.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Cordova residents push back on a proposed fee for Little League and the Iceworm Swim Team

Cordova may charge nonprofits a quarter of its rental rates for the pool and fields. A Little League dad and an ex-swim coach told the council not to.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Follows: Cordova council members back 25% nonprofit fee for city pool and ball fields