Skip to main content

Alaska

Have a story from Alaska? Send a tip

TrendingNewTimelineMost Read

Friday, Jun 12

Wasilla resource fair connects Mat-Su families with disability services

LINKS Resource Center hosts a free disability services fair June 18 in Wasilla with resource tables, activities, and food for Mat-Su families.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Wasilla resource fair connects Mat-Su families with disability services

Kotzebue Sound crab opener set for June 15 with no buyers registered

Alaska opens Kotzebue Sound red king crab fishing June 15 with a 10,000-pound limit, but no registered buyers, forcing fishermen to sell directly to dockside customers instead of processors.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Kotzebue Sound
Cover image for article: Kotzebue Sound crab opener set for June 15 with no buyers registered

Juneau aggregate firm settles EPA stormwater violations for $12,797

EPA settled stormwater violations with Juneau aggregate firm Colaska Inc. for $12,797 over missing inspection reports and documentation at its AggPro site that discharges into Lemon Creek.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Juneau aggregate firm settles EPA stormwater violations for $12,797

Where Alaska's fire morels may pop next

Oh, Mushroom hunters / Information they kept close / Now for all to know

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: Where Alaska's fire morels may pop next

Anchorage zoning board postpones variance threshold changes

Anchorage zoning board postponed a proposal to raise the setback encroachment threshold from 5 percent to 10 percent, which would let single-family homeowners avoid a $710 public hearing fee.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Anchorage zoning board postpones variance threshold changes

Palmer subdivision easement vacation draws access concerns

Alaska's Department of Natural Resources approved vacating two public easements on a Palmer subdivision lot, ending physical trail access despite objections from two neighbors who said the easement provided important passage.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Palmer subdivision easement vacation draws access concerns

DNR opens public comment on Homer parcel sale to University of Alaska

Alaska DNR is moving to sell a 20-acre Homer parcel to the University of Alaska without competitive bidding, bypassing local control. Comments are due to DNR by July 14 at 3 p.m., and only written comments preserve appeal rights.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: DNR opens public comment on Homer parcel sale to University of Alaska

Homer Council picks partial HERC demolition over full cleanup

Homer City Council voted May 26 to demolish the smaller HERC 2 building at the city-owned Education and Recreation Complex but skip cleanup of the larger former high school building, using $126,917 already set aside for the demolition.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Homer Council picks partial HERC demolition over full cleanup

More from Alaska

Thursday, Jun 11

Latvian climber faces mounting medical bills after Denali fall

A Latvian climber critically injured in a May 28 Denali fall that killed three teammates faces mounting medical bills as his insurance nears its limit. His family launched a fundraising campaign for months of treatment in Anchorage.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Denali National Park and Preserve
Cover image for article: Latvian climber faces mounting medical bills after Denali fall

APOC fines George Martinez after campaign-paid flight to Florida

Oh goodness... I guess campaign finance laws were made for a reason.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: APOC fines George Martinez after campaign-paid flight to Florida

Metlakatla edible-only landscaping rule reshapes public plantings

Metlakatla passed an ordinance requiring all public landscaping to be edible, planting 50 fruit and berry trees across the Southeast Alaska community with a $105,244 federal grant.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Metlakatla edible-only landscaping rule reshapes public plantings

Coast Guard to homeport four icebreakers in Alaska

Coast Guard will homeport four icebreakers in Alaska by 2028, with two in Kodiak, one in Seward, and a fourth location to be named, funded by $3.5 billion in federal legislation.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Coast Guard to homeport four icebreakers in Alaska

Kenai airport eyes automated fee system amid pilot privacy backlash

Kenai Airport is moving toward an automated landing fee system using aircraft tracking data, but a federal bill co-sponsored by Senator Dan Sullivan would ban that exact use, forcing the airport to choose a different technology if the law passes.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Kenai airport eyes automated fee system amid pilot privacy backlash

Kenai airport cafe closes; city seeks new operator by June 25

Debbie's Bistro closed at Kenai Municipal Airport after gross receipts fell to $68,000 in a year, compared to $400,000 to $500,000 when prior restaurants operated there. The city seeks a new operator with bids due June 25.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Kenai airport cafe closes; city seeks new operator by June 25

Petersburg to receive Papke's Landing dock, tidelands from state

Petersburg Borough will take ownership of Papke's Landing, a deteriorating state dock and 8.8 acres of tidelands on Wrangell Narrows, but will need to hire staff and buy equipment to maintain the busy public boat launch.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Petersburg to receive Papke's Landing dock, tidelands from state

Sockeye fishing at Resurrection River mouth swings day-to-day

Sockeye fishing at Resurrection River mouth is unpredictable right now because a hatchery cost-recovery vessel is harvesting from the same run, so the daily bite depends on where the boat is working.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Resurrection Bay
Cover image for article: Sockeye fishing at Resurrection River mouth swings day-to-day

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

SBA 8(a) proposal leaves Native corporation carveout intact

Big changes to 8(a). But not in the ways that matter in Alaska.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Cover image for article: SBA 8(a) proposal leaves Native corporation carveout intact

North Coast Chinook Troll Fishery Opens 5 Days, Then Closes

Washington-Oregon commercial Chinook troll fishery opens for just five days, June 12-16, reflecting coast-wide salmon scarcity that also shapes Alaska's harvest limits under the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: North Coast Chinook Troll Fishery Opens 5 Days, Then Closes

Iron Dog race expands route to Huslia, Shungnak, Ambler

Iron Dog snowmachine race will expand its 2,500-mile route through Huslia, Shungnak, and Ambler after federal wildlife officials reversed a prior denial, clearing permits to cross three national refuges and parks.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Iron Dog race expands route to Huslia, Shungnak, Ambler

Dense fog blankets Kenai Peninsula for third straight day

Dense fog cut visibility to a quarter mile on the Sterling Highway between Soldotna and Homer for three straight mornings, prompting the National Weather Service to issue repeated advisories through Friday morning.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Southcentral Alaska
Cover image for article: Dense fog blankets Kenai Peninsula for third straight day

Yenlo Fire crews defend cabin, equipment as 53-acre blaze nears Skwentna

Firefighters defended a cabin and equipment as the 53-acre Yenlo Fire near Skwentna reached 90 percent containment Wednesday, with crews demobilizing by Friday.

Alaska Newsby Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Yenlo Fire crews defend cabin, equipment as 53-acre blaze nears Skwentna

Alaska elections director moves to disqualify Senate challenger

Alaska's elections director ruled Thursday that Republican Senate challenger Dan J. Sullivan is ineligible to run in the August primary, citing unspecified complaints about his eligibility.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: Alaska elections director moves to disqualify Senate challenger

Sitnasuak Buys the River the Gold Rush Left Behind

Land the gold rush claimed a century ago now belongs to Sitnasuak — permanently undevelopable, which lawyers may someday find interesting.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom
Cover image for article: Sitnasuak Buys the River the Gold Rush Left Behind

Cordova carrier tells FCC spectrum hoarding blocks rural broadband

Cordova Wireless told the FCC that major carriers are sitting on unused spectrum licenses over the town and won't lease them, blocking the local provider from meeting federal broadband speed standards.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Cordova carrier tells FCC spectrum hoarding blocks rural broadband

Homer Electric wins state OK for undersea fiber across Kachemak Bay

Alaska approved Homer Electric's plan to convert its undersea power cable corridor across Kachemak Bay into a permanent public fiber optic easement, clearing the way for broadband to reach three roadless communities on the bay's south side.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Homer Electric wins state OK for undersea fiber across Kachemak Bay

Anchorage police to train 10 officers in mental-health crisis response

Anchorage police will train up to ten officers and dispatchers in mental health crisis response this fall using a $50,000 state grant and $1,100 in city matching funds.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readFrom
Cover image for article: Anchorage police to train 10 officers in mental-health crisis response

Anchorage appropriates $2.5M in federal transit grants for bus fleet

Anchorage Assembly approved $6.6 million in federal and local funding on June 9 to replace aging buses, expand paratransit service, and maintain the People Mover fleet.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readFrom
Cover image for article: Anchorage appropriates $2.5M in federal transit grants for bus fleet

The Eklutna Tailrace is the only open king salmon fishery in the Mat-Su

King salmon fishing is closed across the Mat-Su except for the Eklutna Tailrace, a hatchery fishery open year-round with bait and multiple hooks allowed.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su
Cover image for article: The Eklutna Tailrace is the only open king salmon fishery in the Mat-Su

Fairbanks landowners can claim 50% reimbursement for salmon habitat

Fairbanks-area landowners can get 50 percent reimbursement for streambank fixes that help salmon habitat on Chena, Salcha, Tanana, and other Tanana Watershed streams. Proposals due July 14.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Fairbanks landowners can claim 50% reimbursement for salmon habitat

Federal judge blocks removal of petitioner from Alaska in Alebw case

Federal judge to ICE: you can keep him detained, but he stays in Alaska — and yes, we noticed you tried to put him on a plane.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Federal judge blocks removal of petitioner from Alaska in Alebw case

Two firms seek competing gas-storage leases at Kenai Loop field

Hilcorp and ENSTAR filed competing applications to convert the depleted Kenai Loop gas field into storage, forcing the state to choose between them as Cook Inlet's gas production falls 60 percent short of winter demand for Southcentral Alaska.

Bill AlaskaNewsby Bill AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska
Cover image for article: Two firms seek competing gas-storage leases at Kenai Loop field

AHFC board to set affordable housing award criteria June 24

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation's board votes June 24 on the rating system that determines which affordable housing projects get state funding, a decision that shifts which communities and project types win tax credits and grants.

Alaska Newsby Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: AHFC board to set affordable housing award criteria June 24

Utqiaġvik records second-coldest May high in 105 years

Utqiaġvik recorded its second-coldest May high in 105 years at 29°F while most of the Arctic ran warm, triggering river ice jams that flooded Holy Cross and its airstrip in late May.

Maggie AlaskaNewsby Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom
Cover image for article: Utqiaġvik records second-coldest May high in 105 years

Small Alaska telecom warns FCC 'land rush' favors big carriers

OTZ Telephone Cooperative warned the FCC that a first-to-file rule for Alaska broadband funding favors large carriers over small rural providers, creating a race to submit applications that smaller companies cannot win fairly.

Alaska Newsby Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Cover image for article: Small Alaska telecom warns FCC 'land rush' favors big carriers

Chugach proposes fees for community solar hookups

Chugach Electric proposes charging members $1,124 to $2,248 to join community solar projects, plus $2.80 monthly fees, pending Regulatory Commission approval by June 17.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Chugach proposes fees for community solar hookups

Talkeetna Airport bicycle shop seeks five-year lease extension

Hailey DeReamer is seeking a five-year lease extension for her bicycle shop at Talkeetna State Airport, paying about $250 a month for the 17,217-square-foot parcel that serves climbers and flightseeing tourists.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: Talkeetna Airport bicycle shop seeks five-year lease extension

FAA adds navigation aids to Chefornak Airport under 18-year lease

The FAA is installing weather and navigation systems at Chefornak Airport in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta under an 18-year lease extension through 2044 at no cost to the state.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Cover image for article: FAA adds navigation aids to Chefornak Airport under 18-year lease

Wednesday, Jun 10

Anchor River opens catch-and-release king salmon fishing June 13-17

Anchor River opens catch-and-release king salmon fishing June 13-17, the only Cook Inlet king opportunity all summer. • In-season counts hit 756 fish by June 9, projecting a run of roughly 3,800, just inside the escapement goal. • Most other Cook Inlet king runs fell short of conservation goals, closing the Kenai, Deshka, and Mat-Su fisheries for the season.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Anchor River
Cover image for article: Anchor River opens catch-and-release king salmon fishing June 13-17

Alaska judicial watchdog names new director after 37 years

Michael Schwaiger becomes executive director of Alaska's judicial ethics watchdog on June 15, ending Marla Greenstein's 37-year tenure leading the agency that investigates complaints about judges.

Walter AlaskaNewsby Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
510 L Street, Suite 585, Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Cover image for article: Alaska judicial watchdog names new director after 37 years

Kenai seeks federal grants for sidewalks, fish passage culverts

Kenai submitted a federal grant application for sidewalk and street lighting improvements on Lawton and Tinker, and is preparing a second application to remove fish passage barriers in local creeks by end of June.

Alaska Newsby Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Cover image for article: Kenai seeks federal grants for sidewalks, fish passage culverts