Alaska

Anchorage Assembly members draft an ordinance to restrict concentrated kratom products

Three Assembly members want concentrated kratom off Anchorage shelves and the tea left alone. Nothing's introduced yet, and the city has no local data.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Cordova tests burn pile camera as violations could risk its permit

Cordova is testing a security camera at its burn pile after state regulators warned that continued violations of burning rules could shut down the facility.

by Alaska News1mo ago1 min read

Anchorage opioid overdose calls down 10%, fire department says

Anchorage fire crews are answering about 10% fewer opioid overdose calls this year. The department can't say why yet, and the numbers miss many deaths.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Sitka's Moller Field parking lot paving moves to Monday, Oct. 12

Sitka's Moller Field parking lot paving slid again, now to Monday, Oct. 12. The main lot closes while crews pave; park at the skate park or Lower Moller.

by Alaska News1mo ago1 min read

Follows: Sitka closes Moller Field's main parking lot for paving Oct. 7-8 and part of Lincoln Street for water line work

Forest Service contracts drinking water testing at eight Chugach National Forest sites

Forest Service hired a Michigan water-testing firm to monitor drinking water at eight Chugach National Forest sites for up to $31,600 over five years starting Sept. 30, 2026.

by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min read

Alaska school improvement grant reviews delayed by staff leave

Alaska Department of Education delayed School Improvement grant reviews due to staff leave, with applications needing approval by October 31 to avoid compliance violations.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Write-in David Pinquoch leads Whittier council seat E count

Write-in David Pinquoch leads the Whittier City Council seat E race with 53 votes to Heather Brazelton's 23, with 17 ballots still to count Friday.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Japanese surimi executives visit Dutch Harbor on ASMI trade mission

Japanese surimi makers visited Dutch Harbor to push back against tariffs that treat Alaska pollock the same as Russian imports.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Fairbanks logs wettest September since 1925 as Chena River hits late-season record

Fairbanks just had its rainiest September since 1925, and the Chena River hit a record high for so late in the year. No flooding, thanks to slow rain.

by Alaska News1mo ago2 min read

Bering Straits Native Corporation shareholders elect three directors, reelect two

Bering Straits Native Corporation shareholders elected three directors and reelected the board chair and vice chair. The board will fill a fourth seat.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Alaska Regional Hospital appeals state denial of its proposed South Anchorage emergency room

Alaska Regional Hospital appealed the state health commissioner's denial of a five-bed South Anchorage emergency department on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

DNR proposes requiring permits for most shooting in the Matanuska Valley Moose Range

DNR wants a permit for most gunfire near Slipper Lake and across the Moose Range, and for burning cars. Hunters are exempt. Comments due Nov. 9.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read

Mat-Su Assembly writes scenic trail opposition into Rasmuson grant resolution

Mat-Su Assembly added opposition to National Scenic Trail status for the Alaska Long Trail to a $300,000 grant resolution, citing use restrictions and loss of local control.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Soldotna man, 33, dies after being found unresponsive in Sterling garage

A Soldotna man, 33, died and a second adult was hospitalized after both were found unresponsive in a Sterling-area garage Saturday. Foul play isn't suspected.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Anchorage Assembly approves $511,190 grant to replace police patrol car computers

Anchorage police are getting 80-some new patrol car computers on the federal dime. The Assembly OK'd the $511,190 grant on its consent agenda.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Anchorage Assembly approves $3 million rural health grant for crisis care

Anchorage accepted $3 million in federal rural health money meant to link health, police and fire records and pilot opioid treatment and mobile care.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Army sets up new units at JBER and Fort Wainwright to receive soldiers moving to Alaska

The Army now has a welcome crew for soldiers moving to Alaska. The pitch: not just check-in paperwork and cold-weather gear, but how to live with the cold.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Mat-Su Assembly pulls Engstrom road reconsideration without debate

Mat-Su Assembly dropped a reconsideration of the Engstrom Road connector, leaving a September vote in place for the $21.6 million northern route over a $9.1 million southern option.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Anchorage School Board backs public school scholarship groups under new tax credit

The Anchorage School Board voted 7-0 to back scholarship groups for public school students under the new federal tax credit, with guardrails against vouchers.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

BBNC shareholders reelect two directors, add two new board members

Bristol Bay Native Corporation shareholders reelected Russell Nelson and DeeDee Bennis and added Eric Shade and Raina Thiele to the board Oct. 3.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Bering Sea Tanner crab limit nearly triples as snow crab falls 45 percent

Alaska tripled the Bering Sea Tanner crab limit to 32.1 million pounds for winter 2026, while cutting snow crab 45% to 5.1 million pounds, with all three major crab fisheries opening Oct. 15.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Follows: State reviews Bering Sea crab catch calculations Wednesday

Anchorage mayor's office wants closed Abbott Loop Elementary demolished, school officials say

Anchorage's mayor wants closed Abbott Loop Elementary demolished for housing redevelopment, and the school district would need to authorize $4 million in demolition costs from a prior bond.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

High wind watch warns of 65 mph gusts in the Alaska Range this weekend

National Weather Service warns of winds gusting to 65 mph in the Alaska Range from Friday 4 pm through Sunday 4 am, with damaging winds possible on Parks and Richardson highways.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Anchorage schools list nearly $18 million in urgent repairs ahead of April bond

Anchorage schools have nearly $18 million in urgent repairs, from failing boilers to a Wendler roof that won't hold a shingle. A bond list comes Oct. 20.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Board of Fisheries committee to take up remote testimony and process changes Oct. 21

A Board of Fisheries committee meets Oct. 21 on remote testimony and process recommendations. Its chair has "struggled with" virtual participation.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

New York Times/Siena poll shows Peltola leading Sullivan 50% to 43%

A New York Times/Siena poll has Peltola up 50% to 43% over Sullivan, a 9-point shift since June. The poll skipped ranked choice, and forecasters say toss-up.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Kodiak Electric signs 20-year contract to upgrade energy systems at Coast Guard Base Kodiak

The Coast Guard's Kodiak base signed up the local electric co-op for a 20-year energy upgrade deal, with $2 million to start. Shutdowns already delayed it.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readFrom Sep 30

Fire crews to burn debris piles on Interior Army training lands through Oct. 31

U.S. Wildland Fire Service and Army Garrison Alaska will burn woody debris piles on Interior training lands from Oct. 6 through Oct. 31, with smoke visible from Fort Wainwright and nearby roads.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Kreiss-Tomkins leads governor money race as outside groups raise $3.15 million

Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins raised $4.28 million for governor, more than triple the cash on hand of any Republican opponent, as outside groups poured $3.15 million into the race.

by Alaska News1mo ago4 min read

Ethics board finds one line in school district bond video violated city code

The city ethics board says one line in a school district bond video was political activity. It recommended no further action; the bond failed in April.

by Alaska News1mo ago4 min readFrom Sep 23

Peltola pledges to finish the Izembek road, a goal Sullivan shares

Peltola pledged to finish the Izembek road and fight Pebble on a Southwest swing. Sullivan backs the road and has been on the record opposing Pebble, though not EPA's action on it.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Sitka voters choose a mayor and decide when citizen petitions reach the ballot

Sitka voters choose a mayor and two Assembly members Tuesday, and decide whether to end automatic special elections for citizen petitions, which cost the city $18,250 in May.

by Alaska News1mo ago2 min read

Ketchikan voters decide council races, $25 million bond and library

Ketchikan voters decide four City Council seats, a $25 million electric-utility bond, three Assembly seats, two School Board seats, and whether the borough takes over library operations Tuesday.

by Alaska News1mo ago3 min read

Haines voters choose a mayor and decide five tax and planning measures

Haines voters choose a mayor and decide five measures Tuesday. • Two new taxes proposed: 2% on alcohol and fees on timber and resource exports. • Ballot initiative would reverse 2023 shift to elected Planning Commission seats.

by Alaska News1mo ago2 min read

Petersburg voters decide three fiscal propositions and eight local boards

Petersburg voters decide Tuesday on three tax and borrowing measures and eight board races, with polls open 8 am to 8 pm.

by Alaska News1mo ago2 min read

APOC will require a paid-for-by line on every social media ad starting in 2027

Alaska Public Offices Commission will require every social media ad to carry its own paid-for-by label starting in 2027 elections, ending the practice of posting one disclaimer on a homepage.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Election Day across Alaska: Where voters choose local leaders, ballot questions

Alaskans vote Tuesday for local officials and ballot measures across 22 municipalities and regional school districts. • Juneau decides three tax propositions; North Slope Borough has 11 bond measures totaling $1.55 billion. • Polling times and methods vary by community; check your local clerk's office for details.

by Alaska News1mo ago5 min read

New models could cut Alaska's 2026 sablefish catch advice by nearly a third

New models could cut Alaska's 2026 sablefish catch advice by nearly a third. Longliners want a phase-in. The council sets the catch limit in December.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Sitka school zone flashers on Edgecumbe and Kashevaroff stay partly down while meters are back-ordered

School zone flashers on two Sitka streets are partly down while the city waits for replacement electrical meters expected in early November.

by Alaska News1mo ago1 min read

Who's spending for and against Begich and Hill in Alaska's U.S. House race

Here's who's spending for and against Begich and Hill in Alaska's House race, and who's paying. Club for Growth and Wheel Dog lead their sides.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read