Alaska

Federal report puts Alaska's maternal death rate above the national rate but warns the count is small

Alaska's maternal death rate ran above the national rate in a new federal report, but it rests on 17 deaths and the report itself says to read it with caution.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Houston commission recommends giving Holding District H landowners until March for fee-free zone changes

Houston landowners in the zoning holding district may get until the end of March to pick a new zone for free. The City Council still has to sign off.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

FAA awards $19.6 million to replace worn-out lighting and signs at Haines Airport

Haines Airport's runway lights, taxiway signs and beacon have all reached the end of their useful life, per the FAA, which is sending $19.6 million to fix that.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readFrom Sep 15

Big Lake's trail groomers are asking the state for a snowmachine

The volunteers who groom 40 miles of Big Lake trail want a new snowmachine. Last time they asked the state for $35,000 and got about a third.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Police are searching for two missing teenagers in Anchorage and Wasilla

Anchorage police are searching for two missing teenagers: Sparrow Kowatch, 16, missing since Sept. 19, and Jay Moriwaki, 13, last seen Wednesday night.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Federal audit finds Eielson Air Force Base short hundreds of support workers, with one person left in housing

Eielson's housing office is down to one person, and hiring takes 407 days. A federal audit found more vacancies there than at eight other bases combined.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Tlingit & Haida delegates reelect Richard Peterson as president

Tlingit & Haida delegates reelected Richard Peterson as president Thursday and chose Clinton Cook as first vice president at the tribe's 91st Tribal Assembly.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

State's draft road plan puts about $551 million into Kenai Peninsula projects; comments due Oct. 29

The state's draft road plan pours over half a billion dollars into Kenai Peninsula roads, mostly the Sterling Highway. Speak now: comments close Oct. 29.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago4 min readFrom Sep 14

Follows: Alaska's $7.74 billion transportation plan is open for public comment

MEA lays out how rolling outages would work if Southcentral runs short of gas this winter

MEA's plan if the gas runs short: nine groups, 30 to 45 minutes dark apiece, turns every few hours. Step six of six, and the co-op hopes to never get there.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read

State boundary commission revisits a rule that could stop Eaglexit before a full review

A state commission will revisit a rule that could stop Eaglexit early. One commissioner can't take part, and two would sit out the petition itself.

by Cale Green1mo ago3 min read

Four years after Merbok, Alaska is hiring a contractor to start rebuilding homes

Four years after Merbok, Alaska is hiring a contractor to rebuild 77 homes by 2029. The bid notice also puts one region in the wrong funding tier.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Follows: Alaska declines to move Kuskokwim villages into its larger Merbok tier

Global refinery disruptions widened fuel margins in 2026, and rural Alaska's barge fuel cost more

Galena's utility paid 29% more per gallon for this year's barge fuel, and St. Paul paid about $7.55. Summer's dip in oil prices came after the fuel was bought.

by Cale Green1mo ago4 min read

Prince William Sound faces a winter without ferry service as the Aurora is overhauled

Prince William Sound faces a winter with little or no ferry service while the 1977-built Aurora is overhauled. New docks are the fix, and they're years away.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Lawmakers press state on Safer Seward Highway project's size and funding as DOT reopens comment

Lawmakers pressed DOT on the Safer Seward Highway's size and funding. DOT pointed to open houses, new data online and 30 more days of public comment.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read

Bering River moose hunt closes after hunters reach 15-bull cap

The Bering River moose hunt closes Friday at its 15-bull cap. The herd behind it is estimated at 213 animals, against an objective of 300 to 350.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Park Service awards $4.5 million contract to upgrade Glacier Bay's water system for firefighting

Glacier Bay's Bartlett Cove is getting bigger water lines so firefighters have enough pressure to fight a building fire. The job is worth about $4.5 million.

by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min read

Kinross cuts gold forecast over Chile and Nevada mines; its Alaska operation's output is also down this year

inross trimmed its gold forecast, blaming Chile and Nevada, and its shares fell 11.6%. Alaska wasn't mentioned; its mines are producing less at higher cost.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read

Anchorage's police union endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins and Johnson for governor

Anchorage's police union endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins and Johnson for governor, citing Johnson's trooper years. The other three tickets are Republican.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Alaska released 310 acres near Slana to the university over its own agencies' objections

The state released 310 acres near Slana for the university over objections from DOT, two of its own land sections and every commenter. DNR's reply: thanks.

by Alaska News1mo ago2 min read

Follows: Alaska DNR issues four land decisions for University of Alaska land grants

New independent expenditure group registers for Juneau and Sitka municipal elections

A new outside spending group signed up for Juneau and Sitka's Oct. 6 elections. It hasn't said who it's backing, only that it favors economic opportunity.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Labor-funded committee backs Republican Ruby Jones and opposes both her rivals in Eagle River House race

A labor-funded group picked a Republican in Eagle River's House race and is buying ads against the other two candidates, one Republican and one Democrat.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Kenai voters decide Nov. 3 whether to ratify a $75,000 home tax exemption

Kenai voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to exempt the first $75,000 of home value from city property taxes, saving qualifying homeowners up to $326 a year.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Anchorage proposes trading the Tozier Track to the state housing agency for downtown parking lots, with housing required

Anchorage wants to trade the old dog track where the first Iditarod started for downtown parking lots. No bidding needed, and a neighbor objects.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read

Anchorage will take public comment on Merrill Field's next 20 years Oct. 15

Merrill Field is planning its next 20 years, noise study included. The open house is Oct. 15, and it gathers input rather than setting priorities.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Unalaska's council cleared the mayor to accept a Trident-hosted trip to a Navy commissioning

Unalaska's council cleared the mayor to take tickets, lodging and a ride from Trident Seafoods for a Navy commissioning. No undue influence, it found.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Alaska's budget balances this year on high oil and a reduced dividend

Alaska's budget balances this year with $106 million to spare, thanks to oil running $19 a barrel high and a dividend set $1.2 billion below the formula.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Anchorage's Board of Ethics couldn't meet Wednesday, leaving a March complaint pending

Anchorage's Board of Ethics couldn't get three of five members on a call Wednesday. The complaint on its agenda has been waiting since March.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Alaska health officials warn concentrated kratom products can cause overdoses drug tests miss

Kratom gummies and shots can cause opioid-like overdoses that drug tests miss. Alaska ER visits tied to kratom already top last year's total.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Kenai's council will award a bluff erosion contract the day after bids close

Kenai's council votes Sept. 30 on an erosion contract with blanks where the contractor and the price go. Bids do not close until the day before.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Nome utility board member says new housing project's septic units will need heavy upkeep

New Nome housing will run on above-ground septic units with grinders, pumps and UV lights. A utility board member says they will need a lot of babysitting.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

The Greenland defense deal cites Golden Dome, the missile shield already anchored in Alaska

The U.S.-Greenland defense deal cites Golden Dome, a missile shield Congress funded but can't get spending details on. Its Senate sponsor is Dan Sullivan.

by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago3 min read

Ten rural Alaska communities can now vote in person on Election Day

Ten villages with no polling place can now vote in person on Election Day itself. In August, 75 ballots from the region arrived too late to count.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Fairbanks job fair Thursday: retail, grocery, restaurant and bank employers

Fifteen employers including Fred Meyer, Walmart, and McDonald's are hiring at the Fairbanks Job Center on Thursday from 11 am to 3 pm.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

National money registered on both sides of Alaska's governor's race this week

The Democratic Governors Association and a Republican-aligned PAC with a Virginia bank both registered to spend in Alaska's governor's race this week.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Sitka Tribe and Metlakatla May Request Return of 11 Ancestors and 16 Items in October

Four museums and federal agencies hold at least 11 Alaska Native ancestors and 16 cultural items the Sitka Tribe and Metlakatla may request returned starting in October.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read

Follows: Federal notices clear 11 Sitka ancestors for return

Alaska closed its Bering Sea scallop grounds after the two-boat fleet hit the cap

Alaska's whole commercial scallop fishery is two boats. An emergency order just closed the Bering Sea grounds to them for the rest of the season.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

Kodiak's salmon fishery opens for 54 hours starting Thursday at noon

Kodiak gets 54 hours of salmon fishing starting Thursday at noon. The Karluk River saw 93 kings reach spawning grounds against a goal of 3,000.

by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read

A high wind warning covers Atka and Adak with gusts up to 80 mph

Adak and Atka are facing wind gusts of up to 80 mph today, and out on the water the seas are forecast to build as high as 33 feet tonight.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Kipnuk and Kwigillingok face coastal flooding as rain threatens Kwethluk and Kasigluk again

Kipnuk and Kwigillingok are under a coastal flood warning through Saturday, and rain could flood Kwethluk and Kasigluk again after last week's high water.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read

Public comment is open on Cook Inlet subsea data-center plan

Comments close Nov. 2 on a proposed tidal-powered subsea data center off Nikiski. The permit would authorize study, not construction.

by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read