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Mat-Su Borough Platting Board approves Bartlett Hills subdivision with road waiver
Matanuska-Susitna Borough approved a four-lot subdivision near Montana Creek and waived the requirement to build an improved road, allowing access only by existing pioneer road and trail.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Platting Board approves Settler's Bay Unit 11 subdivision
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Platting Board approved a preliminary plat for Settler's Bay Unit 11.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
Chugach Electric wins easement for power line at Community Park Loop
Chugach Electric won an easement from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority to realign a power line at Community Park Loop in Anchorage.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min readAI
Anchorage sees 28% drop in unsheltered homelessness as shelters reach capacity
Anchorage officials say there are fewer people sleeping unsheltered in Anchorage, but it was pretty cold all winter.
by Cale Green3mo ago3 min readAI
Anchorage proposes second round of child care licensing code changes
Anchorage Assembly votes May 26 on second round of child care licensing cuts to remove rules that duplicate state standards. Changes include dropping annual physicals for children, eliminating nutrition rules already covered by state and USDA, and allowing more online training. City oversees 92 licensed homes and 98 centers with no new revenue impact expected.
by Cale Green3mo ago2 min readAI
Anchorage faces $31M deficit across internal service funds
Anchorage has $31 million in deficits across internal service funds. • Whoops!
by Cale Green3mo ago2 min readAI
Anchorage faces $1.3 billion stormwater infrastructure deficit
Anchorage has 400 miles of failing storm pipes creating a $1.3 billion repair deficit with no dedicated funding. • Current emergency bonds cannot keep pace with deterioration causing sinkholes and flooding. • Replacing 4,000 feet of pipe on one street costs $25 to $50 million. • City exploring dedicated stormwater utility for long-term funding.
by Cale Green3mo ago2 min readAI
Data center project promises rate relief amid public concerns over noise, power
Cryptocurrency data center would generate $2 million yearly and stabilize electric rates using existing power. • Residents worry about noise, fire safety, and power availability for future housing growth. • Company says facility quieter than old cannery equipment and willing to cut operations during peak demand.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago3 min readAI
Petersburg faces 53% wastewater rate hikes over 5 years for major projects
Petersburg wastewater rates to rise 53.5% over five years starting 2027 to fund three major projects worth 18.5 million dollars. • Average monthly bill jumps from 62.54 to 75.05 dollars in year one. • Assembly wants alternative rate schedules with flatter increases before voting.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago3 min readAI
Assembly hears call for tower rules as residents warn of land-use impact
Assembly delayed vote on cell tower rules as residents warned towers will rise without zoning limits. Planning Commission proposes overlay directing towers to borough and Forest Service land away from homes. Two companies seeking Petersburg sites. Mayor aims to introduce ordinance at next meeting if attorney approves.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Cordova Council approves $181,000 school funding increase, defers payment decision
Cordova Council approved $181,000 school funding increase, half the district's request. • Council delays payment decision until May 20, debating mill-rate increase. • District needs to split 36-student seventh grade class and hire math teacher. • Cordova High School ranked Alaska's top high school two consecutive years.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
TCLL graduates first 8th grade class after years of Tlingit immersion
Juneau's Tlingit immersion program graduated 8th graders who delivered speeches in Tlingit after years of fluency growth. • Students moved from reluctant speakers to confident communicators in the language. • Program is free for all students and partners with Sealaska Heritage Institute. • Graduates received traditional headbands and advance to high school.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 3mo ago3 min readAI
Sullivan-backed federal work drives Alaska shipyard training deal
AIDEA, JAG Marine Group, and Generations Southeast signed a workforce training agreement January 13 to prepare Alaskans for shipyard jobs tied to federal icebreaker and Coast Guard maintenance work Senator Dan Sullivan has promoted.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAIPetersburg proposes area-wide property tax to balance FY27 budget
Petersburg adds 1.71 mills to property taxes to cover 5% budget increase. • Health insurance costs rise $90,000, plus vehicle replacement and wage raises. • Marine passenger fee increases from $5 to $8 per head starting January 2027. • Final budget vote scheduled for June 1.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Petersburg sees early revenue gains after senior sales tax exemption removal
Petersburg gained 26000 dollars in January and 22000 dollars in February sales tax revenue after removing a senior exemption. • The borough removed the exemption to balance its budget without drawing reserves. • The assembly will consider raising the 1200 dollar sales tax cap in May, the lowest in Southeast Alaska. • Voters must approve any cap increase. Final budget approval is June 1.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Kenai proposes $1.55 million for street work, pay raises in 2027 budget
Kenai budgets $1.55 million for street work and 2 percent pay raises for all staff. • Paramedic and police certification pay increases to match neighboring departments. • City allocates $300,000 for public safety building design ahead of November 2027 bond vote. • Water and sewer rates rise 4 percent to cover inflation and future plant upgrades.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Kenai proposes 4% water/sewer rate hike to fund aging infrastructure
Kenai proposes 4% water and sewer rate hike starting July 2026 to fund wastewater plant overhaul planned for 2029. • City losing 340,000 dollars annual revenue and facing higher chemical and staffing costs. • Rates remain among Alaska's lowest. Last increase was in fiscal year 2025. • Council will hold public hearing before final budget vote in May.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
TCC offers disaster relief to tribal members hit by fire, flooding
Tanana Chiefs Conference offers one-time disaster payments to enrolled tribal members whose homes or possessions are damaged by fire, flooding, or high winds, covering appliances, food loss, and winter gear with no income requirement.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Tanana Chiefs warns Dalton corridor transfer threatens subsistence lands
Interior Alaska tribes warn a 1.4 million-acre Dalton corridor land transfer to state control could threaten subsistence rights, as state management rules differ from federal protections.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Fairbanks gathering honors victims of unsolved homicides
Fairbanks Native Association, Doyon Limited, and city and borough partners held a remembrance gathering May 5 at Golden Heart Plaza to honor victims of unsolved homicides and call for justice.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Fitch upgrades Tanana Chiefs Conference bond rating to AA-
Fitch upgraded Tanana Chiefs Conference bond rating to AA-, lowering borrowing costs for healthcare and infrastructure. • Karen Sitton named new CFO after 30-year finance career. • TCC opposes federal land transfer in Dalton Utility Corridor, citing threats to ancestral hunting grounds. • Morris Thompson Center hiring youth ages 14 to 21 for summer jobs.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Petersburg voters to decide on sales tax cap increase in October
Petersburg Assembly voted 6-1 Monday to put a sales tax cap increase on the October 6 ballot, raising the single-purchase limit from $1,200 to $5,000 and the maximum tax owed from $72 to $300.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Petersburg sewer rates to rise 20% as EPA bans mixing zone
Petersburg Assembly approved 20% sewer rate hike starting July 2026, adding $12 monthly to residential bills. • EPA banned mixing zones for wastewater, requiring $12-15 million in new treatment equipment. • Borough got $8 million federal funding but faces additional 10% annual increases through 2030. • Nine Alaska cities including Anchorage face similar EPA mandates.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Assembly advances cell tower ordinance requiring conditional use permits
Assembly votes to require Planning Commission approval for new cell towers in Petersburg. Companies must first try mounting antennas on existing structures before building new towers. Public hearing set for June 1 with comment deadline May 25. Ordinance needs two more readings before final adoption.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Petersburg Medical Center receives state approval for MRI service
Petersburg Medical Center won state approval to offer MRI scans and plans to install the machine within 30 to 45 days in its new Work Building.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Planning Commission maps cell tower sites to guide wireless companies
Petersburg Planning Commission identified cell tower sites on public and private land to guide wireless companies away from homes. Overlay zone ordinance would let companies build towers by right at approved spots, up to 200 feet tall. Commission drafting legal descriptions and ordinance language for June meeting before assembly vote.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Ketchikan Council approves pursuit of $23M federal grant for electric grid upgrades
Ketchikan Council votes to apply for $23M federal grant to upgrade electric grid and enable shore power for cruise ships. • Project replaces aging transmission lines, increasing capacity from 20 to 35 megawatts over four years. • Department of Energy covers $17M, city matches roughly $6M with possible state funding. • Application deadline is May 17.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Ketchikan fails to reach agreement with city manager candidate
Ketchikan City Council and selected city manager candidate Glen Adams failed to reach agreement on employment terms Friday, ending negotiations for the combined city manager and utilities general manager role.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Kenai Planning Commission recommends rural residential rezone, rejecting city's denser proposal
Kenai Planning Commission rejected the city's plan to rezone 81 acres for denser housing and instead recommended rural residential zoning with larger lots, citing neighbor concerns about infrastructure despite a housing shortage.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Assembly transfers nine riverfront parcels to state for erosion control
Alaska borough transfers nine riverfront parcels to the state to build erosion barriers before the Matanuska River threatens the highway.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Mat-Su Assembly blocks sales tax proposal before public hearing
Mat-Su Assembly blocked a 1.5% sales tax proposal before public hearing, voting 6-3 to remove it from the agenda. • Assemblymember Nowers wanted to pair the tax with a $75,000 property tax exemption for homeowners. • Opponents said it added taxes rather than replacing them. A different 6.5% sales tax proposal remains scheduled for June 16 hearing.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Kenai approves $30K more for gas storage lease consulting
Kenai City Council approved an extra $30,000 for consultants to evaluate two competing natural gas storage proposals at the municipal airport, bringing the total contract to $60,000.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Kenai Parks Commission approves master plan, sends to City Council
Kenai Parks Commission unanimously approved a 10-year Parks and Recreation Master Plan on May 7 and sent it to City Council, which will review it May 20 and vote in June.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Planning commission approves variance for multifamily housing on corner lot
Kenai Planning Commission unanimously approved a variance allowing two multifamily buildings 10 feet from Cacnew Way instead of the standard 20 feet on a corner lot, citing safety improvements and housing demand.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Kenai garden tour set for Aug. 11, focus on Leif Hansen Park
Kenai Beautification Commission hosts a free garden tour August 11 at 5:30 p.m. to showcase landscaping at Leif Hansen Park and the visitor center.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Kenai airport main runway closed May 14 through September; pilots use temporary runway
Kenai airport main runway closed May 14 for three month rebuild • Pilots use temporary runway with initial restrictions • FAA clearance documents needed before normal operations resume • Work finishes by end of September if weather allows
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
Alutiiq Air ends Kenai service; airport eyes Fox Air contract
Alutiiq Air stopped flying to Kenai, leaving Grant Aviation as sole carrier. City pursuing Fox Air contract pending investigation of citizen complaint. Main runway closed three weeks for repairs, operations on temporary runway pending FAA approvals. Terminal cafe closing May 23, seeking new operator by July 1.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Mat-Su Planning Commission approves Deshka River watershed land classification
Mat-Su Planning Commission voted May 18 to classify borough-owned land along the Deshka River as watershed to protect cold-water salmon habitat, forwarding the resolution to the Assembly for final approval.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Anchorage Assembly considers new Public Safety Commission with community focus
Anchorage Assembly considers reviving a Public Safety Commission with nine voting community members and five non-voting agency reps. Commission would advise on police and fire policies, hold public hearings, and request records, but cannot investigate or discipline. Public hearing set for May 26.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
Ketchikan seeks bids for City Hall heating, civic center floors, fuel supply
Ketchikan is seeking bids for a new City Hall heating system, Ted Ferry Civic Center flooring replacement, and fuel supply for city vehicles, with two bid deadlines already passed and fuel bids still open.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI