Local organizations and topics
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
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Week of May 4
Senate panel proposes doubling Dalton Highway surcharge in gas line bill
Senate committee doubled the Dalton Highway maintenance surcharge to 30 cents per barrel in the gas pipeline bill, but questioned whether $1 billion in tax cuts justify the cost to Alaska.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel debates $1B tax break for Alaska LNG amid cost secrecy
Alaska Senate panel split on tax breaks for $46 billion LNG project, with one lawmaker refusing to vote without cost details and warning the state could lose $1 billion annually in taxes.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
House panel advances retirement savings program with PFD deposit option
Alaska House committee approved a retirement savings program for 105,000 workers without employer plans and expanded options to deposit Permanent Fund dividends into existing investment accounts.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
AG nominee Cox faces criticism over grand jury access policies
Attorney General nominee Stephen Cox faced criticism Monday for blocking Alaskans from bringing complaints directly to grand juries, contradicting research he himself commissioned.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Senate advances farm tax bill, carves out Anchorage exemption
Alaska Senate advanced a farm tax bill Monday that restores property tax breaks for S corporation farms, but exempts Anchorage from having to offer the deferral.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAnchorage budget crisis mirrors national school funding squeeze
Anchorage School District approved closing three elementary schools and cutting over 500 staff positions to address a $90 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2027.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Week of Apr 27
Anchorage faces mobile home park crisis as South Park Estates closes
South Park Estates mobile home park is closing due to unfixable water damage, leaving over 30 households with few options in Anchorage's tight affordable housing market.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Anchorage Park Foundation opens $300,000 challenge grant program
Anchorage Park Foundation is offering up to $300,000 in matching grants for community park and trail projects, with dollar-for-dollar matches from the Rasmuson Foundation and applications open now.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
More from Anchorage
Assembly considers smart taxi meters, $6 fare cap for Anchorage cabs
The Anchorage Assembly is considering a mandate for smart taxi meters and a fare cap increase to 6 dollars per tenth mile.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
AG Nominee Cox Defends 110+ Amicus Briefs, Faces Questions on Alaska Priorities
Attorney General-designee Stephen Cox defended his rapid pace of joining national legal briefs as senators questioned his focus on Alaska priorities.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Veterans sentencing bill advances despite concerns over court authority
House Bill 299 would let judges override prosecutors to place veterans in misdemeanor treatment courts, but prosecutors and court officials warned of separation of powers litigation.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Housing agency buys 600+ acres statewide to spur development
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation bought 600+ acres statewide with $12.5 million to spur single-family housing development, with developer proposals due in June and construction expected summer 2027.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Platting Board approves Lake Otis access for senior living site
Anchorage Platting Board removed restrictions blocking Lake Otis access for a senior living project at Lake Otis and O'Malley Road, though any actual driveway still needs traffic department approval.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Alaska House panel advances penny rounding bill amid federal mint halt
Alaska House panel advanced a bill Thursday requiring businesses to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel, responding to the federal government's halt of penny production in 2025.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Eagle Crest faces $1.68M subsidy request or severe cuts
Eagle Crest is asking Anchorage for $1.68 million to operate next year, warning that the city's historical $930,000 subsidy would force cuts so severe the ski area might not survive.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Anchorage to transfer Nordstrom building to development authority
Anchorage is transferring the vacant Nordstrom building to a development authority to redevelop it as mixed-use housing and commercial space downtown, with a public hearing set for March 24.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Coming up
Second Saturday Art Exhibit
Denali Graphics & Frame, 700 W. International Airport Rd, Anchorage, Alaska
Exhibition
Legally Blonde, JR: The Musical
Performance
JCC Bunco and Potluck
Community event
Awakening of Winter 7 – Dude, Where's the Snow?!
Community event
AIGA Alaska The BIG One Awards Reception
Community event
About Anchorage
Anchorage (Dgheyay Kaq') is the largest city in Alaska, set in Southcentral Alaska between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet. The Municipality of Anchorage takes in neighborhoods and communities from downtown, Midtown and Spenard to Eagle River and Girdwood.
The Anchorage Assembly passes ordinances, approves municipal contracts and reviews liquor license renewals, and the mayor appoints members of city boards and commissions. Local questions return to housing density and building in earthquake hazard zones, police funding and surveillance rules, parks and public facilities, and the condition and staffing of its schools.
Anchorage holds the Port of Alaska and sits beside Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, so military needs such as helicopter landing sites come before city government. It shares Southcentral Alaska with the Mat-Su Valley, the Kenai Peninsula and the other communities around Cook Inlet.
More from Anchorage
Zoning Board Approves Variances Despite Municipal Errors on Canyon Road Property
Anchorage Zoning Board approved setback variances for a Canyon Road property after the city admitted a 12-year-old zoning determination it issued contained errors the owners had relied on.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Anchorage Urban Design Commission to sunset after May meeting
Anchorage Assembly voted to eliminate the Urban Design Commission, which will hold its final meeting in May before design reviews shift to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Platting Board Denies Shawn Street Vacation Amid Gaming Hall Concerns
Anchorage Platting Board denied a request to vacate Shawn Street in Birchwood, preserving access to undeveloped lots despite neighbors' concerns about gaming hall traffic.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Board of Fisheries Opens Statewide Meeting With Stock Concern Action Plans
The Alaska Board of Fisheries met March 17 to weigh management plans for struggling Western Alaska salmon stocks.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago6 min read
Urban Design Commission votes to recommend its own dissolution
Anchorage Urban Design Commission voted to recommend its own dissolution, merging its duties into the Planning and Zoning Commission to save $28,000 annually and fill board vacancies.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
House committee advances insurance coverage for PANDAS/PANS treatment
Alaska House committee advanced a bill requiring insurers to cover expensive treatments for PANDAS and PANS, pediatric brain disorders triggered by infections.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
Senate Passes $2.47B Capital Budget Focused on School Repairs
Alaska Senate passed a $2.47 billion capital budget Tuesday that directs $88.7 million to fix deteriorating K-12 schools, including a fire suppression system waiting 20 years for repair.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
House passes bill requiring transparency at psychiatric hospitals for minors
The House passed a bill requiring psychiatric hospitals to conduct surprise inspections and allow minors weekly private calls with parents.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Alaska Universities Report 73% Jump in Teacher Pipeline Enrollment
University of Alaska teacher pipeline enrollment jumped 73 percent, with the university awarding over $1 million in scholarships to 109 candidates as the state works to fill 324 teacher vacancies.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Planning Commission accepts DOT concept for Tudor Road interchange redesign
Anchorage's Planning Commission approved a redesign of the aging Seward Highway and Tudor Road interchange that will add protected bike and pedestrian paths, following five fatalities in the corridor.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min read
Zoning Board Approves Two Variances, Denies Girdwood Deck Request
Anchorage's Zoning Board approved variances for two Eagle River properties with setback violations but denied a Girdwood homeowner's request to legalize a deck encroaching into the front setback.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
School Board Reverses Course on Calendar After Community Backlash
The Anchorage School Board moved the 2026-27 start date back to August 19. The change follows community outcry over subsistence conflicts.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Commission Approves Explosives Storage Site for Avalanche Control
Anchorage Planning Commission unanimously approved an explosives storage facility near Girdwood for avalanche control, pending Assembly rezone vote May 12.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Assembly postpones developer's land deadline amid mobile home park dispute
Assembly delayed a developer's land deadline extension until May 12 after mobile home park residents testified they are losing $70,000 investments for $6,000 buyouts.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Willow Woman Charged After 25 Sled Dogs Found Dead on Property
A Willow woman was arrested after 25 sled dogs starved to death on her property, with the borough investigating why animal control ignored months of neighbor complaints.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readSenate panel advances two nominees to Alaska Violent Crimes Compensation Board
Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee advanced two nominees to the Violent Crimes Compensation Board, which processes about 1,000 payment requests yearly for crime victims' funerals and medical care.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Valdez Fire Department Contains Late-Night House Fire on Gulkana Street
Valdez firefighters contained a house fire on Gulkana Street late April 27 with no injuries or damage to nearby homes.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readGalena School District Shows Early Learning Drives Math, Reading Gains
Galena School District's early learning programs show students performing above national math and reading norms, but most programs depend on grants that may not be sustainable long-term.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Week of Apr 20
House Finance advances bill extending professional licensing board
House Finance advanced a bill extending Alaska's professional licensing board and adding registered interior designers, after revising language that prompted a gubernatorial veto last year.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago5 min read
House panel hears confirmation for physician assistant to State Medical Board
House committee heard confirmation testimony from physician assistant Norman Walker for the State Medical Board. • UAA proposed a $30 million academic medical center to expand residency training for Alaska's growing medical school.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readFrom 
State employee per diem frozen since 2010 despite 40% inflation
House Bill 300 would raise state employee per diem rates frozen since 2010 from $60 to $82 per day, with automatic adjustments every three years starting in 2029.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Senate panel adopts changes to health care compact bill
Alaska Senate panel approved changes to join four interstate medical licensing compacts aimed at recruiting rural health providers, adding background check requirements for medical professionals.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min readFrom 
House panel fast-tracks insurance coverage for PANDAS treatment
Alaska House committee advanced a bill requiring insurers to cover PANDAS treatment after families testified they paid tens of thousands out of pocket when coverage was denied.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
House committee hears bill to reclassify emergency dispatchers as first responders
A House committee heard testimony on a bill to let emergency dispatchers retire after 20 years instead of 30 and classify them as first responders.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
