Fairbanks North Star Borough
RSSNews from the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
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Juneau's federal court office keeps closing, with no end in sight
Alaska's capital has a federal court counter. Staffing it is apparently optional — closed again this month, with no word on when it reopens.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate minority demands clean floor vote on LNG tax bill
Alaska Senate Republicans demanded a floor vote on HB 381, the LNG volumetric tax bill, without amendments. • The majority has not said whether it will attach an S-corporation tax provision the minority opposes. • Minority senators cited lower energy costs as the project's main public benefit for Alaskans.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska was selected for the federal CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration
Alaska's joining a federal Medicaid demo for full-service behavioral health clinics. Long overdue, given the state's gaps.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
High Water Threatens Alaska's Only Road North
A rain-fed surge down the Koyukuk could wash out the Dalton Highway — the lone road feeding the North Slope oil fields — the same way 2015's flooding shut it for 28 days.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Sag River nears bankfull, threatening Dalton Highway washout
Sagavanirktok River near bankfull on North Slope threatens Dalton Highway washouts between mileposts 310 and 340 through Thursday afternoon, with ice-blocked culverts posing particular risk to the primary road serving oil fields and communities.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Ben Eielson High lab rebuild is part of Eielson AFB's F-35-era buildout
Army Corps of Engineers is upgrading science labs at Ben Eielson High School with new propane safety controls, part of a decade-long federal buildout tied to the base's role as a primary F-35 fighter hub for the Pacific region.
by Melinda Communities.News4mo ago3 min read
Senate Finance presses Alaska LNG spur line: who builds, who pays, who regulates
Senate Finance gets into the numbers of the LNG line in a hot and spicy day of meetings
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Anchorage commission to review mayor's salary for first time since 2020
Anchorage's Commission on Salaries and Emoluments voted Tuesday to review the mayor's $145,392 annual salary for the first time since 2020, after noting some unionized city employees now earn more than their boss.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Flood Watch: Koyukuk rises threaten Coldfoot, Wiseman, Bettles
National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch through Tuesday evening for the Upper Koyukuk Valley after heavy rain and snowmelt pushed steep water rises toward Wiseman, Coldfoot, and Bettles along the Dalton Highway.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Senate Finance demands Phase 1 pipeline math before Alaska LNG tax vote
Senator Stedman blocked a vote on a $750 million annual tax break for Alaska LNG's Phase 1 pipeline until the Department of Revenue shows whether the project actually needs the 2-mill property tax cut to work financially.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Murkowski: War-price fuel barges lock rural Alaska into costly winter
Rural Alaska villages are paying $9 to $14 a gallon for fuel locked in at peak war prices and cannot wait for global prices to fall, Senator Murkowski warned
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Parks Highway blasting, 24-hour pilot cars through Nenana Canyon
Alaska Department of Transportation is blasting rock cuts and running 24-hour pilot cars on Parks Highway between Nenana Canyon mileposts 319 and 325, creating extended delays on the main Anchorage-Fairbanks route.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Eielson AFB PFAS plume is spreading, Air Force warns data center bidders
Air Force is leasing 8,700 acres at three Alaska bases for AI data centers, with bids due June 29. • Eielson AFB parcels sit in or near a moving PFAS contamination plume with no completed environmental surveys. • Developers bear the risk and cost; leases are as-is with no Air Force warranties or utilities provided. • Local permits required from North Pole, Fairbanks North Star Borough, and state energy authority.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Alaska regulators say gas-line oversight hinges on federal decision
Federal regulators claim exclusive authority over Alaska's proposed North Slope gas pipeline, blocking state oversight of ratepayer costs. • The project's split into in-state and export phases may give Alaska regulators a limited role if federal jurisdiction is revisited. • Lead developer Glenfarne is targeting a final investment decision this year and first gas by 2029.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Smokejumpers attack 75-acre lightning fire northeast of Fairbanks
Smokejumpers attacked a 75-acre lightning fire in tundra and black spruce 66 miles northeast of Fairbanks on Saturday morning.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
North Slope rivers expected to rise as snowmelt, rain combine
It's finally spring in the arctic
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Smokejumpers stop half-acre fire across Yukon River from Circle
Six smokejumpers stopped a half-acre wildfire burning across the Yukon River from Circle on June 12, using hose lines and coordinating water drops to protect the nearby community.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Alaska logs 13 new wildfire investigations in 72 hours
Alaska fire agencies opened 13 wildfire investigations in three days as a Red Flag Warning and burn permit suspensions took effect across Interior Alaska due to strong winds, low humidity, and dry fuels.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
GVEA updates rules for connecting generators 20 MW and larger
Golden Valley Electric Association filed rules for connecting large power plants to the Interior grid as the Fairbanks region lost access to cheaper outside power and now depends entirely on local generation.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Board of Game proposes hunting, trapping rules for Ambler Road
Alaska Board of Game is proposing hunting and trapping restrictions in Game Management Units 23 and 24 if the 211-mile Ambler Road is built across the Brooks Range. Public hearings are July 22-23 in Fairbanks.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes new tax structure for Alaska LNG pipeline aimed at attracting investors
The Alaska House just passed the latest tax framework meant to finally install the LNG pipeline. Next, the Senate. Maybe. Pipeline still pending.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Fairbanks Planning to take up metro boundary expansion June 17
FAST Planning board votes June 17 on expanding metro planning boundary to include Farmer's Loop, Chena Ridge, Chena Pump, Moose Creek, and Eielson Air Force Base.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Where Alaska's fire morels may pop next
Oh, Mushroom hunters / Information they kept close / Now for all to know
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
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.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Senate Finance weighs Alaska LNG tax worth $124M a year — and whether it's enough for host communities
Governments are making compromises on the amount of property tax they'll receive - not all are happy about it
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Anchorage's mayor told Senate Finance LNG could cost "tens of millions of dollars"
Anchorage's mayor told Senate Finance LNG would cost "tens of millions" — a number that lands somewhere between $23M and $173M. Her plan targets $23M.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Fairbanks spur line language added to Alaska LNG tax bill
Fairbanks North Star Borough secured a requirement for a gas spur line in the state LNG tax bill. Developers must build the spur to access tax breaks. Costs will spread across Railbelt users to keep rates affordable for 3500 local customers.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Frost advisories hit Fairbanks gardens during planting season
Frost advisories across Fairbanks and Interior valleys this week threaten early-season gardens, with temperatures expected to drop into the low 30s overnight through Wednesday.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
BLM closes Nome Creek road, trail for construction through August
BLM closes Nome Creek Road on weekdays through September and Nome Creek Trail from July 6 to August 31 for culvert replacement and stream restoration work, blocking the main summer access to White Mountains National Recreation Area near Fairbanks.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
The federal autonomous vehicle framework Congress is debating would apply to Alaska's roads — but Alaska wasn't part of the conversation
Congress is debating a federal framework for autonomous trucks that will apply to Alaska's roads, but Alaska's operating conditions like Arctic weather, wildlife, and cellular dead zones were not part of the Senate hearing.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Mid-June snowstorm closes Atigun Pass, Arctic gateway for North Slope projects
The Arctic doesn’t respect summer.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
The Air Force wants to put AI data centers on Alaska military land — and the three sites tell three very different stories
Three Alaska military bases are auditioning to host the AI boom — JBER can't power it, Eielson is leaking PFAS at it, and Clear has 4,769 acres, a DDT drum dump, and all the groundwater you can drink.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
House Finance writes a $16 gas-price cap into Alaska LNG bill — even if Enstar's contract isn't signed
Alaska House Finance voted 6-5 Monday to write a $16-per-MMBtu price cap for natural gas into the state's Alaska LNG tax bill, protecting consumers even if Enstar's contract with the developer remains unsigned.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Doyon and Tanana Chiefs warn of rising fuel costs in Interior
Doyon and Tanana Chiefs Conference warned that shipping disruptions are raising fuel costs in Interior Alaska, urging villages to order early during the brief barge season before rivers freeze.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alyeska tears down Pump Station 8 near Salcha
Alyeska Pipeline is demolishing Pump Station 8 near Salcha, 30 miles south of Fairbanks, removing buildings and tanks that have sat idle since the station closed in 1996.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago2 min read
RTO tariff subcommittee meets Thursday on transmission costs
Alaska's largest power grid is rewriting transmission cost rules this week to let utilities buy cheaper power as Cook Inlet gas supplies tighten and bills rise.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Fairbanks spruce pollen hits season high in UAF count
Fairbanks spruce pollen hit a season record of 346 grains per cubic meter on June 5, according to University of Alaska Fairbanks counts that track allergy triggers and climate patterns.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Russian seafood floods US markets as Alaska fishermen seek relief
Russian seafood still reaches US markets through third-country processing despite a five-year federal import ban, leaving Alaska pollock and cod fishermen facing continued price pressure below pre-ban levels.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Fire burns within mile of Ambler as crews race to protect village
The Kopshesut Fire burned within a mile of Ambler on Friday, with 24 smokejumpers and incoming crews working to protect the village of 274 residents before winds push the 500-acre blaze closer.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska suspends burn permits statewide as heat drives fire risk
Alaska suspended burn permits statewide June 1-5 across Mat-Su, Kenai-Kodiak, Tok, Delta, Fairbanks, Salcha, and Railbelt due to early heat and dry conditions, after recent escaped debris fires and burn barrels sparked multiple wildfires.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read