Mat-Su Valley
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Week of Jun 22
The state wants this gravel pit to be permanent.
The state wants to make a Richardson Highway gravel pit permanent — and this 22-day comment window is the public's only formal say over how it's run, now and indefinitely.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A Wasilla surgery center just raised $2.65M in private equity. Here is what that pattern means for Mat-Su healthcare.
Surgery Center of Wasilla raised $2.65 million from five investors across two private equity rounds in 2026, according to SEC filings, but did not disclose how it plans to use the money.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Trump's farm package, and what it actually means for Alaska
Trump signed farm orders and pitched $11B in crop relief. For Alaska — which imports ~95% of its food and exports mostly peonies — the stake is small but real.
by Alaska News4mo ago3 min read
Alaska throws a nine-day baseball party for America's 250th
For nine days, Alaska swaps the rink for the diamond: free kids' clinics, midnight-sun ball, a "Sandlot" screening, and a Fourth of July finish in Fairbanks.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A typo froze Sutton's wild rec area for eight years. Not anymore.
An eight-year-old wording error blocked any rules for Jonesville, Sutton's anything-goes rec area — born of a fatal shooting and bullets hitting homes. Alaska just fixed it.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Guardrail repairs close a Glenn Highway lane toward Anchorage Thursday
Crews are fixing broken guardrail and fencing on the Glenn, so the right Anchorage-bound lane is closed till 4:30 PM Thursday. Boring, until you need that rail.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
When the electric co-op sprays herbicide near your well, what are you owed?
MEA's spraying herbicide near Knik-Goose Bay. Alaska's strict notice rules cover only government land — so near your private well, what you're owed is mostly MEA's call.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Dunleavy signs bill aligning Alaska classic car import rules with federal standard
Gov. Dunleavy signed a bill letting Alaskans title imported classic cars 25 years or older, matching federal rules and unblocking owners caught in an outdated gap.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
More from Mat-Su Valley
Mat-Su Disc Golf Association spreads wood chips at Alcantra course
Mat-Su Disc Golf Association volunteers spread donated wood chips across muddy tee pads at Alcantra course in Wasilla, a free public course seeing growing use from families and casual players.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A Corner of the Port of Anchorage Is Becoming a Park
Anchorage Platting Board splits 48-acre port parcel into industrial and parkland tracts on Government Hill. • Site sits in highest seismic-hazard zone, raising engineering concerns for waterfront. • State wants easement reserved for potential Knik Arm bridge to Mat-Su.
by Melinda Communities.News4mo ago2 min read
NWS warns Susitna Valley gravel bars may flood by Wednesday
National Weather Service warns gravel bars and campsites across the Susitna Valley will flood by Wednesday as 1 to 2 inches of rain falls and rivers crest.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su landfill fire draws multi-department response near Palmer-Wasilla corridor
TRASH FIRE, TRASH FIRE!!!
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Matanuska Electric wants members to go renewable without a rooftop, but it hasn't said what it costs
Matanuska Electric wants you to go renewable without the rooftop. What it'll cost, and whether non-subscribers help pay, is the part nobody's said yet.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
Week of Jun 15
If you're camped on a Susitna gravel bar this week, watch the river
Up to 3 inches of rain is about to hit the Susitna Valley, and the gravel bars everyone camps on are exactly what floods first. Maybe move the tent.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Beluga Fire reaches 65 acres in Mat-Su, 25% contained
Beluga Fire west of Susitna has grown to 65 acres and is 25 percent contained as of Saturday, with hot, dry conditions and evening lightning expected to keep fire danger high through the weekend.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Two separate Wasilla shootings Saturday — one suspect was a felon with three warrants
State Troopers arrested Christian Schaffer, 25, after a shooting in Wasilla early Saturday; he was a convicted felon with three active warrants found with a 9mm handgun and faces felony assault and weapons charges. • In a separate incident, Michael Melland, 46, was arrested after his brother was shot in the head; Melland faces assault charges.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Coming up
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly Regular Meeting
Assembly Chambers, 350 East Dahlia Avenue, Palmer, AK 99645; testimony by phone at 1-855-225-2326
Meeting
19th Annual Mat-Su Salmon Science and Conservation Symposium
Conference
Marijuana Control Board Meeting
Meeting
Alaska Supreme Court oral argument: Leif S. Backlin v. Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Hearing
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly and School Board Joint Meeting
Meeting
About Mat-Su Valley
The Mat-Su Valley is a region of Southcentral Alaska that takes in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Its communities include Wasilla, Palmer, Big Lake, Houston, Willow, Talkeetna and Trapper Creek, and it is known for agriculture, Hatcher Pass and the Iditarod.
The Mat-Su Borough Assembly, its Platting Board and Planning Commission decide on land use, subdivisions, grants and library policy, while the Wasilla and Palmer city councils run their own towns. Port MacKenzie and its rail line draw industrial proposals such as a mineral refinery, and the Wasilla airport plans to lengthen its runway.
The Parks and Glenn highways carry traffic through the borough, and crashes along them recur. The region shares Southcentral Alaska with Anchorage, Cook Inlet and the Susitna River.
More from Mat-Su Valley
Alaska DFFP battles 4 wildfires across Interior, Southcentral, Southwest
Twin Bear Fire near Fairbanks drew 23 firefighters and helitack crews to a lightning-caused blaze in black spruce with cabins nearby. • Joaquin Fire southwest of McGrath and Vanderpool Fire east of McGrath prompted aerial response due to native allotment and private property. • Matanuska Fire on Glenn Highway was contained within two hours at under half an acre. • Red Flag Warning through Sunday evening cited 30 percent humidity and 40 mph wind gusts near thunderstorms across Central Interior.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
NOAA Fisheries declined to list Gulf of Alaska Chinook under the ESA
NOAA decided Gulf of Alaska Chinook don't qualify for ESA listing — even as Chinook closures pile up across Alaska systems.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
Von Imhof Launches Anchorage Mayoral Bid With 'Fix and Grow' Platform
Former state senator Natasha Von Imhof launched a campaign for Anchorage mayor against incumbent Suzanne LaFrance. The election is scheduled for April 6, 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A new Mat-Su road would cross the ground its drinking water comes from
The Mat-Su drinks only groundwater — and keeps building over it. A new road would cross two drinking-water zones near a creek with a known PFAS problem.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Red Flag Warnings blanket Mat-Su and Susitna Valley for solstice weekend
National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings for Mat-Su and Susitna Valley through early Saturday due to lightning risk, dry fuels, and humidity as low as 25 percent. Burn permits are suspended across Delta, Tok, and Mat-Su areas.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
MEA is building a 40-acre substation in Meadow Lakes for Mat-Su's growing grid
Mat-Su is getting a 40-acre substation in Meadow Lakes — major infrastructure for the fastest-growing Alaska region. Take that, Anchorage!
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Says No to Swapping Property Tax for Sales Tax
Mat-Su weighed trading its property tax for a 6.5% sales tax — same money, different payers — and decided renters, shoppers, and an untested legal handcuff made it a bad bet for the ballot.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Press plans return, with Northern Journal folding into revived paper
Nathaniel Herz and Veri di Suvero are reviving the Anchorage Press, an alternative weekly that closed years ago, by folding Northern Journal into it and launching a print edition this fall with arts, culture and Alaska politics coverage.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read
BSNC placed 16 interns across its operations — building homegrown management
Bering Straits Native Corporation placed 16 interns across its operations this summer, including returning participants pursuing business degrees, to build management talent from shareholders and descendants in the region.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Planning Commission to schedule Eagle River annexation presentation
Mat-Su Planning Commission scheduled a presentation on annexing Chugiak and Eagle River from Anchorage, a preliminary step that does not endorse the idea or require a vote by the Borough Assembly.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Planning Commission backs multifamily code overhaul
Mat-Su Planning Commission backed a tiered multifamily code allowing homeowners to add mother-in-law suites without permits. • Larger projects must meet new drainage, fire access, and road standards, including 100-foot building setbacks from roads. • The Assembly must approve the ordinance before the new rules take effect.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Archangel Road opens for summer access to Reed Lakes
Archangel Road in Hatcher Pass opened for summer, restoring vehicle access to Reed Lakes Trailhead and alpine hiking. Expect rough unpaved conditions, limited parking, and weekend crowds.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
DNR, Mental Health Trust finalize MEA easements for Wasilla utility corridor
DNR and the Alaska Mental Health Trust approved easements letting Matanuska Electric Association build and maintain power lines along Church Road and Shampine Lane in Wasilla.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Week of Jun 8
Palmer faces blowing dust, 45-mph gusts as Gulf storm hits Sunday
Palmer and the Lower Matanuska Valley will face 45-mph wind gusts and blowing dust Sunday, creating hazardous driving conditions on the Glenn Highway.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Wasilla man faces assault, evidence-tampering charges in domestic violence arrest
Alaska State Troopers arrested six people in domestic disturbance calls across Mat-Su and near Glennallen on June 12 and 13. • Charges included second-degree assault, third-degree assault, weapon misconduct, and criminal mischief. • Five arrestees were held at Mat-Su Pretrial Facility. One was transported to Glennallen Post. • All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Wasilla resource fair connects Mat-Su families with disability services
LINKS Resource Center hosts a free disability services fair June 18 in Wasilla with resource tables, activities, and food for Mat-Su families.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Palmer subdivision easement vacation draws access concerns
Alaska's Department of Natural Resources approved vacating two public easements on a Palmer subdivision lot, ending physical trail access despite objections from two neighbors who said the easement provided important passage.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Yenlo Fire crews defend cabin, equipment as 53-acre blaze nears Skwentna
Firefighters defended a cabin and equipment as the 53-acre Yenlo Fire near Skwentna reached 90 percent containment Wednesday, with crews demobilizing by Friday.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
MEA wins easement on Mental Health Trust land in Wasilla
Matanuska Electric Association won an easement on Mental Health Trust land in Wasilla to install electric utility infrastructure
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
The Eklutna Tailrace is the only open king salmon fishery in the Mat-Su
King salmon fishing is closed across the Mat-Su except for the Eklutna Tailrace, a hatchery fishery open year-round with bait and multiple hooks allowed.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Talkeetna Airport bicycle shop seeks five-year lease extension
Hailey DeReamer is seeking a five-year lease extension for her bicycle shop at Talkeetna State Airport, paying about $250 a month for the 17,217-square-foot parcel that serves climbers and flightseeing tourists.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Smokejumpers, hotshots battle 52-acre Yenlo Fire near Talkeetna
A 52-acre wildfire north of Skwentna grew overnight from 10 acres, drawing smokejumpers and hotshot crews to protect remote cabins in the upper Susitna Valley while aerial tankers slow the human-caused fire.
by Alaska News5mo 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 AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
