Mat-Su Valley
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Week of May 25
Wasilla pair sentenced for illegal Kodiak guiding operation
Two Wasilla men sentenced for running unlicensed hunting guide business near Kodiak that led to illegal deer and bear kills. Theodore Turgeon got six months prison and $20,000 fine, Charles Emmi got four years probation and $30,000 fine. Both banned from hunting and guiding work during supervision and must forfeit nearly $15,000 each.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min readAlaska DOT restricts truck weights on Central Region roads starting June 1
Alaska DOT limits truck weights on Central Region roads starting June 1 to protect roads during spring thaw. Most paved roads restricted to 75 percent of legal axle load, gravel roads to 50 percent. Six roads face strictest limits at 50 percent with no overloads allowed.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su king salmon fisheries closed amid conservation concerns
Alaska closed king salmon fishing in Susitna River, Little Susitna River, and West Cook Inlet through July 2026 due to low salmon numbers. • Gear restrictions apply to all fishing in those drainages, even when targeting other species. • Eklutna Tailrace opens late May with king salmon available if you buy a stamp. • Rainbow trout and northern pike fishing open at other Mat-Su lakes.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Glenn Highway bridge closure forces Birchwood detour through June 2
Glenn Highway northbound bridge closed April 18 for 45 days. All traffic uses southbound span with 11-foot lanes and 45 MPH limit through June 2. • Birchwood Loop on-ramp closed. Detour via Old Glenn Highway to next entrance. • 20 to 30 million dollar project covers bridge deck repair. Completion August 2026. • Lane configuration shifts daily by time to manage peak commuter flows.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
DNR grants 4.55-acre public easement through state land in Trapper Creek
Alaska DNR approved a public easement across state land in Trapper Creek, giving landowner Troy Church legal road and utility access to his property while keeping the half-mile corridor open to the general public.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
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 5mo ago1 min read
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 5mo ago2 min read
Week of May 18
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
More from Mat-Su Valley
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 5mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Proposes $4.4 Billion Synthetic Aviation Fuel Refinery Using Beetle-Killed Trees
Alaska plans $4.4 billion refinery to make 150 million gallons of jet fuel yearly from beetle-killed trees. • Fischer-Tropsch technology costs $4.85 per gallon, cheaper than cooking oil methods. • State imports most aviation fuel despite handling 700 cargo flights weekly through Anchorage. • Federal energy office offers $289 billion in lending authority for qualified projects.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills
Alaska Senate unanimously passed bill increasing special education funding by 16 percent per student. • Senate also approved adding a fifth Superior Court judge in Palmer to reduce case backlog from 680 to 540 cases per judge.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills
Alaska Senate unanimously passed bill raising special education funding by 16 percent per student. • Senate also unanimously approved adding a fifth Superior Court judge in Palmer to cut case backlogs from 680 to 540 cases per judge.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska districts face June 30 deadline for federal education funds
Alaska school districts must submit federal education grant applications in substantially approvable form by June 30, 2026, to receive funding starting July 1, or face delays.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate Passes Education Bill With 4% Property Tax Cap
Senate passed education bill with 4% cap on required local contribution growth, limiting property value increases that shift school funding from state to local governments. • Bill includes energy grants for schools and teacher loan repayment up to $5,000 yearly for STEM and special education teachers. • Cap could cost state $41.6 million by 2035 but prevents districts from losing millions in revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Constituent complaint drives classic car import law through Legislature
Alaska House passed a bill updating classic car import rules to match federal standards, allowing cars 25 years old or older to be registered instead of only pre-1981 models, after a constituent could not register a federally legal vehicle.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 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
State Signs Deal to Develop Geothermal Energy at Mount Augustine Volcano
Alaska and South Korean company POSCO International signed a two-year exploratory deal on May 18 to study geothermal energy and green methanol at Mount Augustine volcano. • The agreement also covers five other projects: a sustainable aviation fuel refinery, rare earth element mining on Prince of Wales Island, port expansion, and the Knik Arm Crossing.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
House Finance advances tobacco age increase, e-cigarette tax on 7-4 vote
House Finance advanced a bill raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 and taxing e-cigarettes at retail, effective July 2026 and July 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min readAlaska House panel hears bill to shield ratepayers from data center costs
Alaska House panel heard testimony on a bill requiring data centers to pay for their own transmission infrastructure instead of passing costs to residential ratepayers.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Mat-Su Job Center Offers Free Digital Literacy Help Twice Weekly
Free one-on-one digital literacy tutoring is available Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Mat-Su Job Center in Wasilla, covering email, job searching, and basic computer skills.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min readWeek of May 11
8-Year Boundary Error in Jonesville PUA Finally Corrected
Alaska lawmakers unanimously approved a bill to fix an 8-year-old boundary error in the Jonesville Public Use Area, clearing the way for the state to finish writing rules for the land.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readRailbelt grid operator holds five subcommittee meetings in eight days
The Railbelt Transmission Organization held five subcommittee meetings in eight days this month to work on grid standards, rates, and transmission planning across Anchorage, Mat-Su, and Fairbanks.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readSenate panel advances civil rights commission bill with new settlement tool
Alaska Senate Finance Committee advanced a bill that renames the human rights commission to civil rights commission, expands it to cover roughly 40,000 nonprofit employees, and adds a settlement tool.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Alaska Lawmakers Advance Electronic Pull-Tab Gaming Bill
Alaska House committee advanced a bill allowing pull-tab games on tablets, but capped manufacturer costs in ways the sponsor warns could give one company a market edge.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Wasilla Senator's Mother Scammed, Sparks Crypto Kiosk Crackdown
Alaska Senate unanimously approved regulations for cryptocurrency kiosks, requiring licenses and fraud warnings, after scammers stole from seniors including a lawmaker's mother.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readAlaska Legislature Passes Bill Recognizing Gold, Silver as Legal Tender
Alaska Legislature passed a bill recognizing gold and silver as legal tender and exempting those transactions from local sales taxes, sending it to Governor Dunleavy for signature.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readAnchorage treatment facility debate exposes gaps in public process
Anchorage fast-tracked approval for a Fairview treatment center without notifying neighbors first, exposing gaps between federal procurement rules and community engagement.
by Alaska News6mo ago4 min read
Alaska House Passes Required Local Contribution Cap for Schools
Alaska House voted 24-16 to cap annual growth in required local school funding at 2%, shifting roughly $29 million in education costs from municipalities to the state.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Alaska House rejects optional school district healthcare pooling plan
Alaska House rejected a plan that would have let school districts join the state healthcare program, turning down potential savings of $31 million to $42 million annually for major districts.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Week of May 4
U.S. Education Secretary Tours Mat-Su Career and Charter Schools
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited two Mat-Su schools on May 7 to tour career programs and meet students as part of a 50-state tour marking the nation's 250th anniversary.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readAlaska Native Women Face Trafficking Risks Across Rural and Urban Areas
Alaska Native women and girls face heightened trafficking and abuse risks across rural and urban areas. • A 2026 federal report found Alaska's foster care system failed to assess Native children in state custody for sex trafficking. • Rural villages lack law enforcement, shelters, and victim services, making communities vulnerable to exploitation.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readFrom House panel hears bill to ease farmland leasing, lower costs for Alaska growers
House panel advanced a bill to let Alaska farmers lease state land at below-market rates instead of costly appraisals, after one Homer grower's lease fee jumped from $1,000 to $9,360 annually.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readTrue North Recovery proposes Fairview behavioral health center
True North Recovery wants $750,000 in city funds for a Fairview health center. Neighbors oppose the site due to service density.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min read
Palmer meeting set for Glenn Highway safety project feedback
DOT&PF meets June 3 in Palmer to gather public input on Glenn Highway safety improvements, with comments accepted through July 3.
by Alaska News6mo ago1 min readAlaska Senate Passes Operating Budget With Energy Relief
Alaska Senate passed a $70 per barrel operating budget with $150 energy relief payments, avoiding a major Constitutional Budget Reserve draw that the House budget requires.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Fatal trailer fire in rural Big Lake outside fire-district boundaries
A person died in a travel trailer fire in rural Big Lake on May 6, 2026, in an area outside fire district boundaries. Investigators found the fire started near a propane heater.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago1 min readHouse Committee Hears Divided Testimony on Electronic Pull-Tab Bill
HB 386 would allow electronic pull-tabs on tablets for charitable gaming. • Operators warned the bill's costs could cut charity proceeds in half, especially in rural areas. • Manufacturers and veterans groups backed the change for revenue growth and accountability.
by Alaska News6mo ago5 min readBoard of Fish Nominees Face Questions on Public Process Erosion
Three Board of Fisheries nominees pledged Tuesday to restore public trust after the board made an out-of-cycle Cook Inlet salmon gear decision despite 280 opposing comments.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readHouse Finance cuts West Susitna road funding from capital budget
House Finance cut $95 million for the West Susitna Access Road from the capital budget. Lawmakers fear the project will drain federal funds from other state needs.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Week of Apr 27
Big Lake Man Arrested Twice for DUI in Three Days
A Big Lake man was arrested for DUI twice in three days, first in Wasilla on April 27 and again in Big Lake on April 29, both times refusing chemical testing.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
