Mat-Su Valley
RSSNews from Mat-Su Valley, Alaska
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 News3mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su landfill fire draws multi-department response near Palmer-Wasilla corridor
TRASH FIRE, TRASH FIRE!!!
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo 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 News3mo ago1 min read
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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on an $859K Eklutna River study
The Anchorage Assembly's $859K Eklutna study isn't a small procurement — it's part of a decades-long fight over fish, hydropower, and tribal claims.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 3mo 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 3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo ago2 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 3mo ago2 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 AlaskaNews3mo 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 News3mo ago2 min read
MEA secures easements for new 115-kV transmission lines as Mat-Su's growth keeps outrunning its electrical infrastructure
Matanuska Electric Association secured easements Wednesday to build 22 miles of new transmission lines in the Mat-Su, adding capacity as the borough's residential growth outpaces its electrical grid.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su correctional-officer recruiting sessions run weekly
Alaska Department of Corrections holds weekly recruiting sessions for correctional officers every Friday from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Mat-Su Job Center in Wasilla.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Denali Highway bridge inspections close lanes through Wednesday
Alaska DOT&PF will close lanes on the Denali Highway at two bridges Tuesday through Thursday for routine federal safety inspections, causing delays up to 60 minutes at each site.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Talkeetna wildfire contained after overnight crew work
An 18-acre wildfire southeast of Talkeetna was fully contained Friday after crews worked overnight with helicopters and retardant tankers. No structures were threatened.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Two Mat-Su subdivisions approved — and the small details say something about how the borough is growing
Mat-Su Borough Platting Board approved two subdivisions Thursday • Palmer project scaled to three lots after sewer extension costs ruled out six-lot plan • Lakeside development near Parks Highway approved for seven tracts accessible by float plane • Utility costs and geography shape where borough growth actually happens
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska Corrections holds weekly recruiting sessions in Wasilla
Alaska Corrections is hiring correctional officers for Goose Creek prison and holds recruiting sessions every Friday at 3 p.m. at the Mat-Su Job Center in Wasilla.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Red Flag Warning covers Southwest Alaska through Wednesday
Red Flag Warning covers Southwest Alaska through Wednesday evening due to warm, dry, windy conditions that could spread fires rapidly. Residents must avoid open burning and spark-producing work like chainsaws and lawnmowers.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su, Kenai burn permits suspended as fire activity surges
Alaska Division of Forestry suspended burn permits across Mat-Su and Kenai-Kodiak starting Monday, June 1, after a surge in human-caused fires sparked by escaped debris burns and unattended campfires during hot, dry, windy conditions.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min read
The Mat-Su Valley's king salmon fisheries are closed — Anchorage's closest king water joins the Kenai on the bench
Alaska closed all king salmon fishing in Mat-Su Valley drainages, shutting down Anchorage's closest king fishery as the first fish arrived. • The closures follow four years of declining runs and emergency restrictions nearly every season since 2022. • Mat-Su and Kenai rivers, Southcentral's two main king fisheries, are now both closed for 2026.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su removes gravel permit barrier in Knik-Fairview
The Mat-Su Assembly voted 6-1 to remove comprehensive plans as a binding standard for gravel permits, replacing it with a requirement that planners give plans due consideration but are not bound by them.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su Planning Commission advances multifamily design standards rewrite
Mat-Su Planning Commission approved a resolution Monday to rewrite multifamily design standards, with a public hearing set for June 15 before the proposal goes to the borough assembly.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su Assembly creates musher-led kennel board after 25 dogs died
Mat-Su Assembly created a musher-led advisory board Tuesday to review kennel standards after 25 sled dogs died at a Willow property this spring, with recommendations due by mid-December.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Wasilla advances 63-unit affordable housing project as Mat-Su growth continues
Wasilla set a June 9 public hearing for a 63-unit affordable housing project in North Star Estates as the Mat-Su Borough continues rapid growth and housing costs strain residents.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
King salmon closures spread across Mat-Su and West Cook Inlet as runs remain weak
Alaska closed all king salmon sport fishing in the Susitna drainage and West Cook Inlet
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su hunter cited for using salmon, game meat as bear bait
Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Wasilla hunter Max Halter on May 16 for using salmon and grouse at his registered bear bait site, violating state rules that prohibit fish and game meat as bear bait.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min readMat-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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
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 4mo ago1 min read