Palmer
RSSNews from Palmer, Alaska
Mat-Su Assembly member moves to reconsider the pricier Engstrom-Trunk road route
The Mat-Su Assembly picked the pricier northern route for the Engstrom-Trunk road 4-3. Now Maxwell Sumner wants a do-over, and it's on the Oct. 6 agenda.
by Walter AlaskaNews11h ago2 min read
Mat-Su resolution would ask school board to start classes after Labor Day
Mat-Su Assembly will vote Tuesday on a resolution asking the school board to start classes the day after Labor Day instead of earlier in August.
by Walter AlaskaNews11h ago1 min read
Palmer junk hauler cited for dumping over 500 pounds of trash on Mat-Su land
A junk removal business is supposed to take the junk to the dump. Troopers say a Palmer man's took 500-plus pounds of it to a Point MacKenzie railbed instead.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2d ago1 min read
Troopers say Eagle River hunter used a $5 license he did not qualify for
Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited an Eagle River hunter for falsely claiming low-income status to buy a $5 duck license instead of the $45 resident license.
by Bill AlaskaNews2d ago1 min read
Where to celebrate Oktoberfest in Southcentral this weekend and next
Free Oktoberfest celebrations hit Girdwood, Anchorage and Valdez this weekend, Sept. 25-26. Ticketed adult events follow Oct. 3 in Palmer and Eagle River.
by Cale Green4d ago3 min read
Palmer's plan to test whether its two main wells can produce more clears state review
Palmer's plan to study and possibly expand Wells 4 and 5, which supply 90 percent of the city's water, cleared state environmental review. The city has requested a $1.5 million state loan for it.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago1 min read
Knik Tribe awarded $199,482 for Palmer fingerprinting site and mobile units
Fostering a child in Mat-Su can mean a long drive to get fingerprinted. Federal money is buying the Knik Tribe a station and two portable units.
by Maggie AlaskaNews6d ago2 min read
A Palmer barbecue restaurant's parking variance waits another month after neighbors object
A Palmer barbecue joint with zero parking spots says it counted 698 nearby on Google Earth. A dozen neighbors said that's not how this works.
by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago2 min read
A hydro plant sat on state land five years after its easement expired
A hydro plant east of Palmer has sat on state land for five years with no authorization to be there. The state now proposes to lease it the ground.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago2 min read
A jury convicted a former employee in a Trapper Creek killing
A Palmer jury convicted a former restaurant employee of first-degree murder in the 2023 killing of a 21-year-old server at a Trapper Creek lodge.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago2 min read
Mat-Su power bills climb about $15 a month, with more increases expected
Mat-Su electric bills rose about $14.50 a month this quarter as power costs climbed, and the co-op expects about 5% annual increases for three years.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Juneau driver, 33, dies in Hyer Road crash in Palmer
A Juneau driver died Thursday morning after his vehicle became airborne over the Hyer underpass in Palmer and struck a concrete support.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Parent tells Mat-Su officials bus cancellations fall to parents
A parent told Mat-Su officials that repeated bus cancellations are forcing families to arrange their own rides, calling it unacceptable after five years of a Durham contract.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Troopers arrest Wasilla motorcyclist on DUI and refusal charges after Palmer-Fishhook crash
A Wasilla man was arrested on DUI and refusal charges after a motorcycle crash on North Palmer-Fishhook Road late Saturday.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Scott Robb won the state fair cabbage title with 122.7 pounds
Palmer grower Scott Robb won the Alaska State Fair's giant cabbage weigh-off on Sept. 4 with a 122.7-pound entry, but the fair's official records page does not list that weight.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
FAA awards $79,899 to Palmer-based Port Graham Development Corporation for Cleveland radar power work
A company owned by the tiny Alutiiq village of Port Graham won a federal contract to keep an air-traffic radar's backup power running in Cleveland, Ohio.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min read
Fish and Game teams up with Arctic Entries for a night of wildlife storytelling
Alaska Fish and Game is teaming up with Arctic Entries for a night of true wildlife stories in Palmer. Alaskans have until Sept. 7 to submit or nominate.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
The State Fair is open now
The Alaska State Fair is back in Palmer through Sept. 7 — a stacked concert lineup, giant cabbages and pumpkins, carnival rides and fair food.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Palmer jury convicts Robert Hawes on four felony sex abuse counts
A Palmer jury convicted Robert Hawes, 72, on four felony sex abuse counts involving a 4-year-old child in 2021. He faces sentencing November 25.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Alaska State Fair plans $10 million Borealis Theatre rebuild
The Alaska State Fair is rebuilding its Borealis Theatre, growing the concert venue from 5,200 to 6,500 with a bigger stage, better sound and a steeper lawn.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Troopers arrest Palmer man on felony charge over mobile home abandoned on Old Glenn Highway
Alaska State Troopers arrested Palmer resident Aaron Musquiz after an abandoned mobile home damaged the Old Glenn Highway near mile 12, causing about $3,000 in roadway damage.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Palmer man accused of DUI after forcing officer off Parks Highway
A Palmer man ran a Wasilla officer off the Parks Highway, then admitted to a bottle of wine and being too drunk to drive. His breath test came back at 0.109.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Alaska trains construction workers, then struggles to keep them
Just 19% of Alaska's ironworkers and 44% of electricians are still in the trade five years on, a study found — a retention gap atop a worker shortage.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Artists with disabilities sell their work at the Embracing AK Disabilities Expo in Palmer
Artists with disabilities sell their work Aug. 24 at the Embracing AK Disabilities Expo in Palmer, where families can also meet service agencies all in one room.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Palmer man arrested on DUI, refusal and 2021 warrant after Palmer-Wasilla Highway report
State Troopers arrested a Palmer man on DUI and refusal charges after a swerving report on Palmer-Wasilla Highway, and also served a 2021 warrant for DUI and weapons misconduct.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Wasilla woman charged in storage-unit burglary that netted stolen firearms
A Wasilla woman faces 14 counts in a December storage-unit burglary that took multiple firearms, troopers say — with an accomplice still at large.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
The Legislature let local voters decide school board term lengths — and Mat-Su is first in line
Mat-Su asked the Legislature to let it extend school board terms, and got it: SB 143 becomes law by Aug. 12 unless vetoed, just before a borough vote to use it.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read
Fewer than one in twenty Palmer voters turned out, the city's own packet shows
Fewer than one in twenty Palmer voters turned out in either phase of a municipal election, the city's own packet shows, though the figures are preliminary.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Wasilla man cited for motorized vehicle use in Palmer Hay Flats refuge
A Wasilla man was cited for driving a motorized vehicle in Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge, where off-road use is restricted to permitted activities in specific seasons and terrain.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
A Palmer sentencing marks another case from Alaska's cybertip pipeline
A Palmer man will register as a sex offender for life after pleading guilty to possessing child abuse material — one of a run of Alaska cybertip cases.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Fish and Game offers $6 foraging class at Matanuska River Park
Fish and Game will walk you through Matanuska River Park for $6 and answer the only foraging question that matters: can I eat this, or will it kill me?
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A 100 mph chase ended with a Palmer driver pinned against a tree
A 100 mph chase near Palmer ended with the driver upside down in a ditch, pinned against a tree. He was already wanted on four warrants.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A free Palmer class to turn beginners into bird hunters
Free Fish and Game class in Palmer turns bird-hunting beginners into hunters in a day — guns, ammo, and dogs included. Season's already open.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Convicted sex offender flees Palmer courthouse, departs Whittier by sailboat
A convicted child abuser fled the Palmer courthouse Monday. Philip Phillips sailed into Prince William Sound to evade capture.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo 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
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
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 3mo ago1 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 News3mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su officers arrest two inmates on contraband warrants
Court Services Officers arrested two Mat-Su men on contraband warrants at separate correctional facilities within 24 hours, both already in custody on unrelated charges.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Kawerak offers CDL scholarships for Bering Strait Tribal members
Kawerak is offering scholarships covering meals, travel, and lodging for Bering Strait Tribal members to complete a four-week Class A CDL program in Palmer from July 13 to August 6, with applications due June 24.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min read