Local organizations and topics
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
Have a story from Palmer? Send a tip
Week of May 25
Palmer Courthouse finally gets funding for long-needed expansion
Palmer courthouse is getting a $4.95 million expansion with three new courtrooms after five years of the heaviest caseloads in Alaska, with construction to start by August 2026.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 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 5mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su Assembly passes resolution affirming residents' right to use leaf blowers
Mat-Su Assembly says 'blow away' in direct contrast to the Anchorage Municipalities position on leaf blowers
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo 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 5mo ago1 min readAlaska Marijuana Control Board approves THC oral pouch product
Alaska Marijuana Control Board approved the state's first THC oral pouch product from Lolo Creations, LLC on a 4-1 vote, with the law enforcement member dissenting over child ingestion risks.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 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 5mo ago1 min read
Week of May 18
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
More from Palmer
Week of May 11
Senate 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
Week of May 4
Alaska 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 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 readWeek of Apr 27
Airport firefighting trucks fail, leaving Juneau one flat tire from losing all flights
Juneau's airport nearly lost all commercial flights this month when two firefighting trucks failed simultaneously, leaving it dependent on a borrowed truck from Gustavus that must return by May 1.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Week of Apr 20
Early construction work causes two-hour delays on Palmer commute
Construction crews on Palmer-area highways starting at 6 a.m. on April 23 caused two-hour commute delays, with no end date announced yet.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readComing up
Shaped by Wildlife: Stories of encounters, harvests, and traditions
Glenn Massay Theater, Palmer, Alaska
Performance
Skeetawk Season Premiere: Warren Miller's Days Off
Performance
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission Meeting
Meeting
Board of Agriculture and Conservation Meeting
Meeting
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly Special Meeting: Election Certification
Meeting
About Palmer
Palmer is a city in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in Southcentral Alaska and serves as the borough seat. It grew out of the New Deal Matanuska Colony farming settlement and sits along the Matanuska River and the Old Glenn Highway.
The city hosts the Alaska State Fair, the Palmer Courthouse and an aviation base of the Alaska Division of Forestry. Its council decides local matters such as airport leasing, while the borough assembly takes up questions for the wider valley, including land use and schools.
Palmer is a starting point for travel into Hatcher Pass and the surrounding mountains, and the Palmer-Wasilla Highway links it to Wasilla. Neighboring areas include Farm Loop, Gateway and the Matanuska Valley Moose Range.