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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
The Kenai's kings are closed again — another summer without Alaska's most iconic salmon
Another year with King closures and no easy answer in sight
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
ADF&G extends yelloweye rockfish closure in Resurrection Bay through June
Second year in a row Yelloweye Rockfish are down. Don't catch em
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Prince William Sound's spot shrimp are in decline — and harvesters have until Monday to pull gear
Small shrimp, small drop, quick pull, one stop
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
ADF&G closes Eagle River to king salmon fishing
Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed king salmon sport fishing in Eagle River from May 1 through July 13 to protect returning fish, part of a broader pattern of emergency closures across Southcentral Alaska as king runs decline.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Nonpartisan files for Anchorage state Senate seat
Nicholas Danger, a 70-year-old health and safety manager, filed as a nonpartisan candidate for Alaska State Senate District G, running on budget cuts, full Permanent Fund dividends, and moving the state capital to Willow.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 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
Anchorage man dies in ATV crash near Knik River
Brandon Ilutsik, 42, of Anchorage died Friday after his ATV crashed on a trail near the Knik River, Alaska State Troopers reported.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage schools adopt regional nurse model, will pull nurses from schools with fewer medical needs
Anchorage schools will reassign nurses from schools with fewer medical needs to cover schools with students requiring tube feedings or diabetes management, responding to a shortage that left some schools without staff.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
ASD claims state funding bill comes too late
Anchorage School District says a potential $37 million state funding increase tied to an August 31 revenue determination arrives too late to hire teachers before the 2026-27 school year begins.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
ConocoPhillips is widening the last gravel road before Willow's modules hit ice
The Willow project takes another step forward
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchor River, Deep Creek closed through mid-July as king salmon returns fall short
Alaska closed Anchor River and Deep Creek to all fishing through July 15 due to weak king salmon returns on the Lower Kenai Peninsula, with gear restrictions continuing through July 31.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Kodiak king salmon bag limit cut to one fish as Karluk runs collapse
Alaska cut Kodiak king salmon bag limit to one fish per day and closed west side salt waters through June after only 93 kings returned to Karluk River in 2025, far below recovery targets.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Boyle files to challenge Holland in high-turnout South Anchorage House Seat.
South Anchorage comes out to vote. Holland and Boyle have until November to make their case.
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
ENSTAR says it locked in a price for Alaska LNG
ENSTAR locked in $16 per thousand cubic feet for North Slope pipeline gas, undercutting LNG imports at $20 to $23 but raising costs 48% above current Cook Inlet supply before adding $4.50 to $6 in distribution and storage charges.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Open South Midtown seat draws three candidates after Josephson opts not to seek reelection.
House District 13 in South Midtown Anchorage has three candidates after Rep. Andy Josephson declined reelection: Democrat Lisa Keller, Democrat Felix Rivera, and Republican Sarah Short, in a district where the last race was decided by 477 votes.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Vance-Johnson rematch gives southern Kenai Peninsula a cleaner House race
Rep. Sarah Vance faces a rematch against nonpartisan Brent Johnson in House District 6 on the southern Kenai Peninsula after a third Republican candidate split the vote in 2024.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Twenty-two-vote House race becomes open-seat fight in North Anchorage
David Nelson is OUT. It's former lawmaker Cliff Groh v Dan Sager.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Costello-Wells rematch puts Southwest Anchorage House seat back in play
Rep. Mia Costello, a Republican, faces a rematch against Democrat Denny Wells in Southwest Anchorage House District 15 after beating him by 529 votes in 2024.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Underwood-Eastman rematch gives Wasilla voters another House District 27 choice
Rep. Jubilee Underwood and former Rep. David Eastman, both Wasilla Republicans, are set for a rematch in House District 27 after Underwood defeated him by 196 votes in 2024.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Kodiak Lands Committee directs staff to study housing development at youth baseball field
Kodiak Island Borough Lands Committee directed staff to study converting the 16-acre Killarney Hills youth baseball field into at least 30 residential lots to address housing shortages.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Canoe capsizes on Tolsona Lake; rescue raft overturns; all reach island safely
A canoe capsized on Tolsona Lake near Glennallen on May 29, a rescue raft overturned, but all occupants wearing life jackets reached an island safely and were picked up by troopers and fire crews with no injuries reported.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Kreiss-Tomkins picks Anchorage Assembly member Zac Johnson as running mate
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democratic-aligned candidate for Alaska governor, selected Anchorage Assembly member Zac Johnson as his running mate on the final filing day Monday.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
ADF&G opens youth-only king salmon fisheries on Kenai Peninsula
ADF&G opens youth-only king salmon fisheries at Ninilchik River on June 3 and Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon on June 6, with loaner rods and staff support, while broader Kenai Peninsula king fishing remains closed to protect wild stocks.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska Energy Authority lifts ban on consecutive chair terms
Alaska Energy Authority board voted January 31 to allow its chair and vice chair to serve consecutive terms, removing a two-year rotation rule to maintain leadership continuity during a $206.5 million Cook Inlet submarine cable project.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Kodiak Lands Committee directs staff to study housing development on youth baseball field
Kodiak Island Borough Lands Committee directed staff to study converting the 16-acre Killarney Hills youth baseball field into at least 30 residential lots to address housing needs.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
AIDEA releases $50M credit line for Cook Inlet gas drilling
AIDEA released the first draw from a $50 million credit line to HEX Cook Inlet LLC in May to drill two offshore gas wells, part of a broader state push including a royalty rate cut to 3% and pending legislation to support Cook Inlet production.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
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 News4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage runs into summer at the 20th Twilight 12K
The 20th Twilight 12K drew 1,847 runners on May 29, the largest field in a decade, with 890 finishers in the 12K and 957 in the Skinny Mini 6K.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska Marijuana Control Board denies Anchorage cultivation license renewal over $633,000 tax debt
Alaska Marijuana Control Board revoked Anchorage cultivator Alaskasense's license Wednesday over $633,000 in unpaid excise taxes.
by Grant Robinsonadded 4mo 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
AIDEA board approves $11 million dividend to state general fund
AIDEA board approved an $11 million dividend to the state general fund for fiscal year 2025, down $6 million from the prior year as the authority declared 42 percent of statutory net income instead of the maximum 50 percent.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
DOT&PF cuts Chiniak Highway to 50 percent axle load during fishing season
Alaska DOT&PF cut Chiniak Highway to 50 percent axle load from milepost 20.1 to 33.39 effective May 27 to protect pavement during spring thaw and fishing season truck traffic on Kodiak Island.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min readNorth Slope, Kenai mayors negotiate gas line property tax as House Finance delays bill deadline
North Slope Borough Mayor Patkotak and Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Micciche negotiated property tax terms for the Alaska LNG project as the House Finance Committee delayed its amendment deadline to allow talks to continue.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read
Anchorage veteran preference could exclude recent Afghanistan, Iraq vets
Anchorage Assembly is split on a veteran business preference for city contracts, with disagreement over whether to limit it to veterans discharged in the past five years and whether to require honorable discharge status.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Lesil McGuire filing adds ranked-choice Republican voice to crowded Alaska governor race
Former state Sen. Lesil McGuire filed to run for governor Friday, joining a crowded 2026 race shaped by Alaska's open primary and ranked choice voting system that she defended in 2024.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Kodiak Borough advances FY27 budget with 8.91 mill rate to hearing
Kodiak Borough Assembly voted unanimously Wednesday to hold the property tax rate at 8.91 mills, a decision that keeps the rate flat but will result in higher tax bills for most homeowners as assessed property values increase.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska children on Medicaid face triple the rate of severe childhood trauma
Alaska Medicaid-enrolled 3-year-olds experienced four or more adverse childhood experiences at five times the rate of non-enrolled peers, 15% versus 3%, according to a December 2023 state health report.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly continues public safety commission hearing to June 9 after criticism of advisory-only powers
Anchorage Assembly postponed a vote on a proposed Public Safety Commission to June 9 after community members criticized it for lacking investigative power, subpoena authority, and ability to discipline officers.
by Cale Greenadded 4mo ago1 min read