Southcentral
RSSSouthcentral region news
Places
Local organizations and topics
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
Have a story from Southcentral? Send a tip
Saturday, Jul 18
AWWU files new tariff revisions with Alaska regulators, opening public comment on Anchorage water and sewer rates
Anchorage water and sewer bills rose $5.46 per month in 2026 after the Assembly approved increases and AWWU filed tariffs with state regulators, opening public comment through July 31.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Bayside fire chief wants new career position but warns against a rushed hire
Bayside Fire Chief Scott Ellis says a new career firefighter position is needed but warned the borough board against rushing the hire to avoid splitting the mixed career and volunteer staff.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Friday, Jul 17
Anchorage Hillside neighborhood demands expedited chipping days as municipal contracting stalls
Hillside residents demand the Municipality speed up brush chipping before fire season peaks, citing stalled contracting and uncleared piles in the wildland-urban interface.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Fairview grant dispute heads to Assembly with two members urging no vote
Two Assembly members urge rejection of a $750,000 federal grant for a behavioral health center in Fairview, citing a 2018 city policy against concentrating social services there.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Four candidates interview for Kodiak Island Borough Assembly vacancy
Kodiak Island Borough Assembly interviewed four candidates Thursday to fill a vacant Assembly seat and must appoint someone by June 25.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly studies removal process it has never used
Anchorage Assembly reviewed removal and censure procedures Friday that have never been used in the 30 years they have existed, with Chair Anna Brawley stressing the session was procedural only.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Senate bill would fast-track Army Corps engineering for Juneau's glacial flooding
A Senate bill would let the Army Corps of Engineers skip study steps and move straight to designing a permanent fix for Juneau's glacial lake flooding, which threatens nearly 1,900 homes each summer.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Copper River king salmon closed to sport fishing; Chitina dipnetters barred from keeping kings all season
Alaska closed Upper Copper River king salmon sport fishing and barred Chitina dipnetters from keeping any kings this season due to a weak forecast of 33,000 fish, 27% below the 10-year average.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
More from Southcentral
Rain forecast for Yentna and Skwentna gravel bars through Monday night
Rain forecast for the Yentna and Skwentna River basins Saturday night through Monday night may push rivers to bankfull, threatening gravel bars and low-lying camping areas.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Shishmaref man charged with running moonshine still in dry community
A Shishmaref man faces five felony counts for operating a moonshine still and selling alcohol in the dry community, with potential exposure of 25 years in prison if convicted.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
DNR opens comment on mining camp proposed near Farewell Airport
Alaska Earth Sciences seeks state permission for a temporary mining support camp near Farewell Airport, with public comments due July 30.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska Supreme Court rules Sleep Clinic owes back taxes, not a small business
Alaska Supreme Court ruled the Sleep Clinic owes back taxes for 2016 through 2018 because it performs health services, not a qualifying small business.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska Center for the Book honors Delta librarian and Akiachak literacy advocate with 2026 awards
Alaska Center for the Book named Delta librarian Tiki Levinson and Akiachak resident Mary Samson George as 2026 literacy award recipients.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
AFN opens Co-Chair nominations ahead of October convention vote
Alaska Federation of Natives opens nominations for a new co-chair to be elected October 24, with applications due September 25.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Three U.S. hunters convicted in both countries after poaching Dall sheep through Wrangell-St. Elias
Three U.S. hunters convicted in both countries for poaching Dall sheep in Yukon and smuggling them through Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, ending a four-year investigation.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Three art commission calls open to Alaska Native and American Indian artists close by Aug. 14
Three art commissions for Alaska Native and American Indian artists close by Aug. 14, with two deadlines on July 31: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium seeks proposals for a skilled nursing facility, and Ketchikan's Totem Heritage Center seeks a 50th anniversary design. Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage is also commissioning artwork, deadline Aug. 14. Alaska Literary Awards applications close Aug. 17.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
About Southcentral
Southcentral Alaska is the region of the state centered on Anchorage, its population center and transportation hub. It spans the Kenai Peninsula, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet, and reaches communities such as Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Seward, Cordova, Palmer, Wasilla and Eagle River.
Much of the region's civic life runs through the Anchorage Assembly, the Kenai Peninsula and Matanuska-Susitna borough assemblies, and city councils. Questions of housing and zoning come up often, along with who pays to extend water and sewer lines to building sites. School budgets, road safety on its highways and oil and gas operations in Cook Inlet also return.
The Kenai River and Cook Inlet tie the region to fishing, and the Parks Highway and Seward Highway link its communities. Windstorms that cut power and trooper reports from the Matanuska-Susitna area are common subjects as well.
More from Southcentral
Federal grant would re-launch Alaska Native elder resource center; deadline July 27
The federal Administration on Aging is offering $215,000 annually for three years to re-establish a resource center for Alaska Native elders, with applications due July 27.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska Zoo black bear feedings run daily through September 1
Alaska Zoo offers daily black bear feedings at 2:30 p.m. through September 1 for $30 per person, capped at 10 participants, though state wildlife officials warn against feeding bears in the wild.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly set to approve transfer of three marijuana licenses to sole ownership at one address
Anchorage Assembly votes Monday to transfer three marijuana licenses at one address to sole owner Yotam Levi, meeting a July 28 state protest deadline.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage proposes tax break for mixed-use buildings with owner-occupied units
Anchorage proposes a 10-year property tax break for developers who build or convert mixed-use buildings with at least four owner-occupied units priced at or below $496,746 each.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly weighs 10-year tax break for first-time homebuyers of new starter homes
Anchorage Assembly is considering a 10-year property tax break for first-time buyers of newly built homes priced at or below $496,746, with a public hearing set for July 21.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Kodiak plans September DC lobbying trip as defense program bid fails again
Kodiak's defense infrastructure program bid failed again, but the borough and city are planning a joint September lobbying trip to pursue $150 billion in federal energy and defense funding.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Murkowski, Schatz introduce $800M bill for Native children and families
Senators Murkowski and Schatz introduced an $800 million bill to fund Native children and families, with nearly $500 million flowing directly to tribal governments starting immediately upon passage.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Kodiak Borough advances marijuana excise tax to public hearing on 4-1 vote
Kodiak Borough Assembly voted 4-1 to advance a 3% marijuana excise tax to public hearing, though a dispensary owner warned the tax targets the wrong product and lacks clear definitions.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Kodiak Island Borough Assembly appoints Mark Vizcocho to vacant seat
Kodiak Island Borough Assembly appointed Mark Vizcocho to fill a vacant seat Thursday, choosing him from four applicants in a two-round ballot that required a majority of all seven members.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska DNR moves to fix erroneous land conveyance near Tok; comment deadline August 18
Alaska DNR will return 39.50 acres near Tok to federal trust for an Alaska Native allotment holder Emma Northway, with public comments due August 18.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
ANTHC skilled nursing facility moves into finish phases ahead of January 2027 opening
ANTHC's 80-bed skilled nursing facility in Anchorage now opens January 2027, pushing back from summer 2026, as the $69 million building enters interior and exterior finish work.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Federal and state cuts erase Alaska private-sector job gains in June
Federal and state government cuts eliminated 1,900 jobs in June, nearly wiping out 1,000 private-sector gains and leaving Alaska with fewer jobs than a year ago.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Thursday, Jul 16
Anchorage tax-exempt property audit won't finish until 2031 or 2032 under current staffing
Anchorage will not finish auditing 570 flagged tax-exempt properties until 2031 or 2032 without more staff, though the work could recover roughly $811,000 in annual tax revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min read
Anchorage operator seeks renewal of four marijuana licenses across two sites
Anchorage operator Eun Lee seeks renewal of four marijuana licenses at two sites; the city's protest window closes July 25 and 26.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Parks Highway closed at MP 274 near Clear Space Force Station
A disabled semi-truck closed the Parks Highway at Milepost 274 near Clear Space Force Station through Friday, blocking the main route between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Kodiak commission votes 4-2 to rezone Cliff Point lots to conservation district
Kodiak planning commission voted 4-2 to rezone six Cliff Point Estates lots to conservation district, raising minimum lot size from 2 to 5 acres and reducing how many homes could be built there.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
DNR proposes lower easement fees for long utility corridors; comment deadline Aug. 17
DNR is cutting easement fees for long utility corridors on state land, dropping to 10 cents per linear foot after 100 miles. Comments due August 17.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Comment deadline looms on basecamp permit near Denali Highway milepost 86.5
Public comment deadline is July 27 on a five-year commercial basecamp permit for big game guiding and trapping near Denali Highway milepost 86.5.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
DNR moves to lease four acres near Valdez to adventure tourism operator Black Ops Valdez
DNR is leasing four acres near Valdez to Black Ops Valdez for heli-skiing and backcountry tours, but the deal faces a competitive bidding process if the public objects during the comment period.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska Zoo female brown bear transferred to solitary enclosure after June attack
Alaska Zoo moved a female brown bear to solitary housing after a June 14 fight with a male bear, sparking a petition for an independent review of the zoo's animal integration practices.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Kodiak Borough holds public hearing on Ouzinkie tsunami shelter rezone
Kodiak Island Borough Assembly held a public hearing July 16 on rezoning an Ouzinkie parcel to house the community's tsunami shelter and tribal offices.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska schedules three-day guide-outfitter exam sequence in December
Alaska schedules a three-day guide-outfitter exam in Anchorage in December, with applications due Oct. 26 for the first component.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly to hear third version of public safety commission ordinance July 21
Anchorage Assembly will hear a third version of a public safety commission ordinance July 21, restoring an advisory forum vacant since January 2024.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage police and fire overtime budgets built on 2010 math, OMB says
Anchorage police and fire overtime budgets are running millions over approved limits because the city has not updated the math since roughly 2010, OMB told the Assembly on Thursday.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
