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Wednesday, Jun 24
U.S. Attorney warns violence against Alaska officers is rising
U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman warned that violence against Alaska officers is rising and often unreported, citing a recent shooting where an officer was struck in the knee.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Alaska judicial watchdog names new director after 37-year tenure ends
Alaska's judicial watchdog has a new director for the first time in 37 years, and the change affects how Alaskans file complaints against judges.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly members call on Martinez to resign after APOC ruling
Two Anchorage Assembly members called on George Martinez to resign after an APOC ruling found he willfully used campaign funds for personal benefit and lied under oath.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Kodiak Anglers Can Now Keep 10 Sockeye at South Olga Lakes
Kodiak anglers can keep 10 sockeye per day at South Olga Lakes starting Friday, June 26, through July 15, after the run exceeded its escapement goal.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska Is Selling Off Pieces of Itself — to Alaskans First
Alaska is auctioning 152 pieces of itself — residents only, no warranties, sometimes no road, and the state reserves the right to give your remote dream lot some neighbors.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
iHeart local cuts reach KGOT and KENI in Anchorage radio shakeup
iHeartMedia cut longtime Anchorage radio hosts Casey Bieber and Amy Demboski as the company shifts from local programming to national content, narrowing Alaska's local media landscape.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 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 AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Tuesday, Jun 23
A Corner of the Port of Anchorage Is Becoming a Park
Anchorage Platting Board splits 48-acre port parcel into industrial and parkland tracts on Government Hill. • Site sits in highest seismic-hazard zone, raising engineering concerns for waterfront. • State wants easement reserved for potential Knik Arm bridge to Mat-Su.
by Melinda Communities.News4mo ago2 min read
More from Southcentral
NWS warns Susitna Valley gravel bars may flood by Wednesday
National Weather Service warns gravel bars and campsites across the Susitna Valley will flood by Wednesday as 1 to 2 inches of rain falls and rivers crest.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su landfill fire draws multi-department response near Palmer-Wasilla corridor
TRASH FIRE, TRASH FIRE!!!
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
FBI, Troopers Arrest Unalaska Man on Two Child Sex Abuse Counts
Arresting one Unalaska man on child sexual abuse charges took two teams and Coast Guard and FBI aircraft, landing on two Aleutian islands at once.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Charges 15 in $1.8 Million Medicaid Fraud Sweep
Alaska has charged 15 people in five Medicaid fraud cases totaling $1.8 million — though every count is, for now, an allegation no court has tested.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Kenai, Russian River Sockeye Bag Limit Jumps to 6 Fish Thursday
Red fish, blue fish, me fish, you fish
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Pebble Mine's challenge to EPA reaches an Anchorage court Thursday.
Pebble vs. EPA hits Anchorage federal court Thursday. The salmon, the State of Alaska, and a major mineral deposit all want a say.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Supreme Court narrows damages path in prison religious-rights cases
SCOTUS just made it harder for prisoners to sue individual guards for money over blocked religious practice. Alaska settled under this law in 2019.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Supreme Court tax-sale ruling puts spotlight on Alaska foreclosure proceeds
The Supreme Court narrowed tax-sale payouts Tuesday. Anchorage's tax-foreclosure auction is Wednesday. No, that's not a lot of time.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 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
A week of lightning sparked dozens of Alaska fires and forced an entire town to flee
Lightning hit Alaska more than 5,400 times in a week, sparking dozens of fires, and one behind an Anderson school forced the whole town to flee.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A Record Alaska Defense Bill Clears Its First Hurdle
A Senate panel advanced a bill teeing up $2.6 billion for Alaska's military — though "authorized" is Washington for "don't spend it yet," and the number tends to shrink on the way to law.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Moves to Fix One of Its Most Dangerous Streets
Anchorage is finally redesigning Bragaw Street — no bike lanes, disappearing sidewalks, nowhere for the snow — with mostly federal money and a six-year timeline.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Anchorage housing resource fair Friday at Mountain View Library
Anchorage brings housing agencies, the DMV, and homeless services to Mountain View Library on Friday, June 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., walk-in and free.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Copper River Kings Hit a Record Low — and Limits Drop
The Copper River's king run is the worst on record, so Alaska is cutting anglers from four fish to one — betting this summer's catch against next year's spawn.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Southcentral Foundation treats traditional food as medicine at a free Anchorage gathering
Southcentral Foundation hosts a free two-day Traditional Foods Gathering July 27 and 28 in Anchorage, treating Alaska Native harvests as medicine and health, not just culture.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Two Assembly members want Martinez out. The removal law may not reach him
Two members want Martinez gone over APOC fines. The removal law they're trying to use might not be a fit, and the math to carry it out would be an uphill battle.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago4 min read
Monday, Jun 22
Anchorage Assembly set to award $2.4M in tree-removal contracts Tuesday
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on $2.4 million in tree-removal contracts to address beetle-killed spruce and hazard trees threatening homes and public safety.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
North Slope, Fairbanks, Valdez sue over pipeline tax values
Three Alaska municipalities sued June 22 over how pipeline companies value their assets for local taxes, challenging assessments that affect borough and city revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Federal regulators renew HEX authorization for Cook Inlet marine-mammal harassment
Federal regulators renewed HEX Operating's permit to incidentally harass marine mammals during natural gas work in Cook Inlet through September 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Former Anchorage attorney pleads guilty to federal drug-trafficking charge
Former Anchorage attorney Timothy Benintendi pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking, using his legal position to distribute oxycodone and buprenorphine between 2021 and 2023.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Federal rule renames Alaska subsistence bird-harvest region as Ahtna Territory
Federal wildlife officials renamed the Upper Copper River subsistence bird-harvest region as Ahtna Territory and aligned spring and summer harvest dates to match local Indigenous Knowledge.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Troopers recover paddleboarder's body from Turnagain Arm sandbar
Alaska State Troopers recovered the body of Joshua Novakovich, 25, from a Turnagain Arm sandbar on June 21, two days after he was swept away while paddleboarding near mile 92 of the Seward Highway.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Daniel J. Sullivan sued the state today over a denied Senate ballot spot
Denied a Senate ballot spot, Daniel J. Sullivan sued today. Lawmakers held a hearing on the same question the same afternoon.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
NOAA says dead fin whale brought to Seward showed trauma consistent with vessel strike
A pregnant fin whale found dead on a cruise ship's bow in Seward showed injuries consistent with a vessel strike, NOAA said, though the responsible ship remains unclear.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Alaska Lowers Its Flags for Susan Sullivan
Alaska honors Susan Sullivan — who at 28 became the youngest woman ever elected to its Legislature and helped lay the groundwork for the Permanent Fund that still pays every resident.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Homer's co-op is opening the door to community solar — with a fee and a six-month wait
Homer's electric co-op wants to let members share community solar — for an upfront fee, monthly charges, and a six-month wait after it's even approved. Baby steps.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Two Things Worth Watching at the Marijuana Board
Alaska's marijuana board meets in Fairbanks, where a license sale comes with baggage and growers renew their gripe that untaxed hemp THC is eating their lunch.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Kodiak River closes to sockeye fishing
Alaska closes Buskin River sockeye sport fishing from June 24 through year-end after only 916 fish passed the weir by mid-June, versus a typical 3,200 at this date.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo 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 News4mo ago1 min read
The $16 Gas Promise Comes With Fine Print
The gas line's headline $16 price is firm — until you notice it's quoted in the wrong unit, climbs with inflation before any gas arrives, and gets policed by a commission missing half its top staff.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Sunday, Jun 21
A Chugach e-bike rule became a fight over who belongs in the backcountry
The Chugach reminded everyone e-bikes can't use hiking trails. The comment section promptly declared war.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 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 AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
What the Senate Changed in the Gas-Line Deal
The Senate's gas-line rewrite caps your gas price, leashes the state's pipeline agency, and lets the boroughs pocket most of the tax money for decades before the state takes its cut.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
