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Sunday, Jun 21
Homer Holds Ocean Drive Loop Tax Steady at 1 Mill
Homer's Ocean Drive Loop district keeps its tax rate exactly where it was — a rare local-government act of leaving well enough alone.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly set to award $1.35M in homeless housing grants to five nonprofits
Anchorage Assembly votes June 23 on $1.35 million in housing grants to five nonprofits serving homeless people and domestic violence survivors.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
APD awards $1.66M opioid settlement contract for deflection program
Anchorage Police Department recommends a $1.66 million four-year contract with True North Recovery to hire a navigator who steers people in substance use crises toward treatment instead of arrest.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
NMFS issues renewal IHA to HEX Operating for Cook Inlet natural gas activities
Federal regulators renewed a permit letting HEX Operating produce natural gas in Cook Inlet while monitoring disturbance to beluga whales and other marine mammals that share the inlet.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Beluga Fire reaches 65 acres in Mat-Su, 25% contained
Beluga Fire west of Susitna has grown to 65 acres and is 25 percent contained as of Saturday, with hot, dry conditions and evening lightning expected to keep fire danger high through the weekend.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Two separate Wasilla shootings Saturday — one suspect was a felon with three warrants
State Troopers arrested Christian Schaffer, 25, after a shooting in Wasilla early Saturday; he was a convicted felon with three active warrants found with a 9mm handgun and faces felony assault and weapons charges. • In a separate incident, Michael Melland, 46, was arrested after his brother was shot in the head; Melland faces assault charges.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Saturday, Jun 20
Anchorage Assembly to consider AMEA-ASEA merger recognition June 23
Anchorage Assembly votes June 23 on recognizing ASEA as the bargaining representative for municipal employees after a union merger took effect in April.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly to vote on downtown sidewalk and ADA repairs
Anchorage Assembly votes Monday on a $1.77 million contract to repair crumbling downtown sidewalks and fix curb ramps that don't meet federal accessibility rules.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
More from Southcentral
Kodiak held its tax rate down — and split over what it means for schools
Kodiak's assembly held the line on taxes for squeezed residents. Whether that quietly cost the schools $500K depends on which member you ask.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Kodiak Set Its Taxes — Now It Has to Send the Bills
Kodiak Island Borough must send property tax bills by July 1 but its new Tyler Technologies system may not be ready, leaving staff ready to fall back to the old one.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Alaska DFFP battles 4 wildfires across Interior, Southcentral, Southwest
Twin Bear Fire near Fairbanks drew 23 firefighters and helitack crews to a lightning-caused blaze in black spruce with cabins nearby. • Joaquin Fire southwest of McGrath and Vanderpool Fire east of McGrath prompted aerial response due to native allotment and private property. • Matanuska Fire on Glenn Highway was contained within two hours at under half an acre. • Red Flag Warning through Sunday evening cited 30 percent humidity and 40 mph wind gusts near thunderstorms across Central Interior.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
NOAA says dead pregnant fin whale arrived in Seward on cruise ship bow
NOAA confirmed the Seward whale was a 61-foot pregnant fin whale found on a cruise ship's bow. A necropsy is underway, and federal law enforcement is investigating.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly to vote on $76M Eagle River road deal with sole bidder
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on a $76 million road maintenance contract for Eagle River, Chugiak, and Birchwood with McKenna Brothers, the only bidder.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly takes up wipes ban in city sewers June 23
Anchorage Assembly takes a first reading June 23 on an ordinance banning all disposable wipes from city sewers, with fines up to $1,000 per violation.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Girdwood pot shop, Bird Creek grow op seek Anchorage license renewals
Two marijuana licenses in Girdwood and Bird Creek are up for renewal, with Anchorage having until early July to formally object.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Kodiak Island artifacts set to leave Maine museum under NAGPRA
Ten Alaska Native cultural objects held at a Maine museum must be claimed by July 4, 2026, or transfer to Alaska tribes may proceed under federal repatriation law.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo 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
Anchorage Assembly considers $1.75M federal grant to replace port's 1960s electrical system
Anchorage Assembly considered a $1.75 million federal grant to replace the Port of Alaska's 1960s electrical system, but the port must find $33.25 million more for the $35 million project.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Pilot killed in Piper Pacer crash 40 miles southeast of Cordova
A pilot flying solo between Yakutat and Fairbanks was found dead Friday after an Alaska Air National Guard helicopter located the crashed Piper Pacer near Kanak Island, about 40 miles southeast of Cordova.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Silver Bay applies for a dock right in front of competitor Snug Harbor
Silver Bay is putting a dock right in front of Snug Harbor's waterfront on the Kasilof. Competition is the substance.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Friday, Jun 19
Senate passes gas-line bill; Dunleavy immediately calls lawmakers back to rewrite it
Special session concludes without passage of a gasline bill, and now the question is if this is an end to negotiations or if they'll continue tomorrow. The Governor thinks they're close.
by Cale Green4mo ago3 min read
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on an $859K Eklutna River study
The Anchorage Assembly's $859K Eklutna study isn't a small procurement — it's part of a decades-long fight over fish, hydropower, and tribal claims.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
AI is becoming Alaska's front page. It only knows the Alaska that's online.
The first AI answer most Alaskans see now appears inside an ordinary Google search, above the links. It summarizes what the web already covers well. For much of Alaska, the web covers almost nothing.
by Melinda Communities.News4mo ago4 min read
Five wildfires under investigation overnight in southcentral Alaska
Five wildfires broke out overnight in southcentral Alaska's Susitna basin as a Red Flag Warning takes effect Saturday, with burn permits suspended statewide.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
NOAA Fisheries declined to list Gulf of Alaska Chinook under the ESA
NOAA decided Gulf of Alaska Chinook don't qualify for ESA listing — even as Chinook closures pile up across Alaska systems.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
Kasilof River guide cited for fishing in prohibited People's Hole
A fishing guide was cited for fishing at People's Hole on the Kasilof River, where guides are prohibited but their clients are allowed.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Von Imhof Launches Anchorage Mayoral Bid With 'Fix and Grow' Platform
Former state senator Natasha Von Imhof launched a campaign for Anchorage mayor against incumbent Suzanne LaFrance. The election is scheduled for April 6, 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A new Mat-Su road would cross the ground its drinking water comes from
The Mat-Su drinks only groundwater — and keeps building over it. A new road would cross two drinking-water zones near a creek with a known PFAS problem.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage seeks $3.5M for plow operators, contracts toward 72-hour standard
Anchorage Assembly will vote June 23 on $3.5 million to hire seven plow operators and expand contracted snow removal, aiming to clear all municipal roads within 72 hours after storms.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
The Army Just Ran a Shark Tank in Alaska — and a Soldier's Enemy-Sniffing Drone Won
The Army ran a Shark Tank in Alaska, and a soldier's drone that narcs on the enemy's radios took the prize. Losing pitches still "win," per the general.
by Melinda Communities.News4mo ago2 min read
Red Flag Warnings blanket Mat-Su and Susitna Valley for solstice weekend
National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings for Mat-Su and Susitna Valley through early Saturday due to lightning risk, dry fuels, and humidity as low as 25 percent. Burn permits are suspended across Delta, Tok, and Mat-Su areas.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Thursday, Jun 18
Anchorage Assembly to vote June 23 on 5 labor agreements across 4 unions
Anchorage Assembly votes June 23 on five labor agreements with four unions that relax holiday pay eligibility and add benefits including a steward position and parental leave updates.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Dunleavy called a second special session over the unresolved LNG tax bill
Long Friday in Juneau: LNG tax bill stuck, second special session called, two vetoes overridden, three failed. Round three starts Saturday.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min readFrom 
Wisconsin man cited for lifting king salmon on Anchor River
Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited a 19-year-old Wisconsin man for lifting a king salmon from the Anchor River and releasing it, violating an active Emergency Order requiring all kings to stay in the water.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Alaska passed a federal check that keeps its school funding system intact
Alaska passed a federal school funding test. Translation: the state didn't have to come up with extra money it doesn't have.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage's hockey community moves to take over its own arenas for $10 a year
Anchorage hockey is buying back its own rinks for $10 a year — and inheriting the maintenance bill that comes with them.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
Cook Inlet's salmon season opens June 22 — and could slam shut early
Cook Inlet's salmon season opens June 22. The last two years so many reds came back they went uncaught — and the rule behind that is still on the books.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
Anchorage city funds carry $45 million in deficits — biggest two still growing
Anchorage owes itself $45M across five funds. The city skipped some accounting reviews; now they're catching up.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Anchorage budget trade-off: schools OR general government, not both, may be coming
Anchorage Assembly: model schools OR general government — not both. A committee member said the underlying situation is a fiscal cliff.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Russian River Sanctuary opens Thursday as sockeye goal met
Russian River Sanctuary opens for sport fishing Thursday after Alaska Fish and Game confirmed early-run sockeye escapement goal will be met, with 7,512 fish counted at the weir through June 16.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
On one of the world's great king rivers, a 'poor' rating is partly the plan
Fish go bye bye? Oh no0ooo
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
