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Tuesday, Jun 16
A federal court said it can order states to fix foster care. Alaska's case looms.
A federal court said it can order Alaska to fix foster care. Alaska's AG said please don't. Lawsuit pending.

ADF&G opens youth-only fishing events across Southcentral, Southwest Alaska
ADF&G is reserving specific Southcentral and Southwest salmon waters for youth anglers this summer. • Kids 15 and under can fish without a license during these designated event windows. • Events run from June through August at locations like Ship Creek and Homer Spit.

Blake Gettys Builds LG Bid Around Personal Survival Story
Getty tries to tell Alaskans about his bio. Hughes has not been shown in the top four in any publicly available poll.

Monday, Jun 15
Eklutna committed $196,649 to Anchorage for Halong evacuee public safety
Eklutna is paying for Anchorage's cops, fire trucks, and a camera. Tribe to city, oddly enough.

Anchorage ordinance would open industrial zones to adult care facilities
Anchorage Assembly Member Erin Baldwin Day introduced an ordinance to allow adult care facilities in light industrial zones without planning review, citing rapid senior population growth through 2029.

BSNC placed 16 interns across its operations — building homegrown management
Bering Straits Native Corporation placed 16 interns across its operations this summer, including returning participants pursuing business degrees, to build management talent from shareholders and descendants in the region.

Federal court bars respondents from moving detainee before June 17 hearing
A federal judge blocked Alaska officials from moving a detainee out of state before a June 17 hearing in Anchorage on a habeas petition.

Mat-Su Planning Commission to schedule Eagle River annexation presentation
Mat-Su Planning Commission scheduled a presentation on annexing Chugiak and Eagle River from Anchorage, a preliminary step that does not endorse the idea or require a vote by the Borough Assembly.

More from Southcentral
Mat-Su Planning Commission backs multifamily code overhaul
Mat-Su Planning Commission backed a tiered multifamily code allowing homeowners to add mother-in-law suites without permits. • Larger projects must meet new drainage, fire access, and road standards, including 100-foot building setbacks from roads. • The Assembly must approve the ordinance before the new rules take effect.

Kodiak's Adjust Your Altitude summit challenge begins June 15
Discover Kodiak opens registration June 15 for Adjust Your Altitude, a five dollar summit challenge running through Sept. 1 that sends hikers to seven Kodiak peaks with over two thousand dollars in prizes.

Satellite Tags Track Pacific Cod Shifts in Warming Bering Sea
Satellite tags are tracking whether Pacific cod are permanently shifting north in the warming Bering Sea or temporarily moving, data that will shape management of Alaska's second-largest groundfish fishery.

Archangel Road opens for summer access to Reed Lakes
Archangel Road in Hatcher Pass opened for summer, restoring vehicle access to Reed Lakes Trailhead and alpine hiking. Expect rough unpaved conditions, limited parking, and weekend crowds.

DNR, Mental Health Trust finalize MEA easements for Wasilla utility corridor
DNR and the Alaska Mental Health Trust approved easements letting Matanuska Electric Association build and maintain power lines along Church Road and Shampine Lane in Wasilla.

Parks Highway blasting, 24-hour pilot cars through Nenana Canyon
Alaska Department of Transportation is blasting rock cuts and running 24-hour pilot cars on Parks Highway between Nenana Canyon mileposts 319 and 325, creating extended delays on the main Anchorage-Fairbanks route.

CVEA files to renew Solomon Gulch hydro license before 2028 expiration
Copper Valley Electric Association filed to renew its Solomon Gulch hydroelectric license before it expires May 31, 2028, submitting required paperwork to federal regulators on June 12.

Alaska Supreme Court upholds ICWA termination, clarifies standards
Alaska Supreme Court upheld termination of parental rights for two Native children, clarifying courts must meet criminal-level proof and show active efforts to preserve families under federal Indian Child Welfare Act rules.

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
Sunday, Jun 14
Anchorage Assembly to vote on burying power lines through two East Side parks
Anchorage Assembly will vote on giving Chugach Electric permanent easements through Russian Jack Springs Park and Ira Walker Park to bury power lines underground, improving storm resilience.

Palmer faces blowing dust, 45-mph gusts as Gulf storm hits Sunday
Palmer and the Lower Matanuska Valley will face 45-mph wind gusts and blowing dust Sunday, creating hazardous driving conditions on the Glenn Highway.

Wasilla man faces assault, evidence-tampering charges in domestic violence arrest
Alaska State Troopers arrested six people in domestic disturbance calls across Mat-Su and near Glennallen on June 12 and 13. • Charges included second-degree assault, third-degree assault, weapon misconduct, and criminal mischief. • Five arrestees were held at Mat-Su Pretrial Facility. One was transported to Glennallen Post. • All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

AHFC board to vote June 24 on affordable housing award criteria
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation board votes June 24 on criteria for distributing tax credits and financing for affordable housing across the state.

Alaska regulators say gas-line oversight hinges on federal decision
Federal regulators claim exclusive authority over Alaska's proposed North Slope gas pipeline, blocking state oversight of ratepayer costs. • The project's split into in-state and export phases may give Alaska regulators a limited role if federal jurisdiction is revisited. • Lead developer Glenfarne is targeting a final investment decision this year and first gas by 2029.

Cook Inlet gas production falls to 61 Bcf in 2025
Cook Inlet gas production fell to 61 billion cubic feet in 2025, matching annual regional demand with no winter cushion. • Daily output of 200 million cubic feet falls short of peak winter demand of 320 million cubic feet per day. • Hilcorp has drilled 192 wells since 2012 and spent $1.5 billion just to hold production steady as individual wells decline 30 to 40 percent annually. • Utilities are developing LNG import terminals to fill the gap, targeting first imports in 2027 to 2029.

Saturday, Jun 13
60 mph gusts forecast for Portage, Anchorage Hillside Sunday
Strong winds with gusts to 60 mph will hit Portage and Anchorage Hillside on Sunday, with potential for downed trees and power outages.

MEA seeks RCA approval to pass gas storage costs to ratepayers
MEA seeks approval to add natural gas storage costs to monthly electric bills through an automatic adjustment rider, passing Hilcorp storage fees directly to ratepayers as the utility secures more gas for Southcentral Alaska.

Anchorage School Board adopts class size policy under state mandate
Anchorage School Board voted unanimously to adopt state-mandated class size limits of 23 for elementary and 30 for middle and high school. • The board also adopted smaller evidence-based targets it cannot currently afford, requiring annual cost analysis to document the funding gap.

Anchorage Platting Board to consider removing 1954 plat notes for ADU
Anchorage Platting Board will consider removing 1954 subdivision restrictions on an East 43rd Avenue lot to allow an accessory dwelling unit over an existing garage, with planning staff recommending approval.

Anchorage raises veteran bid preference cap to $50,000
Anchorage Assembly approved a new veteran-owned business bid preference capped at $50,000 and simplified local bidder preferences, effective July 1, 2026.

Senator Sullivan threatens legal action over namesake challenger
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan is threatening legal action against Republican challenger Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, claiming the shared name is designed to confuse voters in Alaska's top-four primary.
Hilcorp seeks state lease for 1,330-acre gas storage field in Kenai
Hilcorp filed Friday for a state lease to store natural gas in 1,330 acres of subsurface rock beneath Kenai, with public comments due July 7.

Coast Guard to station three icebreakers in Kodiak, Seward
The Coast Guard will station two Arctic Security Cutters in Kodiak and one in Seward once infrastructure is built, adding a fourth icebreaker to Alaska's fleet with first delivery expected in 2028.

Friday, Jun 12
JBER seeks contractor for youth sports officials after 6-month gap
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is hiring a contractor to provide certified sports officials for youth programs serving 1,240 games annually across six sports after operating six months without professional officiating.

Alaska Building Trades, LNG subsidiary sign worker hiring pact
8 Star Alaska, a Glenfarre LNG subsidiary, signed a hiring agreement with Alaska Building Trades Councils on June 11 to prioritize Alaska workers for the 800-mile pipeline and LNG terminal. • The Alaska Legislature is considering House Bill 381 to cut project taxes and cap gas prices at $16 per unit for state utilities.

Basher parking plan rises after city estimate showed need for more
Bashing in Basher, but can't unbash what's been bashered.

Both cranes on Cordova's Drive Down Dock are out of service at the height of Copper River salmon season
Bad timing for fishing season as Cordova Drive down dock crane is not up to snuff

Coast Guard to homeport four icebreakers in Alaska
Coast Guard will homeport four icebreakers in Alaska, with two Arctic Security Cutters in Kodiak by 2028 and a third in Seward, following $3.5 billion in federal funding.

Alaska House passes new tax structure for Alaska LNG pipeline aimed at attracting investors
The Alaska House just passed the latest tax framework meant to finally install the LNG pipeline. Next, the Senate. Maybe. Pipeline still pending.

Cook Inlet Housing breaks ground on 24 senior apartments in Anchorage
Cook Inlet Housing Authority will build 24 senior apartments in Anchorage by 2027. This project addresses a housing cost burden for seniors who spend over a third of their income on rent.

Anchorage zoning board to review variance criteria changes
Anchorage's zoning board will review Thursday a draft ordinance that would change how the city evaluates requests for relief from setback and other dimensional zoning rules, with a recommendation to follow to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Anchorage to issue $55.2M in bonds for roads, parks, fire equipment
Anchorage will issue $55.2 million in general obligation bonds in July for roads, parks, fire equipment, and transit, with annual debt service of $4.0 million paid by property taxpayers.

Kreiss-Tomkins tries to make up ground, launches six-figure ad buy in governor's race
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a former Sitka legislator, launched a six-figure ad campaign across Meta, YouTube, and radio for Alaska's 2026 governor's race, focusing on schools, fisheries, and cost of living.
