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Saturday, May 23
Kodiak residents defend auditorium position as school budget vote nears
Kodiak residents urged the assembly to fund the auditorium technical director or risk losing a key community facility. • The 700-seat auditorium hosts school shows and touring acts but has only one staff member. • Assembly members explored moving the position to the borough budget instead of school budget. • The school district is requesting $1.6 million more in local funding for fiscal year 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Cordova Planning Commission approves temporary RV for construction site
Cordova Planning Commission unanimously approved a temporary travel trailer to house construction workers at an industrial park lot for up to four or five months, with the trailer connecting to city water and sewer.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Anchorage schools eliminate elementary health teachers, shift to integrated model
Anchorage cuts 27.5 health teacher jobs, embedding health into reading, PE, and social-emotional learning instead. • K-3 students learn health through reading curriculum, grades 4-5 use existing materials with teacher training. • Board member warns piecemeal approach may not meet district's own 2024 health education policy. • Main risk is finding time to train teachers in already packed school days.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Platting Board approves Settler's Bay Unit 11 subdivision
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Platting Board approved a preliminary plat for Settler's Bay Unit 11.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
East High students organize benefit concert to save band program
East High students host benefit concert Saturday to save band program facing elimination due to budget cuts. • School plans to cut band director position, affecting 100 students across five classes. • Concert runs 2 to 5 p.m. at Club Nyt Lyt with $15 suggested donation, all proceeds to band account. • Anchorage schools cutting programs after state education funding remained flat.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Anchorage faces $1.3 billion stormwater infrastructure deficit
Anchorage has 400 miles of failing storm pipes creating a $1.3 billion repair deficit with no dedicated funding. • Current emergency bonds cannot keep pace with deterioration causing sinkholes and flooding. • Replacing 4,000 feet of pipe on one street costs $25 to $50 million. • City exploring dedicated stormwater utility for long-term funding.
by Cale Green5mo ago2 min read
Kodiak drill conductor course trains mariners to lead safety drills
Alaska Marine Safety Education Association offers a two-day Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor Course in Kodiak on May 27-28 to train commercial fishermen as certified safety leaders who can lead emergency drills and meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Anchorage airport says TSA wait times are back to seasonal normal
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport says TSA wait times are back to normal, but advises arriving two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights as summer travel picks up.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
More from Southcentral
Friday, May 22
Nenana pioneers Alaska's first biochar boiler for municipal heating
Nenana installed Alaska's first biochar boiler for municipal heating, burning wood chips and waste at 2,000 degrees, but a city official warned the system demands daily monitoring and every-other-day refills, not a hands-off solution like oil heat.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Energy Planners Design 50-Year Systems Using 2008 Weather Data
Alaska's power planners design 50-to-100-year systems using 2008 weather data that no longer matches current storm patterns, leaving utilities like AVEC to absorb emergency costs like the $100,000 helicopter rental after Typhoon Halong hit in 2025.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Proposes $4.4 Billion Synthetic Aviation Fuel Refinery Using Beetle-Killed Trees
Alaska plans $4.4 billion refinery to make 150 million gallons of jet fuel yearly from beetle-killed trees. • Fischer-Tropsch technology costs $4.85 per gallon, cheaper than cooking oil methods. • State imports most aviation fuel despite handling 700 cargo flights weekly through Anchorage. • Federal energy office offers $289 billion in lending authority for qualified projects.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago3 min read
Seward Council to decide fate of pool that trained Olympic gold medalist
Seward City Council meets Tuesday to decide if it will fund the high school pool, which trained Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby. • The school district plans to close all its pools without new money or a city takeover. • Community swimmers are urging residents to speak at the meeting to keep the facility open.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Roundup: Alaska energy conference closes with pipeline financing, record lease sale, and economic freedom debate
Glenfarne secured financing for Alaska LNG pipeline, targeting 2027 construction and 2029 delivery to Cook Inlet, pending tax legislation. • National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska lease sale drew $163 million in bids for 1.3 million acres, though one block faces court challenge. • Dunleavy and economist Wade argued regulatory streamlining and energy access drive economic growth.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Thursday, May 21
House Resources gas line bill would cost municipalities $13B under governor's plan
Governor's plan cuts municipal revenue by $13 billion, House Resources version cuts only $2 billion • Governor replaces property tax with volumetric tax statewide, House Resources keeps property tax on facilities • Both versions reduce state revenue, project remains economically challenged at current market prices
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska LNG Project Shifts Focus to In-State Gas, Delays Export Phase
Alaska LNG delays exports, focuses first on supplying in-state gas from North Slope to Cook Inlet. • Lawmakers debate tying tax breaks to a required gas line serving Fairbanks. • Company warns narrow financial window and limited pipeline capacity pose challenges. • Governor says tax breaks are needed to compete with cheaper energy projects elsewhere.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Governor Dunleavy touts gas pipeline, credits Trump for reversing federal limits
Governor Dunleavy said the Alaska gas pipeline project has momentum now that the Trump administration has reversed federal restrictions, and he called on Congress to streamline permitting and limit legal challenges to projects.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo 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
Cordova council weighs hazard plan tied to federal disaster funds
Cordova City Council voted on its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, required by FEMA to keep federal disaster and resilience funding. Without approval, the coastal city risks losing money for seawalls and flood protection.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Ice Flows Delay Miles Lake Sonar, Chitina Dipnet Season in Limbo
Ice flows are delaying Miles Lake sonar equipment, pushing the Chitina dipnet season opening to a tentative June 10 noon start pending sonar data on salmon passage.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Anchorage health facility secures federal approval for land transfer to expand services
Senate approved 3.37 acre land transfer to Southcentral Foundation to expand mental health services for Alaska Native people. • Committee advanced eight tribal land bills nationwide for housing and wildfire management. • Administration proposed major cuts to tribal services including 32 percent reduction to Indian Education bureau.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
VA budget seeks $488 billion with 60,000 Alaska veterans facing shift toward private care
VA requests $488 billion budget, shifting $17 billion toward private care while holding VA facility funding flat, affecting 60,000 Alaska veterans. • VA lost 50,000 employees in 2025 and 2026, raising concerns about workforce and direct care. • Budget cuts appeals processing and oversight despite rising caseloads. • Includes $10.4 billion for infrastructure and health records modernization.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska Senate rejects healthcare compact bill in 11-9 vote
Alaska Senate rejected a bill allowing out-of-state healthcare providers to practice through interstate compacts, voting 11-9 against it. Opponents worried providers would lack experience with Indigenous populations and Alaska's specific healthcare needs.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Senate Republicans link Cook Inlet gas decline to rural power costs
Senate Republicans warn Cook Inlet gas decline will raise rural power costs through state subsidy program. • Caucus calls energy shortage an existential crisis and pushes Legislature to build gasline instead of importing liquefied gas. • Three priorities set for special session: cut energy costs, create jobs from pipeline, manage resources for public benefit.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate passes $13.9B operating budget with $200 energy relief
Alaska Senate approved $13.9B budget with $200 energy relief per person added to Permanent Fund Dividend. • Budget passed 17-3 and includes $11M for heating assistance and $29.1M in school fuel grants. • Operating budget maintains $44M surplus and now goes to House for final vote.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills
Alaska Senate unanimously passed bill increasing special education funding by 16 percent per student. • Senate also approved adding a fifth Superior Court judge in Palmer to reduce case backlog from 680 to 540 cases per judge.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Senate passes bill for deaf and hard of hearing students
Alaska Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday requiring schools to better identify and support deaf and hard of hearing students, with no new state funding attached.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska DOT imposes four-tier weight limits on Northern Region roads
Alaska DOT limits truck weights on Northern Region roads starting May 21 due to spring thaw. • Restrictions range from 50 to 100 percent of legal axle load depending on road condition. • Major highways like Parks Highway stay at full weight, while rural roads drop to 50 percent. • Elliot and Dalton highways exempt from seasonal limits.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readWednesday, May 20
Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills
Alaska Senate unanimously passed bill raising special education funding by 16 percent per student. • Senate also unanimously approved adding a fifth Superior Court judge in Palmer to cut case backlogs from 680 to 540 cases per judge.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska energy conference closes with call to protect economic freedom
Dunleavy and business author Wade say Alaska must cut regulations to compete for investment and jobs. • Wade argued over-regulation keeps poor nations poor, citing special economic zones as a model. • Dunleavy said a major energy project awaits legislature approval and could create thousands of jobs. • Wade told energy industry reliable, affordable power is essential to human flourishing.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes campaign contribution limits that could take effect during 2026 election
Alaska House passed a bill to restore campaign donation limits of 2,000 dollars per donor per candidate. • The bill takes effect 90 days after the governor acts, likely before November 2026 election. • Governor can sign, veto, or do nothing. Inaction lets the bill become law. • Opponents say it restricts speech and will likely face lawsuit.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes bill creating Alaska-Ireland Trade Commission
Alaska House voted 38-0 Wednesday to pass HB 278, creating a nine-member Alaska-Ireland Trade Commission to support economic and cultural ties between the two regions.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska's Off-Grid Communities Face Rising Diesel Costs as Governor Promotes Solar Alternative
Alaska Governor Dunleavy urged the state's 220-plus off-grid communities to adopt solar power paired with batteries and diesel backup to cut fuel costs as diesel prices rise for winter orders.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
National Lab, University of Alaska Fairbanks sign energy partnership
National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Alaska Fairbanks expanded their partnership Wednesday to focus on critical minerals, energy infrastructure, and workforce development for Alaska's energy sector.
by Melinda Communities.News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska LNG project secures financing proposals, targets 2027 construction start
Alaska LNG secured private financing to build 800-mile pipeline from North Slope to Cook Inlet, targeting 2027 construction start and 2029 gas delivery. • Needs tax stabilization law and utility regulator approval to proceed. • Export facility would sell 20 million tonnes of LNG yearly, mostly to Asia. • Project addresses Cook Inlet gas shortage and aims to lower Alaska energy costs.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Energy Conference Highlights Gas Pipeline Progress Amid Legislative Tax Debate
Alaska LNG pipeline signed contracts, targets 2029 delivery, but governor and legislature split on tax framework. • Southcentral consumers could pay $22.96 per thousand cubic feet if exports fail, double current rates. • Federal officials highlighted critical minerals and $1 billion in funding, but permitting takes 15 to 18 years. • Rural Alaska pays $6.63 per gallon with no pipeline relief in sight.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Yukon Premier Warns of Near-Blackouts, Scales Back Electric Vehicle Push
Yukon nearly faced blackouts during extreme cold, forcing premier to drop EV mandates and subsidies to ease grid strain. • Territory will add 15 megawatts of diesel or LNG this summer, then 45 more over five years. • Isolated 150-megawatt grid relies on three aging dams and cannot tap neighboring regions for power. • Electrification paused as near-term priority until capacity expands.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska hydropower projects to receive millions in federal funding
Four Alaska hydropower projects will share millions in federal funding for upgrades, with tax credits covering 30 to 50 percent of new construction costs through 2033.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Begich cites $163M Alaska oil lease sale as proof federal certainty drives investment
Rep. Nick Begich cited a record $163 million Alaska oil lease sale as evidence that federal policy certainty drives energy investment, and called for faster permitting to unlock Alaska's oil, gas, and geothermal resources for national security.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska's environmental chief calls EPA partnership under Trump the best of his career
Alaska's environmental chief says the Trump administration EPA is the most collaborative federal partner he has seen in 25 years, citing streamlined permitting and respect for state expertise over federal review.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska districts face June 30 deadline for federal education funds
Alaska school districts must submit federal education grant applications in substantially approvable form by June 30, 2026, to receive funding starting July 1, or face delays.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate Passes Education Bill With 4% Property Tax Cap
Senate passed education bill with 4% cap on required local contribution growth, limiting property value increases that shift school funding from state to local governments. • Bill includes energy grants for schools and teacher loan repayment up to $5,000 yearly for STEM and special education teachers. • Cap could cost state $41.6 million by 2035 but prevents districts from losing millions in revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
