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Alaska proposes timber harvest in all Haines State Forest areas
Alaska's Division of Forestry proposes opening all 286,000 acres of Haines State Forest to timber sales to enable carbon-offset projects, despite 78 percent opposition from a local survey.

Haines State Forest draft opens timber harvest in habitat areas
Alaska's Division of Forestry released a draft plan allowing timber harvest in Haines State Forest wildlife habitat and recreation areas for the first time since 2002, with public comments due by June 5.

Bartlett Regional Hospital posts 39 job openings in one week
Bartlett Regional Hospital posted 40 job openings in one week, about half of all Juneau-area listings, spanning nurses, doctors, support staff, and administrative roles as the hospital works to fill vacancies and expand housing for employees.

Peltola cites fuel costs as barrier to rural Alaska campaign stops
Democrat Mary Peltola wrapped a rural Alaska campaign tour by small plane and boat to reach villages where fuel costs exceed $6 a gallon, pressing affordability as her main message against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in the August primary.

A House bill on NOAA workplace safety is built on data from Alaska — where a third of fisheries observers report harassment or assault
A House bill to strengthen sexual harassment protections at NOAA is built on data from Alaska's North Pacific Observer Program, where nearly one third of the roughly 400 annual observers report harassment or assault.

Begich bill to expand commerce in Alaska sea otter handicrafts gets first congressional hearing
A new bill in Congress that asks, what otter we do?

Alaska training academy graduates 24 officers after 17-week program
Alaska Law Enforcement Training Academy graduated 24 officers Wednesday after completing 17 weeks of training in Sitka, with recruits joining the State Troopers, Wildlife Troopers, State Parks, and municipal police departments across the state.

Juneau gets clean audit despite control gaps, three-month delay
Juneau's audit passed but arrived three months late due to hospital delays and staff turnover, with auditors flagging two control gaps in debt review and harbor leases that finance staff have begun fixing.

Juneau arts council offers $2,000 for new logo design
Juneau Arts and Humanities Council is offering $2,000 for a new logo design, with submissions due July 1, 2026.

Alaska LNG tax bill ties $26.5B in revenue to volume, not value
Senate bill would tax Alaska LNG by volume instead of property value, generating $26.5 billion in state and local revenue. • The shift trades potentially higher property tax income for tax certainty to attract the project developer. • Mayors oppose the bill, saying municipalities would lose hundreds of millions in annual property tax revenue.

Haida fashion designer Dorothy Grant to sign career monograph at Alaska State Museum Friday
Haida fashion designer Dorothy Grant signs her career monograph at Alaska State Museum Friday from 4 to 5 pm during First Friday, with free museum admission from 4 to 7 pm.

Petersburg Medical Center loses bids for facility, equipment grants
Petersburg Medical Center's two largest grant proposals for a new facility and medical equipment were deferred by the state Rural Health Transformation Program on Wednesday, though five smaller projects advanced to a second funding round.

Petersburg Medical Center employee satisfaction hits 91%
Petersburg Medical Center employee satisfaction rose to 91% in 2026 from 84% in 2024, exceeding national healthcare averages across all measured areas.

Consultant warns Senate Finance that Alaska LNG faces megaproject risks
Consultant warns Senate Finance that Alaska LNG faces megaproject risks, citing data showing 67% of LNG projects exceed budgets by 70% on average.

Ketchikan Superior Court Judge Katherine Lybrand seeks retention
Ketchikan Superior Court Judge Katherine Lybrand, appointed in 2022, is seeking voter retention in November 2026 after handling criminal, family, and probate cases across the First Judicial District.

Mt. Edgecumbe names new academic, residential principals as applicant deadline nears
Big change ups at Mount Edgecumbe High School, also there's a deadline approaching quickly for students

State library, archives, and museum mark ten years in shared Juneau building
Alaska's State Library, Archives, and Museum building in Juneau marks ten years since opening in 2016 with a free family fair on June 27.

Ketchikan House race pits utility incumbent against borough assembly challenger
Ketchikan has a race on its hand with a last minute filing

Senate Finance hears $18 billion revenue trade-off for Alaska LNG tax break
Senate Finance heard the proposed Alaska LNG tax break would cut state and municipal revenues by $18 billion over 30 years, but the estimate rests on construction costs that may range from $45 billion to $90 billion.

Two Alaska clinics become the first under a new federal behavioral health funding model
Two Alaska clinics won federal certification for a four-year program that replaces per-visit Medicaid payments with predictable funding to stabilize behavioral health services.

North Slope, Kenai mayors negotiate gas line property tax as House Finance delays bill deadline
North Slope Borough Mayor Patkotak and Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Micciche negotiated property tax terms for the Alaska LNG project as the House Finance Committee delayed its amendment deadline to allow talks to continue.

Senate Finance Committee: how do you analyze a $46.2 billion pipeline without the numbers?
Alaska Senate Finance Committee halted action on SB 2001 until the state gets the developer's actual cost data and gas sales contracts instead of relying on a model built on guesses.

Alaska certifies first two behavioral health clinics under federal demonstration program
Alaska certified its first two behavioral health clinics under a federal program guaranteeing Medicaid funding for 24-hour crisis services and mental health treatment.

ADF&G opens Juneau hatchery area to king salmon retention June 1
Alaska Fish and Game opens a saltwater hatchery area near Juneau to king salmon fishing June 1 through August 31, allowing anglers four fish per day while the rest of the region stays closed until June 15.

King salmon sportfishing slows in Yakutat marine waters after strong week
King salmon fishing slowed in Yakutat marine waters over Memorial Day weekend after a strong week earlier in May, though residents can keep two fish and nonresidents one under 2026 rules.

GCI to end landline long-distance service in six Southeast communities
GCI will discontinue landline long-distance service in six Southeast communities on or after August 1, 2026, citing rising facility costs, pending FCC approval.
Huna Totem signs Juneau tideland lease for Oak Landing cruise dock
Huna Totem Corporation signed a tideland lease with Juneau in April for Oak Landing, a fifth downtown cruise dock expected to open in 2028 and reduce the 95 ships currently forced to anchor each summer.
DNR opens public comment on Greens Creek Mine reclamation plan renewal
Alaska's Department of Natural Resources opened public comment on Greens Creek Mine's plan to close and restore the underground mine on Admiralty Island near Juneau, governing how tailings and waste rock will be managed after mining ends.
Alaska LNG could cost $70 billion; state's 25% stake faces dilution
Alaska’s LNG project may have just gotten a $24 billion “whoops.” The state has been planning around a $46 billion price tag, but lawmakers were told the real number may be closer to $70 billion — which is less of a budget update and more of a financial jump scare.

Juneau mining industry warns sales tax cap removal could cost $5M yearly
Juneau is considering removing a $15,000 cap on sales tax per purchase. The Kensington Mine says eliminating it would cost the company $5 million yearly, nearly tripling its tax bill, and the city hasn't yet said how much revenue it would actually gain.

JAG Marine takes over Ketchikan Shipyard after state ends Vigor's 20-year run
AIDEA replaced Vigor Alaska with JAG Marine Group to operate the state-owned Ketchikan Shipyard after 20 years, citing poor performance. JAG projects adding 100 or more jobs over two years.

Ketchikan Gateway Borough opens candidate filing for October election
Ketchikan Gateway Borough opens filing for Assembly, Mayor, and School Board. • Candidates need 10 voter signatures and a financial disclosure form.

Energy consultant tells House Finance that property tax makes Alaska LNG unfinanceable
Energy consultant says property tax costs $600 million yearly, making Alaska LNG unfinanceable.

Sealaska Heritage Institute names seaweed contest winner at Celebration
Christina Weber won Sealaska Heritage Institute's seaweed contest at Celebration 2026 in Juneau, judged on freshness, color, taste, and texture as part of a traditional Native food competition.

Alaska Auto-IRA Bill Lets Workers Save PFD for Retirement
Alaska passed auto-IRA bill letting workers save Permanent Fund Dividend checks for retirement. • Program auto-enrolls private workers with paycheck deductions, costs employers nothing. • Targets half of Alaska workers without employer retirement plans. • Addresses senior poverty as Social Security falls short of Alaska living costs.

Cold Spring Delays Situk River Steelhead Spawning, Extends Fishing Season
Cold spring water has delayed steelhead spawning in the Situk River, keeping spring-run fish in the system longer and extending the fishing season through at least next week.

Ketchikan closes Gorge and Sayles streets through fall 2026 for viaduct replacement
Ketchikan closes Gorge and Sayles streets through fall 2026 for viaduct replacement, forcing drivers to use alternate routes while crews work six days a week.

Juneau Assembly Finance Committee cuts $736,000 in recurring expenses, faces $687,000 deficit
Finance Committee cut $736,000 from city budget but Juneau still faces $687,000 deficit for 2027. Travel Juneau funding dropped $400,000, museum budget cut $261,500, and landscape budget trimmed $75,000. Committee rejected cuts to affordable housing and fire station lease that would raise insurance costs. Full Assembly votes on budget June 8.

Juneau Assembly Finance Committee cuts Travel Juneau budget in 5-4 vote
Finance Committee cuts Travel Juneau marketing budget by 400,000 dollars, dropping funding 31 percent to close city deficit. • Executive director warns cut will remove Juneau from visitor marketplace for two to three years. • Full Assembly votes on budget June 8, must decide by June 15.

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.
