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Week of Jun 1
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.

Alaska fishery disaster funds stalled at OMB despite congressional approval
Congress approved $300 million in fishery disaster relief for Alaska in December 2024, but the Office of Management and Budget has not released the funds to fishing families waiting for relief.

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.

Federal highway chief commits to King Cove Road action
Federal Highway Administrator committed to finalize the Road, an 11-mile project connecting the community to Cold Bay's airport, and will visit Alaska in late June.

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.

More from Southeast
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.

Alaska clarifies Medicaid psychotherapy billing rules for master's-level clinicians
Alaska's Division of Behavioral Health clarified that master's-level clinicians pursuing licensure can bill Medicaid for psychotherapy under supervision, letting clinics deploy new therapists immediately.

Boyle files to challenge Holland in high-turnout South Anchorage House Seat.
South Anchorage comes out to vote. Holland and Boyle have until November to make their case.

Coming up
Alaska State Parks Southeast Region Citizen Advisory Board Meeting
Online only: Microsoft Teams (Meeting ID 252 102 001 646 565 7, passcode Xq3o7kf3) or phone +1 907-202-7104, conference ID 521 494 427#
Meeting
Energy in the North: Robert Venables on Southeast Conference Economic Development
Class
Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office Sealed Bid Deadline
Public notice
Southeast Alaska Geoduck Fishery Closure (Holiday Period 1)
Public notice
Directed Lingcod Fishery Season End
Public notice
About Southeast
Southeast Alaska is the panhandle region along the state's southern coast, an archipelago of islands and fjords that includes Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. Its towns, among them Petersburg, Wrangell, Haines, Skagway and Hoonah, are linked by the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system.
Its economy rests on commercial fishing, cruise tourism and the Tongass National Forest. Fish and Game manages dive fisheries for sea cucumbers and geoducks, salmon seine and gillnet fisheries, and rockfish openings across its inside and outer waters. Cruise docks, the decisions of city and borough assemblies, land use rules and heavy coastal weather are recurring local questions.
Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian communities are part of the region's life, and institutions such as Tlingit & Haida and Huna Totem run programs and businesses across it. Huna Totem ventures have built or sought to run cruise docks in Juneau and Haines.
More from Southeast
Alaska's filing deadline turned the 2026 election from rumor into a real race
So many candidates, so little time left

Open South Midtown seat draws three candidates after Josephson opts not to seek reelection.
House District 13 in South Midtown Anchorage has three candidates after Rep. Andy Josephson declined reelection: Democrat Lisa Keller, Democrat Felix Rivera, and Republican Sarah Short, in a district where the last race was decided by 477 votes.

Costello-Wells rematch puts Southwest Anchorage House seat back in play
Rep. Mia Costello, a Republican, faces a rematch against Democrat Denny Wells in Southwest Anchorage House District 15 after beating him by 529 votes in 2024.

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

Underwood-Eastman rematch gives Wasilla voters another House District 27 choice
Rep. Jubilee Underwood and former Rep. David Eastman, both Wasilla Republicans, are set for a rematch in House District 27 after Underwood defeated him by 196 votes in 2024.

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.

Kreiss-Tomkins picks Anchorage Assembly member Zac Johnson as running mate
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democratic-aligned candidate for Alaska governor, selected Anchorage Assembly member Zac Johnson as his running mate on the final filing day Monday.

A year-round storefront for Alaska's seasonal makers
Voyij is launching a year-round e-commerce platform for Made in Alaska program permit holders on June 1. Listings are free; Voyij takes a per-sale commission whose rate has not been publicly disclosed.

Nome cuts school funding by $500K, forcing layoffs and larger classes
Nome Common Council cut school funding by $500,000 to $2.7 million for fiscal 2027, forcing the district to eliminate positions including teachers, counselors, and a school psychologist while class sizes grow.

Week of May 25
Alaska Marijuana Control Board denies Anchorage cultivation license renewal over $633,000 tax debt
Alaska Marijuana Control Board revoked Anchorage cultivator Alaskasense's license Wednesday over $633,000 in unpaid excise taxes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
Eye Guys to visit 10 Alaska communities in June for AlaskaCare retiree exams
The Eye Guys will visit 10 Alaska communities June 1-28 to provide free comprehensive eye exams for AlaskaCare retirees covered under VSP vision benefits. Call (907) 376-3917 to schedule.

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 faces tax competition from Canadian projects with federal support
Canada landed its big LNG project the old-fashioned way, by quietly stacking tax breaks for investors years before anyone broke ground, and Alaska's Senate spent Wednesday flipping through the recipe to see what's worth copying.

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.

Alaska Marijuana Control Board approves THC oral pouch product
Alaska Marijuana Control Board approved the state's first THC oral pouch product from Lolo Creations, LLC on a 4-1 vote, with the law enforcement member dissenting over child ingestion risks.

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.
