State of Alaska

A declining Fortymile caribou herd, short hunts, and a dispute over timing

A declining Fortymile caribou herd has forced short, tightly capped hunts. Tribes say the state's timing this year cut into the federal subsistence priority.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Three years and three permits later, Ketchikan's airport ferry still has no backup berths

Ketchikan's airport ferry docks at one set of berths with no backup. Three years and three federal permits later, the state hasn't driven a pile.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Golden Valley Electric has rules for community solar and no community solar

Golden Valley Electric now has approved rules for community solar and no community solar. Someone outside the utility has to build it first.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Alaska primary: who advanced and what passed, in unofficial results

Peltola and Sullivan head to November, Begich leads the House field, four of 17 governor tickets advance, and donation caps passed with 71%

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Fairbanks correctional officer charged with sexually assaulting inmate in transport van

A correctional officer is charged with sexually assaulting a woman in his custody inside a state transport van in 2024, a case that surfaced only this year.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Alaska's cruise ship wastewater permit expired in 2019 and is still in force

Twenty-eight cruise ships discharged treated wastewater in Alaska last season under a 2014 permit that expired in 2019. Nine discharges were unauthorized.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

A Caterpillar dealer wants to fill nearly 20 acres of south Anchorage wetlands to build a new store

A Caterpillar dealer wants to fill nearly 20 acres of south Anchorage wetlands for a store, proposing no mitigation.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Juneau job seekers can meet several employers in one stop this week

Juneau job seekers can meet several employers in one stop Thursday at a state recruiting event, though details are thin — call the job center to confirm.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

A Sitka Street railroad crossing rebuild will cost Anchorage $91,000 more than agreed

Anchorage's Sitka Street railroad crossing rebuild will cost about $91,000 more than agreed after high bids — a tab that falls on nearby property owners.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Bristol Bay 2027 sockeye forecast to fall below 50 million, ending an 11-year run

Bristol Bay's sockeye run is forecast at 44.2 million for 2027, which would end an eleven-year streak above 50 million. The state still grades that strong.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Hiker flown off Sigugu Shaa mountain near Hoonah after seizure

A hiker had a seizure on a mountain near Hoonah, and a team of volunteers and medics stabilized them and got them off the mountain and to a hospital.

by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read

Troopers investigate suspected drugs found at Fairbanks Correctional Center

Alaska State Troopers are investigating suspected drugs found at Fairbanks Correctional Center on August 18, with the substance sent to the crime lab for testing.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

The town of Whittier has had no gas for weeks, and it's only manageable because it's summer

The whole town of Whittier has had no natural gas since Aug. 16 and won't get it back until Sept. 5, and it's manageable mainly because it's still warm out.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Woman injured by brown bear sow near Bells Flats in Kodiak

A woman was hurt by a brown bear sow while walking her dog near Bells Flats on Kodiak, but her dog's barking distracted the bear long enough for her to escape.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

A second person has been hurt in an Anchorage otter attack in three weeks

A second Anchorage resident in three weeks has been hurt by a river otter, and Fish and Game is telling paddleboarders and dog walkers to carry bear spray.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Tok DMV closed Wednesday as Mukluk Fire evacuation continues

The Tok DMV and every state office at 1314 Alaska Highway are closed Wednesday under the Mukluk Fire evacuation, with no reopening date given

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Tok evacuation order still stands after phone alert expired Tuesday

The phone alert telling parts of Tok to evacuate expired Tuesday and was not reissued. The order still stands, and the fire has crossed Red Fox Drive.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Follows: Level 3 GO evacuations ordered north of the Alaska Highway as the Mukluk Fire spreads near Tok

Overnight drilling comes to Ketchikan's aging viaducts, part of a plan to repair them now and replace them later

Overnight drilling comes to Ketchikan's two 1950s viaducts, which carry 14,000-plus vehicles a day, as the state plans to repair them and replace them later.

by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read

A cable across the Koyukuk, a camp for a mining crew, and no named mine

A Wasilla man wants to hang a 25,000-pound cable across the Koyukuk and camp a mining crew beside it. The state's form never asks which mine.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read

Anchorage is weighing a trade of land it just bought for $2.35 million for four downtown parking lots

Anchorage is weighing a trade of land it just bought for $2.35 million for four downtown parking lots, over a state objection and around competitive bidding.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read

Mukluk Fire households can apply for up to $44,800 in state grants through Oct. 19

Households hit by the Mukluk Fire can apply for up to $44,800 in state grants through Oct. 19. The state's own paperwork lists two different hotlines.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

ENSTAR seeks a Southcentral gas rate hike as two landlords move to dismiss the case

ENSTAR wants to raise Southcentral gas bills by about $9 a month, and two landlords are moving to get the rate case thrown out before its September hearing.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

A Bethel man will serve 60 years for sexually abusing a child left in his care

A Bethel man, Matt Atcherian, 27, will serve 60 years in prison for sexually abusing a child under 13 who had been left in his care.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Anchorage jury finds man guilty but mentally ill in 2015 stabbing of his parents

A jury found Martin Victor IV guilty but mentally ill in the 2015 stabbing of both his parents. He cannot be paroled until treatment is complete.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

An Anchorage man will serve 30 years for sexually abusing children he babysat

An Anchorage man will serve 30 years in prison for sexually abusing multiple children under 13 whom he babysat, and must register as a sex offender for life.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Fish and Game plans to cut about 50 of its own rules by year's end

Alaska Fish and Game plans to cut about 50 of its own regulations under a Dunleavy order that supporters call streamlining and critics call gutting oversight.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Troopers investigate death of Homer woman, 37, who collapsed in Anchor Point

Erin Kitchen, 37, of Homer died Monday night in Anchor Point after collapsing. The State Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Alaska regulators may open the grid to far more home and community solar

Alaska regulators may raise the rooftop and community solar limit from 1.5% to 20% of a utility's demand, opening the grid to far more customer-owned power.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Yukon coho are running far below normal, and even a strong chum year likely won't reopen fishing

Yukon River coho are running far below normal as their peak season opens, and even a strong fall chum year likely won't reopen subsistence fishing.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Judge asked to rule by Aug. 31 on whether King Cove road work can begin

A judge has been asked to rule by Aug. 31 on whether King Cove road work can start. The state says construction will not begin before Sept. 1.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Anchorage man arrested on 18 perjury and sex offender registry counts

An Anchorage man, Ronnie Wieber, 52, is held without bail on 18 counts alleging he failed to register as a sex offender and lied on his registration forms.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Troopers fly three stranded hikers out of Hatcher Pass

Alaska Wildlife Troopers helicoptered three hikers out of Hatcher Pass on Monday after high water and weather blocked their exit, the third rescue in the area this summer.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

About 20 homes damaged in the Mukluk Fire at Tok, some belonging to the firefighters

About 20 homes have burned in the Mukluk Fire at Tok, some belonging to the firefighters working it. The fire hit 5,533 acres Tuesday afternoon.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

The bridge meant to reopen half of Denali is running behind, new permits suggest

The bridge meant to reopen half of Denali is running behind: its federal finish date has passed, but new permits seek staging space through 2028.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Alaskans vote today in a primary narrowing the governor, Senate and House races

Alaskans vote today in a primary narrowing crowded races for governor, Senate and House to four each — 17 governor tickets, two Dan Sullivans on the ballot.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Sockeye are running so strong in Bristol Bay that anglers can now keep twice as many

Sockeye are running so strong in Bristol Bay's Wood River and Nushagak drainages that the state has doubled the daily bag limit to 10 fish through year's end.

by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Interior wind event hits highways as the Mukluk Fire burns near Tok

The winds that drove the Mukluk Fire near Tok hit Interior highways too, with gusts to 75 mph at Isabel Pass and a warning about the Tatlanika fire.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

DOT says cameras don't read plates; vendor policy allows video storage

Alaska says new cameras in Palmer, Wasilla and Anchorage count people and cars, not plates — but the vendor's policy sets no limit on storing video.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Alaska's trail grants reopen, with up to $100,000 on the table

Alaska's multi-use trail grants reopen Wednesday — up to $100,000 at a 90% federal match, open to trail groups, tribes and local governments through Oct. 30.

by Alaska News2mo ago2 min read

Cook Inlet king fishing reopens north of Bluff Point at one fish a day

King fishing reopened north of Bluff Point on Aug. 15, one fish a day through Sept. 15. Every Cook Inlet king run was forecast under its escapement goal.

by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read