Alaska state government's executive branch, headed by the Governor and 15 cabinet departments. Oversees education, public safety, transportation, health, commerce, and natural resource management for the 49th state.
Photo by Bernt Rostad, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
alaska.gov ↗Alaska
Inside State of Alaska
Places and topics in this news
Numbers are stories in the last 30 days.
Have a story about State of Alaska? Send a tip
Thursday, Jul 9
Yukon Chinook sonar count 34% below average; fall chum added to concern list
Yukon Chinook count at 95,370 by July 6, down 34 percent from average and short of Alaska and Canadian escapement goals. • Fall chum designated a stock of management concern, forcing communities to restrict harvest on two salmon species at once. • Summer chum run tracking above 900,000 fish, offering some relief for subsistence harvesters.

Convicted sex offender flees Palmer courthouse, departs Whittier by sailboat
A convicted child abuser fled the Palmer courthouse Monday. Philip Phillips sailed into Prince William Sound to evade capture.

Wednesday, Jul 8
State agency warns Girdwood Parks Plan shows unauthorized trails on airport land
Alaska DOT&PF told Anchorage the Girdwood Parks Master Plan maps four trail segments across state airport property without permission, risking public access conflicts with aviation uses.

Alaska National Guard completes 4 rescues over July 4 weekend
Alaska National Guard helicopters rescued four people over the July 4 weekend from remote Interior and Southcentral locations, including two critically ill patients and two stranded hikers.

Alaska's investment arm hands its director more power over public money
AIDEA gave its director a standing $4.5M fund and the power to pick which projects get vetted with public money — faster, but with less board and public visibility.

Tatlanika Fire smoke reaches Fairbanks, 39 miles away
Smoke from the Tatlanika Fire, burning 982 acres 39 miles southwest of Fairbanks, is now visible in Fairbanks and Nenana, though no structures are threatened in its limited-response zone.

Five wildfire investigations span Interior to western Alaska
Look into the fires

A hiker lost his shoes in the snow near Snowbird Hut — in July
A hiker lost his shoes in the snow near Snowbird Hut on the Fourth of July, stranding his group — a reminder that it can be summer in town and still winter up on the glacier.

So few kings are left in the Situk that the state closed their last pool
The Situk's kings have nearly vanished — 100 counted at midseason — so the state closed a popular fishing hole to shield the few survivors from accidental hooking.

Four ferries in the shop make for a lean Alaska winter
Four Alaska ferries will be down for repairs this winter — one for five months after crews found corroded steel — thinning service for roadless towns that depend on it.

Metlakatla man sentenced in child exploitation case
A Metlakatla man was sentenced to three years for distributing child sexual abuse material — one of four arrested in a broader investigation of the small Southeast community.

Free Fairbanks streambank workshop opens July 15 for landowners and anglers
Fairbanks landowners and anglers can register free for a two-day streambank restoration workshop July 15 and 16 that teaches erosion control and fish habitat work.

Tanana River chum salmon sport fishery reopens as run exceeds forecast
Tanana River sport anglers can keep three chum salmon again as of Wednesday after the run exceeded forecasts, but the broader Yukon drainage remains closed due to weak returns.

Tessera hiring event comes to Mat-Su Job Center July 29
Tessera is hiring veterans, military spouses, and people with disabilities at the Mat-Su Job Center on July 29 for facility management, manufacturing, and warehousing roles.

Delta burn permits suspended Wednesday as fire conditions worsen
Alaska suspended all burn permits in the Delta Fire Prevention Area on Wednesday due to low humidity, gusty winds, and dry fuels that could turn any escaped ember into a fast-moving wildfire.

Upper Copper River king salmon sport fishery closed through August 10
Alaska closes all Upper Copper River king salmon sport fishing from July 10 through August 10 after the lowest run count on record threatens the escapement goal.

Coming up
State Bond Committee Meeting
Telephonic meeting, call-in (907) 202-7104, Conference ID: 633 711 677#
Meeting
Alaska LNG Project Right-of-Way Lease Conversion - In-Person Public Hearing
Hearing
Public Comment Deadline: State Underground Storage Rights Claim
Public notice
Local Government Protest Deadline: Eden Growth Group LLC Marijuana License Renewal
Public notice
Effective: Alaska; Wildlife, Harvest, and Access
Public notice
About State of Alaska
Photo by Bernt Rostad, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
alaska.gov ↗Alaska
The State of Alaska is the executive branch of Alaska state government, headed by the Governor and organized into cabinet departments. Those departments oversee education, public safety, transportation, health, commerce and natural resource management across the state.
State agencies issue permits, leases and land decisions, regulate liquor licenses and utilities, plan highway projects and rank school construction requests. Its stories return to public comment on state proposals, from roundabouts and gravel sites to water rights and the statewide transportation plan, and to the work of the Alaska State Troopers.
Boards and authorities attached to the state, such as the Board of Fisheries, the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, make many of its decisions. The state also runs statewide elections and works with tribal organizations on village public safety.
More from State of Alaska
Fish and Game will bring moose permits to four Nushagak River villages
Fish and Game will hand-deliver moose permits to four Nushagak River villages this year, so hunters without road access to Dillingham don't have to make the trip.

Chitina dip net fishery cut to 96 hours as Copper River salmon run behind
Alaska Fish and Game cut the Chitina dip net season to 96 hours next week because the Copper River salmon run is running 30,600 fish behind schedule and sockeye escapement goals are at risk.

Deshka king run collapse forces Cook Inlet closures amid allocation fight
The Deshka king run is projected to come in at under half its minimum goal, and ADF&G is closing fisheries to save what's left.

Mountain Village man arrested on three sexual abuse of a minor charges
Alaska State Troopers arrested a Mountain Village man, Alphonsus Chiklak, 47, on child sexual abuse charges following a nearly six-month investigation. He is presumed innocent.

The company behind Fort Knox is prospecting for gold near Delta Junction
The Kinross subsidiary that runs Fort Knox, Alaska's biggest gold mine, wants to drill for a new deposit near Delta Junction, in a salmon-bearing river drainage. It's exploration, not a mine yet.

Fairbanks man killed after trooper opens fire during early-morning pursuit
Alaska State Trooper shot and killed a man in Fairbanks early Monday after a 90-second vehicle pursuit ended on a dead-end street and the driver turned toward the officer. • This is the second officer-involved fatality in Fairbanks in two weeks. • The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation; the Office of Special Prosecutions will independently review findings.

Three cited at Chitina dipnet fishery over July 4 weekend; one faces mandatory court date
Three fishers cited at Chitina dipnet fishery during July 4 weekend opening; one Fairbanks man faces mandatory court for retaining a king salmon in violation of emergency order.

Tuesday, Jul 7
Perjury counts detail Martinez's 63-minute Fort Lauderdale trip and evasive oath testimony
Anchorage Assembly Members filed criminal perjury charges against George Martinez over a 63-minute Fort Lauderdale trip funded by campaign money and testimony he gave under oath to state regulators.

Anchorage Assembly to consider first-ever removal proceeding against Martinez
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on whether to remove East Anchorage member George Martinez over perjury, fraud, and disclosure violations, the first removal proceeding in municipal history.

Selawik fuel tank farm, solar array threatened by landfill fire
A tundra fire that escaped Selawik's landfill Monday grew to 20 acres and now threatens the village's fuel tank farm and solar array, its only source of heating fuel and diesel power.

Four-wheeler breakdown strands two near Kotzebue; borough SAR unable to respond
Two people stranded near Kotzebue were rescued the morning after the Fourth — by troopers and two local volunteers, after the borough's search-and-rescue unit couldn't respond.

Noatak Airport relocation triggers water quality review as river erodes toward runway
River erosion is forcing Noatak to relocate its airport, and the Army Corps of Engineers opened a water quality review that must clear before construction can start on a new site 1.5 miles west.

State opens bids for Chenega Bay airport maintenance contract
Alaska is seeking a new maintenance contractor for Chenega Bay Rural Airport in Prince William Sound, with bids due July 16 and award expected by July 28.

In a dry village, a man is charged with assault after furnishing a teen alcohol
A Tuntutuliak man, Jared Enoch, 24, is charged with furnishing alcohol to a teenager and sexually assaulting them in a village where alcohol is banned. He is presumed innocent.

Akiachak man charged with murder after early-morning stabbing death
Randy Nose, 41, died from stab wounds in Akiachak early Monday. Fred Nose Jr., 37, also of Akiachak, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

Alaska doubles bulk fuel loan cap to $1.5 million for rural communities
Alaska doubled the bulk fuel loan cap to $1.5 million for rural communities starting July 3, helping villages and fuel retailers cover winter heating oil purchases before customer payments arrive.

Northern Region roads return to full summer loads Friday
Alaska lifts spring weight limits on most Northern Region roads Friday, July 10, letting commercial haulers return to full legal loads, except Tofty Road into Tanana stays capped at 75 percent.

Deadhorse Airport paving set for mid-July after holiday pause
Deadhorse Airport paving is set for mid-July as crews work through the Arctic construction season to fix aging pavement and drainage that support North Slope oil and gas operations.

Homer man, 85, summonsed for 2025 Anchor Point hit-and-run after trooper spots vehicle nine months later
An 85-year-old Homer man was summonsed for a hit-and-run in Anchor Point nine months after the crash, when a trooper recognized his vehicle on a Homer street.

Bristol Bay Eastside salmon fishery under rapid-sequence emergency orders
ADF&G is issuing rapid emergency orders for Bristol Bay Eastside salmon fisheries. The shifting schedule forces fishers to react to real-time sockeye run data.

Federal settlement sends $180 million to Port of Alaska modernization
Federal settlement sends $180 million to the Port of Alaska's $2.7 billion modernization program, reducing pressure for tariff increases that could raise fuel and grocery prices statewide.

Juneau proposes handing North Bridget Cove trail to state in budget-driven swap
Juneau proposes giving Alaska State Parks the remote North Bridget Cove trail to cut $75,000 in maintenance costs, gaining city control of closer Mt. Juneau and Granite Basin trails instead.

Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on $460K for teen health, senior services
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on $460,000 in state grants for teen pregnancy prevention, senior navigation services, and case management at two public housing complexes.

Anchorage man held without bail after 80 mph pursuit through Wasilla
Anchorage man Wyatt Baker, 21, was held without bail after fleeing police in Wasilla at over 80 mph early Tuesday, running red lights and stop signs.
