Alaska News in Brief

Maggie AlaskaNews29m ago2 min read

Katmai National Park is seeing a record number of bear cubs at Brooks Camp this season. Superintendent Mark Sturm says the high cub count follows several years of massive sockeye salmon runs in Bristol Bay. These fish are essential for cub survival before winter. Fans can watch the bears on live cameras ahead of the annual Fat Bear Week voting, which begins on September twenty-second.

Walter AlaskaNews1h ago2 min read

Juneau residents will hear a flash flood warning on their weather radios and broadcast stations this Wednesday, September 23. The National Weather Service and Alaska Electric Light and Power are conducting a live test of the Salmon Creek Dam notification system between 10 a.m. and noon. The alert will clearly state it is only a test and will not be sent to mobile phones.

Walter AlaskaNews2h ago2 min read

A Fairbanks North Star Borough committee meets Thursday to discuss rezoning thirteen lots on Fairbanks Street. The proposal would allow up to fifty-one housing units, more than doubling the current limit of twenty-five. The change is driven by a vacant former bed and breakfast that does not fit current zoning rules. Neighbors remain divided over potential impacts on traffic and the character of the area.

Walter AlaskaNews2h ago2 min read

The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly votes Thursday on a snow removal contract for MK Enterprises. The company was the only bidder for the work, which covers borough facilities through June 2028. The school district plans to handle its own snow removal this year, which reduced interest from other contractors. The deal requires the company to begin clearing snow or sanding within one hour of a call.

Walter AlaskaNews2h ago2 min read

Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins could gain power to appoint most members of local boards and commissions under a new ordinance. The proposal, scheduled for a worksession Wednesday, September 17, would shift appointment authority from the Assembly to the mayor. It also changes how cities nominate members to economic and historic commissions, requiring mayors to submit recommendations for the borough mayor to finalize.

Bill AlaskaNews4h ago2 min read

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association received nearly five hundred thousand dollars in federal funding to increase sockeye salmon sales. The grant from NOAA Fisheries will support a two-year project to place wild salmon on menus in schools, hospitals, and restaurants through August 2028. The association represents thousands of local fishermen who are currently navigating a global market glut and lower harvest values.

Walter AlaskaNews5h ago1 min read

Alaska State Troopers arrested a Soldotna man Saturday evening after receiving multiple reports of dangerous driving on the Sterling Highway. Callers reported a green SUV speeding and swerving near mile 140. Troopers stopped the vehicle and found the driver showed signs of impairment and possessed a handgun. He was taken to the Homer Jail on charges of driving under the influence and weapons misconduct.

Walter AlaskaNews12h ago3 min read

Southeast Alaska's commercial king crab fishery opens November 1 with a quota of over 213,000 pounds. State officials set this limit using two conflicting harvest rates for unsurveyed waters. One calculation suggests the fishery should have remained closed, while the other allowed it to proceed. Most of the quota relies on these estimates rather than current surveys, leaving the actual harvestable surplus in question.

Bill AlaskaNews12h ago2 min read

Bristol Bay’s Nushagak District opened weeks late this season to protect struggling king salmon. State officials raised the required sockeye thresholds to ensure fewer kings are caught as bycatch. While this conservation plan aims to save a depleted run, it forces fishermen to miss the most profitable weeks of the season. The total baywide sockeye harvest is currently running below the state’s preseason expectations.

Walter AlaskaNews12h ago2 min read

Three Anchorage Assembly members are demanding equal voting power on a committee tasked with closing city schools. The school board previously offered the Assembly only a single non-voting seat on its advisory panel. This resolution, scheduled for a vote on September 15, aims to give city officials a direct say in future consolidation plans following recent closures that disrupted families across the district.

Walter AlaskaNews12h ago2 min read

Anchorage officials vote Monday on rezoning twelve acres of land for heavy industrial use. One proposal would convert vacant property near C Street from residential to a district allowing scrap processing and waste handling. A separate request from Chugach Electric seeks to reclassify nine acres near East Third Avenue. These items are on the commission consent agenda and could pass in a single vote.

Walter AlaskaNews12h ago1 min read

Alaska is proposing Medicaid payments for crisis mental health beds for the first time. These beds aim to keep people out of hospitals through short-term stabilization or residential care. The state set hourly rates for stabilization and daily rates for longer stays. Officials say the change will not require new funding. Public comments on the proposed rates are being accepted by the state through October twenty-first.

Melinda Communities.News12h ago2 min read

Water flushed from Bethel's treatment filters is leaking onto the tundra instead of reaching the city sewer lagoon. Officials say a shifting shelter broke the pipes, potentially releasing bacteria and chemicals into the ground. The city plans to replace the tank and piping system. Bethel has faced numerous state enforcement actions for water system deficiencies, though records do not specify how long this leak has occurred.

Alaska News12h ago3 min read

Senator Dan Sullivan and Representative Mary Peltola agreed on Saturday that climate change and federal mismanagement are devastating Alaska fisheries. During a debate in Kodiak, the two candidates clashed over how to fix the crisis. Sullivan argued for his legislative record and new federal bills. Peltola countered that voters should judge their performance not by laws passed, but by the number of salmon returning.

Walter AlaskaNews12h ago2 min read

The North Slope Borough began flushing three million gallons of glycol-tainted water from Kaktovik’s system on Sunday. A plant operator mistakenly used the wrong chemical in August, contaminating the town’s supply. While officials say the levels pose no acute risk to adults, the concentration exceeds all federal health guidelines. Residents must continue using emergency water supplies for drinking and cooking until the system is fully cleared.

Walter AlaskaNews13h ago2 min read

The Anchorage Hockey Association now manages the city's two public ice rinks for ten dollars a year. The nonprofit took over in June after the previous operator defaulted on three hundred sixty thousand dollars in maintenance payments. The city is providing four hundred fifty thousand dollars in startup funds. On Tuesday, the Assembly will consider a nearly one million dollar request for overdue safety repairs.

Walter AlaskaNews14h ago2 min read

The Port of Alaska is seeking another two million dollars for the Terminal One design contract this Tuesday. This third increase brings the total cost to over sixteen million dollars, fifty percent higher than the original award. The funds cover engineering support through twenty twenty-seven. This project aims to build a new seismically capable berth by twenty twenty-nine to support the state's primary cargo hub.

Walter AlaskaNews16h ago2 min read

Downtown Wasilla will shift to a one-way street grid under an eighty-three million dollar state project. Starting in September, the state will seek bids for the work, which is now scheduled for 2027 and 2028. The plan creates one-way corridors on four streets to ease congestion and improve safety at a dangerous intersection. Local businesses face permanent changes to their street access and parking.

Walter AlaskaNews18h ago1 min read

The Sacred Acre electronic music festival is underway in Ninilchik and continues through Sunday, September 13. Produced by Cosmic Ayre Productions, the three-day event focuses on music, art, and environmental advocacy regarding ocean protection. General admission tickets cost two hundred fifteen dollars, with shuttle services available from Anchorage. The festival website does not currently list a lineup of performers for this year's event.

Walter AlaskaNews19h ago2 min read

Ketchikan will no longer build a seventy million dollar water filtration plant after federal regulators confirmed the city's mountain lake supply is clean enough to skip treatment. The city council votes September seventeenth on a final twenty-five thousand dollar contract amendment to close out the project. While this mandate is gone, the city is now seeking ten million dollars for required wastewater disinfection upgrades.