Politics & Government

North Pole adopts 5% local bidder preference despite city attorney's constitutional warning

North Pole's council gave local businesses a 5% edge on city bids. The city attorney told them first it's likely unconstitutional. It passed 5-1.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

North Pole council delays vote on on-call compensation for city utility workers

North Pole council delayed a final vote on paying utility workers for on-call duty after a late rewrite. It will revisit the measure Nov. 2.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Follows: North Pole council advances comp time for on-call utility workers

Utqiaġvik council to vote on seeking $4.5 million in NPR-A money for city operations

Utqiaġvik's council votes Thursday on letting the mayor seek $4.5 million in NPR-A money for city operations. The state recommended $3 million in January.

by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readFrom Oct 16

Houston plans a door-to-door income survey to qualify for an $850,000 fire station grant

Houston needs 51% of the people a fire station serves to be low or moderate income to get an $850,000 grant. HUD says 49.6%, so staff will knock on doors.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Ballot Measure 3 would add one word to Alaska's voting law, with most money from one donor

Ballot Measure 3 would add one word, "only," to Alaska's voting law. The Legislature's lawyer says it changes nothing. A Wisconsin CEO is funding most of it.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago3 min read

Cordova seeks applicants for five city boards ahead of December appointments

Cordova is accepting applications for 11 open seats across five city boards, with council appointments set for December.

by Melinda Communities.News3w ago1 min read

Which judges are on your Alaska ballot, and why the council opposes two

Early voting is open, and the back of your ballot has judges on it. The council says keep 18, cut two in Kenai and couldn't agree on one in Juneau.

by Alaska News3w ago4 min read

Early voting has begun in Alaska. Here's what's on the ballot and how to vote.

Early voting opened Monday for governor, Senate, House and whether to keep ranked-choice voting. Here's where to go, what to bring and when results come.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago3 min read

Searchers bring two hunters out of Power Creek Basin near Cordova after a minor injury

Troopers, Cordova crews and 40 volunteers pulled two hunters from Power Creek Basin Sunday after a minor injury. One got hurt packing game, the other got soaked helping him.

by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read

Rabbit rescuer to tell Anchorage Assembly no agency acted after pet rabbits were shot

Tania Krawchenko will tell the Anchorage Assembly Tuesday that no agency responded after two pet rabbits were shot in South Anchorage, killing one and leading to the other being euthanized.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Troopers arrest Marshall man, 23, on child sexual abuse and assault charges

Troopers arrested a 23-year-old Marshall man Saturday on seven charges, including sexual abuse of a minor, after a girl's assault was reported in September.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read

Crash closes Parks Highway both ways near Trapper Creek; reopening expected at 3:30 pm

A crash closed the Parks Highway in both directions near Trapper Creek on Monday morning, cutting the Anchorage-Fairbanks route until at least mid-afternoon.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read

State offices close Monday for Alaska Day, marking the 1867 transfer from Russia

State offices are closed Monday for Alaska Day, marking the 1867 handover from Russia. The anniversary was Sunday, so state workers get the day after.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read

Anchorage warned a private plan reviewer who missed 'egregious' safety risks

Anchorage says a private plan reviewer missed "egregious" safety risks. Officials warned them and want clearer power to drop reviewers who underperform.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago3 min read

Darren Franz to succeed Betsy Lawer as First National Bank Alaska CEO in January

First National Bank Alaska picked Darren Franz to replace Betsy Lawer as CEO in January. Lawer stays as executive chair after growing the bank to $5.1 billion.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readFrom Oct 7

Anchorage reports $1.75M in September contracts below the Assembly approval line

Anchorage reported $1.75 million in September contracts too small to need an Assembly vote, from AI that watches the city's network to police range backstops.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Fort Wainwright advocates say domestic abuse goes beyond physical violence

Fort Wainwright advocates say domestic abuse can mean financial control, digital abuse or threats to pets. They're at the post Exchange twice this month.

by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Anchorage woman to plead guilty to billing VA $2.7M as a social worker without a license

An Anchorage counseling owner billed the VA $2.7 million as a licensed clinical social worker, her plea deal says. Alaska denied her that license in 2005.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Alaska's respiratory therapists would pay $350 for a first license under proposed rules

Alaska proposed its first license for respiratory therapists, costing $350, under a law taking effect Jan. 1, 2027. Alaska is the only state with no such license.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Proposed Moose Range rules limit target shooting to areas that don't exist yet

The state wants target shooting in the Moose Range limited to designated shooting areas. Asked where those are, DNR said Friday: there aren't any yet.

by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Kenai plans to spend $50,000 replacing damaged holiday decorations along the Spur Highway

Kenai plans to replace worn Spur Highway holiday light decorations using $50,000, favoring repeated designs over many unique ones.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readFrom Sep 8

Wisconsin-based super PAC reports $710K urging Alaskans to leave Sullivan blank

A Wisconsin super PAC with no named donors spent $710,000 telling Alaskans to rank Republican Gerald Heikes first and leave Sen. Dan Sullivan blank.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Homer voters will decide on the road tax, a council race and an Assembly seat Nov. 3

Homer votes Nov. 3 on keeping its road tax, a City Council race and a borough Assembly seat. The mayor's race has exactly one name on the ballot.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago3 min read

Anchorage proposal would let clerk start mandatory recounts before elections are certified

Anchorage wants close races recounted before anyone takes the oath, so the Assembly never swears in one winner and then has to swear in another.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Anchorage 18-year-old jailed after 100 mph pursuit on Parks Highway in Wasilla

An 18-year-old Anchorage man was arrested after a 100 mph chase on Wasilla's Parks Highway, stopped by spike strips. He faces six charges, including DUI, and is jailed without bail.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read

Ketchikan Assembly to certify results electing Bolling, Ortiz and Arntzen Tuesday

Ketchikan Borough Assembly meets Tuesday to certify Oct. 6 election results, seating Bolling, Ortiz and Arntzen. The library takeover measure failed outside city limits, so it did not pass.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Driver strikes and kills woman crossing Muldoon Road in Anchorage

A driver struck and killed Bertha Nesbit, 62, as she crossed Muldoon Road in Anchorage. No charges have been filed, and police are still investigating.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read

Kodiak physician indicted on federal tax evasion charges covering five years

A federal grand jury indicted a Kodiak physician on five counts of tax evasion, one for each year from 2018 to 2022. Prosecutors allege he hid cash income.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Kotlik man charged with attempted murder after reports he pointed a shotgun at two people

Alaska State Troopers arrested a 21-year-old Kotlik man on two counts of attempted murder and 14 other charges after reports he pointed a shotgun at two people.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read

Murkowski's 2028 campaign had $1.56 million in cash at the end of September

Murkowski's 2028 campaign had $1.56 million cash on hand at end of September, FEC filing shows. It raised $93,000 and spent $52,000 that quarter.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readFrom Sep 30

Homer mayor proposes changing the rules for how the city writes its budget

Homer Mayor Rachel Lord proposed changes to the city's budget code, up for council discussion Oct. 26. A public hearing and possible adoption vote is set for Nov. 9.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read

Kodiak moves $20 million from bank and pool accounts into managed investments

Kodiak moved $20 million from bank and pool accounts into managed investments this fall, reaching 71% of an $82 million target.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Follows: Kodiak invests $10 million and uses transfers to shrink $1.7 million General Fund shortfall

Anchorage School District sues state retirement division and demands a jury trial

Anchorage School District sued the state retirement division Oct. 14, demanding a jury trial. It may relate to a 2024-25 outage that delayed retirement contributions statewide.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read

Callers posing as troopers are demanding gift cards and crypto to clear warrants

Real troopers don't call for gift cards. Someone posing as one has been phoning Alaskans demanding gift cards or crypto to clear fake warrants, troopers say.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

Sullivan and Peltola got key facts wrong in a heated Senate debate, records show

Nine uses of "lie" in one hour. The record backs some of their punches and knocks down others, from a 2008 gas line vote to who's outspending whom.

by Alaska News3w ago20 min read

United Tribes of Bristol Bay offers schools up to $5,000 for top voter turnout

United Tribes of Bristol Bay is offering up to $5,000 to schools in the Bristol Bay communities with the best Nov. 3 turnout. Voters themselves get nothing.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

State moves to finalize Juneau sewage plant permit despite years out of compliance

Juneau's downtown sewage plant was out of federal compliance in 12 of 13 quarters. The state is about to renew its Gastineau Channel permit anyway.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

After-hours online protective order petitions now count as filed the next business day

Alaska courts now count after-hours online protective order filings as filed the next business day, matching eviction filing rules. Filing before 11:59 pm Alaska time still counts as that same day.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readFrom Oct 6

Appeals court upholds conviction for threat during Ketchikan bail hearing

Alaska Court of Appeals upheld Michael Henderson's conviction for threatening a witness during his son's Ketchikan bail hearing. The jury found the threat real, and he's serving 18 months.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read

RGA-funded PAC spends $1.5 million backing three Republicans and opposing Kreiss-Tomkins

Kodiak PAC, funded by the Republican Governors Association, spent $1.5 million backing three GOP tickets and opposing Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins before Alaska's Nov. 3 governor's race.

by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read