Politics & Government
RSSAlaska News covers state and local politics and government, including elections, ethics investigations, legislative action, and municipal decisions.
CourtView goes dark overnight Sunday for maintenance
Alaska's CourtView case lookup goes offline overnight Sunday, 7:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday, for maintenance. It's back Monday morning.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Helicopter lifts stuck hiker off peak five miles southeast of Alyeska
A helicopter rescued a stranded hiker off a peak five miles southeast of Alyeska early July 28 after a nearly four-hour operation, with EMS treating him for minor injuries at Girdwood Airport.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min read
Two charged with burglary after troopers find them back at a Clam Gulch cabin, hauling out an appliance
Two people were charged after troopers found them back at a Clam Gulch cabin they'd allegedly burglarized more than once, hauling out a large appliance. Most of the stolen goods were recovered nearby.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min read
Seven face sex trafficking charges tied to seven Alaska spa businesses
Seven people face felony sex trafficking charges after a year-long investigation of massage businesses in Wasilla and Anchorage that identified 11 victims.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min read
A neighbor found the missing Butte woman walking near his home
A missing elderly Butte woman was found safe nine hours after she wandered off, spotted by a neighbor walking near his own property late Friday night.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
North Pole man charged with felony assault for throwing rocks at cars
A North Pole man, Jonathan Moreland, 23, was arrested after troopers say he threw rocks at passing cars near Badger Road — then at the patrol cars that showed up. He faces felony assault charges.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min read
Two Delta Junction residents killed when a septic trench caved in on them
Two Delta Junction residents, Paul Hebert, 68, and Jacquelyn Wilder, 71, were killed Thursday when a roughly 13-foot septic trench collapsed on them. The cause hasn't been determined.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min read
A fisherman found the stranded boaters before the Coast Guard could launch
A local fisherman found two overdue boaters stranded on a sandbar near Toksook Bay before the Coast Guard could even launch, a familiar story in Western Alaska.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min read
Court upholds detention for teen who killed another boy, even at low risk
An Alaska court says a judge can detain a teen for a serious crime even when a psychologist calls him low risk. The case: a boy who killed another teen.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A $1.6 million grant to help Alaska burn on purpose, before wildfire does
A $1.6 million grant would build Alaska the fire-weather forecasting tool it lacks, so managers can safely burn off wildfire fuel before the wildfires arrive.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min read
The military is adding a thousand people to a base that's already full
The military plans to add about 1,050 people to Alaska bases while JBER housing sits at 98% full. Anchorage's Assembly is bracing for the overflow to hit the city's market.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Anchorage police oversight proposal dies without a second
Anchorage's police oversight proposal, already stripped of any power to investigate, died Tuesday for lack of a second, leaving the city with no oversight body since 2024.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Anchorage historic panel objects to Seward Highway safety review it says skipped the city
Anchorage's historic commission objects to the Safer Seward Highway review, saying the state cut the city out and that a wider, faster road threatens historic sites like Beluga Point.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A bill to give the Coast Guard its own secretary, one of several that haven't moved
A Senate bill would give the Coast Guard its own civilian secretary, mirroring the other armed services. It's the third such attempt this Congress, and like the others, it's parked in committee.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Juneau neighbors want a homeless camp cleared after a reported bear shooting
Neighbors near Juneau's Governor's Mansion want a homeless camp cleared after a camper reportedly shot a bear — a flashpoint in Alaska's rising camp tension.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Record outside money floods Alaska's Senate race from both sides
Record money is flooding Alaska's Peltola-Sullivan Senate race from both sides, with super PACs pledging $15M for Sullivan and $11M for Peltola.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A cap on what families pay for child care is going away, with both Alaska senators' votes
A federal cap limiting what low-income families pay for child care is being removed, and both Alaska senators voted to let the rollback stand. States now set their own rates.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Some Sitka customers can't reach 911; call dispatch directly
Some Sitka phone customers can't reach 911 after a vehicle hit a utility line. Until it's fixed, call dispatch directly at 907-747-3245, staffed 24/7.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
The gas tax special session has stalled, with the bill already dead
Lawmakers were called back for a special session on taxing natural gas. The House already killed the bill, so both chambers are now meeting just to meet.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Anchorage wants a public board to steer its Chugach access money — and set qualifications for who runs it
Anchorage wants to turn the informal group steering its Chugach access tax money into a formal board with defined expertise — one that vets trailhead and road projects in public rather than privately.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
The Anchorage Assembly studied how to remove one of its own. It never has.
The Anchorage Assembly studied how to remove one of its own members, a power it has never used and, on a coalition body, likely won't. The member in question sat in on the session.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Alaska is losing federal jobs faster than almost any state
Alaska lost federal jobs faster than nearly every state in 2025, and one economist says the two-year drop, 15.8%, is steeper still. The ripple hits housing, grants and whole towns.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Outside money keeps flowing into the Alaska Senate race — mostly against Sullivan
Outside groups poured another $210,000 into the Alaska Senate race this week, mostly against Sullivan — the latest in a year where Peltola leads the money flow but Sullivan holds other edges.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Kodiak's spaceport is expanding as the FAA moves to waive its reviews
Kodiak's spaceport is ramping up for military launches just as the FAA proposes waiving the environmental and tribal reviews that would scrutinize the buildup.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Should every Kodiak nonprofit get the same grant? One assembly member says yes
A Kodiak assembly member wants every nonprofit in a category to get the same grant to avoid favoritism; others prefer need-based amounts. The Humane Society, currently zeroed out, is the flashpoint. Vote Aug. 6.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Kodiak Assembly splits over what a marijuana tax should pay for
Kodiak's Assembly is fighting over what a proposed 3% marijuana tax should fund before deciding whether to even put it to voters in October.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Bethel's safety and taxi commission is down to two of six members
Bethel's commission overseeing public safety and its huge taxi fleet is down to two of six seats — with a taxi fare hike on its agenda in a busy hub town.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
31 acres near Ester may go to an unnamed applicant without an auction
The state may convey 31 acres near Ester to an applicant without an auction under a public-use provision — but the notice won't say who gets the land.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Retired APD lieutenant elected to oversee police and fire pensions
Retired APD Lt. Tony Henry was elected 115-to-119 to the police seat on Anchorage's police and fire pension board, pending Assembly confirmation Aug. 4.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
NTSB: Bering Air crash that killed 10 was a chain of preventable failures
The NTSB found the Bering Air crash that killed 10 near Nome resulted from a chain of preventable failures — an overweight plane the company routinely flew heavy, severe icing, and a pilot overloaded in the final minutes.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
The smoke over Fairbanks is from a fire the state is choosing to let burn
The smoke over Fairbanks is from the Tatlanika Fire, which the state is monitoring rather than suppressing because no structures are threatened. It's grown to about 2,000 acres.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A sacred Athabascan site stranded inside Denali for 47 years moves closer to return
A sacred Athabascan rock formation stranded inside Denali National Park since 1980 cleared its first Senate hurdle Wednesday, moving closer to return to Doyon after a 47-year wait.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska moves to return 40 acres it wrongly took from a Native allotment
Alaska is moving to return nearly 40 acres near Tok that it says was wrongly conveyed to the state, so the federal government can complete a Native allotment claim in Emma Northway's name.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Fairbanks has 1,000 miles of trails and no rules for tour operators
Fairbanks trails host skiers, mushers, fatbikers and berry pickers — and now tour operators driving through neighborhoods to reach them, with no rules yet.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A substitute would swap Martinez's removal for a travel investigation
A substitute before the Anchorage Assembly would drop the effort to remove George Martinez and instead investigate his travel since 2023. Members vote Aug. 4.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Begich holds front-runner's edge as Hill emerges from the field to challenge him
Begich enters Alaska's U.S. House primary the clear front-runner on money and polling; independent Bill Hill emerged as a leading challenger after a Democrat dropped out. Vote Aug. 18.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Six Kasilof dipnetters cited this month, all for failing to record catch
Six people got cited on Kasilof dipnet fisheries this month, none for taking too many fish, all for forgetting to write down what they caught. Bail runs $120.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min read
The state may give 20,000 acres near Houston to a development authority
The state may give a development authority nearly 20,000 acres north of Houston for data centers and industry. DNR sees jobs — but also reduced trail access.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Kodiak wants dispatch to sound tsunami sirens without waiting for a federal alert
Kodiak may let dispatchers sound tsunami sirens the moment they see the signs, without waiting for a federal alert — a change built for a coast where the wave can outrun the warning.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
An Ekwok safety officer was assaulted doing the job alone
An Ekwok village safety officer was assaulted at the clinic following up on a case — the risk of being the lone law enforcement in a remote village.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read