Politics & Government
RSSAlaska News covers state and local politics and government, including elections, ethics investigations, legislative action, and municipal decisions.
Fairbanks judge sentences Julian Miranda to 30 years in 2012 sexual assaults
A Fairbanks man got 30 years for two 2012 sexual assaults. The DNA kits that linked him to both women sat untested for years before they were run.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago2 min read
Anchorage judge sentences Adam Pringle to 55 years for 2022 killing of Keenan Wegener
The second man convicted in the 2022 killing of Keenan Wegener got 55 years, a few more than his co-defendant. It took four years to reach sentencing.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago1 min read
Unalaska council appoints election judges for Oct. 6 vote
Unalaska City Council appointed election judges and clerks for the Oct. 6 municipal election, with nonemployee staff paid $20 an hour from the city budget.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago1 min read
Troopers arrest woman for DUI after SUV hits median at Big Lake recreation area
Alaska State Troopers arrested a 47-year-old Big Lake woman on DUI and failure-to-report charges after her SUV struck a median at Big Lake North State Recreation Area early Sunday.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Inmate accused of assaulting officer at Fairbanks Correctional Center
An inmate at Fairbanks Correctional Center assaulted a correctional officer early Sunday, and troopers forwarded charges against her.
by Alaska News1w ago1 min read
Labor committee reports $125,000 in ads for four Alaska candidates
Putting Alaskans First reported $125,000 in Meta ads supporting four legislative candidates. Two other committees reported smaller buys.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Republican super PAC reports $410,000 spent in Alaska Senate race
Senate Leadership Fund has pledged $17 million in Alaska and reported $410,002 spent so far supporting Sullivan or opposing Peltola.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Anchorage schools model a $9 million budget gap for fiscal 2028
Anchorage schools project a $9 million fiscal 2028 gap after reserves and assumed energy relief. Officials say underlying cost growth is closer to $40 million.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Anchorage officials fail to agree on shared school-closure committee
The Assembly and School Board could not agree on giving both bodies votes on a school-closure committee. The existing board-led panel remains.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago5 min read
Alaska's new judicial ethics code changes reporting of incapacity and misconduct
Alaska's revised judicial ethics code takes effect Oct. 15 and clarifies when assistance-program confidentiality yields to reporting duties.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
DCCC adds independent Bill Hill to Red to Blue program; FEC reports no national party contributions
National Democrats added independent Bill Hill to a support program, but his FEC filings report no contributions from national party committees.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Permanent Fund has $5.7B uncommitted after reserving next draw, inflation transfer
The Permanent Fund had $5.7B uncommitted July 31 after reserving $4.1B for the next draw and $1.7B for inflation proofing.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Anchorage service-area debate exposes unanswered questions about taxes and emergency coverage
Anchorage Assembly members questioned how service-area taxes match actual fire, emergency and parks coverage. Several answers remain unresolved.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Homer man arrested on 11 felony counts in $8,000 Anchor Point theft
Homer man Wyatt Stollar arrested on 11 felony counts after roughly $8,000 in tools, jewelry, an ATV and firearms stolen from an Anchor Point property turned up at a pawn shop.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Alaska's three-judge court has been short since 2022; Reardon would fill the last seat
Alaska's federal court has been short a judge for five years, one seat vacated by a judge forced out for misconduct. The Senate questioned his replacement.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago3 min read
Troopers arrest man on second DUI charge after .240 breath test
Troopers pulled a driver over in Fairbanks for drifting out of his lane. He blew three times the legal limit, and it was his second DUI charge.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago1 min read
Troopers arrest North Pole man found inside vacant Fairbanks apartment
Troopers arrested a North Pole man found hiding in the bathroom of a vacant Fairbanks rental, where they also found a makeshift sleeping area.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Search continues for missing Akiachak boater Jonathan Lomack
Jonathan Lomack, 59, of Akiachak, has been missing on the Kuskokwim River since Tuesday night, with his boat found empty and search crews from three communities now in their third day looking for him.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Former Ketchikan church elder pleads guilty in child exploitation case
Dwight Chris John pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material. He faces 10 to 15 years in prison at a Dec. 16 sentencing.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Marijuana Board Drafts Would Strip Ad Warnings; Filing Fix Scores Highest
Dropping every health warning from Alaska marijuana ads scores 7 points on the state's deregulation scale. Reshuffling packaging rules scores 135.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago3 min read
PFD pays Oct. 1 by direct deposit, Oct. 22 for paper filers
The state still hasn't posted what this year's dividend is worth, and the first payments go out Oct. 1. Paper filers wait until Oct. 22 for theirs.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Troopers call Kenny Lake church fire suspicious
Alaska State Troopers are investigating a fire at Mountain View Baptist Church in Kenny Lake early Tuesday as suspicious.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago1 min read
Alaska governor candidates agree on Permanent Fund, split on taxes
Taylor and Bronson opposed broad new taxes; Kreiss-Tomkins backed targeted revenue as three candidates compared fiscal, energy and workforce plans
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago4 min read
Juneau cut its museum hours by two-thirds and lost half its visitors
Juneau cut its city museum from 56 hours a week down to 22. Visitors and sales fell by about half, which is roughly what you would expect.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Alaska pot shops would have to balance their inventory every single day
Alaska pot shops would have to reconcile their whole inventory against the state system every night, under a rule the board takes up Monday.
by Melinda Communities.News1w ago2 min read
Bethel's dock wall is failing and the Port Commission hasn't taken it up
The Corps warned Bethel that its City Dock wall is shifting out of alignment. The Port Commission hasn't managed to discuss it in seven months.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Anchorage appeals board sets five more property hearings for Sept. 22-25
Anchorage was supposed to have finished hearing property assessment appeals by June 1. It is still hearing them, nearly four months later.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
An appeals court reopens a McLaughlin Youth Center abuse conviction
An appeals court withdrew its decision upholding a former McLaughlin Youth Center officer's abuse conviction, sending it back over withheld records.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago2 min read
Two dead in Piper Cub crash near Nabesna, troopers say
Two people died when a Piper Cub crashed shortly after takeoff from a dirt airstrip near Nabesna in Interior Alaska on Thursday evening, Sept. 17.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Anchorage's school funding gap has shrunk to about $6 million
Anchorage's school funding gap for next year has halved to about $6 million, after the Legislature capped how much the local contribution can grow.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Anchorage man faces 10 charges after Nondalton assaults
Troopers say three people were assaulted in Nondalton. Two were taken to Anchorage for treatment, and one was medevaced.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Most of Sitka's administrator search has happened in executive session
Sitka's sole finalist for city administrator dropped out in July. The Assembly decides Tuesday on a different candidate, possibly in closed session.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Anchorage's required 2027 school contribution rises to about $138 million
Anchorage owes its schools $138 million next year and may give up to $108 million more. The board says no school closes for money either way.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Anchorage's property tax cap rises $18.5 million for next year
Anchorage's property tax cap rises $18.5 million next year to $381.7 million. Last year the city collected everything it was allowed, minus $325.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Troopers say Fairbanks driver hit 90 mph before DUI arrest
Troopers arrested a driver who ran lights through Fairbanks above 90 mph. City police, meanwhile, spent $593 of a $278,000 DUI enforcement budget.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Teamsters, former Republican senator endorse Kreiss-Tomkins
Teamsters Local 959 and former Republican state Sen. Lesil McGuire endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for governor.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Alaska leads the country in elder fraud complaints
Alaska led the country per capita in elder fraud complaints in 2024. Older Alaskans lost $8.17 million, most of it to fake tech support calls.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Two Fairbanks ordinances would loosen the cap on school district reserves
Fairbanks wants to loosen the cap on what its school district can bank. One ordinance would trim the rule, the other would kill it outright.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Fairbanks weighs union labor agreements on its big construction projects
Fairbanks would require union-negotiated labor agreements on borough construction over $3.5 million, copying an Anchorage rule that warned it could raise costs.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Murkowski cosponsors Senate resolution backing Russian democracy advocates
The Senate wants to back Russian democracy activists. Russian law gives those very activists up to six years in prison for accepting the help.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read