Alaska News Daily Brief, Tuesday, October 20

Alaska News, Tuesday, October twentieth. This brief runs from the Dalton Highway near Gobblers Knob to the crab grounds of the Bering Sea to a shuttered footbridge in Juneau.

0:11Duffy announces $250 million federal grant to finish Port MacKenzie rail link

A rail line that's been waiting since twenty thirteen finally has its money, and ballots are open across the state. The Port MacKenzie rail link is getting two hundred fifty million dollars from the federal government. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the grant yesterday at the Gateway Visitor Center in the Mat-Su. The line runs 32 miles between the port and Houston. A good part of it is already built. But it still has no rail, and the final connections were never made. Alaska Railroad President Bill O'Leary held up a plaque from the groundbreaking. That groundbreaking was in twenty thirteen. Duffy said he wants the money out by spring so crews can start turning dirt. Duffy called that moving at Trump speed. The railroad still has to cover 20 percent of the cost. That share could come from the state's development authority and the Mat-Su Borough. State lawmakers wouldn't put money in earlier this year. In May, the state House voted down a fifty-eight million dollars amendment, 19 to 21. A one million dollars version failed on a tie. Duffy said the line would help Alaska reach its natural gas and critical minerals. Senator Dan Sullivan pointed to big mining projects and the gas line. Governor Mike Dunleavy said it could carry timber once that industry recovers. The state is also proposing to give that same development authority about 885 acres near the port for free, for rail and cargo facilities. Written comments on that are due by 5 tomorrow afternoon.

1:41Early voting has begun in Alaska. Here's what's on the ballot and how to vote.

Statewide, early voting opened yesterday, and it runs through November 2nd. The governor's seat is open because Mike Dunleavy is term-limited. Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is running against Republicans Dave Bronson, Treg Taylor and Bernadette Wilson. In the close U.S. Senate race, Republican Dan Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola. A Petersburg man named Daniel Sullivan Junior is also on that ballot, and he's no relation to the senator. For the U.S. House, Republican Nick Begich faces nonpartisan Bill Hill, Democrat Eric Hafner and Libertarian Jim McDermott. Ballot Measure 2 asks, for a second time, whether to end ranked-choice voting and go back to party primaries. The last repeal failed by 743 votes in twenty twenty-four. The state runs 10 early voting sites, in Anchorage, Eagle River, the Mat-Su, Kenai, Fairbanks, Nome and Juneau. They're open weekdays from 8 to 5. Six of those sites are also open on weekends. Sitka, Homer and Ketchikan start voting today. Bring one form of ID. A fishing license or a utility bill with your name and address counts. If you want a mail ballot, apply by Saturday. Election night results will show only first choices. Early ballots cast through October 29th get counted that night. The count has to finish by November 18th. After that, in any race where nobody has a majority, the ranked-choice rounds begin, and lower-ranked picks get counted next.

3:27Anchorage planning commission backs 2027 capital budget with $88 million bond request

In Anchorage, the city wants to borrow about eighty-eight million dollars for next year's projects. That's roughly twice the usual amount. The planning and zoning commission voted yesterday to back the 2027 capital budget, which totals about one hundred thirty-six million dollars. The borrowing would pay for road maintenance and drainage, traffic calming, fire and police equipment and parks. Budget director Ona Brause said bond packages usually run forty dollars to fifty-five million dollars. Brause said put-off maintenance is driving the bigger number. Brause said the city closed a fifteen million dollars gap this year with one-time money. Brause projects a 2028 deficit of fifteen dollars to thirty million dollars. Long-range planner Daniel McKenna-Foster said some projects sit on the list for years without a clear need. A planning memo found only 1 percent of Anchorage Bowl development since twenty seventeen happened where the city planned for big growth. Community and Economic Development Director Robert Doehl said the memo should be disregarded. Commission chair Andres Spinelli said that memo is the reason the commission got this review at all. Commissioner Jeff Raun asked staff to send six of the memo's recommendations to the Assembly. The Assembly votes November 17th. Any approved borrowing goes to voters in April twenty twenty-seven.

4:47Fish and Game names low bidder for $3.58 million Susitna Landing boat launch rebuild

Quickly, around the state. In Willow, Fish and Game plans to rebuild the Susitna Landing boat launch on the Kashwitna River. Nodak Electric and Construction came in as the low bidder at three point five eight million dollars, and the state has signaled it intends to award the job.

5:06Ballot Measure 3 would add one word to Alaska's voting law, with most money from one donor

Ballot Measure 3 would add a single word, only, to the state law on who can vote. The Legislature's own lawyer says that changes nothing. Most of the money behind it comes from one Wisconsin CEO.

5:19First National Bank Alaska switches to new online banking; customers must update app

First National Bank Alaska switched to a new online banking system yesterday. Customers need to update the app. Alerts have to be set up again, and Quicken has to be reconnected.

5:31Which judges are on your Alaska ballot, and why the council opposes two

The back of your ballot has judges on it. The Alaska Judicial Council says to keep 18 of them. The council recommends voting out two in Kenai, and it couldn't agree on one in Juneau.

5:42Disabled truck closed Dalton Highway in both directions near Gobblers Knob Saturday

A disabled truck shut the Dalton Highway both ways near Gobblers Knob on Saturday. The road was expected to reopen around 9:23 that night. Snowy, warm conditions have a tire chain advisory out for the road to the North Slope.

5:57Once-rare hybrid crab were nearly half of big Bering Sea males after snow crab collapsed

In the Bering Sea, hybrid crab have moved in where the snow crab used to be. The heatwave wiped out billions of snow crab. Hybrids of snow crab and Tanner crab, a related crab, were once rare. Last year they were nearly half the big males. And the fishing rules have no category for them.

6:15Commercial vehicle rollover closes Tok Cutoff Highway near mile 52 Monday evening

On the Tok Cutoff, a commercial vehicle rolled over near mile 52 last night. The highway closed, and reopening was pushed back to about 10:20 pm.

6:26Mat-Su planning commission lets Bad Gramm3r marijuana shop open at 9 am

In the Mat-Su, the planning commission will let the marijuana shop Bad Grammar open at 9 in the morning instead of 10. It still closes at 8. The owners had already been opening early without permission, and a state review caught it.

6:40Juneau closes Calhoun Avenue pedestrian bridge a year after setting aside money to replace it

Juneau closed the Calhoun Avenue pedestrian bridge on October 9th after a state inspection. The city set money aside to replace the bridge a year ago. There's still no date to tear it down or build a new one.

6:54North Pole council adopts 5% local bidder preference over city attorney's warning

North Pole's city council passed a 5 percent preference for local bidders. The city attorney warned it's likely unconstitutional. If a losing bidder sues, the city would likely end up paying legal fees. The federal money is in hand, but the railroad's 20 percent share still has to be found. Comments on the port land are due by 5 tomorrow afternoon. Want a mail ballot? Apply by Saturday. First National customers: update the app. And snow with slushy roads is forecast for Anchorage and the Mat Valley today. That's all for this edition of the Alaska News daily brief. The full stories are at Alaska News dot com. And that's the way it is, Tuesday, October twentieth, twenty twenty-six.