James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
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Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com. Follow Alaska Beacon on Facebook and X.


the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Former University of Alaska Fairbanks student sues school, alleging injuries from hot sauce

Ariel Lamp, who left the University of Alaska Fairbanks after the incident, filed suit for more than $100,000 in damages, plus costs.
a gavel

Alaska alleges ‘widespread fraud’ by Anchorage ATM business serving villages, small businesses

James Dainis, who owns the business, says the state is mistaken and dissatisfied customers will be refunded.
a man

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ends Alaska visit with emphasis on ferries

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, traveled with Buttigieg on the ferry Hubbard and said the last-minute switch in travel plans “was a typical Alaska jump ball.”
a sign

Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. plans to open Anchorage office by year’s end

The Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. intends to open an office in Anchorage by the end of the year.
the Odess Theater

Sitka Fine Arts Camp withdraws immigration lawsuit after feds reconsider issue

Sitka Fine Arts Camp is withdrawing its federal immigration lawsuit after immigration officials approved the visa needed for its technical theater director.
Solomon Atkinson

U.S. Navy to name ship after Metlakatla veteran Solomon Atkinson

The decision was announced last week by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro on Metlakatla’s Founders’ Day holiday, Aug. 7.
Mike Dunleavy

Alaska pays $350K to settle last wrongful-firing lawsuit from loyalty-pledge scheme

The case by former state attorney Elizabeth Bakalar against Gov. Mike Dunleavy and his former chief of staff will not go to a trial over damages.
a man and a woman

No new nuclear facilities along vulnerable coasts, Alaska regulators say

Last year, Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed into law a bill that makes it easier for companies to place small, modular nuclear reactors in the state.
woven booties next to two bags

Alaska accuses souvenir store of selling fake Native art and products from ‘Yakutat alpacas’

As the state’s tourism industry rebounds after the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, state and federal officials have been cracking down on fake Alaska Native art.
an e-bike

Dunleavy nixes Alaska e-bike bill with rare veto as sponsor says she will seek override

It’s only the fourth policy bill vetoed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy in his first five years as governor.
Adak base

Judge dismisses state lawsuit over liability for contaminated Alaska Native corporation lands

No Alaska Native corporations or Native groups joined the lawsuit, and Judge H. Russel Holland found multiple problems with the state’s arguments,
the University of Alaska Fairbanks

University of Alaska picks Philadelphia-sized section of Interior Alaska to own under new law

The university's first choice is about 100,000 acres near Spooky Valley, west of the Dalton Highway in the Ray Mountains.
a traveler

Facial recognition remains unregulated in Alaska, even as it grows in use

Alaska Airlines has announced plans to use the technology at Anchorage and in other hub cities as soon as summer 2024.
a woman in a white sweater

Another campaign complaint filed against opponents of Alaska ranked choice voting

The complaint alleges that Kelly Tshibaka and her nonprofit have been lobbying and campaigning without following the law.
a state ferry boarding ramp

Alaska ferry system’s hiring woes continue and could halt another ship

The Alaska Marine Highway System may have to stop some sailings this week as hiring woes continue through the peak summer travel season.
the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. offices

New estimate shows Alaska’s Permanent Fund could be out of spendable money in 3-4 years

An annual transfer from the fund pays for more than half of Alaska’s general-purpose government spending.
a building with a mountain in the background

Sitka Fine Arts Camp files rare immigration lawsuit in support of theater manager

The camp, which operates the 145-year-old campus of Sheldon Jackson College, was seeking a technical expert.
wine bottles

More outdoor seating is coming at Alaska’s bars, taprooms and restaurants, but it may take time

Regulatory changes by the state aren’t on track to reach completion until after summer, despite the hopes of alcohol licensees.
Treg Taylor

Alaska fines political group with ties to new UA regent and state attorney general

Alaska Policy Partners' ads attacked moderate Democrats and Republicans in 2022. It paid a Utah-based firm that wasn’t licensed to work in Alaska.