Mark Thiessen - The Associated Press

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Man found guilty of murder in Alaska Native woman’s killing that was captured on stolen memory card

The Anchorage jury returned a unanimous verdict against Brian Steven Smith after deliberating for less than two hours.
a man

A woman stole a memory card from a truck. The gruesome footage is now key to an Alaska murder trial.

The trial of Brian Steven Smith, accused of killing two Alaska Native women, is set to begin more than four years after the memory card was turned in.
a deer

Wildlife troopers save 2 deer swimming miles from shore near Ketchikan

Alaska Wildlife Troopers in a boat spotted the deer on Oct. 10, then gave them a ride to land recorded on video.

Anchorage scrambles to find enough housing for the homeless before winter sets in

With the first snow just weeks away, the city is scrambling to pull together housing options for more than 3,000 unsheltered residents.
Akiachak

Water hookups come to Alaska Yup’ik village, and residents are thrilled to ditch their honey buckets

Most of Akiachak’s nearly 700 people began getting modern plumbing for the first time this spring and summer — and finding their lives transformed.
a man speaks at a podium, in front of the U.S. flag

EPA head says he’s ‘proud’ of decision to block Pebble Mine and protect salmon-rich Bristol Bay

“I feel really good about the decision we made,” said Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan.
a helicopter crash site

NTSB report sheds new light on North Slope helicopter crash that killed 4

Tuesday's preliminary report contained no indication of what caused the helicopter to crash into a lake in clear conditions on July 20.
a man next to a tent

Anchorage homeless face cold and bears. A plan to offer one-way airfare out reveals a bigger crisis.

Mayor Dave Bronson's airfare proposal caps a turbulent few years as Anchorage, like many cities in the U.S. West, struggles to deal with a burgeoning homeless population.
a man

Permafrost expert, military pilot among 4 dead in North Slope helicopter crash

Ronald Daanen, 51; Justin Germann, 27; Tori Moore, 26; and pilot Bernard “Tony” Higdon, 48, all died in last week's crash during a scientific mission.
a man in a raincoat with a long lens camera

Alaska’s slow start to wildfire season is a relief after Connecticut-sized area burned last year

Thanks to a cool, wet summer, wildfires so far this year have burned just 1½ times the size of New York’s Central Park.
the Port of Nome

Cruising to Nome: The first U.S. deep water port for the Arctic to host cruise ships, military

As Arctic sea ice relents under global warming, more tourists are venturing to Nome — but there’s no place to park large cruise ships.
a trooper car

Utah man sues Alaska troopers, says his job offer was yanked after revealing HIV status

The unnamed Salt Lake City man's lawsuit alleges violations of civil rights laws, the state and U.S. constitutions and the Alaska Human Rights Act.
a woman organizing supplies

‘People are suffering’: Food stamp woes worsen Alaska hunger

Around 13% of Alaskans received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in July, before the troubles began.
a moose in a medical facility

What drew this moose into an Anchorage hospital? Office plants.

There’s “never a dull moment here at the hospital," said director of security Randy Hughes.
Little Diomede

660-mile rescue flight to reach pregnant woman highlights Alaska’s unique challenges

The Alaska Air National Guard this week traveled nearly 660 miles to rescue a pregnant woman on a small island 2 miles from Russia.
medals

Alaska Natives rescued Navy crew in 1955. Their medals have arrived.

The 16 men were honored with Alaska Heroism Medals, recognizing their rescue of crew from a plane shot down by Soviet fighters 67 years ago.
A white polar bear seems to sniff for a scent on the wind as it stands on gravel near a shoreline.

‘Just horrific’: Fatal polar bear mauling happened during storm

Officials say the polar bear killed a mother and her 1-year-old boy as she walked about 150 yards from the local school to health clinic in Wales.

Santa visit brings joy to a frosty Alaska Inupiat village

Santa and Mrs. Claus left Rudolph at home to catch a ride recently on an Alaska Air National Guard cargo plane to visit the Inupiat village of Nuiqsut.
St. Lawrence Island

Alaska asylum seekers are Indigenous Siberians from Russia

“These individuals were in fear, so much in fear of their own government that they risked their lives and took a 15-foot skiff across those open waters,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said.
A white man speaks at a podium

Ex-Alaska attorney general pleads not guilty to sexual abuse

The allegations date back to when Ed Sniffen was 27 and served as the coach of a then 17-year-old girl’s mock trial competition team at an Anchorage high school.