Wesley Early, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
Rooftop celebration for ANTHC nurses is moment of joy after two tough years
While the pandemic is ongoing, and COVID-19 cases continue to pop up, it’s gotten to a point where for one sunny day, nurses could relax, meet with colleagues, enjoy some treats and, if their aim is good, hit their boss with a whipped cream pie.
Anchorage Assembly overrides Mayor Bronson’s budget revision vetoes
By an 8-3 vote, Assembly members voted to put funding back towards building inspectors, operating the city’s mobile crisis team 24/7 and school resource officers.
Uluao ‘Junior’ Aumavae brings community and personal experience to Anchorage’s top equity job
The former NFL player says strong community ties and diversity and equity programs got him to where he is today. He hopes to provide the same opportunities for Anchorage residents.
Assembly narrowly approves $6.2M for new homeless shelter in East Anchorage
The 6-4 vote followed lengthy debate Tuesday night.
7 Anchorage residents file to run for new Assembly seat
The winner will join Chris Constant in representing the new “North Anchorage” district which includes downtown.
Proposed Anchorage Assembly ordinance would establish a process to remove the mayor
"It’s not intending, in fact, to remove the mayor," Assembly Vice-chair and ordinance author Chris Constant said. "It is intending to establish a set of bright line principles for the mayor to be able to understand where the lines are not to cross.”
Anchorage police renew push to find missing boy, 9 years after he disappeared
Anchorage police say they’ve exhausted all leads and are reaching out to the public for information on DaShawn McCormick, who was 6 years old when his mother Jasmine McCormick last saw him in 2013.
Bronson vetoes most of Anchorage Assembly’s budget revisions
Some of the vetoes include cuts to building inspector staffing, operating the city’s mobile crisis team 24/7 and funding for school resource officers.
Anchorage used car dealership pays thousands in restitution for shady selling tactics
The state received complaints that Anchorage Auto Mart had sold vehicles without disclosing that they lacked valid titles or had reconstructed titles.
Anchorage Assembly delays vote on putting millions towards homeless navigation center
While the funding won't be in front of the body until May, members did amend the project to reduce the shelter's bed capacity from 200 to 150.
Filing period opens Tuesday for special election to fill 12th Anchorage Assembly seat
After years of being the only Anchorage district to have one seat, District 1, which represents Downtown, will have a second Assembly member to represent the area.
Mobile crisis team and school resource officers among budget revisions passed by Anchorage Assembly
A little under $1 million of the added funding comes from unspent alcohol taxes from last year. Assembly member Forrest Dunbar says the increase in spending from general property taxes falls under the tax cap.
Mayor Bronson selects Robert Hudson as third pick to lead Anchorage library
Unlike Bronson’s first two picks, Hudson does have a master’s degree in library science.
Anchorage officials and private funders agree to put $13M toward addressing homelessness crisis
The money will go toward four new projects to serve the more than 700 people who have been using the Sullivan Arena for more than two years, along with local hotels.
Interior Department opens 27 million acres for Alaska Native Vietnam veteran land allotments
Veteran Nelson Angapak applauded Interior Secretary Deb Haaland for her outreach to the state’s Native Vietnam vets. "We’re grateful that through her efforts and the efforts of the Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management, the land base for our veterans has expanded," said Angapak.
Interior Secretary Haaland still undecided on King Cove Road after village visit
During her trip, Haaland said, she heard from residents about the importance of the road due to various transportation and medical challenges. As of now, she said, she’s made no decision on the road project.
Anchorage Assembly likely to maintain progressive supermajority as 3 incumbents hold off challengers
East Anchorage Assembly member Forrest Dunbar, West Anchorage member Kameron Perez-Verdia and Midtown Anchorage member Meg Zaletel faced a slate of well-funded conservative challengers this year, with Mayor Bronson throwing his support behind unseating the incumbents.
Anchorage lifts mask requirements for public transportation
The move comes a day after a federal judge in Florida struck down a directive from the Biden administration requiring masks on public transportation like buses and airplanes.
Anchorage Mayor Bronson to start using Assembly-approved budget, after months of ignoring it
In December, the Assembly overrode vetoes from Mayor Dave Bronson to pass the budget. However, Bronson’s administration hasn’t been following that budget, and some programs aren’t getting the funding they expected.
South Anchorage’s Randy Sulte is the sole conservative to unseat an Assembly incumbent this year
This will be the first political office for Sulte, a conservative with a background in the oil and gas industry who was backed by Mayor Dave Bronson.