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.
As Centennial Park continues as Anchorage homeless camp, advocates worry about resources and safety
As officials work to organize resources for homeless people, safety has been a concern for both volunteers and the campers using the area.
Anchorage mayor Bronson vetoes ordinance that gives Assembly a process to remove him
The Assembly needs eight votes to override the mayor’s veto, as they’ve done numerous times in the past. The ordinance initially passed with nine votes.
Community council dismayed by no-show from Bronson team at meeting about homeless at Anchorage campground
“We got a commitment from the administration to keep us informed and to come back, and they didn’t," said the community council president. "So the breach of trust continues in that way.”
Anchorage Assembly passes ordinance to ensure mayor follows approved budgets
The issue stems from late last year when the Assembly passed a version of the budget different from what was submitted by Mayor Dave Bronson. Bronson ignored that budget for months.
Anchorage Assembly approves spending $2.8M for housing homeless at Aviator Hotel
According to officials with Mayor Dave Bronson’s office, there are currently 191 homeless people using 166 rooms at the hotel. They say the money will pay for up to 225 rooms from July 1 to the end of September.
Anchorage Assembly approves process for removal of a mayor
There are a dozen offenses that would constitute a breach of public trust, including perjury, asking a municipal employee to break the law, and falsifying records.
Alaskans have until Sunday to register for August special election and primary
Voters will decide who will serve the remainder of the late Congressman Don Young's term in the special general election, and will choose one of several candidates for U.S. House, U.S. Senate and Alaska governor, in the regular primary.
Abortion access advocates plan several Alaska rallies for Saturday
The rallies scheduled for Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Homer come after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade last month, ruling that there is no constitutional right to an abortion.
Gov. Dunleavy vetoes $10.5M in funds for Alaska Long Trail project
That's about 75% of the funding that was in the budget approved by legislators for the 300-mile project.
Much of Southcentral and Interior Alaska under burn restrictions and fireworks suspension going into Fourth of July weekend
Areas covered by the burn ban include the Denali, Mat-Su, Kenai and Fairbanks North Star Boroughs as well as the cities of Tok and Delta Junction and the surrounding Copper River Basin. The Municipality of Anchorage already had burn restrictions in place, including prohibiting open fires.
Trump announces Anchorage rally for Dunleavy, Palin and Tshibaka
The former president will hold a rally Saturday, July 9, at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.
Alaska rejected more than 7,500 ballots in the US House special primary. Here’s why.
The biggest reason for rejections was a lack of a witness signature, accounting for more than a third of rejected ballots.
Gov. Dunleavy signs budget, keeping forward funding for education and a $3,200 PFD
The budget is fairly close to what was passed by the Legislature in May, though Dunleavy did veto about $780 million in spending before signing it.
What the overturning of Roe v. Wade means for Alaska
While there's still access to abortions in Alaska after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion rights supporters say they're concerned about what's to come.
Volland poised to win North Anchorage Assembly race
Daniel Volland is an optometrist and the vice president of the South Addition Community Council. This is his first time running for elected office.
Top facilitators end involvement with Anchorage mayor and Assembly on homelessness
In a letter to Assembly leaders and Mayor Bronson Thursday, Tom Barrett and Belinda Breaux wrote, "the transparency, candor and ‘we are all in this together’ attitude that enabled that earlier progress has in our opinion broken down in recent months."
About 1 in 8 rural Alaska ballots have been rejected in special primary, raising red flags with lawmakers
The rejection percentage varies starkly by region. In areas near Bethel, it’s the highest, at around 17%. That means about 1 in every 6 ballots were rejected — with the votes not counted.
Advocates concerned about where Anchorage’s homeless will go after Sullivan shelter closes
Anchorage homelessness advocates say they’re concerned about where people will go when the mass shelter at the Sullivan Arena closes at the end of the month.
Rainy weather halts Aghaluk Mountain Fire for now
But fire officials warn that it will likely pick up again as skies get sunnier.
Pitkas Point residents are hopeful that rain and shifting winds will keep their village safe
The fire is the largest the region has ever seen.