Zachariah Hughes, Alaska Public Media
Zachariah Hughes reports on city & state politics, arts & culture, drugs, and military affairs in Anchorage and South Central Alaska.
@ZachHughesAK About Zachariah
22-year-old Army soldier dies from gunshot in Fairbanks
It is the eighth death of an Army soldier in Alaska this year, with the majority of incidents happening around Fort Wainwright.
Campaign to recall Gov. Dunleavy set to start August 1
Organizers say the governor has made multiple moves that meet the legal justifications for recall, and will begin a long campaign to hold a recall election.
‘We’re gonna be out on the streets’: Anchorage readies for a homeless crisis
As the city extends a civil emergency over an anticipated surge in homelessness, families worry they will have nowhere to go after budget vetoes.
Anchorage declares a civil emergency over looming cuts
The city is anticipating hundreds more homeless in the days and weeks ahead, taxing local emergency response resources and organizations.
Anchorage raises age to buy tobacco products to 21
Anchorage is raising the minimum age for residents to buy tobacco and nicotine products. The Assembly voted unanimously Tuesday night for a new measure that makes it illegal to sell cigarettes, electronic smoking devices and other similar products to anyone under 21 years old.
Operation “Summer Heat” leads to 42 arrests in Anchorage
The Anchorage Police Department said the broad effort focused on drugs, guns, and violent crime.
Attorney General pushes back on ACLU lawsuit over court cuts
Department of Law says it doesn't believe the governor's vetoes are unconstitutional, and that the ACLU's suit risks elevating the judiciary above other branches of government.
ACLU sues Dunleavy over “punitive” cuts to court system
The civil rights group claims that the move by the governor infringes on the separation of powers laid out in Alaska's constitution.
Anchorage leaders brace for “unprecedented” budget situation
Officials expect a broad range of impacts affecting just about every area of residential life.
Portugal. The Man returns home to protest budget vetoes
Grammy Award-winning band Portugal. The Man is back in its home-state, playing a free concert Tuesday evening in Anchorage as part of a rally against Governor Mike Dunleavy's recent line-item budget vetoes.
40 years after closure, volunteers restore historic Cold War site
It might be hard to imagine now, but at one time thousands of nuclear warheads were stored at missile batteries close to cities and military installations around the country.
After 44 years, Nordstrom store to leave Anchorage
Economic pressure from both national and local trends are pushing an iconic downtown shop to shutter.
Will a new policing strategy make a dent in Anchorage’s crime?
After years of expanding its ranks, the city's police department is implementing a patrol strategy based on putting officers in the same neighborhoods every day. Is it working?
EPA grants $600,000 to Anchorage for contaminated sites
Anchorage will receive $600,000 dollars from the federal government to study pollution at almost a dozen sites around the city.
33-month sentence in theft of ancient mammoth tusk
Prosecutors believe it's only the second time a case has been charged under a little-known law meant to curb illegal traffic in natural artifacts and historical relics.
Anchorage adopts Climate Action Plan
With more than 100 pages, the document sets ambitious goals, like reducing the city's carbon emissions by 80 percent within about 30 years.
Environmental worries persist as Northern Edge grows
With increasing military interest in the Arctic, many coastal communities worry about the effects of large training exercises in Alaska waters.
Alaska-based fighters intercept 6 Russian aircraft flying near Alaska
According to NORAD, there were two separate incidents in the international airspace near Alaska, neither of which violated U.S. air sovereignty.
What the healthcare overhaul at VA means for Alaska vets
The MISSION Act goes into effect on June 6th, and is intended to modernize veteran healthcare as a wave of younger vets are beginning to access services.
Bail denied in federal case on illegal weapons and threatening posts
An FBI investigation into social media posts threatening to kill racial and religious minorities turned up what prosecutors say was an unlawful machine gun and silencers, as well as almost a dozen other firearms taken from an East Anchorage apartment.