Top Stories

News stories, radio and TV episodes that warrant one of six spots on our homepage. The homepage is in chronological order of publication date, so stories are moved off the homepage as more are categorized “top stories.”

A person with a laptop on their lap

As storm approaches, the search for a group of missing Bethel hunters becomes a race against time

The storm system is forecast to bring high storm surges and wind gusts up to 80 miles per hour.
two people hug in a crowd

‘I’m here to represent all Alaskans’: A close-up look at Mary Peltola’s swearing-in

Alaska again has a voice in the U.S. House of Representatives, as of Tuesday afternoon, when Congresswoman Mary Peltola was sworn in on the House floor.
A woman in a polka-dot shirt hides a rock under a bush.

How an Anchorage woman is spreading awareness of FASD by painting rocks

Karen Lomack hopes her outreach helps inform people of how alcohol can affect pregnancy, and reduce the negative stigma of those with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
rainbow fentanyl pills

Kodiak police find rainbow fentanyl pills amid increase in overdoses

Kodiak public health and law enforcement officials are sounding the alarm over a recently arrived wave of fentanyl — including a new form called rainbow fentanyl.
Alaska Senate candidate Buzz Kelley

Fourth-place finisher Buzz Kelley suspends campaign for U.S. Senate, backs Tshibaka

Kelley's name will still appear on the Nov. 8 ballot with incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Republican Kelly Tshibaka and Democrat Patricia Chesbro.
an alaska state ferry

Alaska ferry system goes back to flat rates this winter

The Alaska Marine Highway System will put a winter pause on dynamic pricing, which increased ferry fares up to 50 percent based on capacity.
man at computer staring off

Anchorage Assembly rejects Bronson’s pick for municipal attorney

Mario Bird’s confirmation failed on a 4-8 vote, with members Jamie Allard, Randy Sulte, Kevin Cross and Pete Petersen voting in support of him.
a group of people stand in front of flags

Mary Peltola makes history as first Alaska Native sworn into Congress

Peltola is also the first woman to serve in Alaska’s sole U.S. House seat.
a man in uniform with Girl Scout cookies

Joe Gerace’s lies went way beyond Anchorage. Multiple government agencies investigate how they were duped.

The former Anchorage health director deceived not just the city but also a state commission, the Alaska State Defense Force and the state health department. Now they’re investigating how it happened.
a man and a woman at a podium

Judge: Alaska elections officials must enforce disloyalty clause

An Anchorage Superior Court judge ruled that the Alaska Division of Elections has a duty to determine whether a candidate for public office is ineligible for disloyalty.
two men in a workshop

Carvers across Southeast Alaska are working on totem poles that will line Juneau’s waterfront

The Sealaska Heritage Institute has invited master carvers from around Southeast Alaska to create 10 totem poles, which should start going up along Juneau’s waterfront next year.
a coast guard helicopter at night

Dillingham hunter survives bear mauling up the Nushagak River

John Casteel was medevaced to Anchorage with deep leg and arm wounds after he was mauled by a bear during a Friday hunting trip near Dillingham.
a man in a suit gives a talk at a microphone.

Kenai Peninsula Borough says employee made ‘credible’ harassment claims against Pierce

The borough disclosed the new information regarding departing mayor Charlie Pierce at a special meeting Sunday, but stopped short of releasing specifics about the allegations.
a man in a suit

Peltola’s D.C. hires include Young’s former chief of staff

Alex Ortiz, who was Congressman Don Young’s last chief of staff, will also work in that role for congresswoman-elect Mary Peltola.
woman stands outside of capitol

Tomorrow, she becomes Alaska’s Congresswoman. Today, she has a lot to do.

Peltola is drawing an unusual amount of national media attention as the first Alaska Native elected to Congress, and even more because of her special election win over Sarah Palin, a former Alaska governor endorsed by Donald Trump.
a man in a suit walks while another man in a suit holds a microphone near him

Exxon Valdez Capt. Joseph Hazelwood dies at 75

The Exxon Valdez grounded on Alaska’s Bligh Reef on March 24, 1989, spewing nearly 11 million gallons of oil into the rich fishing waters of Prince William Sound.
two people hug inside

Mary Peltola visits friends, family and supporters in Bethel ahead of her historic swearing-in

Peltola on Tuesday will become the first Alaska Native person to serve in Congress and the first woman to hold Alaska's sole U.S. House seat.
a park service employee stands in front of a glacier

Alaska park managers are preparing for the loss of some of the state’s most iconic attractions: glaciers

At Kenai Fjords National Park and elsewhere, areas long known for their up-close glacier views are expected to be drastically different in the future.
an illustration of a person walking in the rain with an umbrella and rainboots

So you haven’t caught COVID yet. Does that mean you’re a superdodger?

A new study suggests that, yes, there are superdodgers. But explaining why they've been able to avoid the virus is a bit complicated.