Alaska returns to high alert as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations climb
“This pandemic is clearly not over, and it is being driven primarily by people who are unvaccinated,” said Dr. Joe McLaughlin, Alaska’s state epidemiologist.
Kenai king salmon fishery shuts down
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the closure Monday afternoon after nearly three weeks of watching the late-run king salmon fail to return to the Kenai River in large enough numbers.
Fred Meyer union warehouse workers vote to strike
Fred Meyer warehouse workers have voted unanimously to authorize a strike, which could disrupt food distribution at 180 locations across the Pacific Northwest as...
At Sullivan Arena ministry, clients find faith and comfort through hard times
A weekly Bible Study and ministry at the Sullivan Arena is taught by a man who was slept on a cot on the arena floor a year ago.
Alaska’s rare COVID breakthrough cases are far less worrisome than stalled vaccination rate, experts say
State officials have released a new report of hundreds of cases of COVID-19 in vaccinated people. But those numbers represent a tiny fraction of the 15,000 cases in the similarly-sized unvaccinated population.
Big Anchorage restaurants say business is booming, but hiring struggle lingers
Anchorage restaurant owners say the crowds are a welcomed change after a slow start to the year and an even slower 2020. But a stubborn staffing shortage is making it difficult to keep up.
Juneau asks residents to mask up indoors again
Masks are required in City and Borough of Juneau facilities effective immediately due to recent increases in COVID-19 cases. In the rest of the city, masks are optional, but the city is encouraging them after it reported 150 cases over the weekend.
AFN, others sue Dunleavy over cuts to rural energy program
The Alaska Federation of Natives and other organizations, municipalities and rural power providers sued Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration on Monday to keep the funding that helps lower power costs in high-cost areas.
Cold weather pushes back peony picking in Southcentral Alaska
For Alaskan peony farmers, a cool summer means slower-blooming peonies — which means more room in the wedding market for Alaska's top flower crop.
Executive of company pursuing major North Slope oil project suddenly resigns
It’s unclear what Keiran Wulff's resignation will mean for the future of the Pikka project.
Advocates hope return of Alaska Native boarding school student from Carlisle is first of many
Sophia Tetoff recently became the first Alaska Native person to be brought back to Alaska for burial after dying at the Carlisle boarding school. Advocates like Lauren Peters, who is a relative of Tetoff, are hoping more children can be brought home.
From burgers to buildings, supply chain woes are hitting Alaska
Some Juneau food retailers say the price of some products has doubled, forcing them to pass costs on to consumers.
Will Alaska financing program ease eviction woes?
The Alaska Legislature put in place moratoriums on the disconnection of utility service or evictions because of nonpayment of rent, both of which expired last year. There is, however, still the CDC moratorium related to evictions.
Alaska job numbers up for June, but still below pre-pandemic levels
Alaska had about 17,000 more jobs last month than it did in June 2020, with most industries seeing gains over that period but still falling below pre-pandemic levels, a report released Friday by the state labor department shows.
Consumer prices spiked more than 6 percent in urban Alaska over the last year
Anchorage has seen a consumer price increase of more than 6% in the last year, with some sectors rising by nearly 50%.
Mat-Su had a large number of excess deaths last year, raising questions about COVID-19 reporting
The Mat-Su Borough had the country’s lowest number of reported COVID-19 deaths compared to the number of people who died in the borough beyond what would normally be expected, according to recently published analysis.
LISTEN: What I learned after an unusual brown bear encounter near Anchorage
Near the end of a 20-mile hike, former Alaska Public Media reporter and outdoor enthusiast Abbey Collins encountered two brown bears fighting one another.
Canada pledges to reopen ports to cruise ships; Murkowski floats maritime law reforms
Canadian authorities say they’ll lift a pandemic-era ban on cruise ships in the country’s waters, but it won’t happen until after the end of Alaska’s 2021 cruise season. The decision means cruise ships could again sail from Vancouver and Victoria to Alaska in 2022.
What happened to the Bronson shelter plan in Anchorage and what happens next? Here’s what we know.
Why did a planned shelter pushed by a conservative administration get quashed by the mayor's ideological allies? And what will happen to the 400 people currently staying at the emergency shelter at the Sullivan Arena this winter?
Biden to freeze Tongass timber sales, invest in other Southeast Alaska sectors
The Biden administration announced Thursday it’s freezing any remaining old growth timber sales in Tongass National Forest and will pivot to investing in other...