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.”

Greg Bell holds a fish while standing in the water. A pilot and Soldotna resident, he was killed in a plan collision.

Kenai community remembers longtime pilot killed in plane crash

Greg Bell, 57, was a co-owner of High Adventure Air Charter and a lifelong Soldotna resident. He was flying one of the planes in the collision that killed seven last week, including Rep. Gary Knopp.
A brown bear stand in shallow water looking across the water.

Kodiak hardware store owner recovers from bear attack

Responders initially thought the injuries were life-threatening, but realized it was because of the massive amount of blood covering Don Zimmerman.
A barge filled with containers departs from the Alaska Marine Lines dock in downtown Juneau.

COVID-19 hasn’t interrupted Alaska’s resupply lifeline from Pacific NW, and woe if it does

Alaskans depend on a marine cargo lifeline from the Pacific Northwest for the majority of their goods. What happens if that stops?

Eek VPSO arrested for sex assault, human trafficking

A 22-year-old village public safety officer in the Southwest Alaska community of Eek has been charged with sexual assault and human trafficking.
Katherine Gottlieb in traditional dress

Katherine Gottlieb to resign from Southcentral Foundation

Katherine Gottlieb is resigning as president and chief executive of Southcentral Foundation. The news comes two weeks after Southcentral fired her husband.

Two Conoco employees on the North Slope test positive for COVID-19

The two workers who tested positive for COVID-19 were flown to Anchorage from the Alpine oil field, near Nuiqsut.

Deal gives Atlanta company control of Anchorage TV news

The Anchorage Daily News reported Saturday that GCI Inc. and Atlanta-based Gray Television Inc. announced the agreement for Gray to buy most assets of Anchorage CBS station KTVA.
A balding white man in a suit speaks into a mcrophone at a wooden table

Knopp remembered as ‘one-of-a-kind leader’ in Alaska

State Rep. Gary Knopp, who died in a plane crash on Friday, became a pivotal legislator during his two terms, who was recalled by friends and former legislative colleagues as plainspoken and friendly.

Anchorage shuts down bars, restaurants for indoor service

Bars and nightclubs will be closed to dine-in service. Emergency Order 15 also limits indoor gatherings to 15 people and outdoor gatherings with food and drinks to 25 people. Outdoor gatherings without food and drinks are limited to 50 people.

Charges: Meth-fueled hallucinations led to Eagle River’s neighbor-on-neighbor shooting spree

An Eagle River man is charged with shooting his sleeping neighbor through the neighbor’s bedroom window while on meth early Thursday.

With virus funds, Newtok will build more homes in Mertarvik

Despite the CARES Act money, there are still questions about equity and efficiency when it comes to relocating the remaining residents.
alaska canadian border sig

The rules for crossing the Canadian border into Alaska just got even stricter

Starting July 31, people driving to Alaska from the Lower 48 will only be able to enter Canada through one of five border crossings

‘Into the Wild’ bus to find home at Fairbanks museum

Alaska DNR said that the Museum of the North met its conditions for a site to display the bus, which included avoiding the "specter of profiteering."
An Alaska State Trooper cruiser parked on Nome’s Front Street in January 2015.

Man killed by bear while clearing trail near Hope

Fur found in the area indicates it was likely a brown bear that attacked the man Wednesday.

When it comes to COVID-19, Alaska just had its worst week yet

State health officials predict the number of COVID-19 infections will double every 23 days if people don't take more preventative measures.

Petersburg mourns four killed in crash

Four people died in a vehicle wreck south of Petersburg. It’s believed the late model SUV went off Mitkof Highway sometime Monday night.

Dunleavy says COVID-19 mandates should be up to local governments

“I know there’s a lot of people that would love for me to mandate masks, bar closures, restaurant closures,” Dunleavy said during a news conference on Tuesday. “But it simply doesn’t make sense"

Anchorage announces new COVID-19 testing sites

The five sites will be free to the public and will not require a doctor's referral.

Two Anchorage police officers indicted, suspended in alleged assault of man who frequently recorded police

An Anchorage police officer has been indicted for assaulting a man while serving him with a bicycle citation in 2019 and, along with another officer, on charges of tampering with public records.
A grey building on a dirt road

Stebbins teacher arrested after sexually explicit chats with girl

Lon Dean Gillas, 65, is alleged to have used his Google account with the Bering Strait School District to chat about sex and BDSM with a 16-year-old girl, and to ask her for explicit photos.