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 woman pushing a shopping cart walks next to a table full of groceries.

Food Bank of Alaska anticipates high demand with inflation in and pandemic aid out

The Food Bank of Alaska handed out thousands of free frozen turkeys and holiday meal kits through its annual Thanksgiving Blessing events.
A sky over tundra

Officials say they’ve finished work on massive tundra fire near Yukon River that threatened St. Mary’s

All of the more than 150 evacuees have returned to their home villages, according to the fire service.
Nurses wear PPE at Providence Hospital in Anchorage

Fighting COVID-19 at home and in Alaska’s largest hospital | Alaska Insight

The number of coronavirus infections in Alaska is growing. And as the disease continues its spread across the state, it’s impacting more and more Alaskans.
a van on a road

Federal highway officials reject Alaska transportation plan, citing 24 pages of flaws

Alaska’s summer construction season would be disrupted unless the state can fix the flaws before the end of the month.
A person shows a sticker showing they got a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine

Alaska announces weekly $49,000 lottery to encourage COVID-19 vaccination

Two winners will be chosen each week until the end of October for the $49,000 prize. There will be a separate lottery for those who were vaccinated prior to Sept. 2.

Trump infrastructure plan has rural money, but can Alaska have some?

The White House has presented its long promised infrastructure plan. It’s getting mixed reviews from Alaska's U.S. senators. Listen now

Murkowski speaks to Alaska legislature, issues warnings on Alaska gas development

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski today gave her annual report to the state House and Senate -- this year focusing on energy and Alaska's role...

Governor Palin axes $226 million from statewide capital budget

Governor Palin put the brakes on state spending today. With vetoes of more than 40% of the state's share of the capital projects budget...
A dirt road under cloudy sky

St. Paul island has recorded just 2 COVID cases since the pandemic started

A city official says the island’s high vaccination rate and strict protocols, like mandatory testing, have kept the virus from spreading.

Iditapod: Mitch Seavey’s record-breaking run to Nome

In Episode 15, we talk about Mitch Seavey's record-breaking run, Aliy Zirkle vying for a top-10 finish, and taking a refreshing sauna in Unalakleet.

Japan Struggles to Contain Damaged Nuclear Reactors

Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage As Japanese officials struggle to contain three nuclear reactors damaged during Friday’s massive earthquake and resulting tsunami in...

Bethel Loses a Major Landmark

Residents in Bethel have lost a major landmark. On Friday afternoon the Civil Engineer Corp brought down the White Alice radar. The radar towered over the city and much of the low lying region before it came crashing down.
A sign says University of Alaska Anchorage in the snow

‘None of us wants to do this’: UAA leaders recommend eliminating degree programs to shrink budget gap

UAA is proposing to cut degree programs to save money and shrink budget gaps.
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.

Fleeing the slide: a survivor tells his story

As crews continue to cautiously work through debris searching for the three victims of Tuesday’s deadly landslide in Sitka, it’s clear that the event could have been much worse. There are many homes below and to either side of the slide, and there were two other people directly in its path who escaped. Download Audio
A woman in an orange coat points to a chart with a graph on the senate floor

There have been two attempts in Congress to save Alaska’s cruise season in the last week. Both have failed.

The U.S. Senate on Thursday blocked consideration of a waiver that would have allowed foreign-flagged cruise ships to visit Alaska ports this summer.

Seldovia residents warned of leaching lead

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has released a report listing 15 water systems in Alaska that contain lead levels above the federal limit, and the City of Seldovia is among them.

Calista Shareholders Vote to Enroll ‘Afterborns’

The prospect of enrolling the younger generation of Y-K Delta Alaska Natives has been discussed for years. Now after the historic vote, Calista communications manager Thom Leonard says it too will take time to bring on the tens of thousands of new shareholders, That’s expected to start in the first half of 2017. Download Audio:

As newly-renovated Kaktovik school continues to burn, villagers express shock, officials say it’s ‘a total loss’

The school in the North Slope village of Kaktovik is a “total loss” after a fire early Friday, according to a report by Anchorage station KTUU-TV.

Donation illuminates Alaska Native civil rights history

A recently donated collection of letters, essays, photographs and newspapers is shedding new light on the history of Alaska Native civil rights. One particularly controversial figure in the documents spent half a century advancing Alaska Native causes. Download Audio