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 small brown tundra vole sits in a pair of human hands.

Alaska’s Arctic and boreal ecosystems see climate change-driven ‘microbial awakening’

Permafrost thaw is creating opportunities for fungi and bacteria to thrive, transforming northern food webs, according to a new study.
a man

A woman stole a memory card from a truck. The gruesome footage is now key to an Alaska murder trial.

The trial of Brian Steven Smith, accused of killing two Alaska Native women, is set to begin more than four years after the memory card was turned in.
two men at a meeting table

An appraiser told Anchorage its property was worth $3M. The city sold it to the former mayor for $2M.

The municipal board that approved the sale — and a below-market lease — includes two members with ties to former mayor and former U.S. Sen. Mark Begich.
A hand places a paper ballot in a ballot box.

What do you want to ask Anchorage mayoral candidates?

Send us your questions to help inform our candidate questionnaires for the April 2 election.
food pallets

Alaska’s federal food stamp funding at risk, USDA letter warns 

The state may lose funding if it continues to break federal rules, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
a news conference

In downtown Portland’s fentanyl crisis, Oregon leaders declare emergency

The emergency plan establishes a “command center,” where city, county and state staff will triage individual fentanyl users' resource needs.
A blonde woman in a blazer smiles at the camera.

Dahlstrom’s campaign account gets a boost from allies of U.S. House speaker

Dahlstrom raised $200,000 in a little more than six weeks. She announced in November that she’s challenging Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola.
lawmakers

Alaska senator proposes more armed staff or volunteers in schools

Senate Bill 173, from Republican Shelley Hughes, received its first hearing last week and has received a tide of opposition.
school bus in front of building

A closer look at the Harvard charter school study making waves in Juneau

A new study ranks Alaska's charter schools No. 1 in the nation. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has cited the study in calls to expand charter schools.
a hat

2 found dead after residential fires in Mat-Su

Troopers say a Sutton man escaped one of Tuesday's blazes but died outside afterward, with a Wasilla trailer fire victim still unidentified.
Class desks in front of clear windows with alternated yellow and blue tints

ACLU sues Mat-Su school district over bathroom policy for transgender students

The lawsuit alleges that the district violated the student’s constitutional rights to privacy and equal protection.
a woman speaks to a crowd in a meeting room

Alaska Senate passes new pension program for state employees, but final approval is in question

The legislation could bring new benefits to as many as 37,000 Alaskans.
a person walking by a sign

Kensington Mine cuts 20% of pay for some hourly employees, citing financial woes

In a memo sent in early January, the mine’s general manager said the mine will struggle to remain viable if it does not find ways to reduce costs.

Southcentral Alaska gas utility says high demand is straining gas storage system

“This is the most strained I’ve seen the system,” ENSTAR President John Sims said at a press conference Thursday.
a screening

Petersburg actor L’xeis Diane Benson is in HBO’s ‘True Detective: Night Country’

Benson, who also appeared in ABC's "Alaska Daily," says she can't spoil the significance of her character Bee in the twist-laden HBO drama.
Power transmission lines on poles in the foreground, with mountains in the distance.

Gas leak triggers chain of power outages spanning from Anchorage to the Mat-Su

Utilities say a 25-minute outage early Thursday at the Eklutna Generation Station triggered outages across the Railbelt to prevent a blackout.
a drilling rig

Southcentral Alaska cold snap and surging natural gas demand put supply in question

Utilities might need to take measures to meet the demand, including that customers could be asked to turn down thermostats.
a roof collapse

2 Anchorage commercial roof collapses reported in 2 days

No injuries were reported in Tuesday's Raspberry Road collapse or Wednesday's on the Old Seward Highway, firefighters said.
an airliner

Boeing declines to give a financial outlook as it focuses on quality and safety

Boeing's CEO said the company is focused on improving production after a fuselage panel blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 jet in midair.
a building

Juneau considers moving all city staff to Alaska Permanent Fund building

The city has been looking for new office space since this fall, when voters rejected the city’s request to fund a new City Hall through a $27 million bond.