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Candidates for Anchorage Assembly Seat 5I – Pete Peterson, Mao Tosi, and Adam Trombley – discuss local issues with host Michael Carey.

For naturalist Steve Merli, bear education isn’t just about staying alive. The way he sees it, knowing how to behave in bear country allows Alaskans to explore wilderness more deeply. Merli works with Discovery Southeast, a Juneau organization that connects kids with nature programs. Earlier this month, KTOO’s Lisa Phu joined campers for a lesson that had some questioning their assumptions about bear encounters. Download Audio

This week Alaska Public Media is exploring the Blind Spot – how youth who are part of and outside of the juvenile justice system are getting help for substance abuse. One option is residential treatment, like the kind offered through the ARCH program in Eagle River, which Anne Hillman toured with one young resident. Download Audio

Savikko Park and Gastineau Elementary School will be the future sites of two totem poles. Plans include interpretive signs in Tlingit and English, explaining the history of the original people of Juneau and Douglas: the Aakʼw Ḵwáan and Tʼaaḵu Ḵwáan. Technology also plays a part in telling the story. Download Audio

3:00 p.m. -- Investigators from a number of fields compared notes on the recent unexplained mortalities of seabirds and fin whales this morning. They arrived at no conclusion. It's still a mystery. But they do want to know more about "The Blob," the persistent area of warm sea surface temperature in the Gulf of Alaska that may finally be dissipating.

Voters headed to the polls on Tuesday in Anchorage to cast their votes for assembly seats, school board members and a number of ballot issues. Ellen Lockyer discusses what the outcome means for Anchorage on this week's Alaska Edition.

At last check, Anchorage police were still on the scene of a gun related incident in Eagle River that started shortly before noon on Monday. According to APD spokesperson Renee Oistad, police got a call regarding a man with a gun threatening people inside a residence. LISTEN NOW

Alcohol appears to be at the center of the shooting death of an off-duty Nunapitchuk Village Police Officer (VPO) in Napaskiak. Listen now

FLOOD WARNING in effect until 6:00 pm Thursday for Seward, Kenai Lake, 20 Mile near Portage, Kenai River at Cooper Landing. FLOOD ADVISORY in effect until 6:00 pm Thursday for Mat-Su Valley for the Little Susitna River FLOOD ADVISORY in effect until 10:00 am Friday for Anchorage including Campbell Creek, Chester Creek and Ship Creek.

• NWS: Anchorage
• NWS: Alaska Water Levels
• Mat-Su Emergency Services
• Anchorage Conditions Hotline: 907-343-4701

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The polar bear playground at Anchorage's North Russian Jack Springs Park is officially open for play. This section of park has undergone a complete transformation from an abandoned and frightening area to a vibrant and bustling community recreation hub. Read more.

The first Red Flag warnings have already been issued for parts of Southcentral and the Interior and wildland firefighters are gearing up for the season. Some of them will approach wildfires from the ground, but there’s one elite group that’s been training for more than two months to fight fire from the air. Download Audio

Residents from the coastal village of Kongiginak, in Southwest Alaska, rallied against nature to clear the way for a barge, carrying a load of heating fuel and gasoline earlier this week. Freeze-up has already started along the coast. Download Audio

Two fishermen were rescued from their boat grounded off Unalga Island in the eastern Aleutians on Tuesday. A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak hoisted the men to safety about 1 pm. The two were flown to Dutch Harbor and did not require medical attention.

A 74-foot tree from the Chugach National Forest is lit up now on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol. A 10-year-old Soldotna girl helped Speaker of the House Paul Ryan flip the switch. Download Audio

Chris Lamson built his first truck when he was seventeen, and now spends winter weekends racing trucks on Big Lake, Alaska with a community of four-wheeling enthusiasts. He is dedicated to racing and hopes to see the sport grow in Alaska.

Municipality of Anchorage planners are engaged in a project that could outline how the city will look in 20 years. In the meantime, Anchorage neighborhoods are changing. Throughout the past decade, the city has seen growth that has brought forth new challenges. This week, a team of presenters has been hosting informational sessions around town on the Anchorage Bowl Land Use Plan Map Update. On this week's Alaska Edition, these presenters will fill us in on how the community can further this discussion.

Spanish-immersion students in Anchorage are well on their way to a goal of raising $10,000 to benefit fellow students in Puerto Rico hit hard by Hurricane Maria. Listen now

In order to grow philanthropy in Alaska, we need to have a true understanding of what Alaskans and our communities across the state need to be successful. One way we work to help build community is by providing opportunities for community members and our fund advisors to have open conversations about community issues. Over the past year we have hosted dozens of “Conversations about causes that matter.” The topics we have discussed range from childhood hunger to healthcare to family philanthropy. Read more.