News

All news stories, regardless of topic (local, statewide + national news stories, as well as Talk of Alaska, Alaska News Nightly, Alaska Insight, Alaska Economic Report). Some news stories may also have other categories marked, which will also put them on a subpage. Not all news stories will fall into a subpage.

a fairy forest

A fairy forest pops up in downtown Juneau every year – but we can’t tell you when

Every year, a fairy forest pops up ever so briefly along Juneau's Evergreen Avenue. This year, visitors were greeted by a fairy tollbox.

988 mental health crisis line gets 5 million calls, texts and chats in first year

Federal officials say traffic on the national hotline, which ended seven-digit phone calls in Alaska, is up 35% compared to the old 10-digit line.
Tuluksak

Tuluksak water leak repaired after months without running water

June 30 was the first time in almost five months that Tuluksak residents did not have to haul water from the community water plant.
a plane crash

Pilot in deadly Kodiak Island plane crash said he made a forced landing

The Piper Cherokee went down just after takeoff from the Old Harbor airstrip on July 2, killing passengers Rod Murdock and Byron Chitwood.
The Ketchikan state courthouse

Ketchikan suspect charged with attempted murder after bound man claims he escaped car

Nathan Ta'ala, 33, was indicted by a Ketchikan grand jury after a trooper found the alleged victim running in traffic wounded on July 7.
a state ferry boarding ramp

Alaska ferry system’s hiring woes continue and could halt another ship

The Alaska Marine Highway System may have to stop some sailings this week as hiring woes continue through the peak summer travel season.
boats leave a harbor

Tsunami warning canceled following strong earthquake off Alaska Peninsula

The magnitude 7.2 earthquake initially triggered sirens and evacuations in communities including Sand Point and Kodiak.

$23M project for homeless youth kicks off in Wasilla

Founder Michelle Overstreet says it started with a phone call from Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
woman speaking into a microphone

Peltola votes against military bill, citing partisan amendments

Service members deserve reproductive freedom, says Peltola, who missed 30 votes Thursday due to illness.
a crane

Volunteers rescue Homer crane shot with an arrow

Kachemak Crane Watch's Nina Faust says shooting cranes outside the fall hunting season isn’t only illegal — it’s also cruel.
college students

Alaskans assess impact of U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling

Alaskans on the forefront of diversity initiatives have been taking stock following the high court's 6-3 decision last month.
The sign outside the federal courthouse in Anchorage along 7th Avenue with the museum in the background

Indiana man accused in Alaska teen’s ‘catfish’ killing pleads guilty to child porn charges

Darin Schilmiller posed online as a rich man, claiming he’d pay millions of dollars for sexually explicit photos and video of Cynthia Hoffman's murder.
clouds

Southwestern Alaska is having its cloudiest summer in 30 years, climatologists say

A low-pressure front that’s stuck over the southern part of the Bering Sea has formed clouds, which the jet stream carries east into southern Alaska.
a Petersburg fire

Fire at Petersburg’s Catholic church traced to maintenance work

Petersburg’s fire marshal said the July 6 fire at the St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church was accidental in nature.
a canoe

Hōkūle’a finishes Alaska leg of global journey, headed to Prince Rupert

The Alaska leg of the Polynesian voyaging canoe's global journey ended after visits to Metlakatla and Prince of Wales Island earlier this month.
a town can be seen from an aerial view out of a plane

In the wake of canceled cruise stops, Valdez official says businesses should focus on in-state tourism

A local official said cruise lines have a history of abrupt cancellations, so tourism companies should cater to more reliable Alaskan visitors.
Shishaldin Volcano

Shishaldin volcano in Eastern Aleutians increases activity, draws monitoring

Shishaldin is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutians — it’s had nearly 30 eruptions since 1824.
the Boney Courthouse

Nonattorney advocates to represent Alaskans in court under new waiver

The Alaska Legal Services Corp.’s director said the system is unique to Alaska — no other state has a program quite like it.
a sharps container near tents

Anchorage Assembly OKs pilot campground for homeless residents

But it’s still unclear whether the city has the time, staff and money to establish the camp by the end of the summer.