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.

Walker administration works to fix broken 911 call system

Gov. Bill Walker asked the chairs of both finance committees Monday to re-allocate $10 million toward the state’s ailing 911 system. The money was originally proposed for oil and gas research, but the governor’s office said that this was more important. Listen now
A green school bus with shattered windows on a trailer bed with about six people standing in front of it wearing face coverings.

“Into The Wild” bus back in Fairbanks

Historic Bus 142 has returned to Fairbanks where it first served as part of the city's public transit system in the 1940s.
A boy sitting up in a hospital bed with his parents on either side of him

An Anchorage boy is waiting for a life-saving stem cell transplant, but Alaska Native donors are scarce

It’s harder for Alaska Native and mixed-race people to find donors because they’re underrepresented in the donor database.
Unalaska Bay

Army Corps of Engineers moves forward with Unalaska bay dredging project

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is moving forward with dredging the entrance to Iliuliuk Bay, a project that has been in the works for years.

Alaska Exports Top $5 Billion In 2011

Last year, Alaskan exports topped $5 billion for the first time. Governor Sean Parnell made the announcement Monday based on a final tally of exported goods from last January through November.

Murkowski Meets With FEMA About Galena Flooding Response

Sen. Lisa Murkowski met this week with federal officials investigating FEMA’s response to this year’s flooding in Galena. The flood left more than half of Galena’s homes uninhabitable. Murkowski says the agency seemed unprepared for a community off the road system and failed to recognize the shortness of the Alaska building season. Download Audio

Ferry fares up 5 percent for most routes

Ferry fares went up 5 percent for most routes Jan. 1. The hike comes on the heels of a 4.5 percent increase that began in May. The increase is for new reservations. Those made before January will not change.
a man

Demand for minerals sparks fear of mining abuses on Indigenous peoples’ lands

Demand for lithium and other rare metals is soaring. But more than half of these mineral projects are on or near the lands of Indigenous peoples.

Dillingham Dock Damaged, Closed

A major point of entry for goods and services into the western part of Bristol Bay has been closed until further notice. Download Audio

As Kenai Peninsula dries out, likelihood for fires increases

The Kenai Peninsula is drying out and this summer, fires have sprouted up in some unusual places. Scientists warn about this trend: meaning bigger fires and more of them.

Alaska alcohol control board takes step to oust director

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on Thursday voted to boot McConnell.
A sign that says Fort Wainwright.

Citing executive order, Fort Wainwright evicts public employee union

In an emailed statement, Fort Wainwright officials said they’re evicting the union, “in accordance with Executive Order 13837, which prohibits government agencies from providing free or discounted office space to labor organizations.”
An Alaska State Trooper cruiser parked on Nome’s Front Street in January 2015. Photo: Matthew F. Smith, KNOM file.

Man killed in Hope mauling identified as 46-year-old Alaskan, search for bear continues

It's believed the attack happened while Daniel Schilling was clearing a trail about a mile behind his cabin, troopers say.
A white man in a suit speaks ta a podium

Alaska Medicaid must cover gender-affirming care following Homer woman’s lawsuit

That’s following the January settlement of a class action lawsuit filed by Swan Being, a transgender woman from Homer who said Alaska Medicaid refused to cover costs related to hormone treatment in 2019.

Hearings start on fighter jets coming to Eielson

Local hearings are happening this week on the planned basing of 54 F-35 fighter jets at Eielson Air Force Base. The sessions, in North Pole, Delta and Fairbanks, provide opportunity to comment on a draft Environmental Impact Statement on the basing plan.

State Senator David Pushing for Denali KidCare Expansion

Senator Bettye Davis wants to push for expansion of a health insurance program for low-income children and pregnant women. Davis' proposal would raise the income eligibility threshold for Denali KidCare from 175 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty line.
blue sticker that says "I Voted Today!" with big dipper

Reactions mixed as Vote By Mail approaches deadline in Anchorage

So far, the system is not without kinks. But the experiment is proceeding steadily toward its April 3rd deadline.
The cruise ship Noordam brought close to 2,000 passengers to Haines on Sept. 20, 2017. It and other ships carried more than 1 million passengers this summer, helping increase the region’s tourism economy. (Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News)

Southeast economy down, with a few bright spots

Tourism has overtaken fishing as the region’s largest private industry. That’s the word from a new report released in September detailing the region’s economic booms and busts. Listen now

Fish and Game looks deeper into declining Cook Inlet belugas

The beluga whale population in Cook Inlet has been steadily declining since the 1970s.