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 woman points to a paper in a classroom

Indigenous languages will get the spotlight at Kenai schools’ February film fest

For the first time, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is holding an Indigenous language film festival — part of a greater push to highlight Indigenous languages in the district.
an Unalaska valley

Unalaska city eyes wind power as geothermal project simmers

The City of Unalaska is once again considering wind power as a potential energy source, something the city council has taken up in meetings as far back as 1999.
A man in a black coat walks on a snow roadway.

Anchorage and Mat-Su schools closed after 3rd major snowstorm hits the region

Anchorage and Mat-Su Borough schools and state offices are closed Thursday as a third major winter storm this month coated the area with snow overnight Wednesday.
A man in a cat in the hat hat on the sled of a dog team

Iditarod veteran Hugh Neff denied entry for 2023 race

Hugh Neff has finished the Iditarod 13 times, placing as high as 5th in 2011. But over the past few years, he has had trouble in both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest.
Santa and Mrs. Claus in Scammon Bay

‘It was a real joy’: Alaska National Guard brings Santa to Scammon Bay

Kids in Scammon Bay welcomed a special guest a little bit early this year when Santa and Mrs. Claus visited the Bering Sea community of around 600 in late November.
David Eastman eligibility trial

At legislative eligibility trial, Eastman confirms membership in anti-government militia

In sworn testimony, Alaska Rep. David Eastman said he remains a member of the Oath Keepers militia — which may make him ineligible to serve as a state lawmaker.
a trooper car

1 killed, 2 injured after car hits moose in Soldotna

A Soldotna resident died Tuesday after his car collided with a moose on the Sterling Highway– the second fatal crash in the area reported by troopers in the past week.
Aerial photo of a large fire burning in brown tundra

Alaska wildfire researchers grapple with changing climate’s effects on predictability

In March, Uma Bhatt and her team will try to predict how bad the upcoming fire season will be.
a snow plow

From Buzz Iceclear to Clearopathra, snowplow naming gains traction around the country

What do Buzz Iceclear, Clearopathra and Snowbi Wan Kenobi all have in common? They are some of the named snowplows hard at work during the winter season.
A white truck pushes snow with a red plow down a snowy road.

Anchorage schools closed Thursday as snowstorm continues

Most Mat-Su schools are also closed.
Four people stand at the front of a room for a press conference

Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, December 14, 2022

A mix of respiratory viruses are putting a strain on Alaska hospitals this Winter. Plus the director of the division of elections retires after a wild, and successful, 2022 election year. And University of Alaska students who do academic research, teaching, and support work are seeking to unionize.
Dusty Cowan

‘He made a choice’: Wrangell mechanic sentenced for grooming teen girl

Dusty Cowan was ordered to serve seven years in prison for sending photos of his genitals in 2018 to a then-14-year-old girl.
Michael Armstrong

Longtime Homer News journalist Michael Armstrong retires after 23 years

Armstrong made his way to Alaska from Florida four decades ago. He started at the Homer News in 1999 as an editorial assistant, rising to reporter in 2003 and editor in 2017.
Cook Inlet lease sale map

State opens bidding on additional Cook Inlet lease sale

The State of Alaska is auctioning off oil and gas leases for 2.8 million acres in the Cook Inlet area this month — just ahead of another lease sale from the federal government.

Respiratory virus cases are filling hospital beds in Alaska

At the same time, the state is seeing a shortage of amoxicillin.
the Alaska State Capitol

Ahead of first-draft state budget, oil prices are driving a tighter Alaska fiscal picture

Alaska’s revenue forecast, to be updated this week, relies on oil futures markets that are at their lowest point this year.
A person uses a red snow blower.

Anchorage’s back to back (to back?) snowstorm totals pushing city toward December record

Back for our Ask a Climatologist segment, Brian Brettschneider with the National Weather Service says there are a couple ways to think about the snow, including one measurement that gets at how it feels to, say, shovel it out of driveways.

Court hears arguments in Alaska refuge road dispute

King Cove residents have long sought a land connection through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to Cold Bay, which is about 18 miles away and has an all-weather airport.
a grounded fishing vessel

Coast Guard rescues 3 men, dog after their fishing boat ran aground near Whittier

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three men and a dog on Monday after their boat ran aground on Esther Island near Whittier. No injuries were reported.
a road gate

A mammoth winter storm brings more warnings of blizzards and tornadoes

A winter storm marched across the U.S. Wednesday, delivering blizzard-like conditions to the Great Plains hours after tornadoes touched down in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.