What Alaska’s move to more at-home COVID tests and fewer lab tests means for managing the pandemic
Home test kit results aren’t necessarily captured in state pandemic data, which impacts other public health systems officials have been using to manage the pandemic.
With omicron, you need a mask that means business
To block a variant this transmissible, scientists say you need an N95 or other high-filtration mask. Here's how to find a good one and when to wear it.
Fairbanks woman finds abandoned newborn at intersection
A newborn was found abandoned in a cardboard box at an intersection in Fairbanks on Saturday afternoon.
University of Alaska Anchorage to begin semester without change in COVID protocols
For now, the University of Alaska Anchorage will continue with existing COVID-19 protocols when students return from winter break on Monday.
Matanuska repair delays could mean longer ferry service gaps in upper Lynn Canal
This latest delay could mean nearly a monthlong service gap for Skagway.
Bronson proposes making Anchorage municipal clerk an elected official
Under the mayor’s proposal, the city charter would be changed to have the clerk elected for a three-year term. Other requirements would be that the clerk be an Anchorage resident while in office and be a resident for at least two years prior to the election.
Alaska Public Media’s 10 most read stories of 2021
From spiking COVID-19 cases to political scandal to tangled supply chains, 2021 was a doozy. Here are some of our most read stories of the year.
Talk of Alaska: Crisis Now and mental health resources
When you're in the middle of a mental health crisis you need help immediately but options are often limited and inappropriate. Organizations around Alaska are working to change that and connect people with the support they need.
Space tech startup examines Unalaska for potential satellite launch site
A tech startup that visited Unalaska in 2020 as a potential satellite launch site says they are finalizing their choice of location. And while communication between the company and the city began to fade earlier this year, the startup says Unalaska is still in the running.
Live performances and outdoor activities planned for Anchorage New Year’s Eve celebration
Anchorage will ring in the New Year with a fireworks display and outdoor activities on Friday night. The event is outdoors, and masks are optional. The Anchorage Health Department will be distributing free, at-home COVID-19 tests.
New from the CDC: Even if you’re vaccinated, you should avoid cruise ship travel
There are almost 100 ships with COVID-19 on board that the CDC is currently investigating.
Alaskans in the Interior digging out after a wintry weekend wallop of snow, ice, wind
Another foot of snow fell in Fairbanks Tuesday into Wednesday and the community continues to deal with rough road conditions and power outages caused by falling trees.
US children hospitalized with COVID in near-record numbers
SEATTLE (AP) — The omicron-fueled surge that is sending COVID-19 cases rocketing in the U.S. is putting children in the hospital in close to record numbers, and experts lament that most of the youngsters are not vaccinated.
It’s time to recalculate your COVID ‘risk budget’. Here’s how.
It might be time to draw up a new "risk budget", according to Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University.
Unalaska and Kodiak set winter warm weather records
Temperatures in Unalaska soared to 56 degrees on Saturday. And in Kodiak on Sunday, temperatures hit 67 degrees.
Here’s how to get an at-home COVID test kit in Anchorage
A delayed shipment of tens of thousands of rapid at-home COVID tests has arrived in Anchorage, and city officials say they’re racing to distribute them to sites around town before New Year’s.
Alaskans endure air travel anguish as weather and virus keep them grounded days on end
Chris Dimond tried to warn his daughter off flying to Seattle. "She could be spending some time sleeping on the airport floor, for a few days," he said.
Hundreds of passengers headed for villages got stranded in Bethel over the Christmas holidays
A combination of historically bad weather in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and ill-equipped airports stranded hundreds of passengers in Bethel this holiday season. Volunteers stepped in to donate food and some businesses provided lodging, but passengers still missed out on Christmas at home with their families.
Ballot counting during Anchorage’s next election will be livestreamed 24/7 under updated rules
Some of the changes were designed to counter the harassment election workers faced in the 2021 election, but members mostly billed the updates as routine changes.
St. Paul couple accused of killing toddler who was in their care
Troopers say after a thorough investigation, they determined the child’s guardians, 31-year-old Steven Melovidov and 28-year-old Sophie Myers-Melovidov, had killed him in their home and attempted to mislead investigators over the course of the investigation.