Top Stories

News stories, radio and TV episodes that warrant one of six spots on our homepage. The homepage is in chronological order of publication date, so stories are moved off the homepage as more are categorized “top stories.”

Three people sit at a desk while a screen displays a logo that says "Alaska Insight"

Expanding renewable energy in rural Alaska | Alaska Insight

Alaskans seeking relief from high energy prices and unreliable supplies are finding success in transitioning to renewable energy. What projects are in the works, and where do opportunities exist for further development?
A burning piece of cardboard is placed into a large furnace

New biomass furnace saves money and fossil fuel in Ambler, Alaska

The installation of a biomass furnace system in Ambler, a rural village off the road system, is set to save the community more than $50,000 a year.
Alaska House floor

Days before legislative session starts, Alaska House is again without a coalition

Without being organized, the House can’t move ahead with most legislative business when the session starts on Tuesday
Lotto Alaska winner George Tagarook

Anchorage man wins $3.5M in Lotto Alaska game on lucky card 49

It’s the largest prize ever distributed by the company.
a Kodiak crab boat

Kodiak’s tanner crab fishery is set to open Sunday. But the fishermen aren’t going out.

Fishermen say they won’t go fishing for the prices offered by local canneries, amid a winter fishing season already hit by closures and strikes.
Merbok damage

Company to refund FEMA for botched Yup’ik and Iñupiaq translations

A contractor that provided translations of disaster aid documents into Alaska Native languages deemed indecipherable will reimburse FEMA.
A mirrored building.

Anchorage Assembly leaders demand response from mayor following scathing allegations

Anchorage Assembly leaders say they want Mayor Dave Bronson to publicly respond to scathing allegations made against him by recently-fired Municipal Manager Amy Demboski.  An...
Oliver Leavitt

Alaskans remember Oliver Leavitt as an influential leader and whaling captain

Oliver Aveogan Leavitt, who helped turn the Arctic Slope Regional Corp. into Alaska’s largest private company, died Sunday at age 79.
a line of people hold a banner that says #ExxonKnew

Exxon climate predictions were accurate decades ago. Still it sowed doubt.

Exxon's climate research decades back painted an accurate picture of global warming, according to a new scientific paper. Still, the oil company continued climate-denying policy efforts.
a woman speaks into a microphone behind a podium

Ousted Anchorage city manager accuses Mayor Bronson of breaking law, creating hostile work environment

The scathing 11-page letter to city leaders says Amy Demboski's firing was retaliatory and unlawful.
Young students sit behind desks in an elementary school classroom.

Alaska lawmakers look to increase school funding in upcoming legislative session

State funding to school districts has, essentially, not changed since 2017. At the same time, the cost of pretty much everything has gone up.
a portrait of a woman in a sweater

Alaska Supreme Court to hear arguments in Armstrong residency case

Republican Liz Vazquez has appealed a ruling that Democratic state House candidate Jennie Armstrong met residency requirements to take office.
From behind, a young boy is pictured reading a picture book.

Anchorage School District is again considering changes to class start times

The school board voted down a proposal to change start times in 2018, but officials say the issue has remained important post-pandemic.
a crashed Kodiak rocket

Kodiak rocket crashes at spaceport after launch

A spokesperson for ABL Space Systems said no injuries were reported in the crash, and that "fires have subsided" at the Kodiak Pacific Spaceport.
A car parked waiting for a Covid test at the former Golden Lion Hotel in Anchorage

Former Golden Lion Hotel will become low-income housing, says Anchorage mayor

The Golden Lion building was purchased by the city in 2020 under acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson, and was intended to be used as a drug and alcohol misuse treatment center.
soldiers in white uniforms hold a tow rope. They are in bunny boots strapped to skis

Alaska Army suicides drop as leaders push programs to improve soldiers’ lives

Last year's total of six suicides among Alaska-based soldiers is down from 17 in 2021, and the lowest since 2018.
Tuklung River fire

‘The most extreme of all the extremes’: What’s behind Bristol Bay’s record-breaking fire season

Last year was Bristol Bay's largest wildfire season on record, as fires in the region trend larger and more numerous amid a warming climate.
Cans on shelves in a grocery store

Alaska’s State Public Assistance director is no longer in her post following news of months-long waits for food stamps

The news comes as the division has been under fire for its failure to issue food stamps and Medicaid benefits in a timely manner.
a map

Three Bears Alaska to build North Pole grocery/retail complex

Wasilla-based grocery chain Three Bears Alaska will build a new store in North Pole, the latest in its statewide expansion plan.
Merbok debris

FEMA sent ‘unintelligible’ disaster relief information to Alaska Native people impacted by Typhoon Merbok

FEMA hired a California company to translate Typhoon Merbok aid material into Alaska Native languages. But speakers say they aren't accurate.