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.”

a fire

Residents along the Elliott Highway are told to evacuate as a fast-moving wildfire grows

Residents along Mile 39 to Mile 48 of the highway have been ordered to evacuate, due to a fire that has grown from 1 acre to 1,000 since Tuesday.
a building

Hilcorp announces plan to buy Eni’s oil fields on Alaska’s North Slope

The deal, which must be cleared by state regulators, would expand Hilcorp’s Alaska operations to the offshore Oooguruk and Nikaitchuq oil fields.
Two boats in Cordova

Copper River fishing kicks off salmon season marked by fewer buyers and more uncertainty

Every year, more than 2 million fish return to the Copper River delta, and crews benefit from strong marketing, as well as being the first on the water.
Celebration

Federal judge says Alaska tribes may put land into trust, a step toward ‘Indian country’ here

The decision could change the system created by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act more than 50 years ago.
yellow trees along a country road

This recently-launched news outlet aims to expand coverage of the Mat-Su Borough

The Mat-Su Sentinel is a new online news platform aimed at providing local news to an area the size of West Virginia, with a population of roughly 110,000 people.
Empty court chamber

Justices grill attorneys as correspondence school case reaches Alaska Supreme Court

The justices are considering an appeal of a decision that ruled two 2014 laws key to the correspondence school system unconstitutional.
a man talks at a microphone

Anchorage cemetery tour celebrates the contributions of past Black leaders

Cal Williams led a group from gravestone to gravestone in the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery, sharing stories about the leaders buried there.
a debate

4 takeaways from the first presidential debate

President Biden's early stumbles played into his biggest vulnerability, but how much will the first 2024 general election debate make an impact?
a wildfire

Elliott Highway closed as the number of wildfires burning in Alaska grows

The Globe Fire jumped the highway near a campground, threatening cabins and Native allotments.
A man in a reflective vest picks uses a trash picker around tarps, tents and needles.

The Supreme Court says cities can punish people for sleeping in public places

The decision is a win for Western cities that wanted more powers to manage record homelessness. But advocates say it won't solve the larger problem.
A man in a blue suit stands outside a forest area.

Anchorage’s next police chief wants timelines for the release of body camera footage

Incoming Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance announced the appointment of Sean Case to be the next chief of police for Alaska's largest city.
a man with a backpack walks through a field with tents in it

‘It’s a good win,’ outgoing Anchorage mayor says of Supreme Court homelessness ruling

The ACLU of Alaska calls it "bleak and cruel." The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness calls it "disappointing."
Cans on shelves in a grocery store

USDA fines Alaska $11.9M for failing to ensure SNAP recipients are eligible

For the second year in a row, Alaska’s so-called “payment error rate” for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program topped 50%.
Two workers in stall solar panels on a roof.

Anchorage residents embracing rooftop solar cite concerns about natural gas shortfall

Homeowners and installers say they want to insulate from the rising costs of electricity.

Alaska Supreme Court sides with state, allows correspondence school laws to stand

The court said plaintiffs had failed to show that a 2014 law reforming Alaska's correspondence school system violated the state Constitution.

Gov. Dunleavy trims $225M with budget vetoes but leaves school funding boost intact

Dunleavy trimmed funding for Head Start, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and rural broadband, among other line-item vetoes.
a fire

Denali National Park bars visitors as wildfire burns near entrance

Nobody is being allowed into the park due to the Riley Fire, with only a shuttle service for hikers already in the backcountry still operating.
Akiak

Akiak residents say weeks without power have ruined frozen food stores, drained savings

The outage, which has caused the Kuskokwim River town’s residents severe hardships, appears to be part of a broader issue with its generators.
a man

Juneau man’s vintage photos could help preserve King Island culture

Juan Muñoz Sr. took hundreds of photos of the people of King Island in the early 1950s. His son donated them to the Katirvik Cultural Center in Nome.
a firefighter

Alaska firefighters tackle a wave of Interior wildfires

State wildfire crews have been fighting smaller blazes than those on federal land, as rain could reach much of the Interior later this week.