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.”

woman drives boat while passenger uses his camera

Peltola goes home to the Kuskokwim, still waiting to hear if she’s the first Alaska Native elected to Congress

Republican Sarah Palin, the former governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee, is in a good position to win the special U.S. House election once the second-choice ballots are counted. But for now, Alaska’s right-wing icon is trailing Peltola by almost 9 percentage points. 
a man painting a totem pole

‘Open and kind’: Metlakatla remembers carver Wayne Hewson

Friends and family remember Hewson as a mentor, a culture bearer and a fixture of life in Metlakatla.
a boat near a large chunk of ice

Zombie ice from Greenland will raise sea level 10 inches, new study says

The new study looks at the edges of Greenland's ice sheet — ice that authors say is starving and dead.
People in red stand in a line outside, holding sings that say "UNAC Faculty: an investment in Alaska"

University of Alaska faculty union files unfair labor practice complaint

The complaint alleges the university administration unlawfully declared an impasse, illegally implemented its “best and final offer” and engaged in direct bargaining with the faculty through email updates, bypassing the negotiation team.
a small pond of water surrounded by mud

Data centers, backbone of the digital economy, face water scarcity and climate risk

About 20% of data centers in the United States already rely on watersheds that are under moderate to high stress from drought and other factors. However, few companies are talking about the issue.
man holding a swab

Juneau police are collecting DNA samples from people with certain past convictions

It’s part of a broader effort to help Gov. Mike Dunleavy make good on a plan announced last year to reduce the backlog of missing DNA evidence across the state.
A man in a suit gives a talk at a microphone.

Kenai Peninsula Borough won’t say if Pierce resignation is linked to recent HR investigation

Charlie Pierce announced his resignation as borough mayor on Friday.
portrait of an older man wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket

The Kenai Peninsula’s only strip club will be demolished this week after 50 years of operation

Owner Charlie Cunningham said there’s not as much money in the strip club as there used to be.
TWO USPS trucks on the road

The government will no longer be sending free COVID-19 tests to Americans

The Biden administration is pausing its distribution of free COVID-19 tests this week, but you can still order new ones before the end date.
ballots go into a scanner

Alaska primary count is done, as near-record voting sets fields for ranked choice election

The outcome of the special election to fill the remainder of Don Young’s term will be announced on Wednesday.
a piece of heavy equipment tears into a burned building

Witnesses say responders came unprepared to fight Bethel apartment fire that killed 3

On Aug. 12, a fire tore through a Bethel apartment complex, killing three people and injuring six others.
A man talking into two microphones

Ketchikan City Council candidate violated restraining order after relationship with 18-year-old, records show

Dave Timmerman pleaded guilty and served time in jail for violating one of the protective orders, court records show. He filed on Wednesday to run for a one-year city council seat.
a plane takes off

Active duty airmen will soon drive school buses on JBER to help with driver shortage

The Anchorage School District has launched a third-party audit of its transportation operations to avoid similar shortages in the future.
A golden chalice emblazoned with a marijuana leaf sits -- full of marijuana buds -- on a table.

Alaska plays host to High Times Cannabis Cup with unique, more ‘mom-and-pop’ industry

High Times Director of Events and Competitions Mark Kazinec says Alaska, as the second state to legalize recreational use of marijuana in 2015, is a great place for a competition.
a remote court hearing

Former top-level employee at Juneau hospital charged with making fraudulent travel claims and online purchases

Court documents detail two felonies: the first involving more than $25,000 in travel-related reimbursements, the second for more than $25,000 in Amazon purchases. 
A man in a suit gives a talk at a microphone.

Charlie Pierce resigns as Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor

Pierce said he’s resigning as mayor next month to focus full-time on his gubernatorial campaign. He did not respond to calls seeking comment.
police car parked on the side of the road

Anchorage police shoot man after they say he used a child as a ‘human shield’

Police say the man fled with the child after firing a weapon during a domestic dispute early Friday morning. Officers say the man was not fatally injured in the shooting.
A woman with a red and blue jacket on drinking coffee

Peltola’s lead widens in U.S. House race with another batch of first-place votes counted

Peltola's lead increased from 7.5% to a little over 8%, according to updated results posted late Thursday.
cherries in a high tunnel

At this Nikiski farm, a cherry-tree experiment blossoms

Michael O’Brien's latest challenge has been a high tunnel containing 90 cherry trees.
a person swinging on a swingset

Mat-Su students go one day a week without bus service as hiring struggle continues

The school district covers an area larger than the state of West Virginia, adding additional challenges to the bus driver shortage.