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.”

GAO Raises Questions About Shell’s Arctic Drilling Plan

A new report from the Government Accountability Office - or GAO - raises questions about Shell's plan to drill exploratory wells in the Arctic...

Lawmaker Predicts Uphill Battle For Oil Tax Bill

State House Speaker Mike Chenault says it's "very unlikely" an oil tax bill will pass before the legislative session's scheduled adjournment. That raises the potential...

Derelict Vessel Adrift in Southeast Waters

The Coast Guard is monitoring a derelict vessel in U.S. waters off Alaska's coast that washed out to sea during the tsunami that struck...

SE Natives Getting More Active In Fisheries Managment

A clan conference held last week in Sitka showed Southeast Natives stepping up their participation with both federal and state agencies in fisheries management. Listen...

Woman Charged with Faking Signatures on Coastal Zone Management Initiative

A petition book from Fairbanks for the Coastal Zone Management ballot measure was never turned in to election authorities by sponsors because it looked...

Oil Tax Bill Still Not Finished by Senate, Session May Be Extended

There is talk of extending the Legislative session past April 15th in Juneau because the central issue of taxing the oil and gas industry...

Body of Anchorage Woman Abducted From Coffee Stand Found Under Ice of Lake

Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew says investigators have found what they believe is the body of missing barista, Samantha Koenig. He made the announcement at APD Headquarters late Monday explaining that a forensic dive team discovered the body in Matanuska Lake. Read More View Matanuska Lake Map

Senate Presents Its Version of New Oil Taxes

Stedman: "This goes to the core of the structure of our oil taxes and addresses some of the bigger concerns that have been pointed out."

Coastal Managment Initiative Worker Charged with Forging Signatures

A Fairbanks woman has been charged with submitting fraudulent signatures for the Alaska Coastal Management Program initiative. Deborah A. Carroll faces five felony and misdemeanor charges, including forgery, unsworn falsification, and perjury.

Congressman Young Criticizes Federal Oceans Policy at Anchorage Hearing

Invited panelists spoke out against a new National Oceans Policy at a Congressional subcommittee hearing in Anchorage this (Tuesday) morning.   Congressman Don Young  chaired...

City Clerks Office Reviews Voting Problems

The Anchorage city clerks office is calling the voter turn out in yesterday's election "unprecedented." The office is investigating the election, working today to figure out which voting precincts ran out of ballots. Read More

Cleveland Volcano Acts Up

The Alaska Volcano Observatory says a small explosion at Cleveland Volcano in the Aleutian Islands may have sent up a small ash cloud. Clouds prevented satellite observation of an ash cloud.

Bethel Judge Removed From Bench

For the first time in Alaska history, there is a recommendation to remove a judge from the bench, permanently.

Coast Guard to Sink Japanese Ghost Ship

The U.S. Coast Guard has a cutter at the scene and intends to sink the Japanese ghost ship floating off the Southeast Alaska coast this morning. The shrimper Ryou-Un Maru was cut loose a year ago in the tsunami and drifted un-manned across the Pacific . The cutter Anacapa arrived on scene last night, equipped with weapory. Read More

Alaskans for Justice Hold Anchorage Rally

A number of Alaskans, including our congressional delegation, turned up for a rally at the Anchorage airport organized by Alaskans for Justice, a group...

House Finance Subcommittee Chair Mia Costello Holding Up Senate Bill to Continue Film Tax Credits

A program using tax credits to encourage film and television producers working in Alaska will get another hearing today. Representative Mia Costello of Anchorage chairs the Finance subcommittee reviewing Senate Bill 23, the film subsidy tax credit act that sunsets next year. In her mind, there is still a lot to resolve before moving the bill. Read More

Anchorage Police Confirm Body Found in Lake is Samantha Koenig

An Anchorage police spokesman says the Alaska state medical examiner's office has confirmed that a body recovered from Matanuska Lake is that of an 18-year-old coffee stand worker who vanished Feb. 1. Read More

Congressman Young Holds Rural Energy Hearing

Alaska’s Congressman Don Young today (Thursday) hosted a hearing of the subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs in Fairbanks. Young spoke candidly with Native Alaskan representatives, who testified about how federal laws and policies effect rural energy prices.

ACLU Calls for Independent Investigation of Anchorage Election

The American Civil Liberties Union is requesting an outside investigator look into the ballot mess in Anchorage. Voters reported widespread ballot shortages at polling places during municipal elections Tuesday, and there are allegations that some voters were turned away at the polls. Late today, the ACLU sent a letter to the Anchorage Assembly making the request. Read More

Cutter Anacapa Sinks Japanese Ghost Ship After Hours of Shelling

Last night the Coast Guard fired a number of rounds into the derelict Japanese ghost ship off the coast of Southeast Alaska until it burst into flames and then sank. The cutter Anacapa began shelling at around 1:00 pm yesterday afternoon and finally watched it go down at about 6:15, leaving just a light sheen in the water about 180 miles offshore. More photos of sinking ship