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.”

Nakeen Homepack: Processing Salmon With A Little TLC

Many fishermen in Bristol Bay dream of packing and selling their own fish, but challenges. One four-year-old startup in Naknek shows how those challenges can be overcome with some grit, humor, and attention to detail. Download Audio
A doctor hols a vaccine syringe

24 Alaskans die of COVID-19 as state’s vaccination rate tops nation

Only one of the deaths reported Wednesday was considered recent.

New protections for LGBTQ individuals unanimously approved in Ketchikan

The ordinance came up for vote following a controversy over a flower shop that refused to sell to a same sex wedding.
Map showing the region of ANWR (Shiri Segal/Alaska Public Media)

Seismic work in ANWR this winter? Time will tell.

SAExploration hopes to collect data within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge before the government holds an oil lease sale next summer.

Senate brings House up to date on energy relief bill

State Senate leaders this afternoon explained the principles behind the energy relief bill they passed last night. Senate Finance Co-chairmen Bert Stedman and Lyman...

Bering Sea Communities Brace For High-Powered Storm

The Aleutian and Pribilof Islands are no stranger to strong winds and rough seas. And that’s exactly what they can expect Friday night, when a high-powered storm hits the Bering Sea. Communities are gearing up to face the historic front. Download Audio
the Willow project

ConocoPhillips can start road work for Willow Arctic drilling project, judge decides

Opponents of Arctic drilling project lose Round 1 in court.

U.S., Russia and others agree to ban fishing in the Arctic Ocean

Ten nations, including the U.S. and Russia, have agreed to ban commercial fishing in the central Arctic Ocean for at least sixteen years. Listen now
ca

The Trump administration wanted an Arctic Refuge lease sale this year. Now it’s out of time.

Two procedural steps are still required before the sale can happen, and each comes with a 30-day waiting period, said Brook Brisson, an attorney for Trustees for Alaska, the Anchorage-based environmental law firm that works with organizations fighting to stop drilling.

Vets vent about poor VA care during listening sessions in Fairbanks, Kenai

Alaska military veterans testified yesterday at listening sessions in Kenai and Fairbanks about problems accessing federally funded health care benefits. Interior veterans shared concerns specific to the Veterans Choice Act, as well as more general issues about working with the Veterans Administration. Download Audio
An aerial view of Fort Yukon.

Four years into the Yukon salmon collapse, an Interior Alaska village wonders if it will ever fish again

Gwichyaa Zhee, also known as Fort Yukon, has always depended on salmon. But for the fourth year in a row, managers have severely restricted fishing, as the Yukon River king and chum salmon runs collapsed. Residents say the closures have been devastating to their way of life.

Alaska’s largest rural solar project set to break ground in Kotzebue

The city of Kotzebue has used wind power for decades to supplement its fuel use, and is now about to break ground on a brand new solar project.

Kuskokwim Villages on Lookout for Floods

Angela Denning-Barnes, KYUK – Bethel It looks like it could be a high flood year for the Kuskokwim River. At least for the village...

Denali climbing season ends, with zero fatalities

According to the National Park Service, there are no more mountaineering or ranger teams on North America’s tallest peak. Listen now

Bad Weather Hinders State Ferry Operations

Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska – Juneau High winds and low temperatures are interfering with state ferry operations in Southeast, Prince William Sound and Southwest Alaska. The...
burning fire

Alaskan looking for aunt on Maui after wildfires connects via sticky note

Seward resident Judy Odhner asked someone in Maui to post a note on a board outside an evacuation center, looking for her Aunt Annie.
a woman at a table

First decade of Alaska’s dental therapy program shows successes in Yukon-Kuskokwim region

A new study shows positive results from 10 years of an Alaska program allowing professionals other than dentists to provide general care in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
A camera person snaps a shot of a woman in classes, a man with a goatee and a woman in a colorful shirt as they pose with a sign.

A new resource center for people experiencing homelessness is opening in Anchorage

Instead of services scattered across the city, this new center offers everything in one place, from hot showers to housing resources.

Governor Murkowski's chief of staff Jim Clark pleads guilty to fraud

Jim Clark pleaded guilty today in U-S District Court in Anchorage to charges of federal Mail and Wire Fraud. Clark was former governor Frank...

Assessing the state of Alaska’s recession

Alaska’s economy has been in recession for three years now. But 2019 may be a turning point. Listen now