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.”

Alaska sues PFAS makers as lawmakers seek broader action from regulators

Alaska is suing chemical manufacturers over PFAS, toxic compounds that have contaminated water in more than a dozen communities across the state.

Alaska Supreme Court restores access to public employee and teacher retirement benefits

Now, as many as 78,000 Alaskans could buy their way back into the state’s more generous retirement benefit programs.

Alaska legislators apologize after breaking COVID rules by bringing friends for ping-pong, basketball at Capitol gym

Members of the public who are barred from the state Capitol complex due to pandemic safety rules attended a social gathering with legislators in a complex building last week.
a person shows their ballot before placing it in a secure ballot drop box

Dunbar and Bronson still lead Anchorage mayor’s race as more ballots are counted

Assembly member Forrest Dunbar and former Air Force pilot Dave Bronson are still leading the race for mayor after the Anchorage municipal clerk added a second batch of votes to the results of the April 6 election Wednesday afternoon.
Spring Creek Correctional Center. (Department of Corrections photo)

Judge orders state to allow in-person visits for lawyers and jailed clients, whether vaccinated or not

A judge has ordered the Alaska Department of Corrections to allow in-person visitation between lawyers and their clients in jail, regardless of an inmate’s COVID-19 vaccination status.
A line of elementary children line up and walk down the hallway out to recess in the winter

Discussion on Anchorage School Board race and equity policies heats up

The school board heard more than an hour of public testimony almost exclusively about the policies

Redington declared winner after harrowing race to finish in Kobuk 440

The annual Kobuk 440 sled dog race came to a close on Tuesday after teams faced some of the toughest conditions in race history to cross the finish line in Kotzebue Tuesday. Ryan Redington was announced as the winner later that evening at the musher's banquet.
Removing the rock pinnacle should make it easier for cruise ships to dock at the Ketchikan's downtown docks.

New CDC guidance seen as ‘unworkable’ for cruise lines and small port communities

Smaller towns say there's no way to implement the guidance that would allow cruise ships to visit in time for a robust cruise season.

Alaska officials detect case of COVID-19 strain first found in South Africa that’s less affected by vaccines

A single case of the variant, known as B.1.351, was detected last month in the Anchorage-Mat-Su area. Officials haven't said how the infected person acquired the virus, or whether others may have been exposed.
a ballot drop box sits on a table next to a podium. two people are in voting booths. two people are standing in the background

Early results show Dunbar with slight lead in Anchorage mayor race

At 9 p.m. with only 10,606 votes counted, Forrest Dunbar had 3,701 votes, followed by former Air Force pilot Dave Bronson with 3,116 votes

Former troopers head Cockrell named Alaska public safety commissioner

Former head of the Alaska State Troopers Jim Cockrell has been appointed the new commissioner of the Department of Public Safety by Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
picture from the aid of an inlet with water on both sides

Hilcorp gas pipeline springs another leak in Cook Inlet

Oil company Hilcorp is reporting another undersea natural gas leak near one of its platforms in Cook Inlet, about six miles offshore from Nikiski.
dog bedded down and covered with snow

Kobuk 440 reroutes and restarts in Ambler, after ‘monumental’ storm upends race

After being inundated by blizzard conditions, the Kobuk 440 sled dog race is back on track after mushers regrouped, rerouted and restarted the race in Ambler.

Fewer Alaska students qualifying for or using state scholarship fund, review finds

A review of the Alaska Performance Scholarship found standardized testing requirements and the reputation of Alaska’s post-secondary institutions are preventing students from qualifying for and using the scholarship
files in blue bins and two election officials behind plexiglass

Here’s what to expect on Anchorage’s Election Day

If you haven’t voted yet, you can drop your signed ballot in one of the dropboxes around the city or go to one of the Vote Centers, located at City Hall, the Loussac Library and the Eagle River Town Center. As long as you are in line at a dropbox or Vote Center by 8 p.m. you will be allowed to vote. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by today, April 6.
Eight missing person's posters on a bulletin board.

Community-wide search planned for missing people in Fairbanks area

Fairbanks residents are planning a community-wide search this spring after a string of unsolved missing persons cases.
A woman stands holding a baby, while another child lays on the floor.

Community land trust helps Sitka mom build a home of her own

Sitka’s average total rent is higher than any other area in the state, which can make saving to buy a house feel like an impossible dream for many young Sitkans. The Sitka Community Land Trust wants to change that.
A wooden building with an SUV in front

Bethel votes to hire investigator to review city’s handling of sexual assault cases

Bethel City Council took action in response to a Bethel woman’s protest regarding her sexual assault case. On Tuesday, the city council voted to hire an independent investigator to review the city’s response to reports of sexual assault.
people hold up signs that spell out "VOTE"

In a crowded race, Anchorage campaign volunteers tell us how they chose their candidate for mayor

For months, campaign volunteers have called and texted voters, dropped off pamphlets, put up signs and knocked on doors in the hopes of encouraging their neighbors to vote for their pick for Anchorage mayor. Some have been politically active for years, but for others, organizing is a new pursuit.
Ravens in the sky fly towards a warehousey building

‘It was like they had a plan’: Costco customers share experiences of raven thefts

Costco customers in Anchorage have recently started sharing online reports of ravens stealing groceries from their carts and the back of their pickup trucks, and biologists say the behavior could spread around town quickly.