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.”

Salmonfest

Advocates highlight fishery issues at Salmonfest

Activists, storytellers and artists spoke about salmon issues at Salmonfest and highlighted the festival’s goal for the past 13 years.
Four men stand in an fluorescently lit office room. the man on the right is waving an American flag with a big smile on his face. two other men are wearing US Military uniforms.

From Somalia, Philippines, and more: Meet some of Alaska’s newest U.S. citizens

The new citizenship candidates felt a multitude of different emotions during their naturalization ceremony.
a building

Alaska Permanent Fund headed for fiscal crisis, as state budget increasingly relies on it

As the Alaska Beacon's James Brooks puts it, it's like putting down railroad tracks right before the train rumbles over them.
a law enforcement truck in traffic

Palmer man found hurt after days missing on Hatcher Pass hike

Troopers say Roberto Zapata, 60, headed for Bomber Glacier on Saturday. He was found injured Tuesday and flown to an area hospital.
Parts of an unused COVID-19 at-home test.

Alaska sees summer COVID-19 wave of cases with FLiRT variants

Alaska is experiencing a summer COVID wave, fueled by the new so-called “FLiRT variants,” new Omicron variants of the COVID-19 virus. 
Tim Walz

Harris taps Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate

Supporters hope the Democratic Governors Association chair, former teacher and congressman can pick up Midwest votes.
flooding

Annual glacial outburst flooding affects Juneau’s Mendenhall Valley

The Mendenhall River crested at 15.99 feet early Tuesday and has begun to recede, after widespread flooding and power cuts.

How to run in a House district the size of Germany? Pickled whale might help.

Three people are running in Alaska’s Arctic district. The big issue is the incumbent’s vote to sustain the governor’s veto of education funds.
Kachemak Bay

4 boaters missing from capsized vessel near Homer after Coast Guard suspends search

Officials say David, Mary, Colton and Brantley Maynard remain missing after four others were saved Saturday by good Samaritans.
a law enforcement truck in traffic

Teen charged with homicide in dirt-bike collision with Big Lake pedestrian

Brendan Clark, 19, is charged with criminally negligent homicide in the July 8 collision that killed 79-year-old Nadara Williams.
a geothermal plant

Army exploring geothermal energy for Fort Wainwright backup heat

A contractor plans to test 500-foot "deep wells" in the Fairbanks area for geothermal potential.
Kachemak Bay

Alaska Supreme Court hears arguments for jet ski ban in Kachemak Bay

The Alaska Supreme Court has heard an appeal from the state's Fish and Game commissioner of a reinstated jet ski ban.
Deb Haaland

Deb Haaland’s push to protect Indigenous people disappoints some Native leaders

As a member of Congress, she passed a bill to hold the executive branch accountable for persistent violent crime in Native communities.
a river

Juneau glacial outburst flooding begins; Mendenhall Lake and River set to hit near-record levels

Minor flood stage will begin Monday morning, with flood water expected to crest sometime early Tuesday.
a woman

The Alaska Supreme Court weighs citizens’ right to challenge state’s predator control program

An opponent of the multiyear bear-killing program is defending her standing to be a plaintiff against the state.
a man

Where some see trash, others see treasure at the ‘Walmart of Bethel’

At the Bethel landfill, residents push back against the challenging economic reality of life in rural Alaska.
a screenshot

Juneau’s Mendenhall Lake and River may see flooding soon

The National Weather Service says now is the time for riverside residents to prepare, after water levels dropped in Suicide Basin.
A woman plays with her daughter on a couch.

New Anchorage school start times have families wondering where they’ll find care for young kids

Childcare experts say the sector is already facing a crisis, and worry the new school start times will make it even more difficult for families to find care for young children.

Cases of whooping cough are spiking in Alaska this year

Whooping cough is especially risky for infants. The cough can be prevented by vaccination and treated with antibiotics.
a supermarket

Inflation math is changing America’s dinner plans

For the first time in years, people are buying more groceries, including pricier brands, to replace restaurant outings.