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.”

An ambulance backing into a dock on a rainhy day

Dozens of Haines residents evacuated from their homes as rain and landslides continue

Dozens more homes in Haines were evacuated Thursday night as rain continued to saturate the mountainsides near residential neighborhoods.
A broken foot bridge over a river

Around Southeast Alaska, communities assess damage from record-breaking storm

Sitka broke rainfall records on Tuesday, and damage from serious rain, winds and power outages afflicted communities across Southeast.
A side by side image of a girl holdinng a puppy on a deck and a white man with long hair smiling

Search and rescue teams in Haines still hopeful they’ll find missing residents alive

Searchers continue to look Thursday for two people missing after a large landslide rumbled through a residential area on Beach Road in Haines Wednesday afternoon, destroying at least four houses.
A concrete sign with the words "Anchorage Correctional Complex_

More COVID-19 cases at Goose Creek as outbreaks climb in Alaska prisons

Three-quarters of Goose Creek Correctional's 1300 inmates have active cases of COVID-19.

LISTEN: Alaska geologist says rainfall-induced landslides are like an ‘air hockey table’

Landslides don't always occur under the same conditions, but in Southeast Alaska they're often associated with rainfall soaking soils over time, followed by a sudden, torrential downpour that shifts the balance between friction and gravity.

Alaska officials say hackers stole voter info, didn’t compromise election integrity

State officials said Thursday hackers stole personal information such as birth dates and driver's license numbers of more than 100,000 Alaska voters, though they stressed the hack had no effect on the results of last month's election.
A microscopic image of yellow blobs in a purple background

8 COVID-19 deaths as Alaska sets daily record 760 new cases

8 Alaskans died and 15 residents were hospitalized with COVID-19, the state health department reported Thursday.
A white man in a black suit and awhite woman in a grey jacket

There will be a recount Friday of the East Anchorage House race Liz Snyder won by 13 votes

A group of 11 Anchorage residents requested the East Anchorage recount on Tuesday. They said they believe an election official made mistakes that could change the result.
Two silhouetted figures in the distance around some lakes with mountains in the background

Trump administration announces ANWR lease sale for Jan. 6

The plan sets up a final showdown with opponents before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

Landslides and rising water across Southeast as rain breaks records and keeps falling

High winds, flooding and landslides caused moderate to severe damage in communities across Southeast Alaska Wednesday, as an atmospheric river stalled over the region and brought record-breaking rain.
A female teacher points to a word projected on a white board in a classroom with three students sitting a tables facing the front of the classroom

Here’s ASD’s latest plan to bring Anchorage students back to classrooms

Under the plan, small groups of students will return to in-person learning in January, with more joining in phases. But the biggest obstacle will be staffing classrooms.
A dock in a small town filled with skiffs

Unable to reach hospital because of weather, Pilot Station man dies of COVID-19

A 37-year-old man in Pilot Station died from COVID-19 at the village health clinic before he could be transported to a hospital. Stormy conditions prevented a medevac from reaching him.

As pandemic worsens, 40,000 Alaskans endure “inexcusable” wait for relief

Frustration and impatience with Congress is building among out-of-work Alaskans and local leaders, who say the lack of a social safety net has made it far more painful to maintain health mandates aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19.
An Alaska State Trooper cruiser parked on Nome’s Front Street in January 2015.

Mat-Su teen charged with killing his aunt and cousins was recently out of jail

A Mat-Su teenager has been charged with killing his aunt and three cousins in Palmer and Wasilla Monday.
A man speaks at a podium

Alaska congressman is back after COVID illness, staff say

Congressman Don Young missed nine House votes in November after becoming sick with COVID-19.
A window in a sparse cel

Facility test reveals more than half of Goose Creek inmates have been infected with COVID-19

Testing of the more than 1,300 inmates at the facility that began last week showed that 480 currently have COVID-19, in addition to 193 inmates who are considered to have recovered from the disease.
A man in a mask and a baseball hat stands in front of a plastic shield. On the other side, a man in a mask sits at a table

Election review shrinks Anchorage house race margin to 13 votes

The official results showed some margins shrink, but there were no changes in the outcomes.
A truck drives by a mudslide

‘Atmospheric river’ could bring 10 inches of rain to Juneau

Heavy rain and winds up to 45 miles per hour could cause mudslides in Juneau this week.
A man in a white parka waits for a pilot tot unload some bozes from a small plane

After low salmon year, supporters rally to get Yukon River mushers chow for winter

Dog food company Purina donated 39,000 pounds of food to Yukon River mushers who face a winter without enough salmon, usually their primary source of dog food.