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.”

seaweed farming

Alaska aquaculture is growing quickly, but faces roadblocks

A new study's author says the growing industry has encountered a few “fundamental bottlenecks,” many of them involving Alaska logistics.

Homer Residents Express Growing Frustration with Endeavor Oil Rig

A public meeting between representatives of Buccaneer Energy and concerned Homer citizens turned contentious Tuesday night, with many people wondering why the company’s ‘Endeavor’ jack-up rig is still parked at the Homer harbor nearly two months after its arrival. Company officials say the rig will soon be moving to drill in the Cosmopolitan Unit near Anchor Point but as KBBI’s Aaron Selbig reports, the State of Alaska says that’s not likely to happen.

Legislature done with supplemental budget

The House and Senate have finished dealing with the controversial supplemental budget containing $70,000,000 in projects the governor vetoed last year. The bill is...
A man in a blue t-shirt and sunglasses. His t-shirt reads "Save America's Postal Service." Behind him are people wearing masks holding placards.

Young votes to protect Alaska’s bypass mail, but bill likely won’t go far

Alaska Congressman Don Young voted for a Democratic bill to prohibit changes to the U.S. Postal Service that would slow delivery.
A picture of a beige building

Officials are aiming to move all of Anchorage’s homeless campers into housing or shelter in October

Unlike last winter, the plan does not include a mass shelter like the Sullivan Arena.

Towing Drill Tests Emergency Mooring Buoy

After seven years, Unalaska’s emergency system for towing stranded vessels away from shore is finally complete. A new dedicated buoy for disabled ships got its first full-scale test during an annual drill last week. Download Audio
A woman dressed in a white lab coat stands in front of a table. Another woman with protective gear stands in a dooray befhind her.

A sign Anchorage mandates are working, state forecasts a decline in new coronavirus infections

But health officials caution that the forecast could easily change depending on how Alaskans behave.

Permanent fund leader says budget plan puts fund’s future into question

Permanent Fund Corp. CEO Angela Rodell presented a study that predicts a nearly 50 percent chance of the fund losing value in the next decade, if it’s used to pay for state government as lawmakers have proposed. Listen now
people stand on the dock of a large boat as it approaches a glacier

Alaska communities to receive millions in Payments In Lieu of Taxes

The Department of the Interior announced today that local Alaska governments around the state would receive $29.7 million in Payment in Lieu of Taxes funds, or PILT. Listen now
two men side by side

Can Gara or Walker unseat Dunleavy in the race for Alaska governor? Analysts say both have a tough, but possible road to victory.

In a ranked-choice election, the two progressive gubernatorial candidates are relying on each other’s second-place votes to win.

Family’s lawyers claim recording shows Juneau officer planned fatal shooting

Attorneys for the family of a man fatally shot by a Juneau police officer last December are highlighting audio of the officer talking to himself before the shooting. The attorneys argue that what the officer says shows the officer’s state of mind and indicates that killing Kelly Stephens was planned.

Sled dog dead after snowmachiner attacks Iditarod teams

In Saturday's early morning hours, a snowmachiner repeatedly tried to harm Iditarod veterans Aliy Zirkle, Jeff King and their teams outside of Nulato, according to an Iditarod press release, killing one dog and injuring several others.
A harbor with a bunch of small fishing boats

Skipper rescued by girlfriend on air mattress after falling overboard off Sitka

A near tragedy was averted in Sitka on Monday morning after a fishing boat skipper who had fallen overboard was rescued by his girlfriend on an inflatable mattress.

Murkowski: ‘Never, ever, ever’ should we see another Jan. 6

Congress passed a reform of the Electoral Count Act, which U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski helped negotiate.
Blue and red police lights.

Victim was spotted lying in road before fatal Fairview hit-and-run, charges say

Police said at least three people tried to help the victim, who was lying on East 11th Avenue shortly before he was struck by 19-year-old Josiah Martinez.
Two baskets of literature on a table

Kenai Peninsula Borough to consider resolution against ‘vaccine segregation’

The Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor and several members of the assembly want to publicly denounce what they call “vaccine segregation” by the government.

Immunity to COVID-19 could last longer than you’d think

So, how long does immunity last after two doses of the vaccine? Six months or so? And at that point, how much protection is left over?

Sealaska sues Nieman Marcus for allegedly using Native design in $2,500 coat

Sealaska Heritage Institute has filed a federal lawsuit against the high-end fashion retailer Neiman Marcus, alleging the company copied a traditional Ravenstail pattern when it produced a coat that retails for more than $2,500.

Native Leaders Voice Concerns on Off Shore Drilling

Alaska Natives are uniting in asking Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to put a stop to oil and gas development off Alaska’s shores. A five...

Tale of two salmon fisheries: Bristol Bay breaks record, but Yukon River collapses

The booming Bristol Bay salmon run has broken the record set just last year, while on the Yukon River, Chinook are too scarce to harvest.