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.”

A woman speaks at a podium.

Anchorage Mayor LaFrance announces 6 new executive hires

LaFrance announced a deputy chief of staff, policy advisor, constituent relations and external affairs directors and two special assistants.
A yellow and red super scooper plane, dumping water over smoke emerging from mountainous terrain

Interior Alaska wildfires flare up with wind, but soggy storm expected to dampen flames

The Grapefruit Complex had burned about 70,000 acres around miles 30 to 65 of the Elliott Highway, prompting an evacuation notice.
a man in a suit

Seward man accused of threatening to ‘bomb and shoot’ Dunleavy’s office

Troopers say they found an incriminating search history linked to Matthew Stanley, including “what happens when a state governor gets threatened.”

Why last week’s Alaska Supreme Court ruling isn’t the final word on homeschool allotments

There's a key question the court left open: whether Alaska correspondence schools can allow parents to spend public money at private schools.
A woman with glasses and a blue shirt stands in front of a window looking to the left with a serious expression.

A Palmer mom lost $3K to scammers. She wants to help you avoid falling for the scheme.

Samantha Norman recently fell victim to a phone scam that police say is becoming increasingly sophisticated.
A concrete sign with the words "Anchorage Correctional Complex_

2 more Alaska inmates die as details emerge on early-morning Anchorage jail death

State officials say two inmates suffered medical deaths last week, as Anchorage police investigate the June 26 death of 38-year-old Ross Greenley.
A woman smiles at the camera next to an image of a butchered salmon.

How to heal your soil on an island covered in volcanic ash | INDIE ALASKA

Marion Owen is learning how to repair Kodiak's dense, ashy soil through the power of compost to grow the garden of her dreams.

APD confirms its SWAT officer killed East Anchorage resident in standoff 

This marks the department’s third killing and fourth shooting in two months.
an airplane

Ravn Alaska names new CEO, loses mileage-sharing agreement with Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines says it suspended the agreement over Ravn's recent “transition in leadership” to California businessman Tom Hsieh.
a hotshot crew

Denali National Park closure continues as Outside wildfire crews arrive

Firefighters made progress Monday against the Riley Fire, but passenger trains to the park have been canceled and power in the area remains out.

Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat sues to overturn NPR-A rule

The lawsuit aims to void development restrictions in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. A new Supreme Court decision may give it a boost.
A woman hugs her mother at a podium.

Suzanne LaFrance sworn in as first woman elected Anchorage mayor

“Today's about this special place we call home and what we're going to do together to fix it up and make it the place we all know it can be,” LaFrance said.
a firefighter

Alaska firefighters tackle a wave of Interior wildfires

State wildfire crews have been fighting smaller blazes than those on federal land, as rain could reach much of the Interior later this week.
Two workers in stall solar panels on a roof.

Anchorage residents embracing rooftop solar cite concerns about natural gas shortfall

Homeowners and installers say they want to insulate from the rising costs of electricity.
a man

Juneau man’s vintage photos could help preserve King Island culture

Juan Muñoz Sr. took hundreds of photos of the people of King Island in the early 1950s. His son donated them to the Katirvik Cultural Center in Nome.
Akiak

Akiak residents say weeks without power have ruined frozen food stores, drained savings

The outage, which has caused the Kuskokwim River town’s residents severe hardships, appears to be part of a broader issue with its generators.
a fire

Denali National Park bars visitors as wildfire burns near entrance

Nobody is being allowed into the park due to the Riley Fire, with only a shuttle service for hikers already in the backcountry still operating.

Gov. Dunleavy trims $225M with budget vetoes but leaves school funding boost intact

Dunleavy trimmed funding for Head Start, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and rural broadband, among other line-item vetoes.

Alaska Supreme Court sides with state, allows correspondence school laws to stand

The court said plaintiffs had failed to show that a 2014 law reforming Alaska's correspondence school system violated the state Constitution.
a man with a backpack walks through a field with tents in it

‘It’s a good win,’ outgoing Anchorage mayor says of Supreme Court homelessness ruling

The ACLU of Alaska calls it "bleak and cruel." The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness calls it "disappointing."