Kizzia’s new book ‘Cold Mountain Path’ explores ghost town era of McCarthy
In his latest book, Cold Mountain Path, Alaska author Tom Kizzia chronicles the ghost town era of McCarthy, the tiny community nestled in the Wrangell Mountains. It’s available online and in bookstores starting Tuesday.
Anchorage’s multi-million-dollar testing, vaccination contracts in limbo as Bronson administration considers its options
Officials from Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration say they’re examining their options for continuing the city’s COVID-19 testing and vaccination programs as key contracts are set to expire at the end of the month.
In new cybersecurity incident, Alaska seafood agency hit by ‘nefarious third party’
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, which operates separate computer systems from the state’s executive branch, discovered the activity in August, said Jeremy Woodrow, the institute’s executive director.
COVID testing requirements will return to Alaska Capitol amid recent surge
The updated policy requires those who work in the Capitol to be tested every four days and to isolate if they test positive.
Delta Junction man faces charges over threatening Murkowski’s life
In a threat left in a voice message, the caller asked if the senator knew what a .50 caliber shell does to a human head, according to court records unsealed Wednesday.
Fat Bear Week has a champion: Meet 480 Otis
Who is the fattest bear of all? For the fourth time, the answer is 480 Otis, a brown bear who didn't let his lack of two canine teeth stop him from packing on the pounds.
Anchorage schools see increase in fights, behavioral issues
The bad behavior has included a fight at a high school that prompted a large police response, along with a TikTok challenge where students caused thousands of dollars in damage to school bathrooms.
For some Alaskans, getting vaccinated is a simple choice. For others, like this Anchorage pastor, it’s complicated.
William Tauanu’u knows the danger of COVID-19 and believes the vaccine is effective. But he’s also concerned by reports from friends and family about side effects of the COVID vaccine, which has led him to cancel three appointments to get the shot.
Costco contractor agrees to pay $50K to Juneau employee who was denied extra bathroom breaks
“We saw here an employee who really suffered unnecessarily,” EEOC attorney Amos Blackman told CoastAlaska. “This refusal to accommodate additional bathroom breaks had the likelihood of impacting any number of workers.”
Anchorage Assembly mask testimony has gone on as long as any in recent memory, with more to come
Thursday marks the Anchorage Assembly's sixth session scheduled for public testimony on an ordinance that would introduce a mask mandate for the city. Testimony has been heated, with people arrested at meetings and concerns about anti-Semitic behavior and homophobic remarks.
Housing and schools are obstacles for Alaska military families, leaders say
Air Force Lt. Gen. David Krumm said the Air Force isn’t allowing service members to bring their families to Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks due to a lack of housing.
Ancient tracks lead to better understanding of how Arctic dinos lived
This summer, three scientists ventured to the foot of the Aleutian Mountain range to collect evidence that dinosaurs once roamed the southern coast of the Alaska Peninsula. They hope to reconstruct the ancient ecosystem that allowed dinosaurs to thrive here for tens of thousands of years.
New draft policy for Anchorage police body cameras criticized for lack of transparency
The new draft comes almost six months after Anchorage voters approved the purchase of the cameras.
Two birds migrating from Alaska represent thousands threatened by California oil spill
Two birds that nested this summer in Alaska, where they were banded with lightweight GPS trackers, are now in the area of an oil spill off the coast of California.
Amid one of the nation’s worst COVID-19 outbreaks, Anchorage officials say they’re rationing testing
A spokesman for Mayor Dave Bronson said the administration plans to ask the city Assembly for additional cash "in the near future." But for now, it's scaling back its testing contractor's hours at multiple sites around the city, with reductions totaling 108 hours a week.
Faced with losing their jobs, even the most hesitant are getting vaccinated
Workplaces with vaccine mandates are seeing vaccination rates of 90% or higher. A complex mix of factors, including job security, is driving most workers to get the shots.
Native nonprofit publishes language glossary in English, Inupiaq, Yup’ik
Bering Strait regional nonprofit Kawerak has published a language glossary that provides research, science, policy and resource management terms in English, Inupiaq, St. Lawrence Island Yupik and Yup’ik. The creators hope it will help researchers better collaborate with Indigenous knowledge and culture.
As the season of respiratory illness begins, anxiety builds about Alaska’s pediatric hospital capacity
Respiratory viruses stressed the state’s limited pediatric hospital capacity in normal years. And now, there’s the added layer of COVID-19, which generally hits adults harder but in rare cases can send small children to the hospital, too.
Now you can watch as the Museum of the North readies the ‘Into the Wild’ bus for display
The University of Alaska Fairbanks has moved the “Into the Wild” bus to a UAF engineering building lab for repairs.
Young’s office says it helped evacuate Alaska Native corporation employees from Afghanistan
U.S. Rep. Don Young’s office said the Alaska Republican helped evacuate from Afghanistan employees of an Alaska Native corporation but provided few details on the effort and did not immediately respond to questions seeking further details.