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 man shovels snow from his driveway late in the day in front of a green house.

Southcentral Alaska buried in more than a foot of snow from winter storm

The nine inches of snow that fell Wednesday in Anchorage broke a record for Nov. 8, and the storm continued in full force Thursday.

Indian Health Care Improvement Act gains momentum in U.S. House

Legislation to renew and expand the Indian Health Care Improvement Act took a step forward in the U-S House today. It was approved by...

Kaktovik man agrees to plead guilty to illegal polar bear harvest, faces 4 months in prison

Chris Gordon will accept a maximum prison sentence of four months and a $4,500 fine, according to a plea agreement filed Friday that was signed by his attorney and federal prosecutors.
Alaska Supreme Court Justice Craig Stowers asks a question about language on an election ballot during oral argument in an election recount case in Anchorage on Jan. 4, 2019.

Colleagues remember former Alaska Chief Justice Stowers for his dedication to law, courts

Stowers was chief justice from 2015 to 2018. He was a Superior Court judge for five years before becoming a justice.

Stevens pushing for erosion funding

Following recent meetings in Anchorage about how to tackle erosion caused by climate change, Senator Ted Stevens is pressing the Army Corps of Engineers...
A car parked near trees.

1 missing, 4 safe after boat capsizes near Noorvik

Dozens of searchers are looking for 30-year-old Brandon Sheldon on the Kobuk River north of Noorvik after Monday's capsize, troopers said.
a gray sphere

The eruption near Tonga was so powerful you could hear it in Alaska

How did so many Alaskans hear a sound from so far away? The short answer is that this volcanic blast was so big it traveled thousands of miles.

Ted Stevens denies guilt

Last night Senator Ted Stevens continued his refusal to resign or retire from the U-S Senate, despite calls from members of his...

Record summer heat that killed Kuskokwim salmon wiped out at least 100,000 fish in Bristol Bay, scientists say

July was the region’s hottest month on record, and in some rivers, that heat was lethal.

Masek Gets Six Months Prison Term

A former Alaska lawmaker will serve six months in a federal prison following her conviction on corruption charges. Beverly Masek, a Republican who...
Students in red jackets march and play instruments on a football field (Shiri Segal/Alaska Public Media)

‘The epitome of school spirit’: Alaska high schools embrace marching bands

Marching bands are a staple at high school and college football games across the Lower 48. In Alaska, though, only a few schools have them.

Cowdery sentenced to 6 months home confinement

Former Alaska state senator John Cowdery has been sentenced to six months home confinement and fined $25,000 on federal bribery charges. Cowdery, a former...

The state’s new budget director is a well-known fiscal hawk

Donna Arduin has worked on cutting spending for governors in six other states. She’s expected to propose deep cuts to address the $1.6 billion hole in the state’s budget.
pipeline

Rise in oil prices could add $1.2B in state revenue for Alaska, preliminary forecast says

While the state forecast in March that oil would average $61 per barrel this year, the update forecasts it at $81.31.

Energy Proponents Upset with Governor Over Stimulus Money

Renewable energy proponents are upset with Governor Sarah Palin’s decision to reject more than 28 million dollars in energy money under the federal stimulus...
A man with glasses speaks behind a podium while standing in front of an American flag.

Alaska campaign finance watchdog hits ranked choice voting foes with nearly $95K in fines

Art Mathias and affiliated groups violated campaign laws, regulators say. But they dismissed similar complaints in a separate case.

For some teams, Iditarod’s final miles make the biggest difference

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race is 1,000 miles long, but for a couple dog teams, the most competitive stretch of trail came down to the final mile.

Waiting to hear from the SBA about a coronavirus disaster loan? Murkowski has a tip for you.

If you’re waiting to hear about an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, take a look at your 10-digit loan application number.
Stryker combat vehicles

Army sends 90 Stryker vehicles from Fort Wainwright to Ukraine

A few Stryker combat vehicles remain at Fort Wainwright, for training soldiers in facing weapons of mass destruction.