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

Former executive charged with embezzling $108K from Juneau hospital accepts plea deal

Bradley Grigg's plea agreement allows him to avoid prison time, but requires him to reimburse Bartlett Regional Hospital for the stolen funds.
the Alaska Supreme Court

Alaska Supreme Court says cops can’t use zoom-lens aerial imagery without a warrant

The attorney who argued the case in Friday's decision says justices are "paving the way with protections right now" against aerial drone surveillance.
a musher puts booties on a dog

Iditarod set to mint Dallas Seavey as winningest musher of all time

If he wins, Dallas Seavey will have overcome a penalty earlier in the race for not sufficiently gutting a moose he shot after it attacked his team.
the Alaska Senate

Alaska newspaper publishers worry about bill ending some public notice requirements

Notices of water reservations, commonly used by mining projects, would not be published in local newspapers anymore.
an airliner

Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, who raised alarm over plane quality, is found dead

John Barnett made headlines when he went public, saying he wouldn't trust planes made in North Charleston, S.C. to be safe and airworthy.
Campaign signs supporting mayoral candidate Suzanne LaFrance

3 takeaways from the last campaign finance disclosures before voting begins in Anchorage

Mayoral candidate Suzanne LaFrance is this election’s top fundraiser so far. But overall fundraising is down significantly from 2021.
a highway

No injuries reported after car drives off Seward Highway into Turnagain Arm

Girdwood Fire Chief Michelle Weston said the crash occurred after heavy fog along Turnagain Arm Monday morning.
Spruce trees dot an otherwise tree-less tundra landscape.

Trees are expanding north in Alaska’s Arctic as a result of sea ice loss

Large areas of open ocean are driving heavy snowfall in the Arctic, which protects trees from harsh northern conditions. 
a man puts pepperoni on a pizza

This Unalakleet restaurant is delivering hot pizza and warm messages to exhausted Iditarod mushers

Mushers’ family, friends and fans began calling Peace on Earth weeks ago to place pizza orders. Many asked for special messages to be written on the boxes.
a musher removes a dog booty from a paw

Iditarod reports second dog death of this year’s race

George, a 4-year-old on Hunter Keefe’s team, collapsed on the way to Unalakleet, race officials say.
Napakiak

FEMA awards $2.4M to Napakiak as it retreats from Kuskokwim erosion

Erosion has been marching the Kuskokwim River's banks 25 to 30 feet per year toward the community’s well-water source and school building.
a shipping facility

2 Alaska seafood shipping companies settle suit over miniature railway for $9.5M

A 100-foot railway used by the companies to transport seafood from Maine into Canada and back violated the federal Jones Act.
a man

The U.S. prison population is rapidly graying. Prisons aren’t built for what’s coming.

By one measure, about a third of all prisoners will be considered geriatric by 2030. Prisons are grappling with how to care for them — and how to pay for it.
lawmakers

Disagreements between Alaska House Republicans stalled education work for 3 weeks

The House Education Committee didn't meet for three weeks starting Feb. 14, denying Gov. Mike Dunleavy a channel of support for his ideas.

As public guardians in Alaska remain buried in cases, their director searches for solutions

A state program that serves some of the most vulnerable people in Alaska is overwhelmed. Its director is searching for solutions.

New poll says Alaskans support ‘large’ education funding increase, child care bill, federal trawling ban

Half of Alaskans favor a per-student increase of $680 or more, the same amount the House and Senate passed in recent weeks.
clocks

What to know about the political debate around daylight saving time

At least 29 states have considered legislation related to daylight saving time, including making it permanent year-round.
Academy Charter School in Palmer.

Many Alaska charter school principals oppose Dunleavy’s plan for state approval option

Alaska charter principals say they greatly favor the existing local control of school districts.
a highway

Man crossing Seward Highway fatally struck by SUV near Dowling Road

Police say the man was hit by a vehicle headed north on the highway Thursday evening. He was treated by medics, but died at the scene.
a balloon

Feds investigate ‘large balloon’ found by fishermen near Alaska’s Aleutian chain

The Department of Defense declined to discuss the origin or purpose of the balloon, which was brought to Dutch Harbor then flown to Anchorage.