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 sits on the floor with a toddler in her lap and four more toddlers jumping up and down around her.

Girdwood’s only licensed child care facility ‘at the end of the line’ as organizers look to expand

Little Bears' board of directors has been working for more than a decade to expand — aiming to build a new center to serve more than 100 kids.
A man in a red vest outside

Missing East Anchorage hiker found dead; no foul play suspected

Police say there are no initial signs of foul play in 28-year-old Juan Toscano’s death, after his body was found Friday night in Campbell Creek Gorge.
flowers in Juneau

Here’s what passed and what didn’t in Alaska’s legislative session

Thirty-one bills passed the House and Senate this year, the third fewest of any first-year session since statehood.
a opossum

Homer biologists grab 3 more of Grubby’s offspring as search for opossum posse continues

State biologists are continuing their efforts in Homer to catch offspring of Grubby the opossum, with three more captured as of Tuesday.
red clothes

Garments taken from Ketchikan memorial for missing and murdered Indigenous people

Dozens of red garments, hung in remembrance from trees near Ketchikan's Ward Lake, were taken down and discarded.
A bear cub holding the bars of a cage.

With 7 new arrivals, Alaska Zoo nears capacity for orphaned animals

In recent weeks, the zoo in Anchorage has taken in an orphaned brown bear cub, as well as six moose calves from across the state.
A man speaks at a podium during a school board meeting.

Mat-Su school board will vote on policies requiring parent permission for sex ed, pronoun changes

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Board is preparing to vote Wednesday on a pair of policies that would affect transgender students. 

Anchorage Assembly recommends use of vacant Midtown lot for homeless camp

The lot was one of five sites across Anchorage that a city task force recommended in May.
A man speaks at a microphone to the school board.

Anchorage School Board approves funding to rebuild Inlet View Elementary

The Anchorage School Board voted Tuesday night to spend $26 million on rebuilding Inlet View Elementary School in the city’s South Addition neighborhood.

Alaska Public Media receives Northwest Regional Emmy

Learn more about the award-winning project.
a bald eagle

Avian influenza has returned to Alaska, and so have health advisories 

The highly pathogenic disease circling the globe stands out for its effects on wild birds, and experts say Alaskans should be on the lookout for cases.
A woman and dog by a tent surrounded by bins and bags of stuff

Anchorage’s bureaucratic seesawing is pushing people out of this camp — at least for a few weeks

Civil rights lawyers are fighting the clearing of the campsites in and around Cuddy Family Midtown Park ahead of an outdoor music festival.
a Chinook salmon

Washington-based conservation group wants Endangered Species Act protections for Alaska king salmon

The Wild Fish Conservancy already closed an iconic Alaska fishery with a lawsuit.
A man at a podium in front of a school board

Mat-Su school board approves policy changes for sex-ed, pronoun usage

The school board passed a pair of policies aimed at transgender students and sex-ed by a 6-1 vote without much discussion.
Two people stand with their hands on a lit up museum exhibit of a volcano.

Anchorage Museum holds ‘Sensory Friendly’ morning for visitors with disabilities

During the event, the museum provides accommodations for people who may become overstimulated, including fidget toys, sunglasses and chewing gum.
a trooper car

Troopers say 2 women found dead near Trapper Creek were murdered

One of the women was reported missing in late May after making a 911 call.
Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski speaking to the media

Murkowski and Sullivan take opposing views of Trump indictment

Murkowski says the charges are serious and “cannot be casually dismissed.” Sullivan says they'll likely do the country "lasting damage."
a student

Alaska state school board advances proposal to ban trans girls from girls high school sports teams

An almost-unanimous decision will open a 30-day public comment period on the idea.
Crooked Creek flooding

Crooked Creek struggles to rebuild after historic breakup flooding

Last month's 15-mile-long ice jam inundated homes, led to a significant loss of stored food and washed away critical fishing gear.