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.”

The Anchorage Skyline with rainy clouds and the Sheraton Hotel.

Anchorage’s tight housing market is making breaking up harder to do

Housing is expensive in Anchorage and hard to find. It's a problem for everyone, especially if you're trying to find affordable housing fast.
the outside of a building, the sign says Kenai Municipal Airport

With Ravn out, Grant Aviation says it will increase flights between Anchorage and Kenai by 30%

Grant Aviation announced it will add up to 50 flights a week out of the Kenai Municipal Airport.
a bulletin board

Alaska syphilis case numbers drop a bit after years of increases, but concerning signs remain

Epidemiologist Julia Rogers cautioned against interpreting the decrease in case numbers as a sign that Alaska’s syphilis outbreak is being resolved.
students with hats scoop salmon from a white bucket.

Alaska Native youth preserve traditions by preserving traditional food at Elders and Youth Conference

Young people from around the state learned how to filet and prepare salmon at the conference in Anchorage on Tuesday.
a condo

Juneau condo owners take on $1M in flood repairs without state or federal aid

Condo residents say recovery aid from familiar safety nets like insurance and federal and state disaster aid has fallen short of their expectations.
a trooper car

Mother, daughter charged in deadly Delta Junction hit-and-run

Troopers say Chelsie Erickson fatally struck John Emerick on Aug. 29. She and her mother, Janell Erickson, are charged with evidence tampering.
a deer

Wildlife troopers save 2 deer swimming miles from shore near Ketchikan

Alaska Wildlife Troopers in a boat spotted the deer on Oct. 10, then gave them a ride to land recorded on video.
A skier makes tracks on a snowy mountainside

Alaska ski guide’s new book, ‘The Avalanche Factor,’ aims to improve education on snow slides

Joe Stock says his new book is equal parts avalanche science and avalanche risk mitigation.
a woman speaks at a podium

Alaska Congresswoman Peltola back in D.C. following husband’s death

As Rep. Mary Peltola cast her vote for House Speaker, members on both sides of the aisle rose to give her a standing ovation.
A path along a river is bordered by a retaining wall on one side and a row of black poles sticking out of the ground on the other.

New study hints at huge price tag from permafrost thaw in Alaska

Scientists estimate that most near-surface permafrost will disappear by the end of this century.
A man speaks at a podium in front of a crowd.

ASD launches ‘career academies’ plan for high schools

Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said that the changes will increase graduation rates and provide job training opportunities for students.
an anchorage police car is parked in a parking lot

Anchorage police investigate after razor blades found twice near playground equipment

Police were called after razor blades were found on a slide a 3-year-old girl was preparing to use Oct. 8 at Eagle River's Schroeder Park.

‘We want to preserve every single thing’: Restoration begins on the oldest standing building in the Anchorage area

The St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church was built in 1875 in Knik and then moved to Eklutna.
Treg Taylor

Alaska attorney general approves free legal defense for top officials accused of ethical lapses

The policy change was unanimously opposed by those members of the public who testified; critics say it’s a recipe for self-dealing.

Protecting subsistence rights and investigating prison deaths are among this year’s AFN draft resolutions

AFN delegates will consider about 30 proposed resolutions at the federation's annual convention, set to begin Thursday in Anchorage.
a podium that says AFN on it

Alaska Federation of Natives joins feds’ suit against state over rural subsistence priority

AFN has been allowed to intervene in the lawsuit against the state, which claims its management of Kuskokwim River fishing violates federal law.
a man in ski gear on a snowy mountain

Girdwood skier dies in paragliding crash near Eagle River

Josh Randich, 33, was flown Sunday from the crash site near Magnificent Peak to an Anchorage hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
North Link Rep speaks at the Groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, October 11, 2023 (Shiri Segal/Alaska Public Media)

New Anchorage cargo terminal could bring faster packages and industry expansion

The NorthLink Aviation facility will allow cargo carriers to unload and clear customs in Anchorage, which could grow the city’s freight business.
a sign

Alaska Permanent Fund leaders may recommend constitutional amendment to fix fiscal problem

Financial returns have been less than needed to keep the fund’s spendable account full, potentially endangering the state budget.
a hat

2 dead after fast-moving fire destroys Wasilla home

Alaska State Troopers say Terry Mason, 73, and Emma Mason, 67, died in the late-night Saturday blaze on Wasilla's Terrell Drive.