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.”

Almost half of Alaska’s Head Start programs could lose millions in federal funding due to underenrollment

Eight Head Start programs could potentially lose as much as $12.5 million in funding because they have not filled all of their spaces for kids.
an Alaska State Trooper

Alaska trooper says man convicted of shooting him was going to ‘finish the job’ when backup arrived

Bruce Brueggeman says doctors initially planned to amputate his left arm, after Bret Herrick shot him five times outside an Anchor Point grocery store.
The inside of a bus. One passenger stands in the middle, walking to the front door. People sit on either side.

Anchorage bus system apologizes to riders for canceled trips amid driver shortage 

Lots of employers in Alaska and nationally are hurting for workers with commercial driver’s licenses.
a truck with a giant potato on it

Skagway’s music festival has a special guest this year: a giant fiberglass potato.

The Southeast town is embracing the weirdness. The mayor has declared Saturday "Idaho Potato Day." And two locals will be crowned Queen and King of Potatoes for the day.
Treg Taylor

Alaska attorney general wants access to medical information about out-of-state-abortions and gender-affirming care

The letter is a response to the Biden administration’s proposed protections of patient privacy when crossing state lines for medical care.
a wolf in the snow

Alaska predator control doesn’t result in more moose harvests, according to a study of one game unit

The state disputes that, saying not enough time had passed between the predator control work and the analysis of moose harvests.

Judge tosses Alaska suit against feds over contaminated ANCSA lands

The federal court decision blocks a possible avenue for forcing a solution to a decades-long problem.
whales breach near a boat

Sitka-based tour company is asking visitors to consider the cost of their emissions

Allen Marine Tours is one of the first tour companies in the region to adopt a carbon offset program.
a woman in a maroon hooded jacket and sunglasses makes double peace signs on a mountain trail.

As record heat bakes the Lower 48, Anchorage contends with its coolest summer in years

“I think the fun thing is whenever there is a sunny day in Anchorage, you see absolutely everyone outside," said Anchorage resident Natalie Fraser.
a traveler

Facial recognition remains unregulated in Alaska, even as it grows in use

Alaska Airlines has announced plans to use the technology at Anchorage and in other hub cities as soon as summer 2024.
a volcano

Alaska volcano’s week-long eruption eases after spewing another massive ash cloud

The Shishaldin Volcano is one of the most active in the Aleutian arc.
a map of part of alaska shows the Alaska Peninsula and part of the Aleutian Chain in red

Alaska emergency officials investigate why Saturday’s tsunami phone alerts went beyond targeted areas

Earthquakes in 2018 and 2020 also led to urgent tsunami phone alerts well beyond the intended audience.
flowers

Kodiak resident dies in hit-and-run during Saturday’s tsunami evacuation

Kodiak police say they've spoken with the driver who struck and killed the 45-year-old woman. No charges have yet been filed.
a woman in a white sweater

Another campaign complaint filed against opponents of Alaska ranked choice voting

The complaint alleges that Kelly Tshibaka and her nonprofit have been lobbying and campaigning without following the law.
A car parked near trees.

Man held on attempted-murder charges in stabbing at Wasilla gas station

Antjuan Walker, 24, faces a second-degree count of attempted murder in the stabbing.
a girl holds a fileted salmon near a tote, outside

Yupiit School District aligns itself with traditional knowledge during its first year on a subsistence calendar

This year was the district’s first under a new academic calendar that takes into account seasonal subsistence harvests.
a plane crash

Pilot in deadly Kodiak Island plane crash said he made a forced landing

The Piper Cherokee went down just after takeoff from the Old Harbor airstrip on July 2, killing passengers Rod Murdock and Byron Chitwood.
The Ketchikan state courthouse

Ketchikan suspect charged with attempted murder after bound man claims he escaped car

Nathan Ta'ala, 33, was indicted by a Ketchikan grand jury after a trooper found the alleged victim running in traffic wounded on July 7.
a state ferry boarding ramp

Alaska ferry system’s hiring woes continue and could halt another ship

The Alaska Marine Highway System may have to stop some sailings this week as hiring woes continue through the peak summer travel season.
boats leave a harbor

Tsunami warning canceled following strong earthquake off Alaska Peninsula

The magnitude 7.2 earthquake initially triggered sirens and evacuations in communities including Sand Point and Kodiak.