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 2022 Alaska ballot

Questions on minimum wage, paid sick leave and campaign funding could be heading to Alaska voters

Lt. Gov. Dahlstrom has until early September to certify whether three proposals will go to petition-gathering stage.
A house that's under construction.

2 Anchorage Assembly members want to encourage more affordable housing with a dramatic zoning rewrite

“Affordable housing solves all our problems,” said Assembly member Kevin Cross.
firefighters outside near a dirt road

Alaska’s wildfire season is off to a historically low start

Alaska wildfire managers have seen the least-ever acreage burned so far this summer, as damp and cool conditions have persisted across much of the state.
A woman in a red sweater looks at a painting

State of Art: Want a free Sydney Laurence print? Head to the Anchorage library.

Zachariah Joshua Loussac left his collection of paintings by the famous landscape artist to the city. Now, the library is giving the prints away for free.
a small alaska town near the water

Billions of snow crabs are missing. A remote Alaska village depends on the harvest to survive.

If you layer climate-related disruptions — such as rising sea levels and shrinking populations of fish and game — on top of economic troubles, it just increases the pressure to migrate. 
A man with glasses speaks behind a podium while standing in front of an American flag.

Complaint alleges foes of Alaska’s ranked choice voting formed a church to funnel political donations

The filing accuses Alaskans for Honest Elections, a political group opposed to ranked choice, of more than two dozen violations of campaign finance law.
Homer firefighters

Fire destroys Fritz Creek General Store near Homer

The blaze in the unoccupied building, which also housed a post office, liquor store and gas station, was reported around 4 a.m. Thursday.
a white raven

A white raven has appeared on the Kenai Peninsula

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge staff say the bird is leucistic, lacking pigment in some feathers due to an absence of cells that produce melanin.

Anton McParland: The backstory of the tall guy behind Mary Peltola

McParland is Rep. Mary Peltola's chief of staff and campaign manager. No aide is closer to her.
an Alaska State Troopers SUV

Idaho felon charged with murdering man in 2011 Alaska cold-case shooting

Keenon Leland Keyes, 36, faces first-degree and second-degree murder charges in the 2011 death of Loy Suthammavong.
A woman in a black and white patterned dress sits in an office chair.

Alaska’s Army division is combatting high suicide rates with mandatory wellness counseling

The military in Alaska has long struggled with high rates of suicide. A year and a half ago, one Army division started a program to combat the crisis.
Fire trucks and hoses in front of a green, snow-capped mountain.

Fire closes Whittier fuel dock and injures 2 people

The dock is the one place in Whittier Harbor for boats to refuel, prompting concerns for charter and commercial fishing fleets during the busy summer season.
a man in a raincoat with a long lens camera

Alaska’s slow start to wildfire season is a relief after Connecticut-sized area burned last year

Thanks to a cool, wet summer, wildfires so far this year have burned just 1½ times the size of New York’s Central Park.
a sign says "We accept Quest/EBT cards"

New data shows measurable progress on Alaska’s food stamp backlog

Thousands of people are still waiting for food aid, but the trend is positive.
Women rejoice at the finish line

Rain and mud make Mount Marathon trail ‘an absolute nightmare’

More than 800 racers tackled treacherous conditions during Seward's grueling Fourth of July tradition.
Birchwood officer shooting

Police fatally shoot armed man on Glenn Highway off-ramp

Police say one of two officers shot a man with a rifle who "advanced on the officers while holding the rifle" near South Birchwood early Sunday.
kids sit on floor in daycare room

Dunleavy veto cuts Head Start increase as centers struggle to pay teachers, serve children in need

Seven of 17 programs are on notice that federal funding is in jeopardy without changes.
A helicopter in the sky

2 dead, 3 survive after plane crashes near Kodiak

A small plane crashed near the village of Old Harbor – on the southeast side of Kodiak Island – on Sunday afternoon, leaving two people dead.
A city street as seen from above

Anchorage’s main electric utility is proposing to raise base rates for the first time in 3 years

Chugach Electric wants to raise rates by 6%. It says it’s seen a decrease in sales and an increase in expenses due to inflation and supply chain disruptions.
a girl standing at the edge of a lake with ducks swimming nearby

Anchorage’s less-than-sunny summer is likely to continue through July

National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Brettschneider says this summer is the city's coolest since the "terrible summer of 2008."