Anchorage volunteer lobbyist fights for public education
The word 'lobbyist' is often paired with 'fat-cat'. But here in Alaska, it's not just the paid lobbyists who...
Anchorage school communities grapple with potential closures
Birchwood ABC is one of Anchorage School District's top performing schools, but it's also one of six schools the district may close due to a budget deficit.
Alaskan farmers get creative with growing food sustainably
https://youtu.be/7fOPc3vhtb0
The definition of farming has expanded over time from soil-only planting and harvesting to include farmers that harvest from the sea. Along the coast,...
Anchorage families struggle with sparse and expensive child care options
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0KNdZwsGgA
How are Alaska malls and small businesses affected by COVID-19 shutdowns? | Alaska Insight
As Alaska moves through phases of reopening its economy, retail stores in Anchorage have been open for more than three weeks now....
Cannery workers document the Chinese history of Alaska’s fishing industry
Chinese immigrants arrived before statehood and helped grow Alaska's wild salmon industry into the international, multi-billion-dollar economy that it is today.
Home is home: finding a way to stay amid a housing shortage in rural Alaska
Overcrowding is a perennial problem in rural Alaska, but the Covid-19 pandemic has made living with it harder. Cramped conditions offer little space to work from home, conduct virtual schooling, or quarantine, and put many multigenerational households at increased risk of infection. Tackling the problem isn’t easy, but, as Erin McKinstry reports for Alaska Public Media, federal COVID funds are offering some relief in the Bering Straits Region.
ANWR on hold: Decades-long uncertainty over Arctic refuge drilling continues
When Joe Biden took office, he immediately slammed the brakes on oil drilling in the Arctic refuge. So how did we get here? And, what’s next?
Explained: What are PFAS compounds and how can they affect human health?
Found in various items from firefighting foam to household cleaning products and even food containers, PFAS are persistent "forever...
New biomass furnace saves money and fossil fuel in Ambler, Alaska
The installation of a biomass furnace system in Ambler, a rural village off the road system, is set to save the community more than $50,000 a year.
An Anchorage mosaic highlights the importance of mental wellbeing
Talking about mental health is hard, but it’s important for anyone who is struggling to know that they’re not alone. Alaska Public Media’s Adam Nicely brings us this story of an Anchorage community project with that goal, called Mental Health Mosaics.
Haines residents are still recovering from last year’s landslides
https://youtu.be/dz5KxQ9hflc
The human toll from climate change effects in Alaska are real. The small community of Haines in Southeast Alaska experienced a deadly landslide late...
An update on Alaska’s legislative session
As with many recent sessions, discussions largely center on the state’s finances, while a number of social issues have come up as well.
A traditional Unangax̂ boat sails for the first time in over 200 years
https://youtu.be/_Ka9-tBUweg
It’s been about 200 years since Russian colonizers demolished the last remaining examples of large Unangax̂ boats called a niĝilax̂. The wooden framed boats...
How Bethel and other rural Alaska villages are preparing for COVID-19 | Alaska Insight
With the first case of COVID-19 confirmed in Southwest Alaska, state and tribal health officials are working to provide adequate supplies for...
With knowledge of his ancestors, young leader looks to ANCSA’s future
Aaron Tolen has tribal and ANCSA regional corporation affiliations across the state. He aims to balance a modern education with the values and traditions of his people, so he can continue to feel grounded in his culture and also experience success in a contemporary way.
Training child care providers in Southeast Alaska
Quality child care is in limited supply across Alaska, but especially so in rural parts of the state.
New report shines light on Alaska’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls
https://youtu.be/XYizUj2PrYk
Alaska Native women experience disproportionate levels of violence, but it’s difficult to know exactly how bad the problem is. Mistrust of the legal system...
In Tanana, Alaska, ‘a way of life’ comes to a bittersweet close
The team narrowly missed the state title, and it will be years before the village sees another team step onto a court.
Escaping conflict abroad, arrivals in Alaska seek stability and opportunity
https://youtu.be/bItA0ChP5yw
War and political upheaval are driving a major increase in the number of refugees and other immigrants arriving in Alaska from overseas. Whatever the...