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 grid of 12 photos with diverse people

Hey Anchorage, who’s your pick for mayor? Why?

We spent a day talking to locals all over Anchorage, from Eagle River to Girdwood, about what matters to them. 
a woman

Military families in Hawaii spark trial over 2021 jet fuel leak that tainted water

A federal judge will decide the case opening Monday, following multiple lawsuits after military jet fuel leaked into Pearl Harbor's drinking water.
a student

School closure on Eielson Air Force base highlights effects of education policy choices

Military families have been rocked by the second school closure on the growing base near Fairbanks.
a portrait of a woman in a blue jacket in the mountains

Well-known New York forest ranger dies in Denali ice climbing accident

Robbi Mecus was a leader among forest rangers in the Adirondacks and in the LGBTQ+ climbing community.
Blue and red police lights.

Spenard man shot and killed by his neighbor, police say

Tierza Hayes, 28, is charged with murder in the Saturday shooting, which allegedly happened during a fight involving her husband and the victim.
a broken arch

Iditarod’s iconic Burled Arch collapses in Nome

The arch, which marks the end of the Iditarod Trail, collapsed Saturday. It was last renovated in 2013.
a courthouse

Alaska tribal health consortiums are legally immune in many cases, state Supreme Court says

The decision on sovereign immunity affects several of the state’s largest-private sector employers and could have broad implications.

Social media ban for kids under 14 passes Alaska House

The social media proposal was added late in the process as an amendment to another bill and hasn’t been subject to public hearings.
a sign on a tree near tents

Anchorage policing of homeless encampments will hinge on U.S. Supreme Court decision

Anchorage and other western cities say a lower court's ruling has them hamstrung on responding to homelessness.
three men pose for a photo together

Anchorage teen’s cold-case killer sentenced to 50 years

Donald McQuade, now 67, was sentenced for the death of Shelley Connolly, who was found dead near a Seward Highway pullout in 1978.
A man in a suit and tie sits on a board of directors.

Anchorage School District announces plan to close schools as part of ‘right-sizing’ effort

District staff hope to improve the process from the last time a school closed in 2022.
Wooden white crosses dot a grassy park.

Last year was Alaska’s deadliest on record for opioid overdoses

Alaska lost 342 people to opioid overdose in 2023 and had the highest increase in deaths per capita in the nation.
King Cove

King Cove braces for salmon season with no seafood processor amid historic price slump

Less than 2 months before salmon season, King Cove's seafood processor announced it will cease operations.
underwater archaeology

Archaeologists try to answer new questions about first humans in Southeast Alaska

A recent paper attempts to set a new timeframe of when humans first arrived in Southeast Alaska, using cave remains and animal fossils from the region.
data servers

Net neutrality is back: U.S. promises fast, safe and reliable internet for all

The U.S. will reinstate Obama-era regulations for internet service providers that promise fast, reliable and fair internet speeds for all consumers.
a map

Air Force wants to build 9 Interior radar facilities for training exercises

Air Force officials say the sites are meant to replicate potential adversaries' radar systems during Alaska-based training flights.
a drift net

Feds approve disaster declaration for 2022 Kuskokwim salmon fisheries

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's disaster declaration covers the Kuskokwim River failure of chinook, chum and coho fisheries in 2022.
a dock

Haines residents could weigh in on divisive dock project

Mayor Tom Morphet said he wants an advisory vote to make sure “50 percent plus one of the community” is on board with how to rebuild the Lutak Dock.
Kodiak

Report portrays mixed picture of Alaska’s huge seafood industry

The report says the industry's economic value rose in 2021 and 2022, but employment is declining and recent price collapses are worrisome.

Amendment banning kids under 14 from social media passes Alaska House with bipartisan support

The measure came as an amendment to an otherwise unrelated bill that would require adult websites to verify users are 18 or older.