Anne Hillman

Nearly 61 thousand households in Anchorage have pets. That works out to about 105 thousand dogs and 88 thousand cats. That’s a lot of animals — and a lot of animal waste. And pet ownership doesn’t just impact the people who live with the creatures. Caring for pets is both challenging and rewarding for veterinarians and their staff, too. This week on Hometown, Alaska, we’re talking to veterinarians about their mental health and pet care basics as well as taking a trip to the dog park to see how your actions affect everyone downstream.

Think about your community. Do you feel safe there? Do you have access to clean water or to adequate housing? How connected are you to your neighbors? To the land? All these things are elements of a healthy community. On this Talk of Alaska we discuss what’s happening around the state to build healthy communities where everyone thrives.

Anchorage's Assembly and Mayor make decisions that affect your everyday life, from how much you pay in taxes to when your streets might be plowed. Their decisions influence what services are available, where developments happen, and how the city's money is spent. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska we'll learn more about how the city government works and how you can affect it. We'll also go on an audio tour of the Anchorage Election Center to learn about what happens to your ballot after you send it back in.

So much of our human experience is shaped by the people around us, especially by the people we love, or that we think we love, or that maybe love us? Relationships of all kinds can be complicated, even if they are healthy. During this Talk of Alaska, we’re exploring what it looks like to have a healthy relationship with someone, romantic or otherwise, and how it can improve our lives.

The Anchorage School Board needs to pass a balanced budget by March 1. With nearly flat funding from the state, the district is facing a $48 million dollar shortfall. That could mean cutting jobs, increasing the student to teacher ratio, and closing an elementary school. But the budget process isn’t over yet. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska we’re talking about the school district budget, how it’s determined, how the school board works and more.

Death is inevitable, yet it can still be very hard to talk about and to plan for. Facing death can be both emotionally and logistically challenging. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska we’re exploring death with a group of practitioners who have made it a centerpiece of their lives. The discussion includes preparing for death, grief, and end-of-life rituals.

This year, Alaskans are deciding whether or not to hold another constitutional convention, but how do you decide if you want to change the constitution if you don’t understand the current one? On this week’s Talk of Alaska, ask questions of constitutional experts about Alaska’s constitution and the foundational laws of the state.

It's not enough to know who or what you want to vote for, you also need to know how and where to cast your ballot.

Talk of Alaska is hitting the road with an in-person conversation in Juneau on June 7.

Ballot Measure 2 created the non-partisan pick one primary and the four-candidate ranked choice voting general election. It also included provisions related to campaign finance transparency. It required groups who are campaigning on behalf of or against candidates, but not ballot measures, to disclose if most of their funding came from a source outside of Alaska.