Wesley Early, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
Anchorage internal auditors to review contracts made under disgraced former health director
In addition to the audit of health grants and contracts, another big audit will look into sole-source contracts from the city’s purchasing department.
Anchorage Assembly leaders demand response from mayor following scathing allegations
Anchorage Assembly leaders say they want Mayor Dave Bronson to publicly respond to scathing allegations made against him by recently-fired Municipal Manager Amy Demboski.
An attorney for Demboski issued an 11-page demand letter on Wednesday,...
Ousted Anchorage city manager accuses Mayor Bronson of breaking law, creating hostile work environment
The scathing 11-page letter to city leaders says Amy Demboski's firing was retaliatory and unlawful.
Anchorage School District is again considering changes to class start times
The school board voted down a proposal to change start times in 2018, but officials say the issue has remained important post-pandemic.
Former Golden Lion Hotel will become low-income housing, says Anchorage mayor
The Golden Lion building was purchased by the city in 2020 under acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson, and was intended to be used as a drug and alcohol misuse treatment center.
Joey Sweet to take over Forrest Dunbar’s Anchorage Assembly seat
Sweet, 30, is a former student regent for the University of Alaska, appointed by Gov. Bill Walker. He also served as a legislative intern for former state Sen. Berta Gardner.
Here are the 5 East Anchorage residents vying for Dunbar’s vacant Assembly seat
The five candidates who filed are Harry Crawford, Joey Sweet, Jim Wojciehowski, Hilary Morgan and Rich Foehrer.
Anchorage Mayor Bronson picks Grant Yutrzenka as city’s CFO
Before his job in the finance department, Yutrzenka was assistant general manager and CFO for Anchorage's water and wastewater utility.
Anchorage is still struggling to remove snow, weeks after a trio of winter storms
City officials say crews have made progress. But there are challenges.
Anchorage is switching to a new emergency messaging system. Here’s how to sign up.
The Municipality of Anchorage will soon begin using Rave Mobile Safety to send alerts about weather, traffic and other emergencies.
Anchorage Assembly starts process to fill Allard, Dunbar seats
Assembly members Forrest Dunbar of East Anchorage and Jamie Allard of Chugiak-Eagle River were both elected in November to serve in the Alaska Legislature.
Flight cancellations lead to hectic holiday travel for Alaskans
“We can safely say this was one of, if not the single worst, airline meltdown that we’ve seen," said Thrifty Traveler's Kyle Potter.
Snow buildup on Anchorage roads leaves drivers with fewer lanes and longer commutes
“I mean I stayed on Lake Otis for well over 30 minutes, because it was one lane,” said Anchorage resident Megan Premer.
Alaska’s first Miss America, Emma Broyles, reflects on her year in the spotlight
Broyles became a statewide sensation after she became the first Alaskan and the first Korean American named Miss America last year.
‘Black Lives in Alaska’ highlights more than 150 years of African American history in the Last Frontier
Author and historian Ian Hartman says while most of early Alaska history focuses on territorial days and the Klondike Gold Rush, Black people have lived and worked in the region long before.
Anchorage students may have stretch of longer school days to make up for recent snow days
District officials are proposing to add 30 minutes to each school day between Jan. 30 and March 9.
Anchorage School Board recommends closing Abbott Loop Elementary among other preliminary budget cuts
Recommended cuts also include getting rid of virtual learning for elementary school students and increasing the district’s pupil to teacher ratio by one across all grade levels, likely making class sizes larger.
Anchorage teachers say they’re concerned about a proposal to increase class sizes
The Anchorage School District needs to cut spending by $48 million and raising the student-to-teacher ratio by one would save $7 million.
Gov. Dunleavy’s proposed budget continues yearslong trend of flat funding for Alaska schools
Because of inflation, flat school funding over the past several years essentially means that the money school districts have received has been worth less each year.
In wake of a smaller $48M deficit, Anchorage school officials weigh numerous budget cuts
School board members on Saturday found wide consensus on closing Abbott Loop Elementary School, increasing the student-to-teacher ratio by one and using roughly $28 million in savings to close next year's budget gap.