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.
It’s official: Anchorage records its first snowfall of the season
While some parts of Anchorage received more than 14 inches of snow in late September, the weather service's measuring station near the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport got barely a trace. And that's where official weather measurements are taken. So, Thursday will technically be counted as Anchorage's first snowfall of the season.
Anchorage Assembly will decide tonight whether to override Bronson’s veto of masking measure
The Assembly's meeting is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Assembly Chambers at Loussac Library.
Anchorage Assembly to hire a lawyer for help with ‘separation of powers’ at Loussac
y chair Suzanne LaFrance, describes several instances where members of the mayor’s staff were “asserting control over the Loussac Library grounds.”
Anchorage Assembly approves emergency mask mandate
The order approved by the Aassembly takes effect immediately. It mandates that people wear masks in indoor public places and in communal spaces. Those exempted from the masking rules include children under age of 5, people in police custody, people participating in sports, people at church and Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration.
Commission in charge of Alaska elections upholds $38,500 fine for Bronson mayoral campaign
The Alaska Public Offices Commission has ruled that Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson did not file accurate campaign spending reports during the runoff election earlier this year. As a result, they have fined Bronson $38,500.
Mayor Bronson fires chief equity officer without approval from Anchorage Assembly
The Municipality of Anchorage’s chief equity officer was let go by Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson on Thursday, and he believes he was fired illegally.
2 members of Anchorage mayor’s administration test positive for COVID, canceling Friday’s meeting
Assembly leadership said in a statement late Friday afternoon that two members of Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration have COVID-19, and Assembly members at Thursday’s meeting came in “really close contact” with them.
Conflict erupts between Bronson and Assembly on sixth night of combative mask testimony
A stark conflict between Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and Assembly leadership marked the sixth day of chaotic public testimony on a proposed mask mandate for the city.
New draft policy for Anchorage police body cameras criticized for lack of transparency
The new draft comes almost six months after Anchorage voters approved the purchase of the cameras.
Anchorage Assembly mask testimony has gone on as long as any in recent memory, with more to come
Thursday marks the Anchorage Assembly's sixth session scheduled for public testimony on an ordinance that would introduce a mask mandate for the city. Testimony has been heated, with people arrested at meetings and concerns about anti-Semitic behavior and homophobic remarks.
Public testimony on Anchorage mask ordinance continues, with more than a dozen amendments yet to be debated
Public testimony on Anchorage’s proposed mask mandate entered its fifth day at the Assembly chambers Tuesday night.
Discord over masks escalates with arrests, Holocaust comparisons at the Anchorage Assembly
Several people were arrested at an Anchorage Assembly meeting on Wednesday night, including one man who was armed, during heated testimony over a proposed mask mandate.
Emotions high as testimony begins on Anchorage Assembly’s proposed mask mandate
Tensions were high at Tuesday night’s Anchorage Assembly meeting as the body prepared to hear testimony on a proposed mask mandate for indoor public settings and large outdoor gatherings. In the end, the meeting ran so long, most of the people who waited to speak weren’t able to.
Tribal and environmental advocates celebrate the first water flow down the Eklutna River in decades
For more than 60 years, the Eklutna River north of Anchorage had been dammed up, stifling the salmon runs that fed generations of Dena'ina people in the area.
The lower dam on the river was removed in 2018, and earlier this month, tribal and environmental advocates witnessed the first water to flow down the river in decades.
Proposed Anchorage mask mandate would enlist the public to help enforce it
head of Tuesday’s Assembly meeting, member Meg Zaletel added an amendment that would create a way for individuals to file complaints if they see people or businesses out of compliance with the mandate.
Was Friday a snow day in Anchorage? Not according to the National Weather Service
Despite over 14 inches of snow on the Anchorage hillside, the precipitation didn't break Anchorage's official record for earliest snow fall, since measurements for that are taken at the Anchorage Airport.
Snow expected: Anchorage could tie 40-year-old record for earliest snowfall
Parts of Anchorage could see up to a foot of snow before Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Anchorage’s new health director wants to ensure access to COVID vaccines without mandating them
Joe Gerace is in his first full week leading the Anchorage Health Department as the city's health care workers contend with a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Joe Gerace named new Anchorage health director
Joe Gerace previously worked as the Director of Operations for Visit Healthcare, the municipality's main testing and vaccine provider, and currently serves as chairman of the board of American Red Cross in Alaska.
Here are the first 2 winners of the state’s $49K COVID vaccine sweepstakes
Carin Kircher of Valdez won $49,000 in cash while Kodiak student Ethan Benton received a $49,000 scholarship.