At least 50 structures lost in McKinley fire north of Willow
A 19-mile stretch of the Parks Highway was closed some 80 miles north of Anchorage, as authorities called for the evacuation of a subdivision that only has one road in and out.
Fires north and south of Anchorage close highways, trigger evacuations
High winds, dry conditions have caused the fires to grow rapidly.
Group seeking Dunleavy recall isn’t stopping at minimum as it continues to gather signatures
A Recall Dunleavy organizer says the campaign isn’t slowing down after the veto reversals.
Haines water department works to keep water flowing from Lily Lake amid drought
Dry weather and low snowpack have reduced the amount of water in Lily Lake to historically low levels this summer. The lake is one of the main drinking water sources for Haines.
Tali Birch Kindred, daughter of deceased state Sen. Birch, takes step toward trying to fill his seat
The daughter of recently-deceased state senator Chris Birch, Tali Birch Kindred, is seeking to replace him, according to documents she filed with state regulators Friday.
Sitka Assembly takes no action on police investigation
Despite three pending harassment lawsuits, the Sitka Assembly continues to hold off on hiring an outside consultant to investigate the Sitka Police Department.
Homeless shelters and services to see reduced funding
With a state capital budget passed, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation said it will dole out checks to charities that have been trying to keep Alaskans off the streets. But those checks will only go so far.
Dunleavy points to university budget cut agreement as a model
Nonprofit leaders have said they’re open to working with the governor. But it’s unclear how the approach will work in practice.
Murkowski now supports a ‘complete exemption’ for Tongass from Roadless Rule
A decision by the Trump administration over exempting the Tongass National Forest from the Roadless Rule is expected soon. That’s according to Sen. Lisa Murkowski who in an interview with CoastAlaska has hardened her stance on the hot-button issue.
Army, contractor begin planning to dismantle deactivated Fort Greely nuclear power plant
The Army Corps of Engineers is moving ahead on a project to decommission the mothballed nuclear-power plant at Fort Greely.
Governor axes state funding for Cold Climate Housing Research Center
It's unclear how the center can continue to operate without state funds, but its staff of 18 continue to look for ways to do their work.
State funding for early education restored, but services this year could still be affected
“Plans have been put in place that it’s hard to walk back from, because this was such a disruption,” said Tlingit and Haida Head Start director Amber Frommherz.
Fairbanks City Council OKs application for Alaska’s first cannabis shop with onsite-consumption area
The Fairbanks City Council voted Monday to support a cannabis entrepreneur’s bid to open Alaska’s first on-site marijuana consumption facility. But the Anchorage business person who’s proposed the facility must first win an appeal from the state’s marijuana-regulating agency.
Alaska’s summer heatwave
How has this summer affected marine mammal, fish and seabird populations? And what does the hot weather mean for the state as Alaskans adapt to the reality of climate change? We'll discuss the summer heat wave on the next Talk of Alaska.
Dunleavy cites public response in veto reversals
Gov. Mike Dunleavy hasn’t wavered from many of his positions since taking office. But that changed this week.
Skiff capsizes from ferry Columbia’s wake in Wrangell Narrows
A wake from the Alaska state ferry Columbia caused a small skiff to capsize in the Wrangell Narrows near Petersburg.
Shishmaref man finds 50-year-old Russian message in a bottle
It isn't every day that a 50-year-old message in a bottle washes up on the shores of Western Alaska. But that’s exactly what happened to Tyler Ivanoff near Shishmaref on August 5.
Heatwave shuts down dog sled tours early on a glacier near Skagway
The tour company moved 240 dogs and 60,000 pounds of equipment from the Denver Glacier above Skagway to camp on the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, where they had to scout new, even higher altitude terrain.
Curyung Tribe to leave BBAHC
The tribe said it decided to withdraw, in part, due to issues with patient care and the health corporation's insufficient response to their concerns. The earliest effective date for the withdrawal is May 2020.
New water tests show Bethel lead and copper levels meet federal standards
A large infrastructure project last fall is the suspected cause of elevated copper and lead levels discovered at some locations in Bethel’s City Subdivision.