Anchorage news

• Alaska Senate prepares to vote on public education funding boost as Dunleavy vows veto

  11-04-2025 20:50 via ktoo.org
  
  The Senate chambers are seen at the Alaska State Capitol on Friday, May 13, 2022 in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
  The Alaska Senate will vote as soon as Friday on legislation that seeks to permanently increase K-12 public school funding, but Gov. Mike Dunleavy has vowed to veto the bill if it passes as currently written.
  On Thursday morning, the Senate Finance Committee approved a modified version of House Bill 69, which would increase the base student allocation &md
  
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• Judge restores federal funding for museums and libraries, including in Alaska

  15-12-2025 21:38 via ktoo.org
  The Klukwan Library. (Jamie Katzeek)
  Federal funding for libraries and museums has been reinstated nine months after the Trump administration first sought to eliminate the agency that provides that money.
  The initial move sparked concern around Alaska, where dozens of tribes and villages rely on federal dollars to pay staff and offer programming at libraries. At the time, a handful of libraries reported grant cancellations.
  But in early December, the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Ser
  
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• Alaska Native veterans and heirs race to apply for Native allotments

  15-12-2025 21:02 via ktoo.org
  Photo of Anthony “Bone” Lekanof (Courtesy of Michael Livingston)
  For those who haven’t filed for their Native allotments, Alaska Native veterans don’t have much time to claim 160 acres of federal land. The window for applications closes permanently on Dec. 29.
  ANCSA ended 1906 Native allotment program
  The land grants were part of a government program created over a hundred years ago, to promote homesteads and private property ownership. But the 1906 Native allotment progr
  
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• Juneau schools are closed Monday due to ongoing snow storm

  15-12-2025 17:13 via ktoo.org
  In this file photo, a bobcat removes snow from a parking lot downtown on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (Clarise Larson/KTOO)
  Juneau schools will be closed Monday due to weather conditions in the Juneau area.
  A winter storm warning is currently in effect for the Juneau area. An additional 4 to 7 inches of snow accumulation is forecasted.
  After-school activities and events are also canceled. The special school board meeting will take place as scheduled at noon on Zoom.
  City and Borough of Juneau faciliti
  
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• Congress approves reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools funding

  14-12-2025 15:03 via ktoo.org
  Secure Rural Schools payments go to municipalities with large amounts of untaxed federal land — including those near the Tongass National Forest and the Chugach National Forest. (Sydney Dauphinais/KRBD)
  Congress approved critical funding for rural schools Tuesday night with the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act.
  More than $12 million is set aside for Alaskan communities affected by the decline of the timber industry. That money goes to districts with large amounts of untaxed federal
  
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• Rare birds in Sitka spark excitement ahead of annual count

  14-12-2025 14:56 via ktoo.org
  
  
  A Dickcissel spotted in Sitka in mid-November (Marc Kramer/Birding By Bus)
  Two different birds rarely seen in Sitka and much of Alaska showed up in Southeast last month. As KCAW’s Katherine Rose reports, it was exciting news for birders leading into a big month for our feathered friends–the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count.
  https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/09RAREBIRD.mp3
  In mid-November, the arrival of two rare birds in Sitka caught the attention o
  
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• Federal agency restores funding for museums and libraries, including in Klukwan

  13-12-2025 20:31 via ktoo.org
  The Klukwan Library. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Katzeek)
  Federal funding for libraries and museums has been reinstated nine months after the Trump administration first sought to eliminate the agency that provides that money.
  The initial move sparked concern around Alaska, where dozens of tribes and villages rely on federal dollars to pay staff and offer programming at libraries. At the time, a handful of libraries reported grant cancellations.
  But in early December, the U.S. Institu
  
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• Lawsuit challenges Trump administration approval for Arctic Alaska oil exploration plan

  13-12-2025 15:00 via ktoo.org
  A caribou in the Teshekpuk herd is seen on June 27, 2014, in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. A lawsuit filed Thursday claims the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved ConocoPhillips’ winter oil exploration plan without adequately considering damages to habitat used by caribou and other wildlife. (Bob Wick/U.S. Bureau of Land Management)
  Environmental and Native organizations on Thursday sued the Trump administration to try to overturn last month’s approval of an expansiv
  
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• Facing a hot Trump controversy, Sullivan deploys a sidestep

  13-12-2025 04:19 via ktoo.org
  Sen. Dan Sullivan at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing earlier this year. (Screenshot | U.S. Senate video)
  WASHINGTON — The subject of Thursday’s hearing was one of the biggest political controversies of President Trump’s second term: His use of the National Guard within the United States.
  Democrats on the Senate Armed Service Committee railed against the deployment of the National Guard to American cities. Some Republicans on the committee vigorously defended those ur
  
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• Angoon students return home after being stuck in Juneau

  13-12-2025 03:32 via ktoo.org
  The Alaska ferry MV LeConte docked at the Auke Bay Ferry Terminal on Sept. 2, 2025. The LeConte has been docked since Aug. 31 due to mechanical issues. (Photo by Jamie Diep/KTOO)
  A group of 14 student athletes from Angoon finally returned home from Juneau Friday morning after a cancelled ferry left them stuck in the capital city for four extra days.
  The students came to Juneau on Dec. 3 for a basketball tournament. Angoon School principal Emma Demmert was on the trip with the team and said their
  
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• Newscast – Friday, Dec. 12, 2025

  13-12-2025 03:03 via ktoo.org
  https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251212-News-Update.mp3
  In this newscast:The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has landed on a solution to put an end to glacial outburst floods that have grown more destructive in Juneau’s Mendenhall Valley neighborhoods over the past few summers,
  Juneau Animal Rescue might soon have a location in the Mendenhall Valley for its proposed new animal shelter,
  A group of 14 student athletes from Angoon finally returned home from Juneau Friday morni
  
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• Army Corps will pursue a ‘lake tap’ solution to stop glacial outburst floods in the Mendenhall Valley

  13-12-2025 03:02 via ktoo.org
  Sean Smack pulls people on a raft through floodwaters on Meander Way on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Photo by Clarise Larson/KTOO)
  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has landed on a solution to put an end to glacial outburst floods that have grown more destructive in Juneau’s Mendenhall Valley neighborhoods over the past few summers. 
  The agency will pursue something called a ‘lake tap.’ It’s essentially a tunnel through Bullard Mountain on the east side of the glacier t
  
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• Federal shutdown disrupts quota-setting for pollock

  13-12-2025 02:24 via ktoo.org
  Trawlers like the F/T Alaska Ocean, pictured here in Dutch Harbor in 2023, will be able to catch just under 1.4 million metric tons of pollock in 2026. (Theo Greenly | KUCB)
  Last week, members of the body that oversees federal fisheries off Alaska’s coast recommended keeping next year’s catch limits for the sprawling Bering Sea pollock fishery about the same as this year.
  Managing the nation’s largest commercial fishery is never simple, but North Pacific Fishery Management Cou
  
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• Juneau Assembly might approve a spot for Juneau Animal Rescue’s new shelter

  12-12-2025 23:04 via ktoo.org
  Kittens cuddle together at Juneau Animal Rescue on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (Photo by Clarise Larson/KTOO)
  Juneau Animal Rescue might soon have a location in the Mendenhall Valley for its proposed new animal shelter.
  The Juneau Assembly is slated to vote Monday night on whether to lease a parcel of city property to the rescue for less than fair market value.
  The nonprofit organization has been fundraising to construct a newer, updated facility for the last few years. The current shelter was bui
  
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• Arctic temperatures hit Southeast Alaska as Petersburg sees record snowfall

  12-12-2025 19:00 via ktoo.org
  People walk on icy streets and shovel snow in downtown Petersburg on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. Over 15 inches of snow fell in the town earlier that week. (Taylor Heckart/KFSK)
  Winter has arrived in Southeast Alaska, bringing freezing temperatures and enough snow to break daily records for some communities.
  Jeff Garmon is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau.
  “I don’t think anybody escapes having to, you know, just make sure that we’re ready for arctic tem
  
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• Juneau artists rack up eight Rasmuson awards. Here’s what three of the winners are creating.

  12-12-2025 15:07 via ktoo.org
  Rasmuson Individual Artist Awardees CJ Harrell, Flordelino Lagundino, and Neech Yanagut Yéil Laine Rinehart. (Photos courtesy of the artists)
  The Rasmuson Foundation announced their list of Individual Artist awardees, and eight Juneau projects made the list. The 50 total awards go to artists across the state, who will receive $10,000 each toward a project they have planned. 
  For Juneau-based artists like CJ Harrell, the grants support deeply personal projects. Harrell plans to make bl
  
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• ‘Can they adapt?’: Researchers watch for signs of lynx in the Chilkat Valley

  12-12-2025 09:15 via ktoo.org
  Kevin White checks a trail camera strategically positioned to capture images of lynx and other wildlife in the Chilkat Valley. (Avery Ellfeldt/KHNS)
  On a crisp day in mid-November, two wildlife biologists bushwhacked into the Takshanuk Mountains until they reached the edge of a canyon that offers close-up views of mountain goats.
  Kevin White, a wildlife biologist and Haines local, checked the batteries and downloaded the photos from a camera strapped to a nearby tree.
  “There’s a por
  
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• Dunleavy’s proposed budget requires $1.5B from savings

  12-12-2025 04:47 via ktoo.org
  Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks direct-to-camera in a video published Dec. 11, 2025 discussing his budget proposal. (Screenshot)
  Gov. Mike Dunleavy unveiled his proposed state budget on Thursday — but this year, he skipped the usual press conference.
  Instead, the governor released a short YouTube video and Facebook Reel outlining his plan.
  “Here are the examples of the larger budget items proposed in this year’s budget,” Dunleavy read, “a full Permanent Fund dividend, as
  
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• Newscast – Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025

  12-12-2025 03:00 via ktoo.org
  https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251211-News-Update.mp3
  In this newscast:Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski Area is slated to open at a limited capacity on Saturday and Sunday after an influx of snow earlier this week,
  The Rasmuson Foundation announced their list of Individual Artist awardees, and eight Juneau projects made the list. The 50 awards go to artists across the state, who will receive $10,000 each toward a project they have planned,
  Gov. Mike Dunleavy plans to roll out a
  
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• Sullivan and Murkowski vote with Democrats to support failed health subsidy extension

  12-12-2025 02:32 via ktoo.org
  U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. (Alaska Public Media)
  WASHINGTON — Both of Alaska’s U.S senators crossed the aisle Thursday to vote to advance a Democratic bill that would’ve extended health insurance subsidies for three years.
  The Alaskans and two other senators were the only Republicans to back the plan, which failed to get the 60 votes needed.
  Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s vote was not a surprise. She’s known for often voting with Democrats, and she
  
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• Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski Area to open at limited capacity this weekend

  11-12-2025 21:14 via ktoo.org
  Eaglecrest Ski Area on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Eaglecrest Ski Area)
  Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski Area is slated to open at a limited capacity on Saturday and Sunday after an influx of snow earlier this week. 
  General Manager Craig Cimmons said the city-owned ski area will begin operating with only the Porcupine lift running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. That lift services the mountain’s easiest trails. 
  The ski area is calling the partial opening a “winter preview weekend” s
  
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• Popular fight night in Juneau celebrates 40th beatdown

  11-12-2025 15:08 via ktoo.org
  Jesse “Jex the High” Harris kicks Landon Smallwood during an MMA fight at the 40th AK Beatdown event in Juneau on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (Photo by Clarise Larson/KTOO)https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/10AKbeatdown.wav
  Many retirees tend to spend their leisure time volunteering, reading books, or playing pickleball. But, 69-year-old Jack “Jack Hammer” Duckworth spent his Saturday evening in a boxing ring at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall, facing an opponent ha
  
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• Dunleavy says he plans to roll out fiscal plan ahead of Alaska lawmakers’ return to Juneau

  11-12-2025 15:05 via ktoo.org
  Gov. Mike Dunleavy greets a visitor to his final holiday open house as governor on Dec. 9, 2025. (Eric Stone | Alaska Public Media)
  Gov. Mike Dunleavy says he will roll out a new plan to stabilize Alaska’s tumultuous state finances in the coming weeks ahead of next month’s legislative session. The upcoming session provides Dunleavy his last chance to address an issue that has vexed his seven years in office.
  “(The) next three, four, five years are going to be tough,” Dun
  
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• Third humpback whale found dead in Unalaska since October

  11-12-2025 15:01 via ktoo.org
  The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported the whale in Unalaska Bay to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Dec. 4. The Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network said there is no cause of death. (Photo courtesy of Ellis Berry)
  A dead humpback whale was spotted in Unalaska Bay on Dec. 4, the third reported dead whale to wash up on the island since Oct. 16.
  The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported the whale to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the same
  
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• State senators express skepticism about proposed Juneau ferry terminal backed by Dunleavy

  11-12-2025 15:00 via ktoo.org
  Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, speaks Wednesday, April 23, 2025, on the floor of the Alaska Senate. (James Brooks | Alaska Beacon)
  In a Friday hearing, members of the Alaska Senate spoke critically about a proposed new ferry terminal in Juneau, questioning why the project would be worth its multimillion-dollar cost.
  Earlier this year, state legislators planned to divert $62 million from a variety of transportation projects in order to pay for the state share of federal transportation
  
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• Newscast – Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025

  11-12-2025 03:00 via ktoo.org
  https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251210-News-Update.mp3
  In this newscast:Three months after a trial against a former Juneau chiropractor accused of sexual assault ended in mistrial, the new defense team is asking for more time to review the case before a second trial,
  This weekend, hundreds of Juneau residents braved the heavy snowfall and icy roads to make their way to a fight night downtown,
  The federal government’s official name for North America’s tallest peak
  
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• After a Juneau sexual assault case ended in mistrial, new defense team asks for more time to prepare next trial

  11-12-2025 00:10 via ktoo.org
  Public Defender Nico Ambrose in the Dimond Courthouse on Dec. 12, 2025. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO)
  Three months after a trial against a former Juneau chiropractor accused of sexual assault ended in mistrial, the new public defense team is asking for more time to review the case before a second trial.
  Fourteen former patients accused Jeffrey Fultz of sexual assault under the guise of medical care. They say the incidents took place during medical appointments between 2014 and 2020 while he was
  
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• CCFR aims to reduce response times for Juneau residents experiencing cardiac arrest

  10-12-2025 21:33 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Capital City Fire/Rescue’s Andrew Pantiskas on Dec. 9, 2025. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO)
  When someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest in Juneau, the average response time for Capital City Fire/Rescue is 9 minutes. 
  CCFR’s EMS Program Manager Andrew Pantiskas is leading an initiative – involving the help of Juneau community members and an app called PulsePoint – to make the response time faster.KTOO’s Mike Lane spoke with Pantiskis about this life-saving ef
  
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• Murkowski tries again to change mountain’s name to Denali

  10-12-2025 16:59 via ktoo.org
  Denali viewed from Talkeetna on March 8, 2025. (Dave Bass)
  WASHINGTON — The federal government’s official name for North America’s tallest peak is Mount McKinley.
  President Trump reinstated the moniker on Day 1 of his second term with an executive order entitled “Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness.”
  But Sen. Lisa Murkowski is trying to re-restore a much older name.
  “We have called it, this mountain, Denali in Alaska for decades, generations,”
  
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• Alaska settles 2 lawsuits against vape companies for allegedly targeting kids for addiction

  10-12-2025 16:58 via ktoo.org
  A person using a Juul vape. (Joey Mendolia/Alaska Public Media)
  The state of Alaska has settled lawsuits against Juul and Altria, two nicotine vapor manufacturers, for a combined $7.8 million, the state Department of Law said on Friday.
  The suits were part of a nationwide pattern: Alaska and other U.S. states had alleged that the companies deliberately targeted children with advertising, something that likely contributed to a surge in nicotine use among children and young adults.
  Altria settled
  
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