Anchorage news

• Here’s what passed and what didn’t in Alaska’s legislative session

  05-06-2023 18:33 via ktoo.org
  
  Flowers bloom in front of the Alaska Capitol on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
  Alaska’s legislative session ended last month, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy has yet to consider most of the 31 bills passed by both House and Senate this spring.
  The Legislature’s 31 bills are the third-fewest of any first-year session since statehood. Only 2017 (26 bills) and 2019 (29 bills) had fewer.
  It isn’t clear which, if any, bills Dunleavy will veto. He alr
  
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• City, tribal leaders in Juneau declare local emergency following record-breaking snowfall

  07-01-2026 04:57 via ktoo.org
  Residents brave the snowy roads in downtown Juneau on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (Photo by Clarise Larson/KTOO)
  The City and Borough of Juneau and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska announced a joint disaster declaration Tuesday evening following record-breaking snowstorms and cold temperatures. 
  The declaration opens the doors for the city to request aid from the state. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has not announced whether he will approve the request. 
  In a joint
  
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• Bill Ray Center roof collapses downtown as roof-shoveling conditions grow more dangerous

  07-01-2026 03:58 via ktoo.org
  The Bill Ray Center roof collapse, seen through a first-story window on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo by Alix Soliman/KTOO)
  The roof of the Bill Ray Center, an empty building on F Street in downtown Juneau, collapsed Tuesday following back-to-back snowstorms and rain.
  Although Tuesday’s rain has melted some of the several feet of snow that’s accumulated over more than a week, dripping roofs can still hold a lot of weight.  
  The warm-up has also caused roadways to pool with
  
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• Newscast – Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026

  07-01-2026 03:05 via ktoo.org
  https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/20260106-News-Update.mp3
  In this newscast:Schools in Juneau were closed again today (TUES) as the capital city continues to dig out from successive snowstorms,
  The roof of the Bill Ray Center, an empty building on F Street in downtown Juneau, collapsed today after back-to-back snowstorms,
  Boxes of food, mail and late Christmas presents arrived by plane to the small Southeast Alaska fishing town of Pelican on New Year’s Day. The goods came a
  
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• Pelican finally gets supplies after going a month without ferries or seaplanes

  06-01-2026 23:03 via ktoo.org
  Pelican harbor, pictured here in late 2019. (Photo courtesy of Heather Bauscher)
  Boxes of food, mail and late Christmas presents arrived by plane to the small Southeast Alaska fishing town of Pelican on New Year’s Day. The goods came after the isolated town went more than a month without access to outside services. 
  From late November till New Year’s Day, the Chichigof Island town of Pelican relied completely on itself. Extreme weather this winter prevented any seaplanes and or
  
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• Sustained snow and cold stretch resources of northern Lynn Canal residents. Community spirit and a list are helping.

  06-01-2026 22:56 via ktoo.org
  Fort Seward in Haines under heavy snow on Jan. 5, 2026. (Avery Ellfeldt/KHNS)
  Haines and Skagway have suffered through weeks of bitterly cold temperatures and several feet of snow.
  Snowfall in Haines has been so heavy that residents are worried about roof loads. Community members are caring for each other in these extreme conditions with shovels and the Internet.
  When the National Weather Service reported snow depth of 36 inches over the weekend, Haines resident Sheri Loomis started making a lis
  
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• Alaska Family and Community Services commissioner leaves state post for Trump administration job

  06-01-2026 21:28 via ktoo.org
  The State Office Building in Juneau is seen on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
  The commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Family and Community Services has departed that position to take a job with the Trump administration.
  Kim Kovol has accepted a job with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced last week. Her last day working for the state was on Friday, and Tracy Dompeling, the department’s deputy comm
  
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• Residents at a mobile home park in Juneau go weeks without adequate water pressure

  06-01-2026 03:52 via ktoo.org
  The sun sets on Friday, January 17, 2020 at the Thunder Mountain Mobile Park in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/KTOO)
  Dozens of Thunder Mountain Mobile Park residents weren’t able to use their showers or do laundry over the holidays and during recent snowstorms. 
  Wright Services, the company that owns the park, said it won’t be able to repair the main water line until temperatures warm. And warm weather isn’t in the forecast any time soon. 
  Tammy Jablonski
  
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• Snowpocalypse continues as Juneau runs out of places to put it all; school closed again

  06-01-2026 03:36 via ktoo.org
  An operator scoops snow in downtown Juneau on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (Photo by Clarise Larson/KTOO)
  Residents of Juneau are living in a snow globe. Another winter storm began Sunday night, dropping more snow on top of the 4 feet that fell just after Christmas.  
  City offices and facilities will remain closed Tuesday, as well as local schools.
  During a break in the snow over the weekend, many residents prepared for the oncoming winter storm by digging out roofs, driveways and cars.&nbs
  
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• Snowpocalypse continues as Juneau runs out of places to put it all

  06-01-2026 03:36 via ktoo.org
  An operator scoops snow in downtown Juneau on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (Photo by Clarise Larson/KTOO)
  Residents of Juneau are living in a snow globe. Another winter storm began Sunday night, dropping more snow on top of the 4 feet that fell just after Christmas.  
  During a break in the snow over the weekend, many residents prepared for the oncoming winter storm by digging out roofs, driveways and cars. 
  As of Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service reported 6 inches to a foo
  
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• Girdwood dog, missing for 2 weeks, rescued from deep Alyeska ravine

  06-01-2026 03:15 via ktoo.org
  A team of five rescued Otis, a friendly Bernese Mountain Dog on Dec. 29 near the Ted’s Express lift. (Ryan Hutchins-Cabibi)
  Ski patrollers at Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood rescued a dog from a deep ravine last week that had been missing for 13 days.
  Otis, who’s described as a friendly Bernese Mountain Dog who loves snacks, was reported missing on Dec. 17 from his home in Girdwood on Crystal Mountain Road.
  Then, on Dec. 29, an Alyeska staff member heard a faint bark as they were head
  
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• Newscast – Monday, Jan. 5, 2026

  06-01-2026 03:04 via ktoo.org
  https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/20260105-News-Update-1.mp3
  In this newscast:The City and Borough of Juneau issued an avalanche alert via text this afternoon, telling residents in the Mount Juneau slide path to be prepared,
  Residents of Juneau are living in a snow globe. Another winter storm began last night, dropping more snow on top of the four feet that fell just after Christmas,
  Amid record-breaking snowfalls and unusually low temperatures, some residents in a mobile home pa
  
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• New avalanche alert issued for Behrends, White neighborhoods, Thane Road

  06-01-2026 01:24 via ktoo.org
  A view of Mt. Juneau from across the channel shows the Behrends avalanche path as a treeless swath on the side of the mountain. (Photo by David Purdy / KTOO)
  The City and Borough of Juneau issued an avalanche alert via text Monday afternoon, telling residents in the Mount Juneau slide path to be prepared.
  It’s the second avalanche alert issued in the last week, as record-breaking snow blankets the community and the mountains above it.  
  Ryan O’Shaughnessy, Juneau’s em
  
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• Trump hasn’t provided legal basis for military action in Venezuela, Murkowski says

  05-01-2026 21:18 via ktoo.org
  The U.S. Capitol building. (Photo by Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public Media)
  U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski struck a note of skepticism in her reaction to Saturday’s military operation ousting Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro.
  “While I am hopeful that this morning’s actions have made the world a safer place,” Murkowski wrote in a social media post Saturday, “the manner in which the United States conducts military operations, as well as the authority under which these operations
  
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• Alaska flu cases spike, causing at least 3 deaths and high numbers of hospitalizations

  05-01-2026 19:51 via ktoo.org
  An influenza vaccine and supplies, at Anchorage Health Department’s clinic, on Feb. 25, 2025. (Rachel Cassandra/Alaska Public Media)
  At least three Alaskans have died from complications of influenza so far this season, amid a surge in cases happening earlier than last year, according to state epidemiologists.
  Alaska has seen about 1,100 reported flu cases so far this season, the state Health Department reported.
  This flu season is dominated by a new variant of the flu virus, but getting th
  
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• School closed as another winter storm brings snow, potential rain mixture to Juneau

  05-01-2026 03:02 via ktoo.org
  Skiers and snowshoers enjoy the snow in downtown Juneau on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (Photo by Clarise Larson/KTOO)
  More snow is on the way this week for Juneau and the rest of the panhandle, even as recovery from last week’s storm continues.
  The Juneau School District announced Sunday night that school would be closed Monday. City offices are also closed, and the University of Alaska Southeast campus will operate remotely.National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Spann says communities fr
  
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• Another winter storm will bring snow, potential rain mixture to Juneau

  05-01-2026 03:02 via ktoo.org
  Skiers and snowshoers enjoy the snow in downtown Juneau on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (Photo by Clarise Larson/KTOO)
  More snow is on the way this week for Juneau and the rest of the panhandle, even as recovery from last week’s storm continues.
  National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Spann says communities from Elfin Cove to Juneau can expect anywhere from 5 to 13 inches of new snow on Monday. The heaviest snow is expected mid-morning through the afternoon.
  There’s a possibility for
  
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• Newscast – Friday, Jan. 2, 2026

  03-01-2026 03:00 via ktoo.org
  https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/20260102-News-Update-1.mp3
  In this newscast:It’s a new year, but Juneau residents are still digging out from four feet of snow that fell earlier this week,
  Thane Road is now open after being closed for two days due to avalanche risk,
  Two Juneau artists spent this snowy Friday framing and mounting 18 block prints that correlate with myths — ones they wrote themselves,
  In 2025 Alaskans experienced record-breaking heat on the North Slope
  
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• M/V Lituya back sailing on a limited basis after brief grounding

  03-01-2026 02:55 via ktoo.org
  The Alaska Marine Highway System ferry Lituya provides regular service between Metlakatla Indian Community and Ketchikan. (KRBD file photo by Leila Kheiry)
  The state ferry Lituya went aground on Tuesday at about 2:50 p.m. near Annette Bay in Southeast Alaska. The small ferry runs a daily shuttle service between Ketchikan and Metlakatla.
  The brief grounding happened when the ferry left Annette Bay dock. It lasted less than a minute, according to Shannon McCarthy, a spokesperson with the Alaska De
  
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• First Friday show features new myths written and illustrated by Juneau artists

  03-01-2026 01:51 via ktoo.org
  Alex Bookless holds a print she made on Jan. 2, 2025. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO)
  Two Juneau artists spent this snowy Friday framing and mounting 18 block prints that correlate with myths — ones they wrote themselves. 
  The prints are a part of a show titled “My Mother’s Bones,” opening Friday at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center.
  Rachel Levy said thinking about folktales and their morals inspired the series. 
  “Things you wouldn’t even consider my
  
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• Western Alaska evacuees in Anchorage slowly moving to temporary housing

  03-01-2026 01:45 via ktoo.org
  Evacuees of ex-typhoon Halong in Anchorage are moving out of hotels where they have been sheltering for months, and into temporary housing around the city. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)
  Western Alaska residents who evacuated to Anchorage after the remnants of Typhoon Halong battered their villages are now moving out of city hotels and into temporary housing.
  They’re looking forward to having more privacy, being able to cook for themselves and having more space, said Jeremy Zidek, publ
  
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• Negotiations underway to keep Aleutian seismic stations online

  02-01-2026 23:01 via ktoo.org
  A tsunami evacuation sign in Unalaska. (Kanesia McGlashan-Price/KUCB)
  The Alaska Earthquake Center is in negotiations with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to restore funding for nine seismic stations.
  In late September, NOAA advised the center it would no longer fund its real-time seismic data flow to the National Tsunami Warning Center, a service the federal organization had been funding for decades.
  In a statement in mid-December, a NOAA spokesperson said the federal govern
  
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• Fred Meyer closed for snow removal as Juneau continues to dig out

  02-01-2026 21:48 via ktoo.org
  Heavy equipment sits in the parking lot of Fred Meyer grocery store in Juneau on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (Photo by Mike Lane/KTOO)
  It’s a new year, but Juneau residents are still digging out from four feet of snow that fell this week.
  The heavy snow collapsed the roof of at least one Juneau business, and others have closed for snow removal. 
  Fred Meyer closed early on Thursday and did not reopen on Friday morning. 
  “Our Juneau Fred Meyer is temporarily closed to allow for sno
  
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• Hey Alaskans, it’s time to file for your PFD

  02-01-2026 19:05 via ktoo.org
  The State of Alaska’s PFD and Child Affairs Office is located in downtown Anchorage and pictured here on August 31, 2022. (Valerie Lake/AKPM)
  For many, the New Year signals a fresh start. But for Alaskans, it also means it’s time to apply for the Permanent Fund dividend.
  Applications for the 2026 PFD opened Thursday, with online filing starting at 9 a.m. Over 600,000 Alaskans receive the PFD each year, which is usually paid out in October.
  It’s not yet clear how much the 2026 d
  
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• Juneau updates its avalanche messaging as snowstorm smashes local records

  01-01-2026 03:05 via ktoo.org
  A Twin Lakes resident shovels snow off of a roof on Dec. 31, 2025. (Photo by Alix Soliman/KTOO)
  The City and Borough of Juneau is warning residents about urban avalanches a bit differently this year in an effort to help residents in the downtown avalanche zone understand how they should respond to the danger. 
  The city posted its new avalanche information webpage on Monday, the day before it issued an avalanche advisory for the Behrends neighborhood and Thane Road that remains in effect.&nb
  
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• Newscast – Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025

  01-01-2026 03:00 via ktoo.org
  
  
  https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251231-News-Update.mp3
  In this newscast:The City and Borough of Juneau is warning residents about urban avalanches a bit differently this year,
  After Juneau residents helped raise more than $1 million this fall, a local boy with a rare genetic disease will be able to receive a potentially life-changing gene therapy in the New Year,
  Alaska will get $272 million from the federal government next year to upgrade its rural health system,
  For Alaskan
  
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• Winter weather leaves Pelican without seaplane, ferry access for weeks

  01-01-2026 02:13 via ktoo.org
  Pelican Harbor (2020 Heather Bauscher)
  Like many people during the holiday season, Sitkan Gaylen Needham was planning on spending Christmas with her adult children, who planned to fly in from Pelican.
  However, due to record snowfall, low visibility and cold temperatures, Pelican has been without seaplane access since Nov. 28, cutting the Southeast community of 91 people off from the rest of the region.
  “We lived out there full time in the 70s, and we had hard winters out there th
  
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• Juneau child’s clinical trial set to proceed in new year after community raises more than $1 million

  01-01-2026 00:47 via ktoo.org
  Cade Jobsis and his mom, Emma, at the (Photo courtesy of Emma Jobsis)
  After Juneau residents helped raise more than $1 million this fall, a local boy with a rare genetic disease will be able to receive a potentially life-changing gene therapy in the new year.
  For the past two years, 4-year-old Cade Jobsisʼs mother Emma Jobsis has been raising money to allow scientists to restart clinical trials that previously showed promising results treating AP4 Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, or SPG50.&nb
  
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• 2025 KTOO News Round-up Review

  31-12-2025 18:26 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Juneau Afternoon Host Bostin Christopher talks with new Managing Editor Lisa Phu and Digital Content Director Adelyn Baxter about the top five most-read news stories, plus the KTOO reporters feature their favorite stories from their colleagues.
  Audio PodcastThe KTOO News team, from left to right: Yvonne Krumrey, Adelyn Baxter, Lisa Phu, Clarise Larson, Mike Lane, Jamie Diep, and Alix Soliman.The 2025 top five most-read stories on KTOO.org:Mendenhall Glacier has officially receded from Mendenhal
  
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• Newscast – Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025

  31-12-2025 02:59 via ktoo.org
  
  
  https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/20251230-News-Update.mp3
  In this newscast:The city issued an alert this afternoon to residents living in downtown Juneau that avalanche conditions are elevated in the areas above Behrends Avenue and Thane Road,
  City and state facilities remain closed again today after record-breaking snowfall in Juneau,
  Chief Rich Etheridge is retiring from Capital City Fire/Rescue and his last day is tomorrow,
  In a special feature highlighting some of KTOO&rsquo
  
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