BETHEL, Alaska (AP) — Tribal members who live near Bethel are asking the City Council to require Bethel liquor stores to only sell alcohol to customers with Bethel IDs. KYUK-AM reports that representatives from more than a dozen tribes in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta met in Bethel this week to discuss the impact Bethel’s alcohol sales…
Recent News
Wade Marrs leads out of halfway point of Alaska’s Iditarod
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Wade Marrs leads out of the halfway point of Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The 26-year-old veteran musher left Huslia at 7:05 p.m. Friday with 14 dogs. Current champ Dallas Seavey was 34 minutes behind him to take second place, after dropping one of his 14 dogs. Joar Leifseth Ulsom…
Officials say Sitka Assembly unlikely to raise smoking age
SITKA, Alaska (AP) — The smoking age in Sitka is unlikely to change, as officials say convincing Sitka Assembly members has been a struggle. The Daily Sitka Sentinel reports that city Health Needs and Human Services Commission Assembly Liaison Tristan Guevin told the commission Wednesday that Assembly members have been reluctant to back the commission’s…
Report: Alaska’s top federal prosecutor asked to resign
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that the U.S. attorney for the District of Alaska is among the 46 Obama-era federal prosecutors asked to resign by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Chloe Martin, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Alaska, told the News-Miner in an email Friday night that Karen Loeffler…
Walker asks lawmakers to extend opioid disaster declaration
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Bill Walker has introduced legislation to keep in place the public health disaster declaration he issued in response to rampant opioid abuse in Alaska. The bill cites a state law limiting disaster emergency proclamations to 30 days unless extended by the Legislature. Walker signed his declaration Feb. 14. He is…
Inclusivity measure stirs debate in Alaska fishing town
The small Alaska fishing community of Homer is wading into national politics. Homer is the latest U.S. city to consider affirming its commitment to inclusion following the election of President Donald Trump. On Monday, the City Council is expected to weigh a resolution that states Homer will resist any efforts to profile “vulnerable populations” and…
Officials readying for Eielson F-35s to spur housing crunch
Officials are preparing for a possible housing crunch in 2020 that is expected to coincide with an influx of servicemen tied to the two new F-35 squadrons coming to Eielson Air Force Base. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports one part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough is estimated to need 800 units of housing by…
Fairbanks man accused of setting occupied vehicle on fire
Alaska State Troopers say they have arrested a Fairbanks man suspected of setting a vehicle on fire while people were inside the car. KTVA-TV reports that troopers responded Thursday to a report of a man pouring gas on a vehicle and setting it on fire. Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters says there were two people inside…
Alaska village banishes 4 people for dealing meth
The chief of an Alaskan tribe says four community members have been banished for dealing methamphetamine. Allakaket Chief PJ Simon tells the News-Miner that 25 residents confronted the suspected meth dealers and escorted them out of town. They were placed on a Tuesday afternoon flight. The banishment came after an emotional town hall meeting, which…
Alaska Senate leaders propose spending limit, fund draws
Alaska Senate leaders have proposed what they see as key pieces for addressing the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit. The bill, from the Senate Finance Committee, would draw from the earnings of Alaska’s oil-wealth fund based on a percentage of the fund’s market value and change how the annual dividends Alaskans receive are calculated. It also would…