In this newscast: The University of Alaska will host listening sessions in Juneau, Fairbanks, and Anchorage next week as it ramps up its search for a new president; Teacher and principal turnover rates in Alaska have increased overall, beyond levels preceding the COVID-19 pandemic; The state approved a contract on Monday, agreeing to pay Juneau’s new hydroelectric utility $1.3 million to power the controversial Cascade Point Ferry Terminal, a project that has yet to be finalized; In Anchorage, Rage City Vintage is closing its doors after a significant drop in sales; A federal lab devoted to renewable energy development for a half century has had the word “renewable” stripped from its name
A News
State signs $1.3 million contract with Juneau Hydropower to electrify proposed Cascade Point Ferry Terminal
The Alaska Department of Transportation says they’ll pay for the infrastructure regardless of whether the ferry terminal gets built.
University of Alaska will hold listening sessions as part of president search
An executive search firm contracted by the university will host sessions in Juneau, Anchorage and Fairbanks to get input on what the university community wants to see from the next president.
Murkowski says a military strike on shipwreck survivors would be a war crime
The “double-tap” attack on alleged drug smugglers could be a rare moment when a number of Senate Republicans break with Trump. Murkowski is already there.
Planned fiber-optic cable will add backup for Alaska’s phone and high-speed internet network
The project, set to come online in fall 2027, is expected to bring more reliable internet and phone service to several isolated coastal communities.
Newscast – Thursday, December 4, 2025
In this newscast: Juneau’s Eaglecrest Ski Area will not open to skiers this weekend after all; Downtown Juneau’s annual Gallery Walk event is tomorrow from 4 to 8 p.m.; Alumni and former staff members at Mt. Edgecumbe High School are raising serious concerns about safety and student support at the state-run boarding school in Sitka; The Chilkat Valley is home to one of the world’s largest gathering of bald eagles, and this year, the highest number of raptors were recorded in more than two decades
Juneau’s annual Gallery Walk brings holiday spin to First Friday
More than 50 businesses and organizations will feature art exhibits, activities, live performances and holiday cheer.
Tub of the town: Bethel residents soak up restored community space
The hot tub at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Fitness Center has finally reopened after a pump failure. KYUK’s Samantha Watson took a dip last week to talk to residents about what they missed while it was out of commission.
Lack of snow delays Eaglecrest Ski Area opening day this weekend
The ski area’s general manager said that the recent rain washed away the snow that had accumulated on the mountain. Opening dates in recent years have been pushed back multiple times due to a lack of snow.
U.S. Department of Energy lab, active in Alaska, drops ‘renewable’ from name
The Trump administration, which broadly opposes renewable energy projects, changed the name of the Colorado-based National Renewable Energy Laboratory to “National Laboratory of the Rockies.”