The state is running short on money for Medicaid. Until the next fiscal year starts in July, hospitals and other health care providers won’t get paid for treating much of Alaska’s low-income population. But the state is trying to funnel what money is left to hospitals that could otherwise shut down.
Southeast
Egan: ‘We can’t keep kicking the can down the road’
Free of re-election concerns, the outgoing state senator waded into two major policy issues that have been making knees jerk for years: the Alaska Permanent Fund and a state income tax.
Fast ferry’s future sailings uncertain
The Alaska Marine Highway System appears to be phasing out its fast ferries. One is in long-term storage and the other will join it this fall.
Watch: Coast Guard medevacs woman from cruise ship near Craig
The Coast Guard medevaced a 61-year-old woman aboard a Southeast Alaska cruise ship, after she began suffering heart attack symptoms Wednesday.
British Columbia exploration boom may not lead to new mines
Mineral exploration companies claim they’re finding more and higher-grade ore across the border in British Columbia. But more drilling doesn’t necessarily mean more development.
Juneau Senate candidate Larry Cotter drops out
Cotter said he doesn’t plan to endorse anyone else in the race. His withdrawal leaves Democrat Jesse Kiehl and nonpartisan Don Etheridge vying for the Senate District Q seat.
Rock strike suspends White Pass train service in Skagway
White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad suspended service after a rock struck a bridge about 7 miles up the railroad track from town. White Pass official Tyler Rose said service should be restored in the next few days.
Petersburg celebrates Memorial Day weekend derby-free
Memorial Day weekend was quieter than past years for several small towns in Southeast. Slumping king salmon numbers and a ban on sport fishing in inside waters drove Petersburg, Wrangell and Ketchikan to cancel their annual king salmon derbies.
How three generations of Alaska Natives struggled with cultural education
More than 50 years after the federal government forced hundreds of Native Alaskans into boarding schools, their descendants are haunted by — and trying to overcome —residual trauma.
Judicial panel nominate two Juneau attorneys as next judge
The Alaska Judicial Council nominated Amy Gurton Mead and Julie Willoughby as the best qualified candidates to succeed Juneau Superior Court Judge Louis Menendez. Gov. Bill Walker has less than 45 days to make a selection.