Attendees said in-person communication is invaluable in resolving thorny issues.
Southeast
Alaska lawmakers worry Dunleavy’s budget relies too heavily on savings
Dunleavy did not repeat the call he made last year for spending cuts. Instead, he said he would look to Alaskans and the Legislature to work on how to close the gap between how much the state spends and what it brings in.
Concerns raised about Alaska State Troopers’ plan to move local dispatchers to Anchorage
The Alaska State Troopers’ plan — which includes transferring dispatchers in Ketchikan, Wasilla and Soldotna — was the subject of much concern at a recent assembly meeting in Ketchikan.
The Palmer Project, a mining prospect outside Haines, could transform into a large-scale operation
There’s no mine yet at the Palmer Project site. But a small cadre of scientists live there for half the year, looking for minerals.
Alaska state government forecasts lower revenue for this year and next
The Alaska Department of Revenue forecasts $187.3 million less in state revenue this year than it did in the spring. The department released the forecast on Friday.
Taku Glacier, once the Juneau Icefield’s last advancing glacier, is now in retreat
A soon-to-be-published scientific paper says climate change has taken its toll on the now-shrinking Taku Glacier from the Juneau Icefield.
PFDs, state funding at risk if Alaska Permanent Fund earnings reserve falls to zero, board hears
The problem could happen if there are poor results from fund investments, like stocks.
Family of man killed by police in Fairbanks files lawsuit
Cody Eyre’s family claims that the city of Fairbanks and the Alaska Department of Public Safety failed to properly train officers to respond to a mental health crisis, and that officers used excessive force.
Dunleavy names Barnhill as acting revenue commissioner
Until he started in the new position, Mike Barnhill was the policy director for the state Office of Management and Budget.
Southeast Alaska fisherman pleads guilty to illegally harvesting $35,000 worth of sea cucumbers
In 2018, Jonathan McGraw Jr. and two others were charged with illegally fishing in a scientific preserve near Whale Pass.