
Gov. Dunleavy issues fourth COVID-19 disaster declaration for Alaska
While some lawmakers have expressed concern that the governor has issued multiple declarations without the Legislature meeting, no one has sued to try to block them.

Angoon elder lost to the coronavirus remembered as a bearer of Tlingit culture and language
George Nelson Jr. lived as one of 600 or so residents of Angoon, where he devoted himself to his community and his family.

Murkowski praises impeachment, says Trump’s incitement of violence ‘cannot go without consequence’
Murkowski says she’ll listen carefully to the arguments during the Senate trial and will announce her decision after that.

Alaska’s first state ferry sinks in Washington windstorm
Alaska’s first state ferry — the Chilkat — broke free of its moorings on Wednesday and sank during a windstorm in Anacortes, Washington.

High winds, heavy snowfall could bring avalanche to Thane Road
Thursday’s high winds along with heavy snowfall at higher elevations will increase the possibility of an avalanche reaching Thane Road in the next 24 hours, according to the Department of Transportation.

Democrats renew push to restore Roadless Rule in Tongass National Forest
Democratic lawmakers in Congress have filed a bill that would reverse the Trump administration’s decision to exempt the nation’s largest national forest from the 2001 rule that restricts road-building and other development.

New Paycheck Protection Program loans coming soon to Alaska businesses
The new relief bill expands eligibility for the loans to include nonprofits, live venues and cultural institutions that have been struggling due to pandemic-forced closures.

Ketchikan fire survivor says husband died trying to save her daughter
The two people that perished last month in a Ketchikan house fire have been identified by the lone survivor. A memorial service is planned for the two victims later this week.

Through art, Haines students begin to heal after losing beloved kindergarten teacher in landslide
The Haines School District has been through a tumultuous year. The pandemic isolated students socially and the December storms left some without a home. And its beloved kindergarten teacher, Jenae Larson, was lost in a landslide.

State predicts commercial herring harvest will fall short of annual limit
The annual fishery didn’t happen at all in 2019 and 2020. Most of the herring were young and too small to meet international market demands, and the pandemic posed other challenges in 2020.

Struggling seafood processor hopes to come back stronger under new ownership as ‘New Peter Pan’
The new owner says it will continue to operate plants in Dillingham, King Cove, Port Moller and Valdez, along with support facilities in Naknek and Sand Point. Its headquarters are in Bellevue, Wash.

The Trump administration joined with tribes to get vaccines to rural and Indigenous Alaskans. Here’s how.
So far, the federal government has distributed more than 35,000 doses to Alaska tribes — on top of the 78,000 doses it’s delivered to Alaska’s state government. And more than 250,000 doses have been dedicated to tribes nationwide through the Indian Health Service.

Spanish firm bids on Alaska’s fast ferries
A Spanish firm offered a pair of bids worth $4.6 million for the Chenega and Fairweather, which the state bought for a combined $68 million.

LISTEN: Juneau author crafts a thoughtful portrait of brown bears in Alaska with ‘A Shape in the Dark’
“A Shape in the Dark: Living and Dying with Brown Bears” is a new book by Juneau writer and wilderness guide Bjorn Dihle. It combines a sweeping historical perspective with Dihle’s own experience and interviews with others in the field.

Juneau’s school board considers Tlingit land acknowledgment
If approved, the board would make time to recognize Tlingit people as the land’s original inhabitants before opening its meetings.

As people decline COVID-19 vaccine, more doses become available to general public in Yukon-Kuskokwim
The tribal health corporation has been able to rapidly expand vaccine eligibility for two reasons. First, it received more doses than expected. Second, many people declined to take it.

Ask a Climatologist: An Alaska-sized storm sets a record
National Weather Service climate researcher Brian Brettschneider spoke with Alaska Public Media’s Casey Grove to explain the storm that brought the lowest atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the North Pacific.

New report says emergency orders helped slow the spread of coronavirus in Anchorage
The report looked at a range of data, including daily case counts, rates of transmission, survey data and Google mobility reports, which show general patterns of movement in the community.

Ketchikan school superintendent on leave after husband’s death from COVID-19
Ketchikan’s Superintendent Beth Lougee is taking time off. That’s following the sudden death of her husband on Sunday.

Stealing Toyostoves isn’t easy, but someone in Bethel has it down
The stoves weigh between 50 and 90 pounds, and they’re not something you can just run in and grab. Grant Fairbanks, another Toyo stove dealer and mechanic in Bethel, said that it takes at least 15 minutes to detach one from the wall without damaging it.