KTOO News Update
The day’s local and state news in about 10 minutes.
Newscast – Thursday, April 2, 2026
In this newscast: Three young mountain goats with a highly contagious viral skin infection have been found this winter on popular Juneau hiking trails; The Juneau Assembly voted last night to end the city's involvement in Eaglecrest Ski Area's controversial gondola project and pay back a $10 million investment from Goldbelt Incorporated; Alaska school districts consistently build budgets based on many uncertainties. A bill that aims to stabilize the budgeting process moved out of the House Education Committee Wednesday; As the Alaska Folk Festival approaches, so does a big spike in activity at downtown bars. And with that comes concerns about drink safety; Two Alaska inmates died in the past week, according to the Department of Correction's press releases
Read More »Newscast – Wednesday, April 1, 2026
In this newscast: Wild king salmon sport fishing regulations for 2026 took effect across Southeast today. In most inside waters of the northern panhandle, the season opens June 15; Around 25,000 Alaskans lost all or part of their health insurance subsidies in 2026 due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act; Pink Martini, a band from Portland, Oregon, will play in Sitka and Juneau in a couple of weeks to benefit the rebuilding of a Lingit clan house in Sitka
Read More »Newscast – Tuesday, March 31, 2026
In this newscast: Today is the last day for Alaskans to apply for a 2026 Permanent Fund Dividend; Juneau's beloved city-owned Eaglecrest Ski Area is embroiled in controversy over a gondola project and its price tag; A theater in a historic building in downtown Juneau is being brought back to life after sitting empty for years; Mayors of the five boroughs that would host elements of the Alaska gasline project say that they are not on board with a bill from Gov. Mike Dunleavy offering tax breaks for the project
Read More »Newscast – Monday, March 30, 2026
In this newscast: Tribal citizens in and outside Alaska recently voted to elect new delegates and community council members to represent them in the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska; More than 1000 people gathered at Juneau's Overstreet Park on Saturday to participate in the third 'No Kings' protest held nationwide to push back against President Donald Trump's policies and actions; The 51st Alaska Folk Festival will feature about 15 acts on the main stage -- and that's just one piece of a much larger production; An eighteenth candidate joined the race to be Alaska's next governor this week. Attorney Gregg Brelsford threw his hat in the ring Tuesday as an independent candidate
Read More »Newscast – Friday, March 27, 2026
In this newscast: Organizers and lawmakers gathered on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol yesterday morning to rally in support of bills and funding to address climate change in Alaska; A highly unusual -- and four-legged -- suspect was apprehended yesterday in Juneau; The University of Alaska Southeast and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska are working together to create a School of Indigenous Studies; Tongass Voices: Robin DeAlva on making an online exchange for arts supplies
Read More »Newscast – Thursday, March 26, 2026
In this newscast: A privately-run child care program is set to offer all-day care for school-aged children in several Juneau schools this summer; Since Juneau broke its official winter snowfall record on Monday, some residents have asked whether the melting snowpack will influence the next glacial outburst flood expected in the Mendenhall Valley this summer. The short answer is no; One person died over the weekend in a major avalanche near Haines Pass, just across the border in British Columbia. Late March is typically prime time for recreation in the backcountry hot spot. But experts are now warning about unstable snow conditions in the area that likely won’t improve any time soon; A rainbow pride Ravenstail robe, woven by dozens of mentors and youth, was danced for the first time this week in Juneau
Read More »Newscast – Wednesday, March 25, 2026
In this newscast: Juneau's Thane Road remains closed until further notice since high winds have raised the risk of avalanches; The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is prioritizing short and medium-term solutions to glacial outburst flooding in the Mendenhall Valley; The second iteration of the City and Borough of Juneau's Visitor Industry Task Force has been meeting since mid-December; The Alaska Legislature is on the verge of passing a major election reform bill
Read More »Newscast – Tuesday, March 24, 2026
In this newscast: Juneau has officially broken its snowfall record; The City and Borough of Juneau began mailing out annual property tax assessment values to homes and businesses late last week; Three finalists have been chosen in a mural contest to decorate new bear-resistant trash infrastructure in downtown Juneau this summer; The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska came to Juneau last week to give training sessions on what to do if residents encounter immigration enforcement actions in town; The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case challenging mail-in ballot deadlines.
Read More »Newscast – Monday, March 23, 2026
In this newscast: Juneau broke its local record for snowiest March on Sunday with almost 64 inches, and now the capital city is just over an inch away from beating its winter snowfall record; The Juneau School District has reached a tentative agreement on a contract with its teachers union, after more than a year of negotiations that escalated to a successful vote authorizing the union to strike last week; The U.S. Forest Service is planning to hold a virtual meeting this week for residents across Southeast Alaska to share feedback on a revised Tongass National Forest management plan; Ten Juneau high school students gained real-world home-building experience earlier this month during a school district trip to Maui, Hawaii; Last month, Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs task force arrested a Juneau man and found about $160,000 worth of controlled substances at his residence, most of which was fentanyl; The U.S. Interior Department held its second round of tribal consultations on subsistence hunting and fishing on federal land this week
Read More »Newscast – Friday, March 20, 2026
In this newscast: The Juneau Police Department is seeking assistance in locating a 17-year-old boy who has been reportedly missing for two days; Juneau's legendary Gold Medal Basketball Tournament kicks off this weekend for the 77th time; Juneau Police commander Matt DuBois speaks with KTOO's Mike Lane about a regional task force that investigates illegal drugs being distributed in Southeast Alaska; The Kodiak Island Borough School District is not recruiting international teachers for next fall due to an increase in the fee for H1-B visas. Nine seismic stations in Alaska are fully funded again after a new agreement with federal and state agencies.
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