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Deena Bishop, superintendent of the Anchorage School District, outlined plans for the opening of Anchorage schools ahead of the 2020 school season. (Mayowa Aina/Alaska Public Media) Anchorage School District Superintendent Deena Bishop said she is listening, gathering information from experts and feedback from families in order to recommend a mask policy for the start of…

Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks at the state Capitol in 2019. Last year, his administration imposed an array of health mandates to slow the spread of COVID-19. But now that vaccines are widely available, it’s not taking the same steps, even as cases spike. (Rashah McChesney/KTOO) Alaska is reporting its highest rate of COVID-19…

A page from the killer whale photo-identification catalog shows T146D’s dorsal fin. This fin helped a researcher identify Thursday’s beached orca. (Graphic: Fisheries and Oceans Canada). Researchers have identified the killer whale that beached on Prince of Wales Island last week and then freed itself when the tide came in. Its name is T146D. It may not…

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public Media) U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski says the trillion-dollar infrastructure bill she helped negotiate is good for Americans, and good for Alaska in particular.  “It is pretty historic,” she told reporters on Thursday. “We haven’t seen this level of support and focus on infrastructure for our nation in decades.” The…

State election officials produced a prototype of a ranked-choice ballot. (Alaska Division of Elections) A Superior Court judge has ruled Alaska’s new ranked choice voting system and open primary are legal. Judge Gregory Miller rejected arguments that the new election method violates the right of free association. The legal challenge was filed by the Alaskan…

The Dunleavy administration directed the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to coordinate salmon deliveries to Yukon River communities. A fisherman on the F/V Cutting Edge on June 30, 2021. (Hope McKenney) Kwik’Pak Fisheries General Manager Jack Schultheis said 8,000 pounds of salmon arrived at the Emmonak processing plant last week, and the company is preparing to…

The school in Napakiak sits a mere 78 feet from the rapidly eroding shoreline of the Kuskokwim River. July 23, 2021 in Napakiak, Alaska. (Katie Basile/KYUK) In the Napakiak school, the classrooms nearest to the river sit empty. The furniture and materials have been moved to temporary learning space set up in a teacher housing…

Anchorage School District Superintendent Deena Bishop at Huffman Elementary School on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. (Tegan Hanlon/Alaska Public Media) Anchorage School District Superintendent Deena Bishop is recommending universal masking inside district buildings according to a letter sent to families Saturday evening.  “These past few weeks I have gathered information, heard from parents and staff, and…

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (Dunleavy Flckr) Governor Mike Dunleavy is giving lawmakers two extra weeks before starting the upcoming special legislative session that he called earlier this year. The special session will now begin August 16 instead of August 2, according to an announcement by Dunleavy’s office this week. All four legislative caucuses had asked that…

Screenshot from Alaska Earthquake Center map The magnitude 8.2 earthquake that struck off Alaska’s southwest coast Wednesday night gave nearby residents a good shake and triggered tsunami warnings, but there were no large waves or any immediate reports of major damage or injuries. RELATED: Major quake hits off the coast of Alaska, triggers tsunami warnings…

Nathan Jackson Yéil Yádi (Raven Child), leader of the Lukaax.ádi clan peforms with the clan dancers during a stamp dedication for artist Rico Lanáat’ Worl new postage stamp “Raven Story,” on Friday, July 30, 2021 in Juneau, Alaska. (Rashah McChesney/KTOO) Eighteen million postage stamps featuring an Alaska Native raven design were released to the public…

Hiland Mountain Correctional Center (DOC photo) An Alaska prison is back in lockdown due to a COVID-19 outbreak among incarcerated people there, and the Department of Corrections is reporting recent cases in two other prisons.  Hiland Mountain Correctional Center, a women’s prison in Eagle River had 14 active COVID cases as of Thursday. That prompted…

The wait to be seated outside at 49th State Brewing in downtown Anchorage on a Wednesday evening in July was close to 2-hours, according to staff and patrons. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) The pandemic caused an unprecedented disruption to the 2020 tourism season. This summer, thanks to vaccines, tourists have begun to return, even if…

Congressman Don Young urges Alaskans to get the COVID-19 vaccine in a video posted on social media and via email. (Screenshot of Young’s Twitter post. Stories are posted on the statewide news page. You can subscribe to Alaska Public Media’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter @AKPublicNews. Friday on Alaska News Nightly: He once called COVID-19 the…

A sign at a city building in Juneau, pictured here on Thursday, announces that masks are required for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. (Rashah McChesney/KTOO) Juneau emergency officials are raising the city’s COVID-19 risk level from moderate to high and mandating partial restrictions to limit the disease’s spread, effective at 12:01 a.m. today. The main change is a requirement…

Health Director David Morgan, City Manager Amy Demboski and Mayor Dave Bronson at a July 29, 2021 news conference. (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media) The Bronson administration says it’s asking each city department to assess how a 5% cut would affect services as it prepares its budget proposal for the Anchorage Assembly, due this fall.  Mayor…

The school in Napakiak sits a mere 78 feet from the rapidly eroding shoreline of the Kuskokwim River. July 23, 2021 in Napakiak, Alaska. (Katie Basile/KYUK) Stories are posted on the statewide news page. You can subscribe to Alaska Public Media’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter @AKPublicNews. Thursday on Alaska News Nightly: Why a major earthquake…

The Alaska Capitol on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. (Nat Herz/Alaska Public Media) Alaska legislative leaders have asked Gov. Mike Dunleavy to delay the upcoming special session, which is set to begin Monday. In a letter dated Wednesday, they say three of the caucuses prefer an Aug. 16 start, while the bipartisan House majority coalition prefers…