K-9 Kiska reportedly had to get one of its toes amputated, but the injury is not believed to be life-threatening.

WOW! With more Anchorage election results posted this evening, Janice Park now leads Dave Donley to represent Midtown Anchorage on the Assembly. She'd been trailing since Tuesday night and now is ahead by only 22 votes. alaskapublic.org/news/anchora...

This story's been updated with some info on a lawsuit filed against the school district and school board seeking to reverse the closure of Campbell STEM.

Hey, people who work in any type of press relations... please do this more often -- providing pronouncers.

(*In no way is this an endorsement of Bishop-Schuerch campaign)

In Anchorage election, school funding hangs in the balance Both a bond for school improvements and a one-time tax levy to offset school cuts are failing by less than 1%.

After initial election results, a bond package for capital improvements to several Anchorage schools and a one-time, $12 million tax hike intended to hire more teachers, are both failing by razor-thin margins. https://akpub.io/4t0bOUk

Left-of-center candidates lead initial Anchorage election results; school bond and levy failing by slim margins Two conservative candidates -- Donald Handeland of Eagle River and Dave Donley of Midtown Anchorage -- were leading in races for open seats, as was North Anchorage progressive Sydney Scout. Three incumbent Assembly members held sizable leads.

Two conservative candidates -- Donald Handeland of Eagle River and Dave Donley of Midtown Anchorage -- were leading in races for open Assembly seats, as was North Anchorage progressive Sydney Scout. All three incumbents running held sizable leads. https://akpub.io/48lCczz

Alaska’s violent crime rate would be second-highest in US, but it’s not part of the latest federal report 724 incidents per 100,000 Alaska residents in 2024 in report earlier this year far above national average of 370.8 in new study, which omits state because it ‘did not meet statistical reliability crit...

Great reporting by @juneauindependent.bsky.social - Alaska was not included in the latest DOJ crime report, in part:

"Some Alaska law enforcement agencies have not been reporting their data in the required NIBRS format, incl the Anchorage Police Department"
www.juneauindependent.com/post/alaska-...

Anchorage boy's deportation hinges on proving a US citizen is his father The 12-year-old's immigration attorney says the man believed to be his father has so far avoided multiple court orders for a paternity test.

Been working on this piece for a couple months and happy to finally get it published.

It's a story about how for one Anchorage 12-year-old boy, getting his father -- a U.S. citizen -- to do a paternity test is the difference between citizenship and deportation. alaskapublic.org/news/anchora...

Political group attacks South Anchorage Assembly candidate from both left and right with contradictory mailers Both mailers were paid for by the same political group, Friends of the Good Guys.

A newly formed political group with little information about its funding or expenditures sent a pair of contradictory mailers to South Anchorage residents just days before the municipal election deadline.

A new law tightens access to SNAP benefits. Experts say it could leave Alaska veterans out in the cold. Critics say the law adds new hurdles to a program that food-insecure veterans depend on.

A new law tightens access to SNAP benefits. Experts say it could leave Alaska veterans out in the cold.

Anchorage parents make last-ditch effort to stop Campbell STEM’s sudden closure The Anchorage School District told Campbell STEM Elementary parents that officials recommended the school be closed to help balance the district’s budget. The school board voted to close the school 11...

Campbell STEM Elementary parents were told by the Anchorage School District that the school was recommended for closure 11 days before the school board ultimately voted to close it.

Now a group of parents is making a last-ditch effort to try to reverse the decision. alaskapublic.org/news/anchora...

Alaska lawmakers push Trump administration to waive $100k visa fee for international teachers | Alaska Beacon Some Alaska school districts say they can’t afford to hire and retain international teachers after the Trump administration hiked fees for highly skilled worker visas.  Alaska school districts have in...

Alaska lawmakers push Trump administration to waive $100k visa fee for international teachers, writes @corinne-smith.bsky.social for the @alaskabeacon.com alaskabeacon.com/2026/03/03/a...

Anchorage voters to decide on 2 school-related items on April ballot One ballot initiative is a roughly $80 million bond. The other is a one-time $11.8 million tax hike that school district leaders plan on using to hire 80 teachers.

Next month, Anchorage voters will decide on 2 ballot initiatives that would support the Anchorage School District.

One ballot initiative is a roughly $80M bond. The other is a one-time $11.8M tax hike that school district leaders plan on using to hire 80 teachers. alaskapublic.org/news/anchora...

Congratulations!

Anchorage School Board approves ‘severe’ budget with hundreds of staff layoffs and 3 school closures With the school district facing a $90 million budget deficit, the budget trims hundreds of teachers, more than 50 administrative staff, over a dozen nurses, nine principals and eight counselors, but p...

Last night, the Anchorage School Board approved a budget that officials described as "severe," to address a $90 million budget deficit.

Cuts include more than 500 staff -- including over 300 teachers -- and three elementary school closures.

alaskapublic.org/news/educati...

UPDATE: He was charged with a count of driving under the influence, a misdemeanor, on Monday. alaskapublic.org/news/anchora...

Alaska legislator's chief of staff arrested on child sex crime charges Federal agents arrested Craig Scott Valdez, 36, early Friday in Juneau, according to court documents.

The FBI is looking for more information about 36-year-old Craig Scott Valdez, state Sen. George Rauscher's chief of staff, arrested this morning on charges of child sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking.

https://akpub.io/3MVAT2T

Alaska’s Department of Corrections spent $24M over budget last year, mostly on staff overtime | Alaska Beacon The Alaska Department of Corrections spent over $24 million more than the budget approved by the Legislature last year, with a large portion for staff overtime, raising alarm from lawmakers.

NEW: The Alaska Dept. of Corrections spent $24 million over budget last year, with $20 million on staffing and overtime.

DOC presented a breakdown of staff overtime hours: 15 staff logged over $100k in overtime, with 2 logging over 2,000 hrs - up to $225k

alaskabeacon.com/briefs/alask...

Weird delay in Alaska courts:

An Anchorage police officer got arrested and charged on Jan. 31 for operating under the influence, according to APD. It's been over two weeks and no record of his charges are showing up on the state's Courtview database.

In which I get to tell Alaskans... if you want a date, get out of the house!

That doesn't include the group of 39 detainees brought up from the Lower 48 because there wasn't enough space for them.

Just got a batch of info from the Alaska Department of Corrections re: the number of people detained by ICE in the state.

Last year, there were 101 people detained by ICE and held in Alaska.

This year, there have been another 14 people held, with four still in custody.

No. I was a web editor/producer/education reporter at Alaska Public Media for a lil over three years before that.

Started as an intern my last semester at UAA and got hired full time after I graduated.

Shameless self-plug, but today marks 10 years to the day that I’ve been on Alaskans’ radios.

I feel genuinely privileged to still be on the air in the Last Frontier.

On Anchorage crime, city and state announce new partnership During his State of the State address, Gov. Mike Dunleavy singled out Anchorage as he noted that crime rates across the rest of the state had dropped during his tenure.

During his final State of the State address last week, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced a partnership between the state and Anchorage aimed at addressing the city's crime rates.

alaskapublic.org/news/anchora...

That was one of my first radio pieces ever, as an intern.

WOW! I just read this, not expecting a callback to a 49 Voices segment I did nearly a decade ago!

Great read about Anchorage's jazz age

Alumni, former staff sound alarm on mental health crisis at Mt. Edgecumbe High School - KCAW Alumni and former staff members at Mt. Edgecumbe High School are raising serious concerns about safety and student support at the state-run boarding school in Sitka that serves Alaska Native students ...

Don't worry. Katherine Rose at KCAW wrote about this a month ago: www.kcaw.org/2025/12/04/a...

Anchorage leaders propose one-time tax hike to send millions to schools Mayor Suzanne LaFrance wants the Assembly to pause other revenue proposals, including her 3% sales tax, to focus on the $12 million education tax levy.

Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance is putting a pause on her proposal for a 3% sales tax. Instead she’s pushing city leaders to focus on a one-time $12M tax hike for the Anchorage School District. alaskapublic.org/news/anchora...

Anchorage officials say online survey for new municipal seal was manipulated Anchorage IT staff say over 2,100 responses were logged in under an hour, leading officials to believe they were fraudulent.

File under Anchorage municipal seal drama:

In a survey where locals could vote on a new municipal seal, city IT staff say over 2,100 *very similar* responses were submitted in a 52-minute period earlier this week, leading officials to suspect they were fraudulent. alaskapublic.org/news/anchora...