News

A classroom at Kenai Middle School is photographed on Friday, Jan. 8 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Weeks from restarting, schools across Alaska are struggling to find teachers

District, state solutions face hurdles with little time to spare

A classroom at Kenai Middle School is photographed on Friday, Jan. 8 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Evidence markers are placed around the scene of a shooting in Centennial Park campground in Anchorage, Alaska, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. (Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News via AP)

Officer, man wounded in shootout at homeless camp

The shooting occurred the same day another bear attracted to unsecured food was killed in the campground

Evidence markers are placed around the scene of a shooting in Centennial Park campground in Anchorage, Alaska, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. (Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

Officials report rise in COVID cases

This week’s data was collected from July 13 through July 19

COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)
A donor gives blood at the Blood Bank of Alaska’s Juneau center on Aug. 18, 2021. Summer months especially prove challenging for critical blood donations. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

Blood Bank of Alaska says there’s a critical need for blood

Blood Bank of Alaska is currently in urgent need of all blood types

A donor gives blood at the Blood Bank of Alaska’s Juneau center on Aug. 18, 2021. Summer months especially prove challenging for critical blood donations. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks during an interview at the Juneau Empire on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

For US Senate, Murkowski outraises all other Alaska candidates combined

Murkowski’s reelection campaign reported raising $1.57 million in the latest quarterly reports

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks during an interview at the Juneau Empire on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
A new interactive map allows users to input their address and receive their polling location, precinct and new district. (Image via Alaska Division of Elections)

Alaska unveils interactive map with voter districting information

The Alaska Division of Elections on Tuesday unveiled a new interactive map that allows users to input their address and receive their polling location, precinct… Continue reading

A new interactive map allows users to input their address and receive their polling location, precinct and new district. (Image via Alaska Division of Elections)
Mike the puppy is seen with his mom, Olive, at Denali National Park and Preserve. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

Pups get the spotlight

Denali national park kennels set up “PuppyCam” to follow new additions

Mike the puppy is seen with his mom, Olive, at Denali National Park and Preserve. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)
Employees use large knives to chop up bull kelp as it makes it was down the conveyor belt. (Clarise Larson // Juneau Empire)

Mariculture farming is on the rise

Kelp farming could help combat climate change

Employees use large knives to chop up bull kelp as it makes it was down the conveyor belt. (Clarise Larson // Juneau Empire)
The Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska, is seen in this undated photo. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

Facing suit, lawmakers mull new social media policy

The draft included an ‘everything or nothing’ approach toward public comments

The Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska, is seen in this undated photo. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
(Black Press Media files)

3-digit crisis line to be available starting Saturday

Alaskans with 907 area codes can dial 988 and get connected with a trained crisis counselor through Careline Alaska

(Black Press Media files)
The Alaska State Department of Natural Resources is rescinding the emergency burn suspension for these areas on Thursday, July 14, 2022, citing a decrease in fire danger from recent rain showers. (Image via DNR)

Burn closure to be lifted Thursday

The Alaska State Department of Natural Resources is rescinding the emergency burn closure for campfires on Thursday, citing a decrease in fire danger from recent… Continue reading

The Alaska State Department of Natural Resources is rescinding the emergency burn suspension for these areas on Thursday, July 14, 2022, citing a decrease in fire danger from recent rain showers. (Image via DNR)
COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

Officials still emphasize vaccines as COVID hospitalizations rise

Vaccines still provide the best protection against COVID, according to health officials

COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)
In this provided by NOAA Fisheries a North Pacific right whale swims in the Bering Sea west of Bristol Bay on Aug. 6, 2017. The U.S. government on Monday, July 11, 2022, agreed to a request from environmental groups to study increasing critical habitat designations in Alaska waters for North Pacific right whales, one of the rarest whale species in the world. (NOAA Fisheries via AP,File)

Agency studies rare whale habitat expansion request

There are about 30 of the whales left after centuries of hunting, ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements

In this provided by NOAA Fisheries a North Pacific right whale swims in the Bering Sea west of Bristol Bay on Aug. 6, 2017. The U.S. government on Monday, July 11, 2022, agreed to a request from environmental groups to study increasing critical habitat designations in Alaska waters for North Pacific right whales, one of the rarest whale species in the world. (NOAA Fisheries via AP,File)
Donald Trump addresses attendees at a Save America rally on Saturday, July 9, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Trump in Anchorage

Former U.S. president speaks to a crowd of 5,000, endorses Tshibaka, Palin

Donald Trump addresses attendees at a Save America rally on Saturday, July 9, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
A couple of visitors watch preparations Friday afternoon for the Save America Rally scheduled Saturday at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Anchorage preps for Trump visit

Arena for rally mostly tranquil 24 hours before speakers take stage

A couple of visitors watch preparations Friday afternoon for the Save America Rally scheduled Saturday at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
In this photo provided by Eric Kiehn, Northwest Incident Management Team 10, Alaska Division of Forestry, a fixed-wing aircraft drops water on the Clear Fire near Anderson, Alaska, July 6, 2022. One home has been destroyed by the wildfire burning in Alaska’s interior, while a majority of people under evacuation orders are sheltering in place. (Eric Kiehn, Northwest Incident Management Team 10, Alaska Division of Forestry via AP)

1 home destroyed, 155 people told to evacuate Alaska fire

Only 25 have evacuated with 130 people sheltering in place

In this photo provided by Eric Kiehn, Northwest Incident Management Team 10, Alaska Division of Forestry, a fixed-wing aircraft drops water on the Clear Fire near Anderson, Alaska, July 6, 2022. One home has been destroyed by the wildfire burning in Alaska’s interior, while a majority of people under evacuation orders are sheltering in place. (Eric Kiehn, Northwest Incident Management Team 10, Alaska Division of Forestry via AP)
Ted Kubacki gets a lick from the family golden retriever, Lulu, outside their house after being reunited in Sitka, Alaska, on Thursday, July 7, 2022. The elderly, blind dog who had been missing three weeks, was found Tuesday, July 5, 2022, by a construction crew in salmonberry bushes after initially confusing her for a bear. Behind Ted is his wife, Rebecca, and their children Ella, Viola, Star, Lazaria and Olive. (James Poulson/The Daily Sitka Sentinel via AP)

Blind, older dog found in Alaska 3 weeks after wandering off

Lulu was barely alive after being found Tuesday

Ted Kubacki gets a lick from the family golden retriever, Lulu, outside their house after being reunited in Sitka, Alaska, on Thursday, July 7, 2022. The elderly, blind dog who had been missing three weeks, was found Tuesday, July 5, 2022, by a construction crew in salmonberry bushes after initially confusing her for a bear. Behind Ted is his wife, Rebecca, and their children Ella, Viola, Star, Lazaria and Olive. (James Poulson/The Daily Sitka Sentinel via AP)
This photo shows a sample ballot for the Aug. 16 special general election to determine who will fill the months remaining on Don Young’s term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Alaska’s longtime representative died in March. The three candidates vying to fill Young’s term are also among those running for a full two-year term and will appear on primary ballot the same day. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Dunleavy, Begich, Murkowski remain favorites in new poll

Ranked choice voting could shake up U.S. House race, as Peltola has slim edge against Palin

This photo shows a sample ballot for the Aug. 16 special general election to determine who will fill the months remaining on Don Young’s term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Alaska’s longtime representative died in March. The three candidates vying to fill Young’s term are also among those running for a full two-year term and will appear on primary ballot the same day. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Demonstrators in support of abortion rights stand at the intersection of the Kenai and Sterling highways on Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)

With post-Roe focus on abortion access, Alaska advocates plan events for Saturday

July 9 events taking place in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Homer

Demonstrators in support of abortion rights stand at the intersection of the Kenai and Sterling highways on Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
In this Nov. 7, 2020, photo Jaimie Sekona holds a Trump flag on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol. The former president is scheduled to speak Saturday afternoon at a rally in Anchorage. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

Still time to trip out for Trump

A procession of guest speakers will be featured first, with Trump scheduled to speak at 4 p.m.

In this Nov. 7, 2020, photo Jaimie Sekona holds a Trump flag on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol. The former president is scheduled to speak Saturday afternoon at a rally in Anchorage. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)