Author: Nicole Thompson

People gathered at the University of Alaska Anchorage to discuss strategies to stop the ongoing Alaska population out migration. According to Dan Robinson, Chief of Research for the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, people have been departing Alaska during the last twelve years. He said that no population drop of this size had ever lasted for so long. Robinson claims that while few people are leaving Alaska, the real issue is that fewer people are going there. Alaska has always had the highest rate of population increase among young people in their 20s and 30s. These age groups were…

A man from Louisiana lost his life in an Alaskan helicopter crash on Saturday near King Salmon, according to Alaska State Troopers. Moreover, Clint Johnson, the chief of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Alaska, confirmed that the aircraft took off from the King Salmon Airfield carrying five individuals. The helicopter crashed into the Naknek River about 0.5 miles south of the airport. Egli Air Haul operated the Bell 206B helicopter, also known as a Jet Ranger. At the time of the accident, it was transporting four fishermen to a fishing location. Based on preliminary NTSB findings, the National…

Dunleavy vetoed a warehouse worker protection bill sponsored by Rep. George Rauscher, R-Sutton. The bill would have safeguarded laborers by requiring written work quotas and reasonable breaks. It would have applied to significant warehouses with 100 or more employees. The Alaska Legislature enacted it earlier this year with bipartisan support, suggesting a pervasive concern for the welfare of laborers. Rauscher, who had previously worked in a warehouse, contended that the measure facilitated employee transparency and impartiality. He believed HB 88 was necessary to prevent employers from imposing excessively high quotas that could prevent workers from taking essential breaks, such as…

In the middle of a week filled with significant progress toward the rights to reproductive freedom, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy struck down a bill meant to make birth control more widely accessible. At the same time, an Alaskan court overturned a long-standing prohibition on who could perform abortions, highlighting changing trends in reproductive health rights in Alaska. Dunleavy’s rejection of the measure surprised supporters because it had passed the state House and Senate with overwhelming support. The law would have required insurance companies to pay for up to a year’s supply of birth control, which is necessary in Alaska’s rural…

Bethel, Alaska, on the map, can just be noted as a small town. Still, this town is a whole of people with a rich culture, beautiful history, and a wonderful sense of community. Bethel is known today as a melting pot of cultures in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. However, most of its population is comprised of Yup’ikYup’ik native people. Most of the cultures of Bethel can, therefore, be attributed to these Indigenous people, and at the core of this culture are the cultures of the local artists. Local artisans from Bethel are not just artists but historians, cultural custodians, and architects…

Ketchikan police chief Jeffrey Walls, will be resigning in exchange for the dismissal of felony assault charges against him. Walls faced charges following an incident in September 2022 at the Salmon Falls Resort, where he was accused of assaulting a man. The allegations state that when the guy purposely tripped into Walls and his wife’s chairs, Walls shoved him against a wall and placed him in a chokehold. Delilah Walsh, the city manager of Ketchikan, confirmed that Walls was placed on leave in January 2023 but was later reinstated. His departure was announced just before the jury trial scheduled for…

AI-driven business plan templates are transforming the funding landscape for rural Alaskan small businesses, ensuring fair treatment for underserved communities. University of Alaska Small Business Development Center interviewed SBA Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed on August 26 about this significant development. They also emphasized their efforts to engage rural and underprivileged communities, ensuring no group is left out. In his remarks, SBA Office of Native American Affairs Assistant Administrator Jackson Brossy highlighted the severe poverty and unemployment rates in both rural Alaska and the Navajo Nation. Furthermore, the SBA’s temporary regional communications director, Norma M. Lucero, stated that the absence of…

A kingpin of the Sinaloa Cartel received a 28-year prison sentence on Friday for smuggling cocaine, methamphetamine, and opium into Alaska. Miguel Baez Javi Guevara, who had evaded American authorities for a decade, expanded his drug operations from Mexico before his deportation to the United States in 2021 under a grand jury indictment. Following his 2014 indictment in Arizona, Guevara managed to avoid capture and fled to Mexico to continue his criminal activities. He used various tactics, including creating fake social media identities and encrypted communication channels, to recruit couriers in Alaska and smuggle large quantities of drugs into the…

The Biden administration halted drilling and mining in Alaska, reversing a Trump-era decision to permit resource development on 28 million acres. This action is consistent with Biden’s overarching Alaska land protection policy designed to preserve significant public spaces. Conversely, in his final days in office, former President Trump had advocated for authorizing oil and gas development in this region. However, upon Biden’s assumption of office, the Department of the Interior under his administration suspended the order. It resolved to conduct a comprehensive environmental assessment that considered the concerns of the local and indigenous communities. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland stated that…

An Alaska Airlines flight on Sunday had to return to Seattle due to engine difficulties shortly after takeoff. The aircraft blasted off from Seattle Tacoma International Airport with a thunderous explosion. The plane scheduled to touch down in Oakland, California, a Boeing 737-700, had already passed through the airport. When they realized there could be an engine issue, the personnel returned to Seattle. Around 1:30 pm, Alaska Airlines Flight 1240 safely arrived at Seattle Tacoma International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Alaska Airlines verified that the crew turned off the aircraft’s left main engine as a precaution.…

On Sunday, a landslide in Alaska Ketchikan killed one and injured multiple individuals. Authorities issued evacuation orders due to the possibility of another landslide. At approximately 4:00 pm, a landslide impacted the coastal city, causing significant damage to residences, businesses, and roadways. Mayor Dave Kiffer of Ketchikan expressed his surprise at the incident and offered his deepest sympathies to the families affected. He conveyed his anguish over the catastrophe that had struck his community. Three individuals sustained injuries as a consequence of the landslide. One was treated and discharged from the hospital, while the other two are still hospitalized. Considering…

Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom of Alaska suddenly withdrew her congressional campaign. This could hurt the Democrats hopes of keeping a key U.S. House spot. Dahlstrom was running against Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, who was already in office, and Republican Nick Begich III, who comes from a great political family in Alaska. Dahlstrom ultimately decided not to support Begich, but she did say that her main goal was to see Peltola lose. “I entered this race because Alaskans deserve better representation than what we have received from Mary Peltola in Washington,” Dahlstrom stated. Voters in Alaska approved ranked-choice voting in 2020,…