Author: Nicole Thompson

Mass layoffs within the federal government have left many Alaskans unemployed, while others fear they could be next. Dozens of US Forest Service employees in Alaska learned last week that their jobs would be eliminated if they were still in their probationary period. Now, federal employees across the state worry that similar terminations could come as soon as Tuesday. An employee, Morgan Saladino, talked about the anxiety of anticipating potential Alaska’s federal layoffs. “We have been stressed. It’s not getting any easier, you know, but we’re doing our best to kind of show up and do our jobs every day,”…

Alaska’s Republican US senators introduced a bill Thursday to restore Denali as the official name of North America’s tallest peak. The legislation directly challenges President Donald Trump’s executive order that aimed to rename the 20,310-foot mountain Mount Mckinley.  Senator Lisa Murkowski, the bill’s lead sponsor, emphasized that Alaskans have long recognized the mountain as Denali. “Once you see it in person and take in the majesty of its size and breathe in its cold air, you can understand why the Koyukon Athabascans referred to it as ‘The Great One,'” stated Murkowski Murkowski added that the name is a deeply rooted…

A 28-year-old man, Jesse Lee Jones, was found guilty Thursday of shooting in an apartment complex in Anchorage and killing Josiah Goecker over a notice of non-renewal in 2023. Jones, who had been living with his pregnant girlfriend, was enraged after learning that he and his girlfriend would be evicted.  Jones entered the leasing office and asked why he and his girlfriend were kicked out. A witness testified that Jones became increasingly agitated, pulled out a gun and struggled with Goecker. During the altercation, Jones fired the gun multiple times, killing Goecker on the spot. The witness confirmed that the…

Chief Justice Susan Carney acknowledged the Alaska Supreme Court trial delays in her address to the Alaska Legislature, emphasizing ongoing efforts to improve the system. Speaking for the first time since an investigative report exposed a severe case backlog, Carney admitted that felony trials now take nearly three times longer than a decade ago. One alarming case involved a sexual assault witnessed by police in Anchorage that took seven years to reach trial. Carney called such cases extraordinary but insisted the judiciary must improve efficiency to prevent similar delays. Carney reassured lawmakers that the courts are actively working to reduce…

Alaska legislators are moving forward with a plan to establish the Alaska Department of Agriculture, addressing food security concerns sparked by COVID-19. Governor Mike Dunleavy’s executive order will automatically create the new Department unless lawmakers vote against it in a joint session by March 22. If no opposition arises, the Alaska Department of Agriculture will become official on July 1. Only Rhode Island and Alaska lack a cabinet-level agriculture department, with Rhode Island having the fewest farms nationwide. Legislators signaled strong support for the proposal in two hearings on Wednesday. The House Resources Committee narrowly voted 4-3 against advancing a…

The Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA) sued the state of Alaska on Tuesday, accusing officials of illegally withholding a crucial salary study. The lawsuit, filed in Anchorage Superior Court, demands the study’s release and claims the state altered its methodology to conceal unfavorable results. The Alaska Public Employee Salary Study lawsuit targets Governor Mike Dunleavy’s administration, alleging it changed the study’s standards after receiving negative findings. The Alaska Legislature commissioned the survey in 2023 to determine whether state employees’ salaries remain competitive. It was scheduled for completion by June 30, 2024, but state officials have yet to release the results.…

Alaska’s congressional delegation is demanding better weather monitoring systems and air traffic management after a deadly commuter plane crash. During Tuesday’s US Department of Transportation news conference, lawmakers highlighted gaps in aviation technology following the Bering Air crash investigation, which has raised serious safety concerns.  Senator Dan Sullivan, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Representative Nick Begich joined Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy in Washington, DC, to discuss aviation safety. They emphasized urgent improvements, due to Alaska’s challenging terrain, unpredictable weather, and airspace congestion. Murkowski highlighted the state’s severe weather monitoring issues, revealing that 51 of Alaska’s 150…

A proposed Anchorage weapon storage ordinance could make parents responsible if their child brings a deadly weapon to school. Anchorage Assembly member Karen Bronga introduced the measure, which will be discussed at Tuesday´s assembly meeting. The ordinance states that parents or guardians could face prosecution if their child possesses a weapon that initially belonged to them. It also applies if they authorized the child to have the gun or stored it in a criminally negligent way. The proposal does not regulate firearm storage beyond state laws or define criminally negligent storage. “My intention is we have this conversation,” Bronga said.…

Alaska’s flood insurance bill proposes a new state-run insurance program to address flood damages, including glacial outburst floods. Senate Bill 11 would establish the Alaska Flood Authority and an insurance fund, replacing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program.  Senator Bert Stedman, who introduced the bill, argues that FEMA’s restrictions burden Alaskans and offer inadequate post-disaster compensation. The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee held the bill’s first on Monday. FEMA mandates flood insurance for financing buildings in designated flood zones, yet private insurers rarely cover such risks in Alaska. A 2022 state report showed 32 cities or boroughs…

Alaska’s industries increasingly relied on nonresident workers in 2023 as labor shortages and population declines intensified across the state. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported 92,664 nonresident workers last year, accounting for 23.5% of the workforce, the highest rate since 1995. State economist Rob Kreiger analyzed the data, highlighting a growing dependence on Alaska’s nonresident workforce across nearly all industries. “I do think the workers shortage persisted in 2024, which could result in numbers similar to what we saw in 2023,” Kreiger said. Krieger’s findings appeared in the February edition of Alaska Economic Trends, a monthly publication…

Authorities have recovered and identified all Alaska plane crash victims from the Bering Air flight that went down off western Alaska’s coast. In a Facebook post, the Nome Volunteer Fire Department confirmed that recovery teams had returned all the victims home.  The small commuter aircraft carrying nine passengers and one pilot took off from Unalakleet on Thursday afternoon, bound for Nome. It disappeared during the flight, and search crews found the wreckage 34 miles southeast of Nome on Friday. Officials declared all 10 people dead. Alaska State Troopers identified the victims as Liane Ryan, who was 52, and Donnell Erickson,…

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy stated that he was deeply saddened by the Bering Air crash tragedy that killed ten people in Nome on Thursday, and he praised search crews for finding the crashed plane. He offered prayers for the families of the victims. Authorities discovered the wreckage southeast of Nome, where the commuter plane crashed while flying from Unalakleet. Rescue teams initially struggled due to difficult weather conditions but later confirmed all passengers had perished. Officials said poor visibility delayed the search, with emergency responders working tirelessly to locate the aircraft. Governor Dunleavy acknowledged concerns about recent air crashes and…