Author: Rachel Enano

Starting on July 1, 2024, the Alaska Permanent Fund will enter the new fiscal year with a $600 million shortfall. Lawmakers have saved $3.8 billion from the fund for next year’s budget and the Permanent Fund dividend, with an additional $1 billion set aside for inflation-proofing. These withdrawals exceed the available revenue in the fund’s spendable account. Deven Mitchell, CEO of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, addressed a joint legislative committee on Monday, June 24, stating, “That’s the first time that we’ve been in this scenario.” Investment earnings over the next year are expected to cover the shortfall. However, if…

On Thursday, June 13, flight attendants worldwide rallied for new contracts after long negotiations. This united effort aligns with U.S. senators’ push for a quick resolution to these extended talks. Flight attendants from major airlines such as American, Alaska, and United joined forces to call for change. As negotiations reach a critical point, they are in the middle of a crucial two-week period, hoping for real progress. Alaska Airlines agreed with their flight attendants’ concerns and acknowledged the need for a new contract. On June 12, the airline presented a comprehensive economic proposal that included boarding pay, increased wages, per…

Anchorage Mayor-elect Suzanne LaFrance announced on Thursday the selection of 18 leaders for her transition team as she prepares to assume office on July 1, following her victory over incumbent Dave Bronson in the mayoral runoff. The transition team is divided into three groups, each led by prominent Anchorage residents, former legislators, and community leaders, focusing on LaFrance’s priority areas: “good government,” “safe streets and trails,” and “building our future.” These areas were highlighted in a written statement from LaFrance’s team. Members of the transition teams include Bill Popp, a former longtime leader in Anchorage economic development who lost in…

Recent directives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signal a pressing need for Alaska to revamp its water quality standards due to its high fish consumption. The EPA has granted the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation a timeframe of six to 12 months to formulate new or revised standards for over 100 pollutants found in state waters. This move comes in response to data revealing that Alaskans consume fish at rates surpassing current regulatory assumptions by 30 to 60 times. Caleb Shaffer, acting director of the EPA’s water division for the Pacific Northwest, emphasized the necessity for updated standards to…

A severe train accident occurred early Saturday morning in Anchorage’s Spenard neighborhood, leaving a man with life-threatening injuries, according to the Alaska Railroad. At around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, a southbound, empty passenger train struck a man near Milepost 111.4 on the main line. This location is north of the railroad’s intersection with West 36th Avenue. The man, whose identity remains unknown, was found approximately 500 feet from the nearest crossing. Emergency responders transported the injured man to a hospital, where he continues to receive care, according to an Anchorage police spokeswoman. As of Monday morning, further updates on his…

Before adjourning for the year, Alaska legislators finalized plans to allocate millions of dollars toward housing projects statewide to address the ongoing housing shortage that residents have been grappling with. Alongside approving several housing-related bills promoting home ownership, these plans have yet to be forwarded to Governor Mike Dunleavy for approval or veto.  Central to this effort is the state-owned Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), which oversees housing operations and extends home loans across the state. Last year, lawmakers sanctioned over $63 million for AHFC projects within the state’s capital budget, covering construction and renovation endeavors across Alaska. This year,…

Alaska lawmakers greenlit $3.7 million in funding for nine projects integral to an expansive trail network envisioned to match the fame of the Appalachian Trail in the East and the Pacific Crest Trail in the West. Dubbed the Alaska Long Trail, though subject to potential renaming, the system aims to span over 500 miles, linking Fairbanks in the Interior to the Kenai Peninsula’s Gulf of Alaska coastline. Seamlessly integrating existing trails across federal, state, and municipal lands, it promises uninterrupted exploration. The Alaska Long Trail projects included in the upcoming fiscal year’s capital budget were part of a more extensive…

By the end of the month, an Anchorage Superior Court judge will decide whether to uphold a substantial fine imposed by Alaska’s campaign finance regulators on supporters of a petition aimed at reversing the state’s election laws. The Alaska Public Offices Commission, which oversees campaign finance regulation, fined the petition backers over $90,000, concluding they had illegally funneled money through a church in Washington state. The supporters appealed the decision in Anchorage Superior Court. At the same time, opponents of the petition cross-appealed, arguing that the fine was too lenient and that additional penalties should have been imposed. This led…

On the final day of Alaska’s legislative session, lawmakers approved a bill directing the Alaska Board of Education to establish regulations for correspondence programs. This decision followed a Superior Court Judge’s ruling that such programs, enabling homeschooled children’s families to receive state funding, violated the state constitution. However, despite the bill’s passage three weeks ago, it has yet to be sent to Gov. Mike Dunleavy for signature. Additionally, during the board of education’s recent meeting in Kotzebue on Wednesday, discussions were kept open regarding regulations for these programs. The legal dispute regarding Alaska’s correspondence programs is scheduled for a hearing…

An Anchorage gas station shooting in a parking lot left a man critically injured on Tuesday, as confirmed by authorities. Following the incident, 25-year-old Savon Berry was apprehended on Monday on charges of felony assault. The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the Holiday store, as detailed in a summary of an Anchorage police report accompanying criminal charges. Police were alerted to gunfire in the parking lot at the intersection of Northern Lights Boulevard and Boniface Parkway around 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Savon Berry, who fled the scene, was apprehended within two hours. Meanwhile, the victim, who sustained a…

During a news briefing on Monday morning, Anchorage Police Department Chief Bianca Cross revealed that a 25-year-old man lost his life in a chaotic fatal downtown shooting early Saturday. The incident, which also left another man injured and the suspected gunman wounded by police, was captured on numerous surveillance and cellphone videos. Chief Cross stated that detectives are currently reviewing “hundreds” of videos linked to the tragic event. According to the police, Kaleb Eugene Bourdukofsky faces charges related to the shooting of Joe and another unidentified man who survived and was hospitalized. The shootings occurred after a brawl outside a…

On May 31, 2024, at 5:07 PM, the Fairbanks Rural Unit received a tip about a boat traveling from Old Crow, Canada, to Fort Yukon, Alaska. The tip said that a drug dealer responsible for an overdose in Old Crow was on board. The boat had four Canadian Drug Dealers: aged 41, 50, 27, and 24. A Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) in Fort Yukon was alerted and intercepted the boat while Fairbanks Rural Troopers applied for a search warrant. During the initial stop, drug paraphernalia and three dead black ducks were found. It is believed that one passenger threw…