Author: The Tundra Drums Staff

Most Alaska lawmakers have already left Juneau, but the special legislative session remains technically active until August 19. On Saturday, legislators overrode two of Governor Mike Dunleavy’s vetoes and passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 101 to allow an extended break. The Alaska Constitution forbids recesses longer than three days without approval from both chambers. Representative Will Stapp of Fairbanks opposed the resolution and immediately filed for a re-vote, which would ordinarily occur the next day. However, the reconsideration becomes irrelevant since lawmakers are not scheduled to reconvene until August 19. Republican minority members, including Stapp, wanted lawmakers to stay in session…

Kenai River Flats will be closed for construction beginning August 4 as a new infrastructure project prepares to upgrade the site through late September. Alaska’s Department of Transportation (DOT), with funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), will oversee the project’s execution. Crews will repave the lot, apply fresh striping, and install an Elevated Light-Penetrating (ELP) walkway for safe river access. The new ELP structure will help protect the habitat while giving anglers and visitors better mobility along the riverfront. The Design & Construction team will work through September 30 to complete these improvements, which require a full closure. Officials…

Australian researchers have revealed that honeybee venom kills aggressive breast cancer cells in lab tests with minimal damage to healthy cells. The groundbreaking study was led by Dr Ciara Duffy at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Western Australia and published in Nature Precision Oncology.  Dr. Duffy and her team used venom from 312 honeybees and bumblebees collected in Australia, Ireland and England to test its effects on various breast cancer subtypes. These included hormone receptor-positive HER2-enriched and the particularly hard-to-treat triple-negative breast cancer. The team focused on a compound called melittin, a small peptide found in honeybee…

Alaska will issue the final round of stimulus check 2025 payments to qualifying residents later this August. The Alaska Department of Revenue confirmed that eligible applicants will receive their checks on August 21 if their status qualifies. This year’s checks include an annual dividend of $1,440 plus a $262 energy relief bonus, bringing the total to $1,702. Only Alaskans whose Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) status reads “Eligible-Not Paid” on August 13 will receive this last payment. Officials began distributing the 2025 PFD checks earlier this year, with two payment rounds completed before August. According to officials, direct deposit recipients will…

Two workers remain hospitalized after a sudden fire broke out Friday afternoon at a ConocoPhillips site near Alpine, Alaska. According to the company, a localized flash fire erupted at the Alpine Central Facility around 2:30 p.m., injuring three employees. As soon as the fire broke out all operations in the affected area were immediately shut down to prioritize employee safety and response. The injured workers received emergency treatment at the Alpine Medical Clinic before they were airlifted to an Anchorage hospital for care. According to the latest update from Conocophillips, one injured person had recovered enough to be released by…

Danielle Lindoff escaped with her cats through her living room window when floodwaters swept through her Juneau neighborhood last August. Her husband navigated their boat through the dark while she shone a flashlight, dodging submerged mailboxes in their path. Despite their preparations with sandbags and sealed doors, the Mendenhall Glacier outburst flood broke all previous records on August 5, 2024. The river crested at 15.99 feet, flooding nearly 290 homes, leaving residents shocked and emergency crews scrambling for a response. Water rushed from Suicide Basin, a side basin of the Mendenhall Glacier, after an ice dam broke and triggered the…

Thailand Cambodia ceasefire tensions remained high Wednesday as both nations traded accusations of fresh violations along their contested frontier. Despite a truce agreed on Monday in Malaysia, Thai officials accused Cambodian forces of firing small arms and mortars overnight.  Cambodia denied those claims and accused Thailand of illegally capturing 20 of its soldiers during recent clashes. Cambodia responded by taking foreign diplomats and military attachés to a destroyed checkpoint in Preach Vihear province, asking them to verify Thai actions. A Cambodian general said one soldier escaped, two were believed dead, and Thai forces were holding the remaining. Thailand confirmed it…

Crews will fully close the road between Bogard Road and Birch View Drive this weekend to continue construction on the Cottonwood Creek bridge. According to project officials, the closure will begin Friday, August 1, at 9 p.m. and end Monday, August 4, at 4 a.m. Both vehicle traffic and pedestrians will be restricted from using this section while work is completed. Workers will remove a temporary stream diversion used during earlier construction phases of the new bridge over Cottonwood Creek. This essential step ensures the stream flows naturally through the new bridge structure. The closure also affects recreational access, with…

A powerful earthquake struck off Russia’s Far East coast on Tuesday, triggering a Tsunami warning across the Pacific. According to the US Geological Survey, the quake reached a magnitude of 8.8 and occurred near the Kamchatka Peninsula. The epicenter lay beneath the ocean off the Peninsula’s eastern coastline, deep in the Pacific’s volatile seismic zone. Shortly after the earthquake, tsunami warnings rippled across Pacific nations, including the United States. Authorities in Hawaii and Alaska quickly received alerts from the US Tsunami Warning Center, which is based in Palmer, Alaska. In Alaska, officials issued a tsunami warning specifically for sections of…

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Anchorage Assembly approved homeless shelter contracts totaling over $18 million, funding both an existing and a new shelter. MASH Property Management LLC, owned by former Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, received the largest contract, worth approximately $11 million. This funding will support a new shelter located at 1911 East 5th Avenue in a rented facility previously serving as a church and a strip club. Henning Inc., a seasoned operator managing several municipal shelters, received the second contract, valued at roughly $7.1 million. That contract transfers management of the existing Col Weather Shelter on 56th Avenue from Catholic…

Thailand accused Cambodia of breaking a fresh deal just hours after both nations agreed to halt border fighting. The Thai army claimed Cambodian troops fired into Thai territory shortly after midnight violating the newly signed peace agreement.  Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said Thai forces responded appropriately and in self defence to the continued armed attacks from Cambodia. He added that the assaults targeted several locations within Thai borders unconditional ceasefire starting at midnight Monday aiming to end five days of deadly violence. The recent border clashes killed at least 38 people and people and forced nearly 300,000 civilians to flee…

Following the discovery of a moose calf carcass near the trail system, officials have closed multiple trails at Beach Lake Park in Chugiak for safety. Eagle River and Chugiak Parks and Recreation issued a bear alert Monday, warning the public of the active bear danger.  A red sign labeled bear alert appeared online, stating the trails will remain closed through Thursday for community protection. This warning came after two bear maulings were reported in Anchorage just last week, raising safety concerns among residents.  Chris Bottom, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, emphasized the importance of avoiding…