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New state child care task force faces bleak reality of Alaska’s system
Alaskans are having a harder time accessing child care now than they were five years ago, an expert told a new task force charged by Gov. Mike Dunleavy with developing a plan to make child care in the state more available and affordable. The task force, which Dunleavy formed in April, had its first public […]
With broadband access set to expand across Alaska, Sen. Sullivan calls for policy to regulate social media, ‘big tech’
Alaska will receive $1 billion in federal funding for affordable, high-speed Internet service, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Monday. Nearly 90,000 homes and small businesses in the state lack access to a high-speed connection, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Sen. Dan Sullivan highlighted the announcement at a press conference with U.S. […]
Angoon students name, launch first dugout canoe since 1882 Bombardment
Angoon students led a procession of regalia-clad residents down the village’s Front Street on Monday. Elders and family members looked on as they sang and drummed Tlingit songs in the afternoon sun, then joined in dances — the killer whale song, the dog salmon song and the Haida “tired paddler” song. Children spun on playground […]
In growing Southwest Alaska conflict, state sides with mine developers
The state of Alaska intends to intervene in a lawsuit that could block development of a gold mine in Southwest Alaska. The state aims to support the federal government and mine developers Donlin Gold, LLC. and Calista Corp. against a group of Alaska Native tribes that say the mine project was improperly permitted and could […]
Alaska State Museum lesson weaves together art, science, and culture
Six pots full of natural dye bubbled on the back patio at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau — deep red beet, yellow wolf lichen, grassy horsetail, golden turmeric, brown coffee, and blue-violet cabbage. About two dozen kids from the community labeled small skeins of merino wool with their names and used sticks to dip […]
Proposed policy aims to streamline Alaska’s food stamp application process
Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, introduced a bill at the end of the last legislative session that is aimed at streamlining applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. It would ease requirements to get benefits which could also have the effect of reducing the administrative burden that contributed to a backlog […]
A study to monitor the potentially imperiled Aleutian tern kicks off in Alaska
The Aleutian tern is now the subject of a multiyear population study, organized by the Pacific Seabird Group’s Aleutian Tern Technical Committee. Anecdotal evidence and limited data strongly suggest the terns’ population has decreased substantially over the last few decades, and there simply isn’t enough research to determine whether they need protected status or not.
Yakutat youth participate in marine debris cleanup
The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe partnered with the Ocean Conservancy for this youth marine debris cleanup at Cannon Beach. The outing was part of a larger project: The city of Yakutat received a grant from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program in Alaska. The project shows Yakutat youth how their small town connects to an international waste management issue.
State roughly halves the number of Alaskans waiting on food aid, but more than 8,000 remain
The state says it has worked through thousands of backlogged applications, but thousands more Alaskans are still without food benefits.
Alaska child care providers say funds approved by Legislature are crucial to staying open
The Legislature put an additional $7.5 million towards grants for child care providers in this year’s budget. The funding is half the amount advocates say it would take to boost wages and stabilize the industry. Some lawmakers say they have more work to do.
A bill to get nurses licensed more quickly in Alaska faces pushback from unions
Alaska’s nurse shortage is widely acknowledged, but there’s less consensus on how to manage solutions. A bill that aims to get nurses licensed and working faster by joining Alaska in a 40-state nurse licensure coalition is mired in pushback. Hospitals and the state’s nursing board support the legislation, but nursing labor unions oppose it.
Department of Education names Alaska’s 2024 Teacher of the Year
Catherine Walker planned to be a surgeon. She took pre-med classes, interned with a surgeon and was an EMT in college. But after two years teaching in the Peace Corps in Mali, she was hooked. Now, nearly two decades later, the Anchorage science teacher is Alaska’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.