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In 12th Alaska Corrections death of the year, man dies after just 10 days in custody
James Rider, 31, died on Sept. 9 at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center after 10 days in the custody of the Alaska Department of Corrections, becoming the 12th person to die in the state’s prison system this year. Of the dozen deaths to occur so far this year, several have taken place after only a short […]
Fourth-place finisher Buzz Kelley suspends campaign for U.S. Senate, backs Tshibaka
Republican Buzz Kelley, who finished fourth in Alaska’s U.S. Senate primary race, is suspending his campaign and asking his supporters to vote for fellow Republican Kelly Tshibaka. The 65-year-old retired mechanic from Wasilla got just over 2% of the vote, qualifying him for the ballot behind Alaska’s sitting U.S. Senator Republican Lisa Murkowski, Tshibaka and […]
Alaska governor vetoes bill to tax e-cigs and raise minimum age for tobacco
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Friday vetoed a bill that would have raised the minimum age to purchase and legally possess tobacco products from 19 to 21 years old. The bill also included a tax on electronic smoking products that contain nicotine, which is what Dunleavy took issue with. Currently, Alaska has a cigarette tax […]
University of Alaska regents get preview of employee pay increase, but labor deal remains uncertain
The University of Alaska Board of Regents received a preview of a plan to raise pay for employees. But it’s still unclear whether an increase will be a part of resolving ongoing contract negotiations with the university faculty union. The regents met Thursday in Juneau at the University of Alaska Southeast. It was the first […]
Watchdog agency considers next step for campaign finance complaint against Alaska Gov. Dunleavy
Over the next several days, the staff of the state’s campaign finance watchdog agency could begin investigating a complaint against Gov. Mike Dunleavy and his reelection campaign for alleged violations of campaign finance laws. Two nonprofits that aim to hold government accountable filed the complaint on Tuesday with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. The complaint […]
Alaska Department of Corrections reports 11th death in custody of 2022
The Alaska Department of Corrections has announced the 11th death of a person in custody this year. Bernie Alexia, 76, died in Goose Creek Correctional Center on Sept. 4, according to a Corrections press release on Tuesday. The department said it was an “expected death.” With about four months left in the year, Corrections has […]
Anne Sears is no longer Alaska’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons investigator
After five months on the job, Anne Sears is no longer Alaska’s investigator for missing and murdered Indigenous people with the Alaska State Troopers. When the Department of Public Safety hired her in April, the position was the first of its kind in the state. Now, the critical role is unfilled. In late August, Sears […]
University of Alaska Southeast begins search for new chancellor
The University of Alaska Southeast has started its search for a new leader with Chancellor Karen Carey set to retire at the end of this academic year. The search committee recruiting the next chancellor put out a job description Thursday. Applications and nominations for initial review are due Oct. 30, though the recruitment will remain […]
Many Alaska Natives say new Representative Peltola brings long-sought representation
Alaska Twitter lit up after Democratic candidate Mary Peltola won the special general election to fill the remainder of Don Young’s term as Alaska’s U.S. House Representative. Democrats and progressives were excited about Peltola representing Alaskans, and some Alaska Natives were also happy about her win due to a different kind of representation. Sharon Dayton […]
Two people die after just one day in Alaska corrections custody this month
Janet Minock got a knock on her apartment door the morning of Aug. 23. It was two Anchorage Police Department officers telling her that her 35-year-old daughter, Nastashia Minock, was dead. According to Janet Minock, the police officers told her this: Nastashia was found unresponsive at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center around 1:30 a.m. Aug. 23. […]
University of Alaska faculty union files unfair labor practice complaint
The University of Alaska faculty union filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the University of Alaska administration on Monday. The two parties have been negotiating a new faculty contract for the past year. The complaint, filed with the Alaska Labor Relations Agency, alleges the university administration unlawfully declared an impasse, illegally implemented its “best […]
Former Juneau hospital senior employee arrested Thursday for theft
A former senior level employee at Juneau’s hospital was arrested early Thursday evening for allegedly stealing $108,000 from the medical institution. Bradley Grigg, former chief behavioral health officer at Bartlett Regional Hospital, was indicted in Juneau Superior Court on Thursday on two counts of theft in the first degree. Bartlett Regional Hospital is owned by […]