The 2026 Southeast harvest limit for king salmon is more than 50% higher than the limit for 2025. This year, Southeast Alaska fishermen can catch a total 205,300 treaty king salmon — fish that didn’t come from Alaska hatcheries — according to a March 31 announcement by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. State […]
Posted inNews
Murkowski reminds legislators: State needs a real fiscal plan
Alaska’s senior U.S. senator, Lisa Murkowski, knows from experience how difficult it is for the state to adopt a long-term fiscal plan, rather than simply hoping for federal dollars and high oil prices to pay the bills. “Alaska will need a legitimate fiscal plan as the federal budget inevitably tightens,” she told state House and […]
Posted inLocal News, Alaska Marine Highway System
Lutak Dock concepts to be considered during joint meeting tonight
Borough elected officials will meet Wednesday evening to begin selection of a Lutak Dock concept. Moffatt & Nichol, the borough’s contracted advisors on the dock project, will present three potential design concepts at the joint meeting of the borough assembly, planning commission and Ports and Harbors advisory committee. One of the design concepts is essentially […]
Posted inSoutheast News, Alaska Marine Highway System
Ferry system may avert summer crisis
Reopening of a federal grant program could reduce, but not eliminate, a cash squeeze at the Alaska Marine Highway System this summer. The months-long delay in the program jeopardized the ferry system’s operating budget for this summer. But, even with the reopening of the grant applications, the Marine Highway will need state funds to cover […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Southeast News
Organizers say boost from 50th Alaska Folk Festival means this year’s is even bigger
Traditional week of concerts, dances and workshops starting Monday also features neon, puppets and new documentary about festival’s historic half century
Posted inNews
Ketchikan loses out in competition for free tunnel to airport
Ketchikan is not getting a free, mile-long, 12-foot-diameter tunnel to link the community with its airport across the water. The Ketchikan Gateway Borough had been one of 16 finalists for a national company’s offer to pay for building a tunnel but did not measure up in the final decision. The Boring Co. will be moving […]
Posted inSoutheast News
May 1 fare increase on state ferries, first since 2022
Tickets to ride the Alaska Marine Highway System will go up a little more than 2% effective May 1, the first fare increase since 2019. That 2019 increase instituted “dynamic pricing” of higher fares on popular routes, much like airlines and hotels price their rates to maximize revenues. But dynamic pricing was not popular among […]
Posted inSports, Local News
Gold Medal Hall of Fame completes a marriage dream
“I was surprised, I was pretty content just being a Hall of Fame wife,” Juneau Lions Club President Marie Beierly said after being selected into the Gold Medal Hall of Fame. “This was definitely something we did not expect, and we just enjoyed the years we have been involved with Gold Medal. I guess it […]
Posted inNews
U.S. Forest Service overhaul sows confusion, concern
On March 31, the U.S. Forest Service announced plans to move its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah. It will also close or repurpose all nine of its regional offices, create 15 state offices, and shutter research and development facilities in more than 30 states. According to a news release, the plan is […]
Posted inNews, Alaska Legislature
Alaska Senate advances constitutional amendment to establish education fund
The Alaska Senate on Wednesday advanced a constitutional amendment that would establish a dedicated fund for public education. If passed, lawmakers could design a new source of state revenue to go toward the fund that would be used specifically for schools. The resolution states that the Legislature could only appropriate money from the fund for public education. […]