Brian Mattson, with the 396 pound halibut caught near Petersburg. (photo/Abbey Collins) By SABINE POUX – Kenai Regulations for halibut charters are looser this summer for the second year in a row. The bodies regulating halibut fishing in Alaska relaxed restrictions on the fleet to again make fishing more appealing to Alaska anglers amid the pandemic. That was before reservations started …

By OLIVIA EBERTZ • MAY 28, 2021 On May 25, the Bethel City Council voted to create positions for youth aged 14 to 17 on city committees and commissions. Bethel City Clerk Lori Strickler wants to educate kids about how local government works.CREDIT ELYSSA LOUGHLIN / KYUK Bethel City Clerk Lori Strickler wants to educate kids about how local government works. “Our goal …

By Krysti Shallenberger, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Bethel The site of the proposed Donlin Mine, 145 miles northeast of Bethel. (Dean Swope/KYUK) On May 27, the commissioner for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation chose to uphold a key state water quality certificate for the proposed Donlin Gold mine. The decision came after administrative law judge recommended DEC not uphold …

May 26, 2021 by Tyler Thompson, KDLG – Dillingham Gabe Dunham with UAF and Alaska Sea Grant at Dillingham’s erosion monitoring site by the sewage lagoon, fall 2019. Dunham was part of the initial Stakes for Stakeholders project in 2016 and continues to support erosion research in the region. (Tyler Thompson/KDLG) Researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks will travel to Dillingham …

By Tegan Hanlon, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage –May 25, 2021 Don Dyer stood among boxes full of tiny, fluffy chicks on a recent weekday afternoon in Anchorage as he read off customer Rachel Varela’s order. “One Dominant Copper. One Rhode Island Red. One Blue Sapphire. Two Barred Rocks,” the poultry farmer called over a chorus of high-pitched chirps. “That’s …

By Wesley Early, KOTZ – Kotzebue – May 24, 2021 The state’s largest wireless internet provider is planning a major boost in service for both urban and rural Alaskans. GCI Antenna. (Sir Mildred Pierce/Flickr Creative Commons) Currently, Alaska’s fastest internet speeds are in more urban parts of the state, including Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and the Mat-Su Borough. In those areas, …

By Sabine Poux, KDLL – Soldotna– May 21, 2021 The Alaska Long Trail would connect Seward and Fairbanks through a 500-mile multi-use trail. It’s modeled after other long trails, like the Appalachian Trail on the East Coast. (Sabine Poux/KDLL) Money for a 500-mile Alaska Long Trail will likely be included in the Alaska Legislature’s budget this year. The nonprofit Alaska …

May 20, 2021 by Greg Kim, KYUK – Bethel Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky, D-Bethel, speaks during a House floor session in the Alaska Capitol in Juneau on Feb. 23, 2020. (Photo by Skip Gray/KTOO) The Alaska House of Representatives has passed two bills sponsored by Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky, D-Bethel. House Bill 123, a bill for the state legislature to formally recognize Alaska Native …

May 21, 2021 by Nat Herz, Alaska Public Media Paper cards like this one, shown by retired chemistry teacher David Boyd at a January COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Anchorage, could be replaced by a digital system that the state of Alaska is preparing to launch. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy has said his administration won’t require vaccine passports. …

May 19, 2021 by Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska Alaska lawmakers passed a bill to Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday that boosters say would ensure better long-term planning for the state-run ferry system. The Alaska Marine Highway System has been struggling with deep spending cuts, an aging fleet and declining ridership as it runs fewer ships to coastal communities. But it’s also come under fire for …