Fire officials across Alaska are looking to improve fire and fume safety by distributing and installing new smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. According to an email from the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office, they’re prioritizing residences with elders, in-home childcare facilities, individuals with disabilities, or low-income households.

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are small residences that can be attached to an existing home or stand alone on the same lot as another unit. Advocates say they can add to the available housing stock.

A lack of housing, childcare shortages, and a sharp decline in workforce retention were some of the top issues highlighted at the Alaska Municipal League’s summer legislative conference in Kodiak.

"Almost every school system in nearly every community is at the point where everybody has some basic needs that are being challenged," said Association of Alaska School Boards Executive Director Lon Garrison on education funding in the state.

Aug. 20 marks the primary election for state and federal races in Alaska. On Kodiak Island, voters have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to choose who they want to advance to the general election in November.

The City of Kodiak is considering overhauling the phone system it uses to accept public calls during City Council meetings. That’s after multiple callers expressed frustration with the call-in system.

By 4 p.m. on Aug. 15 when the two week filing period closed, four candidates each for Borough Assembly, School Board, and City Council registered to be on the ballot in the upcoming municipal election.

The Alaska Municipal League comprises of borough, city, and village officials from across the state and hosted a session in the Kodiak Marketplace downtown.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski visited Kodiak for just a few hours to speak at the Alaska Municipal League's Summer Legislative Session to share updates about transportation and projects with fisheries.

The Sizzler Burger and Peking Restaurant has been a staple in Kodiak for roughly 40 years. The local eatery also holds one of only four Restaurant or Eating Place Licenses (REPLs) within the city.