KFSK Midday Magazine

The commercial red king crab fishery will open in Southeast Alaska this year; Petersburg voters will decide if the town should have a sales tax exemption for seniors age 70 and older; and a conversation with a new early elementary special education teacher in Petersburg.

A fungal outbreak is spreading among spruce trees in the Tongass National forest, scientists say it's not harmful; Petersburg's hospital was awarded three major grants; and Southeast Alaska dive fishermen have seen the impacts of the region's sea otter boom.

Juneau city leaders raise questions about glacial outburst flood funding; a lawsuit against the Forest Service challenges a logging project near Ketchikan; and a conversation with Petersburg's EMS Coordinator about a new Emergency Trauma Technician certification class at the local high school.

Candidate shakeups rattle the race for Alaska's next governor; a memorial dedication in Ketchikan honors the life of a city worker; and a conversation with visiting experts in Petersburg about natural disaster and emergency preparedness.

Petersburg's local tribe will be repatriating the remains of a 6-month-old Tlingit girl this week; a preschool in Haines has shut down; and a look into the Mat-Su's rapid home development.

Alaska's biggest health insurance provider wants to raise rates; Petersburg's post office is hiring new staff after significant turnover; Petersburg residents learned how to identify and stop invasive species.

The Borough Assembly is the only contested race in Petersburg's 2026 local election; Dan J. Sullivan says he's staying in the U.S. Senate race; and Petersburg's Assembly directed the local Planning Commission to take action on Tidal Network's subdivision request.

250 Coast Guard crew members trained for a week in Juneau, competing in the Buoy Tender Olympics; Lawsuits continue over the effort to redevelop a historic Juneau neighborhood; and Petersburg Public Library's summer literacy program saw high turnout.

All Petersburg School District students can receive free meals this year; a Wrangell water taxi company added a larger vessel to their fleet; and a conversation with Petersburg's new elementary special education teacher.

The Alaska Marine Highway System will receive millions of dollars in delayed federal funds; editors of the annual Arctic Report Card are optimistic despite losing NOAA's support; and a conversation with Petersburg's new third grade teacher.

More candidates have filed to run in Petersburg's municipal election; seiners in Sitka broke the single-day record for harvesting pink salmon twice this month, and a conversation with Petersburg's new middle school history teacher.

Public comment opened today after the U.S. Department of Agriculture filed to rescind the Roadless Rule; a Chilkat Valley man facing animal cruelty charges was arrested in Juneau; and Petersburg's only public pool reopened this week.

A look at unofficial results from last night's primary election; Juneau's city hall is being sold to an Alaska Native nonprofit; and a conversation with Petersburg's new middle school English teacher.

Today is Alaska's primary election; damage to Skagway's dock has halted ferry services; and a young fisherman is alive and well after a seining accident in Southeast Alaska last month.

Juneau's glacial outburst flood was lower than expected; a career and technical program in Prince of Wales is bringing results; and Petersburg's Borough Assembly will consider a subdivision request for a controversial project.

Money is pouring into Alaska's U.S. Senate race for fringe candidates; a new tool will help researchers predict ocean acidity; and Petersburg's annual Pedal/Paddle Battle fundraised record amounts.

Southeast Alaska is seeing unseasonably warm weather for this time of year; new breakwaters have been installed at Petersburg's Banana Point boat launch; and the Petersburg Indian Association will be repatriating the remains of a 6-month-old Tlingit girl.

Sport fishermen in Southeast Alaska can catch more king salmon; a Juneau cancer nonprofit received a federal grant; and nine people have files to run for public office in Petersburg so far.

After two Prince of Wales teens died, they're being remembered for their golden hearts; Sitka high schoolers made art that celebrated the natural world; and a group of Petersburg teens are performing in Edenborough this week.

Pink salmon are finally showing up in Southeast Alaska; an answer to Juneau's plea for a solution to glacial outburst flooding is on the horizon; and Independent U.S. House candidate Bill Hill visited Petersburg last week.

A nonprofit is replacing manmade stream crossings with fish-friendly culverts; an ice cream shop in the Eastern Aleutians is a constant among economic uncertainty; and Petersburg's catholic church has been rebuilt after a devastating fire 3 years ago.

Firefighters are fighting a wildland fire north of Haines; a whale sank a sailboat in Glacier Bay; and Petersburg's domestic violence prevention nonprofit has a new executive director.

Running water was restored to Hydaburg yesterday; after a Canadian crew lost their sailboat, the owner returned to the Aleutians to find it; and a dozen volunteers freed a whale from a gillnet near Petersburg last week.

A controversial gold mine near Juneau is going through a faster permitting process; the Metlakatla Indian Community received over $16 million to increase hatchery production; and the Petersburg Borough Assembly has approved a major zoning update for wireless communication facilities.

Insurance experts talk about future options for landslide insurance; Ketchikan's local tribe wants to open a sport fishery for an invasive crab; and Petersburg's Borough Assembly has four public hearings tonight.

Alaskans will vote on whether to implement campaign finance limits; the City of Craig is implementing trail access permits; and the summer Southeast commercial Dungeness crab season ended three weeks early.

Petersburg's Dan Sullivan talks about his U.S. Senate campaign priorities; a new class will teach mariners how to avoid whales; and a Petersburg volunteer group freed a whale tangled in a gill net.

The Alaska Legislature enters a third gas line special session; Juneau's annual glacial outburst flood may be later than initially forecast; and an iconic Petersburg bar is under new ownership.

The City of Craig has foundational issues with their pool; investors looking to ship bulk water out of Sitka are looking for an extension; and Petersburg's election candidacy filing period has begun.

Alaska earthquake stations may help identify landslides; the University of Alaska Southeast is partnering with a Lower 48 law school; and construction continues at Petersburg's aquatic center.

Thousands of Alaska voters have been moved to an "inactive" list due to suspicion they're not citizens; state lawmakers have ordered an audit of the Alaska Board of Fisheries' actions; and a waffle food truck has come to Petersburg.

A researcher digs into who female set net permit holders are declining in Bristol Bay; preparing for Juneau's annual glacial outburst flood is easier this year; and Petersburg's dance troupe is fundraising to buy a church building.

A federal bill to address Juneau's annual glacial outburst flood is heading to the U.S. Senate; preparations are underway for the Southeast Alaska State Fair; and the Petersburg Medical Center's newest building had an open house last week.

An Alaska Native nonprofit wants to buy Juneau's city hall; Wrangell is moving forward with plans for a massive shipyard; and a federal bill allowing 5 Alaska Native communities to receive land entitlements is moving forward.

All of Blind Slough near Petersburg opens to more king salmon fishing; a rock skipping competition takes place near Ketchikan; and a heavily amended tower regulation proposal in Petersburg heads to a decisive Assembly meeting tonight.

Governor Mike Dunleavy called lawmakers back for more debate on tax breaks for the Alaska LNG project; Some fishermen voice concerns over the consolidation of seafood processors in Bristol Bay; and a team of community members in Petersburg receive training for basic disaster response skills.

A new study suggests dogs could increase the chance of bear conflicts; a drone training program takes flight in Western Alaska; and Petersburg's local tribe hosted a Tlingit 101 workshop last month.

Legislators discuss the ongoing debate around a natural gas pipeline; a Juneau resident shot a yearling black blear; processors are paying more for commercial salmon this season than in recent years.

A new law expands how pharmacists can work in the state; Southeast Alaska's commercial kind salmon fishery will remain open; and Petersburg's hospital launched a subscription-based healthcare program.

Public comment is open for a proposed Prince of Wales timber sale; Haines' local dump is moving off-grid; and Petersburg residents won't pay a surcharge for a week of power in June.

Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bill yesterday that would've limited campaign contributions in state elections; Juneau has a larger evacuation zone this year for the anticipated glacial outburst flood; and a family of logrolling champs keep their legacy standing as a change in leadership looms for Petersburg's annual harbor games.

People in Haines are looking for a missing red-tailed hawk; a pilot project to count salmon with drones and AI takes flight in Bristol Bay; and a conversation with gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins during his visit to Petersburg.

Petersburg celebrated its second annual Amy Hallingstad Day on June 28; Ketchikan has several new food stands around town; and a Mat-Su mental health team provides a unique kind of equine therapy for patients.

Alaska's food assistance program had the highest payment error rate in the country; a black bear entered a historic Juneau hotel; and the Petersburg School District anticipates receiving nearly a million dollars in one-time funding.

Aging populations in Alaska have made it harder for pet birds to find homes; Southeast Alaska's commercial king salmon fishery is open; and Petersburg's Borough Assembly reversed their votes on two tower proposals last month.

A group of Alaska Native organizations is launching a rural vet program; a Ketchikan eye clinic is offering a first of its kind laser procedure; and the Forest Service has finished a $12 million building remodel in Petersburg.

A Prince of Wales hunter education program is teaching students to hunt safely; a Ketchikan shipyard landed a nearly $100 million federal grant; and Karl Hagerman has retired from the Petersburg Borough after 33 years.

Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed money to retain and recruit teachers; new Bristol Bay king salmon regulations won't go into effect until the end of the season; and Alaska's Supreme Court says Dan Sullivan of Petersburg must be on the ballot.

A superior court judge on Friday said the state was wrong to disqualify Petersburg Dan Sullivan from the senate race; dozens of bills have passed into state law in recent weeks; and Independence Day celebrations will look different this year in Petersburg.

A Superior Court judge heard oral arguments yesterday regarding Petersburg Dan Sullivan's appeal to get back on the ballot; Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed almost $90 million from the state budget; and Juneau's new Forest Service cabin has opened for booking.