Alaska News

Anchorage Naming Businesses Visited by Customers with Virus

The Anchorage Department of Health released a list of businesses where people who later tested positive for COVID-19 spent extended periods of time. The health department named 19 locations in the Municipality of Anchorage, Palmer and Seward to which the …

Judge Sides With Transgender Alaska Librarian in Employee Benefits Case

An Alaska healthcare plan that has excluded coverage of gender-confirming surgery for transgender employees is discriminatory, a federal judge ruled. The decision came in a 2018 case filed against the state by Jennifer Fletcher, a legislative librarian who said she …

Small Earthquake Confirmed in Southcentral Alaska

Residents of Homer, Anchorage and Eagle River reported feeling a small earthquake that hit south-central Alaska Saturday. The Alaska Earthquake Center confirmed a magnitude 3.6 earthquake hit at 7:15 a.m. in the Cook Inlet region and had a depth of …

M5.8 Earthquake Strikes Near Western Alaska

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake near Adak, the westernmost municipality in the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The earthquake struck 12:37 p.m. on Sunday at a spot 144.9 miles west of Adak, a town of about 330 people, the …

Construction Decline in Alaska Predicted Without Quake Projects

An Alaska industry group predicted a decrease in 2020 construction spending due to a lower number of earthquake repair projects. The Associated General Contractors of Alaska forecast a decline in construction spending this year of $500 million, or about 6.9%, …

Cyber Attack Forces Airline to Cancel Flights in Alaska

RavnAir canceled at least a half-dozen flights in Alaska on Saturday – at the peak of holiday travel – following what the company described as “a malicious cyber attack” on its computer network. The cancellations affected around 260 passengers, according …

Alaska Getting $36M Federal Grant for Earthquake Recovery

A federal agency awarded Alaska a $35.8 million federal grant to support earthquake disaster recovery efforts, officials said. The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the grant in response to the damaging quake that struck parts of south-central Alaska …

Government Assistance After Alaska Quake Could Top $400M

Alaska officials estimate state and federal assistance following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that rocked parts of south-central Alaska last year will top $400 million. The state emergency management department says the Nov. 30, 2018, quake was the largest natural disaster …

Moderate Earthquake Confirmed off Alaska’s Andreanof Islands Region

The Alaska Earthquake Center confirmed an earthquake hit the Andreanof Islands region. The center says the magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck at 3:54 p.m. Saturday. The epicenter was 59 miles southeast of Adak, a village of about 300 people. The center …

Rate of Fatal Plane Crashes in Alaska Tops National Average

The rate of fatal airplane crashes in Alaska is higher than the national average, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB has preliminary reports for 10 fatal plane wrecks in Alaska for the 2019 calendar year. The figure …