
Amid gavel pounds and cries of ‘recall’ Anchorage Assembly refuses to open restaurants
Despite impassioned pleas from some of Anchorage’s most well established and hard-hit restaurant owners, asking the Anchorage Assembly to let them reopen, the Assembly voted 7-3 to keep in place a ban on all indoor eating and drinking services. Several


Juneau health care worker hospitalized after severe reaction to COVID vaccine
At least one health care worker in Juneau experienced a severe allergic reaction from getting the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 15. The Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services issued a statement about the incident on Dec. 16. “A health care worker in


Governor reflects on a year dominated by COVID fallout
Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s second year at Alaska’s helm was utterly preoccupied with COVID-19. His ruminations on what he’s accomplished in 2020 reflect this. The governor’s Dec. 7 statement about his 2020 accomplishments opens by saying he hopes to get


Moving Gov. Dunleavy off the fence
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has squandered his political capital and mandate through fits and starts. To be sure, he has faced unprecedented problems that were not his making, but his inconsistency has resulted in his core constituents shaking their heads and


Palmer mask mandate proposal still in limbo after seven-hour meeting
After spending seven hours reading aloud more than 250 letters dealing with a proposed citywide mask mandate, the Palmer City Council ended their Nov. 25 meeting just before midnight without voting on the measure. The meeting will be continued into its third


Much of Anchorage headed to lockdown for all of December
Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson has issued a stringent new emergency order that will shut down or severely limit scores of Anchorage businesses in the lead up to Christmas. An emotional Quinn-Davison read a prepared statement, her voice cracking several


Court ruling may doom Anchorage’s ban on LGBTQ counseling
Last week, the 11th Circuit struck down a South Florida ban against counseling that help youth overcome unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion. The court ruled that the constitutionally guaranteed free speech rights of counselors were violated. The


Mat-Su asks attorney general to clarify why he thinks 2nd-class boroughs can impose mask mandates
Editor’s note: This article has been changed to remove any suggestion that the Mat-Su Assembly was seeking approval from the State’s Attorney General Office to impose a borough mask mandate. This is not the case and we regret any confusion our


Kenai mayor introduces resolution against mandatory COVID vaccinations
As the possibility of a COVID-19 vaccination nears, there are concerns that the general public may be required to take the vaccination. To alleviate these fears, Kenai Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce has joined Assemblymen Jesse Bjorkman and Bill Elam to


AK Native women say Justice Carney’s rulings put children at risk
Editor’s note: This letter is signed by Alaska Native women from all over the state who believe Alaska Supreme Court Justice Susan Carney’s ruling to weaken Alaska’s sexual predator registry puts children and families at risk. Alaskans have the

