Associated Press

Officials are preparing for a possible housing crunch in 2020 that is expected to coincide with an influx of servicemen tied to the two new F-35 squadrons coming to Eielson Air Force Base.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports one part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough is estimated to need 800 units of housing by fall 2021.

Air Force estimates say the F-35s will boost the population by 3,500 residents.

Col. Richard Cole says apartments are needed most.

Military and local officials are working together to build interest from developers and investors.

The Fairbanks Economic Development Corp. is hosting a Housing Summit on March 9 for builders, bankers and local officials.

Cole said the military is not currently planning to add housing at Eielson.

Alaska State Troopers say they have arrested a Fairbanks man suspected of setting a vehicle on fire while people were inside the car.

KTVA-TV reports that troopers responded Thursday to a report of a man pouring gas on a vehicle and setting it on fire.

Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters says there were two people inside the vehicle at the time and they both were able to escape uninjured.

She says the two victims were in a confrontation with another individual, who was an acquaintance of the 27-year-old suspect.

Troopers located the suspect nearby and took him into custody.

He was arraigned on several charges Friday, including arson, assault and reckless endangerment.

The chief of an Alaskan tribe says four community members have been banished for dealing methamphetamine.

Allakaket Chief PJ Simon tells the News-Miner that 25 residents confronted the suspected meth dealers and escorted them out of town. They were placed on a Tuesday afternoon flight.

The banishment came after an emotional town hall meeting, which required residents to brave temperatures of 40 degrees below zero. The village has no Alaska State Trooper post or village public safety officer.

Simon says someone non-local came in with an Allakaket resident and was giving meth to underage girls for free.

It is rare for someone to be banished from Allakaket. Leaders banished someone one year from bringing in 5 gallons of whiskey, cocaine and methamphetamines.

Alaska Senate leaders have proposed what they see as key pieces for addressing the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit.

The bill, from the Senate Finance Committee, would draw from the earnings of Alaska’s oil-wealth fund based on a percentage of the fund’s market value and change how the annual dividends Alaskans receive are calculated.

It also would impose a new spending limit in state law.

Senate President Pete Kelly says the Republican-led majority currently isn’t envisioning any taxes. Leaders of the House majority, meanwhile, have seen a broad-based tax, like an income tax, as a key piece for a fiscal plan.

Two other bills proposing draws from Alaska Permanent Fund earnings are pending in the Senate.

House Speaker Bryce Edgmon says his coalition isn’t promoting a spending limit but will examine it if it’s a Senate priority.

Petersburg will be open for business Monday in the renovated portion of its municipal building.

KFSK-FM reports work is expected to eventually total nearly $10 million when it’s completely finished.

The first phase of work on the almost 60-year-old building began in May.

Borough employees and police officials have been moving into the building this month.

Construction administrator Marty Susort says the police department takes up almost the entire downstairs portion of the renovated building.

He said work will start on the old police station in the spring.

Susort said asbestos removal will need to be done there.

No charges will be filed against an officer who shot and killed an armed man last year.

An investigation found Sgt. Gregory Foster was justified in shooting 28-year-old James Robert Richards twice in the head.

The Fairbanks Police Department released body camera footage and announced the investigation results Friday.

Richards was seen walking around downtown Fairbanks while armed with a pistol in August after authorities responded to reports of shots fired in a hotel.

A report says Richards ignored officers’ repeated requests to stop, withstood a stun gun and appeared to take a bystander hostage before he was shot.

KTVA-TV reported that testing found alcohol, methamphetamine and marijuana in Richards’ system.

Police Chief Eric Jewkes said Friday that the officers did the right thing.