KTOO News Update
The day’s local and state news in about 10 minutes.
Newscast – Thursday, April 10, 2025
In this newscast: Two Alaska State Troopers facing assault charges over alleged conduct during their arrest of the wrong man in Kenai last year won't go to trial until next February; Fairbanks Senior Center officials worry that federal funding cuts will limit the organization's ability to provide Meals on Wheels to elderly people who need the nutrition-assistance program; the first of three new Coast Guard fast response cutters to be homeported in Kodiak is officially ready for duty.
Read More »Newscast-Wednesday, April 9, 2025
In this newscast: A middle-aged man was rescued from frigid waters near Petersburg, The person in charge of ordering and stocking produce at Skagway's only year-round grocery store is moving on, Justin Smith of Gustavus has produced albums for Alaska artists like Annie Bartholomew, Blackwater Railroad Company and Josh Fortenbery, A Ketchikan-raised filmmaker, Emilio Torres, was recently named the Arizona Filmmaker of the Year.
Read More »Newscast – Tuesday, April 8, 2025
In this newscast: The Juneau Assembly voted last night to approve a tidelands lease for a fifth cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau; Less than a year after Juneau voters shot down a ballot initiative to ban large cruise ships on Saturdays, advocates are trying again to put hard limits on tourism's growth; As Juneau residents face the impacts of the Trump administration's widespread federal firings, the Juneau Assembly unanimously passed a resolution last night urging Alaska's congressional delegation to oppose cuts to federal agencies; The City and Borough of Juneau's municipal budget process kicked off over the weekend
Read More »Newscast – Monday, April 7, 2025
In this newscast: The Trump administration has frozen a million dollars in funding for Planned Parenthood in Alaska; More than 1,300 people in Juneau joined the nationwide Hands-off rally at the Alaska State Capitol on Saturday; State legislators grilled two University of Alaska Board of Regents appointees at a Senate Education Committee meeting last week as part of their confirmation process; The eighth annual Traditional Games was held in Juneau this weekend, and more than 250 athletes from 30 teams competed in sporting events rooted in Alaska Native values
Read More »Newscast – Friday, April 4, 2025
In this newscast: The Juneau Assembly is set to take a critical vote Monday night that will determine if the construction of a fifth cruise ship dock downtown will move forward; Two weeks after a rockslide came down over Ketchikan's Tongass Highway, the temporary bypass road constructed to get around the work area will open to two-way traffic; It's been more than a year since the Juneau Assembly voted to move forward with a plan to demolish the downtown Telephone Hill neighborhoods' historic homes and add new housing units, but not much movement on the project has happened, leaving residents in limbo; A high-priority bill that would substantially boost education funding took another step forward in the state Legislature this week; While Forest Service staffing at the Mendenhall Glacier remains uncertain, there will be eight people working there in a different role -- as cultural ambassadors
Read More »Newscast – Thursday, April 3, 2025
In this newscast: Alaskans used to pay the highest rent in the nation, but new state data show that cost has stabilized; Juneau officials are proposing to set city money aside to hire staff for one of the city's main tourist attractions: the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center; Contractors are building flood barriers along the Mendenhall River to protect Juneau neighborhoods from flooding expected this summer, but new flood maps meant to show whether the barriers will keep homes dry have been delayed a month; Visitors to the Alaska State Capitol will son have to go through a metal detector and have their belongings screened in an X-ray machine, after lawmakers approved a new screening policy
Read More »Newscast – Wednesday, April 2, 2025
In this newscast: An Alaska Native corporation's shareholders are questioning contracts that one of its subsidiaries has to run migrant detention facilities; In the month after the University of Alaska Board of Regents decided to scrub mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion, critics of the decision are concerned about the lack of transparency in the process; Ketchikan is currently facing a controversial restructuring of its schools, and multiple school board members and the district superintendent have resigned. School district officials testified in front of the Alaska House and Senate on Monday to say tell lawmakers that the kids are not alright; Alaska's U.S. Senators have co-sponsored a resolution to keep the U.S. Postal Service as an independent agency and not privatize it
Read More »Newscast – Tuesday, April 1, 2025
In this newscast: The state House passed a bill last week that would help protect foster kids from unnecessary stays in acute psychiatric care facilities. If it becomes law, a court hearing will be required within seven days of entering a facility to determine if the placement is necessary, instead of 30 days currently. Kids in foster care worked on the legislation and say it’s long overdue; The pilot recently rescued from a small plane in an icy Kenai Peninsula lake may face disciplinary consequences and be responsible for cleaning up the wreck; The Alaska Legislature passed a bill last week designating March as Women’s History Month in state law.
Read More »Newscast – Monday, March 31, 2025
In this newscast: President Trump last Tuesday issued an executive order to reshape U.S. elections. The order, among other things, mandates absentee and mail-in ballots to be received by Election Day. It also requires proof of citizenship for registering to vote in federal elections. There’s some concern that the changes might disenfranchise voters in rural Alaska Native communities; U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled last week that the Biden administration was wrong to cancel oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. As it happens, she did exactly what U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan says she never does: decided against environmental groups. Sullivan’s recent criticism of the judge caused a stir in the legal community.
Read More »Newscast – Friday, March 28, 2025
In this newscast: The Trump administration's potential cuts to federal health care programs leaves Alaska's HIV/AIDS prevention and support organization in lurch; A Canadian company announced last week that it's starting multiple environmental studies to explore a possible new gold mine in Juneau; In a sudden move, the CDC is pulling up to $43 million in federal grants that support public health programs in Alaska; Starting May 7, every air traveler age 18 and older will need a REAL ID to board a flight within the United States
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