KTOO News Update
The day’s local and state news in about 10 minutes.
Newscast – Friday, Oct. 31, 2025
In this newscast: Thousands of Juneau residents will be in limbo as of tomorrow, as the SNAP program remains caught in a political battle between Congress, the Trump administration, and federal courts; Juneau schools are finding ways to support students and families in the midst of the government shutdown; The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced last night that it will pay the full cost to extend and repair Juneau's temporary levee meant to protect almost all Mendenhall Valley neighborhoods from glacial outburst floods in the near-term; The competitive commercial red king crab fishery in Southeast Alaska opens tomorrow, and it will be the first of its kind in eight years
Read More »Newscast – Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025
In this newscast: The Juneau School Board swore in three members and honored two outgoing members at a meeting Tuesday; Though Alaskans approved ranked-choice voting nearly 5 years ago, the debate about whether it actually benefits voters persists. At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon this afternoon, two speakers shared what they think of the system; Juneau's new hydroelectric utility passed one of its last hurdles this week toward expanding the capital city's energy grid; A beloved maintenance employee at the University of Alaska Southeast starred in a low-budget sci-fi comedy a decade ago. This week, some UAS students screened the film to honor their friendly campus handy-man
Read More »Newscast – Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025
In this newscast: Federal subsidies for rural air travel will continue through at least mid-November despite the government shutdown. That’s according to a notice from the Transportation Department telling air carriers that it’s found enough funding to continue paying Essential Air Service subsidies through Nov. 18; The state’s plan to build a new ferry terminal north of Juneau has sparked calls for more information about the project … and, what justifies it. The state recently released an economic analysis to that effect. But, at least so far, the report hasn’t done much to ease concerns – particularly among members of a key oversight board; The University of Alaska Anchorage kicked off its new school psychology master’s program this fall to address a shortage in school psychologists. But the program has so far failed to get approval from the state Board of Education over concerns about social justice advocacy. That could make it harder for students to get jobs after they graduate; John Boyle, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, abruptly resigned his position on Friday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced the appointment of his deputy, John Crowther, as acting head of the agency that regulates Alaska’s agriculture, mining, oil and gas.
Read More »Newscast – Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025
In this newscast: Juneau plans to expand its temporary levee along the Mendenhall River, in part by using money originally intended for a new arts and culture center; A project meant to bring more than 70 units of new workforce housing to downtown Juneau is dead before it could even break ground. The developer blames the city for stopping it. The city says the project was a risk to public safety; The Juneau Assembly approved merit and cost-of-living pay bumps to Juneau’s city manager and city attorney Monday night; It's been almost three weeks since a storm caused major flooding and erosion damage to infrastructure in Kotzebue and other Northwest Arctic communities. And that was before the remnants of Typhoon Halong made their way through the region.
Read More »Newscast – Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
In this newscast: Fairbanks North Star Borough officials are searching for places that could offer more stable housing for ex-Typhoon Halong evacuees; A geological firm presented options for long-term rockslide mitigation in Skagway, but none of the choices are easy or cheap; The City and Borough of Wrangell is pausing work at a housing project after archaeologists confirmed artifacts at the site; Months after Joann Fabrics stores closed in Alaska, the gap in craft supplies is being put to the test at a crucial creative time of year: Halloween.
Read More »Newscast – Friday, Oct. 24, 2025
In this newscast: A private beach in Gustavus, known as the Beach Meadows, is now protected by a conservation easement the owners signed with the Southeast Alaska Land Trust; The Trump administration, reverting to a decision during the prior Trump presidency, is again advancing the Ambler Road project in Northwest Alaska, to help mining interests; In the days after Typhoon Halong tore through Western Alaska, the state evacuated hundreds of people to Anchorage. The evacuees say they mostly have what they need, but it's the things the Red Cross can't change that haunt them; In Juneau, young people in Juneau have a new way to find their voice: a podcast club for youth
Read More »Newscast – Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025
In this newscast: Local advocates have gathered more than 600 signatures in an effort to pause the looming evictions and demolition of the historic Telephone Hill neighborhood in downtown Juneau; Alaskans will not receive SNAP, or food stamp, benefits for November, according to the state division of public assistance. That’s unless the federal government shutdown ends before then; Dozens of communities in Western Alaska are working to restore essential infrastructure and repair damaged homes after the remnants of Typhoon Halong devastated coastal communities. But one stands out. In Kipnuk, Halong’s high winds and storm surge left a catastrophe. The state Department of Transportation estimates that 90% of the structures in the community were destroyed. Most of Kipnuk’s residents evacuated on military helicopters in the days after the storm; Alaska Congressman Nick Begich has a new challenger. Pastor Matt Schultz of First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage launched his campaign earlier this week.
Read More »Newscast – Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025
In this newscast: Final results for Juneau's municipal election dropped Tuesday, showing that voters chose not to implement a new seasonal sales tax system in Juneau next year; The Juneau school board will have two new board members and one returning member following the release of final election results yesterday; Scientists in Southeast Alaska recently established that avalanches are a leading cause of mountain goat mortalities; Over 3 million people visited Alaska during the tourism season that ended in April 2025, marking a new record for the state; President Trump has signed a disaster declaration for Western Alaska; Anchorage officials say they're continuing to assist hundreds of people evacuated from Western Alaska after the catastrophic storm.
Read More »Newscast – Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025
In this newscast: The Alaska Office of Children's Services has struggled with staffing for years, and data shows caseworker demographics also don't line up with the states, or the system's, children; The mayor's task force on short-term rentals wrapped up four months ago, without immediate recommendations on regulations or restrictions for the Juneau Assembly; Juneau's black bears are packing on the pounds to keep from starving during hibernation, and they are going for whatever they can find; Ten women will be inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame tonight, including Joaqlin Estus, an Alaska Native journalist
Read More »Newscast – Monday, Oct. 20, 2025
In this newscast: Alaska Federation of Natives delegates on Saturday called for an immediate emergency declaration from President Donald Trump – and more federal assistance for communities hit by the remnants of Typhoon Halong. It was one of dozens of resolutions passed on the final day of the AFN convention in Anchorage; Alaska Airlines is dropping its popular policy that allowed travelers flying within the state of Alaska to check three bags for free. The change will primarily impact non-Alaska residents; More than 1,500 Juneauites joined millions of people nationwide this weekend to partake in the second iteration of the No Kings protest against President Donald Trump’s policies and actions; Alaska Congressman Nick Begich on Saturday delivered his first address to the Alaska Federation of Natives since being sworn in this year; As residents boarded air transports out of Kipnuk Wednesday, they were leaving what remained of their houses, belongings, and ancestral homeland behind. For many, that list also included their dogs. A Bethel-based nonprofit sprang into action to rescue the pets.
Read More »