Published Feb 2, 2024 by Alex Bengel

Education also drew focus during the address, with Dunleavy taking issue with the emphasis on funding, saying Alaska needs to improve educational outcomes.

On the subject of education, Democrat Fairbanks Representative Ashley Carrick says she agrees with the governor that the University of Alaska should secure Tier 1 Research Status.

However, she believes education funding, particularly an increase to the Base Student Allocation, is a critical component in supporting the school system.

Carrick says there’s potential for the legislature to work with the governor on shared priorities. “The governor and I probably would agree that there’s a need to have more growth in Alaska. There’s a need to have more growth in our industries, in our population, and in just building Alaska. I think, on a basic level, those things are areas where I’d like to work with the administration and other members of the House and Senate, and then there were a lot of areas where we disagreed as well.”

Senate President Gary Stevens put out a press release responding to the speech, saying he also intends to work with Dunleavy to identify common ground.

Stevens identified education as a key priority, along with energy along the Alaskan Railbelt.

Published Feb 2, 2024 by Gavin Struve

On the heels of consecutive conference wins on their home floor, the University of Alaska Fairbanks women’s basketball team continued its season long road struggles. The Nanooks fell 72-55 at No. 11 Western Washington on Thursday night, dropping their all-time record against WWU to 0-30.

UAF played WWU considerably tighter than it did in the teams’ first matchup (a 41-point home loss for the ‘Nooks in early January) keeping pace relatively late into the first half. The game looked to be headed toward all-too-familiar places early on when WWU took a 10-0 lead within two minutes of tipoff.

But all five UAF starters scored over the next four minutes to draw within one score, 15-12. The ‘Nooks went scoreless for four minutes late in the first quarter before Ellen Silva hit the first 3-pointer of her collegiate career to make the score 20-15 heading into the second quarter.

Published Feb 1, 2024 by Anna Canny

Juneau schools are shifting to remote learning and city offices and facilities are opening late as yet another winter storm dumps heavy snow on Juneau.

The Juneau School District announced Thursday morning that in-person classes, after-school programs and RALLY had been called off “due to heavy snow and icy conditions on streets and sidewalks.”

University of Alaska Southeast also announced that it will be operating remotely on Thursday, and that all campus buildings are closed.

City offices and facilities will be opening late, at 11:00 a.m.

Just after 6:00 a.m., the National Weather Service office in Juneau tweeted that more than ten inches of snow had fallen there overnight, with light snow still falling.