ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A variety of weather conditions played out over Alaska on Thursday; the storm affecting Alaska has a very large footprint!
It was rain that plagued Anchorage, amounting to almost a quarter inch (0.23″). The Girdwood and Portage areas saw a much heavier rainfall, getting more than 2 inches, with Seward seeing 1.5 inches.
The run of rain will go through Thursday night for Southcentral Alaska with scattered showers remaining in the forecast through Friday. Anchorage will likely see rain — which could be heavy at times in the city — as well as Kenai and Soldotna into Friday.
Around Prince William Sound, heavier rainfall is expected, with showers in the Mat-Su.
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The wet and occasional breezy weather conditions will also impact the Southeast Panhandle locations Friday and into the weekend.
The storm is forecast to weaken and close off the tap of moisture into Friday afternoon and Saturday.
The hot spot in Alaska on Thursday was Central at a warm 73 degrees! The cold spot was Point Thomson, where the temperature dropped to 35 degrees.
Dan Robinson is research chief for the Alaska Department of Labor. (Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public Media)
Stories are posted on the statewide news page. Send news tips, questions, and comments to news@alaskapublic.org. Follow Alaska Public Media on Facebook and on Twitter @AKPublicNews. And subscribe to the Alaska News Nightly podcast.
Thursday on Alaska News Nightly:
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A lack of new residents drives Alaska’s sustained trend of outmigration. Plus, the victim of last month’s fatal Ketchikan landslide is remembered as a dedicated community member. And, one man’s smashed-up demolition derby car shows people suffering from addiction that recovery is possible.
Reports tonight from:
Liz Ruskin and Ava White in Anchorage Jamie Diep in Homer Eric Stone in Juneau Jack Darrell and Michael Fanelli in Ketchikan Ashlyn O’Hara in Kenai Anisa Vietze in Palmer
This episode of Alaska News Nightly is hosted by Wesley Early, with audio engineering from Chris Hyde and producing from Tim Rockey.
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Tim Rockey is the producer of Alaska News Nightly and covers education for Alaska Public Media. Reach him attrockey@alaskapublic.orgor 907-550-8487. Read more about Timhere.
Home › AK Fire Info ›Forest Service hiring 17 wildland fire positions for 2025
By Alaska’s National Forestson
Alaskans interested in a firefighting career with the Forest Service can apply for nearly 20 open positions. The Forest Service is hiring wildland firefighters into permanent seasonal and full time positions on hand crews, engine crews and in dispatch offices.
There are a total of 17 vacancies in Moose Pass, and Anchorage on the Chugach National Forest, and Juneau on the Tongass National Forest.
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Applicants can apply online. Jobs will be posted on USAJobs.gov starting Aug. 23 and open through Sept. 24. Review the job announcement carefully for deadlines and required information to include in your application. Selected candidates may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy. Other incentives may also be available. Employment start dates may vary.
Make a lasting impact on the world and unlock opportunities for professional growth and career advancement. Watch the Pacific Northwest and Alaska Region 2023 Fire Hire Recruitment video to learn more about the various positions.
For more information and a detailed list and map of positions and duty locations visit the Pacific Northwest and Alaska Region Centralized Fire Hire webpage.
Visit the Forest Service Careers webpage to learn more about career opportunities, benefits, hiring events, and resources to help with the application process.
‹ Alaska’s Wildfire Season Draws to a Close: Burn Permits No Longer Required Starting September 1st
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has vetoed a bill expanding access to birth control.
The bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the state legislature, would have required insurance companies to cover up to a year’s supply of birth control at once.
It had been designed to improve access in rural communities where medical resources are scarce.
Dunleavy’s veto stunned policymakers, especially given the legislative backing the bill had received by his fellow Republicans.
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HB 17 passed with overwhelming support in a 29-11 vote in the Republican-controlled House and a 16-3 vote in the Senate, led by a bipartisan coalition.
This news arrives on the same day as separate legal development with contrasting consequences, where a Superior Court judge struck down a decades-old law restricting who can perform abortions.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy gestures while speaking with reporters on May 1, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. Dunleavy’s office stated that contraceptives are already widely available and that mandating a year’s supply was unnecessary and bad… Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy gestures while speaking with reporters on May 1, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. Dunleavy’s office stated that contraceptives are already widely available and that mandating a year’s supply was unnecessary and bad policy.
AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File
Women in Alaska often have to travel long distances for reproductive care.
Proponents argue that the bill would help ensure access to contraception in Alaska’s more dispersed locales, which are often only accessible by plane or boat.
There are only four Planned Parenthood clinics in the country’s largest state by land area.
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The Governor’s office defended the veto, stating that birth control is already “widely available” and that compelling insurance companies to offer a full year’s supply is “bad policy.”
His spokesperson, Jeff Turner, emphasized that the governor believed current access to contraceptives in the state is adequate.
Democratic State Rep. Ashley Carrick, who sponsored the bill, expressed disappointment, calling the veto “deeply disappointing” and saying it continues to leave significant barriers for rural residents.
“There is simply no justifiable reason to veto a bill that would ensure every person in Alaska, no matter where they live, has access to essential medication, like birth control,” she added.
Newsweek has contacted Gov. Dunleavy’s office for comment.
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Planned Parenthood signage is displayed outside of a health care clinic in Inglewood, California on May 16, 2023. There are only four Planned Parenthood clinics in Alaska, the country’s largest state. Planned Parenthood signage is displayed outside of a health care clinic in Inglewood, California on May 16, 2023. There are only four Planned Parenthood clinics in Alaska, the country’s largest state. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
On the same day, Alaska Superior Court Judge Josie Garton struck down a long-standing law that required only doctors licensed by the state medical board to perform abortions.
Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky sued over the law in 2019, saying advanced practice clinicians—which include advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants—should also be allowed to perform medication or aspiration abortions.
Judge Garton found the law unconstitutional, ruling that it violated patients’ rights to privacy and equal protection under Alaska’s state constitution.
Garton noted that the restrictions placed undue burdens on low-income residents and those in isolated areas, who often face significant challenges in accessing abortion services.
In her ruling, Garton emphasized that there was “no medical reason” for abortion to be regulated more strictly than other forms of reproductive health care.
This will serve to expand the pool of health care providers who can perform abortion services in Alaska.
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This article includes reporting from The Associated Press