Anchorage COVID-19 numbers are down. Now it’s neighboring Mat-Su that has officials worried.
The borough this week had the state’s highest new case levels and the lowest vaccination levels.
Mat-Su
Iditarod volunteer, troopers help rescue 8-year-old boy who fell into river at Skwentna
“It happened really fast. I was glad I was at the right place at the right time,” said Doug Ramsey, an Iditarod volunteer from Wyoming.
Over a dozen people cite Palmer banquet attended by governor, lawmakers as possible source of COVID-19 infection
Both Gov. Dunleavy and a state representative later tested positive after attending the Alaska Outdoor Council banquet last month.
Houston marijuana operation accused of using pesticides, falsifying records in rare criminal case
The attorney representing Ron and Lacey Bass, owners of Mat-Su cannabis cultivation and retail businesses, says the case stems from disgruntled former employees.
Magnitude 5.3 earthquake shakes Southcentral Alaska
Shaking was felt widely throughout the region, and the state transportation department didn’t have any initial reports of damage.
Mat-Su now has the highest COVID-19 daily case average in the state and one of the lowest vaccine rates
Still, the borough’s lack of restrictions has drawn two state athletic events from Anchorage, where sports fall under stricter protocols.
Hatcher Pass Lodge reopens after months of uncertainty following owner’s death
Jeff Polk, manager of Hatcher Pass Lodge, said he’s overjoyed to have the lodge open again — and that former owner Karl “Hap” Wurlitzer would have wanted it this way.
Human remains found after fire burns cabin west of Willow belonging to lodge caretaker
The lodge owner said a resident in the area had snowmachined over and found the cabin “had been burned to the ground with no signs of recent activity or the caretaker,” according to troopers.
Surge of coronavirus infections in Mat-Su schools prompts masking up for sports and scores of quarantines
Athletes say the masks take getting used to, but they’d rather wear them than not play, said one school official.
Video of Wasilla police arrest shows controversial restraints banned by some departments
“Why do you guys have to treat her like this?” a woman offscreen asks the officers. “You’re taking her away like a goddamn animal.”
Some Mat-Su schools remain closed due to continued coronavirus infections
The school district was reporting 157 COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks.
Anchorage man dies when snowcat falls through ice in Mat-Su, troopers say
Scott Gagne was operating a snowcat on Hewitt Lake near Skwentna on Friday afternoon when the machine broke through the ice, troopers said.
‘Unmasked activities’ led to sudden spike in COVID-19 cases that have closed numerous Mat-Su schools
An infected person at a basketball tournament in Juneau also led to multiple quarantined students at two different schools.
5 Mat-Su schools temporarily shut down for in-person learning after multiple COVID-19 cases reported
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District was reporting 76 cases in the 14-day period ending Tuesday.
Eagle River resident shot man to death in Wasilla-area apartment and pointed gun at friends, charges say
Mathew Sanchez began acting strangely and took a gun into the bathroom while talking to himself before he fatally shot Matthew Lundy, according to an affidavit.
Man held several people at gunpoint before fatally shooting another near Wasilla, troopers say
Matthew Sanchez is facing a charge of first-degree murder after shooting Matthew Lundy late Tuesday at an apartment outside Wasilla, troopers said.
Investigation into body found along Parks Highway near Willow treated as homicide
Troopers identified the woman found dead as 26-year-old Arnoldine Simone Hill of Hooper Bay.
COVID-19 precautions delay sentencing of final 3 defendants for murder of Palmer teen
Four men who were teenagers at the time have been convicted of killing 16-year-old David Grunwald in November 2016. Only one has been sentenced.
Palmer man shot after opening fire on officers, troopers say
Joseph Frantz, 35, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after the incident early Friday.
Fire stole a Big Lake family’s home, pets and Christmas gifts. But COVID-19 is their biggest challenge now.
The community is stepping forward with donations including a trailer, clothes and gifts. “It’s amazingly humbling,” Lauren McIver-O’Hara says.