Mat-Su

Several new policies echo parts of Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s failed “parental rights” bill, the subject of a legal opinion indicating that lawsuits could result.

Lukis Nighswonger, now 40, was a popular teacher at Wasilla’s Iditarod Elementary when the accusations of classroom abuse surfaced in 2015. He wasn’t arrested for another three years.

Jack Leibach, 40, was sitting on the four-wheeler when the throttle was accidentally hit, sending the ATV into a rocky area and ejecting him, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Part of the library buckled under the weight of snow drifts this winter, the first of a series of major roof collapses in Anchorage and Mat-Su. The new funding was part of a state budget deal reached this month.

More than 300 people have applied to serve on a committee to review dozens of school library books flagged for “inappropriate” content.

Just over 90% of more than 1,200 members of Mat-Su Education Association as well as other teachers voting last week approved a strike if it’s deemed necessary, but no action is scheduled, union officials say.

Corwin Vent ran away from his Meadow Lakes home at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Alaska State Troopers said.

A total of nearly 15,000 households and businesses in Anchorage and more than 7,000 in Mat-Su were without power Tuesday afternoon at the peak of outages in both regions.

The vote doesn’t necessarily mean educators will go on strike, but would give their bargaining team that avenue, said Vicki Hewitt, president of the union.

The bus driver was injured.

When Black Birch Books announced a drag storytime event, it put owner Taylor Jordan and her business squarely in the middle of a culture war playing out in Alaska and across America. She’s fine with that.

Reagan Martz was convicted of driving under the influence in a verdict delivered Thursday, but the jury found him not guilty of assault or manslaughter in the death of Jennifer Horazdovsky.

The district has removed books that were “clearly inappropriate” from school library shelves, a spokesperson said. Officials have refused to identify which books or how many.

William Snyder, 35, died Friday evening in a popular backcountry area near Hatcher Pass Lodge.

35-year-old William Snyder fell while skiing near Gold Cord Lake trail Friday evening, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Under new protocols, parents can withdraw students from a book fair and must get a book list two weeks ahead of time. School officials are also reviewing library policies.

Troopers said they deployed tire deflation strips and used a maneuver to pin the SUV and stop it in Wasilla at the busy intersection of the Parks and Palmer-Wasilla highways.

Willow, Talkeetna and Trapper Creek elementary schools, as well as Su Valley Jr/Sr High School, are closed to in-person learning Wednesday.

It took more than seven hours for the roughly 150-foot Boeing 727 cargo jet to be transported from Anchorage to Big Lake, where it will be converted into living quarters for flight students and Airbnb guests.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety issued a warning Friday saying that the illegal drugs likely contain fentanyl, an opioid that can be 50 times as powerful as the same amount of heroin.

A federal grand jury indictment alleges that a Willow resident embezzled more than $1.16 million total from the City of Houston and a Wasilla-based equipment company.

Alaska State Troopers said there were no passengers in the Honda Pilot or Chevrolet pickup that collided Wednesday, killing a 53-year-old woman and 71-year-old man.

Around 40 kids participated in the event in Palmer on Sunday.