Alaska has seen skyrocketing gas prices driven by the war in Iran. But communities in the western part of the state that have been burning last year’s fuel are bracing for their own crisis as they anticipate what could be an even more drastic spike with the arrival of the first barges of the spring.

In the community of Holy Cross, flooding has entered two households. Residents have been evacuated to the local lodge.

On May 16, the 52 graduates of Bethel Regional High School’s senior class celebrated the end of an era. The class of 2026’s Warrior Dome commencement was filled with student speakers and yuraq.

Breakup on the Kuskokwim River is closely monitored by a team of specialists — River Watch. But their work is made possible by a larger team of experts — the people who live along the Kuskokwim’s banks.

Peltola supporters in Juneau said they want to see her unseat incumbent Dan Sullivan, and for Congress to take a stronger stand in checking executive powers of the Trump administration.

From the seawall on Front Street to Riverview Park, Bethelites gathered together on May 14, 2026 to celebrate the breakup of the Kuskokwim River.

Alaska school districts have increasingly relied on international hiring to fill an ongoing teacher shortage across the state, particularly in rural and remote districts. In the fall of 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order increasing the H-1B visa fee from $5,000 per applicant to $100,000 per applicant.

Bethel cheered on the Class of 2026 as they rode in the annual Senior Parade on May 14, 2026.