This year’s keynote speaker is Tlingit leader and Sealaska Heritage Institute President Rosita Worl. On Oct. 22, her speech will be followed by remarks from Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Rep. Nick Begich III.

It begins with a storm, a little girl, and a doll named Baby. But this story is about more than disaster. It's about what one family carried with them after a powerful storm tied to Typhoon Halong forced them to leave nearly everything behind.

In the wake of ex-typhoon Halong, more than 200 dogs were evacuated from the two villages hit hardest by the 2025 storm. One of them - Usukcaq - now lives in Nome with a new, but familiar family.

This summer, Patrick Andrew’s family returned to the coastal village of Kipnuk while he and his wife worked as part of the community’s rebuild in the wake of ex-typhoon Halong.

Just days before ex-typhoon Halong, Marie White traveled from Bethel to her hometown of Kwigillingok to celebrate her 67th birthday among her daughters and grandchildren. This year, the whole family is back together in Bethel, with little idea when they may be able to return home.

Over the past year, Kipnuk residents and contractors have been working to repair the storm-battered village. Crews on the ground say it’s a physical — and emotional — investment, even as the long-term future of the community remains in question.

The food bank has outgrown its current space, CEO Cara Durr says, and the new facility will help stock resources to better prepare for disasters.

Advocates are still seeking volunteers to run a polling site in Kwigillingok, another village badly damaged by ex-Typhoon Halong a year ago.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski's votes on the war put her at odds with Sen. Dan Sullivan. He's in tough reelection fight and has Murkowski's endorsement.

Alaskans shared their ideas about how to reduce drug trafficking and prevent deaths with representatives from the DEA and U.S. Attorney for Alaska Michael Heyman.