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.

The Kuskokwim Ice Classic tripod drifted out at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12. Two Y-K Delta locals guessed the same lucky number.

The gap between the price of Brent crude and North Slope crude "may be the highest value in history."

For many on the Y-K Delta, the breakup of the Kuskokwim River is the official indicator of spring. Waiting for breakup is a collective experience, as is the community's annual game of guessing exactly when that will happen.

The lion’s share of the funding, $16 million, is going to the coastal village of Chefornak to address the impacts of severe erosion, permafrost thaw, and failing infrastructure. Another $4 million is being used to purchase essential fuel and supplies for more than a dozen Alaska Native communities impacted by a historically cold winter.

This month, Etsy notified artists that it will ban the sale of many fur products on its platform starting Aug. 11.

The corporation is working with a Canadian Mining company to start a large exploration drilling project on the land this year.

Alaska relies on J-1 visas to fill teacher positions, H-1B visas for highly skilled workers and the H-2B program for temporary nonagricultural workers in tourism, health care and seafood processing industries, and for teachers.

There are some requirements, but qualifying families can get 10 meals a week shipped to their homes or post offices.

The war in Iran is risking what could be a catastrophic spike in the price of fuel in the rural villages and hub communities across Alaska’s coast — and distributors are also warning of possible supply shortages.