America’s Best Hotel in Spenard is the scene of another structure fire. The Anchorage Fire Department had several units on location this morning. The photo above, posted on the Anchorage Road Conditions Facebook page, shows the fire raging.
In 2022, the hotel caught fire and a major portion of it was made unusable, with dozens of tenants displaced.
The hotel has been used to house homeless people in the past and the area around has become a vagrant hangout.
In 2020, former Mayor Ethan Berkowitz proposed buying the hotel to use as a homeless shelter, using CARES Act money that came available from the federal government during the Covid pandemic.
The Anchorage Fire Department reported it had had received multiple 9-1-1 reporting a fire in the abandoned building in the 4300 block of Spenard Road.
“Firefighters arrived on scene within minutes. They could see the flames engulfing part of the building and four individuals huddled on a balcony trapped by the fire. Firefighters quickly rescued all four of the individuals by using an aerial ladder truck and began efforts to extinguish the blaze. None of the rescued individuals reported any injuries to AFD personnel.
“Initially more than 30 firefighters responded. Shift change occurred while crews were on scene requiring them to swap out with the next shift. This is a large event that will require AFD personnel to be on scene much of the day. The cause and origin of the fire is under investigation,” the Fire Department said on Facebook. “Thank you to the Anchorage Police Department for showing up to secure the scene and having our back!”
Congressman Nick Begich showed his statesmanship side on Thursday, delivering his first formal address as a U.S. representative to the joint session of the Alaska House and Senate.
In his remarks, Begich stayed true to his conservative values of smaller government and more private sector opportunity for Alaskans, while disarming the Democrat narrative of division and partisan politics. He even took a moment to give a courtesy mention of his predecessor Mary Peltola.
At the end of his 20-minute speech, Begich took questions. Senate President Gary Stevens allowed questions primarily from Democrats, with only a couple of Republicans in the House and Senate being allowed to ask Begich a question. Democrats harped on the narrative of there being not enough federal funding for the state.
Alaska is unique and it is different, Begich said, acknowledging that it is harder to provide services in such as big state, and that size, distance, and remoteness makes it more expensive.
Alaska is the second most federally dependent state in country, second only to New Mexico, he said. Alaska needs to open up resource development to reinvigorate the economy. He reminded his audience that during the statehood debate, the question was whether Alaska could develop its resources and not become essentially a colony.
Instead, he said, the federal government has done everything it could to shut down Alaska’s ability to actually break free of that colonial status. That is something he is working to change.
Among his topics were the development of a natural gasline and not only producing raw materials, but doing more of the processing of minerals, rather than sending them off to China only to have them returned in the form of cell phones.
“Beyond our ports, Alaska needs better connections to the Lower 48, and that means finally establishing a rail-to-rail connection through Canada. This project has enormous potential to lower shipping costs, improve supply chain reliability, and create new trade opportunities. I’m committed to working with stakeholders at the state and federal levels to move this vision forward,” Begich said. “We also need to preserve and strengthen the Alaska Marine Highway System, which is a lifeline for so many coastal communities. I’m working to ensure federal transportation policies recognize and support this critical service.”
He also spoke about his work to expand affordable and reliable energy.
“I’m focused on expanding power generation to lower energy costs and making sure our power transmission infrastructure is resilient enough to handle our extreme conditions. Whether it’s securing investments for microgrids in rural Alaska or pushing for better interconnection between regions, this is a priority that affects every Alaskan—families and businesses alike,” Begich said.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine’s Sen. Susan Collins broke with Republicans and voted with Democrats against the confirmation of Kash Patel to head up the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
However, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voted in favor of Patel, who passed confirmation on a vote of 51-49 in the Senate.
Murkowski had not indicated how she would vote, and so her decision came somewhat as a surprise. To date, Murkowski has only voted against two of President Trump’s nominees: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Patel.
She wrote on X: “I will oppose Kash Patel’s confirmation to serve as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI’s mission is “to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States.” Mr. Patel and I agree the bureau has crept past that mission, become an increasingly political agency, and eroded the public’s trust. We have had multiple frank and open discussions about how best to restore that trust. I agree with Mr. Patel that it begins by getting agents out in the field, doing what they signed up to do, rather than sitting behind an administrative desk. My reservations with Mr. Patel stem from his own prior political activities and how they may influence his leadership. The FBI must be trusted as the federal agency that roots out crime and corruption, not focused on settling political scores. I have been disappointed that when he had the opportunity to push back on the administration’s decision to force the FBI to provide a list of agents involved in the January 6 investigations and prosecutions, he failed to do so. If confirmed, I wish a successful tenure at the helm of this agency, and will endeavor to work with him to help address issues in Alaska, improve Tribal law enforcement across the country, and make needed changes within the FBI. I truly hope that he proves me wrong about the reservations I have of him today.”
Across the city of Sitka, U.S. flags were upside down on flag poles on Wednesday. Flags were flown in the “distress” position in front of Sitka City Hall, the Forest Service and Park Service offices, as well as at the airport.
It didn’t appear to be an officially sanctioned government activity, but was likely the work of a person or persons objecting to the government jobs being reduced by President Donald Trump through a series of executive orders.
Flying the flag upside down is recognized as a signal of distress when used in maritime situations. Choosing to fly the flag upside down as a form of political protest was something done by Democrats during the first Trump Administration and also by conservatives during the Biden Administration and in response to Trump being indicted in August, 2023.
So far, it appears eight federal jobs were cut in Sitka for things like trail work, tribal relations, and subsistence fish observation. It is being reported widely that across the Tongass National Forest, which covers most of Southeast Alaska, 90 positions were cut, and 120 Forest Service jobs may be eliminated statewide.
Since the 2001 Roadless Rule was enacted, no measurable timber harvesting has taken place in the Tongass, which has been turned into what is essentially a national park.
With Fairbanks Democrat Rep. Maxine Dibert in the hospital for a serious lung condition, Alaska’s House of Representatives has a fragile Democrat-led majority. That is a behind-the-scenes issue buzzing around the Capitol, and it became clear that in House Education Committee, there is no actual Democrat majority without her. The Democrats’ plans were being stymied due to one member missing.
Thus, on Wednesday, the Democrats took to the House floor to force their education funding bill out of the committee, where it was languishing.
House Bill 69 is one of the Democrats’ priorities, a massive increase to the formula funding for schools. It’s being pushed by unions, the National Education Association, and school districts. There is no accountability measure tied to the legislation to improve Alaska’s dismal school performance.
Rep. Mike Prax, a North Pole Republican broke with his fellow Republicans voted with the Democrats to force the bill out of House Education and into House Finance Committee.
He later explained it as a voting error. Although he asked for a reconsideration vote, the Democrats denied him the opportunity for a do-over.
HB 69 would increase the per-pupil funding by $1,000 in this fall, and another $400 per pupil for 2026 and again in 2027. The bill would tie the hands of future legislatures, and the funding source will almost certainly come out of the Permanent Fund dividend that Alaskans expect to get in October.
The cost of the bill in FY26 is expected to be $356 million, and by 2027 it would be more than $500 million, with no other funding source than Alaskans’ bank accounts.
It’s a hangout for the vagrants and downtown drug pushers. It’s the scene of stabbings, shootings, violent crime, and piles of human waste.
Now, the mayor and the Anchorage Assembly want voters in April to approve an $8.5 million bond measure, which property taxpayers will have to pay for, and the biggest part of the expenditure is to make Town Square Park a prettier drug hang out, with no plan to make it safer.
Proposition 3 on the April 1 ballot is no joke. It asks voters to approve:
“For the purpose of renovating and rehabilitating trails and parks, and making improvements at various parks and recreational facilities in the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Service Area, as provided in AO 2025‑10, shall Anchorage borrow money and issue up to $8,250,000 in principal amount of general obligation bonds and increase the municipal tax cap by an annual amount not to exceed $245,000 to pay for associated annual operations and maintenance costs?”
For this bond, it’s estimated to cost property owners $4 a year for an average home, plus an extra $2-plus-change per year to maintain and operate the park. The debt would be retired by real and personal property tax collected within the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Service Area, without cost to properties in Chugiak, Eagle River, Girdwood, and others outside the service area.
Voters in Anchorage have a history of approving such seemingly small increments year after year.
The bond has something for everyone but the biggest expenditure by far is Town Square Park, at $2.9 million.
Proposition 3 projects 2025
Whether making Town Square Park a prettier place for violent vagrants will improve downtown is a question voters will need to ask themselves. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance says it will. Assembly members from downtown Chris Constant and Daniel Holland say it will make the open space more attractive for people to use.
Town Square Park was created in 1984 through a citizen led voter initiative, intended to be “an oasis from the urban environment of Alaska’s largest city.” It has evolved into a gathering place for only those who dare.
Proposition 3 will be before voters in the ballot packet that will be mailed in about one month. The election ends on April Fools Day.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski complained as many as 100 Alaska federal workers have been let go by the Trump Administration’s cost-cutting measures from the Department of Government Efficiency.
But she wasn’t specific and apparently did not know the number, but she did know some of the terminations “would do more harm than good.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan was more careful in his response to the reduction in the federal workforce, saying that the actual number is not yet known and he is looking into it.
“Regarding the reported federal position cuts in Alaska: Job losses are always difficult on families and communities, especially in a tight-knit state like ours. I am working diligently to gather more information on what federal positions in Alaska have been cut and how they impact local communities,” Sullivan wrote. “Many of us remember how communities were struggling when thousands of jobs in our resource sector were lost in Alaska and America in large part because of the relentless war waged by both the Obama and Biden administrations against the energy sector. This sector is the backbone of our state’s economy, supporting tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and small businesses that support working families. I am working relentlessly with the Trump administration to bring those jobs, and more private-sector opportunities, back to our state.”
For now, federal workers can always turn to the State of Alaska, which currently has 365 vacancies listed. Democrats in the House and Senate repeatedly say that because there is no defined benefits pension plan, Alaska can’t attract or keep state workers. But that may be a distant memory if Murkowski is right and there are 100 people looking for government jobs.
At the State of Alaska, there are jobs for accountants and correctional officers, and the Alaska Marine Highway System has a vacancy rate of about 24%.
Small Business Administration – number unconfirmed.
Transportation Department – up to 300 at the Federal Aviation Administration.
U.S. Department of Government Efficiency Service (formerly U.S. Digital Service) – number unconfirmed.
Veterans Affairs Department – 1,000.
Today President Trump reported he is firing all of the attorneys at the Department of Justice that were hired under the Biden Administration. That ought to generate a few lawsuits from the legal eagles that had been going after him on the public dime for the past four years.
The calls for boosting education funding by increasing Alaska’s Base Student Allocation, while mostly well-intentioned, frequently miss the point.
Proponents often frame their proposals for a higher BSA in terms of how the increase would affect Alaskans’ Permanent Fund Dividend. This is a false choice and leads to emotional and unproductive arguments that do not address the root of the issue.
A recent column by Larry Persily does just that by implying that the only reason to question a proposed massive annual increase in the school funding formula is because it might lower your Permanent Fund Dividend.
Persily also compares the historical increase in the BSA (2%) to inflation over the last 10 years (32%). However, he entirely ignores annual funding increases that have occurred periodically throughout the same period. Actual Alaska education funding during that time period increased 14%, resulting in the seventh highest per-pupil expenditure in the country in 2024.
Most Alaskans I know don’t object to adequate state funding for schools. But definitions of “adequate” vary widely, especially when accountability is rarely required.
This year, the Legislature will consider an education funding bill, HB 69, which seeks to permanently increase the Base Student Allocation. The bill would boost the BSA by $1,808 (a 30% increase over the current $5,960) plus projected inflation.
Phasing in the higher BSA over the next three years results in total education funding of about $1.8 billion by year 3 – which would add over $500 million annually for schools – a 40% increase.
The question not answered is how will our K-12 student achievement benefit as a result?
Alaska is near the top of the nation in terms of education expenditures per student and at the absolute bottom in student achievement. No matter how much money Alaska pumps into education, it seems, student test scores continue to drop.
While it’s true that Alaska school funding hasn’t kept pace with inflation, that has been exacerbated by the continuing drop in student population and some school districts’ reluctance to consolidate schools when necessary. There has also been a significant migration of students from traditional school buildings to correspondence learning and home schooling. Buildings generate the same fixed costs regardless of how many students are in them.
There is no assurance that pouring money into schools will result in better student outcomes. In some states, just the opposite has happened. In Oregon and Washington, for example, per-pupil spending increased 80%-110% since 2013, but their NAEP scores declined almost every year, and now are 10-15 points below where they were 10 years ago.
In contrast, Mississippi, with the highest poverty rate in the US, and ranked 44th in the US in per student spending on K-12 education, leads the nation in 4th grade reading scores for low-income students. Upper/middle-income Mississippi 4th graders were ranked 2nd in the nation for reading scores.
Mississippi demonstrates that the amount of money spent isn’t most important; it’s how it’s spent. It isn’t how many teachers you have; it’s what you teach. It isn’t the number of administrators that counts; it’s holding administrators accountable.
Deterioration of Alaska’s test scores has been going on for years, before funding issues and long before Covid impacted student learning. Those are simply excuses for an education system that promotes students regardless of their math and reading comprehension.
Commonsense reforms opposed by the education establishment should at least be discussed as a precondition of increased funding.
Consolidating underutilized schools, directing dollars to the classroom instead of administrators and non-academic curricula, teacher retention bonuses, cell-phone free schools, increased emphasis on reading and math achievement, open enrollment, and expanding charter schools are among the various ideas being discussed.
It is past time to stop blaming Alaska’s educational woes solely on lack of funding and begin to change the way education is funded and delivered. Otherwise, expect more of the same – no improvement and families continuing to flee the public system.
After retiring as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in Alaska, Win Gruening became a regular opinion page columnist for the Juneau Empire. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970. He is involved in various local and statewide organizations.
Sen. Shelley Hughes is hosting a food security workshop on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon at Palmer Jr. Middle School. In response to the Food Strategy Task Force’s call to improve local food security, the workshop will promote agricultural and food independence at both the household and community levels. Anyone interested in growing, raising, harvesting, or preserving food is encouraged to attend at no cost.
The event will include networking opportunities, local experts, the Mat-Su Farm Bureau, and students from the Future Farmers of America. Presentations and table discussions include a wide range of topics including livestock rearing, gardening, hunting, fishing, food processing, food preservation, beekeeping, hobby to commercial farming, and more.
Sen. Hughes invites everyone to attend.
“This is an exciting event and opportunity for Alaskans of all stripes. Whether you’ve always wanted your own fresh eggs, thought raising goats might suit your fancy, are hungry for more knowledge about best gardening practices, or are ready to maximize productivity despite your small space, this event will be the perfect venue for you to network with friendly and helpful neighbors-in-the-know,” she said.
Senator Hughes is chairwoman of the Food Strategy Task Force, directed in statute to develop and implement strategies to foster local food security
Hughes said she hopes other communities in Alaska will replicate this low-budget event, bringing residents together with local experts to spark interest and action in boosting greater food independence in their region of the state.
