News
You want to know—and we want to tell you—what’s happening with Alaska’s businesses: large corporations with thousands of employees or sole proprietorships filling a niche; manufacturers adding value to local resources or engineering firms with decades of specialized experience; or companies centralized in Southcentral or operating across Alaska’s slopes.
Browse below to get a comprehensive look of what’s happening—and why it matters.
Latest News
UAF, Kotzebue Electric Overhaul Energy Monitoring System
Kotzebue’s electric utility will install advanced electricity meters next year with help from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The new platform will allow researchers and utility managers to better understand the community’s electric use.
Successful Orbital Launch for Astra Space
The Alaska Aerospace Corporation’s first commercial customer at the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island finally had success launching a rocket to orbit. California-based Astra Space sent up its 43-foot, two-stage Launch Vehicle 0007 on Friday night, carrying a dummy payload as a test for the US Space Force.
Parker, Smith & Feek Acquired by IMA Financial
IMA Financial Group, a North American insurance brokerage firm specializing in risk management, insurance, wholesale brokerage, and wealth management, has acquired Washington-based Parker, Smith & Feek to expand its brokerage services in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii.
Unemployment Down to 6.1 Percent in October
The state Department of Labor & Workforce Development puts the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Alaska at 6.1 percent in October, a slight decrease from September, with 8,500 more jobs than this time in 2020.
Study: Microbe Can Eat Pollution in North Pole
A UAF research team found a microbe in North Pole groundwater that eats sulfolane, an industrial solvent, but the organism by itself probably can’t remedy the area’s contamination.
Ice Maze Coming to State Fairgrounds
The Alaska State Fair in Palmer is preparing its first ice maze as a wintertime attraction, from December through March, and aiming to break the world record for size.
Marketing Anchorage for Air-to-Sea Cargo Transport
The Anchorage Pacific Air-to-Sea Service, a joint effort of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, aims to load air cargo from Asia onto ships in Anchorage for transport to Tacoma, Washington.
Pre-statehood Fishermen’s Fund Remains True to Course
The Alaska’s Fishermen’s Fund paid out more than $8 million in benefits to members of the Last Frontier’s commercial fleet in the last decade, helping cover their medical costs and getting them back to work.
Projects Line Up for Infrastructure Funds
The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act guarantees at least $5.3 billion for Alaska. While many states are rebuilding roads, bridges, ports, and airports, Alaska has an opportunity to build some for the first time.
In This Issue
Voices of Healthcare: Professional Perspectives
December 2021
"I think there’s been a change in culture, and I think Alaska has been a little bit more progressive in promoting women,” says Ella Goss, CEO of Providence Alaska Medical Center (PAMC). Goss started working at Anchorage’s largest hospital in 1997 as an ER nurse and rose through the ranks of management. Providence has intentionally promoted female leaders from within, she says, developing their potential because the talent pool in Alaska is so small due to the state’s population.