Alaska never does “slow news weeks.” Between wild weather, shifting glaciers, courtroom drama, and cruise-ship mishaps, the state’s stories this week read like a Jack London novel rewritten for 2025. Here’s your roundup of what’s shaking, sliding, and soaking in the 49th state:
🌧 Storms Soak the Southeast
September is showing no mercy to the panhandle. A stubborn storm system has been unloading buckets on Juneau and Ketchikan, with flood watches stretching into the weekend. Ten inches of rain in just a few weeks? Even the salmon are complaining about being wet. Add to that a newly released landslide hazard map, and the message from Alaska officials seems clear: keep your boots laced, your conscience clean, and your insurance updated.
🧊 Nature Redraws the Map
Glacier Bay has a new neighbor: an island that literally didn’t exist last summer. Thanks to the retreating Alsek Glacier, a rocky landform called Prow Knob is now surrounded by water, standing alone like a stranded Alaskan introvert. Scientists say this is yet another dramatic reminder of climate change, but locals just gained a brand-new kayaking destination.
🚨 Trouble on the Trails and Seas
Tourism and tragedy collided in Juneau when two hikers from a cruise ship left the main Mount Roberts trail. One slipped fatally to his death; the other was rescued with injuries after a drone search in the rain. In Napakiak, a woman tangled with a boat propeller after a submerged log strike.
Meanwhile, in Anchorage, corrections officers reported an inmate death in custody. Officials say no foul play is suspected.
💼 Money, Planes, and Politics
On the financial front, Alaska Airlines is adjusting expectations downward, blaming rising fuel costs and West Coast refinery snarls. So if your next ticket seems pricier, you can thank Big Oil and bad luck.
Meanwhile, the state sweetened the deal for residents with the annual payout everyone’s waiting for: the Permanent Fund Dividend has been set at $1,000 and will be mailed out October 2nd. Not jackpot money, but enough for a Costco run, a plane ticket, or a new set of studded tires before the snow flies.
Elsewhere, a well-known Haines wildlife facility is under fire, facing felony animal cruelty charges as dozens of animals were seized from the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center. Steve Kroschel, owner of the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center near Haines, Alaska, faces three felony and two misdemeanor animal cruelty charges related to allegations of prolonged suffering and inadequate care for animals including a moose, porcupine, and brown bear.
✨ The Takeaway
From a brand-new island in Glacier Bay to storm-flooded streets and headlines about inmates, dividends, and bears (well, almost), Alaska proves once again that it’s not just America’s last frontier, it’s also the nation’s best source of wild, weird, and sometimes wonderful news.
Works Cited
“Heavy September Rain Drenches Southeast.” Alaska’s News Source, 20 Sept. 2025, www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/09/20/heavy-september-rain-drenches-southeast.
“September Rains Continue across Alaska.” Alaska’s News Source, 19 Sept. 2025, www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/09/19/september-rains-continue-across-alaska.
“Retreating Alsek Glacier Reveals New Island in Southeast Alaska.” AP News, 20 Sept. 2025, apnews.com/article/5f230a7c8f41d4631504109c7d88a560.
“A Texas Man on a Cruise to Alaska Is Dead after Falling from a Trail during a Hike, Authorities Say.” AP News, 20 Sept. 2025, apnews.com/article/66db4e7412ef3578cb7c9829ffcab705.
“Daily Dispatch – September 17, 2025.” Alaska Department of Public Safety, dailydispatch.dps.alaska.gov/Home/Display?dateReceived=9%2F17%2F2025+12%3A00%3A00+AM.
“Alaska Air Estimates Third-Quarter Profit at Low End of Forecast on Fuel Costs.” Reuters, 15 Sept. 2025, www.reuters.com/business/alaska-air-estimates-third-quarter-profit-low-end-forecast-fuel-costs-2025-09-15.
“Permanent Fund Dividend Set at $1,000.” Alaska Public Media, Sept. 2025, alaskapublic.org/news.
“Owner of Wildlife Facility Faces Felony Animal Cruelty Charges.” Alaska Public Media, Sept. 2025, alaskapublic.org/news.
“State Releases Landslide Inventory for Alaska.” Alaska Public Media, Sept. 2025, alaskapublic.org/news.
