Anchorage

by Channel 2 News staff Thursday, April 22, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Earth Day was celebrated around Anchorage on Thursday. Students at Alaska Pacific University held an Earth Day Fair, while the Grassroots Fair Trade store showcased some unique recycled items. The APU event included booths from local environmental groups. There were also games and prizes, all aimed to raise awareness about Earth Day and promote sustainability. Organizers say being eco-friendly is easier than it might seem.

STORY UPDATED AT 2:59 p.m. 3/26/13: The late March spring surprise of snow piled up the seasonal snowfall to above average in Anchorage, according the National Weather Service in Anchorage. By the numbers, seasonal snowfall in Anchorage: 2012-2013 Current: 76.7” Average Total: 74.5” 2011-2012 All Time Record: 134.5” (according to NWS records) Top 5 Highest Winter Snowfall : 2011-2012: 134.5 inches 1954-1955: 132.6 inches 1955-1956: 128.8 inches 1994-1995: 121.5 inches 2003-2004: 113.9 inches The Anchorage Police Department also had a busy day responding to plenty of reported vehicle crashes and ditch-divers.

Anchorage happy hour fans, take heart. The city may have tight laws restricting what bars and restaurants can offer in terms of drink specials, but food is a whole another story: That’s limited only by the imaginations of local chefs. Appetizers specials are a great way to sample a restaurant's offerings, says Kinley's Restaurant & Bar manager Marty Kimball. Here are a few of our favorites: Hott Stixx Hott Stixx is, like many Anchorage gems, tucked into an unassuming strip mall along with a dollar store and dry cleaners.

by Channel 2 News staff Tuesday, November 17, 2009 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- In a poll conducted by Channel 2 News, respondents were asked if they think “real” gangs are in Anchorage. Here is the official question and results of the 473 people who voted. Are there "real" gangs in Anchorage? Yes 85 % No 15 % All polls conducted by Channel 2 News and KTUU.com are unscientific.

It's been a soggy summer in Southcentral Alaska this year, and on Saturday it broke a record. The National Weather Service confirmed that Saturday is the 28th consecutive day of wet weather. There has been an average of 0.17 inches of precipitation every day. Anchorage tied the 1951 record of 27 straight days of precipitation Friday, but Saturday's rainfall beat that previous record. Lead NWS forecaster Eddie Zingone says the last time Anchorage saw 27 consecutive days of soggy weather was in late November and early December of 1951.

by The Associated Press Tuesday, March 30, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The U.S. Census Bureau says Anchorage is lagging behind the rest of the country in mailing back census forms. Bureau Director Robert Groves says in a news release Tuesday that Anchorage has one of the lowest rates of mail participation at 41 percent, significantly lower than the 46 percent for the rest of the country. He says the bureau is concerned because each household that fails to mail in a form has to be visited by a census taker at considerably more expense.

by The Associated Press Wednesday, June 23, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The state is holding another kids-only fishery for king salmon this coming weekend in Anchorage. The event for kids 15 and younger takes place Saturday and Sunday on a stretch of Campbell Creek between Dimond Boulevard and the Old Seward Highway. Officials with the state Department of Fish and Game say this is the fifth year for the youth-only fishery. Officials say participants don't need a fishing license or king stamp.

As temperatures drop, Alaska's homeless population struggles to survive the winter cold. A three-day conference in Anchorage aims to figure out how to help Alaska's homeless.  Tuesday, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Deputy Director Jennifer Ho shared President Obama's vision for fixing the problem. She said the key to getting people off the street is finding them jobs and affordable housing. In Anchorage, advocates for the homeless say that's tough to do. “Housing is a very difficult and complicated issue, when you talk about the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the Section 8 vouchers, the most common way that someone can get subsidized housing, and their wait list in Anchorage alone is over 4,000 people,” said Suzi Pearson, the volunteer chairperson of the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness.

by Christine Kim Wednesday, July 28, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Anchorage Economic Development Corp. is forecasting higher employment numbers for the city. Last year, Anchorage saw employment numbers fall for the first time since 1988, although the drop was small compared to the rest of the country. At an annual investor luncheon Wednesday, the AEDC revealed a mid-year update on the Anchorage economy. It expects a turn for the better, with more jobs in Anchorage over the next three years.

by Channel 2 News staff Wednesday, May 5, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- After millions of years in extinction, dinosaurs are making a theatrical comeback: 15 life-size dinosaurs are coming to Anchorage for "Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular. " The show is scheduled for eight performances at the Sullivan Arena from Aug. 19-22. The arena's management company, SMG of Alaska, offered a sneak peek of the prehistoric show Wednesday. "The entertainment and technological achievements that the producers of this show made are just astounding, and they've really pulled it off and I think it's something that everyone that sees the show is just left speechless," Joe Wooden of SMG of Alaska said.