“It’s difficult or impossible to pin down the number of suicide attempts prevented by programming like the careline 988 or the Zero Suicide initiative,” - Ashley Hannigan, state epidemiologist with the Alaska Department of Health.
A flier seen Wednesday on a bulletin board at the University of Alaska Anchorage campus publicizes the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline established in 2022. The 988 hotline is one of many programs aimed at preventing suicide. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
By Yereth Rosen
The suicide-death rate for young Alaskans hit a 10-year high last year and the rate of suicide attempts has increased over the past decade, state health officials reported.
A school bus passes in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
By Corinne Smith
The Alaska Department of Revenue announced on Monday that Alaska’s K-12 public schools will receive an additional $115 million in state funding this year, prompted by a boost in oil revenues driven by the U.S. war on Iran.
A participant in the second annual Cancer Screening Day at the Alaska State Fair on Aug. 27, 2026 gets a blood draw for a prostate cancer screening. (Photo courtesy of the Aurora Integrated Oncology Foundation)
COMMENTARY
By Bill Popp
Every August, Alaskans gather in Palmer for the State Fair. They come for the exhibits, the food, and the chance to see neighbors from across the state. On Thursday, Aug. 27, a good number of them also came for something less festive and more useful: cancer screening.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
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