State of Alaska

A seven-year-long case involving the death of two Unalaska teen girls has come to a close, after the state dropped charges against 25-year-old Dustin Ruckman on Wednesday.

The four-day storm hit Unalaska on Dec. 26-29, bringing 100 mph gusts, elevated tides and a storm surge that swept the coastline. It damaged the airport’s runway and closed off Summer Bay Road for vehicles.

Several sections of Unalaska's Summer Bay Road beyond the landfill remain closed to vehicles after significant storm damage in late December 2025. The city is working with the Ounalashka Corporation and the State of Alaska to pursue state disaster funding.

The criminal case involving a fatal 2019 car crash on Unalaska’s Mount Ballyhoo will go to trial next month, for the second time.

Two top state lawmakers released an open letter Feb. 27 calling Alaska’s all-Republican congressional delegation to action. The letter, addressed to Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and House Rep. Nick Begich III, urges for “a reasoned approach” to the Trump administration’s budget-slashing initiatives.

Millions of Americans, including many Unalaskans, have already cast their ballots through early voting or are heading to the polls this Election Day. As part of a statewide report on Alaska's election, KUCB's Andy Lusk visited the Unalaska Senior Center in late October to hear from locals about their top voting issues.

Congresswoman Mary Peltola has served as the State of Alaska’s only representative in the U.S. House since 2022. She was previously a tribal judge and is the first Alaska Native person in Congress. She’s running for reelection in November and stopped by Unalaska to hear more about the community’s unique concerns.

On Sept. 6, Edgmon attended a community forum in Unalaska and fielded questions from locals about the Alaska Marine Highway System, renewable energy, state pension plans and more.

Representatives from a statewide housing organization are holding a meeting Wednesday morning to hear Unalaskans’ concerns about the local market.

Unalaska is still slated for its first cannabis dispensary, but the opening date has been pushed back from spring to fall.