The Daily Alaska

The Daily Alaska 🫶🏼 what’s coming + what’s happening in Alaska
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06/02/2026

Palmer's signature summer celebration is turning ninety, and the whole Valley shows up for it.

Colony Days returns to downtown Palmer June 12 through 14, 2026, marking the 90th annual celebration of the city's founding. The festival honors the original Matanuska Colony families who arrived in 1935 to farm the Mat-Su Valley, and it has grown into one of the biggest community weekends in Southcentral Alaska. The Grand Parade steps off Saturday, June 13 at 11 a.m. in downtown Palmer.

Expect live music, local food trucks, dozens of Alaska vendors and makers, classic cars, and family-friendly games and activities all weekend. Hosted by the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce, Colony Days is a favorite for families across Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake, and the wider Mat-Su Valley, and a great excuse for Anchorage folks to make the drive north. Bring the kids, bring your neighbors, and come celebrate ninety years of Valley history.

About me: My name is Slavik and I help people build rental portfolios that replace their paychecks. I'm a mortgage broker (NMLS 2054568), investor, and retired my wife at 33 with real estate. Now I teach others to do the same. If this resonates, send me a DM and we'll connect.

source: https://www.frontiersman.com/news/palmer-readying-for-90th-annual-colony-days/article_1a612022-35fe-417e-b725-2aeb24bf7fd8.html

06/01/2026

One of the last private pieces of a wild Alaska island just became public land forever.

On May 19, 2026, The Conservation Fund and the Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation protected the final privately held parcel on Nuka Island, adding about 24 acres to Kachemak Bay State Park. The property, known as Herring Pete's Cove, sits on the west side of Nuka Island just south of Kenai Fjords National Park, across Kachemak Bay from Homer. The surrounding waters and shoreline support seabird colonies, seals, sea otters, whales, black bears, and salmon-bearing streams.

The acquisition means the entire island is now in public hands, safe from private development and open to the boaters, kayakers, and anglers who explore this stretch of coast. Over the past three years, roughly 52 acres connected to Kachemak Bay State Park have been newly protected. For Homer, Seldovia, and everyone who treasures the wild coastline of the Kenai Peninsula, it's a quiet win that keeps a special place exactly as it should be.

About me: My name is Slavik and I help people build rental portfolios that replace their paychecks. I'm a mortgage broker (NMLS 2054568), investor, and retired my wife at 33 with real estate. Now I teach others to do the same. If this resonates, send me a DM and we'll connect.

source: https://www.youralaskalink.com/news/local/kachemak-bay-state-park-expands-with-new-protected-coastal-land/article_e8015744-b896-4c6a-8de7-8419b40fad4f.html

05/30/2026

first newsletter sends on Sunday - if this is for you, the sign up page is in my bio.

I'm not a news anchor and I'm not a journalist. I'm just a parent from Anchorage who got tired of being so buried in the daily routine that I was missing what was actually happening in our communities. Schools closing across the state, cost of living climbing, weird stuff like leaf blower rules, change is happening fast in Alaska and most of us are too busy to keep up.

The Daily Alaska is my answer to that. Community-facing news, no drama, no fancy production. Just real updates dropped on your feed so you can stay informed without having to go looking for it.

If you've been watching, thank you. If you're new, welcome. Follow along and I'll keep bringing Alaska news to where your eyeballs already are.

About me: I help people build rental portfolios that replace their paychecks. I'm a mortgage broker, investor, and retired my wife at 33 with real estate. Now I teach others to do the same. If this resonates, send me a DM and we'll connect.

05/30/2026

Alaska is building its highest bridge ever to finally fix the worst traffic crawl on the road to the Kenai.

Construction has ramped back up for the 2026 season on the Cooper Landing Bypass, the Sterling Highway Milepost 45 to 60 project that will reroute traffic around the longtime bottleneck through Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula. The signature piece is the Juneau Creek Bridge, a single-span steel structure that will stand about 285 feet above the canyon, making it the highest bridge in Alaska and the longest single-span bridge in the state at roughly 928 feet long.

Crews plan to build the span back from the canyon rim and launch it across the gap, with the bridge carrying an estimated price tag near 150 million dollars. The wider bypass began back in 2021 and is not expected to open to traffic until around 2032, pending hundreds of millions of dollars more in funding. For anyone in Anchorage, the Mat-Su, Soldotna, Kenai, or Homer who drives the Sterling Highway to fish the Russian River or reach the peninsula each summer, this is the project that will eventually end one of Alaska's most notorious traffic jams.

About me: My name is Slavik and I help people build rental portfolios that replace their paychecks. I'm a mortgage broker (NMLS 2054568), investor, and retired my wife at 33 with real estate. Now I teach others to do the same. If this resonates, send me a DM and we'll connect.

source: https://www.kbbi.org/2026-04-20/state-plans-dozens-of-kenai-peninsula-road-projects-for-summer

05/29/2026

A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion just opened a gym in Eagle River — and it's built for the whole community.

Raiz Brazilian Jiu Jitsu opened May 11th at 12551 Old Glenn Highway Unit B in Eagle River. Mateus came to Alaska from Brazil, an IBJJF certified black belt with 28 medals and 17 golds including a world title. His wife Kylli is Eagle River born and raised — she found BJJ a few years back looking for something new and found him along the way.

Together they built Raiz around families and kids first. The Raiz Scholarship is already live — a local Eagle River police officer is training free for a full year, with plans to expand it to anyone in the community who can't afford it.

Find them at [raizbrazilianjiujitsu.com](http://raizbrazilianjiujitsu.com) or on Instagram and TikTok.

About me: My name is Slavik and I help people build rental portfolios that replace their paychecks. I'm a mortgage broker (NMLS 2054568), investor, and retired my wife at 33 with real estate. Now I teach others to do the same. If this resonates, send me a DM and we'll connect.

05/29/2026

One of Homer's most beloved summer traditions just returned to the stage on the Spit.

Pier One Theatre has opened its 2026 summer season on the Homer Spit with a production of The Little Prince, the beloved classic about friendship, wonder, and seeing with the heart. The show marks a milestone behind the scenes too, as a local director makes her full length directorial debut with the production.

For generations, Pier One Theatre has been a fixture of Homer summers, drawing families and visitors from across the southern Kenai Peninsula to its intimate stage near the end of the Homer Spit. Whether you live in Homer, Anchor Point, or you're road tripping down the peninsula this summer, it's a warm, family friendly night out on the water. Tickets and showtimes are available through Pier One Theatre on the Homer Spit.

About me: My name is Slavik and I help people build rental portfolios that replace their paychecks. I'm a mortgage broker (NMLS 2054568), investor, and retired my wife at 33 with real estate. Now I teach others to do the same. If this resonates, send me a DM and we'll connect.

source: https://www.kbbi.org/local-news/2026-05-21/pier-one-theatre-puts-on-the-little-prince

05/29/2026

A barbecue joint in a town of 3,000 just got named Alaska's small business of the year.

Firebrand BBQ in Seward, owned by Chad and Stephanie Higgins, has been selected as Alaska's Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration, an honor tied to National Small Business Week. The couple traveled to Washington, D.C. to be recognized alongside honorees from every state and territory.

What makes the story stand out is the source of their success. Rather than leaning on the summer wave of cruise and tour visitors who pour into Seward and Resurrection Bay, the owners credit the locals: the year round regulars, hotel staff, and harbor and boat crews who kept sending people their way. For Seward, Soldotna, Kenai, and the entire Kenai Peninsula, it is a proud moment of statewide recognition for a small, locally built Alaska business.

About me: My name is Slavik and I help people build rental portfolios that replace their paychecks. I'm a mortgage broker (NMLS 2054568), investor, and retired my wife at 33 with real estate. Now I teach others to do the same. If this resonates, send me a DM and we'll connect.

source: https://www.akbizmag.com/industry/small-business/sba-honors-seward-bbq-as-small-business-of-the-year/

There’s several new faces on here so here’s an update: 1 - this might be my first typed post ever 2 - i have an email li...
05/28/2026

There’s several new faces on here so here’s an update:

1 - this might be my first typed post ever
2 - i have an email list sign up in my bio
3 - first newsletter goes out Sunday (about me)
4 - im stoked for the upcoming sun
5 - here’s a picture of my squad in Seward last weekend

I appreciate all of you reaching out with your support and encouragement for the channels growth.

05/28/2026

Big Lake's community rec center just got a new owner, and that's good news for the whole north Valley.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly gave final approval to purchase the Big Lake Lions Recreation Center, along with an adjacent parking lot, for 400,000 dollars, using funds already appropriated in the borough budget. The center is a true community hub, featuring an ice arena, a second-floor space for meetings and events, and a commercial-scale kitchen.

The Big Lake Lions Club has operated the facility for years as one of the main gathering spots in the area. Bringing it under borough ownership is aimed at keeping the building open and the ice available for the long term.

For Big Lake, Houston, Wasilla, and the surrounding Mat-Su communities, this keeps a beloved local rink and event space firmly in the community's hands.

About me: My name is Slavik and I help people build rental portfolios that replace their paychecks. I'm a mortgage broker (NMLS 2054568), investor, and retired my wife at 33 with real estate. Now I teach others to do the same. If this resonates, send me a DM and we'll connect.

source: https://www.frontiersman.com/news/borough-s-purchase-of-big-lake-lions-club-recreation-center-set-for-public-hearing-may/article_6ad6a16a-fbbb-4077-975f-e3c1c13c87d5.html

05/26/2026

Alaska lawmakers just locked in one of the biggest school funding boosts in years right before the session ended.

In the final stretch of the 2026 legislative session, which adjourned on May 20, the Alaska Legislature approved a significant increase in public education funding, adding more than 140 million dollars toward schools statewide. The package combines a large one-time infusion with an increase in the per-student funding that districts rely on to keep classrooms staffed and programs running.

School districts from Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley to Fairbanks and rural Alaska have spent the past year grappling with deep deficits, staffing shortages, and program cuts. While the final number fell short of the larger increases some lawmakers pushed for earlier in the session, education advocates have called it the most meaningful move toward stable school funding in years.

For Alaska parents, students, and teachers heading into the next school year, this decision shapes everything from class sizes to which programs survive.

About me: My name is Slavik and I help people build rental portfolios that replace their paychecks. I'm a mortgage broker (NMLS 2054568), investor, and retired my wife at 33 with real estate. Now I teach others to do the same. If this resonates, send me a DM and we'll connect.

source: https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2026/05/12/alaska-house-passes-bill-adding-more-than-140-million-to-education-budget/

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