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In late September, the Army Corps of Engineers, the agency responsible for permitting projects that impact Waters of the United States, released a public notice to fast track the permitting process for the West Susitna Access Road. The public notice stated that the project qualified for emergency permitting under President Trump’s National Emergencies Act.

PALMER — The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly wants the region’s school district to push the start of school until after Labor Day. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District’s school year typically runs from the second week of August to just before Memorial Day, with different start dates for some district charter schools. No Mat-Su school starts after Labor Day under current calendar plans, according to the district’s website.

The Upper Susitna Food Pantry is in the midst of a capital campaign raising funds for a new building. Executive director LouAnne Carroll-Tysdal says their fundraising goal is $750,000 to secure a potential congressional funding match. Currently, the pantry’s numerous programs operate out of a 25x25 square foot building. They have no running water, so they use a porta-potty and carry in water for sink access.

On Monday, Talkeetna Community Council held its monthly meeting at the Talkeetna Public Library. Many topics were discussed, including updates on the Talkeetna Fire Department, several open public comment periods, and the acceptance of candidates for the November TCCI board election. The Talkeetna Fire Department now has a full team of volunteers and a new hire. Chief Eric Chappell says four new volunteer responders have joined, with one additional responder in process.

With over 30 years on the air, KTNA has become a rich source of history for the Upper Susitna Valley and a cornerstone of its community. This year as we approach our Fall Membership Drive, KTNA wants to remind you that we could not complete our mission to enrich and connect the communities of the Upper Susitna Valley through cultural and informational programming without your support. Did you know that KTNA operates mainly by volunteers from right here in our community?

At last week’s stakeholder coordination meeting on Talkeetna’s ongoing erosion and flooding problem, they decided to undertake four short-term erosion mitigation projects. These projects include airstrip repairs, property buy-outs, Talkeetna Spur Road erosion mitigation and a new evacuation plan. The Mat-Su Borough and the Talkeetna Airmen’s Association are working together to repair the airstrip. They expect the project to take place this winter, when water levels recede.

There are a number of interesting astronomical events coming up, mostly having to do with the Moon's social schedule. StarDate Susitna is part of the Susitna Writers Voice program. The below star chart is for the Susitna Valley, 6 AM the morning of Wednesday the 7th. The Moon, heading eastward along the ecliptic, passed/will pass over (occult) Mars Sunday night ADT, then Jupiter Tuesday morning, and Regulus Tuesday night.

On September 30th, the Mainstreet Area Improvement Committee met for the first time since last April to review past successes and set future priorities. Members agreed to continue convening throughout this fall. The Talkeetna Community Council formed the committee to improve the Mainstreet area by focusing on pedestrian safety, traffic flow and parking. During the meeting, members highlighted three improvements implemented since last May.

Talkeetna Water and Sewer began work Monday morning to terminate a water main in a southern section of the Spur Road. The water line stretches across the Spur to the railroad crossing. This work precedes a project the Department of Transportation, or DOT, plans to carry out to stabilize the bank in the right-of-way. Talkeetna Water and Sewer Supervisor Amanda Fleming said that, because erosion worsened this past summer, the line was too close to the river.

The hunt for Alaska’s Fattest Bear has come to an end. A new Fat Bear Week Champion has been crowned. The competition between the two finalists was intense, but Bear 89 - “Backpack” came out on top, defeating Bear 910 - “Dancing Queen” by just 2% of the votes. Backpack is the son of Holly, the 2018 Fat Bear Week Champion. He earned his name as a tiny cub by climbing on his mother’s back whenever they swam in the river. He then overcame a serious leg injury as a yearling that threatened his survival.